Thermal and EPR investigations of thallium gallium disulphide single crystal

In this research, the results of the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigations of TlGaS₂ single crystal are presented. Specific heat capacity (C_p) anomalies of layered TlGaS₂ have been obtained by using a new DSC technique for such crystals. Remarkable heat capacity anomalies have been revealed at the temperatures of 137.7 K, 174.5 K and 238.5 K. It is found that the anomalies appear at maximum with a small deviation (by 3‐4%) from the regular values, and C_p discontinuity amounted to approximately 5%. Additionally, EPR spectra of Fe doped TlGaS₂ single crystals have been recorded at various temperatures down to 6 K for different orientations of the applied magnetic field. Transformations of present EPR spectra are not sufficient for the confirmation of structural phase transitions, in contrast to the cases in iso structural TlInS₂ and TlGaSe₂ compounds. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Natural radioactivity and hazard-level assessment of Portland cements in Turkey

The natural radioactivity levels and some radiological parameters of Turkish Portland cements (PC) originated in various regions were determined in this study. The activity concentration of cement samples for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K were measured using a gamma-ray spectrometer with high purity germanium radiation detector. The PC samples had activity concentrations of 33.0, 16.7, and 239.5 Bq kg⁻¹ for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K, respectively. The mean value of radium equivalent value (Ra_eq) was found to be 75.4 Bq kg⁻¹. The radium equivalent values in the cement samples were lower than the acceptable level of 370 Bq kg⁻¹. The calculated radiological parameters were found to be below the acceptance levels.

     

Production and optimisation of rosmarinic acid by Satureja hortensis L. callus cultures

In this study, production and optimisation of rosmarinic acid, a phenolic acid and an economically important metabolite, was investigated in the callus cultures established from the mature seeds of Satureja hortensis L. (summer savory) plant. Gamborg's B5 basal medium, supplemented with indol butyric acid (IBA) (1.00 mg L(-1)), N6-benzyl aminopurine (6-BA) (1.00 mg L(-1)) and sucrose (2.5%, w/v), was employed for the establishment and maintenance of the callus cultures. Applications were individually prepared by preparing the media containing different IBA/6-BA combinations and sucrose concentrations. All of the applications were carried out in the continuous dark. In the applications, where the effects of IBA/6-BA combinations on the growth and rosmarinic acid accumulation were assayed (1-15 applications), the highest biomass yield was obtained from the medium supplemented with 1.00 mg L(-1) IBA and 5.00 mg L(-1) 6-BA. In the case of the rosmarinic acid accumulation, an opposite relationship was determined between the growth and rosmarinic acid production. While the highest biomass yield was obtained from the medium containing 1.00 mg L(-1) IBA and 5.00 mg L(-1) 6-BA, the highest rosmarinic acid accumulation was obtained from the medium supported with 1.00 mg L(-1) IBA and 1.00 mg L(-1) 6-BA. In the applications where the effects of sucrose concentrations on the growth and rosmarinic acid accumulation were examined, the highest biomass yield was obtained from the medium which is supplemented with 5.0% (w/v) sucrose. In this category, the highest rosmarinic acid accumulation was obtained from the medium which is supported with 3.0% (w/v) sucrose. According to the experiments carried out with the wild S. hortensis, it is found to have 25.02+/-1.21 mg g(-1) rosmarinic acid. No differentiation was observed in any callus during the course of this study.     

Wavelength and coherence effects on the growth mechanism of silicon nanopillars and their use in the modification of spontaneous lifetime emission of BODIPY dye molecules

Silicon nanopillars are grown by an electrochemical anodization of p-type silicon wafers at low current densities in a hydrofluoric acid solution. CW, white light, and various UV pulsed lasers are employed as illumination sources in sample preparation to study wavelength and coherence effects on the growth mechanism of the nanopillars. Coherence is observed to be the foundation of regularity in obtaining conical shapes. The pillar size is found to be almost linearly proportional to the employed illumination wavelength during their growth. BODIPY dye molecules are chemically attached to these silicon nanopillars and the radiative decay rates are investigated by means of a time-resolved fluorescence experiment. The decay rate of the dye molecules embedded in the vicinity of various size pillar tips is significantly affected due to different apex angles of the conical nature. It is demonstrated that the pillar size and the separation between pillars can be adjusted if one uses a coherent light source with an appropriate wavelength during the course of fabrication process. Since change in the decay rate is due to tips of the pillars only, separation of a few micrometers between pillar tips allows one to directly monitor a dye, which is embedded to the tip of a single nanopillar, via a confocal microscopic method for the spontaneous lifetime measurements, without having needed to any extra efforts for an in situ imaging process. It is observed that as the pillar size gets smaller, the inhibition in the spontaneous lifetime of BODIPY is more pronounced. In addition, a more regular pillar structure yields nonvarying decay rates of the dye molecules throughout the silicon sample.     

Boundary element model for simulating sound propagation and source localization within the lungs

An acoustic boundary element (BE) model is used to simulate sound propagation in the lung parenchyma. It is computationally validated and then compared with experimental studies on lung phantom models. Parametric studies quantify the effect of different model parameters on the resulting acoustic field within the lung phantoms. The BE model is then coupled with a source localization algorithm to predict the position of an acoustic source within the phantom. Experimental studies validate the BE-based source localization algorithm and show that the same algorithm does not perform as well if the BE simulation is replaced with a free field assumption that neglects reflections and standing wave patterns created within the finite-size lung phantom. The BE model and source localization procedure are then applied to actual lung geometry taken from the National Library of Medicine's Visible Human Project. These numerical studies are in agreement with the studies on simpler geometry in that use of a BE model in place of the free field assumption alters the predicted acoustic field and source localization results. This work is relevant to the development of advanced auscultatory techniques that utilize multiple noninvasive sensors to construct acoustic images of sound generation and transmission to identify pathologies.     

Polymers in conventional and alternative lithography for the fabrication of nanostructures

This review provides a survey of lithography techniques and the resist materials employed with these techniques. The first part focuses on the conventional lithography methods used to fabricate complex micro- and nano-structured surfaces. In the second part, emphasis is placed on patterning with unconventional lithography techniques such as printing, molding, and embossing, and on their development into viable, high-resolution patterning technologies.     

Hormone and microorganism treatments in the cultivation of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) plants

The difficult cultivation of the saffron plant (Crocus Sativus L.) make the spice of the same name made from its dried stigmas very valuable. It is estimated that some 75,000 blossoms or 225,000 hand-picked stigmas are required to make a single pound of saffron, which explains why it is the world's most expensive spice. The aim of this study was to identify ways of increasing the fertility and production of saffron. For this purpose, the treatment of saffron bulbs with a synthetic growth hormone--a mixture of Polystimulins A6 and K--and two different microorganism based materials--biohumus or vermicompost and Effective Microorganisms (EM)--in four different ways (hormone alone, biohumus alone, EM alone and EM+biohumus) was investigated to determine whether these treatments have any statistically meaningful effects on corms and stigmas. It has been shown that EM + biohumus was the most effective choice for improved saffron cultivation.     

Synthesis of Schiff and Mannich bases of isatin derivatives with 4-amino-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5-ones

Ethyl imidate hydrochlorides 1 were prepared by passing HCl gas through solutions of substituted benzyl cyanides and absolute ethanol. Ethoxycarbonylhydrazones 2 were synthesized from the reaction of compounds 1 with ethyl carbazate. Treatment of 2 with hydrazine hydrate leads to the formation of substituted 4-amino-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5-ones 3. Isatin and 5-chloroisatin were added to 3 to form Schiff bases 4 and N-Mannich bases 5 of these compounds were synthesized by reacting with formaldehyde and piperidine. Their chemical structures were confirmed by means of IR, (1)H- and (13)C-NMR data and by elemental analysis.     

Finding Dirac Spin Effect in NUT Spacetime

In the present study, we are interested in finding the spin precession of a Dirac particle in expanding and rotating NUT spaeetime. A tetrad with two functions to be determined is applied to the field equation of the teleparallel theory of gravity via a coordinate transformation. The vector, the axial-vector and the tensor parts of the torsion tensor are obtained. We found that the vector parts are in the radial and Ф-directions. The axial-vector torsion is along r-direction while its other components along θ and oh-directions vanish everywhere. The vector connected with Dirac spin has been evaluated as well.