Interfacial dilatational elasticity and viscosity of beta-lactoglobulin at air-water interface using pulsating bubble tensiometry

The ability of proteins to provide stability in foams is greatly influenced by their interfacial dilatational rheological properties. Surface tension response of a pulsatingbubble with an adsorbed layer of beta-lactoglobulin was measured for different frequencies and protein concentrations using a pulsating bubble tensiometer. A methodology, accounting for adsorption/desorption as well as variation of surface concentration due to expansion/contraction, was developed for the evaluation of surface dilatational elasticity and viscosity at different frequencies from these measurements. The adsorption rate constants were inferred from the surface pressure dynamics of protein adsorption using a Langmuir minitrough. The desorption rates were shown to be negligible for beta-lactoglobulin from the surface pressure response of a spread monolayer when subjected to compression in a Langmuir minitrough. The proposed model was employed to infer the interfacial dilatational viscosity and elasticity of an adsorbed beta-lactoglobulin layer at the air-water interface from experimental pulsating bubble data for protein concentrations in the range of 0.01-0.5 wt % at pH 7. As expected, the interfacial dilatational rheological properties were found to be higher at higher protein concentrations, this effect being less pronounced for dilatational elasticity. Heating at 80 degrees C for 30 min was found to result in higher interfacial dilatational viscosity and lower interfacial dilatational elasticity though this difference was within experimental error. The traditional approach for the inference of interfacial dilatational rheological properties is found to overpredict the interfacial dilatational elasticity whereas the viscosity values do not differ significantly from those obtained using the current analysis.     

Synthesis,characterization and spectral studies of various newer 4‐benzyloxy‐1H‐indole‐2‐carboxylic acid (arylidene)‐hydrazides

4‐Benzyloxyindole‐2‐carboxylic acid hydrazide reacts with aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes in alcoholic medium in refluxing conditions to give 4‐benzyloxy‐1H‐indole‐2‐carboxylic acid (arylidene)‐hydrazides, important synthetic intermediates for the synthesis of a newer class of pharmacologically active compounds. We describe here the synthesis of various 4‐benzyloxy‐1H‐indole‐2‐carboxylic acid (arylidene)‐hydrazides by conventional as well as microwave irradiation techniques. The structures of these compounds have been confirmed by spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, NMR and MS). Some of the interesting features of the electron impact mass spectral fragmentation pattern of these compounds are also discussed.     

Di- and tri-nuclear molybdenum-palladium complexes bearing strong π-acceptor “P-N-P” ligands, MeN{P(OR)2}2 (R = CH2CF3 or Ph)

The dipalladium complexes, [PdCl(μ-MeN{P(OR)₂}₂)]₂ (R = CH₂CF₃, 1a; Ph, 1b) react with [Mo₂(η⁵-C₅H₅)₂(CO)₆] in boiling benzene to afford the molybdenum-palladium heterometallic complexes, [(η⁵-C₅H₅)(CO)Mo(μ-MeN{P(OR)₂}₂)₂PdCl] (R = CH₂CF₃, 3a; Ph, 3b), [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Mo(μ₃-CO)₂(μ-MeN{P(OR)₂}₂)₂Pd₂Cl], (R = CH₂CF₃, 5a; Ph, 5b), [(η⁵-C₅H₅)(Cl)Mo(μ₂-CO)(μ₂-Cl)(μ-MeN{P(OR)₂}₂)PdCl], (R = CH₂CF₃, 6a; Ph, 6b) and also the mononuclear complex [Mo(CO)Cl(η⁵-C₅H₅)(κ²-MeN{P(OR)₂}₂)], (R = Ph, 4b). These complexes have been separated by column chromatography and are characterised by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H, ³¹P{¹H} NMR data. The structures of 1a, 3a, 4b, 5b and 6a have been confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The CO ligands in 5b and 6a adopt a semi-bridging mode of bonding; the Mo-CO distances (1.95-1.97 Å) are shorter than the Pd-CO distances (2.40-2.48 Å). The Pd-Mo distances fall in the range, 2.63-2.86 Å. The reaction of [Mo₂(η⁵-C₅H₅)₂(CO)₆] with MeN{P(OPh)₂}₂ in toluene gives [Mo₂(CO)₄(η⁵-C₅H₅)₂(κ¹-MeN{P(OPh)₂}₂)₂] (2) in which the diphosphazane acts as a monodentate ligand.     

Strategies for the Dynamic Integration of Combinatorial Synthesis and Screening

Selection and amplification of only those components with the desired property–the integration of combinatorial chemistry and screening makes this possible. If the components of a combinatorial library are in a reversible equilibrium, the desired components can be selected and amplified by shifting the equilibrium of the mixture (see schematic representation).     

Patterned immobilization of biomolecules by using ion irradiation‐induced graft polymerization

A new method for biomolecular patterning based on ion irradiation‐induced graft polymerization was demonstrated in this study. Ion irradiation on a polymer surface resulted in the formation of active species, which was further used for surface‐initiated graft polymerization of acrylic acid. The results of the grafting study revealed that the surface graft polymerization using 20 vol % of acrylic acid on the poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) film irradiated at the fluence of 1 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm² for 12 h was the optimum graft polymerization condition to achieve the maximum grafting degree. The results of the fluorescence microscopy also revealed that the optimum fluence to achieve the maximum fluorescence intensity was 1 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm². The grafting of acrylic acid on the PTFE surfaces was confirmed by a fluorescence labeling method. The grafted PTFE films were used for the immobilization of amine‐functionalized p‐DNA, followed by hybridization with fluorescently tagged c‐DNA. Biotin‐amine was also immobilized on the acrylic acid grafted PTFE surfaces. Successful biotin‐specific binding of streptavidin further confirmed the potential of this strategy for patterning of various biomolecules. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6124–6134, 2009     

Sensor technology roadmapping efforts at iNEMI

The iNEMI roadmap compares technology trends with anticipated product needs, and identifies gaps that are potential threats to industry advancements. This roadmap covers the time span from 2005 to 2015. Publication of the biannual roadmaps is followed by in-depth gap discussions to identify areas where common needs can be addressed through research and development, innovation, deployment and standards development.     

Measurement of velocity and kinetic energy of turbulence in swirling flows and their numerical prediction

Swirling flows are often employed in gas turbine combustion systems and high intensity industrial furnaces. A detailed analysis of the turbulence in the flow is necessary to achieve optimum combustion conditions. In this paper a method has been described to measure the turbulence levels in three directions using a hot wire anemometer. So far there is no established method available for measurement of turbulence in swirling and recirculating flows. The present method, it is hoped, will bridge the gap. The merit of the present method is the use of a single-wire probe rather than the X-probe. The method has been used for the measurement of turbulence levels in swirling recirculating flows generated by vane swirlers. From the measured turbulence levels, the kinetic energy of turbulence has been calculated and the results are compared with a well-established numerical prediction method. Mean velocity measurements have also been made using a 3-hole Pitot probe. The agreement between the measured and predicted values is quite satisfactory.     

On universally decodable matrices for space–time coding

The notion of universally decodable matrices (UDMs) was recently introduced by Tavildar and Viswanath while studying slow-fading channels. It turns out that the problem of constructing UDMs is tightly connected to the problem of constructing maximum-distance separable codes. In this paper, we first study the properties of UDMs in general and then we discuss an explicit construction of a class of UDMs, a construction which can be seen as an extension of Reed–Solomon codes. In fact, we show that this extension is, in a sense to be made more precise later on, unique. Moreover, the structure of this class of UDMs allows us to answer some open conjectures by Tavildar, Viswanath, and Doshi in the positive, and it also allows us to formulate an efficient decoding algorithm for this class of UDMs. It turns out that our construction yields a coding scheme that is essentially equivalent to a class of codes that was proposed by Rosenbloom and Tsfasman. Moreover, we point out connections to so-called repeated-root cyclic codes.     

Nanostructured tungsten oxide thin films by the reactive pulsed laser deposition technique

Preparation of nanostructured tungsten oxide thin films using the reactive pulsed laser ablation technique is reported. The structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of deposited films are systematically studied by changing the ambient oxygen pressure (pO₂). Structural dependence of tungsten oxide films on ambient oxygen pressure is discussed using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and micro-Raman spectra. The section analysis using atomic force microscopy exposed the smooth surface features of the deposited films. The blue shift in optical bandgap with an increase in ambient oxygen pressure is expounded in terms of electronic band structure of tungsten oxide. The influence of oxygen pressure on optical constants like extinction coefficient, band edge sharpness, refractive index and optical bandgap is also conveyed. The temperature variation of electrical resistance for films deposited at 0.12 mbar furnishes evidence for its semiconducting nature. PACS 68.55-a; 72.80.Ga; 81.15.Fg; 81.07.Bc; 78.68.+m; 78.20.Ci