Positive solutions and pattern formation in a diffusive tritrophic system with Crowley–Martin functional response

Nonlinear Dynamics - In the present work, we have studied a diffusive tritrophic food chain model in which the species at each trophic level interact in accordance with Crowley–Martin...     

Physicochemical properties and bio-interfacial interactions of surface modified PDLLA-PAMAM linear dendritic block copolymers

Here, we demonstrate the applicability of self-assembling linear-dendritic block copolymers (LDBCs) and their nanoaggregates possessing varied surfaces as therapeutic nanocarriers. These LDBCs are comprised of a hydrophobic, linear polyester chemically coupled to a hydrophilic dendron polyamidoamine (PAMAM)—the latter of which acts as the surface of the self-assembled nanoaggregate in aqueous media. To better understand how surface charge density affects the overall operability of these nanomaterials, we modified the nanoaggregate surface to yield cationic (NH₃⁺), neutral (OH), and anionic (COO⁻) surfaces. The effect of these modifications on the physicochemical properties (i.e., size, morphology, and surface charge density), colloidal stability, and cellular uptake mechanism of the polymeric nanocarrier were investigated. This comparative study demonstrates the viability of nanoaggregates formed from PDLLA-PAMAM LDBCs to serve as nanocarriers for applications in drug delivery.     

Hydromagnetic instability of streaming fluids in porous medium

The instability of the plane interface between two uniform, superposed, electrically conducting and counter-streaming fluids through a porous medium is considered in the presence of a horizontal magnetic field. In the absence of surface tension, perturbations transverse to the direction of streaming are found to be unaffected by the presence of streaming if perturbations in the direction of streaming are ignored. For perturbations in all other directions there exists instability for a certain wavenumber range. The instability of this system is postponed by the presence of magnetic field. The magnetic field and surface tension are able to suppress this Kelvin-Helmholtz instability for small wavelength perturbations and the medium porosity reduces the stability range given in terms of a difference between the streaming velocities and the Alfvén velocity.This research forms a part of the research project awarded to the first author (R.C.S.) by the University Grants Commission.     

A microspectroscopic study of the electronic homogeneity of ordered and disordered Sr2FeMoO6

Disordered Sr₂FeMoO₆ shows a drastic reduction in saturation magnetization compared to highly ordered samples, moreover magnetization as a function of the temperature for different disordered samples shows qualitatively different behaviours. We investigate the origin of such diversity by performing spatially resolved photoemission spectroscopy on various disordered samples. Our results establish that e_xtensive electronic inhomogeneity, arising most probably from an underlying chemical inhomogeneity in disordered samples, is responsible for the observed magnetic inhomogeneity. It is further pointed out that these inhomogeneities are connected with composition fluctuations of the type Sr₂Fe_1+x Mo_1-x O₆ with Fe-rich (x > 0) and Mo-rich (x < 0) regions. Dedicated to Prof J Gopalakrishnan on his 62nd birthday.     

Transport of surface-modified iron nanoparticle in porous media and application to arsenic(III) remediation

The surface-modified iron nanoparticles (S-INP) were synthesized, characterized and tested for the remediation of arsenite (As(III)), a well known toxic groundwater contaminant of concern. The S-INP material was fully dispersed in the aqueous phase with a particle size distribution of 2–10 nm estimated from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that an Fe(III) oxide surface film was present on S-INP in addition to the bulk zero-valent Fe⁰ oxidation state. Transport of S-INP through porous media packed in 10 cm length column showed particle breakthroughs of 22.1, 47.4 and 60 pore volumes in glass beads, unbaked sand, and baked sand, respectively. Un-modified INP was immobile and aggregated on porous media surfaces in the column inlet area. Results using S-INP pretreated 10 cm sand-packed columns containing ∼2 g of S-INP showed that 100 % of As(III) was removed from influent solutions (flow rate 1.8 mL min⁻¹) containing 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 mg L⁻¹ As(III) for 9, 7 and 4 days providing 23.3, 20.7 and 10.4 L of arsenic free water, respectively. In addition, it was found that 100% of As(III) in 0.5 mg/L solution (flow rate 1.8 mL min⁻¹) was removed by S-INP pretreated 50 cm sand packed column containing 12 g of S-INP for more than 2.5 months providing 194.4 L of arsenic free water. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) showed S-INP had transformed to elongated, rod-like shaped corrosion product particles after reaction with As(III) in the presence of sand. These results suggest that S-INP has great potential to be used as a mobile, injectable reactive material for in-situ sandy groundwater aquifer treatment of As(III).     

Study of photon-induced L3 vacancy alignment for elements La to U

Alignment of photon-induced L₃ vacancies is studied in rare earth and highZ elements at energies of experimental interest, near thresholds to 60 keV, under nonrelativistic dipole approximation. Numerical calculations of the matrix element are undertaken to produce theoretical data for comparison with the experimental findings. The A₂ values being s>0.1 at photoelectron energies <20 keV are certainly higher than 5–8% uncertainties quoted in experimental results. Present findings are from a very basic model, hydrogen-like and can further be treated as reference to observe the impact of screening, relativistic, multipole and retardation corrections to the model     

Sorption and concentration of51Cr(VI) traces on TiO2 and ZrO2 by radioindicator study

The carrier technique has been used to concentrate Cr(VI) radiometrically by studying the carrying efficiency as a function of pH of aqueous medium, added ions, carrying capacity, amount of carrier and subsequent desorption of the activity adsorbed under optimum experimental conditions. The study shows that under optimum experimental conditions, 0.15 g of ZrO₂ and 0.25 g of TiO₂ carry 0.01 mg and 0.001 mg of chromium respectively. Further, the activity carried under the specified conditions can be recovered more or less quantitatively by leaching the carrier.     

Head-group-influenced mixed micellization of sodium deoxycholate with conventional hydrocarbon surfactants of identical hydrocarbon tails

Conductivity, viscosity, turbidity, and NMR measurements were performed over most of the mole fraction range for sodium deoxycholate (SDC) with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB), hexadecylpyridinium bromide (HPyBr), and hexadecylpyridinium chloride (HPyCl). All studies demonstrate that the mixed-micelle formation is more favorable in SDC plus HTAB rather than SDC plus HPyBr or SDC plus HPyCl mixtures. The results showed that the bulky pyridinium head groups of HPyBr or HPyCl create steric incompatibility with rigid SDC monomers in the mixed state.     

Working group report: Neutrino and astroparticle physics

This is the report of neutrino and astroparticle physics working group at WHEPP-7. Discussions and work on CP violation in long baseline neutrino experiments, ultra high energy neutrinos, supernova neutrinos and water Cerenkov detectors are discussed.     

Antimicorbial effects of newly synthesized organotin(IV) and organolead(IV) derivatives

Triorganotin(IV) and triorganolead(IV) derivatives of the types Me₃Sn(SCZ) and Ph₃Pb(SCZ) (where SCZ^? is the anion of a semicarbanzone ligand) have been synthesized by substitution reactions of trimethyltin chloride and triphenyl-lead chloride with semicarbazones derived from heterocyclic ketones. The resulting complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, molecualr weight determinations and conductivity measurements. The mode of bonding has been established on the basis of infrared and ¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectroscopic studies. Some respresentative complexes have also been evaluated for their antimicrobial effects on different species of pathogenic fungi and bacteria; the results of these investigations have been reported in the present paper.