CHARACTERIZATION AND HARDNESS OF Co-P COATINGS OBTAINED FROM DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRODEPOSITION USING GLUCONATE BATH

Direct current electrodeposition of Co-P alloy coatings were carried out using gluconate bath and they were characterized by employing techniques like XRD, FESEM, DSC and XPS. Broad XRD lines demonstrate the amorphous nature of Co-P coatings. Spherical and rough nodules are observed on the surface of coatings as seen from FESEM images. Three exothermic peaks around 290, 342 and 390 degrees C in DSC profiles of Co-P coatings could be attributed to the crystallization and formation of Co2P phase in the coatings. As-deposited coatings consist of Co metal and oxidized Co species as revealed by XPS studies. Bulk alloy P (P delta-) as well as oxidized P (P5+) are present on the surface of coatings. Concentrations of Co metal and P delta- increase with successive sputtering of the coating. Observed microhardness value is 1005 HK when Co-P coating obtained from 10 g L-1 NaH2PO2 is heated at 400 degrees C that is comparable with hard chromium coatings.

Note on high aspect-ratio SU-8 micromechanical structures using mask-less direct laser writing

We report high aspect-ratio micromechanical structures made of SU-8 polymer, which is a negative photoresist. Mask-less direct writing with 405 nm laser is used to pattern spin-cast SU-8 films of thickness of more than 600 um. As compared with X-ray lithography, which helps pattern material to give aspect ratios of 1:50 or higher, laser writing is a less expensive and more accessible alternative. In this work, aspect ratios up to 1:30 were obtained on narrow pillars and cantilever structures. Deep vertical patterning was achieved in multiple exposures of the surface with varying dosages given at periodic intervals of sufficient duration. It was found that a time lag between successive exposures at the same location helps the material recover from the transient changes that occur during exposure to the laser. This gives vertical sidewalls to the resulting structures. The time-lags and dosages were determined by conducting several trials. The micromechanical structures obtained with laser writing are compared with those obtained with traditional UV lithography as well as e-beam lithography. Laser writing gives not only high aspect ratios but also narrow gaps whereas e-beam can only give narrow gaps over very small depths. Unlike traditional UV lithography, laser writing does not need a mask. Furthermore, there is no adjustment for varying the dosage in traditional UV lithography. A drawback of this method compared to UV lithography is that the writing time increases. Some test structures as well as a compliant microgripper are fabricated.

Polymer-Derived In-Situ Metal Matrix Composites Created by Direct Injection of a Liquid Polymer into Molten Magnesium

We show that a liquid organic precursor can be injected directly into molten magnesium to produce nanoscale ceramic dispersions within the melt. The castings made in this way possess good resistance to tensile deformation at 673 K (400 degrees C), confirming the non-coarsening nature of these dispersions. Direct liquid injection into molten metals is a significant step toward inserting different chemistries of liquid precursors to generate a variety of polymer-derived metal matrix composites. (C) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2013

Direct hexagonal transition of amorphous (Ge2Sb2Te5)(0.9)Se-0.1 thin films

Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) is well known for its phase change properties and applications in memory and data storage. Efforts are being made to improve its thermal stability and transition between amorphous and crystalline phases. Various elements are doped to GST to improve these properties. In this work, Se has been doped to GST to study its effect on phase change properties. Amorphous GST film crystallized in to rock salt (NaCl) type structure at 150 degrees C and then transformed to hexagonal structure at 250 degrees C. Interestingly, Se doped GST ((GST)(0.9)Se-0.1) film crystallized directly into hexagonal phase and the intermediate phase of NaCl is not observed. The crystallization temperature (T-c) of (GST)(0.9)Se-0.1 is around 200 degrees C, which is 50 degrees C higher than the T-c of GST. For (GST)(0.9)Se-0.1, the threshold switching occurs at about 4.5V which is higher than GST (3 V). Band gap (E-opt) values of as deposited films are calculated from Tauc plot which are 0.63 eV for GST and 0.66 eV for (GST)(0.9)Se-0.1. The E-opt decreases for the films annealed at higher temperatures. The increased T-c, E-opt, the contrast in resistance and the direct transition to hexagonal phase may improve the data readability and thermal stability in the Se doped GST film. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Universal Conductance Fluctuations as a direct probe to valley coherence and universality class of disordered graphene

We demonstrate that the universal conductance fluctuations (UCF) can be used as a direct probe to study the valley quantum states in disordered graphene. The UCF magnitude in graphene is suppressed by a factor of four at high carrier densities where the short-range disorder essentially breaks the valley degeneracy of the K and K' valleys, leading to a density dependent crossover of symmetry class from symplectic near the Dirac point to orthogonal at high densities.

Direct Characterizing of Densification Mechanisms during Spark Plasma Sintering

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a convenient and rapid means of producing dense ceramic compacts. However, the mechanisms responsible for rapid densification have not been identified satisfactorily, with different studies using an indirect approach yielding varied values for the densification parameters. This study involved SPS in high purity nanocrystalline alumina with temperatures ranging from 1173 to 1423K and stresses from 25 to 100MPa. A direct approach, with analyses at a constant density, revealed a stress exponent of similar to 1 and an inverse grain size dependence of similar to 3, consistent with Coble creep process. Whereas the direct approach gives a stress exponent of similar to 1, the indirect approach used previously gives stress exponents ranging from similar to 2.2 to 3.5 with the same data, thereby revealing potentially spurious values of the densification parameters from conventional indirect approaches to characterizing densification. The rapid densification during SPS is related to the finer grain sizes retained with the rapid heating rates and the imposed stress that enhances the driving force for densification.

Modulation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity by surface functionalized quantum dots

Enzymatic regulation is a fast and reliable diagnosis tool via identification and design of inhibitors for modulation of enzyme function. Previous reports on quantum dots (QDs)-enzyme interactions reveal a protein-surface recognition ability leading to promising applications in protein stabilization, protein delivery, bio-sensing and detection. However, the direct use of QDs to control enzyme inhibition has never been revealed to date. Here we show that a series of biocompatible surface-functionalized metal-chalcogenide QDs can be used as potent inhibitors for malignant cells through the modulation of enzyme activity, while normal cells remain unaffected. The in vitro activity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), an enzyme involved critically in the glycolysis of cancer cells, is inactivated selectively in a controlled way by the QDs at a significantly low concentration (nM). Cumulative kinetic studies delineate that the QDs undergo both reversible and irreversible inhibition mechanisms owing to the site-specific interactions, enabling control over the inhibition kinetics. These complementary loss-of-function probes may offer a novel route for rapid clinical diagnosis of malignant cells and biomedical applications.

Post-absorptive glucose lowering in normal healthy individuals: An epidemiological observation

Post-absorptive glucose lowering (PALG) is observed in individuals with glucose intolerance and in healthy individuals. We report a prevalence of about 23% among healthy Asian Indians. Individuals with PALG are characterized by leaner phenotype, low body fat percentage, increased insulin sensitivity and higher fasting glucose levels. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Local and remote impacts of direct aerosol forcing on Asian monsoon

The impact of heating by black carbon aerosols on Indian summer monsoon has remained inconclusive. Some investigators have predicted that black carbon aerosols reduce monsoon rainfall while others have argued that it will increase monsoon rainfall. These conclusions have been based on local influence of aerosols on the radiative fluxes. The impact of aerosol-like heating in one region on the rainfall in a remote region has not been examined in detail. Here, using an atmospheric general circulation model, it has been shown that remote influence of aerosol-like heating can be as important as local influence on Indian summer monsoon. Precipitation in northern Arabian Sea and north-west Indian region increased by 16% in June to July when aerosol-like heating were present globally. The corresponding increase in precipitation due to presence of aerosol-like heating only over South Asia (local impact) and East Asia (remote impact) were 28 and 13%, respectively. This enhancement in precipitation was due to destabilization of the atmosphere in pre-monsoon season that affected subsequent convection. Moreover, pre-monsoon heating of the lower troposphere changed the circulation substantially that enabled influx of more moisture over certain regions and reduced the moist static stability of the atmosphere. It has been shown that regional aerosol heating can have large impact on the phase of upper tropospheric Rossby wave in pre-monsoon season, which acts as a primary mechanism behind teleconnection and leads to the change in precipitation during monsoon season. These results demonstrate that changes in aerosol in one region can influence the precipitation in a remote region through changes in circulation.

Direct control of type IIA topoisomerase activity by a chromosomally encoded regulatory protein

Precise control of supercoiling homeostasis is critical to DNA-dependent processes such as gene expression, replication, and damage response. Topoisomerases are central regulators of DNA supercoiling commonly thought to act independently in the recognition and modulation of chromosome superstructure; however, recent evidence has indicated that cells tightly regulate topoisomerase activity to support chromosome dynamics, transcriptional response, and replicative events. How topoisomerase control is executed and linked to the internal status of a cell is poorly understood. To investigate these connections, we determined the structure of Escherichia coil gyrase, a type HA topoisomerase bound to YacG, a recently identified chromosomally encoded inhibitor protein. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that YacG is frequently associated with coenzyme A (CoA) production enzymes, linking the protein to metabolism and stress. The structure, along with supporting solution studies, shows that YacG represses gyrase by sterically occluding the principal DNA-binding site of the enzyme. Unexpectedly, YacG acts by both engaging two spatially segregated regions associated with small-molecule inhibitor interactions (fluoroquinolone antibiotics and the newly reported antagonist GSK299423) and remodeling the gyrase holo enzyme into an inactive, ATP-trapped configuration. This study establishes a new mechanism for the protein-based control of topoisomerases, an approach that may be used to alter supercoiling levels for responding to changes in cellular state.

Tailoring the Microstructural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Nanocrystalline WO3 Thin Films Using Al Doping

We have studied the influence of Al doping on the microstructural, optical, and electrical properties of spray-deposited WO3 thin films. XRD analyses confirm that all the films are of polycrystalline WO3 in nature, possessing monoclinic structure. EDX profiles of the Al-doped films show aluminum peaks implying incorporation of Al ions into WO3 lattice. On Al doping, the average crystallite size decreases due to increase in the density of nucleation centers at the time of film growth. The observed variation in the lattice parameter values on Al doping is attributed to the incorporation of Al ions into WO3 lattice. Enhancement in the direct optical band gap compared to the undoped film has been observed on Al doping due to decrease in the width of allowed energy states near the conduction band edge. The refractive indices of the films follow the Cauchy relation of normal dispersion. Electrical resistivity compared to the undoped film has been found to increase on Al doping.

Direct regulation of topoisomerase activity by a nucleoid-associated protein

The topological homeostasis of bacterial chromosomes is maintained by the balance between compaction and the topological organization of genomes. Two classes of proteins play major roles in chromosome organization: the nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) and topoisomerases. The NAPs bind DNA to compact the chromosome, whereas topoisomerases catalytically remove or introduce supercoils into the genome. We demonstrate that HU, a major NAP of Mycobacterium tuberculosis specifically stimulates the DNA relaxation ability of mycobacterial topoisomerase I (TopoI) at lower concentrations but interferes at higher concentrations. A direct physical interaction between M. tuberculosis HU (MtHU) and TopoI is necessary for enhancing enzyme activity both in vitro and in vivo. The interaction is between the amino terminal domain of MtHU and the carboxyl terminal domain of TopoI. Binding of MtHU did not affect the two catalytic trans-esterification steps but enhanced the DNA strand passage, requisite for the completion of DNA relaxation, a new mechanism for the regulation of topoisomerase activity. An interaction-deficient mutant of MtHU was compromised in enhancing the strand passage activity. The species-specific physical and functional cooperation between MtHU and TopoI may be the key to achieve the DNA relaxation levels needed to maintain the optimal superhelical density of mycobacterial genomes.

Riemann shock tube: 1D normal shocks in air, simulations and experiments

This paper presents numerical simulation of the evolution of one-dimensional normal shocks, their propagation, reflection and interaction in air using a single diaphragm Riemann shock tube and validate them using experimental results. Mathematical model is derived for one-dimensional compressible flow of viscous and conducting medium. Dimensionless form of the mathematical model is used to construct space-time finite element processes based on minimization of the space-time residual functional. The space-time local approximation functions for space-time p-version hierarchical finite elements are considered in higher order GRAPHICS] spaces that permit desired order of global differentiability of local approximations in space and time. The resulting algebraic systems from this approach yield unconditionally positive-definite coefficient matrices, hence ensure unique numerical solution. The evolution is computed for a space-time strip corresponding to a time increment Delta t and then time march to obtain the evolution up to any desired value of time. Numerical studies are designed using recently invented hand-driven shock tube (Reddy tube) parameters, high/low side density and pressure values, high- and low-pressure side shock tube lengths, so that numerically computed results can be compared with actual experimental measurements.

Direct correlation between non-random distribution of cations and ion transport mechanism in soda-lime silicate glasses

We report a direct correlation between dissimilar ion pair formation and alkali ion transport in soda-lime silicate glasses established via broad band conductivity spectroscopy and local structural probe techniques. The combined Raman and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques on these glasses reveal the coexistence of different anionic species and the prevalence of Na+-Ca2+ dissimilar pairs as well as their distributions. The spectroscopic results further confirm the formation of dissimilar pairs atomistically, where it increases with increasing alkaline-earth oxide content These results, are the manifestation of local structural changes in the silicate network with composition which give rise to different environments into which the alkali ions hop. The Na+ ion mobility varies inversely with dissimilar pair formation, i.e. it decreases with increase of non-random formation of dissimilar pairs. Remarkably, we found that increased degree of non-randomness leads to temperature dependent variation in number density of sodium ions. Furthermore, the present study provides the strong link between the dynamics of the alkali ions and different sites associated with it in soda-lime silicate glasses. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Image-Segmentation Technique to Analyze Deformation Profiles in Different Direct Shear Tests

Results from interface shear tests on sand-geosynthetic interfaces are examined in light of surface roughness of the interacting geosynthetic material. Three different types of interface shear tests carried out in the frame of direct shear-test setup are compared to understand the effect of parameters like box fixity and symmetry on the interface shear characteristics. Formation of shear bands close to the interface is visualized in the tests and the bands are analyzed using image-segmentation techniques in MATLAB. A woven geotextile with moderate roughness and a geomembrane with minimal roughness are used in the tests. The effect of surface roughness of the geosynthetic material on the formation of shear bands, movement of sand particles, and interface shear parameters are studied and compared through visual observations, image analyses, and image-segmentation techniques.