Highly selective and sensitive macrocycle-based dinuclear foldamer for fluorometric and colorimetric sensing of citrate in water.

The selective detection of citrate anions is essential for various biological functions in living systems. A quantitative assessment of citrate is required for the diagnosis of various diseases in the human body; however, it is extremely challenging to develop efficient fluorescence and color-detecting molecular probes for sensing citrate in water. Herein, we report a macrocycle-based dinuclear foldamer (1) assembled with eosin Y (EY) that has been studied for anion binding by fluorescence and colorimetric techniques in water at neutral pH. Results from the fluorescence titrations reveal that the 1·EY ensemble strongly binds citrate anions, showing remarkable selectivity over a wide range of inorganic and carboxylate anions. The addition of citrate anions to the 1·EY adduct led to a large fluorescence enhancement, displaying a detectable color change under both visible and UV light in water up to 2 μmol. The biocompatibility of 1·EY as an intracellular carrier in a biological system was evaluated on primary human foreskin fibroblast (HF) cells, showing an excellent cell viability. The strong binding properties of the ensemble allow it to be used as a highly sensitive, detective probe for biologically relevant citrate anions in various applications

Intelligent Active Vibration Control for a Flexible Beam System

YesThis paper presents an investigation into the development of an intelligent active vibration control (AVC) system. Evolutionary Genetic algorithms (GAs) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference system (ANFIS) algorithms are used to develop mechanisms of an AVC system, where the controller is designed on the basis of optimal vibration suppression using the plant model. A simulation platform of a flexible beam system in transverse vibration using finite difference (FD) method is considered to demonstrate the capabilities of the AVC system using GAs and ANFIS. MATLAB GA tool box for GAs and Fuzzy Logic tool box for ANFIS function are used for AVC system design. The system is then implemented, tested and its performance assessed for GAs and ANFIS based design. Finally a comparative performance of the algorithm in implementing AVC system using GAs and ANFIS is presented and discussed through a set of experiments

Real-time system identification using intelligent algorithms

This research presents an investigation into the development of real time system identification using intelligent algorithms. A simulation platform of a flexible beam vibration using finite difference (FD) method is used to demonstrate the real time capabilities of the identification algorithms. A number of approaches and algorithms for on line system identifications are explored and evaluated to demonstrate the merits of the algorithms for real time implementation. These approaches include identification using (a) traditional recursive least square (RLS) filter, (b) Genetic Algorithms (GAs) and (c) adaptive Neuro_Fuzzy (ANFIS) model. The above algorithms are used to estimate a linear discrete second order model for the flexible beam vibration. The model is implemented, tested and validated to evaluate and demonstrate the merits of the algorithms for real time system identification. Finally, a comparative performance of error convergence and real time computational complexity of the algorithms is presented and discussed through a set of experiments

3,3′-Bis(quinolin-8-yl)-1,1′-[4,4′-methyl­enebis(4,1-phenyl­ene)]diurea

The title compound, C33H26N6O2, contains two 3-(quinolin-8-yl)urea groups linked to a diphenyl­methane. The asymmetric unit contains two mol­ecules, A and B. Each quinoline plane is essentially parallel to the attached urea unit [dihedral angles = 8.97 (18) and 8.81 (19) in molecule A and 18.47 (18) and 4.09 (19)° in molecule B]. The two benzene rings are twisted, making dihedral angles of 81.36 (8)° in A and 87.20 (9)° in B. The molecular structures are stabilized by intramolecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds. In the crystal, each urea O atom is involved in two N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, generating two inter­penetrating three-dimensional sets of mol­ecules

Studies on Drug Use Pattern and Cost Efficiency in Upozila Health Complexes in Dhaka Division of Bangladesh

The objective of the study was to investigate the pattern of drug use in public health facilities in Dhaka division of Bangladesh. The results obtained from 600 outpatients of 20 randomly selected Upozila Health Complexes were analyzed with an excel software program. Based on INRUD indicators of rational drug use were obtained from January-December in 2014. Average number of drugs per encounter was 3.  On average the percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name was 49. Antibiotics were prescribed in 44% of prescriptions. 59 % of drugs prescribed appeared on the national essential drug list.  Average consulting and dispensing time were observed to be 2 minutes and 22 seconds respectively. Patients who could repeat the correct drug dose schedule was 36%.  Key drugs available in the health complexes were 51%. The average cost of drugs per encounter was Tk. 236. The average number of encounters with antibiotics per Upozila health complex was 13 and average cost of antibiotics per encounter was found to be Tk. 211. The prevalence of acute respiratory infection, dysentery, diarrhea, scabies, fungal infection and worm infection were 16.67, 18.50, 15.67, 16, 19.17 and 14% respectively. Total money spent for the treatment of dysentery, ARI, diarrhea, fungal infection, scabies and worm infection was Tk. 33.33, 22.08, 11.24, 28.09, 4.30 and 0.96% respectively.Rational drug use and drug availability at the facilities were not satisfactory. Adequate drug funding to ensure availability of essential drugs is vital to improve the situation. The care provided to patients was insufficient.

Self-organized stable pacemakers near the onset of birhythmicity

General amplitude equations for reaction-diffusion systems near to the soft onset of birhythmicity described by a supercritical pitchfork-Hopf bifurcation are derived. Using these equations and applying singular perturbation theory, we show that stable autonomous pacemakers represent a generic kind of spatiotemporal patterns in such systems. This is verified by numerical simulations, which also show the existence of breathing and swinging pacemaker solutions. The drift of self-organized pacemakers in media with spatial parameter gradients is analytically and numerically investigated.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

EXELFS of Metallic Glasses

The feasibility of using extended energy-loss fine structure (EXELFS) obtained from {approximately}1 nm regions of metallic glasses to study their short-range order has been examined. Ionization edges of the metallic glasses in the electron energy-loss spectrum (EELS) have been obtained from PdNiP bulk metallic glass and Ni{sub 2}P polycrystalline powder in a transmission electron microscope. The complexity of EXELFS analysis of L- and M-ionization edges of heavy elements (Z>22, i.e. Ni and Pd) is addressed by theoretical calculations using an ab initio computer code, and its results are compared with the experimental data