2,757 research outputs found

    A Unique Approach to Classify Inflationary Potentials

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    Inflationary cosmology has made significant strides in understanding the physics driving the rapid expansion of the early universe. However, many inflation models with diverse potential shapes present analysis, comparison, and classification challenges. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to tackle this issue. We introduce a general potential formula encompassing all inflationary potentials, whether single-field or multi-field, into a single mathematical framework. This formula establishes a unified framework for systematically classifying inflation models based on their potential functions. We showcase the efficacy of the general potential formula by successfully reproducing well-known inflation models, such as the Starobinsky potential and the Valley Hybrid Inflation model. Moreover, we derive general inflationary parameters, including the slow-roll parameters and power spectra, using the proposed formula. Our approach provides a versatile tool for classifying and studying various inflationary scenarios, simplifying the analysis and comparison of different models in the field of inflationary cosmology

    Drug delivery to eye: Special reference to nanoparticles

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    Controlled and sustained delivery of ophthalmic drugs continues to remain a major focus area in the field of pharmaceutical drug delivery with the emergence of new, more potent drugs and biological response modifiers that may also have very short biological half-lives. The major objective of clinical therapeutics is to provide and maintain adequate concentration of drugs at the site of action. In ocular drug delivery, the physiological constraints imposed by the protective mechanisms of the eye lead to poor absorption of drugs with very small fractions of the instilled dose penetrating the cornea and reaching the intraocular tissues. The anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of the eye render this organ highly impervious to foreign substances. A significant challenge to the formulator is to circumvent the protective barriers of the eye without causing permanent tissue damage. Development of newer, more sensitive diagnostic techniques and novel therapeutic agents continue to provide ocular delivery systems with high therapeutic efficacy. Conventional ophthalmic solution, suspension, and ointment dosage forms no longer constitute optimal therapy for these indications. Nanoparticles and nanosuspensions are showing a better application as compare to conventional delivery sysyems. Polymer nanoparticles proposed are reported to be devoid of any irritant effect on cornea, iris, and conjunctiva and thus appear to be a suitable inert carrier for ophthalmic drug delivery. The benefits of having the drug in the form of a nanoparticulate suspension are: reduction in the amount of dose, drug release for a prolonged period of time, higher drug concentrations in the infected tissue, longer residence time of nanoparticles on the cornea surface, reduction systemic toxicity of drug.Keywords: Nanoparticle; polymer; ocular; bioavailabilit

    Supernovae as Probes of Extra Dimensions

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    Since the dawn of the new millennium, there has been a revived interest in the concept of extra dimensions.In this scenario all the standard model matter and gauge fields are confined to the 4 dimensions and only gravity can escape to higher dimensions of the universe.This idea can be tested using table-top experiments, collider experiments, astrophysical or cosmological observations. The main astrophysical constraints come from the cooling rate of supernovae, neutron stars, red giants and the sun. In this article, we consider the energy loss mechanism of SN1987A and study the constraints it places on the number and size of extra dimensions and the higher dimensional Planck scale.Comment: 5 pages, no figures, new references are adde

    Drug delivery to eye: Special reference to nanoparticles

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    Controlled and sustained delivery of ophthalmic drugs continues to remain a major focus area in the field of pharmaceutical drug delivery with the emergence of new, more potent drugs and biological response modifiers that may also have very short biological half-lives. The major objective of clinical therapeutics is to provide and maintain adequate concentration of drugs at the site of action. In ocular drug delivery, the physiological constraints imposed by the protective mechanisms of the eye lead to poor absorption of drugs with very small fractions of the instilled dose penetrating the cornea and reaching the intraocular tissues. The anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of the eye render this organ highly impervious to foreign substances. A significant challenge to the formulator is to circumvent the protective barriers of the eye without causing permanent tissue damage. Development of newer, more sensitive diagnostic techniques and novel therapeutic agents continue to provide ocular delivery systems with high therapeutic efficacy. Conventional ophthalmic solution, suspension, and ointment dosage forms no longer constitute optimal therapy for these indications. Nanoparticles and nanosuspensions are showing a better application as compare to conventional delivery sysyems. Polymer nanoparticles proposed are reported to be devoid of any irritant effect on cornea, iris, and conjunctiva and thus appear to be a suitable inert carrier for ophthalmic drug delivery. The benefits of having the drug in the form of a nanoparticulate suspension are: reduction in the amount of dose, drug release for a prolonged period of time, higher drug concentrations in the infected tissue, longer residence time of nanoparticles on the cornea surface, reduction systemic toxicity of drug.Keywords: Nanoparticle; polymer; ocular; bioavailabilit

    Plasmon Annihilation into Kaluza-Klein Graviton: New Astrophysical Constraints on Large Extra Dimensions

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    In large extra dimensional Kaluza-Klein (KK) scenario, where the usual Standard Model (SM) matter is confined to a 3+1-dimensional hypersurface called the 3-brane and gravity can propagate to the bulk (D=4+d, d being the number of extra spatial dimensions), the light graviton KK modes can be produced inside the supernova core due to the usual nucleon-nucleon bremstrahlung, electron-positron and photon-photon annihilations. This photon inside the supernova becomes plasmon due to the plasma effect. In this paper, we study the energy-loss rate of SN 1987A due to the KK gravitons produced from the plasmon-plasmon annihilation. We find that the SN 1987A cooling rate leads to the conservative bound M_DM\_D > 22.9 TeV and 1.38 TeV for the case of two and three space-like extra dimensions.Comment: 13 pages, 1 ps figure, text is modified a little bit, conclusion unchanged, new references are added, version accepted for publication in PR

    Targeting RNA by Small Molecules: Comparative Structural and Thermodynamic Aspects of Aristololactam-β-D-glucoside and Daunomycin Binding to tRNAphe

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    BACKGROUND: Interaction of aristololactam-β-D-glucoside and daunomycin with tRNA(phe) was investigated using various biophysical techniques. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Absorption and fluorescence studies revealed that both the compounds bind tRNA(phe) non-cooperatively. The binding of daunomycin was about one order of magnitude higher than that of aristololactam-β-D-glucoside. Stronger binding of the former was also inferred from fluorescence quenching data, quantum efficiency values and circular dichroic results. Results from isothermal titration calorimetry experiments suggested that the binding of both compounds was predominantly entropy driven with a smaller but favorable enthalpy term that increased with temperature. A large favorable electrostatic contribution to the binding of daunomycin to tRNA(phe) was revealed from salt dependence data and the dissection of the free energy values. The electrostatic component to the free energy change for aristololactam-β-D-glucoside-tRNA(phe) interaction was smaller than that of daunomycin. This was also inferred from the slope of log K versus [Na(+)] plots. Both compounds enhanced the thermal stability of tRNA(phe). The small heat capacity changes of -47 and -99 cal/mol K, respectively, observed for aristololactam-β-D-glucoside and daunomycin, and the observed enthalpy-entropy compensation phenomenon confirmed the involvement of multiple weak noncovalent interactions. Molecular aspects of the interaction have been revealed. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study presents the structural and energetic aspects of the binding of aristololactam-β-D-glucoside and daunomycin to tRNA(phe)
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