A simple copper(II) dppy-based receptor for sensing of L-cysteine and L-histidine in aqueous acetonitrile medium

The development of simple yet efficient receptors that rapidly detect and monitor amino acids with high sensitivity and reliability is crucial for the early-stage identification of various diseases. In this work, we report the synthesis and characterisation of a copper(II) complex, CuCl2L, by employing a 2,6-dipyrazinylpyridine (dppy)-based ligand (L = 2,2′-(4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)pyridine-2,6-diyl)dipyrazine). The in situ prepared CuCl2L receptor exhibits an instantaneous response to the presence of L-cysteine (Cys) and L-histidine (His) in aqueous acetonitrile (4[thin space (1/6-em)]:[thin space (1/6-em)]1 v/v, 10 mM HEPES buffer, pH 7.4). Furthermore, competitive experiments demonstrate the selectivity of CuCl2L towards Cys (1 equiv.) in the vicinity of other L-amino acids in the aforementioned solvent conditions. The detection limits for Cys and His are calculated as 0.33 μM and 1.40 μM, respectively. DFT calculations offer a plausible explanation for the observed selectivity of the CuCl2L receptor towards Cys and His. They reveal that the most stable conformer of Cu[thin space (1/6-em)]:[thin space (1/6-em)]Cys complex (1[thin space (1/6-em)]:[thin space (1/6-em)]1) is a five-membered ring formed through N,S-coordination mode (ΔG = −26.7 kcal mol−1) over various other possible coordination modes, while comparable ΔG values are only obtained for Cu[thin space (1/6-em)]:[thin space (1/6-em)]His complexes featuring two His moieties

Residue from vacuum ultraviolet irradiation of benzene ices: Insights into the physical structure of astrophysical dust

We have irradiated benzene ices deposited at 4 K on a cold, interstellar dust analog with vacuum ultraviolet (9 eV) irradiation for periods lasting from several hours to nearly a day, after which the irradiated ice was warmed to room temperature. Vacuum ultraviolet photoabsorption spectra of the aromatic residue left at room temperature were recorded and showed the synthesis of benzene derivatives. The residue was also imaged using an electron microscope and revealed crystals of various sizes and shapes. The result of our experiments suggests such geometrically shaped dust particles may be a key component of interstellar dust

Identification of risk factors for malaria control by focused interventions in Ranchi district, Jharkhand, India

Background & objectives: Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand state is endemic for malaria, particularly the Bundu Primary Health Centre (PHC) is the worst affected. Therefore, a study was initiated during 2009 using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) to identify risk factors responsible for high endemicity in this PHC. Methods: Bundu and Angara in Ranchi district were identified as high and low malaria endemic PHCs based on epidemiological data of three years (2007–09). The habitation, streams, other water body, landform, PHC and village boundary thematic maps were prepared using IRS-P6/LISS III-IV imageries and macro level breeding sites were identified. Digital elevation model (DEM) of the PHCs was generated using Cartosat Stereo Pair images and from DEM, slope map was derived to calculate flat area. From slope, aspect map was derived to indicate direction of water flow. Length of perennial streams, area under rocky terrain and buffer zones of 250, 500 and 750 m were constructed around streams. High resolution remote sensing imageries were used to identify micro level breeding sites. Based on macro-micro breeding sites, six villages from each PHC were selected randomly having combination of different parameters representing all ecotypes. Entomological data were collected during 2010–11 in pre- and post-monsoon seasons following standard techniques and analyzed statistically. Differential analysis was attempted to comprehend socioeconomic and other determinants associated with malaria transmission. Results: The study identified eight risk factors responsible for higher malaria endemicity in Bundu in comparison to Angara PHC based on ecological, entomological, socioeconomic and other local parameters. Conclusion: Focused interventions in integrated vector management (IVM) mode are required to be carried out in the district for better management and control of disease

Infrared attenuation due to phase change from amorphous to crystalline observed in astrochemical propargyl ether ices

Astrochemical ices are known to undergo morphological changes, from amorphous to crystalline, upon warming the ice from lower (10 K) to higher temperatures. Phase changes are mostly identified by the observation of significant changes in the InfraRed (IR) spectrum, where the IR bands that are broad in the amorphous phase are narrower and split when the ice turns crystalline. To-date all the molecules that are studied under astrochemical conditions are observed to follow such a behaviour without significant attenuation in the IR wavelength. However, in this paper we report a new observation when propargyl ether ($C_3H_3OC_3H_3$) is warmed from the amorphous phase, at 10 K, through the phase transition temperature of 170 K, the crystalline ice being found to strongly attenuate IR photons at the mid-IR wavelengths

Search for jet extinction in the inclusive jet-pT spectrum from proton-proton collisions at s=8 TeV

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published articles title, journal citation, and DOI.The first search at the LHC for the extinction of QCD jet production is presented, using data collected with the CMS detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 10.7  fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The extinction model studied in this analysis is motivated by the search for signatures of strong gravity at the TeV scale (terascale gravity) and assumes the existence of string couplings in the strong-coupling limit. In this limit, the string model predicts the suppression of all high-transverse-momentum standard model processes, including jet production, beyond a certain energy scale. To test this prediction, the measured transverse-momentum spectrum is compared to the theoretical prediction of the standard model. No significant deficit of events is found at high transverse momentum. A 95% confidence level lower limit of 3.3 TeV is set on the extinction mass scale