High contrast imaging and thickness determination of graphene with in-column secondary electron microscopy

We report a new method for quantitative estimation of graphene layer thicknesses using high contrast imaging of graphene films on insulating substrates with a scanning electron microscope. By detecting the attenuation of secondary electrons emitted from the substrate with an in-column low-energy electron detector, we have achieved very high thickness-dependent contrast that allows quantitative estimation of thickness up to several graphene layers. The nanometer scale spatial resolution of the electron micrographs also allows a simple structural characterization scheme for graphene, which has been applied to identify faults, wrinkles, voids, and patches of multilayer growth in large-area chemical vapor deposited graphene. We have discussed the factors, such as differential surface charging and electron beam induced current, that affect the contrast of graphene images in detail.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Intranasal Mice Model to Study the role of Bordetella pertussis antigens in Immunity

699-702Pertussis known as whooping cough is a highly contagious disease. Whole cell pertussis vaccine is the most economical and effective strategy for preventing and controlling pertussis. The efficacy of whole cell vaccine is ascertained most commonly by intracerebral challenge assay, but it does not reflect the true efficacy of vaccine as Pertussis essentially is a respiratory disease. Therefore, in order to mimic the natural infection, intranasal challenge model in mice was developed. In intranasal challenge assay mice were immunized with vaccine and challenged through intranasal route. Mice lungs were dissected and examined for bacterial count. The degree of count was related to efficacy of vaccine, higher count indicated low efficacy and low count pointed to better efficacy

The role of carbon in life's blueprint and carbon cycle understanding earth's essential cycling system: benefits and harms to our planet

This abstract provides a concise overview of carbon, carbon dioxide, and the carbon cycle. Carbon is an essential element for life on Earth, serving as the building block of organic molecules found in living organisms. Carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, plays a dual role in supporting life through photosynthesis while also contributing to climate change when its concentration in the atmosphere increases due to human activities. The carbon cycle is a natural process that continuously cycles carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, land, and living organisms. It plays a vital role in regulating the Earth's climate, supporting plant growth through photosynthesis, sequestering carbon in natural sinks, and sustaining various ecosystems. However, human activities have disrupted the carbon cycle, leading to adverse effects such as climate change, ocean acidification, and ecosystem disturbances. Mitigating these harmful impacts requires global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, conserve forests, and adopt sustainable practices to restore the balance of the carbon cycle and ensure a more sustainable future

Disclination vortices in elastic media

The vortex-like solutions are studied in the framework of the gauge model of disclinations in elastic continuum. A complete set of model equations with disclination driven dislocations taken into account is considered. Within the linear approximation an exact solution for a low-angle wedge disclination is found to be independent from the coupling constants of the theory. As a result, no additional dimensional characteristics (like the core radius of the defect) are involved. The situation changes drastically for 2\pi vortices where two characteristic lengths, l_\phi and l_W, become of importance. The asymptotical behaviour of the solutions for both singular and nonsingular 2\pi vortices is studied. Forces between pairs of vortices are calculated.Comment: 13 pages, published versio

An elastoplastic theory of dislocations as a physical field theory with torsion

We consider a static theory of dislocations with moment stress in an anisotropic or isotropic elastoplastical material as a T(3)-gauge theory. We obtain Yang-Mills type field equations which express the force and the moment equilibrium. Additionally, we discuss several constitutive laws between the dislocation density and the moment stress. For a straight screw dislocation, we find the stress field which is modified near the dislocation core due to the appearance of moment stress. For the first time, we calculate the localized moment stress, the Nye tensor, the elastoplastic energy and the modified Peach-Koehler force of a screw dislocation in this framework. Moreover, we discuss the straightforward analogy between a screw dislocation and a magnetic vortex. The dislocation theory in solids is also considered as a three-dimensional effective theory of gravity.Comment: 38 pages, 6 figures, RevTe

Plan quality assessment of modern radiotherapy delivery techniques in left-sided breast cancer: an analysis stratified by target delineation guidelines

Objective: This study compares planning techniques stratified by consensus delineation guidelines in patients undergoing whole-breast radiotherapy based on an objective plan quality assessment scale. Methods: 10 patients with left-sided breast cancer were randomly selected, and target delineation for intact breast was performed using Tangent (RTOG 0413), ESTRO, and RTOG guidelines. Consensus Plan Quality Metric (PQM) scoring was defined and communicated to the physicist before commencing treatment planning. Field-in-field IMRT (FiF), inverse IMRT (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans were created for each delineation. Statistical analyses utilised a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance, after applying a Bonferroni correction. Results: Total PQM score of plans for Tangent and ESTRO were comparable for FiF and IMRT techniques (FiF vs IMRT for Tangent, p = 0.637; FiF vs IMRT for ESTRO, p = 0.304), and were also significantly higher compared to VMAT. Total PQM score of plans for RTOG revealed that IMRT planning achieved a significantly higher score compared to both FiF and VMAT (IMRT vs FiF, p &lt; 0.001; IMRT vs VMAT, p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: Total PQM scores were equivalent for FiF and IMRT for both Tangent and ESTRO delineations, whereas IMRT was best suited for RTOG delineation. Advances in knowledge: FiF and IMRT planning techniques are best suited for ESTRO or Tangent delineations. IMRT also yields better results with RTOG delineation. </jats:sec

Regge Calculus in Teleparallel Gravity

In the context of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity, the Weitzenbock manifold is considered as the limit of a suitable sequence of discrete lattices composed of an increasing number of smaller an smaller simplices, where the interior of each simplex (Delaunay lattice) is assumed to be flat. The link lengths between any pair of vertices serve as independent variables, so that torsion turns out to be localized in the two dimensional hypersurfaces (dislocation triangle, or hinge) of the lattice. Assuming that a vector undergoes a dislocation in relation to its initial position as it is parallel transported along the perimeter of the dual lattice (Voronoi polygon), we obtain the discrete analogue of the teleparallel action, as well as the corresponding simplicial vacuum field equations.Comment: Latex, 10 pages, 2 eps figures, to appear in Class. Quant. Gra

Dizajniranje, sinteza, kinetika hidrolize i farmakodinamski profili konjugata aceklofenaka s histidinom i alaninom

The gastrointestinal toxicity associated with aceclofenac can be reduced by condensing its carboxylic acid group with methyl esters of amino acids like histidine and alanine to give amide linkage by the Schotten-Baumann method. Physicochemical characterization of the conjugates was carried out by various analytical and spectral methods. The synthesized conjugates were also subjected to in vitro hydrolysis in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) at pH 1.2, simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) at pH 7.4 and SIF + 80 % human plasma at pH 7.4. The release of free aceclofenac from histidine and alanine conjugated aceclofenac showed negligible hydrolysis in SGF compared to SIF. This indicated that the conjugates do not break in stomach, but release aceclofenac in SIF. Both synthesized conjugates showed excellent pharmacological response and encouraging hydrolysis rate in SIF and SIF + 80 % human plasma. Marked reduction of the ulcer index and comparable increase in analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities were obtained in both cases compared to aceclofenac alone. These findings suggest that the conjugates are better in action compared to the parent drug and have fewer gastrointestinal side-effects.Gastrointestinalna toksičnost aceklofenaka može se umanjiti kondenzacijom karboksilne skupine aceklofenaka s metilnim esterima aminokiselina poput histidina i alanina, pri čemu se stvaraju nove amidne veze po Schotten-Baumannovoj metodi. Fizikokemijska karakterizacija konjugata provedena je različitim analitičkim i spektralnim metodama. Nadalje, praćena je hidroliza sintetiziranih konjugata in vitro u simuliranoj gastričnoj tekućini (SGF) pri pH 1,2, simuliranoj intestinalnoj tekućini (SIF) pri pH 7,4 i simuliranoj intestinalnoj tekućini s 80 % humane plazme pri pH 7,4. Oslobađanje aceklofenaka iz konjugata s histidinom, odnosno alaninom, bilo je zanemarivo u SGF-u, u odnosu na oslobađanje u SIF-u. To ukazuje da su konjugati stabilni u želucu, dok se u SIF-u iz njih oslobađa aceklofenak. Oba konjugata daju izvrstan farmakološki odgovor i zadovoljavajući stupanj hidrolize u SIF-u i smjesi SIF-a i humane plazme. Oba konjugata pokazala su značajno smanjenu ulcerogenost i pojačano analgetsko i protuupalno djelovanje u odnosu na aceklofenak. Rezultati ukazuju na prednost konjugata u odnosu na samu ljekovitu tvar

Quantum thermodynamics at critical points during melting and solidification processes

We systematically explore and show the existence of finite-temperature continuous quantum phase transition (CTQPT) at a critical point, namely, during solidification or melting such that the first-order thermal phase transition is a special case within CTQPT. Infact, CTQPT is related to chemical reaction where quantum fluctuation (due to wavefunction transformation) is caused by thermal energy and it can occur maximally for temperatures much higher than zero Kelvin. To extract the quantity related to CTQPT, we use the ionization energy theory and the energy-level spacing renormalization group method to derive the energy-level spacing entropy, renormalized Bose-Einstein distribution and the time-dependent specific heat capacity. This work unambiguously shows that the quantum phase transition applies for any finite temperatures.Comment: To be published in Indian Journal of Physics (Kolkata