Modification of silicon carbide fibers for use in SiC/Ti composites

The degradation of silicon carbide fibers during exposure to conditions typical of composite fabrication was investigated. The tensile strength of pristine fibers and fibers sputtered with thin metal coatings were determined before and after treatment at 870 C for one hour in vacuum. Each fiber strength distribution was related by an analytical procedure to a projected composite ultimate tensile strength (PC UTS). The results indicate that a thin aluminum diffusion barrier can yield a 150 percent increase in PC UTS over the baseline SiC/Ti system

Inflaton Decay in an Alpha Vacuum

We study the alpha vacua of de Sitter space by considering the decay rate of the inflaton field coupled to a scalar field placed in an alpha vacuum. We find an {\em alpha dependent} Bose enhancement relative to the Bunch-Davies vacuum and, surprisingly, no non-renormalizable divergences. We also consider a modified alpha dependent time ordering prescription for the Feynman propagator and show that it leads to an alpha independent result. This result suggests that it may be possible to calculate in any alpha vacuum if we employ the appropriate causality preserving prescription.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure, Revtex 4 preprin

VALIDATED SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF CHLORAMPHENICOL IN PURE AND IN ITS DOSAGE FORM

Objective: A simple, economic, selective, precise, and accurate UV-Visible spectrophotometric method for the analysis of Chloramphenicol in bulk drug and pharmaceutical formulations was developed and validated in the present study. Methods: Based on oxidative coupling reaction with MBTH reagent at PH-4.5 which is extractable at 620 nm. The Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range 1-6 ml (10-60 µg ml-1). Results: The RSD was found to be 0.0194% and recovery is 99.73%. The method was completely validated and proven to be rugged. The interferences of the ingredients and recipients were not observed. The repeatability and the performance of the proved method were established by point and internal hypothesis and through recovery studies. Conclusion: The method was found to be accurate and precise, as indicated by recovery studies close to 100 and % RSD is not more than 2. The summery of validation parameters of proposed UV-Visible method is given

VALIDATED SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF CHLORAMPHENICOL IN PURE AND IN ITS DOSAGE FORM

A simple, précis, rapid sensitive and accurate spectrophotometric methods have been developed for the estimation of Chloramphenicol UV in pure form and its pharmaceutical formulations based on oxidative coupling reaction UV with MBTH reagent at P H-4 which is extractable at 620 nm. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range 1-6 ml (10-60 µgml-1). The developed method was applied directly and easily for the analysis of the pharmaceutical formulations. RSD was found to be 0.0194 % and recovery 99.73%. The method was completely validated and proven to be rugged. The interferences of the ingredients and excipients were not observed. The repeatability and the performance of the proved method were established by point and internal hypothesis and through recovery studies.Keywords: Spectrophotometry, Chloramphenicol, MBTH, Oxidative coupling

Mechanism of phosphorescence quenching in photomagnetic molecules determined by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Platinum Octaethyl Porphyrin (Pt.OEP) is an efficient phosphor under ultraviolet excitation. The phosphorescent triplet state (T(sub 1)) is readily quenched by the oxygen (O2) molecules. This phenomenon is being utilized as the basis for global air pressure measurements in aerodynamic facilities at various laboratories. The exact mechanism by which O2 molecules quench the (T(sub 1)-S(sub 0)) transitions is still unknown. The diamagnetic S(sub n) singlet states, which feed T(sub 1) states via intersystem crossings, would presumably not be affected by O2. It must be the magnetic T(sub 1) states, which can interact with the paramagnetic O2 molecules, that are affected. However, our positron lifetime and Doppler broadening studies suggest the formation of (S(sub n).02) complexes which can also eventually reduce the population of the T(sub 1) states (i.e. quench phosphorescence). This is possible since higher triplet states in (Pt-OEP) are admixed with the S(sub n) states via spin orbit interactions. The experimental procedures and the results of various measurements are discussed in this paper

Mechanism of phosphorescence quenching in photomagnetic molecules determined by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Platinum Octaethyl Porphyrin (Pt.OEP) is an efficient phosphor under ultraviolet excitation. The phosphorescent triplet state (T(sub 1)) is readily quenched by the oxygen (O2) molecules. This phenomenon is being utilized as the basis for global air pressure measurements in aerodynamic facilities at various laboratories. The exact mechanism by which O2 molecules quench the (T(sub 1) - S(sub 0)) transitions is still unknown. The diamagnetic S(sub n) singlet states, which feed T(sub 1) states via intersystem crossings, would presumably not be affected by O2. It must be the magnetic T(sub 1) states, which can interact with the paramagnetic O2 molecules, that are affected. However, our positron lifetime and Doppler broadening studies suggest the formation of (S(sub n) central dot O2) complexes which can also eventually reduce the population of the T(sub 1) states (i.e. quench phosphorescence). This is possible since higher triplet states in (Pt.OEP) are admixed with the S(sub n) states via spin orbit interactions. The experimental procedures and the results of various measurements are discussed in this paper

Multipaction Susceptibility Margins in Space Travelling wave Tubes

Study of multipaction breakdown margins in the output connector of a travelling-wave tube (TWT) is essential for application in satellite-borne systems. A TWT uses a coaxial ceramic window, a coaxial output coupler and / or a waveguide output coupler that are prone to multipaction breakdown boosted by high RF power due to the ion accumulation in critical regions during the transition of the satellite through plasma pockets in space. A detailed procedure for estimating the multipaction susceptibility margins in a TWT using CST studio and analytical equations is presented in this paper, and output couplers of two typical TWTs are analysed and the results are presented

Novel phytosynthesis of nanoparticles using Indigeneous Australian Plants

Nanoparticles are considered to be the building blocks of nanotechnology. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles using plant material is an exciting and relatively new developing research area in nanobiotechnology. In the present study, Eucalyptus leaves were collected from Olive pink botanical garden, Alice Springs, Australia and were used to synthesize silver nanoparticles. Cubical structured and well monodispersed silver nanoparticles were formed with an average size of 50nm. The formed silver nanoparticles are found to have promising applications in medicine as good antimicrobial agents. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on exploiting indigeneous Australian plant sources for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles

Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Activity of the Leaf Extract of Mirabilis jalapa Against Pathogenic Microorganisms

Investigation of the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of the leaf extracts of Mirabilis jalapa were carried out using acetone, chloroform, ethanol and methanol. These extracts were subjected to screening of preliminary phytochemical tests. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, flavanoids, phenols, glycosides, tannins, saponins and lignins. The methanol extract exhibited the largest zone of inhibition (21mm in dia with 500μg/disc extract) against Staphylococcus aureus and the highest inhibition of fungal radial mycelial growth (97.5% with 500μg/ml medium) against Aspergillus flavus. The methanol extract exhibited the lowest MIC against Staphylococcus aureus (39 μg/ml) and Aspergillus flavus (45μg/ml). It appeared that M. jalapa could be a potential natural source of new antimicrobial agent.Keywords: Mirabilis jalapa, leaf extract, phytochemicals, antimicrobial activity

Awareness on antibiotic usage among undergraduate medical students in a teaching hospital, Guntur

Background: Antibiotics are the mainstay treatment of most of the infectious diseases. Inappropriate and irrational use of antimicrobial agents has led to increase in the development of antimicrobial resistance. Medical students are a part of health care system and they must be aware of increasing antibiotic resistance as they are the future prescribers. The objectives of the study were to assess the awareness on antibiotic usage and its resistance among medical students and to study the perception on antibiotic medication among medical students.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, semi-structured questionnaire-based study. Questionnaire consists of 4 parts- socio-demographic details, awareness on antibiotics and its resistance, knowledge on specific treatment of a disease, perception levels. Prior IEC approval was taken. The obtained data was statistically analyzed using Microsoft excel sheet.Results: Among 230 participants, majority of the students have awareness on general antibiotic usage and 97.8% were having knowledge about antibiotic resistance. The main source of information on antibiotic resistance is identified as classroom teaching (67.8%). 46.9% and 25.2% students correctly identified the drug of choice for treating enteric fever and community acquired pneumonia respectively.Conclusions: Degrees of awareness on antibiotics and its resistance is found to be good. Antibiotic usage pattern is not on par with knowledge. Knowledge on specific treatment of infectious disease is found to be less. So, antibiotic teaching should be integrated with clinical subjects