Effect of nitrogen doping on structural and optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles

Infl uence of nitrogen doping on structural and optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles has been studied. Undoped and N doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via chemical precipitation approach. The prepared samples were characterized through X-ray diffraction(XRD),Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) equipped with Energy dispersive X-ray(EDAX) spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy(m RS). Wurtzite phase of undoped as well as 0.5–10% N doped ZnO nanoparticles was con fi rmed through characteristic XRD patterns. The particle size expansion due to N incorporation in ZnO was further revealed by TEM and EDAX analysis where 11 nm size undoped and 18–22 nm size 0.5–10% N doped ZnO(N:ZnO) nanoparticles without any impurity were ascertained. Slight blue-shift in band gap energy, as observed in our case, symbolized weak quantum con fi nement of the prepared nanoparticles. The alterations in vibrational modes of ZnO due to N incorporation, remarkably H substituting at O site and subsequently causing the passivation in N:ZnO nanoparticles, were detected through FTIR analysis. Finally, the effect of the nano-size of crystallite and gradual prominence of N into ZnO lattice due to increase of N doping concentration in prepared nanoparticles was meticulously expatiated though m RS analysis.     

Analysis of discrete-time queues with batch renewal input and multiple vacations

This paper analyzes a discrete-time multiple vacations finite-buffer queueing system with batch renewal input in which inter-arrival time of batches are arbitrarily distributed.Service and vacation times are mutually independent and geometrically distributed.The server takes vacations when the system does not have any waiting jobs at a service completion epoch or a vacation completion epoch.The system is analyzed under the assumptions of late arrival system with delayed access and early arrival system.Using the supplementary variable and the imbedded Markov chain techniques, the authors obtain the queue-length distributions at pre-arrival,arbitrary and outside observer’s observation epochs for partial-batch rejection policy.The blocking probability of the first-,an arbitrary-and the last-job in a batch have been discussed.The analysis of actual waiting-time distributions measured in slots of the first-,an arbitrary- and the last-job in an accepted batch,and other performance measures along with some numerical results have also been investigated.     

The mental wealth of nations

Countries must learn how to capitalize on their citizens' cognitive resources if they are to prosper, both economically and socially. Early interventions will be key.     

A dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean

For the tropical Pacific and Atlantic oceans, internal modes of variability that lead to climatic oscillations have been recognized, but in the Indian Ocean region a similar ocean-atmosphere interaction causing interannual climate variability has not yet been found. Here we report an analysis of observational data over the past 40 years, showing a dipole mode in the Indian Ocean: a pattern of internal variability with anomalously low sea surface temperatures off Sumatra and high sea surface temperatures in the western Indian Ocean, with accompanying wind and precipitation anomalies. The spatio-temporal links between sea surface temperatures and winds reveal a strong coupling through the precipitation field and ocean dynamics. This air-sea interaction process is unique and inherent in the Indian Ocean, and is shown to be independent of the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation. The discovery of this dipole mode that accounts for about 12% of the sea surface temperature variability in the Indian Ocean--and, in its active years, also causes severe rainfall in eastern Africa and droughts in Indonesia--brightens the prospects for a long-term forecast of rainfall anomalies in the affected countries.     

Analysis of a discrete-time GI/Geo/1/N queue with multiple working vacations

This paper analyzes a finite-buffer renewal input single server discrete-time queueing system with multiple working vacations. The server works at a different rate rather than completely stopping working during the multiple working vacations. The service times during a service period, service time during a vacation period and vacation times are geometrically distributed. The queue is analyzed using the supplementary variable and the imbedded Markov-chain techniques. We obtain steady-state system length distributions at pre-arrival, arbitrary and outside observer’s observation epochs. The analysis of actual waiting-time distribution and some performance measures are carried out. We present some numerical results and discuss special cases of the model.     

Effect of glucose administration on release of prothrombin from rat liver microsomes during incubation

Résumé Les microsomes isolés du foic continuent à relâcher le prothrombin pendant l'incubation de façon désavantageuse pour la synthèse totale des protéines. L'accumulation est plus rapide quand les rats, soumis à un jeûne bref, étaient nourris de glucose avant le sacrifice.     

Antibodies against the paramyxovirus SV5 in the cerebrospinal fluids of some multiple sclerosis patients

Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and although there is little doubt that an infectious agent (or agents) is involved it has not been possible to demonstrate this unequivocally by any direct relationship to a given agent. Here we show that a significant proportion of patients with multiple sclerosis have antibodies against the paramyxovirus SV5 (simian virus 5) in their cerebrospinal fluid and in some of these such antibodies form a major proportion of the total immunoglobulin content. Further, we have been able to demonstrate that the oligoclonal bands displayed on electrophoresis of the cerebrospinal fluid of these patients can be removed by prior absorption with SV5 virus antigen.     

A function for cyclin D1 in DNA repair uncovered by protein interactome analyses in human cancers

Cyclin D1 is a component of the core cell cycle machinery. Abnormally high levels of cyclin D1 are detected in many human cancer types. To elucidate the molecular functions of cyclin D1 in human cancers, we performed a proteomic screen for cyclin D1 protein partners in several types of human tumours. Analyses of cyclin D1 interactors revealed a network of DNA repair proteins, including RAD51, a recombinase that drives the homologous recombination process. We found that cyclin D1 directly binds RAD51, and that cyclin D1-RAD51 interaction is induced by radiation. Like RAD51, cyclin D1 is recruited to DNA damage sites in a BRCA2-dependent fashion. Reduction of cyclin D1 levels in human cancer cells impaired recruitment of RAD51 to damaged DNA, impeded the homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair, and increased sensitivity of cells to radiation in vitro and in vivo. This effect was seen in cancer cells lacking the retinoblastoma protein, which do not require D-cyclins for proliferation. These findings reveal an unexpected function of a core cell cycle protein in DNA repair and suggest that targeting cyclin D1 may be beneficial also in retinoblastoma-negative cancers which are currently thought to be unaffected by cyclin D1 inhibition.