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Different Industries discharge effluent in different water bodies, which is the only reason of pollution. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the biodegradation and biosorption capacity of some potential cyanobacterial species; Phormidium mucicola and Anabaena aequalis in Textile and Pharmaceutical industries, Mandideep, Bhopal Madhya Pradesh, India. Industrial effluents are contaminated with heavy metal. The effluents were subjected to biological treatment using axenic cyanobacterial strains as batch system for 7 days. Removal efficiencies of the different contaminants were evaluated and compared. Results confirmed the high efficiencies of the investigated species for the removal of the target contaminants which were species and contaminant-dependent. BOD and COD recorded 91.18 and 82.54% as maximum removal efficiencies achieved by Anabaena aequalis. The highest removal efficiencies of the total suspended solids recorded 53.23% achieved by Phormidium mucicola, while 41.61% was recorded as the highest TDS. Concerning the contaminant metals, Phormidium mucicola showed the highest biosorption capacity where 86.12 and 94.63% removal efficiencies were achieved for Zn and Cu, respectively. In conclusion, results of the study confirmed the advantageous potential of using the tested cyanobacterial species for the bioremediation of industrial effluent and clearly showed the quality improvement of the discharged effluent which in turn will eliminate or at least minimize the expected deterioration of the receiving environment.

Hindus consider Vedānta as the ultimate knowledge of reality whose emphasis is on human behavior. Sciences also determine reality that is evidence based but is not restricted to human behavior. Vedānta and Sciences should, therefore, have overlapping region and convergence of their worldviews. We got a glimpse of overlapping region by identifying Brahman and Jagat, respectively, with quantum and classical versions of reality. The convergence in their worldviews will, probably, require Vedānta to come out of its mold and to interact with scientific thinking and biological data. There appear some contact points between Sciences and Vedānta that can catalyze their interaction, trigger the evolution of Vedānta, and enlarge the overlapping region. These points belong to relativity theory, quantum field theory and unexplained holistic features of living systems.

In the past few decades, due to ever increasing needs and greed of man, our environmental quality is deteriorating day by day. Global warming, climate change, hurricanes, melting of icebergs, floods, acid rain, and extinction of flora and fauna is all due to environmental disturbance. Environmental issues have become serious health threats to humans. Pollution is the main reason behind many types of cancer, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases, which sometimes lead to death. Environment conservation has become the priority of every country worldwide. This problem, which we are facing today, is due to lack of environmental awareness among the individuals and lack of knowledge. This problem can be solved if environmental awareness amongst the people could be raised. The advantage of environment awareness is its contribution to public support for government action in environment policy and management. Environmental awareness can be raised with the educational and informative programs. This chapter explores the role of social media in raising environmental awareness.

Background: Spontaneous ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) is a common phenomenon in biological systems and has been linked to pathological states. Researchers have always considered ultra-weak photon emission a potential non-invasive diagnostic tool, but its application in the medical field is stagnant due to the lack of relevant data for pathological states. Methods: Ultra-weak photon signals from five body sites (forehead, neck, heart, stomach, and navel) in fifty patients with type 2 diabetes and sixty age-matched healthy subjects were measured using a moveable whole-body biophoton detection system. Photon signal is measured for 10 min and detected in bins of 50 ms by a photomultiplier with a range of 290–630 nm. Each signal is a time series of 12 000 elements. Various parameters including photon intensity, Q value, squeezed state parameters (|α|, θ, o, r) and SSI were analyzed. Results and conclusion: we found significant differences in the abovementioned parameters between groups, and all subjects could be clustered into two groups according to the results obtained by principal component analysis. Methods and results from this study could be useful for constructing a UPE database for a range of diseases, which would promote the application of UPE in clinical diagnosis in the future.

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) is considered as one of the most promising materials in the field of multiferroics. In this work, a simple green route as well as synthetic routes has been used for the preparation of pure phase BiFeO3. An extract of Calotropis Gigantea flower was used as a reaction medium in green route. In each case so formed BiFeO3 particles are of comparable quality. These particles are in the range of 50-60 nm and exhibit mixed morphology (viz., spherical and cubic) as confirmed by TEM analysis. These pure phase BiFeO3 nanoparticles were first time surface modified effectively by mean of two silylating agent's viz., tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). Modi- fied and unmodified BiFeO3 nanoparticles were efficiently introduced into polyvinylacetate (PVAc) matrix. It has been shown that nanocomposite prepared by modified BiFeO3 comprise superior dispersion characteristics, improved ferroelec- tric properties and favorable magneto-dielectric properties along with excellent wettability in compare to nanocomposite prepared by unmodified BiFeO3. These preliminary results demonstrate possible applications of this type of nanocompos- ites particularly in the field of multiferroic coating and adhesives.

Sixty visible range photon signals spontaneously emitted from the dorsal side of both hands of fifteen human subjects are analyzed with the aim of finding their attributes. The signals are of 30 min duration and detected in bins of 50 ms by two synchronized photo multipliers sensitive in the range (290-630 nm). Each signal is a time series of 36,000 elements. The attributes of its signal are determined from the statistical properties of time series. The mean and variance of time series determine the attributes signal strength and intercept (p0) and slope (p1) of the Fano Factor curve. The photon count distribution of the time series determines squeezed state parameters |α|, r, θ and, squeezed state index (SSI), and sum of the squares of residue (SSR). The correlation between simultaneously detected signals determines intercept (c0) and slope (c1) of their correlation curve. The variability of attributes is studied by calculating them in smaller intervals covering the entire signal. The profile of attribute at 12 sites in a subject is more informative and biologically relevant. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A quality control method of highly diluted and potentized homeopathic remedies is important for curing patients applying homeopathic therapy. Lenger detected photons in highly potentized homeopathic remedies by delayed luminescence. The photons of Argentum metallicum 100MK and Cantharis 100MK magnetically bound to their carrier substances ethanol or saccharose were separated by their resonating magnetic field of about 2.06 MHz. The photons of these 100MK potency levels and of their reference substances were determined to be standard values calculated by the B2-values of Bajpai's equation derived from the Hamiltonian equation. The stability of ethanolic Argentum metallicum 100MK and Cantharis 100MK declined to 1/3 of their photons within a month in contrast to saccharose globules with Argentum metallicum 100MK having been stable during the period of these investigations for almost 1 year. Some remedies delivered as CMK potency had been proved to be ethanol. The testing amount of high ethanolic potencies is limited to 40 μl because 80 μl resulted in an attenuation of the photons; 40 μl equal 16 medicated saccharose globules. Six unknown homeopathic remedies could be identified as increasing potency levels of Argentum metallicum from 100MK to 1.000MK which indicates a calibration curve. The homeopathic factories having sent the unknown remedies confirmed the measurements. A quality control of homeopathic remedies is possible by comparing the different B2-values of the remedies and their carrier substances.

We measure ultra-weak photon signals emitted from the hand of a human subject, either spontaneously or gradually decaying after local stress has been induced with five concentrations of H2O2. We analyze the photon distributions of both spontaneous and stimulated number of photons per measuring interval (bin sizes) according to statistics measure Fano Factor which leads to quantum optics, g(2)(0). We also fit either semi-classical based exponential or quantum grounded hyperbolic curves to the decays. Both indicators point towards an adequate description of the photon signal in an interpretation that is quantum. We extend the interpretation towards the suggestion of a quantum coherent aspect of the subject which, once placed in a therapeutic perspective, links to the holistic views on health.

With the increment of solar photovoltaic installation in power grid, solar power penetration level, over loading of grid and power fluctuation are becoming prominent issues. To address the problems, active and reactive power fed to the grid from solar inverter are needed to be controlled. Regulation of active power from solar inverter is performed by modifying maximum power point tracking algorithm of photovoltaic generation and run in off maximum power mode. To operate the solar plant in off maximum power mode, fractional voltage based modified incremental conductance method is introduced in this paper. The solar photovoltaic inverter over which this active power control is operated, is modeled in MATLAB/Simulink and this model is tested for real irradiance and temperature conditions. Reactive power control is also performed in standard test condition. Simulation results illustrate the desired limited active power injection into the grid from solar photovoltaic system and reactive power ancillary support as well.

In this paper, a Velocity Modulated Bacterial Foraging Optimization Technique is proposed. The Bacterial Foraging algorithm is hybridized with Particle Swarm Optimization technique to reduce the convergence time while maintaining high accuracy. The hybridized optimization technique is tested on various benchmark functions like Sphere, Rosenbrock, Generalized Rastrigin, Griewank and Ackley. In addition to these, the proposed algorithm is also tested to calculate the resonant frequency of Rectangular Microstrip Antenna. The results are compared with the existing algorithms and that of experimental results and are found to be in good agreement.

It has been reported that the colors perceived behind closed eyes provide an indication of the psychophysical state of a subject. We discuss this phenomenon in the light of recently developed approaches to living organisms, based on the interplay between matter organization, biochemistry and electrodynamics. "When there is no energy, there is no color, no shape, no life." Caravaggio (1571-1610).

Surfactant-based fracturing gels are considered as clean gels due to the absence of insoluble residues after hydraulic fracturing of tight reservoir. Conventionally used highly viscous polymer gels damage the formation by blocking the fluid path in a fractured formation. The present work has been accomplished with the purpose of evaluating an anionic surfactant-based gel for hydraulic fracturing. Rheological properties and proppant carrying capacity of the synthesized gel were studied as a function of shear rate, temperature, and pH, which affect the gel behavior at the downhole. Proppant carrying capacity was also reported with varying proppant loadings. Rheological properties and proppant carrying capacity of synthesized gel were compared with conventionally used guar gel.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel organic‐inorganic (epoxy‐silicone) hybrid resin for application in heat resistant surface coatings.Design/methodology/approach – Thermally stable aminosilicone resin was prepared by using diethoxydimethyl silane and γ‐aminopropyldiethoxy methyl silane.Findings – The hybrid epoxy silicone resin shows significant properties such as toughness, chemical resistance and thermal stability.Research limitations/implications – The prepared amino siloxane was cured by commercially available epoxy resin PG 100 and toluene diisocyanate in different ratios at high as well as at room temperature to develop high‐temperature vulcanisation and room temperature vulcanisation resin systems.Practical implications – The hybrid epoxy silicone resin may be used as heat resistant coatings due to their low shrinkage and lesser internal stress.Originality/value – The developed hybrid epoxy silicone resin was novel for application in thermally stable coatings.

Spontaneous photon emission from 30 sites on the skin of a live human subject is measured at different times and on different days. Signals from three representative sites of low, intermediate and high intensities are selected for further analysis. Fluctuations in these signals are measured by the probabilities of detecting different numbers of photons in a bin. The probabilities have non-classical features and are well described by the signal in a quantum squeezed state of photons. Measurements with bins of three sizes yield same values of three parameters of the squeezed state. A procedure for making correction due to background noise is developed. The correction changes the parameters of the quantum state. The new state appears more like a coherent state of photons.

The most important aspect of biosensor development with high sensitivity is the oriented immobilization of antibodies on the solid substrate. Human IgG was immobilized on gold-coated silicon employing protein A, protein G and neutravidin immobilization procedures. The amount of human IgG immobilized was analyzed by 3, 3', 4, 4'- tetramethyl benzidine (TMB) substrate assay and was maximum when protein A immobilization procedure was followed. Human IgG coated biosensing surface was regenerated by treatment with glycine-HCl buffer (50 mM, pH 2.2). Atomic force microscopy was used to analyze the distribution of biomolecules immobilized on gold-coated silicon. Our study indicates that human IgG molecules were uniformly bound to gold-coated silicon by protein A immobilization procedure.

In this paper we have described a simple method developed to solve the problem of determining the kinematics of two-component mechanically compensated zoom lenses. It has been shown that a simple paraxial conjugate equation, along with magnification equation can be used successfully to solve the complex problem of component displacement in a two components mechanically compensated zoom lens. This method provides a deep insight into the image formation process by a zoom lens. The method developed is simple to program and provide excellent information about working of two-component mechanically compensated zoom lenses.

The present study reports the covalent immobilization of myosin on glass surface andin-vitro motility of actin-myosin biomolecular motor. Myosin was immobilized on poly-L-lysine coated glass using heterobifunctional cross linker EDC and characterized by AFM. Thein-vitro motility of actin was carried out on the immobilized myosin. It was observed that velocity of actin over myosin increases with increasing actin concentration (0.4–1.0 mg/ml) and was found in the range of 0.40–3.25 μm/s. The motility of actinmyosin motor on artificial surfaces is of immense importance for developing nanodevices for healthcare and engineering applications

The objective of this paper is to assess the promise of a novel tool for structural safety decision-making in severe unforeseen hazards. A straightforward measure is put forward for measuring the intensity of unforeseen hazards: the number of connected members “removed” from a structure in a brittle fashion. The tool selected for assessing this severe demand is the reduction in the buckling load capacity (stability) of the structure under service loads. Two examples of planar steel frames quantitatively demonstrate how the stability of structures degrades under this severe damage. Degradation of the buckling load, as members are removed, provides an efficient and unique tool for assessing fragility against unforeseen hazards in buildings. Further, a coarse, but efficient measure of progressive collapse is provided by utilizing the condition number of the stiffness matrix for the damaged structure. Comparison of a moment frame with and without cross-bracing indicates the beneficial role of redundancy as damage increases. Challenges remain, particularly in determining reasonable distributions for the intensity, and improving the computational efficiency of the analysis. A framework for incorporating stability degradation analysis into decision-making, similar to that developed in seismic performance-based design, is provided.

The shape of decaying part and photo count distribution of non-decaying part are determined in 21 spectral decompositions of a biophoton signal obtained from interference and long pass filters. A new framework that considers biophoton signal as an evolving quantum state of a frequency stable damped harmonic oscillator is used for the description of shape and photo count distribution. Shape is specified by four decay parameters and photo count distribution by four squeezed state parameters. These parameters are determined in spectral decompositions. Three parameters are situation specific and five parameters appear system specific.

This paper describes a compact, small volume direct current glow discharge lamp operating at low wattage for atomic emission spectrometric analysis and its process optimization for copper and brass solid samples. The design aspects, fundamental characteristics and analytical performance are described in detail. The discharge is observed end-on, with water-cooled cathode surface parallel to the spectroscopic entrance slit. The anode diameter is 7 mm and the minimum sample diameter required is 20 mm. The sample is located outside the lamp for easy access and interchangeability. The lamp is powered by a dc power supply capable of delivering 300 mA (max.) and 1500 V. The studies of fundamental characteristics include the current–voltage relationship and their dependence on pressure and the emission intensity of copper spectral line (324.7 nm). The studies were made in the pressure range of 2–7 mbar. Long-term stability of optical emission spectra was also recorded to be within ±0.75%. The performance of the lamp is quite linear in the pressure range 3.5–7 mbar at an applied voltage of about 450 V.

In this study, a surface wear prediction model for helical gears pairs is employed to investigate the influence of tooth profile deviations in the form of intentional tooth profile modifications or manufacturing errors on gear tooth surface wear. The wear model combines a finite-element-based gear contact mechanics model that predicts contact pressures, a sliding distance computation algorithm, and Archard’s wear formulation to predict wear of the contacting tooth surfaces. Typical helical gear tooth modifications are parameterized by an involute crown, a lead crown, and an involute slope. The influence of these parameters on surface wear are studied within typical tolerance ranges achievable using hob/shave process. The results indicate that wear is related to the combined modification parameters of a gear pair rather than individual gear parameters. At the end, a design formula is proposed that relates the mismatch of contacting surface slopes to the maximum initial wear rate.

In this study, a surface wear prediction methodology for spur and helical gears is proposed. The methodology employs a finite elements-based gear contact mechanics model in conjunction with the Archard’s wear formulation to predict wear of contacting tooth surfaces. An iterative numerical procedure is developed to account for the changes in the gear contact as the gears wear. A methodology is developed to import gear coordinate measurement machine data into the gear contact model in order to analyze gears with actual manufactured surfaces with profile and lead modifications. Results of an experimental study are presented for validation of the methodology. A set of simulations is also included to highlight the differences between gear pairs having modified and unmodified tooth surfaces, with and without manufacturing errors in terms of their wear characteristics. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1691433#

The probabilities of detecting different number of photons in a bin are measured in spontaneous biophoton signals emitted by the dry and wet states of a sample of lichen species Parmelia tinctorum. The parameters of quantum squeezed states describing biophoton signals are estimated. The parameters have weak dependence on bin size.

A stationary, compact, spatially modulated Fourier Transform spectro-radiometer based on triangular, common path Sagnac interferometer has been developed using linear CCD array detector for sampling the interferogram fringe pattern. The Optics and system configuration are described and the preliminary results are given. The system modification for making a push-broom Imaging hyper spectral system suitable for airborn/spaceborn measurements has been discussed.

The microcantilever based diagnostic chip for multiple analytes is the most recent interest in the field of nanobiotechnology. The diagnostic chip would be composed of an array of microcantilevers which are ultra-highly sensitive microscopic counterpart of commonly used diving board that undergoes deflection when some weight is applied to it. The high specificity of the device is provided by blomolecular recognition which takes place between immobilized biomolecules on the microcantilevers and the specific disease biomarkers present in the patient sample i.e between antigen-antibody, probe DNA-target DNA, protein-receptor and enzyme-substrate. Qualitative and quantitative detection of analytes can be performed economically in lesser time with highly sensitive simple label-free microgravimetric immunoassay procedure having the detection limit extending upto picogram range. The numerous advantages provided by this technique make it far more valuable than the most advanced analytical techniques currently employed. A multidiscliplinary approach is required to make multianalyte sensing chip having wide applications In various fields.

DNA, the blueprint of life, has taken centre stage in biological research during the past few decades. The elucidation of the molecule's structure 50 years ago and the unravelling of the genetic code revolutionized the field of biotechnology. They sparked the creation of whole new industries based on this knowledge and on the various tools and technologies that have subsequently developed. Biologically, the well‐known function of DNA is to code for functional proteins that are the expressed form of hereditary, genetic information. But in the past few years, the discovery that DNA can conduct an electrical current has made it an interesting candidate for other roles that nature did not intend for this molecule. In particular, DNA could be useful in nanotechnology for the design of electric circuits, which could help to overcome the limitations that classical silicon‐based electronics is facing in the coming years. In general, DNA electronics does not aim to make something new. Its immediate goal is to improve old concepts in a new manner, although in the process it may create entirely new ideas in nanoelectronics. This field is highly interdisciplinary, merging physics, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering and so on, to use individual DNA molecules for producing a new range of electronic devices that are much smaller, faster and more energy efficient than the present semiconductor‐based electronic devices. The basic unit of an integrated circuit, such as a computer processor or a memory chip, is the transistor, a simple electronic switch that is etched into various layers of silicon. Alien atoms, added during the production process, allow a transistor to switch between a conducting and a non‐conducting state, hence the name ‘semiconductor’. A modern microprocessor, such as the Pentium IV® chip, has more than 40 million transistors on a silicon chip that is only slightly …

The suitability of different plasma etch models based on various plasma chemistry has been evaluated for the fabrication of micro-mechanical structures and micro-electro-mechanical systems. Different etch models have been described for silicon etching based on fluorine and chlorine chemistry and the mechanisms involved in SiO2 etching. Conventional planar reactive ion etching systems have been utilized for the etching of SiO2 and silicon based on fluorine and chlorine etch models. Fluorine containing gases such as CHF3 in combination with Ar have been used for SiO2 etching and achieved nearly vertical sidewalls with smooth bottom surface. Gas mixtures such as SF6/O2 at low substrate temperatures and Cl2/BCl3 have been used for silicon etching and sidewall passivation techniques have been employed to achieve vertical sidewalls. The usefulness of chlorine chemistry using BCl3 gas chopping technique for the fabrication of high aspect ratio structures has been demonstrated.

Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) is the most common form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in the Asian and Indian populations. The presence of HLA-B27 has a strong association with JIA-ERA similar to that with adult ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The HLA-B27gene is highly polymorphic. Susceptibility to AS varies between different HLA-B27 subtypes; data on the relationship of susceptibility to JIA-ERA with HLA-B27 types are scant. In this study, we determined HLA-B27 subtypes in patients with JIA-ERA and AS to find out whether there is any difference in the HLA-B27 subtypes prevalent in these two diseases.Genomic DNA from 135 patients with JIA-ERA and 121 with AS was tested for the presence of HLA-B27. In patients testing positive, HLA-B27subtyping was done by sequencing a genomic region that contained second and third exons and the intervening intron of this gene; this method permitted identification of common HLA-B27 subtypes (HLA-B*27:01 to HLA-B*27:09).One hundred and seven (79%) patients with JIA-ERA and 102 (84%) patients with AS tested positive for HLA-B27. In both groups, HLA-B*27:05 and HLA-B*27:04 were the common subtypes; some patients had HLA-B*27:07(7.4%) and HLA-B*27:18. Patients with JIA-ERA had a higher frequency of HLA-B*27:05 than those with AS (70% vs. 57%, p=0.047), and a lower frequency of HLA-B*27:04 (21% vs. 36%, p=0.018).HLA-B*27:05 and HLA-B*27:04 were the most common HLA-27 subtypes in both JIA-ERA and AS. However, HLA-B*27:05 was more frequent and HLA-B*27:04 was less frequent in JIA-ERA. It is possible that HLA-B*27:05 being the ancestral HLA-27 subtype leads to expression of disease early in life.

Unlike other countries, India is receptive to a deeper relationship with the sole superpower. Building a stronger architecture for partnership around these five “E”s will help build a force for stability in world politics.

Electron cyclotron plasma reactor are prone to instabilities in specific input power [3–7] region (150–450 watts). In this region power absorption by gas molecules in the cavity is very poor and enhanced input power gets reflected substantially without increasing ion density. There are abrupt changes in plasma characteristics when input power was decreased from maximum to minimum, it was observed that reflected power changed from

A model to explain the relaxation behaviour of a biophoton signal is developed. The model assumes that every biological system is endowed with a non-classical electromagnetic field in a squeezed state. The quantum evolution of the state determines the shape of the signal. It is illustrated by considering the evolution of a single mode field described by a frequency stable damped oscillator. The model predicts a relaxation behaviour in the form (n(t) = B"0 + B"2(1 + @l"0t)^2. The coefficients B"0 and B"2 depend upon the initial state of the field and are situation specific. The constant @l"0 is determined by the damping of the field and is system specific. The model explains in a natural way two characteristic features of biophoton signals, namely non-exponential decay of light induced emission and constant flux of spontaneous emission. The model is applied to the light induced photon emission in flowers of Tagetes Patula. The value of the damping coefficient @l"0 in this system is found to be (0.040 +/- 0.011)s^-^1.

Results are presented on reverse engineering of the integrated circuits (N-MOS device) using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A modified technique has been described for preparation of cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) specimen from integrated circuits where the area of interest is confined to only few μm2. The modified technique has been successfully used for morphological and structural study of a N-MOS device. The different parameters studied are channel length, thickness, curvature and structure of various layers e.g., gate oxide, poly silicon, PSG, LOCOS, polyoxide, Al, Si3, N4 etc. High Resolution Electron Microscopy (HREM) has been used to study the interface between Si-substrate and the gate oxide. Results are also presented on cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (XSEM) of above device for discussing the merits and demerits of TEM and SEM for reverse engineering of integrated circuits to understand fundamental and technological problems associated with device ...

This paper describes the development of PC based ac-ac and dc-ac Hall measurement setup using the same circuit. In ac-ac system, both the magnetic field and the sample current are sinusoidal functions. Whereas in dc-ac system, dc magnetic field and ac sample current are used. This Hall measurement system is fully computer controlled and the user's interference is limited to only turning on and off the magnetic field and its polarity. The hardware and software enable the user to carry out functions such as magnet calibration, Van der Pauw, ac-ac and dc-ac Hall measurements.

To accurately position the stages in optical stepper, laser interferometer is used. Recently, a new type of displacement transducer, called Laser Doppler Displacement (LLD) system is available. This paper proposes a scheme for possible adoption of LLD system in optical stepper, drastically reducing the cost factor.

The design parameters have been presented for a reactive ion etching system and the effects of the process parameters like gas pressure, gas flow, RF power on the etch rates of silicon were studied...

We report an important observation that the surface conductivity of antibody layer immobilized on polylysine-coated glass substrate decreases upon the formation of complex with their specific antigens. This change in conductivity has been observed for both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. The conductance of monoclonal mouse IgG immobilized on polylysine-coated glass substrate changed from 1.02x10(-8) ohm(-1) to 1.41x10(-11) ohm(-1) at 10 V when complex is formed due to the specific biomolecular interactions with rabbit anti-mouse IgG F(ab')(2). Similar behavior was observed when the same set up was tested in two clinical assays: (1) anti-Leishmania antigen polyclonal antibodies taken from Kala Azar positive patient serum interacting with Leishmania promastigote antigen, and (2) anti-p21 polyclonal antibodies interacting with p21 antigen. The proposed concept can represent a new immunodiagnostic technique and may have wide ranging applications in biosensors and nanobiotechnology too.

The resonance frequency of an E-shaped microstrip antenna has been calculated by equating its area to an equivalent area of a rectangular microstrip patch antenna. A new expression for effective dielectric constant is developed for the E-shaped microstrip patch antenna. The new expression of resonance frequency is used to calculate the results, which are in good agreement with the measured and published results. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 1561–1563, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21700

An electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) system has been assembled and microwave plasma was studied in argon, oxygen, carbontetrafloride, and a mixture of oxygen and carbontetrafloride. A cylindrical Langmuir probe was used to measure the current and its variation with respect to input power (50–100 W), flow rates, probe position in the reactor and pressure. Plasma parameters like ion density Ni, floating potential, electron temperature and plasma potential were estimated. Optimum operational parameters like input power, pressure and gas flow rate were also established.