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We must explicitly capture relationships and hierarchies between the multitude of system and security standards requirements. Current security requirements specification methods do not capture such structure effectively, making requirements management and traceability harder, consequently increasing costs and time to market for developing certified ICS. We propose a novel requirements repository model for ICS that uses labelled property graphs to structure and store system-specific and standards-based requirements using well-defined relationship types. Furthermore, we integrate the proposed requirements repository with design-time ICS tools to establish requirements traceability. A wind turbine case study illustrates the overall workflow in our framework. We demonstrate that a robust requirements traceability matrix is a natural consequence of using labelled property graphs. We also introduce a compatible requirements change management procedure that aids in adapting to changes in development and certification schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land alienation among its tribal communities has been one of the most disquieting issues in contemporary India despite existing laws for the protection of tribal land and habitat. This situation is attributed mainly to requisition of tribal land for various developmental activities undertaken by the state as well as its indifference in enforcing the existing laws. The situation in Assam clearly illustrates this. Despite the existing laws, the tribal communities have been unable to retain their ownership of the land. This paper shows that while the state-led development activities are significantly responsible for this, the various informal ways in which the transfer of tribal land takes place at a private level are also no less alarming. Explicating the dynamics behind this process, the paper divulges the multiple informal mechanisms, embedded in community network and trust at the local level to negotiate the protective land laws to facilitate the transfer of tribal land to non-tribal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenization has been an important nationalist project undertaken by various colonized countries seeking to liberate the existing knowledge systems from colonial hegemony. In India too, one witnesses serious efforts at indigenization that began during the colonial rule as part of the anti-colonial nationalist struggle. This continued after independence with new vigour. It found resonance in the domain of social sciences and the Indian social scientists have been engaged in debates around decolonizing the extant knowledge texts in their respective domains. An essential part of indigenization of social science in the Indian context is their vernacularization, which implies a process of translation and adaptation of the knowledge texts in its diverse local/regional languages. Underscoring the importance of both the processes in decolonizing the social sciences, the paper also highlights the existing and the emerging challenges to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Credit rating agencies (CRAs) play an essential role in efficiently allocating capital in the financial system. However, several researchers have highlighted shortcomings of CRAs, leading to drastic consequences such as the 2008 financial crisis. The paper focuses on the competition among CRAs as one of the critical drivers of issues plaguing the credit rating industry. The paper uses quantitative and regression techniques to check the impact of competition on a firm's credit rating. The paper utilizes firm-level financial and credit rating data from India. The paper uses dual ratings to check whether competition leads to rating inflation and shopping practices in the credit rating industry. The paper finds that CRA inflates a firm's credit rating due to competition from other CRAs. Rating shopping is also evident in the credit rating industry, driven by competition between CRAs to gain new clients. The paper's findings also indicate that increased competition for large-size firms business leads to CRAs showing leniency when rating such firms. The results raise the need for regulators to actively monitor and control the competition among CRAs to ensure the accuracy of credit ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results To know the effect of greenhouse gas on tourism, we estimate the quantile model for the 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 0.90. The severe consequences of high greenhouse gas emissions have attracted the attention of the international community in the last decade. Our benchmark model to be estimated to address the conditional quantile function of the panel data is (1) Graph HT ht where Graph HT ht is Graph HT ht quantile of tourist arrival. [Extracted from the article]

Considering the outstanding characteristics of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and magnetic nanoparticles, herein we report a facile approach for the synthesis of a magnetic zeolitic-imidazolate-framework-supported palladium(II) catalyst. In brief, zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) was successfully incorporated onto the surface of titania-coated magnetic nanoparticles using ethane-1,2-diamine as a linker, and then Pd(II) was immobilized onto this. The resulting Pd@ZIF-67–Fe3O4–TiO2 catalyst possesses a high surface area (205 m2 g−1), a large pore volume (0.10 cm3 g−1), good magnetic responsivity (10.71 emu g−1), and high stability. A comparative analysis of Pd@ZIF-67–Fe3O4–TiO2 and Pd@Fe3O4–TiO2 catalysts for the oxidation, reduction, and oxidative deprotection of oximes was done to investigate the effects of ZIF-67 on the catalytic performance of Pd species. Substantial differences in activity and stability were observed in the presence of ZIF-67, suggesting that ZIF-67 plays an important role in enhancing the activity of Pd(II). This superior catalytic activity and stability arises due to a synergistic effect between well-dispersed palladium species and highly porous ZIF-67, which was confirmed via XPS analysis. Moreover, the catalyst retains its structure, chemical environment, and good magnetic response even after five catalytic runs, as confirmed via FTIR, XRD, XPS, and VSM studies of reused catalyst samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice of condenser cooling option for concentrating solar power (CSP) plants is likely to affect their techno-economic feasibility. In view of this, an attempt has been made to assess relative techno-economics and net life cycle CO 2 -eq emissions mitigation (LCCM) potential for 50 MW nominal capacity wet-cooled and dry-cooled parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) and dry-cooled solar power tower (SPT) based CSP plants with 6.0 h of thermal energy storage for two potential locations in India. It was observed that though dry cooling is likely to save significant amount of water (∼92%) in PTSC based plants, the same shall result in higher capital cost, higher performance penalty and higher parasitic power requirements leading to around 20% higher levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) as compared to wet-cooled PTSC based plants. It was also observed that the dry-cooled SPT based plants shall be able to deliver up to 4.5% higher annual electricity output and LCOE is also likely to be lowered by 13% than wet-cooled PTSC based plants. Considering emissions embodied and emissions associated with water transport/extraction from the source and water treatment, the estimation of LCCM from the PTSC and SPT based CSP plants have also been undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the effect of gamma (γ)-ray irradiation on barrier inhomogeneities that leads towards improvement in diode parameters in Ni-AlGaN/GaN Schottky diodes. The Schottky diodes were subjected to a cumulative γ-ray dose up to 15 kGy and their current–voltage (I–V) and capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics were measured simultaneously at different temperatures during the pristine stage and after each radiation dose. The Schottky barrier height (Φb) had an increase of 10% to 20% in the temperature range greater than 250 K. Whereas, the change in the ideality factor (η) was found to be prevalent at lower temperatures (<250 K). More linearity in the behavior of η variation with temperature was found post γ-irradiation showing an improvement in homogeneity of the metal/semiconductor interface. Post γ-ray exposure, barrier inhomogeneities at the metal/semiconductor interface were found to reduce due to annealing effects that also led towards an increase in the contribution of thermionic emission current flow. Further, a decrease of 16% in the standard deviation of the Gaussian distribution of Φb around the mean Φb was obtained. A decrease in contact resistance (RC) was deduced using a circular transmission line method, which was also due to the partial annealing effect of γ-ray radiation. Finally, the channel carrier concentration (ns), extracted using C–V analysis, was found to remain unaltered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ablation of protein acyltransferase DHHC3 selectively enhanced the anti-cancer cell activities of several chemotherapeutic agents, but not kinase inhibitors. To understand why this occurs, we used comparative mass spectrometry-based palmitoyl-proteomic analysis of breast and prostate cancer cell lines, ± DHHC3 ablation, to obtain the first comprehensive lists of candidate protein substrates palmitoylated by DHHC3. Putative substrates included 22–28 antioxidant/redox-regulatory proteins, thus predicting that DHHC3 should have antioxidant functions. Consistent with this, DHHC3 ablation elevated oxidative stress. Furthermore, DHHC3 ablation, together with chemotherapeutic drug treatment, (a) elevated oxidative stress, with a greater than additive effect, and (b) enhanced the anti-growth effects of the chemotherapeutic agents. These results suggest that DHHC3 ablation enhances chemotherapeutic drug potency by disabling the antioxidant protections that contribute to drug resistance. Affirming this concept, DHHC3 ablation synergized with another anti-cancer drug, PARP inhibitor PJ-34, to decrease cell proliferation and increase oxidative stress. Hence, DHHC3 targeting can be a useful strategy for selectively enhancing potency of oxidative stress-inducing anti-cancer drugs. Also, comprehensive identification of DHHC3 substrates provides insight into other DHHC3 functions, relevant to in vivo tumor growth modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emulgels can be efficient tools of delivering drugs topically. Quite often cosmeceuticals and Pharmaceuticals can be formulated as emulgels for efficient delivery of hydrophobic drugs. Emulgels have dual characteristics of gels and emulsions. Components to be included in emulgels are oil phase surface active agents and drugs and gelling Agents. This paper provides a complete view on development of of email gels. Various components and examples also so has been discussed. Some marketed formulations also have been mentioned in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the asymmetric effect of exchange rate volatility on tourism demand in India from January 2006 to April 2018. Tourism demand is captured from a twin perspective—quantity and value. While quantity is represented by foreign tourist arrival in India, earnings from foreign tourists are used to represent value. The study is unique from a methodological point of view as it makes the first ever application of the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model of Shin, Yu, and Greenwood-Nimmo (2014), in the tourism demand literature to capture nonlinearity simultaneously in the short- as well as long-run. Results of our analysis show that tourism demand in India responds asymmetrically to both nominal and real exchange rate volatility. Also, the long-run effects of exchange rate uncertainty are shown to be more damaging than the short-run effects. Our findings are fairly robust to alternative specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt has been made to estimate the unit capital cost of parabolic trough collector (PTC) based concentrating solar power (CSP) plants in India to facilitate their financial appraisal. While reviewing approaches mentioned in the literature, a significant variation is observed in unit capital cost estimates for a 50 MW wet cooled without storage PTC based plant (US $1700 to US $2662 per kW). To internalize the effect of alternate condenser cooling options and thermal energy storage on the unit capital cost, a new approach that is based on inventory of material used and associated costs have been suggested. With the use of this approach, the unit capital cost of a 50 MW wet cooled PTC plant is estimated at US $1734 per kW. Similarly, for the same nominal capacity plant with dry cooling, the unit capital cost is estimated at US $1994 per kW. Moreover, the effects of increased nominal capacity and hours of thermal energy storage on the unit capital cost have also been investigated. • Cost estimates for a 50 MW PTC based CSP plant in India. • Review of potential approaches for estimating capital cost of PTC based CSP plants. • Study of cost implications of condenser cooling options and thermal energy storage. • Effect of the nominal capacity of the plant and hours of storage on the unit cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to find the association between the injury level and changes in bladder function. This was a descriptive cross sectional study performed on 30 patient of spinal cord injury. Categorization of patients was done based on clinical neurologic level and completeness and incompleteness of spinal cord injury (SCI) according to American Spinal Injury Association Classification (ASIA). Urodynamic study (UDS) was done on Laborie Dorado KT concept machine in Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Reduced bladder compliance in 100% cases of cervical SCI and lumbar levels SCI and 27.85% of thoracic level SCI. Detrusor overactivity was found in 2 cases of cervical level, 10 cases of thoracic level and 1 case of lumbar level. Detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia (DESD) in 100% patients of cervical, 77.8% patients of thoracic and 40% patients of lumbar level injuries. Detrusor areflexia was found in the 10% patients of the lumbar neurological level and absent in the cervical and thoracic level of injury. Normal PVRU was founded in 100% cases of thoracic and 10% of lumbar level. Bladder capacity was more affected in lumbar SCI than thoracic SCI. Detrusor over activity and bladder capacity significantly related with completeness and regional neurological level of injury. This association is not founded with all the parameter of urodynamic. Thus we can conclude that there is no significant association between neurological injury level and urodynamic parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The goal of this study is to investigate the nexus among TFP (total factor productivity), IT (information technology) capital accumulation, skills and key plant variables of 34 Indian industries for the period of 2009–2015. Design/methodology/approach: Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) data series are extracted and formulated using Microsoft SQL server. The authors employ Wooldridge (2009) technique to estimate productivity. To investigate the linkages among productivity, IT, skills and key plant variables, the authors estimate specifications using system generalized method of moments (sys-GMM). Advanced estimation techniques such as Heckman two-step process, probit equations, inverse Mills ratio and panel cointegration are applied to overcome problems of nonstationarity, omitted variables, endogeneity and reverse causality. Findings: The results indicate that the level of IT capital influences the TFP of Indian industries, so does the level of skilled workers. The outcome suggests that intermediate capital goods, location and ownership type enable the strength of IT capital and that in turn boosts productivity. The authors fail to find any impact of regional factors and contractual labor on IT capital and productivity. While medium-level gender diversity is statistically significant to influence productivity, however, no complementarities exist between gender diversity and IT capital accumulation. The results also indicate that IT demand of Indian industries is sensitive to availability of skilled workforce, fuel and electricity and access to short-term funding. Originality/value: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the nexus among TFP, IT capital accumulation, skills and organizational factors using ASI unit level data. Besides this, the paper offers two more novelties. First, it uses Wooldridge (2009) technique to estimate productivity, which is used by a handful of studies in the context of India. Second, the study identifies factors that impact productivity growth, IT demand and its adoption in Indian industries and thus contributes to growth and development literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we demonstrate that a physics-based compact model can facilitate to analyze the reliability using an example of γ-ray induced instability in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. First, the typical AlGaN/GaN HEMTs are subjected to the cumulative γ-ray irradiation, exhibiting the drain current (ID) increase. In order to further elucidation, the root cause, the compact model is implemented and calibrated with the pristine case. Then, ID – VG and ID – VD characteristics subjected to the γ-ray irradiation are fitted with the compact model. The extracted μ and Rc are consistent with the results obtained by the Hall measurement and circular transmission line measurement (C-TLM). By comparing the fitted curves with considering: 1) fitted μ (Rc is fixed as the pristine case) and 2) fitted Rc (μ is fixed as the pristine case), the shift of μ is identified as the root cause leading to the ID increase because of the better fitting results. Therefore, with the assistance of the physics-based compact model, the shift of the parameter can be further analyzed to understand the origin of the instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, air stable, water dispersible and efficient catalyst based on copper nanoparticles immobilized on nitrogen doped carbons derived from inorganic–organic composite [Cu(0)@NDC-Sil] has been prepared. Doping of carbons i.e. inorganic–organic (silica–starch) composite using 5-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrazole, a nitrogen-rich precursor imparts a variety of nitrogen functionalities even at moderate temperature and enables the generation of active sites for the immobilization of Cu(0) nanoparticles. The novel catalyst system has been well characterized by various techniques like SEM, HRTEM, STEM, TGA, CHN, EDX, ICP-AES, XRD and XPS and was found to be highly efficient for the one-pot synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles via click chemistry approach with a wide range of substrate scope such as benzyl/allyl halides and alkyl bromides. Moreover, it could be easily recovered by filtration and reused without significant loss in its activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the electrical comparison of Au and Ni/Au gated HEMT devices and diodes. Au Schottky diodes on an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure exhibit better electrical performance in comparison to conventional Ni/Au diodes with an improved Schottky barrier height (SBH) and lower reverse leakage current. The SBH extracted from I-V for Au and Ni/Au is 1.29 eV and 0.74 eV, respectively. Au Schottky contacts on GaN have a better ideality factor of 1.55 than Ni, which is 1.61. Capacitance-voltage measurement revealed a positive shift in threshold voltage in the case of Au diodes with a reduced capacitance value with respect to Ni/Au diodes. This decrease in threshold and capacitance indicates a decrease in the 2DEG carrier concentration. The decrease in the 2DEG carrier concentration is consistent with three terminal device measurements. Despite a small decrease in drain current (8%), the Au gated HEMT devices have shown an improved subthreshold slope (13%) and nearly 4 order improvement in the ION/IOFF ratio than Ni/Au gated HEMTs. Pulse IV characterization has indicated that gate lag and drain lag have no major changes with respect to gate metal, whereas current collapse increases for high work function metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The affirmative action policy for socially and economically backward communities in employment has been a debated issue in India. In this context, this paper aims to analyze the level of inequality by distinguishing between ‘circumstance’ and ‘effort’ factors in the Roemer’s framework on equality of opportunity. We measure inequality of opportunities due to two circumstances: caste and religion. Our empirical analysis, at state-level, utilizes a recent household survey data, which provides information related to efforts as well as circumstances of workers. The paper estimated inequality in the labour market and then decomposed it to know the circumstances that cause income inequality. Our estimates indicated that inequality and inequality of opportunity is substantially higher in India. Specifically, the outcome of our analysis evidently indicated that the socially backward communities do have economically disadvantageous position in some of the Indian states. However, the degree of circumstances based on inequality varies to a great extent among the states. Therefore, we suggest that the country does not need a nation-level affirmative action policy instead a state-level policy could be more appropriate as the intensity of the problem differ significantly among the Indian states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of infrastructure and governance quality on the state-level productivity of Indian manufacturing for the period 2008–2011.Design/methodology/approach The authors first rank Indian states on their quality of governance using benefit-of-the-doubt approach. Next, to explain state-level differences in total factor productivity (TFP), the authors assess the impact of a composite index of governance on industrial TFP of Indian states using alternate techniques and controlling for endogeneity. The authors also decompose the composite effect of governance in terms of economic, social and financial infrastructure and other key governance dimensions, which serves as another robustness check for the findings.Findings The authors find that TFP varies significantly across states, so does governance quality. Further, results suggest that TFP of Indian industries is sensitive toward public service deliveries of economic, social and financial infrastructure. However, the authors fail to find any impact of law and order indicators, for instance, rate of violent crimes, police strength and judicial service quality on the manufacturing productivity. The estimated coefficient of governance index is robust across alternate methodologies.Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to assess the impact of regional governance factors on the manufacturing sector of India. The study has identified governance factors that impact manufacturing productivity in the Indian states. Findings suggest that an effective way to eliminate regional growth inequality in India is to ensure that the lagging states initiate reforms to improve the quality of institutions, regulation and governance. Findings of the study contribute to the limited literature on governance at the regional/sub-national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports negative shift in the threshold-voltage in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) with application of reverse gate bias stress. The device is biased in strong pinch-off and low drain to source voltage condition for a fixed time duration (reverse gate bias stress), followed by measurement of transfer characteristics. Negative threshold voltage shift after application of reverse gate bias stress indicates the presence of more carriers in channel as compared to the unstressed condition. We propose the presence of AlGaN/GaN interface states to be the reason of negative threshold voltage shift, and developed a process to electrically characterize AlGaN/GaN interface states. We verified the results with Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) ATLAS simulation and got a good match with experimental measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For large-scale dissemination of solar thermal power plants, in countries identified with huge potential, governments are offering various incentives. In an attempt towards studying the effectiveness of various incentives in reducing the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) delivered by solar thermal power plants in India, this paper presents simple mathematical frameworks that facilitate the determination of the required level of an incentive so as to ensure that the LCOE is within a pre-specified limit. For example, for a 50 MW solar thermal power plant at Barmer (Rajasthan), LCOE of Rs. 9.75 per kWh can be achieved by providing 6.3% viability gap funding or an interest subsidy of 3% or provision of 32% investment tax credits to the equity investor or provision of production tax credits to the equity investor at the rate of Rs. 0.81 per kWh for first 10 years of operation of a plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports an experimental approach to analyze the kink effect phenomenon which is usually observed during the GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) operation. De-trapping of charge carriers is one of the prominent reasons behind the kink effect. The commonly observed non-monotonic behavior of kink pattern is analyzed under two different device operating conditions and it is found that two different de-trapping mechanisms are responsible for a particular kink behavior. These different de-trapping mechanisms are investigated through a time delay analysis which shows the presence of traps with different time constants. Further voltage sweep and temperature analysis corroborates the finding that different de-trapping mechanisms play a role in kink behavior under different device operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preliminary attempt to estimate the potential of solar process heating in producing cotton based textiles in India as well as the amount of greenhouse gases likely to be mitigated consequently has been made. To begin with, all the processes involved in the production of cotton based textiles (yarn and cloth) that require thermal energy have been identified. Also an assessment of availability of solar radiation as well as the ambient conditions at various locations with clusters of cotton based textile units in the country has been made. Subsequently, the solar collector area required for meeting the process heating demand has been estimated. Further, corresponding useful thermal energy delivery of solar industrial process heating systems at identified locations has been estimated. The process heating potential in term of useful thermal energy requirements in cotton based textile production is estimated at 191 PJ annually. The estimated values of annual solar fractions for the identified locations with clusters of cotton based textile units range between 0.22 and 0.32 for systems without storage and in between 0.20 and 0.60 for SIPH system having provision of thermal storage for collection of energy that would otherwise be dumped. Solar process heating in cotton based textile industry in India have a potential to mitigate 2457–7648 thousand tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually depending on the location and the provision of a storage component or otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt to estimate the potential of solar industrial process heating (SIPH) and corresponding mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in dairy industry in India is presented. An assessment of availability of solar radiation as well as of the ambient conditions at various locations with milk processing plants has been made. The effect of the choice of design value of direct normal irradiance on the annual performance of solar process heating systems has been studied using model developed for hourly simulation of the performance of solar process heating system. Further, state wise estimates for useful thermal energy delivery and corresponding solar fraction have also been obtained. The total process heating potential in term of useful energy requirement in dairy sector in India has been estimated at 6.40 PJ/annum which reduces to 4.50 PJ per annum if the process heating requirement is restricted to only pasteurization stage of milk processing. The corresponding solar collector area requirement for process heating in dairy industry in India is estimated in the range of 1.54–1.83 million m 2 with the average solar fraction estimated in the range 0.18–0.32. The use of solar energy for meeting milk processing related thermal energy demand is expected to mitigate (32–144 thousand tonnes) of CO 2 emissions annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Make in India program aims at building best-in-class manufacturing set up in the country. However, public infrastructure is considered to be one of the biggest obstacles for the growth of manufacturing in the country. In this context, this paper examines the role of infrastructure and information & communication technology (ICT) on total factor productivity (TFP) and technical efficiency (TE) of the Indian manufacturing sector for the period 1994–2010. We use advanced estimation techniques to overcome problems of non-stationarity, omitted variables, endogeneity and reverse causality by applying fully modified OLS, panel cointegration and System GMM. Estimation results suggest that the impact of infrastructure and ICT is rather strong. Importantly, industries, such as Transport Equipment, Textile, Chemicals, Metal & Metal Products, which are more exposed to foreign competition, are found to be more sensitive to infrastructure endowments. In the light of these findings, policy implications are brought out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sizing of a solar thermal power plant directly affects its cost and also the annual electricity output and hence its financial attractiveness. It involves deciding appropriate values of design DNI, solar multiple and hours of thermal storage to achieve high annual capacity utilization factor (CUF) with the least cost of electricity delivered. An analysis of the impact of these design parameters on the performance of parabolic trough concentrator (PTC) and linear Fresnel reflector (LFR) based solar thermal power plants is presented using System Advisor Model for eight locations in India. Annual electricity output is estimated using radiation data source of SEC-NREL. Levelized unit cost of electricity (LUCE) is estimated using benchmark capital cost and other financial conditions specified by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission of Government of India. For a design DNI of 950 W/m 2 , LUCE is minimum in solar multiple range of 1.4–1.6 for PTC based plants and of 1.8–2.0 for LFR based plants. With a solar multiple of 1.0, LUCE is minimum in design DNI range of 550–700 W/m 2 for PTC based plants and 450–550 W/m 2 for LFR based plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple framework to estimate the potential of solar industrial process heating (SIPH) and corresponding CO 2 emissions mitigation in paper industry in India is presented. Geographical locations with clusters of paper mills have been identified and the annual process heating requirement for paper production (based on raw material use) at each cluster has been estimated. The total process heating potential for the paper industry in India has been estimated at 25.2 PJ/annum. Using the estimated performance of a commercially available parabolic trough based SIPH system with collector area requirement of 1.11 million m 2 annual solar fraction in the range of 0.25–0.30 have been estimated. Annual energy delivery of SIPH systems estimated at 4.34 PJ per annum. Finally at 8 main locations with clusters of paper mills in India considered in this study, adoption of SIPH without storage is expected to mitigate 0.34 million tonnes of CO 2 emissions annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising incidence of corruption and tax evasion in India in the recent years have attracted a great deal of attention and initiated intense debate on these issues. Motivated by this, the present study intends to examine two important research issues. First, we test the impact of bribe payment on firms’ performance. Specifically, from an empirical point of view, we investigate two important but alternative hypotheses namely ‘grease the wheels’ and ‘sand the wheels’. Second, we intend to identify firms that must pay bribe. The study is based on the enterprises survey data of the World Bank. The findings on the effects of bribe on firm's performance are rather mixed. We noted that bribe works as tax on profitability of firms and reduces efficiency. However, the evidence is inconclusive relating to productivity. On the other hand, bribing shows a positive effect on the firms’ export and product innovation. Therefore, the evidence provides support to both the hypotheses. Findings regarding who must pay bribe reveal that tax-evading firms are likely to pay greater bribes to the government officers. Furthermore, policy impediments are an important cause of bribe payment. Thus, it is the complexity in the system (policy or bureaucratic) which tends to raise the probability of paying bribes and dampen performance. In the light of these findings, policy implications are brought out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realistic assessment of utilization potential of solar energy for thermal power generation and identification of niche areas/locations for this purpose is critically important for designing and implementing appropriate policies and promotional measures. This paper presents the results of a detailed analysis undertaken for estimating the potential of solar thermal power generation in India. A comprehensive framework is developed that takes into account (i) the availability of wastelands (ii) Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) (iii) wastelands that are habitat to endangered species and/or tribal population and/or that is prone to earthquakes and (iv) suitability of wasteland for wind power generation. Finally, using an approach developed for the allocation of wastelands suitable for solar power generation between thermal and photovoltaic routes, the potential of solar thermal power generation is assessed for two threshold values of DNI – 1800 kW h/m 2 and 2000 kW h/m 2 . With all the wastelands having wind speeds of 4 m/s or more allocated for wind power generation, the estimated potential for solar thermal power generation is 756 GW for a threshold DNI value of 1800 kW h/m 2 and 229 GW for a threshold DNI value of 2000 kW h/m 2 . Results obtained can be used for identification of best suited areas for solar thermal power generation in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industry-wide adoption of graph databases has been hindered due to the fragmentation in syntax and semantics of available graph query languages. As a result, several projects have been proposed by industry and academia to develop a standard query language by integrating features from existing practical graph query languages. A significant factor that can impact query language integration is the lack of common theoretical language formalisms. We propose common formalisms by extending conjunctive queries and union of conjunctive queries with Tarski's relation algebra ( CQT / UCQT ). We use common graph query patterns to compare the expressive power of ( CQT / UCQT ) with two practical graph query languages - C y p h e r and P G Q L. The query languages are analysed on the core features of graph pattern matching and graph navigation, revealing the common and exclusive characteristics for these languages. Overall, our study serves as a formal basis for comparing existing graph query languages and assists the move towards query language integration and interoperability between available graph database technologies. • There is a lack of explicit mapping between practical graph query languages and theoretical language formalisms. • Current formalisms used by practical graph query languages are not expressive enough. • Extension of conjunctive queries and union of conjunctive queries with Tarski's relation algebra. • Use of extended formalisms to compare the expressiveness of practical graph query languages. • A comprehensive comparison of two practical graph query languages Cypher and PGQL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capital cost of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants is relatively higher amongst other renewable energy-based electricity generation options. To make CSP plants more competitive, different possibilities to reduce capital costs of CSP plants need to be explored while making use of the recent developments in the field. Two potential modalities for parabolic trough collector based CSP plants have been considered in the study – (i) use of large aperture area parabolic troughs and advanced heat transfer fluids so as to operate at higher temperatures (Case-I) and (ii) use of larger aperture area parabolic troughs along with the use of molten salt as both the heat transfer fluid and storage medium (Case-II). The cost reduction potential has been estimated by assessing the impact of proposed changes on the number of components required to be used and consequent reduction in the material requirements in various components of different subsystems of the CSP plant. The likely reduction in capital cost of the parabolic trough collector based CSP plants for a location in India is estimated at 12.3% for Case-I and 29.9% for Case-II. • A review of recent developments in PTC technology to identify cost reduction possibilities. • Estimation of capital cost using advance collectors and heat transfer fluid. • Cost reduction of up to 29.9% is expected using advanced PTC technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of γ-ray irradiation on the electrical transport characteristics of ohmic contacts and Schottky contacts having different dimensions on AlGaN/GaN hetero-structures has been reported. The contacts have been irradiated with three incremental doses of gamma irradiation up to the order of 104 Gray (Gy). The contacts are electrically characterized using current-voltage (I-V) analysis and the transfer length method (TLM). After each γ-ray dose, both the forward and reverse I-V characteristics show a gradual change associated with the variation in the dimensions of the Schottky contacts. A shift in the turn-on voltage (V F) with a tendency of improvement in the ideality factor (η) and decrease in series resistance(R) of the diode was observed whereas no change in Schottky barrier height (ф B) was calculated. The reverse leakage current (I R) was reduced from 27 μA to 10 μA and the contact resistance (R C) value was reduced to 0.35 Ω-mm from 0.7 Ω-mm following the γ-ray irradiation. The Schottky contacts with larger dimensions and lower perimeter-to-area ratios (P/A) showed greater changes in the device parameters (V F, η, I R) due to high induced local heating. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis also shows reduction in dislocation density due to partial annealing effect. Finally, capacitance voltage (CV) characterization and Hall measurement shows no change in carrier concentration whereas improvement in the mobility has been observed due to traps/defects redistribution. • Structure sensitive effects of γ-ray irradiation on GaN Schottky diodes • Partial annealing effects of γ-ray irradiation due to rise in localized temperature • γ-Ray irradiation effects on Ohmic metal contacts • Improvement in AlGaN/GaN material properties due to γ-ray irradiation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, GaN-on-Si power Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor High Electron Mobility Transistors (MIS-HEMTs) are irradiated through different regimes of cumulative γ -ray irradiation, namely 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 kGy for the first sample; 1, 3, and 5 kGy for the second sample; 1, 5, and 10 kGy for the third sample; and 1, 10, and 20 kGy for the fourth sample. After each irradiation dose, drain current (I D), threshold voltage (V Th), and gate leakage current (I g) are electrically characterized in all the samples. An improvement in I D with a shift in V Th is observed in all the samples, which saturates after a higher irradiation dose. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirms creation of nitrogen vacancies that act as donor and improves the I D. No significant change in I g is observed except for an increase in noise in gate leakage current. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows the Al-based metallization pad degrades due to formation of small cavities. Finally, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis confirms the formation of Al native oxides due to γ -ray irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a simple and cost‐effective approach has been reported, wherein cotton fabric containing hydroxyl groups was utilized as a support material for the immobilization of Pd(0) nanoparticles. Cotton fabric was first modified with SiO2 to enhance the thermal stability followed by functionalization with ethylene diamine to chelate Pd nanoparticles. Sodium borohydride was used for the reduction of palladium ions to nano‐sized palladium. The developed cotton fabric based catalyst was successfully applied to Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction between bromoarenes and arylboronic acids in the presence of potassium carbonate as base and selective hydrogenation of C=C double bond in α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds as well as reduction of nitroarenes using molecular hydrogen as a green reductant. The structural investigation of the catalyst was done using FTIR, TGA, XRD, FEG‐SEM, ICP‐AES and XPS. The catalyst could be removed easily using lab tweezers and reused up to five reaction cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromium(III)‐doped layered double hydroxide supported copper nanoparticles (Cr3+‐Cu0/LDH) has been prepared as an efficient and reusable catalyst using simple and versatile synthetic method. Effect of doping of Cr3+ to the layered double hydroxide supported Cu0 nanoparticles was evaluated for the oxidation of alcohols and hydrocarbons by varying the amount of Cr3+ loading in the catalyst. The catalyst with Cu:Cr ratio= 1:1 afforded highest catalytic activity among the synthesized catalysts towards the oxidation using TBHP (tBuOOH) in aqueous medium and was structurally characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐Ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD), Field Emission Gun‐Scanning Electron Microscopy (FEG‐SEM), Energy‐dispersive X‐Ray Spectroscopy (EDX), High Resolution‐Transmission Electron Spectroscopy (HR‐TEM), Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP‐AES) and X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The high activity and selectivity was assigned to the synergistic electronic interaction between copper(0) nanoparticles and chromium(III) ions based on experimental data and XPS results. Moreover, the high stability of Cu0 and Cr3+ in the catalyst was attributed to the strong metal‐support interactions, which make the catalyst recyclable upto five runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel and magnetic catalyst, Co@GO/Fe 3 O 4 /L-dopa was successfully synthesized. Fe 3 O 4 coated GO were used as core particles and L-dopa was used as surfactant as well as interparticle linker. Co@GO/Fe 3 O 4 /L-dopa catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction and oxidation of hydrocarbon and secondary alcohols; afforded products in good to excellent yields. [Display omitted] • Novel and magnetic catalyst, Co@GO/Fe 3 O 4 /L-dopa was successfully synthesized. • Fe 3 O 4 coated GO were used as core particles. • L-dopa was used as surfactant as well as interparticle linker. • Magnetic Co nanoparticles catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. • Oxidation of hydrocarbon and secondary alcohols. We report the synthesis of inexpensive and environmentally benign cobalt(0) nanoparticles on L -3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L -dopa) functionalized and magnetite (Fe 3 O 4) grafted graphene oxide (Co@GO/Fe 3 O 4 /L-dopa) which was fully characterized with different techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), Carbon Hydrogen Nitrogen (CHN) analysis, Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Graphene oxide was used as the core material due to its mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. In order to avoid the cumbersome process of separation, magnetite nanoparticles were coated over the graphene oxide. After the successful preparation of graphene oxide based magnetic nanoparticles, L -dopa was grafted over Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles so as to provide firm anchoring agent for cobalt nanoparticles. Finally, cobalt(0) nanoparticles were immobilized on the developed magnetic support. The catalytic efficiency of the synthesized catalyst was tested for Suzuki cross-coupling and oxidation reactions, usually carried out by precious and expensive second and third row transition metals; products were obtained in good to excellent yields. The synthesized catalyst represents an attractive alternative to conventional catalysts for Suzuki cross-coupling and oxidation reactions, and is recyclable up to five runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the results are reviewed concerning reliability of high‐electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) based on GaN, which currently represent the technology of choice for high‐efficiency microwave and millimeter‐wave power amplifiers. Several failure mechanisms of these devices are extensively studied, including converse piezoelectric effects, formation of conductive percolation paths at the edge of gate toward the drain, surface oxidation of GaN, time‐dependent breakdown of GaN buffer, and of field‐plate dielectric. For GaN HEMTs with scaled gate length, the simultaneous control of short‐channel effects, deep‐level dispersion, and hot‐electron‐induced degradation requires a careful optimization of epitaxial material quality and device design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present work is to get insights into the mechanistic origin of the reinforcement effects of nanoclay on a segmented polybutadiene polyurethane-urea system. To this end, a convergent analysis of the hard domain morphology and conformational state of soft segment in the nanocomposites was carried out by using a combination of complementary characterization techniques, namely, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, small angle neutron scattering, transmission electron microscopy, modulated differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. Analysis of small angle neutron scattering data by a combination of Percus–Yevick hard sphere and Zernike-Ornstein model coupled with direct visualization of the dispersed hard domain morphology from transmission electron microscopy provided insight on clay induced changes in the hard domain morphology. A monotonic decrease in the domain size as well as the average interdomain distance was observed with increasing nanoclay content in the polymer matrix. Analysis of the carbonyl stretching region from FTIR showed increased degree of hydrogen bonding for the urethane carbonyl groups of the nanocomposites compared to the neat matrix. A combination of calorimetric and dynamic mechanical analysis revealed the existence of a constrained amorphous region; quantified to be ≈ 16% at the highest clay content experimented. The manifestation of these morphological and conformational changes on the nano -, micro - and macro scale reinforcements in the nanocomposites was investigated by mechanical properties at these length scales using nanoindentation, DMA and tensile testing, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple agarose gel-based method for evaluating the homology between two DNA molecules has been developed. This procedure involves a simple in vitro assay where gene-targeting plasmid DNA vector and PCR amplified genomic fragment of the desired species are first denatured by heat treatment and later mixed in a solution to achieve gradual renaturation. The renatured DNA molecules are then resolved in an agarose gel to evaluate the degree of homology between desired DNA molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(ether sulfone) blended membranes were synthesized with various percentages of manganese carbonate as a surface modifier and poly(ethylene glycol) using a phase inversion technique. Surface characterization was made using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and contact angle. The membrane equilibrium water content, porosity and average pore size were measured to evaluate the physical properties of the membrane. Performance of the blended membranes was evaluated in terms of water permeability, antifouling property and dye rejection efficiency. The membrane showed a significant change in surface morphology and hydrophilicity when 3 wt % MnCO3 was used. Water uptake tests confirmed the enhanced porous nature of the PES/PEG/MnCO3 blended membranes over the pristine PES membrane. Fouling studies showed that the 3 wt% MnCO3 blended membrane possesses an impressive 98% flux recovery ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant share of final energy consumption in the industrial sector is used for meeting the process heating applications at low and medium temperatures (up to 250 °C). Solar industrial process heating is being considered as one of clean and renewable energy options in many countries of the world. An attempt to present a review of the available published literature on solar industrial process heating has been made in this paper. The aspects included in the review are utilization potential, present status, suitable solar collectors, design and integration aspects, performance evaluation, economic and environmental assessment, barriers to large scale adoption and case studies etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we prepared core–shell structured Ag–CdS@Pr-TiO 2 nanoparticles and investigated its photocatalytic activity for determining the irradiation against degradation of methyl orange under visible region. The composition, morphology, and optical properties of synthesized core/shell nanoparticles were confirmed by a series of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), XPS, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The sharp XRD peaks signify the high crystallinity of the synthesized nanoparticles while the crystalline size evaluated from SEM was observed to be varying in range of 10–30 nm. The photocatalytic behavior of the synthesized Ag–CdS@Pr-TiO 2 core/shell nanoparticles was evaluated and from the discoloration of dye within 30 min, it is observed that the synthesized material has a potential to degrade methyl orange efficiently. • Ag:CdS@Pr:TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles are prepared via sol-gel method. • Optical characterizations confirmed the potential of synthesized nanoparticles for photocatalytic activity. • The synthesized core/shell nanoparticles efficiently degraded the methyl orange dye under visible light within 30 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]