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Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is an emerging and promising specialized area in Wireless networks that deals with crucial health-related datasets. Unlike other wireless networks, as this type of network deals with medical facts, losing it is fatal. WBAN is a highly constrained network. Reducing energy consumption and enhancing lifetime are the two most important challenges of WBANs. One way to achieve these is by deploying relay nodes optimally in WBANs. Generally, a relay node is placed at the midpoint of the line joining the source and the destination (D) nodes. We show that such simplistic deployment of the relay nodes is not the optimal deployment, which can hamper the overall lifetime of WBANs. In this paper, we have investigated the best location to deploy a relay node on a human body. We assume that an adaptive decode and forward relay node (R) can move linearly between the source (S) and the destination (D) nodes. Moreover, the assumption is that a relay node can be deployed linearly and that the body part of a human is a flat surface and hard. We have investigated the most energy-efficient data payload size based on the optimally placed relay location. The impact of such a deployment on different system parameters, such as distance (d), payload (L), modulation scheme, specific absorption rate, and an end to end outage (O ) are examined as well. It is observed that in every aspect optimal deployment of the relay node performs an important role to enhance the lifetime of wireless body area networks. Sometimes linear relay deployment is very difficult to implement, especially on the different body parts of the human body. To address these issues, we have examined the optimal region for the relay node based on a 3D non-linear system model. The paper provides guidance for both linear and non-linear relay deployment along with the optimal data payload size under various circumstances and also considered the impact of specific absorption rates on the human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coal blends are used for both top and stamped charged coke oven batteries in Steel Plants which are consists of more than 5 to 7 individual coal sources depending upon the availability of coking coal. The blast furnace (BF) coke produced from the coke oven batteries are feed into both small and larger BF. The consistency of coke quality parameters is also a requirement for higher BF productivity and smooth functioning of BF. Coal preparation and coal blend quality parameters plays a very important role to get optimum quality of coke from a given blend. It is generally established that blend containing optimal reactive produces the coke of maximum strength. This studies, total 76 no's coal blends have been prepared and corresponding coke quality have been examined. Coal blend properties such as microfines (–0.5 mm), CSN, LTGK, ash, volatile matter (VM), total reactive content, MMR, fluidity and total dilatation acts as an important factor for coke making. The hot strength properties of coke CRI and (CSR: coke strength after reaction) also influence by MMR (mean maximum reflectance) of coal blend. From this study, it has been established to find out the optimum blend quality parameters for BF coke making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to investigate the change in energy efficiency of point-to-point (P2P) links in a wireless sensor network (WSN) upon introduction of a third node acting as a relay. In particular, we consider the problem of placing a relay node, either already available in the WSN but was inactive or is inserted after the WSN is formed, on the straight line joining the pair of nodes which terminates the P2P link at both ends. The optimal location is found by devising a fuzzy logic-based scheme whose rules are framed to minimize energy consumption and enhance the lifetime of the WSN. Two variants of the basic two-hop topology have been analysed, first, a non-cooperative variant, where the receiver accepts only the signal from the relay, and second, a more sophisticated variant, where the receiver is able to combine the relayed signal with the original signal from the source. Further, two different combining techniques, maximum ratio combining and selection combining (SC), are considered for the later variant. For our analysis we assumed an adaptive decode and forward (DF) relay for superior outage performance and M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (MQAM) for better bandwidth efficiency. The η - μ fading model is general in nature and it combines different popular fading models such as Rayleigh, Nakagami-q (Hoyt) and Nakagami-m etc. We were able to show that combining may not always lead to higher energy efficiency, especially for shorter P2P links. We have also investigated how different design parameters such as spectral efficiency, path loss exponent and fading parameters ( η , μ ) affect the optimal relay placement location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is a regional satellite navigation system called Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). The NavIC is presently composed of seven operational satellite configuration geometry. We present indigenously designed and developed RAFS for NavIC, named IRAFS—Indian Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard. The IRAFS Physics Package (PP) and electronics have novel design features, as explained in this article. We present the IRAFS performances tested in thermo-vacuum conditions demonstrating < 2 × 10–12τ−1/2 stability, reaching a flicker floor of 3 × 10–14 with a drift of < 5 × 10–13/day. The IRAFS has a mass of 7.6 kg, a volume of 16 L, and consumes power of 75 W at warm-up and < 40 W in normal operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to develop predictive models for standing stocks of biomass and carbon of an entire tree based on harvested biomass in mango (Mangifera indica L.) alongwith intercrops n mango based land use (MBLU). Collar diameter (CD) as a growth parameter can be used as a reliable predictor for mango biomass estimation of standing stocks as it has a strong relationship with mango biomass. Thirteen popular predictive growth models were attempted for biomass prediction using CD as predictor (independent variable) in mango alone (M), intercrops alone (IC) and mango with intercrops (MI). The harvested biomass (tha−1) ranged (1.4–97.7, 4.9–2.6 and 1.4–100.3) in M, IC and MI, respectively. The stored carbon, emitted carbon, mitigated carbon and total carbon stock ranged 0.70–39.7, 0.00–8.50, 0.70–31.2 and 0.70–48.20 Mgha−1, respectively in M and MI of MBLU in humid climate of Indian Sub-Himalayas. Out of 13 fitted models and Negative Exponential model gave the best fit of the data based on validation criteria of adjusted R2, lowest AIC and BIC values. Hence, these models were found to be highly useful for estimating mango biomass and carbon stocks with and without intercrops in standing situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coke is the most important raw material fed into the blast furnace. The blast furnace operation is linked with coke quality (cold and hot strength). Coke quality depends on the quality of incoming coal, its blending, pre-carbonization processing of coal blends. Heating and operational parameters of coke oven also have a significant effect on the coke quality. In a commercial coke oven, to monitor the effect of individual parameters on coke quality, other parameters are kept in close range so that their effect on the coke quality is minimal. This paper focuses on the effect of lowering the percentage of the microfines in coal blend and proper filling of ovens on the coke quality. Coal and coke quality parameters for a period of approximately two months were measured before and after implementation of the requisite steps. Based on the trial, the effect of microfines, % in the blend, and full charging in the oven were established. It was found that reduction in microfines by 6% i.e., from 48.6 to 42.5% with full charging in the ovens, led to significant improvement in CSR; some improvement trend in the Micum index was also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal is one of the main sources of energy in many parts of the world and has one of the largest reserves amongst all the nonrenewable energy sources. The effect of different size fractions of coal was analyzed by taking into account three types of coal namely, Australian Hard, prime coking coal (PCC) and medium coking coal (MCC). Various tests were helped in understanding the effect of different size fractions on coal properties. The bulk density of the master sample of all the three coals was found to be the average of the three size fractions i.e. +6 mm, +3.2 mm and –3.2 mm, respectively. The bulk density of all the three size fraction of coal decreased with decrease in size fractions. Also, a decrease in void spaces between the coal samples with decrease in size fraction was observed. Proximate analysis, crucible swelling number (CSN) and low temperature Gray King (LTGK) tests showed the values of the master sample to be an average of the three size fractions. There was a significant increase in volatile matter with decrease in size fraction. Generally, coal ash tends to retained in higher size fraction in coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonization test using pilot coke oven is an important laboratory-scale analysis to evaluate coke-making ability of metallurgical coals. RDCIS, SAIL, comprises a pilot oven of 250 kg coal charging capacity, with the facility of both top and stamp chargings. The functional pilot coke oven of this size for carbonization test is expensive and requires a large number of samples and time. To prevail over these limitations, a small-scale carbonization equipment was designed and developed in RDCIS. Experiments were conducted in both standard pilot ovens and newly developed carbonizations test equipment, namely integrated dry quenching system, and results were compared. Strong correlations were found between test results obtained from both the apparatus. This paper expatiates the basic outline of the equipment, basis of design, and results obtained from the carbonization tests using this equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prolongation of coke oven service life beyond 40 years has become the norm in coke ovens abroad. Unfortunately, the average service life of a coke oven battery in India is only about 20 years. This anomaly needs to be rectified. Simultaneously, with the recent introduction of stringent environmental norms for Coke Oven Batteries, oven health gathers more criticality, since oven health and environmental pollution are directly related. A system was introduced at Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of SAIL for monitoring and diagnosing battery condition in terms of the health of refractory brickwork and the bracing system. The refractory brickwork condition was monitored through cross-leakage measurement of the whole battery as well as individual flues. The condition of the bracing system was monitored through thermal imaging of the oven top focusing on the vulnerable areas where the bracing system (cross and longitudinal tie rods) is in close proximity to heat sources. At the same time, feedback was taken from the on-line pusher ram current measurement system to validate the first two observations. Using these three observations, an integrated battery health monitoring system was developed. The system helped RSP in taking timely preventive repair actions and improving battery health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation and evolution of a Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) soliton in a dense quantum plasma consisting of electrons and ions is studied. The solitary profile is first obtained and the external force is applied to study the effect of force on the stationary formation. Further, a new technique based on the MacCormack Predictor Corrector scheme is designed to study the plasma species individual behavior in external field and their collective effect in the KdV soliton formations. The results thus obtained will help in future understanding of the plasma particles' behavior under a variety of external forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coking behavior of coal is an important facet in utilization of coal in metallurgy and in other industries. The carbonization behavior of coal mainly depends on coal rank, petrographic composition, ultimate composition and rheology of coal. Coal petrography has become very useful technique for establishment between formulation of coal blend composition and coke quality prediction. It is generally established that blend containing optimal reactives produces the coke of maximum strength. The coking properties of coal not depend only on the macerals composition, but also on the way in which the macerals are distributed among one another, forming preferential associations called microlithotypes. The measurements of relative proportion of microlithotypes are called microlithotype analysis. In present work, distribution of macerals (microlithotype) in coal samples were studied and correlated with the coke quality. Beneficiation by wet method were carried out (only indigenous coal) by washing media of specific gravity 1.30 to 1.40 to achieve <10% ash level. Coal microlithotypes plays an important role on coke quality. Bi-maceral and tri-macerals microlithotype distribution (vitrinertite and duroclarite and clarodurite) in coal samples act as a vital role for coke quality. Inter-growth of internite within vitrinite macerals has also significant role on coke quality. Therefore, the combined analysis of maceral and microlithotype distribution is important for coke quality. Distribution of bi-maceral and tri- maceral in coal improved coke quality (M40 and M10 indices). The microlithotype distribution measurement by petrography analysis gave considerable correlations with M40, M10, Coke Reactivity Index (CRI) and Coke Strength after Reaction (CSR) parameters. It gave details the adaptability of Indian coke quality in favor of macerals assemblages in coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of coke affects the performance of the blast furnace, factors affecting coke quality include coal properties, coal charge granulometry and carbonization conditions. The coke properties include the size analysis, cold strength (Micum Indices-M40, M10) and hot strength (Coke Reactivity Index-CRI, Coke Strength after Reaction-CSR) properties and structural properties such as coke structure and texture. Structural properties comprise the porosity, pore-cell wall thickness and pore sizes, while textures consist of the carbon forms in the coke. In present work, advanced method such as image analysis method was used to interpret coke microstructure. Conventional methods such as determination of coke porosity by measurement of real and apparent density and mercury porosimetry have a number of limitations. Coke size, magnification, number of image frames captured, process of pellet preparations and coke properties such as M40, M10, CRI and CSR (low, medium and high values) were taken as variables for experimental purposes. The coke structure parameters such as porosity, length, perimeter, breadth, roundness, pore-wall thickness and pore size distribution of the pores were determined by image analysis method. This method provided average porosity in addition to pore-wall thickness and pore-size distribution. The pore wall thickness measurement by image analysis method provided significant correlations with M40, CRI and CSR values. This explained the usability of image analysis for coke structure measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present investigation deals with cytogenetical consequences (using attributes namely, seed germination, seedling length, mitotic index, mitotic and meiotic abnormalities and pollen grain sterilities) of cadmium sulphide (CdS) and copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) treatment in Coriandrum sativum L. (Family: Apiaceae, spice of commerce). Ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS), a conventional mutagen is used as positive control. Results suggest that both CdS- and CuO-NPs can induce growth inhibition and cause cytological aberrations in both mitotic and meiotic cells in the studied species. EMS also responds similarly as that of NPs. Study highlights that rooted plant species can be effectively used as model for assessment of nanotoxicity considering cytogenetical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since last few decades optics has already proved its strong potentiality for conducting parallel logic, arithmetic and algebraic operations due to its super-fast speed in communication and computation. So many different logical and sequential operations using all optical frequency encoding technique have been proposed by several authors. Here, we have keened out all optical dibit representation technique, which has the advantages of high speed operation as well as reducing the bit error problem. Exploiting this phenomenon, we have proposed all optical frequency encoded dibit based XOR and XNOR logic gates using the optical switches like add/drop multiplexer (ADM) and reflected semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA). Also the operations of these gates have been verified through proper simulation using MATLAB (R2008a). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Oil recovery prediction and field pilot implementations require basic understanding and estimation of displacement efficiency at the microscopic level. Glass micromodels are commonly used to determine microscopic sweep efficiency and to visualize the flow behavior. In this paper, we investigate the fingering phenomena during immiscible displacements as well as the relationship between capillary number, oil recovery, and wave characteristics of developed fingers. An etched glass micromodel with three layers of large permeability contrasts was used in this work. The fluids used include a filtered deionized water and two field oil samples. Waterflood recovery to residual oil saturation was measured through image tool analysis techniques. The results showed that the low-permeability layer resulted in higher displacement efficiency compared to the medium- and high-permeability layers. At the microscopic level, fingering phenomena are attributed for the latter finding. An early occurrence and growth of multiple fingers were observed for high-permeable layers, whereas finger growth was delayed in layers with low permeability. Peter and Flock equation was used to draw a relation between oil recovery and finger characteristics, where the increase in capillary numbers leads to a decrease in both instability scaling index and incremental oil recovery. Moreover, the limitations of Peter and Flock equation were also highlighted for strongly water-wet systems. This paper helps field operators to gain more insight into microheterogeneity and fingering phenomena and their impact on waterflood recovery estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were conducted to analyse the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), NH4+-N and NO3−-N and the yield of paddy rice due to application of organic (vermicompost, vermiwash, Azotobacter and crop residue) and inorganic sources of N in varied amounts and timing in dry-seeded rice during wet seasons (June-October) of 2013 and 2014. The residual effect of these nutrients was also assessed on pod yield of chickpea that was grown after rice. The experiment laid in a randomized complete block design comprised eight treatment combinations of organic and inorganic nutrient management and one control, where nothing was added. Our results indicated that recommended dose of N (100 kg ha−1) through vermicompost (VC) applied full as basal and in splits (half at basal and the other half at panicle initiation stage) to rice could attain 75 and 88% grain yield of chemical fertilizer (CF), respectively. The split application of VC was comparable to CF alone and CF + VC treatment in maintaining organic carbon, NH4+-N and NO3−-N contents of soil at panicle initiation stage of the rice crop. The residual effect of split application of VC gave significantly higher pod yield of chickpea compared to the rest of the treatments. Hence, split application of VC to rice was effective in improving rice grain yield than its one-time application and yield of following chickpea crop in lateritic soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the optimal location of an adaptive decode and forward relay operating over a $$\kappa$$ - $$\mu$$ fading channel. The $$\kappa$$ - $$\mu$$ statistics provides a generalized line-of-sight propagation model which includes fading models like Rayleigh, Nakagami, Rician as special cases. We restrict our analysis to collinear relay placement, i.e. the relay node $$(R_n)$$ is on the same straight line between the source node $$(S_n)$$ and the destination node $$(D_n)$$ . In the non-cooperative mode, $$D_n$$ accepts only the two-hop transmission via $$R_n$$ and discards any direct signal that may be available from $$S_n$$ . On the other hand, in the cooperative mode, $$D_n$$ accepts both the replicas and combine them following either selection combining (SC) or maximum ratio combining (MRC). It is interesting to see that such cooperation does not always lead to energy saving, especially for small $$S_n-D_n$$ separation. Also, worth mentioning the fact that MRC may not be optimal from the energy efficiency perspective, and SC can outperform MRC under certain channel conditions. In our paper, we also studied how parameters like spectral efficiency ( R), path loss exponent ( n), and fading parameters ( $$\kappa ,\mu$$ ) affect the optimal relay placement location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films with tunable optical bandgap (E) were successfully deposited on glass and n-Si (100) substrates by radio frequency (RF)-sputtering technique in different argon (Ar) and acetylene (CH) plasmas. The bandgap of the films can be tuned from 1.41 to 1.28 eV, which correlates with the sp content, which increases from 56.3 to 63.7 %, respectively. The different ratios of sp/sp lead to different bandgaps of the DLC films. Plasmonic nanoparticles of silver (Ag) were also embedded in the DLC matrix by reactive magnetron sputtering to study the enhancement of light absorption in DLC films. The absorption coefficient significantly increased when the DLC films were incorporated with 10 at.% of silver nanoparticles. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies were utilized to determine the bonding nature and sp/sp ratios of DLC-Ag films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmid-mediated AmpC (pAmpC) and ESBL co-production was detected in Escherichia coli a major etiologic agent of urinary tract infection. Isolates resistant to cefoxitin by CLSI methodology were tested for pAmpC beta-lactamase using phenylboronic acid and ESBLs by combined disk diffusion method. pAmpC/ESBL genes were characterized by PCR and sequencing. Transconjugation experiments were done to study the transfer of pAmpC and ESBL production from clinical isolates as donor to E. coli J53 AziR as recipient. Incompatibility groups of transmissible plasmids were classified by PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT). Among 148 urine culture positive isolates, E. coli was reported in 39.86 % (59/148), with 93.22 % (55/59) of cefoxitin resistance. pAmpC production was detected in 25, with varied distribution of blaCMY-2 and blaDHA-1type genes alone ( n = 13 and 7 respectively) or in combination ( n = 5). ESBL co-production was observed in 88 % (22/25) of pAmpC producing isolates with predominance of blaTEM ( n = 20). Twenty-three transconjugants showed transmission of pAmpC-and ESBL-resistant genes with co-carriage of blaCMY-2 and blaTEM ( n = 15) in plasmids of IncF type ( n = 9) being predominant, followed by IncI1 ( n = 4) and IncH1 ( n = 2) in combination. All clinical isolates were clonally diverse. Resistance against different beta-lactams in uropathogenic E. coli has been an emerging concern in resource- poor countries such as India. Knowledge on the occurrence of AmpC beta-lactamases and ESBL amongst this pathogen and its transmission dynamics may aid in hospital infection control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Sagdeev potential technique, ion-acoustic solitary waves have been theoretically studied in collisionless unmagnetized plasma consisting of nonthermal electrons, nonthermal positrons and warm drifting positive ions. Ion-acoustic solitary wave solutions have been obtained and its profiles have been numerically analyzed with respect to plasma parameters. The nonthermal parameters and temperatures are shown to play significant role on the formation and nature of solitary waves. It is shown that the nature, amplitude and width of lower- and higher-order solitons depend sensitively on these plasma parameters. The dependence of Sagdeev potential profile on different plasma parameters has also been examined. We have found that stronger nonthermality leads to shorter and wider solitons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of nano-Ag (n-Ag) plasmonic layer in InP/CdS solar cell structure was examined. An enhancement of short circuit current improving the overall cell efficiency was observed in InP/n-Ag/CdS cells. Location of the plasmonic layer in the above cell structure has been analyzed critically. The effect of introducing plasmonic layer on the overall performance of the cell has been studied in terms of the morphology, particle size distribution, optical absorption, I-V, C-V characteristics, and lifetime of the photo-generated carriers. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) studies were carried out for investigating possible interface alloying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yttrium oxide (YO) doped with Dy & Eu nanoparticle has been synthesized by solution combustion method. The formation of the compounds has been checked by X-ray diffraction method. The crystallite/particle size has been measured using Scherrer formula as well as by transmission electron microscopy which show that the size of the particles are in the nanorange. The frequency and temperature dependent variation of impedance Z*, dielectric constant ( ε′), dielectric loss ( ε″) and AC conductivity ( σ) of YO: Dy & Eu nanoparticles were also measured. The real and imaginary part of complex impedance makes semicircle in the complex plane. The center of semicircle arc is found to be shifted toward higher value of real part of impedance with increasing temperature. This indicates that the conductivity of the material increases with the increase in temperature. Cole-Cole plots demonstrate that the dielectric relaxation process occurs in the material. The AC conductivity ( σ) increases with the increase in temperature within the frequency range of 10-10 Hz confirming the hopping of the electrons in the conduction process. The value of impedance decreases sharply with increasing frequency and attains minimum value after 10 Hz at all temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium antimonide (GaSb) films were deposited onto fused silica and n-Si (100) substrates by coevaporating Ga and Sb from appropriate evaporation sources. The films were polycrystalline in nature. The size and the shape of the grains varied with the change in the substrate temperature during deposition. The average surface roughness of the films was estimated to be 10 nm. Grain boundary trap states varied between 2×10 and 2.2×10 cm while barrier height at the grain boundaries varied between 0.09 eV and 0.10 eV for films deposited at higher temperatures. Stress in the films decreased for films deposited at higher temperatures. XPS studies indicated two strong peaks located at ∼543 eV and ∼1121 eV for Sb 3d and Ga 2p core-level spectra, respectively. The PL spectra measured at 300 K was dominated by a strong peak located ∼0.55 eV followed by two low intensity peaks ∼0.63 eV and 0.67 eV. A typical n-Si/GaSb photovoltaic cell fabricated here indicated V∼311 mV and J∼29.45 mA/cm, the density of donors ( N)∼3.87×10 cm, built in potential ( V)∼0.48 V and carrier life time ( τ)∼28.5 ms. Impedance spectroscopy measurements indicated a dielectric relaxation time ∼100 μs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of a nanojunction by making a nano- hole on PMMA layer deposited in between Au and YBaCuO (YBCO) films is reported. We have measured the current-voltage characteristics across Au/YBCO nanojunction at different temperatures and studied Andreev Reflection (AR) phenomena. The presence of Zero Bias Conductance Peak (ZBCP) due to AR, which is considered to be the well-known feature of d-wave superconductors, has been noticed at temperatures below and above the transition temperature ( T∼87 K) up to 130 K. The result obtained indicates the possible- existence of the phase-incoherent Cooper pairs above T for Au/YBCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) represent novel molecular targets for the treatment of various types of cancers, including multiple myeloma (MM). Many HDAC inhibitors have already shown remarkable antitumor activities in the preclinical setting; however, their clinical utility is limited because of unfavorable toxicities associated with their broad range HDAC inhibitory effects. Isoform-selective HDAC inhibition may allow for MM cytotoxicity without attendant side effects. In this study, we demonstrated that HDAC3 knockdown and a small-molecule HDAC3 inhibitor BG45 trigger significant MM cell growth inhibition via apoptosis, evidenced by caspase and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Importantly, HDAC3 inhibition downregulates phosphorylation (tyrosine 705 and serine 727) of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3). Neither interleukin-6 nor bone marrow stromal cells overcome this inhibitory effect of HDAC3 inhibition on phospho-STAT3 and MM cell growth. Moreover, HDAC3 inhibition also triggers hyperacetylation of STAT3, suggesting crosstalk signaling between phosphorylation and acetylation of STAT3. Importantly, inhibition of HDAC3, but not HDAC1 or 2, significantly enhances bortezomib-induced cytotoxicity. Finally, we confirm that BG45 alone and in combination with bortezomib trigger significant tumor growth inhibition in vivo in a murine xenograft model of human MM. Our results indicate that HDAC3 represents a promising therapeutic target, and validate a prototype novel HDAC3 inhibitor BG45 in MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pseudopotential technique is applied to a multicomponent plasma consisting of nonthermal electrons and warm positive and negative ions with drift motion with a view to studying ion-acoustic double layers. Conditions for the existence of such layers are obtained, two critical concentrations of negative ions being identified which control the formation and nature of the ion-acoustic double layers. The effects of nonthermal electrons, negative-ion concentration, and negative-ion temperature on the double layer formation and structure are also investigated. The nonthermal electrons and the negative ions are shown to contribute significantly to the excitation and structure of the double layers. The importance of the results in the context of magnetospheric and auroral plasmas is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical investigations are made on the nonlinear Faraday rotation of obliquely propagating ion-cyclotron whistler waves in presence of negative ions in the ionosphere. Numerical estimation shows that the negative ions and the propagation angle have appreciable effects on the nonlinear Faraday rotation of the whistler in the ionosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical investigations have been made for the formation of ion-acoustic solitary wave structure in a plasma consisting of warm streaming positive ions and nonthermal electrons. Analytical solutions have been obtained with some sufficient and necessary conditions for the existence of ion-acoustic solitary waves. Some critical values of the ion temperature and the nonthermal parameter of electrons have been obtained and presented graphically . It is shown that drift of the ions and the nonthermal electrons have significant effects on the formation of ion-acoustic solitary waves. In presence of the streaming motion of the ions, two distinct modes (fast and slow) of propagation have been obtained. Limiting values of the soliton speed for these modes have been calculated. It is found that the drift motion and ion temperature change significantly the conditions for the existence and properties of ion-acoustic solitons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystalline CuAlS chalcopyrite has been mechanosynthesized at room temperature for the first time by ball milling the stoichiometric mixture of elemental of Cu, Al, and S powders under argon atmosphere. Initially, the CuAlS phase is formed by solid state reaction of elemental powders within 15 min of milling and in the course of milling crystallite size decreases slowly to ~5 nm within 10 h of milling. Microstructure characterization and phase transformation kinetics of the elemental powders toward the chalcopyrite phase formation has been made by employing the Rietveld analysis using X-ray diffraction data of unmilled and ball-milled samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the nonlinear interactions of a magneto-hydrodynamic wave with its second harmonic propagating in a planar waveguide filled with cold magnetized plasma, coupled mode equations have been derived. Solution of these equations shows the possibility of energy transfer between the fundamental and the second harmonic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims:To compare the efficacy of subthreshold diode laser photocoagulation with conventional threshold diode laser in clinically significant macular oedema (CSME) in diabetics.Methods:Prospective randomised controlled trial. Thirty eyes of 20 patients with CSME having central macular thickness (CMT) 250 μm on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and best corrected Snellen visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/80 or better were randomly assigned to receive subthreshold diode laser (group A) or threshold laser (group B). The clinical course of BCVA, CMT on OCT, photo stress recovery time (PSRT), contrast sensitivity (CS) using Pelli Robson chart, and central visual field (10–2 VF, Humphrey Field Analyser II) were monitored regularly for 18 weeks after intervention.Results:Both groups showed significant (P=0.03) and comparable improvement in mean BCVA at 18 weeks visit. There were also significant and comparable reductions (P<0.01) in mean CMT at all visits compared with baseline in both groups. PSRT and CS (75±16 (mean±SD) and 0.72±0.3 in group A and 81±12 and 0.68±0.2 in group B pre-laser) were significantly better in group A at the final visit (66±17 and 1.04±0.3) as compared to group B (78±11 and 0.73±0.3). One patient in group B showed a paracentral scotoma on 10–2 VF after the laser, which persisted till the end of follow-up.Conclusion:Subthreshold diode laser photocoagulation is as effective as conventional threshold laser in reducing or eliminating diabetic macular oedema (on OCT) and in improving BCVA. Recovery of macular function as assessed by CS and PSRT maybe better with subthreshold laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) is located on chromosome 12, and a number of studies have detected very strong linkage signals around this gene and asthma. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of a (CA)n repeat in intron 1 and six single nucleotide polymorphisms (((rs2069705, T/C) (promoter)), ((rs1861494, A/G), (rs1861493, T/C), (rs2069718, C/T) (intron 3)), ((rs2069727, A/G) and (rs2069728, G/A) (3′ untranslated region))) spanning the whole gene with asthma. We report here the association of rs1861494 A/G with atopic asthma in a case–control cohort (n=189 and n=270 cases and controls, respectively) (P=0.0006), which was replicated (P=0.006) in a family study (n=137) as well. Allele G was found to be negatively associated (odds ratio=0.50, 95% confidence interval, P=0.0006). A five-locus haplotype also showed significant association with asthma in the case–control (P=0.002) and the family studies (P=0.0004). In our three-locus sliding window haplotypic analysis, we found the (CA)n repeat, rs1861494 A/G and rs2069718 C/T to be of high priority (P=0.0003). Using electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we provide evidence that the alleles of rs1861494 A/G have differential affinity to bind to putative nuclear factor(s). In conclusion, we report for the first time association of rs1861494 A/G polymorphism with asthma, which may regulate the IFNγ levels and, hence, modulate asthma pathogenesis.Genes and Immunity (2008) 9, 294–301; doi:10.1038/gene.2008.17; published online 3 April 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various nanocomposites were synthesized using either a silica-based glass or mica crystallites as the medium. In some cases by an oxidation or a sulfidation treatment a core-shell nanostructure could be generated. Iron-iron oxide core-shell structured nanocomposites exhibited excellent humidity sensing behaviour. Gold-gold sulfide core-shell nanorods exhibited a number of optical absorption peaks which arose because of their structural characteristics. Nanoparticles of silver and silver oxide could be aligned in a polymethylmethacrylate film by an a.c. electric field of 1 MHz frequency. The composites showed large sensitivity to relative humidity. Lead sulfide nanowires of diameter, 1·2 nm, were grown within the nanochannels of Na-4 mica. These exhibited a semiconductor to metal transition at around 300 K. This arose because of high pressure generated on the nanowires. Copper sulfide nanowires grown within the Na-4 mica channels showed metallic behaviour. Silver core-silver orthosilicate shell nanostructures developed within a silicate glass medium showed discontinuous changes in resistivity at some specific temperatures. This was explained as arising due to excitation of Lamb modes at certain pressures generated because of thermal expansion mismatch of the core and the shell phases. Optical properties of iron core-iron oxide shell nanocomposites when analysed by effective medium theory led to the result of a metal non-metal transition for particle diameters below a critical value. Similar results were obtained from optical absorption data of silver nanoparticles grown in a tetrapeptide solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystalline Ni0.35Zn0.65Fe2O4 synthesized by mechanical alloying method and subsequent annealing at 300°C has been characterized by XRD, TEM and Mössbauer spectroscopic techniques. Mössbauer spectroscopic study divulges the enhancement of magnetic order, ordering temperature and magnetization in nano-crystalline sample compared to its bulk counterpart. This magnetic enhancement has mostly been prompted by cation redistribution in the nanosized sample. Zinc having strong A site affinity determines the nature and intensity of site exchange of cations, which has a strong influence in the genesis of enhancement/reduction in magnetic property of nano-crystalline Ni–Zn ferrite samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cobalt-base refractory alloy containing W, Ni, and Cr, which is widely used for making spacecraft components operating at high temperatures, is studied. Changes in the microstructure of the alloy are studied depending on the heat treatment, and the effect of these changes on mechanical properties at room and high temperatures is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niobium alloy Nb–Hf–Ti sheets are flow formed to make a conical divergent. During cold forming of the sheet, cracking was noticed on the surface. Visual observations of the cracks and microstructural and fractographic analysis revealed the presence of built-up layer and delaminations at the cracked site. Serration marks on the formed surface indicated a relatively higher feed rate. Work hardening of the material was also observed. This paper discusses the reasons for crack generation and provides the remedial measures to avoid such cracks during flow forming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

17-4 PH stainless steel is used as internal drive shaft material in liquid engine pumps. One of the drive shafts failed during operation. The shaft pieces were in contact for short duration after failure, which has resulted in abrasion of fractured surfaces. Samples from the location of failure were taken, and investigation of the failure was carried out using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The microstructural analysis of the material and fractographic analysis of the fractured surface show that the failure was caused by excessive torsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical evaluation of homogenization of aluminum alloy AA2219 with different grain sizes is performed. The homogenization parameters are computed with the use of diffusion laws and under the assumption that a low-melting eutectic can form in alloys of the Al-Cu system. With allowance for the difference in the grain sizes a two-stage homogenization regime is shown to be optimum for alloy AA2219. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spintronic materials, employing the spin of carriers as a medium for sending information beside their charges, have drawn significant attention of scientists since the last decade for their uses in multifunctional and energy saving devices. Manganese doped cadmium telluride, Cd1-xMnxTe, is reported as a material for spin control under the influence of magnetic field due to the presence of manganese.Stacks of CdTe and MnTe were deposited on basic substrates like glass. After deposition the stacks were given a heat treatment for interdiffusion of materials either to form a solid solution or a composite. The state of the diffusion further indicated about their response in the magnetic field.In the present study, various numbers of stacks were deposited and annealed at different temperatures to study their response both in electric and magnetic fields. The results thus obtained were fitted in a mathematical model to finalize the optimum condition for fabricating the exact material for spintronic action. The details of fabrication, studies and the responses will be discussed in the text of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of coal fly ash and domestic sewage sludge in agriculture is being considered as one of the methods for recycling of these wastes in an environmental beneficial manner. Mixtures with soil were prepared at different proportions of fly ash and sludge, either alone or in combination at a maximum application rate of 52 t ha–1. The changes in the selected properties and heavy metal contents of three soil types in India were studied after incubating the respective mixtures for 90 days at near field capacity moisture level. Sewage sludge, due to its acidic and saline nature, high organic matter and heavy metals content, had more impact on soil properties than the fly ash. Sludge application produced several changes including an increase in available nitrogen, organic carbon, salinity and water-holding capacity of the soils. The concentrations of major cations and heavy metals also increased because of the sludge application and the pH was decreased. However, the levels of individual metal concentrations in all the mixture types were below the allowable limits prescribed by several environmental agencies. Using fly ash either alone or in equal quantity with sewage sludge had little influence on soil properties and heavy metal content. The relative availability (RA) of heavy metals in three soils amended with 52 t ha–1 of sewage sludge was observed to be highest in oxisol, followed by alfisol and vertisol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS; O2-, H2O2, and OH·), normal by-products of cellular metabolic processes, are kept in control by antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutases (SODs). To understand the role of antioxidant enzymatic defenses against ROS injury following ischemia-reperfusion, we examined the effect on kidney exposed to varying periods (30, 60 or 90 min) of ischemia followed by different periods of reperfusion. The enzymatic activities and protein levels of catalase, GPX, CuZnSOD and MnSOD were relatively unaffected at 30 min of ischemia followed by 0, 2 or 24 h reperfusion. However, 60 or 90 min of ischemia followed by 0, 2 or 24 h of reperfusion resulted in a decrease in activities and protein levels which paralleled the duration of ischemic injury. MnSOD activity tended to recover towards normal during reperfusion. Examination of the mRNA levels of these antioxidant enzymes demonstrated a severe decrease in mRNA levels of catalase and GPX at a time point of minimal ischemic injury (30 min of ischemia followed by reperfusion) suggesting that loss of mRNA of catalase and GPX may be the first markers of alterations in cellular redox in ischemia-reperfusion injury. Greater loss of mRNA for catalase, GPX and CuZnSOD were observed following longer periods (60 or 90 min) of ischemia. The mRNA for MnSOD was upregulated at all time points of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Actually, the greater decrease in mRNAs for catalase, GPX and CuZnSOD in the acute phase (within 24 h) subsequently showed a further decrease in these enzyme activities in the subacute phase (72 or 120 h after ischemia). These enzyme activities in the 30 min ischemia group, but not in the 90 min group, already showed tendencies for normalization at 120 h after ischemia. To understand the molecular basis of the loss of mRNA of these antioxidant enzymes during ischemia-reperfusion injury, we examined the rate of transcription by nuclear run-on assays. The similar rates of transcription in control and kidney exposed to ischemia-reperfusion indicates that the loss of mRNA for catalase, GPX and CuZnSOD are possibly due to the increased rate of turnover of their mRNAs. These studies suggest that expression of antioxidant genes during ischemia-reperfusion are not coordinately expressed and the differential loss of antioxidant enzymes may be the contributing factor(s) towards the heterogeneous renal tissue damage as a result of ischemia-reperfusion induced oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. We consider the following general problem modeling load balancing in a variety of distributed settings. Given an arbitrary undirected connected graph G = (V, E) and a weight distribution w[sup0] on the nodes, determine a schedule to move weights across edges in each step so as to (approximately) balance the weights on the nodes. We focus on diffusive schedules for this problem. All previously studied diffusive schedules can be modeled as w[supt+1] = Mw[supt] where w[supt] is the weight distribution after t steps and M is a doubly stochastic matrix. We call these the first-order schedules. First-order schedules, although widely used in practice, are often slow. In this paper we introduce a new direction in diffusive schedules by considering schedules that are modeled as: w[sup1] = Mw[sup0]; w[supt+1] = βMw[supt] + (1 − β)w[supt−1] for some appropriate β we call these the second-order schedules. In the idealized setting of weights being real numbers, we adopt known results to show that β can be chosen so that the second-order schedule involves significantly fewer steps than the first-order method for approximate load balancing. In the realistic setting when the weights are positive integers, we simulate the idealized schedules by maintaining I Owe You units on the edges. Extensive experiments with simulated data and real-life data from JOSTLE, a mesh-partitioning software, show that the resultant realistic schedule is close to the idealized schedule, and it again involves fewer steps than the first-order schedules for approximate load balancing. Our main result is therefore a fast algorithm for coarse load balancing that can be used in a variety of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brief review of Čerenkov radiation within the upper atmospheric plasma has been presented. Different attempts in this context are systematically discussed. The results of analysis about the nature and characteristics of VLF hisses in terms of incoherent Čerenkov radiation are given in a concise manner. The occurrence of resonance cone has also been reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancement of conductivity tensor modification within the ionospheric plasma by electron density modulation through the temperature dependence of the recombination rates of different ionspecies caused due to electron temperature modulation during high-power wave propagation is studied. Variation of Hall and Pedersen conductivities of the ionosphere has been investigated in the height range between 85 km to 250 km. The generation of waves at the modulation frequency and its harmonics in the ELF, VLF bands in the process is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]