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In this paper, with the development of an intelligent power system idea, sustainable energy sources were increasingly deployed, including transmission and distribution systems networks. As a result, optimal use of cascaded H-bridge inverter topologies (MLIs) and power distribution operations is critical for long-term power generation. Traditionally, selective harmonics reduction models must be performed to achieve the optimal switching frequency of multilevel inverters. This research aims to determine the switching frequency for wind-incorporated multilevel inverters to reduce overall harmonic components used in grid applications. This research adds towards the best possible solution by employing multiple newly established adaptive optimization techniques: MNSGA-II and salp swarm. The well-known genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization are used for the wind-tied multilevel inverters optimization issue. Sevenlevel, eleven-level, and fifteen-level MLIs were employed to reduce overall harmonic distortion. The reliability and convergence rate of simulated data with various modulation indices for seven-, eleven-, and fifteen-level MLIs are obtained and compared. Models are developed based on MATLAB Simulink and are used to validate quantitative measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usefulness of wireless sensor networks has grown throughout numerous areas, many of which demand constant monitoring of the event of interest by the sensor nodes. The wireless transfer of information and the connection of the sensors, however, present the network with a number of security risks. A real-world concern is a danger to source location privacy for networks when several events of interest are monitored. In this research, we present the quadrant-based boundary routing (QBR) method for multiple source location privacy protection. In the first phase, the packet is routed arbitrarily away from the source nodes by random routing, and then quadrant routing begins. Before being sent to the base station using a forward random walk, the packet is transmitted to either side of the network border. We present a theoretical analysis of the maximum delay for the proposed technique. Extensive simulations are carried out and results demonstrate that in contrast to Shortest Path Routing, QBR elevates security by 880.95%, entropy by 623.28%, and capture rate by 71.42% for multiple assets, whereas contemporary PRLPRW increases the corresponding metrics by 692%, 390%, and 49.28%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have advanced technologically, allowing for a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The Internet of Things (IoT) provides a platform for connecting items to achieve a specific goal with minimal human intervention. Various practical sectors, such as environmental monitoring and defense, demand IoT support with maximum object connectivity, and low human participation, yet face security concerns from strong unauthorized entities. As location privacy is one of these major vulnerabilities, continual monitoring of contextual information may lead the attacker to the asset's position. The location privacy of the source node that detects and reports the presence of an event is critical. In this study, we provide a source location privacy (SLP) preservation technique based on confounding domain angular routing (SLP-CDAR) that attempts to improve security while increasing network lifespan. To avoid traffic analysis attacks, packets first undergo a random walk, followed by a perplexing time domain routing that creates additional diversionary pathways. The packets are then routed via angle routing, followed by a random path, and finally delivered to the base station using the forward random walk technique. The experimental results prove that the proposed scheme enhances the location privacy strength while providing an improved network lifetime, and a swift increase in the entropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have become a crucial technology because they are used in several contexts, such as public safety, environmental monitoring, healthcare, military operations, and surveillance systems. The applications of WSNs have increased because they can be deployed in areas where cable and power supply are difficult to use. However, a variety of security assaults can easily penetrate these networks. To solve this problem, a Firebug Optimized Modified Bee Colony algorithm (FOMBC) has been proposed, which achieves the maximum network security goal with lower energy consumption in WSN. The proposed method is carried out into two phases namely Secure node selection and Orthogonal Routing (OR). In the first phase, secure node among the WSN's initial nodes is selected based on characteristics such as trust, delay, and Quality of Services. In the second phase, Firebug Optimized Modified Bee Colony (FOMBC) Optimization technique is used to find optimal route based on factors like trust, distance, latency, and quality of service. The effectiveness of the proposed FOMBC approach is evaluated against existing techniques like Trust-Aware Routing Framework (TARF), SOAR (Simple Opportunistic Adaptive Routing Protocol), Particle Swarm Optimization, and Whale Optimization Algorithm for Secure Routing (PSWOSR). According to the experimental findings, the proposed FOMBC technique achieves high detection, maximum throughput, least latency, and minimum range. The proposed method achieves network lifetime of 4.7%, 5.8%, and 9.87% than the existing TARF, SOAR, and PSWOSR, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the evolution of an advanced power system concept, green power supplies, comprising transmission and distribution designed networks, were progressively implemented in this research. Consequently, optimum usage of cascaded H-bridge inverter topologies and power distribution activities is crucial for long-term production. Selective harmonics elimination techniques have always been required to attain the appropriate switching frequencies of multilevel inverters. This study aims to estimate the switching frequency for solar-integrated multilevel inverters utilizing boost converters to decrease the total harmonic contents utilized in grid applications. This study contributes to the optimum feasible solution by utilizing a number of recently discovered dynamic controller methods: Type I Fuzzy controller and Interval Type II Fuzzy controller. Seven-level, eleven-level, and fifteen-level MLIs minimize overall harmonic components. The dependability and convergent rates of simulation results with different modulation indices are produced and compared for seven-, eleven-, and fifteen-level MLIs. In addition, as compared to existing control systems, the suggested controller reduces Total Harmonic Distortion and delivers stabilized output power. The suggested IT2-FLC is compared against an T1-FLC and a standard mathematical PI controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel edge detection operator called 'vision transformer-based Dexinet (ViT-DexiNet)' to address the challenges of detecting small objects in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. SAR images are typically impacted by strong multiplicative noise, making edge detection difficult. Existing traditional methods have limited spectral data preservation capabilities and often result in a loss of clarity and integrity of salient features in SAR images. The proposed ViT-DexiNet operator employs a series of interconnected layers to extract and refine salient edge features from SAR images. It utilizes a vision transformer self-attention layer to capture the pattern and structural details of image features crucial for determining edges. The extracted feature maps are then processed by the DexiNet architecture, which consists of a dense block, transfer block, and upsampling network. This architecture helps preserve edge information at different scales in deeper layers. The series of layered blocks generate edge maps, which are concatenated and averaged through smoothing to remove noise and enhance edge details in SAR images, resulting in a final high-quality edge map. To evaluate the proposed ViT-DexiNet method, both qualitative and quantitative analyses are conducted using standard edge detection operators such as Canny and Sobel. The empirical results demonstrate that the ViT-DexiNet surpasses baseline edge detection operators. The achieved values of proposed edge detection operator are 97.92%, 97.72%, 97.64% and 97.41%, respectively for the metrics accuracy, precision, recall and f1-score. The ViT-DexiNet offers high-quality edge maps, simplifying the interpretation of data for small object detection. Overall, the ViT-DexiNet method shows promise in overcoming the limitations of traditional approaches and improving the detection of edges in SAR images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survival analysis is a statistical technique mainly used to analyze time-to-event data. Identification of influential observation attains greater importance since it leads to discovering new prognostic factors. Influential observation in survival typically points to individuals whose survival time is extremely short or long in comparison to others. Particularly, when the data possess more covariates than the observations, all classical approaches fail to perform. Hence, dimensionality reduction is necessary for choosing appropriate variables and it has been done by popular techniques such as LASSO and elastic net algorithm. This paper consider high-dimensional breast cancer data, and its dimensionality is reduced using variable selection methods. Subsequently, the rank product test and martingale residuals are used to identify an influential observation. Furthermore, a resampling technique is used to validate the consistency and robustness of the methods. The novelty of this paper lies in comparing the prediction accuracy of datasets with and without outliers using Random Survival Forest (RSF) for different training fractions. Comparatively, the RSF result demonstrates that the LASSO approach outperform others in the absence of outliers. Therefore, we suggest reducing dimensionality using the LASSO variable selection technique first, followed by removing likely outliers to improve the performance of classification algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an efficient torque and speed control method for brushless DC (BLDC) motor utilizing a fractional order proportional integral derivative (FOPID) controller based on the multiverse optimization algorithm and salp swarm optimization (SSO). When combined with a solar photovoltaic (PV) system and a voltage boosting architecture, standard PID controllers regulated the BLDC drive parameters due to their simplicity and improved steady-state performances. A solar PV system with a specific power range is chosen for the best output solution on the output side. The MPPT method employed is the incremental conductance approach for tracking maximum power from the source. However, it has a problem with unpredictability owing to load changes. The PID controller tuning also relates to the structure's parametric uncertainties. Therefore, precise control methods may be offered with the aid of the FOPID controller to address the aforementioned issues. Simulation results of the proposed MVO and SSO-based FOPID controller for BLDC speeds run in the Matlab Simulink platform. To confirm the adaptability of the suggested control scheme for BLDC motor, the outcomes are interrelated using genetic algorithm, gray wolf, and PSO-based FOPID controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Mruda' is a Marathi term that signifies soil, and 'MrudaTest' shows soil testing. Crop yield is influenced by soil pH and macronutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Precision agriculture, which has gained appeal on a global scale, can be achieved in part by managing fertilizers properly in accordance with soil health. The standard laboratory test is time-consuming and resource-intensive. Sample testing takes longer duration due to overworked soil testing labs, which discourages farmers from performing soil fertility tests. To address the aforementioned issue, portable, farmer-friendly, rapid-testing technology is required, and our effort is geared in that direction. Soil samples were treated with reagents that turn the clear solution into color as per soil nutrients. An android phone was used to detect and quantify color information using a built-in camera, computing hardware, graphical user interface, image processing, and machine learning classification techniques. The machine learning model was trained using 410 samples collected under various lighting situations, followed by labeling and validation. On 100 samples, it was examined, and the estimated variance was determined to be between 2–11%. Additionally, we used unidentified soil samples to confirm our method, and we estimated an average variance of 8.9–11.7% for the stated nutrients, which is similar to the PUSA STFR kit data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Deep Learning (DL) models, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), have been widely used for Human Activities Recognition (HAR). They have achieved considerable performance improvements over classical Machine Learning (ML) approaches due to their excellent feature representation capabilities. Simple human activities are performed in sequential order with no overlaps or concurrent actions. The paucity of labeled training activity samples, high computational cost, and system resource requirements of deep learning architectures compared to lightweight models are some of the research challenges confronting the HAR community. We framed the lightweight DL-based CNNs, RNNs, and LSTM model for HAR to tackle these research challenges. The RNNs and LSTM have single layers with softmax activation functions, whereas the one-dimensional CNNs have two convolutional and single max-pooling layers. To evaluate the performance of our models, we used the publicly available benchmark WISDM experimental dataset, which includes the reading of six activities (walking, jogging, upstairs, downstairs, sitting, and standing) performed by 36 participants using a single accelerometer sensor. The experimental result illustrates the efficacy of our models in activity recognition, demonstrating that they attain higher accuracy while being computationally efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smartphone sensor-based Human Activity Recognition (HAR) is a significant facilitator for many real-world applications such as smart homes, personal healthcare, and illness detection because it has the potential to discover activity patterns in daily life. While solutions for detecting sequential activities like walking or running are already matured, however recognizing additional forms of complex, concurrent, interleaved, and heterogeneous human activities remains a research challenge. Furthermore, several solutions have been developed for specific types of activity complexity. According to the best of our knowledge, there is no common solution for detecting all types of action-based activities. In this paper, we address the problem of recognizing all types of action-based human activities i.e. sequential, complex, concurrent, interleaved, and heterogeneous activities. The intention behind this paper is to present a generic methodology for HAR by leveraging transfer learning and evaluating the performance on a plethora of HAR datasets. In this regard, we have proposed a model called RecurrentHAR, which stands for Recurrent layers for HAR, a novel adversarial knowledge transfer approach that uses the Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs) architecture for smartphone sensor-based HAR. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated through extensive experiments using three public datasets namely WISDM (sequential activities), PAMAP2 (complex, concurrent, and interleaved activities), and KU-HAR (Heterogeneous activities), and the RecurrentHAR model has outperformed compared with other state-of-the-art approaches. The proposed model achieved 96.26%, 94.77%, and 98.98% of F1-score for WISDM, PAMAP2, and KU-HAR datasets, respectively. The experimental results provide insight into the applicability of the proposed model and future research possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This current research proposes a novel method for a Fuel Cell Thermal Management System (FTMS) by Integrating Phase Change Material (PCM) in the Cavities of the Fin-Based Cooling Plate. Stearyl alcohol is proposed as a PCM, which has a suitable melting temperature (56°C to 59°C) and reasonably a high phase change enthalpy (260 J/g) for managing the thermal load of a fuel cell. The experimental investigation has been performed at different power densities (0.25 to 0.50 W/cm2) for different modes [cooling plate with fin (Mode 1), cooling plate with fin and PCM (mode 2), cooling plate with fin & fan (mode 3) and cooling plate with fin, fan & PCM (mode 4)]. The experimental results show that under mode 1, the FTMS can be operated without any cooling techniques till 0.25 W/cm2. In Mode 2, FTMS has the potential to handle a 20% higher thermal load (0.30 W/cm2) as compared to mode 1 by maintaining the cooler plate temperature below 60°C. This result implies that the utilization of PCM aids in achieving better thermal management performance. Mode 3 delivered better performance than mode 1 and mode 2 for all the power densities. It is revealed that FTMS operated under mode 4 showed improved thermal management performance as compared to mode 3 in all power densities. These results imply that integrating fan cooling with passing cooling techniques helps us to achieve enhanced thermal management performance. Further, under mode 3, the cooler plate almost reaches a safe operating temperature at 0.45 W/cm2 power density. On the other hand, under mode 4, the temperature of the cooling plate can be contained well below 60°C at 0.45 W/cm2. In addition, under mode 4, the FTMS held the desired temperature for an 86% longer duration as compared to mode 3 at 0.50 W/cm2. Based on the above results, it is concluded that the proposed cooling plate can deliver enhanced thermal management performance by utilizing a lower mass of PCM, and it will be beneficial for applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An organic nonlinear optical crystal of L-histidinium-4-nitrophenolate 4-nitrophenol (LHPNP), was grown by employing the conventional growth process of slow evaporation method. The grown LHPNP crystal was characterized by the spectral measurement (FTIR, UV-Visible, and PL) and Vicker's hardness test. The grown crystal was found to be in the system of monoclinic with non-centrosymmetric space group P21 with dimension 12 × 9 × 6 mm3. The optical band gap value of the LHPNP crystal is Eg = 2.71 eV. The dielectric studies (dielectric constant, dielectric loss and ac conductivity) of the grown crystal were measured for the frequency ranging between 100 Hz and 1200 Hz. The thermal stability of the grown crystal has been put forth by the standard thermal method of TG-DTA. The LDT analysis was carried out making use of Q-switched Nd: YAG laser and the value of LDT is estimated to be greater as compared to KDP. The SHG efficiency of the grown crystal of LHPNP is 3.5 times greater than that of a standard KDP crystal. The Hirshfeld Analysis has been carried out to understand the crystal surface properties, stability and intermolecular interaction of the LHPNP crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobocertinib has demonstrated durable clinical benefit in platinum-pretreated patients (PPP) with epidermal growth factor receptor exon 20 insertion–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Pooled safety analysis of two studies included patients with NSCLC (N = 257) treated with the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of mobocertinib (160 mg once daily). We report overall safety (treatment-emergent adverse events [TEAEs]) in the RP2D population; characterization of GI and skin-related events in 114 PPP from a phase 1/2 study (NCT02716116); and clinical activity in PPP with and without dose reductions due to TEAEs. In the RP2D population (N = 257), the most common TEAEs were diarrhea (93%), nausea (47%), rash (38%), and vomiting (37%). In PPP (N = 114), median times to diarrhea onset and resolution were 5 and 2 days, respectively. Median times to onset and resolution of skin-related events were 9 and 78 days, respectively. Among PPP with (n = 29) or without (n = 85) dose reductions due to TEAEs, overall response rates were 21% and 31% and median durations of response were 5.7 and 17.5 months, respectively. GI and skin-related events are common with mobocertinib; minimizing dose reductions with proactive management may improve clinical outcomes. NCT02716116; NCT03807778 Mobocertinib is a treatment for patients with a certain type of lung cancer. We analyzed the safety of mobocertinib in 257 patients with lung cancer. The most common side effects with mobocertinib were diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash. In 114 patients with lung cancer who were treated in the past with chemotherapy that included platinum-based drugs, diarrhea started after about 5 days of mobocertinib treatment and went away in about 2 days. Skin-related side effects started after about 9 days and went away in about 2.5 months. One-fifth of patients who had to receive a smaller amount of mobocertinib because of side effects responded to treatment compared with one-third of patients who received the recommended mobocertinib amount. Managing side effects quickly can better help patients with lung cancer who are treated with mobocertinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Natural Fibers is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Barium titanate nanoparticles were synthesized via a low temperature sol-gel technique using acetylacetone as a chelating agent. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the formation of tetragonal perovskite structure of the material. The average crystallite size was found to be 49 nm using the Debye-Scherrer method. The Williamson–Hall plot was drawn for evaluating the micro-strain and crystallite size. Raman spectroscopic features typical for the tetragonal phase were identified for Barium titanate powder. In addition to these, an absorption band edge and an optical bandgap were found to be of 406 nm and 3.14 eV respectively. Barium titanate displays polychromatic luminescent peaks in UV -visible regions and it was attributed to the near-band-edge transition and defect states in the optical band gap of the perovskite structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure TiO2 and Cu doped TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by a simple solution approach using hexamethylenetetramine as a chelating agent. The XRD analysis confirmed that the synthesized sample has a hexagonal wurtzite structure. Further, the average crystallite size of pure TiO2 and Cu doped TiO2 estimated from the Debye-Scherrer formula is found to be 10 nm and 9 nm respectively. In the Raman spectrum, the bands for the range 125–635 cm−1 ascertains the anatase crystal structure, while the shift in the position of the principal peak of the doped sample toward higher wavenumber indicates that the dopant may extend some defects and/or surface oxygen vacancies in the doped sample. From the photoluminescence spectrum polychromatic emissions are observed in the range 340–500 nm. The UV-Vis result showed that the absorption edge for Cu doped TiO2 extended to the visible region when compared to the pure TiO2 nanoparticles. The optical band gap of pure and Cu doped TiO2 nanoparticles is also found to be 3.06 eV and 2.92 eV, respectively. The observed reduced band gap can serve as a potential candidate for the degradation of organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4-Aminobutyltriethoxysilane functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-ABTES) dispersed diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol-A (DGEBA-GY260) were studied for antimicrobial applications. Epoxy nano-hybrid coatings of four different concentrations (1, 3, 5 and 7 wt %) were developed using TiO2-ABTES as the dispersed phase and a commercially available DGEBA as the matrix phase. Triethylenetetramine (TETA) used to cure the nanocomposites films. The structural characteristics of these materials were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectral studies, Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscope analysis. The surface characteristics of the samples were estimated from contact angle measurements and calculated surface free energy and adhesion energy. The bacteriological tests were done using the agar diffusion method with different concentrations of TiO2-ABTES. The antimicrobial activity test noted that the antimicrobial activity of 7 wt% TiO2-ABTES nanoparticles loaded epoxy nanocomposite film has a better inhibition zone against all pathogens under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of 2-amino I 4H,5H i -pyrano[3,2 I c i ]chromene derivatives.a [3] HT

The Internet of things (IoT) is gaining popularity due to diverse applications and market potential. They are pushed more into remote locations and developers look for a perpetual power source. The vibration energy harvester (EH) is capable to mitigate powering issues. Zinc oxide (ZnO), Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Silver (Ag) were used. However, it is observed that film grains size has a great impact i.e. large-grained films are superior to small-grained films. This work analyses impacting parameters and relevant empirical study. Scanning-Electron-Microscope (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Electrical characterization were carried out for in-depth analysis. It is observed that 46.92 µWpeak/15.03 µWrms power is achieved in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) macromolecule production using cheap substrate is need of today's life since rate of accumulate of plastic in the environment is million tonnes per year, leading to life threatening pollution problems. In this account, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was implemented for optimization of low cost substrate (molasses) and method parameters for the manufacturing of PHB granules using Bacillus cereus and further refurbishing it into bioplastic. Primary screening of PHB manufacturing was done using Sudan black staining. 67.4 % of PHB yield of dry weight with the predicted percentage yield of 68.78 % was obtained using Box Behnken Design. Present results demonstrated that carbon source and nitrogen source were found to be the critical control factors that affected the PHB production. FTIR was performed for their functional group determination. The existing work demonstrates that produced PHB using low cost molasses is eco-friendly, economically feasible, easily available and promising alternative substrate for commercial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, hierarchical clustering methods are used on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) (during the flood) and LISS-III (before the flood) data to analyse damage caused by floods. The flooded and non-flooded regions are extracted from the SAR image while different land cover regions are extracted from the LISS-III image. Initially, the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) is implemented to obtain the constraints for the number of clusters. The optimal cluster centres are then computed using hierarchical clustering approach (i.e. cluster splitting and merging techniques). The cluster splitting techniques such as Iterative Self-Organising Data Technique (ISODATA), Mean Shift Clustering (MSC), Niche Genetic Algorithm (NGA) and Niche Particle Swarm Optimisation (NPSO) were applied on SAR and LISS-III data. The cluster centres obtained from these algorithms are used to group similar data points by using merging method into their respective classes. Further, the results obtained for each method are overlaid to analyse the individual land cover region that is affected by floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium aminophospates have been used as catalysts in the synthesis of xanthenediones at room temperature. Among the three catalysts tested, titanium n-propyl aminophosphate (TNPAP) was found to be more efficient catalyst for the synthesis of xanthenediones. The solvent-screening studies for this catalytic reaction reveals that MeOH: H2O was the most suitable solvent system, yielding higher amounts (89%) of products. The TNPAP catalyst was found to be reusable for five successive cycles. The optimized reaction conditions are 1.0 mmol of benzaldehyde, 2.0 mmol of dimedone, methanol/water (5.0 mL) as solvent, rt, and 100 mg of TNPAP. A plausible mechanism for the catalytic reactions has been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this work was to develop various pre-treatment process, i.e. Ca(OH)2, NaOH, ammonium carbonate, H2SO4, maleic acid and combination of hydrothermal with H2SO4in a batch anaerobic digestor of bamboo. Biogas efficiency of bamboo with and without pre-treatment was evaluated. The highest biogas production and methane yield were 820 ml/day and 72%, respectively, for hydrothermal + H2SO4pre-treated bamboo followed by H2SO4, Ca(OH)2, maleic acid and ammonium carbonate. The results indicated that hydrothermal + H2SO4pre-treatment could be an effective method for improving methane yield with bamboo. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We assessed the molecular genetic diversity and population structure ofAmaranthusspecies accessions using 11 simple sequence repeat markers. A total of 122 alleles were detected, and the number of alleles per marker (NA) ranged from 6 to 21 with an average of 11.1 alleles. The frequency of major alleles per locus ranged from 0.148 to 0.695, with an average value of 0.496 per marker. The overall polymorphic information content values were 0.436–0.898, with an average value of 0.657. The observed heterozygosity (HO) and expected heterozygosity (HE) ranged from 0.056 to 0.876 and from 0.480 to 0.907, with average values of 0.287 and 0.698, respectively. The averageHO(0.240) was lower than theHEand gene flow (Nm), and showed substantial genetic variability among all populations of amaranth accessions. The sample groupings did not strictly follow the geographic affiliations of the accessions. A similar pattern was obtained using model-based structure analysis without grouping by species type. Knowledge of the genetic diversity and population structure of amaranth can be used to select representative genotypes and manageAmaranthusgermplasm breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Context: Mutations in tyrosine kinase domain (TK) of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) lead to signalling interruptions in several cancers. Objective: To understand EGFR mutations in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), and their role as biomarkers. Methods: Screened 129 HNSCC patients and 150 controls for mutations in the TK domain using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single strand confirmatory polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing. Results: 81.39% of HNSCC had four mutations: G2155C, G2176A, C2188G and G2471A among these two mutations were also reported in other cancers where as two novel mutations are being reported for the first time in HNSCC. Mutational frequency was significantly associated with an advanced stage of HNSCC, habits of tobacco/alcohol and ages above 49 years. Conclusion: EGFR single nucleotide polymorphisms could be useful biomarkers of HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional method of bromination of organic compounds by direct handling of liquid bromine is hazardous and environmentally unacceptable. Solid organic tribromide compounds are substituted in the place of liquid bromine for bromination reactions. Tetra ethyl ammonium tribromide (TEATB) was synthesized in an electrochemical membrane electrolyzer with 80–82% current efficiency at 50°C using IrO2/Ta2O5-coated titanium anode, nickel-expanded mesh cathode, and Nafion 961 membrane. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition ofChemical Engineering Communicationsfor the following free supplemental resources: FTIR and NMR spectra, a video of TEATB synthesis, and a still from the video.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, the removal of aniline by adsorption process onto granular activated carbon (GAC) is reported from aqueous solutions containing catechol and resorcinol separately. The Taguchi experimental design was applied to study the effect of such parameters as the initial component concentrations (C 0, i ) of two solutes (aniline and catechol or aniline and resorcinol) in the solution, temperature (T), adsorbent dosage (m) and contact time (t). The L27 orthogonal array consisting of five parameters each with three levels was used to determine the total amount of solutes adsorbed on GAC (q tot, mmol/g) and the signal-to-noise ratio. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the optimum conditions. Under these conditions, the ANOVA shows that m is the most important parameter in the adsorption process. The most favourable levels of process parameters were T=303 K, m=10 g/l and t=660 min for both the systems. q tot values in the confirmation experiments carried out at optimum conditions were 0.73 and 0.95 mmol/g for aniline–catechol and aniline–resorcinol systems, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A batch study on the removal of As(III) and As(V) ions from contaminated water by biosorption using powdered Psidium guajava (Guava) leaf as biosorbent was carried out in the present work. FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) were used to characterize the surface of the biosorbent. The effect of sorption parameters such as pH, temperature (T c), adsorbent dose (D c), and contact time (t c) were studied. At optimum treatment conditions, the maximum uptake of 1.06 mg of As(III) per gram and 2.39 mg of As(V) per gram onto the surface of biosorbent were obtained. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were examined for sorption equilibrium at various temperatures. The sorption isotherm was favorable with the Freundlich model with the experimental data. Furthermore, higher uptake kinetics was tested for the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. The pseudo-second-order model appeared to be the more suitable model to describe arsenic biosorption. ΔG 0 values were negative at all temperatures, confirming the feasible and spontaneous nature of the biosorption process. Solvent desorption studies help in understanding the mechanism of the adsorption process and also to check the stability of the loaded/spent adsorbents. HCl was found to show maximum effectiveness in the desorption of both As(III) and As(V) with the comparison of other solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Composites with antimicrobial activity are of great interest nowadays and the development of titanium dioxide with these functional properties presents interest in academic and industrial sectors. An approach to develop PE composite containing silver microparticles to have an antimicrobial effect is presented. To obtain such antimicrobial composites, LDPE/EVA were processed with Ag particles on TiO2 particles as inorganic carrier substance. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (P-25) were covered with silver particles using Turkevich Method or citrate reduction method. The Ag/TiO2 particles were dispersed at concentration of 0,8 wt% and 1% wt% in LDPE/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)–(50% w/w) at the melt state in a Haake torque Rheometer. Silver microparticles were characterized with UV-Vis Spectroscopy. The composites thus prepared were characterized through XRD, Ares Rheometer, Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) and JIS Z 2801 antimicrobial tests to study the effects of the addition of particles on rheological properties, morphological behavior and antimicrobial properties. The results showed that incorporation of silver/titanium dioxide particles on composites obtained systems with differents dispersions. The Ag/TiO2 particles showed uniform distribution of Ag on TiO2 particles as observed by SEM-EDX and antimicrobial tests according to JIS Z 2801 shows excellent antimicrobial properties. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In order to test the hypothesis that treatment with quercetin at a dose of 10 mg/kg protects from the progression of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), we have used the rat model of EAM induced by porcine cardiac myosin. Our results identified that the post-myocarditis rats suffered from elevated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and adverse cardiac remodelling in the form of myocardial fibrosis, whereas the rats treated with quercetin have been protected from these changes as evidenced by the decreased myocardial levels of ER stress and fibrosis markers when compared with the vehicle-treated DCM rats. In addition, the myocardial dimensions and cardiac function were preserved significantly in the quercetin-treated rats in comparison with the DCM rats treated with vehicle alone. Interestingly, the rats treated with quercetin showed significant suppression of the myocardial endothelin-1 and also the mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) suggesting that the protection offered by quercetin treatment against progression of EAM involves the modulation of MAPK signalling cascade. Collectively, the present study provides data to support the role of quercetin in protecting the hearts of the rats with post myocarditis DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports an experimental investigation on the heat transfer, friction factor, and thermal enhancement factor of a tube equipped with vertical wing-cut twisted tapes, horizontal wing-cut twisted tapes, and plain twisted tapes with twist ratios of y = 2.0, 4.4, and 6.0. The obtained results reveal that the heat transfer rate, friction factor, and thermal enhancement factor in the tube equipped with horizontal wing-cut twisted tapes are significantly higher than those in the tube fitted with vertical wing-cut twisted tapes, plain twisted tapes, and a plain tube. An empirical correlation is subsequently derived from the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate an ethanolic extract of seeds of Linum usitatissimum (Linn.) (EELU) for its renoprotective role in rats through its antihypertensive effect and conservation of biological oxidation enzymes. Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats (200–250g) underwent uninephrectomy on day 0; after 2weeks of recovery, the nephrectomised rats were divided into four groups of eight each: (I) sham (II); renal ischaemia reperfusion (RIR); (III) RIR+EELU 200mg/kg; and (IV) RIR+EELU 400mg/kg. In group II, III and IV the renal artery was occluded for 45min and reperfused for 4weeks; the sham group did not undergo RIR. Results: EELU (400mg/kg) significantly decreased the haemodynamic changes after 4 weeks of RIR injury. EELU treatment significantly restored the levels of renal endogenous antioxidant enzymes and membrane-bound enzymes. EELU 400mg/kg restored the levels of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. EELU also decreased the levels of tumour necrosis factor-α and myeloperoxidase activity. A flow-cytometric study confirmed a significant decrease in cellular necrosis and increase in viability after RIR in EELU-treated rats. The anti-apoptotic role of EELU was evident from the decrease in DNA fragmentation. Renal tissue damage as assessed by histopathology was decreased in groups III and IV (200 and 400mg/kg EELU). Conclusion: We conclude that EELU protected the kidney against RIR-induced renal injury, probably by inhibiting reactive oxygen species that have a causal role in such cases. It also inhibits apoptotic cell death and inflammation, and improves haemodynamic changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Heat transfer characteristics of water-based nanocrystalline alumina (Al2O3) nanofluids flowing through a uniformly heated tube under a fully developed laminar and turbulent flow regime is investigated experimentally in the present work to explore the heat transfer mechanism in nanofluids. In a laminar flow, the increase in Nusselt number was attributed to the thermophysical properties of the nanofluid. The movement of nanoparticles, along with the turbulent eddies in the turbulent core region and diffusion mechanism, such as thermophoresis, in the laminar sublayer are believed to be the reasons for enhanced heat transfer in turbulent region. The compatibility of Al2O3/water nanofluids was also examined by monitoring its color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article reports results of the studies on adsorptive removal of catechol and resorcinol from aqueous solution by granular activated carbon (GAC). Physico-chemical characterization including surface area, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of the GAC before and after catechol and resorcinol adsorption have been done to understand the adsorption mechanism. Bulk density and heating value of GAC were found to be 725 kg/m3 and 8.26 MJ/kg, respectively. The BET surface area was 977.6 m2/g whereas the BET average pore diameter was 18.79 Å. Different experimental parameters like initial pH, initial dosage, contact time, and initial concentration were evaluated for their effect on the adsorption of catechol and resorcinol onto GAC. The kinetics of adsorption was found to be described by the pseudo-second order equation. Results of the intra-particle diffusion model show that the pore diffusion is not the only rate limiting step. The effective diffusion coefficient of catechol and resorcinol were of the order of 2.9 × 10-10 and 2.2 × 10-10 m2/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental investigation of heat transfer and friction factor characteristics of a circular tube fitted with plain twisted tapes (PTT) and trapezoidal-cut twisted tapes (TTT) with twist ratios y = 2.0, 4.4, and 6.0 was carried out. The experimental data obtained from plain tube and PTT were verified with the standard correlation to ensure the validation of experimental results. The experimental results revealed that heat transfer rate, friction factor, and thermal enhancement factor in the tube equipped with TTT were significantly higher than in the tube fitted with PTT and the plain tube. The additional disturbance and secondary flow in the vicinity of the tube wall generated by the TTT compared to that induced by the PTT was determined as the reason for enhancement. Subsequently, an empirical correlation was also formulated to match with experimental results with ±6% and ±5% variation respectively for Nusselt number and the friction factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat transfer and friction factor characteristics in a circular tube fitted with wire coil inserts are investigated experimentally using Al2O3/water nanofluid as the working fluid. The effects of the pitch ratio and nanofluid on the Nusselt number and the friction factor are determined in a circular tube with fully developed transition flow for Reynolds number in the range of 2500 to 5000. The experiments were performed using wire coil inserts having different pitch ratios with Al2O3/water nanofluid having 0.1% volume concentration of nanoparticles as the working fluid. Experiments using the plain tube and with wire coil inserts were also carried out with distilled water as the working fluid for experimental setup validation and comparison. The experimental results reveal that the use of nanofluids increases the heat transfer rate with negligible increase in friction factor in the plain tube and the tube fitted with wire coil inserts. In addition, empirical correlations are proposed based on the experimental results of the present study, which are found to be sufficiently accurate for prediction of the heat transfer and friction factor characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Traditional treatment of organophosphate poisoning (OP) with oximes has had limited success. Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) or albumin, acting as bioscavengers to mop up free organophosphate, has been recently proposed as a treatment modality. In this pilot open-label, three-arm, randomized controlled study exploring proof of concept, we evaluated if bioscavenger therapy had a role in OP. Patients and methods. Sixty patients with significant poisoning presenting within 12 hours, with suppression of pseudocholinesterase activity to < 1,000 U/L, were randomized to receive FFP (8 bags, 250 mL each over 3 days), 20% human albumin (4 × 100 mL over 3 days), or saline (2,000 mL over 3 days) in addition to atropine and supportive care. Pseudocholinesterase and organophosphate levels were measured pretreatment, post-infusion (Day 2, Day 3), and predischarge and expressed as mean ± standard error. The incidence of intermediate syndrome, need for mechanical ventilation, atropine requirement, and mortality were assessed. Results. Twenty patients received albumin and 19 patients each FFP or saline. FFP increased pseudocholinesterase levels (250 ± 44-1,241 ± 364 U/L) significantly (p = 0.007). Small, nonsignificant increases were observed with saline (160 ± 30-259 ± 78) and albumin (146 ± 18-220 ± 61). Organophosphate levels reduced in all 3 arms; no clear-cut trends were observed. We observed more cases of intermediate syndrome with FFP [10/19 (53%) vs. 5/20 (25%) vs. 5/19 (26%), FFP, albumin, and saline arms (p = 0.15)]. The interventions did not affect ventilatory requirements (14/19 vs. 15/20 vs. 14/19) or prevent delayed intubation. There were no differences in mean (±standard error) atropine requirement (in milligrams) in the first 3 days (536 ± 132 vs. 361 ± 125 vs. 789 ± 334) and duration (in days) of ventilation (10.0 ± 2.1 vs. 7.1 ± 1.5 vs. 7.5 ± 1.5) or hospital stay (12.4 ± 2.2 vs. 9.8 ± 1.4 vs. 9.8 ± 1.6). Two patients developed adverse effects with FFP. Mortality was similar (4/19 vs. 5/20 vs. 2/19, p = 0.6). Conclusions. Despite significant increase in pseudocholinesterase levels with FFP, this pilot study did not demonstrate favorable trends in clinical outcomes with FFP or albumin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The virulence of 20 isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin to larvae of the leafminer, Aproaerema modicella, was tested in the laboratory. Leafminer larvae were sprayed with a standard concentration of 1×108 condia/mL of each B. bassiana isolate. All the B. bassiana isolates tested were pathogenic to A. modicella and the mortality varied between 16.7 and 68.9%. Beauveria bassiana isolate B2 was found to be the most virulent followed by isolate B4 which resulted in 59% mortality. Beauveria isolate B2 was selected for dose-response mortality studies with four different doses (1×102, 1×104, 1×106 and 1×108 conidia/mL). Among the various doses tested, 1×108 conidia/mL produced the highest mortality (70.7%). In addition, morphogenesis of the insect pest in all stages, larval, pupal and adult was greatly affected due to fungal infection. Further, B. bassiana isolate B2 and two Pseudomonas fluorescens strains, TDK1 and Pf1 were tested alone and in combination for suppression of groundnut leafminer and collar rot disease and promotion of plant growth and yield both under glasshouse and field conditions. The mixture of B. bassiana and P. fluorescens strains significantly reduced the leafminer and collar rot disease incidences when applied as talc-based formulation through seed, soil and foliar application under glasshouse and field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to superior thermal properties and many potential applications, nanofluids have recently attracted the attention of the research community. Though the experiments in nanofluids have revealed the spectacular heat transfer enhancement in them, there are many inconsistencies in the reported experimental values and controversies in the mechanisms proposed for heat transport in nanofluids. This indicates that it is crucial to be aware of the different mechanisms contributing to superior thermal properties of nanofluids and discuss the existing controversies in them. Therefore, in this article, we provide an overview of the various possible mechanisms reported in the literature that contribute to enhanced thermal conductivity of nanofluids. The other factors affecting the nanofluids thermal conductivity and the mathematical models for estimating nanofluids thermal conductivity with their limitations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shaking bioreactors are the most frequently used reaction vessels in biotechnology. Since their inception, shaking bioreactors have been playing a significant role in medicine, agriculture, food, environmental, and industrial research. In spite of their huge practical importance, very little is known about the characteristic properties of shaken cultures from an engineering point of view. In this paper, a critical analysis is presented of the mixing characteristics, aeration, mass and heat transfer, power consumption, and suitability for on-line monitoring and control of various environmental and other operating parameters in aerated and anaerobic/anoxic conditions. Aspects of cell damage due to shear stress generated in shaken flask and loss of sterility due to contamination are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental investigation on heat transfer and friction factor characteristics of a circular tube fitted with right-left helical screw inserts of equal and unequal length of different twist ratios is presented. The experimental data obtained were compared with those obtained from plain tube published data. The heat transfer enhancement for right-left helical screw inserts is higher than that for straight helical twist for a given twist ratio. The effect of right-left twist length on heat transfer augmentation is presented. The empirical relations for Nusselt number, friction factor relating Reynolds number, twist ratio, and right-left twist distance were formed and found to fit the experimental data within 10% and 20% for Nusselt number and friction factor respectively. Performance evaluation analysis was made, and the performance ratio of more than one was obtained, indicating that the proposed twist inserts can be used effectively for heat transfer augmentation without any loss in pumping power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handheld devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) have found many uses in health care settings, in such areas as clinical practice, medical education, documentation, and research. For three years in a row, PDAs were distributed to pediatric residents to use as tools to support their clinical practice and training in a large pediatric residency program at an urban pediatric teaching hospital. A study was conducted to examine their patterns of use and needs for the tool. The results provided information that could help pediatric educators, librarians, and administrators in their future plan for the acquisition of PDAs and PDA-related application tools and resources, PDA training interventions, and provison of technical support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scheduling divisible loads in a single-level tree network/system with processors having finite buffer size is addressed. In earlier studies in divisible load scheduling the processors are assumed to have no buffer constraints or have infinite buffer capacity. Hence, the processing time and the load fractions assigned to the processors in the network are obtained by assuming that all the processors will stop computing at the same instant in time. Also in earlier studies, a closed-form expression for the processing time is derived, and using this closed-form expression, an optimal sequence of load distribution is obtained. When the processors in the network have finite buffer then this assumption that all the processors stop computing at the same time instant is not valid. So for a network with buffer constraints, there are two important problems: (i) for a given sequence of load distribution, how to obtain the processing time, and the load fractions assigned to the processors, and (ii) for a given network, how to obtain the optimal sequence of load distribution. Here problem (i) of obtaining the processing time and the load fractions assigned to the processors in the network, for a given sequence of load distribution, is not difficult to solve and is modelled as a linear programming problem and its solution is obtained. For a single-level tree network with m child processors there are m ! sequences of load distribution. The optimal sequence of load distribution is the sequence of load distribution, for which the processing time of the entire processing load is a minimum. So, problem (ii) of obtaining the optimal sequence of load distribution is difficult. It is shown in an earlier study that this problem (ii) is NP-Hard. In this paper, genetic algorithm (GA) is used for problem (ii) to obtain the sequence of load distribution. Various issues related to genetic algorithms such as solution representation, selection methods and genetic operators are presented. Numerical results are provided to show the advantages of GA methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]