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We report the synthesis and characterization of PEEK‐MAX (Ti3SiC2, Ti3AlC2, and Cr2AlC), and PEEK‐MoAlB composites by hot‐pressing. Detailed microstructure analysis by scanning electron microscopy showed that Ti3SiC2 particles are well dispersed in the PEEK matrix after the addition of 5 vol% Ti3SiC2 but at higher concentration (≥10 vol%), the Ti3SiC2 particles segregated at the phase boundaries and formed interpenetrating micro‐networks. PEEK‐Ti3AlC2 and PEEK‐MoAlB composites also showed similar structuring at the microstructural level. PEEK‐Cr2AlC composites showed a different behavior where Cr2AlC particles were well dispersed in the PEEK matrix. All the three PEEK‐MAX composites have lower hardness than PEEK‐MoAlB composites as MoAlB particulates are appreciably harder than MAX phases but were harder than PEEK. Due to heterogenous nucleation, the addition of MAX phases or MoAlB reduced the crystallization temperature (Tc) by a few oC. The formation of imperfect crystals also resulted in the lowering of melting point (Tm) of these composites. PEEK reinforced with 10 vol% Ti3SiC2, Ti3AlC2 and MoAlB showed plastic failure, and had higher strength than PEEK. Comparatively, PEEK reinforced with 10 vol% Cr2AlC did not show any enhancement. All the PEEK‐MAX and PEEK‐MoAlB composites showed triboactive behavior and enhanced wear resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial metabolites represent an invaluable source of bioactive molecules which can be used as such or serve as chemical frameworks for developing new antimicrobial compounds for various applications including crop protection against pathogens. Prodiginines are tripyrrolic, red-colored compounds produced by many bacterial species. Recently, due to the use of chemical-, bio-, or mutasynthesis, a novel group of prodiginines was generated. In our study, we perform different assays to evaluate the effects of prodigiosin and five derivatives on nematodes and plant pathogenic fungi as well as on plant development. Our results showed that prodigiosin and the derivatives were active against the bacterial feeding nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in a concentration- and derivative-dependent manner while a direct effect on infective juveniles of the plant parasitic nematode Heterodera schachtii was observed for prodigiosin only. All compounds were found to be active against the plant pathogenic fungi Phoma lingam and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Efficacy varied depending on compound concentration and chemical structure. We observed that prodigiosin (1), the 12 ring- 9 , and hexenol 10 derivatives are neutral or even positive for growth of Arabidopsis thaliana depending on the applied compound concentration, whereas other derivatives appear to be suppressive. Our infection assays revealed that the total number of developed H. schachtii individuals on A. thaliana was decreased to 50% in the presence of compounds 1 or 9. Furthermore, female nematodes and their associated syncytia were smaller in size. Prodiginines seem to indirectly inhibit H. schachtii parasitism of the plant. Further research is needed to elucidate their mode of action. Our results indicate that prodiginines are promising metabolites that have the potential to be developed into novel antinematodal and antifungal agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolvement of the fuzzy system has shown influential and successful in many universal approximation capabilities and applications. This paper proposes a hybrid Neuro-Fuzzy and Feature Reduction (NF-FR) model for data analysis. This proposed NF-FR model uses a feature-based class belongingness fuzzification process for all the patterns. During the fuzzification process, all the features are expanded based on the number of classes available in the dataset. It helps to deal with the uncertainty issues and assists the Artificial Neural Network- (ANN-) based model to achieve better performance. However, the complexity of the problem increases due to this expansion of input features in the fuzzification process. These expanded features may not always contribute significantly to the model. To overcome this problem, feature reduction (FR) is used to filter out the insignificant features, resulting the network less computational cost. These reduced significant features are used in the ANN-based model to classify the data. The effectiveness of this proposed model is tested and validated with ten benchmark datasets (both balanced and unbalanced) to demonstrate the performance of the proposed NF-FR model. The performance comparison of the NF-FR model with other counterparts has been carried out based on various performance measures such as classification accuracy, root means square error, precision, recall, and f-measure for quantitative analysis of the results. The obtained simulated results have been tested using the Friedman, Holm, and ANOVA tests under the null hypothesis for statistical validity and correctness proof of the results. The result analysis and statistical analysis show that the NF-FR model has achieved a considerable improvement in accuracy and is found to be efficient in eliminating redundant and noisy information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we reported, for the first time, the preparation of La2MnTiO6 double perovskite nanostructures using a simple sol–gel method in the presence of citric acid as the size controlling agent. The crystalline structure, morphology, and elemental composition of the prepared samples were characterized by XRD, TEM, FE-SEM, and EDX mapping analysis. Owing to superior electronic properties of the double perovskite, we used the prepared samples in the photocatalytic degradation of acid blue 113 (AB 113) under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation of AB 113 was nearly 72% after 120 min irradiation. Also, the effects of the photocatalyst amount and pH value of the dye solution were studied. Investigation on the photocatalytic degradation mechanism using various radical scavenging agents revealed that the photo-generated holes are the dominant oxidants for the degradation of AB 113. The reusability experiment showed that the prepared sample has good recyclability even for 6 reaction cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noble metals comprise any of several metallic chemical elements that are outstandingly resistant to corrosion and oxidation, even at elevated temperatures. This group is not strictly defined, but the tentative list includes ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, osmium, iridium, platinum and gold, in order of atomic number. The emerging properties of noble metal nanoparticles are attracting huge interest from the translational scientific community and have led to an unprecedented expansion of research and exploration of applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. Noble metal nanomaterials can be synthesised both by top-down and bottom up approaches, as well as via organism-assisted routes, and subsequently modified appropriately for the field of use. Nanoscale analogues of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in particular, have gained primary importance owing to their excellent intrinsic properties and diversity of applications; they offer unique functional attributes, which are quite unlike the bulk material. Modulation of noble metal nanoparticles in terms of size, shape and surface functionalisation has endowed them with unusual capabilities and manipulation at the chemical level, which can lead to changes in their electrical, chemical, optical, spectral and other intrinsic properties. Such flexibility in multi-functionalisation delivers ‘Ockham's razor’ to applied biomedical science. In this feature article, we highlight recent advances in the adaptation of noble metal nanomaterials and their biomedical applications in therapeutics, diagnostics and sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On examination, he had thickening and furrowing over the scalp (Figure 1), i.e. Cutis verticis gyrata (CVG). CVG also known as "Bulldog" scalp syndrome is a condition characterized by increased thickness of the scalp tissue with redundant skin forming furrows and convolutions mimicking the gyri and sulci of the brain.[1] CVG can either be primary (isolated CVG without any associated systemic cause) or secondary CVG[1] to other disorders like acromegaly, diabetes mellitus, amyloidosis, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, neurological syndromes, systemic malignancies[2] or genetic conditions like Noonan's, Turners syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and tuberous sclerosis. Learning points Cutis verticis gyrata is an unusual dermatological finding seen in varied endocrinological and systemic conditions. [Extracted from the article]

Since the demonstration of the unique properties of single-layer graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), research on two-dimensional (2D) materials has become one of the hottest topics, with the family of 2D materials quickly expanding. This expansion is mainly attributable to the development of new synthesis methods to create new materials. This review will summarize and critically analyze topochemical synthesis methods for synthesizing novel 2D materials. For example, the emerging family of 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides (MXenes) are synthesized primarily by selective etching of “A” (metal) elements from MAX phases. Another 2D material, hydrogenated germanene is produced by selective etching of calcium digermanide (CaGe2). The topochemical transformation of one dichalcogenide into another and 2D oxides into 2D carbides or nitrides have attracted great attention because materials with many useful and diverse properties can be obtained by these methods. Topochemical synthesis methods provide alternative ways of synthesizing 2D materials not requiring van der Waals bonded solid precursors or vapor phase deposition, but they have not been comprehensively reviewed. In this review, we describe common principles of topochemical synthesis of 2D materials, explain synthesis mechanisms and offer an outlook for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has an enormous growth in steel industries and slag is a byproduct of the same must be disposed of properly. Steel industries generate large quantities of slag from their iron-making and steel-making processes. Iron making slag are recycled in cement making and steel-making slag are dumped because they are unsuitable for the cement industry owing to the high iron content and other impurities Reuse of waste in integrated steel plants is important with regard to environmental and economic consideration. Steel slag is a byproduct of the iron ore and steel making industry. It is produced in large quantities and poses a substantial disposal problem. The generation of Steel slag in Indian steel plants is about 200 kg per ton of hot metal produced. Out of this only 25% is being reutilized in India compared to 70-100% in other countries. The objective of the present study is to study the possibility of using Steel slag as partial replacement of coarse aggregate and to compare the properties of the proposed concrete with that of existing conventional concrete. An experimental investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of replacing coarse aggregate by Steel Slag on flexural strength and compressive strength of concrete. Coarse aggregate was replaced with three percentages (1%, 2%, and 3%) of Steel slag by volume in M40 grade of concrete with water cement ratio (w/c) 0.31. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work is to modify coconut shell powder (CSP) using various silane coupling agents and to study the effect of modification on the interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of the fillers in the binary blend of thermoplastic polyurethane and natural rubber. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, tear strength, hardness and abrasion resistance were evaluated. Results revealed that, compared to triethoxyvinylsilane modified CSP composites, glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane treated CSP showed higher tensile strength and better interfacial adhesion with the matrix. The efficiency of the silane treatment is further characterized by the FT-IR analysis of fillers and the morphological study of both the CSP and the composites. FT-IR studies demonstrated that the silyl parts of both silane coupling agents efficiently grafted to the CSP. SEM images of treated CSPs provide ample evidence for the increased mechanical properties of the composites. The increased thermal stability of is evident from the thermo gravimetric analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review presents the survey of performance of biocomposites prepared using different natural fibres reinforced with polymers. Reviewing of bioresin was also done in this article to understand the importance of replacing the polyester and epoxy resin or to reduce the usage of epoxy and polyester resin to make the biocomposites which is partially biodegradable, environment friendly and also to utilize such partially biodegradable biocomposites to make products for industrial, structural and many other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In, this research, the effects of adding silica and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) nano particles on the low velocity impact response are experimentally studied. Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) method has been used to manufacture nano composite with 11 layers of plain weave carbon fibers 200 g/m 2 , resin R510 and hardener H515 with 66% fiber volume fraction. Samples made of nano silica and MWCNT particles have been dispersed with 1 wt. %. The prepared CARALL is made of two Aluminum 2024 facing sheets. Low velocity impact tests have been conducted using by drop weight device at the impact energy of 20, 40 and 60 j with velocity of 2.6, 3.68 and 4.5 m/s. The results of the low velocity impact experiments indicates that the MWCNT improves performance of fiber metal composite material and the effects of MWCNT in improving the impact properties of fiber metal laminate composite is better than of nano silica. Better adherence and dispersion of MWCNT and strong interfacial creation are some other effect factors of impact response sample reinforced with multiwall carbon nanotubes in comparison to nano silica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 55-year-old hypertensive male on chlorthalidone presented with progressive drowsiness, followed by altered mental status over a period of 2 weeks. (b) T2-weighted coronal images showing hyperintensity extending from pons to midbrain, till the corticospinal tracts. (a) T2 Sagittal magnetic resonance imaging showing T2 hyperintensity involving pons, extending upwards into the midbrain and below into medulla. [Extracted from the article]

BACKGROUND: Serratia is one of the most important groups of bacteria which produces proteolytic enzymes effectively and known to possess anti-inflammatory properties. The main focus of the current study was to extract the enzyme serratiopeptidase and pigment prodigiosin from Serratia mascescens. Prodigiosin is a red colored pigment produced by the bacterium Serratia marcescens. It is emerging as a valuable molecule because of its large applications. It has already been proved that pigmented strain of Serratia marcescens is less virulent than non-pigmented strains. Moreover the strain we have obtained is from farm soil which indicates that prodigiosin production can be carried safely using this strain. METHODS: In the present study, the isolate VITASP strain was confirmed by morphological, biochemical and molecular studies. The enzyme and pigment were analyzed for anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties. RESULTS: The isolate was further confirmed and identified as Serratia marcescens with 99% similarity. The extracted pigment showed potent radical scavenging effect with 86% and the enzyme was found to inhibit 83%, which was significant in comparison to ascorbic acid standard. The in vitro anti-inflammatory effect of pigment in controlled experimental conditions revealed its protection at 88% and the enzyme with 90%. Aspirin was used as the reference drug. The present findings exhibited a concentration dependent inhibition. The cytotoxic bioassay of pigment showed the IC value as (50) μg/mL with 63% cytotoxicity which was statistically significant compared to positive control. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it appears to be an essential remedial and application research. It may turn out to be highly beneficial to mankind in solving many problems associated with human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of microorganisms from the Vibrio genus in saline lakes from northern Chile had been evidenced using Numerical Taxonomy decades before and, more recently, by phylogenetic analyses of environmental samples and isolates. Most of the knowledge about this genus came from marine isolates and showed temperature and salinity to be integral agents in shaping the niche of the Vibrio populations. The stress tolerance phenotypes of Vibrio sp. Teb5a1 isolated from Salar de Atacama was investigated. It was able to grow without NaCl and tolerated up to 100 g/L of the salt. Furthermore, it grew between 17 ° and 49°C (optimum 30°C) in the absence of NaCl, and the range was expanded into cold temperature (4-49°C) in the presence of the salt. Other additional adaptive strategies were observed in response to the osmotic stress: pigment production, identified as the known antibacterial prodigiosin, swimming and swarming motility and synthesis of a polar flagellum. It is possible to infer that environmental congruence might explain the cellular phenotypes observed in Vibrio sp. considering that coupling between temperature and salinity tolerance, the production of antibacterial agents at higher temperatures, flagellation and motility increase the chance of Vibrio sp. to survive in salty environments with high daily temperature swings and UV radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodisperse and uniform ZnO microspheres were synthesized via an ultrasound irradiation method. The microstructure and morphology of the as-prepared sample were characterized by x-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transformation infrared spectra and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the size of ZnO microspheres was strongly affected by the Zn(NO)·6HO. As the amount of the precursor increased, the diameters of the ZnO microspheres can be turned from ∼500 nm to ∼2 μm. The electrical properties of the varistors ceramics prepared from the as-obtained ZnO powders were investigated. The results show that the varistors ceramics made from ZnO with a size of ∼500 nm and sintered in air at 1150°C for 2 h possess a density of 5.50 g/cm corresponding to 95.1% of the theoretical density, with breakdown voltage of 280.9 V/mm and nonlinear coefficient of ∼61.3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid, specific and a rather simple HPLCmethod for Glipizide (GLP) determination was designed and authenticated practically. The chromatographic studies were carried out by using column having unique selectivity and high loading capacity; Gemini C18 (5 µm; 4.6mm×250 mm, Phenomenex, California, USA) and the mobile phase used consists of Na2HPO4 solution (30 mM) with pH 7.0 and acetonitrile (50:50); by keeping the composition of mobile phase constant at 1.0 mL/min. GLP detection was done at 226 nm. The linear calibration curve was found (R² ≥ 0.9991) between 5-50 µm/mL concentration range. Mean percentage (%) recovery ± % relative standard deviation (RSD) was calculated ranging from 97.02±0.001 to 102.88±0.009. Precisions were found also to be in acceptable range of 101.37±0.027 to 105.32±0.002% and 98.83±0.004 to 104.29±0.031%, respectively during day and in the middle of the day. The reported HPLC method for GLP is advantageous due to simplicity, accuracy, specificity, and at the same time has very short run-cycle time. These advantages suggest that the routine quality control analysis of Glipizideinin pharmaceutical industries should be carries out by using this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The friction and wear tests were executed for several Polyimide (PI)/Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites enhanced with different nanoparticles, such as lipophilic nano-SiO2, nano-Cu, nano-TiO2 and nano-Al2O3 utilizing a MMU-5G friction and wear tester. The experimental results indicate that the addition of nano-fillers significantly elevates the tribological properties of composites. When composed of 20% PTFE +15% nano-Cu, the PI-based ternary composite shows the highest wear resistance to further understand the wear mechanism of composites, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to examine the wear surfaces of composites and transfer films generated on worn surfaces. Distribution maps of characteristic elements by EDS imply that the variety of nano-fillers uncommonly affected the tribological behaviors of PI-based ternary composites. Moreover, SEM analysis demonstrates that the continuity of transfer film presents a positive relationship with the wear resistance of PI-based composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermo-mechanically durable industrial polymer nanocomposites have great demand as structural components. In this work, highly competent filler design is processed via nano-modified of micronic SiO2/Al2O3 particulate ceramics and studied its influence on the rheology, glass transition temperature, composite microstructure, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, micro hardness, and tribology properties. Composites were fabricated with different proportions of nano-modified micro-composite fillers in epoxy matrix at as much possible filler loadings. Results revealed that nano-modified SiO2/Al2O3 micro-composite fillers enhanced inter-particle network and offer benefits like homogeneous microstructures and increased thermal conductivity. Epoxy composites attained thermal conductivity of 0.8 W/mK at 46% filler loading. Mechanical strength and bulk hardness were reached to higher values on the incorporation of nano-modified fillers. Tribology study revealed an increased specific wear rate and decreased friction coefficient in such fillers. The study is significant in a way that the design of nano-modified mixed-matrix micro-composite fillers are effective where a high loading is much easier, which is critical for achieving desired thermal and mechanical properties for any engineering applications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated experimentally the effect of useing of 3D fiberglass fabric in the energy absorption in glass fiber metal laminate composite made by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) method. The prepared GLARE is made of two or three Aluminum 2024 facing sheets and E glass/epoxy as nano composite core. Composite core section for samples of glass fiber plain weave has been composed of plain weave glass fiber 200 g⁄m^2 , 3D fiberglass fabric samples consists of 3D fiberglass fabric to thickness of 5 mm, resin R510 and hardner H515. All panels fabricated using VARTM method in section glass fiber plain weave in fiber volume fraction of 71%. Low velocity impact tests were conducted using by drop weight device at the impact energy of 50 and 80 j. The results of the low velocity impact experiments show that the amount of resistance of impact plain weave samples in comparison to the 3D fabric in various energy levels is more and better. In applications where weight is an effective agent component, the weight of glass fiber plain weave base samples is less than 3D fiberglass fabric samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An approach to synthesize monodisperse ZnO nanostructures through a solvent extraction route has been developed in the present work. The dispersive ZnO nanoneedles with little agglomeration can be synthesized at the equal moles of PC-88A and N1923. The ZnO nanostructures exhibit flower-like morphology with the dimension of 200-250 nm with pointed tip of 80-100 nm size when the molar ratios changed to 3:1. Plausible growth mechanism for the formation of monodisperse nanostructure has been discussed in detail. Additionally, using doped-ZnO powders via this solvent extraction route after sintering in air at 1150 °C for 2 h, the varistor possesses good electrical characteristics, with present nonlinear coefficient (26.2 ± 0.63) and high breakdown voltage (285 ± 5 V/cm), low leakage current (0.18 ± 0.08 μA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review paper detailed development of the ZnO-BiO based polycrystalline varistors are presented as the technological importance emerged with the rapid applications of the gapless surge protectors superseding traditional gapped SiC designs. The excellent symmetric nonlinear current-voltage ( I- V) characteristic of these varistors results from the type of back-to-back electrical potential barriers that are formed between the successive ZnO grains during the step-wise processing cycles. The role of microstructures and the defect structures in conjunction with the processing parameters paved the road to the understanding of the degradation and failure mechanisms of the electrical potential barriers for acceptable protective characteristics. The nature of the processing variables influencing eventual performance of varistors is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we try to study the effect of two different ionic and nonionic amines dodecylamine (DDA) and hexadecyldimethylamine (DMHA) considered as weak bases and surfactant on the growth of ZnO nanorods using hydrothermal synthesis technique. The self-assembly of oriented attachment (OA) of ZnO nano- and microrods has been successfully obtained by this technique at temperatures greater than 150 °C. The ZnO nano/microrods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman scattering spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and photoluminescence. The XRD measurements show that ZnO prepared by DDA amine presents small grain size in comparison to ZnO obtained from DMHA amine. From SEM characterization, we show that DDA amine has a great effect on the OA of several homogenous ZnO microrods building blocks. The growth process is explained by the formation of ZnO OA in microstructures scale which is depending on ionic character of amines. Optic measurements (Raman, FTIR and photoluminescence) are presented and commented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Non Linear ceramic Resistor (NLR) was processed using ZnO-LaO rare earth composition via combustion technique involving urea and glycine as organic fuels. The LaO NLR ceramic was sintered at 1300 °C/ 3 h that showed dense microstructures with average grain size of 1 μm. The current v/s voltage characteristics of LaO NLR were compared among the fuels. In addition to that the combustion chemistry of urea and glycine was monitored via C-H-N-S analysis and the functional property was assessed by UV-Vis analysis. The I-V analysis confirmed that the LaO NLR ceramic prepared with urea fuels exhibits only a linear resistor behavior whereas an excellent non-ohmic nature was obtained in glycine fuels. The grain-grain boundary property was further examined by impedance analysis. The study brought out a promising, eco-friendly rare earth composition for obtaining high-energy NLR ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of SiO doping on the microstructure and electrical behavior of SnO varistors has been studied. The varistor effect was studied over a wide range from 10 A to 10 A. It is shown that the J( E) characteristic of SnO ceramics exhibits a nonlinear coefficient >100. The SiO doping also resulted in a sharp-abrupt upturn region in the Iâ€' V characteristic, indicating a single semiconductor junction behavior. The leakage current of the varistors is rather low, on the order of 10 S m. In the upturn region of operation where the curve departs from the nonlinear relation and approaches the value of the bulk resistivity of the material, the ceramic is characterized by a current density almost independent of the applied voltage. A very small amount of SiO causes large perturbations of the conventional thermionic emission observed in varistor ceramic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A table of contents for the issue is presented.

The present work encompasses the strategic design, synthesis and development of high energy field ZnO varistors. The key aspect of the study involves the chemical synthesis of ZnO based nanorod nanofillers by a pH selective precipitation and reflux method. High field varistors were developed out of these crystalline nanofillers by employing them as fillers to the micron sized commercial varistor powder. A systematic investigation of the microstructural changes of the nanofiller added varistor samples were carried out under step-sintering and the normal sintering conditions. Comparative studies were also performed with the nano and micro counterparts. The influence of nanofillers in the varistor powder packing, grain structure refinement, grain size reduction and on the I–V properties were analyzed under the step-sintering conditions. Based on the performance analysis, the current study foresees ample opportunities for miniaturizing varistors with at least half the size of currently available varistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano size ZnO-BiO varistor precursor powders containing YO and PrO rare earth dopants were prepared by low temperature refluxing at 80 °C. Effect of rare earth dopants, densification by two-step sintering, evolution of microstructures and their influence on varistor properties were investigated. Chemically synthesized nano- precursor varistor powders produced controlled grain size in two-step sintering in which the average sintered ZnO grain size was reduced to at least half compared to the conventionally processed ZnO-BiO varistors. The study revealed that such grain size reduction is highly beneficial to attain enhanced varistor properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of agricultural waste has become very important because the inappropriate disposal yields negative effects on the environment. The resource recovery from agricultural waste which converts waste into available resources can reduce the waste and new resource consumption. This review summarizes the 2018 researches of over three hundred scholar papers from several aspects: agricultural waste, and, waste chemical characterization, agricultural waste material, adsorption, waste energy, composting, waste biogas, agricultural waste management, and others., (© 2019 Water Environment Federation.)

Detecting license plates is crucial and inevitable in the vehicle license plate recognition system. In this article, a Hue-Saturation-Intensity (HSI) color model is adopted to select automatically statistical threshold value for detecting candidate regions. The focus of this article is on the implementation of a new method to detect candidate regions when vehicle bodies and license plates (LP) have similar color. The proposed method is able to deal with candidate regions under independent orientation and scale of the plate. For the decomposing candidate regions, predetermined LP alphanumeric characters are used by position histogram to verify and detect vehicle LP regions. Various LP images were used with a variety of conditions to test the proposed method and results proved its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to reuse cassava wastewater (CW) for scaled-up production, via the fermentation of prodigiosin (PG), and to conduct an evaluation of its bioactivities. PG was produced at the yield of high 6150 mg/L in a 14 L-bioreactor system, when the designed novel medium (7 L), containing CW and supplemented with 0.25% casein, 0.05% MgSO4, and 0.1% K2HPO4, was fermented with Serratia marcescens TNU01 at 28 °C in 8 h. The PG produced and purified in this study was assayed for some medical effects and showed moderate antioxidant, high anti-NO (anti-nitric oxide), and potential α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Notably, PG was first reported as a novel effective α-glucosidase inhibitor with a low IC50 value of 0.0183 µg/mL. The commercial anti-diabetic drug acarbose was tested for comparison and had a lesser effect with a high IC50 value of 328.4 µg/mL, respectively. In a docking study, the cation form of PG (cation-PG) was found to bind to the enzyme α-glucosidase by interacting with two prominent amino acids, ASP568 and PHE601, at the binding site on the target enzyme, creating six linkages and showing a better binding energy score (−14.6 kcal/mol) than acarbose (−10.5 kcal/mol). The results of this work suggest that cassava wastewater can serve as a low-cost raw material for the effective production of PG, a potential antidiabetic drug candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare earth (RE) elements (RE = Sm, Nd) added NaBiS2 nanoparticles are successfully synthesized by a facile one pot growth method. The photocatalytic performance of all samples are evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under the visible light irradiation. The results show that the existence of amorphous phase and RE ions lead to both act as electron traps to capture the electron and promote the separation of photoinduced charge carriers. In addition, the midgap energy levels induced by RE ions lead to further energy transfer in the up‐conversion process to enhance the absorption of photons and boost the lifetime of photocarriers to improve the photocatalytic performance. The NaBiS2 sample with 5%Nd and 5%Sm possess the best catalytic activity in which the degradation efficiency of RhB is beyond 90% under the visible light irradiation for 60 min. Furthermore, the photocatalytic mechanism of NaBiS2 is discussed in detail. The enhanced photocatalytic performance possibly originates from the presence of rare‐earth ions and the amorphous materials, which can both act as electron traps to inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The rare‐earth ions can induce the generation of midgap to yield more additional photogenerated charges to improve the catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the socio-economic challenges affecting Type 3 school libraries in the 'Thenmarachchi' education zone of Sri Lanka. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and interviews with librarians from 27 schools, it identifies barriers such as financial constraints, resource limitations, and declining reader interest. Correlation analyses reveal intricate relationships between these barriers. Notably, collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) emerges as a significant strategy, showing potential to alleviate financial constraints and enhance resource availability. Qualitative insights highlight community involvement and reading initiatives as complementary to proposed strategies. This study advocates comprehensive approaches to address socio-economic obstacles in fostering school library development, emphasizing the need for further research to evaluate the long-term sustainability of interventions., Introduction School libraries serve as pivotal hubs within educational systems, promoting literacy, fostering intellectual curiosity, and supporting academic achievements (Kuh, 2018). Their extensive resources significantly impact the formal learning process [...]

Nonlinear elastoplastic behavior of the nanocomposites based on the styreneacrylonitrile/carboxylated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (SAN/XNBR) blend was investigated using experimental and theoretical analysis. Graphene, graphene oxide nanoparticles, and glycidyl methacrylate-grafted-XNBR (XNBR-g-GMA) as a compatibilizer were incorporated in the SAN/XNBR blends. In this regard, the focus of this study is on modeling of the stress-strain behavior of these nanocomposites, considering the effect of the interfacial interactions made by compatibilizer. For this purpose, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques were used to investigate the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocomposites. In addition, FESEM and TEM images showed that the presence of a compatibilizer could influence the dispersion and localization of the nanoparticles. According to the tensile test results, the presence of the compatibilizer increased the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, specifically elongation at break. Considering the nanocomposite containing compatibilizer and graphene oxide, the elongation at break increased about 570% compared with the nanocomposite without compatibilizer. Better dispersion of graphene oxide and the creation of chemical interaction among components in the presence of the XNBR-g-GMA compatibilizer could be the reasons for these improvements, as confirmed by TEM. The usage of the Bergstrom-Boyce model for analyzing the nonlinear elastoplastic behavior of the nanocomposites illustrated proper conformity with the experimental data in the elastic region. However, there are some deviations in the viscoplastic region, particularly close to the breaking elongation region. KEYWORDS Bergstrom-Boyce model, carboxylated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, compatibilizer, graphene, graphene oxide, hybrid nanocomposite, styrene-acrylonitrile, 1 | INTRODUCTION Nowadays, polymer nanocomposites have received a huge attention and play an important role in many industries due to their specific properties such as high strength-to-weight ratio, superior [...]