Search

The finest utility sector is agriculture, especially in emerging nations like India. Utilizing historical data in agriculture can change the context of decision-making and increase farmer productivity. Approximately a part of India's population is employed in agriculture, however this sector contributes just 14% of the country's GDP. This can be explained in part by farmers not making sufficient decisions on yield forecast. By examining numerous climatic elements, such as rainfall, and land characteristics, such as soil type and ground water salinity, as well as historical records of crops cultivated, the suggested machine learning technique tries to estimate the agricultural yield for a certain location. Finally, we anticipate that our proposed Machine Learning Gradient Boosting Neural Network Regression (Grow Net) model was predicting the accurate yield. Finally our system is expected to predict the yield based on dataset we have taken. We were compared our proposed algorithm with various Machine Learning algorithms such as Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, KNN, Multi-layer Perceptron Regressor, Gradient Boosting Regressor and results shows that proposed was given best RMSE ,MAE and R2 value.

In this work aluminium alloy surfaces have been subjected to three different methods of surface pre-treatments such as solvent degreasing, FPL (Forest Products Laboratory) etching and priming using an epoxy based primer. The treated surfaces were evaluated for surface energy, contact angle, surface topography, surface roughness and adhesive strength characteristics. The influence of surface pre-treatments on the variation of polar, dispersive and total surface energy of the surfaces is addressed. A wettability test was performed on the surfaces using an epoxy adhesive in order to assess the influence of the pre-treatment techniques on substrate/adhesive interaction. Theoretical work of adhesion values for the various pre-treated surfaces were calculated using the contact angle data and further tested experimentally by adhesive bond strength evaluation by tensile testing of a single lap aluminium-epoxy aluminium assembly. The method of surface pre-treatment showed a profound effect on the surface topography and roughness by AFM. This study reveals that a combination of high surface energy and high surface roughness of the substrate along with good wettability of the adhesive contributed to the highest joint strength for the aluminium alloy through the FPL etching pre-treatment. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unfunctionalized few layer graphene (FLG) nanoplatelets were mixed with acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) by melt mixing and the properties were compared with composites containing carbon black alone and a 1:1 mixture of FLG and carbon black. Incorporation of a very small amount of FLG significantly improved the cure characteristics of NBR. Compared to graphene, similar loading of carbon black gave higher rheometer torque at the expense of scorch safety whereas hybrid filler gave optimum cure characteristics. There was more than 190% improvement in tensile strength when 5 phr FLG was added to the matrix. On the other hand, to achieve the same strength, five times more of carbon black was needed compared to FLG. In contrast to carbon black, FLG increased the compression set of the rubber. The compositions containing 1:1 mixture of the fillers displayed compression set values in between those containing FLG or carbon black alone. The storage modulus was also found to be optimum for the composites containing equal amounts of FLG and carbon black. FLG loaded composites displayed significant reduction in the creep compliance. Additionally, the helium leak rate of the composites was decreased in presence of FLG due to its platelet structure.

Background & objectives: The resurgence of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the Indian Ocean Islands and India has drawn worldwide attention due to its explosive nature, high morbidity and complex clinico-pathological manifestations. The early confirmatory diagnosis of CHIKV is essential for management as well as control of unprecedented epidemics. The present study describes the development and evaluation of a highly sensitive and specific E1 structural gene specific biotinylated DNA probe for detection of chikungunya virus in clinical samples using a dot blot format. Methods: The complementary DNA (cDNA) of CHIKV was spotted on to nylon membrane. The membrane was subjected to prehybridization and hybridization and developed using a colour development solution containing DAB chromogen. Results: The CHIKV E1 specific DNA probe was highly sensitive detecting picogram levels of target nucleic acid. The comparative evaluation with SYBR Green I based real-time RT-PCR revealed 99 per cent accordance with a sensitivity and specificity of 99 and 98 per cent, respectively. The specificity of this assay was further confirmed through cross-reaction studies with confirmed dengue and Japanese encephalitis (JE) patient serum samples along with infected culture supernatant of Ross River and Saint Louis encephalitis and plasmid DNA of O′Nyong Nyong, Semlinki forest and Sindbis viruses. Interpretation & conclusion: The DNA probe reported in this study may be useful for specific, sensitive and confirmatory clinical diagnosis of chikungunya infection in acute phase human patient serum and CSF samples. This assay can also be used in the laboratory for quantification of viral antigen in cell culture supernatant for research purpose.

The global short term climate signal from the Equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature pattern in conjunction with the Southern oscillation of sea level pressure plays a crucial role in governing the global weather systems by modulating and altering the yearly climate scenario across the globe. The analysis of Normalized Difference in Vegetation Index (NDVI) fields of the five homogeneous regions of India with the index of moisture adequacy and Multivariate ENSO Index yielded the phenological metrics such as senescence in terms of greenness up and down along with the lag between maximum NDVI and index of moisture adequacy for normal (1982–2000), El Nino (1997) and La Nina (1998) years respectively. A threshold value of 60% soil moisture adequacy is considered for sustainable crop or vegetation growth in obtaining the phenological metrics for the regions under consideration. The north east, peninsular India along with west central India experienced an increase in the number of humid days both in the El Nino and La Nina years compared to normal. The annual figures of All India rice yields are increasing linearly and the trend was significant but no trend is noticed in moisture adequacy. An agro climatic model is developed for the estimation of All India rice yield and is of help in designing the agro meteorological advisories.

Cu-Cr-Zr-Ti alloy is a special type of copper alloy being used as thrust chamber material in cryogenic engine, owing to its good thermal conductivity and mechanical properties at high temperature. Presence of alloying elements like chromium, zirconium and titanium in lower percentage has considerable effect on the thermal and mechanical properties of the thrust chamber material. Hence the accurate estimation of alloying elements as well as trace impurities is an important part of the quality control process in the manufacture of these materials. In analytical methods like XRF, F-AAS etc. which are used for chemical analysis of alloys, the intensity of analytical signal is highly dependent on matrix composition and hence precise matching of sample and standard matrices is required for drawing accurate results. ICP-AES is well-established analytical technique offers better detection limit, wide linear dynamic range, high precision, good accuracy, and practically negligible chemical interferences for the estimation of alloying elements. An accurate and precise technique for quantitative estimation of the elements viz. chromium, zirconium, titanium, iron, manganese, nickel, lead etc. in Cu-Cr-Zr-Ti alloy has been successfully developed using ICP-AES and GF-AAS. Merits and demerits of the two analytical techniques are also compared with respect to the result obtained.

Dengue is a public health problem of global significance for which there is neither an effective antiviral therapy nor a preventive vaccine. The envelope protein of dengue virus is the major antigen to elicit neutralizing antibody response and protective immunity in hosts. Optimization of culture media was carried out for enhanced production of recombinant dengue virus type 3 envelope domain III (rDen 3 EDIII) protein in E. coli. Further, batch and fed-batch cultivation process were also developed in optimized medium. After fed-batch cultivation, the dry cell weight was about 22.80 g/L of culture. The rDen 3 EDIII protein was purified using immobilized metal affinity chromatography. This process produced ∼649 mg of purified rDen 3 EDIII protein per liter of culture. The purity of the protein was determined by SDS-PAGE analysis and the reactivity was checked by Western blotting as well as ELISA. These results show that the purified protein may be used for the dengue diagnosis or further prophylactic studies for dengue infection.

Epoxy hybrid syntactic foams were prepared with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy resin, diamino diphenyl sulfone (DDS), hydroxyl terminated polyether ether ketone having pendant methyl group (PEEKMOH), microballoon and nanoclay. The density of the foam was maintained between 0.6 and 0.72 g/cc for all compositions. Fracture toughness, tensile, flexural and compressive properties of the foam were evaluated with respect to clay and PEEKMOH concentrations. Morphology by X-ray diffraction revealed that the clay particles within the epoxy resin were intercalated for all the compositions of the syntactic foam. Fracture toughness and mechanical properties of the syntactic foam were significantly improved by the addition of nanoclay. A further enhancement in fracture toughness and mechanical properties was observed by the addition of PEEKMOH. The hybrid epoxy syntactic foam thus prepared exhibited 58%, 77% and 38% improvement in compressive strength, percentage elongation and fracture toughness, respectively, compared to the neat epoxy syntactic foam. The specific mechanical properties were found to be higher for the epoxy hybrid syntactic foam containing 3 wt% nanoclay and 3 wt% of PEEKMOH combination. The storage and loss modulus of the syntactic foam were also increased by the addition of nanoclay and PEEKMOH. A marginal improvement in Tg was observed with clay incorporated syntactic foam. SEM analysis revealed that increased microcracking, crack path deflection, matrix deformation, plastic deformation, rupture of microballoons and debonded microspheres influencing on fracture toughness and mechanical properties of epoxy hybrid syntactic foam.

Epoxy–clay ternary nanocomposites were processed by melt blending of hydroxyl terminated poly (ether ether ketone) oligomer with pendant methyl groups (PEEKMOH) with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy resin along with organically modified montmorillonite (OMC-OH) followed by curing with 4,4′-diamino diphenyl sulfone. Small angle X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed an intercalated morphology. Tensile, flexural, storage, and loss moduli were increased whereas the tensile, flexural, and impact strength and glass transition temperature were decreased with increase in clay content for the PEEKMOH toughened epoxy system. Fracture toughness and percentage strain were increased by 66% and 45% respectively whereas the coefficient of the thermal expansion was decreased by 27% with the incorporation of 1 phr OMC-OH to the PEEKMOH toughened epoxy system compared with neat epoxy. The scanning electron microscope pictures of fracture and tensile failed surfaces revealed crack path deflection and ductile fracture with the incorporation of OMC-OH confirming the improvement in toughness. The domain size and the distance between the domains of thermoplastic phase were decreased with the addition of nanoclay into the epoxy matrix indicating the restriction of the growth mechanism by nucleation during phase separation. A marginal increase in thermal stability was observed with increase in clay content. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers

Hydroxyl terminated poly(ether ether ketone) oligomer with pendant methyl group (PEEKMOH) was prepared. Ternary nanocomposites were processed by blending PEEKMOH oligomer with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy resin along with organically modified montmorillonite (Cloisite 25A) followed by curing with 4,4'-diamino diphenyl sulfone. Tensile moduli and flexural moduli were increased, while the tensile strength and Izod impact strength were decreased with increase in clay content. Similarly, storage moduli and loss moduli were increased and glass transition temperature was decreased as the percentage of clay increased. X-ray diffractograms showed exfoliated morphology even with higher concentration of clay content (8 phr). Scanning electron microscopy of fractured surfaces and tensile failed specimens revealed slow crack propagation and increase in river markings with nanoclay incorporation confirming the improvement in toughness. The domain size of PEEKMOH was decreased with the incorporation of nanoclay into the epoxy matrix, indicating the restriction of growth mechanism by nucleation during phase separation. With increase in clay content, phase separation disappeared indicating gelation occurs before phase separation. Fracture toughness was increased with the addition of PEEKMOH and clay in epoxy resin. Coefficient of thermal expansion of nanocomposites decreases up to 3 phr clay concentrations thereafter it increases. A marginal increase in thermal stability was observed with increase in clay content. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007

Bisphenol-A-based difunctional epoxy resin was modified with poly(ether ether ketone) with pendent tert-butyl groups (PEEKT). PEEKT was synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,4'-difluoro benzophenone with tert-butyl hydroquinone in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Blends with various amounts of PEEKT were prepared by melt-mixing. All the blends were homogeneous in the uncured state. The glass transition temperature of the binary epoxy/PEEKT blends was predicted using several equations. Reaction-induced phase separation was found to occur upon curing with a diamine 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone. The phase morphology of the blends was studied using scanning electron microscopy. From the micrographs, it was found that PEEKT-rich phase was dispersed in a continuous epoxy matrix. The domain size increased with the amount of PEEKT in the blends. The increase in domain size was due to the coalescence of the domains after phase separation. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the blends gave two peaks corresponding to epoxy-rich phase and thermoplastic-rich phase. The tensile strength and modulus of the blends remained close to that of the unmodified resin, while the flexural properties decreased with the addition of PEEKT to epoxy resin. The fracture toughness of the epoxy resin increased with the addition of PEEKT. Investigation of the fracture surfaces revealed evidences for local plastic deformation of the matrix, crack pinning, crack path deflection, and ductile tearing of PEEKT-rich phase. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the initial decomposition temperature of the blends were close to that of the unmodified resin. Finally, the properties of the blends were compared with other modified PEEK/epoxy blends.

Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEKDT), hydroxyl terminated poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEKDTOH) and fluorine terminated poly (ether ether ketone) (PEEKDTF) with pendent ditert-butyl groups were synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone with 2,5-ditert-butylhydroquinone in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone medium using anhydrous potassium carbonate as catalyst. Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin was blended with PEEKDT, PEEKDTOH, and PEEKDTF, and cured with 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS). The polymers formed heterogeneous blends before curing, and upon curing the polymers got dispersed in the epoxy matrix. The mechanical properties of the cured blends were slightly lower than that of the unmodified resin. The fracture toughness increased with the addition of ditert-butyl PEEK into epoxy resin and the extent of improvement was dependent on the type of modifier used. Hydroxyl terminated polymers gave up to 40% increase in fracture toughness. The dynamic mechanical spectru...

A diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy resin was modified with poly(ether ether ketone) with pendent methyl groups (PEEKM). PEEKM was synthesised from methyl hydroquinone and 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone and characterised. Blends of epoxy resin and PEEKM were prepared by melt blending. The blends were transparent in the uncured state and gave single composition dependent Tg. The Tg-composition behaviour of the uncured blends has been studied using Gordon–Taylor, Kelley–Bueche and Fox equations. The scanning electron micrographs of extracted fracture surfaces revealed that reaction induced phase separation occurred in the blends. Cocontinuous morphology was obtained in blends containing 15 phr PEEKM. Two glass transition peaks corresponding to epoxy rich and thermoplastic rich phases were observed in the dynamic mechanical spectrum of the blends. The crosslink density of the blends calculated from dynamic mechanical analysis was less than that of unmodified epoxy resin. The tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus were comparable to that of the unmodified epoxy resin. It was found from fracture toughness measurements that PEEKM is an effective toughener for DDS cured epoxy resin. Fifteen phr PEEKM having cocontinuous morphology exhibited maximum increase in fracture toughness. The increase in fracture toughness was due to crack path deflection, crack pinning, crack bridging by dispersed PEEKM and local plastic deformation of the matrix. The exceptional increase in fracture toughness of 15 phr blend was attributed to the cocontinuous morphology of the blend. Finally it was observed that the thermal stability of epoxy resin was not affected by the addition of PEEKM.

The properties of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin toughened with poly(ether sulfone ether ketone) (PESEK) and poly(ether sulfone) (PES) polymers were investigated. PESEK was synthesised by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,4’-difluorobenzophenone with dihydroxydiphenylsulfone using sulfolane as solvent and potassium carbonate as catalyst at 230 °C. The T g–composition behaviour of the homogeneous epoxy resin/PESEK blend was modelled using Fox, Gordon–Taylor and Kelley–Bueche equations. A single relaxation near the glass transition of epoxy resin was observed in all the blend systems. From dynamic mechanical analysis, the crosslink density of the blends was found to decrease with increase in the thermoplastic concentration. The storage modulus of the epoxy/PESEK blends was lower than that of neat resin, whilst it is higher for epoxy/PES blends up to glass transition temperature, thereafter it decreases. Scanning electron microscopic studies of the blends revealed a homogeneous morphology. The homogeneity of the blends was attributed to the similarity in chemical structure of the modifier and the cured epoxy network and due to the H-bonding interactions between the blend components. The fracture toughness of epoxy resin increased on blending with PESEK and PES. The increase in fracture toughness was due to the increase in ductility of the matrix. The thermal stability of the blends was comparable to that of neat epoxy resin.

Hydroxyl terminated poly(ether ether ketone) based on tert -butyl hydroquinone (PEEKTOH) was used to modify a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin. A diamine, 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone was used as the curing agent. Isothermal differential scanning calorimetric measurements of the blends were carried out at 180, 165 and 150 °C. The extent of reaction was found to decrease with the addition of PEEKTOH. The phenomenological model developed by Kamal was used for kinetic analysis of curing reaction. The curing reaction followed autocatalytic mechanism regardless of the presence and amount of oligomer present in the epoxy resin. The experimental and theoretical reaction rates were in good agreement during the initial stages of the reaction. The experimental values were lower than theoretical rate during the final stages of reaction due to increase in the viscosity of the system. A semiemperical model was used to explain diffusion control during final stages of reaction. The cured blends exhibited two phase morphology at all the curing temperatures. A uniform particle size distribution was observed at all compositions. The domain size decreased slightly with increase in oligomer content and with decrease in curing temperature. Finally, the viscoelastic properties were analysed using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. Two T g s corresponding to epoxy rich and thermoplastic rich phases were evident from the dynamic mechanical spectrum.

Tert-butyl hydroquinone–based poly(cyanoarylene ether) (PENT) was synthesized by the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile with tert-butyl hydroquinone using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate in a nitrogen atmosphere at 200°C. PENT-toughened diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin (DGEBA) was developed using 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) as the curing agent. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that all blends had a two-phase morphology. The morphology changed from dispersed PENT to a cocontinuous structure with an increase in PENT content in the blends from 5 to 15 phr. The viscoelastic properties of the blends were investigated using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The storage modulus of the blends was less than that of the unmodified resin, whereas the loss modulus of the blends was higher than that of the neat epoxy. The tensile strength of the blends improved slightly, whereas flexural strength remained the same as that of the unmodified resin. Fracture toughness was found to increase with an increase in PENT content in the blends. Toughening mechanisms like local plastic deformation of the matrix, crack path deflection, crack pinning, ductile tearing of thermoplastic, and particle bridging were evident from the scanning electron micrographs of failed specimens from the fracture toughness measurements. The thermal stability of the blends were comparable to that of the neat resin. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3536–3544, 2006

The synthesis, processing, thermal and mechanical properties and fracture toughness of epoxy resin formulated with hydroxyl terminated poly(ether ether ketone) with pendent methyl group are reported. Hydroxyl terminated poly(ether ether ketone) oligomers based on methyl hydroquinone (PEEKMOH) were synthesised from methylhydroquinone and 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. PEEKMOH oligomers with different molecular weights were synthesised and characterised. Blends of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin with PEEKMOH were prepared by melt mixing. The uncured blends were homogeneous and the Tg-composition behaviour was predicted using Fox, Gordon–Taylor and Kelley–Bueche equations. Reaction induced phase separation occurred in the blends on curing with 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone. Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed the two-phase morphology of the blends. Domain size of the blends increased with increase in PEEKMOH8 in the blends. Phase separation in the blends occurred by nucleation and growth mechanism. Infrared spectroscopic studies revealed that some of the epoxy groups were opened up by hydroxyl group of PEEKMOH. The tensile and flexural properties of the blends were comparable to that of neat epoxy resin and the properties were dependent on the composition of the blend and molecular weight of PEEKMOH used. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed two glass transition temperatures corresponding to epoxy rich and thermoplastic rich phases. The crosslink density of epoxy resin decreased with the addition of PEEKMOH to epoxy resin. The blends exhibited superior fracture toughness compared to unmodified epoxy resin. The increase in fracture toughness was due to local plastic deformation of the matrix, crack path deflection and crack pinning. The thermal stability of amine cured epoxy resin was not affected by the incorporation of PEEKMOH into the epoxy resin.

Poly ether nitrile and poly ether nitrile sulfone copolymers with pendant methyl groups were prepared by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 2,6′-dichlorobenzonitrile with methyl hydroquinone and with varying mole proportions of methyl hydroquinone and 4,4′dihydroxydiphenylsulfone using N-methyl pyrrolidone as solvent in the presence of anhydrous K2CO3. The polymers were characterized by different physicochemical techniques. Copolymer composition was determined using FTIR technique. Thermogravimetric data reveals that all the polymers were stable up to 420°C with a char yield above 40% at 900°C in N2 atmosphere. The glass transition temperature was found to increase and the activation energy and inherent viscosities were found to decrease with increase in concentration of the 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenylsulfone units in the polymer. Trimerization reactions are found to be favorable with increase in concentration of methyl hydroquinone units in the polymer. Crystallinity of the polymer was also studied using wide angle X-ray diffraction. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1303–1309, 2006

Hydroxyl-terminated poly(ether ether ketone) with pendent tert-butyl groups (PEEKTOH) was synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone with tert-butyl hydroquinone with potassium carbonate as a catalyst and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a solvent. Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin was toughened with PEEKTOHs having different molecular weights. The melt-mixed binary blends were homogeneous and showed a single composition-dependent glass-transition temperature (T g ). Kelley-Bueche and Gordon-Taylor equations gave good correlation with the experimental Tg. Scanning electron microscopy studies of the cured blends revealed a two-phase morphology. A sea-island morphology in which the thermoplastic was dispersed in a continuous matrix of epoxy resin was observed. Phase separation occurred by a nucleation and growth mechanism. The dynamic mechanical spectrum of the blends gave two peaks corresponding to epoxy-rich and thermoplastic-rich phases. The Tg of the epoxy-rich phase was lower than that of the unmodified epoxy resin, indicating the presence of dissolved PEEKTOH in the epoxy matrix. There was an increase in the tensile strength with the addition of PEEKTOH. The fracture toughness increased by 135% with the addition of high-molecular-weight PEEKTOH. The improvement in the fracture toughness was dependent on the molecular weight and concentration of the oligomers present in the blend. Fracture mechanisms such as crack path deflection, ductile tearing of the thermoplastic, and local plastic deformation of the matrix occurred in the blends. The thermal stability of the blends was not affected by blending with PEEKTOH.

Hydroxyl-terminated poly (ether ether ketone) with pendent tert-butyl groups (PEEKTOH) synthesized from 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone and tert-butyl hydroquinone was blended with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy resin. A diamine, 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) was used as the curing agent. The thermal and mechanical properties, fracture toughness, and morphology of the blends were investigated. Morphological analysis of the blends revealed a particulate structure with PEEKTOH phase dispersed in the epoxy matrix. Unlike classical polymer blend systems, increase in concentration of PEEKTOH does not increase the domain size. Instead, a decrease is obtained. The fracture toughness increased with the addition of oligomer without much decrease in tensile and flexural strengths. Addition of 15 phr oligomer gave maximum toughness. The dispersed PEEKTOH initiated several mechanisms that improved the fracture toughness of the blends. The cross-link density calculated from the storage modulus in the rubbery plateau region decreased with the increase in PEEKTOH. The thermal stability of epoxy resin remained unaffected even after blending with PEEKTOH. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:1645–1654, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers

The cure kinetics and morphology of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy resin modified with a poly (ether ether ketone) based on tertiary butyl hydroquinone (PEEK-T) cured with diamino diphenyl sulphone (DDS) were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The results obtained from DSC were applied to autocatalytic and diffusion controlled kinetic models. The reaction mechanism broadly showed autocatalytic behaviour regardless of the presence of PEEK-T. At higher PEEK-T concentration, more diffusion controlled mechanism was observed. The rate of curing reaction decreased with increase in thermoplastic content and also with the lowering of curing temperature. The activation energies of the blends are higher than that of the neat resin. The blends showed a phase separated morphology. The dispersed phase showed a homogeneous particle size distribution. The T g of the neat resin decreased with the decrease in cure temperature. Two T g 's corresponding to the epoxy rich and thermoplastic rich phases were observed in the dynamic mechanical spectrum. The storage modulus of 10 and 20 phr PEEK-T blends are found to be greater than the neat resin.

Polyaryl ethers are a well known class of engineering thermoplastics. The aromatic portion of the poly(arylene ether) is believed to contribute to thermal stability and good mechanical properties o...

Increased serum and mRNA levels of cytokines in patients with dengue virus (DV) infection suggest that cytokines are one of the key factors in the pathogenesis of disease caused by this virus. Here, we tested 211 serum and 56 mRNA samples from an equal number of dengue cases to determine the levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). A total 70 serum and 15 mRNA samples from healthy individual were also tested for cytokines and served as controls. Serum and mRNA levels of IL-8 were highest in the earlier days of dengue infection. IFNγ levels peaked one or two days before defervescence. Levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were highest later in dengue infection, and TGF-β levels peaked on the day of defervescence. Mean levels of IFNγ, TGF β and IL-10 were higher in samples from dengue cases, irrespective of severity, than in healthy controls. In contrast, the level of IL-8 was significantly higher in samples from severe dengue cases and lower in cases of dengue without warning signs than in healthy controls. Children (82.2 % of 101 paediatric cases) commonly had severe dengue illness. Samples that were positive for anti-DV IgG antibody had higher levels of IL-8 and TGF β. DV-2 infections were associated with severe dengue illness. IL-8 and IFNγ levels were higher in the presence of warning signs of severe dengue. Levels of IL-8, IL-10 and TGF β were independently associated with disease outcome. These data provide evidence of an association of IL-8, IFNγ, TGF β and IL-10 levels with the severity of dengue illness. Especially, IL-8 levels can be used as a predictor of severe DV infection.

T-2 toxin is the most toxic trichothecene and a frequent contaminant in many agriculture products. Dietary ingestion represents the most common route of T-2 toxin exposure in humans. T-2 toxin exposure leads to many pathological conditions like nervous disorders, cardiovascular alterations, immune depression and dermal inflammation. However, the neuronal toxicity of T-2 toxin in vitro remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism of T-2 toxin-induced apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells (IMR-32). T-2 toxin was cytotoxic at a low concentration of 10 ng/ml. The 50 % inhibitory concentration (IC50) of T-2 toxin was found to be 40 ng/ml as assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, crystal violet dye exclusion test and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. T-2 toxin increased intracellular reactive oxygen species generation as early as 15 min and peaked at 60 min as analyzed by flow cytometry. Annexin V + propidium iodide staining showed time-dependent increase in percent apoptotic cells. DNA gel electrophoresis showed oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation typical of apoptotic cells. Additionally, casapse-3 activation and PARP cleavage indicated involvement of mitochondrial mediated caspase-dependent pathway of apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis revealed time-dependent increase in sub-G1 population of cells and significant up-regulation of CDK2, CDK6, cyclin A and p21 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. Exposure to T-2 toxin induced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase and c-jun N-terminal kinases (JNK). Analysis of human phospho-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) antibody array revealed time-dependent increase in phosphorylation. Upstream of ERK pathway Grb2, Ras and Raf and downstream transcription factors c-fos and c-jun were significantly up-regulated. Z-VAD-FMK and MAPK inhibitors (PD 98059, SB 203580 and ZM 336372) exposure prior to T-2 toxin treatment significantly decreased percent of apoptotic cells compared to only T-2 toxin-exposed cells. Results of the present study show that T-2 toxin at nanogram concentrations can induce apoptosis in human neuronal cells through multiple signal transduction pathways. The study provides possible leads for developing therapeutic approaches to prevent T-2 toxin-induced neurotoxicity.

Microstructure of poly(ether ketone sulfone) copolymers I–V, derived from varying mol proportions of dihydroxy diphenyl sulfone (DHDPS, A) and dihydroxybenzophenone (DHBP, C) with stochiometric amounts of difluorobenzophenone (DFBP, B) was studied by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results were interpreted in terms of the compositional triads BBB, BBA, ABA, BAB, and AAB because B and C moieties become indistinguishable in the copolymers. Feed ratios calculated from the triad intensities agree well with experimental values, validating the chemical shift assignments. The presence of AAB and BBA triads in polymer II (A : C = 1 : 0) indicates the occurrence of transetherification reaction during its synthesis. Thermal decomposition characteristics of the copolymers were studied by thermogravimetry. Activation energies for thermal degradation were calculated using Coats-Redfern's method assuming the order of the reaction is 1 and was found to vary from 281 to 193 kJ mol−1. A good linear correlation was obtained between activation energy values and BBB triad intensities. These observations were rationalized by consideration of their decomposition mechanisms. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 3425–3431, 1999

Poly(ether sulfone) and poly(ether sulfone ketone) copolymers (I-V) were synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,4'-dihydroxy diphenyl sulfone (DHDPS, A) with various mole proportions 4,4'-difluoro benzophenone (DFBP, B) and 4,4'-difluoro diphenyl sulfone (DFDPS, C) using sulfolane as solvent in the presence of anhydrous K 2 CO 3 . The polymers were characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques. All polymers were found to be amorphous, and the glass transition temperature (T g ) was found to increase with the sulfonyl content of the polymers. 13 C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral data was interpreted in terms of the compositional triads, BAB, BAC, CAC, ABA, and ABB, and indicate that transetherification occurs at high concentration of DFBP units in the polymer (IV). The good agreement between the observed and calculated feed ratios validates the triad analysis. Thermal decomposition studies reveal that the thermal stability of the polymers increases with increase in the carbonyl content in the polymer. Activation energies for thermal decomposition were found to be in the range of 160-203 kJ mol -1 with the cleavage of Φ-SO 2 bond being the preponderant mode of decomposition and depended on the block length of the sulfonyl unit.

Poly(ether sulfone) copolymers I–V were synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,4-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone with varying mole proportions of 4,4-isopropylidene diphenol (bisphenol A) and 4,4-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone (bisphenol S) using sulfolane as the solvent in the presence of anhydrous K2CO3. The polymers were characterized by different physicochemical techniques. The glass transition temperature was found to decrease with increase in the concentration of bisphenol A units in the polymers. All polymers were found to be amorphous. Thermogravimetric studies showed that all the polymers were stable up to 400°C with a char yield of about 36% at 900°C in a nitrogen atmosphere. 13C-NMR spectral analysis reveals that bisphenol S-based triads are preferentially formed compared to bisphenol-A triads, indicating greater reactivity of bisphenol S toward dichlorodiphenyl sulfone. The overall activation energy for the thermal decomposition of bisphenol A-based polymer (1) is much higher than that of bisphenol S-based polymer (II). This was attributed to the modification of the backbone of polymer I during the initial cleavage of the C—CH3 bond of the isopropyledene group. Polymer II decomposes by cleavage of the C—SO2 bond. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 743–750, 1998

TWT amplifiers play an important role in earth stations for satellite communications. These have been used for more than 2 decades and undergoing continuous technology improvements. This paper brings out various parameters and their trade-offs to be considered while selecting a particular TWTA. The changing scenario with the present day competitor, namely solid state Power Amplifiers (SSPA), is discussed along with futuristic TWTAs that are taking shape. The conditions to achieve best results out of TWTA in terms of longer life, greater efficiency are listed. Major trends, advances and potential innovations in this field along with a list of leading players and their products are briefly highlighted.

Abrin is a potent plant toxin. It is a heterodimeric protein toxin which is obtained from the seeds of Abrus precatorius plant. At cellular level abrin causes protein synthesis inhibition by removing the specific adenine residue (A4324) from the 28s rRNA of the 60S – ribosomal subunit. In the present study we investigated the role of oxidative stress in neurotoxic potential and demyelinating effects of abrin on brain. The mechanism by which abrin induces oxidative damage and toxicity in brain are relatively unknown. Animals were exposed to 0.4 and 1.0 LD 50 abrin dose by intraperitoneal route and observed for 1 and 3 day post-toxin exposure. Oxidative stress occurred in brain due to abrin was confirmed in terms of increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione depletion and increased lipid peroxidation. Significant increase in blood and brain ROS was observed at day 3, 1 LD 50 . Abrin induced changes in the neurotransmitters (5-hydroxy tryptamine, norepinephrine, dopamine and monoamine oxidase) levels were evaluated by spectroflourometry. Increase in the levels of 5-HT and NE was observed after abrin exposure. MAO activity was found to be decreased in abrin exposed animals compared to control. Significant inhibition in the activity of acetylcholine esterase enzyme in brain and serum was reported for both the doses and time points. Western blot analysis of iNOS expression indicated that abrin treatment resulted in dose and time dependent increase. Furthermore, protein expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) was down regulated in a dose and time dependent manner. Brain histopathology was carried out and cortical brain region showed demyelination after abrin exposure. Results confirmed that abrin poisoning leads to neurodegeneration and neurotoxicity mediated through oxidative stress, AChE inhibition, lipid peroxidation and decrease in MBP levels.

Tropical cyclones are known for their devastation in tropical regions over the whole globe. The devastation is mainly due to high winds, intense rains and the associated storm surge. The life cycle of a tropical cyclone is dependent on a number of environmental factors (Gray, 1968) which are frequently present in the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). These include a warm ocean surface (above 26° C) and several physical parameters contributing to a deep humid and unstable atmosphere. It is a well established fact that SST>26.6° C is a prerequisite for tropical cyclone formation in the Bay of Bengal. The formation process begins in an area of low pressure coinciding with vigorous convective cloud in the tropics between 5° and 22° latitude. Usually the cloud cluster drifts slowly towards the west as the convection increases and winds begin spiralling in towards the centre of the system. There are two cyclonic seasons in the North Indian Ocean (NIO), pre-monsoon (April and May) and post-monsoon (October and November). Tropical cyclones form in the NIO during pre-monsoon season of which most of these cyclones develop in the Bay of Bengal and hit the Bangladesh or Myanmar coast. Cyclonic disturbances that develop during this season have a high probability of reaching a severe cyclonic stage (Singh et al., 2000).

Background & objectives: The resurgence of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the Indian Ocean Islands and India has drawn worldwide attention due to its explosive nature, high morbidity and complex clinico-pathological manifestations. The early confirmatory diagnosis of CHIKV is essential for management as well as control of unprecedented epidemics. The present study describes the development and evaluation of a highly sensitive and specific E1 structural gene specific biotinylated DNA probe for detection of chikungunya virus in clinical samples using a dot blot format. Methods: The complementary DNA (cDNA) of CHIKV was spotted on to nylon membrane. The membrane was subjected to prehybridization and hybridization and developed using a colour development solution containing DAB chromogen. Results: The CHIKV E1 specific DNA probe was highly sensitive detecting picogram levels of target nucleic acid. The comparative evaluation with SYBR Green I based real-time RT-PCR revealed 99 per cent accordance with a sensitivity and specificity of 99 and 98 per cent, respectively. The specificity of this assay was further confirmed through cross-reaction studies with confirmed dengue and Japanese encephalitis (JE) patient serum samples along with infected culture supernatant of Ross River and Saint Louis encephalitis and plasmid DNA of O’Nyong Nyong, Semlinki forest and Sindbis viruses. Interpretation & conclusion: The DNA probe reported in this study may be useful for specific, sensitive and confirmatory clinical diagnosis of chikungunya infection in acute phase human patient serum and CSF samples. This assay can also be used in the laboratory for quantification of viral antigen in cell culture supernatant for research purpose.

Despite the fact that Chikungunya resurgence is associated with epidemic of unprecedented magnitude, there are challenges in the field of its clinical diagnosis. However, serological tests in an ELISA format provide a rapid tool for the diagnosis of Chikungunya infection. Indeed, ELISAs based on recombinant proteins hold a great promise as these methods are cost effective and are free from the risk of handling biohazardous material. In this study, the performance of recombinant CHIKV antigens was compared in various ELISA formats for the diagnosis of Chikungunya. Two recombinant antigens derived from the envelope proteins of Chikungunya virus were prepared and evaluated by comparing their competence for detecting circulating antibodies in serum samples of patients infected with CHIKV using MAC-ELISA and indirect IgM-ELISA. The efficacy of the recombinant antigens was also compared with the native antigen. The indirect antibody capture IgM microplate ELISA revealed ≥90% concordance with the native antigen in detecting the CHIKV specific IgM antibodies whereas the recombinant antigen based MAC-ELISA showed 100% specificity. The recombinant antigens used in this study were effective and reliable targets for the diagnosis of CHIKV infection and also provide an alternative for native antigen use which is potentially biohazardous.

Objective: The authors report two simple, accurate and economic spectrophotometric methods A and B for the determination of Itopride hydrochloride in bulk and dosage forms.Methods: The proposed methods are based on the formation of chloroform soluble ion-associates in the presence of acidic dyes namely BPB (Method A) and BCP (Method B) exhibiting lmax at 418 and 418 nm respectively.Results: Beer’s law is found to be obeyed in the concentration range of 2.0-10.0 µg/ml and 2.0-10.0 µg/ml. The molar absorptivities are found to be 1.42x104 and 9.61x103L/mol. cm for methods A and B. These methods are successfully applied for the assay of Itopride hydrochloride in pharmaceutical formulations.

T-2 toxin is the most toxic among mycotoxins and poses a potential health hazard for both humans and animals. At high doses, T-2 toxin can cause shock-like syndrome that can result in death. We evaluated the effect of time course and route of exposure on hepatic oxidative damage in mice and it is only such study so far to compare the effects of dermal and subcutaneous exposure of T-2 toxin. Mice were exposed to 1 LD50 of T-2 toxin either by percutaneous (5.94 mg/kg body weight) or subcutaneous (1.54 mg/kg body weight) route and sacrificed at 0, 1, 3, and 7 days postexposure. Analysis of a number of serum biochemical variables, antioxidant enzymes activity, gene and protein expression by immunoblot assay showed time and route dependent effects of T-2 induced hepatic oxidative damage. Time dependent increase in protein carbonyl content and protein oxidation was seen in serum and liver. Results of our study may provide possible mechanism for developing medical countermeasures against T-2 toxin.

Epoxy–imide resins have been obtained through the reaction of Araldite GY 250 (diglycidylether of bisphenol-A and epichlorohydrin; difunctional) and Araldite EPN 1138 (Novolac-epoxy resin; polyfunctional) with bis(carboxyphthalimide)s derived from 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone, 3,3′-diaminodiphenylsulfone, 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane and 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane and trimellitic anhydride. For each epoxy-imide resin system, epoxy equivalent to carboxy equivalent ratio has been optimised to obtain the maximum tensile lap shear adhesive strength on stainless steel substrates at room temperature. The lap shear strength at 100, 150, and 175°C has been determined for the optimum ratio. Araldite EPN-1138-based systems give the lap shear strength of 141–182 kg/cm2 at room temperature for the optimum compositions and retain about 84–100% of the lap shear strength at 150°C. Araldite GY-250-based systems have lap shear strength of 183–193 kg/cm2 and retain 76–84% of the lap shear strength at 150°C except for the one cured with bis (carboxyphthalimide) prepared from 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane, which retains only 17% of the lap shear strength. Among the systems studied, Araldite GY 250 cured with bis (carboxyphalimide) synthesized from 3,3′-diaminodiphenylsulfone appears to be the best, retaining 75% (138 kg/cm2) of the lap shear strength at 175°C.

Chikungunya fever is an important arboviral infection prevalent throughout Africa and Southeast Asia. Recently, in 2006, it has reemerged in many parts of India, affecting more than a million persons. A detail serological, virological, and molecular investigation of this unprecedented outbreak was carried out by collecting and studying 540 samples from all the affected regions of India during this epidemic. An in-depth investigation revealed the presence of anti-Chikungunya antibodies in 68% of the samples and genomic RNA in 49% of them. In addition 32 Chikungunya viruses were isolated from 45 representative polymerase chain reaction-positive samples. The nucleotide sequences of partial E1 gene of 25 representative Chikungunya viruses were deciphered. The sequence analysis indicated that all the isolates of this epidemic belonged to the new Indian Ocean island clade of East Central South (ECS) African genotype. This study conclusively proved the genotype shift from Asian to ECS African as the major factor in the reemergence of Chikungunya in an unprecedented outbreak in India after a gap of 32 years.

The Fourier Analytical Investigation results of the Performance of the Multiple Annuli Coded Aperture (MACA) and Complementary Multiple Annuli Coded Aperture Systems (CMACA) are summarised and the probable application of these systems in Astronomy, High energy radiation Imaging, optical filters, and in the field of metallurgy, are suggested.

Ricin a glycoprotein from the Ricinus communis seeds, is known to have diverse toxic effects on cells of different visceral organs. We have studied the effect of ricin (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 LD50) on various oxidative stress markers at 1, 3 and 7 day post exposure following i.p. administration in Swiss albino male mice. Results of this study revealed that ricin induces generation of reactive species, lipidperoxidation, DNA fragmentation and depletion of GSH. Activity of antioxidant cascade related enzyme like superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) decreased, while glutathione reductase (GR) and catalase activity increased. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity was decreased significantly in liver, spleen and kidney. The decrease was more prominent on 7 day of post exposure in all the exposed doses. A significant increase in the activities of catalase was observed in plasma, liver, spleen and kidney on 7 day following ricin exposure. Glutathione reductase increased significantly as early as 24 h following 1.0 LD50 dose. Lipid peroxidation increased and non protein sulfhydryl content decreased in all the tissues at different time intervals. Total antioxidant status was reduced as early as 1 day post exposure. Nearly two fold increase was observed in DNA fragmentation following 0.5 LD50 dose of ricin on 1 day post exposure. DNA diffusion assay also indicated an early damage to DNA due to ROS. An early change in DNA fragmentation, DNA diffusion, and total antioxidant status and in the activity of various enzymes indicates that ricin produce oxidative stress by generation of reactive oxygen species as early as 24 h at a minimum dose of 0.5 LD50. Probably this is the first study which indicate that ricin induced oxidative stress at a minimum dose of 0.5 LD50.

Dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile encephalitis, yellow fever are the common flaviviral diseases associated with high morbidity and mortality. The initial symptoms of most of the flaviviral infections are similar to each other as well as to some other viral diseases. Making clinical diagnosis, therefore, becomes a challenging task for the clinician. Several studies have been reported on using detection of serum antibodies against flavivirus for the diagnosis of specific flaviviral disease; no field-based pan-flavi virus detection system is available, which can be used in low-endemicity areas for differentiation of flaviviral disease from other viral diseases.To identify a conserved amino acid sequence among all flaviviruses and evaluate the antibody formed against the conserved peptide to develop pan-flavivirus detection system.In the present study we have compared amino acid sequences of several flaviviruses and identified a conserved amino acid sequence lying in domain II of envelope protein.A peptide having the conserved amino acid sequence was used to generate polyclonal antibodies and these antibodies were used to detect several flaviviruses. Anti-peptide polyclonal antibodies selectively recognized flaviviruses and did not detect non-flaviviruses. Anti-peptide antibodies detected presence of virus in serum spiked with pure virus preparations.The study offers a rationale for development of pan-flavivirus capture assay suitable for low endemic areas.