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Linear stability analysis of the steady flow past elliptic cylinders of different aspect ratio (A r) has been conducted for the flow Reynolds number (R e) in the range 30–200. A new unstable mode, which we refer as tertiary wake mode, has been discovered. Two other unstable modes (the primary wake mode and the secondary wake mode), already reported in the literature, are also found. The critical R e for the onset of instability of these modes and the corresponding Strouhal number (S t) have been reported. Modes that have large growth rates tend to come close to the cylinder surface, and the extent to which they spread downstream in the wake is less compared to the weaker modes. The size of the vortical structures in a mode is inversely related to its S t. The change in the characteristics of these modes with respect to change in A r and R e , as well as their evolution leading to the fully developed flow, has been studied. Selective suppression of the unstable modes is effected using a slip-plate placed on the wake centerline. For R e = 150, it is shown that selective suppression of the unstable modes leads to different fully developed unsteady flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current highly integrated devices require heat interface materials with excellent heat conductivity. A simple approach was employed to synthesize thermally conductive and outstanding thermal stability nanocomposite. Calcium carbonate nanoparticles (nano CaCO 3) reinforced with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoparticles (rGO/CaCO 3) are synthesized using a novel process, and the effect of rGO in CaCO 3 structure is examined by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, X-ray diffraction, TGA-DTA, and thermal conductivity. The experimental results show that adding rGO resulted in higher crystallinity and thermal stability. As the wt.% of rGO increases from 1 to 5%, the crystallite size was suppressed by 21.06%, 27.39%, 32.48%, 41.5%, and 45.30%, respectively, compared to the pure nano-CaCO 3. Additionally, rGO enhances the thermal conductivity by 35.31% and thermal diffusivity to 1.834 mm2/s by adding 5% rGO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data-driven models have emerged as popular choices for fault detection and isolation (FDI) in process industries. However, real-time updating of these models due to streaming data requires significant computational resources, is tedious and therefore pauses difficulty in fault detection. To address this problem, in this study, we have developed a novel forward-learning neural network framework that can efficiently update data-driven models in real time for high-frequency data without compromising the accuracy. The neural network parameters are updated using a suitably constructed forward-forward learning algorithm instead of the traditional backpropagation algorithm. Firstly, we develop a variance-capturing forward-forward autoencoder (VFFAE) for FDI. Further, we showcase that the previously trained VFFAE model can be quickly adapted to incoming data which demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed framework. We have three process case studies to validate the proposed approach, namely, the Tennesse-Eastman dataset, nuclear power flux dataset, and wastewater plant dataset, to validate the proposed approach. Our findings demonstrate that within the initial 90 s, the model underwent 90 updates using a forward-forward approach and only 10 updates using backpropagation-based methods without compromising accuracy. This highlights the model's capacity to effectively handle streaming data during the modeling process. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Describes the anti-cancer effects of essential oils from different plants target PARP inhibition, intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms, and the cell cycle. • Essential oils were tested using HeLa, MDA-MB-231, and H69AR cell lines. • Essential oils target p21, p53, and the G1/G0 phases of the cell cycle, causing cell cycle arrest or death. • Its corrects or suppress the malignant cells at a particular phase of the cell cycle, and are excellent for cancer treatments. • This investigation may reveal viable cancer treatments and methods for overcoming the side effects of cancer treatment. One of the biggest causes of mortality in humans is cancer, thus emphasizing on research for curing cancer, its prevention and treatment. Mis-regulation of the cell cycle is the underlying cause of any cancer, resulting in uncontrolled cell division leading to tumor formation. Current cancer therapies are limited by side effects, lack of specificity, and toxicity. Essential oils derived from various parts of medicinal and aromatic plants Citrus limettioides, Origanum onites, Artemisia campestris, Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymelaea hirsute, Croton matourensis and flowers and leaves of Croton micans, etc. , appear to be a promising, safe and effective source of herbal medicine for cancer cure. Essential oils have diverse applications such as aromatherapy, naturopathy, treating various infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases like cancer, as well as for aging. Several essential oils have been reported to possess anticancer activity against cancer cells, as well as in animal models. In this review, we discuss the anti-cancer activity of different essential oils from an array of medicinal plants, and their mechanism of action, with a special focus on the cell cycle targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing advanced non-precious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is critical for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Fe–N–C catalysts are considered the best successor to platinum-based catalysts for ORR. Herein, we have synthesized environmental friendly, cost-effective Fe–N-doped carbon foam catalyst [Fe-embedded poly (acrylamide-co-acrylonitrile) hydrogel-based carbon foam(Fe@Am-co-An/CF)] by using Fe-embedded poly (Am-co-An) hydrogel for MFCs. Poly(Am-co-An) hydrogel is used as a carbon and nitrogen precursor. The synthesized catalysts are characterized by FTIR, SEM, TEM, XRD and XPS. Furthermore, four different catalysts based on different ratios of the metal such as Fe@Am-co-An/CF (1:22), Fe@Am-co-An/CF (2:22), Fe@Am-co-An/CF (3:22), and Am-co-An/CF have been prepared. Results indicate that the Fe@Am-co-An/CF (2:22) catalyst exhibits the highest power density (736.06 mWm−2 at the current density of 1132.04 mAm−2) compared to the other catalysts. The results of CV, LSV, EIS, and chronoamperometry indicate that Fe@Am-co-An/CF (2:22) is the most promising catalyst for ORR activity in MFCs. [Display omitted] • Fe–N–C catalyst (Fe@Am-co-An/CF) is synthesized by direct pyrolysis. • The synthesized catalysts are characterized by FTIR, SEM, TEM, XRD and XPS. • Fe@Am-co-An/CF catalysts exhibited good catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction. • Fe@Am-co-An/CF catalyst exhibits good catalytic activity and power density (736.06 mWm−2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus subtilis MAN7 is known to produce a β-mannanase which is capable of producing mannooligosaccharides (MOS) from agro-wastes. Present study was aimed to hyper-produce the β-mannanase for its application in the cost-effective production of MOS from copra meal and evaluation of their bioactive properties. Optimization studies significantly enhanced the enzyme yield with an approximate 28.7fold increase. Enzyme was found to be remarkably stable under wide range of temperature and pH; making it suitable for the generation of MOS. Conditions were standardized for the pretreatment of copra meal which resulted in significant removal of undesirable components. MOS (DP2–7) was generated by the enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated copra meal and found to exhibit effective prebiotic and antioxidant activity. Current study paves a way for the development of an eco-friendly and cost-effective bioprocess for the production of functional MOS from agro-waste using β-mannanase from B. subtilis MAN7. [Display omitted] • High yield of β-mannanase (28.7 fold increase) under optimized conditions. • Remarkable activity/stability of enzyme in the wide temperature and pH range. • Pretreatment of copra meal to remove monomeric sugars and undesirable components. • Enzymatic hydrolysis of copra meal yielded bioactive mannooligosaccharides. • Mannooligosaccharides showed effective prebiotic and antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A potential, sustainable, and economical eco-friendly alternative to harmful petroleum-based lubricants is a big challenge for the 21st-century lubricant industry. The present study explores, for the very first time, polysaccharide gums like gum acacia (GA) and guar gum (GG) as additives (0.5–10 %w/w) to enhance the extreme-pressure (EP) performance of greases (based on vegetable oil and organoclay). The greases are evaluated on a four-ball tester for the standard EP test (ASTM D2596). Adding GA or GG to greases enhances EP performance significantly. The performance ameliorates with the gum's concentration showing impressive results at higher concentrations (up to ≈ 60% better than a commercial grease). The superior performance is attributed to an in-situ formed polymer-layered silicate nanocomposite tribofilm at the interface via chemisorption (for GA) or physisorption (for GG). The formulated greases are a possible replacement for existing mineral oil-based commercial greases. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus has become a major public health concern all over the world. Vildagliptin is one of the antidiabeticdrug that can overcome the existing problem of this prevalent disease. Present study aims to synthesize and investigate the role of vildagliptin-loaded core-shell nanoparticle of grafted psyllium and alginate (VG@P/A-NPs) in anti-diabetes application. FTIR, SEM, XRD, 13CNMR and zeta analyzer were used for characterization of the core-shell nanoparticles (VG@P/A-NPs). The synthesized acrylamide-grafted-psyllium was also optimized through varying grafting parameters such as acrylamide and ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) concentration, time and temperature to obtain the maximum yield of acrylamide-grafted-psyllium. Rheological analysis of pure psyllium, grafted psyllium and alginate were also performed. For biological studies, the first cytotoxicity of grafted psyllium and VG@P/A-NPs were examined on human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 in which it was observed that VG@P/A-NPs did not exhibited any toxicity. The antidiabetic potential of VG@P/A-NPs was investigated by glucose uptake assay, using TNF-α induced insulin resistance skeletal cell model using mouse muscle L6 cell line. The insulin signaling impaired cell line displayed a highly significant (p < 0.0001) dose-dependent increase in glucose uptake after treatment with increasing doses of VG@P/A-NPs.The drug release behavior of VG@P/A-NPs was examined at various pH and the highest drug release (98 %) was obtained at pH (7.4). The drug release kinetic data was following the Higuchi (R2 = 0.9848) kinetic model, suggesting the release of drug from vildagliptin-loaded grafted psyllium-alginate core-shell nanoparticles (VG@P/A-NPs) as a square root of time-dependent process and diffusion controlled. This study provides an economical and environment-friendly approach towards the synthesis of VG@P/A-NPs with antidiabetes applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on hybrid vesicles (HVs) formed through co-assembly of soy phosphatidylcholine (SPC) and a triblock copolymer (F127). After elucidating the superior stability of HVs over the assemblies of neat SPC and F127, these were encapsulated with bovine serum albumin (BSA), as model a thermolabile protein. Characterizations were performed using dynamic light scattering (DLS), electron microscopy, circular dichroism and high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry. The size of HVs increased slightly at higher proportion of F127 and upon encapsulation of BSA. In spite of this, vesicles remained spherical and displayed a smooth surface. They showed superior dilution stability in comparison to neat copolymer micelles and phospholipid vesicles. Their stability can be ascribed to hydrophobic association between the phospholipid and copolymer, and manifested into increase in phase transition temperature of the former. We found that HVs could protect BSA from denaturation and unfolding when challenged by high solution temperature, pH changes and salt incorporation. [Display omitted] • F127 associates with soy phosphatidylcholine to form spherical hybrid vesicles. • Vesicles were loaded with bovine serum albumin (BSA), a model protein. • The protective ability of vesicles has been demonstrated against various challenges. • Characterizations have been performed using scattering, thermal and spectroscopic techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconium alloys (Zr-alloys) are used for the core components of nuclear reactors due to their exceptional properties, which make them suitable for the given applications such as low neutron absorption cross-section, good corrosion resistance, good wear resistance, good mechanical stability at high temperatures etc. The coolant water that flows inside the pressure tube contains LiOH to control the pH value of the coolant water, which can cause corrosion. The flow of coolant water produces low amplitude vibration, which can cause fretting wear of the components. Further, the coolant water at high temperature causes the hydride formation in the material, degrading the properties of zirconium alloys. The safe working of nuclear reactors is the prime objective, and the corrosion and wear behavior of the core components must be explored to prevent possible failure. Fretting wear or tribo-corrosion experiments were conducted on Zr‐2.5Nb alloy against SS-410 for varied fretting duration to understand the tribological response. Electrochemical corrosion experiments were performed under the aqueous solution of LiOH (10.4 pH) using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization technique. The comparison was made between the tribological and corrosion response of unhydrided‐Zr‐2.5Nb alloy (Zr‐2.5Nb) and hydrided- Zr‐2.5Nb alloy (Zr‐2.5Nb‐H). The hydride formation causes the reduction in corrosion resistance of Zr‐2.5Nb alloy. The oxide layer is formed during the wear and corrosion process which protects the material from further wear and corrosion respectively. [Display omitted] • Tribological and electrochemical corrosion analysis were performed on hydrided‐Zr‐2.5Nb and unhydrided-Zr-2.5Nb alloy. • Tribological experiments were conducted in two modes: microtribology (fretting) and nanotribology (AFM). • The hardness and tribo-response of hydrides (Zr-H) and Zr-matrix were recorded using nanoindentation and AFM, respectively. • The hydride formation in Zr-2.5Nb increases the corrosion rate. • The corrosion resistance increases with increasing the exposure duration due to protective oxide formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the role of creativity in influencing consumer responses is well explored in research related to marketer-generated content, it has yet to be examined for consumer-generated online reviews. Across two studies (a text analysis of 33,508 online reviews and an experiment), this research examines the influence of creativity in online review narratives on readers' perceptions of review helpfulness. The results from these studies show that: 1. more creative reviews are evaluated as more helpful than less creative reviews, 2. perceived cognitive effort of the review originator mediates this relationship, but perceived sincerity of the review does not, and 3. product type moderates the relationship, such that greater creativity positively impacts perceived helpfulness of reviews for search products but has a negative effect for experience products. • Creative product reviews are perceived as more helpful than less creative ones. • Perceived cognitive effort is higher for creative reviews vs. less creative ones. • Perceived cognitive effort mediates the review creativity–helpfulness relationship. • Creativity positively affects perceived helpfulness of search product reviews. • Creativity negatively affects perceived helpfulness of experience product reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study presents an extensive systematic literature review on WD recognition. • A set of 94 research articles published between 2005–2022 has been selected for analysis. • A framework has been proposed to classify the research articles into four categories. Due to wheat diseases (WD), the global rate of wheat production is decreasing by 3.6% annually. With the help of computer vision technology, WD recognition is not a challenging task but motivates the concepts of image processing, image segmentation, feature extraction, and AI-based recognition models. The objective of this study is to review and systematically analyze studies that have been published between 2005 and 2022. The authors make an effort to determine the important developments in image segmentation models, tools, datasets, and comparative analysis for the accuracy of the recognition model. The current study follows the standard systematic literature review (SLR) approach and selects 638 studies from five different web source databases. Among 638 studies, 544 studies were discarded in the study extraction process. A total number of 94 studies have been published in 45 reputed journals, and 49 conferences that have been identified with evaluation, validation, proposed, and philosophical criteria. After analysis, ten types of image segmentation models were identified. The most prominent clustering-based image segmentation technique (34.78%) is used for powdery mildew and stripe rust WD recognition. During WD recognition, the accuracy performance parameter is found to be most prominent. China and India are the two countries on the Asian continent that contribute to WD recognition. The current study summarizes the findings of WD research and highlights the need for standard datasets and accuracy. It highlights the importance of exploring and developing more precise and hybrid segmentation classification models for WD recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The real-world problems that can be resolved by a dynamic mathematical model is an analogous form of a complex integral equation. In this article, we intend to exhibit the solution to a non-homogeneous, nonlinear Volterra integral equation endowed with an arbitrary binary relation utilizing the fixed point solution that is originally proved for a multivalued map and then reduced to a single valued self map. The results proved and the application demonstrated is an added asset to the present literature and can significantly contribute in determining the existence of a solution for a dynamic mathematical model in the form of a Volterra integral equation equipped with an arbitrary binary relation via fixed point findings. Furthermore, the stability of the solution of the Volterra integral equation is verified using the Hyers–Ulam stability concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cornmint (Mentha arvensis) is cultivated to produce essential oil, which consists of about 75% of menthol. Fresh biomass is hydrodistilled for ∼5 h to obtain essential oil (1%), and the rest of the pre-treated biomass (99%) is generated as waste. A novel, green and economical two-step process has been developed using a mixture of imidazole (IM:1 M)-p-toluene sulfonic acid (pTSA:1.2 M), and IM (0.2 M)-20%NH 3 for the separation of lignin and hemicellulose, respectively. The lignin and hemicellulose were isolated from the respective solution by precipitation, and final undissolved solid residue was obtained as cellulose. This process was scaled-up, recovering cellulose (38%), hemicellulose (27%), and lignin (14%) using 7 L double jacketed reactor. The processing parameters such as temperature, solvent ratio, and time were optimized using single factorial design mathematical model for the isolation of biopolymers. Further, cellulose was enzymatically biotransformed to glucose through submerged and solid-state fermentation (SSF) using Trichoderma reesei, T. harzianum (TH, TH10) , and T. atroviride. Isolated cellulose was produced 61.5% of glucose at 30 °C, pH 5 in 72 h through SSF process using TH10 strain. This glucose solution was transformed to methyl levulinate (74%) under aqueous-methanol (5:1) solvent system for 2 h at 160 °C using La(OTf) 3.H 2 O catalyst. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a numerical investigation is done to understand the two-dimensional flow behaviorof power-law fluids past a rotating elliptic cylinder in unconfined domain. The flow field around the cylinder is calculated using ANSYS (FLUENT 15) The sliding mesh method (SMM) is used to treat moving solid–fluid boundary. The engineering parameters like drag coefficient, lift coefficient and complete kinematic variables such as stream function and vorticity have been calculated for the range of dimensionless parameters namely aspect ratio of the cylinder e = 0. 1 and 0.7, rotational speed (1 ≤ α ≤ 4), Reynolds number (5 ≤ R e ≤ 40) and power-law index (0. 4 ≤ n ≤ 1. 8). The emphasis has been given to see the effect of the power-law index (n) and Reynolds number (R e), rotational speed α and aspect ratio of cylinder e on flow characteristics around the cylinder in laminar flow regime. Before presenting the results, a qualitative as well as a quantitative comparison has been done between the present result and experimental and numerical result presented in the literature. Further, a detailed streamline and vorticity patterns in the vicinity of the cylinder is shown to demonstrate the wake formation phenomenon around the cylinder. The increase in rotational speed and power-law index exhibit a similar effect on wake formation phenomena. Due to rotational motion of the cylinder drag and lift coefficient vary in periodic manner with time/orientation of cylinder. The average value of drag is seen to decrease with R e and α and a complete trend is displayed with power-law index, n. The negative lift coefficient is observed due to anticlockwise motion of the cylinder for all parameters considered here. The results of this work clearly show the strong dependency of flow phenomenon around the rotating elliptic cylinder on power-law index, rotational speed, aspect ratio, and Reynolds number. [Display omitted] • Flow phenomenon of power-law fluids around a rotating elliptic cylinder is numerically investigated using ANSYS (FLUENT). • Effect of power-law index (n), Reynolds number (R e), and rotational speed (α) on streamlines and vorticity contours and engineering parameters ( C D , C L ) are studied. • Enveloping vortex around the cylinder grow in size as the rotational speed (α) and power-law index (n) increases. Similar increasing trend observed for detached vortex with R e. • The drag and lift coefficient decreases with rotational speed (α) and Reynolds number (R e). However, the dependency on power-law index is complex and no trend is found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The field of mutiparameter sensing elements is explored via tailoring the response of optical wavefronts. • Conventional & digital holographic platforms along with metamaterials are employed to address the developments in the simultaneous multiparameteric sensors. • Such endeavors can envision the interleaving of multiple devices on a single chip for interdisciplinary pursuits. Optical sensors play an important role in advancing science and technology for improving the standard of living. These sensors work by accessing the alteration in one or more parameters of the optical beam such as phase, intensity, polarization, wavelength, wavefront, etc. through interaction with the test sample. The precise control of an optical wavefront has become important to achieve key functionalities of the optical sensors. Holography is one of the important and easy approaches to controlling and studying the wavefronts. Using this strategy, the wavefront can be examined both through the photographic recording-based conventional holography and through digital holography. Holography-based techniques are being used widely for sensing and imaging applications. Conventional holography-based sensors work by detecting either a change in the diffraction efficiency of the hologram or the wavelength of the beam. Further, digital holography-based sensors detect changes in the phase of the beam. In recent times, metamaterials are emerging as novel materials for many applications including sensing. Metamaterials are artificial subwavelength inclusions structured ingeniously as a potential substitute for materials available in nature. They stimulate an additional degree of freedom by breaking fetters laid by traditional designs to conduct multivariate analysis. This is an infant discipline that can envision the interleaving of multiple devices on a single chip and guide sensing developments of interdisciplinary pursuits. The present work encompasses a comprehensive outlook on optical sensors based on wavefront modulation using holographic and metamaterial-based approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconium alloys are the key materials for nuclear reactor's core components due to low neutron cross-section and good mechanical and corrosion properties. During operation in nuclear reactor, some core components (exposed to the corrosive environment of coolant water having LiOH) may undergo corrosion and fretting-corrosion. This work presents a novel experimental approach for investigating the Zr-2.5 Nb alloy's corrosion and in-situ fretting-corrosion response. The corrosion analysis was performed using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization, to study the effect of LiOH concentration in water and exposure duration. It is observed that the corrosion rate increases with increasing the concentration of LiOH in water and decreases with increasing the exposure duration. The fretting-corrosion tests were performed between SS-410 and Zr-2.5 Nb in aqueous LiOH solution. The results reveal that the contact resistance and coefficient of friction (COF) decrease with increasing concentration of LiOH in the solution. The present work highlights the scientific understanding of corrosion and fretting-corrosion phenomena in zirconium alloy and elucidates key mechanisms and factors governing the degradation behavior which can help in preventing the failure of the components. [Display omitted] • Electrochemical corrosion and fretting-corrosion experiments were conducted on Zr-2.5 Nb alloy in an aqueous LiOH solution. • The alkalinity of the solution was varied by varying the LiOH concentration (7–11.4 pH) • EIS and potentiodynamic polarization studies were conducted to measure the corrosion. • Contact resistance and COF were measured during fretting-corrosion. • The increasing LiOH concentration decreases the corrosion resistance and contact resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this investigation is to optimize the heat-treatment for tailoring a suitable microstructure, especially that of the matrix phase in a W-Ni-Co alloy. Different microstructural features that have been focused on are grain size, fine W particles, intermetallics and short-range ordering. 92W-5.3Ni-2.7Co alloy prepared through powder metallurgy route was imparted a cyclic heat-treatment to obtain a microstructure comprising finely distributed tungsten particles in an FCC matrix that envelopes the large tungsten grains. While the fine W particle influences the mechanical behaviour of W-Ni-Co alloys, the grain size of the matrix and short-range ordering are also expected to play a significant role. The effect of different heat-treatments on the microstructure of the matrix was studied using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD). It is observed that increasing the quenching rate diminishes short-range ordering in the matrix. The formation of intermetallic phase at intermediate temperature range (between 800 °Cand 900 °C) and its subsequent dissolution at higher temperature influences the final microstructure of the alloy. In the present study, the effect of the intermetallic phase on the formation of randomly orientated fine equiaxed grains in the matrix has been elucidated. [Display omitted] • The novelty of the study is in the development of microstructure of the binder/matrix phase, which has not been addressed earlier in details, especially in relation to grain size, fine structure and so on. • Study of the matrix phase of tungsten heavy alloy is extremely important as it controls the ductility and toughness of the alloy, besides partly contributing towards strengthening of the alloy. • For the first time, it has been shown that the features of phase transformation are similar to those of nickel base intermetallics which deal with instability of FCC structure and adds to the current understanding. • The observations and their analyses will have significance especially towards the improvement in mechanical properties for more stringent applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Addressing voltage unbalance (VU) while maintaining thermal comfort. • Implementing VSG controller to enhance frequency response and reduce RoCoF. • Presenting a comprehensive state-space modelling approach for the PN sequence controller and VSG-based microgrid. • Validating the proposed control scheme in real-time using OPAL-RT. The absence of rotational masses in converter-interfaced microgrids has led to a reduction in system inertia. As a consequence, the stability of modern microgrids is at risk, especially in the case of unbalanced systems, resulting in significant issues such as an increase in the rate of change of frequency (RoCoF), disturbances in the nominal frequency, and unfavourable voltage unbalances. This research article introduces an advanced concept centered around a virtual synchronous generator designed to enhance RoCoF performance. This is achieved through the implementation of a positive and a negative (PN) - sequence controller scheme in coordination with demand side management to ensure that RoCoF remains within the limit of 2 Hz/s according to IEEE Standard 1547–2018 and the voltage unbalance factor (VUF) adheres to the established standard of 2 % according to IEC 61,000–3–13. The behaviour of the proposed control strategy during transient conditions has also been demonstrated. The framework of the virtual synchronous generator is utilized in this paper to demonstrate the influence of damping coefficient and moment of inertia on the low inertia system's frequency and transient response where it has been established that greater inertia and damping are essential for their enhancement. The study also conducts a small signal stability analysis to assess the effects of various parameters on system stability. Furthermore, the real-time efficacy of the coordinated control methodology based on virtual inertia has been experimentally verified using OPAL-RT simulator. The simulation and experimental results, both provide evidence of the successful performance of the proposed approach in realizing efficient RoCoF enhancement and VUF mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear periodic response of viscoelastic laminated composite plates subjected to harmonic excitation is carried out in time domain using the generalized Maxwell model in the form of a Boltzmann integral. The integral form of the viscoelastic constitutive relation is converted to the incremental form for the finite element formulation based on the Reissner–Mindlin plate theory incorporating von Karman geometric nonlinearity. The recursive relations are developed to compute the current time-step solution using only the previous time-step solution. The periodic response is obtained using shooting technique coupled with Newmark's time integration and arc length continuation method. The implementation of the shooting technique for the Boltzmann Integral based viscoelasticity done for the first time in this study involves derivation of a number of additional recursive relations and initial conditions at the beginning of each shooting cycle. The nonlinear periodic vibration characteristics such as frequency response, damping factor, steady-state response history, phase plane plots, and frequency spectra are presented for viscoelastic plates with different boundary conditions and lamination schemes. Further, the influence of relaxation time and number of Maxwell elements on the frequency response characteristics are investigated. It is seen that the shooting technique is capable of predicting periodic responses of viscoelastic dynamical systems directly from the second-order equations of motion and is more efficient than the direct time integration method. The nonlinear response of viscoelastic plates predicted using the equivalent elastic model with Rayleigh proportional damping (having same linear frequency response) is found to be significantly different from the one predicted using viscoelastic constitutive model. • Geometrically nonlinear periodic response using generalized Maxwell model. • Shooting technique with Newmark's time integration and arc length continuation method. • Incremental constitutive relation for stress/moment resultants and recursive relations. • Responses of viscoelastic and elastic plates with Rayleigh damping are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-sea mining involves the extraction of valuable minerals from the ocean floor. The transportation of deep-sea mineral deposits from the seafloor to the surface is crucial for the success of deep-sea mining operations. The slurry pumping system is responsible for conveying a mixture of minerals, sediments, and water over significant distances. Designing a robust and efficient slurry pump necessitates meticulous consideration of various factors, including particle size, slurry concentration, system reliability, and more. This article presents a comprehensive, state-of-the-art review of airlift pumping, with a particular focus on three-phase flow systems. The manuscript is divided into two primary sections: an analytical approach and an experimental approach to the airlift system. The empirical methodologies discussed herein provide correlations for evaluating pump performance in both two-phase (air-water) and three-phase flow systems. Furthermore, the experimental findings shed light on how operational parameters impact system performance dynamics and flow regime transitions. Additionally, the paper discusses the utilization and advancement of airlift pumping systems in deep-sea mining operations. The technological advancements and challenges addressed within this paper offer valuable insights for improving the implementation methodologies for designing slurry pumping systems in the context of deep-sea mining operations. • Conducted a comprehensive review and presentation of airlift pumping systems, aiming to provide a thorough understanding of their mechanisms, advantages, and limitations for the vertical solid particle transport. • The empirical correlations for both two-phase and three-phase flow air-lift pumping systems are comprehensively presented, and their reliability is assessed through a comparative analysis with experimental results. • The experimental analyses presented by various authors have been thoroughly examined and organized in a table, including their variable geometrical and operational parameters, as well as significant findings. • The promising potential of air-lift pump systems in the emerging field of deep-sea mining is discussed in details. These discussions help us to understand the effective transport of solid particles from the ocean floor to the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation deals with exploring the effect of rotation scan strategy on microstructural evolution and hence mechanical behaviour of 316 L stainless steel prepared by additive manufacturing using selective laser melting technique. Higher anisotropy has been observed for samples where no hatch rotation was employed compared to the samples where a hatch rotation was involved during printing. The morphology of grains gets perturbed for samples prepared by hatch rotation 60˚ and hatch rot 74˚ when compared to the samples prepared using no hatch rotation or a hatch rotation of 90˚. The crystallographic texture component of the sample consists of a combination of < 100 > and < 110 > orientation (// building direction) except for the hatch rot 60˚ sample where the texture comprises of only < 110 >. It has been noticed that texture control is possible through giving a rotation such as 60˚ or 90˚. The samples prepared without any hatch rotation exhibited higher strain hardening due to combined action of slip and twin activity when compared to hatch rot 60˚ sample where < 110 > texture reduces the deformation mechanism to slip only. This study paves a new pathway to control the mechanical properties by tuning the appropriate texture along the BD. [Display omitted] • Texture can be controlled through interlayer hatch rotation in additive manufacturing. • A texture with < 100 > ||BD and < 110 > ||BD or solely < 110 > ||BD can be generated by controlling hatch rotation. • Strong < 100 > ||BD + <110 > ||BD texture promotes slip and twin; < 110 > ||BD texture promotes only slip. • Anisotropic dependence of mechanical properties can be attributed to texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass pea has the potential to become a miracle crop if the stigma attached to it as a toxic plant is ignored. In light of the following, we conducted transcriptome analyses on the high and low ODAP-containing cultivars i.e., Nirmal and Bidhan respectively in both normal and salt stress conditions. In this study, genes that work upstream and downstream to β-ODAP have been found. Among these genes, AAO3 and ACL5 were related to ABA and polyamine biosynthesis, showing the relevance of ABA and polyamines in boosting the β-ODAP content in Nirmal. Elevated β-ODAP levels in salt stress-treated Bidhan may have evolved tolerance by positively regulating the expression of genes involved in phenylpropanoid and jasmonic acid biosynthesis. Although the concentration of β-ODAP in Bidhan increased under salt stress, it was lower than in stress-treated Nirmal. Despite this, the expression of stress-related genes that work downstream to β-ODAP was found higher in stress-treated Bidhan. This could be because stress-treated Nirmal has lower GSH, proline, and higher H 2 O 2 , resulting in the development of severe oxidative stress. Overall, our research not only identified new genes linked with β-ODAP, but also revealed the molecular mechanism by which a low β-ODAP-containing cultivar developed tolerance against salinity stress. • Bidhan is a low-β-ODAP cultivar having salinity stress tolerance. • β-ODAP production is largely regulated by genes involved in ABA and polyamine biosynthesis. • Elevated β-ODAP in stress-treated Bidhan develops tolerance by positive regulation of phenylpropanoid and jasmonic acid biosynthesis related genes. • Elevated level of GSH and proline provides salinity stress tolerance to Bidhan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to comprehend the adsorption behavior of a set of anticancer drugs namely 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), doxorubicin and daunorubicin on ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) proposed as drug delivery systems employing solid state (ss) NMR, FTIR and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) analysis. FTIR and 1H MAS ssNMR data recorded for bare ZnO nanoparticle confirmed the presence of adsorbed –OH groups on the surface. 13C CP-MAS NMR spectra recorded for free and ZnO surface adsorbed drug samples exhibited considerable line broadening and chemical shift changes that complemented our earlier report on UV-DRS and XRD data of surface adsorption in case of 5-FU. Moreover, a remarkable enhancement of 13C signal intensity in case of loaded 5-FU was observed. This clearly indicated rigid nature of the drug on the surface allowing efficient transfer of 1H polarization from the hetero nitrogen of 5-FU to ZnO to form surface hydroxyl (–OH) groups and the same has been observed in the quantum chemical calculations. To further analyze the motional dynamics of the surface adsorbed 5-FU, longitudinal relaxation times (T 1) were quantified employing Torchia method that revealed significant enhancement of 13C relaxation rate of adsorbed 5-FU. The enhanced rate suggested an effective role of quadrupolar contribution from 67Zn to the 13C relaxation mechanism of ZnO_5-FU. The heterogeneous rate constant (k het), average free energy of activation (∆ G ≠) and point of zero charge (PZC) measured for free and drug loaded ZnO NPs samples using CV further support the SS-NMR results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with adverse outcomes in transplantation communities. Mucormycosis, although a rare infection, has been classically linked to organ transplantation and is associated with exceptionally high morbidity and mortality rates. In this pandemic era, the double infection of mucormycosis and COVID-19 is a lethal combination but is rarely described in the literature on organ transplantation. This article presents the case of a young kidney transplant recipient with diabetes who acquired severe COVID-19, followed by disseminated mucormycosis. The patient was a health care worker who developed severe COVID-19, for which he received remdesivir, anticoagulation, and dexamethasone. No immunomodulatory therapy was used. His maximum oxygen support was bilevel positive airway pressure ventilation. His sugar levels were frequently deranged during the stay. He developed secondary sepsis with Klebsiella , followed by nonhealing lung consolidation. He later developed pleural effusion and splenic abscess, which was detected incidentally. He underwent an emergency splenectomy, the culture of which yielded mucormycosis. Liposomal amphotericin B 5 mg/kg was administered. The patient deteriorated, and a repeat laparotomy yielded gastric perforation, with pus culture showing mucormycosis. The patient died after a long hospital stay. The diagnosis and management of this dual infection during the pandemic is extremely challenging. In this case, the unusual location of mucormycosis complicating COVID-19 calls for a meticulous approach to opportunistic fungal infections in organ transplant recipients who are positive for COVID-19, especially in those patients with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims to synthesize the rifaximin loaded chitosan-alginate core-shell nanoparticles (Rif@CS/Alg-NPs) for antibacterial applications. The core-shell nanoparticles (Rif@CS/Alg-NPs) were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-rays diffraction (XRD) and zeta analyzer. The antibacterial activities of Rif@CS/Alg-NPs were investigated against three species of bacteria namely Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Bacillus haynesii (BH). Rif@CS/Alg-NPs exhibited outstanding antibacterial activities against E. coli , P. aeroginosa and Bacillus haynesii (BH) with 24 mm, 30 mm and 34 mm zone of inhibitions, respectively. Cytotoxicity of Rif@CS/Alg-NPs was also evaluated against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 and found to be nontoxic. The drug release behavior of Rif@CS/Alg-NPs was investigated at different pH levels and maximum drug release (80%) was achieved at pH (7.2). The drug release kinetic data followed the Higuchi (R2 = 0.9963) kinetic model, indicating the drug release from Rif@CS/Alg-NPs as a square root of time-dependent process and diffusion controlled. Current research provides a cost-effective and green approach toward the synthesis of Rif@CS/Alg-NPs for its antibacterial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims to synthesize the pH-sensitive crosslinked guar gum-g-poly(acrylic acid- co -acrylonitrile) [guar-g-(AA-co-ACN)] via microwave-assisted technique for the sustained release of thymoquinone. The synthesized material [guar-g-(AA-co-ACN)] was optimized by varying synthetic parameters viz. monomer concentration, reaction time, and microwave power to obtain the maximum yield of the crosslinked guar gum grafted product as well as maximum encapsulation of thymoquinone. The synthesized material [guar-g-poly(AA- co -ACN)] was characterized by FT-IR, SEM, XRD, NMR, zeta potential, and thermal techniques. This synthesized material was used to encapsulate thymoquinone (TQ) for effective nanotherapeutic delivery. In-vitro thymoquinone release behavior of guar-g-poly(AA- co -ACN) based nanoparticles (NpTGG) was investigated. The maximum thymoquinone release (78%) was achieved at pH 7.4 and time (6 h). The NpTGG also exhibited better antioxidant activity and hemocompatibility as compared to thymoquinone. Cytotoxicity of uar-g-(AA-co-ACN) and NpTGG was also evaluated against the human kidney VERO cell line and found to be nontoxic. Current research provides a cost-effective and green approach for the synthesis of guar-g-(AA-co-ACN) and NpTGG for sustained release of thymoquinone. • Guar gum was grafted without the use of an initiator through a microwave-assisted process. • Grafting was confirmed through SEM, TGA, FTIR, and NMR techniques. • Grafted material was utilized as a nanocarrier for drug delivery. • Grafted materials exhibited cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility. • Grafted guar gum nanoparticles with drug showed good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Degree of hydrolysis of 20.95 % obtained with Flavourzyme for Indian Spent Hen meat. • Antioxidant activity of spray-dried powder was 18 % higher than freeze-dried powder. • Spray-dried powder had 21 % higher bioaccessibility than freeze-dried powder. • Particle size of spray-dried powder was 20 % higher than freeze-dried powder. • Spray-dried powder found more suitable for nutraceutical applications. A detailed characterisation of spent hen meat hydrolysate (SMH) powders was done in this study. Briefly, SMH was obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of whole spent hen meat of Indian layer bird breed (BV-300) using Flavourzyme® at optimised temperature (54 °C) and pH 6.6 for 30 min. The spray-dried (SD-SMH) hydrolysate powder showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher antioxidant activity (via the DPPH assay) than the freeze-dried (FD-SMH) hydrolysate powder, possibly due to the high level of sulphur-containing amino acids, as quantified by GC–MS/MS. The FD-SMH powder exhibited a higher average particle diameter (687 nm) and lower zeta potential (0.08 mV) than the SD-SMH powder (particle diameter =545 nm and zeta potential =–10.20 mV). Morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) corroborated significantly (p < 0.05) higher flowability of spray-dried powder (15.24; distinct spherical structure) than the freeze-dried powder (26.55; lamellar/shrivelled structure). The higher bioaccessibility of SD-SMH than FD-SMH depicted its preserved bioactivity, even after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Overall, SD-SMH powder exerts the potential to be used in the food industry for its potential exploitation as a functional food ingredient or for nutraceutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • LCA study of fermentative production of succinic acid using bread waste. • GHG emissions and non-renewable energy use (NREU) are evaluated. • Processes using steam and heating oil are found to be environmental hotspots. • GHG emissions and NREU were significantly lower than fossil based succinic acid. According to the US Department of Energy, succinic acid (SA) is a top platform chemical that can be produced from biomass. Bread waste, which has high starch content, is the second most wasted food in the UK and can serve as a potential low cost feedstock for the production of SA. This work evaluates the environmental performance of a proposed biorefinery concept for SA production by fermentation of waste bread using a cradle-to-factory gate life cycle assessment approach. The performance was assessed in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and non-renewable energy use (NREU). Waste bread fermentation demonstrated a better environmental profile compared to the fossil-based system, however, GHG emissions were about 50 % higher as compared to processes using other biomass feedstocks such as corn wet mill or sorghum grains. NREU for fermentative SA production using waste bread was significantly lower (~ 46 %) than fossil-based system and about the same as that of established biomass-based processes, thus proving the great potential of waste bread as a valuable feedstock for bioproduction of useful chemicals. The results show that steam and heating oil used in the process were the biggest contributors to the NREU and GHG emissions. Sensitivity analyses highlighted the importance of the solid biomass waste generated in the process which can potentially be used as fish feed. The LCA analysis can be used for targeted optimization of SA production from bread waste, thereby enabling the utilization of an otherwise waste stream and leading to the establishment of a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin is a powerful chemotherapy medicine that is frequently used to treat cancer, but because of its extremely destructive side effects on other healthy cells, its applications have been severely constrained. With the aim of using lower therapeutic doses of doxorubicin while maintaining the same anti-cancerous activity as those of higher doses, the present study designs nano-encapsulation of doxorubicin by acrylamide grafted melanin as core and acrylic acid grafted flax seed gum as shell (DOX@AAM-g-ML/AA-g-FSG-NPs) for studies in-vivo and in-vitro anticancer activity. For biological studies, the cytotoxicity of DOX@AAM-g-ML/AA-g-FSG-NPs was examined on a cancerous human cell line (HCT-15) and it was observed that DOX@AAM-g-ML/AA-g-FSG-NPs exhibited very high toxicity towards HCT-15. In-vivo investigation in colon cancer-inflicted rat model also showed that DOX@AAM-g-ML/AA-g-FSG-NPs showed better anticancer activity against cancerous cells as compared to free doxorubicin. The drug release behavior of DOX@GML-GFS-NPs was studied at several pH and maximum drug release (95 %) was recorded at pH -7.2, and kinetic data of drug release was follows the Higuchi (R2 = 0.9706) kinetic model. Our study is focussed on reducing the side effects of doxorubicin by its nano-encapsulation in acrylamide grafted melanin as core and acrylic acid grafted flax seed gum that will also enhance its efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depending on the capacity of civilization to create the materials, alloys have evolved from simple to complex compositions. Advances in civilization are made possible by improved functions and performance of composites. Significant evolution and improvement have resulted in the development of special alloys such as stainless steels, high-speed steels, and superalloys throughout the last century. Over the past 14 years, there has been a lot of interest in High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs). Compared to conventional dilute alloys, HEA has a different alloy design concept. The appealing characteristics of HEA include its high thermal stability, remarkable creep and fatigue performances, and outstanding corrosion resistance. HEAs have novel properties such as their outstanding specific strength, superior mechanical performance at high temperatures, exceptional ductility, and fracture toughness at cryogenic temperatures, superparamagnetic, and superconductivity. These alloys could be used as refractory, structural, functional, and biomedical materials as a result of advancements in the sector. HEAs are of interest as reinforcement in metal matrix composites for new applications, due to their significant structural and functional capacity as well as richness of design, which motivates further research. In order to produce many HEA reinforcement-based composites with improved properties and functionality in the future, a thorough understanding of the essence of HEAs is essential. The HEA is currently being investigated as a reinforcement particle in metal matrix composites. There are numerous and dispersed research projects on HEA reinforcement-based composites. In this review paper, it has attempted to compile important data on HEA reinforcement based composite materials. The review includes comprehensive coverage of (1) processing methods, (2) microstructure characterization, and (3) mechanical properties of HEA reinforcement based composite materials. A brief note on the potential application of HEA reinforcement based composite materials is also suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin is a powerful chemotherapy medicine that is frequently used to treat cancer, but because of its extremely destructive side effects on other healthy cells, its applications have been severely constrained. With the aim of using lower therapeutic doses of doxorubicin while maintaining the same anti-cancerous activity as those of higher doses, the present study designs nano-encapsulation of doxorubicin by acrylamide grafted melanin as core and acrylic acid grafted flax seed gum as shell (DOX@AAM-g-ML/AA-g-FSG-NPs) for studies in-vivo and in-vitro anticancer activity. For biological studies, the cytotoxicity of DOX@AAM-g-ML/AA-g-FSG-NPs was examined on a cancerous human cell line (HCT-15) and it was observed that DOX@AAM-g-ML/AA-g-FSG-NPs exhibited very high toxicity towards HCT-15. In-vivo investigation in colon cancer-inflicted rat model also showed that DOX@AAM-g-ML/AA-g-FSG-NPs showed better anticancer activity against cancerous cells as compared to free doxorubicin. The drug release behavior of DOX@GML-GFS-NPs was studied at several pH and maximum drug release (95 %) was recorded at pH -7.2, and kinetic data of drug release was follows the Higuchi (R2 = 0.9706) kinetic model. Our study is focussed on reducing the side effects of doxorubicin by its nano-encapsulation in acrylamide grafted melanin as core and acrylic acid grafted flax seed gum that will also enhance its efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article reports a unique maglev micro-electric discharge machining to replicate the feature size at the nanoscale using ZnO nanopillars. These nanopillars were developed on copper tooltip (ø100 μm) via a low-temperature hydrothermal growth. The tooltip's morphological characterization indicates that the nanopillars are well-grown in size and shape. Experiments with short-period discharge (4.5 ms) were carried out in a dry condition on Inconel-625. The localization impact of the nanopillars (R = ρι/А) is projected to lead to a reduction in the intensity of discharge energy per unit pulse. In addition, it is widely known that the discharge only occurs in the vicinity of a gap state. The formation of geometrically irregular nanocavities on the exceptionally smooth work surface supported this. According to field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), the nanopatterned cavities are the mirror image of the bundles of nanopillars that developed due to the thermal impact of electrical discharge at the localized position. Volt-ampere (V–I) waveforms were captured to characterize the discharge stability of short pulses. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) technique was used to characterize the tooltip and produce nanocavities on an elemental level. Finally, this top-down approach's findings show that nano-EDM is achievable and may open opportunities for micro-nano electromechanical devices. [Display omitted] • A novel servo gap control mechanism for micro-EDM using magnetic levitation. • ZnO nanopillars serve as nanotools for geometrically irregular nanopatterned. • Localization effect of tool is found to be effective in reducing discharge energy. • System response has been characterized via the volt-ampere (V–I) curve. • The possibility of nano-EDM has been recognized for future work and potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Colmonoy 6 coating was effectively deposited on SS304 stainless steel using PTA method. • Wear and friction behavior were studied at nano-scale using AFM. • Despite being harder than the substrate, the coatings showed poor wear resistance. • Nanoscale wear behavior was governed by interfacial shear strength rather than material hardness. Using an atomic force microscope, the nano-scale tribological behavior of Colmonoy 6 (Ni-Cr-Si-B) coating deposited over SS304 steel using plasma transferred arc (PTA) cladding technique was studied. The coating primarily confirmed the presence of the second phases Cr 6 B 3 , Ni 4 B 3 , and Ni 2 B, which contributed to both dispersion and solid solution strengthening. Despite being four times harder than the substrate, the coating demonstrated increased wear and friction. The low wear resistance of the developed coating was due to their high interfacial shear strength, as determined by additional wear-less AFM experiments. Overall, the wear and friction behavior at nano-scale were found to be governed by interfacial shear strength rather than material hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New three degree of freedom decoupled parallel cascade control architecture. • For stable, unstable and integrating models with/without delay and inverse response. • Two/Three controllers that can be tuned independently. • Simple tuning strategy with two/three adjustable parameters. • Enhanced performance-robustness tradeoff. To control stable, unstable and integrating chemical processes, a new three-degree of freedom (3DOF) decoupled parallel cascade control architecture (PCCA) is proposed. The proposed PCCA assimilates two/three controllers (secondary disturbance rejection controller, stabilizing controller for only unstable/integrating plants and set-point tracking controller). Internal model control approach (IMCA) augmented with integral of squared error (ISE) minimization and robustness considerations are adopted to design both the secondary loop disturbance rejection controller and the outer-loop set-point tracking controller with the satisfactory performance-robustness tradeoff. Maximum sensitivity constraints and Routh-Hurwitz stability criteria are applied to design the proportional-derivative (PD) controller which stabilizes the unstable and integrating primary plant. It is worth mentioning that the suggested decoupled 3DOF PCCA requires tuning of only two/three controller parameters which are less when compared to recently reported strategies. Robust stability of the suggested 3DOF PCCA is studied in the presence of uncertainty. The simulation results epitomize that the suggested methodology imparts pre-eminent enhancement in closed-loop performance (faster setpoint following and disturbance elimination) for both nominal as well as perturbed plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • State-of-the-art and research progress on various PSCs electron transport layers (ETL). • ETL/Perovskite interface stability against moisture-induced, thermal-induced and UV light-induced degradations. • High power conversion efficiency and stability of Tandem junction solar cells. • Limitations, challenges and prospects of ETL-based performances. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted extensive research interest in energy harvesting systems for their superior performance due to high absorption coefficients, long electron-hole diffusion length and ambipolar charge transport. The rapid progress achieved in conversion efficiency and charge transfer stabilities of PSCs is promising to meet future energy demands. Nevertheless, the long-term stability of the absorber and the electron transport layers (ETL) of PSCs is a significant challenge for commercialization. This review focuses on PSCs' stability, efficiency, interface engineering, and durability, particularly emphasising their ZnO-based ETL. Recent progress and challenges in enhancing the stability against moisture-induced, thermal-induced, and UV light-induced degradation have also been discussed critically. The review presents the enhancement in efficiency and stability via tandem configurations and highlights existing challenges and future perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a very small neutron cross-section along with excellent mechanical properties, zirconium alloys are generally used as structural and working components of a nuclear reactor's core. Some of these components experience fluid flow-induced vibrations that can result in tribological interaction leading to wear of the components. The present study investigates the tribological response when Zr-2.5Nb is slid against SS-410 to explore the effect of temperature, and other test parameters like sliding duration, sliding frequency, and sliding amplitude. The dominant wear mechanism is adhesive wear at low amplitude, promoting the material transfer of one component to another and tribo-oxide formation. The Coefficient of Friction (COF) is higher at high temperature (260 °C) than that at Room Temperature (RT). [Display omitted] • Low amplitude reciprocating friction and wear tests were conducted on Zr-2.5Nb against SS-410. • The COF decreases with increasing frequency and increases with increasing temperature. • Ploughing and micro cutting are also observed at higher amplitudes indicating the presence of abrasive wear. • Material transfer from one component to contributes to the deposition of worn material in the form of layers. • Tribo-oxide and mechanically mixed layer formed during wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The projection of the intensity of the epidemics based on their prolonged history remains wanting or lagging altogether. Numerous modeling techniques are being developed to forecast the future of the disease. Various mathematical models have been developed in the literature which assume the spread of infection by considering interaction among the susceptible and infected classes only. In this paper, we propose a more realistic modified SEIR (susceptible–exposed–infected–recovered) model with a time delay in which the origin of infection by interaction within the susceptible and exposed classes is also analyzed. Moreover, various stochastic characteristics, such as population migration and linkages at local levels, are also taken into account to depict more logical population dynamics. We compute the basic reproductive number and investigate the existence and stability of disease-free equilibrium and endemic equilibrium. The effect of crucial parameters influencing disease dynamics on basic reproductive numbers is also being investigated. It has been seen that the basic reproductive number increases with the increase in time delay, contrary to observations in the past. This highlights the significance of the incorporated modified interactions within susceptible and exposed classes along with their factual parameters on the disease dynamics. • We propose a modified SEIR model with time delay. • Interaction within the susceptible and exposed classes is considered. • The parameters like population movement and local connections are incorporated. • The existence and stability of disease-free and endemic equilibrium are examined. • The basic reproductive number and its relation with important parameters is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies on electro-active polymers (EAP) have largely ignored the unequal-biaxial deformation instability, focusing instead on the equi-biaxial deformation instability of such a material class. The present study develops the first thermo-electrostrictive unequal-biaxial deformation instability model for particle-reinforced EAP composites filled with suitably added filler, which enhances its performance. The model first calibrates the particle-reinforced electromechanical material-oriented data in conjunction with previously released experiments. Later, the model demonstrates several unstable failure modes of the composites, namely thermal absorption, tension loss, electrical breakdown, electromechanical instability, and stretch rupture. Analytical findings of the model solution also manifest the stable and unstable zones of studied polymeric composites undergoing thermo-electromechanical unequal-biaxial deformation in conjunction with all unstable failure modes. Such findings of the proposed model have significant implications for soft robotics, particularly in forecasting the behavior of EAP-based smart composites used in the design of more advanced and efficient soft robotic systems. • An overlooked thermo-electrostrictive unequal-biaxial deformation instability model for EAP composites is developed. • A second law of thermodynamics-based continuum mechanics approach is followed. • Several unstable failure modes of EAP composites are demonstrated. • The stable working areas of EAP composites undergoing thermo-electrostrictive unequal-biaxial deformation are displayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal additive manufacturing, particularly the direct energy deposition (DED) method, has rapidly evolved over the last decade and become a prime technique to revolutionize the fabrication sector, particularly for aerospace, automotive, and biomedical industries. In this study, the DED-printed CoCrNi medium entropy alloy has been subjected to two alternative processing methods: hot rolling and hot isostatic pressing. The effects of processing routes on microstructural evolution, defect minimization such as porosities, dislocations, and their cumulative impact on mechanical properties and wear response have been studied. The diverse responses of the material surface parallel and perpendicular to the build direction were rationalized based on the repetitive and complex heating of selective surfaces during deposition. Compared to the hot isostatic processed specimen, the hot rolled specimen illustrates a ∼ 40% increase in hardness and subsequent ∼21% reduction in wear rate for the material parallel to the build direction, whereas ∼34% increment in hardness and ∼ 19% reduction in wear rate for the material perpendicular to the build direction. Further, the effect of processing routes on the corrosion behaviour was recorded in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution using potentiodynamic polarization test. Hot isostatic pressed specimen demonstrates better corrosion resistance (∼37%) than hot rolled specimen due to the lesser number of grain boundaries or corrosion nucleation sites. • The effect of processing routes on direct energy deposited CoCrNi MEA has been investigated. • The porosity defects have been almost eliminated by the hot rolling and subsequent annealing process. • The anisotropic nature of DED printed CoCrNi MEA has been minimized/almost eliminated by HIP and HR processes. • An improved corrosion performance has been achieved by the hot isostatic pressing route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial tissues made of fiber-reinforced elastomers typically have mechanical properties similar to biological tissues. Such a similarity motivates artificial tissue usage in building human-like soft robots aiming primarily to perform a wide range of human-like motions and effectively interact with the human environment. Soft robots can be ripped or damaged for unknown reasons in a variety of applications. The literature has no unified stress-based criterion for predicting the critical zones of artificial tissues undergoing deformations. Such a unified stress-based criterion typically entails detecting internal damage and establishing the stress limit criterion based on the maximum stretching threshold. The current study establishes an experimentally validated rupture criterion for a novel class of smart artificial tissues made of electro-active polymers motivated by biological tissue damages in several robust conditions. A thermodynamically consistent mechanoelectrical deformation model is formulated, demonstrating that such tissues have inherent anisotropy that must be taken into account when modeling such materials. Later, a continuum physics-based rupture model is derived as a unified stress-based criterion to investigate the effect of physical parameters associated with artificial tissue failure. A well-known octahedral stress-based von Mises failure theory is adopted to examine all the principal deformation modes of artificial tissues up to rupture. • A physics-based rupture model for smart artificial tissues is established. • A well-known octahedral stress-based von Mises failure is followed. • The model detects internal damage and establishes the stress limit criterion. • The failure surfaces in the major stress space under biaxial stress fields are displayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan is an antimicrobial, biodegradable and biocompatible natural polymer, commercially derived from the partial deacetylation of chitin. Currently modified chitosan has occupied a major part of scientific research. Modified chitosan has excellent biotic characteristics like biodegradation, antibacterial, immunological, metal-binding and metal adsorption capacity and wound-healing ability. Chitosan is an excellent candidate for drug delivery, food packaging and wastewater treatment and is also used as a supporting object for cell culture, gene delivery and tissue engineering. Modification of pure chitosan via grafting improves the native properties of chitosan. Chitosan grafted copolymers exhibit high significance and are extensively used in numerous fields. In this review, modifications of chitosan through several graft copolymerization techniques such as free radical, radiation, and enzymatic were reported and the properties of grafted chitosan were discussed. This review also discussed the applications of grafted chitosan in the fields of drug delivery, food packaging, antimicrobial, and metal adsorption as well as dye removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functionality and structural properties of nanomaterials significantly depend on the synthesis method. This work explored a novel fast route to deposit ultrathin zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflakes on a conical microprobe tip by combining the effect of hydrothermal, electrochemical, and electro-discharge deposition process. The experimental results indicate the formation of ZnO nanoflakes and show the variance of thickness (min≤10 nm)/morphologies at different electrochemical parameters. The impact of varying voltage potential and concentration was analyzed and discussed. A hydrothermally prepared precursor solution of zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO 3) 2 ·6H 2 O) and hexamine ((CH 2) 6 N 4) was used as a growth solution. The crystallinity and phase purity were analyzed by XRD. The functional groups, molecular fingerprints, were recognized by FTIR. Further, the bandgap energy (3.262eV) was estimated by Mott-Davis relation in UV–Vis spectroscopy via Tauc plot. • Hydrothermal, electrochemical, and electro-discharge deposition process is combined to deposit ultrathin ZnO nanoflakes. • The morphological evolution, size distribution, chemical, and optical characterization has been investigated. • The role of introducing tip and growth mechanism is explained. • The bandgap energy (3.262eV) and functional group of the material are shown • The promising potential of ZnO nanoflakes is identified for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pathogens and tumor cells develop complement evasion mechanisms. • B-1 B cells produce critical natural antibodies in the infectious and tumorigenic immune response. • Natural antibodies recognize and opsonize microbial and cancer antigens. The complement cascade consists of cell bound and serum proteins acting together to protect the host from pathogens, remove cancerous cells and effectively links innate and adaptive immune responses. Despite its usefulness in microbial neutralization and clearance of cancerous cells, excessive complement activation causes an immune imbalance and tissue damage in the host. Hence, a series of complement regulatory proteins present at a higher concentration in blood plasma and on cell surfaces tightly regulate the cascade. The complement cascade can be initiated by B-1 B cell production of natural antibodies. Natural antibodies arise spontaneously without any known exogenous antigenic or microbial stimulus and protect against invading pathogens, clear apoptotic cells, provide tissue homeostasis, and modulate adaptive immune functions. Natural IgM antibodies recognize microbial and cancer antigens and serve as an activator of complement mediated lysis. This review will discuss advances in complement activation and regulation in bacterial and viral infections, and cancer. We will also explore the crosstalk of natural antibodies with bacterial populations and cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Silica-coated ibuprofen-loaded CMTKP beads were prepared by ionic gelation technique. • Different batches of beads were optimized using response surface methodology. • The optimized batch showed 89.2% entrapment efficiency and 92% drug release over 24 h. • FESEM EDX confirmed the coating of silica on the surface of beads. • Silica coating sustained the in vitro release of ibuprofen following Zero order kinetics. In present study, the release characteristics of ibuprofen-loaded carboxymethyl tamarind kernel polysaccharide beads were modified by coating with silica. The influence of concentrations of carboxymethyl tamarind kernel polysaccharide, calcium chloride and tetraethoxysilane on the % entrapment and in vitro release of ibuprofen was optimized using response surface methodology. The coating of beads with silica restricted the drug release from the beads but at the same time the ethanol formed as by-product of the sol gel process leached out the drug. The optimized batch of beads were prepared using carboxymethyl tamarind kernel powder-12.5 (%, w/v), calcium chloride-10.12 (%, w/v) and coated with tetraethoxysilane-0.25 M, entrapped 89.2% and released 92% of drug over 24 h. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed the coating of silica on the beads. The coating with silica shielded the crevices on the surface of beads but it did not elicit any significant change in thermal stability of beads. Further, in vitro release was found to be in good agreement with the swelling study. Modeling analysis revealed that ibuprofen was released from the beads following zero-order kinetics with erosion of the matrix as the main mechanism of drug release. Thus, silica coating provides a facile strategy to formulate sustained release formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotavirus is a major cause of severe acute gastroenteritis in the infants and young children. The past decade has evidenced the role of intrinsically disordered proteins/regions (IDPs)/(IDPRs) in viral and other diseases. In general, (IDPs)/(IDPRs) are considered as dynamic conformational ensembles that devoid of a specific 3D structure, being associated with various important biological phenomena. Viruses utilize IDPs/IDPRs to survive in harsh environments, to evade the host immune system, and to highjack and manipulate host cellular proteins. The role of IDPs/IDPRs in Rotavirus biology and pathogenicity are not assessed so far, therefore, we have designed this study to deeply look at the penetrance of intrinsic disorder in rotavirus proteome consisting 12 proteins encoded by 11 segments of viral genome. Also, for all human rotaviral proteins, we have deciphered molecular recognition features (MoRFs), which are disorder based binding sites in proteins. Our study shows the wide spread of intrinsic disorder in several rotavirus proteins, primarily the nonstructural proteins NSP3, NSP4, and NSP5 that are involved in viral replication, translation, viroplasm formation and/or maturation. This study may serve as a primer for understanding the role of IDPs/MoRFs in rotavirus biology, design of alternative therapeutic strategies, and development of disorder-based drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auxetic materials with negative Poisson's ratio have potential applications across a broad range of engineering fields. Several FE based design techniques have been developed to achieve auxetic materials with targeted effective properties, mostly in linear deformation regime. In this paper, an isogeometric shape optimization framework for designing 2D auxetic materials with prescribed deformation over large strain intervals is presented. Taking into account practical manufacturing considerations, a minimum thickness for each member is imposed via a spline-based geometric constraint. The capability of the framework is demonstrated through two examples. First, the paper considers shape optimization of smoothed hexa-petals in plane strain condition to achieve constant Poisson's ratios ranging from a null value to -0.5 to an effective tensile strain of 50%. The second example showcases the shape optimization of smoothed tri- and hexa-petals in plane stress condition for targeted nonlinear deformation behaviour of cat's skin up to 90% tensile strain. • Shape optimization with IGA for smoothed petals with targeted deformation. • Minimum member thickness enforced with a spline based constraint. • Constant negative Poisson's ratio achieved for up till 50% effective tensile strain in plane strain. • Replicated nonlinear deformation of cat's skin up to 90% tensile strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dual loop-internal model control scheme for load frequency control is proposed. • Single-area and multi-area power systems are considered for validation of scheme. • Model reduction is utilized to obtain the predictive model of proposed scheme. • Results with parametric uncertainties and external load disturbances are also presented. In this paper, a dual loop-internal model control (DL-IMC) scheme for load frequency control (LFC) issue of multi-area power systems is presented. The proposed scheme contains two control loops for disturbance rejection and minimization of oscillations. The inner loop of the proposed configuration contains an IMC controller and the outer loop controller is derived by using a predictive model based on model reduction. In order to validate the proposed approach, single and two area reheated thermal power system (TPS), and hydrothermal power systems (HTPS) are considered. The robustness of the proposed scheme is shown by introducing ± 50 % perturbations in the system parameters for different values of external load disturbances. The proposed method is extended for a three-area reheated HTPS with wind and solar power penetrations along with random wind speed and solar irradiance. In addition to this, the simulation results of a four-area reheated HTPS with renewable power sources such as wind power generator, solar power generator, fuel cell and aqua-electrolyzer to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistant nontyphoidal Salmonella in 39 retail chicken meat shops located in 7 towns of North India. Overall, nontyphoidal Salmonella prevalence of 9.43% (70/742) was observed. Highest Salmonella prevalence was observed in Lalkuan (20.99%). Chicken meat samples (40%) showed highest Salmonella prevalence followed by poultry feces (20%). Three serotypes of Salmonella were identified, Salmonella Kentucky (S.Kentucky, 74.29%), Salmonella Virchow (S.Virchow, 17.14%) and Salmonella Typhimurium (S.Typhimurium, 7.14%). All isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR) by disk-diffusion assay, showing resistance to three or more classes of antibiotics. High resistance was observed to tetracycline (100%), erythromycin (100%), nalidixic acid (98.57%), ampicillin (95.71%) and ciprofloxacin (82.86%). Fifty-one (98.08%) S. Kentucky isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Of these, 49 S. Kentucky isolates showed MIC values in the range of 3 to >256 μg/ml. Twenty-nine (41.43%) Salmonella isolates were co-resistant to ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime by disk-diffusion test. The tet A gene was detected in all Salmonella isolates and the bla TEM was the most predominant (25.37%) β-lactam gene. Multiple virulence genes such as sip A, mgt C, s op E1, s tn , sop B, fli C, spv C and gip A were also detected. High resistance to quinolone, cephalosporin and tetracycline antibiotics in nontyphoidal Salmonella isolates of poultry origin points towards their extra-label use in poultry farms. • Salmonella Kentucky as the predominant serotype in retail chicken shops. • All Salmonella isolates (100%) are multidrug resistant. • 41.43% Salmonella isolates co-resistant to ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime. • High ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin MICs. • bla TEM (25.37%) is the most predominant β-lactam gene detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano and dusty fluids provide new possibilities to improve energy transfer efficiencies. Motivated by immiscible fluids duct flow framework in the filtration of hydrocarbon materials, the objective of this manuscript is to present the numerical study of three immiscible fluids namely, copper oxide-ethylene glycol (CuO-EG) water nano, Saffman dusty, and plain Newtonian fluids in the horizontal channel. For the formulation of the mathematical model, the dusty fluid is positioned between the immiscible layers of the nanofluid and Newtonian fluid. The interface between the immiscible fluids is continuous and non-deformable in nature. The flow is driven by an externally time-dependent pressure gradient. The novel radial basis function pseudospectral (RBFPS) method is employed to solve the governed partial differential equations, and the resulting outcomes are compared with cubic B-spline differential quadrature and finite difference method. The impact of several crucial fluid parameters, comprising the volume percentage of CuO nanoparticles, the dust particle concentration parameter, and various others on velocity profiles, are presented graphically. It is observed that despite being present only in the lower zone, the CuO nanoparticles have an impact on the flow velocities in other zones also. The fluid and particle velocities decrease as the volume fraction of CuO increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]