Search

The objective of the present investigation is to synthesise and characterise the Cu-Al-Ag shape memory alloys with minor Mn addition. Synthesis of Cu-Al-Ag-Mn SMA was done by induction furnace and gravity die casting, with constant Ag/Mn ratio (5% Ag and 2% Mn), the aluminium composition is varied from 8% to 14%. The as-cast sample will be further subjected to thermo-mechanical treatment to produce a sheet which exhibits shape memory effect. This study is to determine the influence of Al content on shape memory characteristics, microstructure, and phase transformation temperatures. The phase fraction of β'1 increased from 56% to 67% along with subsequent reduction of γ1' phase fraction from 23% to 17%, which is essential for improvement of shape memory properties with increase of aluminium constituent. X-ray diffraction revealed that the crystalline size decreased 79 to 32 nm and lattice strains increased from 0.24% to 0.69% with increase of Aluminium. With an increase in aluminium content, the martensite transformation temperature decreased from 386°C to 246°C, and the shape memory effect increased from 81 to 90% strain recovery. The ability to control shape memory characteristics by changing Al composition will improve the scope for this alloy in various shape memory applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrusion detection systems (IDS) are extensively employed for detecting suspicious behaviors in hosts. The ability of distributed IDS solutions makes it viable to combine and handle various kinds of sensors and generate alerts to different hosts positioned in distributed platforms. However, to offer secure and feasible services in a cloud platform is an imperative issue due to the impacts of attacks. This paper devises a novel IDS framework using cloud data to counter the influence of attacks. Here, the spark architecture is employed for discovering the intrusions. The pre-processing is applied to the input data for removing artifacts and noise considering input data. Thereafter, the feature extraction and feature fusion are performed in slave nodes. The feature fusion is carried out with the proposed Exponential Squirrel Search Algorithm (ExpSSA) algorithm. The fused features are considered in a deep-stacked autoencoder (Deep SAE) for performing effective intrusion detection. The proposed ExpSSA is adapted to train Deep SAE for tuning optimum weights. The exponential weighted moving average (EWMA) and squirrel search algorithm (SSA) are combined to create the proposed ExpSSA. The proposed ExpSSA-based Deep SAE offered improved performance compared to other techniques with the highest accuracy, detection rate of 0.846, and minimal FPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new phosphorylated derivatives of didanosine were designed, synthesized and evaluated their anticancer effects on human breast cancer cells. Their binding affinities were evaluated against aromatase enzyme and the molecular docking studies demonstrated that 9a, 9h and 9i exhibited high binding interactions than the parent molecule (ddI) and other derivatives; evaluated the aromatase enzyme inhibition. The cell viability, cell proliferation, lactate dehydrogenase showed potential anti-proliferative in dose dependent manner, these results were well correlated with hoesch stain and DNA fragmentation on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity results disclosed that tryptophan amino acid ester substituted derivative 9i showed potential cell death against MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines. Furthermore, compound 9i has great potential significance for further investigations (in vivo). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new photoluminescent disc-like copper (II) metallomesogen of the type [CuL2] {H2L = 2,4-bis((E)-((4-(hexadecyloxy)phenyl)imino)methyl)phenol} have been synthesized. The compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ultraviolet – visible spectroscopy (UV – Vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Mesomorphic behavior of the compounds was probed with the help of polarizing optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The organization of the molecules in the mesophase was investigated by X-ray diffraction techniques. The ligand is non-mesogenic but the copper complex exhibited thermally stable columnar mesophases at about 86°C. The copper complex is a blue-light emitter both in solution and in the solid state. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) study was carried out using 6–31 G (d, p) basis set with unrestricted B3LYP level to obtain a stable, optimized structure, which revealed a distorted square-planar geometry for the copper complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platinum group of elements (PGE) mineral is a valuable resource for platinum and other elements. Grinding experiments were conducted in a laboratory-scale stirred mill on a low-grade PGE bearing chromite ore. High-Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) product of −1 mm was used as feed material to the stirred mill experiments. A four-factor (stirrer speed, grinding time, pulp density, and media filling) and a five-level Central Composite Design matrix (CCD) was applied to investigate the stirred mill performance in coarse grinding. The stirred mill grinding efficiency was evaluated based on the particle size distribution and energy consumption. The experimental results showed that the stirrer speed, grinding time, and media filling significantly affect the product size and energy consumption. Pulp density had little influence on the process responses. 3D response surface plots were also discussed in detail to better understand the process variables. A finer size product of 274.7 µm (reduction ratio of 2.63) was achieved at optimal conditions of the stirred mill with an expense of 26.01 kWh/t energy. The results stated that good performance was obtained with the coarser feed size in the stirred mill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work aimed to explore the structure-property relations of 6-methoxy-2-naphthaldehyde (MN) and its second harmonic generation efficiency through spectroscopic characterization and quantum chemical computations. The structural characterization of the compound has been done by FT-IR, FT-Raman and its electronic transitions were observed through UV-vis excitation spectrum. The observed peak at 3335 cm − 1 corresponding to the hydrogen-bonded OH bond in the FT-IR spectrum of MN confirms the dimer formation through the aldehyde group. Hence, stacking dimer as well as dimer models through hydrogen bonds were proposed. The prominent bands in the observed UV-vis spectrum of MN are reproduced well using TD-DFT calculation. The quantum chemical calculation was performed to get insightful information on the structure at the atomic level. The quantum topological atoms in molecules were used to illustrate the molecular interactions in all the dimer models. Moreover, the Kurtz-Perry technique was employed to identify the molecule's efficiency as a second harmonic generator and the experimental results are validated through theoretical computations. The signal voltage of MN is about 54 mV and is 4.5 times greater than that of the KDP reference material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dermal fibrosis and Parkinson's disease are two chronic syndromes affecting a large population leading to systematic morbidity. The mechanisms of these diseases are well debated, and many medicines are in the market for managing them. Recently, istradefylline was approved by the FDA as a medicine for the management of aforesaid disorders. But the detailed structure and reactivity profile of this compound was not reported. We use molecular modeling using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods using B3LYP/CAM-B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level to study the structure, reactivity and other physicochemical properties of this compound. Conformational analysis over two dihedral angles was discussed. The compound was found to be an ideal candidate for being used as an NLO material. Molar refractivity was found to be 13.19 times greater than urea and 2.61 times greater than p-nitro acetanilide. TD-DFT indicated that the compound shows excellent light-harvesting efficiency of 94.21 in the near UV region of 337.23 nm. We also report several wavefunction-based properties such as molecular electrostatic potential, localized orbital locator, average local ionization energy, local information entropy and electron localized function. Using MESP, LIE, LOL, etc., information entropy studies showed that the molecule is stable with low uncertainty electrons in spatial distribution. These studies are useful for future experimental studies involving istradefylline and will assist in the design and prediction of the activity of new derivatives from this compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphiphilic sugar-functionalised diacetylene lipids undergo facile self-organisation in the solid state, enabling a photo-initiated polymerisation, leading to the formation of sugar-coated polydiacetylenes. The presence of hydrophilic sugar moiety and the long aliphatic chains promote amphiphilicity-driven mesomorphism in these polymers. Maintaining the lyophilic segment uniform, glycolipids that vary in their sugar constitution are prepared, in order to assess mesomorphic changes with respect to varying sugar segment. Mono- and disaccharides are chosen that allow further to identify the changes in the emerging mesomorphic property with the sugar configurations. Whereas a smectic layering is observed common in these glycolipid polymers, the mesophase temperature range and the structural ordering are observed to vary depending on the sugar segment, as adjudged by optical polarising microscopy, calorimetry and X-ray diffraction assessments. Higher clearing temperatures are seen for disaccharide containing glycolipid polymer, as compared to the monosaccharide containing polymer. Further, in conjunction with energy minimised structures, interdigitised lamellar structure is inferred to the polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the finite element (FE) modeling and dynamics analysis of bidirectional functionally graded (2D-FG) rotating shaft system considering temperature-independent (TID) and temperature-dependent (TD) material properties of shafts. Time-dependent two-dimensional (2D) temperature distribution of such shaft has been found using the finite difference method (FDM). Based on the first-order shear deformation theory, a three noded beam elements has been developed for the finite element (FE) modeling and dynamic analysis of such shaft systems. It has been observed from obtained results that dynamic responses have significantly been influenced by temperature variation, power-law index, and internal viscous and hysteretic damping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum chemical calculation of 9-methylanthracene and 2,3-dimethylanthracene molecules were carried out (9MA and 23DMA). The Density Functional Theory (DFT) by the method RB3LYP with the basis set of 6-311 + G(d) were performed. The Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) spectrum and FT-Raman spectrum of the compounds were recorded in the region 4000–400 cm−1 and 4000–50 cm−1, respectively. The theoretical frequencies were scaled down and compared with experimental FT-IR and FT-Raman spectral values and they agree well. The Natural Bond analysis is performed to gauge the Lewis structure of the molecule. The first order hyperpolarizability values were calculated from the Non-Linear Optical (NLO) studies of the title molecules and compared with standard reference value of Urea. The molecular electrostatic potential surface is obtained and used to get the nucleophilic and electrophilic sites. The molecular docking study for title compound indicates anti cancer properties. Molecules show excellent Light Harvesting Efficiency, hence can be used in DSSC's. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation and characterization studies were carried out on end-of-life mobile printed circuit boards (EoL Mobile PCBs). The raw material has been subjected to a hammer mill to reduce the particle size. A series of comminution experiments were conducted to produce different size particles, which indicates that a number of crushing stages are needed to generate finer products. Comminution products consist of fine hydrophilic metals and hydrophobic nonmetal particles. Further, flotation studies were conducted to separate metals and nonmetals. The experimental results indicated that the product grade of 84–90% metals could be achieved from the feed containing 48% metals and recovery values varying between 44 and 66%. Characterization of the feed and flotation products was carried out following stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscope. The stereomicroscopic investigations show that the metallic particles were irregular in shape and the majority of them were liberated and few interlocks observed with the plastic/nonmetallic materials. The scanning electron microscope studies showed the presence of different metallic phases in the flotation products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new series, each of hemi-discoid oxovanadium(IV) and copper(II) complexes based on halogen-substituted 'salphen' type ligands; H2L = [N,N-Bis(4-n-alkoxysalicylidene)-4-fluoro/chloro/bromo-1,2-diaminobenzene] (n = 12, 14, 16) have been accessed and their mesomorphic properties investigated. The complexes have been characterised by elemental analyses, FT-IR and absorption spectroscopy. The fluoro and the chloro substituted oxovanadium(IV) complexes display thermotropic columnar rectangular mesophases with a p2mm symmetry. On the contrary, the bulky bromo substituted oxovanadium(IV) complexes decompose at a high temperature precluding any mesomorphic study. The analogous copper(II) complexes also undergo decomposition on heating and are non-mesomorphic. Molecular arrangements in the mesophases have been proposed based on variable temperature powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) study. The influence of metal's coordination and electronegativity and/or steric hindrance of the spacer's substituent on the mesomorphic properties of the complexes is discussed. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations carried out using the GAUSSIAN 09 program on representative oxovanadium(IV) and copper(II) complexes indicated a distorted square-pyramidal geometry around the VO(IV) centre and a distorted square planar geometry around the Cu(II) centre in their complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of data collection and transmission of delay sensitive data often relies on mobile sink in wireless sensor networks. This is either by transmitting directly to the mobile sink if the mobile sink is in the reachable range of the sensor that is intended to send the data, or by using the route established by the hop level sensors between the sensors that are intended to send the data and the mobile sink. The constraint of this strategy can portray as the energy consumption due to the suboptimal methods of routing between source sensor and mobile sink and the fault intolerance in data collection and transmission sequence. Hence, it is obvious to conclude that the significant contributions required about the design of optimal data collection and transmitting strategies for energy efficient and fault tolerant delay sensitive data transmission in wireless sensor networks with mobile sink. According to the context of these objectives stated, this manuscript portrayed a 'Delay Sensitive Data Routing Optimization using Rendezvous Agents' for energy efficient and fault tolerant delay sensitive data transmission in wireless sensor networks with mobile sink. The significance of the proposal was evaluated by experimental study using network simulation. Performance of the proposal is scaled by comparing the proposed model with the other contemporary model built under similar objectives. The traditional metrics are in use to compare and scale the performance of the proposal with the contemporary model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic single crystals of 2-Amino-5-bromopyridinium 4-hydroxybenzoate were grown by slow evaporation technique at room temperature. Single crystal XRD confirms that the crystal belongs to orthorhombic system with noncentrosymmetric space group Pna21. Functional groups presents in the synthesized compound were confirmed by FTIR analysis. UV-Vis studies shows that crystal has a lower cutoff wave length at 388 nm with an optical band gap of 2.9 eV. Dielectric studies were carried out to study the charge transport mechanism in the crystal. Photoconductivity measurements were performed. Powder SHG efficiency of the compound was found to be three times the value of KDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three series of ester linkage containing aroylhydrazone based compounds have been synthesised where density and length of alkoxy chains are varied sequentially at ester end, keeping amide end of the molecule the same to investigate the effect of alkoxy chain density. The series of the compounds with single alkoxy chain at 4- position at ester terminal show nematic mesophase. The series with two alkoxy chains at 3- and 5- positions exhibit columnar rectangular mesophase and the series with three alkoxy chains at 3-, 4- and 5- positions show columnar oblique mesophase. It was observed that increasing the number of alkoxy chains at ester terminal, self-assembly of molecules changes and leads to a change from nematic to columnar mesophase and also significant enhancement in the mesomorphic range. Temperature dependent Raman studies confirm the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding which assist the self-assembly and gelation properties of molecules. All the series show similar photophysical properties despite the fact that the series vary in their molecular structures. Representative compounds of each series exhibited gelation in hydrocarbon solvents. FESEM images of the gels showed interwoven network of nanofibers of several micrometres length. These supergelators may be good candidates for applications in electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study focused on the determination of mechanical properties of synthetic green sand system using Nagavali river sand by adding banana peel powder as an additive. Compression strength, shear strength, mould hardness bulk density and permeability are the various properties found in the laboratory following standard testing procedures. Sand aggregate is prepared by mixing the bentonite as binder and banana peel powder as an additive to the silica sand in various amounts. Encouraging results in terms of strength and hardness are obtained by testing the standard sand samples. In fact, the properties exhibited are almost similar to the values obtained by addition of 2% dextrin as an additive to the sand aggregate. Since the banana peel powder can be easily prepared which is most economical in terms of cost compared with dextrin, that can be an alternative additive in preparing the sand moulds to obtain adequate strength and hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact urbanization, industrialization, corruption, human development, energy consumption, and foreign direct investment (FDI) on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 61 developing economies of the global south region of Asia, Africa, and Latin America during the period 1990–2015. The empirical results show that the effect of corruption on CO2 emissions is indeed heterogeneous and contradictory. Specifically, results exhibit that due to immature economic system, and policy paralysis, corruption penetrates the developing economies, and eventually cause carbon emission and pollution. Furthermore, results reveal that FDI guided by clean development mechanism and involved in emission reduction projects in the developing economies play a predominant role to curb the CO2 emission, pollution, and environmental degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new series of photoluminescent nickel(II) metallomesogens, [NiL]; H2L = N,N′-Bis(4-n-alkoxysalicylidene)-4-fluoro/bromo/chloro-1,2-diaminobenzene (n = 12, 14, 16) based on 'salphen' ligands have been synthesised and their mesomorphic and photophysical properties explored. The complexes, isolated as orange microcrystalline solids were characterised by elemental analyses, FT-IR, 1H NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy. Thermal studies show all the compounds to be enantiotropic liquid crystals displaying columnar mesophase over a wide temperature range. Electronegativity and steric requirement of the halogen substituent at the ligand's spacer remarkably influence the 2-D packing of the columns in the lattice in these complexes controlling the supramolecular mesomorphic order and photoluminescence. The mesophase behaviour of the fluoro-substituted complex is characterised by a transition from a columnar oblique (p1) to columnar rectangular (p2mm) phase, former stable till ambient temperature. The chloro and bromo analogues, on the other hand, displayed exclusively columnar rectangular (p2mm) mesophase with the former transforming into a glassy state and latter into a crystalline phase during cooling to ambient temperature. Molecular model based on interdigitated anti-parallel and back to back arrangements in the different columnar mesophase are proposed on the basis of X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The complexes emit in the blue region when excited with near UV wavelength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesua ferrea L. is a medicinal plant belongs to the family Calophyllaceae, it is extensively used in folk medicine for treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. The present study was aimed to isolate the anti-inflammatory compound(s) from M. ferrea L bark ethyl acetate extracts by using analytical techniques such as Column Chromatography, TLC, HPLC, FT-IR, 1H, 13C NMR and LC-MS against TNF-α and NO production in LPS induced RAW 264.7 cells. Among the eight fractions obtained M. ferrea L chloroform-ethyl acetate fraction 5 (MFCE-F5) showed significant inhibitory activities on nitric oxide and TNF-α production in LPS induced RAW 264.7 cells. This study results recommended that the isolated bioactive compound Mesuaferrin-A from M. ferrea L bark ethyl acetate extract may be useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past few decades, cathodic arc-grown erosion-resistant coatings have become very popular and are widely used in aerospace applications to significantly enhance the service life of compressor blades. Though the coatings improve life, the concentrations of defects and stressed areas on the surface dictate the end life of the component. Therefore, in the present study, an attempt was made to minimize the defect area fraction along with the residual stresses in cylindrical cathodic arc-grown mono- and multilayer TiN coatings by optimizing pulsed bias voltage parameters such as duty cycle and magnitude of bias voltage. The effect of pulsed biasing and coating configuration on the physical, mechanical, and erosion properties of the TiN coatings was studied systematically. Within the monolayer TiN coating, the samples grown at −500 V pulsed bias and 40% duty cycle had the best properties with about 50% enhancement in erosion resistance. These coatings were also found to exhibit the lowest residual stress, good adhesion, and moderately higher hardness. Further, the TiN coatings grown in a multilayer configuration (TiNE-450/TiNE-350) had the best erosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, beneficiation of a low-grade dolomite fines was carried out with the aim to remove the siliceous gangue content. Extensive experimental studies on direct and reverse flotation were carried out on low-grade ore by varying the critical process variables, and the performance was compared. The experimental results show that it is possible to reduce the silica content following both direct and reverse flotation processes. Further, direct flotation results show better control over the quality of the product while reverse flotation has an edge on the product yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Government provides basic operating grants to universities, which are used to teach domestic undergraduate students. It imposes a productivity offset on the grants to encourage improvements in university productivity. But it is not transparent and does not vary across universities. Thus, universities have little incentive to improve performance. This paper develops an alternative framework that uses incentive regulation to allocate these grants to universities, which provides stronger incentives for universities to improve productivity. Regulators often use a similar framework to set prices for natural monopoly services such as utilities and public transport. Under incentive regulation, the basic operating grants could be reduced, on average, by 1.76% per annum over 5 years, which is about $100 million per annum. This finding is contrary to several recent Australian Government inquires that suggest the basic operating grant is inadequate and that this compromises the quality of undergraduate teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fisheries sector plays a vital role in the food, nutritional and livelihood security of people, especially in the rural regions of India. Reservoirs, the man made impoundments built on rivers/streams obstructing the surface flow, form an important resource for the fish production besides holding up economic growth through various cultural and ecological services. India has enormous reservoir resources to the tune of 3.42 million ha (19,386 numbers). The distribution of reservoirs is quite uneven and most of the reservoirs are located in the southern and central Indian states. In the last few decades, India has made tremendous progress in reservoir fisheries and overall management strategies have been considerably innovated. The average annual fish productivity realized from reservoirs was very low (small: 49.9, medium: 12.3 and large: 11.4 kg ha−1yr−1) against the annual potential yield of 100, 75, and 50 kg ha−1yr−1. The fish yield from Indian reservoirs has enhanced through fingerling stocking and adoption of improved management practices and the average productivity increased to 33, 94, and 174 kg ha−1yr−1 from large, medium, and small reservoirs respectively. The production potential has been re-casted to a level of 100, 200, and 500 kg ha−1yr−1 from large, medium and small reservoirs, respectively. The increase in fish productivity is about one third of the present production potential and there exists scope for developing effective and sustainable strategies for further enhancing the fish yield. The present review synthesizes the updated information available on Indian reservoirs and the developments during the last decade with reference to fisheries, biodiversity, potential, threats, and recommends strategies for sustainable management of the reservoir fisheries in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl) phenyl-4-nitrophenyl alkyl/aryl substituted phosphoramidate derivatives (7a-j) of biological interest are synthesized in two stepsvia an in situprocess without the isolation of the intermediate. 2-(Benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl) phenol(3)was treated with 4-nitrophenyl phosphorodichloridate(4)to obtain the monochloro intermediate, 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)phenyl (4-nitrophenyl) phosphorochloridate(5). Itwas subsequently reacted with various amines,6(a-j)to afford the desired title products. IR, NMR (1H,13C and31P), mass spectral and elemental analysis are used to characterize the structures of the newly synthesized compounds. The antibacterial and antifungal activities are determined by the growth of inhibition of bacteria and fungi of the title compounds at two concentrations, 50 and 100 µg/mL, and minimum inhibitory concentrations to the active compounds. The compounds7e, 7fand7jexhibited promising inhibition activity against bacterial strains and7c, 7eand7iagainst A. niger and C. albicans and MIC values are in the range of 10.0–15.0 µg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-component glass ceramics composition Na2O−PbO−Bi2O3−SiO2doped with different concentrations of Fe2O3as nucleating agent were characterised by XRD, SEM (scanning electron microscope) and DTA (differential thermal analysis) techniques. Optical absorption, EPR, FTIR and Raman studies are also carried out on these glass ceramics. Absorption bands observed at about 457, 489, 678 and 820 nm are the characteristics of Fe3+ions whereas the band observed at about 964 nm is due to Fe2+ions. EPR studies suggested that Fe3+ions entered in the lattice as tetragonally distorted octahedral symmetry or rhombic sites at low concentration of Fe2O3, whereas at higher concentration of Fe2O3(beyond 1 mol%), the super exchange type of interactions between multivalency iron ions begin to dominate. FTIR and Raman spectra have revealed the behaviour of various structural units in the glass ceramic matrix. The analysis of these spectroscopic studies indicates that iron ions do exist in Fe3+and Fe2+state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GNP-LC hybrid incorporating giant gold nanoclusters was accessed with tailor made liquid crystalline Schiff base bearing amine function as reactive end group without using any external reducing agent. The liquid crystal phase (smectic C) of the Schiff base remained unaltered in the hybrid material. The ligand and hybrid both exhibited interesting concentration-dependent fluorescence quenching of 9,10-diphenylanthracene when excited at 345 nm wavelength in dichloromethane solution. The GNP-LC hybrid exhibited reasonably good electrical conductivity showing an Arrhenius-type behaviour in the smectic mesophase and a tunnelling behaviour in the crystalline state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Butanol is mainly produced by acetone-butanol-ethanol (A-B-E) fermentation. The higher costs associated with the separation of butanol from the A-B-E mixture has prohibited the large-scale production of butanol. The direct use of the intermediate product (A-B-E mixture) could be an economical pathway if utilized for clean combustion. The present investigation deals with the puffing and micro-explosion characteristics in the combustion of a single droplet comprising butanol/Jet A-1, A-B-E/Jet A-1 blends, and A-B-E. The complete sequence of processes leading to micro-explosion, i.e., onset of nucleation, growth of vapor bubble, and subsequent breakup of droplet, for various fuel blends has been analyzed from the high-speed images. It is witnessed that puffing plays a crucial role in enhancing the micro-explosion especially in droplets with 50/50 composition. The probability of microexplosion in droplets with A-B-E blends was found to be higher than that of butanol blends. Although the rate of bubble growth was almost similar for all butanol and A-B-E blends, the final bubble diameter before the droplet breakup was found to be higher for 50/50 blends than that of 30/70 blends. The occurrence of micro-explosion shortened the droplet lifetime, and this effect appeared to be stronger for droplets with 50/50 composition. Micro-explosion led to the ejection of both larger and smaller secondary droplets; however, puffing resulted in relatively smaller secondary droplets. Bubble growth and subsequent puffing/micro-explosion were also observed in the secondary droplets, which might play an important role in enhancing the atomization and, hence, combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new polar calamitic liquid crystal, methyl 4-(4ʹ-(4ʺ-(decyloxy)benzyloxy) benzylideneamino)benzoate (M3BA) containing ether and Schiff base groups as linker with terminal polar ester group, has been synthesised and mesomorphic properties are studied by differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy, density functional theory, temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction and temperature-dependent micro- Raman study. The smectic A (SmA) mesophase with focal conic texture has been observed with wide mesomorphic range. Layer thickness in SmA phase is greater than the optimised length of the molecule, indicating partially bilayer SmA phase. Analysis of Raman marker bands of C–H in-plane bending of phenyl rings, C=C stretching of rings, C=N stretching and C=O stretching shows structural changes at molecular level at Cr → SmA phase transition and provides proper intermolecular interactions responsible for dimeric unit in partially bilayer SmA phase. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Two new square pyramidal iron(III)-complexes of ‘salen’-type Schiff base ligands containing 4-substituted long alkoxy arms on the aromatic rings, [Fe(4-C16H33O)2salcn)]Cl and [Fe(4-C16H33O)2salophen)]Cl {salcn = N,Nʹ-cyclohexanebis(salicylideneiminato) and salophen = N,Nʹ-phenylenebis(salicylideneiminato)}, have been successfully synthesised, and their mesomorphic property investigated. The ligands and complexes were characterised by elemental analyses, UV–Vis, FT-IR, ESI–MS,1H and13C NMR (for ligands only). The phase behaviour of the iron(III) complexes were ascertained by differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy and variable temperature PXRD study. Ligands are non-mesomorphic, however, mesomorphism got induced upon complexation with the iron(III) centre. X-ray diffraction study revealed a layer-like arrangement of the five coordinated mesomorphic iron(III) complexes. The mesophase is stable over a wide range of temperature. The density functional theory calculations were carried out using Gaussian 09 program at B3LYP level using unrestricted 6–31G (d, p) basis set to obtain the optimised geometry of the iron(III) complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three series of novel dimeric supramolecules, possessing both inter- as well as intramolecular H-bonding, have been prepared and investigated for their thermal properties. They were obtained in excellent yields by condensing cholesteryl ω-(3-hydroxy-4-formylphen-oxy)alkanoates with 4-(n-alkoxy)benzohydrazides, 3,4-bis(n-decyl-oxy)benzohydrazide and 3,4,5-tris(n-decyloxy)benzohydrazide. The influence of increase in the number of terminaln-alkoxy tails from one to three and the length and parity of the flexible spacer on phase transitional behaviour have been thoroughly investigated with the aid of microscopic, calorimetric and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The results of these complementary studies clearly illustrate the dependence of thermal behaviour of the dimers on these structural factors. The rigid intermolecular associationviaH-bonds through complementary benzohydrazide component enforce their self-assembly into frustrated and polar smectic phases; H-bond force coupled with the bulkiness of steroid moiety affects the electrical switching property of this fluid polar structure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A waste sample generated during the mining of pyrophyllite ore is characterized for the extraction of potash values. Mineral liberation analysis (MLA) reveals that the waste material consists of muscovite, K-Feldspar (orthoclase), and pyrophyllite as the major mineral phases. The sample contains 49.5% SiO2,23.9% Al2O3,1.8% Fe2O3, and 9.8% K2O as its prime constituents. An effort has been made for the extraction of potash value by physical and chemical beneficiation techniques. Beneficiation studies using magnetic separation, froth flotation, and even chemical leaching with inorganic acids could not extract any appreciable potash values. Finally, a roast leach method using calcium chloride followed by leaching in water has been employed. The process variables such as calcium chloride dosage, roasting time, and temperature are optimized using L9 Taguchi statistical design. It has been possible to achieve about 85% potash values at 900°C, 45 minutes of roasting time and calcium chloride dosage of 75% with respect to the ore. The change in mineral phases in the feed, roast, and leached residue has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), which shows the phase conversion into wollastonite and halite potassian. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a part of our systematic studies on liquid crystals of nO.m, n.Om, nO.Om and n.m homologous series, n-(p-n-alkoxy/alkylbenzylidene)-p-n-alkyl/alkoxy anilines, we present in this article the nature of phase transitions across isotropic–nematic exhibited by all the compounds mentioned below. Further, the orientational order parameter in the nematic phase of N-(p-n-propyl/propyloxy benzylidene)-p-n-alkoxy anilines, 3.Om and 3O.Om with m = 6–8 are estimated from the molecular polarizabilities calculated using the experimental refractive indices and density results. The molecular polarizabilities αeand αoare obtained for all the compounds using the above results for both Vuks and Neugebauer local field models applicable to nematic liquid crystal. αeand αocalculated in this way are used to obtain Δα. The polarizability anisotropy in the perfect order (absolute K) is calculated theoretically using the δ-function model developed by Lippincott et al. and molecular vibration method. These enabled the calculation of the orientational order parameter S. The values of polarizability anisotropy for both local electric field models differ significantly. No criterion is known to decide which value is correct. To avoid the determination of uncertain α and Δα values considering different local field models, a simple procedure developed by Kuczynski et al. was used for evaluation of S, based solely on birefringence measurement and this value of S is compared with those obtained from field models. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Synthesis of a series of new 14 phosphoramidate derivatives, 4-nitrophenyl-5-nitroquinolin-8-yl-substituted amino phosphonates/phosphoramidates11(a–g)and 4-chlorophenyl-5-nitroquinolin-8-yl-substituted amino phosphonates/phosphoramidates12(a–g)from 5-nitroquinolin-8-ol(5)was accomplished for biological interest. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic data and elemental analysis. Their antimicrobial (100 and 200 μg/mL) and antioxidant (50 and 100 μg/mL) activities were evaluated, and their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and IC50values were also examined. A few of the compounds, namely 11d, 11e, 11g, and 12d, showed potent antimicrobial activity against tested microbial pathogens, and compounds 11d, 12c, 12d, and 12g exhibited promising radical (DPPH and NO) scavenging activity in the two tested methods. The overall biological activity results disclosed that 1-(4-nitrophenyl)piperazine (11dand12d)-, 4-fluorophenyl methanamine (11eand12e)-, and pyridine-3-yl methanamine (11gand12g)-substituted compounds exhibited potential activity. The majority of the title compounds acted as promising antimicrobial agents as compared with antioxidant agents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Pregnancy is accompanied by several haemodynamic, biochemical and haematological changes, which may lead to severe problems, if they are not suitably addressed. The current study highlights the haematological and biochemical differences observed in anaemic (AP) and non-anaemic primigravida (NAP), in the 2nd trimester, in a north Indian population. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the body weight and body temperature of NAP compared with AP. A significant decrease (p < 0.001) in haematological parameters including haemoglobin, haematocrit, erythrocyte count, MCH and MCHC, was observed in AP; however, MCV was found to be significantly higher (p = 0.038). Many biochemical parameters viz. potassium, albumin, total protein and calcium levels were significantly reduced (p < 0.01) in AP, except alkaline phosphatase whose level was found significantly increased (p < 0.01). The findings of the study suggest that haematological and biochemical changes take place in anaemia during pregnancy. Further, the results obtained should be used for establishing normative values for similar populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientational order parameterSis evaluated in the nematic phase of six liquid crystal compounds,N-(p-n-propyl benzylidene)-p-n-alkoxy anilines, 3.OmandN-(p-n-propyloxy benzylidene)-p-n-alkoxy anilines, 3O.Omcompounds withm= 6, 7 and 8, using different methods. The techniques employed areSfrom birefringence δn, Haller's approximation from (1−T/Tc)β, effective geometry parameter αgand Vuks’ scaling factorSC. The values ofSobtained using the above methods are compared with one another and with the results on a number of liquid crystals; the liquid crystals favor isotropic Vuks’ method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depth of heat affected zone (HAZ), depth of penetration and bead geometry (bead height and bead width) are most important characteristics of a weldment. In addition to weld process parameters welding conditions like preheating and cryo-treatment greatly affect the weldment characteristics. It is possible to get good bead geometry with cryo-treatment and preheating for some range of current, voltage and arc travel rate for which bead formation may not be possible in normal welding condition. In SMAW (shielded metal arc welding) process, selecting appropriate values for process variables is essential in order to control weldment characteristics. Also, conditions must be selected that will ensure a predictable and reproducible weld bead. In this investigation the effects of cryo-treatment and preheating on various metallurgical aspect, namely, the depth of HAZ, weld interface, grain growth and grain refinement regions have been studied. While cryo-treatment before welding decreased the grain size in HAZ and preheating increased the grain size and cryo-treatment after welding did not significantly increase the grain size. The process was modelled using an artificial neural network. Supervised mode of learning was used while training the neural networks. The test cases showed good convergence with the measured experimental values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new phosphonamidate derivatives10a–jof 6-chloropurine was prepared for biological interest in one-pot three-step synthesis. The monochloride key intermediate, 4-chlorophenyl-6-chloro-9H-purin-9-yl-phosphonochloridate (8) was prepared by the reaction of 4-chlorophenyl phosphorodichloridate (7) with sodium 6-chloropurin-9-ide (6), which was obtained from 6-chloropurine (5) in the presence of sodium hydride. Finally, the intermediate8was allowed to react with various amines9a–jto give the 4-chlorophenyl-6-chloro-9H-purin-9-yl (substituted amino) phosphonamidates10a–j. All the new compounds synthesized were screened for their in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Compounds10c,e–gshowed potent inhibition activity on the growth of bacterial strains, compounds10c,h–jdisplayed a similar inhibition activity on fungal strains, while compounds10e–ishowed promising antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study the distribution of Polonium (210Po) activity in dietary sources in the high background radiation zone of Puttetti in southern Tamil Nadu. Materials and methods: 210Po was analyzed in the food materials consumed by the male and female individual representatives living in the high background areas by 24-h Duplicate Diet Study (DDS) and Market Basket Study (MBS). The MBS was performed by collecting the food samples such as, cereals, fruits, leafy vegetables, roots and tubers, other vegetables, fish, meat and milk grown in the high background radiation zone of southern Tamil Nadu as a part of baseline study in this region. The DDS was done by collecting the food materials consumed including the beverages in 24 h from different age groups of male and female individuals living in the village of Puttetti. The intake and ingestion dose of the radionuclide 210Po was estimated. Results: The average concentration of 210Po in DDS ( n = 33) was found to be 74 mBq.kg− 1 of fresh weight. The MBS was collected based on food consumption representing more than 85-95% of annual supply, and were divided into eight food groups. The average concentration of 210Po in the eight food groups namely leafy vegetables was 2176 mBq.kg− 1 ( n = 3), vegetables 55 mBq.kg− 1 ( n = 10), roots and tubers 251 mBq.kg− 1 ( n = 4), fruits 65 mBq.kg− 1 ( n = 5), fish 345 mBq.kg− 1 ( n = 2), meat food 117 mBq.kg− 1 ( n = 3), milk 20 mBq.kg− 1 ( n = 1) and cereal 290 ( n = 1) mBq.kg− 1 of fresh weight, respectively. The annual intake and ingestion dose due to 210Po was estimated by DDS and MBS in adults, adolescents and children. The overall results showed that the MBS was moderately higher than the DDS in all age groups. Moreover, a DDS approach may even be more realistic, as cooked foodstuffs are used for dietary exposure assessment. Conclusion: The study confirms that the current levels of 210Po do not pose a significant radiological risk to the local inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low grade iron ore containing 51.6% Fe, 17.6% SiO2, 4.3% Al2O3, and 3.8% LOI was subjected to reduction roasting followed by low intensity magnetic separation studies. The phase transformation of hematite into magnetite and fayalite due to reduction roasting was investigated using reflected microscope and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The effects of reduction variables such as reduction time (40−175 min), temperature (750−1000°C), and reductant dosage (3−11%) using activated charcoal were studied. The process was optimized by using central composite rotatable design (CCRD) and response surface methodology. Iron grade from 59−66% with recovery of 9.5−87% was achieved using CCRD experiments. Model equations were developed both for Fe grade and recovery and then optimized within the bounds of experimental conditions. The program predicted 63.3% Fe with 79% recovery with the following optimum conditions: temperature: 950°C, time: 53.04 min, and reductant: 3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The birefringence measurements with the temperature are carried out employing the wedge technique at the wavelengthλ = 5893Å on symmetric dimeric liquid crystalline compounds of α,ω-bis(4-alkylanilinebenzylidene-4′-oxy) alkanes which are popularly known as m.OnO.m’s withm = 3, 4 and 5 and spacer lengthn = 8, 9 and 10. The studied compounds are mono variant with long range of nematic phase. The birefringence data δn = (ne–no) along with the density results are employed to estimate the molecular polarisabilty anisotropy, δα = (αe–αo) assuming a particular local field (due to Vuks and Neugebauer) the nematic molecule experiences and the order parameter S is estimated from δαand Δα, i.e., polarisabilty anisotropy which is estimated employing different methods. Further,Scan also be obtained from Kuczynski model and also using the effective geometry parameter,αg. Further, it is observed that from our analysis theSvalue obtained from Δnandαgare identical. The results are analysed and compared with the data available in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new α-hydroxyphosphonates/phosphinates was prepared using 1,4-dimethylpiperazine as a base catalyst under conventional as well as ultrasonic irradiation conditions by the reaction of 5-bromoindole-3-carboxaldehyde/2-nitrocinnamaldehyde with various phosphonates/phosphinates. The high yields of α-hydroxyphosphonates/hydroxyphosphinates were obtained in less reaction time under the ultrasonic irradiation method as compared with the conventional method. The synthesized compounds were screened for their in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities, and the bio-screening data revealed that all the tested compounds exhibited good antioxidant activities. The bio-screening data revealed that compound8eexhibited potent antioxidant activity in both in vitro and in vivo studies while the other compounds exhibited good antioxidant activity. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition ofPhosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elementsfor the following free supplemental files: Additional text, tables and figures.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of phosphate (P)-deficiency tolerant rice cultivars is constrained by lack of suitable, reproducible, and consistent seedling stage screening methods in breeding programs. This study reports the screening and characterization of M5 mutants derived from an ethyl methane sulfonate treated population of ricecv.Nagina 22 (N22) in low-P field (soil Olsen P 1.94–2.01 mg kg−1; alkaline Vertisol; pH 7.94) for high yield. The present study showed that seedling growth responses such as increase in root weight, root length, root/shoot weight, and dry weight in P-deficient medium can be taken as indices of low-P tolerance in mature plants in field. Total phosphorus content in seedlings showed an inverse relationship with total phosphorus content and low-P tolerance in mature plants in the field. But, phosphorus content in seeds and acid phosphatase activity in the seedling stage were positively correlated with survival and seed set in low-P field. In low-P field, plant height correlated most with yield per plant, and the number of productive tillers in mature plants was highly correlated with tiller number at vegetative stage. These mutants (NH776, NH710,andNH719) have agronomic importance because of their ability to grow and give higher yield than N22 in P-deficient field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional method used for estimation of uranium (U) in bioassay samples takes nearly 4–5 days for complete sample analysis. In cases of incidental exposures, there is a need to reduce overall analysis time for the estimation of U in bioassay samples. Therefore, efforts were made in the present study to develop a comparatively rapid method for analysis of U in urine. For this purpose, a known amount of U(natural) standard was added to synthetic urine samples (1 L) and separated from by solid phase extraction chromatography using TRU resin (Eichrom Technologies, Inc.). The radiochemical yield recovery observed for U was 92.6% by this method. As a part of quality assurance, the method standardized in the present study was applied for estimation of U in urine samples collected from members of the public (MOP) and the results were compared to those previously obtained using ion exchange chromatography and fission track analysis (FTA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objective was to investigate the potential of muscle volume, measured with magnetic resonance (MR), as a biomarker to quantify disease progression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this longitudinal pilot study, we first sought to determine the stability of volumetric muscle MR measurements in 11 control subjects at two time-points. We assessed feasibility of detecting atrophy in four patients with ALS, followed at three-month intervals for 12 months. Muscle power and MR volume were measured in thenar eminence (TEm), first dorsal interosseous (1DIO), tibialis anterior (TA) and tongue. Changes over time were assessed using linear regression models and t-tests. Results demonstrated that, in controls, no volumetric MR changes were seen (mean volume variation in all muscles < 5%, p > 0.1). In patients, between-subject heterogeneity was identified. Trends for volume loss were found in TEm (mean, − 26.84%, p = 0.056) and TA (− 8.29%, p = 0.077), but not in 1DIO (− 18.47%, p = 0.121) or tongue (< 5%, p = 0.367). In conclusion, volumetric muscle MR appears a stable measure in controls, and progressive volume loss was demonstrable in individuals with ALS in whom clinical weakness progressed. In this small study, subclinical atrophy was not demonstrable using muscle MR. Clinico-radiological discordance between muscle weakness and MR atrophy could reflect a contribution of upper motor neuron pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and high-yield synthesis of a class of new α-aminophosphonate derivatives as diethyl α-aryl/2-thienyl-α-[2-(phenylthio)phenylamino]methylphosphonates6a–jin short reaction times from three component coupling reactions (Kabachnik-Fields reaction) of 2-aminodiphenylsulfide3, substituted phenyl/heterocyclic aldehydes4a–j, and diethyl phosphite5is reported. The reaction proceeds smoothly in the presence of the catalyst, nano-silica-supported boron trifluoride (BF3·SiO2) without using solvent under microwave irradiation. The title compounds were tested for in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities at concentrations of 100 and 200 μg/disc. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were also examined. Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition ofPhosphorus, Sulfer, and Silicon and the Related Elementsfor the following free supplemental files: Additional text, figures and tables. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This essay probes the aniconic and iconic elements that pervade Indian visual culture and, more specifically, the aniconic impulse that has structured, for nearly two millennia, the cultivated indifference of Indian, especially Sanskrit, reflective traditions toward the plastic arts. Over the last hundred years, inquiries have concentrated largely on the historical and formal aspects of Indian temples, idols, and images. These attempts, however, are based entirely on the conceptual-theoretical frameworks of the Western tradition. By drawing on Sanskrit reflective traditions, I analyze the relations between symbol, icon, desire, and the body, in order to show the epistemic contrasts between the European and the Indian reflective traditions and their implications for differential modes of being. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes a new reactor concept. the Salt-cooled Modular Innovative THorium. HEavy water- mode rated Reactor System (SMITHERS), which ad- dresses the goals of (a) evolving deployment needs, (b) increasing overall fuel burnup, (c) reducing proliferation risk, and (d) providing high-efficiency power generation. The reactor is modular and thus scalable from a few to hundreds of megawatts (thermal). The concept further burns used fuel from light water reactors (LWRs) without aqueous separations, reducing costs and proliferation pathways relative to current reprocessing plants. The additional burning of LWR fuel reduces proliferation risk by reducing global inventories of plutonium from used fuel in a way that does not isolate weapons-useable material and that increases the amount of power produced per ton of mined uranium. Improved fuel utilization through the potential use of thorium provides cost benefits by increasing neutron economy and enabling operation at higher efficiencies. Neutron economy is increased by using the lower neutron energies associ- ated with large quantities of heavy water moderation and/or thorium for innovative reactor control and constant long-term power generation (i.e., sustainability). Finally, the proposed reactor also generates high-temperature coolant discharge in the form of liquid salt without coolant pressurization for external process heat applications such as oil extraction. Salt offers significant improvement over existing coolants such as light water and heavy water, which require pressurization to operate at high temperatures, adding to the cost and complexity of reactor operation. SMITHERS designs discussed in this paper either burned a full core of used fuel, ThO2 with 1.2 wt% PuO2 or other fissile material, or a combination of the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of 2-phenylbenzoxazole derivatives containing an intramolecular hydrogen-bonded Schiff's base linkage have been synthesised. All are liquid crystalline, displaying only the smectic phase transition, apart from one compound which seems to be non-mesogenic. These compounds may be the first examples reported of tetracatenar liquid crystals containing the 2-phenylbenzoxazole moiety. The optical properties of the target compounds were evaluated in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a simple synthetic strategy leading to nonsymmetrical functionalized hexasubstituted triphenylene. Further, new β-bromopentakis(alkoxy)triphenylene was synthesized applying this strategy and reactivity of oxidizing agents such as VOCl3, MoCl5, and FeCl3 was investigated. The liquid-crystalline properties were studied by polarizing optical microscope (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The higher homologues exhibit a columnar hexagonal (Colh) phase, whereas lower homologues also exhibit a columnar hexagonal plastic (Colhp) phase. These mesophases are stable below and above the ambient temperature. We studied the effect of polar substitution on molecular self-assembly and found that a bromo bulky substituent at the β-position of pentakis(alkoxy)triphenylenes stabilized the intra- or intermolecular interaction between the cores to form columnar mesophases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]