Dietary flaxseed oil and fish oil modulates expression of antioxidant and inflammatory genes with alleviation of protein glycation status and inflammation in liver of streptozotocin–nicotinamide induced diabetic rats

Beneficial effects of dietary flaxseed oil or fish oil on streptozotocin–nicotinamide induced diabetic rats were investigated. Rats were divided into three diabetic and three non-diabetic groups and received control, flaxseed oil or fish oil diets (10% w/w). Both diets reduced blood glucose, TBARS and hepatic NO. The extent of glycation measured in terms of glycated albumin and hemoglobin was reduced significantly with both diets. Flaxseed oil diet up-regulated hepatic catalase (CAT) (activity and expression), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (activity and expression) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) expression. Fish oil diet up-regulated hepatic CAT (activity and expression), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) expression and down-regulated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Furthermore, both diets down-regulated the expression of hepatic inflammatory genes TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, INF-γ and NF-κB. These results were supported by histopathological observations which showed better tissue preservation in both the diets. Thus, both the diets proved to be beneficial in preventing tissue injury and alleviating diabetic insults in the livers of STZ–NIC diabetic rats.     

Off grid diesel engine-based trigeneration systems with thermal storage and compression chiller for enhanced performance

The paper proposes a diesel engine-based trigeneration system using a thermal storage for applications with simultaneous heating, cooling and power demand and where grid electricity is not available. A thermodynamic analysis is presented for the proposed trigeneration systems considering an 815?kWe diesel generator (DG) as a prime mover. Two configurations are considered. One configuration includes absorption chiller with an auxiliary hot water heater, while the other has a compression chiller in addition to the absorption chiller and water heater. Methodology of integrating a compression chiller is also presented. An analysis of both these options on primary energy savings basis for the considered DG shows that integrating a thermal storage and compression chiller enhances trigeneration performance. Without the compression chiller, the trigeneration system efficiency improves from 46% to 52% while with compression chiller integration, the improvement is much more from 46% to 72% when the power load decreases from 100% to 25%.     

Flexible carbon nanotube sensors for nerve agent simulants

Chemiresistor-based vapour sensors made from network films of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles on flexible plastic substrates (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) can be used to detect chemical warfare agent simulants for the nerve agents Sarin (diisopropyl methylphosphonate, DIMP) and Soman (dimethyl methylphosphonate, DMMP). Large, reproducible resistance changes (75-150%), are observed upon exposure to DIMP or DMMP vapours, and concentrations as low as 25?ppm can be detected. Robust sensor response to simulant vapours is observed even in the presence of large equilibrium concentrations of interferent vapours commonly found in battle-space environments, such as hexane, xylene and water (10?000?ppm each), suggesting that both DIMP and DMMP vapours are capable of selectively displacing other vapours from the walls of the SWNTs. Response to these interferent vapours can be effectively filtered out by using a 2?μm thick barrier film of the chemoselective polymer polyisobutylene (PIB) on the SWNT surface. These network films are composed of a 1-2?μm thick non-woven mesh of SWNT bundles (15-30?nm diameter), whose sensor response is qualitatively and quantitatively different from previous studies on individual SWNTs, or a network of individual SWNTs, suggesting that vapour sorption at interbundle sites could be playing an important role. This study also shows that the line patterning method used in device fabrication to obtain any desired pattern of films of SWNTs on flexible substrates can be used to rapidly screen simulants at high concentrations before developing more complicated sensor systems.     

Rapid detection of Escherichia coli by using antibody-conjugated silver nanoshells

Silver shells of 20 nm thickness have been deposited on silica particles of 200 nm diameter with narrow size distribution. Silver nanoshells dispersed in water exhibit a strong surface plasmon resonance band at 443 nm. This band was found to be very sensitive to rabbit immunoglobulin G antibodies, which were anchored on the nanoshells. These in turn could be utilized to detect the presence of small (approximately 5) to large numbers (approximately 10(9)) of Escherichia coli in water. The protocol presented here proves to be a specific, rapid, reliable, and inexpensive method to detect E. coli.     

Thermal Response of Symmetric Cross-Ply Laminated Plates Subjected to Linear and Non-Linear Thermo-Mechanical Loads

The flexural response of symmetric cross-ply laminated plates subjected to uniformly distributed linear and non-linear thermo-mechanical loads is presented using trigonometric shear deformation theory. The in-plane displacement field uses sinusoidal function in terms of thickness coordinate to include the shear deformation effect. The theory satisfies the shear stress-free boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the plate. The present theory obviates the need of shear correction factor. Governing equations and boundary conditions of the theory are obtained using the principle of virtual work. Thermal stresses and displacements for three-layer symmetric square cross-ply laminated plates subjected to uniform linear and nonlinear and thermo-mechanical loads are obtained. The results of present theory are compared with those of classical plate theory, first-order shear deformation theory and higher-order shear deformation theory.     

Switchover Control Strategies for Improving Performance of Refrigeration Systems under Off-Design Conditions

A typical 3-ton vapor compression refrigeration system using R-22 as the refrigerant is addressed. Two models are developed: a design model and a hierarchical control model. The design model is operated to observe the response of a typical system under various off-design operating conditions. In lieu of laboratory experiments, the normalized responses from the design model (normalized with respect to the design conditions) are compared to the normalized values based on the experimental data reported in the literature. This is done to validate the design model to the extent possible, limited by the reported experimental data in the literature. From this design model a hierarchical control model is developed, in which different control techniques for system capacity regulation and for operation over a range of ambient temperature are employed. By varying corresponding control parameters in each technique, information is developed regarding the refrigerant conditions within the system and system performance under different operating conditions. From the results of these simulations, hierarchical or switchover control strategy for an integrated refrigeration system is postulated to achieve the specific operational requirements with the highest feasible system efficiency over a wide range of off-design operating conditions. A similar approach can be used to postulate different hierarchical control based on other performance measures and considerations.     

Photocatalytic degradation of dyes and organic contaminants in water using nanocrystalline anatase and rutile TiO2

Nanocrystalline TiO₂ was synthesized by controlled hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide. The anatase phase was converted to rutile phase by thermal treatment at 1023 K for 11 h. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectrophotometry (FT-IR) and N₂ adsorption (BET) at 77 K. This study compare the photocatalytic activity of the anatase and rutile phases of nanocrystalline TiO₂ for the degradation of acetophenone, nitrobenzene, methylene blue and malachite green present in aqueous solutions. The initial rate of degradation was calculated to compare the photocatalytic activity of anatase and rutile nanocrystalline TiO₂ for the degradation of different substances under ultraviolet light irradiation. The higher photocatalytic activity was obtained in anatase phase TiO₂ for the degradation of all substances as compared with rutile phase. It is concluded that the higher photocatalytic activity in anatase TiO₂ is due to parameters like band-gap, number of hydroxyl groups, surface area and porosity of the catalyst.     

Assessing manufacturing strategy definitions utilising text-mining

The variations in Manufacturing Strategy (MS) definitions create confusion and lead to lack of shared understanding between academic researchers and practitioners on its scope. The purpose of this study is to provide an empirical analysis of the paradox in the difference between academic and industry definitions of MS. Natural Language Processing (NLP) based text mining is used to extract primary elements from the various academic, and industry definitions of MS. Co-word and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) provide empirical support for the grouping into nine primary elements. We posit from the terms evolution analysis that there is a stasis currently faced in academic literature towards MS definition while the industry with its emphasis on ‘context’ has been dynamic. We believe that the proposed approach and results of the present empirical analysis can contribute to overcoming the current challenges to MS design and deployment – imprecise definition leading to its inadequate operationalisation.