Ratiometric Interactions of Anionic Surfactants with Calf Thymus DNA Bound Cationic Surfactants: Study II

Cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) bind to the calf thymus DNA (ct‐DNA) like anionic biopolymers electrostatically, and establish equilibrium in aqueous medium at pH 7. At low concentration, ct‐DNA does not interact with anionic surfactants, sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecylbenzylsulfonate (SDBS). However, in the ground state, anionic surfactant is found to clearly establish equilibrium with ct‐DNA‐bound cationic surfactant whereby the same surfactant–DNA isosbestic point reappears. We herein report a detail ratiometric binding of CPB with ct‐DNA, and interaction of anionic SDBS with DNA‐bound CPB in comparison with the combined ct‐DNA–CTAB–SDS system. Compaction of ct‐DNA in presence of CPB and its decompaction using anionic SDBS is also studied in comparison with CTAB–SDS combination. The techniques used are tensiometry, spectrophotometry, viscometry, cyclic voltammetry, circular dichroism, isothermal titration calorimetry, and density functional theory (DFT)‐based computational calculations. The size and surface charge density of the surfactant headgroups and the phosphate group in DNA have a contributing role in the DNA compaction–decompaction phenomenon.     

Steam condenser optimization using Real-parameter Genetic Algorithm for Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

This work explores the use of Real-parameter Genetic Algorithm and analyses its performance in the steam condenser (or Circulating Water System) optimization study of a 500 MW fast breeder nuclear reactor. Choice of optimum design parameters for condenser for a power plant from among a large number of technically viable combination is a complex task. This is primarily due to the conflicting nature of the economic implications of the different system parameters for maximizing the capitalized profit. In order to find the optimum design parameters a Real-parameter Genetic Algorithm model is developed and applied. The results obtained are validated with the reference study results.     

A Conduction–Radiation Mixture Model for Laser-Assisted Phase Change of Semitransparent Material

A one-dimensional transient coupled conduction-radiation numerical model is developed to investigate the laser melting of semitransparent material under a continuous collimated laser pulse in a convective cooling environment. The medium is considered absorbing, emitting, and scattering. The thermophysical properties are taken to be different for different phase fields. Volumetric radiation is incorporated in the proposed model. The radiation information is obtained by solving the equation of transfer. The temperature field is obtained by solving the energy equation with internal radiation source. The finite-volume method is used to discretize both the equation of transfer and the energy equation. The enthalpy formulation is adopted to capture the continuously evolving solid–liquid interface during the phase change. The laser source is approximated with the collimated radiation source. Collimated intensity is captured directly (without splitting the total intensity into two parts: diffuse and collimated) by adjusting the control angles. The present model is first validated with the existing phase-change model in the literature. Then the effects of different parameters such as optical thickness, scattering albedo, and the conduction–radiation parameter on the liquid fractions and temperature distribution in the medium are studied. It is observed that when the radiation is dominant, the temperature in the medium is high and hence the liquid fraction is more, in contrast to conduction-dominated phase change.     

Simulation of a forced-air-twin-chamber for measuring heat treatment uniformity in harvested tomatoes

A heat transfer simulation model combining convection and conduction was developed to predict accurately the temperatures of air and produce (tomatoes) placed within a custom designed experimental set-up used for the measurement of the uniformity of hot air treatment. The thermal conductivity of the produce and air humidity have significant effects on the uniformity of heat treatment, particularly on the temperature gradients generated in the design. Tomato position, signifying the length of tunnel, is another factor to be considered when designing such experimental device. While air velocity is a factor affecting heat treatment uniformity, the tomato orientation did not show any significant effect. The simulation was experimentally validated and found to be accurate. This method could also be used for other fruits.     

SOLUTION OF TRANSIENT LAMINAR NATURAL CONVECTION IN A SQUARE CAVITY BY AN EXPLICIT FINITE ELEMENT SCHEME

This paper discusses the application of a finite element method based on the first-order projection scheme, which is an extension ofChorin's algorithm, to transient laminar natural convection in a square cavity. Results have been presented for a fluid of Prandtl number 0.71 in the Rayleigh number range of 10³-10⁶ in terms of the variation of vertical velocity component, nondimensional temperature, and average Nusselt number with time. Various features of the scheme that render it economical in terms of CPU time and storage requirements are discussed. The steady state results have been compared with benchmark solutions, and the agreement appears to be good.     

Fuzzy Reliability Assessment of Distribution System with Wind Farms and Plug-in Electric Vehicles

Abstract

The equipment failures are highly uncertain in nature and simple average failure rate will not reflect this uncertainty. The uncertainty level further increases in reliability evaluation due to the integration of wind farm (WF) because of the intermittent nature of wind speed and random charging patterns of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). In this work, the uncertain variables in the distribution system (failure rate, repair time, WF output, PEVs charging and system load factor) are represented as fuzzy numbers to handle the uncertainty. The available uncertain data are used to find the probability distribution function (PDF) of that parameter and is converted into fuzzy membership function using transformation techniques. Failure rate of equipment is converted into failure probability using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. Sampling method is applied to create the PDF of a variable which has average value. Fuzzy severity index (FSI) is proposed to find the importance of an equipment on reliability and is evaluated by measuring the fuzzy distance between the fuzzy reliability indices. The proposed assessment method is validated on modified RBTS bus 2 by comparing with analytical and MCS methods. The proposed method has been tested with integration of WFs and PEVs.     

Biosynthesis and PBAN-Regulated Transport of Pheromone Polyenes in the Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata

The trienoic and tetraenoic polyenes, (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-nonadecatriene, (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-henicosatriene, and (3Z,6Z,9Z)-1,3,6,9-henicosatetraene were found in the abdominal cuticle and pheromone gland of the winter moth Operophtera brumata L. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), in addition to the previously identified single component sex pheromone (3Z,6Z,9Z)-1,3,6,9-nonadecatetraene. The pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) is involved in the regulation of polyene transport from abdominal cuticle to the pheromone gland. In vivo deuterium labeling experiments showed that (11Z,14Z,17Z)-11,14,17-icosatrienoic acid, the malonate elongation product of linolenic acid, (9Z,12Z,15Z)-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, is used to produce (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-nonadecatriene and (3Z,6Z,9Z)-1,3,6,9-nonadecatetraene.