LDES: detector design for version number attack detection using linear temporal logic based on discrete event system

International Journal of Information Security - The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has defined routing protocols for low power and lossy networks (RPL) for constrained devices. RPL...     

Effect of Deposition Temperature on the Evolution of Texture,Grain Boundary Constitution and Corrosion Behaviour of Sn–Cr Coatings

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - Effect of deposition temperature on the evolution of microstructure and corrosion properties of electrodeposited SnCr coatings was studied. The coatings...     

Lead content in household paints in India

Lead and its compounds are used in paints not only to impart colour but also to make it durable, corrosion resistant and to improve drying. Adverse health impacts of lead especially on children have led countries to restrict or ban its use in paints. While U.S. and other developed countries instituted measures to limit the use of lead in paints, some developing countries including India have failed to regulate their lead content. The present study was undertaken to determine the levels of lead in new latex (water-based) and enamel paints (oil-based) intended for residential use in India. A total of 69 paint samples (38 latex and 31 enamel samples) from six of the most popular brands were analysed for lead concentrations. While all latex paint samples contained low levels of lead, (i.e., well below 600 ppm as regulated by United States' Consumer Products Safety Commission) the enamel paint samples of all but one brand contained significant concentrations of lead, ranging up to 140,000 ppm. In fact 84% of the enamel paints tested exceeded 600 ppm whereas only 38 % of all samples (including latex and enamel types) exceeded this regulatory level.     

Polymer-antibody fragment conjugates for biomedical applications

Many proteins benefit from improved solubility, immunocompatibility, pharmacokinetics or stability upon conjugation to polymers. For protein-conjugates used in delivery or imaging in vivo, this can mean increased efficacies due to longer circulatory half-lives or increased intracellular stability. In vitro, conjugation to polymers can increase stability, reduce aggregation, or mediate multimerization or phase separation of proteins to increase assay sensitivities or improve signal detection. The emergence of recombinant antibody technologies over the past two decades has allowed relatively simple isolation in vitro of (human) antibody fragments, such as Fabs and single chain variable fragments (scFvs), that retain the binding properties of their parent molecules and may exhibit additional properties such as reduced immunogenicity, improved tissue penetration or increased packing density on sensor surfaces due to their small sizes. In addition, protein engineering approaches that facilitate their chemical functionalization have seen antibody fragments linked to a broad spectrum of chemically and functionally diverse polymeric molecules. Of the varied strategies used in polymer–protein coupling, amine and cysteine conjugation are the most widely applied chemistries with antibody fragments. Simple conjugation to poly(ethyleneglycol) can increase half-life, decrease renal clearance, improve stability and reduce aggregation of antibody fragments without compromising their antigen binding. Meanwhile, engineering of antibody fragments can be used to control conjugation to polymers and coupling to responsive polymers can enable intracellular delivery or context responsive release of a drug payload from a polymer–antibody fragment complex. Recent years have seen polymer–antibody fragment conjugates increasingly encroach into areas traditionally associated with monoclonal antibody–polymers and we discuss the potential of such conjugates, in vivo and in vitro, in applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, diagnostics and bioseparation.     

Measurement and Control of Process using Soft Computing

Abstract

Control of process parameters is considered to be a critical problem in the process industry. The process considered for modeling is a liquid level system. The model identification and parameter selection are approximated to a First Order Plus Dead Time (FOPDT). Here, the controller design is based on a conventional Proportional–Integral (PI) controller and intelligent controller like Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC). The objective of the current study is to design control strategies in real time using MATLAB software interfaced with Adam's data acquisition module. A comparative analysis based on FLC with a conventional controller is presented, with various time domain specifications. It is found that, under servo and regulatory changes, FLC shows an improved performance over its conventional techniques based on performance measures like peak time, settling time, overshoot, Integral Square Error (ISE) and Integral Absolute Error (IAE).     

Linear filtering with Ornstein-Ulhenbeck process as noise

We consider a linear filtering model (with feedback) when the observation noise is an Ornstein-Ulhenbeck (OU) process with parameter β. The coefficients appearing in the model are all assumed to be bounded. In addition, the coefficients appearing in the observation equation are also assumed to be differentiable. We consider the general case when the OU noise is also correlated with the signal. Under these conditions, we derive the filtering equations for the optimal filter.     

Effect of microporation on passive and iontophoretic delivery of diclofenac sodium

Abstract

Skin pretreatment with a microneedle roller (microporation (MP)) appears a simple and inexpensive technique to increase transdermal delivery of topically applied drug products. This study investigates the effect of MP on the passive and iontophoretic delivery of diclofenac (DCF) by quantifying dermis and plasma levels of DCF in a rabbit model. New Zealand albino female rabbits received either: (i) a topical application of 4?g of Voltaren® 1% gel with or without pretreatment with a microroller (0.5?mm needle length; density 23 microneedles per cm² area) or (ii) a DCF solution (40?mg/2.5?mL) via iontophoresis (IOMED transQ^E medium size patch), with or without microroller pretreatment. A 300?µA/cm² cathodic current was applied for 20?min for a total of 80 mA. DCF concentrations were monitored in dermis with microdialysis sampling every 20?min for 5?h. Plasma samples were collected over the same period. In the passive delivery studies, microroller pretreatment increased C_max by 1.5- and 2.0-fold in skin and plasma, respectively, and AUC by 1.5- and 2.4-fold in skin and plasma, respectively. In the iontophoresis delivery studies, microporation increased C_max by 2.0-fold both in skin and in plasma, and AUC by 1.1- and 1.8-fold in skin and plasma, respectively. In conclusion, microneedle pretreatment increased significantly the systemic exposure of DCF from either passive or iontophoretic delivery, whereas the effect in skin was less pronounced.     

Biomass-based chemical production using techno-economic and life cycle analysis

Furfural has been selected as one of the top 30 biomass derived platform compounds by the U.S. Department of Energy based on several indicators including the raw material used for production, estimated processing cost, technical complexity, and market potential. In this work, several high value chemicals such as butadiene, surfactants, jet-fuels, and lubricants are produced from furfural. The paper proposes the integrated flowsheet to produce those chemical and techno-economic and life cycle analysis is performed to compare the minimum selling price and environmental impacts of the integrated process. The capital and operating cost for production of lubricants and surfactants is the highest when compared with other products. Production of surfactants performs the best in terms of environmental impacts except in water depletion when compared with other processes while butadiene production performs the worst regarding the environmental effects.