Evaluation of a statistically based controller override on a pilot-scale flow loop

This work investigates the use of a statistically based override on an automatic controller. The objective is to temper controller action, and to obtain a better balance of variance reduction in both controlled and manipulated variables than is currently obtained with conventional filtering. Experimental results on a pilot-scale flow loop demonstrate the benefit. Results are supported by both simulation and theoretical analysis.     

Induction of the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by flavonoids isolated from Korean Citrus aurantium L. in non-small-cell lung cancer cells

This study investigated the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effect of flavonoids isolated from Korean Citrus aurantium L. using A549 lung cancer cells. Flavonoids potently inhibited of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas flavonoids had a weak inhibitory effect on proliferation of WI-38 cells. Flow cytometry and Western blot analysis showed that flavonoids induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M checkpoint by controlling the proteins expression level of cyclin B1, cdc2, cdc25c and p21^WAF1/CIP1. Also, flavonoids induced apoptosis through the regulation of the expression of caspases, cleaved PARP and Bax/Bcl-xL ratio. The activity of caspase-3 on A549 cells increased in a dose-dependent manner. These results clearly indicated that the anti-cancer effect of flavonoids on A549 cells follows multiple cellular pathways through G2/M arrest and the induction of apoptosis.     

Co-production of biodiesel and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid) from microalgae,Desmodesmus sp. MCC34

Microalgae are a potential source of biofuel and nutraceuticals. In the present study, Desmodesmussp. MCC34 was identified as a promising species for biodiesel and omega-3 fatty acid productions after initial screening since it had displayed the highest lipid productivity of 15.9 mg L^?1 day^?1 and alpha-linolenic acid of 24% of total fatty acids. Using silver ion chromatography, 92% of pure alpha-linolenic acid was selectively removed from total lipid of Desmodesmussp. MCC34, while the residual oil having a higher amount of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids displayed biodiesel property adhering to international standards, suggesting fuel co-application.

Abbreviations: ALA: alpha-linolenic acid methyl ester; GLAME: gamma-linolenic acid methyl ester; FAME: atty acid methyl ester; SFA: aturated fatty acid; MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acid; PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acid.     

Cluster-based context-aware route service management for smart intelligent autonomous vehicles with industrial transport system

Industrial transport system refers to the movement of goods, raw materials, and finished products within and between industrial facilities such as factories, warehouses, and distribution centers. It includes a variety of modes of transport such as trucks, forklifts, conveyor belts, and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Context-aware route service management refers to system that can dynamically manage and optimize the routes taken by vehicles in transportation system based on contextual information. Our proposed framework for industrial transport systems and smart intelligent autonomous vehicles utilizes cluster-based context-aware routing (CCAR), which includes several significant contributions. Firstly, modified elephant herding optimization (MEHO) algorithm is used to efficiently group autonomous vehicles for routing. Secondly, an improved gravitational search (IGS) algorithm is used for cluster head (CH) selection responsible for transferring context information between vehicles (V2V). Thirdly, a deep hybrid multi-graph neural network (DHMG-NN) is designed for optimal neighboring roadside unit (RSU) node selection through different design constraints to ensure data dissemination between vehicles and infrastructure (V2I). Finally, we validate the effectiveness of our CCAR framework using various simulation scenarios. Our framework achieves a reduction of up to 78% in computation time and an improvement of up to 25% in customer satisfaction ratio and 15% higher than the overall performance ratio compared to the existing frameworks.     

Histone Demethylase KDM7A Contributes to the Development of Hepatic Steatosis by Targeting Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase 2

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. While the development of NAFLD is correlated with aberrant histone methylation, modifiers of histone methylation involved in this event remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the functional role of the histone demethylase KDM7A in the development of hepatic steatosis. KDM7A overexpression in AML12 cells upregulated diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) expression and resulted in increased intracellular triglyceride (TG) accumulation. Conversely, KDM7A knockdown reduced DGAT2 expression and TG accumulation, and significantly reversed free fatty acids-induced TG accumulation. Additionally, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of KDM7A in mice resulted in hepatic steatosis, which was accompanied by increased expression of hepatic DGAT2. Furthermore, KDM7A overexpression decreased the enrichment of di-methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me2) and H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me2) on the promoter of DGAT2. Taken together, these results indicate that KDM7A overexpression induces hepatic steatosis through upregulation of DGAT2 by erasing H3K9me2 and H3K27me2 on the promoter.     

Exhaust emission study on neat biodiesel and alcohol blends fueled diesel engine

In this study, neat biodiesel with octanol additive was employed in a diesel engine and its effects on engine emission were studied. The five fuels evaluated were neat palm kernal oil biodiesel, octanol blended with biodiesel by 10%, 20%, and 30% volume, and diesel. All the emissions are reduced by the addition of octanol in biodiesel in all loads owing to the higher oxygen concentration of air/fuel mixtures and improved atomization. Hence, it is concluded that the neat biodiesel and octanol blends can be employed as an alternative fuel for existing unmodified diesel engines owing to its lesser emission characteristics.     

Polyketone nanofiber: an effective reinforcement for the development of novel UV‐curable,highly transparent and flexible polyurethane nanocomposite films

This study deals with the fabrication of a novel polyketone nanofiber‐reinforced UV‐curable polyurethane acrylate nanocomposite. An aliphatic polyketone nanofibrous mat was proficiently prepared by electrospinning using a solvent mixture of methylene chloride and trifluoroacetic acid. The outstanding characteristics of polymer nanofibers including a small pore size, a high aspect ratio and molecular orientation and an excellent mechanical performance offer the use of nanofibers as reinforcement in making nanocomposites. We fabricated a novel highly transparent and flexible nanocomposite film based on casting, electrospinning and UV‐curing processes. This method allowed significant enhancement of the mechanical properties using a very small amount (approximately 3.5 gsm) of polyketone nanofiber. The yield strength and Young's modulus of the nanocomposite were improved by up to 61% and 60%, respectively, compared to a UV‐cured polyurethane acrylate film. The reinforcing effect of nanofibers was accomplished without sacrificing the transparency and flexibility of polyurethane acrylate. The morphologies of the nanofibers and fiber–resin interface as well as the characteristics of the nanocomposite films were also studied. The effective use of nanofibers as a reinforcement and the preparation of a nanocomposite along with its characterization in comparison to a UV‐cured polyurethane acrylate film are also discussed. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

A novel technique and detailed analysis of cars in Indian roads to adopt low ground clearance

ABSTRACT

As the front wheels of a car descend along the slope of a bump, the vehicle comes down due to inertia. This motion is dampened by the suspension system. The Indian cars with low ground clearance when moving over bumps tend to have their under chassis brushed by the road surface which is mostly harmless. But if the bumps are too steep, the under chassis takes a hit .The result is damage to the critical parts of the vehicle. So our idea is to develop a system that will detect the presence of elements (bumps, speed breakers, stones, etc.,) in the course of the vehicle that could possibly cause serious damage to the vehicle’s under chassis and other critical parts. The system we propose aims to identify the presence of such unsafe obstacles. The system adopted for Indian cars will merely harden the suspension using MR damper to provide a small lift sufficient enough to the system. We aim to identify the presence of such unsafe obstacles. The system adopted for Indian cars will merely harden the suspension using MR damper to provide a small lift sufficient enough to get through the bumps.     

Synthesis,characterization, and optimization of Schizochytrium biodiesel production using Na+‐doped nanohydroxyapatite

The present work investigates the synthesis of a new and highly efficient sodium‐doped nanohydroxyapatite, as a heterogeneous catalyst for the production of fatty acid methyl esters from Schizochytrium algae oil. Sodium nitrate supported on nanohydroxyapatite catalyst was prepared using wet impregnation technique and calcinated at different temperatures. The synthesized nanocatalyst was characterized to determine the structural and morphological properties, using BET, XRD, TGA, FTIR, ICP, and TEM. Characterization results reported that the catalyst calcinated at 900°C exhibits good catalytic property. The catalyst was utilized for the production of biodiesel, under different reaction parameters through transesterification process. Response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) were employed to evaluate the best combination of molar ratio, catalyst concentration, and reaction time for transesterification process. By using point prediction method, the optimum yield of 96% was achieved at the catalyst concentration of 9.5 wt% of oil, 1:12 molar ratio, and 121‐minute reaction time. The physiochemical properties of the biodiesel were determined, and the result suggested that the biodiesel produced met ASTM D6751 standard. The catalyst exhibits good catalytic performance on reusability up to six runs without the loss of molecular activity. Therefore, the synthesized heterogeneous catalyst derived from animal bone could be efficiently used for the biodiesel production.