Correcting Liquefaction Resistance for Aged Sands Using Measured to Estimated Velocity Ratio

Factors for correcting liquefaction resistance for aged sands using ratios of measured to estimated shear-wave velocity (MEVR) are derived in this paper. Estimated values of shear-wave velocity (VS) are computed for 91 penetration resistance-VS data pairs using previously published relationships. Linear regression is performed on values of MEVR and corresponding average age. Age of the sand layer is taken as the time between VS measurements and initial deposition or last critical disturbance. It is found that MEVR increases by a factor of about 0.08 per log cycle of time, and time equals about 6?years on average when MEVR equals 1 for the recommended penetration resistance-VS relationships. The resulting regression equation is combined with the strength gain equation reported by Hayati et al. 2008 in “Proc., Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics IV,” to produce a MEVR versus deposit resistance correction relationship. This new corrective relationship is applied to create liquefaction resistance curves based on VS, standard penetration test blow count, and cone tip resistance for sands of various ages (or MEVRs). Because age of natural soil deposits is usually difficult to accurately determine, MEVR appears to be a promising alternative.     

Lactic acid‐mediated isolation of alpha‐, beta‐ and kappa‐casein fractions by isoelectric precipitation coupled with cold extraction from defatted cow milk

The present study focused on the isolation of individual caseins (α, β and κ) from defatted cow's milk using lactic acid‐mediated isoelectric precipitation coupled with cold extraction technique, followed by purification using sucrose‐based density gradient centrifugation method. In vitro characterisation of the isolated casein fractions confirmed preservation of micellar morphology throughout the experimental conditions with anionic surface charge and wider particle size range. The RP‐HPLC analysis showed a peak at retention time of 25.13 min and 27.84 min for α‐casein and β‐casein, respectively. Results confirmed isolation of pure casein fractions from cow's milk which could serve as a rich source of bioactive peptides for nutraceutical/pharmaceutical applications.     

Influence of Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Ti0.2]O3‐δ filler on the microwave dielectric properties of polyethylene and polystyrene for microelectronic applications

Ceramic reinforced polyethylene and polystyrene composites were prepared by melt mixing and hot molding techniques. Temperature stable low‐loss Ca[(Li_1/3Nb_2/3)_0.8Ti_0.2]O_3‐δ (CLNT) ceramic was used as the filler to improve the dielectric properties of the polymers. The relative permittivity and dielectric loss in the microwave frequency range were increased with increase in the ceramic loading. As the filler content increased from 0 to 0.50 volume fraction, the relative permittivity increased from 2.3 to 9 and dielectric loss tangent from 0.0006 to 0.005 for polyethylene‐CLNT composite. In the case of polystyrene‐CLNT composite, the relative permittivity and dielectric loss tangent increased from 2.1 to 10.5 and 0.0005 to 0.0032 respectively with increase in filler content from 0 to 0.50 volume fractions. The thermal stability of the relative permittivity of polymer ceramic composites was also investigated. The experimentally observed relative permittivity was compared with theoretical models. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of Surfactants on Catalytic Activity of Diastase α-Amylase

The enzyme amylase is one of the hydrolyzing enzymes used in detergent formulation in order to remove soil based on polysaccharides. The effectiveness of the enzyme depends on its compatibility with other ingredients of the formulation. Among the studied additives, comprising anionic surfactants sodium dodecyl hydrogen sulfate (SDS) and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, the cationic surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), nonionic surfactants polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate and polyoxyethylene octyl phenyl ether, carboxy methyl cellulose and sodium sulfate, only the anionic surfactant SDS and cationic surfactant CTAB showed catalytic enhancement of α-amylase. The kinetic parameters, K _m and k _cat, showed an increase in catalytic activity in the micellar pseudophase. The decrease in optimum temperature from 55 to 30 °C and the shift in optimum pH from 5.5 to 7 on the addition of SDS and CTAB for the hydrolysis of starch are very favorable to enhance the washing characteristics.     

Low Dielectric Loss PTFE/CeO2 Ceramic Composites for Microwave Substrate Applications

Cerium oxide (CeO₂) filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites prepared by powder processing technique for microwave substrate application is presented in this paper. The PTFE is used as the matrix and the dispersion of CeO₂ in the composite is varied up to 0.6 by volume fraction, and the dielectric properties were studied at 1 MHz and microwave frequencies. The relative permittivity and dielectric loss increased with increase in CeO₂ content. For 0.6 volume fraction loading of the ceramic, the composite has ɛ_r of 5 and tan δ of 0.0064 at 7 GHz. Different theoretical approaches have been employed to predict the effective permittivity of composite systems and the results were compared with that of experimental data. The serial mixing model shows good correlation with the experimental results.     

Antibiofilm and antimicrobial efficacy evaluation of polypyrrole nanotubes embedded in aminated gum acacia based nanocomposite

The sustainable development of natural polysaccharide‐based hybrid composites is highly important for the effective replacement of metal nanoparticles in diverse applications. Here, polypyrrole nanotubes (PPyNTs) were embedded on the surface of aminated gum acacia (AGA) to produce ecofriendly nanocomposites for biomedical applications. The morphology of a PPyNT‐enhanced AGA (PPyNT@AGA) hybrid nanocomposite was studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and their affirmed interactions were characterised by X‐ray diffraction, Raman, Fourier transform‐infrared and UV‐visible spectroscopy. Interestingly, the prepared PPyNT@AGA nanocomposite exhibited 90% biofilm inhibition against gram‐negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, gram‐positive Streptococcus pneumoniae and fungal strain Candida albicans with promising antimicrobial performance. This study establishes the good inhibition of a PPyNT@AGA hybrid composite against various microorganisms. The stability of the nanocomposite coupled with antimicrobial activity enables an effective strategy for diagnosing and controlling pathogens.     

Ba3ZnTa2−xNbxO9 and Ba3MgTa2−xNbxO9 (0≤x≤1): synthesis, structure and dielectric properties

Oxides belonging to the families Ba₃ZnTa_2−xNb_xO₉ and Ba₃MgTa_2−xNb_xO₉ were synthesized by the solid state reaction route. Sintering temperatures of 1300°C led to oxides with disordered (cubic) perovskite structure. However, on sintering at 1425°C hexagonally ordered structures were obtained for Ba₃MgTa_2−xNb_xO₉ over the entire range (0≤x≤1) of composition, while for Ba₃ZnTa_2−xNb_xO₉ the ordered structure exists in a limited range (0≤x≤0.5). The dielectric constant is close to 30 for the Ba₃ZnTa_2−xNb_xO₉ family of oxides while the Mg analogues have lower dielectric constant of ∼18 in the range 50 Hz to 500 kHz. At microwave frequencies (5-7 GHz) dielectric constant increases with increase in niobium concentration (22-26) for Ba₃ZnTa_2−xNb_xO₉; for Ba₃MgTa_2−xNb_xO₉ it varies between 12 and 14. The “Zn” compounds have much higher quality factors and lower temperature coefficient of resonant frequency compared to the “Mg” analogues.