A general design for one dimensional discrete sine transform

Implementation of discrete sine transform (DST) is proposed, by folding the input data. This results in recursive structure, besides saving in the overall computation cycles. A simplified architecture to derive DST kernel has also been suggested.     

Effect of heat treatment on the structure and stability of multiwalled carbon nanotubes produced by catalytic chemical vapor deposition technique

The multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) produced by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) route were heat treated to 2500 °C to improve the structure, morphology and purity level. The process has lead to substantial reduction in the catalytic impurity along with an improved thermal stability and degree of graphitization of these tubes that can possibly lead to its better utilization in various applications. The structural changes following heat treatment have been correlated using various characterization techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The electrical and mechanical properties of the polymer composites prepared with heat treated MWCNT show improved properties over the one prepared by as produced MWCNT.     

Steam assisted biomass gasification—an overview

Biomass gasification technologies have matured over the years. In the past decade, numerous types of gasifiers have been developed and tested. This article reviews the status of steam assisted biomass gasifiers. It first discusses the challenges and the key operating parameters for steam‐biomass gasification and their effects on the gasifier performance. The article then summarises the progress and status of commercial or demonstration scale steam assisted biomass gasifiers available in the world.     

On I–V measurements and high field conduction of (Se80Te20)94−xGe6Bix (0 ≤ x ≤ 12) chalcogenide alloys

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - (Se80Te20)94?xGe6Bix (0?≤?x?≤?12) chalcogenide alloys were prepared by melt quenching technique....     

Fine-tuning of stannic oxide anodes’ material properties through calcination

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - Phase pure stannic oxide (SnO2) is an efficient and reliable anode material for Li ion batteries. Understanding of pure SnO2 phase formation...     

Effect of Annealing on Virgin and Recycled Carbon Fiber Electrochemically Deposited with N-type Bismuth Telluride and Bismuth Sulfide

N-type thermoelectric bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃) and bismuth sulfide (Bi₂S₃) were deposited on virgin carbon fiber (VCF) and recycled carbon fiber (RCF) substrates by electrodeposition. The effects of annealing on the surface morphology and the Seebeck coefficient of the Bi₂Te₃ and Bi₂S₃ films were investigated. A nearly stoichiometric N-type Bi₂Te₃ was obtained from an electrolyte solution of 8 mM of Bi(NO₃)₃.5H₂O and 10 mM of TeO₂, which displayed the highest Seebeck coefficient of ?20.01 and ?13.0 µV/K for VCF and RCF, respectively. The deposition of Bi₂S₃ was slightly off-stoichiometry, but the improvement was still significant with a Seebeck coefficient of ?16.3 and ?12.4 µV/K for VCF and RCF, respectively. The effect of varying the annealing temperature (275°C and 350°C) and annealing time (2 and 3 hours) was studied on a nearly stoichiometric N-type Bi₂Te₃. The result shows an improvement in the Seebeck coefficient by 1.51–1.24 times at 350°C for 2 hours.     

A maintenance hemodialysis diabetic patient with unexplained pulmonary and gastrointestinal involvement

A 50‐year‐old man with diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and end‐stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis, presented with persistent cough and hiccups, continued to be unwell with weight loss, poor appetite, and recurrent respiratory symptoms such as wheezing and cough. Whole body positron emission tomography‐computed tomography scan showed metabolically active lesions in liver, stomach/lesser sac, pancreas, and left sixth rib. As he had repeated bilateral transudative pleural effusion, left mini thoracotomy with pleural biopsy showed no evidence of granuloma or malignancy. Upper gastroscopy showed tiny gastric polyp; biopsy revealed benign lesion. Left posterior rib biopsy from the lesion and iliac crest biopsy showed no evidence of malignancy or granuloma. Further evaluation showed plasma chromogranin A ?5737 μg/L (<100 μg/L) with a repeat value of 6950 μg/L (<100 μg/L). He was initiated on oral sunitinib 25 mg once a day and injection octreotide 20 mg subcutaneously once a month. The plasma chromogranin A level and his symptoms, however, showed an initial improvement, but gradually worsened after 4 months despite being on treatment. After 6 months, the patient developed a gangrenous lesion of his glans penis with necrosis. Due to severe pain on conservative measures, penectomy with perineal urethrostomy was performed. Biopsy of the lesion showed blood vessels with intimal calcifications and thrombosis suggesting penile necrosis.     

Effect of complexing agent on the chemically deposited ZnS thin film

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) thin films have been deposited onto fluorine doped tin oxide and microscopic glass substrates from an aqueous alkaline reaction by chemical bath deposition. The effect of concentrations of hydrazine hydrate (HyH) (complexing agent) on the deposit is studied. X-ray analysis confirm the growth of nanocrystalline ZnS thin films with reflections (111), (220) and (311) correspond to cubic crystalline phase. TEM results support the growth of cubic ZnS layers. The energy band gap was successfully tailored from 2.77 to 3.80 eV. Photoluminescence study indicates a strong band-edge emission with some defect like vacancies. It was also noticed that HyH plays an important role on the nucleation. The remarkable improvement in the growth rate of ZnS thin films have been observed upon increasing the contents of HyH. Nearly stoichiometric ZnS layer was obtained upon annealing prepared with 2.5 M HyH. The crystallinity was found to be increased upon annealing the layers. The ideality factor for the ZnS layers prepared with 0 and 1.0 M HyH were obtained?~1.71 and 1.24, respectively. The capacitance–voltage plots behave according to Schottky–Mott theory. The doping concentrations?~10¹⁷ and 10¹⁸ cm^?3 were calculated for the layers deposited with 0 and 1.0 M HyH, respectively.     

Toxicological impact of TiO2 nanoparticles on Eudrilus euginiae

The concern regarding the toxicological effects of nanoparticles (NPs) on the terrestrial environment is increasing. To avoid risks of exposure to these NPs in the environment, it is essential to develop an understanding of their reactivity, toxicity, and persistency. Due to the increased usage of nano‐titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in various industrial products, an exponential increase in exposure is expected, which would exacerbate concerns about its ecological risks. The present study is conducted to evaluate the size‐dependent effects of TiO₂ NPs on the soil, especially on earthworm (Eudrilus euginiae). To date, many studies have been reported on the impact of TiO₂ NPs on ecotoxicology. However, histotoxicology studies are sparse. This study serves to be the first report on the size‐dependent histotoxicological impact of nano‐TiO₂ on earthworms particularly, E. euginiae. This report presents an intensive overall view of the longer time ecotoxicological impact of TiO₂ nanomaterials on various biological parameters of earthworms at cellular levels. The results show that the survival and growth of adult earthworms are severely affected by the TiO₂ NPs in the soil, which substantiates the adverse effects of TiO₂ NPs on earthworms.Inspec keywords: nanobiotechnology, nanoparticles, titanium compounds, semiconductor materials, toxicology, zoology, soil, cellular biophysics, particle sizeOther keywords: toxicological impact, nanoparticles, Eudrilus euginiae, terrestrial environment, soil, earthworm, ecotoxicology, size‐dependent histotoxicological impact, nanomaterials, biological parameters, cellular levels, TiO₂