Ex‐vivo magnetic resonance image texture analysis can discriminate genotypic origin in bovine meat

Texture analysis (TA) combined with dedicated gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at high field provides specific parametric maps of connective tissue and allows statistical analysis of the resulting texture. The present study clearly demonstrates that MRI‐TA of bovine meat can discriminate between muscle types Gluteo biceps and Pectoralis profundus, and between genotype origins corresponding to the mutation on the myostatin gene: normal +/+, heterozygous mh/+ or homozygous double‐muscled mh/mh Belgian White Blue bulls. Values of interclass separations reflect the significantly different collagen and fat contents in these genotypes. To our knowledge, no previous study has demonstrated such a correlation between MRI texture and genetics‐related modifications. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Supramolecular Assembly on Coordination of Azopolymer Complexes: A Review

This review gives an account of the coordination chemistry of supramolecular azopolymer complexes. The syntheses and structures of azomonomers and their azopolymer complexes were described. Spectral techniques such as (IR, ¹H-NMR, ESR) and thermal analysis were investigated. Supramolecular architectures assembled were exhibited through weak interaction including hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking. The spectral data indicate geometry of azopolymer complexes and the orbital reduction factors. ESR spectral data provided information about their structures on the basis of Hamiltonian parameters and degree of covalency. All the azopolymer complexes are ESR active due to the presence of an unpaired electron. The force constant F_U–O(mdyn/Å) and the bond length R_U–O (Å) of the U–O bond were calculated from the IR data and related to the electronic properties of the substituents. Wilson's method, the matrix method, Badger's formula, and the Jones and El-Sonbati equations were used to calculate the U–O bond distances from the values of the stretching and interaction force constants. The most probable correlations between U–O force constant to U–O bond distance were satisfactorily discussed in terms of Badger's rule, and the Jones and El-Sonbati equations. The thermal stability was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the azopolymer complexes are mostly more stable than the homopolymer. The stability of the proton ligand/metal ligand constants in the monomeric and polymeric forms was studied carefully using potentiometery. Based on the thermodynamic functions, the dissociation process is nonspontaneous, endothermic and entropically unfavorable. The metal complexes that were formed exhibited spontaneous, endothermic and entropically favorable behavior.     

Instrumented impact properties of some advanced nuclear reactor pressure vessel steels

Steels used to construct nuclear reactor pressure vessels are low-alloy ferritic steels. These steels should have good impact properties, i.e., low transition temperature and high upper shelf energy, both before and during service conditions. The most important service condition is the neutron irradiation. Extensive research and development was conducted to develop such steels. Instrumented impact testing was conducted on three advanced pressure vessel steels and, for comparison, a conventional pressure vessel steel. Both microstructures and fracture surfaces were examined using optical and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) techniques. In general, the advanced steels showed much better impact properties (lower ductile-brittle transition temperature and higher upper shelf energy) than the conventional steel. Loadtime traces showed that increase in the fracture energy was mainly due to increase in the fracture propagation energy rather than the initiation energy. Improvement in the toughness level of the advanced steels compared to that of the HSST steel was related to the difference in chemical composition, microstructure, and fracture surface morphology.     

Robust and High Accuracy Algorithm for Detection of Pupil Images

Recently, many researchers have tried to develop a robust, fast, and accurate algorithm. This algorithm is for eye-tracking and detecting pupil position in many applications such as head-mounted eye tracking, gaze-based human-computer interaction, medical applications (such as deaf and diabetes patients), and attention analysis. Many real-world conditions challenge the eye appearance, such as illumination, reflections, and occasions. On the other hand, individual differences in eye physiology and other sources of noise, such as contact lenses or make-up. The present work introduces a robust pupil detection algorithm with and higher accuracy than the previous attempts for real-time analytics applications. The proposed circular hough transform with morphing canny edge detection for Pupillometery (CHMCEP) algorithm can detect even the blurred or noisy images by using different filtering methods in the pre-processing or start phase to remove the blur and noise and finally the second filtering process before the circular Hough transform for the center fitting to make sure better accuracy. The performance of the proposed CHMCEP algorithm was tested against recent pupil detection methods. Simulations and results show that the proposed CHMCEP algorithm achieved detection rates of 87.11, 78.54, 58, and 78 according to Świrski, ExCuSe, Else, and labeled pupils in the wild (LPW) data sets, respectively. These results show that the proposed approach performs better than the other pupil detection methods by a large margin by providing exact and robust pupil positions on challenging ordinary eye pictures.     

Characterization of Invert Soda Lime Silica Glasses Containing High Titania Content Together with their Glass Ceramics

Silicon - Collective structural, optical and thermal properties were investigated for some prepared soda lime silicate glasses containing high TiO2 contents (35, 40, 45%). X-ray diffraction and...     

Performance optimization of evacuated tube collector for solar cooling of a house in hot climate

Evacuating the space connecting cover and absorber significantly improves evacuated tube collector (ETC) performance. So, ETCs are progressively utilised all over the world. The main goal of current study is to explore ETC thermal efficiency in hot and severe climate like Kuwait weather conditions. A collector test facility was installed to record ETC thermal performance for one-year period. An extensively developed model for ETCs is presented, employing complete optical and thermal assessment. This study analyses separately optics and heat transfer in the evacuated tubes, allowing the analysis to be extended to different configurations. The predictions obtained are in agreement with experimental. The optimum collector parameters (collector tube length and diameter, mass flow rate and collector tilt angle) are determined. The present results indicate that the optimum tube length is 1.5 m, as at this length a significant improvement is achieved in efficiency for different tube diameters studied. Finally, the heat generated from ETCs is used for solar cooling of a house. Results of the simulation of cooling system indicate that an ETC of area 54 m², tilt angle of 25° and storage tank volume of 2.1 m³ provides 80% of air-conditioning demand in a house located in Kuwait.     

Kinetics of Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Natural Gas Using Different Catalysts

Abstract

The Kinetics of CO₂ reforming of natural gas to produce synthesis gas (CO + H₂) has been investigated using 2 g of 0.5% wt of each of the catalysts; rhodium, ruthenium and iridium supported on γ-alumina. The experiments were carried out in a tubular reactor at three temperature levels namely 600, 700, 800°C and four gas weight hourly space velocities; 18000, 36000, 45000, and 60000 ml g^?1 h^?1. The reaction was found to obey first-order kinetics for the depletion of both of the reacting components; CH₄ and CO₂ on all the investigated catalysts. At the same temperature, CO₂ had a higher reaction rate constant, k', as compared to CH₄ for all the catalysts. This was more pronounced for Rh/γ-alumina catalyst, which occupied the highest reaction rates. Activation Energies were calculated from the Arrhenius relation.     

Characterization and Electrical Properties of Some Hydrochloric Acid-Doped Aniline and 2-Amino-Pyridine Homopolymers and Copolymers

The synthesis of (group I) hydrochloric acid-doped poly(aniline-co-toluidine), poly(aniline-co-thiophene), poly(aniline-co-o-phenylenediamine), and poly(aniline-co-2-aminopyridine) as well as their hydrochloric acid-doped homopolymers of polyaniline, poly-m-toluidine, poly-o-phenylene diamine, and poly-2-aminopyridine and the synthesis of (group II) hydrochloric acid-doped poly (2-aminopyridine-co-o-phenylene diamine) and its hydrochloric acid-doped homopolymers of poly 2-amino pyridine and poly-o-phenylene diamine have been carried out via a chemical oxidation process using ammonium and potassium persulphate as chemical initiators. The synthesized homo- and copolymers were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and thermal analysis. The variation of the electrical conductivity (σ, S cm^?1) with the reciprocal of the absolute temperature (1000/T, K) at different frequencies (1–1000 kHz) for hydrochloric acid homopolymers and copolymers is illustrated.     

Silk Fibroin as an Efficient Biomaterial for Drug Delivery,Gene Therapy,and Wound Healing

Silk fibroin (SF), an organic material obtained from the cocoons of a silkworm Bombyx mori, is used in several applications and has a proven track record in biomedicine owing to its superior compatibility with the human body, superb mechanical characteristics, and its controllable propensity to decay. Due to its robust biocompatibility, less immunogenic, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, and biodegradable properties, it has been widely used in biological and biomedical fields, including wound healing. The key strategies for building diverse SF-based drug delivery systems are discussed in this review, as well as the most recent ways for developing functionalized SF for controlled or redirected medicines, gene therapy, and wound healing. Understanding the features of SF and the various ways to manipulate its physicochemical and mechanical properties enables the development of more effective drug delivery devices. Drugs are encapsulated in SF-based drug delivery systems to extend their shelf life and control their release, allowing them to travel further across the bloodstream and thus extend their range of operation. Furthermore, due to their tunable properties, SF-based drug delivery systems open up new possibilities for drug delivery, gene therapy, and wound healing.