Nitrites Derived From Foneiculum Vulgare (Fennel) Seeds Promotes Vascular Functions

Abstract: Recent evidence has demonstrated that nitrites play an important role in the cardiovascular system. Fennel (Foneiculum vulgare) seeds are often used as mouth fresheners after a meal in both the Indian sub‐continent and around the world. The present study aims to quantify the nitrite and nitrates in fennel seeds as well as elucidating the effect of fennel derived‐nitrites on vascular functions. Results from our study show that fennel seeds contain significantly higher amount of nitrites when compared to other commonly used post‐meal seeds. Furthermore our study confirmed the functional effects of fennel derived‐nitrites using in vitro and ex vivo models that describe the promotion of angiogenesis, cell migration, and vasorelaxation. We also showed that chewing fennel seeds enhanced nitrite content of saliva. Thus our study indicates the potential role of fennel derived‐nitrites on the vascular system. Practical Application: This study is focused on determining the effect of fennel‐derived nitrites on angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels from pre‐existing ones), cell migration, and vasorelaxation (dilation of blood vessels) thereby preserving cardiovascular health.     

Modeling the drain current and its equation parameters for lightly doped symmetrical double-gate MOSFETs

A 2D model for the potential distribution in silicon film is derived for a symmetrical double gate MOSFET in weak inversion. This 2D potential distribution model is used to analytically derive an expression for the subthreshold slope and threshold voltage. A drain current model for lightly doped symmetrical DG MOSFETs is then presented by considering weak and strong inversion regions including short channel effects, series source to drain resistance and channel length modulation parameters. These derived models are compared with the simulation results of the SILVACO (Atlas) tool for different channel lengths and silicon film thicknesses. Lastly, the effect of the fixed oxide charge on the drain current model has been studied through simulation. It is observed that the obtained analytical models of symmetrical double gate MOSFETs are in good agreement with the simulated results for a channel length to silicon film thickness ratio greater than or equal to 2.     

The basalt stone quarries of eastern India

Quarrying of basalt stone in the Early Cretaceous Rajmahal Trap region of eastern India is increasing at an alarming pace. The quarries have created an extensive ugly landscape of pits and overburden dumps. The stone workshops continuously emit dust. These quarries generate year‐round employment in an impoverished terrain. The workforce mostly comprises the socio‐economically deprived indigenous tribal population. They are an important source of income to the State Governments of Jharkhand and West Bengal. While the need for building stone cannot be denied in a region that is rapidly industrialising and urbanising, issues of land degradation and health cannot be ignored. The paper offers measures to contain environmental degradation and generate alternative sources of income with bio‐fuel crops such as Jatropha curcas.     

Production scheduling under uncertainty of an open-pit mine using Lagrangian relaxation and branch-and-cut algorithm

ABSTRACT

The life-of-mine optimization of open pit mine production scheduling under geological uncertainty is a computationally intensive process. Production scheduling determines the optimal extraction sequence by maximizing net present value (NPV). In this paper, an algorithm is proposed to schedule an open pit mine under geological uncertainty, where instead of solving the whole problem at once, the production schedule is generated by sequentially solving sub-problems. The sub-gradient method is used to generate the upper bound solution of a Lagrangian relaxed sub-problem. If the upper bound relaxed solution is infeasible, a mixed integer programming is applied to the latter solution. The algorithm is validated by solving six problems and is compared to the linear relaxation of the original production scheduling problem. The results show that the proposed algorithm generates a solution that is very close to optimal, with less than a 3% optimality gap. An application at a copper mine, where geological uncertainty is quantified with geostatistical simulations of the related orebody, shows that all constraints are satisfied and an 11% higher NPV is generated when compared to the corresponding deterministic equivalent of the proposed approach, while a 26% higher NPV is generated compared to a common conventional industry approach.     

Morphological,Mechanical Property Analysis and Comparative Study over Structural Properties of CVD TiN Film Grown under Different Substrate Temperature in Nitrogen Gas Atmosphere

Silicon - Titanium Nitride (TiN) thin films were deposited by thermal chemical vapor deposition process (CVD) over Si (100) substrate under different substrate temperatures. Morphological,...     

Microstructure-Based Estimation of Strength and Ductility Distributions for $$\alpha +\beta $$ Titanium Alloys

Titanium alloys are processed to develop a wide range of microstructure configurations and therefore material properties. While these properties are typically measured experimentally, a framework for property prediction could greatly enhance alloy design and manufacturing. Here a microstructure-sensitive framework is presented for the prediction of strength and ductility as well as estimates of the bounds in variability for these properties. The framework explicitly considers distributions of microstructure via new approaches for instantiation of structure in synthetic samples. The parametric evaluation strategy, including the finite element simulation package FEpX, is used to create and test virtual polycrystalline samples to evaluate the variability bounds of mechanical properties in Ti-6Al-4V. Critical parameters for the property evaluation framework are provided by measurements of single crystal properties and advanced characterization of microstructure and slip system strengths in 2D and 3D. Property distributions for yield strength and ductility are presented, along with the validation and verification steps undertaken. Comparisons between strain localization and slip activity in virtual samples and in experimental grain-scale strain measurements are also discussed.

     

Adsorption‐concentration polarization model for ultrafiltration in mixed matrix membrane

Adsorption has been found to be significant in ultrafiltration by mixed matrix membrane. Removal of very low molecular weight solutes compared to the molecular weight cut off of the membrane is facilitated by adsorption. The modeling of the adsorption coupled with concentration polarization is presented based on the mathematical approach developed by Gekas et al. (Gekas et al. Chem Eng Sci. 1993;48:2753–2765), from the first principles. However, extensive modifications were included in theoretical development including those suggested by Ruiz‐Bevia et al. (Ruiz‐Bevia et al. Chem Eng Sci. 1997;52:2343–2352). The developed model captured the rejection dynamics with the help of retention factor. The model equations were solved under the framework of boundary layer analysis, using the integral approach. Effects of the adsorption isotherm and the different parameters affecting the system performance were also investigated. Further, experimental validation of the model results with two different mixed matrix ultrafiltration studies was also elucidated. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 2354–2364, 2014     

Managing the Topological Expansion of Computer Networks in an Optimal Way

This article describes a subgradient-based near-optimal heuristic algorithm designed for minimizing the search of links that need to be added to an existing telecommunications network to enhance the survivability and routability of the network.     

Evaluation of the performance of metameric indices

Forty three metameric pairs were obtained by comparison, shade-adjustment, and redyeing of 660 self shades dyed with direct, azoic, vat, and reactive dyes. The pairs were regrouped shadewise and ranked visually in increasing order of metamerism. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated between 11 measures of metamerism and the visual metameric ranking under three illuminants A, D65, and TL84 in pairs. The illuminant-independent general indices included the indices based on reflectance differences (Bridgeman), weighted reflectance differences (Nimeroff and Yurow), Cohen-Kappauf's residual differences (proposed) obtained from the spectral decompositions of the reflectance spectra of the metameric pair. Illuminant-specific special indices included color-differences under test illuminant, addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication of color-differences under test and reference illuminants, indices based on ΔL*, Δa*, Δb* differences under two illuminants, based on chromatic adapted ΔL*, Δa*, Δb* differences with multiplicative corrections for tristimulus differences under reference illuminant (Berns-Billmeyer), differences of the color constancy indices. The present work showed that indices based on ΔL*, Δa*, Δb* differences under two illuminants, both unmodified and modified by Berns-Billmeyer performed best among the existing indices. The differences of color constancy indices showed good correlation with the degree of metamerism in some cases, and this may be utilized for developing newer indices of metamerism. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.