In ovo delivery of various biological supplements,vaccines and drugs in poultry: current knowledge

The technique of delivering various nutrients, supplements, immunostimulants, vaccines, and drugs via the in ovo route is gaining wide attention among researchers worldwide for boosting production performance, immunity and safeguarding the health of poultry. It involves direct administration of the nutrients and biologics into poultry eggs during the incubation period and before the chicks hatch out. In ovo delivery of nutrients has been found to be more effective than post-hatch administration in poultry production. The supplementation of feed additives, nutrients, hormones, probiotics, prebiotics, or their combination via in ovo techniques has shown diverse advantages for poultry products, such as improved growth performance and feed conversion efficiency, optimum development of the gastrointestinal tract, enhancing carcass yield, decreased embryo mortality, and enhanced immunity of poultry. In ovo delivery of vaccination has yielded a better response against various poultry pathogens than vaccination after hatch. So, this review has aimed to provide an insight on in ovo technology and its potential applications in poultry production to deliver different nutrients, supplements, beneficial microbes, vaccines, and drugs directly into the developing embryo to achieve an improvement in post-hatch growth, immunity, and health of poultry. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Investigations on calculation of heat of formation for multi-element AB5-type hydrogen storage alloy

With development in hydrogen energy research, more and more applications of hydrogen storage materials have been put forward. This requires synthesis of new materials for specific purpose. In context to designing of metal hydride bed, thermodynamic parameter ‘Heat of formation’ (ΔH) for hydrogen storage alloy is very important. Theoretical calculation of ΔH for binary compound or ternary hydride is accomplished by well known ‘Miedema's Rule of Reverse Stability’. Experimentally ΔH may be determined using Van't Hoff Equation. So far, theoretical calculation of ΔH for multi-element alloy is not known. In the present investigation simple phenomenological formulae have been proposed to calculate ΔH for multi-element alloy including AH_m, BH_m, AB_n, AB_nH_2m, AB_n-xC_x, AB_n-xC_xH_2m, AB_n-x-yC_xD_y, AB_n-x-yC_xD_yH_2m and so on. The calculated values of ΔH in present investigation have been compared with the experimental reported value or calculated by any other model reported in literature. An excellent agreement has been observed between the two.     

Real fire performance of partition assemblies

A series of real‐scale compartment tests was performed to provide information on the phenomenology of partition response and failure, to guide model development. Two partition assemblies of 2.44 m × 2.44 m were exposed to two intense fires from the time of ignition to beyond flashover. The assemblies were constructed using type X gypsum panels. The stud spacing and stud dimensions were fixed for both assemblies. Heat flux gauges provided time histories of the energy incident on the partitions, while thermocouples provided data on the propagation of heat through the partitions and on the progress toward perforation. Visual and infrared cameras were used to image partition behavior during the fire exposure. The results obtained from these experiments are discussed. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conducting ferromagnetic copolymer of aniline and 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene containing nanocrystalline barium ferrite particles

This article reports the synthesis of conducting ferromagnetic complex of 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and aniline (An) containing M‐type hexagonal barium ferrite (BaFe₁₂O₁₉) particles using in situ emulsion polymerization and electrochemical oxidative polymerization. Magnetic and conductivity studies reveal that the conducting ferromagnetic complex possesses high‐saturation magnetization (M_s) value of 29.2 emu/g and conductivity of the order of 0.256 S/cm determined through vibrating sample magnetometer and four‐probe method. Microwave measurement has shown the reflection loss (R_L) of ?12.1 dB in Ku‐band that can be used as a microwave absorbing material. The polymer complex was further characterized by techniques like X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, UV–visible, cyclic voltammetry, and thermal analysis with thermogravimetric analysis. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

On Inhomogeneous Deformations in ES Materials

Electro-sensitive (ES) elastomers or electro-rheological (ER) elastomers deform under the application of an electric field and their mechanical properties can be changed rapidly under the influence of electric field. The present paper deals with inhomogeneous deformations in ES elastomers. We have solved two problems namely inhomogeneous shearing deformation of a slab and inhomogeneous radial expansion and longitudinal shearing of an isotropic incompressible elastic circular cylindrical shell in the presence of electric field.     

Effects of hypochlorite exposure on flux through polyethersulphone ultrafiltration membranes

Polyethersulphone ultrafiltration membranes with a nominal molecular weight cut off of 10 kDa were degraded in solutions of sodium hypochlorite over a range of pH values at 55 °C to achieve exposure measured in ppm-days of chlorine exposure. The degraded membranes were tested, using an ÄKTAcrossflow? system, for clean water flux, demineralised whey flux and protein rejection. The water fluxes for three membranes (new, 10,000 ppm-day pH 12, and 10,000 ppm-day pH 9) were found to be about 100, 200 and 400 L m^?2 h^?1, respectively with cross flow at 1 bar transmembrane pressure. However whey fluxes were about 23, 5, and 6 L m^?2 h^?1 for the same three membranes. Size exclusion chromatography of the permeates showed significant permeation of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin through membranes degraded at pH 9 for 20,000 ppm-days, while almost no permeation was found for degradation at pH 12.These results show that hypochlorite degradation affected fluxes by at least two mechanisms. It was likely that membrane pitting increased the pore size causing increased water flux and reduced protein rejection. However hypochlorite also seemed to alter the membrane surface properties, causing the protein to form a less permeable layer that reduced the flux of whey.     

GIS-based Methodology for Identification of Suitable Locations for Rainwater Harvesting Structures

Presently, the water resources across the world are being continuously depleted. It is essential to find sustainable solutions for this shortage of water. Rainwater harvesting is one such promising solution to this problem. This paper presents a new GIS-based methodology to identify suitable locations for rainwater harvesting structures using only freely available imageries/remote sensing data and data from other sources. The methodology has been developed for the semi-arid environment of Khushkhera-Bhiwadi-Neemrana Investment Region (KBNIR) in Alwar district of Rajasthan. For identifying locations suitable for rainwater harvesting structures, the layers of surface elevation (ASTER-DEM), landuse/landcover, soil map, drainage map and depression map are used and further analyzed for their depression volume, and availability of surface runoff using Soil Conservation Service - Curve Number (SCS-CN) method. Based on the proposed criteria total seven locations were identified, out of which two locations are excellent; three locations are good, (if provisions of overflow structure are made for them) and two locations are not suitable for rain water harvesting. The total rainwater harvesting potential of the study area is 54.49 million cubic meters which is sufficient to meet the water requirements if harvested and conserved properly. This methodology is time-saving and cost-effective. It can minimize cost of earthwork and can be utilized for the planning of cost effective water resource management.     

X-FEM simulation for two-unequal-collinear cracks in 2-D finite piezoelectric specimen

A study for two-unequal-collinear cracks in a 2-D finite piezoelectric specimen is carried out using a new set of six crack-tip enrichment functions proposed here for piezoelectric media in the X-FEM framework. The intensity factors and energy release rate are calculated using interaction integral in conjugation with the near tip behavior given by the Stroh formalism. Effect of finite size of the specimen is analyzed with respect to offset distances of the cracks from the specimen boundaries. ERR variations are investigated with respect to inter- crack space, crack lengths and electrical/mechanical loadings. Hence, two-unequal-collinear cracks in an infinite domain problem is simulated, analyzed and validated using X-FEM. Further, ERR at the crack tips for the asymmetric case of two collinear equal and unequal cracks, is also computed. It is concluded through this investigation that the proposed enrichment functions could be used to handle the problems of fracture mechanics in 2-D piezoelectric media within a good accuracy.