Synthesis,characterization and properties of a castor oil modified biodegradable poly(ester amide) resin

A biodegradable poly(ester amide) resin was synthesized from N,N-bis(2-hydroxy ethyl) fatty amide of castor oil with maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride and isophthalic acid (100:30:35:35 mole ratio) by the polycondensation process. The fatty amide of the oil was obtained for the first time with 95% yield. The chemical structure of the synthesized resin was characterized by spectroscopic techniques like FTIR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. Various physical properties such as acid value, saponification value, iodine value, specific gravity and viscosity of the resin were also determined. Further the rheological behavior, studied in the steady shear mode showed shear thinning behavior of the resin. The epoxy cured poly(ester amide) thermoset using poly(amido amine) hardener exhibited better properties than with the cycloaliphatic amine hardener cured system. TGA studies also revealed higher thermal stability of the former system than the latter. In vitro-biodegradation study of the poly(ester amide) thermoset using Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilus bacteria revealed superior biodegradability of the thermoset using the former bacterial strain. Excellent chemical resistance against various chemical media including alkali was observed for epoxy-poly(amido amine) cured poly(ester amide) resin over epoxy-cycloaliphatic amine one. The epoxy-poly(amido amine) cured poly(ester amide) thermoset thus has the potential to be used as surface coating material.     

Geographic variation in the flavour volatiles of Alphonso mango

Alphonso, one of the most popular cultivars of mango in India is known to exhibit geographic variation in the flavour of ripe fruits. To get chemical insight into this difference, volatiles were studied in the ripening fruits of Alphonso mangoes from three cultivation locations in India. Ripe fruits from Deogad had lower content of mono- and sesquiterpenes and higher content of lactones and furanones as compared to the fruits from Dapoli; whereas fruits from Vengurle had average quantities of these chemicals in comparison with Deogad and Dapoli fruits. This variation was clearly reflected as separate clustering of the localities in the Principal Component Analysis. The localities were indistinguishable from each other in terms of raw fruit volatiles. This study exemplifies a case of phenotypic plasticity; since the plants chosen were clonally propagated, such geographic variation in the volatiles can be attributed to varied abiotic conditions at these three localities.     

Simultaneous determination of tenderness and Escherichia coli contamination of pork using hyperspectral scattering technique

A rapid nondestructive method based on hyperspectral scattering technique for simultaneous determination of pork tenderness and Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination was studied in the research. The hyperspectral scattering images of thirty-one pork samples were collected in 400-1100 nm, and the scattering profiles were then fitted by Lorentzian distribution function to give three parameters a (asymptotic value), b (peak value) and c (full width at b/2). The combined parameters of (b-a), (b-a) × c, (b-a)/c and “a&b&c” were used to develop multi-linear regression (MLR) models for prediction of pork tenderness and E. coli contamination. It was shown that MLR models developed using parameters a, b, (b-a) and (b-a)/c can give high correlation coefficients of 0.831, 0.860, 0.856 and 0.930 respectively for pork tenderness prediction. For E. coli contamination of pork, MLR models based on parameters a and “a&b&c” can give high R_CV of 0.877 and 0.841 respectively.     

An experimental study on cracking evolution in concrete and cement mortar by the b-value analysis of acoustic emission technique

Notched three point bend (TPB) specimens made with plain concrete and cement mortar were tested under crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) control at a rate of 0.0004 mm/s and simultaneously acoustic emissions (AE) released were recorded during the experiments. Amplitude distribution analysis of AE released during concrete was carried out to study the development of fracture process in concrete and mortar specimens. The slope of the log-linear frequency–amplitude distribution of AE is known as the AE based b-value. The AE based b-value was computed in terms of physical process of time varying applied load using cumulative frequency distribution (Gutenberg–Richter relationship) and discrete frequency distribution (Aki's method) of AE released during concrete fracture. AE characteristics of plain concrete and cement mortar were studied and discussed and it was observed that the AE based b-value analysis serves as a tool to identify the damage in concrete structural members.     

Nanocomposite Hydrogel Materials for Defective Cartilage Repair and Its Mechanical Tribological Behavior—A Review

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a regressive ailment that affects a large population of patients. The most common symptoms of OA in humans are cartilage abnormalities. Hydrogels are excellent candidates for cartilage regeneration and are widely accepted as implants. In the past few decades, numerous types of hydrogels have been synthesized to repair cartilage defects. This study highlights recent advances in hydrogel development for the treatment of cartilage defects. In addition, the detailed progression of tailored nanocomposite hydrogels is summarized, and emphasis has been placed on the mechanical properties, especially the tribological behavior of the developed nanocomposite hydrogels.     

Characteristics of U.S. waterpipe users: a preliminary report.

Waterpipe smoking, a traditional method of tobacco use, has experienced a resurgence in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent in recent years. Despite growing evidence of its dependence potential and health-damaging effects, waterpipe use has spread beyond these regions to many other countries, including the United States. Because little is known about waterpipe use in the United States, we surveyed convenience samples of users from two U.S. cities, Richmond, Virginia (n = 109), and Memphis, Tennessee (n = 34). Respondents in both cities were primarily young adults, a majority (75%) were men, and most were college students or had a college degree. Initial and current use usually occurred in a social context, with a group of friends in a cafe or restaurant or at home. Most respondents had smoked waterpipe for 2 or fewer years, and 67% currently smoked at least once a month (22% smoked at least once per week and 10% smoked daily). Most believed waterpipe use to be less addictive and harmful than cigarette smoking, believed they could quit use at any time, but had no plans or desire to quit. A majority of respondents used other tobacco products such as cigarettes, and 35% of those who did not smoke cigarettes said they would "probably" or "definitely" smoke one in the next year. Multivariate correlates of greater frequency of use included younger age at first use, ownership of a waterpipe, use occurring primarily with groups of friends, and the perception of being "hooked." Waterpipe users in these two convenience samples from the United States were young and educated, tended to experiment with multiple forms of tobacco, were unaware of the potentially harmful and addictive properties of waterpipe use, and planned to continue use in the future. Educational efforts are needed to increase awareness of the potential hazards of this increasingly popular form of tobacco use.     

Synthesis and study of nanocrystalline Ni-Cu-Zn ferrites prepared by oxalate based precursor method

Nanocrystalline ferrites of compositions Ni_0.5+1.5xCu_0.3Zn_0.2Fe_2−xO₄ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) have been synthesized by using oxalate based precursor method at very low temperature. The Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite powder particles were obtained at 450 °C and they exhibit a crystallite size of 16-24 nm. The lattice constants were found nearly equal in all these samples due to minute difference in the ionic radius between Ni²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions. The thermal analysis has showed the ferrite phase formation at very low temperature 377 °C. The two main spectroscopic bands corresponding to lattice vibrations were observed in the wavelength range from 300 to 1000 cm⁻¹. The IR bands at 570 cm⁻¹ (v₁) and 390 cm⁻¹ (v₂) were assigned to tetrahedral (A) and octahedral [B] groups. The spectroscopic bands shift with the increase of doping concentration. The magnetization was found to decrease with increasing doping concentration. The dielectric constant (?′) and dielectric loss tangent (tan δ) decreased with increase of frequency. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss obtained for the nanocrystalline ferrite samples appeared to be lower than that of the ferrites prepared by other synthesis techniques.     

DC and analog/RF performance optimisation of source pocket dual work function TFET

We investigate a systematic study of source pocket tunnel field-effect transistor (SP TFET) with dual work function of single gate material by using uniform and Gaussian doping profile in the drain region for ultra-low power high frequency high speed applications. For this, a n⁺ doped region is created near the source/channel junction to decrease the depletion width results in improvement of ON-state current. However, the dual work function of the double gate is used for enhancement of the device performance in terms of DC and analog/RF parameters. Further, to improve the high frequency performance of the device, Gaussian doping profile is considered in the drain region with different characteristic lengths which decreases the gate to drain capacitance and leads to drastic improvement in analog/RF figures of merit. Furthermore, the optimisation is performed with different concentrations for uniform and Gaussian drain doping profile and for various sectional length of lower work function of the gate electrode. Finally, the effect of temperature variation on the device performance is demonstrated.     

DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM FOR ARC-DRIVEN HF/DF CHEMICAL LASERS

The article focuses on the development of a data acquisition system (DAS) working in a noisy and hostile environment for an arc-operated hydrogen fluoride/deuterium fluoride (HF/DF) chemical laser. PC-based DAS has been configured using Advantech plug and play modules with fiber link connectivity. This article also focuses on implementation of an orifice-based precise gas flow control system. The plasma arc discharge in an arc heater/generator is essentially employed for inducing thermal dissociation of sulfur hexafluoride SF₆ for production of fluorine atoms, and DAS has been used for performance optimization of the composition of the lasing mixture by independently varying the flow rate, pressure, and temperature of its constituents. Since arc load is complex with high voltage transients and electromagnetic noise, an optical fiber link has been implemented for data transmission. This article also discusses digital output interface circuitry for various electro-pneumatic actuators/solenoid valves. The developed DAS has been used for monitoring and performance evaluation of parameters for 50 kW arc tunnel.