Fabrication and Tunable Dielectric Properties of (Ba0.7Sr0.3)TiO3-Glass-Based Thick-Film Capacitors

Ferroelectric glass–ceramics of composition 0.90 (Ba_0.7Sr_0.3) TiO₃–0.10(B₂O₃:SiO₂) (0.90 BST:0.10 BS) synthesized by sol–gel method have been used for the preparation of dielectric thick-film inks. The particle dispersion of the glass–ceramic powders in the thick-film ink formulations have been studied through rheological measurements for fabricating thick-film capacitors by screen printing technique. The thick films derived from such glass–ceramics are found to sinter at considerably lower temperatures than the pure ceramic, and exhibit good dielectric characteristics with a tunability of 32% at 1 MHz under a dc bias field of 35 kV/cm.     

Role of Flaxseed Meal Feeding for Different Durations in the Lipid Deposition and Meat Quality in Broiler Chickens

This study investigated the role of flaxseed meal (FSM), a rich terrestrial source of ω-3 fatty acids, in the alteration of the fatty acid profile and metabolism, health indices, physicochemical properties, and sensory quality of broiler chicken meat. The broiler chickens were fed 100 g FSM kg⁻¹ diet for different time periods (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 weeks). The results revealed that 100 g FSM feeding in broiler chickens for at least 3 weeks increased (P < 0.01) the EPA, DHA, MUFA, PUFA, ω-3 PUFA, and ω-6 PUFA of broiler chicken meat with the corresponding decrease in palmitic acid, stearic acid, and SFA content. 100 g FSM feeding up to 3 weeks has increased the Δ⁹-desaturases (P < 0.05), thioesterase index (P < 0.01), and Δ⁵-desaturase + Δ⁶-desaturase activity (P < 0.01) along with an improvement in health indices (P < 0.01) of chicken meat. Similarly, a reduction in meat cholesterol and fat content of thigh meat (P < 0.01) was observed by feeding 100 g FSM for at least 3 weeks with no effect on the pH, color scores, and sensory evaluation of broiler chicken meat. The water-holding capacity (WHC) and extract release volume (ERV) decreased, whereas, drip loss of meat increased (P < 0.01) due to the feeding of 100 g FSM beyond 3 weeks. Thus, this study concluded that 100 g FSM feeding for 3 weeks in broiler chickens significantly improves the fatty acid profile, lipid metabolism, and health indices of meat, without compromising the physicochemical properties of broiler chicken meat.     

Honeypot Based Black-Hole Attack Confirmation in a MANET

Many solutions are proposed to identify or prevent the attacks in a Mobile Ad hoc Network. However, sometimes these systems detect false attacks. This could lead to loss of resources in a mobile ad hoc network and cause a downgrade in quality of service. Hence mobile ad hoc networks need a system to confirm the attack before taking further actions. In our work presented in this paper, we propose an attack confirm system for a malicious attacker, called the Black-hole attacker. We present our Black-hole attack Confirmation System, which identifies and confirms the black-hole attack in a mobile ad hoc network using honeypot. The honeypot intelligently identifies all the possible types of black-hole attack using the Black-hole Attack tree, and confirms the attack using the Attack History Database. Together, the Black-hole Attack tree, and Attack History Database aid the honeypot in reducing the false alarms in the mobile ad hoc network. We have simulated the proposed system in several mobile ad hoc network environments of varying sizes of nodes and applications. On several occasions the results have demonstrated that the proposed system is efficient in confirming the black-hole attack and saving the resources and minimizing the path re-establishment.     

0.55 Tb/s heterogeneous Nyquist-WDM superchannel using different polarization multiplexed subcarriers

Photonic Network Communications - This paper depicts the design of 0.55&nbsp;Tb/s heterogeneous Flexi-rate Nyquist-wavelength division multiplexed (Nyquist-WDM) Superchannel. Here, for the...     

Low‐profile substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity‐backed self‐triplexed slot antenna

A low‐profile self‐triplexed slot antenna is proposed for multiple system integrations. The antenna comprises of hybrid substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity (a combination of a half‐mode circular and half‐mode rectangular SIW), radiating slot, and feeding network. A slot is imprinted on the upper metal‐layer of the SIW which splits the cavity into three radiating sections. It offers tri‐frequency bands when each section is excited separately. By finely tuning the antenna dimensions, it produces three frequency‐bands around 5.57, 7.17, and 7.65 GHz simultaneously utilizes a single slot with maintaining the intrinsic input‐port isolation better than 20 dB. This property helps to introduce the self‐triplexing phenomenon. Compared with the conventional multiband antennas that use an extra circuitry to ensure the port isolations, this design preserves compactness and easy to integrate with planar circuits Moreover, the proposed antenna is fabricated and the measured results mutually agreed with the simulated counterparts. The proposed design can be a feasible option for mobile transceiver applications.     

Photoluminescence quenching and photocatalytic enhancement of Pr-doped ZnO nanocrystals

This work reports the synthesis of novel praseodymium (Pr)-doped ZnO nanocrystals with excellent photocatalytic activity through modified solid-state reaction route. The impacts of doping on the wurtzite hexagonal structure are analysed with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The production of defect levels and the formation of Urbach energy within the system are confirmed using photoluminescence (PL) techniques and UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. The linear relationship between Urbach energy and band gap energy is elucidated from UV/Vis spectroscopy analysis. The changes happened to morphology by doping were tackled using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The concentration quenching effect of PL emission with Pr doping is explained in detail. A three-fold enhancement in the photocatalytic activity was achieved with optimum Pr incorporation in ZnO. This work successfully correlated PL quenching and enhanced photocatalytic activity with the defect production happened in ZnO system on Pr doping. The practical applicability of the photocatalyst was confirmed with a stability test.     

Need of Alcohol Reference Materials and Reliable Measurement of Alcohol Content by Breath Alcohol Analyzer in India: An Overview

Breath alcohol analyser is used to detect alcohol content in end-expiratory breaths in order to enforce driving regulations under the influence of alcohol legislation. The accuracy and reliability of the routine measurements of alcohol content performed with breath alcohol analyser can be achieved by the calibration of the breath alcohol analyser using standards traceable to SI reference material. Proper calibration is essential for transparency in legal verification for which reference material is needed. At international level, a number of NMIs are active to address this important measurement issue of providing accurate measurements. Several international key comparison programs have been organized so far for the determination of ethanol content in aqueous and in nitrogen/air matrix. NIST, USA; BAM, Germany; IRMM, Belgium, Portugal, INMETRO, Brazil, LGC, UK etc. have developed certain reference materials of ethanol in water solution/air with different concentration ranges. However, no such reference material is introduced in India as an indigenous standard, rather, being procured from abroad or using high purity alcohol for calibration purposes. CSIR-NPL, India, being the NMI is now focusing on establishing the calibration facility and development of SI traceable aqueous alcohol standard to provide test reliability for the testing in breath alcohol analyser. This program has a societal impact which contributes to human health and regulatory needs for the nation.     

Triboelectric nanogenerator based on polyaniline nanorods incorporated PDMS composites through a facile synthetic route

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) open up a new technique for developing green power sources through effective harvesting and conversion...