Selective withdrawal from an intake channel connected to a reservoir

This paper investigates selective withdrawal from an intake channel connected to a two-layer stratified reservoir using a line sink located at the downstream end of the intake channel. Such a withdrawal scenario is commonly observed at intake channels, skimming operations, and pump intake bays. This study formulates mathematical expressions for such a withdrawal scenario in order to extend our knowledge and to develop a mathematically simpler method in the case where a solution already exists. An expression to compute the incipient Froude number was developed considering the effect of a boundary. Expressions were developed to obtain discharge ratios for the scenarios when the line sink is located at the channel bottom and far away from the channel bottom. When the interface is located below the channel bottom and only at the reservoir, the intake channel itself behaves as a rectangular orifice, and an expression to compute the incipient Froude number for such a case was developed. The mathematical results were compared to the results obtained from a computational fluid dynamics solver and other relevant published studies.     

Recent advances in micro-level experimental investigation in food drying technology

Abstract

Food materials, particularly plant-based food materials, are mostly cellular in structure with diverse structural heterogeneities and variable cellular properties. To uncover the fundamental drying process, the cellular-level understanding of simultaneous heat and mass transfer process and associated morphological changes is essential. Consequently, researchers have attempted to investigate microlevel transport and material properties and their spatial and temporal distribution using recent innovative and cutting-edge experimental methods and technologies. The aim of this paper is to review the latest experimental technologies that can be applied to investigate the micro-level features of food material during drying. A comprehensive overview of advanced experimental techniques including X-ray microtomography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Near Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy, light microscopy, nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been presented. Finally, a summary of the current challenges of micro-level investigation for food drying is presented at the end of this paper.     

Ecofriendly Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Terrabacter humi sp. nov. and Their Antibacterial Application against Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens

It is essential to develop and discover alternative eco-friendly antibacterial agents due to the emergence of multi-drug-resistant microorganisms. In this study, we isolated and characterized a novel bacterium named Terrabacter humi MAHUQ-38^T, utilized for the eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and the synthesized AgNPs were used to control multi-drug-resistant microorganisms. The novel strain was Gram stain positive, strictly aerobic, milky white colored, rod shaped and non-motile. The optimal growth temperature, pH and NaCl concentration were 30 °C, 6.5 and 0%, respectively. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain MAHUQ-38^T belongs to the genus Terrabacter and is most closely related to several Terrabacter type strains (98.2%–98.8%). Terrabacter humi MAHUQ-38^T had a genome of 5,156,829 bp long (19 contigs) with 4555 protein-coding genes, 48 tRNA and 5 rRNA genes. The culture supernatant of strain MAHUQ-38^T was used for the eco-friendly and facile synthesis of AgNPs. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image showed the spherical shape of AgNPs with a size of 6 to 24 nm, and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed the functional groups responsible for the synthesis of AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited strong anti-bacterial activity against multi-drug-resistant pathogens, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Minimal inhibitory/bactericidal concentrations against E. coli and P. aeruginosa were 6.25/50 and 12.5/50 μg/mL, respectively. The AgNPs altered the cell morphology and damaged the cell membrane of pathogens. This study encourages the use of Terrabacter humi for the ecofriendly synthesis of AgNPs to control multi-drug-resistant microorganisms.     

Synthesis of Si NPs from River Sand Using the Mechanochemical Process and its Applications in Metal Oxide Heterojunction Solar Cells

In this article, simple two-steps process for the synthesis of silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) from river sand of Bangladesh and application of the synthesi