High birefringence photonic crystal fiber with a complex unit cell of asymmetric elliptical air hole cladding

High birefringence induced by elliptical air hole photonic crystal fibers (EHPCFs) is analyzed numerically using the finite-element method. Statistical correlations between the birefringence and the various parameters are obtained. We found that the complex elliptical air hole is better than that of a circular one to obtain high birefringence in photonic crystal fibers. Our suggested structures can considerably enhance the birefringence in EHPCFs and show that the birefringence can be as high as 1.1294 x 10(-2), which is higher than the birefringence obtained from conventional step-index fiber (5 x 10(-4)), circular air holes PCF (3.7 x 10(-3)), and elliptical hollow PCF (2.35 x 10(-3)).     

Vacuolar and extracellular maturation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteinase A

The vacuolar aspartyl protease proteinase A (PrA) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is encoded as a preproenzyme by the PEP4 gene and transported to the vacuole via the secretory route. Upon arrival of the proenzyme proPrA to the vacuole, active mature 42 kDa PrA is generated by specific proteolysis involving the vacuolar endoprotease proteinase B (PrB). Vacuolar activation of proPrA can also take place in mutants lacking PrB activity (prb1). Here an active 43 kDa species termed pseudoPrA is formed, probably by an autocatalytic process. When the PEP4 gene is overexpressed in wild-type cells, mature PrA can be found in the growth medium. We have found that prb1 strains overexpressing PEP4 can form pseudoPrA extracellularly. N-terminal amino acid sequence determination of extracellular, as well as vacuolar pseudoPrA showed that it contains nine amino acids of the propeptide, indicating a cleavage between Phe67 and Ser68 of the preproenzyme. This cleavage site is in accordance with the known substrate preference for PrA, supporting the notion that pseudoPrA is formed by autoactivation. When a multicopy PEP4 transformant of a prb1 mutant was grown in the presence of the aspartyl protease inhibitor pepstatin A, a significant level of proPrA was found in the growth medium. Our analyses show that overexpression of PEP4 leads to the secretion of proPrA to the growth medium where the zymogen is converted to pseudoPrA or mature PrA in a manner similar to the vacuolar processing reactions. Amino acid sequencing of secreted proPrA confirmed the predicted cleavage by signal peptidase between Ala22 and Lys23 of the preproenzyme.     

Applied and Emerging Methods for Meat Tenderization: A Comparative Perspective

The tenderization process, which can be influenced by both pre‐ and post‐slaughter interventions, begins immediately after an animal's death and is followed with the disruption of the muscle structure by endogenous proteolytic systems. The post‐slaughter technological interventions like electrical stimulation, suspension methods, blade tenderization, tumbling, use of exogenous enzymes, and traditional aging are some of the methods currently employed by the meat industry for improving tenderness. Over the time, technological advancement resulted in development of several novel methods, for maximizing the tenderness, which are being projected as quick, economical, nonthermal, green, and energy‐efficient technologies. Comparison of these advanced technological methods with the current applied industrial methods is necessary to understand the feasibility and benefits of the novel technology. This review discusses the benefits and advantages of different emerging tenderization techniques such as hydrodynamic‐pressure processing, high‐pressure processing, pulsed electric field, ultrasound, SmartStretch^?, Pi‐Vac Elasto‐Pack® system, and some of the current applied methods used in the meat industry.     

Using flower pollinating with artificial bees (FPAB) technique to determine machinable volumes in process planning for prismatic parts

Process planning (PP) has an important role in manufacturing systems design and operations. Volume decomposition and machinable volumes (MVs) or machining features determination is the core activity in process planning. This process requires extraction of elementary volumes (EVs), merging or clustering EVs to construct feasible MVs and finally selecting an optimal combination of MVs. Development of MVs is an important activity, so that better solution is obtained by better developed MVs. Generation of limited number of MVs or machining features, which is often performed by experts may miss the optimal solution. Also, using exact methods such as combinatorial optimization not only generate infeasible MVs, but also require an excessive amount of computational time. In this research, the meta-heuristic procedure of flower pollinating by artificial bees (FPAB) is used in manufacturing context to generate and assess the feasibility of MVs. Furthermore, a set-covering method is used to select the optimal solution. The performance of the proposed model is assessed through some numerical examples. The encouraging results of the numerical examples demonstrate good performance of the proposed method in machining feature or machinable volumes determination problem (MVDP).     

Sulfonation of graphene nanosheet-supported platinum via a simple thermal-treatment toward its oxygen reduction activity in acid medium

The sulfonated graphene nanosheet-supported platinum (s-Pt/GNS) catalyst synthesized via a simple thermal-treatment in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid was reported in this study. Influence of sulfonation on its structural, surface, morphological and catalytic characteristics of as-prepared s-Pt/GNS was explored using X-ray diffractometer, Raman spectrometry, zeta potential analyzer, scanning and transmission electron microscopes, and cyclic voltammetry. For the oxygen reduction reaction, the current density generated from the s-Pt/GNS at 0.6 V was approximately 32.5 A g⁻¹ Pt, which was about 193% higher than that of original Pt/GNS.     

Microstructural Characterization of Co-Based ODS Alloys

Co-based ODS alloys, strengthened by nanosized oxide dispersion and γ′ precipitates, are potential high-temperature structural materials. The characteristics of the mechanically alloyed powder and the microstructural evolution of the Co-based ODS alloys were investigated. The results revealed that mechanical alloying had induced the formation of supersaturated solid solution in immiscible Co-Al-W-based alloys, originating mainly from extensive grain boundary region, high dislocation density, and ample point defect. Chemical compositions of mechanically alloyed Co-Al-W-based ODS alloys easily deviate from the γ/γ′ two-phase region, leading to the existence of Al _x Co, Co₃W, Co₇W₆, and W phases in addition to the γ and γ′ phases. Nonuniform distribution of alloying elements brings about the differences in morphologies and sizes of γ′ precipitates. Microstructural formation process is impelled by spinodal decomposition mode, and spinodal decomposition behavior has been accelerated in the fine-grained alloy because of the presence of short-circuited diffusion paths for atomic movement.     

Radioactivity levels in some sediment samples from Red Sea and Baltic Sea

Levels of 22?,22?Ra, 232Th, 21?Pb, 21?Po and ??K in sediments from four monitoring areas, El Hamraween and Ras El Behar (Red Sea, Egypt) and LL3A and JML (Baltic Sea, Finland), have been investigated using alpha and gamma spectrometry. The average activity concentrations were 238±4 Bq kg?1 (22?Ra), 215±11 Bq kg?1 (21?Pb) and 311±18 Bq kg?1 (21?Po) for El Hamraween area. In Ras El Behar area, the corresponding values were 16±0.4, 18±1 and 20±5 Bq kg?1, respectively. The activity concentrations for 22?Ra, 21?Pb and 21?Po (uranium series) in El Hamraween bottom sediment are much high compared with those in Ras El Behar area, which indicates the enhanced levels due to the activities of phosphate mining and shipment operations in El Hamraween area. Excluding the influence of phosphate mining activities, it can be concluded that the levels of radioactivity in Baltic Sea sediments are higher than those in Red Sea sediments.     

Re-realization of the NIS National Viscosity Scale and Its Range Extension up to 250,142?mm2/s

A wide-range viscosity standard system has generally been realized with capillary viscometers, which are calibrated by the stepping-up method on the basis of viscosity value of distilled water at 20?°C. As per recommendation of Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), the national primary viscosity scale must be realized every 10?years. The present work is an attempt to re-realize the existing scale and extend it to from 70,000 to 250,142?mm²/s. This would enable NIS to calibrate different types of viscometers with the highest constant. The NIS viscosity scale was first realized in 2001 [1] using glass capillary viscometers in the range from 1 to 70,000?mm²/s. From the present calibration results of the NIS viscometers, the present scale is realized with an uncertainty of about 0.07?% at low viscosities (0.9?mm²/s) rising to about 0.25?% at higher viscosities (250,142?mm²/s).     

Effect of pretreatments and drying methods on physico‐chemical,sensory characteristics and nutritional value of oyster mushroom

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of pretreatments and drying methods on the chemical, physico‐chemical, sensory characteristics and nutritional value of oyster mushroom. Chemical analysis of oyster mushroom (OM) showed that the values content were increased by many times when calculated on dry weight basis. Nine treatments of dried mushroom powders (DMP) were prepared using three drying methods (hot air drying, vacuum drying, and sun drying). Also, three pretreatments of each method of drying were used (untreated, blanching by steaming without or with steeped in 0.5% citric acid solution for 30 min).The results and statistical analysis revealed that, sun dried oyster mushroom samples (without pretreatments) were found to be the best. The DMP samples resulting of the sun drying had a highest physico‐chemical properties, sensory evaluation scores, and contents of the mineral elements and amino acids as compared to other pretreatments and drying methods.

Practical applications

Fresh mushrooms have high water content, high enzymatic activity and hence are highly perishable. Thus, in this study nine treatments of dried mushroom powders (DMP) were prepared using three drying methods (hot air drying, vacuum drying and sun drying).Also, three pretreatments of each method of drying were used (untreated, blanching by steaming without or with steeped in citric acid).The DMP samples (untreated) resulting of the sun drying were better than other pretreatments and drying methods regarding quality attributes.     

Estimation of strength and deformation properties of Quaternary caliche deposits

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate statistical models for predicting the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and average Young’s modulus (E _av) for caliches, using some index and physical properties. The caliche samples, from Adana, southern Turkey, were of low strength and difficult to sample. X-ray diffraction and microscopy were undertaken and the following physical parameters established: unit weight, apparent porosity, Schmidt rebound number, Shore hardness, P-wave velocity, slake durability, point load, uniaxial compressive strength and average Young’s modulus. Simple and linear regression variable selection analyses were performed. The best relationships were obtained for UCS with P-wave velocity and unit weight and for average Young’s modulus with P-wave velocity, porosity and slake durability. Empirical equations are proposed, although it is emphasised that these may only be applicable for caliche of a similar geological character.