Recovery of pure ZnO nanoparticles from spent Zn-MnO₂ alkaline batteries

The recovery of pure ZnO (zinc oxide) nanoparticles from spent Zn-Mn dry alkaline batteries is reported. Spent batteries were dismantled to separate the contained valuable metals of the cell electrodes in the form of black powder. Treatment of this black powder with 5 mol L(-1) HCl produced leach liquor, primarily containing 2.90 g L(-1) Zn and 2.02 g L(-1) Mn. Selective and quantitative liquid-liquid extraction of Zn(II) was then carried out in three counter current steps by using Cyanex 923 (0.10 mol L(-1) in n-hexane). Zn(II) distributed in the organic phase as complex ZnCl(2)·2R (R = Cyanex 923 molecule). The metal loaded organic phase was subjected to combust at 600 °C to yield pure ZnO nanoparticles (40-50 nm). Important characteristics of the synthesized nanoparticles were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM).     

Transient block of receptor may be a mechanism controlling unidirectional propagation of signaling

In tissue development, juxtacrine signaling often propagates across cells, carrying and delivering temporal and spatial information for cells to make correct patterning. Observed complex and accurate tissue patterning indicates that signaling propagation via ligand–receptor interactions is precisely controlled. It is important and interesting to reveal the possible control mechanisms. The directionality of signaling in cells, which is a common issue for all intercellular signaling pathways, is a critical aspect. To understand the propagation of Notch signaling in presomitic mesoderm cells in the mouse, a novel method is used to build a multicellular model to simulate Notch signaling. Simulation reveals that the transient block of Notch by Notch induced Lfng and the delayed removal of the block by another Notch induced protein Hes7 may explain the observed unidirectional propagation of Notch signaling in these cells. Both mutation in and overexpression of lfng cause the same signaling profile in the tissue, due to the inappropriate timing of Notch signaling block by Lfng. The reverse Notch/Delta signaling quickly develops into reciprocating signaling among cells, causing irregular expression of cyclic genes. Irregular Notch signaling in cells would change their response to the positional information provided by the Fgf8 gradient, resulting in disordered and irregular somite segmentation. As Notch signaling is highly conserved, we hypothesize that the mechanism of controlling unidirectional propagation of signaling in cells by transient receptor block may exist in other tissues and in other vertebrates. Our simulation results also suggest that segmentation clock and unidirectional propagation may be inherently coupled in Notch signaling.     

Cyanides‐Free Cyanation of Aryl Halides using Formamide

A novel method for cyanation of aryl halides using formamide as a non‐toxic cyanide source is reported. It is a single‐step, solvent‐free method wherein formamide itself acts as solvent as well as source of cyanide in the presence of phosphorus oxychloride and palladium acetate/xantphos catalyst. Aryl iodides as well as aryl bromides provided moderate to excellent yields of up to 93%.     

Review of the quantification techniques for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food products

There is a growing need for accurate detection of trace-level PAHs in food products due to the numerous detrimental effects caused by their contamination (e.g., toxicity, carcinogenicity, and teratogenicity). This review aims to discuss the up-to-date knowledge on the measurement techniques available for PAHs contained in food or its related products. This article aims to provide a comprehensive outline on the measurement techniques of PAHs in food to help reduce their deleterious impacts on human health based on the accurate quantification. The main part of this review is dedicated to the opportunities and practical options for the treatment of various food samples and for accurate quantification of PAHs contained in those samples. Basic information regarding all available analytical measurement techniques for PAHs in food samples is also evaluated with respect to their performance in terms of quality assurance.     

Dielectric and electrostrictive properties of PMNT near MPB

The dielectric constant (ε_r), dielectric loss (tan δ) and strain induced by electric field in lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate (PMN-PT/PMNT) solid solutions in the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region at different sintering temperatures have been studied. ε_r and tan δ increase, whereas Curie phase transition range decreases with the increase in sintering temperature. Strain levels in the range of 0.07–0.2% were obtained. A high saturated strain% 0.19, a high d₃₃ coefficient 320 pm/V and a low strain hysteresis% 3.5 in PMNT 68/32 composition sintered at 1200 °C indicate its suitability for actuator applications.     

Classification of tea grains based upon image texture feature analysis under different illumination conditions

This paper discusses the role of illumination in discrimination of tea samples based upon textural features of tea granules. The images of tea granules were acquired using 3CCD color camera under Dual Ring light which consists of both Darkfield as well as Brightfield type of illumination. Ten graded tea samples were analyzed. Five textural features were ‘entropy’, ‘contrast’, ‘homogeneity’, ‘correlation’ and ‘energy’ obtained under both illuminations. The acquired textural features were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that best discrimination was obtained with Darkfield illumination with a variance of 96% whereas Brightfield illumination showed low discrimination with only 83% variance. Analysis of PCA biplot indicated correlations among graded tea samples and textural features. The study concludes that textural features may be used to estimate tea quality under Darkfield illumination being non-destructive and quick technique.     

Cyber Forensic Investigation in IoT Using Deep Learning Based Feature Fusion in Big Data

International Journal of Wireless Information Networks - The Internet of Things (IoT) device is becoming universal domain and its success cannot be ignored, but its threats on IoT devices increases...     

An Efficient 76-77 GHz CMOS Receiver on Silicon for Automotive Front-end RADAR Applications

Silicon - Recently, automotive RADAR sensors are widely demanded in many intelligent transport vehicles for providing a safe and comfortable environment. This paper presents a novel approach to...