Acute upper limb ischemia resulting from cleidocranial dysostosis

A case is reported of a woman with an ischemic arm as a result of damage to the subclavian artery by the clavicular anomaly associated with cleidocranial dysostasis. Only one similar case has been reported previously.     

A Custom VLSI Chip Set for Digital Signal Processing in High-Speed Voiceband Modems

Systems modems intended for use in relatively large private networks are characterized by high performance, reliability and flexibility to support network management, and multiple modes of operation and user features. This paper describes a programmable digital signal processor which is teamed with a 16-bit microprocessor in a dual processor architecture satisfying the requirements of high-speed voiceband systems modems. The architecture of the two custom integrated circuits which form the basis of the signal processor is presented. This processor has novel arithmetic, data structure address generation, and program flow-control capabilities, which result in a high utilization of the arithmetic unit and a low program overhead for housekeeping tasks. Some of these features are illustrated by programming examples.     

Comparison of chlorination and chloramination practices on microbial inactivation efficiencies within a scaled‐up water distribution network using central composite design

Disinfection practices reduce the incidence of water‐borne diseases but may result in formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in raw water that are reported to be carcinogenic. Central composite design (CCD) was employed in the present study for optimization of disinfectant dose and contact time with the rationale to evaluate if an optimal balance could be achieved between minimal DBPs formation and effective microbial inactivation with either free or combined chlorine in treated water within a lab‐scale prototype network to simulate real water distribution network conditions. After a series of experimental runs based upon design of experiments (DoE) by CCD, dose was found to be the most significant factor (P < 0.01) in determining DBPs formation in both disinfectant’s applications. Where, contact time significantly (P < 0.01) affected bacterial inactivation in chlorination experiments, in contrast, dose was effective in chloramination experiments. Thus, it was concluded that the optimal balance may be achieved in the water networks with the help of multifactorial optimization when disinfectant dose was maintained near 3 mg/L as applied chlorine dose in both disinfection cases, while contact time was 62 and 155 min for chlorine and chloramine, respectively.     

Kinetic study of crude oil-to-chemicals via steam-enhanced catalytic cracking in a fixed-bed reactor

This study presents new experimental results on the direct conversion of crude oil to chemicals via steam-enhanced catalytic cracking. We have organized the experimental results with a kinetics model using crude oil and steam co-feed in a fixed-bed flow reactor at reaction temperatures of 625, 650, and 675°C over the Ce-Fe/ZSM-5 catalyst. The model let us find optimum conditions for crude oil conversion, and the order of the steam cracking reaction was 2.0 for heavy oil fractions and 1.0 for light oil fractions. The estimated activation energies for the steam cracking reactions ranged between 20 and 200 kJ/mol. Interestingly, the results from kinetic modelling helped in identifying a maximum yield of light olefins at an optimized residence time in the reactor at each temperature level. An equal propylene and ethylene yield was observed between 650 and 670°C, indicating a transition from dominating catalytic cracking at a lower temperature to a dominating thermal cracking at a higher temperature. The results illustrate that steam-enhanced catalytic cracking can be utilized to effectively convert crude oil into basic chemicals (52.1% C2-C4 light olefins and naphtha) at a moderate severity (650°C) as compared to the conventional high-temperature steam cracking process.     

Taxonomic investigation of selected rust fungi using scanning electron microscopy from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan

Rusts comprises the largest natural group of plant pathogens including approximately 8% of all described Fungi. Rust fungi are extremely plant pathogens responsible for great losses to agriculture productivity. Rust species belong to several genera among which more than half are Puccinia species. In Pakistan, rust causes severe damage to agriculture crops. Current study was carried out to identify and characterize different rust species common in the research area through microscopy and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Morpho-anatomical investigation of each collected rust species was carried out using different standard protocols. The dimensions of spores were measured and snapped under a stereomicroscope. SEM was used to examine the shape, size, and ornamentation of the spores of each rust fungus. Results revealed documentation of seven rust fungi, that is, Melampsora euphorbiae, Phragmidium barclayi, Puccinia nepalensis, P. exhausta, P. menthae, Uromyces capitatus, and Uromyces decorates belong to four different genera, were recorded. SEM revealed that spermogonia and Aecia were missing in most of the rust fungus studied. Uredinia was found in a scattered, irregular, lengthy, and epidermis-enclosed form. Urediniospores were found to be ovulating, elongated, echinulate, globose to sub-globose, ellipsoid to ovoid, and globose to sub-globose. Telia was found as sub-epidermal, amphigenous, dispersed, minute, and spherical cells. Teliospores ranged in form from cylindrical to oblong. The germ pores were detected in both apical (top cell) and basal (bottom cell) idiosyncratic and pedicel-attached cells. The techniques used in the current investigation will aid mycologists in rust identification and microscopic characterization.     

Comparison of radiation‐induced hydrocarbons for the identification of irradiated perilla and sesame seeds of different origins

BACKGROUND: Perilla and sesame seeds, a rich source of energy, are commonly utilized in different forms in many countries. During the post‐harvest period, they are contaminated with insects as well as microbes that may have importance for keeping quality and quarantine, and thus they can be treated with ionizing radiation for insect disinfestation and microbial decontamination. Reliable and routine methods to identify whether or not a food has been irradiated are needed to help consumers' understanding of irradiated food and promote international trade. In the present study, fat‐derived hydrocarbons from irradiated perilla seeds and sesame seeds of Korean and Chinese origin were analyzed in order to identify irradiation treatment by comparing their properties during the post‐irradiation period. RESULTS: Gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric analysis showed that several saturated hydrocarbons, such as tetradecane, pentadecane, hexadecane and heptadecane, were found in the non‐irradiated control samples, while four radiation‐induced unsaturated hydrocarbons (R² = 0.647–0.997), such as 1,7,10‐hexadecatriene (C_16:3), 1,7‐hexadecadiene (C_16:2), 6,9‐heptadecadiene (C_17:2) and 8‐heptadecene (C_17:1), were detected in all irradiated samples at 0.5 kGy or higher, with variations according to sample and origin. Concentrations of all hydrocarbons were reduced during storage and could not be detected in 0.5 kGy irradiated Chinese sample of either seed after 8 months. CONCLUSION: Radiation‐induced hydrocarbons (C_{16:3, 16:2, 17:2, 17:1}) could be used as markers to identify irradiated perilla and sesame seeds of both Korean and Chinese origin at 1 kGy or higher for 8 months' storage at room temperature. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Spectral and kinetic characterization of orange-red emitting Sr3Al2O6:Eu/Smphosphor

We report, for the first time Sm³⁺ doped nanocrystalline Sr₃Al₂O₆ phosphor. Effect of Eu³⁺ doping in the present host is also studied. XRD results match with standard data from JCPDS file confirming cubic structure with Pa3 space group. PL Maximum for Eu/Sm is obtained at 590 nm and 573 nm respectively, and corresponds to orange-red region of electromagnetic spectrum. Morphology of combustion synthesized powder is platelet, while for calcined powders, cubic shaped crystallites are obtained. Information on various trapping parameters is obtained from thermally stimulated Luminescence (TSL) studies. Non-shifting T_m property is applied to define the order of kinetics and is thereafter assumed as 1. T_m − T_stop procedure and repeated initial rise method are applied to estimate apparent activation energies and peak positions. Further, chi-square minimization procedures via computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) technique provide best-fit results. The figure of merit for deconvoluted Eu and Sm doped samples are 0.48% and 0.67% respectively. The apparent activation energies for Eu doped samples are 0.89 eV, 1.05 eV, 1.30 eV, while, for Sm doped samples, the activation energies are 0.84 eV and 1.06 eV. Persistence behavior of the present phosphor is attributed to contribution due to shorter and longer components as are obtained during phosphorescence decay studies. In both the cases; probability of recombination is more in comparison to the retrapping within a quasi continuous framework of trapping sites.