Evaluation of Ultrasonic Treatment for the Size Reduction of HNS and HMX in Comparison to Solvent‐Antisolvent Crystallization

The paper presents and compares two methods for the synthesis of fine particles of the high explosives HNS and HMX by ultrasonic treatment and solvent/antisolvent crystallization. The effect of ultrasonic treatment on the particle size of explosives was studied by varying the amplitude and frequency of ultrasonication for different time periods using an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic bath. Solvent/antisolvent recrystallization was performed by varying the process parameters including stirring rate, antisolvent temperature etc. In addition to FT‐IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis by TGA/DSC; the particle size and shape of fine powders of the explosives HMX and HNS were determined using particle size analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ultrasonic treatment of the probes resulted in the finer grains of HMX compared to solvent‐antisolvent crystallization. However in the case of HNS, solvent‐antisolvent crystallization produced finer particles compared to ultrasonication.     

The enigma of social support and occupational stress: Source congruence and gender role effects.

Research on the potential ameliorating effects of social support on occupational stress produces weak, inconsistent, and even contradictory results. This study of 117 employees, mostly from a southern U.S. hospital supply company, examined potential moderators that were theorized might reduce the confusion: source congruence (congruence between sources of the stressor and of social support) and gender role. Congruence between the sources of stressors and of social support appeared to make little difference in determining the moderating or buffering effect of social support on the relationship between stressors and strain. Gender role, however, may moderate the relationship between social support and individual strains such that more feminine people react more strongly and positively to social support than more masculine people do. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genome-Wide Identification of Aquaporin Genes in Adzuki Bean (Vigna angularis) and Expression Analysis under Drought Stress

The adzuki bean Vigna angularis (Wild.) is an important leguminous crop cultivated mainly for food purposes in Asian countries; it represents a source of carbohydrates, digestible proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Aquaporins (AQPs) are crucial membrane proteins involved in the transmembrane diffusion of water and small solutes in all living organisms, including plants. In this study, we used the whole genome sequence of the adzuki bean for in silico analysis to comprehensively identify 40 Vigna angularis aquaporin (VaAQP) genes and reveal how these plants react to drought stress. VaAQPs were compared with AQPs from other closely-related leguminous plants, and the results showed that mustard (Brassica rapa) (59), barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) (46), soybean (Glycine max) (66), and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (41) had more AQP genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that forty VaAQPs belong to five subfamilies, with the VaPIPs (fifteen) subfamily the largest, followed by the VaNIPs (ten), VaTIPs (ten), VaSIPs (three), and VaXIPs (two) subfamilies. Furthermore, all AQP subcellular locations were found at the plasma membrane, and intron–exon analysis revealed a relationship between the intron number and gene expression, duplication, evolution, and diversity. Among the six motifs identified, motifs one, two, five, and six were prevalent in VaTIP, VaNIP, VaPIP, and VaXIP, while motifs one, three, and four were not observed in VaPIP1-3 and VaPIP1-4. Under drought stress, two of the VaAQPs (VaPIP2-1 and VaPIP2-5) showed significantly higher expression in the root tissue while the other two genes (VaPIP1-1 and VaPIP1-7) displayed variable expression in leaf tissue. This finding revealed that the selected VaAQPs might have unique molecular functions linked with the uptake of water under drought stress or in the exertion of osmoregulation to transport particular substrates rather than water to protect plants from drought. This study presents the first thorough investigation of VaAQPs in adzuki beans, and it reveals the transport mechanisms and related physiological processes that may be utilized for the development of drought-tolerant adzuki bean cultivars.     

Designing Efficient Blind Source Separation Methods for EEG Motion Artifact Removal Based on Statistical Evaluation

Wireless Personal Communications - As the electroencephalography (EEG) biomedical signals are affected under the presence of the muscular motion artifacts. Presence of these artifacts leads to...     

Outlier Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Neighbourhood

Wireless sensor networks contain millions of nodes deployed in a spatially dispersed manner. These sensors are low battery powered devices having limited storage and computation power. The data collected by these sensors may be subjected to error due to environmental fluctuations, interference in wireless communication or wearing of sensors with time. These erroneous data deviate significantly from the rest of the data. To solve this issue, we present a new technique named Outlierness Factor based on Neighbourhood to detect and analyse the outliers in sensor network. Proposed detection approach is time efficient and scalable. Further, outlier data are classified as errors due to sensor malfunctioning or actual detected events such as fire detection, weather changes, earthquakes, landslide etc. The capabilities of the proposed approach have been evaluated on real dataset obtained from Intel Berkeley research lab and synthetic datasets. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in contrast to the previously dealt approaches.

     

Titanium di-oxide films using a less hygroscopic colloidal precursor

We report the study of titanium dioxide films (TiO₂) using titanium di-isopropoxyl di-2ethyl hexanoate Ti(OC₃H₇)₂ (C₇H₁₅COO)₂ colloidal precursor. This compound is less hygroscopic in nature and easy to use with processes like spin or dip coating. Thin films of TiO₂ are made on silicon substrates and their structural and optical properties are studied. The effect of Ti content in the precursor, sintering temperature and its duration on film thickness and refractive index are investigated. Refractive index shows an increasing trend with the rise in the sintering temperature but remains unchanged with the time. The film thickness decreases with both sintering temperature and time and increases with Ti content in the precursor. Reflectivity measurements show marked reduction in the reflection losses compared to bare silicon surface wherein the film thickness is altered by spin speed. XRD results show anatase phase in the samples sintered at lower temperature (<680 °C), however, a mix of anatase, brookite and rutile phases is seen above this temperature. In the samples sintered above 1100 °C, rutile phase is dominant. These results are supported by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Atomic force microscopy reveals larger grain size at higher sintering temperature. The titanium dioxide films of desirable thickness and refractive index could be used as an antireflection coating on solar cells.     

Subthreshold Schmitt trigger using body-bias technique for ultra low power and high performance applications

Digital subthreshold logic provides extremely low power consumption since the power supplies are kept below the threshold voltage and using the small subthreshold current of MOS transistors to operate. In this paper, a body-bias technique to match the subthreshold currents of both the NMOS and PMOS transistors is explored and a Schmitt trigger circuit employing this bias technique is proposed. Extensive circuit simulations were conducted and the results were compared with standard body bias technique in terms of performance parameters. The simulation results were obtained with 0.18 μm technology parameters. The conclusion is that Schmitt trigger with this body biasing is suitable for high performance and ultra low power applications.     

Fructo-oligosaccharides: Production,Purification and Potential Applications

The nutritional and therapeutic benefits of prebiotics have attracted the keen interest of consumers and food processing industry for their use as food ingredients. Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), new alternative sweeteners, constitute 1-kestose, nystose, and 1-beta-fructofuranosyl nystose produced from sucrose by the action of fructosyltransferase from plants, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. FOS has low caloric values, non-cariogenic properties, and help gut absorption of ions, decrease levels of lipids and cholesterol and bifidus-stimulating functionality. The purified linear fructose oligomers are added to various food products like cookies, yoghurt, infant milk products, desserts, and beverages due to their potential health benefits. This review is focused on the various aspects of biotechnological production, purification and potential applications of fructo-oligosaccharides.