A 150 MHz 0.6 μm BiCMOS superscalar microprocessor

An implementation of the Pentium microprocessor architecture in 0.6 μm BiCMOS technology is described. Power dissipation is reduced and performance is enhanced over the previous generation. Processor features, implementation technology, and circuit techniques are discussed. An internal clock rate of 150 MHz is achieved at 3.7 V and -55°C     

Queueing analysis and optimal control of and systems

We first consider a finite-buffer single server queue where arrivals occur according to batch Markovian arrival process (BMAP). The server serves customers in batches of maximum size ‘b’ with a minimum threshold size ‘a’. The service time of each batch follows general distribution independent of each other as well as the arrival process. We obtain queue length distributions at various epochs such as, pre-arrival, arbitrary, departure, etc. Some important performance measures, like mean queue length, mean waiting time, probability of blocking, etc. have been obtained. Total expected cost function per unit time is also derived to determine the optimal value N^* of N at a minimum cost for given values of a and b. Secondly, we consider a finite-buffer single server queue where arrivals occur according to BMAP and service process in this case follows a non-renewal one, namely, Markovian service process (MSP). Server serves customers according to general bulk service rule as described above. We derive queue length distributions and important performance measures as above. Such queueing systems find applications in the performance analysis of communication, manufacturing and transportation systems.     

Ipconazole Disrupts Mitochondrial Homeostasis and Alters GABAergic Neuronal Development in Zebrafish

Ipconazole, a demethylation inhibitor of fungal ergosterol biosynthesis, is widely used in modern agriculture for foliar and seed treatment, and is authorized for use in livestock feed. Waste from ipconazole treatment enters rivers and groundwater through disposal and rain, posing potential toxicity to humans and other organisms. Its metabolites remain stable under standard hydrolysis conditions; however, their neurodevelopmental toxicity is unknown. We investigated the potential neurodevelopmental toxicity of ipconazole pesticides in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Our behavioral monitoring demonstrated that the locomotive activity of ipconazole-exposed zebrafish larvae was reduced during early development, even when morphological abnormalities were undetected. Molecular profiling demonstrated that the mitochondrial-specific antioxidants, superoxide dismutases 1 and 2, and the genes essential for mitochondrial genome maintenance and functions were specifically reduced in ipconazole-treated (0.02 μg/mL) embryos, suggesting underlying ipconazole-driven oxidative stress. Consistently, ipconazole treatment substantially reduced hsp70 expression and increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. Interrupted gad1b expression confirmed that GABAergic inhibitory neurons were dysregulated at 0.02 μg/mL ipconazole, whereas glutamatergic excitatory and dopaminergic neurons remained unaffected, resulting in an uncoordinated neural network. Additionally, ipconazole-treated (2 μg/mL) embryos exhibited caspase-independent cell death. This suggests that ipconazole has the potential to alter neurodevelopment by dysregulating mitochondrial homeostasis.     

Study on crosslinked gelatin–montmorillonite nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery applications

Gelatin, because of its biodegradability and ecofriendly nature, has been the best choice for controlled release applications. Montmorillonite (MMT) clay shows a very important role in controlling drug delivery. Hence, an attempt was made in this work to prepare gelatin–MMT nanoparticles by desolvation method using acetone as precipitating agent, glutaraldehyde (GA) as crosslinking agent, and water as reaction media for controlled delivery of isoniazid, a drug for tuberculosis. Characterization of the MMT and isoniazid-loaded gelatin–MMT nanoparticles was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction study, scanning electron microscopy study, and transmission electron microscopy study. The effect of MMT on gelatin nanoparticles was evaluated in terms of water uptake studies, and subsequently to the release of isoniazid drug in buffer solution at pH 1.2 (gastric pH) and pH 7.4 (intestinal pH). Swelling experiment indicated that the gelatin nanoparticles were very sensitive to the pH environment. The release profile of drug was studied by a UV–Visible spectrophotometer. Cytotoxicity study revealed that MMT-containing nanoparticles showed less cytotoxicity than MMT-free nanoparticles.     

Premarin Reduces Neurodegeneration and Promotes Improvement of Function in an Animal Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes significant mortality and morbidity. Currently, no FDA-approved pharmacotherapy is available for treating SCI. Previously, low doses of estrogen (17β-estradiol, E2) were shown to improve the post-injury outcome in a rat SCI model. However, the range of associated side effects makes advocating its therapeutic use difficult. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the therapeutic efficacy of Premarin (PRM) in SCI. PRM is an FDA-approved E2 (10%) formulation, which is used for hormone replacement therapy with minimal risk of serious side effects. The effects of PRM on SCI were examined by magnetic resonance imaging, immunofluorescent staining, and western blot analysis in a rat model. SCI animals treated with vehicle alone, PRM, E2 receptor antagonist (ICI), or PRM + ICI were graded in a blinded way for locomotor function by using the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor scale. PRM treatment for 7 days decreased post-SCI lesion volume and attenuated neuronal cell death, inflammation, and axonal damage. PRM also altered the balance of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins in favor of cell survival and improved angiogenesis and microvascular growth. Increased expression of estrogen receptors (ERs) ERα and ERβ following PRM treatment and their inhibition by ER inhibitor indicated that the neuroprotection associated with PRM treatment might be E2-receptor mediated. The attenuation of glial activation with decreased inflammation and cell death, and increased angiogenesis by PRM led to improved functional outcome as determined by the BBB locomotor scale. These results suggest that PRM treatment has significant therapeutic implications for the improvement of post-SCI outcome.     

Optimisation of different physical parameters for bioleaching of phosphate by Aspergillus niger from Indian rock phosphate

A mutant strain of Aspergillus niger AB100 was incubated with samples of rock phosphate. Mutation resulted in a greater amount of solubilisation (30 to 35%) as against the parent strain (10 to 15%). The influence of leaching parameters such as ore concentration (pulp density), particle size, initial pH of the medium, temperature, volume of the medium in 250 ml flasks, inoculum concentration and age of inoculum was studied. When low quantity of rock phosphate is applied (0.1%) the solubilisation of phosphorus was optimal (40.5%). Optimum particle size was--200 to 240 mesh, initial pH of the medium 4.0, optimum volume of the fermentation medium 160 ml, time period of incubation was 8 days, inoculum volume was 7.5 ml, and age of inoculum 7 days. The maximum leaching of phosphorus by using these optimum physical parameters is 45 to 50%.     

Biobased polymeric flocculants for industrial effluent treatment

Water is a scare commodity now. Recycling of municipal wastewater, industrial and mineral processing effluents require treatment with the inorganic or organic flocculants. Inorganic flocculants are used in large quantities, leave large amount of sludge and are very much affected by pH changes. Other polymeric flocculants are used in a very minute quantity, form large cohesive floc and are inert to pH changes. Both natural and synthetic polymers are used as flocculants. Natural polymers are biodegradable and are effective at very large dosages but are very shear stable. The synthetic polymers are highly effective flocculants at very small dosages and have high tailorability, but have poor shear stability. In the authors laboratory, a new class of flocculants has been developed by grafting polyacrylamide branches onto polysaccharide such as guargum, hydroxypropyl guargum, starch, amylopectin and sodium alginate. These grafted polysaccharides exhibit synergistic flocculation characteristics, shear stability and controlled biodegradability. Out of all the grafted polysaccharides, amylopectin grafted polysaccharides out performs most of the commercially available flocculants. The polacrylamide branches grafted on high molecular weight branched amylopectin have larger approachability to contaminants in the industrial effluents [1, 2].     

Multicast Routing with Delay and Delay Variation Constraints for Collaborative Applications on Overlay Networks

Computer supported collaborative applications on overlay networks are gaining popularity among users who are geographically dispersed. Examples of these kinds of applications include video-conferencing, distributed database replication, and online games. This type of application requires a multicasting subnetwork, using which messages should arrive at the destinations within a specified delay bound. These applications also require that destinations receive the message from the source at approximately the same time. The problem of finding a multicasting subnetwork with delay and delay-variation bound has been proved to be an NP complete problem in the literature and heuristics have been proposed for this problem. In this paper, we provide an efficient heuristic to obtain a multicast subnetwork on an overlay network, given a source and a set of destinations that is within a specified maximum delay and a specified maximum variation in the delays from a source to the destinations. The time-complexity of our algorithm is O(|E|+nk log(|E|/n)+m²k), where n and |E| are the number of nodes and edges in the network, respectively, k is the number of shortest paths determined, and m is the number of destinations. We have shown that our algorithm is significantly better in terms of time-complexity than existing algorithms for the same problem. Our extensive empirical studies indicate that our heuristic uses significantly less runtime in comparison with the best-known heuristics while achieving the tightest delay variation for a given end-to-end delay bound     

Influence of electron beam irradiation on fluorocarbon rubber vulcanizates

The influence of electron beam irradiation on the fluorocarbon rubber vulcanizates at varying levels of the curative—hexamethylenediamine carbamate is reported. A higher crosslinking density, reducedelongation at break, increased modulus (both static and dynamic),decreased loss tangent value at T _g and increased glasstransition temperature have been observed for the irradiated rubbers, as compared to the control rubber. The results are explained with thehelp of structure.     

A high-speed miniature screening gaschromatograph with flame ionization detector

The combination of Gas chromatography (GC) for separation and Flame Ionization Detection (FID) for detection and identification of the components of a mixture of compounds is a fast and strongly proved method of analytic chemistry. The objective of this research was to design a combined High-speed miniature screening Gas chromatograph along with a Flame Ionization Detector for quick, quantitative and qualitative analysis of gas components. This combined GC-FID system is suitable to detect the volatile and semi-volatile hydrocarbons present in a gas mixture. The construction made it less expensive, easy to use and movable. The complete gas path was developed. On/off valves, temperature and flow sensors and their interface electronics were used for controlling purpose. A Microcontroller was programmed to measure the temperature and gas flow using the sensors and to control and regulate them using the electronics and valves. A pocket PC with its touch screen served as a user interface for the system. Software was developed for the pocket PC, which makes the communication possible with the Microcontroller. The system parameters can be indicated in the Pocket PC as simple text and also the analysis result can be displayed.