Cadmium oxide nanoparticles from new organometallic Cd(II)-Schiff base complex and in vitro biological potentials: dual S. aureus and E. coli DNA gyrase inhibition by the precursors via in silico binding modes’ study

At the nanoscale level, several biological processes take place, owing to the potential that engineered nanomaterials might interrelate with bio-molecules and cellular procedures. This study aimed to synthesize cadmium oxide nanoparticles via a one-step calcination process of tetradentate Schiff base-Cd(II) complex at different temperature ranges. The as-synthesized compounds were carried out via a viz UV–visible, elemental analysis, 1H NMR, molar conductivity, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FT-IR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The band gap energy and average particle sizes of the CdO particles are respectively (2.69 eV, 3.54 eV), 26.88 nm for CdO@250, and (3.20 eV, 3.57 eV), 25.67 nm for CdO@300, while CdO@350 exhibited the 3.78 eV and 28.42 nm values. The antioxidant accomplishments of the test samples through the scavenging activity of DPPH radicals showed CdO@300 to possess (IC50 = 5.18 ± 0.56 µg/mL). Similarly, the as-synthesized CdO nanoparticles exhibited higher antibacterial activities against S. aureus and E. coli as compared to the corresponding Cd-HMB and ligand (HMB), while ciprofloxacin acted as a standard antibiotic. Furthermore, HMB and its complex Cd-HMB were docked against the DNA gyrase enzymes of S. aureus (PDB IDs: 5CDQ) and E. coli (PDB IDs: 6F86) as receptors. The binding sites docking results showed that the binding energies of HMB and Cd-HMB to 5CDQ ranged from − 3.44 to − 4.99 kcal/mol and from − 6.45 to − 6.64 kcal/mol, while the binding energies related to the target 6F86 are in the ranges of (− 3.64, − 4.76) kcal/mol and (− 6.08, − 6.09) kcal/mol respectively. Therefore, the significant antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the ligand (HMB), Cd-HMB, and CdO NPs review the broad application prospects of these compounds as therapeutic agents for wide-ranging biomedical applications

Tour 2 Guidebook - Keweenaw County: From Frontier Ports to Northwoods Resorts

Tour 2 guidebook from the 2024 Vernacular Architecture Forum Conference, North of the Northwoods: From Mines to Motels on Michigan\u27s Lake Superior.https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/vaf/1001/thumbnail.jp

EXAMINING DRIVER PREFERENCES FOR INTELLIGENT AUDIOVISUAL WARNINGS AT HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS

Driver noncompliance and poor decision-making are known contributors to highway-rail grade crossing incidents and accidents. Recent advances in intelligent in-vehicle warning systems have provided new opportunities for improved safety at highway-rail grade crossings. Intelligent warning systems that can communicate between connected vehicles and the infrastructure (V2I) have been proposed to improve safety. However, limited human factors research has been conducted regarding how drivers might react to these in-vehicle warnings. This study evaluated driver preferences, use cases, and message design variations for in-vehicle audiovisual warnings for rail crossing warning violations by varying two message factors: message length and whether the message content is a warning or a call to action. Results indicated that both message length and message content affected driver preferences and perceived usefulness depending on the type of highway-rail grade crossing scenario. These results have implications for future research implementing rail crossing warning systems and driving simulator behavior research

FSPDE: A Full Stack Plausibly Deniable Encryption System for Mobile Devices

In today’s digital landscape, the ubiquity of mobile devices underscores the urgent need for stringent security protocols in both data transmission and storage. Plausibly deniable encryption (PDE) stands out as a pivotal solution, particularly in jurisdictions marked by rigorous regulations or increased vulnerabilities of personal data. However, the existing PDE systems for mobile platforms have evident limitations. These include vulnerabilities to multi-snapshot attacks over RAM and flash memory, an undue dependence on non-secure operating systems, traceable PDE entry point, and a conspicuous PDE application prone to reverse engineering. To address these limitations, we have introduced FSPDE, the first Full-Stack mobile PDE system design which can mitigate PDE compromises present at both the execution and the storage layers of mobile stack as well as the cross-layer communication. Utilizing the resilient security features of ARM TrustZone and collaborating multiple storage sub-layers (block device, flash translation layer, etc.), FSPDE offers a suite of improvements. At the heart of our design, the MUTE and MIST protocols serve both as fortifications against emerging threats and as tools to mask sensitive data, including the PDE access point. A real-world prototype of FSPDE was developed using OP-TEE, a leading open-source Trusted Execution Environment, in tandem with an open-sourced NAND flash controller. Security analysis and experimental evaluations justify both the security and the practicality of our design

ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING ENGINE KNOCK IN MODERN SPARK IGNITION GASOLINE ENGINES TO IMPROVE ENGINE EFFICIENCY

Spark ignition engine knock is an issue that has persisted for over a century. Knock prevents the spark in an SI engine to be deployed at the most optimum time in the engine cycle, which leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the engine. A reduction in the efficiency directly translates to increased emissions and fuel costs. This research looks at experimental works to analyze the impact of three separate factors on knock in an effort to minimize it and improve engine efficiency. The first factor is fuel chemistry – how Research Octane Number (RON) and Motor Octane Number (MON) of a fuel impact modern day turbocharged SI engines. The anti-knock behavior of an engine at a speed-load point can be determined by Octane Index (OI), which is defined as OI = RON – K*(RON-MON), where ‘K’ is a weighing factor that depends on the speed-load condition of the engine. As ‘K’ approaches 0, the anti-knock behavior of the engine can be described better by RON, and as ‘K’ approaches 1, it can be better described by MON. SI engines have undergone a lot of change in the past few decades, causing ‘K’ to venture past RON and have negative values. ‘K’ was defined to be independent of fuel chemistry, but previous studies had not calculated ‘K’ using the primary reference fuel (PRF) method. This research project used the PRF method to calculate fuel K-factor for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Certification Tier 2 and Tier 3 fuels. Correlations were developed to predict ‘K’ using macroscopic and microscopic factors. The second factor is water injection – injecting water to lower in-cylinder temperatures and mitigate knock. Water injection has been used as a knock mitigation tool for a lot of years, but there hasn\u27t been a proper quantification of the amount of increase in effective octane number water injection can provide. The experimental project conducted as a part of this dissertation used port water injection to quantify the effective increase in anti-knock index (AKI) of fuels. The same process was repeated on PRFs to determine the impact of water injection on increase in Octane Number (ON). The third factor is heat transfer – there have been a plethora of studies conducted on how engine knock impacts heat transfer out of the engine, but no study on how heat transfer impacts knock. The study conducted as a part of this dissertation on a single cylinder research engine (SCRE) studied the relationship between heat transfer before the occurrence of knock with knock magnitude and frequency. As a part of this project, a non-intrusive method was developed to gauge the cleanliness of the heat flux probes. A speed-load condition was determined to maintain the cleanliness level of the probes without the buildup of carbon deposits. The dissertation also attempts to find common themes between the three factors impacting knock and suggests future research paths to better understand ways to curb the issue of knock

RedWater Test Data

The RedWater mission is to extract water from subterranean glaciers found on Mars. Honeybee robotics has contracted the PSTDL to conduct small scale tests in order to collect data on the power consumed by a high-density cartridge heater to melt through cryogenic clear ice at Martian atmospheric pressure

Editorial: Molecular Mechanisms of Fruit Quality Formation in Fruit Trees

No abstract provided

Environmental life cycle analysis of manufacturing options for humanitarian supplies: drinking water containers

Abstract: The purpose of this life cycle assessment study was to determine the life cycle impacts for production and distribution of a humanitarian supply item under various supply chain paradigms in order to illustrate the potential environmental benefits of organizing production and supply operations for these items in novel ways. To do this, a case study is used on a family-size water storage and dispensing bucket, such as the 14 L capacity polyethylene bucket commonly produced by Oxfam International. The LCA is a cradle to gate including production and transportation of PE plastic feedstock, fabrication of the water bucket, and transportation of the bucket to a common distribution site representative of a humanitarian aid location. Three different humanitarian aid locations are used to illustrate the range of potential impacts for each processing and supply system: Nepal, South Sudan, and Peru. Six processing and supply scenarios were investigated: (1) centralized Oxfam traditional system, (2) centralized commercial Chinese supply and distribution, (3) quasi-centralized Field Ready supply and distribution, (4) distributed supply and distribution system with 3-D printing, (5) distributed supply and distribution system with 3-D printing and local waste feedstock, and (6) distributed supply and distribution system with extrusion molding and local waste feedstock. The results found the major contribution to total GHG emissions are electricity usage for manufacturing and shipping feedstock and final product. Among Systems 1–3, System 1 and System 2 are environmentally poor as the electricity emissions in Pakistan and China are high. System 3 was an improvement as the products are manufactured locally. Decentralized supply and distribution system with 3-D printing (System 4) is less compatible with regions of high grid emissions. In System 5, the same equipment has been used, but with local waste feedstock, which shows an improvement of 67.7% for Nepal and 65.5% for Peru because of the reduced shipping emissions, even if the manufacturing emission is the highest among all of the systems. System 6 is feasible for all three locations. It is concluded that manufacturing should be prioritized on grids where the electricity emission is lower using local waste feedstock as it is the most efficient approach; however, a further study should be done on operating the FPF/FGF 3-D printer or extrusion molding systems powered with distributed photovoltaic systems in order to complement this process and produce the most environmentally responsible production. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.

Fabrication of antibacterial bio-composite from polyvinyl alcohol incorporated with Azadirachta indica

This study focuses on the development of a bio-composite by combining polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with Azadirachta indica (neem) extract using the film casting method. The morphological structure was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), antibacterial properties were assessed through the agar disc diffusion method, and thermal behaviors were studied using TGA and DSC. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to investigate the bonding behavior, and a Universal Strength Tester was used to determine the mechanical properties. The SEM image revealed that the surface of the produced PVA and neem bio-composite (PNBC) exhibited a moderate texture and porosity of 11.13% and 9.25%, respectively. The developed bio-composite exhibited antibacterial activity with inhibition zones of 18 mm against E. coli and 21 mm against S. aureus. The FTIR spectra of the bio-composites displayed distinctive peaks corresponding to both PVA and neem, confirming their presence in the material. The material\u27s elongation at break (117.493 mm) and elongation at peak (64.159 mm) reflect its capacity for deformability and flexibility under stress. Moreover, PNBC has a Tg of 84°C, a pyrolysis temperature of 266°C, and degrades between 230 and 400°C, as shown by DSC and TGA. Finally, the results of this experiment were compared with available literature and a cost analysis was conducted. Highlights: Bio-composite is developed by combining PVA with Azadirachta indica (neem) extract using the film casting method. The morphological structure, antibacterial properties, mechanical, and thermal behaviors have been studied. The bio-composite shows inhibition zones of 18 mm against E. coli and 21 mm against S. aureus. The material\u27s elongation at break (117.493 mm) and elongation at peak (64.159 mm) reflect its capacity for deformability and flexibility under stress. The results are compared with the literature and a cost analysis is presented

Hamiltonian-Based Power Flow and Stability Analysis on a Passively Controlled Multi-Frequency Power System

Frequency matching enables grid operators to take full advantage of power electronics, opens up communications over the grid, expands power transmission bandwidth, and allows for power routing (i.e. The purchasing of exclusively \u27green elec-trons\u27). Relaxing the traditional 60 Hz constraint permits grid operators to send power at different frequencies across different transmission lines of different impedances to minimize power loss. Frequencies may be chosen to be transmitted to impedance match transmission lines and certain loads without affecting power transmission to other loads. Hamiltonian-based power flow advancements enable the above capabilities by analyzing and manipulating total power flow, providing insight into the stability of a system, and showing boundaries of stability. This paper seeks to lay a foundation for the inclusion of multiple frequencies inside of power packets, a fundamental component of power packet networks (PPNs). With this, loads are able to receive power from specified generators, while rejecting power from all others