Influence of carbon source complexity on porosity, water retention and extracellular matrix composition of Neurospora discreta biofilms

Aims To evaluate carbon source complexity as a process lever to impact the microstructure, chemical composition and water retention capacity of biofilms produced by Neurospora discreta. Methods and Results Biofilms were produced by non‐pathogenic fungus N. discreta, using sucrose, cellulose or lignin as carbon source. Increase in complexity of carbon source from sucrose to lignin resulted in decreased water retention values (WRV) and wet weights of harvested biofilms. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to calculate porosity from bright field images, and relative stained areas of cells and carbohydrates from fluorescence imaging of samples stained with Trypan blue and Alexa Fluor 488. Porosity and relative quantity of cells increased with increase in carbon source complexity while the amount of carbohydrates decreased. Chemical analysis of the extracted extracellular matrix (ECM) showed that biofilms grown on more complex carbon sources had lower carbohydrate and protein content, which also explains the lower WRV trend, as carbohydrates are hydrophilic. Conclusions The nature of carbon source impacts the metabolic pathway of cells, thereby influencing the relative proportions of ECM and cells. This in turn impacts the microstructure, composition and water content of biofilms. Significance and Impact of the Study This work shows that carbon source can be used as process lever to control the properties of biofilms and presents a novel view of biofilms as potentially useful biomaterials

Performance Evaluation of Wavelet De-Noising Schemes for Suppression of Power Line Noise in Electrocardiogram Signals

Power line noise introduces distortions to recorded electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. These distortions compromise the integrity and negatively affect the interpretation of the ECG signals. Despite the fact that the amplifiers used in biomedical signal processing have high common mode rejection ratio (CMRR), ECG recordings are still often corrupted with residual Power Line Interference (PLI) noise. Further improvement in the hardware solutions do not have significant achievements in PLI noise suppression but rather introduce other adverse effects. Software approach is necessary to refine ECG data. Evaluation of PLI noise suppression in ECG signal in the wavelet domain is presented. The performance of the Hard Threshold Shrinkage Function (HTSF), the Soft Threshold Shrinkage Function (STSF), the Hyperbola Threshold Shrinkage Function (HYTSF), the Garrote Threshold Shrinkage Function (GTSF), and the Modified Garrote Threshold Shrinkage Function (MGTSF) for the suppression of PLI noise are evaluated and compared with the aid of an algorithm. The optimum tuning constant for the Modified Garrote Threshold Shrinkage Function (MGTSF) is found to be 1.18 for PLI noise. GTSF is found to have best performance closely followed by MGTSF in term of filtering Gain. HTSF recorded the lowest Gain. Filtering against PLI noise in the wavelet domain preserves the key features of the signal such as the QRS complex

Tree species identity influences the vertical distribution of labile and recalcitrant carbon in a temperate deciduous forest soil

In terrestrial environments, soil organic matter (SOM) is the largest organic carbon (C) pool. The quantity and quality of organic carbon in soils can be affected by vegetation through influencing the inputs and outputs of SOM. We examined how storage and quality of C in SOM were affected by vegetation under grass cover or single and a polyculture plot of Betula pendula, Alnus glutinosa and Fagus sylvatica. An acid hydrolysis approach was used to quantify three SOM fractions differing in biodegradability. Tree species identity and stand composition had no significant effect on the total amount of C stored in different SOM fractions to a depth of one meter. However, when examining individual SOM fractions in the upper layers of the soil profile, significantly more C was stored in the putatively more labile fractions 1 and 2 under F. sylvatica and A. glutinosa, respectively. In deeper soil layers, the highest storage of recalcitrant organic C was found under the tree polyculture. The vertical distribution of these three soil organic C pools was compared to C inputs via decomposed leaf litter. Our data indicated that in the tree species polyculture, combining litter inputs of multiple species can have a positive impact on the accumulation of acid resistant recalcitrant C in deep soil layers in 4 years. This C fraction has the greatest potential for long-term sequestratio

Financial Leverage and Its Impact on Profit Margin in Pakistan’s Textile Industry

The core purpose concerned in this study remains to explore the impact of the financial leverage on the stitched textile industry, and mainly on the profit margin. The textile industry in Pakistan is said to be the largest manufacturing industry and so is the stitching industry increasing with the great importance of readymade dresses especially among females. The objective set in this study remains to study the relationship between the Financial Leverage (FL) and the Profit Margin (PM). This further includes the proving of the idea that the stitched industry becomes more profitable as soon as the financial leverage has been adopted by the companies. The data from 10 Stitched-Textile companies has been gathered as a sample in this study, from the period of 2012 to 2015 for data analysis. The tools used for data analysis comprised of descriptive analysis, correlation analysis,and regression analysis. The results from this analysis conclude that in the stitching industry there is no significance recognition but positive impact on the FL by the PM. Therefore, it is being recommended that the best possible use of the FL should be made by the stitched industry in order to achieve the target of becoming the most profitable industry of Pakistan Textile Industry. Furthermore, it could be noted that the optimum increase in the production of the textile industry would help in minimizing the level of poverty in Pakistan and also building a healthy population. Keywords: Financial Leverage; Profit Margin, Stitched-Textile Industry, profitability. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-12-13 Publication date: April 30th 201

Thermal performance of double-layer porous copper strips mounted as hollow cylinders

The thermal performance of thin double-layer porous copper strips was experimentally examined. To fabricate double-layer porous copper strips the lost carbonate sintering procedure was employed. The suitability of these materials for applications of heat sink was systematically investigated. Then, the thermal properties of an external heat transfer facility, which operates under a forced heat convection process using air as a coolant, were assessed. In this case, a cylindrical heating system was chosen to be used with the air passing across the samples at mass rates of 0.1- 0.5 kg/s. The temperatures of the air at the inlet and outlet in addition to the surface temperature of the system were monitored and used to determine the heat transfer performance. The results showed that both the porosity and roughness in a surface of a material could play an essential role in such type of material in enhancing heat transfer at a surface of the system. With high porosity and surface roughness of up to 82% and Ra ≤ 1.21 mm, respectively, the sample achieved a thermal transmittance 57% higher than that of a reference smooth copper sheet under the same Reynolds number. Finally, the heat transmittance of the examined porous sheets in the current research increased with the bulk porosity and surface roughness

Experimental Investigation of Diesel-WCOB Engine Performance with A Small Proportion of Ethanol/Isobutanol as A Fuel Additive

The globe is beginning to face fast-expanding global warming concerns that require immediate treatment. Biodiesel can be considered the most widely used and versatile sustainable fuel for a variety of uses. Because it is biodegradable, environmentally friendly, and renewable, it offers a viable solution to the looming energy crisis. Waste cooking oil is among the locally available sources that might be utilized as an extra source in different countries at a reasonable cost. Combining used cooking oil and diesel is a viable option for diesel engines because it has been certified for use at blending ratios as low as 20% as a commercial fuel. However, when it comes to fuel additives, the best alternative is to use waste cooking oil at high mixing ratios with diesel to power diesel engines. The goal of this research is to examine the various performance parameters of a diesel engine and the characteristics of biodiesel blended fuels by measuring the specific fuel consumption of the brakes and the thermal efficiency of the brakes and to investigate the impact of isobutane and ethanol additions at rates of 5% and 10% on the properties of the fuel and engine efficiency to enhance the specifications of the blended fuel in high proportions B40. Mixed fuel B40 with 10% ethanol (B40E10) can be used as a highly mixed fuel to enhance diesel engine performance. The density, kinematic viscosity, and flash point of diesel fuel were the lowest and rise with the amount of WCOB in the mixture, while the blended fuel B40 had the greatest value and improved with the percentage of additives. Increases in the proportion of additives also result in a visible rise in the braking force and fuel consumption.

Evaluating the effect of unsteady air flow on a slotted aerofoil of wind turbines

In this study, three types of aerofoils were examined at various angles of attack and at a steady value then fluctuated of air flow. Then, the findings were compared to the XFOIL prediction results. The experimental and simulation results were consistent to some extent with the XFOIL prediction results. The shape of the chosen aerofoils was modified by making a slot through the blade the aerofoil and studying their effect on the aerodynamics of the modified shape. The slotted aerofoil shape was studied as it faced a fluctuated wind flow. The results revealed that the increase in angles of attack, the lift force increased and approximated its maximum value and then began to decrease with the slot. During the calculations, a case study for the number of elements was done to obtain the best mesh. The experimental and simulations were conducted by using ANSYS CFD at Reynolds number 106 and AOA equals (0°, 4°, 8°, 10°, 12°, 15°, 16°, 17°, 18°) for three shapes of aerofoils which are without a slot, two of which are symmetrical, NACA 0012 and NACA 0015, and one asymmetrical, which is NACA 4415. The slotted aerofoil (existence of an opening after 40% from the leading edge) which is the NACA 0015 aerofoil, was simulated

Experimental Investigation of Diesel-WCOB Engine Performance with A Small Proportion of Ethanol/Isobutanol as A Fuel Additive

The globe is beginning to face fast-expanding global warming concerns that require immediate treatment. Biodiesel can be considered the most widely used and versatile sustainable fuel for a variety of uses. Because it is biodegradable, environmentally friendly, and renewable, it offers a viable solution to the looming energy crisis. Waste cooking oil is among the locally available sources that might be utilized as an extra source in different countries at a reasonable cost. Combining used cooking oil and diesel is a viable option for diesel engines because it has been certified for use at blending ratios as low as 20% as a commercial fuel. However, when it comes to fuel additives, the best alternative is to use waste cooking oil at high mixing ratios with diesel to power diesel engines. The goal of this research is to examine the various performance parameters of a diesel engine and the characteristics of biodiesel blended fuels by measuring the specific fuel consumption of the brakes and the thermal efficiency of the brakes and to investigate the impact of isobutane and ethanol additions at rates of 5% and 10% on the properties of the fuel and engine efficiency to enhance the specifications of the blended fuel in high proportions B40. Mixed fuel B40 with 10% ethanol (B40E10) can be used as a highly mixed fuel to enhance diesel engine performance. The density, kinematic viscosity, and flash point of diesel fuel were the lowest and rise with the amount of WCOB in the mixture, while the blended fuel B40 had the greatest value and improved with the percentage of additives. Increases in the proportion of additives also result in a visible rise in the braking force and fuel consumption.

The use of temperature as a variable in hydraulics

Use of Bernoulli (or Euler) equation in Hydraulics is restricted to flows which can be considered frictionless and in which there is no external work transfer. Flow of a liquid causes changes in the thermodynamic state of the liquid - these changes being inevitably irreversible. It is clear therefore that a complete description of liquid flow processes can only be obtained by using the more general equations of thermodynamics. The main obstacle to this procedure has been the difficulty of measuring the small temperature differences encountered in liquid flow and on which the thermodynamic equations are dependent. Thus research was aimed first at developing simple methods and techniques for measuring small temperature differences such as those occurring in hydraulic (or liquid) flow systems; and at surmounting the various difficulties inherent in such measurements. As a result it is now in most cases possible to obtain an accuracy of +/- 1mC° in the measurement of temperature difference across a hydraulic flow system (l millidegree = 0.001 C°). Under favourable conditions an accuracy of +/- 0.3m C° has been attained. The apparatus used for such measurements is cheap and very simple. A suitable equation for use in the thermodynamic treatment of liquid flow is the Steady Flow Energy Equation, It was found necessary, however, to recast this equation in a special form for convenient application to liquid flow. This necessitated introduction of certain thermodynamic properties (e.g. ∂h/∂P)T). The values of these properties for water were evaluated and presented in tabular form for the ranges 1-50°G and 1-200 atmospheres. Examples of the order of magnitude of these properties for some other common liquids are also shown. In contrast to Bernoulli and Euler equations this version of the Steady Flow Energy Equation depends on both the temperature and pressure as variables. The equation has been used in the analysis of a number of hydraulic flow systems of varied nature with very satisfactory results. Research was conducted to show the practicability and advantages of using the temperature as a variable in two important fields of hydraulic practice, namely the measurement of efficiency and of the rate of flow. The development of the techniques of temperature measurement - referred to above - rendered practicable the application of the thermodynamic methods of measuring hydraulic efficiency to machines operating at heads as low as 100 feet - lower than hitherto possible. The development of these techniques of thermometry also rendered practicable the use of novel and simple thermometric methods for measuring the rate of flow. In conclusion it is hoped that the satisfactory results obtained in this research will help to inspire more confidence in the use of temperature as a variable in Hydraulics and stimulate interest in Thermohydraulics - the thermodynamic treatment of liquid flow