Application of Random Search Technique to Optimize Performance of Solar Air Heater

The present study involves implementation of random search technique in order to optimizethe thermal performance of a flat-plate solar air heater. The maximum thermal performancewas evaluated over a wide range of operating conditions and the optimal sets of design andoperating parameters were predicted. The range of input data considered in this studyincludes: Reynolds number, tilt angle, solar radiation intensity, emissivity of glass plate,number of glass cover plates and surrounding temperature. In this work, thermalperformance corresponding to optimal set of parameters has been evaluated

Evaluation of renal profile in asymptomatic HIV patients with special reference to proteinuria

Introduction: Renal disease has now become a well-recognised complication of HIV infection. If not recognized early it frequently progresses to end stage renal disease, thus becoming a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Aim of the research : The purpose of this study was to know the prevalence of renal dysfunction in asymptomatic HIV patients in terms of proteinuria and various risk factors associated with it and to study the histopathological lesions associated in patients with nephrotic range proteinuria. Material and methods : We conducted a cross-sectional, single-centre study on 100 asymptomatic HIV patients aged between 18 and 50 years. Baseline investigations including kidney function tests and CD4 count were done on in all patients. Proteinuria was defined as 1+ on urine dipstick in spot urine sample. Urine microalbumin was measured by immunoturbidimetry or nephelometry. 2-D ultrasonography was done to determine kidney size and echogenicity. Renal biopsy was done in patients with nephrotic range proteinuria. Results: The total prevalence of proteinuria among the study subjects was 21%. It was significantly associated with older age, lower CD4 counts, higher serum creatinine, and lower haemoglobin levels. There were no significant differences between patients with and without proteinuria with regard to sex and concurrent antiretroviral therapy. Proteinuria was also associated with increased kidney size and echogenicity. In the patients with nephrotic syndrome focal segmental glomerulosclerosis was the most common histological pattern. A progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate was observed as the disease progressed in terms of duration of disease and decrease in CD4 count. Conclusions : Renal dysfunction in HIV is dependent on a variety of host and immunological factors. Careful screening can help identify the subjects who are at higher risk. Various simple investigations such as 2D ultrasonography and urine dipsticks can serve as an effective screening tool

First Total Synthesis and Biological Screening of a Proline-Rich Cyclopeptide from a Caribbean Marine Sponge

A natural heptacyclopeptide, stylissamide G (7), previously isolated from the Bahamian marine sponge Stylissa caribica from the Caribbean Sea, was synthesized via coupling of the tetrapeptide l-phenylalanyl-l-prolyl-l-phenylalanyl-l-proline methyl ester with the tripeptide Boc-l-leucyl-l-isoleucyl-l-proline, followed by cyclization of the linear heptapeptide fragment. The structure of the synthesized cyclooligopeptide was confirmed using quantitative elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry. Results of pharmacological activity studies indicated that the newly synthesized cycloheptapeptide displayed good anthelmintic potential against Megascoplex konkanensis, Pontoscotex corethruses and Eudrilus eugeniea at 2 mg/mL and in addition, potent antifungal activity against pathogenic Candida albicans and dermatophytes Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum audouinii at a concentration of 6 μg/mL

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Not AvailableAn investigation was undertaken to study the effect of long- term application of inorganic fertilizers and organic materials (farmyard manure, wheat straw and green manure) on soil physico-chemical properties, soil organic carbon, nutrient availability and crop yield after 22 cycles of pearl millet and wheat at Research Farm of CCS HAU, Hisar. The experiment consisted of five treatments including control, inorganic fertilizers alone, and fertilizers along with organic materials to substitute 50% N through farmyard manure (FYM), wheat straw and green manure (Sesbania aculeata). Continuous use of FYM, wheat straw and green manure in conjunction with fertilizers increased the soil organic carbon (OC), hydraulic conductivity, available N, P, K status and wheat yield, and decreased soil bulk density, soluble salts and pH. Among organic materials, FYM resulted in highest OC (0.54%), available N (242.8 kg/ha), available P (17.7 kg/ha) and available K (318.5 kg/ha) level in soil. In general, the application of organic materials reduced the soil bulk density by 3.3% as compared to the fertilizers alone. Among different treatments, the grain and straw yield of wheat was highest where FYM (50% of N) was applied with fertilizers than the application of wheat straw, green manure or inorganic fertilizers alone. The results suggest that integrated use of inorganic fertilizer in combination with organic materials facilitates soil physical and chemical environment congenial for achieving higher crop productivity under pearl millet-wheat cropping systemNot Availabl

Nickel Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films for Visible Blind Ultraviolet Photodetection Applications

The current research aims to investigate the effect of nickel doping on the structural and opto-electrical characteristics of zinc oxide thin films. Sol-gel spin coating technique has been utilized to deposit Zn _1-x Ni _x O (x = 0, 0.005, 0.010, and 0.015) films on glass substrates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the formation of crystalline zinc oxide thin films with hexagonal wurtzite structure. Williamson-Hall analysis has been performed to study the individual contribution of lattice strain and crystallite size to the peak broadening in the XRD pattern. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Photoluminescence spectroscopy, and UV–visible spectroscopic techniques have been used to examine the surface morphology and optical properties of the deposited films. Transient photocurrent measurements have been performed on all the films under the exposure of ultraviolet (UV) light of wavelengths 365 and 254 nm with on/off cycle of 100 s, and various device key parameters such as sensitivity, responsivity, and quantum efficiency, etc have been determined. Sensitivities of the fabricated photodetectors (PDs) are found to be 5463%, 3809%, 3100%, and 831% for pristine ZnO, Zn _0.995 Ni _0.005 O, Zn _0.99 Ni _0.01 O, and Zn _0.985 Ni _0.015 O, respectively. The UV photodetection mechanism, which is based on the interaction between chemisorbed oxygen on the surface of ZnO and photo-generated holes, has been thoroughly discussed

An optimized neural network with AdaHessian for cryptojacking attack prediction for Securing Crypto Exchange Operations of MEC applications

Bitcoin exchange security is crucial because of MEC's widespread use. Cryptojacking has compromised MEC app security and bitcoin exchange ecosystem functionality. This paper propose a cutting-edge neural network and AdaHessian optimization technique for cryptojacking prediction and defense. We provide a cutting-edge deep neural network (DNN) cryptojacking attack prediction approach employing pruning, post-training quantization, and AdaHessian optimization. To solve these problems, this paper apply pruning, post-training quantization, and AdaHessian optimization. A new framework for quick DNN training utilizing AdaHessian optimization can detect cryptojacking attempts with reduced computational cost. Pruning and post-training quantization improve the model for low-CPU on-edge devices. The proposed approach drastically decreases model parameters without affecting Cryptojacking attack prediction. The model has Recall 98.72%, Precision 98.91%, F1-Score 99.09%, MSE 0.0140, RMSE 0.0137, and MAE 0.0139. Our solution beats state-of-the-art approaches in precision, computational efficiency, and resource consumption, allowing more realistic, trustworthy, and cost-effective machine learning models. We address increasing cybersecurity issues holistically by completing the DNN optimization-security loop. Securing Crypto Exchange Operations delivers scalable and efficient Cryptojacking protection, improving machine learning, cybersecurity, and network management

Year-long simulation of gaseous and particulate air pollutants in India

Severe pollution events occur frequently in India but few studies have investigated the characteristics, sources, and control strategies for the whole country. A year-long simulation was carried out in India to provide detailed information of spatial and temporal distribution of gas species and particulate matter (PM). The concentrations of O_3, NO_2, SO_2, CO, as well as PM_(2.5) and its components in 2015 were predicted using Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) and the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) models. Model performance was validated against available observations from ground based national ambient air quality monitoring stations in major cities. Model performance of O_3 does not always meet the criteria suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) but that of PM_(2.5) meets suggested criteria by previous studies. The performance of model was better on days with high O_3 and PM_(2.5) levels. Concentrations of PM_(2.5), NO_2, CO and SO_2 were highest in the Indo-Gangetic region, including northern and eastern India. PM_(2.5) concentrations were higher during winter and lower during monsoon season. Winter nitrate concentrations were 160–230% higher than yearly average. In contrast, the fraction of sulfate in total PM_(2.5) was maximum in monsoon and least in winter, due to decrease in temperature and solar radiation intensity in winter. Except in southern India, where sulfate was the major component of PM_(2.5), primary organic aerosol (POA) fraction in PM_(2.5) was highest in all regions of the country. Fractions of secondary components were higher on bad days than on good days in these cities, indicating the importance of control of precursors for secondary pollutants in India

Natural Bioactive Thiazole-Based Peptides from Marine Resources: Structural and Pharmacological Aspects

Peptides are distinctive biomacromolecules that demonstrate potential cytotoxicity and diversified bioactivities against a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, mycobacteria, and fungi via their unique mechanisms of action. Among broad-ranging pharmacologically active peptides, natural marine-originated thiazole-based oligopeptides possess peculiar structural features along with a wide spectrum of exceptional and potent bioproperties. Because of their complex nature and size divergence, thiazole-based peptides (TBPs) bestow a pivotal chemical platform in drug discovery processes to generate competent scaffolds for regulating allosteric binding sites and peptide–peptide interactions. The present study dissertates on the natural reservoirs and exclusive structural components of marine-originated TBPs, with a special focus on their most pertinent pharmacological profiles, which may impart vital resources for the development of novel peptide-based therapeutic agents