Graphene as a buffer layer for silicon carbide-on-insulator structures

We report an innovative technique for growing the silicon carbide-on-insulator (SiCOI) structure by utilizing polycrystalline single layer graphene (SLG) as a buffer layer. The epitaxial growth was carried out using a hot-mesh chemical vapor deposition (HM-CVD) technique. Cubic SiC (3C-SiC) thin film in (111) domain was realized at relatively low substrate temperature of 750 °C. 3C-SiC energy bandgap of 2.2 eV was confirmed. The Si-O absorption band observed in the grown film can be caused by the out-diffusion of the oxygen atom from SiO2 substrate or oxygen doping during the cleaning process. Further experimental works by optimizing the cleaning process, growth parameters of the present growth method, or by using other growth methods, as well, are expected to realize a high quality SiCOI structure, thereby opening up the way for a breakthrough in the development of advanced ULSIs with multifunctionalities

LptO (PG0027) is required for lipid A 1-phosphatase activity in Porphyromonas gingivalis W50

ABSTRACT Porphyromonas gingivalis produces outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) rich in virulence factors, including cysteine proteases and A-LPS, one of the two lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) produced by this organism. Previous studies had suggested that A-LPS and PG0027, an outer membrane (OM) protein, may be involved in OMV formation. Their roles in this process were examined by using W50 parent and the Δ PG0027 mutant strains. Inactivation of PG0027 caused a reduction in the yield of OMVs. Lipid A from cells and OMVs of P. gingivalis W50 and the Δ PG0027 mutant strains were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Lipid A from W50 cells contained bis-P-pentaacyl, mono-P-pentaacyl, mono-P-tetraacyl, non-P-pentaacyl, and non-P-tetraacyl species, whereas lipid A from Δ PG0027 mutant cells contained only phosphorylated species; nonphosphorylated species were absent. MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem MS of mono-P-pentaacyl ( m / z 1,688) and mono-P-tetraacyl ( m / z 1,448) lipid A from Δ PG0027 showed that both contained lipid A 1-phosphate, suggesting that the Δ PG0027 mutant strain lacked lipid A 1-phosphatase activity. The total phosphatase activities in the W50 and the Δ PG0027 mutant strains were similar, whereas the phosphatase activity in the periplasm of the Δ PG0027 mutant was lower than that in W50, supporting a role for PG0027 in lipid A dephosphorylation. W50 OMVs were enriched in A-LPS, and its lipid A did not contain nonphosphorylated species, whereas lipid A from the Δ PG0027 mutant (OMVs and cells) contained similar species. Thus, OMVs in P. gingivalis are apparently formed in regions of the OM enriched in A-LPS devoid of nonphosphorylated lipid A. Conversely, dephosphorylation of lipid A through a PG0027-dependent process is required for optimal formation of OMVs. Hence, the relative proportions of nonphosphorylated and phosphorylated lipid A appear to be crucial for OMV formation in this organism. IMPORTANCE Gram-negative bacteria produce outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) by “blebbing” of the outer membrane (OM). OMVs can be used offensively as delivery systems for virulence factors and defensively to aid in the colonization of a host and in the survival of the bacterium in hostile environments. Earlier studies using the oral anaerobe Porphyromonas gingivalis as a model organism to study the mechanism of OMV formation suggested that the OM protein PG0027 and one of the two lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) synthesized by this organism, namely, A-LPS, played important roles in OMV formation. We suggest a novel mechanism of OMV formation in P. gingivalis involving dephosphorylation of lipid A of A-LPS controlled/regulated by PG0027, which causes destabilization of the OM, resulting in blebbing and generation of OMVs. </jats:p

Isolation of bioflocculant-producing bacteria from Penaeus vannamei ponds for the production of extracellular polymeric substances

Bioflocculants are essential polymers with their flocculating activity depending on the characteristics of the secreted flocculants by bioflocculant-producing bacteria. However, the characteristics of bioflocculant produced by microorganisms were not investigated profoundly. In order to better understand these characteristics, determination of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from bioflocculant-producing bacteria were characterized in terms of protein concentrations. A total of 51 bioflocculant-producing bacteria isolates were screened from Pacific whiteleg shrimp, Penaeus vannamei culture ponds in Setiu, Terengganu, Malaysia. Screening of bioflocculant-producing bacteria were conducted through morphological approaches followed by protein extraction using Lowry assay method. The identified bioflocculant-producing bacteria includes Corynebacterium sp., Klebsiella sp., Lactobacillus sp., Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Streptococcus sp., Vibrio spp., Neisseria sp., Serratia sp. and Yersinia sp., with the highest protein concentration of 829 mg mL-1 were attained by Staphylococcus sp. The various amounts of EPS concentration produced by different species of bacteria were dependent on their specific population growth and growth rate. Therefore, the establishment of bioflocculant-producing bacteria isolated from biofloc which showed high tendency for EPS production were performed successfully

Numerical investigation on the hydrodynamic characteristics of an autonomous underwater glider with different wing layouts

An autonomous underwater glider is a self-propelled underwater vehicle which is designed primarily for oceanography. It moves with low speed in saw-tooth pattern and has long endurance. The vertical motion of the glider is controlled by changing its buoyancy and its wings convert this vertical motion into horizontal motion. The hydrodynamic coefficients of glider will dictate its performance and possible applications. In this paper, the impact of rectangular and tapered wings on the hydrodynamics coefficient of a glider and the corresponding glide velocity was investigated using ANSYS Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) turbulence model and FLUENT flow solver. The lift force of a rectangular wing is higher with less drag force compared to tapered wings. A glider with tapered wings glider will have a larger glide angle and is therefore suitable of deep ocean applications

Effect of wing form on the hydrodynamic characteristics and dynamic stability of an underwater glider

We are developing a prototype underwater glider for subsea payload delivery. The idea is to use a glider to deliver payloads for subsea installations. In this type of application, the hydrodynamic forces and dynamic stability of the glider is of particular importance, as it has implications on the glider's endurance and operation. In this work, the effect of two different wing forms, rectangular and tapered, on the hydrodynamic characteristics and dynamic stability of the glider were investigated, to determine the optimal wing form. To determine the hydrodynamic characteristics, tow tank resistance tests were carried out using a model fitted alternately with a rectangular wing and tapered wing. Steady-state CFD analysis was conducted using the hydrodynamic coefficients obtained from the tests, to obtain the lift, drag and hydrodynamic derivatives at different angular velocities. The results show that the rectangular wing provides larger lift forces but with a reduced stability envelope. Conversely, the tapered wing exhibits lower lift force but improved dynamic stability

Body fat and risk of cardiovascular diseases among the Tamil school teachers in Kuala Selangor, Selangor

This quantitative survey aims to measure the overall body fat, BMI, abdominal fat and the risk of cardiovascular diseases among 60 Tamil school teachers from Kuala Selangor District, Selangor. The subjects voluntarily participated in this study. The total body fat, Body Mass Index (BMI) and abdominal fat were measured using Omron Karada Scanner, meanwhile PACER test was used to measure cardiovascular endurance. The descriptive analysis showed, 71.67% Tamil school teachers from Kuala Selangor were found to be in the category of excessive body fat and obese. BMI levels, showed that 26.68% were overweight, 48.33% teachers were in level pre-obese till to obese stage III. Abdominal fat levels showed that 70% teachers were at risk. While only 20% of them having good cardiovascular fitness. The inferential analysis showed that there were significant differences in overall body fat and cardiovascular endurance between male and female subjects but BMI and abdominal fat levels showed no significant difference between male and female subjects. The findings indicated that most of the Tamil school teachers in Kuala Selangor District having high risk of cardiovascular diseases. They should do regular physical activity and consume balanced diet to reduce the risk of body fat and obesity which cause the cardiovascular diseases.Keywords: Obesity, abdominal fat, total body fat, cardiovascular endurance &amp; physical activit

Demystifying communication signal lost for network redundancy connectivity: evidence from coverage analysis studies on AMR systemarticle

These studies report on the communication signal lost factors that were analyzed and supported by evidences on coverage analysis activities for Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) systems. We have categorized the influential signal lost factors into four core elements that were concluded based on our field measurement studies. We have conducted measurement on Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) parameter and outline the steps and techniques of such research activity. Our results show that a single network connection might not be able to support for reliable Internet network connectivity for critical communication device like AMR system. Hence, applying network redundancy technique into developing a more functional communication module could be an effective solution to combat the issue on signal lost for AMR meters.Keywords: Signal strength; AMR; Cognitive Network Selection; Network redundancy;Signal lost

Development of wireless passive water quality catchment monitoring system

To maintain the quality of aquatic ecosystems, good water quality is needed. The quality of water needs to be tracked in real-time for environmental protection and tracking pollution sources. This paper aims to describe the development and data acquired for water catchment quality monitoring by using a passive system which includes location tagging. Wireless Passive Water Quality Catchment Monitoring (WPWQCM) System is used to check and monitor water quality continuously. The condition of water in terms of acidity, temperature and light intensity needs to be monitored. WPWQCM System featured four sensors which are a temperature sensor, light intensity sensor, pH sensor and GPS tracker that will float in water to collect the data. GPS tracker on passive water catchment monitoring system is a new feature in the system where the location of water can be identified. With the extra feature, water quality can be mapped and in the future, the source of disturbance can be determined. UMP Lake was chosen to check and monitor the water quality. The system used wireless communication by using XBee Pro as a medium of communication between CT-Uno board and PC