Rheology and Processing of Novatein Thermoplastic Protein

Biopolymers have become suitable alternatives to petro-chemical polymers as they can biodegrade and are considered environmentally friendly. Novatein Thermoplastic Protein (NTP) is a newly developed plastic material using bovine bloodmeal. Knowledge of the rheology of NTP is required to assess processability and to optimise process design. The objective of this research was to use capillary rheometry and batch mixing to determine the rheology and processing behaviour of NTP. These were evaluated at constant plasticiser content, but using three different ratios of water to plasticiser (triethylene glycol, TEG). Each of these was evaluated at 115, 120 and 125 °C. It was shown that NTP is a non-Newtonian, shear thinning fluid with similar behaviour compared to linear low density polyethylene. It was found that viscosity is highly dependent on water content; decreasing with increasing water content. At a shear rate of 15 s-1, the apparent viscosity for the standard formulation (60 parts water per hundred parts bloodmeal) was 2000 Pa.s compared to 7000 Pa.s for the formulation containing 30 parts water [water (30) : TEG (30)], measured at 115 °C. Viscosity decreased slightly with increasing temperature and the degree of non-Newtonian behaviour was mostly unaffected by temperature. The flow behaviour index, n, was found to be in the range 0.11 to 0.17, with no discernable temperature dependence. In the standard formulation, the total amount of plasticiser and ratio water to TEG was higher, which resulted in different flow behaviour with respect to temperature. Batch mixing was used to determine the processing window (∆t) by monitoring torque changes over time during mixing. Processing window for standard NTP decreased from 260 to 220 seconds when the mixing speed was increased from 75 to 95 RPM. The processing window was shortened with reducing water content or an increase in temperature. At 125 °C and 95 RPM the processing window was only 67 seconds for the formulation with 30 parts water and 30 parts TEG. It was concluded that crosslinking was accelerated with an increase in shear and temperature or a reduction in moisture content. Thermal or mechanical energy activates crosslinking, while water plasticises the polymer which decreases the rate of crosslinking. Processing NTP required a delicate balance of supplying enough mechanical and thermal energy for chain rearrangement and consolidation, but preventing fast crosslinking. Crosslinking can be retarded using larger amounts of water, but excessive water may lead to problems after product moulding. Replacing water with TEG does not prevent crosslinking, but does lower the apparent viscosity during processing

Performance and Emission Optimization of CIDI Engine through various Fuel Injection Strategies

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

A literature review of pandemic novel coronavirus disease 2019 and potential drugs treatment

Background: Coronaviruses (CoVs) belong to a family that comes under the order “Nidovirales.” Nidovirales order includes the viruses that use a nested set of mRNAs for their replication. CoV disease 2019 (COVID)-19 is a βCoV-2, CoV of the same subgenus as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus, but in a different clad. The constitution of the receptor-binding gene region is very like to that of the SARS-CoV, and the virus has been demonstrated to utilize the same receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, for entrance into respiratory cells. There are presently no drugs or vaccinations that are known to be successful for SARS-CoV-2 management or preventing the spread as per various major health officials. Aim: This review describes various drug treatment options available against COVID-19. It focuses on the use virology of SARS-COV2, potential drugs that can be utilized to treat COVID-19 infection, their dosages, advantages, side effects, and indications. Conclusion: As there are no definitive treatment modes accessible to cure SARS-COV2 infection to this date, drug repurposing can provide effective tool to combat against COVID-19 until definitive drugs or vaccines discovered to treat SARS-CoV2 infection. Various antiviral, antiparasitic, and antimalarial drugs, antibodies, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, melatonin hormone, etc., are effective to reduce viral load of COVID-19. Clinical Significance: Drug repurposing and previous or recent clinical experiences with CoV infection provide an efficient weapon to COVID-19 infection. They are effective in not only reducing viral load of COVID-19 infection but also minimize the symptoms related to SARS

Mechanochemical Synthesis of Active Magnetite Nanoparticles Supported on Charcoal for Facile Synthesis of Alkynyl Selenides by C−H Activation

Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles supported on charcoal, graphene, or SBA‐15 were prepared by a simple solid‐state grinding technique and subsequent thermal treatment. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles supported on activated charcoal exhibited high catalytic activity and furnished good yields of the alkynyl selenide product in the cross‐coupling reaction of diphenyl diselenide and alkynes through activation of C−H and Se−Se bonds under ecofriendly conditions, surpassing traditional copper‐based catalysts to effect the same organic transformation.Alkynes of fun: Fe3O4 nanoparticles separately supported on charcoal, graphene, and SBA‐15 are prepared by solid‐state grinding and subsequent thermal treatment. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles supported on activated charcoal exhibit high catalytic activity and furnish good yields of alkynyl selenide products in the cross‐coupling reactions of diphenyl diselenide with alkynes through C−H and Se−Se bond activation under ecofriendly conditions.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137502/1/cctc201600280-sup-0001-misc_information.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137502/2/cctc201600280_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137502/3/cctc201600280.pd

Evidence for Mechanistic Alterations of Ca2+ Homeostasis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Altered cytosolic Ca2+ is implicated in the aetiology of many diseases including diabetes but there are few studies on the mechanism(s) of the altered Ca2+ regulation. Using human lymphocytes, we studied cytosolic calcium (Cai) and various Ca2+ transport mechanisms in subjects with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and control subjects. Ca2+-specific fluorescent probes (Fura-2 and Fluo-3) were used to monitor the Ca2+ signals. Thapsigargin, a potent and specific inhibitor of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA), was used to study Ca2+- store dependent Ca2+ fluxes. Significant (P < 0.05) elevation of basal Cai levels was observed in lymphocytes from diabetic subjects. Cai levels were positively correlated with fasting, plasma glucose and HbAlc. There was also a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in plasma membrane calcium (PMCA) ATPase activity in diabetic subjects compared to controls. Cells from Type 2 diabetics exhibited an increased Ca2+ influx (as measured both by Fluo-3 fliorescence and C45a assays) as a consequence of of thapsigargin-mediated Ca2+ store depletion. Upon addition of Mn2+ (a surrogate of Ca2+), the fura-2 fluorescence decayed in an exponential fashion and the rate and extent of this decline was steeper and greater in cells from type 2 diabetic patients. There was also a significant (P < 0.05) difference in the Na+/Ca2+ exchange activity in Type 2 diabetic patients, both under resting conditions and after challenging the cells with thapsigargin, when the internal store Ca2+ sequestration was circumvented. Pharmacological activation of protein kinase C (PKC) in cells from patients resulted in only partial inhibition of Ca2+ entry. We conclude that cellular Ca2+ accumulation in cells from Type 2 diabetes results from (a) reduction in PMCA ATPase activity, (b) modulation of Na+/Ca2+ exchange and (3) increased Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane

Liraglutide: bench to bedside

Good glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes can be achieved by current medications, but often at the expense of hypoglycaemia and weight gain. The glucose-dependent stimulation of insulin secretion, the reduction in appetite and the improvement in β-cell function with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), suggest that incretin-based therapies could be an attractive pharmacological target for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Encouraging results with liraglutide from clinical pharmacology trials and phase 2 trials led to a well-designed, comprehensive, phase 3 clinical programme comprising six large randomised controlled trials - The Liraglutide Effect and Action on Diabetes (LEAD) programme. The purpose of the LEAD programme was to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of liraglutide as monotherapy or in combination with commonly used treatments in patients with type 2 diabetes. The application of liraglutide across the continuum of progression of type 2 diabetes was thoroughly evaluated in the LEAD trials. Overall, the LEAD programme demonstrated that once-daily liraglutide improved glycaemic control, decreased body weight with minimal risk of hypoglycaemia and was well tolerated in patients with type 2 diabetes. It also showed that liraglutide reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) and promoted β-cell function. Liraglutide is a novel drug that can address the current unmet medical needs in the early treatment of diabetes, both as a monotherapy and as an add-on therapy to conventional type 2 diabetes therapies

A Policy Review of Public Libraries in India

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the status of policies, legislation and finance with respect to public libraries in India. Design/methodology/approach This is a descriptive study based on data collected from literature review and census data on public libraries, along with a field visit of government public libraries at Bangalore. It attempts a critique of existing policies related to public libraries in particular and the culture sector in general, which governs the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAMs) in India. Findings Of India’s 29 states and 7 union territories, 19 states have passed state library legislations, of which only 5 have the provision of a library cess or tax levy and it was found that states with lower literacy rates do not have library legislations. Bihar and Chhattisgarh in 2008 and Arunachal Pradesh in 2009 have recently passed these legislations without a library cess. Few states have progressed with the automation of public libraries, while 16 state libraries continue to function without any such legislation. The legislative process and legal issues involved in policy making, combined with the lack of political consensus and goodwill, have severely constrained the growth, coverage and development of public libraries for people in India. The existing national acts and state library legislations should be reviewed to adapt to changing times and to bring about integrated information services across GLAMs for the public. A RTI query sent to the Ministry of Culture revealed that there is no official data available on the per capita expenditure on public libraries in India. Practical implications In an online-networked environment, all GLAM institutions work towards collecting, preserving and providing access to educational and cultural heritage resources as social capital. However, there is a lack of national policy to govern GLAMs and the government bodies responsible for developing GLAMs are not integrative in their processes. A more holistic framework is required to assess funding needs and to ensure reforms in culture sector. Central government should make it mandatory to have access to public library for every citizen of India, legitimating public library services, even as India celebrates 100 years of public librarianship and enters its second century of providing library and information services to the nation. Originality/value GLAMs should be inclusionary public spaces for intellectual engagement and community development and need greater attention of policy makers. Though the public library movement reached its peak in the nationalist movements of the early 20th century, developing integrated and contemporary policies for the growth and development of public libraries as a public good in the 21st century will make India a knowledge society

DESIGN AND SIMULATION OF THREE PHASE FIVE LEVEL AND SEVEN LEVEL INVERTER FED INDUCTION MOTOR DRIVE WITH TWO CASCADED H-BRIDGE CONFIGURATION

This paper deals with study of Three phase Five Level and Seven Level inverter fed induction motor drive . Both five level and seven level are realized by cascading two H- bridges. The poor quality of voltage and current of a conventional inverter fed induction machine is due to the presence of harmonics and hence there is significant level of energy losses. The Multilevel inverter is used to reduce the harmonics. The inverters with a large number of steps can generate high quality voltage waveforms. The higher levels can follow a voltage reference with accuracy and with the advantage that the generated voltage can be modulated in amplitude instead of pulse-width modulation. An active harmonic elimination method is applied to eliminate any number of specific higher order harmonics of multilevel converters with unequal dc voltages. The simulation of three phase five and seven level inverter fed induction motor model is done using Matlab/Simulink. The FFT spectrums for the outputs are analyzed to study the reduction in the harmonics

Ultra thin films of nanocrystalline Ge studied by AFM and interference enhanced Raman scattering

Initial growth stages of the ultra thin films of germanium (Ge) prepared by ion beam sputter deposition have been studied using atomic force microscope (AFM) and interference enhanced Raman scattering. The growth of the films follows Volmer-Weber growth mechanism. Analysis of the AFM images shows that Ostwald ripening of the grains occurs as the thickness of the film increases. Raman spectra of the Ge films reveal phonon confinement along the growth direction and show that the misfit strain is relieved for film thickness greater than 4 nm