Voronoi diagram based simulation and experimental validation of austenite in C22 and C35 steels

This paper examines the ability of power Voronoi diagram assisted simulation in microstructure modeling during heat treatment. A model is developed for predicting fraction of austenite evolved during continuous heating of steel to austenite range, by integrating geometrical features of power Voronoi diagram and classical nucleation theory. From the simulation results, it is possible to predict the transformed fraction. The simulation results are validated using experiments conducted on two varieties of steels. The maximum error obtained is 2.08%. Thus, power Voronoi assisted simulation can be considered as an effective tool in modeling microstructure evolution during austenitization

IDENTIFICATION OF LEAD COMPOUNDS WITH COBRA VENOM DETOXIFICATION ACTIVITY IN ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA (BURM. F.) NEES THROUGH IN SILICO METHOD

Objective: To validate the cobra venom detoxification activity in Andrographis paniculata and identification of lead molecules.Methods: The structures of phytochemicals were procured from databases or created by ChemSketch and CORINA. Of the14 cobra venom proteins selected as receptor molecules, the 3D structures of phospholipase A2 and cobrotoxin were retrieved from protein data bank and serine protease, L-amino acid oxidase and acetylcholinesterase were modelled. The structures of remaining nine proteins were retrieved from SWISSMODEL repository. The active sites of the receptor molecules were detected by Q-site Finder and Pocket Finder. Docking was carried out by AutoDock 4.2. To avoid error in lead identification, top ranked five hit molecules obtained in AutoDock were again docked by iGEMDOCK, FireDock and HEX server. The results were analyzed following Dempster-Shafer theory. The molecular property and biological activity of the lead molecules were predicted by molinspiration.Results: Docking results in AutoDock revealed that the plant having phytochemicals for detoxifying all venom proteins but only one potential hit molecule against each of the following proteins viz., cobramin A, cobramin B, long neurotoxin 1, long neurotoxin 2, long neurotoxin 3, long neurotoxin 4 and long neurotoxin 5 and several hit molecules (6-12) were obtained against phospholipase A2, cobrotoxin, cytotoxin 3, acetylcholinesterase, L-aminoacid oxidase, proteolase and serine protease. Therefore, in latter case lead molecules were identified through Dempster-Shafer theory. The theoretical prediction of drug likeliness and bioactivity of the molecules highlighted the plant as the best source of anti-cobra venom drug.Conclusion: The results substantiated its traditional use and further investigation on biological system is essential for evolving novel drug.Keywords: Andrographis paniculata, Cobra, Docking, Venom, Protein, Neurotoxin, Snake bit

Single-molecule photochemical reactions of Auger-ionized quantum dots

Photoinduced electron transfer in donor-acceptor systems composed of quantum dots (QDs) and electron donors or acceptors is a subject of considerable recent research interest due to the potential applications of such systems in both solar energy harvesting and degradation of organic pollutants. Herein, we employed single-molecule imaging and spectroscopy techniques for the detection of photochemical reactions between 1,4-diaminobutane (DAB) and CdSe/ZnS single QDs. We investigated the reactions by analyzing photoluminescence (PL) intensity and lifetime of QDs at ensemble and single-molecule levels. While DAB was applied to single QDs tethered on a cover slip or QDs dispersed in a solution, PL intensity of QD continuously decreased with a concomitant increase in the PL lifetime. Interestingly, these changes in the PL properties of QD were predominant under high-intensity photoactivation. We hypothesize that the above changes in the PL properties surface due to the transfer of an electron from DAB to Auger-ionized QD followed by elimination of a proton from DAB and the formation of a QD-DAB adduct. Thus, a continuous decrease in the PL intensity of QDs under high-intensity photoactivation is attributed to continuous photochemical reactions of DAB with single QDs and the formation of QD-(DAB)n adducts. We believe that detection and analysis of such photochemical reactions of single QDs with amines will be of considerable broad interest due to the significant impact of photoinduced electron transfer reactions in energy management and environmental remediation

Shadow Detection and Reconstruction in Satellite Images using Support Vector Machine and Image In-painting

ABSTRACT: In this paper an approach for the detection of shadows in satellite images using Support Vector Machine is proposed. The first step is to classify the shadow and non-shadow regions with the help of Support Vector Machine. In order to remove the noise in the classified image median filter is used. The reconstruction of the shadow areas is done by using image in-painting technique. This technique is used to retain the missing parts in an image due to shadows. The performances are evaluated by means of Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), and Mean Square Error (MSE)

Occurrence of teleomorphic phase of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu lato, the incitant of black pepper anthracnose

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu lato, the ascomycetous pathogen is a major constraint in black pepper cultivation. In the present study, surveys carried out in black pepper cultivating regions of Karnataka, India revealed the prevalence of anthracnose disease manifested as diverse array of foliar symptoms. An atypical foliar symptom was also noticed in the black pepper nurseries, characterized by grayish necrotic lesions with brown-blackish margins and randomly distributed blackish structures of pin-head size in the lesion area manifested particularly on the older leaves. The pin-head structures produced orangish exudation embedded with asci, ascospores and perithecia, when incubated under high humid conditions. Typical anthracnose symptoms were developed on susceptible host in pathogenicity studies and subsequent isolation yielded two distinct colonies designated as black and orange. The perithecia were induced artificially under in vitro conditions, which retained fertility and infectivity more than three months. Alternation of generation was observed when the perithecia were cultured on potato dextrose medium which resulted in the formation of acervuli with abundant conidiation. The results of present investigation shed light into the occurrence and potential role of perithecial (teleomorphic) phase in the survival of C. gloeosporioides s. l. infecting black pepper

Screening small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) field gene bank accessions for phenotypic characters, yield potential and disease resistance

Evaluation of 117 field gene bank accessions of small cardamom for phenotypic characters along with yield potential and disease resistance (rhizome rot and leaf blight) at ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research Regional Station, Appangala revealed significant variation with respect to phenotypic characters. The highest plant height (350 cm) and number of bearing tillers (36.4) were recorded in the accessions, field gene bank (FGB) 65 and FGB 16, respectively. The highest fresh weight of capsules (399.61 g) and maximum number of capsules (244.20) plant-1 were recorded in the accession, FGB 13. Further, based on screening for disease resistance, 35 and 15 accessions of cardamom were identified as resistant to leaf blight and highly resistant to rhizome rot, respectively. Based on the multivariate cluster analysis, 117 FGB accessions were classified into 5 clusters viz., clusters 1 and 2 encompassing equal number of accessions (44), cluster 3 with one accession (FGB 10), clusters 4 and 5 with 8 and 20 accessions, respectively