Processing of Pulp of Various Cultivars of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) for Leather Production

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 9 (2007): Processing of Pulp of Various Cultivars of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) for Leather Production. Manuscxript FP 07 001. Vol. IX. August, 2007

Evaluación de la actividad diurética y laxante del extracto acuoso de hojas de Argemone mexicana en ratas

Objectives: Argemone mexicana have been widely studied for its several pharmacological benefits and has been used in traditional medicine to treat constipation like symptoms. The present study carried out to evaluate the extract for its diuretic and laxative potential. Method: The aqueous extract of Argemone mexicana prepared using percolation method and subjected to phytochemical analysis. Evaluation of diuretic and laxative activity was carried out using metabolic cage apparatus and flame photometer as per the standard method reported earlier. Frusemide (20 mg/kg) and sodium picosulate (5 mg/kg) were served as positive control for diuretic activity and laxative activity respectively. Result: The extract showed significant diuretic activity at 250 mg/kg dose when compared to standard frusemide. Even this extract also effective in increasing electrolyte concentration. Whereas the extract at 250 mg/kg showed significantly increasing in fecal output, and also significantly increased the weight of feces at 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg dose. Conclusion: The previous significant finding supports the traditional use of Argemone mexicana for its diuretic and laxative potential Objetivos: Argemone mexicana ha sido ampliamente estudiada por sus diversos beneficios farmacológicos y se ha utilizado en la medicina tradicional para tratar síntomas de estreñimiento. El presente estudio evaluó el extracto por su potencial diurético y laxante. Método: El extracto acuoso de Argemone mexicana se preparó utilizando el método de percolación y se sometió a análisis fitoquímico. La evaluación de la actividad diurética y laxante se llevó a cabo utilizando unas jaulas metabólicas y un fotómetro de llama según el método estándar descrito con anterioridad. Se administró frusemida (20 mg / kg) y picosulato de sodio (5 mg / kg) como control positivo de la actividad diurética y actividad laxante respectivamente. Resultado: El extracto mostró una actividad diurética significativa a una dosis de 250 mg / kg en comparación con la frusemida estándar. Incluso, este extracto también es efectivo para aumentar la concentración de electrolitos. Mientras que el extracto a 250 mg/kg mostró un aumento significativo en la producción fecal, y también aumentó significativamente el peso de las heces en ambas dosis. Conclusión: El hallazgo significativo anterior apoya el uso tradicional de Argemone mexicana por sus potencialidades diurética y laxante

Examination of Focused Beam Propagation through a Finite Non-reciprocal Planar Chiral Slab Using Complex Fresnel Coefficients and Dual Transforms

Recently, uniform plane wave propagation across a nonchiral-chiral interface was examined via the development of appropriate Fresnel coefficients. In this extension, propagation of focused uniform and profiled beams through a finite, planar nonreciprocal chiral slab is investigated using complex Fresnel coefficients via angular plane wave decomposition and dual transforms

Electronic structure of carbon-free silicon oxynitride films grown using an organic precursor hexamethyl-disilazane

Silicon oxynitride films are grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition on single-crystal Si(100) and textured Si solar cells, using a safe organic precursor, hexamethyl-disilazane. Using the Lucovsky-Phillips criterion of bond coordination constraints, we grow high-quality thin (~20 Å) and thick (up to 2700 Å) films which are carbon free (<1.0{%}) as characterized by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiles. Core-level and valence band XPS is used to conclusively identify oxynitride bonding and band gap reduction in SiOxNy. For a λ/4 'blue' anti-reflection coating on the solar cells with uniform thickness (870± 15 Å) and composition (SiO1.6± 0.1N0.3± 0.05), an efficiency (AM 1) increase of 1{%} is obtained

Detecting Abrupt Changes in a Noisy van der Pol Type Oscillator

Many signals produced by dynamical systems may undergo abrupt changes such as a jump or a sharp change. Detecting such change points is of primary importance in many applications ranging from exploratory data analysis to diagnosis. This paper addresses the detection of abrupt changes in a noisy van der Pol oscillator as a model of an electrical circuit with nonlinear resistance. The proposed approach combines wavelet analysis with information entropy in order to extract signal frequencies corresponding to any abrupt changes that occur. We also investigate the influence of noise intensity on detecting change points in the model system. Performance is evaluated on simulated data generated by using different model parameters

μ-Carbonato-bis­(bis­{2-[(diethyl­amino)­meth­yl]phen­yl}bis­muth(III))

The mol­ecular structure of the title compound, [Bi2(C11H16N)4(CO3)], consists of a symmetrically bridging carbonato group which binds two [2-Et2NCH2C6H4]2Bi units that are crystallographically related via a twofold rotation axis bis­ecting the carbonate group. The two Bi atoms and two of the C atoms directly bonded to bis­muth are quasi-planar [deviations of 0.323 (1) and 0.330 (9)Å for the Bi and C atoms, respectively] with the carbonate group. The remaining two ligands are in a trans arrangement relative to the quasi-planar (CBi)2CO3 system. The metal atom is strongly coordinated by the N atom of one pendant arm [Bi—N = 2.739 (6) Å], almost trans to the O atom, while the N atom of the other pendant arm exhibits a weaker intra­molecular inter­action [Bi⋯N = 3.659 (7) Å] almost trans to a C atom. If both these intra­molecular N→Bi inter­actions per metal atom are considered, the overall coordination geometry at bis­muth becomes distorted square-pyramidal [(C,N)2BiO cores] and the compound can be described as a hypervalent 12-Bi-5 species. Additional quite short intra­molecular Bi⋯O inter­actions are also present [3.796 (8)–4.020 (9) Å]. Inter­molecular associations through weak η6⋯Bi inter­actions [Bi⋯centroid of benzene ring = 3.659 (1) Å] lead to a ribbon-like supra­molecular association

Synthetic, non-intoxicating 8,9-dihydrocannabidiol for the mitigation of seizures

There can be a fine line between therapeutic intervention and substance abuse, and this point is clearly exemplified in herbal cannabis and its products. Therapies involving cannabis have been the treatment of last resort for some cases of refractory epilepsy, and this has been among the strongest medical justifications for legalization of marijuana. In order to circumvent the narcotic effects of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), many studies have concentrated on its less intoxicating isomer cannabidiol (CBD). However, CBD, like all natural cannabinoids, is a controlled substance in most countries, and its conversion into THC can be easily performed using common chemicals. We describe here the anticonvulsant properties of 8,9-dihydrocannibidiol (H2CBD), a fully synthetic analogue of CBD that is prepared from inexpensive, non-cannabis derived precursors. H2CBD was found to have effectiveness comparable to CBD both for decreasing the number and reducing the severity of pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in rats. Finally, H2CBD cannot be converted by any reasonable synthetic route into THC, and thus has the potential to act as a safe, noncontroversial drug for seizure mitigation

Auto-regressive moving average analysis of linear and discontinuous models of human balance during quiet standing

Linear Time Invariant (LTI) processes can be modelled by means of Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) model systems. In this paper, we examine whether an ARMA model can be fitted to a process characterised by switched nonlinearities. In particular, we conduct the following test: we generate data from known LTI and nonlinear (threshold/dead-zone) models of human balance and analyse the output using ARMA. We show that both these known systems can be fitted, according to standard criteria, with low order ARMA models. To check if there are some obvious effects of the dead-zone, we compare the power spectra of both systems with the power spectra of their ARMA models. We then examine spectral properties of three posturographic data sets and their ARMA models and compare them with the power spectra of our model systems. Finally, we examine the dynamics of our model systems in the absence of noise to determine what is the effect of the switching threshold (dead-zone) on the asymptotic dynamics

Development of cost-effective protocol for preparation of dehydrated paneer (Indian cottage cheese) using freeze drying

[EN] Nowadays, there is high consumer demand in the market for simple to prepare, convenient, healthy and natural foods. Paneer or Indian cottage cheese is an acid and heat coagulated milk product which serves as a rich source of animal proteins for the vegetarians. Due to high moisture content (58-60 %), it is highly perishable in nature. Drying of paneer would undoubtedly extend the shelf life of paneer and also help in value-addition of paneer. Dehydrated paneer would find numerous ways to be use. Drying of paneer by conventional methods poses threats including case-hardening and non-uniform incomplete drying, poor rehydration characteristics, longer drying time, yellow discoloration and oiling off during drying. Freeze drying remains the best in retaining the quality of dried food products. Though it is highly expensive due to high processing and operation costs. The present study focuses on developing cost-effective protocol for freeze-drying of paneer. Efforts have been made by use of pre-treatments prior subjecting to freeze drying. The dehydrated product would be shelf-stable and can be rehydrated to its original state having flavor and texture comparable to the fresh form. Moreover, the final product after rehydration would be more fresh and softer than its frozen counterparts. The developed product would be easily kept well for few years at room temperature without any addition of preservatives.Sharma, S.; Nema, PH.; Emanuel, N.; Singha, S. (2018). Development of cost-effective protocol for preparation of dehydrated paneer (Indian cottage cheese) using freeze drying. En IDS 2018. 21st International Drying Symposium Proceedings. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1727-1734. https://doi.org/10.4995/IDS2018.2018.7720OCS1727173

Accelerator development in India for ADS programme

At BARC, development of a Low Energy High Intensity Proton Accelerator (LEHIPA), as front-end injector of the 1 GeV accelerator for the ADS programme, has been initiated. The major components of LEHIPA (20 MeV, 30 mA) are a 50 keV ECR ion source, a 3 MeV Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) and a 20 meV drift tube linac (DTL). The Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) and Medium Energy Beam Transport (MEBT) lines match the beam from the ion source to RFQ and from RFQ to DTL respectively. Design of these systems has been completed and fabrication of their prototypes has started. Physics studies of the 20-1000 MeV part of the Linac are also in progress. In this paper, the present status of this project is presented