Interfacing of High Temperature Z-meter Setup Using Python

In this work, we interface high temperature Z-meter setup to automize the whole measurement process. A program is built on open source programming language Python which convert the manual measurement process into fully automated process without any cost addition. Using this program, simultaneous measurement of Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity are performed and using all three, figure-of-merit (ZT) is calculated. Developed program is verified by performing measurement over p-type Bi0.36Sb1.45Te3 sample and the data obtained are found to be in good agreement with the reported data.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in AIP Conference Proceeding

Study of atomic collisions by charged particles

The Present study of collision processes involving positive ions provides a sensitive test of the approximate method to develop positron and electron scattering and yields useful information about the role of different works in collision dynamics. This study of laser assisted collision process involves an accurate description of the projectile and the target states in the presence of laser field.Â

Evaluation of Methyl-Binding Domain Based Enrichment Approaches Revisited

Methyl-binding domain (MBD) enrichment followed by deep sequencing (MBD-seq), is a robust and cost efficient approach for methylome-wide association studies (MWAS). MBD-seq has been demonstrated to be capable of identifying differentially methylated regions, detecting previously reported robust associations and producing findings that replicate with other technologies such as targeted pyrosequencing of bisulfite converted DNA. There are several kits commercially available that can be used for MBD enrichment. Our previous work has involved MethylMiner (Life Technologies, Foster City, CA, USA) that we chose after careful investigation of its properties. However, in a recent evaluation of five commercially available MBD-enrichment kits the performance of the MethylMiner was deemed poor. Given our positive experience with MethylMiner, we were surprised by this report. In an attempt to reproduce these findings we here have performed a direct comparison of MethylMiner with MethylCap (Diagenode Inc, Denville, NJ, USA), the best performing kit in that study. We find that both MethylMiner and MethylCap are two well performing MBD-enrichment kits. However, MethylMiner shows somewhat better enrichment efficiency and lower levels of background “noise”. In addition, for the purpose of MWAS where we want to investigate the majority of CpGs, we find MethylMiner to be superior as it allows tailoring the enrichment to the regions where most CpGs are located. Using targeted bisulfite sequencing we confirmed that sites where methylation was detected by either MethylMiner or by MethylCap indeed were methylated

Acetylation and phosphorylation of human TFAM regulate TFAM-DNA interactions via contrasting mechanisms

Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) is essential for the maintenance, expression and transmission of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). However, mechanisms for the post-translational regulation of TFAM are poorly understood. Here, we show that TFAM is lysine acetylated within its high-mobility-group box 1, a domain that can also be serine phosphorylated. Using bulk and single-molecule methods, we demonstrate that site-specific phosphoserine and acetyllysine mimics of human TFAM regulate its interaction with non-specific DNA through distinct kinetic pathways. We show that higher protein concentrations of both TFAM mimics are required to compact DNA to a similar extent as the wild-type. Compaction is thought to be crucial for regulating mtDNA segregation and expression. Moreover, we reveal that the reduced DNA binding affinity of the acetyl-lysine mimic arises from a lower on-rate, whereas the phosphoserine mimic displays both a decreased on-rate and an increased off-rate. Strikingly, the increased off-rate of the phosphoserine mimic is coupled to a significantly faster diffusion of TFAM on DNA. These findings indicate that acetylation and phosphorylation of TFAM can fine-tune TFAM-DNA binding affinity, to permit the discrete regulation of mtDNA dynamics. Furthermore, our results suggest that phosphorylation could additionally regulate transcription by altering the ability of TFAM to locate promoter sites

Evaluating air quality and criteria pollutants prediction disparities by data mining along a stretch of urban-rural agglomeration includes coal-mine belts and thermal power plants

Air pollution has become a threat to human life around the world since researchers have demonstrated several effects of air pollution to the environment, climate, and society. The proposed research was organized in terms of National Air Quality Index (NAQI) and air pollutants prediction using data mining algorithms for particular timeframe dataset (01 January 2019, to 01 June 2021) in the industrial eastern coastal state of India. Over half of the study period, concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 and CO were several times higher than the NAQI standard limit. NAQI, in terms of consistency and frequency analysis, revealed that moderate level (ranges 101–200) has the maximum frequency of occurrence (26–158 days), and consistency was 36%–73% throughout the study period. The satisfactory level NAQI (ranges 51–100) frequency occurrence was 4–43 days with a consistency of 13%–67%. Poor to very poor level of air quality was found 13–50 days of the year, with a consistency of 9%–25%. Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Bagged Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) and Bayesian Regularized Neural Networks (BRNN) are the data mining algorithms, that showed higher efficiency for the prediction of PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and SO2 except for CO and O3 at Talcher and CO at Brajrajnagar. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) between observed and predicted values of PM2.5 (ranges 12.40–17.90) and correlation coefficient (r) (ranges 0.83–0.92) for training and testing data indicate about slightly better prediction of PM2.5 by RF, SVM, bagged MARS, and BRNN models at Talcher in comparison to PM2.5 RMSE (ranges 13.06–21.66) and r (ranges 0.64–0.91) at Brajrajnagar. However, PM10 (RMSE: 25.80–43.41; r: 0.57–0.90), NO2 (RMSE: 3.00–4.95; r: 0.42–0.88) and SO2 (RMSE: 2.78–5.46; r: 0.31–0.88) at Brajrajnagar are better than PM10 (RMSE: 35.40–55.33; r: 0.68–0.91), NO2 (RMSE: 4.99–9.11; r: 0.48–0.92), and SO2 (RMSE: 4.91–9.47; r: 0.20–0.93) between observed and predicted values of training and testing data at Talcher using RF, SVM, bagged MARS and BRNN models, respectively. Taylor plots demonstrated that these algorithms showed promising accuracy for predicting air quality. The findings will help scientific community and policymakers to understand the distribution of air pollutants to strategize reduction in air pollution and enhance air quality in the study region

Solar energy utilization techniques, policies, potentials, progresses, challenges and recommendations in asean countries

Sustainable development goals not only contributes towards a clean environment but also towards better climatic conditions. Within Asia next to China and India, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are the actively developing countries in terms of economy and technologies. On the verge of achieving development, the ASEAN countries highly depend on fossil fuels for their energy needs. The ASEAN countries have taken visionary steps towards increasing the renewable energy mix with the conventional grid without hampering the ongoing development; this study presents the solar energy utilization policies, potential, progresses, and challenges adopted in ASEAN countries; furthermore, in these nations there is a huge potential of solar energy being located near the equator, therefore, they should focus on both solar to electrical and solar to thermal energy applications; however, in order to meet the peak demand and ensure the reliability of renewable energy like solar power, the development of advanced energy storage systems could be the key areas, and concrete efforts are required. Therefore, this article is a spotlight on government policies and goals focusing on energy potential, major progress in terms of energy storage and challenges in implementation of renewable energy systems in ASEAN countries; furthermore the recommended highlights on policies to accelerate the exploitation of renewable energy usage among the people are also discussed in detail, besides, the insights on reduction of carbon footprints over the next decade through incorporation of advanced energy storage systems. The issues discussed in this article will be helpful for exploring the desired energy storage systems and energy policies to be followed, which will eventually attract the stakeholders for small and medium-scale entrepreneurs for the development of renewable energy business in the region, if implemented on the ground