Anukalpana 2.0: A Performance Evaluation Software Package for Akash Surface to Air Missile System

Abstract : "An air defence system is a complex dynamic system comprising sensors, control centres, launchers and missiles. Practical evaluation of such a complex system is almost impossible and very expensive. Further, during development of the system, there is a necessity to evaluate certain design characteristics before it is implemented. Consequently, need arises for a comprehensive simulation package which will simulate various subsystems of the air defence weapon system, so that performance of the system can be evaluated. With the above objectives in mind, a software package, called Anukalpana 2.0, has been developed. The first version of the package was developed at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. This program has been subsequently updated. The main objectives of this package are: (i) evaluation of the performance of Akash air defence system and other similar air defence systems against any specified aerial threat, (ii) investigation of effectiveness of the deployment tactics and operational logic employed at the firing batteries and refining them, (iii) provision of aid for refining standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the multitarget defence, and (iv) exploring the possibility of using it as a user training tool at the level of Air Defence Commanders. The design specification and the simulation/modelling philosophy adopted for the development of this package are discussed at length. Since Akash air defence system has many probabilistic events, Monte Carlo method of simulation is used for both threat and defence. Implementation details of the package are discussed in brief. These include: data flow diagrams and interface details. Analysis of results for certain input cases is also covered.

Identification of an α(1→6) mannopyranosyltransferase (MptA), involved in Corynebacterium glutamicum lipomanann biosynthesis, and identification of its orthologue in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Corynebacterium glutamicum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis share a similar cell wall architecture, and the availability of their genome sequences has enabled the utilization of C. glutamicum as a model for the identification and study of, otherwise essential, mycobacterial genes involved in lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) biosynthesis. We selected the putative glycosyltransferase-Rv2174 from M. tuberculosis and deleted its orthologue NCgl2093 from C. glutamicum. This resulted in the formation of a novel truncated lipomannan (Cg-t-LM) and a complete ablation of LM/LAM biosynthesis. Purification and characterization of Cg-t-LM revealed an overall decrease in molecular mass, a reduction of α(1→6) and α(1→2) glycosidic linkages illustrating a reduced degree of branching compared with wild-type LM. The deletion mutant's biochemical phenotype was fully complemented by either NCgl2093 or Rv2174. Furthermore, the use of a synthetic neoglycolipid acceptor in an in vitro cell-free assay utilizing the sugar donor β-d-mannopyranosyl-1-monophosphoryl-decaprenol together with the neoglycolipid acceptor α-d-Manp-(1→6)-α-d-Manp-O-C8 as a substrate, confirmed NCgl2093 and Rv2174 as an α(1→6) mannopyranosyltransferase (MptA), involved in the latter stages of the biosynthesis of the α(1→6) mannan core of LM. Altogether, these studies have identified a new mannosyltransferase, MptA, and they shed further light on the biosynthesis of LM/LAM in Corynebacterianeae

Numerical study on a two-stage metal hydride hydrogen compression system

A multistage Metal Hydride Hydrogen Compression (MHHC) system uses a combination of hydride materials in order to increase the total compression ratio, whilst maximizing the hydrogenation rate from the supply pressure at each stage. By solving the coupled heat, mass and momentum conservation equations simultaneously the performance of a MHHC system can be predicted. In the current work a numerical model is proposed to describe the operation of a complete compression cycle. Four different MHHC systems are examined in terms of maximum compression ratio, cycle time and energy consumption and it was found that the maximum compression ratio achieved was 22:1 when operating LaNi5 (AB5-type) and a Zr–V–Mn–Nb (AB2-type intermetallic) as the first and second stage alloys respectively in the temperature range of 20°C (hydrogenation) to 130°C (dehydrogenation)

Assessment of Tribological performance of Coconut Shell Ash Particle Reinforced Al-Si-Fe Composites using Grey-Fuzzy Approach

The paper investigates optimization of wear behaviour of coconut shell ash (CSA) reinforced aluminium composites using pin-on-disc setup. The experiments were carried out with three process parameters: Load, percentage (%) of CSA and sliding distance. Three adequate responses: wear (µm), wear rate (mm3/m) and coefficient of friction were considered. In this study, a hybrid approach (i.e. Grey-Fuzzy) has been applied to optimizing the several responses. The fuzzy logic concept has been used for handling the uncertainty in the decision-making process. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) discloses that the highest influencing parameter was load, followed by sliding distance and % of CSAp to the overall tribological performance

Pd/C-mediated arylation followed by I2-catalyzed hydration strategy: Preparation of functionalized novel indanone derivatives

A simple and inexpensive synthesis of novel 2-(3-oxo-3-arylpropyl)-2,3- dihydro-1H-inden-1-one derivatives has been achieved via Pd/C-mediated arylation followed by I-mediated regioselective hydration of 2-(prop-2-ynyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones. A wide variety of 3-aryl substituted 2-propynyl indanone derivatives were conveniently prepared by using 10% Pd/C-PPh-CuI as a catalyst system, some of which were used to prepare the corresponding ketones via alkyne hydration in the presence of catalytic I. In an in vitro study a representative compound showed inhibition of PDE4B (phosphodiesterase type 4B) and binding with this protein in silic