60 research outputs found

    Effect of post weld heat treatment on tensile properties and microstructure characteristics of friction stir welded armour grade AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy

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    AbstractThis paper reports the effects of post weld heat treatments, namely artificial ageing and solution treatment followed by artificial ageing, on microstructure and mechanical properties of 12 mm thick friction stir welded joints of precipitation hardenable high strength armour grade AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy. The tensile properties, such as yield strength, tensile strength, elongation and notch tensile strength, are evaluated and correlated with the microhardness and microstructural features. The scanning electron microscope is used to characterie the fracture surfaces. The solution treatment followed by ageing heat treatment cycle is found to be marginally beneficial in improving the tensile properties of friction stir welds of AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy

    Rice insect pests and their natural enemies complex in direct seeded and transplanted rice (Oryza sativa) of Chidambaram areas of Cuddalore, India

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    Rice is the cereal grain that feeds half the planet. Rice fields are economically important as well as ecologically valuable. Rice fields are one of the biggest ecosystems that can be found in the tropics, including diverse insect pests and their natural enemies. In this view, rice varieties were sown in experimental plots of Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Chidambaram. The values are found significant at 5% level. To monitor the pest and natural enemies by using net sweeping and yellow pan trap method was used. The results showed that the maximum number of yellow stem borer was observed in the direct-seeded rice variety of CR Dhan 209 (7.33) and the leaf folder population was maximum in the direct-seeded rice variety of CR Dhan 204 (7.33). The peak population of grasshopper and green leafhopper was recorded in the transplanted rice variety of CR Dhan200 (11.33), CR Dhan 209 (8.00). The values were found significant at 5% level. The maximum number of Braconidae was observed in direct-seeded rice variety of CR Dhan 205 (3.66), and Ichneumonidae was recorded the highest number of direct-seeded and transplanted rice in the variety of CR Dhan 202 (3.00). The peak population of Trichogrammatidae was recorded in direct-seeded rice of CR Dhan 207 (3.66). The presence of Platygastridae was high in the transplanted rice variety of CR Dhan 201 (8.66), respectively. Among the rice ecosystems, more insect pests and crop damage were noticed in direct-seeded rice more than the transplanted rice

    PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND HPTLC BASED COMPARATIVE STUDY ON LEAVES OF MERREMIA EMARGINATA BURM. F. AND CENTELLA ASIATICA (L.) URBAN

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    Objective: In this study, an attempt was made to generate information based on botanical, physicochemical and HPTLC data needed for proper identification and authentication of M. emarginata and C. asiatica belonging to two different families. Methods: Botanical study comprises of macroscopy, microscopy and powder microscopy of leaves of both crude drugs. The physicochemical parameters such as water-soluble extractive, alcohol soluble extractive and loss on drying at 105℃, total ash, acid insoluble ash, and volatile oil were determined according to standard methods. HPTLC studies of chloroform extracts of leaves of both drugs were conducted at 254 nm, 366 nm and 575 nm after derivatisation using vanillin-sulphuric acid and the results were documented. Results: The present study reveals that microscopy and most of the physicochemical parameters of both the plant materials are different. Anatomy of the leaves showed two main characteristic differences. First plenty of trichome with trichome base and calcium oxalate crystal is common in M. emarginata, which is not observed in C. asiatica. Both plants have different venation patterns and leaf constants. The total ash content and the solubility in alcohol and water for leaves of C. asiatica are higher than that of M. emarginata. The HPTLC fingerprinting pattern obtained for both drugs are different. Conclusion: All the results obtained from this study help in determining differences and similarities of leaves of M. emarginata and C. asiatica and thereby preventing adulteration and substitution and emphasizing the importance of standardization

    Rewiring carotenoid biosynthesis in plants using a viral vector

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    [EN] Plants can be engineered to sustainably produce compounds of nutritional, industrial or pharmaceutical relevance. This is, however, a challenging task as extensive regulation of biosynthetic pathways often hampers major metabolic changes. Here we describe the use of a viral vector derived from Tobacco etch virus to express a whole heterologous metabolic pathway that produces the health-promoting carotenoid lycopene in tobacco tissues. The pathway consisted in three enzymes from the soil bacteria Pantoea ananatis. Lycopene is present at undetectable levels in chloroplasts of non-infected leaves. In tissues infected with the viral vector, however, lycopene comprised approximately 10% of the total carotenoid content. Our research further showed that plant viruses that express P. ananatis phytoene synthase (crtB), one of the three enzymes of the heterologous pathway, trigger an accumulation of endogenous carotenoids, which together with a reduction in chlorophylls eventually result in a bright yellow pigmentation of infected tissues in various host-virus combinations. So, besides illustrating the potential of viral vectors for engineering complex metabolic pathways, we also show a yellow carotenoid-based reporter that can be used to visually track infection dynamics of plant viruses either alone or in combination with other visual markers.We thank Veronica Aragones and M. Rosa Rodriguez-Goberna for excellent technical assistance. This research was supported by Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) grants BIO2014-54269-R to J.-A.D., and BIO2014-59092-P and BIO2015-71703-REDT to M. R.-C. Financial support from the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEOII/2014/021), the Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnologia para el Desarrollo (Ibercarot 112RT0445), and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2014SGR-1434) is also acknowledged. E.M. is the recipient of a pre-doctoral fellowship (AP2012-3751) from the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte. B.L. is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship (FPDI-2013-018882) from MINECO.Majer, E.; Llorente, B.; Rodríguez-Concepción, M.; Daros Arnau, JA. (2017). Rewiring carotenoid biosynthesis in plants using a viral vector. Scientific Reports. 7. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep41645S7O’Connor, S. E. Engineering of secondary metabolism. Annu. Rev. Genet. 49, 71–94 (2015).Sainsbury, F. & Lomonossoff, G. P. Transient expressions of synthetic biology in plants. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 19, 1–7 (2014).Gleba, Y. Y., Tusé, D. & Giritch, A. Plant viral vectors for delivery by Agrobacterium. Curr. Top. Microbiol. 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    Transient Expression of Hemagglutinin Antigen from Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H7N7) in Nicotiana benthamiana

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    The influenza A virus is of global concern for the poultry industry, especially the H5 and H7 subtypes as they have the potential to become highly pathogenic for poultry. In this study, the hemagglutinin (HA) of a low pathogenic avian influenza virus of the H7N7 subtype isolated from a Swedish mallard Anas platyrhynchos was sequenced, characterized and transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Recently, plant expression systems have gained interest as an alternative for the production of vaccine antigens. To examine the possibility of expressing the HA protein in N. benthamiana, a cDNA fragment encoding the HA gene was synthesized de novo, modified with a Kozak sequence, a PR1a signal peptide, a C-terminal hexahistidine (6×His) tag, and an endoplasmic retention signal (SEKDEL). The construct was cloned into a Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV)-based vector (pEAQ-HT) and the resulting pEAQ-HT-HA plasmid, along with a vector (pJL3:p19) containing the viral gene-silencing suppressor p19 from Tomato bushy stunt virus, was agro-infiltrated into N. benthamiana. The highest gene expression of recombinant plant-produced, uncleaved HA (rHA0), as measured by quantitative real-time PCR was detected at 6 days post infiltration (dpi). Guided by the gene expression profile, rHA0 protein was extracted at 6 dpi and subsequently purified utilizing the 6×His tag and immobilized metal ion adsorption chromatography. The yield was 0.2 g purified protein per kg fresh weight of leaves. Further molecular characterizations showed that the purified rHA0 protein was N-glycosylated and its identity confirmed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In addition, the purified rHA0 exhibited hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition activity indicating that the rHA0 shares structural and functional properties with native HA protein of H7 influenza virus. Our results indicate that rHA0 maintained its native antigenicity and specificity, providing a good source of vaccine antigen to induce immune response in poultry species

    Force Measurements on a Body wing tail configuration (KaHa Model) at Mach numbers of 0.4 , 0.6 and 0.8 and incidences upto 30°

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    Six component measurements were carried out on a slender body model with lifting surfaces (KaHa Model) under the collaborative program between DFVLR-NAL(CSIR)-MBB to study the vortex flow of slender bodies with lifting surfaces at various Reynolds numbers up to very high incidences. The test configuration consists of a 105 mm (3D) long tangent ogive nose and a 420 mm (12D) long circular cylinder afterbody of D = 35 mm diameter having cruciform lifting surfaces of 105 mm (3D) and 140 mm (4D) span and a constant chord of 35 mm. The tests have been carried out in the 0.75 m x 0.75 m free jet suck-down type high speed wind tunnel of the DFVLR in Gottingen . The test Mach numbers were 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 and the test Reynolds number, based on the body diameter, varied from 0.28 million to 0.48 million. The incidence range was from -5 ° to +30°. The normal (in-plane) and side (out-of-plane) force characteristics of the basic model (body alone) was studied by rolling the model from an arbitarily defined 0° over ~360° in steps of 60°. To study the influence of body vortices on the wing and tail, tests have been performed on the model with the lifting surfaces fixed at a position of 140 mm (4D) from the nose tip (BODY+WING), at a position of 490 mm (14D) from the nose tip (BODY+TAIL) and by arranging them at both positions as BODY+WING+TAIL combinations. Tests were also carried out by rolling the lifting surfaces with respect to the body from 0 to 22°, 45 ° and 67 °. The complete test results are documented in this report in the form of tables and plots together with a limited analysis

    Force Measurements on a Body wing tail configuration (KaHa Model) at Mach numbers of 0.4 , 0.6 and 0.8 and incidences from 30° to 65°

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    Six component measurements were carried out on a slender body model with lifting surfaces (KaHa Model) under the collaborative program between DFVLR-NAL(CSIR)-MBB to study the vortex flow of slender bodies with lifting surfaces at various Reynolds numbers up to very high incidences. The test configuration consists of a 105 mm (3D) long tangent ogive nose and a 420 mm (12D) long circular cylinder afterbody of D = 35 mm diameter having cruciform lifting surfaces of 105 mm (3D) and 140 mm (4D) span and a constant chord of 35 mm. The tests have been carried out in the 0.75 m x 0.75 m free jet suck-down type high speed wind tunnel of the DFVLR in Gottingen . The test Mach numbers were 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 and the test Reynolds number, based on the body diameter, varied from 0.28 million to 0.48 million. The incidence range was from 30° to 70°. The normal (in-plane) and side (out-of-plane) force characteristics of the basic model (body alone) was studied by rolling the model from an arbitarily defined 0° over 360° in steps of 60°. To study the influence of body vortices on the wing and tail, tests have been performed on the model with the lifting surfaces fixed at a position of 140 mm (4D) from the nose tip (BODY+WING), at a position of 490 mm (14D) from the nose tip (BODY+TAIL) and by arranging them at both positions as BODY+WING+TAIL combinations. Tests were also carried out by rolling the lifting surfaces with respect to the body from 0 to 22°, 45 ° and 67 °. The complete test results are documented in this report in the form of tables and plots together with a limited analysis

    Experimental Studies on a 1/12 Scale Model of Prithvi Missile

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    Wind Tunnel Tests were carried out to determine the Longitudinal. static stability and roll control characteristics of a 1/12 scale 'PRITHVI' missile configuration with cruciform trapezoidal wings and aft tail fin controls . The tests were conducted ih the 1 .2m Trisonic wind tunnel at Mach numbers from 0 .4 to 1 .5 through an angle of attack range of -10° to 20° . Model roll orientation was varied from -45° to 45 ° . The results indicated good longitudinal stability characteristics throughout the test Mach number range

    Force Measurements At Low Spefeds On . Body Wing Tail Combinations (Kaha Model) At High Reynolds Numbers And Incidences From -2° To 70°

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    Six Component Measurements Were Carried Out On A Slender Boo I Model With Lifting Surfaces (Kaha Model) To' Study The Vortex Flows Of Such Configurations At High Reynolds Numbers Upto Very High Incidences. The Basic Bod F Consists Of A 105 Mm (3D) Long Tangent Ogive Nose And A 420 Mm (12D) Long Circular' Cylinder After body With A Diameter Of 35mm (D) . To This Slender Body Cruciform Lifting Surfaces Of 105mm (3D) And 140mm (4D), Span, And A Constant Chord Length Of 35mm Were Added To Realize Body+Wing, Body+Tail And Body+Wing+Tail Combination : The Experiments Have Been Carried Out In The , O .6m X 0 .6m Pressurized Low Spec' Wind Tunnel Of The DEVILRY In Gottingen . The Test Reynolds Number, Based' On Bad Diameter And A Test Section Speed Of 31 M/Sec, Varied From 0 .7 Million;:; To 5 . Million . The Angle Of Attack Was Varied From -2° To 70° In Two Ranges',.Using . ; A ; Straight Sting For Incidences Up to 30° And A 40° Cranked Sting At Higher' Incidences . With Respect To The Pitch Plane The Cruciform Lifting Surfaces Were : Arranged In N+"" And "X" Position . In This Report The Complete Test Result,1 , In Form Of Tables And Plots With A • Limited Analysis . At High Incidence : And At Higher Reynolds Numbers The Model' Entered Into Severe Vibrations. 'Thus Data Could Not Be Obtained For Most Of The Configurations< Around An Angle O Attack Of 50°
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