RoboRun: A gamification approach to control flow learning for young students with TouchDevelop

This demo paper introduces young students to writing code in a touch enabled interactive maze game. Problem-based learning is given a gamified approach to learning, while simultaneously introducing the TouchDevelop platform to build basic first control flow algorithms and to learn about ordering and loops in conditional statements

Case studies of failures in thermal power plant boilers

Remaining life assessment study has become an inseparable part of conditioning monitoring and corrective/ preventive maintenance in thermalpowerplant boilers primarily due to the growing awareness and concern in the Indian Power utilities. This paper discusses some of the case studies of the failures noted in boilers, the analysis of the failures and the recommendations / corrective actions taken. The paper thus emphasizes the need for awareness on all the possible modes of failures in the boilers. Based on this awareness and history of a particular Boiler, the scope / extent and methodology of RLA study should be devised

Optimization based automated curation of metabolic reconstructions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Currently, there exists tens of different microbial and eukaryotic metabolic reconstructions (e.g., <it>Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae</it>, <it>Bacillus subtilis</it>) with many more under development. All of these reconstructions are inherently incomplete with some functionalities missing due to the lack of experimental and/or homology information. A key challenge in the automated generation of genome-scale reconstructions is the elucidation of these gaps and the subsequent generation of hypotheses to bridge them.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this work, an optimization based procedure is proposed to identify and eliminate network gaps in these reconstructions. First we identify the metabolites in the metabolic network reconstruction which cannot be produced under any uptake conditions and subsequently we identify the reactions from a customized multi-organism database that restores the connectivity of these metabolites to the parent network using four mechanisms. This connectivity restoration is hypothesized to take place through four mechanisms: a) reversing the directionality of one or more reactions in the existing model, b) adding reaction from another organism to provide functionality absent in the existing model, c) adding external transport mechanisms to allow for importation of metabolites in the existing model and d) restore flow by adding intracellular transport reactions in multi-compartment models. We demonstrate this procedure for the genome- scale reconstruction of <it>Escherichia coli </it>and also <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae </it>wherein compartmentalization of intra-cellular reactions results in a more complex topology of the metabolic network. We determine that about 10% of metabolites in <it>E. coli </it>and 30% of metabolites in <it>S. cerevisiae </it>cannot carry any flux. Interestingly, the dominant flow restoration mechanism is directionality reversals of existing reactions in the respective models.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have proposed systematic methods to identify and fill gaps in genome-scale metabolic reconstructions. The identified gaps can be filled both by making modifications in the existing model and by adding missing reactions by reconciling multi-organism databases of reactions with existing genome-scale models. Computational results provide a list of hypotheses to be queried further and tested experimentally.</p

A Survey on IOT based Real Time, Smart Adaptive Street Lighting System with Pollution Monitoring for Smart Cities

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a new interconnection of technology. It is being heralded as the next industrial revolution. It’s also praised for its ability to reduce waste and energy, by allowing us to better control our use of resources based on our actual needs. Currently, energy consumed by the street lights in metropolitan cities is extremely high and hence are less efficient. One of the major problems with the existing street lighting system is that all the street lights are controlled manually and therefore require huge manpower. Even if a street light stops working there is no way by which the authorities can know about the failure. Another growing concern in cities is the pollution. The purpose of this paper is to propose a solution which can be adopted in every city where all the street lights are connected to the central server via internet which can be monitored remotely and thus making it an energy efficient system. These street lights are adaptive meaning that they can change the intensity of light depending on the vehicular movement. They also send information about the pollution level in that locality. Thus IoT promises huge improvements in street lighting system

CD4+ T-lymphocytes exhibit biphasic kinetics post-myocardial infarction

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Recovery of Cu and Ni from a Secondary Resource by Hydrometallurgical Route

A high iron containing copper and nickel based secondary resource analysing 22.43% Cu, 7.94% Ni and 36.28% iron has been treated to recover valuable metals by leaching with sulphuric acid. It was found that recovery of copper and nickel increased with increase in temperature and sulphuric acid concentration and in a two-stage leaching with 20% (v/v) sulphuric acid at 368 K above 99.9% copper and 82.35% nickel were recovered. The leaching data best fitted into chemical controlled kinetic model showing chemical reaction at the surface of the solid matrix. Activation energy of 20 kJ/mol and 44 kJ/mol were acquired for dissolution of copper and nickel, respectively. Attempts were also made to separate iron from the leach liquor by using Versatic 10 and recovery of copper and nickel in the form of their sulphate by solvent extraction; the copper and nickel could then be recovered as salts, metal cathodes or metal powder

Value addition in the processing of copper bleed solution by solvent extraction process

Copper bleed solution generated during the electrorefining of anode copper has been used for the recovery of metals as value added products viz. metal powders following partial decopperisation, solvent extraction and electrowinning. In this process, a mixed crystal containing copper and nickel sulphates is produced from the partially decopperised bleed solution by crystallization. The mixed crystal is dissolved and iron is removed by precipitation. The copper is extracted from the purified solution using LIX84 diluted in kerosene leaving nickel in the aqueous raffinate. Bench scale simulation study for the separation of copper and nickel is further confirmed by extracting copper in a mixer settler unit. The purified solution has been used for producing copper and nickel powders by electrolysis

Solvent extraction and separation of zinc and cobalt from ammoniacal solution

A process was developed to recover Zn and Co by solvent extraction from the raffinate generated during processing of sea nodules. From a model ammoniacal solution containing 0.2 g/L Zn or 0.2 g/L Co, extraction of Zn and Co by Versatic acid was studied. A maximum of 87% Zn was extracted with 1M Versatic acid in single stage, whereas extraction of Co was negligible due to its higher oxidation state. When Co(III) was reduced to Co(II) by the addition of cobalt powder, 1M Versatic acid extracted 76% Co in a single stage. From the McCabe Thiele diagram number of counter current extraction stages required for complete recovery of Zn and Co from ammoniacal solution was determined. Simulation of counter current extraction of Zn and Co was also carried out. Thus, this process can be used to recover Zn, leaving Co in the raffinate. Then Co can be recovered by solvent extraction with Versatic acid after reducing Co(III) to Co(II) state

Use of D2ehpa as an Extractant for the Recovery Of Cu, Ni, Co & Zn From Ammoniacal Leach Liquor of Sea Nodules

Extraction studies for copper, nickel , cobalti and zinc from ammoniacal- ammonium carbonate solution of Indian ocean nodules were undertaken using Di -2-ethyl-hexyl-phosphoric acid(D2EHPA). The leach solution was processed for the metal extraction-separation applying the coextraction concept . Besides studying the effect of ammonia concentration , and O/A ratio in different contacts, kinetics of extraction and simulation of continuous extraction were investigated. The simulation experiments carried out on bench scale resulted in the extraction of over 90% cobalt and zinc , and 80- 82% copper and nickel from the ocean nodules in a continuous operation with the leach liquor using 0.75M D2EHPA with 20% isodecanol in kerosene