Large Deformation Shear and Elongation Rheology of Polymers for Electrospinning and other Industrial Processes

The goals of this thesis are the characterization of polymer melts using mainly non-linear shear and extensional rheological techniques, the fabrication of scaffolds with excellent physical and mechanical properties using the solution electrospinning technology for tissue engineering applications and the development of melt electrospinning equipment to facilitate the fabrication of solvent free scaffolds

A Review of Range-based RSSI Algorithms for Indoor Wireless Sensor Network Localization

The secure localisation of unknown nodes in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is a crucial research topic due to the vast range of applications of WSNs. These applications drive the development of WSNs, as real-world obstacles typically motivate them. WSN technology is rapidly evolving, and this paper provides a brief overview of WSNs, including key research findings on energy conservation and node deployment. The paper discusses the applications of WSNs in medical health, environment and agriculture, intelligent home furnishing and construction, and military, space, and marine exploration. The paper focuses on the research of RSS-based locating algorithms in WSNs and is divided into two sections. Firstly, accurate location depends on the accurate RSSI received from nodes. This experiment analyses the distribution trend of RSSI and derives the loss model of signal propagation by processing experimental data. Secondly, Gaussian fitting calculates the distance between receiving and sending nodes by processing individual RSSI at different distances. The primary challenge in studying this RSSI range-based technique is the low positioning accuracy, low energy, and high error rate. To solve this problem, a recommended GA is used to find the optimal site by minimising error, providing the best feasible solution, and being energy-sensitive, with accuracy based on the least error inside the network. The proposed approach aims to optimise sensor placements for improved performance

The viscosity radius in dilute polymer solutions: Universal behaviour from DNA rheology and Brownian dynamics simulations

The swelling of the viscosity radius, $\alpha_\eta$, and the universal viscosity ratio, $U_{\eta R}$, have been determined experimentally for linear DNA molecules in dilute solutions with excess salt, and numerically by Brownian dynamics simulations, as a function of the solvent quality. In the latter instance, asymptotic parameter free predictions have been obtained by extrapolating simulation data for finite chains to the long chain limit. Experiments and simulations show a universal crossover for $\alpha_\eta$ and $U_{\eta R}$ from $\theta$ to good solvents in line with earlier observations on synthetic polymer-solvent systems. The significant difference between the swelling of the dynamic viscosity radius from the observed swelling of the static radius of gyration, is shown to arise from the presence of hydrodynamic interactions in the non-draining limit. Simulated values of $\alpha_\eta$ and $U_{\eta R}$ are in good agreement with experimental measurements in synthetic polymer solutions reported previously, and with the measurements in linear DNA solutions reported here.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, two column, Supporting Information added, to appear in Macromolecule

Comparative study on bioaccumulation and translocation of metals in Bermuda grass (Cynodon Dactylon) naturally growing on fly ash lagoon and topsoil

Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass) is one of the most common naturally colonized creeper grass found on fly ash lagoons and soils in India. Bioavailable metal concentrations in fly ash and topsoil were analyzed by using DTPA as extractant. Bioaccumulation of metals in the root and their translocation to the shoot were estimated for fly ash and compared with topsoil. Bioaccumulation of Zn, Mn, Ni and Cu were found similar for the plants growing on fly ash and topsoil. Different bioaccumulation trends were observed for Pb, Co and Cd, in fly ash and topsoil. In fly ash translocation factors were found >1 for Cd, Mn, Zn and Cu, indicating a higher translocation of these metals in aerial parts, which can easily transfer to the food chain. In topsoil, translocation factor for all the metals (except Cd) was found <1, indicating immobilization of metals in root. The study concluded that Bermuda grass growing on fly ash lagoons can act as a transferring link of heavy metals in the food chain. © 2016, ALÖKI Kft., Budapest, Hungary

IN VIVO ACUTE TOXICITY, ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIAQUATIC FUNGAL, ANTHELMINTHIC ACTIVITY OF LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM KP894100 AND LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS KP942831

Objective: This study observed the antibacterial, antifungal (aquatic and pathogenic fungi), and anthelmintic properties of Lactobacillus plantarum(LP) KP894100 and Lactobacillus acidophilus (LC) KP942831, isolated from a dairy product.Methods: Lactic acid bacteria traditionally used to improve human health. For in vitro antibacterial, antifungal, and antihelminthic studies ofintracellular cell-free extract (ICFE) from LP and LC were produced separately by using filtration methods. ICFE was freeze-dried then resuspendedin citrate phosphate buffer. This ICFE is further used for the antimicrobial and anthelmintic assay. In the antimicrobial assay, ICFE were tested againstpathogenic bacteria, i.e., Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonasstutzeri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and aquatic fungal species including: Aspergillus clavatus, Pythium aphanidermatum Saprolegnia parasitica,Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternata, Curvularia sp., Mucor sp., Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus niger, andPenicillium chrysogenum. In the anthelmintic assay, young stages of Pheretima posthuma (Indian earthworms) were used. For the analysis of acutetoxicity assay different graded doses (100, 250, 500, 1000 mg/kg bw) of ICFE of LP and LC was administered in Wistar albino rats, respectively, andthe control group received distilled water.Result: The ICFE of both Lactobacillus strains showing strong antibacterial and weak antifungal activity against aquatic fungi except, S. parasitica, andC. albicans. The ICFE shows 100% paralysis and killing efficacy against P. posthuma in 48-72 hrs. In the acute toxicity test, LP and LC did not produceany toxic signs or death at the maximum concentration 1000 mg/kg bw.Conclusion: ICFE of LP and LC possess anthelmintic activity against P. posthuma with only strong antibacterial activity. Both the lactobacillus strainshave strong antibacterial activity and have potential activity against P. posthuma helminthes.Keywords: Antimicrobial, Antifungal, Aquatic fungi, Anthelmintic activity, Pheretima posthuma

An Approach towards Designing a Cryptographic Confidentiality Algorithm with high PSNR & Time Efficient

Steganography is the technique of hiding valuable information within other data. While cryptography makes sure that the data is unreadable to the third party.  To fulfill the concern of security, many approaches of steganography and cryptography are discussed and developed. In the paper we proposed a work with combined approach of steganography and cryptography and is applied to achieve the goal of security with better efficiency as compared to previous methodologies. The information hiding system is mainly designed with the attributes of characters i.e. RGB values. The proposed work presented in this paper implements the five processing steps of our methodology. These steps consists the generation of a pseudo random number with the help of a 128 bit key, generation of four keys to encrypt the message, encryption by symmetric key encryption technique,  cipher text hiding by replacing the least significant with the application of modified LSB algorithm, and generation of secured message at the end as output. The proposed algorithm is designed in such a way that before hiding a bit, the bit is optimized first that it increases the PSNR value as compared with previous algorithms without affecting the other parameters.

BACTERIOCIN: A NOVEL APPROACH FOR PRESERVATION OF FOOD

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides which are ribosomally synthesized and produced by Lactic acid bacteria. They play a major role in prevention of human disease such as cancer, inflammatory disease, respiratory infection, systemic infection, intestinal disorder and bacterial infection and also contribute in maintaining the healthy gut microflora. Now day's bacteriocin is emerging as the very promising natural alternative against the antibiotic and chemical preservatives and gaining commercial importance worldwide. The inhibition of pathogenic bacterial strains occurs due to cell permiabilization, but producing strains are protected from it by specific immunity proteins. They are mainly classified in 4 classes: class I, class II, class III, and class IV bacteriocin based on lantibiotics ring. Nisin, Pediocin, Lactococcin B, Acidocin CH5, Curvacin A, and Sakacin are the bacteriocins, which have strong inhibition against pathogenic bacterial strain and used in food preservation. This review article summarizes and focuses on general introduction, classification, ecology and potential applications of bacteriocin as biopreservatives in food industry

Effect of fast-growing trees on soil properties and carbon storage in an afforested coal mine land (India)

Surface coal mining activities have numerous consequences on terrestrial ecosystems. Loss of soil and biomass carbon pool due to mining activities is a serious concern in the rapidly changing environment. We investigated the effect of fast-growing trees (Albizia lebbeck, Albizia procera, and Dalbergia sissoo) on soil fertility and ecosystem carbon pool after eight years of afforestation in the post-mining land of Jharia coalfield, India, and compared with the adjacent natural forest site. Significant differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) stocks in afforested mine soil and natural forest soils were observed. Greater SOC stock was found under D. sissoo (30.17 Mg·C·ha−1) while total N stock was highest under A. lebbeck (4.16 Mg·N·ha−1) plantation. Plant biomass accumulated 85% of the natural forest carbon pool after eight years of afforestation. The study concluded that planting fast-growing trees in post-mining lands could produce a promising effect on mine soil fertility and greater carbon storage in a short period. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.The authors would like to thank the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad for providing research facilities and Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) Dhanbad for providing sites to study. A. Kumar acknowledge the work support by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, (agreement no. 02.A03.21.0006) and RFBR-DST (Project no. 19-516-45006). We also acknowledge the editor and anonymous reviewers for providing insightful comments during the revision process

A new image encryption and decryption approach based on chaotic analog signal generator

In the last one and half decade, chaos has occurred as a new favorable candidate for network security because many chaos important features such as  very much sensitivity to initial conditions and ergodicity, are directly related with two basic properties of cipher texts: confusion and diffusion. In this paper a new image encryption and decryption method is proposed which is based on the chaotic signal generator and 2D baker maps. A 144 bit external secrete key acts as the input of the chaotic signal generator. Baker maps used for the confusion of the main input image after that XOR operation used in diffusion process. The proposed method is simulated using Matlab and the results are secure with all type of cryptanalytic tests and statistical analysis tests