Energy Forensics Analysis

The energy consumed by a building can reveal information about the occupants and their activities inside the building. This could be utilized by industries and law enforcement agencies for commercial or legal purposes. Utility data from Smart Meter (SM) readings can reveal detailed information that could be mapped to foretell resident occupancy and type of appliance usage over desired time intervals. However, obtaining SM data in the United States is laborious and subjected to legal and procedural constraints. This research develops a user-driven simulation tool with realistic data options and assumptions of potential human behavior to determine energy usage patterns over time without any utility data. In this work, factors such as occupant number, the possibility of place being occupied, thermostat settings, building envelope, appliances used in households, appliance capacities, and the possibility of using each appliance, weather, and heating-cooling systems specifications are considered. For five specific benchmarked scenarios, the range of the random numbers is specified based on assumed potential human behavior for occupancy and energy-consuming appliances usage possibility, with respect to the time of the day, weekday, and weekends. The simulation is developed using the Visual Basic Application (VBA)® in Microsoft Excel®, based on the discrete-event Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). This simulation generates energy usage patterns and electricity and natural gas costs over 30-minutes intervals for one year. The simulated energy usage and the cost are reflected in the sensitivity analysis by comparing factors such as occupancy, appliance type, and time of the week. This work is intended to facilitate the analysis of building occupants\u27 activities by various stakeholders, subject to all legal provisions that apply. It is not intended for the general public to pursue these activities because legal ramifications might be involved

Photovoltaic devices using photosynthetic protein complexes

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-63).Photosynthetic proteins have been used as an active material in design of organic solar cells. Traditional organic solar cells have the limitation of not being able to absorb light in the visible-NIR region of the solar spectrum. This region corresponds to over 70% power of the total solar radiation. Using molecular proteins obtained from nature these limitations can be overcome. Biological photosynthetic complexes contain reaction centers with a quantum yield of >95% and a bandgap of less than l.leV allowing absorption in the 600-11 00nm visible-NIR range. Two types of photosynthetic complexes are employed to demonstrate the generality of the solid state integration technique to make solar cells. The simplest photosynthetic complex used is a bacterial reaction center (RC), isolated from the purple bacterium R. sphaeroides. The other protein being used is Photosystem I (PSI), a much larger complex, which is isolated from spinach chloroplasts. Electronic integration of devices is achieved by depositing organic semiconducting protective layer over a self-assembled monolayer of photosynthetic reaction centers oriented via an engineered metal-affinity polyhistidine tag. Various analytical and spectroscopic techniques have been used to examine solution spectrum and solid state device characteristics. Reasonable efficiencies have been obtained which demonstrates applicability of such techniques. The efficiency obtained is higher than a wet cell made using same proteins. The next immediate goal is to optimize processing conditions and therefore improve efficiency to reach levels comparable traditional organic solar cells.by Rupa Das.S.M

Influence of Abiotic Stresses on Seed Production and Quality

Climate change is exerting detrimental impacts on agriculture through various biotic and abiotic stresses. Abiotic stresses such as drought, flood, temperature extremes, salinity, chemicals, heavy metals, nutrient scarcity/toxicity, wind and light in combination more adversely affect the seed production and quality by hampering plant’s morphological, physiological, cellular, biochemical and molecular activities than alone, resulting in poor production of high-quality seeds. Deterioration of yield and quality arises also under abiotic stresses. Under abiotic stresses, plant activates its own defensive mechanisms by escaping, avoiding and tolerating stresses. Some of the plant’s defensive mechanisms include plant’s morphological, cellular, physiological, biochemical and molecular changes to adapt the stresses, synthesis of compounds such as ABA, proline, polyamines increasing the activities of ROS quenchers, expression of stress-resisting genes and activation of enzymes. Further, exogenous application of phytohormones, stress-alleviating compounds, modification of agronomic management, modern breeding strategies such as development of resistant varieties can also help to cope up with stresses and produce quality seeds. Financial and policy support of government or NGOs regarding development of infrastructure, research technologies and thereby, multi-locational trials as well as technology transfusion through extension activities are needed to curtail down the devastating impact of abiotic stresses on quality seed production

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANALGESIC EFFECTS OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF PLANT MURDANIA NUDIFLORA (L) BRENAN (COMMELINACEAE) IN ALBINO MICE USING HOT PLATE METHOD

Objective: Murdania nudiflora (L) Brenan (Commelinaceae) has long been used in folk medicine in treatment of many diseases. In this study, attempts have been made for pharmacological screening of the plant Murdania nudiflora (L) Brenan (Commelinaceae) for analgesic activity and presence of different phytochemicals. Methods: To this end, ethanolic extract of Murdania nudiflora (L) Brenan (Commelinaceae) was evaluated for analgesic properties using plate reaction time in mice and phytochemical screening of the plant was done by different methods. Results: The analgesic study showed that the ethanolic extract of the leaves have significant analgesic effects (P < 0.05; P < 0.001) as compared to morphine sulphate (10 mg/kg) used as a standard drug. The result of the preliminary phytochemical studies revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids as a whole and which are reported to be responsible for the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in many medicinal plants of this family. Conclusion: From these studies, it may be concluded that ethanol extracts of Murdania nudiflora (L) Brenan may contain novel bioactive principles with analgesic activity. Further study is required for evaluation of active principle(s) in different animal models

Organic Farming to Mitigate Abiotic Stresses under Climate Change Scenario

Climate change is resultant from modern-day chemical agriculture, which is creating negative impacts on crop production. Global agriculture is now facing various problems arising due to abiotic stresses such as flood, drought, temperature extremes, light extremes, salinity, heavy metal stress, nutrient toxicity/deficiency. These stresses not only hamper the growth and production but also reduce the quality of crops through morphological, physiological, biochemical changes and synthesis of ROS. Further, they negatively impact on entire environment specially soil health. Deterioration of yield and quality often occurs due to lack of essential inputs to plants under abiotic stresses. Although plants adopt defensive mechanisms, such abiotic stresses need to be addressed properly with various eco-friendly organic farming approaches. Different organic inputs like organic manures, biofertilizers, bio-priming with micro-organisms, bio-stimulants (seaweed extracts, humic acid, micro-organisms, etc.), mulches, biochar are known to alleviate abiotic stresses under climate change scenario. Further, various organic agronomic practices viz. crop rotation, intercropping, tillage, sowing methods and time, nutrient, water and intercultural operations, use of PGPB, organic formulations, grafting, selection of resistant/tolerant varieties and other scientific/wise uses of organic inputs can mitigate/escape the negative impacts of abiotic stresses resulting in upliftment in crop production as well as the quality of produce

Methyl directed DNA mismatch repair in Vibrio cholerae

Mismatches in DNA occur either due to replication error or during recombination between homologous but non-identical DNA sequences or due to chemical modification of bases. The mismatch in DNA, if not repaired, result in high spontaneous mutation frequency. The repair has to be in the newly synthesized strand of the DNA molecule, otherwise the error will be fixed permanently. Three distinct mechanisms have been proposed for the repair of mismatches in DNA in prokaryotic cells and gene functions involved in these repair processes have been identified. The methyl-directed DNA mismatch repair has been examined inVibrio cholerae, a highly pathogenic gram negative bacterium and the causative agent of the diarrhoeal disease cholera. The DNA adenine methyltransferase encoding gene (dam) of this organism which is involved in strand discrimination during the repair process has been cloned and the complete nucleotide sequence has been determined.Vibrio cholerae dam gene codes for a 21.5 kDa protein and can substitute for theEscherichia coli enzyme. Overproduction ofVibrio cholerae Dam protein is neither hypermutable nor lethal both in Escherichia coli andVibrio cholerae. WhileEscherichia coli dam mutants are sensitive to 2-aminopurine,Vibrio cholerae 2-aminopurine sensitive mutants have been isolated with intact GATC methylation activity. The mutator genesmutS andmutL involved in the recognition of mismatch have been cloned, nucleotide sequence determined and their products characterized. Mutants ofmutS andmutL ofVibrio cholerae have been isolated and show high rate of spontaneous mutation frequency. ThemutU gene ofVibrio cholerae, the product of which is a DNA helicase II, codes for a 70 kDa protein. The deduced amino acid sequence of themutU gene hs all the consensus helicase motifs. The DNA cytosine methyltransferase encoding gene (dam) ofVibrio cholerae has also been cloned. Thedcm gene codes for a 53 kDa protein. This gene product might be involved in very short patch (VSP) repair of DNA mismatches. The vsr gene which is directly involved in VSP repair process codes for a 23 kDa protein. Using these information, the status of DNA mismatch repair inVibrio cholerae will be discussed

Proficiency Testfor Proximate Analysis of Coal: Determination of Moisture, Ash, Volatile Matter and Total Sulfur

Proficiency test (PT) is an important way of meeting the requirements of NABL accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025) in the areas of chemical testing. It provides laboratories with an objective means of assessing and demonstrating the reliability of data they produce. In this study, 18 laboratories interested in the ultimate analysis of coal participated in a proficiency test conducted by CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur in collaboration with CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi in 2011-12. The participating Iaboratories used classical and instrumental methods of analysis to determine moisture, ash, volatile matter and total sulfur in a homogenized coal sample. This paper reports the analytical results and statistical evaluation of the results using z-score

Spring-breeding and reproductive mode in Leptolalax khasiorum (Anura, Megophryidae) in north-eastern India

We examined the breeding habitat, oviposition site and timing of breeding in Leptolalax khasiorum at its type locality at Mawphlang, Meghalaya State, north-eastern India. Surveys were conducted along a stream within a fragmented patch of forest for adults, tadpoles, eggs and nesting sites, with data collected monthly between January 2009 and December 2011. The species starts emerging from wintering microhabitats with the onset of the premonsoonal showers in February. Breeding activity (specifically, deposited eggs) was observed for a few weeks after emergence and lasted a few weeks between early March and April. Adults were found under rocks along the stream banks. Eggs are deposited on the underside of rocks that are flatly embedded on the gravel and over leafy bottom of the dry stream bed. The eggs of Leptolalax khasiorum are cream-colored, lacking an animal pole, and covered with a transparent jelly, showing adaptations for terrestrial development in sheltered microhabitats via avoidance of moisture loss and damage of eggs from solar radiation. In producing eggs out of water, showing free-swimming tadpoles, the reproductive mode can be classified as Mode 18, a first for a member of the genus Leptolalax. It is arguably the first report of terrestrial reproduction and parental care for a member of the family Megophryidae. Placement of eggs outside of water may coincide with low water levels of early spring, advantages of choice of timing being reduced competition for egg-laying sites and food for the larval and postlarval stages

Rediscovery of the Endangered Khasi Hills Rock Toad, Bufoides meghalayana in Meghalaya, Northeastern India

Bufoides meghalayana, the Khasi Hills Rock Toad, is an Endangered species of tropical bufonid (Stuart et al., 2008), restricted to the Mawblang Plateau, ca. 5 km south of Cherrapunjee, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya State, north-eastern India. Since its discovery by Yazdani and Chanda (1971: as Ansonia meghalayana), and reallocation to the monotypic genus Bufoides by Pillai and Yazdani (1973), it has been cited only in regional reviews (e.g., Chanda 1994; 2002) and in checklists (Frost 1985; Dutta 1997)