Showing papers by "Government College published in 2011"

An RNA isolation system for plant tissues rich in secondary metabolites.

Abstract: Secondary metabolites are reported to interfere with the isolation of RNA particularly with the recipes that use guanidinium-based salt. Such interference was observed in isolation of RNA with medicinal plants rheum (Rheum australe) and arnebia (Arnebia euchroma). A rapid and less cumbersome system for isolation of RNA was essential to facilitate any study related to gene expression. An RNA isolation system free of guanidinium salt was developed that successfully isolated RNA from rheum and arnebia. The method took about 45 min and was successfully evaluated on twenty one tissues with varied secondary metabolites. The A260/280 ratio ranged between 1.8 - 2.0 with distinct 28 S and 18 S rRNA bands visible on a formaldehyde-agarose gel. The present manuscript describes a rapid protocol for isolation of RNA, which works well with all the tissues examined so far. The remarkable feature was the success in isolation of RNA with those tissues, wherein the most commonly used methods failed. Isolated RNA was amenable to downstream applications such as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), differential display (DD), suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) library construction, and northern hybridization.

SQM‐HEI – determination of service quality measurement of higher education in India

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a new model, namely service quality measurement in higher education in India (SQM‐HEI) for the measurement of service quality in higher educational institutions.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire comprising six sections. Section A consists of ten questions pertaining to teaching methodology (TM). Sections B consists of five questions pertaining to environmental change in study factor (ECSF). Section C consists of eight questions relating to disciplinary measures taken by the institutions. Section D consists of five questions related to the placement‐related activities and in part E two questions provide an overall rating of the service quality, satisfaction level. Finally, in part F 13 questions pertaining to student respondent's demographic profile information were given. All the items in Sections A‐E were presented as statements on the questionnaire, with the same rating scale used throughout, and mea...

Taxonomic reassessment of the genus Mychonastes (Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta) including the description of eight new species

Abstract: KRIENITZ L., BOCK C., DADHEECH P.K. AND PROSCHOLD T. 2011. Taxonomic reassessment of the genus Mychonastes (Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta) including the description of eight new species. Phycologia 50: 89-106. DOI: 10.2216/10- 15.1 The generic concept of the chlorophycean green algae Mychonastes (preferably living solitary) and Pseudodictyo- sphaerium (preferably living in colonies) is evaluated by means of small-subunit and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA gene sequence analyses and microscopical observations. Members of these genera belong to the most common chlorophycean algae of the picoplankton and small-sized nanoplankton of fresh and brackish waters. The morphological difference solitary vs colonial life form is not reflected by molecular phylogenetic data, and it is therefore systematically irrelevant. Consequently, all taxa of the two genera are combined under the generic name Mychonastes. The genus Mychonastes is emended. The synonymy of Mychonastes homosphaera (formerly Chlorella homosphaera) and Chlorella minutissima is confirmed. Eight new species are described from inland waters of Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Besides certain morphological criteria such as shape and size of the cells and appearance and organization of the mucilaginous strands among the cells of colonies, the main diacritic features are of genetic nature. Comparing the secondary structure of ITS-2, compensatory base changes are found to discriminate the new species. The species of Mychonastes form a monophyletic clade within the Sphaeropleales sensu lato.

Local Knowledge and Conservation of Seagrasses in the Tamil Nadu State of India

Abstract: Local knowledge systems are not considered in the conservation of fragile seagrass marine ecosystems. In fact, little is known about the utility of seagrasses in local coastal communities. This is intriguing given that some local communities rely on seagrasses to sustain their livelihoods and have relocated their villages to areas with a rich diversity and abundance of seagrasses. The purpose of this study is to assist in conservation efforts regarding seagrasses through identifying Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) from local knowledge systems of seagrasses from 40 coastal communities along the eastern coast of India. We explore the assemblage of scientific and local traditional knowledge concerning the 1. classification of seagrasses (comparing scientific and traditional classification systems), 2. utility of seagrasses, 3. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of seagrasses, and 4. current conservation efforts for seagrass ecosystems. Our results indicate that local knowledge systems consist of a complex classification of seagrass diversity that considers the role of seagrasses in the marine ecosystem. This fine-scaled ethno-classification gives rise to five times the number of taxa (10 species = 50 local ethnotaxa), each with a unique role in the ecosystem and utility within coastal communities, including the use of seagrasses for medicine (e.g., treatment of heart conditions, seasickness, etc.), food (nutritious seeds), fertilizer (nutrient rich biomass) and livestock feed (goats and sheep). Local communities are concerned about the loss of seagrass diversity and have considerable local knowledge that is valuable for conservation and restoration plans. This study serves as a case study example of the depth and breadth of local knowledge systems for a particular ecosystem that is in peril.

Propagation of waves in an incompressible transversely isotropic elastic solid with initial stress: Biot revisited

Abstract: In this paper, the general constitutive equation for a transversely isotropic hyperelastic solid in the presence of initial stress is derived, based on the theory of invariants. In the general finite deformation case for a compressible material this requires 18 invariants (17 for an incompressible material). The equations governing infinitesimal motions superimposed on a finite deformation are then used in conjunction with the constitutive law to examine the propagation of both homogeneous plane waves and, with the restriction to two dimensions, Rayleigh surface waves. For this purpose we consider incompressible materials and a restricted set of invariants that is sufficient to capture both the effects of initial stress and transverse isotropy. Moreover, the equations are specialized to the undeformed configuration in order to compare with the classical formulation of Biot. One feature of the general theory is that the speeds of homogeneous plane waves and surface waves depend nonlinearly on the initial stress, in contrast to the situation of the more specialized isotropic and orthotropic theories of Biot. The speeds of (homogeneous plane) shear waves and Rayleigh waves in an incompressible material are obtained and the significant differences from Biot's results for both isotropic and transversely isotropic materials are highlighted with calculations based on a specific form of strain-energy function.

Evaluation of sorghum varieties/lines for salt tolerance using physiological indices as screening tool

Abstract: Salinity is a major threat to irrigated agriculture in Pakistan as it is adversely affecting growth and yield of crops to various extents. So, different strategies have been adopted to overcome this problem of low productivity. Growing of salt tolerant crops is a good option to obtain economical yields from saline areas for which quick method to screen salt tolerant plants, particularly in early stages of their growth is important. For this purpose some green-house studies using some physiological parameters i.e., germination stress tolerance index (GSI), shoot length stress tolerance index (SLSI), root length stress tolerance index (RLSI) and biomass stress tolerance index (BSI) were conducted to identify the salt tolerant lines of sorghum. On the basis of results obtained using the above physiological criteria, sorghum lines JS-2002 and Sandalbar were categorized as tolerant, Hegari- sorghum and JS-263 medium tolerant while Noor as medium sensitive and FJ-115 and PSV-4 as sensitive ones. The results also indicated that the physiological parameters tried in the present study are useful to screen large quantity of sorghum germplasm for salt tolerance leading to selection of suitable lines that can be recommended for different saline areas to improve yields.

Irrigation Planning Under Uncertainty—A Multi Objective Fuzzy Linear Programming Approach

Abstract: The problem of irrigation planning becomes more complex by considering an uncertainty. The uncertainties can be tackled by formulating the problem of irrigation planning as Fuzzy Linear Programming (FLP). FLP models can incorporate the scenario of real world problem. In the present study, Multi Objective Fuzzy Linear Programming (MOFLP) irrigation planning model is formulated for deriving the optimal cropping pattern plan for the case study of Jayakwadi project in the Godavari river sub basin in Maharashtra State, India. Four conflicting objectives are considered such as Net Benefits (NB), Crop/Yield Production (CP), Employment Generation/Labour Requirement (EG) and Manure Utilization (MU). Four different cases are considered to incorporate the uncertainty in MOFLP model. To include the uncertainty in irrigation planning problem only objectives are taken as fuzzy and constraints are crisp in nature in Case-I. To consider the uncertainty involved in availability of resources, in Case-II the stipulations are fuzzy. The technological coefficients are fuzzy in Case-III. The Case-IV includes both technological coefficients and stipulations fuzzy. The level of satisfaction (λ) works out to be 0.58, 0.50, 0.50 and 0.28 respectively for Case-I to IV. The results obtained in Case-IV are more realistic and promising as it involves the uncertainty in technological coefficients and stipulations simultaneously.

Factors affecting comfort: human physiology and the role of clothing

Abstract: This chapter discusses the role of body components in maintaining body temperature and the principles of heat transfer to and away from the human body. Various aspects of thermal and skin sensational clothing comfort are explained. Special clothing for protection of the body from external hazards and their comfort properties are reviewed.

Identifying cognitive preferences for attractive female faces: an event-related potential experiment using a study-test paradigm.

Abstract: In this experiment, sensitivity to female facial attractiveness was examined by comparing event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to attractive and unattractive female faces within a study-test paradigm. Fourteen heterosexual participants (age range 18-24 years, mean age 21.67 years) were required to judge 84 attractive and 84 unattractive face images as either "attractive" or "unattractive." They were then asked whether they had previously viewed each face in a recognition task in which 50% of the images were novel. Analyses indicated that attractive faces elicited more enhanced ERP amplitudes than did unattractive faces in judgment (N300 and P350-550 msec) and recognition (P160 and N250-400 msec and P400-700 msec) tasks on anterior locations. Moreover, longer reaction times and higher accuracy rate were observed in identifying attractive faces than unattractive faces. In sum, this research identified neural and behavioral bases related to cognitive preferences for judging and recognizing attractive female faces. Explanations for the results are that attractive female faces arouse more intense positive emotions in participants than do unattractive faces, and they also represent reproductive fitness and mating value from the evolutionary perspective.

Optimization of operation sequencing in CAPP using simulated annealing technique (SAT).

Abstract: Computer-aided process planning (CAPP) is an important interface between computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) in computer-integrated manufacturing environment. A problem in traditional CAPP system is that the multiple planning tasks are treated in a linear approach. This leads to an over constrained overall solution space and the final solution is normally far from optimal or even non-feasible. The operation-sequencing problem in process planning is considered to produce a part with the objective of minimizing the sum of machine, setup and tool change costs. In general, the problem has combinatorial characteristics and complex precedence relations, which makes the problem more difficult to solve. In this paper, the feasible sequences of operations are generated based on the precedence cost matrix and reward–penalty matrix using simulated annealing technique (SAT), a meta-heuristic. A number of benchmark case studies are carried out to demonstrate the feasibility and robustness of the proposed algorithm. This algorithm performs well on all the test problems, exceeding or matching the solution quality of the results reported in the literature for most problems. The main contribution of this work focuses on reducing the optimal cost with a lesser computational time along with generation of more alternate optimal feasible sequences. The proposed SAT integrates robustness, convergence and trapping out of local minima.

Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of Fe 3+ ions in amethyst: thermodynamic potentials and magnetic susceptibility

Abstract: Single-crystal and powder electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic studies of natural amethyst quartz, before and after isochronal annealing between 573 and 1,173 K, have been made from 90 to 294 K. Single-crystal EPR spectra confirm the presence of two substitutional Fe3+ centers. Powder EPR spectra are characterized by two broad resonance signals at g = ~10.8 and 4.0 and a sharp signal at g = 2.002. The sharp signal is readily attributed to the well-established oxygen vacancy electron center E 1′. However, the two broad signals do not correspond to any known Fe3+ centers in the quartz lattice, but are most likely attributable to Fe3+ clusters on surfaces. The absolute numbers of spins of the Fe3+ species at g = ~10.8 have been calculated from powder EPR spectra measured at temperatures from 90 to 294 K. These results have been used to extract thermodynamic potentials, including Gibbs energy of activation ΔG, activation energy E a, entropy of activation ΔS and enthalpy of activation ΔH for the Fe3+ species in amethyst. In addition, magnetic susceptibilities (χ) have been calculated from EPR data at different temperatures. A linear relationship between magnetic susceptibility and temperature is consistent with the Curie–Weiss law. Knowledge about the stability and properties of Fe3+ species on the surfaces of quartz is important to better understanding of the reactivity, bioavailability and heath effects of iron in silica particles.

The combined effects of molar concentration of the precursor solution and fluorine doping on the structural and electrical properties of tin oxide films

Abstract: Undoped and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) films have been fabricated by employing a simplified and inexpensive spray technique using perfume atomizer at comparatively lesser substrate temperature (320 °C). The combined effects of molar concentration of the precursor solution and fluorine doping on the structural and electrical properties of tin oxide films have been reported. The X-ray diffraction studies of undoped films revealed that the interstitial incorporation of Sn atoms can be controlled by employing this simple spray pattern and process conditions. The electrical studies showed that, in governing the variation in sheet resistance, the role of substitutional incorporation of F− ions is predominant over the oxygen vacancies in the case of FTO films deposited from solutions having lower precursor concentration, whereas in the case of higher concentrations the role of oxygen vacancies is predominant. The quantitative results of energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and the variations in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) peaks are presented as strong evidences for the above observations.

A refined shear deformation theory for flexure of thick beams

Abstract: A Hyperbolic Shear Deformation Theory (HPSDT) taking into account transverse shear deformation effects, is used for the static flexure analysis of thick isotropic beams. The displacement field of the theory contains two variables. The hyperbolic sine function is used in the displacement field in terms of thickness coordinate to represent shear deformation. The transverse shear stress can be obtained directly from the use of constitutive relations, satisfying the shear stress-free boundary conditions at top and bottom of the beam. Hence, the theory obviates the need of shear correction factor. Governing differential equations and boundary conditions of the theory are obtained using the principle of virtual work. General solutions of thick isotropic simply supported, cantilever and fixed beams subjected to uniformly distributed and concentrated loads are obtained. Expressions for transverse displacement of beams are obtained and contribution due to shear deformation to the maximum transverse displacement is investigated. The results of the present theory are compared with those of other refined shear deformation theories of beam to verify the accuracy of the theory.

The metalloprotease, NN-PF3 from Naja naja venom inhibits platelet aggregation primarily by affecting α2β1 integrin.

Abstract: NN-PF3 is a non-toxic, anticoagulant, high-molecular-mass (67.81 kDa) metalloprotease from Indian cobra (Naja naja) venom. In the present study, NN-PF3 was investigated for the mechanism of inhibition of collagen-induced aggregation of human platelets. The complete inhibition of collagen-induced aggregation and partial inhibition of ADP- and epinephrine-induced aggregation has the respective IC50 of 75 ± 5, 185 ± 10, and 232 ± 12 nM, whereas no inhibition of thrombin-, arachidonic acid-, and ristocetin-induced aggregation of platelets was observed in platelet-rich plasma. Further, native NN-PF3 and EDTA-inactivated NN-PF3 inhibited collagen-induced aggregation of washed platelets with respective IC50 of 75 ± 4 and 180 ± 6 nM. The higher inhibitory effect of native NN-PF3 compared with EDTA-inactivated NN-PF3 suggests the enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanism of inhibition. NN-PF3 pretreatment affected the collagen binding but not the fibrinogen, and fibronectin binding of washed platelets in adhesion assay suggested that the collagen receptors are affected. Western blot study using anti-integrin α2β1 mAb 6F1 suggested that NN-PF3 binds to integrin α2β1 in a primary structure-dependent manner only and is not cleaved. There was a drastic reduction in the intensity of several intracellular signaling phosphotyrosine protein bands when monoclonal anti-phosphotyrosine antibody was used, suggesting that the major activation pathway of platelets get affected, which occurs through glycoprotein VI. NN-PF3 did not bind to collagen as revealed by Western blot using anti-collagen mAb. Furthermore, neither the proteolytic cleavage of fibrinogen nor its degradation products by NN-PF3 contributed for the collagen-induced platelet aggregation inhibition.

On Propagation of Plane Waves in Generalized Porothermoelasticity

Abstract: The linear governing equations of generalized porothermoelasticity are solved for a two-dimensional solution, which results in one shear wave and four kinds of coupled longitudinal waves. The phase velocities and inverse quality factors of these plane waves depend on frequency, porosity, relaxation times, and other material parameters. The phase velocities and inverse quality factors of these plane waves are computed for a certain range of porosity by a using Fortran program of Ferrari’s method. The numerical results are compared with earlier established results in the absence of thermal parameters.

Rotation and magnetic field effects on P wave reflection from a stress-free surface of elastic half-space with voids under one thermal relaxation time

Abstract: The present paper is devoted to the investigation of the influence of the rotation, thermal field, magnetic field and voids on the reflection of a P wave with one relaxation time. The basic governing equations for isotropic and homogeneous generalized thermoelastic half-spaces with voids, rotation and Maxwell’s stress are formulated in the context of the Lord Shulman theory. The boundary conditions at the stress-free thermally insulated surface are satisfied to obtain an algebraic system of four equations in the reflection coefficients of various reflected waves. It is shown that there exist four plane waves: P1, P 2, P3 and P4. In addition, the reflection coefficients from insulated and stress-free surfaces for the incident P wave are obtained. Finally, numerical values of the complex modulus of the reflection coefficients are visualized graphically to display the effects of the rotation, magnetic field, thermal relaxation time and void parameters.

A carbon nanotube-based pressure sensor

Abstract: In this study, a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based Al/CNT/Al pressure sensor was designed, fabricated and investigated. The sensor was fabricated by depositing CNTs on an adhesive elastic polymer tape and placing this in an elastic casing. The diameter of multiwalled nanotubes varied between 10 and 30 nm. The nominal thickness of the CNT layers in the sensors was in the range ~300–430 μm. The inter-electrode distance (length) and the width of the surface-type sensors were in the ranges 4–6 and 3–4 mm, respectively. The dc resistance of the sensors decreased 3–4 times as the pressure was increased up to 17 kN m−2. The resistance–pressure relationships were simulated.

Effects of harmonics in distribution systems on temperature rise and life of XLPE power cables

Abstract: In the recent years due to the increased use of nonlinear loads, harmonic pollution level in distribution systems has been increased beyond the tolerable limits. This has caused many problems for distribution system components, such as additional losses and hence additional heating. Also, now, due to number of technical, environmental and social issues, the use of power cables; especially cross linked polyethylene (XLPE) power cables, is increasing at very rapid rate. Thus, power system harmonics problem and the use of XLPE power cables in distribution systems are growing simultaneously. Harmonics present in the distribution systems causes additional temperature rise and hence loss of useful life of XLPE power cables. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effects of harmonics in distribution systems on the temperature rise and useful life of XLPE power cables. A mathematical model of XLPE power cable is developed for evaluation of effects of harmonics on temperature rise and Arrhenius equation is used to evaluate the effects of harmonics on useful life of XLPE power cables. MATLAB program is developed to implement mathematical model and to solve Arrhenius equation for real life XLPE power cables having aluminium and copper conductors. The results are presented and conclusions are drawn.