Properties of binderless particleboard from oil palm trunk with addition of polyhydroxyalkanoates

This study evaluated the properties of binderless particleboard made from oil palm trunk with addition of polyhydroxyalkanoates in the form of freeze dried and pure samples. Modulus of rupture, internal bonding strength, thickness swelling and water absorption of the boards were evaluated based on Japanese Industrial Standards. Modulus of rupture and internal bonding strength increased as the amount of polyhydroxyalkanoates were increased. Thickness swelling and water absorption decreased with increasing percentage of polyhydroxyalkanoates. The surface roughness, gas chromatography, thermogravimetric analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry were also investigated. Based on the findings in this work, it appears that the addition of polyhydroxyalkanoates enhanced overall properties of such binderless panels.     

Automatic anterior chamber angle assessment for HD-OCT images

Angle-closure glaucoma is a major blinding eye disease and could be detected by measuring the anterior chamber angle in the human eyes. High-definition OCT (Cirrus HD-OCT) is an emerging noninvasive, high-speed, and high-resolution imaging modality for the anterior segment of the eye. Here, we propose a novel algorithm which automatically detects a new landmark, Schwalbe's line, and measures the anterior chamber angle in the HD-OCT images. The distortion caused by refraction is corrected by dewarping the HD-OCT images, and three biometric measurements are defined to quantitatively assess the anterior chamber angle. The proposed algorithm was tested on 40 HD-OCT images of the eye and provided accurate measurements in about 1 second.     

The effects of particle size, density and shape on margination of nanoparticles in microcirculation

In the recent past, remarkable advances in nanotechnology have generated nanoparticles of different shapes and sizes, which have been shown to exhibit unique properties suitable for biomedical applications such as cancer therapy and imaging. Obviously, all nanoparticles are not made equal. This becomes evident when we consider their transport behavior under blood flow in microcirculation. In this work, we evaluated the effect of critical physical characteristics such as the particle shape, size and density on a nanoparticle's tendency to marginate towards the vessel walls in microcirculation using an in vitro model. The wall deposition of nanoparticles was tested in a fibronectin-coated microfluidic channel at a physiologically relevant flow rate. Different classes of nanoparticles (liposome, metal particles) of different sizes (60-130 nm), densities (1-19 g ml(-1)) and shapes (sphere, rod) displayed significantly different deposition as a result of different margination rates. The smaller-sized and the oblate-shaped particles displayed a favorable behavior as indicated by their higher margination rates. Notably, the particle density showed an even more essential role, as it was observed that the lighter particles marginated significantly more. Since nanoparticles must escape the flow in order to approach the vascular bed and subsequently extravascular components for meaningful interactions, the design of nanoparticles strongly affects their margination, a key factor for their ultimate in vivo effectiveness.     

Influence of press temperature on the properties of binderless particleboard made from oil palm trunk

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the properties of binderless particleboard manufactured from oil palm trunk as a function of press temperature. Particleboard samples were manufactured with a target density of 0.80 g/cm³ using press temperatures of 160 °C, 180 °C and 200 °C. The modulus of rupture, internal bond strength, water absorption and thickness swelling of the boards were determined based on Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). Thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis were employed to characterize the properties of the raw materials and the manufactured panels. The moduli of rupture of the samples were observed to increase with increasing press temperature, but they did not meet the standard values. However, the internal bond strength of the samples attained satisfactory values according to the JIS standard for all three temperature levels. Water absorption and thickness swelling of the boards decreased with increasing pressing temperature. Based on the findings in this study, increasing the pressing temperature may be considered a potential way of improving the properties of binderless particleboard.     

Production and characterization of glycolipid biosurfactant from Streptomyces enissocaesilis HRB1 and its evaluation for biomedical and bioremediation applications

The aim of this investigation is to produce and characterize biosurfactant from Streptomyces sp. HRB1 and to evaluate its biomedical and bioremediation potential. Biosurfactant producing property of Streptomyces sp. HRB1 isolated from petroleum contaminated soil was confirmed by hemolytic and oil spread assays. Based on the results of FT-IR spectral and GC–MS analysis, the biosurfactant was confirmed as glycolipid type. Biosurfactant from Streptomyces sp. HRB1 exhibited 71% inhibition against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation, 77.33% quorum sensing inhibition property against Chromobacterium violeceum MTCC 2656, more than 80% inhibition in antioxidant assays namely, DPPH, ABTS, and metal chelation, promising anti-proliferative activity against leukemia and myeloma cells with low IC₅₀ values, 96% decolorization of malachite green within 48 h of reaction time, and minimal toxicity against normal cell lines in dose-dependent manner. The taxonomic position of the potential strain HRB1 was further confirmed as Streptomyces enissocaesilis HRB1 based on their phenotypic and molecular characteristics. To conclude, Streptomyces enissocaesilis HRB1 isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil is a promising source for low-cost production of glycolipid biosurfactant with potential biomedical and environmental applications such as antiphytofungal, antibiofilm, anti-quorum sensing, antioxidant, anticancer, and dye degradation properties.     

An experimental investigation on barreling of aluminium alloy billets during extrusion forging using different lubricants

The paper reports on an investigation of extrusion forging during cold upsetting using a suitable die of aluminium alloy (H9-6063) solid cylinders subjected to different geometrical conditions such as approach angles namely, 15°, 30°, 40° and 50°, with two different initial protrusion heights namely 10 mm and 12 mm. During experiments three geometries namely barreled cylinder, truncated cone part and protruded part or extruded part were observed. The calculations were made on the assumption that the curvatures of the barrel were in the form of a circular arc and volume constancy principle. The relationship was also established among the various parameters namely the hoop stress, the hydrostatic stress, the new geometrical shape factor, and the radius of curvature of the bulge. An attempt has been made to establish the relationship between the approach angle and extrusion height and found that the extrusion height increases with the increase in the approach angle for any given extrusion load.     

Grafting reactions of living macroanions with multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Grafting reactions of living polystyryllithium (PSLi) with acid chloride containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs-COCI) were performed under vacuum in benzene at room temperature. Covalent grafting of polystyrene (PS) was characterized using spectroscopic, microscopic, and thermogravimetric analyses. Grafting at different ratios of macroanion to acylchloride of the carbon nanotubes showed that the grafting efficiency was not dependent on the concentration of the macroanions. The mole percent of PS present in the MWNTs-g-PS samples was inversely proportional to the precursor molecular weight of PSLi. Direct reactions of PSLi, polybutadienyllithium and n-butyllithium with pristine MWNTs without any functional groups were also performed in the presence and in the absence of tetrahydrofuran in benzene. The grafting reactions of living macroanions either with MWNTs-COCl or with pristine MWNTs indicated a partial grafting of polymer on the carbon nanotubes in benzene at room temperature.     

Effect of Processing on Major Carotenoid Levels in Corn (Zea mays) and Selected Vegetables: Bioavailability of Lutein and Zeaxanthin from Processed Corn in Mice

Corn and vegetables are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids. This study reports (1) the effect of processing—blanching, drying, and milling on major carotenoids—lutein (L), zeaxanthin (Z), and β-carotene levels in corn (Zea mays), onion stalk (Allium cepa L), broccoli (Brassica oleracea L), and capsicum (Capsicum annum L), and (2) the bioavailability of L and Z from processed corn in mice. A group of mice were fed with diet containing processed or unprocessed corn (L + Z source) or purified L (control) for 3 weeks. Results from HPLC analysis indicate that the levels of L + Z (19.6–118.5%) and β-carotene (1–84%) were higher in blanched samples compared to fresh samples whereas drying resulted in lower L + Z level in onion stalk (45.5%) and capsicum (36.4%) and was higher in corn (22%) and broccoli (14%) over blanching. The level of β-carotene was slightly higher in broccoli on drying than blanching. Milling did not alter carotenoid levels in any of the samples. Feeding processed corn (blanched + dried + milled) resulted in nonsignificant change in the plasma L + Z level but significantly higher in liver (58.7%) than in control group. Similarly, the level of L + Z in plasma (12.1%) and liver (14.9%) of mice fed on processed corn was higher compared to unprocessed-corn-fed group. Based on the above results, it is concluded that the extractability and bioavailability of L + Z can be improved by blanching corn before its consumption.     

An ASIC implementation of low power and high throughput blowfish crypto algorithm

Information security has always been important in all aspects of life. It can be all the more important as technology continues to control various operations in our day to day life. Cryptography provides a layer of security in cases, where the medium of transmission is susceptible to interception, by translating a message into a form that cannot be read by an unauthorized third party. Several software implementations of blowfish crypto algorithms are described in the literature, but few attempts have been made to describe hardware implementations. The ultimate objective of the research presented in this paper is to develop low-power, high-throughput, real-time, reliable and secure crypto algorithm, which can be achieved through hardware implementations. The blowfish crypto algorithm is prototyped in 130 nm custom integrated circuit.     

Air intrusion and its impact on energy performance of roofing assemblies

Air intrusion through roof assembly is a concern for wind uplift resistance and life-cycle performance of roofs. Airflow control is usually achieved by the installation of an air barrier/retarder in the roofing assembly. Even though the concept of air barrier/retarder and air barrier systems has been around for decades, it is still considered a new notion to the roofing industry. Currently, there are no widely accepted standard specifications or test methods to determine air intrusion through roofs or roof assemblies. An experimental procedure has been under development at the National Research Council of Canada to quantify the air intrusion of roof assemblies. As part of this investigation, five roofing assembly configurations were quantified for air intrusion. Relative performance of the air retarding effect of the five assemblies indicated that assemblies with air barrier/retarder had lower air intrusion rates than without. Measured air intrusion rates are compared with the existing codes of practice and standards. This comparison clearly demonstrates the significance of air intrusion into the roofing assembly and the necessity of a standardized air intrusion test method for the roofing industry. With the measured data, attempts were made to perform thermal load calculations using a simplified procedure, and through two case studies the impact of air intrusion through roofing assemblies on energy performance was estimated.