An Adaptive Transmission Mode Selection Scheme for Cellular Underlaid D2D Communication

In this paper, we propose to use Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) optimization to solve the joint mode selection, channel assignment, and power allocation (JMSCPA) problem to maximize system throughput and spectral efficiency. JMSCPA is a problem where the allocation of channel and power depends on the mode selection. Such problems require two step solution and are called bi-level optimization problems. As bi-level optimization increases the complexity and computational time, we propose a modified version of single-level ABC algorithm aided with the adaptive transmission mode selection algorithm to allocate the cellular, reuse, and dedicated modes to the DUs along with channel and power allocation based on the network traffic load scenarios. A single variable, represented by the users (CUs and DUs) is used to allocate mode selection, and channel allocation to solve the JMSCPA problem, leading to a simpler solution with faster convergence, and significant reduction in the computational complexity which scales linearly with the number of users. Further, the proposed solution avoids premature stagnation of conventional ABC into local minima by incorporating a modification in its update procedure. The efficacy of the ABC-aided approach, as compared to the results reported in the literature, is validated by extensive numerical investigations under different simulation scenarios.

     

Cellular Disulfide Bond Formation in Bioactive Peptides and Proteins

Bioactive peptides play important roles in metabolic regulation and modulation and many are used as therapeutics. These peptides often possess disulfide bonds, which are important for their structure, function and stability. A systematic network of enzymes—a disulfide bond generating enzyme, a disulfide bond donor enzyme and a redox cofactor—that function inside the cell dictates the formation and maintenance of disulfide bonds. The main pathways that catalyze disulfide bond formation in peptides and proteins in prokaryotes and eukaryotes are remarkably similar and share several mechanistic features. This review summarizes the formation of disulfide bonds in peptides and proteins by cellular and recombinant machinery.     

Environmental-barrier coating ceramics for resistance against attack by molten calcia-magnesia-aluminosilicate (CMAS) glass: Part I,YAlO3 and γ-Y2Si2O7

The high-temperature (1500?°C) interactions of two promising dense, polycrystalline EBC ceramics, YAlO₃ (YAP) and γ-Y₂Si₂O₇, with a calcia-magnesia-aluminosilicate (CMAS) glass have been explored as part of a model study. Despite the fact that the optical basicities of both the EBC ceramics and the CMAS are similar, they both react with the CMAS. In the case of the Si-free YAlO₃, the reaction zone is small and it comprises three regions of reaction-crystallization products, including Y-Ca-Si apatite solid-solution (ss) and Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG)(ss). In contrast, only Y-Ca-Si apatite(ss) forms in the case of Si-containing γ-Y₂Si₂O₇, and the reaction zone is an order-of-magnitude thicker. These CMAS interactions are analyzed in detail, and are found to be strikingly different than those observed in Y-free EBC ceramics (β-Yb₂Si₂O₇ and β-Sc₂Si₂O₇) in the accompanying Part II paper. This is attributed to the presence of the Y in the YAlO₃ and γ-Y₂Si₂O₇ EBC ceramics.     

Comparative study of the optimal operation of methane reforming process in cylindrical and spherical reactors using multi-objective optimization

We present a multi-objective optimization (MOO) based study of the optimal operation of methane reformer for spherical reactor and compare the results with the ones for the cylindrical reactor. We considered three objective functions for this comparative study, namely maximization of hydrogen production, minimization of carbon dioxide emission, and minimization of power loss due to pressure drop in the reactor. We solve four MOO problems, which include three 2-objective problems with each pair of the aforementioned three objectives. In addition, we also solve a three objective problem considering all the three objectives. The optimization variables considered for the MOO study correspond to the feed conditions. Specifically, the three variables include the inlet temperature and the molar feed ratios of oxygen to methane & steam to methane.     

Robust resource targeting in continuous and batch process

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Water is considered a significant resource in process industries. It is essential for planners to target and optimize the use of water as an external...     

Bacterial population changes in hospital effluent treatment plant in central India

Hospital effluent with its high content of multidrug resistant (MDR) enterobacteria and the presence of enteric pathogens could pose a grave problem for the community. It was planned at our tertiary care hospital in central India to study the population changes at various steps of effluent treatment plant (ETP) like collection, aeration, clarification, liquid sludge, dried sludge, high-pressure filter and treated wastewater. The study included viable bacterial counts, coliform counts, staphylococcal, enterococcal, Pseudomonas and multiple drug resistant (MDR) gram negative bacterial counts in the different stages of ETP. In order to study the distribution of bacteria as free floating in liquid and adherent to suspended particles, enumeration of the bacteria in the filterate and the sediment was also carried out. The effluent input showed 55% of the 8.6 x 10(6)/ml bacteria as coliforms and E. coli which was a typical of fecal flora. The prevalence of MDR coliforms was 0.26%. The substantial reduction (> 3log) was seen for the effluent coming from the clarifier. The bulk of the bacteria in the hospital effluent remains firmly adhered to solid particles; aeration and clarification removes bulk of the bacteria by physical processes like flocculation. The treated liquid effluent still contains sizeable loads of MDR bacteria and inactivation by procedure such as chlorination is required. The bacteria get concentrated in sludge and a greater concentration of chlorine is required for decontamination.     

Evaluation and optimisation of receiver height in a compound parabolic collector with low acceptance angle

This research presents the method of finding an optimised location of a tubular receiver for a compound parabolic collector (CPC) with 6° acceptance angle. Due to low acceptance angle, reflected rays concentrate below the focus of a parabola. Graphical ray tracing (GRT) approach is implemented to execute the optical analysis with and without manufacturing error in the collector. It is performed on collector–receiver combinations by varying receiver height below the focus and they are compared on the basis of utilised area and projection ratios. The ideal cases of collector–receiver combinations which contribute high utilisation and projection ratio are selected and verified with the camera target method (CTM) performed on the actual set-up. It is built for water heater application to validate the results obtained from GRT and CTM. The thermal performance of CPC at various receiver heights is compared by thermal efficiency and therefore the optimum receiver height is concluded.     

Immune and Anticancer Responses Elicited by Fully Synthetic Aberrantly Glycosylated MUC1 Tripartite Vaccines Modified by a TLR2 or TLR9 Agonist

The mucin MUC1 is overexpressed and aberrantly glycosylated by many epithelial cancer cells manifested by truncated O‐linked saccharides. Although tumor‐associated MUC1 has generated considerable attention because of its potential for the development of a therapeutic cancer vaccine, it has been difficult to design constructs that consistently induce cytotoxic T‐lymphocytes (CTLs) and ADCC‐mediating antibodies specific for the tumor form of MUC1. We have designed, chemically synthesized, and immunologically examined vaccine candidates each composed of a glycopeptide derived from MUC1, a promiscuous T_helper peptide, and a TLR2 (Pam₃CysSK₄) or TLR9 (CpG‐ODN 1826) agonist. It was found that the Pam₃CysSK₄‐containing compound elicits more potent antigenic and cellular immune responses, resulting in a therapeutic effect in a mouse model of mammary cancer. It is thus shown, for the first time, that the nature of an inbuilt adjuvant of a tripartite vaccine can significantly impact the quality of immune responses elicited against a tumor‐associated glycopeptide. The unique adjuvant properties of Pam₃CysSK₄, which can reduce the suppressive function of regulatory T cells and enhance the cytotoxicity of tumor‐specific CTLs, are likely responsible for the superior properties of the vaccine candidate 1 .     

Characterization of the Calicheamicin Orsellinate C2‐O‐Methyltransferase CalO6

Although bacterial iterative type I polyketide synthases are now known to participate in the biosynthesis of a small set of diverse natural products, the subsequent downstream modification of the resulting polyketide products is poorly understood. We report the functional characterization of the putative orsellinic acid C2‐O‐methyltransferase, which is involved in calicheamicin biosynthesis. This study suggests that C2‐O‐methylation precedes C3‐hydroxylation/methylation and C5‐iodination and requires a coenzyme A‐ or acyl carrier protein‐bound substrate.