Egg white proteins and β-cyclodextrin: effective cryoprotectant mixture against oxidative changes in the myofibrillar proteins of Culter alburnus

The effect of egg white protein (EWP) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) mixture was analysed on the myofibrillar proteins (MP) of Culter alburnus during a frozen storage at −18 °C for 60 days. Different proportions of EWP:β-CD mixture (0%, 2%, 4% and 6%) were added into MP to analyse their effect against oxidative changes. During the study, sulphydryl contents and Ca-ATPase activity (0.297 to 0.136 mmol g⁻¹) decreased. Moreover, protein denaturation also prompted the surface hydrophobicity (11.47 to 32.06 μg) and carbonyls (26.36 to 49 mg.28 nmol mg⁻¹) of control MP. A significant decline was observed in emulsifying properties. Besides, EWP:β-CD showed remarkable stability against oxidative changes, by significantly reducing the carbonyls (26.26 to 37.69 nmol mg⁻¹) and surface hydrophobicity (11.51 to 20.31 μg) and also the decline of Ca-ATPase activity (0.29 to 0.19 mmol g⁻¹). It can be concluded that EWP:β-CD (6%) is an efficient approach against oxidative changes in MP from Culter alburnus.     

Simplification of genetic programs: a literature survey

Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery - Genetic programming (GP), a widely used evolutionary computing technique, suffers from bloat—the problem of excessive growth in individuals’ sizes....     

Interfacial performance and durability of textile reinforced concrete

The aim of this work is to understand the bonding characteristics between various yarn structures and cement matrix which was studied by yarn pull out test. In this work, the effect of accelerated ageing under alkaline environment for different types of fibers i.e. Basalt, Polypropylene, Polyester, and Jute is studied in order to comparatively evaluate their weight loss and reduction of tensile strength. SEM images are also used for studying the morphology of alkali degraded fibers. Material characterization can also be done by FTIR, XRD, ICP, Zeta potential, and UV spectrometer.     

Dynamic analysis of spinning triangle geometry part 2: spinning triangle geometry and yarn quality

This paper examines empirical relationships between the geometrical parameters of the spinning triangle and the quality parameters of ring spun yarns. For this purpose, controlled variations in the geometry of the spinning triangle were induced using two existing modifications in the ring spinning process and by varying the yarn twist level. The geometrical parameters of the spinning triangle were measured using the clear rubber roller combined with digital image processing techniques as described in the first part of this study. The yarn quality parameters measured included yarn hairiness, strength, elongation and evenness. Yarn hairiness showed more noticeable sensitivity towards the physical shape of the spinning triangle than yarn tenacity, while yarn evenness and elongation were not significantly influenced by changes in spinning triangle geometry.     

Theoretical calculation simulation studies of ABV nuclear reactor coupled with desalination system

In this paper, research has been conducted on the floating type nuclear power plant named as ABV reactor which is designed for district heating, power, and sea water desalination by OKBM facility at Russia. This reactor was tested under different thermal loads during the designing phase, and three modules have been investigated. Theoretical calculations and simulation studies have been performed on these three modules having specifications as ABV‐6M with 47MW_th, ABV‐6 with 38MW_th, and ABV‐3 with 18MW_th.The results obtained from these modules have been calculated mathematically and verified by simulation. We have compared the originally derived data of ABV desalination system with our theoretical and simulation analysis. The results from two desalination techniques including RO and RO + MED have been calculated and are presented in this paper with details. The results obtained from both analysis show that the efficiency of ABV nuclear reactor desalination system increases with the decrease in corresponding water cost ratio. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Civil Liabilities for Unsafe Foods in Bangladesh and Australia: A Comparative Perspective on Consumer Protection

The statutory laws concerning food safety, which allow the consumers affected by unsafe foods to claim compensation for their loss or damage in Bangladesh, are flawed in several respects. These flaws are argued to have harmful impacts on consumer protection. The ineffective legislation in the absence of application of the common law principles of negligence has left the consumers virtually helpless in securing remedies for their injuries. This article endeavors to critically examine the ambiguities and shortcomings in the Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 (Bangladesh) looking through the prisms of the Australian Consumer Law 2010 and relevant case law from major common law jurisdictions. It discovers a number of weaknesses in the legislation of Bangladesh and provides specific suggestions for strengthening the civil liability provisions from the perspective of consumer protection by preventing their contraventions and providing adequate compensation.     

Model-Based Damage Identification in a Continuous Bridge Using Vibration Data

Damage often causes changes in the dynamic characteristics of a structure such as frequencies and mode shapes. Vibration-based damage identification techniques utilize the changes in the dynamic characteristics of a structure to determine the location and extent of damage in the structure. Such techniques are applied in this study to the Crowchild Bridge, a steel-free deck continuous bridge located in western Canada. While the numerical models of the bridge are correlated with the measured dynamic characteristics, computer simulation is used to study the identification of a number of different damage patterns, and the effects of measurement errors and incomplete mode shapes on the quality of results are evaluated. The effectiveness of some selected damage identification techniques is examined; the potential difficulties in identifying the damage are outlined; and areas of further research are suggested. A three-dimensional finite-element model and a simple two-dimensional girder model of the bridge have been constructed to study the usefulness of the selected damage identification methods. Another promising damage detection method proposed here is based on the application of neural networks that combines a vibration-based method.     

Electron beam irradiated HDPE/EVA/Mg(OH)2 composites for flame-retardant electric cables

The mechanical properties and flammability of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) mixed with various amounts of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)₂) as the filler in composites, irradiated with electron beam at an irradiation dose of 150 kGy, have been studied. It is found that high-energy electron beam irradiation has significant effects on the mechanical properties of the HDPE/EVA/Mg(OH)₂ composites. The tensile strength and elastic modulus increased greater than in the unirradiated ones. Meanwhile, with increasing the content of Mg(OH)₂ in the composites, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value increased sharply. The microstructure of the caves of the unirradiated HDPE/EVA/Mg(OH)₂ composites show poor interface of composites compared with the irradiated ones, as observed in SEM micrographs.     

Unsteady natural convection within a differentially heated enclosure of sinusoidal corrugated side walls

Numerically investigation of natural convection within a differentially heated modified square enclosure with sinusoidally corrugated side walls has been performed for different values of Rayleigh number. The fluid inside the enclosure considered is air and is quiescent, initially. The top and bottom surfaces are flat and considered as adiabatic. Results reveal three main stages: an initial stage, a transitory or oscillatory stage and a steady stage for the development of natural convection flow inside the corrugated cavity. The numerical scheme is based on the finite element method adapted to triangular non-uniform mesh element by a non-linear parametric solution algorithm. Investigation has been performed for the Rayleigh number, Ra ranging from 10⁵ to 10⁸ with variation of corrugation amplitude and frequency. Constant physical properties for the fluid medium have been assumed except for the density where Boussinesq’s approximation has been considered. Results have been presented in terms of the isotherms, streamlines, temperature plots, average Nusselt numbers, traveling waves and thermal boundary layer thickness plots, temperature and velocity profiles. The effects of sudden differential heating and its consequent transient behavior on fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics have been observed for the range of governing parameters. The present results show that the transient phenomena are greatly influenced by the variation of the Rayleigh number with corrugation amplitude and frequency.