Different applications of Scheffler reflector for renewable energy: a comprehensive review

A fixed focus on receiver maintains constant temperature of receiver and it is achieved by Scheffler reflector. It is a best example of solar energy application used for medium-temperature applications. The present review shows a complete review of Scheffler reflector in solar thermal applications like desalination, coffee-making machine, agricultural application, electricity generation, hot water, cooking and plaster of Paris production. The Scheffler reflector is a best solar energy application in future emerging technologies.     

Obtaining Reversible,High Contrast Electrochromism,Electrofluorochromism, and Photochromism in an Aqueous Hydrogel Device Using Chromogenic Thiazolothiazoles

There have been an increasing number of materials developed that show multifunctional chromogenic properties (such as electrochromism, electrofluorochromism, or photochromism), but to date, few materials have shown all three properties. Materials that are electrochemically and optically active are attractive for a diverse set of applications that include smart-windows, lighting, sensing, energy production, and conservation. This is especially attractive for building developers interested in adaptive or environmentally responsive façades. Achieving systems made from cost-effective, readily synthesized materials will make them easy to utilize in a variety of fields. Low-cost devices are developed using water-soluble, chromogenic thiazolo(5,4-d)thiazole (TTz) dyes that show high device performance in three areas: electrochromism, electrofluorochromism, and photochromism and are all contained within a highly fluorescent aqueous polyvinyl alcohol/borax hydrogel device. The dyes incorporate a rigid, heterocyclic TTz structure that enables the development of devices with excellent reversibility and stable cycling for 250 cycles. The TTz hydrogel-containing devices also exhibit photochromism under illumination, which can be electrochemically cycled back to the colorless state. In addition, coupling photochromism with electrochromism lowers the power necessary for a comparable electrochromic color change. Last, the hydrogel-containing devices also show electrofluorochromism, where fluorescence can be turned off by > 90%.     

Hydrogen-ion Sensing Characteristics of Cavity Based Triple-Gate Junctionless Biofet for Enhanced Sensitivity

Silicon - In this paper, a triple gate (TG) cavity based, polysilicon junctionless (JL) ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) architecture has been proposed for the first time. The...     

Spherical agglomeration to improve dissolution and micromeritic properties of an anticancer drug,Bicalutamide

Bicalutamide (BCT), an anticancer drug, suffers from dissolution rate limited bioavailability and poor micromeritic properties. Spherical crystallization involves the formation of spherical agglomerates with enhanced dissolution properties, obviating the need for further granulation process. The present investigation was focused on spherical agglomeration of BCT by quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method. All the responses were subjected to principal component analysis to scrutinize the critical attributes. Further for optimization, X1; influence of phase ratio, X2; amount of PEG 6000 and X3; stirring speed on critical dependent variables was studied by employing the Box-Behnken experimental design. The agglomerates exhibited better flow properties, higher bulk density, and improved compressibility compared to pure powder drug. In-vitro release studies revealed enhancement of dissolution properties of poorly soluble BCT. Characterization studies carried out by differential scanning calorimeter and powder X-ray diffractometer revealed crystallinity of drug with decreased intensity in the formulation. Scanning electron microscopy showed spherical shape agglomerates of BCT. The residual solvents were largely below the permitted limits. Spherical agglomerates demonstrated enhanced dissolution properties on account of reduced particle size and partial conversion into amorphous form. Thus, spherical agglomerates of BCT seem to be a promising approach to ameliorate the dissolution properties which might thereby improve its bioavailability.     

Application of stochastic fractal search in approximation and control of LTI systems

Microsystem Technologies - The present work deals with the application of evolutionary computation in approximation and control of linear time invariant (LTI) systems. Stochastic fractal search...     

A method for monitoring head media spacing change in a hard disk drive using an embedded contact sensor

Growth in the demand for higher capacity hard disk drives has pushed the requirement for head-media spacing to sub-nanometer levels. The drop in operational clearance makes a head-disk interface more susceptible to potential head-wear and contamination related issues. Such degradation processes are often accompanied by a noticeable shift in the head-disk clearance. Hence monitoring an interface for a spacing change can be helpful in early detection of its imminent failure. In this paper, we present a method to detect the change in head-disk spacing using an embedded contact sensor (ECS). This technique involves the analysis of ECS dynamic response for an interface that is subjected to heater induced spacing modulations. As the head moves closer to the disk surface, the magnitude of the ECS frequency components can be used to determine the ‘characteristic spacing’ which can be used as a metric to detect any physical change for a given interface.

     

Antihemolytic and antiproteolytic properties of substituted thiosemicarbazidophenothiazines and thiazolidonylphenothiazines

Antihemolytic and antiproteolytic properties of several 10-(1-acetyl-4-arylthiosemicarbazido) phenothiazines and their corresponding cyclized 10-(2-arylimino-3-acetylamino-4-thiazolidonyl) phenothiazines were investigated. In vitro protection of hypoosmotic hemolysis of human red blood cells by substituted thiosemicarbazidophenothiazines and substituted thiazolidonyl-phenothiazines was concentration dependent; the degree of protection ranged from 19 to 32 and 26 to 42%, respectively, at a final concentration of 0.1 mM. All phenothiazines exhibited antiproteolytic activity. The in vitro inhibition of trypsin-induced hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin by these phenothiazines was concentration dependent and competitive in nature; the degree of inhibition ranged from 30 to 50 and 32 to 79% for substituted thiosemicarbazidophenothiazines and substituted thiazolidonlyphenothiazines, respectively, at a concentration of 1mM. Cyclization of substituted thiosemicarbazidophenothiazines into the corresponding cyclized substitited thiazolidonlyphenothiazines increased the antihemolytic and antiproteolytic effectiveness of these phenothiazines.     

Engineering Extracellular Vesicles with the Tools of Enzyme Prodrug Therapy

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently gained significant attention as important mediators of intercellular communication, potential drug carriers, and disease biomarkers. These natural cell‐derived nanoparticles are postulated to be biocompatible, stable under physiological conditions, and to show reduced immunogenicity as compared to other synthetic nanoparticles. Although initial clinical trials are ongoing, the use of EVs for therapeutic applications may be limited due to undesired off‐target activity and potential “dilution effects” upon systemic administration which may affect their ability to reach their target tissues. To fully exploit their therapeutic potential, EVs are embedded into implantable biomaterials designed to achieve local delivery of therapeutics taking advantage of enzyme prodrug therapy (EPT). In this first application of EVs for an EPT approach, EVs are used as smart carriers for stabilizing enzymes in a hydrogel for local controlled conversion of benign prodrugs to active antiinflammatory compounds. It is shown that the natural EVs' antiinflammatory potential is comparable or superior to synthetic carriers, in particular upon repeated long‐term incubations and in different macrophage models of inflammation. Moreover, density‐dependent color scanning electron microscopy imaging of EVs in a hydrogel is presented herein, an impactful tool for further understanding EVs in biological settings.