Antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of cocoa beans

This study investigated the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of cocoa beans from different countries, namely Malaysia, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Sulawesi. The antioxidant capacity of water and ethanolic extracts prepared from cocoa beans was measured by three different assays. To estimate the total phenolic content, the assay using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent was used. The water extract showed the higher value of antioxidant activity based on β-carotene bleaching assay, while the ethanolic extract showed the highest scavenging and ferric reducing activities. Ghanaian cocoa beans showed the highest antioxidant and scavenging activities, followed by Ivory Coast, Malaysian and Sulawesian. However, Malaysian and Sulawesian beans exhibited the highest ferric reducing activity, compared to the other beans. The highest phenolic content was found in Malaysian beans, followed by Sulawesian, Ghanaian and Ivory Coast. A positive correlation existed for both ethanolic (r = 0.76) and water extracts (r = 0.78) between phenolic content and ferric reducing activity. Our results showed that antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of Malaysian cocoa beans were comparable to Ghanaian, Ivory Coast, and Sulawesian beans.     

A logic nanotechnology featuring strained-silicon

Strained-silicon (Si) is incorporated into a leading edge 90-nm logic technology . Strained-Si increases saturated n-type and p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) drive currents by 10 and 25%, respectively. The process flow consists of selective epitaxial Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ in the source/drain regions to create longitudinal uniaxial compressive strain in the p-type MOSFET. A tensile Si nitride-capping layer is used to introduce tensile uniaxial strain into the n-type MOSFET and enhance electron mobility. Unlike past strained-Si work: 1) the amount of strain for the n-type and p-type MOSFET can be controlled independently on the same wafer and 2) the hole mobility enhancement in this letter is present at large vertical electric fields, thus, making this flow useful for nanoscale transistors in advanced logic technologies.     

Sexual histories, partnerships and networks associated with the transmission of gonorrhoea

We aimed to describe and compare sexual links among people with gonorrhoea, by studying patients in 2 UK departments of genitourinary medicine. Interviews were completed for 510 and 235 cases in London and Sheffield respectively. There was a greater proportion of cases in men, homosexual men, non-white and non-British people and fewer female sex workers in London. Total networks of 1738 people in London and 570 people in Sheffield were described. Large linked heterosexual networks identified in Sheffield were associated with local contact, including men with higher numbers of sexual partners. Condom use for vaginal sex was reported for 11% of heterosexual partnerships in Sheffield, and 27% in London, with little difference between regular and casual partners. It was more difficult to define networks in London due to a high proportion of relatively anonymous contacts. These difficulties suggest that research and interventions may profitably focus upon venues for meeting partners as well as partner notification.     

Effect of preextension on electrical conductivity and physicomechanical properties of butyl rubber (IIR) loaded with different types of carbon black

The effect of preextension on the variation of the electrical conductivity (σ) of butyl rubber (IIR) loaded with high abrasion furance (HAF) and fast extrusion furance (FEF) carbon black with carbon concentration have been investigated. The change in σ has been explained as a result of the interaction between carbon and rubber and the effect of the occluded rubber. The effect of preextension on the electrical resistivity (ρ) variation with strain has also been studied. The changes have been interpreted as being due to either breakdown or reagglomeration, depending on the concentration of carbon black.     

A scheme for controlled islanding to prevent subsequent blackout

The power systems operated by the utilities in developing countries suffer from a large gap between demand and generation, inadequate transmission capacity, and nonuniform location of the load centers and generating stations. Occurrences of faults in such systems, in most of the cases, end up with the worst consequences (i.e., complete blackout). This paper illustrates the way a blackout can be prevented in real time through controlled segregation of a system into a number of viable islands together with generation and/or load shedding. The nature and location of any fault that warrants such islanding can be ascertained in real time through monitoring the active-power (megawatt) flows at both ends of a number of prespecified lines. The blackout of June 20, 1998 in the Bangladesh Power Development Board system has been used as an example in the illustration. The philosophy of the proposed islanding scheme may be considered for implementation in other power systems also.     

Modelling steel corrosion in concrete structures

A comprehensive finite element model for predicting the rate of steel corrosion in concrete structures is developed. The model consists of initiation and propagation stages which are cast in the same time and space domains; i.e., processes which commence in the initiation stage, such as temperature, moisture, chloride ion, and oxygen transport within concrete, continue in the propagation stage while active corrosion occurs contemporaneously. This allows the model to include the effects of changes in exposure conditions during the propagation stage on corrosion and the effects of the corrosion reactions on the properties of concrete. The corrosion rates on steel surface are calculated by solving the Laplace's equation for electrochemical potential with appropriate boundary conditions. These boundary conditions include the relationship between overpotential and current density for the anodic and cathodic regions. Due to the non-linear nature of these boundary conditions, a non-linear solution algorithm is used. The developed model will enable designers to carry out comprehensive sensitivity analyses and to gauge the significance of variations in the values of certain parameters on the rate of corrosion in concrete structures.     

O-band to C-band wavelength converter by using four-wave mixing effect in 1310 nm SOA

In this paper we provide a detailed account of an ultra-wideband wavelength converter that shifts from 1310 to 1550?nm using a 1310?nm semiconductor optical amplifier as the nonlinear medium. The experimental approach uses an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) as a method to slice the broadband output ASE of the 1310?nm SOA into multiple outputs at this O-band. A four-wave mixing technique is used to generate the wavelength conversion, whereby two wavelengths at 1310?nm are used and interact with the 1550?nm continuous wave output from a bismuth-based erbium-doped optical amplifier. In this demonstration, the interacting wavelengths are 1316.75, 1317.47 and 1542.21?nm. The downward conversion wavelengths are 1542.93 and 1541.49?nm, with a converted wavelength spacing of 224?nm.