We present a multiwavelength study of the radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy (NLSy1) 1H 0323+342, detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. Multiband light curves show many orphan X-ray ...and optical flares having no corresponding gamma-ray counterparts. Such anomalous variability behavior can be due to different locations of the emission region from the central source. During a large flare, a gamma-ray flux doubling timescale as small as ~3 hr is noticed. We built spectral energy distributions (SEDs) during different activity states and modeled them using a one-zone leptonic model. The shape of the optical/UV component of the SEDs is dominated by accretion disk emission in all the activity states. In the X-ray band, significant thermal emission from the hot corona is inferred during quiescent and first flaring states; however, during subsequent flares, the nonthermal jet component dominates. The gamma-ray emission in all the states can be well explained by inverse-Compton scattering of accretion disk photons reprocessed by the broad-line region. The source showed violent intra-night optical variability, coinciding with one of the high gamma-ray activity states. An analysis of the overall X-ray spectrum fitted with an absorbed power-law plus relativistic reflection component hints at the presence of an Fe Kalpha line and returns a high black hole spin value of a = 0.96 + or - 0.14. We argue that 1H 0323+342 possesses dual characteristics, akin to both flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and radio-quiet NLSy1 galaxies, though at a low jet power regime compared to powerful FSRQs.
•MN capped with optimum amount of OA show reduced cytotoxicity and increased SAR.•OA capped MN (MN-OA) interact mainly with the surface/membrane of the tumor cells.•MN-OA show enhanced hyperthermic ...killing ability on tumor cells.•MN-OA in combination with induction heating kill tumor cells by apoptosis.
In the present study, oleic acid (OA) functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MN) were synthesized following modified wet method of MN synthesis. The optimum amount of OA required for capping of MN and the amount of bound and unbound/free OA was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Further, we have studied the effect of water molecules, associated with MN, on the variation in their induction heating ability under alternating current (AC) magnetic field conditions. We have employed a new approach to achieve dispersion of OA functionalized MN (MN-OA) in aqueous medium using sodium carbonate, which improves their biological applicability. Interactions amongst MN, OA and sodium carbonate were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Intracellular localization of MN-OA was studied in mouse fibrosarcoma cells (WEHI-164) by prussian blue staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) using nile blue A as a fluorescent probe. Results showed MN-OA to be interacting mainly with the cell membrane. Their hyperthermic killing ability was evaluated in WEHI-164 cells by trypan blue method. Cells treated with MN-OA in combination with induction heating showed decreased viability as compared to respective induction heating controls. These results were supported by altered cellular morphology after treatment of MN-OA in combination with induction heating. Further, the magnitude of apoptosis was found to be ~5 folds higher in cells treated with MN-OA in combination with induction heating as compared to untreated control. These results suggest the efficacy of MN-OA in killing of tumor cells by cellular hyperthermia.
Liu–Murakami creep damage model is improved to predict the creep life of various cracked specimens. The modified creep damage law is implemented in the framework of extended finite element method ...(XFEM) for performing elasto-plastic creep crack growth simulations. Experiments show that the crack tip constraints vary from component to component which leads to variation in crack growth rates. A stress triaxiality function is introduced in the modified Liu–Murakami damage model to address the variation in crack growth rates. Moreover, a new definition of stress triaxiality (ratio of a linear combination of maximum principal stress and hydrostatic stress to von Mises stress) is proposed based on Leckie and Hayhurst failure criterion. The new definition of stress triaxiality is a key parameter in the prediction of time to failure. The modified Liu–Murakami creep damage model is used for the creep crack growth (CCG) simulations of several specimens under different loading conditions. Parametric studies are also performed to study the influence of various parameters on the CCG. Moreover, a combined framework of continuum damage mechanics and XFEM is used to predict the CCG life of a turbine blade. This work establishes that the modified Liu–Murakami creep damage law accurately predicts the creep life of cracked components under different constraint conditions.
Swinepox is a sporadic virus disease of domestic and wild pigs that mainly occurs during the rainy season. Though the disease is known for a century, research on swinepox especially genetic ...characterization is scanty. Self-limiting nature of the disease, the non-availability of specific diagnostics as well as the resemblance of clinical signs with other pathogens are some of the issues in the slow progress in swinepox-related research. Recent whole genome sequencing data from the USA, India, and Germany enhanced our understanding of the biology of swinepox virus (SWPV). The objective of the present study is to investigate the molecular epidemiology of two swinepox outbreaks that occurred in 2015 and 2016 one each in Uttar Pradesh, and the Haryana states of India. The appearance of clinical signs in different swine breeds was recorded. The scab samples from infected pigs were collected, DNA extracted, host range genes of SWPV were PCR amplified, sequenced and analyzed for genetic and phylogenetic characterization. Desi (nondescript breed), Yorkshire White pigs, and Landrace cross were found to be infected with SWPV. Host range genes of SWPV analyzed from clinical samples showed very high nucleotide identity with each other. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that SWPVs circulating in India are distinct (Indian lineage) from the SWPV of the USA, Germany, and Russia (European-North American lineage). Our study affirms the existence of two distinct lineages of SWPV globally with differences in clinical lesions between breeds.
Titanium and its alloys are used mostly in military equipment, premium sports equipment, aircraft, spacecraft, bicycle equipment, medical devices, and consumer electronics because of its low weight ...density, extraordinary corrosion resistance, excellent tensile strength, and toughness at very high temperature. Here, the work deals with parametric optimization in hard turning of titanium. The three machining factors like:
d
(depth of cut),
f
(feed rate), and
N
(cutting speed
)
have been considered to study its effects on
MRR
and
R
a
in hard turning of titanium grade-I. In this investigation,
BBD
(Box-Behnken Design) is implemented as the design matrix method with 15 total numbers of experiments and
GREY
-Taguchi for the optimization work. The most dominating machining characteristic property is the
d
and its contribution is about 53.11
%
. The second most influencing factor is feed. It’s contribution of 19.83
%
and having a P-value of 0.03, whereas
N
is insignificant factor. The first and second-order of the mathematical model are established to check the accuracy. Mathematical models show a good correlation between the predictive result of an experiment and the genuine results. It is found that the
GRG
optimal level is “
d
3
, f
2
, N
1
” of the three cutting factors and Improvement in
GRG
is 0.458.
Wide band gap diluted magnetic semiconductor nanomaterials with improved magnetic and semiconducting properties have achieved great importance in spintronic technology since last decades. Synthesis ...of a good quality of magnetic semiconductor at room temperature is still a challenge for material scientist. Herein, we report synthesis of Li doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) using chemical precipitation method at room temperature with improved magnetic and semiconducting properties. Structure and phase of ZnO NPs have been confirmed by XRD pattern. Optical band gap of ZnO NPs have been tuned in the range of 3.10–3.34 eV using different percentage of Li doping. Maximum optical band gap in ZnO NPs was found 3.34 eV in ZnOLi-1 sample. It has been found that specific Li doping percentage can enhance magnetic property of ZnO NPs at room temperature. The coercivity of ZnO NPs has been tuned in the range of 317–1570 Oe by Li doping. Saturation magnetization and coercivity have been found maximum 0.055 emu/gm and 1570 Oe in ZnOLi-1 NPs respectively. In this work we have observed that ZnOLi-1 NPs show maximum optical band gap and coercivity. Thus we achieved wide band gap diluted magnetic semiconductor with enhance optical and ferromagnetic property at room temperature in terms of Li doped ZnO NPs.
•Bandgap engineering is achieved in ZnO NPs with Li doping.•Diamagnetic ZnO NPs are converted into ferromagnetic NPs.•ZnOLi-1 sample shows huge ferromagnetism.
We present densely sampled UBVRI/griz photometric and low-resolution (6-10 Å) optical spectroscopic observations from 4 to 270 d after explosion of a newly discovered Type II SN 2012aw in a nearby ...(∼9.9 Mpc) galaxy M95. The light-curve characteristics of apparent magnitudes, colours, bolometric luminosity and the presence and evolution of prominent spectral features are found to have striking similarity with the archetypal IIP SNe 1999em, 1999gi and 2004et. The early time observations of SN 2012aw clearly detect minima in the light curve of V, R and I bands near 37 d after explosion and this we suggest to be an observational evidence for emergence of recombination phase. The mid-plateau M
V
magnitude (−16.67 ± 0.04) lies in between the bright (∼−18) and subluminous (∼−15) IIP SNe. The mass of nickel is 0.06 ± 0.01 M. The synow modelling of spectra indicate that the value and evolution of the photospheric velocity is similar to SN 2004et, but about ∼600 km s−1 higher than that of SNe 1999em and 1999gi at comparable epochs. This trend is more apparent in the line velocities of Hα and Hβ. A comparison of ejecta velocity properties with that of existing radiation-hydrodynamical simulations indicate that the energy of explosion lies in the range 1-2 × 1051 ergs; a further comparison of nebular phase O i doublet luminosity with SNe 2004et and 1987A indicate that the mass of progenitor star is about 14 to 15 M. The presence of high-velocity absorption features in the mid-to-late plateau and possibly in early phase spectra show signs of interaction between ejecta and the circumstellar matter; being consistent with its early time detection at X-ray and radio wavebands.
•Synthesis of bifunctional biocompatible hydroxyapatite nanoparticles.•Conjugation of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) and folic acid to nanoparticles.•pH-dependant and sustained release of drug with ...higher release rate at acidic pH.•Higher uptake of nanoparticles in folate receptor (FR)-positive cancer cells.•Enhanced cytotoxicity of DOX-loaded nanoparticles towards FR-positive cancer cells.
Nanoparticles coupled with targeting moieties have attracted a great deal of attention for cancer therapy since they can facilitate site-specific delivery of drug and significantly limit the side effects of systemic chemotherapy. In this study, our aim is to develop surface functionalized hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, which could provide binding sites for a cancer cell targeting ligand, folic acid (FA) as well as an anticancer drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). In order to attain dual functionalities, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were functionalized with gelatin molecules. Gelatin, being a protein has both carboxyl and amine moieties, which makes it suitable for binding of DOX and FA. FA was chemically conjugated to the nanoparticles through an EDCNHS coupling reaction. The formation of single-phase hydroxyapatite nanostructure was ascertained by X-ray diffraction studies and the presence of organic moieties on the surface of nanoparticles was evident from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and U.V.-visible spectroscopy. The FA-conjugated nanoparticles (FA-Gel-HANPs) showed high affinity towards DOX and pH-responsive sustained release of drug with higher release rate under acidic pH conditions, desired for cancer therapy. The FA-Gel-HANPs showed negligible cytotoxicity towards different cell lines (HepG2, WEHI-164, KB, WI-26 VA4 and WRL-68). However, DOX loaded nanoparticles (DOX-FA-Gel-HANPs) exhibited significant toxicity towards these cells, which was however highest in folate receptor (FR)-overexpressing, KB cells. These results were correlated with enhanced cellular uptake of DOX-FA-Gel-HANPs in KB cells in comparison to FR-deficient, WRL-68 cells studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry. Moreover, cell cycle analysis in KB cells, showed higher sub-G1 population, indicating apoptosis as one of the cell death mechanisms. Overall, this study suggests that DOX-FA-Gel-HANPs could serve as a promising tumor-targeted drug delivery system.
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The present study delves into the interaction of the monomer of glucosamine with uracil and thymine in vacuum and in different phases by density functional theory (DFT). Both the molecular geometries ...were optimized at B3LYP with a 6-31G(d,p) basis set. The binding energy, interaction energy, and solubility were calculated from the optimized molecular geometry. The dipole moment and the electronic energies were found of the optimized product in different solvents (water, ethanol, methanol, heptane, cyclohexane, and CCl
4
) which describes the solubility of the interactive molecule in polar and non-polar solvents. The electronic energies are nearly the same for all the solvents. Observed theoretical results are expected to guide future relevant experimental research on gene delivery by glucosamine. This will also help in enhancing pharmaceutical research as carrier drug delivery, tissue repair, gene delivery, spermicidal activity, anti-tumor, and anti-microbial resistance.
Abstract
Process heating is an important step in manufacturing industries such as metal, cement, brick, food, etc., and accounts for a large share of the total energy consumption of those industries. ...In Nepal, process heating alone accounts for around 64% of the process energy of the manufacturing sector. Around 64% of Nepalese industries’ energy demand for process heating is supplied by high-carbon emitting fossil fuels such as coal, diesel, etc. The industrial sector is responsible for significant global greenhouse gas emissions. Nepalese manufacturing Industries emit around 0.002248 GT of CO
2
annually. The movement toward carbon neutrality has prompted many countries around the world to look for clean and sustainable fuel to meet their decarbonization goal. This study overviews Nepalese industries’ different industrial heating processes in terms of energy consumption, emissions, energy efficiency measures and interventions, and renewable options from a literature review and using data from secondary sources. Based on the data collected and the literature review of the industries, the potential low-carbon fuels which can be compatible with heating applications in Nepalese industries are reviewed. This paper concludes with recommendations for the future decarbonization of process heating in Nepalese industries.
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