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Synthesis and Analysis of Novel Thermo-Acoustic and Mechanical Behaviour of Rattan Reinforced Composite for Value Added Applications

2022-12-07T12:03:54Z

Title: Synthesis and Analysis of Novel Thermo-Acoustic and Mechanical Behaviour of Rattan Reinforced Composite for Value Added Applications Authors: Behera, S; Mohanty, J R; Nath, G Abstract: The idea of low cost green thermoacoustic composites urge special attention as an alternative candidate for synthetic composites in designing of sound proof and highly flexural components for pollution free electric vehicle and other automotive industries. Short randomly oriented rattan fiber has significant contribution in development of high strength to weight ratio composite with high frequency dispersion capability. The present work employs the hand layup method for synthesis followed by ultrasonic cavitation for surface treatment with compatible methanol blended acrylic acid. The Scanning-Electron-Microscopic (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic characterization confirmed the reorientation of different functional groups which facilitate the sound absorption and mechanical properties. The composite with admissible tensile strength 47.5 MPa and high flexural property 121.89 MPa along with 30 HV hardness value has quite distinguishable mechanical characteristics for the fabricated composites. The unique characteristic sound absorption feature of the rattan fiber composite supports the acoustic behaviour with sound absorption coefficient (SAC) of 97% classifies as Class-A type as per ASTM C423-17 standard. A continuous mass loss of 69% from 390.89°C to 475°C is well supported by thermo gravimetric analysis. The regression analysis provides the optimum mechanical performance for which the composites execute its accuracy. Low sound transmissibility of the composite enhances its acoustic performance. The thermo-acoustic insulating properties such as thermal conductivity and acoustic behaviour of the materials are well described converting the rattan fiber for sustainable and eco-friendly applications. Page(s): 1249-1258

Effect of Quaternary Ammonium Surfactant on Buccal Permeation of Budesonide Film Formulation: In Silico Docking Studies

2022-12-07T12:00:20Z

Title: Effect of Quaternary Ammonium Surfactant on Buccal Permeation of Budesonide Film Formulation: In Silico Docking Studies Authors: Pattanaik, Sunil; Nandi, Souvik; Swain, Rakesh; Sahoo, Rudra Narayana; Nanda, Ashirbad; Mallick, Subrata Abstract: Budesonide, an immunosuppressant glucocorticosteroid generally used to ameliorate chronic inflammation. Low bioavailability due to first pass metabolism decreases its therapeutic activity. The present study focuses on the formulation of a biodegradable buccoadhesive film for improvement of buccalpermeation. Transparent buccoadhesive films were prepared by incorporating budesonide in HPMC matrix with triethalonamine as a plasticizer and a number of surfactants. Absence of the characteristic drug melting peak at 252C in Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) thermogram study confirmed almost complete amorphization of the drug to a homogenous solid-solid mixture in the film. The characteristic Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) peak of pure drug showed the carbonyl stretching in between 1600–1900 cm−1 and C–O stretching at 1095 cm−1. Broadening of C–O stretching and masking of carbonyl stretching confirmed the drug polymer interaction. In vitro dissolution and ex-vivo buccal tissue permeation revealed upto 72% and more than 58% respectively using surfactants upto 6 hour of study. Enhanced buccal permeability and flux were found in presence of surfactant compared to its absence. New film formulation could be developed including surfactant for improved buccal permeation with expected increased bioavailability. The in silico study confirmed about a stable interaction between drug and polymer (−3.1 kcal/mol). Page(s): 1259-1266

Impact Assessment of Varied Agroclimatic Conditions on Phosphate Solubilization Potential of Fungi in Fermentation and Soil-Plant System

2022-12-07T11:56:36Z

Title: Impact Assessment of Varied Agroclimatic Conditions on Phosphate Solubilization Potential of Fungi in Fermentation and Soil-Plant System Authors: Jain, Rachana; Gupta, Anumegha; Sharma, Akanksha; Saxena, Jyoti; Naik, Satya Narayan; Kumar, Vivek Abstract: In this work, two phosphate solubilizing fungi viz., Aspergillus tubingensis S33 and A. niger S36 were studied under different physiochemical and nutritional parameters in the lab, and in vitro under soil-plant experiments at two very distinct agro-climatic conditions viz., Banasthali, Tonk (Rajasthan), and Dwarahat, Almora (Uttarakhand), India. Phosphate-solubilizing capability was checked with different carbon and nitrogen sources. Maltose, glucose, and fructose were optimal carbon source in A. tubingensis S33 while fructose in the case of A. awamori S33. Amongst nitrogen sources, S33 showed maximum phosphate solubilization with ammonium sulfate while, S36 with ammonium sulfate and sodium nitrate. Ammonium was more stimulating than nitrate as the chief nitrogen source. In vivo experiments revealed that solubilization was noticeable at all the temperatures, but optimal temperature was 25–35℃. The optimal initial pH for Tricalcium Phosphate (TCP) solubilization was 8.0. The ideal concentration of TCP for solubilization was 7.5 g∙l−1. The application of both strains in two different geographical sites exhibited a significant (p<0.05) rise in wheat growth, grain yield, and available Phosphorus (P). Fungal inoculation with TCP amendment exhibited a more notable effect on growth, yield, and soil fertility than control. This study support that these isolates will be able to work efficiently in varied climatic conditions and will show consistent efficiency on field application. Page(s): 1267-1275

Cascade Network Model to Detect Cognitive Impairment using Clock Drawing Test

2022-12-07T11:51:05Z

Title: Cascade Network Model to Detect Cognitive Impairment using Clock Drawing Test Authors: Talasila, Sri Lakshmi; R, Vijaya Kumari Abstract: The Clock-Drawing Test (CDT) is commonly used to screen people for assessing cognitive impairment. Diagnoses are based on analyzing the specific features of clock drawing with pen and paper. The manual interpretations and understanding of the features are time-consuming, and test results highly depend on clinical experts' knowledge. Due to the impact of smart devices and advancements in deep learning algorithms, the necessity of a consistent and automatic screening system for cognitive impairment has amplified. This work proposed a simple, fast, low-cost, automated CDT screening technique. Initially, transferred deep convolution neural networks (ResNet152, EfficientNetB4, and DenseNet201) are used as feature extractors. The transfer learning technique makes it possible to experiment with existing models and build models much more quickly. Further, the extracted features are cascaded into a feature fusion layer to improve the quality of learning features, and the obtained feature vector become input for the classifier for classification. The performance of the model is experimentally evaluated and compared with the existing state-of-art models on a real dataset. Obtained results demonstrated that the Cascaded Network Model achieves high performance with an accuracy of 97.76%. Page(s): 1276-1284