169 research outputs found
PV MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING UNDER PARTIAL SHADING CONDITIONS
No full textP. Mercy1, K. Monisha V. Dhanushree3and K. Meen
A 16th Century School of Ladakhi Painting
No full textAggiornamento dell'articolo “A 16th-Century Ladakhi School of Buddhist Painting”, pubblicato in "Buddhist Art. Form & Meaning", a c. di Pratapaditya Pal, Marg publications, Mumbay, 2007, pp. 102-15, q. v
Evaluation of ready-to-eat cocoa based functional spreads.
No full textThis Dissertation / Report is the outcome of investigation carried out by the creator(s) / author(s) at the department/division of Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore mentioned below in this page
Unusual Constriction Zones in the Major Porins OmpU and OmpT from Vibrio cholerae
No full textThe outer membranes (OM) of many Gram-negative bacteria contain general porins, which form nonspecific, large-diameter channels for the diffusional uptake of small molecules required for cell growth and function. While the porins of Enterobacteriaceae (e.g., E. coli OmpF and OmpC) have been extensively characterized structurally and biochemically, much less is known about their counterparts in Vibrionaceae. Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, has two major porins, OmpU and OmpT, for which no structural information is available despite their importance for the bacterium. Here we report high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of V. cholerae OmpU and OmpT complemented with molecular dynamics simulations. While similar overall to other general porins, the channels of OmpU and OmpT have unusual constrictions that create narrower barriers for small-molecule permeation and change the internal electric fields of the channels. Together with electrophysiological and in vitro transport data, our results illuminate small-molecule uptake within the Vibrionaceae. Pathania et al. describe the X-ray structures of the major Vibrio cholerae porins, OmpU and OmpT. The channels have narrow pore sizes and altered internal electric fields due to the presence of additional, unusual constriction elements. In addition, the interaction of deoxycholate and carbapenems with OmpU and OmpT are reported
Evaluating the efficiency of community-based HIV testing and counseling strategies in sub-Saharan Africa
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08Knowledge of one’s HIV status is vital to accessing treatment and prevention yet only a fraction of individuals in sub-Saharan Africa are regularly tested for HIV. Community-based HIV testing and counseling (HTC), defined as HTC conducted outside of a healthcare facility, has the potential to achieve high population testing coverage and linkage to care. The studies within this dissertation describe effectiveness and efficiency (cost-effectiveness) of various modalities of community-based HTC. Aim 1 presents a systematic review of community and facility-based HTC strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. Aims 2 and 3 evaluate the cost-effectiveness of two types of community HTC interventions in western Kenya by incorporating primary cost and effectiveness data from randomized clinical trials into an HIV mathematical model. Specifically, Aim 2 assesses the health and economic impact of implementing a home-based partner education and HIV testing (HOPE) intervention for pregnant women and their male partners. Aim 3 evaluates the cost-effectiveness of scaling up provider notification services for sexual partners of recently diagnosed HIV-positive persons. In Aim 1, we found that community HTC (including home, mobile, partner notification, key populations, campaign, workplace and self-testing) successfully reached target groups (men, young adults and first-time testers) with higher coverage than facility HTC. Community HTC also identifies HIV-positive individuals at higher CD4 counts who were likely to be earlier in their disease course. Combined with the potential of community HTC with facilitated linkage to achieve high linkage to treatment with similar retention rates as facility HTC, this suggests that scaling up community interventions can reduce the morbidity, mortality and transmission associated with late or non-initiation of ART. Of all modalities examined, home HTC attained the highest population coverage (70%, 95% CI = 58–79) while mobile HTC reached the highest proportion of men (50%, 95% CI = 47–54%). Self-testing reached the highest proportion of young adults (66%, 95% CI = 65–67%). As each HTC modality reaches distinct sub-populations, a combination of modalities (differing by setting) will likely be needed to achieve high ART coverage. In Aim 2, we found that the incremental cost of adding the HOPE intervention to standard antenatal care was 14-16 USD per couple tested. At 60% coverage of male partners, HOPE was projected to avert 6,987 HIV infections and 2,603 deaths in Nyanza province over 10 years with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of 615 per DALY averted for the program and task-shifting scenario, respectively. The ICERs are below the threshold of Kenya’s per capita gross domestic product (1,703 USD (range 1,302 (range $955-2,789) per DALY averted. The task-shifting scenario falls below Kenya’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and is therefore considered very cost-effective while the full program cost scenario is considered cost-effective under the higher threshold of 3-times Kenya’s per capita GDP. Intervention cost-effectiveness and HIV-related deaths averted among aPS partners increased with expanded ART initiation criteria. We hope that this dissertation work will be useful in forming policy deliberations regarding implementation of community HTC in countries of sub-Saharan Africa
Dispersion relations and band gaps in wave number or frequency in the linear and nonlinear regimes for a coupled system with no paraxial approximation
No full text
Sustainable Framework of Chitosan–Benzoxazine with Mutual Benefits: Low Curing Temperature and Improved Thermal and Mechanical Properties
No full textPolybenzoxazines
(PBzs) are emerging as a highly promising and
superior class of thermoset polymers for a variety of applications.
However, it remains a significant challenge to substantially lower
the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) temperature with an ease in
processability. On the other hand, biomacromolecule chitosan (CS)
is explored extensively, but its practical applications have been
precluded by poor thermal and mechanical properties. Here, we developed
a fully biobased copolymer of vanillin benzoxazine (V-fa) monomer
with CS, which is effective in providing mutual benefits, effective
lowering in ROP temperature of benzoxazine (70 °C), and an enhanced
thermal stability of CS (by 85 °C, and with char yield of ∼32%).
To understand this unusual lowering in ROP temperature, we investigated
the structural interaction mechanism between solvated CS and V-fa
using in situ NMR studies. The analysis of fully intercalated co-structure
demonstrated that there is a strong preference for ROP over Schiff
base reaction. It is anticipated that benzoxazine molecules move within
the interplanar distance of CS as supported by powder X-ray diffraction
studies. An increase in V-fa content in feed ratio led to a placement
of V-fa units from random to a systematic and hierarchical arrangement
within the CS framework followed by its subsequent polymerization.
The synergistic interactions were further supported by Fourier transform
infrared, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron micrsocopy,
thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile studies. Current work represents
preparation of CS benzoxazine copolymers using a low-cost, efficient,
and sustainable approach to assist metal-free ROP reaction of Bz to
afford low curable temperature processable films. A new strategy is
devised for the utility of CS-PBzs copolymers, enabling their extension
to innovative applications in cross-domains
Congestion Avoidance Aware using Modified Weighted Fairness Guaranteed DRED-FDNNPID Congestion Control for MWSN
No full textAntibacterial performance of fully biobased chitosan-grafted-polybenzoxazine films : Elaboration and properties of released material
No full textA fully biobased benzoxazine monomer, V-fa (using vanillin and furfurylamine) was grafted onto chitosan (CS) at different weight ratios (CXVY) using "grafting to" benign Schiff base chemistry. Incorporation of V-fa onto CS increased the tensile strength and improved chemical resistance of the CS-graft-V-fa films. Reversible labile linkages, expansion of CS galleries and leaching out of phenolic species from biobased polymer films led to an improved antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, which is similar to 125 times higher than the bare CS film, V-fa and oligomeric V-fa. The leached out species from films were analyzed extensively by NMR, FTIR, GPC, ABTS and HRMS analysis. Oxidative-stress seems to be responsible for antibacterial activity. Current work illustrates an attractive synthetic approach and the improved antibacterial performance of biobased CS-graft-poly (V-fa) films which may hold as a potential alternative for wound-healing and implant applications in future.</p
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