Role of Flexible Macro Fibre Composite (MFC) Actuator on Bragg Wavelength Tuning in Microstructure Polymer Optical Fibre Long Period Grating for Strain Sensing Applications

The microstructure polymer optical fibre (mPOF) inscribed long period grating (LPG) offers a wide field of application in strain sensors arena within the materials elastic limit. Flexible innovative macro fibre composite (MFC) actuator generates electromechanical force under DC driving voltage. We propose a novel method for Bragg wavelength blue shifting through stretch tuning of mPOF LPG in axial direction under applied DC voltage on attached MFC with LPG. The grating period of mPOF LPG changes refractive index and causes blue shift of Bragg grating fibre wavelength. The shifting governs on the values of generated electromechanically strain transfer from flexible MFC to mPOF LPG and they have potential applications in strain sensor.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles and epibrassinolide enhanced growth of tomato via modulating antioxidant activity and photosynthetic performance

Nanotechnology has greatly expanded the applications of nanoparticles(NPs)domain in the scientific field.In this context,the zinc oxide nanoparticles(ZnO-NPs)and 24-epibrassinolide(EBL)has been revealed to positively regulate plant metabolism and growth.In the present study,we investigated the role of ZnO-NPs and EBL in the regulation of plant growth,photosynthetic efficiency,enzymes activities and fruit yield in tomato.Foliar treatment of ZnO-NPs at three levels(10,50 or 100 ppm)and EBL(10^(−8) M)were applied separately or in combination to the foliage of plant at 35-39 days after sowing(DAS);and the control plants were treated with double distilled water(DDW)only at the same time interval.Among different tested concentrations of ZnO-NPs and/or EBL,the combined spray of 50 ppm of ZnO-NPs and 10^(−8) M of EBL proved to be best,and considerably increased the growth,photosynthetic efficiency,biochemical enzymes activities as well as fruit yield.Besides,the performance of the antioxidant enzymes viz catalase,peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were also increased after the combined application of ZnO-NPs and EBL in Lycopersicon esculentum.Therefore,it is suggested that combined application of 50 ppm of ZnO-NPs and 10−8 M of EBL is the best combination can be applied to increase the performance and yield of L.esculentum.

BORON:an ultra-lightweight and low power encryption design for pervasive computing

We propose an ultra-lightweight, compact, and low power block cipher BORON. BORON is a substitution and permutation based network, which operates on a 64-bit plain text and supports a key length of 128/80 bits. BORON has a compact structure which requires 1939 gate equivalents(GEs) for a 128-bit key and 1626 GEs for an 80-bit key. The BORON cipher includes shift operators, round permutation layers, and XOR operations. Its unique design helps generate a large number of active S-boxes in fewer rounds, which thwarts the linear and differential attacks on the cipher. BORON shows good performance on both hardware and software platforms. BORON consumes less power as compared to the lightweight cipher LED and it has a higher throughput as compared to other existing SP network ciphers. We also present the security analysis of BORON and its performance as an ultra-lightweight compact cipher. BORON is a well-suited cipher design for applications where both a small footprint area and low power dissipation play a crucial role.

In vitro antilithiatic activity of the hydro-alcoholic extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume bark on calcium oxalate crystallization

Objective: The study examines the effect of the hydro-alcoholic extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume bark on crystallization of calcium oxalate. Methods: The antilithiatic effect of various concentrations of the hydro-alcoholic extract of C. zeylanicum was investigated at various stages of stone formation, using Cystone as a stan da rd refere nee drug. The effect on calcium oxalate crystallization was evaluated by measuring the change in turbidity over time, during crystal nucleation, growth and aggregation, in the metastable solution of calcium chloride and sodium oxalate. The slope from the change in turbidity over time was measured using a spectrophotometer at 620 and 214 nm in respective tests. The inhibition rate was estimated by comparing turbidity in the presence and absence of extract. Crystals formed under experimental conditions were observed under a light microscope, and number and shape of the crystals were assessed in a randomly selected field. Phytochemical analysis and high-performance thin-layer chromatography of the extract was also carried out. Results: C. zeylanicum significantly reduced crystal nucleation at concentrations of 4, 8 and 10 mg/mL (P< 0.001). The inhibition percentage of crystal growth was between 28.30% and 92.46% in the presence of C. zeylanicum extract and from 20.76% to 64.15% with various concentrations of Cystone. The maximum inhibition of crystal growth was obtained from C. zeylanicum at 2 mg/mL (92.46%). Microscopic examination revealed a reduction in the number and size of crystals. In the aggregation assay, the inhibition percentage of C. zeylanicum was between 16.27% and 100%, while Cystone was from -214.68% to 100% at different concentrations. The highest (100%) inhibition of aggregation was found at 4 mg/mL of both the test and standard drugs. Conclusion: We found that C. zeylanicum hydro-alcoholic extract has notable inhibitory effects on various stages of crystallization, in terms of turbidity of solution, as well as the crystal size, number and morphology.