Emission profiling of diesel and gasoline cars at a city traffic junction

In congested urban roads,cars must stop at intersections because of city traffic lights.As a result,pedestrians and traffic police personnel are exposed to pollutants emanating from the tailpipe of various vehicles at such city traffic junctions.In this study,various gasoline- and diesel-fueled cars complying with different emission standards were tested for their emissions in simulated city traffic junction conditions.The engine exhaust from these cars was subjected to physicochemical characterization at different engine speeds under no-load conditions.These engine conditions were chosen because the cars idle at different engine speeds at a city traffic junction.Gravimetric and real-time measurements were performed for the tailpipe exhaust sampled from these vehicles.Exhaust particles were collected on 47 mm diameter quartz filter papers and subjected to gravimetric analysis for determining the total particulate mass(TPM)and trace metals while the engines were operated at two different engine idling speeds,1500 rpm(representing low idling) and 2500 rpm(representing high idling).At similar engine operating conditions,TPM and trace metals were lower for the exhaust from gasoline engines compared to the exhaust from diesel engines.Real-time measurements were performed for particle-bound poly-aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs),particle number and size distribution,regulated gaseous emissions and smoke opacity of the exhaust at four different engine speeds,1500,2000,2500,and 3000 rpm.Particle-bound PAHs showed a decreasing trend for the vehicles that complied with stricter vehicular emission standards.Higher particle peak number concentrations were observed for diesel exhausts compared to the results for gasoline exhaust.Regulated gaseous emissions were also compared.     

An evaluation of the emission profile for two-wheelers at a traffic junction

Two-wheeler vehicles are an important mode of transportation in developing countries.However,the emissions from two-wheeler vehicles are significant.Urban two-wheeler vehicles with gasoline-fueled engines produce NO,and particulate matter emissions that affect urban air quality.During traffic light stops and programmed stops,for instance,pollutants are emitted and are dangerous to human health.In this experimental study,two-wheeler vehicles with different makes,technologies and engine capacities were tested for exhaust emissions including gravimetric and online measurements at different engine speeds and a no load condition at a si mutated traffic junction.Gravimetric measurements were performed by collecting the particulate mass(at two engine speeds:1500 and 2500 rpm) from a diluted engine-out exhaust on quartz filter paper.Next,these collected particulates were used to determine the presence of metals,as well as the benzene soluble organic fraction(BSOF).The total particulate mass,BSOF and trace elements were slightly higher at a higher engine speed(2500 rpm).Online measurements were performed by sampling the engine exhaust(at four engine speeds:1500.2000,2500,and 3000 rpm)and using online instruments to determine the particle number and size distribution,the particle-bound polyaromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs),the gaseous emissions and the smoke opacity.Engines with higher cubic capacity emitted a higher concentration of nano-particles.The particle-bound PAH concentration increased as the engine speed increased,but this concentration was notably low for the highest engine speed tested(3000 rpm).The regulated gaseous emissions increased as the engine speed increased for all vehicles.     

Heterogeneously Porous γ‐MnO2‐Catalyzed Direct Oxidative Amination of Benzoxazole through CH Activation in the Presence of O2

Oxidative amination of azoles through catalytic C? H bond activation is a very important reaction due to the presence of 2‐aminoazoles in several biologically active compounds. However, most of the reported methods are performed under homogeneous reaction conditions using excess reagents and additives. Herein, we report the heterogeneous, porous γ‐MnO₂‐catalyzed direct amination of benzoxazole with wide range of primary and secondary amines. The amination was carried under mild reaction conditions and using molecular oxygen as a green oxidant, without any additives. The catalyst can easily be separated by filtration and reused several times without a significant loss of its catalytic performance. Of note, the reaction tolerates a functional group such as alcohol, thus indicating the broad applicability of this reaction.     

Ex Situ Conservation of Phyllanthus fraternus Webster and Evaluation of Genetic Fidelity in Regenerates Using DNA-Based Molecular Marker

Germplasm storage of Phyllanthus fraternus by using synseed technology has been optimized. Synseeds were prepared from nodal segments taken from in vitro-grown plantlets. An encapsulation matrix of 3 % sodium alginate and 100 mM calcium chloride with polymerization duration up to 15 min was found most suitable for synseed formation. Maximum plantlet conversion (92.5?±?2.5 %) was obtained on a growth regulator-free ½-strength solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Multiple shoot proliferation was optimum on a ½ MS medium containing 0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Shoots were subjected to rooting on MS media containing 1 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and acclimatized successfully. Encapsulated nodal segments can be stored for up to 90 days with a survival frequency of 47.33 %. The clonal fidelity of synseed-derived plantlets was also assessed and compared with that of the mother plant using rapid amplified polymorphic DNA and inter-simple sequence repeat analysis. No changes in molecular profiles were observed among the synseed-derived plantlets and mother plant, which confirms the genetic stability of regenerates. This synseed production protocol could be useful for in vitro multiplication, short-term storage, and exchange of germplasm of this important antiviral and hepatoprotective plant.     

Spectral switching-based fan-out architecture and information processing in free-space

In this paper, we elaborate different type of spectral switching techniques and spectral switching-based information processing (SSBIP) schemes. On the basis of theoretical, experimental and empirical studies carried out so far on spectral switching, we demonstrate novel type of interference-induced 1 × N (1 input N outputs) and 1 × N × M (1 input N × M outputs) spectral switching-based fan-out architectures for information transmission in free-space. In addition, a comprehensive analysis is presented to explore the feasibility of SSBIP scheme in contrast to the recent technological advancements. The spectral switching-based techniques are contrived ideas but might find potential applications in optical computing, state-of-the-art technique like SIMO (single-input multiple-output), free-space optical (FSO) interconnects and polychromatic light-based FSO communications.