Sajjad Hossain | North South University (original) (raw)

Papers by Sajjad Hossain

ACS infectious diseases, Jan 9, 2017

Nitric oxide (NO) is a radical diatomic gas molecule that, at low concentrations, plays important... more Nitric oxide (NO) is a radical diatomic gas molecule that, at low concentrations, plays important signaling roles in both eukaryotes and bacteria. In recent years, it has become evident that bacteria respond to low levels of NO in order to modulate their group behavior. Many bacteria respond via NO ligation to a well-established NO sensor called H-NOX (heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding domain). Many others, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, lack an annotated hnoX gene in their genome yet are able to respond to low levels of NO to disperse their biofilms. This suggests the existence of a previously uncharacterized NO sensor. In this study, we describe the discovery of a novel nitric oxide binding protein (NosP; NO-sensing protein), which is much more widely conserved in bacteria than H-NOX, as well as a novel NO-responsive pathway in P. aeruginosa. We demonstrate that biofilms of a P. aeruginosa mutant lacking components of the NosP pathway lose the ability to disperse in response to NO...

Accounts of chemical research, Jan 18, 2017

Bacterial biofilms form when bacteria adhere to a surface and produce an exopolysaccharide matrix... more Bacterial biofilms form when bacteria adhere to a surface and produce an exopolysaccharide matrix ( Costerton Science 1999 , 284 , 1318 ; Davies Science 1998 , 280 , 295 ; Flemming Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2010 , 8 , 623 ). Because biofilms are resistant to antibiotics, they are problematic in many aspects of human health and welfare, causing, for instance, persistent fouling of medical implants such as catheters and artificial joints ( Brunetto Chimia 2008 , 62 , 249 ). They are responsible for chronic infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients and in open wounds, such as those associated with burns and diabetes. They are also a major contributor to hospital-acquired infections ( Sievert Infec. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2013 , 34 , 1 ; Tatterson Front. Biosci. 2001 , 6 , D890 ). It has been hypothesized that effective methods of biofilm control will have widespread application ( Landini Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2010 , 86 , 813 ). A promising strategy is to target the mechan...

Far East Journal of Psychology and Business, 2012

European Journal of Business and Management, 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of working capital management on the perf... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of working capital management on the performance of non-financial companies listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Kenya. The study employed an explanatory non-experimental research design. A census of 42 non-financial companies listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya was taken. The study used secondary panel data contained in the annual reports and financial statements of listed non-financial companies. The data were extracted from the Nairobi Securities Exchange hand books for the period 2006-2012.The study applied panel data models (random effects). Feasible Generalised Least Square (FGLS) regression results revealed that an aggressive financing policy had a significant positive effect on return on assets and return on equity while a conservative investing policy was found to affect performance positively. The study recommended that managers of listed non-financial companies should adopt an aggressive financing policy and a conservative investing policy should be employed to enhance the performance of non-financial companies listed in the NSE, Kenya.

Universal Journal of Food and Nutrition Science, 2015

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments (0.1%KMS, 0.2%KMS, 0.3%KMS and b... more The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments (0.1%KMS, 0.2%KMS, 0.3%KMS and blanching) and drying methods (mechanical drying and solar drying) on the dehydration and rehydration characteristics of carrot. The two drying methods yielded dehydrated products with different dehydration ratio, rehydration ratio, coefficient of reconstitution and moisture content in both the dehydrated and rehydrated materials. It was seen that the drying time has been influenced by pre-treatments and drying methods. Pre-treatments increased drying time (for 0.3%KMS) and higher drying time (for 0.3%KMS) was required in solar drying. Pre-treatment, drying methods and boiling time affected the various rehydration properties. Highest rehydration ratio (3.70) and coefficient of reconstitution (0.48) values were found for 0.1% KMS pre-treated mechanically dried and 0.2% KMS pre-treated solar dried carrots, respectively. Mechanical drying method was found better both for dehydration and rehydration properties for all the pre-treatments for example, 0.1%KMS pre-treated carrot gave coefficient of reconstitution 0.48, while this value was 0.45 for same pre-treatment in solar drying.

Education is considered necessary for multiple purposes and in some cases, which may vary one to ... more Education is considered necessary for multiple purposes and in some cases, which may vary one to another dependent on situation. Nonetheless, it serves according to the objectives and to the relative importance. The objectives of education is not only about preparing students for a specific careers but also it is all about teaching students lifelong values, discipline, and the ability to explore new ideas and to think independently. Over the decades, some points always have been considered the very common purpose of the education: Preparing for citizenship, cultivating skilled workforce, teaching the cultural literacy, helping to compete in global marketplace. Among all of these objectives " creating more employment opportunities " or " preparing the skilled workforce " is one of the much-talked-about concerns in a number of developing nations. There is a general awareness among the leaders that in order to meet the challenges the educational system must be upgraded. In addition to reforming the whole curriculum and education, system with all advance logistical support is highly demanded too. However, an exploratory survey was conducted for the research to analyze the job possibilities of government owned public university and private university students in Bangladesh after obtaining their graduation. This paper will also incorporate the differences and development of the curriculum, the assistance towards the students provided by the Public and Private universities in Bangladesh, for making the contribution to the society and individual development. In this research, data was collected from a sample of 150 employees and 150 employers of randomly selected different public and private organizations, who involve in the research and administrative jobs. The respondents (employees and employers) include from neophyte to adept, were asked a set of questions to evaluate the reason of being hired in Research and Administrative jobs and the parameter of this selection process for the students from public and private universities set by the employers. Nonetheless, the study will try to present the job market scenario where mostly the students from public university are engaged in the research firms or government organizations, besides the students from private university are in the leading position in the private corporate world. Importantly, the proper mingle of these two types university's (public and private) infrastructure, curriculum and students selection process can change the view of the employers and job involvement. This study is an attempt to examine the multi-variable factors that affecting the employment opportunities for Bangladeshi graduates with specified some suggestions which may be taken into consideration in the policy level for the betterment of the education system for creating more employment and skill development opportunities in Bangladesh.

8th International Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2014

A novel Nearly Zero Dispersion Fiber (NZDF) at operating wavelength is designed having GeO2 doped... more A novel Nearly Zero Dispersion Fiber (NZDF) at operating wavelength is designed having GeO2 doped SiO2 square defected core and investigated with Finite Element Method (FEM) using COMSOL. The proposed PCF shows promising dispersion characteristics (0.0001787ps/km-nm) with very low effective area (3.03μm2) and high non-linear parameter (67.23 W-1 km-1) at 1.55μm, making it suitable candidate for chromatic dispersion controller and nonlinear optical application.

Energy Conversion and Management, 2015

ABSTRACT This study investigates of the production of calophyllum biodiesel (CIBD) from its crude... more ABSTRACT This study investigates of the production of calophyllum biodiesel (CIBD) from its crude oil and provides a comparative analysis of the blends of CIBD (CI20) and GTL fuel (G20) with diesel, including a combined blend (DCIG20) of CIBD, GTL and diesel, in the context of fuel properties, combustion, engine performance and emission characteristics. This combined blend was selected to aggregate the promising properties of the two alternative fuels, which is a pioneer investigation that involves GTL fuel. All of the blends were investigated in a four cylinder compression ignition engine. CIBD and CI20 showed improved fuel properties than their crude oil, and DCIG20 and G20 showed promising properties compared with the biodiesel blend. Combustion analysis showed that the peaks of both in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate (HRR) of G20 were slightly lower and occurred at later crank angles than those of diesel. Unlike G20, the other two blends demonstrated higher peak values of in-cylinder pressure and HRR than diesel, and DCIG20 showed lower peak values than CI20 in both cases. The peak locations of CI20 and DCIG20 were slightly advanced compared to those of diesel. The engine performance test results revealed an increase in brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and low Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) and Brake Specific Energy Consumption (BSEC) in G20. The two other blends showed a decrease in BTE, but an increase in both BSFC and BSEC, when compared with diesel. Emission analysis results showed that all fuel blends exhibited a reduction in CO, HC and smoke emissions compared with diesel. In the case of NOx emission, both CI20 and DCIG20 showed high values, but G20 showed a significant decrease, when compared with diesel. DCIG20 exhibited an improvement in all of the performance–emission test parameters compared with CI20.

Energy Conversion and Management, 2015

RSC Adv., 2014

Gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel is regarded as a promising alternative diesel fuel. It can be used eithe... more Gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel is regarded as a promising alternative diesel fuel. It can be used either directly as a diesel fuel or in blends with petroleum-derived diesel or biodiesel. This study investigated the fuel properties, engine performance and exhaust emissions of B5 diesel, GTL fuel and their blends. The main fuel properties of the blended fuels showed a linear variation with the fraction of GTL fuel in the blend. The density and viscosity of the blends decreased with the addition of GTL fuel, but the flash point, cetane number and calorific value increased. The engine performance test results showed an average increase in power of 1.15-5.18%, but a lower brake-specific fuel consumption (1.11-5.58%) for GTL fuel and its blends compared with B5 diesel alone. The emission analysis results showed that the GTL fuel and its blends had a slight reduction in NO x emissions (2.33-11.3%) and a significant reduction in CO (6.92-21.52%), hydrocarbon (8.62-31.76%) and smoke (12.2-48.88%) emissions compared with B5 diesel. These indicate the potential for the application of B5 diesel-GTL blends.

RSC Advances

Biodiesel can be an effective renewable transportation fuel despite some limitations in propertie... more Biodiesel can be an effective renewable transportation fuel despite some limitations in properties. An experiment was conducted to improve the fuel properties of palm oil derived biodiesel by blending it with coconut oil and jatropha oil derived biodiesel. The MATLAB optimization tool was used to find the optimum blend ratio to achieve overall better fuel properties. The linear relationship among the fuel properties of these three oils was considered for MATLAB coding. The resultant optimum blend ratio and the equations of the MATLAB code were used to predict the fuel property values and compared with the experimental values of the optimum blends of fuel properties. A new biodiesel blend was developed which was an optimum blend of jatropha, palm and coconut biodiesel that demonstrated overall improved fuel properties compared to the individual biodiesels present in the blends. Engine performance and emissions were tested using a 20% blend of each of the biodiesels (jatropha, palm, c...

This Handbook explores some basic principles of banking supervision. First of all, it addresses t... more This Handbook explores some basic principles of banking supervision. First of all, it addresses the general question of why banks need to be supervised, and sets out the basic aims of supervision. It then examines the nature of banking risks. Next, the key areas of prudential supervision are discussed - namely, capital adequacy, liquidity, asset quality, risk concentration, management, and

SAE Technical Papers, 2013

Fossil fuel is depleting due to increase in usage and we are facing energy crises. For us to get ... more Fossil fuel is depleting due to increase in usage and we are facing energy crises. For us to get out of such plight situations, scientists are looking into alternative ways to produce energy that can be attained at low cost and also ecofriendly. Biodiesel can be an effective solution in spite of some limitations to use as fuel because of poor fuel properties. From this point of view, experiment had been conducted to improve fuel properties of palm biodiesel by blending with coconut and jatropha biodiesel. MATLAB optimization tool was used to find out the optimum blend ratio to achieve overall better fuel properties. Linear relationship among the fuel properties was considered for MATLAB coding. The resultant optimum blend ratio and the equations of the MATLAB code were used to predict the fuel properties values and the experimental fuel properties values of the optimum blends were compared with the predicted values. Two new biodiesels were developed which were represented by PC (optimum blend of palm and coconut biodiesel) and JPC (optimum blend of jatropha, palm and coconut biodiesel) that demonstrated improved fuel properties compared to individual biodiesel presented in the blends. Engine performance and emission were tested using 20% blend of each of the biodiesels (Palm, PC and JPC) with petroleum diesel and the engine performance and emission characteristics for the blend of PC and JPC were compared with P20 (blend of 20% palm biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel) and petroleum diesel. Results showed that engine torque was higher at higher BSFC (brake specific fuel consumption) for all of the three blends of biodiesels. JPC20 (blend of 20% JPC biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel) showed the highest engine torque at a BSFC lower than PC20 (blend of 20% PC biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel). P20 showed the lowest emission of CO and smoke where JPC blend showed the lowest emission in case of NO x. However, JPC blend was found to be the best fuel regarding engine performance and emission compared to others fuel blends and petroleum diesel as well.

Advances in Industrial Control, 1997

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2014

Crude oil price hikes, energy security concerns and environmental drivers have turned the focus o... more Crude oil price hikes, energy security concerns and environmental drivers have turned the focus on alternative fuels. Gas to liquid (GTL) diesel is regarded as a promising alternative diesel fuel, considering the adeptness to use directly as a diesel fuel or in blends with petroleumderived diesel or bio-diesel. GTL fuel derived from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is of distinctly different characteristics than fossil diesel fuel due to its paraffinic nature, virtually zero sulfur, low aromatic contents and very high cetane number. GTL fuel is referred to as a "clean fuel" for its inherent ability to reduce engine exhaust emission even with blends of diesel and Biodiesel. This paper illustrates feasibility of GTL fuel in context of comparative fuel properties with conventional diesel and bio-diesels. This review also describes the technical attributes of GTL and its blends with diesel and bio-diesel focusing their impact on engine performance and emission characteristics on the basis of the previous research works. It can introduce an efficacious guideline to devise several blends of alternative fuels, further development of engine performance and to constrain exhaust emission to cope with the relentless efforts to manufacture efficient and environment friendly powertrains.

Phytochemistry, 2011

Phytopathogenic fungi are able to overcome plant chemical defenses through detoxification reactio... more Phytopathogenic fungi are able to overcome plant chemical defenses through detoxification reactions that are enzyme mediated. As a result of such detoxifications, the plant is quickly depleted of its most important antifungal metabolites and can succumb to pathogen attack. Understanding and predicting such detoxification pathways utilized by phytopathogenic fungi could lead to approaches to control plant pathogens. Towards this end, the inhibitory activities and metabolism of the cruciferous phytoalexins camalexin, brassinin, cyclobrassinin, and brassilexin by the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea Pers. (teleomorph: Botryotinia fuckeliana) was investigated. Brassilexin was the most antifungal of the phytoalexins, followed by camalexin, cyclobrassinin and brassinin. Although B. cinerea is a species phylogenetically related to the phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib) de Bary, contrary to S. sclerotiorum, detoxification of strongly antifungal phytoalexins occurred via either oxidative degradation or hydrolysis but not through glucosylation, suggesting that glucosyl transferases are not involved. A strongly antifungal bisindolylthiadiazole that B. cinerea could not detoxify was discovered, which resulted from spontaneous oxidative dimerization of 3-indolethiocarboxamide, a camalexin detoxification product.

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2010

Salt cress (Thellungiella salsuginea also known as T. halophila) is a wild cruciferous extremophi... more Salt cress (Thellungiella salsuginea also known as T. halophila) is a wild cruciferous extremophile highly resistant to salt, drought, and cold. The recent discovery that salt cress produces the phytoalexins wasalexins A and B, and the phytoanticipins 1-methoxyglucobrassicin and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin in relatively higher amounts than other cruciferous species, prompted investigation of their biosynthetic relationships. Toward this end, perdeuterated 1-methoxybrassinin, l-Trp, glucobrassicin, 1-methoxyindolyl-3-acetaldoxime, brassinin, and methionine, as well as the corresponding natural abundance compounds, were administered to salt cress plants previously irradiated with UV-light (λ(max) 254 nm). Remarkably, administration of hexadeuterated glucobrassicin led to incorporation of several deuterium atoms into wasalexins A and B, 1-methoxyglucobrassicin and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin. This unprecedented discovery suggests that glucobrassicin is a biosynthetic precursor of wasalexins and methoxylated glucosinolates in salt cress.

ACS infectious diseases, Jan 9, 2017

Nitric oxide (NO) is a radical diatomic gas molecule that, at low concentrations, plays important... more Nitric oxide (NO) is a radical diatomic gas molecule that, at low concentrations, plays important signaling roles in both eukaryotes and bacteria. In recent years, it has become evident that bacteria respond to low levels of NO in order to modulate their group behavior. Many bacteria respond via NO ligation to a well-established NO sensor called H-NOX (heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding domain). Many others, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, lack an annotated hnoX gene in their genome yet are able to respond to low levels of NO to disperse their biofilms. This suggests the existence of a previously uncharacterized NO sensor. In this study, we describe the discovery of a novel nitric oxide binding protein (NosP; NO-sensing protein), which is much more widely conserved in bacteria than H-NOX, as well as a novel NO-responsive pathway in P. aeruginosa. We demonstrate that biofilms of a P. aeruginosa mutant lacking components of the NosP pathway lose the ability to disperse in response to NO...

Accounts of chemical research, Jan 18, 2017

Bacterial biofilms form when bacteria adhere to a surface and produce an exopolysaccharide matrix... more Bacterial biofilms form when bacteria adhere to a surface and produce an exopolysaccharide matrix ( Costerton Science 1999 , 284 , 1318 ; Davies Science 1998 , 280 , 295 ; Flemming Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2010 , 8 , 623 ). Because biofilms are resistant to antibiotics, they are problematic in many aspects of human health and welfare, causing, for instance, persistent fouling of medical implants such as catheters and artificial joints ( Brunetto Chimia 2008 , 62 , 249 ). They are responsible for chronic infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients and in open wounds, such as those associated with burns and diabetes. They are also a major contributor to hospital-acquired infections ( Sievert Infec. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2013 , 34 , 1 ; Tatterson Front. Biosci. 2001 , 6 , D890 ). It has been hypothesized that effective methods of biofilm control will have widespread application ( Landini Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2010 , 86 , 813 ). A promising strategy is to target the mechan...

Far East Journal of Psychology and Business, 2012

European Journal of Business and Management, 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of working capital management on the perf... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of working capital management on the performance of non-financial companies listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Kenya. The study employed an explanatory non-experimental research design. A census of 42 non-financial companies listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya was taken. The study used secondary panel data contained in the annual reports and financial statements of listed non-financial companies. The data were extracted from the Nairobi Securities Exchange hand books for the period 2006-2012.The study applied panel data models (random effects). Feasible Generalised Least Square (FGLS) regression results revealed that an aggressive financing policy had a significant positive effect on return on assets and return on equity while a conservative investing policy was found to affect performance positively. The study recommended that managers of listed non-financial companies should adopt an aggressive financing policy and a conservative investing policy should be employed to enhance the performance of non-financial companies listed in the NSE, Kenya.

Universal Journal of Food and Nutrition Science, 2015

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments (0.1%KMS, 0.2%KMS, 0.3%KMS and b... more The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments (0.1%KMS, 0.2%KMS, 0.3%KMS and blanching) and drying methods (mechanical drying and solar drying) on the dehydration and rehydration characteristics of carrot. The two drying methods yielded dehydrated products with different dehydration ratio, rehydration ratio, coefficient of reconstitution and moisture content in both the dehydrated and rehydrated materials. It was seen that the drying time has been influenced by pre-treatments and drying methods. Pre-treatments increased drying time (for 0.3%KMS) and higher drying time (for 0.3%KMS) was required in solar drying. Pre-treatment, drying methods and boiling time affected the various rehydration properties. Highest rehydration ratio (3.70) and coefficient of reconstitution (0.48) values were found for 0.1% KMS pre-treated mechanically dried and 0.2% KMS pre-treated solar dried carrots, respectively. Mechanical drying method was found better both for dehydration and rehydration properties for all the pre-treatments for example, 0.1%KMS pre-treated carrot gave coefficient of reconstitution 0.48, while this value was 0.45 for same pre-treatment in solar drying.

Education is considered necessary for multiple purposes and in some cases, which may vary one to ... more Education is considered necessary for multiple purposes and in some cases, which may vary one to another dependent on situation. Nonetheless, it serves according to the objectives and to the relative importance. The objectives of education is not only about preparing students for a specific careers but also it is all about teaching students lifelong values, discipline, and the ability to explore new ideas and to think independently. Over the decades, some points always have been considered the very common purpose of the education: Preparing for citizenship, cultivating skilled workforce, teaching the cultural literacy, helping to compete in global marketplace. Among all of these objectives " creating more employment opportunities " or " preparing the skilled workforce " is one of the much-talked-about concerns in a number of developing nations. There is a general awareness among the leaders that in order to meet the challenges the educational system must be upgraded. In addition to reforming the whole curriculum and education, system with all advance logistical support is highly demanded too. However, an exploratory survey was conducted for the research to analyze the job possibilities of government owned public university and private university students in Bangladesh after obtaining their graduation. This paper will also incorporate the differences and development of the curriculum, the assistance towards the students provided by the Public and Private universities in Bangladesh, for making the contribution to the society and individual development. In this research, data was collected from a sample of 150 employees and 150 employers of randomly selected different public and private organizations, who involve in the research and administrative jobs. The respondents (employees and employers) include from neophyte to adept, were asked a set of questions to evaluate the reason of being hired in Research and Administrative jobs and the parameter of this selection process for the students from public and private universities set by the employers. Nonetheless, the study will try to present the job market scenario where mostly the students from public university are engaged in the research firms or government organizations, besides the students from private university are in the leading position in the private corporate world. Importantly, the proper mingle of these two types university's (public and private) infrastructure, curriculum and students selection process can change the view of the employers and job involvement. This study is an attempt to examine the multi-variable factors that affecting the employment opportunities for Bangladeshi graduates with specified some suggestions which may be taken into consideration in the policy level for the betterment of the education system for creating more employment and skill development opportunities in Bangladesh.

8th International Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2014

A novel Nearly Zero Dispersion Fiber (NZDF) at operating wavelength is designed having GeO2 doped... more A novel Nearly Zero Dispersion Fiber (NZDF) at operating wavelength is designed having GeO2 doped SiO2 square defected core and investigated with Finite Element Method (FEM) using COMSOL. The proposed PCF shows promising dispersion characteristics (0.0001787ps/km-nm) with very low effective area (3.03μm2) and high non-linear parameter (67.23 W-1 km-1) at 1.55μm, making it suitable candidate for chromatic dispersion controller and nonlinear optical application.

Energy Conversion and Management, 2015

ABSTRACT This study investigates of the production of calophyllum biodiesel (CIBD) from its crude... more ABSTRACT This study investigates of the production of calophyllum biodiesel (CIBD) from its crude oil and provides a comparative analysis of the blends of CIBD (CI20) and GTL fuel (G20) with diesel, including a combined blend (DCIG20) of CIBD, GTL and diesel, in the context of fuel properties, combustion, engine performance and emission characteristics. This combined blend was selected to aggregate the promising properties of the two alternative fuels, which is a pioneer investigation that involves GTL fuel. All of the blends were investigated in a four cylinder compression ignition engine. CIBD and CI20 showed improved fuel properties than their crude oil, and DCIG20 and G20 showed promising properties compared with the biodiesel blend. Combustion analysis showed that the peaks of both in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate (HRR) of G20 were slightly lower and occurred at later crank angles than those of diesel. Unlike G20, the other two blends demonstrated higher peak values of in-cylinder pressure and HRR than diesel, and DCIG20 showed lower peak values than CI20 in both cases. The peak locations of CI20 and DCIG20 were slightly advanced compared to those of diesel. The engine performance test results revealed an increase in brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and low Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) and Brake Specific Energy Consumption (BSEC) in G20. The two other blends showed a decrease in BTE, but an increase in both BSFC and BSEC, when compared with diesel. Emission analysis results showed that all fuel blends exhibited a reduction in CO, HC and smoke emissions compared with diesel. In the case of NOx emission, both CI20 and DCIG20 showed high values, but G20 showed a significant decrease, when compared with diesel. DCIG20 exhibited an improvement in all of the performance–emission test parameters compared with CI20.

Energy Conversion and Management, 2015

RSC Adv., 2014

Gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel is regarded as a promising alternative diesel fuel. It can be used eithe... more Gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel is regarded as a promising alternative diesel fuel. It can be used either directly as a diesel fuel or in blends with petroleum-derived diesel or biodiesel. This study investigated the fuel properties, engine performance and exhaust emissions of B5 diesel, GTL fuel and their blends. The main fuel properties of the blended fuels showed a linear variation with the fraction of GTL fuel in the blend. The density and viscosity of the blends decreased with the addition of GTL fuel, but the flash point, cetane number and calorific value increased. The engine performance test results showed an average increase in power of 1.15-5.18%, but a lower brake-specific fuel consumption (1.11-5.58%) for GTL fuel and its blends compared with B5 diesel alone. The emission analysis results showed that the GTL fuel and its blends had a slight reduction in NO x emissions (2.33-11.3%) and a significant reduction in CO (6.92-21.52%), hydrocarbon (8.62-31.76%) and smoke (12.2-48.88%) emissions compared with B5 diesel. These indicate the potential for the application of B5 diesel-GTL blends.

RSC Advances

Biodiesel can be an effective renewable transportation fuel despite some limitations in propertie... more Biodiesel can be an effective renewable transportation fuel despite some limitations in properties. An experiment was conducted to improve the fuel properties of palm oil derived biodiesel by blending it with coconut oil and jatropha oil derived biodiesel. The MATLAB optimization tool was used to find the optimum blend ratio to achieve overall better fuel properties. The linear relationship among the fuel properties of these three oils was considered for MATLAB coding. The resultant optimum blend ratio and the equations of the MATLAB code were used to predict the fuel property values and compared with the experimental values of the optimum blends of fuel properties. A new biodiesel blend was developed which was an optimum blend of jatropha, palm and coconut biodiesel that demonstrated overall improved fuel properties compared to the individual biodiesels present in the blends. Engine performance and emissions were tested using a 20% blend of each of the biodiesels (jatropha, palm, c...

This Handbook explores some basic principles of banking supervision. First of all, it addresses t... more This Handbook explores some basic principles of banking supervision. First of all, it addresses the general question of why banks need to be supervised, and sets out the basic aims of supervision. It then examines the nature of banking risks. Next, the key areas of prudential supervision are discussed - namely, capital adequacy, liquidity, asset quality, risk concentration, management, and

SAE Technical Papers, 2013

Fossil fuel is depleting due to increase in usage and we are facing energy crises. For us to get ... more Fossil fuel is depleting due to increase in usage and we are facing energy crises. For us to get out of such plight situations, scientists are looking into alternative ways to produce energy that can be attained at low cost and also ecofriendly. Biodiesel can be an effective solution in spite of some limitations to use as fuel because of poor fuel properties. From this point of view, experiment had been conducted to improve fuel properties of palm biodiesel by blending with coconut and jatropha biodiesel. MATLAB optimization tool was used to find out the optimum blend ratio to achieve overall better fuel properties. Linear relationship among the fuel properties was considered for MATLAB coding. The resultant optimum blend ratio and the equations of the MATLAB code were used to predict the fuel properties values and the experimental fuel properties values of the optimum blends were compared with the predicted values. Two new biodiesels were developed which were represented by PC (optimum blend of palm and coconut biodiesel) and JPC (optimum blend of jatropha, palm and coconut biodiesel) that demonstrated improved fuel properties compared to individual biodiesel presented in the blends. Engine performance and emission were tested using 20% blend of each of the biodiesels (Palm, PC and JPC) with petroleum diesel and the engine performance and emission characteristics for the blend of PC and JPC were compared with P20 (blend of 20% palm biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel) and petroleum diesel. Results showed that engine torque was higher at higher BSFC (brake specific fuel consumption) for all of the three blends of biodiesels. JPC20 (blend of 20% JPC biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel) showed the highest engine torque at a BSFC lower than PC20 (blend of 20% PC biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel). P20 showed the lowest emission of CO and smoke where JPC blend showed the lowest emission in case of NO x. However, JPC blend was found to be the best fuel regarding engine performance and emission compared to others fuel blends and petroleum diesel as well.

Advances in Industrial Control, 1997

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2014

Crude oil price hikes, energy security concerns and environmental drivers have turned the focus o... more Crude oil price hikes, energy security concerns and environmental drivers have turned the focus on alternative fuels. Gas to liquid (GTL) diesel is regarded as a promising alternative diesel fuel, considering the adeptness to use directly as a diesel fuel or in blends with petroleumderived diesel or bio-diesel. GTL fuel derived from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is of distinctly different characteristics than fossil diesel fuel due to its paraffinic nature, virtually zero sulfur, low aromatic contents and very high cetane number. GTL fuel is referred to as a "clean fuel" for its inherent ability to reduce engine exhaust emission even with blends of diesel and Biodiesel. This paper illustrates feasibility of GTL fuel in context of comparative fuel properties with conventional diesel and bio-diesels. This review also describes the technical attributes of GTL and its blends with diesel and bio-diesel focusing their impact on engine performance and emission characteristics on the basis of the previous research works. It can introduce an efficacious guideline to devise several blends of alternative fuels, further development of engine performance and to constrain exhaust emission to cope with the relentless efforts to manufacture efficient and environment friendly powertrains.

Phytochemistry, 2011

Phytopathogenic fungi are able to overcome plant chemical defenses through detoxification reactio... more Phytopathogenic fungi are able to overcome plant chemical defenses through detoxification reactions that are enzyme mediated. As a result of such detoxifications, the plant is quickly depleted of its most important antifungal metabolites and can succumb to pathogen attack. Understanding and predicting such detoxification pathways utilized by phytopathogenic fungi could lead to approaches to control plant pathogens. Towards this end, the inhibitory activities and metabolism of the cruciferous phytoalexins camalexin, brassinin, cyclobrassinin, and brassilexin by the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea Pers. (teleomorph: Botryotinia fuckeliana) was investigated. Brassilexin was the most antifungal of the phytoalexins, followed by camalexin, cyclobrassinin and brassinin. Although B. cinerea is a species phylogenetically related to the phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib) de Bary, contrary to S. sclerotiorum, detoxification of strongly antifungal phytoalexins occurred via either oxidative degradation or hydrolysis but not through glucosylation, suggesting that glucosyl transferases are not involved. A strongly antifungal bisindolylthiadiazole that B. cinerea could not detoxify was discovered, which resulted from spontaneous oxidative dimerization of 3-indolethiocarboxamide, a camalexin detoxification product.

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2010

Salt cress (Thellungiella salsuginea also known as T. halophila) is a wild cruciferous extremophi... more Salt cress (Thellungiella salsuginea also known as T. halophila) is a wild cruciferous extremophile highly resistant to salt, drought, and cold. The recent discovery that salt cress produces the phytoalexins wasalexins A and B, and the phytoanticipins 1-methoxyglucobrassicin and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin in relatively higher amounts than other cruciferous species, prompted investigation of their biosynthetic relationships. Toward this end, perdeuterated 1-methoxybrassinin, l-Trp, glucobrassicin, 1-methoxyindolyl-3-acetaldoxime, brassinin, and methionine, as well as the corresponding natural abundance compounds, were administered to salt cress plants previously irradiated with UV-light (λ(max) 254 nm). Remarkably, administration of hexadeuterated glucobrassicin led to incorporation of several deuterium atoms into wasalexins A and B, 1-methoxyglucobrassicin and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin. This unprecedented discovery suggests that glucobrassicin is a biosynthetic precursor of wasalexins and methoxylated glucosinolates in salt cress.