019905   Srikanth I;Padmavathi N;Prasad P S R;Ghosal P;Jain R K;Subrahmanyam C H (NO, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad-502 205, Email: i_srikant@yahoo.co.uk) : Effect of high-temperature heat treatment duration on the purity and microstructure of MWCNTs. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 41-6.

The effect of high-temperature heat treatment on purity and structural changes of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were studied by subjecting the raw MWCNTs (pristine MWCNTs) to 2600°C for 60 and 120 min. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study the effect of heat-treatment duration on the purity and structural changes of MWCNTs. Results show that high-temperature heat treatment can be used to purify MWCNTs with proper optimization of treatment time. It was observed that 60 min heat treatment of raw MWCNTs imparts high purity and structural perfection to MWCNTs, while 120 min heat treatment imparts structural degradation to MWCNTs with collapse of the innermost shells. The present study indicates that metal impurities act as moderators in controlling the degradation of MWCNTs up to certain duration, and once the metal impurities escape completely, further heat treatment degrades the structure of MWCNTs.

6 illus, 3 tables, 16 ref

019904   Singh A R;Deshpande V D (Physics Dep, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga, Mumbai-400 019, Email: vd.deshpande@ictmumbai.edu.in) : Processing and characterization of extruded PET and its r-PET and MWCNT nanocomposite thin films by spin coating. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 167-75.

The objective of the present study was basic understanding of the formation of thin film morphology by spin coating using reorganized polyethylene terephthalate (r-PET) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as fillers in PET. A study of the correlation between physical properties of the PET films and its surface morphology was carried out using atomic force microscopy-based power spectral density (PSD) analysis. No significant work of surface analysis, using PSD of thin films of PET has been reported till date. Dilute solution of PET, PET with 3 wt% (r-PET) and PET with 3 wt% (2 wt% r-PET + 1 wt% MWCNT) filler were prepared using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as a solvent and thin films were fabricated on glass substrate by the optimized spin coating technique. Preparation of r-PET and r-PET + MWCNT fillers was obtained by the precipitation method using TFA as a solvent and acetone as an antisolvent. The samples before spin coating were extruded and for comparison, a film of non-extruded PET was also prepared. Structural studies by Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction show higher degree of crystallinity in r-PET and decrease in chain entanglements. Owing to the crystallizing behaviour of r-PET, it allows better dispersion of MWCNT in the polymer matrix as compared with PET. The samples with fillers of MWCNT show more compact and unique mesh-like globular structure, indicating application for electromagnetic shielding foams and fibres.

8 illus, 3 tables, 29 ref

019903   Sidorenko S A;Panchenko I A (NO, The National Mineral Resources Univ (Mining Univ), 2, 21 line, Saint-Petersburg, 199106, Russia) : Substantiation of parameters to the technology of mining thick flat beds by underground method with splitting the bed into two. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2015, 12(3), 2921-8.

The main aim of the research was to study rational schemes of placing and fastening mine workings of the second layer in course of using a layerwise system of coal beds development. The prospects of developing thick flat coal beds in the Kuznetsk coal basin of the Russian Federation have been considered. It has been shown that in mining beds 7-10 m thick with the use of long wall minings, a layerwise development system with splitting the bed into two followed by processing the beds top-down has become widespread. The problem of the second layer mine opening stability has been considered. The possibility of using the finite element method for solving the problems of mining geomechanics has be substantiated, in particular, for studying the stress-strain state of the rock massif in the vicinity of the mine openings of coal mines. Mining-and-geomechanical models and calculation schemes have been presented for solving the task of determining the influence of the overworking (working of the first layer) on the status of zonal developing workings of the bottom beds. The results of study with the use of the finite element stress-strain state of rock massif have been shown. Diagrams of stress distribution in the area of bearing pressure ahead of the working have been presented. With regard to the stress state of the bottom bed, recommendations have been given about choosing the location of the workings. By results of computer simulation, conclusions have been made about the influence of various factors on stability of local workings of the second layer of the coal bed.

4 illus, 20 ref

019902   Shirkin L A;Trifonova T A;Roshchina S I (NO, Vladimir State Univ, Russia, 600000, Vladimir, Gorky Street, 87.) : Development and simulation of an anaerobic bioreactor of a solid domestic waste landfill in order to forecast the leachate transportation and safe salt accumulation in the landfill body. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2015, 12(3), 2209-20.

The goal of the study was to evaluate the stability of the natural-technical system of an SDW landfill through the development of an imitation model of an anaerobic bioreactor of the SDW landfill and computational simulation of the processes of formation, transportation and accumulation of contaminated leachate during the infiltration of the brines of liquid effluents for the purposes of geo-ecological substantiation of safe disposal of "tails" (non-utilizable highly concentrated liquid effluents) at the landfill. With the example of one of the SDW landfills of the Vladimir Region we came up with new solutions and obtained new data: 1) on the time during which the maximum increase of salt concentration in the drainage system leachate will be detected after the start of the concentrate infiltration into the landfill body; 2) on the limiting volumes (amounts) of non-utilizable liquid effluents disposal, which the landfill body can take; 3) on the forecasting conditions of salts accumulation in the landfill body and in the leachate.

4 illus, 23 ref

019901   Sharma R;Chaturvedi V (NO, , ) : Multi- response optimization of process parameter of spark erosion electric discharge machining using principal component analysis coupled with topsis. J expl appl Mech 2015, 6(2), 70-80.

Electric Discharge Machining (EDM) is a thermo-electric non-traditional machining process in which material removal takes place through the process of controlled spark generation between a pair of electrodes submerged in a dielectric fluid. Due to difficulty in the availability of EDM, it is very complicated to determine optimal process parameters for improving performance. Therefore, optimization of process parameters is an important action in machining, especially for nontraditional machining procedures like EDM. Due to wide range proper selection of process parameters for the EDM process it heavily depends on the operator's technologies and experience. The Machining parameters cannot meet the operator's requirements which are given by the machine tool manufacturer. Therefore they are not able to give the optimal conditions. To solve this problem multi-response optimization technique of principal component analysis coupled with TOPSIS are used to determine the optimal machining parameters in spark erosion electric discharge machine. To conduct the experiments die steel is taken as material of the work piece and copper is taken as the material of electrode. In this present work input parameters such as current, voltage, pulse on time and pulse off time considered as a control variable and performance characteristics surface finish (Ra), material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear rate (TWR) have been studied to get the optimal machining parameters. Here for four control factors and four level, L16 orthogonal array was used for experimental run. Finally the confirmation test is carried out to check the validity of optimization technique.

019900   Sharma P K;Abgaze T A (Civil Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee-247 667, Email: drpksharma07@gmail.com) : Solute transport through porous media using asymptotic dispersivity. Sadhana 2015, 40(5), 1595-1609.

In this paper, multiprocess non-equilibrium transport equation has been used, which accounts for both physical and chemical non-equilibrium for reactive transport through porous media. An asymptotic distance dependent dispersivity is used to embrace the concept of scale-dependent dispersion for solute transport in heterogeneous porous media. Semi-analytical solution has been derived of the governing equations with an asymptotic distance dependent dispersivity by using Laplace transform technique and the power series method. For application of analytical model, we simulated observed experimental breakthrough curves from 1500 cm long soil column experiments conducted in the laboratory. The simulation results of breakthrough curves were found to deviate from the observed breakthrough curves for both mobile-immobile and multiprocess non-equilibrium transport with constant dispersion models. However, multiprocess non-equilibrium with an asymptotic dispersion model gives better fit of experimental breakthrough curves through long soil column and hence it is more useful for describing anomalous solute transport through heterogeneous porous media. The present model is simpler than the stochastic numerical method.

5 illus, 3 tables, 41 ref

019899   Sharma A;Chaturvedi V;Gaur M K (NO, , ) : Optimization of process parameters of two way abrasive flow machining grey relational analysis coupled with principle component analysis. J expl appl Mech 2015, 6(2), 44-56.

Now a days as the advancement of technology is increasing rapidly, expectation of human, from industry also increased. To fulfil these expectations new technologies are coming into existence. In this regard unconventional machining processes are playing an important role. Abrasive flow machining is a non-traditional finishing process used for finishing parts with predominantly irregular geometry. In AFM, material removal and surface finish takes place by flowing visco elastic abrasive carrier across the surface to be machined. The media (carrier+abrasive) is the key element in the process because of its ability to precisely abrade the selected area along its flow path. In this study an attempt is made to develop an optimum level of process parameters by using grey relational analysis coupled with principle component analysis. A work piece made of brass having inner diameter 7.7 mm, outer diameter 10 mm and length 17.2 mm is machined in this experimental work. Result shows the effect of various input parameters on material removal rate, surface roughness and find out a set of parametric combination which is optimum.

019898   Serov S F;Efremov V V;Naumov A A;Kapko D V (NO, , JSC "TSNIIPROMZDANII", Russia, 127238, Moscow, Dmitrovskoe shosse, 46/2) : On certain aspects of development of effective adaptive ventilation system. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2015, 12(3), 3073-8.

Adaptive ventilation systems or demand controlled ventilation systems allow to adjust performance of a system, while maintaining acceptable or optimum parameters of comfort in serviced spaces and rooms, which allows to save energy resources according to actual demand of a serviced building. At stages of design and installation of variable volume ventilation systems a number of issues, which can increase their energy efficiency, are not taken into account. They are as follows: a) increase of transmission heat loss through walls ofair ducts with decrease of airflow; b) adequacy of airflow adjustment at a fan in regard to load, decrease of negative effect of flow redistribution between all spaces in a case of a decrease of demand in one of spaces; c) efficient placement of primary load sensors in spaces; d) efficiency of placement of air distributors, limiting value of overcooling of air depending on layout of an air distribution system. The presented paper discusses those issues and gives recommendations for prevention of the mentioned negative effects.

1 illus, 3 tables, 14 ref

019897   Sengupta D;Saha G (Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721 302, Email: debapriya_20oct@yahoo.co.in) : Identification of the major language families of India and evaluation of their mutual influence. Curr Sci 2016, 110(4), 667-81.

A language family is a group of languages which have descended from a common mother language. Since the ancestor is common, these languages are expected to be similar in some respect and manifest the similarity in scientific experiments. In language identification, language-specific features are extracted from speech and a model is created which represents the language. This work extends the language identification framework to capture features common to language families and create models which can efficiently represent the language families. Mel frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) and speech signal-based frequency cepstral coefficient (SFCC) are used as primary feature extraction tools. A combination of these along with shifted delta coefficient (SDC) gives the final set of features. The work uses Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and support vector machines (SVM) as modelling tools. Different combinations of these feature extraction and modelling techniques are used to get four different systems: MFCC + SDC + GMM, SFCC + SDC + GMM, MFCC + SDC + SVM and SFCC + SDC + SVM. Experiments with these systems show that the language families can be identified with reasonable accuracy. Further, the work tests the influence of one language family on the other and finds that in most cases, the languages which are spoken in areas lying on the boundary of two families are more influenced by the other family. A deviation from it can relate to geopolitical isolation of two neighbouring regions and thus can give new insights or corroborate investigations of historians.

14 illus, 8 tables, 30 ref

019896   Satish Kumar T;Subramanian R;Shalini S;Angelo P C (Metallurgical Engineering Dep, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore-641 004, Email: angelopsg@gmail.com) : Age hardening behavior of Al-Si-Mg alloy matrix/ zircon and alumina hybrid composite. J scient ind Res 2016, 75(2), 89-94.

In the present study Al-Si-Mg alloy matrix/hybrid composite reinforced with zircon and alumina particles were produced by stir casting technique. The composites were synthesized with varying wt % of zircon and alumina particles, limiting the total wt % to 15. Cast samples were solution treated at a temperature of 540°C for 3 hours in an electrical resistance furnace. The aging behaviour of age hardenable Al-Si-Mg alloy and the composites were examined by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Microhardness measurement was carried out on both the unreinforced alloy and as well as the composites. The addition of reinforcement particles was found to accelerate the aging response of the composites by reducing the time to attain the peak hardness.

4 illus, 3 tables, 19 ref

019895   Saravanan V;Thyla P R;Balakrishanan S R (Mechanical Engineering Dep, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore-641 004, Email: saravanan.varatharaj@gmail.com) : A low cost, light weight cenosphere-aluminium composite for brake disc application. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 299-305.

The commonly used composite material for brake rotor consists of silicon carbide (SiC) or aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) particles which are more expensive. The weight of conventionally used composite is more compared to base alloy. The aim of this paper is to develop a light weight material for brake disc applications thereby substituting base alloy and conventional composite. This analysis led to 10 vol% cenosphere reinforced aluminium alloy (AA) 6063 composite as the most appropriate material for brake disc. To ensure the manufacturability of composite, composite brake rotor was casted using the sand casting technique and was machined to achieve the final component. Thermal capability of brake disc was ensured by studying temperature variation through vehicle testing procedure of disc brake. Cost reduction is one of the important benefit acquired using cenosphere reinforced composite. This was ensured by cost estimation and analysis. The cost estimated to manufacture the AA6063 brake disc was compared with composite cost.

9 illus, 7 tables, 21 ref

019894   Samadaei F;Salami Kalajahi M;Roghani Mamaqani H (Polymer Engineering Dep, Sahand Univ of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Tabriz, Iran, Email: m.salami@sut.ac.ir) : Radical coupling of maleic anhydride onto graphite to fabricate oxidized graphene nanolayers. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 229-34.

Radical coupling was used to modify graphite with maleic anhydride (MAH). Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as radical generator activated MAH radically and it was reacted with defects at the surface of nanolayers. A set of batches with different reaction times (24, 48 and 72 h) were performed to obtain fully-modified nanolayers (GMA1, GMA2 and GMA3, respectively). Fourier transform infrared results approved the synthesis of MAH-grafted graphite. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that 5.9, 11.1 and 13.2 wt% of MAH was grafted onto the surface of GMA1, GMA2 and GMA3, respectively, and that was approved by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results. Also, X-ray diffraction patterns showed that d-spacing increased from 0.34 nm for graphite to 1.00 nm for all modified samples. However, GMA1 showed a weak peak related to graphite structure that disappeared when reaction time was increased. After modification with MAH, lamella flake structure of graphite was retained whereas the edges of sheets became distinguishable as depicted by scanning electron microscopy images. According to Raman spectra, modification progression resulted in more disorder structure of nanolayers due to grafting of MAH. Also, transmission electron microscopy images showed graphite as transparent layers while after modification, surface of nanolayers became folded due to the opposite effects of p-conjugated domains and electrostatic repulsion of oxygen-containing groups.

8 illus, 35 ref

019893   Sahay S B;Meghasyam T;Roy R K;Pooniwala G; Chilamkurthy S;Gadre V (NO, Military Institute of Technology, Girinagar, Pune-411 025, Email: sbsahay1@yahoo.com) : Parameter estimaation of linear and quadratic chirps by employing the fractional fourier transform and a generalized time frequency transform. Sadhana 2015, 40(4), 1049-75.

This paper is targeted towards a general readership in signal processing. It intends to provide a brief tutorial exposure to the Fractional Fourier Transform, followed by a report on experiments performed by the authors on a Generalized Time Frequency Transform (GTFT) proposed by them in an earlier paper. The paper also discusses the extension of the uncertainty principle to the GTFT. This paper discusses some analytical results of the GTFT. We identify the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the GTFT. The time shift property of the GTFT is discussed. The paper describes methods for estimation of parameters of individual chirp signals on receipt of a noisy mixture of chirps. A priori knowledge of the nature of chirp signals in the mixture - linear or quadratic is required, as the two proposed methods fall in the category of model-dependent methods for chirp parameter estimation.

11 illus, 3 tables, 14 ref

019892   Roselin J;Latha P (Computer Science Engineering Dep, Regional Office, Anna Univ Tirunelveli Region, Tamil Nadu, Email: roselin.js@auttvl.ac.in) : Energy efficient coverage using artificial bee colony optimization in wireless sensor networks. J scient ind Res 2016, 75(1), 19-27.

In mission critical applications, all critical points (CPs) are to be monitored effectively. Even a single node failure in the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) may cause coverage hole, reducing the lifetime of the network. The sensor has non-rechargeable battery which makes energy supervision inevitable. The proposed Energy Efficient Coverage based Artificial Bee Colony Optimization (EEC-ABC) approach exploits intelligent foraging behaviour of honeybee swarm to solve Energy Efficient Coverage (EEC) problem, and thereby maximizes the network's life time. It adheres to Quality of Service (QoS) metrics such as coverage, residual energy and life time. The simulation results demonstrated effectiveness of the residual energy and coverage in enhancing network lifetime.

2 illus, 2 tables, 18 ref

019891   Rastgoo H;Azadi S (Biomedical Engineering Dep, Semnan Univ, Semnan, Iran, Email: sazadi@semnan.ac.ir) : Improving decoding of the mental activity in BCI systems using overlapping FBCSP. J scient ind Res 2016, 75(2), 95-99.

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is an external channel from brain to the human organs. Therefore, BCI facilitate the disabled people to move their limbs. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is one of BCI recording signals which has high temporal resolution with low spatial resolution. Some researchers proposed common spatial filters to overcome the spatial resolution deficiency. However, these filters are highly sensitive to the CSP frequency band and, may decline the BCI performance. Many researchers increased the BCI performance by using filter bank CSP. They utilized a bank of band-pass filters to separate CSP in each band. However selecting of the number and the range of each frequency band becomes troubles ome.In this research work we utilized FBCSP with flexible overlapping frequency bands to enhance the decoding mental activities performance. The simulation results indicate that our proposed technique provides better classification performance (k=0.62 with respect to the best k=0.57 for the winner).

3 illus, 1 table, 14 rwef

019890   Rasouli M;Ajabshirchi Y;Mousavi S M;Nosrati M;Yaghmaei S (Biosystem Engineering Dep, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Tahriz Univ, Tabriz, Iran, Email: m.rasouli@tabrizu.ac.ir) : Process optimization and modeling of anaerobic digestion of cow manure for enhanced biogas yield in a mixed plug-flow reactor using response surface methodology. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2015, 12(3), 2333-44.

Pilot scale experiments were performed on the digestion of dairy cow manure in a semi-continuous process using a mixed plug flow reactor (MPFR) to determine the effects of organic loading rate (OLR), temperature and mixing levels on production biogas and methane yield. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for the design and analysis of experiments with the optimization of OLR, temperature and mixing level during the biogas production process. Experiments were designed as per the central composite design technique. Four cubic mathematical models were derived for prediction of the responses. The optimization study has been carried out to identify the highest yields achievable when the factors temperature and mixing are minimized. In process optimization, maximum values of biogas production and methane yield were achieved as 0.570 m³/m³ day and 0.113 m³/kgVS added, respectively, with an OLR of 3.15 kgVS/m³ day, temperature of 37.66 °C and mixing regime of 20.32 rpm for 10 min per 2 hours.

6 illus, 6 tables, 35 ref

019889   Rao K B;Anoop M B;Muralidhara S;Prasad B K R (NO, CSIR-SERC, CSIR Campus, Taramani, Chennai-600 113) : Handling large variations in mechanics: Some applications. Sadhana 2015, 40(5), 1579-94.

There is a need to use probability distributions with power-law decaying tails to describe the large variations exhibited by some of the physical phenomena. The Weierstrass Random Walk (WRW) shows promise for modeling such phenomena. The theory of anomalous diffusion is now well established. It has found number of applications in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. However, its applications are limited in structural mechanics in general, and structural engineering in particular. The aim of this paper is to present some mathematical preliminaries related to WRW that would help in possible applications. In the limiting case, it represents a diffusion process whose evolution is governed by a fractional partial differential equation. Three applications of superdiffusion processes in mechanics, illustrating their effectiveness in handling large variations, are presented.

11 illus, 1 table, 24 ref

019888   Ramesh M;Nijanthan S (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Sri Sai Ram Engineering College, Chennai-600 044, Email: mramesh97@gmail.com) : Mechanical property analysis fo kenaf-glass fibre reinforced polymer composites using finite element analysis. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 147-57.

Nowadays, natural fibres are used as a reinforcing material in polymer composites, owing to severe environmental concerns. Among many different types of natural resources, kenaf plants have been extensively exploited over the past few years. In this experimental study, partially eco-friendly hybrid composites were fabricated by using kenaf and glass fibres with two different fibre orientations of 0° and 90°. The mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural and impact strengths of these composites have been evaluated. From the experiment, it was observed that the composites with the 0° fibre orientation can withstand the maximum tensile strength of 49.27 MPa, flexural strength of 164.35 MPa, and impact strength of 6 J. Whereas, the composites with the 90° fibre orientation hold the maximum tensile strength of 69.86 MPa, flexural strength of 162.566 MPa and impact strength of 6.66 J. The finite element analysis was carried out to analyse the elastic behaviour of the composites and to predict the mechanical properties by using NX Nastran 9.0 software. The experimental results were compared with the predicted values and a high correlation between the results was observed. The morphology of the fractured surfaces of the composites was analysed using a scanning electron microscopy analysis. The results indicated that the properties were in the increasing trend and comparable with pure synthetic fibre reinforced composites, which shows the potential for hybridization of kenaf fibre with glass fibre.

20 illus, 2 table, 37 ref

019887   Ramadevi D;Raju G S N (Electronics and Communication Engineering Dep, Maharaj Vijayram Gajapathi Raj College of Engineering, Vizianagaram, Andhar Pradesh, Email: ramasushmi@yahoo.co.in) : Generation of difference patterns from thinned arrays using genetic algorithm. J scient ind Res 2016, 75(1), 9-13.

In tracking radar systems, it is essential to locate the target with high accuracy. When the target is placed exactly in the null between the two principal lobes of a difference pattern, its angular location can be determined with high accuracy. The general way of obtaining a difference pattern is to excite the array with a bi phasal distribution where one half of the distribution is in phase while the other half is out of phase. Array thinning can be used to generate low side lobe difference patterns for tracking applications. In the present work thinning of linear arrays for generating low side lobe difference patterns using Genetic algorithm was carried out. From the simulation results we found that optimized patterns are characterized by lowest possible side lobes with a deep null in the bore sight direction. These types of patterns are useful for array designers for angular tracking RADAR and point to point communication applications with reduced EMI.

3 illus, 1 table, 17 ref

019886   Raja Ratna S;Ravi R (Information and Communication Engineering Dep, Anna Univ, Chennai-600 025, Email: gracelinrr@yahoo.com) : Securing jammed network using reliability behavior value through neuro-fuzzy analysis. Sadhana 2015, 40(4), 1139-53.

Wireless multi-hop networks are often exposed to serious physical layer jamming attack. In this attack, the jammer node corrupts the packet by injecting high level of noise and keeps the channel busy and thus blocks the legitimate communication. If multiple jammers collude together, this attack will become very severe. To prevent this attack, a simple yet effective Reliability Behavior Neuro-Fuzzy system has been proposed and it operates in three modules. In module one, each route node obtains its behavior value from the route path and neighboring paths using direct and indirect behavior observations. In module two, based on the behavior value, three factor identification methods have been presented to identify the reliability value of nodes. In module three, using the reliability value the route nodes are level positioned and classified into groups by a neuro-fuzzy classifier. By simulation studies, it is observed that the proposed scheme significantly not only identifies misbehaving nodes with higher detection rate and lower false positive and but also achieves higher network throughput and lower jamming throughput.

6 illus, 4 tables, 25 ref

019885   Pradeep Kumar S P;Babu Raj E (NO, St. Peter's Univ, Chennai, Tamilnadu, Email: predeepphdcse@gmail.com) : Robust and efficient driver monitoring system using a synthesis of facial features of biosignals. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2015, 12(3), 2845-51.

Monitoring the driver's state of consciousness and fatigue is exclusively important to reduce the number of traffic accidents. We have proposed a collective data fusion method for checking driver safety levels by combining eye features and Heart rate Variability (HRV). Fatigue behavior was determined via facial image processing using Matlab as a tool. After detecting the face, the location of the eyes will be detected using the duration of eye closure, and the frequency of eye blinks. It is used as a distinctive characteristic to judge whether a driver is drowsy or not. General duration of closure is 0.15 to 0.25 seconds. Initially the HRV analysis was accomplished by acquiring Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal through non-intrusive ECG sensors wrapped on to the steering wheel followed by filtering noises and we have calculated pulse rate via peak detection using LabVIEW. If there are any abnormal signs found in the ECG of the driving person then the patient is wide-open to have a second order attack. The corresponding heart rate is sent as an alert SMS to the medical practitioner by microcontroller through GSM modem.

6 illus, 4 tables, 19 ref

019884   Prabhu S;Cheirmadurai K;Raghava Rao J; Thanikaivelan P (NO, Central Leather Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industri, Adyar, Chennai-600 020, Email: thanik8@yahoo.com) : Glycine functionalized alumina nanoparticles stabilize collagen in ethanol medium. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 223-8.

The synthesis of glycine functionalized Al₂O₃ nanoparticles (Gly@Al₂O₃) by a simple two-step process employing sucrose as a template was reported. The functionalization of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles with glycine was confirmed by Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The interaction of Gly@Al₂O₃ nanoparticles with collagen fibres was demonstrated using HRSEM, EDX, differential scanning calorimetry and FT-IR analysis. The thermal stability of collagen is enhanced to 74°C upon interaction with Gly@Al₂O₃ nanoparticles thereby suggesting applications in leather making, biomedicine and cosmetic fields.

6 illus, 25 ref

019883   Potemkin D A;Trushko O V (NO, The National Mineral Resources Univ (The Mining Univ), Russia, 199106, Saint Petersburg, 21-st Line V.O., 2) : Mechanisms of formation of displacement zones in soil mass during construction of urban inclined transport tunnels. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2015, 12(3), 3079-89.

The presented paper discusses the results of mathematical simulation of construction of a city's transport facility using the example of the inclined escalator tunnel of the Vasileostrovskaya subway station of the Saint Petersburg subway. The study focuses on the mechanisms of formation of zone of displacements caused by tunneling in soil mass, in particular, subsidence of earth surface (so-called subsidence trough), which can cause undesirable influence on a city's buildings and structures. The paper presents qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the simulation results.

12 illus, 3 tables, 21 ref

019882   Petrosov D A;Lomazov V A;Matorin S L; Dobrunova A I;Lomazova V I (NO, Belgorod State Agricultural Univ named after V. Gorin Russia, 308503, Belgorod region, pos. Mayskiy, ul. Vavilova 1) : Evolutionary synthesis of large discrete systems with dynamic structure. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2015, 12(3), 2971-81.

The article discusses the issue of development of method for structural synthesis of large discrete systems with predetermined behavior and dynamic structure. This is aided by combined approach to development of structural synthesis based on simulation modeling, evolutionary methods and mathematical apparatus of Petri nets. The developed evolutionary procedures of system structural synthesis makes it possible to carry out structural synthesis in accordance with predetermined behavior not only by selection of components from elemental base but also by variation of inter-component couplings. The work proposes to apply genetic algorithms adapted to solution of problem of structural synthesis using nested Petri nets. The system component base applied for the synthesis procedure is expressed in the form of models based on Petri nets, the system models obtained by synthesis are estimated by computational experiment, that is, launching of the obtained system models by supplying of vector tuple to the model input and comparison of the tuple from the model output with reference one. Upon adaptation of genetic algorithm for operation with multi-component couplings it is proposed to highlight a separate layer of inter-component bus.

12 illus, 22 ref

019881   Pethaiah S S;Arunkumar J;Ramos M;Al-Jumaily A;Manivannan N (Technische Univ Munchen, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise, 1 CREATE Way, Singapore-138 602, Singapore, Email: sundar.pethaiah@tum-create.edu.sg) : Impact of anode design on fuel crossover of direct ethanol fuel cell. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 273-8.

Direct-ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) hold a promising future owing to its simple balance of plant operation and potential high-energy density. The significant challenges associated with it is the fuel crossover, which limits its performance and durability. In the present work, Pt-Pd nanocomposites were fused so as to find its impact on the anode design of DEFC. The current paper aimed to address these issues optimally and it also investigated the ethanol crossover by various electrochemical characterization techniques.

9 illus, 20 ref

019880   Panwar S S;Patro T U;Balsubramanian K; Venkataraman B (NO, Defence Research and Development Lab, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad-500 058, Email: panwardiat40@gmail.com) : High-temperature stability of yttria-stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coating on niobium alloy-C-103. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 321-9.

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) of different thicknesses with an intermediate bond coat were deposited on C-103 Nb alloy using the air plasma spraying technique. The coatings were subjected to rapid infra-red (IR) heating (<126>25°C s^-1) up to <126>1250°C and exposed up to 100 s at this temperature with heat flux varying from 55 to 61 W cm^-2. The TBCs were found to be stable and intact after the heat treatment. In contrast, at the same conditions, the uncoated C-103 alloy specimen showed extensive oxidation followed by weight loss due to spallation. A maximum temperature drop of <126>200° was observed on the opposite side of the coated alloy with 600 μm YSZ coat; as against negligible temperature drop in case of bare alloy specimen. The temperature drop was found to increase with the coating thickness of YSZ. The coatings before and after IR heating were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis, microhardness and residual stress measurements in order to understand the effect of thermal shock on the properties of the TBC. On account of these high-temperature properties, YSZ coating along with the bond coat is expected to find potential thermal barrier coating system on niobium alloys for supersonic vehicles.

12 illus, 1 table, 24 ref

019879   Panigrahy D;Sahu P K (Electrical Engineering Dep, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela-769 008, Email: damo.3093@gmail.com) : Extraction of fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) by extended state kalman filtering and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) based on single channel abdominal recording. Sadhana 2015, 40(4), 1091-104.

Fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) gives information about the health status of fetus and so, an early diagnosis of any cardiac defect before delivery increases the effectiveness of appropriate treatment. In this paper, authors investigate the use of adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) with extended Kalman filter for fetal ECG extraction from one ECG signal recorded at the abdominal areas of the mother's skin. The abdominal ECG is considered to be composite as it contains both mother's and fetus' ECG signals. We use extended Kalman filter framework to estimate the maternal component from abdominal ECG. The maternal component in the abdominal ECG signal is a nonlinear transformed version of maternal ECG. ANFIS network has been used to identify this nonlinear relationship, and to align the estimated maternal ECG signal with the maternal component in the abdominal ECG signal. Thus, we extract the fetal ECG component by subtracting the aligned version of the estimated maternal ECG from the abdominal signal. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique in extracting the fetal ECG component from abdominal signal at different noise levels. The proposed technique is also validated on the extraction of fetal ECG from both actual abdominal recordings and synthetic abdominal recording.

11 illus, 1 table, 29 ref

019878   Pandey S K;Mukherjee S (Discipline of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore-452 003, Email: saurabh.rjit@gmail.com) : Bias-dependent photo-detection of dual-ion beam sputtered MgZnO thin films. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 307-13.

The structural, morphological, elemental and electrical properties of MgZnO thin films, grown on p-Si (001) substrates by dual-ion beam sputtering deposition (DIBSD) system at different substrate temperatures were thoroughly investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of MgZnO film exhibited crystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure with the preferred (002) crystal orientation. The full-width at half-maximum of the (002) plane was the narrowest with a value of 0.226° from MgZnO film grown at 400°C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the substitution of Zn²⁺ by Mg²⁺ in MgZnO thin films and the absence of MgO phase. Correlation between calculated crystallite size, as evaluated from XRD measurements, and room-temperature carrier mobility, as obtained from Hall measurements, was established. Current-voltage characteristics of MgZnO thin films were carried out under the influence of dark and light illumination conditions and corresponding values of photosensitivity were calculated. MgZnO film grown at 100°C exhibited the highest photosensitivity of 1.62. Compared with one of the best-reported values of photosensitivity factor from ZnO-material-based films available in the literature, briefly, <126>3.085-fold improved photosensitivity factor at the same bias voltage (2 V) was obtained.

7 illus, 1 table, 38 ref

019877   Pandey B P;Kumar V (Electronic and Communication Dep, GLA Univ, Mathura-281 406, Email: pandey.bramha@gmail.com) : Structural and electronic property calculations of In_xGa_1-xAs alloy based on electron potentials from first-principle theory. Indian J pure appl Phys 2016, 54(1), 66-72.

First-principle calculation has been performed to study the structural and electronic properties of binary GaAs and InAs semiconductors and their alloy In_xGa_1-xAs using projector augmented wave (PAW) and PAW+U techniques, based on all electron (AE) potentials. The effect of composition x of indium (In) on equilibrium lattice constant (α₀), bulk modulus (B₀) and pressure derivative of bulk modulus (B₀') have been investigated using local density approximation (LDA), PAW and PAW+U techniques. The values of bandgap (E_g) of GaAs, InAs and In_xGa_1-xAs have been calculated from these methods. The structural and electronic parameters α₀, B₀ and E_g have been found to be nonlinear with alloy composition x. The calculated values are compared with the experimental values and the values reported by different researchers. A fairly good agreement has been obtained between them.

8 illus, 34 ref

019876   Om Prakash;Makinde O D;Devendra Kumar;Dwivedi Y K (School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Galgotias Univ, Greater Noida, Gautam Budh Nagar, Email: op-ibs@rediffmail.com) : Heat transfer to MHD oscillatory dusty fluid flow in a channel filled with a porous medium. Sadhana 2015, 40(4), 1273-82.

In this paper, we examine the combined effects of thermal radiation, buoyancy force and magnetic field on oscillatory flow of a conducting optically thin dusty fluid through a vertical channel filled with a saturated porous medium. The governing partial differential equations are obtained and solved analytically by variable separable method. Numerical results depicting the effects of various embedded parameters like radiation number, Hartmann number and Grashof number on dusty fluid velocity profiles, temperature profiles, Nusselt number and skin friction coefficient are presented graphically and discussed qualitatively.

6 illus, 20 ref

019875   Nitin Sankar;Reddy M N;Krishna Prasad R (Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Dep, Centre of Excellence in Advanced Materials & Green Technology, Amrita, Ettimadai, Coimabatorwe-641 112, Email: rkprasad_cbe@rediffmail.com ) : Carbon nanotubes dispersed polymer nanocomposites: mechanical, electrical, thermal properties and surface morphology. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 47-55.

The various properties and surface morphology of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersed polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) matrix were studied to determine their usefulness in various applications. The tensile strength, Young's modulus and electrical breakdown strength of CNT/polymer composites were 0.35 MPa, 1.2 MPa and 8.1 kV, respectively. The thermal conductivity and dielectric constant for the material having 4.28 wt% CNT were 0.225 W m^-1 K^-1 and 2.329, respectively. The CNT/polymer composites are promising functional composites with improved mechanical and electrical properties. The scanning electron microscope analysis of surface morphology of PDMS/CNT composite showed that the rough surface texture on nanocomposite has large surface area with circular pores. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the functional groups present in polymer nanocomposite.

15 illus, 2 tables, 29 ref

019874   Nagarajan R;Dhanasekaran R (EEE Dep, Syed Ammal Engineering College, Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, Email: nagarajansr@gmail.com) : Fault-tolerant wireless communication system for process control in wind power stations. J scient ind Res 2016, 75(1), 51-5.

Industrial automation networks (IANs) involve the control system that communicates with the sensors to collect process-related data. To ensure proper control, the control system acts on the physical variables measured by issuing the commands or signals that activate relays, solenoids, motors, and actuators. The implementation of the control system for a wind power station is a time-consuming process. Hence, to speed up the project implementation with reduced cost and maintenance, a fault-tolerant wireless system for wind power stations that employs a wireless protocol, ZigBee is proposed. This wireless protocol can establish a two-way communication between the field devices and the base station. The sensor nodes in IAN may fail due to the energy depletion, hardware failures, etc. Hence, fault tolerance is an important issue to be addressed in IANs. Moreover, the reliability of the IANs is also affected by the sensor node fault. The proposed work aims at designing and developing a low-cost fault-tolerant wireless communication system for the process control of wind power stations.

3 illus, 15 ref

019873   Muthulingam S;Rao B N (Civil Engineering Dep, SSN College of Engineering, Kalavakkam-603 110, Email: bnrao@iitm.ac.in ) : Numerical assessment of non-uniform corrosion scenarios of rebar in concrete exposed to natural chloride environment. Sadhana 2015, 40(4), 1313-41.

Corrosion of embedded rebars is a classical deterioration mechanism that remains as one of the most significant problems limiting the service life of concrete structures exposed to chloride-laden environments. The primary objective of this study is to propose and verify a numerical framework that can efficiently quantify non-uniform corrosion penetration depth along the perimeter of the rebar in concrete exposed to chloride environment. This framework investigates the corrosion process during both the corrosion initiation and propagation phases by exploring the effects of not only the rebar existence but also its sizes and locations. The corrosion initiation phase is examined through a comprehensive chloride ingress model that identifies the most important parameters that influence the intrusion of chlorides into RC. The corrosion propagation phase is studied based on a decisive parameter, namely, the corrosion rate. In addition, the framework evaluates the non-uniform corrosion states that correspond to two scenarios of corrosion penetration depth: corrosion of segment of the rebar and uneven corrosion along the rebar perimeter. Numerical solution shows that, in general, chloride build-up along the perimeter of the corner bar is not only faster but also higher than that of the middle bar. Moreover, for the given values of cover thickness and water-to-binder ratio, time-to-corrosion initiation for the corner bar is faster than that for the middle bar. Furthermore, the larger the rebar, in general, the bigger the obstruction, and therefore, the higher the chloride build-up. Qualitative comparisons of the evaluated non-uniform corrosion scenarios with the variety of available laboratory and field data show good agreement.

13 illus, 3 tables, 62 ref

019872   Mustafa M;Chhanda N J (NO, , ) : Analysis of hydrodynamic characteristics of a squeeze film in o-ring assembly under the oscillating motion. J expl appl Mech 2015, 6(2), 1-12.

In the most of the non-contacting face seals, squeezing occurs in the fluid film between the O-ring surface and the mating surfaces in the gland assembly. Therefore, hydrodynamic characteristics are easily simulated by considering a fluid film between a rubber surface (O-ring surface) and a rigid surface (machined surface). In this paper, effects of surface roughness of rubber block on leakage flow rate and hydrodynamic force developed in fluid film between a cylindrical rigid surface and a cylindrical rubber surface are analyzed. The modified Reynolds equation, Laplace equation and governing equation for three parameter viscoelastic model are solved simultaneously to obtain pressure developed in fluid film between the mating surfaces as well as in the porous matrix and viscoelastic deformation of rubber surface. It is seen that with increasing standard deviation and center line average (CLA) of surface height of rubber block, load carrying capacity increases significantly developing huge hydrodynamic force in the fluid film. Leakage flow rate also decreases slightly with increasing standard deviation and CLA of surface height of rubber block. Spatial distribution of the surface of rubber block has no effect on leakage flow rate as well as hydrodynamic force developing in the fluid film during squeezing motion. The results obtained from the present model are compared with experimental results available in the literature and a very good agreement is found.

019871   Mohankumar G;Dhanasekaran C (Park College of Engineering & Technology, Vels Univ, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Email: dhans@velsuniv.org) : Port fuel injected hydrogen in dual mode in direct injection diesel engine. J scient ind Res 2016, 75(1), 56-60.

Hydrogen is expected to be one of the most important fuel in the near future for solving the problem caused by the greenhouse gases, for protecting environment and saving conventional fuels. In this study, a dual fuel engine of hydrogen and diesel was investigated. Hydrogen was conceded through the intake port, and simultaneously air and diesel was pervaded into the cylinder. Using Electronic Gas Injector and Electronic Control Unit (ECU), the injection timing and duration are varied. In this investigation, a single cylinder, KIRLOSKAR AV1, DI Diesel engine was used. Hydrogen injection timing was fixed at TDC and injection duration was timed for 30°, 60°, and 90° crank angles. The injection timing of diesel was fixed at 23° BTDC. When hydrogen is mixed with inlet air, emanation of HC, CO and CO₂ decreased without any emission (exhaustion) of smoke while increasing the brake thermal efficiency.

4 illus, 1 table, 13 ref

019870   Michael F M;Khalid M;Ratnam C T;Rashmi W; Hoque M E;Ketabchi M R (Manufacturing and Industrial Process Div, Faculty of Engineering, Univ of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia, Email: khalid.siddiqui@nottingham.edu.my) : Nanohydroxyapatite synthesis using optimized process parameters for load-bearing implant. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 133-45.

In this study, nanohydroxyapatite (NHA) was synthesized using calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and diammonium hydrogen phosphate via the precipitation method assisted with ultrasonication. Three independent process parameters: temperature (T) (70, 80 and 90°C), ultrasonication time (t) (20, 25 and 30 min), and amplitude (A) (60, 65 and 70%) were studied and optimized using response surface methodology based on 3 factors and 5 level central composite design. The responses of the model were analysed with the help of the particle size measured from field-emission scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The surface area of particle was measured with BET and the thermal stability of the powder was measured using thermogravimetric analysis. Finally, with the optimized process parameters obtained from the model, the NHA powder was synthesised and validated against the predicted value. The results show a good agreement with an average error 8% between the actual and predicted values. Moreover, the thermal stability and porosity of synthesized NHA was further improved after calcination. This improvement could be due to the removal of impurities from the NHA powder after calcination as indicated by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

11 illus, 5 tables, 17 ref

019869   Mehdikhani B;Borhani G H;Bakhshi S R; Baharvandi H R (Materials Engineering Dep, Malek-e-Ashtar Univ of Technology, Isfahan, Iran, Email: Beh_mehdikhani@yahoo.com) : Investigation of TaC-TaB₂ ceramic composites. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 79-84.

The TaC-TaB₂ composition was sintered by spark plasma (SPS) at 1900-2100° and applied pressure of 30 MPa. TaC and 2-3 wt% B₄C were used as starting powders. Densification process, phase evolution, microstructure and the mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The results indicated that the TaC-TaB₂ composition could be SPS to 97% of theoretical density in 10 min at 2100°. Addition of B₄C leads to an increase in the density sample from 76 to 97%. B₄C nano-powder resists grain growth even at high temperature 2100°. The formation of TaB₂/carbon at TaC grain boundaries helps in pinning the grain boundary and inhibiting grain growth. The phase formation was associated with carbon and boron diffusion from the starting particles B₄C to form TaB₂ phases. TaC grain sizes decreased with increase in B₄C concentration. Samples with 2.0 wt% B₄C composition had highest flexure strength up to 520 MPa. The effect of B₄C addition on hardness measured by microhardness has been studied. Hardness of samples containing 3.0 wt% B₄C was 16.99 GPa.

4 illus, 3 tables, 16 ref

019868   Marosi M;Ghomeshi M;Sarkardeh H (Hydraulic Structures Div, Water Research Institute, Tehran, Iran, Email: sarkardeh@hsu.ac.ir) : Sedimentation control in the reservoirs by using an obstacle. Sadhana 2015, 40(4), 1373-83.

In the present experimental research, effect of different heights of obstacle on turbidity current, to control the sedimentation in a reservoir, was investigated. Experiments were carried out with horizontal and steep bed slopes and different flow conditions. To see the effect of obstacle on concentration of overflow turbidity current, some experiments were carried out without an obstacle. Results showed that concentration of the currents without obstacle reduced exponentially by distance from the entrance gate. More reduction of density and dilution of the currents were observed in the presence of an obstacle, especially with increasing the heights. Increasing height of obstacle also improved their trap efficiency. Moreover, it was concluded that effect of the presence of an obstacle was less intense in a steep bed slope of the reservoir than in a horizontal one.

11 illus, 3 tables, 13 ref

019867   Maisnam M;Nilima N;Victory M;Phanjoubam S (Basic Sciences and Humanities Dep, National Institute of Technology, Manipur, Langol-795 004, Email: m_maisnam@yahoo.co.in) : Low dielectric loss in nano-Li-ferrite spinels prepared by sol-gel auto-combustion technique. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 249-54.

Pure and doped nano-Li-ferrite spinels were prepared by the sol-gel auto-combustion technique. The prepared ferrites were pelleted and heat treated at different temperatures. Structural characterization was carried out on the as-prepared samples and also on the heat-treated samples using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The studies confirmed the formation of single phase with spinel structures in all the samples. The crystallite size of the samples evaluated from XRD data was found to be 17-24 nm. Scanning electron microscopic photomicrographs revealed the microstructures and the grain size of these nanoferrites. The room-temperature dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent, tan δ were measured as a function of frequency in the range 100 Hz-1 MHz. These nanoferrites showed the normal dielectric dispersion behaviour. The observed dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent were found to be much lower than those measured on substituted Li-ferrites prepared by the conventional ceramic method. The results obtained were discussed in the paper.

4 illus, 1 table, 28 ref

019866   Luksho V A;Kozlov A V;Kutenev V F;Panchishniy V I (NO, Federal State Unitary Enterprise Central Scientific Research Automobil, Avtomotornaya street, 2, Moscow, Russia, 125438) : Creation of a neutralization system for a high-efficiency gas engine. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2015, 12(3), 2861-7.

The article covers aspects of creation of a neutralization system for a new generation high-efficiency gas engine. It provides the results of works on achieving high power and economic performances of an engine. The description of a bifunctional neutralization system is presented along with the results of works on achieving effective functioning of the neutralization system.

3 illus, 1 table, 20 ref

019865   Lim C S (Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Dep, Hansseo Univ, Seosan 356-706, Republic of Korea, Email: cslim@hanseo.ac.kr) : Synthesis of KLa(Wo₄)₂:Ho<. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(7), 2603-7.

Double tungstate KLa_1-x(WO₄)₂:Ho³⁺/Yb³⁺ phosphors with doping concentrations of Ho³⁺ and Yb³⁺ (x = Ho³⁺ + Yb³⁺, Ho³⁺ = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and Yb³⁺ = 0.2, 0.45) were successfully synthesized via the microwave-assisted sol-gel route and the upconversion of their photoluminescence properties was investigated. Well-crystallized particles, formed after heat-treatment at 900 °C for 16 h, showed a fine and homogeneous morphology with particle sizes of 2-5 μm. Under excitation at 980 nm, the upconversion intensity of KLa_0.5(MoO₄)₄:Ho_0.05Yb_0.45 phosphor exhibited a strong 550 nm emission band in the green region and a very strong 655 nm emission band in the red region. The Raman spectra of the particles indicated the presence of strong peaks at higher frequencies and weak peaks at lower frequencies induced by the disorder of the [WO₄]^2- groups with the incorporation of the Ho³⁺ and Yb³⁺ elements into the crystal lattice or by a new phase formation.

5 illus, 21 ref

019864   Lim C S (Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Dep, Hanseo Univ, Seosan 356-706, Republic of Korea, Email: cslim@hanseo.ac.kr) : Cyclic microwave-assisted sol-gel process of KGd(MoO₄)₂:Er<. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(7), 2598-602.

KGd_1-x(MoO₄)₂:Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ phosphors with doping concentrations of Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ (x = Er³⁺ + Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and Yb³⁺ = 0.2, 0.45) Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ (Er³⁺ = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and Yb³⁺ = 0.2, 0.45) were successfully synthesized by a cyclic microwave-assisted sol-gel process and the upconversion and spectroscopic properties were investigated. Well-crystallized particles showed a fine and homogeneous morphology with particle sizes of 2-8 μm. Under excitation at 980 nm, KGd_0.7(MoO₄)₂:Er_0.1Yb_0.2 and KGd_0.5(MoO₄)₂:Er_0.05Yb_0.45 particles exhibited a strong 525 nm emission band, a weak 550 nm emission band in the green region and a very weak 655 nm emission band in the red region. The Raman spectra of KGd_0.8(MoO₄)₂:Er_0.2, KGd_0.7(MoO₄)₂:Er_0.1Yb_0.2 and KGd_0.5(MoO₄)₂:Er_0.05Yb_0.45 particles indicated the domination of strong peaks at higher frequencies (1050, 1065, 1125, 1185, 1284, 1350 and 1420 cm^-1) and at lower frequencies (258, 388, 462, 558, 630 and 674 cm^-1).

5 illus, 28 ref

019863   Lim C S (Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Dep, Hanseo Univ, Seosan 356-706, Republic of Korea, Email: cslim@hanseo.ac.kr) : Upconversion properties of La₂(MoO₄)₃:Er<. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(7), 2593-7.

Upconversion La_2-x(MoO₄)₃:Eu³⁺/Yb³⁺ phosphors with doping concentrations of Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ (x = Er³⁺ + Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and Yb³⁺ = 0.2, 0.45) were successfully synthesized by the cyclic microwave-assisted sol-gel process and the upconversion photoluminescence properties have been investigated. Well-crystallized particles, formed after heat-treatment at 900 °C for 16 h, showed a fine and homogeneous morphology with particle sizes of 1-5 μm. Under excitation at 980 nm, La_1.7(MoO₄)₃:Er_0.1Yb_0.2 and La_1.5(MoO₄)₃:Er_0.05Yb_0.45 particles exhibited a strong 525 nm emission band, a weak 550 nm emission band in the green region and a very weak 655 nm emission band in the red region. The Raman spectra of the particles indicated the presence of weak peaks at lower frequencies induced by the disorder of the [MoO₄]^2- groups with the incorporation of the Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ elements into the crystal lattice or by a new phase formation.

5 illus, 27 ref

019862   Li J;Peng Q;Zeng A;Li J;Wu X;Liu X (Polymer Materials Sciences and Engineering Dep, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Univ, Weijin Road 92, Nankai District, Tianjin-300 072, PR China, Email: liuxf315@laiyun.com) : Regenerated thermosetting styrene-co-acrylonitrile sandwich composite panels reinforced by jute fibre: structures and properties. Bull Mater Sci 2016, 39(1), 109-117.

Jute fibres-reinforced sandwich regenerated composite panels were fabricated using industrial waste thermosetting styrene-co-acrylonitrile (SAN) foam scraps via compression moulding for the purpose of recycling waste SAN foam and obtaining high physical performance. The jute fibres were, respectively, treated by heat, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution (5.0 wt%), and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) in order to improve the mechanical properties of the composites. The structures and mechanical properties of the composites were studied. The SAN matrix got compact and some crystalline region formed in SAN matrix via compression moulding. The composite reinforced by DMAc-treated jute fibres performed optimum mechanical properties among the regenerated panels whose impact strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength were 19.9 kJ m^-2, 41.7 MPa, and 61.0 MPa, respectively. Good interfacial bonding between DMAc-treated fibres and SAN matrix was verified by peel test and exhibited in SEM photographs. Besides, the water absorption of DMAc-treated fibres composite was lower than other SAN/jute fibre-reinforced sandwich composite panels.

8 illus, 4 tables, 24 ref

019861   Lee Y C;Lin G T R;Chang S H;Chou C J;Hsi P H (Office of Research and Development, National Chiao Tung Univ, Taiwan, Email: gtrl@faculty.nctu.edu.tw) : Visualizing the influence of corporate social capital on IC spin-offs. J scient ind Res 2016, 75(2), 73-6.

Social capital of a large parent company is a key enabler for corporate spin-offs. However, few studies have been conducted on the interactions between high-technology industries and social capital. A number of new integrated circuit (IC) spin-offs have been established worldwide over the past decade, but the success rate remains low. Hence, the purpose of this paper was to visualize the influence relationship between the dimensions of social capital, and to investigate the importance of social capital factors upon successful IC spin-offs. Data were collected on the number of Taiwanese IC design companies in which the spin-offs must have been operating for at least 5 years and analyzed using the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and analytic network process (ANP) methods. The results of DEMATEL analysis revealed that the "relational dimension", as the causal dimension, strongly influences all other dimensions, including itself. Second, the results of ANP analysis indicated that the "trust" and "identity" factors within the relational dimension were the most important. This study contributes to research on visualizing influence relationship between social capital dimensions and investigating importance of social capital factors upon successful corporate spin-offs by providing a holistic analysis, and adds knowledge about how to leverage the strengths and resources of a large parent company to increase the likelihood of success of corporate spin-offs.

1 illus, 3 tables, 28 ref

019860   Lakehal B;Dibi Z;Lakhdar N;Dendouga A (Electronics Dep, Univ of Kasdi Merbah Ouargla, Ouargla 30000, Algeria, Email: lakehal.brahim@univ-ouargla.dz) : Electrical equivalent model of intermediate band solar cell using PSpice. Sadhana 2015, 40(5), 1473-9.

Intermediate band solar cells (IBSCS) is a relatively new solar cell concept. The theoretical conversion efficiency limit for IBSCS is predicted to be 63.2% with blackbody illumination and 65.1% with AM1.5 spectrum, comparable to the theoretical efficiency for optimized triple junction solar cells with efficiencies of 63.8% and 67.0% under blackbody and AM1.5 illumination, respectively. This paper presents a structure of IBSC based on ZnTe:O. The proposed model uses irradiance and temperature as input parameters and the output characteristics of the structure are used as a prototypical example. So, in this work the artificial neural networks (ANNs) and the analog behavior modeling (ABM) of PSpice are implemented in order to model the IBSC. In addition, we have used the bias matrix and the weights matrix obtained by training to establish the IBSCS model on PSPICE simulator. This method represents an advantage by using a small representative database. Therefore, the obtained results of our model can be used in an electrical simulator. Thus, this method can be extended to other solar cells for motivating experimental efforts to realize these promising photovoltaic devices for low cost and high efficiency.

6 illus, 2 tables, 24 ref

019859   Kurt M;Aydin A C;Gul M S;Gul R;Kotan T (Pasinler Vocational School, Construction Dep, Ataturk Univ, 25300 Erzurum, Turkey, Email: acaydin@atauni.edu.tr) : Effect of fly ash to self-compactability of pumice aggregate lightweight concrete. Sadhana 2015, 40(4), 1343-59.

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the effects of fly ash, different water/(cement + mineral additive) ratios and pumice aggregates to some physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting lightweight aggregate concrete. In this study, pumice had been used as lightweight aggregates. Several properties of self-compacting pumice aggregate lightweight concretes like the unit weight, flow diameter, T50 time, flow diameter after an hour, V-funnel time, and L-box tests, 7, 28, 90 and 180-day compressive strength, 28-day splitting tensile strength, dry unit weight, water absorption, thermal conductivity and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests were investigated. For this purpose, 18 series of concrete samples were prepared in two groups. Pumice aggregate was used as a replacement of natural aggregate, at the levels of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% by volume. Furthermore, a second series of 100% pumice aggregate was used for the production of self-compacting lightweight aggregate concrete with constant w/(c + m) ratios as 0.35, 0.40, and 0.45 by weight. The flow diameters, T50 times, paste volumes, 28-day compressive strengths, dry unit weights and thermal conductivities of self-compacting lightweight aggregate concrete were obtained in the range of 600-800 mm, 2-8 s, 471-572 lt/m³, 9.2-53.26 MPa, 839-2156 kg/m³ and 0.321-1.508 W/mk, respectively, which satisfies not only the strength requirement of semi-structural lightweight concrete but also the flowing ability requirements and thermal conductivity requirements of self-compacting lightweight aggregate concrete.

13 illus, 9 tables, 26 ref

019858   Kursun I;Terzi M (Mining Engineering Dep, Istanbul Univ, Istanbul, Turkey) : Investigation of solubility of radioactive elements contained in ashes of Yatagan Thermal Power Plant in acetic acid. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(7), 2685-90.

Coal combustion residuals consist of 90% of all fossil fuel combustion residuals generated across the world. Million tons of fly ashes are generated on a yearly basis. For now, only 20% of such fly ashes can be utilized and the remaining amount is used for land filling purposes or deposited in surface impoundments. The most important waste material in modern thermal power plants is very fine ash particles generated through the combustion of powder coals and spread by flue gases. About 110 g ashes release as a waste material in the generation of 1 kWh energy by a thermal power plant. Approximately 650.000 tons of fly ashes and bottom ashes are obtained from a power plant with the capacity of 1000 MW. Such toxic trace elements as arsenic, cadmium, lead, antimony, selenium, tin, molybdenum and zinc are transferred to wastes upon the combustion of lignite coals. Toxic trace elements contained in fly ashes can sweep even into surface and underground waters as a result of the contact of ash with water under suitable atmospheric conditions due to improper storage of the ashes. Furthermore, there are many studies conducted in terms of the recovery of precious metals and radioactive minerals in fly ashes. Such studies are important both for economical purposes and environmental pollution. Within the scope of this study, a series of characterization studies then leaching tests were carried out on the samples of fly ashes taken from a thermal power plant operated in Turkey. In order the ashes to be evaluated, the leaching of the samples and the optimum leach parameters were investigated with the use of acetic acid. Finally, opportunities for the recovery of uranium and thorium from the ashes were addressed.

7 illus, 1 table, 13 ref

019857   Kothari K D;Jhala R L (NO, , ) : Parametric investigation of deep drawing process for different materials. J expl appl Mech 2015, 6(2), 22-6.

Process known as Deep Drawing is used to force the metal sheet to flow between punch's surfaces and die. Thus it is a process of Transformation of Shape with material retaining. A part is said to be deep drawn if the depth of the part is at more than half of its diameter. Number of defects can occur in the deep drawn product. There are several parameters which affects deep drawing process. By regulating these parameters many defects can be reduced. These parameters are mainly Blank holder force, punch force and punch speed, friction forming limits, stress and strain distribution, thickness variation etc. The paper aims to review effects of these parameters on the process of deep drawing.

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019856   Konoplev B G;Lysenko I E;Ezhova O A (NO, Southern Federal Univ, Russia, 344006, Rostov-on-Don, Bolshaia Sadovaua st., 105/42) : Evaluation criteria fingers hardness electrode MEMS comb converters. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2015, 12(3), 2345-50.

The assessment criterion of the rigidity of comb electrodes fingers of the microelectromechanical converters is developed. The assessment criterion allows to estimate the maximum electrodes fingers length to decrease approach probability of snap-down effect. The modeling results have been analyzed. The estimations of the maximum length of electrodes fingers are obtained. The estimates depend on length of electrodes fingers overlapping and applied voltage. The dependences of the maximum length of comb electrodes fingers on length of their overlapping and applied voltage are showed. Since all of the electromechanical converters are reversible, i.e. the converters can work as electrostatic actuators, as well as capacitive displacement transducers. The criteria allowed to define these invertibility condition can be obtained from the equilibrium equations of sensitive elements of micromechanical devices. The proposed assessment criterion of the maximum length of combs electrodes fingers can be used to design micromechanical devices.

6 illus, 14 ref