Using Markov Learning Utilization Model for Resource Allocation in Cloud of Thing Network

Wireless Personal Communications - The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud environment has led to the creation of Cloud of Things, which has given rise to new challenges in IoT...     

Optimal Water Allocation of Surface and Ground Water Resources Under Climate Change with WEAP and IWOA Modeling

Water Resources Management - The water evaluation and planning (WEAP) approach and the invasive weed optimization algorithm (IWOA) are herein employed to determine the optimal operating policies in...     

Novel electrospun polymer electrolytes incorporated with Keggin‐type hetero polyoxometalate fillers as solvent‐free electrolytes for lithium ion batteries

In this study, solvent‐free nanofibrous electrolytes were fabricated through an electrospinning method. Polyethylene oxide (PEO), lithium perchlorate and ethylene carbonate were used as polymer matrix, salt and plasticizer respectively in the electrolyte structures. Keggin‐type hetero polyoxometalate (Cu‐POM@Ru‐rGO, Ni‐POM@Ru‐rGO and Co‐POM@Ru‐rGO (POM, polyoxometalate; rGO, reduced graphene oxide)) nanoparticles were synthesized and inserted into the PEO‐based nanofibrous electrolytes. TEM and SEM analyses were carried out for further evaluation of the synthesized filler structures and the electrospun nanofibre morphologies. The fractions of free ions and crystalline phases of the as‐spun electrolytes were estimated by obtaining Fourier transform infrared and XRD spectra, respectively. The results showed a significant improvement in the ionic conductivity of the nanofibrous electrolytes by increasing filler concentrations. The highest ionic conductivity of 0.28 mS cm^?1 was obtained by the introduction of 0.49 wt% Co‐POM@Ru‐rGO into the electrospun electrolyte at ambient temperature. Compared with solution‐cast polymeric electrolytes, the electrospun electrolytes present superior ionic conductivity. Moreover, the cycle stability of the as‐spun electrolytes was clearly improved by the addition of fillers. Furthermore, the mechanical strength was enhanced with the insertion of 0.07 wt% fillers to the electrospun electrolytes. The results implied that the prepared nanofibres are good candidates as solvent‐free electrolytes for lithium ion batteries. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

Evolving an Accurate Decision Tree-Based Model for Predicting Carbon Dioxide Solubility in Polymers

Solubility is one of the most indispensable physicochemical properties determining the compatibility of components of a blending system. Research has been focused on the solubility of carbon dioxide in polymers as a significant application of green chemistry. To replace costly and time-consuming experiments, a novel solubility prediction model based on a decision tree, called the stochastic gradient boosting algorithm, was proposed to predict CO₂ solubility in 13 different polymers, based on 515 published experimental data lines. The results indicate that the proposed ensemble model is an effective method for predicting the CO₂ solubility in various polymers, with highly satisfactory performance and high efficiency. It produces more accurate outputs than other methods such as machine learning schemes and an equation of state approach.     

TiO2 hollow spheres as a novel antibiotic carrier for the direct delivery of gentamicin

The TiO₂ hollow spheres were synthesized using a green, cheap, and easy process, in which carbonaceous spheres were chosen as the removable template. The prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. According to the results, the obtained mesoporous TiO₂ hollow spheres demonstrated an external diameters less than 200?nm with shell thickness around 40?nm. The antibacterial activities of the TiO₂ hollow spheres were evaluated against gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). No antibacterial activity was found for TiO₂ hollow spheres in the used concentrations. TiO₂ hollow spheres were loaded with gentamycin as a selected antibiotic to magnify their benefits in biomedical applications. TiO₂ hollow spheres exhibited good antibiotic carrier activity for the direct delivery of gentamicin, which was attributed to interaction between gentamicin and surface due to their larger specific surface area, more abundant porous structure, and their spherical morphology. The application of TiO₂ hollow spheres as gentamicin carrier undoubtedly opens an avenue to use hollow sphere materials in other drug delivery applications.     

Diffuse reflectance behavior of the printed cotton/nylon blend fabrics treated with zirconium and cerium dioxide and citric acid in near- and short-wave IR radiation spectral ranges

Near- and short-wave IR emission spectra of printed cotton/nylon blend fabrics coated with inorganic compounds in order to tune their diffuse reflectance behavior to the ones with woodland and desert backgrounds are investigated. In this regard, cotton/nylon blend fabrics printed with a four-color digital pattern were used as the substrate, and different concentrations of zirconium and cerium dioxide (ZrO₂ and CeO₂) with and without citric acid as a cross-linker were loaded on these fabrics using the pad-dry-cure method. The diffuse reflectance of the coated fabrics with various concentrations of nanoparticles and a cross-linker was first measured by near-infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Then, fabrics with an optimum concentration of nanoparticles and appropriate reflectivity profiles similar to woodland and desert were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), washing, and rubbing fastness properties. In general, NIR and short-wave infrared (SWIR) reflectance of fabrics coated with ZrO₂ and CeO₂ nanoparticles in range of 1% to 1.5% (w/v [%]) was suitable for matching with different environments. According to the findings obtained from the durability test, it was concluded that the washing fastness of the treated fabrics with CeO₂ nanoparticles was excellent in both environments. FE-SEM images of the treated fabrics containing ZrO₂ and CeO₂ indicated that the presence of nanoparticles on the surface of fabrics in woodland patterns was greater than the desert ones. However, the coated fabrics with CeO₂ and citric acid in the woodland pattern have shown better dispersion with a mean particle size of 30 to 60 nm.     

Thermodynamic performance analysis of three solid oxide fuel cell and gas microturbine hybrid systems for application in auxiliary power units

In this study, three different configurations of a solid oxide fuel cell and gas microturbine hybrid system are evaluated for application in auxiliary power units. The first configuration is a common hybrid system in auxiliary power units, utilizing a fuel cell stack in the structure of the gas turbine cycle. The other configurations use two series and parallel fuel cell stacks in the structure of the gas turbine cycle. The main purpose of this research is thermodynamic analysis, evaluation of the performance of the proposed hybrid systems in similar conditions, and selection of an appropriate system in terms of efficiency, power generation, and entropy generation rate. In this study, the utilized fuel cells were subjected to electrochemical, thermodynamic, and thermal analyses and their working temperatures were calculated under various working conditions. Results indicate that the hybrid system with two series stacks had maximum power generation and efficiency compared with the other two cases. Moreover, the simple hybrid system and the system with two parallel stacks had relatively equal pure power generation and efficiency. According to the investigations, hybrid system with two series fuel cell stacks, which had 3424 and 1712 cells, respectively, can achieve the electrical efficiency of over 48%. A hybrid system with two parallel fuel cell stacks, in which each stack had 2568 cells, had the electrical efficiency of 46.3%. Findings suggested that maximum electrical efficiency occurred between the pressure ratios of 5–6 in the proposed hybrid systems.     

A latency-aware task scheduling algorithm for allocating virtual machines in a cost-effective and time-sensitive fog-cloud architecture

The Journal of Supercomputing - Recently, with the expansion of communications and generated data, the need for processing this high volume of data in minimum time and maximum speed has increased....     

On repairable earthquake resisting archetypes with a view to resiliency objectives and assisted self‐centering

Performance‐based seismic design, as an alternative to conventional methods of approach, has served engineers and the public rather well during the last two decades. Neither approach guaranties catastrophic collapse prevention nor post‐earthquake realignment and repairs (PERR) due to major seismic events. As a result, most code‐compliant buildings can be regarded as relatively safe but practically disposable. The paper presents a new philosophy that leads to sustainable design of new structures and the upgrading of existing earthquake resisting moment frames. Repairability‐based design (RBD) relies on softening and control rather than strength and resistance to elevate seismic performance to economically viable, physical collapse prevention, damage control, and post‐earthquake realignment and repairs. The new approach was inspired by design led analysis (DLA), performance control (PC), and recent developments in rocking core‐moment frame design. DLA is a displacement based method of analysis with built‐in results. PC is the ability to design a structure in such a way as to expect predetermined modes of response at certain stages of loading, extents of damage, and drift ratios. This paper advocates higher performance objectives than current codes of practice do. Several demonstrative examples have been provided.