Ultra-high-Q optical filter based on photonic crystal ring resonator

In this study, a photonic crystal ring resonator with a triangular lattice is used to design an optical filter. The proposed structure is able to filter the central wavelength of 1548 nm with a transmission coefficient of over 95%. Moreover, this structure has an ultra-high-quality factor (Q) of about 1290. With altering the features of the structure including the refractive index, the lattice constant and the radius of the rods in the resonator core, their effects on the central wavelength of the filter, transmission coefficient, quality factor and bandwidth are investigated. The plane wave expansion and finite-difference time-domain methods are used to extract photonic band gap and investigate the photonic behavior of the proposed structure, respectively.     

Different Energy Saving Schemes in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey

Wireless Personal Communications - Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are one of the very active research area. They have many applications like military, health care, environmental monitoring and...     

Using a modified Modal Series to analyse weakly nonlinear circuits

In this paper, a modified Modal Series to model and analyse weakly nonlinear circuits is introduced. This method not only provides an analytical expression for the response to input signals, as does Volterra Series, the popular method for the analysis of nonlinear circuits, but also provides the response to initial conditions as well as interaction between the initial conditions and the input signals, which Volterra Series does not. The extension of this method to multi-input circuits is straightforward. The method is applied to analyse three examples: a single-stage amplifier, a typical track and hold sampler, and the Colpitts oscillator. The results are discussed and compared with existing methods.     

The role of grain orientation in microstructure evolution of pure aluminum processed by equal channel angular pressing

A new approach describing the role of crystallographic orientation in the microstructural refinement of commercially pure aluminum during the successive passes of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) is introduced. The study is based on analysis of X-ray diffraction texture data that is used to calculate the geometrical position of crystallographic slip planes with respect to the shearing plane of the ECAP die. The angular deviations of {111} slip planes from the macroscopic deformation plane for different processing routes were calculated and compared. The microstructure evolution was investigated using electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The grain size and grain boundary character distribution obtained for each processing route are related to the angles between {111} planes and the shearing plane. It was shown that the more effective routes in grain refinement have higher angles between {111} slip planes and the shearing plane.     

The effect of electrospinning parameters on the morphology of glass nanofibers

Abstract

Electrospinning of glass nanofibers, as one of the most important techniques for producing nanofibers, was the focus of the present research. This process was done using a carrying polymer in order to modify all important parameters of the process including the solution parameters, the electrospinning voltage, the electrospinning distance and feeding rate of the solution to achieve a desired nanofiber morphology. The produced nanofibers were pyrolyzed at a high temperature to remove the carrying polymer and the FTIR test approved that it was completely removed. The diameter of nanofibers and other details were investigated using SEM images and it was shown that the produced nanofibers have a finer diameter with an average of 228?nm and standard deviation of 46?nm in comparison to other works that reported 500?nm for these characteristics.     

Prevalence of Campylobacter species in meat, milk and other food commodities in Pakistan

A surveillance study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter in meat, milk and other food commodities in Pakistan. Over a period of 3 years (January 2002-December 2004), a total of 1636 food samples of meat, milk and other food commodities were procured from three big cities of Pakistan (Faisalabad, Lahore and Islamabad) and were analysed. Among meat samples, the highest prevalence (48%) of Campylobacter was recorded in raw chicken meat followed by raw beef (10.9%) and raw mutton (5.1%). Among other food commodities, the highest prevalence was observed in vegetable/fruit salad (40.9%), sandwiches (32%), cheese (11%) and raw bulk milk samples (10.2%). The overall prevalence of Campylobacter was found to be 21.5%, out of which 70.6% were identified as Campylobacter (C.) jejuni and 29.4% as C. coli. The study reported that the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. was significantly higher in the food commodities, which included raw/undercooked ingredients.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel curcumin based polyurethanes varying diisocyanates structure

In this research work, novel polyurethanes (PUs) based on blends of curcumin/1,4-butane diol (BDO) by varying the structure of diisocyanates were prepared following step growth polymerization. Structural study of blends and various diisocyanates based PU through Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the incorporation of curcumin into the backbone of the PU. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) study confirmed the well dispersion of incorporated curcumin and homogeneity of surface of synthesized samples. The SEM results also indicated that surface morphology of synthesized samples much dependent on diisocynates structure. Moreover SEM images inferred that phase separation is more pronounced in aromatic diisocyanate based PU. The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal tests were performed against different strains in order to determine the biocompatibility of the curcumin based PU. The antimicrobial activity results revealed that the material having aromatic diisocyanate are more biocompatible than the aliphatic diisocyanates in the PU structure. On the whole, this work is actually a step towards the generation of novel biocompatible materials preferably useful for biomedical applications.     

Investigating the transverse behavior of Glass–Epoxy composites under intermediate strain rates

In this study, the strain rate effects on transverse tensile and compressive properties of unidirectional Glass fiber reinforced polymeric composites are investigated. To demonstrate strain rate effects, the tensile and compressive composite specimens with identical configuration are fabricated and tested to failure in the transverse direction at quasi-static strain rate of approximately 0.001 s⁻¹ and intermediate strain rates of 1–100 s⁻¹. The tensile and compressive tests are performed using a servo-hydraulic testing apparatus equipped with strain rate increasing mechanisms. For performing the practical tests, a jig and a fixture and other test supplies are designed and manufactured. The performance of the test jig is evaluated and showed that it is adequate for composites testing under tension and compression loads. The effects of strain rate on mechanical properties (maximum strength, modulus, and strain to failure) are considered. The characteristic results for the transverse properties indicate that damage evolution is strain-rate-dependent for the examined material. Also, a strain-rate-dependent empirical material model associated with different regression constants is proposed based on the experimental results obtained to characterize the rate dependent behavior of Glass/Epoxy composite material.