Wettability alteration and retention of mixed polymer-grafted silica nanoparticles onto oil-wet porous medium

Enhanced oil recovery(EOR)processes are applied to recover trapped or residual oil in the reservoir rocks after primary and secondary recovery methods.Changing ...     

Static output-feedback control under information structure constraints

An important challenge in the static output-feedback control context is to provide an isolated gain matrix possessing a zero–nonzero structure, mainly in problems presenting information structure constraints. Although some previous works have contributed some relevant results to this issue, a fully satisfactory solution has not yet been achieved up to now. In this note, by using a Linear Matrix Inequality approach and based on previous results given in the literature, we present an efficient methodology which permits us to obtain an isolated static output-feedback gain matrix having, simultaneously, a zero–nonzero structure imposed a priori.     

An energy‐efficient task‐scheduling algorithm based on a multi‐criteria decision‐making method in cloud computing

The massive growth of cloud computing has led to huge amounts of energy consumption and carbon emissions by a large number of servers. One of the major aspects of cloud computing is its scheduling of many task requests submitted by users. Minimizing energy consumption while ensuring the user's QoS preferences is very important to achieving profit maximization for the cloud service providers and ensuring the user's service level agreement (SLA). Therefore, in addition to implementing user's tasks, cloud data centers should meet the different criteria in applying the cloud resources by considering the multiple requirements of different users. Mapping of user requests to cloud resources for processing in a distributed environment is a well‐known NP‐hard problem. To resolve this problem, this paper proposes an energy‐efficient task‐scheduling algorithm based on best‐worst (BWM) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methodology. The main objective of this paper is to determine which cloud scheduling solution is more important to select. First, a decision‐making group identify the evaluation criteria. After that, a BWM process is applied to assign the importance weights for each criterion, because the selected criteria have varied importance. Then, TOPSIS uses these weighted criteria as inputs to evaluate and measure the performance of each alternative. The performance of the proposed and existing algorithms is evaluated using several benchmarks in the CloudSim toolkit and statistical testing through ANOVA, where the evaluation metrics include the makespan, energy consumption, and resource utilization.     

On the Impact of Performance Faults in Modern Microprocessors

Modern microprocessors incorporate a variety of architectural features, such as branch prediction and speculative execution, which are not critical to the correctness of their operation yet are essential towards improving performance. Accordingly, while faults in the corresponding hardware may not necessarily affect functional correctness, they may, nevertheless, adversely impact performance. In this paper, we investigate quantitatively the performance impact of such faults using a superscalar, dynamically-scheduled, out-of-order, Alpha-like microprocessor, on which we execute SPEC2000 integer benchmarks. We provide extensive fault simulation-based experimental results that elucidate the various aspects of performance faults and we discuss how this information may guide the inclusion of additional hardware for performance loss recovery and yield enhancement.     

Mixed‐Conducting Perovskites as Cathode Materials for Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells: Understanding the Trends in Proton Uptake

The proton uptake of 18 compositions in the perovskite family (Ba,Sr,La)(Fe,Co,Zn,Y)O_3‐δ, perovskites, which are potential cathode materials for protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs), is investigated by thermogravimetry. Hydration enthalpies and entropies are derived, and the doping trends are explored. The uptake is found to be largely determined by the basicity of the oxide ions. Partial substitution of Zn on the B‐site strongly enhances proton uptake, while Co substitution has the opposite effect. The proton concentration in Ba_0.95La_0.05Fe_0.8Zn_0.2O_3‐δ is found to be 10% per formula unit at 250 °C, 5.5% at 400 °C, and 2.3% at 500 °C, which are the highest values reported so far for a mixed‐conducting perovskite exhibiting hole, proton, and oxygen vacancy transport. A comprehensive set of thermodynamic data for proton uptake in (Ba,Sr,La)(Fe,Co,Zn,Y)O_3‐δ is determined. Defect interactions between protons and holes partially delocalized from the B‐site transition metal to the adjacent oxide ions decrease the proton uptake. From these results, guidelines for the optimization of PCFC cathode materials are derived.     

Real-time processing and compression of DNA microarray images.

In this paper, we present a pipeline architecture specifically designed to process and compress DNA microarray images. Many of the pixilated image generation methods produce one row of the image at a time. This property is fully exploited by the proposed pipeline that takes in one row of the produced image at each clock pulse and performs the necessary image processing steps on it. This will remove the present need for sluggish software routines that are considered a major bottleneck in the microarray technology. Moreover, two different structures are proposed for compressing DNA microarray images. The proposed architecture is proved to be highly modular, scalable, and suited for a standard cell VLSI implementation.     

A Novel 2.5–3.1 GHz Wide-Band Low-Noise Amplifier in 0.18 \upmu \hbox {m} CMOS

Aiming for the simultaneous realization of constant gain, accurate input and output impedance matching and minimum noise figure (NF) over a wide frequency range, the circuit topology and detailed design of wide broadband low noise amplifier (LNA) are presented in this paper. A novel 2.5–3.1 GHz wide-band LNA with unique characteristics has been presented. Its design and layout are done by TSMC 0.18  \(\upmu \hbox {m}\) technology. Common gate stage has been used to improve input matching. In order to enhance output matching and reduce the noise as well, a buffer stage is utilized. Mid-stages which tend to improve the gain and reverse isolation are exploited. The proposed LNA achieves a power gain of 15.9 dB, a NF of 3.5 dB with an input return loss less than \(-\) 11.6, output return loss of \(-\) 19.2 to \(-\) 19 and reverse isolation of \(-\) 38 dB. The LNA consumes 54.6 mW under a supply voltage of 2 V while having some acceptable characteristics.     

Crystallization kinetics of Sn40Se60 thin films for phase change memory applications

The crystallization kinetics of Sn₄₀Se₆₀ thin films has been successfully investigated using sheet resistance versus temperature measurements. Thermal evaporation was used to deposit the films on ordinary glass substrates. The crystallization temperature for Sn₄₀Se₆₀ thin film was found to be 156.6 ± 0.3 ℃. In the as-deposited state, the sheet resistance was found to be 195 MΩ, this value declined to 1560 Ω/口 upon annealing. The value of activation energy obtained from the Kissinger plot was 0.62 ± 0.07 eV. From the results obtained, Sn₄₀Se₆₀ is a promising alloy for PCM application because of its high electrical contrast, high crystallization temperature, and relatively high activation energy.