Multiscale analyses and characterizations of surface topographies

This work studies multiscale analyses and characterizations of surface topographies from the engineering and scientific literature with an emphasis on production engineering research and design. It highlights methods that provide strong correlations between topographies and performance or topographies and processes, and methods that can confidently discriminate topographies that were processed or that perform differently. These methods have commonalities in geometric characterizations at certain scales, which are observable with statistics and measurements. It also develops a semantic and theoretical framework and proposes a new system for organizing and designating multiscale analyses. Finally, future possibilities for multiscale analyses are discussed.     

Organosoluble poly(ether imide)s from phthalimidine based and trifluoromethyl substituted bis(ether amine)

A series of new organosoluble and optically transparent poly(ether imide)s (PEIs) were synthesized by the polycondensation of trifluoromethyl substituted and phthalimidine cardo group based bis(ether amine), 3,3‐bis‐[4‐{2′‐trifluoromethyl 4′‐(4″‐aminophenyl)phenoxy}phenyl]‐2‐phenyl‐2, 3‐dihydro‐isoindole‐1‐one with different fluorinated and non‐fluorinated aromatic dianhydrides (2a–e). All the PEIs were well characterized by elemental analysis, NMR, FTIR spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The synthesized PEIs showed moderate to high inherent viscosity 0.41–0.61 dL/g and excellent solubility at room temperature in different organic solvents. All the transparent yellow films showed cut‐off length upto 425 nm. They exhibited high tensile strengths upto 98 MPa, excellent thermostability upto 554°C for 5% weight loss, high glass transition temperature upto 327°C, and water uptake value less than 0.6%. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Estimation of carbon baselines for power generation in India: the supply side approach

In this paper, attempt has been made to develop framework for estimating realistic baseline for carbon emissions from power generation in India till the end of the Eleventh Five Year Plan Period (2010–2011). This is done through development of a realistic generation plan till 2010–2011, taking into account new Greenfield projects, capacity augmentation/addition plans and commissioning schedule of new projects and incorporating the impacts of government imposed norms for energy conservation in baseline estimate. Such a supply side framework for estimation of baselines is useful for developing countries like India where the electricity markets are supply constrained. Also, the paper demonstrates the evaluation of additional emission reductions over and above the business as usual baseline by identification and quantification of future possibilities of changes in specific coal consumption and auxiliary consumption of around 70 existing thermal power plants using data envelopment analysis (DEA).     

Zero-temperature Properties of Attractive Bose-Einstein Condensate by Correlated Many-body Approach

We employ a correlated many-body approach to study Bose-Einstein condensation of a magnetically trapped gas of ⁷Li atoms. The properties of a trapped gas are strongly influenced by the attractive interactions and two-body correlations. The correlations lower the interaction energy. The lowlying collective frequencies have also been calculated. In addition we explore the frequency of surface modes as a function of angular momentum.     

Socio-economic profile and food safety knowledge and practice of street food vendors in the city of Guwahati,Assam, India

Street food is an integral part of society in all countries – underdeveloped, developing or developed. As such the standard of hygiene maintained is a very vital matter. Every region has its sets of factors affecting the hygiene maintain. In the present study a survey was carried out in Guwahati city to determine the existing socio-economic status and food safety knowledge of street food vendors. Data on socio-economic and business profile of 80 vendors were collected using three standardized proformas.A study was also conducted on the existing knowledge of vendors on food safety and hygiene practices and methods of procurement of raw materials. The knowledge and procurement practices of the vendors were assessed for association with some relevant socio-economic factors. From the study it was observed that majority of street food vendors were mobile food vendors (54%) with the remaining being owners of small restaurants and food handlers. Majority of the food vendors were local to Guwahati city (93%). The average daily income of the mobile food vendors were between Rs. 200 to Rs. 600. It also was noted that only 30%–37% vendors were aware of hygienic practices of food handling and a mere 8%–11% of food vendors had knowledge on biological sources of food contamination.It was concluded that there is a high degree of association between procurement practices with the type of vendors, ownership status and average income. But no outstanding association exists with any socio-economic factor with the knowledge of the vendors on food hygiene. The street food scenario in the city was found to be quite dismal and requires stringent steps to improve matters.     

Alternative spatially enhanced integrative techniques for mapping seagrass in Florida's marine ecosystem

Seagrass is an important component of coastal marine ecosystems. Seagrass mapping provides a means for assessing seagrass health by monitoring the spatial distribution and density of seagrass habitat in coastal waters. Recent image processing and satellite technologies present the opportunity to leverage quantitative techniques that have the potential to improve upon traditional photo-interpretation techniques in terms of cost, mapping fidelity, and objectivity. Integrated spatial and spectral processing techniques were identified as an alternative method for mapping seagrass extent and density from an IKONOS satellite image of Springs Coast, Florida. These spatially enhanced integrative mapping techniques objectively standardize seagrass-monitoring efforts and enhance mapping capabilities by characterizing spatial seagrass density gradients. A combination of water column correction, pixel classification, and image segmentation techniques provided a seagrass density index map that represented seagrass density and distribution with high spatial detail and overall accuracy (77%) comparable to photo-interpretation techniques. Satellite imagery-based spatially enhanced image processing techniques were found to provide a consistent, quantitative, and cost-effective alternative for seagrass mapping in Springs Coast with the potential to be transferred to other parts of the world. A cost savings analysis concluded that there was a 13% cost saving using satellite photo-interpretation and a 47% cost saving using enhanced satellite classification when compared to aerial photo-interpretation.     

Effect of grain boundaries on the local electronic transport in nanostructured films of colossal magnetoresistive manganites

We have studied the spatially resolved local electronic properties of nanostructured films of a colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) material by local conductance mapping (LCMAP) using a variable temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM), as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The experiments were carried out on nanostructured (NS) films of rare-earth hole doped manganites like La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO), (prepared by Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD)) having average grain sizes around 100 nm or less. Due to the presence of a large number of natural grain boundaries (GBs), these films exhibit interesting transport properties that are not observed in single crystals and epitaxial films of the same composition, such as low field magnetoresistance (LFMR), and significant MR at higher fields over the entire temperature range. Spatially resolved measurements of electronic properties, like the LCMAP, traces the contribution of the grain boundaries to the electronic transport in these NS films. It is found that the application of a low magnetic field enhances the DOS in the GB region, leading to the observed low field response of the MR.     

Impact of pilot project of Rural Maintenance Programme (RMP) on destitute women: CARE, Bangladesh

BACKGROUND: The rate of malnutrition among women in Bangladesh is high, but historically there has not been a specific program focusing on the improvement of the nutritional status of Bangladeshi women. OBJECTIVE: To observe changes in the nutritional status of destitute women of the Rural Maintenance Programme (RMP) by incorporating a health and nutrition intervention package with RMP ongoing activities. METHODS: An intervention study involving 1,275 poor destitute women was conducted from July 2004 to June 2005 in 17 districts in Bangladesh under two field offices, Mymensingh and Jessore, covering 8 and 9 districts, respectively. The respondents were divided into intervention, comparison, and control groups. All participants in the intervention and comparison groups were paid as part of the RMP and received weekly 30-minute nutrition interventions for 7 weeks in addition to routine training. The comparison group also received RMP training. The control group consisted of women with similar demographic characteristics to the intervention and comparison groups who did not receive pay or any intervention. The intervention was a unique combination of the three components of the UNICEF triangle model (food security, caring practices, and disease control). Data on socioeconomic and anthropometric characteristics, immunization, and vitamin A capsule intake were also collected with the use of a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: After the intervention, the mean body weight had significantly increased by 1,333 g in the intervention group and had decreased by 277 g in the control group and 147 g in the comparison group. The body mass index of women in the intervention group had also significantly increased at the end of the study (p < .001). There was a significant increase in the intake of iodized salt in the intervention group as well as increased immunization coverage in all groups. Intake of the first vitamin A capsule by children increased (from 60% to 97%) in the intervention group only. CONCLUSIONS: The nutrition pilot intervention was highly effective in improving the nutritional status of women in the RMP.     

Benzotrifluoromethyl group‐substituted poly(para‐phenylenevinylene): Effect on solubility,optical, and electronic properties

A new organosoluble benzotrifluoromethyl group containing poly(p‐phenylenevinylene) (BTFM‐PPV) has been synthesized via Gilch polymerization. The polymer is soluble in common organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, dichloromethane, toluene, and xylene. BTFM‐PPV exhibited fluorescence emission peak with a very high blue shift at 474 nm with an excitation wavelength at 420 nm compared with many other PPV derivatives reported earlier. Incorporation of fluorated bezotrifluoromethyl pendent group in the PPV backbone lowers the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of BTFM‐PPV (2.48 eV) which retarded the hole injection and increase the electron injection in the device. The current–voltage (I–V) characteristic of the polymer was measured by fabricating the polymer as ITO/BTFM‐PPV/Al diode. The device performance was markedly improved by incorporation of 4‐fluoro‐3trifluoromethylphenyl units into the polymer main chain. The turn on voltage of the device observed from the I–V measurements was 7 V. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Visible-light Catalysed Trifluoromethylthiolation and Related Dearomative Spirocyclizations

We conceptualized a radical cyclization approach for the synthesis of SCF₃, SAr, SO₂Ar and COAr featured spirocyclic [4.5] and [5.5] trienone between biaryls and ArSO₂H or ArCOCO₂H in presence of RFTA as a photocatalyst whereas the insertion of ArSSAr or AgSCF₃ devoid of photocatalyst via an energetically demanding dearomative transformation under visible-light catalysis. The photo-excited charge transfer complex with biaryl tethered ynones provides a way to promote S-centered radical generation followed by its insertion to enable a wide range of biologically important molecules.