Time-parallel simulation of wireless ad hoc networks

In this paper, we study time-parallel simulation of wireless networks based upon the concept of the perturbation induced by a networking event and present a layer-by-layer analysis of the impact of perturbations on the wireless network. This analysis allows us to propose several methods to improve the accuracy of time-parallel simulation. We describe an implementation based on the widely used ns-2 simulator and on the iterative extension of the warmup period. We introduce a method for initial state approximation which can improve the accuracy of the simulation for table-driven ad hoc routing protocols. A series of experiments show that on typical scenarios time-parallel simulation leads to a significant speedup while maintaining a high level of accuracy.     

Can Dentin Surfaces Be Bonded Safely With Ozone and Boric Acid?

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of different cavity disinfectants on shear bond strength. In this study, 60 caries-free human molar teeth were used. Smooth dentin surfaces were revealed by cutting occlusal enamel and a standard smear layer was obtained by using 600-grid sandpaper. Specimens were randomly assigned to four groups according to the disinfectant used: Group 1: Control (no disinfectant); Group 2: Ozone; Group 3: Chlorhexidine, Group 4: Boric acid. Specimens were bonded using S3 Plus Bond and the composite buildups were created by using composite resin according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After specimens were kept for 24 h, at 37 °C in distilled water, the shear bond strength test was measured with a universal test machine. The highest bond strength values were observed in the control group. The bond strength was significantly lower in the chlorhexidine, and boric acid-treated groups than it was in the control group (respectively, p = 0.046 and p = 0.028); however, no significant difference in the bond strength was observed between the ozone group and the control group (p = 0.444). The ozone group was detected as having the best shear bond strength values in groups which were applied to cavity disinfectants.     

Chemical composition of building materials used in Turkey

The main goal of this work was to determine the chemical composition of building materials used in Turkey by utilizing energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry. Gas concrete, cement, sand, bricks, roofing tiles, marble, lime and gypsum materials were selected as building materials for this research. The chemical contents and their trace concentrations of the selected samples were determined. The most abundant oxides measured were generally SiO₂, Al₂O₃, CaO, MgO, Fe₂O₃, K₂O and SO₃ for all samples. While the main chemical component of gas concrete, cement, sand and marble samples were SiO₂ and CaO, brick and roofing tile mainly consisted of SiO₂ and Al₂O₃. CaO and SO₃ were major component of lime and gypsum samples, respectively. For U and Th concentrations in the samples, activities of ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th were measured by utilizing gamma spectrometry. ANOVA and Pearson correlation analyses were performed on the studied data for statistical analysis.     

Formation and Characterization of Green Tea Extract Loaded Liposomes

Green tea extract was encapsulated into liposomes to enhance bioavailability and stability of catechins by protecting their functional properties simultaneously. Encapsulation was achieved by dispersing 1% (w/v) soy lecithin through high pressure homogenization (microfluidization) and ultrasonication. Effects of homogenization type and pH of the dispersing medium on the physical properties and stability of the liposomes during 1‐mo storage period were investigated. Mean particle size, total phenolic content by Folin–Ciocalteu method and antioxidant activity by 2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and ferric reducing‐antioxidant power methods, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments were conducted for characterization. Green tea extract loaded liposomes prepared by microfluidization in distilled water were determined as the most stable system which demostrated no significant difference (P > 0.05) on mean particle size, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity between the first and final day of 1‐mo storage time. Additionally, uniform size and shape in TEM images supported the results.     

Graphene based catalyst supports for high temperature PEM fuel cell application

In this study, the effect of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) and graphene oxide (GO) based carbon supports on polybenzimidazole (PBI) based high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) performances were investigated. Pt/GNP and Pt/GO catalysts were synthesized by microwave assisted chemical reduction support. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brauner, Emmet and Teller (BET) analysis and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were used to investigate the microstructure and morphology of the as-prepared catalysts. The electrochemical surface area (ESA) was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results showed deposition of smaller Pt nanoparticles with uniform distribution and higher ECSA for Pt/GNP compared to Pt/GO. The Pt/GNP and Pt/GO catalysts were tested in 25 cm² active area single HT-PEMFC with H₂/air at 160 °C without humidification. Performance evaluation in HT-PEMFC shows current densities of 0.28, 0.17 and 0.22 A/cm² for the Pt/GNP, Pt/C and Pt/GO catalysts based MEAs at 160 °C, respectively. The maximum power density was obtained for MEA prepared by Pt/GNP catalyst with H₂/Air dry reactant gases as 0.34, 0.40 and 0.46 W/cm² at 160 °C, 175 °C and 190 °C, respectively. Graphene based catalyst supports exhibits an enhanced HT-PEMFC performance in both low and high current density regions. The results indicate the graphene catalyst support could be utilized as the catalyst support for HT-PEMFC application.     

Feature extraction for ECG heartbeats using higher order statistics of WPD coefficients

This paper describes feature extraction methods using higher order statistics (HOS) of wavelet packet decomposition (WPD) coefficients for the purpose of automatic heartbeat recognition. The method consists of three stages. First, the wavelet package coefficients (WPC) are calculated for each different type of ECG beat. Then, higher order statistics of WPC are derived. Finally, the obtained feature set is used as input to a classifier, which is based on k-NN algorithm. The MIT-BIH arrhythmia database is used to obtain the ECG records used in this study. All heartbeats in the arrhythmia database are grouped into five main heartbeat classes. The classification accuracy of the proposed system is measured by average sensitivity of 90%, average selectivity of 92% and average specificity of 98%. The results show that HOS of WPC as features are highly discriminative for the classification of different arrhythmic ECG beats.     

Adsorption of phenol by MMT-CTAB and WPT-CTAB: Equilibrium,kinetic, and thermodynamic study

In this study, the phenol adsorption capacity of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide modified clays (MMT-CTAB) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide modified pulp tea (WPT-CTAB) were studied. In batch adsorption experiments performed with MMT-CTAB, the effects of parameters such contact time, phenol concentration, pH of solution and adsorbent dosage were investigated. The effect of temperature on phenol adsorption onto MMT-CTAB and WPT-CTAB was examined; equilibrium and thermodynamic studies were completed. The highest phenol removal was found at pH 4.0 for MMT-CTAB and WPT-CTAB. To analyze the kinetics of phenol adsorption onto MMT-CTAB, the pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order kinetic models were applied. The kinetic data fitted better to the pseudo second-order model than the pseudo first-order kinetic model for MMT-CTAB. The characterization of adsorbents in phenol adsorption was clarified with the FTIR technique. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔH°, ΔS° and ΔG° were calculated for each adsorption process. The adsorption process was found to be exothermic and spontaneous for phenol adsorption by MMT-CTAB and WPT-CTAB. The results were analyzed with the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Harkins–Jura equations using linearized correlation coefficients at different temperatures. The Langmuir equation was found to best represent the equilibrium data for phenol adsorption onto MMT-CTAB and WPT-CTAB.