Rheological evaluation of gelatin–xanthan gum system with high levels of co-solutes in the rubber-to-glass transition region

Effects of moisture content, xanthan gum (XG) addition, and glucose syrup (GS):sucrose ratio on the gelation of gelatin-XG systems with high levels of co-solutes were investigated in the rubbery and the glass transition regions. Frequency sweep tests were performed between 0.1 and 100 rad and the storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli of the system were measured in the temperature range of 60 to −15 °C. The onset of glass transition region increased with decreasing moisture content. The time–temperature superposition yielded master curves of G′ and G″ as a function of timescale of measurement. G″ and G″ were superimposed with the horizontal shift factor a_T, which was temperature dependent according to the Williams–Landel–Ferry (WLF) equation. Glass transition temperature (T_g) of the samples were determined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) from the peak of tan δ. T_g decreased with XG addition. The energy of vitrification of samples with XG increased compared to samples containing only gelatin. Relaxation spectra of the samples were calculated from rheological measurements using the first and second approximations. The Rouse theory was more closely followed with the second approximation.     

A new bistable laser diode configuration for all optical switching

A new bistable laser diode configuration for all optical switching has been suggested and its equivalent circuit model is developed. For switching the device to the high state (set) a TE mode optical pulse is required, which is the oscillating mode of the laser, whereas a TM mode pulse is used to bring the output to a low state (reset). But the wavelength of the set and reset pulses are the same as that of the lasing wavelength of the device. The static and dynamic characteristics are studied by simulating the equivalent circuit model using the circuit simulation program PSPICE. It is found that as the carrier lifetime τ_a of the absorption section increases, the width of the optical pulse required for reset increases nonlinearly. The rise and fall times are found to be 0.15 and 0.16 ns, respectively, for a τ _a, of 3 ns     

Lean manufacturing in Brazilian small and medium enterprises: implementation and effect on performance

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the degree to which lean manufacturing (LM) practices are being implemented within Brazilian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), by defining what LM means, in the view of SMEs in Brazil. In addition, the paper investigates the relationship between LM implementation and performance of such companies. The research method used in this paper comprised of an exploratory survey using the partial least-square method with the structural equation modelling technique (PLS-SEM). The results show that the companies studied used practices in a fragmented manner, without a holistic view of LM, which is considered to be one of the most important parts of this approach. Only the constructs of statistical process control, total productive maintenance and employee involvement are being implemented as an integrated approach for Brazilian SMEs. These companies do not take other important constructs such as customer involvement, continuous flow, pull production, set-up time reduction, supplier development and supplier feedback into consideration as part of LM systems, despite using some practices in a dispersed manner. Concerning performance, the present study shows that even in a fragmented way, the implementation of these LM practices help these companies to achieve improvement in operational performance.     

A hybrid approach of neutrosophic sets and DEMATEL method for developing supplier selection criteria

For any organization, the selection of suppliers is a very important step to increase productivity and profitability. Any organization or company seeks to use the best methodology and the appropriate technology to achieve its strategies and objectives. The present study employs the neutrosophic set for decision making and evaluation method (DEMATEL) to analyze and determine the factors influencing the selection of SCM suppliers. DEMATEL is considered a proactive approach to improve performance and achieve competitive advantages. This study applies the neutrosophic set Theory to adjust general judgment, using a new scale to present each value. A case study implementing the proposed methodology is presented (i.e. selecting the best supplier for a distribution company). This research was designed by neutrosophic DEMATEL data collection survey of experts, interviewing professionals in management, procurement and production. The results analyzed in our research prove that quality is the most influential criterion in the selection of suppliers.     

Event-triggered synchronization for stochastic delayed neural networks: Passivity and passification case

This article investigates the event-triggered synchronization problem of stochastic neural networks under passivity and passification cases. For saving communication resources, an event-triggered approach is engaged in the design of synchronization for the delayed stochastic neural networks. To decrease network trouble, an event-triggered scheme is suggested between the sampler and communication network. A nonfragile event-triggered controller is intended to guarantee the finite-time stability of the subsequent closed-loop system. By applying the Lyapunov–Krasovkii functional (LKF) and the novel integral inequalities, a stability criteria for an interval-time varying delay error system ensure the designed controller can fulfill the necessities of passivity and passification performance. The desired control gain and event-triggered parameters are then found based on the linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Finally, illustrative examples are given to show the benefits and validity of the desired control law.     

Analysing the interaction of factors for resilient humanitarian supply chain

Emergencies and disasters place an exceptional demand on the managerial skills of the humanitarian aid community. Most of the developing countries lack in such kind of resilience and effective humanitarian supply chain. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse the factors to develop the resilience in the humanitarian supply chain. Based on the literature review, total 12 factors related to resilient humanitarian supply chain have been identified. Some of these factors are process oriented and some are result oriented. Interpretive structural modelling with Fuzzy MICMAC analysis is used to develop structural relationships among these factors and to find the driving and the dependence power of these factors. Government support, strategy and capacity planning; and continuous assessment of project progress have emerged as the major drivers for the development of resilient humanitarian supply chain. By managing these driving factors, humanitarian aid programme can be made resilient and agile. The findings will be useful for the humanitarian aid agencies to develop effective and sustainable aid relief programme.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Score level based latent fingerprint enhancement and matching using SIFT feature

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Latent fingerprint identification is such a difficult task to law enforcement agencies and border security in identifying suspects. It is a too complicate due to...     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: An ontology-driven personalized food recommendation in IoT-based healthcare system

The Journal of Supercomputing - The recent developments of internet technology have created premium space for recommender system (RS) to help users in their daily life. An effective personalized...