Dynamic single-machine scheduling under distributed decision-making

This paper presents a deterministic dynamic model for the single-machine scheduling problem. The model uses forecasts of future job arrivals with the current data to extract job interactions over time, updating the information on rolling basis. The model is implemented in a distributed structure with both the machine and the jobs involved in decision-making to create a schedule. The decision-making is modelled similar to an auction with a theoretical basis for problem decomposition, bid construction and bid evaluation. Numerical results indicate that the model outperforms other distributed implementations in both static and dynamic implementations for a wide range of single-machine scheduling problems.     

Corrosion and Fire Protective Behavior of Advanced Phosphatic Geopolymeric Coating on Mild Steel Substrate

The research objectives of this study were to investigate and compare corrosion and fire protective properties of conventional and advanced phosphatic geopolymeric coating on mild steel substrate using spray coating technique For these studies two composition were developed using conventional geopolymerisation route by adding alkali activator solution to fly ash and six compositions were developed using advanced geopolymerisation process in which water was added to solid precursor powder obtained by together co-ginding of raw materials for a period of 8 h. Coated plates were tested for adhesion strength, water resistance, fire protection and corrosion resistance. Results indicated that coating developed from two passes with thickness 100 ± 15 μm showed better adhesion as compared to single pass and also proved to be promising corrosion protective coating material for mild steel substrate under sea water conditions. The developed material is able to withstand flame for more than 45 min and also no cracks were observed in coating by direct heating on liquefied petroleum gas flame. Thus developed phosphatic geopolymeric material is well suited for protecting the mild steel structures from fire and corrosion.     

Flexible polypyrrole activated micro-porous paper-based photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting

We herein demonstrate polypyrrole decorated micro-porous laboratory filter paper (PFP) as photoanode (PA) for efficient and stable water splitting. The straddling band position with water redox and the measured band gap of ~1.98 eV, make these PFP-PAs effective for water splitting reactions. The results manifest excellent photo-anodic PEC activity of these PFP-PAs, yielding a photocurrent density of ~9.5 mA/cm² (at 1.23 V vs. RHE) in a three-electrode configuration. The incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) and applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) was measured to be 43.19% and ~1%, respectively. Moreover, the robustness of these flexible PFP-PAs was visualized by the provided stability for more than ~160 min in alkaline conditions. The current study provides a proof-of-concept for the realization of a cost-effective, flexible, and efficient paper-based artificial catalyst (like a natural leaf) for solar-driven water splitting.     

High-temperature thermoelectric properties of p-type skutterudites Ba0.15Yb x Co3FeSb12 and Yb y Co3FeSb9As3

Two series of p-type polycrystalline skutterudites, Ba_0.15Yb _x Co₃FeSb₁₂ and Yb _y Co₃FeSb₉As₃ with varying Yb concentrations, were synthesized by solid-state reaction and then densified by hot pressing. The phase and stoichiometries of the resulting materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy, while their high-temperature transport properties were investigated from 300 to 800 K. The Seebeck coefficients and electrical resistivities increased linearly with increasing temperature for the double-filled specimens. The Seebeck coefficients and electrical resistivities did not change very much for the As-substituted specimens. The thermal conductivity for all specimens decreased with increasing temperature up to 700 K, corresponding to the plateau in the Seebeck coefficient, and then increased again due to bipolar diffusion. We find that double filling is a more feasible approach to thermoelectric property optimization than single filling with As substitution.     

Effect of MnO2 on the electrical conductivity of ZrO2

Electrical conductivity of ZrO₂ doped with MnO₂ has been measured at various temperatures for different molar ratios. The conductivity increases due to hopping of oxygen into neighboring vacancies, created by doping. Increase in temperature increases the rate of hopping, which results in the rise in conductivity and after attaining a maximum the conductivity, decrease due to collapse of the fluorite framework. All compositions show phase transition in ZrO₂ from monoclinic to tetragonal at 746 K. The XRD, DTA, and FT-IR studies were carried out for confirming the doping effect and transition in ZrO₂. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Different Roles of p62 (SQSTM1) Isoforms in Keratin-Related Protein Aggregation

p62/Sequestosome-1 (p62) is a multifunctional adaptor protein and is also a constant component of disease-associated protein aggregates, including Mallory–Denk bodies (MDBs), in steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. We investigated the interaction of the two human p62 isoforms, p62-H1 (full-length isoform) and p62-H2 (partly devoid of PB1 domain), with keratins 8 and 18, the major components of MDBs. In human liver, p62-H2 is expressed two-fold higher compared to p62-H1 at the mRNA level and is present in slightly but not significantly higher concentrations at the protein level. Co-transfection studies in CHO-K1 cells, PLC/PRF/5 cells as well as p62⁻ total-knockout and wild-type mouse fibroblasts revealed marked differences in the cytoplasmic distribution and aggregation behavior of the two p62 isoforms. Transfection-induced overexpression of p62-H2 generated large cytoplasmic aggregates in PLC/PRF/5 and CHO-K1 cells that mostly co-localized with transfected keratins resembling MDBs or (transfection without keratins) intracytoplasmic hyaline bodies. In fibroblasts, however, transfected p62-H2 was predominantly diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm. Aggregation of p62-H2 and p62ΔSH2 as well as the interaction with K8 (but not with K18) involves acquisition of cross-β-sheet conformation as revealed by staining with luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes. These results indicate the importance of considering p62 isoforms in protein aggregation disease.     

Effect of Blending with Polysulfone on Thermally Stimulated Discharge Behavior of Polyvinylidenefluoride Films

Thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) have been undertaken on solution grown foil samples of polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF)-polysulfone (PSF) blends as a function of the polarizing temperature, applied field, and polysulfone weight percentage in the blend. The TSDC thermograms of pure PVDF and PSF shows two peaks whereas the blend composition of the two polymers shows a single peak at around 170–190°C. The magnitude of the TSDC peak current increases and the peak current position shifted toward the lower temperature side as the polysulfone weight percentage in the blends was increased. The peak temperature of blend samples is higher than the dipolar peak (β peak) of PVDF samples and does not vary with change in polarizing field. This indicates that this peak may be due to dipoles. At the same time, the peak shifts towards higher temperatures with increase in polarizing temperature, which shows the behavior of space charge peak. This contradiction may be explained on the basis of induced dipoles. It seems that the charge originating from the bulk of the samples gets trapped in the deeper traps during polarization, and thus form induced dipoles. Afterward these induced dipoles get aligned in the polarizing field. It can be explained on the basis that either the dipolar peak gets covered by the space charge peak, or its contribution to the total polarization is very small.     

Preparation,Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Glass and Jute–Epoxy/Epoxy Polyurethane Composites

Glass and jute (treated and untreated) composites of epoxy resin of 1,1′-bis(3-methyl-4-hydroxy phenyl)cyclohexane(EMC) cured using 20% triethylamine as a hardener (G-EMCT-20 and J-EMCT-20) and EMC- polyurethane of toluene diisocyanate (J-EMCPU and TJ-EMCPU) have been prepared by a hand layup technique under 27.58 MPa pressure and at 150°C for 4 h. G-EMCT-20, J-EMCT-20, J-EMCPU and TJ-EMCPU showed 275, 96.5, 37.3 and 31.5 MPa tensile strength; 351, 84, 10 and 24 MPa flexural strength; 5837, 2758, 1277 and 1619 MPa elastic modulus; 24.6, 7.1, 1.9 and 1.6 kV/mm electric strength; and 1.4 × 10¹³, 1.1 × 10¹¹, 7.7 × 10¹⁰ and 3.6 × 10¹⁰ ohm cm volume resistivity, respectively. Fairly good to excellent mechanical and electrical properties of the composites indicated their industrial applications in building and construction, electrical and electronic industries.     

Quantifying Surface Water and Ground Water Interactions using a Coupled SWAT_FEM Model: Implications of Management Practices on Hydrological Processes in Irrigated River Basins

Water Resources Management - This study coupled the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) with a ground water finite element model (FEM) with the enhancements of multiple interface conversions and...