Phase Transformation Introduced by Mechanical and Chemical Surface Preparations of Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals

Cutting of Y₂O₃-doped TZP rods by a low-speed diamond saw introduces an unidentified, metastable phase X (x -ZrO₂) coexisting with the tetragonal ( t -ZrO₂) and the monoclinic ( m -ZrO₂) phases initially present in the sample. Further mechanical deformation of the cut surface by indentation or polishing sustains the x -ZrO₂. Chemical etching removes the x -ZrO₂ and increases the m -ZrO₂content.     

Reactive extrusion of zein with glyoxal

Cross‐linked zein has been produced using glyoxal (GLY) as the cross‐linking reagent via reactive extrusion for the first time in a twin screw extruder using dilute sodium hydroxide as catalyst. Tri(ethylene glycol) was used as a plasticizer for various items. The extrudate was then ground and processed using either compression or injection molding. At the highest level of GLY (6%), tri(ethylene glycol) was used at 10% as a plasticizer to allow further processing to take place. With this formulation, samples could be obtained from the injection mold, however, the samples did not hold their molded shape due to the elasticity of the sample at the mold temperature. When lower levels of GLY were used, injection molded sample bars of similar quality to control were obtained. The physical properties of these samples were similar to control. At GLY levels of 1.75% and higher, the samples were resistant to dissolution by acetic acid. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Synthesis of visible light-active nanostructured TiOx (x < 2) photocatalysts in a flame aerosol reactor

Titanium dioxide is a wide band gap (3.2 eV) semiconductor which is photo-active when irradiated with UV light. For wider scale use of TiO₂ as a photocatalyst, its activity needs to be extended to the visible light region (constituting 45% of total incident solar energy). A diffusion flame aerosol reactor (FLAR) with an oxygen lean environment in the particle formation zone has been used to synthesize oxygen deficient titanium suboxide (TiO_x with x < 2) nanoparticles. Using a standard-based electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) technique, the non-stoichiometry (x in TiO_x) in the flame synthesized particles has been quantified with high accuracy (uncertainty less than 3%). Under an oxygen lean environment in the particle formation zone, the non-stoichiometry in the TiO_x particles is a function of the flame temperature. The value of x in the flame synthesized TiO_x nanoparticles is in the range of 1.88 < x < 1.94. Diffuse reflectance spectra confirmed that the oxygen deficient TiO_x particles absorbed visible light. Visible light activity of the TiO_x particles is demonstrated by photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange solution under visible light illumination.     

Characteristics impedance spectroscopy: Tool to characterize ion-blocking phenomena

Scandia (Sc₂O₃) doped nano-crystalline zirconia powder was prepared by dissolution and co-precipitation method. Bulk specimens were prepared by sintering nano-powders at various temperatures. The characteristics admittance diagrams obtained from impedance spectroscopic measurement revealed the grain interior, defect (blocker) and grain boundary conductance. The ion-blocking model stressed the role played by the distribution of the current lines around the blockers and by the dielectric properties of these blockers. With temperature, no variation of the blocking factor was observed. This model is consistent as per similarity between the bulk and blocked conductance activation energies are concerned. The admittance diagram parameters were correlated to the geometrical parameters of the blockers.     

Consumption of brown rice: a potential pathway for arsenic exposure in rural Bengal

This study assesses the arsenic (As) accumulation in different varieties of rice grain, that people in rural Bengal mostly prefer for daily consumption, to estimate the potential risk of dietary As exposure through rice intake. The rice samples have been classified according to their average length (L) and L to breadth (B) ratio into four categories, such as short-bold (SB), medium-slender (MS), long-slender (LS), and extra-long slender (ELS). The brown colored rice samples fall into the SB, MS, or LS categories; while all Indian Basmati (white colored) are classified as ELS. The study indicates that the average accumulation of As in rice grain increases with a decrease of grain size (ELS: 0.04; LS: 0.10; MS: 0.16; and SB: 0.33 mg kg(-1)), however people living in the rural villages mostly prefer brown colored SB type of rice because of its lower cost. For the participants consuming SB type of brown rice, the total daily intake of inorganic As (TDI-iAs) in 29% of the cases exceeds the previous WHO recommended provisional tolerable daily intake value (2.1 μg day(-1) kg(-1) BW), and in more than 90% of cases, the As content in the drinking water equivalent to the inorganic As intake from rice consumption (C(W,eqv)) exceeds the WHO drinking water guideline of 10 μg L(-1). This study further demonstrates that participants in age groups 18-30 and 51-65 yrs are the most vulnerable to the potential health threat of dietary As exposure compared to participants of age group 31-50 yrs, because of higher amounts of brown rice consumption patterns and lower BMI.     

Effect of ash on maximum thickness of plastic layer of coals

A study of the effect of ash yield on the maximum thickness of the plastic layer (MTPL) of some coking coals (as measured by the Sapozhnikov plastometer) has revealed that with an increase in the former the latter in general decre?es. A rectilinear relation approximately exists between the ash percentage (dry basis) and log MTPL values of coals. For the samples studied, a multiple correlation incorporating the rank factor was found to be unnecessary. Higher Fe₂O₃ and SO₃ contents from the coal were found to be associated with higher MTPL values.     

Design and analysis of an efficient QoS improvement policy in cloud computing

Cloud computing offers the proficiency to use computing and storage resources on a metered basis and reduces the investments in Information Technology domain. This paper highlights a major research issue, i.e., providing good quality of service (QoS) to the cloud users. The QoS is associated with several parameters such as completion time, response time, turnaround time (TAT), waiting time (WT), bandwidth. A new cloudlet scheduling algorithm—improved round robin cloudlet scheduling algorithm—has been proposed which improves the TAT, WT and number of context switching. It enhances the resource utilization. The experimental results are obtained by CloudSim toolkit extending few base classes and compared by classical round robin algorithm.     

An alternative one sided test of normal mean

This paper provides an alternative test procedure for the problem oftesting of normal mean for one sided alternative when the variance is known in case of costly trials. The proposed test is based on a sampling scheme which we call 'continuous adaptive design'. Some exact andasymptotic results related to the test and design are studied.     

Sequential comparison of two treatments in clinical trials:a decision theoretic approach based on randomized play-the-winner rule

In the context of comparing two treatments in clinical trials randomized play-the-winner rule is used with the goal of treating more patients by the better treatment On its basis we give two decision rules by introducing stopping rule Some performance characteristics of one of the decision rules are discussed and examined .A minimax rule is suggested Finally some exact and asymptotic properties of the decision rule is derived