Plasma polymerization of fluorocarbon monomers

X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that electrodeposited black chrome and black zinc surfaces can be characterized by a metal-to-metal-oxide ratio that decreases (from 3.65 to 0.33 for black zinc and from 4.00 to 0.58 for black chrome) with increasing temperature of thermal exposure and this decrease correlates with the degradation observed in the optical selectivity $\text{(}\text{α}{}_{\mathrm{s}}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{t,H}}\text{)}$ properties of these overgrowths. While black chrome surfaces are stable up to 500°C, black zinc surfaces (used in this study) degrade optically when heated to above 250°C. When the temperature of heat treatment is increased (from ambient to 300°C for black zinc and from ambient to 600 °C for black chrome) the particles comprising these surfaces increase in size (from 90 to 157 nm for black zinc and from 106 to 193 nm for black chrome) and exhibit a more spherical appearance in comparison with the more faceted particles comprising the as-plated surfaces.     

Observer based adaptive neuro-sliding mode control for MIMO nonlinear systems

In this paper, a stable adaptive neural sliding mode controller is developed for a class of multivariable uncertain nonlinear systems. For these systems not all state variables are available for measurements. By designing a state observer, adaptive neural systems, which are used to model unknown functions, can be constructed using the state estimations. Based on Lyapunov stability theorem, the proposed adaptive neural control system can guarantee the stability of the whole closed loop system and obtain good tracking performances. Adaptive laws are proposed to adjust the free parameters of the neural models. Simulation results illustrate the design procedure and demonstrate the tracking performances of the proposed controller.     

Efficient metaheuristics for pick and place robotic systems optimization

This paper deals with a pick and place robotic system design problem. The objective is to present an efficient method which is able to optimize the performances of the robotic system. By defining the suitable combination of scheduling rules, our method allows each robot to perform the assigned pick and place operations in real time in order to maximize the throughput rate. For that, we have developed different resolution methods which define the scheduling rule for each robot in order to seize the products from the first side of the system and to place them on the second side. We suggest three metaheuristics which are the ant colony optimization, the particle swarm optimization and the genetic algorithm. Then, we try to select the best algorithm which is able to get the best solutions with the lowest execution times. This is the main advantage of our methods compared to exact methods. This fact represents a great interest taking in consideration that our methods must respect a strong industrial constraint regarding the functioning of a real industrial robotic system. This constraint states that the answer time to manage the seizing strategies of the robots must be less than 1 second. Numerical results show that the different algorithms perform optimally for the tested instances in a reasonable computational time.     

N4SID and MOESP algorithms to highlight the ill-conditioning into subspace identification

In this paper,an analysis for ill conditioning problem in subspace identifcation method is provided.The subspace identifcation technique presents a satisfactory robustness in the parameter estimation of process model which performs control.As a frst step,the main geometric and mathematical tools used in subspace identifcation are briefly presented.In the second step,the problem of analyzing ill-conditioning matrices in the subspace identifcation method is considered.To illustrate this situation,a simulation study of an example is introduced to show the ill-conditioning in subspace identifcation.Algorithms numerical subspace state space system identifcation(N4SID)and multivariable output error state space model identifcation(MOESP)are considered to study,the parameters estimation while using the induction motor model,in simulation(Matlab environment).Finally,we show the inadequacy of the oblique projection and validate the efectiveness of the orthogonal projection approach which is needed in ill-conditioning;a real application dealing with induction motor parameters estimation has been experimented.The obtained results proved that the algorithm based on orthogonal projection MOESP,overcomes the situation of ill-conditioning in the Hankel s block,and thereby improving the estimation of parameters.     

Antibacterial and in vivo reactivity of bioactive glass and poly(vinyl alcohol) composites prepared by melting and sol-gel techniques

Bioactive glass particle is used in the repair of bone defects. This material undergoes a series of surface in vivo reactions, which leads to osteointegration. We evaluated the effect of the bioactive glass synthesis, sol-gel (BG(S)) versus melting (BG(M)), associated with polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) on in vivo bioactivity with biochemical parameters, liver-kidney histological structure and antibacterial in vitro activity. These composites were testified in many bacteria and implanted in ovariectomized rat. The serum and organs (liver and kidney) of all groups, control and treated rats, were collected to investigate the side effects of our composites, BG(S)-PVA and BG(M)-PVA, in comparison with control and ovariectomized rats. Also, the implants, before and after implantation, were prepared for analysis using physicochemical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Our results have shown the stability of natremia, kaliemia, calcemia and phosphoremia. The histological structures of liver and kidney in implanted rats are intact compared to control and ovariectomized rats. BG(S)-PVA is characterized by a higher antibacterial effect on negative and positive gram bacteria than BG(M)-PVA. The physicochemical results have confirmed a progressive degradation of BG(S)-PVA and BG(M)-PVA, while replacing the implant by an apatite layer. But this bioactivity of BG(S)-PVA is faster than BG(M)-PVA. We can therefore confirm, on the one hand, the biocompatibility of our two implants and, on the other hand, the beneficial effect of sol-gel synthesis technique versus melting, both on the antibacterial effect and on the rapid formation of layer hydroxyapatite, and consequently on osteogenesis.     

A decomposition-based hybrid multiobjective evolutionary algorithm with dynamic resource allocation

Different crossover operators suit different problems. It is, therefore, potentially problematic to chose the ideal crossover operator in an evolutionary optimization scheme. Using multiple crossover operators could be an effective way to address this issue. This paper reports on the implementation of this idea, i.e. the use of two crossover operators in a decomposition-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, but not simultaneously. After each cycle, the operator which has helped produce the better offspring is rewarded. This means that the overall algorithm uses a dynamic resource allocation to reward the better of the crossover operators in the optimization process. The operators used are the Simplex Crossover operator (SPX) and the Center of Mass Crossover operator (CMX). We report experimental results that show that this innovative use of two crossover operators improves the algorithm performance on standard test problems. Results on the sensitivity of the suggested algorithm to key parameters such as population size, neighborhood size and maximum number of solutions to be altered for a given subproblem in the the decomposition process are also included.     

Hibiscus cannabinus L. – Kenaf : A Review Paper

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a valuable fiber and medicinal plant from the Malvaceae family. It is an alternative crop that may be a feasible source of cellulose which is economically viable and ecologically friendly. This plant is cultivated for its fiber although its leaves and seeds have also been used in traditional medicine in India and Africa for the treatment of various disease conditions. Kenaf fibers are commonly used for paper pulp and cordage, but it is also a promising lignocellulosic feedstock for bioenergy production. The kenaf seed oil can be used for cooking and in different industrial applications. The present paper is an overview on its ethnobotanical and phytochemical properties reported in the literature that we have investigated and its great potential as a valuable multipurpose crop due to numerous uses.