Effects of Al:Si and (Al + Na):Si ratios on the properties of the international simple glass,part I: Physical properties

Understanding composition-structure-property relationships of high-alumina nuclear waste glasses are important for vitrification of nuclear waste at the Hanford Site. Two series of glasses were designed, one with varying Al:Si ratios and the other with (Al + Na):Si ratios based on the international simple glass (ISG, a simplified nuclear waste model glass), with Al₂O₃ ranging from 0 to 23 mol% (0 to 32 wt%). The glasses were synthesized and characterized using electron probe microanalysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, small angle X-ray scattering, high-temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry, and infrared spectroscopy. Glasses were crystal free, and the lowest Na₂O and Al₂O₃ glass formed an immiscible glass phase. Evolution of various properties—glass-transition temperature, percentage of 4-coordinated B, enthalpy of glass formation—and infrared spectroscopy results indicate that structural effects differ based on the glass series.     

Fabrication of a Chitosan‐Coated Magnetic Nanobiocatalyst for Starch Hydrolysis

The preparation of chitosan‐coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and covalent immobilization of α‐amylase for starch hydrolysis was investigated. Surface morphology, chemical composition, and structural characteristics of the MNPs were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectrometry, and X‐ray diffractometry, respectively. Surface functional groups of MNPs, chitosan‐coated MNPs, and α‐amylase‐immobilized MNPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Response surface methodology based on three levels was implemented to optimize three immobilization conditions and a regression model was developed. α‐Amylase‐immobilized MNPs provided better stability towards pH and temperature. The prepared thermostable nanobiocatalyst is well‐suited for industrial processes involving starch hydrolysis.     

Approximate controllability of fractional stochastic evolution equations

A class of dynamic control systems described by nonlinear fractional stochastic differential equations in Hilbert spaces is considered. Using fixed point technique, fractional calculations, stochastic analysis technique and methods adopted directly from deterministic control problems, a new set of sufficient conditions for approximate controllability of fractional stochastic differential equations is formulated and proved. In particular, we discuss the approximate controllability of nonlinear fractional stochastic control system under the assumptions that the corresponding linear system is approximately controllable. The results in this paper are generalization and continuation of the recent results on this issue. An example is provided to show the application of our result. Finally as a remark, the compactness of semigroup is not assumed and subsequently the conditions are obtained for exact controllability result.     

Optoelectronic,magnetic and antibacterial properties of CdO thin films doubly doped with Mn (cationic) and F (anionic) ions

This paper outlines the effect of (Mn?+?F) double doping on the structural, morphological, optoelectronic, magnetic and antibacterial properties of CdO thin films. Undoped CdO, Mn-doped CdO and (Mn?+?F) doubly doped CdO films exhibit face-centered cubic structure with a strong (1 1 1) preferential growth. Crystallite size value of the undoped film estimated using the Scherrer formula decreases with Mn doping and with double doping it increases. Cauliflower shaped nanostructures are evinced from the SEM images. Increased optical transparency is observed for the doubly doped films. The optical band gap value of the Mn-doped CdO film is found to be red shifted and for the (Mn?+?F) doubly doped films it is blue shifted which may be attributed to the Moss-Burstein effect. Ferromagnetic ordering is observed for the doped films. The doped films show increased antibacterial efficiency against K. pneumonia a gram ?ve bacteria. The obtained results infer that the CdO films doubly doped with Mn (cationic) and F (anionic) ions exhibited better optical, electrical, magnetic and antibacterial properties.     

Influence of friction stir processing parameters on surface modified 90Cu-10Ni composites

Friction Stir Processing (FSP) has emerged as a distinctive and pioneering solid state technique to produce surface composites. The objective of the present research is to produce reinforced 90/10 Copper–Nickel surface composites with different carbide-based ceramic particles through FSP and study the relationship of its dynamic parameters including tool rotational speed, tool traverse speed, and width of the groove over the surface behavior. Responses such as sliding wear, microhardness, and surface modified area in the friction stir processed region are modeled using polynomial, nonlinear, multiple regression based on the central composite design of experiment. Analysis of the developed models showed that the FSP parameters; traverse speed, rotational speed, and groove width have significant influence on both the sliding wear and microhardness of developed surface composite. And furthermore, tool rotational speed and tool traverse speed, simultaneously control dispersion of reinforcement in the surface. To validate the abovementioned noteworthy results and to study the microstructural aspects, selected specimens were carried over metallurgical analysis and the obtained results were put forward in detail in this paper.     

Comparison of antioxidant capacities and cytotoxicities of certain fruit peels

This work was undertaken to explore the potential of fruit waste materials as sources of powerful natural antioxidants. The peels of eight kinds of fruits commonly consumed and grown in Thailand were used. The ethanolic fruit peel extracts were subjected to the scavenging tests of DPPH and ABTS radicals. Results from both assays were in good agreement that the top three markedly high free radical-scavenging power was from the peel extracts of Punica granatum (pomegranate), Nephelium lappaceum (rambutan), and Garcinia mangostana (mangosteen). The IC₅₀ values to quench the DPPH free radicals of these three extracts were 0.003, 0.006, and 0.023 mg/ml and the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values from ABTS assay were 4.066, 3.074, and 3.001 mM/mg, respectively. The extract of mangosteen peel showed moderate toxicity to Caco-2 cells and high toxicity to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with the IC₅₀ values of 32.0 and 4.9 μg/ml, respectively. Pomegranate peel extract stimulated Caco-2 cell and PBMC proliferation with the ED₅₀ of 4.7 and 44.4 μg/ml, respectively. Peel extract of rambutan exhibited extremely high value of IC₅₀ (>100 μg/ml) against both cell types indicating non-toxic activity to the cells. It was concluded that the peel of rambutan may be considered potentially useful as a source of natural antioxidants for food or drug product because of its high antioxidant activity and non-toxic property to normal cells.     

Role of composition and fabric of Kuttanad clay: a geotechnical perspective

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - Kuttanad clay from Kerala, India is a soft soil with associated problems of low shear strength and compressibility. An attempt is made to...     

Experimental investigations of SiO2 based ferrite magnetic tunnel junction

We report experimental results of ferrite based magnetic tunnel junction. Ferrite junction and spin transport through SiO₂ were interesting since they can readily replace the conventional electronics. We fabricated a cobalt ferrite/SiO₂/cobalt nickel ferrite based magnetic tunnel junction over a copper coated n-silicon substrate using a RF/DC magnetron sputtering. The tunneling magnetoresistance shows a very good response to applied field and we achieved a TMR of about 16%. Although theoretically it was predicted infinite TMR for half metallic ferromagnetic junction, the deviation was explained on the basis of incoherent scattering along the interfaces.