Extended sliding frame R-Aloha: Medium access control (MAC) protocol for mobile networks

Proliferation of mobile communication devices necessitates a reliable and efficient medium access control (MAC) protocol. In this paper, A MAC protocol, called extended sliding frame reservation Aloha (ESFRA), based on sliding frame R-Aloha (SFRA) is proposed for network access technique. ESFRA is particularly designed to solve the mobile hidden station (MHS) problem in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) by including relative locations of transmitting stations in the packet frame information header. The MHS problem is unique in mobile networks and occurs if a mobile station enters in a collision free zone of any ongoing communication and disturbs this communication with its transmission. In addition to the MHS problem, ESFRA simultaneously solves hidden station, exposed station, and neighborhood capture problems typically observed in wireless networks. A Markov model of ESFRA is developed and provided here to estimate throughput, delay and collision probabilities of the proposed protocol. The Markov modeling is extended to the analysis of SFRA and IEEE 802.11 to compare these competing MAC protocols with ESFRA. The analysis shows that ESFRA decreases frame transmission delay, increases throughput, and reduces collision probabilities compared to IEEE 802.11 and SFRA. ESFRA improves the network throughput 28 percent compared to that of IEEE 802.11, and 33 percent compared to that of SFRA. The improved performance is obtained at the expense of the synchronization compared to IEEE 802.11, but there is virtually no extra cost compared to SFRA.     

Evaluation of the shifting of the line of sight and higher order aberrations of eyes with keratoconus after corneal cross-linking

Aim

To evaluate changes in the coordinates of the line of sight (LoS) and higher order aberrations (HOAs) of eyes with keratoconus, following corneal cross-linking (CXL).

Optimized method for simultaneous determination of catechin, gallic acid, and methylxanthine compounds in chocolate using RP-HPLC

The simultaneous determination of catechins, gallic acid, and three methylxanthine compounds was determined in chocolate extract by reversed-phase HPLC. An isocratic HPLC procedure using Hypersil-ODS column with methanol three distilled water-formic acid (48.75:200.5:0.75, v/v/v) as a mobile phase was used and the HPLC profiles of 11 chocolate products were obtained. (-)- Epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, levels were very high whereas (+)-catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin and (-)-epicatechin gallate were lower values. Gallic acid was predominant compounds with extremely high levels in all chocolate samples. The content of three methylxanthine, theobromine, theophylline and caffeine was quantified with this procedure. Caffein amounts were low in all samples, while theobromine levels were high in milk and dark chocolates. Theophylline was at trace levels in some chocolates and could not be detected in some samples. This method was reliable, reproducible and objective for quantitative identification of flavanols and alkaloid compounds in the chocolate industry.     

Seasonal Variations in Fatty Acid Composition of Different Tissues of Mirror Carp,Cyprinus Carpio,in Orenler Dam Lake,Afyonkarahisar, Turkey

The seasonal variations of fatty acids compositions in the muscle, liver, and ovarian tissues of mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) living in Örenler Dam Lake were determined by using gas chromatography. The results obtained were subjected to statistical analyses by employing SPSS software and p < 0.05 was accepted as significant value. In the statistical analyses, multiple comparisons tests were performed. The results showed that monounsaturated fatty acids levels were found to be higher than that of polyunsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids in all seasons. Palmitic and stearic acid levels were the highest in ovaries (19.95% in winter and 7.79% in summer, respectively). Oleic and palmitoleic levels were at the highest levels in liver tissues (34.53% in summer and 18.37% in winter, respectively). Docosahexaenoic (C22:6ω3, DHA), eicosapentaenoic (C20:5ω3, EPA), eicosatrienoic acid, and arachidonic (C20:4ω6, AA) levels were at the highest level as 17.27, 2.54, and 8.41% in ovaries in the winter and 6.37% in muscle tissues in the spring, respectively. ω3/ω6 ratios were 0.62–0.98 in muscle, 1.54–2.82 in the liver, and 2.82–3.89 in the ovaries. From the point of total fatty acid variations, the highest variations were observed as follows: muscle in spring (26.73%), liver in winter (33.85%), and ovaries in winter 36.38%.     

HPLC-DAD Analysis to Identify the Phenolic Profile of Rhododendron Honeys Collected from Different Regions in Turkey

In this study, phenolic compounds of Rhododendron honey (also known as mad honey) samples collected from the Black Sea Region were identified using high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector system. The major phenolic substances in Rhododendron honeys were found to be chlorogenic and coumaric acids with the amounts of 0.11–191.54 mg/kg and 0–82.83 mg/kg, respectively. Gallic and ferulic acids were detected in the most honey samples. Additionally, significant correlations were determined between the phenolic substances. The present study showed that Rhododendron honeys contained higher quantities of phenolic acids than flavonoids. Chlorogenic and coumaric acids were the dominant phenolic substances detected in honey samples.     

Apricot Nectar Processing by Pulsed Electric Fields

Application of pulsed electric fields to process apricot nectar by determining the pH, °Brix, total acidity, conductivity, color, non-enzymatic browning index, concentration of mineral ions, and retention of ascorbic acid and beta carotene as well as inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas syringae subs. syringae, Erwinia carotowora, Penicillum expansum, and Botrytis cinerea was explored in this study. Processing of apricot nectar did not cause a significant difference in measured attributes (p > 0.05). However, inactivation of all microorganisms was significantly increased with increased electric field strength and treatment time (p ≤ 0.05). Microbial inactivation data fit both the Weibull distribution and log-logistic model.     

Modeling of heat and mass transfer in accelerator targets during postulated accidents

The modeling of thermal-chemical behavior of targets used in accelerator applications is an important part of safety analysis. Tungsten is considered as a target material to produce tritium in a linear proton accelerator. The prediction of the chemical reactivity of tungsten in a steam flow at high temperatures is the most important part of a safety analysis of target design. The oxidation and volatilization of tungsten in steam at high temperatures is a complex phenomenon that involves various mechanisms (depending on the temperature), steam pressure, and steam velocity. A simple diffusion model that considers chemical equilibrium at the reaction interface and effective diffusion thickness, including the boundary and oxide layers, is proposed for predicting the volatilization rate. The proposed simple model predicts the available data reasonably well. The proposed model is implemented into a computer program that is developed to predict the radiological releases during postulated loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs). The computer program models heat production, heat transfer, and oxidation reactions in the multiple radiation enclosures representing the accelerator target elements. It treats each element of the radiation enclosures as a lumped control volume, or heat structure. Each heat structure may generate or lose heat by conduction, convection, or radiation and is subject to mass loss as a result of oxidation, melting, and volatilization. Postulated beyond-design-basis LOCAs are simulated with this computer program for the accelerator-production-of-tritium target. Sample calculations demonstrate oxidation/volatilization model capabilities and sensitivity to the assumptions selected.     

A minisum location problem with regional demand considering farthest Euclidean distances

We consider a continuous multi-facility location-allocation problem that aims to minimize the sum of weighted farthest Euclidean distances between (closed convex) polygonal and/or circular demand regions, and facilities they are assigned to. We show that the single facility version of the problem has a straightforward second-order cone programming formulation and can therefore be efficiently solved to optimality. To solve large size instances, we adapt a multi-dimensional direct search descent algorithm to our problem which is not guaranteed to find the optimal solution. In a special case with circular and rectangular demand regions, this algorithm, if converges, finds the optimal solution. We also apply a simple subgradient method to the problem. Furthermore, we review the algorithms proposed for the problem in the literature and compare all these algorithms in terms of both solution quality and time. Finally, we consider the multi-facility version of the problem and model it as a mixed integer second-order cone programming problem. As this formulation is weak, we use the alternate location-allocation heuristic to solve large size instances.     

Aspects of high hydrostatic pressure food processing: Perspectives on technology and food safety

The last two decades saw a steady increase of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) used for treatment of foods. Although the science of biomaterials exposed to high pressure started more than a century ago, there still seem to be a number of unanswered questions regarding safety of foods processed using HHP. This review gives an overview on historical development and fundamental aspects of HHP, as well as on potential risks associated with HHP food applications based on available literature. Beside the combination of pressure and temperature, as major factors impacting inactivation of vegetative bacterial cells, bacterial endospores, viruses, and parasites, factors, such as food matrix, water content, presence of dissolved substances, and pH value, also have significant influence on their inactivation by pressure. As a result, pressure treatment of foods should be considered for specific food groups and in accordance with their specific chemical and physical properties. The pressure necessary for inactivation of viruses is in many instances slightly lower than that for vegetative bacterial cells; however, data for food relevant human virus types are missing due to the lack of methods for determining their infectivity. Parasites can be inactivated by comparatively lower pressure than vegetative bacterial cells. The degrees to which chemical reactions progress under pressure treatments are different to those of conventional thermal processes, for example, HHP leads to lower amounts of acrylamide and furan. Additionally, the formation of new unknown or unexpected substances has not yet been observed. To date, no safety-relevant chemical changes have been described for foods treated by HHP. Based on existing sensitization to non-HHP-treated food, the allergenic potential of HHP-treated food is more likely to be equivalent to untreated food. Initial findings on changes in packaging materials under HHP have not yet been adequately supported by scientific data.     

Cyclic fatigue resistance and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis of novel heat‐treated nickel–titanium instruments at body temperature

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cyclic fatigue resistance of Dia‐X, WaveOne Gold and One Curve files in a water bath at intracanal temperature (35°C). Thirty‐nine instruments Dia‐X, WaveOne Gold, and One Curve systems (n = 13) were tested in an artificial canal with a curvature angle of 60° and a radius of 3 mm. A water bath setup at a temperature of 35°C was used to simulate the intracanal temperature and time to fracture (TTF) as seconds was recorded. The mean data were analyzed statistically using one‐way ANOVA, and post hoc Tukey test (p = .05). The fractured surface of the instruments was examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and chemical composition of the instruments were investigated with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS). Statistically significant differences were detected in TTF values of all the systems as follows: One Curve > WaveOne Gold > Dia‐X (p < .05). One Curve instruments demonstrated the highest TTF values in all the tested instruments. The EDS microanalysis revealed similar NiTi composition of on the surface of One Curve, WaveOne Gold, and Dia‐X instruments. The novel manufacturing process, including C‐wire heat treatment and the variable cross‐section of the One Curve files, could be the main factors affecting the fatigue life of the instruments.