Controlled synthesis of transition metal/conducting polymer nanocomposites

A novel displacement reaction has been observed to occur between conducting polymers (CP) and metal salts which can be used to fabricate nanostructured CP-metal composites in a one-pot manner. Vanadium pentoxide (V (2)O(5)) nanofiber is used during the synthesis as the reactive seeds to induce the nanofibril CP-metal network formation. The CP-metal nanocomposites exhibit excellent sensory properties for hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) detection, where both high sensitivity and a low detection limit can be obtained. The sensory performance of the CP-metal composite can be further enhanced by a facile microwave treatment. It is believed that the CP-metal nanofibril network can be converted to a carbon-metal network by a microwave-induced carbonization process and result in the sensory enhancement.     

Solution approaches for the cutting stock problem with setup cost

In this paper, we study the Cutting Stock Problem with Setup Cost (CSP-S) which is a more general case of the well-known Cutting Stock Problem (CSP). In the classical CSP, one wants to minimize the number of stock items used while satisfying the demand for smaller-sized items. However, the number of patterns/setups to be performed on the cutting machine is ignored. In most cases, one has to find the trade-off between the material usage and the number of setups in order to come up with better production plans. In CSP-S, we have different cost factors for the material and the number of setups, and the objective is to minimize total production cost including both material and setup costs. We develop a mixed integer linear program and analyze a special case of the problem. Motivated by this special case, we propose two local search algorithms and a column generation based heuristic algorithm. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms on the instances from the literature.     

When Teachers' and Parents' Values Differ: Teachers' Ratings of Academic Competence in Children From Low-Income Families.

The authors examined predictors of teachers' ratings of academic competence of 105 kindergarten children from low-income families. Teachers rated target children's expected competence in literacy and math and completed questions about their perceptions of congruence-dissonance between themselves and the child's parents regarding education-related values. Independent examiners assessed children's literacy and math skills. Teachers' instructional styles were observed and rated along dimensions of curriculum-centered and student-centered practices. Controlling for children's skills and socioeconomic status, teachers rated children as less competent when they perceived value differences with parents. These patterns were stronger for teachers who exhibited curriculum-centered, rather than student-centered, practices. The findings suggest a mechanism by which some children from low-income families enter a path of diminished expectations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement Uncertainty Analysis of Temperature Based Solar Radiation Estimation Models

Solar radiation is the main energy source for activities in the earth. It is important that the solar radiation values are known accurately. In cases where parameters about solar radiation cannot be measured, solar radiation estimation models are used. These are mathematical functions derived from the measured meteorological parameters. In this study, temperature-based estimation models that commonly used in the literature were examined, and uncertainty analysis of the models were applied. These solar radiation estimation models are Allen model, Hargreaves model, Chen model and Bristow–Campbell model. These models calculate the total global solar radiation with the difference between the maximum and minimum air temperatures. Measurement uncertainty budgets of the models and an example calculation can be found in the study.     

Total phenolic content,antiradical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Rhododendron honeys

Fifty Rhododendron honey samples obtained from Black Sea Region of Turkey were screened for total phenolic content by the modified Folin–Ciocalteu method, for potential antioxidant activity using phosphomolybdenum assay and by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) method for antiradical activity. The antimicrobial activity was studied by the agar diffusion method, using eleven bacteria and two yeasts.     

THE METHOD OF LINES SOLUTION OF THE DISCRETE ORDINATES METHOD FOR RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER IN ENCLOSURES

A radiation code based on the method of lines (MOL) solution of the discrete ordinates method (DOM) for transient three-dimensional radiative heat transfer in rectangular enclosures for use in conjunction with a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code based on the same approach was developed. Assessment of the predictive accuracy of the code by benchmarking its steady-state solutions against exact solutions on one- and three-dimensional test problems shows that the MOL solution of the DOM provides accurate and computationally efficient solutions for radiative heat fluxes and source terms and can be used with confidence in conjunction with CFD codes for transient problems.     

CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACK PROBLEM FOR AN FGM CYLINDER UNDER THERMAL STRESSES

The main objective of this study is to determine the stress intensity factors associated with a circumferential crack in a thin-walled cylinder subjected to quasi-static thermal loading. The cylinder is assumed to be a functionally graded material. In order to make the problem analytically tractable, the thin-walled cylinder is modeled as a layer on an elastic foundation whose thermal and mechanical properties are exponential functions of the thickness coordinate. Hence a plane strain crack problem is obtained. First temperature and thermal stress distributions for a crack-free layer are determined. Then using these solutions, the crack problem is reduced to a local perturbation problem where the only nonzero loads are the crack surface tractions. Both internal and edge cracks are considered. Stress intensity factors are computed as functions of crack geometry, material properties, and time.     

Determination of melamine in milk and dairy products by high performance liquid chromatography

A simple, precise, accurate, and validated reverse-phase HPLC method was developed for the determination of melamine in milk (pasteurized and UHT milk) and dairy products (powdered infant formula, fruit yogurt, soft cheese, and milk powder). Following extraction with acetonitrile:water (50:50, vol/vol), samples were purified by filter (0.45 μm), separated on a Nucleosil C8 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 3 μm) with acetonitrile:10 mmol/L sodium L-octane sulfonate (pH 3.1; 15:85, vol/vol) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min, and determined by a photodiode array detector. A linear calibration curve was obtained in the concentration range from 0.05 to 5 mg/kg. Milk and dairy products were fortified with melamine at 4 levels producing average recovery yields of 95 to 109%. The limits of detection and quantification of melamine were 35 to 110 and 105 to 340 μg/kg, respectively. The method was then used to analyze 300 samples of milk and dairy products purchased from major retailers in Turkey. Melamine was not found in infant formulas and pasteurized UHT milk, whereas 2% of cheese, 8% of milk powder, and 44% of yogurt samples contained melamine at the 121, 694±146, and 294±98 μg/kg levels, respectively. These findings were below the limits set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and European Union legislation. This is the first study to confirm the existence of melamine in milk and dairy products in Turkey. Consumption of foods containing these low levels of melamine does not constitute a health risk for consumers.