Electrochemical passivation behaviour of nanocrystalline Fe80Si20 coating in borate buffer solution

Passivation behaviour of nanocrystalline coating (Fe₈₀Si₂₀) obtained by in situ mechanical alloying route is studied and compared with that of the commercial pure iron and cast Fe₈₀Si₂₀ in sodium borate buffer solution at two different pH values (7·7 and 8·4). The coating reveals single passivation at a pH of 7·7 and double stage passivity at a pH of 8·4. The first passive layer is due to the dissolution mechanism and second passivity is related to stable passivation. The cast sample shows single stage passivity in the solution of pH 8·4. The difference in the passivation behaviour for the cast alloy (Fe₈₀Si₂₀) and the coating is related to the presence of highly iron-enriched localized regions, formed during the processing stage of coating.     

Microwave Properties of Mn Doped (Ba1 - x,Srx)TiO3Thin Films for Tunable Phase Shifter

Ferroelectric Mn doped Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ (Mn-BST) films with/without BaTiO₃ (BT) buffer layer have been grown on (001) MgO substrates by a pulsed laser deposition to investigate electrical tunability at microwave frequencies. Structural properties and surface morphologies of the films were investigated using an X-ray diffractometer and a scanning electron microscope, respectively. Microwave dielectric properties of Mn-BST thin films with BT buffer were studied for reduction of dielectric loss and improvement of electrical tunability. Distributed analog phase shifters have been designed and fabricated on Mn-BST films with/without BT buffer layer to understand microwave dielectric properties. The differential phase shift of the phase shifter fabricated on Mn-BST film was 22° at 10 GHz with 80 V of applied dc bias voltage. In comparison, phase shifter fabricated on Mn-BST/BT multilayers exhibit 41° of differential phase shift at the same condition. This suggests that a BT buffer layer is for microwave tunable device applications. The phase shifter fabricated on Mn-BST/BT multilayers exhibit a low insertion loss (S₂₁) of ?1.1 dB, and a low return loss (S₁₁) of ?14 dB with a bias voltage of 80 V.     

Formation of lamellar structure in gamma titanium aluminide

Abstracts are not published in this journal This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of Drip Irrigation of Pecan Quality and Relationship of Selected Quality Parameters

The effect of four drip irrigation rates 0, 22.7, 45.4, and 68.1 L/hr/tree (LHT) on several quality parameters of ‘Stuart’ pecans were investigated along with values calculated from inshell weights, volumes, and kernel weights. Irrigation significantly increased kernel yield/tree, nut weight, diameter, kernel specific gravity, fill of nut, oil content, and appearance rating. Values calculated by computer analyses from weights and volumes were useful for evaluating the quality of nuts from the different irrigation treatments. This technique should be useful for researchers engaged in quality evaluations of inshell pecans. Nut size and % fill, and kernel color are the best parameters to estimate quality and value of pecans before actual shelling and processing. Additionally processing costs are partially dependent on nut size (no./kg) and kernel yield.     

LINEAR PROGRAMMING AND RECURRENT ASSOCIATIVE MEMORIES

Many optimization procedures presume the availability of an initial approximation in the neighborhood of a local or global optimum. Unfortunately, finding a set of good starting conditions is itself a nontrivial proposition. We describe a procedure for identifying approximate solutions to constrained optimization problems. Recurrent neural network structures are interpreted in the context of linear associative memory matrices. A recurrent associative memory (RAM) is trained to map the inputs of closely related transportation linear programs to optimal solution vectors. The procedure performs well when training cases are selected according to a simple rule, identifying good heuristic solutions for representative test cases. Modest infeasibilities exist in some of these estimated solutions, but the basic variables associated with true optimums are usually apparent. In the great majority of cases, rounding identifies the true optimum.     

Effect of process parameters on electrical, optical properties of IZO films produced by inclination opposite target type DC magnetron sputtering

IZO films were deposited onto PET substrate at room temperature with the inclined opposite target type DC magnetron sputtering equipment, in which a sintered oxide IZO target (doped with 10% ZnO, packing density of 99.99%) was used. The effects of total sputtering pressure and film thickness on IZO films properties were studied. All the films produced at room temperature have a amorphous structure, irrespective of the total sputtering pressure and film thickness. A resistivity of the order of 10⁻⁴ Ω·cm was obtained for IZO films deposited at lower pressure (film thickness of 190 nm). The resistivity of IZO films deposited at room temperature depends on film thickness and shows a minimum at a thickness of 530 nm.     

RECOVERY OF FISH BONE FROM HOKI (JOHNIUS BELENGERI) FRAME USING A PROTEOLYTIC ENZYME ISOLATED FROM MACKEREL INTESTINE

A new enzymatic treatment procedure was devised to recover and further utilize fish bones from processing which are normally discarded. This procedure includes the use of an enzyme preparation isolated from raw mackerel intestine by acetone precipitation. The caseinolytic activity of mackerel intestine crude enzyme (MICE) was approximately 0.58 U/mg protein, which was comparable to those of trypsin and α‐chymotrypsin, or even higher than those of papain and Aspergillus saitoi protease. The optimum pH, temperature and enzyme/substrate ratio of MICE for hydrolysis of protein with hoki (Johnius belengeri) frames were determined to be pH 9.0, 40C and 1:100 (w/w). When the hoki frame was treated by MICE for 6 h under the optimum reaction conditions, the yield of bone recovery was approximately 90%. Compared to Alcalase, trypsin, α‐chymotrypsin and Neutrase, the yield of bone recovery using MICE was higher. These results suggest that MICE may be utilized for bone recovery from fish frame.