A graph-based QoS prediction approach for web service recommendation

Applied Intelligence - With the development of the Internet, the recommendation based on Quality of Service(QoS) is proven to be an efficient way to deal with the ever-increasing web services in...     

A boundary element method for two dimensional linear elastic fracture analysis

A boundary element method is developed for the analysis of fractures in two-dimensional solids. The solids are assumed to be linearly elastic and isotropic, and both bounded and unbounded domains are treated. The development of the boundary integral equations exploits (as usual) Somigliana's identity, but a special manipulation is carried out to regularize certain integrals associated with the crack line. The resulting integral equations consist of the conventional ordinary boundary terms and two additional terms which can be identified as a distribution of concentrated forces and a distribution of dislocations along each crack line. The strategy for establishing the integral equations is first outlined in terms of real variables, after which complex variable techniques are adopted for the detailed development. In the numerical implementation of the formulation, the ordinary boundary integrals are treated with standard boundary element techniques, while a novel numerical procedure is developed to treat the crack line integrals. The resulting numerical procedure is used to solve several sample problems for both embedded and surface-breaking cracks, and it is shown that the technique is both accurate and efficient. The utility of the method for simulating curvilinear crack propagation is also demonstrated.     

Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance of Hematite Photoanode by Decorating NiCoP Nanoparticles Through a Facile Spin Coating Method

Catalysis Letters - Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is a potential photoanode material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, but its short hole diffusion length and low water oxidation kinetics...     

Predicting phase equilibrium,phase transformation,and microstructure evolution in titanium alloys

Phase transformation and microstructural evolution in commercial titanium alloys are extremely complex. Traditional models that characterize microstructural features by average values without capturing the anisotropy and spatially varying aspects may not be sufficient to quantitatively define the microstructure and hence to allow for establishing a robust microstructure-property relationship. This article discusses recent efforts in integrating thermodynamic modeling and phase-field simulation to develop computational tools for quantitative prediction of phase equilibrium and spatiotemporal evolution of microstructures during thermal processing that account explicitly for precipitate morphology, spatial arrangement, and anisotropy. The rendering of the predictive capabilities of the phase-field models as fast-acting design tools through the development of constitutive equations is also demonstrated. For more information, contact Y.-Z. Wang, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Ohio State University, 2041 College Road, Columbus, OH 43221, USA; (614) 292-0682; fax (614) 292-1537; e-mail wang.363@osu.edu.     

The haustorium and the chemistry of host recognition in parasitic angiosperms

Two parasitic angiosperms,Agalinis purpurea (Scrophulariaceae) andStriga asiatica (Scrophulariaceae), are compared as to the chemical recognition events involved in host selection.Agalinis is a hemiparasite which can mature to seed-set without a host, whereasStriga is a holoparasite and survives for only a very limited time without a host. Both parasites, however, attach to a host through a specialized organ known as the haustorium and regulate the development of this organ through the recognition of chemical factors from host plants. We now describe the discovery of 2,6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone (2,6-DMBQ) as an haustoria-inducing principle fromSorghum root extracts. Our investigation of this compound has led us to suggest that one level of host recognition in these parasitic plants is mediated through their enzymatic digestion of the host root surface. Degradation of surface components liberates quinonoid compounds, such as 2,6-DMBQ, which in turn trigger haustorial development.     

Pervaporation performance analysis and prediction—using a hybrid solution-diffusion and pore-flow model

A hybrid mathematic model for pervaporation is proposed which incorporates the concepts of solution-diffusion model and pore model. The model allows performance prediction as well as the establishment of the internal concentration and pressure profiles within the membrane. The model parameters specific to the particular membrane and mixture system are determined using liquid sorption and pervaporation experimental data. The model is experimentally examined using ethanol–water mixtures and poly(dimethyl siloxane)–poly(vinyldiene fluoride) (PDMS–PVDF) composite membranes. The characteristics of flux and separation factor predicted using the model are in fair agreement with the experimental data under various feed concentrations and downstream pressures for different membrane arrangements, including single-layer, reverse single-layer and double-layer PDMS–PVDF composite membranes. Internal profiles of pressure, concentration and component mole fraction can be established using the model. Concentration polarization phenomena for ethanol and water are located at membrane interfaces and vapor–liquid interfaces, respectively. Performances of several different membrane designs are compared using the model.     

Poly(butylene terephthalate)/organoclay nanocomposites prepared by in situ interlayer polymerization and its fiber (II)

Intercalated nanocomposites with poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) incorporated between the montmorillonite layers were synthesized from dimethyl terephthalate and 1,4-butane diol by using an in situ interlayer polymerization. The PBT nanocomposites were melt-spun at different organoclay contents to produce monofilaments. The samples were characterized by using wide angle X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, thermal analysis, and tensile testing. The extent of the clay layer in the PBT was confirmed by using X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, and the clay layer was found to be highly dispersed on a nanometer scale. The addition of only a small amount of organoclay was enough to improve the thermo-mechanical properties of the PBT hybrid fibers. The hybrids were extruded with various draw ratios (DRs) to examine the tensile mechanical property of the fibers. At DR=1, the ultimate tensile strength of the hybrid fibers increased with the addition of clay up to a critical content and then decreased. However, the initial modulus monotonically increased with increasing amount of organoclay in the PBT matrix. When the DR was increased from 1 to 6, for example, the strength and the initial modulus values of the hybrids containing 3 wt% organoclay decreased linearly.     

Fat-simulating and accelerating solvents for polyolefins and MWD of solvent extracts of polyethylenes

Migration kinetics of straight-chain oligomers and antioxidants from several polyolefins at different temperatures into various solvents have been studied by radioactive tracer techniques. Anhydrous ethanol appears to be a well suited food-oil or liquid-fat simulant for extracting different types of migrants from polyolefins. Pure and mixed triglycerides are also good oil or fat simulants, but the triglycerides offer no simpler analytical procedures than the use of oil or fat themselves. n-Octanol may also be considered as a reasonable oil or fat simulant; however, its action depends somewhat on the choice of migrants. The accelerating action of n-heptane over that of oil or simulants is quantitatively demonstrated. The accelerating effects are greater for migration systems with lower diffusion coefficients. The diffusion coefficients for migration into n-heptane are about 20 times greater than the diffusion coefficients into ethanol or oil for otherwise identical migration systems yielding diffusion coefficients of about 10^?7 cm²s^?1 into oil or ethanol. For systems yielding diffusion coefficients into oil or ethanol of about 10^?12 cm²s^?1, the corresponding diffusion coefficients into n-heptane are about 1000 times greater. The molecular weight distributions (MWDs) of the n-heptane and ethanol extracts of polyolefins have been analysed. n-Heptane can not only accelerate the migration of the individual migrant but also remove oligomer species that are slightly soluble or present at low levels in the oil or simulant extracts.     

Dependence of properties of liquid crystalline aromatic copolyesters on monomer sequence-copolyesters derived from terephthalic acid, 2,7-naphthalenediol and p-hydroxybenzoic acid

Summary An aromatic copolyester with the ordered sequence of terephthalic acid (TA)-p-hydroxybenzoic acid (HB)-2,7-naphthalenediol (ND)-p-hydroxybenzoic acid (HB) was prepared and its properties were compared with those of the corresponding random copolyester having the same overall monomer composition. Thermal and crystallizing properties of the two polymers are quite different. The former exhibits significantly higher glass transition and melting temperatures than the latter. The former's degree of crystallinity also is much higher than the latter's. Both polymers are thermotropic and form nematic melts.     

Measurement of the rheological properties of polymer melts with annular rheometer

An annular die has been designed having a very thin gap distance between two coaxial cylinders. The die was then used to measure wall normal stresses along the longitudinal direction of polymer melts flowing through the thin annulus. The materials investigated were high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. Also investigated were blends of polystyrene and polypropylene, and blends of polystyrene and high-density polyethylene The measurements of wall normal stresses were used to determine the rheological properties of the melts, namely, the melt viscosity from the slope of axial wall normal stress profiles and the melt elasticity from exit pressures. The interpretation of the experimental data was made possible by the fact that the narrow-gap annular die can be considered as a substitute for a thin slit die. It has been found that the results obtained in the present study are consistent with those reported earlier by the author, who at that time used both capillary and slit dies.