Distributed routing in wireless sensor networks using energy welfare metric

There are several requirements for a routing algorithm in wireless sensor networks. First, it should achieve both energy-efficiency and energy-balancing together, in order to prolong the lifetime of sensor networks. Second, the algorithm should follow a distributed control scheme so that it is applicable to large-scale networks. Third, it needs to be robust to diverse potential event generation patterns. The routing algorithm, MaxEW, designed in this study satisfies such requirements. It adopts the social welfare function from social sciences to compute energy welfare as a goodness measure for energy populations. When each sensor tries to maximize energy welfare of its local society, it collectively leads to globally efficient energy-balancing. This emergent property consequently supports preparedness and hence robustness to diverse event generation patterns. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed routing algorithm through extensive simulation-based experiments, by comparing with other existing algorithms as well as optimal routing solutions.     

In vitro and in vivo release of cefuroxime axetil from bioactive glass as an implantable delivery system in experimental osteomyelitis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the characterisation, in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity of bioactive glass (BG) impregnated with an antibiotic. The BG was prepared by normal glass melting procedures as a controlled release device to treat experimental osteomyelitis. The study design was for prospective in vivo experimental study. Two sets of porous bioactive glass ceramic blocks (9 mm × 4 mm × 4 mm and 20 mm × 9 mm × 9 mm) were fabricated using bioactive glass powder and subsequently antibiotic cefuroxime axetil (CFA) (55 and 125 mg on an average) was impregnated in these two sets of blocks, respectively. Osteomyelitis was produced in the right tibia of the rabbits according to the model of Norden. After thorough in vitro characterization of the porous blocks [including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), thorough chemical analysis by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectra (ICP-AES) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM)] and in vitro elution of the said drug, in vivo test was carried out with rabbit species split into two groups: (a) animals treated with CFA impregnated bioactive glass and (b) parenteral [intra muscular (IM)] administration of CFA. Histological, radiological and drug concentration in bone and serum (measured by HPLC) in both groups were carried out. HPLC technique was used for determination of concentration both in vitro and in vivo. Fabricated porous struts showed amorphous microstructure without formation of any crystallite. The elution of said drug was stopped after 6 days in vitro. Histological studies at 3 and 6 weeks revealed formation of well-developed lamellar bone and havarsian canal. Radiological evaluation pointed out disappearance of sequestrum and existence of newly formed bony specules. Concentration of cefuroxime axetil in bone and serum showed highest value on day 21 which reduced marginally by day 42 and these values were higher than minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Staphylococcus aureus (known pathogen for chronic osteomyelitis). It could be concluded that the biodegradable antibiotic carrier system developed in this study proved to be an effective therapeutic approach toward an experimental model of osteomyelitis. Based particularly on the in vivo results of the study, this cefuroxime axetil incorporated bioactive glass blocks can be successfully used in clinical cases of osteomyelitis in veterinary as well as human orthopaedic surgery.     

Voltage induced anomalous conductance switching behaviour in nematic liquid crystal-multiwalled carbon nanotube composite

Investigations on the voltage induced conductance switching behavior in the nematic liquid crystal-multiwalled carbon nanotube composite have performed. We have found that, the system formed electrical conduction pathways with increasing voltages. Anomalous conductance switching took place at a certain threshold voltage. Percolation threshold voltage depends on the frequencies of the measuring electric field. We have made an analogy between concentration dependent percolation and voltage induced percolation. A two dimensional (2D) renormalization model calculation reveals that if the CNTs form a 2D network then percolation threshold concentration (p(c)) should be 0.768. After careful analysis we have found that voltage analogy of percolation threshold concentration in our system is also very close to the above value. The connectivity exponent (beta) for 2D site percolation agrees well with our proposed voltage induced percolation connectivity exponent. Which gives a glimpse that voltage induced percolating network may forms a two dimensional network in this particular system.     

A Survey on Path Planning Techniques for Mobile Sink in IoT-Enabled Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Personal Communications - Recently, the Internet of Things (IoT) had emerged very rapidly and became the most important technology in today’s era. In an IoT-based environment, every...     

Influence of organoclay dispersion on air retention and fatigue resistance of tyre inner liner compound

In a pneumatic tire, the contained air carries the load of the vehicle and also augments performance for other functional requirements, such as, rolling resistance, ride and handling, durability, and so on. The inner liner of the tire is responsible to ensure air retention by virtue of its high air impermeability. The present study focused on developing inner-liner compounds of improved air impermeability by utilizing platelet filler (layered silicate). The obtained organoclay was subjected to a pre-treatment process called exfoliation to increase the d spacing between the clay layers that further improved the morphological aspect of the compound. The inner-liner compound has been modified by partial replacement of carbon black with organically modified bentonite clay in 1:1 and 2.5:1 ratio. Air impermeability of rubber compounds was tested in a gas permeability tester. Field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and x-ray diffraction were utilized to understand the distribution and dispersion of clay in the rubber compounds. Fatigue crack growth analysis was carried out to measure the fatigue life of the materials. The modified compounds exhibited air impermeability improvement from 7% to 30% vs the reference carbon-black filled compound with improved mechanical properties and filler dispersion.     

Solid acid catalyzed synthesis of furans from carbohydrates

The alternative feedstock, biomass (particularly lignocelluloses), having the profuse availability, is promising for the synthesis of several value-added chemicals which are currently obtained from fossil feedstock. In this article, the synthesis of two extremely significant furan chemicals viz. furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) are discussed. In the synthesis of furans from biomass, numerous challenges, i.e., use of edible sugars as substrates, selectivity to furans, their isolation in pure form, reuse of catalyst, environmental issues, etc., are perceived and in the recent past researchers tried to resolve those by developing advance methodologies. This article comprehensively summarizes the latest progress made in the above-mentioned areas and also provides commentary on the analyses of results, rationale for observed activity and mechanisms, etc. It also discusses future aspects of this work.     

A novel integrated decision-making approach for the evaluation and selection of renewable energy technologies

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - The decision-making in energy sector involves finding a set of energy sources and conversion devices to meet the energy demands in an optimal way....     

Granular fluids with solid friction and heating

We perform large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to study heated granular fluids in three dimensions. Granular particles dissipate their kinetic energy due to solid frictional interaction with other particles. The velocity of each particle is perturbed by a uniformly-distributed random noise, which mimics the heating. At the early stage of evolution, the kinetic energy of the system decays with time and reaches a steady state at a later stage. The velocity distribution in the steady state shows a non-Gaussian distribution. This has been characterized by using the Sonine polynomial expansion for a wide range of densities. Particles show diffusive motion for densities below the jamming density \(\phi _\mathrm{J}\).     

Improvement of Thermal Characteristics of Refractory Castable by Addition of Gel-Route Spinel Nanoparticles

Selected physical and thermal properties of conventional spinel-alumina castables were compared with those of castables produced using spinel fines prepared from a prepared gel. Limited numbers of hydroxyl groups created around the spinel precursor helped to improve thermal shock resistance. Micrographic examination confirmed that retained nanodimensional spinels firmly connected the hibonite and corundum grains in the castable, developing multiple interfaces after densification. Castable-containing spinel with excess alumina powder was found to have the best combination of bulk density, apparent porosity, and hot modulus of rupture. The reactive magnesia fine used to prepare in situ spinel-bonded castable was not found to give satisfactory results, owing to progressive disintegration of brucite-type compounds and abnormally grown spinels. Thermal characteristics of castables were assessed by differential thermal analysis (DTA), measurement of porosity, and percent linear change (PLC). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of the gel-derived spinel and castable confirmed their differences, particularly with commercial spinel having comparable chemistry but lacking nanocrystalline structure.