Study of the corrosion behavior of zinc and Zn–Co alloy electrodeposits obtained from alkaline bath using direct current

The corrosion behavior of Zn and Zn–Co alloy electrodeposits that were obtained from weakly alkaline glycine solutions has been studied. SEM, EDS and XRD were used to study surface morphology, chemical composition and phase structure of the coatings. Corrosion behavior of Zn and Zn–Co alloy coatings was studied by using potentiodynamic polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The results showed that increasing current density during deposition, increases cobalt content of the coating. It was also shown that increasing current density, up to 15 mA cm⁻², decreases the grain size and further increase in current density increases the grain size of the deposit. It was also noticed that corrosion resistance of deposits was highly influenced by the composition and morphology of the coatings. Zn–Co deposit containing 0.89 wt.% Co showed the highest corrosion resistance due to its single phase structure and its finer morphology.     

Swine Influenza Models Based Optimization (SIMBO)

This paper introduces a new optimization technique known as Swine Influenza Model based Optimization (SIMBO). It is mimicked from Susceptible–Infectious–Recovered (SIR) models of swine flu. The development of SIMBO follows through treatment (SIMBO-T), vaccination (SIMBO-V) and quarantine (SIMBO-Q) based on probability. The SIMBO variants can be used to optimize complex multimodal functions with improved convergence and accuracy. Firstly, swine flue test based on the dynamic threshold identifies a confirmed case of swine flue. After a confirmed case of swine flue in the community, the susceptible are advised to go for the swine flue vaccination to acquire immunity. The confirmed case of swine flue is quarantined from the population. The suspected cases are treated with antiviral. The amount of antiviral drugs given to individual is dependent on patients with or without complications as well as current health of individual. In SIMBO-V and SIMBO-Q, state of the individual is updated directly through vaccination/quarantine and indirectly through treatment. The nonlinear momentum factors restrict the individuals’ treatment and state inside the defined limits without checking the health every day. SIMBO variants can easily be implemented on parallel computer architecture without having over burden or modifications. The SIMBO-T, SIMBO-V and SIMBO-Q are tested with thirteen standard benchmark functions and results are compared with other optimization techniques. The results validate that, the SIMBO variants perform comparably better. The performance of SIMBO variants are evaluated in terms of quality of optima, number of times heating stopping criteria, convergence, Fitness Evaluations (FEs), t-test, statistical parameters and analysis of variance test (ANOVA). A real time application in video motion estimation is also considered by authors to test the efficiency of the SIMBO variants. The results of motion estimation using proposed variants seems to be faster than the published methods by maintaining similar peak signal to noise ratio.     

An investigation on oxidation,hot corrosion and mechanical properties of plasma-sprayed conventional and nanostructured YSZ coatings

Conventional and nanostructured YSZ coatings were deposited on IN-738 Ni super alloy by atmospheric plasma spray technique. The oxidation was measured at 1100 °C and hot corrosion resistance of the coating was measured in a mixed salt of V₂O₅ and Na₂SO₄ at 1050 °C using an atmospheric electrical furnace. According to the experimental results, nanostructured coatings showed a better oxidation and hot corrosion resistance than conventional one. The improved oxidation resistance of the nanocoating could be explained by the change of structure to a dense and more packed structure in this coating. The improvement in hot corrosion resistance was not as good as the oxidation but much better than conventional coating. The thermo-mechanical properties of the coating were tested using thermal cycles, nanoindentation, and bond strength tests during which nanostructured YSZ coating again showed a better performance by structural stability.     

The effects of pulse plating variables on morphology and corrosion behavior of Zn–Fe alloy coatings

Considerable researches have been focused on zinc–iron (Zn–Fe) alloy coatings due to their superior characteristics among zinc alloy electrodeposits in recent years. The corrosion behavior of these coatings depends on the phase structure and morphology of the Zn–Fe deposits. In this work the effects of pulse plating variables such as current density, off-time, frequency and pulse modes on the morphology and phase structure of Zn–Fe deposits was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) analysis. The corrosion behavior of these coatings was measured by means of polarization curves and Neutral salt spray tests. It was shown that pulse reverse coatings exhibit excellent resistance to corrosion in comparison with normal pulse and direct current conditions.     

Dopamine regulates phosphate uptake by opossum kidney cells through multiple counter-regulatory receptors

The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanisms of dopamine regulation of phosphate uptake in opossum kidney (OK) cells, a model of proximal renal tubules. Dopamine stimulated cAMP generation and inhibited radiolabeled phosphate uptake into OK cell monolayers by 14.4 +/- 1.8%. The effect of dopamine was transient, as phosphate uptake returned toward control level by 3 h despite the continued presence of dopamine. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin increased dopamine inhibition of phosphate uptake to 25 +/- 3%, increased the duration of the dopamine effect to at least 3 h, and enhanced cAMP generation. In an OK cell clone that overexpressed cAMP phosphodiesterase, dopamine did not inhibit phosphate uptake, but pharmacologic inhibition of protein kinase A activation did not prevent dopamine inhibition of phosphate uptake. A DA1 receptor agonist inhibited phosphate uptake more potently than dopamine (29.5 +/- 1.1%) or a DA2 receptor agonist (7.9 +/- 2%). However, both DA1 and DA2 receptor antagonists completely blocked dopamine inhibition of phosphate uptake. DA1, but not the DA2, antagonists blocked dopamine-stimulated cAMP generation. Treatment with alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonists potentiated dopamine inhibition of phosphate uptake to the same extent as pertussis toxin and was not additive with pertussis toxin. It is concluded that dopamine inhibits phosphate uptake through DA1 and DA2 receptor stimulation by cAMP-dependent and -independent pathways and activates a pertussis toxin-sensitive counter-regulatory pathway that attenuates this response through alpha-adrenergic receptor stimulation.     

Microarchitectural innovations: boosting microprocessor performancebeyond semiconductor technology scaling

Semiconductor technology scaling provides faster and more plentiful transistors to build microprocessors, and applications continue to drive the demand for more powerful microprocessors. Weaving the "raw" semiconductor material into a microprocessor that offers the performance needed by modern and future applications is the role of computer architecture. This paper overviews some of the microarchitectural techniques that empower modem high-performance microprocessors. The techniques are classified into: 1) techniques meant to increase the concurrency in instruction processing, while maintaining the appearance of sequential processing and 2) techniques that exploit program behavior. The first category includes pipelining, superscalar execution, out-of-order execution, register renaming, and techniques to overlap memory-accessing instructions. The second category includes memory hierarchies, branch predictors, trace caches, and memory-dependence predictors. The paper also discusses microarchitectural techniques likely to be used in future microprocessors, including data value speculation and instruction reuse, microarchitectures with multiple sequencers and thread-level speculation, and microarchitectural techniques for tackling the problems of power consumption and reliability     

A modular phase change heat exchanger for a solar oven

A modular energy storing heat exchanger designed to use pentaerythritol for thermal storage (solid-solid phase change at 182°C) is tested in an oven by circulating heat transfer oil which is electrically heated in a manner to simulate a concentrating solar collector. Three efficiencies for heating the system under controlled and measured power input are determined—the heat exchanger efficiency, the efficiency of the heater with distribution lines, and the total system efficiency. Thermal energy retention times and cooking extraction times are determined, and along with the efficiencies, are compared with the results previously reported for a nonmodular heat exchanger. The modular configuration provides a highly improved extraction rate for cooking due to its wrap-around character and its increased surface-to-volume ratio. A full scale glass model of the copper tubing of the system is described and flow observations reported demonstrating how uniformly the parallel pumping branches perform and how trapped air pockets affect pumping power. A technique for measuring pumping power is described and its application to our system is quantified to show that less than 1 watt is required to circulate the heat transfer oil even when the system includes the solar collector and its longer connecting tubes.     

Chromizing of plasma nitrided AISI 1045 steel

In this study AISI 1045 steel specimens were plasma nitrided at 803 K for 5 h, in a gas mixture of 75% N₂ + 25% H₂. The specimens were then chromized in powder mixtures consisting of ferrochromium, ammonium chloride and alumina at 1273 K for 5 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Vickers micro-hardness test were used as characterizing techniques. The thickness of white nitrided layer was around 5 μm, which was mainly composed of iron nitrides and its hardness was around 740 HV. Chromizing of nitride layer resulted in formation of Cr₂N chromium nitride and Fe₃N iron nitrides. A significant increase was observed in hardness after chromizing of the nitrided layer. Despite its higher hardness, the post chromised specimen showed higher wear rate than single plasma nitrided specimen.     

Prospective life cycle carbon abatement for pyrolysis biochar systems in the UK

Life cycle assessment (LCA) of slow pyrolysis biochar systems (PBS) in the UK for small, medium and large scale process chains and ten feedstocks was performed, assessing carbon abatement and electricity production. Pyrolysis biochar systems appear to offer greater carbon abatement than other bioenergy systems. Carbon abatement of 0.7–1.3 t CO₂ equivalent per oven dry tonne of feedstock processed was found. In terms of delivered energy, medium to large scale PBS abates 1.4–1.9 t CO₂e/MWh, which compares to average carbon emissions of 0.05–0.30 t CO₂e/MWh for other bioenergy systems. The largest contribution to PBS carbon abatement is from the feedstock carbon stabilised in biochar (40–50%), followed by the less certain indirect effects of biochar in the soil (25–40%)—mainly due to increase in soil organic carbon levels. Change in soil organic carbon levels was found to be a key sensitivity. Electricity production off-setting emissions from fossil fuels accounted for 10–25% of carbon abatement. The LCA suggests that provided 43% of the carbon in the biochar remains stable, PBS will out-perform direct combustion of biomass at 33% efficiency in terms of carbon abatement, even if there is no beneficial effect upon soil organic carbon levels from biochar application.