A new approach for determining the length of intervals for fuzzy time series

In the implementations of fuzzy time series forecasting, the identification of interval lengths has an important impact on the performance of the procedure. However, the interval length has been chosen arbitrarily in many papers. Huarng developed a new approach which is called ratio-based lengths of intervals in order to identify the length of intervals. In our paper, we propose a new approach which uses a single-variable constrained optimization to determine the ratio for the length of intervals. The proposed approach is applied to the two well-known time series, which are enrollment data at The University of Alabama and inventory demand data. The obtained results are compared to those of other methods. The proposed method produces more accurate predictions for the future values of used time series.     

Factors Affecting the Oil Agglomeration of Sivas-Divriği Uluçayır Lignite

Abstract

In the coal industry, the coal particles need to be decreased to a very fine size because of the need of removing inorganic materials from coal. Oil agglomeration is a kind of coal cleaning technique that is used for separation of organic and inorganic parts of fine sized coal. In this study, the oil agglomeration of Sivas-Divri?i (S-D) Uluçay?r lignite was carried out by using kerosene, diesel oil, fuel oil, poppy oil, and sunflower oil. The amount of bridging oil was varied from 5% to 25% of the amount of lignite. The effect of oil amount, oil type, solid content, agitation rate and time, pH on agglomeration performance was investigated. Maximum recovery value of 98.18% was observed by using poppy oil. In order to investigate the effect of pH on agglomeration NaOH and HCl is added to the slurry in various amounts. It is decided that the best agglomeration condition is obtained at low pH values. The effect of nonionic surface active agent (Igepal-CA 630) on agglomeration is investigated by adding to the slurry and it is observed that the grade is increased with the amount of surface active agent.     

Inelastic analysis of granular interfaces via computational contact homogenization

The macroscale response of granular contact interfaces is investigated. In order to circumvent the difficulties associated with a direct resolution of such heterogeneous contact problems, where highly mobile particles residing between a deformable body and a rigid surface govern the microscale dynamics, a space–time contact homogenization methodology is developed. The overall approach is based on a separation of spatial as well as temporal scales and proposes an idealized purely frictional macroscale response. The induced macroscale dissipation is directly associated with the microscale dissipation mechanisms due to (i) an inelastic constitutive response for the boundary layer of the deformable body and (ii) frictional interaction among the components of the three‐body contact system. The consequences of a viscoelastic boundary layer that sustains damage due to highly localized deformation in the vicinity of the particles are investigated extensively within a fully nonlinear computational setting that accounts for incompressibility. The effective coefficient of friction that is induced by the homogenization methodology as the fundamental macroscale observable is found to be of a non‐Amontons as well as a non‐Coulomb type. The proposed analysis framework is amenable to a multiscale implementation within a coupled micro–macro approach and yields insight into the macroscopic dynamics of similar heterogeneous interfaces with varying degrees of mobility associated with the roughness features. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Anodic behavior of sertindole and its voltammetric determination in pharmaceuticals and human serum using glassy carbon and boron-doped diamond electrodes

The electrochemical oxidation of sertindole was investigated using cyclic, linear sweep voltammetry at a glassy carbon and boron-doped diamond electrodes. The aim of this study was to determine sertindole levels in serum and pharmaceutical formulations, by means of electrochemical methods. In cyclic voltammetry, depending on pH values, sertindole showed one or two irreversible oxidation responses. These two responses were found related to the different electroactive part of the molecule. Using second and sharp oxidation peak, two voltammetric methods were described for the determination of sertindole by differential pulse and square wave voltammetry at the glassy carbon and boron-doped diamond electrodes. Under optimized conditions, the current showed a linear dependence with concentration in the range between 1 × 10⁻⁶ and 1 × 10⁻⁴ M in acetate buffer at pH 3.5 and between 4 × 10⁻⁶ and 1 × 10⁻⁴ M in spiked human serum samples for both methods. The repeatability, reproducibility, selectivity, precision and accuracy of all the methods in all media were investigated and calculated. These methods were successfully applied for the analysis of sertindole pharmaceutical dosage forms and human serum samples. No electroactive interferences from the tablet excipients and endogenous substances from biological material were found.     

The effect of a SiC cap on the growth of epitaxial graphene on SiC in ultra high vacuum

Thin and homogeneous graphenes with excellent thickness uniformity were produced on the carbon-rich surface of a SiC crystal using an ultra high vacuum technique. The sample surface was capped by another SiC substrate with a silicon-rich face to form a shallow cavity between them. During the graphene growth by high temperature annealing, silicon atoms sublimated from the capped sample were trapped inside the cavity between the two substrates. The confined vapor phase silicon maintains a relatively high partial pressure at the sample surface which significantly reduces the extremely high growth rate of epitaxial graphene to an easily controllable range. The structure and morphology of the graphene samples grown with this capping method are characterized by low energy electron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and the results are compared with those of layers grown on an uncapped sample surface. The results show that capping yields much thinner graphene with excellent uniformity.     

Synthesis and Properties of Boron Doped NaxCo2O4 Nanocrystalline Ceramics

Sodium cobalt oxide (NaCo₂O₄) nanofibers with diameters ranging between 20 and 200?nm were prepared by electrospinning a precursor mixture of PVA/(Na–Co) acetate. This was the first time any such attempt was made. Afterwards, the electrospun nanofibers were subjected to calcination treatment. The characteristics of the fibers were investigated using a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a X-ray diffractometer, and a scanning electron microscopy. The boron doped and undoped NaCo₂O₄ nanofibers calcined at 850?°C were polycrystalline of the γ Na_xCo₂O₄ phase having diameters ranging between 20 and 60?nm with grain sizes of 5–10?nm, and the nanofibers calcined at 800?°C were single crystals having linked particles or crystallites with particle sizes ranging between 60 and 200?nm. The results indicated a significant effect of calcination temperature on the crystalline phase and morphology of the nanofibers. It could be seen in the SEM micrograph of the fibers that when boron was added, this resulted in the formation of cross-linked bright-surfaced fibers. The average fiber diameter for boron doped and undoped fiber mats were 204 and 123?nm, respectively. The grain diameters of boron doped and undoped nanocrystalline sintered powders were measured as 140 and 118?nm, respectively.     

Impact of extreme donor age on the outcome of living-related donor kidney transplantation

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in sputum may be used to estimate the severity of bronchial inflammation and obstruction in asthmatics as well as to monitor asthma drug therapy. For this purpose, standardized processing of sputum is important. The aim of our study was to determine whether time and temperature influence the ECP concentration in the sputum of asthmatics. The samples of induced sputum obtained from 12 patients with stable asthma were homogenized using ultrasonification, and centrifuged. Supernatants were evenly divided and stored for 1, 6, 24 or 72 h at either 4 or 25 degrees C, then frozen at -80 degrees C. The ECP concentrations were determined using fluoroimmunoassay and compared with the immediately frozen samples. After storing at 4 degrees C, the ECP levels at the four time points were 101.2, 96.0, 98.2 and 90.6% of the initial concentration, respectively. When sputum specimens were stored at 25 degrees C, ECP levels decreased to 96.1, 94.4, 90.7 and 87.7%, respectively. The influence of time on ECP concentrations in sputa was statistically significant (p=0.02). A significant temperature effect was found when comparing the specimens stored at 4 degrees C with those at 25 degrees C (p=0.03). Looking at individual time points, a significant decrease in ECP concentration was only seen at 25 degrees C after 24 and 72 h. We conclude that eosinophilic cationic protein in the sputum of asthmatics decreases in a time- and temperature-dependent process. If sputa cannot be processed after obtaining the specimens, they should be stored in a refrigerator at 4 degrees C, until eosinophilic cationic protein is measured.     

Poly(acridine orange)-modified glassy carbon electrodes: electrosynthesis,characterisation and sensor application with uric acid

Poly(acridine orange) was electropolymerised on glassy carbon electrodes by potential cycling in phosphate buffer solution at pH 5.5, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0. Electrochemical behaviour of the modified electrodes was studied by cyclic voltammetry in phosphate buffer solution at various pHs and found that the best polymer film formation was obtained at pH 5.5. Quantitative determination of uric acid was achieved by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and fixed-potential amperometry in phosphate buffer solution at pH 5.5. Anodic peak currents were linearly proportional to concentration of uric acid in the range 1–75 µM for cyclic voltammetry, 0.4–75 µM for DPV and 0.04–5.3 µM for amperometry. Detection limits were 3.7 × 10^?1, 9.7 × 10^?2 and 9.5 × 10^?3 µM for cyclic voltammetry, DPV and amperometry, respectively. The modified electrodes exhibited good sensitivity, wide linear range and good stability. There is no interference from substances commonly present in natural samples.