A miniature scanning sun photometer for vertical profiles and mobile platforms

A miniature sun photometer has been developed that makes continuous almucantar scans to measure solar irradiance and sky radiance in four wavelength bands set by interference filters. It has a well-defined field of view and can rapidly compensate for a tilting platform. It weighs less than 400 g and has an average power consumption of less than 5 W. Together, these characteristics make it suitable for vertical profiles using small balloons or unmanned aircraft systems (UASs). Preliminary results are presented showing measurements of optical depth and the phase function of scattered sunlight. An optical depth of about 0.03 in a clean boundary layer was measurable with an accuracy of better than 0.01.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Dual chemosensing properties of new ferrocene-based receptors towards fluoride and copper(II) ions

The new ferrocene based receptors N-[4-ferrocenyl-2-methyl-4-oxobut-1-enyl]-N′-phenylthiourea (1), N-[4-ferrocenyl-2-methyl-4-oxobut-1-enyl]-N′-[4-nitrophenyl]thiourea (2) were synthesized and characterized. Fluorescence titrations of receptors 1 and 2 with various transition metal ions showed selective response to Cu²⁺ ions and the emission intensities quenched significantly. Electrochemical titrations with anions revealed that receptors 1 and 2 sensed the F⁻ anion in high selectivity with a cathodic shift of 100 mV.     

A ferrocene-based multi-signaling sensor molecule functions as a molecular switch

A multi-channel signaling cation sensor R had been achieved by covalently connecting ferrocene unit to the nitrogen (CN) containing binding site. Ferrocene-based sensor R was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods and single crystal XRD. The chromogenic, flourogenic and electrochemical sensor study of R in CH₃CN shows selective binding of Cu²⁺ ion. Inherently molecule R performs as molecular switch beyond the sensing role.     

Multi-signaling detection of Hg2+ and Cu2+ by a ferrocene–pyrazole dyad associated with molecular-scale arithmetic

Ferrocene-based sensor R was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods. The optical, electrochemical and cation-sensing properties of receptor R are presented. Receptor R behaves as a selective multi-channel signaling chemosensor molecule for Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions in CH₃CN. The binding mode of Hg²⁺ with R was determined by ¹³C NMR titration. Both optical and electrochemical methods were applied for the detection of cations in water sample. The characteristic fluorescence of R with the Cu²⁺ selective ON–OFF and the Hg²⁺ selective fluorescence bathochromic shift can be observed and the concept has been used to construct a combinational logic circuit at the molecular level.     

Evaluation of mechanical and thermal properties of tamarind seed filler reinforced vinyl ester composites

This article deals with the usage of tamarind seed filler (TSF) as reinforcement in vinyl ester (VE) composites. The composite plates have been fabricated by compression molding machine with TSFs of varying wt% from 5 to 50 as reinforcement material, and their properties such as tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, water absorption, heat deflection tests, and thermogravimetric analysis are studied. The mechanical properties of TSF reinforced VE composites are optimum at 15 wt% filler. The tensile strength and flexural strength of TSF‐VE composites are estimated to be around 34.1 and 121 MPa, respectively. The better impact strength of TSF‐VE composites is found to be 14.02 kJ/m², and barcol hardness can hold a value up to 42.33. Thermo gravimetric analysis and heat deflection test of TSF reinforced VE composite have improved the thermal stability. The fiber matrix interaction of the fractured mechanical testing specimen has been analyzed by scanning electron microscope. The TSF‐VE composites are used to fabricate the wheel hubcap of heavy‐duty buses, bus seat backrest cover, and silencer guard of the motorcycle. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:E114–E128, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and characterization of poly(o‐anisidine) with the influence of surfactants on stainless steel by electrochemical polymerization as a counter electrode for dye‐sensitized solar cells

Efficient fast electron transfer from counter electrode to an electrolyte is a key process during the operation of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). We introduce a surfactants assisted electro‐polymerized poly(o‐anisidine) (POA) counter electrodes (CE) for DSSCs. Commencing the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the POA/sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) CE exhibited very low series and charge‐transfer resistance. This is due to high electrocatalytic activity confirmed by cyclic voltammetry, surface area and the conductivity of the stainless steel film. The photovoltaic performance of POA/SDS counter electrode shows an energy conversion efficiency of 2.5% under 1 sun illumination. Short‐term stability test for POA/SDS point out that CE have almost uphold its initial performance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42310.     

Investigations on Characterization and Properties of Al-MoO3 Composites Synthesized Using Powder Metallurgy Technique

Silicon - In this work, Powder Metallurgy (PM) technique was used to synthesize Aluminium based metal matrix composites with various weight percentages (0, 5, 10 & 15) of Molybdenum...     

Enhanced Detection of Glaucoma on Ensemble Convolutional Neural Network for Clinical Informatics

Irretrievable loss of vision is the predominant result of Glaucoma in the retina. Recently, multiple approaches have paid attention to the automatic detection of glaucoma on fundus images. Due to the interlace of blood vessels and the herculean task involved in glaucoma detection, the exactly affected site of the optic disc of whether small or big size cup, is deemed challenging. Spatially Based Ellipse Fitting Curve Model (SBEFCM) classification is suggested based on the Ensemble for a reliable diagnosis of Glaucoma in the Optic Cup (OC) and Optic Disc (OD) boundary correspondingly. This research deploys the Ensemble Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classification for classifying Glaucoma or Diabetes Retinopathy (DR). The detection of the boundary between the OC and the OD is performed by the SBEFCM, which is the latest weighted ellipse fitting model. The SBEFCM that enhances and widens the multi-ellipse fitting technique is proposed here. There is a pre-processing of input fundus image besides segmentation of blood vessels to avoid interlacing surrounding tissues and blood vessels. The ascertaining of OC and OD boundary, which characterized many output factors for glaucoma detection, has been developed by Ensemble CNN classification, which includes detecting sensitivity, specificity, precision, and Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve (AUC) values accurately by an innovative SBEFCM. In terms of contrast, the proposed Ensemble CNN significantly outperformed the current methods.