Carbon nanofluids flow behavior in novel composites

Nanocomposite materials have broadened significantly to encompass a large variety of systems, made of distinctly dissimilar components and mixed at the nanometer scale. This rapidly expanding field is generating many exciting new advanced composites with promising properties. However, during the fabrication of nanocomposites, many problems could arise and remain as challenging tasks. One such problem is controlling of the nanofluid flow behavior around the microfiber perform as in case of Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process because of the high resin viscosity and the low preform permeability. In this paper, a two-dimensional simulation model based on the Eulerian multiphase approach has been performed and solved to investigate and predict the flow characteristics of a carbon nanofluid around a staggered microfiber matrix. ‘The interactions between the microfiber walls and the interfacial nanofluid layers during the flow process have been also studied. Based on the predicted results an energy “imbalance” technique has been applied between the microfiber walls and the interfacial nanofluid layers allowing them the potential to flow more smoothly around the microfiber walls to prevent any potential sticking on the microfiber walls.     

Modeling the customer in electronic commerce

This paper reviews interface design of web pages for e-commerce. Different tasks in e-commerce are contrasted. A systems model is used to illustrate the information flow between three subsystems in e-commerce: store environment, customer, and web technology. A customer makes several decisions: to enter the store, to navigate, to purchase, to pay, and to keep the merchandize. This artificial environment must be designed so that it can support customer decision-making. To retain customers it must be pleasing and fun, and create a task with natural flow. Customers have different needs, competence and motivation, which affect decision-making. It may therefore be important to customize the design of the e-store environment. Future ergonomics research will have to investigate perceptual aspects, such as presentation of merchandize, and cognitive issues, such as product search and navigation, as well as decision making while considering various economic parameters. Five theories on e-commerce research are presented.     

A radiomics pipeline dedicated to Breast MRI: validation on a multi-scanner phantom study

Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine - Quantitative analysis in MRI is challenging due to variabilities in intensity distributions across patients, acquisitions and...     

Automatic labeling of cerebral arteries in magnetic resonance angiography

Objectives

In order to introduce 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a standard clinical instrument for studying the cerebrovascular system, new and faster postprocessing tools are necessary. The objective of this study was to construct and evaluate a method for automatic identification of individual cerebral arteries in a 4D flow MRI angiogram.

Materials and methods

Forty-six elderly individuals were investigated with 4D flow MRI. Fourteen main cerebral arteries were manually labeled and used to create a probabilistic atlas. An automatic atlas-based artery identification method (AAIM) was developed based on vascular-branch extraction and the atlas was used for identification. The method was evaluated by comparing automatic with manual identification in 4D flow MRI angiograms from 67 additional elderly individuals.

Results

Overall accuracy was 93 %, and internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery labeling was 100 % accurate. Smaller and more distal arteries had lower accuracy; for posterior communicating arteries and vertebral arteries, accuracy was 70 and 89 %, respectively.

Conclusion

The AAIM enabled fast and fully automatic labeling of the main cerebral arteries. AAIM functionality provides the basis for creating an automatic and powerful method to analyze arterial cerebral blood flow in clinical routine.

     

Evolution of ferroelectric and piezoelectric response by heat treatment in pseudocubic BiFeO<Subscript>3</Subscript>–BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics

Heat treatment of ceramics is an important process to tailor the fine electromechanical properties. To explore the criteria for optimized heat treatment in a perovskite structure of (1–x)Bi_1.05FeO₃–xBaTiO₃ (BF–BT100x) system, the structural phase relation, ferroelectric and piezoelectric response of BF–BT36 and BF–BT40 ceramics prepared by furnace cooling (FC) and quenching process were investigated. The X-ray diffraction examination showed single pseudocubic perovskite structure for all the ceramics. The homogenous microstructure was obtained for all ceramics with relatively large grain size in the furnace cooled samples. Well saturated ferroelectric hysteresis loops and enhanced piezoelectric constant (d₃₃?=?97 pC/N) were achieved by quenching process. Dielectric curve of BF–BT36 showed large dielectric constant at its Curie temperature, however, BF–BT40 showed diffused relaxor-like dielectric anomalies. Quenched BF–BT36 samples showed typical butterfly like field induced strain curves, however negative strain decreased in BF–BT40 ceramics. From these investigated study, it is observed that BF–BT ceramics are very sensitive to the heat treatment process (furnace cooling and quenching) on the dielectric, electromechanical properties.     

The experience of photologging: global mechanisms and local interactions

This paper describes an in-depth study of the photologging behaviour of a small group of women who are part of an active expatriate community. In addition to sharing with family and friends in their home country, the participants appropriated the photolog as part of local social interactions both with local friends and as part of their role in the local community. The photographs themselves sometimes resemble those of physical albums, but also include more candid, imperfect and apparently trivial topics. The participants report a subtle pattern of prospective anticipation of the impact of postings and retrospective reflection and discussion of others’ postings, linking posters and viewers of photologs in a rich unfolding web of interactions within an extended episodic experience.     

Characterization and actuation behavior of SPS/SGO ion exchange polymer actuator based on PEDOT: PSS/SGO composite electrode

ABSTRACT

This paper studied the fabrication of new hybrid-type poly(3,4- ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT)/sulfonated graphene oxide electrode-based polymer actuator produced by film casting method. Sulfonated Poly(1,4-phenylene ether-ether sulfone) (SPS) ion-exchange polymer membrane-based ionic polymer composite actuators were fabricated using the different concentration of SGO. The characterization and actuation were demonstrated. By altering SGO concentration, four different SPS based membrane actuators were analyzed. The effects of SGO concentration on the morphology, proton conductivity, ion exchange capacity, and water uptake capability were studied. The maximum tip displacement and force by varying concentration of SGO were evaluated for the actuation performance.     

Advances in reduction of NOx and N2O1 emission formation in an oxy-fired fluidized bed boiler

Fossil fuel combustion is one of the major means to meet the mounting global energy demand. However, the increasing NO_x and N₂O emissions arising from fossil fuel combustion process have hazardous effects. Thus, mitigating these gases is vital to attain a sustainable environment. Interestingly, oxy-fuel combustion in fluidized bed for carbon capture and minimized NO_x emissions is strongly sustainable compare to the other approaches. It was assessed that NO_x formation and fuel-N conversion have significant limitation under oxy-fluidized bed compared to air mode and the mechanism of NO_x formation is still deficient and requires further development. In addition, this review paper discussed the potential of primary measure as low emission process with others supplementary techniques for feasible NO_x reduction. The influences of combustion mode, operating parameters, and reduction techniques such as flue gas recirculation, oxygen staging, biomass co-firing, catalyst, influence of fluidized bed design and structure, decoupling combustion and their merges are respectively evaluated. Findings show that significant minimization of NO_x emission can be achieved through combination of primary and secondary reduction techniques.     

Synthesis of graphene-supported bimetallic nanoparticles for the sunlight photodegradation of Basic Green 5 dye in aqueous medium

Graphene nanosheets-supported Sn-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles (GNs/Sn-Pt) were prepared by precipitation method. The obtained GNs/Sn-Pt was used as a photocatalyst for photodegradation of Basic Green 5 (BG5) in aqueous solution under sunlight. The morphology and photodegradation study was performed by SEM and UV–VIS spectrophotometry, respectively. The SEM image showed the presence of Sn and Pt on GNs, being confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The photodegradation study of BG5 showed that the dye degradation increases as a function of irradiation time. The degradation of BG5 was found to be pH dependent and maximum degradation was found at higher pH.     

Comparative efficiency of maltodextrin and protein in the production of spray-dried tamarind pulp powder

The potential of maltodextrin (DE 20) and soya protein isolate (SPI) in spray drying of tamarind pulp was compared. Powder recovery was zero when the tamarind pulp was spray dried alone. A greater amount of maltodextrin (MD; 55%) was required for successful spray drying of tamarind pulp, whereas a small amount of SPI (20%) was needed for the same purpose. The study revealed that the mechanism for the increase in product recovery with the addition of MD is due to the increase in overall glass transition temperature of tamarind pulp powder. However, using SPI, preferential migration of the protein to the surface of droplets/particles resulting in the formation of a glassy skin was responsible for a reduction in stickiness between the particles and dryer wall and hence increased the powder recovery. The potential of SPI in reducing powder hygroscopicity was almost comparable to that of MD, confirming its efficiency as a drying aid. Tamarind pulp powders produced with SPI had a larger particle size with a wrinkled particle surface morphology and high flowability compared to powders produced with MD. The study showed the excellent potential of SPI as a drying aid in production of quality tamarind pulp powder.