IARP: An Intelligent ACO-Based Routing Protocol with Multiple Mobile Sinks Support for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Personal Communications - Using a single fixed sink in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) creates the hotspot problem. Recently, the mobile sink technique is considered as a good solution to...     

UV-curable acrylic resins for production of glass laminates

Glass laminates have been readily obtained by photocuring at ambient temperature of an acrylic adhesive consisting either of a liquid resin or a solid thermoplastic polymer. The light-induced polymerization process was followed by real-time infrared spectroscopy. Close to 100% conversion was reached within a few seconds of exposure, by taking as the photoinitiator an α-hydroxy alkylphenone or an aryl phosphine oxide. A liquid formulation containing an aliphatic polyurethane–acrylate oligomer, acrylic acid, and butyl acrylate gives the best performance in terms of reactivity, adhesion, impact resistance, and transparency. The impact resistance was further increased by introducing a polycarbonate core between the two glass plates. The solid thermoplastic polymer was obtained either by casting from a solution containing an aliphatic polyurethane, an acrylate oligomer, and the photoinitiator or by mixing these compounds in the molten state and further extrusion. The glass assembly was heated above the softening temperature (80°C) under a 1 MPa pressure and cured by a 1 min exposure to UV radiation to give a strongly adhesive laminate showing good transparency and long term weatherability. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The role ofAzolla in curbing ammonia volatilization from flooded rice systems

By the year 2020, an additional 300 million tons of rice are needed annually to meet the demands of a growing population. If our natural resource base is to be preserved, intensification strategies should rely on integrated nutrient management, making full use of biological nitrogen fixation. TheAzolla-Anabaena complex is amongst the most effective systems of fixing nitrogen. In this paper we present evidence from greenhouse studies on the potential ofAzolla to curb the volatilization of NH₃ following the application of urea to a mixedAzolla-rice culture, providing a new incentive for developing ways of integratingAzolla in intensive rice cultivation systems.The results of a series of short term greenhouse experiments show that a full cover ofAzolla can significantly reduce losses of applied urea-N from 45 and 50% to 20 and 13% for the 30 and 60 kg N ha^–1 treatments, respectively. About one-quarter of the applied N was tied up in theAzolla biomass. The applied N inhibitedAzolla growth as well as the amount of N fixed. Inoculation with smaller quantities ofAzolla allowing for more vigorousAzolla multiplication was equally effective in reducing NH₃ volatilization and doubled the amount of¹⁵N tied-up byAzolla. The reduction in NH₃ volatilization is largely related to the depression byAzolla of the floodwater pH, which in its absence may reach values between 9 and 10 as a result of algal activity.Early rice growth responded positively to urea as well as the large quantities of appliedAzolla and increased the yield potential of the crop. Smaller quantities ofAzolla alone were not effective in this regard. The conservation of fertilizer N byAzolla, particularly when it fully covered the water, was reflected in a synergistic effect on rice dry matter production, amounting to 9% at the 30 kg N rate and 16% at the 60 kg N rate. In all likelihood this interaction is attributable to the higher efficiency of the applied N. The benefits ofAzolla in conserving basal urea-N even in small quantities (200-500 kg fresh material ha^–1), outweighed competition for the applied N and may be as important as its BNF. The most promising integratedAzolla/rice management systems emerging from our studies should be given further attention under field conditions.     

Experimental methods of actuation, characterization and prototyping of hydrogels for bioMEMS/NEMS applications

As a member of the smart polymer material group, stimuli responsive hydrogels have achieved a wide range of applications in microfluidic devices, micro/nano bio and environmental sensors, biomechanics and drug delivery systems. To optimize the utilization of a hydrogel in various micro and nano applications it is essential to have a better understanding of its mechanical and electrical properties. This paper presents a review of the different techniques used to determine a hydrogel's mechanical properties, including tensile strength, compressive strength and shear modulus and the electrical properties including electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity. Also explored the effect of various prototyping factors and the mechanisms by which these factors are used to alter the mechanical and electrical properties of a hydrogel. Finally, this review discusses a wide range of hydrogel fabrication techniques and methods used, to date, to actuate this family of smart polymer material.     

Synthesis, characterization, and analyses of mechanical, adhesion, and thermal properties of polysiloxane resin modified with segmented polyurethane

Novel heat-resistant coating materials with excellent adhesion properties were prepared by modification of polysiloxane resin (PSil) with a pre-synthesized tailored polyurethane/polyurea copolymer end-capped with siloxane (PU). The modification was achieved by crosslinking the hydroxyl group of PSil and ethoxy group of PU in the presence of di-n-butyltin dilaurate. The chemical structure of PU was analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared and Hydrogen-1 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopic methods. A series of modified silicone resins (MSRs) have been synthesized and investigated. The molecular weights of the resins were determined by means of gel permeation chromatography. The morphology of the MSR studied by scanning electron microscopy has shown that the resin containing 30% of PU has a small particle size and a good particle size distribution. The adhesion and the mechanical properties of the resins containing 20, 30, and 40% of PU have shown a good performance. Using thermogravimetric analysis, the thermal properties and the thermal degradation of the MSR were investigated.     

Prediction of sediment inflows to Angereb dam reservoir using the SRH‐1D sediment transport model

Angereb Dam, located in Ethiopia, was constructed in early 1994 as a water supply for the town of Gondar up to the year 2020. The reservoir could not achieve this objective, however, because of significant sedimentation problems. Accordingly, one objective of this study was to simulate the historical reservoir sedimentation pattern, as well as predict the near future (until 2015) sedimentation pattern of Angereb Reservoir. The Sedimentation and River Hydraulics one‐dimensional model (SRH‐1D), version 2.6, was used for this purpose. Another objective was to propose possible mitigation measures to reduce the quantity and rate of sedimentation in the reservoir. There was generally good agreement between measurements and model simulations, with the observed trends being well simulated. The exception was that the model tended to overpredict the sediment deposition volumes in the upstream reaches of the reservoir. The two mitigation alternatives for addressing the sedimentation problem, namely managing sediments in the watershed and flushing sediment through the dam bottom outlet, appear to be technically feasibility, with a predicted reduction of the volume of deposited sediment between 63 and 80% be achievable.     

An Investigation on the Reduced Ability of IF-MoS2 Nanoparticles to Reduce Friction and Wear in the Presence of Dispersants

Inorganic fullerene-like molybdenum disulfide (IF-MoS₂) nanoparticles are known to exhibit great friction and wear-reducing abilities in severe boundary lubrication regimes, when added to a base oil alone. Their use in fully formulated lubricants was investigated in this study, and the tribological benefits attributed to the IF-MoS₂ nanoparticles were found to be lost in the presence of dispersants. Various experimental techniques were used on three reference oils (base oil containing only IF-MoS_2, only dispersants and both IF-MoS₂ and dispersants) in order to understand the effect of succinimide-based dispersants on the three phases needed for effective nanoparticle-based lubrication, namely (1) the passing of the nanoparticles through the contact (2) the exfoliation of the IF-MoS₂ inside the contact and (3) the adhesion of the released MoS₂ platelets on the friction surfaces. The dispersants were shown to improve the dispersion of the nanoparticles in the oil by reducing their agglomeration, but prevented the adhesion of a low-friction MoS₂ tribofilm on the steel surfaces. In-situ contact visualization revealed that the well-dispersed nanoparticles passed through the contact and exfoliated nanoparticles were observed after tribological testing. These results imply that nanoparticle dispersion itself does not seem to be an issue concerning nanoparticle effectiveness, even though the reduced agglomerate size and inertia may have affected nanoparticle flow near the contact, as well as entrapment and exfoliation conditions inside the contact. The use of succinimide-based dispersants may, however, have affected the tribochemistry of the contact, by an excessive adsorption on the steel surfaces and/or by encapsulating the released MoS₂ platelets, preventing tribofilm adhesion. A balance was finally found between nanoparticle dispersion and friction reduction, but for very low dispersant concentrations and after a running-in period. The role of succinimide-based dispersants and their effect on nanoparticle lubrication were discussed in the light of these results.     

In Situ Neutron and X-Ray Powder Diffraction Study of Cation Ordering and Domain Growth in the Dielectric Ceramic Ba3ZnTa2O9–Sr2GaTaO6

In situ methods are ideally suited to study the development of property-critical structural features during material processing. As an example of their potential in the area of complex oxide electroceramics, here, we apply X-ray synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction to investigate the ordering processes responsible for optimizing the microwave dielectric properties of the commercial electroceramic barium zinc tantalate (BZT) doped with strontium gallate. The collection of synchrotron diffraction data with high resolution and high intensity during processing has allowed the development of cation site order and growth of ordered domains to be followed during the multi-stage thermal treatment processing used by industry. Complementary neutron diffraction data reveal changes in the cation–oxygen bonding associated with development of the cation-ordered trigonal perovskite structure. The effects of material loss with processing at temperatures of up to 1525°C are discussed following experiments using open and closed systems. The complex nature of the ordering is confirmed by the coexistence of two BZT phases and the formation of a further zinc-deficient phase. The implications of these observations and relation to the industrial processing procedures are discussed.