Compositional algebra for interactive data access

An important issue for the success of a database application is the effectiveness of its interface. Frequently a relevant part of the programming effort is devoted to the generation of interfaces. The visual programming environments reduce only partly this effort, and in particular, things become more complicated when data coming from different sources (different views in the same database or even views from different databases or systems) are to be related and must cooperate in the data navigation and manipulation task. To overcome this problem we present a new database access paradigm based on an algebra on the domain of computational abstractions called “services” which include both dimensions: the data access computation and the user interaction. This means that the interaction is not implemented by using separated constructs as happens for traditional computational models; on the contrary, as the interaction is an integral part of the service paradigm, the user interaction is computed starting from the declarative specification of the data access itself. The combination of services in a service expression through the operators defined by the service algebra makes it possible to generate cooperating user interfaces for complex data navigation and manipulation. Through algebraic properties, which hold both from the data and user interface point of view, the service expressions can be simplified and optimized guaranteeing their initial semantics. The paper shows the application of the service algebra to the relational environment by means of a simple extension to SQL. Finally, the paper describes a tool based on a three tier architecture and on Java technology for developing and distributing services in Web environment. Services and combination of services expressed with the service algebra are automatically translated into Java objects, allowing the rapid development of platform independent data access services.     

Materials issues in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have recently become an important area of technology, building on the success of the microelectronics industry over the past 50 years. MEMS combine mechanical and electrical function in devices at very small scales. Examples include pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes and optical devices, as well as chemical, biomedical and fluidic applications. The status of MEMS technology is reviewed with particular emphasis on materials issues therein. The materials issues in MEMS are divided into three categories, the MEMS material set, microfabrication processes, and material characterization and design. Each of these areas is addressed, with particular emphasis on the potential impact of materials solutions. A discussion of the future of MEMS and the role of materials in that future is given.     

用于内部故障分析的变压器电感参数计算模型

针对电力变压器内部故障分析和保护的需要,详细分析了现有模型中确定电抗参数或电感参数存在的问题,指出问题的关键是没有考虑到发生内部短路故障之后,变压器内部的漏磁场分布发生了变化,因而用变压器没有故障时的漏电抗或漏电感推算发生故障后的模型参数是不正确的。在此基础上,提出了一种满足磁势平衡关系并且适用于具有任意截面形状和大小的线圈的漏电感计算模型。     

核级波纹管密封钠截止阀的研制

介绍了核级波纹管密封钠截止阀的性能参数、结构及其主要零件的材料。分析了钠阀冷态循环、流阻、寿命试验及地震、热态试验的试验过程及其技术要求。阐述了钠阀门技术设计要点及其实践经验。     

Turn-on fluorescent chemosensor for selective detection of Zn2 + in an aqueous solution: Experimental and theoretical studies

A new simple receptor 1 based on the combination of julolidine and 2-(aminomethyl)benzenamine groups was prepared. It exhibited a ‘turn-on fluorescence type’ mode with high selectivity in the presence of Zn^2 +. Noticeably, receptor 1 could clearly distinguish Zn^2 + from Cd^2 +. The mechanism of fluorescence enhancement of 1 for zinc was explained by theoretical calculations. Moreover, sensor 1 had a sufficiently low detection limit (10.9 μM), which is below than the WHO recommendation level (76 μM) for drinking water. Therefore, 1 can serve as a practical chemosensor for zinc ion in an aqueous solution.     

Slow release polymer–iodine tablets for disinfection of untreated surface water

Simple water treatment devices are designed to treat small amounts of drinking water for home use. This study was undertaken to develop an iodine‐releasing polymeric formulation and examine its potential as a domestic water purifier for untreated surface water. The antimicrobial tablet formulation was made from gum arabic (GA), poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA), ethyl cellulose (EC), and poly(vinylpyrrolidone)‐iodine (PVP‐I). The formulation consisted of a dispersible core tablet surrounded by a hydrophilic coating of EC and poly(ethylene glycol) mixture. These stable, non‐vaporizing, and water‐insoluble tablets slowly release iodine through diffusion over 48 h when suspended in water. The swelling behavior and release were observed to be the functions of excipient composition, iodine loading, and coating materials. Iodine release was determined by UV–VIS spectroscopy and volumetric titrations. The tablets were also assessed for antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, and Salmonella typhimurium. The disinfection efficiency of the developed tablets was compared with a commercial formulation (Potable Aqua®) as both contain iodine‐releasing active compounds and work on the antimicrobial property of released iodine. The difference between the two formulations is that water‐dispersible Potable Aqua® has a higher amount of free iodine quickly available in water thereby making it a fast‐action emergency water purifier, whereas the developed water‐insoluble polymer–iodine tablets act slowly and require 24 h to show the same disinfection efficacy with lower content of iodine in water. Overnight release of iodine in water from polymer–iodine tablets was effective in 99.9% reduction of an initial cell count of ～ 10⁷ colony forming units (cfu)/mL. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

A study on the synthesis,characterization and properties of polyaniline/magnesium boride nanocomposites

The present paper reports the novel synthesis of polyaniline/magnesium boride (PAni/MgB₂) nanocomposites. Nanowires 50–100 nm in diameter grown by the sol–gel technique were incorporated in the PAni to prepare PAni/MgB₂ nanocomposites, which yielded an enhancement of conductivity by 5 orders of magnitude. PAni was synthesized through the chemical oxidative polymerization method. The composition of the prepared nanocomposites was tunable, i.e. the amount of dopant was varied and the effects on various parameters were observed by different techniques. The morphology of PAni/MgB₂ nanocomposites was determined using SEM. The temperature dependence of the conductivity of all composites was measured in the temperature range 300–450 K and it was observed that samples having a high concentration of MgB₂ show the highest conductivity. The molecular structure of the nanocomposites was further characterized by Fourier Transform IR spectroscopy which showed small structural changes in the backbone of PAni. I?V measurements showed that the current increases on increasing MgB₂ content. UV?visible spectra exposed the occurrence of an indirect optical transition in the composite. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Life cycle assessment of stand-alone photovoltaic (SAPV) system under on-field conditions of New Delhi,India

In this paper, life cycle analysis has been carried out to evaluate overall performance of given rated stand-alone solar photovoltaic (SAPV) in terms of basic energy matrices, life cycle cost analysis, and earned carbon credit. Further, the experimentally calculated actual on-field life cycle performance results of existing outdoor SAPV system (i.e. almost 20 years old) have been represented with respect to the potential (max.) performance of same SAPV system estimated under same environmental conditions of solar intensity, ambient temperature, PV operating temperature as obtained during actual on-field performance evaluation. This new approach of overall performance evaluation by considering the on-field SAPV system installation as new (i.e. with potential/max. performance) and old (i.e. with actual performance) under same environmental conditions provides an inclusive comparative life cycle assessment of on-field PV system.     

Qualitative analysis of PZT (52/48) MPB using different synthesis methods

The current work reports a comparison between the structural and optical attributes of PZT (52/48) powder and thin film prepared via solid-state reaction and sol-gel spin-coating technique, respectively. The two obtained PZT samples, PZT-I corresponding to powder which was calcined at 875°C for 2 h, and PZT-II corresponding to a thin film which was annealed at 650°C for 2 h, were investigated via X-Ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, UV–Vis Spectroscopy, and SEM analysis. The diffraction spectra suggested the creation of a polycrystalline perovskite structure in both the samples. The optical band gap was evaluated using Tauc's relation. The bandgap values were found to be 3.2 eV for PZT-I and 3.87 eV for PZT-II. The bandgap values are significantly different for the PZT materials prepared by the two different methods.     

Pharmacotherapeutics and molecular docking studies of alpha-synuclein modulators as promising therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative ailment that affects dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra of the ventral midbrain. It is clinically characterized by movement disorder and marked with unusual synaptic protein alpha-synuclein accumulation in the brain. To date, only a few Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs are available on the market for the treatment of PD. Nonetheless, these drugs show parasympathomimetic related adverse events and remarkably higher toxicity; hence, it is important to find more efficacious molecules to treat PD. In our study, We chosen 22 natural compounds as inhibitors that potentially block the alpha-synuclein clump—the pathological hallmark of PD—and provide new avenues for its treatment. Most of these molecules exhibited good pharmacokinetic behaviors, making them decisively favorable drug candidates to cure PD. Molecular docking studies were performed to investigate the binding interactions between natural compounds and alpha-synuclein as anti-Parkinson drug targets. Among the examined compounds, curcumin and piperine emerged as promising phytochemicals with the highest binding affinity, key residual stable bindings and showed a good inhibitory features. Thus, the present study indicates that curcumin and piperine hold the potential to be developed as treatment options against PD. Experimental validations are needed for insights into their mechanism of action and potential clinical application.