Extractive Separation of Oxalic and Nitric Acids Using Tributyl Phosphate

Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering - The extraction of nitric and oxalic acids by neutral compounds TBP, DBBP, and TBPO have been studied. The optimal conditions of their separation...     

Tuning the Operating Band of an Artificial Magnetic Conductor

Journal of Communications Technology and Electronics - Approximate formulas for calculating the coefficient of reflection from an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) based on a capacitive lattice...     

Impact of adhesive ingredients on adhesion between rubber and brass-plated steel wire in tire

Proficiency on underlying mechanism of rubber-metal adhesion has been increased significantly in the last few decades. Researchers have investigated the effect of various ingredients, such as hexamethoxymethyl melamine, resorcinol, cobalt stearate, and silica, on rubber-metal interface. The role of each ingredient on rubber-metal interfacial adhesion is still a subject of scrutiny. In this article, a typical belt skim compound of truck radial tire is selected and the effect of each adhesive ingredient on adhesion strength is explored. Out of these ingredients, the effect of cobalt stearate is found noteworthy. It has improved adhesion strength by 12% (without aging) and by 11% (humid-aged), respectively, over control compound. For detailed understanding of the effect of cobalt stearate on adhesion, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy are utilized to ascertain the rubber coverage and distribution of elements. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results helped us to understand the impact of Cu_XS layer depth on rubber-metal adhesion. The depth profile of the Cu_XS layer was found to be one of the dominant factors of rubber-metal adhesion retention. Thus, this study has made an attempt to find the impact of different adhesive ingredients on the formation of Cu_XS layer depth at rubber-metal interface and establish a correlation with adhesion strength simultaneously.     

Identification of critical erosion prone areas in the small agricultural watershed using USLE,GIS and remote sensing

In the present study, Karso watershed of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand State, India was divided into 200 × 200 grid cells and average annual sediment yields were estimated for each grid cell of the watershed to identify the critical erosion prone areas of watershed for prioritization purpose. Average annual sediment yield data on grid basis was estimated using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). In general, a major limitation in the use of hydrological models has been their inability to handle the large amounts of input data that describe the heterogeneity of the natural system. Remote sensing (RS) technology provides the vital spatial and temporal information on some of these parameters. A recent and emerging technology represented by Geographic Information System (GIS) was used as the tool to generate, manipulate and spatially organize disparate data for sediment yield modeling. Thus, the Arc Info 7.2 GIS software and RS (ERDAS IMAGINE 8.4 image processing software) provided spatial input data to the erosion model, while the USLE was used to predict the spatial distribution of the sediment yield on grid basis. The deviation of estimated sediment yield from the observed values in the range of 1.37 to 13.85 percent indicates accurate estimation of sediment yield from the watershed.     

Prevalence of serologic markers of HBV, HDV, HCV and HIV in non-injection drug users compared to injection drug users in Gran Canaria, Spain

Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) is an autosomal dominant tumour syndrome caused by germline mutations of the VHL tumour suppressor gene located on chromosome 3p25-26. In VHL tumours may occur in 14 different target organs, including the eye. Retinal angiomas are considered the first manifestation of VHL disease in 43% of cases, and the cumulative probability of developing a retinal angioma in one or both eyes rises during each decade of life, reaching 80% for patients over 80 years old. Since 1976 patients with VHL at the University Hospital of Utrecht and their at-risk relatives have been screened periodically by a multidisciplinary team. Long-term follow-up ophthalmological data were analysed with special attention to natural course and results of treatment. In addition, we looked for a genotype-phenotype correlation. Retinal angiomas were found in all families. In one large family with a missense mutation (V170D) of the VHL gene, in which the complete spectrum of visceral- and central nervous system (CNS) features of VHL is present, macular, parapapillary, optic disc and ora serrata angiomas were also found. In general, however, a clear-cut genotype-phenotype correlation could not be found. Only early detection and treatment of peripheral retinal angiomas can be expected to decrease the percentage of patients with decreased visual acuity. Therefore, early detection and treatment of these tumours is of paramount importance. Ophthalmological screening of patients and persons at risk should start as early as possible. In patients with apparently sporadic retinal angiomas it is advisable to perform germline DNA analysis, since the risk of developing VHL is high, especially if the angiomas are bilateral, or unilateral and multifocal, if the patient is young, or if there is a family history suggestive of VHL.     

Effective fault detection and routing scheme for wireless sensor networks

In a wireless sensor network (WSN), random occurrences of faulty nodes degrade the quality of service of the network. In this paper, we propose an efficient fault detection and routing (EFDR) scheme to manage a large size WSN. The faulty nodes are detected by neighbour node’s temporal and spatial correlation of sensing information and heart beat message passed by the cluster head. In EFDR scheme, three linear cellular automata (CA) are used to manage transmitter circuit/ battery condition/microcontroller fault, receiver circuit fault and sensor circuit fault representation. On the other hand, L-system rules based data routing scheme is proposed to determine optimal routing path between cluster head and base station. The proposed EFDR technique is capable of detecting and managing the faulty nodes in an efficient manner. The simulation results show 86% improvement in the rate of energy loss compared to an existing algorithm.     

Interfacial adhesion reaction of polyethylene and starch blends using maleated polyethylene reactive compatibilizer

The interfacial reaction of the polyethylene (PE)/starch blend system containing the reactive compatibilizer maleated polyethylene (m‐PE) was directly characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. A significant amount of anhydride groups on m‐PE existed as hydrolyzed forms, resulting in a large amount of carboxyl groups. Using a vacuum‐heating‐cell designed in the laboratory, the carboxyl groups were successfully transformed into the dehydrolyzed state (i.e., anhydride group). This result enabled the direct spectroscopic observation of chemical reaction occurring at the interface. For the PE/starch blend system containing m‐PE, the chemical reaction at the interface was verified by the evolution of ester and carboxyl groups in the FTIR spectra. The effect of the reactive compatibilizer on the interfacial morphology was also examined by scanning electron micrography (SEM). Enhanced interfacial adhesion was clearly observed for the blend system containing reactive compatibilizer. Tensile strengths of blend systems containing m‐PE also increased noticeably compared with the corresponding system without compatibilizer. A similar observation was made for the breaking elongation data. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 767–776, 2002     

Multilayer Composites Based on PTFE Films and Fiberglass

Fibre Chemistry - The article is devoted to the development of two-layer composites with a fluoroplastic matrix and fiberglass reinforcing elements. The fluoroplastic matrix acts as a protective...