Bias dependence of high-frequency noise in heterojunction bipolar transistors

Hawkins' isothermal model developed to study noise in bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) is modified to investigate bias-dependent noise in heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) by incorporating thermal effects. It is shown that the inclusion of thermal effects into the high-frequency noise model of HBTs is necessary as the temperature of the device may become very different from the ambient temperature, especially at high bias current. Calculation of the noise figure by including the thermal effect shows that the isothermal calculation may underestimate the noise figure at high bias current. It is observed that noise at low bias is ideality factor n dependent whereas high bias noise is insensitive to the variation of n. Moreover, the common base current gain plays a major role in the calculation of the minimum noise figure. The excellent fit obtained between the theoretical calculation and the measured data are attributed to the inclusion of the bias-dependent junction heating as well as C/sub De/ and C/sub bc/ into the present calculation.     

Investigation of solar selective and microstructural properties of molybdenum black immersion coatings on cobalt substrates

Molybdenum black solar selective coatings have been produced on cobalt by immersion in a solution of ammonium paramolybdate and nickel sulphate. The cobalt was electroplated on nickel-plated copper prior to immersion in the paramolybdate solution. The maximum solar absorptance of the resulting molybdenum black coating was about 0.91. The minimum emittance was about 0.1 for coatings on cobalt deposited with an addition agent and about 0.23 for coatings on cobalt deposited without addition agent in the 60 °C plating solution. These differences have been related to the coating morphology determined by scanning electron microscopy. The emittance of coatings on cobalt deposited without addition agent decreases (or remains unchanged) during short-term heat treatment while that of coatings deposited on cobalt plated with addition agent increases somewhat. Reduction of the cobalt plating bath temperature to 45 °C can also lead to good initial coating properties but without the requirement for an addition agent in the cobalt plating bath. XPS studies show that the oxidation state of molybdenum in the coatings is approximately + 5 corresponding to Mo₄O₁₁. This reduces to + 4 after argon ion bombardment. Some cobalt may be present in the coatings in the form of CoO.     

Extremal optimization vs. learning automata: Strategies for spin selection in portfolio selection problems

Nowadays, various imitations of natural processes are used to solve challenging optimization problems faster and more accurately. Spin glass based optimization, specifically, has shown strong local search capability and parallel processing. But, spin glasses have a low rate of convergence since they use Monte Carlo simulation techniques such as simulated annealing (SA). Here, we propose two algorithms that combine the long range effect in spin glasses with extremal optimization (EO-SA) and learning automata (LA-SA). Instead of arbitrarily flipping spins at each step, these two strategies aim to choose the next spin and selectively exploiting the optimization landscape. As shown in this paper, this selection strategy can lead to faster rate of convergence and improved performance. The resulting two algorithms are then used to solve portfolio selection problem that is a non-polynomial (NP) complete problem. Comparison of test results indicates that the two algorithms, while being very different in strategy, provide similar performance and reach comparable probability distributions for spin selection. Furthermore, experiments show there is no difference in speed of LA-SA or EO-SA for glasses with fewer spins, but EO-SA responds much better than LA-SA for large glasses. This is confirmed by tests results of five of the world's major stock markets. In the last, the convergence speed is compared to other heuristic methods such as Neural Network (NN), Tabu Search (TS), and Genetic Algorithm (GA) to approve the truthfulness of proposed methods.     

The Promise of Novel Molecular Markers in Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common malignancy in the US and is associated with the highest cost per patient. A high likelihood of recurrence, mandating stringent surveillance protocols, has made the development of urinary markers a focus of intense pursuit with the hope of decreasing the burden this disease places on patients and the healthcare system. To date, routine use of markers is not recommended for screening or diagnosis. Interests include the development of a single urinary marker that can be used in place of or as an adjunct to current screening and surveillance techniques, as well identifying a molecular signature for an individual’s disease that can help predict progression, prognosis, and potential therapeutic response. Markers have shown potential value in improving diagnostic accuracy when used as an adjunct to current modalities, risk-stratification of patients that could aid the clinician in determining aggressiveness of surveillance, and allowing for a decrease in invasive surveillance procedures. This review discusses the current understanding of emerging biomarkers, including miRNAs, gene signatures and detection of circulating tumor cells in the blood, and their potential clinical value in bladder cancer diagnosis, as prognostic indicators, and surveillance tools, as well as limitations to their incorporation into medical practice.     

Formulation and characterisation of nanosuspension of herbal extracts for enhanced antiradical potential

Nanotechnology is a promising technique to increase the bioavailability of herbal medicines. This paper presents the nanosuspension approach for increasing the aqueous solubility and thereby bioactivity of important herbal extracts. Nanosuspensions of the seeds of three plants extract (Silybum marianum, Elettaria cardamomum and Coriandrum sativum) were prepared by using polyvinyl alcohol (1.5% w/v) as a stabiliser. Prepared nanoparticles were characterised by scanning electron microscope. Activity of nanosuspension formulation was assessed by using four in vitro antioxidant assays. S. marianum, E. cardamomum and C. sativum particle size was observed to fall in range of 446.1 ± 112.6, 456.63 ± 339.2 and 432.1 ± 172.8 nm, respectively, most of the particles were having spherical shape and smooth topology. These synthesised nanoparticles were found to be more effective against quenching free radical than their crude extracts and standards [butylated hydroxyl toluene and ascorbic acid]. C. sativum nanosuspension showed most free radical scavenging potential against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhdrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide free radical scavenging assays (IC₅₀ 0.59 ± 0.01 and 0.81 ± 0.11 mg/ml). S. marianum nanosuspension was found to be most effective against DPPH radicals scavenging (IC₅₀ 0.34 ± 0.02 mg/ml). It was concluded that nanosuspension of herbal medicines potentiates the antioxidant potential.     

Electrochemical characterization of a Porphyridium cruentum-modified carbon paste electrode by cyclic voltammetry

A carbon paste electrode was modified with red algal specie of Porphyridium cruentum and then characterization of its electrocatalytic activity was demonstrated with cyclic voltammetric studies of potassium ferricyanide (K₃[Fe(CN)₆]) system. Stable and fast response of modified electrode to redox couple of [Fe(CN)₆]^3?/[Fe(CN)₆]^4? was highlighted by performing experiments in comparison to bare carbon paste electrode. Fourier transform infrared spectra revealed the functional moieties of bare and modified electrode. Electrochemical surface area and surface coverage capacity were calculated for both electrodes. The effect of scan rate helped evaluate the nature of electrode process, electron transfer mechanism, and kinetic parameters (rate constant, charge transfer coefficient).     

Chemical vapor deposition of poly(3‐alkylthiophene) nanoparticles on fabric: Chemical and electrochemical characterization

Chemical vapor deposition of poly(3‐methylthiophene) and poly (3‐hexylthiophene) as conductive polymers on the surface of polyester fabrics was successfully obtained. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation of polymers on surface of fabrics (the fingerprint of polythiophenes, υ 600–1500 cm^?1). The uniformity of deposition and nanoparticles (average size of 60 nm) were proved with scanning electron microscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that P3HT‐coated samples offer higher conductivity in compared to P3MT‐coated samples. The impedance modulus of P3HT‐coated samples was lowered nine times to that of row materials and reached to c8000 Ω. The samples have also shown electrochromic properties under electrical current, changing its color from yellowish green at 0 V to dark green at +12 V for poly (3‐hexylthiophene) samples and from brown at 0 V to red at +12 V for poly(3‐methylthiophene)‐coated fabrics (V = 0 V, λ = 450 nm; V = 12 V, λ = 650 nm). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40673.     

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE INFLUENCE OF MAJOR OPERATING PARAMETERS DURING MICRO-ELECTRO DISCHARGE DRILLING OF CEMENTED CARBIDE

Present study investigates the influence of major operating parameters on the performance of micro-EDM drilling of cemented carbide (WC-10wt%Co) and identifies the ideal values for improved performance. The operating parameters studied were electrode polarity, gap voltage, resistance, peak current, pulse duration, pulse interval, duty ratio, electrode rotational speed and EDM speed. The performance of micro-EDM drilling process was evaluated by machining time, material removal rate (MRR), relative electrode wear ratio (RWR), spark gap, surface finish and dimensional accuracy of micro-holes. It has been found that there are two major conflicting issues in the micro-EDM of carbide. If the primary objective is to obtain better surface finish, it can be obtained by the sacrifice of high machining time, low MRR and high RWR. However, for faster micro-EDM, the surface roughness is higher and electrode wear is again much higher. It is concluded that negative electrode polarity, gap voltage of 120 V, resistance of 33 Ω, peak current of 8 A, pulse duration of 21 μs, pulse interval of 30 μs, duty cycle of 0.47, electrode rotational speed of 700 rpm and EDM speed of 10 μm/s can be considered as ideal parameters to provide improved performances during the micro-EDM of WC-Co.     

Removal of bisphenol A and 17α-ethinyl estradiol from landfill leachate using single-walled carbon nanotubes

In this study, the adsorption of bisphenol A (BPA) and 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) from landfill leachate onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was investigated. Different leachate solutions were prepared by altering the pH, ionic strength, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the solutions to mimic the varying water conditions that occur in leachate during the various stages of waste decomposition. The youngest and oldest leachate solutions contained varying DOC and background chemistry and were represented by leachate Type A (pH = 5.0; DOC = 2500 mg/L; conductivity = 12,500 μS/cm; [Ca²⁺] = 1200 mg/L; [Mg²⁺] = 470 mg/L) and Type E (pH = 7.5; DOC = 250 mg/L; conductivity = 3250 μS/cm; [Ca²⁺] = 60 mg/L; [Mg²⁺] = 180 mg/L). These solutions were subsequently combined in different ratios to produce intermediate solutions, labeled B-D, to replicate time-dependent changes in leachate composition. Overall, a larger fraction of EE2 was removed as compared to BPA, consistent with its higher log K_OW value. The total removal of BPA and EE2 decreased in older leachate solutions, with the adsorptive capacity of SWCNTs decreasing in the order of leachate Type A > Type B > Type C > Type D > Type E. An increase in the pH from 3.5 to 11 decreased the adsorption of BPA by 22% in young leachate and by 10% in old leachate. The changes in pH did not affect the adsorption of EE2 in the young leachate, but did reduce adsorption by 32% in the old leachate. Adjusting the ionic strength using Na⁺ did not significantly impact adsorption, while increasing the concentration of Ca²⁺ resulted in a 12% increase in the adsorption of BPA and a 19% increase in the adsorption of EE2. DOC was revealed to be the most influential parameter in this study. In the presence of hydrophilic DOC, represented by glucose in this study, adsorption of the endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) onto the SWCNTs was not affected. In the absence of SWCNTs, hydrophobic DOC (i.e., humic acid) adsorbed 15-20% of BPA and EE2. However, when the humic acid and SWCNTs were both present, the overall adsorptive capacity of the SWCNTs was reduced. Hydrophobic (π-π electron donor-acceptor) interactions between the EDCs and the constituents in the leachate, as well as interactions between the SWCNTs and the EDCs, are proposed as potential adsorption mechanisms for BPA and EE2 onto SWCNTs.     

Needleless Electrospinning from a Tube with an Embedded Wire Loop

Enhancing the production rate while maintaining control in electrospinning has been a challenge for years. This work proposes a novel spinneret from a tube with a single wire loop embedded in its one end. With the feeding of solution precisely controlled and the spinning process stablized, multiple polymer jets can be continuously generated from the wire loop. The as‐spun fibers show nanofibrous structure and its fiber diameter is greatly affected by the applied voltage and polymer concentration. As compared to needle electrospinning, the wire loop spinneret generates a stronger electric field with a larger spinnable area due to its special geometrical structure and a higher applied voltage it is connected to. Slightly coarser nanofibers are fabricated as compared to the nanofibers from needle electrospinning and the production rate is as high as 0.48 g h^?1.