Synthesis and characterization of transition metal mixed oxide doped graphene embedded durable electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

A promising electrocatalyst containing variable percentage of V₂O₅–TiO₂ mixed oxide in graphene oxide support was prepared by embedding the catalyst on Cu substrate through facile electroless Ni–Co–P plating for hydrogen evolution reaction. The solvothermal decomposition method was opted for tuning the crystalline characteristics of prepared material. The optimized mixed oxide was well characterized, active sites centres were identified and explained by X-ray diffraction, high resolution tunnelling electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray photon spectroscopy analysis. The structural and electronic characteristics of material was done by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the electrochemical behaviour of the prepared material was evaluated by using Tafel plot, electrochemical impedance analysis, linear sweep voltammetry, open circuit analysis and chronoamperometry measurements. The results show the enhanced catalytic activity of Ni–Co–P than pure Ni–P plate, due to synergic effect. Moreover, the prepared mixed oxide incorporated Ni–Co–P plate has a high activity towards HER with low over potential of 101 mV, low Tafel slope of 36 mVdec^?1, high exchange current density of 9.90 × 10^?2 Acm^?2.     

STEAM OXIDATION OF CARBON FORMED BY THERMAL DEGRADATION OF PMMA IN ALUMINA

In the processing of multilayer ceramic multichip modules (MCM's), a ceramic substrate, such as alumina, along with a polymer, such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), solvents, plasticizers, flocculants, is thermally degraded before sintering. The thermal degradation of PMMA from the green body of oxide ceramics leaves behind some amount of residual carbon in the ceramic. Carbon concentration above 100 ppm has a deleterious effect on the physical properties such as fkxural strength, density, breakdown voltage and dcnsification behavior of the ceramic. This paper discusses the kinetics of oxidation of carbon formed by the thermal degradation of poly(methyt methacrylate) in alumina. Pellets of 5 urn and I urn size alumina were made at 6000 psig in a single step change. Kinetic runs were made in the temperature range of 673 to 993 K with steam as the oxidant at a flow rate of 9.96E-03 g/cm² sec. The organics (polymethyl methacrylate, methyl ethyl ketone, methanol) concentration was varied from 5 to 20 by weight%. The oxidation products were analyzed using a Varian 3700 gas chromatograph coupled with CDS 111 integrator, and by volumetric analysis. Carbon analysis was carried out at the IBM Fishkill center using a Leco analyzer. Kinetic rates and activation energies are evaluated.     

Intrusion Detection System in Wireless Sensor Network Using Conditional Generative Adversarial Network

Wireless communication networks have much data to sense, process, and transmit. It tends to develop a security mechanism to care for these needs for such modern-day systems. An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a solution that has recently gained the researcher’s attention with the application of deep learning techniques in IDS. In this paper, we propose an IDS model that uses a deep learning algorithm, conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN), enabling unsupervised learning in the model and adding an eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) classifier for faster comparison and visualization of results. The proposed method can reduce the need to deploy extra sensors to generate fake data to fool the intruder 1.2–2.6%, as the proposed system generates this fake data. The parameters were selected to give optimal results to our model without significant alterations and complications. The model learns from its dataset samples with the multiple-layer network for a refined training process. We aimed that the proposed model could improve the accuracy and thus, decrease the false detection rate and obtain good precision in the cases of both the datasets, NSL-KDD and the CICIDS2017, which can be used as a detector for cyber intrusions. The false alarm rate of the proposed model decreases by about 1.827%.

     

Extending the two‐stage information systems continuance model: incorporating UTAUT predictors and the role of context

This study presents two extensions to the two‐stage expectation‐confirmation theory of information systems (IS) continuance. First, we expand the belief set from perceived usefulness in the original IS continuance model to include three additional predictors identified in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, namely effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions. Second, we ground the IS continuance model in the context of transactional systems that involve transmission of personal and sensitive information and include trust as a key contextual belief in the model. To test the expanded IS continuance model, we conducted a longitudinal field study of 3159 Hong Kong citizens across two electronic government (e‐government) technologies that enable citizens' access to government services. In general, the results support the expanded model that provides a rich understanding of the changes in the pre‐usage beliefs and attitudes through the emergent constructs of disconfirmation and satisfaction, ultimately influencing IS continuance intention. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the expanded model.     

Stable inversion and parameter variations

As part of the process of automatically guiding an aircraft, we have been successful in using stable inversion to compute a desired bounded state trajectory and corresponding bounded control. In addition to this feedforward control, we must also construct a regulator to address modeling errors and disturbances. With respect to modeling errors we find that the stable inversion procedures used are so accurate that the regulator can assume a simple form, say a linear regulator about the desired trajectory. We show that under the appropriate assumptions, the bounded state trajectory and bounded control computed through stable inversion depend continuously on the parameters of the system. This is a consequence of a mathematical result that we prove about the continuous dependence of the “particular solution” of a time varying nonlinear system driven by a bounded input. This is distinct from the usual continuous dependence of the initial value problem for systems.     

Understanding e‐Government portal use in rural India: role of demographic and personality characteristics

Electronic government (e‐Government) is one of the most important ways to bridge the digital divide in developing countries. We develop a model of e‐Government portal use. We use various individual characteristics, namely demographics and personality, as predictors of e‐Government portal use. Specifically, our predictors were (1) gender, age, income and education; (2) the Big Five personality characteristics, i.e. extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness to experience; and (3) personal innovativeness with information technology. We conducted a field study in a village in India. We collected data from over 300 heads of household. We found support for our model, with most variables being significant and explaining 40% of the variance in e‐Government portal use.     

Influence of metal ion concentration in the glycol mediated synthesis of Gd2O3:Eu nanophosphor

The solvothermal synthesis of highly luminescent and homogeneous Gd₂O₃:Eu³⁺ nanophosphor using diethylene glycol as medium, followed by controlled combustion with citric acid as fuel is reported. The influence of concentrations of carboxylic acid and metal cations on the structure, morphology and luminescence properties are investigated in detail. The microscopic investigations indicate the nanocrystalline nature and the strong influence of cation concentration on the size, shape and agglomeration of the particles. It is found that increase in concentration of metal cations lead to the reduction in agglomeration of nanophosphors. The large value of intensity parameter Ω_2, suggested that Eu³⁺ ions reside in a more asymmetric environment, resulted in intense emission due to ⁵D₀–⁷F₂ electric dipole transition. Emission decay analysis of the samples exhibited one exponential nature. The samples prepared under optimum conditions showed a quantum efficiency of 78.63% and a moderately high life time of 1.217 ms.     

Experimental and computational infrared imaging of bluff body stabilized laminar diffusion flames

The concept of comparing measured and computed images is extended to the mid-infrared spectrum to provide a non-intrusive technique for studying flames. Narrowband radiation intensity measurements of steady and unsteady bluff body stabilized laminar ethylene diffusion flames are acquired using an infrared camera. Computational infrared images are rendered by solving the radiative transfer equation for parallel lines-of-sight through the flame and using a narrowband radiation model with computed scalar values. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the measured and computed infrared images provide insights into the flame stabilization region and beyond. The unique shapes and sizes of the flames observed in the measured and computed infrared images are similar with a few exceptions which are shown to be educational. The important differences occur in the flame stabilization region suggesting improvements in thermal control of the experiment and soot formation and heat loss models.     

Pre-disaster investment decisions for strengthening a highway network

We address a pre-disaster planning problem that seeks to strengthen a highway network whose links are subject to random failures due to a disaster. Each link may be either operational or non-functional after the disaster. The link failure probabilities are assumed to be known a priori, and investment decreases the likelihood of failure. The planning problem seeks connectivity for first responders between various origin–destination (O–D) pairs and hence focuses on uncapacitated road conditions. The decision-maker's goal is to select the links to invest in under a limited budget with the objective of maximizing the post-disaster connectivity and minimizing traversal costs between the origin and destination nodes. The problem is modeled as a two-stage stochastic program in which the investment decisions in the first stage alter the survival probabilities of the corresponding links. We restructure the objective function into a monotonic non-increasing multilinear function and show that using the first order terms of this function leads to a knapsack problem whose solution is a local optimum to the original problem. Numerical experiments on real-world data related to strengthening Istanbul's urban highway system against earthquake risk illustrate the tractability of the method and provide practical insights for decision-makers.     

Preparation and study of YSTZ-Al2O3 nanocomposites

Yttria stabilized zirconia-alumina (YSTZ-Al₂O₃) nanocomposite system with various Al₂O₃ concentrations has been synthesized by sol-gel route. The experimental techniques XRD, DTA, TGA, FT-Raman, FT-IR, SEM, Vickers hardness measurements, density measurements and Impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize the synthesized specimens. DTA result shows two exothermic reactions: one around 760°C and another around 960°C. XRD results confirm that the specimen starts to crystallize on heating above 750°C. Well resolved XRD reflections corresponding to tetragonal (t) ZrO₂ were obtained after the specimens were heated at 1000°C. FT-Raman results confirmed that the crystallites developed above 750°C was t-ZrO₂. It was observed from the XRD and DTA results that the bulk and grain boundary region crystallize independently in two different temperatures with a difference in temperature of about 200°C. The crystallization temperatures increase with Al₂O₃ contents. At 1300°C, the pure YSTZ and 5 and 10 wt % Al₂O₃ added YSTZ specimens underwent structural transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic ZrO₂. But, the tetragonal symmetry remains stable at 1300°C with an addition of 15 wt % Al₂O₃. The system which retain its tetragonal symmetry at its processing temperature (1300°C) gives high hardness and maximum density values. Almost 100% theoretical density value was obtained at 1300°C with an addition of 15 wt % of Al₂O₃.