A Contemporary Survey on IoT Based Smart Cities: Architecture,Applications, and Open Issues

Wireless Personal Communications - Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the emerging technologies, which is widely used across the globe. As the idea of a smart city was founded, IoT has been...     

Spray dryer processed graphene oxide/reduced graphene oxide for high-performance supercapacitor

This study deals with the utility of mini spray dryer process to improve the dispersibility, of graphene oxide(GO) and its application for high-performance supercapacitor. Initially, the neutral solution of GO was obtained using the modified Hummer's method. After this, the prepared GO solution was processed by mini spray dryer to obtain a more purified, lighter, and dispersed form of GO which is named as spray dryer processed GO (SPGO). The SPGO thus obtained showed excellent dispersibility behavior with various solvents, which is not found in case of conventional oven drying. Furthermore, utility of SPGO and its reduced form (r-SPGO) for supercapacitor applications have been investigated. Results obtained from the cyclic voltammetry(CV) analysis, impedance, and charge-discharge behavior of supercapacitor fabricated using r-SPGO shows enhanced features. Therefore, the simple spray dried GO and its reduced form, that is, r-SPGO can be utilized as a potential candidate for the supercapacitor application. Herein, as synthesized SPGO exhibited the specific capacitance of 12.07 and 37.6 F/g with PVA-H₃PO₄ and 1 mol/L H₃PO₄, respectively, at a scan rate of 5 mV/s. On the other hand, reduced form of SPGO, that is, r-SPGO showed the specific capacitance of 27.16 and 230 F/g with PVA-H₃PO₄ and 1 mol/L H₃PO₄, respectively.     

Development of LTCC micro-hotplate with PTC temperature sensor for gas-sensing applications

Low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) micro-hotplates show wide applications in gas sensors and micro-fluidic devices. It is easily structured in three-dimensional structures. This paper presents the low power consumption micro-hotplates which were developed with PTC (positive temperature coefficient) temperature sensor and inter-digitated electrodes. The paper presents two different structures for micro-hotplate with platinum as a heating element. The PTC temperature sensor using two different materials viz. PdAg and platinum paste are developed with micro-hotplates. The simulation has been achieved through COMSOL for LTCC and alumina micro-hotplates. The temperature variation with power consumption has been measured for the developed LTCC micro-hotplates. The change in resistance of PTC temperature sensors was measured with micro-hotplate temperature. The aim of this study was to place a temperature sensor with the gas sensor module to measure and control the temperature of micro-hotplate. A SnO₂ sensing layer is coated on LTCC micro-hotplate using screen printing and characterized for the sensing of carbon monoxide gas (CO). This study will be beneficial for designing hotplates based on LTCC technology with low power consumption and better stability of temperature for gas-sensing applications.     

Microstructural developments in Mg-Ti-PSZ systems

The microstructure of titania-added Mg-partially-stabilized zirconia (PSZ) is dramatically influenced by thermal treatments. Effects of various sintering, heat-treatment and thermal shock cycling parameters on the microstructure of the Mg-Ti-PSZ system are described. Conditions favourable for the growth of needle-like Ti-rich reinforcements in highly thermalshock-resistant Mg-Ti-PSZ ceramics are identified. TiO₂ seems to play a catalytic role in the formation of Zr-rich networks during high-temperature (1700°C) sintering of the Mg-Ti-PSZ system, quite similar to those found in Mg-PSZ, heat-treated above 1300 °C.     

A translator system for the MATLAB language

A whole‐program MATLAB to C translation system is presented. The paper outlines the motivation for the problem, discusses the system's architecture, its features and limitations. The translator's operation is explained using an example input program. Details are given on how the system implements and specializes some of the language's built‐in primitives. Finally, the paper reports measurements evaluating the execution time and memory usage of the translated sources, and the compilation time required for the translations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Percutaneous Absorption Enhancement by Nonionic Surfactants

The influence of nonionic surfactants (polysorbates) on hydrocortisone penetration through hairless mouse skin in vitro has been determined. Permeation was quite slow from purely aqueous media containing surfactants following finite dose application. However, if the vehicle contained high propylene glycol concentrations (40% or more), inclusion of a surfactant increased permeation rate significantly. Similar effects were noted following application of a large donor volume (infinite dose). Synergism was attributed to enhancement of surfactant absorption by the stratum corneum leading to changes in skin barrier resistance. With vehicles containing a surfactant, penetration was higher after finite dose application due to compositional changes within the vehicle.     

Influence of Montmorillonite Clay Content on Thermal,Mechanical, Water Absorption and Biodegradability Properties of Treated Kenaf Fiber/ PLA-Hybrid Biocomposites

Silicon - Nowadays, the starring attentions of the polylactic acid based composites are improved due to environmental awareness and diminution of petroleum oil. The bio-plastics were restricted to...     

Kinetics of the hydroformylation of soybean oil by ligand-modified homogeneous rhodium catalysis

The kinetics and mechanism of the hydroformylation of soybean oil by homogeneous ligand-modified rhodium catalysts were investigated at 70–130°C and 4000–11,000 kPa. The effects of reaction rates on systematic variations in reaction parameters were evaluated in order to develop an industrial process to convert vegetable oils to polyaldehydes. The activation energies in the presence of triphenylphosphine (Ph₃P) (61.1±0.8 kJ/mol) (mean±SD) and triphenyl phosphite [(PhO)₃P] (77.4±5.0 kJ/mol) were determined. The catalyst was deactivated at temperatures higher than 100°C. An evaluation of the effects of the reaction parameters on initial rates yielded the rate laws for Ph₃P {rate=k [olefin][Rh(CO)₂Acac]^1.1 [Ph₃P]^−0.5 (pH₂+pCO)^1.4, where Rh(CO)₂Acac is (acetylacetonato)dicarbonylrhodium (I)} and (PhO)₃P {rate=[olefin] [Rh(CO)₂Acac]^1.2 [(PhO)₃P]^−0.8 (pH₂+pCO)^0.9 at total pressures lower than 7000 kPa, and rate =[olefin] [Rh(CO)₂Acac]^1.2 [(PhO)₃P]^−0.8(pH₂+pCO)^1.7 at total pressures higher than 7000 kPa}.