A Stable Low Power Dissipating 9 T SRAM for Implementation of 4 × 4 Memory Array with High Frequency Analysis

Wireless Personal Communications - Today’s high speed data processing and memory storage operations demand immediate data write and retrieval to meet up to benchmark. To act as a volatile or...     

Electrospun microporous gelatin–polycaprolactone blend tubular scaffold as a potential vascular biomaterial

The work reported involved the fabrication of an electrospun tubular conduit of a gelatin and polycaprolactone (PCL) blend as an adventitia‐equivalent construct. Gelatin was included as the matrix for increased biocompatibility with the addition of PCL for durability. This is contrary to most of the literature available for biomaterials based on blends of gelatin and PCL where PCL is the major matrix. The work includes the assiduous selection of key electrospinning parameters to obtain smooth bead‐free fibres with a narrow distribution of pore size and fibre diameter. Few reports elucidate the optimization of all electrospinning parameters to fabricate tubular conduits with a focus on obtaining homogeneous pores and fibres. This stepwise investigation would be unique for the fabrication of gelatin–PCL electrospun tubular constructs. The fabricated microfibrous gelatin–PCL constructs had pores of size ca 50–100 μm reportedly conducive for cell infiltration. The measured value of surface roughness of 57.99 ± 17.4 nm is reported to be favourable for protein adhesion and cell adhesion. The elastic modulus was observed to be similar to that of the tunica adventitia of the native artery. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility tests suggest safe applicability as a biomaterial. Minimal cytotoxicity was observed using MTT assay. Subcutaneous implantation of the scaffold demonstrated acute inflammation which decreased by day 15. The findings of this study could enable the fabrication of smooth bead‐free microfibrous gelatin–PCL tubular construct as viable biomaterial which can be included in a bilayer or a trilayer scaffold for vascular tissue engineering. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Crack Development in Individually Quick Frozen Cut and Peel Carrots

ABSTRACT:  Crack development during freezing (CDF) is one of the major challenges in individually quick frozen (IQF) cut and peel carrot processing. The effects of processing and freezer storage on crack development were examined on the cut and peel carrot variety, Sugarsnax. Carrot samples were removed from the major processing steps, the trans-slicer, the shaper, the blancher, and the dryer, and examined for crack development by measuring percentage cracked, crack morphology, total soluble solids, moisture levels, and membrane injury index immediately after processing. These parameters were also examined following 20 wk of standard freezer storage for cut and peels. Approximately 2% of nonprocessed carrots were cracked compared to 45% of carrots after the initial trans-slicing stage. As the processing continued, cracking decreased due to the removal of the outer epidermis to 16% of the finished product. This suggests that CDF was initiated at the 1st processing stage. Crack width and depth were 2.3 and 2.6 mm, respectively, at the trans-slicer stage and decreased to 1.1 and 1.8 mm at the end of the line. It was found that CDF was further exacerbated by freezer storage due to inefficient water removal at the dryer stage. Crack width and depth increased to 1.5 and 3.0 mm after 20 wk for freezer storage. Root size also played a role in CDF, suggesting that larger pieces are more susceptible to crack development. Total soluble solid concentrations did not play a role in crack formation during cut and peel processing.     

Vegetation Change in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands: Deviation from the Historical Cycle

Water-level change is integral to the structure and function of Great Lakes coastal wetlands, and many studies document predictable relationships between vegetation and water level. However, anthropogenic stressors, such as invasive species, land-use change, and water-level stabilization, interact to shift the historical cycle (of native vegetation migration up- and down-slope) toward dominance by invasive Typha species. Knowing from earlier studies that water-level stabilization alters the historical vegetation cycle, we asked if similar shifts can occur where water levels are not stabilized. Using historical aerial photographs of three coastal wetlands (in Lake Michigan's Green Bay, Wisconsin), we determined that habitat dominated by Typha species has expanded to eliminate wet meadow habitat. Between 1974 and 1992, linear regressions showed strong, significant relationships of both meadow area (R² ≥ 0.894; p < 0.02) and marsh area (R² ≥ 0.784; p < 0.05) to water level in all three wetlands. In 2000, meadow area was below that predicted by the historical pattern due to the landward advance of marsh habitat during a year of decreasing water levels. In the same period, land use in the wetland watersheds converted from agriculture to urban. Urbanization and the replacement of native Typha latifolia by the invasive hybrid Typha xglauca may have overwhelmed the beneficial impact of water-level fluctuation. The documentation of vegetation shifts, as herein, is an essential step in the process of preserving and restoring ecological integrity.     

Huffman algebras for independent random variables

Based on a rearrangement inequality by Hardy, Littlewood, and Polya, we define two-operator algebras for independent random variables. These algebras are called Huffman algebras since the Huffman algorithm on these algebras produces an optimal binary tree that minimizes the weighted lengths of leaves. Many examples of such algebras are given. For the case with random weights of the leaves, we prove the optimality of the tree constructed by the power-of-2 rule, i.e., the Huffman algorithm assuming identical weights, when the weights of the leaves are independent and identically distributed.     

Preparation and characterization of rubber‐toughened poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/organoclay nanocomposite

Rubber‐toughened poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)–organoclay nanocomposite (RTPTTCN) was prepared by a melt mixing technique. The rubber‐toughened PTT (RTPTT) was made by blending it with ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) and with a small amount of maleated EPDM as a compatibilizer. XRD and TEM analysis indicated that the RTPTTCN forms a partially exfoliated nanocomposite. It was observed from SEM analysis that the clay nanoparticles induced a reduction of rubber particle size in the PTT matrix. Tensile and dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that the clay nanoparticles enhance the stiffness of the RTPTT without adversely affecting its toughness. Melt rheological studies revealed that the nanocomposites exhibited strong shear thinning behavior, and a percolated network of the clay particles was formed. It was also observed from DSC that the clay nanoparticles caused an increase in the nonisothermal crystallization temperature of the PTT. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:863–870, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

IndoorSense: context based indoor pollutant prediction using SARIMAX model

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Indoor air pollutants e.g., Carbon dioxide (CO2), Particulate Matter(PM)2.5, PM10, Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC), etc. have a serious impact on human...     

Advances in vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs): Challenges and road-map for future development

Recent advances in wireless communication technologies and auto-mobile industry have triggered a significant research interest in the field of vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) over the past few years. A vehicular network consists of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications supported by wireless access technologies such as IEEE 802.11p. This innovation in wireless communication has been envisaged to improve road safety and motor traffic efficiency in near future through the development of intelligent transportation system (ITS). Hence, governments, auto-mobile industries and academia are heavily partnering through several ongoing research projects to establish standards for VANETs. The typical set of VANET application areas, such as vehicle collision warning and traffic information dissemination have made VANET an interesting field of mobile wireless communication. This paper provides an overview on current research state, challenges, potentials of VANETs as well as the ways forward to achieving the long awaited ITS.     

Moving from the Consortium to the Reference Desk: Keeping Chat and Improving Reference at the MSU Libraries

The experience of the Mississippi State University (MSU) Libraries illustrates the challenges presented by moving from consortial to local chat, as well as an evaluation of the advantages of chat reference in an academic setting. Countering the consortial, instant-messaging model prevalent in virtual reference today, the MSU Libraries have found chat offers advantages in an academic community. Moving to a local setting, it was possible for the MSU Libraries to maintain quality control over chat transactions while building relationships with faculty and students across campus.     

Business process management with the user requirements notation

A number of recent initiatives in both academia and industry have sought to achieve improvements in e-businesses through the utilization of Business Process Management (BPM) methodologies and tools. However there are still some inadequacies that need to be addressed when it comes to achieving alignment between business goals and business processes. The User Requirements Notation (URN), recently standardized by ITU-T, has some unique features and capabilities beyond what is available in other notations that can help address alignment issues. In this paper, a URN-based framework and its supporting toolset are introduced which provide business process monitoring and performance management capabilities integrated across the BPM lifecycle. The framework extends the URN notation with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and other concepts to measure and align processes and goals. An example process for controlling access to a healthcare data warehouse is used to illustrate and evaluate the framework. Early results indicate the feasibility of the approach.