Properties of Co-doped N-type FeSi2 processed by mechanical alloying

Iron-silicide was produced with a mechanical alloying process and consolidated through vacuum hot pressing. The as-milled powders were of metastable state and fully transformed into the ß-FeSi₂ phase through subsequent isothermal annealing. The as-consolidated iron silicides consisted of an untransformed mixture of α-Fe₂Si₅ and ?-FeSi phases and a partially transformed β-FeSi₂ phase was found in the low density compact. Isothermal annealing was carried out to induce transformation into a thermoelectric semiconducting β-FeSi₂ phase. The transformation behavior of the β-FeSi₂ was investigated utilizing DTA, SEM, and XRD analyses. Isothermal annealing at 830°C in vacuum led to a thermoelectric semiconducting β-FeSi₂ phase transformation, but some residual metallic α and ?-phases were unavoidable even after 96 hours of annealing. The iron silicide microstructures were investigated using SEM and TEM. The mechanical and thermoelectric properties of the β-FeSi₂ materials before and after isothermal annealing are characterized in this study.     

Photo Sequencing

A group of people taking pictures of a dynamic event with their mobile phones is a popular sight. The set of still images obtained this way is rich in dynamic content but lacks accurate temporal information. We propose a method for photo-sequencing—temporally ordering a set of still images taken asynchronously by a set of uncalibrated cameras. Photo-sequencing is an essential tool in analyzing (or visualizing) a dynamic scene captured by still images. The first step of the method detects sets of corresponding static and dynamic feature points across images. The static features are used to determine the epipolar geometry between pairs of images, and each dynamic feature votes for the temporal order of the images in which it appears. The partial orders provided by the dynamic features are not necessarily consistent, and we use rank aggregation to combine them into a globally consistent temporal order of images. We demonstrate successful photo-sequencing on several challenging collections of images taken using a number of mobile phones.     

Analysis of impersonation attacks on systems using RF fingerprinting and low-end receivers

Recently, physical layer security commonly known as Radio Frequency (RF) fingerprinting has been proposed to provide an additional layer of security for wireless devices. A unique RF fingerprint can be used to establish the identity of a specific wireless device in order to prevent masquerading/impersonation attacks. In the literature, the performance of RF fingerprinting techniques is typically assessed using high-end (expensive) receiver hardware. However, in most practical situations receivers will not be high-end and will suffer from device specific impairments which affect the RF fingerprinting process. This paper evaluates the accuracy of RF fingerprinting employing low-end receivers. The vulnerability to an impersonation attack is assessed for a modulation-based RF fingerprinting system employing low-end commodity hardware (by legitimate and malicious users alike). Our results suggest that receiver impairment effectively decreases the success rate of impersonation attack on RF fingerprinting. In addition, the success rate of impersonation attack is receiver dependent.     

A secure and improved multi server authentication protocol using fuzzy commitment

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The advancement in communication and computation technologies has paved a way for connecting large number of heterogeneous devices to offer specified services....     

Thermoelectric properties of mechanically alloyed iron disilicides consolidated by various processes

Mn doped p-type iron disilicide powders have been produced by a mechanical alloying process. As-milled powders were of metastable state and mostly transformed to β-FeSi₂ phase by subsequent isothermal annealing. As-milled powders were consolidated by various processes such as sintering of the cold compact in vacuum, vacuum hot pressing (VHP), and spray drying/atmospheric plasma thermal spraying. Phase transitions during the processes were investigated using XRD, EDS, and SEM. As-consolidated specimens consisted of a mixture of α-Fe₂Si₅ and ε-FeSi phases, which were gradually transformed into a thermoelectric semiconducting α-FeSi₂ phase by subsequent isothermal annealing in the vicinity of 845°C in vacuum. However, some residual α and ε phases remained even after prolonged annealing. Thermoelectric properties were measured as a function of temperature and correlated with phase transformation. They showed optimum values in the vacuum hot pressed specimen due to a higher fraction of β phase and/or higher density.     

A probabilistic alternative to regression suites

Automated regression suites are essential in developing large applications, while maintaining reasonable quality and timetables. The main argument against the automation of regression suites, in addition to the cost of creation and maintenance, is the observation that if you run the same test many times, it becomes increasingly less likely to find bugs. To alleviate such problems, a new regression suite practice, using random test generators to create regression suites on-the-fly, is becoming more common. In this practice, instead of maintaining tests, we generate test suites on-the-fly by choosing several specifications and generating a number of tests from each specification.     

Nonlinear robust state feedback control system design for nonlinear uncertain systems

This paper presents a systematic approach to the design of a nonlinear robust dynamic state feedback controller for nonlinear uncertain systems using copies of the plant nonlinearities. The technique is based on the use of integral quadratic constraints and minimax linear quadratic regulator control, and uses a structured uncertainty representation. The approach combines a linear state feedback guaranteed cost controller and copies of the plant nonlinearities to form a robust nonlinear controller with a novel control architecture. A nonlinear state feedback controller is designed for a synchronous machine using the proposed method. The design provides improved stability and transient response in the presence of uncertainty and nonlinearity in the system and also provides a guaranteed bound on the cost function. An automatic voltage regulator to track reference terminal voltage is also provided by a state feedback equivalent robust nonlinear proportional integral controller. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Continuous input nonlocal games

We present a family of nonlocal games in which the inputs the players receive are continuous. We study three representative members of the family. For the first two a team sharing quantum correlations (entanglement) has an advantage over any team restricted to classical correlations. We conjecture that this is true for the third member of the family as well.     

High-Temperature Stability of Thermoelectric Skutterudite In0.25Co3FeSb12

The thermal stability of skutterudite-based thermoelectric modules is of great importance since they are used at elevated temperatures. This study examined the high-temperature stability of In-filled and Fe-doped skutterudites (In_0.25Co₃FeSb₁₂) as a function of the following aging variables: atmosphere (vacuum and air), temperature, and time. Sb-based oxides are produced preferentially on exposure to high temperatures in air. The oxide layer produced during aging at 823?K in air was much thinner than that produced during aging at 723?K in air. The formation of InSb is believed to retard the oxidation of Sb and act as an obstacle to the growth of the oxide layer. The CoSb₃-based skutterudites were stable at 823?K if they were not exposed to air, and InSb phases were not produced in the In_0.25Co₃FeSb₁₂ skutterudites.     

Novel one‐step synthesis of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber/bentonite nanocomposites with (3‐Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane as a compatilizer

Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR)/bentonite (Bt) nanocomposites were synthesized by an one‐step method in NBR latex with (3‐Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) as a compatilizer. The nanocomposites were compounded with curing additives and then vulcanized. The prepared vulcanizates were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The curing properties and mechanical properties were also investigated. The thermal properties were studied with thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The morphology was investigated by field emission‐scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM). By swelling test, the swelling ratio and the crosslinking density were achieved. The hydrolyzation and condensation of MPTMS was identified by FTIR while the intercalated/exfoliated structure of Bt was determined by XRD. It was evident that the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were significantly improved compared with the neat NBR. The well‐dispersed bentonite particles and effects of MPTMS were supported by the images from FE‐SEM. The results of TGA showed that the fastest weight‐loss temperature (T_max) was elevated by over 10°C for the nanocomposites compared with the neat NBR, indicating an enhanced thermal stability. By swelling test, the swelling ratio was determined, decreased to 139% for the optimized NBR/MPTMS/Bt nanocomposites compared with 210% for neat NBR. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1693–1702, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers