bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reinforcement Learning Algorithm for Blood Glucose Control in Diabetic Patients
Authors: Oroojeni Mohammad Javad Mahsa , Agboola Stephen , Jethwani Kamal , Zeid Ibrahim , Kamarthi Sagar
Published: March 2016

In this paper a reinforcement learning algorithm is applied to regulating the blood glucose level of Type I diabetic patients using insulin pump. In this approach the agent learns from its exploration and experiences to selects its actions. In the current reinforcement learning algorithm, body weight, A1C level, and physical activity define the state of a diabetic patient. For the agent, insulin dose levels constitute the actions. There are five alternative actions for the agent: (1) raising the insulin infusion rate during 24 hours, (2) keeping it the same, (3) decreasing insulin infusion rate, (4) adjusting basal rate two times during 24 hours, and (5) adjusting basal rate three times during 24 hours. As a result of a patient’s treatment, after each time step t, the reinforcement learning agent receives a numerical reward depending on the response of the patient’s health condition. At each stage the reward is calculated as a function of the deviation of the A1C from its target value. Since reinforcement learning algorithm can select actions that improve patient condition by taking into account delayed effects it has tremendous potential to control blood glucose level in diabetic patients. This research will utilize ten years of clinical data obtained from a hospital.
Evaluation of Water to Water Heat Pump Model in Energy Plus Using Measurement Data
Authors: Abdulameer Saif , Mun Junghyon , Tao Yong
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this work is to find a protocol and a model that describes the behavior of a geothermal heat pump in an actual environment in order to determine the actual power consumption and capacity of the device. This paper focuses on the use of field measured data to derive the performance of the heat pump. The equation fit model is used as it does not demand very detailed input. The model employs the condenser and evaporator inlet temperatures as input data. The heat pump provides heating and cooling for the living and working area of the zero energy lab which is 1200 sq ft building and designed to intimate a small residence., and both cooling and heating were investigated. A model was generated for each case. Long operation periods were sought for model generating so two experiments were set in different seasons to collect the data for each mode and each experiment lasted for 10 days. Model results showed an error range of ±10% for the unit capacity and power consumption.
High Fidelity CFD Modeling of Natural Ventilation in a Solar House
Authors: Deza Mirka , Ganapathysubramanian Baskar , He Shan , Passe Ulrike
Published: March 2016

Natural ventilation is an important factor in the design of sustainable buildings; it has the potential to improve air quality, while providing thermal comfort at reduced energy costs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations provide comprehensive information on the internal flow pattern and can be used as a design tool. The present work offers insight of natural ventilation in a fully functional building, namely, the solar facility Interlock House in Iowa. Ventilation in the house is studied during summer months with some of its furniture included. The results show quantitative agreement between numerical simulations and experiments of vertical temperature profiles for each room. The temperature profile of the room with the inlet opening shows a more pronounced temperature variation. Flow patterns show higher velocities near the walls and marked flow circulation towards the opposite side of the building. The purpose of this work is to validate the numerical model that predicts airflow distribution for different configurations.
Inter-Observer Variability of Vaginal Wall Segmentation From MRI: A Statistical Shape Analysis Approach
Authors: Easley Deanna C. , Menon Prahlad G. , Moalli Pamela A. , Abramowitch Steven D.
Published: March 2016

Pelvic floor disorders such as Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) negatively impact the health and quality of life of millions of women worldwide. POP is characterized by the descent of the pelvic organs into the vagina due to compromised connective tissue support, resulting in discomfort and urinary/fecal incontinence. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been used to aid in the quantification of these anatomical changes, however the inter- and intra-observer repeatability necessary to make reliable conclusions about changes in anatomical positioning is questioned using current methods. The aim of this study was to quantify the degree of variability produced from inter-observer manual tracings of the vagina from MRI scans using a statistical shape matching approach.
Development of an Electromagnetic Active Engine Mount
Authors: Vahdati Nader , Heidari Somayeh
Published: March 2016

Engine mounts need to satisfy three design requirements: (1) firmly support engine weight, (2) isolate structure from the engine’s noise and vibration, and (3) control engine motion when large shocks or engine resonances are present. In addition to these three criteria, which are common for designing all types of engine mounts (passive, semi-active, and active), two more design requirements need to be satisfied for active engine mounts. First, they should be designed such that if there is any malfunction with the actuator, the controller, or the sensors, the active engine mount should still safely operate as a passive mount. Second, the power consumption, the size and weight of the required actuator and its controller should be kept as low as possible.

The current paper aims to present an active hydraulic (or fluid) engine mount design by using an electromagnetic actuator and capacitive circuit such that it is able to act as a passive mount, semi-active mount, and an active mount. In addition, the presented design has the capability to be converted to a damper as and when needed. The multi-functional capability of the proposed engine mount design (passive, semi-active, active, and damper) distinguishes the current design from the previously designed active engine mounting systems, and this multi-functional capability is explained in the paper.

The proposed design consists of a conventional passive hydraulic (fluid) mount, an electromagnetic actuator (voice coil) and a capacitive circuit. The voice coil is placed in the lower chamber of the passive hydraulic mount and it can change the volumetric stiffness of the bottom chamber actively such that the engine mount has low dynamic stiffness in a wide range of frequencies. The capacitive circuit is paralleled with the voice coil and in situations when large shock inputs are present; it adds capacitance to the electromagnetic circuit and changes the characteristics of the mount from an isolator to a damper.

Since the active engine mount design of this paper involves several energy domains, bond graph modeling technique is used for mathematical modeling. MATLAB simulation results are shown for an automotive application and the performance of the proposed active engine mount design is evaluated as an isolator and as a damper. Finally, an adaptive controller, based on Filtered-X LMS algorithm, is proposed and its performance is investigated.

The proposed design can eliminate transmitted force from the engine to the structure in a frequency range of 15 Hz to 125 Hz.
Modeling and CFD Simulation of Membrane Flow Process
Authors: Giorges Aklilu T. G. , Pierson John A.
Published: March 2016

In the processing industries several membrane technologies are used to separate and concentrate various fluid stream where the concentrate or/filtrate has high value products. Nevertheless, pore blocking is one of the major factors determining the applicability, efficiency and performance of the membrane filtration and separation system. Inside and outside membrane pore blockage leads to concentration polarization and cake buildup that reduces the flux rate and increases losses in system efficiency. Several experimental and theoretical works exist that describe the pore flow and blocking process. However, a limited amount of published work integrates the pore blocking with computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The change in the fluid stream and membrane characteristics during the process are the major challenges in CFD modeling. This paper presents the initial simulations of two-dimensional CFD models that directly model the actual micro pore flow and the porous medium flow (Darcy flow). Various pressure and pore sizes (porosity and permeability) were simulated. For the first model, pore flow model, simplified two-dimensional micro pores were modeled and the continuity and Navier-Stokes equations were solved in all regions including pores. Appling various inlet pressures, the velocity and pressure in all fluid regions are simulated. In second model, the membrane region is modeled as porous medium and the flow field is simulated by using porous medium characteristics. The porous medium characteristics, porosity and permeability, were estimated from pore flow average outlet velocity. The result indicates that both models with equivalent values can be used to predict the overall flow fields. However, both models have to overcome challenges to be widely used. With the direct pore flow (pores flow) simulation, mesh generation becomes a challenge since the membrane pores are very small as compared to the inlet and outlet regions. The pore flow simulation results indicate that CFD can be used to understand the membrane flow characteristics and fluid mechanics. It also can be used to design and / or select a membrane system. For the simulation of membrane as porous medium, the detail of flow through the porous medium including the inlet and outlet effects becomes obscured. However, the system overall performance can be simulated using CFD model for porous medium.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury From Repeated Low-Level Blast Exposures
Authors: Wong Jessica M. , Halberstadt Adam L. , Sainz Humberto A. , Mathews Kiran S. , Chu Brian W. , Ng Laurel J. , Chan Philemon C.
Published: March 2016

Recent studies on military breachers in training environments suggest that there are neurocognitive risks from exposure to repeated low-level blasts. However, the dose accumulation effects from multiple low-level blast exposures and their relation to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are not well understood. This paper presents a controlled neurobehavioral study of behavioral effects from repeated low-level blasts delivered at ten second intervals using a rat model.

A custom designed shock tube was developed to deliver repeated low-level blasts to rats at short intervals on the order of seconds. A total of 192 rats were divided into three cohorts of 64 for testing. Each cohort was exposed to a different blast intensity (7.5, 15, or 25 psi reflective pressure with durations <0.25 ms), and each cohort was further divided into four levels of blast repetition (0, 5, 10, or 15 repeats). Shock tube blasts were directed at the rat’s head, and startle with prepulse inhibition (PPI) and fear learning and extinction behavioral tests were performed to evaluate the blast effects.

Behavioral testing results showed that repeated low-level blasts can affect PPI and contextual fear recall. PPI was not affected by repeated exposures to 7.5 psi blasts, but repeated 15 and 25 psi blasts disrupted PPI. All cohorts showed significant fear learning, but the highest blast group (25 psi, 15 repeats) had disruptions in spatial memory recall. None of the cohorts showed effects on cued fear recall or fear extinction and retention. The data collected are being used in continuous research to understand how the behavioral changes relate to mTBI, and how these animal tests can be scaled and modeled to interpret possible outcomes for humans.
Mechanical Properties of Silane Treated Glass Nanofiber-Epoxy Resin Interphase Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Authors: Suryawanshi Vinod B. , Ghazizadeh Mahdi , Kelkar Ajit D.
Published: March 2016

Fiber/matrix interphase in composite materials plays an important role on its structural performance. However, structure and properties of this region are not completely known, due to lack of understanding of the processes occurring at atomic/molecular level during formation of interphase and comprehensive experimental methods for characterization of interphase. In addition, most of the currently used experimental techniques are available for micron size fibers and are not sufficient to characterize the nanofiber/matrix interphase. Recently, molecular dynamics simulations have shown promising results in obtaining the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced polymer composites. The objective of this study is to determine the mechanical properties of silane treated glass nanofibers and epoxy resin interphase using molecular dynamics simulations. To simulate the interphase (blend of sizing/coupling agent and matrix), atomistic models of blend of silane coupling agent (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) and cross linked epoxy 862 resin system are developed. Mechanical properties of the interphase are predicted for different weight fractions of silane using molecular dynamics simulation.
Nucleate Boiling of Dielectric Liquids on Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Surfaces
Authors: Bostanci Huseyin , Joshua Nihal E.
Published: March 2016

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of hydrophobic, hydrophilic and mixed hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces in nucleate boiling heat transfer. A dielectric liquid, HFE-7100, was used as the working fluid in the saturated boiling tests. A total of 12 test samples were used in this study, featuring four types of boiling surfaces with a common copper substrate; (1) plain, smooth copper surface (as reference), (2) hydrophobic patterned or fully-covered surface, (3) hydrophilic patterned or fully-covered surface, and (4) mixed hydrophobic/ hydrophilic patterned surface. All test samples were prepared on 10 mm × 10 mm × 2 mm copper substrates with matching size thick film resistors attached onto the opposite side, to generate heat and simulate high heat flux electronic devices. The fabrication of hydrophobic surfaces involved common photolithography techniques to apply 100 μm thick Teflon layer. Hydrophilic surfaces were prepared by depositing a TiO2 layer through a two-step process involving layer by layer self-assembly (L-B-L) and liquid phase deposition (L-P-D) techniques. Test samples with the mixed hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces were obtained by first applying Teflon hydrophobic patterns, and then by covering the remaining substrate area with hydrophilic coating. The effect of pattern and pitch size was investigated by varying the circular pattern dimensions between 40, 100 and 250 μm and corresponding pitch dimensions between 80, 200 and 500 μm. The results indicated that hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces have distinct benefits, and mixed hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces offer an optimum performance enhancement, providing: (a) early transition to boiling regime with no temperature overshoot at boiling incipience, (b) up to 10.6 kW/m2°C HTC (representing 82% increase), and (c) up to 28 W/cm2 CHF level (representing 47% increase). The studied enhanced surfaces therefore demonstrated a practical surface modification method for heat transfer enhancement in immersion cooling applications.
Swelling-Etching Characterization of PDMS-Copper Particle for the Development of the Nano/Micro-Particle Polymer Composite MEMS Corrosion Sensor
Authors: Maiga Abdoul Kader , Huang Adam
Published: March 2016

The concept of using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for in-situ corrosion sensing and for long-term applications has been proposed and is currently under development by our research lab. This is a new type of sensing using MEMS technology and, to the knowledge of our team, has not been explored previously. The MEMS corrosion sensor is based on the oxidation of metal nano/micro-particle embedded in elastomeric polymer to form a composite sensing element. The polymer controls the diffusion into and out of the sensor while the corrosion of the metal particles inhibits electrical conduction which is used as the detection signal. The work presented here is based on the experimental wet-chemistry method developed for the removal of native and process-induced metal oxides. A major aspect is the study of the swelling dynamics of the polymer matrix (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) and its influence on the material transport of etchants into and reaction products out of the composite during oxide removal. The understanding of this process is important to the ultimate development of the MEMS corrosion sensor, where the swelling must be controlled sufficiently to prevent stress-induced delamination of the sensing element from the substrate. For the first time, the simultaneous swelling (toluene) and oxide removal (acetic acid) characterization of the copper particles embedded in PDMS will be published. The experimental setup consists of small disk samples of the composite (6.35mm diameter × 1mm thick) dropped into a 50mL beaker filled with the swelling agent (the amount of which is part of the parametric study). This is then followed by the addition of the etching agent after reaching the swelling time constants characterized in prior work. The full process is captured through a HD webcam set inverted underneath the beaker. The swelling and contraction process is analyzed in real-time, while post processing of the recorded video is available to verify unexpected responses. Data gather so far indicate interesting swelling recovery phenomenon that is mostly consistent with the two part kinetics of swelling and etching. However, some data also seem to suggest a third mechanism that may be explained by material stiffness changes as etching and swelling proceed simultaneously. A full set of data currently being gathered will provide more clues and aid in the development of a consistent theoretical explanation. The final goal of this series of experiment is to provide mathematical models of the observed phenomenon so they can be used to aid the development of the fabrication processes of the MEMS corrosion sensor.
Processing Effects on Formation of Microvoids and Hydraulic Fluid Absorption of Quartz/BMI Laminates
Authors: Hurdelbrink Keith R. , Anderson Jacob P. , Siddique Zahed , Altan M. Cengiz
Published: March 2016

Bismaleimide (BMI) resin with Quartz (AQ581) fiber reinforcement is desirable for systems requiring a high glass transition temperature, low dielectric properties, and high laminate mechanical properties. These properties make quartz/BMI an ideal composite material for complex aerospace structures, and are currently being used in various aircraft engine cowlings and radomes. In addition to moisture absorption, quartz/BMI composite laminates are often exposed to different types of hydraulic fluid contaminants, which may lead to anomalous absorption behavior over the service life of the composite structure. Variations in laminate processing conditions, such as prepreg preconditioning and fabrication cure pressure, can have a significant effect on microstructural features of fiber-reinforced composites. Microstructural features, such as fiber volume fraction and void content, can influence mechanical properties and long term absorption of moisture or other liquid contaminants.

In this paper, the process-induced microstructure and hydraulic fluid absorption behavior of quartz/BMI laminates are presented. The laminates are fabricated from preconditioned prepregs and cured at different pressures to generate different levels of microvoids, while keeping the fiber volume fraction constant. Location, size and morphology of microvoids are investigated via SEM images obtained from laminates cured at different processing conditions. Composite samples were prepared and fully-immersed in hydraulic fluid at room temperature, and were not subjected to any prior degradation. The laminate samples immersed in hydraulic fluid exhibited clear non-Fickian absorption behavior, which was successfully predicted by the one-dimensional Hindered Diffusion Model (HDM). The degree of non-Fickian absorption behavior, or hindrance coefficient (μ), ranged from 0.30 to 0.72. Model prediction indicates that as the fabrication pressure increased, the maximum fluid content (M∞) decreased considerably. Additionally, a reduction in maximum fluid content was observed when lower relative humidity environments were used for prepreg preconditioning. A discernable difference was not observed in the absorption dynamics when the prepregs were preconditioned at greater than 70% relative humidity.
Crystallinity Degradation Caused by Alloying Elements Diffusion During Creep of Ni-Base Superalloy
Authors: Suzuki Ken , Murakoshi Takuya , Miura Hideo
Published: March 2016

High temperature mechanical properties of Ni-base superalloys are improved by the fine cuboidal γ’ (Ni3Al) precipitates orderly-dispersed in the γ matrix (Ni-rich matrix) because the dispersed texture in a grain inhibits dislocation motion. However, it is well known that directional coarsening of the γ’ precipitates perpendicular to a principal stress occurs not only during creep loading but also during cyclic loading and, the formation of the raft causes the decreasing of high temperature strength drastically. Therefore, it is very important to evaluate the damage of the alloys caused by creep and fatigue loading based on the change of their micro texture. In this study, the change of crystallinity of the Ni-base superalloys (CM247LC) under creep loading was analyzed by applying Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) method. The image quality (IQ) value obtained from the EBSD analysis was used for the quantitative evaluation of the crystallinity in the area where an electron beam of 10 nm in diameter was irradiated. The quality of the atomic alignment of both γ’ and γ phases was found to degrade with increasing creep damage. The degradation of crystallinity suggests that the ordered L12 structure of Ni3Al became disordered and the density of dislocations and vacancies increased. However, KAM (Kernel Average Misorientation) value did not change significantly with increasing creep damage. Therefore, the dominant factor of the creep damage of this alloy is the strain-induced diffusion of elements under loading, and the decrease of the crystallinity.
Multiphysics Model for Chlorine-Ion Related Corrosion in Cu-Al Wirebond Microelectronic Packages
Authors: Lall Pradeep , Luo Yihua , Nguyen Luu
Published: March 2016

The increasing price of gold has resulted in industry interest in use of copper as alternative wire bonds interconnect material. Copper wire has the advantages of the lower cost, lower thermal resistivity, lower electrical resistivity, higher mechanical strength and higher deformation stability over the gold wire. In spite of the upside above, the Cu-Al wire bond is susceptible to the electrolytic corrosion and the reliability of Cu-Al wire bond is of great concern. Typical electronic molding compounds are hydrophilic and absorb moisture when exposed to humid environmental conditions. EMC contain ionic contaminants including chloride ions as a result of the chemical synthesis of the subcomponents of the resin, etching of metallization and the decomposition of the die-attach glue. The presence of moisture in the operating environment of semiconductor package makes the ion more mobile in the EMC. The migration of chloride ions to the Cu-Al interface may induce electrolytic corrosion inside the package causing degradation of the bond interface resulting in eventual failure. The rate at which the corrosion happens in the microelectronic packages is dependent upon the rate at which the ions transport through the EMC in addition to the reaction rate at the interface. In this effort, a multiphysics model for galvanic corrosion in the presence of chloride has been presented. The contaminant diffusion along with the corrosion kinetics has been modeled. In addition, contaminated samples with known concentration of KCl contaminant have been subjected to the temperature humidity conditions of 130°C/100RH. The resistance of the Cu-Al interconnects in the PARR test have been monitored periodically using resistance spectroscopy. The diffusion coefficients of chloride ion has been measured in the electronic molding compound at various temperatures using two methods including diffusion cell and inductively coupled plasma (ICPMS). Moisture ingress into the EMC has been quantified through measurements of the weight gain in the EMC as a function of time. Tafel parameters including the open circuit potential and the slope of the polarization curve has been measured for both copper, aluminum under different concentrations of the ionic species and pH values in the EMC. The measurements have been incorporated into the COMSOL model to predict the corrosion current at the Cu-Al bond pad. The model predictions have been correlated with experimental data.
Boundary Element Analysis of Thermoelastic Effects in Size-Dependent Mechanics
Authors: Hajesfandiari A. , Hadjesfandiari A. R. , Dargush G. F.
Published: March 2016

A new boundary element formulation is developed to analyze two-dimensional size-dependent thermoelastic response in linear isotropic couple stress materials. The model is based on the recently developed consistent couple stress theory, in which the couple-stress tensor is skew-symmetric. The size-dependency effect is specified by one characteristic parameter length scale l, while the thermal effect is quantified by the classical thermal expansion coefficient α and conductivity k. We discuss the boundary integral formulation and numerical implementation of this size-dependent thermoelasticity boundary element method (BEM). Then, we apply the resulting BEM formulation to a computational example to validate the numerical implementation and to explore thermoelastic couplings as the non-dimensional characteristic scale of the problem is varied. Interestingly, for a cantilever beam with a transverse temperature gradient, we find significantly reduced non-dimensional tip deflections as the beam depth h approaches the material characteristic length scale l. On the other hand, when l/h < 0.01, the classical size-independent deflections are recovered.
Acetabular fractures in skeletally immature rugby players
Authors: Morrissey David I , Good Daniel , Leonard Michael
Published: March 2016

Since the introduction of professionalism to the sport of rugby union, an increasing rate of injury has been noted in the playing population. In addition, overall participation numbers have increased globally, with more amateurs and young people involved in the sport. Acetabular fractures are generally seen after violent trauma and can be associated with poor long-term outcomes. We have previously described two acetabular fractures in young patients (16 and 24 years of age) sustained during rugby matches. We present a case series of four closed, isolated acetabular fractures in three skeletally immature male patients (13–16 years of age), two of which required open reduction and internal fixation. Three of these fractures occurred in conjunction with hip dislocations. All injuries were sustained while engaged in playing rugby union, two during seasonal match play and one during a training drill.
Total float management: computerized technique for construction delay analysis
Authors: Al-Gahtani Khalid S. , Al-Sulaihi Ibrahim A. , Iqupal Asif
Published: March 2016

Developing a holistic and accurate delay analysis software is still challenging the current delay analysis practices. Most of the existing delay analysis techniques are not programmed and still depend on manual calculations. The currently available computerized delay analysis techniques are still limited, suffer from many drawbacks, and do not consider many of the delay analysis situations. This paper introduces web-based software called total float management (TFM) software for analyzing delay claim utilizing TFM delay analysis technique. The TFM technique depends on day-by-day analysis, which gives more accurate analysis over other techniques. The software has the ability to import schedule data from Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project (MS project) software in various formats. This feature makes analysis easier and reduces the time required for data input. Many other features are included in the TFM software, such as the ability to address concurrent delays, change orders, and acceleration events.
Localization operators of the wavelet transform associated to the Riemann–Liouville operator
Authors: Baccar C. , Hamadi N. B.
Published: March 2016

We study the continuous wavelet transform [Formula: see text] associated with the Riemann–Liouville operator. Next, we investigate the localization operators for [Formula: see text]; in particular we prove that they are in the Schatten-von Neumann class.
The topological molecule: Its finite fluxes, exchange stability and minimal surfaces
Authors: Thomas Gerald F.
Published: March 2016

Molecules have at least one nontrivial topological property in common: their minimal surfaces of finite flux. This is why they are stable aggregates of atoms mutually engaged to varying degrees via Coulombic and exchange interactions in fealty to quantum mechanics on otherwise passive nuclear scaffolds. Isolated atoms do not have minimal surfaces but they do undergo exchange interactions. All surfaces implicitly defined by a molecule’s charge density are shown to have zero mean curvature and are consequently minimal surfaces. This finding extends to any potential of a molecule. The minimal surface is of importance in that it is indicative of a vanishing mean curvature whose measurement serves as a way of gauging the charge density or electrostatic potential’s local reliability, a quality assurance protocol absent in conventional crystallography but available to scanning force microscopy. The smaller the mean curvature of an atom, the more bonded is that atom in a molecule. The basis for this discovery is that implicit surfaces admit finite flux to cross them regardless of atomic affiliation, thus engendering exchange, correlation, and chemical bonding between the atoms in the underlying nuclear framework of a molecule. Finite flux in the charge density is a necessary condition for chemical bonding and the stability of molecules and is what makes the electron localization function (ELF) and the exchange-correlation functional (BLYP) useful.
A Dimensional Diversity Based Hybrid Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm for Optimization Problem
Authors: Wang Peng , Zhang Changsheng , Zhang Bin , Liu Tingting , Wu Jiaxuan
Published: March 2016

Multiobjective density driven evolutionary algorithm (MODdEA) has been quite successful in solving multiobjective optimization problems (MOPs). To further improve its performance and address its deficiencies, this paper proposes a hybrid evolutionary algorithm based on dimensional diversity (DD) and firework explosion (FE). DD is defined to reflect the diversity degree of population dimension. Based on DD, a selection scheme is designed to balance diversity and convergence. A hybrid variation based on FE and genetic operator is designed to facilitate diversity of population. The proposed algorithm is tested on 14 tests problems with diverse characteristics and compared with three state-of-the-art designs. Experimental results show that the proposed design is better or at par with the chosen state-of-the-art algorithms for multiobjective optimization.
Switch-Controllable Full-Phase Operation Precision Half-Wave Rectifier Using a Single OTRA
Authors: Chien Hung-Chun
Published: March 2016

This paper proposes designing a precision rectification circuit by using a single operational transresistance amplifier (OTRA). The proposed circuit is a switch-controllable OTRA-based full-phase operation precision half-wave rectifier, which can rectify an input signal to yield four-phase half-wave rectified output signals. Compared with existing designs, the advantage of the proposed circuit is that all of the possible rectified outputs of a half-wave rectifier can be obtained in one configuration. This paper first reviews previously reported half-wave precision rectifiers consisting of various active devices and the proposed OTRA-based precision half-wave rectifier; subsequently, an analysis of non-ideal effects and design considerations are presented. Computer simulations of the proposed circuit were conducted for verifying the feasibility of the circuit by using the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.35-[Formula: see text]m CMOS process technology. For practical circuit measurements, a prototype circuit was implemented, and commercially integrated circuits (AD844ANs) and discrete passive components were used to conduct experimental tests. The simulation and experimental results exhibited satisfactory agreement with those of theoretical analyses.
Radiative reactions in halo effective field theory
Authors: Rupak Gautam
Published: March 2016

In this article we review the recent progress in radiative reaction calculations in halo effective field theory. We look at radiative capture and breakup processes that involve a halo nucleus with a single valence neutron or proton. Looking at [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text],[Formula: see text]n[Formula: see text] and related reactions, the dominant source of theoretical uncertainty in [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-wave halo nuclei reaction calculations is quantified in a model-independent framework. The analysis for neutron halos is extended to proton halo systems. The effective field theory results quantify which observable parameters of the strong interaction at low energy need to be determined more precisely for accurate cross-section calculations.
Modes of decay in neutron-rich nuclei
Authors: Kumar B. , Biswal S. K. , Singh S. K. , Lahiri C. , Patra S. K.
Published: March 2016

We calculate the ground, first intrinsic excited states and density distribution for neutron-rich thorium and uranium isotopes, within the framework of relativistic mean field (RMF) approach using axially deformed basis. The total nucleon densities are calculated, from which the cluster-structures inside the parent nuclei are determined. The possible modes of decay, like [Formula: see text]-decay and [Formula: see text]-decay are analyzed. We find the neutron-rich isotopes are stable against [Formula: see text]-decay, however they are very much unstable against [Formula: see text]-decay. The life time of these nuclei predicted to be tens of second against [Formula: see text]-decay.
ABRASIVE EROSION STUDY ON S45C CARBON STEEL USING SAND BLASTING TECHNIQUE
Authors: NAZ MUHAMMAD YASIN , ISMAIL NOOR ILYANA , SULAIMAN SHAHARIN ANWAR , SHUKRULLAH SHAZIA
Published: March 2016

Hydrocarbon fluids recovered from the reservoir are inevitably polluted with sand particles. Sanding is a source of several flow assurance problems in oil and gas industry. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of sand size and impact angle on the mild steel erosion by using a laboratory built sand blasting technique. S45C mild steel coupons were eroded with 45 [Formula: see text]m and 150[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m sand particles for fixed exposure time of 1 h. Although in-depth analysis revealed an increase in surface erosion with the particle size, the fine sand also notably damaged the metal surface. Topographic scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and universal scanning electron microscopy (USPM) micrographs of the steel coupons showed significantly large difference between the peak and bottom of the eroded samples as compared to the blank coupon. The erosion rates calculated for 45 and 150 [Formula: see text]m sand particles were found in the range of 6.47[Formula: see text]mm/year to 6.84 mm/year and 8.31 mm/year to 8.79 mm/year, respectively. Additionally, a good agreement was seen among the erosion rates calculated using USPM and weight loss methods. The erosion rates calculated for coarse sand at 45[Formula: see text] and 90[Formula: see text] were found in the range of 4.58 mm/year to 4.72 mm/year and 8.31 mm/year to 8.79 mm/year, respectively. A large difference between the angle dependent erosion rates revealed a strong influence of the impact angle on erosion of the flow-lines.
STUDY OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL NANOCOATED COLD PLASMA TREATED POLYESTER COTTON BLENDED CURTAINS
Authors: MEMON HAFEEZULLAH , KUMARI NAVEETA
Published: March 2016

Over the past decade, considerable progress has been made in the applications of TiO2nanoparticles to get the multifunctional textiles. This paper presents the consequences of pretreatment of polyester fabric using cold plasma in the presence of oxygen — which might be beneficial for bonding nanoparticles over the polyester cotton blended curtains. Moreover, this paper presents the primary technique for suspending titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles into nanosilica sol for nanocoating of polyester cotton blended curtains. In addition, the detailed characterization of nanocoating has been made using Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD); and the consequences of nanocoating with and without plasma treatment for enhancing the different properties i.e. antistatic, anti UV and antibacterial property are discussed. Furthermore, the consequences of nanocoating with and without plasma treatment on the mechanical properties have also been discussed.
Automorphism groups of modular graded Lie superalgebras of Cartan-type
Authors: Liu Wende , Yuan Jixia
Published: March 2016

Suppose the underlying field is of characteristic [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we prove that the automorphisms of the finite-dimensional graded (non-restircited) Lie superalgebras of Cartan-type [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] can uniquely extend to the ones of the infinite-dimensional Lie superalgebra of Cartan-type [Formula: see text]. Then a concrete group embedding from [Formula: see text] into [Formula: see text] is established, where [Formula: see text] is any finite-dimensional Lie superalgebra of Cartan-type [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is the underlying (associative) superalgebra of [Formula: see text]. The normal series of the automorphism groups of [Formula: see text] are also considered.
Virial coefficients of nitrogen from a quadrupolar site–site potential function
Authors: Monago Kenneth Osondu , Otobrise Charles
Published: March 2016

This work describes a procedure for the numerical calculation of third virial coefficients of simple linear molecules. The method is applied to nitrogen using a site–site model pair-potential and the triple dipole term. Values of volumetric and acoustic second and third virial coefficients of nitrogen are reported over a wide range of temperature and compared with experimental data of several authors. The effect of including the quadrupole–quadrupole energy to the pair potential is investigated and the results suggest that the contributions of the quadrupole moment to second and third virial coefficients are non-negligible at low temperatures.
Sequential construction of a model for modular gene expression control, applied to spatial patterning of theDrosophilagenehunchback
Authors: Spirov Alexander V. , Myasnikova Ekaterina M. , Holloway David M.
Published: March 2016

Gene network simulations are increasingly used to quantify mutual gene regulation in biological tissues. These are generally based on linear interactions between single-entity regulatory and target genes. Biological genes, by contrast, commonly have multiple, partially independent, cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) for regulator binding, and can produce variant transcription and translation products. We present a modeling framework to address some of the gene regulatory dynamics implied by this biological complexity. Spatial patterning of the hunchback (hb) gene in Drosophila development involves control by three CRMs producing two distinct mRNA transcripts. We use this example to develop a differential equations model for transcription which takes into account the cis-regulatory architecture of the gene. Potential regulatory interactions are screened by a genetic algorithms (GAs) approach and compared to biological expression data.
Direct Electrodeposition to Fabricate a Graphene Nanosheet-Modified Electrode for Imidacloprid Determination
Authors: Yan Liang , Li Zhicheng , Zhang Shaojun
Published: March 2016

In this study, a film of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) deposited onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was prepared through the pulse potential method (PPM). The as-prepared film was characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The ERGO film was applied for the first time to develop a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for imidacloprid determination. Results revealed that the ERGO film can effectively increase response towards imidacloprid reduction by significantly enhancing the reduction peak currents and decreasing the over potential of imidacloprid. Under optimum conditions, the modified electrode showed a linear voltammetric response to imidacloprid at concentrations ranging from [Formula: see text] mol L[Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mol L[Formula: see text], with a detection limit of [Formula: see text] mol L[Formula: see text]. The developed electrode is potentially a good candidate for imidacloprid determination. The proposed method provides a good recovery rate of imidacloprid in spiked practical samples, such as lake water and tap water.
On some metabelian 2-groups and applications III
Authors: Zekhnini Abdelkader , Azizi Abdelmalek , Taous Mohammed
Published: March 2016

The capitulation problem is one of the most important topic in number theory, and as it is closely related to the group theory, we present, in this paper, some group theoretical results to solve this problem, in a particular case, whenever [Formula: see text] for some metabelian [Formula: see text]-group [Formula: see text]. Then we illustrate our results by some examples.
An Overview of Islamic Finance
Authors: Hussain Mumtaz , Shahmoradi Asghar , Turk Rima
Published: March 2016

Islamic finance has started to grow in international finance across the globe, with some concentration in few countries. Nearly 20% annual growth of Islamic finance in recent years seems to point to its resilience and broad appeal, partly owing to principles that govern Islamic financial activities, including equity, participation, and ownership. In theory, Islamic finance is resilient to shocks because of its emphasis on risk sharing, limits on excessive risk taking, and strong link to real activities. Empirical evidence on the stability of Islamic banks (IBs), however, is so far mixed. While these banks face similar risks as conventional banks (CBs) do, they are also exposed to idiosyncratic risks, necessitating a tailoring of current risk management practices. The macroeconomic policy implications of the rapid expansion of Islamic finance are far reaching and need careful considerations.
Market Access of OECD Donor Countries and Their Supply of Aid for Trade
Authors: Gnangnon Sèna Kimm
Published: March 2016

This paper assesses the impact of the tariffs faced by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) donors’ exports on their supply of Aid for Trade (AfT). The analysis is conducted on the basis of both a donor/year framework and a bilateral donor–recipient framework over the period 2002–2009. Results suggest that donors as a whole could reduce AfT budget supply when they face higher tariffs on their exports. However, low-income and lower-middle-income countries appear to be protected by donors from AfT decline, even if they impose higher tariffs on donors’ exports. Further multilateral tariff liberalization would certainly be conducive to higher AfT.
How Inclusive is Abenomics?
Authors: Aoyagi Chie , Ganelli Giovanni , Murayama Kentaro
Published: March 2016

We assess the ongoing reform efforts in Japan in terms of inclusive growth. We use prefectural level panel data to regress a measure of inclusive growth, and its components of both average income growth and income inequality, on macroeconomic and policy variables. Our analysis suggests that achieving the Bank of Japan’s 2% inflation target has a positive effect on average income growth, but an adverse effect on income equality. In contrast, achieving higher female labor participation, lower duality, and larger labor input — which are included in the package of structural reforms planned under Abenomics — is found to be effective in fostering inclusive growth. While implementation of those policies can improve higher average income growth, only the female labor participation is found to improve the equality as well. The main policy implication of our analysis is that full implementation of structural reforms — especially labor market reforms — is necessary to both foster growth and increase equality.
A Primer for Telemetry Interfacing in Accordance with NASA Standards Using Low Cost FPGAs
Authors: McCoy Jake , Schultz Ted , Tutt James , Rogers Thomas , Miles Drew , McEntaffer Randall
Published: March 2016

Photon counting detector systems on sounding rocket payloads often require interfacing asynchronous outputs with a synchronously clocked telemetry (TM) stream. Though this can be handled with an on-board computer, there are several low cost alternatives including custom hardware, microcontrollers and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). This paper outlines how a TM interface (TMIF) for detectors on a sounding rocket with asynchronous parallel digital output can be implemented using low cost FPGAs and minimal custom hardware. Low power consumption and high speed FPGAs are available as commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products and can be used to develop the main component of the TMIF. Then, only a small amount of additional hardware is required for signal buffering and level translating. This paper also discusses how this system can be tested with a simulated TM chain in the small laboratory setting using FPGAs and COTS specialized data acquisition products.