bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metal Extraction Processes for Electronic Waste and Existing Industrial Routes: A Review and Australian Perspective
Authors: Khaliq Abdul , Rhamdhani Muhammad , Brooks Geoffrey , Masood Syed
Published: February 2014

The useful life of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has been shortened as a consequence of the advancement in technology and change in consumer patterns. This has resulted in the generation of large quantities of electronic waste (e-waste) that needs to be managed. The handling of e-waste including combustion in incinerators, disposing in landfill or exporting overseas is no longer permitted due to environmental pollution and global legislations. Additionally, the presence of precious metals (PMs) makes e-waste recycling attractive economically. In this paper, current metallurgical processes for the extraction of metals from e-waste, including existing industrial routes, are reviewed. In the first part of this paper, the definition, composition and classifications of e-wastes are described. In the second part, separation of metals from e-waste using mechanical processing, hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical routes are critically analyzed. Pyrometallurgical routes are comparatively economical and eco-efficient if the hazardous emissions are controlled. Currently, pyrometallurgical routes are used initially for the segregation and upgrading of PMs (gold and silver) into base metals (BMs) (copper, lead and nickel) and followed by hydrometallurgical and electrometallurgical processing for the recovery of pure base and PMs. For the recycling of e-waste in Australia, challenges such as collection, transportation, liberation of metal fractions, and installation of integrated smelting and refining facilities are identified.
Modelling of Impulsional pH Variations Using ChemFET-Based Microdevices: Application to Hydrogen Peroxide Detection
Authors: Diallo Abdou , Djeghlaf Lyes , Launay Jerome , Temple-Boyer Pierre
Published: February 2014

This work presents the modelling of impulsional pH variations in microvolume related to water-based electrolysis and hydrogen peroxide electrochemical oxidation using an Electrochemical Field Effect Transistor (ElecFET) microdevice. This ElecFET device consists of a pH-Chemical FET (pH-ChemFET) with an integrated microelectrode around the dielectric gate area in order to trigger electrochemical reactions. Combining oxidation/reduction reactions on the microelectrode, water self-ionization and diffusion properties of associated chemical species, the model shows that the sensor response depends on the main influential parameters such as: (i) polarization parameters on the microelectrode, i.e., voltage (Vp) and time (tp); (ii) distance between the gate sensitive area and the microelectrode (d); and (iii) hydrogen peroxide concentration ([H2O2]). The model developed can predict the ElecFET response behaviour and creates new opportunities for H2O2-based enzymatic detection of biomolecules.
Low False-Positives in an mLumin-Based Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation System with a Bicistronic Expression Vector
Authors: Liu Shun , Li Xiangyong , Yang Jie , Zhang Zhihong
Published: February 2014

The simplicity and sensitivity of the bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay make it a powerful tool to investigate protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in living cells. However, non-specific association of the fluorescent protein fragments in a BiFC system can complicate evaluation of PPIs. Here, we introduced a bicistronic expression vector, pBudCE4.1, into an mLumin-based BiFC system, denoted as the BEVL-BiFC system. The BEVL-BiFC system achieved a 25-fold contrast in BiFC efficiency between positive (Fos/Jun) and negative (ΔFos/Jun) PPIs. The high BiFC efficiency was due to a low false-positive rate, where less than 2% of cells displayed BiFC in the negative control. K-Ras and its interactive proteins, Ras binding domain (RBD) of Raf-1 and Grb2 were used to confirm the accuracy of the BEVL-BiFC system. The results also provide direct evidence in individual cells that post-translational modification of K-Ras and its localization at the plasma membrane (PM) were not essential for the interaction of K-Ras and Raf-1, whereas the interaction of Grb2 and K-Ras did depend on the PM localization of K-Ras. Taken together, the BEVL-BiFC system was developed to reduce the false-positive phenomenon in BiFC assays, resulting in more robust and accurate measurement of PPIs in living cells.
Vertical Dynamic Deflection Measurement in Concrete Beams with the Microsoft Kinect
Authors: Qi Xiaojuan , Lichti Derek , El-Badry Mamdouh , Chow Jacky , Ang Kathleen
Published: February 2014

The Microsoft Kinect is arguably the most popular RGB-D camera currently on the market, partially due to its low cost. It offers many advantages for the measurement of dynamic phenomena since it can directly measure three-dimensional coordinates of objects at video frame rate using a single sensor. This paper presents the results of an investigation into the development of a Microsoft Kinect-based system for measuring the deflection of reinforced concrete beams subjected to cyclic loads. New segmentation methods for object extraction from the Kinect’s depth imagery and vertical displacement reconstruction algorithms have been developed and implemented to reconstruct the time-dependent displacement of concrete beams tested in laboratory conditions. The results demonstrate that the amplitude and frequency of the vertical displacements can be reconstructed with submillimetre and milliHz-level precision and accuracy, respectively.
Corrosion in Reinforced Concrete Panels: Wireless Monitoring and Wavelet-Based Analysis
Authors: Qiao Guofu , Sun Guodong , Hong Yi , Liu Tiejun , Guan Xinchun
Published: February 2014

To realize the efficient data capture and accurate analysis of pitting corrosion of the reinforced concrete (RC) structures, we first design and implement a wireless sensor and network (WSN) to monitor the pitting corrosion of RC panels, and then, we propose a wavelet-based algorithm to analyze the corrosion state with the corrosion data collected by the wireless platform. We design a novel pitting corrosion-detecting mote and a communication protocol such that the monitoring platform can sample the electrochemical emission signals of corrosion process with a configured period, and send these signals to a central computer for the analysis. The proposed algorithm, based on the wavelet domain analysis, returns the energy distribution of the electrochemical emission data, from which close observation and understanding can be further achieved. We also conducted test-bed experiments based on RC panels. The results verify the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed WSN system and algorithms.
Inductive Sensor Performance in Partial Discharges and Noise Separation by Means of Spectral Power Ratios
Authors: Ardila-Rey Jorge , Rojas-Moreno Mónica , Martínez-Tarifa Juan , Robles Guillermo
Published: February 2014

Partial discharge (PD) detection is a standardized technique to qualify electrical insulation in machines and power cables. Several techniques that analyze the waveform of the pulses have been proposed to discriminate noise from PD activity. Among them, spectral power ratio representation shows great flexibility in the separation of the sources of PD. Mapping spectral power ratios in two-dimensional plots leads to clusters of points which group pulses with similar characteristics. The position in the map depends on the nature of the partial discharge, the setup and the frequency response of the sensors. If these clusters are clearly separated, the subsequent task of identifying the source of the discharge is straightforward so the distance between clusters can be a figure of merit to suggest the best option for PD recognition. In this paper, two inductive sensors with different frequency responses to pulsed signals, a high frequency current transformer and an inductive loop sensor, are analyzed to test their performance in detecting and separating the sources of partial discharges.
Peer Influence and Attraction to Interracial Romantic Relationships
Authors: Lehmiller Justin , Graziano William , VanderDrift Laura
Published: February 2014

The present research examined the effect of social influence on White, heterosexual individuals’ attraction to targets of varying races (White vs. Black) in two college student samples from the United States (one that leaned politically liberal and one that leaned politically conservative). Using a within-subjects experimental design, participants were given artificial peer evaluation data (positive, negative, or none) before providing ratings of attractiveness and dating interest for a series of targets. In both samples, positive information was associated with greater levels of attraction and dating interest than negative information, regardless of target race. Within the conservative sample, participants reported greater attraction toward and more dating interest in White targets relative to Black targets, while in the liberal sample, participants’ ratings of targets did not significantly differ from one another. These findings suggest that social influence can affect perceptions of attractiveness even in very different political climates.
Keep taking the tablets? Assessing the use of tablet devices in learning and teaching activities in the Further Education sector
Authors: Fabian Khristin , MacLean Donald
Published: February 2014

This article summarises the methodology and outcomes of an interventionist/action research project to assess the benefits, and potential pitfalls, of the use of mobile devices in learning and teaching activities in a Further Education environment. A bank of 15 tablet devices were purchased and prepared for classroom use. Staff members were approached to scope potential activities and uses for the tablet devices. Three departments took part in the research activity: the Language School, Social and Vocational Studies and the Hairdressing department. Use of the tablets was varied in nature and included: use of multimedia tools, use of apps, creation and use of a bespoke app, multimedia manipulation and sharing, and creation of an online e-portfolio. Staff and student feedback was gathered during and after the project, and project authors were present during classroom activities for observation and recording purposes. Overall feedback was very positive, but there were issues with tablet use and administration. One of the major issues was the onerous nature of the security setup, and app administration.Keywords: mobile technology; tablets; student attitudes; staff attitudes; mobile classroom(Published: 19 February 2014)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2014, 22: 22648 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v22.22648
Design and Implementation of E-commerce Teaching Simulation Operating Platform
Authors: Zhu Yongyong
Published: February 2014

With the development of information technology, the traditional commercial trade activities are gradually substituted by the e-commerce, in order to better show the transaction process of among the manufacturers, shopping malls, logistics enterprises, foreign trade companies, banks and consumers to adapt to the development of e-commerce professional practice teaching, We designed the e-commerce teaching simulation operating platform, which is constituted by the e-commerce teaching simulation software, e-commerce simulation experiment management systems and e-commerce sand table. The platform can simulate the processes of e-commerce transactions, such as the electronic currency exchange, electronic trading market, electronic data interchange, supply chain management and enterprise financial management etc, through the combination of theory and practical operation to enable students to master the e-commerce practical skills from the emotional perspective and rational perspective to enhance students' understanding of e-commerce.
Accounting for the Growth of Real GDP in Cuba, 1990-2010
Authors: Hernández-Catá Ernesto
Published: February 2014

This chapter examines the evolution of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Cuba over the past two decades using a neo-classical, supply-side approach. On the basis of a Cobb-Douglas production function, it seeks to account for the contributions of capital and labor to output. It then considers the effects of the terms of trade and of the inefficiencies introduced by price controls. It discusses the difficulty in explaining the depth of the economic contraction experienced in the early 1990s and suggests that two factors played a temporary but important role: the interruption in the supply of equipment and parts from the Soviet Union and the impact of the huge monetary overhang that resulted from the interaction of large-scale monetary financing of fiscal deficits and price controls. The chapter then attempts to adjust for the overstatement by official statistics of real GDP in the first decade of the 21st century by focusing on the public health and social assistance sectors of the economy. The last section examines two sources of overstatement of effective employment in the data and their implications for labor market policy and output growth.
The Evolution of Business Ethics to Business Law
Authors: Tran Ben
Published: February 2014

Ethics in business ethics and law in business law are not as ambiguous, rhetorical, and esoteric as practitioners portray. Excuses as such have subconsciously become a habitus platinum safeguard against all wrongdoing. The usage of the habitus platinum safeguard is to defuse the unethical and malpractice of practitioners due to the ambiguous, rhetorical, and esoteric factors of and related to ethics in business ethics and law in business law. The ethical decision-making process, from ethics to law, involves five basic steps: moral awareness, moral judgment, ethical behavior, ethical behavior theorizing, and (business) law.
Intelligent Business Decision-Making in Global Organizations via Fuzzy Reasoning Systems
Authors: Şen Zekâi
Published: February 2014

Companies, organizations, governmental departments, and universities need to adopt globalization patterns for their generative survival in dynamic productive outputs. Such outputs are possible only after effective, rational, logical, and systematic treatment of all available input knowledge and information. These inputs mostly have imprecision, uncertainty, vagueness, incompleteness, and missing parts, which together provide a fuzzy arena where an expert is confronted with decision making under a set of conflicting and mutually inclusive vague alternatives. Any uncertain ingredient may be considered as a set of linguistic adjectives attached to the input and output variables so as to refine them into meaningful and less uncertain sub-sets. Logical propositions that combine each sub-set of any input variable to suitable sub-sets of other variables through logical ANDing connectives as precedents are related to a specific sub-set of output as consequent, which constitute fundamental logical rule. These are expert reflections towards management problem solving. The combination of such rules with logical ORing connectives presents linguistically the holistic decision structure of any management system. This chapter presents the essential steps required to achieve decision making under uncertainty for effective management via a fuzzy logic inference system. The basis of fuzzy logic modeling is presented which may be used by different business management experts.
Interorganizational Relationships
Authors: Najar Tharwa , Amami Mokhtar
Published: February 2014

Since the 1990s, the subject of “Interorganizational Relationships” (IORs) has gained the interest of academics in several fields (Donnan & Comer, 2001), such as strategic marketing, Management Information Systems (MIS), operation management and logistics, and strategic management. The diversity of approaches related to IOR conceptualization has led to fragmented knowledge bases (Mohr & Nevin, 1990; Claro, et al., 2003; Durand, et al., 2006). The present chapter discusses this concept and proposes an integrated view of IOR evolution in a network context. Furthermore, a presentation of IOR governance typologies is exposed to emphasize the hierarchy-market dichotomy and the hybrid form as the combination of the two perspectives. Last, based on a literature review, the chapter exposes the attributes characterizing interorganizational relationships climate success to demonstrate the informal aspect of interorganizational context.
Game Theory vs. Business Ethics
Authors: Tran Ben
Published: February 2014

In 1954, the British philosopher Richard Braithwaite gave his inaugural lecture, Theory of Games as a Tool for the Moral Philosopher. Braithwaite predicted game theory would fundamentally change moral philosophy. However, in hindsight, John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern’s publication of Theory of Games and Economic Behaviour was the moment modern game theory entered the discipline of ethics. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the relationship between game theory and business ethics. In other words, this chapter explains how game theory plays a role in business ethics and affects business ethics for emerging economies and covers in detail: 1) the history of game theory; 2) types of/definition(s) of games; 3) business ethics; 4) business; and 5) ethics. The chapter concludes with the role that game theory and business ethics play in emerging economies.
Multidisciplinary Computer Simulation of Transient Electromagnetic-Thermal Phenomena in a Turbogenerator Rotor
Authors: Pantelyat Michael G. , Shulzhenko Mykola G. , Rudenko Elena K.
Published: February 2014

A finite element technique and computer code for the numerical analysis of 3D transient electromagnetic fields and temperature distribution due to negative sequence currents in large synchronous turbogenerator rotors are developed. Electromagnetic-thermal phenomena in a 300 MVA class turbogenerator rotor during a line-to-line short circuit on two phases of the machine are numerically investigated. Effect of the various conditions of the rotor cooling on its thermal state is studied. Numerical results obtained can be used for the computer simulation of the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the rotor.
Influences of Fracture Angle on the Ultrasonic Compressional Wave Velocity
Authors: Shan Xun , Wang Zi Zhen , Wang Rui He , Fan Yang , Bu Yu Huan , Li Tian Yang
Published: February 2014

In this article, we prepare the physical model with the high density epoxy resin and different sizes of coin shaped silicone pieces which can simulate the directional arrangement of fracture medium. On the basis of this, we analyze the influences of fracture angle on the ultrasonic compressional wave velocity using the pulse transmission method and compare the experimental results with the Hudson effective medium model. The experimental results show that, velocity decreases linearly with the increase of fracture angle within the interval of [0°~90°]. In a similar aspect ratio and same angle case, the increase of fracture porosity will result in the decrease of the velocity which is weakened by the increase of fracture porosity. At high fracture porosity, fracture angle becomes the important influence factor on the velocity changing. The calculation results of the Hudson model have a small deviation which is less than 5% compared with the experimental results but show a difference in different angle interval. The combination of the two methods will provide a certain basis for the indoor experiment and the measurement of the velocity in field.
The Preparation and Performance of LC4 Aluminum Alloys Ceramic Coatings with Trace Loose Layer Treated by Micro-Arc Oxidation
Authors: Zhao Jun , Xi Jian Jun , Zhao Chun Ping , Sun Yu Jia
Published: February 2014

LC4 aluminum alloy samples were treated by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) to produce trace loose layer film to improve the surface properties. The mechanical characteristics, high temperature erosion performance, structure and composition were investigated by strength tester, high flame erosion, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Compared to the untreated aluminum alloy, MAO coatings have good mechanical performance with tensile strength bigger than 18MPa and is intact with 20s heat ablation of 1900°C.
Partial Matching of 3D CAD Models with Attributed Graph
Authors: Wang Hong Shen , Zhang Lin , Zhang Yong Gui
Published: February 2014

This paper presents an algorithm for matching similar sub-parts of 3D CAD models. The matching process is based on the attributed graphs. Each model in target object database is represented by attributed graph. The sub-part, which is to be retrieved, is selected interactively by users from a 3D CAD model described by boundary representation (B-Rep) and its attributed graph is automatically generated. For each target CAD model in the database, its surfaces which are similar to those surfaces of the query sub-part are identified by means of the attributes. Then, other irrelevant surfaces of the target object are deleted from the model’s attributed graph. Thus, the parts that are possibly similar to the query sub-part are separated from the target model. A method for calculating the similarity coefficient between the separated part and the sub-part, which uses an optimal matching algorithm for bi-graphs, is proposed. Experimental results show that this algorithm can efficiently achieve partial retrieval.
Automated Implementation from Modeling to FPGA of Vehicle Autopilot
Authors: Zhao Geng Ming , Feng Tao , Liang Li Qian
Published: February 2014

This paper demonstrates a new strategy for accelerating FPGA realization which is integrated design from model to automated HDL code generation, and it’s applied to a design of Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy logic control (FLC) Systems on vehicle autopilot based on FPGA. The system designed by this strategy accurately guides vehicle to the destination by controlling size and angle of speed.
Review of Noncontact Ultrasonic Nondestructive Testing for the Solid Materials
Authors: Cui Lei , Zhao Yang , Zhao Peng , Sun Ji Chang , Jia Zhong Qing
Published: February 2014

The present paper comprehensively reviews non contact nondestructive testing (NDT) methods in use around the world for the solid materials. It introduces a review of the current state-of-the-art in NDT of railways coupled with a discussion of future developments and new detection approach in the field. It also presents some recent works on laser-EMAT testing in Shandong Academy of Sciences.
Determination of Energy Storage Capacity for a Hybrid Renewable Power Generation System
Authors: Li Jin Bin , Yao Yao , Xia Tian , Zheng Xiao Jiang
Published: February 2014

Using renewable resources, such as solar and wind energy for generation presents technical challenges in producing continuous and controllable power. Since it is difficult to predict and control the output of the renewable resources, an extra Energy Storage System (ESS) is needed to enable a proper management of the uncertain power production. The ESS acts like an energy buffer such that the renewable output power can be regulated to suit the operational requirements of the network. To reduce the capital investment for the storage devices, it is important to estimate reasonable storage capacities. This report proposes an integration of solar and wind energy to form a hybrid power generation system. The goal is to reduce the capacity of the ESS so as to maximize the economic benefit that can be obtained from energy captured from the hybrid renewable sources. In the project, the studied hybrid solar-wind power system is compared with a solar power system and a wind power system. Results show that the proposed hybrid scheme is feasible to reduce the ESS capacity, by taking advantage of the complementary nature of solar vs. wind generation.
Parameter Identification of a New Metal Rubber Damper System
Authors: Li Yu Long , Bai Hong Bai , He Zhong Bo
Published: February 2014

The parameter identification of a new hysteretic nonlinear metal rubber damper system is studied in this paper. Firstly, the advantage of the new metal rubber damper which composed by two components is proved by the static and dynamic test comparing to the damper included only one metal rubber. Secondly, the constitutive of bilinear hysteresis model and parameter identification equation are obtained. Then the parameter of the new damper system is identified by generalized least squares estimation. In the last, the simulation result is compared with the real values, it shows that the method is simple, effective, high precision, and it is also reliable and applicable to the corresponding engineering.
Improving Properties of Rubberized Mortar with Polyacrylamide
Authors: Lu Chun Ku , Lee Cheng Haw , Wang I Feng
Published: February 2014

The waste tire can be added to concrete to form a composite material, known as “Rubcrete”. However, addition of crumb rubber leads to degradation of physical properties of the concrete. In this study, by treating the crumb rubber with Polyacrylamide (PAM), we have improved properties of the rubberized mortar. Specifically, the compressive and flexural strengths of the specimen at 56 days were improved up to 19% and 27%, respectively. Dramatically, the anti-corrosion property of this new rubberized mortar is much superior to that of the original mortar. The addition of rubber also turned crack from fragility crack to ductility crack. To show the impacts of PAM modification, the specimens of rubberized mortar with and without PAM modification, were observed with SEM images. Experimental results showed that PAM treatment of crumb rubber is an effective means to improve the mechanical properties of the rubberized mortar; lends itself to possible commercial applications.
Influence of Dynamic Mechanical Parameters on the Sound Insulation Properties of Underwater Acoustic Materials
Authors: Wang Xu Wen , Sun Ying Fu , Wang Bing , Cheng Wei
Published: February 2014

In order to study the effect of dynamic mechanical parameters of the underwater acoustic materials on sound insulation properties, the underwater acoustic materials composed of both viscoelastic rubber with different blend ratio are made. The results showed that dynamic mechanical parameters of underwater acoustic materials have certain influence on the sound insulation properties. In order to obtain better sound insulation properties, the loss factor and the storage modulus are should be optimized. The sound insulation performance of the underwater acoustic materials made in the experiment in the loss fator rang 0.2 to 0.3 and the storage modulus lower than 20MPa is better.
Effect of VC Addition on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ultrafine Grained WC-Co Alloys
Authors: Liu Xue Mei , Song Xiao Yan , Wang Hai Bin , Gao Yang , Wang Yao
Published: February 2014

This study was focused on the effect of VC addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the prepared ultrafine grained cemented carbides. VC was added to the rawoxide materials which were synthesized to the WC-Co composite powder by the in-situ reduction and carbonization process. The ultrafine grained WC-Co alloys were fabricated by the spark plasma sintering technique using the prepared WC-Co composite powder. The phase constitution, microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of the sintered ultrafine grained cemented carbides were analyzed quantitatively. The study proposed that VC plays a significant role in decreaseing the grain size of the prepared WC-Co alloy. The ultrafine grained WC-Co alloy with high comprehensive properties can be obtained as an appropriate addition of VC in the developed process.
Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyapatite Powder from Natural Gypsum Rock
Authors: Pujiyanto Eko , Widyo Laksono Pringgo , Triyono Joko
Published: February 2014

This study prepared hydroxyapatite powder that synthesized from natural gypsum rock and find out physicalchemical and cytotoxicity properties. The synthesis realized by reacting natural gypsum powder with 1M of (NH4)2HPO4 solutions using a microwave. Characterizations of natural gypsum powder and hydroxyapatite powder were conducted by XRD, XRF and SEM. In vitro cytotoxicity testings of hydroxyapatite powder were conducted by MTT method using vero cells. XRD patterns of gypsum powder closed to JCPDF 33-0311 (gypsum standard). Characteristics of gypsum powder i.e. contained 41.72% CaO, level of purity 91,6 % and crystal size 7,147 nm. Charateristic of hydroxyapatite powder that synthesized from natural gypsum powder i.e. contained 46.91% CaO and 40.20% P2O5, XRD patern closed to JCPDF 09-432 (hydroxyapatite standard), level of purity 99 % and crystal size 1.243 nm. There were not significantly difference in cytotoxicity properties of hydroxyapatite powder that synthesized from natural gypsum rock and commercial hydroxyapatite powder (p= 0.086). These results indicated hydroxyapatite powder that synthesized from natural gypsum rock possible to be used as bone substitutes.
Effects of Different Granularity Control Methods on Morphology, Structure and Electrochemical Performance of LiFePO4/C
Authors: Lu Cheng , Chen Lin , Chen Yun Bo , Gu Yi Jie , Wang Meng , Zuo Ling Li , Liu Hong Quan , Wang Yan Min , Sun Xian Fu
Published: February 2014

LiFePO4/C materials were synthesized by spray-drying method. The particle size of the LiFePO4/C was controlled by mechanical crushing or airflow crushing. The morphology, structure and electrochemical properties of the materials were characterized. The results show that: The smaller powder particle and better particle size distribution could be got using the two granularity control methods above. The special surface area of the material increased, the tap density decreased and the high rate performance deteriorated when the particle size of LiFePO4/C was controlled. After the particle size of LiFePO4/C is controlled the contacts of LiFePO4/C and carbon will deteriorate. The special capacity of the material decreases and the rate performance deteriorates, due to the stripping of carbon.
Lyotropic Phase Behaviour and Structural Parameters of Monosaccharide and Disaccharide Guerbet Branched-Chain β-D-Glycosides
Authors: Hamid Hairul A.A. , Hashim Rauzah , Seddon John M. , Brooks Nicholas J.
Published: February 2014

The phase behaviour and self-assembly structural parameters of a pair of monosaccharide and disaccharide Guerbet branched-chain β-D-glycosides, namely 2-octyldodecyl β-D-glucoside (β-Glc-C12C8) and 2-octyldodecyl β-D-maltoside (β-Mal-C12C8), have been studied by means of optical polarizing microscopy (OPM) and small-angle X-ray diffraction at room temperature (25°C). These compounds are sugar-based glycolipid surfactants having a total chain length of C20, and differ based on the increasing number of hydroxyl groups of the sugar headgroup (glucose and maltose). The repeat spacings obtained by X-ray diffraction as a function of water content have been used to determine the limiting hydration for the two glycosides. At room temperature, β-Glc-C12C8 and β-Mal-C12C8 have limiting hydrations of 22 wt% and 25 wt%, corresponding to 8 10 and 10 12 water molecules per glycoside, respectively. At all water contents between 5 and 29 wt % water, these compounds adopt inverse hexagonal (HII) or fluid lamellar (Lα) phases. The structural parameters of these phases have been determined from the diffraction data, from the X-ray repeat spacings, densities and concentration of the glycosides.
Proton Conducting Carboxy Methyl Cellulose Solid Polymer Electrolytes Doped with Citric Acid
Authors: Ng W.F. , Chai Mui Nyuk , Isa M.I.N.
Published: February 2014

Novel solid polymer electrolytes containing carboxy methylcellulose (CMC) are prepared based on the vary concentration (0 - 45 wt. %) of citric acid (CA) via solution casting technique. The ion conductivity is studied by electrical impedance spectroscopy and the ionic mobility, μ and the diffusion coefficient, D is investigated by transference number measurement. The highest ionic conductivity at room temperature (303K) is 4.38 x 10-7 S cm-1 for 40 wt. % CA. The values of μ+ and D+ were higher than μ- and D- respectively, implying that the CMC-CA solid polymer electrolytes are proton conductor.
Preparation and XRD Analysis of Cellulose from Merbau (Intsia bijuga)
Authors: Mamat Razali Nur Amira , Azraaie Noriean , Zainul Abidin Nurul Aimi Mohd , Ibrahim Nur Ain , Abdul Aziz Fauziah , Rahman Saadah Abdul
Published: February 2014

Hardwood is from angiosperm trees. The characteristic of woods include flower, endosperm within seeds and the production of fruits that contain the seeds. This paper aim is to discuss the preparation and characterization the cellulose obtained from hardwood and the analysis of the cellulose from x-ray diffraction result. The hardwood Merbau (Intsia bijuga) was chosen as raw material in this study. Ethanol toluene, lignin and holocellulose extraction methods were used for the preparation of cellulose while acid hydrolysis was used to produce the cellulose nanocrystal (CNC). The untreated (pure hardwood Merbau) and cellulose samples were characterized using XRD. The final products from all samples were then compared.
Effect of UV Treatment on Optical Properties of Low-Density Polyethylene Films Doped with Eu(TTA)3phen Complex
Authors: Khairuldin M.I. , Aziz N.M.A. , Nashaain N.M. , Wedianti S. , Farehah I. , Hashim H. , Makarimi Abdullah A. , Izat M.E.
Published: February 2014

Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) films doped with Eu (TTA)3phen complex (TTA=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone, phen=1,10-phenanthroline) were fabricated by hot-blowing technique for thickness of 100 μm. The films were doped with 0.1 % of Eu (TTA)3phen to the total weight of LDPE and exposed to UV irradiation from deuterium lamp for 5, 10, 20, 40 and 60 hours to investigate the effect of its optical properties. The films were characterized by Spectrofluorometer, UV/VIS Spectrophotometer and FT-IR Spectrometer to measure their emission spectra, lifetimes, transmission transparency and chemical bonding. Photoluminescence of the room-temperature Eu (TTA)3phen doped films consist of typical Eu3+ emission transition lines with hypersensitive 5D07F2 emission band at 610 nm. After 20 hours UV treatment, the peak intensity dropped by 90 % and shortened the luminescent lifetimes from 0.654 ms to 0.305 ms. Longer UV treatment also has accelerated degradation in doped LDPE films shown by significant reducing in absorption peak of FTIR at 3395, 3186 and 1645 cm-1. The results would provide a mechanism to improve the lifetime of the LDPE by utilizing the light-manipulation property of Eu (TTA)3phen complex to absorb UV spectrum and covert into red emission.Keywords: LDPE, rare-earth complex, photoluminescence
Acoustic Evaluation of Hema Polymer Gel Dosimeter Phantoms
Authors: Siti K.A.R. , Mustafa Iskandar Shahrim , Azhar Abdul Rahman , Ramzun M.R. , Halimah Mohamed Kamari
Published: February 2014

A new method for the evaluation of radiotherapy 3D polymer gel dosimeters has been developed using ultrasound to assess the significant structural changes that occur following irradiation of the dosimeters. Polymer gel dosimeters were being fabricated using a monomer named 2-Hydroxyl-Ethyl-Meta-Acrylate (HEMA) with the presence of gelatine as a gelling agent. The readymade gel which is the concentration for HEMA fixed at 2, 4 and 5% would then undergo an ultrasonic evaluation to test for the propagation of sound speed through it. In the observation of relationship between the ultrasound propagation speeds as the doses increase (focusing at the cross region from overlapped beams) and concentration of monomer, the propagation speed for all the three polymer gel dosimeter phantoms still varies between 1460 to 1570 m/s which is still in the range of speed of sound for human tissue [. The ultrasonic absorption attenuation coefficient dose sensitivity for polymer gel dosimeters for 2, 4 and 5% of monomer are in the range of 0.02 to 0.6 dB which is equivalent to human tissue. As a comparison, it can be seen that gel phantoms with high concentration of monomer (5%) is more sensitive to the radiation compared to the lower (2% and 4%) concentrations. Regarding the absolute results of mechanical and acoustic properties; the copolymer-in-oil phantom is equivalent with soft tissue.
X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Analysis of Cellulose from Banana (Musa acuminata) Pseudo-Stem Waste
Authors: Azraaie Noriean , Zainul Abidin Nurul Aimi Mohd , Ibrahim Nur Ain , Mamat Razali Nur Amira , Abdul Aziz Fauziah , Radiman Shahidan
Published: February 2014

Alkali treatment and bleaching have been applied on banana fibers obtained from harvested pseudo-stem of the banana plant Musa acuminata collected in Banting, Selangor, Malaysia. The structure and morphology of the fibers have been found to be affected by the used of alkaline treatment and bleaching. The crystallite size and percentage crystallinity of the untreated (raw banana fibers) and treated (microfibrils cellulose) fibers were investigated using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). XRD studies shows that the treated cellulose prepared by such chemical treatment (alkali and bleaching treatment) were more crystalline than the untreated banana fibers.
Dielectric Properties of Mg-Doped CaCu3Ti4O12 Measured at High Frequencies
Authors: Ab Rahman Mohd Fariz , Hutagalung Sabar Derita , Mohamed Julie Juliewatty , Ain Mohd Fadzil
Published: February 2014

Mg-doped CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) systems were prepared by solid state reaction using raw materials of CaCO3, CuO, TiO2 and MgO. The samples were calcined at 900°C for 12 hours and sintered at 1030°C for 10 hours. Single phase CCTO formed after sintering process. It was found that dielectric constant and dielectric loss of CCTO improved by MgO dopant.
Luminescence Spectra of Erbium Doped Zinc Tellurite Glass Embedded with Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Sahar Md Rahim , Jaafar E. , Ghoshal Sib Krishna
Published: February 2014

Understanding the mechanism of visible luminescence enhancement from rare earth doped glasses containing metallic nanoparticles (NPs) is the challenging issue. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Er3+: Au-doped tellurite glass is investigated for different concentration of gold NPs. A series of glasses with composition (70-x) TeO2 -30 ZnO-0.5 Er2O3 x Au where x = (0.1, 0.3, 0.5 mol%) are prepared by melt-quenching method. The thermal parameters such as the glass transition (Tg), crystallization temperature (Tc) and melting temperature (Tm) are determined using DTA thermogram. PL spectra exhibit two distinct peaks at 493nm and 550nm which are assigned to the 2H11/2-4I15/2 and 4S3/2-4I15/2 transition respectively. The influence of gold NPs in enhancing the luminescence intensity under the 360nm excitation wavelength is observed understood.
Optical Absorption of Erbium Doped Tellurite Glass
Authors: Fatimah Siti  Ismail , Sahar Md Rahim , Ghoshal Sib Krishna , Arifin R. , Hamzah K.
Published: February 2014

Improving the optical behavior of tellurite glass with controlled rare earth doping is an important issue from device perspectives. The Er3+ -doped tellurite glasses having composition (75-x)TeO2-20ZnO-5Na2O-xEr2O3 where (0 x 0.7) mol% are prepared by melt quenching technique and their structural and optical properties are investigated. Amorphous nature of the samples is confirmed through X-ray diffraction technique. The optical absorption recorded at room temperature in the wavelength range from 400 to 1000 nm exhibits five broad bands. The value of the optical band gap and the Urbach energy (ΔE) are calculated from the absorption edge data. The value of optical band gap lies between 2.18 eV and 2.89 eV for the indirect transition whereas the value of Urbach energy varies from 0.15 to 0.53 eV. The optical band gap and Urbach energy values are found to dependent strongly on the erbium concentration.
Growth of Au Nanoparticles Stimulate Spectroscopic Properties of Er3+ Doped TeO2-ZnO-Na2O Glasses
Authors: Awang Asmahani , Ghoshal Sib Krishna , Sahar M.R. , Dousti M. Reza , Nawaz Fakhra
Published: February 2014

The changes in optical properties of 70TeO2-20ZnO-10Na2O-0.5Er2O3-0.2Au glass system are stimulated by varying the heat treatment duration. The XRD data reveals broad humps in range of 25-35 degree representing the amorphous nature of the glass materials. The optical absorption edge at room temperature is used to estimate the direct (Edir), indirect (Eindir) optical band gap and the Urbach energy (EU). The value of Edir lies between 2.937 to 2.943 eV, while the value of Eindir lies within 2.478 to 2.502 eV. The value of EU is found to increase with longer time of heat treatment and lies between 0.409 to 0.424 eV. The characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of Au nanoparticles (NPs) was observed at ~630 nm of optical absorption spectra. The strong and medium green upconversion (UC) fluorescence from Er3+ centred at 547 and 533 nm were observed at room temperature, in addition to a weak red UC fluorescence from Er3+ centred at 637 nm. The SPR stimulated by the presence of Au NPs enhanced the luminescence intensity by four and five folds for 1 and 4 hours heat treatment, respectively. The results indicate that there is a large influence of growth of gold NPs on the optical and spectroscopic properties of glass samples. Our results may be useful for the fabrication of nanophotonic materials.
Mechanical and Dielectrical Energy Dissipation Phenomena Study in Lead Zirconate Titanate Piezoelectric Materials
Authors: Bouzid Abderrazak , Fantozzi Gilbert
Published: February 2014

The aim of the present work is to show the analogy between mechanical and dielectric dissipation phenomena occurring in the PZT near the morphotropic phase boundary MPB-. Mechanical dissipations are investigated by internal friction mechanical losses and associated modulus-as function of temperature at medium and low frequencies. Dielectric dissipations are investigated by dielectric spectroscopy at medium frequencies.
Synthesis and Characterization of SnO2 and Fe3O4 Composite Grown by Microwave Method
Authors: Gan Sin Yee , Lim K.K. , Hamid M.A.A. , Shamsudin R. , Chiu W.S.
Published: February 2014

In this research, SnO2 and Fe3O4 composite thin film were grown on glass slides by using commercial microwave oven. The obtained samples were characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and Photoluminescence (PL). The growth of SnO2 was carried out for the periods of 60 s, 50 s and 40 s with two 5-second time intervals. XRD pattern shows the presence of two phases: SnO2 and Fe3O4 in all samples of grown composites. It was found that the sample grown for 60 s having dominant SnO2 phase while for the durations of 40 s and 50 s, the phase of Fe3O4 are more dominant. The Fe3O4s phases are believed originated from chemical reaction involving the steel wool which was used to stimulate the oxidation of Sn into SnO2. SEM observations reveal heavily agglomerated spherical-like particles which size ranges from 80.6 nm to 113.6 nm. EDX analysis indicates that composites with the growth time of 60 s contain the highest weight percentage (13.52 %) of Sn, followed by those composites with the growth time of 50 s (5.47 %) and 40 s (4.31 %). UV-Vis spectroscopy shows the optical band gap energy for the 60-second growth times composite, is 3.9 eV, which is well-correlated with the value of bulk of SnO2.PL characterization shows that the peaks of the curve fall within the range between 490 nm and 900 nm. The presence of oxygen defects probably causes the deterioration of optical bandwidth.
Keywords: Thin film, tin dioxide, domestic microwave
Structural and Optical Properties of Nickel-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Film on Nickel Seed Layer Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering Technique
Authors: Mazwan M. , Abu Bakar Ahmad Shuhaimi , Sobri M. , Hakim K.M. , Ameera N. , Najwa S. , Mamat M.H. , Musa M.Z. , Rusop Mohamad
Published: February 2014

Nickel (Ni)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) layers were deposited simultaneously by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering from a Ni and ZnO target. A Ni seed layer was used as catalyst prior to the deposition of Ni-doped ZnO. The Ni seed layer was grown with 15 sccm of Ar flow rate while the Ni-doped ZnO was grown with mixture of Ar:O2 at 25:5 sccm gas flow rate ratio. The deposition pressure is 5 mTorr for both Ni seed layer and Ni-doped ZnO layer. This paper studies the influence of deposition temperature to the Ni seed layer and Ni-doped ZnO layer at temperature range from room temperature (RT) until 500°C with an increment of every 100°C. The sample was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) to determine the structural, crystallinity and optical properties of the deposited layer. FESEM surface analysis shows that uniformity of the nanocolumns is improved when deposition temperature is increased. The transmittance of the deposited nanocolumns was improved when temperatures are increased to 500°C.
Mass Attenuation Coefficients and Effective Atomic Numbers of Strontium Borate Glass System in the Energy Range 0.01- 1.25 MeV
Authors: Lim Tou Ying , Wagiran Husin , Hussin Rosli , Hashim Suhairul
Published: February 2014

Understanding the characterization of photon interaction is vital in nuclear science and technology field. The information obtained from mass attenuation coefficients (μ / ρ) and effective atomic numbers Zeff are compared with the reference value for good interpretation of radiation interaction with matter. However, the methods of Zeff calculation sometimes are confusing. In the present work, the total mass attenuation coefficients (μ / ρ) T for photon interaction of Dy2O3 doped strontium borate glasses have been calculated using database tabulated by Hubbell and Seltzer, at the energies of 0.6 MeV and 1.25 MeV. For the calculation of the Zeff, the power law, cross section and Auto-Zeff are selected for comparison purpose in the energy range of 0.01 – 1.25 MeV. The relationship between the (μ / ρ) T andZeff clearly shows the increase in the value with the increase of Dy2O3 concentration. These variations are due to the major dominance of photoelectric effect and minor interaction of incoherent scattering. It is found that the calculation of Zeff between cross section and power law method is comparable at photon energy less than 0.1 MeV. As photon energy exceeds 0.1 MeV, the cross section method and the Auto- Zeff software are more preferred compared to the power law approach. It is recommended to use different approach of Zeff calculation at the specific energy of interest.
Electrochemical Behavior of LiCo(1-x)MnxO2 Crystalline Powders
Authors: Azahidi Azira , Kamarulzaman Norlida , Elong Kelimah , Badar Nurhanna , Mohd Mokhtar Nurul Atikah
Published: February 2014

LiCoO2 is a well-known cathode material used in commercial Li-ion batteries but it has its own limitations in terms of cost and toxicity. Improvement of the material by partial substitution of Co with other transition metals is one of the alternative and effective ways to overcome the limitations and improve the electrochemical performance of cathode materials. The transition metal element used for the substitution has to be cheaper and non-toxic thus Mn is chosen here. LiCo(1-x)MnxO2 (x= 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) we synthesized by a novel route using a self-propagating combustion (SPC) method. The samples are analyzed using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) for phase purity and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) for morphology and particle size studies. The materials obtained are phase pure. In terms of electrochemical activity, though it does not show better first cycle discharge capacity, the Mn doped materials have improved capacity retention. Results showed that LiCo0.9Mn0.1O2 and LiCo0.8Mn0.2O2 exhibited less than 8 % capacity loss in the 20th cycle compared to 12 % for LiCoO2.