Showing papers by "Applied Science Private University published in 2014"
TL;DR: In this paper, a genetic algorithm based back propagation artificial neural network model was developed and used to predict the minimum miscibility pressure, ie MMP, for both pure and impure CO2 injection cases.
182 citations
TL;DR: It is proposed that website design quality is a multi-dimensional construct with a higher-order structure that, when successfully incorporated into the UTAUT model, outperforms existing models.
177 citations
TL;DR: Li-salt concentration has been recently proposed as an important control parameter of reduction stability of electrolytes in lithium-ion battery (LIB) as discussed by the authors, where the authors theoretically investigated low (LC) and high (HC) concentration systems of LiN(SO2CF3)2 (Li-TFSA) salt in acetonitrile (AN) solution.
Abstract: Li-salt concentration has been recently proposed as an important control parameter of reduction stability of electrolytes in lithium-ion battery (LIB). Here we theoretically investigated low (LC) and high (HC) concentration systems of LiN(SO2CF3)2 (Li-TFSA) salt in acetonitrile (AN) solution, to elucidate the mechanism of improving the low reduction stability of AN at the HC condition, by density functional theory based molecular dynamics (DFT-MD) sampling of the solvation character with extra electron(s). We demonstrated that TFSA anions sacrificially accept the reductive electron at the HC condition, which is ascribed to formation of specific network structure and the resulting shift of electron affinity of the anions. We also found that, even in the LC condition, TFSA eventually decomposes with one electron reduction. This sacrificial anion reduction hinders two electron reductive decomposition of AN, leading to improved electrochemical stability. The mechanism may give a guiding principle for the desi...
172 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a pilot-scale electrocoagulation (EC) system was used to mitigate the scaling and fouling of Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes, and a Response Surface Method (RSM) was employed further to evaluate individual/interactive influences of parameters on pollutant recovery.
157 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a hierarchical NiCo2O4@NiO core-shell nanowire hetero-nanostructure has been successfully anchored on a carbon cloth conductive substrate by the stepwise design to fabricate the composite for a high-performance flexible all-solid-state electrochemical capacitor.
Abstract: A hierarchical NiCo2O4@NiO core–shell nanowire hetero-nanostructure has been successfully anchored on a carbon cloth conductive substrate by the stepwise design to fabricate the NiCo2O4@NiO/CC composite for a high-performance flexible all-solid-state electrochemical capacitor. The assembled capacitor exhibits improved pseudocapacitive performance because of the synergetic effect of each component. Impressively, based on the total mass of active material on both electrodes, a high gravimetric capacitance of 1792 F g−1 at 5 mA cm−2 is achieved for the final NiCo2O4@NiO/CC flexible capacitor, along with excellent rate capability and cycle performance (with the capacity retention of 87.5% after 5000 cycling). The outstanding electrochemical performances are attributed to its superstructure with significantly enhanced active-surface area, favorable morphological stability and convenient ion transport paths. These results clearly present a cost-effective and alterable method for fabrication of various core–shell nanostructures on flexible conductive substrates, which may bring new design opportunities of device configuration for energy-storage applications in future wearable electronics.
147 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used molecular potential energy surface diagrams of the deprotonation of a protonated amine (AmineH + ) in combination with ion speciation plots of the vapour liquid equilibrium (VLE) model to provide a better understanding of the drastic reduction of energy required for CO 2 stripping from some amine solutions under certain operating conditions.
141 citations
TL;DR: This work proposes a classification procedure based on Support Vector Machine able to effectively cope with data imbalance, and proposes an accuracy measure, named AGF, that properly accounts for the different misclassification costs of the two classes.
138 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the recovery performance of immiscible and miscible CO2 huff-and-puff processes for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in a light crude oil sample was experimentally investigated.
Abstract: The recovery performance of immiscible and miscible CO2 huff-and-puff processes for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in a light crude oil sample was experimentally investigated. The minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) of the original light crude oil–CO2 system was determined by means of the vanishing interfacial tension technique and found to be MMP = 9.18 MPa. Then, the solubility of the CO2 in the light crude oil and oil swelling factor due to the CO2 dissolution in the oil phase were determined at T = 30 °C and various equilibrium pressures ranging from atmospheric pressure to Peq = 12.55 MPa. Later, series of immiscible and miscible CO2 huff-and-puff tests were designed and carried out at various operating pressures (i.e., Pop = 5.38–10.34 MPa). The results of the experiments showed that for secondary CO2 huff-and-puff tests performed at the operating pressures below the MMP, the ultimate oil recovery factor is quite low. It was also found that in immiscible CO2 huff-and-puff (i.e., Pop < MMP) scenarios, th...
134 citations
TL;DR: The application of expansion constraint during the grain-boundary diffusion process using Nd70Cu30 eutectic alloy minimizes the remanence loss for the coercivity enhancement by optimizing the volume fraction of the Nd(Cu)-rich non-ferromagnetic intergranular layer as mentioned in this paper.
127 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the microstructural and mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V and stainless steel 316L have been compared under similar conditions, and their microstructures and mechanical behaviours have been analyzed in details.
Abstract: Ti–6Al–4V and stainless steel 316L have been processed by selective laser melting under similar conditions, and their microstructures and mechanical behaviours have been compared in details. Under the investigated conditions, Ti–6Al–4V exhibits a more complex behaviour than stainless steel 316L with respect to the occurrence of microstructural and mechanical anisotropy. Moreover, Ti–6Al–4V appears more sensitive to the build-up of internal stresses when compared with stainless steel 316L, whereas stainless steel 316L appears more prone to the formation of ‘lack of melting’ defects. This correlates nicely with the difference in thermal conductivity between the two materials. Thermal conductivity was shown to increase strongly with increasing temperature and the thermophysical properties appeared to be influenced by variations in the initial metallurgical state.
127 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the photothermal effect of Fe3O4 nanoparticles was found to be associated with the photoluminescence emissions in the visible to near-infrared (NIR) range.
Abstract: Photoluminescence (PL) of Fe3O4 nanoparticle was observed from the visible to near-infrared (NIR) range by laser irradiation at 407 nm. PL spectra of ∼10 nm diameter Fe3O4 nanoparticles organized in different spatial configuration, showed characteristic emissions with a major peak near 560 nm, and two weak peaks near 690 nm and 840 nm. Different band gap energies were determined for these Fe3O4 nanoparticle samples corresponding to, respectively, the electron band structures of the octahedral site (2.2 eV) and the tetrahedral site (0.9 eV). Photothermal effect of Fe3O4 nanoparticles was found to be associated with the photoluminescence emissions in the NIR range. Also discussed is the mechanism responsible for the photothermal effect of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in medical therapy.
TL;DR: It was found that the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the unconfined nanoparticle systems were significantly higher than those of confined (the MNPs embedded in the polystyrene matrix), and the dipole-dipole interactions can significantly reduce the global magnetic response of the MNPs and thereby decrease the SAR of the nanoparticles systems.
TL;DR: It is shown that it is possible to switch population between electronically excited states of a neutral molecule on attosecond time scales, and to coherently control excitation and ionization through specific pathways, and rigorously modeling multiscale electron and nuclear quantum control in a molecule.
Abstract: High harmonic light sources make it possible to access attosecond timescales, thus opening up the prospect of manipulating electronic wave packets for steering molecular dynamics. However, two decades after the birth of attosecond physics, the concept of attosecond chemistry has not yet been realized; this is because excitation and manipulation of molecular orbitals requires precisely controlled attosecond waveforms in the deep UV, which have not yet been synthesized. Here, we present a unique approach using attosecond vacuum UV pulse-trains to coherently excite and control the outcome of a simple chemical reaction in a deuterium molecule in a non-Born–Oppenheimer regime. By controlling the interfering pathways of electron wave packets in the excited neutral and singly ionized molecule, we unambiguously show that we can switch the excited electronic state on attosecond timescales, coherently guide the nuclear wave packets to dictate the way a neutral molecule vibrates, and steer and manipulate the ionization and dissociation channels. Furthermore, through advanced theory, we succeed in rigorously modeling multiscale electron and nuclear quantum control in a molecule. The observed richness and complexity of the dynamics, even in this very simplest of molecules, is both remarkable and daunting, and presents intriguing new possibilities for bridging the gap between attosecond physics and attochemistry.
TL;DR: In this article, the dissociation constants of 14 amines were measured over a temperature range between 293.15 and 333.15 K using the potentiometric titration method and the change in standard state thermodynamic properties was derived from the van't Hoff equation.
Abstract: The dissociation constants of the conjugate acids of 14 amines (diethylethanolamine, monoethanolamine, n-butyldiethanolamine, t-butyldiethanolamine, n,n-dimethylpropanolamine, methyl-diethanolamine, ethyldiethanolamine, monoethylethanolamine, n,n-dimethylisopropanolamine, triethanolamine, 4-methylpiperazine-1-amine, 3-morpholino propylamine, 4,2-hydroxylethylmorpholine, and triethylamine) were measured over a temperature range between 293.15 and 333.15 K using the potentiometric titration method. The change in standard state thermodynamic properties was derived from the van’t Hoff equation. The influence of the steric hindrance, number of −OH groups, and length of alkyl chain on the dissociation constants was identified. Of the studied amines, few sterically hindered derivatives of piperazine, a secondary amine monoethylethanolamine, and a tertiary amine n,n-dimethylpropanolamine have high pKa values but lower standard enthalpy than those of the benchmark amine, monoethanolamine (MEA), and thus were deeme...
TL;DR: In this article, the potential of cyclic CO2 injection process was examined for CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery, and a detailed phase behavior study on the light crude oil-CO2 and brine CO2 systems was conducted.
TL;DR: Using the red colour of RBCs as a visible marker, this approach can be utilized to produce a simple and clear indicator of whether the blood condition is within the appropriate range for the patient's condition.
Abstract: A simple approach to the evaluation of blood coagulation using a microfluidic paper-based lateral flow assay (LFA) device for point-of-care (POC) and self-monitoring screening is reported. The device utilizes whole blood, without the need for prior separation of plasma from red blood cells (RBC). Experiments were performed using animal (rabbit) blood treated with trisodium citrate to prevent coagulation. CaCl2 solutions of varying concentrations are added to citrated blood, producing Ca(2+) ions to re-establish the coagulation cascade and mimic different blood coagulation abilities in vitro. Blood samples are dispensed into a paper-based LFA device consisting of sample pad, analytical membrane and wicking pad. The porous nature of the cellulose membrane separates the aqueous plasma component from the large blood cells. Since the viscosity of blood changes with its coagulation ability, the distance RBCs travel in the membrane in a given time can be related to the blood clotting time. The distance of the RBC front is found to decrease linearly with increasing CaCl2 concentration, with a travel rate decreasing from 3.25 mm min(-1) for no added CaCl2 to 2.2 mm min(-1) for 500 mM solution. Compared to conventional plasma clotting analyzers, the LFA device is much simpler and it provides a significantly larger linear range of measurement. Using the red colour of RBCs as a visible marker, this approach can be utilized to produce a simple and clear indicator of whether the blood condition is within the appropriate range for the patient's condition.
TL;DR: This novel method is shown to improve the detection limit and specificity of MTB from the sputum samples, and to reduce the testing time for accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis, which needs further confirmation of more clinical samples.
Abstract: Despite suffering from the major disadvantage of low sensitivity, microscopy of direct smear with the Ziehl-Neelsen stain is still broadly used for detection of acid-fast bacilli and diagnosis of tuberculosis. Here, we present a unique detection method of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) using surface functionalized magnetic microspheres (MMSs) coupled with quantum dots (QDs), conjugated with various antibodies and phage display-derived peptides. The principle is based upon the conformation of the sandwich complex composed of bacterial cells, MMSs, and QDs. The complex system is tagged with QDs for providing the fluorescent signal as part of the detection while magnetic separation is achieved by MMSs. The peptide ligand H8 derived from the phage display library Ph.D.-7 is developed for MTB cells. Using the combinations of MMS-polyclonal antibody+QD-H8 and MMS-H8+QD-H8, a strong signal of 10(3) colony forming units (CFU)/mL H37R(v) was obtained with improved specificity. MS-H8+QD-H8 combination was further optimized by adjusting the concentrations of MMSs, QDs, and incubation time for the maximum detection signal. The limit of detection for MTB was found to reach 10(3) CFU/mL even for the sputum matrices. Positive sputum samples could be distinguished from control. Thus, this novel method is shown to improve the detection limit and specificity of MTB from the sputum samples, and to reduce the testing time for accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis, which needs further confirmation of more clinical samples.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the moderating effect of competitive intensity on the relationship between supply chain management practices and supply chain performance in terms of supply chain efficiency and supply-chain effectiveness.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to test the impact of supply chain management practices on supply chain performance in terms of supply chain efficiency and supply chain effectiveness. Additionally, we investigate the moderating effect of competitive intensity on the relationship between supply chain management practices and supply chain performance. Data for this research were collected from 104 manufacturing companies in Jordan. Hierarchical regressions were used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results indicate that three supply chain management practices, internal integration, information sharing, and postponement, but not supplier integration and customer integration, significantly and positively affect supply chain efficiency performance. Competitive intensity moderates the relationship between each of internal integration, supplier integration, and customer integration, and supply chain efficiency performance. The results also show that three supply chain management practices, internal integration, customer integration, and postponement, but not supplier integration and information sharing, significantly and positively affect supply chain effectiveness performance. Competitive intensity moderates the relationship between each of customer integration and information sharing, and supply chain effectiveness performance.
TL;DR: The hot deformation behavior and microstructural evolution of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu (7150) alloy was studied during hot compression at various temperatures and strain rates, revealing that the dynamic recovery is the sole softening mechanism at temperatures of 300 to 400 °C with various strain rates.
Abstract: The hot deformation behavior and microstructural evolution of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu (7150) alloy was studied during hot compression at various temperatures (300 to 450 °C) and strain rates (0.001 to 10 s−1). A decline ratio map of flow stresses was proposed and divided into five deformation domains, in which the flow stress behavior was correlated with different microstructures and dynamic softening mechanisms. The results reveal that the dynamic recovery is the sole softening mechanism at temperatures of 300 to 400 °C with various strain rates and at temperatures of 400 to 450 °C with strain rates between 1 and 10 s−1. The level of dynamic recovery increases with increasing temperature and with decreasing strain rate. At the high deformation temperature of 450 °C with strain rates of 0.001 to 0.1 s−1, a partially recrystallized microstructure was observed, and the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) provided an alternative softening mechanism. Two kinds of DRX might operate at the high temperature, in which discontinuous dynamic recrystallization was involved at higher strain rates and continuous dynamic recrystallization was implied at lower strain rates.
TL;DR: In this paper, an Octadecylamine-modified graphene-oxide (OMGO) polybutadiene nanocomposites with different OMGO loadings were prepared by solution mixing, and the dispersion of OMGO in chloroform was greatly improved compared to GO.
TL;DR: Lee et al. as discussed by the authors provided design and operational guidelines for achieving maximum biomass productivity in outdoor photobioreactors (PBRs) and performed detailed simulations of coupled light transfer and growth kinetics of microalgae.
09 Oct 2014
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the impact of the F doping on the local electronic and lattice structures of the x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) system and found that suppression of the Ce-S-Bi coupling channel by F doping appears to drive the system from the valence fluctuation regime to the Kondo-like regime.
Abstract: We have performed Ce ${L}_{3}$-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements on ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{F}}_{x}{\mathrm{BiS}}_{2}$, in which the superconductivity of the BiS${}_{2}$ layer and the ferromagnetism of the ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{F}}_{x}$ layer are induced by the F doping, in order to investigate the impact of the F doping on the local electronic and lattice structures. The Ce ${L}_{3}$-edge XAS spectrum of CeOBiS${}_{2}$ exhibits coexistence of $4{f}^{1}$ (Ce${}^{3+}$) and $4{f}^{0}$ (Ce${}^{4+}$) state transitions revealing Ce mixed valency in this system. The spectral weight of the $4{f}^{0}$ state decreases with the F doping and completely disappears for $xg0.4$ where the system shows the superconductivity and the ferromagnetism. The results suggest that suppression of the Ce-S-Bi coupling channel by the F doping appears to drive the system from the valence fluctuation regime to the Kondo-like regime, leading to the coexistence of the superconducting BiS${}_{2}$ layer and the ferromagnetic ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{F}}_{x}$ layer.
TL;DR: Common checklists and scoring systems used for Turbuhaler and Diskus are reviewed, the problem of heterogeneity between different checklists is discussed, and suitable checklistsand scoring systems for these devices are recommended based on the literature and previous findings.
Abstract: Turbuhaler and Diskus are commonly used powder inhaler devices for patients with respiratory disease. Their effectiveness is limited in part by a patient's ability to use them correctly. This has led to numerous studies being conducted over the last decade to assess the correct use of these devices by patients and health care professionals. These studies have generally used device-specific checklists to assess technique, this being the most feasible and accessible method for assessment. However, divergence between the checklists and scoring systems for the same device in different studies makes direct comparison of results difficult and at times inappropriate. Little evidence is available to assess the relative importance of different criteria; however, brief patient training based on specific inhaler technique checklists leads to significant improvement in asthma outcomes. This paper reviews common checklists and scoring systems used for Turbuhaler and Diskus, discusses the problem of heterogeneity between different checklists, and finally recommends suitable checklists and scoring systems for these devices based on the literature and previous findings. Only when similar checklists are used across different research studies will accurate comparisons and meta-analysis be possible.
TL;DR: A predictive correlation is used to identify reservoirs with the highest recovery factors among the candidates of the CO2 miscible flooding, and results show that miscible CO2 and hydrocarbon gas injections are two promising mechanisms for the reservoirs under study.
Abstract: As the application of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) mechanisms expands globally, a vast amount of information is reported annually and many statistical works are carried out aiming mostly at the feasibility study of employing EOR methods for candidate reservoirs. In the last decades, researchers have gathered huge databases and used various techniques to identify screening criteria ranges for each EOR method. Screening algorithms are then developed to desirably benefit from the criteria ranges for candidate selection. The numerous screening criteria ranges reported for each EOR technique and the variety of screening algorithms raise the problem of choice, especially for petroleum engineers who plan to initiate EOR projects. This paper summarizes important screening criteria and screening algorithms and discusses and elaborates on subjects such as the importance of the following: accuracy in the EOR screening, comparing the parameters of the candidate reservoir with the criteria ranges, establishing a quantitative basis for comparison, dealing with a large number of candidate reservoirs, ranking the importance of parameters for each EOR method, assigning weights for parameters, and defining cutoffs. Based on a series of optimistic and pessimistic criteria extracted from the collected criteria, a case study is performed involving 11 candidate Iranian reservoirs and the EOR options for each reservoir are ranked accordingly. Then, a predictive correlation is used to identify reservoirs with the highest recovery factors among the candidates of the CO2 miscible flooding. The results show that miscible CO2 and hydrocarbon gas injections are two promising mechanisms for the reservoirs under study.
TL;DR: The results showed that the Chl-containing nanocomposites were capable of mouse tumor targeting, and the Nanocomposite fluorescence within the tumor sites remained at high intensity more than two days after tail-vein injection.
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance of secondary carbonated water injection (CWI) was investigated at various operating pressures (i.e., P = 0.7-10.3 MPa).
Abstract: In this study, the performance of secondary carbonated water injection (CWI) was investigated at various operating pressures (i.e., P = 0.7–10.3 MPa). Prior to CWI tests, CO2 solubility in both brine and oil samples was measured using a high pressure visual cell. Next, through a series of flooding experiments, the effect of various operating conditions on the efficiency of CWI as a means of secondary oil recovery technique was investigated. Results showed that the ultimate oil recovery of secondary CWI can be increased by about 19% as compared to that of conventional water flooding (WF). It was also observed that in secondary CWI mode, an increase in operating pressure enhances the oil recovery, which is mainly attributed to higher CO2 solubility in the injected brine. It was also found that the recovery factor (RF) substantially increases to the pressure of P = 5.9 MPa followed by slow growth until the pressure reaches P = 10.3 MPa. The same turning point of P = 5.9 MPa was also observed in the plot of C...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the relationship between the quality of disclosure of forward-looking information in the narrative sections of annual reports and the governance mechanisms for non-financial UK companies.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to witness the importance of corporate governance mechanisms and investigates the relationship between the quality of disclosure of forward-looking information in the narrative sections of annual reports and the governance mechanisms for non-financial UK companies. Design/methodology/approach – Computerized content analysis using QSR NVivo 8 is used to measure the extent of forward-looking information in the narratives of the annual reports for 238 companies listed in the London Stock Exchange. Cross-sectional regression analysis is used to examine the impact of the corporate governance mechanisms on forward-looking information. Findings – The results show that board size and the independence of the audit committee are associated with the level of voluntary disclosure of forward-looking information. Research limitations/implication – One limitation of this study is that in controls for the effect of the financial crisis period, by selecting a representative year for a five-year p...
TL;DR: In this article, the performance of carbonated water injection (CWI) as a means of improved oil recovery was examined through series of carefully designed laboratory experiments and it was concluded that CO 2 solubility in brine is more dominant parameter and controls the efficiency of CWI process rather than minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) between CO 2 and the oil.
TL;DR: Experimental results on real-world data sets demonstrate the superiority of ROSE, both in terms of some quantitative indices and outliers detected, over those obtained by various rough fuzzy clustering algorithms and by the state-of-the-art outlier detection methods.
Abstract: Nowadays, the high availability of data gathered from wireless sensor networks and telecommunication systems has drawn the attention of researchers on the problem of extracting knowledge from spatiotemporal data. Detecting outliers which are grossly different from or inconsistent with the remaining spatiotemporal data set is a major challenge in real-world knowledge discovery and data mining applications. In this paper, we deal with the outlier detection problem in spatiotemporal data and describe a rough set approach that finds the top outliers in an unlabeled spatiotemporal data set. The proposed method, called Rough Outlier Set Extraction (ROSE), relies on a rough set theoretic representation of the outlier set using the rough set approximations, i.e., lower and upper approximations. We have also introduced a new set, named Kernel Set, that is a subset of the original data set, which is able to describe the original data set both in terms of data structure and of obtained results. Experimental results on real-world data sets demonstrate the superiority of ROSE, both in terms of some quantitative indices and outliers detected, over those obtained by various rough fuzzy clustering algorithms and by the state-of-the-art outlier detection methods. It is also demonstrated that the kernel set is able to detect the same outliers set but with less computational time.