Strays-insensitive switched-capacitor network realisation for nth-order voltage transfer functions

A general synthesis method is given for the realisation of nth-order voltage transfer functions in the z-domain by active SC (switched-capacitor) networks using only biphased switches, capacitors and ideal operational amplifiers. The method presented is based on signal-flow graphs and the resulting networks are completely insensitive to stray capacitances.     

Effects of dough formula and baking conditions on acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural formation in cookies

The effects of dough formula and baking conditions on the formations of acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) were studied in a cookie model system. Increasing the sugar concentration in the dough formula increased acrylamide formation during baking at 205 °C for 11 min. The effect of sugar on acrylamide formation was more pronounced for glucose than for sucrose, expectedly. Addition of citric acid into dough formula comprising sucrose increased the susceptibility of acrylamide formation, while it decreased acrylamide formation in the dough formula comprising glucose. Decreasing the pH of dough formula increased the tendency to surface browning and the formation of hydroxymethylfurfural in cookies during baking. The results suggest that a cookie with acceptable texture and colour, but having less than 150 ng/g of acrylamide, can be manufactured by lowering the baking temperature and avoiding reducing sugars in the recipe.     

Machining performance of TiN coatings incorporating indium as a solid lubricant

The machining and wear performance of TiN-coated and patterned carbide inserts incorporating indium as a solid lubricant are reported in this study. Cutting tests were conducted by turning hardened 4340 steel in both lubricated and dry conditions. During turning, periodic flank wear measurements were made. The chips formed during cutting were examined by scanning electron microscopy, as the condition of the chip reflects the conditions obtained during machining. Inserts subject to dry machining were also examined using optical microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to determine the extent of damage on the rake surface as well as the degree of material transfer. The results showed indium to be effective in reducing flank wear during lubricated machining, but little additional benefit of patterning was observed. For dry machining, some degree of improvement was noted in the patterned sample, but the degree of lubricity brought about by the indium coating was not sufficient and the overall flank wear was higher than the lubricated tests. However, the wear and damage on the rake surface along the path of the chip was reduced by the presence of the In-containing microreservoirs. An additional test was conducted using an instrument that simulates temperature effects during machining, and it was found that the lubricity achieved by In coatings is lost above 450 °C. These results suggest that the use of indium is limited to below this temperature, and above this temperature transforms to a less lubricious indium oxide.     

Goodput and throughput comparison of single‐hop and multi‐hop routing for IEEE 802.11 DCF‐based wireless networks under hidden terminal existence

We investigate how multi‐hop routing affects the goodput and throughput performances of IEEE 802.11 distributed coordination function‐based wireless networks compared with direct transmission (single hopping), when medium access control dynamics such as carrier sensing, collisions, retransmissions, and exponential backoff are taken into account under hidden terminal presence. We propose a semi‐Markov chain‐based goodput and throughput model for IEEE 802.11‐based wireless networks, which works accurately with both multi‐hopping and single hopping for different network topologies and over a large range of traffic loads. Results show that, under light traffic, there is little benefit of parallel transmissions and both single‐hop and multi‐hop routing achieve the same end‐to‐end goodput. Under moderate traffic, concurrent transmissions are favorable as multi‐hopping improves the goodput up to 730% with respect to single hopping for dense networks. At heavy traffic, multi‐hopping becomes unstable because of increased packet collisions and network congestion, and single‐hopping achieves higher network layer goodput compared with multi‐hop routing. As for the link layer throughput is concerned, multi‐hopping increases throughput 75 times for large networks, whereas single hopping may become advantageous for small networks. The results point out that the end‐to‐end goodput can be improved by adaptively switching between single hopping and multi‐hopping according to the traffic load and topology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Deposition and Characterization of Si Substituted Cu2ZnSnS4 Thin Films

Silicon - The influence of the Si substitution ratio on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films was examined. The Cu2Zn(SixSn1–x)S4 thin films...     

The effects of processing technology on the patulin content of juice during commercial apple juice concentrate production

 The effects of different treatments on the patulin content of apple juice during the production of industrial apple juice concentrate were investigated. Conventional clarification using a rotary vacuum precoat filter was found to be more effective than using ultrafiltration for the removal of patulin from apple juice. The average losses of patulin were 39% and 25% for conventional clarification and filtration, and ultrafiltration, respectively. Washing and handling appeared to be the most critical steps in removing patulin from apples since up to 54% could be removed using high-pressure water spraying. Received: 22 January 1998 / Revised version: 21 April 1998     

Seasonal changes of fatty acids of cuttlefish Sepia officinalis L. (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) in the north eastern Mediterranean sea

The total lipids and seasonal variations in the fatty acids of the mantle of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) captured in the north eastern Mediterranean were investigated and the mantle was found to be a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 PUFAs, in particular). In all seasons, the major fatty acids in the cuttlefish mantle were observed to be palmitic acid (16:0), stearic acid (18:0), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5ω3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6ω3). A comparison of the saturated fatty acid (29.5–36.8%), monounsaturated fatty acids (7.81–9.84%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (43.7–49.6%) of the cuttlefish mantle revealed that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) constituted the highest proportion. The levels of DHA in the cuttlefish mantle in autumn, winter, spring and summer were 27.6%, 28.5%, 29.5% and 23.9%, while those of EPA were 16.8%, 15.4%, 14.7% and 13.9%, respectively.     

Potassium persulfate-mediated preparation of conducting polypyrrole/polyacrylonitrile composite fibers: Humidity and temperature-sensing properties

Conducting polypyrrole (PPy)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite fibers were prepared by the polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of PAN fibers with potassium persulfate in an acidic aqueous solution. We obtained composite fibers containing concentrations of PPy as high as 1.14% and having surface resistivities as low as 0.6 kΩ/cm² by changing the polymerization parameters, including the temperature and concentrations of pyrrole and oxidant. The tensile strength of 10.02 N/m² and breaking elongation of 32.68% for the pure PAN fiber increased up to 10.45 N/m² and 33.23%, respectively, for the composite fiber containing 0.13% PPy. The change in the resistivity of the PPy/PAN composite fiber during heating–cooling cycles in the temperature range of +5 to 120°C was examined. Scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy images of the composite fibers showed that the PPy coating was restricted to the surfaces of the PAN fibers. Surface resistivity measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis techniques were also used to characterize the composite fibers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012