CP2EH: a comprehensive privacy-preserving e-health scheme over cloud

The Journal of Supercomputing - In the Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) scheme, patients encrypt their electronic health record (EHR), attach the appropriate attributes with it, and outsource them...     

Optimization of process parameters affecting surface roughness in magnetic abrasive finishing process

Development in manufacturing technology enhances the mechanical behavior of machined parts and improves the surface finish with high precision, which conveys the progressive importance of magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) process. In current research work, magnetic abrasive particles were used as finishing tools during the MAF process. However, these magnetic abrasives are fabricated by special techniques, i.e., the adhesive bonding-based method, the sintering method, the plasma-based method and so on. The present study explores the basic finishing characteristics of the magnetic abrasive produced by the sintering process. After the sintering process, improved quality of magnetic abrasives was obtained, where the abrasive particle sticks on the base metal matrix. The abrasive particle used is alumina powder and the magnetic particle is iron powder. Experiments were performed on Stainless Steel 202 to inspect the sound effects of several process parameters such as rotational speed, electromagnet voltage, machining gap and abrasive particle size on machining performance. Apart from that, surface roughness was also measured, which revealed the influence of the abrasive particle on the machined surface in terms of surface finish. It is observed from this study that appropriate size of magnetic abrasive particle optimizes the surface finish.     

A mathematical model for wave propagation in a composite solid matrix containing two immiscible fluids

Constitutive relations and field equations have been extended for a porous medium composed of two solids and containing two chemically non-reactive immiscible fluids. By generalizing the closure relation of porosity change and employing this into the mass balance equations, the stress–strain relations have been developed. The idea of generalized compressibility tests is invoked to find the value of dimensionless parameters appearing in the closure relation of porosity change. By generalizing momentum balance equations of Lo et al. (Water Resour Res 41:1–20, 2005), the propagation of dilatational and rotational waves is explored. It is found that four dilatational and two rotational waves exist in the porous medium. In contrast to Biot’s theory, the presence of the second fluid and second solid in the porous medium gives rise to additional P- and S-waves. Variation of phase speeds and corresponding attenuation coefficients of existing waves versus frequency, saturation of the fluid phases and solid fraction are computed numerically and depicted graphically.     

Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics of Rayleigh–Taylor Instability

Here, the fundamental problem of Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI) is studied by direct numerical simulation (DNS), where the two air masses at different temperatures, kept apart initially by a non-conducting horizontal interface in a 2D box, are allowed to mix. Upon removal of the partition, mixing is controlled by RTI, apart from mutual mass, momentum, and energy transfer. To accentuate the instability, the top chamber is filled with the heavier (lower temperature) air, which rests atop the chamber containing lighter air. The partition is positioned initially at mid-height of the box. As the fluid dynamical system considered is completely isolated from outside, the DNS results obtained without using Boussinesq approximation will enable one to study non-equilibrium thermodynamics of a finite reservoir undergoing strong irreversible processes. The barrier is removed impulsively, triggering baroclinic instability by non-alignment of density, and pressure gradient by ambient disturbances via the sharp discontinuity at the interface. Adopted DNS method has dispersion relation preservation properties with neutral stability and does not require any external initial perturbations. The complete inhomogeneous problem with non-periodic, no-slip boundary conditions is studied by solving compressible Navier–Stokes equation, without the Boussinesq approximation. This is important as the temperature difference between the two air masses considered is high enough (\(\Delta T = 70\) K) to invalidate Boussinesq approximation. We discuss non-equilibrium thermodynamical aspects of RTI with the help of numerical results for density, vorticity, entropy, energy, and enstrophy.     

Chemically deposited nickel oxide as counter electrode for dye sensitized solar cell

Nickel oxide (NiO) thin films have been synthesized by simple and inexpensive chemical bath deposition at low temperature. The synthesized thin films were annealed at 623 K and used for further characterization. Structural and morphological properties of the NiO thin film were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. The structural study shows the simple cubic formation of NiO thin films with average crystallite size of 9 nm. Honeycomb like surface morphology with porous structure was observed from the SEM study. NiO thin film electrode has been used as a counter electrode in dye sensitized solar cell. Finally, photovoltaic parameters such as short circuit current density (J_sc), open circuit voltage (V_oc), Fill Factor (FF) and efficiency (η) have been studied.     

Lanthanide Doped Near Infrared Active Upconversion Nanophosphors: Fundamental Concepts,Synthesis Strategies,and Technological Applications

Near infrared (NIR) light utilization in a range of current technologies has gained huge significance due to its abundance in nature and nondestructive properties. NIR active lanthanide (Ln) doped upconversion nanomaterials synthesized in controlled shape, size, and surface functionality can be combined with various pertinent materials for extensive applications in diverse fields. Upconversion nanophosphors (UCNP) possess unique abilities, such as deep tissue penetration, enhanced photostability, low toxicity, sharp emission peaks, long anti‐Stokes shift, etc., which have bestowed them with prodigious advantages over other conventional luminescent materials. As new generation fluorophores, UCNP have found a wide range of applications in various fields. In this Review, a comprehensive overview of lanthanide doped NIR active UCNP is provided by discussing the fundamental concepts including the different mechanisms proposed for explaining the upconversion processes, followed by the different strategies employed for the synthesis of these materials, and finally the technological applications of UCNP, mainly in the fields of bioimaging, drug delivery, sensing, and photocatalysis by highlighting the recent works in these areas. In addition, a brief note on the applications of UCNP in other fields is also provided along with the summary and future perspectives of these materials.     

K–La–MgO as heterogeneous catalyst for synthesis of 3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,3-oxazolidin-2-one from diethanol amine and carbon dioxide

Cost-effective valorization of carbon dioxide into bulk and specialty chemicals using catalysis will be attractive in the foreseeable future. 1,3-Oxazolidin-2-one derivatives are one of the important classes of heterocyclic compounds which have wide applications in pharmaceutical industries due to their biological activities such as antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic. Various synthetic routes are employed to prepare these compounds which include phosgenation, oxidative carbonylation, etc., which make use of polluting chemicals and homogeneous catalysts. The heterogeneous catalytic processes to synthesize these derivatives are quite limited. Thus, developing a green route which is environmental friendly is highly desirable. The current work deals with development of a heterogeneous reusable catalyst and its application to synthesize 1,3-oxazolidin-2-one derivatives using carbon dioxide as a C1 source. The fact that no use of promoter or organic co-catalyst is made in the current process makes the synthesis route more favorable. Pure La–MgO and K–La–MgO with different K loading (1, 3, 5, and 7 wt%) synthesized by combustion route were screened for carbonylation of diethanol amine. 5% K–La–MgO was found to be the best catalyst. The catalyst was well characterized in virgin form and after use by various analytical techniques like TEM, SEM, XRD, CO₂ and NH₃-TPD, BET surface area analysis. With 5% K–La/MgO, 72% conversion of diethanol amine was achieved with 100% selectivity of the desired product at optimum conditions, i.e., 150 °C, 5 wt% K–La/MgO catalyst loading of 0.02 g/cm³ and 2.0 MPa CO₂ pressure. Reaction mechanism was proposed and kinetic model developed. The apparent activation energy was calculated as 18.76 kcal/mol. The catalyst was robust and recyclable. The process is clean and green.