Cooperative transmission protocol with full diversity and iterative detection

The authors propose a three-node full diversity cooperative protocol, which allows the retransmission of all symbols. By allowing multiple nodes to transmit simultaneously, relaying transmission only consumes limited bandwidth resource. To facilitate the performance analysis of the proposed cooperative protocol, the lower and upper bounds of the outage probability are first developed, and then the high signal-to-noise ratio behaviour is studied. Our analytical results show that the proposed strategy can achieve full diversity. To achieve the performance gain promised by the cooperative diversity, at the relays decode-and-forward strategy is adopted and an iterative soft-interference-cancellation minimum mean-squared error equaliser is developed. The simulation results compare the bit-error-rate performance of the proposed protocol with the non-cooperative scheme and the scheme presented by Azarian et al. (2005).     

A High Bandwidth Power Scalable Sub-Sampling 10-Bit Pipelined ADC With Embedded Sample and Hold

A pipelined ADC architecture for use in sub-sampled systems which is power scalable in relation to its down sampled bandwidth is presented. The ADC uses a technique to eliminate the front-end sample hold, thereby reducing power consumption. The technique allows for a power savings of 20% compared to a previous design. A method to improve the settling behavior of rapid power-on opamps is also presented. Measured results in a 1.8 V 0.18 CMOS process verify the removal of the front-end sample and hold does not cause gross MSB errors for input frequencies higher than 267 MHz. With 50 MS/s, for the SNDR is 51.5 dB, and with 4.55 MS/s for the SNDR is 52.2 dB.     

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of sardinelle (Sardinella aurita) by-products protein hydrolysates obtained by treatment with microbial and visceral fish serine proteases

The angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of protein hydrolysates prepared from heads and viscera of sardinelle (Sardinella aurita) by treatment with various proteases were investigated. Protein hydrolysates were obtained by treatment with Alcalase^®, chymotrypsin, crude enzyme preparations from Bacillus licheniformis NH1 and Aspergillus clavatus ES1, and crude enzyme extract from sardine (Sardina pilchardus) viscera. All hydrolysates exhibited inhibitory activity towards ACE. The alkaline protease extract from the viscera of sardine produced hydrolysate with the highest ACE inhibitory activity (63.2 ± 1.5% at 2 mg/ml). Further, the degrees of hydrolysis and the inhibitory activities of ACE increased with increasing proteolysis time. The protein hydrolysate generated with alkaline proteases from the viscera of sardine was then fractionated by size exclusion chromatography on a Sephadex G-25 into eight major fractions (P₁–P₈). Biological functions of all fractions were assayed, and P₄ was found to display a high ACE inhibitory activity. The IC₅₀ values for ACE inhibitory activities of sardinelle by-products protein hydrolysates and fraction P₄ were 1.2 ± 0.09 and 0.81 ± 0.013 mg/ml, respectively. Further, P₄ showed resistance to in vitro digestion by gastrointestinal proteases. The amino acid analysis by GC/MS showed that P₄ was rich in phenylalanine, arginine, glycine, leucine, methionine, histidine and tyrosine. The added-value of sardinelle by-products may be improved by enzymatic treatment with visceral serine proteases from sardine.     

Natural rubber filled SiC and B4C ceramic composites as a new NTC thermistors and piezoresistive sensor materials

A novel electrically conductive composite for NTC thermistor and piezoresistive sensor was successfully fabricated by homogeneously dispersing conductive SiC and B₄C in an insulating natural rubber (NR) matrix. The morphology of the composites was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, cross linking density (n), volume fraction of rubber (V_r), and interparticle distance among conductive phases (r_p). The influence of the filler concentrations on the mechanical properties such as modulus of elasticity (E); hardness shore A (H), and elongation at break (EB) were studied in details. The dependences of volume resistivity of NR based composites filled with B₄C and SiC as a function of fillers concentration was investigated. Temperature dependencies of volume resistivity were also measured to examine the possible application of the composites to polymer linear negative temperature (NTC) thermistors. Furthermore, the temperature dependencies of dielectric constant of the composites were studied. For practical application, the thermal stability of the composites was examined by means of resistivity temperature and pressure hysteresis cycle. In parallel, the conduction mechanism of conductivity of the composites was interpreted in terms of the computed the activation and hopping energy. The applicability of the composites to piezoresistive sensor was examined too. The good mechanical properties and thermal stability of NR composites behavior can be utilized for fabricating various electronic devices as NTC thermistors and piezoresistive sensor (i.e. transducers in pressure sensors). POLYM. COMPOS., 29:109–118, 2008. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

The effect of gamma and electron beam irradiation on the thermal and mechanical properties of injection‐moulded high crystallinity poly(propylene)

In the present study, the effect of gamma and electron beam (EB) irradiation on the thermal and mechanical properties of high crystalline polypropylene (HPP) was studied. To study the structural modifications of HPP polymer which could occur following these treatments at different doses (20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 kGy) were applied to all samples. Nonirradiated HPP were used as control samples, differential scanning calorimetry analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and Mechanical tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of both irradiation treatments (EB and gamma irradiation) on HPP samples. Irradiated samples of HPP decreases melting temperature (T_m) of matrix in EB more than in gamma rays up to 5°C. The changes of mechanical properties exhibit different radiation stability towards ⁶⁰Co‐gamma radiation and EB radiation. This difference reflects much higher penetration of the gamma radiation through the polymeric material as a function of sample thickness. The degradation on polymer properties caused by gamma irradiation was more than that caused by EB irradiation. Next, we compared the effects of gamma and EB irradiation to determine which of these two processes better maintained the integrity of the irradiated product. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Effect of the type of superplasticizer on the properties of cementitious systems incorporating slag

Superplasticizers have become an integral ingredient in the formulation of concretes. After 40?years, their use and dosage remain uncertain due to variations in their compositions and those of cement. In addition, the substitution of cement by supplementary cementitious materials having different chemical compositions exacerbates the problem without counting the multiplicity of superplasticizers to choose from. The present work consists of a study of the rheological and mechanical properties of cementitious systems containing slag and various types of superplasticizers. The tests were carried out on pastes, mortars and concretes incorporating slag in partial cement replacement and four superplasticizers types, polynaphthalene sulphonate (PNS) and three polycarboxylates (PC). The results of this study demonstrate that the viscosity and the yield stress increase with the rate of incorporation of the slag. The air increases with the polycarboxylates but this effect is less perceptible in the presence of the slag. Polycarboxylates improve workability more than PNS. The use of polycarboxylates reduces the viscosity and the yield stress. The compressive strength of concretes containing slag is low at early age but high at long run. They exhibit good resistances to scaling. The permeability to chloride ions is considerably reduced in the presence of the slag independently of the type of superplasticizer, suggesting good durability of these concretes in potentially aggressive external environments.     

Radiation synthesis of hydrogels based on carboxymethyl cellulose and its application in removal of pollutants from wastewater

Synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose‐g‐methacrylic acid/acrylamide Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) hydrogel was carried out using direct radiation copolymerization technique at ambient temperature. The gel (%) increased with increasing the content of AAm till level off at Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) (1/50:50 wt%) hydrogel and the swelling behavior found to be increased with increasing MAAc content in the hydrogel composition up to Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) (1/60:40 wt%). The grafting yield, grafting ratio, swelling behavior, and the thermal stability of Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) binary system are higher than those reported in our previous study by the same author which described the individual grafting of acrylamide (AAm) and methacrylic acid (MAAc) with different concentration onto carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) using direct radiation grafting technique. The swelling kinetics and diffusion mechanism indicate that the water penetration obey non‐Fickian transport mechanism. The characterization of the prepared hydrogel was evaluated using Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The analyses by different analytical tools confirmed the successful grafting of both MAAc and AAm onto CMC. The adsorption capacity of Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) (1/60:40 wt%) hydrogel toward metal ions such as Cu⁺² and Co⁺², dyes such as acid blue dye and methyl green have been investigated. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:E35–E43, 2019. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Mechanical,morphological, and thermal properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/low‐density polyethylene composites filled with date palm leaf fiber

This article investigates the mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) blends, at three different concentrations: 20, 50, and 80 wt% of LDPE. Besides, composite samples that were prepared from PVC/LDPE blend reinforced with different date palm leaf fiber (DPLF) content, 10, 20, and 30 wt%, were also studied. The sample in which PVC/LDPE (20 wt%/80 wt%) had the greatest tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus. The good thermal stability of this sample can be seen that T_10% and T_20% occurred at higher temperatures compared to others blends. DPLF slightly improved the tensile strength of the polymer blend matrix at 10 wt% (C10). The modulus of the composites increased significantly with increasing filler content. Ageing conditions at 80°C for 168 h slightly improved the mechanical properties of composites. Scanning electron microscopic micrographs showed that morphological properties of tensile fracture surface are in accordance with the tensile properties of these blends and composites. Thermogravimetric analysis and derivative thermogravimetry show that the thermal degradation of PVC/LDPE (20 wt%/80 wt%) blend and PVC/LDPE/DPLF (10 and 30 wt%) composites took place in two steps: in the first step, the blend was more stable than the composites. In the second step, the composites showed a slightly better stability than the PVC/LDPE (20 wt%/80 wt%) blend. Based on the above investigation, these new green composites (PVC/LDPE/DPLF) can be used in several applications. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:E88–E93, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Thiazole derivatives‐functionalized polyvinyl chloride nanocomposites with photostability and antimicrobial properties

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was modified via substitution reaction with 2‐aminothiazole and ethyl 2‐aminothiazole‐4‐carboxylate separately in the absence and in presence of silver (AgNPs) or copper (CuNPs) nanoparticles, using metal salts as precursors, in 3% (w/w) with respect to PVC. The functionalized PVC‐nanocomposites have been characterized via FTIR, ¹HNMR spectroscopic analyses, in addition to the morphological investigation such as scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Spectral data confirmed the introduction of the thiazole (ester) to the PVC backbone. TEM analysis showed that the sizes of the AgNPs and CuNPs have fallen in the range of 10–30 nm and 30–50 nm for the prepared nanocomposites, respectively. Evaluating the photostability of modified nanocomposites was estimated by following the extent of discoloration for UV‐irradiated samples colorimetrically in accordance with the irradiation time. The antimicrobial activity of the modified nanocomposites was explored against three Gram+ve bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus faecalis), three Gram‐ve bacteria (Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and two fungi (Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus). Aminothiazole (ester)‐functionalized PVC exhibited significant antimicrobial efficiencies against the investigated pathogens. However, incorporation of AgNPs or CuNPs to the modified PVC enhanced their inhibitory effect against the microorganisms under investigation. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:E137–E146, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers