Joint impact of nodes-mobility and channel estimation error on the performance of two-way relay systems

This paper presents the performance analysis of a two-way relay system with nodes-mobility (NM) and channel estimation errors (CEE) under time-varying Rayleigh fading. Herein, analog network coding protocol is employed at the relay node. All the participating nodes are half-duplex and equipped with single-antenna devices. Specifically, we utilize first-order Markovian model to characterize the impact of NM in the channel. Along with the NM, we also consider that the CEE may exist in practical scenarios, where nodes require to estimate the channel state information. By incorporating these factors, we first derive the instantaneous end-to-end (e2e) signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) at two source nodes. Then, we obtain the exact closed-form expressions for distribution and density functions of the two e2e SNRs. After that, we derive the accurate expressions of various performance metrics, viz., sum-bit error rate, overall outage probability, and ergodic sum-rate. Further, to attain more insights into the considered system, we deduce the asymptotic behavior of these performance metrics. Finally, numerical and Monte-Carlo simulation results are provided to validate our theoretical analysis and to illustrate the impact of NM and CEE on the performance measures of the considered system.     

Poisoning the corrosion of magnesium

Despite possessing excellent specific properties, rapid corrosion of magnesium is a significant barrier in its widespread use. Alloying Mg to enhance mechanical properties nominally increases susceptibility to corrosion from microstructural heterogeneity. Furthermore, alloying Mg nominally accelerates cathodic kinetics and hence also accelerates corrosion. To date, no alloying additions to Mg suggest that a reduction in corrosion rate can be imparted, however we reveal for the first time that alloying additions of arsenic can impart significant corrosion resistance to Mg via retarding the cathodic reaction.     

Simulation of a mixed-conducting membrane-based gas turbine power plant for CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> capture: system level analysis of operation stability and individual process unit degradation

A gas turbine power plant for CO₂ capture, based on oxygen-permeable membranes with mixed ionic-electronic conductivity, was analysed with respect to long-term stability by means of numerical simulation. Due to the attractive transport and physicochemical properties of mixed-conducting La₂NiO_4+δ, this nickelate was selected as a prototype membrane material for this application. Experiments showed very slow degradation of La₂NiO_4+δ membranes at oxygen chemical potentials close to atmospheric conditions, which are associated with kinetic demixing and other microstructure-related factors. Interaction with CO₂ in the intermediate temperature range also leads to lower oxygen permeation, whilst increasing oxygen pressure may cause partial phase decomposition and microstructural changes, thus again limiting the range of possible operation conditions. The relevant operational constraints were included in a detailed membrane-based gas turbine power plant model. The membrane performance degradation with time was approximated by a linear function with average rate of 3.3% per 1,000 operation hours. Furthermore, performance deterioration of the gas turbine compressor and turbine were also considered. Simulations revealed that the power plant is substantially affected by degradation of the ceramic membranes and turbomachinery components. The already rather small operating window was further narrowed when compared with a conventional gas turbine power plant. Two different designs of the membrane-based power plant were analysed: (1) with and (2) without additional combustors (afterburners) between the membrane reactor and the gas turbine. Afterburners increase thermal efficiency as well as power output, but also lead to non-negligible CO₂ emissions. In order to have a frame of comparison, results for a conventional gas turbine power plant with degradation of turbomachinery components are also presented. Simulations representing changes in ambient temperature and fuel composition as well as failure incidents were executed to analyse the susceptibility of the gas turbine power plant to external and internal changes.     

Dielectric behavior and impedance analysis of lead-free CuO doped (Na0.50K0.50)0.95(Li0.05Sb0.05Nb0.95)O3 ceramics

Pure (Na_0.50K_0.50)_0.95(Li_0.05Sb_0.05Nb_0.95)O₃ (NKNLS) and CuO doped NKNLS perovskite structured ferroelectric ceramics were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. x wt% of CuO (x = 0.2–0.8 wt%) was added in the NKNLS ceramics. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that single phase was formed for pure NKNLS while a small amount of second phase (K₆Li₄Nb₁₀O₃₀ ∼ 3%) was present in Cu²⁺ doped NKNLS ceramics. Dielectric anomalies around the temperatures of 120 °C and 350 °C have been identified as the ferroelectric–paraelectric transition (orthorhombic to tetragonal and tetragonal to cubic) temperatures for pure NKNLS compound. The electrical behavior of the ceramics was studied by impedance study in the high temperature range. Impedance analysis has shown the grain and grain boundary contribution using an equivalent circuit model. The impedance response in pure and Cu²⁺ doped NKNLS ceramics could be resolved into two contributions, associated with the bulk (∼grains) and the grain boundaries. From the conductivity studies, it is found that activation energies are strongly frequency dependent. The activation energy obtained from dielectric relaxation data may be attributed to oxygen ion vacancies.     

Al2O3/K2O-containing non-stoichiometric lithium disilicate-based glasses

The crystallisation kinetics of experimental glasses in 3 different systems: (A) Li₂O–SiO₂, (B) Li₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ and (C) Li₂O–K₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ were studied under non-isothermal conditions. The DTA results revealed a stronger tendency to crystallisation of binary compositions in comparison to the ternary and quaternary compositions comprising Al₂O₃ and K₂O which present the lower crystallisation, i.e. the crystallisation propensity follows the trend A > B > C. The devitrification process in the Li₂O–SiO₂ and Li₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ systems began earlier and the rate was higher in comparison to that of glasses in the quaternary Li₂O–K₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ system. Thus, addition of Al₂O₃ and K₂O to glasses of Li₂O–SiO₂ system was demonstrated to promote glass stability against crystallisation. However, the activation energy for crystallisation was shown to depend also on the SiO₂/Li₂O ratio with the binary system showing a decreasing trend with increasing SiO₂/Li₂O ratio, while the opposite tendency was being observed for compositions with added Al₂O₃ and K₂O.     

Bioactive meroditerpenes and indole alkaloids from the soil fungus Neosartorya fischeri (KUFC 6344), and the marine-derived fungi Neosartorya laciniosa (KUFC 7896) and Neosartorya tsunodae (KUFC 9213)

Two new metabolites including a new aszonalenin analogue (1c) and a new meroditerpene (3) were isolated, together with aszonalenin (1a), acetylaszonalenin (1b), 13-oxofumitremorgin B (2), aszonapyrone A (4b) and helvolic acid, from the culture of the soil fungus Neosartorya fischeri (KUFC 6344). While the ethyl acetate extract of the culture of the diseased coral-derived fungus Neosartorya laciniosa (KUFC 7896) furnished aszonapyrone B (4a), aszonapyrone A (4b), tryptoquivaline L and 3′-(4-oxoquinazolin-3-yl) spiro[1H-indole-3,5′-oxolane]-2,2′-dione, the ethyl acetate extract of the culture of the marine sponge-associated fungus Neosartorya tsunodae (KUFC 9213) yielded a new analogue of chevalone C (5) and helvolic acid. The structures of the new compounds were established based on 1D and 2D NMR spectral analysis as well as HR-ESIMS. Compounds 1a–c, 2, 3, 4a, 4b and 5 were evaluated for their in vitro growth inhibitory activity on the MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and A375-C5 (melanoma) cell lines by the protein binding dye SRB method.     

Performance of a gaseous detector based energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence imaging system: Analysis of human teeth treated with dental amalgam

Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) imaging systems are of great interest in many applications of different areas, once they allow us to get images of the spatial elemental distribution in the samples. The detector system used in this study is based on a micro patterned gas detector, named Micro-Hole and Strip Plate. The full field of view system, with an active area of 28 × 28 mm² presents some important features for EDXRF imaging applications, such as a position resolution below 125 μm, an intrinsic energy resolution of about 14% full width at half maximum for 5.9 keV X-rays, and a counting rate capability of 0.5 MHz. In this work, analysis of human teeth treated by dental amalgam was performed by using the EDXRF imaging system mentioned above. The goal of the analysis is to evaluate the system capabilities in the biomedical field by measuring the drift of the major constituents of a dental amalgam, Zn and Hg, throughout the tooth structures. The elemental distribution pattern of these elements obtained during the analysis suggests diffusion of these elements from the amalgam to teeth tissues.     

The role of nanocellulose fibers, starch and chitosan on multipolysaccharide based films

Thin nanocomposite films of thermoplastic starch, chitosan and cellulose nanofibers (bacterial cellulose or nanofibrillated cellulose) were prepared for the first time by solvent casting of water based suspensions of the three polysaccharides. The role of the different bioploymers on the final properties (thermal stability, transparency, mechanical performance and antimicrobial activity) of the films was related with their intrinsic features, contents and synergic effects resulting from the establishment of interactions between them. Thermoplastic starch displays an important role on the thermal stability of the films because it is the most stable polysaccharide; however it has a negative impact on the mechanical performance and transparency of the films. The addition of chitosan improves considerably the transparency (up to 50 % transmittance for 50 % of chitosan, in respect to the amount of starch), mechanical performance and antimicrobial properties (at least 25 % of chitosan and no more than 10 % of cellulose nanofibers are required to observe bacteriostatic or bactericidal activity) but decrease their thermal stability. The incorporation of cellulose nanofibers had the strongest positive impact on the mechanical properties of the materials (increments of up to 15 and 30 MPa on the Young′s modulus and Tensile strength, respectively, for films with 20 % of BC or NFC). Nonetheless, the impact in thermal stability and mechanical performance of the films, promoted by the addition of chitosan and cellulose nanofibres, respectively, was higher than the expected considering their percentage contents certainly because of the establishment of strong and complex interactions between the three polysaccharides.     

Cellulose/iron oxide hybrids as multifunctional pigments in thermoplastic starch based materials

Cellulose/iron oxide hybrids were prepared by the controlled hydrolysis of FeC₂O₄ in the presence of vegetable and bacterial cellulose fibres as substrates. By varying the relative amount of FeC₂O₄ and NaOH, either hematite or magnetic iron oxides were grown at the cellulose fibres surfaces. This chemical strategy was used for the production of a number of materials, whose coloristic properties associated to their reinforcement role allowed their use as new hybrid pigments for thermoplastic starch (TPS) based products. The TPS reinforced materials were characterized by several techniques in order to evaluate: the morphology and the compatibility between the matrix and the fillers; the mechanical reinforcement effect of the cellulose/iron oxide pigments on TPS and the coloristic properties of the composites. All materials showed good dispersion and strong adhesion for the cellulose/iron oxide nanocomposites in the TPS matrix thus resulting in improved mechanical properties.     

Signal moments for the short‐time Fourier transform associated with Hardy–Sobolev derivatives

The short‐time Fourier transform has been shown to be a powerful tool for non‐stationary signals and time‐varying systems. This paper investigates the signal moments in the Hardy–Sobolev space that do not usually have classical derivatives. That is, signal moments become valid for non‐smooth signals if we replace the classical derivatives by the Hardy–Sobolev derivatives. Our work is based on the extension of Cohen's contributions to the local and global behaviors of the signal. The relationship of the moments and spreads of the signal in the time, frequency and short‐time Fourier domain are established in the Hardy–Sobolev space. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.