An Investigation on Decay Modes and Half-Life of Nobelium Isotopes

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - Relativistic Mean Field (RMF) theory with density-dependent forces (DD-ME2 and DD-PC1) was utilized to investigate decay modes and half-life of superheavy...     

Comparative Study of Biosorption of Heavy Metals Using Living Green Algae Scenedesmus quadricauda and Neochloris pseudoalveolaris: Equilibrium and Kinetics

The biosorption of several heavy metals such as cobalt(II), chromium(III), lead(II), cadmium(II), nickel(II), and manganese(II) from aqueous systems on living microalgae cultures, Scenedesmus quadricauda and Neochloris pseudoalveolaris were studied under laboratories conditions. The kinetic and statistical parameters were calculated by using the data obtained from batch cultivation and well fitted a pseudo-first-order rate equation. The initial metal concentrations in solution were about 5–40 mg · L^?1. According to the pseudo-second-order model, the biosorption capacities of Scenedesmus quadricauda for Co(II), Cr(III), Pb(II), Cd(II), Ni(II), and Mn(II) ions were found in the ranges of 2.14–52.48, 1.98–81.98, 8.05–4.26, 7.81–24.96, 2.17–55.71, and 3.54–75.20 mg g^?1, respectively. Kinetic studies revealed that the metal uptake capacity of each living green algae was rather fast. It was also observed that the biosorption kinetic rate decreased with increasing concentration for both microalgae. The application of diffusion-controlled models to the experimental results indicated that the contribution of intraparticle diffusion to the overall sorption kinetics was not very important. Results showed that Co(II), Cr(III), Pb(II), Cd(II), Ni(II), and Mn(II) ions could effectively be absorbed by using living microalga cultures from aqueous solutions.     

Photoluminescence analyses of hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride thin films

Silicon-rich hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiN_x:H) films were grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) with different r=NH₃/SiH₄ gas flow ratios. The optical absorption characteristics were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV-visible transmittance spectroscopies. The recombination properties were investigated via photoluminescence (PL) measurements. As r was increased from 2 to 9, the PL emission color could be adjusted from red to blue with the emission intensity high enough to be perceived by naked eye at room temperature. The behaviors of the PL peak energy and the PL band broadness with respect to the optical constants were discussed in the frame of electron-phonon coupling and band tail recombination models. A semiquantitative analysis supported the band tail recombination model, where the recombination was found to be favored when the carriers thermalize to an energy level at which the band tail density of states (DOS) reduces to some fraction of the relevant band edge DOS. For the PL efficiency comparison of the samples with different nitrogen contents, the PL intensity was corrected for the absorbed intensity fraction of the incident PL excitation source. The resulted correlation between the PL efficiency and the subgap absorption tail width further supported the band tail recombination model.     

Phase diagrams in mixed spin-3/2 and spin-2 Ising system with two alternative layers within the effective-field theory

The phase diagrams in the mixed spin-3/2 and spin-2 Ising system with two alternative layers on a honeycomb lattice are investigated and discussed by the use of the effective-field theory with correlations. The interaction of the nearest-neighbour spins of each layer is taken to be positive (ferromagnetic interaction) and the interaction of the adjacent spins of the nearest-neighbour layers is considered to be either positive or negative (ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic interaction). The temperature dependence of the layer magnetizations of the system is examined to characterize the nature (continuous or discontinuous) of the phase transitions and obtain the phase transition temperatures. The system exhibits both second-and first-order phase transitions besides triple point (T P ), critical end point (E), multicritical point (A), isolated critical point (C) and reentrant behaviour depending on the interaction parameters. We have also studied the temperature dependence of the total magnetization to find the compensation points, as well as to determine the type of behaviour, and N-type behaviour in N′eel classification nomenclature existing in the system. The phase diagrams are constructed in eight different planes and it is found that the system also presents the compensation phenomena depending on the sign of the bilinear exchange interactions.     

Stochastic models for strategic resource allocation in nonprofit foreclosed housing acquisitions

Increased rates of mortgage foreclosures in the U.S. have had devastating social and economic impacts during and after the 2008 financial crisis. As part of the response to this problem, nonprofit organizations such as community development corporations (CDCs) have been trying to mitigate the negative impacts of mortgage foreclosures by acquiring and redeveloping foreclosed properties. We consider the strategic resource allocation decisions for these organizations which involve budget allocations to different neighborhoods under cost and return uncertainty. Based on interactions with a CDC, we develop stochastic integer programming based frameworks for this decision problem, and assess the practical value of the models by using real-world data. Both policy-related and computational analyses are performed, and several insights such as the trade-offs between different objectives, and the efficiency of different solution approaches are presented.     

Scale-up synthesis of zinc borate from the reaction of zinc oxide and boric acid in aqueous medium

Synthesis of zinc borate was conducted in a laboratory and a pilot scale batch reactor to see the influence of process variables on the reaction parameters and the final product, 2ZnO·3B₂O₃·3.5H₂O. Effects of stirring speed, presence of baffles, amount of seed, particle size and purity of zinc oxide, and mole ratio of H₃BO₃:ZnO on the zinc borate formation reaction were examined at a constant temperature of 85 °C in a laboratory (4 L) and a pilot scale (85 L) reactor. Products obtained from the reaction in both reactors were characterized by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, particle size distribution analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The kinetic data for the zinc borate production reaction was fit by using the logistic model. The results revealed that the specific reaction rate, a model parameter, decreases with increase in particle size of zinc oxide and the presence of baffles, but increases with increase in stirring speed and purity of zinc oxide; however, it is unaffected with the changes in the amount of seed and reactants ratio. The reaction completion time is unaffected by scaling-up.     

L-weakly and M-weakly compact operators and the centre

We extend known results concerning the centre of spaces of regular (resp. weakly compact or compact) operators between two Banach lattices to the setting of L-weakly compact and M-weakly compact operators. We also show that the L-weakly compact, M-weakly compact, and compact operators lying in the centre of a Banach lattice coincide.     

A Taguchi approach for determination of optimum design parameters for a heat exchanger having circular-cross sectional pin fins

The present work submits an investigation about the optimal values of design parameters and performance analysis for a heat exchanger having cylindrical pin fins positioned in a rectangular channel. The experiments covered the following range: Reynolds number 13,500–42,000, the clearance ratio (C/H) 0, 0.33 and 1, the interfin spacing ratio (S _y /D) 1.208, 1.944 and 3.417. In the experimentation, Taguchi method was employed, and Nusselt number and friction factor were considered as performance parameters. While the optimum parameters were determined, due to the goals (above aims) more than one being, the trade-off among goals was considered. First of all, each goal was optimized, separately. Then, all goals were optimized together, considering the priority of goals, and the optimum results were found to be Reynolds number of 42,000, fin height of 50 mm and pitch of 3.417. The performance analysis also was made under a constant pumping power constraint, and the results showed that the use of cylindrical pin fins may lead to an advantage on the basis of heat transfer enhancement.