Economic design of attribute np control charts using a variable sampling policy

To use a control chart, the quality engineer should specify three decision variables, namely the sample size, the sampling interval and the critical region of the chart. A significant part of recent research relaxed the constraint of using fixed design parameters to open the way to a new type of control charts called adaptive ones where at least one of the decision variables may change in real time based on the last data information. These adaptive schemes have proven their effectiveness from economical and statistical point of views. In this paper, the economic design of an attribute np control chart using a variable sampling interval (VSI) is treated. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to search for optimal design parameters minimizing the expected total cost per hour and to reveal the impact of the process and cost parameters on the behavior of optimal solutions. An economic comparison between the classical np chart, variable sample size (VSS) np control chart and VSI chart is conducted. It is found that switching from the classical attribute chart to the VSI sampling strategy results in notable cost savings and in reduction of the average time to signal and the average number of false alarms. In most cases of the sensitivity analysis, the VSI np chart outperforms the VSS np chart based on economical and statistical considerations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Host-guest inclusion complex between β-cyclodextrin and paeonol: A theoretical approach

Host-guest interactions of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with paeonol (PAE) were simulated using semi-empirical PM3 and both ONIOM2 [(B3LYP/6-31G*:PM3), (HF/6-31G*:PM3)] methods. The results obtained with PM3 method clearly indicate that the complexes formed are energetically favored with or without solvent, the model 1 (PAE entering into the cavity of β-CD from its wide side by OCH3 group) is found more favored than the model 2 (PAE entering into the cavity of β-CD from its wide side by COCH3 group). Finally, natural bonding orbital (NBO) analysis was performed based on ONIOM2 optimized complexes to quantify the donor–acceptor interactions between PAE and β-CD.     

Functionalization of Pasteurized Milk Using Rosemary,Thyme, and Ammoides Aqueous Extracts for Better Microbial Quality and an Improved Antioxidant Activity

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), and ammoides (Ammoidespusilla L.) aqueous extracts supplementation on the quality of heat-treated (55, 65, and 75 °C) raw milk (sample lots: A, B, and C) and cold-stored pasteurized milk (lot D). The three herbs have shown rich polyphenol contents (32.65–104.23 mgGAE/g), relevant antioxidant capacity, and high caffeic and rosmarinic acids and catechin contents. A significant reduction in psychrotrophic and total viable bacteria counts (PC and TVC) was attained following milk extract supplementation in both experiments. Monitoring PC and TVC counts in sample lots (A, B, and C) has revealed a significant improvement in extracts’ effectiveness in reducing the TVC count with the increment of temperature. The highest reductions of PC and TVC counts were achieved, respectively, in samples treated with thyme and rosemary in (lots: A, B, and C) and in samples treated with ammoides and thyme in (lot D). Thyme extract showed the highest milk serum DPPH scavenging activity (74.84% at 0.1 mg/mL) and induced a significant Listeria monocytogenes growth inhibition (>1 Log cycle). The sensory evaluation of supplemented milk has shown good consumer acceptability of ammoides-supplemented milk, quite similar to the control sample.     

Volumetric,Ultrasonic and Viscosimetric Studies for the Binary Mixture (1, 4-Dioxane + Water) at T = (295.15, 298.15, 301.15, 304.15, 307.15, 310.15 and 313.15) K

Journal of Solution Chemistry - Density, speed of sound and viscosity data for the binary mixtures (1,4-dioxane (1)?+?water (2)), were measured over the whole composition range at...     

Synthesis,Antibacterial, and Antifungal Activities of Imidazo[2,1-c][1,2,4]triazoles and 1,2,4-Triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidinones

A straightforward method has been developed for the synthesis of 1-phenyl-imidazo [2,1-c][1,2,4]triazole derivatives 5a–j and 1-phenyl-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidinones derivatives 6a–g starting from 5-amino-1-phenyl[1,2,4]triazole and p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA). This methodology affords a number of 1-phenyl-imidazo [2,1-c][1,2,4]triazoles 5a–j and 1-phenyl-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidinones 6a–g in reasonable yields and short reaction times. The structures of all new compounds were elucidated using infrared, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Some of the newly synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activity.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications ^® for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.]     

Biodiesel Production by Single and Mixed Immobilized Lipases Using Waste Cooking Oil

Biodiesel is one of the important biofuels as an alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuels. In the current study, enzymatic transesterification reaction was carried out for the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil (WCO) and experimental conditions were optimized, in order to reach maximum biodiesel yield. Bacillus stearothermophilus and Staphylococcus aureus lipase enzymes were individually immobilized on CaCO₃ to be used as environmentally friendly catalysts for biodiesel production. The immobilized lipases exhibited better stability than free ones and were almost fully active after 60 days of storage at 4 °C. A significant biodiesel yield of 97.66 ± 0.57% was achieved without any pre-treatment and at 1:6 oil/methanol molar ratio, 1% of the enzyme mixture (a 1:1 ratio mixture of both lipase), 1% water content, after 24 h at 55 °C reaction temperature. The biocatalysts retained 93% of their initial activities after six cycles. The fuel and chemical properties such as the cloud point, viscosity at 40 °C and density at 15 °C of the produced biodiesel complied with international specifications (EN 14214) and, therefore, were comparable to those of other diesels/biodiesels. Interestingly, the resulting biodiesel revealed a linolenic methyl ester content of 0.55 ± 0.02% and an ester content of 97.7 ± 0.21% which is in good agreement with EN14214 requirements. Overall, using mixed CaCO₃-immobilized lipases to obtain an environmentally friendly biodiesel from WCO is a promising and effective alternative for biodiesel production catalysis.     

Approximation of the distribution of excesses using a generalized probability weighted moment method

The POT (Peaks-Over-Threshold) approach consists of using the generalized Pareto distribution (GPD) to approximate the distribution of excesses over a threshold. In this Note, we consider this approximation using a generalized probability weighted moment (GPWM) method. We study the asymptotic behaviour of our new estimators and also the functional bias of the GPD as an estimate of the distribution function of the excesses. To cite this article: J. Diebolt et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 340 (2005).     

Representation of type I heterostructure junctionless tunnel field effect transistor for high-performance logic application

In this paper, a gate-all-around junctionless tunnel field effect transistor (JLTFET) based on heterostructure of compound and group III–V semiconductors is introduced and simulated. In order to blend the high tunneling efficiency of narrow band gap material JLTFETs and the high electron mobility of III–V JLTFETs, a type I heterostructure junctionless TFET adopting Ge–Al _x Ga_1?x As–Ge system has been optimized by numerical simulation in terms of aluminum (Al) composition. To improve device performance, we considered a nanowire structure, and it was illustrated that high-performance logic technology can be achieved by the proposed device. The optimal Al composition founded to be around 20 % (x = 0.2). The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the proposed device has low leakage current I _OFF of ~1.9 × 10^?17, I _ON of 4 µA/µm, I _ON/I _OFF current ratio of 1.7 × 10¹¹ and subthreshold swing SS of 12.6 mV/decade at the 40 nm gate length and temperature of 300 K.