Lyapunov-based control and trajectory tracking of a 6-DOF flapping wing micro aerial vehicle

Nonlinear Dynamics - In this work, a high-fidelity nonlinear and time-periodic six degrees-of-freedom dynamic model of a flapping wing micro aerial vehicle has been developed. The model utilized...     

An approach to evaluate the efficiency of γ-ray detectors to determine the radioactivity in environmental samples

This work provides an approach to determine the efficiency of γ-ray detectors with a good accuracy in order to determine the concentrations of either naturally occurring or artificially prepared radionuclides. This approach is based on the efficiency transfer formula (ET), the effective solid angles, the self- absorptions of the source matrix, the attenuation by the source container and the detector housing materials on the detector efficiency. The experimental calibration process was done using radioactive (Cylindrical & Marinelli) sources, in different dimensions, that contain aqueous ¹⁵²Eu radionuclide. The comparison point to a fine agreement between the experimental measured and calculated efficiencies for the (NaI & HPGe) detectors using volumetric radioactive sources.     

A Generalized Spatial Modulation System Using Massive MIMO Space Time Coding Antenna Grouping

Massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO), also known as a very large-scale MIMO, is an emerging technology in wireless communications that increases capacity compared to MIMO systems. The massive MIMO communication technique is currently forming a major part of ongoing research. The main issue for massive MIMO improvements depends on the number of transmitting antennas to increase the data rate and minimize bit error rate (BER). To enhance the data rate and BER, new coding and modulation techniques are required. In this paper, a generalized spatial modulation (GSM) with antenna grouping space time coding technique (STC) is proposed. The proposed GSM-STC technique is based on space time coding of two successive GSM-modulated data symbols on two subgroups of antennas to improve data rate and to minimize BER. Moreover, the proposed GSM-STC system can offer spatial diversity gains and can also increase the reliability of the wireless channel by providing replicas of the received signal. The simulation results show that GSM-STC achieves better performance compared to conventional GSM techniques in terms of data rate and BER, leading to good potential for massive MIMO by using subgroups of antennas.     

Mercury(II) ion-selective polymeric membrane sensors for analysis of mercury in hazardous wastes.

Two novel potentiometric sensors that are highly selective to Hg2+ ions are described. These are based on the use of 5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and tricyclazole (TCZ) as neutral carriers in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membranes. Fast Nernstian responses are obtained for Hg2+ ions over the concentration ranges 7.0 x 10(-6) - 1.0 x 10(-2) and 7.7 x 10(-6) - 1.0 x 10(-2) mol l(-1) at pH 1.8 - 3.3 with lower detection limits of 5.0 x 10(-6) and 5.6 x 10(-6) mol l(-1) (approximately 1 microh ml(-1)) and calibration slopes of 30.0 and 29.7 mV decade(-1) with DTNB- and TCZ-based membrane sensors, respectively. Validation of the assay method reveals good performance characteristics, including long life span, good selectivity for Hg2+ ions over a wide variety of other metal ions, long term response stability, and high reproducibility. Applications for direct determination of mercury in hazardous wastes including dental amalgam, mercury bulbs, and fluorescent lamps give results with good correlation with data obtained using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Spectrophotometric determination of manganese by using redox reaction of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)osmium(II) with Mn7+.

This paper reports on the analytical application of the oxidation reaction of [Os(bpy)3]2+ by Mn7+ (MnO4-). The present study developed a very simple, sensitive and selective spectrophotometric method for the determination of manganese in an acidic medium. Three analytical wavelengths were employed in the UV and visible regions at 290, 315 and 480 nm. Beer's law was obeyed up to a concentration of 330 ng ml(-1) of Mn7+ at different wavelengths with regression equations 0.001 - 0.0042C(Mn), 0.001 + 0.0021C(Mn), and 0.001 - 9.34 x 10(-4)C(Mn) at 290, 315 and 480 nm, respectively. Under the optimum conditions, the achieved detection limits were 0.72, 1.37 and 3.32 ng ml(-1) at 290, 315, and 480 nm, respectively. In addition to the high sensitivity of the method (0.24 ng cm(-2) at 290 nm, 0.45 ng cm(-2) at 315 nm and 1.0 ng cm(-2) at 480 nm), it can be used for the determination of manganese in the presence of a large number of anions and cations, since it tolerates most of the potential interferents. The relative standard deviation was 0.5% (n = 11) for 90 ng ml(-1) manganese. The method was successfully applied to the determination of manganese in water from different resources.     

Inelastic X-ray scattering studies of phonons propagating along the axial direction of a DNA molecule having different counter-ion atmosphere

Shear-aligned 40 wt% calf-thymus Na-DNA molecules in aqueous solutions are prepared in their liquid crystalline phases and studied by high resolution inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS). Measured IXS spectra are analyzed with the generalized three effective eignmode (GTEE) theory. The phonon dispersion relations along the axial direction of DNA molecules with different MgCl₂ concentrations are constructed and compared. It is found that the sound speed along the axial direction of DNA molecules varies only slightly, but the phonon dampening is greatly affected with the increase amount of MgCl₂ concentration. Using the GTEE theory, we are able to extract the longitudinal viscosity in the hydrodynamic limit from the Q-dependence of a fitted parameter. We make a comprehensive review of the GTEE theory and discuss detailed analyses of IXS spectra taking into account finite energy resolution of the instrument.     

Entangled-photon imaging of a pure phase object

We demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that a coherent image of a pure phase object [implemented by a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) micromirror array] may be obtained by use of a spatially incoherent illumination beam. This is accomplished by employing a two-beam source of entangled photons generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. One of the beams probes the phase object while the other is scanned. Though each of the beams is, in and of itself, spatially incoherent, the pair of beams exhibits higher-order interbeam coherence.     

Gnapholide: a new guaiac-dimer from Pulicaria gnaphalodes (Asteraceae)

The ethyl acetate soluble part of the chloroform extract of Pulicaria gnaphalodes belonging to the family Asteraceae afforded a new sesquiterpene-dimer of guaiane class named as gnapholide and anabsinthin of the same skeleton. The structures of both the compounds were elucidated with the aid of spectroscopic techniques including 2D NMR.