Stability and bifurcations in oscillations of composite laminates with curvilinear fibres under a supersonic airflow

Nonlinear Dynamics - Nonlinear flutter of variable stiffness composite plates—using a reduced-order model benefiting from a large-enough number of modes or degrees of freedom—is the...     

Reliable Mark-Embedded Algorithm for Verifying Archived/Encrypted Image Contents in Presence Different Attacks with FEC Utilizing Consideration

Wireless Personal Communications - Due to the widely spreading of fake news utilizing image manipulation and its bad effects, this paper investigates efficient image contents verification and...     

A Novel Approach to Analyzing the Occupancy of the Geo/Geo/∞ Queueing System

Discrete time queueing systems have been successfully used to model packet queues in computer and digital communications systems. In this article we introduce a novel approach to analyzing the Geo^X/Geo^Y/∞ queueing system, which is suitable for modelling high speed computer and communications systems. The approach is based on characterizing the system by a functional equation which is then solved recursively to give identical results to those obtained using other approaches.     

Stemmosides C and D, two novel unusual pregnane glycosides from Solenostemma argel: structural elucidation and configurational study by a combined NMR-quantum mechanical strategy

Stemmosides C and D, two novel pregnane glycosides characterized by an unusual C-17 side chain were isolated from the pericarps of Solenostemma argel. In addition, stemmoside D displays an uncommon 14β proton configuration, apparently being the first pregnane isolated from plants known to have a 15 keto, cis CD ring junction. Their structures have been established by ESIMS and NMR experiments. The relative configuration of the molecules was determined using a strategy based on the simulation of ¹H, ¹³C, and J coupling NMR parameters. DFT calculations of ¹H and ¹³C chemical shifts, and of the ¹H homonuclear spin–spin coupling constants were performed with the mPW1PW91 functional using the 6-31G(d,p) basis set on the fully optimized geometries of all the possible stereoisomers.     

Rail vs truck transport of biomass

This study analyzes the economics of transshipping biomass from truck to train in a North American setting. Transshipment will only be economic when the cost per unit distance of a second transportation mode is less than the original mode. There is an optimum number of transshipment terminals which is related to biomass yield. Transshipment incurs incremental fixed costs, and hence there is a minimum shipping distance for rail transport above which lower costs/km offset the incremental fixed costs. For transport by dedicated unit train with an optimum number of terminals, the minimum economic rail shipping distance for straw is 170 km, and for boreal forest harvest residue wood chips is 145 km. The minimum economic shipping distance for straw exceeds the biomass draw distance for economically sized centrally located power plants, and hence the prospects for rail transport are limited to cases in which traffic congestion from truck transport would otherwise preclude project development. Ideally, wood chip transport costs would be lowered by rail transshipment for an economically sized centrally located power plant, but in a specific case in Alberta, Canada, the layout of existing rail lines precludes a centrally located plant supplied by rail, whereas a more versatile road system enables it by truck. Hence for wood chips as well as straw the economic incentive for rail transport to centrally located processing plants is limited. Rail transshipment may still be preferred in cases in which road congestion precludes truck delivery, for example as result of community objections.     

A solution procedure for the discrete time, cost and quality tradeoff problem using electromagnetic scatter search

Decisions concerning a project’s expedition, traditionally involved considerations regarding time and cost tradeoff. It was recently suggested that the quality of a project should also be taken into considerations. In this paper, we propose a meta-heuristic solution procedure for the discrete time, cost and quality tradeoff problem. This problem involves the scheduling of project activities in order to minimize the total cost of the project while maximizing the quality of the project and also meeting a given deadline. We apply a so called electromagnetic scatter search to solve this problem. In this process, we initially generate a population of feasible solutions. In so doing, we use frequency memory to well sample the feasible region. A number of these solutions are then selected and improved locally. The improved solutions are then combined to generate new set of solutions. The combination process utilizes attraction–repulsion mechanisms borrowed from the electromagnetism theory. The whole process is stopped when no significant improvement in the set of solutions are observed. The validity of the proposed solution procedure is demonstrated, and its applicability is tested on a randomly generated large and complex problem having 19,900 activities.     

A quick neural network for computer vision of gray images

This paper presents a comparison between the traditional image processing method and the area vector concept as well as the new technique of artificial neural networks. Freeman chain coding is considered in the study, and the principle of segmentation may be based and implemented for further investigations resulting from the proposed work. The pattern recognition concept is analyzed and defined through the sigmoid function and the determination of the threshold of a gray image for an object. The block schemes for the given protocols are summarized in a single scheme for illustration and comparison purposes. The synthetic pictures are generated and investigated regarding the dependence of computer vision on the contents of the artificial neural network. The normalization technique is included to eliminate noise and zooming problems. The minimum computational time for image processing with the generated pictures is also determined. The rate of deflection in the computational time is recommended for sensing the minimum computational time according to the variation of the number of hidden units in the hidden layer. A three-layer neural network has been used. The study of gray binary imaging for color pictures is illustrated to save computational time and effort.     

Probe metal binding mode of imine covalent organic frameworks: cycloiridation for (photo)catalytic hydrogen evolution from formate

Metalation of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is a critical strategy to functionalize COFs for advanced applications yet largely relies on the pre-installed specific metal docking sites in the network, such as porphyrin, salen, 2,2′-bipyridine, etc. We show in this study that the imine linkage of simple imine-based COFs, one of the most popular COFs, readily chelate transition metal (Ir in this work) via cyclometalation, which has not been explored before. The iridacycle decorated COF exhibited more than 10-fold efficiency enhancement in (photo)catalytic hydrogen evolution from aqueous formate solution than its molecular counterpart under mild conditions. This work will inspire more functional cyclometallated COFs to be explored beyond catalysis considering the large imine COF library and the rich metallacycle chemistry.

This study describes cyclometallation as a new metal binding mode for imine-based COFs. The iridacycle decorated COF could be used for catalytic hydrogen evolution from aqueous formate solution with high stability and high efficacy.