Spray Reagents for the Visualization and Detection of Sesame Oil Unsaponifiables on Thin-Layer Chromatograms

Anisaldehyde and crotonaldehyde have been tested as spray reagents for the visualization of major components of sesame oil unsaponifiable matter. Colours produced using anisaldehyde were shades of the spectrum, which are characteristic of the lignans and sterols inherented in the Sesamum indicum in relatively higher coverage, sensitivity and selectivity. However, crotonaldehyde could detect four of the eleven unsaponifiable matters in relatively more stable and bright colour spots.     

Thermal stability of functionalized carbon nanotubes studied by in-situ transmission electron microscopy

The thermal stability of funtionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been studied experimentally by direct in-situ observations using a heating stage in a transmission electron microscope, from room temperature (RT) to about 1000 °C. It was found that the thermal stability of the functionalized CNTs was significantly reduced during the in-situ heating process. Their average diameter dramatically expanded from RT to about 500 °C, and then tended to be stable until about 1000 °C. The X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis suggested that the diameter expansion was associated with coalescence of the carbon structure instead of deposition with additional foreign elements during the heating process.     

Three new stochastic local search algorithms for continuous optimization problems

This paper introduces three new stochastic local search metaheuristics algorithms namely, the Best Performance Algorithm (BPA), the Iterative Best Performance Algorithm (IBPA) and the Largest Absolute Difference Algorithm (LADA). BPA and IBPA are based on the competitive nature of professional athletes, in them desiring to improve on their best recorded performances. LADA is modeled on calculating the absolute difference between two numbers. The performances of the algorithms have been tested on a large collection of benchmark unconstrained continuous optimization functions. They were benchmarked against two well-known local-search metaheuristics namely, Tabu Search (TS) and Simulated Annealing (SA). Results obtained show that each of the new algorithms delivers higher percentages of the best and mean function values found, compared to both TS and SA. The execution times of these new algorithms are also comparable. LADA gives the best performance in terms of execution time.     

Thermal decomposition of rice husk: a comprehensive artificial intelligence predictive model

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - This study explored the predictive modelling of the pyrolysis of rice husk to determine the thermal degradation mechanism of rice husk. The study can...     

Charge storage mechanisms of cathode materials in rechargeable aluminum batteries

Science China Chemistry - Rechargeable aluminum batteries (RABs) have attracted great interest as one of the most promising candidates for large-scale energy storage because of their high...     

Studies on the chelation of aluminium for biological application—IV. AMP, ADP and ATP

Aluminium complexes of AMP, ADP and ATP have been studied at 25°C and an ionic strength of 0.15 mol dm⁻³, using glass electrode potentiometry. A novel formation function has been used as an aid to the interpretation of the data. For the Al³⁺/ADP system the major species formed, under the experimental conditions, was ML, while for the Al³⁺/ATP system the MLH species predominated.     

Sumudu transform and the solution of integral equations of convolution type

The convolution theorem for the Sumudu transform of a function which can be expressed as a polynomial or a convergent infinite series is proved and its applicability demonstrated in solving convolution type integral equations.     

On the existence of finite energy weak solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations in irregular domains

This paper studies the existence of weak solutions of the Navier–Stokes system defined on a certain class of domains in ?³ that may contain cusps. The concept of such a domain and weak energy solution for the system is defined and its existence is proved. However, thinness of cusps must be related to the adiabatic constant appearing in the pressure law. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.