Book Review

Reviewing Frank E. Cooper, Living the Law, Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 195

Pressure-Induced Interlinking of Carbon Nanotubes

We predict new forms of carbon consisting of one and two dimensional networks of interlinked single wall carbon nanotubes, some of which are energetically more stable than van der Waals packing of the nanotubes on a hexagonal lattice. These interlinked nanotubes are further transformed with higher applied external pressures to more dense and complicated stable structures, in which curvature-induced carbon sp$^{3}$ re-hybridizations are formed. We also discuss the energetics of the bond formation between nanotubes and the electronic properties of these predicted novel structures.Comment: 4 pages, 4 postscript figures; To be appear in PR

Gas-phase composition and secondary organic aerosol formation from standard and particle filter-retrofitted gasoline direct injection vehicles investigated in a batch and flow reactor

Gasoline direct injection (GDI) vehicles have recently been identified as a significant source of carbonaceous aerosol, of both primary and secondary origin. Here we investigated primary emissions and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from four GDI vehicles, two of which were also retrofitted with a prototype gasoline particulate filter (GPF). We studied two driving test cycles under cold- and hot-engine conditions. Emissions were characterized by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (gaseous non-methane organic compounds, NMOCs), aerosol mass spectrometry (sub-micron non-refractory particles) and light attenuation measurements (equivalent black carbon (eBC) determination using Aethalometers) together with supporting instrumentation. Atmospheric processing was simulated using the PSI mobile smog chamber (SC) and the potential aerosol mass oxidation flow reactor (OFR). Overall, primary and secondary particulate matter (PM) and NMOC emissions were dominated by the engine cold start, i.e., before thermal activation of the catalytic after-treatment system. Trends in the SOA oxygen to carbon ratio (O&thinsp;:&thinsp;C) for OFR and SC were related to different OH exposures, but divergences in the H&thinsp;:&thinsp;C remained unexplained. SOA yields agreed within experimental variability between the two systems, with a tendency for higher values in the OFR than in the SC (or, vice versa, lower values in the SC). A few aromatic compounds dominated the NMOC emissions, primarily benzene, toluene, xylene isomers/ethylbenzene and C3-benzene. A significant fraction of the SOA was explained by those compounds, based on comparison of effective SOA yield curves with those of toluene, o-xylene and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene determined in our OFR, as well as others from literature. Remaining discrepancies, which were smaller in the SC and larger in the OFR, were up to a factor of 2 and may have resulted from diverse reasons including unaccounted precursors and matrix effects. GPF retrofitting significantly reduced primary PM through removal of refractory eBC and partially removed the minor POA fraction. At cold-started conditions it did not affect hydrocarbon emission factors, relative chemical composition of NMOCs or SOA formation, and likewise SOA yields and bulk composition remained unaffected. GPF-induced effects at hot-engine conditions deserve attention in further studies.</p

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Hybrid Heuristic and Pattern Search Optimization Algorithm for Design Optimization of Energy Efficient Distribution Transformer

2022 IEEE Global Energy Conference, GEC 2022 -- 26 October 2022 through 29 October 2022 -- 185674Batman University and Batman Energy Coordination Center (EKOM)Transformers are widely used in the electric power grid. The design of power and distribution transformers is a tedious and time-consuming task that requires solving numerous equations considering technical constraints. Most conventional methods get stuck in a local optimum point. In this paper, a hybrid algorithm is proposed to solve the transformer design problem with higher closeness to the global optimum solution. The algorithm is a combination of the novel Pelican Optimization Algorithm (POA) and Pattern Search Method (PSM). The proposed POA-PSM algorithm is applied for the design optimization of 630 kVA and 1000 kVA oil-immersed eco-design distribution transformers and the results are compared to already-designed transformers with the same power ratings. © 2022 IEEE.ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work is funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) and R;D department of Eltaş Transformatör A.Ş. under grant number 119C127.Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu, TÜBİTAK: 119C12

A new vegetable tanning material for leather industry: Acacia nilotica L.

33rd International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists, IULTCS Congress 2015 -- 24 November 2015 through 27 November 2015 -- -- 119657Tanning is the most important stage giving the required characteristics to raw materials used in leather industry. Chromium salt is still the most preferred tanning material due to the leather properties of the final products. However, ecological awareness, restrictions and legislations have led the tanners and researchers to seek alternatives to chromium tanning system. Numerous alternatives such as vegetable tannins, titanium, zirconium, aluminum, oxazolidine, starch, silica, polymers, syntans etc. have been investigated to overcome the arising ecological problems. Although there was no fully replacement of chromium salt yet, the tendency is still towards to chromium-less production and the production of metal free leathers. In this study, a new vegetable tanning material extracted from the fruit of Acacia nilotica L. was used in the tanning process of the leather industry. The tannin content, the influence on especially the shrinkage temperature, and final physical properties of leathers such as tensile strength, elongation %, tear strength and color measurements have been investigated. Comparable results with commonly used vegetable tannins were obtained from the extract of Acacia nilotica L. The results showed that the extract of Acacia nilotica L. could be the potential new vegetable tanning material also alternative to metal tanning and other tanning systems for leather industry

Behaviour and knowledge skill levels of orthopedic surgeons about radiation safety and fluoroscopy use: A survey analysis

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the behaviour and knowledge skill levels of Turkish orthopedic surgeons about fluoroscopy usage and radiation safety. Methods: The questionnaire, consisting of nineteen questions, was sent to orthopaedic surgeons and requested by a total of 323 surgeons online. The questions were about personal information, training and behaviours related to radiation and fluoroscopy usage, and the use of protective equipment. Results: A total of 277 individuals completed the questionnaire. The answers of 180 surgeons whose working duration was more than 1 year and also who participated in at least one fluoroscopy requiring operation per week, were analysed. 22 (12%) participants answered that they were trained on fluoroscopy usage. Sixty people (33.3%) reported that they did not use any protective equipment regularly. The most commonly used protection methods were lead aprons 123 (68.3%). Thyroid protectors were used by 92 participants (52.1%). There was no significant difference between the groups when comparing the use of protective equipment according to the academic title. Only 19 (10.6%) of the surgeons noted that they used dosimeter regularly, and 15 (83.3%) of them reported that they controlled their dosimeters. Conclusion: In this study, Orthopedic surgeons were found not to be adequately trained about use and risks of fluoroscopy and also not to be equipped about methods for preventing radiation damage. © 2019 Turkish Association of Orthopaedics and Traumatolog