Surfactant (PEG 400) effects on crystallinity of ZnO nanoparticles

AbstractThe surfactant effects on the size and crystallinity of ZnO powders prepared by Solid-state mechanochemical method. The present method is a simple and efficient method for the preparation of nanoparticles with high yield at low cost. The size and crystallinity of the nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDAX). Optical properties and band gap were studied by UV–Vis spectroscopy. XRD shown that the lattice constants have been changed to some extent. These results showed that the band gap energy decreases with increase in lattice constants, which can be attributed to the improvement in crystallinity of the samples. The band gap of the ZnO can be tuned in the range of 3.37–3.33eV respectively, by the use of PEG 400 surfactant

Risk Management with Derivatives by Dealers and Market Quality in Government Bond Markets

This paper examines how bond dealers use futures markets to manage the hedgeable market risk component of their core business risk exposure, and whether market quality is adversely affected by their selective risk taking activity. It also investigates the efficiency of market risk sharing within a decentralized semi-transparent market structure. We find that dealers engage in duration targeting, behaving as if they have a comparative advantage in bearing interest rate risk. They make significant directional bets often by holding futures that are in the same direction as the spot. They actively use futures to hedge changes in the spot exposure. They hedge changes in their spot exposure more when the potential costs of regulatory distress are high, when the cost of such hedging is low, and during periods of greater uncertainty. We find that duration targeting by dealers has adverse price effects due to capital constraints as predicted by Froot and Stein (1998). Finally, we find that trades in the spot market are not executed by dealers with extreme exposures. In this context, we recommend market reforms such as introduction of central quote posting or limit order book that will enable more efficient matching of liquidity demanders and suppliers, reduce trading costs, and improve the quality of risk sharing

Risk Management with Derivatives by Dealers and Market Quality in Government Bond Markets

This paper examines how bond dealers use futures markets to manage the hedgeable market risk component of their core business risk exposure, and whether market quality is adversely affected by their selective risk taking activity. It also investigates the efficiency of market risk sharing within a decentralized semi-transparent market structure. We find that dealers engage in duration targeting, behaving as if they have a comparative advantage in bearing interest rate risk. They make significant directional bets often by holding futures that are in the same direction as the spot. They actively use futures to hedge changes in the spot exposure. They hedge changes in their spot exposure more when the potential costs of regulatory distress are high, when the cost of such hedging is low, and during periods of greater uncertainty. We find that duration targeting by dealers has adverse price effects due to capital constraints as predicted by Froot and Stein (1998). Finally, we find that trades in the spot market are not executed by dealers with extreme exposures. In this context, we recommend market reforms such as introduction of central quote posting or limit order book that will enable more efficient matching of liquidity demanders and suppliers, reduce trading costs, and improve the quality of risk sharing

Do Correlated Exposures Influence Intermediary Decision-making? Evidence from Trading Behavior of Equity Dealers

This paper investigates whether dealers’ trading and pricing decisions are governed by their equivalent inventories (based on total returns as in Ho and Stoll, 1983 or on unhedgeable returns as in Froot and Stein, 1998) or by their ordinary inventories, as would be the case in a decentralized market-making organizational structure. It finds that ordinary inventories, and not equivalent inventories best explain dealers’ quote placement strategy, which dealer executes trades and the quality of execution offered to the trades. This finding is consistent with decentralized market making where, due to information sharing difficulties or the nature of compensation contracts, individual dealers care only about risk of stocks managed by them, and not the positions of other dealers within the firm

Single channel blind source separation based local mean decomposition for Biomedical applications

Single Channel Blind Source Separation (SCBSS) is an extreme case of underdetermined (more sources and fewer sensors) Blind Source Separation (BSS) problem. In this paper, we propose a novel technique using Local Mean Decomposition (LMD) and Independent Component Analysis (ICA) combined with single channel BSS (LMD-ICA). First, the LMD was used to decompose the single channel source into a series of data sequences, which are called as Product Functions (PF), then, ICA algorithm was used to process PFs to get similar independent components and extract the original signals. A comparison was made between LMD-ICA and previously proposed single channel ICA method (EEMD-ICA). The real time experimental results demonstrated the advantage of the proposed single channel source separation method for artifact removal and in biomedical source separation applications. © 2013 IEEE

Assessing the effect of Maillard reaction products on the functionality and antioxidant properties of Amaranth-red seaweed blends

Plant-based proteins, represented by amaranth in our study, embrace a potential as an ingredient for the functional-food formulation. However, their efficacy is hindered by inherent limitations in solubility, emulsification, and antioxidant traits. The Maillard reaction, a complex chemical-process resulting in a diverse array of products, including Maillard conjugates and Maillard reaction products (MRPs), can employ variable effects on these specific attributes. To elucidate the influence of this reaction and the MRPs on the aforementioned properties, we used a complex blend of dehydrated seaweed Gracilaria and amaranth protein to create a conjugate-MRP blend. Our investigations revealed that the resultant incorporation enhanced solubility, emulsification, and antioxidant properties, while the intermediates formed did not progress to advanced glycation stages. This change is likely attributed to the dual effect of conjugates that altered the secondary protein structure, while the generation and/or preservation of MRPs post ultrasonication and spray drying enhanced its antioxidant potential

Random access quantum information processors

Qubit connectivity is an important property of a quantum processor, with an ideal processor having random access -- the ability of arbitrary qubit pairs to interact directly. Here, we implement a random access superconducting quantum information processor, demonstrating universal operations on a nine-bit quantum memory, with a single transmon serving as the central processor. The quantum memory uses the eigenmodes of a linear array of coupled superconducting resonators. The memory bits are superpositions of vacuum and single-photon states, controlled by a single superconducting transmon coupled to the edge of the array. We selectively stimulate single-photon vacuum Rabi oscillations between the transmon and individual eigenmodes through parametric flux modulation of the transmon frequency, producing sidebands resonant with the modes. Utilizing these oscillations for state transfer, we perform a universal set of single- and two-qubit gates between arbitrary pairs of modes, using only the charge and flux bias of the transmon. Further, we prepare multimode entangled Bell and GHZ states of arbitrary modes. The fast and flexible control, achieved with efficient use of cryogenic resources and control electronics, in a scalable architecture compatible with state-of-the-art quantum memories is promising for quantum computation and simulation.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, supplementary information ancillary file, 21 page

Timing and spectral studies of the transient X-ray pulsar EXO 053109-6609.2 with ASCA and Beppo-SAX

We report timing and spectral properties of the transient Be X-ray pulsar EXO 053109--6609.2 studied using observations made with the ASCA and BeppoSAX observatories. Though there must have been at least one spin-down episode of the pulsar since its discovery, the new pulse period measurements show a monotonic spin-up trend since 1996. The pulse profile is found to have marginal energy dependence. There is also evidence for strong luminosity dependence of the pulse profile, a single peaked profile at low luminosity that changes to a double peaked profile at high luminosity. This suggests a change in the accretion pattern at certain luminosity level. The X-ray spectrum is found to consist of a simple power-law with photon index in the range of 0.4--0.8. At high intensity level the spectrum also shows presence of weak iron emission line.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap