A Method for Comparing Scholarly Journals as Service Providers to Authors

When authors of scholarly articles decide where to submit their manuscripts for peer review and eventual publication, they often base their choice of journals on very incomplete information abouthow well the journals serve the authors’ purposes of informing about their research and advancing their academic careers. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a new method for benchmarking scientific journals, providing more information to prospective authors. The method estimates a number of journal parameters, including readership, scientific prestige, time from submission to publication, acceptance rate and service provided by the journal during the review and publication process. Data directly obtainable from the web, data that can be calculated from such data, data obtained from publishers and editors, and data obtained using surveys with authors are used in the method, which has been tested on three different sets of journals, each from a different discipline. We found a number of problems with the different data acquisition methods, which limit the extent to which the method can be used. Publishers and editors are reluctant to disclose important information they have at hand (i.e. journal circulation, web downloads, acceptance rate). The calculation of some important parameters (for instance average time from submission to publication, regional spread of authorship) can be done but requires quite a lot of work. It can be difficult to get reasonable response rates to surveys with authors. All in all we believe that the method we propose, taking a “service to authors” perspective as a basis for benchmarking scientific journals, is useful and can provide information that is valuable to prospective authors in selected scientific disciplines.

Analysis of Flux Fringing for High-Frequency AC Inductor Design

Design of high-frequency inductors for purposes like Active Front End (AFE) converter filters involves analytical calculations based on methods like area product approach and accurate graphical methods. Once a core with an area product is selected the subsequent calculations of inductance and peak operating flux requires the estimation of reluctance of the magnetic circuit. This in turn demands an estimate of the fringing that will happen in the air gap of the inductor. In this paper we have looked at analytical methods for evaluating fringing flux and compared it with results from finite element method. Different levels of details of modelling the inductor is first considered for this purpose. The end results are compared with experimental measurements of inductance. It is shown that simple fringing flux model can provide accurate models for the inductor design.

A new method of producing local enhancement of buoyancy in liquid flows

We describe here a novel method of generating large volumetric heating in a liquid. The method uses the principle of ohmic heating of the liquid, rendered electrically conducting by suitable additives if necessary. Electrolysis is prevented by the use of high frequency alternating voltage and chemically treated electrodes. The technique is demonstrated by producing substantial heating in an initially neutral jet of water. Simple flow visualisation studies, made by adding dye to the jet, show marked changes in the growth and development of the jet with heat addition.

Studies on non-specific interference due to serum in the avidin-biotin microELISA for monkey chorionic gonadotropin and a method for its elimination

A study has been carried out on the non-specific interference due to serum in the avidin biotin micro-ELISA for monkey chorionic gonadotropin. Results suggest that it is not due to any proteolytic activity in the serum, but immunoglobulin or associated factors interfering at the level of antigen-antibody interaction. This interference was eliminated by heating samples at 60°C for 30 min.

Comparative study of filter-bank mean-energy distance for automated segmentation of speech signals

This paper describes a method of automated segmentation of speech assuming the signal is continuously time varying rather than the traditional short time stationary model. It has been shown that this representation gives comparable if not marginally better results than the other techniques for automated segmentation. A formulation of the 'Bach' (music semitonal) frequency scale filter-bank is proposed. A comparative study has been made of the performances using Mel, Bark and Bach scale filter banks considering this model. The preliminary results show up to 80 % matches within 20 ms of the manually segmented data, without any information of the content of the text and without any language dependence. 'Bach' filters are seen to marginally outperform the other filters.

Language independent automated segmentation of speech using Bach scale filter-banks

This correspondence describes a method for automated segmentation of speech. The method proposed in this paper uses a specially designed filter-bank called Bach filter-bank which makes use of 'music' related perception criteria. The speech signal is treated as continuously time varying signal as against a short time stationary model. A comparative study has been made of the performances using Mel, Bark and Bach scale filter banks. The preliminary results show up to 80 % matches within 20 ms of the manually segmented data, without any information of the content of the text and without any language dependence. The Bach filters are seen to marginally outperform the other filters.

Novel composite coded pattern for small angle measurement using imaging method -art.no.62891D

A novel approach for measurement of small rotation angles using imaging method is proposed and demonstrated. A plane mirror placed on a precision rotating table is used for imaging the newly designed composite coded pattern. The imaged patterns are captured with the help of a CCD camera. The angular rotation of the plane mirror is determined from a pair of the images of the pattern, captured once before and once after affecting the tilt of the mirror. Both simulation and experimental results suggest that the proposed approach not only retains the advantages of the original imaging method but also contributes significantly to the enhancement of its measuring range (+/- 4.13 degrees with accuracy of the order of 1 arcsec).

Thermodynamics of GdMnO3 and GdMn2O5 phases determined by the EMF method

Using solid oxide galvanic cells of the type: MnO + Gd2O3 + GdMnO3/O-2/Ni + NiO and Mn3O4 + GdMnO3 + GdMn2O5/O-2/air the equilibrium oxygen pressure for the following reactions :MnO + 1/2Gd(2)O(3) + 1/4O(2) = GdMnO3 1/3Mn(3)O(4) + GdMnO3 + 1/3O(2) = GdMn2O5 was determined in the temperature range from 1073 to 1450 K. From the determined equilibrium oxygen partial pressure the corresponding G i b b s free energy change for these reactions was derived: Delta G(f,GdMnO3)(0) (+/- 425J) 132721(+/ - 2240) +51.91(+/ - 0.81)T Delta G(f,GdMn2O5)(0)(+/- 670J) 121858(+/ - 6176) + 79.52(+/ - 4.83)T From these data, standard G i b b s energies, enthalpies and entropies of formation of GdMnO3 and GdMn2O5 from component oxides and from the elements are derived. Thermodynamic data tables for the two ternary phases are compiled from 298.15 to 1400 K.

A new method for the determination of covalent radii

In five-membered aromatic heterocyclic ring systems, a relation between the ratio of the distance between the two α to the two β protons and the covalent radii of the heteroatom is given. It is found that a similar relation is valid for the van der Waals radii also.

Room temperature ferromagnetism in ZnO (core)/graphite (shell) nanowires fabricated by a one-step method

ZnO (core)/graphitic (shell) nanowires were successfully fabricated by a one-step method. Morphology of the as-grown nanowires was studied in detail by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS). High resolution TEM micrographs and selected area electron diffraction patterns reveal the core/shell morphology of the nanowires that grew along the c-axis of ZnO. EDS study of the nanowires confirms that there are no impurities within the detectable limit. Superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer measurements show room temperature ferromagnetic ordering in these core/shell nanowires. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.