Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monte Carlo simulation of ion transport of the high strain ionomer with conducting powder electrodes

The transport of charge due to electric stimulus is the primary mechanism of actuation for a class of polymeric active materials known as ionomeric polymer transducers (IPT). At low frequency, strain response is strongly related to charge accumulation at the electrodes. Experimental results demonstrated using conducting powder, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT), polyaniline (PANI) powders, high surface area RuO2, carbon black electrodes etc. as an electrode increases the mechanical deformation of the IPT by increasing the capacitance of the material. In this paper, Monte Carlo simulation of a two-dimensional ion hopping model has been built to describe ion transport in the IPT. The shape of the conducting powder is assumed to be a sphere. A step voltage is applied between the electrodes of the IPT, causing the thermally-activated hopping between multiwell energy structures. Energy barrier height includes three parts: the energy height due to the external electric potential, intrinsic energy, and the energy height due to ion interactions. Finite element method software-ANSYS is employed to calculate the static electric potential distribution inside the material with the powder sphere in varied locations. The interaction between ions and the electrodes including powder electrodes is determined by using the method of images. At each simulation step, the energy of each cation is updated to compute ion hopping rate which directly relates to the probability of an ion moving to its neighboring site. Simulation ends when the current drops to constant zero. Periodic boundary conditions are applied when ions hop in the direction perpendicular to the external electric field. When an ion is moved out of the simulation region, its corresponding periodic replica enters from the opposite side. In the direction of the external electric field, parallel programming is achieved in C augmented with functions that perform message-passing between processors using Message Passing Interface (MPI) standard. The effects of conducting powder size, locations and amount are discussed by studying the stationary charge density plots and ion distribution plots.
The quality and sensory attributes of cookies supplemented with fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook) seed flour

Summary Replacing wheatflour (WHF) with defatted fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook) seed flour (FPF) at levels of 0–25% was investigated for its effect on chemical, physical, sensory and nutritional properties of cookies (biscuits). Protein quality was evaluated by using weanling albino rats fed a diet of cookies, which were formulated to supply 10% protein, with a casein diet as a control. Up to 15% substitution of WHF with FPF produced acceptable cookies with spread ratio, hardness, colour and flavour similar to the control (100% WHF) cookies. Use of higher levels (20–25%), however, resulted in reduction in these quality attributes. When WHF was replaced with 15% FPF, there was an increase of 84.6% in crude protein, 62.9% in calcium, 131.0% in potassium and 61.6% in phosphorus contents of composite cookies. There were no significant (P > 0.05) differences between the values obtained for protein efficiency ratio, net protein ratio and true digestibility of cookie diets containing 15–20% FPF, and casein when fed to rats.
Reinvestigation of the Acetone Degradation Mechanism in Dilute Aqueous Solution by the UV/H2O2 Process

A reinvestigation of the UV/H2O2 treatment of acetone has revealed previously undetected intermediates (pyruvic acid, pyruvic aldehyde, and hydroxyacetone). The time profiles of the concentrations of all intermediates have been determined, and a detailed mechanism for the degradation steps accounting for all detected intermediates is proposed. A kinetic model was developed on the basis of the proposed mechanism, and the predicted patterns of the reactants and intermediates are in good agreement with the experimental data. The application of the UV/H2O2 process to the degradation of acetone results in the eventual mineralization of all organic compounds, as demonstrated by TOC measurements.
Nanoscale Heterogeneity of Polyamide Membranes Formed by Interfacial Polymerization

The nanoscale structure of composite polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The study demonstrated that the polymer density and charge are distributed across the active polyamide layer in a highly nonuniform fashion. The polyamide films appear to be built of a negatively charged outer layer sitting on top of an inner layer possessing a small positive charge. This picture appears to be fairly general for all types of composite membranes and seems to reconcile previously reported contradictory experimental facts concerning measurements of charge for this type of membrane. The sharp boundary between the layers roughly corresponds to the region of the highest polymer density, that is, the actual selective barrier. The location of this barrier deep inside the RO films indicates that formation of the RO polyamide is not limited solely by monomer diffusion through the film, as was suggested previously, but.
Objective Measurements of Food Texture

There are many reasons for the food scientist’ to be concerned with food texture and to want to describe it in terms of numbers. The principal reason is to meet consumer acceptability by proper quality control of present products and by assessing advantages and disadvantages of new manufacturing processes and new foodstuffs. The second reason is to develop theoretical genhalizations and hypotheses, e.g., correlation between chemical composition or chemical modifications of components and the resulting texture (Scott Blair, 1960). Because of the problems involved in organoleptic evaluations of food attributes, food scientists are constantly searching for reliable and accurate objective measurements. Objective methods of texture measurement may be divided, after Scott Blair ( 195S), into three main categories : fundamental, empirical, and imitative. The devices that have lIeen used in measuring different aspects of food texture are much too numerous to be considered in a short space, so this review is limited to a few selected examples of typical devices that come under the three classifications above. Knowledge on physical measurements of food texture, with special reference to fruit and vegetable products, was reviewed by Kramer and Twigg ( 1959).
On the Nature of Slow β-Process in Simple Glass Formers: A2H NMR Study

We study the dynamics of the glass formers toluene and glycerol below the glass transition temperature Tg by means of 2H NMR techniques. Whereas for toluene a slow β-process is observed in dielectric spectroscopy, this process is not discernible in glycerol. We demonstrate that standard 1D and 2D NMR experiments cannot resolve the motional process because very small angular amplitudes are involved. However, applying the solid-echo technique and varying the interpulse delay, we detect changes of the spectra for toluene but not for glycerol. Performing simulations, we estimate molecular reorientation of about 6°. We conclude that the β-process in simple organic glasses originates from highly restricted molecular reorientation of essentially all molecules. No indications for “islands of mobility” are found.
Water Diffusion in Buckwheat Noodles and Wheat Noodles during Boiling and Holding as Determined from MRI and Rectangular Cylinder Diffusion Model

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was employed to observe water diffusion within two kinds of buckwheat noodles (marunuki, sarashina) and one kind of wheat noodle during boiling and holding. The apparent diffusion coefficients for water were statistically estimated with Fick’s second law using a rectangular cylinder model, and the changes in moisture distribution in buckwheat and wheat noodles were compared quantitatively. Apparent diffusion coefficients of water in noodles during boiling were 4 to 7 × 10 –6 cm 2 /sec. The diffusion coefficients of water in buckwheat noodles during boiling were higher than those in wheat noodles. For each noodle, the diffusion coefficient during holding after boiling was 2 to 3 × 10 –7 cm 2 /sec and constant through the holding time, from 30 to 120 min. The diffusion coefficients in buckwheat noodles during holding were lower than those in wheat noodles. These results show that, as compared with wheat noodles, buckwheat noodles cooked more rapidly and lost favorable texture during holding.
Retention of nutrients and heavy metals in mangrove sediment receiving wastewater of different strengths

Abstract Column leaching experiments were conducted to assess the retention of nutrients and heavy metals in mangrove sediments receiving wastewater of different strengths. The amounts of pollutants retained in the sediments increased with the strength of wastewater. The sediments leached with the strongest wastewater had the highest concentration of NH4+‐N, NO3 ‐‐N, P, Cu, Mn, Zn and Cd. Most of the retained wastewater‐borne pollutants were concentrated in the first 4 cm of the sediment column, with very little downwards migration. This suggests that the mangrove sediments acted as an efficient trap for immobilization of nutrients (in particular P) and heavy metals.
Microscopic dynamics of fluids confined between smooth and atomically structured solid surfaces

Molecular dynamics and the grand canonical Monte Carlo techniques are employed to simulate the structure and dynamics of a fluid in a slit micropore at equilibrium and under Couette flow. Calculated quantities include the fluid’s density profiles, pair correlation functions, diffusion coefficients, normal pressure, stress tensor, and velocity profiles. Simulation results for fluids in equilibrium with the same bulk fluid, but confined by either atomically smooth or structured face centered cubic pore walls are compared. At the conditions considered, fluid in the contact layer next to structured walls exhibits enhanced fluid order which is not altered by flow for pores capable of accommodating two fully developed fluid layers (i.e., for pores wider than 2.5 molecular diameters across). At narrower pore widths, the equilibrium fluid structure is changed by flow and the fluid is more sensitive to shear‐induced changes in the diffusivity and normal pressure. The layer average density profiles of the confined .
Synthesis of cadmium selenide colloidal quantum dots in aquatic medium

Cadmium selenide nanocrystals were prepared in water phase through facile wet chemistry technique with thioglycolic acid (TGA) acting as capping agent. Structures were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies. Depending on synthesis conditions nanoparticles exhibit photoluminescence with maximum in the region of 580 – 680 nm. Influence of technological parameters and component concentrations on nanocrystals average size and properties was studied.
The Effect of Organizational Culture and Work Motivation on Employee Performance: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

This research aimed at understanding the effect of organizational culture and work motivation on job satisfaction and its impact on the performance of PPSU employees in the Semper Barat Area, DKI Jakarta. The path analysis with descriptively and explanatorily-quantitative method was used for this research. The samples were 60 respondents by using sampling method. The results of this research indicated that organizational culture and work motivation significantly affected the work satisfaction. Similarly, organizational culture and work motivation had a directly significant effect on employee performance. Job satisfaction had a significant effect on employee performance. In addition, work satisfaction was able to significantly mediate the indirect effect of organizational culture and work motivation on employee performance. Keywords: Organizational culture, work motivation, job satisfaction, and employees’ performance DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-35-09 Publication date: December 31 st 2019
Effect of Alkyl Group Substituents, Temperature, and Solvents on the Ultrasonic Degradation of Poly(n-alkyl acrylates)

The effect of alkyl group substituents on the degradation rate of poly(n-alkyl acrylate) was investigated by studying the ultrasonic degradation of poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA), poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA), and poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PBA) in o-dichlorobenzene at 30 °C. A continuous-distribution kinetic model with midpoint scission was used to determine the rate coefficients. The rate coefficient increased with a decrease in the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group substituent; thus, the degradation rate followed the order PMA > PEA > PBA. This was explained based on the delocalization of charge on the carbon atoms joining two monomer units. The effect of temperature and solvents on the ultrasonic degradation of PBA was also investigated. The degradation rate coefficient decreased with an increase in the vapor pressure of the solvent and with an increase in the temperature. The effect of an initiator, 2,2‘-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN), on the degradation of PBA was also investigated. The degradation.
Pilot Study for the Investigation of Personal Breathing Zone and Dermal Exposure Using Levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (PAC) and PAC Metabolites in the Urine of Hot-Mix Asphalt Paving Workers

As part of the design of a comprehensive study of hot-mix asphalt paving workers to investigate the relative contribution of personal breathing zone and dermal exposures to polycyclic aromatic compounds, a two-part pilot (Phase I) was performed. The pilot study was important to examine the sources of exposure, the chemical nature of these exposures, and their biological relevance through analysis of biomarkers in urine. Existing, modified, and new sampling and analytical techniques, used in concert with each other, were evaluated to help design the full-scale study (Phase II). Although subject numbers were limited, the air, dermal, and urine sampling, analytical results and field experience provided valuable guidance in the design and implementation of Phase II. An overview of methods used and developed from this study is provided. More details of those methods selected for Phase II are presented in complementary manuscripts. Results of Phase II will be the subject of future publications.
Impact of organic and inorganic fertilizers on yield, taste, and nutritional quality of tomatoes

In a greenhouse experiment, tomato plants were grown in sand culture to test whether different fertilization regimes (mineral or organic fertilizers) at low (500 mg N plant–1 week–1) and high (750 mg N plant–1 week–1) nitrogen levels affected yield, nutritional quality, and taste of the fruits. In the mineral-fertilizer treatments, nitrate- or ammonium-dominated nutrient solutions were used. Organic fertilizer was supplied as fresh cut grass-clover mulch (a total of 2.4 kg and 3.6 kg were given per plant at low and high N level, respectively) without (orgN) and with additional sulfur fertilization (orgN+S). Yields of red tomatoes from the organically fertilized plants were significantly lower (1.3–1.8 kg plant–1) than yields from plants that received mineral fertilizer (2.2–2.8 kg plant–1). At the final harvest, yields of green tomatoes in the organic treatment with extra sulfur were similar (1.1–1.2 kg plant–1) to the NO-dominated treatments at both nutrient levels and the NH-dominated treatment at high nutrient level. Organic fertilizers released nutrients more slowly than mineral fertilizers, resulting in decreased S and P concentrations in the leaves, which limited growth and yield in the orgN treatments. Analysis of tomato fruits and plants as well as taste-test results gave no conclusive answer on the relationship between sugar or acid contents in the fruits, macronutrient content of plant leaves and fruits, and perceived taste. Sugar contents were higher in the fruits given mineral fertilizer, whereas acid contents were higher in the fruits given organic fertilizer. Preference in taste was given to the tomatoes from plants fertilized with the nitrate-dominated nutrient solution and to those given organic fertilizer with extra sulfur. Thus, a reduction in growth, which was expected to lead to a higher concentration of compounds like sugars and acids, did not result in better taste. Overall, it can be concluded that an appropriate nutrient supply is crucial to reach high yields and good taste.
Synthesis and Kinetics of Acid-Catalyzed Hydrolysis of some α-Aryl Ether Lignin Model Compounds

Aseries of α-aryl ether lignin model compounds were synthesized and their rates of acid-catalyzed hydrolysis were determined in ethanol-water media.The rates were all first-order with respect to both catalystand Substrate concentrations. With varying Substitution patterns of the benzyl moiety, the hydrolysis rates decreased in the Order: 4-methoxy s 3,4-dimethoxy-»3,45 trimethoxybenzyl. On the other hand, varying structures of the aryl ether moiety caused the following rate effects: 2,6-dimethoxy-»2-methoxy-4methyl->2-methoxyphenyl. Addition of an aryloxymethyl substituent to the benzylic carbon reduced the hydrolysis rate to approximately forty percent of its original value.The activation energies for the hydrolysis of individual model compounds varied in the r nge from 79 to 118 kJ/mol.
Mass transfer in packed beds

Although considerable work has been done on the problem of heat transfer radially in fixed beds through which gases are flowing, the data available for mass transfer are limited to one pipe size and one packing size and refer to average diffusivities for the entire bed. The present study was undertaken to determine: (1) diffusivities over a range of pipe and packing sizes and (2) the effect of radial position in the bed. The measurements were made by introducing carbon dioxide into an air stream and analyzing the resultant mixture at various positions in the bed downstream from the point of injection. Pipe sizes of 2, 3, and 4 in. were packed with spherical particles of 5/32-, 1/4-, 3/8-, and 1/2-in. nominal diameter. The differential equation describing the concentration in a packed bed when diffusivity E and the velocity u are permitted to vary with radial position was solved by use of an I.B. M. card-programmed calculator for the computations. The results show that the Peclet number Dpu/E increases from the center towards the wall of the pipe and that the increase is significant when Dp/Dt is greater than 0.05. Empirical correlations are then presented for both point Peclet numbers, which vary with radial position, and average Peclet numbers for the entire bed. The variations in Peclet number with radius can be explained in terms of the corresponding variation in void fraction for 81% of the radius of the bed. At modified Reynolds numbers above 40 to 100 the equation Pe = 8.0 + 100 (δ — δ0) correlates the effects of pipe and packing size and radial position. At radial positions greater than 0.81 wall friction influences turbulence conditions and the Peclet number.
Curium(III) Speciation Studies with Cells of a Groundwater Strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens

Ubiquitous Pseudomonads have great potential to influence the speciation and mobility of actinides in the environment. This study explores the unknown interaction between curium(III) and cell-suspensions of Pseudomonas fluorescens (CCUG 32456) isolated from the Äspö site, Sweden. The interaction between curium(III) and P. fluorescens cells was studied at trace curium(III) concentrations (0.3 μM) using time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Extraction studies have shown that the biosorption of curium(III) is a reversible process. Two Cm3+−P. fluorescens (CCUG 32456) species were identified, R−O−PO3H−Cm2+ and R−COO−Cm2+, having emission maxima at 599.6 and 601.9 nm, respectively. The corresponding surface complexation constants were determined to be log β111 = 12.7 ± 0.6 and log β110 = 6.1 ± 0.5, respectively.
Well-Aligned ZnO Nanowire Arrays Prepared by Seed-Layer-Free Electrodeposition and Their Cassie−Wenzel Transition after Hydrophobization

We report a facile electrochemical route for the one-step fabrication of ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays. The method is seed-layer-free, and the NWs are directly attached to a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate. The effects of growth temperature, precursor concentration, substrate etching, and deposition time on the layer morphology and structure are analyzed. The ZnO NWs are vertically well-aligned and textured with the c-axis normal to the substrate. The growth of the more vertically oriented initial wires is favored by a self-alignment process, and the layer texturing with the c-axis oriented normal to the surface is increased upon deposition. NWs with aspect ratios higher than 30 have been synthesized. The as-grown layers were superhydrophilic, and they were converted to superhydrophobic by surface derivatization with stearic acid (SA). The surface could be commuted back from superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic by a simple acetone washing. The present work demonstrates the importance of oxide NW lengt.
Study of stilbene and resin acid content of Scots pine heartwood by electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)

Abstract Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) heartwood samples were measured with electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at frequency range 1 Hz–10 MHz in green and relative humidity (RH) 65% conditioned moisture content (MC) after oven-drying. Complex impedance parameters were studied in relation to the density, moisture, resin acid and stilbene contents. The measurements were conducted in tangential (T) and longitudinal (L) directions with 36 samples in each analysis. For green MC, there were significant correlations between impedance phase angle and contents of stilbenes and resin acids at frequencies below 400 Hz. For the resin acid content, the strongest correlation with phase-angleT was -0.45 (P<0.01) at 100 Hz. Impedance magnitude correlated significantly with MC throughout the frequency range, e.g., at 10 kHz, r was -0.71 (P<0.001) for L-direction. In moisture conditioned state, the correlation between stilbenes and T-measured phase angle was strongest at 250 Hz, (r=-0.56, P<0.001). Equivalent circuit model of two ZARC-Cole elements in series was fitted for the measurements in green MC. Several model parameters correlated with MC (e.g., R1, L r=-0.64, P<0.001), but only one parameter correlated weakly with stilbene content (R2, T r=0.35, P<0.05). The study shows that EIS has a potential for independent determination of resin acid or stilbene contents and MC for green pine heartwood.
Theory of the critical thickness of rupture of thin liquid films

On the basis of Navier-Stokes equations, the theory of the spontaneous rupture of thin liquid films is generalized by taking into account the influence of the surfactant on the hydrodynamics of the film. Our measurements of the critical thicknesses of rupture of aniline films, stabilized with C12H25OH, confirm the theory at low surfactant concentrations. The discussion of the discrepancy between theory and experiment at higher surfactant concentrations shows that the surfactant influences the properties of the thin liquid films in a specific manner.