Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carbon Nanotubes as Conductive Filler in Segregated Polymer Composites - Electrical Properties

Carbon nanotubes are of great interest as a filler for polymer composites due to their unique properties such as high electrical and thermal conductivity, ultrahigh mechanical strength, high ratio length/diameter (1000) at nanosized value of diameter. Several recent reviews summarizing different aspects of the composite investigations display a broad spectrum of properties useful for production of sensitive electrodes, sensors for chemical vapours, electromagnetic radiation shielding materials, electrical heaters, as well as pressure, deformation and temperature sensors and photovoltaic cells (Thostenson et al., 2001; Popov, 2004; Breuer & Sundararaj, 2004; Ramirez, 2005; Moniruzzaman & Winey, 2006; Baibarac & Gomez-Romero, 2006; Rajesh et al., 2009; Spitalsky et al., 2010). More substantially the methods of preparation and properties of CNT based polymer composites are described in new book (Mittal, 2010). Specials interest is represented by electrical properties of the composites because of the variety of potential applications. Such systems are represented in a form of the polymer matrix containing conductive filler creating the conductive network. It seems promising to prepare composite materials with small conductive filler content, which preserves mechanical properties of a polymer along with high electrical conductivity. Random filler distribution typically shows the value of percolation threshold (i.e. critical filler concentration at which a conversion from nonconductive to conductive state occurs) within 10–30% for dispersed metals and 5-15 % for carbon black , for example (Foulger, 1999; Mamunya et al., 2002a). Selectively localized conductive particles in a polymer matrix can form the ordered network of conductive phase creating so-called segregated systems. Considerably lower value of percolation threshold c compared to usual filled polymers can be attained due to this effect, for example (Chan et al., 1997; Bouchet et al., 2000; Mamunya et al., 2002b). On the other hand, high ratio of carbon nanotubes causes lower value of percolation threshold compared to the isotropic filler particles (Simien et al., 2008). Combination of these two factors can lead to the existence of conductivity in the polymer composite at extremely low content of carbon nanotubes. Segregated polymer composites can be formed either by technological methods in the composites processed by hot compacting or in the polymer blends by filler localization inside one polymer component and on the interface. In this chapter the conditions of creation of the ordered distribution of conductive filler (namely carbon nanotubes) in
Characterization and Analysis : An Innovative Technique for Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary area of applied science and Engineering that deals with design and manufacture of extremely small components of the system. The mankind has seen several technology revolutions in the past: industrial, agricultural, medical, and InfoTech in a course of two centuries. But through each of these, we have been able to exploit only a small fraction of the total possibilities. We have been still dealing with the matter at a bigger scale. The building blocks, our engineering skills & products were bigger than the nano size and hence had limitations in manipulation. With its capacity to manipulate the smallest possible component of the matter, the Nanotechnology has the potential to bring that cycle of technological revolution to completion. As the nanomaterials are not new as for centuries, we are preparing & using nanoparticles but during that period we were lacking of the powerful instrument which measure size of particles & correlation of properties. Recently new techniques are evolved for characterization and analysis of nanomaterials which gives a revolution to development of Nanotechnology. This paper highlights some of the techniques used for analysis & characterization of nanomaterials.
Optimization Models for Detection of Patterns in Data ?

The paper reviews the issues of detection of hidden rules (or patterns) in data sets and their use to support decision making in recognition. The problem of finding patterns is considered as the problem of conditional optimization of monotone pseudo-Boolean functions. For comparison of patterns, three criteria are used: simplicity, selectivity and evidence, as well as their possible overlap. We consider the types of patterns obtained in accordance with these criteria, which are of the greatest interest for supporting decision making in recognition. The problem of searching for informative patterns by means of formalizing this search in the form of a conditional pseudo-Boolean optimization problem is investigated. The analysis of properties of the optimization model is carried out, and a new alternative optimization model is proposed to search for strong spanned patterns.
Strategies for handling missing data in longitudinal studies with questionnaires

ABSTRACT Missing data methods, maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) and multiple imputation (MI), for longitudinal questionnaire data were investigated via simulation. Predictive mean matching (PMM) was applied at both item and scale levels, logistic regression at item level and multivariate normal imputation at scale level. We investigated a hybrid approach which is combination of MLE and MI, i.e. scales from the imputed data are eliminated if all underlying items were originally missing. Bias and mean square error (MSE) for parameter estimates were examined. ML seemed to provide occasionally the best results in terms of bias, but hardly ever on MSE. All imputation methods at the scale level and logistic regression at item level hardly ever showed the best performance. The hybrid approach is similar or better than its original MI. The PMM-hybrid approach at item level demonstrated the best MSE for most settings and in some cases also the smallest bias.
An extensible benchmark and tooling for comparing reverse engineering approaches

Various tools exist to reverse engineer software source code and generate design information, such as UML projections. Each has specific strengths and weaknesses, however no standardised benchmark exists that can be used to evaluate and compare their performance and effectiveness in a systematic manner. To facilitate such comparison in this paper we introduce the Reverse Engineering to Design Benchmark (RED-BM), which consists of a comprehensive set of Java-based targets for reverse engineering and a formal set of performance measures with which tools and approaches can be analysed and ranked. When used to evaluate 12 industry standard tools performance figures range from 8.82\% to 100\% demonstrating the ability of the benchmark to differentiate between tools. To aid the comparison, analysis and further use of reverse engineering XMI output we have developed a parser which can interpret the XMI output format of the most commonly used reverse engineering applications, and is used in a number of tools.
platforms Single-Use , Continuous-Countercurrent , Multicolumn Chromatography

Manufacturing processes for biopharmaceuticals have undergone significant changes over the past decade. One of the most striking results of improved process sciences is the dramatic rise in expression levels from animal cell cultures. Figure 1 shows how some monoclonal antibody titers have increased about 30-fold over the past 15 years. These increasing titers have allowed current biomanufacturing facilities to produce larger product quantities than anticipated at the time they were designed and built. As a result of those increasing titers, the “bottleneck” in biopharmaceutical production has shifted from upstream production processes toward downstream processes (1). In particular, chromatographic capture is currently presenting significant challenges in terms of facility throughput. The mass of product that needs to be captured during each batch has often exceeded the maximum binding capacity of a single column, so capture columns generally are being cycled multiple times during a single batch. Installing larger columns is often undesirable or infeasible. An even more problematic bottleneck is encountered when fitting modern high-titer processes into existing facilities where buffer tanks and handling capacities are limited. Regardless of the number of cycles run, the required buffer and elution volumes in batch-capture chromatography increase with the mass of protein purified. The capacity of associated buffer preparation systems, buffer hold tanks, and intermediate product hold tanks is often too small to cope with the required volumes needed for larger amounts of product per batch. For such facilities, consequently, the driver to move toward a continuouscountercurrent chromatography process is mainly governed by the need to reduce buffer consumption and increase throughput or manufacturing productivity in the existing manufacturing space. New facilities are commonly designed around the current state of the art in manufacturing technologies. Particularly at the clinical manufacturing scale, a trend toward fully disposable manufacturing solutions is clearly visible (2). To make a disposable capture chromatography process economically feasible, companies need to obtain the same purification performance with a much smaller volume of media, thereby requiring a greater number of cycles per batch — perhaps enough to render the Photo 1: Array of Bioflash DFC cartridges in a BioSMB continuous downstream processing system Figure 1: Some reported monoclonal antibody titers from fed-batch cultivation processes over the years1,2
An Old Relict Glacier Body Preserved in Permafrost Environment: The Foscagno Rock Glacier Ice Core (Upper Valtellina, Italian Central Alps)

Abstract This paper shows the results of chemical and crystallographic analyses carried out on a core drilled within the frontal part of the Foscagno rock glacier in the Italian Alps. We use 58 vertical thin sections spaced along the massive ice core, found between depths of 2.5 and 7.65 m, to describe the ice fabric of the core. We also discuss the results of chemical analyses of more than 50 samples. The lower part of the massive ice core between 4 and 7.65 m shows a mean crystal size of 1.5 cm and a crystal shape predominantly elongated along the horizontal plane with c-axes. These characteristics are similar to those of firn ice. In contrast, the upper core between 2.5 and 4 m displays vertical elongation of large bubbles, indicating superimposed ice and the influence of melting and refreezing processes. The presence of a seasonal signal in sulfate distribution and the strong correlation between sodium and chloride in the lower part of the core confirm cold firnification without appreciable phase changes. This well-preserved glacier ice body is probably younger than 2200 ± 60 yr B.P., a minimum age for the rock glacier as indicated by the 14C age of a buried paleosoil, although the possibility that it may be older age cannot be excluded. The glacier ice body seems to be a relict of a former glacier preserved within a larger permafrost body that characterizes almost all of the rock glacier and also occurs beneath the massive ice. This finding points out that different types of ice can be preserved within a single rock glacier, reflecting a complex geological and paleoclimatic history.
Characterisation of bagasse from sugarcane cultivars for bioethanol production

This study aimed to characterise and select among bagasse from different sugarcane cultivars developed for reduced pre-treatment requirements and maximised biomass yields. The first selection process was based on the carbohydrate composition and pretreatment response to dilute acid at low severity conditions. Out of 115 sugarcane cultivars that were characterised, 34 cultivars were shortlisted as best candidates. In the second stage, 34 cultivars were pretreated under five different conditions. The results showed that, at the same pretreatment combined severity factor, a 1.5-fold in total sugars yield increase was observed among the cultivars from their lowest value. This work is in progress to identify best 6 cultivars, which could release fermentable sugars at low pretreatment severity and low enzyme loading. After the selection of the best 6 cultivars, series of experiments will be conducted on them to optimize the pretreatment conditions using suitable statistical approach. It is expected, based on this approach, that optimal pretreatment conditions leading to low production costs of bioethanol from sugar cultivars will be obtained. Thereafter, fermentation studies will then be conducted using xylose fermenting yeast.
Gibbs random graphs on point processes

Consider a discrete locally finite subset Γ of Rd and the complete graph (Γ, E), with vertices Γ and edges E. We consider Gibbs measures on the set of sub-graphs with vertices Γ and edges E′⊂E. The Gibbs interaction acts between open edges having a vertex in common. We study percolation properties of the Gibbs distribution of the graph ensemble. The main results concern percolation properties of the open edges in two cases: (a) when Γ is sampled from a homogeneous Poisson process; and (b) for a fixed Γ with sufficiently sparse points.
The Heart And HIV/ AIDS

HIV/AIDS is one of the leading health problems in the world, especially in sub-saharan Africa, where it is the single greatest health challenge facing the continent. Cardiac involvement impacts on the natural history and prognosis of the disease, however, evidence of cardiac involvement may be clinically quiescent initially. With improved management of opportunistic infections, and the advent of Highly Active AntiRetroviral Therapy (HAART), more organ related manifestations of the disease including heart diseases are emerging. The extra cardiovascular burden will be enormous in view of the increasing prevalence of HIV infection globally.This demands an awareness by clinicians of its cardiovascular manifestations for a complete and rational diagnosis and management. This article presents a concise review of the clinical manifestations, pathophysiolgy/ pathogenesis and management of Cardiovascular complications in HIV/AIDS.
Length – weight Relationships of Freshwater Fish Species in Kerian River Basin and Pedu Lake

The length-weight relationships of 12 freshwater fish species collected using various mesh size of gill nets and cast nets from Kerian River basin in Perak and Pedu Lake in Kedah were estimated. Devario regina, Rasbora sumatrana, Puntius binotatus, Labiobarbus lineatus, Cyclocheilichthys apogon and Crossocheilus oblongus were caught from the Kerian River and its tributaries. Meanwhile in the Pedu Lake, there were Puntius schwanenfeldii, Notopterus notopterus, Chela sp. , Mystacoleucus marginatus, Osteochilus microcephalus, and Puntius gonionotus. Fish total length (TL) and standard length (SL) and weight were recorded. The values of constants a and b were determined from the length and weight data which transform into the linear equation of lnW=lna+blnL. These parameters were then fitted to the parabolic equation, W=aL . The length-weight relationships of fish from both areas were significantly b different at P<0.001 and the growth exponents, b, for the fishes varied from 2.665 to 4.106. The values show that most of the fishes collected from the Kerian River basin were of positive allometric growth, while the fishes from the Pedu Lake were of negative allometric forms. Based on their scores of growth exponents, the fishes were grouped into light (b<3.0), heavy (b>3.0) or isometric (b=3) indicating poor, over and symmetric growths of length and weight respectively. Crossocheilus. oblongus (b=2.8854) in the Kerian River basin belonged to the light group as well as Chela sp. (b=2.6653), M. marginatus (b=2.7046) and P. schwanenfeldii (b=2.8635) from the Pedu Lake. The heavy group from the Kerian River basin were L. lineatus (b=2.9906), D. regina (b=3.3001), C. apogon (b=3.5162), R. sumatrana (b=3.6101) and P. binotatus (b=4.1063). Meanwhile, in the Pedu Lake, this group of fish included O. microcephalus (b=3.0541), P. gonionotus (b=3.2340) and N. notopterus (b=3.2500). The condition factor of D. regina reflecting its well being and degree of fatness, was compared in four Kerian River tributaries using the mean relative condition factor (Kn). Sungai Ijok provided a much better habitat for the fish with a Kn score of 1.2089±0.1882 followed by Sungai Mahang (1.0472±0.1671), Sungai Kangar (1.0212± 0.2295) and Sungai Selama (0.9105±0.1986). The fish habitat in Sungai Ijok was significantly different from those of Sungai Mahang and Sungai Selama and the habitats at the two latter rivers were statistically different from each other at P<0.05. The values of a, b and Kn varied with age and sex of the fish, wet and dry seasons, environmental conditions and water bodies as observed in the lotic and lentic environments of the Kerian River basin and Pedu Lake respectively. Key wards: Freshwater fish species; Kerian River basin; Pedu Lake; length-weight relationships; allometric growth; light and heavy group; relative condition factor.
High‐resolution temperature observations to monitor soil thermal properties as a proxy for soil moisture condition in clay‐shale landslide

The heterogeneity of hillslope material and variations in its hydrological characteristics affect the spatial and temporal fluctuation of soil moisture patterns within a landslide. Moisture conditions of the unsaturated zone influence the distribution, intensity and time delay of groundwater recharge from precipitation. High‐resolution monitoring of hydrological features of the near‐surface soil layer is necessary to advance understanding of the temporal behaviour of complex landslides and their displacement dynamics. This paper aims to show the potential of high temporal and spatial resolution temperature sensing for hydrological analysis of unstable slopes. The main focus of this research is to detect the spatial and temporal variation in soil moisture conditions through the monitoring of soil thermal properties. We present qualitative and quantitative analyses of soil temperature data collected during three field campaigns in the black marls mudslide of Super‐Sauze (France). The temperature data are used to determine soil thermal parameters that are affected by bulk density and soil moisture content. On the basis of the spatial and temporal variation of the soil thermal parameters, the information about soil moisture content fluctuations could be obtained. Promising empirical relationships between apparent thermal diffusivity and soil moisture content have been obtained when accounting for local heterogeneities in soil characteristics. Furthermore, the requirements and limitation of the proposed methodology for clay shale material is elaborated. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Examining the Pedagogy of Entrepreneurship Education and its Contribution in Creating Entrepreneurship Propensity in Kenya

In the last decade, the desire for career readiness progammes and courses that can help prepare and equip college and university students with skills that they need for employment as soon as they graduatehas been on the rise globally. Statistics indicate that self-employment is the last career choice for most graduates in Kenya. As one of the most entrepreneurial economies in East Africa, Kenya is to create a globally competitive and adaptable human resource base aimed at meeting requirements of a rapidly industrializing economy by 2030. This can only be achieved by establishing life-long training, education and enhancing networks and collaboration between the industry and entrepreneurship education. Researchers have sought to answer the question of not only what should be taught in entrepreneurshipbut how it should be taught.This paper critically examined thePedagogy of Entrepreneurship education and its contribution in creating entrepreneurship propensity in Kenya. It specifically sought to determine contribution of Mass instruction techniques entrepreneurship pedagogy on entrepreneurship propensity, examine influence of active experimentation method of entrepreneurship pedagogy on entrepreneurial propensity and assess influence of doing experience method of entrepreneurship pedagogy on entrepreneurial propensity. The study adopted a simple random samplingtechnique and data was collected fromselected institutions offering entrepreneurship education using a semi structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results indicated that there is a significant influence of mass instruction technique, of doing experience method and active experimentation method entrepreneurship pedagogy on Entrepreneurshippropensity. There are still glaring gaps in the entrepreneurship education-lack of action learning( doing experiment )andthedevelopmentofactualventures, lack of practical skills and a lack of industry relevance in entrepreneurship education , lack of experientiallearning and low level mentoring in Kenya today.
Structured nanoparticle arrays: coatings by continuous convective assembly with controlled evaporation

Particulate coatings are proving to be very important or at least interesting for the development of many novel technologies and applications including chemical sensing, photonics, optical and display technologies, zeolite-based isomeric separations and catalysis, as well as biologically relevant surfaces. For many of these applications, microstructural order, i.e. order on the particle-particle length scale are the defining characteristic for the film performance. For example photonic applications require a crystalline arrangement of particles in a periodic lattice structure. In nano-particle seeded film growth for zeolite-based membrane separations, the nanoparticles are often anisometric and must be appropriately oriented to provide separation functionality (Lee et al., 2006). Moreover, they should be close-packed to ensure the growth of a void-free film while achieving minimum thickness. Especially in particle systems where the sizes are on the nanometer scale, high degrees of order have not been commonly observed, and in general, rational engineering strategies for the fabrication of ordered particulate films with wellcontrolled properties has been lacking, though recent years have seen many exciting reports in the lab concerning their characterization and efforts to elucidate the processes.
Synthesis and Characterization of Cellulose from Green Bamboo by Chemical Treatment with Mechanical Process

Bamboo cellulose was prepared by chemical process involving dewaxing, delignification, and mercerization process. Four samples namely, green bamboo fiber (GBF), dewaxed bamboo fiber (DBF), delignified bamboo fiber (DLBF), and cellulose fiber (CF) had been analysed. FTIR and TGA analysis confirmed the removal of hemicellulose and lignin at the end stage of the process. FTIR results reveal that the D-cellulose OH group occurred at 1639 cm−1 region. SEM micrograph showed that mercerization leads to fibrillation and breakage of the fiber into smaller pieces which promote the effective surface area available for contact. Barrer, Joiyner, and Halenda (BJH) method confirmed that the effective surface area of CF is two times larger compared to GBF. CF showed the highest activation energy compared to GBF. It indicates that CF was thermally stable.