bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of the Perceptions and Practices of Nursing Students Regarding Spirituality and Spiritual Care
Authors: Kalkim Asli , Midilli Tulay , Baysal Ebru
Published: August 2016

The aim of this research was to determine Turkish nursing students’ knowledge, practices and perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care and to investigate the relationship between their perceptions and their demographics. This study was a descriptive survey conducted at a nursing school providing degree-level education in the city of Manisa, in the western part of Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of the 400 nursing students. A nursing student sociodemographic form, a form on nursing students’ knowledge and practices of spirituality and spiritual care, and the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale were used to collect the data. Half of the students could meet patients’ or individuals’ spiritual needs, and the spiritual care that they gave was most frequently listening, empathy, and psychological support. The research findings were that nursing students’ perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care were “sufficiently” although not “very sufficiently” defined. Being female, being in the second year of education and seeing spiritual care education as necessary were determinants of their perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care.
Baseline Signal Reconstruction for Temperature Compensation in Lamb Wave-Based Damage Detection
Authors: Liu Guoqiang , Xiao Yingchun , Zhang Hua , Ren Gexue
Published: August 2016

Temperature variations have significant effects on propagation of Lamb wave and therefore can severely limit the damage detection for Lamb wave. In order to mitigate the temperature effect, a temperature compensation method based on baseline signal reconstruction is developed for Lamb wave-based damage detection. The method is a reconstruction of a baseline signal at the temperature of current signal. In other words, it compensates the baseline signal to the temperature of current signal. The Hilbert transform is used to compensate the phase of baseline signal. The Orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) is used to compensate the amplitude of baseline signal. Experiments were conducted on two composite panels to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results show that the proposed method could effectively work for temperature intervals of at least 18 °C with the baseline signal temperature as the center, and can be applied to the actual damage detection.
Comparison of Socioeconomic Factors between Surrounding and Non-Surrounding Areas of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway before and after Its Construction
Authors: Li Shicheng , Wang Zhaofeng , Zhang Yili , Wang Yukun , Liu Fenggui
Published: August 2016

As the world’s highest railway, and the longest highland railway, the Qinghai–Tibet Railway (QTR) has been paid considerable attention by researchers. However, most attention has been paid to the ecological and environmental issues affecting it, and sustainable ecological, social, and economic development-related studies of the QTR are rare. In this study, by analyzing the passenger traffic, freight traffic, passenger-kilometers, and freight-kilometers of the QTR for the period 1982–2013 and the transport structure of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) for 1990–2013, the evolutionary process of the transport system in the TP following the construction of the QTR has been revealed. Subsequently, by comparing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), population, industrial structure, and urbanization level at the county and 1 km scales between surrounding and non-surrounding areas of the QTR, the differences in socioeconomic performance before and after its construction were detected. The results show that (1) in the TP, the highway-dominated transport system will break up and an integrated and sustainable transport system will form; (2) at the county scale, the annual growth rates of GDP of counties surrounding the QTR were greater than those of non-surrounding counties for the period 2000–2010. At the 1 km scale, following the opening of the completed line, the GDP of surrounding areas had a greater growth rate than before; (3) analysis at the county and 1 km scales indicated that population was not aggregated into the surrounding areas of the QTR in the period 2000–2010; (4) in terms of industrial structure, the proportion of primary industry decreased continuously, while the proportion of secondary and tertiary industries increased overall in the period 1984–2012. The QTR had no obvious impact on changes in the urbanization level of its surrounding areas.
Self-Adaptive Revised Land Use Regression Models for Estimating PM2.5 Concentrations in Beijing, China
Authors: Hu Lujin , Liu Jiping , He Zongyi
Published: August 2016

Heavy air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), poses serious challenges to environmental sustainability in Beijing. Epidemiological studies and the identification of measures for preventing serious air pollution both require accurate PM2.5 spatial distribution data. Land use regression (LUR) models are promising for estimating the spatial distribution of PM2.5 at a high spatial resolution. However, typical LUR models have a limited sampling point explanation rate (SPER, i.e., the rate of the sampling points with reasonable predicted concentrations to the total number of sampling points) and accuracy. Hence, self-adaptive revised LUR models are proposed in this paper for improving the SPER and accuracy of typical LUR models. The self-adaptive revised LUR model combines a typical LUR model with self-adaptive LUR model groups. The typical LUR model was used to estimate the PM2.5 concentrations, and the self-adaptive LUR model groups were constructed for all of the sampling points removed from the typical LUR model because they were beyond the prediction data range, which was from 60% of the minimum observation to 120% of the maximum observation. The final results were analyzed using three methods, including an accuracy analysis, and were compared with typical LUR model results and the spatial variations in Beijing. The accuracy satisfied the demands of the analysis, and the accuracies at the different monitoring sites indicated spatial variations in the accuracy of the self-adaptive revised LUR model. The accuracy was high in the central area and low in suburban areas. The comparison analysis showed that the self-adaptive LUR model increased the SPER from 75% to 90% and increased the accuracy (based on the root-mean-square error) from 20.643 μg/m3 to 17.443 μg/m3 for the PM2.5 concentrations during the winter of 2014 in Beijing. The spatial variation analysis for Beijing showed that the PM2.5 concentrations were low in the north, especially in the northwest region, and high in the southern and central portions of Beijing. This spatial variation was consistent with the fact that the northern region is mountainous and has fewer people and less traffic, which results in lower air pollution, than in the central region, which has a high population density and heavy traffic. Moreover, the southern region is adjacent to Hebei province, which contains many polluting enterprises; thus, this area exhibits higher air pollution levels than Beijing. Therefore, the self-adaptive revised LUR model is effective and reliable.
Knockdown of PARP-1 Inhibits Proliferation and ERK Signals, Increasing Drug Sensitivity in Osteosarcoma U2OS Cells
Authors: Li Sheng , Cui Zhengli , Meng Xianfeng
Published: August 2016

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is reported to be involved in DNA repair and is now recognized as a key regulator in carcinogenesis. However, the potential role and the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of PARP-1 on osteosarcoma (OS) cells have not been elucidated. In
this study, the results showed that knockdown of PARP-1 resulted in decreased cell proliferation, increased cell apoptosis, and G0/G1 phase arrest in U2OS cells. In addition, increased expression of active caspase 3 and Bax, but reduced Bcl-2, cyclin D1, and phosphorylated
extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 (pERK1/2) were observed in PARP-1 knockdown in U2OS cells. Moreover, knockdown of PARP-1 correlated with elevated chemosensitivity of U2OS cells to cisplatin through inactivation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated
that PARP-1 plays an important role in regulating OS growth, combining PARP-1 gene therapy with traditional chemotherapy, and may serve as a promising approach to OS therapy.
CHARACTERIZING SPIRAL ARM AND INTERARM STAR FORMATION
Authors: Kreckel K. , Blanc G. A. , Schinnerer E. , Groves B. , Adamo A. , Hughes A. , Meidt S.
Published: August 2016

Interarm star formation contributes significantly to a galaxy’s star formation budget and provides an opportunity to study stellar birthplaces unperturbed by spiral arm dynamics. Using optical integral field spectroscopy of the nearby galaxy NGC 628 with VLT/MUSE, we construct Hα maps including detailed corrections for dust extinction and stellar absorption to identify 391 H ii regions at 35 pc resolution over 12 kpc2. Using tracers sensitive to the underlying gravitational potential, we associate H ii regions with either arm (271) or interarm (120) environments. Using our full spectral coverage of each region, we find that most physical properties (luminosity, size, metallicity, ionization parameter) of H ii regions are independent of environment. We calculate the fraction of Hα luminosity due to the background of diffuse ionized gas (DIG) contaminating each H ii region, and find the DIG surface brightness to be higher within H ii regions than in the surroundings, and slightly higher within arm H ii regions. Use of the temperature-sensitive [S ii]/Hα line ratio instead of the Hα surface brightness to identify the boundaries of H ii regions does not change this result. Using the dust attenuation as a tracer of the gas, we find depletion times consistent with previous work (2 × 109 yr) with no differences between the arm and interarm, but this is very sensitive to the DIG correction. Unlike molecular clouds, which can be dynamically affected by the galactic environment, we see fairly consistent properties of H ii regions in both arm and interarm environments. This suggests either a difference in star formation and feedback in arms or a decoupling of dense star-forming clumps from the more extended surrounding molecular gas.
THE EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS ON THE REFRACTIVE INDEX AND DENSITY OF LOW-TEMPERATURE ICES: SOLID CARBON DIOXIDE
Authors: Loeffler M. J. , Moore M. H. , Gerakines P. A.
Published: August 2016

We present the first study on the effects of the deposition technique on the measurements of the visible refractive index and the density of a low-temperature ice using solid carbon dioxide (CO2) at 14–70 K as an example. While our measurements generally agree with previous studies that show a dependence of index and density on temperature below 50 K, we also find that the measured values depend on the method used to create each sample. Below 50 K, we find that the refractive index varied by as much as 4% and the density by as much as 16% at a single temperature depending on the deposition method. We also show that the Lorentz–Lorenz approximation is valid for solid CO2 across the full 14–70 K temperature range, regardless of the deposition method used. Since the refractive index and density are important in calculations of optical constants and infrared (IR) band strengths of materials, our results suggest that the deposition method must be considered in cases where n
vis and ρ are not measured in the same experimental setup where the IR spectral measurements are made.
A NEW REFERENCE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION FOR TMC-1
Authors: Gratier P. , Majumdar L. , Ohishi M. , Roueff E. , Loison J. C. , Hickson K. M. , Wakelam V.
Published: August 2016

Recent detections of complex organic molecules in dark clouds have rekindled interest in the astrochemical modeling of these environments. Because of its relative closeness and rich molecular complexity, TMC-1 has been extensively observed to study the chemical processes taking place in dark clouds. We use local thermodynamical equilibrium radiative transfer modeling coupled with a Bayesian statistical method which takes into account outliers to analyze the data from the Nobeyama spectral survey of TMC-1 between 8 and 50 GHz. We compute the abundance relative to molecular hydrogen of 57 molecules, including 19 isotopologues in TMC-1 along with their associated uncertainty. The new results are in general agreement with previous abundance determination from Ohishi & Kaifu and the values reported in the review from Agúndez & Wakelam. However, in some cases, large opacity and low signal to noise effects allow only upper or lower limits to be derived, respectively.
DISCOVERY OF A NEW RETROGRADE TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECT: HINT OF A COMMON ORBITAL PLANE FOR LOW SEMIMAJOR AXIS, HIGH-INCLINATION TNOs AND CENTAURS
Authors: Chen (陳英同) Ying-Tung , Lin (林省文) Hsing Wen , Holman Matthew J. , Payne Matthew J. , Fraser Wesley C. , Lacerda Pedro , Ip (葉永烜) Wing-Huen , Chen (陳文屏) Wen-Ping , Kudritzki Rolf-Peter , Jedicke Robert , Wainscoat Richard J. , Tonry John L. , Magnier Eugene A. , Waters Christopher , Kaiser Nick , Wang Shiang-Yu , Lehner Matthew
Published: August 2016

Although the majority of Centaurs are thought to have originated in the scattered disk, with the high-inclination members coming from the Oort cloud, the origin of the high-inclination component of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) remains uncertain. We report the discovery of a retrograde TNO, which we nickname “Niku,” detected by the Pan-STARRS 1 Outer Solar System Survey. Our numerical integrations show that the orbital dynamics of Niku are very similar to that of 2008 KV42 (Drac), with a half-life of ∼500 Myr. Comparing similar high-inclination TNOs and Centaurs (q > 10 au, a < 100 au, and i > 60°), we find that these objects exhibit a surprising clustering of ascending node, and occupy a common orbital plane. This orbital configuration has high statistical significance: 3.8-σ. An unknown mechanism is required to explain the observed clustering. This discovery may provide a pathway to investigating a possible reservoir of high-inclination objects.
THE PROGRESSIVE FRAGMENTATION OF 332P/IKEYA–MURAKAMI
Authors: Kleyna J. T. , Ye Q.-Z. , Hui M.-T. , Meech K. J. , Wainscoat R. , Micheli M. , Keane J. V. , Weaver H. A. , Weryk R.
Published: August 2016

We describe 2016 January–April observations of the fragments of 332P/Ikeya–Murakami, a comet earlier observed in a 2010 October outburst. We present photometry of the fragments and perform simulations to infer the time of breakup. We argue that the eastern-most rapidly brightening fragment (F4) best corresponds to the original nucleus, rather than the initial bright fragment F1. We compute radial and tangential nongravitational parameters, A
1 = (1.5 ± 0.4) × 10−8 au day−2 and (7.2 ± 1.9) × 10−9 au day−2; both are consistent with zero at the 4σ level. Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the fragments were emitted on the outbound journey well after the 2010 outburst, with bright fragment F1 splitting in early 2014 and the fainter fragments within months of the 2016 January recovery. Western fragment F7 is the oldest, dating from 2011. We suggest that the delayed onset of the splitting is consistent with a self-propagating crystallization of water ice.
Encadrement et circularité dans les Évangiles : variations sur le renvoi du lecteur au monde réel
Authors: Bourquin Yvan
Published: August 2016

Yvan Bourquin * se propose d’expliciter les notions d’écho, d’encadrement, d’inclusion, de circularité ou de boucle narrative, et ainsi d’en clarifier la terminologie. Il s’agit de préciser dans quel sens ce phénomène survient dans les quatre Évangiles. L’auteur explore ici plusieurs thèmes formant inclusion : l’Emmanuel chez Matthieu, la Galilée chez Marc, la joie des croyants et l’adoration au Temple chez Luc, ainsi que l’éveil à la foi chez Jean, avec pour perspective d’évaluer comment ces différents types d’échos (statiques ou dynamiques) agissent sur le lecteur. Comment celui-ci est-il renvoyé au monde réel à la fin des quatre Évangiles et de quel lecteur s’agit-il alors ? Autrement dit, quel rapport se noue entre ce qu’il est convenu d’appeler le lecteur implicite et le lecteur historique visé par le récit ?
L’insensibilité spirituelle : une figure kierkegaardienne du désengagement
Authors: Antier Guilhen
Published: August 2016

Renversant la problématique « foi et engagements », Guilhen Antier * s’intéresse à la question du désengagement à partir de la catégorie d’insensibilité spirituelle chez Kierkegaard. Il montre comment celle-ci mobilise la subjectivité chrétienne pour la démobiliser de l’intérieur, construisant un rapport faussé à Dieu, aux autres, à soi-même et au monde. L’insensibilité spirituelle permet un éclairage en négatif de quelques catégories kierkegaardiennes fondamentales comme l’angoisse, le désespoir, le devenir et la vérité. Aborder la question de la foi du lieu même de son évitement permet de la reposer à nouveaux frais.
A la recherche des incitations perdues : pour une fusion de la prime d’activité, de la CSG, des cotisations sociales et de l’impôt sur le revenu
Authors: Lehmann Étienne
Published: August 2016

Cet article discute l’opportunité de réformer l’architecture de notre système de prélèvements obligatoires et de politiques de soutien aux bas revenus d’activité (impôt sur le revenu, CSG, CRDS, prime d’activité et cotisations sociales). Nous présentons des études évoquant les raisons pour lesquelles les incitations à la reprise d’emploi que contient l’EITC ont mis du temps à se diffuser aux Etats-Unis. Puis cet article milite pour une convergence, à terme, des différents dispositifs actuellement en vigueur vers un prélèvement mensuel et individualisé employeur à la source, un prélèvement mensuel et individualisé employé à la source et un rattrapage de fin d’année éventuellement familialisé.
Patrimoine privé et retraite en France
Authors: Blanchet Thomas , Dubois Yves , Marino Anthony , Roger Muriel
Published: August 2016

L’existence d’un système de retraite modifie les comportements d’épargne des ménages. Nous estimons le phénomène de substitution entre épargne privée et montant des droits à pension dans le cas français à partir des données de l’enquête Patrimoine et du modèle de micro-simulation Destinie de l’Insee. Les comportements d’épargne sont spécifiés à l’aide du modèle de Gale [1998]. Les résultats mettent en évidence des comportements de substitution entre l’épargne des ménages et leurs droits à pension. L’amplitude de ces effets est sensible aux paramètres d’actualisation des agents. Une hausse des pensions publiques induit une diminution de l’épargne complémentaire retraite et une diminution de l’investissement immobilier. Ce second effet est prédominant.
Optimizing the Friction Welding Process Parameter to Obtain the Maximum Tensile Strength in AA 2024 Grade High Strength Aluminum Alloy Joints
Authors: Selvamani S.T. , Divagar S. , Vigneshwar M.
Published: August 2016

Aluminum alloys are widely used in engineering structures and components where light weight or corrosion resistance were required. Friction welding is classified as a solid-state welding process where metallic bonding is produced at temperatures lower than the melting point of the base metals. Friction time, friction pressure, forging time, forging pressure and rotation speed are the most important parameters in the friction welding process. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to optimize the process parameter and also useful in developing a proper approximation for the right functional relationship between independent variables and the response variable that may differentiate the nature of the joints. The empirical relationships are developed with the help of ANOVA design matrix to obtain the maximum tensile strength in the joints. The integrity of the joints are evaluated by Optical Microscopy (OM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX) in this research work.
Restoration of Built Heritage: Case Study of Earth Constructions - Tiznit
Authors: Kourdou Ibtissam , Cherradi Toufik
Published: August 2016

Following the floods of November 2014, several southern regions of Morocco have experienced major losses and damage in particular materials.Among these areas we find the ancient city of Tiznit that lost several of its earth constructions.The particularity of this Medina is the ranking of its built heritage as a national heritage and this since 1932. Given the extent of damage caused by the rains on the Medina, an intervention is necessary in order to preserve what remains of the Earth Heritage. It is in this context that fits this work and which aims to make a technical diagnosis on the state of Medina in order to present an action plan which aims primarily the restoration of this wealth, and therefore the preservation of heritage buildings.
Adsorption-Sono Degradation Synergetic Removal of Methylene Blue by Magnetic Fe3O4-Nanographene Platelets (Fe3O4-NGP) Composites
Authors: Taufik Ardiansyah , Saleh Rosari
Published: August 2016

The magnetic Fe3O4-nanographene platelets (Fe3O4–NGP) platelets composites with various concentrations of nanographene platelets were used as a catalyst for the removal of methylene blue in aqueous solution. The adsorption and sonocatalytic performances were evaluated using methylene blue in aqueous solution. The effect of NGP content in the Fe3O4–NGP, pH and initial concentrations of methylene blue were investigated. Compared in the dark Fe3O4–NGP shows faster and higher removal efficiency by the adsorption and sonodegradation. It could be concluded that synergy of adsorption and sonodegradation have a significant progress for removal of methylene blue compared with adsorption alone. The removal of methylene blue follows the order adsorption-sonocatalysis > sonocatalysis > adsorption. The predominant oxidative species for degradation of methylene blue was identified to be hydroxyl radicals and holes.
Photocatalytic and Sonophotocatalytic Activity of Magnetic Heterogeneous Fe3O4/TiO2/CuO Catalyst
Authors: Taufik Ardiansyah , Djalaluidin Shofianina , Saleh Rosari
Published: August 2016

Magnetic heterogeneous Fe3O4/TiO2/CuO catalyst were synthesized using sol-gel method. The molar ratio of Fe3O4/TiO2/CuO were varied from 1:1:0.1 until 1:1:5. The all synthesized catalyst were characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The result show that the magnetic heterogeneous Fe3O4/TiO2/CuO catalyst exhibit ferromagnetic behavior under room temperature. The catalytic performance were evaluated on the degradation of methylene blue under UV light and combination of ultrasound and UV-light Irradiation. The combination of ultrasound and UV-light irradiation exhibit batter catalytic performance than ultrasound irradiation only. The Magnetic heterogeneous Fe3O4/TiO2/CuO with molar ratio 1:1:0.1 shows highest catalytic performance. The reusability of catalyst were also observed.
Nanoparticles Performance as Fluid Loss Additives in Water Based Drilling Fluids
Authors: Ismail Abdul Razak , Wan Sulaiman Wan Rosli , Jaafar Mohd Zaidi , Ismail Issham , Sabu Hera Elisabet
Published: August 2016

Nanoparticles are used to study the rheological characteristics of drilling fluids. Nanoparticles have high surface to volume ratio, therefore only small quantity is required to blend in the drilling fluid. This research evaluates the performance of nanosilica and multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as fluid loss additives in water based drilling fluid with various nanoparticles concentration and temperature. The results show that plastic viscosity, yield point and gel strength of drilling fluid increases as the concentration of nanoparticles increased. Drilling fluid with nanosilica gives the highest filtrate loss of 12 ml and mudcake thickness of 10 inch at 1 g concentration at 300°F. However, drilling fluid with MWCNT shows a decreasing trend in fluid loss and mudcake thickness. The results also show that xanthan gum containing 1 g of MWCNT gives 4.9 ml fluid loss and mudcake thickness of 4 inch at 200°F. After aging, plastic viscosity, yield point and gel strength of mud containing nanoparticles decrease significantly especially for 1 g of nanosilica and 0.01 g MWCNT. Fluid loss and mudcake thickness increased when the mud is exposed to temperature above 250°F. The results showed that xanthan gum with MWCNT gives a better rheological performance.
Wettability Alteration of Dolomite Rock Using Nanofluids for Enhanced Oil Recovery
Authors: Moslan Mohd Shahrizan , Wan Sulaiman Wan Rosli , Ismail Abdul Razak , Jaafar Mohd Zaidi , Ismail Issham
Published: August 2016

Wettability alteration of rock by surfactant has been considered as feasible method for recovery of oil reservoirs by modifying the wettability of rock surface from oil-wet to water-wet condition. The impact of surfactant can be enhanced by adding nanoparticles. Cationic surfactant performed well in carbonate rock by forming ion pairs between cationic head and acidic component of the crude. Meanwhile, nanoparticles will form continuous wedge film between the liquid and solid surface. In this paper, Al2O3 and ZrO2 nanoparticles were used as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) agents. The impact of these two nanoparticles on contact angle and interfacial tension was studied. Besides that, adsorption Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) surfactant on rock surface was also investigated. The results show a significant change in water-oil contact angle after application of surfactant and nanoparticles. Initial water-oil contact angle for 6 dolomites demonstrate oil-wet condition. Then, the dolomites were submerged in prepared solution for 48 hours. The result shows that, dolomites 2, 5 and 6 changes drastically to more water-wet condition with contact angle 56°, 40° and 47° respectively. For surfactant adsorption, the adsorption is very fast at the beginning. The adsorption rate after 5 minutes was 50 mg/g and after 60 minutes the adsorption rate was 310 mg/g. The adsorption rate slowed down after 60 minutes and after 180 minutes the adsorption rate was 315 mg/g in which the rate of adsorption achieve equilibrium. Nanoparticles retention test and Zeta potential shows that Al2O3 is more stable than ZrO2. The results for interfacial tension (IFT) also show a significant reduction. The IFT value reduces from 8.46 mN/m to 1.65 mN/m and 1.85 mN/m after the application of Al2O3 and ZrO2 nanofluids respectively
Curing Mechanism Study for Dual Cure of Epoxy Adhesive by Differential Scanning Calorimetry
Authors: Waenawae Waefatimah , Pumkrachang Santi , bin Zainudin Syahril , Vongsetskul Thammasit , Osotchan Tanakorn
Published: August 2016

Epoxy adhesive used in electronic packaging could normally be cured by ultraviolet light, heat at high temperature or dual cured by both processes. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been used to identify and analyze the occurred reaction during the curing process. The structural modification of epoxy during curing could be examined by measuring its thermal properties, and the change in molecular structure of epoxy could be observed by a relative small area of DSC peak. This provided the heat amount required for complete cure. It is found that the DSC peak area after heat cure at 90 °C increased linearly as a function of heating time while that at 120 °C decreased exponentially. For UV cure, it indicated that the curing mechanism was strongly depend on the energy from UV light. For dual cure at 90 °C, the heat curing time could be reduced from single curing process of 50 minutes to 6 minutes, while the heating time for dual cure at 120 °C could be reduced from 4 minutes to 2 minutes.
Dielectric Relaxation Studies in the Proton Conductors, Yb-Doped Ba(Ce,Zr)O3
Authors: Safian Suhaida Dila , Osman Nafisah
Published: August 2016

Single-phase of BaCe0.57Zr0.38Yb0.05O2.975 (BCZYb) has been successfully prepared by a Pechini method using metal nitrate salts as pre-cursor. Dielectric behavior of the BCZYb sample was studied using impedance data collected from High Frequency Response Analyzer (HFRA). The frequency and temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the BCZYb solid solutions were investigated in the 1 Hz - 1 MHz frequency range. Dielectric relaxation mechanism was observed in the plots of dielectric constant and loss versus temperature. It was studied by the measurements of intermediate temperature, 500 - 800 ° C. All the responses were revealed by the analysis of impedance spectroscopy, using Z-man program. The present results are used to observe the relation between orientation polarization and dielectric relaxation of the material.
Specific Time-Temperature Treatment Preparing the Melt for the Amorphous State
Authors: Tsepelev Vladimir , Zivotsky Ondrej , Tsepeleva Nadezhda
Published: August 2016

Taking into account the concept of the quasi-chemical model of the liquid micro-non-uniform composition and the research made on the physical properties of the Fe-and Co-based melts being crystallized, the unique technology of the melt time-temperature treatment has been developed. Amorphous ribbons produced using this technology require optimal annealing temperatures to be specifically selected. The results of studying nanocrystalline magnetic core’ properties and their structure in the course of annealing at temperatures below and above the optimal ones are presented.
The Application of Supercritical CO2 Based Technology for Curcumin Particle Processing
Authors: Kurniawansyah Firman , Mammucari Raffaella , Foster Neil R.
Published: August 2016

Supercritical CO2 is commonly used in the processing of natural products due to several advantageous factors such as inexpensiveness, moderate operating parameters and simple purification step. In the processing of phyto-pharmaceuticals, CO2 has been used mostly for extraction, purification and particle formation. This article is a review of supercritical particle formation processes applied to phenolic compounds, specifically curcumin. In summary, supercritical technologies constitute a process platform for the modification of curcumin physicochemical properties. The use of supercritical CO2 as a solute, solvent or anti-solvent in curcumin processing enabled the production of material with particle size as small as 15 nm and improved antioxidant activity.
Elimination of Negative Influence of Fluidized Bed Combustion Fly Ash on Viscosity of Cement Mix
Authors: Ťažký Martin , Hela Rudolf
Published: August 2016

Use of fluidized bed combustion fly ash as an admixture for manufacture of cement based composite materials is not quite common now, however, there are real ways of utilizing its potential. The most important negative feature of this fly ash is its variable chemical composition, which supports formation of new forms growing within the structure with negative impact of durability of the composite material. The morphology of this type of fly ash is also not very favorable as it has negative influence on consistency. Fluidized bed combustion fly ash considerably deteriorates consistency of cement mixture, which results in higher water-cement ratio and consequently worsening of physico-mechanical and durability parameters of the whole composite. Therefore the question arises how to eliminate this negative influence on consistency without the necessity of increasing water cement ratio.
Use of Fluidized Bed Combustion Fly Ash as Addition Reducing Shrinkage of Concrete
Authors: Osuská Lucia , Hela Rudolf
Published: August 2016

Volumetric changes during ageing belong to natural properties of concrete. These changes, either growing or shrinking, can present a problem, which has to be taken into account during design and realization phases. This phenomenon is influenced by various factors and volumetric changes can be eliminated in many ways. One of the possibilities is setting appropriate combination of input materials and use of special additions and admixtures. This paper focused on verification of the method reducing shrinkage of concrete by means of using high temperature combustion fly ash combined with fluidized bed combustion fly ash as addition. The precondition is growth of new forms, in particular primary ettringite and monosulphate, which form because of the content free lime and sulphates in fluidized fly ash. If these minerals are formed in fresh concrete, they can positive prevent shrinkage without destruction of the composite material.
Experimental Tests of Water Vapour Permeability of Plasters
Authors: Nenadálová Šárka , Balík Lukáš , Rydval Milan , Bittner Tomáš
Published: August 2016

In the paper there are summarized results of diffusion properties of mortars. Water vapour permeability represented by diffusion thicknesses and water vapour resistance factors are except mechanical properties the most important physical parameters of historic buildings. These parameters are influenced by border conditions among that mainly temperature, relative humidity and barometric air pressure belong. It is necessary to know these parameters to understand a material behaviour after a flood. They are decisive for a determination how quick a diffusion speed rate will be and a drying process will take. Everything depends on a type of binder, a material of a structure itself and primarily on properties of mortar and plaster and finishing. After a flood it is necessary to know when users of buildings can start to make rehabilitations and which of them are proper for particular material and when can return to their homes.
Waste from Biomass Combustion - Lightweight Aggregate
Authors: Khestl Filip , Knapec Jozef
Published: August 2016

The paper describes the possibility of using slag and bottom ash from biomass combustion in the building industry. On account of the problematic use of slag and bottom ash usage as a component of concrete mixture due to its chemical composition, the sintered lightweight aggregate based on this material was produced and tested.
Energy Remediation Combining Insulation Materials Based on Calcium Silicate and Expanded Polymers
Authors: Brenek A. , Vaclavik V. , Dvorsky T. , Šimíček Vojtěch
Published: August 2016

Energy rehabilitation of buildings using airtight insulating materials based on expanded polystyrene is often accompanied by the formation of moisture problems in the enclosure wall footing. Moisture progress in the rehabilitated structure is simulated using modern moisture transient models in Delphin software. Combinations of the developed plate thermal insulating materials based on calcium silicate and the conventional thermal insulation panels based on expanded polymer have been designed to address the moisture problems. This article describes the function of this solution during the reconstruction of a house built from full clay bricks with malfunctioning waterproofing in the lower house construction.
Study of the Effect of Diatomite as a Partial Replacement of Cement in Cement Pastes
Authors: Zahálková Jana , Rovnanikova Pavla
Published: August 2016

The article is focused on study of the effect of filtering diatomite as a partial replacement of cement in an amount of 5-30%. Diatomite is used in civil engineering especially for its high content of an amorphous SiO2, chemical resistance, high porosity, and good thermal insulating properties. Diatomite can be used as a pozzolanic material due to the high content of amorphous SiO2.Cement was replaced by filtering diatomite in amount of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% by weight. Diatomite was characterized by chemical composition, granulometry and pozzolanic activity.The specimens were tested in bulk density, bending strength and compressive strength, hydration process was investigated using thermal analysis, and microstructure was observed by scanning electron microscopy. All results were compared to reference sample.
Cement Based Heat-Insulating Materials for Use in Floor Constructions
Authors: Mikulica Karel , Hájková Iveta , Hubáček Adam
Published: August 2016

Many architects, designers and builders struggle with the ongoing problem of how to fill the space between the load bearing foundations / ceiling land the flooring structure in the easiest and cheapest way while still retaining the optimum heating and sound insulating properties. In this age of hi-tech and plentiful amounts of construction materials, it is very difficult to focus on the market. On paper, very similar products from natural or artificially produced materials can be delivered to the construction site in a hardened state, most frequently in the form of boards or granulate or produced directly on-site or near a concrete plant and transported to for placement in a liquid state. This areas does concerns both new residential or industrial objects, as we as old objects which are waiting for reconstruction. During the project solution, various mixtures were designed that use the cement mortar and filler as a binder in the form of technical foam, expanded clay, vermiculite, perlite and hemp shives, so that when fresh the density does not exceed 1.400 kg / m3 and the materials can then be used as heat-insulating material in the flooring construction.
Testing of Technological Properties of Foam Concrete
Authors: Mikulica Karel , Hájková Iveta
Published: August 2016

At present the demand for thermal insulation materials is bigger than ever before. Also cement foam or foamconcrete, the mixture of cement mortar and technical foam can be one of such materials. Due to its liquid consistency this material can be simply applied in fresh status on uneven board surfaces where application of common thermal insulating materials would be very complex and time consuming.This work is involved in use of fly ash in foamconcrete and polystyrene-concrete compositions; these are very lightweight concretes produced from fine-grained cement mortars by its foaming using foamable admixtures. The objective of this work is to verify whether final physical and mechanical properties are improved when fly ash is applied within the mixture, in particular, the compressive strength thermal coefficient and stability after 12 hours from mixing.
Possibilities of Sludge from Physico-Chemical Treatment and Recovery Solidification with the Use of Sorbents and Cement
Authors: Dohnalkova Bozena
Published: August 2016

The aim of this paper is to examine the possibilities of solidification of sludge from physico-chemical treatment and recovery with the use of commercial sorbents and cement. For proposal of solidification formulas cement, fly ash and two commercial available types of sorbents on different bases were selected. These formulas were then subjected to laboratory testing with the aim to find the most suitable composition for this type of waste sludge solidification. The paper describes achieved results.
Technological Properties Testing of Blended Portland Cements with Fluidized Filter Ash
Authors: Hájková Iveta , Dvořák Karel , Gazdič Dominik , Fridrichová Marcela
Published: August 2016

The work aims to study the behaviour of blended cement with fluidized filter ash (FFA) considering to formation of the increased proportion of ettringite and its eventual transformation into thaumasite. In part of an experiment there were prepared three cements, two of them served as a reference one-component and the reference blended cement with limestone, a third one was tested blended cement with a FFA. All three cements were put to determination of basic technological properties and next they were observed during hydration process.
Initial Analysis for Study of Pure Limestone Decarbonation
Authors: Bureš Jaroslav , Dolák Dušan , Dvořák Karel , Všianský Dalibor
Published: August 2016

Over the past 70 years dozens of works that deal with the relationship between the properties of limestone, burning modes and properties of lime were created. The expected properties of lime should be proportionate to the nature and burning technology of limestone. But very often the reality is different. General relationships and dependencies have not been found yet. The aim of this work was to determine the relationship among the properties of limestone, lime, hydrated lime. The second aim has been to describe influence of the burning process on the properties of the material mentioned above. For this purpose it was necessary to get a enough wide set of data by performing a comprehensive analysis of various types of limestone. Partial dependencies have been already found on the initial results. An example might be dependence of the samples porosity to decarbonation rate or to its geological age. Due to the realization of this stage of research a coherent set of data was created. This dataset will be used for further research in this area.
Effects of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Strips on the Flexural Strength and Deflection of Steel I-Beam
Authors: Ahalajal Mary Ann , Tarranza Nathaniel C.
Published: August 2016

This study investigates the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips as an alternative way of retrofitting steel I-beams. The flexural strength and maximum deflection of unstrengthened and CFRP-strengthened steel I-beams were compared. Three groups of samples were studied: the first group has CFRP strip installed on the tension flange of the steel I-beam; the second group has CFRP strips installed on the compression and tension flanges of the steel I-beam; and the third group comprises unstrengthened steel I-beams which serve as control specimens. All specimens were tested as simply supported beams under third-point loading. A reaction frame machine was used to apply the load while a dial indicator was used to measure deflections.
Structural Damage Assessment of FRP Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Beams under Cyclic Loads
Authors: Ede Anthony N. , Pascale Giovanni
Published: August 2016

Worldwide, the need for structural retrofit is on the rise and the use of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite material systems is becoming an accepted method for repairs, rehabilitations, and strengthening of deficient structures. The great qualities of the FRP materials, certified in the laboratories and confirmed in the fields have all contributed to propel the material as a very promising one, though more works need to be done to certify the fatigue resistance and durability criteria. This research looked at the experimental investigations of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams strengthened flexurally with externally-epoxy bonded FRP laminates under four point cyclic loads. Dynamic tests are used to assess damages in the FRP-strengthened RC beams under cyclic loads. 6 RC beams of 150 x 200 mm cross-section and length of 2.20m and were reinforced with four 12mm ribbed longitudinal steel bars. Three types of FRP laminates made of high modulus carbon fibre, high strength carbon fibre and glass fibre were adopted. The results confirm that dynamic-based method is an efficient way of assessing damage evolution in RC beams strengthened with FRP laminates under cyclic loads. The results offered a criterion that can be adopted for quick assessment of the efficiency of FRP composite systems before applying them to civil applications.
Error Estimation of Linear Polarization Resistance Measurement Caused by IR Drop for Reinforcement Corrosion in Concrete
Authors: Xu Jin Xia , Cao Ya Long , Jiang Lin Hua , Song Ying Bin , Feng Wei
Published: August 2016

In order to evaluate more accurately the corrosion condition of reinforcing steel in chloride contaminated concrete, it is significant to investigate the error level in the linear polarization resistance measurement caused by IR drop. Concretes with eight levels of chloride ions (ranging from 0% to 2.0% by mass of cement) by adding different amounts of sodium chloride in the mixing water were prepared. Linear polarization measurements with and without IR compensation, were applied to determine the error level. Besides, half-cell potential method was employed to detect the corrosion condition of reinforcing steel. The results indicate that the error level is so low (less than 5.0%) that the IR drop can be negligible when the chloride content is relatively lower (0.6% or less by mass of cement). However, the error level is increased with the increase of chloride content. The IR drop is suggested to be compensated when the chloride content is relatively higher (more than 0.6% by mass of cement). At this time, the onset of active corrosion of reinforcing steel is also found.
Cyclic Voltammetric Study of the Pitting Corrosion Behavior of Low-Nickel Austenitic Stainless Steels in Citric Acid
Authors: Mulimbayan Francis , Mena Manolo G.
Published: August 2016

The pitting corrosion behavior of AISI 202 stainless steel (SS) – a low-nickel, austenitic SS grade, was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique complemented by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). From the starting potential, the current density decreases and changes its sign at the corrosion potential (Ecorr). The anodic response exhibits a well-defined anodic peak followed by a passive region. A noticeable increase in the anodic current density was observed after reaching the breakdown potential (Eb). The second anodic peak which may be attributed to onset of oxygen evolution was also observed. Moreover, the cyclic voltammograms revealed that hysteresis loop is absent for all the studied concentrations, indicating that AISI 202 SS in citric acid is highly resistant to pitting corrosion as also supported by the results of SEM. It was found out that the critical current density (icrit) increases with increasing citric acid concentration.
Uncertainty Analysis in Fatigue Life Prediction of Concrete Using Evidence Theory
Authors: Tang He Sheng , Mei Jia He , Chen Wei , Li Da Wei , Xue Song Tao
Published: August 2016

Various sources of uncertainty exist in concrete fatigue life prediction, such as variability in loading conditions, material parameters, experimental data and model uncertainty. In this article, the uncertainty model of concrete fatigue life prediction based on the S-N curve is built, and the evidence theory method is presented for uncertainty analysis in fatigue life prediction of concrete while considering the epistemic uncertainty of the parameter of the model. Based on the experimental of concrete four-point bending beams, the evidence theory method is applied to quantify the epistemic uncertainty stem from experimental data and model uncertainty. To improve the efficiency of computation, a method of differential evolution is adopted to speedup the works of uncertainty propagation. The efficiency and feasibility of the proposed approach are verified through a comparative analysis of probability theory.
Effects of Concrete Mix Proportion on Electrical Resistivity of Concrete
Authors: Hnin Su Wai , Sancharoen Pakawat , Tangtermsirikul Somnuk
Published: August 2016

Electrical resistivity is one of the important parameters for modeling corrosion behavior of concrete. Few researchers have been carried out to investigate this problem. This paper presents an experimental study on effects of concrete mix proportion on electrical resistivity of concrete. The electrical resistivity of concrete is measured using the four Wenner probe, which is a fast and simple test that evaluates the resistance of concrete against the entrance of ionic species. The varied parameters in this study were water/binder ratio, fly ash content, cement paste content (Υ) and curing conditions. Based on experimental results, a good correlation is obtained between electrical resistivity and compressive strength of concrete.The results showed that the electrical resistivity of concrete mainly depend on compressive strength and fly ash content. The results of this study can be used further to model the behavior of electrical resistivity of concrete when the mix proportions are provided and that can be supported information to design sacrificial anode protection system.