Search results for: ion exchange membranes

Authors: Jiahui Song

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The use of very high electric fields (~ 100kV/cm or higher) with pulse durations in the nanosecond range has been a recent development. The electric pulses have been used as tools to generate electroporation which has many biomedical applications. Most of the studies of electroporation have ignored possible thermal effects because of the small duration of the applied voltage pulses. However, it has been predicted membrane temperature gradients ranging from 0.2×109 to 109 K/m. This research focuses on thermal gradients that drives for electroporative enhancements, even though the actual temperature values might not have changed appreciably from their equilibrium levels. The dynamics of pore formation with the application of an externally applied electric field is studied on the basis of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the GROMACS package. Different temperatures are assigned to various regions to simulate the appropriate temperature gradients. The GROMACS provides the force fields for the lipid membranes, which is taken to comprise of dipalmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline (DPPC) molecules. The water model mimicks the aqueous environment surrounding the membrane. Velocities of water and membrane molecules are generated randomly at each simulation run according to a Maxwellian distribution. For statistical significance, a total of eight MD simulations are carried out with different starting molecular velocities for each simulation. MD simulation shows no pore is formed in a 10-ns snapshot for a DPPC membrane set at a uniform temperature of 295 K after a 0.4 V/nm electric field is applied. A nano-sized pore is clearly seen in a 10-ns snapshot on the same geometry but with the top and bottom membrane surfaces kept at temperatures of 300 and 295 K, respectively. For the same applied electric field, the formation of nanopores is clearly demonstrated, but only in the presence of a temperature gradient. MD simulation results show enhanced electroporative effects arising from thermal gradients. The study suggests the temperature gradient is a secondary driver, with the electric field being the primary cause for electroporation.

Keywords: nanosecond, electroporation, thermal effects, molecular dynamics

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Authors: Chun-Han Li, Tien-Fu Yang, Chen-Yu Chen, Wei-Mon Yan

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The conventional dehumidification method in air-conditioning system mostly utilizes a cooling coil to remove the moisture in the air via cooling the supply air down below its dew point temperature. During the process, it needs to reheat the supply air to meet the set indoor condition that consumes a considerable amount of energy and affect the coefficient of performance of the system. If the processes of dehumidification and cooling are separated and operated respectively, the indoor conditions will be more efficiently controlled. Therefore, decoupling the dehumidification and cooling processes in heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is one of the key technologies as membrane dehumidification processes for the next generation. The membrane dehumidification method has the advantages of low cost, low energy consumption, etc. It utilizes the pore size and hydrophilicity of the membrane to transfer water vapor by mass transfer effect. The moisture in the supply air is removed by the potential energy and driving force across the membrane. The process can save the latent load used to condense water, which makes more efficient energy use because it does not involve heat transfer effect. In this work, the performance measurements including the permeability and selectivity of water vapor and air with the composite and commercial membranes were conducted. According to measured data, we can choose the suitable dehumidification membrane for designing the flow channel length and components of the planar dehumidifier. The vacuum membrane dehumidification system was set up to examine the effects of temperature, humidity, vacuum pressure, flow rate, the coefficient of performance and other parameters on the dehumidification efficiency. The results showed that the commercial Nafion membrane has better water vapor permeability and selectivity. They are suitable for filtration with water vapor and air. Meanwhile, Nafion membrane has promising potential in the dehumidification process.

Keywords: vacuum membrane dehumidification, planar membrane dehumidifier, water vapour and air permeability, air conditioning

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Authors: Belkacem Benadda, Adil Benabdellah, Boutheyna Souna

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The Internet of Things (IoT) is an unprecedented creation. Electronics objects are now able to interact, share, respond and adapt to their environment on a much larger basis. Actual spread of these modern means of connectivity and solutions with high data volume exchange are affecting our ways of life. Accommodation is becoming an intelligent living space, not only suited to the people circumstances and desires, but also to systems constraints to make daily life simpler, cheaper, increase possibilities and achieve a higher level of services and luxury. In this paper we are as Internet access, teleworking, consumption monitoring, information search, etc.). This paper addresses the design and integration of a smart home, it also purposes an IoT solution that allows smart power consumption based on measurements from power-grid and deep learning analysis.

Keywords: array sensors, IoT, power grid, FPGA, embedded

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Authors: Muhammad Akhtaruzzaman

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The impact of corporate environmental social and governance (ESG) on financial performance is often difficult to quantify despite the ESG related theories predict that ESG performance improves financial performance of a company. This research examines the link between corporate ESG performance and the financial performance of the NZX (New Zealand Stock Exchange) listed companies. For this purpose, this research utilizes mixed methods approaches to examine and understand this link. While quantitative results found no robust evidence of such a link, however, the qualitative analysis of content data suggests a strong cooccurrence exists between ESG performance and financial performance. The findings of this research have important implications for policymakers to support higher ESG-performing companies and for management practitioners to develop ESG-related strategies.

Keywords: ESG, financial performance, New Zealand firms, thematic analysis, mixed methods

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Authors: Raghav Lakhotia, Sameer Ganu, Anshul Goel, Abhishek Kumar

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In the age and times where women’s empowerment is a significant topic of discussion, we aim to analyze the potential gender diversity influence on box office revenues. The following research is carried out by collecting data from 400 Hollywood movies between the years 2014-2017 and performing regression analysis to find a correlation between the presence of female characters in movies and their return on investment (ROI). The paper finds that there is a positive relationship between the performance of the movies (its ROI) and the gender diversity i.e. the more the number of female characters, the higher the revenue generated. Another factor such as Number of Votes also has a direct impact on the revenue of the movie. The research not only takes into consideration the mere presence of women on screen but also the exchange of at least one dialogue among themselves, which is presented by the Bechdel Score of the movie.

Keywords: Bechdel, diversity, Hollywood, return on investment

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Authors: Oliver Takawira, Thembi Hope

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This study will analyse the relationship between Bitcoin price movements and the Johannesburg stock exchange (JSE). The aim is to determine whether Bitcoin price movements affect the stock market performance. As crypto currencies continue to gain prominence as a safe asset during periods of economic distress, this raises the question of whether Bitcoin’s prosperity could affect investment in the stock market. To identify the existence of a short run and long run linear relationship, the study will apply the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL) bounds test and a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) after testing the data for unit roots and cointegration using the Augmented Dicker Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron (PP). The Non-Linear Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) will then be used to check if there is a non-linear relationship between bitcoin prices and stock market prices.

Keywords: bitcoin, stock market, interest rates, ARDL

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Authors: M. M. Hefnawy, A. M. A. Homoda, M. A. Abounassif, A. M. Alanazia, A. Al-Majed, Gamal A. E. Mostafa

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PVC membrane sensors using different approach e.g. ion-pair, ionophore, and Schiff-base has been used as testing membrane sensor. Analytical applications of membrane sensors for direct measurement of variety of different ions in complex biological and environmental sample are reported. The most important step of such PVC membrane sensor is the sensing active material. The potentiometric sensors have some outstanding advantages including simple design, operation, wide linear dynamic range, relative fast response time, and rotational selectivity. The analytical applications of these techniques to pharmaceutical compounds in dosage forms are also discussed. The construction and electrochemical response characteristics of Poly (vinyl chloride) membrane sensors for moxifloxacin HCl (MOX) are described. The sensing membranes incorporate ion association complexes of moxifloxacin cation and sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB) (sensor 1), phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) (sensor 2) or phosphotungstic acid (PTA) (sensor 3) as electroactive materials. The sensors display a fast, stable and near-Nernstian response over a relative wide moxifloxacin concentration range (1 ×10-2-4.0×10-6, 1 × 10-2-5.0×10-6, 1 × 10-2-5.0×10-6 M), with detection limits of 3×10-6, 4×10-6 and 4.0×10-6 M for sensor 1, 2 and 3, respectively over a pH range of 6.0-9.0. The sensors show good discrimination of moxifloxacin from several inorganic and organic compounds. The direct determination of 400 µg/ml of moxifloxacin show an average recovery of 98.5, 99.1 and 98.6 % and a mean relative standard deviation of 1.8, 1.6 and 1.8% for sensors 1, 2, and 3 respectively. The proposed sensors have been applied for direct determination of moxifloxacin in some pharmaceutical preparations. The results obtained by determination of moxifloxacin in tablets using the proposed sensors are comparable favorably with those obtained using the US Pharmacopeia method. The sensors have been used as indicator electrodes for potentiometric titration of moxifloxacin.

Keywords: potentiometry, PVC, membrane sensors, ion-pair, ionophore, schiff-base, moxifloxacin HCl, sodium tetraphenyl borate, phosphomolybdic acid, phosphotungstic acid

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Authors: Piotr Fiszeder, Marcin Fałdziński, Peter Molnár

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The dynamic conditional correlation model of Engle (2002) is one of the most popular multivariate volatility models. However, this model is based solely on closing prices. It has been documented in the literature that the high and low price of the day can be used in an efficient volatility estimation. We, therefore, suggest a model which incorporates high and low prices into the dynamic conditional correlation framework. Empirical evaluation of this model is conducted on three datasets: currencies, stocks, and commodity exchange-traded funds. The utilisation of realized variances and covariances as proxies for true variances and covariances allows us to reach a strong conclusion that our model outperforms not only the standard dynamic conditional correlation model but also a competing range-based dynamic conditional correlation model.

Keywords: volatility, DCC model, high and low prices, range-based models, covariance forecasting

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Authors: P. Sankar, P. James Daniel Paul, Siddhant Sahu

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A brief review of the empirical studies on the methodology of the stock market decision support would indicate that they are at a threshold of validating the accuracy of the traditional and the fuzzy, artificial neural network and the decision trees. Many researchers have been attempting to compare these models using various data sets worldwide. However, the research community is on the way to the conclusive confidence in the emerged models. This paper attempts to use the automotive sector stock prices from National Stock Exchange (NSE), India and analyze them for the intra-sectorial support for stock market decisions. The study identifies the significant variables and their lags which affect the price of the stocks using OLS analysis and decision tree classifiers.

Keywords: Indian automotive sector, stock market decisions, equity portfolio analysis, decision tree classifiers, statistical data analysis

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Authors: Baratali Monfarediraz

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Humans’ identity is not only under the influence of a certain society or social structure but also it is influenced by an international identity. This article is a research on role of education in the manifestation of universally accepted values such as, advancement of science, improvement in the quality of education, preservation of the natural environment, preservation, and spread of peace, exchange of knowledge and technology, equal educational opportunities, benefiting from a universal morality and etc. Therefore, the relation between universal beliefs and values and educational approaches and programs is the first thing to pay attention to. Studies indicate that the first step in achieving the above mentioned goals is offering learning strategies. Therefore the importance of educational approaches and programs as a tool for the transference of ideas, experiences and thoughts becomes quite clear. Proper education gives everyone the opportunity of acquiring knowledge while creating tendency toward social activities paves the way for achieving the universal values.

Keywords: globalization, universal values, education, universal goal, values, society

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Authors: Hoa Thi Hoang, Stephan Sass, Michael U. Kumke

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Concanavalin A (conA) is a protein has been widely used in sensor system based on its specific binding to α-D-Glucose or α-D-Manose. For glucose sensor using conA, either fluoresence based techniques with intensity based or lifetime based are used. In this research, liposomes made from phospholipids were used as a biomimetic membrane system. In a first step, novel building blocks containing perylene labeled glucose units were added to the system and used to decorate the surface of the liposomes. Upon the binding between rhodamine labeled con A to the glucose units at the biomimetic membrane surface, a Förster resonance energy transfer system can be formed which combines unique fluorescence properties of perylene (e.g., high fluorescence quantum yield, no triplet formation) and its high hydrophobicity for efficient anchoring in membranes to form a novel probe for the investigation of sugar-driven binding reactions at biomimetic surfaces. Two glucose-labeled perylene derivatives were synthesized with different spacer length between the perylene and glucose unit in order to probe the binding of conA. The binding interaction was fully characterized by using high-end fluorescence techniques. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques (e.g., fluorescence depolarization) in combination with single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy techniques (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, FCS) were used to monitor the interaction with conA. Base on the fluorescence depolarization, the rotational correlation times and the alteration in the diffusion coefficient (determined by FCS) the binding of the conA to the liposomes carrying the probe was studied. Moreover, single pair FRET experiments using pulsed interleaved excitation are used to characterize in detail the binding of conA to the liposome on a single molecule level avoiding averaging out effects.

Keywords: concanavalin A, FRET, sensor, biomimetic membrane

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Authors: Raif Parlakkaya, Ahmet Diken, Erkan Kara

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This paper examines the relationship between corporate governance rating and stock prices of 26 Turkish firms listed in Turkish stock exchange (Borsa Istanbul) by using panel data analysis over five-year period. The paper also investigates the stock performance of firms with governance rating with regards to the market portfolio (i.e. BIST 100 Index) both prior and after governance scoring began. The empirical results show that there is no relation between corporate governance rating and stock prices when using panel data for annual variation in both rating score and stock prices. Further analysis indicates surprising results that while the selected firms outperform the market significantly prior to rating, the same performance does not continue afterwards.

Keywords: corporate governance, stock price, performance, panel data analysis

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Authors: Wenjie Qin, Kewei Lv

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In 1996, Boneh and Venkatesan proposed the Hidden Number Problem (HNP) and proved the most significant bits (MSB) of computational Diffie-Hellman key exchange scheme and related schemes are unpredictable bits. They also gave a method which is a lattice rounding technique to solve HNP in non-uniform model. In this paper, we put forward a new concept that is Schnorr-MSB-HNP. We also reduce the problem of solving Schnorr signature private key with a few consecutive most significant bits of random nonce (used at each signature generation) to Schnorr-MSB-HNP, then we use the rounding technique to solve the Schnorr-MSB-HNP. We have come to the conclusion that if there is a ‘miraculous box’ which inputs the random nonce and outputs 2loglogq (q is a prime number) most significant bits of nonce, the signature private key will be obtained by choosing 2logq signature messages randomly. Thus we get an attack on the Schnorr signature private key.

Keywords: rounding technique, most significant bits, Schnorr signature algorithm, nonce, Schnorr-MSB-HNP

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Authors: Mousaab Alrhmoun, Magali Casellas, Michel Baudu, Christophe Dagot

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The aim of the study is to improve removal of trace organic contaminants dissolved in activated sludge by the process of filtration with membrane bioreactor combined with modified activated carbon, for a maximum removal of organic compounds characterized by low molecular weight. Special treatment was conducted in laboratory on activated carbon. Tow reaction parameters: The pH of aqueous middle and the type of granular activated carbon were very important to improve the removal and to motivate the electrostatic Interactions of organic compounds with modified activated carbon in addition to physical adsorption, ligand exchange or complexation on the surface activated carbon. The results indicate that modified activated carbon has a strong impact in removal 21 of organic contaminants and in percentage of 100% of the process.

Keywords: activated carbon, organic micropolluants, membrane bioreactor, carbon

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Authors: Strahinja Kovačević, Sanja Podunavac-Kuzmanović, Lidija Jevrić, Cristina Prandi, Piermichele Kobauri

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The present study is based on molecular modeling of a series of twelve 5-(4-substituent-phenoxy)-3-methylfuran-2(5H)-one derivatives which have potential of strigolactones mimics toward Striga hermonthica. The first step of the analysis included the calculation of molecular descriptors which numerically describe the structures of the analyzed compounds. The descriptors ALOGP (lipophilicity), AClogS (water solubility) and BBB (blood-brain barrier penetration), served as the input variables in multiple linear regression (MLR) modeling of germination activity toward S. hermonthica. Two MLR models were obtained. The first MLR model contains ALOGP and AClogS descriptors, while the second one is based on these two descriptors plus BBB descriptor. Despite the braking Topliss-Costello rule in the second MLR model, it has much better statistical and cross-validation characteristics than the first one. The ALOGP and AClogS descriptors are often very suitable predictors of the biological activity of many compounds. They are very important descriptors of the biological behavior and availability of a compound in any biological system (i.e. the ability to pass through the cell membranes). BBB descriptor defines the ability of a molecule to pass through the blood-brain barrier. Besides the lipophilicity of a compound, this descriptor carries the information of the molecular bulkiness (its value strongly depends on molecular bulkiness). According to the obtained results of MLR modeling, these three descriptors are considered as very good predictors of germination activity of the analyzed compounds toward S. hermonthica seeds. This article is based upon work from COST Action (FA1206), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).

Keywords: chemometrics, germination activity, molecular modeling, QSAR analysis, strigolactones

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Authors: Palak Sadhwani, Susie Pryor

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This paper investigates interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in the context of entrepreneurship education. Collaboration has been found to enhance problem solving, leverage expertise, improve resource allocation, and create organizational efficiencies. However, research suggests that successful collaboration is hampered by individual and organizational characteristics. IPC occurs when two or more professionals work together to solve a problem or achieve a common objective. The necessity for this form of collaboration is particularly prevalent in cross-disciplinary fields. In this study, we utilize social exchange theory (SET) to examine IPC in the context of an entrepreneurship living learning community (LLC) at a large university in the Western United States. Specifically, we explore these research questions: How are rules or norms established that govern the collaboration process? How are resources valued and distributed? How are relationships developed and managed among and between parties? LLCs are defined as groups of students who live together in on-campus housing and share similar academic or special interests. In 2007, the Association of American Colleges and Universities named living communities a high impact practice (HIP) because of their capacity to enhance and give coherence to undergraduate education. The entrepreneurship LLC in this study was designed to offer first year college students the opportunity to live and learn with like-minded students from diverse backgrounds. While the university offers other LLC environments, the target residents for this LLC are less easily identified and are less apparently homogenous than residents of other LLCs on campus (e.g., Black Scholars, LatinX, Women in Science and Education), creating unique challenges. The LLC is a collaboration between the university’s College of Business & Public Administration and the Department of Housing and Residential Education (DHRE). Both parties are contributing staff, technology, living and learning spaces, and other student resources. This paper reports the results an ethnographic case study which chronicles the start-up challenges associated with the co-creation of the LLC. SET provides a general framework for examining how resources are valued and exchanged. In this study, SET offers insights into the processes through which parties negotiate tensions resulting from approaching this shared project from very different perspectives and cultures in a novel project environment. These tensions occur due to a variety of factors, including team formation and management, allocation of resources, and differing output expectations. The results are useful to both scholars and practitioners of entrepreneurship education and organizational management. They suggest probably points of conflict and potential paths towards reconciliation.

Keywords: case study, ethnography, interprofessional collaboration, social exchange theory

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Authors: Salma E. Ahmed

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Since the mid 50’s, enormous attention has been paid towards nanocarriers and their applications in drug and gene delivery. Among these vesicles, liposomes and micelles have been heavily investigated due to their many advantages over other types. Liposomes, for instance, are mostly distinguished by their ability to encapsulate hydrophobic, hydrophilic and amphiphilic drugs. Micelles, on the other hand, are self-assembled shells of lipids, amphiphilic or oppositely charged block copolymers that, once exposed to aqueous media, can entrap hydrophobic agents, and possess prolonged circulation in the bloodstream. Both carriers are considered compatible and biodegradable. Nevertheless, they have limited stabilities, chemical versatilities, and drug encapsulation efficiencies. In order to overcome these downsides, strategies for optimizing a novel drug delivery system that has the architecture of liposomes and polymeric characteristics of micelles have been evolved. Polymersomes are vehicles with fluidic cores and hydrophobic shells that are protected and isolated from the aqueous media by the hydrated hydrophilic brushes which give the carrier its distinctive polymeric bilayer shape. Similar to liposomes, this merit enables the carrier to encapsulate a wide range of agents, despite their affinities and solubilities in water. Adding to this, the high molecular weight of the amphiphiles that build the body of the polymersomes increases their colloidal and chemical stabilities and reduces the permeability of the polymeric membranes, which makes the vesicles more protective to the encapsulated drug. These carriers can also be modified in ways that make them responsive when targeted or triggered, by manipulating their composition and attaching moieties and conjugates to the body of the carriers. These appealing characteristics, in addition to the ease of synthesis, gave the polymersomes greater potentials in the area of drug delivery. Thus, their design and characterization, in comparison with liposomes and micelles, are briefly reviewed in this work.

Keywords: controlled release, liposomes, micelles, polymersomes, targeting

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Authors: André Furtado, Rafael Mineiro, Isabel Gonçalves, Cecília Santos, Telma Quintela

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The development of therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders is one of the biggest challenges of current pharmacology, given the unique features of brain barriers, which limit drug delivery. Efflux transporters (ABC transporters) expressed at the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), are the main obstacles for the delivery of therapeutic compounds into the CNS, compromising the effective treatment of brain cancer, brain metastasis from peripheral cancers, or even neurodegenerative disorders. It is thus extremely important to understand the regulation of these transporters for reducing their expression while treating a brain disorder or choosing the most appropriate conditions for drug administration. Based on the fact that the BCSFB have fine-tuned biological rhythms, studying the circadian variation of drug transport processes is critical for choosing the most appropriate time of the day for drug administration. In our study, using an in vitro model of the BCSFB, we characterized the circadian transport profile of methotrexate (MTX) and donepezil (DNPZ), two drugs involved in the treatment of cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease symptoms, respectively. We found that MTX is transported across the basal and apical membranes of the BCSFB in a circadian way. The circadian pattern of an ABC transporter, Abcc4, might be partially responsible for MTX circadian transport. Furthermore, regarding the DNPZ transport study, we observed that the regulation of Abcg2 expression by the circadian rhythm will impact the circadian-dependent transport of DNPZ across the BCSFB. Overall, our results will contribute to the current knowledge on brain pharmacoresistance at the BCSFB by disclosing how circadian rhythms control drug delivery to the brain, setting the grounds for a potential application of chronotherapy to brain diseases to enhance the efficacy of medications and minimize their side effects.

Keywords: blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, ABC transporters, drug transport, chronotherapy

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Authors: Kadda Amara, Mohammed Elkeurti, Mostefa Zemouli, Yassine Benallou

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In this work, we present a study of the structural, elastic and electronic properties of the cubic antiperovskites XNMg3 (X=P, As, Sb and Bi) using the full-potential augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW+lo) within the Generalized Gradient Approximation based on PBEsol, Perdew 2008 functional. We determined the lattice parameters, the bulk modulus B and their pressure derivative B'. In addition, the elastic properties such as elastic constants (C11, C12 and C44), the shear modulus G, the Young modulus E, the Poisson's ratio ν and the B/G ratio are also given. For the band structure, density of states and charge density the exchange and correlation effects were treated by the Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson potential to prevent the shortcoming of the underestimation of the energy gaps in both LDA and GGA approximations. The obtained results are compared to available experimental data and to other theoretical calculations.

Keywords: XNMg3 compounds, GGA-PBEsol, TB-mBJ, elastic properties, electronic properties

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Authors: Prakash Prajapati

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E commerce is certainly one of the business alternatives that individual will have to analyze in the forthcoming years. E-commerce is said to bring about arched type conversion in the world for exchange market. Prognosis E-commerce is presenting dreadful business advancement in our country. Endorsed by ascending online user base & mobile phone presentation, Indian e-commerce has been splendid development in the last few years. Conceding India’s analytical dividend and spiraling internet admittance, the sector is contracted to scale higher heights. Although, India’s overall peddle opportunity is consequential, the sector is beset with some deliberate challenges. The current study has been proceeded to explore the present scenario, status & future advancement of e-commerce in India and review the challenges and opportunities of e-commerce in India.

Keywords: online selling, retail selling online, product process, business opportunity

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Authors: Tomotaka Yanagida

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The Corporate Governance Code, revised in 2015, requires firms listed within the first and second sections of Japan’s Tokyo stock exchange to select two or more independent outside directors (the Corporate Governance Code4-8). Therefore, Japanese listed firms must do this or explain the reason why they are not able to do so. This study investigates how the Corporate Governance Code affects Japanese listed firms. We find that the Corporate Governance Code increases the ratio of outside directors by nearly 8.8% for a sample of Japanese firms comprising nearly 4,200 firm-year observations from 2014 to 2015 using a difference-in-differences approach. This implies that they felt it would have been difficult to explain why it was not appropriate to have an outside director at the annual shareholders' meeting. Moreover, this suggests that they appoint outside directors as defined by the Corporate Governance Code, but maintain board size. This situation shows that compliance in Japan may simply be 'window dressing,' that is, more form than substance.

Keywords: board structure, comply or explain, corporate governance code, soft law

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Authors: Guclu Insel, Efe Gumuslu, Gulten Yuksek, Nilay Sayi Ucar, Emine Ubay Cokgor, Tugba Olmez Hanci, Didem Okutman Tas, Fatos Germirli Babuna, Derya Firat Ertem, Okmen Yildirim, Ozge Erturan, Betul Kirci

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In order to eliminate water scarcity problems, effective precautions must be taken. Growing competition for water is increasingly forcing facilities to tackle their own water scarcity problems. At this point, application of wastewater reclamation and reuse results in considerable economic advantageous. In this study, an enamel coating facility, which is one of the high water consumed facilities, is evaluated in terms of its wastewater reuse potential. Wastewater reclamation and reuse can be defined as one of the best available techniques for this sector. Hence, process and pollution profiles together with detailed characterization of segregated wastewater sources are appraised in a way to find out the recoverable effluent streams arising from enamel coating operations. Daily, 170 m³ of process water is required and 160 m³ of wastewater is generated. The segregated streams generated by two enamel coating processes are characterized in terms of conventional parameters. Relatively clean segregated wastewater streams (reusable wastewaters) are separately collected and experimental treatability studies are conducted on it. The results reflected that the reusable wastewater fraction has an approximate amount of 110 m³/day that accounts for 68% of the total wastewaters. The need for treatment applicable on reusable wastewaters is determined by considering water quality requirements of various operations and characterization of reusable wastewater streams. Ultra-filtration (UF), Nano-filtration (NF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes are subsequently applied on reusable effluent fraction. Adequate organic matter removal is not obtained with the mentioned treatment sequence.

Keywords: enamel coating, membrane, reuse, wastewater reclamation

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Authors: Lalith Edirisinghe, Zhihong Jin, A.W. Wijeratne, Hansa Edirisinghe, Lakshmi Ranwala Rashika Mudunkotuwa

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A paradigm shift in container inventory management (CIM) is a long-awaited industry need. Virtual container yard (VCY) is a concept developed in 2013 and its primary objective is to minimize shipping transport cost through implementing container exchange between carriers. Shipping lines always try to maintain lower container idle time and provide higher customer satisfaction. However, it is disappointing to note that carriers turn a blind eye to the escalating cost resulted from the present inefficient CIM mechanism. The cost of empty container management is simply transferred to the importers and exporters as freight adjustments. It also creates an environmental hazard. Therefore, it has now become a problem for the society. Therefore, a paradigm shift may be required as the present CIM system is not working for common interests of human beings as it should be.

Keywords: collaboation, inventory, shipping, virtual container yard

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Authors: Sabin Stoica

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In this paper the theoretical challenges in the study of neutrinoless double beta decay are reviewed. Then, new upper limits of the neutrino mass parameters in the case of three isotopes are derived; 48Ca, 76Ge, and 82Se, assuming two possible mechanisms of occurrence of this nuclear process, namely the exchange of i) light left-handed neutrinos and ii) heavy right-handed neutrinos, between two nucleons inside the nucleus. The derivation is based on accurate calculations of the phase space factors and nuclear matrix elements performed with new high-performance computer codes, which are described in more detail in recent publications. These results are useful both for a better understanding of the scale of neutrino absolute mass and for the planning of future double beta decay experiments.

Keywords: double beta decay, neutrino properties, nuclear matrix elements, phase space factors

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Authors: Irlana C. do Mar, Thayna A. Ferreira, Dayane S. Rezende, Bruno A. M. Figueira, José M. R. Mercury

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This work presents a low-cost Mn starting material to synthesis manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieve with Mg²⁺ in the tunnel (Mg-OMS-1), based on the Mn residues from Carajás Mineral Province (Amazon, Brazil). After hydrothermal and cation exchange procedures, the Mn residues transformed to a single phase, Mg-OMS-1. The raw material and the synthesis processes were analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The tunnel structure was synthesized hydrothermally at 180 °C for three days without impurities. According to the XRD analysis, the formation of crystalline Mg-OMS-1 was identified through reflections at 9.8º, 12º and 18º (2θ), as well as a thermal stability around 300 ºC. The SEM analysis indicated that the final product presents good crystallinity with a homogeneous size. In addition, an intense and diagnostic FTIR band was identified at 515 cm⁻¹ related to the MnO₆ octahedral stretching vibrations.

Keywords: Mn residues , Octahedral Molecular Sieve, Synthesis, Characterization

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Authors: Jaithish John

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In this paper a brief overview is provided of the developments in interdisciplinary knowledge exchange with use of soil and geological (earth) materials in the search for evidence. The aim is to provide background information on the role and value of understanding ‘earth materials’ from the crime scene through to microscopic scale investigations to support law enforcement agencies in solving criminal and environmental concerns and investigations. This involves the sampling, analysis, interpretation and explanation presentation of all these evidences. In this context, field and laboratory methods are highlighted for the controlled / referenced sample, alibi sample and questioned sample. The aim of forensic analyses of earth materials is to associate these samples taken from a questioned source to determine if there are similar and outstanding characteristics features of earth materials crucial to support the investigation to the questioned earth materials and compare it to the controlled / referenced sample and alibi samples.

Keywords: soil, texture, grain, microscopy

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Authors: Zhang Yu

Abstract:

Shanxi Province is a province with a long history in China. The historical characteristics of Jinzhong Prefecture in Shaanxi Province are very prominent. This research has done a lot of field research and analysis, and has analyzed a large number of documents. The formation and characteristics of villages in Jinzhong Prefecture are summarized. But the remains of many areas have not been systematically discovered and analyzed. This study found that the reasons for the formation of villages are natural, cultural, traffic and economic reasons. It mainly includes water, mountain, and developed business culture during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. By analyzing the evolution characteristics of each period, the characteristics and remains of the existing villages are explained in detail. These types of relics mainly include courtyards, fortresses, and Exchange shops. This study can provide systematic guidance on the protection of future village remains.

Keywords: Jinzhong Prefecture, village, features, remains

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Authors: Maxim A. Kadatskiy, Konstantin V. Khishchenko

Abstract:

Iron alloys are widespread components in various types of structural materials which are exposed to intensive thermal and mechanical loads. Various quantum-statistical cell models with the approximation of self-consistent field can be used for the prediction of the behavior of these materials under extreme conditions. The application of these models is even more valid, the higher the temperature and the density of matter. Results of Hugoniot calculation for iron alloys in the framework of three quantum-statistical (the Thomas–Fermi, the Thomas–Fermi with quantum and exchange corrections and the Hartree–Fock–Slater) models are presented. Results of quantum-statistical calculations are compared with results from other reliable models and available experimental data. It is revealed a good agreement between results of calculation and experimental data for terra pascal pressures. Advantages and disadvantages of this approach are shown.

Keywords: alloy, Hugoniot, iron, terapascal pressure

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Authors: Sahana Selladurai, Christine DeWolf

Abstract:

Lung surfactant comprises a lipid-protein film that coats the alveolar surface and serves to prevent alveolar collapse upon repeated breathing cycles. Exposure of lung surfactant to high concentrations of airborne pollutants, for example tropospheric ozone in smog, can chemically modify the lipid and protein components. These chemical changes can impact the film functionality by decreasing the film’s collapse pressure (minimum surface tension attainable), altering it is mechanical and flow properties and modifying lipid reservoir formation essential for re-spreading of the film during the inhalation process. In this study, we use Langmuir monolayers spread at the air-water interface as model membranes where the compression and expansion of the film mimics the breathing cycle. The impact of ozone exposure on model lung surfactant films is measured using a Langmuir film balance, Brewster angle microscopy and a pendant drop tensiometer as a function of film and sub-phase composition. The oxidized films are analyzed using mass spectrometry where lipid and protein oxidation products are observed. Oxidation is shown to reduce surface activity, alter line tension (and film morphology) and in some cases visibly reduce the viscoelastic properties of the film when compared to controls. These reductions in functionality of the films are highly dependent on film and sub-phase composition, where for example, the effect of oxidation is more pronounced when using a physiologically relevant buffer as opposed to water as the sub-phase. These findings can lead to a better understanding on the impact of continuous exposure to high levels of ozone on the mechanical process of breathing, as well as understanding the roles of certain lung surfactant components in this process.

Keywords: lung surfactant, oxidation, ozone, viscoelasticity

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Authors: Anna Dziubinska

Abstract:

The article presents the results of numerical simulations of the new forging process of the automotive connector forging from cast preform. The high-strength ZK60 alloy (belonging to the Mg-Zn-Zr group of Mg alloys) was selected for numerical tests. Currently, this part of the industry is produced by multi-stage forging consisting of operations: bending, preforming, and finishing. The use of the cast preform would enable forging this component in one operation. However, obtaining specific mechanical properties requires inducing a certain level of strain within the forged part. Therefore, the design of the preform, its shape, and volume are of paramount importance. In work presented in this article, preforms of different shapes were designed and assessed using Finite Element (FE) analysis. The research was funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange within the framework of the Bekker programme.

Keywords: automotive connector, forging, magnesium alloy, numerical simulation, preform, ZK60

Procedia PDF Downloads 133