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The object of research is a double chamber evaporative cooling system for the storage of vegetables with one chamber filled River sand, the other Sawdust as absorbents and Ambient chamber storage conditions being the third treatment (control). Amaranthus was used as the test crop. The structure was developed both internally and externally using six (6) inches concrete blocks and plastered with cemented mortar. 460 g each of Garden fresh vegetables (Amaranthus) were collected and kept chambers of the evaporative cooling system and ambient chamber conditions (control), then, replicated twice respectively. Change in quality (weight reduction, withering, change in colour), temperature change, relative humility and cooling effectiveness were the parameter assessed during the experiment and were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Duncan’s Multiply Test at 5 % level of significance. The experiment was conducted and analyzed at Crop Production Department of the Federal College of Forestry (Jericho Ibadan, Nigeria). The study revealed there were no significant difference between relative humidity (%), absorbent cooling efficiency (%) for absorbent materials in the evaporative cooling chambers were (89.90 %, 89.30 % and 75.80 %) and (88.50 %, 82.50 % and 80.40 %) for day 10 and 15 River Sand (RS), sawdust (SD) and Control (Cont.) respectively. While, Control had moderately highest temperature reading at day 13 (30 °C), followed by Sawdust (28.90 °C) and River Sand (27.80 °C). However, vegetables kept in the ambient chamber were observed to rot faster than those in the double chamber of the evaporative cooling system. Complete deterioration occurred at day 5 for ambient chamber conditions. The quality of the vegetables kept in double evaporative cooling chamber using river sand performed best in the storage of Amaranthus. This research hereby recommended that evaporative cooling chambers filled with river sand and constant water supplied to keep the absorbent moist should be utilized for storage of Amaranths and other vegetables in an evaporative cooling system. Further studies should vary the use of different porous absorbent. Also, cooling fans should also be incorporated to the storage system to enhance cooling efficiency., Об’єктом дослідження є двокамерна випарна система охолодження для зберігання овочів, одна камера якої заповнена річковим піском, інша – тирсою як абсорбентом, а зберігання в камері при умовах навколишнього середовища є третім параметром (контролем). Як дослідну культуру використовували амарант (Amaranthus). Конструкція системи була виготовлена як зсередини, так і зовні з використанням шести (6) дюймових бетонних блоків і оштукатурена цементним розчином. 460 г садових свіжих овочів (Amaranthus) збирали та зберігали в камерах випарної системи охолодження та при кімнатних умовах (контроль), потім повторювали двічі, відповідно. Зміна якості (зменшення ваги, в’янення, зміна кольору), зміна температури, відносна компактність і ефективність охолодження були параметрами, які оцінювали під час експерименту, і піддавали дисперсійному аналізу (ANOVA) з використанням тесту Duncan’s Multiply Test на 5 % рівні значущості. Експеримент проводився та аналізувався у відділі рослинництва Федерального коледжу лісового господарства (Єрихон Ібадан, Нігерія). Дослідження виявило відсутність істотної різниці між відносною вологістю (%), ефективністю охолодження абсорбенту (%) для абсорбуючих матеріалів у камерах випарного охолодження (89,90 %, 89,30 % і 75,80 %) і (88,50 %, 82,50 % і 80,40 % ) на 10 і 15 день для річкового піску, тирси та контролю, відповідно. У той час як контроль мав помірно найвищу температуру на 13 день (30 °C), потім тирса (28,90 °C) і річковий пісок (27,80 °C). Однак спостерігалося, що овочі, які зберігалися в камері при умовах навколишнього середовища, гниють швидше, ніж овочі в подвійній камері системи випарного охолодження. Повне погіршення відбулося на 5-й день для камери з умовами навколишнього середовища. Якість овочів, які зберігалися в камері подвійного випарного охолодження з використанням річкового піску, була найкращою при зберіганні амаранту. В цьому дослідженні рекомендується використовувати для зберігання амаранту та інших овочів у системі випарного охолодження камери випарного охолодження, наповнені річковим піском і постійною подачею води для підтримки вологості абсорбенту. Подальші дослідження повинні бути направлені на вивчення використання різних пористих абсорбентів. Крім того, вентилятори охолодження також повинні бути включені в систему зберігання, щоб підвищити ефективність охолодження.

Iz analize elaborata Franciskanskoga katastra bilo je moguće rekonstruirati ambijentalne, bagrarne, ekonomske i društvene prilike na području Rovinja. Svojom obimnošću i detaljnim opisima, Franciskanski katastar opisuje mnoge segmente svakodnevnoga života, a osobito poljoprivredne navike, kvalitetu obradivih terena, nabraja uzgajane kulture, a donosi i vrijedne anotacije o klimatskim prilikama. Analiza podataka iz Katastra omogućila je iščitavanje prostornih odnosa u gradu te naglasila odrednice koje su bile ograničavajuće u bavljenju poljoprivredom. Brojno rovinjsko stanovništvo patilo je od manjka zemlje za obradu. Manjak zemlje je uz njezinu slabiju kvalitetu utjecao na gospodarska i poljoprivredna kretanja. Ovome valja pridodati česta razdoblja suša i količinu kamena prisutnu na poljima. Iz navedenih razloga proizvodnja hrane bila je otežana i mogla je zadovoljiti potrebe stanovništva za samo dva mjeseca. Žitarice su se proizvodile u vrlo malim količinama, dok su jedini proizvodi namijenjeni izvozu bili maslinovo ulje i vino. Gradska se ekonomija pritom oslanjala isključivo na pomorsku trgovinu jer je kopnena povezanost bila vrlo slaba, a putovi koji su vodili prema poljima zapušteni. Elaborati Katastra Franje I. navode i vrijedne anotacije o klimatskim kretanjima i njihovu utjecaju na svakodnevni život. Hladnoće 1782., 1788. pa onda dugotrajno hladno razdoblje sve do 1818. i strašna tuča iz 1813. utjecali su na slabljenje biljaka. Oslabljene biljke davale su slabiji urod više godina za redom, što je mnoge Rovinjce dovodilo u probleme. Ovime se pruža jedna drugačija interpretacija Katastra Franje I., koja u prvi plan stavlja ekohistorijske odrednice., Dall’analisi dello studio del Catasto Franceschino è stato possibile ricostruire le condizioni ambientali, agrarie, economiche e sociali dell’area rovignese. Con la sua ampiezza e descrizioni dettagliate, il Catasto Franceschino descrive molti segmenti della vita quotidiana, in particolare le abitudini agricole, la qualità dei seminativi, elenca le colture coltivate e porta preziose annotazioni sulle condizioni climatiche. L’analisi meticolosa del catasto ha permesso di intravedere le relazioni spaziali della città e ha sottolineato le determinanti restrittive dell’agricoltura. La popolazione di Rovigno soffriva di mancanza di terra coltivabile. La mancanza di terra, insieme alla sua scarsa qualità, ha influenzato le tendenze economiche e agricole. A questo vanno aggiunti i frequenti periodi di siccità e la notevole quantità di pietra presente nei campi. Per questi motivi la produzione alimentare era difficile e poteva soddisfare le esigenze della popolazione per soli due mesi. I cereali venivano prodotti in città in piccolissime quantità, mentre gli unici prodotti destinati all’esportazione erano l’olio d’oliva e il vino. L’economia della città si basava esclusivamente sul commercio marittimo perché i collegamenti via terra erano molto deboli e le strade che portavano ai campi erano trascurate. Gli studi del Catasto dell’imperatore Francesco I forniscono anche preziose annotazioni sui mutamenti climatici e sul loro impatto sulla vita quotidiana. Il freddo del 1782, 1788 e poi il periodo freddo prolungato fino al 1818, come pure la terribile grandine del 1813 condizionarono l’indebolimento delle piante. Le piante indebolite hanno dato raccolti più poveri per diversi anni consecutivi, il che ha causato molti problemi. Ciò fornisce una diversa interpretazione del catasto di Francesco I, che mette in primo piano le determinanti ecoistoriche., From the analysis of the study of the Franciscan Cadastre, it was possible to reconstruct the environmental, agrarian, economic and social conditions in Rovinj area. With its extensiveness and detailed descriptions, the Franciscan Cadastre describes many segments of everyday life, especially agricultural habits, the quality of arable land, lists cultivated crops, and provides valuable annotations on climate conditions. The meticulous analysis of the cadastre enabled the studying of spatial relations in the city and highlighted the determinants that were restrictive in dealing with agriculture. The large population of Rovinj suffered from a lack of arable land. The lack of land, along with its poorer quality, affected economic and agricultural trends. To this must be added the frequent periods of drought and the amount of stone present in the fields. For these reasons, food production was hampered and could meet the needs of the population for just a two-month period. Cereals were produced in the city in very small quantities, while the only products intended for export were olive oil and wine. The city’s economy relied solely on maritime trade because land connections were very weak and roads leading to fields were neglected. The studies of the cadastre of Francis I also provide valuable annotations on climate change and its impact on everyday life. The cold of 1782, 1788, then the prolonged cold period until 1818 and the terrible hail of 1813 affected the weakening of the plants. Weakened plants gave poorer yields for several years in a row, which led to many problems. This provides a different interpretation of the cadastre of Francis I, placing the eco-historical determinants in the foreground.

Ammonia (NH3) plays a significant role in fertilizer production to support the ever-increasing population and serves as a renewable energy carrier as well as a zero-carbon emission fuel. Currently, NH3 is produced by a non-sustainable and highly energy-intensive process. Among the available alternatives, the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reactions (NRR) has attracted attention due to the compact and on-site electrolytic cells that can operate from solar or wind power under ambient conditions but still suffer from relatively low Faraday efficiency and NH3 yields. For the commercialization of electrocatalytic NRR, a catalytic material demonstrating a FE ∼50% and an NH3 yield rate of ∼10−6 mol s−1 cm−2 is suggested. Various strategies, including amorphization, structural engineering, catalyst-support interactions and hydrogen evolution suppression over catalytic materials, have been presented to enhance the electrocatalytic NRR. In this review, the current progress of various identified NRR electrocatalysts (including metal carbides, nitrides, oxides, phosphides, sulfides, selenides, borides, bimetallic materials, metal-organic frameworks, and metal-free materials) is summarized by collectively focusing on both theoretical analysis and experimental investigations. For further development of rational catalysts, a collaboration of theoretical and experimental studies, advanced characterization techniques, understanding of the electrocatalytic mechanism, efficient screening systems, and precise detection methods are needed. Specially designed electrocatalysts can improve NRR activity by regulating the cathodic reactions. The challenges and future perspectives have been described with special emphasis on various transition metal-based electrocatalysts for N2 fixation.

In microgravity, the extended time scales associated with the absence of buoyancy lead to peculiar flame features that are likely to affect the risk associated with flame spread in the case of a spacecraft fire. Investigating a non-buoyant flame spreading over the polyethylene coating of an electrical wire in an opposed laminar flow, recent studies especially evidenced and quantified the major role of soot in the radiative heat transfer, which affects local quenching at the flame tip as well as heat feedback from the flame to the coating. Consequently, the control of soot production in such a flame needs to be explored. In the present paper, the role of basic flow features, i.e. oxygen content, flow velocity, and ambient pressure, is documented. Conducted in parabolic flights, a set of 142 experiments spreads over 91 flow conditions, with oxygen content ranging from 18% to 21%, flow velocity kept between 100 mm s − 1 and 200 mm s − 1 , and pressure ranging from 51 kPa to 142 kPa. The implementation of the Broadband Modulated Absorption/Emission (B-MAE) technique allows the fields of soot temperature and volume fraction to be measured within the spreading flames. The flame spread rate is thus shown to be an increasing function of oxygen content, but is independent of flow velocity and pressure. Concomitantly, both oxygen content and flow velocity affect soot production residence time, while pressure has a marginal impact on it. Maximum soot volume fraction is a function of all three parameters. Complementing these results with a scaling analysis, soot production rate is third-order in pressure, and very sensitive to oxygen content. An increase in flow velocity promotes two competitive processes with respect to maximum soot volume fraction, i.e. a reduction in residence time and an increase in flame temperature. A numerical model supports the experimental finding that the latter phenomenon prevails, hence that maximum soot volume fraction increases with flow velocity. These conclusions will serve as basis for upcoming quenching and radiative heat feedback analysis.

Agradecimentos: This work was supported by the Brazilian agencies FAPESP (Project No.2012/51198-2, 2017/10581-1, and 2020/07397-7), as well CNPq (436573/2018-0). We thank the beam-time at the PGM beamline of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) for the soft X rays and XMCD measurements. We would like to thank the Laboratory of Materials and Low Temperatures (LMBT) of the University of Campinas (Unicamp), for the VSM and SQUID measurements. We also thank the Microfabrication Laboratory of the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano) for growing samples facilities Abstract: We demonstrate the observation of spin spirals and individual skyrmions in synthetic Pt/CoGd/Pt ferrimagnetic multilayers at room-temperature without the assistance of an external magnetic field. The magnetic coupling between the magnetic moments of Co and Gd, was investigated across various CoGd thicknesses by element specific X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) performed around the Co L-2,L-3 and Gd M(4,5 )edges. It show s an uncompensated ferrimagnetic orientation between the Co and Gd atoms preserved at ambient conditions, even for sub-nanometer thick layers. In addition, with the tunable enhanced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy K-u and remnant magnetization M-R found for thinner CoGd & LE; (0.9 nm) isolated zero-field skyrmions were imaged by magnetic force microscopy (MFM) as the magnetic ground state, replacing the spin spirals observed for thicker CoGd layers & GE; (1.2 nm). Such stable skyrmions in perpendicularly magnetized materials with antiparallel exchange-coupling are potential candidates for energy-efficient data storage and processing in future antiferromagnetic-based devices FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ Fechado

The investigation models an alternative ammonia production method compared to the Haber-Bosch method. The operating parameters of proposed process, which successfully synthesized ammonia with competitive yield, were 45 °C and 1 bar, which is significantly lower than the Haber-Bosch process. A study was made on the impact and contact behavior of the planetary ball mill to understand the movement of steel balls and iron particles inside the reactor vessel to improve the synthesis process. The EDEM software, based on discrete element method (DEM), was used to understand the internal behavior of a planetary mill. Balls and particles were loaded at a ratio of 1:20, i.e., 500 g of steel ball diameter is 25 mm, and 24 g of iron particles diameter is 0.25 mm in reactor. Contact and energy released by balls and particles as a function of mill speed were compared with the experimental correlation of adsorbed nitrogen. The correlation with the experimental data showed satisfactory agreement with present numerical simulation. This work is the first step towards realistic scaling of the system and vertical mill is not a common practice on an industrial scale, this work will use experimental data to create and validate a vertical ball mill model.

In this study, ‘Rabbab’ pomegranates (Punica granatum L.) were subjected before storage to single-layered wax coating (SLW), double-layered wax coating (DLW), individual-seal film packaging (ISP), tray wrap film packaging (TWP), and combined treatments of SLW + ISP or SLW + TWP. Treated fruits were then stored at ambient temperature (15–20 °C; 45–50% relative humidity – RH) or in cold conditions (5 °C ± 0.5; 85% RH) for 18 weeks. TWP, ISP, DLW, and SLW extended the shelf life of pomegranates for 18, 18, 12, and 11 weeks at cold (5 °C) condition, and also for 6, 5, 3, and 3 weeks at ambient condition, respectively, whereas the shelf life of control fruits were 10 and 2 weeks at cold and ambient conditions, respectively. After 18 weeks of storage, the weight loss in ISP and TWP fruits was 0.6 and 0.4% at cold condition and 12.4 and 5.4% at ambient condition, respectively. In general, film packaging maintained vitamin C, total titratable acidity, and sensory analysis scores for color, freshness, juiciness, and taste of pomegranates more effectively than wax coating and control. However, the combination of SLW and ISP or TWP did not improve the efficiency of pomegranates packaged as either ISP or TWP.

The undesirable loss of methane (CH4 ) at remote locations welcomes approaches that ambiently functionalize CH4 on-site without intense infrastructure investment. Recently, we found that electrochemical oxidation of vanadium(V)-oxo with bisulfate ligand leads to CH4 activation at ambient conditions. The key question is whether such an observation is a one-off coincidence or a general strategy for electrocatalyst design. Here, a general scheme of electrocatalytic CH4 activation with d0 early transition metals is established. The pre-catalysts' molecular structure, electrocatalytic kinetics, and mechanism were detailed for titanium (IV), vanadium (V), and chromium (VI) species as model systems. After a turnover-limiting one-electron electrochemical oxidation, the yielded ligand-centered cation radicals activate CH4 with low activation energy and high selectivity. The reactivities are universal among early transition metals from Period 4 to 6, and the reactivities trend for different early transition metals correlate with their d orbital energies across periodic table. Our results offer new chemical insights towards developing advanced ambient electrocatalysts of natural gas.

Designing materials with advanced functionalities is the main focus of contemporary solid-state physics and chemistry. Research efforts worldwide are funneled into a few high-end goals, one of the oldest, and most fascinating of which is the search for an ambient temperature superconductor (A-SC). The reason is clear: superconductivity at ambient conditions implies being able to handle, measure and access a single, coherent, macroscopic quantum mechanical state without the limitations associated with cryogenics and pressurization. This would not only open exciting avenues for fundamental research, but also pave the road for a wide range of technological applications, affecting strategic areas such as energy conservation and climate change. In this roadmap we have collected contributions from many of the main actors working on superconductivity, and asked them to share their personal viewpoint on the field. The hope is that this article will serve not only as an instantaneous picture of the status of research, but also as a true roadmap defining the main long-term theoretical and experimental challenges that lie ahead. Interestingly, although the current research in superconductor design is dominated by conventional (phonon-mediated) superconductors, there seems to be a widespread consensus that achieving A-SC may require different pairing mechanisms. In memoriam, to Neil Ashcroft, who inspired us all. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd. Yundi Quan has provided many useful discussions on this topic, and assistance with preparation of the figures in this paper. Giustino’s review [12] contains a wealth of references on this topic. This work was supported by US National Science Foundation Grant DMR 1607139. 3. We acknowledge Ashkan Salamat, Elliot Snider, Nathan Dasenbrock-Gammon, Raymond McBride, Mathew Debessai for useful discussions. This was supported by NSF, Grant No. DMR-1809649, and by the DOE Stockpile Stewardship Academic Alliance Program, Grant No. DE-NA0003898.5. CH acknowledges support from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Project No. P 32144-N36. 6. This work was supported principally by the US National Science Foundation (DMR-1933622), and by the US Department of Energy (DE-SC0020340 and DE-NA0003975). 7. I would like to thank all my collaborators and friends that contributed to this work: D M Ceperley, M Holzmann, V Gorelov, G Rillo, Y Yubo, M A Morales. This work was supported by ANR-France under the program ‘Accueil de Chercheurs de Haut Niveau 2015’ project: HyLightExtreme. 8. MA acknowledges support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (Project P4P4P2-180669). 9. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52090024 and 12074138), the Science Challenge Project (Grant No. TZ2016001), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Jilin University, JLU), the Program for JLU Science and Technology Innovative Research Team (JLUSTIRT), and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB33000000) 10. ANK acknowledges the support through the NSF Award No. DMR-1821815. 11. We thank the Russian Science Foundation (Grant 19-72-30043) for support. 12. I thank Alice Shipley and Michael Hutcheon for their careful reading of the manuscript and insightful comments. This work has been funded by the EPSRC over many years (Projects EP/G007489/1 and EP/P022596/1), and through a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. 13. We acknowledge the National Science Foundation (DMR-1827815) for financial support. 14. The author acknowledges the financial support by JSPS KAK-ENHI Grant No. 19H05825. 15. This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (Grant Agreement No. 802533). 16. We acknowledge financial support by the European Research Council Advanced Grant FACT (ERC-2017-AdG-788890). AS acknowledges hospitality of the Physics Department of La Sapienza, under the program ‘Professori Visitatori 2020’. 17. ERM acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation (Award No. OAC-1740263). 18. The work was supported by the US Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences under Contract No. DE-SC-0020385. 19. We thank G Profeta and G Lamura for fruitful scientific discussions. We acknowledge funding from the MIUR PRIN-2017 program (Grant No. 2017Z8TS5B—‘Tuning and understanding Quantum phases in 2D materials—Quantum2D’). 20. We thank G Profeta and G Lamura for fruitful scientific discussions. We acknowledge funding from the MIUR PRIN-2017program (Grant No. 2017Z8TS5B—‘Tuning and understanding Quantum phases in 2D materials—Quantum2D’). 21. We acknowledge financial support by the Deutsche Forschungs-Gemeinschaft through Grant (DFG) for funding through TRR 288–422213477 (B05). This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. NSF PHY-1748958.

Many different phase structures have been discovered for silver iodides. The β and γ phases were found to be the most common ones at ambient conditions, while the rock-salt phase was found to be stable under pressures between 400 MPa and 11.3 GPa. Recently, the α phase was demonstrated to be stable under ambient conditions when the particle sizes were reduced to below 10 nm. However, no other phase has been reported to be stable for silver iodides under ambient conditions. Rock-salt and helix structures have been found to be stable under ambient conditions in this study. The structures have been characterized by elemental mapping, Raman scattering, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The stabilities of these structures were also confirmed by molecular dynamics and density functional theory.

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence., Layered V2O5 hydrate has been applied as the hole transport layer (HTL) in organic solar cells (OSCs). V2O5 is obtained from a sodium metavanadate solution in water under ambient conditions, resulting in a final thin film of formula V2O5·0.5H2O. The 0.5 water molecules are not removed from the V2O5 layered structure unless the sample is heated above 250 °C, which makes the thin film highly stable under real working conditions. The HTL was used in OSCs in the normal and the inverted configurations, applying metallic Ag as the back-metal electrode in both cases. Fabrication of both OSC configurations completely by solution-processing printing methods in air is possible, since the Al electrode needed for the normal-configuration OSC is not required. The work function (WF) and band gap energy (BG) of the V2O5 thin films were assessed by XPS, UPS and optical analyses. Different WF values were observed for V2O5 prepared from a fresh V2O5–isopropanol (IPA) solution (5.15 eV) and that prepared from a 24 h-old solution (5.5 eV). This difference is due to the gradual reduction of vanadium (from V5+ to V4+) in IPA. The OSCs made with the V2O5 thin film obtained from the 24 h-old V2O5–IPA solution required photo-activation, whereas those made with the freshly obtained V2O5 did not. Outdoor stability analyses of sealed OSCs containing a V2O5 HTL in either configuration revealed high stability for both devices: the photovoltaic response at T80 was retained for more than 1000 h., We thank CONACYT (Mexico) for the PhD scholarship for G. T. E., the Erasmus fellowship programme for financial support for J. P., the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitively (MINECO) for the Consolider grant NANOSELECT CSD2007-00041, and the Xarxa de Referència en Materials Avançats per a l'Energia, XaRMAE (Reference Centre for Advanced Materials for Energy) of the Catalan government., We would like to thank Red de Bibliotecas del CSIC for their support to publish this work in open format.

Process control is an important part of any industrial system. In a wastewater reuse system this remains true. Process monitoring and fault detection (FD) are important to ensure that the control system has access to reliable data which can be used in making decisions about the operation of the process. The reuse scenario being considered in this work is that of utilizing the nutrients from the wastewater as fertilizer to agricultural soil along with using the water for irrigation purposes. This paper identifies variables that are important to the control of the process and should be a focus of monitoring and FD. In wastewater treatment these variables include temperatures, pressures, liquid levels, flow rates, pH, conductivity, biomass content, suspended solids concentration, dissolved oxygen content, total organic carbon, and the concentrations of nitrate and ammonium. The variables of interest in the reuse of nutrients and water for agriculture include soil moisture, ambient conditions, plant height, biomass content, photosynthetic activity of the crop, leaf area and leaf water content, as well as the concentrations of several ions both in the soil and in the plant. Challenges associated with process monitoring and FD specific to the two processes are also discussed, examples of these are the high dimensionality of the problem, the harsh conditions that sensors must operate in and the non-linear relationships between variables. This information will be used in future work when comparing specific FD methods to ensure that methods chosen are capable of overcoming the commonly encountered problems.

Combining high efficiency and long lifetime under ambient conditions still poses a major challenge towards commercialization of polymer solar cells. Here we report a facile strategy that can simultaneously enhance the efficiency and temporal stability of inverted photovoltaic architectures. Inclusion of a silanol-functionalized organic–inorganic hybrid polyoxometalate derived from a PW9O34 lacunary phosphotungstate anion, namely (nBu4N)3[PW9O34(tBuSiOH)3], significantly increases the effectiveness of the electron collecting interface, which consists of a metal oxide such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, and leads to a high efficiency of 6.51% for single-junction structures based on poly(3-hexylthiophene):indene-C60 bisadduct (P3HT:IC60BA) blends. The above favourable outcome stems from a large decrease in the work function, an effective surface passivation and a decrease in the surface energy of metal oxides which synergistically result in the outstanding electron transfer mediating capability of the functionalized polyoxometalate. In addition, the insertion of a silanol-functionalized polyoxometalate layer significantly enhances the ambient stability of unencapsulated devices which retain nearly 90% of their original efficiencies (T90) after 1000 hours. published

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a powerful imaging technique able to obtain astonishing images of the micro- and the nano-world. Unfortunately, the technique has been limited to vacuum conditions for many years. In the last decades, the ability to introduce water vapor into the SEM chamber and still collect the electrons by the detector, combined with the temperature control of the sample, has enabled the study of ice at nanoscale. Astounding images of hexagonal ice crystals suddenly became real. Since these first images were produced, several studies have been focusing their interest on using SEM to study ice nucleation, morphology, thaw, etc. In this paper, we want to review the different investigations devoted to this goal that have been conducted in recent years in the literature and the kind of information, beyond images, that was obtained. We focus our attention on studies trying to clarify the mechanisms of ice nucleation and those devoted to the study of ice dynamics. We also discuss these findings to elucidate the present and future of SEM applied to this field., A.V. acknowledges financial support by the Spanish Government under Project No. PID2019-110907GB-I00 and the “Severo Ochoa” Program for Centers of Excellence in R&D (CEX2019-000917-S)., With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000917-S).

Grouted connections are frequently used as structural detail of offshore wind turbines and platforms for the load transferring connection between piles and support structure. At latticed substructures this connection is commonly located at mudline. However, a potential influence of the surrounding water on the connection's fatigue behaviour was neglected in earlier tests and consequential design methods. Herein described experimental investigations at small and large-scale fatigue tests in submerged conditions showed a significant reduction of endurable load cycles. In addition, the water impact caused varied damage mechanism in the connection. © 2017 The Author(s).

This article deals with determining the value of maximum permissible current with consideration of ambient conditions. Each ambient conditions and their influence on the value of current ampacity for ACSR conductor 350/59 in comparison with ampacity given by calculation accordance the standard EN 50341 are described in this article. Static ambient conditions are given in this standard and change in the ambient conditions was neglected in calculation of the resulting value. The aim of this article is to refer the influence of the change of ambient environment and ambient conditions to the maximum permissible current.

Desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization (DAPPI) is an ambient mass spectrometry (MS) technique that can be used for the analysis of polar and nonpolar compounds directly from surfaces. Here, the feasibility of DAPPI-MS in the screening of plant metabolites from dried Peucedanum palustre leaves and umbels was studied. DAPPI-MS requires no prior sample preparation or chromatographic separation, and the analysis can therefore be performed directly from the untreated plant material. P. palustre contains several linear and angular furanocoumarins, some of which are specific for the species. The DAPPI mass spectra of both leaf and umbel samples showed distinct ions at m/z 445 and 443 in positive and negative ion modes, respectively. MS2 analyses of these ions confirmed that the ions were the protonated and deprotonated molecules, respectively, of peulustrin and its isomers, which have only been identified from P. palustre. The direct analysis of dried plant material by DAPPI-MS was shown to provide a fast and reliable means to confirm the identity of plant materials, to study the metabolite profiles of plants, and to screen biologically relevant compounds from plant surfaces.

Variations and extremities in climatic conditions can result in cold stress for dairy calves during the preweaning period. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of calf jackets on the health, performance, and skin temperature of dairy-origin beef calves. This study took place in a designated calf rearing unit, spanned for a duration of 1 yr, and consisted of five batches of calves. Calves (30.9 ± 1.68 d of age; 55.9 ± 0.20 kg live weight) were assigned to one of four treatment groups on arrival at the rearing unit. Treatments consisted of control (no jacket), arrival (jacket for 2 wk postarrival), weight (jacket for a minimum of 2 wk and until 65 kg live weight), and wean (jacket until 5 d postweaning). Ambient conditions differed significantly (P < 0.001) during each of the five batches; batch 4 was the coldest with a mean ambient temperature of 6.16 °C. Significant differences were observed between the five batches for day 50 weight (P < 0.01) and disease incidence (P < 0.05). However, treatment had no significant effect on calf health or performance (P > 0.05) during any of the five batches. Skin temperature was significantly greater (P < 0.001) for calves wearing a jacket. Furthermore, there was a significant (P < 0.001) relationship between ambient temperature-humidity index and skin temperature for calves with and without a calf jacket. Therefore, although calf jackets had no benefit in terms of health or performance, they did act as a barrier to environmental conditions.

Surfaces exposed to air can change their structure due to external influences such as chemical reactions or material exchange and movement. The adsorbed water layer that is present under ambient conditions plays an important role especially for highly soluble materials. Surface atoms can easily diffuse into the thin water layer and, when surface conditions are favorable, they can re-attach to the surface. We collected atomic force microscopy images of KBr surfaces in a humidity-controlled glove box at various relative humidities below 40%. By scratching and poking the surface with the AFM tip, we constructed energetically unfavorable holes or scratch sites and material accumulations and recorded the evolution of these defects as a function of the time. We observed an exponential decay of the size of the defects and material accumulations, and from this data we determined energy barriers to dissolution and aggregation of approximately 0.9 eV.

Organic semiconductor (OSC):polymer blends are recently increasing their popularity due to the impressive performances they offer once employed as active layer in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Here a novel blend formulation composed by the donor-acceptor random copolymer PDPP-TT(1)-SVS(9) and polystyrene has been processed by a solution shearing technique and employed as active material in a thin film transistor. The molecular weight of the polymer binder has revealed to be fundamental for controlling the vertical phase separation and, in turn, for determining the morphological properties of the upper surface which is critical in terms of device stability. The bi-component active layer has been tested as OFET and by using a top gate as electrolyte-gated field-effect transistor (EGOFET). Our strategy based on an OSC:polymer blend processed through a solution shearing technique has demonstrated to be efficient for improving the final device performance in ambient conditions., F.L. and Q.Z. contributed equally to this work. F.L., Q.Z. and M.M.-T. thank the ERC-StG 2012-306826 e-GAMES project, the Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), the DGI (Spain) project, FANCY CTQ2016-80030-R, the Generalitat de Catalunya (2017-SGR-918), and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the “Severo Ochoa” Program for Centres of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-0496). Q.Z. acknowledges the China Scholarship Council, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSF) (Grant No. 11404266). Q.Z. was enrolled in the Materials Science Ph.D. Program of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. F.L. gratefully acknowledges the “Juan de la Cierva” program. Y.-H. K. Thanks the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science (NRF-2018R1A2A1A05078734).

In order to protect a flexible OLED on plastic foil against water from the ambient atmosphere a top and bottom thin-film encapsulation (TFE) is necessary. A TFE stack SiN-OCP-SiN with getter in OCP results in excellent shelf lifetime. However, the getter particles result in light scattering that is lost upon water ingress in the stack. As a result spots of reduced electroluminescence are observed during exposure to the ambient atmosphere that limit the practical lifetime of the device drastically. For the bottom emitting OLED we reduced the getter content in the bottom barrier to a level that does not exhibit visible light scattering. The reduced getter capacity with respect to the top barrier does not result in a lower performance of the bottom barrier due to the lower pinhole density in SiN-ITO with respect to Al-SiN. The projected shelf lifetime at ambient conditions is 10 years. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

In order to protect a flexible OLED on plastic foil against water from the ambient atmosphere a top and bottom thin-film encapsulation (TFE) is necessary. A TFE stack SiN-OCP-SiN with getter in OCP results in excellent shelf lifetime. However, the getter particles result in light scattering that is lost upon water ingress in the stack. As a result spots of reduced electroluminescence are observed during exposure to the ambient atmosphere that limit the practical lifetime of the device drastically. For the bottom emitting OLED we reduced the getter content in the bottom barrier to a level that does not exhibit visible light scattering. The reduced getter capacity with respect to the top barrier does not result in a lower performance of the bottom barrier due to the lower pinhole density in SiN-ITO with respect to Al-SiN. The projected shelf lifetime at ambient conditions is 10 years. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

International audience; Rapid, sensitive, precise and accurate analysis of samples in their native in vivo environment is critical to better decipher physiological and physiopathological mechanisms. SpiderMass is an ambient mass spectrometry (MS) system designed for mobile in vivo and real-time surface analyses of biological tissues. The system uses a fibered laser, which is tuned to excite the most intense vibrational band of water, resulting in a process termed water-assisted laser desorption/ionization (WALDI). The water molecules act as an endogenous matrix in a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI)-like scenario, leading to the desorption/ionization of biomolecules (lipids, metabolites and proteins). The ejected material is transferred to the mass spectrometer through an atmospheric interface and a transfer line that is several meters long. Here, we formulate a three-stage procedure that includes (i) a laser system setup coupled to a Waters Q-TOF or Thermo Fisher Q Exactive mass analyzer, (ii) analysis of specimens and (iii) data processing. We also describe the optimal setup for the analysis of cell cultures, fresh-frozen tissue sections and in vivo experiments on skin. With proper optimization, the system can be used for a variety of different targets and applications. The entire procedure takes 1-2 d for complex samples.

In this study, a microplasma discharge device (MDD) was modelled and simulated for sterilization applications. The MDD was modelled with copper and dielectric based electrodes on flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate. COMSOL Multiphysics® simulation performed on the MDD model demonstrated varying electron density and electric field distribution for AC terminal voltages ranging from 500 V to 8000 V. A variation of 14% and 54% was also observed for electron density and mobility, respectively when the temperature was increased from 240 K to 360 K, at constant pressure of 1 atm. In addition, a variation of 90% and 78% was observed for electron density and mobility, respectively when the pressure was increased from 0.3 atm to 1.3 atm, at constant room temperature of 295 K. The response of the MDD is analysed and presented in this paper.

Polarization dependence of water adsorption and desorption on LiNbO surfaces was demonstrated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) carried out in situ under near-ambient conditions. Positive and negative (0001) faces (z-cut) of the same crystal were compared for the same temperature and pressure conditions. Our results indicate a preferential adsorption on the positive face of the crystal with increasing water pressure and also higher desorption temperature of the adsorbed molecular water at the positive face. Adsorption measurements on the (1100) face (y-cut) showed also strong affinity to water, as observed for the z-cut positive surface. We found a direct relation between the capacity of the surface to discharge and/or to screen surface charges and the affinity for water of each face. XPS spectra indicate the presence of OH groups at the surface for all the conditions and surfaces measured., This work has been partially funded by the 2014 SGR 1216 project from the Generalitat de Catalunya, the MAT2012-38319-C02-01, the FIS2013-48668-C2-1-P, and FIS2015- 73932-JIN from the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO). K.C-E.’s work was funded by an ERC Starting Grant from the EU (Project No. 308023). N.D. is also grateful to MINECO for the “Ramon y Cajal” contract RYC-2010-06365. ICN2 acknowledges support from the Severo Ochoa Program (MINECO, Grant SEV-2013-0295).

Alkyne C≡C bond breaking, outside of alkyne metathesis, remains an underdeveloped area in reaction discovery. Recently, nitrogenation has been reported to allow nitrile formation from alkynes. A new protocol for the metal-free C≡C bond cleavage of terminal alkynes to produce nitriles is reported. This method provides an opportunity to synthesize a vast range of nitriles containing aryl, heteroaryl, and natural product derivatives (38 examples). In addition, the potential of (t)BuONO to act as a powerful nitrogenating agent for terminal aryl alkynes is demonstrated.

Electrochemical ammonia synthesis, which is an alternative approach to the Haber&ndash, Bosch process, has attracted the attention of researchers because of its advantages including mild working conditions, environmental protection, and simple process. However, the biggest problem in this field is the lack of high-performance catalysts. Here, we report high-efficiency electroreduction of N2 to NH3 on &gamma, MnO2-supported Pd nanoparticles (Pd/&gamma, MnO2) under ambient conditions, which exhibits excellent catalytic activity with an NH3 yield rate of 19.72 &mu, g&middot, mg&minus, 1Pd h&minus, 1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 8.4% at &minus, 0.05 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization shows that Pd nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed on the &gamma, MnO2. Pd/&gamma, MnO2 outperforms other catalysts including Pd/C and &gamma, MnO2 because of its synergistic catalytic effect between Pd and Mn.

Biogas plants processing municipal waste are an important part of a circular economy (energy generation from biogas and organic fertiliser production for the treatment of selectively collected biowaste). However, the technological processes taking place may be associated with odour nuisance. The paper presents the results of pilot research conducted at six municipal waste biogas plants in Poland. It shows the relations between odour intensity and concentration and the occurring meteorological and ambient conditions (air temperature and relative humidity) and technological factors at biogas plants processing municipal waste. The impact of meteorological and ambient conditions was identified by measuring air temperature and relative humidity and observing their changes. The impact of technological factors was identified by measuring odorant concentration (volatile organic compounds and ammonia) and observing their changes between individual measurement series. At most analysed biogas plants, the influence of technological factors on odour emissions took place and was clearly noted. The elements of biogas installations characterised by the highest concentration of these odorants were indicated. Special attention should be paid to the choice of technological solutions and technical and organisational measures to reduce the impact of unfavourable atmospheric conditions on odour emissions.

Alpha emitters are usually identified and quantified by alpha spectrometry measurements in a vacuum chamber performed in laboratory environments. This study shows that transuranic elements can be distinguished under ambient conditions using a grid collimator. The aim of this work was to use numerical simulations with the MCNP6 code to design a grid with a resolution high enough to differentiate the same radionuclide combinations as alpha spectrometry in a vacuum chamber, namely 239Pu + 240Pu, 241Am + 238Pu and 244Cm. Results show that a compromise is required to obtain the best performances in terms of energy resolution and detection efficiency, leading to the choice of two hexagonal grid collimators. The first has a collimation height of 0.5 cm and an apothem of 1 mm. Laboratory tests on electrodeposited sources show that the target radionuclides can be identified without prior deconvolution, with an energy resolution of about 70 keV and a detection efficiency of 0.74% at incident energies of 5–6 MeV. The second grid has the same collimation height but a coarser mesh with an apothem of 2 mm. In this case, the alpha peaks are still distinguishable, but with a lower resolution of 125 keV. The detection efficiency is three times higher however.

NH3 is a valuable chemical with a wide range of applications, but the conventional Haber–Bosch process for industrial‐scale NH3 production is highly energy‐intensive with serious greenhouse gas emission. Electrochemical reduction offers an environmentally benign and sustainable route to convert N2 to NH3 at ambient conditions, but its efficiency depends greatly on identifying earth‐abundant catalysts with high activity for the N2 reduction reaction. Here, it is reported that MnO particles act as a highly active catalyst for electrocatalytic hydrogenation of N2 to NH3 with excellent selectivity. In 0.1 m Na2SO4, this catalyst achieves a high Faradaic efficiency up to 8.02% and a NH3 yield of 1.11 × 10−10 mol s−1 cm−2 at −0.39 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, with great electrochemical and structural stability. On the basis of density functional theory calculations, MnO (200) surface has a smaller adsorption energy toward N than that of H with the *N2 → *N2H transformation being the potential‐determining step in the nitrogen reduction reaction.

Combining high efficiency and long lifetime under ambient conditions still poses a major challenge towards commercialization of polymer solar cells. Here we report a facile strategy that can simultaneously enhance the efficiency and temporal stability of inverted photovoltaic architectures. Inclusion of a silanol-functionalized organic-inorganic hybrid polyoxometalate derived from a PW9O34 lacunary phosphotungstate anion, namely (nBu4N)3[PW9O34(tBuSiOH)3], significantly increases the effectiveness of the electron collecting interface, which consists of a metal oxide such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, and leads to a high efficiency of 6.51% for single-junction structures based on poly(3-hexylthiophene):indene-C60 bisadduct (P3HT:IC60BA) blends. The above favourable outcome stems from a large decrease in the work function, an effective surface passivation and a decrease in the surface energy of metal oxides which synergistically result in the outstanding electron transfer mediating capability of the functionalized polyoxometalate. In addition, the insertion of a silanol-functionalized polyoxometalate layer significantly enhances the ambient stability of unencapsulated devices which retain nearly 90% of their original efficiencies (T90) after 1000 hours. © 2018 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) were used as a catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of a variety of benzofurans by Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions under ambient conditions. The catalyst could be recycled without significant loss in its activity. � Georg Thieme Verlag.

Chiral 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene-Pd complexes with the planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophane wing tip group have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The complex with a labile acetonitrile co-ligand is an excellent catalyst for chemoselective hydrogenation of alkynes and alkenes and enantioselective hydrogenation of prochiral alkenes at ambient conditions and 1.0 atmosphere of H2. � 2015 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Siltation is a big hurdle in maintaining the required depth in and around port. Dredging is required in order to maintain the desired depths in the port. Dumping of dredged material has its own impact in the surrounding area and in turn its cost effectiveness. Studies for identification of dredged material dumping ground for development of a multipurpose terminal at Karanja were carried out. Four sets of dumping grounds were initially identified and their impact was observed at three different locations. MIKE 21HD with flexible mesh setup was used for the studies. Since the capital dredging would be going on for a period of six months, model simulations with MIKE 21 HD were done for a period of one month and then extrapolated for six months period. The impact of each dumping location for continuous dumping for a period of one month was assessed using the model simulations. The time required to restore the ambient conditions once the dumping is stopped was also examined. A comparison of the suspended sediment concentration was done at some locations in the vicinity of the dumping site. A comparison on the suspended sediment concentration and the bed thickness change at different points for the different dumping ground were observed. It was found that the suspended sediment concentration will fluctuate with the tide and will attain the lowest value of 5 ppt at the dumping location. The change in bed thickness is expected to be very marginal with maximum being of the order of 5 cm and the time required restoring the ambient conditions after the dumping ceases would be about 10 to 15 days. Based on this information location of the dumping ground could be finalised which has the minimum impact on the relevant area and is cost effective.

The first synthesis of mesoporous nanocrystalline silicon orthophosphate Si5P6O25 is presented. The synthetic procedure is based on the non-hydrolytic sol-gel reaction in the presence of Pluronic P123 template and subsequent calcination in air. The condensation of silicon acetate, Si(OAc)(4), and tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphate, OP(OSiMe3)(3) (TTP), in non-aqueous solvents driven by elimination of trimethylsilyl acetate provides a homogeneous network with a high content of Si-O-P bonds and SiO6 moieties. After burning out the template, mesoporous silicon orthophosphate was obtained with surface areas up to 128 m(2) g(-1) and pore sizes around 20 nm. The nanocrystalline Si5P6O25 phase forms relatively easily (500 degrees C, 4 h) in comparison with other synthetic routes. All samples were characterized by SEM, TEM, elemental analysis, TGA, nitrogen adsorption, SAXS, H-1, C-13, Si-29, and P-31 solid-state NMR spectroscopy, and powder XRD. These xerogels showed superior catalytic activity and selectivity in methylstyrene dimerization.

We report the synthesis, isolation and structural characterization of several moderately air stable nido-metallaboranes that represent boron rich open cage systems. The reaction of [Cp?CoCl]2, (Cp? = ?5-C5Me5), with [BH3�thf] in toluene at ice cold temperature, followed by thermolysis in boiling toluene produced [(Cp?Co)B9H13], 1 [(Cp?Co)2B8H12], 2 and [(Cp?Co)2B6H10] 3. Building upon our earlier reactivity studies on rhodaboranes, we continue to explore the reactivity of dicobalt analogues of octaborane(12) cluster 3 with [Fe2(CO)9] and [Ru3(CO)12] at ambient conditions that yielded novel fused clusters [Fe2(CO)6(Cp?Co)2B6H10], 4 and [Ru4(CO)11(Cp?Co)2B3H3], 5 respectively. In an attempt to synthesize a heterometallic metallaborane compound we performed the reaction of [(Cp?Rh)2B6H10], 6 with [Cp?IrH4] that yielded a Ir-Ir double bonded compound [(Cp?Ir)2H3][B(OH)4], 7. All the new compounds have been characterized by IR, 1H, 11B, 13C NMR spectroscopy, and the molecular structures were unambiguously established by X-ray diffraction analysis. This journal is � The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is utilized to treat hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from wastewater and to generate electricity simultaneously. The Cr(VI) is bioelectrochemically reduced to non-toxic Cr(III) form in the presence of an organic electron donor in a dual-chambered MFC. The Cr(VI) as catholyte and artificial wastewater inoculated with anaerobic sludge as anolyte, Cr(VI) at 100 mg/L was completely removed within 48 h (initial pH value 2.0). The total amount of Cr recovered was 99.87% by the precipitation of Cr(III) on the surface of the cathode. In addition to that 78.4% of total organic carbon reduction was achieved at the anode chamber within 13 days of operation. Furthermore, the maximum power density of 767.01 mW/m2 (2.08 mA/m2) was achieved by MFCs at ambient conditions. The present work has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using MFCs for simultaneous energy production from wastewater and reduction of toxic Cr(VI) to non-toxic Cr(III). � IWA Publishing 2015.

Through the addition of inorganic salts as porogens during an alcohol-based sol–gel process high surface area silica glasses and aerogels with varying pore sizes are synthesized. In the presence of ZnCl2 and CaCl2 respectively, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) dissolved in ethanol hydrolyzes also in the absence of any acid or base catalysts, eventually forming high surface area monolithic silica networks. The porosity can be controlled by the gel ageing step as well as the salt nature. Two different gel drying conditions were investigated, i.e., room temperature (RT) air drying at ambient pressure and supercritical (sc) CO2 drying. While a reference solution which only contains ethanol and TEOS does not gel at all, the addition of ZnCl2 leads to mesoporous aerogels with high surface areas of 1400 m2 g−1 after sc CO2 drying. Interestingly, the utilization of CaCl2 however, produces aerogel-like materials of high porosity for both drying methods under preservation of the nano-and macroscopic features. Thereby, it is shown that inorganic salts can influence the structure formation during the sol–gel process where the type of salt controls the framework connectivity/stability and tunes the porosity towards smaller pore sizes than usually obtained. At the same time, the herein presented hypersaline aerogel-synthesis is very simple, fast and in the case of CaCl2 drying can even be performed in air.

In this paper, a general quasi-steady backward-looking model for energy consumption estimation of electric vehicles is presented. The model is based on a literature review of existing approaches and was set up using publicly available data for Nissan Leaf. The model has been used to assess the effect of ambient temperature on energy consumption and range, considering various reference driving cycles. The results are supported and validated using data available from an experimental campaign where the Nissan Leaf was driven to depletion across a broad range of winter ambient temperatures. The effect of ambient temperature and the consequent accessories consumption due to cabin heating are shown to be remarkable. For instance, in case of Federal Urban Driving Schedule (FUDS), simplified FUDS (SFUDS), and New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) driving cycles, the range exceeds 150 km at 20 &deg, C, while it reduces to about 85 km and 60 km at 0 &deg, C and &minus, 15 &deg, C, respectively. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is reported to assess the impact of the hypotheses in the battery model and of making different assumptions on the regenerative braking efficiency.

Electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (ELDI/MS) allows the rapid desorption and ionization of proteins from solutions under ambient conditions. In this study, we have demonstrated the use of ELDI/MS to efficiently examine the integrity of the proteins stored in various solutions before they were further used for other biochemical tests. The protein standards were prepared in the solutions containing buffers, organic salts, inorganic salts, strong acid, strong base, and organic solvents, respectively, to simulate those collected from solvent extraction, filtration, dialysis, or chromatographic separation. Other than the deposit of a drop of the sample solution on the metallic sample plate in an ELDI source, no additional sample pretreatment is needed. The sample drop was then irradiated with a pulsed laser; this led to desorption of the analyte molecules, which subsequently entered the ESI plume to undergo postionization. Because adjustment of the composition of the sample solution is unnecessary, this technique appears to be useful for rapidly evaluating the integrity of proteins after storage or prior to further biochemical treatment. In addition, when using acid-free and low-organic-solvent ESI solutions for ELDI/MS analysis, the native conformations of the proteins in solution could be detected. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.

An efficient pathway to synthesize biaryls and terphenyls through ligand-free palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reactions has been developed. Mild reaction conditions, high yields of desired products, absence of inert atmosphere and short reaction times are the notable features of this method. � 2012 Elsevier B.V.

A thermodynamic analysis of gasification of carbonaceous feedstocks using carbon dioxide and a mixture of carbon dioxide with steam or oxygen is carried out using Gibbs minimization approach. Simulations are carried out to study the effect of different operating conditions on the gasifier performance using Aspen Plus. Gasification using CO 2 at ambient conditions is not favorable under adiabatic condition. Complete carbon conversion can be obtained by increasing the operating temperature or flowrate of carbon dioxide. A cold gas efficiency greater than 1 is obtained under certain operating conditions. Maximum carbon dioxide conversion is obtained at the carbon boundary point. Based on the minimum energy requirement for complete carbon conversion, a universal optimal operating temperature of 850�C has been identified for gasification of any feedstock. Biomass requires less heat input compared to coal. Use of steam or oxygen as a cogasifying agent reduces the carbon dioxide and energy requirement but reduces carbon dioxide conversion. Syngas with a wide ranging ratio of hydrogen/carbon monoxide can be obtained using carbon dioxide gasification. Trends of simulation predictions are qualitatively consistent with experimental observations. � 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

The nitric oxide (NO) binding properties of monolayers of four different protoporphyrins IX adsorbed on aluminum oxide surfaces have been investigated. XPS and AFM results are consistent with the presence of a monolayer of porphyrins, bound to the surface by their carboxylic acid groups and with the porphine ring oriented more or less perpendicular to the surface. Kelvin probe measurements were done in which the samples were exposed to varying NO concentrations. NO binds strongly to all porphyrins, but protoporphyrin IX zinc(II) (Zn-PP) shows the most promising response. The response rate could be increased by adding spacer molecules to the porphyrin layer. Low ppb levels of NO were easily detected in ambient conditions. The NO binding properties of Zn-PP compare favorably to those of other porphyrins which were previously used for NO sensing. This makes Zn-PP a new and promising candidate for this application. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of air density variations on the calibration constants of several models of anemometers has been analyzed. The analysis was based on a series of calibrations between March 2003 and February 2011. Results indicate a linear behavior of both calibration constants with the air density. The effect of changes in air density on the measured wind speed by an anemometer was also studied. The results suggest that there can be an important deviation of the measured wind speed with changes in air density from the one at which the anemometer was calibrated, and therefore the need to take this effect into account when calculating wind power estimations.

The polymerization of MMA, at ambient temperature, mediated by dansyl chloride is investigated using controlled radical polymerization methods. The solution ATRP results in reasonably controlled polymerization with PDI < 1.3. The SET-LRP polymerization is less controlled while SET-RAFT polymerization is controlled producing poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with the PDI < 1.3. In all the cases, the polymerization rate followed first order kinetics with respect to monomer conversion and the molecular weight of the polymer increased linearly with conversion. The R group in the CTAs do not appear to play a key role in controlling the propagation rate. SET-RAFT method appears to be a simpler tool to produce methacrylate polymers, under ambient conditions, in comparison with ATRP and SET-LRP. Fluorescent diblock copolymers, P(MMA-b-PhMA), were synthesized. These were highly fluorescent with two distinguishable emission signatures from the dansyl group and the phenanthren-1-yl methacrylate block. The fluorescence emission spectra reveal interesting features such as large red shift when compared to the small molecule. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012

Spray ignition and flame stabilisation in the frame of diesel-like combustion conditions combine fundamental and complex physical and chemical processes. In this work, a numerical investigation has been performed to evaluate the potential of integrating detailed chemistry into CFD calculations, in order to improve predictions and gain more insight in involved processes. This work has been carried out using the capabilities of OpenFOAM ©code, which provides an opensource framework for 3D-CFD simulations, including an ODE solver for solving chemical kinetics. As a general methodology, this study is based on simulating free n-heptane sprays injected into a constant volume vessel, corresponding to the conditions of the experimental database provided by Sandia National Laboratories. Calculations results have been compared to experiments, evaluating the effect of a wide range of ambient conditions on spray ignition and combustion characteristics. Specifically, this research checks the performance of some relevant n-heptane oxidation mechanisms found in the literature, with different degree of complexity, for modelling the chemical history of the fuel. The results of this investigation show the relative influence of chemical mechanism on spray/flame structure in terms of ignition delay and also ignition and flame stabilisation sites. The comprehensive mechanism performs generally better than more simplified chemistry models. However, its accuracy is also compromised for modelling advanced diesel-like combustion concepts based on injecting the spray into a low oxygen concentration environment. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

We demonstrate a simple but highly efficient technique to introduce multifunctional properties to cellulose fiber networks by wetting them with ethyl-cyanoacrylate monomer solutions containing various suspended organic submicrometer particles or inorganic nanoparticles. Solutions can be applied on cellulosic surfaces by simple solution casting techniques or by dip coating, both being suitable for large area applications. Immediately after solvent evaporation, ethyl-cyanoacrylate starts cross-linking around cellulose fibers under ambient conditions because of naturally occurring surface hydroxyl groups and adsorbed moisture, encapsulating them with a hydrophobic polymer shell. Furthermore, by dispersing various functional particles in the monomer solutions, hydrophobic ethyl-cyanoacrylate nanocomposites with desired functionalities can be formed around the cellulose fibers. To exhibit the versatility of the method, cellulose sheets were functionalized with different ethyl-cyanoacrylate nanocomposite shells comprising submicrometer wax or polytetrafluoroethylene particles for superhydophobicity, MnFe 2O 4 nanoparticles for magnetic activity, CdSe/ZnS quantum dots for light emission, and silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial activity. Morphological and functional properties of each system have been studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, detailed contact angle measurements, light emission spectra and E. coli bacterial growth measurements. A plethora of potential applications can be envisioned for this technique, such as food and industrial packaging, document protection, catalytic cellulosic membranes, textronic (electrofunctional textiles), electromagnetic devices, authentication of valuable documents, and antimicrobial wound healing products to name a few. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

We propose the derivation and calculation of the hydrodynamic slip length from the first principles of statistical mechanics, based on a combination of linear response theory and equilibrium molecular theory of solvation. The slip length obtained is independent of the type of flow and is related to the fluid organisation near the solid surface, as governed by the solid-liquid and liquid-liquid interactions. In a wide range of shear rates and surface-liquid interactions, the slip length is expressed in terms of the Green-Kubo-Nakano relations as a function of the anisotropic inhomogeneous time correlation function of density fluctuations of the liquid in contact with the surface. The presented treatment generalises the phenomenological definition of the friction coefficient and the slip length to a tensor quantity, which reflects an anisotropic nature of an ordered crystalline surface. We derive generic analytical expressions for the liquid-surface friction coefficient and slip length for an arbitrary surface-liquid interaction potential. We further illustrate it by numerical calculations for the case of a laminar flow of several molecular liquids and water, at ambient conditions in contact with the (100) FCC surface of gold, copper and nickel modelled using all-atom or united-atom models for liquids and the Steele potential for crystalline surfaces. The values obtained for slip length range from few to hundreds of nanometres and are consistent with experimental measurements. We also calculate pressure and temperature dependence on the slip length for water in a wide range of these thermodynamic parameters. The information obtained is intended to be used, in particular, to control or manipulate the flow in electrokinetic processes. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.