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Lignin/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite fibers with different lignin concentrations were developed via electrospinning to investigate further possible applications of lignin, an under-utilized renewable biomass material. The antimicrobial and ultraviolet (UV) absorption properties of lignin/PVA nanocomposite fibers were evaluated to determine whether the inherent functionalities of lignin remain in the final material. An environmentally benign crosslinking method was sought to increase the stability of lignin/PVA nanocomposite fibers in aqueous media. The crosslinking and insolubilization of the lignin/PVA nanocomposite fibers was achieved by combining several crosslinking techniques: water vapor treatment at 80℃ for 180 min, photo-irradiation for 30 min under visible light at a distance of 17 cm, and heat treatment at 200℃ for 60 min. Both lignin/PVA nanocomposite fiber webs—containing 50 and 85 wt% of lignin at a 3.0 g/m2 web area density, respectively—showed a 99.9% reduction rate against Staphylococcus aureus, but no reduction against Escherichia coli. The same systems exhibited ultraviolet protection factors (UPF) of >50, indicating excellent UV protection. These findings demonstrate the potential of lignin-based composite fibers, and may widen the range of applications for this biomass material.

This study aimed to fabricate core/sheath-structured composite nanofibers containing cinnamon oil by emulsion electrospinning and to investigate their acaricidal effect on house dust mites as well as their antibacterial and antifungal properties in relation to cinnamon oil concentration in the nanofibers. An oil-in-water emulsion, which comprised cinnamon oil and poly(vinyl alcohol) solution as oil and water phases, respectively, was used to prepare core/sheath-structured nanofibers. The morphology and the inner structure of the electrospun nanofibers were observed by scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Core/sheath-structured nanofibers containing cinnamon oil were successfully prepared by emulsion electrospinning. The composite nanofibers prepared from an emulsion containing 20 wt% of cinnamon oil exhibited a strong acaricidal effect against house dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae). The composite nanofibers fabricated from an emulsion containing 4.29 wt% of cinnamon oil showed excellent antimicrobial effects against Staphylococcus aureus and a series of fungi that can trigger respiratory- and skin-related diseases. The release profile of cinnamon oil from the core/sheath-structured nanofibers showed a continuous release of functional ingredients over 28 days. Our findings demonstrate that the use of such fibrous structures could be a promising approach for delivering naturally derived bioactive agents in a controlled way.

This study examines the rustling sound characteristics of electrospun nanofiber web laminates according to layer structures. This study assesses mechanical properties and frictional sounds (such as SPL); in addition, Zwicker's psychoacoustic parameters (such as Loudness (Z), Sharpness (Z), Roughness (Z), and Fluctuation strength (Z)) were cal- culated using the Sound Quality Program (ver.3.2, BK however, weight (T) with Sharpness (Z) and Roughness (Z), and bending hysteresis (2HB) with Roughness (Z) indicated positive correlation coefficients, respectively.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an adoption model to identify the critical factors that affect firms' intention to adopt mobile enabled supply chain systems (mSCM) in retail industry. This study focuses on inter‐organizational dimension since mSCM is an inter‐organizational system that provides both inter‐ and intra‐organizational linkages for firms across the supply chain.Design/methodology/approachA survey method was used to test the proposed model. Data from this study were obtained from South Korean firms.FindingsSupply chain awareness was shown to be a strong predictor of both inter‐organizational dependence and inter‐organizational trust which positively affects firms' long‐term relationship with their trading partners. Institutional pressures, long‐term relationship, and top management support also had a significant influence firms' mSCM adoption intention.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, only executives and managers in retail industry of South Korea were surveyed, thus, the results may not be generalized to retail industry in other countries. Second, the current study focuses on a firm's mSCM adoption intention rather than actual adoption.Practical implicationsThis study provides useful insights for practitioners to better manage institutional pressures and nurture long‐term relationship in order to promote co‐adoption of mSCM.Originality/valueThis study provides useful insights for supply chain members on how to overcome barriers to adopting an innovation and to increase the chance of successfully adopting mSCM in the retail supply chain.

This study investigates the fabrication of core-sheath nanocomposite fibers by locating germanium (Ge) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles selectively in the sheath layer by co-axial electrospinning. Co-axially spun fibers were prepared by electrospinning a pure PVA solution and Ge/SiO2/PVA solution as the core and sheath layer, respectively. Core-sheath nanocomposite fibers were electrospun under a variety of conditions that include various feed rates for the core and sheath solutions, voltages, and concentric needle diameters, in order to find an optimum spinning condition. Ge/SiO2 nanocomposite fibers were also prepared by uni- axial electrospinning to compare fiber morphology and nanoparticle distribution with core-sheath nanofibers. Using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analy- sis, it was demonstrated that the co-axial approach resulted in the presence of nanoparticles near the surface region of the fibers compared to the overall distribution obtained for uni-axial fibers. The co-axially elec- trospun Ge/SiO2/PVA nanofiber webs have possible uses in high efficiency functional textiles in which the nanoparticles located in the sheath region provide enhanced functionality.

Wide-sense statistical self-similarity in continuous-time random processes is defined through invariance of its first-order and second-order statistics to scaling in time. Since scaling has an unambiguous definition in continuous-time but not in discrete-time, researchers have provided various definitions of discrete-time self-similarity without reference to scaling. This paper proposes a discrete-time continuous-dilation scaling operator and develops a framework based on it for formulating statistical self-similarity from first principles in a manner analogous to the continuous-time development. Relationship between the resulting model and fractional order transfer function systems is presented. The potential for using this model in applications involving long-range dependent phenomena is explored.

Land application of alum sludge has been considered to be an economical disposal method. However, its negative effects on the environment have been a cause for concern. In one example, an acid soil was treated with alum sludge from a water purification plant at 0 to 18% rate. Indian mustard was grown on the treated soil in a greenhouse for 5 weeks, and irrigated with pH 4 water during growth. Changes in the soil properties, leachate chemistry, plant growth, and plant uptake of elements by the sludge treatment were determined. The sludge treatment increased the buffer capacity to acidity, hydraulic conductivity, water-holding capacity, and phosphate adsorption of the soil and decreased the bulk density and mobility of small particles. The sludge treatment reduced the leaching of Al, Mg, K, Na, and Mn but increased leaching of Ca. The sludge treatment also increased the amount of biomass and enhanced root elongation. The plant absorbed a lower amount of cations and P, but a larger amount of Ca with...