Search

Hydroponic cultivation is an alternative to utilize narrow land or land that is not suitable for agriculture. An important role in hydroponic cultivation is nutrition, where nutrients are dissolved in water before being flowed into the hydroponic device. The provision of different types of nutrient solutions and different water concentrations greatly affects hydroponic plants’ productivity. This research was conducted from September to November 2019 at the Sidondo Agricultural Technology Research and Study Installation (IP2TP). This study aimed to determine the concentration of raw water and AB Mix solution concentration, which is good for plant growth in hydroponics. The study used a factorial randomized block design (FRBD) consisting of two factors and three replications. The treatments were combination factor of AB mix concentration as total dissolved solids in ppm and kind of AB Mix product. The AB Mix concentration consists of 20 ppm and 200 ppm. Then AB Mix product consist of Agromax and HidroJ. The result showed that concentration 20 ppm of Agromax nutrient solution give the best result for all parameter (plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, leaf area, root length, and weight of root, leaf and stem)

The 7H-indolo[1,2-a]quinolinium merocyanine was applied as a new water sensor in organic solvents such as ethanol, propane-1-ol, propane-2-ol, DMSO, and DMF. The spectral changes of the dye caused by the addition of increasing amount of water into an organic solvent were investigated. Based on the results, the calibration curves were found as a relation between the position of the absorption band of the dye and the water concentration ranging from about 0.05 to 11% (w/w). In case of ethanol, propane-1-ol and propane-2-ol the plots were linear, whereas in DMSO and DMF, better results were obtained with the use of a polynomial function. The method allowed to determine the water content in a fast and precise manner. Graphical Abstract Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11696-017-0328-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

From the results of experimental studies of the processes of suppressing the thermal decomposition of the typical forest combustibles (birch leaves, fir needles, asp twigs, and a mixture of these three materials) by water aerosol, the minimum volumes of the fire-extinguishing liquid have been determined (by varying the volume of samples of the forest combustibles from 0.00002 m3 to 0.0003 m3 and the area of their open surface from 0.0001 m2 to 0.018 m2). The dependences of the minimum volume of water on the area of the open surface of the forest combustible have been established. Approximation expressions for these dependences have been obtained. Forecast has been made of the minimum volume of water for suppressing the process of thermal decomposition of forest combustibles in areas from 1 cm2 to 1 km2, as well as of the characteristic quenching times by varying the water concentration per unit time. It has been shown that the amount of water needed for effective suppression of the process of thermal decomposition of forest combustibles is several times less than is customarily assumed.

One of the actual challenges in fluid (oil, water and gas) transportation from wells to oil treatment installation is determination of a law of temperature distribution along the length of a pipeline at low ambient temperature. That temperature leads to increase in viscosity and deposition of wax on inner surface of a pipe. To overcome that challenge it is needed to consider several defining characteristics of formation fluid (FF) flow. Complexity of a solution is caused by two factors. From the one hand, in most cases (especially on a late stage of field development) FF is an oil emulsion (OE) that contains gas bubbles. From the other hand, temperature gradient between fluid flow and the environment has significant value (especially in the winter period of the year). At the same time, the higher content of emulsified water droplets (EWD) in OE and lower flow temperature, the higher FF viscosity, and consequently productivity (efficiency) of oil pumping system is reduced. Performed research and analysis of field experimental data showed that a function of oil viscosity versus temperature has a hyperbolic law; a function of OE viscosity versus concentration of EWD has a parabolic one. A heat balance for a certain section of a pipeline in steady state of fluid motion using a method of separation of variables was established taking into account above mentioned factors, Fourier's empirical laws on heat conductivity and Newton's law on heat transfer. As a result, unlike existing works, an exponential law of distribution of temperature along the length of a pipeline is obtained. A law takes into account nonlinear nature of change in viscosity of OE from change in temperature of flow and concentration of water in an emulsion.

Purpose To quantify free and bound water components of cortical bone with a model-based numeric approach with use of ultrashort echo time (UTE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in vivo in order to introduce a new predictor for age-related deterioration of cortical bone structure. Materials and Methods Human studies were compliant with HIPAA and approved by the institutional review board. Dual-repetition time three-dimensional hybrid-radial UTE imaging was performed, followed by the application of postprocessing algorithms, to quantify free and bound water parameters (concentration [ρ] and longitudinal relaxation time [T1]) of human cortical bone in vivo. The postprocessing algorithms included the decomposition of bulk equations into free- and bound-associated equations and solving resulted inverse problem by using evolutionary strategy methods. To test the validity of the introduced biomarker, it was measured in 40 healthy women by using the proposed method, and associations among parameters were evaluated with the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results The mean free water concentration, bound water concentration, free water T1, and bound water T1 in the recruited population were 5.9%, 19.6%, 306.79 msec, and 162.47 msec, respectively. All reported values were in good agreement with those in the literature. Cortical bone free water T1 (R

Operation of a PEM fuel cell stack demands for control of some selected variables in the sake of safety, efficiency and prevention of membrane and electrode damages. Among these variables are the hydrogen pressure, stack temperature, membrane humidity, water concentration and the impurities accumulated on the anode. Several tests were performed to monitor and control these quantities on a 3-kW prototype stack. A few distinct control techniques were implemented in this stack as described in this paper in addition to the main practical operational results at distinct power levels.

The problems of assessing the effectiveness of packed mass-transfer devices in relation to distillation processes have been considered. The authors have shown that the existing dependences of determining the height equivalent to a theoretical plate cannot be used to calculate tray columns and columns with vortex packings, the contact surfaces of the phases and coefficients of mass transfer of which depend substantially on the water concentration (reflux ratio) and gas rate (vapor for distillation).

Wear performance of any tribological system can be influenced in a complex way by water contamination. Water can be the cause of steel corrosion which, in turn, can accelerate wear. It can decompose the additives in the oil and create a more corrosive environment which leads to the higher wear in the system. A key novelty of this study is to investigate the effect of relative humidity and the tribochemical changes on the tribological performance and tribofilm characteristics of boundary lubricated systems by means of designing a humidity control system integrated to the Mini Traction Machine (MTM) and Spacer Layer Interferometry Method (SLIM) for the first time. The system is capable of simulating rolling-sliding conditions continuously where lubricant can be contaminated with water. This paper is the first part of a two-part study and the theoretical aspects of the work is the subject of the second part of this investigation. It was observed that humidity hinders the tribofilm formation, especially at higher values of relative humidity and lower temperatures and it can significantly affect the wear process. The correlation between tribofilm thickness, water concentration, temperature and wear of the system was studied. The experimental results suggest that the higher the humidity, the higher the wear of the system and it is more noticeable at lower temperatures where the tribofilm in thinner. The surface chemistry of zinc polyphosphates was investigated as a function of humidity.

Density of fluid inclusions is one of the most important parameters to reconstruct the P-T conditions of entrapment of geo-fluids. Co-existing with microthermometry methods, Raman spectroscopy also became a useful tool to determine the density of CO2-bearing inclusions via Fermi diad splitting (Δ). In this study, a new CO2 densimeter which takes into account the effects of temperature, pressure and H2O (±NaCl) on Fermi diad splitting was built from experiments using a High Pressure Optical Cell. Raman spectra of CO2 were collected in the range −20 to 360 °C and 0.51 to 50 MPa, i.e. a density range from 0.0057 to 1.1600 g·cm−3. Our results show that temperature and pressure have significant impact on Δ-density relationship, with Δ lower by up to about 0.5 cm−1 with increasing pressure and temperature at a given density. On the contrary, dissolved H2O (±NaCl) had no effect on the Δ-density relationship, so the function defined for pure CO2 system can also be applied to calculate the density of CO2-H2O-NaCl system (up to 360 °C, 50 MPa and 20.35 wt% NaCl). The new densimeters presented in this study provide a useful tool to determine the pressure of CO2-rich fluid inclusions all along the isochoric path for any water concentration.

In this work, we develop a model for a gravity separator, and we use it together with models from the literature to study the control of a subsea separation system that separates oil, gas, and water from well fluids in hydrocarbon production. Our separation system contains a gravity separator, hydrocyclones, and compact flotation units. The main contributions of the paper are 2-fold. First, we present a coalescence based dynamic gravity separator model, which is able to predict oil concentration in the water outlet and water concentration in the oil outlet. Second, we study optimal operation of the overall separation system with an objective of maximizing water removal. We propose a simple control structure that operates the process close to optimally, by rejecting disturbances from upstream flows and maintaining a tight control of the quality of the purified water leaving the system.

In this study, an extended calculation method for the determination of the water profiles in oil-treated skin is proposed, which is based on the calculation of the ratio between the Raman band intensities of water (3350-3550 cm���1) and keratin Amide I at 1650 cm���1. The proposed method is compared with the conventional method based on the ratio of the Raman band intensities of water (3350-3550 cm���1) and keratin at 2930 cm���1. The conventional method creates artifacts in the depth profiles of the water concentration in oil-treated skin, showing a lower amount of water in the upper and intermediate layers of the stratum corneum, which is due to the superposition of oil- and keratin-related Raman bands at 2930 cm���1. The proposed extended method shows no artifacts and has the potential to determine the water depth profiles after topical application of formulations on the skin.

Advanced nuclear power plants are equipped with passive systems for emergency decay heat removal from reactor equipment (PEHRSs) in case of development of accidents accompanied with primary cooling circuit leakage and for transferring heat to the final heat absorber (ambient air). Here, intensity of heat dissipation to air from the heat exchanger outer surface achieved by buoyance induced natural convection is extremely low, which necessitates the need to expand heat conductivity surfaces and to apply different types of heat transfer intensifiers (grooves, ribs and extended surfaces, positioning at higher altitudes, etc.). Intensity of heat removal is also strongly dependent on the ambient air temperature (disposable temperature head). Construction of nuclear power plants in countries with high ambient temperatures (Iran, Bangladesh, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and others) with characteristic high level of ambient air temperature imposes additional requirements on the expansion of heat exchange surfaces. Results of experimental investigation of intensification of heat exchange by low energy-intensity ultrasound supply of super-small liquid droplets (size ~3 mm) in the cooling air are provided in the present paper. In such case, transfer of heat between the cooled surface and cooling airflow involves the following three physical effects: convection, conductive heat exchange and evaporation of water droplets. The latter two effects weakly depend on the ambient air temperature and ensure active heat removal in any type of situation. Investigation was performed using high-precision calorimeter with controlled rate of heat supply (between 7800 and 12831 W/m2) imitating heated surface within the range of Reynolds numbers from 2500 to 55000 and liquid (water) flow rates from 23.39 to 111.68 kg/m2·h-1. The studies demonstrated that presence of finely dispersed water results in significant increase of heat transfer compared with the case of application of purely air-cooling. With fixed heat flow energy efficiency increases with increasing concentration of water reaching the values in excess of 600 W/m2·degree-1, which is 2.8 times higher than for the case of air-cooling. Application of the suggested technology for intensification of heat exchange in dry cooling towers of nuclear and thermal power plants used in the conditions of hot and extreme continental climate is possible subject to further investigation for the purpose of specification of optimal ranges of heat exchange intensification. © 2019 Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering, National Research Nuclear University 'MEPhI'. All rights reserved.

Rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (RZIB) present an interesting alternative to rechargeable Li-ion batteries. Among the active materials, layered vanadium-based oxides show a poor cell voltage but modifying this structure by attaching a phosphate group to the vanadium redox center can drastically enhance the cathode voltage. With this layered VOPO4 material, we demonstrate that pre-intercalating polypyrrole between crystallographic layers and using electrolyte with controlled water amounts are two absolutely essential conditions for easy and reversible Zn2+ (de)intercalation, thus vastly improving battery outputs and long-term capacity retention. We establish that the rational design of open-layered structures hinges imperatively on factors like host structural integrity and electrode-electrolyte compatibility in delivering the performance of multivalent-ion batteries. Nanyang Technological University National Research Foundation (NRF) Accepted version This work was funded by the National Research Foundation of Singapore Investigatorship Award Number NRFI2017-08/NRF2016NRF-NRFI001-22.

The use of zebrafish for high throughput screening (HTS) for chemical bioactivity assessments is becoming routine in the fields of drug discovery and toxicology. Here we report current recommendations from our experiences in zebrafish HTS. We compared the effects of different high throughput chemical delivery methods on nominal water concentration, chemical sorption to multi-well polystyrene plates, transcription responses, and resulting whole animal responses. We demonstrate that digital dispensing consistently yields higher data quality and reproducibility compared to standard plastic tip-based liquid handling. Additionally, we illustrate the challenges in using this sensitive model for chemical assessment when test chemicals have trace impurities. Adaptation of these better practices for zebrafish HTS should increase reproducibility across laboratories.

The use of water-in-diesel emulsion fuel has the potential to significantly reduce the formation of oxides of nitrogen (NOX), particulate matter (PM), and total gaseous hydrocarbons (THC) in diesel engines without engine modification. The preparation of stable water-in-diesel emulsion fuel and its variation in properties is critical for the successful development of diesel engines. The present study was carried out to create a stable water-in-diesel emulsion fuel by analyzing the effects of different process variables on emulsion preparation, including surfactant hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB), water concentration in diesel, and stirrer speed. The stability was analyzed by emulsion fuel density variation as a function of time using a photonic system on the emulsion surface. From the results obtained, it was found that sorbitan monolanrate mixed at maximum stirring speed gave optimal emulsion stability for all concentrations of water. The critical fuel properties (density, viscosity, heating ...

Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate volumetric quantities and dynamic properties of binary trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(oxalato)borate ([P6,6,6,14][BOB]) ionic liquid (IL)/water mixtures with different water concentrations. The predicted liquid densities for typical [P6,6,6,14][BOB] IL/water mixtures are consistent with available experimental data with a relative discrepancy of less than 3%. The liquid densities and excess molar volumes of all studied [P6,6,6,14][BOB] IL/water mixtures are characterized by concave and convex features, respectively, within full water concentration range. The dynamic properties of [P6,6,6,14] cations, [BOB] anions, and water molecules are particularly analyzed through calculation of velocity autocorrelation functions, diffusion coefficients, and reorientational autocorrelation functions and correlation times. The translational and reorientational mobilities of three species become faster upon increasing water concentration in [P6,6,6,14][BOB] IL/water mixtures and present complex dynamical characteristics arising from three distinct microscopic diffusion features within the full water concentration range. The obtained striking volumetric quantities and particular dynamic properties are well correlated to microscopic liquid structural organization and distinct local ionic environment of all studied [P6,6,6,14][BOB] IL/water mixtures.

Water plays a crucial role in the synthesis mechanism of metal organic framework-5 (MOF-5). Synthesized MOF-5 with good phase structure and large specific surface area is largely determined by an important synthesis factor: the total water concentration of the initial synthesis solution (C tw ). An understanding of the effects of different and high C tw on the synthesis of MOF-5 and the investigation of the maximum C tw suitable for the synthesis of MOF-5 are important to guide the synthesis of MOF-5. Through the research of the maximum C tw , a favorable synthetic approach was established which could realize the synthesis of MOF-5 with fine performance on CO2 adsorption and separation. The research results show that the maximum C tw could be as high as 1,440mmol/L, and synthesized MOF-5 still has a good phase structure and a large specific surface area of 2,136m2/g (BET). Synthesized MOF-5 by the maximum C tw exhibits a high CO2 adsorption capacity of 2.5mmol/g and a low N2 adsorption capacity of 0.2mmol/g at 298 K and 100 kPa. More importantly, synthesized MOF-5 by the maximum C tw exhibits a high selectivity for CO2/N2 of 18-22 at 298 K and 20-130 kPa in simulated flue gas.

The aim of this study was to select the best sources of auxin of which it can stimulate the growth of shoots Pineapple plant cuttings. This research is compiled in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 6 replications. The Data were statistically Analyzed by the DMRT. Level of treatment given proves that no treatment 0%, cow urine concentration of 25%, young coconut water concentration of 25% and Rootone F 100 mg / cuttings. The results showed that cow urine concentrations of 25% and Rootone F 100 mg give the best results in stimulating the growth of shoots pineapple stem cuttings. Experimental results concluded that the effect of this natural hormone were better than the shoots without given hormone. Keywords: auxin, pineapple plant, cutting, treatments

Passive sampling is increasingly applied for monitoring neutral hydrophobic compounds (HOC) in various environmental media like water, sediment, air and also soft biota tissue. Passive samplers for HOC are often constructed from permeable polymers like silicone and polyethylene (PE), while also SPMD are often applied. Their HOC uptake can be converted to freely dissolved or equivalent lipid-based concentrations using appropriate partition coefficients with or without the use of kinetic uptake models to adjust for non-equilibrium. To facilitate such conversions for seventy HOC partition coefficients are derived by combining polymer–water for Altesil™ silicone and PE, with new and earlier published polymer–polymer, polymer–lipid partition coefficients. Derived SSP silicone–water, lipid–water ( K lip/w ), and SPMD–water ( K spmd/w ) partition coefficients demonstrate good agreement with literature data, except for K spmd/w . For SPMD, this work demonstrates a linear K spmd/w – K ow relationship (R2 = 0.99) in contrast to the parabolic K spmd/w – K ow relationship utilized in the USGS “SPMD Water Concentrations Calculator”. Following a thorough evaluation of this Calculator it is recommended that in combination with revised K spmd/w , a radical different model approach should be used for obtaining accurate water concentrations from passive sampling with SPMD.

Bis(methyltetraphenyl)silole and bis(methyltetraphenyl)silole siloxane nanoaggregates for the detection of TNT were developed by using aggregation-induced emission property. Their absolute quantum yields and critical water concentration for onset of aggregation were measured. Average particle size for both nanoaggregates were measured and tuned by controlling the water fraction by volume. Absolute quantum yield of both nanoaggregates in 90% water volume fraction increased by more than 40 times. Detection of TNT was achieved from the quenching PL measurement of both nanoaggregates by adding the TNT. A linear Stern-Volmer relationship was observed for the detection of TNT.

Vegetative stage is an essential element for plants that shoot harvested. At that stage, the growth regulator application can directly increase the production quantively accelerate the potential formation and growth of roots and shoots. Coconut water is one of a natural sources of growth hormone that has a potency to increase the early growth of the tea plant. This experiment aimed to find out the response of tea plant growth on the lowlands after centering with coconut water application. This experiment was conducted in experimental garden of Faculty of Agriculture Unpad, Jatinangor, Sumedang at an altitude of 750 m above sea level and Inceptisol terrestrial soil. The experiment began in February 2016 until June 2016 using Split Plot Design, consisting of two factors and three replications. The main plot is a type of clone (K) which consists of two levels, namely: k1 = GMB 7, k2 = GMB 11. Sub plot is a coconut water concentration (A) consisting of five levels: a0 = coconut water application (control), a1 = coconut water concentration 25%, a2 = coconut water concentration 50%, a3 = coconut water 75% concentration, a4 = coconut water 100% concentration. The experimental results showed that coconut water had a significant effect on all treatments. The interaction of plant height variable at 14 WAC - 16 WAC (Week After Centering), canopy width at 12 WAC - 16 WAC and stem diameter at 14 WAC - 16 WAC and no significant effect on plant height at 2 WAC - 12 WAC, canopy width at 2 WAC - 10 WAC, and stem diameter at 2 WAC - 12 WAC, at 2 WAC - 12 WAC. In general, GMB 11 clone tea plant that applied 75% coconut water performed the best growth response on tea growth in the lowlands after centering.

The role of water in degradation of nitroplasticizer (NP) was studied using a set of NP samples aged inside confined containers between room temperature and 70∘C with their water concentrations monitored during the aging course. For the first 42 days at the temperatures 55∘C and below, simple Fickian diffusion dominates the monotonic decreases of the water concentrations with time. After about 60–80 days depending on temperatures, diffusion alone can no longer explain the water decreases, despite no significant NP degradation detectable using the FTIR spectroscopy. Starting at about 80–160 days, also depending on temperatures, the measured water concentrations fluctuated around mean values that decrease with increasing temperature, and the onset of NP degradation was detected using FTIR and TGA. It was found that NP contains an irreducible amount of water on the order of a few hundred ppms, which decreases with increasing temperature. Pristine NP does not exist with a water concentration lower than this amount. The diffusivity, the irreducible amount of water in NP, and the mean water production rate due to NP degradation are calculated from the water concentrations of the first aging stage and the mean water concentrations during the onset of NP degradation. They all change with the temperature following Arrhenius laws with different prefactors and activation energies. This study shows that trace water formation is an intrinsic property of the NP while it ages with the mechanistic details to be resolved.

We apply terahertz time-domain spectroscopy for the quantitative non-invasive assessment of water content in biological samples: tree leafs and pork muscles. The Landau-Looyenga-Lifshitz-based model is used for the calculation of water concentration within the samples. The obtained results show that water content in biological samples can be measured utilizing terahertz waves in transmission and reflection modes.

The quantitative analysis of trace water in organic solvents has always been a research hotspot, and it is still in the development stage and needs to be continuously developed. In this study, a facile and rapid approach was developed for the preparation of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with yellow fluorescence emission and ultrahigh absolute fluorescence quantum yields (92.6%). Compared to traditional organic fluorescent molecules, the preparation of CQDs is simpler, faster and more environmentally friendly. It is found that the fluorescent properties of CQDs are excellent in organic solvents and could be quenched by trace water, which makes them a promising material used without any modification for the detection of water in organic solvents. As a result, the as-prepared CQDs were adopted as fluorescent probes for the detection of water in organic solvents (ethanol, tetrahydrofuran, and 1,4-dioxane). The limit of detection was as low as 0.01%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that CQDs have been used as water sensing fluorescent probes in organic solvents. The possible mechanism for trace water detection of the as-prepared CQDs in organic solvents is attributed to the specific water–fluorophore interaction and partially to the increase in polarity of the solvent caused by an increase in water concentration.

An extremely affordable virus concentration method based on adsorption-elution to glass wool and subsequent reconcentration through polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) precipitation was optimized to recover not only non-enveloped viruses but also enveloped viruses. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) were employed as surrogates for naked and enveloped viruses, respectively, to set up the methodology. Initial experimentation in small-volume samples showed that both types of particles readily adsorbed to the positively charged glass wool but were poorly detached from it through standard elution with 0.05 M glycine with 3% of beef extract buffer, pH 9.5, with elution efficiencies of 7.2% and 2.6%, for HAV and TGEV, respectively. To improve the recovery of enveloped viruses, several modifications in the elution were assayed: increasing the elution pH, extending glass wool and eluent contact time, adding a detergent, or performing the elution by recirculation or under agitation. Considering practicability and performance, recircularization of the eluent at pH 11.0 for 20 min was the elution procedure of choice, with efficiencies of 25.7% and 18.8% for HAV and TGEV in 50 L of water. Additionally, employing 20% PEG instead of 10% for virus reconcentration improved recoveries up to 47% and 51%, respectively. The optimized procedure was applied to detect naturally occurring HAV and coronaviruses in surface water of Wadi Hanifa, Riyadh. HAV was detected in 38% of the samples, while one sample was positive for an alphacoronavirus. This cheap virus detection system enables the comprehensive surveillance of viruses present in water samples.

Coffee leaf chlorophyll (ChI) is an important proxy for coffee plant photosynthetic rates, nitrogen content, leaf health and yield potential. Whereas the recently launched Sentinel 2 multi -spectral instrument (MSI) data has great potential for plant condition assessment, the value of its spectral settings at variable spatial resolutions in relation to crop canopy cover on ChI content prediction remains largely unexplored. In this study, we apply an empirical model to estimate coffee leaf ChI with Sentinel 2 MSI data. Results showed that coffee biophysical parameters (height and canopy cover) are significantly influenced by stand age while plant water concentration and total ChI are age invariant. Results further showed that the best modelling results (R2=0.69, RMSE=64.4) were achieved when all the bands at 10m spatial resolution with all data were used. We concluded that Sentinel 2 MSI is a valuable dataset for predicting coffee leaf ChI, however, based on our findings, we suggest that finer spatial resolutions of 10m on mature coffee stands should be adopted for better prediction results.

The effects of the water concentration in an experimental 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP)-based all-in-one (EX) adhesive were examined on the ability of MDP to remove the smear layer from the ground dentin surface and on the dentin bonding performance. Four types of EX adhesives were prepared by varying the amount of water (46.6, 93.2, 149.8 and 208.1 mg/g), but the MDP concentration was kept a constant at 49.9 mg/g. Scanning electron microscopy and bond strength measurements were performed on the dentin surface demineralized by each EX adhesive. Increased amount of water in the EX adhesive increased the ability of MDP to remove the smear layer. However, the solubilization of the smear layer into the EX adhesive decreased the dentin bond strength. The water concentration in the EX adhesive affected the efficacies of smear layer removal and dentin bonding performance more strongly than the pH value of the EX adhesive.

The case of dengue fever caused by Aedes aegypti female mosquitoes is still a problem in Indonesia because the case tends to increase every year. The purpose of study on the fermentation of young coconut water as a mosquito attractant is to determine whether there is any difference in the number of mosquitoes trapped by the fermentation of young coconut water concentration variation. The type of research conducted was a True Experiment , with the design of post test only control group . Research method was using trapping bottle provided with attractant with a concentration of 0% (control), 15%, 25%, and 35%. Location of research was done in Laboratorium Entomologi Kesehatan Lingkungan Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenkes RI Surabaya. Data were analyzed using Kruskal Wallis statistical test and advanced test of Mann Whitney. The result of Kruskall Wallis statistic test showed that there is significant difference (p

This study has been carried out in Alkut city the center of Wasit province which is located about 180 km south of the capital Baghdad on one from the most important dams constructed on theriverTigris called Alkut Dam .Four pedons have been selected in this study, two pedons (A,B) are located in the lower part of dam and the other two pedons (C ,D) are located in the upper part of dam , sediments samples analysis for particle size distribution and total & available heavy metals concentration (Ni ، Cd ، Zn ، Pb ،Fe) in the water and sediments. Results show that the total concentration of nickel ranges between(104.2 - 178.4) mg.kg-1and the higher value has been found in the second depth (156-126)cm for pedon A and the lower value has been found in the second depth (50-30) for pedon D , while total cadmium concentration ranges between (6.1-2.2)mg.kg-1and the higher value has been found in the second depth (35-20) for pedon A at the lower part of dam and the lower value has been found in the sixth depth (73-93cm)for the same pedon , the values for total Zinc concentration ranges between (108-69) mg.kg-1 and the higher value has been found in the fifth depth (73-55)cm for pedon A at the lower part of dam and the lower value has been found in the last depth (120-100cm) for pedonD in the upper part of dam, the results of total lead concentration ranges between (24.2-11.35) mg.kg-1 and the higher value has been found in the first depth (0-20cm)cm for pedon A at the lower part of dam and the lower value has been found in the third depth (60-50cm) for pedonD in the upper part of dam , while the total concentration for iron (Fe) which ranges between (4595-2988) mg.kg-1 the higher value has been found in the second depth (20-50cm) for pedon A at the lower part of dam and the lower value has been found in the seventh depth (111-93cm) for the same pedon .As compared with critical limits , results show that total concentration of heavy metals for Cd, Pb, Zn and Ni in Sediments samples all has exceed the critical limits values except in some depths. The results for the available heavy metal concentrations show that the available nickel concentration ranges between(33.2-107.4)mg.kg-1 and the higher value has been found in the second depth (20-35)cm for pedon A at the lower part of dam and the lower value has been found in the second depth (30-50) for pedonD in the upper part of dam,while total cadmium concentration ranges between (0.21-0.48)mg.kg-1and the higher value has been found in the first depth (0-20)cm for pedon B at the lower part of dam and the lower value has been found in the sixth depth (73-93cm)for the pedon A at the lower part of dam , the values for the available Zinc concentration ranges between (56-111) mg.kg-1 and the higher value has been found in the tenth depth (191-231)cm for pedon A at the lower part of dam and the lower value has been found in the last depth (120-100cm) for pedonD in the upper part of dam, the results of available lead (pb) concentration ranges between (6.7-20.2) mg.kg-1 and the higher value has been found in the first depth (0-20cm)cm for pedon A at the lower part of dam and the lower value has been found in the third depth (60-50cm) for pedonD in the upper part of dam , while the available concentration for iron (Fe) which ranges between (39-74)mg.kg-1 the higher value has been found in the second depth (20-50cm) for pedon A at the lower part of dam and the lower value has been found in the eighth depth(111-126) for the same pedon,at the comparison of results for the available concentrations of the studied heavy metals it can be seenthat all values have exceeded the critical limits values according to Nunes etal 2014. in the other hand the results show that there is significant correlation between the total and available concentration for same heavy metalspairs of the correlation (r2) between the available and total concentration was 0.90 , 0.74 , 0.99, 0.99 and 0.58 for Ni , Cd , Zn , Pb and Fe respectively , in the other hand, the results show that the water concentration for heavy metals are 1.7 , 0.03 ,15 , 0.07 and 27 mg.l-1for Ni , Cd , Zn , Pb and Fe respectively , which indicate that all values have exceeded the critical limits according to Iraqi standards and FAW.

Dendrobium anosmum is one of natural orchids in Indonesia. Optimization of medium composition for orchid propagation through in vitro culture is necessary to enhance propagule multiplication capabilities and quality. This study was aimed to study the influence of concentration of coconut water in culture medium on in vitro growth and development of D. anosmum orchid species and to determine the optimal coconut water concentration in culture media. The experiment were arranged in a Completely Randomized Design with four treatments and eight replications. The treatments consisted of the addition of coconut water with concentrations: 0 ml•l -1 (control), 50 ml•l -1 , 100 ml•l -1 and 150 ml•l -1 . The results showed that addition of coconut water in culture medium gave different effect on shoot growth and multiplication of D. anosmum orchids. Coconut water concentration of 100 ml•l -1 was the best concentration for growth and multiplication of D. anosmum orchids, based on both shoots and roots growth, plantlet height and wet weight.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE The stratum corneum (SC) is the most important layer for the barrier function of skin, so investigation of the SC is very important in cosmetic and medical research. Here, we calculated the SC thickness using the depth profile of the skin's water concentration based on previously described methods, and then compared the results. METHODS Seven Korean women in their 30s participated in this study. Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the in vivo depth profile of skin water concentration. A total of 21 areas were measured at forearm. Microsoft Excel 2007 was used to calculate SC thickness based on the slope and intersection methods. RESULTS The slope method and the intersection method gave a forearm SC thickness calculated at 21.3 ± 2.6 μm and 17.6 ± 2.8 μm, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two calculation methods but the two methods showed strong correlation of SC thickness results (r = .899). CONCLUSION Although there was a difference in calculated SC thickness of about 20% between the two methods, these results reveal that the two SC thickness calculation methods using Raman spectroscopy were suitable for measuring SC thickness, a finding consistent with other published results.

This paper presents the material parameters of collagen gel and dermal equivalents with different fibroblast cell densities in a Terahertz (THz) band from 0.2 THz to 1.5 THz. It is shown that collagen gel without cells has much higher refractive index and absorption coefficient than dermal equivalents, while the parameters of dermal equivalents slightly decrease with cell density. It denotes that the material parameters at the THz band is not only dependent on the water concentration but also their intrinsic biological features. The obtained results help understand the interaction of the THz wave with biological tissues and the diversity of material parameters of real human skin.

Reactive species and water transport are crucial for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell operation and performance, and for this, effective flow field design can facilitate the desired transport characteristics of species. From this motivation, the conventional single serpentine flow field pattern is modified by convergent and divergent design concepts and the complex transport phenomena of the newly developed flow field designs are investigated by a numerical approach. For the numerical analyses, an experimentally validated mathematical model is developed to predict the current density, oxygen mass transport, water concentration and pressure distribution. The different configurations of modified convergent and divergent serpentine flow fields are then numerically solved and the results are compared with the conventional serpentine flow field pattern. The transport of reactive species and water concentration are analyzed from the different perspectives including cathode domains and surfaces with a quantitative formulation of the transport species. The numerical results reveals that the modified convergent serpentine flow fields yield to a uniform current density due to the lower mass fraction of water concentration over the reaction zone facilitating better oxygen mass transport and also higher channel pressure distribution along the flow field comparing the conventional and divergent type serpentine flow fields. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd, Firat University Scientific Research Projects Management Unit, This research supported by Nigde Omer Halisdemir University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit under a project number of FEB2016/31 -YULTEP is gratefully acknowledged.

The effects of water and catalyst (formic acid) concentrations and temperature on tetraethoxysilane hydrolysis, followed by gel formation, have been studied. The catalyst concentration is found to have a stronger effect on the variation rate of dynamic viscosity of the system compared to the effect of water concentration. The thermal behavior of the thus-prepared xerogels has been studied in an air flow; distinctions have been noticed for samples whose initial dispersion-bound systems were formed at room temperature.

Detection of low-content water in organic solvents is highly desirable for a number of chemical industries. However, most of luminescence water detectors reported so far easily generate liquid waste and the luminescence intensity of single emissive transition is susceptible by many factors. Herein a simple and green solid-state detecting way is proposed to achieve the ratiometric detection of low-level water in organic solvents based on Eu3+, Tb3+, and acac co-doped Laponite (abbreviated as Eu1Tb9(acac)n@Lap). Such a luminescence detector represents excellent fingerprint correlation between water content in solvents and emission intensity ratio (IEu/ITb), and the variable emissive light colors of Eu1Tb9(acac)n@Lap is observed as water concentration in common organic solvents (MeCN, EtOH, and THF) increases (0%–5% v/v) clearly and directly with the naked eye. The approach should be a very promising strategy to achieve the low-content water detecting in organic solvents.

It is important to monitor the water concentration in the insulation of aging power transformers, because over time the insulation becomes wet, due to water ingress from the atmosphere and water formed in chemical reactions involving oxygen. If the water concentration is sufficiently high, the insulation will age prematurely [1] and the transformer may fail if overloaded [2]. In a previous article [3] we reported on the measurement of water concentration in the insulation paper of a power transformer that had been in service for only seven years. The waterconcentration data obtained using on-line water-activity probes were compared with corresponding data obtained from dielectric response measurements. In that work cellulose adsorption isotherms were used to process the water-activity-probe data. However, according to [4] and [5], inaccuracies in the waterconcentration estimates may result from the use of adsorption isotherms. According to [6], these inaccuracies may exceed 200%. The probable main causes are the transformer insulation materials not reaching thermal equilibrium, the water concentration within the insulation not being uniform, and variability in the properties of the insulating materials.