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This paper deals with the effect of heat treatment on the selected physical properties of birch wood. Five stages of heat treatment were used, ranging from 160 °C to 200 °C, in 10 °C increments, having a peak treatment duration of 3 h for each level. Primarily, changes in thermal characteristics, namely conductivity, diffusivity, effusivity, volume heat capacity, changes in colour and gloss parameters, mass loss due to modification and different moisture content in wood under given equilibrium climatic conditions, were monitored. The ISOMET 2114 analyser was used to measure the thermal characteristics. The measurement principle of this analyser is based on the analysis of the thermal response of the analysed material to pulses of heat flow. Measurements of colour, gloss, density and moisture content were carried out according to harmonised EN standards. The aim was to experimentally verify the more or less generally known more positive perception of heat-treated wood, both by touch and sight, i.e., the warmer perception of darker brown shades of wood. In terms of thermal characteristics, the most interesting result is that they gradually decrease with increasing treatment temperature. For example, at the highest treatment temperature of 200 °C, there is a decrease in thermal conductivity by 20.2%, a decrease in volume heat capacity by 15.0%, and a decrease in effusivity by 17.7%. The decrease in thermal conductivity is nearly constant at all treatment levels, specifically at this treatment temperature, by 6.0%. The fact mentioned above is positive in terms of the tactile perception of such treated wood, which can have a positive effect, for example, in furniture with surface application of heat-treated veneers, which are perceived positively by the majority of the human population visually or as a cladding material in saunas. In this context, it has been found that the thermal modification at the above-mentioned treatment temperature of 200 °C results in a decrease in brightness by 44.0%, a decrease in total colour difference by 38.4%, and a decrease in gloss (at an angle of 60°) by 18.2%. The decrease in gloss is only one essential negative aspect that can be addressed by subsequent surface treatment. During the heat treatment, there is also a loss of mass in volume, e.g., at a treatment temperature of 200 °C and subsequent conditioning to an equilibrium moisture content in a conditioning chamber with an air temperature of 20 ± 2 °C and relative humidity of 65 % ± 5%, there was a decrease by 7.9%. In conclusion, the experiments clearly confirmed the hypothesis of a positive perception of heat-treated wood in terms of haptics and aesthetics.

Climate changes and increasing cost of non-renewable resources cause the growing interest in technical materials prepared from natural resources. To meet this interest, prototype paints from rosin and bio-diols derivatives, and also halloysite, were formulated to check their thermal, mechanical, visual and functional properties, as protective coatings of steel. Prepared materials contained ca. 75 wt.% of natural resources and exhibited considerably better corrosion protection, thermal stability, and also higher glass transition temperatures and hardness, than a commercial petroleum-based reference sample. The other parameters: cross-linking behavior, color, gloss, cupping resistance, adhesion and chemical resistance were within the range that is acceptable for potential users.

This commentary evaluates the problem in assessing the role of a causal connection between damage and the use of a defective medical product, specifically a vaccine. The judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the Sanofi Pasteur Case, which allowed the possibility of recognizing damage claims, even in cases where the prevailing scientific theory claims that there is no scientific evidence of a causal link between a vaccination and the disease, became a base for consideration. Consequently, procedural solutions (such as the standard of proof required, the admissibility of prima facie evidence reasoning and other solutions in cases of an uncertain causation) remain to be decided by national law. The authors assessed two legal systems: the French and Polish legal systems in the context of how to resolve these dilemmas and to describe the impact of the above-mentioned judgment on the case-law of French and Polish courts as regards the application of Directive 85/374/EEC. As a result, they concluded that the most important interpretative motive has become the individual interest of the vaccination’s victim as a consumer of medical services. It seems to be in accordance with Directive 85/374/EEC, which is motivated by the necessity of approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the liability of the producer for damage caused by the defectiveness of his products. However, since the existing divergences may distort competition and affect the movement of goods within the common market and entail a differing degree of protection of the consumer against damage caused by a defective product to his health or property, in countries belonging to the European Union, the authors wonder how the commented judgment will affect the further development of consumers protection against defective vaccines.

Injection research using aluminum flakes has been conducted to realize metallic textures on the surface of plastic products. Several studies have focused on the effect of the orientation and quality of the flakes when using conventional injection molding methods, however, limited studies have focused on the foam injection molding method. In this study, we examined the orientation of aluminum flakes through foam injection with an inert gas and observed the changes in texture using a spectrophotometer and a gloss meter. The mechanical properties were also studied because the rigidity of the product, which is affected by the weight reduction that occurs during foaming, is an important factor. The results demonstrate that under foam injection molding, reflectance and gloss increased by 6% and 7 GU, respectively, compared to those obtained using conventional injection molding, furthermore, impact strength and flexural modulus increased by 62% and 15%, respectively. The results of this research can be applied to incorporate esthetic improvements to products and to develop functional parts.

Renovation coatings of car bodies undergo destruction under the influence of operational factors. Like ultraviolet radiation, erosion, and aggressive media (among others, battery acid). This article concerns the evaluation of the influence of battery acid on the destruction of acrylic coatings previously non-aged, as well as aged climatically for 2 years. Ageing of the coatings with battery acid contributed to a degradation increase of their chemical structure. It was supported by a considerable increase in the polar component of surface free energy (SFE) of the coatings. In the case of prior climate ageing, the increase in the polar component was even higher. Moreover, the coating’s ability to absorb battery acid increased, which induced blistering. The DSC method revealed that the action of battery acid caused more intense oxidation of coating material, and as a result, the brittleness increased, leading to chipping of the coating surface layers. This led to the increase in surface roughness, measured using an interferometric method. The coatings previously climatically aged for 2 years presented higher values of surface roughness parameters than the non-aged ones. The increase in the surface roughness contributed to a substantial decrease in the gloss of coatings. A sharp difference in colour escalating with the lengthening of the ageing period was also observed using the spectrophotometric method.

In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to predict the gloss of thermally densified wood veneers. A custom application created with MATLAB codes was employed for the development of the multilayer feed-forward ANN model. The wood species, temperature, pressure, measurement direction, and angle of incidence were considered as the model inputs, while the gloss was the output of the ANN model. Model performance was evaluated by using the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), the root mean square error (RMSE), and the coefficient of determination (R²). It was observed that the ANN model yielded very satisfactory results with acceptable deviations. The MAPE, RMSE, and R2 values of the testing period of the ANN model were found as 8.556%, 1.245, and 0.9814, respectively. Consequently, this study could be useful for the wood industry to predict the gloss with less number of tiring experimental activities.

The glossiness of porcelain tiles is a highly appreciated feature by its consumers and so it became a crucial aspect on the quality control of this product. The polishing process, which enhance the porcelain tile with the glossiness effect, is a complex process regarding the individual gloss values of each region of the tile and the glossiness final pattern. Due to this complexity, the use of artificial neural networks is a promising tool to build a regression model of glossiness prediction. This paper presents the performance of eight neural networks designed to predict glossiness in a specific point of the tile’s surface. Each model has different inputs and so the aim of this work is to quantify the influence of the inputs on the performance metric of the neural network. The identified input parameters which had the highest influence on the gloss value were the number of abrasive contacts, average scratching speed and standard deviation of scratching direction. This study also intends to provide scientific basis to future works on employing neural networks to predict glossiness of porcelain tile after the polishing process.

[EN] Klebsiella aerogenes ATCC 13048 and Comamonas sp. ATCC 700440 (here identified as Comamonas testosteroni) have previously been shown to be good candidates for graffiti bioremoval, demonstrating in both immersion and subaerial strategies high levels of tolerance to the presence of the graffiti paint and some ability to degrade the graffiti material. To explore further the graffiti bioremoval capacity by these two newly found suitable bacteria, an experiment was carried out encompassing an improved assay protocol (protocol time was reduced from 20 to 14 days). The formation of pinholes - noticeably higher on concrete than on granite - was already observable by naked eye and further proved by digital image analysis, novel to this experiment, which showed holes greater in number due to K. aerogenes and greater in size due to C. testosteroni. Complementarily, surface microtopography also novel for bioremoval studies with bacteria - offered detailed information on surface irregularities that allows better understanding of the performance of the bacteria. In contrast, non-mapping techniques, such as wetting by droplet, specular gloss and roughness measured in line transects provided less information for the study. Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and colour change assessment - mainly in the achromatic parameter L* - showed more intense changes by Comamonas testosteroni., The authors are grateful to the Barrie Foundation for their economic support in the purchase of the strains of bacteria used in the study. The strains were purchased during the period of a scholarship for postgraduate studies abroad (2012 Call) granted to P. Sanmartin. She also thanks the financial support of Xunta de Galicia grant ED431C 2018/32. R. Fort thanks the financial support of the Top Heritage (P2018/NMT4372) programme from the Regional Government of Madrid (Spain). The authors thank Vitruvian Technologies S.L. (Valencia) for their interest in the project, collaboration, and access to their laboratory where a part of the work was conducted, Breixo S.L. Obras e Servicios (Santiago de Compostela, Spain) for kindly providing the blocks of concrete used in the study. They also thank Prof. Carmen ' Alvarez-Lorenzo (Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain) for assistance with contact angle measurements and Rafael Carballeira (Universidade da Coruña, Spain) for his help on the submission process for the sequences in the NCBI database.

Background The ITA° is the gold standard for skin tone classification. Different skin tones are often associated with different skin characteristics and issues. Different skin types are often associated with different skin characteristics and issues in China. Aims To study the population's skin color distribution and accompanying skin problems according to the ITA° classification standard. Methods A total of 1092 women aged 22-42 years were recruited in 7 cities in China. All biophysical parameter measurements (SM, CM, TWEL, pH, R2, GLOSS_DSCT, MEXA, ERYTH, ITA°; 9 indexes total) were quantified with noninvasive instruments. All volunteers provided consent before enrollment. Result The main skin color categories were light (II), very light (I), intermediate (III), and tan (IV). The results demonstrated that the characteristics of the facial skin based on the ITA° were significantly different among cities and age groups and were associated with different skin issues. Conclusions Lighter skin was associated with worse skin elasticity; intermediate skin was associated with worse skin hydration content and was most prone to being oily; and darker skin was associated with poor barrier function. Established principal component regression (PCR) indicated that pH, gloss GLOSS_DSC, MEXA, ERYTH, TEWL, and SM had significant effects on the ITA°.

Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the InnoRenew project (Grant Agreement #739574 under the Horizon 2020 Widespread-2-Teaming program), the Republic of Slovenia (investment funding from the Republic of Slovenia and the European Regional Development Fund) and infrastructural ARRS program IO-0035. Part of this work was conducted during project BIO4ever (RBSI14Y7Y4), funded within call SIR by MIUR-Italy; the project Multi-spec (BI-IT/18-20-007), funded by ARRS-Slovenia; Archi-BIO (BI/US-20-054) funded by ARRS-Slovenia, J7-9404 (C) funded by ARRS-Slovenia, and CLICK DESIGN, ?Delivering fingertip knowledge to enable service life performance specification of wood?, (No. 773324) supported under the umbrella of ERA-NET Cofund ForestValue by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia. ForestValue has received funding from the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Funding Information: Funding: The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the InnoRenew project (Grant Agreement #739574 under the Horizon2020 Widespread-2-Teaming program), the Republic of Slovenia (investment funding from the Republic of Slovenia and the European Regional Development Fund) and infrastructural ARRS program IO-0035. Part of this work was conducted during project BIO4ever (RBSI14Y7Y4), funded within call SIR by MIUR-Italy; the project Multi-spec (BI-IT/18-20-007), funded by ARRS-Slovenia; Archi-BIO (BI/US-20-054) funded by ARRS-Slovenia, J7-9404 (C) funded by ARRS-Slovenia, and CLICK DESIGN, “Delivering fingertip knowledge to enable service life performance specification of wood”, (No. 773324) supported under the umbrella of ERA-NET Cofund ForestValue by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia. ForestValue has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The service life performance of timber products exposed to natural weathering is a critical factor limiting the broad use of wood as an external building element. The goal of this study was to investigate the in-service characterization of an innovative biofinish coating system. It is a novel surface finishing solution based on the bioinspired concept of living fungal cells designed for effective wood protection. The performance of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood coated with biofinish was compared with uncoated references. Samples were exposed to natural weathering for 12 months under the climatic conditions of northern Italy. The visual appearance, colour, gloss, wettability, and 3D surface topography of the wood surface were examined. Results revealed that the total colour changes (∆E) of biofinish-coated wood were negligible. Untreated Scots pine wood revealed the changes in colour after just three months of exposure. The gloss changes of both surface types were small. The contact angle measured on biofinish-coated wood was higher compared to that of uncoated Scots pine. Surface roughness increased in uncoated wood due to the erosion effect caused by the weathering progress. Conversely, the surface roughness of biofinish-coated samples decreased along the exposure time. This phenomenon was explained by two self-healing mechanisms: migration of non-polymerized oil to the cracked surface, where it polymerizes and creates a closed layer, and local regrowth to cover damaged spots by living fungal cells present in the coating. The obtained results revealed the superior aesthetic performance of the biofinish surface treatment against natural weathering. By considering the fully bio-based nature of the investigated coating, it was concluded that this solution can be an attractive alternative for state-of-the-art wood protection technologies.

This gloss discusses the position of the Court of Justice of the European Union taken in the judgment passed on 20 March 2018 in the case of Luca Menci (C-524/15) in reference to the restrictions of ne bis in idem principle. The main thesis of the Court concerned the admissibility of restrictions of ne bis in idem based on the principle of proportionality as a limitation clause and its accordance with the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The analysis of the right not to be tried or punished twice in Article 4 Protocol 7 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms allows us to formulate opposite conclusions. The application of the balancing test as a limitation clause for ne bis in idem, finds no support in the case-law of the ECtHR too. According to the Author, the position taken in Menci infringes Article 52(3) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, according to which the meaning and scope of the rights which correspond to rights guaranteed by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms shall be at least be the same.

The effect of the presence of water-soluble low-molecular oligomers in paint on the possibility of single high-temperature firing and on the decorative properties of coatings taking into account the type of ceramic surface (porcelain or faience), pigment makeup, and corresponding mineral fillers was studied. Differences in the color and tone of the coatings and gloss of the glaze were found for surfaces with different aluminum-silicate modulus and temperature regimes.

The European Solutrean has yielded one of the oldest chert assemblages documenting intentional heat treatment. Many questions about social and economic factors arise in this context. For example, did Solutrean knappers heat-treat only specific types of chert? Were specific heating techniques adapted to specific types of chert? We investigate these questions by analyzing 43 chert artifacts from Laugerie-Haute. We use near-infrared spectroscopy to identify heat-treated artifacts made from four different types of chart, and to estimate their heating temperatures. We identify 13/37 test pieces as heat-treated. Only 5 of these 13 pieces (38%) would have been identified as such macroscopically (based on gloss contrast). The overall magnitude of gloss, cannot be used to identify heat-treated chert artifacts. These findings have implications for future studies of the prevalence of heat-treated artifacts in Solutrean assemblages. Visual identification based on surface gloss is likely to only recognize the smaller part of heat-treated artifacts.

A series of N-alkylated aminosulfonic acids (NASAs) were synthesized with 1,4-butane sultone and primary amines and then reacted with hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer to obtain water-dispersible polyisocyanates (WDPs). Two-component waterborne polyurethane (2K-WPU) coatings were finally prepared by the reaction of WDPs and aqueous hydroxyl resins. The structures and properties of WDPs and 2K-WPU coatings were characterized. The effects of the categories and amounts of NASAs on the properties of WDPs and 2K-WPU coatings, including viscosities, water resistance and transparency, were investigated. The results showed that the average molecular weights and viscosities of the WDPs increased with the increase in the amounts and molecular weights of NASAs. 3-(Cyclohexylamino)-1-propanesulfonic acid possesses a high molecular weight, resulting in low-concentration –SO3 per mass, so a high concentration up to 3.5 wt% was needed to meet water-dispersible requirements. On the other hand, 3-isobutylamino-1-propanesulfonic acid (IBAPS) has high-concentration –SO3 per mass and only a low concentration (2.5 wt%) was required to offer satisfactory water dispersibility. 2K-WPU film cured by IBAPS-WDP displayed high gloss, good transparency and excellent water resistance owing to suitable steric hindrance and high content of –SO3H per mass.

The nanostructure greatly contributes to eggshell formation, the mechanical properties of eggshells, and mineral dissolution during incubation. In this study, to investigate the effect of the nanostructure on the gloss of eggs, the gloss and eggshell quality (cuticle coverage, color, and thickness) of 105 eggs were measured. According to the order of the gloss, the surface roughness of 30 high-gloss and 30 low-gloss eggs was compared. The gloss had no significant correlation with the eggshell color and thickness (P > 0.05) and a significant relationship with the cuticle coverage (r = 0.19, P < 0.01). The surface roughness significantly differed between the high- and low-gloss eggs (P < 0.001), and the gloss was negatively correlated with the surface roughness (r(high-group) = -0.61, r(low-group) = -0.56, P < 0.01). The shell gloss of 30 oiled eggs with mineral oil and 30 normal eggs from commercial brown-egg layers was also compared. The oil coating increased the eggshell gloss, but the roughness was unchanged. This is the first report to establish the contribution of nanostructure for the gloss of chicken eggshell. The surface roughness can be used as an indicator of the gloss, which could be helpful for selective breeding to improve the eggshell brightness. Our research also provides the foundation for further investigation of the effect of non-pigmentary contributors on the chicken eggshell appearance.

Melting behaviour of raw and inhomogeneous glazes influences the appearance and the properties of the final glaze surface. The melting behaviour was estimated from the sintering curves and characteristic samples measured with hot-stage microscopy. The glaze compositions were statistically chosen to cover the glaze-forming systems used in traditional ceramic industries. Altogether seventy-five compositions were mixed and ball-milled from seven different raw materials. The temperatures describing the sintering and melting of the glazes were mathematically modelled as functions of the raw material compositions. All the compositions were then also applied on raw floor tiles and fired in an industrial kiln for fast-firing (50 min) of dense floor tiles. The gloss of the fired glazes was mathematically modelled as a function of both the raw material and the oxide compositions. The resistance to abrasion and the crystalline phases of the fired surfaces were also determined.

PURPOSE To assess surface characteristics and implant stability after implantoplasty performed by two different instrument sequences regarding material loss, surface roughness, and fracture load resistance. Additionally, operators' subjective experience during instrumentation and the damage to neighboring teeth were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Titanium implants were placed in the position of both first maxillary molars in models exposing 6 mm of their surface. Implantoplasty was performed in phantom heads: Exposed surfaces were instrumented with diamonds and Arkansas stones or abrasive stones and silicone polishers. Operators reported on abrasion, gloss, effectiveness, and tactility using a visual analog scale (VAS). Residual wall thickness of implants was measured on radiographs, material abrasion using three-dimensional (3D) scans, and surface roughness by contact profilometry. Maximum bending moments were measured. RESULTS Residual thickness and weight loss were comparable after both treatments (0.3 ± 0.1 and 0.25 ± 0.07 mm and 0.22 ± 0.01 g, and 0.03 ± 0.01 mm and 0.02 ± 0.01 g, respectively, P > .05). Mean surface roughness was lower (P = .0001) for the group with the silicone polishers (0.4 ± 0.2 μm) compared with the group employing diamonds (0.8 ± 0.1 μm). Maximum bending moments showed neither intergroup differences nor stability loss compared with untreated implants. The stone-and-silicone polisher group showed less abrasion (4.6 ± 2.2) and higher gloss values (8.1 ± 1.4) than the diamond-and-Arkansas group (3.1 ± 1.3 and 4.1 ± 2.1, respectively). Superficial tooth injuries at proximal neighbor teeth were common (73% and 80%). CONCLUSION Implantoplasty did not weaken implant stability. The use of silicone polishers revealed lower surface roughness. Regarding surface smoothness, the instrumentation sequence employing silicon carbide and Arkansas stones followed by silicone polishers seems to be superior to the combination of diamond and Arkansas stones.

SUMMARY Objectives: This study evaluated the effect of toothbrushing with a dentifrice on gloss, roughness profile, surface roughness, and wear of conventional and bulk-fill resin-based composites. Methods and Materials: Gloss and surface roughness of resin-based composites (RBCs; Admira Fusion X-tra, Aura Bulk Fill, Filtek Bulk Fill Flowable, Filtek Bulk Fill Posterior Restorative, Filtek Supreme Ultra, Herculite Ultra, Mosaic Enamel, SDR flow+, Sonic Fill 2, Tetric EvoFlow Bulk Fill and Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill) were analyzed before and after brushing; the roughness profile and wear were also determined after toothbrushing. Representative three-dimensional images of the surface loss and images comparing the unbrushed and brushed surfaces were also compared. Analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests were applied (α=0.05) to the gloss, surface roughness, roughness profile, and surface loss data. Pearson's correlation test was used to determine the correlation between gloss and surface roughness, surface loss and percentage of gloss decrease after brushing, and surface loss and surface roughness after brushing. Results: For all RBCs tested after 20,000 brushing cycles, the gloss was reduced and the surface roughness increased (p Conclusions: Toothbrushing with a dentifrice reduced the gloss, increased the surface roughness, and caused loss at the surface of all the RBCs tested. Considering all the properties tested, Mosaic Enamel exhibited excellent gloss retention and a low roughness profile and wear, while Admira Fusion X-tra exhibited the greatest decrease in gloss, the highest roughness profile, and the most wear.

The paper describes a technology of recording surface wave signals and sea level fluctuations in coastal areas of the World Ocean based on real-time analysis of live video from surveillance cameras presented on the Internet. A wave signal obtained with described method in the port of Crotone (Italy) is compared with data from nearby station of the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS). The example demonstrates the high recording quality of the seiche oscillation system of the port with periods from 40 to 2 minutes, which is comparable to GLOSS. At the same time, unlike the GLOSS stations, signals obtained through video contain responses of even shorter-period (up to tens of seconds) seiches, swell waves, wind and ship waves.

The gloss discusses the considerations of the proposition formulated in the justification for the judgement of the Court of Appeal, in which it was assumed that the difference between a settlement agreement concluded before the court and an agreement concluded before a mediator and approved by the court is that only the agreement concluded before the court has the legal force equal to that of a notarial deed. The presented doubts relate to the part of the reasoning concerning a settlement reached before a mediator and which has been “approved by the court.”

The gloss addresses the decision of 16 October 2014, III CSK 301/13, in which the Supreme Court adopted the position that a member of the governing body of a legal entity may, in principle, be a witness to making a testament in which a benefit is provided for that legal person. Similarly, in the Supreme Court’s opinion, a witness to the making of a will may, in principle, be a member of a corporate legal person for which a benefit is provided in that will. The author offers a critical assessment of that position. He considers as appropriate the view according to which a last will in which a benefit is envisaged for a legal person cannot, in principle, be witnessed by either an officer of such a legal entity, or by any member (shareholder) of a corporate legal person.

In this gloss, the author offers a mostly favourable commentary on the content of the judgement of the Supreme Court of 22 June 2017, file ref. no. IV KK 189/17, which provides a backdrop for a discussion of the recent legislative changes made to Article 76 of the Criminal Code that formed the basis for the said judicial decision. The relationship between this provision and Article 108 of the Code is discussed in the context of the amendments, the doctrine and case law. The article also addresses the possibility of including a conditionally suspended custodial sentence in a concurrent sentence after the probation period is over and the expiry of the period referred to in Article 75 § 4 of the Criminal Code.

Composite materials based on an ethylene-acrylic acid (EAA) copolymer and 20 wt% cellulose fibers were compounded by two runs in a twin-screw extruder. The composite material with cellulose fibers (CF) and a reference of unfilled EAA were injection molded into plaques using three different temperature profiles with end zone temperatures of 170°C, 200°C, and 230°C. The injection molded samples were then characterized in terms of their mechanical properties, thermal properties, appearance (color and gloss), and surface topography. The higher processing temperatures resulted in a clear discoloration of the composites, but there was no deterioration in the mechanical performance. The addition of cellulose typically gave a tensile modulus three times higher than that of the unfilled EAA, but the strength and strain at rupture were reduced when fibers were added. The processing temperature had no significant influence on the mechanical properties of the composites. Gloss measurements revealed negligible differences between the samples molded at the different melt temperatures but the surface smoothness was somewhat higher when the melt temperature was increased. In general, addition of the cellulose to the EAA reduced the gloss level and the surface smoothness. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers.

Aluminium roofing is used for low weight, good strength and weather resistance, easy handling and assembly, for various roofs of industrial and agricultural buildings, residential and family houses, holiday homes, garages and various shelters. Important is very long life, relatively low price and the possibility to choose the colour design according to your taste. The basic form is a natural unpainted finish, which can be used because the aluminium roofing material is not subject to corrosion and is chemically stable. The aim of this research is to verify a suitable method of measuring the colour of aluminium roofing and to determine the basic characteristic values of the most common colours of aluminium roofing sheets. The identification by the CIELAB system makes it possible to characterize the suitability of roofing sheets in terms of reducing the heat gains of the roof structure, thus complementing this very practical information to the RAL colour marking system. This leads to a reduction of the cooling demand of air of the building in the summer. In terms of colour measurement and evaluation, the classical method according to the CIELAB system is where the colour attributes lightness (L-value), redness (a-value) and yellowness (b-value). These values may include the effect of surface gloss (SCI values) or exclusion (SCE values).

Pure egg albumen fiber has potential applications in the food industry, biomedicine, drug-controlled release systems, and as a tissue engineering scaffold. However, this type of fiber has not been successfully prepared so far. In this study, pure egg albumen fiber was successfully prepared using the simple method of coaxial wet-spinning with a polysulfone (PSU) hollow fiber as a template. PSU solution and egg albumen solution were extruded into a coagulation bath of distilled water to fabricate egg albumen/PSU fiber, in which the egg albumen solution was wrapped up by the outside PSU layer. Continuous pure egg albumen fiber was obtained after heat treatment in hot water and removal of the PSU layer by dissolution in N, N -dimethylformamide. The prepared continuous egg albumen fiber with good gloss could be lifted along the axial direction. Scanning electron micrographs revealed a dense structure. This successful preparation of pure egg albumen fiber will enable the manufacture of egg albumen fiber composites with excellent application potential for tissue engineering scaffolds.

Silica that originated from the calcination of rice husks, which is a source of biomass silicon, was added as a reinforcing agent to waterborne polyacrylate wood coatings to improve their coating performance, and especially their mechanical properties. The morphology of the rice-husk ash, aggregation and dispersion of modified silica in the polyacrylate emulsion and the surface roughness of the coating on wood were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The film mechanical properties and performance were investigated. The rice-husk ash calcined at 650 °C exhibited a particle size of 5–20 μm. Silica modified by silane coupling agent KH-570 was dispersed in waterborne acrylate coatings with a submicron scale. For a 2 wt% modified silica loading, the surface roughness of the coating on wood was influenced slightly and the elongation at break, the tensile strength, the elastic modulus, and the pencil hardness of the polyacrylate film were 303.06%, 48.673 MPa, 6.672 MPa and 2H level, respectively. The adhesion strength was enhanced significantly to level 0 with an increase in modified silica loading. The changes of film abrasion loss and gloss for the five groups are not obvious. The silica-modified coating exhibited slightly hydrophobic properties and a better lipophilicity. This paper provides a feasible route for the value-added utilization of rice husk.

This paper describes the technology for recording surface wave signals and sea level fluctuations in the coastal areas of the World Ocean based on real-time analysis of the surveillance camera “live video” presented on the Internet. A wave signal obtained by the method described in Crotone Port (Italy) is compared with the data from a nearby station of the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS). This example demonstrates the high recording quality of the seiche oscillation system in the port with periods from 40 to 2 min, which is comparable to GLOSS. In addition, in contrast to the GLOSS stations, signals obtained through video contain responses of even shorter period (up to tens of seconds) seiches, swell waves, wind, and ship waves.

In the judgment with commentaries, the Provincial Administrative Court in Opole made a statement concerning the penalty of expulsion from a higher education institution as a disciplinary penalty declared only by disciplinary committees. From the point of view of the judgment with commentaries, it is of importance to specify that this penalty is not of “life-long” nature, nor dśs it result in deprivation of the right to study in other institutions. The author approves of the position held by the judgment with commentaries and claims it to be an accurate and significant voice of the judiciary, which may prove substantial in eliminating legal ambiguities (and absurdities) arising as a result of applying the provisions of law in regard to responsibilities of higher education students, drawing attention to the incomplete and insufficient form of the provision of the relevant legal regulation.

Postanowienie NSA z 2 sierpnia 2019 r., mimo że de facto dotyczy kwestii dopuszczalności skargi na bezczynność organu na etapie czynności sprawdzających, to w rzeczywistości stanowi ważny i pierwszy w dotychczasowym dorobku orzeczniczym Nsa głos w dyskusji na temat charakteru prawnego czynności sprawdzających podejmowanych i prowadzonych przez komisję na podstawie art. 15 ustawy o komisji. pośrednio dotyczy zatem ważnej z punktu widzenia interesów właścicieli i ewentualnych osób trzecich kwestii związanych z obrotem cywilnoprawnym, zwłaszcza w kontekście skutków wpisu ostrzeżenia o czynnościach sprawdzających. przyjmując trafność stanowiska Nsa w zakresie braku podmiotów, których interesu prawnego mogą dotyczyć czynności sprawdzające, należy w konkluzji stwierdzić, że dokonane zabezpieczenie w żaden sposób nie wpływa na ograniczenie prawa własności, zgodnie z art. 24a ust. 3 ustawy o komisji nie wyłącza bowiem rękojmi wiary publicznej ksiąg wieczystych.

In this study, fluoro-functionalized hydrophobic/oleophobic hybrid nanocomposite coatings, which are highly resistant and transparent, long-lasting and mechanically stable, have been deposited on metal substrate surfaces by the sol–gel method. Organic–inorganic hybrid matrix was prepared using tetraethoxysilane and organically modified silicon alkoxide, namely 3-(glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane. Additionally, to increase hydrophobic behavior, a fluorinated silica-alkoxide precursor and AlO(OH) NPs were added to the hybrid matrix. Water and n-hexadecane contact angle, surface morphologies, thicknesses and surface roughness of the films were determined. Additionally, optical characterizations and mechanical properties of the films such as light transmittance, haze, clarity, gloss were investigated. A salt spray corrosion test and electrochemical corrosion measurements were also performed. Optimum properties were acquired in the hydrophobic hybrid nanocomposite coating containing 15 wt% of 3 nm AlO(OH) NPs.

The aim of this work is to better understand the effect that different functional monomers and amounts have on the dispersion of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) fillers in waterborne acrylic coatings. This will allow to improve the final performance of coatings at a certain pigment volume concentration (PVC) or to increase the PVC without significant losses in the properties. In this paper we report the preparation of CaCO3/poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate) P(MMA/BA) latex blends without the use of any additive and with applicable rheology. This has been possible thanks to the direct addition of CaCO3 powder to diluted latex. Paint-like blends have been prepared with latexes synthesized with acrylic acid (AA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) functional monomers at 1, 3, and 5 wt based on monomer percent (wbm%) and with itaconic acid (IA) at 1 wbm%, at different PVC values of 30, 40 and 50. Moreover, the effect of water soluble species on the final paint properties has been checked by dialyzing latexes synthesized with the minimum and the maximum amount of MAA, before the blending with CaCO3. The effect of all these variables has been investigated by analysing the final paint-like film properties (rheology, gloss, mechanical properties and scrub resistance). The interaction between the different latexes and CaCO3 filler was also studied by investigating the adsorption capacity of polymer particles on the surface of CaCO3 particles with NMR measurements. Higher gloss value, more elastic mechanical properties and higher scrub resistance have been observed for films prepared with the latex containing 1 wbm% of MAA functional monomer.

Surface topography (as Roughness) and gloss of the thermoplastic are affected by varying in painting parameters greatly. Gloss of thermoplastic reflects light through the surface in a specular direction, it is a quality factor in the visual test of final products. Surface roughness of a thermoplastic had a role in determination of optical behaviour and aesthetic appearance. The experiments presented in this paper shows the effect of painting parameters changing on gloss and surface topography of thermoplastic parts. Eight painting parameters were chosen to study their effect. Gloss and roughness measured for the molded samples which molded in a mold-cavity with a rectangular impression in Arburg all-rounder 320C- 600250/molding machine (figure 1) that mounted at conveyor of an automated spray-painting machine. And then the parameters of painting (material pressure, gun height, oven drying temperature time, and gun angle) were changed each trial to see its effect

Background Transparent-looking skin is an objective of facial makeup products. However, this effect of makeup products has not been investigated to Korean women's faces. Materials and methods We investigated the perception of blue light on women's faces using the blue pearl pigment. We compared colors and/or spectra of naked skin, standard makeup powder foundation (standard foundation), and test makeup powder foundations containing the blue pearl pigment 10% (w/w) (pearl foundation) or (ultramarine blue) blue pigment 0.2% (w/w) (pigment foundation) on real women's faces (n = 6) using spectrophotometry and facial image analysis. A self-administered questionnaire showed facial images (n = 3) with applied makeup powder foundations on computer monitor (n = 35); evaluated items were blooming, transparency, smoothness, gloss, and vitality. Results In vivo, the pearl foundation showed significantly lower b* values (degree of yellowness) than did naked skin, and pigment foundation and the samples also showed significantly higher reflection of blue light (410-490 nm) than did naked skin, standard foundation, or pigment foundation. In image analysis, the image with the pearl foundation showed significantly lower quasi-b* value. On the self-administered questionnaire, the results showed that the pearl foundation had a significantly higher grade than did naked skin, standard foundation, or pigment foundation at all evaluation items: blooming, transparency, smoothness, gloss, and vitality. Conclusion Blue pearl pigment creates the perception of blue light effect, including transparency and gloss in Korean women.

A well-known exception to Grimm’s Law, /kʷ/ > /f/ instead of /kʷ/ > /hʷ/, is taken as a starting point and its reflexes in Middle Dutch and Sal-Frankic are discussed. As to the PIE root *leikʷ-, MD and MLG līf- in the compounds līfeigen ‘owned by the fief’, līftuht ‘feudal law’, and līfcōp ‘feudal transaction fee’ is identified as derived from this root under a regular sound change, which is coined Uhlenbeck’s Law. Uhlenbeck’s Law acts as a resolution of a pansyllabic constraint, not a constraint on roots. As to Sal-Frankic, the new etymology of SF leo- ‘related to the tenements’’, and by extention ‘agricultural’, sheds new light on the structure of the Lex Salica. It is argued that the tripartite manorial system of land tenure has reflexes in juridical terminology of this archaic legal document.

This study explores the role of glosses and working memory capacity (WM) in second language (L2) learners’ recall and comprehension in electronic reading. Glosses were investigated in terms...

Hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) was used to modify the raw Chinese lacquer and the film was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the property of the Chinese lacquer film was improved due to the presence of HMTA. HMTA was decomposed at the high temperature, thus amine and formaldehyde were released. Formaldehyde and urushiol was then condensed and result in the improvement on the properties of Chinese lacquer film. Compare to the unmodified lacquer film, the touch-free drying time was reduced from 130 min to 60 min, the gloss was increased, the alkali resistance was improved. Acid resistance, hardness and distinctness of image (DOI) was almost unchanged.

Esthetic restorations using highly translucent ceramics powered by chairside digital dentistry are becoming popular. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the impact of ultrasonic scaling on the optical and surface properties of highly translucent ceramic materials for digital dentistry. A resin nanoceramic (Lava Ultimate; LU), dual-network ceramic (Vita Enamic; VE), feldspathic ceramic (Vitablocs Mark II; VM), lithium disilicate ceramic (IPS e.max CAD; EX), and high-translucency monolithic zirconia (Rainbow Shine-T; MZ) were evaluated. All specimens were subjected to ultrasonic scaling, and the following data were obtained before and after scaling: color change (Δ E 00 ), translucency parameter, surface gloss, surface roughness, and superficial topography. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), repeated-measures ANOVA, and two-way ANOVA were used for intergroup comparisons (all α = 0.05). The mean Δ E 00 values were 0.243, 0.48, 1.591, 0.143, and 4.466 for LU, VE, VM, EX, and MZ, respectively, with statistically significant differences among the materials. With regard to Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) L* , a* , and b* values, VE, VM, and MZ showed significantly decreased L* values relative to the baseline values. Moreover, MZ showed a significantly increased a* value and a significantly decreased b* value after scaling. Ultrasonic scaling also resulted in significant changes in the surface gloss of the LU, VE, VM, and MZ specimens. Micrographs showed scrapes and surface deterioration after scaling. For all materials, the translucency parameter and the surface roughness showed no significant differences between specimens that were subjected to scaling and those that were not. These findings suggest that ultrasonic scaling MARKEDLY affects the optical properties and surface characteristics of highly translucent computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) ceramics. The findings can aid restorative dentists in the selection of appropriate materials and motivate periodontists for performing scaling procedures with due consideration of restorations in esthetically demanding areas.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the alteration of the optical properties of bulk Fill resin-based composites after 2 years of simulated toothbrushing. Three high-viscosity bulk fill resin composites and one conventional sculptable resin composite (control) were analyzed. Five specimens of each resin composite were prepared, and roughness, color, translucency and gloss were evaluated initially and after one and two years of simulated toothbrushing. The specimens were submitted to electric simulated toothbrushing (14600 strokes/100g) using a commercially available toothbrush with soft fibers and toothpaste slurry in a proportion of 1:2 by weight. The brushing scheme was of 40 cycles per day (2 cycles per second / 280 cycles in a week). The optical properties and the roughness data were analyzed by a multifactor analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a Tukey post hoc test. The baseline and final values of Ra and Sa were submitted to linear regression analyses, all of which were performed at a significance level of p=0.05. Gloss and roughness presented statistical differences between the resin-time interactions in all composite resins. The gloss (72.5%) and roughness (89.4%) worsened significantly after brushing, but the authors didn’t find statistically significant differences when evaluating translucency and color. Based in the results, it could be concluded that the simulated brushing degraded the brightness and roughness of the used high-viscosity bulk fill composites.

The Shabolatsk liman is situated in the Southern-Western Black Sea side and relates to the type of semi-open, saline-water liman-lagoons. Since the middle ХХ century essential changes have occurred in the liman hydroecosystem that resulted in the essential transformation of the basin biota. The aim of the study was in revealing changes in the spatial distribution, dimensional-mass and age structure of the population of dab gloss Platichthys luscus in the Shabolatsk liman. The composition and population structure of ichthyocenosis of Shabolatsk liman, bio-ecological characteristics of most mass types of fish on the example of dab gloss were studied. The studies of the spatial distribution of the population of dab gloss Platichthys luscus in the Shabolatsk liman demonstrated that gloss fattens along the whole liman water area, but in the autumn-winter period concentrates in the deep-water saline Southern-Western part of the liman. The conducted studies of the dimensional-mass and age structure of the Platichthys luscus population in the Shabolatsk liman allowed to establish that the population was presented by five age groups like in the previous period, but the share of fishes of the older age decreased. Dimensional-mass indices and fatness of dab decreased. It has been established, that the loss of the essential share of the spawning herd in 1992, desalination and worsening of the fodder base resulted in the stable depression of the dab population in liman in the following years. Taking into account food inclinations of Platichthys luscus (the base of gloss nutrition is mollusks, cancroids and fish (gobies and silversides)), at forming the polyculture in the Shabolatsk liman, dab gloss may be recommended as one of main consumers of zoobenthos that doesn’t come in food competition with other fish types

Natural weathering of polystyrene (PS) was performed at six exposure sites with various climate types along the coastal line from China to Europe, including Qionghai (typical hot-humid climate), Sansha (island hot-humid climate), Chennai (savanna hot-humid climate), Jeddah (xerothermic climate), Sanary-sur-Mer (mediterranean climate), Hoek van Holland (warm-temperate climate). The chemical structure, morphology and color changes of PS after weathering were characterized by FTIR, DSC, SEM and Color spectrometer, and relative weathering severity of different climates on PS were compared. Results show that Sansha has the highest severity value while the severity value of Hoek van Holland is the lowest. The degradation degree of PS at the sites of Qionghai, Sansha, and Chennai is higher than that at other sites, resulted in a deterioration of the optical properties and serious damage of the sample surface. In the xerothermic climate, the optical properties of PS decrease drastically during the process of natural weathering, while only slight change in hydroxyl index and carbonyl index is observed, and micrographic surface does not differ from the surface of un-weathered materials. For other climates, the degradation degree was low, resulting in a relative slow change of optical properties and long time for the appearance of surface defects. In order to quantify the relative severity of these climates, a mathematic model was proposed based on the basic degradation principle of polymer materials, which could predict the failure time of PS. The failure time was predicted by the model using gloss loss of PS as failure index, with an accuracy up to 99.2%.

Sol–gel (SG) pads are used to polish different types of marble tiles and obtain high-gloss, low roughness, and scratch-free surfaces. The main features of such tools are semiconsolidated abrasives and flexible substrates. Through experiments with three types of polishing methods and two different types of tools used to polish marble tiles, the polishing mechanism of SG pads was confirmed. An abrasive yield phenomenon was observed for the semiconsolidated abrasive polishing tool with a flexible matrix, which resulted in a mirrored marble surface with high gloss, and the polishing steps were simplified. For SG polishing pads, a larger abrasive can be used to obtain high-gloss marble surfaces compared to the fine abrasives used in traditional resin polishing tools. Therefore, the agglomeration problem associated with fine particle size abrasives is avoided. In addition, after SG pad polishing, the surface of the marble tiles exhibited hydrophobic properties, and the oleophobic properties were simultaneously improved.

In this study, we analyzed color changed by wetness in various areas on palm to clarify the influence of highlights. To improve the accuracy of emotion estimation, it is necessary to suggest other modalities combined with the conventional modalities. Therefore, we focused on emotional sweating, which is reliable modality of contact methods but not used in non-contact methods. We analyzed the color change in images containing a few highlights to clarify the influence of sharp highlights because the highlights can be noise for the analysis of internal reflection change by getting wet. The sharp highlight means the bright pixels in images of gloss material. We also analyzed areas separated from pixels representing sharp highlights to unveil the influence of the sharp highlights. As a result, we found that sharp highlights have a little influence on the analysis and better detection can be performed on pixels not containing sharp highlight area.

Silicone additives are often added to coating formulations for improved slip and mar performance. However, the relationship between the chemical structure of silicone slip/mar additives and their performances has not been well understood. In the current study, six different silicone slip/mar additives made of silicone gum dispersions or silicone polyethers were investigated. Micron-sized silicone gum dispersions (G1 and G2) result in the lowest coefficient of friction and the highest mar resistance in a waterborne acrylic coating; however, they also lead to the highest surface roughness and the lowest gloss. The submicron-sized silicone gum dispersion (G3) results in a smaller improvement in the slip/mar performance and a much smaller detrimental impact on the surface roughness and gloss. All of the silicone polyethers (P1, P2, and P3) contribute to smaller improvement in slip/mar performance compared to silicone gum dispersions, but they have minimum impact on the gloss and roughness of coatings. Studies by AFM and XPS demonstrate coatings with micron-sized silicone gum dispersions have the highest surface segregation of silicone whereas coatings with silicone polyethers have the lowest surface segregation of silicone. A strong correlation between the surface segregation of silicone and the slip/mar performances of coatings is observed.