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This study investigated the effects of changing the type and surface area per unit mass (Sa) of activated materials on the compressive strength of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) cement (GGBS > 60%). This study is divided into two parts. The first part involved the selection of activated materials. Compressive strength results show that gypsum improves the early strength of GGBS cement more effectively than does sodium silicate or sodium hydroxide. The gypsum activators increase GGBS activity through sulfates, generating ettringites and C–S–H to increase compressive strength. Chemical analysis shows that the sulfite (SO3) in GGBS cement has more stable compressive strength at 6–8%. The second part of this study investigated the influence of Sa. Gypsum was used as a strength activator. The sulfite in GGBS cement was controlled at 6.5% ± 0.5%, and Sa was adjusted as the variable. Linear regression analysis shows that the change in GGBS cement Sa (Msa) is positively correlated with compressive strength. The value of Msa can be estimated according to the value of Sa and the quantity of ingredients used for the study results (cement, GGBS and gypsum). The compressive strengths of GGBS cement at various curing ages can be predicted using Msa.

This study investigates the inelastic displacement of structures subjected to earthquake-tsunami loadings. The relative intensity is defined as the ratio of the tsunami force per unit mass to the S...

Seismic input energy per unit mass ( EI/m) imparted into a structure is a function of earthquake (duration, frequency content, amplitude etc.), soil (shear velocity, dominant period etc.) and the structural (vibrational periods etc.) characteristics. Generally, the damping properties of the structure is assumed negligible for seismic input energy. Most of the existing spectral equations derived for SDOF systems generally use a constant damping ratio of 5%. In this study, the damping effect on EI/m is investigated experimentally and numerically on SDOF systems with distinct damping ratios. Experimental investigation and numerical computations proved that seismic input energy is very sensitive to variation of damping within the vicinity of fundamental frequencies. Specifically, up to 50% increment was observed in the plateau region of the input energy spectrum, where maximum EI/m values occur, by variation of damping from 2% to 10%. Hence, a novel damping modification factor ( DMF), which could be utilized for existing energy spectra, is proposed in this paper. Validation studies of the proposed DMF are achieved through the various energy spectra found in the literature.

The study determined the amount of heat energy (heat of combustion) produced per unit mass from coffee pulp and coffee husks to see if these can be used as alternative sources of energy. The samples were obtained from Mount Elgon areas in Eastern Uganda. The objectives determined the amount of heat produced per unit mass from coffee husk and pulp and compared the amount of heat produced per unit mass from the coffee husk and coffee pulp. The coffee husk and pulp were dried, ground and sieved using a 150 microns diameter sieve. The resultant powder was analyzed using IKA C200 bomb calorimeter. The Heat values produced per unit mass from coffee husk and pulp were 15.389KJg-1 and 13.755KJg-1 respectively. Further analysis showed that both coffee pulp and coffee husks could be used as fuels for renewable energy. However, from the findings, it is recommended that coffee husks should be preferred as a better source of fuel since it generated 1.634KJg-1 more energy than the coffee pulp. Comprehensive study should be carried out on the two samples to obtain a complete fuel description of the samples.

Our goal was to examine how total, average (heat production rate per unit mass) and marginal (the increase in the heat production rate per unit increase in mass) rates of basal heat production changed as mass increased in growing humans. Specifically, our hypotheses were that the marginal basal heat production rate did not decrease monotonically as humans grew; and that an energetically optimal mass, one at which the average basal heat production rate of a growing human was minimal, existed. Marginal rates of heat production were estimated and six potential models to describe the effect of mass during human growth on basal heat production rate were evaluated using a large, meticulously curated, dataset from the literature. Marginal rates of heat production were quadratically related to body mass during growth; they declined initially, reached a minimum, and then increased. This suggested that the relationship between basal heat production rate and mass was cubic. Of the six potential models evaluated, a three-parameter cubic polynomial best described the data. Marginal rates of heat production were minimal for 56-kg females and 62-kg males. Basal heat production rates per unit mass of a growing human were minimal (i.e., energetically optimal) for 83-kg females and 93-kg males; the average masses of U.S. adults have been increasing and approaching these optima over the last 60 yr.

Many sorbents demonstrate exceptionally high absorbance capacity on a per unit mass basis, with some sorbents capable of absorbing hundreds of times their own mass. However, the volumetric capacity...

The injection of CO2 into a coal seam can effectively improve the recovery efficiency of coalbed methane. Existing CO2-enhanced coalbed methane(ECBM) is mainly focused on improving the physical recovery efficiency of free CH4. In macro experiments, it is difficult to simultaneously separate adsorbed CH4 and free CH4; therefore, there are few studies on using CO2 to improve the recovery efficiency of coal seams. In this study, the LF-NMR method was used to evaluate the transformation law of adsorbed and free CH4 during the CO2 injection process, and the enhancement of adsorbed CH4 recovery efficiency using CO2 was quantified. The results showed that adsorbed CH4 and free CH4 formed separate T 2 peaks, allowing them to be distinguished. The T 2 spectra of adsorbed CH4 (adsorbed on pore surfaces) were distributed between 0.01 and 2.247806 ms, whereas the T 2 spectrum of free CH4 (existing between the coal particles and the inner walls of sample cavities) were distributed between 15.702901 and 714.942899 ms. CO2 injection increased the total desorption efficiency of adsorbed CH4 by 19.89%, the desorption efficiency of adsorbed CH4 per unit time by 14.108% and the amount of CH4 desorption per unit mass of coal by 35.23%. The results of the study demonstrate that CO2 injection into a coal seam can significantly improve the recovery efficiency of adsorbed CH4 and shorten the CH4 desorption time; findings that are highly significant in relation to enhancing coalbed methane exploitation and CO2 geological storage.

La domestication de Lippia multiflora, plantes aux multiples vertus en pharmacopée et médecine est un enjeu de taille en Côte d’Ivoire. Cependant, l’insuffisance de semences, due au faible taux de germination des graines, limite l’extension de sa culture. La présente étude avait pour objectif l’extraction, la purification et la caractérisation morpho-physiologique des graines de Lippia multiflora Moldenke (Verbenaceae). Il s’agissait plus spécifiquement de déterminer la pureté spécifique, le nombre de graines par unité de masse, le diamètre moyen et le taux d’humidité ; le taux de germination des graines de L. multiflora. Aussi, il s’est agi d’étudier l’impact du milieu sur le pouvoir germinatif des graines et de faire un suivi post-germination des plants en milieu réel. Après extraction des graines, des mesures physiques et des tests de germination ont permis de déterminer les caractéristiques morpho-physiologiques de celles-ci. L’étude a montré que le lot de graine étudié a une pureté spécifique de 70%, les graines ont un diamètre moyen de 0,34± 0.1 mm, une teneur en eau de 14±5.4 % et un taux de germination de 42,25%. Les tests de germination après un séjour prolongé dans divers milieux, révèlent qu’un milieu réfrigéré (7° C) confère une plus longue viabilité aux graines. Le suivi post-germination au champ montre une évolution régulière de la hauteur des plants, passant en moyenne de 2,58 cm à 8,8 cm au bout de 3 mois. Sur la même période, le nombre moyen de feuille varie de 4,03 à 21.Mots clés : Lippia multiflora, graine, caractérisation, germination, suivi post-germination. English Title: Morpho-physiological qualities and evaluation of the germination behavior of seeds of the savannah tea tree (Lippia multiflora Moldenke)The domestication of Lippia multiflora, plants with multiple virtues in pharmacopoeia and medicine is a major challenge in Côte d'Ivoire. However, the lack of seed, due to the low germination rate, limits the extension of its cultivation. The purpose of this study was the extraction, purification and morpho-physiological characterization of the seeds of Lippia multiflora Moldenke (Verbenaceae). More specifically, it involved determining the specific purity, the number of seeds per unit mass, the average diameter and the humidity rate; the germination rate of L. multiflora seeds. Also, it was a question of studying the impact of the environment on the germination power of seeds and of making a post-germination follow-up of the plants in real environment. After the seeds extraction, physical measurements and germination tests were carried out to determine the morpho-physiological characteristics. Results showed that the seed lot studied has a specific purity of 70%, an average diameter of 0.34 0.1 mm, a water content of 14 5.4% and a germination rate of 42.25%. Germination tests after a prolonged stay in various environments reveal that a refrigerated area (7 °C) confers a longer viability to the seeds. Post-germination monitoring in the field shows a steady increase in plant height from an average of 2.58 cm to 8.8 cm after 3 months. Over the same period, the average number of sheets varies from 4.03 to 21.Keywords: Lippia multiflora, seed, characterization, germination, post-germination monitoring.

Purpose In order to introduce the concept of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in the national nuclear medicine practice a survey was proposed and completed through all nuclear medicine departments in Croatia. An additional aim was to increase the awareness of importance and full implementation of a comprehensive quality program that includes devices used in the nuclear medicine chain. Methods Data were collected for more than 30 nuclear medicine single photon emission procedures. National DRLs (NDRLs) as administered activity and also as administered activity per unit mass were calculated in accordance to International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations. Additionally, effective doses were estimated using conversion factors published by the ICRP. Results NDRLs for nuclear medicine single photon emission procedures were proposed. For procedures performed in only one department typical values were presented as reference. Effective doses related to applied radiopharmaceuticals were calculated to estimate radiation risk related to respective nuclear medicine procedure in more detail. Conclusion This work presents results of the first national survey on DRLs of nuclear medicine single photon emission procedures and proposes reliable NDRLs that represent an actual status of nuclear medicine practice in Croatia. Results have motivated departments to introduce and set their own typical values to be used, as one of the tools, for further optimization process. One of the drawbacks of the DRL concept in nuclear medicine is the lack of the image quality parameters involved. For this reason, a quantity that considers both radiation protection and image quality should be introduced.

In the most countries, losses of fruits and vegetables during post-harvest process are of a wonderful concern to fruit-traders, farmers and consumers. The aim of this work is to study the effect of cucumber hydrocooling treatment ‘HY’ before putting cold room on its qualities and properties. ‘HY’ system conformed by putting cucumbers in cold water at “4 °C” with ratio of three units of water mass to one unit mass of ice and to one unit of cucumber mass (3:1:1). The cucumber “HY” treatment and non-hydrocooled (control, CR) were stored in cooling room under three different temperatures of 5.0; 9.0 and 13.0 °C, relative humidity of “ 90±5 %” and five times of storage “3.0; 6.0; 9.0; 12 and 15 days”. The changes in diameter, length and volume, firmness, mass, color parameters and total soluble solids (TSS) were determined as the most important factors affecting the cucumber quality during cooling. Results showed that, there are high significant differences between all treatments and the averages of all previous determinations such as changing in each of cucumber diameter, length, volume, firmness, mass loss, “TSS” and color parameters (L, a, b and ΔE). On the other hand, un-significant differences are found between the interactions of all treatments and the averages of mass loss and some color parameters of "a" (inner and outer) and b (outer). The “HY” treatment confirms a greatest higher on firmness and TSS. But it is recorded a slower loss of fresh mass, diameter, length and volume at comparing with “CR” method. Seven/eight cooling time “TAT7/8”, percentage of mass loss rate, lowest firmness and total color difference “ΔE” inner/outer” recorded at “HY” methods of” 7.5 m” ;”0.11% h-1 “; “10.44N” and “4.56/5.74’ respectively, compared with “CR” method of “126 m”;“0.19% h-1”; “7.04N” and “5.04/ 5.44” at 13°C after 15 days of cold storage. But the highest mean value of “TSS” is found at “HY” system and recorded “3.89 ± 0.0013” at 5°C after 3 days of cold storage.

The mechanistic understanding of the reactions that govern the inhibitor retention and release, modeling, and the state-of-the-art innovation in squeeze treatment are reviewed. The retention and release are governed by (1) the amount of calcite that can dissolve prior to inhibitor-induced surface poisoning; (2) calcite surface poisoning after ~ 20 molecular layers of surface coverage by the adsorbed inhibitors to retard further calcite dissolution; (3) less base,$${\text{CO}}_{3}^{2 - }$$CO32-, is released into the aqueous solution; (4) formation of the more acidic inhibitor precipitates; (5) phase transformation and maturation of the more acidic inhibitor precipitates; and (6) dissolution of the less soluble crystalline inhibitor precipitates. The trend to advance squeeze technologies is through (1) enhancing scale inhibitor retention, (2) optimizing the delivery of scale inhibitors to the target zone, and (3) improving monitoring methods. Lastly, a prototype yardstick for measuring the squeeze performance is used to compare the squeeze life of 17 actual squeeze treatments. Even though the various squeeze treatments appear to be different, all published squeeze durations can be rated based on the normalized squeeze life per unit mass of inhibitors.

Nature has achieved materials with properties and mechanisms that go far beyond the current know-how of the engineering-materials industry. The remarkable efficiency of biological materials, such as their exceptional properties that rely on weak constituents, high performance per unit mass, and diverse functionalities in addition to mechanical properties, has been mostly attributed to their hierarchical structure. Key strategies for bioinspired materials include formulating the fundamental understanding of biological materials that act as inspiration, correlating this fundamental understanding to engineering needs/problems, and fabricating hierarchically structured materials with enhanced properties accordingly. The vast, existing literature on biological and bioinspired materials can be discussed in terms of functional and mechanical aspects. Through essential representative properties and materials, the development of bioinspired materials utilizes the design strategies from biological systems to innovatively augment material performance for various practical applications, such as marine, aerospace, medical, and civil engineering. Despite the current challenges, bioinspired materials have become an important part in promoting innovations and breakthroughs in the modern materials industry., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Key strategies include formulating design principles, correlating to engineering problems and fabricating advanced materials. • The vast research on biological and bioinspired materials can be discussed in terms of functional and mechanical categories. • Representative research of bioinspired designs could provide a compact overview of the grand panorama of this field.

Using several accessible published data sets, we analyzed the temporal change of 137Cs radioactivity (per unit mass of sample) in marine sediments and investigated the effect of the water content of sediment on the 137Cs radioactivity, to understand the behavior of 137Cs present in marine environments. The 137Cs radioactivity in sediments decreased more slowly in the Baltic Sea (near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant) than in the ocean near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP). The 137Cs radioactivity in the sediment near the FDNPP tended to increase as the water content increased, and the water content decreased at certain sampling sites near the FDNPP for several years. Additionally, the decrease in the water content contributed to 51.2% of the average 137Cs radioactivity decrease rate for the same period. Thus, it may be necessary to monitor both the 137Cs radioactivity and the water content for marine sediments to track the 137Cs that was discharged from the sites of Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants where severe accidents occurred. Keywords: Cs-137 radioactivity, Marine sediment, Chernobyl, Fukushima, Severe nuclear accident

The aim of this work is to understand the effect of a thin coating on the compressive properties of the porous metal. In our work, the uniaxial compressive behavior and the energy absorption properties of the lotus-type porous copper deposited with Ni coatings with thickness from 3.9 to 4.8 μm on pore walls were investigated. It is found that the Ni coating on pore walls shows a clear enhancement effect on compressive properties of the lotus-type porous copper, in which the specific yield strength and the energy absorption per unit mass at densification strain increase from 5.27 to 7.31 MPa cm3 g−1 and from 11.50 to 18.21 J g-1 with the Ni coating, respectively. Furthermore, the enhancement appears to be insensitive to the coating thickness. It is considered that the resistance of the interface between the nickel coating and the pore walls to the dislocation slip plays an important role in the improvement on compressive properties of the lotus-type porous copper.

Kariya kernel is very rich in essential fats, oils and other valuable nutrients which may find applications in many food formulations. To harness these nutrients, processing equipment and machines are to be used. In order to effectively design these machines, the values of some physical properties of kariya nut and kernel are needed. In this study, some physical properties of the kariya nut and kernel were investigated. Results showed that mean major diameter, intermediate diameter, minor diameter and unit mass obtained at the nut moisture content of 19.83 ± 3.71 (w.b.) were 14.16 ± 0.79 mm, 10.17 ± 0.36 mm, 9.78 ± 0.28 mm and 0.503 ± 0.05g, respectively while the corresponding values obtained at the kernel moisture content of 8.89 ± 2.22% (w.b.) were 9.07± 0.72 mm, 7.32± 0.49 mm, 7.08 ± 0.41 mm and 0.328 ± 0.03 g, respectively. The values of calculated geometric mean diameter were 11.20± 0.33mm and 7.77 ± 0.36 mm, for the kariya nut and kernel, respectively. The skewness value of the sample distribution of 0.08 and -0.24 were recorded for the kariya nut and kernel, respectively. The sphericity, surface area, volume, density, bulk density and porosity were 79.27 ± 3.07%, 394.75±23.13 mm2, 738.37 ± 64.96 mm3, 681.1 ± 20 kg/m3, 440.24 ± 0.04 kg/m3and 36.65 ± 0.74% ; and 85.97 ± 5.27%, 189.85 ± 17.34 mm2, 246.71 ± 33.60 mm3, 1342.1 ± 136.23 kg/m3, 773.06 ± 0.06 kg/m3and 42.28 ± 4.10% for the kariya nut and kernel respectively.

This study involves a comparative analysis of a designed automatic cooling power hacksaw machine and manual cooling power hacksaw machine in a local sawmill where coolant is applied manually by the operator. The automatic cooling power hacksaw machine took an average time of 40 s to cut an average mass of 5.9 kg with average Specific Mechanical Energy (SME) of 29 kj/kg and average cutting speed of 270 rpm. However, the manual cooling hacksaw machine took an average time of 53 s to cut the same average mass of 5.9 kg with average SME of 42 kj/kg and average cutting speed of 269 rpm. The basic idea behind SME was to determine the energy going into the cutting operation process per unit mass of timber in form of work from the motor. From the above stated results, the automatic cooling hacksaw machine designed in this study took less time, less SME and slightly higher cutting speed to cut the same quantity of timber than the manual cooling hacksaw machine. Compared to the manual cooling power hacksaw, the automatic cooling power hacksaw machine is obviously more efficient in terms of time and energy savings.

In this study, five different ashes derived from Xinjiang lignite were tested for slagging at 1300–1400 °C in a weak reducing environment (1% CO in nitrogen), at different exposure time from 10 min to 2 h. The apparent viscosities for different slags were determined by using a modified inclined plane (M-IP) method with an inclination of 25° based on the slag travel length per unit mass. In particular, the variation on slag viscosity upon the blending of additives including clay and MgO was examined in detail. As have been confirmed, the slags derived from the original basic and neutral ashes start to flow from 1400 °C onwards. The viscosities calculated based on the M-IP method at 1400 °C are in the range from ∼1 Pa·s for neutral ash to ∼5 Pa·s for the basic ash slags. For both neutral and acidic slags, their viscosities calculated by the M-IP method show a good agreement with some of the existing empirical models that have been validated for high-rank coal slags. Upon the addition of 10 wt% clay, the viscosity of basic ash at 1300 °C was reduced to 1.53–1.71 Pa·s, demonstrating a comparable flow-ability and viscosity to that of the original ash at 1400 °C. The addition of MgO promotes the slag flow-ability and reduces the slag viscosity to a relatively small extent in comparison to clay. Instead of melting with other elements in the ash matrix to form slag, the discrete Mg grains are observed in the slag matrix. It could even partially react with the alumina plate. The precipitation of Mg may promote the slag flow-ability by alleviating the slag penetration into the alumina plane and the resultant friction between them. Additionally, the viscosities for both the original slags and those blended with clay decrease quickly upon the increase of the exposure time, substantiating a non-linear slagging propensity and hence, probably non-Newtonian property. A minimum exposure time of 40 min is essential to ensure these slags to settle down and reach their equilibrium viscosities in the M-IP method.

A combined experimental and numerical investigation was conducted into evaluating the influence of the geometry of a water-filled container on maximising the reduction in deformation it provides to a high-strength steel plate subject to localised blast loading. Experiments were conducted with a range of novel container shapes including a cone, inverted cone, diamond and mushroom. In addition to these container shapes, an array of water bottles known as a kinetic energy defeat device (KEDD) and a high performing quadrangular container design were also evaluated. The performance of each container was evaluated in terms of both the reduction in deformation of a steel target plate and the efficiency of the mitigation in terms of the reduction per unit mass of water. The numerical simulations were found to provide adequate predictions for the novel container shapes. They were then used to isolate the differences in target loading for each container type. Further numerical simulations were then performed to identify improvements in the design of the best performing containers. The best performing novel geometries were the mushroom and inverted cone shaped containers, which are more effective at radially spreading the water. However, the mushroom shaped container was the only container found to outperform the most efficient quadrangular container on a mass efficiency basis. The results of this investigation can be used to assist in the design of water-filled containers that are used as part of a near-field blast protection system on an armoured vehicle or other protected structure.

A new, relatively simple sample processing and detection workflow has been developed for the quantification and confirmation of banned growth-promoting substances in a wide variety of animal-based food products. The method covers all required compounds (belonging to the so-called A1, A3, A4 and B2f groups as termed by the relevant EU legislation) which are currently monitored by the official European community surveillance programs. The sample processing includes a thermal sample denaturation step, intended to prevent undesirable side-reactions during the following enzymatic deconjugation of covalently bound analytes. A pH-adjusted dual liquid/liquid-extraction produces sufficient clean extracts for a wide range of matrices (urine, muscle, liver, serum, full blood). The method has been validated using two hybrid quadrupole high-resolution mass spectrometers (Orbitrap and time-of-flight technology-based instruments). Full-scan data acquisition, interlaced with targeted modes (unit mass isolation of the precursors, followed by collision-induced fragmentation), produces sufficiently sensitive and selective detection of the analytes within all the validated matrices. The proposed method is an alternative to currently used methods that are restricted to a limited set of analytes and matrices.

In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), the majority of energy inputs is consumed by aeration systems to support both the biochemical oxidation of organics and transformation of ammonia-nitrogen into nitrate-nitrogen. Consequently, WWTPs energy efficiency evaluation only based on metrics derived from the organic constituents such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) or biological oxygen demand (BOD) may not reflect the true energy consumption of WWTPs with variable influent quality. Therefore, to overcome this limitation, total oxygen demand (TOD) is introduced in this article, and a novel index EO, namely the energy consumption for the removal of a unit mass of TOD is proposed for evaluating the energy efficiency in WWTPs. Furthermore, by considering the stoichiometric relations of oxygen consumption for the oxidation of both organics and ammonia-nitrogen, methods for calculating the EO are proposed. Using the novel EO index and the available annual operation data of 2022 WWTPs, the current status of energy consumption for wastewater treatment in China were analyzed. The findings show an average EO decrease from 5.2 kWh/kg to 1.2 kWh/kg as the WWTP loading rates increase from 20% to 100%. Also, EO decreased from 4.1 kWh/kg to 1.5 kWh/kg as the average TOD removal increased from 60% to over 90%. Moreover, EO decreased from 2.9 kWh/kg to 1.0 kWh/kg as the WWTP scale increased from less than 10,000 m3/d to over 5,00,000 m3/d. Thus, the energy efficiency of WWTPs increases with increasing loading rates, TOD removal, and scale. Also, the wastewater treatment technology applied influences the EO significantly, especially for small- and medium-size WWTPs with capacities less than 50,000 m3/d which account for circa 76% of all WWTPs in China. The WWTPs applying sequential batch tractors (SBR) tended to show lower average EO (

Rare earth elements (REE) can produce M2+ ions in ICP-MS and 150Nd2+, 150Sm2+, and 156Gd2+ can produce false positives on 75As and 78Se. Alternative instrumental tuning conditions, that utilize lower He flows within the collision cell, reduce these false positives by a factor of 2 (to 0.8 ppb As and 19 ppb Se in solutions containing 50 ppb Nd and Gd) with comparable 16O35Cl+ reduction (

Experimental estimates of residential intake fractions for indoor volatile organic compound (VOC) releases are scarce. We evaluated individual intake fractions (iFᵢ, mass inhaled by an individual per unit mass emitted) using approximately five months of time-resolved VOC measurements acquired at two residences. First, we directly estimated iFᵢ using inert tracer gases that were released at fixed rates. Tracer gas iFᵢ values were generally consistent between occupants and comparable across seasons. Furthermore, iFᵢ for sources released on different floors of a residence were statistically indistinguishable, suggesting that source location within the living space was not strongly influential. Emissions from living space sources (iFᵢ ∼ 0.3% = 3000 ppm) contributed to occupant exposures at rates 2–4 times higher than crawl space sources (iFᵢ ∼ 1000 ppm) and greater than 40 times higher than attic sources (iFᵢ < ∼70 ppm). Second, we indirectly estimated iFᵢ for 251 VOCs using net emission rates estimated by indoor–outdoor material balance. Although emission patterns varied between compounds, all VOC-specific iFᵢ estimates were clustered near the values of the living space tracer gases. These experimental observations substantiate the theoretical expectation that iFᵢ values are largely independent of analyte characteristics, a useful simplification for exposure assessments.

It is well-known fact that materials are the enabler to advancing quality of life and associated machines, devices and its technology—touching essentially every aspect of technology spectrum—bio and healthcare, wearable sensors, transportation, consumer products, and defense industry. The technology advancement in the devices (bio, healthcare, energy managements, sensors, etc.) that we use in our way of life is essentially measured by its performance efficiency. There is a logical expectation as well as demand for enhanced performance efficiency of the devices, as we move forward with technology advancement with time. Here, materials are an integral component and without any argument is the kernel enabler toward advancing the performance efficiency of devices, machinery, etc. Increase in device performance efficiency is invariably tied with its materials that is to work (perform) more per its unit mass usage. In pursuit of increasing performance efficiency, materials in future are expected to perform in complex and dynamic environments, and efficient materials often exhibit simultaneous multifunctionality (structural, electrical, thermal, optical, etc.), even in very dynamic environment.

Cork and cork agglomerates could be suitable replacements for petroleum-based polymeric foams due to their similar internal structure of cells and grains. Additionally, cork products have a renewable origin and are recyclable. Despite these notable properties, few studies have analysed the mechanical properties, especially the specific properties, of these materials under compressive loads. Moreover, although efficiency, ideality, and energy-normalized stress diagrams are commonly used for polymeric foams and 3D-printed lattice structures, these types of diagrams are not yet applied to cork products. It must be highlighted that efficiency diagrams are plotted only against nonspecific properties so, this article proposes additionally the use of nonspecific properties to compare materials not only in terms of properties per unit volume instead but also in terms of properties per unit mass that is more suitable for certain applications in which the weight is crucial. The materials studied herein include three different white cork agglomerates, a brown cork agglomerate, a black cork agglomerate, natural cork, and expanded polystyrene foam, which are subjected to quasi-static compressive loads.

The parameter b of the unified strength theory was set to depict the contribution of the intermediate principal stress on the failure of materials. A large number of true triaxial tests were carried out to determine the values and variation in the parameter b for loess, with which the effect of b on the estimation of the stability for a typical loess slope was then studied. The unified strength theory could be applied to fit the experimental failure loci of loess better than the traditional strength theories. The value of the parameter b greatly depends on the stratum age, remolding state, dry unit mass (dr) and water content (w) of the loess, and the appropriate value decreases with increasing dr and w. The value of b for the undisturbed Malan loess (L1) is much greater than that for the Lishi loess (L2). Comprehensively, the range of b = 0.2–0.5 is recommended to obtain the empirical value of the loess, with which the factor of stability (FOS) for the loess slope can be estimated with a 5–15% increase compared to that when applying the Mohr–Coulomb failure law.

Car electronics form an extensive yet untapped source for secondary critical raw materials. To seize their recycling potentials it is imperative to understand how the number and volumes of car electric and electronic (EE) devices are affected by trends in: i) car typology, ii) penetration and integration of automobile electronic control systems (AECS), and iii) unit mass of EE devices. We used a layered dynamic material flow analysis (MFA) incorporating comprehensive data series to analyze the aforementioned trends and their influence on end-of-life mass flows of two automobile EE devices in Switzerland over the period 1975 to 2015. We found that there has been an increased penetration of the EE devices coinciding with a replacement of unifunctional devices by multifunctional ones (integration) and a decrease in their unit mass (downsizing). Both penetration and unit mass changed most rapidly in the 1990s and have flattened after the year 2000. Penetration outweighed integration and downsizing, so that before stabilizing, it caused a rapid increase in the mass flows of the EE devices. Due to the long lifetime of cars, changes in penetration, integration and downsizing are still evident at the end-of-life flows, but can be expected to slow down considerably between 2015 and 2025. The results demonstrate that monitoring of the trends at the car inflow, in combination with a dynamic MFA, can be used to anticipate changes in end-of-life flows 10–20 years before they occur and to timely inform recycling policies.

The changes a (negative) tidal charge causes at the phenomenon of superradiance which occurs around rotating black holes are investigated. This is made by computing the amplification factors of massless scalar waves being scattered by the black hole. It is shown that the increase of the tidal-charge intensity leads to a considerable enhancement of energy extraction from near-extreme black holes. Such improvement results from the fact that extreme black holes with more negative tidal charges spin faster. Maximum amplification decreases with the increase of the tidal charge intensity if the angular momentum of the black hole per unit mass is fixed. The tidal charge may also change crucially the superradiance phenomenon of massless scalar waves causing maximum amplification to occur for $$m > 1$$ m > 1 differently from the case of Kerr black holes.

A new approach for flame retardant functional finishing of textiles was explored to improve flame retardancy of cotton fabrics by simple physical adhesion method. Mg(OH)2 was adhered to cotton fiber with the aid of fiber swelling in ionic liquid on heating and shrinkage on washing to obtain flame retardancy. The effects of immobilizing condition and methods on flame retardancy were discussed. The surface morphology, crystal structure, combustion behavior, thermal and physical properties of cotton fabric adhered with Mg(OH)2 were analyzed. The afterflame time and afterglow time of adhered cotton fabric were significantly reduced to less than 5 s. The thermal weight loss of cotton fabric was increased by 11.7% and the total heat released per unit mass was decreased by 20.9% after MH adhesion. The simple eco-friendly adhesion method provided a convenient approach for the development and application of flame retardant functional cellulosic textiles.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) are used abundantly as food additives (E171). For the purpose of risk assessment, it is imperative to understand the behavior of these nanoparticles in a food relevant environment, and their consequent toxicology impacts. However, most of such studies use model TiO2 NPs (P25) as substitutes for E171. To understand the suitability of this approach, we investigated the functional behavior of E171 and P25 in solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and sucrose as model food ingredients. Our data showed that E171 were better dispersed in BSA than P25. In sucrose, E171 displayed a reduction in agglomerated size while P25 agglomerated extensively. Adsorption studies showed that P25 attracted more pronounced corona formation per unit mass of material compared to E171. In vitro sedimentation, diffusion and dosimetry (ISDD) results demonstrated that the time-weighted dosage of E171 was more than two-folds higher than P25, implying that any test performed using P25 to model E171 would underestimate actual dosage and potential toxicity. Taken collectively, this study demonstrated the specificity of TiO2 nanoparticle interaction with food ingredients, and the importance of using food-grade E171 TiO2 for food-relevant toxicological assessments. Accepted version

This paper presents several problems about development of Space Solar Power Satellite (SSPS) systematically. Firstly, the importance of developing SSPS to solve the energy crisis of the world is discussed. Secondly, two main categories of SSPS, non-focusing and focusing concepts, are described with the advantages and disadvantages, such as the specific power to mass ratio (energy produced by unit mass), engineering implementation, reliability and so on. Thirdly, recent achievement of SSPS-OMEGA concept proposed by author’s team in 2014 is provided. Finally, future development on SSPS is discussed.

In the present study, different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are compared for their feasibility for mineralization of alkyd resin wastewater. The AOPs studied include: Fenton process, combined ozonation (O 3 ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), electro-oxidation (EO), wet air oxidation and cavitation using ultrasonic horn (US). The studied AOPs in the order of increasing electrical energy consumption per unit mass of TOC removal (E EM ) are: Fenton process (18 kWh/kg), EO (83.58 kWh/kg), combined EO and O 3 (187 kWh/kg), wet air oxidation (429 kWh/kg), combined O 3 and H 2 O 2 at pH 8 (477 kWh/kg), combined US, O 3 and H 2 O 2 at pH 8 (776 kWh/kg) and US alone at pH 8 (990 kWh/kg). Among the studied AOPs and their combinations, the combined O 3 and H 2 O 2 is most promising as it doesn’t suffer from complex formation issues as in the Fenton process, EO and combined EO and O 3 , requires lower fixed cost as compared to wet air oxidation and requires less E EM as compared to combined US, O 3 and H 2 O 2 and US alone.

Let T be a positive closed current of bidimension (p, p) with unit mass on the complex projective space Pn . For certain values of α and β=β(p,α) we show that if T has enough points where the Lelon...

The calculation of the combined uncertainty of the international estimated short-term intake (IESTI) of ethephon residues in apples is shown as an example. The ethephon residues in apples were reported by the Joint FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)/WHO (World Health Organization) Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). The apple consumption data were taken from the IESTI (international short-term intake) calculation template used by the JMPR. The IESTI was calculated with the currently used method (case 2a) and a proposed one recommended by the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)/RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health) Scientific Workshop co-sponsored by FAO and WHO. In this example, the ratio of IESTIproposed/IESTIcurrent and their combined relative uncertainty are about 2.8, and 1.7, respectively. The larger IESTI and uncertainty obtained with the proposed equation are the consequence of calculation only with the large portion (LP) instead of its combination with unit mass, and the MRL instead of the highest residue (HR). The LP is the major contributor to the combined uncertainty. Both the calculated IESTI and its combined uncertainty depend on the actual food - pesticide residue combination, and should be calculated for each case.

In this work, different strategies of ultrasonication (continuous, single pulse, and multiple pulse) are compared for control of the product crystal size distribution of three model API compounds: piracetam, paracetamol, and ibuprofen. Experiments have been performed on 0.5 and 3 L scales continuously recorded by FTIR and FBRM. Irrespective of the sonication operating mode, sonication in general produced smaller sized crystals with a more narrow size distribution in comparison to those for a normal cooling crystallization process. A multiple-pulse sonication mode, in particular, was capable of delivering more narrow size distributions. Sonication power per unit mass of solution does not appear to be a relevant scaling-up parameter.

The chargeability of liquid sprays is an important factor in determining the deposition efficiency of electrostatic pesticide sprays. The Rayleigh limit provides information on the maximum amount of charge a spray droplet can carry as a function of droplet size and liquid properties. This article reviews the literature to determine what fraction of the Rayleigh limit is achievable. Typically, less than 10% of the Rayleigh limit charge is obtained. The droplet charge per unit mass decreases with increasing droplet size and liquid flow rate. A correlation equation is derived from published data to predict spray droplet charge per unit mass from droplet size, flow rate, and charging voltage. Keywords: Droplet size, Electrostatic charging, Spray drift, Sprayers, Ultra-low volume spraying.

Starting from a unit mass on a vertex of a graph, we investigate the minimum number of "\emph{controlled diffusion}" steps needed to transport a constant mass $p$ outside of the ball of radius $n$. In a step of a controlled diffusion process we may select any vertex with positive mass and topple its mass equally to its neighbors. Our initial motivation comes from the maximum overhang question in one dimension, but the more general case arises from optimal mass transport problems. On $\mathbb{Z}^{d}$ we show that $\Theta( n^{d+2} )$ steps are necessary and sufficient to transport the mass. We also give sharp bounds on the comb graph and $d$-ary trees. Furthermore, we consider graphs where simple random walk has positive speed and entropy and which satisfy Shannon's theorem, and show that the minimum number of controlled diffusion steps is $\exp{( n \cdot h / \ell ( 1 + o(1) ))}$, where $h$ is the Avez asymptotic entropy and $\ell$ is the speed of random walk. As examples, we give precise results on Galton-Watson trees and the product of trees $\mathbb{T}_d \times \mathbb{T}_k$., Comment: 32 pages, 2 figures

The determination of the specific surface area (SSA) of solid powders has been a long-standing problem in surface science. We use the zeta adsorption isotherm and propose a method for determining the SSA of powders using the N2 adsorption measurements at 77 K. The consistency of the results obtained is demonstrated using two α-alumina samples that have different total surface areas. When the proposed method is applied to convert the amount adsorbed per unit mass to the amount adsorbed per unit area, we show that there is no measurable difference between their adsorption isotherms. Also, we show the proposed method can be applied to six different powders having a variation in their specific surface areas of two orders of magnitude. The corresponding error can be obtained from a single equilibrium adsorption measurement, and the maximum standard deviation in the mean value of the SSA among six cases is less than 7%.

In this study, the thermal performance of plate fin heat sinks with dual-height fin profile subject to natural convection is considered. The effect of dual-height configuration, fin spacing and channel length on the thermal performance of the heat sink is investigated numerically. The results show that the thermal performance of the dual-height heat sink monotonically decreases as the secondary fin height decreases for a fixed value of the primary fin height. However, the thermal performance per unit mass can be enhanced by decreasing the secondary fin height, suggesting that the dual height heat sink can be considered for various practical applications where the mass of heat sink determines the value of products. It is also shown that there is a threshold value of primary fin height below which the thermal performance of dual height heat sink decreases as the secondary fin height decreases. This threshold value is shown to linearly decrease as the channel length increases.

Short wire staples, ranging from 0% to 3.5% by volume, were used to reinforce high-volume fly-ash cement paste. Previously proposed spacing equations for steel fibers and the effects of fiber volume on the physical and mechanical properties of the composites were analyzed. The volume of fiber influences physical and mechanical properties of the composites: high regression correlations (R2 > 0.8) for fiber volume were found with unit mass, spacing, and strength ratios after 28 days of curing the pastes. The concept of fiber spacing could be used with accuracy to predict basic physical and mechanical properties of these materials.

The heat resistance of the β + γ′ alloys with 28–29 at % Al, 10 at % Co, and 0.25–0.4 at % Re in air at 1300°C is studied. The structures of the scale and the subscale layers that form during oxidation for 2 and 100 h due to the interdiffusion of aluminum and oxygen are investigated. Alloying with 10 at % Co is shown to increase the heat resistance in the absence of chromium and a low content of the elements tht are active to oxygen (La). The heat resistance of the β + γ′ NIAL1 and NIAL2 alloys at 1300°C, which was estimated from the surface unit mass increment in 100 h, is at level of the heat resistance of the γ′ + γ VKNA (VIN) alloys at 1200–1250°C.