The isolation and characterisation of grafts from glass surfaces and their immiscibility with homopolymer

A procedure for photochemically detaching, isolating and characterising grafts (produced by a method developed previously by the authors) from glass surfaces is described. Preliminary results indicate that the molecular weights and molecular weight distributions can be varied through control of the kinetics of graft formation; our previous studies are seen to have produced a high surface coverage of grafts of high molecular weight. A thermodynamic argument is developed to explain the immiscibility of grafts with free homopolymer for high surface coverage by grafts from which it is seen that the immiscibility is entropy-driven. Comparisons are drawn between our previous studies and relevant studies by other workers and apparent anomolies are explained.     

Monitoring of volatile organic compounds in non-residential indoor environments

A weekly monitoring campaign of volatile organic compounds (VOC), with single sampling of 24 h, was carried out in non-residential indoor environments such as libraries, pharmacies, offices, gymnasiums, etc., in order to evaluate the VOC concentrations to which people are exposed. Moreover, an outdoor sample was coupled to each indoor site to point out the influence of indoor sources. They were sampled with Radiello diffusive samplers for thermal desorption and analyzed by GC-MS. As already described in other papers, the VOC levels of most of the indoor sites were higher than that observed in the corresponding outdoor sites. For example, some sites showed a level of pollution that is ten times higher than their corresponding outdoor site. The monitored environments that had higher concentrations of the investigated VOC were the pharmacies, a newspaper stand, a copy center, and the coffee shops. Analysis of the weekly average concentrations of each pollutant and the use of literature allowed pointing out some site-specific characteristics that singled out possible sources of VOC. These results were verified analyzing the indoor-outdoor ratio (I/O) too. Newspaper stands were characterized by very high concentrations of toluene and pharmacies were characterized by high concentrations of aromatic compounds. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Indoor air pollution caused by volatile organic compounds (VOC) might affect human health at home as well as in public and commercial buildings. The main VOC sources in indoor environments are human activities, personal care products, smoking, house cleaning products, building products, and outside pollution. To preserve human health it is necessary to evaluate the average concentrations of VOC to which people are exposed and to identify the main sources of indoor pollution by means of suitable indoor monitoring campaigns in several environments. These investigations allow pointing out the characteristic critical situations of some indoor environments or some other types of environments.     

Near- and Far-Field Characterization of Planar mm-Wave Antenna Arrays with Waveguide-to-Microstrip Transition

We present the design and characterization of planar mm-wave patch antenna arrays with waveguide-to-microstrip transition using both near- and far-field methods. The arrays were designed for metrological assessment of error sources in antenna measurement. One antenna was designed for the automotive radar frequency range at 77 GHz, while another was designed for the frequency of 94 GHz, which is used, e.g., for imaging radar applications. In addition to the antennas, a simple transition from rectangular waveguide WR-10 to planar microstrip line on Rogers 3003? substrate has been designed based on probe coupling. For determination of the far-field radiation pattern of the antennas, we compare results from two different measurement methods to simulations. Both a far-field antenna measurement system and a planar near-field scanner with near-to-far-field transformation were used to determine the antenna diagrams. The fabricated antennas achieve a good matching and a good agreement between measured and simulated antenna diagrams. The results also show that the far-field scanner achieves more accurate measurement results with regard to simulations than the near-field scanner. The far-field antenna scanning system is built for metrological assessment and antenna calibration. The antennas are the first which were designed to be tested with the measurement system.     

An interpenetrated system based on a tetrafunctional epoxy resin and a thermosetting bismaleimide: Structure–properties correlation

The kinetics and mechanism of the curing process of a thermosetting blend formed by tetraglycidyl-4,4′-diaminodiphenyl methane and N,N′-bismaleimido-4,4′-diphenyl methane (BMI) cured in the presence of 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, was investigated in detail by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Information on the molecular structure of the network formed upon curing was derived. Dynamic-mechanical measurements on dry samples indicated an interpenetrated polymer network-like structure. Sorption measurements at 70°C showed a reduction of the water uptake at equilibrium in the presence of substantial amounts of BMI in the system (43.5% body weight). Finally, the dynamic-mechanical analysis of wet samples demonstrated a reduction of the plasticizing efficiency of the absorbed water in the presence of BMI. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1029–1042, 1998     

Pattern recognition in stained HEp-2 cells: Where are we now?

Indirect Immunofluorescence (IIF) images are increasingly being used for the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases. However, the analysis of this kind of images has until now reached a comparatively low level of automation, if compared with other medical imaging techniques. The Special Issue on the Analysis and Recognition of Indirect Immunofluorescence Images of the Pattern Recognition journal aims at providing a comprehensive evaluation of the state of the art for the staining pattern classification problem, through the adoption of a common experimental protocol and the testing of all the methods on a publicly available dataset.     

Periodic event‐triggered observation and control for nonlinear Lipschitz systems using impulsive observers

In this paper, we investigate the observation and stabilization problems for a class of nonlinear Lipschitz systems, subject to network constraints, and partial state knowledge. In order to address these problems, an impulsive observer is designed, making use of the event‐triggered technique in order to diminish the network communications. Sufficient conditions are given to ensure a milder version of the separation principle for these systems, controlled via an event‐triggered controller. The proposed observer ensures practical state estimation, while the corresponding dynamic controller ensures practical stabilization. The sampling and the data transmission are carried out asynchronously. The dynamic controller is tested in simulation on a flexible joint. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of olive paste fast preheating on the quality of extra virgin olive oil during storage

The olive paste obtained after crushing was fast preheated under different time/temperature conditions and then malaxed in an industrial oil mill (600 kg Frantoio/Leccino olive blend). Legal parameters (peroxides, free acidity and sensory panel), oil yield, total phenolic content, oxidative stability and phenolic profile were monitored during 12 months of storage of the virgin olive oil (VOO) kept in closed bottles in the dark. A fast preheating not longer than 72 s at 38 °C without malaxation lead to an extra VOO with a shelf-life of at least 12-months, similarly to the traditional EVOO obtained with malaxation. A fast preheating not longer than 72 s at 38 °C followed by 10 min malaxation lead to an EVOO with a ‘mild’ sensory profile and a shelf life of at least 12-months. Thus, the use of a specific designed fast preheater instead or before (a shortened) malaxation allows to obtain an EVOO with a low bitter/pungent attribute from olives which are rich of (sometimes unpleasant) phenolic compounds with the aim to meet the preference of targeted groups of consumers. Time and temperature of fast preheating are the critical parameters of the process.     

Inland Treatment of the Brine Generated from Reverse Osmosis Advanced Membrane Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Epuvalisation System

The reverse osmosis (RO) brine generated from the Al-Quds University wastewater treatment plant was treated using an epuvalisation system. The advanced integrated wastewater treatment plant included an activated sludge unit, two consecutive ultrafiltration (UF) membrane filters (20 kD and 100 kD cutoffs) followed by an activated carbon filter and a reverse osmosis membrane. The epuvalisation system consisted of salt tolerant plants grown in hydroponic channels under continuous water flowing in a closed loop system, and placed in a greenhouse at Al-Quds University. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) plants were selected, and underwent two consecutive hydroponic flowing stages using different brine-concentrations: an adaptation stage, in which a 1:1 mixture of brine and fresh water was used; followed by a functioning stage, with 100% brine. A control treatment using fresh water was included as well. The experiment started in April and ended in June (2012). At the end of the experiment, analysis of the effluent brine showed a remarkable decrease of electroconductivity (EC), PO₄³⁻, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and K⁺ with a reduction of 60%, 74%, 70%, and 60%, respectively, as compared to the influent. The effluent of the control treatment showed 50%, 63%, 46%, and 90% reduction for the same parameters as compared to the influent. Plant growth parameters (plant height, fresh and dry weight) showed no significant difference between fresh water and brine treatments. Obtained results suggest that the epuvalisation system is a promising technique for inland brine treatment with added benefits. The increasing of channel number or closed loop time is estimated for enhancing the treatment process and increasing the nutrient uptake. Nevertheless, the epuvalisation technique is considered to be simple, efficient and low cost for inland RO brine treatment.     

Considerations about learning Word2Vec

The Journal of Supercomputing - Despite the large diffusion and use of embedding generated through Word2Vec, there are still many open questions about the reasons for its results and about its real...     

Characterization, modeling and assessment of Roll-N-Cage isolator using the cable-stayed bridge benchmark

This paper presents the results of an extensive series of simulation tests to identify the mechanical characteristics of an innovative isolation device known as the Roll-N-Cage (RNC) isolator. The seismic performance of an RNC passive control scheme is subsequently investigated on a model of the cable-stayed bridge benchmark. Starting from different configurations studied in the laboratory for a 1/10 reduced-scale prototype, the RNC isolator stiffness and damping properties are investigated in terms of cyclic tests with different parameters. Tests at the ultimate level state consisting of monotonic shear and axial loading have been also carried out as a part of the qualification process. The goal of this study is twofold: first, to examine the main integrated mechanisms of the RNC isolator through sophisticated 3D finite element simulation models using a multi-purpose finite element code. The main result of this step is to attempt modeling the force–displacement relationship using the standard Bouc–Wen model of smooth hysteresis. The second aim of this study is the numerical assessment of the device efficiency through its implementation into a bridge model considering several ground motions as external excitations. Based on these extensive studies, it was found that the RNC isolator is promising as a reliable isotropic horizontal isolation device for bridge structures.