Pd deposited on Cu(110): a highly performant catalyst for the 1,3-butadiene hydrogenation reaction

The catalytic properties, with respect to the 1,3-butadiene hydrogenation reaction, of strained Pd films on Cu(110) (lattice mismatch 8%) has been probed as a function of the film thickness. The characterization of the adlayer has been made by the combined use of STM with LEED and AES. For deposits below 10¹⁵ Pd/cm² (i.e., about 1 ML) the catalytic activity is near zero. This is the consequence of the formation of a Pd–Cu surface alloy with tendency for Cu to migrate/segregate to the surface. The catalytic activity suddenly increases to reach a maximum value for about 3 ML; the activity is then one order of magnitude higher than that of the pure Pd(110) surface. This is the consequence of the presence of a strained Pd overlayer, with Pd surface atoms having very unusual geometry, and hence very peculiar electronic and chemical properties. The catalytic activity then decreases as the Pd coverage is increased, and tends to values near that of the pure Pd(110). Gradual relaxation of the film geometry towards that of the normal fcc Pd structure probably exists.     

Carbohydrate type and amount alter intravascular processing and catabolism of plasma lipoproteins in guinea pigs

To test the effects of exchanging dietary complex and simple carbohydrate for fat calories on lipoprotein metabolism, guinea pigs were fed two different fat/carbohydrate ratios: 2.5∶58% (w/w) or 25∶29% (w/w) with either sucrose or starch as the carbohydrate source. Animals fed high-fat had higher plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and hepatic cholesterol concentrations than animals fed low-fat diets (P<0.01). The cholesteryl ester content per particle was higher, and the number of triacylglycerol (TAG) molecules was lower in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and LDL from animals fed high-fat diets. Intake of high-fat/sucrose resulted in higher plasma LDL concentrations than intake of high-fat/starch, and animals fed low-fat/starch had the highest plasma TAG concentrations associated with VLDL particles containing more TAG molecules, as well as a TAG-enriched LDL. The activity of plasma lecithin cholesteryl:acyl transferase (LCAT) was highest in animals fed high-fat/sucrose, and heart lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity was higher in animals fed high-fat diets. Hepatic apoprotein B/E (apo B/E) receptor number (B_max) was increased 21% with low-fat diets (P<0.01). These results suggest that the hypercholesterolemia induced by high-fat and by sucrose intake are associated with a higher plasma LCAT activity which results in a cholesteryl ester-enriched VLDL which, by the action of LPL, might be more readily converted to LDL through the delipidation cascade leading to downregulation of hepatic apo B/E receptors. The hypertriglyceridemia associated with low-fat intake may result from increased production of VLDL TAG, which would explain the increased TAG content and the higher TAG/CE ratio of VLDL from animals fed the low-fat/starch diet.     

Optimal linear filter design for systems with correlation in the measurement matrices and noises: recursive algorithm and applications

This paper addresses the optimal least-squares linear estimation problem for a class of discrete-time stochastic systems with random parameter matrices and correlated additive noises. The system presents the following main features: (1) one-step correlated and cross-correlated random parameter matrices in the observation equation are assumed; (2) the process and measurement noises are one-step autocorrelated and two-step cross-correlated. Using an innovation approach and these correlation assumptions, a recursive algorithm with a simple computational procedure is derived for the optimal linear filter. As a significant application of the proposed results, the optimal recursive filtering problem in multi-sensor systems with missing measurements and random delays can be addressed. Numerical simulation examples are used to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed filtering algorithm, which is also compared with other filters that have been proposed.     

Beast methodology: An agile testing methodology for multi-agent systems based on behaviour driven development

This paper presents a testing methodology to apply Behaviour Driven Development (BDD) techniques while developing Multi-Agent Systems (MASs), termed BEhavioural Agent Simple Testing (BEAST) Methodology. This methodology is supported by the open source framework (BEAST Tool) which automatically generates test cases skeletons from BDD scenarios specifications. The developed framework allows the testing of MASs based on JADE or JADEX platforms. In addition, this framework offers a set of configurable Mock Agents with the aim of being able to execute tests while the MAS is under development. The BEAST Methodology presents transparent traceability from user requirements to test cases. Thus, the stakeholders can be aware of the project status. The methodology and the associated tool have been validated in the development of a MAS for fault diagnosis in FTTH (Fiber To The Home) networks. The results have been measured in quantifiable way obtaining a reduction of the tests implementation time.     

CALIBRATION OF THE METHOD TO MEASURE BUBBLE PROPERTIES IN 2D FLUIDIZED BEDS

The purpose of the present work is to demonstrate the reliability of a digital image processing technique. A CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is used to perform an investigation on the bubble properties of a 2D gas-solid fluidized bed, and the aim of this study is to establish a criterion in order to reject all images that could not be interpreted as bubbles. This may lead to an alteration of the information obtained. The two-dimensional fluidized bed is 20 cm wide and at least 20 cm high, and the field of view of the camera is 12.54 cm wide and 12.99 cm high. In this way, bubbles could be totally or partially placed into this field of view so that a partial image of a bubble could be analyzed as a whole bubble. With this calibration, a geometric decision criterion for the rejection of nonbubble images was developed.     

Morphology and thermomechanical properties of recycled PET–organoclay nanocomposites

Recycled PET/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation process with several amounts (1, 3, and 5 wt %) of clay modified with quaternary ammonium salt (DELLITE 67G) dispersed in a recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET) matrix. The resultant mechanical properties (modulus and yield strength) of the nanocomposites were found to be different from those of rPET. Wide angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) measurements have shown that although complete exfoliation was not achieved, delaminated clay platelets could be observed. Thermal analysis did not show significant changes in the thermal properties from those of recycled PET. Mechanical testing showed that nanocomposite properties were superior to the recycled PET in terms of strength and elasticity modulus. This improvement was attributed to nanoscale effects and strong interaction between the rPET matrix and the clay interface, as revealed by WAXS and TEM. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1839–1844, 2007     

A Context-Aware Interaction Model for the Analysis of Users’ QoE in Mobile Environments

This article describes a novel approach to model the quality of experience (QoE) of users in mobile environments. The context-aware and ratings interaction model (CARIM) addresses the open questions of how to quantify user experiences from the analysis of interaction in mobile scenarios, and how to compare different QoE records to each other. A set of parameters are used to dynamically describe the interaction between the user and the system, the context in which it is performed and the perceived quality of users. CARIM structures these parameters into a uniform representation, supporting the dynamic analysis of interaction to determine QoE of users and enabling the comparison between different interaction records. Its run-time nature allows applications to make context- and QoE-based decisions in real time to adapt themselves, and thus provide a better experience to users. As a result, CARIM provides unified criteria for the inference and analysis of QoE in mobile scenarios. Its design and implementation can be integrated (and easily extended if needed) into many different development environments. An experiment with real users comparing two different interaction designs and validating user behavior hypotheses proved the effectiveness of applying CARIM for the assessment of QoE in mobile applications.     

Modification of catalytic performances due to the co-feeding of hydrogen or carbon dioxide in the partial oxidation of methane over a NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst

The influence of the addition of 1–10 vol.% of hydrogen or carbon dioxide to the feed during the partial oxidation of methane was studied over a NiO/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst. The addition of H₂ decreases the conversion and syngas selectivity. This decrease of performance seems to be related to a higher reduction of the catalyst due to the H₂ co-feeding. The addition of CO₂ also appears unfavorable to the production of hydrogen but increases the CO yield. A combination of the dry reforming and the reverse water gas shift reactions is suggested to explain the observed modifications in the product yields.     

Protection of stainless steel by polyaniline films against corrosion in aqueous environments

Polyaniline (PANI) thin films were electrochemically deposited by cyclic voltammetry on stainless steel electrode previously covered by a thin film of polyvinyl acetate (PVAc). The corrosion resistance of PANI covered stainless steel substrates was estimated by using potentiodynamic polarization curves and its linear polarization resistance (LPR) was measured in 0.5 M H₂SO₄, 0.5 M NaCl and 0.5 M NaOH aqueous solutions at room temperature. The results indicate that the PANI-PVAc films did improve the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel in NaOH, behaving even worst, in the case of PANI film, than the uncoated substrate. In H₂SO₄ both PANI and PANI-PVAc coatings gave good protection for the stainless steel electrode, with a slightly better performance of PANI-PVAc than PANI. In NaCl solution both PANI and PANI-PVAc films provided a good protection against corrosion. The better performance of PANI-PVAc coatings for corrosion protection in basic media may be due to its major chemical stability compared to simple PANI films, which lose their conductivity in high pH solutions. The E _corr (free corrosion potential) value of the coated substrate was in the passive region of the uncoated substrate in acidic environment but in the active region in neutral or basic environment.     

Fatty acid esters with short‐chain alcohols in two‐phase olive pomace oils

Two‐phase decanter olive pomace (TPOP) is the by‐product of a centrifugation system, used to produce olive oil, that separates olive oil and moist pomace. The water content in these olive pomaces is about 70%, while it was 45‐50% in the olive pomace stemming from three‐phase systems (oil, water, and pomace) and 30% in the old press system. The aim of this work is focused on quantification and changes undergone during olive pomace storage in ponds of esters of fatty acids with short‐chain linear alcohols, which can be considered as a refining loss. The results indicate that oil deterioration increases very rapidly, in particular when oil is extracted from the TPOP surface. Special attention should be paid to the storage of TPOP, establishing a maximum of 2 months in all cases.