Low-temperature catalytic combustion of methanol and its decomposed derivatives over supported gold catalysts

Gold can be compared favorably with Pd and Pt in the catalytic combustion of CH₃OH, HCHO and HCOOH when it is deposited on some reducible metal oxides (-Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, etc.). While the supported gold catalysts are less active in H₂ oxidation, they exhibit much higher activities in CO oxidation. For Au/TiO₂, the effect of catalyst preparation was further investigated. Since the activity for CO oxidation of the gold catalysts is not depressed but enhanced by moisture, they are practically applicable to CO removal from air at room temperature. Gold supported on manganese oxide is especially effective in the selective CO removal from hydrogen, indicating its potential applicability to polymer electrolyte fuel cells using the reformed gas of methanol.     

Instructor accents in online education and their effect on learning and attitudes

Reductions in perceptual fluency have been shown to negatively impact attitudes towards learning material, but not learning itself. The current study extends this work to spoken presentations and examines whether the presence of a foreign accent negatively affects learners' experience in an online learning environment. Results indicate that the presence of an instructor accent, consistent with prior work on perceptual fluency, does not impact learning, but does cause learners to rate the instructor as less effective. Further, for those who received accented presentations, changes in participants' attitudes towards both the content area and online instruction were not predicted by learning, but instead their attitude towards the instructor. This suggests that learners in online learning environments with accented narration are potentially miscalibrated, and these biases in judgement could be inappropriately linked to a specific instructor, rather than their success of learning in the field.     

Controllability of the Semilinear Beam Equation

In this paper, we prove the approximate controllability of the following semilinear beam equation: $$ \left\{ \begin{array}{lll} \displaystyle{\partial^{2} y(t,x) \over \partial t^{2}} & = & 2\beta\Delta\displaystyle\frac{\partial y(t,x)}{\partial t}- \Delta^{2}y(t,x)+ u(t,x) + f(t,y,y_{t},u),\; \mbox{in}\; (0,\tau)\times\Omega, \\ y(t,x) & = & \Delta y(t,x)= 0 , \ \ \mbox{on}\; (0,\tau)\times\partial\Omega, \\ y(0,x) & = & y_{0}(x), \ \ y_{t}(x)=v_{0}(x), x \in \Omega, \end{array} \right. $$ in the states space $Z_{1}=D(\Delta)\times L^{2}(\Omega)$ with the graph norm, where β?>?1, Ω is a sufficiently regular bounded domain in IR ^N , the distributed control u belongs to L ²([0,τ];U) (U?=?L ²(Ω)), and the nonlinear function $f:[0,\tau]\times I\!\!R\times I\!\!R\times I\!\!R\longrightarrow I\!\!R$ is smooth enough and there are a,c?∈?IR such that $a<\lambda_{1}^{2}$ and $$ \displaystyle\sup\limits_{(t,y,v,u)\in Q_{\tau}}\mid f(t,y,v,u) - ay -cu\mid<\infty, $$ where Q _τ ?=?[0,τ]×IR×IR×IR. We prove that for all τ?>?0, this system is approximately controllable on [0,τ].     

Influence of calcium salt supplementation on calcium equilibrium in skim milk during pH cycle

Calcium is a mineral essential for humans, especially for bone constitution. Yet most of the worldwide population does not satisfy their Ca needs. Hence, Ca supplementation is of major importance, even in western countries where some specific populations at risk do not satisfy the recommended daily intake of Ca. More than 70% of dietary Ca comes from dairy products. Calcium supplementation of naturally Ca-rich sources such as skim milk is then of special interest. To our knowledge, few data are available concerning milk Ca (MC) supplementation of milk, particularly when followed by pH cycle. In this paper, MC supplementation is studied and compared with Ca chloride (CC) supplementation as a well-known source of Ca. The effect of Ca salt supplementation followed by pH cycle was studied in reconstituted skim milk. Calcium supplementation was carried out with CC and MC at 25 mmol of Ca/kg of skim milk. Ionized Ca concentration and turbidity variations were followed in situ by Ca ion selective electrode and turbidimetry using light reflection. From normalized data on ionized Ca concentration and turbidity vs. pH, it appeared that hysteresis areas were smaller for CC-supplemented milk, whereas unsupplemented milk and MC-supplemented milk behaved similarly. For these 3 dairy systems, pH cycles to pH 5.0 led to a larger hysteresis area than pH cycles to pH 5.5. The shrinkage of the hysteresis area could be interpreted as a reinforcement of casein micelles with Ca ions over the pH cycle.     

Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose–β-lactoglobulin mixtures at the oil–water interface. Bulk,interfacial and emulsification behavior as affected by pH

In this work we have studied the bulk, interfacial and emulsification behavior of a surface-active polysaccharide, hydroxypropylmethylcelulose (HPMC) and β-lactoglobulin (βlg) mixtures at two pHs, 3 and 6.     

Emissions of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PAHs from a modern diesel engine equipped with catalyzed emission control systems

Exhaust emissions of 17 2,3,7,8-substituted chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furan (CDD/F) congeners, tetra-octa CDD/F homologues, 12 2005 WHO chlorinated biphenyls (CB) congeners, mono-nona CB homologues, and 19 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a model year 2008 Cummins ISB engine were investigated. Testing included configurations composed of different combinations of aftertreatment including a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), catalyzed diesel particulate filter (CDPF), copper zeolite urea selective catalytic reduction (SCR), iron zeolite SCR, and ammonia slip catalyst. Results were compared to a baseline engine out configuration. Testing included the use of fuel that contained the maximum expected chlorine (Cl) concentration of U.S. highway diesel fuel and a Cl level 1.5 orders of magnitude above. Results indicate there is no risk for an increase in polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furan and polychlorinated biphenyl emissions from modern diesel engines with catalyzed aftertreatment when compared to engine out emissions for configurations tested in this program. These results, along with PAH results, compare well with similar results from modern diesel engines in the literature. The results further indicate that polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furan emissions from modern diesel engines both with and without aftertreatment are below historical values reported in the literature as well as the current inventory value.     

Single-Phase Inverter Synchronized to the Grid by Linear Kalman Filter in Microgrids

This paper presents the analysis and implementation of a synchronizer to the grid using a linear Kalman filter. The synchronizer is used in a single-phase inverter, which is applied in an environment of microgrids. The inverter converts the energy that comes from renewable energy sources （photovoltaic, wind, fuel cell, etc.）. The main objective of obtaining the phase of the grid is to achieve a power factor close to unity in the inverter. For this reason it is vital that the phase difference between the synchronizer and the grid zero. To obtain synchronizer algorithm using LKF （linear Kalman filter） is necessary to know the EKF （extended Kalman filter）. This allows to analyze the operation of the filter, which allows to reach reduce linear Kalman filter or also known as simplified Kalman filter. It is necessary to generate an orthogonal signal in order to obtain a stationary reference frame from a single-phase grid because the linear Kalman filter works with a stationary reference frame. Orthogonal signal is created with an all-pass filter.     

Formation of secondary organic aerosol by reactive condensation of furandiones, aldehydes, and water vapor onto inorganic aerosol seed particles

Volatile furandiones and aldehydes are significant atmospheric oxidation products of aromatic compounds. The mechanism of secondary organic aerosol formation by these compounds was probed using particle chamber observations and macroscale simulations of condensed phases. Growth of inorganic seed aerosol was monitored in the presence of humidity and high concentrations of 2,5-furandione (maleic anhydride), 3-methyl-2,5-furandione (citraconic anhydride), benzaldehyde, and trans-cinnamaldehyde. Particle growth commenced when the gas-phase saturation level of each organic compound and water vapor (relative to its pure liquid), when summed together, reached a threshold near one, implying the formation of a nearly ideal mixed organic/aqueous phase. However, these organics are immiscible with water at the high mole fractions that would be expected in such a phase. Highly acidic dicarboxylic acids produced by the reactions between furandiones and water were shown to rapidly acidify an aqueous phase, resulting in greatly increased benzaldehyde solubility. Thus, the uptake of these organics onto particles in the presence of humidity appears to be reaction-dependent. Finally, it is shown that dicarboxylic acids produced in these reactions recyclize back to furandiones when subjected to normal GC injector temperatures, which could cause large artifacts in gas/particle phase distribution measurements.     

Release of 1-methylcyclopropene from heat-pressed polymer films

ABSTRACT:  Gaseous 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is an inhibitor of ethylene perception that is being used extensively for apples and ornamental products, and under intensive investigation for its potential benefits for other fruits and vegetables. 1-MCP is currently used in closed environments that maintain stable concentrations for several hours in order to be effective. However, food packaging materials that release 1-MCP at a predictable rate into the package headspace might be useful for application in inhibiting the deleterious effects of ethylene in the postharvest packaging and storage of some horticultural products. A 1-MCP/α-cyclodextrin (1-MCP–cd) complex was incorporated into several common packaging films by heat-pressing (dry-blend, lamination) and solution-casting methods. The release of 1-MCP from the films was quantified by gas chromatography with respect to time, loading of 1-MCP, temperature, relative humidity (RH), type of film, and film-forming method. Release of 1-MCP was rapid and high in films held at RH ≥ 75%. The rate of release was slow during the 1st 12 h and then increased during the next 24 to 36 h. Higher temperatures resulted in higher and faster release. A loading of 8 mg of 1-MCP–cd per 140 mg of polymer was found to be optimal. Pressing 1-MCP–cd containing films above 100 °C reduced the amount of 1-MCP remaining in the film. Incorporation into LDPE resulted in a higher and faster release than from PS, PVC, and PP polymers. 1-MCP release from a film matrix appears to be within the acceptable range for produce packaging applications.     

Physiological,hormonal and molecular mechanisms regulating chilling injury in horticultural species. Postharvest technologies applied to reduce its impact

The storage of fruits and vegetables at low temperature near the freezing point is the foremost technology applied to retard postharvest ripening and to extend the shelf‐life period of agricultural products. However, most tropical and subtropical produce is sensitive to chilling injury, which constitutes a set of physiological alterations caused by exposure to low temperatures for variable time periods, to the detriment of quality. This article is a thorough review of the physiological, hormonal and molecular mechanisms involved in the induction and development of this physiopathy. Also, the different postharvest technologies of a chemical, physical or biotechnological nature assayed in research or applied in the agro‐food industry with the aim of inhibiting or delaying the emergence of chilling injury in sensitive plant produce of agricultural interest are reviewed. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry