The effect of hue on the perception of blackness using munsell samples

Although black is an important color, the perception of black objects has not been systematically examined. The purpose of this work was to determine the influence of hue on the perception of preferred blackness. A set of 20 glossy low chroma Munsell sheets were purchased comprising a complete hue circle with a value and chroma of two and one, respectively (L* = 19.3–20.75, and C* = 3.66–6.58). The Munsell samples were divided into two interleaved groups: (5R, 5YR, 5Y, 5GY, 5G, 5BG, 5B, 5PB, 5P, and 5RP) and (10R, 10YR, 10Y, 10GY, 10G, 10BG, 10B, 10PB, 10P, and 10RP). Fifty color‐normal observers force‐ranked the two sets of 10 samples from “most like black” to “least like black.” Observers then assessed a set of six samples that represented the three samples from each set of 10 that the observer chose to be “most like black.” The 50 observers were found to have fairly good autoconcordance and concordance values. In repeat experiments observers agreed with themselves in 81% of the pairwise decisions, and they agreed with the grand mean rank 76% of the time. The blue–green samples (with Munsell hue notations 10G, 5BG, and 10BG) were most selected (and were considered blackest), followed by green, blue, and purple–blue. The samples selected the fewest times by any observer as being most black were the red samples. The grand mean rankings demonstrate that greenish to bluish blacks are perceived by the observers as “blacker” than yellowish and reddish blacks. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 38, 423–428, 2013     

The Structure of the Irreversibly Bound Adhesion Promoter-Substrate Interfacial Layer of γ-Aminopropylsilanetriol on Crystalline Si,as Measured by XPS and FTIR

The irreversibly bound interfacial layer deposited by the γ-aminopropysilanetriol adhesion promoter onto a crystalline silicon substrate, which remains even after profuse washing, was found by XPS to have resulted from the fragmentation and rearrangement of the original γ-aminopropylsilanetriol molecule. A mechanism is proposed, involving the homolytic scission of the terminal N-C bond. One of the subsequent reactions is believed to involve hydrogen loss by abstraction and the formation of a terminal vinyl group, which bonds to the substrate. Support for this mechanism is found in IR spectroscopy of this layer.     

Separation of stigmasta-3,5-diene, squalene lsomers, and wax esters from olive oils by single high-performance liquid chromatography run

To ascertain the authenticity of olive oils, the European Community Regulation requires the stigmasta-3,5-diene and wax ester contents to be determined. The official methods are time-consuming and not suitable for many daily analyses, as quality-control laboratories need. A method is presented here that allows single high-performance liquid chromatography separation of stigmasta-3,5-diene and wax esters, as well as of the squalene isomers, which give further information on the oil’s authenticity. For stigmasta-3,5-diene, the comparison with results obtained with the official method is good. Also for wax esters, the agreement was good, even if they were compared with results obtained from a quicker method as reliable as the official one. The possibility of separating the squalene isomers also at the same time makes the proposed method more advantageous. On the whole, the method, which is suggested for routine and quick screening but not for the exact evaluation of the analyte contents, seems to be a convenient choice for ascertaining on a daily basis the samples’ legal compliance (i.e., whether the analyte content is or is not below the legal value).     

Cumulative stabilizing effects of hydrophobic interactions on the surface of the neutral protease from Bacillus subtilis

Using genetically engineered mutants of the neutral pro-teasefrom Bacillus stearothermophilus (BsteNP), it had been shownthat the surface-exposed structural motif constituted by Phe63embedded in a four amino acid hydrophobic pocket is criticalfor the thermal stability of the thermophilic neutral proteasesfrom Bacilli. To measure the stabilizing contribution of eachhydrophobic interaction taking place between Phe63 and the hydrophobicpocket, we grafted this structural motif in the neutral proteasefrom the mesophile Bacillus subtilis (BsubNP). This was accomplishedby first creating the Thr63Phe mutant of BsubNP and then generatinga series of mutants in which the four amino acids which in thermolysinsurround Phe63 and form the hydrophobic pocket were added oneafter the other. By analysing the thermal stability of eachmutant it was found that the 2°C destabilizing effect ofthe Thr63Phe substitution was completely suppressed by the additionof the four amino acid hydrophobic pocket, each replacementproviding a stabilizing contribution of approxi mately 0.8–1°C.These results are discussed in the light of the peculiar mechanismof thermal inactivation of proteolytic enzymes.     

Photodegradation of copolyester films: A mechanistic study

The photodegradation of copolyesters based on 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM), tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol, and terephthalic acid units was investigated using various analytical methods. Photodegradation products were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), and X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The homolytic scission of C-O bonds of ester groups through a Norrish Type I reaction was supported by time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and LC–MS results, while nuclear magnetic resonance analysis confirmed hydrogen abstraction from the tertiary carbon of CHDM units in the trans (equatorial-equatorial) conformation. Chain scission through Norrish Type II reaction is also responsible for the formation of carboxylic acid end group. Fluorescence emission from irradiated glycol modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) films demonstrated the formation of mono- and dihydroxyterephthalate species. Furthermore, FTIR and XPS valence band analysis confirmed configurational changes, in the polymer chain due to photodegradation. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47148.     

Simulation of the layer inversion phenomenon in binary liquid--fluidized beds by DEM–CFD with a drag law for polydisperse systems

Liquid-fluidized beds of particular binary mixtures exhibit the layer inversion phenomenon, a peculiar result of the mechanical equilibrium developing in such multiphase systems. Because of the crucial role of the hydrodynamic interaction, these are ideal test cases for assessing fluid-particle models in multi-particle CFD simulations. In the present work the layer inversion phenomenon is reproduced via Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations, in which the drag force model for polydisperse systems described in Cello et al. (2010) is used. The simulations serve primarily to assess the suitability of the DEM–CFD approach and particularly the validity of the above drag model, although the results available may also prove very useful to investigate the prevailing mechanisms. To analyze a sufficiently broad variety of cases, involving different solid species, size ratios and operating conditions, three systems selected amongst the published literature are considered. The comparison of simulation and experimental observation is carried out in terms of overall bed and mixed layer interface heights, voidage and component distributions along bed height and time evolution of the species centers of mass. Simulations with liquid velocities below, above and at the critical inversion conditions are carried out. Additionally, simulations using a drag force model traditionally used for monodisperse beds are reported for comparison. The results not only demonstrate the importance of correctly accounting for the local size distribution in the bed, but also prove the validity of the overall computational approach. The predictions of the simulations are in good to excellent agreement with experiments, depending on the system considered, both in terms of critical velocity and, most notably, expansion of the individual components in the bed. The analysis of the hydrodynamics in the bed allows to investigate the local particle flow field, highlighting the presence of a steady irregular motion of the solids in apparently chaotic vortices continuously forming and disappearing, which is thought to be the mechanism responsible for mixing. The fluid–particle interaction forces exhibit a constant profile along bed height, even in the presence of a strongly non-uniform concentration profile.