Authoring Narrative Visualizations with Ellipsis

Data visualization is now a popular medium for journalistic storytelling. However, current visualization tools either lack support for storytelling or require significant technical expertise. Informed by interviews with journalists, we introduce a model of storytelling abstractions that includes state‐based scene structure, dynamic annotations and decoupled coordination of multiple visualization components. We instantiate our model in Ellipsis: a system that combines a domain‐specific language (DSL) for storytelling with a graphical interface for story authoring. User interactions are automatically translated into statements in the Ellipsis DSL. By enabling storytelling without programming, the Ellipsis interface lowers the threshold for authoring narrative visualizations. We evaluate Ellipsis through example applications and user studies with award‐winning journalists. Study participants find Ellipsis to be a valuable prototyping tool that can empower journalists in the creation of interactive narratives.     

Studies in pyrazines of some roasted cereal flours

Summary Roasted cereal flours of wheat, jowar, and ragi in combination with sugar, jaggery, or salt are used as emergency rations by the masses in India. A number of pyrazines were isolated and characterized by TLC, and UV and IR spectrophotometry. With the help of Dragendorff's reagent these could be detected and estimated down to 2.5 g and 5 g, respectively. In roasted wheat flour 2-methoxy-3methyl-, 2,3-dimethyl-, and 2-ethyl-3-methyl-pyrazines were predominant. In roasted jowar flour 2,3-dimethyl-, 2-ethoxy-3-isopropyl-, and 2-ethyl-5-methyl-pyrazine were maximum; whereas in roasted ragi flour pyrazine and 2-methylthio-3-isopropylpyrazine had the major contribution. The presence of alkylpyrazines in roasted flours could be a major factor contributing towards their aroma.

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Studien über Pyrazine in einigen gerösteten Getreidemehlen

Zusammenfassung Geröstete Getreidemehle aus Weizen, Jowar und Ragi in Kombination mit Zucker, Jaggery oder Salz werden als Notverpflegung des indischen Volkes gebraucht. Eine Zahl von Pyrazinen wurden durch TLC, UV- und IR-Spektrophotometrie isoliert und charakterisiert. Mit Hilfe des Dragendorffreagenses konnten diese nachgewiesen und bis herunter zu 2,5 bzw. 5 gg erfaßt werden. Im gerösteten Weizenmehl waren 2-Methoxy-3-methyl-, 2,3-Dimethyl-und 2-Äthyl-3-methyl-Pyrazine vorherrschend. Im gerösteten Jowarmehl waren 2,3-Dimethyl-, 2-äthoxy-3-isopropyl- und 2-Äthyl-3-methyl-Pyrazine maximal, dagegen in geröstetem Ragimehl waren es Pyrazin und 2-Methylthio-3-isopropyl-Pyrazin. Die Gegenwart von Alkylpyrazinen in gerösteten Mehlen dürfte zu deren Aroma hauptsächlich beitragen.

     

An insight into thermal and vibration cyclic energy harvesting using ferroelectric ceramics

This article reviews the basics of ferroelectric energy harvesting cycles based on thermal fluctuation and mechanical confinement. In this context, five cycles (Olsen cycle, Clamped Olsen cycle, Electro-Mechanical cycle, Thermally Biased Electro-Mechanical cycle and New Power cycle) are studied for two different compositions (0.94Bi_1/2Na_1/2TiO₃–0.06BaTiO₃: BNT–6BT; 0.91(Bi_1/2Na_1/2)TiO₃–0.07BaTiO₃–0.02K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃: BNT-BT-KNN;) which represents two distinct classes (based on domain wall rotation/motion) of ferroelectric materials. These can be classified as the composition with dominating impact of mechanical forces while the other is with ascendant thermal effects over the domain wall behavior.     

Resonant Terahertz InSb Waveguide Device for Sensing Polymers

We have demonstrated the possibility of employing a device, designed to operate at terahertz (THz) frequencies, for sensing materials. The device consists of a waveguide section with a pair of stubs located at the middle and oriented transversely to the waveguide axis. The two stubs function as a resonator and, hence, the device would behave as a filter in the THz domain. The device was fabricated by laser micromachining of InSb pellets and was characterized by THz time-domain transmission spectroscopy. For a waveguide width of 740 μm and stub length of 990 μm, a transmission minimum is seen to occur at 0.265 THz. We investigated the capability of the device to sense polystyrene, dissolved in toluene, loaded into the stubs. The consequent change in the refractive index in the stubs alters the transmitted signal intensity. Our results show that, a change in concentration of polystyrene even by 1 mol/L, leads to measurable change in the transmission coefficient close to the resonant frequency of the device. Thus, our device operating at THz frequencies shows promising potential as chemical and bio sensors.     

Influence of anode material on electrochemical oxidation for the treatment of tannery wastewater

The treatment of tannery wastewater by electrochemical oxidation, mediated by an electro-generated species was carried out under galvanostatic conditions in an electrochemical reactor equipped with anodes based on noble metals and metal oxides (Ti/Pt-Ir, Ti/PbO2, Ti/PdO-Co3O4 and Ti/RhO(x)-TiO2). The decrease in time of chemical oxygen demand, nitrogen (TKN and ammonia), Cr and sulphides was monitored. The study showed that the rate of pollutant removal was significantly influenced by the type of anode material and electrochemical parameters. Different mechanisms contributed to the removal of pollutants when the reactor operated under conditions close to the limiting current for chlorine evolution and under much higher current density, with the reactor performing better at a high current/voltage. The kinetic pseudo-first order model applied for the interpretation of the results showed that the Ti/Pt-Ir and Ti/PdO-Co3O4 anodes performed better than the other two electrodes under the majority of tested conditions, with the highest rate of removal obtained for ammonia (kinetic rate constant k=0.75 min(-1)). Electrochemical oxidation can be applied as a post-treatment after the conventional biological process in order to remove the residual ammonia with low energy consumption (0.4 kWh m(-3)).     

Supercritical CO2 extraction of fatty oil from flaxseed and comparison with screw press expression and solvent extraction processes

Flax oil is commonly used in food due to high percentage of omega-3-fatty acid and omega-6-fatty acid. In the present work the flax seed was extracted using green solvent viz. supercritical CO₂ and compared with soxhlet and mechanical screw press methods. The chemical compositions of the oils were determined by CHNS analyser, GC-FID, GC/MS and ¹H NMR. The supercritical CO₂ process selectively extracted the fatty oils with high percentage of omega-3-fatty acid and omega-6-fatty acids. The chemical composition of screw press oil is close to that of supercritical CO₂ extracted oil, whereas the yield is nearly 27% less in comparison to the supercritical CO₂ method.     

Simulation of ultrasonic phased array technique for imaging and sizing of defects using longitudinal waves

Phased array ultrasonics can be used as a rapid tool for imaging and sizing crack-like defects. This paper reports the simulation of phased array ultrasonic wave interaction with the defects using the finite-difference time domain (FDTD) method. Experiments were conducted to validate modeling results for pulse–echo simulations of the phased array transducer on a mild-steel (MS) pipe sample with circumferential internal surface notches of three different sizes. Experiments were carried out on the MS pipe specimen using a conventional ultrasonic technique with a 5 MHz transducer at 45° refracted angle within the specimen and the defects were imaged and sized using the relative arrival time technique (RATT). The experimental B-scans obtained using the conventional ultrasonic techniques were compared with the experimental B-scans obtained using the phased array instrument. Simulation studies were also carried out by steering the beam to the requisite angles by the phased array transducer to study the effect of various angles of incidence on the defect definition, i.e., with respect to imaging and sizing, using the RATT.     

Large barocaloric effect and pressure‐mediated electrocaloric effect in Pb0.99Nb0.02(Zr0.95Ti0.05)0.08O3 ceramics

Ferroelectric materials are being actively explored for next‐generation solid‐state cooling technology. Even though bulk materials possess an advantage in terms of overall heat extraction capacity, their performance is limited due to low adiabatic temperature change. In this regard, the present article explores enhanced cooling capacity of bulk polycrystalline Pb_0.99Nb_0.02(Zr_0.95Ti_0.05)_0.08O₃ (PNZT) through external‐field mediation and coupled caloric effects. Barocaloric (BC) and electrocaloric (EC) effects were indirectly estimated using polarization versus electric field (P‐E) loops (under varying pressure and temperature). It was observed that under applied pressure of 325 MPa, ΔT_EC could be improved from 1 K to 4.5 K. Similarly, a peak unbiased ΔT_BC of 1.5 K could be enhanced to 5.3 K under an electric field of 5 MV·m^?1. These figures correspond to an improvement of ~400% over the unbiased values. The results are indicative of the multicaloric cooling capacity of bulk ferroelectric materials.     

Liquid CO2 extraction of flowers and fractionation of floral concrete of Michelia champaca Linn

Extraction of the fresh flowers of Michelia champaca L. with liquid CO₂ provided a floral extract in 1.0 ± 0.04 wt% yields. The extract so obtained contains far less waxes and is organoleptically very superior. Similarly extraction with pentane gave the so-called ‘Concrete’ in 1.58 ± 0.06 wt%. While the concrete contains co-extracted floral waxes that make it unsuitable for blending with other perfumes, direct extraction with CO₂ is an expensive process mainly due to low bulk density of flowers and their availability during short flowering season. On the other hand, fractionation of the concrete with liquid CO₂ to separate the waxy components has provided solvent and almost wax free fractions. The duration of extractive fractionation has been optimized for selective extraction with liquid CO₂ at 62 bar. These liquid CO₂ fractions of concrete and liquid CO₂ extract of flowers were analyzed by GC and GC/MS and their composition compared with that of concrete and partially de-waxed absolute obtained in the conventional way. The major fragrance compounds enriched in the direct liquid CO₂ extract were methyl benzoate (11.5 ± 0.8%), phenyl ethyl alcohol (5.0 ± 0.6%), phenyl acetonitrile (10.4 ± 1.1%), indole (1.2 ± 0.3%), methyl anthranilate (1.3 ± 0.5%), E-β-ionone (1.5 ± 0.4%), and Z-methyl jasmonoate (1.0 ± 0.3%). The liquid CO₂ fractionation of concrete is a practical process and the first fraction is comparable with direct liquid CO₂ flower extract in terms of composition of the major compounds.