Search results for: mixed element
-
A Comparison of Empirical Correlations of Viscosity and Thermal Conductivity of Water-Ethylene Glycol-Al2O3 Nanofluids
PublicationBecause of their superb thermal conductivity, nanofluids are seen as new generation of cooling mediums in many engineering applications. It is well established that even a small amount of nanoparticles mixed with a base fluid may result in distinct thermal conductivity enhancement. On the other hand, addition of nanoparticles to the base fluid results in its substantial viscosity increase. Therefore, it is very dicult to evaluate...
-
Recent advances on the removal of phosphorus in aquatic plant-based systems
PublicationPhosphorus (P) is a vital nutrient for the ecosystems and its excess in wastewater streams leads to some environmental issues such as extensive algae growth (eutrophication). Phytoremediation is a green technology that is based on the combined actions of plants and their associated microbial groups to remove and transfer the toxic compounds in surface water, groundwater and soil. Aquatic plants are widely used for the remediation...
-
Design of a Shape-Memory-Alloy-Based Carangiform Robotic Fishtail with Improved Forward Thrust
PublicationShape memory alloys (SMAs) have become the most common choice for the development of mini- and micro-type soft bio-inspired robots due to their high power-to-weight ratio, ability to be installed and operated in limited space, silent and vibration-free operation, biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance properties. Moreover, SMA spring-type actuators are used for developing different continuum robots, exhibiting high degrees...
-
Scaling of signed residue numbers with mixed-radix conversion in FPGA with extended scaling factor selection
PublicationA scaling technique of signed residue numbers in FPGA is proposed. The technique is based on conversion of residue numbers to the Mixed-Radix System (MRS). The scaling factor is assumed to be a moduli product from the Residue Number System (RNS) base. Scaling is performed by scaling of MRS terms, the subsequent generation of residue representations of scaled terms, binary addition of these representations and generation of residues...
-
The role of biodegradable particulate and colloidal organic compounds in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems
PublicationThe efficiency of denitrification and enhanced biological phosphorus removal in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems is strongly dependent on the availability of appropriate carbon sources. Due to high costs of commercial compounds (such as methanol, ethanol, acetic acid, etc.) and acclimation periods (usually) required, the effective use of internal substrates is preferred. The aim of this study was to determine...
-
Surface properties and photocatalytic activity of KTaO3, CdS, MoS2 semiconductors and their binary and ternary semiconductor composites
PublicationSingle semiconductors such as KTaO3, CdS MoS2 or their precursor solutions were combined to form novel binary and ternary semiconductor nanocomposites by the calcination or by the hydro/solvothermal mixed solutions methods, respectively. The aim of this work was to study the influence of preparation method as well as type and amount of the composite components on the surface properties and photocatalytic activity of the new semiconducting...
-
The influence of azide and imidazole on the properties of Mn- and Cd-based networks: conductivity and nonlinear phenomena
PublicationWe report a study on a family of four new Mn- and Cd-azide-imidazolate-based compounds with various crystal architectures. Notably, three of these compounds display noncentrosymmetric crystal arrangements at room temperature, a rare phenomenon in hybrid organic–inorganic materials. Both nonlinear optical (NLO) and electrical phenomena in these compounds are observed. The NLO processes include second and third harmonic generation,...
-
Study the impact of design method preference on the usefulness of concrete and on CO2 emissions
PublicationPurpose – The research investigates the impact of concrete design methods on performance, emphasizing environmental sustainability. The study compares the modified Bolomey method and Abrams’ law in designing concretes. Significant differences in cement consumption and subsequent CO2 emissions are revealed. The research advocates for a comprehensive life cycle assessment, considering factors like compressive strength, carbonation...
-
Water uptake kinetics and electrical transport in BaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.1M0.1O3−δ (M = Tb, Pr, Fe) protonic conductors
PublicationBaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.1M0.1O3−d (M = Fe, Pr, Tb) is a mixed conducting oxide in which three mobile charge carriers – oxygen ion, electron/hole, and protonic defects – are present. These types of materials have gained much interest as electrode materials for protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) and protonic ceramic electrolysis cells (PCECs). In this study, the water uptake and oxygen transport properties of different BaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.1M0.1O3−d...
-
Evaluation of electrosynthesized reduced graphene oxide–Ni/Fe/Co-based (oxy)hydroxide catalysts towards the oxygen evolution reaction
PublicationIn this work, the specific role of the addition of graphene oxide (GO) to state-of-the-art nickel–iron (NiFe) and cobalt–nickel–iron (CoNiFe) mixed oxides/hydroxides towards the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is investigated. Morphology, structure, and OER catalytic activity of the catalysts with and without GO were studied. The catalysts were fabricated via a two-step electrodeposition. The first step included the deposition...
-
Short-Term Observations of Rainfall Chemistry Composition in Bellsund (SW Spitsbergen, Svalbard)
PublicationGlobal warming results in increasingly widespread wildfires, mostly in Siberia, but also in North America and Europe, which are responsible for the uncontrollable emission of pollutants, also to the High Arctic region. This study examines 11 samples of rainfall collected in August in a coastal area of southern Bellsund (Svalbard, Norway). It covers detailed analysis of major ions (i.e., Cl−, NO3−, and SO42−) and elements (i.e.,...
-
FTIR, Raman spectroscopy and HT-XRD in compatibility study between naproxen and excipients
PublicationDetection of incompatibility between an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and excipients, including the selection of the most biopharmaceutical advantageous excipients is extremely important in the pre-formulation process of developing a solid dosage form technology. Therefore, having fast and reliable methods for identifying incompatibility is fundamental in pharmaceutical technology. For this purpose, combined Fourier transform...
-
Core–shell excitation of isoxazole at the C, N, and O K-edges – an experimental NEXAFS and theoretical TD-DFT study
PublicationThe near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of the gas-phase isoxazole molecule have been measured by collecting total ion yields at the C, N, and O K-edges. The spectral structures have been interpreted using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) with the short-range corrected SRC2-BLYP exchange–correlation functional. Experimental and calculated energies of core excitations are generally in good...
-
Multi-fidelity aerodynamic design trade-off exploration using point-by-point Pareto set identification
PublicationAerodynamic design is inherently a multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem. Determining the best possible trade-offs between conflicting aerodynamic objectives can be computationally challenging when carried out directly at the level of high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations. This paper presents a computationally cheap methodology for exploration of aerodynamic design trade-offs. In particular, point-by-point...
-
Risking It All or Here Comes the Flood
PublicationThe professional reality is interdisciplinary! When city transformation and evolution starts, what are the tools for successful strategies for urban interventions? How does digital planning for digital fabrication processes look like? How dedicated are the new professionals? And how does this all influence the future of bridge design? More than 60 students representing various disciplines of built environment and working together...
-
Impact of overloaded vehicles on load equivalency factors and service period of flexible pavements
PublicationOverloaded vehicles occur less frequently in comparison to properly loaded vehicles but due to their greater potential to cause damage they significantly contribute to the distress of pavement structure. As the studies show, the phenomena of vehicles overloading intensifies when the control of traffic is poor and the average percentage of overloaded vehicles on analyzed roads varies from 6% to 23%. The main goal of the ar-ticle...
-
Wild oscillations in a nonlinear neuron model with resets: (II) Mixed-mode oscillations
PublicationThis work continues the analysis of complex dynamics in a class of bidimensional nonlinear hybrid dynamical systems with resets modeling neuronal voltage dynamics with adaptation and spike emission. We show that these models can generically display a form of mixed-mode oscillations (MMOs), which are trajectories featuring an alternation of small oscillations with spikes or bursts (multiple consecutive spikes). The mechanism by...
-
Expedite EM-driven generation of Pareto-optimal trade-off curves for variable-turn on-chip inductors
PublicationThis work presents a novel approach to computationally efficient Pareto front identification for variable-turn on-chip inductors. The final outcome is a set of solutions that correspond to the best trade-offs between conflicting design objectives. Here, we consider minimising inductor area and, simultaneously, maximising its quality factor, while maintaining a specified inductance value at a given operating frequency. As opposed...
-
Digits Recognition with Quadrant Photodiode and Convolutional Neural Network
PublicationIn this paper we have investigated the capabilities of a quadrant photodiode based gesture sensor in the recognition of digits drawn in the air. The sensor consisting of 4 active elements, 4 LEDs and a pinhole was considered as input interface for both discrete and continuous gestures. Index finger and a round pointer were used as navigating mediums for the sensor. Experiments performed with 5 volunteers...
-
The bile salt content of human bile impacts on simulated intestinal proteolysis of β-lactoglobulin
PublicationThe gastrointestinal hydrolysis of food proteins has been portrayed in scientific literature to predominantly depend on the activity and specificity of proteolytic enzymes. Human bile has not been considered to facilitate proteolysis in the small intestine, but rather to assist in intestinal lipolysis. However, human bile can potentially influence proteins that are largely resistant to gastric digestion, and which are mainly hydrolysed...
-
Interactions between polyphenolic antioxidants quercetin and naringenin dictate the distinctive redox-related chemical and biological behaviour of their mixtures
PublicationFood synergy concept is suggested to explain observations that isolated antioxidants are less bioactive than real foods containing them. However, mechanisms behind this discrepancy were hardly studied. Here, we demonstrate the profound impact of interactions between two common food flavonoids (individual: aglycones quercetin—Q and naringenin—N− or their glycosides rutin—R and naringin—N+ vs. mixed: QN− and RN+) on their electrochemical...
-
Technology and democracy: the who and how in decision-making. The cases of Estonia and Catalonia
PublicationThis paper focuses on the use of technology to improve democracy, comparing the cases of Estonia and Catalonia. Both examples are closely related in their use of technology to further democratize the decision-making processes but have opposite starting points. Estonia’s internet voting system is an offshoot of the comprehensive e-governance system developed by the Estonian government. It is meant to make it more convenient for...
-
The Effect of Cobalt Incorporation into Nickel–Iron Oxide/(oxy)hydroxide Catalyst on Electrocatalytic Performance Toward Oxygen Evolution Reaction
PublicationThis work presents a study on the influence of the addition of cobalt into state-of-the-art nickel–iron (NiFe) mixed oxides/hydroxides/(oxy)hydroxides on their structural and morphological properties, and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic activity. A one-step electrodeposition process is performed without any additives to fabricate NiFe and x cobalt-doped nickel/iron (xCoNiFe) layer-double-hydroxide catalysts directly on...
-
Improvement of Oxygen Electrode Performance of Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Cells by Spray Pyrolysis Deposited Active Layers
PublicationIntermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells oxygen electrodes are modified by active interfacial layers. Spray pyrolysis is used to produce thin (≈500 nm) layers of mixed ionic and electronic conductors: Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ (SSC), La0.6Sr0.4CoO3−δ (LSC), La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ (LSCF), and Pr6O11 (PrOx) on the electrode–electrolyte interface. The influence of the annealing temperature on the electrode polarization (area specific...
-
Glass-ceramic sealants and steel interconnects: accelerated interfacial stability and reactivity tests at high temperature
PublicationHigh-temperature reactions between glass-ceramic sealants and Fe-Cr alloy interconnects may lead to the formation of undesirable phases, and consequently degradation of solid oxide fuel/electrolyser devices. In this work, three different glass-ceramic sealants (Na-containing, Ba-containing, Sr-containing compositions) and Fe22Cr stainless steel powders (raw and pre-oxidised) are considered in order to test their chemical reactivity...
-
Autocorrelation function for the chosen effective potential of the diatomic silver anion
Open Research DataThe process of a two-channel decay of the diatomic silver anion (Ag2-), namely the spontaneous electron ejection giving Ag2 + e- and the dissociation leading to Ag- + Ag is theoretically studied. The ground state potential energy curves (PECs) of the neutral silver dimer and anionic silver diatomic molecule are calculated using the single reference...
-
Classification of submandibular salivary stones based on ultrastructural studies
PublicationIntroduction: Sialolithiasis remains a clinical problem with unclear etiopathogenesis, lack of prevention methods, and only surgical treatment. Materials and methods: An ultrastructure examination of submandibular sialoliths obtained from patients with chronic sialolithiasis was conducted using a scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron...
-
Exploring the Solubility Limits of Edaravone in Neat Solvents and Binary Mixtures: Experimental and Machine Learning Study
PublicationThis study explores the edaravone solubility space encompassing both neat and binary dissolution media. Efforts were made to reveal the inherent concentration limits of common pure and mixed solvents. For this purpose, the published solubility data of the title drug were scrupulously inspected and cured, which made the dataset consistent and coherent. However, the lack of some important types of solvents in the collection called...
-
Numerical Study of the Impinging Jets Formed by an Injector with Different Nozzle Diameters
PublicationThe collision of two or more liquid jets may provide considerable atomisation and efficient mixing of injected substances at the same time. This phenomenon is used, among others, in rocket engines, where the fuel and oxidiser are introduced separately and almost immediately mixed through self-impingement. Depending on the injection and operating conditions, diverse configurations of impinging jets are used, such as doublets,...
-
Kriging-assisted hybrid reliability design and optimization of offshore wind turbine support structure based on a portfolio allocation strategy
PublicationIn recent years, offshore wind power generation technology has developed rapidly around the world, making important contributions to the further development of renewable energy. When designing an Offshore Wind Turbine (OWT) system, the uncertainties in parameters and different types of constraints need to be considered to find the optimal design of these systems. Therefore, the Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO) method...
-
Polaronic and Mott insulating phase of layered magnetic vanadium trihalide VCl3
PublicationTwo-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnetic 3d-transition metal trihalides are a new class of functional materials showing exotic physical properties useful for spintronic and memory storage applications. In this article, we report the synthesis and electromagnetic characterization of single-crystalline vanadium trichloride, VCl 3 , a novel 2D layered vdW Mott insulator, which has a rhombohedral structure (R3, No. 148) at...
-
What drives sustainable investing? Adoption determinants of sustainable investing exchange-traded funds in Europe
PublicationDespite the growing interest in various topics related to sustainable (ESG) investing, some issues remain understudied, such as the determinants of their utilization at the macro level. This paper contributes to the state of knowledge two-directionally. First, it shows the development of sustainable investing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in European countries. Second, it traces the significant determinants of adopting sustainable...
-
MODELING THE pH EFFECTS ON NITROGEN REMOVAL IN THE ANAMMOX-ENRICHED GRANULAR SLUDGE
PublicationThe aim of the study was to determine the pH effects on nitrogen removal in the anammox-enriched 10 granular sludge. The experimental data were extracted from a 4L completely-mixed batch reactor with the 11 granular sludge at different initial pH values (6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5) and constant temperature 12 T=30℃. Simulations were run in GPS-X 6.4 using a comprehensive mechanistic model Mantis2. Two 13 kinetic parameters,...
-
Microstructure and corrosion behaviour of carbon steel and ferritic and austenitic stainless steels in NaCl solutions and the effect of p-nitrophenyl phosphate disodium salt
PublicationThe microstructure and corrosion behavior of carbon steel (CSA516) and ferritic (SS410) and austenitic (SS304L) stainless steels were studied and compared. Corrosion tests were carried out in 0.5 M NaCl solutions. Rates of corrosion were monitored based on weight loss, Tafel extrapolation and linear polarization resistance (LPR) methods. Rates of corrosion were ranked following the order: CSA516 >> SS410 > SS304L. The impact of...
-
Silicon oxycarbide ceramics as anodes for lithium ion batteries: influence of carbon content on lithium storage capacity
PublicationWe report here on the synthesis and characterization of silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) in view of its application as a potential anode material for Li-ion batteries. SiOC ceramics are obtained by pyrolysis of various polysiloxanes synthesized by sol–gel methods. The polysiloxanes contain different organic groups attached to silicon, which influence the chemical composition and the microstructure of the final ceramic product. The structure...
-
Composite Materials Based on Polymer-Derived SiCN Ceramic and Disordered Hard Carbons as Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries
PublicationNew composite materials based on polymer-derived SiCN ceramics and hard carbons were studied in view of its application as anodes for lithium-ion batteries. Two kinds of composites were prepared by pyrolysis of the preceramic polysilazane (HTT1800, Clariant) at 1000 °C in Ar atmosphere mixed with hard carbons derived from potato starch (HC_PS) or with a hard carbon precursor, namely potato starch (PS), denoted as HTT/HC_PS and...
-
Modeling the pH effects on nitrogen removal in the anammox-enriched granular sludge
PublicationThe aim of the study was to determine the pH effects on nitrogen removal in the anammox-enriched granular sludge. The experimental data were extracted from a 4L completely-mixed batch reactor with the granular sludge at different initial pH values (6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5) and constant temperature T=30℃. Simulations were run in GPS-X 6.4 using a comprehensive mechanistic model Mantis2. Two kinetic parameters, including...
-
Perfectly Wetting Mixtures of Surfactants from Renewable Resources: The Interaction and Synergistic Effects on Adsorption and Micellization
PublicationThis paper presents a study of the surface properties of mixtures of surfactants originating from renewable sources, i.e., alkylpolyglucoside (APG), ethoxylated fatty alcohol (AE), and sodium soap (Na soap). The main objective was to optimize the surfactant ratio which produces the highest wetting properties during the analysis of the solution of the individual surfactants, twoand three-component mixtures, and at different pH values....
-
MINERAL MATTER IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
PublicationMunicipal solid waste (MSW) contains mineral materials which are seldom considered as a potential resource. Currently, the waste management sector pays attention to recyclable parts, biodegradable material, waste-to-energy fraction, and residues after waste reuse and recycle. In contrast, this study focus as on the mineral matter in MSW. The aim was to analyze and discuss the sources of mineral matter in MSW, the impact which the...
-
Preparation of MnCo2O4 and Mn1.7CuFe0.3O4 single-layer, and novel MnCo2O4/ Mn1.7CuFe0.3O4 dual-layer spinel protective coatings on complex-shaped metallic interconnects by EPD method
PublicationCeramic protective coatings applied to metallic interconnects play a vital role in solid oxide cells (SOCs) preventing interconnect degradation. In this study, uniform, dense, and crack-free single-layer coatings of MnCo2O4, Mn1.7CuFe0.3O4, and dual-layer coatings of MnCo2O4/ Mn1.7CuFe0.3O4 spinel are deposited onto complex-shaped metallic interconnect using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. The porosity of sintered MnCo2O4...
-
Detecting type of hearing loss with different AI classification methods: a performance review
PublicationHearing is one of the most crucial senses for all humans. It allows people to hear and connect with the environment, the people they can meet and the knowledge they need to live their lives to the fullest. Hearing loss can have a detrimental impact on a person's quality of life in a variety of ways, ranging from fewer educational and job opportunities due to impaired communication to social withdrawal in severe situations. Early...
-
Electrochemical cobalt oxidation in chloride media
PublicationThe green transition, despite recent advances in cobalt-free battery technologies, is still highly dependent on the availability of critical cobalt-based materials. Consequently, there has been increasing interest towards the development of new methods that maximize critical metals recovery from industrial hydrometallurgical solutions. In the current study, direct anodic oxidation of cobalt species from cobalt chloride solutions...
-
An investigation of microstructural basis for corrosion behavior of Al-CNT composites fabricated by SPS
PublicationIn this research effect of the addition of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as additive powder on microstructure and corrosion behavior of fabricated Al-CNT composites was studied. The aluminum powder and CNTs were mixed with high energy planetary ball-mill. It is observed that by increasing milling time, the uniformity of CNTs on aluminum matrix and consequently corrosion resistance of Al-CNT composite is increased. On the...
-
Chemical Pressure Tuning Magnetism from Pyrochlore to Triangular Lattices
PublicationGeometrically frustrated lattices combined with magnetism usually host quantum fluctuations that suppress magnetic orders and generate highly entangled ground states. Three-dimensionally (3D) frustrated magnets generally exist in the diamond and pyrochlore lattices, while two-dimensionally (2D) frustrated geometries contain Kagomé, triangular, and honeycomb lattices. In this work, we reported using chemical pressure to tune the magnetism...
-
Modeling the application of steel slag in stabilizing expansive soil
PublicationThe objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of steel slag as an additive to the engineering properties of weak clay soil. Different geotechnical laboratory tests were conducted on both stabilized and natural soils. Steel slag (SS) was added at a rate of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% to the soil. Specific gravity, grain size analysis, Atterberg limit test, compaction test, free swell, California bearing ratio (CBR),...
-
New nanoadsorbent based on magnetic iron oxide containing 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane in outer chain (Fe3O4@SiO2-cyclen) for adsorption and removal of selected heavy metal ions Cd2+, Pb2+, Cu2+
PublicationMagnetic Fe3O4@SiO2-cyclen nanoparticles were prepared and used as adsorbent for Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ from aqueous solution removal process controlled with differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) and hanging mercury drop electrode (HDME). Nanomaterial was synthesised in three-step process co-precipitation of Fe3O4 core, coating with silane and N-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1-carboxamide...
-
Properties of an innovative multi-functional finish for the improvement of indoor air quality
PublicationDue to lifestyle changes, people spend most of their time indoors at present; thus, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a matter of utmost importance. Multi-functional and innovative finishes can help to passively improve the IAQ, benefitting the health and comfort of occupants. For this study, reference and pre-mixed commercial mortars are compared to a new multi-functional hydraulic lime mortar for indoor finishes, in which conventional...
-
Structural motifs in the Cu(II), Mn(II) and Zn(II) complexes based on N,N,N-donor dipodal or N,N,N,N-donor tripodal ligands obtained in situ: Synthesis, crystal structures and xanthine oxidase inhibition properties
PublicationA series of four novel transition metal complexes, [Cu(NCS)2L1] (1), [Mn(NCS)2L1] (2) where L1 = bis(1-(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methyl)amine, [Mn(NCS)2L2] (3) and [Zn(NCS)L2]2[Zn(NCS)4] (4) where L2 = tris(1-(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methyl)amine, has been obtained in situ by a one-step, one-pot synthetic path starting from 1-hydroxymethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazole (L). The isolated complexes were fully characterised by elemental analysis,...
-
Amides as models to study the hydration of proteins and peptides — spectroscopic and theoretical approach on hydration in various temperatures
PublicationInteractions with water are one of the key factors which determine protein stability and activity in aqueous solutions. However, the protein hydration is still insufficiently understood. N-methylacetamide (NMA) is regarded as a minimal part of the peptide backbone and the relative simplicity of its structure makes it a good model for studies on protein–water interactions. In this paper, the influence of NMA and N,N-dimethylacetamide...
-
Strategies for mitigating nitrous oxide production and decreasing the carbon footprint of a full-scale combined nitrogen and phosphorus removal activated sludge system
PublicationNitrous oxide (N2O) emitted from biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems contributes significantly to the total carbon footprint of modern wastewater treatment plants. In the present study, N2O production and emissions were experimentally determined in a large-scale plant (220,000 PE) employing combined nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal. As a modelling tool, the Activated Sludge Model 2d (ASM2d) was extended...