Effective Medium Research Articles

Pengaruh Penambahan Minyak Nabati pada Media Tumbuh terhadap Pertumbuhan Cendawan Entomopatogen Lecanicillium lecanii

Pest attacks are one of the challenges frequently encountered in rice cultivation. Effective and environmentally friendly control can be achieved with the entomopathogenic fungus Lecanicillium lecanii. The addition of vegetable oils such as peanut oil and castor oil can enhance the growth and development of the entomopathogenic fungus. This study aims to find the corn growth medium with the addition of vegetable oils that provides the best effect for the growth of the entomopathogenic fungus L. lecanii. The method used is a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with a single factor consisting of 7 treatments with 4 replications: Control (Corn Medium); T1 (Corn + Peanut Oil 2 ml); T2 (Corn + Peanut Oil 5 ml); T3 (Corn + Peanut Oil 10 ml); J1 (Corn + Castor Oil 2 ml); J2 (Corn + Castor Oil 5 ml); J3 (Corn + Castor Oil 10 ml). The results of this study indicate that the addition of vegetable oils to the corn growth medium has a significant effect on the growth of the entomopathogenic fungus L. lecanii. The most effective growth medium for L. lecanii is corn medium + 10 ml peanut oil, providing an incubation period of 1 days and a colony diameter of 8.00 cm.

Anisotropic induced polarization modeling with neural networks and effective medium theory

Interpreting three-dimensional induced polarization (IP) data requires rock physics models that reflect the omnipresent anisotropy of the Earth’s crust. The Generalized Effective Medium Theory of Induced Polarization (GEMTIP) can model the IP signatures of rocks with polarizable mineral inclusions. However, it is computationally demanding because it requires numerically solving the depolarization tensors of each inclusion. We aim to streamline GEMTIP simulations by (1) integrating anisotropic background conductivity and triaxial ellipsoidal inclusions in the model and (2) estimating the depolarization tensors with a neural network. We validate the neural network predictions against known solutions for spherical and spheroidal inclusions, and we test our method using data from an actual rock sample. The neural network shows a relative sensitivity of 56% to inclusion shape and 44% to host rock anisotropy and is up to 100,000 times faster than numerical integration. We release the pre-trained neural network implementation as an open-source Python package, thereby providing a new method to interpret the IP signatures of anisotropic rocks.

Assessing the potential impact of an oral health education package integrated with augmented reality in improving oral health knowledge in children: a pre-post study design.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Augmented reality (AR) technology provides a novel approach to oral health education. This study examines the impact of AR-based educational tools on improving children's oral health knowledge, specifically assessing whether AR can significantly enhance knowledge compared to baseline. The primary objective is to determine if AR technology can increase oral health knowledge in children. Methods: This pre-experimental study used a pre-test and post-test design with a single group of 49 children aged 7 years. The AR-based tool was developed using the ADDIE model and implemented over two weeks. The effectiveness of the tool was assessed through a standardized oral health knowledge questionnaire, and data were analyzed using paired t-tests. Results: The results showed a significant increase in children's knowledge after the intervention, with mean scores rising from 5.27 (SD = 1.36) to 8.65 (SD = 0.9) (p < 0.05). The proportion of children with good knowledge increased from 8.2% to 88% post-intervention. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that AR-based tools can significantly improve children's oral health knowledge. This suggests that AR could be an effective educational medium in promoting better oral health practices among young learners.

Developing and Evaluating SEE-Diabetes: A Patient-Centered Educational Decision Support System for Diabetes Care.

This feasibility study evaluated the effectiveness of Support-Engage-Empower-Diabetes (SEE-Diabetes), a patient-centered educational tool designed to promote shared decision-making of diabetes management in older adults. We aimed to assess SEE-Diabetes's ability to facilitate patient engagement and collaborative goal setting, as measured by the Observational Patient Involvement (OPTION) scale and Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-Doc). We hypothesized that these instruments would effectively differentiate between healthcare providers who actively leveraged SEE-Diabetes to guide patient-centric conversations and set goals compared to those who did not. SEE-Diabetes, developed through a 4-year user-centered design process, was employed in simulated clinical encounters at the University of Missouri Health Care. We conducted an analysis of 12 clinical encounters using video recordings. This analysis involved three simulated patients and four providers, two internals and two externals, utilizing a mixed-methods approach. We assessed the decision-making process using SEE-Diabetes by SDM-Q-Doc, OPTION scale, and conversation analysis. The average scores for the SDM-Q-Doc and the OPTION scale, out of a possible 100, were 52.6 and 75.9, respectively. Our findings revealed that active provider engagement with SEE-Diabetes during patient interactions served as an effective medium to facilitate shared decision-making and to set patient-centered goals. Providers who actively utilized SEE-Diabetes to guide conversations, ask open-ended questions, and incorporate patient input into goal setting demonstrated significantly higher OPTION and SDM-Q-Doc scores compared to those who used the tool less frequently or primarily for documentation purposes. Providers expressed positive feedback, highlighting its conciseness, patient-centricity, and optimism about integrating SEE-Diabetes into their future practices. SEE-Diabetes showed considerable promise in improving interactions between patients and providers, presenting an innovative approach to diabetes management for older adults. This tool has the potential to not only close communication gaps but also enable patients to take a more active role in their healthcare decisions.

Strategi Memikat Hati Publik; Membentuk Citra dan Opini Publik di Lembaga Pendidikan Islam

In an increasingly complex digital era, Islamic educational institutions face the challenge of building a positive image and favorable public opinion. This study aims to analyze effective strategies for shaping the image and public opinion of Islamic educational institutions, with the research questions: what is meant by building image and public opinion in the context of Islamic educational institutions, and what strategies can be implemented to foster public trust? The methodology employed is a literature review, including tool preparation and critical analysis of relevant literature. The findings indicate that building a positive image requires high integrity, quality service, trusted leadership, and the application of educational exhibitions as an effective communication medium. Six main strategies that can be implemented include honesty in communication, provision of quality services, strengthening leadership, developing human resources, applying competitive strategies, and utilizing educational exhibitions. Success in building a positive image not only enhances the institution's reputation but also contributes to increased attractiveness and public trust, enabling Islamic educational institutions to establish harmonious relationships with the community and support sustainable institutional growth. This research is expected to provide insights for the managers of Islamic educational institutions in implementing appropriate strategies.

Treating Waste with Waste: Activated Bauxite Residue (ABR) as a Potential Wastewater Treatment.

Bauxite residue (or red mud) is a highly alkaline waste generated during the extraction of alumina. As a result of the substantial accumulation of bauxite residue in tailings facilities, there is a growing interest in exploring the potential for reusing this material for other purposes. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the use of activated bauxite residue (ABR) for remediating oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) and as a supplement to municipal wastewater treatment through bench-scale, proof-of-concept studies. The ABR is produced through a reduction roasting process that alters the physicochemical properties of bauxite residue, resulting in the generation of potentially effective adsorbent media. The treatment performance via chemical and biological activity removals (cytotoxicity, estrogenicity, and mutagenicity) was also assessed. For OSPW, ABR treatment resulted in the effective removal of recalcitrant acid-extractable organics (AEOs), with kinetics following the pseudo-second-order and comparable adsorption capacity to other waste materials (e.g., petroleum coke). ABR also effectively reduced the estrogenicity and mutagenicity of OSPW, albeit cytotoxicity increased at higher dosages, possibly due to some components leaching out of the material (e.g., metals). For municipal wastewater, ABR treatment reduced fecal coliform concentrations (>99%), total phosphorus (up to 98%), total ammonia-nitrogen (63%), estrogenicity (nondetectable), and mutagenicity (nondetectable), especially in the primary effluent. The ultimate end use of ABR is for the recovery of valuable metals (especially iron) and as a construction material, but additional work is needed to optimize the dosage (currently in the g/L range) and maximize the use of ABR as an adsorbent prior to its subsequent uses.

Effective medium theory for viscoelasticity of soft jammed solids

The viscoelastic properties of soft jammed solids, such as foams, emulsions, and soft colloids, have been extensively studied in experiments. A particular focus has been placed on the phenomenon of anomalous viscous loss, characterized by a storage modulus and a loss modulus , where ω represents the frequency of the applied strain. In this work, we aim to develop a microscopic theory that explains these experimental observations. Our approach is based on effective medium theory (EMT), also referred to as coherent potential approximation theory. By incorporating the effects of contact damping, a key characteristic of soft jammed solids, into the EMT, we offer new insights into the viscoelastic behavior of these materials. The theory not only explains the observed viscoelastic properties but also links the anomalous viscous loss to the marginal stability inherent in amorphous systems. This research lays the groundwork for a microscopic theory that effectively describes the impact of damping on soft jammed solids and their characteristic viscoelastic behaviors.

Analysis of the radiative corrections and dynamic extensions to the local field in the effective refractive index of particle suspensions

We analyze the predictions of two recently developed effective-medium approximations for the effective refractive index of a system of either transparent or plasmonic spherical particles, dispersed randomly in a transparent liquid matrix, as a function of their geometrical and physical parameters. The importance and significance of these approximations is that besides the radiative corrections to the optical response of the particles, they include full dynamic corrections to the field exciting any given particle. We perform this analysis by comparing the values obtained using them with the ones obtained from three well-known and widely used effective-medium approximations: Maxwell Garnett, Maxwell Garnett-Mie and van de Hulst. We provide plots of the real and imaginary parts of the effective index of refraction, for the five approximations considered, for polystyrene and gold nanoparticles of different sizes, as a function of the filling fraction and wavelength, pointing out the relevance of the new predictions, as well as the actual physical processes behind the so-called dependent scattering and what we now call dependent absorption.

Improving interfacial thermal transport in silicon-reinforced epoxy resin composites with self-assembled monolayers

Epoxy resin (EP) based composite materials, due to their advantages such as light weight, ease of processing, and mechanical properties, have been widely applied across thermal packaging field. However, the overall thermal conductivity is constrained by the interfacial thermal resistance between the filler and the substrate. Existing studies suggest that self-assembled monolayers (SAM) can enhance the interfacial thermal conductance (ITC) by forming covalent bonds. Nevertheless, limited research has focused on using SAM to form bilateral covalent bonds to regulate ITC. Therefore, SAM capable of forming bilateral covalent bonds at the EP/silicon (Si) interface were employed to enhance ITC. In this study, time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to investigate the EP/SAM/Si system. The results demonstrate that SAM-NH2 modification, which forms bilateral covalent bonds at the EP/Si interface, increased the interfacial adhesion strength and enhanced ITC to 140%, thereby significantly promoting interfacial heat transfer. Conversely, ITC was reduced with SAM-CH3 due to the formation of single covalent bond. Subsequently, the differential effective medium (DEM) model was used to determine that the thermal conductivity of the composite modified with SAM-NH2 was improved by 11%. This study provides new insights into adjusting ITC using SAM.

Superheated steam technology: Recent developments and applications in food industries.

Studies focused on superheated steam technology in the field of food processing have progressed rapidly over the past several decades, and this can be attributed to its remarkable heat transfer efficiency, energy-saving benefits, and environmentally friendly characteristics when compared to those of conventional thermal processing methods. Consequently, superheated steam technology holds great promise for a wider range of applications in the food industry. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the use of superheated steam technology in food processing and its impact on food quality, texture, and microbiological safety. Superheated steam is an effective thermal processing medium for tasks such as food drying, microbial decontamination, reducing the formation of toxic compounds, and enhancing the overall food quality. During superheated steam processing, the products exhibit improved flavor, color, and texture, heightened safety, and better retention of nutritional and bioactive ingredients. Additionally, the limitations and future development trends of superheated steam technology are discussed. Although the commercial adoption of superheated steam technology is still in its early stages, recent advancements suggest a promising future for its integration into the food industry.

Geometric structure and electronic properties of bilayer graphene with a Moire superlattice by interlayer asymmetric tensile strain

Using the density functional theory combined with the effective screening medium method, we investigated the energetics and electronic properties of bilayer graphene, comprising graphene layers without and with tensile strain. An interlayer interaction does not affect the structural reconstruction of each graphene layer despite the bilayer structure possessing a Moire superlattice. The structural asymmetry between the graphene layers causes a potential difference across the layers, leading to electron and hole doping in the layers without and with the tensile strain. Accumulated carriers show unique lateral distribution in each graphene layer, which depends on the interlayer atomic arrangements.

Facebook and Consumer Research: A Review, AI‐Driven Thematic Visualisation, and Research Agenda

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the evolution of academic consumer research on Facebook by consolidating the existing body of literature. The study consists of 336 papers on the topic of Facebook and consumers, published in top journals between 2008 and 2023, sourced via Scopus. The data collection followed the PRISMA framework, and bibliometric analysis was conducted using descriptive and performance analyses with the aid of data tabulation software. Additionally, natural language processing (NLP) and thematic analysis of the data were conducted via text mining, topic modelling and data visualisation with Leximancer—an artificial intelligence (AI)‐based programme. The results revealed that, over the 15‐year time period, and most prominently in the last 5 years, there has been a noticeable shift in consumer research on Facebook in line with the evolution of the social media platform itself. The paper identifies evident gaps in the literature via thematic analysis of future research suggestions and managerial implications emergent from the data. It proposes specific future research directions for academic researchers to explore. Practitioners are provided insights corresponding to consumer‐centric and effective social media marketing strategies.

Analysis and mitigation of erosion wear of transfer ducts in a falling particle CSP system

Solid particles are effective heat capture and transfer media for next-generation (Gen3) concentrating solar power (CSP) plants that offer high-temperature operability, lower levelized cost, and higher efficiency. However, the relative motion of the solid particles with respect to the CSP system components causes significant wear of the wall materials in the form of erosion and abrasion. The transfer duct is one of the prevalent components in the falling particle CSP system that experiences erosion wear due to the impact of particles on its surface, which depends on several factors, such as duct design, material, and particle flow rate, among others. In this work, erosion wear in the transfer duct and its mitigation were studied computationally through different duct designs and particle flow parameters, including transfer duct length, diameter, slanted angle of the duct, and entrance velocity. Computational simulations based on particle tracking and discrete element modeling were used to understand erosion behavior systematically and, in turn, identify areas most prone to erosive wear. It was found that the use of erosion-resistant coatings in selected locations determined from the simulations was sufficient to mitigate overall erosion wear in the component. This study provides fundamental insight into the erosion wear of a key component of the falling particle CSP system for the first time and the design approaches to mitigate wear.

An application of the DEM-FFT method to predict the thermal conductivity of high burnup fragmented fuel

Understanding Fuel Fragmentation, Relocation and Dispersal (FFRD) phenomena is a major item to predict the behavior of fuel rods in the event of a Pressurized Water Reactor loss-of-coolant hypothetical scenario. In order to introduce an effective medium for fragmented fuel that could be used in fuel performance codes, the heat transfer properties of UO2 granular beds in He-Kr-Xe mixes was studied numerically. The Discrete Element Method was first used to compute the spatial arrangement of powder only submitted to gravity with a representative granulometric distribution. These generated geometries were then transformed into a 3D grid (voxelized) to perform numerical homogenization and compute their effective properties using a Fast Fourier Transform solver for heat transfer. Different hypotheses were made in the voxelation process about how the treatment of gas-solid and solid-solid interfaces, which in turn provided different estimates of the effective properties. Due to limits on the discretization and extended particle size distributions, a two-scale scheme was introduced and numerically tested against direct computations. For several beds, computed thermal conductivities were compared to analytical models for granular materials. Some heat transfer properties of fragmented fuel at several burnups were then computed, taking into account approximations for Knudsen and radiation size effects.

Enhancing Pancasila Character Traits through Innovative Science E-Books: A Digital Approach to Values Education

This research aims to improve the practice of Pancasila character values through the use of Innovative Science E-Book with digital approach in learning. By integrating Pancasila values into various science topics, this E-Book is expected to strengthen students' understanding of values such as Indonesian Unity, Social Justice, Humanity, God Almighty, and Democracy. The results showed a significant increase in the practice of Pancasila values after the use of the E-Book, especially in the aspects of Indonesian Unity and Social Justice. The E-Book was also considered very suitable for the curriculum, easy to use, and effective in increasing student engagement and understanding. In conclusion, the digital approach through the Innovative Science E-Book proved to be an effective medium in Pancasila character education in schools, making it a relevant and powerful tool in the modern educational context

Integration of Calculator.oi Application in Improving Mathematics Learning Outcomes of Students in Elementary Schools

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Calculator.oi application integration in improving students' mathematics learning outcomes in Elementary Schools. This study focused on fourth-grade students at SDN 22 Ketapang and used a quantitative approach with an experimental method. In this study, the experimental method was applied to compare the differences in students' learning outcomes before and after using the Calculator.oi application. Learning outcome data were collected and analyzed using the Wilcoxon test, after the normality test showed that the data were not normally distributed. The results showed a significant increase in students' mathematics learning outcomes after using the Calculator.oi application. Analysis of the differences between pre-test and post-test scores revealed that all students experienced significant progress in their understanding and achievement in mathematics. The significance value obtained from the statistical test was below 0.05, indicating that this application had a significant positive impact and was effective in improving students' learning outcomes. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the Calculator.oi application be integrated more widely into the mathematics learning process in Elementary Schools. The use of this application is considered an innovative and effective learning medium in supporting the understanding of mathematical concepts. Further research is recommended to involve a larger sample size and different class variations in order to obtain more comprehensive and representative results. In addition, exploration of students' perceptions regarding the use of this application as a learning tool is also important. This will provide a deeper understanding of how the Calculator.oi application can be accepted and utilized in a broader learning context.

Water Quality Analysis of Water Bodies of Karwi Chitrakoot

Water has the ability to dissolve most substances and all living organisms depend on it in their living whether these organisms are plants or animals. Groundwater is the cheapest and most practical means of providing water to small communities and it is superior to surface water because the ground itself provides an effective filtering medium. The present study focused to assess the probable ground water predicts zone of defined area as Karwi Block part of Chitrakoot District, Uttar Pradesh India. This study assessed groundwater quality across selected stations. pH ranged from 6.82 to 7.80 (WHO limit: 6.5- 8.5), and EC from 695-1800 mg/l, with only S2 exceeding the BIS limit (800 mg/l). Turbidity varied from 0-9.9 NTU. Total hardness (332-884 mg/l) and calcium hardness (53.1-505.1 mg/l) were within BIS limits, while magnesium exceeded the limit (35 mg/l) at S2 and S4. Chloride (40.52-325.3 mg/l), sulphate (61-113.62 mg/l), total solids (440-1410 mg/l), and total dissolved solids (435-1400 mg/l) met permissible standards. The groundwater is mostly safe for consumption, except for elevated magnesium levels at some stations.

Pemanfaatan Multimedia Pembelajaran Interaktif bagi Guru PAUD

The aim of this research is to find out an overview of the use of interactive multimedia learning for PAUD teachers. This research uses the library research method or literature review. Data was obtained through 9 scientific articles related to the use of multimedia, interactive learning, PAUD teachers. Data was analyzed using content analysis. The research results show that the use of interactive multimedia in learning can also increase understanding, positive emotions and behavior of PAUD children during the learning process. In conclusion, multimedia can be useful in increasing interaction between teachers and students in PAUD in the learning process. The implication of this research is to provide an understanding of the importance of improving teacher competence, especially in preparing interesting, innovative, efficient and effective learning media in accordance with the growth and development of early childhood in PAUD.

Development of Animation Video Learning Media to Improve Class XI Science Students’ Understanding

This research and development (R&D) aim to produce valid, practical and effective animated video learning media. The research subjects are divided into two parts, namely the first part of the product design validation subject or expert test conducted by 2 material experts and 1 media expert and the second part of the product trial subject conducted by testing the learning media in class XI IPA 3 and 2 class XI teachers of SMA Negeri 1 Gowa as observers. This learning media has been validated, has been tested limitedly and revised. The results of this study are: (1) validation by media experts of 3.4 with very valid criteria and (2) validation by material experts of 3.79 with very valid criteria. Animated video media based on the implementation test, teacher and student responses with an average percentage score of 88%, 86.11% and 86% respectively. For animated video media, the effectiveness criteria are in the very high category, with student learning outcomes meeting the effective criteria (≥80%), where the class completion percentage is 88.8%. Animated video learning media developed using the ADDIE model is suitable (valid, practical and effective) for use in learning.

Electrically tunable graded photonic crystal lens based on graphene plasmons.

Controlling the nonlinear relationship between surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode index and chemical potential of graphene can be used in the field of active transformation optics. Here, we propose an electrically tunable 2D Graded Photonic Crystal (GPC) lens based on graphene SPP platform. Our platform comprises a graphene monolayer integrated into a back-gated structure with nano-patterned gate insulators. When the chemical potential of the graphene surface is designed to operate in the nonlinear region, the designed GPC lens can be continuously transformed between a Maxwell's fish-eye lens and a Luneburg lens by tuning the gate voltage. The range of the lens background chemical potential for allowing this transformation is systematically studied. To compensate for the significant errors inherent in the conventional effective medium theory (EMT) during the homogenization of photonic crystals (PCs), we propose a generalized effective medium theory (GEMT). The validity and accuracy of this approach are verified through comparisons with true values (based on rigorous eigenvalue solutions) and EMT values. Due to its advantages of on-site controls and easy fabrication characteristics, the proposed graphene GPC provides a new way for practical on-chip light manipulation.