Increase In Proportion Research Articles

Thermodynamic Analysis of Comprehensive Performance of Carbon Dioxide(R744) and Its Mixture With Ethane(R170) Used in Refrigeration and Heating System at Low Evaporation Temperature

Abstract In this paper, the system performance of R744 and R744/R170 mixed refrigerants used in a single-stage compression transcritical cycle at low evaporation temperature was studied by simulation method, and the effect of evaporation temperature, outlet temperature of gas cooler, R170 ratio on coefficient of performance (COP), discharge temperature, optimal pressure, and compression ratio were analyzed. The results show that Popt increases and decreases with the increase of outlet temperature and evaporation temperature of gas cooler and increases first and then decreases with the increase of R170 proportion. In the heating system, the maximum and minimum Popt of R744/R170 (25/75) were 1.35 MPa, 3.6 MPa, and 2.6 MPa and 1.23 MPa, 2.93 MPa, and 1.87 MPa lower than that of R170 (0%, 22.4%, and 50%); compared to pure R744, the system pressure of the mixed R744/R170 is lower. The COPe and COPh increase with the increase of evaporation temperature and decrease with the increase of outlet temperature of the gas cooler. With the increase of R170 proportion, they first decrease and then increase; the maximum COPe and COPh of R744 were 22.4%, 29.6%, and 21.2% and 10.3%, 13.8%, and 10.8% higher than those of R170 at 22.4%, 50% and 75%, respectively.

Validity and Efficiency of Progression-Free Survival-2 as a Surrogate End Point for Overall Survival in Advanced Cancer Randomized Trials.

Progression-free survival (PFS)-2, defined as the time from randomization to progression on second-line therapy, is potentially a more reliable surrogate than PFS for overall survival (OS), but will require longer follow-up and a larger sample size. We sought to compare the validity and efficiency, defined as proportional increase in follow-up time and sample size, of PFS-2 to PFS. We performed an electronic search to identify randomized trials of advanced solid tumors reporting PFS, PFS-2, and OS as prespecified end points. Only studies that had protocols that defined measurement of PFS-2 and follow-up for patients after first disease progression were included. We compared correlations in the relative treatment effect for OS with PFS and PFS-2. We reconstructed individual patient data from survival curves to estimate time to statistical significance (TSS) of the relative treatment effect. We further computed the sample size (person-year [PY] follow-up) required to reach statistical significance. Across the 42 analysis units and 21,255 patients, the correlation of the relative treatment effect between OS and PFS-2, r, was 0.70 (95% CI, 0.41 to 0.80) and r = 0.46 (95% CI, 0.26 to 0.74) for OS and PFS. The median differences in TSS between OS with PFS, OS with PFS-2, and PFS with PFS-2 were 16.59 (95% CI, 4.48 to not reached [NR]), 10.0 (95% CI, 2.2 to NR), and 4.31 (95% CI, 2.92 to 13.13) months, respectively. The median difference in PYs required to reach statistical significance for PFS-2 over PFS was 156 (95% CI, 82 to 500) PYs, equivalent to an estimated median 12.7% increase in PYs. PFS-2 offers improved correlation with OS than PFS with a modest increase in follow-up time and sample size. PFS-2 should be considered as a primary end point in future trials of advanced cancers.

Elasmobranch assemblages from a bathyal environment spanning the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in Austria

Abstract Extensive bulk-sampling of the continuous Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary section at Gams (Styria, Austria) allows for the first time the description of the elasmobranch communities inhabiting the bathyal environment of this well-known section. The sampled succession comprises six horizons from the uppermost Maastrichtian (upper part of Nephrolites frequens Zone CC26) and five horizons from the lowermost Danian (Zone NP1), which yielded a total of 1852 elasmobranch teeth. Although the majority of the teeth are not well preserved, this study enabled the description of at least 16 taxa of the orders Hexanchiformes, Squaliformes, Orectolobiformes, Lamniformes and Carcharhiniformes, providing a rare snapshot of elasmobranch diversity of this specific environmental setting. Beside minor diversity fluctuations between the assemblages, the extensive bulk-sampling of this section did not reveal a marked diversity decline related to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event. However, a noteworthy correlation between the deepening upward trend of the section with the appearance of frilled and goblin sharks points to changes in palaeobathymetry, which is also reflected in the increase of the total proportion of squaliform teeth in the uppermost sampled horizon. Furthermore, teeth of the extinct triakid Palaeogaleus were recovered exclusively from the Danian deeper deposits, expanding the palaeoecological range of the genus down to fairly deep marine environments. In addition, this study provides the first record of the lamniform Cretolamna ex gr. borealis from the Danian of the Tethyan Realm expanding the palaeogeographic distribution of this group.

Single-cell profiling of the pig cecum at various developmental stages.

The gastrointestinal tract is essential for food digestion, nutrient absorption, waste elimination, and microbial defense. Single-cell transcriptome profiling of the intestinal tract has greatly enriched our understanding of cellular diversity, functional heterogeneity, and their importance in intestinal tract development and disease. Although such profiling has been extensively conducted in humans and mice, the single-cell gene expression landscape of the pig cecum remains unexplored. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on 45 572 cells obtained from seven cecal samples in pigs at four different developmental stages (days (D) 30, 42, 150, and 730). Analysis revealed 12 major cell types and 38 subtypes, as well as their distinctive genes, transcription factors, and regulons, many of which were conserved in humans. An increase in the relative proportions of CD8 + T and Granzyme A (low expression) natural killer T cells (GZMA low NKT) cells and a decrease in the relative proportions of epithelial stem cells, Tregs, RHEX + T cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) were noted across the developmental stages. Moreover, the post-weaning period exhibited an up-regulation in mitochondrial genes, COX2 and ND2, as well as genes involved in immune activation in multiple cell types. Cell-cell crosstalk analysis indicated that IBP6 + fibroblasts were the main signal senders at D30, whereas IBP6 - fibroblasts assumed this role at the other stages. NKT cells established interactions with epithelial cells and IBP6 + fibroblasts in the D730 cecum through mediation of GZMA-F2RL1/F2RL2 pairs. This study provides valuable insights into cellular heterogeneity and function in the pig cecum at different development stages.

Original Research: Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Asian Indians in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.

Although COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease, vaccine hesitancy remains a primary barrier to attaining full population inoculation. Numerous factors related to vaccine hesitancy have been identified. The aim of this study was to explore associations between select demographic variables and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Asian Indians in the United States. The study used a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design. The sample consisted of 363 Asian Indians living in the United States who were 18 years of age or older and were literate in English. Vaccine hesitancy was assessed using an online survey. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted. Inferential tests included t tests, regression analyses, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests. As participant age increased, there was a statistically significant proportionate increase in the total vaccine hesitancy score ( P = 0.01). There were also statistically significant differences in the vaccine hesitancy scores of participants with no more than a high school degree compared to those with associate or bachelor's degrees, although this finding was based on just six participants. Although most participants had already been vaccinated, many identified reasons for feeling some degree of vaccine hesitancy. The reasons for vaccine hesitancy vary by individual and are often complex. The results of this study will help guide public health agencies and health care personnel in developing vaccination strategies tailored to the specific requirements of Asian Indians in the United States, which could reduce vaccine hesitancy in this population.

Artificial intelligence-supported diabetic retinopathy screening in Tanzania: rationale and design of a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionGlobally, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of blindness. Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to see the largest proportionate increase in the number of people living with diabetes over the...

Micro-ballistic response of thin film polymer grafted nanoparticle monolayers.

Self-assembled polymer grafted nanoparticles (PGNs) are of great interest for their potential to enhance mechanical properties compared to neat polymers and nanocomposites. Apart from volume fraction of nanoparticles, recent experiments have suggested that nanoscale phenomena such as nanoconfinement of grafted chains, altered dynamics and relaxation behavior at the segmental and colloidal scales, and cohesive energy between neighboring coronas are important factors that influence mechanical and rheological properties. How these factors influence the mechanics of thin films subject to micro-ballistic impact remains to be fully understood. Here we examine the micro-ballistic impact resistance of PGN thin films with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) grafts using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. The grafted chain length and nanoparticle core densities are systematically varied to understand the influences of interparticle spacing, cohesion, and momentum transfer effects under high-velocity impact. Our findings show that the inter-PGN cohesive energy density (γPGN) is an important parameter for energy absorption. Cohesion energy density is low for short grafts but quickly saturates around entanglement length as adjacent coronas interpenetrate fully. The response of γPGN positively influences specific penetration energy, , which peaks before chain entanglement starts (<Ne). We further divide the ballistic response into three regimes based on grafted chain length: short graft, intermediate graft, and entangled graft. The short grafted PGNs show fragmentation due to almost no cohesion between particles, and the rigid body motion of the nanoparticles absorbs most of the energy. When chains are in the intermediate graft length regime, the film fails by chain pull-out, and unraveling of grafts is the primary dissipation mechanism. The Ashby plot of penetration energy, Ep, indicates ballistic processes are inelastic collisions when grafted chains are short and vary with density in a power law fashion as expected from momentum transfer. The response indicates that a lower nanoparticle weight fraction, ϕwtNP, leads to higher energy absorption per mass, that is, the added mass of nanoparticles does not warrant proportionate increases in energy absorption in the parametric range studied. However, the peak deceleration, Ab, shows a clear positive effect of adding NPs. Finally, PGNs with intermediate chain lengths simultaneously show relatively higher and Ab.

Altered soil nitrogen retention by grassland acidification from near-neutral to acidic conditions: A plant-soil-microbe perspective

Grassland ecosystems are facing soil acidification, occurring either rapidly or gradually, alongside the persistent threats of acid deposition and nitrogen (N) pollution. However, the understanding of how grassland soils retain N in response to acidification remains limited, despite its critical importance in providing essential services in these ecosystems. Considering the prevalence of near-neutral or weak-acidic (e.g., pH 6) soils in grasslands worldwide, we aim to predict the pathways through which grassland acidification alters soil N retention. Firstly, as soil fungal proportions increase, the carbon:nitrogen ratios of the microbial community also rise, leading to a downregulation of microbial N uptake and retention. Secondly, grassland acidification weakens the stability of soil organic matter (SOM) by physically and chemically dissolving its components, but also conserves SOM by hindering biological mineralization, thereby enhancing N retention. Thirdly, acidification damages 2:1 clay minerals and causes occupation of exchangeable positions by H+, liberating fixed ammonium and subsequently attenuating grassland soil N retention. Fourthly, acidification leads to the breakup of macroaggregates, exposing SOM to microbial attack but also compromising microbial habitats and activity, resulting in uncertainty in grassland N retention. Fifthly, dominant plant stress-tolerators allocate more N aboveground as less decomposable defensive metabolites, reducing the risk of N loss during grassland litter degradation. Overall, in future research, it is crucial to focus on anticipating the changes in soil N retention under acidification, highlighting the synergistic or antagonistic interactions among the reviewed grassland modulators/processes, and quantifying the impacts of declined N deposition on grassland soil N retention and cycling, given the current and recent past stable or even declined atmospheric N deposition in many regions.

Evaluation of the Mechanical Behavior of Soil Stabilized with Asphalt Emulsion Using Multi-Stage Loading

The objective of this research was to assess the mechanical response (resilient and plastic) of soil stabilized with petroleum asphalt concrete using asphalt emulsion under multi-stage loading. To enhance the adhesion of the asphalt film to the soil grains, the stabilized soil underwent air-drying curing for seven days. Dosage was conducted through the indirect tensile strength test using diametral compression. With the optimum content determined in the dosage (2% emulsion), additions and removals of 0.5% asphalt emulsion from this content were performed. Consequently, three specimens were molded with concentrations of 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5% of slow-setting cationic asphalt emulsion. These specimens were then subjected to drained triaxial tests under multi-stage loading, using 5 different stress pairs, totaling 50,000 cycles. Analyzing the regions defined by the total and permanent deformation curves allowed studying the plastic and elastic response, the proportionality between these regions, and the increase in elastic and plastic regions of the soil and stabilized soil in a single test, providing a more accurate interpretation. Regarding the measured deformations, as the deviator stress was increased with each loading cycle, the stabilized samples exhibited an increase in plastic deformations compared to the natural soil (control). It was also observed a proportional increase in the resilient region, indicating that the addition of asphalt made the soil less rigid but provided cohesion that was absent before stabilization. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-01-02 Full Text: PDF

The absorption properties of ZrO2 nanoparticles in the THz and sub-THz frequency ranges.

As terahertz (THz) and sub-THz region electromagnetic waves are becoming vital for industrial applications such as 5G wireless communication, so too are THz and sub-THz wave absorbing materials. Herein, we report the optical properties of monoclinic zirconia (m-ZrO2) nanoparticles in these frequency regions, with different crystalline sizes. The crystalline sizes of the three samples, measured by transmission electron microscopy, are 93 ± 23 nm (denoted 1), 28 ± 14 nm (denoted 2) and 2.6 ± 0.7 nm (denoted 3). X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra show that 1 and 2 have high crystallinity whereas 3 shows peak broadening due to its small crystalline size. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) measurements of pelletised samples show that the small crystalline size sample exhibits larger absorption, e.g., the absorbance value at 300 GHz is 0.18 mm-1 (1), 0.04 mm-1 (2) and 1.11 mm-1 (3), and the related dielectric loss value (ε'') is 0.04 (1), 0.01 (2) and 0.82 (3), respectively. This is considered to be due to the proportional increase in surface water molecules for the small particle size sample due to the relative increase in surface area and under-coordinated atoms, shown by IR spectra. These results show that small crystalline size m-ZrO2 nanoparticles have potential as THz and sub-THz wave absorbing materials, which are crucial for noise reduction in THz and sub-THz wave technologies.

Fındık Posasının Tarhananın Fiziksel ve Kimyasal Özelliklerine Etkisi

In this study, hazelnut pulp was added to tarhana to increase its nutritional value. For this purpose, hazelnut oil was partially extracted by cold pressing method and hazelnut pulp was added to the tarhana formulation at varying concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30%). According to the research data, as the hazelnut pulp ratio increased, pH and acidity values, redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) color values of tarhana increased, while the brightness (L*) value decreased. It was determined that the addition of hazelnut pulp increased the foaming capacity and foam stability of tarhana and decreased the viscosity values. Depending on the increase in hazelnut pulp, the protein, fat and ash ratios, total phenolic substance and antioxidant activity of tarhana also increased.

Effectiveness of the using powder coating for protection of metal construction

Сurrent state of the Ukrainian economy causes to resolve a range of questions related to the improvement of production and increase in the ecological safety of products, including paint-and-varnishes materials, in combination with ensuring high operational properties of coatings based on them. This questions can be solved by scaling up production using eco-friendly powder coating. The increase in popularity of powder coatings can be explained by their environmental adequacy and attractiveness from the perspective of the environmental protection as well as high effectiveness related to the possibility of obtaining high quality protective and decorative coatings with the high corrosion and chemical resistance as well as controllable physical and mechanical and dielectric characteristics during the one-layer application. The analysis of research results shows that the effectiveness of use of metakaolin and talc as fillers in the powder coating increases in proportion to their content in the system. The optimal area of the powder coating with metakaolin and talc is limited to the additive in the range of 20 to 30 % and polyester resin in the range of 55 to 65 %. Using the mentioned range of fillers in the powder coating contributes to the decrease in the peeling width and metal corrosion width and places the coating into atmospheric corrosivity categories С3 and С4 according to ІSO 12944-2:2017 having a high (Н) lifespan from 15 to 25 years in accordance with DSTU ISO 12944-1 In this case, one of the most common methods of influence on properties of paint-and-varnishes coatings is to create polymer composites by combining polyester raw materials with inorganic fillers.

Experimental study of the natural deposition of submicron aerosols on the surface of a vertical circular tube with non-condensable gases

This paper constructed an experimental platform containing a space heat exchanger tube, and performed aerosol deposition experiments under different deposition mechanisms. The objective was to study the effect of the passive containment heat removal system on the natural deposition of submicron aerosols during post-accident operation of severe accidents. By controlling the variables, we obtain the impact of gravity deposition, thermophoretic, and diffusiophoresis deposition mechanisms on submicron aerosols in the presence of a space heat exchanger tube using the experimental data stripping method. The study found that the gravitational settling rate of aerosols in two-phase mixtures at the same temperature and pressure is about 1.5 times higher than in dry air. Although submicron aerosols are subject to thermophoretic settling in the presence of temperature differences, due to the small surface area of the heat exchanger tube, the potential thermophoretic sedimentation accelerating effect on the particles can be ignored if the mixed gas temperature difference is within 2000 K/m. Unlike the steam condensation on the flat plate surface, when vapor condenses on the heat exchanger tube surface, as the steam proportion and condensation rate increase, it is easy to cause the accumulation of non-condensable gas. This phenomenon can reduce the reverse diffusion slip of the particles and enhance the influence of Stefan flow in the diffusionphoresis deposition process. The above effects make the experimental results of aerosol diffusiophoresis deposition closer to the SF model when the vapor fraction is 70 %. When the vapor fraction is 50 %, the predictions of the WM model, which considers the average mass flow of the gas mixture, are more applicable. When the condensation rate continuously increases, the convective mass transfer of vapor condensation will be enhanced, and the deposition rate of particles will be further enhanced.

Temporal Evolution and Diagnostic Diversification of Patients Receiving Proton Therapy in the United States: A Ten-Year Trend Analysis (2012 to 2021) From the National Association for Proton Therapy

Purpose/Objective(s)The XXXX conducted eight surveys of all operational United States proton centers (2012-2021), analyzing patients treated, diagnoses, treatment complexity, to evaluate trends and diversification of patients receiving proton therapy. Materials/MethodsDetailed surveys were sent in 2015, which requested data on 2012-2014, then annually to active proton centers in the US. Patient numbers treated at each center for the preceding calendar year(s) were collated for tumors in the following categories: central nervous system (CNS), intraocular, pituitary, skullbase/skeleton, head/neck, lung, retroperitoneal/soft tissue sarcoma, pediatric (solid tumors in children age ≤18), gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, female pelvic, prostate, breast and “other.” Complexity levels were assessed using CPT codes 77520-77525. ResultsSurvey response rates were excellent (100% in 2015 to 94.9% in 2021); additional publicly available information provided near complete information on all centers. Trend comparisons between 2012 and 2021 showed that the total annual number of patients treated with protons gradually increased from 5,377 to 15,829. The largest numeric increases were for head/neck (316 to 2,303; 7.3-fold), breast (93 to 1,452; 15.6-fold) and gastrointestinal (170 to 1,259; 7.4-fold). Patient numbers also increased significantly for central nervous system (598 to 1,743; 2.9-fold), pediatric (685 to 1,870; 2.7-fold), and skull base (179 to 514; 2.9-fold). For prostate cancer, the percentage of proton-treated patients decreased from 43.4% to 25.0% of the total. Simple compensated treatments decreased from 43% in 2012 to 7% in 2021, whereas intermediate complexity treatments increased from 45% to 73%. ConclusionThe number of patients treated with protons is gradually increasing, with a substantial proportionate decline in patients with prostate cancer receiving proton therapy. The number of patients treated for “commonly accepted” indications for protons - pediatric, CNS, and skull base - is gradually increasing. Greater proportional increases were observed for breast, lung, head/neck, and gastrointestinal tumors. Treatment complexity is gradually increasing over time.

Evaluation of woodchips-amended biosand filter for nitrate and MS2 bacteriophage reduction.

In this study, two types of woodchip-amended biosand filters (Filter A sand: woodchip = 33%: 67% versus Filter B sand: woodchip = 50%: 50%, by volume) were constructed, and their abilities to remove MS2 bacteriophage and nitrate were investigated. The results indicated that Filter A and Filter B could reduce nitrate up to 40 and 36%, respectively, indicating that the nitrate reduction increased with the increase in woodchip proportion. The study underscores a positive correlation between nitrate reduction and proportional increase in woodchip content, implying the potential for fine-tuning nitrate removal by varying sand-woodchip compositions. W-BSFs could remove MS2 bacteriophage to 1.91-log10 (98.8%) by Filter A and 1.88-log10 (98.7%) by Filter B over 39 weeks. The difference in sand-woodchip proportion did not significantly impact the MS2 reduction, demonstrating that a single W-BSF can maintain its virus removal performance fairly well over a long-term period. These results indicated that the nitrate reduction could be adjusted by varying sand-woodchip contents without impacting virus removal performance. Microbial community analysis indicated that the nitrate removal by the W-BSFs could be attributed to the denitrifying bacteria, such as the family Streptomycetaceae, the genera Pseudomonas, and Bacillus, and relative abundances of the phylum Nitrospirae.

Separate Equilibrium Game of Higher Education Management and Student Training in the Internet Era

Abstract This paper constructs an evolutionary game model by making relevant research hypotheses on higher education management and student cultivation with evolutionary game theory, selecting the evolutionary strategies of higher education management and students, and solving the expected returns of higher education management and student cultivation through the payoff function. A separate equilibrium game is solved for the replicated dynamic equations of the evolutionary game so as to better analyze the dynamic evolutionary game relationship between higher education management and student cultivation. The stability analysis of the evolutionary game model for higher education management and student cultivation was carried out, and numerical validation was performed using MATLAB software. The results show that when P 3+P 4+ T 3 &lt; F, the benefits of both universities and students are higher than the costs, and at this time (1,1) is the evolutionary stability point, the university management and students learning by heart are the evolutionary stability strategy, and both sides tend to take a positive strategy. When the proportion of the university education management department choosing “attentive management” strategy is 0.9, its evolutionary path of students choosing “attentive learning” strategy proportion increases and then tends to 1, so as to reach a stable state. The best evolutionary stability point is achieved when the strategies of higher education management and student training choice are both 0.7 and 0.8 after the university incentive policy is introduced.

Mechanical Properties and Penetration Characteristics of Mudstone Slag-Based Waterproof Composites under Cyclic Loading

In this study, ground polymers were prepared from mudstone and slag. NaOH and water glass were used as alkaline exciters and mine waste rock aggregate was used as the aggregate for mudstone slag-based waterproof composites (MSWCs). A series of laboratory tests, including a uniaxial compression test, uniaxial cyclic loading and unloading test, scanning electron microscope test, and rock penetration test were conducted for macrostructural and microstructural analysis. The effect of the coupling between the mudstone proportion and the number of uniaxial cyclic loading and unloading tests was investigated. The results showed that it is feasible to use mudstone and slag to synthesize geopolymers, and that MSWCs fulfil the conditions for use as a reconstituted water barrier. The permeability of MSWCs with the different mudstone proportions set in this study fulfils the requirement of being used as a material, and the permeability and uniaxial compressive strength of the MSWCs gradually decreased with increases in the mudstone proportion. Considering the UCS and permeability of the MSWCs, the optimal mudstone proportion of the MSWC is r = 0.6. In this test, cyclic loading and unloading times of 0, 25, 50, and 100 were set, and with an increase of cyclic loading and unloading times, the UCS of the MSWCs showed a tendency of increasing first and then decreasing. In the SEM test, with an increase of cyclic loading and unloading times, microfractures and pores appeared in the MSWCs, which led to a gradual increase in its permeability and a decrease in its waterproofness.

Electrochemical Monitoring of Super-Engineering Polymer Depolymerization: A Rapid and Simple Approach

The mechanical properties and processability of polymers are strongly influenced by their molecular weight, underscoring the critical importance of controlling depolymerization during storage in polymer synthesis and application. However, conventional methods of determining molecular weight, including viscosity measurements, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, typically necessitate substantial quantities of polymer samples and protracted measurement times. Moreover, certain polymers may undergo continuous degradation post-polymerization, rendering depolymerization analysis via traditional means highly challenging. Hence, there is an imperative need to develop novel analysis techniques that overcome these limitations and facilitate comprehensive depolymerization characterization.To surmount these challenges, we have developed a novel electrochemical method utilizing cyclic voltammetry to facilitate polymer depolymerization measurement. For measuring degree of depolymerization, we used thermal depolymerization process. As the polymer's molecular weight diminishes because of thermal depolymerization, the solution viscosity decreases correspondingly, thereby enabling unimpeded redox species diffusion and a proportional increase in steady-state current. By constructing a calibration curve of current versus thermal depolymerization time for a polymer, we can swiftly and accurately determine its molecular weight tendency in solution. Our investigations indicate that this electrochemical technique is more efficient and cost-effective as it necessitates smaller sample volumes and shorter measurement times than conventional methods, and it exhibits excellent potential for analyzing and maintaining polymer properties across various industries.[1] Kim, J. W., Kim, S. J., Song, I. Y., Lee, W. E., Heo, K., Kim, S. Y., ... & Kim, B. K. (2022). Simple and rapid electrochemical monitoring for depolymerization of polyamic acid. Analytica Chimica Acta, 1233, 340489.

Co-pyrolysis behavior and synergistic mechanism of sub-bituminous coal and polypropylene: A ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulation

The co-pyrolysis behavior of coal and polypropylene (PP) was investigated by reactive force field molecular dynamics (ReaxFF MD) simulation in the present study. In addition to analyzing the co-pyrolysis behavior at the atomic scale, the trajectories of different elements from different material sources were first observed. The weight loss of coal and PP is consistent with previous experimental studies, demonstrating the reliability of the ReaxFF MD simulation. The analysis of pyrolysis products showed that all blended systems contributed to tar and H2 yields at high temperatures compared to the calculated values. Among them, the coal/PP (6:4) system had the most significant effect on improving tar yield. H2 can be divided into three types according to different sources of H·, and with the increase of PP proportion, H· from PP is more willing to produce HPP2 at 3000 K. Then, the kinetics of the co-pyrolysis systems with multiple heating rates were studied, and only the activation energy of the coal/PP (4:6) system was reduced. Subsequently, we gave the mechanism by combining the pyrolysis process and the change in the number of free radicals. The blended systems promoted the production of more H· through PP, which made heavy compounds in coal further decomposition.

Amaranth Meal Powder Use in the Technology of Sweets with Fondant Cases

One of the main confectionery industry objectives is the development of waste-free technologies based on domestic raw materials. The objective is most relevant for the sweet production based on fondant cases – energetically unstable systems with a high sucrose concentration (more than 80 %) and a simple chemical composition causing the rapid consumer properties loss during storage. The study aims at the scientific use justification of the new raw material – amaranth meal powder in the technology of sweets with fondant case. The study objects are the following: amaranth meal of the native species Amaranthus L. (variety “Krepysh” of the FSVC selection); amaranth meal powder; sugar, fruit and milk fondant candy masses; candies. A man determined the chemical composition of pilot order of amaranth seed meal: 19.6 % proteins including water-soluble; 17.9 % dietary fiber; 46.9 % starch; 1.01 % macro- and microelements including selenium. The research concerns the IR treatment impact of amaranth meal particles on the power consumption of the disintegrator; the attack of amaranth meal proteins by digestive enzymes, the dependence of the organoleptic meal parameters on the processing temperature. The rational temperature range of IR processing is 115–120 °C. A man introduced the amaranth meal powder into the formulation of sweets with fondant cases by replacing white sugar. The amaranth meal powder presence in fondant syrup accelerates the crystallization process due to the sucrose adsorption on the amaranth meal particle surface followed by nucleation and crystal growth. The authors analyzed fractional composition by a microscopy. They determined that with an increase in the fine-crystalline fraction proportion, the sweet quality improves.