Specific Properties Research Articles

Non-Thermal and Thermal Physical Procedures—Optimistic Solutions in the Winemaking Industry

Consumer demand for food and drink products with special nutritional properties is constantly increasing. To respond to new consumption trends, research in winemaking focuses on optimizing the technological process to increase quality while preserving the traditional character and typicality of the product. Lately, winemakers are implementing a range of physical non-thermal (ultrasound technology and cold plasma technology) and thermal (microwave treatment) processes to streamline and optimize winemaking technologies, reduce costs, speed up production, and improve sustainability. This study examines the existing literature regarding the effects of various physical approaches on the quality of wines. Scientific articles are concentrating on enhancing the extraction of phenolic compounds and other active compounds—especially those that contribute positively to wine quality. The reviewed literature only offers a limited amount of information on this subject; further investigation is required to determine the significance, applicability, and efficacy of thermal and non-thermal procedures in the wine industry.

A computational approach to extreme values and related hitting probabilities in level-dependent quasi-birth–death processes

This paper analyzes the dynamics of a level-dependent quasi-birth–death process X={(I(t),J(t)):t≥0}, i.e., a bi-variate Markov chain defined on the countable state space ∪i=0∞l(i) with l(i)={(i,j):j∈{0,…,Mi}}, for integers Mi∈N0 and i∈N0, which has the special property that its q-matrix has a block-tridiagonal form. Under the assumption that the first passage to the subset l(0) occurs in a finite time with certainty, we characterize the probability law of (τmax,Imax,J(τmax)), where Imax is the running maximum level attained by process X before its first visit to states in l(0), τmax is the first time that the level process {I(t):t≥0} reaches the running maximum Imax, and J(τmax) is the phase at time τmax. Our methods rely on the use of restricted Laplace–Stieltjes transforms of τmax on the set of sample paths {Imax=i,J(τmax)=j}, and related processes under taboo of certain subsets of states. The utility of the resulting computational algorithms is demonstrated in two epidemic models: the SIS model for horizontally and vertically transmitted diseases; and the SIR model with constant population size.

Programmable In-Situ Co-Assembly of Organic Multi-Block Nanowires for Cascade Optical Waveguides.

Organic heterostructures (OHs) with multi-segments exhibit special optoelectronic properties compared with monomeric structures. Nevertheless, the synthesis of multi-block heterostructures remains challenging due to compatibility issues between segment parts, which restricts their application in optical waveguides and integrated optics. Herein, we demonstrate programmable in-situ co-assembly engineering, combining multi-step spontaneous self-assembly processes to promote the synthesis of multi-block heterostructures with a rational arrangement of three or more segments. The rational design of segments enables exciton manipulation and ensures optical waveguides and proper output among the multi-segment OHs. This work enables the controllable growth of segments within multi-block OHs, providing a pathway to construct complex OHs for the rational development of future optical applications.

Research on the expansion, shrinkage properties and fracture evolution of red clay stabilised with phosphogypsum under dry-wet cycles.

In view of the special engineering properties of red clay and the waste of phosphogypsum resources, the expansion and contraction deformation and fissure evolution of phosphogypsum stabilized red clay under different conditions were investigated by laboratory tests and image processing system. The research results show that: (1) the absolute expansion and absolute shrinkage of phosphogypsum stabilized red clay are positively correlated with the compaction degree, the number of dry and wet cycles and the cement dosage, and negatively correlated with the initial water content and the phosphogypsum dosage; (2) the fissure rate increases with the increase of the number of dry and wet cycles, and decreases with the increase of the initial water content, the compaction degree, the cement, and the phosphogypsum dosage; (3) The relationship among absolute expansion rate (absolute shrinkage), degree of compaction and fracture rate can be fitted by the equation f(x,y) = ax+by+cx2+dy2+e; (4) Phosphogypsum has an obvious inhibiting effect on the expansion, shrinkage and cracking of the mix. It is recommended that the cement mixing amount of 6% and phosphogypsum: red clay = 1:1~1:2 as roadbed filler.

Investigating micro-EDM machinability of Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta (TNZT) alloy

ABSTRACT Titanium and its new-generation alloys are widely employed in high-end applications due to their special properties. Modern industries frequently use micro – Electro Discharge Machining (μ-EDM), a non-conventional machining technique that is especially useful for processing hard to machine materials like titanium alloys. μ-EDM can produce intricate shapes with excellent dimensional precision. The main emphasis of this work is an experimental analysis of the μ-EDM of TNZT alloy (Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta) employing a tungsten carbide (WC) electrode. The results showed that with the increase in capacitance (C) 10nF to 100nF at Voltage (V) 80 V, the machining performance parameters such as material removal rate (MRR), overcut (OC), crater area, surface microhardness, and surface roughness increase by 6.38, 1.52, 4.66, 1.07, and 3.29 times, respectively. However, the circularity error of the µ-hole increases by 1.81 times. This study intends to show how the two key machining factors (C & V) influence significant machining performance parameters.

Review on Classification, Extraction and Application of Natural Dyes

India has over 450 plants capable of producing dyes. Dyes from natural sources such as plant leaves, roots, bark, insectsecretions and minerals. Natural dyes are mainly used for dyeing natural fibers such as cotton, wool and silk. Most natural colors have special properties such as antibacterial, low toxicity, allergenicity and UV protection. They have been used since ancient times and are widely accepted in various fields such as food, textiles, fine arts and papermaking. There are currently many different dye extraction methods/processes, including Solvent extraction, aqueous extraction, enzymatic extraction, etc. All these extraction methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Experimental results show that it performs well with all natural dyes and may be a better alternative to synthetic dyes. In recent years, it has been observed that synthetic dyes have many drawbacks, such as toxicity, pollution, and allergenicity, but natural dyes do not have such drawbacks. This article discusses the types of natural dye sources and their extraction methods, classification, environmental benefits, and other uses.

Phase quantification of anhydrous CSA cements: a combined X-ray diffraction and Raman imaging approach

Calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements are known for their special properties, such as shrinkage compensation and high early-age strength. These properties are dependent on the hydrated phase assemblage, which in turn is governed by the phases present in the initial anhydrous cement. However, the anhydrous CSA phase quantification by X-ray diffraction (XRD) Rietveld can be challenging due to the presence of overlapping peaks, polymorphs and preferred orientation. To overcome this problem, an approach involving high-resolution large-area Raman imaging (5 mm × 5 mm, 250 000 pixels, with 10 μm/pixel resolution) complemented by XRD analysis is introduced. This integrated approach of combined XRD and Raman imaging is found to be crucial in the initial identification of phases that are present in a CSA system. Most importantly, quantitative analysis shows a strong correlation (R2 > 0.99) and agreement (variation <5 wt%) between the two independent methods, adding confidence and reliability to the phase assemblage obtained by this dual-technique approach.

Facile Preparation of Smart Sponge Based on a Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework for the Efficient Separation of Oily Wastewater

The fabrication of durable materials with excellent oil-adsorption capacity and separation performance for the treatment of oily wastewater is meaningful based on the special property of smart responsiveness. Herein, a solvent-responsive melamine sponge (MS) was developed via silanization and the in situ growth of a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). Detailed characterization of the resultant composite MS was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The multiscale hierarchical MS substrate exhibited highly hydrophobic properties in the pH range of 1–11, along with a satisfactory adsorption capacity in the range of 65.4–134.2 g/g for different oils. The modified surface transformed from superhydrophobic/superlipophilic to superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic upon ethanol wetting, reverting to its original superhydrophobic state upon drying. The separation flux of the MS substrate was above 1.5 × 104 L/m2h for both oil and water removal, and the separation efficiency was greater than 98.7%. The absence of obvious changes in separation performance after 50 successive immiscible oil−water separations indicated the excellent durability and robustness of the anchored ZIF-8 nanoparticles on the surface of the modified MS substrate. More importantly, oil-in-water emulsion separation was successfully carried out via the ZIF-8 MS composite, showing high separation efficiency (over 99.1%). The developed smart sponge, which had high oil-adsorption capacity, excellent chemical stability, and fire resistance, has a wide range of potential practical applications in the convenient treatment of oily wastewater.

K-Carrageenan/Locust Bean Gum Gels for Food Applications-A Critical Study on Potential Alternatives to Animal-Based Gelatin.

Among hydrocolloids used in the food industry, gelatin (an animal protein) is remarkably known for its unique gel forming ability. Creating a perfect, green substitute for animal gelatin is extremely difficult if not impossible, because this versatile hydrocolloid offers many special properties that are not easily imitated by other vegetable-based systems. The combination of more than one type of hydrocolloid is commonly used in food either to bridge the above-mentioned gap or to impart novel organoleptic characteristics (such as mouthfeel) to food products, to modify rheological characteristics, and to satisfy processing requirements in the industry. In this work, we study the rheology and the texture of water mixtures of κ-Carrageenan (κ-C) and Locust Bean Gum (LBG). By fixing different κ-C concentrations and varying the LBG/κ-C ratio, we explore a wide range of potentially useful textures. The results obtained for the green systems are also compared to those exhibited by animal gelatin formulations.

Single-Probe-Based Sensor Array for Fingerprint Recognition of Trivalent Metal Ions and Application in Water Identification.

Abnormal concentration levels of trivalent metal ions (M3+) might hinder their natural biological activities in physiological processes and cause severe health hazards. Herein, a dual-chromophore probe (RhB-TPE) composed of rhodamine and tetraphenylethene (TPE) units was synthesized and explored for discriminating M3+ ions. It exhibited special aggregation and AIE properties in aqueous media. Its ensemble with anionic surfactant SDBS assemblies (RhB-TPE/SDBS) could be utilized as fluorescent sensors for selective and sensitive detection of M3+ ions such as Fe3+, Al3+, and Cr3+ by illustrating quenched TPE emission and switched-on rhodamine emission. Moreover, the use of SDBS assemblies at two concentrations could provide a single-probe-based sensor array and realize four-signal pattern recognition of different concentrations of the three M3+ ions and identify M3+ mixtures or unknown samples. The cross-reactive fluorescence variation was attributed to the M3+ influence on the FRET process from TPE to open-ring form rhodamine in the two ensemble sensors. With the coexistence of Al3+, the optimized RhB-TPE/SDBS ensemble sensor array was successfully applied to differentiate commercially available brand mineral water and purified water, as well as tap water. The present work provides a novel strategy to generate a single-probe-based sensor array and realizes fingerprint recognition of three trivalent metal ions and efficient discrimination of different types of water. The modulation FRET process of a dual chromophore in different surfactant ensembles inspires the future construction of novel and effective sensing platforms.

M‐SSD based on anchor proposal and ResNet101 backbone for placental haemorrhage MRI detection

AbstractMRI (magnetic resonance imaging) images can effectively show the placental haemorrhage area. In view of the special properties and real‐time detection requirements of placental haemorrhage MRI images, this paper has systematically improved the single‐shot multi‐box detector (SSD) target detection algorithm (M‐SSD). First, taking advantage of the particularity of the MRI image, the maximum stable extremum region (MSER) algorithm was used as the anchor proposal network which integrated the proposal information into the feature layer of SSD to avoid the hungry traversal of the original algorithm. Second, after the scale statistics of the placental haemorrhage area in MRI images, the bounding box matching the size of the placental haemorrhage area was redefined, in this way, the scale of the bounding box will have application pertinence, which can effectively improve the detection accuracy of the algorithm. Third, due to the small target property of the placental haemorrhage area in the MRI image, the VGG16 basic network in the original SSD was replaced by ResNet101, this made the algorithm have higher performance in small target detection. Finally, the Placental Haemorrhage MRI Detection Database (PHMD) has been built which is not only a base for this paper, but also for further research in this area.

Pengaruh Penambahan Kitosan Nano Gel Bermolekul Sedang pada Bahan Basis Gigi Tiruan Resin Akrilik Polimerisasi Panas Terhadap Kekuatan Transversal

Hot polymerized acrylic resin is one of the most widely used denture base materials, but this material has low transverse strength so it is easy to fracture. Transverse strength can be increased by adding reinforcing material Chitosan nano gel which is proven to increase transverse strength because the Chitosan nano gel has special properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, good mechanical properties and good layer formation properties. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of adding Chitosan nano gel to heat polymerized acrylic resin denture base material on the transverse strength. The research design used in this study was an experimental laboratory. The research sample was a rectangular hot polymerized acrylic resin with a size of 65 mm x 10 mm x 2.5 mm±0. 5 for the calculation of transverse strength with a total sample of 27 samples. The results of this study indicate that the value of transverse strength added with 1.25% Chitosan nano gel is the most effective concentration to increase the transverse strength of the heat polymerized acrylic resin denture base material compared to the addition of 1% Chitosan nano gel and without the addition of chitosan nano gel.

Hydrostatic Pressure as a Tool for the Study of Semiconductor Properties-An Example of III-V Nitrides.

Using the example of III-V nitrides crystallizing in a wurtzite structure (GaN, AlN, and InN), this review presents the special role of hydrostatic pressure in studying semiconductor properties. Starting with a brief description of high-pressure techniques for growing bulk crystals of nitride compounds, we focus on the use of hydrostatic pressure techniques in both experimental and theoretical investigations of the special properties of nitride compounds, their alloys, and quantum structures. The bandgap pressure coefficient is one of the most important parameters in semiconductor physics. Trends in its behavior in nitride structures, together with trends in pressure-induced phase transitions, are discussed in the context of the behavior of other typical semiconductors. Using InN as an example, the pressure-dependent effects typical of very narrow bandgap materials, such as conduction band filling or effective mass behavior, are described. Interesting aspects of bandgap bowing in In-containing nitride alloys, including pressure and clustering effects, are discussed. Hydrostatic pressure also plays an important role in the study of native defects and impurities, as illustrated by the example of nitride compounds and their quantum structures. Experiments and theoretical studies on this topic are reviewed. Special attention is given to hydrostatic pressure and strain effects in short periods of nitride superlattices. The explanation of the discrepancies between theory and experiment in optical emission and its pressure dependence from InN/GaN superlattices led to the well-documented conclusion that InN growth on the GaN substrate is not possible. The built-in electric field present in InGaN/GaN and AlGaN/GaN heterostructures crystallizing in a wurtzite lattice can reach several MV/cm, leading to drastic changes in the physical properties of these structures and related devices. It is shown how hydrostatic pressure modifies these effects and helps to understand their origin.

Copper-loaded ZIF-8-based immunosensor for early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease by detecting neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) biomarker

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is a promising contender among the nanomaterials for biosensors due to their special properties, including high surface area, tunable porosity, and adaptable functionalization competences. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), a subclass of MOFs, have drawn precise attention for their excellent chemical stability and ease of synthesis. This study, for the first time, concentrates on the preparation and characterization of a Cu-loaded ZIF-8-based immunosensor for the detection of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a crucial biomarker for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Loading copper (Cu) into the ZIF-8 framework improves its electrochemical properties, conductivity, and surface area, leading it an ideal platform for antibody immobilization and NGAL detection. The immunosensor utilized Staphylococcal Protein A (SPA) IgG binding protein for antibody immobilization, providing an alternative to traditional crosslinking chemistry, enhancing biosensor functionality. Structural analysis, morphological assessment, elemental mapping, and stoichiometric analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of Cu-loaded ZIF-8 nanocomposite. Assessment of the electrochemical performance of the immunosensor demonstrated sufficiently low limit of detection (80 pg mL−1) over a wide range of 0.1 ng mL−1 to 1000 ng mL−1 of NGAL along with superior selectivity, reproducibility, stability, and clinical feasibility. This advancement contributes to the rising knowledge on MOF-based biosensors and holds promise for future applications in disease diagnosis and healthcare monitoring.

The effects of bioconvection, non‐Fourier heat flux, and thermal radiations on Williamson nanofluids and Maxwell nanofluids transportation with prescribed thermal conditions

AbstractThe utilization of nanoentities in common fluids has opened new opportunities in the area of heat transportation. The rising requirements to enhance the efficiency of compact heat exchangers can be achieved by using various nanofluids. In this article, the thermal output of Maxwell and Williamson nanofluids transport over a prolonging sheet with bioconvection of self‐motivated organisms is scrutinized. A magnetic flux and the porous effects of a medium influence the flow of fluids. The fundamental principles for conservation of mass, concentration, momentum, and energy yield a nonlinear set of partial differential equations that can then be altered into ordinary differential form. A heat transfer flux is presented along with temperature boundary conditions, PST, and PHF (prescribed surface temperature and prescribed heat flux). The numerical results are acquired by executing the Runge–Kutta method with a shooting procedure in MATLAB coding. By fluctuating the inputs of influential variables of the dependent functions, a precise overview of the scheme is acquired. It can be seen that velocity decreases with the rising values of buoyancy ratio, magnetic force, Raleigh number, and porosity. Also, the temperature of the fluids begins to rise directly with the rising values of thermophoresis and Brownian motion parameters. The present study addresses bioconvection, non‐Fourier heat flow, and thermal radiations while combining the special properties of Williamson and Maxwell nanofluids. The field of biomedical engineering may benefit from this study, particularly with regard to therapies for hyperthermia and drug delivery systems. This study can be useful in cutting‐edge cooling systems, bioengineering, solar energy conversion and biotechnology.

Recent Progress in Synthesis of Alkyl Fluorinated Compounds with Multiple Contiguous Stereogenic Centers.

Organic fluorides are widely used in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, material sciences, and other fields due to the special physical and chemical properties of fluorine atoms. The synthesis of alkyl fluorinated compounds bearing multiple contiguous stereogenic centers is the most challenging research area in synthetic chemistry and has received extensive attention from chemists. This review summarized the important research progress in the field over the past decade, including asymmetric electrophilic fluorination and the asymmetric elaboration of fluorinated substrates (such as allylic alkylation reactions, hydrofunctionalization reactions, Mannich addition reactions, Michael addition reactions, aldol addition reactions, and miscellaneous reactions), with an emphasis on synthetic methodologies, substrate scopes, and reaction mechanisms.

Potentiality of graphene as a base material for impact ionization avalanche transit time diode in high-frequency applications

In this paper, the microwave application potential of graphene is studied using a double-drift-region (DDR) impact ionization avalanche transit time (IMPATT) diode. The simulation of this diode is carried out for the very first time at several different atmospheric window frequencies. Because graphene has unique and special properties, it could be used to make electronic gadgets for the next generation. The device is simulated at a variety of millimeter and sub-millimeter wave frequencies using a model called self-consistent drift diffusion (SCDD), which was developed by the author based on current continuity, Poisson’s equation and space charge equation. When compared to traditional IMPATT devices such as Si, GaAs, InP and GaP, the results demonstrate superior performance in terms of efficiency, and RF power across a wide range of operating conditions. Again, the behavior of noise in graphene IMPATT is studied, and it is found that it makes less noise than Si and GaAs IMPATT. The simulation results open up new avenues for IMPATT diode manufacture and design.

An Adaptive Migration Collaborative Network for Multimodal Image Classification.

The multispectral (MS) and the panchromatic (PAN) images belong to different modalities with specific advantageous properties. Therefore, there is a large representation gap between them. Moreover, the features extracted independently by the two branches belong to different feature spaces, which is not conducive to the subsequent collaborative classification. At the same time, different layers also have different representation capabilities for objects with large size differences. In order to dynamically and adaptively transfer the dominant attributes, reduce the gap between them, find the best shared layer representation, and fuse the features of different representation capabilities, this article proposes an adaptive migration collaborative network (AMC-Net) for multimodal remote-sensing (RS) images classification. First, for the input of the network, we combine principal component analysis (PCA) and nonsubsampled contourlet transformation (NSCT) to migrate the advantageous attributes of the PAN and the MS images to each other. This not only improves the quality of images themselves, but also increases the similarity between the two images, thereby reducing the representational gap between them and the pressure on the subsequent classification network. Second, for the interaction on the feature migrate branch, we design a feature progressive migration fusion unit (FPMF-Unit) based on the adaptive cross-stitch unit of correlation coefficient analysis (CCA), which can make the network automatically learn the features that need to be shared and migrated, aiming to find the best shared-layer representation for multifeature learning. And we design an adaptive layer fusion mechanism module (ALFM-Module), which can adaptively fuse features of different layers, aiming to clearly model the dependencies among multiple layers for different sized objects. Finally, for the output of the network, we add the calculation of the correlation coefficient to the loss function, which can make the network converge to the global optimum as much as possible. The experimental results indicate that AMC-Net can achieve competitive performance. And the code for the network framework is available at: https://github.com/ru-willow/A-AFM-ResNet.

Sensor placement considering the observability of traffic dynamics: On the algebraic and graphical perspectives

In this paper, we present a new sensor location model that aims to maximize observability of link densities in a dynamic traffic network described using a piecewise linear system of ordinary differential equations. We develop an algebraic approach based on the eigenstructure to determine the sensor location for achieving full observability with a minimal number of sensors. Additionally, a graphical approach based on the concept of structural observability is developed. By exploiting the special property of flow conservation in traffic networks, we derive a simple analytical result that can be used to identify observable components in a partially observable system, which is the main contribution of this paper. The graphical and algebraic properties of observability are then integrated into a sensor location optimization model considering a wide range of traffic conditions. Through numerical experiments, we demonstrate the good performance of our sensor deployment strategies in terms of the average observability and estimation errors.

Photoelectric properties of metallic elements doping and adsorption on graphene/black phosphene heterojunction

The electronic, optical properties and work function of Ti, Mg, Be doping and adsorption on G/BP heterojunction are investigated. The Eb of G/BP doping and adsorption with Ti, Mg and Be are analyzed. The special properties of single-layer material are preserved in G/BP and band gap is opened with 50 meV. Ti, Mg and Be doping and adsorption on G/BP exhibit metallic properties and doping atoms form impurity levels near Fermi level. Except for Ti-G system, Ti doping and adsorption systems exhibit strong ferromagnetic metallicity. Doping atoms Ti, Mg, and Be all lose electrons, while G/BP gains electrons. The doping and adsorption systems have electrostatic potential difference, indicating the formation of internal electric field from BP layer to G layer. Work function of G/BP is 4.481 eV, that of Ti, Mg, and Be adsorption on G/BP decrease compared to G/BP, indicating that Ti, Mg, and Be adsorption can improve conductivity of system. The research of optical properties indicates that Ti-GB has a large absorption coefficient in visible light range.