Strength For Applications Research Articles

Developing Lightweight Silanized Cellulose Ultramaterials as the Strongest Engineered Aerogel

AbstractSilica aerogel materials exhibit exceptional properties, including unique light, heat, fluid, and ion characteristics with vast potential. Despite similarities in composition to glass, silica aerogel lacks ductility and is prone to breakage upon impact. Therefore, the development of advanced engineering aerogel ultra materials that combine the mechanical strength of engineered materials with the ultralight superinsulation of aerogels remains a significant challenge. Herein, a multidimensional and multiscale gradient‐pore strategy is proposed for the scalable production of nanostructured silanized cellulose (SiCell) nanofibrous frameworks through colloidal self‐assembly using an active earth‐abundant biopolymer from the wood as a functional component. The configuration of the SiCell/polymer‐crosslinked silica‐aerogel‐powder (SiAP)‐locked structure creates a regional framework that forms SiCell/polymer‐crosslinked SiAP‐locked aerogels (SiCSiPA) with a 3D nanoporous architecture. With an ultralow thermal conductivity of 15.9 mW m−1 K−1, the lightweight super insulating SiCSiPA emerges as a prime candidate for thermal insulation, offering exceptional strength for practical applications. Moreover, SiCSiPA exhibits superior strength, stiffness, and toughness, making it the best insulating material. Owing to its outstanding strength‐to‐weight ratio and robust thermomechanical stability, SiCSiPA introduces a new technology for lightweight construction applications requiring superior thermal insulation.

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF THE USE OF GRAMMARLY IN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS WRITING

The purpose of the study was to investigate the students’ perception of using Grammarly in their undergraduate thesis writing. It also explores the Grammarly application's strengths and weaknesses. A random sampling technique was used to collect the sample. The mixed-method sequential explanatory design was used in this study. The participants of the study were 35 students enrolled in the English Education program at IAIN Palangka Raya of 2017. The SPSS 25 program was used to examine the data. The data in this study was gathered through the use of a questionnaire and an interview. The study's results showed that 80.1% of the participants highly agreed. This study found that students gave positive responses to the use of Grammarly to assist them to analyze their thesis writing. The findings showed that the Grammarly application has several strengths such as clear and easy-to-understand feedback, time savings for students when checking grammar, and a useful feature. Meanwhile, Grammarly's weaknesses are that it can’t detect tenses that the students used in a time, students can’t download the feedback in form of a file and they must pay to access all of Grammarly's premium features. Keywords: EFL Students Perception, Grammarly, Undergraduate Thesis Writing

Highly Size-Selective Water-Insoluble Cross-Linked Carboxymethyl Cellulose Membranes

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) membranes have strong potential for application as molecular-scale separators. For this study, stable CMC membranes were fabricated with aluminum chloride (AlCl3) and iron(III) chloride (FeCl3) serving as cross-linkers. The resulting CMC-Al and CMC-Fe membranes were optically transparent and water-insoluble with sufficient mechanical strength for practical applications. The water permeation flux through the membranes was directly proportional to the operating pressure. With just a 10-fold increase in the molecular weight from 60 Da (urea) to 604 Da (bordeaux S), the effective diffusion coefficient (Deff) of the CMC-Al membrane increased 56-fold, and that of the CMC-Fe membrane increased 3500-fold. This significant correlation between Deff on molecular size indicated that the sizes of the mass transfer channels through the membrane were strictly monodisperse, in the range of molecular sizes that were tested.

Heuristic Evaluation and Usability Testing of a Computerized Patient-Reported Outcomes Survey for Headache Sufferers

The aim of this study was to evaluate usability of a prototype tablet PC-administered computerized adaptive test (CAT) of headache impact and patient feedback report, referred to as HEADACHE-CAT. Heuristic evaluation specialists (n = 2) formed a consensus opinion on the application's strengths and areas for improvement based on general usability principles and human factors research. Usability testing involved structured interviews with headache sufferers (n = 9) to assess how they interacted with and navigated through the application, and to gather input on the survey and report interface, content, visual design, navigation, instructions, and user preferences. Specialists identified the need for improved instructions and text formatting, increased font size, page setup that avoids scrolling, and simplified presentation of feedback reports. Participants found the tool useful, and indicated a willingness to complete it again and recommend it to their healthcare provider. However, some had difficulty using the onscreen keyboard and autoadvance option; understanding the difference between generic and headache-specific questions; and interpreting score reports. Heuristic evaluation and user testing can help identify usability problems in the early stages of application development, and improve the construct validity of electronic assessments such as the HEADACHE-CAT. An improved computerized HEADACHE-CAT measure can offer headache sufferers an efficient tool to increase patient self-awareness, monitor headaches over time, aid patient-provider communications, and improve quality of life.