scholarly journals Towards Porous Silicon Oxycarbide Materials: Effects of Solvents on Microstructural Features of Poly(methylhydrosiloxane)/Divynilbenzene Aerogels

Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 2589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Aguirre-Medel ◽  
Prasanta Jana ◽  
Peter Kroll ◽  
Gian Sorarù

We investigate the impact of solvents on the microstructure of poly(methylhydrosiloxane)/divinylbenzene (PMHS/DVB) aerogels. The gels are obtained in highly diluted conditions via hydrosilylation reaction of PMHS bearing Si-H groups and cross-linking it with C=C groups of DVB. Polymer aerogels are obtained after solvent exchange with liquid CO2 and subsequent supercritical drying. Samples are characterized using microscopy and porosimetry. Common pore-formation concepts do not provide a solid rationale for the observed data. We postulate that solubility and swelling of the cross-linked polymer in various solvents are major factors governing pore formation of these PMHS/DVB polymer aerogels.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (7A) ◽  
pp. 1069-1076
Author(s):  
Layth T. Ali ◽  
Raid S. Abid Ali ◽  
Zeyad S. M. Khaled

Cost overrun in construction projects is a common phenomenon in Iraq. This might occur due to diversity of factors. This study aims to identify the factors influencing construction projects cost that are potentially controllable by main contractors. A field study through a questionnaire survey was directed to a sample of related Iraqi professional engineers from general contracting companies at both public and private sectors. Their opinions on the impact and frequency of each factor were investigated. The questionnaire offered (59) factors classified in (8) categories namely; legislations, financial and economic, design, contractual, site management, material, labor and equipment. The factors were ranked according to the highest Relative Importance Index (RII). The study revealed (10) major factors that are potentially controllable by main contractors namely; labor productivity, sub-contractors and suppliers performance, equipment productivity, site organization and distribution of equipment, experience and training of project managers, scheduling and control techniques, planning for materials supply, planning for equipment supply, materials delivery and planning for skilled labor recruitment. Recommendations to aid contractors and owners in early identification of these factors are also included in this study.


Author(s):  
Istebreq A. Saeedi ◽  
Sunny Chaudhary ◽  
Thomas Andritsch ◽  
Alun S. Vaughan

AbstractReactive molecular additives have often been employed to tailor the mechanical properties of epoxy resins. In addition, several studies have reported improved electrical properties in such systems, where the network architecture and included function groups have been modified through the use of so-called functional network modifier (FNM) molecules. The study reported here set out to investigate the effect of a glycidyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (GPOSS) FNM on the cross-linking reactions, glass transition, breakdown strength and dielectric properties of an amine-cured epoxy resin system. Since many previous studies have considered POSS to act as an inorganic filler, a key aim was to consider the impact of GPOSS addition on the stoichiometry of curing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed significant changes in the cross-linking reactions that occur if appropriate stoichiometric compensation is not made for the additional epoxide groups present on the GPOSS. These changes, in concert with the direct effect of the GPOSS itself, influence the glass transition temperature, dielectric breakdown behaviour and dielectric response of the system. Specifically, the work shows that the inclusion of GPOSS can result in beneficial changes in electrical properties, but that these gains are easily lost if consequential changes in the matrix polymer are not appropriately counteracted. Nevertheless, if the system is appropriately optimized, materials with pronounced improvements in technologically important characteristics can be designed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Chan Chung ◽  
Byung Hee Lee ◽  
Jae Won Choi ◽  
Byoung Chul Chun

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. L. Nicolelis ◽  
Rafael L. G. Raimundo ◽  
Pedro S. Peixoto ◽  
Cecilia S. Andreazzi

AbstractAlthough international airports served as main entry points for SARS-CoV-2, the factors driving the uneven geographic spread of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Brazil remain mostly unknown. Here we show that three major factors influenced the early macro-geographical dynamics of COVID-19 in Brazil. Mathematical modeling revealed that the “super-spreading city” of São Paulo initially accounted for more than 85% of the case spread in the entire country. By adding only 16 other spreading cities, we accounted for 98–99% of the cases reported during the first 3 months of the pandemic in Brazil. Moreover, 26 federal highways accounted for about 30% of SARS-CoV-2’s case spread. As cases increased in the Brazilian interior, the distribution of COVID-19 deaths began to correlate with the allocation of the country’s intensive care units (ICUs), which is heavily weighted towards state capitals. Thus, severely ill patients living in the countryside had to be transported to state capitals to access ICU beds, creating a “boomerang effect” that contributed to skew the distribution of COVID-19 deaths. Therefore, if (i) a lockdown had been imposed earlier on in spreader-capitals, (ii) mandatory road traffic restrictions had been enforced, and (iii) a more equitable geographic distribution of ICU beds existed, the impact of COVID-19 in Brazil would be significantly lower.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabián Vera ◽  
Casee Lemons ◽  
Ming Zhong ◽  
William D. Holcomb ◽  
Randy F. LaFollette

Abstract This study compares reservoir characteristics, completion methods and production for 431 wells in 6 counties producing from the Wichita-Albany reservoir to assess major factors in production optimization and derive ultimate recovery estimates. The purpose of the study is to analyze completion design patterns across the study area by combining public and proprietary data for mining. Integrating several analyses of different nature and their respective methods like statistics, geology and engineering create a modern approach as well as a more holistic point of view when certain measurements are missing from the data set. Furthermore, multivariate statistical analysis allows modeling the impact of particular completion and stimulation parameters on the production outcome by averaging out the impact of all other variables in the system. In addition to completion type, more than 18 predictor variables were examined, including treatment parameters such as fracture fluid volume, year of completion, cumulative perforated length, proppant type, proppant amount, and county location, among others. In this sense, this contribution seems unique in unifying statistical, engineering, and geological perspectives into a singular point of view. This work also provides complementary views for well production consideration.


2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (7) ◽  
pp. 618-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Balasco ◽  
Luciana Esposito ◽  
Luigi Vitagliano

The protein folded state is the result of the fine balance of a variety of different forces. Even minor structural perturbations may have a significant impact on the stability of these macromolecules. Studies carried out in recent decades have led to the convergent view that proteins are endowed with a flexible spine. One of the open issues related to protein local backbone geometry is the identification of the factors that influence the amplitude of the τ (N—Cα—C) angle. Here, statistical analyses performed on an updated ensemble of X-ray protein structures by dissecting the contribution of the major factors that can potentially influence the local backbone geometry of proteins are reported. The data clearly indicate that the local backbone conformation has a prominent impact on the modulation of the τ angle. Therefore, a proper assessment of the impact of the other potential factors can only be appropriately evaluated when small (φ, ψ) regions are considered. Here, it is shown that when the contribution of the backbone conformation is removed by considering small (φ, ψ) areas, an impact of secondary structure, as defined byDSSP, and/or the residue type on τ is still detectable, although to a limited extent. Indeed, distinct τ-value distributions are detected for Pro/Gly and β-branched (Ile/Val) residues. The key role of the local backbone conformation highlighted here supports the use of variable local backbone geometry in protein refinement protocols.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Therasa C. ◽  
C. Vijayabanu

Introduction: There have been given a much higher importance to employee commitment and retention since India is experiencing the highest attrition rate globally Economic Times, 2015. Hence, considering the factors of Person-job fi t to interpret the impact towards work commitment is very well essential, especially in the current scenario. Work Commitment is a vital element in any organization which has outstanding impact on productivity and functioning and hence it is very much vital to have a committed workforce which is necessary in this competitive environment and tight labour market. In the same way, there is considerable amount of evidence that if P-J fi t is high then it will have a direct impact on organization commitment also. Person-job fi t is the compatibility between person’s competency and abilities and the requirements of the job Zheng et al.2. If there exists a mismatch between person-job fi t then the consequences might result in poor work commitment, low job satisfaction and extremely lower involvement in the job. Objective: This study analyzed the key factors that contribute to Person- job compatibility among IT workers and also analyzed the relationship and impact of Person- job compatibility towards work commitment. Methods: Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to fi lter the key factors initially, followed by a linear regression technique to determine the impact of Person- job compatibility factors in work commitment on a sample of 300 employees. EFA used Principal Component analysis for extraction and Promax for rotation. Finally regression analysis was carried out to predict the work commitment through statistically significant person-job compatibility variables. Results: The impact of person-job compatibility on work commitment was studied through regression analysis and it imply that for every unit increase in HR Policy, a 0.52 (unstandardised coeffi cients) increase in work commitment is predicted and it has been turned out as a most impacting variable to predict work commitment. The coeffi cients for Relationship (B =.330, sig =.000), HR Policies (B =.519, sig =.000), Pay and Benefi ts (B =.386, sig =.000) and Employee Growth (B =.290, sig =.001) were statistically significant, since its p-value is .000 which is smaller than .05. The coeffi cients for Work Autonomy (B =.154, sig = .081) was not statistically signifi cant, since its p-value is 0.081 which is greater than.05. Conclusion: The major factors responsible for creating work commitment among IT employees are Relationship, HR Policies and strategies, Pay and benefi ts, Work autonomy and Employee growth. The most contributing regressors which accounts for creating work commitment are HR policies, Pay and benefi ts, Employee growth and work autonomy.


Author(s):  
Laurent Guillier ◽  
Sandra Martin-Latil ◽  
Estelle Chaix ◽  
Anne Thébault ◽  
Nicole Pavio ◽  
...  

AbstractTemperature and relative humidity are major factors determining virus inactivation in the environment. This article reviews inactivation data of coronaviruses on surfaces and in liquids from published studies and develops secondary models to predict coronaviruses inactivation as a function of temperature and relative humidity. A total of 102 D-values (time to obtain a log10 reduction of virus infectivity), including values for SARS-CoV-2, were collected from 26 published studies. The values obtained from the different coronaviruses and studies were found to be generally consistent. Five different models were fitted to the global dataset of D-values. The most appropriate model considered temperature and relative humidity. A spreadsheet predicting the inactivation of coronaviruses and the associated uncertainty is presented and can be used to predict virus inactivation for untested temperatures, time points or new coronavirus strains.ImportanceThe prediction of the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on fomites is essential to investigate the importance of contact transmission. This study collects available information on inactivation kinetics of coronaviruses in both solid and liquid fomites and creates a mathematical model for the impact of temperature and relative humidity on virus persistence. The predictions of the model can support more robust decision-making and could be useful in various public health contexts. Having a calculator for the natural clearance of SARS-CoV-2 depending on temperature and relative humidity could be a valuable operational tool for public authorities.


Author(s):  
Ayhan Guney ◽  
Ilkin M. Sabiroglu ◽  
Cihan Bulut

Every country has experienced various capital accumulation processes due to their own specific conditions. Differences in these conditions have ensured various countries to enter the process of economic development in dissimilar historical periods. Due to the central characteristics of the previous command economic system and the impact of powerful heritage from the USSR on the bureaucratic administration, Azerbaijan is still having difficulties in transitioning to a free-market economy. Today, the transition to an open market economy for Azerbaijan is not completely realized. This research attempts to investigate the major factors of the formation process of the capitalist economic structure in Azerbaijan before and after the demise of the Soviet Union.It focused on the fundamental role of oil and relatively, the agricultural sector and also looked into the types of capitalism the country is currently experiencing based upon certain criteria and statistical indicators.


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