scholarly journals Recent Advances in Chitin and Chitosan/Graphene-Based Bio-Nanocomposites for Energetic Applications

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 3266
Author(s):  
Rabia Ikram ◽  
Badrul Mohamed Jan ◽  
Muhammad Abdul Qadir ◽  
Akhmal Sidek ◽  
Minas M. Stylianakis ◽  
...  

Herein, we report recent developments in order to explore chitin and chitosan derivatives for energy-related applications. This review summarizes an introduction to common polysaccharides such as cellulose, chitin or chitosan, and their connection with carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), such as bio-nanocomposites. Furthermore, we present their structural analysis followed by the fabrication of graphene-based nanocomposites. In addition, we demonstrate the role of these chitin- and chitosan-derived nanocomposites for energetic applications, including biosensors, batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors and solar cell systems. Finally, current limitations and future application perspectives are entailed as well. This study establishes the impact of chitin- and chitosan-generated nanomaterials for potential, unexplored industrial applications.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Lawrence A. Gordon

The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of data analytics (DA) and machine learning (ML) on accounting research.[1] As discussed in the paper, the inherent inductive nature of DA and ML is creating an important trend in the way accounting research is being conducted. That trend is the increasing utilization of inductive-based research among accounting researchers. Indeed, as a result of the recent developments with DA and ML, a rebalancing is taking place between inductive-based and deductive-based research in accounting.[2] In essence, we are witnessing the resurrection of inductive-based accounting research. A brief review of some empirical evidence to support the above argument is also provided in the paper.   


Author(s):  
Rafael Vargas-Bernal

Gas sensing continues attracting research communities due to its potential applications in the sectors military, industrial and commercial. A special emphasis is placed on the use of carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, as sensing materials. The chapter will be divided as follows: In the first part, a description of the main topologies and materials (carbon nanomaterials plus polymers, metals, ceramics or combinations between these groups) used to fabricate gas sensors based on graphene and carbon nanotubes that are operated by conductance or resistance electrical, is realized. Next, different mathematical models that can be used to simulate gas sensors based on these materials are presented. In the third part, the impact of the graphene and carbon nanotubes on gas sensors is exemplified with technical advances achieved until now. Finally, it is provided a prospective analysis on the role of the gas sensors based on carbon nanomaterials in the next decades.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsti Klette ◽  
Marte Blikstad-Balas

The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of coding and observation manuals in classroom studies. While observation manuals have been a part of the methodological toolkit for measuring various aspects of instruction for decades, the field has also been suffering from ‘paradigm wars’, fragmentation and local production of instruments. Common frameworks for investigating teaching are needed, including observation instruments for teaching that are both generic and subject specific. Such common tools for research developed within an integrated methodological design could help researchers make progress in aggregating knowledge about the impact of different teaching approaches across settings and subjects. This article serves as one such integrative mechanism by summarizing and reviewing existing manuals targeted towards developing knowledge for and in teaching. The analysis provides status, overview and focus of the different observation manuals; additionally, the article discusses how recent developments in instruments and coding procedures might provide increased rigour and a shared vocabulary to talk about teaching. We discuss both pitfalls and possibilities of coding manuals, and argue that if used in a reflexive manner, coding manuals can provide a common language and vocabulary when talking about – and researching – classroom teaching and learning.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Barra

The acquisition phase has progressively gained a crucial relevance in contemporary television industries. Building on an original research in the field of media production studies, with in-depth interviews of Italian professionals and longitudinal comparisons across the last decade, this article traces the role of acquisitions in the global distribution and national circulation of TV content and synthetizes recent developments in production routines and professional cultures. The goal is to explore this understudied sector, its practitioners and best practices, as well as to highlight the impact of digital TV multichannel and supra-national over-the-top (OTT) players, which have changed these dynamics further.


2011 ◽  
Vol 471-472 ◽  
pp. 7-19
Author(s):  
Hassan Azman ◽  
Muhammad Imran ◽  
Mat Uzir Wahit ◽  
Harintharavimal Balakrishnan

An overview of the recent developments in PA6/PP blend nanocomposites is presented in this paper with an emphasis on their mechanical, thermal and morphological properties. The role of organoclay as a reinforcing agent and polyethylene octene (POE) as an elastomer are discussed in detail. The organoclay increases the strength and stiffness while the POE elastomer increases the impact toughness of the nanocomposites. The effects of various parameters such as PA6/PP blend ratio, organoclay loading and the concentration of elastomer on the nanocomposites properties are also examined. The exfoliated state of organoclay platelets along with the fine particle size and uniform dispersion of POE demonstrate the nanocomposite with improved properties. These materials are attracting considerable interest in polymer research community because they exhibit substantial improvement in properties at low filler contents.


Author(s):  
Clive Vinti

This paper evaluates the scope of the powers of the Minister of Finance upon a request from the Minister of Trade and Industry to amend Schedule 1 to the Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964 (hereafter, CEA) in respect of imported goods as provided by section 48(1)(b) of the CEA. This assessment entails a case analysis of the High Court decisions in South Africa Sugar Association v the Minister of Trade and Industry 2017 4 All SA 555 (GP) and Pioneer Foods (Pty) Ltd v Minister of Finance 2017 ZAWCHC 110 (29 September 2017). These two cases offer for the first time, clarification on the nature of the power conferred on the Minister of Finance by section 48(1)(b) of the CEA. The High Court in these two cases rejected the argument that the role of the Minister of Finance in respect of the power conferred upon him/her by section 48(1)(b) is that of a "registrar" who merely 'rubberstamps' the decision of the Minister of Trade and Industry. Consequently, the High Court in both matters held that a veto power is conferred on the Minister of Finance which permits him/her to either accept or decline the request of the Minister of Trade and Industry to amend Schedule 1 of the CEA.To the contrary, this paper argues that if the Minister of Finance declines the request of the Minister of Trade and Industry, s/he is not 'giving effect' to the request of the Minister of Trade and Industry as required by section 48(1)(b) of the CEA and is thus acting ultra vires because s/he is assuming powers which never conferred on him/her by the legislature. This paper also argues that the High Court in both matters, misconstrued the relationship between section 48(1)(b) and the "public interest" provisions in section 48 and thus unjustifiably stripped the Minister of Trade and Industry of his/her power to implement an amendment to Schedule 1. In the final analysis, this paper explores the impact of the Customs Duty Act 30 of 2014 on the Minister of Finance's powers in this regard.    


Sensor Review ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Chandra Persaud

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review recent progress in electronic nose technologies, focusing on hybrid systems combining biological elements with physical transducers. Design/methodology/approach Electronic nose technologies are moving rapidly towards hybrid bioelectronic systems, where biological odour-recognition elements from the olfactory pathways of vertebrates and insects are being utilised to construct new “bionic noses” that can be used in industrial applications. Findings With the increased understanding of how chemical senses and the brain function in biology, an emerging field of “neuromorphic olfaction” has arisen. Research limitations/implications Important components are olfactory receptor proteins and soluble proteins found at the periphery of olfaction called odorant-binding proteins. The idea is that these proteins can be incorporated into transducers and function as biorecognition elements for volatile compounds of interest. Practical implications Major drivers are the security, environmental and medical applications, and the internet of things will be a major factor in implementing low-cost chemical sensing in networked applications for the future. Social implications Widespread take up of new technologies that are cheap will minimise the impact of environmental pollution, increase food safety and may potentially help in non-invasive screening for medical ailments. Originality/value This review brings together diverse threads of research leading to a common theme that will inform a non-expert of recent developments in the field.


Author(s):  
Neil G. W. Curtis

This chapter aims to show that ideas of the sacred, the numinous, and the contested, rather than of the rational, are most important in understanding how the meanings of material culture are formed and the role of museums. It considers how museums have offered rich contexts in which the changing, conflicting, and multiple meanings of material culture have developed. Scottish national identity, contested and unsettled, is shown in the contribution of museums and objects to discussions about a link between the Classical past and Scottish history in the early nineteenth century, the creation of a national museum in the second half of the nineteenth century, a temporary exhibition of Scottish history as part of a Great Exhibition in 1911, and two repatriation cases at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Recent developments in museum practice are discussed, including the impact of both growing professionalism and the recognition of the rights of groups in museums. The chapter concludes by arguing that objects generate and embody meanings that are shared, entangled, and co-constitutive. Instead of attempting to identify the “correct” meaning, it is therefore the responsibility of museums to explore the range of personal and shared rights that objects engender.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 442-475
Author(s):  
Peter R. Demant ◽  
Ariel Finguerut

The main purpose of this paper is to discuss the paradoxical consequences the so-called “Arab Spring”, from 2011 to 2014/15, which has led in various countries of the Arab world and beyond to different outcomes, but nowhere to stable democracy. We intend to discuss the outcomes of those political mobilizations and revolts, paying special attention to (a) the role of Islamist movements and (b) U.S reactions to the recent Mideast upheavals. We start with a general analysis and go to a few case studies (e.g. Egypt, Syria, and Turkey). In discussing the impact of Islamism, we attempt a classification of currents along two coordinates, one parameter contrasting Sunni and Shiite movements, the other laying out the continuum from pacific-modernist to violent jihadist. We defend that the dynamics of intra-Islamist tensions (such as Sunni jihadist against the Shiite Hizbullah-Syria-Iran axis) are no less crucial than the religious-secularist divide for understanding recent developments. Regarding US policies, we emphasize the dilemmas and contradictions within U.S government. We investigate the hypothesis that the US was caught largely unaware by the Arab Spring, and that its reactions suffered from the amorphousness of prior positions of the Obama administration, combined with leftovers from the Bush period. Internal contradictions of Obama’s Middle East doctrine coupled with a general isolationist trend have precluded the US from assuming more forceful policies, creating frustrations on all sides, and enflaming rather than dousing the fires of anti-Westernism in the Islamic world.Keywords: Arab Spring ; U.S policies ; Syria; jihadist.  Resumo: O principal objetivo deste artigo é discutir as consequências paradoxais da chamada "Primavera Árabe", que a partir de 2011 aos nossos dias produziu em vários países do mundo árabe diferentes resultados, mas em nenhum lugar chegou-se à democracia estável. Temos a intenção de discutir os resultados dessas mobilizações políticas e revoltas, com especial atenção para (a) o papel dos movimentos islâmicos e (b) as reações e posturas dos EUA ante os recentes levantes no Oriente Médio. De uma análise geral partiremos para estudos de caso (como Egito, Síria e Turquia). Ao discutir o impacto do islamismo, tentamos uma classificação das correntes ao longo de duas coordenadas, um deles contrastando movimentos sunitas e xiitas, e outro que define o continuum de pacifista - modernista para jihadista –violento. Postulamos que a dinâmica das tensões intra- islâmicos (como a de jihadistas sunitas contra o eixo Hezbollah -Síria- Irã xiita) não são menos importantes do que a divisão religiosa - secular para compreender os desdobramentos recentes. No que diz respeito aos EUA, destacamos os dilemas e contradições dentro do governo dos EUA. Nós investigamos a hipótese de que os EUA foi pego de surpresa em grande parte pela Primavera Árabe, e que as reações do governo Obama traduzem mais um recolhimento do que um novo engajamento.Palavras-chave: Primavera Árabe; Políticas dos EUA; Síria; jihadismo.   DOI: 10.20424/2237-7743/bjir.v4n3p442-475


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