Thermal Degradation and Physical-mechanical Properties of Lignin-filled Rigid Polyurethane Foams

Nowadays, the synthesis of polymers from renewable resources, including polyurethane foams, has been actively investigated. In this work the potential application of lignin (CIMV, France) as non-reactive filler in tall oil amide (OH = 269 mg KOH/g, H2O = 0,2 wt.%) based rigid PU foams is studied. It was concluded that introducing lignin to rigid PU foams systems can increase physico-mechanical properties of foams

Rigid Polyurethane Foams From Oxypropylated Wheat Straw Lignin

Polyols for rigid PU foams production are derived mostly from petrochemical products but it can be replaced by polyols obtained from natural raw materials (vegetable oils, tall oil, lignin etc.). Organosolve lignin from CIMV biorefinery (France) was used in our work. Different lignin and propylene oxide (PO) ratio (0.15-0.40) was used to get lignopolyols. Commercial polyol Lupranol 3300 was substituted by each lignopolyol in the compositions of rigid PU foams to investigate lignopolyol effect to density, closed cell content, physical-mechanical properties and water absorption. Lignopolyols synthesized from CIMV lignin by oxypropylation reaction is prospective material to obtain rigid PU foam with improved characteristics such as water absorption and compression strength

Flammability and Thermal Properties of Rigid Polyurethane Foams Containing Wheat Straw Lignin

Due to development of new generation of biomass processing, the examination of novel lignin products for creation of lignin-containing PU remains actual up to now. For preparation of lignin containing PU in this study a novel BIOLIGNIN was used. BIOLIGNIN is extracted from wheat straw in organic acid media using biomass refinery technology. The influence of chemically non-modified BIOLIGNIN and oxypropylated BIOLIGNIN on flammability and thermal properties in rigid PU foams was studied. Improvement of flame resistance and thermal stability is observed if chemically non-modified lignin as well as oxypropylated lignin is used

Feature Representation Analysis of Deep Convolutional Neural Network using Two-stage Feature Transfer -An Application for Diffuse Lung Disease Classification-

Transfer learning is a machine learning technique designed to improve generalization performance by using pre-trained parameters obtained from other learning tasks. For image recognition tasks, many previous studies have reported that, when transfer learning is applied to deep neural networks, performance improves, despite having limited training data. This paper proposes a two-stage feature transfer learning method focusing on the recognition of textural medical images. During the proposed method, a model is successively trained with massive amounts of natural images, some textural images, and the target images. We applied this method to the classification task of textural X-ray computed tomography images of diffuse lung diseases. In our experiment, the two-stage feature transfer achieves the best performance compared to a from-scratch learning and a conventional single-stage feature transfer. We also investigated the robustness of the target dataset, based on size. Two-stage feature transfer shows better robustness than the other two learning methods. Moreover, we analyzed the feature representations obtained from DLDs imagery inputs for each feature transfer models using a visualization method. We showed that the two-stage feature transfer obtains both edge and textural features of DLDs, which does not occur in conventional single-stage feature transfer models.Comment: Preprint of the journal article to be published in IPSJ TOM-51. Notice for the use of this material The copyright of this material is retained by the Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ). This material is published on this web site with the agreement of the author (s) and the IPS

Promocijas darbs

Elektroniskā versija nesatur pielikumusPromocijas darba vispārīgs raksturojums Promocijas darbs Manipulācija kā specifiska parādība rakstiskajā un mutvārdu tulkošanā veltīts tulkojummanipulācijas izpētei un analīzei. Promocijas darbs izstrādāts angļu valodā, tā kopsavilkums sagatavots angļu un latviešu valodās. Valodas aspekts ir nozīmīgs saistībā ar darba pamatjēdziena manipulācija izpratni un šī vārda denotāciju un konotāciju abās augstāk minētajās valodās. Latviešu valodā šim jēdzienam piemītošā negatīvā nozīmes nokrāsa ir spēcīgāka par pozitīvo, kurpretim angļu valodā ārpus konteksta šis termins drīzāk tiek uztverts kā neitrāls. Šajā promocijas darbā manipulācija tiek skatīta šaurā profesionālā kontekstā, proti rakstiskajā un mutvārdu tulkošanā un tā kā darbs rakstīts angļu valodā, manipulācijas jēdziens skatīts no angļu valodas perspektīvas. Šīs parādības apzīmēšanai latviešu valodā tiek lietots termins tulkojummanipulācija. Tulkojummanipulācija tiek atšķirta no manipulācijas vispārējā izpratnē. Tulkojummanipulācija ir avota teksta/runas apstrāde, ko veic attiecīgi tulkotājs vai tulks un kuras rezultātā teksts vai runa tiek atveidots/-a mērķa valodā, padarot to pieejamu mērķa auditorijai. Šajā procesā tiek veikti nepieciešamie pielāgojumi, ņemot vērā saskarē esošo kultūru īpatnības, ideoloģiskās, literārās un lingvistiskās atšķirības. Tā kā šo teksta/runas atveidi realizē dzīva būtne – tulks/tulkotājs, gala produkts – tulkojums pakļauts gan ideoloģiska, gan idividuāla, gan psiholoģiska rakstura faktoru ietekmei. Zinātnieku pētījumos tulkojums tiek aplūkots no dažādiem viedokļiem. Viens no provokatīvākajiem izteikumiem par šo tēmu pieder Teo Hermansam (Theo Hermans), kurš teicis, ka “raugoties no mērķa literatūras viedokļa, jebkurš tulkojums zināma mērā ir avota teksta manipulācija kāda konkrēta mērķa vārdā” (1985). Šis apgalvojums pazīstams kā manipulācijas hipotēze. Izdzirdot šo teikumu pirmo reizi un neko nezinot par pētījumu, kura rezultātā Hermans nonācis pie šīs atziņas, varētu domāt ka tas ir skandalozs un visu profesiju degradējošs. Šāds apgalvojums liek uzdot satraucošus jautājumus par tulkošanu un tās būtību. Vai tiešām visa veida tulkošana ir manipulācija? Ja tā, vai tad tulkojumam un tulkotājiem vispār varam uzticēties? Un ja nevaram, tad kādēļ mums vispār kaut kas tāds būtu vajadzīgs? To pašu varētu jautāt arī par rakstiskajai tulkošanai radniecīgo mutvārdu tulkošanu. Ar šī pētījuma palīdzību tā autore – kādreizējais tulkotājs, konferenču tulks un konferenču tulkošanas pasniedzēja šodien, veic padziļinātu parādības tulkojummanipulācija izpēti ar mērķi izprast tās būtību. Tulkojummanipulācija nav plaši pētīta vai apspriesta tēma, vismaz ne angliski, latviski un vāciski rakstošajās zinātnieku aprindās. Šajā ziņā nekas nav mainījies kopš pagājušā gadsimta septiņdesmitajiem gadiem, kad šai tēmai pievērsās Manipulācijas skolas zinātnieki. Vēl joprojām šis termins nav ticis definēts un visaptveroši aprakstīts. Dažādi zinātnieki piedāvā savu bieži vien atšķirīgo skatījumu uz tulkojuma manipulāciju. Šī terminoloģiskā neskaidrība tulkošanas studijās šķiet radusies tādēļ, ka neviens nekad šo terminu pēc būtības tā arī nav izskaidrojis. Problēmas būtība, šķiet, slēpjas spējā atšķirt manipulāciju vispārējā izpratnē no tulkojummanipulācijas. Abas šīs parādības ir atšķirīgas. Parasti ar manipulāciju saprot apzinātu negodīgu paņēmienu izmantošanu ar mērķi maldināt vai negatīvi ietekmēt citus. Rakstiskajā un mutvārdu tulkošanā tāpat kā citās profesionālās sfērās, tādās kā finanses, datorzinības vai medicīna, manipulācija neattiecas tikai uz negatīvo vai kropļošanu, bet arī uz uzlabojumu vai vienkārši apstrādi. Tulkošanas manipulācija arī Manipulācijas skolas izpratnē tieši šādā veidā arī atšķiras no manipulācijas vispārējā izpratnē, lai gan tik skaidri tas tā arī nekur nav pateikts. Promocijas darbā ietverts plašs esošo pētījumu pārskats par manipulācijas tēmu. Īpaša uzmanība pievērsta Manipulācijas skolas teorijai, jo tiGeneral Description of the Study The current doctoral thesis is devoted to an in-depth analysis of manipulation as a specific phenomenon in translation and interpreting. Translational / interpretational manipulation is distinguished from manipulation in everyday contexts and understanding. The thesis deals with human translation and does not concern machine translation. For the purposes of the present research manipulation is considered to be the translator’s / interpreter’s handling of a text which results in the adaptation of the text for the Target Audience, considering the cultural, ideological, linguistic and literary differences between the cultures in contact, which takes place within a particular cultural setting and is carried out by a human agent, with the consequence of a possible influence of individual- or psychology-related factors upon the end product. Various facets and aspects of translation and interpreting come under closer scrutiny in various studies. One of the most provocative claims ever made about translation is the statement by Theo Hermans that “from the point of view of the target literature all translation implies a degree of manipulation of the source text for a certain purpose”(1985:11), which has also become known as the manipulation hypothesis. The present study investigates the allegedly manipulative side of translation and interpreting with the help of selected theoretical and pragmatic resources. It is based on the above mentioned provocative statement by Theo Hermans about the manipulative nature of translation. Special attention is paid to the concept of manipulation both in translation and interpreting concentrating on the types, reasons and results of manipulation. It focuses on three key phenomena: translation, interpreting and manipulation. However, the chosen theme is so vast that it is hardly possible to be adequately covered in a single study, consequently only selected aspects can be dealt with here, sketching in the future research possibilities into this field. The possibilities for further research are described in the concluding part of the thesis. Although manipulation and translation as manipulation are relatively familiar and old notions in Translation Studies, it seems that there is a problem with conceptualising them. Translation scholars already started investigating this phenomenon back in the 1970s, but no comprehensive and unequivocal definition, description or conceptualisation of it has been offered as yet. The problem with conceptualising manipulation in Translation Studies seems to have arisen from the fact that this phenomenon has never been really defined or explicated by any of the scholars. The problem seems to lie in the distinction between habitual and translational manipulation. Manipulation within the context of translation and interpreting differs from habitual manipulation. Conventionally the word manipulation refers to conscious and devious strategies used by people to mislead and influence others. In translation and interpreting, just like in other professional spheres such as finances, computing or medicine, manipulation referees not only to distortion, but also to improvement or purely handling. In essence also the translational manipulation, as perceived by the scholars of the Manipulation School, substantially differs from habitual manipulation. This study aims at making this idea of translational manipulation more explicit displaying the differences between habitual and translational manipulation, although it has never been stated as explicitly as that. For the purposes of the present research manipulation is considered to be the translator’s/ interpreter’s handling of a text which results in the adaptation of the text for the Target Audience, considering the cultural, ideological, linguistic and literary differences between the cultures in contact, which takes place within a particular cultural setting a

Initial Feasible Solutions of Three Dimensional Transportation Problems

The purpose of this paper is to investigate methods to obtain initial feasible solutions of three dimensional transportation problems. Schell\u27s procedure was tested on various randomly generated problems, and it was determined that this algorithm did not always yield an initial feasible solution. Thus a modified Schell procedure was developed. Computer programs were written to compare the modified Schell procedure with Phase I of Simplex method. It was concluded, from cases tested, that the modified Schell procedure requires much less computing time and generally gives a feasible solution closer to the optimum solution

Uunderstanding the benefits of regional integration to trade : the application of a gravity model to the case of Central America

The paper identifies the impact of physical barriers to trade within Central America through the use of an augmented and partially constrained Gravity Model of Trade. Adjusting the Euclidian distance factor for Central America by real average transport times, the model quantifies the impact of poor connectivity and border frictions on the region's internal trade as well as its trade with external partners, such as the United States and Europe. In addition, the authors benchmark Central America's trade coefficients against those of a physically integrated region by running a parallel Gravity Model for the 15 core countries of the European Union. This allows for the estimation of potential intra-regional and external trade levels if Central America were to reduce border frictions and time of travel between countries and thus benefit from both the adjacency of each country's neighbors and the gravitational pull of the region's economies. The analysis is conducted for all of Central America's trade and is also disaggregated for three groups of products -- processed fruits and vegetables; steel and steel products; and grains -- by both volume and value. This differentiation tests the consistency of the results while providing insight into the differentiation in trading patterns and potential for these containerized, break-bulk, and bulk products. The results of the model include a potential doubling in intraregional exports if Central America could achieve the adjacency and time-distance factors of a truly integrated region. In addition, the region's combined exports to the European Union and the United States are projected to increase by more than a third compared with the current level, assuming European Union-level adjacency performance. Even more external trade benefits would accrue by reducing the economic penalty imposed by overland transport and border crossing inefficiencies.Economic Theory&Research,Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Free Trade,Food&Beverage Industry,Trade Policy