Influence of the presence of medium-soft paraffin wax on the morphology and properties of iPP/silver nanocomposites

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of wax, different Ag nanoparticle contents, and different cooling rates from the melt, on the morphology, thermal and electrical conductivity, and dynamic mechanical properties of iPP. The Ag particles were well dispersed in the polymer, and formed nucleation centres for the crystallization of iPP. They were also well dispersed in iPP/wax, but they were located in the wax phase which was dispersed between the iPP spherulites. Generally the extent of filler agglomeration increased with increasing filler content. The Ag particles, whether in the iPP or wax phase, had little influence on the crystallinities and melting temperatures of iPP. The presence of Ag particles in iPP had little influence on its modulus, but the presence of both wax and Ag particles significantly improved the modulus of these nanocomposites. The thermal and electrical conductivities of the samples more significantly improved when both wax and Ag were present. With increasing Ag particle contents in both iPP/Ag and iPP/wax/Ag, the thermal conductivities increased, but leveled off at higher filler contents, while the electrical conductivities continuously increased with increasing filler contents. The slowly cooled samples had higher crystallinities than the quenched samples and therefore they were more thermally conductive than the quenched samples.The National Research Foundation and Sasol Inzalo in South Africa financially supported the research, which was also supported in part by the Ministry of Education and Science, Republic of Serbia (Project No. 171029)

International law. Power and participation in the 21st century

2006 marks the 60th anniversary of what, in its time, was declared 'the biggest trial in recorded history'. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East - which tried Japanese military and civilian leaders for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and 'crimes against peace' - surpassed the Nuremberg trial in duration (two and a half years), in the number of accused (28), in the number of presiding judges (11), and in the length of its judgment (over 1,200 pages). But compared to Nuremberg, which is widely seen as a watershed moment in international law, Tokyo remains obscure

The Role of Residual Demand in Electricity Price Analysis and Forecasting: Case of Czech Electricity Market

Most of scientific papers dealing with power price predictions base their work on various statistical time series models. In this paper we propose a new, purely fundamental, approach to the issues of electricity price analysis and forecasting. While precise replication of real power market processes is very complicated, we show that even relatively simple fundamental model is able to explain large part of price movements on the electricity markets. Analysis presented is based predominantly on the Merit order theory and introduces the concept of residual demand as a crucial variable for explaining hourly electricity price movements. While the analysis shown in this paper is applied to the Czech electricity day-ahead market, it can be well replicated also for the other relevant European power market areas. Tests of fundamental approaches towards power price forecasting have shown very promising results and we believe they deserve more attention from the electricity market researchers. Keywords: Electricity market, Electricity prices forecasting, Merit order theory JEL Classifications: Q41, Q4

MACHINE LEARNING PRACTICES DURING THE OPERATIONAL PHASE OF BUILDINGS: A CRITICAL REVIEW

Machine Learning (ML) is gaining attention in civil engineering especially within operational phase of building life cycle. This phase is crucial for managing every energy aspect while ensuring occupant comfort. Previous ML experiments have explored occupant behavior, occupancy estimation, load prediction, defect detection, and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system diagnostics. However, challenges such as ML transferability and limited literature on ML components for the operational phase hinder broader industry adoption. This critical review aims to assess the potential of ML in building operations, focusing on energy consumption, big data control, reinforcement learning, and thermal comfort modeling. By identifying knowledge gaps, the study recommends further research to leverage ML for sustainable energy consumption and occupant comfort. It highlights ML’s promising role in striking a balance between energy efficiency and occupant wellbeing

Foliar spray of Si and Ti nanoparticles affected enzymatic antioxidants in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

Some beneficial nanoparticles such as silicon and titanium are encouraging in foliar feeding due to their large surface area and biocompatible properties. In current experiment, seedling of rapeseed varieties (‘Hydromel’, ‘Nathalie’, ‘Alonso’) was sprayed with titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide nanoparticles (Ti and Si-NPs) and then responses of some enzymatic antioxidant and plasma membrane integrity were evaluated. Foliar application of Si-NPs significantly increased the activity of ascorbate peroxidase compared to the control, in all three varieties. Spray of both Ti and Si-NPs increased guaiacol peroxidase activity in ‘Nathalie’ and ‘Alonso’ varieties while in ‘Hydromel’ only Si-NPs spray had positive effects on activity this antioxidant. Behaviors of superoxide dismutase (SOD) isozymes under different foliar treatments and in varieties were different, but the highest activity of total SOD isozyme in ‘Hydromel’ and ‘Alonso’ varieties was obtained by foliar application of Si-NPs and Ti-NPs, respectively. The lowest amount of hydrogen peroxide was obtained by foliar application of Ti-NPs. Examination of malondialdehyde (MDA) also showed that the most vulnerable membrane belonged to ‘Hydromel’ variety and foliar application of Si-NPs and Ti-NPs could improve membrane integrity. These results suggest that foliar application of both Si-NPs and Ti-NPs improves the scavenging capacity of reactive oxygen species (ROS), although the response of the enzymatic antioxidants was largely influenced by the variety

Impact of watershed management practices on vegetation, land use changes, and soil erosion in River Basins of the Atlas, Morocco

Soil erosion, a land degradation process triggered by natural and anthropogenic factors, seriously impacts landscapes and water resources. The influence of vegetation cover and land use changes on intensity of soil erosion of two catchments in mountainous regions of Morocco is evident, as it alters hydrologic response and sediment dynamics. This research aims to analyze the interactions among plants, soil, geology, meteorology, and orography, assessing soil erosion responses using the process-oriented IntErO model - Erosion Potential Method to determine erosion rates. The obtained results indicate that the Tiguert river basin experiences higher soil losses (Ggod = 5184.47 m³/god) and soil losses per square kilometre (Ggod/km² = 508.28 m³/km² god) compared to the Wanmroud catchment (Ggod = 2555.66 m³/god, Ggod/km² = 381.44 m³/km² god), confirming the theory that areas with denser and more effective vegetation cover experience lower soil erosion rates. Furthermore, the Wanmroud basin exhibits a more regular shape and lower watershed development coefficient, implying lower human impact. This study has shown the relationships between land use changes, vegetation cover, and soil erosion dynamics, offering valuable insights for sustainable land management practices in mountainous regions of Morocco

Morphogenesis in Vitro in Maize Inbred Lines from the Lancaster Heterotic Group

The genotypic specificities of morphogenesis and regeneration have been studied in vitro in five maize inbred lines from the breeding-promising Lancaster heterotic group, compared with the representatives of other heterotic groups, that is, PLS61, A188, and Chi31. It has been shown that the ratio between the types of morphogenesis, such as organogenesis and embryoidogenesis, in a callus culture is predetermined by the explant genotype and sucrose concentrations in the medium for callusogenesis. The frequency of embryoidogenesis as the most efficient type of morphogenesis, considering further regeneration, was, on average, 40.0 ± 12.8% for maize inbreds from the Lancaster heterotic group and only 14.0 ± 4.0% from other heterotic groups. A sucrose concentration at a level of 30 g/L in the medium for callusogenesis further supported the process of regeneration through embryoidogenesis in inbreds of the Lancaster heterotic group at a level of 26.5 ± 15.4%, while the sucrose concentration of 60 g/L promoted regeneration up to a level of 57.7± 19.8%. Contents of sucrose in the medium for callusogenesis in the inbreds representing other heterotic groups did not affect the process of regeneration, and the level of embryoidogenesis with sucrose at the concentrations of 30 and 60 g/L was, respectively, 11.0 ± 7.0 and 15.0 ± 4.8%

Kontrolingo rūšių ir modelių vertinimas, kaip pagrindas kuriant veiksmingą informacinę kontrolingo sistemą įmonėje

[full article and abstract in Lithuanian; abstract in English] In order to solve issues of a company’s daily activities and predict further development directions in the current conditions of the ever-changing market environment, it is crucial for managers to have the right information at their disposal. Both the excessive information and the lack of it constitute the basis for inefficient or even disastrous decisions. Controlling is an efficient informative system that can provide managers with data needed for efficient management decisions. A properly designed controlling system can provide various information on all the areas of activity. Thus, when creating such a system, it is important to evaluate the possibilities of a controlling system, which are best revealed by a controlling system analysis and evaluation. The article analyzes the possibilities of information provided by a controlling system in terms of of evaluating controlling types and models. Such an evaluation creates possibilities to perform a cross-cut analysis of the characteristics of the provided information and define what is the content and scope of information that managers receive from a controlling system. The article reveals that in the context of information provision for a company, strategic and operational controlling are to be considered the most significant ones. Strategic controlling provides information on how to do the right activity, whereas operational controlling – on how an activity can be done right. The goals of a company can be achieved only through both of them. Tactical controlling is what connects strategic controlling to operational controlling; its paradigm can be expressed through two questions: 1) how to do the right activity right? 2) what should be done when a wrong activity is being done or the activity is being done wrongly? Information provision for the answers to these questions would ensure a direct relation and feedback of strategic and operational controlling. After analyzing the typologization of controlling based on its origin, it was identified that the two main schools of controlling practice exist that led to the development of two different models of controlling: the Anglo-Saxon (American) and European (German). An exemplary controlling model adapted for Lithuanian companies was prepared after comparing the American and German controlling models and evaluating them on the basis of the scope of tasks, dominant orientation, the role of the controller, and the information base. On the basis of this adapted model, an individual information provision controlling system can be created for any Lithuanian company. This article analyzes other types of controlling as well, evaluation of which is important when creating an efficient system for controlling information provision in a particular company.[straipsnis ir santrauka lietuvių kalba; santrauka anglų kalba] Straipsnyje nagrinėjama kontrolingo sistemos informacinio aprūpinimo veikla kontrolingo rūšių ir mo­delių vertinimo aspektu. Toks vertinimas sudaro galimybes ištirti teikiamos informacijos charakteristikas įvairiais pjūviais ir apibrėžti, kokio turinio ir kokios apimties informaciją valdymo personalui turi teikti kontrolingo sistema. Straipsnyje atskleista, kad įmonės informacinio aprūpinimo kontekste reikšmingiausiomis laikytinos strateginio ir operatyvinio kontrolingo rūšys, nes jų sintezė sudaro prielaidas pasiekti įmonės tikslus ir užtikrinti įmonės vertės didėjimą ilgalaikėje perspektyvoje. Kontrolingo klasifikacijos pagal kilmės požymį vertinimo pagrindu identifikuotos amerikietiškojo ir vokiškojo kontrolingo modelių savybės, kurios pritaikytos kuriant Lietuvai adaptuotą kontrolingo modelį. Straipsnyje analizuojamos ir kitos kontrolingo rūšys, kurių vertinimas yra svarbus formuojant veiksmingą kontrolingo, kaip informacinio aprūpinimo, sistemą konkrečioje įmonėje

Cone beam computed tomography use in orthodontics

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is widely used by orthodontists to obtain three‐dimensional (3‐D) images of their patients. This is of value as malocclusion results from discrepancies in three planes of space. This review tracks the use of CBCT in orthodontics, from its validation as an accurate and reliable tool, to its use in diagnosing and treatment planning, and in assessing treatment outcomes in orthodontics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90211/1/j.1834-7819.2011.01662.x.pd