Properties of gypsum particleboard with added mineral dolomite

Red pine (Pinus brutia) wood particles and dolomite mineral were used in varying proportions to form mineral-added gypsum particleboards. Mechanical, physical, and chemical properties of the boards were tested. The increasing  mineral content was found to improve the water absorption properties but the increased amount of  gypsum  in the mixture negatively affected the thickness swelling and water absorption properties. The usage of dolomite mineral in the board composition increased the internal bond properties and higher than the standard of 0,28 MPa. However, all types of boards had modulus of elastic, modulus of rupture and thermal conductivity results values below the standards.  Moreover, the thermal conductivity values decreased in all board types because of the reduction of the mineral dolomite. Thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry tests were applied to examine the thermal and flame retardancy properties of inorganic materials, wood-gypsum composites, which are used at different rates for synergistic effect. The gypsum and dolomite amount affected the thermal variation, whereas the increment in the weight of the wood particles also increased the thermal degradation. It was determined that stresses at 850-980 cm-1 reveal Ca-O and Mg-O, reveal at 881cm-1 C-OH, weak vibration at 1619 cm-1 and a strong bond structure in the 1445-950-882 cm-1 bands. These bands express the characteristic presence of the CaO and MgO belonging to dolomite. The study demonstrated the feasibility of producing mineral-based gypsum board products using wood chips

A Study on Composite Panels Prepared from Mixture of Mineral Adducts with Calabrian Pine Tree (Pinus brutia) Residues

The heat transfer coefficient values of 0.250 W/mK and l: 0.261 W/mK were found for Type 1 boards (bark based experimental boards of XBI and YBV)and l: 0.321 W/mK and l: 0.311 W/mK were found for Type 2 boards (cone based experimental boards of XCV and YCII), respectively. But all these are lower than standard value of 0.065 W/mK. However, visual evaluation show that all samples have low flame spreading properties which did not reach the threshold limit of 150 mm under a single flame combustion test. All Type 1 boards show lower mass loss (w, %) than control sample (B0: 11.97%), regardless of mineral additive type and proportions. The lowest mass loss of 6.36% was obtained with sample of YBIV. It is noticeable that olivine-cone (YC) and olivine-bark (YB) based panels usually show lower mass loss than dolomite-cone and dolomite-bark based panels at similar experimental conditions. The surface burning tests clearly indicate that the both mineral additions have lowering effects on burning feature of boards. This is probably olivine and dolomite could be absorbing heat and release water. Hence the burning area might become colder during evaporation of water with increasing charring and improve insulation of materials. The heat insulation levels of boards have found to be closely related with mineral content. But olivine seems to more effective for improving insulation properties for Type 1 boards. It is also found that both type panels (Type 1 and 2) which prepared from various proportions of dolomite and olivine as additives (10-50%) were show higher resistance against thermal degradation than control panels which prepared only (100%) from lignocellulosic material (cone and bark)

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Combined Effects of Linseed Oil and Heat Treatment on the Properties of Cypress and Maple Wood Part 1: Water Absorption, Mechanical Properties, and Sound Absorption Capacity

The physical and mechanical properties of thermally modified wood impregnated with linseed oil were investigated to find the relationship between the treatment and the acoustic properties. The samples were impregnated with linseed oil (LO). Heat treatment was performed in an oven at four different temperatures, namely 160, 180, 210, and 240 °C. Statistically, the physical, mechanical, and acoustic properties of the treated wood were significantly intensified as compared to the control samples. The physical properties (water absorption) of the treated wood decreased by 72% as compared to the control group. However, while the increase in both MOR and MOE at 240 °C was 13%, the increase in CS at 240 °C was 7%. As a result of the heat treatment, the porosity increased by 33% as compared to the control group. At 240 °C the maximum SAC value was observed to be 0.71 at 5000 Hz and at 4500 Hz 0.78 and 0.80, respectively. The highest STL value, which was 69.9 dB, was observed at 1540 Hz and 3600 Hz. As a result of improved heat transfer, impregnating samples with LO before thermal modifications was observed to increase the efficiency of thermal modification

Extraction of Lightweight <i>Platanus orientalis</i> L. Fruit’s Stem Fiber and Determination of Its Mechanical and Physico-Chemical Properties and Potential of Its Use in Composites

Natural fibers extracted from plants are preferred as an alternative to synthetic products. The main reasons for this preference are their affordable cost, light weight and good mechanical properties. However, finding new natural raw materials is challenging due to growth limitations in different geographical areas. Platanus orientalis L. (Eastern plane tree) is a tree with abundant fruits that can grow in many regions of the world. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanical (tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation), physical (density, fiber diameter) and chemical (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) properties of Platanus orientalis L. fruit’s stem by fiber extraction from the stems of the tree. It was determined that the extracted fiber had good mechanical properties and cellulose content of 42.03%. As a result of thermogravimetric analysis, it was determined that the plane tree fruit’s stem fiber had thermal resistance of up to 299 °C. The tensile strength value was 157.76 MPa, the tensile modulus value was 1.39 GPa and the elongation value was 22.01%. It was determined that it is suitable for use in fiber reinforcement in thermoplastic-based composites at temperatures below 299 °C. According to the results obtained by the mechanical, chemical and physical analysis of Platanus orientalis L. fruit’s stem fiber (PoLfs), it could be recommended as a suitable alternative as a reinforcing fiber in thermoplastic and thermoset composites

Applications of the pseudo residual-free bubbles to the stabilization of the convection-diffusion-reaction problems in 2D

A stabilized finite element method is studied herein for two-dimensional convection-diffusion-reaction problems. The method is based on the residual-free bubbles (RFB) method. However we replace the RFB functions by their cheap, yet efficient approximations computed on a specially chosen subgrid, which retain the same qualitative behavior. Since the correct spot of subgrid points plays a crucial role in the approximation, it is important to determine their optimal locations, which we do it through a minimization process with respect to the L1-norm. The resulting numerical method has similar stability features with the well-known stabilized methods in the literature for the whole range of problem parameters and this fact is also confirmed by numerical experiments

Real-time location systems selection by using a fuzzy MCDM approach: An application in humanitarian relief logistics

The real-time location systems (RTLSs) with different positioning technologies allow real-time and high-precision localization of assets. Since the usage of RTLSs technologies and their population increase, RTLSs technology selection problem that addresses many factors should be considered. Therefore, it is important to determine the performance criteria and evaluation of these technologies should be investigated before RTLSs technology is applied to the system. This paper aims to select the most appropriate RTLSs technology by using a combined fuzzy based decision-making approach. Thus, the first paper for selection of RTLSs systems in a holistic approach by combining benefit and risk factors has been revealed. The developed approach is applied to humanitarian relief logistics warehouse with four alternatives which are given as Ultra-Wide Band, Wi-Fi, UHF RFID and Active RFID for the selection. The proposed approach has been integrated with interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy (IVIF) sets that allow to deal with fuzziness inherent in decision making processes. For this aim, firstly IVIF DEMATEL is used to determine the inner and outer dependencies of the sub and main criteria; secondly, weights of the sub-criteria are obtained by using IVIF ANP. Finally, the best RTLSs technology to be used in humanitarian logistics warehouse is selected by using IVIF TOPSIS. As a result of the calculations, the best system is determined as the Wi-Fi RTLS'' system based on the given context. By the way, a sensitivity analysis has been also implemented to test and validate the developed methodology. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.WOS:0005372548000152-s2.0-8508375853

Wind farm location determination by using a two-phased fuzzy decision-making methodology based on fused data with a real case application

Location selection for power plants operating with renewable energy is critical, and their locations directly affect performance and productivity. In this paper, a novel two-phased MCDM methodology based on z-fuzzy numbers with a better modelling capability by defining a confidence degree in decision-making problems is proposed to evaluate alternative locations for wind farm installation in Marmara Region, Turkey. As a result, while Çanakkale has been selected as the most suitable city, the alternative location named Biga has been determined as the most appropriate location in this city for wind farm installation. In addition, sensitivity and comparative analyses have been conducted to check the flexibility of the given decisions and verification of the weights of the criteria, respectively

Creating a road map for industry 4.0 by using an integrated fuzzy multicriteria decision-making methodology

Industry 4.0 can be defined as a creative manufacturing concept which is the integration of up-to-date technologies such as wireless systems, cyberphysical systems, Internet of things, cloud computing, big data concept to increase flexibility, and speed in production systems. The concept also aims to transform the manufacturing industry into the next generation. Selection among appropriate strategies for transition to industry 4.0 is crucial and should be considered in a multidimensional perspective since the decision process involves many strategies with respect to multicriteria based on the judgments of multiexperts. In this paper, this critical decision has been considered as a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problem under the uncertainty and vagueness environments. To increase the applicability of the uncertain data for the proposed methodology, intuitionistic fuzzy sets have been adopted. In other words, an integrated fuzzy MCDM methodology consists of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution has been suggested to prioritize of transition strategies for industry 4.0. According to proposed approach, Training and continuing professional development is determined as the most important strategy during the transition process, while Technology and Equipment and Tools are specified as the most crucial main and sub-criterion, respectively. For the validation process, we also applied two distance-based methods on the same decision matrices as a comparative analysis. Both analyses' results yield that the proposed methodology is applicable and effective for the decision-making process. Besides, the results of the one-at-a-time sensitivity analyses based on the changes of main criteria weights confirm the sensitivity and flexibility of the proposed methodology. Finally, a road map for transition to industry 4.0 has been determined with respect to priorities of strategies based on the constructed context.WOS:0005344400000012-s2.0-8508528042

Effect of Varieties on Potential Nutritive Value of Pistachio Hulls

WOS: 000321751900024The aim of this study was to determine the potential nutritive value of pistachio hulls obtained from six different varieties using chemical composition and in vitro gas production technique. In vitro gas productions of pistachio hulls were determined at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h incubation times and their gas production kinetics were described. There is considerable variation among pistachio hulls obtained from six different varieties in terms of chemical composition and in vitro gas production, metabolisable energy (ME) and organic matter digestibility (OMD). Dry matter (DM) contents of pistachio hulls ranged 26.45 to 29.25%. Ash content of pistachio hulls ranged from 8.50 to 19.86%. The crude protein (CP) contents of pistachio hulls ranged 7.27 to 14.99%. The hulls from Kirmizi, Ohadi and Keten Gomlegi (KG) had significantly higher CP contents than the others. The NDF and ADF contents of pistachio hulls ranged from 18.25 to 22.49% and 14.32 to 18.29% respectively. The pistachio hulls from Ohadi and Uzun had significantly higher NDF and ADF contents than the others. The CT contents of pistachio hulls ranged from 2.03 to 2.63%. The hulls from Beyaz Ben (BB) had significantly higher CT content than that of KG. The gas production rate ranged from 0.071 to 0.107%. The gas production rate of pistachio hulls from Sultani and KG were significantly higher than the others. The potential gas production of pistachio hulls ranged from 65.92 to 73.46 mL. The potential gas production of pistachio hulls from BB and Ohadi were significantly higher than the others. The ME and OMD contents of pistachio hulls ranged from 9.76 to 11.05 MJ/kg DM and 69.00 to 74.50% respectively. The ME contents of pistachio hulls from BB and Ohadi were significantly higher than those of Kirmizi, Uzun and KG whereas the OMD contents of pistachio hulls from Ohadi were significantly higher than those of pistachio hulls for Kirmizi, Sultani, Uzun and KG. In conclusion, chemical characterization with CP, OMD and ME suggests that the pistachio hulls had moderate level of CP concentration and was quite digestible therefore it can be said that pistachio hulls will provide feedstuffs of an acceptable quality for ruminant animals