Pastoralism and Emergent Complex Settlement in the Middle Bronze Age, Azerbaijan: Isotopic analyses of mobility strategies in transformation

Objectives. This article explores the scale and seasonal patterns of mobility at the complex settlement site of Qızqala during the Middle Bronze Age (2400–1,500 BCE). By integrating human bone, teeth, and environmental samples this research tests the hypothesis of the persistent importance of community-wide seasonal pastoral transhumance during the early formation of complex settlement systems of the South Caucasus. Methods. This research applies stable oxygen and radiogenic strontium isotope analyses on incremental samples of human tooth enamel, bulk tooth enamel, and bone to resolve mobility patterns. Sequential and bulk sampling techniques elucidate seasonal and residential mobility behaviors. Extensive environmental isotope samples of plant and water were collected through regional survey and establish local and regional isotopic baselines, which are compared to human isotope analysis results. Results. Qızqala individuals exhibit low isotopic variability compared to regional contemporaries. 87Sr/86Sr ratios from human remains indicate seasonal and residential isotopic variability within the baseline ranges of local landscapes. δ18O values display erratic patterns, but correspond to seasonal variability with fluctuations between highland and lowland altitudinal zone baseline values. Conclusions. Results suggest that isotopic analysis of multiple elements and sequential enamel samples offers finer resolution on the complexities of human mobility strategies and elucidate the daily lives of often overlooked mobile populations. Higher resolution of individual mobility reveals shared routine behaviors that underscore the importance of diverse social collaborations in forming complex polities in the South Caucasus

Barrierity of Hydrogenated Butadiene-Acrylonitrile Rubber and Butyl Rubber After Exposure to Organic Solvents

Resistance of antichemical clothing primarily depends on the type of material it is made from, in particular on the type of polymer used for coating the fabric carrier. This paper reports on systematic investigations on the influence of the cross-linking density of an elastomer and the composition of a cross-linked elastomer on its resistance to permeation of selected organic solvents. Tests of barrier material samples made from nonpolar butyl rubber (IIR) and polar hydrogenated butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber (HNBR) showed that (a) in rubber–solvent systems with medium thermodynamic affinity, cross-linking density influenced resistance to permeation and (b) the polarity of the system had a significant influence on barrierity

Thermodynamic Affinity of Elastomer-Solvent System and Barrier Properties of Elastomer Materials

The aim of the study was to determine whether it is possible to correlate directly the barrier properties of elastomer materials assessed on the basis of the breakthrough time $t_{p}$ with the thermodynamic affinity of the elastomer-solvent system, characterized by their solubility parameters δ. According to EN ISO 6529:2001 standard, breakthrough time is defined as the time elapsing from the moment that the tested material sample gets in contact with the chemical to the moment in that a specified amount of the substance appears on the other side of the sample. Cured butyl rubber (IIR) in the form of flat membranes were tested in the study. For the nonpolar rubber-polar or rubber-nonpolar solvent systems it has been found that significant differences in rubber and solvent solubility parameters not in every case leads to better resistance to permeation. The properties of the permeating chemical and the rubber, including its polarity, shape, and molecule dimension of the solvent, are of considerable importance. A marked disparity of breakthrough times were observed for the permeation of polar or nonpolar solvents despite similar values of their solvent solubility parameter. The breakthrough time of the solvent from the homologous series (pentane, hexane and heptane) is determined not only by the rubber and solvent solubility parameters but by the size of the chemical molecule as well. Therefore, for the assessment of material barrier properties the thermodynamic affinity or dissimilarity of the elastomer and the permeating solvent is only semiquantitative in character

Barrierity of Hydrogenated Butadiene-Acrylonitrile Rubber and Butyl Rubber After Exposure to Organic Solvents

Resistance of antichemical clothing primarily depends on the type of material it is made from, in particular on the type of polymer used for coating the fabric carrier. This paper reports on systematic investigations on the influence of the cross-linking density of an elastomer and the composition of a cross-linked elastomer on its resistance to permeation of selected organic solvents. Tests of barrier material samples made from nonpolar butyl rubber (IIR) and polar hydrogenated butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber (HNBR) showed that (a) in rubber–solvent systems with medium thermodynamic affinity, cross-linking density influenced resistance to permeation and (b) the polarity of the system had a significant influence on barrierity

Materials from XNBR latex for protective gloves

Zbadano wpływ rodzaju glinokrzemianu warstwowego wprowadzonego do lateksu karboksylowanego kauczuku butadienowo-akrylonitrylowego (L-XNBR) na właściwości mechaniczne i barierowe materiałów otrzymanych w postaci błon lateksowych. Do badań użyto bentonitu modyfikowanego IV-rzędowymi solami amoniowymi (Nanobentu ZR-1 lub Bentonitu Specjal S-90). Lateks XNBR usieciowano konwencjonalnie siarką (1,5 cz. mas.). Badane właściwości uzyskanych nanokompozytów to: odporność błon na przekłucie, przecięcie, ścieranie i rozdzieranie oraz właściwości barierowe wobec olejów mineralnych. Dodatek nanonapełniaczy w ilości 10 cz. mas. do lateksu XNBR nie zmienił znacząco właściwości barierowych i mechanicznych usieciowanych błon. Odporność na działanie oleju mineralnego była jednakowa, niezależnie od rodzaju napełniacza. Pod względem parametrów mechanicznych korzystniejsze okazało się stosowanie bentonitu Specjal S-90, ponieważ wytworzony nanokompozyt spełniał wymagania odporności na ścieranie, przecięcie i przekłucie, stawiane wielofunkcyjnym rękawicom ochronnym.The effect of the layered silicate type applicated to carboxylated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber latex (LXNBR) on mechanical and barrier properties of latex membrane materials was studied. The bentonite modified with ammonium salts (Nanobent ZR-1 or Specjal S-90) was used. XNBR latex was crosslinked conventionally with sulfur (1.5 phr). The resistance to puncture, cut, tear and abrasion and barrier properties to mineral oils was investigated. The application of nanofillers in the amount of 10 phr to XNBR latex caused no significantly change of barier and mechanical properties for crosslinked membranes. The resistance to mineral oils was the same, regardless of the filler type. In terms of mechanical parameters it was preferable to use bentonite Bentonit Specjal S-90, because prepared nanocomposite meets the requirements of abrasion, cut and puncture resistance for multifunctional protective gloves

The effect of lithological diversity of feed on process efficiency indexes in KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. concentrator plants

W artykule przedstawiono efektywność wzbogacania urobku dostarczonego z zakładów górniczych w świetle jego właściwości fizykochemicznych, charakterystycznych dla trzech głównych odmian litologicznych skał złożowych będących jego składnikami. W tym celu określono podatność na wzbogacanie poszczególnych wydzieleń litologicznych obecnych w urobku, stanowiącym nadawę do procesu wzbogacania. Na przykładzie jednego z Rejonów O/ZWR wyznaczono zależność funkcyjną pomiędzy uzyskiem a jakością koncentratu [ε = f(β)], która obrazuje wpływ zawartości składników litologicznych na osiągane wskaźniki wzbogacania. Wykazano, że przemysłowe wzbogacanie jest bardzo czułe na zmiany jakości nadawy w aspekcie zawartości poszczególnych składników litologicznych, a także udziału głównych składników użytecznych i towarzyszących.The paper presents the performance of ore beneficiation process carried out on KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. run-of-mine ore relating to its physicochemical properties. The properties are strongly associated with the lithology of rock formations. The susceptibility of specific lithological fraction occurred in the ore for the beneficiation process is described. Functional relationship between recovery and concentrate grade [ε = f(β)] was developed as the example for one of the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. concentrators plants. The variety of ore properties and its effect on process efficiency is discussed. It has been proved that industrial process efficiency is very sensitive to both the alteration of lithological fractions and the content of major valuable metals and accompanying compounds

Absorption Enhancement in Si Solar Cells by Incorporation of Metallic Nanoparticles: Improved COMSOL Numerical Study Including Quantum Corrections

One of the crucial parameters affecting the solar cell efficiency is the absorption rate versus solar spectrum. Metallic nanoparticles deposited on the cell surface can mediate this process. Main mechanisms of absorption enhancement due to metallic nanoparticle plasmons were proposed: (1) the scattering of incident solar light causing increase of the optical path length inside active layer and local enhancement of the electric field; (2) near field coupling between plasmon and semiconductor and the direct generation of electron-hole pairs in the semiconductor. The field concentration effect can be described by classical electrodynamic theory, the coupling between metallic nanoparticle plasmons and band electrons in semiconductor substrate must be captured upon quantum mechanics. In this paper we took the challenge to develop fast and reliable method for calculation of device optical properties by application of COMSOL system appropriately configured to take into account these quantum effects, via the quantum modification of the dielectric function of semiconductor substrate and metallic components. The presented results indicate that the efficiency of energy transfer due to near field coupling of metallic nanoparticle plasmons with semiconductor substrate is much more effective than the absorption increase due to metallic nanoparticle plasmons scattering only

[Proceedings of the 5th Symposium on Mesozoic and Cenozoic Decapod Crustaceans, Krakow, Poland, 2013: A tribute to Pál Mihály Müller / R.H.B. Fraaije, M. Hyžný, J.W.M. Jagt, M. Krobicki & B.W.M. van Bakel (eds.)]: A new type of pylochelid sixth abdominal tergite (Anomura, Paguroidea) from the Upper Jurassic of Poland

Oxfordian (Upper Jurassic) siliceous sponge-microbial reef strata in the southern Polish Uplands around Kraków have recently yielded two types of sixth abdominal tergites of pylochelid paguroids. We here add a third one, Pylochelitergites exspectatus sp. nov. These small-sized, operculiform remains have a high preservation potential and thus allow us to document the geological history of two families of symmetrical hermit crabs, the Pylochelidae and Parapylochelidae, in some detail