Center for low-gravity fluid mechanics and transport phenomena

Research projects in several areas are discussed. Mass transport in vapor phase systems, droplet collisions and coalescence in microgravity, and rapid solidification of undercooled melts are discussed

Partial Replacement of Cement with Bagasse Ash in Hot Mix Asphalt

Several waste and used materials from different sources are generated every day in large quantities. However, these wastes have been found to be useful in the stabilization and/or improvement of construction materials. Amongst these techniques is the use of Bagasse Ash (BA). It is in this light that a laboratory based investigation for the replacement of cement with BA in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) was conducted. Tests on the suitability of materials used and their performance in terms of known engineering properties was carried out. Bitumen content of 4.5%, 5.5%, 6.5% and 7.5% was adopted. The focus involves the partial replacement of cement with BA in the following order, 0% (control), 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%. Seventy-two mix specimens were produced. The results obtained shows that the Cement/BA mixes exhibit satisfactory trend result with an average bitumen content of 5.5%.The results obtained shows that stability increases as BA content decreases, flows at 5.5% bitumen Content was observed to be fairly constant at roughly 2.5mm, the per cent air voids in the mix decreases with increasing bitumen content, the VMA values all fall within specification except for 30% BA replacement, the VMA value was 16% at 5.5% of Bitumen Content. Therefore, the Cement/BA mixes exhibit satisfactory trend results with an average Bitumen content of 5.5%.http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v34i4.5

Effect of genotype and 2,4-d concentration on callogenesis in sugarcane (saccharum spp. hybrids)

The effect of genotype and 2, 4-D on callogenesis was investigated in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) hybrid cultivars; SP726180, B47419, M1176/77 and M2119/88. To evaluate the response of the genotypes to callus induction and embryogenic callus production, leaf base explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, or 4.0mg/L) 2,4-D for 8wks. While, the number of responding explants was found to generally increase with the increase in 2,4-D concentration from 2.5 to 4.0mg/L, embryogenic callus producation was highest on media supplemented with 3.0 and 2.5mg/L. There were no significant differences in the number of responding explants and embryogenic callus production among B47419, M1176/77 and M2119/88, these genotypes however exhibited a significantly higher response when compared to SP726180 indicating their high propensity to in vitro callogenesis

The Gentile reform (1923) and academic strategies of the University of Macerata between national science and development of the local economy = La Reforma Gentile de 1923 y las estrategias académicas de la Universidad de Macerata

This paper aims to examine the peculiar and significant innovations introduced by the University of Macerata in the aftermath of the Gentile reform on the educational syllabus and, in particular, in relation to the rise of a specific line of applied research having as its object the improvement of the agricultural economy and the formation of specialists in this field. In this regard, on the basis of the need to «promote any form of involvement and financial contribution» of the local authorities, resulting from its being among the universities of B type, i.e. those only partially supported by the State, the University Macerata was engaged in a work of rethinking of its role in the local and regional level. In 1925, for example, the University inaugurated a School of Accounting and Foreign Languages, which would have to become a real center of higher education for the new financial and accounting professions related to the development and modernization of the agricultural and manufacturing enterprises, as well as of the trade and credit activities in the region. The initiative promoted by the University Macerata two years later, in 1927, was even more articulate and ambitious with the establishment of the Graduate School in Agricultural Law and Agricultural Economics and Statistics. In the intentions of the leadership of the university, these two institutions had to go beyond the expansion and diversification of the educational syllabus, to represent the fundamental elements of a more comprehensive project. According to this, the University of Macerata was intended to be a real source of «highlevel professionals», and, at the same time, the laboratory for the formation of a new local ruling class, capable of leading not only the cultural, but also the «industrial, agricultural and commercial» growth of the entire region.Este artículo pretende examinar las innovaciones específicas y significativas introducidas por la Universidad de Macetara como consecuencia de la Reforma Gentile de los planes de estudio y, en particular, en relación con el desarrollo de una línea de investigación aplicada que tenía como objeto la mejora de la agricultura y la formación de especialistas en este campo. En este sentido, partiendo de la necesidad de «promover cualquier forma de participación y contribución financiera» de las autoridades locales a consecuencia de su clasificación como universidad de tipo B que sólo recibía apoyo parcial del Estado, la Universidad de Macerata se esforzó en replantearse su papel en el ámbito local y regional. En 1925, por ejemplo, la Universidad inauguró una Escuela de Contabilidad y Lenguas Extranjeras, que debería convertirse en un verdadero centro de educación superior para las nuevas profesiones financieras y contables relacionadas con el desarrollo y la modernización de las empresas agrícolas y de fabricación, así como con las actividades comerciales y de crédito en la región. Más elocuente y ambicioso fue aún la iniciativa promovida por la Universidad de Macerata dos años más tarde, en 1927, de establecer una Escuela de Graduados en Derecho Agrario y Economía Agrícola y Estadística. Las intenciones de la dirección de la universidad eran que estas dos instituciones trascendieran la expansión y diversificación del currículo educativo para constituir los elementos fundamentales de un proyecto más amplio. Desde este planteamiento, la Universidad de Macerata estaba destinada a ser una verdadera fuente de «profesionales de alto nivel», y, al mismo tiempo, el laboratorio para la formación de una nueva clase dirigente local, capaz de liderar no sólo el desarrollo cultural, sino también «industrial,agrícola y comercial» de la región entera

Modeling and new equipment definition for the vibration isolation box equipment system

Our MSAD-funded research project is to provide numerical modeling support for the VIBES (Vibration Isolation Box Experiment System) which is an IML2 flight experiment being built by the Japanese research team of Dr. H. Azuma of the Japanese National Aerospace Laboratory. During this reporting period, the following have been accomplished: A semi-consistent mass finite element projection algorithm for 2D and 3D Boussinesq flows has been implemented on Sun, HP And Cray Platforms. The algorithm has better phase speed accuracy than similar finite difference or lumped mass finite element algorithms, an attribute which is essential for addressing realistic g-jitter effects as well as convectively-dominated transient systems. The projection algorithm has been benchmarked against solutions generated via the commercial code FIDAP. The algorithm appears to be accurate as well as computationally efficient. Optimization and potential parallelization studies are underway. Our implementation to date has focused on execution of the basic algorithm with at most a concern for vectorization. The initial time-varying gravity Boussinesq flow simulation is being set up. The mesh is being designed and the input file is being generated. Some preliminary 'small mesh' cases will be attempted on our HP9000/735 while our request to MSAD for supercomputing resources is being addressed. The Japanese research team for VIBES was visited, the current set up and status of the physical experiment was obtained and ongoing E-Mail communication link was established

A gas-rich AGN near the centre of a galaxy cluster at z ~ 1.4

The formation of the first virialized structures in overdensities dates back to ~9 Gyr ago, i.e. in the redshift range z ~ 1.4 - 1.6. Some models of structure formation predict that the star formation activity in clusters was high at that epoch, implying large reservoirs of cold molecular gas. Aiming at finding a trace of this expected high molecular gas content in primeval clusters, we searched for the 12CO(2-1) line emission in the most luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN) of the cluster around the radio galaxy 7C 1756+6520 at z ~ 1.4, one of the farthest spectroscopic confirmed clusters. This AGN, called AGN.1317, is located in the neighbourhood of the central radio galaxy at a projected distance of ~780 kpc. The IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer was used to investigate the molecular gas quantity in AGN.1317, observing the 12CO(2-1) emission line. We detect CO emission in an AGN belonging to a galaxy cluster at z ~ 1.4. We measured a molecular gas mass of 1.1 x 10^10 Msun, comparable to that found in submillimeter galaxies. In optical images, AGN.1317 does not seem to be part of a galaxy interaction or merger.We also derived the nearly instantaneous star formation rate (SFR) from Halpha flux obtaining a SFR ~65 Msun/yr. This suggests that AGN.1317 is actively forming stars and will exhaust its reservoir of cold gas in ~0.2-1.0 Gyr.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Looking at crine: Communities and physical spaces. A research project about crime in Historic Center of Porto.

Poster apresentado no III OPVC International Congress - LookCrim International Congress ‘Violence, Crime and Security’: Justice, (In)Security and Mediatization (Porto, Portugal)When a crime occurs, even if not reported, it raises a great concern on a social level, whether because of the complexity of the phenomenon, the persistence over time, the consequences of it, or even because of the space where the crime has taken place. Official records do not take into consideration a certain amount of criminal events, mostly because of non-reported crimes, nor spaces characteristics, which results in a lack of understanding of the global phenomenon and its complexities. This project, involving a multidisciplinary team and focused on Historic Center of Porto, aims to: i) characterize criminal behaviour base on the type of crime, geographic location, and perpetrators; ii) get access to non-reported crimes; iii) identify the signs of crime, or risk of crime, in a school environment; and iv) map out the physical spaces that associate with criminal behaviour. A multisystemic approach will be applied including different contexts and different individuals – i.e., communities and their members, school staff, students and the physical places where the interaction happens. In order to look at crime in a holistic view, data from several sources – official statistical data, self-report surveys, and physical spaces observation - will be collected. In addition, we also aim to combine and integrate these data into a single database. Therefore, the project will provide a comprehensive and deep portrait of crime in Historic Center of Porto, suggesting new criminal preventive strategies that could be put into place. Detailed information about the scope, aims, methods, expected outcomes and research team will be presented in this poster.N/

Effect of degumming and catalyst type on physiochemical and biodiesel properties of tropical-almond (Terminalia catappa) seed oil

This study investigates the effect of degumming process and catalyst type on physiochemical and biodiesel properties of tropical-almond (Terminalia catappa) seed oil (TCSO) extracted via mechanical pressing and solvent extraction method. The oil was degummed using 4% citric acid in amount of 10% by volume of the oil to reduce the acid value, ash content, and water and sediment value of the degummed oil compared to the raw oil. Data obtained show that degumming process reduces the acid value, ash content and water and sediment value from 7.57 mg KOH/g, 0.86 %w/w and 2.48% to 3.82 mg KOH/g, 0.65 %w/w and 2.40% respectively, and the percentage oil yield was 56.30±1.50%. Biodiesel was produced using a two-step reaction system from raw and degummed TCSO catalyzed by NaOH, KOH and CaO/Al2O3. The process yielded a higher yield (97.20±0.35) of biodiesel from degummed oil catalyzed by CaO/Al2O3. The fuel properties of the biodiesels were found to fulfill both ASTM D6751 and EN14214 biodiesel standard except the raw biodiesel. this study confirm that degumming process improves the susceptibility of oil for biodiesel production and that heterogeneous base catalyst produce higher yield and quality fuel than their homogenous counterpart.Keywords: Degummed, Transeterification, Biodiesel, Catalyst, Raw oil, unsaturatio

Looking at crime: communities and physical spaces. A research project about crime in historic center of Porto

Poster apresentado no III OPVC International Congress - LookCrim International Congress ‘Violence, Crime and Security’: Justice, (In)Security and Mediatization (Porto, Portugal)When a crime occurs, even if not reported, it raises a great concern on a social level, whether because of the complexity of the phenomenon, the persistence over time, the consequences of it, or even because of the space where the crime has taken place. Official records do not take into consideration a certain amount of criminal events, mostly because of non-reported crimes, nor spaces characteristics, which results in a lack of understanding of the global phenomenon and its complexities. This project, involving a multidisciplinary team and focused on Historic Center of Porto, aims to: i) characterize criminal behaviour base on the type of crime, geographic location, and perpetrators; ii) get access to non-reported crimes; iii) identify the signs of crime, or risk of crime, in a school environment; and iv) map out the physical spaces that associate with criminal behaviour. A multisystemic approach will be applied including different contexts and different individuals – i.e., communities and their members, school staff, students and the physical places where the interaction happens. In order to look at crime in a holistic view, data from several sources – official statistical data, self-report surveys, and physical spaces observation - will be collected. In addition, we also aim to combine and integrate these data into a single database. Therefore, the project will provide a comprehensive and deep portrait of crime in Historic Center of Porto, suggesting new criminal preventive strategies that could be put into place. Detailed information about the scope, aims, methods, expected outcomes and research team will be presented in this poster.N/

Assessing the Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance of Quantity Surveying Students

Previous studies have established that Emotional Intelligence (EI) has an effect on the performance of students. EI of construction students has been found to be lower than their counterparts in other disciplines. These studies, however did not evaluate the EI in relation to performance. Thus this creates a gap with regards to the relationship of EI and the academic performance of construction students. Therefore, this study assessed the emotional intelligence and academic performance among quantity surveying students. Data were collected by means of closed–ended questionnaires, which were administered online. Data gathered were analysed using descriptive (Mean, Frequency and Standard Deviations) and inferential (Analysis of Variance) statistics through the use of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS software). The 16-item Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale was used to evaluate the level of emotional intelligence and explore the effect on academic performance. The results of the study indicated that quantity surveying students have a high level of EI, and a significant difference was found between students EI and academic performance. Students with higher Academic performance were found to have higher level of Self-Emotion Appraisal (SEA) and Use of Emotions (UOE). However, the results did not show a significant difference under Others’ Emotion Appraisal (OEA) and Regulation of Emotions (ROE). Thus this study concluded that EI of quantity surveying students gave an indication of the level of academic performance (CGPA) and therefore recommends that EI should be incorporated into academic curricula to improve the EI level of constructionstudents.&nbsp