Photocatalytic efficiency of ZnFe-mixed metal oxides in correlation with reaction parameters

In the last decade, the interest for the photocatalytic phenomena has rapidly grown due to its great potential for the overall environmental decontamination. Photocatalysts based on ZnFe mixed oxides have been considered to be potentially photocatalyticly efficient in wastewater purification. This investigation is focused on the characterization of the synthesized and thermally treated photocatalysts, on their photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation process of organic dye pollutant Rhodamine B (RhB), as well as on the influence of process parameters on the photocatalytic efficiency. The results showed that the obtained mixed oxides are highly efficient in the RhB degradation. In addition, the pH effect of the reaction system on the photocatalytic activity was observed, which could be explained by the correlation with different textural and structural properties of the photocatalysts

Adsorption kinetics for the removal of methyl orange using adsorbents based on Zn Al-layered double hydroxides

The adsorption phenomena of adsorbents based on ZnAl layered double hydroxides was studied. Methyl orange was used as test pollutant. The emphasis of the study was the analysis of Methyl Orange removal kinetics. The synthesized and thermally treated adsorbents were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The analysis of adsorption kinetics was conducted using the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The results showed that the samples have adsorptive removal properties, particularly the adsorbent derived from thermally treated layered double hydroxides. The findings give an insight into the adsorption phenomena of ZnAl-layered double hydroxides based materials which could be considered as promising adsorbents for the removal of Methyl Orange in wastewaters

The impact of size and position of reference electrode on the localization of biphasic electrotactile stimulation on the fingertips

Development of haptic interfaces to enrich augmented and virtual reality with the sense of touch is the next frontier for technological advancement of these systems. Among available technologies, electrotactile stimulation enables design of high-density interfaces that can provide natural-like sensation of touch in interaction with virtual objects. The present study investigates the human perception of electrotactile sensations on fingertips, focusing on the sensation localization in function of the size and position of reference electrode. Ten healthy subjects participated in the study, with the task to mark the sensations elicited by stimulating the index fingertip using an 8-pad electrode. The test systematically explored several configurations of the active (position) and reference (position and size) electrode pads. The results indicated that there was a spreading of perceived sensations across the fingertip, but that they were mostly localized below the active pad. The position and size of the reference electrode were shown to affect the location of the perceived sensations, which can potentially be exploited as an additional parameter to modulate the feedback. The present study demonstrates that the fingertip is a promising target for the delivery of high-resolution feedback.The work in this study was performed within the TACTILITY project, which has received funding by European Union’s Horizon 2020 framework programme for research and innovation H2020-ICT-2018-2020/H2020-ICT 2018-3 under grant agreement no. 85671

Application of the adsorbent CR-100 for Ammonium Removal: Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies

Groundwater with increased ammonia concentration is a constant concern regarding the preparation of drinking water. The affinity of ammonia to be adsorbed on the surface of different solid materials significantly influences the selection of its removal process and has been the motivation for this investigation. Crystal-Right™ (CR-100) was used for the removal of ammonia from aqueous solution in batch adsorption procedure. The kinetics of adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model. The Elovich model suggested that chemisorption rate decreased with the temperature increase. The liquid film diffusion and intra-particle diffusion models revealed that heterogeneous adsorbent surface energy had a particularly pronounced impact on the overall mass transfer rate. The Arrhenius and Eyring’s equations suggested spontaneous and endothermic nature of complex adsorption/ion exchange removal process. The isosteric heat of adsorption revealed that with the increase in surface loading lateral interactions between the adsorbed molecules occurred

Improving the Economic Sustainability of the Fashion Industry: A Conceptual Model Proposal

This study aimed to define the specific relationships between fashion style preference on the one side and product, promotion, word of mouth (WOM) and fashion lovers’ behavior on the other side during the COVID-19 crisis. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was employed to unveil the mutual relations of the two and to verify the proposed conceptual model. The conceptual model was tested based on the answers of 642 respondents. The preference for a specific fashion style proved to have an impact on the product, promotion, WOM and fashion lovers’ behavior during COVID-19. Moreover, those elements have an impact on the frequency of fashion apparel consumption. Based on these results, fashion companies can tailor their activities in line with the predominant style of their fashion apparel to improve their economic sustainability during the post-COVID-19 era

Leading Disruptive Changes in Creative Industries

The aim of this paper is to present in a comprehensive and concise manner changes caused by innovations in creative industries, with emphasis on changes caused by disruptive innovations and the importance of managing disruptive changes in creative industries. The first section provides a brief overview of the concept and importance of change management, while the central part of the work deals with the disruptive changes and innovation in the creative industries and management changes imposed by disruptive innovation. Taking into consideration the subject of the research as well as the topic of work, the research methodology will rely on literature review, and in addition to this method, a comparative method will be used, which will allow comparison of the specificity of different companies belonging to the creative industries in order to identify the common characteristics and differences in change management

Factors Affecting Students Attitudes towards E-Learning

E-learning is becoming a widespread method of gaining knowledge in a global environment. Accessibility and variety of online content encourage more people to get involved in learning from digital resources. However, there has been limited research exploring the factors that could influence students attitudes regarding e-learning. In this study, field research was conducted to determine which factors affect students attitudes towards e-learning. The questionnaire was developed to collect data about factors that influence attitudes towards e-learning. A total of 286 students were the study cohort. Three factors were identified using principal component analysis: e-learning usefulness, ease of use, and content design. Regression analysis was conducted to determine the strength of the factors influencing attitudes towards e-learning. All factors had a significant influence on attitude towards e-learning. Usefulness of e-learning had the strongest impact on students e-learning intention. Our study will contribute to the existing work in this field by emphasizing the importance of perception of content design on attitudes towards e-learning