Aerodynamic and some physical properties of sunflower seeds as affected by moisture content

Abstract: The physical and aerodynamic characteristics of seeds can strongly influence their movements in the agricultural machine as well as in the air.  The knowledge of the physical characteristics of particles is essential for the constructors and operators of agricultural machines.  In this research some physical and aerodynamic properties of two Iranian edible seeds of sunflower cultivars (Badami and Doursefid) were studied in the moisture content range from 7% to 30% wet basis (w.b.).  With decrease in moisture content the true density of Badami and Doursefid decreased from 561.02 to 457.29 kg/m3 and 509.35 to 440.50 kg/m3, respectively.  For studying aerodynamic properties (terminal velocity and drag coefficient) the ratio of mass (g) to projected area (cm2) of seeds were considered as K index.  The terminal velocity of both seed decreased with decreasing K index and moisture content.  The highest average terminal velocity was at moisture content of 30% for Badami and Doursefid as 7.08 and 6.97 m/s respectively, and the lowest was at the moisture content of 7% for both seed varieties, as 5.46 and 5.39 m/s respectively.  With decrease in moisture content, drag coefficient tended to increase, so that its value for Badami and Doursefid changed from 0.59 to 0.95 and 0.52 to 0.75 respectively.   Keywords: sunflower seed, physical properties, aerodynamic propertie

Los efectos de los endosos de celebridades hacia la intención de compra entre los Millennials de Malasia

This paper also proposed to conceptualize the proposed framework. The results of this study will offer some valuable insights for marketing and advertising practitioners especially for local small-medium enterprises (SME’s) in Malaysia in regard to the benefits gained with the use of celebrities as endorsers. Furthermore, the study is expected to provide a better understanding on how celebrity may or may not trigger millennials’ interest in the products use and thus provide opportunities for practitioners to regulate marketing initiatives in their advertising strategiesEste documento también propone conceptualizar el marco propuesto. Los resultados de este estudio ofrecerán algunas ideas valiosas para los profesionales de mercadotecnia y publicidad, especialmente para las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMES) locales en Malasia, en relación con los beneficios obtenidos con el uso de celebridades como patrocinadores. Además, se espera que el estudio proporcione una mejor comprensión de cómo la celebridad puede o no desencadenar el interés de los millennials en el uso de los productos y, por lo tanto, brinda oportunidades para que los profesionales regulen las iniciativas de marketing en sus estrategias publicitarias

Exploration of a Chemo-Mechanical Technique for the Isolation of Nanofibrillated Cellulosic Fiber from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch as a Reinforcing Agent in Composites Materials

The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of sulphuric acid hydrolysis and high-pressure homogenization as an effective chemo-mechanical process for the isolation of quality nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC). The cellulosic fiber was isolated from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) using acid hydrolysis methods and, subsequently, homogenized using a high-pressure homogenizer to produce NFC. The structural analysis and the crystallinity of the raw fiber and extracted cellulose were carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphology and thermal stability were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses, respectively. The FTIR results showed that lignin and hemicellulose were removed effectively from the extracted cellulose nanofibrils. XRD analysis revealed that the percentage of crystallinity was increased from raw EFB to microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), but the decrease for NFC might due to a break down the hydrogen bond. The size of the NFC was determined within the 5 to 10 nm. The TGA analysis showed that the isolated NFC had high thermal stability. The finding of present study reveals that combination of sulphuric acid hydrolysis and high-pressure homogenization could be an effective chemo-mechanical process to isolate cellulose nanofibers from cellulosic plant fiber for reinforced composite materials

A pile-up of edge dislocations to relax Misfit strain

It is shown that very large stresses may be present in the thin films that comprise integrated circuits and magnetic disks and that these stresses can cause deformation and fracture of the material. For a crystalline film on a non-deformable substrate, a key problem involves the movement of dislocations in the thin film. An analysis of this problem provides insight into both the formation of misfit dislocations in epitaxial thin films and the high strengths of thin metal films on substrates. We develop in this paper, theoretical calculations for dislocation nucleation phenomena in nanomaterials obtained by hetero-epitaxial growth of thin films on substrates having lattice mismatch defects. Atomic force microscopy observations showed the nucleation of dislocations from free lateral surfaces to relax the "misfit" strain, here we explain the principle of nucleating edge dislocations from these surfaces by the theoretical calculation, using the method of image stress and energy study. We begin, by treating the case of a single dislocation and then generalize the work at a pile-up of n interface dislocations.