MOBILITY MANAGEMENT IN EUROPEAN PROJECTS. LESSONS LEARNED FOR ROMANIA

The purpose of this research is to study three initiatives of promoting mobility management (DELTA, EPOMM, SEE-MMS), in the context of European Union policies, and to present solutions that could be used in the practice of urban mobility management in Romania.mobility management, sustainable development

Equilibrium as a Conceptual Framework for an Integrated, Synergistic Introductory Course in Chemistry and Physics

Teachers of introductory chemistry face the reality of outdated curricula and decreased student interest. The retention rates of students in the sciences remain troubling and the need to revisit course content and teaching methods has become increasingly apparent. A more general course framework developed on the principles of scientific teaching and active learning with relevant examples will perhaps allow students to embrace both chemistry and physics as relevant and inextricably linked disciplines. The present article proposes an integrated curriculum of chemistry and physics at the introductory level, based on the overarching conceptual framework of equilibrium with a focus on energy, topics of high relevance usually addressed in a more advanced course

Teaching Framework, Goals, Objectives, Assessment and Addressing Diversity for a Unit on Chemical Equilibrium in a Synergistic Introductory Course in Chemistry and Physics

We include a summary of learning goals, objectives, activities, formative and summative assessments for a unit on chemical equilibrium for an integrated course in chemistry and physics

Frameworks Based on Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes

This work explores methods for the synthesis of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) and their use in the design of porous materials. Specifically, this work focuses on the octameric R8Si8O12 due to its unique cubic geometry, thermal stability, and multi-functionality. The Si8O12 cage in POSS offers a rigid inorganic core on which additional organic functional groups can be placed in strategic locations. By tailoring the number and nature of these organic arms it is possible to generate silicious ligands previously unavailable for the framework materials. Three different POSS derivatives possessing cyano, pyridyl, and hydroxy functionalities are synthesized and applied as nodes for the preparation of extended materials using hydrogen bonding and metal-ligand interactions

Cyclotomic coefficients: gaps and jumps

We improve several recent results by Hong, Lee, Lee and Park (2012) on gaps and Bzd\c{e}ga (2014) on jumps amongst the coefficients of cyclotomic polynomials. Besides direct improvements, we also introduce several new techniques that have never been used in this area.Comment: 25 page

Organic reactions for the electrochemical and photochemical production of chemical fuels from CO_2 – The reduction chemistry of carboxylic acids and derivatives as bent CO_2 surrogates

The present review covers organic transformations involved in the reduction of CO_2 to chemical fuels. In particular, we focus on reactions of CO_2 with organic molecules to yield carboxylic acid derivatives as a first step in CO_2 reduction reaction sequences. These biomimetic initial steps create opportunities for tandem electrochemical/chemical reductions. We draw parallels between long-standing knowledge of CO_2 reactivity from organic chemistry, organocatalysis, surface science and electrocatalysis. We point out some possible non-faradaic chemical reactions that may contribute to product distributions in the production of solar fuels from CO_2. These reactions may be accelerated by thermal effects such as resistive heating and illumination

Evaluation of the effects of cyclododecane on oil paintings

The solubility of oil paint components during the application of cyclododecane in solvent mixtures was evaluated in order to predict if the application of cyclododecane during restoration may significantly alter the chemical state of the paint layer in oil paintings. The chemical affinity between some of the oil binder components and non-polar cyclododecane could potentially lead to interactions or leaching during the application. In order to investigate these effects a set of samples taken from oil paintings from the early 1900s and 2008, were treated with cyclododecane in a solution, melted, and sprayed as aerosol. The samples were also submitted to a comparative extractive treatment with cyclododecane and organic solvents of different polarities. After the treatments, the extracted components were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which provided detailed molecular information on the composition of the extracts, together with a quantitative profile of fatty acids in extracted triglycerides, after saponification and derivatisation. The results show that applications of cyclododecane both as a spray and in a saturated solution in a hydrocarbon solvent determine the extraction of a low amount of lipids from the paint. On the other hand, when cyclododecane is applied in the melted form, there is an extraction of lipid components of the paint into the treatment solution

The Selective Electrochemical Conversion of Preactivated CO_2 to Methane

This work reports the selective electrochemical conversion of CO_2 to methane, the reverse reaction of fossil fuel combustion. This reaction is facilitated by preactivation of the CO_2 molecule with an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) to form a zwitterionic species in the first step. In the presence of Ni(cyclam)^(2+) and CF_3CH_2OH, this species is shown to undergo further electrochemical reduction of the bound-CO_2 fragment at glassy carbon cathodes in dichloromethane electrolyte solution. Labeling studies confirm the origin of the carbon and protons in the methane product are the preactivated CO_2 and trifluoroethanol respectively