Tensile property of melt mixing co-polypropylene with waste polymer at different composition ratios

In order to implement economical way of managing unwanted substances, waste polymer (WP) can be recycled instead of throwing it away. It can be reused via "sink-float" technique and mixed with another binder like co-polypropylene (co-PP) to enhance the mechani-cal properties of the material. This is because co-PP is a bit softer but has better impact strength, much tougher and more durable than polypropylene (PP). Two materials underwent injection moulding with 170°C temperature to produce dog bone samples for tensile test. The test started with 10% up until 80% of WP content mixed with co-PP. Tensile test speed used for this experiment was 5mm/s. Stress vs. strain graph was obtained from the test and the modulus of elasticity was obtained by using the stress over strain formula. The stress versus strain result for the composite with WP is lower than that of co-PP, proving that WP is more brittle compared to the more elastic co-PP. Morphological analysis of surface structure based on Optical Microscope (OM) indicates that co-PP has smooth surface while WP has a rough surface

How managers can build trust in strategic alliances: a meta-analysis on the central trust-building mechanisms

Trust is an important driver of superior alliance performance. Alliance managers are influential in this regard because trust requires active involvement, commitment and the dedicated support of the key actors involved in the strategic alliance. Despite the importance of trust for explaining alliance performance, little effort has been made to systematically investigate the mechanisms that managers can use to purposefully create trust in strategic alliances. We use Parkhe’s (1998b) theoretical framework to derive nine hypotheses that distinguish between process-based, characteristic-based and institutional-based trust-building mechanisms. Our meta-analysis of 64 empirical studies shows that trust is strongly related to alliance performance. Process-based mechanisms are more important for building trust than characteristic- and institutional-based mechanisms. The effects of prior ties and asset specificity are not as strong as expected and the impact of safeguards on trust is not well understood. Overall, theoretical trust research has outpaced empirical research by far and promising opportunities for future empirical research exist

WEATHERING PROCESSES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON STONE–BUILT CULTURAL HERITAGE. CASE STUDY: “SAINT ARCHANGELS” CHURCH, DEAG VILLAGE

Weathering Processes and Their Effects on Stone-Built Cultural Heritage. Case Study: “Saint Archangels” Church, Deag Village. Rural churches are an essential part of the Romanian cultural and historic heritage. Unfortunately their preservation is endangered by a number of factors, both natural (weathering) and anthropogenic (human neglect). Due to the complex nature of the conservation and restoration treatments, an interdisciplinary approach is therefore required. This study focuses on the damage diagnosis methodology applied on the lithic component of the “Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel” Church in Deag village. The methodology consists of a series of investigations carried out both in situ (macroscopic analysis) and in the laboratory (microscopic analysis) which will provide reliable data concerning the weathering processes and their effects. The results will serve in the future elaboration and implementation of conservation and restoration treatments

Does presence of a mid-ocean ridge enhance biomass and biodiversity?

In contrast to generally sparse biological communities in open-ocean settings, seamounts and ridges are perceived as areas of elevated productivity and biodiversity capable of supporting commercial fisheries. We investigated the origin of this apparent biological enhancement over a segment of the North Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) using sonar, corers, trawls, traps, and a remotely operated vehicle to survey habitat, biomass, and biodiversity. Satellite remote sensing provided information on flow patterns, thermal fronts, and primary production, while sediment traps measured export flux during 2007-2010. The MAR, 3,704,404 km 2 in area, accounts for 44.7% lower bathyal habitat (800-3500 m depth) in the North Atlantic and is dominated by fine soft sediment substrate (95% of area) on a series of flat terraces with intervening slopes either side of the ridge axis contributing to habitat heterogeneity. The MAR fauna comprises mainly species known from continental margins with no evidence of greater biodiversity. Primary production and export flux over the MAR were not enhanced compared with a nearby reference station over the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. Biomasses of benthic macrofauna and megafauna were similar to global averages at the same depths totalling an estimated 258.9 kt C over the entire lower bathyal north MAR. A hypothetical flat plain at 3500 m depth in place of the MAR would contain 85.6 kt C, implying an increase of 173.3 kt C attributable to the presence of the Ridge. This is approximately equal to 167 kt C of estimated pelagic biomass displaced by the volume of the MAR. There is no enhancement of biological productivity over the MAR; oceanic bathypelagic species are replaced by benthic fauna otherwise unable to survive in the mid ocean. We propose that globally sea floor elevation has no effect on deep sea biomass; pelagic plus benthic biomass is constant within a given surface productivity regime.Peer reviewe

Color-accurate underwater imaging using perceptual adaptive illumination

Capturing color in water is challenging due to the heavy non-uniform attenuation of light in water across the visible spectrum, which results in dramatic hue shifts toward blue. Yet observing color in water is important for monitoring and surveillance as well as marine biology studies related to species identification, individual and group behavior, and ecosystem health and activity monitoring. Underwater robots are equipped with motor control for large scale transects but they lack sensors that enable capturing color-accurate underwater images. We present a method for color-accurate imaging in water called perceptual adaptive illumination. This method dynamically mixes the illumination of an object in a distance-dependent way using a controllable multi-color light source. The color mix compensates correctly for color loss and results in an image whose color composition is equivalent to rendering the object in air. Experiments were conducted with a color palette in the pool and at three different coral reefs sites, and with an underwater robot collecting image data with the new sensor.United States. Office of Naval Research (Project N000140911051