Time-dependent crashworthiness of polyurethane foam

Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials - Time-dependent stress–strain relationship as well as crashworthiness of polyurethane foam was investigated under constant impact energy with different...     

Permeability differences based on three-dimensional geometrical information of void spaces

In this study,the permeabilities of Berea and Otway sandstones were measured under different confining pressures,and porosity was investigated through mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP).The total porosities of the Berea and Otway sandstones were approximately 17.4%and 25%,respectively.Pore size distributions of each sandstone were almost the same,but the pores in the Otway sandstone were slightly narrower.However,the permeability of the Otway sandstone was smaller than that of the Berea sandstone by one order of magnitude.Three-dimensional(3D)void geometry and geometrical properties of the void spaces relevant to flow were compared to obtain the relation between the permeability differences and porosities of the two sandstones.The 3D geometrical analysis using microfocus X-ray computed tomography(CT)was performed,and the pore geometries of both sandstones were compared using the 3D medial axis(3DMA)method.Pore and throat radii,pore coordination number,tortuosity,number of connecting paths,connecting path volume,and other factors were determined using 3DMA.The Otway sandstone was characterized by a small effective throat/pore radius ratio.Based on the fluid flow mechanism,the lower effective throat/pore radius ratio results in a lower permeability induced by the fluid energy loss,which means that the 3D geometrical shape of void spaces affects the permeability value.     

Dansameum regulates hepatic lipogenesis and inflammation in vitro and in vivo

Food Science and Biotechnology - Although the clinical guidelines for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) therapy recommended hepato-protection and exercise to reduce body weight, no...     

Effects of electron beam irradiation on microbial inactivation and quality of kimchi paste during storage

The effects of electron beam irradiation on microbial inactivation and quality of noninoculated and inoculated (Listeria monocytogenes) kimchi pastes were examined. Kimchi paste samples were irradiated at doses of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 kGy and stored for 21 days at 4 °C. Irradiation (10 kGy) reduced the populations of total aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast and moulds in the samples by 1.72, 2.24 and 0.86 log CFU g^?1, respectively, compared to the control. In particular, coliforms were not detected at 8 and 10 kGy, and the population of L. monocytogenes in inoculated samples was significantly decreased by 2.67 log CFU g^?1. Electron beam irradiation delayed the changes in O₂ and CO₂ concentrations, pH, acidity and reducing sugar content observed in kimchi paste during storage. These results suggest that electron beam irradiation can be used to improve the microbiological safety and shelf life of kimchi paste.     

An MCFC operation optimization strategy based on PID auto-tuning control

Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC) has been emerging as a promising renewable power system. It is still challenging to operate the MCFC to meet its varying demands because of its nonlinearity and complex dynamics. This paper proposes a novel MCFC operation framework based on PID auto-tuning control. A case study is presented to illustrate the applicability of the strategy with some comments.     

Metal nanolayer formed by tunnelling current through thin oxide in the electrolyte–oxide–silicon system

We propose a method of forming metal nanoparticles or layers on the oxide by tunnelling current of the EOS (electrolyte–oxide–silicon) system. Electrical characteristics of the metal layer and particles obtained experimentally by the proposed method are compared with the electrolyte–metal–oxide–silicon and the metal–oxide–silicon systems. Also, it is shown that the instability of the EOS system is caused by the H⁺ penetration into the oxide and is largely cured by applying alternative voltage to extract the H⁺ ions from the oxide. We show that the proposed technique can selectively deposit extremely thin metal layers on the active sites of the silicon surface in a self-alignment manner.