Color accurate monitors: Basic features and comparison of four monitors

Color accurate monitors are high resolution, luminance‐controlled displays with very large color gamut. They have internal controls to match specific color standards (e.g., sRGB, Adobe‐RGB, REC‐709) and well‐defined gamma functions (mostly γ = 2.2, but others such as Equal Probability of Detection, Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine). Usually, they come with external tools for automatic calibration (like Chroma 5 or Spider) and for communicating with the host computer through USB port, and with software to control the calibration process. Most of them allow a calibration to a specific customer selected color gamut, besides the precalibrated standards, but limit the gray levels calibration to a gamma type function (typically γ = 2.2). Their unique properties, challenges, and applications will be discussed. A comparison between the properties of four monitors and optical test results of their parameters is presented.     

In vitro antioxidant and in vivo xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of Pandanus amaryllifolius in potassium oxonate‐induced hyperuricemic rats

Xanthine oxidase (XO) plays an important role in the regulation of uric acid and prevents it from being overproduced as in hyperuricemia disease. The combined effects of antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitor would become a promising approach for hyperuricemia treatment. In this research, the antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of Pandanus amaryllifolius leaf were evaluated. The leaf water extract (PA‐W) showed highest total phenols, and petroleum ether extract (PA‐PE) showed highest total flavonoids contents. The antioxidant activity of DPPH, metal chelating and hydrogen peroxide was highest in PA‐W extract. The treatment of PA‐W extract at 1000 mg kg^?1 body weight in potassium oxonate‐induced hyperuricemic rats showed significant (P < 0.001) decrease in serum uric acid level by 85% and XO activity by 64%, respectively, as compared to the hyperuricemic rats. In conclusion, the P. amaryllifolius possess the dual effect of antioxidant and XO inhibition as potential therapeutic agents in the hyperuricemia treatment.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of ionomers. 6. Polyurethane-polyphosphonate blends

Blending of a poly(ether urethane) with a polyphosphonate obtained by phase transfer catalyzed polycondensation of 4,4′-biphenol and chloromethylphosphonic dichloride generates a phase-separated material. One phase contains the soft segment of the polyurethane. This has been excluded from a high-T_g phase that contains ionic species formed mainly by proton transfer and elimination reactions between the hard segment of the polyurethane and the polyphosphonate. Two glass transitions appear in the blend: one close to the T_g of the polyphosphonate and one belonging to the excluded soft segment of the polyurethane. The low temperature T_g decreases with the increasing content of the polyphosphonate, whereas the high temperature transition increases slightly, indicating an increasing purity of the soft segment and the presence of ionic interactions in the hard segment. The presence of ionic interactions is confirmed by NMR analysis of the blend. Comparison of the spectra of the blends with those of the pure components, along with two-dimensional experiments, indicate a reaction involving the chloromethyl groups of the polyphosphonate and the nitrogens of the polyurethane.     

Solid-state photoelectrochemical device based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) and an ion conducting polymer electrolyte, amorphous poly(ethylene oxide) complexed with I3/I redox couple

The photoelectrochemical properties of a solid-state photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) based on poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT, and an ion-conducting polymer electrolyte, amorphous poly(ethylene oxide), POMOE, complexed with I₃⁻/I⁻ redox couple has been constructed and studied. The current–voltage characteristics in the dark and under white light illumination, transient photocurrent and photovoltage studies, photocurrent action spectra for front and back side illuminations and an open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current dependence on light intensity have been studied. An open-circuit voltage of 130 mV and a short-circuit current of 0.47 μA cm⁻² were obtained at light intensity of 100 mW/cm². IPCE% of 0.024% for front side illumination (ITO/PEDOT) and IPCE% of 0.003% for backside illumination (ITO/P3HT) were obtained.     

Modifying Crystallinity,Morphology, and Photophysical Properties of Carbon Nitride by Using Crystals as Reactants

Here we show a general method to improve the crystallinity of carbon nitride nanosheets by using melamine crystals as reactants for the high temperature synthesis. Additionally, the crystals were calcined in a sealed ampoule, which provides a pressurized environment, yielding crystalline carbon nitride nanosheets that display altered morphology and photophysical properties compared to the reference materials. Electronic microscopy, optical and photoelectrochemical measurements prove the modifications of parameters such like band structure, charge recombination or inter-layer distance. The new growth strategy presented here opens many opportunities for the design of crystalline materials with tailored properties for different applications.     

Process design and techno‐economic analysis of ethyl levulinate production from carbon dioxide and 1,4‐butanediol as an alternative biofuel and fuel additive

Carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is one of the promising negative emission technologies (NET). Within various CCUS routes available, CO₂ conversion into fuels is one of the attractive options. Currently, most of CO₂ conversion into fuels requires hydrogen, which is expensive and consume large energy to produce. Hence, a different route of producing fuel from CO₂ by utilizing 1,4‐butanediol as the raw material is proposed and evaluated in this study. This alternative route comprises production of levulinic acid from the reaction between CO₂ and 1,4‐butanediol and production of ethyl levulinate, an alternative biofuel and biofuel additive, via an esterification reaction of levulinic acid with ethanol. The process is designed and simulated according to the available data and evaluated in terms of its technical features. Because of the unavailability of reaction data for synthesis of levulinic acid from 1,4‐butanediol and CO₂, several assumptions were taken, which may implicate the accuracy of the studied design. This technical evaluation is followed by cost estimations and sensitivity analysis. Because of the free CO₂, the profitability of the plant depends strongly on the prices of the other chemicals and the price difference between 1,4‐butanediol (raw material) and ethyl levulinate (product). Monte Carlo simulation indicates that the proposed plant will always be profitable if the ethyl levulinate is slightly more expensive than the 1,4‐butanediol, highlighting that the process of producing ethyl levulinate from CO₂ is economically profitable. Future research should be directed towards a catalytic system that can effectively convert CO₂ into levulinic acid, by‐products produced from the two reaction steps, and reduce the excess ethanol used in the second reaction.     

Synergistic Processing of Skim Milk with High Pressure Nitrous Oxide,Heat, Nisin,and Lysozyme to Inactivate Vegetative and Spore-Forming Bacteria

Individual and combined effects of high pressure nitrous oxide (HPN₂O), heat, and antimicrobials on the inactivation of Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, and Bacillus atrophaeus endospores in milk were all evaluated after 20-min treatments. Stand-alone milk treatments with HPN₂O (15.2 MPa), heat (45 and 65 °C), or nisin (50 and 150 IU mL^?1) resulted in log₁₀ reductions ranging only from 0.1 to 2.1 for E. coli and L. innocua. Combining HPN₂O (15.2 MPa) with heat (65 °C) inactivated 6.0 and 5.1 log₁₀ in the vegetative bacteria, respectively. Similarly, reductions of 5.9 and ≥ 6.0 log₁₀ of respective E. coli and L. innocua cells in milk were achieved through a combination of HPN₂O (15.2 MPa), heat (65 °C), and nisin (150 IU mL^?1). A 2.5 log₁₀ cycle inactivation of spores was obtained by HPN₂O, nisin (at both 50 and 150 IU mL^?1), and lysozyme (50 μg mL^?1) at 85 °C. Combining these processing techniques resulted in significantly greater microbial inactivation (p < 0.05) than the sum of individual reductions from each treatment alone, indicating synergistic effects. HPN₂O irrespective of processing temperatures did not cause any occurrence of sub-lethally injured cells or disruption in colloidal stability of milk at 65 and 85 °C (p ≥ 0.05). Color and pH changes in milk following the most demanding treatment conditions were minimal.     

Dynamic mechanical properties of polystyrene-polydimethylsiloxane blends

It was found that commercial silicone grease incorporated accidentally into polystyrene bars yields a major dynamic mechanical loss peak at ca. ?128°C. This finding was followed up with a study of various polydimethylsiloxanes and silicone rubber, in which up to three peaks were found. In order of increasing temperature (at 1 Hz) these are the glass transition (T_g; ca. ?128°C), crystallization (T_c; ca. ?110°C) and melting peaks (T_m; ca. ?50°C). Hydrocarbon-based greases were also investigated. The results indicate that the methods employed may be of use for the investigation of the dynamic mechanical properties of small amounts of material of varying particle sizes, such as powders of cross-linked polymers, that need not be compatible with, or soluble in, the host matrix. The sensitivity of the method is such at a 1 percent by weight contamination of silicone grease in polystyrene gives a loss tangent peak of at least 0.002 above background, and emphasizes the necessary care to be taken during sample preparation to exclude unwanted substances.