A Novel Melt Cast Composite Booster Formulation Based on DNTF/TNT/GAP-ETPE/Nano-HMX

To obtain the melt cast booster explosive formulation with high energy and low critical detonation diameter, melt cast explosives were designed by 3,4-bis(3-nitrofurazan-4-yl)furoxan (DNTF)/2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT)/glycidyl azide polymer-energetic thermoplastic elastomer (GAP-ETPE)/nano-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane (HMX)/Aristowax. Furthermore, the impact sensitivity, small scale gap test, rheological properties, propagation reliability, and detonation velocity were measured and analyzed. The results show that when the mass ratio of DNTF/TNT/GAP-ETPE/nano-HMX/Aristowax is 34.2/22.8/2/40/1, not only does it indicate excellent rheological property but it has a brilliant safety performance as well. Moreover, it can propagate the detonation waves successfully in the groove at 0.7 mm × 0.7 mm. When the charge density in the groove is 1.70 g·cm−3, its detonation velocity can reach 7890 m·s−1.

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Can Values of Honesty, Hard Work, Loyalty and Discipline Predict Entrepreneurial Orientation of Muslim Owner Managers?

Journal of Emerging Economies and Islamic Research ◽

10.24191/jeeir.v3i1.9049 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 31 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rohani Mohd ◽

Badrul Hisham Kamaruddin ◽

Khulida Kirana Yahya ◽

Elias Sanidas

Keyword(s):

Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Hard Work ◽

Small Scale ◽

Sampling Frame ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Learning Institutions ◽

Innovative Orientation ◽

The Impact ◽

True Values

The purpose of the present study is twofold: first, to investigate the true values of Muslim owner managers; second, to examine the impact of these values on entrepreneurial orientations of Muslim small-scale entrepreneurs. 850 Muslim owner managers were selected randomly using the sampling frame provided by MajlisAmanah Rakyat Malaysia (MARA). 162 completed questionnaires were collected and analyzed. For this paper only two dimensions of entrepreneurial orientations were analyzed: proactive orientation and innovative orientation. Interestingly, the findings revealed that Muslim businessmen/women are honest, loyal, disciplined and hard working. Loyalty and honesty are positively related to proactive orientation, while discipline and hard-work are positively related to innovative orientation. The findings provide implications for existing relevant theories, policy makers, practitioners and learning institutions.

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Land Subsidence Estimation for Aquifer Drainage Induced by Underground Mining

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14154658 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (15) ◽

pp. 4658

Author(s):

Artur Guzy ◽

Wojciech T. Witkowski

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Land Subsidence ◽

Field Data ◽

Underground Mining ◽

Small Scale ◽

Aquifer System ◽

Maximum Value ◽

The Impact ◽

Method Model ◽

Impact Of Mining

Land subsidence caused by groundwater withdrawal induced by mining is a relatively unknown phenomenon. This is primarily due to the small scale of such movements compared to the land subsidence caused by deposit extraction. Nonetheless, the environmental impact of drainage-related land subsidence remains underestimated. The research was carried out in the “Bogdanka” coal mine in Poland. First, the historical impact of mining on land subsidence and groundwater head changes was investigated. The outcomes of these studies were used to construct the influence method model. With field data, our model was successfully calibrated and validated. Finally, it was used for land subsidence estimation for 2030. As per the findings, the field of mining exploitation has the greatest land subsidence. In 2014, the maximum value of the phenomenon was 0.313 cm. However, this value will reach 0.364 m by 2030. The spatial extent of land subsidence caused by mining-induced drainage extends up to 20 km beyond the mining area’s boundaries. The presented model provided land subsidence patterns without the need for a complex numerical subsidence model. As a result, the method presented can be effectively used for land subsidence regulation plans considering the impact of mining on the aquifer system.

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Shock interactions in inviscid air and $$\hbox {CO}_2$$–$$\hbox {N}_2$$ flows in thermochemical non-equilibrium

Shock Waves ◽

10.1007/s00193-021-00999-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

C. Garbacz ◽

W. T. Maier ◽

J. B. Scoggins ◽

T. D. Economon ◽

T. Magin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Species ◽

High Energy ◽

Ideal Gas ◽

Shock Interaction ◽

Interaction Patterns ◽

Shock Interactions ◽

Wave Interference ◽

Type V ◽

The Impact ◽

Non Equilibrium

AbstractThe present study aims at providing insights into shock wave interference patterns in gas flows when a mixture different than air is considered. High-energy non-equilibrium flows of air and $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ CO 2 –$$\hbox {N}_2$$ N 2 over a double-wedge geometry are studied numerically. The impact of freestream temperature on the non-equilibrium shock interaction patterns is investigated by simulating two different sets of freestream conditions. To this purpose, the SU2 solver has been extended to account for the conservation of chemical species as well as multiple energies and coupled to the Mutation++ library (Multicomponent Thermodynamic And Transport properties for IONized gases in C++) that provides all the necessary thermochemical properties of the mixture and chemical species. An analysis of the shock interference patterns is presented with respect to the existing taxonomy of interactions. A comparison between calorically perfect ideal gas and non-equilibrium simulations confirms that non-equilibrium effects greatly influence the shock interaction patterns. When thermochemical relaxation is considered, a type VI interaction is obtained for the $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ CO 2 -dominated flow, for both freestream temperatures of 300 K and 1000 K; for air, a type V six-shock interaction and a type VI interaction are obtained, respectively. We conclude that the increase in freestream temperature has a large impact on the shock interaction pattern of the air flow, whereas for the $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ CO 2 –$$\hbox {N}_2$$ N 2 flow the pattern does not change.

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Coir Fibers Treated with Henna as a Potential Reinforcing Filler in the Synthesis of Polyurethane Composites

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14051128 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 1128

Author(s):

Sylwia Członka ◽

Anna Strąkowska ◽

Agnė Kairytė

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

High Energy ◽

Dynamic Mechanical Properties ◽

Milling Process ◽

Coir Fiber ◽

Lawsonia Inermis ◽

Coir Fibers ◽

Mechanical Performances ◽

The Impact ◽

Reinforcing Filler

In this study, coir fibers were successfully modified with henna (derived from the Lawsonia inermis plant) using a high-energy ball-milling process. In the next step, such developed filler was used as a reinforcing filler in the production of rigid polyurethane (PUR) foams. The impact of 1, 2, and 5 wt % of coir-fiber filler on structural and physico-mechanical properties was evaluated. Among all modified series of PUR composites, the greatest improvement in physico-mechanical performances was observed for PUR composites reinforced with 1 wt % of the coir-fiber filler. For example, on the addition of 1 wt % of coir-fiber filler, the compression strength was improved by 23%, while the flexural strength increased by 9%. Similar dependence was observed in the case of dynamic-mechanical properties—on the addition of 1 wt % of the filler, the value of glass transition temperature increased from 149 °C to 178 °C, while the value of storage modulus increased by ~80%. It was found that PUR composites reinforced with coir-fiber filler were characterized by better mechanical performances after the UV-aging.

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Research Progress toward Room Temperature Sodium Sulfur Batteries: A Review

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26061535 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 1535

Author(s):

Yanjie Wang ◽

Yingjie Zhang ◽

Hongyu Cheng ◽

Zhicong Ni ◽

Ying Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Storage ◽

Room Temperature ◽

High Energy ◽

Safety Performance ◽

High Energy Density ◽

Research Progress ◽

Storage Performance ◽

Sulfur Battery ◽

Sodium Sulfur Battery ◽

Sodium Sulfur

Lithium metal batteries have achieved large-scale application, but still have limitations such as poor safety performance and high cost, and limited lithium resources limit the production of lithium batteries. The construction of these devices is also hampered by limited lithium supplies. Therefore, it is particularly important to find alternative metals for lithium replacement. Sodium has the properties of rich in content, low cost and ability to provide high voltage, which makes it an ideal substitute for lithium. Sulfur-based materials have attributes of high energy density, high theoretical specific capacity and are easily oxidized. They may be used as cathodes matched with sodium anodes to form a sodium-sulfur battery. Traditional sodium-sulfur batteries are used at a temperature of about 300 °C. In order to solve problems associated with flammability, explosiveness and energy loss caused by high-temperature use conditions, most research is now focused on the development of room temperature sodium-sulfur batteries. Regardless of safety performance or energy storage performance, room temperature sodium-sulfur batteries have great potential as next-generation secondary batteries. This article summarizes the working principle and existing problems for room temperature sodium-sulfur battery, and summarizes the methods necessary to solve key scientific problems to improve the comprehensive energy storage performance of sodium-sulfur battery from four aspects: cathode, anode, electrolyte and separator.

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Foreign investment in emerging legal medicinal cannabis markets: the Jamaica case study

Globalization and Health ◽

10.1186/s12992-021-00687-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Marta Rychert ◽

Machel Anthony Emanuel ◽

Chris Wilkins

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Foreign Investment ◽

Production Efficiency ◽

Production Quality ◽

Small Scale ◽

Organic Cultivation ◽

Enhanced Production ◽

Political Interference ◽

Medicinal Cannabis ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction The establishment of a legal market for medicinal cannabis under the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act 2015 has positioned Jamaica at the forefront of cannabis law reform in the developing world. Many local cannabis businesses have attracted investment from overseas, including from Canada, US and Europe. Aim To explore the opportunities and risks of foreign investment in an emerging domestic legal cannabis market in a developing country. Methods Thematic analysis of semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 22 key informants (KIs) from the Jamaican government, local cannabis industry, academia and civil society, and field observations of legal and illegal cannabis cultivators. Results KIs from the Jamaican public agencies and domestic cannabis entrepreneurs saw foreign investment as an essential source of capital to finance the start-up costs of legal cannabis businesses. Local cannabis entrepreneurs prioritised investors with the greatest financial resources, brand reputation and export networks. They also considered how allied an investor was with their business vision (e.g., organic cultivation, medical vs. recreational). The key benefits of partnering with a foreign investor included transfer of technical knowledge and financial capital, which enhanced production, quality assurance and seed-to-sale tracking. Some KIs expressed concern over investors’ focus on increasing production efficiency and scale at the expense of funding research and development (R&D) and clinical trials. KIs from the local industry, government agencies and civil society highlighted the risks of ‘predatory’ shareholder agreements and domestic political interference. Concerns were raised about the impact of foreign investment on the diversity of the domestic cannabis sector in Jamaica, including the commitment to transition traditional illegal small-scale cannabis cultivators to the legal sector. Conclusion While foreign investment has facilitated the commercialisation of the cannabis sector in Jamaica, regulatory measures are also needed to protect the domestic industry and support the transition of small-scale illegal cultivators to the legal regime. Foreign investments may alter the economic, social and political determinants of health in transitioning from illegal to legal cannabis market economy.

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A Model-Based Tool for Assessing the Impact of Land Use Change Scenarios on Flood Risk in Small-Scale River Systems—Part 1: Pre-Processing of Scenario Based Flood Characteristics for the Current State of Land Use

Hydrology ◽

10.3390/hydrology8030102 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 102

Author(s):

Frauke Kachholz ◽

Jens Tränckner

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

River Flow ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Small Rivers ◽

Small Scale ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Ungauged Catchments ◽

Model Based ◽

Current State ◽

The Impact

Land use changes influence the water balance and often increase surface runoff. The resulting impacts on river flow, water level, and flood should be identified beforehand in the phase of spatial planning. In two consecutive papers, we develop a model-based decision support system for quantifying the hydrological and stream hydraulic impacts of land use changes. Part 1 presents the semi-automatic set-up of physically based hydrological and hydraulic models on the basis of geodata analysis for the current state. Appropriate hydrological model parameters for ungauged catchments are derived by a transfer from a calibrated model. In the regarded lowland river basins, parameters of surface and groundwater inflow turned out to be particularly important. While the calibration delivers very good to good model results for flow (Evol =2.4%, R = 0.84, NSE = 0.84), the model performance is good to satisfactory (Evol = −9.6%, R = 0.88, NSE = 0.59) in a different river system parametrized with the transfer procedure. After transferring the concept to a larger area with various small rivers, the current state is analyzed by running simulations based on statistical rainfall scenarios. Results include watercourse section-specific capacities and excess volumes in case of flooding. The developed approach can relatively quickly generate physically reliable and spatially high-resolution results. Part 2 builds on the data generated in part 1 and presents the subsequent approach to assess hydrologic/hydrodynamic impacts of potential land use changes.

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Body Mass, Physical Activity and Eating Habits Changes during the First COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Poland

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115682 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5682

Author(s):

Hubert Dobrowolski ◽

Dariusz Włodarek

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Weight ◽

Body Mass ◽

Social Life ◽

Eating Habits ◽

High Energy ◽

High Energy Density ◽

Average Weight ◽

Study Participants ◽

The Impact

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a number of changes in social life around the world. In response to the growing number of infections, some countries have introduced restrictions that may have resulted in the change of the lifestyle. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of the lockdown on body weight, physical activity and some eating habits of the society. The survey involving 183 people was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire. The mean age of the study participants was 33 ± 11 and mean height 169 ± 8 cm. An average increase in body weight was observed in 49.18% by 0.63 ± 3.7 kg which was the result of a decrease in physical activity and an increase in food consumption. We also observed a decrease in PAL from 1.64 ± 0.15 to 1.58 ± 0.13 and changes in the amount of food and individual groups of products consumption, including alcohol. Among the study participants who did not lose body mass, there was an average weight gain of 2.25 ± 2.5 kg. In conclusion, an increase of weight was shown in about half of the respondents in the study group which was associated with a decrease in physical activity and an increase in the consumption of total food and high energy density products.

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Whole-genome sequencing from the New Zealand Saccharomyces cerevisiae population reveals the genomic impacts of novel microbial range expansion

G3 Genes|Genome|Genetics ◽

10.1093/g3journal/jkaa027 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Peter Higgins ◽

Cooper A Grace ◽

Soon A Lee ◽

Matthew R Goddard

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

New Zealand ◽

Whole Genome Sequencing ◽

Genome Sequencing ◽

Range Expansion ◽

Copy Number ◽

Small Scale ◽

Whole Genome ◽

Copy Number Changes ◽

The Impact

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae is extensively utilized for commercial fermentation, and is also an important biological model; however, its ecology has only recently begun to be understood. Through the use of whole-genome sequencing, the species has been characterized into a number of distinct subpopulations, defined by geographical ranges and industrial uses. Here, the whole-genome sequences of 104 New Zealand (NZ) S. cerevisiae strains, including 52 novel genomes, are analyzed alongside 450 published sequences derived from various global locations. The impact of S. cerevisiae novel range expansion into NZ was investigated and these analyses reveal the positioning of NZ strains as a subgroup to the predominantly European/wine clade. A number of genomic differences with the European group correlate with range expansion into NZ, including 18 highly enriched single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and novel Ty1/2 insertions. While it is not possible to categorically determine if any genetic differences are due to stochastic process or the operations of natural selection, we suggest that the observation of NZ-specific copy number increases of four sugar transporter genes in the HXT family may reasonably represent an adaptation in the NZ S. cerevisiae subpopulation, and this correlates with the observations of copy number changes during adaptation in small-scale experimental evolution studies.

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Effect of the Assimilation Frequency of Radar Reflectivity on Rain Storm Prediction by Using WRF-3DVAR

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13112103 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 2103

Author(s):

Yuchen Liu ◽

Jia Liu ◽

Chuanzhe Li ◽

Fuliang Yu ◽

Wei Wang

Keyword(s):

Data Assimilation ◽

Northern China ◽

Horizontal Resolution ◽

Radar Reflectivity ◽

Small Scale ◽

Time Interval ◽

Outer Domain ◽

Storm Prediction ◽

The Impact ◽

Assimilation Time

An attempt was made to evaluate the impact of assimilating Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) reflectivity together with Global Telecommunication System (GTS) data in the three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system of the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model on rain storm prediction in Daqinghe basin of northern China. The aim of this study was to explore the potential effects of data assimilation frequency and to evaluate the outputs from different domain resolutions in improving the meso-scale NWP rainfall products. In this study, four numerical experiments (no assimilation, 1 and 6 h assimilation time interval with DWR and GTS at 1 km horizontal resolution, 6 h assimilation time interval with radar reflectivity, and GTS data at 3 km horizontal resolution) are carried out to evaluate the impact of data assimilation on prediction of convective rain storms. The results show that the assimilation of radar reflectivity and GTS data collectively enhanced the performance of the WRF-3DVAR system over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of northern China. It is indicated by the experimental results that the rapid update assimilation has a positive impact on the prediction of the location, tendency, and development of rain storms associated with the study area. In order to explore the influence of data assimilation in the outer domain on the output of the inner domain, the rainfall outputs of 3 and 1 km resolution are compared. The results show that the data assimilation in the outer domain has a positive effect on the output of the inner domain. Since the 3DVAR system is able to analyze certain small-scale and convective-scale features through the incorporation of radar observations, hourly assimilation time interval does not always significantly improve precipitation forecasts because of the inaccurate radar reflectivity observations. Therefore, before data assimilation, the validity of assimilation data should be judged as far as possible in advance, which can not only improve the prediction accuracy, but also improve the assimilation efficiency.

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