How did COVID-19 impact the use of Japanese complex words with masuku 'mask' in 2020?

This paper examines how the situation caused by COVID-19 impacted the use of a well-entrenched word in Japanese: masuku 'mask'. An inspection of data gathered from an online newspaper shows a sharp increase in token and type frequency in the use of complex words with masuku 'mask' in 2020 (mid-pandemic) compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic), implying the recurrence and variegation of mask-related topics in the media. Focusing on the varied types of complex words containing masuku 'mask', the paper offers a construction morphology account of how they distribute within a network of words. The most dominant means to expand the network was compounding, creating not only hyponyms of masuku 'mask' (i.e., using masuku as the head of the compound, as in ago-masuku 'chin mask') but also hyponyms of other well-entrenched words (i.e., using masuku as the non-head, as in masuku-gimu 'mask obligation'). Beyond compounding, a playful use of language in blends led to the creation of a new path, albeit a small one. The paper argues the development of the word network involved both mundane and exceptional creativity.

Electrospray-on-Electrospun Breathable, Biodegradable, and Robust Nanofibrous Membranes with Photocatalytic Bactericidal Activity

The increasing emergence of infectious diseases like COVID-19 has created an urgent need for filtration/purification materials coupled with multifunctional features such as mechanical integrity, excellent airflow/filtration, and antibacterial/antimicrobial properties. Polymer membranes and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated high effectiveness in air filtration and purification. MOF nanoparticles have been introduced into electrospun polymer nanofibrous membranes through embedding or postsolution growth. However, the derived hybrids are still facing the issue of (1) limited MOF exposure, which leads to low efficacy;and (2) uncontrollable growth, which leads to pore blocking and low breathability. In this work, we customized an electrospray-on-electrospinning in situ process to dynamically integrate MOF nanoparticles into a robust and elastic continuous nanofibrous membrane for advanced properties including high mechanical strength and flexibility, excellent breathability, particle filtration, and good antimicrobial performance. Biodegradable polylactic acid was reinforced by the poly(hydroxybutyrate)-di-poly(DLA-CL)x copolymer (PHBR) and used as an electrospinning matrix, while MOF nanoparticles were simultaneously electrically sprayed onto the nanofibers with easily controllable MOF loading. The MOF nanoparticles were homogeneously deposited onto nanofibers without clogging the pores in the membrane. The collision of PLA and MOF under the wet status during electrospinning and the hydrogen bonding through C=O and N-H bonds strengthen the affinity between PLA nanofibers and MOF nanoparticles. Because of these factors, the MOF-incorporated PLA/PHBR nanofibrous membrane achieved over 95% particle filtration efficiency with enhanced mechanical properties while maintaining high breathability. Meanwhile, it exhibits excellent photocatalytic antibacterial performance, which is necessary to kill microbes. The electrospray-on-electrospinning in situ process provides an efficient and straightforward way to hybridize one-dimensional (1D) or two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials into a continuous nanofibrous membrane with strong interaction and controllable loading. Upon integrating proper functionalities from the materials, the obtained hybrids are able to achieve multifunctionalities for various applications.

Nanokaolin reinforced carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber/polyurethane blend-based latex with enhanced tensile properties and chemical resistance

The demand for gloves (e.g., disposable gloves, medical gloves) is increasing due to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Stability in the supply chain in the glove industry is important, and thus strategies are used to solve the problem of the shortage of nitrile gloves. The blending of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) with polyurethane (PU) and the use of the nanocomposite concept is among the feasible approaches. The present study aims to investigate the effects of nanokaolin (NK) on the tensile and chemical properties of carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR)/polyurethane (PU) latex blends. Three different loadings of NK (10, 20, and 30 parts per hundred rubber) were added to the NBR/PU (at a blending ratio of 85/15). The zeta potential showed that all the NBR compounds exhibit good colloidal stability. The incorporation of NK increased the crosslink density and tensile strength of the NBR/PU latex blends. The highest tensile strength was achieved when the NK loading was 20 phr. All the NBR blends and nanocomposites (NBR/PU-based) possess tensile properties that fulfill the requirements for glove application. The chemical resistance of NBR compounds was increased by the incorporation of NK due to the higher crosslink density and barrier properties contributed by the NK. © The Author(s) 2023.

Environmental impact assessment of a newly developed solid oxide fuel cell-based system combined with propulsion engine using various fuel blends for cleaner operations

After the COVID-19 pandemic has spread throughout the world, many research institutions and industrial organizations are putting great efforts into producing environmentally friendly solutions for the transportation sector. This paper presents a newly developed combined solid oxide fuel cell system with a turbofan engine that can use five alternative fuels, such as dimethyl ether, methanol, hydrogen, methane, and ethanol, with different blending ratios to form five fuel blends. The proposed system is studied in this paper using exergoenvironmental analysis (which is known as environmental impact assessment by exergy) in order to quantify and evaluate the environmental impact. The combined turbofan has an exergetic efficiency of 82%, with total fuel and product exergy rates of 905 and 743 MW, respectively. The total environmental impact caused by emissions and exergy destructions has a range of 4000 to 9000 Pt/h for all the fuel blends. The specific exergoenvironmental impact values of electricity production vary from about 3 to 8 mPt/MJ for solid oxide fuel cells and 10 to 25 mPt/MJ for the three turbines. The exergoenvironmental impact of the thrust force is a minimum of 34 Pt/(h.kN) for the RF1 fuel and a maximum of 87 Pt/(h.kN) for the RF4 fuel. © 2022

Thermo-Chemical conversion of polyolefin-based facemask using bench-scale pyrolysis system

The generation of personal protective equipment (PPE) waste due to the impact of COVID has increased multi-fold globally. In this study, pyrolysis of polyolefin-based PPEs was carried out using a bench-scale reactor of 2 kg per batch capacity. Thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis of face masks was carried out to identify the optimal parameters for the pyrolysis process. Different combinations of catalysts (ZSM-5 and montmorillonite), catalyst to feed ratio (2.5% and 5%), experiment duration (2 h and 3 h), and process temperature (450 degrees C and 510 degrees C) were tested to determine the maximum yield of the pyrolysis oil. The oil and char obtained from the pyrolysis of PPEs were analyzed for its gross calorific value (GCV), elemental analysis (CHNS), and chemical composition. Based on the experiments conducted, the optimum pyrolysis temperature, catalyst, catalyst to feed ratio, and batch time for maximum oil yield (55.9% w/w) were determined to be 510 degrees C, ZSM-5, 5%, and 2 hours, respectively. Oil was free of sulfur and had a calorific value of 43.7 MJ/kg, which is comparable to commercial diesel fuel and makes it a suitable alternative fuel for ships, boilers, and furnaces.

Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Biodegradable Blends Using Monobutyl Maleate as a Plasticizer and Compatibilizer

The Covid-19 pandemic situation has contributed to sparking discussions about an increase in packaging combined with the nonrecommendation of reuse. For this reason, many countries have encouraged the use of biodegradable polymers. In this study, blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAL) were prepared at 80/20 (w/w) in the presence of specific amounts of monobutyl maleate (MBM) as a compatibilizer. All of these components are proven biodegradable. PLA/ PVAL/MBM blend films were obtained by thermopressing, and the thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile tests, stress relaxation, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). DSC results suggest that MBM can act as a plasticizer, at least for the PLA matrix, reducing the Tg from 60.2 degrees C (without MBM) to 23.5 degrees C in the case of the highest quantity of plasticizer (20%). Due to increase in macromolecular mobility, MBM also affects PLA crystallization. As a consequence of brittleness of the other samples, only those containing 15 and 20% of MBM (in PLA basis) did not fail the tensile and relaxation tests, showing more than 25% of elongation at break. Both the elastic and viscous parameters and the equilibrium modulus (Eeq) of the Maxwell-Wiechert mechanical system show lower values for the sample with higher MBM content. The SEM images show that the presence of the compatibilizer improves the adhesion between the PLA-rich phase and PVAL-rich phase.

The Blending of Bending: How We Engage with the World of Avatar: The Last Airbender through Memes

People often use memes to express their ideological stance on real world events. This study departs from a recent COVID-19-related meme which makes use of elements known from the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) and Avatar: Legend of Korra (LOK), and asks how it came to be and how stance is conveyed through them. After acknowledging the impact of the series, conceptual blending theory is adopted to investigate the worldbuilding of the macrocosm in ATLA. This is identified as a correlative network, which acts as the blended space of multiple input spaces consisting of intertextual references. The world of ATLA then functions as a new input space which is updated with modern elements, resulting in the blend of LOK. Minor blends are identified in the hybrid animals that occupy the fictional world. Lastly, it is shown how the selection of a particular input element for participation in meme blends already conveys an ideological stance, rather than only emerging through readers’ eyes.

A Carbon Nanotube-Functional Polymer Composite Film for Low-Power Indoor CO₂ Monitoring

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been a growing concern in recent years, only to be expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic. A common provisional measure for IAQ is carbon dioxide (CO2), which is commonly used to inform the ventilation control of buildings. However, few commercially available sensors exist that can reliably measure CO2 while being low cost, exhibiting low power consumption, and being easily deployable for use in applications such as occupancy monitoring. This work presents a polymer composite-based chemiresistive CO2 sensor that leverages branched poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the CO2 absorbing layer. This polymer blend was incorporated with single wall carbon nanotubes (CNT), which serve as the charge carriers. Prototype sensors were assessed in a bench-top environmental test chamber which varied temperature (22–26 °C), relative humidity level (20–80%), CO2 concentration (400–20,000 ppm), as well as other gas constituents to simulate typical and extreme indoor conditions. The results indicate that the proposed system could ultimately serve as a low-power alternative to current commercially available technologies for indoor CO2 monitoring.

Experimental Investigation and neural network modelling of diesel engine using hexanol blended ternary waste cooking oil biodiesel with moderate preheating

The depleting fossil fuel reserves, rising air pollution, technology transformation threat, and most recently, global economic slowdown by the COVID-19 pandemic, led the internal combustion engine-based automotive industries in a critical condition. The development of improved biofuels to meet stringent emission norms is a promising solution. Higher alcohols possess the fuel properties better than lower alcohols to blend with diesel and biodiesel. The miscibility and higher viscosity is the issue. Preheating can help the vaporization and atomization of fuel. The present study investigates the engine characteristics of moderately preheated ternary fuel using 20 to 40% blends of 1-hexanol, waste cooking oil biodiesel, and diesel. The study found that moderately preheated ternary fuel blends showed a drop in brake-specific fuel consumption, HC, CO, and smoke emissions with improvement in peak cylinder pressure, heat release rate, and brake thermal efficiency. A multi-layer neural network model is developed to prognosticate the engine characteristics. Backpropagation algorithm-based neural network with single hidden layers using Levenberg–Marquardt training function gave the best results. The mean square error of the network was 0.00028517 and the correlation coefficient was 0.99944, 0.99945, and 0.99923 for training, validation, and testing respectively. The mean absolute percentage error was found below 4%. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Effect of hybrid nanoparticles MgO and Al2O3 added water-in-diesel emulsion fueled diesel engine using hybrid deep neural network-based spotted hyena optimization

The automotive sector is one of the top energy consumers globally compared with any other sector where oil plays the main role. According to statista. corn (an online platform that displays the stats on oil consumption and reserves), in 2016, the demand for crude oil was about 85.3 million barrels per day worldwide. In 2019, the demand almost reached 100 barrels per day, and then it was reduced to 91 million per day during the 2020 global COVID-19 crisis. However, it was predicted that the global crude oil requirements will exceed 100 million barrels per day by 2023 and will continue to raise. Also, geographically, not all countries worldwide have the oil reservoirs or the technology to extract oil from the reservoirs. Although the oil demand worldwide is increasing every year, researchers have estimated that there are only 47 years of oil left on the planet earth if the current oil consumption will raise this way. Researchers are looking for finding alternative fuels, such as electrochemical energy (electric vehicles), biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, natural gas, propane, emerging fuels, or the use of such fuels in the existing engines to minimize the use of nonrenewable energy resources. However, researchers are also looking more at fuels based on hybrid nanoparticles added to emulsified fuels. Due to the limitations of utilizing electrochemical energy or biofuels include high charging time, limited millage, harmful exhaust emissions, complicated production process, engine efficiency, the cost of fuel, and the advantages over hybrid nanoparticles added emulsified fuels than biofuels. Hence, after going through numerous researches, in this present experimentation, "hybrid nanoparticles (MgO and Al2O3) added water-in-diesel emulsion" are formulated to enhance the quality of emission and improve the performance of the compression ignition engine. The best combination of diesel, MgO, and Al2O3, a water-in-diesel (W/D) emulsion blend, is proposed. The results were further validated using deep neural network-based spotted hyena optimization (DNN-SHO) prediction and compared with traditional machine learning approaches artificial neural network (ANN), convolution neural network (CNN), regression-based network (RBN), recurrent neural network (RNN), and DNN. As a result, the best proportions of the proposed nanoparticles added into the W/D bend are identified to be 10% W/D, 50 ppm of MgO, and 50 ppm of Al2O in terms of engine performance and emission characteristics brake thermal efficiency 30.7%, brake-specific fuel consumption 0.29 kg/kW-h, CO 0.027 vol%, NOx 855 ppm vol, and HC 12 ppm vol. Besides this, the DNN-SHO-based validated outcomes are in good agreement with the experimental values and out-performed other traditional approaches ANN, CNN, RBN, RNN, and DNN used in this study.

Investigation of the effects of synthetic manganese additive and fusel oil-gasoline mixtures on performance and emissions in a spark ignition engine

Climate change necessitates reducing fossil fuels and increasing renewable energy sources. On the other hand, the COVID-19 process has increased the need for disinfectants and the use of alcohol as fuel is prohibited. fusel oil, which cannot be used as a disinfectant, is a very smelly waste alcohol mixture left after the production of ethyl alcohol from beet molasses in sugar factories. In this study, fusel oil and synthetic manganese additives in different volumetric ratios were added to gasoline and their effects on engine performance, specific fuel consumption and emissions were investigated.5%, 10%, 15% and 20% were determined as volumetric fuel mixtures.In tests based on the viscosity, freezing points and flash points of the mixtures, adding 15% fusel oil to gasoline under laboratory conditions was determined as the most suitable ideal mixture (F15B85). 4ppmF15B85, 8ppmF15B85, 12ppmF15B85, 16ppmF15B85 measurement fuels were formed by adding 4-8-12 and 16 ppm organic resin-based manganese additives into Fl5B85 test fuel, respectively. The engine performance and emission values were examined by making measurement tests in an atmospheric charged gasoline engine with the measurement fuels obtained. According to the experimental results, 12ppmF15B85 fuel gave positive results in terms of engine performance and emissions compared to other fuel mixtures. An average of 4.18% increase in torque, 5.04% increase in power, 3.12% increase in BSFC (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption) and 2.48% decrease in EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) were determined in engine performances. In terms of exhaust emissions, an average of 20.69%, 10.51% reductions in CO (carbon monoxide) and HC (hydrocarbon), respectively, and an increase of 3.65% and 5.10% in CO2 (Carbon dioxide) and NOx (nitrous oxide) were detected.

Recent Advances in Development of Waste-Based Polymer Materials: A Review.

Limited petroleum sources, suitable law regulations, and higher awareness within society has caused sustainable development of manufacturing and recycling of polymer blends and composites to be gaining increasing attention. This work aims to report recent advances in the manufacturing of environmentally friendly and low-cost polymer materials based on post-production and post-consumer wastes. Sustainable development of three groups of materials: wood polymer composites, polyurethane foams, and rubber recycling products were comprehensively described. Special attention was focused on examples of industrially applicable technologies developed in Poland over the last five years. Moreover, current trends and limitations in the future "green" development of waste-based polymer materials were also discussed.

Profile of Südwolle Group: a global leader in pure wool yarns and wool blend yarns

Südwolle Group, headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, is the world’s largest spinner of pure wool yarns and wool blend yarns. The company caters to several markets, including apparel, automotive, home textiles, hosiery and sportswear. The company was founded as a supplier and distributor of wool yarns to local spinning mills in Upper Franconia, Germany. Subsequently, it diversified into yarn production and opened its first spinning mill, which was located in Weiden, Germany. Thereafter, it expanded outside Europe with the opening of a spinning mill in Zhangjiagang, China. Since then, the company has made strides into foreign markets, it has made several acquisitions, and it has launched four flagship brands, namely Biella Yarn, Richter by Südwolle, Südwolle, and Yarn in Motion. The company also operates three niche brands, namely HF by Südwolle, GTI Filati, and Stöhr by Südwolle. Revenues generated by the company fell in its 2020 financial year, reflecting the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company’s production volume, after falling in 2019 for the first time in several years. Despite this downward trend, the company remains upbeat about its prospects for the future and in June 2021 it reported that trade had begun to improve again. The company plans to take advantage of the restart of physical trade shows and industry events which have been cancelled in recent years, and it will explore opportunities for the development of antiviral and antibacterial performance yarns in response to soaring demand for these materials since the outbreak of COVID-19. © Textiles Intelligence Limited 2022.

Chemical, Thermal, and Rheological Performance of Asphalt Binder Containing Plastic Waste

In order to meet the environmental needs caused by large plastic waste accumulation, in the road construction sector, an effort is being made to integrate plastic waste with the function of polymer into asphalt mixtures;with the purpose of improving the mechanical performance of the pavement layers. This study focuses on the effect of a recycled mixture of plastic waste on the chemical, thermal, and rheological properties of designed asphalt blends and on the identification of the most suitable composition blend to be proposed for making asphalt mixture through a dry modification method. Thermo-gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis were carried out to investigate the effect of various concentrations and dimensions of plastic waste (PW) on the neat binder (NB). The frequency sweep test and the multiple stress creep and recovery test were performed to analyze the viscoelastic behavior of the asphalt blends made up of PW in comparison with NB and a commercial modified bitumen (MB). It has been observed that the presence of various types of plastic materials having different melting temperatures does not allow a total melting of PW powder at the mixing temperatures. However, the addition of PW in the asphalt blend significantly improved the aging resistance without affecting the oxidation process of the plastic compound present in the asphalt blend. Furthermore, when the asphalt blend mixed with 20% PW by the weight of bitumen is adopted into the asphalt mixture as polymer, it improves the elasticity and strengthens the mixture better than the mixture containing MB.

Trends and challenges of starch-based foams for use as food packaging and food container

Background: Expanded polystyrene (EPS), an inexpensive and widely available polymer, has been extensively employed in foam packaging. However, EPS-based foams cause environmental problems because they are non-biodegradable and little recycled. Therefore, developing foams from renewable sources for application in biodegradable packaging for food and express food delivery is essential to tackle pollution issues of synthetic plastics. Scope and approach: Starch is a renewable, abundant, and low-cost source with thermoplastic properties. For this reason, starch has been used as raw material to develop foams for packaging. This review emphasizes different strategies for improving the mechanical properties, processibility, and antimicrobial activity of starch-based foams and for decreasing their sensitivity to humidity, aiming at employing them as competitive replacement for EPS in packaging. Key findings and conclusions: Starch source, foaming process conditions, plasticizer concentration, fiber type and concentration, and addition of other polymers to form blends can affect the properties and morphology of biodegradable foams, so these factors should be better studied and optimized. Agroindustrial residues have become an interesting alternative to reduce the cost of foams, aiming at a competitive replacement for EPS. Few works have been developed on bioactive starch-based foams. Searching for starch-based foams with antiviral properties against SARS-Cov-2 is also necessary. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd