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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the most challenging cancers, is uniquely characterized by a biological barrier composed of multiple components in the extracellular matrix, preventing penetration of chemotherapeutic agents and hindering clinical drug treatment. Collagen I arrangement is critical. In this study, gemcitabine is chosen as the chemotherapeutic agent and dasatinib as the collagen‐I‐disrupting agent. When collagen I arrangement is disrupted, not only the chemotherapeutic drug enters the tumor area better, but the infiltration of CD8+ T cells into the tumor also increases. Therefore, a hypoxia‐responsive linker‐crosslinked polymer, DGD/L@GBI, is designed, which can be simultaneously loaded with two therapeutic agents, gemcitabine and dasatinib. The polymer is encapsulated by nucleic acid aptamers that target the PDAC stromal microenvironment and shield the surface. The aptamer is removed upon arrival at the PDAC hypoxic microenvironment, exposing the positively charged core to achieve charge reversal. Particle size transformation is achieved using linkers that respond to a hypoxic microenvironment. Increased intratumoral penetration is achieved using the dual transformation capabilities of the formulation. Pairing these two agents can result in a powerful efficacy in chemotherapy sensitization and immune infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving compact size has emerged as a key consideration in modern microwave design. While structural miniaturization can be accomplished through judicious circuit architecture selection, precise parameter tuning is equally vital to minimize physical dimensions while meeting stringent performance requirements for electrical characteristics. Due to the intricate nature of compact structures, global optimization is recommended, yet hindered by the excessive expenses associated with system evaluation, typically conducted through electromagnetic (EM) simulation. This challenge is further compounded by the fact that size reduction is a constrained problem entailing expensive constraints. This paper introduces an innovative method for cost-effective explicit miniaturization of microwave components on a global scale. Our approach leverages response feature technology, formulating the optimization problem based on a set of characteristic points derived from EM-analyzed responses, combined with an implicit constraint handling approach. Both elements facilitate handling size reduction by transforming it into an unconstrained problem and regularizing the objective function. The core search engine employs a machine-learning framework with kriging-based surrogates refined using the predicted improvement in the objective function as the infill criterion. Our algorithm is demonstrated using two miniaturized couplers and is shown superior over several benchmark routines, encompassing both conventional (gradient-based) and population-based procedures, alongside a machine learning technique. The primary strengths of the proposed framework lie in its reliability, computational efficiency (with a typical optimization cost ranging from 100 to 150 EM circuit analyses), and straightforward setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal gasification coarse slag (CGCS) has become a bulk coal-based solid waste that threatens the ecological environment. The high moisture content of carbon-rich coal coarse gasification slag (CR-CGCS) seriously limits its utilization. In this study, a pore water releasing method was proposed to promote the dewatering of CR-CGCS through size reduction with surface modification. Hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and kerosene were added during the grinding process, respectively. The results showed that kerosene can significantly improve the dewatering efficiency of CR-CGCS more than CTAB and SDS. The final moisture content of the CR-CGCS could be reduced from 47.50% to 33.01%. The SEM and FTIR results illustrated that kerosene could effectively reduce the content of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of CR-CGCS more than CTAB and SDS. Meanwhile, the PVM results showed that CR-CGCS modified by kerosene tended to form hydrophobic agglomerates. The LF-NMR results indicated that only the water in the macropores of CR-CGCS could be released in grinding process, but the water in micropores could be reduced when kerosene, CTAB, or SDS was added in grinding. This study provides new insight into enhancing the dewatering of CR-CGCS and theoretical support for the efficient utilization of CR-CGCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid cancer incidences endure to increase even though a large number of inspection tools have been developed recently. Since there is no standard and certain procedure to follow for the thyroid cancer diagnoses, clinicians require conducting various tests. This scrutiny process yields multi-dimensional big data and lack of a common approach leads to randomly distributed missing (sparse) data, which are both formidable challenges for the machine learning algorithms. This paper aims to develop an accurate and computationally efficient deep learning algorithm to diagnose the thyroid cancer. In this respect, randomly distributed missing data stemmed singularity in learning problems is treated and dimensionality reduction with inner and target similarity approaches are developed to select the most informative input datasets. In addition, size reduction with the hierarchical clustering algorithm is performed to eliminate the considerably similar data samples. Four machine learning algorithms are trained and also tested with the unseen data to validate their generalization and robustness abilities. The results yield 100% training and 83% testing preciseness for the unseen data. Computational time efficiencies of the algorithms are also examined under the equal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ball mills are widely used for size reduction in mineral processing, but effective scaling from laboratory to industrial scale remains challenging. This study introduces a novel scaling constant approach to replicate energy transfer to ore during milling across different scales by adjusting rotational speed and grinding medium size distribution. The scaling constant encapsulates parameters like the number of balls per working area, rotational speed, and an average ball's maximum potential and kinetic energies. Experiments were conducted using a laboratory ball mill with interchangeable drum sizes (300, 400, and 500 mm) and a Design of Experiments methodology. Statistical analysis revealed that the scaling constant was more effective at maintaining consistent specific energy and energy per rotation across scales than size reduction, especially in dry milling. Wet milling results showed no significant differences in all metrics across scales. The dominant charge motion shifted from centrifuging to cascading as the mill diameter increased, highlighting the complex scaling dynamics. While the scaling constant shows promise for maintaining energy utilization, additional factors like charge motion and particle breakage mechanisms should be considered. The findings provide insights for improving ball mill design and optimization in mineral processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Genome simplification can promote the understanding of the law of life, which can be divided into two aspects: reducing genome size and simplifying complexity. • Shifting focus from a trial-and-error approach towards a more systematic analysis and thoughtful design for genome size reduction is necessary. • SCRaMbLE, a synthetic chromosome rearrangement technology, enables large-scale simplification of synthetic chromosomes and is a key avenue for future simplification research. • Genome complexity reduction represents a form of genome simplification that necessitates a comprehensive understanding of living systems. • Establishing a metric for genome complexity is essential and urgent. Genome simplification is an important topic in the field of life sciences that has attracted attention from its conception to the present day. It can help uncover the essential components of the genome and, in turn, shed light on the underlying operating principles of complex biological systems. This has made it a central focus of both basic and applied research in the life sciences. With the recent advancements in related technologies and our increasing knowledge of the genome, now is an opportune time to delve into this topic. Our review investigates the progress of genome simplification from two perspectives: genome size reduction and complexity simplification. In addition, we provide insights into the future development trends of genome simplification. Reducing genome size requires eliminating non-essential elements as much as possible. This process has been facilitated by advances in genome manipulation and synthesis techniques. However, we still need a better and clearer understanding of living systems to reduce genome complexity. As there is a lack of quantitative and clearly defined standards for this task, we have opted to approach the topic from various perspectives and present our findings accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome compaction is a common evolutionary feature of parasites. The unicellular, obligate intracellular parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi has one of smallest known eukaryotic genomes, and is nearly four times smaller than its distant fungi relative, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Comparison of the proteins encoded by compacted genomes to those encoded by larger genomes can reveal the most highly conserved features of the encoded proteins. In this study, we identified the proteins comprising the RNA polymerases and their corresponding general transcription factors by using several bioinformatic approaches to compare the transcription machinery of E. cuniculi and S. cerevisiae. Surprisingly, our analyses revealed an overall reduction in the size of the proteins comprising transcription machinery of E. cuniculi, which includes the loss of entire regions or functional domains from proteins, as well as the loss of entire proteins and complexes. Unexpectedly, we found that the E. cuniculi ortholog of Rpc37 (a RNA Polymerase III subunit) more closely resembles the H. sapiens ortholog of Rpc37 than the S. cerevisiae ortholog of Rpc37, in both size and structure. Overall, our findings provide new insight into the minimal core eukaryotic transcription machinery and help define the most critical features of Pol components and general transcription factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the bioactive content enrichment of honeydew melon cuts (hemispheres) immersed into Hibiscus extract/sucrose solutions (HESS). A face-centered design (FCD) was initially conducted to explore the effect of time (30-210 min), solution concentration (20-60°Bx) and temperature (40-60 °C) on water loss (WL), solids gain (SG), as well as in the increase of anthocyanins (ANT), phenolics (PHE), and antioxidant capacity (AXC) of melon. WL and SG were also investigated with pure sucrose syrups (SS) for comparison purposes. Processing conditions were further optimized by a Pareto approach to maximize both WL and bioactive content enrichment with minimal SG. Then, impregnation kinetics, conducted around the optimal experimental conditions, were analyzed with a 2D diffusive model, considering the anisotropic shrinkage of melon and solved under four complexity levels to examine coupled mass transfer (including constant diffusivities, main plus cross diffusion terms or nonlinear diffusivity functions of local water content). HESS favored a higher WL and lower SG than SS during FCD. The optimal condition occurred at 30 min, 20°Bx and about 50 °C, where melon gained ANT not originally present in it, and PHE and AXC increased by factors of 4.5 and 6.1 in comparison with untreated fruit, respectively. No evidence of significant coupling among WL, SG and bioactive transfer was found (p > 0.05), with diffusivities for ANT, PHE, AXC, water and solids ranging from 3.26 to 3.45, 12.8-14.4, 1.24-5.19, 0.82-1.36, and 1.19-4.26 (x1O-10) m²/s, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A huge financial burden is imposed due to deaths caused by Inflammatory lung diseases. Treatment of inflammatory lung diseases can be targeted via the lungs because of their unique features. Inhalation therapy can target them with the help of inhaled therapy. This Research aims to present the wide-ranging role of nanoemulsions in treating inflammatory respiratory diseases by increasing the solubility of BCS class II drugs. Our target was to enhance the solubility of Ivacaftor, which belongs to a class of CFTR potentiators and a BCS class II drug. The solubility enhancement was to be achieved with the help of formulation into a nanoemulsion. Nanoemulsion has the advantage of being a thermodynamically stable formulation. We used Tween 20 as a surfactant and Transcutolp as a co-surfactant. The region of the emulsion was identified after the construction of a pseudoternary phase diagram. The formulation was optimized using Design Expert 13, and the final preparation was evaluated for stability. The final formulation gave a globule size of 97.65±0.52 nm and a zeta potential of -1.75±0.46mV. The FTIR spectra showed very minimal changes keeping the peaks of the drug intact. We found the formulations were stable after a one-month stability study. Biological barriers in the human body can be overcome by utilizing nanoemulsions to achieve quicker onset of action and immediate relief. Inhaled nanocarriers pose a potential regarding translational studies and increase the scientific database for managing inflammatory lung diseases with reduced or no toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a miniaturized modified Minkowski fractal antenna with enhanced linearly polarized impedance bandwidth (IBW) in the lower frequency region. Applying theory of characteristic modes (TCM) analysis on a second iterated modified Minkowski radiator without feeding structure, modal currents and their corresponding modal fields (radiation patterns) were determined to recognize symmetric dominant modes to be specifically excited to generate the required radiation pattern. It gave direction for choosing quarter-wave microwave line feeding as the feed of choice to excite the four desired modes at 2.7, 5.7, 5.9, and 8.7 GHz and providing excellent impedance matching to generate the very wide IBW. Measured results matched well with simulations done using Ansys HFSS 2020R1. Measured IBW is 9.7 GHz (160%), from 1.2 to 10.9 GHz, with center resonance frequency (frc) at 6.05 GHz, whereas simulated IBW is 9.4 GHz (162%), from 1.1 to 10.5 GHz with frc at 5.8 GHz. The antenna size is 36 × 34 × 1.6 mm3 (0.216λgL × 0.204λgL where at lower resonating frequency frL = 1.1 GHz, λgL is the guided wavelength) with 82.24% reduction in size. This antenna may be utilized for "L", "S" band and UWB wireless communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dried sphagnum moss was ground using a pin mill and a hammer mill under various operating conditions, i.e., changes in the rotor frequency and feed rate. The specific energy consumption of the size reduction was recorded. The ground powder was characterized by median particle size, width of size distribution (span), loose and tapped bulk densities, and the Hausner ratio. Pin milling used less energy for size reduction than hammer milling, especially when the target size was below 100 μm. In both milling methods, the specific energy consumption was mainly caused by the rotor frequency used. However, in pin milling, the specific energy consumption was also dependent on the production rate: the higher the rate, the higher the energy consumption. No such dependence was observed with the hammer mill. The span was wider in pin milling than hammer milling in the intermediate product size range although the difference decreased at the fine and coarse ends. A similar pattern was found for bulk densities. However, the flowability of powder, as characterized by the Hausner ratio, was comparable between the grinding methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straw is a substantial agricultural by-product for biogas production. Hydrolysis of straw is found to be a rate-limiting step during its anaerobic digestion and could be enhanced by pretreatment. In this paper, the effect of various combinations of particle size reduction, autoclaving, and low-level Fenton reaction was studied on straw for biogas production. Grinding of straw contributed to the maximum increase in the biomethane potential. Only Fenton or only the autoclave process improves the kinetics slightly but does not considerably improve the biomethane potential. Combining autoclaving and low-concentration Fenton pretreatment considerably improves the BMP values. Lignin content, CHNSO elemental analysis, Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM), Simon's staining, infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT and ATR), Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction analysis (WAXD) were used to characterize the physical and chemical changes of straw due to pretreatment. Results show a poor correlation between biogas production and the different physical and chemical biomass characteristics. It makes it difficult to explain the outcome of various pretreatment methods applied to biomass. Without further improvement and development of analytical techniques, the prediction of the biomethane potential of a feedstock with the aid of pretreatment can only be considered in case-by-case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a reflection and prospectus from the viewpoint of the International Fine Particle Research Institute (IFPRI) community, specifically the current state of particle technology, how we got to this point, and where the future is heading. IFPRI is a unique consortium, working with academics from universities around the world, pursuing research that is directed by industrial members. While this reflection has a historical context, its perspective is clearly toward solving current and future challenges associated with particle science, engineering, and technology. [Display omitted] • Industrially driven consortium for particle science and technology. • Consortium founders, structure, operation, and historical evolution. • Pre-competitive research distributed across topical areas. • Characterization, size reduction, particle formation, powder flow, wet systems. • Connecting themes include engineering systems and particle technology education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructuring is regarded as a significant method for improving the reversibility of alloying anodes for potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs). However, it is still unclear how nanostructuring suppresses the mechanical deterioration upon potassiation/depotassiation. In this study, by in situ X‐ray diffraction, a size‐dependent phase transformation mechanism in a nano‐Bi material (≈15 nm), which avoids the voltage plateau mutation of bulk‐Bi material (≈250 nm) caused by an incomplete and irreversible two‐phase reaction is revealed. The potassiation of nano‐Bi follows a stepwise solid‐solution pathway without any phase transitions under nonequilibrium conditions, circumventing the nucleation of a new phase. The distinctive transition pathway, dominated by the diffusion‐controlled reaction, is accompanied by fast ionic transport kinetics and homogeneous diffusion. As a result, particle fracture is inhibited by isotropic expansion stress, developing a route for stable potassium storage. By contrast, the two‐phase transformation of bulk‐Bi is governed by an interface‐controlled reaction under equilibrium conditions with slow and heterogeneous diffusion, leading to a rapid capacity decay from anisotropic expansion. The comparison between equilibrium thermodynamic‐ and non‐equilibrium kinetic‐phase transformations uncovers the intrinsic mechanism explanatory of the mechanical robustness of the size‐reduced alloying anodes, and also emphasizes that solid‐state diffusion must be improved to attain highly fast kinetics with PIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chipless RFID tag was designed using two hexagonal resonators. By defining a relation for the phases of S‐parameters and rotating the resonators around their axes, a senary coding scheme was obtained at the resonant frequency. The designed resonator was able to generate six different codes using six different phase parameters at 3.03 GHz. While the conventional binary ("0" and "1") coding of ordinary tags makes minimal use of bandwidth capacity, the senary coding in the proposed design allowed the use of a larger bandwidth capacity. Requiring much fewer resonators for generating more codes, the proposed technique leads to significantly smaller tags. Using the proposed tag with two resonators, 62 = 36 different codes can be generated; more generally, an n‐resonator tag of the proposed type can create 6n different codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant istiophorids are open ocean apex predators that are extensively studied due to their ecological importance and high values for fisheries. Nevertheless, little is known about their evolution because of a fragmentary fossil record and extremely difficult taxonomy of fossil species. Here, we present a new phylogenetic hypothesis covering fossil and living istiophorids. Our results demonstrate that istiophorid richness is larger than previously assumed, comprising eight genera with 20 species. The phylogenetic analysis shows that istiophorids are grouped into four clades: the Istiophorus clade, which includes the sailfish; the Machairostra clade, which comprises Makaira spp., including two new species from the late Miocene (†Makaira colonense sp. nov. and †Makaira fierstini sp. nov.); the Gracilorostra clade, which comprise all remaining istiophorids with exception of spearfishes and includes two new genera and one new species (†Morgula donosochagrense gen. et sp. nov. and †Spathochoira calvertense gen. et. comb. nov.); and the Tetrapturomorpha clade is composed of the spearfishes and the extinct †Prototetrapturus courcelli gen. et. comb. nov. The family Istiophoridae shows an evolutionary trend toward reduction of the premaxillary thickness and increasing the extension of narial cavities. This reduction is related to an increase of adipose tissues in the rostrum base probably driven by the presence of the oleofera gland, an organ involved in feeding, healing, endothermy and hydrophobic functions. Our phylogeny shows a direct relationship between the rostral and cranial shape explained by body size and feeding behaviour. The larger istiophorids have lateral apophysis and the larger spines of the vertebral column. The spearfishes represent the smaller species of the family, with the extant Tetrapturus spp. first appearing in the late Pliocene. The clade Tetrapturomorpha shows an extreme size reduction over time when compared with species of their sister clade Gracilorostra, demonstrating an evolutionary trend towards size reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bran is a byproduct obtained after the milling of cereal grains and is a reservoir of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants which are very important for disease prevention and health promotion. The current work was planned to evaluate the chemical composition, phytochemical profiling, and antioxidant potential of native and modified brans of wheat, corn, barley, millet, sorghum, and oat. These brans were subjected to fermentation by yeast and lactic acid bacteria, autoclaved, size reduction (1 mm and 2 mm particle size), enzyme modifications using cellulase and xylanase. In vitro antioxidant properties were evaluated by DPPH free radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, whereas total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were also determined. The maximum quantity of TPC was found in xylanase treated oat bran 0.364±0.026 mg GAE g-1. The maximum amount of TFC was found in 1mm sorghum bran 211.70±0.09 μg g-1 QE. Whereas increased DPPH free radical scavenging rate was recorded in cellulase treated sorghum bran 87.49±0.11%. Furthermore, the maximum FRAP values were found in 1mm sorghum bran (710.49±0.17 μM FeSO4 g-1). The most effective modification treatments were enzyme modification and size reduction. Study results indicated that modified cereal brans might be important for the development of innovative and unique functional foods as well as could be used for the prevention and treatment of various disorders due to their antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass to obtain clean fuels and high-value chemicals is attractive and essential for sustainable energy and chemical production, but the complex structure of biomass is recalcitrant to catalytic processing. This recalcitrance can be overcome by pretreating biomass into deconstructable components, which involves altering the structural complexities and physicochemical properties. However, the impact of these alterations on biomass deconstruction varies considerably, depending on the pretreatment and subsequent conversion type. Here, we systematically describe the changes in structure and properties of corn stover after ball milling as well as their influence on the following enzymatic saccharification and acid-catalyzed alcoholysis, with the aim of elucidating the relationships between structures, properties and deconstructable potential of lignocellulosic biomass. Results: Ball milling causes dramatic structural changes, since the resistant plant cell walls are destroyed with size reduction to a cellular scale, leading to the increase in surface area and reducing ends, and decrease in crystallinity and thermal stability. As a result, ball-milled corn stover is more susceptible to enzymatic saccharification to fermentable sugars and provides more industrially viable processing approaches, as it is effective at high solids loading and minor enzyme loading, without any other pretreatment. Acid-catalyzed alcoholysis of corn stover to biofuels, on the other hand, is also enhanced by ball milling, but additional processing parameters should be tailored to the needs of efficient conversion. Further, a detailed examination of process variables coupled with a kinetic study indicates that acid-catalyzed alcoholysis is limited by the process variables rather than by the substrate parameters, whereas ball milling facilitates this reaction to some extent, especially under mild conditions, by lowering the activation energy of corn stover decomposition. Conclusions: The efficient catalytic conversion of biomass is closely related to its structure and properties, an understanding of which offers prospects for the rational improvement of methods aimed at more economic commercial biorefineries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the results of studies on higher torque density of automotive auxiliary motors based on electromagnetic field analysis. Dual stator axial-gap PM motors achieve higher torque density than radial-gap motors in a flat motor shape. Therefore, an axial-gap motor was designed based on a design policy different from that in the past to reduce its volume by half of the radial-gap motors for automotive applications and was experimentally evaluated using a prototype motor. In order to improve the torque density, a double axial-gap motor structure was adopted to achieve wide torque generation areas and was optimally designed, reducing the volume by 44% compared with the existing model. It was experimentally evaluated using a prototype motor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In coal beneficiation, ash content is the main focus area as it plays a vital role in controlling the yield and quality of the washed clean coal. Indian sub-bituminous and bituminous coals are of low-grade with intrinsically distributed ash-bearing minerals, which makes it difficult to segregate the low ash coal. Different stages of crushing and grinding techniques have been used to produce the desired feed size of coal washeries, i.e., −13 mm. During blasting and crushing, cracks propagate through the weaker interfaces within the coal particles. Petrographic analysis suggests the formation of good amount of naturally liberated maceral-rich particles of −13 mm size at different stages. These particles generated at mine site and primary crusher are subjected to further crushing during subsequent stages of secondary and tertiary crushing, resulting in more fine generation and higher energy consumption. Hence, an attempt has been made to check the washability characteristics of coals at different stages of crushing and effect of prescreening of coarse (−13 + 0.5 mm) and fine (−0.5 mm) fraction on washability characteristics of coal and overall clean coal yield. It was observed that −13 mm particles generated at early stage of crushing show good washability characteristics compared to the crushed lump coal (+13 mm) for the separation of 17.8–18% ash clean coal; and hence, prescreening of −13 mm prior to tertiary crushing improves the process efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Rosa rugosa cv. Plena (RP) is a commercially significant crop with edible flowers. Due to its high medicinal and nutritional value, it has recently attracted increasing attention in the food industry. In this study, the physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and hygroscopicity of four RP powders produced by ball milling were compared. RESULTS: The brightness, redness, and blueness of RP powders improved after superfine grinding. The water and oil holding capacity decreased with a reduction in the particle size but the water solubility index increased from 7.10% to 29.93%. The elements present in the powders were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by particle size while phytochemicals were released and extracted more easily after superfine grinding, resulting in higher anthocyanin, polyphenol, and flavonoid content (3.06, 34.01, and 3.97 mg g−1, respectively), and stronger antioxidant capacity than was found with other powders (ABTS (2,2′‐azinobis‐3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) and DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activities were 24.51 and 39.81 mM trolox equivalents (TE) g−1, respectively). Superfine grinding also improved the water‐absorption capacity of RP powders under a high‐RH environment. CONCLUSION: Superfine grinding is a promising technique for the production of RP powders with stronger bioactive substances and bioactivity. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Size reduction of oil shale is an essential process that allows the liberation of organic-rich constituents from inorganic portions to prepare the oil shale for further beneficiation processes. Grinding by conventional methods was impractical and led to technical and economic problems. In this study, the size reduction of the oil shale was conducted by attrition scrubbing process which seems to be an effective process for cleaning the kerogen surface and its disengagement from associated mineral matter. The statistical design was used to study the significance of soaking time, attrition time, and pH on the product in terms of kerogen and LOI contents. The results indicated that the attrition time is the most significant parameter as the wt% of −2.36 mm reaches about 75% after 120 min of attrition. The effect of pH is insignificant unless the ore has an appreciable amount of carbonate minerals. It is worth mentioning that the kerogen content was improved from 10% to 14% by attrition in acidic media. However, the fine fractions had a low-percentage of loss-on-ignition due to the presence of clay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass to obtain clean fuels and high-value chemicals is attractive and essential for sustainable energy and chemical production, but the complex structure of biomass is recalcitrant to catalytic processing. This recalcitrance can be overcome by pretreating biomass into deconstructable components, which involves altering the structural complexities and physicochemical properties. However, the impact of these alterations on biomass deconstruction varies considerably, depending on the pretreatment and subsequent conversion type. Here, we systematically describe the changes in structure and properties of corn stover after ball milling as well as their influence on the following enzymatic saccharification and acid-catalyzed alcoholysis, with the aim of elucidating the relationships between structures, properties and deconstructable potential of lignocellulosic biomass. Results: Ball milling causes dramatic structural changes, since the resistant plant cell walls are destroyed with size reduction to a cellular scale, leading to the increase in surface area and reducing ends, and decrease in crystallinity and thermal stability. As a result, ball-milled corn stover is more susceptible to enzymatic saccharification to fermentable sugars and provides more industrially viable processing approaches, as it is effective at high solids loading and minor enzyme loading, without any other pretreatment. Acid-catalyzed alcoholysis of corn stover to biofuels, on the other hand, is also enhanced by ball milling, but additional processing parameters should be tailored to the needs of efficient conversion. Further, a detailed examination of process variables coupled with a kinetic study indicates that acid-catalyzed alcoholysis is limited by the process variables rather than by the substrate parameters, whereas ball milling facilitates this reaction to some extent, especially under mild conditions, by lowering the activation energy of corn stover decomposition. Conclusions: The efficient catalytic conversion of biomass is closely related to its structure and properties, an understanding of which offers prospects for the rational improvement of methods aimed at more economic commercial biorefineries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miniaturization has become of paramount importance in the design of modern antenna systems. In particular, compact size is essential for emerging application areas such as Internet of Things (IoT), wearable and implantable devices, 5G technology, or medical imaging. On the other hand, reduction of physical dimensions generally has a detrimental effect on antenna performance. From the perspective of numerical optimization, miniaturization is a heavily constrained problem, with most constraints being expensive to evaluate due to involving full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation. A convenient way of handling such a task is a penalty function approach where constraint violations contribute, upon suitable scaling, to the primary objective, i.e., the antenna size. The penalty coefficients determining the aforementioned contributions are normally adjusted through engineering experience, which does not allow for a reliable control of antenna performance figures. This article proposes an efficient management scheme for adaptive adjustment of penalty coefficients, which eliminates the need for objective function setup by trial and error, and ensures precise control of the design constraints. Our approach is demonstrated using three broadband antennas optimized for minimum size with acceptance thresholds imposed on the in-band matching level. The adaptive adjustment of penalty coefficients is shown to outperform experience-driven setups in terms of constraint control precision and the final design quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carpet industry is no longer a small business done in the villages on a small scale; instead, it has carved an altogether different space, identity, and appreciation for itself in the cosmopolitan world. As computers are is becoming more and more ubiquitous, most industries, including the carpet industry, use computers for quality improvement, accuracy enhancement, speed development, and cost reduction purposes. Unlike traditional carpet maps, many modern maps include images of human faces for hand‐woven carpet tableau. These digital images comprise millions of colors and thousands of pixels, making it practically impossible to construct and weave the carpet in the same dimensions. Many weavers currently use manual and experience‐based methods for reducing the size and number of hues for making a hand‐woven carpet tableau map. Therefore, the outcomes are not the optimal results and can be improved. Also, many color reduction methods do not focus on the hand‐woven carpet tableau map. To overcome these problems and gaps, this research focuses on proposing a new automatic method for reducing the size of color images without compromising facial nuances, lessening the number of colors used while protecting the important areas of the images, and transforming those images into carpet tableau maps. The proposed approach inputs the original color image. It continuously detecting the face and specifying important areas, and finally, outputs carpet tableau map that is proportional to the given dimensions and color count. To evaluate the proposed method, MATLAB, as a powerful simulation tool, was employed. Final results are compared to the existing approaches in terms of face detection, size reduction, and color quantization. The obtained results have shown that the approach improves speed by 39% in face detection and increases the precision of size reduction and color quantization phases. The results have also confirmed that when images of human faces are reduced by a proposed method to form an appropriate image for tableau maps, they are nearly always perceived as more attractive than the reduced faces via traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is an abundant biopolymer and a promising source of feedstock for high-value chemicals and materials. This study aims to characterize the lignin-rich endocarp biomass and identify features of this unique feedstock that are relevant to feedstock preprocessing and logistics. The chemical composition and cellular structure of walnut and peach endocarps were characterized using HPLC and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging. Mechanical properties of the endocarps were investigated using nanoindentation. Mechanical tests revealed hardness values of up to 0.48 and 0.40 GPa for walnut and peach endocarps, respectively. With screen sizes of 1 and 2 mm, the specific energy consumption was 9.21 and 1.86 MJ kg-1 for walnut and 12.6 and 2.72 MJ kg-1 for peach, respectively, as determined using a knife mill. Milling energy consumption was correlated to screen size, lignin content, bulk density, and mechanical properties. This study provides critical information on feedstock supply logistics necessary to implement a novel feedstock in biorefineries and evaluate the economic feasibility for coproduction of biofuels and lignin-derived products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant istiophorids are open ocean apex predators that are extensively studied due to their ecological importance and high values for fisheries. Nevertheless, little is known about their evolution because of a fragmentary fossil record and extremely difficult taxonomy of fossil species. Here, we present a new phylogenetic hypothesis covering fossil and living istiophorids. Our results demonstrate that istiophorid richness is larger than previously assumed, comprising eight genera with 20 species. The phylogenetic analysis shows that istiophorids are grouped into four clades: the Istiophorus clade, which includes the sailfish; the Machairostra clade, which comprises Makaira spp., including two new species from the late Miocene (†Makaira colonense sp. nov. and †Makaira fierstini sp. nov.); the Gracilorostra clade, which comprise all remaining istiophorids with exception of spearfishes and includes two new genera and one new species (†Morgula donosochagrense gen. et sp. nov. and †Spathochoira calvertense gen. et. comb. nov.); and the Tetrapturomorpha clade is composed of the spearfishes and the extinct †Prototetrapturus courcelli gen. et. comb. nov. The family Istiophoridae shows an evolutionary trend toward reduction of the premaxillary thickness and increasing the extension of narial cavities. This reduction is related to an increase of adipose tissues in the rostrum base probably driven by the presence of the oleofera gland, an organ involved in feeding, healing, endothermy and hydrophobic functions. Our phylogeny shows a direct relationship between the rostral and cranial shape explained by body size and feeding behaviour. The larger istiophorids have lateral apophysis and the larger spines of the vertebral column. The spearfishes represent the smaller species of the family, with the extant Tetrapturus spp. first appearing in the late Pliocene. The clade Tetrapturomorpha shows an extreme size reduction over time when compared with species of their sister clade Gracilorostra, demonstrating an evolutionary trend towards size reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resource reclamation of waste tire rubber (WTR) is regarded as the most suitable strategy for these solid wastes. Water jet pulverization (WJPul) is a sustainable reclamation technique for WTR, since both size reduction and rubber devulcanization can be achieved. Aiming at understanding the mechanisms related with pulverization and devulcanization of WTR, this work detailed the interactions between WTR and high pressure water jet (HPWJ). The results show that WJPul can be defined as a mechanochemical process for WTR. The compressive shear failure of rubber mainly induces rubber devulcanization and results in fine ground tire rubber (GTR) particles, HPWJ erosion mainly intensifies rubber depolymerization and results in coarse GTR particles. Chemical reactions can be detected between the devulcanized GTR from WJPul and asphalts, thus resulting in better modification performances of GTR from WJPul in asphalt. The results can help better understand the WJPul mechanisms and provide guidelines for WJPul application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel slow wave (SW) substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) with enhanced SW factor (SWF) and broadened bandwidth is proposed by simultaneously increasing the effective permeability and permittivity. The effective permittivity is increased by the enhanced capacitance between the top plane of the waveguide and the loaded patches which are shorted to the SIW bottom plane by the blind via-holes. The effective permeability is increased by lengthening the current path by adding patches on the blind via-holes. The proposed SW-SIW with simultaneous increased effective permeability and permittivity has two obvious advantages over the reported SW-SIW with only effective permeability or permittivity increased: 1) smaller longitudinal and lateral dimensions resulted from higher SWF and lower cutoff frequency, respectively, and 2) wider bandwidth due to stable wave impedance along the periodical SW structure. The lateral dimension of the proposed SW-SIW is decreased by 53% compared with the normal SIW with the same cutoff frequency. The phase velocity is decreased by 73%, which means the longitudinal length is reduced by 73% consequently. The operation band is 7.0–18.8 GHz (91.5% fractional bandwidth) covering X- and Ku-bands. A prototype of the proposed SW-SIW is manufactured and measured, and the measured results agree well with the simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flufenamic acid (FFA) is a Biopharmaceutical Classification System- II (BCS-II) class drug with poor bioavailability and a lower dissolution rate. Particle size reduction is one of the conventional approaches to increase the dissolution rate and subsequently the bioavailability. The use of the liquid antisolvent method for particle size reduction of FFA was studied in this work. Ethanol and water were used as solvent and antisolvent, respectively. Experimental parameters such as solution concentration (10–40 mg/ml), flow rate (120–480 ml/h), temperature (298–328 K) and stirring speed (200–800 rpm) were investigated. Furthermore, the solid dispersion of FFA was prepared with polyvinylpyrrolidone K-30 (PVP K-30) with different weight ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4) and samples were characterized using SEM, FTIR and XRD techniques. The experimental investigation revealed that higher values of concentration, injection rate, stirring speed, along with lower temperature favored the formation of fine particles. SEM analysis revealed that the morphology of raw FFA changed from rock-like to rectangular-like after liquid antisolvent recrystallization. FTIR analysis validated the presence of hydrogen bonding between FFA and PVP in solid dispersion. XRD analysis showed no significant change in the crystallinity of the processed FFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two miniaturized Wilkinson power dividers with equal and unequal power division ratios capable of suppressing spurious harmonics over a wide frequency range are presented. First, an asymmetric high-low impedance resonator with coupled open-stubs and folded structure is employed to design the equal power divider. Then, how connecting an inductor in series with the introduced resonator can lead to affecting the transmission coefficient of the power divider branch and achieving an unbalanced power division ratio at output ports, is analytically clarified. In the third step, a combination of the resonator with folded structure and the inductor is utilized to design an unequal 2:1 divider. To validate the performed analysis, two equal and unequal Wilkinson power dividers at 900 MHz are fabricated and measured. Regarding S 31 , both dividers can suppress the 4th to 13th spurious frequencies and with respect to S 21 of the unequal case, the 2nd-harmonic to 14th-harmonic are omitted. The occupied areas of the equal and unequal structures are 7.35 mm × 18.9 mm and 7.5 mm × 17.9 mm, respectively, which indicate almost 84 % size reduction in each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switchgrass has potential as an energy crop, but problems with handling and flowability hinders its utilization. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the fundamental flow-related physical characteristics of switchgrass particles ground through three hammermill screen sizes of 6.4, 3.2 and 1.6 mm. Physical properties were determined through sieve analysis, density testing, image analysis, angle of repose and fractal analysis. The geometric mean diameter and geometric standard deviation of the ground material decreased with size reduction. Particle size significantly influenced particle and bulk density. Similar conclusions were made for angle of repose; values decreased with size reduction. Shape and surface parameters from image and fractal analyses were not significantly different among particle sizes. Non-spherical, needle-shaped particles were maintained through size reduction. Particle size reduction may slightly improve the flow of ground switchgrass bulk, but will always experience some degree of flow problems in regular storage silos and hoppers. [Display omitted] • The geometric mean diameter and geometric standard deviation of the ground material decreased with size reduction. • Particle size significantly influenced particle and bulk density. • The angle of repose decreased with size reduction. • Shape and surface parameters were not significantly different among particle sizes. • Grinding does not improve the aspect ratio of ground switchgrass, making it inherently cohesive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, one kind of miniaturized Gysel power divider (GPD) with ninth harmonic suppression is proposed. In this structure to weaken unwanted harmonics, radial and new trapezoidal‐shaped resonators are placed instead of the quarter‐wavelength transmission lines of the conventional GPD. Moreover, these resonators create eight transmission zeros and occupy small circuit sizes. For designing the proposed GPD, appropriate electrical lengths of transmission lines are selected. This GPD has high −15 dB fractional bandwidth, 71%, good isolation, > 15 dB, and compact sizes, 0.07 λg×0.22 λg. The operating frequency of the designed power divider is 2.1 GHz that can be used in many WCDMA applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a theory of characteristic mode (TCM)-based method of easy three steps for designing a very wide impedance band antenna. Initially, the characteristic mode (CM) analysis is done to comprehend the different modes of antenna geometry in absence of a feeding structure. Then modal currents and their corresponding modal fields (radiation patterns) are determined for recognizing modes to be selectively excited to generate the required radiation pattern. These will help in choosing a proper feeding configuration that stimulates the desired modes and acts as an excellent impedance matching. Here, initially CM analysis has been carried out for a Z-shaped monopole antenna to identify the higher order modes to be utilized to achieve linear polarization over a wideband frequency. TCM analysis gave direction for choosing CPW-fed as the feed of choice for exciting six desired modes. Modification of the CPW-fed ground by etching two semicircular notches helped in further increase of the impedance bandwidth (IBW). Measured findings relate satisfactorily with simulations done using Ansys Electronics Desktop 2020R1. The proposed design exhibits simulated IBW of 21.2 GHz (i.e. 4.2–25.4 GHz, 143%) having its center frequency (fc) at 14.8 GHz, and the measured IBW below 10-dB is from 3.8 GHz to up to 14 GHz (as beyond 14 GHz, IBW could not be measured using the available vector network analyzer). Simulation results are further validated in CST microwave studio. Proposed antenna is fabricated on FR-4 epoxy substrate of 0.8 mm thickness and exhibits a very small footprint of just 400 mm2 (20 × 20 mm2, 0.46λgL × 0.46λgL × 0.018λgL, where λgL is the simulated guided wavelength at lower resonating frequency frL=4.2 GHz) with 53% reduction in size. This antenna may be utilized for contemporary and upcoming wireless communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil of celery (Apium graveolens) is characterized by exceptionally high content of alkylphthalides. The mentioned compounds exhibit a number of biological effects (including hypotensive, lipid-lowering, neuroprotective, and cytotoxic) and are also responsible for distinctive aroma of the plant. In the current work, parameters of conventional hydrodistillation (HD) and simultaneous distillation-extraction (SDE) were optimized to obtain phthalide-enriched fractions of celery seeds. A positive correlation was shown between hydrodistillation time and improved essential oil and phthalide yields. The 6-h HD of comminuted seeds yielded essential oil (2.9%) with a higher total phthalide content (51%), as compared to the samples collected after 1.5-3.0 h, which gave 2.4-2.7% of oil containing 24.6-39.2% of total phthalides. The oil contained sedanenolide (36.7%), 3-n-butylphthalide (13.1%), and sedanolide (1.1%). A further increase in the total phthalide content was achieved by omitting the size reduction step prior to hydrodistillation (68.8%) and utilization of the salting-out effect (84.3%). Enzyme pretreatment had a negligible effect on essential oil and phthalide yields. The change of distillation mode from HD to SDE significantly increased the oil yield of whole seeds (from 2.8 to 5.8% for 6 h processing) while maintaining its high phthalide content (62.5%), which translated to an increase in the total phthalide yield from 19.4 to 36.0 g/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the reduction of scattered context grammars with respect to the number of non-context-free productions. It proves that every recursively enumerable language is generated by a scattered context grammar that has no more than one non-context-free production. An open problem is formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the reduction of scattered context grammars with respect to the number of non-context-free productions. It proves that every recursively enumerable language is generated by a scattered context grammar that has no more than one non-context-free production. An open problem is formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many natural substances are efficient in vitro and in vivo for the treatment of various disorders. However, treatment is often limited by their low bioavailability, water solubility and permeation. As a consequence, drugs are administered frequently and in large doses. There is therefore a need for techniques to enhance the solubility, permeability and the stability. Here, we review methods to improve solubility using particle engineering, complexation, solid dispersion, solubilization, chemical modifications and use of nanocarriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel branch-line coupler using meandered line compact microstrip resonant cell (MLCMRC) and bended lines is proposed. The presented coupler works at 0.9 GHz, with good specifications. The measured values of S12 and S13 at 0.9 GHz are 3.2 dB and 3.3 dB, respectively, which show better than 0.3 dB insertion loss in the pass band. The measured value of S14 is better than 36 dB and S11 is better than 31 dB. The proposed design can eliminate 3rd and 5th harmonic with high suppression level (more than 40 dB) and reduce the size of the circuit more than 64% compared to the conventional branch-line coupler. The presented coupler has a very simple structure, which can be used in modern communication applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a three-way Wilkinson power divider (WPD) was proposed the circuit whose center frequency was selected as 1.9 GHz operates between 0.95-2.95 GHz frequencies and has a bandwidth of approximately 105%. The simulation and measurement results of the designed circuit were well aligned with each other below 10 dB return loss and 13 dB isolation. In addition, 0.4, 0.3 and 1.0 dB insertion loss were obtained in the output ways, respectively. The circuit is made more compact thanks to the curved structure of the output ways. It has been found that the proposed three-way power divider takes about 35% less space than the conventional circuit design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size reduction process of rocks in cone crushers is one of the most important issues, particularly for the secondary and tertiary stages of crushing operations. In this study, 17 different rock types were considered for the evaluation of their size reduction variations that occurred in a laboratory-scale cone crusher. Based on several mineralogical, physico-mechanical, and aggregate properties determined for each rock type, the crushability tests were performed. Before and after the crushability tests, particle size distribution (PSD) of the uncrushed (feed) and crushed (product) materials were determined by sieve analyses. On the basis of these PSDs, the degree of rock crushability (DRC) was attempted to quantify by simple approaches (i.e., size reduction ratio, SRR, and the theoretical square mesh aperture size that corresponds to the 10% of the cumulative undersize in the product, P10 (mm)). The crushability test results demonstrated that the DRC in cone crusher could be quantified by focusing on the variations in the SRR and P10. The SRR and P10 are associated with three important rock properties, Shore hardness (SH), Los Angeles abrasion loss (LAA, %), and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS, MPa). The textural and mineralogical features of rocks also have substantial impacts on the DRC for several rock types. It was concluded that the combination of the SRR and P10 could be considered together for the evaluation of DRC in cone crushers. Moreover, further research potentials on the DRC were also discussed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a miniaturized tri-band bandstop filter that finds application in a modern dense communication system where size and multi-band plays a vital role. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, the authors propose a miniaturized tri-band microstrip bandstop filter which combines the conventional bandstop filter and spur microstrip line structures such that this design achieves tri-band operation at 1.8 GHz and 3 GHz. The overall length of the microstrip filter is found to reduce from 126 to 45 mm because of introduction of spur lines and via-hole grounding. The addition of spur lines replaces two resonators, introduces two additional resonant frequencies and enhances the −6 dB bandwidth of the center frequency by 14 %.The addition of via-holes in each resonator reduces its length into half of its original length, thereby reducing filter size. Findings: Resonance occurs at three different frequencies 1.8, 2.4 and 3 GHz. The filter size reduces from 126 to 45 mm, and the −6 dB rejection bandwidth of center frequency improves by 14 %. Originality/value: The overall filter size is reduced by 65% and it resonates at three different frequencies 1.8, 2.4 and 3 GHz with an improved bandwidth of 10 % around the center frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical size reduction, due to its significant effect on transport phenomena and biodegradability, is the crucial initial step in the production of advanced biofuels. As is generally known, particle size reduction is high energy demand operation. Energy requirements were experimentally studied and mathematically modelled for the processing of wheat straw with 4.6% moisture content wet basis that was reduced in size using a knife mill. The characteristic particle sizes for wheat straw before and after milling were analysed using the Rosin-Rammler-Sperling-Bennet model of particle size distribution. Energy demand 0.7–21.2 kWh t−1 was reported for size reduction of wheat straw with size reduction ratio D 50 equal to 1.13–3.86. Applying the theory of energy demand modelled by Rittinger, it was confirmed that treated wheat straw displayed brittle behaviour. Energy demand for size reduction of wheat straw can be therefore be estimated using Rittinger theory with Rittinger constant value of 9.9 kWh mm t−1. • RRSB model is suitable to describe the particle size distribution of straws. • Wheat straw with 5 % wt. in moisture evinces brittle behaviour. • Energy demand is 0.7–21.2 kWh t−1 for 1.13–3.86 size reduction ratios of D 50. • Specific energy demand is reliably modelled by Ritttinger theory. • Rittinger constant value of 19.9 kWh mm t−1 can be used to model energy demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until now computer simulation has already successfully assisted in improving the design and operation of cone crushers in the mining and aggregate industries. However, simulations using the discrete element method, coupled to realistic breakage models, are the next step towards designing confidently these machines in a fully virtual environment. The work shows the application of a novel breakage model fitted using single-particle breakage information and polyhedral particles to simulate a laboratory-scale cone crusher. Simulations of crushing three materials with widely different characteristics were in good agreement with experiments for throughput and only reasonably good for specific energy and product size. Sensitivity of simulations to closed side setting, stroke and frequency showed good qualitative agreement to experience. Simulations of crushing of blends containing mixtures of tough and soft components then demonstrated that crusher throughput does not drop proportionally to the increase in the amount of tough material in the feed. Unlabelled Image • Simulation of a laboratory-scale cone crusher using DEM with polyhedral particles. • Good agreement between measured and simulated capacity for three materials. • Reasonable agreement between measured and simulated specific energy and size. • Studied effect of CSS, eccentric throw and speed on crusher performance. • Crushing binary mixtures simulated, showing impact of tough component on throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation in the grain size of a titanium carbide-based material with a cobalt binder is studied theoretically and experimentally in relation to its location in the chamber of a die, matrix, and along the length of the sample after SHS extrusion. Our experimental results show that the average grain size in a material synthesized without any external load is 4.9 μm. Densification in a die reduces it to 3.8 μm, and extrusion of the material considerably reduces the average grain size, down to 2 μm, which is consistent with theoretical predictions. In most of the extruded rod, the grain size distributions along and across the rod are uniform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, an annular slot is used to excite the fundamental TM $_{01 \delta }$ mode of a cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (DRA). The annular slot has eight pairs of meander lines that make the $E$ -field of the slot nearly uniform. The meander lines can introduce an inductance to the antenna and thus, lower the resonant frequency or equivalently reduce the antenna size. To verify the idea, a prototype operating in the fundamental TM $_{01 \delta }$ mode was designed, fabricated, and measured for 2.4 GHz WLAN applications (2.40–2.48 GHz). The ${S}$ -parameters, radiation pattern, realized gain, and total efficiency are simulated and measured, and good agreement between the simulations and measurements is obtained. As compared with a conventional probe-fed TM $_{01\delta }$ -mode cylindrical DRA, our antenna has a size reduction of 43% while providing a measured 10 dB impedance bandwidth of 18.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of active zero vector pulsewidth modulation (AZPWM-1) and space vector pulsewidth modulation (SVPWM) on the design of passive common-mode (CM) attenuation methods to reduce CM current and shaft voltage in inverter-fed V/f-controlled induction motor drives. The passive CM attenuation methods examined here are the CM choke, the CM electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter, and the CM transformer. The attenuation requirement of AZPWM-1 and SVPWM is identified to design the passive CM choke and EMI filter. Based on the attenuation requirement, the design guidelines are revisited for SVPWM, and design rules are proposed for AZPWM-1. However, the CM transformer is designed based on the step change in magnitude of CM voltage of both the pulsewidth modulations (PWMs). The limitations in design, regarding switching frequency and component size for each case, are also established. It is shown that to have a similar attenuation in the considered two PWM cases, AZPWM-1 requires smaller passive components compared to SVPWM. The proposed design guidelines are substantiated with experimental results on a 1.1-kW induction motor drive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple-point statistics (MPS) is a simulation technique allowing to generate images that reproduce the spatial features present in a training image (TI). MPS algorithms consist in sequentially filling a simulation grid such that patterns around the simulated values come from the TI. Following this principle, joint simulations of multiple variables can be handled and complex heterogeneous fields can be generated. However, inconsistent patterns are often found in the results and some spatial features can be difficult to reproduce. In this paper, a new MPS algorithm based on a multi-resolution representation of the TI is proposed to enhance the quality of the realizations. The method consists in first building a pyramid of images from the TI by successive convolution using Gaussian-like kernels. Secondly, a MPS simulation is done at the lowest resolution level. Then, the result is expanded to the next level of resolution (one rank higher) and used as a conditioning variable for a joint MPS simulation at that level. This last step is repeated up to the initial resolution, where the final simulation is retrieved. The method is implemented in the DeeSse code based on the direct sampling algorithm. Most of the features provided by the direct sampling (conditioning to hard data, uni- or multi-variate simulation of categorical and continuous variables, scaling and rotation of the training structures) are compatible with the proposed method and the usability is maintained. Finally, various examples show that in most of the situations, combining Gaussian pyramids with MPS allows to get results of better quality and in less time compared to direct MPS simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a reduced size microstrip five poles hairpin band-pass filter using three-layers structure for Ku-band satellites application. The three-layers structure shows a substantially reduced filter size and enlarged bandwidth. The filter has been designed based on five-pole resonators at 12.475 GHz and bandwidth of 550 MHz. This filter is designed on Rogers RO3003 substrate having relative permittivity (er) of 3. The proposed band-pass filter has been designed with the help of Computer Simulation Technology (CST) software. Comparison analyses between the simulated insertion loss and reflection coefficient of RO3003 and FR4 substrates have been carried out in order to show the efficiency of the proposed filter design. Based on the obtained results, the proposed filter design achieves significant filter size reduction compared to other band-pass filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcuma longa is a rhizome used for the extraction of curcumin, a yellow colorant that only represents 3 wt% of the dried rhizome. To increase the possibility of using the entire rhizome as a food colorant, in the present investigation, the effect of ultra‐fine friction grinding (supermasscolloider) to obtain turmeric suspensions was evaluated. To achieve this goal, two distances between the grinding stones or Gap were evaluated (G of –1 and –1.5), and the obtained suspensions were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and through the determination of curcumin content, color, particle size, sedimentation index, serum cloudiness, and microstructure. The results establish that a lower G contributes to an increase in the release of curcumin in the suspension up to 21%, which is related to a greater tendency for yellow coloration, observed in the increase of the *b coordinate of color (from 61.588 to 66.497). Additionally, it was found that a lower G generates smaller particle sizes, which is related to a lower turbidity. Practical Application: This research shows that ultra‐fine friction grinding (UFFG) has great potential for the development of turmeric suspensions. The results have applications in the food industry sector, because UFFG could be used to produce different types of vegetable suspensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]