| Records |
| Author |
Ricci, P.E.; Gielis, J. |
| Title |
From Pythagoras to Fourier and from geometry to nature |
Type |
MA3 Book as author |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
146 p. |
| Keywords |
MA3 Book as author; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
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Wos |
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Publication Date |
2022-03-23 |
| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
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ISBN |
978-90-832323-0-0; 978-90-832323-1-7 |
Additional Links |
UA library record |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
| Notes |
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Approved  |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:186730 |
Serial |
7166 |
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| Author |
Jiang, J. |
| Title |
Ginzburg-Landau dynamical simulations on the nonreciprocal transport properties of two-dimensional superconductors |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
XII, 79 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT) |
| Abstract |
The nonreciprocal charge transport property which depends on the polarity of the applied current, such as the diode effect and the rectification effect, is of great importance for both theoretical research and engineering application. The nonreciprocal transport property in superconductors generally requires to break both the spatial inversion symmetry and the time-reversal symmetry, and therefore becomes one of the fundamental issues in superconductivity. Of particular interest, the superconducting diode effect, which exhibits one-way superconductivity, can potentially be applied to dissipationless diode devices, as a consequence has received extensive attention in recent years. In this Ph. D thesis, we simulate vortex dynamics with heat dissipation by numerically solving time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations and heat transfer equation. The nonreciprocal transport properties of the following three superconducting systems are studied. We study a superconducting film patterned with a conformal pinning array and find a giant rectification effect which is consistent with the experimental observation. In presence of the funneling effect due to the geometry of the conformal pinning array, Joule heating of the accumulating vortices creates hot spots and drives the sample to the normal state. Meanwhile, the density gradient of vortex does not match the gradient of pinning. The two mechanisms together lead to the giant rectification effect. We study the nonreciprocal charge transport property in a pinning-free superconducting nano-ring. We systematically calculate the response of the ratchet signal to various parameters in both D.C. and A.C. currents. By analyzing the vortex potential, we find that the nonreciprocal transport property is caused by the asymmetry potential barriers for vortex entry and exit. We study a superconductor/nanoscale-magnetic-dot hybrid structure. It takes advantage of the external current to control the nucleation of vortex-antivortex pairs, and can produce superconducting diode effect without applied magnetic fields. Our vortex dynamics simulation details the progress of the superconducting-normal phase transition due to motion of vortex pairs and heat dissipation. The nonreciprocal transport properties of the above three systems are all based on the broken symmetry of spatial inversion, which is caused by the anisotropic pinning array, the asymmetric geometry, and the nonuniform distribution of the magnetic field, respectively. The mechanisms we discuss in this thesis do not require special property of the materials and thus can be applied to any kinds of conventional superconductors. The present studies would provide solid theoretical basis for the future design and application of the dissipationless superconducting devices. |
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Edition |
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ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:188525 |
Serial |
7168 |
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| Author |
Maes, R.R.; Potters, G.; Fransen, E.; Van Schaeren, R.; Lenaerts, S. |
| Title |
Influence of adding low concentration of oxygenates in mineral diesel oil and biodiesel on the concentration of NO, NO₂ and particulate matter in the exhaust gas of a one-cylinder diesel generator |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
International journal of environmental research and public health |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
19 |
Issue |
13 |
Pages |
7637-18 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Air quality currently poses a major risk to human health worldwide. Transportation is one of the principal contributors to air pollution due to the quality of exhaust gases. For example, the widely used diesel fuel is a significant source of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). To reduce the content NOx and PM, different oxygenated compounds were mixed into a mineral diesel available at the pump, and their effect on the composition of exhaust gas emissions was measured using a one-cylinder diesel generator. In this setup, adding methanol gave the best relative results. The addition of 2000 ppm of methanol decreased the content of NO by 56%, 2000 ppm of isopropanol decreased NO2 by 50%, and 2000 ppm ethanol decreased PM by 63%. An interesting question is whether it is possible to reduce the impact of hazardous components in the exhaust gas even more by adding oxygenates to biodiesels. In this article, alcohol is added to biodiesel in order to establish the impact on PM and NOx concentrations in the exhaust gases. Adding methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol at concentrations of 2000 ppm and 4000 ppm did not improve NOx emissions. The best results were using pure RME for a low NO content, pure diesel for a low NO2 content, and for PM there were no statistically significant differences. |
| Address |
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| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
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Wos |
000825645900001 |
Publication Date |
2022-06-23 |
| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1661-7827; 1660-4601 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189476 |
Serial |
7172 |
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| Author |
Oliveira, M.C. |
| Title |
Influence of phase-separated domains on the permeability of oxidized lipid membranes |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
151 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT) |
| Abstract |
Biological membranes are under constant attack of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which may lead to a complex mixture of nitro-oxidized lipids that are responsible for structural and dynamic changes on the membrane. Because of that, nitro-oxidized lipids are also associated with several tumors and inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, lipid oxidation may induce membrane phase-separated domains, which also drastically affect the membrane function. Evidence suggests that domain interfaces are “hot spots” for pore formation, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. There is an urgent need for an improved understanding of oxidation-induced phase separation on membrane properties. Likewise, the molecular structure at domain interfaces still needs to be elucidated. To evaluate the effect of lipid nitro-oxidation on the permeability of single-phase (homogeneous) and phase-separated (heterogeneous) phospholipid bilayers (PLBs), we performed atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using: (1) single-phase PLBs composed of several isomers of nitrated and/or oxidized lipids; (2) phase-separated PLBs composed of coexisting liquid ordered (Lo) and liquid disordered (Ld) domains, where the Ld domain is composed of non-oxidized and/or oxidized lipids. Our results show that nitrated lipids increase the membrane permeability of single-phase PLBs by three-fold compared to oxidized lipids. In addition, we show that oxidized lipids in the presence of nitrated lipids decrease the membrane permeability, suggesting an interaction between nitrated and oxidized lipids. Overall, the permeability of single-phase and phase-separated PLBs was comparable, and the presence of oxidized lipids increases the membrane permeability only in single-phase PLBs. Despite the latter, the presence of only 1.5% of lipid aldehydes at the Lo/Ld domain interfaces of phase-separated PLBs was able to increase the membrane permeability. In consequence of this, we also performed coarse-grained MD simulations to evaluate whether lipid aldehydes have a preference to accumulate at the interface between Lo/Ld domains. Our results show that lipid aldehydes derived from mono-unsaturated lipids accumulate at the interface, but those derived from poly-unsaturated lipids remain in the Ld domain. This study is of interest for photodynamic therapy and plasma medicine for cancer treatment, to understand the effects caused by RONS in cell membranes. |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:191039 |
Serial |
7173 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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| Author |
Hao, Y. |
| Title |
A joint experimental-modeling study of the structure and properties of functional molecular monolayers for the control of organic crystal growth |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
xiii, 174 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
| Abstract |
Among all types of discovered crystals, those formed by organic molecules show the greatest diversity, which results from the intrinsic complexity of the organic molecules and the weak interactions between them. Even for a given compound, different crystal structures can exist. This feature is referred to as polymorphism in the modern crystallographic context and those different crystal forms are called polymorphs. In reality, the crystallization of organic molecules is often performed at the surface of a substrate, giving rise to heterogeneous crystallization. Except for the well-known catalyzing effects, the existence of substrates brings more possibilities to the polymorphic behaviors of organic molecules, promoting the formation of new polymorphs that are only stable in the vicinity of the substrates. For this reason, these new polymorphic forms are often described as substrate-induced polymorphs (SIPs). It is of great importance to understand the formation of SIPs for organic molecules as it has been reported that SIPs can show superior properties with respect to their bulk form counterparts. Up to now, most studies focus on the identifying and characterizing the presence of SIPs, which relies mainly on X-ray diffraction techniques. However, a detailed explanation about the origin of SIPs is still missing. In this work, we have combined several powerful experimental characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in order to reach an integrated view over the formation of SIPs. These experimental studies are strongly supported by computational chemistry simulations, such as density functional theory and molecular dynamics. A big advantage of using atomistic simulations is that it enables the possibility to predict a priori the crystal structures of SIPs and to establish a posteriori the general rules for the formation of SIPs. In practice, this thesis employs state-of-art atomistic simulation approaches in order to bridge substrate-induced polymorphism with a conceptually-connected research area: the self-assembly of molecular networks (SAMNs), also called 2D crystallization. Unlike SIPs, which extend at least several molecular layers, SAMNs are composed of a single layer of molecules with ordered packing. Our simulations have enabled a more comprehensive understanding about the role of substrate during the formation of SIPs and we elucidate how the positional and orientational order of molecules propagates from the substrate to the upper 2D and even 3D crystal layers. In this way, a fundamental understanding of the substrate-induced crystallization is gained by connecting 2D and 3D crystallization using substrate-induced approaches. |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
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Publication Date |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:191758 |
Serial |
7176 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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| Author |
Loomba, V.; Pourfallah, H.; Olsen, J.E.; Einarsrud, K.E. |
| Title |
Lab-scale physical model experiments to understand the effect of particle bed on tapping flow rates |
Type |
P1 Proceeding |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
159-170 |
| Keywords |
P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Wos |
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Publication Date |
2022-02-03 |
| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
978-3-030-92543-7; 2367-1181; 2367-1696; 978-3-030-92546-8; 978-3-030-92544-4 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:186090 |
Serial |
7177 |
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| Author |
Gielis, J.; Grigolia, R. |
| Title |
Lamé curves and Rvachev's R-functions |
Type |
A3 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Sn – 1512-0066 |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
37 |
Issue |
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Pages |
1-4 |
| Keywords |
A3 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Gielis transformations are a generalization of Lame curves. To combine domains, we can make use of the natural alliance between Lame's work and Rvachev's R-functions. A logical next step is the extension to n-valued logic dening dierent partitions. |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
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Publication Date |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189316 |
Serial |
7178 |
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| Author |
Faust, V.; Gruber, W.; Ganigue, R.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Udert, K.M. |
| Title |
Nitrous oxide emissions and carbon footprint of decentralized urine fertilizer production by nitrification and distillation |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
ACS ES&T engineering |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
2 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
1745-1755 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Combining partial nitrification, granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration, and distillation is a well-studied approach to convert urine into a fertilizer. To evaluate the environmental sustainability of a technology, the operational carbon footprint and therefore nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions should be known, but N2O emissions from urine nitrification have not been assessed yet. Therefore, N2O emissions of a decentralized urine nitrification reactor were monitored for 1 month. During nitrification, 0.4-1.2% of the total nitrogen load was emitted as N2O-N with an average N2O emission factor (EFN2O) of 0.7%. Additional N2O was produced during anoxic storage between nitrification and GAC filtration with an estimated EFN2O of 0.8%, resulting in an EFN2O of 1.5% for the treatment chain. N2O emissions during nitrification can be mitigated by 60% by avoiding low dissolved oxygen or anoxic conditions and nitrite concentrations above 5 mg-N L-1. Minimizing the hydraulic retention time between nitrification and GAC filtration can reduce N2O formation during intermediate storage by 100%. Overall, the N2O emissions accounted for 45% of the operational carbon footprint of 14 kg-CO2,equiv kg-N-1 for urine fertilizer production. Using electricity from renewable sources and applying the proposed N2O mitigation strategies could potentially lower the carbon footprint by 85%. |
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Wos |
000835412700001 |
Publication Date |
2022-07-29 |
| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189599 |
Serial |
7182 |
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| Author |
Vanmeert, F.; De Meyer, S.; Gestels, A.; Clerici, E.A.; Deleu, N.; Legrand, S.; Van Espen, P.; Van der Snickt, G.; Alfeld, M.; Dik, J.; Monico, L.; De Nolf, W.; Cotte, M.; Gonzalez, V.; Saverwyns, S.; Depuydt-Elbaum, L.; Janssens, K. |
| Title |
Non-invasive and non-destructive examination of artists’ pigments, paints and paintings by means of X-ray imaging methods |
Type |
H1 Book chapter |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
317-357 |
| Keywords |
H1 Book chapter; Art; Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES); Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS) |
| Abstract |
Recent studies in which X-ray beams of (sub)micrometre to millimetre dimensions have been used for non-destructive analysis and characterization of pigments, minute paint samples and/or entire paintings from fifteenth to twentieth century artists are discussed. The overview presented encompasses the use of laboratory and synchrotron radiation-based instrumentation and deals with the use of several variants of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as a method of elemental analysis and imaging as well as with the combined use with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Microscopic XRF (μ-XRF) is a variant of the XRF method able to visualize the elemental distribution of key elements, mostly metals, on the scale from 1 μm to 100 μm present inside multi-layered micro samples taken from paintings. In the context of the characterization of artists’ pigments subjected to natural degradation, in many cases the use of methods limited to elemental analysis or imaging does not suffice to elucidate the chemical transformations that have taken place. However, at synchrotron facilities, combinations of μ-XRF with related methods such as μ-XAS (microscopic X-ray absorption spectroscopy) and μ-XRD have proven themselves to be very suitable for such studies. Since microscopic investigation of a relatively limited number of minute paint samples may not yield representative information about the complete artefact they were taken from, several methods for macroscopic, non-invasive imaging have recently been developed. Combined macroscopic XRF/XRD scanning is able to provide a fairly complete overview of the inorganic pigments employed to create a work of art, to answer questions about ongoing degradation phenomena and about its authenticity. As such these newly developed non-invasive and highly specific imaging methods are of interest for many cultural heritage stakeholders. |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Wos |
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Publication Date |
2022-09-08 |
| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
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ISBN |
978-3-030-86864-2 |
Additional Links |
UA library record |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:190777 |
Serial |
7183 |
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| Author |
Borah, R. |
| Title |
Photoactive nanostructures : from single plasmonic nanoparticles to self-assembled films |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
xxxiv, 220 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Photoactive nanoparticles and their light-driven applications have gained tremendous scientific attention towards remediation of the global environmental problems, meeting alternative energy demands, and other new technological discoveries. The research work presented in this dissertation includes a fundamental investigation of such nanoparticles to gain deeper insights that will ultimately benefit their application. In particular, the study of plasmonic metal nanoparticles and metal oxide nanoparticles for light driven applications is the major theme of this work. The investigation begins with isolated plasmonic Au and Ag nanoparticles, followed by a natural extension to nanoparticle clusters, and then further to nanoparticle films. Next, the application of such plasmonic nanoparticle films for gaseous phase sensing of volatile organic compounds is explored. Finally, the film formation of metal-oxide nanoparticles by self-assembly is investigated for the fabrication of photoactive functional interfaces. The fundamental theoretical investigation of the isolated plasmonic nanoparticles encompasses alloy and core-shell nanostructures of Au-Ag bimetallic compositions. First, the optical properties of bimetallic alloy and core-shell nanoparticles are compared for different structures such as nanospheres, nanotriangles and nanorods. Based on the optical properties, the photothermal properties of these nanostructures are also evaluated for relevant light-driven applications. Further, to bridge the gap between the theoretical and experimental optical properties of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles, the effect of different statistical parameters pertaining to the particle size distribution is studied. Going from isolated nanoparticles to nanoparticle clusters, the changes in the optical properties of plasmonic nanoparticles when they form finite clusters is investigated. A strong effect of clustering on the absorption intensities of the nanoparticles and hence, on the photothermal properties is found. Next, for the study of plasmonic nanoparticle infinite arrays, Au and Ag nanoparticles films are experimentally obtained by the self-assembly at the air-ethylene glycol interface. Upon further validation of the computational models with the experimental optical properties of these films, the near-field and far-field optical response of the plasmonic nanoparticle arrays is investigated. An application of the self-assembled Au nanoparticle film is then demonstrated in the sensing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Finally, the focus is shifted from plasmonic nanoparticles to metal oxide nanoparticles for their self-assembly at the air-water interface to obtain self-assembled films. For this, the hydrophobic functionalization of four metal oxides nanoparticles namely, TiO2, ZnO, WO3 and CuO is investigated. The insights from this work is useful for the design and fabrication of functional nanoparticles and interfaces for light driven applications. |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189155 |
Serial |
7188 |
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| Author |
van 't Veer, K.C. |
| Title |
Plasma kinetics modelling of nitrogen fixation : ammonia synthesis in dielectric barrier discharges with catalysts |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
241 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT) |
| Abstract |
Ammonia (NH3) synthesis is crucial for the production of artificial fertilizer and is carried out through the Haber-Bosch process. With an energy consumption of 30 GJ/t-NH3 and the emission of 2 kg-CO2/kg-NH3, ammonia is the chemical with the largest environmental footprint. Haber-Bosch operates under high pressure and high temperature conditions. Plasma technology potentially allows greener ammonia production. Dielectric barrier discharges are a popular plasma source in which a catalyst is easily incorporated. The combination of plasma and catalyst can circumvent the harsh reaction conditions of the Haber-Bosch process. Plasma kinetics modelling is used to gain insight into the mechanisms of such plasma-catalytic systems. Special attention is given to the instantaneous power absorbed by the electrons, the relevant fraction of the microdischarges and the discharge volumes. The importance of vibrational excitation is investigated. Depending on the exact discharge conditions, it was found that both the strong microdischarges and vibrational excitation can be simultaneously important for the ammonia yield. The temporal behavior of filamentary dielectric barrier discharges was explicitly taken into account. Ammonia was found to decompose during the microdischarges due to electron impact dissociation. At the same time atomic nitrogen and other excited species are created. Those reactive species recombine to ammonia in the afterglow through various elementary Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood surface reaction steps with a net ammonia gain. Finally, the concept of the fraction of microdischarges was generalized. It directly represents the efficiency with which the applied electric power is transferred to each individual particle in the plasma reactor. It is argued that any type of spatial or temporal non-uniformity of the plasma will cause unequal treatment of the gas molecules in the reactor, corresponding to a lower efficiency at which the power is transferred to the gas molecules. All of those insights aid in an increased understanding of plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis as a potential green chemistry solution to the synthesis of ammonia on small scale. |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:188246 |
Serial |
7193 |
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| Author |
Ninakanti, R.; Dingenen, F.; Borah, R.; Peeters, H.; Verbruggen, S.W. |
| Title |
Plasmonic hybrid nanostructures in photocatalysis : structures, mechanisms, and applications |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Topics in Current Chemistry |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
380 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
40-62 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
(Sun)Light is an abundantly available sustainable source of energy that has been used in catalyzing chemical reactions for several decades now. In particular, studies related to the interaction of light with plasmonic nanostructures have been receiving increased attention. These structures display the unique property of localized surface plasmon resonance, which converts light of a specific wavelength range into hot charge carriers, along with strong local electromagnetic fields, and/or heat, which may all enhance the reaction efficiency in their own way. These unique properties of plasmonic nanoparticles can be conveniently tuned by varying the metal type, size, shape, and dielectric environment, thus prompting a research focus on rationally designed plasmonic hybrid nanostructures. In this review, the term “hybrid” implies nanomaterials that consist of multiple plasmonic or non-plasmonic materials, forming complex configurations in the geometry and/or at the atomic level. We discuss the synthetic techniques and evolution of such hybrid plasmonic nanostructures giving rise to a wide variety of material and geometric configurations. Bimetallic alloys, which result in a new set of opto-physical parameters, are compared with core–shell configurations. For the latter, the use of metal, semiconductor, and polymer shells is reviewed. Also, more complex structures such as Janus and antenna reactor composites are discussed. This review further summarizes the studies exploiting plasmonic hybrids to elucidate the plasmonic-photocatalytic mechanism. Finally, we review the implementation of these plasmonic hybrids in different photocatalytic application domains such as H2 generation, CO2 reduction, water purification, air purification, and disinfection. |
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000839670500009 |
Publication Date |
2022-08-11 |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
2364-8961 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189825 |
Serial |
7195 |
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| Author |
Spanoghe, J. |
| Title |
Purple bacteria cultivation on light, carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas : exploring and tuning the potential for microbial food production |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
vi, 207 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
The human population is projected to grow to 9.7 billion by 2050, resulting in an estimated increase in protein demand of 50%. From an environmental perspective, the current and future demand of protein cannot be sustainably met as the conventional food production chain is severely altering biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen and phosphorus, biodiversity and land-use, with flows towards the biosphere and oceans that are exceeding the planetary boundaries. Microbial protein (protein derived from microorganisms) has been suggested as an excellent sustainable protein source, a fortiori when produced in a land- and fossil free manner. The photoautohydrogenotrophic cultivation (i.e. with light, CO2 and H2) of purple bacteria links up perfectly with the upcoming green electrification of industry (green H2) and the need for carbon capture and utilization. However, this metabolism represented a gap in literature, and thus this thesis aimed to establish a basic knowledge platform on its kinetic, stoichiometric and nutritional performance. At first, three originally photoheterotrophically enriched purple bacteria were studied of which Rhodobacter capsulatus reached the highest protein productivity of 0.16 g protein/L/d, which aligned well with the commonly-known photoautotrophic microalgae. Moreover, a full dietary essential amino acid match was found for human food, while the fatty acid content was dominated by the health-stimulating vaccenic acid (82-86%). Lastly, the achieved protein yield in photoautohydrogenotrophic purple bacteria was 2.3 times higher compared to hydrogen oxidizing bacteria, indicating a resource-efficient use of H2. Next, a photoautohydrogenotrophic enrichment of wastewater treatment microbiomes was performed in search for specialist species. While the isolates of this enrichment showed improvements in their performance during acclimation, the kinetic and nutritional performance of Rhodobacter capsulatus still excelled. Subsequently, the influence of nutrient limitations (C or N) and nitrogen gas fixation was studied on the nutritional tuning potential. Both the limitations as well as the N2 fixation resulted in the shift of the essential amino acid profiles. Additionally, the limitations significantly decreased the pigment content, while an increase in the storage of poly-P was seen in case of carbon limitations. The next major challenge was the production intensification in a photobioreactor of which the design was linked to minimizing both H2 and light limitations. The chosen bubble-column photobioreactor already resulted in a doubled biomass productivity. Finally, the remaining technological and non-technological challenges ahead for the production of a high-value, cost-efficient, environment-friendly microbial protein that complies with legislative requirements and appeals to future consumers were discussed. |
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ISBN |
978-90-5728-741-1 |
Additional Links |
UA library record |
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Open Access |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:188233 |
Serial |
7198 |
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| Author |
Wang, L.; Miao, Q.; Niinemets, Ü.; Gielis, J.; Shi, P. |
| Title |
Quantifying the variation in the geometries of the outer rims of corolla tubes of Vinca major L |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Plants |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
11 |
Issue |
15 |
Pages |
1987-12 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Many geometries of plant organs can be described by the Gielis equation, a polar coordinate equation extended from the superellipse equation, . Here, r is the polar radius corresponding to the polar angle φ; m is a positive integer that determines the number of angles of the Gielis curve when φ ∈ [0 to 2π); and the rest of the symbols are parameters to be estimated. The pentagonal radial symmetry of calyxes and corolla tubes in top view is a common feature in the flowers of many eudicots. However, prior studies have not tested whether the Gielis equation can depict the shapes of corolla tubes. We sampled randomly 366 flowers of Vinca major L., among which 360 had five petals and pentagonal corolla tubes, and six had four petals and quadrangular corolla tubes. We extracted the planar coordinates of the outer rims of corolla tubes (in top view) (ORCTs), and then fitted the data with two simplified versions of the Gielis equation with k = 1 and m = 5: (Model 1), and (Model 2). The adjusted root mean square error (RMSEadj) was used to evaluate the goodness of fit of each model. In addition, to test whether ORCTs are radially symmetrical, we correlated the estimates of n2 and n3 in Model 1 on a log-log scale. The results validated the two simplified Gielis equations. The RMSEadj values for all corolla tubes were smaller than 0.05 for both models. The numerical values of n2 and n3 were demonstrated to be statistically equal based on the regression analysis, which suggested that the ORCTs of V. major are radially symmetrical. It suggests that Model 1 can be replaced by the simpler Model 2 for fitting the ORCT in this species. This work indicates that the pentagonal or quadrangular corolla tubes (in top view) can both be modeled by the Gielis equation and demonstrates that the pentagonal or quadrangular corolla tubes of plants tend to form radial symmetrical geometries during their development and growth. |
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000839115100001 |
Publication Date |
2022-08-01 |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
2223-7747 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189315 |
Serial |
7200 |
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| Author |
Van Tendeloo, M. |
| Title |
Resource-efficient nitrogen removal from sewage : kinetic, physical and chemical tools for mainstream partial nitritation/anammox |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
iv, 204 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Adequate removal of pollutants from sewage is important to protect the environment and public health. Today, sewage treatment plants are operational in many parts of the world, and although the used technologies are effective in removing pollutants from wastewater, they are energy- and resource-intensive. Reshaping sewage treatment into a two-stage system, with separated organic carbon and nitrogen removal, facilitates the transformation towards energy-positive sewage treatment. This thesis will focus on resource-efficient nitrogen removal from sewage via partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A), with reduced organic carbon and oxygen consumption compared to conventional techniques. PN/A relies on the teamwork between two microbial groups to convert ammonium into nitrogen gas. Several other groups of microbes however can proliferate in the sludge, competing for substrate with the key players, lowering the nitrogen removal efficiency and increasing the energy demand. To obtain the desired microbial community, control tools should be applied to selectively promote the desired microbes while suppressing the unwanted competitors. In this thesis, multiple control tools were studied to establish a workable framework for successful implementation of PN/A in the main stream of a sewage treatment plant. These tools can be divided into three categories: i) kinetic tools, regulating substrate availability (e.g., oxygen availability control and residual ammonium concentration), ii) physical tools, revolving around sludge retention and selection (e.g., sludge age control and sludge aggregation form), and iii) chemical tools, exposing the sludge to stress conditions for which the unwanted microbes are vulnerable (e.g., sludge treatments with a single stressor such as free ammonia). The first research chapter focussed on oxygen availability control and single-stressor sludge treatments. The following two chapters covered the development of a novel multi-stressor concept combining substrate starvation and exposure to sulphide and free ammonia. In the final research chapter, the previously obtained knowledge was combined into a demonstration study on pilot-scale. The combination of these control tools was found effective in achieving nitrogen removal via PN/A, both on lab- and pilot-scale. Consequently, the obtained results in this thesis can catalyse the implementation of mainstream PN/A by providing a toolbox with multiple control tools and clever reactor design, thus advancing the concept of energy neutrality and resource efficiency in sewage treatment plants. |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:187665 |
Serial |
7204 |
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| Author |
Pacquets, L. |
| Title |
Towards stable Cu-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles to boost the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Issue |
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Pages |
xvi, 188 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) |
| Abstract |
Ever since the industrial revolution, the emission of greenhouse gasses dramatically increased, resulting in high CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. The electrochemical conversion of CO2 to value added products, such as carbon monoxide, formic acid, methane, ethylene and ethanol is a very promising strategy to inhibit CO2 emissions. Nevertheless, at the moment, the electrochemical CO2 reduction (eCO2R) is not yet industrially viable, mainly due to the lack of good electrocatalysts. On the other hand, core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged over the last couple of years as promising candidates. It is believed that bimetallic enhancement effects are behind the improved performance of these core-shell NPs when compared to the individual metals. Although widely investigated, there are still some remaining issues and/or open questions. Indeed, the development of a robust and straightforward synthesis method along with fundamental insight into their resistance towards electrochemical stress remains absent. A good control over morphology, size and composition is key in determining which properties are beneficial for the eCO2R. Since these catalysts are designed to be implemented in electrolyzers, they have to maintain long-term performance. This makes the design of a reproducible method, unveiling structure-performance relationships the effect of electrochemical stress, a crucial aspect. Exploring and modifying existing synthesis methods, have led to the acquisition of a robust and reproducible synthesis method where thermal decomposition of the Cu core is combined with the galvanic replacement of Ag in organic solvents. The implementation of this method has led to the design of a wide variety of Cu-Ag bimetallic NPs and enabled to investigate their composition-selectivity profile. Introducing Ag on Cu suppressed hydrogen and increased the CO formation. CO production was boosted by using Cu@Ag core-shells and was promoted even more by changing the type of electrolyte. As these nanoparticles suffered from degradation, the 3D mapping of the structural changes of Cu@Ag core-shells under operating conditions led to the hypothesis of a two-step degradation mechanism where initially Cu leaching was observed with the subsequent sintering of the Ag shells. One approach to avoid this electrochemical degradation, investigated in this research, was the application of an ultrathin carbon layer to protect the active layer. This ultrathin carbon layer operated as a protective layer, suppressing hydrogen production and increasing the stability of the electrocatalyst. In conclusion, the product selectivity can be tuned by using different Cu-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles synthesized through a robust method. Their unique degradation pathway of Cu@Ag core-shell nanoparticles has led to the proposition of a more accurate stabilization strategy. These findings can contribute significantly in the quest for improved electrocatalysts for the eCO2R. |
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UA library record |
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Open Access |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:190236 |
Serial |
7221 |
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| Author |
Gielis, J.; Shi, P.; Caratelli, D. |
| Title |
Universal equations : a fresh perspective |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Growth and Form |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Issue |
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Pages |
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A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
A uniform description of natural shapes and phenomena is an important goal in science. Such description should check some basic principles, related to 1) the complexity of the model, 2) how well its fits real objects, phenomena and data, and 3) ia direct connection with optimization principles and the calculus of variations. In this article, we present nine principles, three for each group, and we compare some models with a claim to universality. It is also shown that Gielis Transformations and power laws have a common origin in conic sections |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189317 |
Serial |
7224 |
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| Author |
Magalhães Cunha, S. |
| Title |
Wave-packet dynamics and electronic transport properties in 2D materials |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Issue |
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Pages |
219 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT) |
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This piece of work is twofold. First, the time evolution of wave-packets in 2D systems is analyzed by the Split-Operator technique in three different scenarios: in multilayer phosphorene, the transient oscillations in the time-dependent average of position and momentum were observed due to the zitterbewegung effect, and the wave packet propagates non-uniformly along the space deforming itself into an elliptical shape. These results were corroborated by the Green’s function formalism except for large values of the wave-vector and long times; in 2D semiconductor quantum wires (QWs) with anisotropic effective masses and different angle orientations with respect to the anisotropic axis. We have shown that the greater this angle, the smaller is the energy levels spacing implying in an increase of the accessible electronic states. Additionally, for non-null magnetic field, the quantum Hall edge states are significantly affected by the edge orientation. In the anisotropic case damped oscillations in the average values of velocity in both x and y directions where obtained. Theses oscillations are originated by the QW geometry but also from subwavepackets with different momentum orientations, whereas for isotropic QWs the wavepacket disperses without splitting; in the third scenario the split-operator technique was used to study the Landau levels, the wave packet trajectories and velocities of electrons in graphene at low-energy regime described by a modified Dirac equation where the momentum-operator is written in a generalized form as result of applying the position-dependent translation operator formalism (PDTO). In the second part of this thesis, the electronic and tunneling properties of α − T3 lattices were studied. Electrons in these lattices behave analogous to integer-spin Dirac Fermions. The presence of a third atomic site in the unit cell leads to a flat band in the energy spectrum, providing unique electronic and tunneling properties. The presence of a super-periodic potential and the inclusion of symmetry-breaking terms results in deviations of the atomic equivalence between the atomic sites affecting the Dirac points and the band-gap. Small deviations in the equivalence between the atomic sites and the number of barriers change the transmission properties in these lattices. Additionally, new tunneling regions are possible by adjusting the symmetry between the atomic sites and affect the omnidirectional total transmission called super-Klein tunneling observed in these lattices. We compare those results to the tunneling probabilities through regions where the energy spectrum changes from linear with a middle flat band to a hyperbolic dispersion. |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189191 |
Serial |
7227 |
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Vlasov, E.; Denisov, N.; Verbeeck, J. |
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Low-cost electron detector for scanning electron microscope |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2023 |
Publication |
HardwareX |
Abbreviated Journal |
HardwareX |
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14 |
Issue |
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Pages |
e00413 |
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A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
| Abstract |
Electron microscopy is an indispensable tool for the characterization of (nano) materials. Electron microscopes are typically very expensive and their internal operation is often shielded from the user. This situation can provide fast and high quality results for researchers focusing on e.g. materials science if they have access to the relevant instruments. For researchers focusing on technique development, wishing to test novel setups, however, the high entry price can lead to risk aversion and deter researchers from innovating electron microscopy technology further. The closed attitude of commercial entities about how exactly the different parts of electron microscopes work, makes it even harder for newcomers in this field. Here we propose an affordable, easy-to-build electron detector for use in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The aim of this project is to shed light on the functioning of such detectors as well as show that even a very modest design can lead to acceptable performance while providing high flexibility for experimentation and customization. |
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001042486000001 |
Publication Date |
2023-03-10 |
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2468-0672 |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) project SBO [Grant No. S000121N]. JV acknowledges funding from the HORIZON-INFRA-2022-TECH-01-01 project IMPRESS [Grant No. 101094299]. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195886 |
Serial |
7252 |
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Van Alphen, S. |
| Title |
Modelling plasma reactors for sustainable CO2 conversion and N2 fixation |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2023 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Issue |
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Pages |
202 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT) |
| Abstract |
200 years ago, humanity started the industrial revolution by discovering fossil fuels, which lead to unprecedented technological advancements. However it has become alarmingly clear that the major environmental concerns associated with fossil fuels require a short-term transition from a carbon-based energy economy to a sustainable one based on green electricity. A key step concerning this transition exists in developing electricity-driven alternatives for chemical processes that rely on fossil fuels as a raw material. A technology that is gaining increasing interest to achieve this, is plasma technology. Using plasmas to induce chemical reactions by selectively heating electrons in a gas has already delivered promising results for gas conversion applications like CO2 conversion and N2 fixation, but plasma reactors still require optimization to be considered industrially competitive to existing fossil fuel-based processes and emerging other electricity-based technologies. In this thesis I develop computational models to describe plasma reactors and identify key mechanisms in three different plasma reactors for three different gas conversion applications, i.e. N2 fixation, combined CO2-CH4 conversion and CO2 splitting. I first developed models to describe a new rotating gliding arc (GA) reactor operating in two arc modes, which, as revealed by my model, are characterized by distinct plasma chemistry pathways. Subsequently, my colleague and I study the quenching effect of an effusion nozzle to this rotating GA reactor, reaching the best results to date for N2 fixation into NOx at atmospheric pressure, i.e., NOx concentrations up to 5.9%, at an energy cost down to 2.1 MJ/mol. Afterwards, I investigate the possible improvement of N2 admixtures in plasma-based CO2 and CH4 conversion, as significant amounts of N2 are often found in industrial CO2 waste streams, and gas separations are financially costly. Through combining my models with the experiment from a fellow PhD student, we reveal that moderate amounts of N2 (i.e. around 20%) increase both the electron density and the gas temperature to yield an overall energy cost reduction of 21%. Finally, I model quenching nozzles for plasma-based CO2 conversion in a microwave reactor, to explain the enhancements in CO2 conversion that were demonstrated in experiments. Through computational modelling I reveal that the nozzle introduces fast gas quenching resulting in the suppression of recombination reactions, which have more impact at low flow rates, where recombination is the most limiting factor in the conversion process. |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:194811 |
Serial |
7270 |
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Wang, J. |
| Title |
Plasma catalysis : study of CO2 reforming of CH4 in a DBD reactor |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Pages |
XVI, 232 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT) |
| Abstract |
The plasma-based dry reforming in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor is important to achieve sustainable goals, but many challenges remain. For example, the conversion and energy yield of DBD reactors are relatively low, and the catalysts or packing materials used in existing studies cannot improve them, possibly due to the unsuitable properties and structures of catalysts or packing materials for plasma processes. In order to study the effect of catalyst structure on plasma-based dry reforming, a controllable synthesis of the catalyst supports or templates was explored. In Chapter 2, an initially immiscible synthesis method was proposed to synthesize uniform silica spheres, which can replace the organic solvent-based Stöber method to successfully synthesize silica particles with the same size ranges as the original Stöber process without addition of organic solvents. Using the silica spheres as templates, 3D porous Cu and CuO catalysts with different pore sizes were synthesized in Chapter 3 to study the effect of catalyst pore size on the plasma-catalytic dry reforming. In most cases, the smaller the pore size, the higher the conversion of CH4 and CO2 due to the reaction of radicals and ions formed in the plasma. An exception are the samples synthesized from 1 μm silica, which show better performance due to the electric field enhancement for pore sizes close to the Debye length. Besides the pore size, the particle diameter of the catalyst or packing is also one of the important factors affecting the interaction between plasma and catalyst. In Chapter 4, SiO2 spheres (with or without supported metal) were used to study the effect of different support particle sizes on plasma-based dry reforming. We found that a uniform SiO2 packing improves the conversion of plasma-based dry reforming. The conversion of plasma-based dry reforming first increases and then decreases with increasing particle size, due to the balance between the promoting and hindering effect of the particle filling on the plasma discharge. Chapter 5 is to improve the design of the DBD reactor itself, in order to try to increase its low energy yield. Some stainless steel rings were put over the inner electrode rod of the DBD reactor. The presence of rings increases the local electric field, the displaced charges and the discharge fraction, and also makes the discharge more stable and with more uniform intensity. The placement of the rings improves the performance of the reactor at 30 W supplied power. |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:194045 |
Serial |
7273 |
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| Author |
Kovács, A. |
| Title |
A structured methodology for natural deep eutectic solvent selection and formulation for enzymatic reactions |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2023 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
viii, 216 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE); Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS) |
| Abstract |
Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) show great promise as media for enzymatic reactions in areas where (bio)compatibility with natural or medicinal products is a must. While in theory they can be tailored to the intended reaction to ensure optimized yields, the knowledge to date is predominantly empirical, with some mechanistic reports providing a fragmented view at best. Therefore, it is not easy to explain experimental observations, let alone make predictions. The aim of this study was to develop a structured, holistic understanding of the effects of NADES media on enzymatic reactions, distinguishing between effects on solubility, solvation, viscosity, inhibition and denaturation. Experimental and computational chemistry methods were combined to separately study the interactions between enzyme, substrate, and NADES as reaction media. The initial enzyme activity and the final conversion of vinyl laurate transesterification by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase were studied experimentally. The direct effect of NADES on the same enzyme was modeled by molecular dynamics simulation. The effect of solubility was studied by both experimental and computational methods. To predict the solubility and viscosity of NADES, data-driven models were developed by combining group contribution and machine learning methods, based on the accumulated experimental knowledge on NADES found in the literature. Finally, the composed relationships and prediction models were applied to the practical example of deacetylation of mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs). The experimental findings show that the chosen NADES system has a significant effect on both the apparent initial activity and the final conversion. However, in the simulations, the enzyme retains its original structure; moreover, NADES has an additional stabilizing effect on the enzyme. In addition, changes in the molar ratio of the compounds in NADES do not show a significant effect on the stability of the enzyme. These results indicate that the main effect of NADES on the reaction is mainly related to the substrate-solvent interactions (solvation energy) and the viscosity of the system. On the other hand, the experimental results only confirmed the significance of solvation, viscosity did not show a clear correlation with the studied reaction parameters. The machine learning models built for solubility and viscosity gave quantitative predictions of these properties. The accumulated knowledge was used to optimize the yield in the deacetylation reaction of MELs. The combination of these methods provides fundamental knowledge about the effect of NADES on biocatalysis, but the results are also applicable to other uses of NADES. |
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UA library record |
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Open Access |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:194886 |
Serial |
7276 |
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| Author |
De Backer, J. |
| Title |
The versatile nature of cytoglobin, the Swiss army knife among globins, with a preference for oxidative stress |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2023 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
XVIII, 232 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Pharmacology. Therapy; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Proteinscience, proteomics and epigenetic signaling (PPES) |
| Abstract |
Since its discovery 20 years ago, many studies have been performed to gain insight into the functional role of cytoglobin (Cygb). However, Cygb has been proven to be a promiscuous protein. Yet, there is a consensus that Cygb is a cytoprotective protein involved in redox homeostasis. CYGB is a ubiquitously expressed hexacoordinated globin that is highly expressed in melanocytes and is often found to be downregulated during melanocyte-to-melanoma transition. In Chapter III, we investigated the molecular mechanism through which CYGB could be involved in redox regulation. Here, we showed that CYGB contains two redox-sensitive cysteine residues and that the formation of an intramolecular disulfide bridge resulted in the heme group becoming more accessible to external ligands. This supports the hypothesis that Cys38 and Cys83 serve as sensitive redox sensors. In Chapter IV we showed that CYGB mRNA and protein levels were elevated upon exposure to hypoxia. Interestingly, this upregulation was most likely HIF-2α-dependent. We propose that in melanoma, HIF-2α, rather than HIF-1α, positively regulates CYGB under hypoxic conditions in a cell type specific way. In Chapter V, the cytotoxic effect of indirect NTP treatment in two melanoma cell lines with divergent endogenous CYGB expression levels was investigated. We confirmed that NTP endows cytotoxicity that induces cell death through apoptosis and that this was mediated through the production of ROS. Moreover, we showed that CYGB protects melanoma cells from ROS-induced apoptosis by the scavenging of ROS. Interestingly, CYGB expression influenced the expression of NRF2 and HO-1. We identified the lncRNA MEG3 as a possible mechanism through which NRF2 expression and its downstream target HO-1 can be regulated by CYGB. In chapter VI, increased basal ROS levels and higher degree of lipid peroxidation upon RSL3 treatment contributed to the increased sensitivity of CYGB knockdown G361 cells to ferroptosis. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis demonstrates the enrichment of multiple cancer malignancy pathways upon CYGB knockdown, supporting a tumor-suppressive role for CYGB. Remarkably, CYGB expression regulation was identified as a critical determinant of the ferroptosis–pyroptosis therapy response. This suggests that CYGB is involved in the regulation of multiple modes of programmed cell death. FInally, we sought to delineate the RONS that are responsible for plasma-induced ICD. Our results highlight the importance of the short-lived species. Furthermore, we are first to demonstrate that NTP-created vaccine is safely prepared and offers complete protection. Moreover, we provide conclusive evidence that direct application of NTP induces ICD in melanoma. |
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UA library record |
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Open Access |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:193568 |
Serial |
7277 |
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| Author |
Yao, W.; Niinemets, Ü.; Yao, W.; Gielis, J.; Schrader, J.; Yu, K.; Shi, P. |
| Title |
Comparison of two simplified versions of the Gielis equation for describing the shape of bamboo leaves |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Plants |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
11 |
Issue |
22 |
Pages |
3058-11 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Bamboo is an important component in subtropical and tropical forest communities. The plant has characteristic long lanceolate leaves with parallel venation. Prior studies have shown that the leaf shapes of this plant group can be well described by a simplified version (referred to as SGE-1) of the Gielis equation, a polar coordinate equation extended from the superellipse equation. SGE-1 with only two model parameters is less complex than the original Gielis equation with six parameters. Previous studies have seldom tested whether other simplified versions of the Gielis equation are superior to SGE-1 in fitting empirical leaf shape data. In the present study, we compared a three-parameter Gielis equation (referred to as SGE-2) with the two-parameter SGE-1 using the leaf boundary coordinate data of six bamboo species within the same genus that have representative long lanceolate leaves, with >300 leaves for each species. We sampled 2000 data points at approximately equidistant locations on the boundary of each leaf, and estimated the parameters for the two models. The root–mean–square error (RMSE) between the observed and predicted radii from the polar point to data points on the boundary of each leaf was used as a measure of the model goodness of fit, and the mean percent error between the RMSEs from fitting SGE-1 and SGE-2 was used to examine whether the introduction of an additional parameter in SGE-1 remarkably improves the model’s fitting. We found that the RMSE value of SGE-2 was always smaller than that of SGE-1. The mean percent errors among the two models ranged from 7.5% to 20% across the six species. These results indicate that SGE-2 is superior to SGE-1 and should be used in fitting leaf shapes. We argue that the results of the current study can be potentially extended to other lanceolate leaf shapes. |
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Wos |
000887783400001 |
Publication Date |
2022-11-14 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
2223-7747 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:191859 |
Serial |
7289 |
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| Author |
Birkholzer, Y.A.; Sotthewes, K.; Gauquelin, N.; Riekehr, L.; Jannis, D.; van der Minne, E.; Bu, Y.; Verbeeck, J.; Zandvliet, H.J.W.; Koster, G.; Rijnders, G. |
| Title |
High-strain-induced local modification of the electronic properties of VO₂ thin films |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
ACS applied electronic materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
4 |
Issue |
12 |
Pages |
6020-6028 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
| Abstract |
Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a popular candidate for electronic and optical switching applications due to its well-known semiconductor-metal transition. Its study is notoriously challenging due to the interplay of long- and short-range elastic distortions, as well as the symmetry change and the electronic structure changes. The inherent coupling of lattice and electronic degrees of freedom opens the avenue toward mechanical actuation of single domains. In this work, we show that we can manipulate and monitor the reversible semiconductor-to-metal transition of VO2 while applying a controlled amount of mechanical pressure by a nanosized metallic probe using an atomic force microscope. At a critical pressure, we can reversibly actuate the phase transition with a large modulation of the conductivity. Direct tunneling through the VO2-metal contact is observed as the main charge carrier injection mechanism before and after the phase transition of VO2. The tunneling barrier is formed by a very thin but persistently insulating surface layer of the VO2. The necessary pressure to induce the transition decreases with temperature. In addition, we measured the phase coexistence line in a hitherto unexplored regime. Our study provides valuable information on pressure-induced electronic modifications of the VO2 properties, as well as on nanoscale metal-oxide contacts, which can help in the future design of oxide electronics. |
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Wos |
000890974900001 |
Publication Date |
2022-11-18 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
2637-6113 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
| Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
2 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
This work received financial support from the project Green ICT (grant number 400.17.607) of the research program NWA, which is financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant number G0F1320N), and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program within a contract for Integrating Activities for Advanced Communities (grant number 823717 − ESTEEM3). The K2 camera was funded through the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-Hercules grant number G0H4316N – “Direct electron detector for soft matter TEM”).; esteem3reported; esteem3jra |
Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:192712 |
Serial |
7309 |
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| Author |
Penders, A.G. |
| Title |
Microstructural investigation of irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking mechanisms based on focused ion beam analysis of tested and industrial specimens |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Issue |
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Pages |
xxxviii, 226 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
| Abstract |
Irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) is an intergranular cracking effect which can occur in heavily irradiated internal structural components of nuclear reactor cores. It is a complex phenomenon which is not yet fully understood because it occurs through an interplay of several material degradation processes. The factors that influence IASCC susceptibility include irradiation damage (neutrons and other irradiation particles stemming from the nuclear fission reaction), the operating temperature of the nuclear reactor, water corrosion, operating stresses, and the composition of materials susceptible to IASCC. Such materials are typically fabricated from austenitic stainless steels because of their relatively high strength, ductility, and fracture toughness. However, besides excellent metallurgical and corrosion resistant qualities, the operating conditions may still cause severe material degradation and component failure, which is extremely important for nuclear power plant safety and lifetime managements. Despite much accumulated data in the literature, both crack initiation and crack propagation mechanisms still need to be further elucidated. To that end, a probabilistic fracture model entitled the subcritical crack propagation (SCP) was recently developed, which assumes that the oxidized part of stainless steel in front of the crack plays an essential role in the crack initiation and crack propagation in sample failures. Still, despite a very good agreement with experimental observations, the SCP model but also other contemporary models favoured within the literature, require further experimental verification to what concerns the investigation of (IA)SCC. To that end, the main objective of this doctorate was to utilize experimental instrumentations like SEM, FIB-SEM and (S)TEM to conduct the investigation of the crack initiation and propagation processes in both tested and industrial specimens. Some of the investigated materials were retrieved within a nuclear reactor and are thus considered as unique test material to investigate the material degradation processes relevant for cracking. Other specimens were tailor-made to simulate the cracking processes of irradiated materials in otherwise un-irradiated materials. The newly acquired experimental results in this doctorate help rationalize existing models and methodologies used in the literature to analyse the IASCC failures of structural materials of reactor components. These results also facilitate in the development of predictive methodologies and mitigation strategies towards IASCC cracking and provide more information on IASCC from a microstructural perspective. |
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Open Access |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:192431 |
Serial |
7323 |
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| Author |
Khan, S.U. |
| Title |
Singlet oxygen-based photoelectrocatalysis : from photosensitizer structures to plasmonic enhancement |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2023 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Issue |
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Pages |
182 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab) |
| Abstract |
Singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) has continuously attracted researchers' interest because of its involvement in various processes, such as in photodynamic reactions in biological and chemical systems. 1O2 is an effective electrophile and potent oxidizing agent and can be easily generated by photosensitization via the illumination of organic dyes with visible light. As described in Chapter 1, 1O2 has gained prominence in various applications such as wastewater treatment, photodynamic therapy of cancer, organic synthesis, and recently developed 1O2-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing of phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds are a potential source of contaminants that originates from industrial effluents and waste products of chemical and pharmaceutical industries. These phenolic compounds pose severe threats to humans and aquatic life after reaching the environment. Therefore, it is imperative to develop photoactive materials that efficiently generate 1O2 and oxidize phenolic compounds and antibiotics. The existing 1O2 generating photosensitizers (PSs) include porphyrins, phthalocyanines (Pcs), subphthalocyanines (SubPcs), and other dyes such as derivatives of xanthene (e.g., Rose Bengal (RB)), and fluorinated boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPYs), and phenothiazinium dyes (e. g. Methylene Blue (MB)) which display long-lived triplet excited state and can be used in 1O2-based applications. This thesis focuses on preparing efficient hybrid materials based on newly synthesized Pcs, different surface area titanium dioxide (TiO2) and plasmonic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for their use in the PEC detection of phenolic compounds. The first focus was on developing a fast amperometric method to test the photo-electrocatalytic activity of 1O2 producing PSs dissolved in MeOH based on the redox cycling of an electroactive phenolic compound, hydroquinone (HQ) (Chapter 2). This method of testing PSs does not require the accumulation of a reaction product since the amperometric signal develops near instantly when the light is on, which enables dynamic monitoring of a PSs activity at varying conditions in a single experiment. This method was crucial to measure high 1O2 quantum yield and low yield in the same experimental conditions. Moreover, the obtained results revealed a range of working parameters affecting the PEC activity of PSs. The next goal was to immobilize tert-butyl substituted aluminum Pc (t-BuPcAlCl) on the solid support, which showed a high 1O2 quantum yield. However, before immobilizing Pc on a solid support such as TiO2, it is essential to know the electronic energy level of Pcs for the possible electron transfers from Pcs to TiO2. Therefore, Chapter 3 explored the (spectro)electrochemical properties of t-BuPcAlCl Pc. Next, in Chapter 4, t-BuPcAlCl Pc and other tert-butyl substituted Pcs with Zn central metal, t-BuPcZn, and its metal-free derivative t-BuPcH2 were immobilized on different surface area TiO2. The PEC activity of immobilized Pcs on TiO2 toward different phenols and antibiotics was studied, and the action mechanism was revealed and compared with sterically hindered fluorinated Pc F64PcZn. In the final part of this thesis plasmonic AuNPs were introduced combined with trimethylsilane-protected acetylene functionalized ZnPc (TMSZnPc) to study the synergistic effect that boosts the overall activity toward the detection of phenols under visible light illumination (Chapter 5) . The TMSZnPc was coupled with AuNPs via a click chemistry approach. The 1O2 quantum yield of TMSZnPc improved significantly after conjugating with AuNPs, and, subsequently, the PEC activity for detecting HQ. The theoretical and experimental investigation demonstrated that the plasmonic enhancement of TMSZnPc is driven by the near-field mechanism. This shows the importance of plasmonic AuNPs with other photoactive species for their use in 1O2-based applications. The fundamental knowledge obtained in this doctoral study will ultimately deepen the understanding of developing 1O2-based PEC sensors for detecting phenolic compounds and pharmaceuticals in the wastewater stream, helping to choose efficient materials and, in the last instance, a more sustainable future especially access to clean water for everyone. |
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Open Access |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:193342 |
Serial |
7337 |
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| Author |
Kashiwar, A. |
| Title |
TEM investigations of deformation mechanisms in nanocrystalline metals and multilayered composites |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Issue |
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Pages |
xvi, 129 p. |
| Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
| Abstract |
In the last few decades, nanostructuring has driven significant attention towards the development of novel metallic materials with advanced mechanical properties. Nanocrystalline (nc) metals are a class of nanostructured materials with grain sizes smaller than about 100 nm. These exhibit outstanding mechanical strength and fatigue properties compared to their coarse-grained (cg) counterparts. These are promising candidates for application as structural or functional materials. Nc metals in the form of thin films are employed as hard coatings on bulk components, structural components, and conductive layers in various micro-/nanoscale devices. These structural components and devices are often subjected to cyclic stresses or fatigue loading. Under these cyclic stresses, nc metals tend to exhibit the Bauschinger effect (BE). The strength loss during the BE is of great importance concerning the strength-ductility trade-off in nc metals. Furthermore, contact surfaces of the engineering components in service often undergo relative motion and are subject to both friction and wear. These extreme loading conditions demand nc metals with tailored interfacial characteristics for improved tribological performance. Aiming at ensuring high reliability and mechanical robustness for optimum performance of these components, there has been a strong motivation for understanding the mechanical properties and governing deformation mechanisms in nc metallic materials. This thesis aimed at in-depth investigation of microstructures at micro-/nanoscales using state-of-the-art in situ and ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to develop a closer link between the deformation structure and underlying deformation mechanisms in some nc metallic materials. The thesis has primarily focused on the in situ TEM nanomechanics of the BE and rotational deformation of grains in nc palladium thin films. A sputtered thin film of nc Pd was deformed inside TEM by cyclic loading-unloading experiments and the evolving microstructure was studied in real-time under different TEM imaging modes. The stress-strain response of the film exhibited a characteristic non-linear unloading behavior confirming the BE in the film. The corresponding bright-field TEM imaging revealed evidence of partially reversible dislocation activity. Towards a quantitative understanding of the deformation structure in real-time, in situ nanomechanical testing was coupled with precession-assisted automated crystal orientation mapping in scanning TEM (ACOM-STEM). Global ACOM-STEM analysis offered crystal orientation of a large number of grains at different states of deformation and confirmed partially reversible rotations of nanosized grains fitting to the observed BE during loading and unloading. Analysis of intragranular rotations showed substantial changes in the sub-structure within most of these grains indicating a dominant role of dislocation-based processes in driving these rotations. Globally, an unusually random evolution of texture was seen that demonstrated the influence of deformation heterogeneity and grain interactions on the resulting texture characteristics in nc metals. In the quest of understanding the grain interactions, local investigations based on annular dark-field STEM imaging during loading-unloading showed reversible changes in the contrast of grains with sets of adjoining grains exhibiting a unique cooperative rotation. Local analysis of the density of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) showed the formation of dislocation pile-up at grain boundaries due to the generation of back-stresses during unloading. Critical observations of the evolution of GND density offered greater insights into the mechanism of cooperative grain rotations and these rotations were related to grain structure and grain boundary characteristics. In addition to understanding the influence of grain structure and grain boundaries, the thesis has further investigated the role of heterointerfaces in sputtered Au-Cu and Cu-Cr nanocrystalline multilayered composites (NMCs) deformed under cyclic sliding contact. The microstructural evolution in the NMCs was investigated at different deformation states by classical TEM imaging, ACOM-STEM as well as energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM). Au-Cu NMC with an initial high density of twin boundaries deformed by stress-driven detwinning with a concurrent change in grain structure in both Au and Cu. The formation of a vortex structure was observed due to plastic flow instabilities at Au-Cu interfaces that led to codeformation and mechanical intermixing. Cu-Cr NMC showed a preferential grain growth in Cu layers whereas no noticeable change in the grain sizes was seen in Cr layers. The phase maps revealed sharp interfaces between Cu and Cr layers indicating no intermixing between the immiscible phases. EFTEM results exposed the cracking processes in Cr layers with a concurrent migration of Cu in the cracks. Overall, the thesis has attempted to analyze the competing deformation processes and relate these with the microstructural heterogeneity in terms of grain structure and GB and interfacial characteristics in nc metallic materials. |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189013 |
Serial |
7343 |
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Fitawok, M.B.; Derudder, B.; Minale, A.S.; Van Passel, S.; Adgo, E.; Nyssen, J. |
| Title |
Analyzing the impact of land expropriation program on farmers' livelihood in urban fringes of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Habitat International |
Abbreviated Journal |
Habitat Int |
| Volume |
129 |
Issue |
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Pages |
102674-102679 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sociology; Law; Art; Engineering Management (ENM) |
| Abstract |
This paper analyzes the impact of urban land-use changes on farmers' livelihood around the city of Bahir Dar (Ethiopia). Rapid urban expansion in and around the city has resulted in massive land-use changes in its urban fringes, with land expropriation programs affecting communities' livelihood and the environment. A survey was conducted in three urbanizing villages near Bahir Dar, focusing on 150 farmers who were land-expropriated and 180 farmers who were non-land-expropriated. Regression models and propensity matching scoring are applied to examine the livelihood differences of farmers in terms of farm income, off-farm income, primary expenditure type, and perception of urban expansion benefits to farmers. The results reveal that land expropriation in the area has led to (a) a shift to off-farm income for land expropriated farmers; (b) an increase in their household expenditure on staple foods compared to other expenditure types, including farm inputs; and (c) diverging perceptions on whether and how city expansion benefits farmers in the neighboring villages. Our findings provide insight into the need for tighter and impactful policy actions to ensure the sustainability of urbanization through accommodating expropriated farmers' livelihood changes and protecting natural resources in the area. |
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000866411200001 |
Publication Date |
2022-09-28 |
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0197-3975; 0361-3690 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
2.285 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:191385 |
Serial |
7352 |
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Motamedi, J.; Azadi, H.; Alijanpour, A.; Shafiei, A.B.; Sheidai-Karkaj, E.; Mofidi-Chelan, M.; Moghaddam, S.M.; Van Passel, S.; Witlox, F. |
| Title |
Economic indices of by-products utilization and forage production in semi-arid rangelands |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Journal of environmental planning and management |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Environ Plann Man |
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Issue |
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Pages |
1-29 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sociology; Law; Engineering Management (ENM) |
| Abstract |
One of the most basic criteria in documenting rangeland use prospects is the recognition of byproducts and their economic appraisal. The current study was conducted to assess the economic indices of exploiting byproduct production in Shahindej, Northwest Iran. For this purpose, 24 by-product-generating species were selected in 114 locations that belong to 49 rangeland units. The total expected value of 24 by-product generating species yield and forage production was calculated at 44.22 USD ha(-1). The results of this study showed that the sustainability of natural resources depends on the effective participation and empowerment of local communities. Furthermore, by-product exploitation contributes significantly to the local economy and employment while also reducing grazing intensity. Overall, the findings of this study show that by-product earnings should be considered in range management schemes and comprehensive natural-area management. |
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Wos |
000830614200001 |
Publication Date |
2022-07-26 |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0964-0568 |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
1.56 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
| Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:189725 |
Serial |
7355 |
| Permanent link to this record |
