DressBoard: An Embedded Virtual Try-On System for Ties and Bowties

In real life, trying a dress is generally physically exhausting and time consuming. In this study, a novel embedded virtual try-on system for ties and bowties is proposed, which will save time and enhance the shopping experience. The presented system is based on human computer interaction with embedded design, where the goal is to simulate tie/bowtie trial on a person in the camera view. Users can choose a tie/bowtie model available in the database via a touch screen. The system will then fit the selected model rapidly and accurately, and display the fitting result. Performance of the proposed system is experimentally evaluated on images acquired in a real-life scenario. The results showed that both fitting accuracy and process time vary almost-linearly with image resolution, where real-time and accurate (average error varies in the 0.5–5.0 cm range by resolution) performance can be achieved. In addition, the proposed system can handle fitting in videos, where experimental evaluations revealed real-time, accurate, and robust (to illumination change and image variations) performance even in the absence of collared garment.     

Novel functional copolymers based on glycidyl methacrylate: Synthesis,characterization, and polymerization kinetics

A new methacrylate monomer 2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-oxoethyl-2-methacrylate (NFM) was synthesized and its radical copolymerization with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was studied in 1,4-dioxane solution at 65°C using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The synthesized monomer and copolymers were characterized by FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The analysis of reactivity ratios revealed that NFM is less reactive than GMA, and copolymers formed are statistically in nature. Thermogravimetric analysis of the polymers reveals that the thermal stability of the copolymers increases with an increasing in the mole fraction of NFM in the copolymers. Glass transition temperatures of the copolymers decreased with an increasing of NFM molar fraction in copolymers. In addition, according to the results obtained from the contact angle and zeta potential measurements the hydrophobic character of the polymer decreases (it means surface free energy increases) and its zeta potential becomes more negative with increase of NFM ratio in the copolymer. Polymers with carbonyl functional groups have been particularly interesting because of their use as photoresists.     

Preparation, characterisation, and dielectric properties of polypyrrole-clay composites

In this study, polypyrrole-clay (PPy-clay) composites were prepared by the in situ chemical oxidative polymerisation of pyrrole in the presence of clay. The chemical structures of the composites were characterised by FTIR and XRD analysis. The thermal properties of these novel composites were analysed by TGA and DSC measurements. Glass-transition temperatures and char yields increased with the increase in clay content in the nanocomposites. The interactions between PPy and clay were mainly between polypyrrole and the layers of clay. It was observed that, as the amount of clay in the composites increased, the dielectric permittivity decreased while the dielectric conductivity of the composite materials increased.     

Bubbly cavitating flow generation and investigation of its erosional nature for biomedical applications

This paper presents a study that investigates the destructive energy output resulting from hydrodynamic bubbly cavitation in microchannels and its potential use in biomedical applications. The research performed in this study includes results from bubbly cavitation experiments and findings showing the destructive effects of bubbly cavitating flow on selected solid specimens and live cells. The bubbles generated by hydrodynamic cavitation are highly destructive at the surfaces of the target medium on which they are carefully focused. The resulting destructive energy output could be effectively used for biomedical treatments, such as destroying kidney stones (renal calculi) or killing cancer cells. Motivated by this potential, the cavitation damage to cancerous cells and material removal from chalk pieces (which possess similar material properties as some kidney stones) was investigated. Our results showed that cavitation could induce damage both on chalk pieces and leukemia/lymphoma cells. We discovered that hydrodynamic cavitation exposure had early and delayed effects on cancer cell survival. Hence, the potential of hydrodynamic bubbly cavitation generated at the microscale for biomedical treatments was revealed using the microchannel configuration as a microorifice (with an inner diameter of 147 μm and a length of 1.52 cm), which acts as the source of bubbly cavitating flows.     

Lensing and waveguiding of ultraslow pulses in an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate

We investigate lensing and waveguiding properties of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate for ultraslow pulse generated by electromagnetically induced transparency method. We show that a significant time delay can be controllably introduced between the lensed and guided components of the ultraslow pulse. In addition, we present how the number of guided modes supported by the condensate and the focal length can be controlled by the trap parameters or temperature.     

Kinetic and thermodynamic approaches on thermal degradation of sepiolite crystal using XRD-analysis

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - A method was proposed to use XRD-data for thermal analyses of crystalline solids. Therefore, the XRD-pattern was recorded for natural and preheated...     

The first enzymatic resolution of quaternary α′-acetoxy α,β-unsaturated cyclohexenones and cyclopentenones

The enantioselective resolution of various quaternary α′-acetoxy α,β-unsaturated cyclohexenones and cyclopentenones was performed with the commercially available enzyme CCL in pH = 8.0 phosphate buffer. Various parameters that would affect the enantioselectivities were tested and the best enzymatic resolution conditions were found to afford the enantiomerically enriched quaternary acetoxylated substrates with high ee varying between 36% and 99%.     

Statistics and probability theory in renewable energy: Teaching and research

In this paper, the key-role and utility of statistics and probability theory in the field of renewable energy are emphasized and illustrated via specific examples. It is demonstrated that renewable energy is a very suitable field to effectively teach and implement many statistical and probabilistic concepts and techniques. From a research point of view, statistical and probabilistic methods have been successfully employed in evaluating renewable energy systems. These methods will continue to be of core interest for the renewable energy sector in the future, as new and more complex renewable energy systems are developed and installed. In this context, some future research directions in relation to the evaluation of renewable energy systems are also presented.     

Anionic cellulose beads for drug encapsulation and release

Cellulose beads were prepared from water-based solvent and oxidised by modified Anelli’s reaction at 20– $80\,^\circ \hbox {C}$ for 2–48 h (Fig. 1). The maximum amount of anionic groups (AGs) was $1.85\,\hbox {mmol}\,\hbox {g}^{-1}$ . The distribution of AGs was verified by absorption of cationic dyes and imaging with confocal fluorescent microscopy. Structural changes were studied spectroscopically and with electron microscopy. Oxidation of the beads drastically increased the swelling capacity of air-dried beads. Uptake of model drug was more than doubled in never-dried beads. This is due to the changes in pore size distribution, mainly opening and widening of the closed pores and narrow cavities. Release profiles of the drug were studied at physiological pH of 7.4 and showed a controlled release rate independently of the amount of the drug encapsulated and amount of AGs.     

Evaluation of new silica‐based humic acid stationary phase for the separation of tocopherols in cold‐pressed oils by normal‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography

A new humic acid stationary phase was prepared by immobilizing humic acid onto aminopropyl silica via an amide linkage formation and used, for the first time, for the separation and quantification of the tocopherol compounds in cold‐pressed oil samples under normal‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography conditions. Parameters affecting the chromatographic separation such as mobile phase composition and flow rate were optimized. By evaluating the calculations of capacity factor, asymmetry factor, resolution, selectivity factor, and theoretical plate number, the best separation was obtained with isocratic elution of n‐hexane and isopropyl alcohol (99:1% v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The effluent was monitored by a fluorescence detector set at excitation and emission wavelengths 295 and 330 nm, respectively. All compounds were separated in 20 min. The method was validated according to international guidelines and found to be linear in a wide concentration range, also the mean recovery of the compounds ranged from 97.9 to 99.2%, with a CV less than 2.7% in all cases. The results showed that the developed stationary phase is suitable for the separation and quantification of the tocopherol compounds in real oil samples.