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2022-01-17 | Nanocrystalline ZnO films were prepared on glass substrates via the Pechini method and the spin-coating technique. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the films were single phase and free from impurities or secondary phases within the sensitivity limit of the conventional diffractometer used in this investigation. A crystallite size of ~ 30 nm and a lattice microstrain of 0.7 × 10 –3 were determined from the X-ray diffraction patterns, using the Williamson–Hall model. Impedance spectroscopy studies were performed in the frequency range 40 Hz to 5 MHz at temperatures as low as 90 K. The complex impedance spectra showed only one semicircle, suggesting that the dielectric response mainly stemmed from a single capacitive element, corresponding to bulk grains. This was confirmed by means of the electric modulus approach. The real and imaginary parts of the dielectric permittivity decreased with increasing frequency and decreasing temperature. From the evolution of the imaginary part of the modulus with the temperature, an activation energy of ~ 20 meV was determined. The hopping of small polarons between localized states was identified as the physical mechanism governing the conduction process in the films studied. The dielectric losses were characterized by the imaginary component of the capacitance. The dependence of the DC resistivity on the temperature showed typical semiconductor behavior. Interestingly, the value of the activation energy, obtained from the analysis of the DC resistivity, agreed well with that estimated from the imaginary part of the electric modulus. This finding was interpreted as a sign of the common thermal origin of the phenomena involved in the motion of the charge carriers. | Evaluation of dielectric properties of nanocrystalline ZnO films at sub-ambient temperatures | 10.1007/s00339-021-05225-x |
2022-01-17 | The novelty of this study is to explore the effect of heat treatment of CS on the properties of biocomposites. 200°C, 300°C, 500°C, and burning of 500°C were selected to heat treat CS to obtain CS fillers, and the biocomposites were prepared using CS fillers and LLDPE. The heat treatment of CS can improve the interface bonding and compatibility of biocomposites by the results of FTIR, SEM, and CA. The crystal planes were not changed by the addition of CS fillers. The results of DSC and TGA showed that the heat treatment of CS promoted crystallization and improved the heat resistance of LLDPE. In addition, the flexural properties, tensile properties, stiffness, elasticity, creep resistance, and stress relaxation resistance were all increased by the heat treatment of CS, although it exhibited an adverse effect on the impact strength of LLDPE. After comparison, the best flexural strength and modulus (13.00 MPa and 0.75 GPa) were obtained in 200CSB-L due to the enhancement of CS rigidity by 200°C heat treatment. Also, 200CSB-L showed the best stiffness, elasticity, and dimensional stability than others. The best tensile strength and modulus (10.89 MPa and 0.26 GPa) were obtained in 500CSB-L due to its mechanical interlocking structure. The results of this study indicate that heat treatment would play an important role in biocomposites in terms of the benefit in mechanical properties. | Sustainable biocomposites produced from cotton stalk wastes: Effect of heat treatment | 10.1007/s10965-021-02878-3 |
2022-01-17 | Main conclusion Adjustments in the antenna size and α-tocopherol contents provide protection from sustained damage in leaves of a seagrass, while low vitamin E contents appear to be enough to protect rhizomes (which appear to be more cold tolerant than leaves). Abstract Despite low temperatures can adversely affect the proper growth and development of marine angiosperms, by, among other processes, increasing reactive oxygen species production and causing oxidative damage to lipid membranes, the role of vitamin E in seagrasses, such as Cymodocea nodosa has not been explored thus far. Here, we aimed to better understand the possible role of this chain-breaking (peroxyl radical-trapping) antioxidant in response to low temperatures, and most particularly in relation to the occurrence of photo-inhibition and lipid peroxidation. Low temperatures caused an important desiccation of leaves, but not of rhizomes, which were much more tolerant to cold stress than leaves. Cold stress during winter was associated with chlorophyll loss and transient photo-inhibition, as indicated by reversible reductions in the F v / F m ratio. Adjustments in pigment antenna size and vitamin E contents per unit of chlorophyll during winter may help protect the photosynthetic apparatus from sustained photo-inhibitory damage and lipid peroxidation events in leaves. Rhizomes also accumulated significant amounts of vitamin E, although to a much lesser extent than leaves, and kept protected from lipid peroxidation during winter, as indicated by malondialdehyde contents, a product from secondary lipid peroxidation. It is concluded that vitamin E can help protect both leaves and rhizomes from lipid peroxidation, although cold stress during winter can cause transient photo-inhibition of the photosynthetic apparatus, in C. nodosa . | Vitamin E protects from lipid peroxidation during winter stress in the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa | 10.1007/s00425-022-03825-2 |
2022-01-17 | Background Elderly often show reduced immune functioning and can develop chronic low-grade inflammation. Why some elderly are more prone to become frail is unknown. We investigated whether frailty is associated with altered cytokine signaling through the JAK-STAT pathway in leukocytes of 34 individuals aged 65–74 years. In addition, we investigated how this relation is affected by chronic low-grade inflammation during the previous 20 years. Cytokine signaling was quantified by measuring intracellular STAT1, STAT3, and STAT5 phosphorylation in monocytes, B cells, CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells upon stimulation with IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IFNα and IFNγ, using phospho-flow cytometry. Presence of chronic low-grade inflammation was investigated by evaluating 18 different plasma inflammatory markers that had been measured repeatedly in the same individuals over the previous 20 years. Frailty was assessed as a score on a frailty index. Results We found that lower cytokine-induced pSTAT responsiveness in the various cell subsets was seen with higher frailty scores in both men and women, indicative of dysfunctional pSTAT responses in frailer individuals. Associations differed between men and women, with frailer women showing lower pSTAT1 responses in monocytes and frailer men showing lower pSTAT5 responses in CD4 + and CD8 + T cells. Notably, lower IL-10-induced pSTAT3 responses in men were related to both higher frailty scores and higher CRP levels over the past 20 years. This might indicate poor resolution of low-grade inflammation due to defective regulatory pSTAT signaling in older men. Conclusions Our results emphasize the importance of preserved JAK-STAT pathway signaling in healthy aging and reveal cellular pSTAT levels as a candidate biomarker of frailty. | Impaired JAK-STAT pathway signaling in leukocytes of the frail elderly | 10.1186/s12979-021-00261-w |
2022-01-15 | This study investigated the occurrence, species, infectivity and removal efficiency of Cryptosporidium spp. across typical wastewater treatment train. Samples from different process units were collected seasonally and synchronously from four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Northeastern China. Live Cryptosporidium oocysts were identified in most samples from both influent (97.50%) and effluent (90.00%) wastewaters of the four WWTPs, at an average density of 26.34 and 4.15 oocysts/L, respectively. The overall removal efficiency was 84.25%, and oocysts were mainly removed (62.01%) by the modified secondary sedimentation process. Ten Cryptosporidium species were identified in the effluent samples. C. andersoni, C. bovis , and C. ryanae were the three most prevalent species. Oocyst viability assays indicated no reduction of excystation rate during the primary and secondary wastewater treatments (varied in the range of 63.08%–68.50%), but the excystation rate declined to 52.21% in the effluent after disinfection. Notably, the Cryptosporidium oocysts showed higher infection intensity in the cold season (winter and spring) than that in summer and autumn. The influences of environmental temperature on virulence factors of Cryptosporidium were further examined. It was observed that more extracellular secretory proteins were bound on the oocyst surface and several virulence genes were expressed relatively strongly at low temperatures, both of which could facilitate oocyst adhesion, invasion, and host immune evasion. This research is of considerable interest since it serves as an important step towards more accurate panoramic recognition of Cryptosporidium risk reduction in WWTPs, and especially highlights the potential health risk associated with Cryptosporidium in cold regions/seasons. | Tracking Cryptosporidium in urban wastewater treatment plants in a cold region: Occurrence, species and infectivity | 10.1007/s11783-022-1533-8 |
2022-01-15 | In this study, the hierarchical screening was done for the selection of the best bio-sorbent for the adsorption of heavy metal ions. Cotton husk, corn cob, neem leaves, Delonix leaves (Gulmohar), Spathodea campanulata leaves (African tulip), orange peel, dried Tabebuia argentea flower (The tree of gold), sweet lemon peel, red gram seed coat, and Delonix regia were employed for adsorption of nickel and copper ions from aqueous solution and finally, the engineered orange peel biochar, which was found to be best performing material (with removal efficiency equal to 96% and 98% for copper and nickel, respectively), was screened out for subsequent studies. Characterization of the orange peel Biochar was carried out by SEM, BET, and FTIR techniques. From BET analysis, it was found that pyrolization of orange peel biomass increased its surface area from 52 to 230 m 2− g −1 . The operating parameters of the adsorption batch process were optimized via response surface methodology to maximize the adsorbent utilization and to minimize the cost of the adsorption process. The optimized value of metal removal percentage obtained equaled to 99.5% and 92.4% for nickel and copper ions, respectively, with orange peel biochar as adsorbent. 0.8 M $${\mathrm{H}}_{2}{\mathrm{SO}}_{4}$$ H 2 SO 4 was used for the desorption of copper and nickel from orange peel biochar and it showed a desorption efficiency of 93.44% and 92.0%, respectively. The engineered orange peel biochar showed reusability up to 5 cycles for copper and nickel and therefore can be considered low-cost and efficient bio-sorbent to remove heavy metal ions. Graphical abstract | Comparative studies of heavy metal removal from aqueous solution using novel biomass and biochar-based adsorbents: characterization, process optimization, and regeneration | 10.1007/s13399-021-02186-2 |
2022-01-13 | Strigolactone is a newly discovered type of plant hormone that has multiple roles in modulating plant responses to abiotic stress. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effects of exogenous GR24 (a synthetic analogue of strigolactone) on plant growth, photosynthetic characteristics, carbohydrate levels, endogenous strigolactone content and antioxidant metabolism in cucumber seedlings under low light stress. The results showed that the application of 10 μM GR24 can increase the photosynthetic efficiency and plant biomass of low light-stressed cucumber seedlings. GR24 increased the accumulation of carbohydrates and the synthesis of sucrose-related enzyme activities, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and antioxidant substance contents, and reduced the levels of H 2 O 2 and MDA in cucumber seedlings under low light stress. These results indicate that exogenous GR24 might alleviate low light stress-induced growth inhibition by regulating the assimilation of carbon and antioxidants and endogenous strigolactone contents, thereby enhancing the tolerance of cucumber seedlings to low light stress. | Physiological mechanism of strigolactone enhancing tolerance to low light stress in cucumber seedlings | 10.1186/s12870-021-03414-7 |
2022-01-12 | Marine isotope stage (MIS) 19 is considered to be the best orbital analog for the present interglacial. Consequently, clarifying the climatic features of this period can provide us with insights regarding a natural baseline for assessing future climate changes. A high-resolution radiolarian record from 800 to 750 ka (MIS 20 to MIS 18) was examined from the Chiba composite section (CbCS) of the Kokumoto Formation, including the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the lower–middle Pleistocene boundary on the Boso Peninsula on the Pacific side of central Japan. Millennial-scale oscillations in the Kuroshio warm and Oyashio cold currents were revealed by the Tr index, which is estimated using a simple equation based on radiolarian assemblages. The estimated Tr values ranged between 0.1 and 0.8 for MIS 18 through MIS 19, with minimum and maximum values corresponding to values observed off present day Aomori (41°N) and the Boso Peninsula (35°N), respectively. The observed patterns tended to be synchronous with the total radiolarian abundance associated with their production. Multiple maxima in radiolarian abundance occurred during periods of the Oyashio expanded mode before 785 ka and during periods of Kuroshio extension after 785 ka in MIS 19. Such increases in radiolarian abundance with the Kuroshio extension during MIS 19 are likely related to improvements in nutrient and photic environments with the development of a two-layer structure along the Kuroshio–Oyashio boundary zone. A similar pattern of millennial-scale climatic changes was also recognized in a precipitation record from the Sulmona Basin in central Italy, suggesting a close relationship with the CbCS record as a result of a large-scale climate system similar to the Arctic Oscillation in the northern hemisphere. | Millennial-scale oscillations in the Kuroshio–Oyashio boundary during MIS 19 based on the radiolarian record from the Chiba composite section, central Japan | 10.1186/s40645-021-00465-0 |
2022-01-11 | The research on the self-healing behavior of asphalt mixtures mainly focuses on the self-healing of fatigue load cracks; in contrast, less focus is placed on the self-healing of low-temperature splitting cracks. In this project, based on a low-temperature splitting test of asphalt mixtures and discrete element method (DEM) numerical simulation, a micro-mechanical model of the low-temperature splitting test was constructed. The crack evolution mechanism and self-healing performance of asphalt mixtures under different damage states were then analyzed. The research method was to divide the damage of the specimen in the DEM simulation into two types (fracture type 1, which corresponded to micro-damage in the splitting test, and fracture type 2, which corresponded to micro-cracks in the splitting test). Combined with the macroscopic damage–self-healing–macroscopic damage test, the relevant parameters of the DEM simulation were adjusted. A new index with which to evaluate the self-healing performance of asphalt mixtures was proposed via a simulation. The results of this study indicate that with the increase of the low-temperature load damage (cracks) of asphalt mixtures, the self-healing ability of asphalt mixtures decreases gradually. Moreover, it is found that the results of the DEM simulation for the analysis of the self-healing ability of asphalt mixtures for low-temperature splitting cracks are similar to the splitting test results. The research results reveal that the DEM can feasibly be used to simulate the self-healing process of asphalt mixtures, and has both theoretical and practical value for the in-depth study of microstructure damage and the self-healing of low-temperature splitting cracks of asphalt mixtures. | Microstructural behavior of the low-temperature cracking and self-healing of asphalt mixtures based on the discrete element method | 10.1617/s11527-021-01876-7 |
2022-01-11 | Surfactant-enhanced air sparging (SEAS) technology has been widely accepted to remediate VOC-contaminated soil with medium or high permeability, while the remediation efficiency and mechanism in low permeability soil have been rarely explored, which is of great importance to the field implementation due to the heterogeneous stratigraphic distribution at site. For this purpose, the surfactant-enhanced single air channel sparging tests and solubilization/desorption tests are comprehensively designed and performed in this study. Results showed that the exhaust gaseous MTBE concentration is significantly lower, and the time to reach concentration equilibrium is longer for air sparging in low permeability soil, which could be modified with surfactant incorporation. The reduced MTBE concentration, enlarged remediation zone, and the total MTBE removal rate in the low permeability soil could be observed after implementing the SEAS technology and will be further enhanced with sparging pressure increasing. The mass transfer zone (MTZ) in low permeability soil is enlarged with the increased surfactant concentration, based on which an exponential growth relation is established for MTZ quantitative prediction. The improved remediation efficiency of SEAS technology on low permeability soil is confirmed to be controlled by the contaminant solubilization/desorption mechanism, rather than the surface tension reduction mechanism that was conventionally confirmed in medium or high permeability soil. | Laboratory Characterization of Surfactant-Enhanced Air Sparging Effectiveness on VOC-Contaminated Soil with Low Permeability | 10.1007/s11270-021-05495-4 |
2022-01-08 | Our understanding of magmatism in the New Zealand North Island subduction system is limited by sparse knowledge of the structure and composition of the deep arc crust, particularly in the northern Taupo Volcanic Zone (NTVZ), where there are multiple major tectono-magmatic transitions impacting the crust. Herein, we use detailed textural and micro-chemical analyses from multiple crystalline phases and melt inclusions to probe the magmatic processes occurring in the lower crust that ultimately control the early evolution of magmas beneath Pūtauaki (Mt. Edgecumbe) in the NTVZ. Here, two-pyroxene-plagioclase glomerocrysts in dacite lavas have textures, compositions, and phase associations consistent with a lower crustal cognate cumulate origin. Importantly, the glomerocrysts record a multi-stage evolution in the lower crust. Elevated 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotope ratios (0.7058–0.7062) in high-An (up to An 92 ) plagioclase, along with relatively low Mg/Fe ratios in olivine and pyroxene within the glomerocrysts, record the deep assimilation of isotopically enriched lower crust and the significant fractionation of Mg-rich phases, near the base of the crust. The evolved melts appear to have then ascended into the lower crust and subsequently crystallized the gabbroic mineral assemblage preserved in the xenoliths. Two pyroxene thermobarometry indicates that crystallization/equilibration occurred at temperature between 926 and 1001 °C and pressure between 4 and 7 kbars, consistent with crustal depths of 15–26 km. Melt inclusions hosted within pyroxenes in glomerocrysts are rhyodacitic to rhyolitic (68–74 wt% SiO 2 ) indicating that fractionation of the glomerocryst assemblage resulted in the production of melts. We propose that these represent melts that ascend into the upper crust and fractionate to produce rhyolites that erupt from the large calderas of the central TVZ (CTVZ). Our findings also indicate that crustal architecture and magma pressure–temperature–time pathways beneath the NTVZ are similar to magmatic systems in the STVZ, but distinct from those beneath the large rhyolitic systems in the central TVZ. These differences may arise from variations in mantle flux and rates of extension along the arc. | Crustal Forensics at Pūtauaki (Mt. Edgecumbe), New Zealand reveal the influence of deep crustal arc processes on magma evolution in the Taupo Volcanic Zone | 10.1007/s00410-021-01875-5 |
2022-01-07 | Background Black very low birth weight (VLBW; < 1500 g birth weight) and very preterm (VP, < 32 weeks gestational age, inclusive of extremely preterm, < 28 weeks gestational age) infants are significantly less likely than other VLBW and VP infants to receive mother’s own milk (MOM) through to discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The costs associated with adhering to pumping maternal breast milk are borne by mothers and contribute to this disparity. This randomized controlled trial tests the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an intervention to offset maternal costs associated with pumping. Methods This randomized control trial will enroll 284 mothers and their VP infants to test an intervention ( NICU acquires MOM ) developed to facilitate maternal adherence to breast pump use by offsetting maternal costs that serve as barriers to sustaining MOM feedings and the receipt of MOM at NICU discharge. Compared to current standard of care ( mother provides MOM ), the intervention bundle includes three components: a) free hospital-grade electric breast pump, b) pickup of MOM, and c) payment for opportunity costs. The primary outcome is infant receipt of MOM at the time of NICU discharge, and secondary outcomes include infant receipt of any MOM during the NICU hospitalization, duration of MOM feedings (days), and cumulative dose of MOM feedings (total mL/kg of MOM) received by the infant during the NICU hospitalization; maternal duration of MOM pumping (days) and volume of MOM pumped (mLs); and total cost of NICU care. Additionally, we will compare the cost of the NICU acquiring MOM versus NICU acquiring donor human milk if MOM is not available and the cost-effectiveness of the intervention ( NICU acquires MOM ) versus standard of care ( mother provides MOM ). Discussion This trial will determine the effectiveness of an economic intervention that transfers the costs of feeding VLBWand VP infants from mothers to the NICU to address the disparity in the receipt of MOM feedings at NICU discharge by Black infants. The cost-effectiveness analysis will provide data that inform the adoption and scalability of this intervention. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04540575 , registered September 7, 2020. | Study protocol for reducing disparity in receipt of mother’s own milk in very low birth weight infants (ReDiMOM): a randomized trial to improve adherence to sustained maternal breast pump use | 10.1186/s12887-021-03088-y |
2022-01-06 | Anaerobic digestion is a well-known technology and has been widely used for waste management, waste treatment, production of value-added products, and energy recovery. However, it still has social, economic, and technological challenges mainly caused by volatile fatty-acid accumulation, instability, foaming, low buffer capacity, and high costs. Often, these problems lead to higher digestion times, production of intermediate and inhibitory compounds, reduced methane yields, and low efficiency. One possible solution to make anaerobic digestion more attractive and to enhance the quality and quantity of biogas generated at the end of the production chain is the development of optimization and modeling techniques. The implementation of such strategies in anaerobic digestion systems can help to reduce investment costs, energy requirements, and environmental load. As the studies currently available focuses only on specific aspects of anaerobic digestion systems, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the different reactors that can be used in anaerobic digestion processes, the main parameters that influence its performance, and the different optimization and modeling techniques that can be utilized to make anaerobic digestion more attractive. The literature search shows that it is possible to overcome the drawbacks of anaerobic digestion systems by utilizing optimization and modeling techniques to improve the ratio, size, and concentration of the feedstock and inoculum; finding the most suitable pretreatment methods and operational parameters; and utilizing additives to increase the performance and efficiency of the process. | Current progress in anaerobic digestion reactors and parameters optimization | 10.1007/s13399-021-02224-z |
2022-01-06 | Previous validation studies found a good linear correlation between the low-cost particulate matter sensors (LCPMS) and other research grade particulate matter (PM) monitors. This study aimed to determine if different particle size bins of PM would affect the linear relationship and agreement between the Dylos DC1700 (LCPMS) particle count measurements (converted to PM 2.5 mass concentrations) and the Grimm 11R (research grade instrument) mass concentration measurements. Three size groups of PM 2.5 (mass median aerodynamic diameters (MMAD): < 1 µm, 1–2 µm, and > 2 µm) were generated inside a laboratory chamber, controlled for temperature and relative humidity, by dispersing sodium chloride crystals through a nebulizer. A linear regression comparing 1-min average PM 2.5 particle counts from the Dylos DC1700 (Dylos) to the Grimm 11R (Grimm) mass concentrations was estimated by particle size group. The slope for the linear regression was found to increase as MMAD increased (< 1 µm, 0.75 (R 2 = 0.95); 1–2 µm, 0.90 (R 2 = 0.93); and > 2 µm, 1.03 (R 2 = 0.94). The linear slopes were used to convert Dylos counts to mass concentration, and the agreement between converted Dylos mass and Grimm mass was estimated. The absolute relative error between converted Dylos mass and the Grimm mass was smaller in the < 1 µm group (16%) and 1–2 µm group (16%) compared to the > 2 µm group (32%). Therefore, the bias between converted Dylos mass and Grimm mass varied by size group. Future studies examining particle size bins over a wider range of coarse particles (> 2.5 µm) would provide useful information for accurately converting LCPMS counts to mass concentration. | Effects of aerosol particle size on the measurement of airborne PM2.5 with a low-cost particulate matter sensor (LCPMS) in a laboratory chamber | 10.1007/s10661-021-09715-6 |
2022-01-06 | Background The blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier (BCSFB) is critically important to the pathophysiology of the central nervous system (CNS). However, this barrier prevents the safe transmission of beneficial drugs from the blood to the CSF and thus the spinal cord and brain, limiting their effectiveness in treating a variety of CNS diseases. Methods This study demonstrates a method on SD rats for reversible and site-specific opening of the BCSFB via a noninvasive, low-energy focused shockwave (FSW) pulse (energy flux density 0.03 mJ/mm 2 ) with SonoVue microbubbles (2 × 10 6 MBs/kg), posing a low risk of injury. Results By opening the BCSFB, the concentrations of certain CNS-impermeable indicators (70 kDa Evans blue and 500 kDa FITC-dextran) and drugs (penicillin G, doxorubicin, and bevacizumab) could be significantly elevated in the CSF around both the brain and the spinal cord. Moreover, glioblastoma model rats treated by doxorubicin with this FSW-induced BCSFB (FSW-BCSFB) opening technique also survived significantly longer than untreated controls. Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate and validate a method for noninvasively and selectively opening the BCSFB to enhance drug delivery into CSF circulation. Potential applications may include treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, CNS infections, brain tumors, and leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. | Facilitating drug delivery in the central nervous system by opening the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier with a single low energy shockwave pulse | 10.1186/s12987-021-00303-x |
2022-01-05 | The EMM-ARM (Elastic Modulus Measurement through Ambient Response Method) is an experimental technique that allows the determination of the E-modulus evolution curve of cementitious materials since casting. This work presents a validation of an innovative low-cost EMM-ARM test system and its use to study very early age (until 3 days) E-modulus evolution of cement pastes produced with a 1% nanosilica-added cement and a limestone-calcined clay (LC 3 ) cement, produced with 1:2 clay-limestone ratio and 50% clinker replacement. The tests produced, for the first time, continuous data about the early age E-modulus evolution, hydration degree and final setting time of these materials at the first 3 days of age. Compressive strength and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry tests were also performed for complementary analysis. The validation results indicated the low-cost innovative system departed only up to 6.33% from reference results and had a coefficient of variation of the order of 4.50%. The application of the system on the studied cements revealed the nanosilica-added and LC 3 cement pastes reached, respectively, 220% and 50% of an ordinary Portland cement (OPC) paste E-modulus at 12 h of age, and 180% and 70% at 24 h. The nanosilica-added and LC 3 E-modulus gap to OPC paste progressively reduced after 3 days of age to 113% and 91%, respectively, tending to remain at this level at later ages. | Innovative low-cost system for early age E-modulus monitoring of cement pastes: validation and application to nanosilica-added and limestone-calcined clay cements | 10.1617/s11527-021-01849-w |
2022-01-04 | Background Brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) experience hypoxic conditions during early brain development. The newly formed capillaries are tight and functional before astrocytes and pericytes join the capillaries and establish the neurovascular unit. Brain endothelial cell phenotype markers P-gp (ABCB1), LAT-1(SLC7A5), GLUT-1(SLC2A1), and TFR(TFRC) have all been described to be hypoxia sensitive. Therefore, we hypothesized that monolayers of BCECs, cultured under hypoxic conditions, would show an increase in LAT-1, GLUT-1 and TFR expression and display tight endothelial barriers. Methods and results Primary bovine BCECs were cultured under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Chronic hypoxia induced HIF-1α stabilization and translocation to the nucleus, as judged by immunocytochemistry and confocal laser scanning imaging. Endothelial cell morphology, claudin-5 and ZO-1 localization and barrier integrity were unaffected by hypoxia, indicating that the tight junctions in the BBB model were not compromised. SLC7A5, SLC2A1, and TFRC-mRNA levels were increased in hypoxic cultures, while ABCB1 remained unchanged as shown by real-time qPCR. P-gp, TfR and GLUT-1 were found to be significantly increased at protein levels. An increase in uptake of [ 3 H]-glucose was demonstrated, while a non-significant increase in the efflux ratio of the P-gp substrate [3H]-digoxin was observed in hypoxic cells. No changes were observed in functional LAT-1 as judged by uptake studies of [ 3 H]-leucine. Stabilization of HIF-1α under normoxic conditions with desferrioxamine (DFO) mimicked the effects of hypoxia on endothelial cells. Furthermore, low concentrations of DFO caused an increase in transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER), suggesting that a slight activation of the HIF-1α system may actually increase brain endothelial monolayer tightness. Moreover, exposure of confluent monolayers to hypoxia resulted in markedly increase in TEER after 24 and 48 h, which corresponded to a higher transcript level of CLDN5. Conclusions Our findings collectively suggest that hypoxic conditions increase some BBB transporters' expression via HIF-1α stabilization, without compromising monolayer integrity. This may in part explain why brain capillaries show early maturation, in terms of barrier tightness and protein expression, during embryogenesis, and provides a novel methodological tool for optimal brain endothelial culture. | Hypoxia increases expression of selected blood–brain barrier transporters GLUT-1, P-gp, SLC7A5 and TFRC, while maintaining barrier integrity, in brain capillary endothelial monolayers | 10.1186/s12987-021-00297-6 |
2022-01-04 | Fracture failures of ship plates subjected to in-plane biaxial low-cycle fatigue loading are generally the coupling result of accumulative plasticity and biaxial low-cycle fatigue damage. A biaxial low-cycle fatigue crack growth analysis of hull structure that accounts for the accumulative plasticity effect can be more suitable for the actual evaluation of the overall fracture performance of the hull structure in severe sea conditions. An analytical model of biaxial low-cycle fatigue crack propagation with a control parameter for ∆ CTOD is presented for hull inclined-crack plate. A test was conducted for cruciform specimens made of Q235 steel with an inclined crack to validate the presented analysis. The biaxial accumulative plasticity behavior and the effects of biaxiality and stress ratios were investigated. The results of this study reveal a strong dependence of biaxial low-cycle fatigue crack propagation on biaxial accumulated plasticity. | Analysis of biaxial proportional low-cycle fatigue crack propagation for hull inclined-crack plate based on accumulative plasticity | 10.1007/s42452-021-04921-w |
2022-01-04 | Background Significant improvements in under-five mortality in Malawi have been demonstrated over the past thirty years; however, Malawian healthcare remains with gaps in availability and access to quality pediatric critical care nursing training and education. To improve expertise of pediatric critical care nurses in Malawi, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), and Mercy James Center (MJC) entered a partnership with Seed Global Health, a US non-governmental organization. A needs assessment was conducted to understand the training needs of nurses currently working in pediatric critical care and in preparation for the development of a specialized Master’s in Child Health pathway in Pediatric Critical Care (PCC) Nursing at KUHeS. Methods The needs assessment was completed using a survey questionnaire formatted using an ABCDE (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, and Exposure) framework. The questionnaire had Likert scale and yes/no questions. Data was manually entered into excel and was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results One hundred and fifty-three nurses at QECH and MJC responded to the survey. Most nurses were between the ages of 25 and 35 years ( N = 98, 64%), female ( N = 105, 69%), and held either a Bachelors ( N = 72, 47%) or diploma ( N = 70, 46%) in nursing. Nurses had high rates of confidence in certain skills: airway management ( N = 120, 99%), breathing assessment & management ( N = 153, 100%). However, nurses demonstrated little to no confidence in areas such as: mechanical ventilation ( N = 68, 44%), ECG evaluation ( N = 74, 48%), and arterial blood gas collection & interpretation ( N = 49, 32%). Conclusion It is important to identify priority areas for training and skills development to address in the PCC master’s within the child health pathway at KUHeS. Ideally this partnership will produce practice-ready PCC nurses and will establish a recognized PCC nursing workforce in Malawi. | Training needs assessment for practicing pediatric critical care nurses in Malawi to inform the development of a specialized master’s education pathway: a cohort study | 10.1186/s12912-021-00772-3 |
2022-01-04 | Background Studies have shown that the high incidence of type 2 diabetes in China is associated with low birth weight and excessive nutrition in adulthood, which occurred during the famine years of the 1950s and 1960s, though the specific molecular mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we proposed a severe maternal caloric restriction during late pregnancy, followed by a post weaning high-fat diet in mice. After weaning, normal and high-fat diets were provided to mice to simulate the dietary pattern of modern society. Methods The pregnant mice were divided into two groups: normal birth weight (NBW) group and low birth weight (LBW) group. After 3 weeks for weaning, the male offspring mice in the NBW and LBW groups were then randomly divided into four subgroups: NC, NH, LC and LC groups. The offspring mice in the NC, NH, LC and LC groups were respectively fed with normal diet, normal diet, high-fat diet and high-fat diet for 18 weeks. After 18 weeks of dietary intervention, detailed analyses of mRNA and protein expression patterns, signaling pathway activities, and promoter methylation states were conducted for all relevant genes. Results After dietary intervention for 18 weeks, the expressions of CD36, Fabp4, PPARγ, FAS, and ACC1 in the skeletal muscle tissue of the LH group were significantly increased compared with the LC and NH groups ( P < 0.05). The level of p-AMPK/AMPK in the skeletal muscle tissue of the LH group was significantly decreased compared with the LC and NH groups ( P < 0.05). CPT1 and PGC-1α protein expressions were up-regulated in the LH group ( P < 0.05) compared to the LC group. Additionally, the DNA methylation levels of the PGC-1α and GLUT4 gene promoters in the skeletal muscle of the LH groups were higher than those of the LC and NH groups ( P < 0.05). However, PPARγ DNA methylation level in the LH group was lower than those of the LC and NH groups ( P < 0.05). Conclusions LBW combined with high-fat diets may increase insulin resistance and diabetes through regulating the CD36-related Fabp4-PPARγ and AMPK/ACC signaling pathways. | The role of CD36-Fabp4-PPARγ in skeletal muscle involves insulin resistance in intrauterine growth retardation mice with catch-up growth | 10.1186/s12902-021-00921-4 |
2022-01-04 | This paper describes the ichnology and sedimentology of the middle Berriasian sedimentary succession of the Sidi Khalif Formation outcropping in Jebel Meloussi, Central Tunisia. The succession records deltaic progradation above outer shelf deposits and shows the vertical stacking of thickening and coarsening-upward parasequences dominated by hummocky cross-stratification, parallel lamination and abundant gutter casts. The mudstones and the thinly bedded fine-grained sandstones of the prodelta are characterized by scarce and low diverse horizontal trace fossils of the impoverished distal Cruziana ichnofacies, including cf. Thalassinoides , Phycosiphon , Planolites , Helminthoidichnites and cf. Helminthoidichnites . In contrast, trace fossils of the wave-dominated delta-front are dominated by deposit-feeding ichnotaxa, such as Rhizocorallium commune , Arenicolites isp., R. ? jenense , Thalassinoides and Planolites , which represent the proximal Cruziana ichnofacies. The lack of bioturbation structures in the amalgamated hummocky cross-stratification beds of the delta front is mostly related to the high frequency and/or high intensity episodic erosional amalgamation and deposition associated with storms. The difference between Rhizocorallium ichnospecies help to depict the erosional discontinuities bounding parasequences. The transgressive surfaces (TS) are characterized by R. ? jenense and by R. commune. | Ichnology of Lower Cretaceous prodelta and delta front deposits of the Sidi Khalif Formation, Central Tunisia | 10.1007/s10347-021-00642-z |
2022-01-03 | Background The Salud Mesoamérica Initiative (SMI) is a public-private collaboration aimed to improve maternal and child health conditions in the poorest populations of Mesoamerica through a results-based aid mechanism. We assess the impact of SMI on the staffing and availability of equipment and supplies for delivery care, the proportion of institutional deliveries, and the proportion of women who choose a facility other than the one closest to their locality of residence for delivery. Methods We used a quasi-experimental design, including baseline and follow-up measurements between 2013 and 2018 in intervention and comparison areas of Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras. We collected information on 8754 births linked to the health facility closest to the mother’s locality of residence and the facility where the delivery took place (if attended in a health facility). We fit difference-in-difference models, adjusting for women’s characteristics (age, parity, education), household characteristics, exposure to health promotion interventions, health facility level, and country. Results Equipment, inputs, and staffing of facilities improved after the Initiative in both intervention and comparison areas. After adjustment for covariates, institutional delivery increased between baseline and follow-up by 3.1 percentage points (β = 0.031, 95% CI -0.03, 0.09) more in intervention areas than in comparison areas. The proportion of women in intervention areas who chose a facility other than their closest one to attend the delivery decreased between baseline and follow-up by 13 percentage points (β = − 0.130, 95% CI -0.23, − 0.03) more than in the comparison group. Conclusions Results indicate that women in intervention areas of SMI are more likely to go to their closest facility to attend delivery after the Initiative has improved facilities’ capacity, suggesting that results-based aid initiatives targeting poor populations, like SMI, can increase the use of facilities closest to the place of residence for delivery care services. This should be considered in the design of interventions after the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed health and social conditions. | Impact of the Salud Mesoamerica Initiative on delivery care choices in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua | 10.1186/s12884-021-04279-2 |
2022-01-01 | Many factors can cause and affect cell growth in the plant such as external (environmental) and internal factors; one of the most important internal factors is plant growth hormones. Many hormones required for cell growth, such as auxins, gibberellins, brassinosteroids, ethylene, jasmonates, salicylic acid, strigolactones, and cytokinins are able to accelerate or promote growth, but some hormone-like abscisic acid has an adverse effect on growth which increases seed dormancy by inhibiting cell growth. Also, plant hormones are able to break down dormancy for many plants and can alleviate abiotic stress (salinity, extreme temperatures, drought, etc.) which led to enhanced germination and improved growth for many plants, whether naturally occurring in the plant or by adding it to the plant in its artificial form or in the form of bio- or nano-fertilization in order to increase the productivity and improve its efficiency under extreme conditions. The plant growth regulators modulate plant growth and development and mediate responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. The plant growth hormones are used commercially in agriculture. The approach of the application of plant growth hormones in horticulture shows good results. Chilling stress is known to reduce leaf size, stem extension, and root proliferation, disturb plant water relations, and impede nutrient uptake. Chilling stress in maize is a complex phenomenon with physiological and biochemical responses at both cellular and whole-organ level. CO 2 assimilation by leaves is reduced mainly due to membrane damage, photoinhibition, and disturbed activity of various enzymes. Enhanced metabolite flux through the photorespiratory pathway increases the oxidative load on tissues as both processes generate reactive oxygen species. Injury caused by reactive oxygen species to macromolecules under chilling stress is one of the major deterrents to growth. Plant growth hormones such as salicylic acid, gibberellic acid, and abscisic acid modulate the response of maize to chilling stress. Polyamines and several enzymes act as antioxidants and reduce the adverse effects of chilling stress. Chilling tolerance in maize can be managed through the development and selection of chilling-tolerant genotypes by breeding and genomic approaches. Agronomic approaches such as exogenous application of growth hormones and osmoprotectants to seeds or plants, and early vigor, can also aid in chilling tolerance. | Plant Growth Hormones in Plants under Low-Temperature Stress: A Review | 10.1007/978-981-16-9037-2_6 |
2022-01-01 | Climatic models indicated that in this century, both average temperatures and extreme events frequency will increase in the Mediterranean basin. These changes are expected to have a great impact on agriculture in general and on crop phenology in particular. Great progress has been made in understanding the responses of plants to abiotic stress. There are inherent physical, morphological, and molecular limitations to the plant’s ability to respond to stress. Plant responses to abiotic stress are dynamic and complex. Among the various abiotic stresses, low temperature adversely affects germination, normal plant growth, development, and phonological events. Consistent with the increasing temperatures, crop development is expected to be faster; thus, phenological stages will be reached early, and the length of the growth period of crops with determinate cycle (i.e., cereals, grapevine, etc.) will be shorter. These impacts, together with the higher risk to have extreme climate events during sensitive phonological phases, may have strong negative effects on final yield and on yield quality. The actual impact of phonological change needs to be assessed for specific crop environment combinations, providing the basis to formulate feasible adaptation options to climate change. In other terms, the simulated changes in phenology cannot be interpreted without considering the environmental context in which a species lives. For winter crops, the effect of predicted prolonged summer drought periods and heat weaves for the next decades may be smoothed or prevented due to the faster development that will allow escaping these and then avoiding reduction in final yields. In contrast, crops, whose growing cycle takes place in summer time, are likely to experience a severe reduction of final yield as the result of increased frequency of extreme climatic events and a reduced time for biomass accumulation to yield. | Effect of Low-Temperature Stress on Germination, Growth, and Phenology of Plants: A Review | 10.1007/978-981-16-9037-2_1 |
2022-01-01 | Environmental stress is an inescapable reality for most plants growing in natural settings. Conditions of sub- or supraoptimal temperatures, water deficit, water logging, salinity, and pollution can have dramatic effects on plant growth and development and, in agricultural settings, yield. Chilling and freezing to low temperatures leads to disturbances in all physiological processes—water regime, mineral nutrition, photosynthesis, respiration, and metabolism. Inactivation of metabolism, observed at chilling of chilling-sensitive plants, is a complex function of both temperature and duration of exposure. Freezing tolerance is essential for perennial plants, and ability to adapt to extreme temperature is crucial for their survival in many environments. Response of plants to low temperature exposure is associated with a change in the rate of gene transcription of a number of low molecular weight proteins. In C3 species, photosynthesis is classically considered to be limited by the capacities of ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration, or inorganic phosphate regeneration. Using both theoretical and empirical evidence, we describe the temperature response of instantaneous net CO 2 assimilation rate in terms of these limitations, and evaluate possible limitations on A at elevated temperatures arising from heat-induced lability of Rubisco activase. In C3 plants, Rubisco capacity is the predominant limitation on net CO 2 assimilation across a wide range of temperatures at low CO 2 (<300 μbar) while at elevated CO 2 , the limitation shifts to inorganic phosphate regeneration capacity at suboptimal temperatures, and either electron transport capacity or Rubisco activase capacity at supraoptimal temperatures. In C4 plants, Rubisco capacity limits net CO 2 assimilation below 20 °C in chilling-tolerant species, but the control over net CO 2 assimilation at elevated temperature remains uncertain. Acclimation of C3 photosynthesis to suboptimal growth temperature is commonly associated with a disproportional enhancement of the inorganic phosphate regeneration capacity. In many C4 species from warm habitats, acclimation to cooler growth conditions increases levels of Rubisco and C4 cycle enzymes which then enhance net CO 2 assimilation below the thermal optimum. By contrast, few C4 species adapted to cooler habitats increase Rubisco content during acclimation to reduced growth temperature; as a result, A changes little at suboptimal temperatures. Global change is likely to cause a widespread shift in patterns of photosynthetic limitation in higher plants. Limitations in electron transport and Rubisco activase capacity should be more common in the warmer, high CO 2 conditions expected by the end of the century. | Effect of Low Temperature Stress on Photosynthesis and Allied Traits: A Review | 10.1007/978-981-16-9037-2_3 |
2022-01-01 | A common effect of several abiotic stresses is to cause tissue dehydration. Such dehydration is caused by the imbalance between root water uptake and leaf transpiration. Under some specific stress conditions, regulation of root water uptake is more crucial to overcome stress injury than regulation of leaf transpiration. The rate of root water uptake of a given plant is the result of its root hydraulic characteristics, which are ultimately regulated by aquaporin activity and, to some extent, by suberin deposition. Plant-water relations concern how plants control the hydration of their cells, including the collection of water from the soil, its transport within the plant, and its loss by evaporation from the leaves. Flow of water through the plant and soil over macroscopic distances is driven by gradients in hydrostatic pressure. Over microscopic distances (e.g., across semi-permeable membranes), it is driven by gradients in water potential. Evaporation of water from leaves is primarily controlled by stomata and, if not made good by the flow of water from the soil through the plant to the leaves, results in the plants’ wilting. Resistances to this flow are still not well understood. Plant water deficit is initiated as the crop demand for water exceeds the supply. The capacity of plants to meet the demand and thus avoid water deficit depends on their “hydraulic machinery.” This machinery determines the ability to transport sufficient amount of water from the soil to the atmosphere via the stomata in order to provide for transpiration, transpirational cooling, and carbon assimilation. Water is transported by way of the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, and it is largely controlled by the resistances in the continuum as determined by root, stem, leaf, stomata, and cuticular hydraulic resistances. The gross effects of deficient and of excessive soil moisture on plant growth are well known, but controversy has existed for many years around the question whether the so-called available moisture is equally available for plant growth or available only with such increasing difficulty that plant growth functions are retarded before the wilting point is reached. Various measurable aspects of plant growth do not respond in the same manner to increasing moisture stress. Crops will respond to irrigations, although measured soil moisture stress is quite low. | Low Temperature Stress and Plant-Water Relationship: A Review | 10.1007/978-981-16-9037-2_2 |
2022-01-01 | It is essential to select a proper material of construction for fabrication of the process units and piping; and for the machinery to be used. Operating conditions and properties of all substances which shall be handled are to be examined in detail. Selection of proper MOC shall be confirmed after study of the properties of the MOC. Appropriate refractory linings/corrosion-resistant linings and coatings shall be provided to the equipment to protect them from severe operating conditions of high temperature, corrosive conditions, etc. Galvanic corrosion shall be controlled by sacrificial anodic or impressed cathodic protection to the equipment and structures. | Materials of Construction | 10.1007/978-3-030-96581-5_3 |
2022-01-01 | Cold temperatures often severely restrict the growth, distribution, and productivity of plants. The freezing tolerance of plants from temperate climates can be improved by undergoing periods of cold acclimation. Lipids play an important role in the mechanism of frost or cold tolerance in plants. Lipids are widely distributed in the plant kingdom. They are found in abundance in reproductive tissues (e.g., seeds and fruits) of some higher plants where they form important reserve food material such cotyledon of sunflower, rape, peanuts, and almond; endosperm of castor beans, coconut plants, etc.; and mesocarp of avocado pears. Plant membrane lipids have the tendency to change from gel to liquid crystalline phase in response to low-temperature stress. This process is due to the increased level of lipid desaturation. The responsible components of this process are, among others, the fatty acid desaturases. Controlling the activity of these enzymes affects the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids on the glycerol backbone and eventually controls the plant sensitivity to low-temperature stress. These metabolic processes trigger a series of changes at the transcriptional level, causing differential expression in genes. Numerous approaches toward this process from chemical to the advanced mass spectrometry were taken during the past decades. Metabolomics and transcriptomics seem to be the keys toward describing these complex mechanisms and providing the necessary understanding of lipid metabolic response to low-temperature stress. | Lipid Metabolism in Plants Under Low-Temperature Stress: A Review | 10.1007/978-981-16-9037-2_5 |
2022-01-01 | Cold stress can lead to major crop losses. In natural ecosystems, there are several inputs of soil nitrogen. Even though our atmosphere consists of nearly 80% of N 2 , it is the limiting element in most ecosystems. Bio-available nitrogen can enter an ecosystem via atmospheric nitrogen deposition, mostly in the form of ammonium and nitrogen oxides. Larger input of nitrogen comes from nitrogen fixed by microorganisms, called diazotrophs. Nitrogen input from legumes can be a sustainable source of nitrogen in agricultural systems. The symbiotic microorganisms in the root nodules, the rhizobia, can take up gaseous di-nitrogen from the air and “fix” the nitrogen into molecules that can be assimilated by the plant. In return, the plant provides the rhizobia with a carbon source in the form of di-carboxylic acids. The enzyme responsible for the nitrogen fixation, nitrogenase, is irreversibly damaged when exposed to oxygen. The use of nitrogen from soil by plants involves several steps, including uptake, assimilation, translocation, and, when the plant is aging, recycling and remobilization. Although generally low, soil nitrogen availability can fluctuate greatly in both space and time due to factors such as precipitation, temperature, wind, soil type, and pH. Therefore, the preferred form in which nitrogen is taken up depends on plant adaptation to soil conditions. Generally, plants adapted to low pH and reducing soils as found in mature forests or arctic tundra tend to take up ammonium or amino acids, whereas plants adapted to higher pH and more aerobic soils prefer nitrate. Nitrate is easily transported in the plant and can be assimilated both in leaves and roots. The partitioning of nitrate reduction between roots and shoots may vary with plant species, age, and environmental factors. After nitrate reduction, nitrite is translocated to the chloroplast, where it is reduced to ammonium by the second enzyme of the pathway, the nitrite reductase. Ammonium, originating from nitrate reduction, and also from photorespiration or amino acid recycling, is mainly assimilated in the plastid/chloroplast by the so-called GS/GOGAT. | Low-Temperature Stress and Nitrogen Metabolism in Plants: A Review | 10.1007/978-981-16-9037-2_4 |
2022-01-01 | This chapter demonstrates application of the MTS model to Body-Centered-Cubic metals. In these systems, the Peierls barrier offers a strong obstacle to dislocation motion at low temperatures and high strain rates. Impurity atoms, such as carbon and oxygen, whether intentionally or unintentionally added, introduce a second obstacle population. The temperature and strain-rate dependence of the yield stress in pure BCC metals are first analyzed. The addition of hardening introduces an evolving stored dislocation density, which is treated similarly to structure evolution in the FCC metals. Application of the models in first demonstrated in a fictitious alloy to highlight the procedures when a rigorous prestrain plus reload campaign is not used. Deformation in pure iron and with small carbon additions are considered, as well as deformation in low-carbon steels, vanadium, and niobium. Deformation twinning and dynamic strain aging introduce confounding deformation mechanisms in several instances. | Application of MTS Model to BCC Metals and Alloys | 10.1007/978-3-031-04556-1_9 |
2022-01-01 | This chapter is focusing on the key energy-saving technologies, which have played very important roles in energy saving and carbon emission reduction; It includes the following topics, (1) Pump and compressors speed control technology and its energy-saving principle; (2) Gas turbine energy-saving principle and its selection; (3) Combined gas turbine cycle and its application in LNG plant with simulation support; (4) Flue Gas Turbine Energy Saving of FCCU, including energy-saving principle, loading impacts, evaluation approach, and approaches to improve Flue gas power recovery efficiency; (5) FCCU regenerating gas CO combustion outside of regenerator, CO ignition rate equation, CO incinerator and energy recovery; (6) Flue gas energy recovery system optimization, including CO duct pre-combustion, pressure combustion, flue gas energy and power recovery system optimization; (7) Low-Temperature Heat Recovery and Utilization, including direct use as process heating, upgrading use of compression heat pump, absorption heat pump, refrigeration, and power generation, direct use and upgrading use system integration. | Key Energy-Saving Technologies | 10.1007/978-981-19-5295-1_14 |
2022-01-01 | Abiotic stresses adversely affect growth and productivity and trigger a series of morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular changes in plants. Drought, temperature extremes, and saline soils are the most common abiotic stresses that plant encounter. The efficiency with which crops produce grain from dry matter is the first determinant of harvest index. In this context, cereals, which have the highest carbohydrate content, tend to have the highest harvest indices. The high-energy cost of lipid production makes species with a high oil content (canola, soybean, peanut) inefficient at producing grain from assimilate, with high protein-seeded species (pea, lentil, chickpea) being intermediate. For most grain crops, harvest index rarely exceeds 0.5, excepting where fallen leaves are not taken into account in which case apparent harvest index may exceed 0.6. Temperature can influence economic yield through its components, with variation in relative magnitude of effect on them. Extremes of temperature which reduces the reproductive sink through gametogenesis can substantially reduce harvest index. Different studies clearly show that temperatures exceeding the limits of adaptation substantially influence the metabolism, viability, physiology, and yield of many plants. Plants exposed to extreme temperatures often show a common response in the form of oxidative stress. However, the extent of damage caused by extreme temperatures depends greatly on the duration of the adverse temperature, the genotypes of the exposed plants, and their stage of growth. There is ample need to develop extreme temperature tolerance in crop plants by exploring suitable strategies. However, plant adaptation to either high temperature or low temperature is a multigenic response which is very complex in nature. | Effect of Low Temperature on Dry Matter, Partitioning, and Seed Yield: A Review | 10.1007/978-981-16-9037-2_7 |
2022-01-01 | Lactose represents a significant proportion of the solids content of a number of dairy products, and so it is not surprising that the properties of lactose can play a significant role in determining the properties of such products. For example, in milk powder, particularly skimmed milk powder, controlling the crystallisation state of lactose can be key to ensuring storage stability and optimising later rehydration properties, while problems such as grittiness or sandiness in concentrated systems like ice cream and sweetened condensed milk can result from the uncontrolled crystallisation of α-lactose. In addition, the significant proportion of lactose-intolerant consumers in many regions of the world has driven a demand for lactose-reduced or -free products, and a range of processes have been developed to meet this demand. In this chapter, key dairy product-related aspects of the properties of lactose, in particular the commodities mentioned here, will be reviewed and discussed in a number of short sub-chapters. | Significance of Lactose in Dairy Products | 10.1007/978-3-030-92585-7_3 |
2022-01-01 | The prediction of fatigue life of metallic alloys is justly accepted as one of the most important phenomena in the field of metallurgical and mechanical engineering. At elevated temperatures, oxidation of the surfaces has an effective role in the fatigue strength and ductility of the alloys. In the present work, the effect of prior cyclic oxidation on the high temperature low cycle fatigue (HTLCF) properties of nickel-based superalloy Rene®80 has been assessed in the uncoated state and in the Pt-aluminide (Pt-Al) coated condition at 930 °C. To apply cyclic oxidation, simulation of engine thermal exposure was carried out by exposing coated and uncoated fatigue specimens in the burner rig (120 cycles at 1100°C). The cyclic oxidation procedure led to a changing in the coating microstructure from the dual-phase ( ξ -PtAl 2 + β -(Ni, Pt) Al) to single phase ( β -(Ni, Pt)Al). Results of HTLCF tests showed an improvement in the HTLCF life around 11.5% in the unexposed coated specimen (pre-cyclic oxidation) as compared to unexposed bare specimen, while this rise for exposed coated specimen (post-cyclic oxidation) was only 5%. Although a mixed mode fracture morphology (ductile and brittle) was observed on the fracture surfaces of failed specimens, the wider regions of brittle fracture belonged to exposed coated/uncoated ones. 预测金属合金的疲劳寿命是冶金和机械工程领域中最重要的研究之一。在高温下, 表面氧化对 合金的疲劳强度和延展性有重要影响。本文研究了预循环氧化对无涂层和有Pt-Al 涂层的镍基高温合金 Rene®80 在930 °C 时的高温低循环疲劳(HTLCF)性能的影响。将有涂层和无涂层的疲劳试样在燃烧器 钻机中进行发动机热暴露模拟(1100 °C, 120 次循环)。循环氧化过程中涂层的微观结构由双相( ξ -PtAl 2 + β -(Ni、Pt)Al)转变为单相( β -(Ni、Pt)Al)。结果显示, 与未暴露的无涂层试样相比, 未暴露的涂层试样 (预循环氧化)的HTLCF 寿命延长了约11.5%, 暴露涂层试样(后循环氧化)的仅延长了5%。虽然断裂试 样的断口表现为混合模式断裂形态(延性和脆性), 但暴露涂层/无涂层的试样断口大部分属于脆性断裂。 | Influence of prior cyclic oxidation on high temperature low cycle fatigue life of bare and Pt-Al coated superalloy Rene®80 | 10.1007/s11771-022-4929-5 |
2022-01-01 | A modern approach to improving energy efficiency and reducing heat losses in the building, heat energy, agricultural and other fields involves the use of modern materials with high heat-insulating characteristics. The main indicators of the quality of heat-insulating materials and products are thermal conductivity and the associated thermal resistance. An analysis of existing methods and instruments for studying thermal conductivity shows that for solid, inhomogeneous, low-heat-conducting materials, the most acceptable are the devices that implement standardized stationary methods, such as a Heat flow meter apparatus and Guarded hot plate methods. The metrological support of these measurements in world practice is based on the reference installations and working standards, in Russia an additional method was introduced using a multi-valued measure of thermal conductivity. In Ukraine, it is currently relevant to create our own metrological base for measuring thermal conductivity, especially in the range of its low values. In this paper it was proposed a concept and methodology for creating the measuring and computing complex for the precision measurement of thermal resistance and thermal conductivity of materials in the range from 0.02 to 1.5 W/(m K). The design of a heat block is developed that implements a symmetric method for measuring of the heat flux using two identical special heat flux sensors and provided with the active adiabatization system of the measuring cell. The information measurement system of the precision complex is represented by a set of software-controlled units that provide power and control of the heat unit as well as high-precision registration of measurement information and its processing according to a given algorithm with an error of not more than 1.5%, which corresponds to modern requirements for metrological parameters of this type of research. The paper also presents the results of an experimental study of a number of low-heat-conducting materials that are promising for use as reference measures of thermal conductivity. The developed precision information measurement system can become the basis of the state standard and implement a verification scheme of calibration of working means for measuring thermal conductivity. | Information Measurement System for Thermal Conductivity Studying | 10.1007/978-3-030-85746-2_1 |
2022-01-01 | Temperature has a profound effect on many aspects of murine physiology. This raises the question of the best temperature at which mice should be housed to maximize the translational potential to humans. The temperatures at which mice have been routinely kept for studies of molecular physiology (20–21 °C) maximize the comfort of animal handling staff. There is a widespread movement suggesting we should perform experiments instead on mice housed at 30 °C. This often produces very different outcomes. Here we analyze the basis of this suggestion and show that while 20–21 °C is too cold, 30 °C is probably too hot. Rather we suggest an intermediate temperature “the Goldilocks solution” of 25–26 °C is probably optimal. This should be combined with providing animals with nesting material so that they can construct nests to generate microclimates that are within their own control. Providing copious nesting material has additional spin-off advantages in terms of increasing environmental enrichment. Ultimately, however, advocating a single temperature to mimic human physiology is plagued by the problem that humans vary widely in the temperature environments they experience, with consequences for human disease. Hence studying responses at a range of temperatures may provide the greatest insights and translational potential. | Setting Ambient Temperature Conditions to Optimize Translation of Molecular Work from the Mouse to Human: The “Goldilocks Solution” | 10.1007/978-1-0716-2087-8_15 |
2022-01-01 | Traditional artificial visual system consisting of separated photodetector, memory unit, and processing unit is facing the problems of high energy consumption and high delay, not conducive to the development of real-time processing. It is in an urgent need to develop sensing-memory-computing electronics for high-efficiency information processing, breaking the bottleneck of separated functional units in artificial visual system. Emerging neuromorphic computing memristors are considered as the most attractive candidate for next-generation sensing-memory-computing electronics owing to excellent characteristics including low power consumption, high speed, and low operation voltage. Various materials and device structures were developed to fabricate neuromorphic computing memristors, such as metal oxide, two-dimensional materials, organic material, phase change material, and ferroelectric materials. Binary oxide material, ternary oxide material, and oxide heterojunctions could be fabricated as active layers in oxide-based memristor with the advantages of CMOS compatibility, uniform distribution operating voltage, and excellent endurance characteristics. Two-dimensional materials have shown great advantages in mechanical flexibility, dangling-bond-free lattice, tunable bandgap, and diverse heterostructures. Organic materials have advantages of low Young’s modulus and easily changing properties by chemical design. Phase change materials show advantages in low power consumption, high speed, multi-bit storage, and optical sensing. Ferroelectric materials have advantages in dielectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, electro-optic, and acousto-optic effect. However, there is still a long way to go for industrial applications of sensing-memory-computing devices with these materials. The CMOS compatibility, high-density integration capability, low cost, and stable performance of memristors are key factors of sensing-memory-computing devices for industrial applications. For future sensing-memory-computing chips, novel heterogeneous integration of different material systems and structure by combining the advantages of specific material system may be the possible direction of the next-generation real-time processing neuromorphic system. | Emerging Devices for Sensing-Memory-Computing Applications | 10.1007/978-3-031-11506-6_7 |
2022-01-01 | In order to study the effect of low temperature on the discharge characteristics of high energy density ternary lithium batteries for UAV, two types of ternary lithium batteries, energy type and power type, were used to conduct discharge tests at 25 ℃, 0 ℃ and −25 ℃ with energy recovery type charge/discharge test equipment. The test results show that the energy density of energy type ternary lithium battery can reach 266.11 Wh/kg at room temperature, 237.38 Wh/kg at 0 ℃ and 180.20 Wh/kg at low temperature; the energy density of power type ternary lithium battery can reach 244.72 Wh/kg at room temperature, 221.13 Wh/kg at 0 ℃ and 181.20 Wh/kg at low temperature. The energy density at low temperature is 181.57 Wh/kg. | Research on Low Temperature Discharge Characteristics of Ternary Lithium Batteries for Unmanned Systems | 10.1007/978-981-19-0386-1_47 |
2022-01-01 | Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques play a key role in the fabrication process of any semiconductor device. In this chapter, we review two branches such as Low Pressure CVD (LPCVD) and Plasma Enhanced CVD (PECVD) with a special focus on the materials of interest for MEMS devices. LPCVD is the reference technique for the deposition of polysilicon membranes and thick low stress silicon nitride that are essentials for the fabrication of MEMS microphones. On the other hand, PECVD is the technique of choice for the deposition of all the dielectrics used for electrical and structural applications or for the passivation of the devices. The capability of tuning of film stress provides the unique opportunity to fabricate peculiar films such as neutral stress TEOS or very compressive silicon nitride to be employed for the fabrication of MEMS actuators. Some selected cases of study are presented for both LPCVD and PECVD with the aim to underline how conventional deposition approaches can be exploited to obtain materials with tailored properties as requested by their use in advanced MEMS sensors and actuators. | Thin Film Deposition | 10.1007/978-3-030-80135-9_3 |
2022-01-01 | In this chapter, the mechanism and factors affecting size reduction process and the laws governing these operations are discussed. Size reduction is a process in which particles with smaller size and large surface areas are formed, which ultimately eases the processing. The chapter explains the size reduction mechanism during compression, impact, cutting, shearing, and attrition. The stress-strain behavior of materials during mechanical failure also plays an important role during size reduction. To evaluate the effectiveness of size reduction operation, analysis of newly formed surfaces and energy involved becomes important. A better understanding of equipment and operation parameters can minimize the overall input energy. The popular size reduction equipments for agricultural produce, viz., hammer mill, ball mill, burr mill, jaw crusher, gyratory crusher, crushing roll, cutter mill, Reitz mill, and colloid mills, are explained using schematic diagrams. The heat generated during size reduction is always a big concern in processing spices and herbs. Hence, advanced size reduction operations like hammer mill with water jackets and cryogenic grinding are used to protect the aromatic and volatile components. In liquid food, homogenization is frequently used to break particulate matter into smaller and uniform particle sizes to form dispersion. The chapter also deals with different size reduction laws. | Size Reduction | 10.1007/978-981-16-7289-7_6 |
2022-01-01 | Nowadays, MRI and NMR magnets, high magnetic fields measurement devices, high-field magnets for accelerators or for nuclear fusion equipment are some examples that largely utilize superconducting cables and wires, which are largely made of the low-temperature superconducting materials (LTS) Nb 3 Sn and Nb-Ti. The high-temperature superconductors (HTS), with critical temperature exceeding 77 K, displayed very great values of critical current density (J c ), and critical magnetic field (B c2 ). Therefore, the ability to utilize cryo-free cooling or liquid nitrogen-based systems for HTS tapes is leading to significant advancements in technical applications like power transmission lines. Among HTS materials, BSCCO was easily made in the forms of round wires and tapes. However, making REBCO into the form of tapes faced some challenges due to the high production cost. Numerous investigations have been focused on these kinds of materials and further developments are still under progress for better industrialization and commercialization. MgB 2 superconductor (having T c ⁓ 39 K) has also the opportunity to be a low-cost superconductor, which can operate at lower refrigerating costs. Promising J c values have also been attained by the new family of iron-based superconductors (called as pnictides). However, very few studies were performed on tapes based on MgB 2 and pnictide materials. The present chapter summarizes the most important requirements for superconducting cables and wires. Then, based on the kind and family of materials, the main manufacturing processes/technologies and recent developments for superconducting tapes and wires are reported. | Fabrication Technologies of Superconducting Cables and Wires | 10.1007/978-981-19-1211-5_10 |
2022-01-01 | In this chapter, the phenomenon of superconductivity is introduced. A theoretical framework for the analysis of low temperature superconductive materials—the London, Ginzburg-Landau, and Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theories—is described. The defining features of superconductive materials are discussed, along with different types of materials and characteristics. The properties of these materials are emphasized in relation to superconductive electronics. As compared to conventional transistor-based circuits, superconductive electronics utilize a different set of basic devices as building blocks of larger circuits. These basic devices are introduced in this chapter. The properties and dynamic behavior of Josephson junctions are discussed with intuitive analogies describing both the dynamic behavior and classic circuit models. Important cryogenic devices commonly used in superconductive electronics are also briefly reviewed. | Physics and Devices of Superconductive Electronics | 10.1007/978-3-030-76885-0_2 |
2022-01-01 | Hydrogen compatibility of materials refers to the ability to exhibit reliable mechanical integrity and a probability of failure in a given hydrogen-exposed environment. Currently, no experimental methods for qualifying the hydrogen compatibility of materials have been standardized, and testing expertise has been restricted to only a few laboratories. With international coordination, this paper presents the experimental activities and results to establish a code of practice. The experimental campaign included a slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) test and a notched fatigue life test on SUS316L-grade austenitic stainless steel, which has been widely used in structural components in hydrogen service. Sub-sized tensile specimens were machined from a bar with a gauge diameter of 4.00 mm and a gauge length of 20 mm. A notched specimen with a notch angle of 60°, notch radius of 0.12 mm, and net section diameter of 4 mm was prepared for the fatigue life test. The net section stress in the notched specimen at maximum load (σ max ) was 444 MPa in a tension—tension loading condition with a loading ratio of R = 0.1. The tests were performed at a temperature of 233 K (−40 °C) in two environmental conditions: high-pressure hydrogen gas at 90 MPa and nitrogen gas at 0.1 MPa (three tests for each condition). No noticeable degradation in yield strength and tensile strength was observed in the specimens tested under hydrogen pressure of 90 MPa H2 at −40 °C compared to that tested 0.1 MPa N 2 at −40 °C, however, hydrogen had a remarkable effect on reduction area (RA), and strain at fracture. The consistency of the experimental conditions and results from different laboratories with a distinct testing system were closely compared and discussed. | An experimental study for qualifying hydrogen compatibility of austenitic stainless steel under low temperature | 10.1007/s12206-021-1214-8 |
2022-01-01 | Employment of high-capacity positive-electrode materials is one of the most effective ways to improve the energy density of Li-ion batteries. The electrochemical properties of Li transition-metal oxides, which make up the Li insertion materials in the positive electrode, depend on their crystal structures. In general, materials composed of LiMO 2 (M: a transition metal) with a layered structure (i.e., a two-dimensional framework) exhibit a high capacity, but complete extraction of the Li ions in the framework results in destruction of the structure. LiM 2 O 4 having a spinel structure (i.e., a three-dimensional framework) exhibits excellent toughness, but the number of Li ions in the structure is smaller than that in the layered structure, resulting in a lower reversible capacity. Li 2 M 2 O 4 with a reduced spinel-framework structure can be expected to have the advantages of both layered and spinel structures: high capacity and robust structure. In this study, a cubic polymorph of LiNi 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 , which is thought to be a layered material, was prepared by low-temperature synthesis. The obtained LiNi 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 was electrochemically active and showed a reversible capacity of > 100 mAh g −1 at an upper limit voltage of 4.2 V, which is almost the same as that of a two-dimensional material with a layered structure. To confirm the crystal structure of low-temperature LiNi 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 , the change in crystal structure during Li extraction was investigated by ex situ XRD measurements. The isotropic contraction of the cubic lattice during Li extraction causes low-temperature LiNi 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 to have a cubic lattice rather than a layered structure with a pseudo-cubic lattice. The crystal structure of low-temperature LiNi 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 with a cubic lattice and the Li extraction mechanism were elucidated from these results. | Synthesis and electrochemical properties of a cubic polymorph of LiNi1/2Mn1/2O2 with a spinel framework | 10.1007/s10008-021-05087-6 |
2022-01-01 | Different types of frequency filters (bandpass, bandstop, lowpass, and highpass) are used to obtain the desired frequencies and enable wireless communications. As 5G operates in higher frequency bands, new resonating structures are needed for frequency filters, which has been a significant challenge for industry. High percent bandwidth, high selectivity, low insertion loss, small form factor, increased rejection, and reliability under a broad range of temperatures are some of the important criteria for 5G filters. The most popular structures are acoustic wave filters, including surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters, but SAW and BAW filters are only practical up to approximately 2.5 and 6 GHz, respectively. The piezoelectric layer used in BAW filters must have a precise crystal orientation to attain the finest electromechanical coupling. Aluminum nitride (AlN) is the most common material used for BAW filters, providing the greatest balance of performance, reliability, and manufacturability. For 5G, increasing the filter bandwidth requires enhanced piezoelectric coupling. Scandium-doped aluminum nitride (ScAlN) can solve this problem, but manufacturing becomes more challenging, motivating the transition to lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) materials. The precise deposition of the piezoelectric material, electrode configuration, acoustic reflector, and parasitic effects are key factors for enhanced coupling. Innovative structures such as XBAR and other options, including dielectric waveguides, on-chip filtering structures, cavity waveguides, and microstrips, can lead to filters operating at even higher frequencies. In the 5G era, the filter needs to be more miniaturized and better integrated with other devices. Great opportunities for stable ceramic materials with low dielectric constants/loss tangents and high quality factors ( Q -values) exist. This chapter will provide a brief review of various material selections for different types of high-frequency filters used in 5G communication systems. | Materials for High Frequency Filters | 10.1007/978-3-031-17207-6_5 |
2022-01-01 | Generally, prolonged exposure of low alloy carbon steel at an elevated temperature beyond the material’s creep threshold temperature under load will result in slow material deformation even though it is below the yield stress, which eventually leads to rupture (API Recommended Practice 571: damage mechanisms affecting fixed equipment in refining industry. American Petroleum Institute, pp 32–38, 2011). Thus, it is crucial to ensure the right selection or the use of a suitable barrier by means of internal refractory to ensure the material can perform as per the intended design life. This paper presents the sensitivity creep simulation results using the MPC Project Omega Data (API 579–1/ASME FFS-1. Fitness-For-Service. American Petroleum Institute, pp. 10.1–10B.57, 2016) model for the component exposed to an extremely elevated temperature for a short duration of approximately a day; in the context of creep damage and the remaining life of the affected component. Several site testings were conducted to support the sensitivity creep simulation to ensure the study results are precise and reliable. The microstructure evaluation was also included to assess the extent of the creep damage. The creep remaining life prediction covered several scenarios of exposure durations to the extremely elevated metal temperature. The simulation results are used as an input to the plant owner in order to establish proper mitigation and monitoring program to avoid similar recurrence. | Sensitivity Creep Simulation for the Equipment’s Component Experiencing Extreme Elevated Temperature | 10.1007/978-3-030-85646-5_11 |
2022-01-01 | The technological advancement that led to the enhancement of glass production techniques, coupled with the development of applied research on innovative material, allowed the realization of new products with extremely high performance—when compared to the basic glass product—able to overcome the simplification of traditional elements. This chapter develops a state-of-the-art glazing for Smart Architecture (the otherwise called Smart Windows), dividing the technologies investigated on the basis of their development status, recognizing more traditional technologies and systems and advanced technologies, with a final focus on emerging solutions. | Glazing for Smart Architecture | 10.1007/978-3-030-77606-0_6 |
2022-01-01 | Glass transition is a second order transition that takes place within a relatively narrow temperature range in amorphous or semi-crystalline materials as they become glassy and brittle. The glass transition temperature (T g ) is the temperature selected to represent this transition and is an important indicator of the low temperature properties of materials. In the case of bituminous binders, no standard protocol is currently available for the determination of T g , so various techniques have been proposed by researchers. The objective of the work presented in this paper is to compare different methods for the determination of T g of bituminous binders. A set of selected materials was evaluated by means of a dynamic shear rheometer by imposing various test conditions. Different criteria involving both rheological and volumetric parameters were used to analyze experimental data. Obtained results showed a strong dependency of T g on the adopted testing parameters and criteria. | Comparative Evaluation of Different Methods for Assessing the Glass Transition Temperature of Bituminous Binders | 10.1007/978-3-030-46455-4_51 |
2022-01-01 | The decarbonization of human activities needs that hydrogen will be produced through sustainable routes. One of the most promising ways is the electrolysis of water with the energy sources provided by renewables. The main available technologies available for the hydrogen production through electrolysis are reviewed in this chapter. The fundamentals of water electrolysis are described. The problematics related to the desalinization and purification of sea water for its employment in water electrolyzers are described. The new decoupled electrochemical water splitting is highlighted. Obviously, the fundamental energy issues and the energy efficiency of the new route for the application in the steel industry is described. The fundamental aspects related to the choice of high-temperature or low-temperature technologies are analyzed. The key aspect of the integration of water electrolysis with renewable sources is discussed. | Hydrogen from Electrolysis | 10.1007/978-3-030-98056-6_6 |
2022-01-01 | Sensors are technological device that detects the response of the materials on exposure to sensing gas. These electronic devices are very important for personal and infrastructure safety. Various types of materials are used for the design and fabrication of the sensors. However, selecting a particular material depends upon a few parameters like low detection limit, excellent response and recovery time, high selectivity, cheap, less power consumption, operational at ambient temperature and pressure, stability in harsh environmental conditions, etc. In this chapter, first, the basic attributes of bulk and nanostructured materials and their gas-sensing mechanisms are summarized. It also discusses the latest innovation and advancements in the utilization of a variety of materials for gas sensing. Generally, bulk materials are used in the fabrication of sensors due to their key benefits such as low cost and ease to fabricate, but their response is quite slow. Therefore, nanostructure materials, particularly two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures, are promising candidates for the design and development of highly sensitive gas sensors due to their very high surface-to-volume ratio and good compatibility with most device designs. Lately, nanostructured 2D materials, such as metal oxides, graphene, metal dichalcogenides, phosphorene, BN, and M-xenes, have demonstrated significant potential for gas sensors. In this chapter, various methods for the synthesis of 2D nanostructures are briefly summarized. Emphasis is also laid on the evolution of sensing performances provided by devices that integrate 2D nanostructures and strategies for optimizing the sensing features. The experimental along with the theoretical reports are used for the correlations of the structure–properties relationship. The conclusion outlines the open challenges and future prospects for the scientific and technological advancement on 2D nanostructures for high-performance gas-sensing devices. | 2D/3D Material for Gas Sensor | 10.1007/978-981-19-2685-3_8 |
2022-01-01 | In this paper, we present the application of a simplified thermal model in order to extract some of the fundamental parameters needed to understand the response function of low-temperature calorimeters consisting of $$\hbox {TeO}_{2}$$ TeO 2 crystals read-out by neutron transmutation doped (NTD) thermistors operated at temperatures $$T \sim 10$$ T ∼ 10 mK. To this aim, four detectors were hosted in two different holders, one made of copper and the other made of Stratasys $$\hbox {VeroClear}^{TM}$$ VeroClear TM , a 3D-printed plastic material very similar to acrylic. The static characterization of the detectors through the analysis of their load curves at different temperatures, guided by the thermal model, enabled the identification of the main thermal link to the heat sink of the two systems: the glue between the crystal and the copper frame (scaling as $$T^3$$ T 3 ) for the detectors in the copper holder, and the NTD gold read-out wires (scaling as $$T^{2.5}$$ T 2.5 ) for the detectors in the plastic holder. As a subdominant contribution, we could also extract the electron–phonon decoupling characteristic of our NTDs, described by a thermal conductance scaling as $$T^4$$ T 4 . | A Thermal Model for Low Temperature
$$\hbox {TeO}_{2}$$
TeO
2
Calorimeters | 10.1007/s10909-021-02639-y |
2022-01-01 | Advanced composite materials exhibit many desirable characteristics which make them viable candidates for utilization in harsh marine environments. An experimental investigation has been conducted to quantify the effects of coupled water saturation and low temperatures on the mechanical and dynamic behavior of E-glass and carbon epoxy laminates. The relative performance of the materials as a function of water saturation and decreasing temperature was characterized through detailed experiments, specifically in-plane (tensile/compressive) and shear material properties, static and dynamic Mode-I fracture, and impact/flexure after impact strength. The temperature range considered in the study corresponds to a range from room temperature (20 °C) down to Arctic seawater and extreme ocean depth conditions (−2 °C). The materials utilized in the study, carbon/epoxy and E-glass/epoxy, are chosen due to their primary interest to the marine and undersea vehicle communities. The results of the mechanical and dynamic material experiments show that all properties are affected by both water saturation and decreasing temperature, although the trends are specific to the property of consideration. | Effects of Water Saturation and Low Temperature Coupling on the Mechanical Behavior of Carbon and E-Glass Epoxy Laminates | 10.1007/978-3-030-86741-6_1 |
2022-01-01 | During winter conditions, low-temperature cracks develop at the surface of the asphalt pavement when tensile thermal stress induced in the asphalt layer during cooling equals and exceeds the tensile strength of the material. The paper presents the results of tensile strength reserve assessment of asphalt mixtures with neat and SBS-polymer modified bitumen application. The tensile strength reserve was calculated as difference between the tensile strength β t (T) obtained from the uniaxial tension stress test (UTST) and the cryogenic (thermal) stress σ cry (T) obtained from the thermal stress restrained specimen test (TSRST) at the same temperature T. It can be useful factor assessing the low-temperature properties of asphalt mixtures. It was found that the highest values of tensile strength reserve were obtained for the asphalt mixture with SBS-polymer modified bitumen. | Assessment of Tensile Strength Reserve of Asphalt Mixtures at Low Temperatures | 10.1007/978-3-030-46455-4_41 |
2022-01-01 | High-temperature technology is of major importance in many industrial applications, such as aircraft engines and land-based power generation gas turbines. Demands for high fuel and engine efficiency require the increasing service temperature of superalloys. The further development of widely used Ni-base superalloys hits a bottleneck due to the limitation of the melting point of Ni. In 2006, the discovery of γ/γ′ Co–Al–W alloys began a new era in the development history of high-temperature materials. Compared with Ni-base superalloys, the higher melting temperature by 50~150 °C, the greater creep resistance, and the comparative mechanical properties spotlight the research of novel γ/γ′ Co–Al–W-based alloys as one of the candidates for high-temperature materials for future generations of advanced propulsion systems. Despite the extraordinary improvement achieved in the various aspects of novel γ/γ′ Co–Al–W-based superalloys, several drawbacks still restrict the wide applications, such as metastable nature of γ′ precipitates, narrow γ/γ′ composition range, overhigh mass density, inferior medium–low-temperature strength. In this chapter, we review the current exploration of γ′-strengthened Co-base superalloys in view of these drawbacks, including phase stability of γ′ precipitates, γ′-solvus temperature, development of low-density γ/γ′ Co-base superalloys and CoNi-base superalloys, and high-temperature mechanical capability of γ/γ′ Co-base superalloys. Finally, the challenges and future research needs in the development of novel Co-base superalloys are prospected. | Overview of the Development of L12 γ′-Strengthened Cobalt-Base Superalloys | 10.1007/978-981-19-4743-8_7 |
2022-01-01 | Increasing the yield of inferior oil produced in the production of light oils and chemical raw materials I is the main way to save oil and increase efficiency. (SDA) is one of the important ways to reduce heavy oil, but there is a problem in the processing process, that is, “(DAO)” can meet the requirements of quality catalytic cracking (FCC) when its performance is low, and its performance will change at high temperature. Poor and does not meet the contradictory relationship of FCC raw material standards. In order to make full use of existing equipment and SDA technology, so that more light components enter DAO at a lower slag drop (VR), asphaltenes, heavy metals, and some sulfur and nitrogen compounds can be effectively removed, improving DAO efficiency and To ensure that its quality meets the requirements of secondary treatment, under high oil prices, strict environmental protection requirements and resource characteristics “oil shortage”, natural gas shortage and “coal enrichment”, the development of oil-coal combined with artificial intelligence technology is a direction that deserves attention. This paper studies the effect and mechanism of artificial intelligence-based blending of medium and low temperature coal tar to improve solvent deasphalting of inferior residual oil. Based on the method of literature research, the composition of medium and low coal tar is explained, and then the influence is further understood. For the factors of solvent deasphalting effect, the following experiments have been prepared. Through related experiments that affect the solvent deasphalting effect, some experiments should be obtained to control the amount to improve the solvent deasphalting of inferior residues for blending with medium and low temperature coal tar. The effect and mechanism experiment was carried out. Through the experiment of medium and low temperature coal tar to improve the deasphalting effect of inferior residual oil solvent, it was found that under the same conditions, the asphalt yield was 62.5%. When ethyl acetate was extracted alone; with the amount of coal tar added as a result, the weighted asphalt yield gradually decreases. The total return of the experiment has a maximum value when the average coal tar mass fraction is 30% (average value is 70.2). In the middle and low temperature coal and tar, the high-quality residual oil solvent deasphalting is improved. The experimental results show that as the mass fraction of coal tar mixture increases, the mass fractions of aromatics, gums and saturated hydrocarbons in the raw materials decrease, the mass fraction of asphaltenes increases, and the colloidal stability parameters in the raw materials decrease, the dispersion effect is reduced. Reduce the colloidal stability of raw materials, therefore, the asphalt is easier to remove. | Artificial Intelligence-Based SDA Technology Improves the Deasphalting Effect and Mechanism of Inferior Solvents | 10.1007/978-981-19-4775-9_149 |
2022-01-01 | Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites show high strength, high stiffness and low weight. Thus, these composite laminates are used in many industries such as aerospace, defence and automobile. Thus, in this chapter, behaviour of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composite laminates under LVI is presented. The literature presented here covers different aspects such as laminate thickness, impact velocity, impact energy, stacking sequence which affect the impact resistance properties of the carbon fibre reinforced polymer composite laminates. Further, effect of hybridization of the carbon fibre with other fibres such as glass, basalt on the impact properties is also covered. The final section of this chapter covers the effect of addition of nanomaterial on the impact performance of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composite laminate. | Low Velocity Impact on Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composite Laminates | 10.1007/978-981-16-9439-4_4 |
2022-01-01 | Adhesively bonded connections are now commonly employed in products that may be subjected to a variety of environmental conditions. Temperature fluctuations are an element that may inflict damage on adhesive joints and lead to interconnection failure. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of temperature on the joints bonded with electrically conductive adhesive. Adhesive joints were exposed to high and low temperatures at 85 °C and 6 °C respectively for 10, 30, and 50 h. The shear strength of the joints, which were represented by single lap joints was obtained from tensile tests. The effect of temperature was also observed on the fracture surfaces of the adhesive joints measured by a 3D profilometer. Results indicated that exposure to high temperatures increased the performance of adhesive joints significantly. The strength of adhesive joints increased as the hours of exposure to high temperatures increased. It can be concluded that at low temperature, the surface of the electrically conductive adhesive becomes more ductile due to the number and frequency of lower peak, while at high temperature, the surface of electrically conductive adhesive becomes more brittle due to the number and frequency of the higher peak. | Effect of Temperature on the Mechanical Performance of Joints Bonded with Electrically Conductive Adhesive | 10.1007/978-981-19-3179-6_89 |
2022-01-01 | This paper presents the results of design and technological developments of resource-saving technologies for processing organic solid municipal waste (MSW), which allow obtaining various types of marketable products. Commercial products were obtained using this technology in the form of: carbon black, liquid hydrocarbon fuel, synthetic hydrocarbon gas. The proposed technology and technical means allow solving a whole range of scientific and technical, research, design, technological and environmental problems. The solutions take into account the conditions of existing production facilities and are aimed at eliminating existing technical and technological limitations in the field of resource and energy saving. The results of experimental studies on the determination of the material composition, structural-morphological and textural characteristics of carbon black, including X-ray phase analysis, laser diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption are presented. The results of the energy dispersion analysis indicate the predominance of carbon in the analyzed material, the presence of oxygen, calcium and silicon, and chlorine is also recorded. The product studied in this work was obtained according to the low-temperature thermolysis technology for processing organic solid municipal waste developed and implemented at the company “Ecotrans TC” LLC. Promising areas of application of carbon black obtained during the processing of organic MSW by the method of low-temperature thermolysis are identified. | Study of the Material Composition of Carbon Black Obtained as a Result of MSW Thermolysis | 10.1007/978-3-030-81289-8_22 |
2022-01-01 | Elastomeric radial lip seals are complex tribological systems. Their sealing performance is essentially determined by the back pumping capability of the system. During the dynamic operation, radial lip seals can actively pump leaking fluid back to the fluid side. For the assessment of the pumping capability and the leak-tightness of the sealing system, the pumping rate can be used. The pumping rate measures the pumped fluid volume per time or distance. In this paper, the influence of low operating temperatures on the pumping rate of elastomeric radial lip seals is analysed experimentally. For this purpose, the pumping rate was measured at different oil sump temperatures between +40 and –20 °C. The experimental analyses were performed with radial lip seals made of nitrile rubber (NBR) and fluoro rubber (FKM) in combination with mineral and synthetic (polyglycol and polyalphaolefin) oils. | Influence of Low Temperature on the Pumping Rate of Radial Lip Seals | 10.1007/978-3-030-88465-9_12 |
2022-01-01 | In order to obtain high strength and high conductivity and simultaneous keeping enough elongation copper alloy wires, the physical properties of ultra-deformation Cu-Ag alloy wires Cu-Ag alloy wires were studied versus aging parameters and interface changes. The experimental results show that the phase interface and grain boundary Grain boundary of ultra-deformation Cu-Ag alloy wire Cu-Ag alloy wires has massive amorphous structure and subgrain structure. It can be mentioned that the physical properties of Cu-Ag alloy wires Cu-Ag alloy wires were affected dominantly by these substructures. The present comparative study suggests that there is an obviously increasing on elongation for ultra-deformation Cu-Ag alloy wires Cu-Ag alloy wires after recrystallization Recrystallization , and the strength is compatible with high conductivity in Cu alloys due to the solute atoms stable existence in the matrix. | Effect of Changes in Phase and Grain Interface on Physical Properties During Aging of Ultra-Deformation Cu-Ag Alloy Wires | 10.1007/978-3-030-92381-5_134 |
2022-01-01 | Monolayer two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors are emerging as top candidates for the channels of the future chip industry due to their atomically thin body and superior immunity to short channel effect. However, the low saturation current caused by the high contact resistance ( R c ) in monolayer MoS 2 field-effect transistors (FETs) limits ultimate electrical performance at scaled contact lengths, which seriously hinders application of monolayer MoS 2 transistors. Here we present a scalable strategy with a clean end-bond contact scheme that leads to size-independent electrodes and ultralow contact resistance of 2.5 kΩ·µm to achieve record high performances of saturation current density of 730 µA·µm −1 at 300 K and 960 µA·µm −1 at 6 K. Our end-bond contact strategy in monolayer MoS 2 FETs enables the great potential for atomically thin integrated circuitry. | Record-high saturation current in end-bond contacted monolayer MoS2 transistors | 10.1007/s12274-021-3504-y |
2022-01-01 | The iron-containing raw materials which can be extracted from copper slags are essential for Uzbeksteel JSC. In this regard, the relevance of this work is undeniable. The problem of processing slags of metallurgical plants is more acute in both ferrous metallurgy and non-ferrous metallurgy. This problem has not been practically solved in any country around the world. Slags, accumulating around metallurgical plants, create substantial environmental issues for enterprises. The tightening of environmental legislation and the consequent payment of significant fines force enterprises to seek alternative solutions. | Low-Temperature Reduction Processing of Copper Slag | 10.1007/978-981-19-5395-8_15 |
2022-01-01 | In 2008, performance oriented methods for conformity testing of asphalt mixtures were introduced in the European standard series EN 13108. These standards establish primary performance properties like low temperature resistance, stiffness, resistance to fatigue and permanent deformation. However, these tests are complex and require enormous testing efforts making it difficult to implement them in routine testing. The research project VEGAS (Vereinfachte Ansprache des Gebrauchsverhaltens von Asphalt), a collaboration between 3 research institutions from Germany Austria and Switzerland, aimed therefore to simplify the testing system, but keeping the valuable information about the material performance. Testing effort was reduced to the determination of the volumetric properties and carrying out tests only on the binder and mastic using multiscale models. This paper focuses on some of the experimental efforts carried out by Empa in Switzerland, related to low temperature cracking of different types of bitumen and mastic and fatigue experiments on asphalt samples and slabs. Within this work a new testing procedure using the Double Torsion Testing method is proposed to evaluate low temperature crack propagation in mastic. Further, the testing on asphalt slabs was performed with a scaled traffic simulator and the results were used for validating laboratory scale test on cylindrical specimens. The focus of the paper is providing results and discussion of certain test methods, a comprehensive overview of the whole project is not intended. | Analysis of Low Temperature Cracking Behavior at Binder, Mastic and Asphalt Concrete Levels | 10.1007/978-3-030-46455-4_32 |
2022-01-01 | Gallium Ga alloys -based low melting temperature alloys Low melting temperature alloys (LTAs) have been proposed as candidates for next generation thermal interface materials Thermal interface materials (TIMs) (TIMs) due to their high thermal conductivity (~30 W/m*K) and liquidity. However, poor wettability as well as embrittling and corroding effect of Ga on metals have limited their use by the electronics industry. Studies on the relationship between the evolution of thermal properties and interfacial reactions between Ga-based TIMs and metal substrates are thus vital for creating a path forward. We measured thermal conductivity and thermal interface resistance of eutectic Ga-In alloy (EGaIn) sandwiched between two Ni-plated Cu substrates following simulated assembly and accelerated aging. The rapid interfacial reaction between EGaIn and both Ni and Cu at elevated temperatures led to an increase in the thermal conductivity. Further study showed the change in thermal properties was due to the depletion of Ga in the system through intermetallic formation, creating a higher conductivity In-rich alloy. | Investigation of Thermal Properties and Thermal Reliability of Ga-based Low Melting Temperature Alloys as Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) | 10.1007/978-3-030-92381-5_132 |
2022-01-01 | This paper presents the results of the design, optimization and simulation of a radio-frequency (RF) switch made using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The device is a capacitive shunt switch with a hybrid contact type and a high capacitance ratio and a small air gap. To increase the capacitance ratio in the developed design of the RF MEMS switch, a fixed capacitor with metal–insulator-metal (MIM) plates is used. As the material of the insulator layer, a material with a high permittivity—titanium oxide—is used. To reduce the value of the activation voltage and increase the speed of the switch in the presented design of the RF MEMS switch, a zig-zag type of elastic suspension element is used. According to the results of the simulation of the optimized design of the RF MEMS switch, the activation voltage is no more than 3.5 V with a closing time of no more than 6.5 us. In addition, the RF MEMS switch presented by the results of electromagnetic modeling is characterized by low insertion loss −0.06 dB @ 3.6 GHz in the open position and a high isolation value −43.5 dB @ 3.6 GHz in the closed position. The effective frequency spectrum of the presented RF MEMS switch with a hybrid contact type is the S-band, which includes various types of ground and satellite radio communications. | Design and Optimization of a Shunt RF MEMS Switch with a Hybrid Contact Type | 10.1007/978-3-030-81119-8_30 |
2022-01-01 | Low temperature is often used in food processing. However, a series of physical and biochemical modifications can be produced by foodborne pathogens in the process of transient stress and low temperature adaptation, these changes make foodborne pathogenic bacteria continue to grow at low temperature, and even increase its pathogenicity and drug resistance, causing huge damage to food safety and human health. This chapter mainly introduces the application of low temperature in food processing, the changes of physiological and biochemical characteristics of bacteria exposed to a cold environment, and the factors affecting the development of cold resistance of foodborne pathogens, with emphasis on various cold resistance mechanisms of foodborne pathogens. | Response of Foodborne Pathogens to Cold Stress | 10.1007/978-3-030-90578-1_3 |
2022-01-01 | The small-size amorphous nanoscale silica materials from rice husk were prepared using low-cost ecofriendly approach at temperature 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C. Structural properties of prepared silica materials that were determined using XRD, HR-TEM, and SEM. HR-TEM measurement shows size of about 8 nm. Broad XRD peak zone was obtained at near 2θ = 22° that indicates the amorphous nature of silica materials. Surface morphology measurement of silica depends on temperature and shows agglomerated porous structure. Photoluminescence, measurement represents wide emission in UV region. PVA/SiO 2 composite was also prepared ecofriendly using low-cost chemical method. Functional group of silica and its composite was measured using FTIR and shows the presence of hydrogen bonded silanol group that increases the densification of composite. The luminescence emissions of radiations in composite materials are also in UV range but intensity height decreases considerably. Physical properties measurement of present research opens a new window for electronics, cement, medicine industries, and its use as raw materials or composite materials. | Physical Properties of Amorphous Nanosilica from Rice Husk (Agriculture Waste) and PVA Composite, Prepared Using Green Approach for Its Applications | 10.1007/978-981-16-8341-1_6 |
2022-01-01 | The paper evaluated the low temperature performance of the bituminous mixtures, which were produced in the plant using the dry process and compacted in the laboratory. Elastiko R crumb rubber was chosen to modify the bituminous mixture. Four types of bituminous mixtures, including leveling layer and surface layer gradation with and without crumb rubber, were produced in a plant in Iron Mountain, MI. The volumetric design of the mixture followed the Superpave mixture design. The leveling layer and surface layer mixture used 25 and 17% recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) (by weight of bituminous mixture). To improve the moisture resistance, dosages of 0.125 and 0.08% anti-stripping agent (by weight of bitumen) were selected for the leveling layer and surface layer. The low temperature cracking properties of four types of bituminous mixtures were evaluated using the Disk-shaped Compact Tension (DCT) test. The RAP content, bitumen content, and nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) influenced the low temperature cracking performance of the bituminous mixture. The fracture energy of the surface layer bituminous mixture was higher than that of the leveling layer bituminous mixture. The cracking resistance of the leveling layer and surface layer bituminous mixture were improved after the addition of rubber. The maximum CMOD was linearly correlated with the fracture energy of different types of bituminous mixtures. | The Low Temperature Performance of Rubberized Bituminous Mixture Using the Dry Process | 10.1007/978-3-030-46455-4_233 |
2022-01-01 | Citrus mildew can lead to significant economic losses for both farmers and fruit processing companies. Compared with conventional cold storage and chemical preservation techniques, little is known about using low-temperature plasma technology to preserve navel oranges. In this study, Gannan navel oranges were studied, while pathogenic mold spores were collected from moldy Newhall oranges. The pathogenic spores were treated with argon, helium, and oxygen for 10 min and 20 min. Trypan blue staining demonstrated that only the low-temperature plasma produced by oxygen ionization effectively killed the pathogenic spores, while the spore death rate after 4 min and 2 min of treatment was nearly 100% and the spore death rate after 1 min treatment was 80.5 ± 5.5%. The mildew activity of pathogenic spores was significantly inhibited across several treatment times. There was no difference in phenotype and quality between the treated fruit and the control. Our experimental results demonstrate that low-temperature plasma with oxygen can be used to preserve navel oranges, kill mildew, significantly reduce the fruit mildewing probability during storage, and avoid significant economic losses. | Insights into the Fungicidal Activity of Low-Temperature Plasma Against the Pathogen of Navel Orange Fruit Mildew | 10.1007/978-981-19-1870-4_88 |
2022-01-01 | Fused deposition modeling (FDM) process is a low cost and widely used extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) process. FDM is generally used for printing thermoplastic materials like PLA, ABS, etc. This present study aims to extend the application of the FDM technique for printing low-melting point (LMP) alloys. The melt flow behavior (MFB) of molten material through liquefier plays a vital role in the deposition characteristic and calculation of feeding force or torque. This present study analyzes the melt flow behavior of eutectic Sn-Bi LMP alloy through the nozzle. The MFB parameters, i.e., pressure drop and melt flow velocity across the nozzle have been investigated. This study has been carried out using two methods: one analytical method and the other finite element analysis (FEA). The investigation has been carried out with varying nozzle angles and nozzle exit diameters. The results show that nozzle geometry has a significant impact on the MFB. Both pressure drop across the nozzle and nozzle exit velocity decreases with increase in nozzle angle and nozzle exit diameter resulting in a smooth flow. | Effect of Nozzle Geometry on Melt Flow of Eutectic Sn–Bi Low-Melting Point Alloy in Fused Deposition Modeling | 10.1007/978-981-16-7787-8_28 |
2022-01-01 | The coefficient of thermal expansion/contraction (CTE) is an important factor influencing the low temperature thermal cracking of asphalt pavements. The typical CTE of asphalt mixture decreases as the temperature drops, showing a sigmoidal form of gradual transition. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of CTEs of asphalt binder and aggregate on the mixture CTE, to determine the effects of the mixture CTE on the low temperature performance of the asphalt mixture, and to investigate the transition behavior of the mixture CTE at low temperatures. Two limestone aggregates and four asphalt binders with different CTE values were used to prepare eight asphalt mixture combinations. The mixture CTE values were determined using a custom-made CTE device where the thermally induced deformations were measured in two diametral directions. The low temperature performance was determined using the Asphalt Concrete Cracking Device (ACCD), a concentric thermal stress restrained specimen test. Based on the test results, it was concluded that the measured asphalt mixture CTE values were significantly smaller than the values predicted by the current AASHTOWare Pavement ME model. The cracking temperature measured by ACCD became colder as the mixture CTE became smaller. The transition of the mixture CTE appeared to be caused by internal cracking and could be modeled with the isochronal stiffness of asphalt binder. The mixture CTE transition temperature was highly correlated with the ACCD cracking temperature. | Coefficient of Thermal Expansion and Thermally Induced Internal Cracking of Asphalt Mixes | 10.1007/978-3-030-46455-4_48 |
2022-01-01 | Low temperature oxidation Air injection has the advantages of low energy consumption and low environmental pollution, and is an important means of heavy oil development. In order to study the change characteristics of heavy oil in Ji 7 well area of Xinjiang oilfield and the feasibility of air injection for oil displacement, dynamic oil displacement experiments were carried out by using one-dimensional combustion tube. The heat release and heavy oil characteristics of Ji 7 heavy oil at different ignition temperatures were studied. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry experiments were carried out by using TG/DSC thermal analyzer, combined with component analysis and thermal component analysis. The exothermic law and reaction mechanism of low temperature oxidation of Ji 7 heavy oil at different temperatures were analyzed by analytical kinetics analysis method. The feasibility of low temperature oxidation flooding technology by air injection was evaluated according to the reservoir characteristics. The results show that the oxidation of Ji 7 heavy oil can be divided into three stages: low temperature oxidation (LTO), fuel deposition (FD) and high temperature oxidation (HTO). Weak self-exothermic phenomena can be detected after oxidation of Ji 7 heavy oil at 40 ~C. After oxidation at 180 ~C, the combustion and deposition stage of Ji 7 heavy oil has obvious characteristics, the low temperature oxidation stage weakens, the high temperature oxidation stage migrates to the direction of lower temperature, DTG and DSC peaks. The value is more obvious, and the peak value of mass loss and heat flux is larger. Under reservoir temperature and pressure conditions, the oxidation of heavy oil and air is weak. After oxidation and pressurization of Ji 7 heavy oil, the thermal effect of low temperature oxidation of heavy oil is remarkable. It is suggested that pressurization start air injection development at higher initial temperature (about 350 C). | Experimental Research on Low Temperature Oxidation of Heavy Oil in JI 7 Well Area of XinJiang Oilfield | 10.1007/978-981-19-2149-0_491 |
2022-01-01 | ♀ Epinephelus fuscoguttatu s × ♂ Epinephelus lanceolatus , a hybrid grouper created from artificial breeding, has been widely developed over the past decades. However, the study focusing on lukewarm high-protein-content fish species using advanced techniques has rarely been reported. In this work, the TMT (tandem mass tag)-assisted technique was employed to explore its differentially expressed proteins and response mechanisms under low-temperature dormant and waterless stresses. Our findings suggest that 162 and 258 differentially expressed proteins were identified under low-temperature dormant and waterless stresses, respectively. The waterless preservation treatment further identifies 93 differentially expressed proteins. The identified proteins are categorized and found to participate in lipid metabolism, glycometabolism, oxidative stress, immune response, protein and amino acid metabolism, signal transduction, and other functions. Accordingly, the factors that affect the response mechanisms are highlighted to provide new evidences at protein level. | Response mechanism of ♀ Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂ Epinephelus lanceolatus under low-temperature and waterless stresses using TMT proteomic analysis | 10.1007/s00709-021-01654-w |
2022-01-01 | Many parts of the building components such as walls, and flat and sloped roofs contain enclosed airspaces. In addition, the Insulating Glass Units (IGUs) in fenestration systems such as curtain walls, windows and skylight devices contain enclosed spaces that are normally filled with air or heavy gas such as Argon, Xenon or Krypton. The thermal resistance (R-value) of an enclosed space depends mainly on the type of the filling gas, emissivity of all surfaces that bound the space, the size and orientation of the space, the direction of heat flow through the space, and the respective temperatures of all surfaces that define the space. Assessing the energy performance of building envelopes with reflective insulations and fenestration systems, subjected to different climatic conditions, require accurate determination of the R-values of the enclosed spaces. In this chapter, a review was conducted on the thermal performance of enclosed airspaces for different building applications. As well, the different parameters that affect the thermal performance of enclosed airspaces were discussed. These parameters include: (a) dimensions, (b) inclination angles, (c) directions of heat flow, (d) emissivity of all surfaces that bound the space, and (e) operating conditions. | Overview of Thermal Performance of Air Cavities and Reflective Insulations | 10.1007/978-3-030-98693-3_3 |
2022-01-01 | Cement production is an exothermic process and contributes approximately 8% of world’s total anthropogenic CO 2 emission. The growing demand for cement and increasing concerns over environmental sustainability has prompted the cement community to search for alternative, eco-cementitious binders. In the last few decades, several eco-cementitious binders have been proposed with lower embodied energy and reduced carbon footprint than that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). This chapter focuses about six promising alternative cement binders which have the potential to be adopted in varieties of building and infrastructure projects. The chapter briefs about the involved cement chemistry, characteristics, raw material used, their availability, and current application of (a) calcium sulfoaluminate, (b) alkali activated, (c) magnesium oxide, and (d) limestone calcined clay cement. Besides that, chapter also presents the critical appraisal on CO 2 reduction potential of the studied alternative cements, current challenges, and future direction of research. The scientific value of this chapter was to serve the substantial base of knowledge to the students, researchers, and practicing professionals for the development and conventional application of eco-cementitious binders. | Low Energy/Low Carbon Eco-cementitious Binders as an Alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement | 10.1007/978-3-030-84205-5_143 |
2022-01-01 | In the article, the technology to protect fire-resistant materials of metallurgical melting furnaces against any destruction is considered. In work, it has offered previously targeting skull, or on a fire-resistant laying in the period of its bookmark to apply a copper grid and a tax on it as a positive charge obtained from an external direct-current power source. Simultaneously, positively charged ions of metals will make a start infusion, and further the complicated silicon-oxygen anion complexes will densely adjoin to a positively charged skull. They will not allow them to collapse due to the abrasive influence of burdening materials. | Methods of Protection Against Destruction of Refractory Materials Used for Lining of Autogenous Smelting Furnaces | 10.1007/978-981-16-4321-7_11 |
2022-01-01 | Sea surface temperature (SST) in the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) pathway is sensitive to the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) and YSWC. However, the role of the YSWC in the evolution of regional SST remains unclear. Here, we present new $${\rm{U}}_{^{37}}^{{\rm{k}}\prime }$$ U 37 k ′ based SST and grain size sequences spanning the last 6 092 years in the sediment core Z1, which was retrieved from the central Yellow Sea muddy area. Overall, $${\rm{U}}_{^{37}}^{{\rm{k}}\prime }$$ U 37 k ′ -SST gradually increased since 6.1 ka BP, with a series of centennial-scale fluctuations. Its variation was mainly caused by EAWM when YSWC was weak between 6.1 and ∼3.9 ka BP, as shown by the end-member content of grain size. However, after YSWC was fully developed, i.e., since ∼3.9 ka BP, it exerted critical effects on SST evolution in its pathway. The 1 010, and 538-year cycles of the SST sequence indicated a basic control of solar activity on the oceanic conditions in the Yellow Sea. It is suggested that the variation of total solar irradiance was amplified by thermohaline circulation and then transmitted to the Yellow Sea through the EAWM. Meanwhile, the tropical Pacific signal of El Niño was transmitted to the YSWC through the Kuroshio Current. The dual properties of warm water transported by YSWC to compensate the EAWM and driving by Kuroshio Current closely linked the variation of SST in the YSWC pathway to the Northern Hemisphere high latitude climate and the tropical Pacific. These findings highlight the significance of YSWC on regional SST evolution and its teleconnection to high and low latitude forcing, which grains a better understanding of the long-term evolution of SST in the middle latitude Yellow Sea. | Sea surface temperature evolution in the Yellow Sea Warm Current pathway and its teleconnection with high and low latitude forcing during the mid-late Holocene | 10.1007/s00343-021-0219-6 |
2022-01-01 | A new multi-point inflow pre-anoxic/oxic/anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A1/O2/A3/A4/O5) sludge-membrane coupling process and pilot plant were developed and designed to solve the problem of nitrogen and phosphorus removal of low carbon and nitrogen (C/N) ratio domestic sewage in southern China. The removal effect and transformation rule of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the system were studied by changing the distribution ratio of multi-point influent. The average C/N ratio of the influent was 2.09 and the influent distribution ratio was 1:1. When the temperature was 16–25 °C, the average concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 + - N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in the effluent were 21.31 (±2.65), 0.60 (±0.24), 12.76 (±1.09), and 0.34 (±0.05) mg/L, respectively, and their average removals are 87.3 (±1.2)%, 98.7 (±0.4)%, 74.1 (±1.3)%, and 88.1 (±0.4)% respectively. When the low temperature was 12–15 °C, the average removals were 78.6 (±1.1)%, 90.5 (±1.3)%, 73.7 (±1.13)%, and 86.6 (±1.7)%, respectively. Compared with the traditional anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A2O) process under the same conditions, the TN removal was increased by 15.4%, and the TP removal was increased by 22.2%. This system has obvious advantages in treating wastewater with low C/N ratio, thereby solving the problem wherein the effluent of biological phosphorus removal from low C/N ratio domestic sewage was difficult when it was lower than 0.5 mg/L. | Pilot study on the treatment of low carbon and nitrogen ratio municipal sewage by A1/O2/A3/A4/O5 sludge-membrane coupling process with multi-point inflow | 10.1007/s11356-021-15721-5 |
2022-01-01 | Arsenic-contaminated water with low concentration is a worldwide problem because of its inevitable toxicity. Therefore, it is of practical significance to develop an economical and environment-friendly adsorbent for arsenic removal. In this work, an eco-friendly Fe–Al bimetallic oxide/biochar adsorbent composites was successfully synthesized from discarded rice husk. The factors of different pH, reaction time, initial concentration and interfering ions were studied to further explore adsorption effect by adsorbent in low concentration arsenic solution. The results indicated that the adsorbent had the excellent adsorption capacity at 60 °C and phosphate has the greatest interference to the adsorption process among the selected five interfering ions. The experimental data are fitted to the adsorption isotherm and kinetic model, and the results are more consistent with Ferundlich model and pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Furthermore, it only takes 10 s to recover the prepared materials with magnets, and the removal rate of arsenic can be as high as 75% in the first time while the removal rate reaches above 30% in the fifth time at very low concentrations of contaminants. This study revealed that the prepared Fe–Al bimetallic oxide/biochar can be used as a potential adsorbent for the removal of arsenic at low concentrations for its simple synthesis, environmental friendliness and magnetic recovery. | The Application of Eco-Friendly Fe–Al Bimetallic Oxide/Biochar Adsorbent Composites with Waste Rice Husk for Removal of Arsenic at Low Concentration | 10.1007/s10904-021-02085-z |
2022-01-01 | Recent work has shown that epoxidized plant oil materials work well as rejuvenators in recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and as enhancers of polymer modification of neat binders. Earlier work using a small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) device (Xenoncs Xuess 2.0 UHR) with asphaltenes modified and unmodified with a rejuvenator called epoxidized methyl soyate (EMS) showed a decrease in asphaltene particle size by up to 20% when the rejuvenator was used at a dosage of 2.75% by total weight of the binder for modification. In addition, past work also showed epoxidized plant oil materials when used with sulfur eliminated phase separation of SBS polymers from the asphalt matrix and promoted improved elastic recovery. For this work a series of experiments were undertaken in rheology, and mix performance with a interlayer mix design containing 50% RAP to better understand why epoxidized plant oil materials have these effects. Two epoxidized plant oil materials and a commercial rejuvenator derived from corn oil were used for comparison purposes. In this work it was shown that the two epoxidized plant oil materials made significant improvements to beam fatigue and low temperature mix performance as well as low temperature binder performance. However, only one of them sub epoxidized soybean oil (SESO) did not degrade the elastic recovery of the base polymer modified binder as shown through multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) testing of the rejuvenated binders. | Effect of Soybean Oil Derived Additives on Improved Performance of Polymer-Modified Asphalt Binder and Mix Containing 50% Fine-Graded RAP | 10.1007/978-3-030-46455-4_78 |
2022-01-01 | Analyzing the economic status in KSA in recent years, especially the investment sector, a major increase in the residential buildings sector is noted. This growth led to a massive energy consumption that was disproportionate to the Saudi’s growth in power generation. It is also worth noting that the residential sector accounts for 42.3% of the total energy consumed in KSA where the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is considered one of the key factors in energy waste. Meanwhile, the architects who design those buildings usually don't pay enough attention to the energy in the design process. This paper will tackle a strategy for the environmental control of building designs which is the insulation especially with the high technology in material manufacturing that led to many new materials that are developed with nano-technology, it is vital to take into consideration buildings’ energy efficiency and the building compatibility with the environment by improving the design of the building envelope elements such as building shell. This research sheds light on the feasibility and profitability of nano-technology insulation materials’ implementation and associating it with the thermal and environmental quality of the envelope of the building. The current building energy and HVAC performance in Al Riyadh City, one of the largest cities in KSA, was measured using a computer-based simulation tool (Design-Builder). Toward the end of the research, a conclusion about some of the aspects of the building envelope will be reached like thermal insulators’ implementation into the construction layers of any building shell element seeking to minimize the energy waste in the case study and improve the indoor environmental quality, in addition to the various criteria of residential buildings’ designing process in KSA in the near future. | Feasibility Study of Nano-Technology-Based Insulation Materials’ Usage to Decrease the Cooling Loads in High-Income Housing in KSA | 10.1007/978-3-030-86913-7_14 |
2022-01-01 | As a complex component connecting antenna and power amplifier equipment in a communication system, the integrated reflective-cup compose the reflective-cup, impedance converter and antenna. It is a structural functional component to realize multiple purposes. The device selects aluminum alloy 7A04-T6 with flight experience, and uses integrated design and manufacturing technology to realize the ultimate weight reduction and meet the mechanical simulation conditions. The device belongs to the structure of thin-walled and deep cavity. The manufacturing of the device is realized by optimizing clamping tooling, cutting parameters, welding parameters and process regulations. Through multi-dimensional welding, the welding of all connecting surfaces of the integrated reflective-cup is realized to solve the problem of passive intermodulation (PIM). Through 100 times of liquid nitrogen immersion high and low temperature cycle test, the pull-out force of the solder joint of the sample meets the application requirements, and the alloy thickness of the welding surface has no obvious change, which meets the requirements of on orbit reliability. The integrated reflective-cup has been tested and the indexes meet the design requirements. | Research on Integrated Manufacturing Technology and Space Environment Reliability of Integrated Reflective-Cup | 10.1007/978-981-19-1309-9_98 |
2022-01-01 | Energy-efficient heating and cooling systems as well as intelligent systems for energy distribution are urgently required in order to be able to meet the ambitious goals of the European Union to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The present article is intended to show that intelligent system extensions for the area of heating, cooling and electricity production for the industrial sector can lead to significant increase in efficiency. For this purpose, a simulation study for the expansion of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant with 2 MW thermal output using a 1.4 MW absorption chiller has been carried out. This shows that a heat-controlled CHP unit can significantly increase its running time. A system model was created for the initial situation and validated with existing measurement data. In the second step, this model was expanded to include the ACM module. The simulation was able to prove that in the event of a system expansion, the run time of the CHP unit can be increased by 35%. In addition to then increase of energy efficiency in the supply system, the analysis also focuses on the efficiency of the energy distribution via thermal networks in an industrial environment. The presented paper therefore also highlights the optimization potentials in the operation of thermal supply networks for industrial applications. For this purpose, a mathematical model has been developed which in addition to the components of the thermal network itself also comprises the producers and consumers. The specific construction of thermal networks for the supply of industrial properties requires adapted solutions for the simulation of such systems. Therefore, amongst other things, in the paper, solutions are shown for the modelling of direct flow local heating networks as well as for the operation of a cascade-controlled pump group. | Increased Efficiency Through Intelligent Networking of Producers and Consumers in Commercial Areas Using the Example of Robert Bosch GmbH | 10.1007/978-3-030-92096-8_9 |
2022-01-01 | This paper studies a low-temperature aluminium electrolysis Low-temperature aluminium electrolysis charging recovery system Charging recovery system of a renewable energy cycle power generation system Renewable energy cycle power generation system , which involves the field of renewable energy and aluminium electrolysis. This article research covers wind power systems, photovoltaic power systems, intelligent integrated power coordination control systems, high-purity aluminium production, low-temperature molten salt aluminium electrolysis charging recovery systems, and aluminium-air battery power generation systems Aluminium-air battery power generation system . The intelligent integrated power supply coordination control system presented in this paper is electrically connected to the low-temperature molten salt aluminium electrolysis charging recovery system Charging recovery system and the aluminium-air battery power generation system to provide reliable power. Aluminium electrolysis takes place at low temperatures in the range of 700–750 °C whereby the anode is an inert anode producing oxygen gas. The metal is of high purity while the current efficiency is in the 90–95% range. The attached aluminium-air battery power generation system Aluminium-air battery power generation system is used for wind power and photovoltaic power regulation. | Research on Low-Temperature Aluminium Electrolysis Charging Recovery System of Renewable Energy Cycle Power Generation System | 10.1007/978-3-030-92529-1_75 |
2022-01-01 | Abstract Combining the redox properties of Co and the acid properties of Nb in a Co 3 -Nb-O x catalyst is shown to provide superior performance in the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH 3 (NH 3 -SCR). Co 3 O 4 shows average activity, however, it exhibits a poor N 2 selectivity. Nb 2 O 5 is not active for NH 3 -SCR. However, the mixed Co 3 -Nb-O x catalyst shows higher NO conversion and N 2 selectivity than the single Co 3 O 4 and Nb 2 O 5 catalysts at 100–300 °C. The results of temperature programmed reduction by H 2 and X-ray photoelectron (XP) spectra indicate that the addition of Nb changes the chemical states of Co and decreases the concentration of Co 3+ and O α , adjusting the activity for catalytic oxidation to a moderate level. This suppresses the formation of undesired N 2 O from the over-oxidation of NH 3 . Incorporation of Co and Nb into one solid synergistically couples their redox behavior and surface acidity, ensuring the high catalytic activity and N 2 selectivity in NH 3 -SCR. Graphical Abstract Co 3 -Nb-O x 耦合了Co的氧化还原性能和Nb的表面酸性, 表现出良好的NH 3 选择性催化还原 (SCR) NO性能。Co 3 O 4 催化剂具有较好的催化活性, 但N 2 选择性差; Nb 2 O 5 催化剂活性极低。然而, Co 3 -Nb-O x 催化剂在100-300℃表现出了比单一Co 3 O 4 和Nb 2 O 5 催化剂均高的NO转化率和N 2 选择性。H 2 -TPR和XPS结果表明Nb改变了Co的化学态, 降低了催化剂中Co 3+ 和O α 含量, 调节催化氧化性能至适当水平, 从而抑制了NH 3 的过度氧化致生成N 2 O。Co和Nb复合氧化物耦合了其氧化还原性能与表面酸性, 保证了Co 3 -Nb-O x 催化剂的高脱硝活性和N 2 选择性。 | Synergistic effect of cobalt and niobium in Co3-Nb-Ox on performance of selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 | 10.1007/s12598-021-01790-5 |
2022-01-01 | In this article, the technical feasibility of raw and activated carbon Activated carbon hazelnut shells Hazelnut shells for the removal of heavy metals Heavy metals and dyes from wastewaters has been reviewed. Adsorption has been proved to be an excellent way to treat industrial waste effluents, offering significant advantages like the low-cost, availability, profitability, convenience in operation and efficiency. There is a great potential of hazelnut shells to be used in adsorption applications. Nanotechnology is an advanced field of science having the ability to solve the variety of environmental challenges by controlling the size and shape of the materials at a nanoscale. Carbon nanomaterials Carbon nanomaterials are unique because of their nontoxic nature, high surface area, easier biodegradation and particularly useful environmental remediation. Textile Textile dyes industry effluents and heavy metal contamination in water are major problems and pose a great risk to human health. Carbon nanomaterials namely carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, graphene, graphene oxide and activated carbon have great potential for removal of heavy metals and dyes from water because of their large surface area, nanoscale size and availability of different functionalities and they are easier to be chemically modified and recycled. Activated carbon was also prepared using agricultural by-products such as palm-tree cobs, grape seeds, several nutshells (almond shell, hazelnut shell, walnut shell and apricot stone), olive-waste cakes and corn cob due to the fact that activated carbon made from conventional raw materials are expensive. This review reports the removal of heavy metals Heavy metals and dyes from wastewaters using raw and activated carbon hazelnut shells in order to provide useful information on various aspects of utilization of the agricultural waste materials and carbon nanomaterials Carbon nanomaterials . The adsorption capacities of raw and activated carbon Activated carbon hazelnut shells Hazelnut shells under different experimental conditions are also reported and compared with other agro-based adsorbents. | Removal of Heavy Metals and Dyes from Wastewaters by Raw and Activated Carbon Hazelnut Shells | 10.1007/978-3-030-93460-6_31 |
2022-01-01 | The coal-based direct reduction Direct reduction characteristics of low-grade iron ore Low-grade iron ore during lignite pyrolysis were investigated. Especially, the coal used as reducing agent contains a high percentage of volatile matter and a low percentage of fixed carbon, which could produce a large amount of H 2 and CO during pyrolysis at high temperature and improve the speed of reduction reaction. The results show that appropriately increasing the reduction temperature, increasing the amount of reducing agent, and prolonging the reduction time can all improve the index of DRI. At reduction temperature of 1150 ℃, lignite ratio of 20 wt.%, and reduction time of 40 min, the metallization degree of 92.71%, the index of DRI with iron grade of 90.94%, and iron recovery Iron recovery rate of 85.07% were obtained. The results could be useful for comprehensive utilization of low-grade refractory iron ore by the coal-based direct reduction process. | Highly Efficient Iron Recovery from Low-Grade Refractory Iron Ores by Coal-Based Direct Reduction | 10.1007/978-3-030-92388-4_49 |
2022-01-01 | In the performance test of refrigeration and air-conditioning products, the measurement of air humiture in a wide temperature range is often involved. Usually measurement with wet-and-dry-bulb thermometer is used to measure air humidity at room temperature, and moisture-sensitive humidity sensor method is used to measure air humidity at low temperature. However, they all have measurement flaws. With the continuous development of society, various types of low-temperature heat pump units and other new products have been developed and applied. The humidity parameter at low temperature also needs to pass the test by using the air enthalpy difference method to join in the calculation of the basic performance of the product. The existing moisture-sensitive humidity sensor has poor stability and is difficult to meet the accuracy requirements of low-temperature humidity measurement, while the cost of high-precision dew point temperature sensor increases multiples, and the device is complicated to achieve accurate measurement and control of the dew surface temperature. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of measurement device to achieve accurate and stable measurement of low-temperature air humidity, and then achieve a high-precision measurement target of air temperature and humidity in a wide temperature range. In view of the shortcomings of the existing traditional humidity measurement methods, this application aims to propose a new air humidity measurement method to meet the requirements for wet bulb temperature measurement of −30 °C to 80 °C. | A Method for Measuring and Calculating Low Temperature Air Humiture | 10.1007/978-981-16-8052-6_58 |
2022-01-01 | The low-temperature soldering technology is promising permanent connection technique to realize the soldering of components, microstrip boards, leads, metals, etc. through using flux, solder and soldering equipment. In this work, the diversified low-temperature soldering technology (DLST) was employed to assemble antenna and feed system (AFS) of an airborne electronic countermeasure equipment. The process design of soldering and assembly determined that the DLST is divided into four stages and clarified the optimal assembly sequence. In contrast to the low soldering penetration rate in the traditional soldering process, the DLST assembled AFS shows significant increasing, which is much higher than the requirement of 80% soldering penetration rate in China industry standard. In addition, the temperature gradient soldering process was also studied due to various soldering technics and three kinds of solder with different melting point. Furthermore, the value and significance of the DLST were analyzed and discussed in detail. The mechanism of the DLST was defined on the base of assembly process and assembly results. | Application Study on Diversified Low-Temperature Soldering Technology of Antenna and Feed System for an Airborne Electronic Countermeasure Equipment | 10.1007/978-981-19-1309-9_104 |
2022-01-01 | This chapter presents the stochastic low-velocity impact responses of a cantilever plate composed of functionally graded materials (FGM) by employing the radial basis function (RBF) model. A novel algorithm is developed to ascertain the stochastic transient impact responses experienced by the FGM plates due to the central impact of a spherical steel ball impactor. The random variabilities in the material properties and temperature are considered in the present study. A convergence study of the surrogate model is carried out in conjunction to sample sizes, and results are validated with the original Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The percentage of error present in the constructed RBF model is also determined. The influence of different input variables such as the degree of stochasticity, power-law exponent, temperature, oblique impact angle, and initial velocity of the impactor is considered for mapping the stochastic transient low-velocity impact parameters such as maximum contact force (CF), maximum plate displacement (PD), and maximum impactor displacement (ID). The statistical results illustrate that all input parameters have significant effects on the stochastic impact responses of cantilever FGM plates. | Radial Basis Function-Based Uncertain Low-Velocity Impact Behavior Analysis of Functionally Graded Plates | 10.1007/978-981-19-6278-3_4 |
2022-01-01 | Asphalt pavements in cold regions are often exposed to low-temperature cracking distress. The driving mechanism for this type of damage is usually an isolated event of fast surface cooling in combination with low-temperature levels. Another common characteristic of pavements in cold regions is the need for salting or mechanical clearing operations (or both) to address ice and snow events. An emerging solution to the latter issue is embedded heating systems—comprising of electric heating elements. These are commonly installed to help melt snow or prevent the accumulation of surface ice. This paper investigated an additional potential benefit of such heating systems—the ability to mitigate the development of low-temperature cracks. Thermomechanical calculations were carried out for an idealized pavement system modeled as a linear viscoelastic half-space. First, simulated winter-weather conditions were imposed to generate a surface crack at some point in time for a pavement without heating. Then after, the simulations were repeated—but with an active heating system. For the case considered, it is found that cracking can be potentially mitigated by the heating system if activated approximately half-an-hour before the time at which crack would occur. | Active Mitigation of Low-Temperature Cracking in Asphalt Pavements | 10.1007/978-3-030-46455-4_23 |
2022-01-01 | In this study, a process of magnetizing roasting Magnetizing roasting followed by low-intensity magnetic separation Magnetic separation , which is used to separate and recover iron from low-grade refractory iron ore, was investigated. In addition, the ore is crushed and divided into different sizes and put into the electric rotary kiln at different times to participate in reduction reaction. The optimum magnetizing roasting Magnetizing roasting conditions were obtained as the following: roasting at 800 ℃ for 30 min, mass ratio of lignite to iron ore of 5/1000, and grinding 12 min of roasted samples. Under the optimum roasting conditions, the two main parameters of the recovery process of magnetically separated concentration were obtained as the following: the grade of magnetic concentrate of 61.6 mass% Fe and iron minerals recovery rate of 87.5%. The results could be useful for comprehensive utilization of low-grade refractory iron ore by magnetizing roasting Magnetizing roasting process. | Separation and Recovery of Iron from Low-Grade Refractory Iron Ore by Magnetizing Roasting | 10.1007/978-3-030-92388-4_34 |
2022-01-01 | Factors that affect growth and metabolism is discussed in detail. The role of abiotic factors such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, light, and edaphic characters on growth, development, and the survival of insect at extreme climatic conditions is being explained. Distribution, dispersal, and migration of insects in relation to abiotic factors are dealt in brief. The effect of biotic factors such as food and association with other organisms has been outlined, and these topics were discussed in detail in the succeeding chapters. Finally, the role of self-regulation in maintaining the insect population under a normal balance or balance of nature has been examined. | Factors Affecting Growth and Metabolism of Insects | 10.1007/978-981-19-1782-0_5 |
2022-01-01 | Cleanliness Cleanliness of aluminum-killed ultra-low carbon steel produced through BOF-RH-CC and BOF-LF-RH-CC was comparatively investigated by various test equipment. Three different heating processes were used when the converter tapping temperature was low: reheating by blowing oxygen and Al addition during RH early decarburization stage (Process-A); reheating by blowing oxygen and Al particles addition at the end of RH decarburization (Process-B); and no Al addition at RH decarburization stage but the process was BOF-LF-RH-CC (Process-C). The non-metallic inclusions can be removed obviously in three refining processes. Statistical analysis of inclusion area fraction showed Process-A was substantially less than those in Process-B. Furthermore, the proportion of single inclusion area <8 μm 2 increased from Process-A level 85% to Process-C level 95%. Moreover, this study proposed an XGBoost model based on big data mining Datamining methods to investigate the computational simulation and the introduction of the XGBoost model ensured 90% accuracy rate for seeking an optimum refining process. | Comparative Study on the Cleanliness of Ultra-Low Carbon Al-Killed Steel by Different Heating Processes | 10.1007/978-3-030-92388-4_15 |
2022-01-01 | IoT sensor nodes have requirements that are profoundly different from more traditional electronic applications. They often rely on miniature batteries for power supply, but demand limited accuracy. For this reason, radically new sensor interfaces architectures have been conceived, which ensure record-low average power and energy per measurement, while making it possible to interface different types of sensors at the same time. At the other side of the spectrum, novel IoT applications can be enabled by unconventional form factors and new fabrication technologies, such as intelligent sensors that can be printed on the packaging of perishable goods, to monitor their keeping quality, at a cost comparable to graphic printing of labels. | Breaking Unusual Barriers in Sensor Interfaces: From Minimum Energy to Ultimate Low Cost | 10.1007/978-3-030-91741-8_10 |
2022-01-01 | Scientific and technical developments were carried out to create resource-saving technology and patent-protected devices for low-temperature thermolysis processing of municipal solid waste (MSW) with various physical and mechanical characteristics. Pilot tests of a thermolysis reactor with a spiral conveying body of combined action were carried out and design, technological and thermal engineering parameters of low-temperature processing of organic MSW, as well as rubber waste (RW) were obtained. Samples of recovered carbon black (rCB) were obtained, corresponding to industrial products in terms of their physicochemical characteristics and properties. The possibility of using carbon black obtained by low-temperature thermolysis in the paint and varnish industry has been confirmed. Presented are the test results of paint and varnish compositions made on the basis of three types of polymer binders (alkyd, epoxy, acrylic) carbon black grades P-803, K-354 and rCB, obtained by low-temperature thermolysis technology. It has been established that these compositions, as well as coatings based on them, in terms of their performance, meet the requirements for carbon black grades P-803 and K-354. | Thermolysis Technology and Technical Means for Processing Organic Technogenic Materials | 10.1007/978-3-030-81289-8_42 |
2022-01-01 | Municipal waste management has been a major challenge in developing countries and Nigeria in particular. Agricultural wastes such as corn husk and plastic wastes like low-density polyethylene waste are some of the major municipal wastes constituting nuisance in the environment. The study was focused on the production of biochar and hybrid from carbonization of corn husk and co-carbonization of mixed corn husk and low-density polyethylene waste using a biomass gasifier with retort heating (BGRH). Product qualities were determined using scanning electron microscope (SEM), Branueur–Emmett–Teller (BET), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Biochar and hybrid yields of 50% and 59.91%, respectively, were obtained from both processes respectively. Characterization results showed the biochar and hybrid surfaces to be rough, heterogeneous with no visible pores which were more apparent with the hybrid from the co-carbonization process. Low specific surface areas were determined for both the biochar and hybrid (31.5587 m 2 /g and of 27.1052 m 2 /g respectively) which was attributed to the short residence period at the peak temperatures (351.9 ° C and 332.8 ° C, respectively) of the BGRH employed, a consequence of combustion fuel type. FTIR results showed both the biochar and hybrid contain more C=O and C-H functional groups making the biochar sources of nutrient exchange sites. | Production and Characterization of Biochar and Hybrid Produced from the Co-carbonization of Corn Husk and Low-Density Polyethylene Wastes | 10.1007/978-3-030-96721-5_2 |
2022-01-01 | The peaking performance of 145 MW circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler unit with retrofitting for low-vacuum heat supply were studied in this article. Peaking depth, peaking rate, tube wall temperature of superheater and reheater and bed temperature were measured. Unit load curve analysis shows that the peak load capacity of the test unit is significantly reduced after low-vacuum heating reform with the minimum output of 41.4%. The load reduction rate of 0.99 MW/min and the load increasing rate of 0.71 MW/min is relatively small because of the large thermal inertia of CFB boiler. The wall temperature of the superheater and reheater of low load and variable load stages could be higher than that of high load stages, which is easy to cause overheating and tube bursting. The results of bed temperature and furnace negative pressure indicate the excellent combustion stability of CFB boiler at low load. | Experimental Study on Peaking Performance of 145 MW Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler Unit with Retrofitting for Low-Vacuum Heat Supply | 10.1007/978-981-16-1657-0_43 |
2022-01-01 | We present a Resistive Random Access Memory based Physical Unclonable Function design that gives near-ideal characteristics with high reliability when operating in extreme temperature conditions. By injecting the cells with electric currents, the resistances are much lower than they are in the pristine state and significantly vary cell-to-cell. This property can be exploited to design cryptographic key generators and create quasi-infinite possible digital fingerprints for the same array. The physical unclonable functions operate at low power, in a range that does not disturb the cells; unlike what is done by forming permanently conductive filaments, and the SET/RESET program/erase processes, this design does not modify permanently the resistance of each cell. The novelty of this architecture is to exploit the physical properties of this memory technology by forming gentle ephemeral conductive paths. We evaluate the proposed device’s performance by various stress tests on 1 kb–180 nm ReRAM Technology. | Design and Analysis of Pre-formed ReRAM-Based PUF | 10.1007/978-3-031-10467-1_33 |
2022-01-01 | Application of low carbon alternative fuels for engines has been well-known as an attractive approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, additional efforts have been made on the research and development of alternative fuel engines that run on natural gas, methanol, hydrogen and ammonia, because they provide more potential to achieve strict emission targets. However, a technical challenge for these alternative fuel engines is whether a qualified fuel delivery system is available. Blending is perhaps the most convenient method to burn alternative fuel. A popular blending fuel is the mixture of gasoline and 10% ethanol (E10) for use in passenger vehicles. In this case, no change is needed for the fuel delivery system. In other cases including using methanol as an alternative, the components of fuel delivery system require materials modification to prevent corrosion. High-pressure direct injection of methanol is preferred for heavy-duty engines because compression ignition exhibits high thermal efficiency. In this case, the conventional fuel delivery system needs more modifications. For example, a higher flow capacity is needed for increased flow rate due to the lower energy density. Additional cooling elements are needed to prevent vaporization. A special coating should also be applied to the surface of the pump plunger and control valve to improve the lubricity because those components are made of the anticorrosive material. For natural gas, an effective combustion mode is so called dual—fuel mode. There, natural gas introduced from the intake port and mixed with air homogenously is ignited by injecting a small amount of diesel fuel when the piston approaches the end of compression stroke. More recently, a more advanced fuel delivery system has been developed, which uses one injector for diesel fuel and another for natural gas (or alternatively a co-axial injector with inner nozzle hole for diesel fuel and outer nozzle holes for natural gas). It has been reported that diesel fuel injected for ignition can be reduced to 5% of total fuel with using this new system. This dual-fuel mode has been used for methanol and ammonia fuel, and could be the next main-stream for alternative fuel engines. | Fuel Delivery System for Alternative Fuel Engines: A Review | 10.1007/978-981-16-8414-2_4 |
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