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2024-01-16 | Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) accompanied by blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Dysfunction in microglial lipid metabolism is believed to be closely associated with the neuropathology of NMOSD. However, there is limited evidence on the functional relevance of circulating lipids in CNS demyelination, cellular metabolism, and microglial function. Here, we found that serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was positively correlated with markers of neurological damage in NMOSD patients. In addition, we demonstrated in a mouse model of NMOSD that LDL penetrates the CNS through the leaky BBB, directly activating microglia. This activation leads to excessive phagocytosis of myelin debris, inhibition of lipid metabolism, and increased glycolysis, ultimately exacerbating myelin damage. We also found that therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing circulating LDL effectively reversed the lipid metabolic dysfunction in microglia and mitigated the demyelinating injury in NMOSD. These findings shed light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the positive correlation between serum LDL and neurological damage, highlighting the potential therapeutic target for lowering circulating lipids to alleviate the acute demyelinating injury in NMOSD. | Serum LDL Promotes Microglial Activation and Exacerbates Demyelinating Injury in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder | 10.1007/s12264-023-01166-y |
2024-01-16 | Background Cycling workload is an essential factor in practical cycling training. Saddle height is the most studied topic in bike fitting, but the results are controversial. This study aims to investigate the effects of workload and saddle height on the activation level and coordination of the lower limb muscles during cycling. Methods Eighteen healthy male participants with recreational cycling experience performed 15 × 2-min constant cadence cycling at five saddle heights of 95%, 97%, 100%, 103%, and 105% of greater trochanter height (GTH) and three cycling workloads of 25%, 50%, and 75% of functional threshold power (FTP). The EMG signals of the rectus femoris (RF), tibialis anterior (TA), biceps femoris (BF), and medial gastrocnemius (MG) of the right lower limb were collected throughout the experiment. Results Greater muscle activation was observed for the RF and BF at a higher cycling workload, whereas no differences were observed for the TA and MG. The MG showed intensified muscle activation as the saddle height increased. The mean and maximum amplitudes of the EMG signals of the MG increased by 56.24% and 57.24% at the 25% FTP workload, 102.71% and 126.95% at the 50% FTP workload, and 84.27% and 53.81% at the 75% FTP workload, respectively, when the saddle height increased from 95 to 100% of the GTH. The muscle activation level of the RF was minimal at 100% GTH saddle height. The onset and offset timing revealed few significant differences across cycling conditions. Conclusions Muscle activation of the RF and BF was affected by cycling workload, while that of the MG was affected by saddle height. The 100% GTH is probably the appropriate saddle height for most cyclists. There was little statistical difference in muscle activation duration, which might be related to the small workload. | Effects of workload and saddle height on muscle activation of the lower limb during cycling | 10.1186/s12938-024-01199-y |
2024-01-15 | Tetragonal CuFe 2 O 4 is prepared using solid-state techniques assisted by a low-energy ball milling procedure, starting from cuprous oxide (CuO) and hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ). The crystalline material was studied by Powder XRD analysis, ATR-FTIR, and room temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy showed that tetragonal CuFe 2 O 4 is an inverse spinel. The formation of CuFe 2 O 4 was favoured by milling. FESEM indicates the occurrence a distribution of the particles of irregular grain agglomeration. In the EDS scanning of the tetragonal CuFe 2 O 4 pure samples, the Cu and Fe are homogeneously dispersed, and the Fe/Cu proportion is close to 2. Cyclic voltammetry studies were conducted using the voltammetry of immobilised microparticles technique, with platinum as a counter electrode, Ag/AgCl as a reference, and CuFe 2 O 4 NPs over carbon paste as the working electrode. Pure copper ferrites exhibit two anodic peaks and two cathodic peaks in an acidic solution. A capacitor's behaviour is exhibited in alkaline electrolytes. | Structural and electrochemical characterization of tetragonal copper ferrite nanoparticles | 10.1007/s10751-024-01848-7 |
2024-01-15 | Brazil has experienced one of the highest COVID-19 fatality rates globally. While numerous studies have explored the potential connection between air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), and the exacerbation of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the majority of this research has been conducted in foreign regions—Europe, the United States, and China—correlating generalized pollution levels with health-related scopes. In this study, our objective is to investigate the localized connection between exposure to air pollution exposure and its health implications within a specific Brazilian municipality, focusing on COVID-19 susceptibility. Our investigation involves assessing pollution levels through spatial interpolation of in situ PM 2.5 measurements. A network of affordable sensors collected data across 9 regions in Curitiba, as well as its metropolitan counterpart, Araucaria. Our findings distinctly reveal a significant positive correlation (with r -values reaching up to 0.36, p -value < 0.01) between regions characterized by higher levels of pollution, particularly during the winter months (with r -values peaking at 0.40, p -value < 0.05), with both COVID-19 mortality and incidence rates. This correlation gains added significance due to the intricate interplay between urban atmospheric pollution and regional human development indices. Notably, heightened pollution aligns with industrial hubs and intensified vehicular activity. The spatial analysis performed in this study assumes a pivotal role by identifying priority regions that require targeted action post-COVID. By comprehending the localized dynamics between air pollution and its health repercussions, tailored strategies can be implemented to alleviate these effects and ensure the well-being of the public. | Spatialized PM2.5 during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil’s most populous southern city: implications for post-pandemic era | 10.1007/s10653-023-01809-z |
2024-01-14 | Low-density steels (FeMnAlC) with an austenitic microstructure were the subject of intense research due to their outstanding combination of high strength and ductility. However, there is no systematic study on the effect of C in a high-Mn low-density steel maintaining the stacking fault energy (SFE) focused on the operating deformation mechanisms, particularly involving in situ synchrotron analysis. This study aims to evaluate the influence of C on the mechanical behavior of austenitic alloys while maintaining the grain size and the SFE. The results indicate that C plays a key role on the mechanical behavior of these alloys and its presence increases not only the strength but also the ductility. The in situ synchrotron analysis showed that decreasing the test temperature has a similar effect of the C, in which both are associated with lower levels of dislocation mobility and higher amounts of mechanical twins (TWIP effect). Graphical abstract | The effect of C on the mechanical behavior of a low-density high-Mn steel | 10.1557/s43578-023-01162-y |
2024-01-13 | Abstract The model yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , is a popular object for both fundamental and applied research, including the development of biosensors and industrial production of pharmaceutical compounds. However, despite multiple studies exploring S. cerevisiae transcriptional response to various substances, this response is unknown for some substances produced in yeast, such as D-lactic acid (DLA). Here, we explore the transcriptional response of the BY4742 strain to a wide range of DLA concentrations (from 0.05 to 45 mM), and compare it to the response to 45 mM L-lactic acid (LLA). We recorded a response to 5 and 45 mM DLA (125 and 113 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively; > 50% shared) and a less pronounced response to 45 mM LLA (63 DEGs; > 30% shared with at least one DLA treatment). Our data did not reveal natural yeast promoters quantitatively sensing DLA but provide the first description of the transcriptome-wide response to DLA and enrich our understanding of the LLA response. Some DLA-activated genes were indeed related to lactate metabolism, as well as iron uptake and cell wall structure. Additional analyses showed that at least some of these genes were activated only by acidic form of DLA but not its salt, revealing the role of pH. The list of LLA-responsive genes was similar to those published previously and also included iron uptake and cell wall genes, as well as genes responding to other weak acids. These data might be instrumental for optimization of lactate production in yeast and yeast co-cultivation with lactic acid bacteria. Key points • We present the first dataset on yeast transcriptional response to DLA. • Differential gene expression was correlated with yeast growth inhibition. • The transcriptome response to DLA was richer in comparison to LLA. | Transcriptional response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to lactic acid enantiomers | 10.1007/s00253-023-12863-z |
2024-01-13 | Background Combined antihypertensive therapy has obvious advantages over single drug therapy. Hypertension guidelines fully affirm the efficacy of dual combination in initial antihypertensive therapy. Recent studies have also pointed out that the quadruple combination of very low-dose antihypertensive drugs is superior to single drugs. However, whether low-dose quadruple therapy is better than dual combination is unknown. Methods/design A randomized double-blind crossover clinical trial will be conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of low-dose quadruple antihypertensives (irbesartan 75 mg + metoprolol 23.75 mg + amlodipine 2.5 mg + indapamide 1.25 mg) with standard-dose dual antihypertensives (irbesartan 150 mg + amlodipine 5 mg) in the initial treatment of patients with mild to moderate hypertension (140–179/90–109 mmHg). Ninety patients are required and will be recruited and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to two crossover groups. Two groups will receive a different combination therapy for 4 weeks, then switch to the other combination therapy for 4 weeks, with a 2-week wash-out. Antihypertensive effects and related adverse effects of the two antihypertensive combination treatments will be compared. The primary outcome, i.e., mean 24-h systolic blood pressure in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, will be assessed via linear mixed-effects model. Discussion This statistical analysis plan will be confirmed prior to blind review and data lock before un-blinding and is sought to increase the validity of the QUADUAL trial. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05377203. Registered May 11, 2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05377203 . | Initial treatment with a single capsule containing half-dose quadruple therapy versus standard-dose dual therapy in hypertensive patients (QUADUAL): statistical analysis plan for a randomized, blinded, crossover trial | 10.1186/s13063-023-07803-1 |
2024-01-12 | Gas-phase functionalization of X-MXene (X = –F, –OH, –O, –Br, –I) films crafted from sub-100 nm thin MXene flakes for highly sensitive NO 2 sensors. I-MXene-based senor exhibited significant sensing performances toward trace NO 2 at room temperature. The hydrophobicity, larger atomic size, lower electronegativity, and reduced shielding of -I contribute to the excellent sensing enhancement of I-MXene. In this study, precise control over the thickness and termination of Ti 3 C 2 T X MXene flakes is achieved to enhance their electrical properties, environmental stability, and gas-sensing performance. Utilizing a hybrid method involving high-pressure processing, stirring, and immiscible solutions, sub-100 nm MXene flake thickness is achieved within the MXene film on the Si-wafer. Functionalization control is achieved by defunctionalizing MXene at 650 °C under vacuum and H 2 gas in a CVD furnace, followed by refunctionalization with iodine and bromine vaporization from a bubbler attached to the CVD. Notably, the introduction of iodine, which has a larger atomic size, lower electronegativity, reduce shielding effect, and lower hydrophilicity (contact angle: 99°), profoundly affecting MXene. It improves the surface area (36.2 cm 2 g −1 ), oxidation stability in aqueous/ambient environments (21 days/80 days), and film conductivity (749 S m −1 ). Additionally, it significantly enhances the gas-sensing performance, including the sensitivity (0.1119 Ω ppm −1 ), response (0.2% and 23% to 50 ppb and 200 ppm NO 2 ), and response/recovery times (90/100 s). The reduced shielding effect of the –I-terminals and the metallic characteristics of MXene enhance the selectivity of I-MXene toward NO 2 . This approach paves the way for the development of stable and high-performance gas-sensing two-dimensional materials with promising prospects for future studies. | Tailoring MXene Thickness and Functionalization for Enhanced Room-Temperature Trace NO2 Sensing | 10.1007/s40820-023-01316-x |
2024-01-12 | Plastics are widely used for diverse applications due to their versatility. However, their negative impact on ecosystems is undeniable due to their long-term degradation. Thus, there is a rising need for developing eco-friendlier alternatives to substitute fossil-based plastics, like biopolymers. PHA are synthesized intracellularly by microorganisms under stressful conditions of growth and have similar characteristics to conventional polymers, like their melting point, transition temperatures, crystallinity, and flexibility. Although it is feasible to use biopolymers for diverse industrial applications, their elevated production cost due to the supplies needed for microbiological procedures and the low productivity yields obtained have been the main limiting factors for their commercial success. The present study assessed the ability of Bacillus megaterium strain MNSH1-9K-1 to produce biopolymers using low-cost media from different kinds of fruit-peel residues. The results show that MNSH1-9K-1 can produce up to 58 g/L of PHB when grown in a medium prepared from orange-peel residues. The data obtained provide information to enhance the scalability of these kinds of biotechnological processes. | PHB production by Bacillus megaterium strain MNSH1-9K-1 using low-cost media | 10.1007/s42770-023-01232-7 |
2024-01-12 | In this work, particulate matter (PM) emissions from a large two-stroke, low-speed marine diesel engine were investigated when the engine was operated with low-sulfur heavy fuel oil (HFO) at various loads. Particle samples were collected in situ from the engine exhaust to determine the detailed physical and chemical properties. The nanostructure and morphology of the nanoparticles were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy images (TEM). The results show that volatile organic carbon (OC) accounts for more than 80% in the HFO particles and leads to an increase in particle size. The thermodynamic conditions of a low-speed engine favor the behavior of capturing the soluble organic components. A large number of spherical char HFO particles with aerodynamic diameters of 0.2 µm–0.5 µm and a suspected inner metal core were detected. The two peak aerodynamic diameters of the HFO nanoparticles are 15 nm and 86 nm. The morphological differences among the HFO nanoparticles in varied engine conditions represent the formation process from primary nascent particles to mature graphitized particles caused by thermodynamics. The above study will be valuable for understanding the characteristics of PM emissions from low-sulfur HFO to achieve the ship PM emissions reduction target. | Characteristics of Particulate Matter Emissions for Low-Sulfur Heavy Oil Used in Low-Speed Two-Stroke Diesel Engines of Ocean-Going Ships | 10.1007/s11630-024-1870-y |
2024-01-11 | The well-known tradeoff between strength and ductility is a key issue in the large-scale engineering application of steel materials to resist fatigue due to earthquakes and other vibrational excitations. The steel production industry provides a vast range of technologies to achieve the desired performances. Through experimental research, it was found that FeCrNi-based high-ductility steel (HD-S) can demonstrate remarkable hysteresis behavior due to extensive deformation capacity of strain-hardening until the ultimate fracture, compared to industrially manufactured high-strength steel (HS-S) with the level of 1 GPa in yield strength. The balance between strength and ductility can be realized by slightly adding the percentage of Ni by 5% to achieve a ductile hysteresis behavior. Moreover, the HD-S specimens exhibit greater resistance to low-cycle fatigue with large plastic amplitude. By developing a new damage evolution law based on instantaneous damage differential during nonstationary fatigue history, the fatigue life of materials is extended into the inelastic hinges of flexural beams/origami components. The proposed approach enables the fatigue design of steel structural components with desirable disaster-prevention capacities for complex steel structures. 强度和延性之间的权衡是钢结构材料在大规模工程应用中抵抗地震、疲劳及其它振动激励损伤的关键问题。通过试验研究发现, 与屈服强度为1GPa级别工业生产的高强度钢(HS-S)相比, FeCrNi基高延性钢(HD-S)由于其应变硬化直至最终断裂的广泛变形能力, 可以在疲劳过程中表现出显著的耗能特性。强度和延性之间的平衡可以通过添加约5%的Ni来实现, 以获得延性伸长率和滞回性能。此外, HD-S试件能够更好地抵抗大塑性常幅下的低周疲劳破坏。基于疲劳过程中的瞬时损伤驱动变量, 本文提出了一种新的损伤演化定律, 将材料的疲劳寿命扩展到宏观弯曲梁、折纸构件的非弹性铰链中。本文提出的方法能够对具有理想防灾消能能力的钢结构构件进行疲劳建模与分析, 以应用于钢结构极端建造中的疲劳设计。 | Low-cycle fatigue testing and microstructure of high strength-ductility structural steel materials | 10.1007/s44242-023-00032-4 |
2024-01-11 | In this study, we introduce a portable low-cost device for in situ gas emission measurement from focused point sources of CO 2 , such as mofettes. We assess the individual sensors’ precision with calibration experiments and perform an independent verification of the system’s ability to measure gas flow rates in the range of liters per second. The results from one week of continuous CO 2 flow observation from a wet mofette at the Starzach site is presented and correlated with the ambient meteorological dynamics. In the observed period, the gas flow rate of the examined mofette exhibits a dominant cycle of around four seconds that is linked to the gas rising upwards through a water column. We find the examined mofette to have a daily emission of 465 kg ±16 %. Furthermore, two events were observed that increased the flow rate abruptly by around 25 % within only a few minutes and a decaying period of 24 hours. These types of events were previously observed by others at the same site but dismissed as measurement errors. We discuss these events as a hydrogeological phenomenon similar to cold-water geyser eruptions. For meteorological events like the passages of high pressure fronts with steep changes in atmospheric pressure, we do not see a significant correlation between atmospheric parameters and the rate of gas exhalation in our one-week time frame, suggesting that on short timescales the atmospheric pumping effect plays a minor role for wet mofettes at the Starzach site. | A portable low-cost device to quantify advective gas fluxes from mofettes into the lower atmosphere: First application to Starzach mofettes (Germany) | 10.1007/s10661-023-12114-8 |
2024-01-11 | To assess dynamic loads, large offshore wind turbines need detailed and reliable statistical information on the inflow turbulence. We present a model that includes low frequencies down to $$\sim 1$$ ∼ 1 hr $$^{-1}$$ - 1 using the observed $$S(f) \propto f^{-5/3}$$ S ( f ) ∝ f - 5 / 3 in that range. The presented model contains a parameter representing the anisotropy of the two-dimensional, incompressible turbulence, and it assumes the low-frequency fluctuations to be homogeneous in the vertical direction. Combined with a three-dimensional model for the smaller scales, the model can predict correlations between different points. We have validated the model against two offshore wind data sets: a nacelle-mounted, forward-looking Doppler lidar with four beams at the Hywind Scotland offshore wind farm and sonic anemometer measurements at the FINO1 research platform in the North Sea. One-point auto spectra and two-point cross spectra were calculated after splitting the data into different atmospheric stability classes. The relative strength of the 2D low-frequency fluctuations to the 3D fluctuations was higher under stable conditions. The combined 2D+3D model was able to fit the measured spectra with good accuracy and could then predict the two-point cross spectra, co-coherences, and phase angles between wind fluctuations at different lateral and vertical separations. Good agreement was found between the measured and predicted values, albeit with exceptions. The model can generate stochastic wind fields for investigating wake meandering in wind farms or dynamic loads on floating wind turbines. | A Model for Low-Frequency, Anisotropic Wind Fluctuations and Coherences in the Marine Atmosphere | 10.1007/s10546-023-00850-w |
2024-01-11 | Pseudomonas spp., such as P. fluorescens group, P. fragi , and P. putida , are the major psychrophilic spoilage bacteria in the food industry. Bacteriophages (phages) are a promising tool for controlling food-spoilage and food-poisoning bacteria; however, there are few reports on phages effective on food-spoilage bacteria such as Pseudomonas spp. In this study, 12 Pseudomonas phages were isolated from chicken and soil samples. Based on the host range and lytic activity at 30 °C and 4 °C and various combinations of phages, phages vB_PflP-PCS4 and vB_PflP-PCW2 were selected to prepare phage cocktails to control Pseudomonas spp. The phage cocktail consisting of vB_PflP-PCS4 and vB_PflP-PCW2 showed the strongest lytic activity and retarded regrowth of P. fluorescens and P. putida at 30 °C, 8 °C, and 4 °C at a multiplicity of infection of 100. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the genomic DNA indicated that vB_PflP-PCS4 and vB_PflP-PCW2 phages were lytic phages of the Podoviridae family and lacked tRNA, toxin, or virulence genes. A novel endolysin gene was found in the genomic DNA of phage vB_PflP-PCS4. The results of this study suggest that the phage cocktail consisting of vB_PflP-PCS4 and vB_PflP-PCW2 is a promising tool for the biocontrol of psychrophilic food-spoilage pseudomonads during cold storage and distribution. | Characterization of selected phages for biocontrol of food-spoilage pseudomonads | 10.1007/s10123-023-00479-2 |
2024-01-11 | Objectives To determine the screening rates and incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and risk factors associated with ROP in very low birthweight (VLBW, <1500 g) neonates of gestation <32 wk admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in a middle-income country. Methods It was a retrospective cohort study of prospectively submitted data by 44 Malaysian NICUs participating in the Malaysian National Neonatal Registry. All VLBW neonates of gestation <32 wk born in 2015–2020 and survived to discharge were included. Results Of 11768 survivors, 90.5% (n = 10436) had ROP screening; 16.1% (1685/10436) had ROP. ROP was significantly more common in neonates <28 wk gestation (extremely preterm, EPT) than ≥28 wk gestation (37.7% vs. 9.7%; p <0.001), and more common in those with birthweight <1000 g (extremely low birthweight, ELBW) than ≥1000 g (32.9% vs. 9.1%; p <0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the significant independent factors associated with increased risk of ROP were ELBW, EPT, Indian ethnic group, vaginal delivery, mechanical ventilation >5 d, high frequency ventilation, total parenteral nutrition, late-onset sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and intraventricular hemorrhage. Receiving oxygen therapy at birth was associated with significantly lower risk of ROP. Conclusions The incidence and severity of ROP increased with decreasing gestation and birthweight. Prolonged duration of oxygen therapy, infection, invasive respiratory support, and conditions commonly causing fluctuations of oxygenation were significant factors associated with increased risk of ROP. Receiving oxygen at birth did not increase risk. | Retinopathy of Prematurity in Very Low Birthweight Neonates of Gestation Less Than 32 weeks in Malaysia | 10.1007/s12098-023-04997-9 |
2024-01-11 | Lower limb augmentation exoskeletons (LLAE) have been applied in several domains to enforce human walking capability. As humans can adjust their joint moments and generate different amounts of mechanical energy while walking on different terrains, the LLAEs should provide adaptive augmented torques to the wearer in multi-terrain environments, which requires LLAEs to implement accurate terrain parameter recognition. However, the outputs of previous terrain parameter recognition algorithms are more redundant, and the algorithms have higher computational complexity and are susceptible to external interference. Therefore, to resolve the above issues, this paper proposed a neural network regression (NNR)-based algorithm for terrain slope parameter recognition. In particular, this paper defined for the first time a unified representation of terrain parameters: terrain slope (TS), a single parameter that can provide enough information for exoskeleton control. In addition, our proposed NNR model uses only basic human parameters and LLAE joint motion posture measured by an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) as inputs to predict the TS, which is computationally simpler and less susceptible to interference. The model was evaluated using K-fold cross-validation and the results showed that the model had an average error of only 2.09 $$^\circ $$ ∘ . To further validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, it was verified on a homemade LLAE and the experimental results showed that the proposed TS parameter recognition algorithm only produces an average error of 3.73 $$^\circ $$ ∘ in multi-terrain environments. The defined terrain parameters can meet the control requirements of LLAE in urban multi-terrain environments. The proposed TS parameter recognition algorithm could facilitate the optimization of the adaptive gait control of the exoskeleton system and improve user experience, energy efficiency, and overall comfort. | Terrain slope parameter recognition for exoskeleton robot in urban multi-terrain environments | 10.1007/s40747-023-01319-6 |
2024-01-10 | The erosion behaviors and mechanisms of low-carbon steel and alloy tool steel in several commonly used molten Al alloys were investigated via erosion testing. The erosion ratio of the low-carbon steel generally increased as the Si content of the melt increased and decreased as the Fe content of the melt increased. The erosion (dissolution) rate of low-carbon steel corresponded to the difference between the saturation solubility of Fe in the melt at the testing temperature (dependent on the Si content) and the Fe content of the melt via the same mechanism as that described by the Noyes–Whitney–Nernst equation. Conversely, the erosion rate of alloy tool steel (JIS SKD61) was almost constant, irrespective of melt composition. Moreover, the thickness of the semi-solid (diffusion) layer at the contact interface between the melt and alloy tool steel increased with the Si content of the melt. These trends are observed because the local increase in the apparent viscosity of the melt at the contact interface due to suspended carbide particles from the alloy tool steel negated the effects of the saturation solubility of Fe and the Fe content of the melt on the erosion rate. | Erosion Behaviors and Mechanisms of Low-Carbon Steel and Alloy Tool Steel in Commonly Used Molten Aluminum Alloys | 10.1007/s40962-023-01236-x |
2024-01-10 | Urbanization leads to an increase in impervious area percentage and significantly alters the predevelopment hydrology. Bioretention cells are sustainable stormwater management techniques that mimic the natural soil system of an area and help in restoring the hydrological balance. Present study involved construction of full-scale bioretention cells and filling them with engineered filter media to assess the field performance. The filter media was prepared from coarse sand and topsoil mixed with rice straw–derived biochar and maize straw–derived compost. This study addresses the emerging need for effective stormwater management in urban areas by evaluating the performance of full-scale bioretention cells. The use of engineered filter media derived from rice and maize residues demonstrates innovation in stormwater management, and thus contributing to sustainable resource use. The bioretention cells were planted with plant varieties— Thumbergia erecta , Haemelia patens and Tabernaemontana divaricata . The bioretention cells were observed for pre- and post-plantation hydraulic conductivity and hydrologic performance. Full-scale bioretention cells reported a pre-plantation average hydraulic conductivity between 118.0 and 324.0 mm/hr. Post-plantation average hydraulic conductivity ranged between 341.6–562.0 mm/hr. The minimum and maximum pre-plantation hydraulic conductivity for bioretention cell 1 filled with compost were 112.5 and 136.5 mm/hr, respectively. The average hydraulic conductivity of 120.5, 211.1 and 241.4 mm/hr were observed for bioretention cells 1, 3 and 5 respectively. In the case of biochar-filled bioretention cells, the average hydraulic conductivity recorded for various rainfall events were 162.3, 175.5 and 190.3 mm/hr for bioretention cells 2, 4 and 6, respectively. Given the design parameters adopted for the field-scale bioretention cells, the time to empty based on minimum hydraulic conductivity values was 11 times faster than the recommended maximum time to empty for the bioretention cells. The volume and peak flow reduction of the full-scale bioretention cells ranged between 82.9–90.2% and 86.1–92.3%, respectively. The total contribution of 6 bioretention cells to the groundwater recharge in three recorded events was 18.2 m 3 . | Designing and Evaluating the Performance of Full-scale Bioretention Cells in Indian Conditions | 10.1007/s41101-023-00234-8 |
2024-01-10 | Rare diseases form the bulk of the financial expenditure of any developing or developed economy. Among the various rare diseases, paediatric neuromuscular disorders form a major portion, with a worldwide survey estimating a prevalence of 1 in 3500 individuals. In a lower middle-income country (LMIC) like India, malnutrition still accounts for most of the under-5 mortality. However, the economic burden of rare paediatric neuromuscular disorders cannot be underestimated. The treating physician should have a basic understanding of how to approach a child presenting with weakness and how to utilise the available tests which are affordable in an LMIC setting. History and examination still form the core, and with new diagnostic methods like next-generation sequencing, more and more rare disorders are getting diagnosed. It is important for the treating physician to know about basic supportive care, recent advancements, and available treatment options for these conditions. With exciting new treatment options being available for these disorders, the perception of these diseases as being not treatable is gradually changing. This review aims to be of guidance to clinicians from an LMIC setting like India and to empower them to manage such rare paediatric neuromuscular disorders. | Rare paediatric disorders in Indian healthcare settings with focus on neuromuscular disorders: Diagnostic and management challenges | 10.1007/s12038-023-00403-w |
2024-01-09 | Compared to traditional methods, artificial neural networks can achieve low-cycle fatigue life more accurately when considering the effects of processes and environments on metal materials. However, extensive sample data are essential for training artificial neural networks. To address the sample shortage, this paper presents a deep neural network method. First, the small samples are divided into training and test samples. Second, the training samples are divided according to the processes. Then, the new samples are generated equally based on the division using beta-variational autoencoders. Finally, the ensemble learning model is used to predict the low-cycle fatigue life of metal materials using new samples. Min–Max normalization and log10 are used to standardize and destandardize samples in the deep neural network method. The deep neural network method is evaluated using the experimental data of Ti-685, Ti-6242S, Alloy D9, and AISI 4140 steel. Furthermore, the results reveal that the deep neural network method has good predictive performance. Graphical Abstract | A Deep Neural Network Method for LCF Life Prediction of Metal Materials with Small Sample Experimental Data | 10.1007/s12540-023-01601-9 |
2024-01-09 | Long-term storage of extracted DNA, RNA, and samples for DNA and RNA extractions is usually done in ultra-low temperature freezers using the standard temperature of −80°C. While this standard was based on the maximum capacity of early generation ultra-low temperature freezers, this paradigm is challenged and initiatives support a switch to −70°C to save energy, reduce heat production, and increase the life expectancy of the freezers. The question arising from these initiatives regards the safety of the samples. Especially in complex biological samples, such as sediments, changes in long-term storage temperature have not been studied in detail. Here, we show that the concentration of extracted nucleic acids and nucleic acids in tissue or cells stored at both temperatures does not differ significantly from each other. The only significant differences found were explained by the variability within the samples over time but not between different temperatures or by dilution factor. In addition, we show that prokaryote community composition in sediment and DNA samples also remain stable at both temperatures. Only two treatments were significantly different in temperature, indicating that for RNA, storage at −70°C might be preferable. Consequently, we recommend storing samples for nucleic acid work at −70°C to reduce energy consumption and support more sustainable lab practices. | DNA, RNA, and prokaryote community sample stability at different ultra-low temperature storage conditions | 10.1007/s42398-023-00297-2 |
2024-01-09 | Extreme hydrological events, like floods and droughts, exert considerable effects on both human and natural systems. The frequency, intensity, and duration of these events are expected to change due to climate change, posing challenges for water resource management and adaptation. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool plus (SWAT +) model was calibrated and validated to simulate flow under future shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) scenarios in the Baro River Basin with R2 values of 0.88 and 0.83, NSE of 0.83 and 0.74, and PBIAS of 0.39 and 8.87 during calibration and validation. Six bias-corrected CMIP6 Global Climate Models (GCM) were selected and utilized to investigate the effects of climate change on the magnitude and timing of hydrological extremes. All climate model simulation results suggest a general increase in streamflow magnitude for both emission scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). The multi-model ensemble projections show yearly flow increases of 4.8% and 12.4% during the mid-term (MT) (2041–2070) and long-term (LT) (2071–2100) periods under SSP2-4.5, and 15.7% and 35.6% under SSP5-8.5, respectively. Additionally, the analysis revealed significant shifts in the projected annual 1 day, 3 day, 7 day, and 30 day maximum flows, whereas the annual 3 day and 7 day minimum flow fluctuations do not present a distinct trend in the future scenario compared to the baseline (1985–2014). The study also evaluated the timing of hydrological extremes, focusing on low and peak flow events, utilizing the annual 7 day maximum and minimum flow for this analysis. An earlier occurrence was noted for both peak and low flow in the SSP2-4.5 scenario, while a later occurrence was observed in the SSP5-8.5 scenario compared to the baseline. In conclusion, this study showed the significant effect of climate change on river hydrology and extreme flow events, highlighting their importance for informed water management and sustainable planning. | Quantifying the climate change impacts on the magnitude and timing of hydrological extremes in the Baro River Basin, Ethiopia | 10.1186/s40068-023-00328-1 |
2024-01-09 | Background Tepary bean ( Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) is one of the five species domesticated from the genus Phaseolus with genetic resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. To understand the mechanisms underlying drought responses in seed storage proteins germinated on water and polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) at -0.49 MPa, we used a proteomics approach to identify potential molecular target proteins associated with the low water potential stress response. Methods Storage proteins from cotyledons of Tepary bean seeds germinated at 24, 48 and 72 h on water and PEG-6000 at -0.49 MPa were analyzed by one-dimensional electrophoresis (DE) with 2-DE analysis and shotgun mass spectrometry. Using computational database searching and bioinformatics analyses, we performed Gene Ontology (GO) and protein interactome (functional protein association network) String analyses. Results Comparative analysis showed that the effect of PEG-6000 on root growth was parallel to that on germination. Based on the SDS‒PAGE protein banding patterns and 2-DE analysis, ten differentially abundant seed storage proteins showed changes in storage proteins, principally in the phaseolin and lectin fractions. We found many proteins that are recognized as drought stress-responsive proteins, and several of them are predicted to be intrinsically related to abiotic stress. The shotgun analysis searched against UniProt’s legume database, and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that most of the seed proteins were cytosolic, with catalytic activity and associated with carbohydrate metabolism. The protein‒protein interaction networks from functional enrichment analysis showed that phytohemagglutinin interacts with proteins associated with the degradation of storage proteins in the cotyledons of common bean during germination. Conclusion These findings suggest that Tepary bean seed proteins provide valuable information with the potential to be used in genetic improvement and are part of the drought stress response, making our approach a potentially useful strategy for discovering novel drought-responsive proteins in other plant models. | Proteomic profile of tepary bean seed storage proteins in germination with low water potential | 10.1186/s12953-023-00225-6 |
2024-01-09 | This paper presents the design of a self-clocked 12-bit non-binary fully differential SAR-ADC using the SKY130 open-source PDK. The entire mixed-signal circuit design and layout were created with free and open-source software. The ADC reaches a sample rate of up to 1.44 MS/s at 1.8 V supply while consuming 703 $$\upmu$$ μ W of power on a small 0.175 mm $${}^{2}$$ 2 area. A configurable decimation filter can increase the ADC resolution up to 16 bits while using an oversampling factor of 256. A 9‑bit thermometer-coded and 3‑bit binary-coded DAC matrix using a 448 aF waffle-capacitor results in a total capacitance of 1.83 pF per input. Realizations of configurable analog functions using the form factor of SKY130 high-density standard cells allow the parametrization of an analog circuit in a hardware description language and hardening of the macro in an intentionally digital workflow. Dieses Manuskript beschreibt das Design eines selbsttaktenden, volldifferenziellen, nichtbinären 12-Bit SAR-ADC, welcher für die SKY130-Technologie mit einem Open Source-PDK entwickelt wurde. Das Schaltungsdesign bis hin zum produktionsfertigen Layout wurde ausschließlich mit freier Open Source-Software erstellt. Der ADC erreicht eine Abtastrate von bis zu 1,44 MS/s bei einer Versorgungsspannung von 1,8 V. Die Leistungsaufnahme liegt dabei bei 703 $$\upmu$$ μ W. Der komplette SAR-ADC mit allen zugehörigen Schaltungskomponenten nutzt 0,175 mm $${}^{2}$$ 2 Fläche. Mittels eines konfigurierbaren, digitalen Dezimierungsfilters mit einer maximalen Überabtastrate von 256 kann die Auflösung des SAR-ADCs auf bis zu 16 Bit erhöht werden. Der SAR-ADC nutzt eine 12-Bit DAC-Matrix, welche in 9‑Bit Thermometer- und 3‑Bit binär-codierte Zellen aufgeteilt ist. Um eine möglichst gute Übereinstimmung der Zellen zu erreichen, wird die gesamte Matrix aus Einheitskondensatoren mit einer Kapazität von 448 aF aufgebaut. Dies ergibt eine Gesamtkapazität von 1,83 pF pro Eingang. Um den manuellen Design-Aufwand zu minimieren, wurde ein Teil der analogen Schaltung mittels eines digitalen Designablaufes realisiert. Dabei wurden zusätzliche Zellen im Formfaktor von digitalen Standardzellen der Technologie entwickelt. Damit können nun analoge Komponenten ohne zusätzliche Intervention vollautomatisch parametrisiert und bis zum fertigen Layout entworfen werden. | Open-source design of integrated circuits | 10.1007/s00502-023-01195-5 |
2024-01-09 | Global plastic pollution is one of the serious issues which create a severe environmental damage. Microbial biodegradation is an eco-friendly method to overcome the plastic pollution issue. The aim of this study is to explore microbes from garbage soil to manage the Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE). Active biodegrading microbes were identified by clear zone method using mineral salt medium with LDPE. Genome sequencing has been performed for LDPE-degrading strains and identified as Bacillus subtilis and Streptomyces labedae . The biodegradation of LDPE was carried out by using selected active strains. The analysis of biodegradation process was carried out by extracellular enzyme assay, cell hydrophobicity and viability of cells with elevated pH produced by B.subtilis and S.labedae. The weight loss percentage of polymer sheets by B.subtilis and S.labedae were 80% and 85% respectively. Major deformities and surface modification on the LDPE sheet were evaluated by the formation of cracks and pits on the surface. The functional groups in the treated sheets were observed by using FTIR analysis. The highest reduction in tensile strength was observed. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 30 new compounds during the biodegradation. It evolved CO 2 of 5.32 g/l with S. labedae and 4.55 g/l with B.subtilis . Phytotoxicity of LDPE degraded byproduct showed a positive growth rate of 97.8 ± 0.836% in Trigonella foenum seed. Then the cytotoxicity study revealed that it was non-toxic to L292 cell lines. Both strains have the ability to consume and reduce the LDPE film. These organisms are the promising resources to manage the LDPE and offers an ecofriendly solution to solve global plastic pollution. Hence the achieved research information could be applied at a large scale for degrading various plastic materials. Graphical abstract | Low–density polyethylene management by using selective bacterial strains from garbage soil | 10.1007/s11756-023-01595-0 |
2024-01-09 | Orthognathic surgery involves invasive and major surgical procedures commonly used to correct maxillofacial deformities. Bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (BSSO) is often used to treat dentofacial anomalies related to the mandible, but it can result in various complications, the most common of which is inferior alveolar nerve damage. Nerve damage–induced paresthesia of the lower lip significantly affects patient comfort. Medical treatments such as steroids and vitamin B, low-level laser therapy (LLLT), and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) can be used as supportive therapies for nerve regeneration after damage. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of two different types of lasers in treating lower lip paresthesia after BSSO. This clinical trial was a controlled, single-center, prospective, single-blind, randomized study. Thirty patients were included in the study and randomly assigned to three groups: Group I (laser GRR, n = 10) received transcutaneous and transmucosal GRR laser treatment, Group II (Epic10 laser, n = 10) received transmucosal and transcutaneous Epic10 laser treatment, and Group III (vitamin B, n = 10) received B-complex vitamin tablets orally once a day. Two-point and brush tests were performed six times at specific intervals, and a visual analog scale was used to evaluate pain and sensitivity. Both vitamin B and laser therapies accelerated nerve regeneration. The contribution of the laser groups to the healing rate was better than that of the vitamin B group. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the two laser groups, clinical observations indicated better results in the GRR laser group. | Investigation of the efficacy of two different laser types in the treatment of lower lip paresthesia after sagittal split ramus osteotomy | 10.1007/s10103-024-03973-9 |
2024-01-08 | In the last years, additive manufacturing has become a widespread technology which enables lightweight-design based on topological optimization. Therefore, generation of lattice structures with complex geometries and small thicknesses is allowed. However, a complete metallurgical and mechanical characterization of these materials is crucial for their effective adoption as alternative to conventionally manufactured alloys. Industrial applications require good corrosion resistance and mechanical strength to provide sufficient reliability and structural integrity. Particularly, fatigue behavior becomes a crucial factor since presence of poor surface finishing can decrease fatigue limits significantly. In this work, both the low-cycle-fatigue and high-cycle-fatigue behaviors of Inconel 625, manufactured by Selective Laser Melting, were investigated. Fatigue samples were designed to characterize small parts and tested in the as-built condition since reticular structures are usually adopted without any finishing operation. Microstructural features were studied by light-optical microscopy and scanning-electron microscopy. Finally, fatigue failures were deeply investigated considering fracture mechanics principles with the Kitagawa–Takahashi diagram. | High- and low-cycle-fatigue properties of additively manufactured Inconel 625 | 10.1007/s40964-023-00545-1 |
2024-01-08 | We study the bactericidal efficacy of surface dielectric barrier discharge low-temperature plasma treatments, powered by nanosecond high voltage pulses. We achieve $$\sim $$ ∼ 4-log reduction in Escherichia coli population, after 10 min treatments, at a distance of 1.5 cm from the plasma surface. To investigate the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) responsible for the bactericidal effect, we employ in-situ fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to measure a selection of relevant species, such as O $$_3$$ 3 , NO $$_2$$ 2 , N $$_2$$ 2 O and N $$_2$$ 2 O $$_5$$ 5 . The measurements are taken under various relative humidity conditions to replicate the bacteria treatment environment. While RONS originating from nitrogen chemistry are detected, nitric oxide (NO), a pivotal molecule in nitrate production, is absent due to the sensitivity limitations of FTIR detection. To overcome this limitation, we employ laser induced fluorescence utilizing a picosecond-pulsed laser to measure the kinetics of NO produced by the plasma. Our results show that the NO concentration is smaller than 1 ppm and primarily localized near the plasma surface, with concentrations increasing proportionally with relative humidity. Notably, at a distance of 1.5 cm from the plasma surface, at which the E. coli is treated, the concentration of NO falls below 50 ppb. Although NO is pivotal in generating secondary reactive species within the plasma, our results suggest that it does not directly contribute to the bacteria inactivation process. Instead, other molecules, such as O $$_3$$ 3 , NO $$_2$$ 2 , and N $$_2$$ 2 O, which are found in higher concentrations, may be responsible for the bactericidal properties observed in indirect plasma treatments. | In-Situ FTIR and Laser Induced Fluorescence RONS Characterization of Atmospheric Pressure Nanosecond-Pulsed Surface DBD Plasma for Indirect Treatments of E. Coli | 10.1007/s11090-023-10442-8 |
2024-01-08 | Tin oxide (SnO 2 ) and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) have been recognized as promising materials for the electron transport layer (ETL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to their favorable optoelectronic properties and low-temperature deposition processes. However, high surface trap density at the ETL/perovskite interface limits the further improvement of the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of planar PSCs. Herein, we have demonstrated a simple surface treatment of low-temperature deposited SnO 2 /AZO–ETL through mono-ethanolamine (MEA) to passivate the defects at the AZO/perovskite interface and reduce carrier recombination. Meanwhile, after MEA modification, the defect states at the AZO/perovskite interface were reduced, and the carrier transport capability was improved. PSC based on MEA modification showed an enhanced PCE of 15.73%, compared to 12.66% without MEA treatment, and a fill factor (FF) of 68.30% on a 0.25 cm 2 active area. Furthermore, the MEA-passivated device exhibits excellent stability and retains ~ 77% of its initial PCE after 1000 h under ambient storage without encapsulation. Thus, interface engineering based on the mono-ethanolamine passivation provides a feasible and novel strategy to improve the quality of ETL to fabricate high-efficiency planar PSCs. Graphic abstract | Low-temperature processed planar perovskite solar cells based on bilayer electron transport layer stabilized using a surface defect passivation strategy | 10.1007/s00339-023-07243-3 |
2024-01-05 | Mn/TiO 2 and Fe–Mn/TiO 2 catalysts were prepared using the impregnation method to explore the effect of iron doping at low temperature on the catalytic oxidation of high concentration NO by manganese-based catalysts and the catalytic reaction mechanism. This study reveals that the Fe–Mn/TiO 2 catalyst performed exceptionally well in catalyzing high concentration NO smelting flue gas within a temperature range of 30–170 °C. At 150 °C, the denitrification efficiency of Fe–Mn/TiO 2 (0.3) catalyst was 97.7%. Characterization analysis revealed that the incorporation of iron increased the ratio of high valence manganese and surface chemisorbed oxygen, which promoted the dispersion of surface-active substances, ultimately leading to an increase in the specific surface area of the catalyst. These factors facilitated the adsorption and activation of NH 3 as well as the oxidation of NO to NO 2 , thus increasing the low-temperature redox capacity of the catalyst. Meanwhile, the ammonia selective catalytic reduction (NH 3 -SCR) denitrification mechanism over Fe–Mn/TiO 2 catalysts was consistent with the Eley–Rideal (E–R) and Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L–H) mechanisms under low-temperature reaction conditions. Graphical Abstract | Study on the Effect of Fe Doping on SCR Activity and Reaction Mechanism of Mn–TiO2 Catalysts | 10.1007/s10562-023-04524-7 |
2024-01-05 | The ignition delay time is one of the fundamental combustion parameters for fuel characterization. For this reason, adequate prediction is essential, particularly for alternative fuels, to broaden the spectrum of implementation. However, significant deviations exist between the values calculated numerically concerning the experimental ones under moderate- and low-temperature conditions. Different types of chemical and physical principles corrections have been proposed to solve this problem. In the present study, different corrections were evaluated using an experimental design approach, along with additional factors like pressure, temperature, and the reaction mechanism. The results of the analysis of variance make it possible to establish that there is no synergistic effect when combining physical and chemical corrections. The average reduction in the response variable when individual corrections were applied was 3.7%, whereas a slight increase in the same quantity was observed when the approaches were applied simultaneously. For a pressure of 0.5 MPa, the chemical and physical approaches to improve the ignition delay time prediction allow for achieving a decrease in response variable of 6.5% and 26.4%, respectively. However, the trend is the opposite at high pressure, and the deviations increase for both corrections. In addition, the values of the sum of squares evidenced that the interactions between the corrections and the thermodynamic conditions present incidence levels on the deviations between experimental and numerical data greater than those exposed by each isolated factor. | Evaluation of the corrections methodologies for improving the ignition delay time calculation in hydrogen/air mixtures using a design of experiments approach | 10.1007/s40430-023-04621-z |
2024-01-05 | The infrared (IR) stealth and visible stealth have different spectral response requirements, resulting in the difficulty in the coordination of the design of multispectral compatible stealth material, so it is necessary to develop selective regulation technologies of optical properties. Based on an ITO/Ag/ITO stacked film structure integrating induced transmission, radiation suppression, and other optical synergistic effects, a new type of superstructured thin film material with transparent infrared stealth was proposed. A collaborative design method integrated with high visible transmission and low IR radiation was established, the influence mechanism of microstructure characteristics on visible transmission spectrum and IR reflection spectrum was interpreted, then the design of highly transparent infrared stealth material was optimized, and its compatible stealth performance was tested and characterized. Research showed that visible transmission was contingent upon the coupling and matching between the semiconductor layer and the metal layer, while the IR radiation suppression mainly depended on the metal layer. The optimized ITO/Ag/ITO superstructured film with a thickness of 40/12/40 nm possesses high background perspective reproduction, high-temperature IR radiation suppression, and high flexible conformal ability with curved surface. The research results can provide indispensable technical support for the design and application of multispectral compatible stealth material. | Flexible and transparent visible-infrared-compatible stealth film based on ITO/Ag/ITO configuration | 10.1007/s12596-023-01585-0 |
2024-01-05 | Background Understanding the burden of dyslipidemia and its associated factors among adult people living with HIV on dolutegravir (DTG) based anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is critical to provide clinical guidance and risk reduction strategies in our setting. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study on adult people living with HIV on DTG based ART between July and August 2022 at Mengo Hospital, a private not for profit missionary hospital owned by the Church of Uganda. Dyslipidemia was defined as: Total cholesterol (TC) ≥ 5.2 mmol/l, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) < 1 mmol/l for men and < 1.3 mmol/l for women, or triglycerides (TG) ≥ 1.7 mmol/l, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ≥ 3.4 mmol/l. A participant was considered to have dyslipidemia if they had any of the lipid profile parameters in the above ranges. Socio-demographic information, clinical data and behavioral characteristics were collected. Fasting lipid profile and fasting blood glucose levels were also measured. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using a generalized linear model regression of the Poisson family with a log link (modified Poisson) using robust standard errors since the prevalence of dyslipidemia was more than 10%. Adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) were reported with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). A p -value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 341 participants were included. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 78.0%, (95%CI:73.3–82.1). The highest prevalence was for low HDL (72.1%, 95%CI 67.1–76.7) followed by high TG (20.2%, 95%CI: 16.3–24.9), high TC (12.0%, 95%CI: 9.0–15.9) and high LDL (6.5%, 95%CI: 4.3–9.6). Female sex (aPR:1.55, 95%CI: 1.32–1.84, p < 0.001) and previous use of protease inhibitor (PI) based ART regimen (aPR:1.26, 95%CI: 1.04–1.53, p = 0.018) were significantly associated with dyslipidemia. Conclusion We demonstrate that the prevalence of dyslipidemia is very high as it was present in more than three quarters of the study participants. Female sex and previous use of PI based ART regimen were significantly associated with dyslipidemia. Management of dyslipidemia should be integrated in the HIV treatment package and we recommend further inquiry into the temporal relationship between dyslipidemia and DTG among ART patients, if any. | Dyslipidemia among adult people living with HIV on dolutegravir – based antiretroviral therapy at a private tertiary hospital in Kampala, Uganda: burden and determinants | 10.1186/s12879-023-08892-8 |
2024-01-04 | Solvation engineering toward dual-salt electrolyte by fluorosurfactant additive is proposed, which implements the stable interface of electrode/electrolyte coupled with fast ion thermodiffusion, improving the durability and capability of lithium-ion thermoelectrochemical cell. By combining the optimized electrolyte with functional electrodes, as-constructed device exhibits high Seebeck coefficient and energy density based on hybrid mechanisms, which can be extended as self-power supply for smart electronics. Lithium-ion thermoelectrochemical cell (LTEC), featuring simultaneous energy conversion and storage, has emerged as promising candidate for low-grade heat harvesting. However, relatively poor thermosensitivity and heat-to-current behavior limit the application of LTECs using LiPF 6 electrolyte. Introducing additives into bulk electrolyte is a reasonable strategy to solve such problem by modifying the solvation structure of electrolyte ions. In this work, we develop a dual-salt electrolyte with fluorosurfactant (FS) additive to achieve high thermopower and durability of LTECs during the conversion of low-grade heat into electricity. The addition of FS induces a unique Li + solvation with the aggregated double anions through a crowded electrolyte environment, resulting in an enhanced mobility kinetics of Li + as well as boosted thermoelectrochemical performances. By coupling optimized electrolyte with graphite electrode, a high thermopower of 13.8 mV K −1 and a normalized output power density of 3.99 mW m –2 K –2 as well as an outstanding output energy density of 607.96 J m −2 can be obtained. These results demonstrate that the optimization of electrolyte by regulating solvation structure will inject new vitality into the construction of thermoelectrochemical devices with attractive properties. | Solvation Engineering via Fluorosurfactant Additive Toward Boosted Lithium-Ion Thermoelectrochemical Cells | 10.1007/s40820-023-01292-2 |
2024-01-04 | Background Steam explosion pretreatment has been proven to be an effective treatment for breaking down the recalcitrant character of lignin–carbohydrate complexes (LCC) in lignocellulosic biomass. This study investigated the production of lignin-derived products from steam-exploded palm oil mill lignocellulosic biomass waste (POMLBW), that is, empty fruit bunches (EFB), kernel shells (KS), and kernel fibers (KF), also known as mesocarp fibers. Steam explosions cause lignin depolymerization, which forms various polyphenols. The low average molecular weight of the steam-exploded lignin-derived products and their antioxidant activities could potentially enhance their antimicrobial activities. Methods POMLBW was steam-exploded with various degrees of severity factors ( R 0 : 4.03, 4.91, 5.12, 5.35, and 5.65). Steam-exploded POMLBW produces lignin-derived products such as low-molecular-weight lignin (LML) and water-soluble lignin (WSL). Antioxidant activity was evaluated using 0.5 mM 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. Polyphenol content was evaluated using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using an agar diffusion assay with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and the thermal characteristics were evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Results WSL and LML resulted in high radical scavenging activity (RSA) of approximately 95% and 80%, with 0.25 g/L and 0.5 g/L of EC50, where the polyphenol amount was 242–448 mg/g (catechin eq.) and 20–117 mg/g (catechin eq.) under all LML and WSL conditions, respectively. The steam-exploded POMLBW had an average molecular weight of 1589–2832 Da, and this condition, including high RSA and polyphenol amounts, was responsible for the high antimicrobial activities of LML against both Gram-positive ( Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli ) and Gram-positive ( Staphylococcus aureus ) bacteria. Additionally, the thermal properties investigations revealed that the glass transition temperature was 80–90 °C ( T g), the melting temperature ( T m ) was 338–362 °C, and the start temperature was 101–128 °C at the beginning of mass loss. Conclusions These results show that the lignin-derived product from steam-exploded POMLBW has the potential for antioxidant (LML and WSL) and antimicrobial (LML) applications with good thermal resistance. Graphical Abstract | Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of lignin-derived products from all steam-exploded palm oil mill lignocellulosic biomass waste | 10.1186/s40538-023-00529-x |
2024-01-04 | This study focuses on the analysis of the simulation of the main climatological features of the Orinoco low-level jet (OLLJ) by a set of models included in the Sixth Phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) and their projected changes under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs): SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5. We consider the 1979–2014 period to evaluate the historical simulations using the ERA5 reanalysis as the reference dataset. In general, CMIP6 models are able to capture the activation of the OLLJ during December-January–February (DJF) in the Orinoco basin, as well as the main links between this circulation and low-level moisture transport patterns in northern South America. Regarding the analysis of projections, CMIP6 models suggest a weakening and shrinking of the OLLJ, especially in its exit region, by the end of the twenty-first century, which in turn induces changes in atmospheric moisture transport patterns in the region during DJF. The projected changes of the OLLJ are associated with variations in the regional gradients of mean sea level pressure, near-surface air temperature, and surface sensible heat flux in association with drier conditions in the Orinoco basin. These projections are consistent with previous studies suggesting a drier Orinoco river basin throughout the twenty-first century. Assessing the projected changes of this low-level jet in northern South America improves our understanding of the different phenomena that modulate atmospheric moisture transport in the region, which is particularly important given its high vulnerability to climate change. | A drier Orinoco basin during the twenty-first century: the role of the Orinoco low-level jet | 10.1007/s00382-023-07028-7 |
2024-01-04 | Objective To investigate the clinical application of an ultrasonic bone knife (UBK) combined with a dental electric motor (DEM) in the extraction of mandibular middle and low impacted teeth. Methods From January 2022 to May 2023,200 patients with wisdom teeth were randomly divided into three groups: experimental group A (UBK combined with DEM), experimental group B (UBK combined with high-speed turbine mobile phone (HSTMP)), and the control group (bone chisel split crown (BCSC)). The operation time, psychological state during operation, pain, swelling, limitation of mouth opening and other complications on the first, second and third days after operation were recorded. Results The operation time of experimental group A (EAG) (12.95 ± 2.12) minutes was shorter than that of experimental group B (EBG) (17.06 ± 2.25) minutes and the control group (CG) (23.43 ± 2.18) minutes, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The psychological state of the EAG was significantly lower than that of the EBG and CG ( P < 0.05). The postoperative pain, swelling, limitation of mouth opening and complications in the EAG were significantly lower than those in the EBG and CG ( P < 0.05). Conclusion UBK combined with DEM in the extraction of mandibular middle and low obstructed teeth has good results, good prognosis, high safety, short operation time, better psychological status of patients, low postoperative pain, swelling, mouth opening restriction and complication rate, and is currently the preferred extraction method. | Application of an ultrasonic bone knife combined with a dental electric motor in the extraction of mandibular middle and low impacted teeth | 10.1186/s12903-023-03788-0 |
2024-01-04 | Hydrological extremes can be influenced by climatic inputs (e.g., rainfall), but are controlled by topographical and anthropogenic factors. Note that the combined effect of topography and land use/cover on hydrological extremes is not fully explored and requires further research. This study considered five watersheds in the Baro River basin with varying topographic and land use/cover combinations to investigate the integrated impacts of topography and land use/cover on the hydrological extremes. The selected watersheds were classified as forest-dominated (i.e., Uka, Sor, and Gumero watersheds) and agriculturally dominated (i.e., Meti and Keto watersheds), as well as flat-to-gently sloped watersheds (Uka and Gumero) and moderate-to-sloped watersheds (Sor, Meti, and Keto). Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used to analyze the land-use/land-cover change from 1990 to 2018, and the topographical variables were quantified using the GIS tool. Finally, the elasticity approach was used to estimate the sensitivity of low and peak flow to the individual and combined impacts of land use/cover and topography. Generally, the results revealed that both low and peak flows were more sensitive to sloped watersheds with forest land-cover types, with elasticity’s of 0–2.6% for low flow and 0–4.6% for peak flow, respectively. | Integrated impact of land use/cover and topography on hydrological extremes in the Baro River Basin | 10.1007/s12665-023-11378-0 |
2024-01-04 | In this study, a rocket-based UAV and a solar wing-tail Martian UAV were designed and assessed against a set of criteria established using a house of quality chart. For the design, analysis, trade studies, and optimization, MATLAB and XFLR5 were used. The optimized versions of the two configurations feature the same wing and tail airfoils, the same wing and tail planforms, different dimensions, weight, and performance. Therefore, distinct types of scientific missions are suitable for these aircraft. The results of the study extend our understanding of the capabilities of a Martian fixed-wing airplane in terms of payload mass, hence its scientific value, as well as in terms of its planform geometry and airfoil shapes. | Rocket-based versus solar wing-tail Martian UAVs: design, analysis, and trade studies | 10.1007/s42401-023-00267-w |
2024-01-03 | We explore the design and optimization of high-efficiency solar cells on low-reflective monocrystalline silicon surfaces using a personal computer one dimensional simulation software tool. The changes in the doping concentration of the n -type and p -type materials profoundly affects the generation and recombination process, thus affecting the conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells. To enhance solar cells' performance, copper nanoparticle (Cu-NP) assisted surface texturization has been employed on the silicon surface with resistivity 1–3 Ω.cm. The surface texturization assists in reducing the surface reflection of silicon by around 0.65%. The doping concentration and the layer thicknesses of a solar cell are optimized and found that 1 × 1014 cm −3 doping concentration at three different thicknesses (5, 10, and 15 μm) of the n-type region exhibit the maximum solar cell conversion efficiency of around 26.19%. The optimized design solution shows the best output parameters namely open-circuit voltage ( V oc ) around 0.749 V, short circuit current ( I sc ) about 3.987 A, and a fill factor of 26.19% that can be potentially useful for the fabrication of high-efficiency solar cells. | High-efficiency silicon solar cells designed on experimentally achieved nano-engineered low-reflective silicon surface | 10.1007/s12596-023-01574-3 |
2024-01-03 | Abstract The goal of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota profiles of gestating sows, along with the fecal microbiota and milk fatty acid contents of lactating sows and their correlations with reproductive performance at different parities. The results showed that the microbiota of third parity gestating sows contained a greater abundance of Prevotella compared to the other two parity groups, while lactating sows exhibiting higher reproductive performance at fifth parity exhibited a greater abundance of Lactobacillus species. The lactating sows with higher reproductive performance also exhibited higher total monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and higher total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels relative to sows with lower reproductive performance at all three analyzed parities, especially sows at fifth parity produced the lowest total saturated fatty acid (SFA) levels, and showed the highest C18:1n9c and C18:2n6c concentrations. In correlational analyses, the abundance of Oligella , Lactobacillus , and Corynebacterium was highly positively correlated with C18:1n9c, C18:2n6c, and C20:4n6. Overall, these results provide a rational basis for efforts to improve sow reproductive performance through the provision of precisely regulated nutrition. Key points • Clear differences in the fecal microbiota were evident between sows of different parities. • Lactating sows with high reproductive performance showed distinct milk fatty acid profiles. | Parity changed fecal microbiota of sows and its correlation with milk long-chain fatty acid profiles | 10.1007/s00253-023-12852-2 |
2024-01-03 | This study contributes to the literature by addressing the relevance of low-carbon finance efficiency and making significant contributions. We employ a simple weighted linear programming (LP) approach to estimate efficiency and compute entity scores with minimal optimization background, enhancing accessibility. Our study investigates interrelationships among the factors of production and outputs in estimating the efficiency of low-carbon finance, including financial index (renewable energy investment), renewable electricity output, renewable production, financial risk index, GDP, and research and development expenses, using the stochastic structural relationship programming (SSRP) model. Analyzing China, India, Brazil, and the USA, our findings show that China and the USA outperform other countries in low-carbon finance efficiency. This sheds light on comparative performance and variations across different contexts. A minimal initial overall renewable production plays an important role for the countries with lower financial indices to improve, while those with high indices should increase their focus on the energy sector. We identify a spillover effect of renewable production on financial index and financial risk index, emphasizing the positive relationship between renewable energy investments and overall financial outcomes. Integrating renewable energy initiatives into financial strategies brings potential benefits. This study significantly contributes to the literature on low-carbon finance efficiency, offering vital policy implications for sustainable finance and renewable energy sectors. | Efficiency of Low-Carbon Finance: Its Interrelationships with Industry and Macroeconomic Environment | 10.1007/s13132-023-01658-2 |
2024-01-03 | Children and adolescents with severe neurological impairment (SNI) require specialized care due to their complex medical needs. In particular, these patients are often affected by severe and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). These infections, including viral and bacterial etiology, pose a significant risk to these patients, often resulting in respiratory insufficiency and long-term impairments. Using expert consensus, we developed clinical recommendations on the management of LRTIs in children and adolescents with SNI. These recommendations emphasize comprehensive multidisciplinary care and antibiotic stewardship. Initial treatment should involve symptomatic care, including hydration, antipyretics, oxygen therapy, and respiratory support. In bacterial LRTIs, antibiotic therapy is initiated based on the severity of the infection, with aminopenicillin plus a beta-lactamase inhibitor recommended for community-acquired LRTIs and piperacillin-tazobactam for patients with chronic lung disease or tracheostomy. Ongoing management includes regular evaluations, adjustments to antibiotic therapy based on pathogen identification, and optimization of supportive care. Implementation of these recommendations aims to improve the diagnosis and treatment of LRTIs in children and adolescents with SNI. What is Known: • Children and adolescents with severe neurological impairment are particularly affected by severe and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). • The indication and choice of antibiotic therapy for bacterial LRTI is often difficult because there are no evidence-based treatment recommendations for this heterogeneous but vulnerable patient population; the frequent overuse of broad-spectrum or reserve antibiotics in this patient population increases selection pressure for multidrug-resistant pathogens. What is New: • The proposed recommendations provide a crucial framework for focused diagnostics and treatment of LRTIs in children and adolescents with severe neurological impairment. • Along with recommendations for comprehensive and multidisciplinary therapy and antibiotic stewardship, ethical and palliative care aspects are taken into account. | Clinical recommendations for the inpatient management of lower respiratory tract infections in children and adolescents with severe neurological impairment in Germany | 10.1007/s00431-023-05401-6 |
2024-01-03 | Purpose Lower back pain (LBP), mainly caused by intervertebral disk (IVD) degeneration (IDD), is widely prevalent worldwide and is a serious socioeconomic burden. Numerous factors may trigger this degenerative process, and microbial dysbiosis has recently been implicated as one of the likely causes. However, the exact relationship between IDD and the microbiome remains obscure. In this study, we investigated the gut microbiota composition and fecal metabolic phenotype and discussed the possible influences of microbiome dysbiosis on IDD. Methods Fecal DNA was extracted from 16 fecal samples (eight rabbit models with IDD and eight sex- and age-matched healthy controls) and analyzed by high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing. The fecal samples were also analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Multivariate analyses were conducted for the relationship between the omics data and IDD, linear discriminant analysis effect size was employed for biomarker discovery. Moreover, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database was used to annotate the differential metabolites. The potential correlation between differential gut microbiota and metabolites was then assessed. Results The 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that the β-diversity of the gut microbiota was significantly different between the IDD and control groups, with distinct abundance levels of dominant genera. Moreover, 59 metabolites were significantly upregulated and 91 were downregulated in IDD rabbits versus the controls. The KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the top pathways remarkably impacted by IDD were tyrosine metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, benzoate degradation, ABC transporters, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, and pyrimidine metabolism. The correlation analysis revealed that DL-tyrosine and N -acetylmuramic acid were associated with multiple differential bacterial genera, including Helicobacter and Vibrio , which may play important roles in the process of IVD degeneration. Conclusion Our findings revealed that IDD altered gut microbiota and fecal metabolites in a rabbit model. The correlation analysis of microbiota and metabolome provides a deeper understanding of IDD and its possible etiopathogenesis. These results also provide a direction and theoretical basis for the clinical application of fecal transplantation, probiotics, and other methods to regulate gut microbiota in the treatment of LBP caused by IDD. | Changes in the composition of the fecal metabolome and gut microbiota contribute to intervertebral disk degeneration in a rabbit model | 10.1186/s13018-023-04486-x |
2024-01-02 | Several researches reported that pomegranate adaptation was influenced by many factors related to environmental conditions and genotype. In this study, the influence of two contrasting climate conditions on pomegranate development and productivity was evaluated over two consecutive years (2021/2022). Yield, physical quality of fruits, vegetative growth, and physiological status of 'Sefri' and 'Marsi' (Moroccan cultivars) along with 'Wonderful' (American variety) were assessed and compared under low-temperature conditions and warm climates. The results showed significant varietal differences in nearly all measured response variables, except for the number of stomata per leaf. From the first season of experiment, fruit yield significantly decreased under the coldest climate conditions, with average reductions of 57%, 37%, and 35% in 'Sefri', 'Marsi', and 'Wonderful' cultivars, respectively. This decrease was associated with a significant reduction in arils’ physical quality, and juice content. Additionally, shoot length and leaf area decreased in Moroccan cultivars under colder environments in comparison to 'Wonderful' variety. Physiologically, leaves at high altitude areas had highest proline and cuticular wax content, as well as lowest concentration of chlorophyll pigments, when compared to warm conditions. Based on these results, 'Wonderful' variety was found to be more tolerant to low-temperature environments than Moroccan cultivars, experiencing lowest decline in potential production and vegetative growth. These findings suggest that the variation in low-temperature tolerance among the studied pomegranate genotypes can be utilized in breeding programs and for selecting pomegranate cultivars suitable for neighboring Moroccan regions with colder climates. | Impact of contrasting climate conditions on pomegranate development and productivity: implications for breeding and cultivar selection in colder environments | 10.1007/s42535-023-00771-6 |
2024-01-02 | The evolution of the microstructure and toughness of APL5L X80 pipeline steel after thermal welding simulation was investigated by X-ray diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that primary heat-affected zones can be divided into weld, coarse-grained, fine-grained, intercritical, and subcritical zones. The microstructure of the weld zone is mainly composed of bainitic ferrite and a small amount of granular bainite; however, the original austenite grains are distributed in the columnar grains. The structure of the coarse-grained zone is similar to that of the weld zone, but the original austenite grains are equiaxed. In contrast, the microstructure in the fine-grained zone is dominated by fine granular bainite, and the effective grain size is only 8.15 μm, thus providing the highest toughness in the entire heat-affected zone. The intercritical and subcritical zones were brittle valley regions, and the microstructure was dominated by granular bainite. However, the martensite–austenite (M/A) constituents are present in island chains along the grain boundaries, and the coarse size of the M/A constituents seriously reduces the toughness. The results of the crack propagation analyzes revealed that high-angle grain boundaries can significantly slow down crack growth and change the crack direction, thereby increasing the material toughness. The impact toughness of the low-temperature tempering zone was equivalent to that of the columnar grain zone, and the impact toughness was between those of the critical and fine-grained zones. | Changes in microstructure and properties of weld heat-affected zone of high-strength low-alloy steel | 10.1007/s42243-023-01133-x |
2024-01-02 | In this study, we investigate a self-healing 60Pb40Sn reinforced Al6061 alloy’s tribological behavior through experimentation, focusing on the influence of different reinforcement concentrations on tribological performance. Cylindrical pins with varying filler concentrations were tested using a pin-on-roller Tribometer to evaluate friction behavior, wear resistance, and fractured surface morphology. The results revealed intriguing findings, including a 5% higher coefficient of friction (COF) for the maximum solder concentration sample at lower loads and speeds. Under higher loads (100 N), the COF increased by approximately 16%. However, the three-hole pin samples consistently exhibited higher weight loss than the two-hole pins. Remarkably, at a 100 N load and extended sliding distances, the three-hole pins showed slightly lower friction values, with a reduced COF of 12%, 16%, and 12% at 53 rpm, 106 rpm, and 160 rpm, respectively. Morphological characterization using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectrum (EDS), and Elemental Maps revealed the wear mechanism and oxidation on the pins’ surfaces, contributing to enhanced wear resistance in this self-healing composite, thus presenting a novel insight into self-healing alloy tribology. | Experimental analysis and investigation on enhanced tribological performance of self-healing Al6061–60Pb40Sn solder alloy reinforcement | 10.1007/s12008-023-01664-3 |
2024-01-02 | Achievement of lithium (Li) metal anode with thin thickness (e.g., ≤ 30 µm) is highly desirable for rechargeable high energy density batteries. However, the fabrication and application of such thin Li metal foil electrode remain challenging due to the poor mechanical processibility and inferior electrochemical performance of metallic Li. Here, mechanico-chemical synthesis of robust ultrathin Li/Li 3 P (LLP) composite foils (∼ 15 µm) is demonstrated by employing repeated mechanical rolling/stacking operations using red P and metallic Li as raw materials. The in-situ formed Li + -conductive Li 3 P nanoparticles in metallic Li matrix and their tight bonding strengthen the mechanical durability and enable the successful fabrication of free-standing ultrathin Li metal composite foil. Besides, it also reduces the electrochemical Li nucleation barrier and homogenizes Li plating/stripping behavior. When matching to high-voltage LiCoO 2 , the full cell with a low negative/positive (N/P) capacity ratio of ∼ 1.5 offers a high energy density of ∼ 522 W·h·kg −1 at 0.5 C based on the mass of cathode and anode. Taking into account its facile manufacturing, potentially low cost, and good electrochemical performance, we believe that such an ultrathin composite Li metal foil design with nanoparticle-dispersion-strengthened mechanism may boost the development of high energy density Li metal batteries. | A Li3P nanoparticle dispersion strengthened ultrathin Li metal electrode for high energy density rechargeable batteries | 10.1007/s12274-023-6275-9 |
2024-01-02 | Background Wheat is one of the main grain crops in the world, and the tiller number is a key factor affecting the yield of wheat. Phosphorus is an essential element for tiller development in wheat. However, due to decreasing phosphorus content in soil, there has been increasing use of phosphorus fertilizer, while imposing risk of soil and water pollution. Hence, it is important to identify low phosphorus tolerance genes and utilize them for stress resistance breeding in wheat. Results We subjected the wheat variety Kenong 199 (KN199) to low phosphorus stress and observed a reduced tiller number. Using transcriptome analysis, we identified 1651 upregulated genes and 827 downregulated of genes after low phosphorus stress. The differentially expressed genes were found to be enriched in the enzyme activity regulation related to phosphorus, hormone signal transduction, and ion transmembrane transport. Furthermore, the transcription factor analysis revealed that TaWRKY74 s were important for low phosphorus tolerance. TaWRKY74 s have three alleles: TaWRKY74 -A, TaWRKY74 -B, and TaWRKY74 -D, and they all belong to the WRKY family with conserved WRKYGQK motifs. These proteins were found to be located in the nucleus, and they were expressed in axillary meristem, shoot apical meristem(SAM), young leaves, leaf primordium, and spikelet primordium. The evolutionary tree showed that TaWRKY74 s were closely related to OsWRKY74 s in rice. Moreover, TaWRKY74 s-RNAi transgenic plants displayed significantly fewer tillers compared to wild-type plants under normal conditions. Additionally, the tiller numebr of the RNAi transgenic plants was also significantly lower than that of the wild-type plants under low-phosphorus stress, and increased the decrease amplitude. This suggestd that TaWRKY74 s are related to phosphorus response and can affect the tiller number of wheat. Conclusions The results of this research showed that TaWRKY74 s were key genes in wheat response to low phosphorus stress, which might regulate wheat tiller number through abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin signal transduction pathways. This research lays the foundation for further investigating the mechanism of TaWRKY74 s in the low phosphorus environments and is significant for wheat stress resistance breeding. | Transcriptome analysis of axillary buds in low phosphorus stress and functional analysis of TaWRKY74s in wheat | 10.1186/s12870-023-04695-w |
2024-01-01 | Film growth equipment is one of the critical aspects in the manufacturing process of integrated circuits. It directly affects the properties of thin film materials such as consistency and dimensional accuracy. This section describes the basic principles of film growth and equipment techniques, including physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), epitaxy system, and spin coater. The context presents a comprehensive and in-depth introduction of the various subtechnology of mainstream principles and an overview of the film growth equipment system as well. | Thin Film Growth Equipment | 10.1007/978-981-99-2836-1_67 |
2024-01-01 | For the problem about generating a large amount of smoke, poor environmental friendliness, asphalt aging when preparing rubber powder modified asphalt in high temperature environments, the study of warm mixed tire rubber powder composite modified asphalt mixing agent and the influence of the high and low temperature performance of asphalt mixture, the automobile tires, tire rubber powder preparation add asphalt quality were 5%, 7.5%, 10% respectively temperature mixing agent made of different dosage of warm mix rubber powder modified asphalt. Through dynamic shear rheological test (DSR), bending beam rheological test (BBR) tests to evaluate the temperature with high and low temperature performance of rubber powder modified asphalt. Experimental results show that temperature mixing agent made of waste tire rubber powder composite modified asphalt complex modulus and creep rate increases, phase Angle and creep stiffness modulus decreased, shows that temperature mixing agent has a beneficial effect on the high temperature performance, and can make its low temperature performance is obviously improved, when the temperature mixing agent is 7.5% the above effect the most obvious, but the higher dose (10%) or lower (5%), the effect will be dropped. | Study on high and low temperature performance of asphalt mixture modified by warm mixed tire rubber powder | 10.2991/978-94-6463-372-6_8 |
2024-01-01 | Degradable polymers and composites Composites have found extensive applications in various industries but are currently limited to low-temperature usage due to their low glass transition temperature (typically <80 °C). High- T g High Tg polymer composites Composites , predominantly composed of epoxy Epoxy resin, present challenges in decomposition, often necessitating high temperature, pressure, corrosive environments, and even supercritical fluids. The increasing adoption of fiber-enhanced composites Composites for weight reduction and corrosion Corrosion resistance further aggravates environmental concerns. This study addresses these challenges by introducing a pioneering solution in the form of a novel high- T g High Tg (>130 °C) epoxy Epoxy composite Composites that exhibits water degradability below 100 °C. The material development process and degradation mechanism will be comprehensively elucidated. To the best of our knowledge, this marks the industry's first water-degradable Water degradable high- T g High Tg epoxy Epoxy composite Composites , unlocking a plethora of new applications across industries and providing an environmentally friendly, green composite Composites material. | Technical Route to Develop High-Tg Epoxy Composite That Is Water Degradable at Low Temperature | 10.1007/978-3-031-50180-7_7 |
2024-01-01 | Nano-Ag paste sintering has attracted much attention for high-power electronics packaging owing to its excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and oxidation resistance. However, it requires printing and pre-heating before the die attach process, and the organics in the paste do not evaporate easily for large-area die attachment. In this work, a nano-Ag film (~ 100 μm thickness) with only 2.1% organics is developed to realize low-temperature bonding, which is compatible with the current sintering bonding process. The optimized preparation parameters of the nano-Ag films was optimized as 180°C-5 min. The characteristics and sintering mechanism of nano-Ag film are discussed. The results showed that the micro/nanostructure on the surface of nano-Ag film with a small amount of organic material is responsible for the low-temperature sintering ability, which realized 24.01 MPa shear strength at 200°C. The fracture was analyzed and failure modes are discussed. The easy-to-use features and low-temperature sintering ability make the nano-Ag film a promising die-attach material with high reliability. Graphical Abstract | Low-Temperature-Sintered Nano-Ag Film for Power Electronics Packaging | 10.1007/s11664-023-10763-6 |
2024-01-01 | Frost damage is one of the common degradation processes of construction materials. Moreover, the reliable predictions of internal temperature and humidity distributions consist of the vital parameters to evaluate the degree of frost damage to concrete structures. In view of this need, this paper comprehensively studied the variations of heat and moisture transportation in low temperature concrete. Firstly, it characterized the variations of three pore configurations in concrete as temperature decreasing to quantify two opposing effects, that is, the formation of ice in the pores and the crack propagations caused by excessive ice formation. Then, a multiscale material model was proposed to estimate the effective transport coefficients of heat and moisture in concrete with considering low temperature effect. To predict the internal distributions of heat and moisture in low temperature concrete, the calculated effective coefficients were input in a two-way coupled transport analytical model, whose results were verified by a finite element model. | Prediction of Heat-Moisture Transportation in Concrete Under Low Temperatures | 10.1007/978-981-99-3362-4_74 |
2024-01-01 | Simultaneously increasing the temperature coefficient of resistivity ( TCR ) and low-field magnetoresistance ( LFMR ) has become important. Generally, Mn ions play an important role in the change of electromagnetic properties of the system, and the change of Mn 3+ /Mn 4+ causes the J-T effect and DE interaction. In this paper, (La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 ) 1- x : (MnO 2 ) x ( x = 0–0.2) ceramics are prepared by sol-gel and solid-state routine. The morphology, structure, and transport properties are studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), and four-probe technique test methods. The XRD results show that all samples have high crystallinity and density, and the structure (space group) are determined to be Pnma . The SEM grain statistics diagram results show that with the increase of MnO 2 , the grain size increases and grain boundary decreases. The XPS shows that Mn 4+ ions content increases first and then decreases. Moreover, the electrical and magnetic transport properties of the samples are improved, resistivity(ρ), TCR increased from 39.89 to 44.29%·K −1 , MR increased from 53.29 to 75.42%, which is larger than most of the other reported values and provides a new direction for the selection of infrared detection materials. Graphical Abstract (La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 ) 1- x :(MnO 2 ) x ( x = 0,0.04,0.08,0.12,0.2) composite were prepared by sol-gel and solid-state routine. By adding MnO 2 , the structural, electrical and magnetic transport properties of La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 were studied. Both the temperature coefficient of resistance ( TCR ) and low-field magnetoresistance (LFMR) were greatly enhance. Electrical and magnetic transport properties were investigated and discussed on the basis of the Jahn-Teller (JT) effect and double-exchange (DE) mechanism. | Electrical and low-field magnetoresistance transport effect of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3: MnO2 composite ceramics | 10.1007/s10971-023-06246-z |
2024-01-01 | A novel method of forming sheet metal uses low melting alloys (LMA) to apply loads directly to the surface of the blank, which reduces plastic instability and wrinkle formation. The method also reduces the amount of sheet that needs to be processed, which increases material efficiency and also eliminates the need for trimming. Combining numerical simulation and experimentation, the mechanism of wrinkling was studied. High-temperature tensile tests were used to obtain the mechanical characteristics of LMA, and the FEA software ABAQUS was used to create the FEA model for the proposed forming method. The mechanism of wrinkles was revealed by analyzing the impacts of layer thickness and forming temperature on the LMA’s bending phenomenon. Experimental studies on the impact of LMA on sheet formation at various temperatures were conducted. The results of the numerical simulation agree with the experimental findings. | Influence of bending effect of low melting alloy on wrinkling for sheet metal forming | 10.1007/s00170-023-12730-1 |
2024-01-01 | Due to waste contact and waste slurry generated in the production process of silicone monomer after copper extraction of the residue (WSP), a significant accumulation leads to environmental pollution and waste of resources. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore a suitable method to recover the silicon resources therein. In this study, the morphology and composition of WSP are systematically investigated, and the optimized method of removing impurities by combining low-temperature oxidative roasting and mixed acid leaching is proposed, by taking advantage of the low-temperature oxidizability of amorphous carbon as well as the corrosive effect of HF on the SiO 2 layer. Carbon removal using oxidative roasting of WSP is analyzed, and the effects of different roasting temperatures and times on carbon removal are explored. The effects of HF concentration, acid leaching temperature, and time on the impurity leaching rate are studied. The results show that the removal of impure carbon is as high as 98.46% when roasted at 500 °C for 3 h in the atmosphere. The optimal conditions for mixed-acid leaching are as follows: HF concentration of 4 mol·L −1 ; leaching temperature of 70 °C; 2 h period. The removal rates of Cl, Ca, and Fe are superior to 99%, and the removal rates of Al and Ti are superior to 94%. This simple method is key for the recovery of silicon resources from WSP. | Study on the Purification Process of Waste Silicon Powder in the Synthesis Process of Organosilicon Monomer | 10.1007/s12633-023-02720-z |
2024-01-01 | In this study, a composite powder capillary wick is prepared, manufactured by sintering copper powder and surface treated by low-temperature thermal oxidation. It is used to improve the performance of the capillary wick. The forced flow method and infrared imaging method are used to test the permeability and capillary performance of the samples. The effects of different oxidation temperatures on the performance of capillary wick are investigated. The experimental results show that the wetting performance of the oxidized samples is significantly enhanced. With the increase of oxidation temperature, the permeability decreases. The capillary height and velocity of the thermally oxidized samples are significantly higher than those of the untreated capillary wick. However, the oxidation temperature needs to be adjusted to obtain the best capillary performance. The highest capillary performance is found at oxidation temperature of 300°C, with an increase of 46% compared to the untreated ones. Comparisons with other composite wicks show that the sample with an oxidation temperature of 300°C has competitive capillary performance, making it a favorable alternative to two-phase heat transfer device. This study shows that combining low-temperature thermal oxidation technology with powder sintering is a convenient and effective method to improve the capillary performance of powder wicks. | Effect of Low-Temperature Thermal Oxidation on the Capillary Performance of Sintered Copper Powder Wicks | 10.1007/s11630-023-1894-8 |
2024-01-01 | Ti6Al4V Ti6Al4V alloy has many advantages such as high specific strength, good corrosion Corrosion resistance and biocompatibility Biocompatibility , and is the most widely used titanium Titanium alloy. At present, the industrial production of titanium Titanium must use titanium Titanium sponge (Kroll method) as raw material Materials , and the production cycle is long, high cost, cannot meet the requirements of the development of circular economy and environmental protection, which greatly limits the large-scale application of titanium Titanium . We have designed and developed the “high-performance titanium Titanium / titanium Titanium alloy thermoelectric coupling low-cost short-flow preparation Preparation of a series of new process Process system”. We have designed and developed a new method to prepare Ti6Al4V Ti6Al4V alloy powder by self-propagating Self-propagating multistage reduction and one-step in-situ In-situ reduction using Ti6Al4V Ti6Al4V alloy as the representative titanium Titanium alloy. The method has completed semi-industrial tests and established the world's first demonstration production line for the low-cost, short-flow, clean production of Ti6Al4V Ti6Al4V powder and Ti Ti powder by this method, which can reduce the cost of titanium Titanium production by more than 30%, and is expected to boost the further development of the titanium Titanium and titanium Titanium alloy industry. | A New Low-Cost, Short-Flow, and Clean Preparation Process for Ti6Al4V Alloys | 10.1007/978-3-031-50349-8_64 |
2024-01-01 | Laser-based powder bed fusion of polymers (PBF-LB/P) is predominantly based on the quasi-isothermal processing of semi-crystalline polymers. To overcome existing limitations in the range of polymers suitable for PBF-LB/P, the non-isothermal, support-free powder bed fusion of polymers by means of superposed fractal, phase-shifted exposure strategies is proposed. Using polypropylene as a model material, thermographic monitoring allows for observing cooling rates exceeding 50 K s −1 , leading to temporary supercooling of the polymer melt. By varying the applied laser power, an interdependence of structural boundary conditions and applied exposure parameters on emerging temperature fields and corresponding crystallization temperatures can be derived. Resulting thermal process properties, assessed in situ, are characterized by the exposure-dependent crystallization of the polymer melt. Formed temperature fields implicitly influence the layer formation and formed crystalline modifications, yielding the exposure-dependent formation of α/β-PP. The presented results indicate the suitability of the proposed discretized exposure strategies for significantly increasing the build rate in support-free, non-isothermal powder bed fusion of polymers while significantly reducing the thermal exposure of applied materials compared to existing additive manufacturing processes. Allowing for the targeted modification of part properties, the proposed processing strategy represents the methodological foundation for the additive manufacturing of thermo-sensitive, functionalized multi-material systems and the integration of pharmaceuticals. | Accelerated Non-Isothermal Powder Bed Fusion of Polypropylene Using Superposed Fractal Exposure Strategies | 10.1007/978-3-031-37671-9_1 |
2024-01-01 | Abstract Efficient capture, safe storage and release of tritium from the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) reaction exhaust gas is a perplexing problem, and the development of an efficient tritium-getter material with ultra-low hydrogenation equilibrium pressure is considered as a reliable way. In this work, Zr 2 Co alloy was selected as a tritium-getter material and prepared through induction levitation melting. Fundamental performance test results show that Zr 2 Co exhibits an ultra-low hydrogenation equilibrium pressure of 3.22 × 10 –6 Pa at 25 °C and excellent hydriding kinetics under a low hydrogen pressure of 0.005 MPa. Interestingly, unique phase transition behaviors were presented in Zr 2 Co-H system. Specifically, Zr 2 CoH 5 formed by Zr 2 Co hydrogenated at room temperature is initially decomposed into ZrH 2 and ZrCoH 3 at 200 °C. With the temperature increasing to 350 °C, ZrCoH 3 is dehydrogenated to ZrCo, and then ZrCo further reacts with ZrH 2 at 650 °C to reform Zr 2 Co and hydrogen. Among the staged phase transition pathways during dehydrogenation, the decomposition of Zr 2 CoH 5 occurs preferentially, which is well accordance with both the smallest reaction energy barrier and the maximum reaction spontaneity that are determined respectively from kinetics activation energy and thermodynamics Gibbs free energy. Furthermore, first principles calculation results indicate that the stronger binding of hydrogen in interstitial environments of ZrCoH 3 and ZrH 2 triggers the hydrogen-stabilized phase transformation of Zr 2 CoH 5 . The unique phase transition mechanisms in Zr 2 Co-H system can shed light on the further exploration and regulation of analogous staged phase transition of hydrogen storage materials. Graphical abstract 如何从热核实验堆的反应排放气中有效捕获和回收氚仍是目前的一个难题。研究人员认为，开发具有超低吸氢平衡压的高效吸氚材料是一种可行途径。本文采用磁悬浮感应熔炼制备Zr 2 Co合金，详细研究了其低平衡氢压下的吸放氢性能。结果表明，Zr 2 Co在25 o C时具有3.22×10 -6 Pa的超低吸氢平衡压力，在5000 Pa低氢压力下表现出优异的吸氢动力学。尤其值得关注的是，Zr 2 Co-H体系呈现出独特的吸放氢相变行为。Zr 2 Co合金在室温下吸氢直接生成Zr 2 CoH 5 。但在升温脱氢过程中，Zr 2 CoH 5 会在200 o C时首先歧化分解为ZrH 2 和ZrCoH 3 ；随着放氢温度进一步升高，在350 o C时ZrCoH 3 会放氢生成ZrCo，在650 o C时ZrCo又会与ZrH 2 反应生成Zr 2 Co和氢气。通过动力学活化能和热力学吉布斯自由能的分析比较可知，Zr 2 CoH 5 的歧化分解反应具有最小反应能垒和最大反应自发性，因此，在脱氢过程中Zr 2 CoH 5 会首先发生歧化分解。此外，第一性原理计算结果表明，位于ZrCoH 3 和ZrH 2 间隙中的氢原子具有更强的结合能力，这是触发Zr 2 CoH 5 氢稳定诱导相变的主要因素。Zr 2 Co-H体系中独特的吸放氢相变机制可以为其它储氢材料的类似相变行为机制研究提供指导。 | Deep insight of unique phase transition behaviors and mechanism in Zr2Co-H isotope system with ultra-low equilibrium pressure | 10.1007/s12598-023-02350-9 |
2024-01-01 | This chapter examines in detail the key material processing technologies used to fabricate semiconductor devices. All semiconductor materials are man made (metamaterials) since naturally occurring elements are either dielectrics|insulators|conductors. To convert these dielectric|insulator materials into a form such that they can conduct electricity under appropriate operating conditions, the initial insulator material must be processed in appropriate ways. Most of these material processing techniques work only under high vacuum conditions. The discussion starts with how to create ultra high vacuum conditions. | Semiconductor Device Manufacturing Technologies | 10.1007/978-3-031-45750-0_11 |
2024-01-01 | Low-dimensional perovskite (PVK) materials have attracted significant research interest, because of their quantum-confined effect, tunable band gap structures, and higher stability than that of three-dimensional (3D) PVKs. In semiconductor optoelectronic devices, high speed and small size are closely interlinked. The development of high-speed devices requires researchers to fully understand the properties of materials, especially the dynamic processes such as carrier recombination, separation, and transport, which often play a crucial role in the performance of devices. As an indispensable part of dynamic research, spin relaxation is also of great significance in studying the properties of materials and explore possible applications. Lead halide PVK materials have strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which provides a basis for information storage and processing by using spin degrees of freedom. Therefore, studying the carrier and spin dynamics of low-dimensional PVKs is an effective way to understand the internal properties of low-dimensional PVKs clearly. This paper summarizes the latest research progress on the ultrafast carrier and spin dynamics in low-dimensional PVKs, to comprehensively understand their carrier and spin behaviors and present an outlook for relevant studies in this area. | Ultrafast optical investigation of carrier and spin dynamics in low-dimensional perovskites | 10.1007/s11431-022-2285-1 |
2024-01-01 | In order to improve the indoor heat and humidity environment of existing residences and reduce the total energy consumption of buildings, this paper takes an ultra-low-energy consumption reconstructed building in Wuxi as an example, and studies the influence of ultra-low-energy consumption reconstruction on the indoor heat and humidity environment in different spaces and the total energy consumption of heating and cooling through quantitative measurement and analysis and simulation verification with software. The analysis shows that the change range and fluctuation frequency of indoor heat and humidity environment can be reduced by increasing the thermal insulation performance of the external envelope, improving the air tightness of the building and reducing the thermal bridges, especially for the south room, and at the same time, the local heat accumulation in the room can be improved and the cooling and heating load of the building can be reduced. | Research on Measurement and Optimization of an Old Building in Wuxi Based on Ultra-low-energy Consumption and Energy Saving Transformation | 10.1007/978-981-99-9947-7_55 |
2024-01-01 | We give an overview of the properties of X-ray binary systems containing a weakly magnetized neutron star. These are old (Giga-years lifetime) semi-detached binary systems containing a neutron star with a relatively weak magnetic field (less than ∼10 10 Gauss) and a low-mass (less than 1 M ⊙ ) companion star orbiting around the common center of mass in a tight system, with orbital period usually less than 1 day. The companion star usually fills its Roche lobe and transfers mass to the neutron star through an accretion disk, where most of the initial potential energy of the in-falling matter is released, reaching temperatures of tens of million Kelvin degrees, and therefore emitting most of the energy in the X-ray band. Their emission is characterized by a fast-time variability, possibly related to the short time scales in the innermost part of the system. Because of the weak magnetic field, the accretion flow can approach the neutron star until it is accreted onto its surface sometimes producing spectacular explosions known as type-I X-ray bursts. In some sources, the weak magnetic field of the neutron star (∼10 8 –10 9 Gauss) is strong enough to channel the accretion flow onto the polar caps, modulating the X-ray emission and revealing the fast rotation of the neutron star at millisecond periods. These systems are important for studies of fundamental physics, and in particular for test of General Relativity and alternative theories of gravity and for studies of the equation of state of ultra-dense matter, which are among the most important goals of modern physics and astrophysics. | Low-Magnetic-Field Neutron Stars in X-ray Binaries | 10.1007/978-981-16-4544-0_103-1 |
2024-01-01 | Low-temperature solder Low-temperature solder alloys have drawn a large amount of attention. Because using low-temperature soldering also reduces the energy cost of fabrication processes Process . It allows the fabrication of inexpensive assembly materials Materials , such as printed circuit boards, without high-assembly temperature Temperature resistance and temperature Temperature -sensitive components, such as LEDs, by avoiding thermal damage. The superplasticity Superplasticity mechanism of Sn-based alloys has not yet been clearly established. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of third-element addition on the microstructure Microstructure and superplastic behavior of Sn-Bi-based alloys. Low-melting-point Pb-free Sn-Bi-Sb and Sn-Bi-Zn solder alloys were used in this study. Tensile tests were carried out on the alloys under various cooling rates Cooling rate , temperatures Temperature (25, 40, 60, and 80 °C), and strain rates (10 –3 –10 –1 /s). The Sb- and Zn-added Sn-Bi-based alloys demonstrated superplastic deformation at 80 °C. The strain-rate sensitivity index of the Sn-Bi-based alloys at 80 °C exceeded 3, which is the threshold considered for superplastic deformation behavior. These results suggest that the superplastic deformation of Sn-Bi-based alloys is independent of the grain size of the primary Sn phase. | Superplasticity Deformation of Sn-Bi-Based Solder Alloys | 10.1007/978-3-031-50349-8_147 |
2024-01-01 | Hot-section components made by nickel-based superalloy for areo-engines always experience a long-term elevated temperature operating environment. Mechanical load caused more serious low cycle fatigue (LCF) at elevated temperature due to the reduction of mechanical properties. It is essential to investigate LCF under elevated temperature, especially LCF behavior and fatigue life. This paper considered the isothermal LCF for disc superalloy GH4169 at elevated temperature from the perspective of irreversible thermodynamics and degradation. A strain-controlled LCF behavior simulation program coded in MATLAB program based on Chaboche plastic constitutive model to simulate cyclic stress–strain responses and entropy generation. According to the results of accumulation of entropy generation in LCF process, a proposed model utilizing Belehradek law to fit fatigue fracture entropy generation under different loading conditions. A defined damage factor based on degradation-theorem and entropy generation was proposed to describe the evolution of fatigue damage in LCF. A damage evolution method utilized the entropy generation are adopted to estimate fatigue life. Compared with the experiment lives and predicted results from classic life prediction model, such as Ostergren and SWT models, this method can estimate the fatigue life for LCF at elevated temperature reasonably. Finally, the damage evolution method provided a suitable approach to monitor remaining life for elevated temperature LCF for GH4169. | A Damage Evolution Method for Estimating Low Cycle Fatigue Life of GH4169 Alloy Based on Thermodynamic Entropy Generation at Elevated Temperature | 10.1007/978-3-031-44947-5_59 |
2024-01-01 | Background The accuracy and reliability of digital image correlation (DIC) technologies are not only dependent on correlation algorithms but also strongly affected by the quality of the speckle patterns, especially under extremely low temperatures and large deformation conditions. Objective To overcome the challenge that the speckle patterns become more brittle and harder in the extremely low temperature experiments near liquid helium, and speckles cracking and shedding during the large deformation processes. Methods Novel speckle patterns and fabrication technologies have been developed specifically tailored to extremely low temperatures and large deformation conditions. Results A novel spinning-coated speckle fabrication method based on PDMS silicone and TiO 2 spherical particles was proposed, which can enable extremely low temperatures of DIC measurements above 20% strain. Using the 316LN stainless steel as a sample, the performances of several common speckles have been compared, and the strain localization and propagation had also been clarified. Conclusions The novel DIC full-field measurement method was validated with 316LN stainless steel, which confirmed that the speckles have excellent stability in the process of large deformation at extremely low temperatures. In addition, the formation and propagation processes of the slip bands for 316LN stainless steel have been revealed. | Novel Speckle Preparation and Heat Insulation Method for DIC Strain Measurement at Cryogenic Temperature and Large Deformation Environment | 10.1007/s11340-023-01006-0 |
2024-01-01 | Fe–Mn–C–Al alloys have been recognized as promising materials for certain low-temperature applications due to their exceptional mechanical properties and cost-effectiveness. However, their limited low-temperature toughness restricts their large-scale applications in specific scenarios. The influence of trace amounts of rare earth cerium (Ce) on the low-temperature toughness of Fe–18Mn–0.6C–1.8Al alloys was investigated. The addition of Ce effectively alters the inclusions in the alloy, transforming large-sized irregular inclusions into fine ellipsoidal rare earth inclusions. This leads to a significant reduction in both the proportion and average size of the inclusions, resulting in their effective dispersion throughout the matrix and improved cryogenic performance. The presence of Ce-containing inclusions within the matrix reduces stress concentration, thereby inhibiting microcrack formation and improving impact absorption energy. Specifically, the addition of rare earth Ce alters the fracture behavior of the material at room temperature and low temperature, changing from brittle cleavage fracture to a more ductile failure mode. The impact toughness of the Fe–Mn–C–Al alloy is significantly improved by the addition of 0.0048 wt.% Ce, particularly at − 196 °C where the impact toughness reaches 103.6 J/cm 2 , representing an impressive improvement of 87.3%. | Enhancement of low-temperature toughness of Fe–Mn–C–Al alloy by rare earth Ce-modified inclusions | 10.1007/s42243-023-01130-0 |
2024-01-01 | This article is to study the criteria of dehydration model, and to establish the Brixter index. Coffee cherries ( Coffea arabica L. var. catimor) were selected from two different farms in Pangkhon village, Chiang Rai province, which are in the northern part of Thailand: Farm A, and Farm B. The low air temperatures (18–30 °C) and low relative humidities (65–30%) technique (LTLH) was gradiently applied, to dehydrate the coffee bean, leading to higher sugar concentration. The applicability of the various measurements, such as physicochemical properties, dehydration kinetic, Brix boosting parameters, and their correlations were investigated. The level of soluble solids (°Brix) and acid concentrations in coffee samples were analyzed, to determine the °Brix/acid and o Brix*pH 2 ratios. The qualities of coffee cherries changes depending on the decreasing level of moisture content during the dehydration process. The °Brix degree reveals that by the end of the dehydration process, the sugar concentration of coffee cherries has increased by 1.5 times that of its initial. The °Brix/acid, and o Brix*pH 2 ratios highly correlated to the amount of soluble solids ( r 2 = 0.923 and 0.972, respectively) within coffee cherries. The most suitable timing to select dehydrating coffee cherries for the fermentation process is when the coffee cherries have attained °Brix/acid ratio of > 10 to 33, and o Brix*pH 2 ratio of > 400 to 850. These ratios can be used as an efficient instrument to determine the optimum Brix boosting stage of coffee cherry in the LTLH system. | The equations of coffee Brixter index: the boosting of sugar concentration in post-harvest by using low temperature, low relative humidity | 10.1007/s00217-023-04388-6 |
2024-01-01 | In the present study, by heating a quartz glass substrate having the dry residue of a 10 μL droplet of a solution of HAuCl 4 and a counter substrate facing to the dry residue from room temperature to one hundred and several tens of degrees Celsius in 20 min in air, highly dense gold nanoparticles were produced on the counter substrate. A gold nanoparticle substrate produced by this simple method was utilized as a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering analysis. Graphical abstract | Preparation of gold nanoparticles using low-temperature heating of the dry residue of a droplet of an HAuCl4 solution in air | 10.1007/s44211-023-00438-x |
2024-01-01 | Three nano-Ag films with different particle size distribution were fabricated as die-attach materials by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using nanosecond (ns), picosecond (ps), and femtosecond (fs) lasers. The effects of interface bonding of the three films on shear strength and fracture behaviors were systematically studied. The investigation of the interfacial neck growth mechanism of the PLD films with different particle size provided insight into the formation process of the bonding interface. The results showed that when the laser pulse duration decreased from ns to fs, the average particle size decreased and the shear strength of the joints increased significantly. The fs-film presented extremely high shear strength of 147 MPa at 250°C, 3.2 times and 2.0 times higher than the ns-film (46 MPa) and the ps-film (75 MPa), respectively, and well above most reports. The interface connection ratio was the dominant factor affecting shear strength and fracture behaviors. The interfacial neck growth of the fs-film was much faster than the ns-film due to its high surface and grain boundary energy. At the later sintering stage, the high grain boundary energy of the fs-film drove the neck merging and eliminated the gaps between the necks, resulting in the high interface connection ratio. The investigation of the interfacial neck growth mechanism can provide new guidance for interface bonding enhancement. Graphical Abstract | Particle Size Effects of Nano-Ag Films on the Interface Sintered Bonding for Die Attachment | 10.1007/s11664-023-10786-z |
2024-01-01 | In this work, the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of new Fe-22Cr-25Ni heat-resistant steel is studied under total strain amplitudes ranging from 0.3 to 0.7% at 700 °C. The effects of the mixed-grain structure (MGS) on dynamic strain aging (DSA), dislocation microstructure, and fatigue fracture in Fe-22Cr-25Ni steel are analyzed. It was found that the deformation was relatively uniform at low strain amplitude of 0.3%. The localization of plastic deformation was appeared by increasing the strain amplitude. The deformation in small grains of MGS and at the grain boundaries was significant. The DSA effect occurs under LCF, and its intensity depends on the strain amplitude and grain size in the MGS. The DSA effect becomes significant by increasing the strain amplitude and decreasing the grain size. At low strain amplitudes of 0.3 and 0.4%, the fatigue fracture was mainly transgranular, while the intergranular fracture of small grains was easily occurred in the mixed mode of transgranular and intergranular fractures at higher strain amplitudes ranging from 0.5 to 0.7%. | Effect of Mixed-Grain Structure on Low-Cycle Fatigue Behavior of Fe-22Cr-25Ni Austenitic Steel at Elevated Temperature | 10.1007/s11665-023-07957-8 |
2024-01-01 | The impact of alkyl dimethyl betaine (ADB) on the collection capacity of sodium oleate (NaOl) at low temperatures was evaluated using flotation tests at various scales. The low-temperature synergistic mechanism of ADB and NaOl was explored by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface tension measurement, foam performance test, and flotation reagent size measurement. The flotation tests revealed that the collector mixed with octadecyl dimethyl betaine (ODB) and NaOl in a mass ratio of 4:96 exhibited the highest collection capacity. The combined collector could increase the scheelite recovery by 3.48% at low temperatures of 8–12°C. This is particularly relevant in the Luanchuan area, which has the largest scheelite concentrate output in China. The results confirmed that ODB enhanced the collection capability of NaOl by improving the dispersion and foaming performance. Betaine can be introduced as an additive to NaOl to improve the recovery of scheelite at low temperatures. | Alkyl dimethyl betaine activates the low-temperature collection capacity of sodium oleate for scheelite | 10.1007/s12613-023-2718-2 |
2024-01-01 | The magnetic susceptibility (κ) of particulate matter (PM) is a useful tool in estimation concentration of iron-rich particles and provides useful information on the emission sources and pathways of spread of PM in the atmosphere. However, there is currently no established protocol for measuring the magnetic susceptibility of PM collected on filters used in standard monitoring of PM concentration. This paper presents a step-by-step process for collecting PM on filters in automatic samplers and measuring their κ. The procedure outlines requirements for data quality, measurement uncertainty, exposure time and conditions, and the amount of material collected on the filters. The study analyzed a 2-year dataset of magnetic susceptibility measurements by MFK-1 kappabridge (Agico, Czech Republic) for PM10 and PM2.5 collected at two locations, Warsaw and Cracow, in Poland using low-volume PM samplers. By strictly following the procedure for conditioning filters, measuring magnetic susceptibility and mass of PM, the study found that it is possible to obtain repeatable data with good measurement accuracy and acceptable errors. This makes magnetic susceptibility an additional reliable parameter for tracking of emission sources of iron-rich particles. Successful implementation of this magnetic method as a standard procedure for monitoring PM in addition to the PM mass collected on filters could be used to analyze sources of emission of Fe-particles and their contribution to the PM mass, especially in urban and industrial environments. | Measuring magnetic susceptibility of particulate matter collected on filters | 10.1007/s11356-023-31416-5 |
2024-01-01 | This research looks at the potential use of natural biomass of fibers plant with raw leaf release ( Tl ) and sulphuric acid treated fibers ( Tls ) as adsorbents for the removal of Pb (II) ions in water. The properties of the materials were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms and thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermogravimetry (TGA/DTG). investigations were used to describe the fundamental physicochemical characteristics of Tl both before and after acid treatment. Was the subject of bath adsorption tests Pb (II). The initial concentration of Pb (II) ions, reaction time, adsorbent dosage, and pH of the ions were all optimized. The calculated adsorption capacities of Tl and Tls on Pb (II) were 32.64 and 44.65 mg g −1 , respectively, according to adsorption isotherm studies. Under ideal biosorption circumstances, which include pH = 5, a biosorbent mass of 0.1 g, and an initial Pb 2+ ion concentration of 10 ppm, calculations using the response surface methodology revealed a maximum biosorption efficiency of Pb 2+ of 77.6% for Tl and 98.7% for Tls . Desorption research findings demonstrated the potential for promising regenerations, as the percentage removal of Pb (II) from the initial value was sustained at more than 60% even after three adsorption–desorption cycles. Furthermore, the adsorption expenses for Pb (II) removal using Tl and Tls were assumed to be 2.14 and 6.71 USD kg −1 , respectively. Based on these findings, Tl and Tls treated substances could be utilized as low-cost, environmentally friendly, and effective adsorbents for the removal of Pb (II) from water. G°, S°, and H° thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that the adsorption process was viable, spontaneous, and exothermic. | Acid Activation of Natural Reed Filter Biomass (Typha latifolia) Application to Pb (II) Uptake from Aqueous Solutions: Kinetic, Thermodynamic Equilibrium Studies and Optimization Studies | 10.1007/s42250-023-00733-0 |
2024-01-01 | A feasibility of the friction stir welding for low-alloy structural steel processed by tempforming was analyzed. The stir zone was characterized by almost twofold increase in the hardness and the specific microstructure with an average grain size of 800 nm and large fractions of boundary misorientations around 60° and below 5°. The yield strength of the welded joint was 1220 MPa, whereas the yield strength of the base material was 1350 MPa. The fracture of the welded joint occurred in the heat affected zone between the stir zone and the base material. | Microstructure and Strength of a Friction Stir Welded Low-Alloy Steel Processed by Tempforming | 10.1007/s11182-023-03054-4 |
2024-01-01 | Radon is a significant background source in rare event detection experiments. Activated carbon (AC) adsorption is widely used for effective radon removal. The selection of AC considers its adsorption capacity and radioactive background. In this study, using self-developed devices, we screened and identified a new kind of low-background AC from Qingdao Inaf Technology Company that has very high Radon adsorption capacity. By adjusting the average pore size to 2.3 nm, this AC demonstrates a radon adsorption capacity of 2.6 or 4.7 times higher than Saratech or Carboact activated carbon under the same conditions. | Study on the radon adsorption capability of low-background activated carbon | 10.1007/s10967-023-09211-w |
2024-01-01 | Bio-asphalt has a high potential to be implemented as a petroleum-based asphalt replacement since it is a renewable and environmentally friendly resource that has identical rheological properties to the conventional binder. Excessive crude oil consumption and fluctuating prices urged researchers to adopt alternatives such as bio-asphalts to replace conventional binders. In this study, the beta-carotene bio-oil (CBO) partially replaced the conventional asphalt binder at 5, 10 and 15%. Penetration test, rotational viscosity test, specific gravity test, and mass loss after rolling thin film oven (RTFO) test were conducted to determine the physical and rheological properties of bio-asphalts. FTIR test is used to identify the chemical compositions and functional groups of the CBO bio-asphalt. The binder coatability was assessed by static water immersion and water boiling tests. The addition of CBO has lowered the viscosity and specific gravity while increasing the penetration and the mass loss after RTFO. The FTIR analysis shows that the functional groups of CBO bio-asphalt were mainly phenol, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids. The CBO bio-asphalt enhanced the service characteristic in terms of bonding and coatability behavior. The CBO has a high potential for use as a rejuvenator in the production of asphalt mixtures incorporating reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), as it improves the mixture’s workability and adhesion characteristics. | Effects of Beta-Carotene Palm Oil on Asphalt Binder Properties and Coatability Performance | 10.1007/978-981-99-6018-7_3 |
2024-01-01 | Electronic noise is the collection of unavoidable spurious currents and voltages that are detected at the output of a semiconductor device even under quiescent conditions. These result from unavoidable physical process inside the material of the device. Electronic noise corrupts useful output signals especially when the input is itself low amplitude or the device is operating at 100 s of MHz – 10 s of GHz (RF|microwave frequencies). This chapter examines in detail the numerous types of electronic noise, what causes them and how their signal degrading effects can be curtailed. All the state-of-art semiconductor industry standard device models—VBIC, Angelov Chalmers, BSIM etc., include device noise mechanisms. | Noise in Semiconductor Devices | 10.1007/978-3-031-45750-0_10 |
2024-01-01 | Fe 3 Al 2 Si 3 -based thermoelectric materials have low production costs and are environmentally friendly. However, they are usually synthesized via arc-melting, resulting in poor compositional accuracy. Here, Fe 36.5 Al 23.5 + x Si 40− x ( x = 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, and 2.1) compounds with low thermal conductivity ( κ ) were prepared via levitation melting. The x = 2.1 composition may be the threshold for a p -to- n -type transformation. A minimum κ of ~3.17 W/mK was obtained in Fe 36.5 Al 25.4 Si 38.1 at 323 K, a decrease of 42.3% relative to the parent Fe 3 Al 2 Si 3 compound. Moreover, the largest maximum power factor of ~461 μW m −1 K −2 was obtained in Fe 36.5 Al 25.4 Si 38.1 at 373 K. Using composition self-tuning, a peak figure of merit of ~0.055 was obtained in Fe 36.5 Al 25.4 Si 38.1 at 423 K. This approach for realizing low κ and a high compositional accuracy should impact the development of advanced room-temperature thermoelectric materials with narrow bandgaps. | Effect of Composition Regulation on Thermoelectric Properties of Fe3Al2Si3-Based Compounds | 10.1007/s11664-023-10746-7 |
2024-01-01 | Traditional theoretical and empirical calculation methods can guide the design of β- and metastable β-alloys for bio-titanium. However, it is still difficult to obtain novel near-β-Ti alloys with low modulus. This study developed a method that combines machine learning with calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) to facilitate the design of near-β-Ti alloys. An elastic modulus database of Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo–Ta–Sn system was constructed first, and then three features (the electron to atom ratio, mean absolute deviation of atom mass, and mean electronegativity) were selected as the key factors of modulus by performing a three-step feature selection. With these features, a highly accurate model was built for predicting the modulus of near-β-Ti alloys. To further ensure the accuracy of modulus prediction, machine learning with the elastic constants calculated was leveraged by CALPHAD database. The root mean square error of the well-trained model can be as low as 6.75 GPa. Guided by the prediction of machine learning and CALPHAD, three novel near-β-Ti alloys with elastic modulus below 50 GPa were successfully designed in this study. The best candidate alloy (Ti–26Nb–4Zr–4Sn–1Mo–Ta) exhibits an ultra-low modulus (36.6 GPa) after cold rolling with a thickness reduction of 20%. Our method can greatly save time and resources in the development of novel Ti alloys, and experimental verifications have demonstrated the reliability of this method. Graphical abstract 传统的理论和计算方法可以指导用于生物医疗的β和亚稳态β钛合金设计. 然而, 这些方法仍然难以获得具有低模量的新型近β钛合金. 本研究开发了一种将机器学习与相图计算 (CALPHAD) 相结合的方法, 以促进近 β钛合金的设计. 我们首先构建了Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo–Ta–Sn体系的弹性模量数据库, 然后通过执行三步特征选择方法, 选出了三个特征 (电子原子比, 原子质量平均绝对误差和平均电负性) 作为模量的关键因素. 利用这些特征, 我们建立了一个高精度模型来预测近β钛合金的模量. 为了进一步确保模量预测的准确性, 我们利用机器学习和 CALPHAD 数据库计算的弹性常数. 模型经训练后的模型均方根误差可低至 6.75 GPa. 在机器学习和 CALPHAD的指导下, 我们成功设计了三种弹性模量低于 50 GPa 的新型近 β钛合金. 最佳候选合金 (Ti–26Nb–4Zr–4Sn–1Mo–Ta) 在冷轧至厚度减少20%后表现出超低模量 (36.6 GPa). 我们的方法可以大大节省开发新型钛合金的时间和资源, 后续的实验验证了该方法的可靠性. | Integrating machine learning and CALPHAD method for exploring low-modulus near-β-Ti alloys | 10.1007/s12598-023-02333-w |
2024-01-01 | Yellow horn ( Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge) contained abundant linoleic acid (LA), accounting for about 44% of its lipid. Here, LA was enriched by low temperature crystallization followed by urea complexation, and the optimal enrichment conditions were optimized with response surface methods (3:1 ratio of EtOH/FFA, crystallization at − 25 °C for 24.5 h; 2:1 ratio of urea/FFA 1 , 6.6:1 ratio of EtOH/urea, crystallization at − 10 °C for 22.4 h). Under these conditions, the final LA content and recovery were 97.10% and 62.09%, respectively. In vitro hypoglycemic studies suggested that the LA extract with stronger inhibition on α-glucosidase and lower one on α-amylase than acarbose exhibited a positive control for carbohydrate digestion with lower adverse effects. The enzyme kinetics and Lineweaver–Burk plots analyses revealed a reversible competitive inhibition on α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The findings of this research provided insights for the development of the LA extract as the functional component of health food. | Enrichment of linoleic acid from yellow horn seed oil through low temperature crystallization followed by urea complexation method and hypoglycemic activities | 10.1007/s10068-023-01327-9 |
2024-01-01 | In this study, single-lap bonding joints were prepared using aluminum alloy 2024-T3 (AA2024) plates and eight-layer carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy hybrid composite (CFREC) plates. Epoxy glue was used for the bonding process, and in order to remove the brittleness of the epoxy by forming a second interface, Nylon 6.6 nanofiber reinforcement by electrospinning was produced and reinforced to the epoxy adhesive. Thus, single-lap bonding joints, which are both glued with pure epoxy and reinforced with epoxy and N6.6, have been obtained. Low-speed impact tests of 1.04 m/s under five different temperatures (−50, −20, 0, 23, and 50 °C) were applied to all single-lap bonding joints produced. Tensile tests were applied to the non-breaking samples in accordance with the ASTM D1002-10 standard, and the loading status after low-speed impact was examined. It was determined that while 1.5 J of the 3 J energy given by low-speed impact was absorbed in common in all samples, the rest was returned, and there were some separations in the adhesion area due to this impact. The highest tensile force of pure epoxy samples and N6.6 reinforced samples after low-speed impact was obtained, 2230.27 N and 2992.74 N, respectively, at 23 °C, and it was determined that N6.6 reinforcement increased the impact force by 34% at room temperature. For the tensile force, the lowest values were reached at −50 °C. For pure epoxy and N6.6 reinforced samples obtaining 585.15 N and 618.61 N values, respectively, an increase of 5.7% was determined. In addition, the rupture surfaces of the samples, which were completely destroyed by the tensile test, were examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for damage analysis. | Low-Velocity Impact Resistance of Nylon 6.6 Nanofiber-Reinforced Epoxy Adhesives Used in Aircrafts | 10.1007/978-3-031-38446-2_2 |
2024-01-01 | The effect of anti-solvent IPA (isopropyl alcohol, C 3 H 8 O) treatment at low temperatures on the crystallization of perovskite CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 (MAPbI 3 ) films has been investigated. It has been indicated that both the grain size in the films and the crystalline quality of the films are improved by using anti-solvent IPA treatment at 250 K, in comparison with the treatment at 300 K (room temperature). The improvement on the film crystalline quality has also been demonstrated from the performance enhancement of fabricated solar cells, as indicated by the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.65% and 17.2% for the cells with films treated at 250 K and 300 K, respectively. | Improvement of Perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 Films on Crystallization for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells with Low-Temperature Anti-solvent Approach | 10.1007/s11664-023-10772-5 |
2024-01-01 | Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (PODE) and methanol are important low-carbon substitutable fuels for reducing carbon emissions in internal combustion engines. In the research, the impacts of methanol ratio, injection timing, and intake temperature on HCHO generation and emission were investigated using both engine tests and numerical simulations. Results suggest that an increase in methanol ratio suppresses auto-ignition tendency of PODE, leading to the increase of ignition delay period, pressure peak, and heat release rate peak inside the cylinder. The decrease in in-cylinder combustion temperature contributes to an increase in HCHO emission due to partial oxidation of methanol in the cylinder and exhaust pipe. While the injection timing is gradually postponed from −10 °CA ATDC to 2 °CA ATDC, in-cylinder high-temperature area decreases, the quantity of unburned methanol increases, but part of HCHO is converted to HCO due to H radical influence, resulting in 72% increased HCHO emission. With the increment of intake temperature, the oxidation and decomposition of in-cylinder methanol accelerate, leading to an improvement in combustion stability, more uniform temperature distribution, and a decrease in unburned methanol, which results in lower HCHO emission. When the intake temperature is rose from 30 to 60 °C, HCHO emission decreases by 11.2%. | Investigation on formaldehyde generation characteristics and influencing factors of PODE/methanol dual-fuel combustion mode | 10.1007/s11356-023-31409-4 |
2024-01-01 | We report the large-area growth of pure-phase, high-quality MoS 2 thin films by the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process in a single-zone furnace. All the parameters, like temperature, gas flow rate, precursor quantity, substrate type, and the distance between precursor and substrate, have been optimized. The XRD confirms the formation of pure 2-H phase MoS 2 , and Raman spectroscopy suggests the deposition of a relatively thick film. FESEM images clearly show the formation of the vertical nano-wall structure. The analysis of core level spectra of Mo 3d and S 2p shows that Mo is predominantly in the 4+ valence state and indicates the formation of a pure MoS 2 phase. The film shows diamagnetic behavior and very low reflectance (≤ 15%) at room temperature. | Physical Properties of Pure MoS2 Thin Films Grown on a Large Area Using a CVD Process in a Single-Zone Furnace | 10.1007/978-981-99-4878-9_29 |
2024-01-01 | In aluminum Aluminum production, the use of carbon anodes Carbon anode leads to the sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide emissions which have adverse effects on health and environment. In this work, hydrated lime Lime Ca(OH) 2 was used to remove the low concentration of SO 2 gas through a semi-dry desulfurization Desulfurization process. The reaction was carried out under dry and humid conditions, and the reaction at low temperature Low temperature was studied. The results indicated that the humidity plays a key role in the reaction between hydrated lime Lime and SO 2 . The morphological analysis and surface Surface area results showed that the lime Lime samples have significant changes in their topological and surface Surface properties, which influences the amount of SO 2 capture. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results complement those of the chemical changes due to the influence of low reaction temperature on the surface Surface of hydrated lime Lime . In this article, the results are presented which demonstrate the impact of various factors at low temperature Low temperature . | Influence of Low Temperature on the Surface and Morphological Properties of Hydrated Lime in SO2 Desulfurization Reaction | 10.1007/978-3-031-50308-5_87 |
2024-01-01 | In this study, the effect of the cooling rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-4Al-2.5Mn-2Ni-0.18C (wt.%) low-density steel was investigated through scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, dilatometer and Thermo-Calc software. It was established that δ -ferrite always exists after solidification, and a laminated microstructure was formed during hot working. During the cooling for the cooling rate in the range of 0.5-50 °C/s, the experimental steel underwent α -ferrite and martensite transformation. The α -ferrite transformation primarily occurred above 670 °C. As the cooling rate decreased, the ferrite fraction increased, and the starting temperature of martensitic transformation decreased. The α -ferrite transformation was accompanied by the diffusion of alloying elements, which affected the subsequent martensitic transformation. C, Mn, and Ni diffused from ferrite to austenite at the interface, whereas Al did the opposite. The C content of austenite increased with decreasing cooling rate, whereas the content of other alloys remained almost unchanged. The hardness of bulk ferrite is significantly lower than that of martensite. The cooling rate had little effect on the microhardness of both the bulk ferrite and martensite. However, the strength and elongation decreased with decreasing cooling rate. | Effect of Cooling Rate on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Microlaminated Low-Density Steel | 10.1007/s11665-023-07983-6 |
2024-01-01 | Under the modern blast furnace Blast furnace process conditions, replace the coke or pulverized coal by hydrogen Hydrogen ; improve the efficiency of hydrogen reduction Reduction in the blast furnace; realize carbon-hydrogen coupling reduction in different process section and temperature range; give full play to the advantages of carbon direct reduction, CO indirect reduction, and H 2 reduction Reduction in heat transfer, mass transfer, momentum transmission, and metallurgical reaction engineering, through process development and operation optimization; reduce carbon fuel consumption and blast furnace Blast furnace fuel ratio Fuel ratio to below 460 kg/t; and realize rich hydrogenation and low carbonization Carbonization of blast furnace iron making Ironmaking process. The changes of theoretical combustion temperature of tuyere raceway and bosh gas volume of the blast furnace Blast furnace are researched. The reduction Reduction thermodynamic parameters of different temperature range and zone of blast furnace are calculated. The process measures of improving hydrogen Hydrogen utilization ratio and hydrogen carbon replacement ratio in the operation of blast furnace are discussed. | Research and Development on Low Carbon Technologies of Modern Blast Furnace Ironmaking | 10.1007/978-3-031-50244-6_1 |
2024-01-01 | Analysis of observational data reveals the existence of a decadal subsurface spiciness mode that involves ocean–atmosphere coupling in the North Pacific. Specifically, the Aleutian Low, the dominant atmospheric forcing of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), drives a dipole pattern of positive and negative spiciness anomalies in the eastern midlatitude and subtropics, respectively. These anomalies then propagate equatorward along a deflected route defined by the mean acceleration potential. The positive spiciness anomaly can be observed at 14° N after 7 years of propagation while the downstream negative anomaly can be tracked to 10° N after 3 years from its appearance. In addition, a negative spiciness anomaly appears in the midlatitude, followed by the formation of the positive spiciness anomaly 2 years later. It follows a similar pathway toward the tropics. Further analysis demonstrates a strong connection between equatorial sea surface temperature variability and extratropical spiciness anomalies. These processes, in turn, potentially lead to a decadal climate oscillation in the North Pacific involving extratropical-tropical interaction. The dominant physical processes responsible for subsurface spiciness variability differ significantly between the eastern midlatitude and subtropical North Pacific. In the midlatitude, isopycnal spiciness variability exhibits similar characteristics to temperature variations at around 50–120 m depth, mainly generated through subduction and reemergence processes. Conversely, interior subtropical spiciness variability follows the evolution of salinity anomalies at around 120–250 m and is mainly formed via subduction and spice injection. Furthermore, anomalous advection across mean spiciness gradients strengthens subsurface signals from the midlatitude to the subtropics. | Aleutian low/PDO forces a decadal subsurface spiciness propagating mode in the North Pacific | 10.1007/s00382-023-06938-w |
2024-01-01 | The objective of this investigation is to evaluate the characteristics associated with degradation of toluene through the utilization of non-thermal plasma (NTP) generated via application of a low-work-function electrode and nanosecond pulsed power supply. Initially, a comparative analysis is made between toluene removal efficiency utilizing the low-work-function electrode and that achieved with the conventional stainless-steel electrode. The outcomes demonstrate that NTP generated by the low-work-function electrode exhibits markedly superior removal efficiency for toluene in comparison to the stainless-steel electrode operating at the same voltage. Subsequently, the impacts of voltage, pulse frequency, and initial concentration of toluene on the removal efficiency and production of by-products are investigated. It is found that as the voltage and frequency increase, the removal efficiency also increases, and a maximum toluene removal efficiency of 87.2% is achieved at a voltage of 12,000 V and pulse frequency of 2000 Hz. The removal efficiency first increases and then decreases with increasing toluene initial concentration. The investigation also finds that energy yield is negatively correlated with voltage and pulse frequency and positively correlated with the initial concentration. Finally, the reaction products were subjected to quantitative analysis using GC–MS. Based on the analysis results, potential reaction pathways are inferred. | Removal of toluene via non-thermal plasma generated by applying rare-earth tungsten electrode and nanosecond pulsed power supply | 10.1007/s11356-023-31176-2 |
2024-01-01 | Cement bricks are generating huge carbon emissions during their manufacturing process, and due to the high carbon emissions, global warming takes place. To avoid those circumstances, new inventions are needed in bricks, and at the same time, the new material which is used for replacement should emit low carbon emissions. A sustainable industrial by-product ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS or GGBFS) was introduced here. The slag was partially replaced with cement on 25 and 30% as a binder material which gives compressive strength from 7 to 24 MPa on its 28-day strength. The water absorption of the bricks is found to be 4–7% which is normal when compared to the nominal brick water absorption range. The raw materials used for this brick were GGBS, Ordinary Portland Cement, and M-Sand. Most of the high-strength bricks were developed by adding iron ore tailings, GGBS, etc. in bricks, but here GGBS itself gives high strength in terms of brick standards. To develop a sustainable construction material, slug is used here in a potential way. It is also found that the size of the slag is comparatively less than Ordinary Portland Cement and the compressive strength gets increased rapidly as the slag particles settle in between the gap present in cement molecules. Finally, as the cement is partially replaced by 30%, the carbon emission is also comparatively reduced. | Development of Sustainable Bricks by Industrial By-Product | 10.1007/978-981-99-6233-4_49 |
2024-01-01 | Metal hydride electrode has been widely used in alkaline aqueous battery due to their merits of good comprehensive performance and high safety. However, their further development is hindered by ultra-low-temperature performance. We prepare an electrode and discuss the effect of KOH electrolyte concentration for the ultra-low-temperature performance of the electrode. The C max of the electrode increases from 163.7 mAh g −1 (5 M) to 322.2 mAh g −1 (9 M) at − 40 °C due to the R ct decreasing obviously. The R ct decreases, and I 0 and D increase with KOH concentration increasing from 5 to 9 M, and the maximum value of HRD 150 obtains 82.60% (9 M) at − 40 °C. Thus, the transfer resistance and hydrogen diffusion coefficient affect simultaneously the HRD performance. Moreover, the cycle stability of the metal hydride electrode will be improved significantly at ultra-low temperature because the I corr decreases sharply. Therefore, the outstanding ultra-low-temperature performance demonstrates the electrode in 9 M KOH electrolyte for excellent ultra-low-temperature aqueous Ni-MH battery. Graphical abstract | Manipulating electrolyte concentration for metal hydride electrode at ultra-low temperature | 10.1007/s11581-023-05246-x |
2024-01-01 | For the urgent need of rural housing reconstruction in Beijing after the devastation caused by heavy rainfall and flooding, based on an analysis of the area’s basic climatic conditions and considering the spatial characteristics of production, living, and ecological spaces, known as the Sansheng spaces , a comprehensive investigation of residents’ needs has been conducted. To meet the requirements of rapid reconstruction, measures such as respecting the natural environment, scientific planning, reflecting local characteristics, demand orientation, and low-energy design and construction are proposed. In the post-disaster reconstruction process, the use of prefabricated buildings is emphasized due to their modular nature, fast construction, and strong adaptability, which makes them suitable as the primary building structure. The paper concludes by highlighting the achievement of dual goals in rural housing reconstruction: rapid reconstruction and energy saving and consumption reduction through reasonable planning, site selection, functional module design, module standardization, menu module combination, and organic integration of production, living, and ecological spaces. | Research on the Design Strategy of Assembled Low-energy Housing for Post-disaster Reconstruction in Beijing Rural Areas Based on the Characteristics of Sansheng Space | 10.2991/978-94-6463-372-6_10 |
2024-01-01 | With the wide application of electromagnetic stirring in continuous casting and the rapid development of low reactive mold flux Mold flux , the effect of low-frequency electromagnetic field Low-frequency electromagnetic field on the assimilation and absorption rate of Al 2 O 3 inclusion Al 2 O 3 inclusion in the low reactive mold flux Mold flux was studied by using the rotating cylinder method, and the relationship between electromagnetic field parameters and the dissolution rate of Al 2 O 3 inclusion Al 2 O 3 inclusion was also studied. The results show that the low-frequency electromagnetic field Low-frequency electromagnetic field can obviously promote the assimilation and absorption of Al 2 O 3 inclusion Inclusions in low reactivity mold flux Low reactivity mold flux . When the magnetic field intensity (MFI) is 30 mT and the magnetic field frequency (MFF) is 12 Hz, the maximum dissolution rate of Al 2 O 3 inclusion Al 2 O 3 inclusion is 2.66 × 10 –4 g mm −2 min −1 , which is 10.64 times higher than in the absence of magnetic field. Furthermore, the higher the MFI and MFF, the faster the dissolution rate of Al 2 O 3 inclusion Al 2 O 3 inclusion . | Study on the Influence of Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Field on the Absorption Rate of Al2O3 Inclusion in Low Reactivity Mold Flux | 10.1007/978-3-031-50184-5_29 |
2024-01-01 | Poultry waste poses serious environmental and health problems because it emanates offensive odor and promotes fly and rodent breeding. Appropriate utilization of such waste and its by-products can simultaneously prevent side effects and provide an economic advantage. In this study, poultry waste oil and its methyl ester derivatives were converted to biolubricants in a two-step sequential chemical modification process: epoxidation using in situ formed peroxyformic acid and epoxide ring-opening with isoamyl alcohol in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid. The biolubricants obtained from the epoxidized chicken waste oil and epoxidized methyl esters by the ring-opening reaction were characterized. The viscosity index and pour point of the biolubricant synthesized from epoxidized chicken waste oil were 111.32 and − 2 °C respectively. It was observed that the pour point of the biolubricant produced for chicken oil is lower compared to the pour point of the biolubricant produced from FAME. However, the lubricants derived from epoxidized methyl esters exhibited slightly higher oxidative stability (18 h). Our results suggest that lubricant synthesized from poultry waste oil can be considered feasible alternative to petroleum-based lubricants as it matches the kinematic viscosity and low-temperature properties of the commercial lubricant ISO VG 32 grade oil. | Biolubricants derived from poultry waste oil and its methyl esters by epoxidation and epoxide ring-opening—a comparative study | 10.1007/s13399-022-02771-z |
2024-01-01 | This work describes the fouling of industrial waste sugarcane bagasse ash ceramic membrane (pore size ~ 8.6 µm; water permeability 27.2 × 10 3 L/m 2 h bar) in wastewater treatment in anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). AnMBR system was operated in sequential batch reactor (SBR) mode at 18 h hydraulic retention time for 31 days. For influent concentration of 171 ± 12 mg COD/L, average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was high (~ 94%). Biomass activity of anaerobic sludge improved from 0.15 (day 1) to 0.35 mg COD removed /mg MLVSS.d (day 31). Operating flux was maintained at 17.8 ± 1.4 L/m 2 h and the transmembrane pressure reached up to 170 mbar on day 31, increasing at a rate of 15.7 mbar/d. Specific bound extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) concentration was much higher in surface deposits (356 mg EPS/g MLVSS) than in the reactor sludge suspension (32.3 ± 14.4 mg EPS/g MLVSS). Though SBR is a good alternative configuration to reduce membrane exposure to sludge and hence control the fouling rate, formation of cake layer (due to deposition of sludge fines on membrane surface) still cannot be prevented. Calculation of total filtration resistance (R t ) showed the resistance of the caked surface deposits, R c (2.19 × 10 12 m −1 ) to be dominant at 83% of R t . Of the two fouling control strategies tested viz. filtration-relaxation (4 min–1 min) and permeate backflushing (up to 3 times operating flux), backflushing was more effective. These findings indicate the potential of these alternative membranes in wastewater treatment application; at the same time, further investigations are required to minimize membrane fouling. | Fouling behaviour of industrial waste-based ceramic membrane in anaerobic membrane bioreactor treating low strength wastewater | 10.1007/s13762-023-05070-w |
2024-01-01 | Climate model evaluation presents a crucial pathway into the investigation of the simulation of future climate. It presents the only lens through which the future states of the climate of the planet can be explored. In this study, reference datasets including reanalysis products have been used to demonstrate the climatological annual migration of the West African Monsoon System (WAMS) in three components, namely, the West African Heat Low (WAHL), the West African Heat Band (WAHB) and the West African Rain Band (WARB). We have used 8 Global Climate Models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) to assess how the models represent the climatological annual migration of these three features over the same domain for the same period. The results show close linkages between the WAHL, WAHB and the WARB as signature components of the WAMS in their climatological annual dynamics. All three features migrate from the south (with the minimum intensities) in January to the north (with the maximum intensities) in August over the region. The GCMs represent the climatological annual dynamics of all three features to some extent. However, in most of the models analysed the WAHL is too weak, and the WAHB and WARB are located too far south. Insights from this study can be beneficial for investigations of the future state of the WAMS. Also, development of models for the region should target the improved simulation of these features, specifically the intensity of the WAHL, and the locations of the WAHB and WARB. | Heat band, rain band and heat low migration: process-based evaluation of some CMIP6 GCMs over West Africa | 10.1007/s00382-023-06930-4 |
2024-01-01 | Aiming at the problem of the low driving mileage retention rate and high energy consumption for thermal management of the battery electric vehicles under low temperature, this paper establishes the energy management system model and compares the energy consumption performance of the heat pump with motor waste heat utilization and the PTC heater under low temperature through simulation analysis. The results show that the energy consumption of heat pump system is positively correlated with the energy transfer efficiency of the heat flow path, and negatively correlated with the motor efficiency and the thermal load of the cabin. This paper further analyzes the operating efficiency trends of the two systems under different working conditions, and optimizes the thermal management strategy according to the ambient temperature and thermal demand. The results show that the energy consumption of the vehicle could be reduced by enabling the heat pump system and the PTC heater to operate within the high-efficiency region. Under the temperature of −20 ℃, the vehicle driving mileage with the optimized strategy is increased by 6.2% compared with the original strategy. | Study on the Impact of Thermal Management System and Heat Utilization Strategy on Energy Consumption of Electric Vehicles Under Low-Temperature | 10.1007/978-981-97-0252-7_91 |
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