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2022-11-01 | Rainfall in north-western Morocco has shown significant monthly fluctuations with dramatic socio-economic impacts over the past decades. Several studies have suggested that variability is related to fluctuations in large-scale circulation patterns. In recent years, several promising centennial reanalysis datasets have become available, paving the way for new dynamic studies that facilitate an understanding of observed rainfall variability. Here, a statistical analysis of the rainfall time series of three stations in the Lower Sebou Basin (LSB) covering the period 1948–2017, as well as other global reanalysis datasets is used to explore teleconnections based on extensive statistical analysis and empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). The Mann–Kendall test (MK) was conducted to identify significant monthly rainfall trends. The notable trend among significant trends is selected using the Theil Sen’s slope (TS) where downward trends were identified in early winter (December) and early spring (March) with rainfall decreases of 0.5 mm/year and 0.42 mm/year, respectively. Changes in significant trends found under the influence of different teleconnection patterns using their indices such as the North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI), the Mediterranean Oscillation Index (MOI) and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) are determined by the partial Mann–Kendall test (P-MK). Overall, the results obtained in this study suggest that teleconnections affect the amounts of rainfall in the LSB. Negative and statistically significant correlations are observed between the NAOI and MOI and the amounts of rainfall falling in the LSB. Spring rainfall shows significantly negative (positive) correlations in the Eastern (Western) Pacific with sea surface temperature (SST), again highlighting the negative impact of El Nino (negative phase of SOI) on rainfall in Northwestern Morocco. These results are useful for monthly rainfall forecasting and water resource planning. | Regional and global teleconnections patterns governing rainfall in the Western Mediterranean: case of the Lower Sebou Basin, North-West Morocco | 10.1007/s40808-022-01425-3 |
2022-11-01 | Purpose Perceived discomfort could indicate an early sign of pain, for example, as a result of a biomechanical load on the musculoskeletal system. Assessing discomfort can, therefore, help to identify workers at increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders for targeted intervention development. We aimed: (1) to identify the optimal cut-off value of neck and low back discomfort among office workers and (2) to evaluate its predictive validity with future neck and low back pain, respectively. Methods At baseline healthy participants ( n = 100) completed questionnaires, including the Borg CR-10 discomfort scale (on a 0–10 scale), and were followed for six months, during which musculoskeletal pain was assessed monthly. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations of baseline discomfort with the onset of future neck or low back pain. Sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve were estimated to identify the optimal discomfort cut-off value predicting future pain. Results Borg CR-10 scores ≥ 3.5 for perceived neck and low back discomfort had acceptable sensitivity and specificity to predict future neck and low back pain, respectively. Perceived discomfort at baseline as a dichotomous measure (using the ≥ 3.5 cut-off) was a statistically significant predictor of future neck pain (OR = 10.33) and low back pain (OR = 11.81). Conclusion We identified the optimal cut-off value of the Borg CR-10 discomfort scale to identify office workers at increased risk of developing neck and low back pain. These findings might benefit ergonomists, primary health care providers, and occupational health researchers in developing targeted interventions. | Can the Borg CR-10 scale for neck and low back discomfort predict future neck and low back pain among high-risk office workers? | 10.1007/s00420-022-01883-3 |
2022-11-01 | Introduction Monopolar radiofrequency (MRF) is a valuable modality for tightening and contouring mild-to-moderate facial skin laxity. Few studies have evaluated new-generation MRF devices for lower facial laxity in Asians. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MRF for treating lower facial laxity in Asians. Methods This prospective cohort study enrolled 30 volunteers with Fitzpatrick Skin Types III–V and mild-to-moderate skin laxity. Subjects received a single MRF treatment. Self-assessments and adverse events were recorded. Two blinded dermatologists graded improvements (6-point scale) after treatment and 1, 3, and 6 months later. Results All subjects completed the study. Treatment energy levels ranged from 2 to 4. The average number of shots was 412 ± 49, delivered in 3–4 passes with 15–30% overlap. All patients reported improvement in lower facial laxity immediately after treatment. Most patients had mild-to-moderate improvement over the 6-month follow-up. Continuous improvement was observed at the 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups ( P < 0.01). Significant improvement was seen at the 6-month follow-up compared with the 1-month follow-up ( P < 0.01). Subjects tolerated the procedure well: the average pain score was 3.13 out of 10, and no serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions The new-generation MRF device we tested was effective and safe for mild-to-moderate lower facial laxity in Asian skin. The latest MRF technology offers improved safety to prevent complications. Appropriate patient selection, setting, and protocols are mandatory to achieve optimal clinical outcomes. The Trial Registration Number TCTR20210326002. | Efficacy and Safety of Monopolar Radiofrequency for Treatment of Lower Facial Laxity in Asians | 10.1007/s13555-022-00817-8 |
2022-11-01 | Polyolefin separators are inherently hydrophobic and thermally unstable, contributing to poor cycle performance and high thermal shrinkage, respectively, which can shorten cycle life. Herein, a high-performance supercapacitor based on a composite separator made from nano-Al 2 O 3 /PVDF-coated on polyethylene (PE) polyolefin substrate was prepared using a low-cost casting (stir-dip-coat-dry) technique and an electrolyte containing 1M EMI-BF 4 salt in EC : EMC:DMC (1 : 1 : 2 vol%) is reported. The results show that integration of nano-Al2O3 in the PVDF matrix contributes to a large interactive surface area that attenuates interfacial energy at the separator-electrolyte boundary and improves porosity as well as the overall performance. The filler also enhances high mechanical anchoring onto the PE substrate, contributing to the overall physical and electrochemical properties of the separator. These modified PE separators with porous microstructure demonstrate superior electrolyte wettability (88%), stable electrochemical performance, and high cycle stability superior to analogous cells with commercial separators. The pair of coated modified separators with the 1M EMI-BF 4 modified electrolyte registered a high ionic conductivity value of 2.23mS/cm. This facile technique is scalable for separator-electrolyte design and is attractive for low-cost supercapacitor manufacturing which is safe and fast charging. | EMI-BF4 electrolyte and Al2O3/PVDF-HFP modified PE separator for high capacitance retention and cycle stability in supercapacitors | 10.1007/s11814-022-1210-4 |
2022-11-01 | Regional contamination by electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) not only composes a serious environmental problem but also leads to severe valuable resources waste. Directly recovering manganese and ammonium sulfate is a promising way, but it is still challenging to efficiently recover without high water consumption. Herein, a recovery method based on water column leaching under extremely low water consumption was firstly reported. The effect of continuous leaching and intermittent leaching on leaching behaviors, leaching trends, and spatial variations of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and Mn with depth after leaching were fully investigated. Results indicated that some Mn-bearing soluble salts which covered on the surface of SiO 2 in the micropores could be fully dissolved and transported out of the micropores in the EMR with the help of rest periods in the method of intermittent leaching, resulting in higher leaching efficiencies with comparison to continuous leaching, 73.50% of Mn and 67.71% of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and 71.57% of Mn and 65.40% of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 were recovered by intermittent leaching and continuous leaching, respectively. This work demonstrates a practical approach to recover valuable materials from industrial solid wastes. | Water column leaching recovery manganese and ammonium sulfate from electrolytic manganese residue: extremely low water consumption toward practical applications | 10.1007/s11356-022-21463-9 |
2022-11-01 | The coordination relationship between new-type urbanization and urban low-carbon development under the goal of carbon neutrality has become a hot issue that needs to be focused on when formulating policies. Based on the estimation of urban CO 2 emissions by night light data, this study used spatial autocorrelation, spatial Markov chain and geographically weighted regression model to measure the spatial correlation and spillover effects of the coupling coordination degree of two systems in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration from 2005 to 2018 and analyzed the influencing factors. The results showed that (1) the coupling coordination degree showed an increasing trend, but the club effect was quite obvious, and the regional pattern was higher in southeast and lower in northwest; (2) the spatial spillover effect of coupling coordination degree is significant, which aggravates the long-term persistence of the imbalance pattern; (3) regional economic level, government fiscal regulation, and industrial upgrading are the main driving forces for the increase of coupling coordination degree, while over-concentration of population and low energy efficiency are the main obstacles. Finally, on the basis of these conclusions, we provide targeted policy planning suggestions for policy makers. | Coupling coordination degree and driving factors of new-type urbanization and low-carbon development in the Yangtze River Delta: based on nighttime light data | 10.1007/s11356-022-21400-w |
2022-11-01 | In this article, a transient-enhanced fully synthesizable digital low dropout regulator (FS-DLDO) is proposed for ultra-low-power applications. The FS-DLDO uses a fully synthesizable comparator (FS-Com) to sense load variations. A digital logic controller (D-CTRL) tunes the output voltage ( V O ) through a quad-loop architecture. The quad-loop architecture uses short bidirectional shift registers (BSR) to achieve fast-transient response and reduce leakage current. In addition, the FS-DLDO supports freeze-mode to regulate a ripple-free V O and minimize power consumption at a steady state. To demonstrate this entire design using standard-cells, the P-MOSFET array (PTA) used in traditional digital low dropout regulator (DLDO) is replaced with an array of three-state buffers (TSA). The layout is created using digital design flow in TSMC CMOS 45 nm process, which occupies a 6708 µm 2 area. For a power supply ( V SUP ) range of 0.5–1 V, the FS-DLDO can provide regulated V O with a 50 mV dropout voltage. At V SUP = 500 mV and clock frequency ( f CLK ) of 10 MHz, the proposed regulator achieves a transient response time of 0.91 µs. This prototype achieves a peak current efficiency of 99.90% and produces a ripple-free V O at a steady state. | A Transient-Enhanced Low-Power Standard-Cell-Based Digital LDO | 10.1007/s13369-022-06592-0 |
2022-11-01 | We carried out seismic tomography study to reveal three-dimensional (3D) seismic velocity structures in the Noto peninsula, Japan, where swarm-like seismic activity started in December 2020. The obtained results reveal a highly heterogeneous structure in the crust. The most striking feature is the existence of a low-velocity anomaly in the lower crust beneath the Noto earthquake swarm. Although the data set used in this study cannot resolve the upper mantle structure, previous regional tomographic studies suggest that a low-velocity anomaly exists at depths of 50–150 km around the Noto peninsula that is probably interpreted as a fluid-rich region. We infer that fluids have been supplied from the uppermost mantle to the lower crust over a geological time scale and a large volume of fluids have accumulated below the seismogenic zone beneath the Noto peninsula. A further upward migration of fluids to the upper crust, which may have suddenly started in December 2020, probably triggers numerous earthquakes at depths of 10–15 km. Since major active faults exist at shallower extensions of the hypocenters of the Noto earthquake swarm, we consider that the earthquake swarm occurs along pre-existing and weak fault planes. Dense temporary seismic observations will highlight a smaller-scale (5–10 km) 3D seismic velocity model and finer hypocenter distribution, which provide additional information for better understanding of the generation mechanisms of the Noto earthquake swarm. Graphical Abstract | Crustal structure beneath earthquake swarm in the Noto peninsula, Japan | 10.1186/s40623-022-01719-x |
2022-11-01 | Static random-access memories (SRAMs), which are the most ubiquitous in modern system-on-chips, suffer from high power dissipation and poor stability in advanced complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology due to continuous learning, which leads to increased short-channel effects (SCEs), thereby, leading to use of new nano-devices. The fin-shaped field-effect transistor (FinFET) with lots of impressive attributes like mitigated SCEs is an efficient replacement for CMOS to overcome the aforementioned concerns. In this regard, this paper aims to explore a novel single-bitline 9-transistor (SB9T) SRAM with bit-interleaving capability appropriate for low-power near-threshold operation in 7-nm FinFET technology. The relative performance of the proposed SB9T is estimated by comparing it with other seven contemporary SRAMs such as conventional 6 T, write–read enhanced 8T (WRE8T), transmission gate read decoupled 9T (TGRD9T), one-sided Schmitt-trigger 9T (ST9T), data-independent read port 10T (DIRP10T), PMOS-PMOS-NMOS-based cell core 10T (PPN10T), and feedback-cutting 11 T (FC11T) at a near-threshold supply voltage of 0.5 V. Simulation results inferred that the SB9T offers 1.77 × /1.36 × and 2.35 × /13.13 × /1.30 × improvement in read stability and writability compared to WRE8T/ST9T and 6 T/DIRP10T/PPN10T, respectively. Furthermore, it consumes the best dynamic read power, which is at least 1.50 × , the third-best dynamic write power, and the second-best static power. The proposed SB9T SRAM offers 2.89 × /2.37 × improvement in dynamic write power/static power, at the expense of 1.742 × area overhead, compared to 6 T. | A Single-Bitline 9T SRAM for Low-Power Near-Threshold Operation in FinFET Technology | 10.1007/s13369-022-06821-6 |
2022-11-01 | This study considers a supply chain consisting of a dominant brand-name retailer and a manufacturer in the presence of a cap-and-trade mechanism and consumers’ low-carbon preference. The retailer exerts advertising efforts, while lacks of the manufacturer’s private carbon emission reduction effort cost information. We construct the benchmark model with information symmetry and asymmetry respectively. We obtain all members’ equilibrium solutions and analytically examine the impact of the manufacturer’s carbon emission reduction effort cost, the retailer’s advertising effort cost, and consumers’ low-carbon preference on the supply chain members’ decisions. And then, we systematically compare two scenarios to obtain the condition in which the manufacturer would be willing to share the private information. With the aim of improving the manufacturer’s carbon emission reduction effort level and all members’ economic performance, we further propose a two-part tariff contract for information symmetry and asymmetry, respectively. | Retailer-driven carbon emission reduction: contract design in the presence of information asymmetry and cap-and-trade | 10.1007/s11356-022-21231-9 |
2022-11-01 | Soil erosion of fluvial landscape is a worldwide problem, which affects the agrarian society the most. The tectonically uplifted fluvial deposits of Yamuna-Chambal are facing the worst form of soil erosion in India. About half of the study area comes under the gully and ravine affected area. The encroachment of cultivable land by gully and ravine network is posing serious socio-economic challenges to the society of the region. To assess the magnitude and intensity of soil loss, the region needs better methods for soil erosion. GIS based soil erosion modelling have this potential. In present study, an attempt has been made to estimate the soil loss rate by using Morgan-Morgan-Finney Model and GIS. It has been found that the average annual soil loss rate is 18.20 t ha −1 year −1 in the study area. The highest rate of soil loss (above 70 t ha−1 year −1 ) have been estimated in unconsolidated flood deposits & steep slop part of gullies. The lowest soil loss rate (4.0 t ha −1 year −1 ) have been identified in densely forested land followed by intensify cropped area of the region. Due to the undulating surface and high intensity of rainfall in a short period of time, the transport capacity of running water in this region is very high. Although seasonal vegetation cover is a major protection against erosion, the weathering nature of the soil and steep slopes provide significant amounts of erosive material here. Land management and degree of slope favouring low erosion in intense cropped field in the study area. The Morgan-Morgan-Finney model and Geographic Information System is used to identify potential soil erosion risk zones, that can be used to prepare a land management plan for the region. | Soil erosion assessment in a part of gully affected Chambal region, Uttar Pradesh (India), using Morgan–Morgan–Finney model | 10.1007/s40808-022-01375-w |
2022-11-01 | Battery is considered as the most viable energy storage device for renewable power generation although it possesses slow response and low cycle life. Supercapacitor (SC) is added to improve the battery performance by reducing the stress during the transient period and the combined system is called hybrid energy storage system (HESS). The HESS operation purely depends on the control strategy and the power sharing between energy storage systems. The low pass filter based frequency sharing method is the common strategy used to share the power between the battery and SC. The HESS controller consists of two current controllers for controlling battery current and SC current and a voltage controller for regulating DC bus voltage. The quick regulation of DC bus voltage and current depends on the rapidity of operation of each control loop and the delay imposed by LPF. However, the conventional method considers only the SC characteristics for designing the outer voltage controller which leads to error in the calculated parameters. This work investigates controller design based on accurate modelling of HESS by factoring in battery converter and SC converter characteristics and the low pass filter effect. Further, the system is analyzed and compared in conditions with and without battery current loop. To verify the efficacy of the controller designed for the purpose, simulation studies are conducted in MATLAB/SIMULINK. A system prototype is developed in dSPACE 1104 platform. | Accurate modelling and analysis of battery–supercapacitor hybrid energy storage system in DC microgrid systems | 10.1007/s12667-021-00467-3 |
2022-11-01 | Light-induced functional pinealectomy was simulated in C57BL/6 mice by 14-day exposure to constant lighting. Immunophenotyping of CD3 hi and CD3 low thymocytes was performed by staining with CD3-APC antibodies followed by flow cytofluorometry. To study the cell cycle distribution of thymus cells, the content of intracellular DNA was measured by the level PI inclusion. In animals with light-induced functional pinealectomy, blood leukocyte content, the relative number of CD3 low and CD3 hi T cells in the thymus, and the ratio of CD3 low /CD3 hi thymocytes decreased. The number of G0/G1-phase thymus cells (non-dividing cells) increased and the content of S-phase cells (division phase) decreased. Continuous lighting stimulated the development of thymocyte apoptosis. The results obtained indicate that prolonged 24-h illumination inhibits differentiation and maturation of young CD3 low thymocytes into mature CD3 hi forms and leads to the development of T-cell apoptosis in the thymus and, as a consequence, to leukopenia. | Light-Induced Functional Pinealectomy. Effect on the Thymus of C57BL/6 Mice | 10.1007/s10517-022-05665-2 |
2022-11-01 | Introduction and hypothesis Transurethral catheterization in pressure-flow study (PFS) may interfere with the function of the lower urinary tract and produce an incorrect urodynamic diagnosis. We aimed to investigate the influence of a 7F catheter on urinary flow parameters in PFS and its significance for urodynamic diagnosis. Our hypothesis was that intubation causes adverse effects on urinary flow rate and further influences the urodynamic diagnosis. Methods We reviewed a urodynamic database of men and women referred for evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms. The urinary flow parameters of PFS and free flow (FF) were compared. The influence of intubation on urodynamic diagnosis was determined by re-evaluating bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and detrusor underactivity (DU), with the maximum flow rate of PFS (Qmax.P) being replaced by Qmax of FF (Qmax.F). Results We initially screened 1,791 patients and included 1,144 for the analysis. Overall, PFS had a lower Qmax ( p < 0.001), longer flow time ( p < 0.001), and a similar voided volume ( p > 0.05). However, Qmax.P displayed inconsistent changing directions: Qmax.P decreased in 72.8% of male patients and 83.5% of female patients but increased in 14.7% of male patients and 9.5% female patients. Qmax.P was unchanged in the remaining patients. The urodynamic diagnosis of BOO and DU changed correspondingly in both the decreased group and the increased group when Qmax.P was replaced by Qmax.F. Conclusions Compared with Qmax.F, the changing directions and magnitude of Qmax.P varied with each individual, which could have a significant impact on urodynamic diagnosis. Thus, when a similar volume is voided in FF and PFS, and Qmax.P differs obviously from Qmax.F, replacing Qmax.P with Qmax.F for evaluating BOO and DU may be a sensible choice. | The influence of intubation on urinary flow parameters in pressure-flow study and its significance for urodynamic diagnosis | 10.1007/s00192-022-05082-z |
2022-11-01 | Introduction As the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading in 2020, the government imposed national lockdowns. We considered the effects these lockdowns had on the paediatric population, with a specific focus on lower limb orthopaedic trauma. We hypothesise that these restrictions will have altered the mechanisms of injury and reduced the number of referrals. Materials and methods We retrospectively analysed data from 28/08/19 to 01/04/21, considering the variations in referrals and operations during these times, and analysed these data using an online statistical calculator. We examined the rate of referrals, types of fractures referred to the centre, mechanism of injury, volume of operations performed, and average wait times to undergo an operation. The data were compared in pre-lockdown and lockdown times. Results 67 paediatric patients with lower limb fractures were included in this study. Throughout the lockdown periods, the mean age of children referred was younger (6.9 from 11.1) and they were less likely to be injured as a result of sport ( p = 0.0493). They were more likely to fracture their lower leg ( p = 0.0016) when compared with other anatomical regions. The average weekly rate of referrals dropped (0.84–0.68), but the rate of operations almost quartered (0.39–0.16). The average wait times for operations dropped significantly, with patients waiting 80% less time from the date of their injury. Conclusion This study highlights the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the prevalence and management of lower limb paediatric trauma. The demographics and mechanisms of injury which presented to the trust over the pandemic and associated national lockdowns were significantly different. There was a drop in the number of referrals and a preference to non-operative management when patients did present. | The effect of COVID-19 lockdowns on paediatric lower limb orthopaedic presentations | 10.1007/s00402-021-04103-8 |
2022-10-31 | Fluid-conveying nanotubes play key roles in nano electromechanical systems (NEMSs). The contact dynamic response and stress field of the fluid-conveying graphene reinforced composite (GRC) nanotube transporting high-speed nanoflow under lateral low-velocity impact are studied. The size-dependent models incorporating slip flow, nonlocal stress and strain gradient effect are established. The governing equations of flow-inducing post-buckling and contact vibration are derived based on a refined beam theory, in which the post-buckling equilibrium provides the initial configuration for the impact vibration analysis. A computation mode of two-step perturbation-higher-order Galerkin truncation-Runge-Kutta (R-K) method is employed to study the contact dynamic responses. Through the convergence analysis, the truncation terms required to ensure the accuracy are obtained. The contact force curves and the midspan displacement time history curves and the stress field are acquired to guide the strength design. Also, the dynamic snap-through instability behaviors of the nanotube under the flow-inducing post-buckling state are revealed. Results reveal the dual influences of nonlocal stress and strain gradient on the contact dynamic response and stress field and provide the flow velocity range sensitive to the size effect. 流体输送纳米管在纳米机电系统中起着关键作用. 本文研究了输送高速纳米流体石墨烯增强复合材料(GRC)纳米管在横向低速冲击下的接触动态响应和应力场, 建立了考虑滑移流、非局部应力和应变梯度效应的尺寸相关模型. 基于精细梁理论, 推导了流致后屈曲和接触振动的控制方程, 其中后屈曲平衡路径为冲击振动分析提供了初始构型. 采用两步摄动-高阶Galerkin截断-Runge-Kutta(R-K)方法的计算模式研究接触动力响应. 通过收敛性分析, 得到了保证精度所需的截断项. 获得了接触力曲线、跨中位移时程曲线和应力场, 以指导强度设计. 此外, 还揭示了流致后屈曲纳米管在冲击作用下的动态跳跃失稳行为. 结果揭示了非局部应力和应变梯度对接触动态响应和应力场的双重影响, 并提供了对尺寸效应敏感的流速范围. | Contact dynamics of graphene reinforced composite nanotubes conveying high-speed nanofluid: size-dependence and local/global transient response | 10.1007/s10409-022-22235-x |
2022-10-31 | Background: Worldwide, esophageal cancer (EC) is a common cancer in term of incidence and mortality and is the 4th common cancer in Afghanistan. Current study aimed to evaluate the profile of risk factors for EC among patients diagnosed at tertiary level in Afghanistan. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out between January 2019 up to February 2021 including all esophageal cancers diagnosed at pathology department of French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children, Afghanistan. Result: 240 diagnosed cases were analyzed, in which 59.40% of squamous cell carcinoma and 41.07% Adenocarcinoma. Both histopathological type of were predominantly diagnosed in males. The majority of the patients were residents of rural areas. More than 80% of the patients were illiterate with only less than 2% completing higher education. Majority of the patients were laborers and farmers while less than 10% were employed. According to income assessment, more than 80% were from low-income household, the rest from middle-income and none from high-income family. Oral snuff consumption was noted in 33.9% of squamous cell carcinoma patients and 40% adenocarcinoma patients whereas, family history of esophageal cancer was observed in 37.8% and 36.7% in both types of carcinomas, respectively. More than 60% of both types of carcinomas patients were hot tea drinkers. Conclusion: Current study demonstrated that most patients diagnosed with esophageal cancers were male, uneducated, belongs to low-income groups, lives in rural areas. These findings suggest distribution of esophageal cancer in specific socioeconomic groups, clearly demonstrating the need further analytical study. | Risk factors associated with esophageal cancers, diagnosed at tertiary level in Afghanistan: a descriptive cross-sectional study | 10.1186/s12885-022-10228-9 |
2022-10-31 | The increasing prevalence of diseases caused by sugar consumption has become a threat to human health, and various studies have reported the relationship between high sugar consumption and the risk of various cardiovascular diseases, obesity, type 2 diabetes. Sugar-free products such as low-calorie sweeteners, especially peptide types, are very popular today due to the production of fewer calories. These sweeteners often have a protein structure and have a wide variety in terms of taste and dosage. Although extensive studies consider sweeteners to be safe and suitable substitutes for sugar, studies show that artificial types of these sweeteners can cause oxidative stress, metabolic syndrome, nervous system diseases, changes in the gastrointestinal microflora. Despite these conflicting studies, food safety organizations such as the FDA, FAO, EFSA limit the consumption of sweeteners to the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for all people, except for cases such as phenylketonuria. The purpose of this study is to briefly introduce natural peptide sweeteners (NPSs) that are good candidates to replace sugar and artificial sweeteners. The most important NPSs discussed in this summary include thaumatin, brazzein, monellin, curculin, miraculin, mabinlin, pentadin, whose safety, dosage and toxicity are discussed. Among the NPSs, thaumatin has been approved by FDA. This protein offers sweetness about 2000 times more than sucrose while produces only 4 kcal/g. NPSs generally show fewer side effects than synthetic types. The use of other NPS is also currently legal as a flavor enhancer and sugar substitute, but there are still challenges to their approval by the FDA. | A Review of Natural Peptide Sweeteners | 10.1007/s10989-022-10464-4 |
2022-10-31 | The current stumpage price in harvesting of a 50-year-old sugi (Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica ) plantation is not enough to motivate forest owners to reforest. Therefore, it is vital to reduce the cost for reforestation after logging as well as for logging and wood transportation of the preceding stands. Low initial tree density has been emphasized as one of the important basic measures to reduce directly the reforestation costs. In this study, for better understanding of the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of lumbers from sugi trees grown in low initial tree density, we examined the effects of initial tree density on wood density and microfibril angle of the S 2 layer in the secondary wall of tracheids in rings from pith to bark in a sugi cultivar (Tosaaka) grown in a Nelder plot (initial density zoning symbols; D (4823 trees/ha), E (3349 trees/ha), G (1615 trees/ha), H (1122 trees/ha) and J (541 trees/ha)). Ring width and latewood percentage in J tree (541 trees/ha) were significantly larger and smaller than those of other initial tree density zoning symbol trees, respectively. Average wood density and earlywood wood density in J tree (541 trees/ha) were significantly smaller than those of other initial tree density zoning symbol trees (Tukey’s honestly significant difference test (Tukey HSD), p < 0.05). However, effects of initial tree density on the microfibril angles (earlywood and latewood) in rings from pith to bark and the transition patterns of microfibril angle from earlywood to latewood in an outer ring (ring number 22) were not significant or very small. Heartwood width in H trees (1122 trees/ha) and J trees (541 trees/ha) were significantly larger than those in other initial tree density zoning symbol trees (Tukey HSD, p < 0.05). There were no significant differences of ring width, average wood density, earlywood density and microfibril angle between H trees (1122 trees/ha) and E trees (3349 trees/ha) in many rings from pith to bark (Tukey HSD, p > 0.05). Based on these results of Tosaaka, a sugi cultivar grown in a Nelder plot, it was assumed that mechanical properties and dimensional stability of lumbers from sugi trees grown in low initial tree density (1000 trees/ha) might be quite similar to those from sugi trees grown in the regular initial tree density (3000 trees/ha), although lumbers from J trees (541 trees/ha) might be different from those of sugi trees grown in the regular initial tree density (3000 trees/ha). By taking the effects of genetic factor (variation of sugi cultivars) and the interaction between genetic and environmental factor (initial tree density) into consideration, the effects of low initial tree density (1000 trees/ha) on mechanical properties and dimensional stability of lumbers from sugi plantations in Japan might be smaller than the effects recognized in Tosaaka in this study. In this study, we did not examine the effects of initial tree density on the knots and the cross grain of lumbers. Low initial tree density might increase the negative effects of knots and cross grain on mechanical properties of lumbers. However, recent wood processing technology could minimize these negative effects. | Wood density and microfibril angle from pith to bark of a sugi cultivar (Cryptomeria japonica, Japanese cedar, Tosaaka) grown in a Nelder plot | 10.1186/s10086-022-02063-0 |
2022-10-29 | This article presents Ortho-Monitorizer, a portable device for temperature and pressure monitorization in three pressure points of the upper limb, while a static orthosis is being used. The purpose of this device is to inform healthcare professionals, not only if the patient has been wearing the orthosis for the prescribed time, but also if it is too tight, or if there is any inflammatory reaction, that leads to an increase in local temperature. The data transfer is done through the Bluetooth Low Energy AT-09 module. Data is shown in an Android application and saved in real time in a database. To start the data acquisition, the user just needs to connect the device to a power bank, register in the application, make the Bluetooth connection with the device, and then select the option of the specific characteristic that will save the values measured by the sensors. The Android application is still under development to improve usability. The orthoses used for the acquisitions were created specifically for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and used for two consecutive days, by two healthy volunteers. Our findings indicate that, although some care is needed during acquisitions, namely in terms of positioning the active areas of the sensors and the internet connection, the device makes acquisitions correctly. It allows us to identify when the person is using the orthosis and the existing pressure differences. Therefore, in the future this prototype could be incorporated into a clinical setting, to allow therapists to monitor compliance and prevent pressure ulcers and wounds. | Ortho-Monitorizer: A Portable Device to Monitor Pressure and Temperature During the Use of Upper Limb Orthoses | 10.1007/s42979-022-01432-2 |
2022-10-29 | The goal of this survey is to give a self-contained introduction to synthetic timelike Ricci curvature bounds for (possibly non-smooth) Lorentzian spaces via optimal transport and entropy tools, including a synthetic version of Hawking’s singularity theorem and a synthetic characterisation of Einstein’s vacuum equations. We will also discuss some motivations arising from the smooth world and some possible directions for future research. | A review of Lorentzian synthetic theory of timelike Ricci curvature bounds | 10.1007/s10714-022-03004-4 |
2022-10-25 | Background It has been determined through extensive studies that autophagy, the Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor containing pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and apoptotic responses in macrophages jointly contribute to atherogenesis and its development in the presence of lipid abnormalities. Few studies have investigated in full-scale if the intervention time for lipids abnormality or NLRP3 activation have a significant effect on autophagy, NLRP3 or the apoptotic status in macrophages. Methods Human THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages were established by challenging THP-1 monocytes with 80 µg/ml oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) for specific durations. Foam cell formation was observed by Oil Red O (ORO) staining. Western blots were employed to determine protein expression. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and immunofluorescence microscopy were applied to observe the autophagic status of cells. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Results The cells were treated with ox-LDL for 12 h and 36 h, which were considered to represent early and advanced stages of atherogenesis for this study. The results showed that inhibition of ox-LDL phagocytosis by cytochalasin D in the early stage improved autophagic status, reduced NLRP3 activation and the apoptotic response significantly. In contrast, cytochalasin D had little effect on blocking the detrimental effect of ox-LDL at the advanced stage. Moreover, the changes in autophagy, apoptosis and NLRP3 expression after treatment with small interfering (si) RNA targeting NLRP3 in the early and advanced stages of atherogenesis were consistent with the above data. Conclusions Interventions against lipid disorders or inflammatory reactions in the early or advanced stages of atherogenesis may have different results depending on when they are applied during the process of atherosclerotic pathogenesis. These results may help improve therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis prevention. Furthermore, a healthy lifestyle should still be recommended as the most important and inexpensive measure to prevent atherogenesis. | Intervention time decides the status of autophagy, NLRP3 activity and apoptosis in macrophages induced by ox‐LDL | 10.1186/s12944-022-01714-x |
2022-10-22 | The current findings emphasize interpreting wireline logs to assess the hydrocarbon prospect of the Lower Cretaceous Yageliemu Formation in the Yakela (YKL) gas condensate field, Tarim Basin, China. The present study consists of wireline logs of four drilled wells (S4, YK13, YK21, and YK32) and numerous reservoir zones have been comprehended. According to the petrophysical evaluation, the gas-bearing zone has high resistivity values, good porosity (Φeff) and permeability (K), low water content (Sw), and less shale content (Vsh) indicating clean sand. The petrophysical parameters of the interest zones were closely studied which are classed as good-quality sand layers with ranging effective porosities from 4.5 to 10%, permeability ranging from 0.5 to 18 mD, water saturation concentrations ranging from 55 to 59%, and the average value gas is 41–50%. The Archie equation was accurately tested to estimate water saturation in the reservoirs, revealing that in each well, Sw is less than 60%; therefore, the efficiency of the gas-bearing sand is of good quality. Lithofacies, horizontal and vertical variations of reservoir parameters, are evaluated through building self-organizing maps, isoparametric maps of the petrophysical parameters, and litho-saturation cross-plots, respectively. Isoparametric maps assist in visualizing the spatial distribution of the reservoir configuration. It is suggested that more wells be drilled in the southwestern and northwestern parts of the current research area. Due to the high water concentration and shale volume, the northeastern and southeastern portions of the understudied area must be overlooked. Graphical abstract | Evaluation of unconventional hydrocarbon reserves using petrophysical analysis to characterize the Yageliemu Formation in the Yakela gas condensate field, Tarim Basin, China | 10.1007/s12517-022-10902-z |
2022-10-20 | This paper presents the design and control method of the hybrid underwater glider (HUG) for hands-on investigative engineering. The HUG is a lightweight, small, modular, and low-cost underwater vehicle. The HUG uses a piston buoyancy system to control buoyancy and pitch angle and two thrusters to control yaw angle. A hybrid control method utilizing both a piston buoyancy system and a pair of horizontal thrusters is proposed. The novelty of this study is: 1) a two-hull design to facilitate modularity and ease of assembly, 2) an effective piston buoyancy and thrusters’ mechanism to reduce the weight and size of the vehicle, and 3) a pitch control method based on equilibrium identification to enables a fixable and convenient parameters selection and reduces model dependence. Experimental results show that the HUG design reduces the thrusters’ disturbance to pitch angle control, and pitch angle control with the hybrid control method has less overshoot compared to the PID controller. | Low-Cost Hybrid Underwater Glider Utilizes Buoyancy and Thruster Actuation: Design and Control | 10.1007/s10846-022-01734-w |
2022-10-17 | The Sun Watcher with Active Pixels and Image Processing (SWAP) instrument onboard ESA’s PRoject for On Board Autonomy 2 (PROBA2) has provided the first uncompressed, high-cadence, continuous, large field-of-view observations of the extended extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) corona for over a complete solar cycle. It has helped shape our understanding of this previously understudied region, and pioneered research into the middle corona. In this article, we present a review of all publications that have utilized these observations to explore the extended EUV corona, highlighting the unique contributions made by SWAP. The review is broadly divided into three main sections of SWAP-based studies about: i) long-lived phenomena, such as streamers, pseudo-streamers, and coronal fans; ii) dynamic phenomena, such as eruptions, jets, EUV waves, and shocks; iii) coronal EUV emission generation. We also highlight SWAP’s imaging capabilities, techniques that have been applied to observations to enhance the off-limb observations and its legacy. | A Review of the Extended EUV Corona Observed by the Sun Watcher with Active Pixels and Image Processing (SWAP) Instrument | 10.1007/s11207-022-02063-9 |
2022-10-17 | Planar superconductors, emerging in thin films with thickness comparable to the superconducting coherence length, differ crucially from their bulk counterparts. Coulomb interactions between charges are logarithmic up to distances comparable to typical sample sizes and the Anderson-Higgs mechanism is ineffective to screen the infrared divergences of the resulting (2+1)-dimensional QED because the Pearl length screening the vortex interactions is also typically larger than the sample size. As a result, the system decomposes into superconducting droplets with the typical size of order of superconducting coherence length. We show that two possible phases of the film match the two known mechanisms for curing the (2+1)-dimensional QED infrared divergences, either by generating a mixed topological Chern-Simons mass or by magnetic monopole instantons. The former mechanism works in superconductors, the latter one governs mirror-dual superinsulators. Planar superconductors are thus described by a topological Chern-Simons gauge (TCSG) theory that replaces the Ginzburg-Landau model in two dimensions. In the TCSG model, the Higgs field is absent. Accordingly, in planar superconductors Abrikosov vortices do not form, and only Josephson vortices without normal core do exist. | How planar superconductors cure their infrared divergences | 10.1007/JHEP10(2022)100 |
2022-10-15 | Background In the vascular compartment, the serine protease tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) promotes fibrinolysis, justifying its clinical use against vasculo-occlusive diseases. Accumulating evidence shows that circulating tPA (endogenous or exogenous) also controls brain physiopathological processes, like cerebrovascular reactivity, blood–brain barrier (BBB) homeostasis, inflammation and neuronal fate. Whether this occurs by direct actions on parenchymal cells and/or indirectly via barriers between the blood and the central nervous system (CNS) remains unclear. Here, we postulated that vascular tPA can reach the brain parenchyma via the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), that relies on choroid plexus (CP) epithelial cells (CPECs). Methods We produced various reporter fusion proteins to track tPA in primary cultures of CPECs, in CP explants and in vivo in mice. We also investigated the mechanisms underlying tPA transport across the BCSFB, with pharmacological and molecular approaches. Results We first demonstrated that tPA can be internalized by CPECs in primary cultures and in ex vivo CPs explants. In vivo, tPA can also be internalized by CPECs both at their basal and apical sides. After intra-vascular administration, tPA can reach the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and the brain parenchyma. Further investigation allowed discovering that the transcytosis of tPA is mediated by Low-density-Lipoprotein Related Protein-1 (LRP1) expressed at the surface of CPECs and depends on the finger domain of tPA. Interestingly, albumin, which has a size comparable to that of tPA, does not normally cross the CPs, but switches to a transportable form when grafted to the finger domain of tPA. Conclusions These findings provide new insights on how vascular tPA can reach the brain parenchyma, and open therapeutic avenues for CNS disorders. | The choroid plexus: a door between the blood and the brain for tissue-type plasminogen activator | 10.1186/s12987-022-00378-0 |
2022-10-15 | Nitrogen is not only a macronutrient essential for crop growth and development, but also one of the most critical nutrients in farmland ecosystem. Insufficient nitrogen supply will lead to crop yield reduction, while excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer will cause agricultural and eco-environment damage. Therefore, mining low-nitrogen tolerant rice genes and improving nitrogen use efficiency are of great significance to the sustainable development of agriculture. This study was conducted by Genome-wide association study on a basis of two root morphological traits (root length and root diameter) and 788,396 SNPs of a natural population of 295 rice varieties. The transcriptome of low-nitrogen tolerant variety (Longjing 31) and low-nitrogen sensitive variety (Songjing 10) were sequenced between low and high nitrogen treatments. A total of 35 QTLs containing 493 genes were mapped. 3085 differential expressed genes were identified. Among these 493 genes, 174 genes showed different haplotype patterns. There were significant phenotype differences among different haplotypes of 58 genes with haplotype differences. These 58 genes were hypothesized as candidate genes for low nitrogen tolerance related to root morphology. Finally, six genes ( Os07g0471300 , Os11g0230400 , Os11g0229300 , Os11g0229400 , Os11g0618300 and Os11g0229333 ) which expressed differentially in Longjing 31 were defined as more valuable candidate genes for low-nitrogen tolerance. The results revealed the response characteristics of rice to low-nitrogen, and provided insights into regulatory mechanisms of rice to nitrogen deficiency. | Mapping of Candidate Genes in Response to Low Nitrogen in Rice Seedlings | 10.1186/s12284-022-00597-x |
2022-10-14 | Nowadays, biochar is regarded as a potential agent for the removal of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) which are the major cause of concern for the aquatic environment because their toxicity and tendency to accumulate in the human body leads to disorder. PTEs such as As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Cu (some of them are non-biodegradable) are causing various lethal diseases and disorders in human health. Biochar is extensively used as an adsorbent to eliminate the inorganic toxic PTEs from wastewater, as biochar generally possesses a larger surface area, substantial adsorption capacity, and more ample surface functional groups. These properties of biochar signify a unique carbonaceous material exhibiting ameliorated efficiency toward various wastewater treatments. Numerous studies have inspected regarding the efficient removal of contaminants using biochar from an aqueous solution. This review emphasizes an overview of biochar production, properties, pyrolysis process, adsorption mechanism, and condition of different types of feedstocks. Presently, access to biochar in the adsorption process has brought a significant way due to its wide availability as an agriculture or forest residue, low cost, and environmental benefit. A low adsorption rate of PTEs is found in some literature, but it can be managed with modified biochar to improve the adsorption capacity. Thus, biochar is used as a promising, potential sorbent to control water pollution. The highlights of the review are to comprehend the characteristics, removal efficiency, and adsorption behavior of PTEs on biochar in an aqueous solution. | A review on low-cost adsorbent (biochar) for the elimination of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from contaminated water | 10.1007/s12517-022-10909-6 |
2022-10-14 | Background This study aimed to explore the clinical values of the percutaneous spinal endoscopy “isolation zone” technique for discogenic low back pain (DLBP). Methods This retrospective case series study enrolled patients with intervertebral DLBP treated with the percutaneous spinal endoscopy “isolation zone” technique in the department of Orthopedics, Cangzhou central Hospital affiliated to TianJin Medical University between September 2017 and September 2020. Results Forty-five patients with DLBP were enrolled. The mean operation time was 94.7 ± 17.7 min. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score of lumbosacral pain was 6.95 ± 1.02 before operation, 2.64 ± 0.71, 1.80 ± 0.54, 1.42 ± 0.50, and 1.27 ± 0.45 at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after operation, respectively. The Oswestry disability index (ODI) score of low back pain was 72.84 ± 5.95 before operation, 35.1 ± 5.30, 25.22 ± 4.85, 16.78 ± 4.63, and 10.91 ± 2.36 at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after operation, respectively. At final follow-up, the treatment effect based on modified MacNab criteria was excellent in 24 cases, good in 13 cases, and fair in 8 cases. The excellent/good rate was 82.2%. Conclusion The percutaneous spinal endoscopic “isolation zone” technique seems to be a promising surgical alternative for DLBP. | The percutaneous spinal endoscopy “isolation zone” technique for discogenic low back pain: a case series study | 10.1186/s40001-022-00837-2 |
2022-10-13 | Mixed culture fermentation (MCF) is challenged by the unqualified activity of enriched bacteria and unwanted methane dissolution under low temperatures. In this work, caproate production from xylose was investigated by MCF at a low temperature (20 °C). The results showed that a 9 d long hydraulic retention time (HRT) in a continuously stirred tank reactor was necessary for caproate production (∼0.3 g/L, equal to 0.6 g COD/L) from xylose (10 g/L). The caproate concentration in the batch mode was further increased to 1.6 g/L. However, changing the substrate to ethanol did not promote caproate production, resulting in ∼1.0 g/L after 45 d of operation. Four genera, Bifidobacterium, Caproiciproducens, Actinomyces , and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_12 , were identified as the enriched caproate-producing bacteria. The enzymes in the fatty acid biosynthesis (FAB) pathway for caproate production were identified via metagenomic analysis. The enzymes for the conversion of (C n +2 )-2,3-Dehydroxyacyl-CoA to (C n +2 )-Acyl-CoA (i.e., EC 1.3.1.8 and EC 1.3.1.38) in the reverse β-oxidation (RBO) pathway were not identified. These results could extend the understanding of low-temperature caproate production. | Low-temperature caproate production, microbial diversity, and metabolic pathway in xylose anaerobic fermentation | 10.1007/s11783-023-1637-9 |
2022-10-13 | In the rural areas of China, using biomass boiler as an auxiliary heat source for district heating will be a promising way. In this paper, an experimental study on the performance of a 500-kW biomass fixed bed boiler under low-load operating conditions (15% ~ 40% of nominal load) was carried out. The results showed that low-load operation had no significant influence on the steady combustion of biomass boiler. For pollutants-discharged concentration, the overall emission concentration of NO x was maintained at about 300 mg/m 3 , in which NO 2 accounted for a relatively large proportion compared with nominal load. NO 2 accounted for up to 63% of NO x at 15% of nominal load. In these cases, NO 2 had a very strong correlation with CO (Spearman = 0.867). Moreover, the impact of low-load operation on boiler efficiency was studied. The results showed that the operating conditions with boiler efficiency above 50% accounted for 44%, of which the highest efficiency was 55%. | Effects of low-load operation on biomass boiler performance: combustion stability, pollutant emission, and boiler efficiency | 10.1007/s13399-022-03355-7 |
2022-10-12 | A new route for the conversion of refinery light cracked naphtha (LCN) stream into lubricity improvers for ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) was developed through a simple chemical process involving olefin epoxidation and esterification reactions. Two different methods viz., H 2 O 2 /glacial acetic acid and m-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA), were found to be suitable for the epoxidation of LCN. The LCN epoxide was subjected to an esterification reaction via epoxide ring opening using different long chain (C 4 - C 18 alkyl groups) organic acids to get the hydroxy ester derivatives of LCN. The lubricating property of the newly synthesized hydroxy esters was studied by dosing them with ULSD at 300 and 150 ppm (wt/vol) concentrations. Amongst them, LCN hydroxy ester derived from stearic acid showed the best lubrication-enhancing property at both dosage levels. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) image and energy dispersive spectra (EDS) of the high-frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR) specimen support the lubricating action of the LCN esters through the formation of a protective layer between the metallic surfaces. The synergy of simple chemical processes and efficient lubricity action makes these LCN esters as promising materials for low-cost and scalable additives for ULSD. Graphical abstract The olefin-rich light cracked naphtha obtained from the fluidized catalytic cracker unit of the oil refinery was converted into hydroxy esters through an epoxidation reaction followed by the esterification with different carboxylic acids. The hydroxy esters at low dosage levels (150/300 ppm) enhance the lubricating property of ultra-low sulfur diesel. | Transformation of refinery cracked naphtha stream into efficient lubricity improvers for ULSD | 10.1007/s12039-022-02102-9 |
2022-10-12 | Background Previous studies have demonstrated that by injecting uPA into the lumbar facet joints (LFJ) of normal rats, a rat LFJOA animal model can be successfully established. However, there is no evidence that intraarticular injection of uPA can induce or much serious osteoarthritis in bipedal rats, which biomechanics is much more similar to human than normal rats. To investigate whether intraarticular injection of urinary plasminogen activator (uPA) can induce LFJOA and low back pain symptoms in bipedal rats. Methods An experimental study on the construction of a modified animal model of lumbar facet joints osteoarthritis (LFJOA) which biomechanics is similar to human. Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with intraarticular injection of uPA in the L5–L6 facet joints (uPA group, n = 15) or saline (saline group, n = 15). The forelimbs of both two group rats were amputated. Mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in the ipsilateral hind paws were evaluated using von Frey hairs and a thermoalgesia instrument, respectively. Toluidine blue staining, hematoxylin–eosin staining, and immunohistochemical examination of the LFJ was performed. Results The saline group rats have not demonstrated significant osteoarthritis in rats LFJ after surgery. The uPA group has not been induced significantly higher mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in comparison with the saline group. But intraarticular injection of uPA in biped rats induced significantly stronger articular cartilage damage, synovitis, and proliferation of synovial cells in the LFJ. Inflammatory factors such as iNOS, IL-1β, and TNF-a were more significantly expressed in bipedal rat injected with uPA ( p < 0.05). Conclusions Intraarticular injection of uPA can induce LFJOA in bipedal rats, while upright posture does not induce osteoarthritis in rats LFJ in the short term. | Establishment of a bipedal rat model of lumbar facet joint osteoarthritis using intraarticular injection of urinary plasminogen activator | 10.1186/s13018-022-03339-3 |
2022-10-12 | Based on the high-precision vector magnetic field data of Swarm A and C satellites, we perform a statistical analysis of the diurnal and longitudinal variations of the ionospheric radial current (IRC) in the F layer at the magnetic equator from 2014 to 2018. The observations are compared with the simulations based on the Thermosphere–Ionosphere Electrodynamics–General Circulation Model (TIE–GCM). It is found that the noon IRC is radially outward, whereas the dusk IRC is radially inward. The time of the change from the inward to the outward direction occurred is earlier in June than in other seasons. The TIE–GCM results show that low atmospheric tides have an important effect on the seasonal change in the reverse time. The noon IRC is weakened primarily by the polarization current from migrating tides. The dusk IRC is mainly weakened by polarization current from nonmigrating tides in the equinox and December solstice and by dynamo current from migrating tides in the June solstice. Geomagnetic field configuration is the main reason for the longitudinal variation of IRC. The noon IRC have a wave-4 zonal structure, which is mainly caused by the outward propagation of migrating and nonmigrating tides. The dusk IRC in the western hemisphere shows a larger current density than that in the eastern hemisphere, resulting mainly from the neutral wind dynamo current. The competing effect of the wind dynamo current and polarization current determined the peak location of the total current in the western hemisphere. Graphical Abstract | Local time and longitudinal variation of the ionospheric radial current: swarm observations and TIE–GCM simulations | 10.1186/s40623-022-01714-2 |
2022-10-11 | Urbanization has brought adverse effects on the groundwater. Increased consumption of groundwater and decreased groundwater recharge has led to groundwater decline. As a new urban management strategy, sponge city construction is an effective way to increase the permeable areas, promote the utilization of rainwater resources, and recharge groundwater in the urban area. Low impact development (LID) is the primary facility employed by sponge city construction. In this study, the feasibility of sponge city construction was quantitatively evaluated based on the long-term groundwater data. Three monitoring wells were drilled and installed within the aquifer to observe the fluctuations in water levels from September 2018 to January 2020 in the pilot area. Several LID measures were applied in Xinhua Middle School and Gediao block, where the monitoring wells were also located. According to a statistical analysis of the 50 real-time measurements, the groundwater level dropped by 0.89 m, 3.87 m, and 1.08 m at # well Xinhua, # well Tianfang, and # well Gediao, respectively, over the past 17 months. The simple linear regression was used to make trend estimation and correlation analysis. The results indicated that groundwater levels of three monitoring wells all declined during the dry season. However, all the water levels responded to the continual precipitation and showed obvious increases during the wet season. The groundwater level increased by 0.62 m, 0.74 m, and 0.90 m at # well Xinhua, # well Tianfang, and # well Gediao, respectively, during the wet season. The LID could reduce the impervious surface and increase the low soil permeability by amending soil texture in situ. The correlation analysis further verified that the rainfall affected the local groundwater recharge. So more rainwater should be intercepted at the source and then added to the aquifer through infiltration. The sponge city construction-low impact development is expected to maximize the use of the limited rainwater resources, improve the urban ecological environment, and mitigate the adverse impacts of urban sprawl. | The fluctuation of groundwater level under the background of Sponge City Construction in the pilot area in Tianjin, China | 10.1007/s12517-022-10892-y |
2022-10-08 | Background Shift work is considered a risk factor for a number of chronic health conditions including obesity. Weight reduction in obese patients lowers the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and mortality. Achieving a negative energy balance by providing low-calorie meal replacements is widely used for weight management. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a low-calorie “meal-replacement” on the weight and metabolic parameters of shift workers with obesity. Methods This trial will be conducted in a parallel, randomized controlled design for a period of 8 weeks. A total of 44 shift workers with body mass index over 25 kg/m 2 will be recruited after assessing eligibility. Participants will be randomly assigned to the test and control groups on a 1:1 ratio. The intervention group ( N = 22) will be provided with a low-calorie (~200 kcal) meal replacement shake as dinner, and the control group ( N = 22) will continue their habitual diets. The visits and the evaluations will be done as follows: screening (visit 0), 4 weeks (visit 1), and 8 weeks (visit 2). Anthropometric measurements will be taken at 0, 4, and 8 weeks. Body composition, biochemical parameters, dietary intake, and physical activity will be assessed during the first and the last visit. Outcomes The primary outcome will be the proportion of participants that had a 5% body weight loss from baseline. The secondary outcomes will be post-intervention changes in other metabolic parameters. Discussion To our knowledge, this is one of the first randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of a meal replacement as the night meal for weight loss in shift workers with obesity. Moreover, improvement of metabolic parameters in shift workers will be an added benefit to this high-risk group. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12622000231741 . Registered on 09 February 2022. | Meal replacement as a weight loss strategy for night shift workers with obesity: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial | 10.1186/s13063-022-06784-x |
2022-10-07 | To develop sensing materials, this study used cheap and readily available graphite, with decalin as solvent to disperse the graphite in low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Two methods of solvent removal (heat treatment at 100 °C and natural drying) were applied. Afterward, two kinds of composite LDPE/graphite films with different proportions of graphite were obtained. Different samples of the two films were compared in terms of the differences in appearance, thermal properties, and resistances. SEM showed that the appearance of heat-treated composite films presented a complete and smooth structure and good bendability relative to untreated films. Thermal gravimetric analysis and differential thermogravimetry showed that composite films with heat treatment had a higher thermal stability. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed that the melting points of the two composite films decreased with increasing graphite content. Finally, these composite films were used to measure the induced voltage values corresponding to changes in pH of different samples. The results showed that stable voltage values could not be obtained in the case of composite materials with very low conductivity, and that an appropriate amount of graphite mixed with LDPE could have better acid–base sensing properties. | Morphology and thermal properties of low-density polyethylene/graphite composite films as potential pH sensors prepared via heat treatment and natural drying | 10.1007/s10965-022-03287-w |
2022-10-07 | Background Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) have gained attention as a new treatment for systemic sclerosis (SSc). Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) enhances cell function and stimulates the production of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in a variety of cells. This study investigated the effects of LMWH on the functions of mouse ASCs (mASCs), and the therapeutic effects of mASCs activated with LMWH (hep-mASCs) in mouse models of SSc. Methods The cellular functions of mASCs cultured with different concentrations of LMWH were determined. Mice were divided into four groups: bleomycin (BLM)-induced SSc (BLM-alone), BLM-induced SSc administered with mASCs (BLM-mASC), and BLM-induced SSc administered with mASCs activated with 10 or 100 μg/mL LMWH (BLM-hep-mASC); there were 9 mice per group ( n = 9). Skin inflammation and fibrosis were evaluated using histological and biochemical examinations and gene expression levels. Results In vitro assays showed that migration ability and HGF production were significantly higher in hep-mASCs than in mASCs alone. The mRNA expression levels of cell migration factors were significantly upregulated in hep-mASCs compared to those in mASCs alone. The hep-mASCs accumulated in the skin tissues more than mASCs alone. The thickness of skin and hydroxyproline content in BLM-hep-mASC groups were significantly decreased, and the skin mRNA expression levels of interleukin-2, α-smooth muscle actin, transforming growth factor β1, collagen type 1 alpha 1, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 were significantly downregulated compared to those in the BLM-alone group. Conclusions hep-mASCs showed higher anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects than mASCs alone and may be a promising candidate for SSc treatment. | Therapeutic effects of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells with enhanced migration ability and hepatocyte growth factor secretion by low-molecular-weight heparin treatment in bleomycin-induced mouse models of systemic sclerosis | 10.1186/s13075-022-02915-6 |
2022-10-06 | In this paper, we investigate the compressible magneto-micropolar fluids in a half-space $${\mathbb {R}}^n_+$$ R + n (n=2,3) with the no-slip boundary conditions. Applying Hoff’s method, we establish the global low-energy weak solutions with discontinuous initial data closes to a static equilibrium. As a by-product, we show that the density is uniformly bounded, the velocity, micro-rotational velocity and magnetic field are Hölder continuous in the half-space, and Lipschitz continuous on the boundary of the half-space. | Global low-energy weak solutions of the compressible magneto-micropolar fluids in the half-space | 10.1007/s00033-022-01860-3 |
2022-10-06 | The soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) is of great significance for studying the hydrological cycle, agricultural water management, and unsaturated soil mechanics. However, it is difficult to effectively obtain a large number of SWCCs because of the cumbersome and expensive determination experiments for SWCCs. Pedo-transfer functions (PTFs) established using soil physicochemical properties have become an effective method for solving this problem. However, due to the limitations of the establishment methods and the wide spatial variability of soil properties, it is still difficult to establish PTFs in a specific region. In order to establish the PTFs of SWCCs for the alluvial plain area of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, 233 soil samples were collected from the vadose zone in a typical area. These data were used as the data sources, and eight variables including clay, silt content, fractal dimension, bulk density, total porosity, pH value, organic matter content, and electrical conductivity were used as the influencing factors. By applying and comparing three machine learning algorithms, the PTFs of the SWCCs based on the random forest algorithm were obtained. Based on the Gini index of the random forest, the insensitive factors were eliminated and the optimal variable input mode was constructed. Based on the verification, there was little difference between the predicted water content and the measured water content. The determination coefficient R 2 is 0.9308; the root mean square error ( RMSE ) is 0.0447; and the mean relative error ( MRE ) is 22.40%. | Pedo-transfer functions of the soil water characteristic curves of the vadose zone in a typical alluvial plain area in the lower reaches of the Yellow River using machine learning methods | 10.1007/s10661-022-10397-x |
2022-10-03 | A sub 20 W wall-less Hall Effect Thruster (HET) was developed at the Asher Space Research Institute (ASRI), Technion. In this work, an initial study of the thruster performance and underlying physics was conducted. It was found that the anode efficiency of the thruster was low (~ 1%), mainly due to the low mass utilization efficiency. Typical performance figures are 90 $$\mu N$$ μ N of thrust, specific impulse of 90 s and anode efficiency of ~ 1% at 3–4 W anode power. The thruster far-field plume was analyzed using a retarding potential analyzer. It was found that the beam divergence was relatively low at $$57.7^\circ$$ 57 . 7 ∘ (for 95% of the beam current) compared to other wall-less HETs. The voltage utilization efficiency was 38% for a discharge voltage of 1 kV and a mass flow rate of 1 sccm xenon. We speculate that the leading driver to the low mass utilization efficiency is the small ionization fraction associated with these very low power wall-less devices. It was found that the beam efficiency can be over 90% at discharge power levels < 3 W, and decreases with power down to less than 50%. | Experimental investigation of an external discharge very low anode power (< 20 W) hall thruster | 10.1007/s44205-022-00017-8 |
2022-10-03 | Background Nocturnal enuresis (NE) is a common childhood condition characterized by recurrent bedwetting in children with normal bladder control over 5 years old. The pathogenesis of this condition is unknown, but it is believed to have a complex etiology. NE is primary or secondary, monosymptomatic or nonmonosymptomatic (NMNE). MNE children do not have lower urinary tract (LUT) impairment, and their voided volumes are generally normal. NMNE is linked to malfunction of the LUT, with or without daytime incontinence. Several investigations have discovered significant associations between psychiatric problems, especially anxiety disorders and NMNE. Specific phobia is the most common lifelong anxiety disorder, characterized by extreme anxiety when a stimulus is encountered or expected. This study investigated the association between specific phobia and primary NMNE. Methods A total of 204 children were studied, including 102 children with primary NMNE and 102 children in the control group. Girls with an FSS-II score greater than 75 and boys with a score greater than 78 were considered to have specific phobia disorder. The groups were compared using SPSS software version 23 and descriptive statistical methods. Results The results of the recent study showed that the mean age of the children in the case and control groups was 7.69 and 7.19 years, respectively ( p -value = 0.063). The male to female ratio was 49–53 in the case group and 43–59 in the control group ( p -value = 0.399). In the study, the frequency of specific phobia in the case group was 12.7% and in the control group was 9.8% ( p -value = 0.507). Conclusions Despite the strong impacts of anxiety on children's NMNE, there is likely no significant association between specific phobia and primary NMNE. | The association between primary nonmonosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis and the presence of specific phobia: a case–control study | 10.1186/s12301-022-00322-6 |
2022-10-01 | Optimal operation of offshore plants depends on the correct material selection for offshore piping systems. Flare systems, in particular, play a critical role in the safety of personnel in the plant. This study aims to determine the most suitable material for flare piping in order to prevent such failures in the future. In order to select the optimum piping material for flare systems, a systematic material selection process, called value engineering (VE), in conjunction with initial screening has been selected. Flare piping materials are selected according to six criteria: internal and external corrosion resistance, mechanical strength, cost, low-temperature resistance and availability. Using the VE method, the weight factor is determined by comparing each parameter pair-wise. A score is then calculated for each parameter for each material. For the flare system, five different types of material candidates were assessed in terms of performance. As a result, Inconel 625 was found to be the most suitable material for flare systems, while 6MO was the second choice. | Flare Piping Material Selection for the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry | 10.1007/s40032-022-00862-4 |
2022-10-01 | The hot deformation behavior of low-density high-strength Fe–Mn–Al–C alloy steel at T = 900-1150 °C and $$\dot{\varepsilon }$$ ε ˙ = 0.01-10 s −1 was studied by the Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical simulator. The rheological stress curve characteristics of the steel were analyzed through experimental data, and a physical constitutive model considering strain coupling was established. At the same time, the finite element software DEFORM was used to calculate the critical damage value of the steel, and the influence of T and $$\dot{\varepsilon }$$ ε ˙ on the maximum damage value was considered. By introducing the dimensionless parameter Zener–Hollomon, the critical damage model was established. Finally, the workability of the steel was evaluated by using the intuitive processing map technology. The results indicated that Fe–Mn–Al–C alloy steel is a positive strain rate-sensitive and a negative temperature-sensitive material, and the constitutive model considering physical parameters can well predict the rheological stress of the steel during hot deformation ( R = 0.997). The critical damage factor of Fe–Mn–Al–C alloy steel varies with the change of T and $$\dot{\varepsilon }$$ ε ˙ , and the range is 0.359-0.535. At the same time, the critical damage factor is more sensitive to $$\dot{\varepsilon }$$ ε ˙ . At a constant T , the damage factor decreases with the increase of $$\dot{\varepsilon }$$ ε ˙ . Based on the Prasad instability criterion, the dynamic material model processing map and the microstructure verification after thermal compression, the rheological instability characteristics of the steel are mainly mechanical instability and local plastic flow, and the stable deformation area is mainly characterized by dynamic recrystallization. The optimal hot working process window of the steel is 975-1050 °C/0.01-0.032 s −1 . Graphical abstract | Hot Deformation Behaviors and Process Parameters Optimization of Low-Density High-Strength Fe–Mn–Al–C Alloy Steel | 10.1007/s12540-021-01144-x |
2022-10-01 | A recent discovery of high-performance Mg 3 Sb 2 has ignited tremendous research activities in searching for novel Zintl-phase compounds as promising thermoelectric materials. Herein, a series of planar Zintl-phase XCuSb (X = Ca, Sr, Ba) thermoelectric materials are developed by vacuum induction melting. All these compounds exhibit high carrier mobilities and intrinsic low lattice thermal conductivities (below 1 W·m −1 ·K −1 at 1010 K), resulting in peak p-type zT values of 0.14, 0.30, and 0.48 for CaCuSb, SrCuSb, and BaCuSb, respectively. By using BaCuSb as a prototypical example, the origins of low lattice thermal conductivity are attributed to the strong interlayer vibrational anharmonicity of Cu—Sb honeycomb sublattice. Moreover, the first-principles calculations reveal that n-type BaCuSb can achieve superior thermoelectric performance with the peak zT beyond 1.1 because of larger conducting band degeneracy. This work sheds light on the high-temperature thermoelectric potential of planar Zintl compounds, thereby stimulating intense interest in the investigation of this unexplored material family for higher zT values. | Planar Zintl-phase high-temperature thermoelectric materials XCuSb (X = Ca, Sr, Ba) with low lattice thermal conductivity | 10.1007/s40145-022-0634-y |
2022-10-01 | In this paper, design and development of an energy-efficient oil-fired tilting furnace with an innovative recuperator are reported. During the melting of metals, it is reported that around 50% of the total energy is lost in flue gases. Therefore, there is always a need to improve upon the efficiency of the furnaces. The design of the recuperator is based upon the application of all the three basic modes of heat transfer to preheat the incoming air. Financial and environmental aspects were also evaluated after upgradation with the recuperator. The internal hollow pipe of the proposed recuperator is so designed that at its exterior cylindrical surface, multiple turns of a guide way are welded in a spiral fashion. This increases the heat transfer between the flue gas and ambient air to the burner. The study shows that the efficiency of the oil-fired tilting furnace got enhanced by 50% after implementing the proposed recuperator. Specific fuel consumption without the recuperator was 0.166 kg/kWh, which was reduced to 0.138 kg /kWh with the recuperator. The principle of increasing thermal efficiency and limiting fuel consumption was based on heat recovery from the combustion products to preheat the cold incoming fuel mixture. Therefore, this study focuses on the relations between combustion and heat exchanges on a large scale. The exergy evaluation technique was used constructively to estimate the furnace’s efficiency since the exergy efficiency is an additional sustainable appraisal in real situations. A channel for flue gases is provided in the developed furnace, which helps to divert hazardous gases away from the working environment. | Design and Development of an Energy-Efficient Oil-Fired Tilting Furnace with an Innovative Recuperator | 10.1007/s40962-021-00713-5 |
2022-10-01 | Reducing pollution and carbon emissions is an important step toward peaking CO 2 emissions before 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality before 2060, and heavy diesel vehicle pollution, particularly nitrogen oxides (NO x ) emissions, is an essential part. Cu-SAPO-34 is a CHA-type small pore molecular sieve with excellent ammonia (NH 3 ) selective catalytic reduction (NH 3 -SCR) catalytic activity, but it cannot be stored or applied because of severe degradation caused by low-temperature hydrothermal aging. To improve the hydrothermal stability, TiO 2 was coated on the surface of Cu-SAPO-34 by the ALD method to form a uniform nanolayer. Though this ultrathin TiO 2 nanolayer has little effect on NH 3 -SCR catalytic activity of Cu-SAPO-34, the resistance to low-temperature hydrothermal aging in liquid water at 80°C for 24 h has greatly been improved. A study carried out by SEM, XRD, NH 3 -TPD, and EPR, showed that the ultra-thin TiO 2 nanolayers were covered uniformly and hydrolysis of frameworks silicon and the migration of Cu 2+ was retarded. This method has some implications for the future preparation of highly robust Cu-SAPO-34 catalysts for industrial applications. This research could inspire the development of highly robust Cu-SAPO-34 catalysts to control the NO x emissions from diesel engines. | Enhanced hydrothermal stability of Cu-SAPO-34 with an ultrathin TiO2 coated by atomic layer deposition for NH3-SCR | 10.1007/s11431-022-2149-0 |
2022-10-01 | Starting with the stoichiometric and highly homogeneous gel-precursor, single-phase metastable melilite La 2 Ga 3 O 7.5 , as the end-member of solid solution La 1+ x Sr 1− x Ga 3 O 7+ x /2 (0≼ x ≼1), has been synthesized by solid-state reaction at 700 °C for 2 h via a kinetically favorable mechanism and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), AC impedance spectroscopy, etc. It has been revealed that the as-synthesized melilite La 2 Ga 3 O 7.5 shows an orthorhombic symmetry with crystal cell parameters a = 11.4690(1) Å, b = 11.2825(4) Å, and c = 10.3735(4) Å, while has more Raman active modes than LaSrGa 3 O 7 with a tetragonal structure, which was also synthesized under the same conditions for comparison, but tends to slowly decompose into perovskite LaGaO 3 and Ga 2 O 3 when annealed at 700 °C for over 20 h driven by its meta-stability. Moreover, the metastable La 2 Ga 3 O 7.5 shows a higher XPS binding energy for the excess oxide ions in the crystal structure than those at normal lattice sites. Its intrinsic grain oxide ion conductivity can reach as high as 0.04 and 0.51 mS·cm −1 at 550 and 700 °C, respectively, characterized by a simple Arrhenius relationship ln( σT )—1/ T with invariable activation energy, E a = 1.22 eV, over the temperature range from 300 to 700 °C, along with an apparent grain boundary conductivity that is about double that from the grains thanks to the clean grain boundaries. This paper provides a new strategic approach to the synthesis of complex oxides that may be of high performance but are difficultly achieved by the conventional ceramic method at high temperatures. | Sol—gel approach to low-temperature synthesis of single-phase metastable La2Ga3O7.5 melilite with enhanced grain-boundary oxide ionic conductivity via a kinetically favorable mechanism | 10.1007/s40145-022-0635-x |
2022-10-01 | The physical properties and device electrical properties of superlattice-like C/Sb phase change films are investigated. Compared with Sb monolayer films, the superlattice-like C/Sb films have preferable thermal stability, including higher crystallization temperature, longer data life, and larger crystallization activation energy. As the thickness of the carbon layer increases, the band gap gradually increases. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that C-Sb bonds exist in the C/Sb superlattice-like films. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscope results show that the addition of carbon inhibits the grain growth, making the grain size smaller and inhibiting the crystallization of Sb materials. Phase-change memory devices based on [C(6nm)/Sb(4nm)] 8 superlattice-like films have smaller threshold voltages and lower power consumption compared to Sb films. In conclusion, C/Sb superlattice-like films have high thermal stability and low power consumption. | C/Sb Superlattice-Like Films with High Thermal Stability and Low Power Consumption for Phase-Change Memory | 10.1007/s11664-022-09797-z |
2022-10-01 | Abstract The results of investigations of the treatment conditions influence on the regularities of structural-phase transformations, microstructure, and mechanical properties of heat-resistant low-activation 12% chromium ferritic-martensitic steel EK-181 are summarized. The physical factors responsible for increasing the yield strength of steel and the relationship of microstructure features to strength and plastic properties are revealed. The regularities of plastic deformation of steel are established. The modes of step-by-step heat treatment (SHT) and high-temperature thermomechanical treatment (HTMT) are presented, which lead to formation of structural states with high values of dispersion and volume fraction of nanoscale particles V(C, N), dislocation density, and internal stresses. These modes provide a significant (by ≈20%) increase in strength properties of steel in a wide temperature range (from –196 to 800°C), while maintaining a sufficient reserve of plasticity and increasing its thermal stability compared with the traditional heat treatment mode (THT). | Microstructure, Structural-Phase Transformations, and Mechanical Properties of Low-Activation 12% Chromium Ferritic-Martensitic Steel EK-181 Depending on the Treatment Conditions | 10.1134/S2075113322050355 |
2022-10-01 | Isothermal low-cycle fatigue (LCF) tests on heat-resistant QTRSi4Mo1 cast iron were carried out at 500 and 760 °C. The results showed that the cast iron exhibited initial cyclic hardening followed by saturation at 500 °C, while gradual cyclic softening occurred at 760 °C due to a more pronounced creep effect. A unified viscoplastic-damage constitutive model incorporating two nonlinear and one linear strain range-dependent drag stress components was developed to model the distinct strain range-dependent deformation behaviors. The piecewise damage evolution law was introduced to reflect the slow linear and rapid nonlinear evolution characteristics during damage development. Furthermore, the parameter identification approach for the unified viscoplastic-damage model was proposed, including the initial estimates combined with the genetic algorithm-based global optimization procedure. The results showed that the proposed viscoplastic-damage model can simulate the cyclic deformation behaviors and predict the LCF failure life of heat-resistant QTRSi4Mo1 cast iron. | Study of High-Temperature Low-Cycle Fatigue Behavior and a Unified Viscoplastic-Damage Model for Heat-Resistant Cast Iron | 10.1007/s11665-022-06803-7 |
2022-10-01 | Printed and flexible electronics is rapidly developing to cater the large demands of wearable and consumer electronic needs. However, among the wide variety of printed electronic and energy storage/energy conversion devices, only conductive inks, sensors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have achieved commercial success. Notably, the printable conducting inks are not only essential for the passive components in electronic devices; their widespread use covers electrical interconnects, transparent touch sensors, heaters, antistatic coating, antenna etc. Further to ascertain flexibility and commercial relevance, it is important to be able to print devices onto inexpensive substrates; the most preferred choice of substrates would, therefore, be paper or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are widely used in consumer products and in packaging industries. However, this requires stringent process temperature control (≤ 120 °C). Worldwide extensive research on inkjet printable conductive silver inks has resulted in large variety of inks, nevertheless, there are not many choices for such low-temperature curing conditions. Here we demonstrate a precisely controlled synthesis of a polymer ligand stabilized mixed-phase Ag–Ag 2 O nanoparticles, where each individual particle has a protective shell, hence, offering an excellent shelf life. Furthermore, the synthesised nanoink in a suitable solvent allows the Ag 2 O phase to convert to silver at a temperature as low as 80 °C. Meanwhile, the large volume change associated with the Ag 2 O to Ag conversion ensures removal of the stabilizing ligands from the particle surface and offers resistivity of 4.5 × 10 –4 Ω cm and 3.3 × 10 –5 Ω cm, when annealed at 80 °C and 120 °C, respectively. In this work, the Ag 2 O–Ag mixed-phase nanoink has been inkjet-printed onto standard photo-paper and typical bending-fatigue tests have demonstrated excellent strain tolerance up to 4% and for 10 4 cycles. | Inkjet-printable and low-temperature curable Ag–Ag2O mixed-phase conductive nanoink for flexible electronic applications | 10.1007/s13204-022-02602-7 |
2022-10-01 | Manganese-rich slag is a raw material for smelting silicon–manganese alloys using an electric furnace. The blast furnace method is the main method for smelting manganese-rich slag. This method has the problems of a long process, large coke consumption, and easy volatilization of metals such as lead and zinc, which affects smelting safety. A new technology for smelting manganese-rich slag with low-manganese high-iron ore by smelting reduction optimization was proposed. This technology has the advantages of a short process, low energy consumption, low carbon emissions, and comprehensive recycling of lead, zinc, and other metals. According to the chemical composition, X-ray diffraction analysis, and particle size analysis of Cote d’Ivoire low-manganese ore, an experiment was carried out on manganese-rich slag by reduction–smelting separation. Combined with the design scheme of the Box–Behnken principle, three experimental factors (temperature, basicity, and carbon content) were selected as the influences to study. The influence that each factor has on the recovery rate of manganese was studied by response surface methodology, and the experimental factors were optimized. The results show that under the conditions of a reduction-smelting temperature of 1402 °C, basicity of R = 0.10, and carbon content of 10 mass%, the recovery rate of manganese is 97%. A verification experiment was carried out under the optimal conditions, and the error was only 1.24%; this proves that the response surface method prediction model is reliable and accurate. This is of great significance for the comprehensive utilization of lean-manganese ore resources. | Optimization of manganese-rich slag extraction from low-manganese ore smelting by response surface methodology | 10.1007/s42243-022-00781-9 |
2022-10-01 | Frequent extreme weather incidents can seriously affect the growth and yield of sugar beet. In this study, a simple solution was explored to alleviate the damage from short-term low-temperature stress to sugar beet seedlings. The growth status and physiological indices of sugar beet were examined using an artificial climate chamber simulating short-time low-temperature adversity with 4 temperature gradients − 3, − 4, − 5, and − 6 °C under two treatments of bare and covering soil. The results showed that compared with the bare state, soil covering significantly decreased the frost damage to seedlings and increasing survival rate by 30.8, 92.8, and 63.8% at − 4, − 5, and − 6 °C, respectively. Also, at − 3 and − 4 °C, soil covering significantly improved the root activity, effectively reduced damage to the leaf cell membrane, reduced proline (Pro) and soluble protein (SP) contents, and decreased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzymes. Results suggested that soil covering alleviated the cold stress. Notably, the short-term low temperature of above − 3 °C for 3 h did not significantly affect the survival rate of sugar beet seedlings in the bare state, while all the seedlings died below − 5 °C in 3 h. However, soil covering improved the short-time freezing resistance of sugar beet seedlings. Our study showed a remarkable impact of soil covering on alleviation of low-temperature freezing damage and can promote sugar beet yield. | Effects of Soil Covering on Growth and Physio-Biochemical Indices of Sugar Beet Seedlings Under Short-Term Low-Temperature Stress | 10.1007/s12355-021-01089-w |
2022-10-01 | Aristino-Traianoupolis area hosts one of the most significant water-dominated low-temperature geothermal fields in Greece. It is located on the southwestern uplifted margin of the Tertiary Evros Delta molassic basin, 10 km east of the town of Alexandroupolis (Thrace, NE Greece). The upper hydrothermal system of the Aristino Geothermal Field (AGF), one of the most promising in continental Greece, contains fluids with temperatures ranging from 51 to 99 °C, within a series of overlapping aquifers at very low depths (100–430 m). The main geothermal anomaly for temperatures higher than 90 °C covers an area of 6 km 2 , to a maximum prospected depth of 500 m below ground surface. The scattered regional anomaly exceeds 50 km 2 and is characterized by excessively high and abruptly changing thermal gradient (42 to 450 °C/km) and heat flow (80–800 mW/m 2 ), that are both typical of a fault-controlled hydrothermal system. Since 1993, the AGF has undergone non-systematic geothermal investigation, with emphasis on low-depth (100–500 m) drilling. This paper provides, for the first time, a synthetic and detailed evaluation of all available temperature data gathered in the last 25 years. The steady-state temperature logs reveal the dominant role of conduction for the upper geothermal system, accompanied, in most cases, by rapidly changing and abnormally high thermal gradients (100–450 °C/km), triggered, most probably, by a deeper system of higher temperature. This hypothesis is also supported by the applied chemical geothermometers, which suggest initial fluid temperatures at 140–150 °C, the hydrochemical characteristics of the fluids hosted in the deeper and most promising investigated reservoir (ignimbrite) of the upper system, and the extrapolated temperatures from the conductive temperature–depth profiles. The lower widespread medium enthalpy hydrothermal system should extend at depths 500–1000 m within volcanics and the expected Eocene limestones and basal clastic series of the Tertiary sequence that have filled the basin. Nevertheless, these assumptions need to be verified by appropriate investigations and new drillings at depths greater than 600–700 m, which would confirm the presence of a productive medium enthalpy reservoir. | Geothermal resources assessment using temperature–depth relationships in the fault-controlled hydrothermal system of Aristino-Traianoupolis area, Northern Greece | 10.1186/s40517-022-00232-4 |
2022-10-01 | The study of commercial low-density polyethylenes (LDPEs) has always focused on the effects of the molecular architecture of the polymer on its shear and extensional rheological properties due to their direct influence on manufacturability. However, the complex morphology of industrial-grade LDPEs also affects the crystallization kinetics and dynamic mechanical properties of the polymers, which are key to the processibility and applications. Therefore, a comprehensive investigation was conducted into the areas of crystallization kinetics, crystallinity, dynamic mechanical, and linear and non-linear shear rheological properties of two industrial-grade LDPEs to build a cohesive insight into the influence of morphology on these material properties. We further analyzed the steady-state and transient shear viscosity data obtained from the two LDPEs in comparison with constitutive model predictions using the hierarchical multi-mode molecular stress function (HMMSF) and found excellent agreement within experimental accuracy between predictions by the HMMSF model and shear stress as well as normal stress data of the LDPEs investigated. | Characterization of industrial low-density polyethylene: a thermal, dynamic mechanical, and rheological investigation | 10.1007/s00397-022-01360-1 |
2022-10-01 | The world is conscious about contribution to global warming from refrigeration and air-conditioning sector. A search is ongoing for energy-efficient refrigeration systems and environment-friendly refrigerants. Cascade refrigeration system (CRS) has been recognized as a prospective technology to improve energy efficiency while meeting multi-target temperatures. This study investigates various environment-friendly refrigerants for seafood processing and storage application having multi-target temperature in a warm climate. Fourteen potential low GWP pure fluids and one popularly used blend are identified as refrigerants based on literature survey. Out of these, six refrigerants (R41, R170, R1270, R404A, CO 2 , and N 2 O) were earmarked for the low-temperature circuit and ten (R152a, R161, RE170, R290, R1270, R1225ye(Z), R1234yf, R1234ze(E), R1243zf, and NH 3 ) for the high-temperature circuit of the CRS. Suitable modelling and simulation techniques were employed to investigate the performance parameters namely COP, annual energy consumption, total equivalent warming impact, compressor volumetric displacement, compressor discharge temperature, and compression ratio. The refrigerant pair RE170-R1270 showed the best overall COP and also the lowest total equivalent CO 2 emission for the application. NH 3 -CO 2 , the most studied refrigerant pair in literature, showed marginally lower COP; however, it has the lowest compressor volumetric displacement leading to a compact system with the minimum refrigerant charge. NH 3 exhibited a higher compressor discharge temperature in all CRS, which can provide an opportunity for heat recovery. The study is expected to help the policy makers to frame regulations to encourage the use of sustainable refrigerants in the near future. | Comparative investigation of low GWP pure fluids as potential refrigerant options for a cascade system in seafood application | 10.1007/s11027-022-10036-3 |
2022-10-01 | In China, the exploration and development of low-rank coalbed methane (CBM) resources are in the early stage, and in-situ pyrolysis is an effective technology for mining of low-rank CBM resources. In this paper, N 2 adsorption method and high-pressure mercury injection test were used to study the pore structure characteristics of coal samples by water vapor injection, and the pore size boundaries of the two test methods were determined. From the continuous pore space distribution model, Frenkel–Halsey–Hill model, Menger sponge model, a new method of pore size classification is proposed: (I) (> 10,000 nm), (II) (1000–10,000 nm), (III) (100–1000 nm), (IV) ( x (pore diameter boundary)–100 nm), (V) (10– x nm), (VI) (< 10 nm). The results were not inconsistent with the Hodot classification method, indicating that the new pore classification scheme is reliable. Meanwhile, the relationship between pyrolysis temperature and matrix compressibility is discussed, and it was found that transition pores had a significant effect on matrix compressibility. Pyrolysis weakened the connection between coal particles, improved the development of porosity, and led to high matrix compressibility. Furthermore, when pyrolysis temperature was < 400 °C and matrix compression effect was dominant, poor pore connectivity resulted in a low level of matrix compressibility; when pyrolysis temperature was > 500 °C and pore filling effect was dominant, high level of matrix compressibility was promoted. | Characterization of Coal Pore Structure and Matrix Compressibility by Water Vapor Injection | 10.1007/s11053-022-10109-9 |
2022-10-01 | In order to explore the thermal runaway (TR) law of overcharged lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in aviation environment, the effects of air pressure on the TR behavior of overcharged pouch LIBs with different charge–discharge rates are investigated. The results show that the increase of charge–discharge rate leads to the advance of TR time, the increase of flame temperature and heat release rate. Compared to 95 kPa, the cells exhibit delayed TR time, lower flame temperature, heat release rate and gas content at 30 kPa. For batteries with overcharge rate of 1 C and 2 C, there is no smoke phenomenon during the heating process due to the consumption of the electrolytes. The electrochemical testing and structure changes results indicate that the damage of the anode and cathode materials, and the side reactions between the electrolytes and lithium are the main factors for the degradation of the thermal safety of the LIBs. | The influence of overcharge and discharge rate on the thermal safety performance of lithium-ion battery under low air pressure | 10.1007/s11581-022-04720-2 |
2022-10-01 | A new high-performance inverted-T shaped 14 nm heterojunction FinFETs has been proposed that originate from the rectangular fin structures. The rationale for proposing this topology is to enable the integration of millions of transistors on integrated circuits (ICs), which can then be used in advanced processors from major semiconductor companies. This paper proposed 14-nm heterojunction FinFET of inverted-T shaped fin and its comparative simulation analysis done with the previous rectangular and rectzoidal shaped FinFET in terms of various parameters i.e. on current, off current, on/off ratio, subthreshold swing, DIBL and fin footprint. Process variation is also done on the proposed 14-nm heterojunction FinFET of inverted T shaped fin on various parameters i.e. fin material,fin width, Ge mole fraction in Si 1-x Ge x , temperature and doping. The proposed design shows the higher on (I on ) current (11.05x10 −6 A), higher (I on /I off ) current ratio (3.25 x10 13 ) and minimum value of off current (3.40x10 −19 A) with the minimum value of the subthreshold swing (56.83 mV/dec) and minimum value of DIBL (26.3 mV/V) which is better than the rectangular and rectzoidal fin structure based FinFET. A comparative analysis is also shown for proposed designs of 14 nm inverted-T FinFET with the use of Si and SiGe materials alternatively for source and fin regions to evaluate for transistor on-off performances. | Impact & Analysis of Inverted-T shaped Fin on the Performance parameters of 14-nm heterojunction FinFET | 10.1007/s12633-022-01708-5 |
2022-10-01 | In this study, we examined the relationships between extremes of low temperatures and chickpea yield in 12 field experiments conducted at six sites in the subtropical environment of southeast Queensland (SEQ) from 2014 to 2019. Three commercial chickpea cultivars, PBA-Boundary, PBA-HatTrick and PBA-Seamer, were grown in all the experiments. Cultivars PBA-Pistol, PBA-Monarch and Kyabra were also included in three of these experiments conducted in 2015. In these experiments, the crop experienced a total of 8 to 41 frosts (minimum temperature < = 0 °C), 2 to 41 pre-flowering frosts, 2 to 19 frosts during the critical period, 0 to 13 frosts and 2 to 71 low-temperature days (< = 15 °C) after flowering. The mean yield, which varied from 1 to 3 t/ha, was negatively related to post-flowering frosts ( r = − 0.74, p < 0.01) and low-temperature days ( r = − 0.76, p < 0.01), and positively related to pre-flowering frosts ( r = 0.67, p < 0.05). Each post-flowering frost was associated with a 5% decrease and a low-temperature day with a 1% decrease in yield. The cultivar × site interaction was significant only in the three experiments with six commercial cultivars. This interaction was most likely due to an increase in the sensitivity range with additional cultivars, as indicated by frost damage scores and their relationships with yield. The results imply that extreme low-temperature events after flowering could negatively impact chickpea yield in SEQ and similar subtropical environments. Overcoming these effects through management and breeding should increase and stabilise chickpea yield. | Relationships of frequencies of extreme low temperatures with grain yield of some Australian commercial chickpea cultivars | 10.1007/s00484-022-02344-9 |
2022-10-01 | Abstract This work shows the possibility of synthesizing mullite-containing ceramics from an aluminosilicate melt obtained on the basis of boehmite (Al 2 O 3 ·H 2 O) and kaolin (Al 2 O 3 ·2SiO 2 ·2H 2 O) under conditions of thermal plasma energy. The morphology, phase, and chemical composition of the resulting mullite-containing ceramics have been studied by X-ray phase analysis and optical and scanning electron microscopy. It is established that the melting products are characterized by filamentous-acicular form of mullite crystals (3Al 2 O 3 ·2SiO 2 ), while, on the surface during cooling of the melt, centers of recrystallization of secondary mullite are formed that penetrate sections of the glassy phase region, in which the Si–O bonds in the silicon-oxygen tetrahedra of the amorphous phase are similar to the α-SiO 2 bonds. | Synthesis of Mullite-Containing Ceramics in a Low-Temperature Plasma | 10.1134/S1087659622600284 |
2022-10-01 | Abstract The possibilities of achieving a low carbon content (less than 0.002%) under the conditions of converter production of cold-rolled non grain-oriented electrical steel of the 4th alloy steel group (Si > 2.9% and Al > 1.0%) are studied. With the results of the analysis of the change in the carbon content after decarburization on the circulation degassing plant of the converter shop no. 1 (CDP CS-1), laboratory studies and theoretical calculations are presented. The possibility of achieving a carbon content of less than 0.002% wt. after decarburization in the CDP CS-1 is confirmed. The main technological factors influencing the carbon content in the entire technological chain of production in the NLMK’s CS-1 is determined. | Improvement of Converter Steelmaking of Cold-Rolled Non Grain-Oriented Electrical Low Carbon Steel. Report 1 | 10.3103/S0967091222100035 |
2022-10-01 | The Satellite for Orbital Aerodynamics Research (SOAR) is a 3U CubeSat mission that aims to investigate the gas–surface interactions (GSIs) of different materials in the very low Earth orbit environment (VLEO), i.e. below 450 km. Improving the understanding of these interactions is critical for the development of satellites that can operate sustainably at these lower orbital altitudes, with particular application to future Earth observation and communications missions. SOAR has been designed to perform the characterisation of the aerodynamic coefficients of four different materials at different angles of incidence with respect to the flow and at different altitudes in the VLEO altitude range. Two conventional and erosion-resistant materials (borosilicate glass and sputter-coated gold) have first been selected to support the validation of the ground-based Rarefied Orbital Aerodynamics Research (ROAR) facility. Two further, novel materials have been selected for their potential to reduce the drag experienced in orbit whilst also remaining resistant to the detrimental effects of atomic oxygen erosion in VLEO. In this paper, the uncertainty associated with the experimental method for determining the aerodynamic coefficients of satellite with different configurations of the test materials from on-orbit data is estimated for different assumed gas–surface interaction properties. The presented results indicate that for reducing surface accommodation coefficients the experimental uncertainty on the drag coefficient determination generally increases, a result of increased aerodynamic attitude perturbations. This effect is also exacerbated by the high atmospheric density at low orbital altitude (i.e. 200 km), resulting in high experimental uncertainty. Co-rotated steerable fin configurations are shown to provide generally lower experimental uncertainty than counter-rotated configurations, with the lowest uncertainties expected in the mid-VLEO altitudes ( $$\sim$$ ∼ 300 km). For drag coefficient experiments, configurations with two fins oriented at 90 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ were found to allow the best differentiation between surfaces with different GSI performance. In comparison, the determination of the lift coefficient is found to be improve as the altitude is reduced from 400 to 200 km. These experiments were also found to show the best expected performance in determining the GSI properties of different materials. SOAR was deployed into an orbit of 421 km $$\times$$ × 415 km with 51.6 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ inclination on 14 June 2021. This orbit will naturally decay allowing access to different altitudes over the lifetime of the mission. The results presented in this paper will be used to plan the experimental schedule for this mission and to maximise the scientific output. | A method for the experimental characterisation of novel drag-reducing materials for very low Earth orbits using the Satellite for Orbital Aerodynamics Research (SOAR) mission | 10.1007/s12567-022-00434-3 |
2022-10-01 | Background In nuclear fuel plates of low-enriched U-10Mo (LEU) clad with aluminum by hot isostatic pressing (HIP), post-irradiation stresses arising during reactor shutdown are a major concern for safe reactor operations. Measurement of those residual stresses has not previously been possible because the high radioactivity of the plates requires handling only by remote manipulation in a hot cell. Objective The incremental slitting method for measuring through-thickness stress profiles was modified, and a system for automated, remote operation was built and tested. Methods Experimental modifications consisted of replacing electric-discharge machining (EDM) with a small end mill and strain-gauge measurements with cantilever displacement measurements. The inverse method used to calculate stresses was the pulse-regularization method modified to allow discontinuities across material interfaces. The new system was validated by comparing with conventional slitting on a depleted U-10Mo (DU) fuel plate. Results The new system was applied to two measurements each on six as-fabricated (pre-irradiation) LEU miniature fuel plates. Variations between the measurements at two locations in the same plate were strongly correlated with measured geometrical heterogeneity in the plate—a tilt in the fuel foil. Compressive stresses in the U-10Mo were shown to increase from 20 to 250 MPa as the ratio of aluminum thickness to U-10Mo thickness increased causing increased constraint during cooling. Faster cooling rates during processing also increased stress magnitudes. Conclusions The measurements trends agreed with data in the literature from similar plates made with DU, which further validates the method. Because other methods are impractical in a hot cell, the modified slitting method is now poised for the first measurements of post-irradiation stresses. | Residual Stress Measurements in Extreme Environments for Hazardous, Layered Specimens | 10.1007/s11340-021-00816-4 |
2022-10-01 | Due to the relatively high density of conventional non-sintered lightweight aggregate(NLA), a low-density core-shell NLA(CNLA) was developed. Moreover, two types of porous lightweight aggregate concrete (PLAC) for wallboard were designed, using both foam and lightweight aggregates. The effects of LA on lightweight concrete workability, compressive strength, dry shrinkage, and thermal conductivity were studied and compared. The bulk density of CNLA can be lowered to 500 kg/m 3 , and its cylinder crushing strength is 1.6 MPa. PLACs also have compressive strengths ranging from 7.8 to 11.8 MPa, as well as thermal conductivity coefficients ranging from 0.193 to 0.219 W/(m·K −1 ). The CNLA bonds better to the paste matrix at the interface transition zone, and CNLA concrete has a superior pore structure than SLA concrete, resulting in a 20% improvement in fluidity, a 10% increase in strength, a 6% reduction in heat conductivity, and an 11% decrease in drying shrinkage. | Preparation of Novel Core-shell Non-sintered Lightweight Aggregate and Its Application in Wallboard for Better Properties | 10.1007/s11595-022-2605-0 |
2022-10-01 | The possibility of efficiently exploiting Very Low Earth orbits (VLEO) poses significant technological challenges. One of the most demanding constraints is the need to counteract the drag generated by the interaction of the spacecraft with the surrounding atmosphere. Funded by the European Commission under the H2020 programme, the Air-breathing Electric THrustER (AETHER) project aims at developing the first propulsion system able to maintain a spacecraft at very-low altitudes for an extended time. The main objective of the project is to demonstrate, in a relevant environment, the critical functions of an air-breathing electric propulsion system, and its effectiveness in compensating atmospheric drag. This achievement will involve multiple research activities, among which: (i) the characterization of specific application cases through an extensive market analysis in order to define specific requirements and constraints at different design levels, (ii) fulfilment of pertinent testing conditions of flight conditions on-ground, relevant to the specific mission cases, (iii) the development of critical technologies, in particular those relevant to the collection, the ionization and the acceleration of rarefied atmospheric mixtures and (iv) the testing of the RAM-EP thruster to assess the system performance. In this paper, the main activities foreseen in the AETHER project are described, providing the detailed perspective towards an effective exploitation of the project outcomes for a possible future in-orbit demonstration. | The AETHER project: development of air-breathing electric propulsion for VLEO missions | 10.1007/s12567-022-00442-3 |
2022-10-01 | Abstract Modern civilization, providing economic and social progress, at the same time objectively creates—sometimes close to ideal—conditions for the spread of various infections. The catastrophic consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic clearly indicate that homo sapiens appeared to be unable to effectively resist the onslaught of the coronavirus. The purpose of this publication is an attempt to fill the gap in the development of effective methods and means for microbiological decontamination that are optimal in terms of critical parameters. The observational data indicate that a significant number of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infections occur by air without a direct contact with the source, including over a long time interval. Precipitation helps to cleanse the air from pollutants and viruses, reducing noncontact contamination, which additionally brings up to date the problem of optimal microbiological decontamination of the air environment and surfaces. A thermodynamic approach has been used to optimize microbiological sterilization. It is shown that irreversible chemical oxidation reactions are the shortest way to achieve sterility, and they are capable of providing high reliability of decontamination. It has been established that oxygen is an optimal oxidant, including from the point of view of ecology, since its reactive forms harmoniously fit into natural exchange cycles. The optimal method for obtaining reactive oxygen species for disinfection is the use of low-temperature (“cold”) plasma, which provides the energy-efficient generation of oxidative reactive forms: atomic oxygen (O), ozone (O 3 ), hydroxyl radical ( • OH), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), superoxide ( $${\text{O}}_{2}^{ - }$$ ), and singlet oxygen O 2 ( a 1 Δ g ). Due to a short lifetime for most of the above forms outside the plasma applicator, objects remote from the plasma generator should be sterilized with ozone (O 3 ), the minimum lifetime of which is quite long. It has been substantiated that the microwave method of generating oxygen plasma is optimal for energy-efficient ozone production. A modular principle of generation is proposed for varying the productivity of ozone-generating units over a wide range. The module has been developed on the basis of an adapted serial microwave oven, in which a non-self-sustaining microwave discharge is maintained thanks to ionizers (igniters), including those based on radiating radionuclides-emitters. In case of massive contamination of surfaces, it is advisable—in addition to ozone (O 3 ) air disinfecting—to use aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). It is essential that these reactive oxygen species for disinfecting objects remote from the plasma generator are highly efficient and, at the same time, environmentally neutral. Reliable and affordable personal protective equipment is proposed for activities in zones of increased ozone concentration. The considered optimal means of disinfection can be applicable not only in medicine but also adapted for numerous practices in agriculture, industry, and everyday life. | On the Problem of Optimal Microbiological Decontamination of Air Environment and Surfaces | 10.3103/S1068375522050039 |
2022-10-01 | The Li 2 O-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 (LAS) glass-ceramics with low lithium content were prepared from spodumene mineral by melting method. XRD, DSC, and FTIR were used to study the crystallization process and structure of the samples. The results showed that the addition of Na 2 O promoted the precipitation of β -quartz solid solution and its transformation to β -spodumene solid solution. Mechanical performance tests and FESEM indicated that the larger grain size and inhomogeneous grain dispersion caused by the increase of Na 2 O content led to lower mechanical properties. In addition, low expansion glass-ceramics were prepared by an appropriate heat treatment according to DSC result, and when Na 2 O content was in the range of 1.22 wt% to 2.41 wt%, the average coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) (30–300 °C) increased from −5.810×10 −7 to 5.322×10 −7 °C −1 . | Effect of Na2O Content on the Structure and Properties of LAS Glass-ceramics Prepared by Spodumene | 10.1007/s11595-022-2598-8 |
2022-10-01 | Forest fires are key ecosystem modifiers affecting the biological, chemical, and physical attributes of forest soils. The extent of soil disturbance by fire is largely dependent on fire intensity, duration and recurrence, fuel load, and soil characteristics. The impact on soil properties is intricate, yielding different results based on these factors. This paper reviews research investigating the effects of wildfire and prescribed fire on the biological and physico-chemical attributes of forest soils and provides a summary of current knowledge associated with the benefits and disadvantages of such fires. Low-intensity fires with ash deposition on soil surfaces cause changes in soil chemistry, including increase in available nutrients and pH. High intensity fires are noted for the complete combustion of organic matter and result in severe negative impacts on forest soils. High intensity fires result in nutrient volatilization, the break down in soil aggregate stability, an increase soil bulk density, an increase in the hydrophobicity of soil particles leading to decreased water infiltration with increased erosion and destroy soil biota. High soil heating (> 120 °C) from high-intensity forest fires is detrimental to the soil ecosystem, especially its physical and biological properties. In this regard, the use of prescribed burning as a management tool to reduce the fuel load is highly recommended due to its low intensity and limited soil heating. Furthermore, the use of prescribed fires to manage fuel loads is critically needed in the light of current global warming as it will help prevent increased wildfire incidences. This review provides information on the impact of forest fires on soil properties, a key feature in the maintenance of healthy ecosystems. In addition, the review should prompt comprehensive soil and forest management regimes to limit soil disturbance and restore fire-disturbed soil ecosystems. | A review of the effects of forest fire on soil properties | 10.1007/s11676-022-01475-4 |
2022-10-01 | A novel rapid pyrolysis method at 5 Pa with argon as background gas was proposed to prepare YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) films by non-fluorine metal organic solution deposition (MOD). The YBCO sol–gel films were pyrolyzed about 29 min, warm up from 20 to 600 ℃, which is less than the one-twentieth of conventional pyrolysis time for non-fluorine MOD processing. The influence of the low-vacuum and the rapid decomposition on the microstructures of YBCO precursor films were investigated, while the high-temperature firing process was further optimized for epitaxially grown YBCO films. The results show that most of the defects generated in the low-vacuum processing can be eliminated nearly by increasing firing time up to 60 min, and finally the textured YBCO films with denser and smoother morphologies were obtained. The results of both Raman and X-ray spectra show that the c -axis growth is superior to the a -axis growth, leading to a better critical current density J c of 1.3 MA/cm 2 (77 K, self-field). | A Novel Rapid Pyrolysis of Non-fluorine MOD-Derived YBCO Thin Films | 10.1007/s10948-022-06323-4 |
2022-10-01 | The importance of equipment technology for semiconductor mass production is growing as well as the exponential increase in demand for semiconductors. A study was conducted to improve the flow condition of a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) batch-type furnace. Convergent nozzle (C) and divergent nozzle (D) have been adopted to replace the current straight (ST) multi-nozzle system, which was analyzed hydrodynamically without considering the surface chemical reaction. From the result, the D nozzle was not suitable for application due to induced flow oscillation. The flow velocity on the edge of the wafer increased 3.03 % for the C nozzle. In addition, the mass flux was enhanced up to 3 times and the mass flow rate 11.49 % at 3 sections. Therefore, it was expected that the deposition performance of the LPCVD furnace would be improved by the enhanced convective flow when the C nozzle was applied to the multi-nozzle system. | Numerical analysis of nozzle shape effect on fluid motion in LPCVD batch-type furnace | 10.1007/s12206-022-0921-0 |
2022-10-01 | Phase equilibria in sections of the calcium-nitrate–glycerol–water system at temperatures from 0 to –47°C are studied by visual polythermal analysis. The ratio of calcium nitrate and glycerol in the sections varies from 3 : 1 to 1 : 3. It is found that all nitrate–glycerol compositions are characterized by good ice-melting capacity and form low-temperature eutectics. These compositions are promising for the development of new anti-icing agents on their basis. | Phase Equilibria in Sections of the Calcium-Nitrate–Glycerol–Water System at Temperatures from 0 to –47°C | 10.1134/S0040579522050050 |
2022-10-01 | Worldwide Low Impact Developments (LIDs) are used for sustainable stormwater management; however, both the stormwater and LIDs carry microbial pathogens. The widespread development of LIDs is likely to increase human exposure to pathogens and risk of infection, leading to unexpected disease outbreaks in urban communities. The risk of infection from exposure to LIDs has been assessed via Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) during the operation of these infrastructures; no effort is made to evaluate these risks during the planning phase of LID treatment train in urban communities. We developed a new integrated “Regression-QMRA method” by examining the relationship between pathogens’ concentration and environmental variables. Applying of this methodology to a planned LID train shows that the predicted disease burden of diarrhea from Campylobacter is highest (i.e. 16.902 DALYs/1000 persons/yr) during landscape irrigation and playing on the LID train, followed by Giardia, Cryptosporidium , and Norovirus. These results illustrate that the risk of microbial infection can be predicted during the planning phase of LID treatment train. These predictions are of great value to municipalities and decision-makers to make informed decisions and ensure risk-based planning of stormwater systems before their development. | Developing an Integrated “Regression-QMRA method” to Predict Public Health Risks of Low Impact Developments (LIDs) for Improved Planning | 10.1007/s00267-022-01657-0 |
2022-10-01 | With the rapid development of high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel, Nb as an important microalloying element has received more and more attention in recent years. The application and behavior of Nb in HSLA steel, including microstructures optimization, refining grain size, and precipitation behavior of Nb-containing phases, were reviewed. Nb could play an important role in following manners: (1) Nb-containing phases promote ferrite formation, and Nb solute promotes bainite formation. (2) Nb solute atoms and Nb-containing phases can inhibit the growth of austenite grains and austenite recrystallization. (3) Nb(C,N) that precipitates in ferrite/bainite can provide more significant strengthening contribution (more than 300 MPa) than that in austenite (about 100 MPa). Some reasonable suggestions for the production of Nb-bearing HSLA steel with excellent mechanical properties were put forward. | Review on niobium application in microalloyed steel | 10.1007/s42243-022-00789-1 |
2022-10-01 | This study has focused on the morphology and distribution of inclusions and precipitates modified by rare earth (RE) elements, which has a decisive influence on microstructure, corrosion properties and impact behaviors in Q355 low alloy steel. Characterized by the method of electrolytic extraction and ASPEX-scanning electron microscopy (ASPEX-SEM), small-sized spherical RE inclusions have been modified to replace elongated MnS and large-sized Al 2 O 3 . Q355RE steel after RE alloying has lower corrosion rate and higher value of α / γ , due to the formation of stable and dense rust layers. Q355RE steel also exhibits better resistance to fracture at low temperature, owing to the presence of RE modification to inclusions and its effects on reducing crack initiation and propagation. Nano-scale RE precipitates containing sulfur and phosphorus is observed along grain boundaries by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The purification of grain boundaries by RE is beneficial to the improvement of corrosion and impact properties. | Effects of Modified Inclusions and Precipitates Alloyed by Rare Earth Element on Corrosion and Impact Properties in Low Alloy Steel | 10.1007/s40195-022-01404-8 |
2022-10-01 | The heterogeneous microstructure of NiCrMoV welded joint plays a crucial role in influencing the mechanical properties. However, its effects on the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) life have not been widely researched. In order to reveal the effect of the strain amplitude and subzone proportion of the welded joint on the LCF performance, the digital image correlation (DIC) technique was applied to investigate the strain distribution and evolution of the welded joint during the strain-controlled LCF tests. The results indicated that the strain localization shifted from fine grain heat-affected zone (FGHAZ) to the weld metal of fine grain zone (WM-FGZ) when the LCF strain amplitude was 0.3%, while the final strain concentration and fracture of the whole welded joint were all located in WM-FGZ regardless of various strain amplitudes. Therefore, the WM-FGZ was considered as the weak position due to its lower yield strength. However, the LCF life with high proportion of WM-FGZ tested by the 12-mm extensometer was much higher than the one tested by the 25-mm extensometer because the ability of WM-FGZ bearing the extra deformation required from other subzones could be improved. This research could provide the theoretical guidance and reference for improving the LCF properties of the welded NiCrMoV steel. | The Influence of Heterogeneous Microstructure on Low-Cycle Fatigue Behavior in NiCrMoV Welded Joint | 10.1007/s11665-022-06809-1 |
2022-10-01 | Evolving flexible electronics requires the development of high-mobility and low-power organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) that are crucial for emerging displays, sensors, and label technologies. Among diverse materials, polymer gate dielectrics and two-dimensional (2D) organic crystals have intrinsic flexibility and natural compatibility with each other for OFETs with high performance; however, their combination lacks non-impurity and non-damage construction strategies. In this study, we developed a desirable OFET system using damage-free transfer of 2D organic single crystal, dinaphtho[2,3- b :2′,3′- f ]thieno[3,2- b ]thiophene on a unique polymer dielectric layer, poly(amic acid) (PAA). Benefiting from the unique PAA surface nanostructure and the long-range ordered characteristics of the 2D organic single crystal, the resulting OFETs show remarkable performance with high mobility and low operating voltage of 18.7 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and −3 V, respectively. The result indicates that combining polymer gate dielectric with 2D organic single crystal using a high-quality method can produce flexible electronic devices with high performance. 不断发展的柔性电子产品需要开发兼具高迁移率和低功率的有 机场效应晶体管(OFET), 这对于新兴的显示器、传感器和标签科技都 至关重要. 在众多材料中, 聚合物栅极电介质和二维有机晶体为构建高 性能OFET提供了本征柔性和天然的相容性, 但是, 两者的结合仍然缺 少无杂质、无损伤的构筑策略. 在此, 我们通过一种无损转移技术将二 维有机二萘并[2,3- b :2′,3′- f ]噻吩并[3,2- b ]噻吩(DNTT)单晶转移到一种 独特的聚合物介电层(聚酰胺酸(PAA))上, 构筑了一个理想的OFET体 系. 得益于PAA表面独特的纳米结构和二维有机单晶的长程有序特性, 所得的OFET器件表现出优异的性能, 包括18.7 cm2 V −1 s −1 的最高迁移 率和 −3 V的低工作电压. 这些结果说明将聚合物栅极介电层与二维有 机单晶高质量结合是构筑高性能柔性电子器件的理想途径. | Low-power high-mobility organic single-crystal field-effect transistor | 10.1007/s40843-022-2035-y |
2022-10-01 | Abstract Samples of (0.5–15)%CoO/CeO 2 , Co 3 O 4 , and CeO 2 have been studied in the oxidation of CO to CO 2 in a CO+O 2 +H 2 mixture in a range of 40–340°C. The highest activity in CO oxidation is exhibited by 10%CoO/CeO 2 with a characteristic conversion of CO to CO 2 of γ 50 = 50% at Т 50 ≈ 140°С and γ ≈ 100% at Т = 180–220°С. The СО 2 yield decreases at 220–240°C due to competition for oxygen in the CO and H 2 oxidation reactions; at Т > 240°C, it decreases due to the consumption of CO in the methanation reaction. According to XRD and H 2 -TPR, cobalt oxide in the 10%CoO/CeO 2 sample is present in two forms of a highly dispersed Co 3 O 4 oxide (Co x O y clusters) interacting with the support and in the form of a Co 3 O 4 phase. Carbon monoxide oxidation in a range of 60–180°C occurs on Co x O y clusters. Under these conditions, the activity of particles of the Co 3 O 4 phase in pure oxide and the 10%CoO/CeO 2 catalyst is lower than that of the clusters. The effect of the properties of adsorption complexes formed involving the oxygen contained in the clusters and in the gas phase on the temperature dependence of CO conversion has been studied. | Pattern of the Activity of (0.5–15)%CoO/CeO2 Catalysts in Carbon Monoxide Oxidation with Oxygen in Excess Hydrogen | 10.1134/S0023158422050044 |
2022-10-01 | Abstract Carbon-based low-dimensional materials possess many properties that make their implementation in nanodevices a subject of great interest. With these impressive transport and mechanical properties, one such use includes its use as a component of a Cu-based electrode. To investigate the applicability of a carbon chain (carbyne) in comparison to other carbon allotropes, including cyclo[18]carbon-carbyne hybrids and encapsulation inside a nanotube, we use multiscale computational methods to determine the mechanical and thermal properties of each structure. Under isolation carbyne requires the largest force to fracture and presents the highest thermal conductivity, whereas the hybrid structures have a lower thermal conductivity and break under a lower tensile force at the same strain as carbyne with unraveling mechanisms dependent on the number of cyclo[18]carbon included. For use in Cu electrodes, we find that carbyne also gives higher thermal conductivity when compared to other structures. Impact statement Carbon-based low-dimensional materials exist as chains and rings at the nanoscale that have great potential for application in nanodevices. However, some of these nanoscale structures are reactive on substrates and lose their properties. We investigate the mechanical and thermal properties of the low-dimensional structures of a chain of carbon atoms known as carbyne, carbyne and cyclo[18]carbon hybrids, and encapsulation of these inside carbon nanotubes to test their stability on Cu(111) substrate acting as an electrode. The carbyne and cyclo[18]carbon hybrids are found to display high mechanical properties during tensile studies, and cyclo[18]carbon is determined to be able to withstand higher strains. The deformation mechanisms of cyclo[18]carbon hybrids at different strains are also uncovered. An isolated carbyne chain was found to have the highest thermal and mechanical properties of the structures investigated, which is further established on a Cu substrate compared to other low-dimensional structures studied here. Graphical abstract | Mechanical and thermal properties of carbon-based low-dimensional materials | 10.1557/s43577-022-00325-2 |
2022-10-01 | This research reports the interaction of polyglycerol esters (PGE) with sorbitan tristearate (STS) and sorbitan monostearate (SMS), as oleogelators in the structuring of a low-saturated fat blend (palm stearin:canola oil, 20:80 ratio, 19.7% saturated fatty acids, SFA). PGE was mixed with either STS or SMS at different ratios (0:100, 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, 80:20, and 100:0) and added to the fat blend (by stirring at 80 °C) at 3, 6, and 9% levels. The use of oleogelators caused an increase in the SFA content from 19.7 to 21.7–26.5% in a dose-dependent manner; however, the effect of STS or SMS ratio on SFA was not significant (p > 0.05). The use of SMS with PGE could not modify the melting point of structured fats, but when PGE was used with STS, the melting point of fat decreased as the STS ratio increased (p < 0.05). The solid fat content (SFC) curve of fats containing higher STS to PGE ratios was sharper, while that of samples structured using higher SMS ratios was flatter. Structured samples showed higher values of storage, loss, and complex moduli than the initial blend in a temperature sweep test. The PGE-STS mixes resulted in a longer induction period of oxidation than the PGE-SMS mixes. Moreover, the highest oxidative stability was obtained at 20:80 and 40:60 ratios of STS (p < 0.05). The structured fats can be used in the production of soft-tub margarine, Vanaspati, and all-purpose shortening as confirmed by comparison of SFC curve and melting point of structured samples to those of commercial ones. | The interaction of polyglycerol esters with sorbitan tristearate, and sorbitan monostearate in structuring a low-saturated fat | 10.1007/s11694-022-01460-9 |
2022-10-01 | Abstract A description of the developed nanosecond high-voltage generator of low-temperature plasma based on a volume streamer discharge is given. Plasma is formed in a high-voltage three-electrode gap, one of which is at a floating potential. Plasma is formed when a special switch is triggered, which connects a floating potential electrode, pre-charged with positive streamers, to a grounded electrode. The operation of the generator in a pulse-periodic mode greatly simplifies its application in experimental studies. Its design and electrical circuit are described. The main electrical characteristics and parameters of streamer plasma radiation in the optical and ultraviolet ranges are presented. An example of a specific application of a generator plasma for solving problems of water purification from metal ions (by the example of manganese) using electric discharge technology is given. The use of a low-temperature plasma of a streamer discharge for experimental research in the field of propagation of an ultrahigh-frequency (microwave) signal in an ionized region of the atmosphere (thunderstorm cell) is described. | Streamer Discharge Plasma Generator | 10.1134/S2075113322050410 |
2022-10-01 | The reaction products of short-chain ammonium polyphosphate and phosphoric acid were studied in order to synthesize inorganic polyoxides with relaxation properties close to those of elastomers. The concentration dependence of the melting and softening temperatures of the formed compositions is investigated. It is shown that at concentration of phosphoric acid higher than 15 wt.% of the ammonium polyphosphate content, the obtained compounds are water-insoluble viscous mixtures with a heat resistance of 295±5 °C. Glass transition temperature T g = −80.9±6.2 °C, melting point T m = −65.4±3.1 °C were observed for a composition with 30 wt.% of phosphoric acid, while these value were T g = −70.6 °C and T m = −53.4 °C for a composition with a 50 wt.% content of phosphoric acid. | Low-temperature phosphate composition | 10.1007/s11172-022-3633-9 |
2022-10-01 | Abstract Analysis of the wear for a cold-stamping tool indicates that quenching of the tool with intermediate tempering increase tool life by a factor of 2–3. | Increasing Die Durability in Cold Stamping by Quenching with Intermediate Tempering | 10.3103/S1068798X22100057 |
2022-10-01 | The middle and lower Yangtze River basin (MLYRB) suffered persistent heavy rainfall in summer 2020, with nearly continuous rainfall for about six consecutive weeks. How the likelihood of persistent heavy rainfall resembling that which occurred over the MLYRB in summer 2020 (hereafter 2020PHR-like event) would change under global warming is investigated. An index that reflects maximum accumulated precipitation during a consecutive five-week period in summer (Rx35day) is introduced. This accumulated precipitation index in summer 2020 is 60% stronger than the climatology, and a statistical analysis further shows that the 2020 event is a 1-in-70-year event. The model projection results derived from the 50-member ensemble of CanESM2 and the multimodel ensemble (MME) of the CMIP5 and CMIP6 models show that the occurrence probability of the 2020PHR-like event will dramatically increase under global warming. Based on the Kolmogorov—Smirnoff test, one-third of the CMIP5 and CMIP6 models that have reasonable performance in reproducing the 2020PHR-like event in their historical simulations are selected for the future projection study. The CMIP5 and CMIP6 MME results show that the occurrence probability of the 2020PHR-like event under the present-day climate will be double under lower-emission scenarios (CMIP5 RCP4.5, CMIP6 SSP1-2.6, and SSP2-4.5) and 3–5 times greater under higher-emission scenarios (3.0 times for CMIP5 RCP8.5, 2.9 times for CMIP6 SSP3-7.0, and 4.8 times for CMIP6 SSP5-8.5). The inter-model spread of the probability change is small, lending confidence to the projection results. The results provide a scientific reference for mitigation of and adaptation to future climate change. 2020年夏季, 长江中下游地区经历了一次持续性极端降水事件, 区域内日降水量连续近六周维持在较高水平. 本文对类2020年夏季长江中下游持续性极端降水事件发生概率在未来全球变暖背景下的变化进行了定量预估. 首先, 本文利用夏季连续五周最大累积降水量(Rx35day)表征持续性极端降水事件的强度, 结果表明2020年夏季长江中下游Rx35day较1951–2020年气候态偏强60%, 这是一次70年一遇的持续性极端降水事件. 进一步利用CanESM2模式50成员集合和CMIP5、 CMIP6多模式集合进行未来预估, 发现在全球变暖背景下, 类2020年持续性极端降水事件的发生概率将会显著增加. 具体来说, 本文先利用Kolmogorov–Smirnoff检验挑选出能合理再现当今气候背景下类2020年持续性极端降水事件的CMIP模式, 再对这些相对可靠的模式的未来情景模拟结果进行分析, 结果表明: 在低排放情景下(CMIP5 RCP4.5, CMIP6 SSP1-2.6和SSP2-4.5), 类2020年持续性极端降水事件发生概率约为当今气候背景下的2倍; 在高排放情景下, 该风险比率增至3–5倍(CMIP5 RCP8.5为3.0倍, CMIP6 SSP3-7.0为2.9倍, CMIP6 SSP5-8.5为4.8倍). 通过Bootstrap检验发现上述预估结果的不确定性较小, 说明在高排放情景下未来类2020年持续性极端降水事件发生概率很可能显著增加. 该研究结果说明了我国当前积极推广“碳中和”这一重要举措的必要性, 减缓和适应未来气候变化刻不容缓. | How Frequently Will the Persistent Heavy Rainfall over the Middle and Lower Yangtze River Basin in Summer 2020 Happen under Global Warming? | 10.1007/s00376-022-1351-8 |
2022-10-01 | Abstract The catalytic properties of supported Mn/carrier catalysts (carriers: Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 ) in the ozone-assisted oxidation of volatile organic compounds (using the example of n -С 4 Н 10 ) in a temperature range of 25–350°С have been studied. X-ray diffraction analysis and H 2 -TPR have shown that the carrier has a significant effect on the valence state of manganese in the supported oxide: on the SiO 2 surface, manganese is present mostly in the form of Mn 3+ (Mn 2 O 3 , Mn 3 O 4 ), whereas in the Mn/Al 2 O 3 and Mn/SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 catalysts the dominant species is Mn 4+ (MnO 2 ). Comparison of data on the composition of MnO x active phases and catalytic properties in the ozone-assisted oxidation of n -С 4 Н 10 has revealed that an increase in the content of Mn 3+ sites contributes to an enhancement of the catalytic activity of Mn/support. However, an excess amount of Mn 3+ leads to the consumption of ozone in a side reaction to form O 2 , which leads to a significant decrease in the n -С 4 Н 10 oxidation efficiency. The data suggest that the maximum activity of the catalyst in the ozone-assisted oxidation of n -С 4 Н 10 can be achieved via providing an optimum Mn 3+ /Mn 4+ ratio. | Manganese Catalysts for the Ozone-Assisted Oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds: Effect of the Mn3+/Mn4+ Active Site Ratio on Catalytic Properties | 10.1134/S0023158422050081 |
2022-10-01 | Strategies for wire feeding in the GTAW process have evolved considerably in the last few years with the development of new techniques and wire feed systems. Nowadays, the most advanced technologies make use of dynamic wire feeding techniques. In this context, the aim of this study was to analyze the pulsed dynamic wire feeding technique with a low insertion angle between the wire and the tungsten electrode, in order to characterize aspects of the GTAW process variant such as metal transfer, temperature distribution, and weld geometry. A setup of GTAW equipment (power source, wire feeder, and welding torch) was coupled to an anthropomorphic robot for the torch displacement, and pulsed welding current was used. A multiple output analysis was applied: electric signal acquisition, infrared thermography filming, high speed filming, and macrographic analysis. Results show that the variation of the frequency together with the wire feed system dynamics influence the metal transfer events. At frequencies of 5, 15, and 20 Hz, for instance, the intermittent bridge transfer was not synchronized with the current pulsation, but at 10 Hz the metal transfer was well defined and occurred at the same frequency as the welding current pulse. The results also show that a frequency variation does not influence the weld bead temperature distribution, but for the wire feeding in the background period series, the weld bead penetration was higher than the other series. | Pulsed dynamic wire feeding with low insertion angle in GTAW process: a metal transfer characterization | 10.1007/s40194-022-01352-y |
2022-10-01 | Inspired by the pomegranate natural artful structure, pomegranate micro/nano hierarchical plasma configuration of Fe/Fe 3 C@graphitized carbon (FFC/pCL) was constructed based on the green sol-gel method and in-situ chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis protocol. Pomegranate-like FFC/pCL successfully overcame the agglomeration phenomenon of magnetic nanoparticles with each seed of the pomegranate consisting of Fe/Fe 3 C as cores and graphitized carbon layers as shells. The high-density arrangement of magnetic nanoparticles and the design of pomegranate-like heterostructures lead to enhanced plasmon resonance. Thus, the pomegranate-like FFC/pCL achieved a great electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing performance of 6.12 GHz wide band absorption at a low mass adding of only 16.7 wt.%. Such excellent EMW performance can be attributed to its unique pomegranate hierarchical plasma configuration with separated nanoscale iron cores, surface porous texture, and good carbon conductive network. This investigation provides a new paradigm for the development of magnetic/carbon based EMW absorbing materials by taking advantage of pomegranate hierarchical plasma configuration. | Pomegranate micro/nano hierarchical plasma structure for superior microwave absorption | 10.1007/s12274-022-4522-0 |
2022-10-01 | To date, most studies about low salinity water flooding (LSWF) have been conducted at the Darcy scale, taking into account mixed-wet conditions, although a limited number of studies have investigated interactions of heavy crude oil/LSWF/rock system from a pore-scale perspective. Consequently, the mechanisms responsible for EOR during LSWF, particularly, within oil-wet porous media are not well understood. The current study investigates pore-scale dynamic of LSWF displacement (forced imbibition and drainage tests) within clean and clayey 2D glass micromodels by setting the initial wettability of the systems as both water-wet and oil-wet. Before performing oil displacement tests at the pore-scale, preliminary evaluations at sub-pore-scale, including zeta potential, interfacial tension (IFT), contact angle, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and micro-dispersion tests were conducted. Irrespective of the absence or presence of clay particles, LSWF showed a positive response to increased oil recovery, though its influence is not significant. The main mechanisms responsible for oil recovery enhancement were observed to be snap-off reduction and formation of water micro-dispersion within clay-free hydrophilic and hydrophobic porous media, respectively, which eventually leads to wettability alteration toward more water-wet conditions. This evidence is supported by the reduction in contact angle between crude oil/glass-plate models when switching from seawater to LSWF. The results of zeta potential measurements indicate that decreases in brine salinity leads to more negative values, which can cause double layer expansion, and wettability alteration. These factors are the main controlling mechanisms during LSWF within clay-coated porous medium since fine migration was not significantly observed in the micromodel. | Pore-Scale Displacement of Heavy Crude Oil During Low Salinity Water Flooding | 10.1007/s11242-022-01825-0 |
2022-10-01 | Purpose Soil is a thin coating of matter that covers the earth’s surface, formed through the process of rock weathering. It is a natural filter for impurities in groundwater and is very important to human health. Recently, some studies from around the world have confirmed that the presence of microplastics in soil is increasing. However, most of these studies only examined the impacts of soil microplastic contamination one or two soil health indicators, rather than study all three soil health indicators at once. Methods In this review, we selected papers published internationally in the past decade and examined the trend of the effects of soil microplastic contamination on all three soil health indicators. Results and discussion Soil microplastic contamination resulted in either an increase or decrease in the trend of the effects on physicochemical and biological soil properties. In other cases, microplastic contaminants do not affect soil properties. The alteration of soil health properties by microplastics was associated with a couple of reasons such as microplastic concentrations and types, changes in soil mechanics and microorganisms. Conclusions The current impact and severity of soil microplastic contamination on soil health properties are expected to persist for a long time, especially with increasing global plastic production. Therefore, more research is required to continuously assess the impact of microplastic contamination on other indicators of soil health that has not been studied previously. | Soil health and microplastics: a review of the impacts of microplastic contamination on soil properties | 10.1007/s11368-022-03254-4 |
2022-10-01 | Abstract— For the first time, the thermodynamic functions and electrical conductivity of low-temperature bismuth plasma are calculated in the temperature range of 10–100 kK at densities less than one third of normal value (9.79/3 g/cm 3 ). To calculate the thermodynamic functions, a chemical model was used, which also makes it possible to find the ion composition of the bismuth plasma. For the electrical conductivity, the relaxation time approximation is used. Simple approximations of the results of the calculation of thermodynamic functions are derived. | Calculation of the Thermophysical Properties of Low-Temperature Bismuth Plasma | 10.1134/S1063780X22600669 |
2022-10-01 | Objective Blood oxygenation can be measured using magnetic resonance using the paramagnetic effect of deoxy-haemoglobin, which decreases the $$\textit{T}_{2}$$ T 2 relaxation time of blood. This $$\textit{T}_{2}$$ T 2 contrast has been well characterised at the $$\textit{B}_{{0}}$$ B 0 fields used in MRI (1.5 T and above). However, few studies have characterised this effect at lower magnetic fields. Here, the feasibility of blood oximetry at low field based on $$\textit{T}_{2}$$ T 2 changes that are within a physiological relevant range is explored. This study could be used for specifying requirements for construction of a monitoring device based on low field permanent magnet systems. Methods A continuous flow circuit was used to control parameters such as oxygen saturation and temperature in a sample of blood. It flowed through a variable field magnet, where CPMG experiments were performed to measure its $$\textit{T}_{2}$$ T 2 . In addition, the oxygen saturation was monitored by an optical sensor for comparison with the $$\textit{T}_{2}$$ T 2 changes. Results These results show that at low $$\textit{B}_{{0}}$$ B 0 fields, the change in blood $$\textit{T}_{2}$$ T 2 due to oxygenation is small, but still detectable. The data measured at low fields are also in agreement with theoretical models for the oxy-deoxy $$\textit{T}_{2}$$ T 2 effect. Conclusion $$\textit{T}_{2}$$ T 2 changes in blood due to oxygenation were observed at fields as low as 0.1 T. These results suggest that low field NMR relaxometry devices around 0.3 T could be designed to detect changes in blood oxygenation. | Oxygen saturation-dependent effects on blood transverse relaxation at low fields | 10.1007/s10334-021-00993-2 |
2022-10-01 | The features of formation of a martensite-austenite (M-A) constituent in the X65 steel after its helical rolling and laser welding are studied using transmission electron microscopy. Four main types of the M-A constituent are identified in the structures. After thermomechanical treatment at low cooling rates, an island type M-A constituent with a complex internal multiphase structure (Types I and III) or a structure consisting entirely of the twinned martensite (Type II) is formed in the X65 steel. The type of the M-A constituent changes after laser welding. The island multiphase areas of the M-A constituent are replaced by dispersed elongated sections in the heat-affected zones (HAZ), consisting of the residual austenite (Type IV) or the twinned martensite. The satellite spots are observed in the microdiffraction patterns taken from the M-A constituent areas in the HAZ of the welded joint. Their formation is attributed to local supersaturation of carbon in the M-A constituent and its inhomogeneous distribution due to the limited diffusion during fast cooling after laser welding. | Formation of a Martensite-Austenite Constituent in Х65 Low-Carbon Steel Under Thermomechanical Treatment and Welding | 10.1007/s11182-022-02725-y |
2022-10-01 | Abstract The international community limits the usage of higher global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants like R134a in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. In view of this, the present study focuses on the low-GWP alternatives to R134a during condensation inside a smooth and dimpled tube. The refrigerants considered for this study are propane (R290), 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R1234yf), and 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R1234ze). The geometric specifications of smooth and dimple tubes are 8.38 mm ID with 1.5 m length. The operating conditions are saturation temperature of 40°C, mass flux ranging between 50 and 200 kg m −2 s −1 , and dryness fraction of 0.5 and 0.75. The flow field was assumed to be transient, three-dimensional and turbulent while the VOF model was used to solve the governing equations. The effect of mass flux and dryness fraction was studied with R134a and its alternatives. The simulated void fraction values are compared with experimental values and empirical correlations. In this study, the total pressure drop was reduced by 15 and 20% with smooth tube and 11 and 16.7% with dimpled tube by using R1234yf at the quality of 0.5 and 0.75. However, it was increased with R290 and R1234ze. The power consumption was reduced by using R1234yf as a substitute to R134a and the thermophysical properties are quite similar. | Numerical Investigation During Condensation of R134a Inside a Smooth and Dimpled Tube: Comparison with low-GWP Alternatives R1234yf, R1234ze and R290 | 10.1134/S0040579522050359 |
2022-10-01 | Operating satellites in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) benefit the already expanding New Space industry in applications including Earth Observation and beyond. However, long-term operations at such low altitudes require propulsion systems to compensate for the large aerodynamic drag forces. When using conventional propulsion systems, the amount of storable propellant limits the maximum mission lifetime. The latter can be avoided by employing Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) system, which collects the residual atmospheric particles and uses them as propellant for an electric thruster. Thus, the requirement of on-board propellant storage can ideally be nullified. At the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) of the University of Stuttgart, an intake, and a RF Helicon-based Plasma Thruster (IPT) for ABEP system are developed within the Horizons 2020 funded DISCOVERER project. To assess possible future use cases, this paper proposes and analyzes several novel ABEP-based mission scenarios. Beginning with technology demonstration mission in VLEO, more complex mission scenarios are derived and discussed in detail. These include, amongst others, orbit maintenance around Mars as well as refuelling and space tug missions. The results show that the ABEP system is not only able to compensate drag for orbit maintenance but also capable of performing orbital maneuvers and collect propellant for applications such as Space Tug and Refuelling. Thus, showing a multitude of different future mission applications. | Development and analysis of novel mission scenarios based on Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) | 10.1007/s12567-022-00436-1 |
2022-10-01 | Main conclusion The potential biotechnological application of NAC overexpression has been challenged by meta-analysis, establishing a correlation between the magnitudes of several physiological and biochemical parameters and the enhanced tolerance to cold. Abstract Overexpression of various NAC (NAM/ATAF/CUC) transcription factors in different plant systems was shown to confer enhanced tolerance to low temperatures by inducing both common and distinctive stress response pathways. However, lack of consensus on the type of parameters evaluated, their magnitudes, and direction of the responses complicates drawing general conclusions on the effects of NAC expression in plant physiology. We report herein a meta-analysis summarizing the most critical response variables used to study the effect of overexpressing NAC regulators on cold stress tolerance. We found that NAC overexpression affected all of the outcome parameters in stressed plants, and one response in control conditions. Transformed plants displayed an increase of at least 40% in positive responses, while negative outcomes were reduced by at least 30%. The most reported parameters included survival, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde contents, whereas the most sensitive to the treatments were the F v / F m parameter, survival, and the activity of catalases. We also explored how different experimental arrangements affected the magnitudes of the responses. NAC-mediated improvements were best observed after severe stress episodes and during brief treatments (ranging from 5 to 24 h), especially in terms of antioxidant activities, accumulation of free proline, and parameters related to membrane integrity. Use of heterologous expression also favored several indicators of plant fitness. Our findings should help both basic and applied research on the influence of NAC expression on enhanced tolerance to cold. | Bolstered plant tolerance to low temperatures by overexpressing NAC transcription factors: identification of critical variables by meta-analysis | 10.1007/s00425-022-04007-w |
2022-10-01 | The effect of the content and specific surface area of the ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) on the pore structure of the cement paste was determined through the low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The Pearson correlation analysis method was used to calculate the correlation coefficient between the porosity and age of cement paste, the specific surface area of GGBS and the content of GGBS. The test results exhibited that the porosity of the cement paste with different ageing durations gradually decreased on increasing the content and specific surface area of GGBS. The content and specific surface area of GGBS had a negligible effect on the 1–10 nm size gel pores in the cement paste, whereas, had a significant effect on the 10–100 nm size capillary pores. In addition, these parameters did not affect the final most probable pore size of the cement paste. The correlation between age and porosity was the largest, and the correlation between GGBS content and porosity was greater than that between GGBS specific surface area and porosity. Moreover, a modified pore structure model was successfully developed to effectively predict the pore structure of the GGBS based cement paste. | Effect of Content and Fineness of GGBS on Pore Structure of Cement Paste | 10.1007/s11595-022-2616-x |
2022-10-01 | The effect of cathodic hydrogen charging of the Fe-(1.8–2.1)Mn-(0.7–1.0)Si-(0.05–0.11)C low-carbon steel, produced by electron-beam additive manufacturing and industrial casting, on its mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms is studied in different electrolytic solutions. Hydrogen charging causes an increase in the yield strength and a decrease in the elongation both for the steel manufactured by the additive method (ferritic steel) and for the normalized steel produced by the industrial method (ferritic-pearlitic steel). An increased duration of hydrogen charging from 5 to 20 hours at a current density of j H = 250 mA/cm 2 (NaCl+NH 4 SCN aqueous solution) is accompanied by an increase of the hydrogen embrittlement index for the additively produced specimens ( I H 5h = 13%, I H 20h = 19%), but does not affect the I H -value for the normalized industrial steel ( I H 5h = 28%, I H 20h = 30%). Even at a lower current density and a shorter charging duration, the use of an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 +CH 4 N 2 S) causes stronger hydrogen-induced effects than the charging in an aqueous solution of sodium chloride. Regardless of the manufacturing method and charging regime, hydrogen charging contributes to the formation of fish-eye defects on the fracture surfaces of steels. It is found out that under similar hydrogen charging regimes, the deteriorative effect of hydrogen is less pronounced in the steel produced by the additive manufacture. | Hydrogen Embrittlement of the Low-Carbon Steel Produced by Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing | 10.1007/s11182-022-02720-3 |
2022-10-01 | Abstract — The sections of the boundary Jurassic–Cretaceous black shale sediments (Bazhenov Formation) of the West Siberian sedimentary basin in conditional Central, Southeastern, and Northern regions are compared on the basis of a complex lithological-geochemical study, as well as geophysical and paleontological data. The studies are conducted using a common classification scheme of rocks and common principles of recognition of members in the structure of the formation. The elaborated sedimentation models reflect the spatiotemporal principles of the origination of the Bazhenov Formation depending on the features of paleotopography, proximity to the provenances, climatic fluctuations, and changes in sea level. The Central region was mostly characterized by biogenic siliceous sedimentation (radiolarian or similar sediments) during the entire Volgian Stage (locally, to the beginning of the Ryazanian Stage) and by carbonate-siliceous sedimentation (coccolith-rich sediments) from the end of the Volgian Stage to the beginning of the early Valanginian, which was favorable for the accumulation of a significant amount of organic matter. The accumulation of carbonate-siliceous sediments finished by the middle of the Ryazanian Stage within the Khantei Hemianteclise and the southeastern part of the South Nadym Megamonoclise of the Central region. In the Southeastern region, the formation of organic-rich sediments terminated at the stage of accumulation of biogenic-siliceous silts and, from the beginning of the Ryazanian Stage, was followed by sedimentation of organic-poor clays of the Megion and Kulomzino formations. The Northern region was characterized by the accumulation of relatively organic-poor siliceous-argillaceous sediments with a dominant terrigenous (over biogenic) component by means of more intense gain of clay material to this zone of the paleobasin. The sedimentation of the Bazhenov Formation here was probably terminated in the first half of the Ryazanian Stage. | Lithostratigraphy and Sedimentation Conditions of the Bazhenov Formation (Western Siberia) in the Central, Southeastern, and Northern Regions of Its Occurrence | 10.1134/S0869593822050021 |
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