Ti-aluminosilicate gels were used as supports for immobilization of Fe, Co and Ni oxides (5%) by impregnation, and synthesis of efficient photocatalysts in degradation of β-lactam antibiotic from water. Titanium oxide (1 and 2%) was incorporated into zeolite network by modifying the gel during the zeolitation process. The formation of the zeolite Y structure and its microporous structure were evidenced by X-ray diffraction and N2 physisorption. The structure, composition, reduction and optical properties were studied by X-ray difraction, H2-TPR, XPS, Raman, photoluminiscence and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The obtained results indicated a zeolite Y structure for all photocatalysts with tetra-coordinate Ti4+ sites. The immobilized metals from group VIII are both in the form of metal oxides such as Fe2O3, Fe3O4, CoO, Co3O4 , NiO and also in the me-tallic state (Fe0, Co0, and Ni0). A red shift of the absorption edge was observed in UV-Vis spectra of photocatalysts upon addition of Fe, Co or Ni species. The photocatalytic performances were evaluated in degradation of cefuroxime from water under visible light irradiation. The best results were obtained for iron immobilized photocatalysts. Scavenger experiments explained the photocatalytic results and their mechanisms. A different contribution of the active species to the photocatalytic reactions was evidenced.

Zeolite Y with microporous and hierarchical structure containing Ti–Ni and Ti–Co oxides were obtained as active photocatalysts. Different Ti amounts (5, 10% TiO2) were supported, followed by loading of Ni or Co oxides (5 %). The X-ray diffraction evidenced the presence of TiO2 as anatase. N2 adsorption-desorption results showed type IV isotherms, for hierarchical zeolite Y samples, and a combination of type IV and I isotherms, for zeolite Y samples. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra showed shift of absorption band to visible with increasing of Ti loading and especially after Co and Ni addition. A significant effect of the support was evidenced for Ti and interaction with Co/Ni species. The zeolite Y support stabilizes Ti in the 4+ oxidation state while hierarchical zeolite Y support favored the formation of Ti 3+ species and oxidation of Co and especially of Ni to 3+. Photocatalytic activity, under UV and visible light, was evaluated in degradation of amoxicillin, used as a model test. The photocatalytic mechanism was investigated using ethanol, p-benzoquinone and KI as ·OH, ·O2- radicals and hole (h+) scavengers. The best results were obtained for the immobilized Ni-Ti species on hierarchical zeolite Y support.

Magneto-optic surface plasmon resonance (MOSPR) based sensors are highly attractive as next generation biosensors. However, these sensors suffer from oxidation leading to degradation of performance, reproducibility of the sensor surface because of the difficulty of removing adsorbed materials, and degradation of sensor surface during surface cleaning, and these limit their applications. In this paper, I propose MOSPR-based biosensors with 0 to 15 nm thick inert polycarbonate laminate plastic as a protective layer and theoretically demonstrate the practicability of our approach in water-medium for three different probing samples: ethanol, propanol, and pentanol. I also investigate microstructure and magnetic properties. The chemical composition and layered information of the sensor are investigated using X-ray reflectivity and X-ray diffraction analyses and these show distinct fcc-Au (111) phases, as dominated by the higher density of conduction electrons in Au as compared to Co. The magnetic characterization measured with the in-plane magnetic field to the sensor surface for both the as-deposited and annealed multilayers showed isotropic easy axis magnetization parallel to the multilayer interface at a saturating magnetic field of <100 Oe. The sensor showed a maximum sensitivity of 5.5 × 10⁴%/RIU for water-ethanol media and the highest detection level of 2.5 × 10⁻⁸ for water-pentanol media as the protective layer is increased from 0 to 15 nm.c

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to be a global threat due to its ability to evolve and generate new subvariants, leading to new waves of infection. Additionally, other coronaviruses like Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV, formerly known as hCoV-EMC) which first emerged in 2012, persists and continues to present a threat of severe illness to humans. The continued identification of novel coronaviruses, coupled with the potential for genetic recombination between different strains, raises the possibility of new coronavirus clades of global concern emerging. As a result, there is a pressing need for pan-CoV therapeutic drugs and vaccines. After extensive optimization of an HCV protease inhibitor screening hit, a novel 3CLPro inhibitor (MK-7845) was discovered and subsequently profiled. MK-7845 exhibited nanomolar in vitro potency with broad spectrum activity against a panel of clinical SARS-CoV-2 subvariants and MERS-CoV. Furthermore, when administered orally, MK-7845 demonstrated a notable reduction of viral burdens by &gt;6 log orders in the lungs of transgenic mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 (K18-hACE2 mice) and MERS-CoV (K18-hDDP4 mice).

Abstract: Arranged patterns obtained by ultrafast laser processing on the surface of Ti/Cu/Ti/Si and Ti/Zr/Ti/Si thin film systems are reported. Two differently designed multilayer thin films, Ti/Cu/Ti/Si and Ti/Zr/Ti/Si, were deposited on silicon by the ion sputtering method. The bioactive surfaces on these systems involve the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) in each of the laser-written lines of mesh patterns on 5x5 mm areas. The formation of nano- and micro-patterns with an ultra-thin oxide film on the surfaces was used to observe the effects of morphology and proliferation of the MRC-5 cell culture line. To determine whether Ti-based thin films have a toxic effect on living cells, an MTT assay was performed. The relative cytotoxic effect as a percentage of surviving cells showed that there was no difference in cell number between the Ti-based thin films and the control cells. There was also no difference in the viability of the MRC-5 cells, except for the Ti/Cu/Ti/Si system, where there was a slight 10% decrease in cell viability.

Today, enhancing food preservation and safety in the spirit of the bioeconomy suggests the use of biodegradable polymers such as poly-L-lactic acid (PLA) in food packaging and the replacement of chemical additives with natural antioxidant/antibacterial agents such as essential oils and their derivatives. Herein a novel carvacrol (CV) @ natural zeolite (NZ) nanohybrid was developed by employing a new vacuum adsorption desorption method which results in the adsorption of a high CV amount on NZ equal to 61.7 %wt. This CV@NZ nanohybrid was successfully dispersed in a PLA/triethyl citrate (TEC) matrix via a melt-extrusion process to obtain PLA/TEC/xCV@NZ nanocomposite films with 5, 10 and 15 CV@NZ %wt. content. PLA/TEC/xNZ films were also de-veloped for comparison. The overall study resulted in a biodegradable active film with the fol-lowing properties: 10%wt. CV@NZ content (PLA/TEC/10CV@NZ), self-healable properties, 22% higher tensile strength and 40% higher elongation at break, 45% higher water barrier and 40% higher oxygen barrier than pure PLA/TEC matrix. This film also provides high CV release content, high CV control release rate as well as significant antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity against the food pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica spp. enterica serovar Typhimurium. This film not only succeeds in extending the shelf-life of fresh pork minced, as shown by total variable count measurements in four days, but also prevents lipid oxidation of fresh minced pork and maintains the minced meat in higher nutritional conditions, as revealed by the heme iron content determination, and in a much better and acceptable sensory condition than the commercial packaging paper.

This study investigates the effect of Re addition on the microstructure evolution and oxidation resistance of Co-Cr-Ta-Ti-C alloys. The alloys tested in this study consist of a Co-rich matrix with mixed HCP and FCC phases, together with TaTiC2 and Ti-based carbides. The addition of Re promotes the precipitation and growth of a CoCr-rich σ phase. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) showed that the melting temperatures did not change drastically up to 10 at% Re addition, whereas 15 at% Re addition significantly increased the melting temperature of the alloys. Oxidation tests in air at 1200°C showed that excessive Re content could lead to deterioration in oxidation resistance, mainly due to the accelerated formation of volatile Re oxides.

Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) is a widespread technique for imaging magnetic structures with a resolution of some 10 nanometers. MFM can be calibrated to obtain quantitative (qMFM) spatially resolved magnetization data in units of A/m by determining the calibrated point spread function of the instrument, its instrument calibration function (ICF), from a measurement of a well-known reference sample. Beyond quantifying the MFM data, a deconvolution of the MFM image data with the ICF also corrects the smearing caused by the finite width of the MFM tip stray field distribution. However, the quality of the calibration depends critically on the calculability of the magnetization distribution of the reference sample. Here, we discuss a Ti/Pt/Co multilayer stack which shows a stripe domain pattern as a suitable reference material. A precise control of the fabrication process combined with a characterization of the sample micromagnetic parameters allows to reliably calculate the sample’s magnetic stray field, proven by a very good agreement between micromagnetic simulations and qMFM measurements. A calibrated qMFM measurement using the Ti/Pt/Co stack as a reference sample is shown and validated and the application area for quantitative MFM measurements calibrated with the Ti/Pt/Co stack is discussed.

The synergistic features of a three-component, photoinitiating system (A/B/C) based on the measured data and proposed mechanism of Liu et al. are analyzed. The co-initiators/additives B and C have dual-functions of : (i) regeneration of photoinitiator A, and (ii) generation of extra radicals for enhanced conversion efficacy (CE). The synergistic effects led to higher CE for both free radical polymerization (FRP) and cationic polymerization (CP). The CE of FRP has 3 terms due to the direct (tyep-I) coupling of the triplet state of A with the monomer (M) and the coupling of the two radicals, R and R', with M. The CE of CP has a transient state proportional to the effective absorption constant (b), the light intensity (I) and initiator concentration (A0), but a steady state is independent of the light intensity (I). For the CE of FRP, the contribution from radical R had two cases: (i) linear dependence on T=bIA0, or (ii) nonlinear square root dependence T0.5. The synergistic effects led to higher conversion of FRP and CP, consistent with the measured results. The theoretically predicted new features include: (i) co-initiator [C] which always enhances both FRP and CP conversions, and (ii) co-initiator [B] which leads to more efficient FRP, but it also reduces CP.

Monometallic (Ni, Co, Cu) and bimetallic (Ni-Co, Ni-Cu) 10-20 wt. % metal containing catalysts supported on fly ash zeolite were prepared by post-synthesis impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, N2 physisorption, XPS and H2-TPR methods. Finely dispersed metal oxides and mixed oxides were detected after the decomposition of impregnating salt on the relevant zeolite support. By reduction intermetallic, NiCo and NiCu phases were identified in the bimetallic catalysts. Hydrogeoxygenation of lignocellulosic biomass-derived levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone (GVL) was studied. Bimetallic, 10 wt. % Ni, 10 wt. % Cu or Co containing fly ash zeolite catalyst showed higher catalytic activity than monometallic ones. Their selectivity to GVL reached 70-85 % at 100 % conversion. The reaction proceeds through formation of 4-hydroxy pentanoic acid, as the only intermediate compound.

Selection of the most suitable material is one of the key decisions to be taken at the design stage of a manufacturing process. Traditional approaches as Ashby maps based on material properties are widely used in the industry. However, in the production of multimaterial components, the criteria for the selection can include antagonistic approaches. The aim of this work is the implementation of a methodology based on the results of process simulations for several materials and classify them by applying an advanced data analytics method based on Machine Learning (ML), in this case the Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methodolo-gies, in this case Multi-criteria Optimization and Compromise Solution (VIKOR) combined with Entropy weighting methods. In order to do this, a Finite Element Model (FEM) has been built to evaluate the extrusion force and the die wear in a multi-material co-extrusion process of bimetallic Ti6Al4V-AZ31B billets. After applying SVR and VIKOR combined with Entropy weighting methodologies, a comparison has been established based on the material selection and complexity of the methodology used, resulting that material chosen in both methodologies is very similar and MCDM method is easier to implement because there is no need of evaluate the error of the pre-diction model and the time for data preprocessing is less than the time needed in SVR.

Ammonium ion is a chemical species that is found in abundance in natural waters, whether underground or surface, but also in wastewater resulting from agricultural and industrial activities. Even if the removal of the ammonium ion from water has been studied for a very long time, it has been found that its removal is far from being solved. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the ammonium ions adsorption process on two adsorbents, zeolite clinoptilolite, ZR, (manufacturer Zeolite Develop-ment SRL, Rupea, Brasov, Romania) and the other granular activated carbon type Norit GAC 830 W. In the first step the paper presents the mineralogical (XRD) and structural (SEM and EDX) characterization of the ZR and determination of the pH zero-point charge, pHZPC, for all the adsorbents. Studies were carried out in equilibrium and kinetic conditions. The efficiency of the adsorbent was investigated in different experimental conditions by varying the initial concentration, particle size, temperature, pH, ionic strength and contact time. The mathematical models and parameters specific to the adsorption isotherms that best describe the experimental results were identified. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich mathematical models were used for comparison. The Langmuir isotherm proved to be the most appropriate to describe the adsorption of ammonium ions on all types of adsorbents used. The adsorption capacity of ammonium ion from synthetic solutions, at 20 °C, pH = 6.09, for the range of initial concentrations 0 - 50 mg/L for Rupea Zeolite is in the range of 10.46 mg/g -12.34 mg/g and for granular activated carbon GAC W830 is 16.64 mg/g. It was found that the increase in temperature and pH have a positive effect on the adsorption capacity of the ammonium ion on the studied adsorbents, and the ionic strength determines the decrease in the adsorption capacity. Kinetic models were also identified that best describe the experimental processes. In this sense, pseudo first order, pseudo second order, intraparticle diffusion and the Elovich model were used. The results of the investigation showed that second-order kinetics governs the adsorption process on ZR zeolites and pseudo-first order for activated carbon.

Marine sand, in addition to oil and gas resources, is the second largest marine mineral resource. The rational development and utilization of marine sand resources are conducive to the growth of the marine economy. Marine sand can be categorized into surface marine sand and buried marine sand. Buried marine sand deposits are buried beneath the sea floor, making it challenging to locate them due to their thin distribution. Consequently, there exist numerous technical difficulties associated with marine sand exploration. In this study, various geophysical methods such as sub-bottom profile survey and single-channel seismic survey were employed in the northern offshore waters of the South China Sea along with offshore engineering geological drilling. As a result, two distinct marine sand bodies were delineated within the study area. Additionally, five reflective interfaces (R0, R1, R2, R3 and R4) were identified from top to bottom. These interfaces can be divided into five seismic sequences: A2, B2, C2, D2 and E2 respectively. Three sets of strata were recognized: the Quaternary Holocene Marine sedimentary layer (Q4m), the Upper Pleistocene alluvial layer, and the diluvial sedimentary layer (Q3al+pl) as well as the Upper Pleistocene Marine sedimentary layer (Q3m). Sequence A2 and B2 corresponded to Quaternary Holocene Formation (Q4m) within the study area while sequence C2 corresponded to B2 as well as upper Pleistocene alluvial and alluvial deposits (Q3al+pl), which represent one of the main occurring layers of sand in this region. Lastly, E2 represents a layer composed mainly of silty clay and round gravel known as upper Pleistocene marine sediment layer (Q3m). In total, two ore bodies containing marine sand have been discovered during this study. The estimated total resource amounts approximately 46 million m³ with an average thickness around 11 meters.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) triggers alterations in the maternal gut microbiome. Alongside metabolic shifts, microbial products may impact clinical factors and influence pregnancy outcomes. Here, we performed two separate analyses to integrate the maternal microbiome-metabolomic differences from a subset of the “Choosing Healthy Options in Carbohydrate Energy” (CHOICE) study. Women diagnosed with GDM were randomized to a diet higher in complex carbohydrates (CHOICE, n=18, 60% complex carbohydrate/25% fat/15% protein) or a conventional GDM diet (CONV, n=16, 40% carbohydrate/45% fat/15% protein). All meals were provided, diets were eucaloric, and fiber content was similar. CHOICE diet was associated with increases in TMAO, lysophosphotidylcholines, indoxyl sulfate, and several triglyceride (TG) species, while CONV diet was associated with higher plasma hippuric acid, aspartic acid, betaine, glutamic acid, indole propionic acid, and indoleacetic acid, suggesting that differences in lipid metabolism and tryptophan utilization pathways are linked to specific maternal diets. We also identified two latent metabolic groups not associated with either diet treatment: one metabolome associated with higher fasting glucose, and the other associated with higher fasting TGs after 7 weeks on either diet. Our study underscores the importance of utilizing dietary approaches to optimize maternal-fetal health outcomes in GDM treatment.

In this paper, the deformation behavior of S32750 duplex stainless steel during low cycle fatigue was studied by controlling number of cycles. The microstructure of the specimens under different cycles was characterized by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Microhardness of two phases was measured by a digital microhardness instrument. The results showed that the microhardness of ferrite increases significantly after the first 4000 cycles, while the austenite shows a higher strain hardening rate after fatigue fracture, and the microhardness of ferrite and austenite increases by 23 HV and 87 HV, respectively. Two-phase kernel average misorientation (KAM) diagram showed that the continuous accumulation of plastic deformation easily leads to the initiation of cracks inside the austenite and at the phase boundaries. The evolution of dislocation morphology in two phases was obviously different. With the increase of cycle number, the dislocation in ferrite gradually transforms from dislocation bundles and dislocation array to sub-grain structure, while the dislocation in austenite gradually develops from dipole array to ordered Taylor lattice network structure.

This paper presents design and optimization of a small-size electromagnetic induction heating control system powered by a 3.7V-900mAh lithium battery and featuring an LC series resonant full bridge inverter circuit, which can be used in small size materials heating applications, such as micro medical devices. The effects of resonant capacitance, inductor wire diameter, heating tube material and wall thickness are studied to maximize the heating rate of the workpiece and meantime reduce the temperature rise of the NMOS transistor. The optimal circuit configuration meeting the design requirements was finally identified via comparing the operational parameters and NMOS transistor loss under different circuit conditions. The validation experiments were conducted on a designed electromagnetic induction smoking devices. The results indicate that under an output current of 4.6A, the heating tube can reach up to the temperature target of 250℃ within 11 seconds, and all NMOS transistors stay below 50°C in a 5 minutes heating process.

This review examines additive manufacturing for refractory tungsten (W) and its alloys. It emphasizes the primary challenges and determining factors involved in additive manufacturing pure W, W alloys, and composites. Our focus in this regard extends to both process and alloying strategies designed to address critical issues such as densification, micro-cracking, and mechanical properties in tungsten-based components produced through additive techniques. Throughout the review, we organize existing knowledge and insights into convenient tables, serving as valuable resources for researchers embarking on a deeper exploration of these topics.

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is an important deciduous species in western U.S. forests. Existing maps of aspen distribution are based on Landsat imagery and often miss small stands (&lt;0.09 ha or 30 m²), which rapidly regrow when managed or following disturbance. In this study, we present methods for deriving a new regional map of aspen forests using one year of Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) imagery in Google Earth Engine. We assessed the annual phenology of aspen in the Southern Rockies and leveraged the frequent temporal resolution of S1 and S2 to create ecologically relevant seasonal composites. Additionally, we derived spectral indices and radar textural features targeting the canopy structure, moisture, and chlorophyll content. Using spatial block cross-validation and Random Forests, we assessed the accuracy of different scenarios and selected the best performing set of features for classification. Comparisons were then made with existing landcover products across the study region. The resulting map improves on existing landcover products in both accuracy (average F1-score = 93.1%) and detection of smaller forest patches. These methods enable accurate mapping at spatial and temporal scales relevant to forest management for one of the most widely distributed tree species in North America.

High dimensional statistical analysis for the yield of large-scale circuits is quite difficult due to expensive simulations, especially for the memory circuits with high sigma requirement (e.g., SRAM). In this paper, we developed an efficient sparse additive model to substitute simulations. To fit high sigma region accurately, the modeling center is moved to near failure boundary searched by scaling the shape of sampling function. To solve the model efficiently, the process variables are grouped by standard cells so that the model can be solved by our developed blockwise greedy algorithm. The experiments on the 28nm memory circuits validate that our method achieves high accuracy and efficiency compared with other state-of-art works.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated promising capabilities to solve complex tasks in critical sectors such as healthcare. However, LLMs are limited by their training data which is often outdated, the tendency to generate inaccurate ("hallucinated") content and a lack of transparency in the content they generate. To address these limitations, retrieval augmented generation (RAG) grounds the responses of LLMs by exposing them to external knowledge sources. However, in the healthcare domain there is currently a lack of systematic understanding of which datasets, RAG methodologies and evaluation frameworks are available. This review aims to bridge this gap by assessing RAG-based approaches employed by LLMs in healthcare, focusing on the different steps of retrieval, augmentation and generation. Additionally, we identify the limitations, strengths and gaps in the existing literature. Our synthesis shows that proprietary models such as GPT-3.5/4 are the most used for RAG applications in healthcare. Also, there is a lack of standardized evaluation frameworks for RAG-based applications. In addition, the majority of the studies do not assess or address ethical considerations related to RAG in healthcare. It is important to account for ethical challenges that are inherent when AI systems are implemented in the clinical setting. Lastly, we highlight the need for further research and development to ensure responsible and effective adoption of RAG in the medical domain.

The aim of this work is to compare two softwares (MAUD and TOPAS) based on the Rietveld algorithm and to test the concept of tolerance factor using the dissolution at high temperature of yttrium into BaTiO₃. In general, both softwares give up different values of the crystalline parameters however the trends are similar in most cases but the analysis of the strain and crystallite size in the BaTiO₃ crystals suggests that, in this particular case, MAUD offered results more consistent with the expected behavior. Using the crystalline parameters calculated by Rietveld, the tolerance factor values were obtained and these data suggest even better stability in the crystalline structure than that expected using theoretical parameters. Tolerance factor concept also indicates that Ti⁴⁺ should be preferred.

This study utilises NaOH to treat composite cementitious materials containing aeolian sand and zeolite powders, which were used to replace 50% of the cement in aeolian-sand concrete (ASC). The mechanical properties of treated ASC considerably improved, especially when the NaOH dosage was 4% by mass. After curing this sample (denoted as AAZC-4) for 28 d, its compressive strength improved by 17.2% and its split tensile was increased by 16.3%. Potassium feldspar and montmorillonite in zeolite powder and SiO2 in the sand were decomposed by OH− and combined with other elements to generate various silicate gels and A-type potassium zeolite crystals inside the concrete. Microscopic examination showed that the gels and crystals intertwined to fill the pores, decreasing (increasing) the percentage of large (small) pores, thus optimising the pore structure. This substantially improved the mechanical properties of ASC. Freeze–thaw salt-intrusion tests showed that the extent of mass loss, degree of damage and loss of compressive strength of AAZC-4 were similar to those of ordinary concrete but were reduced by 36.8%, 19% and 52.1%, respectively, compared with those of ASC. Therefore, AAZC-4 has sustainable working performance in the chloride ion permeable environment in cold and arid areas.

The monitoring of coastal waters using satellite data, from sensors including Sentinel-3 OLCI, has become a vital tool in the management of these water environments; especially when it comes to improving our understanding of the effects of climate change on these regions. In this study, Level-2 water products derived from different OLCI Sentinel-3 processors were validated against a comprehensive in situ dataset from the NW Baltic Sea proper region. The products validated were those of the regionally adapted Case-2 Regional Coast Colour (C2RCC) OLCI processor (v1.0 and v2.1), as well as the latest standard Level-2 OLCI case 2 (Neural Network) products from Sentinel-3’s processing baseline: Baseline Collection 003 (BC003), including “CHL_NN”, “TSM_NN”, and “ADG443_NN”. Furthermore, the effect of the current EUMETSAT system vicarious calibration (SVC) on the Level-2 water products was also validated. Results showed that the system vicarious calibration (SVC) reduces the reliability of the Level-2 OLCI products. For example, the application of these SVC gains to the OLCI data for the regionally adapted v2.1 C2RCC products resulted in RMSD increases of 36% for “conc_tsm”; 118% for “conc_chl”; 33% for “iop_agelb”; 50% for “iop_adg”; and 10% for “kd_z90max” using a ±3h validation window. The findings indicate that the current EUMETSAT SVC gains should be applied and interpreted with caution in the region of study at present. A key outcome of the paper recommends the development of a regionally specific SVC against AERONET-OC data for the region.

Abstract: An Al-Co-Y diffusion coating was prepared on a TiAl alloy by pack cementation process at a low temperature range of 650-720 ℃. The influence of different activators and co-deposition temperatures on the coating’s microstructure and formation process, and high temperature oxida-tion performance was studied. The results showed that NaF was a more suitable activator for preparing the Al-Co-Y diffusion coating on TiAl alloy compared to NH4Cl and AlCl3. A more compact coating structure can be obtained when deposition was performed at 680 ℃ using NaF as the activator. The coating was mainly composed of a TiAl3 outer layer, a TiAl2 inner layer, and a thin Al-rich TiAl inter-diffusion layer. The growth of the coating exhibited a positive linear correlation between coating thickness increase and the square root of deposition time. The high-temperature oxidation tests showed that a dense scale mainly composed of Al2O3 and a small amount of TiO2 formed on the coating after oxidation at 950 ℃ for 100 h. The scale possessed excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance, with a parabolic rate constant of the oxidation weight gain approximately 4.9×10-3 mg2/cm4 h, which is lower than that of the TiAl substrate by about three orders of magnitude, and lower than that of the pure Al diffusion coating more than one order of magnitude.

The activated carbons (ACs) derived from okara powder waste with high surface areas were modified with ammonia aqueous solution impregnation in an autoclave to enhance their CO2 adsorption properties toward CO2. The impregnated ACs were characterized in which surface chemical composition and properties of the ACs were analyzed by SEM-EDS, FTIR. Activated carbons were functionalized with ammonia aqueous solution (25%) through a hydrothermal process within 24; 48, and 72 hours. The adsorption performance of CO2 onto carbon samples was experimentally evaluated through a breakthrough adsorption experimental setup at room temperature. FTIR spectra confirm the N-containing in N-modified activated carbons and the presence of the –C = O stretch and N-H groups. CO2 uptakes of N-modified activated carbons are 0.24; 1.47; and 1.20 mmol/g, which are relatively comparable with those of activated carbons studied in in the literature.

Although the potential of natural minerals for purification of liquid radioactive wastes (LRW) from radionuclides has been widely studied, the use of hybrid polymer composites made of zeolite is still rather scarce. This article reports on the preparation of zeolite based hybride polymer composites using the in-situ polymerization technique in the body of mineral matrix and its intercalated with copper ferrocyanide (CuFC) forms. This hybrid polymer composites have shown unique and enhanced properties as compared to the individual mineral. The change in conventional properties of two mixed minerals such as zeolite and bentonite and their intercalated with CuFC forms were probed using technics such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mossbauer spectroscopy (MS) and FT-IR analysis. The totality of analysis showed a coexistence of intercalated and percolated zeolite phases. The hybrid polymer composites exhibited both adsorption and ion-exchangr properties in removal of radionuclides from LRW.

The Food and Drug Administration’s 2011 Process Validation Guidance and International Council for Harmonization Quality Guidelines recommend continued process verification (CPV) as a mandatory requirement for pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and other regulated industries. As a part of product life cycle management, after process characterization in stage 1 and process qualification and validation in stage-2, CPV is performed as stage-3 validation during commercial manufacturing. CPV ensures that the process continues to remain within a validated state. CPV requires the collection and analysis of data related to critical quality attributes, critical material attributes, and critical process parameters on a minimum basis. Data is then used to elucidate process control regarding the capability to meet predefined specifications and stability via statistical process control tools. In statistical process control, control charts and Nelson rules are commonly used throughout the industry to monitor and trend data to ensure that a process remains in control. In the control chart, the mean value is taken as the center line, and 3σ limits are placed on either side of the center line. In CPV, manufactured lots are summarized, trended, and discussed at a cross-functional level at pre-defined intervals (either weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly) based on the batch run rate. A cross-functional team assesses details regarding 1) violation frequency, 2) statistical strength of the signal, 3) violation magnitude and its impact on process or quality, and 4) any potential root causes for out-of-expectation or out-of-trend signals. The cross-functional team must analyze whether any signal identified by the control chart is reliable and must determine whether corrective action should be taken and justify the decision in the CPV meeting minutes based on statistical strength and reliability of the signal. However, basic control charts are susceptible to false alarms and nuisance alarms. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the assumptions behind control charts and the inherent false alarm rates for different Nelson rules. In this article, the authors have detailed the assumptions behind the usage of control charts, the rate of false alarms for different Nelson rules, the impact of skewness and kurtosis of a data distribution on the false alarm rate, and methods for optimizing control chart design by reducing false alarm rates and nuisance signals.

In the process of oil and gas development and production, when the flow rate in the wellbore is large, the materials underground will be eroded, causing the operation to be unable to proceed smoothly and reducing the efficiency of oil and gas production. Therefore, optimizing the anti-erosion coating under high-speed flow conditions in wellbore is a very interesting thing. It can greatly improve operational efficiency. In this paper, laser cladding was used to prepare the new coating used in the PDC drill bit. Then, the effects of tungsten carbide and multi-layer graphene on the microstructure and properties of the tungsten carbide coating were studied. The research results indicate that, for new coatings, 60% tungsten carbide and 0.3% graphene are the optimal ratios. After adding WC, the hardness has significantly improved. However, when the WC content further increases more than 30%, the increase in hardness is relatively small. In addition, when the content of graphene is more than 0.3%, the branched structure became thicker, and not only the segregation of Cr, Si and W became very obvious again, but also the segregation of Fe occurred at the Ni enrichment site. The research results contribute to improving oil and gas production and operational efficiency under high-speed fluid flow conditions in the wellbore.

The kinetics and efficacy profiles of photoinitiated polymerization are theoretically presented. For the same dose, lower light intensity achieves a higher steady-state-efficacy (SSE) in type-I; in contrast, type-II has an equal SSE. Higher light intensity has a faster rising efficacy, due to faster depletion of photoinitiator (PS) concentration. However, type-II process is also affected by the available oxygen. Higher light intensity produces more efficient singlet oxygen, resulting a higher transient efficacy, in which all intensities reach the same SSE when oxygen is completely depleted. With external oxygen, type-II efficacy increases with time, otherwise, it is governed only by the light dose, i.e., same dose achieves same efficacy. Moreover, type-II has an efficacy follows Bunsen Roscoe law (BRL), whereas type-I follows non-BRL. The measured type-I efficacy and gelation profile are analyzed by our analytic formulas. Schematics of the photocrosslinking stage defined by the availability of oxygen is developed, where both type-I and –II coexist until the oxygen is depleted. The overall efficacy may be enhanced by resupply of PS or oxygen during the light exposure. The roles of light dose and PS concentration on the efficacy of photoinitiated polymerization should be are governed a new concept of a volume efficacy (Ve), defined by the product of the crosslink (or gelation) depth (CD) and local [efficacy].

Optimal conditions for maximum efficacy of photoinitiated polymerization are theoretically presented. Analytic formulas are shown for the crosslink time, crosslink depth and efficacy function. The roles of photoinitiator (PI) concentration, diffusion depth and light intensity on the polymerization spatial and temporal profiles, for both uniform and non-uniform cases, are presented. For optimal efficacy, a strategy via controlled PI concentration is proposed, where re-supply of PI in high light intensity may achieve a combined-efficacy similar to low light intensity, but has a much faster procedure. A new criterion of efficacy based on the polymerization (crosslink) [strength] and [depth] is introduced. Experimental data are analyzed for the role of PI concentration and light intensity on the gelation time and efficacy.

The kinetics and modeling of dual-wavelength controlled photopolymerization confinement (PC) are presented and measured data are analyzed by analytic formulas and numerical data. The UV-light initiated inhibition effect is strongly monomer-dependent and different monomers have different C=C bond rate constants and conversion efficacy. Without the UV-light, for a given blue-light intensity, higher initiator concentration (C₁₀) and rate constant (k’) lead to higher conversion, as also predicted by analytic formulas, in which the total conversion rate (R_T) is an increasing function of k’R, which is proportional to k[gB₁C₁]^0.5. However, the coupling factor b₁ plays a different role that higher b₁ leads to higher conversion only in the transient regime; whereas higher b₁ leads lower steady-state conversion. For a fixed initiator concentration C₁₀, higher inhibitor concentration (C₂₀) leads to lower conversion due to stronger inhibition effect. However, same conversion reduction was found for the same H-factor of H₀ = [b₁C₁₀ - b₂C₂₀]. Conversion of blue-only are much higher than that of UV-only and UV-blue combined, in which high C₂₀ results a strong reduction of blue-only-conversion, such that the UV-light serves as the turn-off (trigger) mechanism for the purpose of spatial confirmation within the overlap area of UV and blue light. For example, UV-light controlled methacrylate conversion of a glycidyl dimethacrylate resin formulated with a tertiary amine co-initiator, and butyl nitrite, subject to a continuous exposure of a blue light, but an on-off exposure of a UV-light. Finally, we developed a theoretical new finding for the criterion of a good material/candidate governed by a double ratio of light-intensity and concentration, [I₂₀C₂₀.]/[I₁₀C₁₀].

This study aimed to solve the problems of sealing and tearing failure of packer’s rubber cylinders during CO2 downhole injection. Using the simulation software, Comsol, a rubber cylinder model in a supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) environment was established. The thermal analogy method was used to simulate the CO2 diffusion and rubber cylinder swelling process, thus we analyzed the deformation and stress of the rubber cylinder caused by temperature, pressure and CO2 as swelling agent. Results showed that, in the SC-CO2 environment, under the influence of CO2 diffusion and the consequent swelling, the rubber cylinder body is prone to large deformation, and the maximum shear stress is significantly increased, leading to shear failure of the rubber cylinder. The reduction of the initial seating pressure can alleviate the impact of deformation, whereas the reduction of the maximum contact pressure could cause the rubber cylinder to lose its seal. We also analyzed the change rules between various factors and the maximum contact pressure of the rubber cylinder, which provides a theoretical basis and technical support for improving the sealing performance of the packer’s rubber cylinder in the SC-CO2 environment.

Fire detection from satellite sensors relies on an accurate estimation of the unperturbed state of a target pixel, from which an anomaly can be isolated. Methods for estimating the radiation budget of a pixel without fire depend upon training data derived from the location's recent history of brightness temperature variation over the diurnal cycle, which can be vulnerable to cloud contamination and the effects of weather. This study proposes a new method that utilises the common solar budget found at a given latitude in conjunction with an area's local solar time to aggregate a broad-area training dataset, which can be used to model the expected diurnal temperature cycle of a location. This training data is then used in a temperature fitting process with the measured brightness temperatures in a pixel, and compared to pixel-derived training data and contextual methods of background temperature determination. Results of this study show similar accuracy between clear-sky medium wave infrared upwelling radiation and the diurnal temperature cycle estimation compared to previous methods, with demonstrable improvements in processing time and training data availability. This method can be used in conjunction with brightness temperature thresholds to provide a baseline for upwelling radiation, from which positive thermal anomalies such as fire can be isolated.

This study was focused on the development of oil-producing microorganisms to generate lipids. The yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (R. mucilaginosa) was selected for liquid-state cultivation, and the conditions for growth of the yeast cells were assessed. Additionally, the relationships between different nutrient elements and the growth of R. mucilaginosa were explored. The lipid accumulation of R. mucilaginosa is increased under nitrogen-restricted conditions. As the concentration of the carbon source increases, the accumulation of lipids is increased. However, if the carbon source concentration is further increased, the growth of yeast is inhibited. From a large-scale liquid fermentation culture with a fixed inoculation amount of 5%, and from a batch of culture experiments, it was determined that a suitable oil-producing culture was obtained on the 6th day, and the optimum conditions involved a carbon source concentration of 60 g/L, a nitrogen source concentration of 0.5 g/L, and a KH2PO4 concentration of 7.0 g/L. After utilizing different carbon sources in this study, it was found that glucose was the carbon source most conducive to the accumulation of R. mucilaginosa lipids. In addition, the extraction method and solvent for the extraction of R. mucilaginosa lipids were chosen. The acid-heat method using the green organic solvent ethyl acetate exhibited the best performance for extraction of yeast lipids under environmentally friendly and safe conditions. The analysis of lipids showed that the fatty acids obtained primarily contained C16:0, C18:1 and C18:2, and especially C18:1 (41%) lipids, indicating that R. mucilaginosa lipids are a good bio-oil source for the production of biodiesel.

Automobile industry is recognized as one of the most influential sectors shaping the global economies, societies, and individual lifestyles. Therefore, fierce competitions among different companies are continuously undergoing, and innovations deserve special attention to improve the competitiveness. In the past several years, additive manufacturing (AM) is emerging as an innovative technology in the applications of automobile industry with significant advantages over traditional techniques. As a result, increasing attention has been attracted to combining AM technology with the development of automobile industry. Currently, many automobile players are optimizing their industrial layout by incorporating with innovative AM techniques, and meanwhile, many research progresses have been achieved to meet the market demand. This article aims at presenting a timely review to conclude the recent advances in the application of AM techniques in automobile industry, focusing on the available AM techniques, printable materials, and the industry applications. The future research opportunities and challenges are also outlooked. Hopefully, this work can be useful to the related researchers, as well as the game players in the industry of this field.

We studied Ni2FeSi, Co2FeSi and Co2MnSi -based full Heusler alloy glass-coated microwires with the same geometric aspect ratio ρ ≈ 0.50 ± 0.01 prepared using Taylor-Ulitovsky method. The fabrication of X2YZ; (X = Co &amp; Ni, Y = Fe &amp; Mn and Z = Si) based glass coated microwires with fixed aspect ratio is a quite challenging due to the different samples preparation conditions. The XRD analysis shows nanocrystalline microstructure for all the samples. Space group Fm3¯m (FCC) with disordered B2 and A2-types for Ni2FeSi and Co2FeSi and ordered L21-type for Co2MnSi are observed. The change in the positions of Ni, Co and Mn, Fe in X2YSi resulted in a variation in the lattice cell parameters and the average grain size of the sample. Room temperature magnetic behavior shows a dramatic change depending on the chemical composition, where Ni2FeSi-MWs shows the highest coercivity (Hc) compared to Co2FeSi-MWS and Co2MnSi-MWs. The Hc –value of Ni2FeSi-MWs is 16 times higher than that of Co2MnSi-MWs and 3 times higher than that of Co2FeSi-MWS. Meanwhile, the highest reduced remanence is reported for Co2FeSi-MWS (Mr =0.92), , being about 0.33 and 0.22 for Ni2FeSi-MWs and Co2MnSi-MWs, respectively. From the analysis of the temperature dependence of the magnetic properties (Hc and Mr) of X2YZ-MWs we deduced that Hc shows a stable tendency for Co2MnSi-MWs and Co2FeSi-MWs, meanwhile two flipped points are observed for Ni2FeSi-MWs where the behavior of Hc changes with temperature. For Mr monotonic increase by decreasing the temperature is observed for Co2FeSi-MWs and Ni2FeSi-MWs and roughly stable for Co2MnSi-MWs. The thermomagnetic curves at low magnetic field show irreversible magnetic behavior for Co2MnSi-MWs and Co2FeSi-MWs and regular ferromagnetic behavior for Ni2FeSi-MWs. The current result illustrates the ability to tailor the structure and magnetic behavior of X2YZ-MWs at a fixed internal stresses, i.e., with fixed aspect ratio. Additionally, a different behavior was revealed in X2YZ-MWs depending on the degree of ordering and elements distribution. The tunability of magnetic properties of X2YZ-MWs makes them suitable for sensing applications.

High-power lasers play an important role in modern science, industry, and medicine. A signifi-cant milestone was reached on December 5, 2022, when Inertial Confinement Nuclear Fusion (ICF) achieved scientific breakeven, releasing more energy than the input laser energy. Additionally, Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) has enabled the development of microchips with 3 nm process nodes, marking a leap in semiconductor technology. These examples together with the recent achievement of a 10 PW (1015 W) laser output heralds remarkable advancements in technology and science soon. Laser systems are broadly classified based on their operating re-gimes into two main categories: Continuous Wave (CW) operation, where the laser is continuously pumped and emits a steady beam of light, and the pulsed regime, in which the laser pro-duces single or multiple pulses at various repetition rates. This review will primarily focus on pulsed laser systems, exploring their various types and recent technological advancements.

The evolution of the H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses has led to the emergence of distinct groups with genetically similar clusters of hemagglutinin (HA) sequences. In this study, a consensus H5 HA sequence was cloned into the baculovirus expression system. The HA protein was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells and utilized as the antigen for the production of an oil emulsion-based H5 avian influenza vaccine (rBacH5Con5Mut). 21-day old SPF chickens were immunized with this vaccine and then challenged at 21 days post-vaccination (dpv) with clade 2.3.2.1, clade 2.3.4.4 and clade 7.2 of H5 HPAI virus, respectively. The chicken sera of vaccinated chickens exhibited high hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers against the rBacH5 vaccine antigen, while lower HI titers were observed against the different challenge virus H5 hemagglutinins. Furthermore, the rBacH5Con5Mut vaccine provided 100% protection from mortality and clinical signs. Virus isolation results showed that oropharyngeal and cloacal shedding was prevented in 100% of the vaccinated chickens when challenged with clade 2.3.2.1 and clade 2.3.4.4 H5 viruses. When the rBacH5Con5Mut vaccine candidate was administrated at one day of age, 100% protection was demonstrated against challenge of clade 2.3.4.4 virus at 3 weeks of age, indicating the potential of this vaccine for hatchery vaccination. Overall, the rBacH5Con5Mut vaccine candidate with a consensus HA antigen and a single dose can protect chickens against different clades of H5 HPAI viruses throughout the rearing period of broiler chickens without a boost, thus fulfilling the criteria for an efficacious broad-spectrum H5 avian influenza vaccine.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci MEAM1, is a pest known to significantly impact tomato development and yields through direct damage and virus transmission. To manage this pest, the current study compared the effectiveness of various insecticide rotations. Field trials included rotations involving synthetic insecticides, biochemicals, and microbial agents, applied according to their labeled highest concentrations. Results indicated that while standard synthetic insecticides consistently reduced whitefly egg and nymph counts significantly, microbial biopesticide rotations also achieved reductions, although less consistently. This study demonstrated that while traditional chemical treatments remain highly effective, integrating microbial biopesticides containing Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps javanica present a viable alternative that could mitigate resistance development and reduce environmental impact. The findings suggest the potential for optimizing integrated pest management (IPM) and Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) strategies by incorporating a variety of modes of action to sustainably manage B. tabaci MEAM1 populations in agricultural settings.

Deep learning (DL) algorithms used for DOTATATE PET lesion detection typically require large, well-annotated training datasets. These are difficult to obtain due to low incidence of gastroenteopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), and the high cost of manual annotation. Furthermore, networks trained and tested with data acquired from site specific PET/CT instrumentation, acquisition and processing protocols have reduced performance when tested with offsite data. This lack of generalizability requires even larger, more diverse training datasets. The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of improving DL algorithm performance by better matching the background noise in training datasets to higher noise, out-of-domain testing datasets. 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT datasets were obtained from two scanners: Scanner1, a state-of-the-art digital PET/CT (GE DMI PET/CT; n=83 subjects), and Scanner2, an older-generation analog PET/CT (GE STE; n=123 subjects). Set1, the data set from Scanner1 was reconstructed with standard clinical parameters (5 minutes; Q.Clear) and list-mode reconstructions (VPFXS 2, 3, 4, and 5-minutes). Set2, data from Scanner2, representing out-of-domain clinical scans, used standard iterative reconstruction (5 minutes; OSEM). Reconstructed datasets were divided into training, validation, and testing datasets in a 60%, 20%, 20% proportion, and a deep neural network was trained with each: Network1 for Scanner1 and Network2 for Scanner2. DL performance (Network1) was tested with out-of-domain test data (Set2). To evaluate the effect of training sample size, we tested DL model performance using a fraction (25%, 50%, and 75%) of Set1 for training. Scanner1, list-mode 2-minute reconstructed data demonstrated the most similar noise level compared that of Set2, resulting in the best performance (F1=0.713). This was not significantly different compared to the highest performance, upper-bound limit using in-domain training for Network2 (F1=0.755; p-value=0.103). Regarding sample size, the F1 score significantly increased from 25% training data (F1=0.478) to 100% training data (F1=0.713; p&lt;0.001). List-mode data from modern PET scanners can be reconstructed to better match the noise properties of older scanners. Using existing data and their associated annotations dramatically reduces the cost and effort in generating these datasets, and significantly improves the performance of existing DL algorithms. List-mode reconstructions can provide an efficient, low-cost method to improve DL algorithm generalizability.

Strong yet ductile alloys have long been desired for industrial applications to enhance structural reliability. This work produced two (CoCrNi)93.5Al3Ti3C0.5 medium-entropy alloys with exceptional strength-ductility combinations, via short/medium (3 min/30 min)-time annealing after hot-rolling. Three types of intergranular precipitates including MC, M23C6 carbides, and L12 phase were detected in both the samples. Noticeably, the high density of intragranular L12 precipitates were only founded in the medium-time annealed sample but not in another one. Upon inspection of deformed substructure, it was revealed that the plane slip is the dominant deformation mechanism of both the alloys. This is related to the lower stacking fault energy, higher lattice friction induced by C solute, and slip plane softening caused by intragranular dense L12 precipitates. Additionally, we noted that the stacking fault and twinning act as the mediated mechanisms in deformation of the short-time annealed alloy, while only the former in the medium-time annealed one. It is attributed to the higher energy stacking faults and the increased critical twinning stress caused by intragranular dense L12 precipitates that inhibited the twinning tendency. Our present findings provide not only a guidance for optimizing the mechanical properties of high/medium-entropy alloys, but also a fundamental understanding of deformation mechanisms.

In tropical developing regions, typhoid fever and malaria often co-occur, posing serious health risks. The two illnesses have similar symptoms, which makes diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Through a thorough analysis of existing literature on typhoid fever, malaria, and co-infection, including research articles, case studies, and review papers, this review seeks to understand the dynamic interactions between typhoid fever and malaria co-infection. The review highlights important problems with co-infection between typhoid and malaria, such as higher morbidity and death, diagnostics-related challenges, and antibiotic resistance. Overlapping symptoms and limitations in current diagnostic tests impede accuracy. Treatment plans are made more difficult by the advent of typhoid strains that are resistant to drugs. The analysis concludes by highlighting the necessity of developing more sensitive and specific diagnostic methods in order to accurately diagnose co-infections. Going forward, the review emphasizes the need for more investigation into the immunological connections between malaria and typhoid illnesses. Essentially, this paper offers a thorough summary of the difficulties and possibilities related to co-infection between typhoid and malaria. It provides a framework for upcoming studies and initiatives that seek to improve public health and patient outcomes in the face of these intricately linked health problems.

The high genetic diversity of the tomato and its high micronutrient content make this fruit very interesting from an economic and nutritional point of view. The genetic erosion suffered by this crop, due to breeding objectives based on yield and marketing, makes it necessary to return to the origins in search of the nutritional and organoleptic quality lost in traditional varieties. In this study, the agronomic, physical, organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of eighteen F1 hybrids obtained by crossing fourteen traditional varieties, previously selected for their quality, were studied to select genotypes of superior quality that could be candidates for new. All parameters studied were strongly influenced by genotype, showing a wide range between cultivars. Principal Component Analysis revealed the characteristics of each hybrid that made it stand out from the others. Some hybrids (H3, H4, and H6) stand out because of their high concentration of active compounds, others (H16, H15, H10, H17, H9, and H11) because of agronomic performance and high content of β-carotene, and H5 was the only one to contain chlorophyll in their ripe fruits. Finally, the evaluation index allowed the selection of five hybrids with interesting characteristics, combining good yield performance and high quality

Intense climate change and rapid urbanization have increased the risk of urban flooding, seriously affecting urban economic and social stability. Enhancing the urban flood resilience (UFR) has required a new solution to cope with urban flood disasters. In this study, taking Yingtan city as an example, a system of indicators for evaluating UFR was constructed, with 17 representative indicators, comprising three subsystems: socio-economic, ecological and infrastructural. A hybrid (FAHP-EWM)-TOPSIS model was applied, to develop an index-based measurement to compare and evaluate UFR, and Gray Relational Analysis (GRA) was used to discover the main factors affecting UFR. In addition, the natural discontinuous method was innovatively used to divide the UFR grade interval into levels, and the grade change was evaluated based on the TOPSIS method. The results showed that (1) from 2010 to 2022, the UFR in Yingtan City increased by 80.69%, and the factors affecting UFR are highly correlated with urban infrastructure development. However, the ecological resilience in the subsystem showed a fluctuating downward trend, because of the influence of the surface area of lakes and rivers. (2) The grades of UFR for Yingtan City increased from Level III (2010 and 2016) to Level IV (2022), with local financial expenditures and the age structure of the population being the main factors currently limiting the development of UFR. The study provides a theoretical basis for the construction of an indicator system for assessing the UFR of Yingtan and proposes practical improvement directions for UFR.

Understanding whether the long-term follow-up (LTFU) system is working for families is critical to measuring the success of newborn screening (NBS) and understanding why some families are lost to follow-up. Caregivers were recruited from six pediatric specialty care clinics. Data was gathered from caregivers via six focus groups (n=24) and open-ended responses on a survey (n=33). Caregiver participants represented a wide range of NBS-related conditions and children’s ages. While this is not the first study to gather caregivers’ input, it is unique in its breadth of perspectives (e.g., metabolic, endocrine, hemoglobinopathy, etc.) and its focus on LTFU. When asked about goals for their children, caregivers identified health-related goals (i.e., ability for children to care for themselves, not being hindered by diagnosis) and non-health related goals (i.e., defining themselves outside of disease, participating in sports, making friends). In qualifying the LTFU care they want and need for their child and the key factors that influence access and engagement, caregivers identified three themes: communication and relationships with providers; care team roles and factors; and care access and utilization factors. The themes identified are not disjoint; they are intertwined and collectively illustrate the lived experiences of families at the epicenter of LTFU care.

Commercial protein supplements are the main sources for the sports nutrition. Nowadays, those protein supplements mainly differ in the ingredients and formulations, possibly affecting the digestion behavior and protein absorption during gastrointestinal digestion. Herein, this work aimed to investigate the gastric digestion behavior and protein hydrolysis of commercial protein supplements by using an in vitro dynamic digestion model. Five commercial protein supplements were selected, including three protein powders and two liquid protein beverages. The results indicated that liquid protein beverages had smaller particle size than protein powder dispersions, and one of the protein powders existed as the microcapsules. During gastric digestion, all samples tended to form aggregates as the pH decreased, and the degree of aggregation was more pronounced in liquid protein beverages than in protein powders, where the intact structure of the microcapsules was gradually disrupted. Protein hydrolysis degree in liquid protein beverages was higher than that in protein powders. One of the liquid products (M20) had the highest protein hydrolysis degree of around 35.74% after 120 min gastric digestion and a half-empty time of 37.82 min. These findings suggest that the formulation and ingredients of commercial protein supplements will affect their digestion behavior, resulting in varying degree of protein hydrolysis. Hence, sports supplements should be carefully designed to provide precise nutrition for the athletes and exercisers.

Titanium-based metal-matrix composites manufactured by additive manufacturing offer tremendous lightweighting opportunities. However, processing high reinforcement content remains challenging. This study reports an improved manufacturing process for Ti-TiC enabling high reinforcement content and significant fracture strain concurrently: mechanical blending, followed by laser powder bed fusion and a single heat treatment. As-built microstructure shows both un-melted TiC particles and sub-stoichiometric TiC dendrites resulting from a partial dissolution of TiC particles. The heat treatment is shown to fully convert TiC dendrites into equiaxed TiC grains. Reduction of the C/Ti ratio in TiC during the process results in an increase in the reinforcement content, from a nominal 12 vol% to an effective 21.5 vol%. Ti-TiC tensile samples reached fracture strains of up to 1.7%, Young’s moduli of up to 149 GPa and ultimate tensile strengths of up to 827 MPa. Lower TiC initial powder size distributions displayed the best mechanical performance.

This paper addresses the analysis for the nonlinear vibration response of a rectangular tube with a flexible end and non-rigid acoustic boundaries. This is a further work of the linear structural acoustic problem in a well-known acoustic book. In fact, the acoustic boundaries of an enclosed space sometimes are non-rigid and the structural vibration responses are nonlinear. These two points are the focuses of this paper. The multi-level residue harmonic balance method is applied to this nonlinear structural acoustic problem. The results obtained from the multi-level residue harmonic balance method and numerical method are generally in good agreement. The effects of excitation magnitude, tube length, and phase shift parameter etc. are examined.

Responding to changing value creation processes in the sheet metal working sec-tor, where the complexity and interchangeability of products challenge traditional dif-ferentiation strategies, this empirical analysis explores integrating service-oriented and data-driven business models as new paths to ensure competitiveness, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to capture the current state and challenges associated with the implementation of these business models in this sector. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with SMEs in the industry. The findings indicate that service-oriented and data-driven business models are not yet widely adopted and that manufacturing companies re-quire support in their implementation. Fields of action were identified for the industry. These are "Creating awareness and understanding", "Recognizing added value", "In-creasing company maturity" and "Understanding the change process". Cooperation between science and industry is essential in tackling these fields of action to ensure the successful integration of such business models in manufacturing companies. This pa-per identifies challenges in the fields of action that companies must address through a structured approach promoting awareness, recognizing value, improving organiza-tional maturity, and understanding the change process to successfully implement ser-vice-oriented and data-driven business models.

Directed energy deposition (DED) parameters were determined for near-β alloy Ti-55511 by employing statistical design of experiments (DOE) methods. Parameters resulting in fully dense freeform deposits were identified using two sequential DOEs. Single laser tracks were printed with several laser power, traverse rate, and powder feed rate settings in an initial DOE to identify promising build parameters. Capture efficiency and effective deposition rate were used to characterize and rank the single track deposits. The best parameters were then used to print solid cube with various X-Y and Z-overlaps (different hatch spacing, HS, and layer thickness, ZS) in a second DOE. Suitable deposition parameters were selected based on cube density and microstructure and were used to fabricate larger tensile samples for mechanical testing. Multiple parameter sets were found to provide dense Ti-55511 deposits with acceptable mechanical properties and parametric models showed statistical significance.

Cutaneous mycoses are common infections whose treatment has become more complex due to increasing antifungal resistance and the need for prolonged therapies, hindering patient adher-ence and increasing the incidence of adverse effects. Consequently, the use of physical therapies, especially photodynamic therapy (PDT), has increased for the treatment of onychomycosis due to its antimicrobial capacity mediated by the production of reactive oxygen species. This study investigates the in vitro effect of the combination of blue light (448 nm) and red light (645 nm) with terbinafine on the cell viability of human keratinocytes and the production of reactive ox-ygen species. The combination of terbinafine and blue light exhibits a synergistic effect on the production of reactive oxygen species and a significant increase in the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme involved in the reduction of superoxide ions (O2-) and the genera-tion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Such effect could be useful in clinical practice to improve the response of cutaneous mycoses to pharmacological treatment, reduce their toxicity, and shorten their duration.

: The activated carbons (ACs) derived from okara powder waste with high surface areas were modified with ammonia aqueous solution impregnation in an autoclave to enhance their CO2 adsorption properties toward CO2. The impregnated ACs were characterized in which surface chemical composition and properties of the ACs were analyzed by SEM-EDX, FTIR. Activated carbons were functionalized with ammonia aqueous solution (25%) through a hydrothermal process within 24; 48, and 72 hours. The adsorption performance of CO2 onto carbon samples was experimentally evaluated through a TPD CO2 measurement. FTIR spectra confirm the N-containing in N-modified activated carbons and the presence of the –C = O stretch and N-H groups. CO2 uptakes of N-modified activated carbons are 0.24; 1.78; 2.24 and 1.26 mmol/g, which are relatively comparable with those of activated carbons studied in in the literature.

The use of zeolite in agriculture as a soil conditioner is becoming an important field of research in crop growth. To study the effect of synthetic zeolite and deficit irrigation on sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivation, an experiment in a controlled environment was conducted. In particular, sweet pepper was cultivated in a glasshouse using polypropylene pots filled with sandy-loam soil to which 2% of zeolite was added. The zeolite employed in the experiments was obtained using coal fly ash as raw material. The experiment was planned in order to have two main treatments consisting of a) soil with zeolite at 2% (Z) and b) soil without zeolite, as control (C), and three subplot treatments consisting of 1) full irrigation at 100% of available water content (AWC) (100); 2) deficit irrigation at 70% of AWC (70); 3) deficit irrigation at 50% of AWC (50). Sweet pepper cultivation started on the 24th April 2023 and lasted until the 23th June 2023 and during the trial environmental data, such as soil humidity, air temperature and relative humidity, and some crop parameters, such as plant height, leaf number, SPAD index, were monitored. At the end of the trial, fresh and dry plant weight, dry matter content, and leaf water potential were measured. Results showed that for plant fresh weight and dry matter content, no significant differences were observed by treatments and their interactions whereas for the other parameters the statistical analysis returned significant differences. The study suggests that the soil structural benefits, resulting from the zeolite application, are not followed by an equal positive effect in terms of sweet pepper growth under deficit irrigation conditions.

The unique porous crystal structure of zeolite offers various important utilizations, it is one of the considerations in selecting zeolite at this study as component of composite for restraining noise. It so happens, previous experiments show that banana stem has porous structure, fibrous, high flexibility and can be applied as material for many various products including as component of acoustic material. The combination of both is alleged that it has capability in absorbing noise. This paper presents an investigation on the composite that it was synthesized of Activated Zeolite and Banana Stem Fibre in various weight for determining its sound absorption coefficient alpha (a). Activating natural zeolite was conducted by using 6M HCl in order for enlarging zeolite pores. The sound absorption coefficient was measured in the frequency range between 125 Hz up to 6000 Hz. The results show that the different weight of banana stem fibre as component of the synthesized composite affects the value of alpha and shifts the frequency area.

Detailed kinetics for a 3-wavelength photopolymerization confinement (PC) system is presented for both numerical solutions and analytic formulas. The dynamic profiles are simulated for oxygen, free radical, and conversion for various situations of: blue-light only, 2-light (red and UV), and 3-light (red, blue, UV). An effective PC requires two conditions: (i) a strong N-inhibition for uncured regime with a low conversion (triggered by the UV-light); and (ii) a weak S-inhibition (oxygen-induced) for high conversion under the blue-light or blue and red-light initiation. Good PC candidates are governed by collective factors of: (i) the double ratio of light-intensity and initiator-concentration, (ii) monomers rate-constant; and (iii) effective absorption constants at specific wavelength and initiators. A new reverse feature for the role of N-inhibition on the blue-conversion is found. Higher oxygen concentration leads to a lower conversion, which could be enhanced by reducing the S-inhibition via a red or blue-light pre-irradiation, having a pre-irradiation time TP=200 s for red-light only, and reduced to 150 s, when both red and blue-light. System under UV-only leads a conversion lower than that of blue-only. However, conversion could be improved by the dual-light (blue and UV), and further enhanced by the pre-irradiation of red-light. The two competing factors, N-inhibition and S-inhibition, could be independently and selectively tailored to achieve: (a) high conversion of blue-light (without UV-light), enhanced by red-light pre-irradiation for minimal S-inhibition; and (b) efficient PC initiated by UV-light produced N-inhibition for reduced confinement thickness and for high print speed.

Understanding the distribution of rock glaciers provides key information for investigating and recognizing the status and changes of the periglacial environment. Deep learning algorithms and red-green-blue (RGB) bands from high-resolution satellite images have been extensively employed to map rock glaciers. However, the near-infrared (NIR) band offers rich spectral information and sharp edge features that could significantly contribute to semantic segmentation tasks, but it is rarely utilized in constructing rock glacier identification models due to the limitation of three input bands for classical semantic segmentation networks, like DeeplabV3+. In this study, a dual-encoder DeeplabV3+ network (DEDNet) was designed to overcome the flaws of classical DeeplabV3+ network (CDNet) when identifying rock glaciers using multispectral remote sensing images by extracting spatial and spectral features from RGB and NIR bands, respectively. This network, trained with manually labeled rock glacier samples from QiLian Mountains, established a model with accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, and mIoU (Mean Intersection over Union) of 0.9131, 0.9130, 0.9270, 0.9195, and 0.8601, respectively. The well-trained model was applied to identify new rock glaciers in a test region, achieving a producer's accuracy of 93.68% and a user's accuracy of 94.18%. Furthermore, the model was employed to two study areas in northern Tien Shan (Kazakhstan) and Daxue Shan (Hengduan Shan, China) with high accuracy, which proved that the DEDNet offers an innovative solution to more accurately map rock glaciers on a larger scale due to its robustness across diverse geographic regions.

Reducing CO2 emissions is urgently needed to slow down the impacts of climate change. CO2 capture using an amine solution has been developed and implemented on pilot and commercial scales. However, amine scrubbing, in particular, produces a lot of degraded solvent as waste and is energy intensive. Solid sorbents have been called to overcome those drawbacks. In this work, waste biomass-derived carbon materials were developed and tested for CO2 capture and conversion. Advanced thermal chemical processes i.e. hydrothermal and pyrolysis were applied to produce materials from agri-food waste such as soybean and okara. It was found that the number of functional groups (-C=O and -OH) in activated carbon appears in the synthesized materials, implying the generation of surface oxygenated groups. Preliminary results showed that the synthesized activated carbons are obtained with good yields, and a relatively high surface area, which may be applied as CO2 adsorption materials to solve the CO2 emission problems.

As precision medicine such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy often have limited accessibility, low response rate and evolved resistance, it is urgent to develop simple, low-cost, and quick-turnaround personalized diagnostic technologies for drug response prediction with high sensitivity, speed, and accuracy. Major challenges of drug response prediction strategies employing digital database modeling are the scarcity of labeled clinical data, applicable only to a few classes of drugs, and losing the resolution at the individual patient level. Although these challenges have been partially addressed by large-scale cancer cell line datasets and more patient-relevant cell-based systems, the integration of different data types and data translation from pre-clinical to clinical utilities are still far-fetched. To overcome current limitations of precision medicine with a clinically proven drug response prediction assay, we have developed an innovative and proprietary technology based on in vitro patient testing and in silico data analytics. First, a patient-derived gene expression signature was established via transcriptomic profiling of cell-free mRNA (cfmRNA) from the patient’s blood. Second, a gene-to-drug data fusion and overlaying mechanism to transfer data was performed. Finally, a semi-supervised method was used for database searching, matching, annotation and ranking of drug efficacies from a pool of ~700 approved, investigational or clinical trial drug candidates. A personalized drug response report can be delivered to inform clinical decision within a week. The PGA (Patient-derived Gene expression-informed Anticancer drug efficacy) test has significantly improved patient outcomes when compared to the treatment plans without PGA support. Implementation of PGA, which combines patient-unique cfmRNA fingerprints with drug mapping power, has the potential to identify treatment options when patients are no longer responding to therapy and when standard-of-care is exhausted.

With advancements in digital technologies such as 5G communications, big data, and cloud computing, the components of network operation systems have become increasingly complex, significantly complicating system monitoring and maintenance. Correspondingly, automated log anomaly detection has become a crucial means to ensure stable network operation and protect them from malicious attacks or failures. Conventional machine learning and deep learning methods assume consistent distributions between the training and testing data, adhering to a closed-set recognition paradigm. Nevertheless, in realistic scenarios, systems may encounter new anomalies that were not present in the training data, especially in log anomaly detection. Inspired by evidential learning, we propose a novel anomaly detector called LogEDL, which supervises training of the model through an evidential loss function. Unlike traditional loss functions, the evidential loss function not only focuses on correct classification, but also quantifies the uncertainty of predictions. This enhances the robustness and accuracy of the model in handling anomaly detection tasks, while achieving functionality similar to open-set recognition. To evaluate the proposed LogEDL method, we conduct extensive experiments on three datasets, i.e., HDFS, BGL, and Thunderbird, to detect anomalous log sequences. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed LogEDL achieves state-of-the-art performance in anomaly detection.

The existing PDC(Polycrystalline Diamond Compacts) -cone hybrid bit bearing adopts a unilateral support structure, which is prone to stress concentration in the journal area, resulting in fracture and wear failure of the bearing, thus reducing the service life of the hybrid bit. In this paper, a new type of double supported bearing hybrid bit is proposed. The static strength analysis of unilateral and bilateral support bearing structures is carried out by finite element simulation, and the stress and strain distribution of the two structures under the load of 20KN-100KN is obtained. Experimental devices for unilateral and bilateral support bearing structures are designed and manufactured to complete 50KN-100KN static pressure loading experiments. The results showed that the stress and strain of unilateral and bilateral support bearing increased linearly with the increase of load. Compared with unilateral bearing, when the load was 100KN, the maximum Mises stress of bilateral bearing decreased from 358.80MPa to 211.10MPa, with a decrease of 41.16%. The maximum contact stress decreased from 415.20MPa to 378.10MPa, decreased by 8.94%, and the maximum principal strain decreased from 11.01e-4 to 9.71e-4, decreased by 11.81%. The axial strain in the danger zone was reduced by 14.68% and 17.35%, respectively. It is found that the contact stress of the simulation data is highly correlated with the bearing life, and the service life of the bilateral bearing bit is increased by 8.94%. The simulation data and experimental results provide data support for the production of hybrid bits with bilateral bearing support.

In recent years the number of available chemical pesticides has been significantly reduced and there have been an urgent need for discovery of alternative to chemical pesticides products, as among others the natural zeolites (zeolitic rocks). We determined the mineralogical and chemical composition of a specific and continuous layers of zeolitic rock sample (ZeotP) from Petrota, Ev-ros, Greece and evaluated its oviposition deterrent effect for the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Terphritidae). The tested natural zeolite contained 70 wt. % Clinoptilolite, 18 wt. % Amorphous material, 7 wt. % Feldspars, 4 wt. % Cristobalite and 1 wt. % Quartz. We tested the oviposition deterrent effect of ZeotP mixed or not with an emulsifier adjuvant NU-FILM-P® in water and applied on the surface of olive fruits. The ZeotP oviposition deterrent effect for the ol-ive fly was very high under a series of tested temperatures (17°C, 20°C, 25°C and 30°C) and RHs (23%, 33%, 55%, 75%, 94%). In addition, the ZeotP residual deterrent effect after equable water spraying was high and similar to the respective effect of a pyrethroid insecticide (Decis®). Our results may contribute to an effective control of the olive fruit fly using an alternative to chemical pesticides natural zeolite (zeolitic rocks) product.

A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was focused on Pb-Ti alloy samples in several Laser Induced Breakdown experiments in order to measure the Stark parameters of several spectral lines (58) of single ionized Titanium including the 3504.89 Å, and the 3510.83 Ålines (where we aported new experimental and theoretical values).Diagnostics of the laser induced plasmas (electron density and electron temperature) was performed using Balmer’s H alpha line (6562.7 Å).Temperatures were obtained by the Boltzmann Plot technique with spectral lines of Pb I (after correction for its evident self-absorption).Subsequently, calculations by the Griem approach of the Stark broadening parameters for several spectral lines were performed using the Gaunt factors proposed by Van Regemorter and those proposed by Douglas H. Sampson. In the latter cases the values obtained were very close to the experimental values. It allows us to assume that the calculations made for the spectral lines of Ti II, without experimental information, are more accurate using the Gaunt factors proposed by Sampson.

Background and Objectives. Prevalence of GERD is increased among individuals with obesity and RYGB is considered as the most effective procedure to control GERD and obesity. However, some patients continue to have GERD after RYGB. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence and the risk factors of GERD after RYGB. Material and Methods. This prospective study included 180 patients operated with RYGB and followed for on average of 12.2 (0.6) years. 126 (70%) patients agreed to participate in online consultations and provided data on weight, GERD symptoms, filled GERD-HRQL, TFEQ-18 and GSRS questionnaires. Results. The average age before surgery was 42.7 (10.5) years and BMI was 45.2 (6.4) kg/m2. 128 (71.1%) were females and preoperative GERD was diagnosed in 74 (41.1%) patients. At 12 years follow-up the mean %EBMIL and %TWL were 60.37 and 25.73, respectively. The median %WR was 18.0 (39.0). The GERD was present in 30 (23.8%) patients, of whom 12 (40%) continued to have GERD symptoms and 18 (60%) developed de novo GERD. The GERD-HRQL score significantly decreased from 3.0 (8.0) at baseline to 2.0 (5.0) (p=0.028) at 12 years. GSRS Diarrhea and Indigestion median scores increased significantly, from 1.33 (0.67) to 1.5 (2.42) (p 3.2.

To achieve n-type doping in diamond, extensive investigations employing first principles have been conducted on various models of phosphorus doping and boron-phosphorus co-doping. The primary focus of this study is to comprehensively analyze the formation energy, band structure, density of states, and ionization energy of these structures. It is observed that within a diamond structure solely composed of phosphorus atoms, the formation energy of an individual carbon atom is excessively high. However, the substitution of two carbon atoms leads to the conversion of diamond into a p-type semiconductor. Upon examining the P-B co-doping structure, it is revealed that the doped impurities exhibit a tendency to form more stable cluster configurations. As the separation between the freely doped atoms and the cluster impurity structure increases, the overall stability of the structure diminishes, consequently resulting in an elevation of the ionization energy. Analysis of the electronic density of states demonstrates that the electron orbit of the B atom makes negligible contributions to the impurity levels during P-B doping.

The rebound behaviors of rubber balls based on ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) / chlorinated butyl rubber (CIIR) blends were investigated systematically. A novel method was proposed to characterize the damping capacity of the EPDM/CIIR blends. The damping capacity can be represented by the rebound height of rubber balls, and lower rebound height corresponds to better damping capacity. A mathematical model expressed by an equation obtained through theoretical derivation has been proposed to predict the rebound height of the rubber balls. The energy dissipation rate (EDR) defined by the ratio of the height loss to the rebound time was proposed to further characterize the damping capacity. The EDR value shows the highest for the pure CIIR and lowest for the pure EPDM, showing a decrease trend with the increase of EPDM content in the rubber blends. By comparison one can obtain that the damping capacity of the EPDM/CIIR blends decreases with the decrease of external excitation, the conclusion of which plays a key role in the formulation design of viscoelastic damping rubber materials.

Objectives: Describe the epidemiology of burns in the pediatric population. Analyze and compare the results obtained from the treatment of burn wounds by using the bio-preserved human epidermis allograft (BHEA) and other types of dressings and determine the need for further need of a skin graft. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study of pediatric population with burn injuries was conducted, grouped into categories based on their age group, and the mechanisms of injury into 6 categories: scald, flame, contact, electrical, chemical and friction. Describing the extension and depth of the burn injury. The results of treatment of two groups; the patients who used (BHEA) and the group with “other dressings” were analyzed by inferential statistics to establish the relationship between the use of BHEA and the need for skin grafts compared to the other group. Results: A total of 65 patients were obtained. The average age was 4.5 years (±3.8). Preschoolers (1-5 years old) were the most frequent age group 64% (n=42). Male patients represented 61% (n=40) of cases. Scald was the most reported mechanism 64% (n=42). The average total body surface area burned (TBSAB) was 10.8% (± 9.2). Mixed partial thickness burn (superficial and deep) was the most common with a 55%. The head was the most affected anatomical site; 30%. The face was the most reported “special anatomical site” with a 40% (n=30). 32.2 % of the population (n=21) was treated with BHEA. The average time of epithelialization of the BHEA group was 8 days (±7.2), and their average hospital stay time was 7 days (±5.7). In the “other dressing” group, the average epithelialization time was 18 days (±13.6), and the average hospital stay time was 11 days (±12.6). Fifty percent (n=22) of the “other dressing” group required skin grafts. In the BHEA group only 19% (n=4) required skin grafts. An OR of 0.23 and CI of 95% (0.06 – 0.81) with a p value of (0.017) for the need of skin grafts after de use of BHEA was obtained. Conclusion: The epidemiological results reported are similar to those described in the literature. The use of (BHEA) proved to be a good option for the management of partial thickness burns and burns in transition, promoting timely epithelilization and avoiding deepening of the burns while reducing morbidity, hospital stay and care costs.

700 MPa grade Ti and Nb-Ti microalloyed steels produced by thermo-mechanical control rolled processes (TMCP) were studied to elucidate texture that contributes to delamination and consequent impact toughness. The microstructure of Ti and Nb-Ti steels consisted of ferrite and bainite. Compared with Ti steel, Nb-Ti steel was characterized by a microstructure with finer ferrite and more bainite. The results from tensile and impact tests indicated that there is insignificant change in tensile properties, but toughness was greater in Nb-Ti steel compared with Ti steel. More severe delamination in Nb-Ti steel is attributed to stronger α-fiber (RD ||<110>) texture than Ti steel, especially {100}<110>, {113}<110> and {112}<110> texture. Typical cleavage river patterns were not observed on delaminated fracture surface, instead the cleavage fracture surface indicated some dimples. Interestingly, the impact energy of samples with delamination was greater than samples without delamination in the ductile–brittle transition region. The study suggests that delamination in the ductile–brittle transition zone may also be representative of high toughness.

The commercial oxygen-free copper sheets were cold-rolled with reduction rates ranging from 20% to 87% reduction rate and annealed at 400, 500 and 600 °C. The microstructure and texture evolution during cold-rolling and annealing processes were studied using optical microscopy (OM), the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The results show that the deformation textures of {123} (S) , {112} (Copper) and {110} (Brass) were continuously enhanced with the increase of cold-rolling reduction. The orientations along the α-oriented fiber converged towards Brass and the orientation density of β fiber obviously increased when the rolling reduction exceeded 60%. The recrystallization texture was significantly affected by the cold-rolling reduction. After 60% cold-rolling reduction, Copper and S textures components gradually decreased and {011} recrystallization texture component formed with the increase of annealing temperature. After 87% cold-rolling reduction, a strong Cube texture formed and other textures were inhibited with the increase of annealing temperature. The strong Brass and S deformation texture was conducive to the formation of a strong Cube annealing texture. The density of annealing twin boundary decreased with the increase of annealing temperature, and more annealing twin boundaries formed in the oxygen-free copper sheets with the increase of cold rolling reduction.

This study outlines a 3-step production process for Ti-TiC Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) employing powder Mechanical Blending, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), and a heat treatment. A TiC fraction of more than 20 vol% was formed in-situ through the reaction of titanium with carbon during the LPBF process. The manufactured MMC pieces showed a record stiffness and fracture strain combination. The LPBF energy density impacted strongly porosity type. The as-built microstructure displayed an homogeneous distribution of sub-stoichiometric TiC dendrites which were fully converted into equiaxed TiC grains during the heat treatment. The TiC C/Ti ratio was found to be close to 0.5, resulting in an effective reinforcement content nearly twice the one expected for stoichiometric TiC, leading to stronger reinforcement. The mechanical analysis revealed a Young’s modulus of up to 149 GPa and an ultimate tensile strength of up to 770 MPa, indicating a 27% and 34% improvement, respectively, compared to commercially pure Titanium produced by LPBF and heat treated in the same conditions. A fracture strain of up to 2.8% was achieved. The combination of in-situ formation of defect-free TiC reinforcement and subsequent heat treatment enables to reach an exceptional ductility, considering the 20 vol% reinforcement content.

Sandblasting materials used for dental restoration is a valuable preconditioning technique enhancing the physical properties and promotes osseointegration and cell adhesion. Ti medical grade 4 and Ti6Al4V were blasted with a series of various naturally occurring and synthetically produced spraying materials of controlled granulometry, at precise spraying duration and spraying pressure, and the results were analyzed in terms of the obtained surface roughness and by SEM analysis. It was found that in all cases, regardless of the spraying material or working conditions, the roughness profile achieved is a uniformly distributed one. A reduction in the blasting pressure by half led to a decrease in the roughness between 30 and 35%. The use of glass balls as blasting material led to decreased roughness and a more uniformly distributed roughness values for Ti as well as for Ti6Al4V regardless of spraying duration or applied pressure comparing to other spraying materials, and blasting with olivine led to increased, as well as uniformly distributed values, and hence the conclusion that one may control the roughness size by choosing one or another from the above materials, without the need of changing any other operating parameters. In the case of Ti, the achieved roughness is greater than in the case of Ti4Al6V, irrelevant of the blasting material, the differences being smaller the softer the sandblasting material due to the fact that Ti alloys have better mechanical properties and increased hardness comparing to pure Ti. SEM analysis showed that the use of sintered hydroxyapatite as an additive to the blasting material does not necessarily lead to a substantial deposition of hydroxyapatite on the substrate materials, only traces of it being identified during the analysis.

Reduced glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant in plants and is one of the important ways for plants to combat low-temperature stress. In this paper, Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. cv. Zaozhong No. 6 seedlings were used to study the effects of exogenous 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) application on glutathione synthesis and cyclic metabolism of loquat seedlings under low-temperature stress and to explore the regulatory mechanism of ALA on loquat cold tolerance. The results showed that ALA treatment could increase the content of GSH and the reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio in loquat leaf slices under low-temperature stress; reduce the electrolyte leakage rate and GSSG, H₂O₂ and MDA contents in leaf tissues; and alleviate the peroxidation damage caused by low temperature. ALA treatment increased the activity of γ-glutamine synthetase (γ-ECS) in loquat leaf slices under low-temperature stress and promoted the biosynthesis of reduced glutathione, thereby increasing the GSH content in leaf tissues. On the other hand, ALA treatment could also improve the activities of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and promote the cyclic regeneration of GSH, accordingly maintaining a high GSH/GSSG ratio, promoting the removal of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and enhancing the antioxidant capacity of leaves. The regulatory effect of ALA on enhancing the antioxidant capacity of loquat seedlings under low-temperature stress can be inhibited by L-buthionine-sulfoximine (BSO, GSH biosynthesis inhibitor). The results showed that ALA improved the antioxidant capacity of loquat seedlings under low-temperature stress, and GSH was involved in the regulation of the antioxidant effect of ALA on loquat seedlings under low-temperature stress.

Experimental evidence suggests that chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), a major hallmark of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), boosts carotid body (CB) responsiveness, thereby causing in-creased sympathetic activity, arterial and pulmonary hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. An enhanced circulatory chemoreflex, oxidative stress, and NO signaling appear to play im-portant roles in these responses to CIH in rodents. Since the guinea pig has a hypofunctional CB (i.e., it is a natural CB knockout), in this study we used it as a model to investigate the CB de-pendence of the effects of CIH on pulmonary vascular responses, including those mediated by NO, by comparing them with those previously described in the rat. We have analyzed pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) response, endothelial function both in vivo and in vitro, and vascular remodeling (intima-media thickness, collagen fiber content, and vessel lumen area). We demonstrate that 30 days of exposure of guinea pigs to CIH (FiO2, 5% for 40 s, 30 cycles/h) induces pulmonary artery remodeling but does not alter en-dothelial function or the contractile response to phenylephrine in these arteries. In contrast, CIH exposure increased the systemic arterial pressure, and enhanced the contractile response to phenylephrine while decreasing endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation to carbachol in the aorta, without causing its remodeling. We conclude that since all of these effects are independent of CB sensitization, there must be other oxygen sensors, beyond the CB, with the capacity to alter the autonomic control of the heart and vascular function and structure in CIH.

Materials engineering based on metal oxides for manipulating the solar spectrum and producing solar energy have been under intense investigation over the last years. In this work, we present NiO thin films double-doped with niobium (Nb) and nitrogen (N) as cation and anion dopants (NiO:(Nb,N)) to be used as p-type layers in all oxide transparent solar cells. The films were grown by sputtering a composite Ni-Nb target on room-temperature substrates in plasma containing 50% Ar, 25% O2 and 25% N2 gases. The existence of Nb and N dopants in the NiO structure was confirmed by the Energy Dispersive X-Ray and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy techniques. The nominally undoped NiO film, which was deposited by sputtering a Ni target and used as the reference film, was oxygen-rich, single-phase cubic NiO, having a visible transmittance of less than 20%. Upon double doping with Nb and N the visible transmittance of NiO:(Nb,N) film increased to 60%, which was further improved after thermal treatment to around 85%. The respective values of the direct band gap in the undoped and double-doped films were 3.28 eV and 3.73 eV just after deposition and 3.67 eV and 3.76 eV after thermal treatment. The changes in the properties of the films such as structural disorder, direct and indirect energy band gaps, Urbach tail states and resistivity were correlated with the incorporation of Nb and N in their structure. The thermally treated NiO:(Nb,N) film was used to form a diode with a spin-coated two-layer, mesoporous on top of a compact, TiO2 film. The NiO:(Nb,N)/TiO2 heterojunction exhibited visible transparency of around 80%, showed rectifying characteristics and the diode’s parameters were deduced using the I-V method. The diode revealed photovoltaic behavior upon illumination with UV light exhibiting a short circuit current density of 0.2 mA/cm2 and open-circuit voltage of 500 mV. Improvements of the output characteristics of the NiO:(Nb,N)/TiO2 UV-photovoltaic by proper engineering of the individual layers and device processing procedures are addressed. Transparent NiO:(Nb,N) films can be potential candidates in all-oxide ultraviolet photovoltaics for tandem solar cells, smart windows and other optoelectronic devices.

Civic participation is of great significance to urban management decision-making. In order to facilitate citizens to participate in city management decision-making, this paper proposes a large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) method based on multi-granular probabilistic linguistic preference relations (MG-PLPRs). First, each decision maker selects a language terms set from the multi-granularity language terms set to represent individual preference relations and the MG-PLPRs are obtained by statistical calculation to represent sub-group’s preferences information. Then, an optimization model based on the expected consistency of PLPR and consensus measure of groups is established to achieving consensus reaching processes, which can ensure satisfactory individual consistency and group consensus. Finally, the validity and applicability of the proposed method is verified by a case of a city "shared garden" site selection with the participation of citizens.

Our objective was to investigate the effects of topically applied neuropeptide Y (NPY) on ischemic wounds. Initially, the animal model for ischemic wound healing was validated using 16 male Sprague-Dawley albino rats. In the intervention study, an additional 28 rats were divided into three groups: NPY (0.025%), the positive control insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I, 0.0025%), and the hydrogel carrier alone (control). The hydrogel was selected due to its capacity to prolong NPY release (p &lt; 0.001), as demonstrated in a Franz diffusion cell. In the animals, an 8-mm full-thickness wound was made in a pedunculated dorsal ischemic skin flap. Wounds were then treated and assessed for 14 days, and procured at the end of the experiment for in situ hybridization analysis (RNAscope®) targeting NPY receptor Y2R and for meticulous histologic examination. Wound healing rates, i.e. the percentage wound area changes, did not show an increase with NPY (p = 0.938) but did with rhIGF-I (p = 0.039) compared to the control. Y2R mRNA was not detected in the wounds or adjacent skin but was identified in the rat brain (positive control). Light microscopic examination revealed trends of increased angiogenesis and enhanced inflammatory cell infiltration with NPY compared to control. An interesting secondary discovery was the presence of melanophages in the wounds. Our findings suggest the potential of NPY to enhance neovascularization under ischemic wound healing conditions, but further optimization of the carrier and dosage is necessary. The mechanism is elusive but likely involves NPY receptor subtypes other than Y2R.

In this study, carbon-quantum-dot (CQD)-decorated TiO2 was prepared using an ultrasonic doping method and applied in the photocatalytic degradation of naphthalene under sunlight irradiation. The CQDs were synthesized from a typical macroalgae via diluted sulfuric acid pretreatment and hydrothermal synthesis using an optimal design, i.e., 3 wt% and 200 oC, respectively. The CQD/TiO2 composite remarkably enhanced the photocatalytic activity. The degradation of naphthalene under a visible light environment indicated that there is a synergistic mechanism between CQDs and TiO2, in which the generation of reactive oxygen species is significantly triggered; in addition, the N that originated from the macroalgae accelerated the photocatalytic efficiency. Kinetic analysis showed that the photo-catalytic behavior of the CQD/TiO2 composite followed a pseudo-first-order equation. Consequently, our combined experimental approach not only provides a facile pretreatment process for bio-CQDs synthesis, but also delivers a suitable TiO2 photocatalyst for up-conversion, along with critical insights into the development of harmful macroalgae resources.

The objective of this study is to investigate the aquatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulose ether with four different glyoxal concentrations (0, 1.4, 2.3 and 6.3%) in response to global chemical regulations, e.g., European Union Classification, Labeling and Packaging (EU CLP). Tests of the aquatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulose ether on 11 freeze-dried microbial strains, Microcystis aeruginosa, Daphnia magna and zebrafish embryos were designed as an initial stage for toxicity screening, and were performed with the standardized toxicity test guidelines. Glyoxal-containing cellulose ether showed no significant toxic effects in the toxicity tests for the 11 freeze-dried microbial strains, Daphnia magna and zebrafish embryos. Alternatively, 6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether led to more than a 60% reduction of Microcystis aeruginosa growth after 7 days of exposure. Approximately 10% developmental abnormalities (e.g., bent spine) in zebrafish embryos were also observed in the group exposed to 6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether after 6 days of exposure. These results imply that <6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether results in non-toxic effects on the acute toxicity of aquatic organisms. However, ≥6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether may affect the health of aquatic organisms with long-term exposure. In order to better evaluate the eco-safety of cellulosic products contained in glyoxal, further studies regarding the toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulose ether with long-term exposure are required. The results from this study allow us to evaluate the auatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulosic products, under EU chemical regulations, on the health of aquatic organisms.

The integration of modern technologies like intramedullary fixators and advanced biometallic alloys has revolutionized traumatology and orthopedics. While these innovations have improved treatment, the exploration of new materials for implants persists. Tantalum and niobium, both non-toxic with similar properties, are preferred for titanium-based biomedical alloys due to their exceptional biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. Acting as stabilizers in titanium alloys, they form passive oxide layers resisting corrosion and remain compatible with biological systems. The novel Ti21Nb6Ta (TNT) alloy promises enhanced osteosynthesis outcomes. Our in vivo research on experimental animals evaluated the biocompatibility and osteoinduction of TNT compared to Ti-6Al-4V (BT-6) alloy (control group). The study comprised three experiments across different animal species, assessing acute toxicity, irritant effects, and long-term biocompatibility and osteoinduction through simulated osteosynthesis. Results indicated that aqueous extracts from both alloys were non-toxic and non-irritating. Furthermore, both demonstrated high biocompatibility and active osteoinduction potential after three months of implantation.

This paper is based on the concept of absolute airspace and its local absolute stationary reference system proposed by the author, on the premise of abandoning space concept and the relativity principle of relativity theory, It is proposed that general relativity and special relativity can be unified into Simple and practical a space-time transformation theory which fully includes other basic physical principles of relativity. And the unified and simple expression of the time transformation effect is proved and deduced. By comparing with the theoretical derivation and checking calculation of Hafele-Keating experiment in an ideal state, It is proved that the expression of time transformation effect proposed in this paper is completely correct. Compared with the theory of relativity, the calculation is simpler and more accurate. The paper also puts forward two checking prediction of physical cases about the time transformation effect, which are left for the capable competent unit or individual to verify in practice.

The paper suggests that the physical priciple of special relativity's space-time transformation effect is wrong, Uniform linear motion without acceleration does not exist objectively, nor does its same reference frames. Therefore, it is inferred that the space-time transformation effect of special relativity is caused by the acceleration of moving objects, special relativity is only a part of general relativity, not a theoretical system that exists independently from general relativity. The corresponding mathematical demonstration and calculation verification are carried out, and the result proves that the inference of the paper is correct. At the same time, it further explains that the concept of absolute airspace is correct. Special relativity has serious errors in the concept of space, the principle of relativity and the physical principle of space-time transformation effect. Therefore, it is necessary to make a series of revisions to the theory of relativity and to reinterpret some related physical problems.

The thesis proposes a argument that a mass point moving in a horizontal circle on the Earth's surface can generate a radial centrifugal force of the Earth's center of mass, thus realizing an unconventional anti-gravity path. And through the theoretical analysis of the difference in the distribution of gravitational acceleration at different latitudes caused by the rotation of the earth, and the centrifugal force of a mass point moving in a horizontal circle on the earth's surface is analyzed, the validity of the argument is demonstrated. At the same time, the paper puts forward two possible basic principles, and makes theoretical analysis and demonstration. Conceive of the concrete experimental verification of principle two is proposed. Four technical schemes for antigravity ascent are proposed and basic analysis is made. On the premise of not fully considering the practical technical ability, it is theoretically proved that three of them have realistic operability and development potential. In theory, this paper opens up a different way of anti-gravity for human beings, which will bring new ideas and prospects for human beings to get rid of the bondage of gravity.

In this paper, the Hafele‐Keating experiment and the geostationary orbit satellite of related physics problems of are analyzed and discussed in detail. If researchers read the paper and think about it, It will be found that the Hafele‐Keating experiment and the geostationary satellite problem prove that some of the core ideas and theories of relativity are seriously wrong. Isnʹt that a very serious problem in physics? Canʹt this cause the academic circles to pay great attention to it? Isnʹt this worthy of in‐depth analysis and research? The core of the paper is to point out that there are problems with the space concept and the reference system theory of classical physics and relativity, And that would bring up a whole host of physics problems. It takes a concerted effort from the academic community, Do furtherin‐depth analysis and research. Strive forthe further discovery and perfection of physics theory.

Among the major systems of high-speed rail, the arch network relationship, wheel-rail relationship and fluid-structure coupling relationship are important links affecting the performance of high-speed rail, and also the main control factors affecting the speed limit of high-speed rail. From this perspective, the contact state and interactive relationship between pantograph and catenary are the key factors affecting the forward performance of high-speed rail. As a key component in the pantograph system, the actuator is responsible for adjusting the contact force and position between the pantograph and the contact line. The performance characteristics of the actuator, such as response speed, accuracy, stability and durability, directly affect the control performance of the whole pantograph system. In this paper, the research status of the active control technology of high-speed railway pantograph is reviewed, and the future development direction is pointed out, which provides a new idea for the development of pantograph technology.

The effects of the dielectric constant of the powder phase on lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/PZT sol-gel composite films were investigated to tailor their electrical properties. Three types of PZT powders were used to fabricate three different PZT/PZT sol-gel composite films. The PZT powders had the same electromechanical coupling coefficient but different relative dielectric constants. The PZT/PZT films were fabricated on a 3 mm-thick titanium substrate using an automatic spray coating system, and their properties were investigated. The relative dielectric constants of the PZT/PZT films were successfully controlled by tailoring the properties of the PZT powder phase. However, the piezoelectric constants showed a tendency different to those of the raw powders, because of the poor poling degree. This was overcome by conducting poling at a high temperature.

The magnetic properties of 0.10 mm ultra-thin grain-oriented (UTGO) silicon steel and Fe-based amorphous (FBA) alloy under sinusoidal excitation were measured experimentally, and the magnetic field strength and iron loss of the two materials under different frequencies and magnetic densities were obtained. Based on the measured data, the magnetization and loss characteristics of the two materials were analyzed and compared. Furthermore, two Epstein square ring models of the same specification and different materials were designed, and the reliability of the models was verified. Then, the electromagnetic characteristics of the two Epstein square ring models at higher and lower frequencies were calculated by using the finite element method, and the iron loss was obtained and compared. The results show that the FBA alloy has good application characteristics at low frequency and low power, and the 0.10 mm UTGO silicon steel has good application characteristics at high frequency and high power. This research can provide important data basis to promote the application of these two materials in new energy equipment.

The Songpan-Ganze Orogenic Belt (SGOB) is bounded by the South China, North China, and Qiang-tang blocks and forms the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The Tiechanghe granite is located at the junction of the southeast margin of the SGOB and the western margin of the Yangtze Block. To elucidate the genetic relationship between the Tiechanghe granite and the surrounding molybdenum deposits in Western Sichuan, in this study, we conducted U-Pb zircon and molybdenite Re-Os isotopic dating. The results indicate that the Tiechanghe granite predominantly consists of monzogranite, with minor occur-rences of syenogranite, while the molybdenum deposits are mainly found in skarn and quartz veins. The laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb zircon ages of the Tiechanghe granite range from 162.9±0.7 Ma to 163.4±0.6 Ma, and the zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb age of the pegmatite veins is 164.1±0.9 Ma. These ages are consistent with the weighted average Re-Os age of the Ziershi molybdenite (160.3±1.6 Ma) within the error margins. These findings and previously ob-tained magmatic and metallogenic ages for the region suggest that a magmatic and mineralization event involving granite, molybdenum, tungsten, and copper occurred at around 162–164 Ma in the study area. This discovery broadens the exploration perspective for mineral resources in the Jiulong area of Western Sichuan and the entirety of Western Sichuan.

The nuclear reactor measurement system is a crucial component of the nuclear measurement system in a nuclear power plant. Its primary function is to measure the power distribution within the reactor core using detectors, calibrate, and provide data on core fuel consumption. Therefore, the study of the detectors' reliability is crucial for ensuring the safe operation of the nuclear power system. The article describes the operational mechanism of the gas ionization chamber detector utilized in the intermediate-range detector of the off-board nuclear measurement system. It also analyzes the movement of particles between the plates during the ionization process of the nuclear reaction taking place in the detector. The functional relationship between the current in the recombination region and the ionization region involved in the actual working condition, and the change with the increase of voltage between the plates, is deduced. A mathematical model is established for the number of pulses generated between the plates and the magnitude of the voltage between the plates. Subsequently, the change in the offset of the voltage corresponding to the inflection point of the ping curve and the change rule of the slope of the ping curve are investigated. Combined with the analysis of experimental data, the results show that the initial particle energy of Ar+, the primary sensitive particle on the detector surface, follows a normal distribution and is influenced by the energy loss associated with the initial velocity and the voltage between the plates. The trends of the inflection points and slopes of the ping curves can be utilized to evaluate the performance and operational status of the detector. Combined with the results of the experimental data analysis, the fit is good, and the inflection point currents in the normal state decrease by about 1.5% annually. The intelligent diagnostic system, based on the method studied in this paper, has been successfully implemented in the RPN digital retrofit and upgrade project at Qinshan No. 2 Plant.

Accurate and reliable mid-long runoff prediction (MLTRP) is of great importance in water re-sources management. However the MLTRP is not suitable in each basin and how to evaluate the applicability of MLTRP is still a question. Therefore, the total mutual information (TMI) index is developed in this study based on the predictor selection method using mutual information (MI) and partial MI (PMI). The relationship between the TMI and the predictive performance of five models is analyzed by applying five models in 222 forecasting scenarios in Australia. The results over 222 forecasting scenarios demonstrate that, compared with the MI, the developed TMI index can better represent the available information in the predictors, and has more significant negative correlation with the RRMSE with the correlation coefficient between -0.62 and -0.85. This means the model's predictive performance will become better along with the increase of TMI, and there-fore the developed TMI index can be used to evaluate the applicability of MLTRP. When TMI is more than 0.1, the available information in the predictors can support the construction of MLTRP models. In addition, the TMI is used to partly explain the difference of predictive performance among five models. In general, the complex models, which can better utilize the contained infor-mation, are more sensitive to the TMI, and have more significant improvement in terms of predic-tive performance along with the increase of TMI. This research can provide support for the study of MLTRP.

To reduce the cost of small wind turbines, a prototype of a butterfly wind turbine (6.92 m in diameter), a small vertical-axis type, was developed with many parts made of extruded aluminum suitable for mass production. An over-speed control system with movable arms that operated using centrifugal and aerodynamic forces was installed for further cost reduction. Introducing this mechanism eliminates the need for large active brakes and expands the operating wind speed range of the wind turbine. However, although the mechanism involving the use of only bearings is simple, the violent movement of the movable arms can be a challenge. To address this in the present study, dampers were introduced on the movable arm rotation axes to improve the movement of the movable arms. To predict the behavior of a movable arm and the performance of the wind turbine with the mechanism, a simulation method was developed based on the blade element momentum theory and the equation of motion of the movable arm system. Comparison of experiments and predictions with and without dampers demonstrated qualitative agreement. In the case with dampers, measurements confirmed the predicted increase in the rotor rotational speed when the shorter ailerons installed perpendicularly to the movable arms were used to achieve the inclination. The movable arm system with dampers is expected to be a useful device for vertical-axis wind turbines that are difficult to control.

COVID-19 infection is extremely dangerous for persons with comorbidities such as kidney disease and diabetes. Although many people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds have suffered due to this pandemic, those with underlying medical conditions like kidney disease and diabetes are more vulnerable to becoming infected with COVID-19 related to weak immunity. However, the role of vaccination in the co-infection of COVID-19 with diabetics is not available in the literature. Therefore, we examine the unique challenges presented by the co-infection of COVID-19 in individuals with diabetes, focusing on its disease transmission dynamics. A mathematical modelling technique is to be employed in this work to analyse the dynamics of COVID-19 outbreaks with seven compartments, including vaccination with comorbidities such as diabetes. We also investigated analytically by displaying the solutions' existence, boundedness, positivity and sensitivity. After calculating the basic reproduction numbers, the stability analysis of model equilibrium points is also covered. If the reproduction numbers are less than unity, the disease-free equilibrium points of the model appear to be both locally and globally stable. The findings of this study are that as the vaccination rate rises, the incidence of COVID-19 and its co-infections with diabetes decreases. Effective disease treatment strategies may be based partly on the possible impact of vaccination on the co-infection of COVID-19 related to diabetic disease insights.

The article delves into the intricate phase transitions of 1-Octadecanol and n-Nonadecane within a binary system, unveiling dynamic structural changes under varying conditions. Through Fouri-er-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, specific molecular vibrations were identified, shedding light on the molecular composition and interactions. The study highlights the challenges in detecting subtle phase transitions and emphasizes the individuality of molecular behaviours in closely related compounds. The findings underscore the complexity of phase transitions in binary systems and advocate for a nuanced approach to studying molecular structures and behaviours. Addi-tionally, the research contributes valuable insights into the molecular dynamics of Organic Polymer Functional Adsorption Materials, offering implications for synthetic waxy layers in plant epidermis.

Fagao is one of China's traditional gluten free staple foods made by rice or corn flour. Corn Fagao prepared by co-fermentation with sourdough and yeast exhibits better quality and less staling compared to traditional yeast-fermented Fagao. The physicochemical properties of corn Fagao batter during the sourdough-yeast co-fermentation were investigated. The results showed that compared with yeast fermentation, the gas production and viscosity of the batter increased by co-fermentation. The co-fermented batter shows higher hydrolysis of starch and less amylose content. The integrity of starch granules in co-fermented batter was damaged more seriously, the crystallinity and short-range ordered structure were less than yeast fermented batter, even though the crystal structure type of starch did not change obviously. The peak viscosity, minimum viscosity, final viscosity, decay value and recovery value of corn batter are reduced by co-fermentation, which can improve the thermal stability of the batter and slow down the aging. Co-fermentation also results in a more pronounced reduction in protein subunit contents than yeast fermentation. The changes in the physicochemical properties of corn Fagao batter help explain the quality improvement of corn Fagao made from co-fermentation method, and may provide theoretical references for co-fermentation with sourdough and yeast to other gluten free foods.

Using a scaling symmetry, it is shown how to compute polynomial conservation laws, generalized symmetries, recursion operators, Lax pairs, and bilinear forms of polynomial nonlinear partial differential equations thereby establishing their complete integrability. The Gardner equation is chosen as the key example for it comprises both the Korteweg-de Vries and modified Korteweg de Vries (mKdV) equations. The Gardner and Miura transformations which connect these equations are also computed using the concept of scaling homogeneity. Exact solitary wave solutions and solitons of the Gardner equation are derived using Hirota’s method and other direct methods. The nature of these solutions depends on the sign of the cubic term in the Gardner equation and the underlying mKdV equation. It is shown that flat (table-top) waves of large amplitude only occur when the sign of the cubic nonlinearity is negative (defocusing case) whereas the focusing Gardner equation has the standard elastically colliding solitons. The paper’s aim is to provide a review of integrability properties and solutions of the Gardner equation and illustrate the applicability of the scaling symmetry approach. The methods and algorithms used in this paper have been implemented in Mathematica but can be adapted for major computer algebra systems.

In this study, TiO2 nanostructured coatings on Ti-6A-4V alloys were fabricated by two methods: H2O2 oxidation and RF sputtering. In the annealing temperature range of 25 C - 500 C, there were the peaks at 35, 37, 40 and 52 corresponding to {100}, {002}, {101} and {102} crystal planes of hcp structure of α-Ti. At the annealing temperature of 600 C, there was the presence of peaks corresponding to crystal planes of anatase and rutile TiO2. The relative intensities of anatase and rutile phases of the sample fabricated by RF sputtering were 3.62 and 10.25 %, respectively; while those of the sample fabricated by H2O2 oxidation were 21.27 and 3.20 %, respectively (The relative intensity of α-Ti phase was 100 %). The results investigated the peak shift of α-Ti phase in TiO2/Ti-6Al-4V nanostructured coatings fabricated by the two methods which was reasonably explained from the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of Ti alloy and TiO2 components, as well as the difference in the ratio of anatase to rutile phases.

Chromosome elimination resulting in haploids is achieved by rapid loss of chromosomes from one parent during zygote stage, and is an important procedure to produce doubled haploid (DH) lines in plants. During crosses between an emasculated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and a maize (Zea mays L.) as pollen donor, the complete loss of maize chromosomes results in wheat haploid embryos. Through embryo rescue and chromosome doubling process, pure lines with stable traits can be quickly obtained. We here term it as the maize-obligated wheat doubled haploids (mowDH). Although this technology is not new, it remains a practical approach to date. In order to optimize and improve this technology, and to achieve its maximum potential in the winter wheat area of China, this paper reviews the previous and on-going research, proposes a technical scheme for production of wheat DH lines via the maize pollen induction, and presents outlooks on DH research and its application in wheat breeding.

Series of bifunctional catalysts, MoS2/Al2O3(70 wt.%)-zeolite (30 wt.%) (zeolite – ZSM-5, ZSM-12, ZSM-22 and silica aluminophosphate SAPO-11), were synthesized for hydroconversion of methyl palmitate (10 wt.% in dodecane) in a trickle-bed reactor. Mo loading was about 7 wt.%. Catalyst and supports were characterized by different physical-chemical methods (HRTEM-EDX, SEM-EDX, XRD, N2 physisorption, FTIR spectroscopy). Hydroprocessing was performed at temperature of 250-350°C, hydrogen pressure 3.0-5.0 MPa, liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) 36 h-1, H2/feed ratio – 600 Nm3/m3. Complete conversion of oxygen-containing compounds was achieved at temperature 310°C in the presence of MoS2/Al2O3-zeolite catalysts, the selectivity for the conversion of methyl palmitate via the ‘direct’ hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) route was over 85%. The yield of iso-alkanes gradually increases in order: MoS2/Al2O3 &lt; MoS2/Al2O3-ZSM-12 &lt; MoS2/Al2O3-ZSM-5 &lt; MoS2/Al2O3-SAPO-11 &lt; MoS2/Al2O3-ZSM-22. The sample MoS2/Al2O3-ZSM-22 demonstrated the highest yield of iso-alkanes (40%). Hydroisomerization activity of the catalysts was in a good correlation with concentration of Brønsted acid sites of synthesized supports.

Coral reef is an important underwater ecosystem that is rich in biodiversity in it. Coral growth has decreased drastically due to physical and chemical threats, such as the effect of warming seawater, fish bombing activities, and the effects of wastewater. The efficiency level of coral transplantation is determined by many factors, including the stability of the environment's physical condition, the level of coral diversity, and the method of transplantation. The influence of the planting medium can also be a key factor in succeeding the coral transplantation process. The use of stable and natural growing media can be a solution to replace conventional growing media that have been used. Zeolite material is a medium that has many advantages such as amending the trace elemental contents of saltwater such as carbon absorbents, detoxifiers, ammonia remover, catalysts, promoting marine micro-algal growth, become a media for bacterial growth, etc. This review discusses the possibility of zeolites as the candidate media that can be used as a new medium in coral transplantation process to accelerate coral growth and maintain coral health by increasing the adaptation of corals to the effects of global climate change.

In the upgrading of biomass pyrolysis vapors to hydrocarbons, dehydration accomplishes a primary objective of removing oxygen and acidic zeolites represent promising catalysts for dehydration reaction. Here, we utilize density functional theory calculations to estimate adsorption energetics and intrinsic kinetics of alcohol dehydration over H-ZSM-5, H-BEA, and H-AEL zeolites. ONIOM calculations of adsorption energies were observed to be inconsistent when benchmarked against QM/Hartree-Fock and periodic boundary condition calculations. However, reaction coordinate calculations of adsorbed species and transition states were consistent across all levels considered. Comparison of ethanol, iso-propanol (IPA), and tert-amyl alcohol (TAA) over these three zeolites allowed for a detailed examination of how confinement impacts reaction mechanisms and kinetics. TAA, seen to proceed via a carbocationic mechanism, was found to have the lowest activation barrier, followed by IPA and then ethanol, both of which dehydrate via a concerted mechanism. Barriers in H-BEA were consistently found to be lower than in H-ZSM-5 and H-AEL, attributed to late transition states and either elevated strain or inaccurately estimating long-range electrostatic interactions in H-AEL, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the diffusivity of these three alcohols in H-ZSM-5 are significantly overestimated by Knudsen diffusion, which will complicate experimental efforts to develop a kinetic model for catalytic fast pyrolysis.

Binderless zeolite macrostructures in the form of ZK-4 microspheres were prepared using anion exchange resin beads as shape directing macrotemplates. The particles were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions at different temperatures and treatment times. The influence of the different synthesis parameters was investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence X, nitrogen adsorption measurements and ²⁹Si solid NMR. Fully crystalline spheres similar in size and shape to the original resin beads were obtained by a hydrothermal treatment at the highest temperatures (150 - 180 °C) for a short treatment time of 24 h. The synthesized microspheres showed to be promising in the molecular decontamination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that is associated with a wide variety of health conditions, including cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, metabolic, neoplastic, and neurocognitive manifestations. OSA as a chronic condition is mainly characterized by repeated upper airway obstructions during sleep that cause episodes of intermittent hypoxia (IH), resulting in tissue hypoxia-reoxygenation cycles. Decreased arterial oxygen pressure (PaO₂) and hemoglobin saturation (SatO₂) stimulate reflex responses to overcome the obstruction. The prevalence of OSA is significant worldwide, and an underrated problem when focusing on women during pregnancy. The physiological changes associated with pregnancy, especially during its latest stages, are related with a higher prevalence of OSA events in pregnant mothers, and associated with an increased risk of hypertension, pre-eclampsia and diabetes, among other deleterious consequences. Furthermore, OSA during pregnancy can interfere with normal fetal development and is associated with growth retardation, preterm birth, or low term weight. Carotid body overstimulation and hypoxia-reoxygenation episodes contribute to cardiovascular disease and oxidative stress, which can harm both mother and fetus and have long-lasting effects that can reach into adulthood. Because IH is the hallmark of OSA, this review examines the literature available about the impact of gestational intermittent hypoxia (GIH) on the respiratory system at maternal, fetal, and offspring levels. Offering the latest scientific data about OSA during pregnancy, we may help to tackle this condition with lifestyle changes and therapeutic approaches, that could influence the mothers, but also impact adult health problems, mostly unknown, inherited from these hypoxic episodes in the uterus.