The increasing demand for higher power in rocket launchers is driving the development of higher power nozzles, achieved essentially by increasing the expansion ratio. However, this can lead to flow separation and resulting unsteady, asymmetrical forces, called side loads, which can limit the life of both the nozzle itself and other engine components. If this problem can be overcome, engine performance can be significantly increased. Therefore, various separation control methods have been proposed, but none have been fully implemented to date due to the uncertainties associated with modeling and predicting the flow phenomena. A numerical study of high area ratio rocket engine is presented to analyze the aeroelastic performance of the structure under the condition of flow separation. The finite volume method, the 2nd order upwind scheme and the extended wall function are used to analyze the flow inside the rocket nozzle and the transition of the Free Shock Separation (FSS) to Restricted Shock Separation (RSS) separation pattern ) to be discussed in detail. Since the location of the flow separation point depends heavily on the flow.

The Circular Bioeconomy (CBE) combines the concepts of bioeconomy and circular economy. As an alternative concept to the current fossil-based, linear economy, it de-scribes an economy based on the efficient valorization of biomass. It is regional in nature and aims to improve sustainability. An analysis of the transition process, by identifying its success criteria and assessing its impacts through the modelling of technology-specific scenarios is necessary to ensure that CBE concepts are sustainable. However, a compre-hensive consideration of regional influences on both is lacking. Based on extensive literature research and an expert survey, we (i) present a compre-hensive catalog of CBE success criteria and discuss their region-specific character and (ii) develop a methodology based on evaluation matrices that enable to match CBE technolo-gies with regions. The matrices support the evaluation of technological and regional characteristics influencing the successful CBE implementation. The results show that the success criteria "biomass resources", "technological", and "social" are perceived as highly important, and that most of the success criteria are both region- and technology-specific, highlighting the relevance of developing matrices to match them. We describe such matrices indicatively for the two broadest and most im-portant success criteria clusters “social acceptance” and “biomass supply chain”. With this, we substantiate the regional nature of CBE and raise the awareness on the importance of considering regional conditions in CBE transition processes. Furthermore, we provide practical guidance on how regional conditions can be reflected in the selection of technologies, e.g. in regional CBE technology scenarios.

To better understand the shape memory materials and self-healing materials, a new series of liquid-crystalline shape memory polyurethane (LC-SMPU) composites, named SMPU-OOBAm, were successfully prepared by incorporating 4-octyldecyloxybenzoic acid (OOBA) into the PEG-based SMPU. The effect of OOBA on the structure, morphology and properties has been carefully investigated. The results demonstrate that SMPU-OOBAm have liquid crystalline properties, triple-shape memory properties and self-healing properties. The incorporated OOBA promotes the crystallizability of both soft and hard segments of SMPU, and the crystallization rate of the hard segment of SMPU decreases when the OOBA-content increases. Additionally, the SMPU-OOBAm forms a two-phase separated structure (SMPU phase and OOBA phase), and it shows two-step modulus changes upon heating. Therefore, the SMPU-OOBAm shows triple-shape memory behavior, and the shape recovery ratio decreases with an increase in the OOBA content. Finally, SMPU-OOBAm shows self-healing properties. The new mechanism can be ascribed to the heating-induced “bleeding” of OOBA in the liquid crystalline state and the subsequent re-crystallization upon cooling. This successful combination of liquid crystalline properties, triple-shape memory properties and self-healing properties make the SMPU-OOBAm composites with many promise applications in smart optical devices, smart electronic devices and smart sensors.

Flow field based methods are becoming increasingly popular for the analysis of interfacial shear rheology data. Such methods take properly into account the subphase drag by solving the Navier-Stokes equations for the bulk phases flows, together with the Boussinesq-Scriven boundary condition at the fluid-fluid interface, and the probe equation of motion. Such methods have been successfully implemented at the double wall-ring (DWR), the magnetic rod (MR), and the bicone interfacial shear rheometers. However, a study of the errors introduced directly by the numerical processing is still lacking. Here we report on a study of the errors introduced exclusively by the numerical procedure corresponding to the bicone geometry at an air-water interface. In our study we directly input a preset the value of the complex interfacial viscosity and we numerically obtain the corresponding flow field and the complex amplitude ratio for the probe motion. Then we use the standard iterative procedure to obtain the calculated complex viscosity value. A detailed comparison of the set and calculated complex viscosity values is made upon changing different parameters such as real and imaginary parts of the complex interfacial viscosity and frequency. The observed discrepancies yield a detailed landscape of the numerically introduced errors.

This study aimed to investigate the fatigue performance and interfacial strengthening mechanisms of Al6061-to-Cu dissimilar lap joints via electromagnetic pulse welding (EMPW). The load-bearing capacity of the joints at discharge voltages of 14 kV and 16 kV was superior to that of 12 kV. Furthermore, the fatigue life of the 14 kV joints was one order of magnitude higher compared to the 12 kV joints. SEM observation of the fatigue fracture surface revealed the presence of typical "tire-mark" fatigue striations only in the 14 kV joint, indicating higher ductility and the ability to withstand extended plastic deformation. Notably, ultra-fine nanocrystalline Al2Cu phase, amorphous phase, and numerous dislocations hindered EBSD acquisition in the transition zone. Nevertheless, dense low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and refined grains were examined at the bonding interface. This suggests that the high-velocity collision caused severe plastic deformation and led to the formation of substructures. The interfacial strength was attributed not only to the "wave-like" or "inverted hook-like" diffusion layer but also to the presence of refined grains along the interface and nanocrystalline Al2Cu in the transition zone. Furthermore, the hybrid nanocrystalline-amorphous microstructure strengthened the joint by regulating the balance between strength and ductility.

Public restrooms are often a hub of microbial contamination, and the examination of bacterial contamination in these facilities can serve as an important indicator of the transmission of infectious diseases. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of bacterial contamination in public restrooms based on the economic class of the building. Samples were collected from various spots in 32 restrooms found in 10 shopping malls, classifying them into two categories: upper-end restrooms and lower-end restrooms. The findings showed that the level of contamination was higher in the lower-end restrooms, with the seat being the most contaminated area. The most dominant Gram-positive bacteria were coagulase-negative staphylococci species, making up 86% of the identified Gram-positive isolates. The most dominant Gram-negative bacteria identified were Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibiotic sensitivity test results revealed the presence of multi-drug resistant bacteria among the Gram-positive and negative isolates, including Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus kloosi, Acinetobacter baumanii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In conclusion, the study underscores the significance of monitoring bacterial contamination in public restrooms and the need for measures to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Further research is crucial to gain a complete understanding of the bacterial contamination in public restrooms and their resistance patterns, to ensure the safety and health of the public. The implementation of improved cleaning practices and hands-free designs in restrooms can help reduce the risk of cross-contamination and prevent the spread of diseases.

In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a clonal proliferative disorder of granulocytic lineage, the 90%‐95% of cases are characterized by t(9;22) (q34.1;q11.2) translocation, leading to the Philadelphia chromosome (1). Rarely, CML patients directly present a blast crisis, mostly of myeloid origin (2, 3). Herein, we describe one rare CML case, showing an unusual early T lymphoid blastic crisis.

The theory of water transport in trees, according to which the main driving force of water movement is the suction created by the evaporation of water by the meniscus (the curved surface of the capillary liquid column) on the evaporating elements, supported from below by root pressure, is flawed. The capillary effect in nature is around one meter. In the case of open-air gaps, the leaf cannot suck in the water against gravity because, in this case, the plant would not be sucking in water, but air through the open-air gap. If not, how do trees transport water? When evaporation occurs, there is no suction towards the canopy, but pressure is due to a reduction in the cross-section of the water pipe caused by heat loss through evaporation. At night, when evaporation stops, a thermal equilibration process is triggered, which restores the original cross-section of the pipe. This generates suction and draws water from the soil. As the hydrostatic pressure in the pipe is high for tall trees, the pipe is cut off. To prove my theory, I have given several examples. Water transport is not based on physical mechanical laws alone. There may be complex physiological, biochemical, and biophysical processes behind the operation of the pipe system.

We report interfacial crystallization in droplets of saline solutions placed on superhydrophobic surfaces and liquid marbles filled with the saline. Evaporation of saline droplets deposited on superhydrophobic surface resulted in the formation of cup-shaped millimeter-scaled residues. The formation of the cup-like deposit is reasonably explained within the framework of the theory of the coffee-stain effect, namely, the rate of heterogeneous crystallization along the contact line of the droplet is many times higher than in the droplet bulk. Crystallization within evaporated saline marbles, coated with lycopodium particles, depends strongly on the evaporation rate. Rapidly evaporated saline marbles yielded dented shells built of a mixture of colloidal particles and NaCl crystals. We relate the formation of these shells to the interfacial crystallization promoted by hydrophobic particles coating the marbles, accompanied with the upward convection flows supplying the saline to the particles, serving as the centers of interfacial crystallization. Convective flows prevail over the diffusion mass transport for the saline marbles heated from below.

The interfacial mechanics and electrical properties of the SiC reinforced copper matrix composites were studied via the first principles method. The work of adhesion (Wad) and the interfacial energies were calculated to evaluate the stabilities of the SiC/Cu interfacial models. The carbon terminated (CT)-SiC/Cu interfaces were predicted more stable than those of the silicon terminated (ST)-SiC/Cu from the results of the Wad and interfacial energies. The interfacial electron properties of SiC/Cu were studied via the charge density distribution, charge density difference, electron localized functions and partial density of the state. The covalent C-Cu bonds were formed based on the results of the electron properties, which further explained the fact that the interfaces of the CT-SiC/Cu are stable than those of the ST-SiC/Cu. The interfacial mechanics of the SiC/Cu were investigated via the interfacial fracture toughness and ultimate tensile stress, and the results indicate that both CT- and ST-SiC/Cu interfaces are hard to fracture. The ultimate tensile stress of the CT-SiC/Cu is nearly 23GPa, which is smaller than those of the ST-SiC/Cu of 25 GPa. The strains corresponding to their ultimate tensile stresses of the CT- and ST-SiC/Cu are about 0.28 and 0.26, respectively. The higher strains of CT-SiC/Cu indicate their stronger plastic properties on the interfaces of the composites.

Classifying network flow subsequences in an Industrial IoT gateway is an effective method for identifying Industrial IoT faults. This paper proposes a subsequence classification algorithm SSGBUL-IKNN based on unsupervised learning encoding to address the problem of low classification accuracy. Firstly, we built a network module based on unsupervised learning to encode the flow sequence of the Industrial IoT gateway. In the encoding module, a subsequence calibration algorithm controls the increasing error during the coding process. Then, the specific fault type is obtained through an improved KNN classification algorithm based on the indication distance source from the integrated coding sequences converted by multi-dimensional network flow sequences. The test result on three Industrial IoT datasets of a sewage treatment plant shows that the accuracy of SSGBUL-IKNN in this paper exceeds 92%, significantly higher than the algorithm DTW and TSF. It reaches the classification requirements of Industrial IoT fault diagnosis.

The accompanying mechanical behavior during the flow of ore-rock dispersion is an important factor leading to the instability and failure of the orepass in the ore storage section. It is of great significance to accurately understand the instability characteristics of the well wall in the ore section, during the ore drawing process by understanding the flow characteristics and internal mechanical transfer mechanism of ore-rock dispersion. Using the discrete element method to analyze the flow characteristics, contact compactness, stress distribution characteristics and contact force probability distribution of the ore-rock dispersion, it realizes the quantitative characterization of the damage degree of ore-rock flow, and reveals the damage mechanism of mine storage wall. The results show that: (1) The friction between ore-rock particles, between ore-rock and well wall is an important reason for the change of the macroscopic flow form of ore-rock from “one” to “V” type. (2) The compactness and stress concentration of ores are increasing with the increase of storage depth, which is shown that with the increase of storage depth, the greater the probability of well wall instability. (3) The probability distribution of contact force strength between particles decreases exponentially in the whole process of ore drawing, in which the strong chain plays a major role in the stability of the dispersion system. (4) The number of overpressure and the overpressure coefficient can be used to quantitatively characterize the wall damage degree under the action of ore-rock flow. The dynamic side pressure decreases periodically in the form of exponential fluctuations, and the dynamic load formed by the ore-rock flow mainly played a role in the lower area of the ore storage section.

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 new unique technology for granulation of metals and nonmetallic melts is presented in the paper. It was created on the newly developed controlled film flow disintegration with rapid cooling of the droplets and solidified granules in amorphous state. Three new phenomena discovered by us created the base for 3 different methods for granulation of metals and nonmetallic melts in a wide range of granules’ sizes. Electromagnetic resonance method allows producing granules of metals in the range of 1 mm and over. The soliton-like vibrational regime is available for production of any granulation material in the range 0.1-1 mm. Moreover, the shockwave regime is applicable for producing particles from 10 micrometers by size. All methods produce particles of the stated size with a narrow distribution by size: deviation from the average size no more than 50%. The other known methods do not produce granules with such high cooling rate, which can realize the amorphous state and cannot regulate size of particles in such bright but narrow range from 10 micrometers to 1-2 mm.

Urban rail transit hub platform is the most important area for passenger flow distribution. In order to calculate passenger flow volume in platform and evaluate platform service level during rush hours, this paper presents a method for modeling and simulation of passenger flow distribution in platform. Passenger flow distribution model (PFDM) is proposed based on the basic analysis and the superposition principle of passenger flow. Simulation design for PFDM is proposed by Anylogic, which contains simulation process and simulation model. Experiment results show that PFDM and simulation design are effective and accordant with the reality scenario, and the simulation precision is comparatively ideal. This research could provide a beneficial reference for train scheduling and operation management under the viewpoint of traffic safety and service level.

Interface between matrix/coating or coating/coating in fact represents a very complicate thin interfacial layer. So interface model is necessary to avoid the difficulty on considering such a complicate thin layer in analysis. Classic interface model and cohesive model have been widely used in stress analysis of coating materials, though they cannot represent the effect of very thin interfacial layer accurately. A complete interface model has been deduced from the equivalent constitutive of interfacial layer in this paper. It is found that both classic interface model and cohesive model sometimes cannot give correct analysis results, while the complete interface model can always give a correct result. Moreover, the stress parallel to interface within the interfacial layer can also be analyzed by the new model. Besides, this model can also be used to describe the equivalent properties of interfacial layer, thereby, can provide a quantitative characterizing method for interfacial layer itself.

Abstract: Due to sever land degradation throughout Ethiopia, the government has been implementing massive soil and water conservation works at the watershed scale since 2010 to conserve soil and water resources. However, most of the rivers in Ethiopia carry huge amount of sediment in rainy season and streams dried up in the dry period. Planned research was conducted on two paired micro-catchments Mt.Yewel with the main objective of evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation measures on base flow modification. Stream flow and rainfall data were collected from 22/11/2020 to 8/11/2022 on both micro-catchments at their outlets and center respectively. Base flow separation was done using Sp. Hydro base flow separation tool and SPSS Ver.21 statistical software was employed for data analysis. Flow duration curve (FDC) for both watersheds were developed. The FDC indicated that the base flow from treated micro-catchment ishigher and sustained in the dry season while it is low and un-sustained in untreated micro-catchment. From statistical analysis, there is a significant difference in base flow enhancement between the treated and untreated micro-catchment (P<0.001). Hence, catchment treatment contributed to improve groundwater recharge and sustain base flow in the dry season by reduce surface runoff during rainy season.

Abstract: Severe land degradation is the principal environmental problem in Ethiopian highlands in the form of soil erosion, and soil fertility loss, which is caused by human intervention for food, shelter, and energy demands. Soil erosion contributes to the loss of precious soil and water resources which are the basis of agricultural production and provide numerous other eco-system services. The Ethiopian highlands are one of the most degraded regions in the world. To combat such problems, the government of Ethiopia has been implementing massive soil and water conservation works at the watershed scale since 2010 to conserve soil and water resources. Mount Yewel is one of the highlands in Northeastern Ethiopia where intensive soil and water conserva-tion has been implemented. Despite the massive investment in soil and water conservation measures, most of the rivers in the highlands of Ethiopia carry huge amounts of sediment with high flood risks in the wet season and streams are dried up in the dry period. Nonetheless, the impact of soil and water conservation measures on flood reduction and dry season flow en-hancement has not yet been quantified and evaluated. This research was then conducted on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel with the main objective of evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation measures on base flow modification. Stream flow and rainfall data were col-lected from 22/11/2020 to 8/11/2022 on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel at their outlets and centers respectively. Base flow separation was done from the stream hydrograph using Sp. Hydro base flow separation tool and SPSS Ver.21 statistical software were employed for data analysis. Flow duration curves (FDC) for both watersheds were developed to compare the stream flow patterns between treated and untreated micro-catchments of Mount Yewel. The FDC indi-cated that the base flow from treated micro-catchment is higher and sustained in the dry season while it is low and unsustained in untreated micro-catchment. From statistical analysis, there is a significant (P

The most important plastic resins used for wire coating are Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Nylon, Polysulfone and Low-high density polyethylene (LDPE / HDPE). In this article,the coating process is performed using elastic-viscous fluid as a coating material for wire coating in a pressure type coating die. The elastic-viscous fluid is electrically conducted in the presence of an applied magnetic field. The governing non-linear equations are modeled and then solved analytically by utilizing an Adomian decomposition method (ADM). The convergence of the series solution is established. The results are also verified by Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method (OHAM). The effect of different emerging parameters such as non-Newtonian parameters α and β, magnetic parameter M and the Brinkman number Br on solutions (velocity and temperature profiles) are discussed through several graphs. Additionally, the current result also compares with the published work already available in the literature.

The oscillating heat pipe (OHP) is a new member in the family of heat pipes, and it has great potential applications in energy conservation. However, the fluid flow and heat transfer in the OHP as well as the fundamental effects of inner diameter on them have not been fully understood, which are essential to the design and optimization of the OHP in real applications. Therefore, by combining the high-speed visualization method and infrared thermal imaging technique, the fluid flow and thermal performance in the OHPs with inner diameters of 1, 2 and 3 mm are presented and analyzed. The results indicate that three fluid flow motions, including small oscillation, bulk oscillation and circulation, coexist or, respectively, exist alone with the increasing heating load under different inner diameters, with three flow patterns occurring in the OHPs, viz. bubbly flow, slug flow and annular flow. These fluid flow motions are closely correlated with the heat and mass transfer performance in the OHPs, which can be reflected by the characteristics of infrared thermal images of condensers. The decrease in the inner diameter increases the frictional flow resistance and capillary instability while restricting the nucleate boiling in OHPs, which leads to a smaller proportion of bubbly flow, a larger proportion of short slug flow, a poorer thermal performance, and easier dry-out of working fluid. In addition, when compared with the 2 mm OHP, the increasing role of gravity induces the thermosyphon effect and weakens the 'bubble pumping' action, which results in a little smaller and bigger thermal resistances of 3 mm OHP under small and bulk oscillation of working fluid, respectively.

An accurate assessment of the stage-discharge relationship in open channel flows is necessary and important to the design and management of hydraulic structures and engineering in practical hydrosystems such as rivers and streams. While the flow structures and patterns at open channel junctions are interesting and have been widely studied in the literature, this paper focuses further on the effect of flow junctions on stage-discharge relationship at mountain river confluences. In this study, both the flume and physical model experiments are designed and performed carefully to test and analyze the complex flow structures and characteristics at river confluences with different configurations and hydraulic conditions. The impacts of the flow junctions on the traditional stage-discharge relationship are analyzed in this study. The results of this study are discussed in the paper for the understanding of flow structures at flow junctions and the design and management of hydraulic structures in river engineering.

To design and optimize liquid-assisted processes such as reactive infiltration for fabricating refractory SiC/ZrSi₂ composites, basic investigations on the interfacial phenomena occurring when liquid Si-based alloys are in contact with C and SiC substrates, are key steps. Indeed, targeted wettability studies may provide helpful indications for finding the suitable set of operating conditions to succeed the fabrication of composites via the reactive infiltration and for predicting the key influencing mechanisms. The wettability of glassy carbon (GC) by two different Si-rich Si-Zr alloys as a function of the Si-content has been investigated by the sessile drop method at T = 1450°C. The more relevant results obtained in terms of equilibrium contact angle values, spreading kinetics, reactivity and developed interface microstructures are reported in the paper and compared with the behaviour previously observed in the Si-27Zr/GC system. The increase of Si-content only weakly affected the overall phenomena observed at the interface, which from the practical point of view means that even the Si-Zr alloys with higher Si-content, as respect to the eutectic alloy (Si-27Zr), could be potentially used as infiltrant materials.

In this work, satellite data from the Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments is analyzed to determine how the global absorbed sunlight and global entropy generation rate have changed during the time period from 2002 to 2023. The data is used to test hypotheses derived from the Maximum Power Principle (MPP) and Maximum Entropy Production Principle (MEP) about the evolution of earth’s surface and atmosphere. The results indicate that the amount of absorbed sunlight has increased over the last 20 years but rising surface temperatures have caused the entropy generation rate to remain approximately constant despite that decrease in albedo. The results are simpler to explain using the MPP but do not completely rule out the MEP. Given the acceptance of the MPP or MEP, some extensions and nuances are discussed.

This paper proposed three-dimensional numerical simulation method by coupling of electrostatic and fluid fields to evaluating the performance of electrical sensor in the concentration measurement of gas/solid two-phase flow. Compared with the static numerical simulation, this real-time dynamic 3-D simulation method can research on a designed capacitance sensor combining the dynamic characteristics of the two-phase flows for concentration measurement. Several fluid-electrostatic models of transmission pipes with different sensor structures are built. Under different test positions and different particle concentrations, the flow characteristics and the corresponding electric signals can be obtained, and the correlation coefficient between the concentration values and the capacitance values are used for performance evaluation of the sensors. The effects of flow regimes on concentration measurement are also been investigated in this paper. To validate the results of simulation, an experimental platform with horizontal straight pipe for phase volume concentration measurement of solid/air two-phase flow is built, and the experimental results agree well with simulation conclusions. The simulation and test results show that the coupling models can give constructive reference opinions for the sensor design and collection of installation position in different transmission pipelines, which are very important for the practical process of pneumatic conveying system.

We construct a Bayesian estimator for the dilution of a wastewater sample. When wastewater is diluted by rainwater an estimate of the level of dilution is required if we are to normalise sample measurements of disease markers such as SARS-CoV-2 RNA. We consider the situation where flow measurements are available, but will regularly be unreliable because of the action of combined sewer outflows (CSOs) and wastewater storage tanks, which divert wastewater away from treatment plants when the flow is excessive. However, we also have proxies for the flow from various chemical markers (e.g.\ phosphate, ammonium, electrical conductivity), whose level per unit of population is fixed. The new flow estimator has multiple advantages compared to existing procedures: credible intervals for the estimates; optimal weighting of the chemical markers; systematic handling of missing and censored values; and model based smoothing without lags.

Iterated games, in which the same economic interaction is repeatedly played between the same agents, are an important framework for understanding the effectiveness of strategic choices over time. To date very little work has applied information theory to the information sets used by agents in order to decide what action to take next in such strategic situations. This article looks at the mutual information between previous game states and an agent's next action by introducing two new classes of games: ’invertible games’ and ‘cyclical games'. By explicitly expanding out the mutual information between past states and the next action we show under what circumstances these expressions can be simplified. These information measures are then applied to the Traveler's Dilemma game and the Prisoner's Dilemma game, the Prisoner's Dilemma being invertible, to illustrate their use. In the Prisoner's Dilemma a novel connection is made between the computational principles of logic gates and both the structure of games and the agents' decision strategies. This approach is applied to the cyclical game Matching Pennies to analyse the foundations of a behavioural ambiguity between two well studied strategies: ‘Tit-for-Tat' and ’Win-Stay, Lose-Switch'.

Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) has been employed in the sulfide ore flotation process, due to its excellent collection performance. Herein, we investigated the interfacial adsorption behavior of DDTC on four mineral phases of high-sulfur residue — sulfur, pyrite, sphalerite and lead sulfate. The adsorption behavior — adsorption structure and energy and electron localization function cross section — of DDTC and H2O were explored using density function theory calculation. The result was helpful to construct a co-adsorption model of DDTC and H2O, which was validated by the pure minerals flotation operation and the characterization of fourier transform infrared spectra. The co-adsorption model indicated that the DDTC adsorption on the sulfur, sphalerite and lead sulfate was weak with physical bonding, while its adsorption on the pyrite was strong with chemical bonding. Practical bench-scale operation of high-sulfur residue flotation was performed, whose result was different from that obtained from the pure mineral flotation. To explain the difference, our developed model predictions and the mineral fugacity pattern analysis on the high-sulfur residue flotation were synergistically used. Overall, this work first proposed the co-adsorption model of DDTC and H2O and provided important insights into the interfacial adsorption in the high-sulfur residue flotation.

ω-Transaminases have been immobilized on macrocellular silica monoliths and used as heterogeneous biocatalysts in a continuous flow mode enantioselective transamination reaction. The support was prepared by a sol-gel method based on emulsion templating. The enzyme was immobilized on the structured silica monoliths both by adsorption, and by covalent grafting using amino-functionalized silica monoliths and glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent. A simple reactor set-up based on the use of a heat-shrinkable Teflon tube is presented and successfully used for the continuous flow kinetic resolution of a chiral amine, 4-bromo-α-methylbenzylamine. The porous structure of the supports ensures effective mass transfer and the reactor works in the plug flow regime without preferential flow paths. When immobilized in the monolith and used in the flow reactor, transaminases retain their activity and their enantioselectivity. The solid biocatalyst is also shown to be stable both on stream and during storage. These essential features pave the way to the successful development of an environmentally friendly process for chiral amines production.

The COVID-19 pandemic over the past years has shown a great need for rapid, low-cost and on-site detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this paper, an aptamer-based colloidal gold nanoparticle lateral flow test strip was well developed to realize the visual detection of wild type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SP) and multiple variants. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a low detection limit of SARS-CoV-2 S protein of 0.68 nM was acquired, and the actual detection recovery was 83.3% to 108.8% for real world samples. This suggests a potential tool for the prompt detection of SARS-CoV-2 with good sensitivity and accuracy, and a new method for the development of alternative antibody test strips for the detection of other viral targets.

This study aims to assess the interface shear adhesion behaviour between compacted clay and a metallic surface. A new testing approach was developed in this study for this purpose. The proposed method is simple and requires neither advanced equipment nor special test procedures, and thus represents an improvement on existing practice in this field. The experimental program involves determining the interface shear adhesion strength of reconstituted Kaolin clay/metallic surface where the Kaolin clay testing specimens were compacted dynamically at different energy levels and moisture contents. In general, the results show that the interface shear adhesion strength increases as the dry density of the clay increases, whereas it decreases as the moisture content increases. Furthermore, the results in this study reveal a unique multistage interfacial shear adhesion strength behaviour as the moisture content changes that could be related to the compaction curve of the clay. The observed behaviour, in this study, could be interpreted in terms of the effect of clay dry density and moisture content on the contact area and moisture-induced capillary adhesion at clay particles-continuum interface surface.

Nonwoven fabrics have been widely used in textile manufacturing industry as a sheet or web structure because of soft, water-repellent, recycle, ecological and resilient functions. Ultrasonic welding method has been applied for bonding nonwoven fabrics due to clean, fast and reliable approach. In this work, the ultrasonic stepped horn is designed to generate uniform amplitudes on the working surface by using finite element analysis (FEA) simulation. Chromium carbon steels are utilized to produce ultrasonic horns due to high wear resistant and hardness. Isotactic polypropylene nonwoven fabrics fabricated by spunbond process were bonded by continuous ultrasonic sewing machine. Ultrasonic horn with 70 mm in diameter working at 20 kHz, polypropylene (PP) nonwoven density of 80 gsm and various design of welding joints were applied. A typical image in the case of number one was investigated by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of inter-facial micro-structure. However, welding joints of totally eight roller patterns was test the tensile strength of the ultrasonic welding joints on PP nonwoven fabrics. The tensile strength of the welding joints is proportional to the area ratio between the welding area and cycling area. The results showed that the melted zone without welding defects such as crack or blowhole can be seen. Furthermore, the tensile strength of welding joints in eight cases of roller patterns (No.1-No.8) was described in details. The ultrasonic welding joints with brick structures give higher tensile strength while the solid line in the pattern gave less strength.

We have performed first-principles calculations to study the interfacial exchange coupling and magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) energy in a SmCo₅/Sm₂Co₁₇ multilayer model systems. The phase of SmCo₅ and Sm₂Co₁₇ stacking along (0001) direction are structurally well matched. The atomic structure, including the alignment and the separation between layers, were firstly optimized. Then the non-collinear magnetic structures were calculated to explore the exchange coupling across the interface and the variation of MCA energy. We found that the inter-phase exchange coupling strength, rotating behavior and MCA energy are strongly dependent on the atomic thickness of the SmCo₅ and Sm₂Co₁₇ phase.

Acute and chronic graft versus host disease (a/cGVHD) are major complications of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and a frequent cause of non relapse-mortality. The treatment of a/cGVHD consists of steroid administration at full dose. In the case of aGVHD, around 60 % of patients with grade III/IV fails to respond (steroid-resistant, SR), requiring a second line therapy. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) represents a good option for second line treatment, leading to multiorgan response in several patients. Here, we have evaluated the performances of a cytofluorimetric quality control of the first ECP procedure in 29 patients with severe SR aGVHD who underwent ECP. The quality control represents a check control of in vitro cell apoptosis/death induction in collected and irradiated CD3+ cells by ECP. Our analysis shows that in more than 70 % quality controls a relevant apoptotosis/death of CD3+ cells was observed after cell irradiation, as compared to non-irradiated controls. Albeit observed in a small patients’ series, the occurrence of relevant in vitro effect after ECP relates to less procedures and/or to a better survival on ECP. Age, disease, gender, aGVHD grade and time from transplant to the first ECP had not impact on ECP efficacy in this patients’ series.

This paper investigates the impact of debt financing on dividend payments when they face the agency costs of free cash flow. Focusing on a sample of 120 firms listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange during the period 2011-2021. The study found a negative association between agency cost of free cash flow and dividend payment. More importantly, our research highlights the significant role of long-term debt in making more prudent use of free cash flow. The obligation to meet interest and principal payments acts as an incentive for them to steer clear of unprofitable expenses and risky investments. Concurrently, long-term debt imposes restrictive clauses in debt contracts, such as minimum dividend distribution requirements, which further encourage higher dividend payments. Since interest and debt repayments are fixed obligations, using free cash flow for dividend disbursement is considered a more profitable and beneficial approach for shareholders in the context of Saudi Arabia.

A custom-designed series of unsymmetrical spiroalkanedithiols having tailgroups comprised of a terminally fluorinated chain and a hydrocarbon chain of varying lengths were synthesized and used to prepare self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold substrates. The specific structure of the adsorbates was of the form [CH₃(CH₂)_n][CF₃(CF₂)₇(CH₂)₈]C[CH₂SH]₂, where n = 7, 9, and 12 (designated as F8H10-C10, F8H10-C12, and F8H10-C18, respectively). The influence of the length of the hydrocarbon chain in the bidentate dithiol on the structure and interfacial properties of the monolayer was explored. A structurally analogous partially fluorinated monodentate alkanethiol and the corresponding normal alkanethiols were used to generate appropriate SAMs as reference systems. Ellipsometric thickness measurements showed an unexpectedly low film thickness for the SAMs derived from the bidentate adsorbates, possibly due to disruptions in interchain packing caused by the fluorocarbon chains (i.e., phase-incompatible fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon interactions), ultimately giving rise to loosely packed and disordered films. Analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were also consistent with a model in which the films were loosely packed; additionally, the XPS spectra confirmed the attachment of the sulfur headgroups of the bidentate adsorbates onto the gold substrates. Studies of the SAMs by polarization modulation-infrared reflection-adsorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) suggested that as the length of the hydrocarbon chain in the adsorbates was extended, a more ordered surface was achieved by reducing the tilt of the fluorocarbon segment. The wettability data indicated that the adsorbates with longer alkyl chains were less wettable than those with shorter alkyl chains, likely due to an increase in interchain van der Waals forces in the former.

Scedosporium species are human pathogenic fungi, responsible for chronic, localised, and life-threatening disseminated infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Diagnosis of Scedosporium infections currently relies on non-specific CT, lengthy and insensitive culture from invasive biopsy, and time-consuming histopathology of tissue samples. At present, there are no rapid antigen tests that detect Scedosporium-specific biomarkers. Here we report the development of a rapid (30 min) and sensitive (pmol/L sensitivity) lateral-flow device (LFD) test, incorporating a Scedosporium-specific IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), HG12, which binds to extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) antigens of between ~15 kDa and 250 kDa secreted during hyphal growth of the pathogens. The test is compatible with human serum, and allows the detection of the Scedosporium species most-frequently reported as agents of human disease (Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium aurantiacum, and Scedosporium boydii), with limits of detection (LOD) of the EPS biomarkers in human serum of ~0.81 ng/mL (S. apiospermum), ~0.94 ng/mL (S. aurantiacum), and ~1.95 ng/mL (S. boydii). The Scedosporium-specific LFD (ScedLFD) test therefore provides a potential novel opportunity for the detection of infections caused by different Scedosporium species.

Background: Early postoperative airway management after laryngo-tracheal surgery is crucial. Acute respiratory failure due to glottis’ oedema may occur, requiring reintubation. This can prolong ventilatory assistance, jeopardizing the anastomosis. To date, only judicious steroid administration and fluid management are available to avoid more invasive procedures. High-Flow-Oxygen-Therapy(HFOT) is a noninvasive O2 support method providing humidification, warmed air, Positive-End-Expiratory-Pressure(AIRVO2). No data exist about HFOT use to prevent early complications after laryngo-tracheal surgery. Methods: Between Sept.2020-Sept.2022, 107 consecutive patients underwent laryngo-tracheal surgery received HFOT(Group A). Data and long-term results were compared with those of 80 patients operated between Sept.2018-Aug.2020(Group B), when HFOT was not available. All patients were operated in a single center. No pre- or post-operative settings changed, except for HFOT introduction. We analyzed and compared the risk for “delayed” reintubation (unexpected reintubation within the first 24-48 hours after extubating/laryngeal mask removal) in the two groups. Results: No patients reported HFOT-related adverse events. Control group(B) presented “delayed” reintubation in 37% (p= 0.027), Intensive Care Unit admission in 67%(p=0.005) and longer hospital stay(p=0.001) compared to HFOT group(A). Minor complications rate was 3% in both group and overall mortality was 0%. Re-stenosis was described in 4.6% of HFOT group, without a statistically significant difference (p=0.7006). Conclusions: Our study is the first to investigate HFOT use in patients undergoing laryngo-tracheal surgery, potentially representing a consistent innovation in the peri-operative management of these patients. With the limit of a retrospective series, we would suggest HFOT use for preventing post-operative reintubation rate, possibly reducing ICU admission and hospital stay.

A novel determination method using flow-through cartridge purification and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed for the identification and quantification of 30 mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, sterigmatocysin, T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, roquefortine C, methylergonovine, ergocornine, lysergol, enniatin A, enniatin A1, enniatin B, enniatin B1, beauvericin, deoxynivalenol, 3-acetylDeoxynivalenol, 15-acetylDeoxynivalenol, patulin, verruculogen, neosolaniol, gliotoxin, HT-2 toxin, wortmannin, zearalenone, α-zearalenol, β-zearalenol, α-zearalanol, and β-zearalanol) in feedstuffs. Mycotoxins were extracted from sample by 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution/acetonitrile (16/84 v/v), then purified by a Cleanert® MC clean-up column. As a result, the pigments and other matrices were efficient removed from the sample extract solution. The purified eluate was collected, then evaporated and redissolved by 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution/acetonitrile (70:30 v/v) for UPLC-MS/MS detection. A BEH Shield RP18 chromatographic column was employed for separation of 30 mycotoxins in a total of 14 min. Multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was applied for qualitative and quantitative analysis, and matrix calibration curves obtained with the external-standard method was used for quantitation of target analytes. Under optimized conditions, the linearity range was from 2 to 1000 ng/g, and the limit of quantification of the developed method was from 2 to 50 ng/g. The recoveries of 30 mycotoxins spiked in urine samples were from 72.0% to 118.5%, and the relative standard deviation was below 20%. The method was also well approved by certified reference sample, and applied on the real feedstuff samples testing successfully.

In this paper, by developing a mathematical model, the operating temperature of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) under different operating conditions has been calculated. It is found that by reducing the density of tail states at the interfaces, acting as recombination centres, through some passivation mechanisms, the operating temperature can be reduced significantly at higher applied voltages. The results show that if the density of tail states at the interfaces is reduced by three orders of magnitude through some passivation mechanisms, then the active layer may not undergo any phase change up to an ambient temperature 300 K and it may not degrade up to 320 K. The calculated heat generation at the interfaces at different applied voltages with and without passivation shows that the heat generation can be reduced by passivating the interfaces. It is expected that this study may provide a deeper understanding of the influence of interface passivation on the operating temperature of PSCs.

We monitored the water quality and hydrological conditions of a horizontal subsurface constructed wetland (HSSF-CW) in Beijing, China, for 2 years. We simulated the area rate constant and the temperature coefficient with the first-order kinetic model. We examined the relationships between the nitrogen (N) removal rate, N load, seasonal variations in the N removal rate, and environmental factors, such as the area rate constant, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The effluent ammonia (NH₄⁺-N) and nitrate (NO₃⁻-N) concentrations were significantly lower than the influent concentrations (p<0.01, n=38). The NO₃⁻-N load was significantly correlated with the removal rate (R²=0.9566, p<0.01), but the NH^₄+-N load was not correlated with the removal rate (R²=0.0187, p>0.01). The area rate constants of NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N at 20 °C were 27.01±26.49 and 16.63±10.58 m∙yr⁻¹, respectively. The temperature coefficients for NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N were estimated at 1.0042 and 0.9604, respectively. The area rate constants for NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N were not correlated with temperature (p>0.01). The NO₃⁻-N area rate constant was correlated with the corresponding load (R²=0.9625, p<0.01). The NH₄⁺-N area rate was correlated with DO (R²=0.6922, p<0.01), suggesting that the factors that influenced the N removal rate in this wetland met Liebig's law of the minimum.

Glycerol represents a useful functional component of heat-transfer fluids. Glycerol is known to be triboelectrically active. We report how the flow of glycerol, stopped in a cylindrical coiled pipe, influences horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme. Namely, glycerol flow was pumped through the coil and then stopped. After that, we incubated the 0.1 µM solution of HRP near the side of the coil, and then adsorbed HRP onto mica. This operation markedly increased the HRP aggregation on mica in comparison with the control sample. We explain this phenomenon by the influence of triboelectrically induced electromagnetic fields. Our results can be useful in the development of flow-based systems for biosensors and bioreactors.

Hybrid fiber reinforced composites can be controlled by price, weight and various mechanical properties depending on fiber ratio and lamination method. Despite these excellent hybrid properties, there is a disadvantage that inter-laminar fracture due to external impact, which is the biggest weakness of fiber reinforced composite materials, is weak. The test specimens were prepared by using a vacuum bag method, which is manufactured by using an autoclave device. The pre-preg is manufactured in the form of a B-stage. In the process of fabricating the nanoparticle pre-preg, the homogeneizer using an ultrasonic wave was used to disperse the epoxy subject without the curing agent into nanoparticles. The dispersion of the nanoparticles was dispersed by the weight of the epoxy resin. This is to take into account the cohesion of HNT and to understand the range of cohesion of HNT in a matrix with viscosity and its phenomenon. According to the Comparison of the interlayer interfacial properties and mechanical properties of Aramid / Basalt fiber hybrid composites by HNT addition, the fracture toughness, ILSS and bending strength of specimens with HNT content of more than a certain level were decreased because of the aggregation of HNT.

Systematic results of lattice dynamical calculation are reported for the novel (SiC)m/(GeC)n superlattices (SLs) by exploiting a modified-linear chain model (M-LCM) and a realistic rigid-ion- model (RIM). By employing the bond polarizability method in the framework of M-LCM, we have simulated Raman intensities for the graded (SiC)10-D/(Si0.5Ge0.5C)D/(GeC)10-D/(Si0.5Ge0.5C)D SLs by carefully integrating interfacial layer thickness D (≡ 0, 1, 2, 3 monolayers (MLs)). The variation of D has initiated considerable up (down) shifts of GeC-, (SiC)-like Raman peaks in the middle of the optical phonon frequency region. With D = 3 MLs, the maximum energy shift (by ~ 47 cm-1) of SiC-like modes has caused substantial changes in the Raman intensity profiles linked to the localization of atomic displacements at the interfacial transition regions. This effect can be considered as a vital tool for authenticating the interfacial structures in technologically important SLs. By using a RIM, we have reported SL phonon dispersions along the growth [001] as well as in the plane [100], [110] perpendicular to the growth. Our simulations of phonons in the acoustic mode region have not only confirmed the formation of minigaps at the zone center and zone edges but also provided evidence of anti-crossing and phonon confinement. Besides examining angular dependence of zone-center optical modes, we have also discussed phonon folding, confinement and anisotropic behavior in (SiC)m/(GeC)n SLs.

Non steady applied magnetic field impact on a liquid metals has good prospects for industry. For a better understanding of heat and mass transfer processes under these circumstances, numerical simulations are needed. A combination of finite elements and volumes methods was used to calculate the flow and solidification of liquid metal under electromagnetic influence. Validation of numerical results was carried out by means of measuring with ultrasound Doppler velocimetry technique, as well as with neutron radiography snapshots of the position and shape of the solid/liquid interface. As a result of the first part of the work, a numerical model of electromagnetic stirring and solidification was developed and validated. This model could be an effective tool for analyzing the electromagnetic stirring during the solidification process. In the second part, the dependences of the velocity pulsation amplitude and the melt velocity maximum value on the magnetic field pulsation frequency are obtained. It was found numerically the ability of the pulsating force action to develop higher values of the liquid metal velocity at a frequency close to the MHD resonance. Obtained characteristics give a more detailed description of the electrically conductive liquid behaviour under action of pulsating traveling magnetic field.

Asymmetric lithium salts, such as Lithium (difluoromethanesulfonyl)(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiDFTFSI), have been demonstrated to surpass traditional symmetric lithium salts with improved Li+ conductivity and the capacity to generate stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) while maintaining compatibility with aluminum (Al0) current collector. However, the intrinsic reductive mechanism through which LiDFTFSI influences battery performance remains unclear and under debate. Herein, the detailed SEI reactions of LiDFTFSI-based electrolytes were investigated by combining density functional theory and molecular dynamics, aiming to clarify the formation process and atomic structure of SEI. Our results show that asymmetric DFTFSI– weakens the interaction between carbonate solvents and Li+, and substantially alter the solvation structure, exhibiting a well-balanced coordination capacity to bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI–). Nanoseconds hybrid molecular dynamics simulation further reveals that the preferential decomposition of LiDFTFSI produces sufficient LiF and Li2O to facilitate a robust SEI. Moreover, the abundant F– generated from LiDFTFSI decomposition accumulates on the Al surface and subsequently combines with Al3+ from the current collector to form AlF3, potentially inhibiting corrosion of the current collector. Overall, these findings elucidate how LiDFTFSI regulates the solvation sheath and SEI structure, advancing the development of high-performance electrolytes compatible with current collector.

First, a recently developed eigenfunction expansion technique, based in part on separation of the thickness-variable and partly utilizing a modified Frobenius type series expansion technique in conjunction with the Eshelby-Stroh formalism, is employed to derive three-dimensional singular stress fields in the vicinity of the front of an interfacial crack weakening an infinite bicrystalline superlattice plate, made of orthorhombic (cubic, hexagonal and tetragonal serving as special cases) phases, of finite thickness and subjected to the far-field extension/bending, in-plane shear/twisting and anti-plane shear loadings, distributed through the thickness. Crack-face boundary and interface contact conditions as well as those that are prescribed on the top and bottom surfaces of the bicrystalline superlattice plate are exactly satisfied. It also extends a recently developed concept of lattice crack deflection (LCD) barrier to a superlattice, christened superlattice crack deflection (SCD) energy barrier for studying interfacial crack path instability, which can explain crack deflection from a difficult interface to an easier neighboring cleavage system. Additionally, the relationships of the nature (easy/easy, easy/difficult or difficult/difficult) interfacial cleavage systems based on the present solutions with the structural chemistry aspects of the component phases (such as orthorhombic, tetragonal, hexagonal as well as FCC (face centered cubic) transition metals and perovskites) of the superlattice are also investigated. Finally, results pertaining to the through-thickness variations of mode I/II/III stress intensity factors and energy release rates for symmetric hyperbolic sine distributed load and their skew-symmetric counterparts that also satisfy the boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the bicrystalline superlattice plate under investigation, also form an important part of the present investigation.

Graphene/silicon (Si) heterojunction photodetectors are widely studied in detecting of optical signals from near-infrared to visible light. However, performance of the graphene/Si photodetectors is limited by defects created in the growth process and surface recombination at the interface. Herein, a remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is introduced to directly grow graphene nanowalls (GNWs) at a low power, which can effectively improve the growth rate and reduce defects. Moreover, hafnium oxide (HfO2) grown by atomic layer deposition has been employed as an interfacial layer for the GNWs/Si heterojunction photodetector. It is shown that the high-k dielectric layer of HfO₂ acts as an electron blocking and hole transport layer, which minimizes the recombination and reduces dark current. By optimizing the thickness of HfO₂, an extremely low dark current of 3.85×10^(-10) A with a responsivity of 0.19 AW^(-1), as well as a specific detectivity of 1.38×10^12 Jones at zero bias can be obtained for the fabricated GNWs/HfO₂/Si photodetector. This work demonstrates a universal strategy to fabricate high-performance graphene/Si photodetectors.

In this work, the apparent shear strength at the interface between a bamboo fiber and the surrounding poly(lactic acid) (PLA) matrix is quantified. A method for processing pull-out test samples within a controlled embedded length is proposed and the details of the test procedure are presented, along with a critical discussion of the results. Two series of samples are considered: untreated and mercerized bamboo fibers from the same batch, embedded in the same polyester matrix. Electron and optical microscopy are used to observe the fiber-matrix interface before and after the test, and to identify the failure mode of each sample, especially as regards the occurrence of fibrillation in the fiber bundles. The values of apparent interfacial shear strength are calculated only for regular fibers successfully pulled out from the matrix, and reported with their statistical variations. Mercerization, whose efficiency was proven by Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy, did not appear though to improve the quality of the interface (τ_app = 7.0 ± 3.1 MPa for untreated fibers and τ_app = 5.3 ± 2.4 MPa for treated fibers).

This study investigated the fatigue properties and interfacial strengthening mechanisms of Al6061-to-Cu dissimilar welded joints via electromagnetic pulse welding (EMPW). The load-bearing capacity of the joints at discharge voltages of 14 kV and 16 kV was superior to that of 12 kV. Meanwhile, the fatigue life of 14 kV joints was one order of magnitude higher than that of 12 kV. The SEM observation on the fatigue fracture surface shows that the typical “tire-mark” fatigue striation just appeared on the 14 kV joint, indicating higher ductility for handling more extended plastic deformation. The high EBSD acquisition was achieved except for the transition zone due to the formation of ultra-fine nanocrystalline Al2Cu phase and amorphous phase, along with many dislocations. Dense low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and refined grains are formed along the bonding interface. This indicates that severe plastic deformation induced dislocations to form the substructure in such an instant (40-60 μs) during the high-velocity collision. The interfacial strength is not only due to the continuous interfacial diffusion layer with a “wave-like” or “inverted hook-like” pattern but also benefits from refined grains along the interface and in the transition zone, as well as the hybrid amorphous-nanocrystalline microstructure, which strengthens the joint through increasing ductility induced by refined grains and regulating amorphous or nanocrystalline phases to affect the balance between strength and ductility of the Al/Cu joint.

The global increase in population, the phenomenon of climate change, the issue of water pollution and contamination, and the inadequate management of water resources all exert heightened strain on freshwater reserves. The potential utilization of the interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) system, which utilizes photothermal conversion to generate heat on material surfaces for wastewater purification and desalination purposes, has been successfully demonstrated. Textile materials based ISSG devices, including (woven, nonwoven and knitting) fabrics and electrospinning membranes, exhibit distinct properties such as rough surface texture, high porosity, significant surface area, exceptional flexibility, and robust mechanical strength. These characteristics, combined with their affordability, accessibility, and economic viability for widespread implementation, make them extremely attractive for applications in SSG. In this review, a comprehensive analysis of emerging concepts, advancements and applications of textile materials (woven, nonwoven, and knitting) fabrics and electro-spun membranes in the ISSG for wastewater purification and desalination is highlighted. We also emphasize significant obstacles and potential prospects in both theoretical investigations and real-world implementations, aiming to contribute to future advancements in the domain of textile based materials interfacial evaporation in wastewater purification and desalination. Furthermore, the drawbacks and the challenges of ISSG systems are also highlighted.

Studying various marine biomineralized ultrastructures reveals the appearance of common architectural designs and building blocks in materials with fascinating mechanical properties that match perfectly to their biological tasks. Advanced mechanical properties of biological materials are attributed to evolutionary optimized molecular architectures and structural hierarchy. One example which has not yet been structurally investigated in great detail is the shell of Mytilus edulis L. (Finnish blue mussel) found in the archipelago of SW-Finland. Through a combination of various state-of-the-art techniques such as high-resolution electron microscopy imaging, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, synchrotron wide-angle X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation and protein analysis, both the inorganic mineralized components as well as the organic-rich matrix were extensively characterized. We found very similar ultra-architecture across the shell of M. edulis L. as compared to the widely studied and closely related M. edulis. However, we also found interesting differences, for instance in the thickness and degree of orientation of the mineralized layers indicating dissimilar properties and related alterations in the biomineralization processes. Our results show that the shell of M. edulis L. has a gradient of mechanical properties, with the increase in the stiffness and the hardness from anterior to the posterior region of the shell. The shell is made from distinct and recognizable mineralized layers each varying in thickness and microstructural features. At posterior regions of the shell, moving from dorsal to ventral side, these layers are an oblique prismatic layer, a prismatic layer and a nacreous layer, in which the oblique prismatic layer is found to be the main and thickest mineralized layer of the shell. Probing the calcified rods in the oblique prismatic layer using high resolution SEM imaging revealed opening of channels with a diameters of 40-50 nm and lengths up to a micrometer extending through the rods. The chitin and protein have been found to be the main component of the organic-rich interfacial matrix as expected. Protein analysis showed two abundant proteins with sizes around 100 kD and 45 kD which likely not only regulates biomineralization and adhesion of the crystals but also governing the intrinsic-extrinsic toughening in the shell. Overall, this detailed analysis provides new structural insights into biomineralization of marine shells in general.

Objectives: The current study aimed to compare the adaptation of the restored class-I cavities with two self-etch adhesives bonded to two resin composite using cross-polarization optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT). Materials and Methods: Cylindrical class-I cavities were prepared on twenty, extracted human premolars. Two self-etch adhesives; Clearfil SE bond 2 (SE; Kuraray Noritake Dental, Japan) and Bond Force (Palfique Bond) adhesive (PL; Tokuyama Dental, Japan) were used in this study that were bonded to either resin composites materials; Herculite XRV microhybrid dental composite (HRV; Kerr, Italy) or Estelite Alpha composite (ESA; Tokuyama Dental, Japan). The specimens were divided into four groups (n=5); SE-HRV, SE-ESA, PL-HRV and PL-ESA. All specimens were varnished and stored in distilled water for 24h. Then, they were submerged in a contrasting medium. After that, all groups were optically imaged under CP-OCT at every 250 µm interval distance. Later, image binarization and gap quantification were carried out using Image analysis software. Result: There was a significant difference between all the groups except between SE-ESA and PL-ESA (p = 0.51). The highest median gap % was seen in PL-HRV group followed by SE-ESA, PL-ESA and SE-HRV. Conclusion: Other than composite filler loading and adhesive formula, the interactions of the adhesive and composite copolymers have great influence on composite adaptation.

In today’s fast paced, attention-demanding society, executive functions and attentional resources are often taxed. Individuals need ways to sustain and restore these resources. We first review the concepts of attention and restoration, as instantiated in Attention Restoration Theory (ART). ART emphasizes the role of nature in restoring attention. We then discuss essentials of experiments on the causal influences of nature. Next, we expand the concept of ART to include modern, designed environments. We propose a wider perspective termed attentional ecology, in which attention behavior is viewed within a larger system involving the human and their interactions over time with environmental demands. When the ecology is optimal, mental functioning can be a positive “flow” that is productive, sustainable for the individual, and sometimes creative.

A simple and effective surface modification of polyester fabrics with sulfuric acid to improve the interfacial deposition of polypyrrole was presented in our work. A range of sulfuric acid concentrations were analyzed by studying water contact angle. Effect of sulfuric acid modification on the deposition of polypyrrole was investigated by sheet resistance and color depth of fabric samples. Polyester fabrics coated with polypyrrole layer were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-Ray diffraction spectra (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XPS showed that sulphur containing functional groups were obviously appeared on the polyester fiber surface after modification, which were advantageous to promote the deposition of polypyrrole onto polyester fabrics. The improved deposition increased electrical conductivity of fabric samples.

Geopolymer, as a new type of solid waste-based inorganic cementitious material, exhibits outstanding Behavior in terms of physical and chemical performance, macro-mechanical properties and long-lasting stability, and features potential application development tendency in the field of repair and reinforcement of existing concrete structures. This paper investigates the interfacial Behavior of geopolymer mortar with OPC concrete substrate under different slag, fly ash and red mud mixing proportions, while cement mortar was used as a control group for the research. The interfacial bonding properties of the geopolymer mortar to the OPC concrete substrate were elaborated by carrying out split tensile test, two-sided shear test and three-point bending test. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to further analyse the microstructural characteristics and physical phase components of the interfacial transition zone between the geopolymer mortar and the OPC concrete substrate. The results indicated that the compressive strength of slag-fly ash-red mud-based geopolymer mortar under different mixing ratio conditions was consistently superior to that of cement mortar. Overall, the interfacial bonding properties of the geopolymer mortar to the OPC concrete substrate gradually increased with the increment of the slag content, however, an evolutionary trend of minor enhancement followed by a gradual reduction was observed with the growth of the fly ash and red mud content.

To improve the interfacial bonding of sisal fiber reinforced polylactide biocomposites, polylactide (PLA) and sisal fibers (SF) were melt-blended to fabricate bio-based composites via in situ reactive interfacial compatibilization with the addition of an epoxy-functionalized oligomer (ADR). The FTIR analysis and SEM characterization demonstrated that PLA molecular chain was bonded to the fiber surface and epoxy-functionalized oligomer played a hinge-like role between sisal fibers and PLA matrix, which resulted in improved interfacial adhesion between fibers and PLA matrix. The interfacial reaction and microstructures of composites were further investigated by thermal and rheological analyses, which indicated that the mobility of the PLA molecular chain in composites was restricted because of the introduction of ADR oligomer, which in turn reflected the improved interfacial interaction between SF and PLA matrix. These conclusions were further investigated by the calculated activation energies of glass transition relaxation (△Ea) of composites via dynamic mechanical analysis. The mechanical properties of PLA/SF composites were simultaneously reinforced and toughened via addition of ADR oligomer. The interfacial interaction and structure-properties relationship of composites are key points of this study.

In this paper, a novel deep learning approach based on conditional FLOW is proposed for sea clutter augmentation. Sea clutter data augmentation is important for testing detection algorithms for maritime remote sensing and surveillance due to the expensive and time-consuming nature of sea clutter data acquisition. While the conventional parametric methods face challenges in finding appropriate distributions and modeling time correlations of the sea clutter data, the proposed deep learning approach, GCC-FLOW , can learn the data distribution from the data without explicitly defining a mathematical model. Furthermore, unlike the existing generative deep learning approaches, the proposed GCC-FLOW is able to synthesize sea clutter data of arbitrary length with the stable autoregressive structure using conditional FLOW . In addition, the proposed algorithm generates sea clutter data not only with the same characteristics of the training data, but also with the interpolated characteristics of different training data by introducing a global condition variable corresponding to the target characteristic such as sea state. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed GCC-FLOW in generating sea clutter data of arbitrary length under different sea state conditions.

Corresponding to the principles of biological synapses, an essential prerequisite for hardware neural networks using electronics devices is continuous regulation of conductance. We implemented artificial synaptic characteristics in a (GeTe/Sb2Te3)16 iPCM with a superlattice structure under optimized identical pulse trains. Based on atomically controlling the Ge switch in the phase transition that appears in the GeTe/Sb2Te3 superlattice structure, multiple conductance states were implemented by applying the appropriate electrical pulses. Furthermore, we found that the bidirectional switching behavior of a (GeTe/Sb2Te3)16 iPCM can achieve a desired resistance level using the pulse width. Therefore, we also fabricated a Ge2Sb2Te5 PCM and designed a pulse scheme based on the phase transition mechanism to compare to the (GeTe/Sb2Te3)16 iPCM. We designed an identical pulse scheme that implements linear and symmetrical LTP and LTD based on the iPCM mechanism. As a result, the (GeTe/Sb2Te3)16 iPCM showed relatively excellent synaptic characteristics by implementing gradual conductance modulation, a nonlinearity value of 0.32, and LTP/LTD 40 conductance states using identical pulses trains. Our results demonstrate the general applicability of the artificial synaptic device for potential use in neuro-inspired computing and next generation non-volatile memory.

To expand the application scope and increase the demand for non-crimp fabrics (NCFs) as a lightweight vehicle material, the delamination and thermal strain in NCF composites must be restricted. Accordingly, to simultaneously improve the interfacial bonding and thermal stability of the NCF composites, in this study the epoxy resin, in which SiO2 nanoparticles was modified by a silane coupling agent, were infused to the stacked NCFs and between the layers of NCFs through the vacuum-assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM) process.

Wall Shear Stress (WSS) abnormalities in carotid artery blood flow are key hemodynamic factors leading to arterial endothelial damage, atherosclerotic plaque formation, and carotid artery stenosis. Precise simulation of carotid artery blood flow WSS in vitro play an important role in understanding the underlying hemodynamic mechanism of carotid artery stenosis. This study presents a design for a microfluidic cell culture chamber with a variable cross-section and a step structure, leveraging microfluidic technology and principles of fluid dynamics. We propose an optimization strategy for microchannel dimensions based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. This strategy aims to replicate the distinct WSS waveform features found at various locations within the carotid bifurcation as observed in vivo. Our simulations indicate that with a step height of 0.09 mm, a width of 4 mm for the initial segment, and 5 mm for the subsequent wider channel, the device can effectively model the characteristics of low oscillatory WSS seen at sites of carotid sinus stenosis. Furthermore, it accurately represents the high-magnitude pulsatile WSS waveforms in the more uniform arterial sections downstream of the carotid sinus. The study also reveals that vortex formation and variations in low oscillatory WSS within the stepped section of the microchannel correlate with the step's height and width, as well as with the dimensions of the wider channel section. An increase in step width leads to a decrease in both the vortex area and the magnitude of negative WSS oscillations. When the step height is less than 0.03 mm, vortex formation is inhibited, challenging the simulation of low oscillatory WSS patterns. The variable cross-section microfluidic channel developed in this study provides a platform for simulating carotid artery WSS waveforms and facilitates research into the interplay between low oscillatory WSS at sites of carotid sinus stenosis and arterial endothelial dysfunction.

In this work, we proposed a novel design of microfluidic mixer utilizing the amplified Marangoni chaotic advection induced by AC continuous electrowetting of a metal droplet situated in electrolyte solution, due to the linear and quadratic voltage-dependence of flow velocity at small or large voltages, respectively. Unlike previous researchers exploiting the unidirectional surface stress with DC bias at droplet/medium interface for pumping of electrolyte where the resulting flow rate is linearly proportional to the field intensity, dominance of another kind of dipolar flow pattern caused by local Marangoni stress at the drop surface in sufficiently intense AC electric field is demonstrated by both theoretical analysis and experimental observation, which exhibits a quadratic growth trend as a function of the applied voltage. The dipolar shear stress merely appears at larger voltages and greatly enhances the mixing performance by inducing chaotic advection between the neighboring laminar flow. The mixer design developed herein, on the basis of amplified Marangoni chaotic advection around a liquid metal droplet at larger AC voltages, has great potential for chemical reaction and MEMS actuator applications, because of generating high-throughput and excellent mixing performance at the same time.

In this study, the values of the interfacial energies of seven different polymer-water systems obtained by Sessile Drop Accelerometry (SDACC) are compared with the values obtained by the Young’s-equation-based Owens-Wendt method. The SDACC laboratory instrument –a combination of a drop shape analyzer with high-speed camera and a microgravity tower- and the evaluation algorithms, are designed to measure the interfacial energies as a function of the geometrical changes of a sessile droplet shape due to the effect of “switching off” gravity during the experiment. The method bases on Thermodynamics of Interfaces and differs from the conventional aproach of the two hundred-years-old Young’s equation in that it assumes a thermodynamic equilibrium between interfaces, rather than a balance of forces on a point of the solid-liquid-gas contour line. A comparison of the mathematical model that supports the SDACC method with the widely accepted Young`s equation is discussed in detail in this study.

In this paper, we aim to present real implementation cases where non-visible elements of environmental impact assessments (EIA), wind flow, are visualized using a 3D digital twin technology. The conventional EIA process serves as a crucial tool in the evaluation of potential environmental impacts prior to the initiation of development projects. This evaluation helps to establish a legal and institutional framework that seeks to minimize the adverse effects on the environment. However, traditional EIA methods present challenges, particularly for non-experts, in comprehending the results of assessments involving non-visible environmental factors such as noise, air quality, and wind flow. These elements are often represented in static images or numerical tables, limiting accurate understanding and engagement. Our proposed method, termed Digital Twin based EIA, addresses these limitations by leveraging digital twin technology. This advanced methodology allows for the visualization of non-visible environmental elements in a spatio-temporal dimension, providing a more interactive and comprehensive user interface/experience for both citizens and stakeholders. In this context, we present a unique case study that focuses on visualizing wind flow using this technology. This paper serves as an example of how digital twin platforms can enhance traditional EIA processes, offering a more immersive and informative experience. The evolution of EIA into the digital realm signifies an important step forward in fostering public understanding and engagement in environmental protection efforts.

The interfacial polymerization (IP) of piperazine (PIP) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) has been extensively utilized to synthesize nanofiltration (NF) membranes. However, it is still a huge challenge to monitor the IP reaction, because of the fast reaction rate and the formed ultra-thin film. Herein, two effective strategies were applied to reduce the IP reaction rate: (1) the introduction of hydrophilic interlayers between the porous substrate and the formed polyamide layer, and (2) the addition of macromolecular additives in the aqueous solution of PIP. As a result, in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was firstly used to monitor the IP reaction of PIP/TMC with hydrophilic interlayers or macromolecular additives in the aqueous solution of PIP. Moreover, the formed polyamide layer growth on the substrate was studied in a real-time manner. The in situ FTIR experimental results confirmed that the IP reaction rates were effectively suppressed and that the formed polyamide thickness was reduced from 138 ± 24 nm to 46 ± 2 nm according to TEM observation. Furthermore, an optimized NF membrane with excellent performance was consequently obtained, which included boosted water permeation of about 141–238 (L/m²·h·MPa) and superior salt rejection of Na₂SO₄ > 98.4%.

Compressive residual stresses in thin films can inhibit crack propagation under normal or sliding contact loading, with associated enhancement of the coating apparent toughness, load bearing capacity and wear resistance. This study investigates the influence of residual stress distributions on the thin film/substrate adhesion using a nanoindenter coupled with scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigations of indentation induced failure modes. Reactive and un-reactive magnetron sputtering with ion plating was used to coat a (100) silicon substrate with aluminum nitride (AlN) with and without an aluminum (Al) adhesion layer. The presence of an Al bond layer gives additional interfacial tensile stress because of the difference in thermal expansion coefficient. Additionally, a different magnitude of residual stresses in the AlN coating was achieved by changing the applied bias voltage onto the substrate. Wafer curvature method and incremental focused ion beam (FIB) milling, combined with high-resolution in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and full field strain analysis by digital image correlation (DIC), were used to measure the average and in-depth stress residual stress distribution in the produced coatings. The adhesion energy was then quantified by using a nanoindentation based model. Results demonstrate that the additional tensile residual stress in the aluminum adhesion layer decrease significantly the coating adhesion, even in presence of a higher compressive stress state in the AlN top-layer. Therefore, the coatings without Al-layer showed better adhesion because of a more homogeneous compressive residual stress in comparison with the coating having Al layer, even though both groups of coatings are produced under same bias voltage. Results are discussed, and some general suggestions are made on the correlation between coating/substrate property combination and the adhesion energy of multilayer stacks. The results suggested that Al bond-layer and inhomogeneous residual stresses affected the adhesion of AlN negatively to a substrate like silicon.

The petroleum industry produces thousands of barrels of oilfield waters from the initial stage driven by primary production mechanisms to the tertiary stage. These produced waters contain measurable amounts of oil in water emulsions, the exact amounts being determined by the chemistry of the crude oil. To meet strict environmental regulations governing the disposal of such produced waters, demulsification to regulatory permissible levels is required. Within the electric double layer theory, coupled with the analytical solutions to the Poisson Boltzmann Equation, continuum electrostatics approaches can be used to describe the static and electrokinetic properties of such emulsion systems. Therefore, theoretical understanding of the stability of oil in water emulsions within such fundamental concepts provides reliable approaches to demulsification. In this paper, we have used theoretical approaches, based on zeta potential and surface charge density models to determine the stability of oil in water emulsions for different crude oil samples. Accordingly, we have used literature based data on the chemistry of the crude oils, and have ranked the order of emulsion stability based on criterial established by zeta potential plots for the oil. Our theoretical calculations show that where the isoelectric points of crude oil samples are closer to each other, the degree of ionization plots versus pH indicate close tends for salinities at varying pH of oilfield waters. Based on the chemistry of crude oil samples, the most efficient and cost-effective means of demulsification is by reducing produced water pH to values closer to the average point of zero charge pH values

The requirements for efficient replacement of fossil fuel, combined with the growing energy crisis, put hydrogen production into focus. Efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts are needed for H2 production, and novel strategies for their discovery must be developed. Here we utilized Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations to demonstrate that hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) can be boosted via hydrogen spillover to the support when the catalyst surface is largely covered by adsorbed hydrogen under operating conditions. Based on the insights from KMC, we synthesized a series of reduced graphene oxide-supported catalysts and compared their activities towards HER in alkaline media with that of corresponding pure metals. For Ag, Au, and Zn, the support effect is negative, but for Pt, Pd, Fe, Co, and Ni, the presence of the support enhances HER activity. The HER volcano, constructed using calculated hydrogen binding energies and measured HER activities, shows a positive shift of the strong binding branch. This work demonstrates the possibilities of metal|support interface engineering for producing effective HER catalysts and provides general guidelines for choosing novel catalyst-support combinations for electrocatalytic hydrogen production.

Unsteady flow is the most common and complicated form of fluid motion in nature. This paper takes the beaches of key waterways in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River as the research object, analyzes the water surface distribution and average flow velocity distribution near the beach, and analyzes the differences. The relationship between the flow pattern of the steep slope and the water flow pattern of the entire survey area and the steep slope of the beach and its nearby water flow structure. The water flow near the beach is divided into four major blocks: the swelling water area, the falling water area, the backwater area and the maximum flow rate area. The water flow structure characteristics and the cause of each block are analyzed.

This study focuses on traffic condition analysis, especially in under developing country India and makes more visible of traffic flow by using traffic flow theory in order to understand real traffic condition. India is one of rapid economic growing countries and large market with second largest population 1.3 billion in 2018. On the other hand, there are social issues such as environment air pollution and global warming by traffic CO2 emission of transportation. This kind of condition is not only in India, but in other South East Asia and Africa in future. From recent more than one-month traffic observation in a typical major city Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, which has about 8 million population and industrialized city. In terms of traffic data collection, 14 CCTV cameras are used in the city. Based on multiple traffic cameras monitoring, author found the unique traffic flow characteristics and compares traffic flow theory. In this study, it is described what is key parameters to show real traffic congestion condition and how these congestion occurs.

Hypnotizability is a cognitive trait associated with differences in the brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation of individuals with high hypnotizability (highs) and low hypnotizability scores (lows). The study investigated possible hypnotizability-related cerebrovascular differences. Among 24 healthy volunteers the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale Form A, identified 13 medium-to-lows (med-lows), 11 medium-to-highs (med-highs), 1 medium hypnotizable. Hypnotizability did not influence the significant changes produced by the trail making task (TMT), mental arithmetic task (MAT), hyperventilation (HVT) and rebreathing (RBT) on Heart rate (HR), arterial blood pressure (ABP) and partial pressure of end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2) and oxygenation (TOI); but moderated the correlations between the changes occurring during tasks with respect to basal conditions (Δ) in ABP and PETCO2 with MCAv. In HVT, med-lows exhibited a significant correlation between ΔMCAv and ΔPETCO2, med-highs showed a significant correlation between ΔABP and ΔMCAv; a significant correlation between ΔTHI and ΔTOI was observed in medium lows. Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and conductance (ΔCVCi) were significantly correlated with ΔMCAv in med-lows during HVT and RBT. Findings represent the first assessment of hypnotizability-related differences in the mechanisms controlling the middle cerebral artery flow velocity, cerebrovascular reactivity and conductance in response to hyperventilation and rebreathing.

Polymer flooding is one of the most successful chemical EOR methods, and is primarily implemented to accelerate oil production by sweep improvement. However, other benefits have extended the utility of polymers. During the last decade, it has been evaluated for an increasing number of fields, both offshore and onshore. This is a consequence of improved polymer properties, which extends the use to HTHS (high temperature high salinity) conditions and of improved understanding of flow mechanisms such as for heavy oil mobilization. A key issue in understanding polymer performance is to control and predict in-situ porous medium rheology. The first part of this paper reviews recent developments in understanding polymer flow in porous medium. Especially, polymer in-situ rheology and injectivity is discussed. The second part of this paper reports polymer flow experiments using the most applied polymer for EOR processes, HPAM (partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide). The experiments address high rate near-wellbore behavior (radial flow) as well as reservoir rate steady state flow (linear flow) and discuss differences observed in terms of flow conditions. In addition, impact of oil on polymer rheology was investigated, and compared to single-phase polymer flow in Bentheimer sandstone rock material. Presence of oil leads to a reduction in apparent viscosity.

Imaging flow cytometry (ImFC) represents a significant technological advancement in the field of cytometry, effectively merging the high-throughput capabilities of flow analysis with the image-based features of microscopy. In this comprehensive review article, we take a historical perspective and delve into the evolution of this methodology, presenting its past, exploring current state-of-the-art and forecasting potential future advancements. The inception of ImFC arose from the innovative combination of a flow cytometer's hydraulics with the technology of an advanced camera. This synergistic coupling facilitated the morphological analysis of cell populations at a high-throughput scale, effectively evolving the landscape of cytometry. However, the application of ImFC faced several challenges. Among the most prominent ones, is the development and implementation of software systems that can reliably and efficiently handle the robust data acquisition and analysis inherent in ImFC. The scale and complexity of the data generated by ImFC necessitates the creation of novel analytical tools that can effectively manage and interpret this data, thus allowing us to unlock the full potential of ImFC. Interestingly, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have begun to be implemented on ImFC, offering a promise for enhancing analytical capabilities. The adaptability and learning capacity of AI may prove to be essential in knowledge mining from high-dimensional data produced by ImFC, potentially enabling more accurate analyses. Looking forward, we project that ImFC may become an indispensable tool, not only in research laboratories but also in clinical settings. Given the unique combination of high-throughput cytometry and detailed imaging offered by ImFC, we foresee a critical role for this technology in the next generation of scientific research and diagnostics. As such, we encourage both current and future scientists to consider the integration of ImFC as an addition to their research toolkit and clinical diagnostic routine.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in cellular senescence and aging, as well as in the onset and progression of many diverse genetic and acquired diseases and conditions. The search for biomarkers of oxidative stress has become relevant to many biomedical fields using many different methods and approaches. Fluorescence methodology is advantageous because of its simplicity and high sensitivity. Fluorescent probes are frequently used to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress in experimental or clinical settings, often involving the use of flow cytometry and related single-cell based technologies. To assess the specific role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress studies by cytometric methodologies, it is essential to detect and characterize these species accurately. However, the detection and quantitation of individual intracellular ROS is still a challenge, but different and complementary strategies may focus on other endpoints of oxidative stress. In this review we present and discuss briefly the limitations and perspectives of such approaches. Based on our results, we also provide recommendations for proper design of cytometric studies of oxidative stress in order to prevent or minimize experimental errors..

The adoption of Pump as Turbines (PATs) both in small scale hydroelectric plants and water supply systems has brought different advantages, the most recognized being cost-effectiveness as compared to other hydroturbines. However, due to their lack of flow control ability, their intolerance to off-design operations constitutes one tough shortfall. Moreover, this technology’s newness leads to PAT flow dynamics still being ununderstood even to date. Therefore, this study intends to numerically investigate the mixed flow PAT’s pump mode flow dynamics for five operating conditions expanding from optimum (1QBEP) to deep part-load (0.41 QBEP) conditions. Moreover the effect of runner blade angle on the same has been investigated where three angles namely -2°, 0°, and 2° have been considered. PAT flow stability was found to deteriorate as the flow decreased, where associated pressure pulsation level worsened at different flow zones. In addition, the blade angle increase led correspondingly increasing flow unsteadiness and pressure pulsation levels, where the pulsation frequencies from rotor-stator interactions were dominant for most of flow zones. This study’s findings are of a crucial importance to both scientific and engineering communities as they contribute to thorough understanding of PAT flow dynamics.

Brine-dependent recovery process has seen much global research efforts in the past two decades because of their benefits over other oil recovery methods. The process involves the tweaking of the ionic composition and strength of the injected water to improve oil production. In recent years, several studies ranging from laboratory coreflood experiments by many researchers to field trials by several companies admit to the potential of recovering additional oil in sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. Sandstone and carbonate rocks are composed of completely different minerals, with varying degree of complexity and heterogeneity, but wettability alteration has been widely considered as the consequence rather than the cause of brine-dependent recovery. However, there is no consensus on the cause as several mechanisms have been proposed to relate the wettability changes to the improved recovery. This review paper aims to provide a state-of-the-art development in published research and various efforts of the industry. This review outlines an overview of laboratory and field observations, descriptions of underlying mechanisms and their validity, the complexity of the oil-brine-rock interactions, modelling works, and comparison between sandstone and carbonate rocks. The provided information is intended to provide the reader with up-to-date information, point to relevant studies for those who are new and those implementing either laboratory- or field-scale projects to speed up the process of further investigations in this research area. Overall, the outcome of this review would potentially be of immense benefit to the oil industry.

The (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coating with both homogeneous and defect-free microstructure were successfully prepared by in situ on the surface of 42CrMo steel using the coupling of the ultra-high-speed laser cladding (EHLA in German) technology with the direct reaction synthesis (DRS) technology, and were comparatively analyzed with the IN625 coating prepared by the EHLA. The microstructure of the fused cladding layer was investigated by selected scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and double spherical aberration transmission electron microscopy (DSA-TEM). The residual stress distribution on both sides of the fused cladding interface was characterised by nanoindentation stress test based on the modified O&P method and the G&S energy method. The results show that the interface of (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coatings is affected by about 670 kJ Joule heat released from the in-situ reaction, and the interfacial width reaches 24 μm, so that it is 6 times higher than that of IN625 coating prepared by EHLA, which effectively reduces the stress gradient in the interfacial region and alleviates the stress mismatch on both sides of the interface. However, the surface hardness of (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coating is lower than that of the IN625 coating, with a value of about 240 HV0.2, and the average wear weight loss was only 10% of that of the IN625 coating, which is on the one hand attributed to the in-situ authigenic TiCB, TiC, NbMo3B4, and NbMo2B2 phases supporting the (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coating substrate to achieve the abrasion reduction and wear resistance. On the other hand, it is attributed to the formation of nano-equiaxial ultrafine grains in the depth range of 250 nm below the wear surface area by the coupling of the three fields of plastic rheology-heat-force, which dynamically strengthens the wear surface.

The importance of antibodies in health care and the biotechnology research and development demands not only knowledge of their experimental structures at high resolution, but also practical implementation of this knowledge for both effective and efficient design and production of antibody for its use in both medical and research applications. While the experimental wet-lab approach is usually costly, laborious and time-consuming, computational (dry-lab) approaches, in spite of their intrinsic limitations in comparison with its experimental (wet-lab) counterpart, provide a cheaper and faster alternative option. For the first time, this article reports a comprehensive set of structural electrostatic features extracted from experimentally determined antigen-antibody-related structures, including especially those structural electrostatic features at the interfaces of all experimentally determined antigen-antibody complex structures as of February 29, 2020, to facilitate effective and efficient machine learning-based computational antibody design using currently available experimental structures inside Protein Data Bank.

The binary metal oxide mesoporous interfacial layers (bi-MO meso IF layer) templated by a graft copolymer is synthesized between a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate and nanocrystalline TiO2 (nc-TiO2). Amphiphilic graft copolymers, Poly(epichlorohydrin)-graft-poly(styrene), PECH-g-PS, was used as a structure-directing agent, and the fabricated bi-MO meso IF layer exhibits good interconnectivity and high porosity. Even if the amount of ZnO in bi-MO meso IF layer increased, it was confirmed that the morphology and porosity of bi-MO meso IF layer was well maintained. In addtion, bi-MO meso IF layer coated onto FTO substrates show higher transmittance compared with a pristine FTO substrate and dense-TiO2/FTO, due to the reduced surface roughness of FTO. The overall conversion efficiency (η) of a solid state photovoltaic cells, dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) fabricated with nc-TiO2 layer/bi-MO meso IF layer TZ1 used as a photoanode reaches 5.0% at 100 mW cm-2, which is higher than that of DSSC with a nc-TiO2 layer/dense-TiO2 layer (4.2%), resulting from enhanced light harvesting, good interconnectivity, and reduced interfacial resistance. The cell efficiency of the device did not change after 15 days, indicating that the bi-MO meso IF layer with solid-state electrolyte has improved electrode/electrolyte interface and electrochemical stability. Additionally, commercial scattering layer/nc-TiO2 layer/bi-MO meso IF layer TZ1 photoanode fabricated solid state photovoltaic cells (DSSC) achieved an overall conversion efficiency (η) of 6.4% at 100 mW cm-2.

In this study, we improved the photovoltaic (PV) properties and storage stabilities of inverted perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) based on methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) by employing bathocuproine (BCP)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and BCP/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as hole-blocking and electron-transporting interfacial layers. The architecture of the PVSCs was indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate/MAPbI3/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester/BCP:PMMA or BCP:PVP/Ag. The presence of PMMA and PVP affected the morphological stability of the BCP and MAPbI3 layers. The storage-stability of the BCP/PMMA-based PVSCs was enhanced significantly relative to that of the corresponding unmodified BCP-based PVSC. Moreover, the PV performance of the BCP/PVP-based PVSCs was enhanced when compared with that of the unmodified BCP-based PVSC. Thus, incorporating hydrophobic polymers into BCP-based hole-blocking/electron-transporting interfacial layers can improve the PV performance and storage stability of PVSCs.

Since its introduction almost 50 years ago, the concept of ‘flow’ has been descriptive of optimal experiences, also in relation to play. However, the explorative nature of play leads to some discrepancies between flow and the optimal experience of play. In this paper the differences between flow and play are explored, leading to proposing the state of ‘wonder’ (directed at exploration) as an alternative to ‘flow’. From this perspective, the study further explores how we may design toys that enable meaningful experiences of play, identifying opportunities in designing for toys as the enablers of immersed experiences of wonder.

This paper presents some results from a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a multi-megawatt crosswind kite spinning on a circular path in a straight downwind configuration. The unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations closed by the k−ω SST turbulence model are solved in the three-dimensional space using ANSYS Fluent. The flow behaviour is examined at the rotation plane, and the overall (or global) induction factor is obtained by getting the weighted average of induction factors on multiple annuli over the swept area. The wake flow behaviour is also discussed in some details using velocity and pressure contour plots. In addition to the CFD model, an analytical model for calculating the average flow velocity and radii of the annular wake downstream of the kite is developed. The model is formulated based on the widely-used Jensen’s model (Technical Report Risø-M; No. 2411, 1983), which was developed for conventional wind turbines, and thus has a simple form. Expressions for the dimensionless wake flow velocity and wake radii are obtained by assuming self-similarity of flow velocity and linear wake expansion. Comparisons are made between numerical results from the analytical model and those from the CFD simulation. The level of agreement was found to be reasonably good. Such computational and analytical models are indispensable for kite farm layout design and optimization, where aerodynamic interactions between kites should be considered.

In this study, the author proposes to evaluate the effect of sales growth, Receivable Turnover and operating cash flow on the liquidity of PT. Unilever Indonesia Plc. The research method used is descriptive method with a quantitative approach. In this statement, the population used in this study is the financial statement data from PT. Unilever Indonesia Plc. from 2010 to 2018, the technique of determining the sampling uses Purposive Sampling. This research data uses secondary data from PT. Unilever Indonesia Plc financial statements from 2010 to 2018. All data sources were obtained from the website of the Indonesia Stock Exchange at https://www.idx.co.id, the company's website and Google search. Our analysis reveals that sales growth and accounts receivable turnover from PT. Unilever Indonesia Plc. has no influence on the liquidity of PT. Unilever Indonesia Plc, while operating cash flow has an influence on the Liquidity of PT Unilever Indonesia Plc. This means the ups and downs of the value of sales and accounts receivable turnover of a company has no influence on the liquidity of PT. Unilever Indonesia Plc, while operating cash flow has increased or decreased has an influence on the liquidity of PT Unilever Indonesia Plc. The value of sales growth, accounts receivable turnover and operating cash flow can explain the liquidity of PT Unilever Indonesia Plc. by 78%, while 22% is explained by other factors which are not included in this study.

The study focused on two climatic variables i.e. precipitation and stream flow for analysing change in trend of rainfall for the River Ssezibwa Catchment area and stream flow of River Ssezibwa. This Catchment is found in the districts of Mukono and Buikwe in Uganda. In this area agriculture is majorly dependent on rainfall and irrigation on a small scale. However, rainfall occurrence has become unpredictable over the past few years as result of the changes in patterns of weather. This has caused severe effects on the agricultural cropping system as well as caused negative effects on the natural water resources. Stream flow data of 57 years (1960 – 2017) and rainfall data for 35 years (1982 – 2017) on a daily basis was analysed to find out the trend and detect change point. Trend analysis was done by using the non-parametric analysis while the change point detection was carried out by using the Pettit test (1979).Magnitude of trend for the time series data was carried out using Sen’s Slope estimator and Mann – Kendall test was done to determine the trend. Results from the statistical analysis highlighted that; for stream flow the trend was generally positive and change point detected to be in the year 2000 while for rainfall data analysis indicated that the trend was predominantly negative and change point was in the year 1998.

In Shark Bay, a large hypersaline bay in Western Australia, longitudinal density gradients force gravitational circulation that is important for Bay-ocean exchange. Observations of vertical stratification and velocity are presented, confirming a steady near-bed dense water outflow from Shark Bay’s northern Geographe Channel that persisted through all stages of the tide. Outflow velocities were 2–3 times stronger than the outflows recorded previously in Naturaliste Channel (in the west) and were more resistant to breakdown by tidal mixing. Estimates of turbulent kinetic energy production derived from ADCP data using the variance method showed a more complex structure in Geographe Channel, due to shear associated with the stratified conditions, with peak levels of turbulence occurring during reversal of tidal flows. For both channels the main source of turbulence was tidal flow along the seabed, with the bottom current speed cubed, |U_b³|, providing a reasonable proxy for tidal mixing and prediction of dense water outflows from Shark Bay the majority of the time. Orientation and deeper water of Geographe Channel along the main axis of the longitudinal density gradient provided an explanation for the predominant outflow from the Bay’s northern entrance. These density-driven currents could potentially influence recruitment of commercially fished scallops and prawns through dispersal and flushing of larvae.

A techno-economic model was developed to investigate the influence of components on the system costs of redox flow batteries. Sensitivity analyses were carried out based on a example of a 10 kW/120 kWh vanadium redox flow battery system and the costs of the individual components were analyzed. Particular consideration was given to the influence of material costs and resistances of bipolar plates and energy storage media as well as voltages and electric currents. Based on the developed model it was possible to formulate statements about the targeted optimization of existing battery systems and general aspects for future developments of redox flow batteries.

Self-organized criticality (SOC) is a celebrated paradigm from the 90’s for understanding dynamical systems naturally driven to its critical point, where the power-law dynamics taking place make predictions practically impossible, such as in stock prices, earthquakes, pandemics and many other problems in science related to phase transitions. Shortly thereafter, it was realized that traffic flow might be in the SOC category, implying that conventional traffic management strategies seeking to maximize the local flows can become detrimental. This paper shows that the Kinematic Wave model with triangular fundamental diagram, and many other related traffic models, indeed exhibit SOC, thanks in part to the fractal nature of traffic exposed here on the one hand, and our need to get to our destinations as soon as possible, on the other hand. Important implications for congestion management of traffic near the critical region are discussed, such as: (i) Jam sizes obey a power-law distribution with exponent 1/2, implying that both its mean and variance become ill-defined and therefore impossible to estimate. (ii) Traffic in the critical region is chaotic in the sense that predictions becomes extremely sensitive to initial conditions. (iii) However, aggregate measures of performance such as delays and average speeds are not heavy tailed, and can be characterized exactly by different scalings of the Airy distribution, (iv) Traffic state time-space “heat maps” are self-affine fractals where the basic unit is a triangle, in the shape of the fundamental diagram, containing 3 traffic states: voids, capacity and jams. This fractal nature of traffic flow calls for analysis methods currently not used in our field.

Acquisition of real-time hydraulic data is an essential component for flood forecasting. However, we frequently face difficulties in obtaining discharge data using classical contact methods during high magnitude floods and for systems experiencing rapid hydro-geomorphological adjustment. Therefore, we developed low-cost, non-contact sensors and platforms that are designed to overcome these difficulties. These advances enable flood flow properties to be monitored at multiple locations across a river catchment, at low-cost, and communicated in near real-time by using an image velocimetry method. This is an optics-based approach for stream flow measurement using commercially available near-infrared digital cameras to acquire video footage in full HD (30fps). Video footage is then subjected to optical flow tracking techniques based on cross-correlation, and feature-based tracking, enabling the displacement rates of detected features (for example natural foam, seeds, woody debris, and turbulent structures) to be computed. This manual provides step by step guidance to install an image-based gauging station. It contains the list of necessary components, the calibration process of a new camera and the assembly procedure of the system.

While laminar flow heat transfer and mixing in microfluidic geometries has been investigated experimentally, as has the effect of geometry-induced turbulence in microfluidic flow (it is well documented that turbulence increases convective heat transfer in macrofluidic flow), little literature exists investigating the effect of electrokinetically-induced turbulence on heat transfer at the micro scale. Using recently observed experimental data, this work employed computational fluid dynamics coupled with electromagnetic simulations to determine if electrokinetically-forced, low-Reynolds number turbulence could be observed in a rectangular microchannel with using Newtonian fluids. Analysis of the results was done via comparison to the experimental criteria defined for turbulent flow. This work shows that, even with a simplified simulation setup, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software can produce results comparable to experimental observations of low-Reynolds turbulence in microchannels using Newtonian fluids. In addition to comparing simulated velocities and turbulent energies to experimental data this work also presents initial data on the effects of electrokinetic forcing on microfluidic flow based on entropy generation rates.

Flow sensing in hostile environment is of increasing interest for applications in automotive, aerospace, and chemical and resource industries. Compared to their counterparts, thermal flow sensors are attractive candidates due to the ease of fabrication, lack of moving parts and higher sensitivity. Recently, a number of thermal flow sensor prototypes have been reported in the literature demonstrating the measurement of fluid flows under hostile conditions. This paper summarizes the concept of thermal flow sensing, operational modes and transduction mechanisms. Then, the choice of materials and their corresponding properties are presented in details. The paper also reports recent progress in the development of thermal flow sensors for harsh environment. In addition, the issues and considerations in packaging are reviewed. Finally, we conclude the review with the future prospects.

Background: Glioblastoma is the deadliest, yet most common, brain tumor in adults, with poor survival and response to aggressive therapy. Therapeutic failure results from a number of causes inherent to these tumors. Imaging, computational, and drug delivery approaches can aid in the quest to access and kill each tumor cell in patients. One factor, interstitial fluid flow, is a driving force therapeutic delivery. However, convective and diffusive transport mechanisms are un-der-studied. In this study, we examine the application of a novel image analysis method to meas-ure fluid flow and diffusion in glioblastoma patients with MRI and compare to patient outcomes. Methods: Building on a prior imaging methodology tested and validated in vitro, in silico and in preclinical models of disease, here we apply our analysis method to archival patient data from the Ivy GAP dataset. Results: We characterize interstitial fluid flow and diffusion patterns in patients. We find strong correlations between flow rates measured within tumors and in the surrounding parenchymal space, where we hypothesized that velocities would be higher. Looking at overall magnitudes, there is significant correlation with both age and survival in this patient cohort. Additionally, we find that tumor size nor resection significantly alter the velocity magnitude. Last, we map the flow pathways in patient tumors and find variability in degree of directionality that we hypothesize in future studies may lead to information concerning treatment, invasive spread, and progression. Conclusions: Analysis of standard DCE-MRI in patients with glioblastoma offers more infor-mation regarding transport within and around tumor, can be measured post-resection and mag-nitudes correlate with patient prognosis.

Metal foams are widely studied as possible tools for the enhancement of heat transfer from hot bodies. The basic idea is that a metal foam tends to increase significantly the heat exchange area between the hot solid body and the external cooling fluid. For this reason, this class of porous materials are considered as good candidates for an alternative to finned surfaces, with different pros and cons. Among the pros, we mention the generally wider area of contact between solid and fluid. Among the cons is the difficulty of producing different specimens with the same inner structure, with the consequence that their performance may be significantly variable. This paper will offer a survey of the literature with a focus on the main heat transfer characteristics of the metal foams. Then, a numerical simulation of the heat transfer at the pore scale level for an artificial foam with a spatially periodic structure will be discussed. Finally, these numerical results will be employed to assess the macroscopic modelling of the flow and heat transfer in a metal foam.

We present our experience with the implantation of flow diverter stents (FDSs) for the management of intern carotid artery (ICA) dissections in tortuous tonsillar loop segments. 16 patients (10 women, 62.5%; mean age 39±8 years; median baseline NIHSS 13; median ASPECTS 8.5) with acute ischemic stroke due to ICA dissection in a tortuous tonsillar loop segment, with/without large intracranial vessel thrombotic occlusion, from 6/2015−2/2022 were included in this retrospective study under a waiver of informed consent. An FDS device was deployed from the petrous ICA toward the upper cervical ICA, completely covering the tonsillar loop. Stentriever-assisted thrombectomy was performed when indicated. A dual antiplatelet regimen was used during and after the procedure. Thrombocyte inhibition levels were evaluated before, during, and after the intervention. The ICA occlusion/near occlusion was successfully recanalized in all 16 patients with postangioplasty residual stenosis of 34±14% (range 0−50%). Stent-assisted embolectomy was performed in 15/16 patients (93.7%), achieving revascularization (TICI 2b−3) in all. There were no procedural complications and no intraprocedural embolic events; one asymptomatic petechial hemorrhage was detected. At 3-month follow-up, mRS 0−2 was seen in all patients. This report provides pilot data for a subsequent study on the use of flow diverter stents for ischemic cerebrovascular conditions. Our encouraging preliminary results await confirmation from further experience and prospective randomized studies.

Pollution of sub-surface water reservoirs mainly rivers and streams through contaminated water point sources (CWPS) was studied. The objective was to formulate a discrete time delay mathematical model which describes the dynamics of reservoir pollution using mixing-problem processes that involve single species contaminants such as nitrates, phosphorous and detergents. The concentration of pollutants was expressed as a function of the inflow and outflow rates using the principle for the conservation of mass. Systems of ODEs generated from principles of mixing problems were refined into a system of DDEs so that the concentration of pollutant leaving the reservoir at time would be determined at some earlier instant, for the delay. The formulated model is a mathematical discrete time delay model which would be used to describe the dynamics of sub-surface water reservoir pollution. The results from the validation of the model were analyzed to determine how time delays in the mixing processes affect the rate of particle movement in water reservoirs.

Astringency is an important sensory characteristic of food and beverages containing polyphenols. However, astringency perception in elderly people has not been documented. The aim of the present work was to evaluate sensitivity to astringency as a function of age and salivary flow. Fifty-four panellists, including 30 elderly people (age=75±4.2 years) and 24 young people (age=29.4±3.8 years), participated in this study. Astringency sensitivity was evaluated by the 2-alternative forced choice (2-AFC) procedure using tannic acid solutions. Whole saliva was collected for 5 min before and after sensory tests. The results showed that the astringency threshold was significantly higher in the elderly group than in the young group. Moreover, a negative correlation between salivary flow and threshold was observed in the young group only. These results showed a difference in oral astringency perception as a function of age for the first time. This difference can be linked to salivary properties that differ as a function of age.

The paper argues that universal approaches to infiltration and drainage in permeable media that pivot around capillarity and that led to dual porosity, non-equilibrium, or preferential flow need to be replaced by a dual process approach. One process has to account for relatively fast infiltration and drainage based on Newton's shear flow, while the other one is responsible for storage and relatively slow redistribution of soil water by focusing on capillarity. Already Schumacher (1864) postulated two separate processes. However, Buckingham's (1907) and Richards' (1931) apparent universal capillary-based approach to flow and storage of water in soils dominated. The paper introduces the basics of Newton's shear flow in permeable media. It presents experimental support for the four presumptions of (i) sharp wetting shock fronts; (ii) that move with constant velocities; (iii) atmospheric pressure prevails behind the wetting shock front; (iv) laminar flow. It further discusses the scale tolerance of the approach, its relationship to Darcy's (1856) law, and its extension to solute transport.

Comparison between hydraulic and hydrologic computational methods is conducted in this study, regarding prismatic open channels under unsteady subcritical flow conditions. One-dimensional unsteady flow continuity and momentum equations are solved using explicit and implicit finite difference schemes for a symmetrical trapezoidal cross section, where the flow discharge and depth are the dependent variables. The results have been compared to those derived from Muskingum-Cunge hydraulic/hydrologic method as well as the commercial software HEC-RAS. The results from explicit and implicit code compare well to those from commercial software and hydraulic/hydrologic methods for long prismatic channels, thus directing the hydraulic engineer to quick preliminary design of prismatic open channels for unsteady flow with satisfactory accuracy.

The present study provides molecular insight into the mechanisms underlying energy dissipation and lubrication of a smooth contact lubricated by an ionic liquid. We have performed normal and lateral force measurements with a surface forces apparatus and by colloidal probe atomic force microscopy on following model systems: 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis-(trifluoro-methylsulfonyl)imide, in dry state and in equilibrium with ambient (humid) air; the surface was either bare mica or functionalized with a polymer brush. The velocity-dependence of the friction force reveals two different regimes of lubrication, boundary-film lubrication, with distinct characteristics for each model system, and fluid-film lubrication above a transition velocity V*. The underlying mechanisms of energy dissipation are evaluated with molecular models for stress-activated slip and flow, respectively. The stress-activated slip assumes that two boundary layers (composed of ions/water strongly adsorbed to the surface) slide pass each; the bond dynamics and the strength of the interaction at the slip plane dictate the change in friction -decreasing, increasing or remaining constant- with velocity in the boundary-film lubrication regime. Above a transition velocity V*, friction monotonically increases with velocity in the three model systems. Here, layers of ions slide past each (“flow”) under a shear stress and friction depends on a shear-activation volume that is significantly affected by confinement. The proposed friction model provides a molecular perspective of the lubrication of smooth contacts by ionic liquids and allows identifying the physical parameters that control friction.

This research uses a gravity model method to investigate the factors determining the number of tourists visiting Australia. Understanding the variables that draw visitors to specific locations is essential for policymakers and other stakeholders in the tourism sector since tourism continues to play a significant role in the economy of many countries worldwide. Despite the widespread use of gravity models in the analysis of international tourism flows, only a tiny amount of attention has been paid to particularly researching the flow of tourists to Australia. This research addresses this knowledge gap by analyzing the variables influencing travel patterns to Australia. The gravity model framework is used, and it considers factors like gross domestic product, gross domestic product per capita, migratory stocks, distance, population size, cost of living, and cultural similarities. The purpose of this research is to aid in developing focused marketing strategies by providing insights into the factors that influence the flow of tourists to Australia via the analysis of these variables. The results are anticipated to add to the current literature on gravity modeling in tourist research and give practical implications for industry stakeholders and policymakers. The discussion of the findings, their ramifications, and possible directions for further study serves as the conclusion of the work.

Well deliverability optimization is essential for oil and gas production and nodal analysis is a common tool used for selecting suitable production parameters. To accurately calculate upstream and downstream pressures at various production rates at a certain selected node, proper modeling of multiphase flow in wellbores is necessary. However, this process is complex due to the inconsistent velocities of the fluids (i.e., oil, gas, and water) and the interaction between the liquids under high temperature and pressure. Empirical models, such as Hagedorn and Brown (1965), Beggs and Brill (1973), and Mukherjee and Brill (1983 and 1985), and the drift-flux model (Zuber 1965) are commonly used for multiphase flow calculations in wellbores. In this paper, we programmed and evaluated three multiphase flow models (Hagedorn-Brown, Mukherjee-Brill, and drift-flux) using Matlab. The programming includes holdup calculation, pressure gradient calculation, pressure traverse calculation, inflow curve determination, inflow performance relationship (IPR) curve determination, and well deliverability determination. Additionally, we conducted a case study to examine the sensitivity of parameters and compare and analyze the results of pressure traverse, tubing intake curve, and deliverability determination between the drift-flux and Mukherjee-Brill models. Sensitivity analysis was conducted on two of the seven parameters in the drift-flux model, and the effects of production and reservoir parameters on well deliverability were analyzed. The case study results indicated that the Mukherjee-Brill model predicted slightly higher bottomhole pressure compared to the drift-flux model at a fixed oil flow rate, but its well deliverability determination was lower. Furthermore, the drift-flux model showed that the pressure increased with an increase in the distribution coefficient for bubble flow (C0_bubble), while the beta parameter had little impact on the calculated pressure in the studied range. The well deliverability increased when the tubing size and reservoir pressure increased, or the tubing head pressure decreased.

Marangoni flow in foam fractionation in the lamellar film for the interior and exterior of a micro-foam was investigated. The three-dimensional node-film-Plateau Border system was modeled using computational fluid dynamics. The importance of the surfactant concentration of the foam fractionation column and air-liquid interface mobility on the Marangoni velocity in the film was emphasized. The study found that an increase in surfactant concentration in the reflux column significantly increases the Marangoni velocities. Additionally, a mobile interface results in a higher Marangoni flow, while a rigid interface leads to less intensive flow. The behavior of the Marangoni flow in both interior and exterior foam was explored, revealing that the flow in exterior foam has different behavior due to the presence of the wall, which reduces the Marangoni velocity compared to interior films.