Experimental tests and numerical analyses were carried out on short, thin-walled channel columns with modified cross-sectional shape. The columns were loaded with an axial compressive force applied at the center of gravity of the cross section. Tests were carried out on a universal testing machine, while numerical analyses were performed in ANSYS software. The purpose of the tests was to determine the values of critical forces for the compressed columns and to determine the values of maximum forces at which failure of the columns occurs. Critical forces were determined based on the strain-averaged method. Based on the study, it was found that the strength and resistance to loss of stability of columns is primarily affected by their stiffness, and therefore by the shape of the cross-sections. In addition, for short columns, it seems more important to determine the value of maximum forces than the values of critical forces.

Nanocrystalline silicon oxide (nc-SiOx:H) is a multipurpose material with its varied application in solar cells as a transparent front contact, intermediate reflector, back reflector layer and even tunnel layer for passivating contacts, owing to easy tailoring of its optical properties. In this work, we systematically investigate the influence of gas mixture (SiH4, CO2, PH3 and H2), RF power and process pressure on the optical, structural and passivation properties of thin n-type nc-SiOx:H films prepared in an industrial, high throughput, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor. We provide a detailed description of the n-type nc-SiOx:H material develop-ment using various characterization techniques (SEM, EDX, Raman spectroscopy, and spectro-scopic ellipsometry) with a focus on the relationship between the material properties and the pas-sivation they provide to n-type c-Si wafers characterized by their effective carrier lifetime (τeff). Further, we also outline the parameters to be kept in mind while developing different n-type nc-SiOx:H layers for different solar cell applications. We report a tunable optical gap (1.8 – 2.3 eV) for our n-type nc-SiOx:H films as well as excellent passivation properties with τeff up to 3.5 ms (iVoc ~ 715 mV) before annealing. Oxygen content plays an important role in determining the crystallinity and hence passivation quality of the deposited nanocrystalline silicon oxide films.

Snap-fit is a commonly used jointing/connention mechanism, and its easy installation and difficult removal are the result of the coordinated interaction between friction, geometric shape, and elasticity. This paper presents a detailed study on the assembly/disassembly forces of thin-walled torus snap-fit through finite element simulation, experimental testing, and data fitting of approximate analytical solutions. The research reveals that the non-zero Gaussian curvature of the torus has a significant impact on the mechanical performance of the torus snap fit. The findings in this study are of great significance for future design of high-performance structural connections.

Two-dimensional arrays of hollow nanotubes made of TiO2 are a promising platform for sensing, spectroscopy and light harvesting applications. Their straightforward fabrication via electrochemical anodization, growing nanotube pillars of finite length from a Ti foil, allows precise tailoring of geometry and, thus, material properties. We investigate these photonic crystal structures with respect to reduction of front surface reflection, achievable field enhancement, and photonic bands. With the Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA), we study the optical response of photonic crystals made of thin-walled nanotubes relative to the bare Ti foil substrate, including under additional charge carrier doping.

Buckling defect will appear on the outer surface of the deformed ring during constrained ring rolling (CRR) of aluminum alloy thin wall conical ring with inner high ribs (AATWCRIHR), if the geometrical dimension of the ribs doesn't match the wall thickness. To avoid the buckling defect, a quantitative method for characterizing the degree of the buckling defect is proposed using the area of buckling profile. Then an orthogonal experimental scheme was designed taking the width of the middle rib, thickness of wall, and height of the middle rib as design variables and defining the area of buckling profile as optimization objective. Subsequently, a quadratic polynomial response surface model was established by combining the optimization algorithm with the finite element method (FEM), and the geometrical dimension of the middle ribs of the deformed AATWCRIHR is optimized. Also the optimal parameter combination to minimize the area of buckling profile is obtained and verified using FE simulation. Results show that the AATWCRIHR after optimization doesn’t generate the buckling defect during constrained ring rolling, and it is proved that the quantitative buckling defect representation method and the optimization design method based on the response surface model and the finite element simulation results are feasible for the constrained ring rolling process of the AATWCRIHR.

This paper considers a new approach to the modeling of the vacuum infusion process at the manufacturing three-dimensional composite parts of complex shape. The developed approach and numerical methods are focused on the reliable prediction with the needed accuracy and elimination the unrecoverable defect of composite structure such as the dry spots. The paper presents some experimental results, which demonstrate two cases of dry spots formation in large aircraft composite panels, and analyses the reasons of these defects arising. Our numerical technique is based on the vacuum infusion of the liquid resin into porous preform as the two phase flow, which is described by the phase field equation coupled with the Richards equation describing the fluid motion in unsaturated soils with spatially varied pressure dependant porosity and saturation. This problem statement allowed to correctly reconstruct the resin front motion and formation of inner and outer dry spots depending on its movement. For the rapid detection of preform zones that are suspicious for defect formation two indicators calculated during process simulation are proposed and tested at the numerical experiments. The auxiliary program tool has been developed in MATLAB environment to correctly detect the times of formation, localization and dimensions of the arising dry spots by using the results of the finite element model simulation.

Defensive structure is important in transportation field for kinds of intentional or unintentional explosion. Structures subjected to unconfined and confined explosion will bear different blast loads and their dynamic responses are different. The present work focus on the dynamic response mechanism of steel plate under unconfined and confined blast loads through both numerical and experimental studies. In the experiment, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique was applied to record and analyze the dynamic response process of large-scale field blast test. The DIC measured curve and the numerical calculated curves agrees well in both the trends and the peak values. Then, the dynamic response mechanism of steel plate under unconfined blast (UB) load and confined blast (CB) load were compared and discussed. Results show that the dynamic response of plate can be divided into three phases under both UB and CB loads, while with different mechanism. In phase I, plastic hinge starts from the center and moves to the boundary in UB condition, while in case of CB, plastic hinge occurs close to the boundary and moves in the opposite direction. In phase II, two plastic hinge lines propagates towards each other, and a platform exists between the boundary and the central area remains undeformed in UB condition, while in CB condition, larger deformation in peripheral region rather than central area produces.

This research investigates the effects of torsional moments on the mechanical behavior of thin-walled open-ended vertical pile foundations subjected to lateral wind loads. The warping and torsion effect generated over the piles due to the resultant lateral load impact outside the shear center is analyzed in-field tests. Complementarily, a two-dimensional finite element model based on the simple bending stress-strain state as well as a three-dimensional finite element model considering torsional effects were implemented and their results analyzed. Finally, a comparative analysis between the in-field lateral loading tests and the finite element model approaches was established and correlations between the errors and the parameters of influence were highlighted. From the results, it has been ascertained that the slender thin-walled open-ended pile foundations are particularly sensitive to small load deviations from their center of gravity, this leads to the fact that the slenderer and the more eccentricity of the load, the more it affects the torsion and warping of the pile. Calculation methodologies usually consider a simple in-plane bending behavior which conducts to errors between 44 and 58% of the experimental results.

The nitrogen-doped amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) thin film transistors (TFTs) with double-stacked channel layers (DSCL) were prepared and characterized. The DSCL structure composed of nitrogen-doped amorphous InGaZnO and InZnO films (a-IGZO:N/a-IZO:N or a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N) made the corresponding TFT devices exhibit quite large field-effect mobility due to the existence of double conduction channels. Especially, the a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N TFTs showed even better electrical performance (μ_FE = 15.0 cm²·V^-1·s^-1, SS = 0.5 V/dec, V_TH = 1.5 V, I_ON/I_OFF = 1.1×10⁸) and stability (V_TH shift of 1.5, -0.5, and -2.5 V for positive bias-stress, negative bias-stress and thermal stress tests, respectively) than the a-IGZO:N/a-IZO:N TFTs. Based on the X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements and energy band analysis, it was assumed that the optimized interface trap states, the less ambient gas adsorption, and the better suppression of oxygen vacancies in the a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N hetero-structures might be responsible for the better behaviors of the corresponding TFTs.

Continuous rigid frame bridges across valleys are often at the risk of rockfalls caused by heavy rainfalls, earthquakes and debris flows in a mountainous country. Hollow thin-walled bridge piers (HTWBP) in valleys are exposed to the threat of the impact of accidental rockfalls. In the current research, ANSYS/LS-DYNA is used to establish a high-precision rockfall-HTWBP model. The rockfall-HTWBP model is verified against a scaled impact test of a previous research. A mesh independence test is also performed to obtained an appropriate mesh size. Based on the rockfall-HTWBP model, the impact force, damage and dynamic response characteristics of HTWBP under the rockfall impact are studied. In addition, a damage assessment criteria is proposed based on the response surface model combined with Central Composite Design method and Box-Behnken Design method. The main conclusions are as follows: 1）The impact force of rockfall has a substantial impulse characteristic, and the duration of the impulse load is approximately 0.01s. 2）The impacted surface of the pier is dominated by the final elliptic damage with the conical and strip damage areas as the symmetry axis. The cross-sectional damage mode is compression failure in the impact area and shear failure at the corner. 3）The maximum displacement occurs in the middle height of the pier. The maximum displacement increases with impact height, impact velocity and rockfall diameter and decreases with the uniaxial compressive strength of the concrete. 4) The initial impact velocity and diameter of the rockfall are the most significant parameters affecting the damage indices. In addition, a damage assessment method with a damage zoning diagram based on the response surface method is established for the fast assessment of the damage level of impacted HTWBP.

The paper is aimed to develop an improved acoustic-based Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques, which provide the waves directivity emitting by the angle-beam wedge actuators in the thin-walled structures made of plastic materials and polymeric composites. Our investigation includes the dispersive analysis of the waves that can be excited in the studied plastic panel. Its results allowed to find two kinds of the generated acoustic waves - anti-symmetric Lamb waves A0 and shear horizontally polarized SH waves SS0. The bounds of the chosen frequency range for the experimental and numerical studies were accepted as a compromise between the desire to obtain high defects resolution by generating short waves, their adjustable directivity and maximum propagation length. The finite element model for the transducer was built by using the results of actuator structure experimental study. The frequency response functions for the actuator current and oscillation amplitude of the footprint surface demonstrated good agreement. The found eigenfrequencies of actuator's structure were used for the numerical and experimental study of the Lamb and SH wave generation and propagation in a thin-walled plastic panel. Our results convincingly demonstrated the satisfactory directivity of the actuated waves at their excitation on the frequencies that corresponded to the natural modes of the actuator oscillation. The authors assume that an efficient use of the proposed technique for other analyzed quasi-isotropic materials and applied actuators can be provided by a preliminary research using the similar approach and methods presented in this article.

In the recent years, tubular nanostructures have been related with immense advances in various fields of science and technology. Considerable research efforts have been centered on the theoretical prediction and manufacturing of non-carbon nanotubes (NTs), which meet modern requirements for the developing of novel devices and systems. In this context, diatomic inorganic nanotubes formed by atoms of elements from the 13th group of the periodic table (B, Al, Ga, In, Tl) and nitrogen (N), have received much research attention. In the present work, the elastic properties of single-walled boron nitride, aluminium nitride, gallium nitride, indium nitride and thallium nitride nanotubes were numerically evaluated using the nanoscale continuum modelling approach (also called molecular structural mechanics). The elastic properties (rigidities, surface Young´s and shear moduli, and Poisson´s ratio) of nitride nanotubes are discussed with respect to the bond length of the corresponding diatomic hexagonal lattice. The results obtained contribute to a better understanding of the mechanical response of nitride compound-based nanotubes, covering a broad range from the well-studied boron nitride NTs to the hypothetical thallium nitride NTs.

We report the effects of surface passivation by depositing a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer on the electrical characteristics of low temperature polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors (LTPS TFTs). The a-Si:H layer was optimized by hydrogen dilution and its structural and electrical characteristics were investigated. The a-Si:H layer in the transition region between a-Si:H and µc-Si:H resulted in superior device characteristics. Using an a-Si:H passivation layer, the field-effect mobility of the LTPS TFT was increased by 78.4% compared with a conventional LTPS TFT. Moreover, the leakage current measured at a V_GS of 5 V was suppressed because the defect sites at the poly-Si grain boundaries were well passivated. Our passivation layer, which allows thorough control of the crystallinity and passivation-quality, should be considered a candidate for high performance LTPS TFTs.

The electrical performance of the back-channel etched Indium–Gallium–Zinc–Oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with copper (Cu) source and drain (S/D) which are patterned by a selective etchant was investigated. The Cu S/D were fabricated on molybdenum (Mo) layer to prevent the Cu diffusion to the active layer (IGZO). We deposited the Cu layer using thermal evaporation and performed the selective wet etching of Cu using non-acidic special etchant without damaging the IGZO active layer. We fabricated the IGZO TFTs and compare the performance in terms of linear and saturation region mobility, threshold voltage and ON current (ION). The IGZO TFTs with Mo/Cu S/D exhibits good electrical properties as the linear region mobility is 12.3 cm2/V-s, saturation region mobility is 11 cm2/V-s, threshold voltage is 1.2 V and ION is 3.16 x 10-6 A. We patterned all the layers by photolithography process. Finally, we introduced SiO2-ESL layer to protect the device from the external influence. The results show that the prevention of Cu and introduced ESL layer enhances the electrical properties of IGZO TFTs.

Dynamic systems which underly controlled systems are expected to increase in complexity as robots, devices, and connected networks become more intelligent. While classical stable systems converge to a stable point (a sink), another type of stability is to consider a stable path rather than a single point. Such stable paths can be made of saddles which draw in trajectories from certain regions, and then push the trajectory toward the next saddle point. These are chains of saddles are called stable heteroclinic channels (SHCs), and can be used in robotic control to represent time sequences. While we have previously shown that each saddle is visualizable as a trajectory waypoint in phase space, how to increase the fidelity of the trajectory was unclear. In this paper, we hypothesized that the waypoints can be individually modified to locally vary fidelity. Specifically, we expected that increasing the saddle value (ratio of saddle eigenvalues) causes the trajectory to slow to more closely approach a particular saddle. Combined with other parameters that control speed and magnitude, a system expressed with an SHC can be modified locally, point by point, without disrupting the rest of the path, supporting their use in motion primitives. However, even more complex trajectory shape modifications are possible. While some combinations can enable a trajectory to better reach into corners, other combinations can rotate, distort and round the trajectory in the region of a corner. In our example, modifying select saddle values produced a 32% decrease in the trajectory error of a complex trajectory produced using this system. This is an effect not visible in previous 1D studies, that can lead to different learnable and tunable representations of dynamic systems.

Channel bends are one of the most important characteristic features of natural streams. These bends often create the conditions for a hyporheic zone, which has been recognized as a critical component of stream ecosystems. The streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_v), vertical hydraulic gradient (VHG) and Darcian flux (DF) in the hyporheic zone were estimated at 61 locations along a channel bend of the Beiluo River during July 2015 and January 2016. All the streambed attributes showed great spatial variability along the channel bend. Both upward fluxes and downward fluxes occurred during the two test periods, most of studied stream sections were controlled by downwelling, indicating stream water discharge into the subsurface. The average downward flux was higher at the downstream side than at the upstream side of the channel bend, especially in July 2015. The distribution of streambed sediment grain size has a significant influence on the variability of K_v; high percentages of silt and clay sediments generally lead to low K_v values. Higher K_v at the depositional left bank at the upstream site shifted toward the erosional right bank at the downstream site, with K_v values positively correlated with the water depth. This study suggested that the variabilities of K_v and VHG were influenced by the stream geomorphology and that the distribution of K_v was inversely related, to a certain extent, to the distribution of VHG across the channel bend. K_v and VHG were found to have opposite effects on the DF, and the close relationship between K_v and DF indicated that the water fluxes were mainly controlled by K_v.

Bio-inspired gyroid triply periodic minimum surface (TPMS) lattice structures have been the focus of research in automotive engineering because they can absorb a lot of energy and have wider plateau ranges. The main challenge is determining the optimal energy absorption capacity and accurately capturing plastic plateau areas using finite element analysis (FEA). Using nTop's Boolean subtraction method, this study combined walled TPMS gyroid structures with normal TPMS gyroid lattice. This made a composite TPMS-gyroid lattice with relative densities ranging from 14% to 54%. Using the ideaMaker software and the fused deposition modeling (FDM) Raise3D Pro 2 3D printer to print polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics in 1.75 mm filament made it possible to slice computer aided design (CAD) models and fabricate 36 lattices samples precisely layer by layer technique. Shimadzu 100kN testing equipment was utilized for the mechanical compression experiments. And the validation using finite element analysis (FEA). Further, CTG was examined using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) before and after compression testing. The composite TPMS gyroid lattice showed potential as shock absorbers for vehicles with relative densities of 33%, 38%, and 54%. The Gibson-Ashby model showed that the composite TPMS gyroid lattice deformed mainly by bending, and the size effect was seen when the relative densities were less than 15%. The lattice's relative density had a significant impact on its ability to absorb energy. The research also explored the use of these innovative foam-like composite TPMS-gyroid lattices in high-speed crash box scenarios, potentially enhancing vehicle safety and performance.

Heat enhancement is a topic of great interest nowadays due to its different application in industries. Porous material also known as metallic foam plays a major role in heat enhancement at the expenses of pressure drop. Flow in channels demonstrate the usefulness of this technology in heat extraction. In our current study, a porous strip attached to the channels walls is proposed as an alternative for heat enhancement. The thickness of the porous strip was varied for different Reynolds number. By maintaining laminar regime and using water as fluid, we determined an optimum thickness of porous material leading to the highest performance evaluation criterion. In our current study with the aspect ratio being the porous strip thickness over the channel width, an aspect ratio of 0.2 is found to be the alternative. A 40% increase in heat enhancement is detected in the presence of porous strip when compared to a clear channel case for a Reynolds number equal to 200 and improve further as the Reynolds number increase accordingly.

This paper investigates an innovative photovoltaic cell configuration, denoted as “Au/CuSCN/RbGeI3/CdTe/ZnO/TiO2/FTO", using SCAPS-1D simulation. The research focuses on optimizing device performance by analyzing key components, including ZnO as the electron transport layer (ETL), RbGeI3 as the perovskite absorber layer, CuSCN as the hole transport layer (HTL), and CdTe as the active buffer layer. A comparison is made with the standard “Au/CuSCN/CH3NH3SnI3/CdTe/ZnO/TiO2/FTO" configuration under dark and illuminated conditions. Through an in-depth investigation involving temperature effects, generation rate analysis, RbGeI3 absorber layer thickness, Nd level, and interface defect levels, an optimized design for a unit area is achieved. The proposed solar cell demonstrates outstanding performance metrics, including an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.94V, a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 34.52mA/cm2, a fill factor (FF) of 77.77%, and an energy conversion efficiency (η) of 25.40%. These values significantly outperform the reference models with energy conversion efficiencies of 10.11% and 21.09%. Real-world applicability is validated by implementing these optimized characteristics in a photovoltaic system for Pakistan’s geographical location using PVSyst software. The suggested solar cell achieves a remarkable performance ratio (PR) of 85.6%, surpassing the PR of the reference basic solar cell model at 83%. The findings of this research offer a promising and superior solar cell design, incorporating innovative materials and optimization techniques to achieve exceptional energy conversion efficiency and overall performance. This study’s outcomes have the potential to advance photovoltaic technology and contribute to sustainable energy solutions worldwide.

Statistical analysis of mechanical properties of thin-walled samples (~500 microns) obtained by selective laser melting from AlSi10Mg material and subjected to heat treatment for 1 hour at temperatures from 260 °C to 440 °C (step of aging temperature change 30 °C) has shown that the maximum strain hardening in the stretching diagram section from yield strength to tensile strength is achieved at the heat treatment temperature equal to 290 °C. At carrying out of correlation analysis statistically significant positive correlation between deformation corresponding to yield strength and the sum of heights of the largest protrusions and depths of the largest depressions of the surface roughness profile within the basic length of the sample (Rz) and the full height of the surface roughness profile (Rmax) was established. It was found that the reason for the correlation is the presence of cohesive states between the extreme values of the surface roughness profile that persist along the entire length of the specimen.

Imperfection sensitivity of large amplitude vibration of curved single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is considered in this study. The SWCNT is modeled as a Timoshenko nano-beam and its curved shape is included as an initial geometric imperfection term in the displacement field. Geometric nonlinearities of von Kármán type and nonlocal elasticity theory of Eringen are employed to derive governing equations of motion of nano-beam. Spatial discretization of governing equations and associated boundary conditions is performed using differential quadrature (DQ) method and the corresponding nonlinear eigenvalue problem is iteratively solved. Effects of value and location of the geometric imperfection, and the nonlocal small-scale parameter on the nonlinear frequency ratio and imperfection sensitivity of a curved SWCNT for various boundary conditions are investigated. The results show that the geometric imperfection plays a significant role in the nonlinear vibration characteristics of curved SWCNTs.

Dynamic optical structural color is always desired in various display applications and usually involves active materials. Full-color generation, especially bi-directional full-color generation in both reflective and transmissive modes, without any active materials included has been rarely investigated. Herein, we demonstrate a scheme of bi-directional full-color generation based on a plasmonic metasurface modulated by rotation of the polarization angle of the incident light without varying the geometry and the optical properties of the materials and the environment where the metasurface resides. The metasurface unit cell consists of plasmonic modules aligning in three directions and is patterned in a square array. The metasurface structural color device generates full colors in both reflection and transmission. Based on the proposed polarization-dependent structural color, information encoding of three multiplexed animal images and quick-responsive (QR) codes is demonstrated to verify the efficient information encoding and decoding of the proposed scheme. The animals can be seen under different polarization incidence and the QR codes can be successfully decoded by the polarization rotation in transmission. The proposed bi-directional full-color generation metasurface has great potential in applications such as kaleidoscope generation, anti-counterfeiting, dynamic color display, and optical information encoding.

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.

Finding a good MIMO system model also major issue in Wireless Communication system. It is facing with so many problem, one of the major problem is finding good system model in terms of capacity and transmitting antenna system. In this paper, we analyze the channel capacity of various MIMO system model with some constant SNR level and outage probability. We establish a novel idea for MIMO system models as consider as 2^N- MIMO system model and find-out change in channel capacity when different transmitting antennas with constant SNR and outage probability. The channel capacity ratio CC_R is presented here on the basis of 2^N- MIMO channel capacity model. Number of transmitted antenna presented in MIMO system is increases is well-known however paper shows change in capacity in simple form.

In permafrost regions, ground surface deformations induced by freezing and thawing threaten the integrity of the built environment. Mapping the frost susceptibility of the ground at a high spatial resolution is of practical importance for the construction and planning sectors. We processed Sentinel-1 Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data from thawing seasons 2015 to 2019, acquired over the area of Ilulissat, West Greenland. We used a least-squares inversion scheme to retrieve the average seasonal displacement (S) and long-term deformation rate (R). We secondly investigated two different methods to extrapolate active layer thickness (ALT) measurements, based on their statistical relationship with remotely-sensed surface characteristics. A Generalized Linear Model (GLM) was first implemented, but the model was not able to fit the data and represent the ALT spatial variability over the entire study domain. ALT were alternatively averaged per vegetation class, using a land cover map derived by supervised classification of Sentinel-2 images. We finally estimated the active layer ice content and used it as a proxy to map the frost susceptibility of the ground at the community scale. Fine-grained sedimentary basins in Ilulissat were typically frost susceptible and subject to average seasonal downward displacements of 3 to 8 cm. Areas following a subsiding trend of up to 2.6 cm/yr were likely affected by permafrost degradation and melting of ground ice below the permafrost table. Our approach enabled us to identify frost-susceptible areas subject to severe seasonal deformations, and/or long-term subsidence induced by degrading permafrost. Used in combination with traditional site investigations, InSAR maps provide valuable information for risk management and community planning in the Arctic.

Wireless Powered Communication Networks (WPCN), which has attracted much attention of researchers, also been recently recommended in 5^th generation (5G) wireless networks. With the help of the WPCN, the reliability and battery life of wireless low-power devices can be improved. In this paper, we investigate throughput and ergodic capacity in WPCN-assisted amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying system, considering two transmission modes including delay-tolerant and delay-limited. As important achievement, we propose symmetric energy harvesting protocol, namely time power switching relaying (TPSR) in order to find maximal throughput. In particular, both time switching and power switching coefficients in this schemes are considered. Unlike most of the previous works, we further focus on impact of outdated channel state information (CSI) in this WPCN. In order to evaluate information processing efficiency, the performance can be substantially improved by optimally harvesting time and power coefficients of the received signal at relay node for energy and information extraction, and by deploying several scenarios. By deploying Monte Carlo simulation, it is confirmed that the system performance is more sensitive to CSI estimation error, noise variance, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and resulting in other reasonable computations of TPSR need be deployed to obtain QoS requirement.

In this study, an alternative method to conventional production methods involving thin section copper permanent mould casting (rapid solidification), hot rolling and heat treatment processes to manufacture AISI DC 53 cold work tool steel, has been investigated. In this new method, solidification of the AISI DC 53 was done in the thin section copper mould instead of traditional ingot casting. After solidification, thin slabs obtained was homogenized to 1150 ^oC and hold at this temperature for one hour and then hot rolling was be applied. During hot rolling process, about % 30 reduction in thickness of slab was obtained. After hot rolling, heat treatment (austenitizing, quenching and tempering) have been applied to thin slab. The samples have been taken as cast, as rolled and as heat treated (austenitized and tempered) and the microstructural analysis, hardness tests, retained austenite quantity measurement by XRD method have been performed. The heat treatment and tests have been performed for a commercially available AISI DC 53 which is manufactured by thick section ingot casting and rolling. Hardness values of the AISI DC 53 steels produced by traditional route is in the range of 52-54 HRC after austenitization at 1025 ^oC for one hour and quenched in compressed air and tempered twice at 525 ^oC for 120 mins. On contrary the permanent mould cast AISI DC 53 after homogenization at 1150 ^oC and immediately hot rolling then air cooling and austenitized at 1025 ^oC for one hour then quenched by compressed air and tempered twice at 525 ^oC for 120 mins have hardness valeus in the range of 55-57 HRC. Experiments have revealed that the properties of new rapid solidified steel in permanent copper mould are better than the commercially available steel and have a more refined microstructure than commercially produces alternative. Therefore, the new proposed method can be used as an alternative manufacturing method for cold-work tool steels.

Hypertension is a frequent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and the prevalence rate is continuously rising. Multiple pathophysiological mechanisms are responsible for hypertension, necessitating a combination of drugs from different classes for best management. Combination therapy is five times more effective in decreasing blood pressure compared to escalating the dose of a single agent. As per the ACCOMPLISH trial analysis, coupling a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor with a calcium channel blocker is more effective than the combination of a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor with diuretics in reducing major cardiovascular events, cardiovascular-related mortality, and the progression of chronic kidney disease. The renin-angiotensin system can be suppressed by inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme or angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R), resulting, in decreased vascular smooth muscle contraction, heart performance, and reduced aldosterone synthesis. Calcium channel blockers work by inhibiting L-type calcium channels, reducing heart performance via negative inotropic, chronotropic, and bathmotropic effects, along with reducing vascular smooth muscle contraction. Diuretics exert their antihypertensive impact by changing body fluid volume and electrolytes. Initially, hypertension treatment commences with a single medication but often, different classes of two or more antihypertensive medications are necessary for achieving the target blood pressure goal. Sometimes, for Resistant hypertension four different classes of antihypertensive medications are necessary to reach the target blood pressure goal.

Floating Offshore Wind Turbine (FOWT) is an innovative technology with little industry guidance for its hull design. Various FOWT floaters with different hull shapes claim to support the same turbines. Structural integrity and material expense analyses of different pontoon shapes were conducted, and it was found that some configurations, such as those with every two columns connected by both pontoon and bracing, have advantages over others. However, it is important to note that the choice of pontoon shape should be based on the wave loading conditions the floater will be exposed to. While a T-shaped pontoon provides a cost-effective solution under certain wave loading scenarios, it may not be the best option for all conditions. Specifically, ring pontoon designs with full bracing were found to be necessary for withstanding certain wave loads. Therefore, it is important to consider different Dominant Load Parameters (DLP) and ensure that a FOWT floater can withstand all applicable DLPs. An uneven hexahedral column shape, which combines the best attributes of square and round shapes, is proposed as a better alternative to cylindrical columns. It offers ease of manufacture and reasonably low drag. Bracing is found to be necessary for withstanding the wind turbine’s incurred moment and forces. The conclusion is that platform design should prioritize manufacturing costs and strength over maximizing hydrodynamic performance.

Modern day construction is widely influenced using concrete-steel composite columns. A lot of research on concrete-steel composite columns is being carried out around the world. The rapid growth in concrete-steel composite construction has widely decreased the use of conventional reinforced cement concrete construction (R.C.C), and the steel construction practices. The concrete-steel composite construction has obtained an extensive receiving around the globe. As Pakistan is a developing country, so, it is relatively a new concept for its construction industry when compared with the developed countries around the globe. Although, the R.C.C construction is suitable and economical for construction of framing systems of low-rise buildings, however, the increased dead load, span restrictions, less stiffness and risky formwork makes it uneconomical and unviable when it comes across the construction of intermediate to high-rise buildings. This research is an effort to learn the cost effectiveness, increased or decreased stiffness, and change on the functionality of the composite construction for intermediate to high-rise buildings constructed in Pakistan. A Base + Ground + 11 storey commercial building is selected for this study. A comparison is made between conventional R.C.C columns structure and concrete-encased composite columns structure. The equivalent static nonlinear analysis is performed using ETABS 2017 software. Although, for Base + Ground + 11 storey building, the construction cost of concrete-encased composite structure is 7.7% more than the conventional R.C.C columns structure, but the concrete-encased composite structure will have 13.013% more constructed floor area. This increased floor area helps to settle the cost difference between the two structures.

Corrugated board, widely used in the packing industry, is a recyclable and durable material. Its strength and cushioning, influenced by geometry, environmental conditions like humidity and temperature, and paper quality, make it versatile. Double-walled (or five-ply) corrugated board, comprising two flutes and three liners, enhances these properties. This study introduces a novel approach to analyze 5-layered corrugated board, extending a previously published algorithm for single-walled boards. Our method focuses on measuring layer and overall board thickness, flute height, and center lines of each layer. Integrating image processing and genetic algorithms, the research successfully developed an algorithm for precise geometric feature identification of double-walled boards. Images were recorded using a special device with a sophisticated camera and image sensor for detailed corrugated board cross-sections. Demonstrating high accuracy, the method faced limitations only with very deformed or damaged samples. This research contributes significantly to quality control in the packaging industry and paves the way for further automated material analysis using advanced machine learning and image sensors. It emphasizes the importance of sample quality and suggests areas for algorithm refinement to enhance robustness and accuracy.

The present study reports on the fabrication and performance of ammonia sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) coated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The sensors were subjected to controlled concentrations of ammonia at two temperatures, namely 25 oC and 140 oC, and their response was monitored through successive cycles of ammonia exposure and nitrogen purging. The results demonstrate that the sputtering-based deposition of AuNPs on SWCNTs led to the best sensor performance, characterized by a rapid increase in resistance values upon exposure to ammonia, and efficient recovery at 140 oC. By contrast, the sensor with chemically impregnated AuNPs exhibited a slower response time. Furthermore, a novel device was developed that combined MoS2-AuNPs (sputtering)-SWCNTs, and it showed improved sensor performance compared to the devices with only AuNPs. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the fabrication and optimization of SWCNT-based ammonia sensors for various applications, especially for detecting and quantifying small amounts of ammonia (concentrations below 1 ppm).

Corrugated cardboard is an ecological material, mainly because, in addition to virgin cellulose fibers also the fibers recovered during recycling process are used in its production. However, the use of recycled fibers causes slight deterioration of the mechanical properties of the corrugated board. In addition, converting processes such as printing, die-cutting, lamination, etc. cause micro-damage in the corrugated cardboard layers. In this work, the focus is precisely on the crushing of corrugated cardboard. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted, in which the different types of single-walled corrugated cardboards were pressed in a fully controlled manner to check the impact of the crush on the basic material parameters. The amount of crushing (with a precision of 10 micrometers) was controlled by a precise FEMat device, for crushing the corrugated board in the range from 10 to 70 % of its original thickness. In this study, the influence of crushing on bending, twisting and shear stiffness as well as a residual thickness and edge crush resistance of corrugated board was investigated. Then, a procedure based on a numerical homogenization, taking into account a partial delamination in the corrugated layers to determine the degraded material stiffness was proposed. Finally, using the empirical-numerical method, a simplified calculation model of corrugated cardboard was derived, which satisfactorily reflects the experimental results.

A novel stationary phase for affinity separations is presented. This material is based on sintered borosilicate glass readily available as semi-finished filter plates with defined porosity and surface area. The material shows fast binding kinetics and excellent long-term stability under real application conditions due to lacking macropores and high mechanical rigidity. The glass surface can be easily modified with standard organosilane chemistry to immobilize selective binders or other molecules used for biointeraction. In this paper, the manufacturing of the columns and their respective column holders by 3D printing is shown in detail. The model system protein A/IgG was chosen as an example to examine the properties of such monolithic columns under realistic application conditions. Several specifications, such as (dynamic) IgG capacity, pressure stability, long-term performance, productivity, non-specific binding, and peak shape, are presented. It could be shown that due to the very high separation speed, 250 mg antibody per hour and column can be collected, which surpasses the productivity of most standard columns of the same size. The total IgG capacity of the shown columns is around 4 mg (5.5 mg/mL), which is sufficient for most tasks in research laboratories. The cycle time of an IgG separation can be less than 1 minute. Due to the glass material's excellent pressure resistance, these columns are compatible with standard HPLC systems. This is usually not the case with standard affinity columns, limited to manual use or application in low-pressure systems. The use of a standard HPLC system also improves the ability for automation, which enables the purification of hundreds of cell supernatants in one day. The sharp peak shape of the elution leads to an enrichment effect, which might increase the concentration of IgG by a factor of 3. The final concentration of IgG can be around 7.5 mg/mL without the need for an additional nanofiltration step. The purity of the IgG was > 95% in one step and nearly 99% with a second polishing run.

Waterbomb structures are origami-inspired deformable structural components used in new types of robots. They have a unique radially deployable ability that enables robots to better adapt to their environment. In this paper, we propose a series of new waterbomb structures with square, rectangle, and parallelogram base units. Through quasi-static axial and radial compression experiments and numerical simulations, we prove that the parallelogram waterbomb structure has a twist displacement mode along the axial direction. Compared with the square waterbomb structure, the proposed optimal design of the parallelogram waterbomb structure reduces the critical axial buckling load-to-weight ratio by 55.4% and increases the radial stiffness-to-weight ratio by 67.6%. The significant increase in the radial stiffness-to-weight ratio of the waterbomb structure and decrease in the critical axial buckling load-to-weight ratio make the proposed origami pattern attractive for practical robotics applications.

Galectins are β-galactosyl-binding proteins that fulfill essential physiological functions. Recently, we introduced galectin-1 (Gal-1) and galectin-3 (Gal-3) as fusion proteins of a His6-tag, a SNAP-tag, and a fluorescent protein. We characterized their binding in ELISA-type assays and their application in cell-surface binding. In the present study, we have constructed further fusion proteins of galectins with fluorescent protein color code. The fusion proteins of Gal-1, Gal-3, and Gal-8 were purified by affinity chromatography. For this, we have prepared glycoprotein affinity resins based on asialofetuin (ASF) and fetuin and combined this in a two-step purification with Immobilized Metal Affinity chromatography (IMAC) to get pure and active galectins. Purified galectin fractions were analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography. The binding characteristics to ASF of solely His6-tagged galectins and galectin fusion proteins were compared. As an example, we demonstrate a 1.6-3-fold increase in binding efficiency for HSYGal-3 (His6-SNAP-yellow fluorescent protein-Gal-3) compared to the HGal-3 (His6-Gal-3). Our results reveal an apparent higher binding efficiency for galectin SNAP-tag fusion proteins compared to His6-tagged galectins which are independent of the purification mode. This is also demonstrated by the binding of galectin fusion proteins to extracellular glycoconjugates laminin, fibronectin, and collagen IV. Our results indicate the probable involvement of the SNAP-tag in apparently higher binding signals, which we discuss in this study.

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns are often placed under confinement to increase their strength and ductility. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials have recently been recognized as favorable confinement systems. At present, a number of national standards and codes dedicated to the design of concrete components strengthened with CFRP in general and CFRP confinement in particular are available. These sets of rules provide design equations for confined reinforced concrete columns with circular and rectangular cross sections. Most of the standards and codes exhibit significant differences, including the used predictive models limitations, observed effects, and covered loading conditions. In this paper, five international standards and design guidelines are introduced and discussed. The purpose is to present a constructive and critical assessment of the state-of-the-art design methodologies available for CFRP confined RC columns and to discuss effects not previously considered properly. Therefore, some recent research efforts and findings from the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences are also introduced. The obtained data is used for a comparative study of the guideline predictive equations. Furthermore, it is shown that some new findings concerning the rupture strength and the maximum strength plus accompanying axial strain of a CFRP confined column are suitable to improve the current guidelines.

Crystalline silver thin layers were obtained by high-energy pulsed laser ablation without heating of the deposition substrate. The fluid Plateau-Rayleigh (PRI), Rayleigh – Taylor (RTI) and Richtmyer – Meshkov (RMI) instabilities, as well as crown splash induced during pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in high energy regime, resulting in ring and pearl shaped structures, offer the benefit of increased sorption surface. These morphological structures obtained for the silver thin layers make them of interest for catalytic applications. The study presented with this work addresses both the fundamental and applied issues on the morphological structures obtained for the silver thin layer and their catalytic function in organic processes. In this sense, the catalytic action of the thin silver layer was highlighted by modifications of the Reactive Blue 21 dye (C.I.) in aqueous solution with sodium bicarbonate. Specific investigations and analyzes were carried out by electron microscopy and elemental analysis (SEM-EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and profilometry, mass spectrometry, ablation plasma diagnosis, diffractograms (XRD), as well as IR spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition to the experimental investigation and analyzes, simulation of the ionization energy threshold was conducted in COMSOL for complementary evaluation on the involved processes and phenomena.

In the last years, advances in materials engineering based on adaptive electronics have found a new paradigm to optimize drawbacks in signal processing. A two-layer MnO/ZnO:Zn heterostructure envisioned for frequency adaptive electronic signal processing is synthesized by sputtering where the use of internal states allows reconfigurability to obtain new operating modes at different frequency input signals. An X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) is performed on each layer, MnO:Mn had a cubic and ZnO:Zn a hexagonal structure with preferential growth in [111] and [002] directions respectively. It is determined that the coupling in this heterojunction is compatible with a mismatch less 1 % due texture in each layer which implies a low number of defects. An electrical characterisation with an oscilloscope and signal generator was carried out to obtain the time-response signals and current-voltage (I-V) curves where no degradation is detected when changing from a range of frequencies (100 Hz – 1 MHz). An equivalent circuit is proposed to explain the effects in the interface. Finally, the MnO/ZnO:Zn heterojunction delivers states that are stable, repeatable, and reproducible and it demonstrates how the interaction of the materials can be used in adaptive device applications applying frequencies and internal states as to create new and innovative design schematics, reducing the numbers of components/connections in a system for future sustainable electronics.

This paper presents the results of an experimental and analytical study on the behavior of cold-formed thick-walled steel plates connected by a single bolt under double shear. Experimental studies were conducted on a total of 54 bolted connections fabricated from two thickness of cold-formed thick-walled steel plates with the nominal thickness of 6 mm and 10 mm. The effects of end distance, edge distance and steel plate thickness were investigated on the bolt bearing behavior. Codes of (modified) ANSI/AISC 360-16 and EN1993-1-8 were applied to predict failure modes and bearing resistance of connections and the predictions were compared with that of measurements. A method was proposed to calculate the elongation of bolt hole at ultimate load. The studies show that fractures occurred on shear planes of specimens failed by shear out due to reduced ductility caused by cold forming process. The modified ANSI/AISC gives the most accurate predictions of failure modes and bearing resistance. However, the bearing resistance will be overestimated if the reduction in area of shear planes caused by occurrence of fracture is ignored for specimens with end distance being higher than 2.0d0 and a reduction factor is needed for calculating bearing resistance of connections. The method proposed in our paper can predict the elongation of bolt hole very well.

Herein, we report on a giant thermoelectric figure of merit of a non-degenerate fluorine-doped single-walled carbon nanotube (FSWCNT) using a tractable analytical approach and the phonon lattice Boltzmann model (LBM). We investigate the influence of the doping concentration, and the overlapping integrals on the ZT. The ZT and the temperature range of operation can be tuned using the doping (impurity) concentration and the overlapping integrals, respectively. The lattice thermal conductivity obtained using the phonon LBM was calculated to be 107.2 W/mK which yielded a ZT greater than 20. Interestingly, the ZT obtained is higher than what has been reported in superlattices, (ZT~1.4) and superlattice nanowire, (ZT~ 4) at 300 K, making FSWCNT a potential candidate for thermoelectric applications.

Human exposure to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can cause health issues due to their chemical–physical features and biological interactions. These nanostructures cause oxidative stress, also due to endogenous ROS production, which increases following mitochondrial impairment. The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the health effects, due to mitochondrial dysfunction, caused by a sub-chronic exposure to a non-acutely toxic dose of multi walled CNTs (raw and functionalised). The A549 cells were exposed to MWCNTs (2 µg mL^-1) for 36 days. Periodically, cellular dehydrogenases, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), cytochrome c release, permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, transmembrane potential (Δψ m), apoptotic cells, and intracellular ROS were measured. The results, compared to untreated cells and to positive control formed by cells treated with MWCNTs (20 µg mL^-1), highlighted the efficiency of homeostasis to counteract ROS overproduction, but a restitutio ad integrum of mitochondrial functionality was not observed. Despite the tendency to restore, the mitochondrial impairment persisted. Overall, the results underlined the tissue damage that can arise following sub-chronic exposure to MWCNTs.

Nowadays asymmetric thin film composite (TFC) polymeric hollow fiber (HF) membranes are extensively used in industrial gas/vapor separations, water treatment etc. There are numerous advantages to use hollow fibers such as: low energy requirements, simplicity of operation, and high specificity. In the present article we discuss the progress made during the past decade in the preparation of the HF substrate and preparation/modification of the thin selective layer. Their applications in water treatment, dehydration of alcohols via pervaporation and gas/vapor separation are also demonstrated.

In this study, three new demountable joints consisting of reinforced concrete columns and steel beams were proposed and their seismic performance was investigated using cyclic loading tests. The test results demonstrated that the three demountable RCS joints had good seismic performance. Using the finite element software ABAQUS, the influence of parameters such as beam flange thickness, bolt strength, and connector steel strength on the seismic performance of each joint was analyzed, and the influence of different parameters on the seismic behavior of the joint was determined. The results also showed that the three demountable RCS joints were sensitive to changes in the thickness of the steel beam flange, while the connector steel strength and bolt type had little impact on the joint's capacity. Additionally, shear capacity calculation formulas for the joint core area provided by different codes and researchers were compared with test and finite element results. The results showed that the calculation results of the ASCE guidance method, the Nishiyama method, and the CECS 347-2013 method were higher than the test values, while the calculation results of the Para method were lower because it did not consider the contribution of the cylindrical steel plate to the shear capacity of the joint core area.

The steel damper column is an energy-dissipating member that is suitable for reinforced concrete (RC) buildings, and those used for multistory housing in particular. However, the effectiveness of steel damper columns may be affected by the behavior of surrounding members, and this effect can be severe in the case of seismic sequences. This article investigates the nonlinear response of building models having an RC moment-resisting frame (MRF) with and without steel damper columns under seismic sequences. The applicability of the concept of the momentary energy input to the prediction of the peak response of RC MRFs with damper columns under seismic sequences is also investigated. The main findings of the study are summarized as follows. (1) The peak response of RC MRFs with damper columns subjected to sequential accelerations is similar to the peak response obtained considering only the mainshock, whereas the cumulative strain energy of RC MRFs accumulates more for sequential accelerations. (2) The steel damper column is effective in reducing the peak and cumulative responses of RC MRFs in the case of sequential seismic input. (3) The relation of the hysteretic dissipated energy during a half cycle of the structural response and the peak displacement of the first modal response can be properly evaluated using the simple model proposed in this study.

A new design scheme is proposed for twisting the walls of a microchannel, and its performance is demonstrated numerically. The numerical study was carried out for a T-shaped microchannel with twist angles in the range of 0 to 34π. The Reynolds number range was 0.15 to 6. The T-shaped microchannel consists of two inlet branches and an outlet branch. The mixing performance was analyzed in terms of the degree of mixing and relative mixing cost. All numerical results show that the twisting scheme is an effective way to enhance the mixing in a T-shaped microchannel. The mixing enhancement is realized by the swirling of two fluids in the cross section and is more prominent as the Reynolds number decreases. The twist angle was optimized to maximize the DOM, which increases with the length of the outlet branch. The twist angle was also optimized in terms of the relative mixing. The two optimum twisting angles are generally not coincident. The optimum twist angle shows a dependence on the length of the outlet branch but it is not affected much by the Reynolds number.

The evaluation of HAADF-STEM images of a sample with the composition Nb18W16O93 provided new insights in its real structure. The basic structure comprises an intact octahedral framework of the tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) type. The partial occupation of the pentagonal tunnels (PT) by metal-oxygen strings determines the oxygen to metal ratio (O/SM with M = Nb,W). For a large area, the O/SM was determined to be 2.755 which is smaller than the value of Nb18W16O93 which is O/SM = 2. 735. To a large extent, the threefold TTB superstructure structure of Nb8W9O47 with a high oxygen content is present (O/SM = 2.765). In addition, a new fourfold TTB superstructure was found in small domains: Nb12W11O63 with an O/SM = 2.739 obviously accommodates a part of the sample’s metal excess compared to the stable phase Nb8W9O47.

Corrosion is considered as one of the main factors in the structural performance deterioration of steel members. In this study, experimental and numerical methods were used to assess the reduction in compressive strength of short tubular steel columns with local corrosion damage. The corrosion damage was varied with different depths (0, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 4.5, and 6 mm), height (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, and 180 mm), circumference (0, 90, 180, 270, and 360°), and location along the column. A parametric numerical study was performed to establish a correlation between the residual compressive strength and the severity of corrosion damage. The results showed that as the corrosion depth, height and circumference increased, the compressive strength decreased linearly. As for the corrosion height, the residual compressive strength became constant after decreasing linearly when the corrosion height was greater than the half-wavelength of buckling of the short columns. An equation is presented to evaluate the residual compressive strength of short columns with local corrosion wherein the volume of the corrosion damage was used as a reduction factor in calculating the compressive strength. The percentage error using the presented equation was found to be within 11.4%.

Concrete-filled steel columns have been extensively used in the world due to having all suitable characteristics of concrete and steel, more ductility, increasing concrete confinement using steel wall, large energy-absorption capacity and appropriate fire behavior. In present paper, concrete-filled steel square columns have been simulated under the influence of blast load using ABAQUS software. These responses will be compared for scaled distances based on the distance to source and weight of explosive material. As result, it can be seen that although concrete deformation has been restricted using steel tube, but inner layer of concrete has been seriously damaged and column displacement will be decreased by increasing scaled distance. We also concluded that concrete-filled steel columns have high ductility and blast resistance.

A temperature-modulated pyroelectricity measurement system for a small single crystal is developed and applied to standard sample measurements performed on a thin single crystal of lithium niobate. The modulation measurement is based on the AC technique, in which the temperature of the sample is periodically oscillated, and the synchronized pyroelectric signal is extracted using a lock-in amplifier. Temperature modulation is applied by irradiating periodic light on the sample placed in the heat exchange gas. To apply this technique to the transparent reference sample, a commercially available black resin is coated on the sample’s surface to absorb the light energy and transmits it to the specimen. The experimental results are analyzed using a two-layer heat transfer model to verify the effect of the light-absorbing layer as well as the non-contact temperature modulation system.

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of hydrogen adsorption on titanium nitride had previously shown that hydrogen may adsorb on both titanium and nitrogen sites with a moderate adsorption energy. Further, the diffusion barrier was also found to be low. These findings may qualify TiN, a versatile multifunctional material with electronic conductivity, as electrode material for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This was the main impetus of this work which aims to experimentally and theoretically investigate the electrocatalytic properties of TiN-layers that were processed on Ti substrate using reactive ion sputtering. The properties are discussed focusing on the role of oxygen defects introduced during the sputtering process on the HER. Based on DFT calculations, it is shown that these oxygen defects alter the electronic environment of the Ti atoms which entails a low hydrogen adsorption energy in the range of -0.1 eV; this leads to HER performances that match those of Pt-NPs in acidic media. When a few nanometr thick layer of Pd-NPs is sputtered on-top of the TiN-layer, the performance is drastically reduced. This is interpreted in terms of oxygen defects being scavenged by the Pd-NPs near the surface which is thought to reduce the hydrogen adsorption sites.

Low-loss photonic waveguides in lithium niobate offer versatile functionality as nonlinear frequency converters, switches, and modulators for integrated optics. Combining the flexibility of laser processing with liquid phase epitaxy we have fabricated and characterized lithium niobate channel waveguides on lithium niobate and lithium tantalate. We used liquid phase epitaxy with K2O flux on laser-machined lithium niobate and lithium tantalate substrates. The laser-driven rapid-prototyping technique can be programmed to give machined features of various sizes, and liquid phase epitaxy produces high quality single-crystal, lithium niobate channels. The surface roughness of the lithium niobate channels on a lithium tantalate substrate was measured to be 90 nm. The lithium niobate channel waveguides exhibit propagation losses of 0.26 ± 0.04 dB/mm at a wavelength of 633 nm. Second harmonic generation at 980 nm was demonstrated using the channel waveguides, indicating that these waveguides retain their nonlinear optical properties.

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.

The Italian herbal products market is the most prosperous in Europe. The proof is represented by the use of these products in several marketing categories, ranging from medicine to nutrition and cosmetics. Market and legislation in Italy are at the same time cause and consequence of this peculiar situation. In fact, the legislation on botanical food supplements in Italy is very permissive and at the same time the market shows an overall satisfaction of users and strong feedback in terms of consumption, which brings a widening use of medicinal plants, formerly the prerogative of pharmaceuticals, to other fields such as nutrition. This review summarizes the market and normative panorama of herbal products in Italy, highlighting the blurred boundaries of health indications, marketing authorizations and quality controls between herbal medicines and non pharmaceutical products, such as food supplements, cosmetics and other herbal-based “parapharmaceuticals”.

PIEZO channels PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 are the newly identified mechanosensitive, non-selective cation channels permeable to Ca2+. In higher vertebrates, PIEZO1 expresses ubiquitously in most of the tissues and cells while PIEZO2 expresses more specifically in the peripheral sensory neurons. PIEZO channels contribute to a wide range of biological behaviors and developmental processes, therefore driving a significant attention in the effort to understand their molecular properties. One prominent property of PIEZO channels is their rapid inactivation, which manifests itself as a decrease of channel open probability in the presence of a sustained mechanical stimulus. Lack of the PIEZO channel inactivation is linked to various mechanopathologies emphasizing the significance of studying this PIEZO channel property and the factors affecting it. In the present review, we discuss the mechanisms underlying the PIEZO channel inactivation, its modulation by interaction of the channels with lipids and/or proteins, and how the changes of PIEZO inactivation by the channel mutations can cause a variety of diseases in animals and humans.

As long as the non-contact digital printing is not a common standard in the corrugated packaging industry, corrugated board crushing is a real issue that affects the load capacity of the boxes. Crushing mainly occurs during the converting of corrugated board (e.g. analog flexographic printing or laminating) and is a process that cannot be avoided. However, as show in this study, it can be controlled. In this work, extended laboratory tests were carried out on the crushing of double-walled corrugated board. The influence of fully controlled crushing (with a precision: ±10 μm) in the range from 10 to 70 % on different laboratory measurements was checked. Most of the typical mechanical tests were performed e.g. edge crush test, four-point bending test, shear stiffness test, torsional stiffness test, etc. on reference and crushed specimens. The residual thickness reduction of the crushed samples was also controlled. All empirical observations and performed measurements were the basis for building an analytical model of crushed corrugated board. The proven and verified model was then used to study the crushing effect of the selected corrugated board on the efficiency of simple packages with various dimensions.

We have established earlier a cell line from the human limbal area to study cell growth and response to the toxic effects of antibiotics used in ophthalmology. In the recent work, the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in cornea damage was investigated in vitro and in vivo in mice. In the in vitro experiments, the physiological effects of multi-walled carbon nano-tube (MWCNT) bundles on corneal wound healing were mimicked in vitro by a reepithelization limbal stem cell model. Murine in vivo experiments were performed with intact, non-functionalized MWCNTs to confirm the validity of in vitro tests. The MWCNTs of 10 -30 nm outer diameter at low concentration (5 µg/ml) did not interfere with the wound healing of the damaged limbal cell monolayer. Higher than 50 µg/ml concentrations: a) generated MWCNT aggregates, b) restrained the movement and prolonged the time of wound healing, c) increased the amplitudes of the oscillations of the cells, and d) resulted in scar formation affecting both cor-neal function and refraction. Chromatin condensation, a sensitive test of the viability of cells, including limbal stem cells revealed that the presence of a low concentration of nanotubes (5 µg/ml), did not significantly affect the viability of limbal cells. Chromatin condensation was completed and metaphase chromosomes were seen at higher MWCNT concentration proving that their aggregates did not affect the viability of limbal cells. This concentration of MWCNTs (5 µg/ml) did impact neither the reepithelization in vitro nor in vivo in the scratched eyes of mice. Scar formation took place at higher than 50 µg/ml concentrations and the healing of the cornea was prevented by the lack of movement of increasingly larger macroaggregates. In vivo murine experiments vali-dated in vitro monolayer regrowth followed by time-lapse microscopy portraying realistically the reepithelization of the damaged cornea that process was gradually slowed down by macro aggregate formation and caused the scarring of the cornea.

Hollow and concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs) are widely used as columns in many structural systems and local buckling can occur when they are subjected to axial compression loading. The critical regions for the local buckling of the columns are near the ends of the column where the moments are the highest. To strengthen the critical regions of the CFSTs the CFRP provides a simple and effective method which used previously as an enhancement for both of strength and ductility. So, this study suggests investigating the axial load behaviour of CFST strengthened with CFRP using FE method after a verification study and then a various parametric studies were carried out to cover the effect of the CFRP layers, number, confinement length and position. The FE results proved that, one CFRP sheet with thickness equal to 1.2 mm was strengthened the composite column by 8.5%, two CFRP sheets with total thickness equal to 2.4 mm was strengthened the composite column by 23.5%, three CFRP sheets with total thickness equal to 3.6 mm was strengthened the composite column by 35.1% and four CFRP sheets with total thickness equal to 4.8 mm was strengthened the composite column by 44.5%. Moreover, this study proved that by strengthened the composite columns with CFRP sheets with different lengths, the axial load resistance was improved by 8.5%, 4.6%, 0.1% and 0.0% for length percentages 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% respectively.

We propose a deep-learning approach for the joint MIMO detection and channel decoding problem. Conventional MIMO receivers adopt a model-based approach for MIMO detection and channel decoding in linear or iterative manners. However, due to the complex MIMO signal model, the optimal solution to the joint MIMO detection and channel decoding problem (i.e., the maximum likelihood decoding of the transmitted codewords from the received MIMO signals) is computationally infeasible. As a practical measure, the current model-based MIMO receivers all use suboptimal MIMO decoding methods with affordable computational complexities. This work applies the latest advances in deep learning for the design of MIMO receivers. In particular, we leverage deep neural networks (DNN) with supervised training to solve the joint MIMO detection and channel decoding problem. We show that DNN can be trained to give much better decoding performance than conventional MIMO receivers do. Our simulations show that a DNN implementation consisting of seven hidden layers can outperform conventional model-based linear or iterative receivers. This performance improvement points to a new direction for future MIMO receiver design.

The combination of neural network and beamforming has been proved to be very effective in multi-channel speech separation. But its performance faces a challenge in complex environment. In this paper, an iteratively refined multi-channel speech separation method is proposed for the challenge, where the proposed is composed of initial separation and iterative separation. In initial separation, the time-frequency domain dual-path recurrent neural network neural network (TFDPRNN), minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer and post-separation (also TFDPRNN) are cascaded for obtaining the first additional input in iterative separation. In iterative separation, the MVDR beamformer and post-separation are iteratively used, where the output of the MVDR beamformer is used as an additional input of the post-separation network and the final output comes from post-separation module. This iteration of the beamformer and post-separation is fully employed for promoting their individual optimization, which ultimately improves the overall performance of speech separation in multi-speaker scenarios. Experiments on the spatialized version of the WSJ0-2mix corpus show that our proposed method is significantly better than the current popular methods. In addition, the method also has a good effect on the dereverberation task.

Network Simulators (NS) is typically used to study services and applications in complex scenarios due to the infeasibility of deploying real testbeds. This is the case of Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) which can be extensively used in emergency situations or to gather information without infraestructure. An important factor to get realiable results in the MANETs’ simulations is the wireless channel module of NSs. In this report, we explain how thw wireless channel is implemented in NS-3 and it can be configured.

This paper presents a numerical study on the vertical (axial) and lateral (flexure) behavior of CFST (Concrete-Filled Steel Tube) columns with active hoop prestress; this transverse prestressing effect is achieved by bolting together two steel half-tubes. This study refers to new construction only (i.e., no retrofit). 12 prototype CFST column specimens (segments) are analyzed. These specimens differ in the prestressing force (3 levels) and in the gravity loading ratio (4 levels); they are selected to represent typical ground columns of mid-rise buildings. The structural behavior of these column specimens is simulated with a nonlinear model implemented in Abaqus; the concrete and steel behavior are described with a damage-plasticity and a plasticity model, respectively. Finally, the interface concrete-steel interaction is represented by a hard (compression-only) surface-to-surface contact model. The calculations involve three consecutive loading steps: (i) transverse prestress, (ii) axial force, and (iii) lateral loading (shear force and bending moment). The structural behavior of the CFST columns is deeply examined and discussed; the results show that their axial-flexural capacity is adequate. Noticeably, it is concluded that the overall benefits of prestressing the columns are only modest. Preliminary studies on the aforementioned mid-rise buildings equipped with the CFST columns show that their gravity and wind capacities are largely enough; conversely, their seismic capacity is sufficient for moderate seismic ground motions only.

The use of new developed high-strength steel in concrete members can reduce steel bars congestion and construction costs. This research aims to study the behavior of concrete columns reinforced with new developed high-strength steel under eccentric loading. Ten reinforced concrete columns were fabricated and tested. The test variables are transverse reinforcement amount and yield strength, eccentricity, and longitudinal reinforcement yield strength. The failure patterns are compression and tensile failure for columns subjected to small eccentricity and large eccentricity, respectively. The same level of post-peak deformability and ductility only can be obtained with lower amount of transverse reinforcement when high-strength transverse reinforcements are used in columns subjected to small eccentricity. The high-strength longitudinal reinforcement can improve bearing capacity and post-peak deformability of concrete columns. Besides, three different equivalent rectangular stress block (ERSB) parameters in predicting bearing capacity of columns with high-strength steel were discussed based on test and simulated results. It is concluded that the Code of GB 50010-2010 overestimates the bearing capacity of columns with high-strength steel, whereas bearing capacities computed using Codes of ACI 318-14 and CSA A23.3-04 agree well with test results.

The research that we are referring to examines the morphological, structural, and optical characteristics of kesterite (Cu1-xAgx)2ZnSnS4 (CAZTS) thin films, which are produced using a process known as thermal evaporation (TE). The study's main goal was to determine how different Ag contents affect the characteristics of CAZTS systems. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman Spectroscopy: were used to confirm the crystal structure of the CAZTS thin films. Using a mathematical model of spectroscopic ellipsometry, the refractive index (n) represented the part of the complex refractive index, the extinction coefficient (k) portrayed the imaginary one, and also the energy band gap of the fabricated films were all calculated. The energy band gap of the thin films was also calculated. This is a crucial parameter for solar cell applications, as it determines the wavelength of light that the material can absorb. The energy band gap was found to decrease from 1.74 eV to 1.55 eV with increasing Ag content. The ITO/n-CdS/p-CAZTS/Mo heterojunction was well constructed, and the primary photovoltaic characteristics of the n-CdS/p-CAZTS junctions were examined for use in solar cells. Different Ag contents of the CAZTS layers were used to determine the dark and illumination (current-voltage) characteristics of the heterojunctions. The study's findings collectively point to CAZTS thin layers as potential absorber materials for solar cell applications.

As a derivative of graphene, graphene oxide (GO) was initially developed by chemists to emulate some of the key properties of graphene, but it was soon recognized as a unique material in its own right, addressing an application space that is not accessible to chemical vapor deposition based materials. Over the past decade, GO has emerged as a new frontier material with tremendous advances in its material fabrication and quality control over its properties. These in turn have led to rapid progress in GO based photonics, electronics, and optoelectronics concepts and devices, evoking new science and paving the way for many technological breakthroughs with exceptional performance. Here, we review the unique fundamental characteristics of GO, its thin film fabrication methods, patterning techniques, and mechanisms for tuning its material properties. This latter capability in particular has enabled novel advanced functional photonic, electronic, and optoelectronic devices. Understanding these insights is essential for designing and tailoring GO properties for state-of-the-art applications including solar energy harvesting, energy storage, medical diagnosis, image displays, and optical communications. We conclude by discussing the open challenges and exciting opportunities of this field, together with future prospects for major technological advancements and breakthroughs.

In this work, the wetting and evaporation behaviour of non-polar solvent droplets on thin soluble coatings is investigated experimentally. The wetting process on spin coated polymer layers by the solvent is captured using shadowgraphy. Initial spontaneous dynamic wetting as well as later stages of wetting are recorded and evaluated. Furthermore, structures obtained by wetting and subsequent evaporation of solvents on polymer coatings are studied by confocal microscopy. The solubility of the substrate has been varied by using polymers with different molecular masses. We observe that initial spreading dynamics does not depend on the molar mass in the studied range. However, we find a strong influence of the molar mass on the late stage wetting dynamics and on the surface structure after solvent evaporation.

This paper gives an overview of the large-scale tectonic styles encountered in orogens worldwide. Thin-skinned and thick-skinned tectonics represent two end member styles recognized in mountain ranges. Both styles are encountered in former passive margins of continental plates. Thick-skinned style including the entire crust and possibly the lithospheric mantle are associated with intracontinental contraction. Delamination of subducting continental crust and horizontal protrusion of upper plate crust into the opening gap occurs in the terminal stage of continent-continent collision. Continental crust thinned prior to contraction is likely to develop relatively thin thrust sheets of crystalline basement. A true thin-skinned type requires a detachment layer of sufficient thickness. Thickness of the décollement layer as well as the mechanical contrast between décollement layer and detached cover control the style of folding and thrusting within the detached cover units. In subduction-related orogens, thin- and thick-skinned deformation may occur several hundreds of kilometers from the plate contact zone. Basin inversion resulting from horizontal contraction may lead to the formation of basement uplifts by the combined reactivation of pre-existing normal faults and initiation of new reverse faults. In most orogens thick-skinned and thin-skinned structures both occur and evolve with a pattern where nappe stacking propagates outward and downward

In this paper, a kind of single-walled carbon nanotube nonlinear model is developed, and the strongly nonlinear dynamic characteristics of such carbon nanotubes subjected to random magnetic field are studied. The nonlocal effect of microstructure is considered based on the theory of nonlocal elasticity. The natural frequency of the strongly nonlinear dynamic system is obtained by the energy function method, the drift coefficient and the diffusion coefficient are verified. The stationary probability density function of the system dynamic response is given and the fractal boundary of the safe basin is provided. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that stochastic resonance occurs when varying the random magnetic field intensity. The boundary of safe basin has fractal characteristics and the area of safe basin decreases when the intensity of the magnetic field permeability increases.

The structure of turbulent flow over non-flat surfaces is a topic of major interest in practical applications in both engineering and geophysical settings. A lot of work has been done in the fully rough regime at high Reynolds numbers where the effect on the outer layer turbulence structure and the resulting friction drag is well documented. It turns out that surface topology plays a significant role on the flow drag especially in the transitional roughness regime and therefore, hard to characterize. Survey of literature shows that roughness function depends on the interaction of roughness height, flow Reynolds number and topology shape. In addition, if the surface topology contains large enough scales then it can impact the outer layer dynamics and in turn modulate the total frictional force. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying drag increase from systematically varied surface undulations in order to better interpret quantifications based on mean statistics such as roughness function. In this study, we explore the mechanisms that modulate the turbulence structure over a two-dimensional (2D) sinusoidal wavy surface with a fixed amplitude, but varying slope. To accomplish this, we model the turbulent flow between two infinitely wide 2D wavy plates at a friction Reynolds number, $Re_{\tau}=180$. We pursue two different but related flavors of analysis. The first one adopts a roughness characterization flavor of such wavy surfaces. The second one focuses on understanding the non-equilibrium near surface turbulence structure and their impact on roughness characterization. Analysis of the different statistical quantifications show strong dependence on wave slope for the roughness function indicating drag increase due to enhanced turbulent stresses resulting from increased production of vertical velocity variance from the surface undulations.

The Inverted F Antenna (IFA) with the parasitic element on a finite conducting plane is proposed in the range frequency of 0.1 to 5.5 GHz and its characteristics are analyzed numerically. In this research, the parasitic element and the main IFA are investigated to obtain the resonance frequency for multiband operation purposes. The parasitic element is placed beneath adjusted to the main IFA to derive more frequency bands. The distance between the parasitic element and main horizontal element extremely affects the performance of the IFA. It is found that when the parasitic element is located closer to the conducting plane, this element is coupled by the current on the conducting plane. Consequently, the return loss bandwidth becomes narrower. Therefore, the gain of the proposed IFA becomes a bit higher. The antenna gain is about 8.21 dB at band #3 (λ_1.747), 7.43 dB at band #5 (λ_2.967) and 8.82 dB at band #6 (λ_4.023). This occurs when the calculation condition is antenna height h1 = 23 mm, h2 = 21 mm, horizontal antenna elements L = 173.2 mm, L1 = 140.9 mm and Lp = 152 mm, shorted element Ls = 30.7 mm, the distance between parasitic element and shorted element pyl = 5 mm. While the size of conducting plane is considered pxp+pxm by pyp+pym as 57.5+57.5 mm by 200+50 mm. In the numerical analysis, the electromagnetic simulator WIPL-D based on Method of Moment is used. The results show that the proposed IFA has UHF and SHF channel receiver which are suitable for advanced wireless service (band #3), mobile phones, Bluetooth, maritime service, radiolocation service (band #5) and radars, mobile phones, commercial wireless LAN (band #6).

A steel damper column is an energy-dissipating member that is suitable for reinforced concrete (RC) buildings and multistory housing. To assess the seismic performance of buildings with steel damper columns, the peak displacement of the whole building and the energy dissipation demand of the dampers must be evaluated. This article proposes an energy-based prediction procedure for the peak and cumulative response of an RC frame building with steel damper columns. The proposed procedure considers two energy-related seismic intensity parameters, namely the maximum momentary input energy and the total input energy. The peak displacement is predicted considering the energy balance during a half cycle of the structural response, using the maximum momentary input energy. The energy dissipation demand of the dampers is then predicted considering the energy balance during a whole response cycle using the total input energy. The local responses (e.g., peak drift, maximum plastic rotation of beams, maximum shear strain, and energy dissipation demand of dampers) are predicted using pushover analysis. Numerical analysis results for 8- and 16-story RC buildings show that the proposed prediction method achieves satisfactory accuracy.

In this paper, a novel nonlocal strain gradient anisotropic elastic shell model is developed to analyse the vibrations of simply supported single‒walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Sanders‒Koiter shell theory is used to obtain the strain‒displacement relationships. Eringen nonlocal elasticity theory and Mindlin strain gradient theory are adopted to derive the constitutive equations, where the anisotropic elastic constants are expressed via Chang molecular mechanics model. The complex variable method is used to analytically solve the equations of motion and to obtain the natural frequencies of SWCNTs. First, the anisotropic elastic shell model is validated via comparisons with the results of molecular dynamics simulations reported in the literature. Then, the effect of nonlocal and material parameters on the natural frequencies of SWCNTs with different geometries and wavenumbers is analysed. From the numerical simulations it is obtained that the natural frequencies decrease with increasing nonlocal parameter, while they increase with increasing material parameter. Moreover, the decrease of natural frequencies with increasing SWCNT radius is exponential as the material parameter increases, while it is linear as the nonlocal parameter increases. Finally, as the number of waves increases, the natural frequencies linearly vary with increasing nonlocal parameter, while they exponentially increase with increasing material parameter.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes are engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) that have a fiber-like structure which may be a concern for the development of cellular senescence. Premature senes-cence, a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest, is implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic lung dis-eases such as pulmonary fibrosis (PF). However, the crosstalk between downstream pathways mediating fibrotic and senescent responses of MWCNTs is not well defined. Here, we exposed human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS2B) to MWCNTs for up to 72 hours and demonstrate that MWCNTs increase reactive oxygen species production (ROS) accompanied by inhibition of cell growth and proliferation. In addition, exposure resulted in the increase of p21 protein and senes-cence associated β-galactosidase (SA β-gal) activity. We also determined that co-exposure with the cytokine, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) exacerbated cellular senescence indicated by increased protein levels of p21, p16, and γH2A.X Furthermore, the production of fibronectin and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) was significantly elevated with the co-exposure compared to MWCNTs or TGF-β alone. Together, this suggests that the senescence potential of MWCNTs may be enhanced by pro-fibrotic mediators in the surrounding microenvironment.

The present investigation deals with the adsorption of chromium(III) from alkaline media using multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The adsorption of Cr(III) has been studied under various experimental conditions: stirring speed of the aqueous solution, initial metal and adsorbent concentrations, NaOH concentration in the aqueous solution, and temperature. The rate law indicated that chromium adsorption is well represented by the particle diffusion model, whereas the adsorption process fits to the pseudo-second order kinetic model within an exothermic character. Equilibrium data fit to the Langmuir type-2 equilibrium isotherm in an spontaneous process. Chromium(III) can be eluted from metal-loaded nanotubes using acidic solutions, from which fine chromium(III) oxide pigment can be ultimately yielded.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene oxide (GO) reinforced carbon foam (CF) composite were prepared by direct pyrolysis of MWCNTs, GO and mesophase coal tar pitch. The effect of additive amount of the mixture of MWCNTs and GO on the microstruture and properties of carbon foam was analzyed by transmission electron miscroscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Four-probe resistance meter, universal testing machine, and laser thermal conductivity tester respectively. The result shows that MWCNTs and GO had significant impact on the microstructure of carbon foam. Futhermore, the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of carbon foam composites were significantly enhanced by increasing the additive amount. Maximum compressive strenght of 19.2 MPa and Young’s modulus of 56.8 MPa of CF composite were observed. Similarly, Highest thermal conductivity of 30.91 W/m.K and electrical conductivity of 27.2 ×103 S/m were observed at 2 wt. % of MWCNTs-GO additive loading.

Keywords: Wall-like RC columns; Strengthening; FRP; NSM rebars; Steel plates; Testing; FE modeling; Preloading.

Refineries execute a series of interlinked processes, where the product of one unit serves as the input to another process. Potential failures within these processes affect the quality of the end products, operational efficiency, and revenue of the entire refinery. In this context, implementation of a real-time cognitive module, referring to predictive machine learning models, enables to provide equipment state monitoring services and to generate decision-making for equipment operations. In this paper, we propose two machine learning models: 1) to forecast the amount of pentane (C5) content in the final product mixture; 2) to identify if C5 content exceeds the specification thresholds for the final product quality. We validate our approach by using a use case from a real-world refinery. In addition, we develop a visualization to assess which features are considered most important during feature selection, and later by the machine learning models. Finally, we provide insights on the sensor values in the dataset, which help to identify the operational conditions for using such machine learning models.

Axial compression tests were carried out on 6 square steel tube confined concrete short columns and 6 BFRP square pipe confined concrete axial compression tests. The concrete strength grades were C30, C40, and C50. The test results show that the failure modes of steel pipe and BFRP pipe are obviously different, and the BFRP pipe undergoes brittle failure. Compared with the short columns of concrete confined by BFRP pipes, the ultimate bearing capacity of axial compression is increased by -76.46%, -76.01%, and -73.06%, and the ultimate displacements are -79.20%, -80.78%, -71.71%.

Axial compression tests were carried out on 6 square steel tube confined concrete short columns and 6 BFRP square pipe confined concrete axial compression tests. The concrete strength grades were C30, C40, and C50. The test results show that the failure modes of steel pipe and BFRP pipe are obviously different, and the BFRP pipe undergoes brittle failure. Compared with the short columns of concrete confined by BFRP pipes, the ultimate bearing capacity of axial compression is increased by -76.46%, -76.01%, and -73.06%, and the ultimate displacements are -79.20%, -80.78%, -71.71%.

To quantify damage to reinforced concrete (RC) column members after an earthquake, an engineer needs to know the maximum applied force that was generated by the earthquake. Therefore, in this work, piezoceramic transducers are used to detect the applied force on an RC column member under dynamic loading. To investigate the use of post-embedded piezoceramic sensors in detecting the force that is applied to RC columns, eight full-size RC column specimens with various failure modes are tested under specific earthquake loadings. Post-embedded piezoceramic sensors are installed at a range of depths (70-80 mm) beneath the surface of a column specimen to examine the relationship between the signals that are obtained from them and the force applied by the dynamic actuator. The signals that are generated by the post-embedded piezoceramic sensors, which correlate with the applied force, are presented. These results indicate that the post-embedded piezoceramic sensors have great potential as tools for measuring the maximum applied force on an RC column in an earthquake. Restated, signals that are obtained from post-embedded piezoceramic sensors on an RC column in an earthquake can be used to determine the applied force and corresponding damage or residual seismic capacity.

Ion channels serve many cellular functions including ion homeostasis, volume regulation, signaling, nutrient acquisition, and developmental progression. Although the complex lifecycles of malaria parasites necessitate ion and solute flux across membranes, whole genome sequencing of the human pathogen, Plasmodium falciparum, revealed remarkably few orthologs of known ion channel genes. Contrasting with this, biochemical studies have implicated channel-mediated flux of ions and nutritive solutes across several membranes in infected erythrocytes. Here, I review advances in the cellular and molecular biology of ion channels in malaria parasites. These studies have implicated novel parasite genes in the formation of at least two ion channels, with additional ion channels likely present at various membranes and parasite stages. Computational approaches that rely on homology to known channel genes from higher organisms will not be very helpful in identifying the molecular determinants of these activities. Given their unusual properties, novel molecular and structural features, and essential roles in pathogen survival and development, parasite channels should be promising targets for therapy development.

In this paper, we develop a tractable mathematical model and emulation framework for communicating information through water using acoustic signals. Water is considered as one of the most complex mediums to model owing to its vastness and variety in characteristics depending on the scenario, what kind of water-body (lakes, rivers, tanks, sea etc.) and geographical location of the water-body is considered. Our proposed mathematical model involves the concept of damped harmonic oscillators to represent the medium (water) and Milne’s oscillator technique to map the interaction between the acoustic signal and water. Wave equations formulated for acoustic pressure and acoustic wave velocity are used to characterize the travelling acoustic signal. Signal strength, phase shift and time-delay generated from the mathematical model are fed to a Simulink-based emulator framework to generate channel samples and channel impulse responses. The emulator uses wide sense stationary uncorrelated scattering (WSSUS) assumption and finite sum-of-sinusoids (SOS) with uniformly distributed phase to generate the channel samples. Using the emulator platform it is possible to generate amplitude variation profile, Doppler shift and spread experienced by any travelling signal through different underwater communication scenarios. Such an emulator platform can be used to simulate different communication scenarios, underwater network topologies, data to train different learning models and predict performance of different modulation, multiplexing, error correction and multi-access techniques for underwater acoustic communications (UWAC) systems.

in this paper, the optical channel performance with respect to varying scintillation index parameters is studied. Where different channel effects are studied and analyzed. In free-space optical (FSO) communication, the major drawback of the optical communication system is the atmospheric turbulence (AT). This effect is nonlinear with optical channel altitude being changed. Therefore, the power margenal (PM) required for such a channel is also inconstant respectively. In this thesis, we analyze AT effect on the optical channel with different altitudes. Such that we found the difference in the range of PM required for such optical link distance. In our result, the Bit Error Rate (BER) VS. PM required is measured. The optical channel model is Log-Normal considered and the BER threshold BER^th = 10^-10 is taken.

In line with Pomeau’s conjecture about the relevance of directed percolation (DP) to turbulence onset/decay in wall-bounded flows, we propose a minimal stochastic model dedicated to the interpretation of the spatially intermittent regimes observed in channel flow before its return to laminar flow. Numerical simulations show that a regime with bands obliquely drifting in two stream-wise symmetrical directions bifurcates into an asymmetrical regime, before ultimately decaying to laminar flow. The model is expressed in terms of a probabilistic cellular automaton evolving von Neumann neighbourhoods with probabilities educed from a close examination of simulation results. It implements band propagation and the two main local processes: longitudinal splitting involving bands with the same orientation, and transversal splitting giving birth to a daughter band with orientation opposite to that of its mother. The ultimate decay stage observed to display one-dimensional DP properties in a two-dimensional geometry is interpreted as resulting from the irrelevance of lateral spreading in the single-orientation regime. The model also reproduces the bifurcation restoring the symmetry upon variation of the probability attached to transversal splitting, which opens the way to a study of the critical properties of that bifurcation, in analogy with thermodynamic phase transitions.

Ion channels contribute fundamental properties to all cell membranes. The ion channels are highly diverse in conductivity, structure, location and function. However, many of them can be regulated by common mechanisms, such as voltage or (de-)phosphorylation. Considering primarily pain-related ion channels, this review covers more novel and less known features of ion channel function, also with the aim to transfer knowledge between fields, which get inevitably more separate due to their size.

Security is a major topic in recent researchers, and finding new methods deliver was the motivations for this research to emphasize and as an awareness to browsers developers to handle images with more care and to enhance exploit detection technology in the browser, as this paper proves that hackers now can attack users with just an image.

Phα1β a spider peptide, purified from the venom of Phoneutria nigriventer inhibits high voltage calcium channels and is antagonist of TRPA1 receptor two important pain transduction path-ways. In the last 15 years, we have showed, in preclinical tests with Phα1β native and recombi-nant in rodent models of pain the potential of Phα1β to become a new analgesic drug. Evaluation of new drug on human ERG channel is requirement of the regulatory agencies. For the hERG channel inhibition assay it was used the commercial kit FLIPR® Potassium Assay. It was tested the effect of Phα1β and as positive control dofetilide, a well characterized hERG block-er. Phα1β 56, 225, 450 and 900 pMol caused at a higher concentration a very weak inhibition of the hERG channel activity of about 13.47 % with channel inhibition at 50%, IC50 > 900 pMol. Dofetilide (0.0001 - 10 µM), a known hERG inhibitor, caused a well-known, concentra-tion-dependent inhibition of the hERG channel with a mean IC50 of 0.1642 µM (0.1189 – 0.2282 µM. For the cytotoxicity assay, Phα1β concentrations of 56, 225, 450 and 900 pMol incubated for 24 h with HEK293-hERG cells did not alter the viability of the HEK293-hERG cells. It is con-cluded that Phα1β even at high concentrations does not interfere with hERG channels.

The cardiac sodium ion channel (NaV1.5) is a protein with four domains (DI-DIV), each with six transmembrane segments. Its opening and subsequent inactivation results in the brief rapid influx of Na+ ions resulting in the depolarization of cardiomyocytes. The neurotoxin veratridine (VTD) inhibits NaV1.5 inactivation resulting in longer channel opening times, and potentially fatal action potential prolongation. VTD is predicted to bind at the channel pore, but alternative binding sites have not been ruled out. To determine the binding site of VTD on NaV1.5, we performed docking calculations and high-throughput electrophysiology experiments. The docking calculations identified two distinct binding regions. The first site was in the pore, close to the binding site of NaV1.4 and NaV1.5 blocking drugs in experimental structures. The second site was at the “mouth” of the pore at the cytosolic side, partly solvent-exposed. Mutations at this site (L409, E417, and I1466) had large effects on VTD binding, while residues deeper in the pore had no effect, consistent with VTD binding at the mouth site. Overall, our results suggest a VTD binding site close to the cytoplasmic mouth of the channel pore. Binding at this alternative site might indicate an allosteric inactivation mechanism for VTD at NaV1.5.

Highly macroporous thin films of WO₃ were fabricated on transparent conductive substrates by application of a polymeric organic paste loaded with an amine/tungstate complex. After spin-coating and annealing at 550^oC, the resulting yellow films are found to be comprised of channeled array of clustered nanoparticles. These channels are confirmed by scanning electron microscopy to extend through the entire length of the coating. The high porosity of the material enables the insertion of a co-catalyst into the internal structure of the film. These internally functionalized composites demonstrate good photosensitivity and stability in neutral electrolyte.

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.

Historical city textures are living history embodying public open spaces of former civilizations, their landscapes and traditional life cultures, carrying them to the present and giving them life. The squares, which form the public open spaces, have been important meeting centers in the social lives of people. City furniture are the important elements in these public open spaces, reflecting the identity of the city and improving quality of life. City furniture improve the reflection of cultural value in historical city textures and their usability. The walled city center, where the historical city texture of Nicosia lies, has a very rich historical texture with the cultural heritage of various civilizations in the history of Cyprus. Public open spaces within the texture, which have acquired the quality of squares with their functions throughout the social history of Nicosia, are still important social spaces for the people of the city. This study analyzed Asmaaltı and Selimiye Squares, two important spaces of the walled city, through examining the city furniture in terms of their material, shape, and functionality, and their conformity with the historical texture. Their deficiencies and nonconformities with the historical texture were identified accordingly. In consideration with such examples, city furniture in historical city textures were assessed for their conformity with the texture characteristics, architectural styles, social, cultural, and economical characteristics, and relevant recommendations are presented respectively.

Tarihi kent dokuları, eski uygarlıkların kamusal açık alanlarını, peyzajlarını ve geleneksel yaşam kültürlerini bünyesinde barındıran, günümüze taşıyan ve yaşatan yaşayan bir tarihtir. Kamusal açık alanları oluşturan meydanlar, insanların sosyal yaşamlarında önemli buluşma merkezleri olmuştur. Kent mobilyaları bu kamusal açık alanlarda kentin kimliğini yansıtan ve yaşam kalitesini artıran önemli unsurlardır. Kent mobilyaları, kültürel değerlerin tarihi kent dokularına yansımasını ve kullanılabilirliğini artırır. Lefkoşa'nın tarihi kent dokusunun yattığı Suriçi kent merkezi, Kıbrıs tarihindeki çeşitli uygarlıkların kültürel mirası ile oldukça zengin bir tarihi dokuya sahiptir. Doku içinde kamusal açık alanlar, Lefkoşa'nın sosyal tarihi boyunca işlevleriyle meydan niteliği kazanan meydanlar, kent insanı için halen önemli sosyal mekanlardır. Bu çalışmada, Suriçi kentin iki önemli mekanı olan Asmaaltı ve Selimiye Meydanları, kent mobilyaları malzeme, biçim, işlevsellik ve tarihi dokuya uygunluk açısından incelenerek incelenmiştir. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur. kentliler için hala önemli sosyal mekanlardır. Bu çalışmada, Suriçi kentin iki önemli mekanı olan Asmaaltı ve Selimiye Meydanları, kent mobilyaları malzeme, biçim, işlevsellik ve tarihi dokuya uygunluk açısından incelenerek incelenmiştir. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur. kentliler için hala önemli sosyal mekanlardır. Bu çalışmada, Suriçi kentin iki önemli mekanı olan Asmaaltı ve Selimiye Meydanları, kent mobilyaları malzeme, biçim, işlevsellik ve tarihi dokuya uygunluk açısından incelenerek incelenmiştir. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur. ve tarihi dokuya uygunluğu. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur. ve tarihi dokuya uygunluğu. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur.

The preparation of sulfur-single walled carbon nanohorns active material via a simple and sustainable evaporation method for application as cathode in lithium-sulfur batteries is reported. We show that the synthesis process enables the infiltration of elemental sulfur within the carbon nanohorns thus obtaining a morphology responsible for the ameliorating of the shuttle effect. The sulfur-carbon composite is characterized in terms of structure, morphology, and composition through x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analyses. From the electrochemical point of view, cyclic voltammetry, rate capability, and galvanostatic cycling tests are performed employing a solution of bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt and lithium nitrate in a mixture of 1,2-dimethoxyethane and 1,3-dioxolane in order to evaluate the electrode design applicability within lithium-sulfur cells. In this respect, further insights are provided by the estimation of the lithium-ion diffusion coefficient through the Randles-Sevcik equation, and by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The obtained results reveal a remarkable cycle life lasting around 800 cycles with a stable capacity of 520 mA h g-1 for the first 400 cycles at C/4, while reaching a value around 300 mA h g-1 at the 750th cycle. These results suggest sulfur-carbon nanohorns active material as a potential candidate for the next-generation battery technology.

For voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (VGCC), its α2δ subunits are traditionally considered to be auxiliary subunits that regulates VGCC trafficking to the plasma membrane. The antiepileptic, antinociceptive and anxiolytic gabapentin (GBP) has previously been shown to bind the VGCC α2δ subunits with high affinity to disrupt VGCC trafficking. Yet, the interaction between GBP and α2δ still remains poorly understood from a structural point of view. For instance, it is not clear yet what the structural implication is of α2δ-1-bound GBP against VGCC trafficking. With a set of experimental data-driven structural analysis of the VGCC α2δ-1 and its ligand GBP, this article postulates for the first time that: 1), α2δ-1 bound GBP stabilizes the α2δ-1-GBP complex structure; 2), α2δ-1 bound GBP restrains the conformational flexibility of α2δ-1; 3), α2δ-1-bound GBP establishes an electrostatic axis consisting of Q535 (Gln535)-R241 (Arg241)-GBP (gabapentin)-D452 (Asp452), which constitutes an energetically favourable contribution towards the structural stability of the α2δ-1-GBP complex and helps restrains the conformational flexibility and local structural rigidification of α2δ-1; and 4), GBP-induced local conformational inflexibility and structural rigidification of α2δ-1 is one key step in the pharmacological disruption of VGCC trafficking by GBP.

In this contribution we present work on rapid thermal annealing of as-electrodeposited thin films of Cu2ZnSnS4. The treatment was carried out in cold wall tubular reactor in dynamic conditions with variations of temperature, speed and time of the specific elements of the process. The effect of annealing was investigated by X-ray diffractometry, Raman scattering and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The phase composition of the films in dependence on conditions of treatment was analysed and have been shown that in slow and prolonged high-temperature process the low temperature binaries react completely and only Kesterite and ZnS is left. In addition, structural investigations by XRD have shown gradual decrease of crystallite sizes when the temperature level and duration of the high-temperature segment increases and respectively increase in the strain, due to formation of the phases in non-equilibrium conditions. In opposite, when the speed of dynamic segments in the process decreases the both crystallite size and strain of the Kesterite decreases non-monotonically. The grain sizes of Kesterite, presented by SEM investigations, have shown increase when the temperature and the duration increase, respectively the speed decreases with exemption at higher temperature near 750 C. The set of experiments gave idea by scrupulous analysis of Raman data to elucidate the track for fine manipulating of the defects in the structure of CZTS thin films having in mind the dependences of the ratios of Q = I287/I303 and Q’= I338/(I366+I374) on the process variables.

Ag/TiO₂ thin films were prepared using the sol-gel spin coating method. The microstructural growth behaviors of the prepared Ag/TiO2 thin films were elucidated using real-time synchrotron radiation imaging, its structure determined using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), its morphology imaged using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and its surface topography examined using the atomic force microscope (AFM) in contact mode. Cubical white spots were detected, identified as Ag, while the TiO₂ thin film resembles a porous ring-like structure with each ring coalescing and forming channels. Junction growth is directly proportional with time under continuous heating conditions (annealing), and its growth orientations and patterns were seemingly random.

We describe a novel machine that uses the greater-than-100% efficiency of air/ground-source heat pumps to recursively generate electricity via steam-powered generators, taking thermal energy from the ambient environment to convert into electrical power. The invention of a machines that generate clean power at low costs will be fundamental to the future of electricity. We estimate efficiency and calculate minimum efficiencies for unknown parts to consider the applicability of this machine to the real world.

The strengthening of existing columns using additional Reinforced Concrete (RC) jackets is one of the most popular techniques for the enhancement of column’s stiffness, load bearing capacity and ductility. Important parameters affecting the effectiveness of this method are the strength of the additional concrete, the concrete shrinkage and the connection between the old and the new con-crete. In this study the application of Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) jackets for the structural upgrade of RC columns has been examined. Extensive numerical study has been conducted to evaluate the effect of parameters such as the thickness of the jacket, the concrete shrinkage and the addition of steel bars and comparisons have been made with conventional RC jackets. The results of this study indicate that the use of UHPFRC can considerably im-prove the strength and the stiffness of existing RC columns. The combination of UHPFRC and steel bars in the jacket leads to the most effective strengthening technique as a significant enhancement of the stiffness and the ultimate load capacity has been achieved.

One of the influential factors in estimating the service life of reinforced concrete bridges (RCB) is determining the long-term seismic performance of these structures. Corrosion due to chloride ion diffusion leads to the destruction of critical members of the RCB during the useful life of the structure. So, the long-term seismic performance of the bridge deteriorates as a result. It is essential to study the effect of corrosion deterioration on the long-term seismic performance of bridges in the southern regions of Iran, near the coasts of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, because of the seismicity of the region and high corrosion rate of reinforced concrete (RC) members is the result of environmental conditions. In order to investigate this issue, considering studies about environmental conditions of southern Iran, the onset time of corrosion in the columns, as seismic critical members of the bridge, was determined. Based on that, the corrosion's effect on characteristics of RC at specific time points during the bridge's useful life (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 years) have been calculated. The effects of corrosion include deterioration of the core and cover concrete properties, steel bar and the connection between concrete and steel bar. In the next step, at each time point, according to the modified stress-strain relationships, the moment-curvature analysis of the bridge pier was done, and the properties of the plastic hinge were determined. Finally, based on the obtained data about plastic hinge characteristics at each time point, overload analysis of the bridge was performed in both longitudinal and transverse directions. Then the capacity curves of RCB were compared at the mentioned time-points. The results show that the capacity of the bridge deteriorates over time due to corrosion. Therefore, a proposal to increase the value of base shear design has been made to ensure the long-term seismic performance of RCB in corrosive environments.

In our previous works we have proposed design equations that can predict with reasonable accuracy the transition point from homogeneous to heterogeneous regime as well as the gas holdup and the mean Sauter diameter at the homogeneous regime. The validity of the proposed correlations was checked with data obtained using different geometrical configurations and several Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids as well as the addition of surfactants. However, in all the experiments the gas phase was atmospheric air. This work investigates the effect of gas phase properties by conducting experiments employing various gases (i.e., air, CO₂, He) that cover a wide range of physical property values. Experiments revealed that only the use of low-density gas (He) has a measurable effect on bubble column performance. More precisely, when the low-density gas (He) is employed, the transition point shifts to higher gas flow rates and the gas holdup decreases, a fact attributed to the lower momentum force exerted by the gas. In view of the new data, the proposed correlations have been slightly modified to include the effect of gas phase properties and it is found that they can predict the aforementioned quantities with an accuracy of ±15%. It has been also proved that CFD simulations are an accurate means for assessing the flow characteristics inside a bubble column.