A labyrinth metamaterial wall with glass coverage is measured in a reverberating chamber and after its installation in a restaurant. Glass is used to meet two aims, namely acoustic absorption and visual design demands. The wall consists of five multiple labyrinth elements of 1.83 m$^2$ each. Glass was taken to make the wall act as a room lightning device where a translucent cover material is needed. Absorption measurements show about four times improved absorption compared to typical glass. Due to the metamaterial behavior, absorption is high in the low-frequency range below 300 Hz where damping is problematic with traditional materials. Especially in this range, the glass metamaterial wall is an excellent compromise between room acoustic and visual design demands, as loud low-frequencies make visitors speak louder and experience less intimacy with additionally reduced speech intelligibility. For mid-frequencies, absorption is shown less effective and improvements are discussed.

The problem of simulating wakes in a stratified oceanic environment with active background turbulence is considered. Anisotropic RANS turbulence models are tested against laboratory and eddy-resolving models of the problem. An important aspect of our work is to acknowledge that the environment is not quiescent; therefore, additional sources are included in the models to provide a non-zero background turbulence. The RANS models are found to reproduce some key features from the eddy-resolving and laboratory descriptions of the problem. Tests using the freestream sources show the intuitive result that background turbulence causes more rapid wake growth and decay.

Many fields of human activity benefit from the ability to create images of obscured objects placed behind walls and to map their displacement in a noninvasive way. Usually, imaging devices like Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) and Ground Penetrating Radars (GPR) use expensive dedicated electronics which results in prohibitive prices. This paper presents the experimental implementation and the results obtained from an imaging system capable of performing SAR imaging and interferometric displacement mapping of targets located behind walls, as well as 3D GPR imaging using a low-cost general-purpose radar sensor. The proposed solution uses for the RF section of the system a K-band microwave radar sensor module implementing Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave operation. The low-cost sensor was originally intended for simple presence detection and ranging for domestic applications. The proposed system was tested in several scenarios and proved to operate as intended for a fraction of the cost of a commercial imaging device.

The ability to detect the presence as well as classify the activities of individuals behind visually obscuring structures is of significant benefit to police, security and emergency services in many situations. This paper presents the analysis from a series of experimental results generated using a through-the-wall (TTW) Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) C-Band radar system named Soprano. The objective of this analysis was to classify whether an individual was carrying an item in both hands or not using micro-Doppler information from a FMCW sensor. The radar was deployed at a standoff distance, of approximately 0.5 m, outside a residential building and used to detect multiple people walking within a room. Through the application of digital filtering, it was shown that significant suppression of the primary wall reflection is possible, significantly enhancing the target signal to clutter ratio. Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) signal processing techniques were then applied to the micro-Doppler signatures from different individuals. Features from the SVD information have been used to classify whether the person was carrying an item or walking free handed. Excellent performance of the classifier was achieved in this challenging scenario with accuracies up to 94%, suggesting that future through wall radar sensors may have the ability to reliably recognize many different types of activities in TTW scenarios using these techniques.

The genetic heterogeneity of autism has stymied the search for causes and cures. Whole-genomic studies on large numbers of families have helped identify combinations of inherited and de novo signal. In the present work, we re-analyze DNA microarrays using a novel strategy that takes prior knowledge of genetic relationships into account and that was designed to boost signal important to our understanding of the molecular basis of autism. Our strategy was designed to identify significant genomic variation within a priori defined biological concepts and improves signal detection while lessening the severity of multiple test correction seen in standard analysis of genome-wide association data. Upon application of our approach using 3,244 biological concepts, we detected genomic variation in 68 biological concepts with significant association to autism in comparison to family-based controls. These concepts clustered naturally into a total of 19 classes, principally including cell adhesion, cancer, and immune response. The top-ranking concepts contained high percentages of genes already suspected to play roles in autism or in a related neurological disorder. In addition, many of the sets associated with autism at the DNA level also proved to be predictive of changes in gene expression within a separate population of autistic cases, suggesting that the signature of genomic variation may also be detectable in blood-based transcriptional profiles. This cross-validation with gene expression data from individuals with autism coupled with the enrichment within autism-related neurological disorders supported the possibility that the mutations play important roles in the onset of autism and should be given priority for further study. Our work provides new leads into the genetic underpinnings of autism and highlights the importance of reanalysis of genomic studies of complex disease using prior knowledge of genetic organization.

We presented unusual case of double left ventricular false aneurysm complicating late presentation AMI successfully treated with the combination of urgent surgical drainage of tamponade, staged PCI of non-culprit lesion, preventive implantation of ICD-DR, guideline directed heart failure medical therapy and delayed but effective reconstructive operation.

Aboriginal Australians have a fundamental human right to opportunities that lead to healthy and flourishing lives. While the impact of trauma on Aboriginal Australians is well-documented, a pervasive deficit narrative that focuses on problems and pathology persists in research and policy discourse. This narrative risks further exacerbating Aboriginal disadvantage, through a focus on ‘fixing what is wrong’ with Aboriginal Australians, and the internalising of these narratives by Aboriginal Australians. While a growing body of research adopts strength-based models, limited research has sought to explore Aboriginal flourishing. This conceptual paper seeks to contribute to a burgeoning paradigm shift in Aboriginal research, seeking to understand what can be learned from Aboriginal people who flourish, how we best determine this, and in what contexts this can be impactful. Within, we argue the case for a new approach to exploring Aboriginal wellbeing that integrates salutogenic, positive psychology concepts with complex systems theory to understand and promote Aboriginal wellbeing and flourishing, While deeper work may be required to establish the parameters of a strength-based, culturally aligned Aboriginal conceptualisation of positive psychology, we suggest the integration of Aboriginal and Western methodologies offer unique and potent means of shifting the dial on seemingly intractable problems.

The carbonyl iron particles were dispersed in a polychloroprene rubber (CR) matrix under an external magnetic field for practical application as microwave absorption composites film. The film prepared under external magnetic field with a thickness of only 0.54 mm showed least reflection loss of -15.98 dB and the reflection loss value less than -10.0 dB over the frequency range of 11.4~14.8 GHz. In comparison with the microwave absorption properties of calculation by transmission line theory based on the tested relative complex permittivity and permeability and film prepared by general route without external magnetic field, the film made with external magnetic field exhibited more excellent microwave absorption properties, strongly depending on the increment of anisotropy and rearrangement of magnetic particles. The results indicated the composite film made under external magnetic field have excellent microwave absorption properties, which suggest that the composites thin film could be used as a thinner and lighter microwave absorber.

Utilization of wasted heat instead of fuel combustion is effective to reduce primary energy consumption for mitigating global warming problem. Because wasted heat sources are not necessarily located close to areas of heat demand, one of the difficulties is that wasted heat has to be transferred from heat source side to heat demand side, which may require heat transportation over long distance. From this point we proposed and have examined new idea of heat transportation using ammonia-water as the working fluid which system is named Solution Transportation Absorption chiller, in short STA. Our previous studies of STA were mainly the experimental investigation with STA facility which cooling power was 25RT (90kW). As a result, the COP of STA was found almost same value 0.65 with the conventional absorption chiller without depending on the transportation distances. The simulation using AspenHYSYS also examined with same experimental condition. The experimental data showed good agreement with the simulation calculation. In this study, we examined the large-scale cooling power STA on simulation. The examination cooling powers were from 90 kW(25RT) to 3517 kW(1000RT). All cooling power achieved around COP 0.64 including pump power consumptions. In addition, we performed the dynamic simulation. As the results, there was no effect of pipeline size on the cooling capacities and mass flow rates. Furthermore, the stability time of the cooling capacities and mass flow rates were almost same regardless of the pipeline size and cooling capacity. In other words, STA may be achieved the same COP even though having various complex conditions compared with the conventional absorption chiller.

The microbiome gut brain (MGB) axis involves bidirectional routes of communication and has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for multiple medical specialities including psychiatry. Significant numbers of preclinical trials have taken place with some transitioning to clinical studies in more recent years. Some positive results have been reported secondary to probiotic administration in both healthy populations and specific patient groups. This review aims to summarise the current understanding of the MGB axis and the preclinical and clinical findings relevant to psychiatry. The link between the gut microbiome and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is well established. Significant differences have been identified between the microbiome of patients with a diagnosis of depressive disorder and healthy controls. Similar findings have occurred in patients diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder. A probiotic containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Bifidobacterium bifidum produced clinically measurable symptom improvement in patients with depressive disorder. To date some promising results have suggested that probiotics could play a role in the treatment of stress-related psychiatric disease. However, more well-controlled clinical trials are required to determine which clinical conditions are likely to benefit most significantly from this novel approach.

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.

Membrane gas absorption technology has been considered as a promising approach to mitigate CO2 emissions from power plants. The aim of this study is to evaluate the environmental impacts of CO2 absorption and desorption processes by hollow fiber membrane contactors using life cycle assessment methodology. On the basis of ReCipe 2016 Midpoint and ReCipe 2016 Endpoint methods, the research results show that, membrane gas absorption system exhibits the lowest environmental impacts across the majority assessed categories in comparison with chemical absorption and membrane gas separation systems. The CO2 capture process via membrane gas absorption has the most significant impact on METP category, with heat consumption as the primary contributing factor accounting for 55%, followed by electricity consumption accounting for 43.1%. According to the sensitivity analysis, heating by natural gas shows a better performance than other heat supply sources in improving overall environmental impacts. In addition, the increasing utilization of renewable energy in electricity supply reduces the global warming potential, fossil resource consumption and ozone formation.

Volumetric modification of transparent materials by femtosecond laser pulses is successfully used in a wide range of practical applications. The level of modification is determined by the locally absorbed energy density, which depends on numerous factors. In this work, it is shown experimentally and theoretically that, in a certain range of laser pulse energies, the peak of absorption of laser radiation for doughnut-shaped (DS) pulses is several times higher than for Gaussian ones. This makes the DS pulses very attractive for material modification and direct laser writing applications. Details of the interaction of laser pulses of Gaussian and doughnut shapes with fused silica obtained by numerical simulations are presented for different pulse energies and compared with the experimentally obtained data. The effect of absorbed energy delocalization with increasing laser pulse energy is demonstrated for both beam shapes while, at relatively low pulse energies, the DS beam geometry provides a stronger local absorption compared to Gaussian one. Implications of a DS pulse action on post-irradiation material evolution are discussed based on thermoelastoplastic modeling.

In most studies reported in literature, a flat, constant coefficient is used to convert the amount of optical power required at the input of an optical link into the effective power consumption. This constant coefficient approach is very simple to apply but not accurate, since laser efficiencies are dependent on the optical output power in addition to the operating temperature. In this paper the relationship between laser wall plug efficiency and optical power output is investigated and the effect of this variance on optical links and on-chip laser source electric power consumption is presented

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.

: Background: Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for many chronic diseases, and weight-loss interventions often include systematic exercising and nutritional supplements. The purpose of this study was to determine the independent/synergistic effects of Spirulina maxima supplementation (6-week, 4.5 g/day) and a systematic physical exercise program (6 weeks/ 2 times) on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness of overweight and obese subjects. Methods: 27 overweight and 25 obese sedentary male subjects were assigned to four interventions through a randomized double-blind, crossover controlled trial: Physical exercise program with (SE) or without (Ex) Spirulina maxima or no-exercise program with (Sm) and without (C) Spirulina maxima. Body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness parameters were taken during a maximal intensity test. Results: As compared to C group, SE, Sm and Ex groups reduced (p < 0.05) their body fat percentage while improving their maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max; r = −0.40), being obese subjects more benefited. Weight loss, time to reach fatigue and onset of blood lactate accumulation were improved in both Spirulina maxima supplemented groups, regardless the subjects’ body composition. Conclusions: Spirulina maxima supplementation synergistically improves the effects of systematic exercise in body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness parameters in overweight but mostly in obese adults.

Living walls (LWs) are a climate change adaptation strategy for cities, as they have a cooling effect. Previous studies of the cooling effect of LWs were carried out in different climatic zones. These studies differed in their experimental design, or simulated data via models. Plants’ cooling capacity is explained by shading and transpiration, and depends on physical plant parameters, environmental factors, and system-related influences. A three-year-long trial was carried out between 2017 and 2019 at an experimental garden in Geisenheim, Germany. We chose a textile-based LW system with high water demand and plants from a wet/fresh habitat. We assumed that this would achieve high evaporative cooling. The experimental setup included four experimental walls which were exposed to the north, south, east, and west, respectively. The plant choice was divided into three plant mix variants (Cascade, Ground cover, and Meadow) and a Control with no vegetation. We measured the temperature with sensors and a thermal imaging (IR) camera in different setups. The main results were that the measured vegetation temperature (TV) depends on air temperature (TA), measurement position, plant mix variant, and plant species. We could detect the cooling effect only at a small distance from the LW (microclimatic). Our methodological approaches should be continued in further studies.

This study examines the absorption and concentration of anthracene (AN) in the garden radish. Studies were conducted to grow radishes from the sowing stage in soil contaminated with AN, and to grow radishes in soil contaminated with AN following maturity (27 days after sowing). For the growth in AN-containing soil from sowing onward, AN levels immediately after seeding ranged from 12,500-36,300 ng/g-ww. AN concentrations during growing period ranged from 7140-16,000 ng/g-ww in soil and from 38.2-2160 ng/g-ww in radish, respectively. For the growth in AN-containing soil after maturity, AN concentrations in soil and radish ranged from 9560-22,100 ng/g-ww and 342-2270 ng/g-ww. The concentrations of AN in the roots and leaves had a higher density than those in the stems. In these experiments, positive relationships between AN levels in soil and radishes were observed. It is inferred that the greater the degree of soil contamination, the greater the effect on the amount of AN assimilated by the radishes. The concentration ratio (radish-to-soil; Cr/Cs) decreased exponentially with days since AN application. This indicates that the concentration ratio is affected by time in contact with AN. According to the results for the change over time of Cr/Cs and contents by radish part, it is thought that AN in the soil has good absorption through the roots to circulate within the organism, and is preferentially distributed and accumulated in the roots and leaves, which have high organic matter content.

Relationships between drought and fire danger indices are examined to 1) incorporate fire risk information into the National Integrated Drought Information System California-Nevada Drought Early Warning System and 2) provide a baseline analysis for application of drought indices into a fire risk management framework. We analyzed four drought indices that incorporate precipitation and evaporative demand (E₀) and three fire indices that reflect fuel moisture and potential fire intensity. Seasonally averaged fire danger indices were most strongly correlated to multi-scalar drought indices that use E₀ (the Evaporative Demand Drought Index [EDDI] and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index [SPEI]) at approximately annual time scales that reflect buildup of antecedent drought conditions. Results indicate that EDDI and SPEI can inform seasonal fire potential outlooks at the beginning of summer. An E₀ decomposition case study of conditions prior to the Tubbs Fire in Northern California indicate high E₀ (97th percentile) driven predominantly by low humidity signaled increased fire potential several days before the start of the fire. Initial use of EDDI by fire management groups during summer and fall 2018 highlights several value-added applications, including seasonal fire potential outlooks, funding fire severity level requests, and assessing set-up conditions prior to large, explosive fire cases.

This review is a first attempt at bringing together various concepts from research on wall- and magnetically-bounded turbulent flows. Brief reviews of both fields are provided: The main similarities identified are coherent (turbulent) structures, flow generation and transport barriers. Examples are provided and discussed.

Oral ferric citrate hydrate (FCH) is effective for iron deficiency in hemodialysis patients.; however, it remains unclear how iron balance in the body affects iron absorption from the intestinal tract. This prospective, observational study (Riona-Oral Iron Absorption Trial, R-OIAT, UMIN 000031406), conducted at 42 hemodialysis centers in Japan, wherein 268 hemodialysis patients without inflammation were enrolled and treated with a fixed amount of FCH for 6 months. We assessed the predictive value of hepcidin-25 for iron absorption and iron shift between ferritin (FTN) and red blood cells (RBCs) following FCH therapy. Serum iron changes at 2 h (ΔFe2h) after FCH ingestion were evaluated as iron absorption. The primary outcome was the quantitative delineation of iron variables on ΔFe2h and the secondary outcome was the description of the predictors of body iron balance. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to identify the determinants of iron absorption during each phase of FCH treatment. ΔFe2h increased when hepcidin-25 and MCH decreased (-0.155, -0.242 to -0.068, p = 0.001; -2.574, -4.421 to -0.726, p = 0.006, respectively) in GEE. Hepcidin-25 increased when erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) decreased (-0.002, -0.002 to -0.001, p=0.000). FTN increased when RBC and ESA decreased (-0.466, -0.605 to -0.327, p=0.000; -0.002, -0.004 to -0.000, p=0.05, respectively. Limiting erythropoiesis to maintain hemoglobin levels induces RBC reduction in hemodialysis patients, resulting in increased hepcidin-25 and FTN levels. Hepcidin-25 production may prompt an iron shift from RBC-iron to FTN-iron, inhibiting iron absorption even with continued FCH intake.

Spacetime torsion is known to be highly suppressed at the end of inflation, called preheating. Of course this fact does not avoid that metric could affect the cosmic dynamos at preheating phase as was showed by Bassett et al, in the general relativity (GR) case. In this paper, is to show that a torsionful magnetogenesis in QED effective lagrangean, drives either a torsion damping or an amplification mechanism or dynamo effect, depending upon torsion chirality. The present extension of Basset et al theory yields a new magnetic field expression $B\sim{a^{(1\pm{\beta})}}$, obtained from dynamo equation in QED. Here a cosmic factor ${\beta}=g_{T}{\eta}k$ is present. In a second example we find Higgs inlationary fields in Einstein-Cartan gravity thick domain walls (DWs). Recently a moodified Einstein-Cartan gravity was given by M Shaposhnikov et al [PRL (2020)] to obtain higgs like inflatons as a portal to dark energy.

The Brazilian livestock is predominantly extensive, with approximately 90% of the production being sustained on pasture, which occupies around 20% of the territory. In the current climate change scenario and where cropland is becoming a limited resource, there is a growing need for a more efficient land use and occupation. It is estimated that more than half of the Brazilian pastures have some level of degradation; however there is still no mapping of the quality of pastures on a national scale. In this study, we mapped and evaluated the spatio-temporal dynamics of pasture quality in Brazil, between 2010 and 2018, considering three classes of degradation: Absent (D0), Intermediate (D1), and Severe (D2). There was no variation in the total area occupied by pastures in the evaluated period, in spite of the accentuated spatial dynamics, with a retraction in the center-south and expansion to the north, over areas of ​​native vegetation. The percentage of non-degraded pastures increased ~12%, due to the recovery of degraded areas and the emergence of new pasture areas as a result of the prevailing spatial dynamics. However, about 44 Mha of the pasture area is currently severely degraded. The dynamics in pasture quality were not homogeneous in property size classes. We observed that in the approximately 2.68 million properties with livestock activity, the proportion with quality gains was twice as low in small properties compared to large ones, and the proportion with losses was three times greater, showing an increase in inequality between properties with more and less resources (large and small, respectively). The areas occupied by pastures in Brazil present an unique opportunity to increase livestock production and make available areas for agriculture, without the need for new deforestation in the coming decades.

The capability of in-house transient wave-multibody computational tool of ITU-WAVE are extended to predict the wave power absorption with Wave Energy Converters (WECs) arrays placed in front of a vertical breakwater. The analyses of hydrodynamic exciting and radiation forces are approximated solving boundary integral equation at each time interval. The reflection of incoming waves due to a vertical wall is predicted with method of images. The constructive or destructive performance of WECs arrays with different array configurations is measured with mean interaction factor. The behaviour of the exciting and radiation hydrodynamic forces of each WEC due to a vertical wall effect shows considerable differences than those of WECs arrays without a vertical wall influence. When the wave power absorption with WECs arrays with and without a vertical wall effect are compared, it is shown with numerical experiences that WECs placed in front of a vertical wall have much greater effects on wave power absorption. This can be attribute to the hydrodynamic interaction, standing waves, and nearly trapped waves in the gap between a vertical wall and WECs arrays. The analytical and other numerical results are used to for the validation of the numerical results of the present ITU-WAVE computational tool for exciting and radiation forces, and mean interaction factor of WECs arrays which show satisfactory agreements.

Acoustic metasurface are artificial structures which could manipulate the wavefront in sub-wavelength dimensions and the previous proposed acoustic metasurface were mostly realized with single materials. An acoustic metasurface with composite structure is proposed for underwater acoustic stealth considering both wavefront manipulation and sound absorption. The unit cells of the metasurface are composed by metallic supporting lattice, interconnecting polymer materials and mass balancing columns. With the gradual modulations of equivalent physical properties along the horizontal direction of metasurface, the incident acoustic wave is reflected to other directions. Meanwhile, the polymer material inside the unit cells would dissipate the acoustic wave energy due to inherent damping properties. With the simultaneous modulations of reflected wave direction and scattering acoustic amplitude, significant improvement of underwater stealth effect is achieved. Compared with single-phase metasurface, the Far-Field Sound Pressure Level (FFSPL) of the multiphase metasurface decreased by 4.82 dB within the frequency range of 3kHz~30kHz. Under a hydrostatic pressure of 5MPa, the linearized mean stress for multiphase metasurface is only 1/3 of that of single-phase metasurface due to much thicker struts and much more uniform stress distribution. The proposed composite structure possesses potential applications due to acceptable thickness (80mm) and low equivalent density (1100 kg/m3).

A solid structure, such as a road, building wall or envelop, used as a solar collector is considered an effective and new way to use renewable energy. This paper focused on the temperature characteristics of four structures exposed to sunshine: asphalt, red brick, composite cement and concrete road slab. Furthermore, the collected heat based on a hydraulic system was investigated experimentally. For the four structure slabs, their temperature differences are due to solar radiation absorption varied greatly by the material’s heat absorptance and color. Through the test, asphalt slab attained the highest temperature and had the weakest reflection among the structures. Compared with the others, the temperature of the asphalt slab was greater by 8.1%, 14.9% and 16.4% than the brick, composite cement and concrete, respectively. The reflection intensity growth ratio was defined and indicates the growth potential for absorbing radiation in the solid slab surface. From the experiments, it was concluded that a suitable selection of road materials can greatly improve the thermal absorption, conduction and penetration into the solid slab. The collected heat capability was approximately 250 W/m2 to 350 W/m2 in the natural summer condition. A black coating or a surface modification can collect more heat, reaching greater than 250 W/m2. The solar collecting heat efficiency with a surface configuration of the road slab can reach above 30% in the summer time.

Controlling the concentration of free radicals in polymerization systems is advantageous for preparing cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) with high molecular weight and acceptable dissolvability. In this study, a novel ultraviolet (UV)-initiated system characterized with adjustable light intensity and redox-azo complex initiator was used to synthesize a CPAM flocculant named NP. Comparatively, another CPAM flocculant named SP with stable UV light intensity and single initiator was prepared. The chemical structure, morphology, and thermal stability were analyzed through instrumental analysis. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that NP was successfully prepared, and a small fraction of cationic homopolymer was mixed in the product. Polymerization conditions were optimized, and polymerization mechanism was determined by investigating the effects of various parameters on intrinsic viscosity, conversion, and dissolvability. Results showed that the best performance was obtained at indexes of 0.45 wt‰ redox initiator concentration, 0.2 wt‰ azo initiator concentration, 40.0 wt% of cationic monomer, first- and second-stage light intensities of 8.5 and 13 mW/cm², respectively, and 3 wt% urea. Sludge conditioning performances of NP and SP were comparatively evaluated, and the mechanism was determined by investigating the sedimentation behavior and floc size distribution. High intrinsic viscosity, porous morphology structure, and the mixed cationic homopolymer of NP resulted in better sludge conditioning performance.

As a rapidly expanding family of two-dimensional (2D) materials, MXenes have recently gained considerable attention due to their appealing properties. Here, by developing a solution-based coating method that enables transfer-free and layer-by-layer film coating, we investigate the layer-dependent nonlinear optical absorption of Ti₃C₂T_x films ‒ an important member of the MXene family. By using the Z-scan technique, we characterize the nonlinear absorption of the prepared MXene films consisting of different numbers of monolayers. The results show that there is a strong and layer-dependent nonlinear absorption behavior, transitioning from revisable saturable absorption (RSA) to saturable absorption (SA) as the layer number increases from 5 to 30. Notably, the nonlinear absorption coefficient β varies significantly within this range, changing from ~7.13 × 10² cm/GW to ~-2.69 × 10² cm/GW. We also characterize the power-dependent nonlinear absorption of the MXene films at various incident laser intensities, and a decreasing trend in β is observed for increasing laser intensity. These results reveal the intriguing layer-dependent nonlinear optical properties of 2D MXene films, highlighting their versatility and potential for implementing high-performance nonlinear photonic devices.

Implementation of waterflood is with injected pressured water to reservoir to escalation oil production. Produced water is the dominated result from oil and gas mechanism in this world meanwhile 65% of water is injected back to the well for pressure maintenance, 30% for discharge aquifier condition and surface. For shaly sand, produced water usually bring coarse and suspended sand to the surface. Therefore, this sand level is needed to declining to avoid plugging in injection well until certain economic condition.

The envelope (façade) of a building is the first barrier between the exterior and the interior of the building and withstands the highest variation of temperature and solar radiation. Trombe walls are used to take advantage of that and contribute to the heating of interior air, helping the heating system. In this study, a new Trombe wall design is presented with the aim to contribute significantly to the ventilation of residential buildings. For this an exterior wall equipped with a proposed Trombe system was studied in a numerical simulation analysis. The proposed systems consist of two parts, the air cavities on the exterior of the wall, covered with silica glass, and another layer used for heat transfer, on the interior, comprised of a MPCLBs wall of 115mm. Two cities in Romania were considered to represent the coldest and hottest climate in Romania. Brașov representing the cold climate and Constanța representing the hot climate. In the investigation, both the presence and absence of solar radiation were taken into account. In total 4 cases were established. For all four cases monthly research was made using monthly means temperature, direct and diffuse solar radiation. The results are promising and illustrate that the system works the best during the transitional seasons of spring and autumn. The lower the outdoor temperature the higher the temperature can be increased. Overall, solar radiation accounted for an average of 2 °C increase. The temperature increase varied between 3.4 °C to 15.99 °C for Brașov and between 6.42 °C to 12.07 °C in Constanța.

Free-living terrestrial mites (Acari) have persisted through numerous glacial cycles in Antarctica. Very little is known, however, of their genetic diversity and distribution, particularly within the Ross Sea region. To redress this gap, we sampled for mites throughout the Ross Sea region, East Antarctica, including Victoria Land and the Queen Maud Mountains (QMM), covering a latitudinal range of 72-85oS, as well as from Lauft Island near Mt Siple (73oS) in West Antarctica and Macquarie Island (54oS) in the sub-Antarctic. We assessed genetic diversity using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences (COI-5P DNA barcode region), and also morphologically identified voucher specimens. We obtained 130 sequences representing four genera: Nanorchestes (n = 30 sequences), Stereotydeus (n = 46), Coccorhagidia (n = 18) and Eupodes (n = 36). Tree-based analyses (maximum likelihood) revealed 13 genetic clusters, representing as many as 23 putative species indicated by Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) from the Barcode of Life Datasystems (BOLD) database. We found evidence for geographically-isolated cryptic species, e.g. within Stereotydeus belli and S. punctatus, as well as unique genetic groups occurring in sympatry (e.g. Nanorchestes spp. in QMM). Collectively, these data confirm high genetic divergence as a consequence of geographic isolation over evolutionary timescales. From a conservation perspective, additional targeted sampling of understudied areas in the Ross Sea region should be prioritised, as further diversity is likely to be found for these short-range endemic mites.

Imidacloprid is the first-generation neonicotinoid insecticide. But, the long-term use of im-idacloprid as a pesticide has caused severe water pollution. Recently, the toxicity of imidacloprid to aquatic organisms has received increasing attention. This study aimed to investigate the ab-sorption and distribution of imidacloprid in various tissues (gills, intestine, liver, muscle, brain, and gonads) of goldfish through short-term and continuous exposure tests for 28 days. The re-sults of short-term exposure indicated that the concentration of imidacloprid and its metabolites in tissues at the transfer stage decreased steadily after 1 day of 40 mg/l imidacloprid water treatment and was below the detection limit after 3 days. Continuous exposure for 28 days at various treatment concentrations showed that the concentrations of imidacloprid and its metab-olites differed significantly among the different tissues of the goldfish. In the 20 mg/l treatment group (S1), the highest concentration of imidacloprid was found in the liver (12.04 μg /gtissue), followed by the intestine (9.91 μg /gtissue), muscle (6.20 μg /gtissue), gill (6.11 μg /gtissue), gonads (5.22 μg /gtissue), and brain (2.87 μg /gtissue). In the 40 mg/l treatment group (S2), the order of tissue concentrations was similar to that of the S1 group, with the highest concentration observed in the liver (12.04 μg/gtissue), followed by the intestine (9.91 μg/gtissue), muscle (6.20 μg/gtissue), gill (6.11 μg/gtissue), gonads (5.22 μg/gtissue), and brain (2.87 μg/gtissue). Fur-thermore, the study detected 5-hydroxyimidacloprid, imidacloprid urea, and 6-chloronicotinic acid in imidacloprid metabolites in all tissues, while imidacloprid was detected only in the intes-tine and liver. Overall, the results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the met-abolic behavior of imidacloprid in organisms and provide new data to support the assessment of imidacloprid toxicity in fish.

On the basis of the force and safety factor analysis of traditional retaining wall, a new analytical method of force and displacement of slope is suggested, the numerical theoretical solution of the stress distribution of the sliding body can be obtained under the conditions, which the stresses distribution are satisfied with the differential equilibrium equations, the boundary conditions, the compatibility equation and the macroscopic equilibrium equations. The interface stresses between the sliding body and the retaining wall are continuous, the theoretical solution of retaining wall stress distributions can be gotten, while the stress differential equilibrium equation, the compatibility equation, macroscopic force and moment balance equations are satisfied. The strain and displacement solutions can be obtained by using Duncan Chang and Hooke constitutive equations for the slope and the retaining wall respectively. The transfer station of landfill in the Guandukou Town of Badong County is taken as an example, the results of the sliding body and retaining wall analysis show: The stress and strain solutions of a slope and a retaining wall can be obtained by the proposed method, the forces between the retaining wall and the sliding body include shear stress and normal stress, and the stress distributions change with the deformation of the sliding body, the shape and material of retaining wall can be optimized according to the calculation results，it is feasible for the proposed analysis method of slope with retaining wall design to be run many years.

One of the drawbacks of natural fibers and their composites is their inherent hydrophilic nature. The effect of moisture on mechanical properties of a composite is irrefutable. This study deals with hygroscopic characteristics of Enset-PLA composites and its effect on the mechanical properties of the composite. To do this, injection molded composite specimens of different fiber volume fraction; plasticizer ratio, fiber length, and fiber age have been considered. The specimens are exposed to distilled water and the moisture absorption was monitored on a daily base. Subsequently, the specimens are subjected to mechanical loading to determine the effect of moisture on their Strength, Stiffness and strain at break strength. Lastly, individual and joint effects of considered factors have been scrutinized using optimal design of experiment. The result from the study shows that maximum and minimum moisture uptake is noticed for 25% and 10% fiber ratio respectively. Due to moisture effect, tensile and bending strength is decreased by 11% and 5% respectively for 15% fiber volume fraction; while 16% and 13% for 25% fiber volume fraction respectively. Increasing amount of plasticizer increases moisture resistance. The result indicate that Enset-PLA composite have competitive properties and stability when exposed to moisture.

Highly efficient, broadband and distinctively structured electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials exhibit huge exceptions with multi-functions in both military and civilian fields. Searching the relationship between structural and EMW performance is beneficial to develop outstanding microwave absorption materials, and has become an attractive research topic. In this study, we briefly reviewed the different EMW absorption mechanisms and key influence factors, then, present the latest developments in low-dimensional (LD) EMW absorption materials. We provide a comprehensive discussion of remarkable examples and summarize the main information related to the structure-function relationship of dimensional design and structural engineering in order to facilitate the rapid evolution of this fascinating field.

β-glucan is a generic term for insoluble dietary fibers exerting various effects on the immune system. As a group, β-glucans are non-cellulose polysaccharides composed of a glucopyranose as the main constituent sugar with β configuration, having a β- (1,3)-linked glucopyranose main chain as a common feature. β-glucans are absorbed through the intestine. Since the 1980s, there have been many studies reporting various effects of β-glucans on the immune system, including reports on receptors, that have slowly clarified their recognition system and action mechanisms. However, these studies focused mostly on treatments of infectious diseases and tumors; thus, the effects of β-glucans ingested in food as dietary fiber and their mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. The uptake of β-glucan into the body may be resemble that of proteins, which are soluble polymers, and insoluble material such as dietary fiber. Dietary fibers have varied structures, with wide-ranging solubility and physiological effects. Understanding whether these substances are actually taken up, how they exert their effects, and their metabolism after being taken up are important issues when considering the functionality and safety of dietary fibers.

Molecule radiation can be used as a tool to study colder regions in switching arc plasmas like arc fringes in contact to walls and ranges around current zero (CZ). This is demonstrated in the present study for the first time for the case of ablation-dominated high–current arcs as key elements of self–blast circuit breakers. The arc in a model circuit breaker (MCB) in CO2 with and an arc in a long nozzle under ambient conditions with peak currents between 5 and 10 kA were studied by emission and absorption spectroscopy in the visible spectral range. The nozzle material was polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in both cases. Imaging spectroscopy was carried out either with high-speed cameras or with intensified CCD cameras. A pulsed high-intensity Xe lamp was applied as background radiator for the broad-band absorption spectroscopy. Emission of Swan bands from carbon dimers was observed at the edge of nozzles only or across the whole nozzle radius with highest intensity in the arc center, depending on current and nozzle geometry. Furthermore, absorption of C2 Swan bands and CuF bands were found with the arc plasma serving as background radiator. After CZ, only CuF was detected in absorption experiments.

M87 is the best available source for studying the AGN jet-launching region. To enrich our knowledge of this region, with quasi-simultaneous observations using VLBA at 22, 43 and 86~GHz, we capture the images of the radio jet in M87 on a scale within several thousand R_s. Based on the images, we analyze the transverse jet structure and obtain the spectral-index distribution in the jet. We find that the absorption is enhanced at the collimation regions and the interruption of the jet. The external medium, which may not be uniform, may have contributed a lot to the absorption in the jet-launching region. Additionally, the temporal morphology of the jet in its launching region may be largely affected by the local, short-lived kink instability growing in itself.

The production of SOX by ship engines is a serious environmental problem and has been addressed by international standards. The restrictions limit the sulphur content of the fuel to 0.5% by mass to reduce SOX emissions; however, using low sulphur fuels such as LNG causes logistical and operational problems and a higher costs. For these reasons, there has been renewed interest in developing devices such as the Seawater Scrubber (SWS). This paper describes a simplified numerical model to simulate the absorption of SO2 in a drop of water during a dynamic "wet scrubbing" process. The dependence on the initial conditions is demonstrated by running multiple simulations as the initial droplet diameter, temperature and SO2 concentration in the flue gas vary. The work shows how the amount of sulphur dioxide absorbed is strongly related to the concentration in the exhaust gases and the initial diameter of the droplet, and highlights how distributions of droplets smaller than an upper limit value optimize the absorption process.

Two-dimensional mass spectrometry (2D MS) is a method for tandem mass spectrometry that relies on manipulating ion motions to correlate precursor and fragment ion signals. 2D mass spectra are obtained by performing a Fourier transform in both the precursor ion mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) dimension and the fragment ion m/z dimension. The phase of the ion signals evolves linearly in the precursor m/z dimension and quadratically in the fragment m/z dimension. This study demonstrates that phase-corrected absorption mode 2D mass spectrometry improves signal-to-noise ratios by a factor of 2 and resolving power by a factor of 2 in each dimension compared to magnitude mode. Furthermore, phase correction leads to an easier differentiation between ion signals and artefacts, and therefore easier data interpretation.

A laser-based hydrogen (H₂) sensor using wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) was developed for contactless measurements of molecular hydrogen. The sensor uses a distributed feedback (DFB) laser to target the H₂ quadrupole absorption line at 2121.8 nm. The H₂ absorption line exhibits weak collisional broadening and strong collisional narrowing effects. Both effects were investigated by comparing measurements of the absorption linewidth with detailed models using different line profiles that include collisional narrowing effects. The collisional broadening and narrowing parameters were determined for pure hydrogen as well as for hydrogen in nitrogen and air. Performance of the sensor was evaluated and the sensor applicability for H₂ measurements in a range of 0- 10 %v of H₂ was demonstrated. A precision of 0.02 %v was achieved with 1 meter of absorption pathlength (0.02 %v∙m) and 1 s of integration time. For the optimum averaging time of 20 s a precision of 0.005 %v∙m was achieved. A good linear relationship between H₂ concentration and the sensor response was observed. A simple and robust transmitter-receiver configuration of the sensor allows in-situ installations in harsh industrial environments.

An in-depth understanding of the Se uptake and metabolism in plants is necessary for developing Se biofortification strategies. Thus, hydroponic experiments were conducted to investigate the associated processes and mechanisms of organic Se [selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenomethionine-oxide (SeOMet)] uptake, translocation, transformation and their interaction in wheat, in comparison to inorganic Se. Results showed that Se uptake by roots and the root-to-shoot translocation factor under the SeMet treatment were higher than those under the selenite, selenate, and SeOMet treatments. The uptake and translocation of SeMet were higher than those of SeOMet within 72 h, although the differences gradually narrowed with time. The uptake of SeMet and SeOMet was also sensitive to the aquaporin inhibitor: AgNO3 addition resulted in 99.5% and 99.9% inhibition of Se in root in the SeMet and SeOMet treatments, respectively. Once absorbed by root, were rapidly assimilated to other Se forms, and SeMet and Se-methyl-selenocysteine (MeSeCys) were the dominant species in SeMet and SeOMet-treated plants, while notably, an unidentified Se form was also found in the root and xylem sap under the SeMet treatment. In addition, within 16 h, SeOMet inhibited the uptake and translocation of SeMet, while the interaction was weakened with longer treatment time. Taken together, the present study provides new insights for the uptake and transformation processes of organic Se within plants.

Lack of shock absorption capability of conventional steel bollards causes significant vehicle damage and consequently high repair costs. This research studies a solution to reduce vehicle damage by inserting PLA honeycomb structures. A honeycomb-inserted bollard was designed based on numerical simulations using LS-DYNA, which yielded the bollard designed for actual vehicle-bollard collision experiments. Simulation efforts were focused on calculating the acceleration characteristics when a vehicle collides with steel and honeycomb-inserted bollards. Compared to the simulated steel bollards, 20 MPa yield-strength honeycomb-inserted bollard showed 0.017s delay in the maximum acceleration occurrence time, reduction of the maximum acceleration to 37.4% of that of steel bollards, and 13.1% reduction in the B-pillar maximum acceleration. Actual vehicle-bollard collision experiments, with a gyro-sensor installed at the test vehicle front bumper frame, also proved improved shock absorption characteristics of the honeycomb-inserted bollards. An experiment with honeycomb-inserted bollard showed 0.783s delay in the maximum acceleration occurrence time, a significant delay when compared to steel bollards. The maximum acceleration measured by the gyro-sensor was 0.35m/s2 when the simulation predicted it to be 0.388 m/s2, proving the similarity in the simulations and experiments. Thus, this study of shock absorption characteristics promised reduced damage to vehicles and lower repair cost.

The interaction between single or a fixed number of photons with a single absorber is of fundamental interest in quantum technology. The harnessing of light matter interactions at the single particle limit has several potential applications ranging from quantum communication and quantum metrology to quantum imaging. In this letter, a setup for heralded two-photon absorption at the single absorber level is proposed. The setup is based on a heralded two-photon source utilizing spontaneous parametric down-conversion, entanglement swapping and sum frequency generation for joint detection. The feasibility of the scheme is discussed by reviewing recent achievements in utilizing entangled and correlated photons for two-photon absorption as well as single photon absorption experiments at the limit of single absorbers in the context of applications in imaging (here mainly microscopy) and spectroscopy.

We delve into the axion-dilaton model within the supergravity framework, with a specific focus on the intricacies of domain wall construction and stability. Employing holographic vitrification, we unravel the dynamics of domain wall formation in gauge theories featuring periodic vacuum structures. Our model, incorporating a QCD-like axion term and a stabilizing dilaton, undergoes scrutiny for conductivity variations under weak disorder. The investigation reveals the model's resilience, manifesting near-perfect conductivity under mild disorder conditions. However, the rigorous mathematical motivation for the holographic setup demands further elucidation. The scattered nature of our results prompts the necessity for a more systematic interpretation of QCD phenomena and conductivity transitions. This study contributes to the mathematical understanding of the axion-dilaton model's behavior, highlighting the imperative for a refined holographic framework and a more coherent interpretation of observed phenomena.

Morphogenesis remains a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. It remains a formidable problem viewed from many different perspectives of morphology, genetics, and computational modelling. We propose a biochemical reductionist approach that shows how both internal and external physical forces contribute to plant morphogenesis via mechanical stress-strain transduction from the primary cell wall tethered to the plasma membrane by a specific arabinogalactan protein (AGP). The resulting stress vector with direction defined by Hechtian adhesion sites, has a magnitude of a few picoNewtons amplified by a hypothetical Hechtian growth oscillator. This paradigm shift involves stress activated plasma membrane Ca2+channels and auxin-activated H+-ATPase. The proton pump dissociates periplasmic AGP-glycomodules that bind Ca2+. Thus, as the immediate source of cytosolic Ca2+ an AGP-Ca2+ capacitor directs vectorial exocytosis of cell wall precursors and auxin efflux (PIN) proteins. In toto these components comprise the Hechtian Oscillator and also the gravisensor. Thus interdependent auxin and Ca2+ morphogen gradients account for the predominance of AGPs. The size and location of a cell surface AGP-Ca2+ capacitor is essential to differentiation and explains AGP correlation with all stages of morphogenetic patterning from embryogenesis to root and shoot. Finally, evolutionary origins of the Hechtian Oscillator in the unicellular Chlorophycean algae reflect the ubiquitous role of chemiosmotic proton pumps that preceded DNA at the dawn of life.

Crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens), crown/root rot (Phytophthora spp.), root lesion disease (Pratylenchus vulnus), and tree vigor are key traits affecting productivity and quality of walnuts in California. Non-inoculated hybrid rootstocks were analyzed by RNA-seq to examine pre-formed factors affecting these traits. Enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes revealed that increased expression of cell wall biogenesis-related genes plays a key role in susceptibility to A. tumefaciens, Phytophthora spp., increased vigor, but not P. vulnus. Analysis of the predicted subcellular loci of the encoded proteins revealed that many gene products associated with vigor and susceptibility were targeted to the plasma membrane and extracellular space, connecting these traits to sustaining barrier function. We observed that RNA processing and splicing, along with predicted nuclear targeting, were associated with resistance to A. tumefaciens, Phytophthora spp., low vigor, but not P. vulnus. Four genes within the J. microcarpa QTL region for resistance to A. tumefaciens and Phytophthora spp. were represented among our transcripts, with two of the genes being differentially expressed in association with resistance to A. tumefaciens and decreased vigor. No differential expression related to Phytophthora spp. or P. vulnus traits was observed in this region. Additionally, the J. microcarpa haplotype expressed more transcripts associated with resistance to A. tumefaciens, Phytophthora spp., and low vigor, but not P. vulnus than the J. regia haplotype. We also report unique and shared hormone and defense responses associated with each trait. This research suggests a link between cell wall biogenesis, vigor, and critical root diseases of walnut.

Three types of the composites were tested for electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorption shielding effectiveness, curing process and physical-mechanical properties. In the first type of composites, manganese-zinc ferrite, nickel-zinc ferrite, and both fillers in their mutual combinations were incorporated into acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber. The overall content of the filler, or fillers combinations was kept on 200 phr. Then, carbon black, or carbon fibres, respectively were incorporated into each rubber formulation in constant loading - 25 phr, while the content of magnetic fillers was unchanged - 200 phr. The work was focused on the understanding of correlation among electromagnetic shielding parameters and electrical conductivity of composites in relation to their EMI absorption shielding effectiveness. The absorption shielding ability of materials was evaluated within the frequency range from 1 MHz to 6 GHz. The study revealed good correlation among permittivity, conductivity, and EMI absorption effectiveness. Although, the absorption shielding efficiency of composites filled only with ferrites seems to be the highest, the absorption maxima of those composites were reached over 6 GHz. The application of carbon based fillers resulted in higher electrical conductivity and higher permittivity of composites, which was reflected in their lower absorption shielding performance. Though, the composites with filled with ferrites and carbon based fillers absorbed electromagnetic radiation within the desired frequency range. The presence of carbon based fillers caused the improvement in tensile behavior of composites. The study also demonstrated that the higher was the ratio of nickel-zinc ferrite in magnetic fillers combinations, the higher was the absorption shielding performance.

Intraband energy transitions of an electron in GaAs/AlGaAs hexagonal quantum well wires in the presence of external electric and magnetic fields are presented. We consider the effects of the revolve of the quantum well wires via a geometric factor that converts the quantum wires straight and symmetric with respect to the z−axis, into a curved wires that no longer has this symmetry. In addition, the influence of having a shallow donor impurity on (off) is calculated. The shape of this quantum string corresponds to the core/shell structure. The energy levels and wave functions of the electron in the heterostructure with a finite potential between the shells are calculated using the effective mass approximation and the finite element method. The calculations of the optical properties are obtained from the compact density matrix and an iterative method. The direction of the applied external fields is parallel (anti-parallel) to the z−direction. The results reveal a significant dependence of the physical properties calculated with the deformation parameter, the dimensions of the quantum well wires and the presence or not of the impurity. The electronic transitions are in a range between 4.90 meV to 41.50 meV under the effect of the electric field, this corresponds to a range of frequencies of optical responses between 1.20 to 10 THz, that is, the mid-infrared. For the magnetic field the range is between 1.24 meV to 14 meV, that is, in frequencies from 0.36 to 3.38 THz, that is, in the far-infrared.

Broadband reverse saturable absorption is systematically investigated via Z-scan, transient absorption spectrum (TAS). The excited state absorption and negative refraction of Orange IV are observed in the Z-scan experiment at 532 nm. Meanwhile, two-photon induced excited-state absorption and pure two-photon absorption are observed at 600 nm and 700 nm with the pulse width of 190 fs, respectively. An ultrafast broadband absorption in visible wavelength region is observed via TAS. The different nonlinear absorption mechanism at multiple wavelengths is discussed and interpreted from the results of TAS. In addition, the ultrafast dynamics of negative refraction in the excited state of Orange IV is investigated via degenerate phase object pump probe, from which the weak long-lived excited state is extracted. All studies indicate that Orange IV has the potential to be further optimized into a superior broadband reverse saturable absorption material and also has certain reference significance for the study of optical nonlinearity in organic molecules containing azobenzene groups.

We consider a new model of a branching random walk on a multidimensional lattice with continuous time and one source of particle reproduction and death, as well as an infinite number of sources in which, in addition to the walk, only absorption of particles can occur. The asymptotic behavior of the integer moments of both the total number of particles and the number of particles at a lattice point is studied depending on the relationship between the model parameters. In the case of the existence of an isolated positive eigenvalue of the evolution operator of the average number of particles, a limit theorem is obtained on the exponential growth of both the total number of particles and the number of particles at a lattice point.

Ammonia known as harmful gas that could impact on health and environment. Typically, ammonia gas emitted by fertilizer industry, rubber factory, etc. There are many options for advance industry to control ammonia gas pollution, absorption tower using water scrubber and using activated carbon as adsorption reaction could be an option. But for middle- and lower-class industry, it is common in Indonesia, as seen on many rubber factories, ammonia gas pollution is serious problem to control, actually they have used wet scrubber but eficiency is lower about 47%. This study measure performance for ammonia elimination as gas pollutant using absorption tower and adsorption tower in laboratory scale. Using electrochemical gas sensor, we measure both ammonia concentration for inlet and outlet simultaneously to settle saturation point of these two types of ammonia emission control. In conclusion, Ammonia absorbed in water proportional to saturation time and absorbent volume. Highest absorbed ammonia concentration 1.538 mg/L on 4000 mL absorbent. For Adsorption system, saturation time proportional and correlated to adsorbent weight and Adsorption capacity reverse correlated to adsorbent weight. Optimum adsorption point can be achieved from intersection curve between saturation time and adsorption capacity which is 1200 grams adsorbent

The research paper comprehensively and consistently addresses all relevant theoretical areas related to the topic and includes an extensive empirical analysis of the absorption of EU funds and their impact on the sustainable development of Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, and Poland. The analysis aims to investigate the efficiency of the absorption of funds from the EU, the impact of these funds on regional development of countries, as well as the reasons for such impacts. The "Regional Development Model Based on EU Funds" was tested with the aim of applying the model to the Republic of Croatia, countries in the region, and other European countries to achieve a higher level of absorption of financial resources from the available EU funds. Data for the empirical analysis were collected using a highly structured survey questionnaire on a sample of 244 respondents involved in the preparation and implementation of EU-funded projects. The contribution of economic science in theoretical terms arises from the development of scientific knowledge and ideas about the importance of increasing the number of development projects that will increase the absorption of funds from the European Union, thereby increasing economic activities in Croatia and the region. The expected contribution of economic science in the applied sense is based on the formulation of the "Regional Development Model Based on EU Funds," which is based on the application of knowledge, good practices, and stakeholder experiences, considering relevant indicators from available sources. The greatest contribution is demonstrated through testing the "Regional Development Model Based on EU Funds," which is applicable to the Republic of Croatia, countries in the region, and other European countries over a longer period. Finally, research of the impact of EU funds on the regional development of recipient countries is considerably less represented and very modest, only in the "upswing" of systematic scientific research. The research aims to fill the gaps in research and encourage thinking of key stakeholders responsible for regional development, who should eventually realize the importance of defining a regional policy aimed at EU funds as a key to regional development and reducing regional disparities within countries.

With the rapid development of electronic and communication technology in military radar, the demand for microwave absorbing materials in low-frequency with thin layer is growing increasingly. In this study, flexible Co3O4/CC (carbon cloth) composites derives from Co-MOFs (metal-organic frameworks)/CC are prepared by hydrothermal and thermal treatment processes. The flexible precursors of Co-MOFs/CC are calcined with different calcination temperatures, which the material structure, dielectric properties and microwave absorption performance are changed. With the increase of calcination temperature, the minimum reflection loss of the corresponding Co3O4/CC composites gradually moves to the lower frequency with thinner thickness. In addition, the Co3O4/CC composites with 25 wt% filler loading ratio exhibit the minimum reflection loss (RL) of -46.59 dB at 6.24 GHz with 4.2 mm thickness. When the thickness is 3.70 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth is 3.04 GHz from 5.84 to 8.88 GHz. This study not only proves that the composite Co3O4/CC is a kind of outstanding microwave absorbing material with better flexibility, but also provides a useful inspiration for the low frequency and broadband microwave absorbing material.

We are in amidst of COVID-19 pandemic. Since Dec 2019, severe acute respiratory corona virus (SAR-CoV-2) has infected more than half a billion people killing nearly 7 million people worldwide. Now the BA.5 variant of SARS-CoV-2 is causing mayhem and driving the global surge. Epidemiologist are aware of the fact that this virus is capable of escaping immunity and likely to infect the same person multiple times despite adequate vaccination status. Elderly people of age more than 60 years and those with underlying health conditions are considered as high-risk who are likely to suffer complications and death. While it is tempting to frame complications and mortality from COVID-19 as a simple matter of too much of a virulent virus in too weak of a host, much more is at play here. Framing the pathophysiology of COVID-19 in the context of the Chrousos and Gold model of the central stress response system can shed insight into its complex pathogenesis. Understanding the mechanisms by which pharmacologic modulation of the central stress response system via administration of clonidine and/or dexamethasone may offer an explanation as to why a viral pathogen can be well tolerated and cleared by one host while inflaming and killing another.

It is generally accepted that the human abdominal wall is comprised of skin, subcutaneous tissues, muscles and their aponeuroses, and the parietal peritoneum. Understanding these layers and their mechanical properties provides valuable information to those designing procedural skills trainers, supporting surgical procedures (hernia repair), and engineering-based work (in silico simulation). However, there is little literature available on the mechanical properties of the abdominal wall in layers or as a composite. This work characterizes the tensile properties of the human abdominal wall by layer and as a partial composite. Tissues were collected from fresh-never-frozen and fresh-frozen cadavers and tested in uniaxial tension at a rate of 5 mm/min until failure. Stress-strain curves were created for each sample, and the values for elastic moduli, ultimate tensile strength, and strain at failure were obtained. The experimental outcomes from this study demonstrated variation of tensile properties within and between tissues. The data also suggest that the tensile properties of composite abdominal walls are not additive. Ultimately, this body of work contributes to a deeper comprehension of these mechanical properties and will serve to enhance patient care, refine surgical interventions, and assist with more sophisticated engineering solutions.

The present study provides new insights into the growth of brown algal cell wall by showing that cell wall polysaccharide plays an important role in the process of growth consider- ing the physicochemical characteristic of young and old Cladosiphon okamuranus. To determine its structural variation in detail, the cell wall was sequentially fractionated into five fractions: hot water (HW), ammonium oxalate, hemicellulose-I (HC–I), HC-II, and cellulose, and analyzed physicochemically. Results showed that almost 80% of the total recovery cell wall from both young and old thalli was HW and HC-I contained mainly fucoidan composed of Fuc, GlcA, and sulfate in molar ratios of 1.0: 0.3: 0.6~0.7 and 1.0: 0.3: 0.2~0.3, respectively. Fucoidan in HW was a highly sulfated matrix polysaccharide abundance in young thalli, while fucoidan in HC-I was rich in old thalli and functions as hemicellulose in land plants, crosslink with cellulose and strengthen the cell wall. We found that HW and HC-I were particularly involved in the growth and strength of old thalli appeared to be due to the deposition of HC-I and reducing of water content during the growth process.

In this paper, we present and analyze a compact inner-wall grating slot microring resonator (IG-SMRR) with the footprint of less than 13 μm × 13 μm on the SOI platform for label-free sensing, which comprises a slot microring resonator (SMRR) and inner-wall grating (IG). Its detection range is significantly enhanced without the limitation of the free spectral region (FSR) owing to the combination of SMRR and IG. Structural parameters of IG and SMRR are investigated and optimized for favorable transmission properties. The simulation results shows that the IG-SMRR has an ultra-large quasi-FSR of 84.6 nm, and the concentration sensitivities of sodium chloride solutions and D-glucose solutions are up to 960.61 pm/% and 933.06 pm/%, respectively. The investigation on the combination of SMRR and IG is a valuable exploration of label-free sensing application for ultra-large detection range and ultra-high sensitivity in future.

Vertical III-V semiconductor nanowires have shown promising absorption of light for solar cell and photodetector applications. The absorption properties can be tuned through the choice of III-V materials and geometry of the nanowires. Here, we review recent progress in the design of the absorption properties of both individual nanowires and nanowire arrays. Future directions for the research field are proposed.

This research aims to investigate the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) when subjected to tensile, bending, and compression. Half of the specimens are also subjected to water to find out how water influences. The CFRP is created using a combination of carbon fiber layers and epoxy resin Bisphenol A Epichlorohydrin with hardener and is formed using the vacuum infusion method. From the water absorption test, it was found that the average weight gain of the specimens was 2.9% and the lowest value was at 0.6%, it was concluded that the increase in wet specimen weight was not too significant and water absorption tended to be slow. Mechanical testing ob-tained the highest average tensile stress, bending stress, compressive stress, and modulus of elasticity of 195 MPa, 295 MPa, 96 MPa, and 8914 MPa were from dry specimens while the lowest average values were 146 MPa, 286 MPa, 81 MPa, and 6160 MPa from wet specimens. The results of micro-photo observations on the tensile test fracture show that the specimen has a XGM fracture character with delamination and splitting fractures happening in multiple areas. In the bending test, the specimens experienced buckling fracture due to the fiber breaking and the inability of the matrix to withstand the additional stress. Shear fracture happened during the compressive test. In conclusion, water absorption has a bad impact towards the composite strength.

The discovery of more bioactive compounds for non-invasive administration has been the goal of research groups focused on pharmacotherapy. Phytonutrients have always been attractive for researchers because they are a significant source of bioactive phytochemicals, but it is challenging to determine which components show high biomedical activity. However, based on the chemical structure of these active compounds, their physicochemical properties can be calculated to predict the probability of gastrointestinal (GI) absorption after oral administration. Indeed, different researchers have proposed several rules (e.g., Lipinski's, Veber's, Ghose's, and Muegge's rules) to attain these predictions for synthetic compounds. Most phytochemicals do not fully comply with these rules even though they show high bioactivity and high GI absorption experimentally. Here, we provide a detailed methodology using web-based platforms to determine the physicochemical properties of five phytochemicals in the phytonutrients ginger, echinacea, and tobacco. Furthermore, we analyzed the calculated data and established a protocol based on the combination and integration of these rules, plus other extended parameter ranges, to reliably predict the GI absorption of natural compounds. The presented data and methodology can be beneficial for evaluating bioactive natural compounds as potential drug candidates and predicting their oral bioavailability in patients.

This letter aims to show the connection between the sinc approximation for high-energy absorption cross section and the shadow radius of the spherically symmetric black hole. This connection can give a physical interpretation of the absorption cross section in the eikonal limit parameters. Moreover, the use of this alternative way, one can extract its shadow radius from the absorption cross section in high energy limits to gain more information about the black hole spacetime. Our results indicate that the increasing the value of the shadow radius of the black hole, exponentially increase the the absorption cross section of the black hole in high-energy limits which can be captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration.

Iron and zinc are essential micronutrients required for growth and health. Deficiencies of these nutrients are highly prevalent among populations, but can be alleviated by supplementation. Cross-sectional studies in humans showed positive association of serum zinc levels with hemoglobin and markers of iron status. Dietary restriction of zinc or intestinal specific conditional knock out of ZIP4 (SLC39A4), an intestinal zinc transporter, in experimental animals demonstrated iron deficiency anemia and tissue iron accumulation. Similarly increased iron accumulation has been observed in cultured cells exposed to zinc deficient media. These results together suggest a potential role of zinc in modulating whole body iron metabolism. Studies in intestinal cell culture models demonstrate that zinc induces iron uptake and transcellular transport via induction of divalent metal iron transporter-1 (DMT1) and ferroportin (FPN) expression, respectively. It is interesting to note that intestinal cells are exposed to very high levels of zinc through pancreatic secretions, which is a major route of zinc excretion from the body. Therefore, zinc appears to be modulating the iron metabolism possibly via regulating the DMT1 and FPN1 levels. Herein we critically reviewed the available evidence to hypothesize novel mechanism of Zinc-DMT1/FPN axis in regulating intestinal iron absorption and tissue iron accumulation to facilitate future research aimed at understanding the yet elusive mechanisms of iron and zinc interactions.

Topological states of matter have attracted significant attention due to their intrinsic wave-guiding and localization capabilities robust against disorders and defects in electronic, photonic, and phononic systems. Despite the above topological features phononic crystals share with their electronic and photonic counterparts, finite-frequency topological states in phononic crystals may not always survive. In this work, we discuss the survivability of topological states in Su-Schrieffer-Heeger models with both local and non-local interactions with larger symmetry perturbation. Although such a discussion is still about ideal mass-spring models, the insights from this study set the expectations in continuum phononic crystals, which can further instruct the applications of phononic crystals for practical purposes.

1). BACKGROUND: Cell wall deficient mycobacteria (CWDM) have seldom been isolated in bacterial culture from human subjects. particularly in clinical disease, such as Crohn’s disease. Techniques have focused on the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of CWDM in association with inflammatory bowel disease. (IBD). This paper is a report of the development of methods to demonstrate the presence of CWDM using the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain. This is in addition to the detection of the growth of CWDM in fluid media. 2). METHODS: The use of the ZN stain is suitable for the demonstration of CWDM in clinical samples and cultures, when the staining methods that were common prior to the 1970’s, are adopted. Specific culture media are developed and tested in parallel. Alterations in the concentration of basic fuchsin, and changes in the decolourising solutions are necessary. Decolourising solutions such as 20% concentrated sulphuric acid in water are preferable for detection of CWDM in cultures. 3). RESULTS: CWDM can be readily demonstrated using the simple methods outlined in this report. The ability to visualise the presence of CWDM opens the door to the development of specific fluid media for the isolation of CWDM in culture. 4). CONCLUSION: The ZN stain methods optimised for the demonstration of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) are not suitable for research into infectious causes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as for the detection of CWDM in latent tuberculosis. Revisiting the techniques for the detection of CWDM may also refocus attention on inflammatory diseases considered to be idiopathic, but having hallmarks of an infectious process.

This research elucidates the dynamic expression of expansin genes during the wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) development process using comprehensive meta-analysis and experimental validation. We leveraged RNA-seq data from multiple public databases, applying stringent criteria for selection, and identified 60,852 differentially expressed genes across developmental stages. From this pool, 28,558 DEGs were found to exhibit significant temporal regulation in at least two different datasets, and were enriched for processes integral to grain development such as carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall organization. Notably, 30% of the 241 known expansin genes showed differential expression during grain growth. Hierarchical clustering and expression level analysis revealed temporal regulation and distinct contributions of expansin subfamilies during the early stages of grain development. Further analysis using co-expression networks underscored the significance of expansin genes, revealing their substantial co-expression with genes involved in cell wall modification. Finally, qPCR validation and grain morphological analysis under field conditions indicated a significant negative correlation between expression of select expansin genes and grain size and weight. This study illuminates the potential role of expansin genes in wheat grain development and provides new avenues for targeted genetic improvements in wheat.

With the objective of studying the influence of elicitors on growth, yield and quality of kalmegh we carried out an investigation for two consecutive years. Nine treatments with three replications were laid out in CRD design. Chitosan, Yeast extract, Jasmonic acid and Salicylic acid were evaluated at different concentrations. CHT 1000 ppm exhibited highest plant height (73.91 cm) and secondary branches (29.07) at the time of harvest. Primary branches and number of leaves per plant were highest in CHT 1000 ppm (26.36; 88.32) which were on par with SA 200 ppm (26.28; 81.51). Plant spread was highest in SA 200 ppm (35.46 cm2) which was on par with CHT 1000 ppm (35.11 cm2). CHT and SA sprays were recorded with on par results for yield parameters but highest fresh (42.34 g) and dry (18.30) herbage yield per plant were exhibited with SA 200 ppm. Highest total chlorophyll (4.459 mg g-1) and total andrographolides (3.494%) content were recorded in SA 200 ppm spray. Significant and positive improvement in growth, yield and quality of kalmegh was noticed with Salicylic acid spray @ 200 ppm at 30 and 60 DAS signifying its use in cultivation of kalmegh for high productivity, quality and better returns for farmers.

Aflatoxins, which have been classified as a group-1 carcinogen are the well-known mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxins have been linked to liver diseases, acute hepatic necrosis, resulting in cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinomas due to which it incurs a loss of value in international trade for peanuts contaminated with it. The four main aflatoxins are B1, B2, G1, and G2 of which B1 is predominant. In plants, the cell wall is the primary barrier against pathogen invasion. Cell wall fortifications such as deposition of callose, cellulose, lignin, phenolic compounds and structural proteins help to prevent the pathogen infection. Further, the host cell’s ability to rapidly repair and reinforce its cell walls will result in a reduction of the penetration efficiency of the pathogen. Peanut seed coat acts as a physical and biochemical cell wall barrier against both pre and post-harvest pathogen infection. The structure of seed coat and the presence of polyphenol compounds have been reported to inhibit the growth of A. flavus, however, not successfully employed to develop A. flavus resistance in peanut. A comprehensive understanding of peanut seed coat development and biochemistry will provide information to design efficient strategies for the seed coat mediated A. flavus resistance and Aflatoxin contamination.

This work discusses laboratory measurements of atomic and diatomic molecular species in laser-plasma generated in gases. Noticeable self-absorption of the Balmer series hydrogen alpha line occurs for electron densities of the order of one tenth of standard ambient temperature and pressure density. Emission spectra of selected diatomic molecules in air or specific gaseous mixtures at or near atmospheric pressure reveal minimal plasma re-absorption. Abel inversion of the plasma in selected gases and gas mixtures confirm expansion dynamics that unravel regions of atomic and molecular species of different electron temperature and density. Time resolved spectroscopy diagnoses self-absorption of hydrogen alpha and hydrogen beta lines in ultra-high pure hydrogen gas. Radiation from a Nd:YAG laser device induces micro-plasma for pulse widths in the range of 6 ns to 14 ns, energies in the range of 100 mJ to 800 mJ, and for peak irradiance of the order 1 to 10 TW/cm². Atomic line profiles yield electron density and temperature from fitting of line profiles to wavelength and sensitivity corrected spectral radiance data. Analysis of measured diatomic emission data yields excitation temperature of primarily molecular recombination spectra. Applications of the laboratory experiments extend to investigations of stellar astrophysics white dwarf spectra.

Veterinary antibiotics (VAs) have been indiscriminately used in animal feed for the past five decades to increase and ensure profits with negligible environmental considerations. The VAs amoxicillin (AMX), chlortetracycline (CTC), and oxytetracycline (OTC), which can be unintentionally introduced by irrigation water during rice cultivation, were evaluated for their phytotoxic effects, absorption-translocation into plants, and soil residues using a randomized complete block design. It was found that exposure to VAs can severely affect the photosynthetic pathway of rice plants. The uptake and translocation of VAs by rice plants varied significantly. CTC and OTC translocated more easily than AMX, a member of the β-lactam class, which accumulated at the lowest concentration compared to CTC and OTC across all treatments. Rice yield was about 4.3 - 5.7% lower in the experimental plots that received fifty-fold the background levels of VAs compared to the control. The findings indicate that these widely used veterinary antibiotics can hamper crop production, leave residues in the soil, and constitute a risk to human health if introduced into the agro-ecosystem unintentionally.

The high level of noise in helicopter cabins considerably compromises the comfort and safety of the pilot and passengers. To verify the feasibility and effectiveness of microperforated panel composite sound absorption structures for noise suppression in helicopter cabins, simulation and experimental studies were conducted on a model of a light helicopter cabin. First, three microperforated composite sound absorption structures for the helicopter cabin wall panel were designed. Then, a finite element model of the main gear/body acoustic vibration coupling was established to obtain the target frequencies of the microperforated composite sound absorption structures; the acoustic effect was verified by simulation. Finally, a model helicopter cabin equipped with the three microperforated composite sound absorption structures was built, and a cabin noise test was performed. The test results showed that the combined microperforated panel acoustic structure and microperforated panel–porous material composite structure realized an overall cabin sound pressure level attenuation of 8–10 dB, on average, in the wide frequency range of 500–2000 Hz, with an amplitude of more than 20 dB. The microperforated panel–acoustic supermaterial composite structure achieved low-frequency sound absorption in the frequency range of 300–450 Hz. The sound absorption effect reached 50%, and it also exhibited good noise reduction effects in the middle- and high-frequency bands.

A sustainable matrix based on eucalyptol essential oil/sawdust was developed and applied on one-sided laminated plywood. This finish aims to serve as a eucalyptol odor slow release. Eucalyptol odor release was monitored with gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector (GC – FID: Limits of Detection and Quantification of 0.70 g/m3 and 2.11 g/m3, respectively, and with linearity up to 18.6 g/m3). Measurement of the eucalyptol odor released was performed during a six-month period and it was found that the release followed a first-order exponential decay with a decay rate constant of 0.0169 per day. The half-life was determined to be of 48 days. The granulometry and particle size porosity of sawdust were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Sawdust size fraction between 112 – 200 μm showed best eucalyptol absorption capacity with 1:3 masses ratio (sawdust:eucalyptol). The time capacity of eucalyptol release depends of composite eucalyptol – sawdust quantity. Where this relation was determined: 15.0 grams of composite eucalyptol-sawdust by 0.8 mm diameter aperture gave 6 months of eucalyptol release, that was considered very positive, understanding high volatility of eucalyptol and a small quantity of composite for further products. The new product is characterized by a carbon footprint (considering the industry frontiers) of 5.94 kg CO2eq/m2 of plywood floor.

Current industrial trends bring new challenges in energy absorbing systems. Polymer materials as the traditional packaging material seem to be promising due to their low weight, structure and production price. Based on the review, the linear low-density polyethylene material was identified as the most promising material for absorbing impact energy. The current paper addresses the identification of the material parameters and the development of a Constitutive material model to be used in future design by virtual prototyping. The paper deals with the experimental measurement of the stress-strain relations of the linear low-density polyethylene under static and dynamic loading. The quasi-static measurement is realized in two perpendicular principal directions and is supplemented by a test measurement in the 45 degrees direction, i.e. exactly between the principal directions. The quasi-static stress-strain curves are analyzed as an initial step for dynamic strain rate dependent material behavior. The dynamic response is tested in the drop tower using a spherical impactor hitting the flat material multi-layered specimen at two different energy levels. The strain rate dependent material model is identified by optimizing the static material response obtained in the dynamic experiments. The material model is validated by the virtual reconstruction of the experiments and by comparing the numerical results to the experimental ones.

Single nanowires (NWs) are of great importance for optoelectronic applications, especially solar cells serving as powering nanoscale devices. However, weak off-resonant absorption can limit its light-harvesting capability. Here, we propose a single NW coated with the graded-index dual shells (DSNW). We demonstrate that with appropriate thickness and refractive index of the inner shell, the DSNW exhibits significantly enhanced light trapping compared with the bare NW (BNW), and the NW only coated with the outer shell (OSNW) and the inner shell (ISNW), which can be attributed to the optimal off-resonant absorption mode profiles due to the improved coupling between the reemitted light of the transition modes of the leak mode resonances of the Si core and the nanofocusing light from the dual shells with the graded refractive index. We found that the light absorption can be engineered via tuning the thickness and the refractive index of the inner shell, the photocurrent density is significantly enhanced by 134% (56%, 12%) in comparison with that of the BNW (OSNW, ISNW). This work advances our understanding of how to improve off-resonant absorption by applying graded dual-shell design and provides a new choice for designing high-efficiency single NW photovoltaic devices.

Coffee and caffeine have been used as solar absorbers and also to increase the thermal stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells. In this work, we report the sensing of extremely alkaline pH by colloidal coffee solution aided by generation of an optical absorption band in the near-UV region. This generation of absorption band could be explained by the orientation induced dipole-dipole interactions arising from differing caffeine-solvent interactions with varying pH. Such a generation leads to the lowering of direct as well as indirect bandgaps from 4 eV-->2.8 eV& 3.4 eV-->2.5 eV, respectively. We also estimate the changes in optical energy storage efficiency, inferring it to be highest for pH 11 having the highest intensity of the generated absorption band (λ_abs≈360 nm). With these observations and further deductions, the work reported in this paper would be of immense interest to the researchers working in the field of development of chemical pH sensors and also in the development of novel UV absorbers.

One of the most common limits to gas sensor performance is the presence of unwanted interference fringes or etalons arising, for example, from multiple reflections between surfaces in the optical path. Additionally, since the amplitude and the frequency of these interference depend on the distance and alignment of the optical elements, they are affected by temperature changes and mechanical disturbances, giving rise to a drift of the signal. In this work, we present a novel semi-parametric algorithm which allows the extraction of a signal, like the spectroscopic absorption line of a gas molecule, from a background containing arbitrary disturbances, without having to make any assumption on the functional form of these disturbances. The algorithm is applied first to simulated data and then to oxygen absorption measurements in presence of strong fringes.To the best of the authors' knowledge, the algorithm enables an unprecedented accuracy particularly if the fringes have a free spectral range and amplitude comparable to those of the signal to be detected. The described method presents the advantage of being based purely on post processing, and to be of extremely straightforward implementation if the functional form of the Fourier transform of the signal is known. Therefore it has the potential to enable interference-immune absorption spectroscopy. Finally, its relevance goes beyond absorption spectroscopy for gas sensing since it can be applied to any kind of spectroscopic data.

In order to study the way how to improve the spatial action of precast monolithic composite floor slabs, and would replace the cast-in-place surface layer for reduce the weight of structure, using pseudo-dynamic tests on 1/4 scale models of two-span and three-story frame structure. The lateral load tests compared the stresses and displacements with cast-in-place floor frame-shear wall structure (SJ1) and precast monolithic floor frame-shear wall structure with X horizontal braces at the bottom of the floor (SJ2). The results show the X horizontal braces can improve the spatial action. Structural integrity (SJ2) as well as the effective transmission of the horizontal force can be ensured by additional X bracing at the bottom of the rigidity of the floor without cast-in-place concrete topping. The results show that X horizontal braces more effectively transfer horizontal, which provides a beneficial reference for similar research.

Nanomagnetism and spintronics are currently active areas of research, with one of the main goals being the creation of low-energy-consuming magnetic memories based on nanomagnet switching. These types of devices could also be implemented in neuromorphic computing by crafting artificial neurons (ANs) that emulate the characteristics of biological neurons, through the implementation of neuron models such as the widely used leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) with a refractory period. In this study, we have carried out numerical simulations of a 120 nm diameter, 250 nm length ferromagnetic nanowire (NW) with the aim of exploring the design of an artificial neuron based on the creation and destruction of a Bloch-point domain wall. To replicate signal integration, we applied pulsed trains of spin-currents to the opposite faces of the ferromagnetic NW. These pulsed currents (previously studied only in the continuous form) are responsible for inducing transitions between the stable single vortex (SV) state to the metastable Bloch point domain wall (BP-DW) state. To ensure the system exhibits the leak and refractory properties, the NW was placed in an homogeneous magnetic field of the order of mT in the axial direction. The suggested configuration fulfills the requirements and characteristics of a biological neuron, potentially leading to the future creation of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) based on reversible changes in the topology of magnetic NWs.

Gut microbiota affects progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The present study aims at investigating the protective potential of Bifidobacterium longum cell wall lipoproteins (Lpps) shown to modulate the intestinal microbiome and prevent osteoarthritis. Arthritis was induced by collagen (CIA) or anti-collagen antibodies (CAIA) injection. Intake of 0.5 mg Lpps /L, but not 0.25 and 1mg Lpps/L significantly alleviated RA symptoms in CIA DBA/1OOaHsd mice. Arthritis index (AI) was also reduced in CAIA mice. In CIA protected group, colon Ligilactobacillus murinus, caecal Lactobacillus johnsonii and spleen weight correlated with AI, whereas the reverse was observed with splenic CD11c+ dendritic cells (cDCs). The unprotected CIA Lpps group harbored higher caecal and colon E. coli and lower caecal L.murinus. Lpps administration to CAIA mice after arthritis induction led to lower colon E. plexicaudatum counts. Splenocytes from CIA protected mice triggered by LPS secreted higher Il-10 than control ones. However, higher IL-10 response was not elicited in gnotobiotic RA mice splenocytes with lower cDCs recruitment. Labeled bacteria with Lpps signal were detected in CIA mice bone marrow (BM) cDCs 5 and 16h post-gavage but not in Peyer’s patches and spleen. In vitro uptake of Lpps by primary BM and thymus cells was observed within 24h. FACS analysis detected the Lpps signal in the plasmacytoid cell compartment but not in cDCs. In conclusion, Lpps dosing is critical for preventing arthritis progression and appropriately modulating the microbiome. Our results also highlight the possible triggering of the immune system by Lpps.

Quasistatic nanoindentation is a proven tool that provides information on the micromechanical behavior of wood cell walls. However, quasistatic tests cannot probe the time-dependent mechanical behavior shown by wood. Nanoindentation dynamic mechanical analysis (nanoDMA) can mesaure the viscoelastic properties of wood cell walls. This research aimed to study the quasistatic and viscoelastic properties of individual radiata pine wood (Pinus radiata D. Don) cell wall layers. To minimize variability and retrieve both properties at the same locations, a load function composed of a multiload-quasistatic function followed by dynamic reference frequency segments was developed. Nanoindentations were then performed on the S2 layer and compound corner middle lamella (CCML) of unembedded latewood cells. Because the S2 layer is anisotropic, both transverse and longitudinal-tangential wood planes were studied. In the transverse plane, the average results of the quasistatic elastic moduli (Es) for the S2 layer and CCML were 15.7 GPa and 4.6 GPa, respectively. In the longitudinal-tangential plane, the E_s was 3.9 GPa. In the transverse section, the hardness (H) of the S2 layer and CCML were 331 MPa and 277 MPa, respectively, and in the longitudinal-tangential section H was 244 MPa. To acquire the viscoelastic properties, measurements were made over more than three decades of frequency. An increase of the storage modulus (E'), and a reduction of the loss modulus (E'') and loss factor (tan⁡ δ ) as frequency increased were found in both wood orientations. The quasi-static and dynamic indentations equivalent at 0.1 Hz showed similar values for Es and E’. This study contributes to our knowledge of wood cell wall micromechanical properties.

The building sector is the largest consumer of energy and there are still major scientific challenges in this field. The façade, being the interface between the exterior and interior space, plays a key role in the energy efficiency of a building. In this context, this paper focuses on a ventilated bioclimatic wall for NZEB zero energy buildings. The objective of this study is to investigate an experimental set-up based on a Hot Box allowing characterizing the thermal performances of the ventilated wall. A specific ventilated prototype and an original thermal metrology has been developed. This paper presents the ventilated prototype, the experimental set-up and experimental results on the thermal performances of the ventilated wall. The influence of the air space thickness and the air flow rate on the thermal performances of the ventilated wall is studied.

Domain walls were studied for permalloy wires with different depth trenches (500 nm wide, 30 nm thick, 7.5 µm long, the depth of the trench was 0, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 15nm). Permalloy (Ni80Fe20) wires were fabricated by electron beam lithography and Ar ion milling. When the depth of trench is smaller than 12 nm, the switching field (Hs) is increasing with the deeper trench. However, the depth of trench is bigger than half depth of thickness, the Hs is decreasing with the deeper trench. We believed that Hs increased as the trench depth increased was because the magnetic diploes force increased between the magnetic poles on two sides of the trench. The domains of the wires were divided by the trenches and the domain walls were pinned on the trenches these were confirmed by magnetic force microscopy images.

A novel nano-laminated GdB2C2 material was successfully synthesized using GdH2, B4C, and C via an in-situ solid state reaction approach for the first time. The formation mechanism of GdB2C2 was revealed based on the microstructure and phase evolution investigation. A purity of 96.4 wt. % GdB2C2 was obtained at a low temperature of 1500 ℃, while a near full pure GdB2C2 can be obtained at a temperature over 1700 ℃. The as-obtained GdB2C2 presented excellent thermal stability at high temperature of 2100 ℃ in Ar atmosphere due to the stable frame work formed by the high covalent four-members and eight-members B-C rings in GdB2C2. The minimum reflection loss value (RLmin) of -47.01 dB with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 1.76 GHz at a thickness of 3.44 mm was obtained for the GdB2C2 synthesized at 1500 ℃. The possible EMWA mechanism could be ascribed to the nano-laminated structure and appropriate electrical conductivity, which facilitated to the good impedance matching, remarkable conduction loss, interfacial polarization as well as multiple interface reflection and scattering. The as-obtained GdB2C2, with excellent EMWA performance as well as remarkable ultra-high temperature thermal stability, could be a promising candidate for the EMWA materials applications in extreme ultra-high temperatures.

Watermelon fruits of different ploidy exhibit significant variations in texture. In order to investigate the primary factors influencing texture differences, this study was conducted to investigate the differences in fruit texture development using homozygous autogamous diploid (2X)lines and their autotriploid (3X) and autotetraploid (4X) lines 'Yixuan'. The research encompassed fruit development, flesh texture profile analysis (TPA), flesh cell wall polysaccharide content, and flesh cell microstructure analysis, specifically in 2X, 3X, and 4X watermelon fruits.The results showed that as watermelon fruits matured, several characteristics exhibited an ascending trend, including fruit weight, TSS (total soluble solids) content, rind hardness, flesh cell size, and cell wall polysaccharide contents such as crude fiber, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and protopectin. Conversely, the flesh texture parameters and soluble pectin content of the flesh cell wall gradually declined. Notably, significant differences in fruit flesh texture and flesh cell structure were observed among fruits of different ploidy at the 32d. Specifically, 2X fruits displayed considerably lower rind hardness, reduced flesh texture (Hardness, Fracturability, Chewiness, Gumminess), and cell density compared to 3X and 4X fruits. Additionally, 2X fruits exhibited larger cell sizes than 3X and 4X fruits. However, no significant differences were observed in the content of flesh cell wall polysaccharide contents across various ploidy levels.These findings suggested that the variation in texture among watermelon fruits of different ploidy can be attributed to the size and arrangement of flesh cells. Importantly, this research provided a foundation for further exploration of the intrinsic regulatory factors and molecular mechanisms contributing to texture variation in polyploid watermelon fruits.

Some biologically active compounds isolated from sea cucumbers stimulate the body’s immune response through activating immune cells. Immune function is closed related to the integrity intestinal barrier and balanced gut microbiota. However, it is unknown whether daily administration of holothurian wall hydrolysates (HWH) ameliorated intestinal dysbiosis and barrier injury induced by immunodeficiency. This study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory effect and the underlying mechanism of HWH in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunocompromised mice. BALB/c mice received CTX (80 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) once a day for 3 days to induce immunodeficiency, and then oral administration of HWH (80 or 240 mg/kg), levamisole hydrochloride (LH, 40 mg/kg, positive control) respectively once a day for 7 days. We utilized 16S rRNA sequencing for microbial composition alterations, histopathological analysis for splenic and colonic morphology, Western blotting for expressions of tight junction proteins (TJs), and quantitative real-time (qRT-PCR) for measurements of pro-inflammatory cytokines. HWH attenuated the immune organ damage induced by CTX, increased the secretions of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and promoted the recovery of goblet cells and the productions of TJs (claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1) in the colon of the immunocompromised mice. Moreover, HWH promoted the growth of beneficial microorganisms such as Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae, Christensenellaceae, and Bifidobacterium, while suppressed the populations of Ruminococcus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus. These results demonstrate that HWH elicits intestinal mucosal immunity, repairs the damage to intestinal mucosal integrity, and normalizes the imbalanced intestinal microbial profiles in immunocompromised mice. It may be helpful to identify the biological activities of HWH, and supports the potential as new prebiotics, immunomodulatory agents, and medical additive for intestinal repair.

This study was first time designed to investigate the effect of oxidation on protein digestion and transport properties in boiled sea cucumber body wall (BSCBW) via simulated digestion combine with everted-rat-gut-sac models. Boiling heat treatments led to protein oxidation in SCBW, manifested by increases in free radical intensity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, carbonyl groups, disulfide bonds, dityrosine bonds, advanced glycation end products, protein hydrophobicity and aggregation, declines in free sulfhydryl group, and secondary structure transition from α-helix to β-sheet. Boiling for 2 h caused the anti-digestion collagen unfolding, provided the action site for protease, and improved the protein digestion and transport levels. On the contrary, excessive oxidative modification of 4 h-BSCBW resulted in decreased protein digestion and transport levels. From the perspective of texture, digestion and transport properties, boiling for 2 h can obtain sea cucumber products with better edible and digestible properties, which is considered to be a better processing condition.

The geographic variability of the dorsal pattern (DP) of the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis siculus, across its native range was studied with the aim to understand whether the distributions of this phenotypic trait were more shaped by allopatric differentiation rather than adaptive processes. A total of 1298 georeferenced observations scattered across the Italian peninsula and the main islands (Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia) were obtained from citizen science databases and five DPs were characterized by different shapes of the dark pattern (“reticulated”, “campestris”, “reticulated/campestris” and “striped”) or by absence of it (“concolor”). Frequencies of different DP phenotypes differ between the two main mtDNA lineages settled in central-northern and in southern Italy respectively. This pattern may be indicative of a role of long-term allopatric historical processes in determining the observed pattern. The analysis also identified a putative wide area of secondary contact, in central southern Italy, characterized by high diversity of the DP. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs), used to estimate a possible association between bioclimatic variables and the observed phenotypic variation, showed that each of the five DPs is correlated to different environmental factors and show different distribution of areas with high probability of occurrence. However, for all but one of the DPs, the area with the greatest probability does not correspond exactly to the real distribution of the DP. Conversely, the “concolor” phenotype does not seem related to any particular mtDNA lineage and it shows a preference for areas with high temperature and low rainfall. This is in agreement with the expectation of low amount of melanin of the dorsal pattern that, in the study areas, is characterized by a light uniform coloration which could confer a better thermoregulation ability in high temperatures environments avoiding overheating.

Heart myocardia are critical to the facilitation of heart pumping and blood circulating around the body. The biaxial mechanical testing of the Left Ventricle (RV) is utilised to build the computa-tional model of the whole heart with little importance given to the unique mechanical properties of Right Ventricle (RV) and Mid-wall (MDW). Most of those studies focussed on the LV of the heart, and then apply the obtained characteristics with a few modifications to the right side of the heart. However, that view has been contested over time with the realisation that the right side of the heart possesses its own unique mechanical properties that are widely distinct from that of the left side of the heart. This paper is aimed at reporting and evaluating the passive mechanical property dif-ferences in the three main walls of the rat heart based on biaxial tensile test data. Fifteen mature Wistar rats weighing 225 ± 25 g were euthanised by inhalation of 5 % halothane. The hearts were excised after which all the top chambers comprising the two atria, pulmonary and vena cava trunks, aorta and valves are all dissected out. Then 5 x 5 mm sections from the middle of each wall were carefully dissected with a surgical knife to avoid over-prestraining the specimens. The specimens were subjected tensile test. The elastic moduli, peak stresses in the toe region and stresses at 40 % strain, anisotropy indices as well as the stored strain energy in the toe and linear region up to 40 % strain are used for statistical significance tests. The following are the main findings of this study: (1) LV and MDW tissues have relatively shorter toe regions of 10 - 15 % strain as compared to RV tissue whose toe region extends up to twice as much as that (2) LV tissues have higher strain energy storage in the linear region despite being lower in stiffness than the RV (3) the MDW has the highest strain energy storage along both directions which might be directly related to its high level of anisotropy. These findings, though for a specific animal species at similar age and around the same body mass, emphasize the importance of application of wall specific material parameters to obtain accurate ventricular hyperelastic models. The findings further enhance our understanding of the desired mechanical behaviour of the different ventricle walls.

Biodegradable and renewable plastic films have been regarded as promising alternative green materials to achieve the substitution polythene (PE)films to reduce plastic pollution. Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is a kind of biodegradable polyester, which is widely used in the production of biodegradable mulching films. However, the high cost of PBAT limited it applications. Thus, lignin, one of the most abundant biomass resources was incorporated into PBAT matrix in the present work. A series of Lignin/PBAT biodegradable plastics films with different Lignin/PBAT weight ratios (0.00 %-5.00 %) were successfully fabricated using twin screw and twin roll extruders. The chemical compositions, morphologies, thermal stabilities, mechanical properties, and barrier properties of samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR, TG/DSC, mechanical testing machine, and WVTR, respectively. Results show that the corporation of lignin into PBAT matrix could lead to improved thermal stabilities, mechanical properties and barrier properties of films even after Xenon lamp aging process, especially when Lignin/PBAT weight ratio is 1.00 % in the present work. This work provides a very promising approach for fabrication of biodegradable plastics films with low cost, enhanced mechanical properties and barrier properties, the as-prepared samples may have potential applications in agricultural or food packaging materials.

We discuss a remote sensing system that is used to simultaneously detect range-resolved differential absorption LIDAR (light detection and ranging; DIAL) signals and integrated path DIAL signals (IP-DIAL) from aerosol targets for ranges up to 22 km. The DIAL/IP-DIAL frequency converter consists of an OPO pumped at 1064 nm to produce light at 1.6 μm and operates at 100 Hz pulse repetition frequency. The probe light is free space coupled to a movable platform that contains one transmitter and two receiver telescopes. Hybrid photon counting/current systems increase the dynamic range for detection by two orders of magnitude. Range resolved and column integrated dry-air CO2 and CH4 mixing ratios are obtained from line shape fits of CO2 and CH4 centered at 1602.2 nm and 1645.5 nm, respectively and measured at 10 different frequencies over ≈ 1.5 cm-1 bandwidth. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of the IP-DIAL returns from cloud aerosols approach 1000:1 and the uncertainties in the mixing ratios weighted according to the integrated counts over the cloud segments range from 0.1 % to 1 %. The range averaged DIAL mixing ratios are in good agreement with the IP-DIAL mixing ratios at the 1 % to 2 % level for both CO2 and CH4. These results can serve as a validation method for future active and passive satellite observational systems.

This study presents a tri-layer broadband metamaterial absorber which operates in the GHz range. The absorber was composed of a polyhedral iron-cobalt alloy/graphite nanosheet material arranged in a flat sheet with two punched-in rings for the top layer, a continuous FR-4 layer at the middle, and a continuous copper layer at the bottom. For the normal incidence of electromagnetic wave, the proposed absorber demonstrated an exceptional broadband absorption in a frequency range of 7.9-14.6 GHz, revealing an absorption exceeding 90%. The absorption magnitude remains to be above 90% in a frequency range of 8-11.1 GHz for transverse-electric-polarized waves at incident angles up to 55°. For both transverse-magnetic- and electric-polarized waves, the absorption exceeds 90% in a frequency range of 9.5-14.6 GHz. The physical mechanism behind the absorption properties is analyzed thoroughly through the electric- and magnetic-field distributions. The obtained results could contribute potentially to the development of microwave applications based on metamaterial absorbers, such as radar-stealth technology, electromagnetic shielding for health safety and reduced electromagnetic interferences for high-performance communications and electronic devices.

Among the various methods for collecting oil spills and oil products, including from the water surface, one of the most effective is the use of sorbents. In this work, three-component bio-based composite granular adsorbents were produced and studied for oil products pollution collection. A bio-based binder made of peat, devulcanised crumb rubber from used tyres, and part fly ash as cenospheres were used for absorbent production. The structure, surface morphology, porosity, mechanical properties, and sorption kinetics of the obtained samples were studied. Composite hydrophobicity and sorption capacity to oil products such as diesel fuel (DF) and motor oil (MO) were determined. The obtained pellets are characterised by a sufficiently pronounced ability to absorb oil products such as DF. As the amount of CR in the granules increases, the diesel absorption capacity increases significantly. The case of 30-70-0 is almost 3 times higher than the granules from homogenised peat. The increase in q is due to two factors: pronounced surface hydrophobicity of the samples (Θ = 152°) and a heterogeneous porous granule structure. The presence of the cenosphere in the biocomposite reduces its surface hydrophobicity while increasing the diesel absorption capacity. Relatively rapid realisation of the maximum saturation by the MO was noted. In common, the designed absorbent shows up to 0.7 g·g^-1 sorption capacity for MO and up to 1.55 g·g^-1 sorption capacity for diesel. A possible mechanism of DF absorption and the limiting stages of the process approximated for different kinetic models are discussed. The Weber-Morris diffusion model is used to primarily distinguish the limiting effect of external and internal diffusion of adsorbate on the absorption process

Examining forbidden reflections provides valuable information on electronic states and the local environment of resonant atoms in crystals. Experimental studies of two forbidden reflections 002 and 100 in TeO₂ single crystals were performed at photon energies close to the L₁ tellurium absorption edge. It was found that the spectral form corresponding to these two reflections looks almost identical, which is completely unexpected for a highly anisotropic material. Theoretical consideration shows that only one component f_xy of the tensor describing dipole-dipole resonance scattering contributes to the 002 reflection, while two components f_xy and f_xz correspond to the 100 reflection. Numerical calculations show that the latter tensor component is comparable to the first one, but the combination of several geometric factors leads to the fact that its contribution to the spectrum is negligible. This explains the experimentally observed results. The finding shows a way for targeted investigation of single tensor components and makes it possible to compare different spectra and use them the study the physical phenomena in functional materials.

The gap in knowledge regarding the radiative effects of aerosols in the UV region of the solar spectrum is large, mainly due to the lack of systematic measurements of the aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) and absorption optical depth (AAOD). In the present study, spectral UV measurements performed in Thessaloniki, Greece by a double monochromator Brewer spectrophotometer in the period 1998 - 2017 are used for the calculation of the aforementioned optical properties. The main uncertainty factors have been described and there is an effort to quantify the overall uncertainties in SSA and AAOD. Analysis of the results suggests that the absorption by aerosols is much stronger in the UV relative to the visible. SSA follows a clear annual pattern ranging from ~0.7 in winter to ~0.85 in summer at wavelengths 320 – 360 nm, while AAOD peaks in summer and winter. The average AAOD for 2009 – 2011 is ~50% above the 2003 – 2006 average, possibly due to increased emissions of absorbing aerosols related to the economical crisis and the metro-railway construction works in the city center. A detailed analysis of the uncertainties in the retrieval of the SSA and the AAOD from the Brewer spectrophotometer has been also performed.

The resonance spectra of neutral silver indicate self-absorption for the studied Ag I lines at the wavelengths of 327.9 nm and 338.2 nm. The center dip is associated with self-reversal due to self-absorption in the plasma. The Q-switched radiation of 355 nm, 532 nm, or 1064 nm from a Nd:YAG laser device generates the plasma at the surface of silver nano-material targets, with experiments conducted in standard ambient temperature and pressure laboratory air. Procedures for recovery of the spectral line shapes confirm that over and above the effects of self-reversal, line shape distortion are important in the analysis. The work discusses parameters describing self-absorption when using fluence levels of 2 to 33 J/cm² to generate the plasma. Furthermore, subsidiary calibration efforts that utilize the hydrogen alpha line of the Balmer series show that the Ag I lines at 827.35 nm and 768.7 nm are optically thin.

Dye wastewater containing bisphenol A (BPA) and dyes as pollutants have not been adequately studied. Our previous study revealed that thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofiber membranes (NFMs) modified by the addition of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and polydopamine (PDA) satisfactorily adsorb dyes. Herein, we first optimized the synthesis conditions for such membranes, noting a PEI:PDA monomer ratio of 2:2 and a deposition time of 48 h to be optimal. Experiments using these membranes revealed that binary systems containing BPA and the dyes (Congo red (CR), Eosin yellow (EY), or sunset yellow (SY)) exhibit three adsorption behaviors. CR and BPA compete with each other for adsorption sites, decreasing the maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) for CR 208.3 mg/g (in a monomeric system) to 182.4 mg/g, whereas for BPA, it decreased from 26.7 to 22.8 mg/g. The adsorption rates for CR and BPA decreased from 0.002 min−1 and 0.331 min−1 in the monomeric systems to 8.37 × 10−4 min−1 and 0.072 min−1, respectively, in the binary CR–BPA system, exhibiting antagonistic effects. When EY and BPA coexist, Qmax for EY increased from 60.0 (monomeric) to 71.9 mg/g, whereas that for BPA increased from 35.6 to 43.2 mg/g, showing a synergistic effect due to the possible bridging effect. The adsorption sites for SY and BPA are independent of each other. Thus, PDA/PEI TPU NFMs exhibit the potential for removal of dye–BPA composites, whereas binary systems containing BPA with different dyes are adsorbed differently.

The centrifugal force field in the hydrocyclone was affected by the concave-wall curvature radius R0, the mechanism of droplet deformation was closely related to the mass transfer efficiency. Numerical simulation and experimental data were collected to reveal the deformation characteristics and mechanism of single droplet crossing concave-wall jet. Normalized interfacial energy γ and stretching performance were provided to investigate the droplet deformation process. The results showed that the droplet was stretched along the streamwise and shrank along the spanwise in the concave-wall jet. The droplet interfacial energy and deformation were the largest when the droplet crossed the jet boundary at t = 0.20 s. Maximum γ value increased with the increase of R0 by 57.3% to 71.4%, and the distance between droplet and concave-wall increased with R0. Q-criterion was exported to show the vortex strength increasing as the decrease of R0 in the jet boundary. The pressure distribution inside the droplet showed that the pressure decreased as R0 increased, while the pressure difference increased along the streamwise and wall-normal direction. The study suggested that the droplet breakup was more difficult for the smaller R0, which was beneficial for liquid-liquid heterogeneous separation.

As the control brain of the petrochemical plant, blast resistant performance requirements of the petrochemical control room should be guaranteed when the vapor cloud explosion occurs in the petrochemical production process. 3D-Kagome truss core sandwich structure is a kind of blast resistant material with high energy absorption. Considering the influence factors of the radius of the truss core rod and thickness of the upper and lower panels, in this paper, blast resistant performance of a real steel petrochemical control room with 3D-Kagome truss core sandwich wall is analyzed. With the optimization goal of plastic deformation energy and panel displacement, the optimal wall thickness and radius of the truss core rode are obtained. The optimized blast resistant wall is assembled, and the dynamic response of the steel petrochemical control room with the 3D-Kagome truss core sandwich blast resistant wall is analyzed. The simulation results show that the truss core layer does not dissipate the blast energy effectively when the radius ratio of the truss core rod is larger than 2.7% of the total thickness of the wall; with the increase of the thickness of the upper and lower panels, the proportion of plastic deformation energy of the truss core layer increases gradually and then tends to be a stable proportion value, that is about 90%; When the thickness ratio of the panel is 6.7% of the total one of the wall and the radius ratio of the truss core rod is 2.7% of the total thickness of the wall, the optimal blast resistant 3D-Kagome sandwich wall is determined.

In order to study the collapse failure of shaft wall of high depth inclined ore-pass under ore impact wear behavior, 25 ore-passes in a deep mine in Yunnan, China were investigated. Considering the ore-pass structural characteristics and the impact wear effect of ore on shaft wall, the shaft wall damage model of high depth inclined ore-pass is constructed based on the contact mechanics theory. Furthermore, No. 1#, 2#, 3# and 9# ore-passes of the mine are taken as examples for analysis, and the three results of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and engineering case are used for comparison and verification. The shaft wall damage degree is predicted, and the damage mechanism between total shaft wall damage volume Qtol and ore-pass depth H, ore-pass dip angle θ, inclined angle of chute α, shaft diameter D and ore block size P is quantitatively investigated. The results show that the rationality of the proposed model is verified by numerical analysis and field engineering situations. Moreover, the deeper ore-pass depth H, the more shaft wall damage volume Qtol with the increase of collision frequency. Qtol increases exponentially with P and increases gradually with D. With the increase of θ or α, Qtol increases generally first and then decreases. Therefore, Qtol can be effectively reduced by selecting the appropriate structure parameters of ore-pass and adopting the technology of drilling straight ore-pass. This work provides technical support for long period safe operation of high depth inclined ore-pass.

Modular high-rise buildings frequently adopt cast-in-place concrete to ensure building integrity. To reduce the material consumption and realize mold-free casting, a 30 mm thick light concrete mold shell wall panel ( MiC wall panel) is set as part of the shear wall. But the concrete casting process is prone to cracking and rising pattern. Its force performance and damage mechanism is not clear. To this end, this paper designs three groups of MiC wall panels with different material component types. The static load test is carried out in a graded partitioned loading mode. The effects of different material components on the mechanical properties of MiC wall panels are systematically investigated and parametrically analyzed by numerical simulation. The results show that the front cracks of the wall slab are mainly distributed under the truss tendons, and the back cracks are mainly distributed in the span position of the adjacent truss tendons. They are both along the span direction of the wall slab. Increasing the strength level of concrete and using steel fiber concrete can improve the mechanical properties of MiC wall panels to different degrees. Among them, increasing the concrete strength has a significant effect on improving the load-bearing capacity of wall panels, while incorporating steel fibers can significantly improve the deformation and crack resistance of wall panels. By building more finite element models, it was verified that the steel fiber admixture has limited effect on the mechanical properties of wall panels as the concrete grade increases. This study aims to summarize the types of wall panels with the best working properties. It provides a practical basis for optimizing the production and fabrication process of MiC wall panels.