In this report, we establish a straightforward method for estimating the equilibrium constant for the CK reaction over wide but physiologically and experimentally relevant ranges of pH, Mg2+ and temperature. Our empirical formula for CK Keq” is based on experimental measurements. It can be used to estimate [ADP] when [ADP] is below the resolution of experimental measurements, a typical situation because [ADP] is on the order of micromolar concentrations in living cells, and may be much lower in many in vitro experiments. Accurate prediction of [ADP] is essential for in vivo studies of cellular energetics and metabolism, and for in vitro studies of ATP-dependent enzyme function under near-physiological conditions. With [ADP], we could estimate ΔGATP. Application to actomyosin force generation in muscle provides support for the hypothesis that, when [Pi] varies but not when pH is altered, maximum Ca2+-activated isometric force depends on ΔGATP in both living and permeabilized muscle preparations. Further analysis of the pH studies introduces a novel hypothesis for the role of submicromolar ADP in force generation.

The present study sought to determine the effect of incorporating a Chitosan-TiO2 nano-composite on the color stability of pigmented Room Temperature Vulcanization (RTV) maxillofacial silicone subjected to a variety of accelerated aging conditions. The experimental setup consisted of one hundred groups of five disk-shaped specimens (22mm diameter, 2mm thick) each, created using RTV silicon elastomer type A-2186, with the total sample distributed into four groups based on the pigments combined with the silicon—specifically, brilliant red, blue, and yellow dry intrinsic pigments (at 0.2% concentration by weight) and a fourth group that remained non-pigmented. Each of these primary groups was further subdivided into five categories corresponding to the silicon variants treated with different nanoparticles—2% TiO2, 3% Chitosan, a hybrid nano-combination of 1% TiO2/Chitosan, 1% synthesized Chitosan-TiO2 Nanocomposite, and a control group devoid of nanoparticle additions. The synthesized Chitosan-TiO2 Nanocomposite was effectively prepared using the core-shell method. The color stability of each silicon category, irrespective of whether pigmented or non-pigmented was evaluated by calculating the color difference (ΔE) pre- and post-subjection to five distinct accelerated aging conditions: 30 hours in an antibacterial cleaning solution, six months in sebum, six months in sweat, UV-accelerated aging for 720 hours, and outdoor weathering for six months. Color measurements were taken using a Colorimeter within the CIELAB color system. Statistical analyses, including one-way ANOVA at a significance level of p < 0.05, were employed to discern significant differences among the various accelerated aging conditions across the five silicon categories. Further comparisons were made using Dennett's T3 multiple comparison test, Tukey HSD multiple comparisons, and a t-test, with SPSS for Windows version 27.0 as the software platform. Results indicated that all silicon types, whether pigmented or not, exhibited varying degrees of color change under different aging conditions. Red-colored samples, across all silicon categories, demonstrated significant color alterations after 720 hours of UV-accelerated aging, with the most pronounced change in the 3% Chitosan samples and the least in the 2% TiO2 samples. Six months of outdoor weathering led to a marked increase in ΔE values across all categories. The blue-pigmented silicon samples treated with 2% TiO2 showed the highest color modification, while the yellow-pigmented silicon and non-pigmented silicon also underwent significant color shifts, particularly in the control and Chitosan-TiO2 categories, respectively. The study underscores the pervasive influence of outdoor weathering on color stability across all silicon categories. It also demonstrates that while nanoparticle incorporation offers some resilience against accelerated aging, it fails to provide adequate protection against the specific effects of UV radiation encountered during outdoor weathering.

The intercomparison among different atmospheric monitoring systems is key for instrument calibration and validation. Common cases involve satellites, radiosonde, radio occultation (e.g. GNSS-RO) and atmospheric model outputs (e.g. ERA5 reanalysis). Since instruments and/or measures are not perfectly collocated, the miss-collocation uncertainty must be considered in the related intercomparison uncertainty budgets.

Plums are primarily marketed for fresh consumption, canning, freezing, jam and jelly. Unfortunately, plum consumption has remained steady or declined. Consumers complain about a lack of flavor quality but are willing to pay for higher quality. Thus, lack of flavor and cold storage disorders are the main barriers to consumption. Plum cultivars are susceptible to gel breakdown, flesh browning and ‘off flavors’. Consumer acceptance and postharvest life are highly dependent on genotype, quality attributes, harvest date and proper postharvest handling. A consumer quality index (CQI) based on soluble solids concentration (SSC) and minimum firmness is proposed to maximize flavor and postharvest life. In most cases, late harvest increases quality attributes. Our work and industry experience demonstrated that using critical bruising thresholds (CBT) based on minimum firmness measured at harvest acts as a reliable predictor of how late to harvest safely for maximum visual and sensory quality. Plums are well adapted to late harvest because of their low susceptibility to bruising damage, but proper postharvest temperature management and marketing within the potential market life are necessary to maintain flavor and avoid the onset of storage disorders. Thus, to maximize flavor and postharvest life, a CQI based on SSC and minimum firmness measured at consumption is proposed. This article provides guidance on using this CQI, combined with proper postharvest handling techniques such as correct harvest date determination and temperature management, to maintain quality and increase consumption.

Background. Chest CT is widely regarded as a dependable imaging technique for detecting pneumonia in COVID-19 patients, but there is growing interest in microwave radiometry (MWR) of the lungs as a possible substitute for diagnosing lung involvement. Aim. The aim of the study is to examine the utility of the MWR approach as a screening tool for diagnosing pneumonia with complications in patients with COVID-19. Methods. Our study involved two groups of participants. The control group consisted of 50 individuals (24 male and 26 female) between the ages of 20 to 70 years who underwent clinical evaluations and had no known medical conditions. The main group included 142 participants (67 men and 75 women) between the ages of 20 to 87 years who were diagnosed with COVID-19 complicated by pneumonia and were admitted to the emergency department between June 2020 to June 2021. Skin and lung temperatures were measured at 14 points, including 2 additional reference points, using a previously established method. Lung temperature data were obtained with the MWR2020 (RTM-01-RES) (MMWR LTD, Edinburgh, UK), a CE Class I device. All participants underwent clinical evaluations, laboratory tests, chest CT scans, MWR of the lungs, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for SARS-CoV-2. Results. The MWR exhibits a high predictive capacity as demonstrated by its sensitivity of 98.6% and specificity of 84.0%. Conclusions. MWR of the lungs can be a valuable substitute for chest CT in diagnosing pneumonia in patients with COVID-19, especially in situations where chest CT is unavailable or impractical.

This study investigates the cultural dimension in sustainable lighting design to create inclusive environments. India being one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse nations in the world, with a population of almost 18% of the world population, requires attention to include cultural dimension in the design of sustainable environments. With the changing lifestyle and growth in organized retailing, the Indian retail market needs an upgrade to create inclusive environments for shared retail experiences. Lighting is among most influencing atmospheric attribute to create simulating environment for a holistic shopping experience. Preference of lighting conditions vary across the store profiles and users’ cultural background. Very little research has been carried out to understand the lighting preferences of retail customers in India. This study investigated the effects of correlated colour temperature and illuminance levels on spatial impressions and user preferences in mid-range store profile. This study involved ninety-three participants in evaluating high definition visualisations of the sixteen lighting conditions. The observations from this study emphasizes the necessity of similar studies across various states of India to identify the lighting preferences for other functional spaces and cultural backgrounds within the country. The findings may contribute towards providing recommended guidelines in lighting design and include a cultural dimension in the design of sustainable store environments.

Soil temperature is a fundamental parameter in water resources and engineering. A cost-effective model which can forecast soil temperature accurately is extensively needed. Recently, many studies have applied artificial intelligence (AI) at both surface and underground levels for soil temperature prediction. However, there is no comprehensive and detailed assessment of the performance of different AI approaches in soil temperature estimation, and primarily limited atmospheric variables are used as input data for AI models. In the present study, great varieties of various land and atmospheric variables are applied to evaluate the performance of a wide range of AI methods on soil temperature prediction. Herein, thirteen approaches, from classic regressions to well-established methods of random forest and gradient boosting to advanced AI techniques like multi-layer perceptron and deep learning are taken into account. The results show that AI is a promising approach in climate parameter forecast and deep learning demonstrates the best performance among other models. It has the highest R-squared ranging from 0.957 to 0.980, the lowest NRMSE ranging from 2.237% to 3.287% and the lowest MAE, ranging from 0.510 to 0.743 in predicting soil temperature. The prediction is repeated for different sizes of data, and prediction outcomes confirm the conclusion mentioned above.

Room temperature superconductivity has recently been reported for a carbonaceous sulfur hydride (CSH) under high pressure by Snider et al [1]. The paper reports sharp drops in magnetic susceptibility as a function of temperature for five different pressures, that are interpreted as signaling a superconducting transition. Here I question the validity and faithfulness of the magnetic susceptibility data presented in the paper by comparison with the measured raw data reported by two of the authors of ref. [2]. This invalidates the assertion of the paper [1] that the susceptibility measurements support the case for superconductivity in this compound.

With heat treatments to control drywood termites (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae), the presence of heat sinks causes heat to be distributed unevenly throughout the treatment areas. Drywood termites may move to galleries in heat sink areas to avoid exposure to lethal temperatures. Our studies were conducted in Crytotermes brevis-infested condominiums in Honolulu, Hawaii to reflect real-world condominium scenarios; either a standard heat treatment performed by a heat remediation company or an improved heat treatment was used. For improved treatments, heated air was directed into the toe-kick voids of C. brevis infested cabinets to reduce heat sink effects and increase the heat penetration into these difficult-to-heat areas. Eight thermistor sensors placed inside toe-kick voids, treatment zone, embedded inside cabinets’ sidewalls, and in a wooden cube recorded target temperatures of above 46 °C or 50 °C for 120 minutes. A pretreatment and follow-up inspections were performed at 6 months posttreatment to monitor termite inactivity using visual observations and by recording the numbers of spiked peaks on a microwave technology termite detection device (Termatrac). In improved treatment condominiums, significantly higher numbers of spiked peaks were recorded at pretreatment as compared to 6 months posttreatment. Efficacious heat treatment protocols using the improved methods are proposed.

Optical characterization and thermal aging tests are performed on a sputter-deposited coating, consisting of SiO₂/Cr₂O₃/Cr/Cr₂O₃ layers, designed and developed as a selective solar absorber to be used for unconcentrated solar thermal applications. Both measurements are performed by using a home-made apparatus, which mimics a flat plate collector under high vacuum. A Performance Criterion (PC_η(T)), based on absorber efficiency is proposed, and a forecast of service lifetime is obtained. As a result of the thermal aging tests, the selective solar absorber under study appears to be highly efficient at mid temperatures (up to 573 K) and thermally stable at temperatures (up to 690 K).

Abiotic stress in plants is an increasingly common problem in agriculture, and thus, studies on plant treatments with specific certain compounds that may help to mitigate these effects have increased in recent years Melatonin (MET) application and its role in mitigating the negative effects of abiotic stress in plants have become important in the last few years. MET, a derivative of tryptophan, is an important plant-related response molecule involved in the growth, development, and reproduction of plants, and the induction of different stress factors. In addition, MET plays a protective role against different abiotic stresses such as salinity, high/low temperature, high light, waterlogging, nutrient deficiency and stress combination by regulating both the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense systems. Also, MET interacts with many signaling molecules, among these, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), and participates in a wide variety of physiological reactions. It is well known that NO produces S-nitrosylation and NO2-Tyr of important antioxidant-related proteins, being this an important mechanism for maintaining the antioxidant capacity of the AsA/GSH cycle under nitro-oxidative conditions, being extensively reviewed here under different abiotic stress conditions. Lastly, in this review, we show the coordination between NO and MET as a long-range signaling molecule, regulating many responses in plants, including plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance. Despite all the knowledge acquired over the years, there is still more to know about how MET and NO act on tolerance to abiotic stresses.

There is a lack of knowledge concerning the effects of ambient heat exposure on morbidity in Northern Europe. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the relationships of daily summer-time temperature and heatwaves with cardiorespiratory hospital admissions in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. Methods: Time-series models adjusted for potential confounders such as air pollution were used to investigate the associations of daily temperature and heatwaves with cause-specific cardiorespiratory hospital admissions, during summer months of 2001-2017. Daily number of hospitalizations was obtained from the national hospital discharge register, weather information from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Results: Increased daily temperature was associated with decreased risk of total respiratory hospital admissions and asthma. Heatwave days were associated with 20.5% (95% CI: 6.9, 35.9) increased risk of pneumonia admissions and during long or intense heatwaves also with total respiratory admissions in the oldest age group (≥ 75 years). There were also suggestive positive associations between heatwave days and admissions due to myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular diseases. In contrast, risk of arrhythmia admissions was decreased 20.8% (95% CI: 8.0, 31.8) during heatwaves. Conclusions: Heatwaves, rather than single hot days, are a health threat affecting the morbidity even in a Northern climate.

Although urbanization has contributed to improving living conditions, it has had negative impacts on the natural environment in the urbanized areas. Urbanization has changed the urban landscape and resulted in increasing land surface temperature (LST). Thus, studies related to LST in various urban environments have become a popular research topic. However, few LST studies focusing on the mountain landscapes (i.e. hill stations) have been carried out. The primary objective of this study is to investigate changes in the landscape and their impacts on LST intensity (LSTI) in the tropical mountain city of Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. The study utilized annual median temperatures extracted from Landsat data collected from 1996 to 2017 based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) interface. The fractions of built-up (BL), forest (FL), and agricultural (AL) land were calculated using land use and cover maps based on the urban-rural zone (URZ) analysis. The urban-rural margin was demarcated based on the fraction of BL (<10%) and LSTI was measured using the mean LST difference in the urban-rural zone. In addition, the mixture of land use types was calculated using the AL/FL and BL/FL fraction ratios, and grid-based density analysis. The result shows that the BL in all URZ rapidly developed, while AL decreased during the period 1996 to 2017. There was minimal change in the forest area of the Nuwara Eliya owing to the government forest preservation policies. The fraction of the BL increased from 32.4% in 1996 to 58.7% in 2017 in the city center zone (URZ₁) resulting in increased mean LST by 4.7 °C. Furthermore, the increase of the BL/FL fraction ratio and the decrease of the AL/FL fraction ratio were positively correlated with the mean LST. Grid-based analysis showed an increasing positive relationship between mean LST and density of BL. This indicated that BL density has been a crucial element in increasing LST in the study area. The results of this study will be a useful indicator to introduce improved landscape and urban planning in the future to minimize the negative impact of LST on urban sustainability.

In this article, the effect of substitution of Zr and Ga in Dy2Fe17 prepared by arc melting technique are studied. The substitution of Zr and Ga in Dy2Fe17 was found to have an important effect on their structure and magnetic properties. The Rietveld analysis conformed that the crystalline system wereTh2Ni17 structure. Lattice parameters a (Å) and c (Å), unit cell volume (Å3), bonding distance (Å) were calculated by using Rietveld analysis. The unit cell volume of Dy2Fe17-xZrx and Dy2Fe16Ga1-xZrx increase linearly with the Zr and Ga substitution. The substitution of Zr and Ga are limited up to x=1 in order to avoid the decrease in saturation magnetization. The Curie temperature (Tc) of Dy2Fe17-xZrx and Dy2Fe16Ga1-xZrx are found to be Zr content dependent. The Curie temperature is found to be increasing first and then decrease for higher Zr content. The maximum curie temperature was observed 510K at x = 0.75 for Dy2Fe17-xZrx and 505.1 K at x = 0.5 for Dy2Fe17-xZrx which are102 K and 97 K higher than Dy2Fe17. The room temperature Mössbauer analysis shows the decrease in average hyperfine field and increase in isomer shift with Zr doping.

Thermal stresses belong to the leading factors that influence low-temperature cracking behavior of asphalt pavements. During winter, when temperature drops to significantly low values, tensile thermal stresses develop as a result of pavement contraction. Creep test methods can be suitable for the assessment of low-temperature properties of asphalt mixtures. To evaluate the influence of creep test methods on the obtained low-temperature properties of asphalt mixtures, three point bending and uniaxial tensile creep tests were applied and the master curves of stiffness modulus were analyzed. On the basis of creep test results, rheological parameters describing elastic and viscous properties of the asphalt mixtures were determined. Thermal stresses were calculated and compared to tensile strength of the material to obtain the failure temperature of the analyzed asphalt mixtures. It was noted that lower strain values of creep curves were obtained for the Tensile Creep Test (TCT) than for the Bending Beam Creep Test (BBCT), especially at lower temperatures. Results of thermal stress calculations indicated that higher reliability was obtained for the viscoelastic Monismith method based on the TCT results than for the simple quasi-elastic solution of Hills and Brien. The highest agreement with the TSRST results was also obtained for the Monismith method based on the TCT results. No clear relationships were noted between the predicted failure temperature and different methods of thermal stress calculations.

1) Background: Climate change may subject forests to climate conditions to which they are not adapted. Elevated temperatures reduce net photosynthesis by increasing respiration rates and increasingly long droughts dramatically increase morbidity. CO₂ enrichment enhances productivity, but it is not clear to what extent CO₂ enrichment can offset the negative effects of elevated temperatures and longer droughts. 2) Methods: We used a mechanistic landscape model to conduct controlled simulation experiments manipulating CO₂ concentration, temperature, drought length and soil water capacity. 3) Results: We found that elevated CO₂ stimulates productivity such that it dwarfs the negative effect caused by elevated temperature. Energy reserves were not as strongly mitigated by elevated CO₂, and mortality of less competitive cohorts increased. Drought length had a surprisingly small effect on productivity measures, but had a marked negative effect on mortality risk. 4) Conclusions: Elevated CO₂ compensated for the negative effect of longer droughts in terms of productivity measures, but not survival measures.

This paper develops a novel dynamic correction method for the reliability assessment of large oil-immersed power transformers. First, with the transformer oil-paper insulation system (TOPIS) as the target of evaluation and the winding hot spot temperature (HST) as the core point, an HST-based static ageing failure model is built according to the Weibull distribution and Arrhenius reaction law, in order to describe the transformer ageing process and calculate the winding HST for obtaining the failure rate and life expectancy of TOPIS. A grey target theory based dynamic correction model is then developed, combined with the data of Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) in power transformer oil, in order to dynamically modify the life expectancy calculated by the built static model, such that the corresponding relationship between the state grade and life expectancy correction coefficient of TOPIS can be built. Furthermore, the life expectancy loss recovery factor is introduced to correct the life expectancy of TOPIS again. Lastly, a practical case study of an operating transformer has been undertaken, in which the failure rate curve after introducing dynamic corrections can be obtained for the reliability assessment of this transformer. The curve shows a better ability of tracking the actual reliability level of transformer, thus verifying the validity of the proposed method and providing a new way for transformer reliability assessment. This contribution presents a novel model for the reliability assessment of TOPIS, in which the DGA data, as a source of information for the dynamic correction, is processed based on the grey target theory, thus the internal faults of power transformer can be diagnosed accurately as well as its life expectancy updated in time, ensuring that the dynamic assessment values can commendably track and reflect the actual operation state of the power transformers.

The Microwave Humidity and Temperature sounder (MWHTS) on board the Fengyun (FY)-3C satellite measure the outgoing radiance form the Earth surface and atmospheric constituents. MWHTS makes measurements in the isolated oxygen absorption line near 118 GHz and the vicinity of strong water vapor line around 183 GHz, can provide fine vertical distribution structure of both atmospheric humidity and temperature. However, in order to obtain the accurate soundings of humidity and temperature by the physical retrieval method, bias between the observed radiance and those simulated by radiative transfer model from the background or first guess profiles must be correct. In this study, two bias correction methods are developed through the correlation analysis between MWHTS measurements and air mass identified by the first guess profiles of the physical inversion, one is the linear regression correction (LRC) and the other is neural networks correction (NNC), representing the linear and nonlinear nature between MWHTS measurements and air mass, respectively. Both correction methods have been applied to MWHTS observed brightness temperatures over the geographic area (180° W-180° E, 60° S-60° N). The corrected results are evaluated by the probability density function of the difference between corrected observations and simulated values and the root mean square error (RMSE) with respect to simulated observations. The numerical results show that the NNC method perform better, especially in MWHTS channels 1 and 7-9 whose peak weight function heights are close to the surface. In order to assess the effects of bias correction methods proposed in this study on the retrieval accuracy, a one-dimensional variational system was built and applied to the MWHTS uncorrected and corrected brightness temperatures to estimated atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, The retrieval results show that the NNC has better performance which is to be expected. An indication of the stability and robustness of NNC method is given which suggests that the NNC method has promising application perspectives in the physical retrieval.

Urban green spaces, such as parks, cemeteries and allotment gardens provide important cooling functions for mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect. In the densely populated Ruhr Area (Germany), rehabilitated tailing piles (TP), as relicts of the coal-mining history, are widespread hilly-shaped landscape forms mainly used for local recreation. Their potential role as cooling islands has never been analyzed systematically. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the TP surface cooling potential in comparison to other urban green spaces (UGS). We analyzed the factors controlling the piles' summer LST pattern using k-mean clustering and Random Forest Regression modeling. Generally, mean LST values of the TPs were comparable to those of other UGSs in the region. Vegetation moisture (NDMI), vitality (NDVI), and height (VH) were found to control the LST pattern of the piles during summer. Soil moisture (TVDI) was directly be related to VH, with highest values on the north and northeast facing slopes and lowest on slopes with south and southeast exposition. Terrain attributes such as altitude, slope, aspect, or curvature were of minor relevance in that context, except on TPs exceeding heights of 125 m. In conclusion, we advise urban planners to maintain and improve the benefit of tailing piles as green cooling islands for UHI mitigation. As one measure, the soil's water-holding capacity could be increased through thicker soil covers or through soil additives during mine tailing rehabilitation, espe-cially on the piles' south and southeast exposition.

In order to further control the equivalent circulating density,a new type of annular pres-sure-reducing downhole tool for high temperature and high pressure wells-liquid-absorbing ECD tool is designed.Through this tool,the bottom hole pressure of the equivalent circulating drilling fluid can be close to its hydrostatic pres-sure,therebyachieving a deeper drilling depth.The tool is mainly composed of screw mo-tor,vortex blade,annular seal,universal joint and drill string.Its working principle is mainly to use the liquid absorption effect of the tool and the hydraulic energy of the circu-lating fluid extracted by the screw motor to convert it into mechanical energy,and to gen-erate suction force to improve the flow energy of the drilling fluid in the bottom hole an-nulusand reduce the equivalent circulation density.Based on ANSYS-FLUENT analysis andsimulation,the change of pressure drop characteristics under different drilling fluid density,displacement and tool size was simulated.The simulation results show that thedepressurization effect is 1.0MPa when the drilling fluid density is 1.2g/cm3. When the drilling fluid density is 1.5g/cm3,the depressurization is about 1.7MPa,and when thedrill-ing fluid density is 1.8g/cm3,the depressurization is about 1.9MPa.When the drilling fluid density is 2.0g/cm3,the pressure drop is about 2.3MPa.When the flow rate is from 1500-2500L/min,the maximum pressure can be reduced by 2.3MPa.When the viscosity is 40mPa•S and 60mPa•S,the pressure drop almost does not change.The increase of viscosi-ty has little effect on the pressure drop,and it is mainly affected by the flow rate under equal displacement.

The bipartite entanglement is comprehensively investigated in the mononuclear molecular complex (Et3NH)[Ni(hfac)2L], where HL denotes 2-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-nitrophenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-3-oxide-1-oxyl and hfacH stands for hexafluoroacetylacetone. From the magnetic point of view, the molecular compound (Et3NH)[Ni(hfac)2L] consists of an exchange-coupled spin-1 Ni2+ magnetic ion and a spin-12 nitronyl-nitroxide radical substituted nitrophenol. The nickel-radical molecular complex affords an experimental realization of a mixed spin-(12, 1) Heisenberg dimer with a strong antiferromagnetic exchange coupling J/kB= 505 K and two distinct g-factors gRad=2.005 and gNi=2.275. By adopting this set of magnetic parameters we demonstrate that the Zeeman splitting of a quantum ferrimagnetic ground-state doublet due to a weak magnetic field may substantially reinforce the strength of bipartite entanglement at low temperatures. The molecular compound (Et3NH)[Ni(hfac)2L] maintains sufficiently strong thermal entanglement even at room temperature, vanishing only above 546 K. Specifically, the thermal entanglement in the nickel-radical molecular complex retains approximately 40% of the maximum value corresponding to perfectly entangled Bell states at room temperature, which implies that this magnetic compound provides suitable platform of a molecular qubit with potential implications for room-temperature quantum computation and quantum information processing.

In this paper, the Shannon entropy measure was used to assess changes in precipitation and temperature conditions. Due to the short, low-volume sequences of precipitation and temperature data analysed, a bootstrap method was used in the procedure for calculating Shannon entropy. The analysis used minimum and maximum values of monthly precipitation totals and monthly mean temperatures for 377 catchments distributed across the globe. A 110-year data series from 1901 to 2010 was analysed. Entropy values for the estimated parameters of the generalised extreme value distribution (GEV) were calculated for the adopted data. Entropy value calculations were performed for the left-hand constraint, based on minimum values, and for the right-hand constraint, based on maximum values. The applicability of Shannon's entropy measure in the analysis of climate change was demonstrated by allowing the degree of disorder and complexity of the distributions describing climate variables in the form of precipitation and temperature to be measured. This made it possible to obtain information on the directions of changes occurring with regard to minimum and maximum values in the field of monthly precipitation and mean temperatures in the analysed catchments. The study demonstrated the existence of Shannon entropy trends. The evaluation of entropy trends for precipitation and temperature sequences was performed using non-parametric tests. Mann -Kendall tests at the 5% significance level were used for trend analyses. The Pettitt test was performed to determine the point of change in trend for the rainfall and temperature data. The performed analysis was supported by graphical presentations.

Two pre-pulses focused at different positions and at different time moments were used to enhance THz emission generated by the main pulse. The emission of THz radiation from air breakdown regions of focused ultrashort fs-laser pulses (800 nm/35 fs) at shockwave front prepared by pre-pulses was investigated, and a 3D spatio-temporal control was established for the most intense emission. The laser pulse-induced air breakdown forms a ~120 micrometers-long focal volume and generates a shockwave that delivers denser air into the focal region of the main pulse for enhanced generation of THz radiation at 0.1-2.5 THz spectral window. The intensity of pre- and main-pulses was at the tunneling ionisation intensities (1-3)x10¹⁶ W/cm² and corresponded to sub-critical (transparent) plasma in air. Polarisation analysis revealed that the orientation of the air density gradients generated by pre-pulses and their time-space placement defined the ellipticity of the generated THz electrical field. The rotational electric current is the origin of THz radiation. The current is created by non-parallel gradients of electron density and temperature. Scaling dependencies of THz emission control are established.

In this research paper an algorithm for the derivation of methods based on theorems and axioms of fuzzy logic is presented, analyzed and applied. This new proposed procedure generates fuzzy methods and evaluates the value of fuzzy propositions through fuzzy implication. The new implications of the family should satisfy a number of axioms. Also, we denote the conditions in order to satisfy the maximum number of axioms. Moreover, authors state and prove theorems focusing on fuzzy implication, observing the rule: the fuzzy function of fuzzy implication is strong and that lead to fuzzy negation. In addition, the optimal number of repetitions is calculated according to the expected truth value. The formulas produced are verified through the use of temperature and humidity values over a certain period of time and in a certain geographical area in Greece. The basic steps of the methodology are the fuzzification of the data given ​​using four membership degree functions and the application of the membership degrees of temperature and humidity values on a new type of fuzzy implication. Finally, we observed that the isosceles trapezium gave the best results and the type of fuzzy implication can be effectively applied.

This paper presents the results of a comparison of the seasonal dynamics of carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere and the phenological phases of various water bodies located in the boreal and subarctic zones for 2012–2020. Six large freshwater areas were selected as research objects: Lake Baikal, Lake Ladoga, Gulf of Ob, Lake Huron, Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake. In addition, four areas of wetlands in Western Siberia were studied. The CO2 concentration in the air column over water bodies was obtained from CAMS global greenhouse gas reanalysis data. These data represent three-dimensional fields of aerosols and chemical components in the atmosphere, with complete coverage of the globe. The phenological phases of the water bodies were determined using data from the MIRAS microwave radiometer of the SMOS satellite. The comparison and analysis performed showed that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere over the studied water bodies has a seasonal cyclical nature. The minimum concentration corresponds to the summer period due to strong photosynthesis of phytoplankton and swamp vegetation, which results in the absorption of carbon dioxide. The maximum CO2 concentration over the water bodies corresponds to the end of the winter – the beginning of the spring period, when photosynthesis processes are minimal. During this period, CO2 is being accumulated in water bodies and subsequently emitted. In freezing lakes located in the boreal zone, in addition to a stable spring maximum of CO2, a strong short-term release of carbon dioxide is sometimes observed, also corresponding to the stage of destruction of the ice cover. It is associated with the release of CO2 accumulated over the winter period, which was “sealed” in the ice and in the water column under the ice. The absence of such a release in the waters of the subarctic zone is explained by the lower biological productivity of these reservoirs compared to the waters of the boreal zone.

This article presents an analysis of monthly precipitation totals based on the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre database and monthly mean temperatures based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data for 377 catchments located around the world. Data sequences covering 110 years from 1901 to 2010 were analysed. The long-term sequences of precipitation and temperature were used to assess the variability of climate extremes, referred to here as polarisation. Measures of polarisation used in the natural sciences are discussed. A simple measure of polarisation was presented and applied to long-term sequences of monthly precipitation totals and monthly mean temperatures. Due to the nature of the proposed polarisation measure, other characteristics of precipitation and temperature sequences are also presented as a background for the discussion of the polarisation index. The study showed the existence of trends related to the polarisation of temperature and precipitation phenomena. As a result of the analysis, trends of polarisation factors in the area of precipitation and temperature were identified in 11 catchments out of the 377 analysed catchments. The trend analysis used Mann-Kendall tests at a level of significance of 5%. The Pettitt test was used to determine the point of trend change for precipitation and temperature data. The whole investigation is supported by rich graphical analyses, and the results are presented in tabular form.

A novel hybrid CSP-PV power plant is presented. Instead of the integration used in current hybrid power plants, where part of the PV production is charged into the thermal energy storage system through electrical resistors, the proposed system integrates both PV and thermal solar fields using a high-temperature heat pump. Both the heat pump and the heat engine are based on Brayton supercritical CO2 thermodynamic cycles. Such integration allows for charging the molten salts storage as if a central tower receiver field supplied the thermal energy, whereas parabolic trough collectors are employed. Unlike conventional hybrid plants, where the storage of PV production leads to a decrease in power injected into the grid throughout the day, the power injected by the proposed system remains constant. The heat engine efficiency is 44.4%, and the COP is 2.32. The LCOE for a 50 MWe plant with up to 12 hours of storage capacity is 171 $/MWh, which is lower than that of existing CSP power plants with comparable performance. Although the cost is higher compared to a PV plant with batteries, this hybrid system offers two significant advantages: it eliminates the consumption of critical raw materials in batteries, and all the electricity produced comes from a synchronous machine.

With simple but rigorous arguments we prove that the ordinary second quantization of bosonic and fermionc fields is formally equivalent to constraining the elementary degrees of freedom of the classical fields to have intrinsically periodic dynamics in time. This result confirms and extends the formal equivalence obtained in previous papers for general Hamiltonian systems in terms of canonical quantization, for elementary relativistic particles also in terms of the Feynman Path Integrals, as well as other remarkable correspondences of both phenomenological and theoretical fundamental interest.

The article presents an analysis of monthly precipitation totals based on the GPCC database, and monthly mean temperatures (NOAA data) for 377 catchments distributed across the globe. The analysis included 110-year data sequences from 1901 to 2010 calculated from grid data with a spatial resolution of 0.5°x 0.5° longitude and latitude. Long-term sequences of precipitation and temperature were used to assess the polarization of climatic phenomena. The noticeable impact of polarization in the area of extreme changes in temperature and precipitation is related to anthropogenic factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and pollution, which affect ecosystem functioning, biodiversity, water resources and economies. The paper demonstrates the existence of trends related to the polarization of temperature and precipitation phenomena. The measures of polarization used in science are discussed. A simple measure of polarization was proposed and applied to both long-term sequences of monthly precipitation totals and monthly mean temperature. Due to the nature of the proposed polarization measure, other characteristics of the precipitation and temperature sequences are also presented as background for the discussion of the polarization index. The paper presents, for a selection of several hundred catchments from around the world, analyses of the assessment of precipitation and temperature trends using non-parametric tests. The trend analyses use Mann -Kendall tests at the 5% significance level. A Pettitt test was used to determine the trend change point for precipitation and temperature data. The whole is supported by rich graphical analyses and the results are presented tabularly.

It is not easy to dynamically analyze thermal bridges that require multidimensional analysis in building energy simulations, which are mostly one-dimensional platforms. To solve this problem, many studies have been conducted and, recently, a study was conducted to model the thermal bridge based on the data by approaching this in a similar way to steady-state analysis, showing high accuracy. This was an early-stage study, which is only applicable when the indoor temperature is constant. By extending this study, a thermal bridge model that can be applied even when the indoor temperature changes over time is proposed and validated. Since the governing equation, the heat diffusion equation, is linear, the key idea is to create and apply two thermal bridge transfer function models by expressing the heat flow entering the room as a linear combination of the transfer function for indoor temperature and the transfer function for outdoor temperature. For the proposed thermal bridge model, the NRMSE of the model itself showed a high accuracy of 99.9%, and in the verification through annual simulation using the model, the NRMSE showed an accuracy of 88.8%.

For the first time, few-layer graphene (FLG) nanosheets were synthesized by the method of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) from biopolymers (starch and lignin). We suggested that biopolymers (lignin, tree bark) and polysaccharides, in particular starch, could be an acceptable source of native cycles for the SHS process. The carbonization of biopolymers under the conditions of the SHS process was chosen as the basic method of synthesis. Chemical reactions, under the conditions of the SHS process, proceed according to a specific mechanism of nonsothermal branched-chain processes, which are characterized by the joint action of two fundamentally different process-accelerating factors - avalanche reproduction of active intermediate particles and self-heating. The method of obtaining FLG nanosheets included the thermal destruction of hydrocarbons in a mixture with an oxidizing agent. We used biopolymers as hydrocarbons and ammonium nitrate as an oxidizing agent. Thermal destruction was carried out in the mode of SHS, heating the mixture in a vessel at a speed of 20–30 oC/min to 150-200 oC and keeping at this temperature for 15–20 min with the discharge of excess gases into atmosphere. A combination of spectrometric research methods, supplemented by electron microscopy data, has shown that the particles of the carbonated product powder in their morphometric and physical parameters correspond to FLG nanosheets. An X-ray diffraction analysis of the indicated FLG nanosheets was carried out, which showed the absence of formations with a graphite crystal structure in the final material. The surface morphology was also studied and the features of the IR absorption of FLG nanosheets were analyzed. It is shown that the developed SHS method makes it possible to obtain FLG nanosheets with linear dimensions of tens of microns and a thickness of not more than 1-5 graphene layers (several graphene layers).

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of abiotic stresses that lead to loss of crop yield. We investigated the effect of salinity (S), short episodes of high temperature (HS) and combination of S+HS at the reproductive phase on dead pericarps properties and yield of the crop plant Brassica juncea. Three intervals of HS resulted in massive seed abortion; seeds from salt-treated plants germinated poorly. Pericarp extracts of salt-treated plants reduced seed germination of B. juncea; all pericarp extracts completely inhibited seed germination of tomato and Arabidopsis; removal of pericarp extracts restored seed germination. HS reduced all metabolites accumulated in dead pericarps, except for upregulation of isomaltose and cellobiose. Salt induced alteration in metabolite levels including increase in proline, reduction in TCA intermediates and changes in phytohormone levels. Proteome analysis revealed hundreds of proteins stored in dead pericarps whose levels and composition were altered under salt stress. The integration of metabolic and proteomic data showed that changes in metabolites were highly correlated with changes in proteins involved in their biosynthetic pathways. Thus, besides providing a physical shield for seed/embryo protection dead pericarps store beneficial substances whose levels, composition and biological function are altered under stress, further highlighting the elaborated function of dead organs enclosing embryos in seed biology and ecology. The detrimental effect of HS on crop production might have implications for global food security in the face of climate change.

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process employed in many industries, for example for aerospace, automotive and medical applications. In these sectors, mainly nickel-, aluminum- and titanium-based alloys are used. In contrast, the mechanical engineering industry is interested in more wear-resistant steel alloys with higher hardness, both of which can be achieved with a higher carbon content, like in high-speed steels. Since these steels are susceptible to cracking, preheating needs to be applied during processing by LPBF. In a previous study, we applied a base plate preheating temperature of 500 °C for HS6-5-3-8 with 1.3 % carbon content. We were able to manufacture dense (p > 99.9 %) and crack-free parts from HS6-5-3-8 with a hardness > 62 HRC (as built) by LPBF. In this study, we investigate the influence of preheating temperatures up to 600 °C on hardness and microstructure dependent on part height for HS6-5-3-8. The microstructure was studied by light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The analysis of hardness and microstructure at different part heights is necessary because state-of-the-art preheating systems induce heat only into the base plate. Consequently, parts are subjected to temperature gradients and different heat treatment effects depending on part height during the LPBF process.

In this work we have critically reviewed the processes in high-temperature sublimation growth of graphene in Ar atmosphere using enclosed graphite crucible. Special focus is put on buffer layer formation and free charge carrier properties of monolayer graphene and quasi-freestanding monolayer garphene on 4H-SiC. We show that by introducing Ar at different temperatures, TAr one can shift to higher temperatures the formation of the buffer layer for both n-type and semi-insulating substrates. A scenario explaining the observed suppresed formation of buffer layer at higher TAr is proposed and discussed. Increased TAr is also shown to reduce the sp3 hybridization content and defect densities in the buffer layer on n-type conductive substrates. Growth on semi-insulating substrates results in ordered buffer layer with significantly improved structural properties, for which TAr plays only a minor role. The free charge density and mobility parameters of monolayer graphene and quasi-freestanding monolayer graphene with different TAr and different environmental treatment conditions are determined by contactless terahertz optical Hall effect. An efficient annealing of donors on and near the SiC surface takes place in intrinsic monolayer graphene grown at 2000∘C, and which is found to be independent of TAr. Higher TAr leads to higher free charge carrier mobility parameters in both intrinsically n-type and ambient p-type doped monolayer graphene. TAr is also found to have a profound effect on the free hole parameters of quasi-freestanding monolayer graphene. These findings are discussed in view of interface and buffer layer properties in order to construct a comprehensive picture of high-temperature sublimation growth and provide guidance for growth parameters optimization depending on the targeted graphene application.

Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Land Use Land Cover (LULC) are the principal aspects of climate and environment studies. The object of the study is to assess spatial relationship between LST and remote sensing LULC indices at the global and continental scale. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua daytime LST and eight LULC MODIS indices of 2018 prepared and processed using Earth Engine Code Editor. R squared and significance of the relationship values of randomly selected points computed in R program. The research observed the relationship between examined indices and LST is significant at the 0.001 level. Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Normalized Difference Snow Index (DSI) are the dominant drivers of LST in the world, Asia and North America. In Australia and Africa, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) are the dominant drivers of LST. Albedo and Normalized Difference Soil Index (NDSI) have superior in Central America. In South America and Europe, the dominant driver of LST is NDWI. Relationship between albedo and LST is moderate inverse on a global scale. Observed relationship between LST and examined vegetation indices is positive in Europe and North America while inverse in Australia and Africa. All observed relationship between Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) and LST are positive. Association observed between NDSI and LST is positive in Australia, Africa and Central America.

A ducted photovoltaic façade (DPV) unit Studied using experimental Prototype and simulated in a full scale Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD Model. The Study comes in two parts; This is Part I with the title detailed above and Part II titled ‘A Ducted Photovoltaic Façade Unit with Buoyancy Cooling: Part II CFD Simulation’.. The process adopted in the experimental study is replicated in the simulation Part. The aim was to optimize the duct width behind the solar cells to allow for maximum buoyancy-driven cooling for the cells during operation. Duct widths from 5 to 50 cm were tested in a Proto-type. A duct width of 45 cm had the maximum calculated heat removed from the duct; however, the lowest cell-operating temperature was reported for duct width of 50 cm. It was found that the DT between ducts' inlets and outlets range from 5.47 °C to 12.32 °C for duct widths of 5–50 cm, respectively. The ducted system enhanced module efficiency by 12.69% by reducing PV temperature by 27 °C from 100°C to 73 °C. The maximum calculated heat recovered from the ducted PV system is 422 W. This is 47.98% from the incident radiation in the test. Total summation of heat recovered and power enhanced by the ducted system is 61.67%.

Direct laser writing three-dimensional nano-lithography is an established technique for manufacturing functional 3D micro- and nano-objects via non-linear absorption induced polymerization process. In this Chapter an underlying physical mechanisms taking place during nano-confined polymerization reaction, induced by tightly focused ultra-short laser pulses, are reviewed and discussed. The special attention is paid on the effects that directly impact structuring resolution and minimum achievable feature size. Analysis of possible photo-initiation mechanisms as contributing multi-photon absorption and avalanche ionization in pre-polymers under diverse exposure conditions (wavelength, pulse duration) is presented. Feasible structuring of pure (non-photosensitized) and functional nanoparticles doped polymer precursors is justified and benefits of such materials/structures for microoptics, photonics and cell scaffolds are highlighted. The influence of temperature effects (induced by writing process itself or determined by ambient conditions) on polymerization process, observed in different pre-polymers under diverse exposure regimes is outlined. The further adjustment of the structuring resolution is possible via precise control of light polarization and diffusion assisted radical quenching. The work is concluded with a brief outlook on future challenges and perspectives related to refinement of 3D ultra-fast laser lithography fabrication process in the means of application of diverse post-processing methods and research into novel photo-curable materials including inorganic ones.

External quantum efficiency of industrial-grade green InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has been measured in a wide range of operating currents at various temperatures from 13 K to 300 K. Unlike blue LEDs, the efficiency as a function of current is found to have a multi-peak character, which could not be fitted by a simple ABC-model. This observation correlated with splitting of LED emission spectra into two peaks at certain currents. The characterization data are interpreted in terms of non-uniformity of the LED active region, which is tentatively attributed to extended defects like V-pits. We suggest a new approach to evaluation of temperature-dependent light extraction and internal quantum efficiencies taking into account the active region non-uniformity. As a result, the temperature dependence of light extraction and internal quantum efficiencies have been evaluated in the temperature range mentioned above and compared with those of blue LEDs.

There are rich proper noun derivative semantic relationships in geographic entity vector data. The identification of traditional proper noun derivative semantic relationships usually requires toponym researchers to examine the source of derived toponyms by consulting a large number of toponym documents. This method cannot adapt to the mining of proper noun derivative semantic relationships for large-scale geographical entity. In this regard, this paper proposes a method of identifying the proper noun derivative semantic relationships for geographical entity by combining prompt learning and XGBoost model. This method transforms the extraction problem of proper noun derivative semantic relationships into a binary classification problem by analyzing the characteristics of the derivation relationship of toponyms in the form of toponyms and the spatial and temporal distribution of geography. Firstly, prompt learning and gaussian mixture model are used to extract and cluster the derivation words of toponyms, so as to realize the recognition of derived toponyms collections. Then, enumerate the possible proper noun derivations in the toponym set, and then the XGBoost model is used to identify the semantic relations derived from the proper noun of geographical entities. In the experiment, the recognition method of proper noun derivative semantic relationships based on prompt learning and XGBoost proposed in this paper has achieved good relationship recognition effect in the experiment. This method has certain practical value in the fields of toponym management and toponym translation.

Predicting change from multivariate time series has relevant applications ranging from medical to engineering fields. Multisensory stimulation therapy in patients with dementia aims to change the patient’s behavioral state. For example, patients who exhibit a baseline of agitation may be paced to change their behavioral state to relaxed. This study aims to predict changes in behavioral state from the analysis of the physiological and neurovegetative parameters to support the therapist during the stimulation session. In order to extract valuable indicators for predicting changes, both handcrafted and learned features were evaluated and compared. The handcrafted features were defined starting from the CATCH22 feature collection, while the learned ones were extracted using a Temporal Convolutional Network, and the behavioral state was predicted through Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory Auto-Encoder, operating jointly. From the comparison with the state-of-the-art, the learned features-based approach exhibits superior performance with accuracy rates of up to 99.42% with a time window of 70 seconds and up to 98.44% with a time window of 10 seconds.

Advanced methods of treatment are needed to fight the threats of virus-transmitted deseases and pandemics. Often they are based on an improved biophysical understanding of virus replication strategies and processes in their host cells. For instance, an essential component of the replication of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) proceeds under the influence of non-structural HCV proteins (NSPs) that are anchored to the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER), such as the NS5a protein. The diffusion of NSPs has been studied by in-vitro fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments. The diffusive evolution of the concentration field of NSPs on the ER can be described by means of surface partial differential equations (sufPDE). Knodel et al, Viruses 2018, 10, 28 estimated the diffusion coefficient of the NS5a protein by minimizing the discrepancy of an extended set of sufPDE simulations and experimental FRAP time series data. Here, we provide a scaling analysis of the sufPDEs that describe the diffusive evolution of the concentration field of NSPs on the ER. This analysis provides an estimate of the diffusion coefficient that is based only on the ratio of the membrane surface area in the FRAP region and its contour length. The quality of this estimate is explored by comparison to numerical solutions of the sufPDE for a flat geometry and for ten different 3D embedded 2D ER grids that are derived from fluorescence z-stack data of the ER. Finally, we apply the new data analysis to the experimental FRAP time-series data analyzed in our previous paper, and we discuss the opportunities of the new approach.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is caused by polyglutamine expansion in Ataxin-2 (ATXN2). This factor binds RNA/proteins to modify metabolism after stress, and to control calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis after stimuli, thus exerting crucial neuroprotection for cerebellar ataxias and corticospinal motor neuron degeneration. Our Atxn2-CAG100-Knock-In mouse faithfully models features observed in patients at pre-onset, early and terminal stages. Here, its cerebellar global RNA profiling revealed downregulation of signaling cascades to precede motor deficits. Validation work at mRNA/protein level defined alterations that were independent of constant physiological ATXN2 functions, but specific for RNA/aggregation toxicity, and progressive across the short lifespan. Earliest changes were detected at 3 months among Ca2+ channels/transporters (Itpr1, Ryr3, Atp2a2, Atp2a3, Trpc3), IP3 metabolism (Plcg1, Inpp5a, Itpka), and Ca2+-Calmodulin dependent kinases (Camk2a, Camk4). CaMKIV–Sam68 control over alternative splicing of Nrxn1, an adhesion component of glutamatergic synapses between granule and Purkinje neurons, was found affected. Systematic screening of pre/post-synapse components, with dendrite morphology assessment, suggested early impairment of CamKIIα abundance together with weakening of parallel fiber connectivity. These data reveal molecular changes due to ATXN2 pathology, impacting communication and excitability of cerebellar neurons. Discovery of such risk versus progression markers improves the assessment of pre-symptomatic treatments in SCA2 and related disorders.

Simulations of the pump response time refer to the determination of the time constant of the transient process when the flow and pressure change. The changes mentioned in the standards are precisely defined and prescribed by the "MIL-P-19692E" norms. The simulation showed that the time constants are within the permissible limits prescribed by these norms. The diagram shows the responses for the considered pump and for the case when the flow changes from Qn to Qmin and changes from Qmin to Qn. The time constants t1 and t2 are defined on the diagrams, with the parameters that the pump has. In addition, the standards define the pressure jump that occurs during the transient process as well as time constants. From the flow change diagram, it can be seen that the flow change is also very fast and takes place in time intervals shorter than 0.1 s. By evaluating the size of the time constants, t1 and t2, it can be concluded that they have a value below 0.05 s, which meets the regulations in that area. Also, the size of the jump pressure meets the regulations because it is only 1.2 M Pa above the nominal pressure.

By using the method of high-temperature solid-phase reaction, the new piezoceramic SrBi2Nb2-2xWxSnxO9 was obtained, in which partial substitution of niobium (Nb) atoms with Sn4+ and W6+ atoms in the compound SrBi2Nb2O9 took place in the octahedra of the perovskite layer (B-position). X-ray diffraction studies have shown that these compounds are single-phase SrBi2Nb2-2xWxSnxO9 (x = 0.1, 0.2) and two-phase SrBi2Nb2-2xWxSnxO9 (x = 0.3, 0.4), but they all had the structure of Aurivillius – Smolensky phases (ASPs) with similar parameters of orthorhombic elementary cells, corresponding to the spatial group A21am. The dependences on temperature of the relative permittivity ε/ε0 and the tangent of the loss angle tan d at different frequencies were measured.

The application of distributed fiber optic strain and temperature measurement can be utilized to address a multitude of measurement tasks across a diverse range of fields, particularly in the context of structural health monitoring in the domains of building construction, civil engineering, and special foundation engineering. However, a comprehensive understanding of the influences on the measurement method and the sensors is essential to prevent misinterpretations or measurement deviations. In this context, this study investigated the effects of moisture exposure, including various salt solutions and a high pH value, on a distributed strain measurement using Rayleigh backscattering. Three fiber optic sensors with different coating materials and one uncoated fiber were exposed to five different solutions for 24 hours. The study revealed significant discrepancies in deformation between the three coating types depending on the surrounding solution. Furthermore, in contrast to the prevailing literature, which predominantly describes swelling effects, a negative deformation was observed in a magnesium chloride solution. The findings of this study indicate that corresponding effects can impact the precision of measurement, potentially leading to misinterpretations. Conversely, these effects could be used to conduct large-scale monitoring of chemical components using distributed fiber optic sensing.

A new clothing resistance model is described and applied to characterize the human thermal and moisture climates. The climate was described by the thermal (rcl,t) and evap-orative (rcl,e) resistances of comfortable, imaginary clothing. The key input variable of the model is the rate of sweating (λEsw). Since sweating is an individual-specific process, the model applies to the individual. The observations were carried out by a single individual in Martonvásár (Hungarian lowland, Central Europe) in the summer of 2023 and the winter of 2024. During the observations, the observer walked at a speed of 1.1-1.7 ms-1 in weather-appropriate clothing. Among the results, we would highlight the following: Dur-ing large environmental heat surpluses, the rcl,t values were found to be between 0.1-0.5 clo-t (clo-t = 0.155 m2·℃·W-1), while the rcl,e values fell between 0.4-0.8 clo-e (clo-e = 0.155 m2·hPa·W-1). The values of the parameters close to 0 were caused by intense sweating (λEsw > 200 Wm-2). The applicability of the model is limited and largely depends on the rela-tionship between λEsw and the metabolic heat flux density.

The predatory mirids Macrolophus pygmaeus Ramber and Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Heteroptera: Miridae) are used for the biological control of Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lep.: Gelechiidae) and other pests in tomato greenhouses. The functional response of 1 (young) and 10 (old) days old adult females and males of M. pygmaeus and N. tenuis on eggs of T. absoluta, was determined on tomato at two temperatures (20° and 25°C) and LD 16:8 and found to be Type II. M. pygmaeus females exhibited higher predation efficiency, than males at both tested temperatures. Young M. pygmaeus females had a higher efficiency than old ones, whereas males had a low efficiency irrespective of age. The predation efficiency of N. tenuis was high (but lower than M. pygmaeus) in both young females and males, although old females had a higher efficiency than the respective males. Our results show that the two predatory species have different functional response characteristics to their prey depending mainly on sex and age which may affect their role as biological control agents.

Abstract Octreotide is the first synthetic peptide hormone, consisted of eight amino acids, that mimics the activity of somatostatin, a natural hormone in the body. During the past decades, advanced instrumentation and crystallographic software established X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) as a valuable tool for extracting structural information of biological macromolecules. The latter was demonstrated by the successful structural determination of octreotide at a remarkably high d-spacing resolution (1.87 Å) (PDB code: 6vc1). This study focuses on the response of octreotide to different humidity levels and temperatures, with a particular focus on the stability of the polycrystalline sample. XRPD measurements were accomplished employing an Anton Paar MHC-trans humidity-temperature chamber installed within a laboratory X’Pert Pro diffractometer (Malvern Panalytical). The chamber is employed to control and maintain precise humidity and temperature levels of samples during XRPD data collection. Pawley analysis of the collected data sets revealed that the octreotide polycrystalline sample is remarkably stable and no structural transitions were observed. The compound retains its orthorhombic symmetry (space group: P212121, a = 18.57744(4) Å, b = 30.17338(6) Å, c = 39.70590(9) Å, d~ 2.35 Å). However, a characteristic structural evolution in terms of lattice parameters and volume of the unit-cell is reported mainly upon controlled relative humidity variation. In addition, an improvement of signal-to-noise ratio in the XRPD data under a cycle of dehydration/rehydration is reported. These results underline the importance of considering the impact of environmental factors, as humidity and temperature, in the context of structure-based drug design, thereby contributing to the development of more effective and stable pharmaceutical products.

: Low-temperature growth of diamond films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is not so widely reported and especially its initial periods of nucleation and growth phenomenon are of particular interest to the researchers. Four sets of substrates were selected for growing diamond films by linear antenna microwave plasma enhanced CVD (LA-MPCVD). Among them, silicon and sapphire substrates were pre-treated with detonation nanodiamond (DND) seeds before diamond growth for enhancement of its nucleation. On the other hand, carbon nanotube (CNT) films on Si substrates were also used as another template for LA-MPCVD diamond growth. In order to enhance the diamond nucleation during CVD growth, some of the CNT films were again pre-treated by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of diamond nanoparticles. All these substrates were then put inside the LA-MPCVD chamber for growing diamond films under variable processing conditions. Microwave input powers (1100 – 2800 W), input power modes (pulse or continuous), antenna to stage distances (5 - 6.5 cm), process gas recipes (with or without CO2), methane gas percentages (3 - 5%), deposition times (11 – 120 minutes) were altered to investigate their effect on the growth of diamond film on the pre-treated substrates. The substrate temperatures were found to vary from as low as 170oC to a maximum of 307oC during the alteration of the different processing parameters. Contrary to the conventional MPCVD, it was observed that during the first hour of LA-MPCVD diamond growth, DND seeds or the nucleating structures, do not coalesce together to make a continuous film. Deposition time was the most critical factor in fully covering the substrate surfaces with diamond film, since the substrate temperature could not become stable during the first hour of LA-MPCVD. CNT was found to be oxidised rapidly under LA-MPCVD plasma conditions; therefore, a CO2-free process gas recipe was used to reduce CNT burning. Moreover, EPD-coated CNT was found to be less oxidised by the LACVD plasma during diamond growth.

Human-caused anthropogenic greenhouse emissions impact climate globally. In this pilot study, we aim to reveal the impact of oil and gas emissions from local oil deposits in the regime of their natural degradation and development and eco-physiological changes of pine forests in Tatarstan Republic, Russia over the past century. We performed stable carbon isotope analysis in pine tree rings (13Cptrw) to reveal the impact of oil and gas emissions from the giant oil field reservoirs located in Leninogorsk region (UVRT) and the natural reserve site in Raifa. Our results show decreasing 13Cptrw at UVRT in 1943 when oil extraction was started, and in 1970, when it reached the maximum production. We found that 13Cptrw from UVRT indicates on developing unfavourable drier conditions and suppressed tree growth caused by both human-induced oil and deposit infrastructure and natural processes compared to undisturbed Raifa. The 13Cptrw from Raifa is more negative compared to UVRT, which can be explained by higher forest sensitivity to human-induced impact. From an ecophysiological point of view decreasing intercellular to ambient CO2 concentration at the leaf level and increasing intrinsic water use efficiency along with decreasing tree-ring width at UVRT (1970-2021) indicate on development of drought conditions.

Climate change-induced temperature fluctuations pose a significant threat to crop production, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. This study investigates the transcriptome and physiological responses of rapeseed to post-flowering temperature increases, providing valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying rapeseed tolerance to heat stress. Two rapeseed genotypes, Lumen and Solar, were assessed under control and heat stress conditions in field experiments conducted in Valdivia, Chile. Results showed that seed yield and seed number were negatively affected by heat stress, with genotype-specific responses. Lumen exhibited a 9.3% average seed yield reduction, while Solar showed a 28.7% reduction. RNA-seq analysis of siliques and seeds revealed tissue-specific responses to heat stress, with siliques being more sensitive to temperature stress. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified distinct gene clusters reflecting different aspects of heat stress adaptation in siliques, with a role for protein folding in maintaining silique development and seed quality under high temperature conditions. In seeds, three distinct patterns of heat-responsive gene expression were observed, with genes involved in protein folding and response to heat showing genotype-specific expression. Gene coexpression network analysis revealed major modules for rapeseed yield and quality, as well as the trade-off between seed number and seed weight. Overall, this study contributes to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying rapeseed tolerance to heat stress and can inform crop improvement strategies targeting yield optimization under changing environmental conditions.

Using an original method for measuring weak radiothermal electromagnetic signals, experimental data were obtained on the analysis of dispersions of noise attractors of the radiobrightness temperature of aqueous solutions of NaCl, Al (NO₃)₃ at dilutions C1 (1:100) – C12 (12:100). The values of dispersions of noise attractors significantly differ from those for the control experiment with water. On the basis of the changed values of the noise attractors of the radiobrightness temperature, the values of the absorption coefficients of the solutions are calculated. The difference between the values of the solutions absorption coefficients and those for water is shown with a successive increase in their values with an increase in the degree of dilution. The difference between the values of the absorption coefficients of solutions of high dilutions and those for water is interpreted as a mechanism of cooperative interaction of ions with water molecules located outside the first hydration shell. A network of water molecules perturbed by ions contributes to the dielectric permittivity was obtained due to new properties at supramolecular interactions on the basis of dispersion interaction.

A quantitative method is proposed to determine of Stone-Wales defects for carbon nanostructures with sp2 hybridization of carbon atoms. The technique is based on the diene synthesis reaction (Diels-Alder reaction). The proposed method was used to determine Stone-Wales defects in the few-layer graphene (FLG) nanostructures synthesized by the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process, in reduced graphene oxide (rGO) synthesized based on the method of Hammers and in the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) TUBAL trademark, Russia. Our research has shown that the structure of FLG is free of Stone-Wales defects, while the surface concentration of Stone-Wales defects in TUBAL carbon nanotubes is 1.1×10-5 mol/m2 and 3.6×10-5 mol/m2 for rGO.

To understand lung damage caused by COVID-19, we deduced two-phase lung damage mechanisms. After the lungs are infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus, the affected lung tissue swells and surface properties of pulmonary capillaries change, resulting in an increased flow resistance of affected capillaries. If a sufficient number of capillaries are affected by the infection, the swelling and increased cell wall adhesion collectively raise pulmonary vascular resistance. The increased vascular resistance further increases the dwell times of WBCs in affected capillaries and nearly capillaries. When pulmonary pressure is sufficiently higher, WBCs are forced to squeeze into interstitial spaces or alveolar spaces when local pressures are higher than what the capillaries can withstand. When more and more WBCs are dynamically retained, the flow resistance of more capillaries rises, pulmonary vascular resistance rises, and pulmonary pressure rises. The rise in the pulmonary pressure in turn results in elevated capillary pressures. When capillary pressures around the alveoli are sufficiently high, they cause interstitial pressures to change from normally negative values to positive values. The positive pressures cause fluid leakage to the alveolar space and thus degrade lung function. Tissue swelling, and occupation of WBCs in interstitial spaces and alveolar spaces further reduce compressible volume, and thus cause further rise in the pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary pressure. When the pulmonary pressure has reached a critical point as in the second phase, the blood breaks capillary walls and squeezes through interstitial spaces to reach alveolar spaces, resulting in irreversible lung damages. The available free volume in the thorax cage, organ usable capacities, temperature and humid are expected to have great impacts on degree of lung damages. The free volume in the thorax cage, lung usable surplus capacity, and other organ usable capacities determine the arrival time of last-phase irreversible damage. The mechanisms imply that the top priority for protecting lungs is maintaining pulmonary micro-circulation and preserving organ functions in the entire disease course while controlling viral reproduction should be stressed in the earliest time possible. The mechanisms also explain leukecytes are recruited and migrated into inflamed tissues by increasing their dwell times caused by increased local flow resistance.

Thunderstorm electrification has been studied for hundreds of years. Several mechanisms have been proposed to elucidate the electrification, including convective charging, inductive precipitation charging, and ice crystal-graupel collision charging. Field observations and model studies have demonstrated the vital roles that graupel and ice crystals play in the electrification, but the mechanism of the collision charging is still unclear. The fundamental essence of relative growth rate theory used for explaining the tripole charge structure in thunderclouds also needs a further exploration. We analyze the processes of ice crystal-graupel collision charging from charge migration inside hydrometeors to charge separation between two hydrometeors. The driving effects of temperature gradient and chemical potential gradient in charge migration are clarified, as well as the applicability of the relative growth rate theory, thermoelectric effect and surface tension gradient in different humidities. Based on the understanding from these electrification mechanisms, we propose that the essence of charge separation is driven by non-thermal equilibrium, and future studies on thunderstorm electrification should focus on the dynamical non-thermal equilibrium of cloud particles.

A metastable β-Ti alloy, Ti–10V–3Fe–3Al (wt.%), was subjected to thermos-mechanical processing including the compression test at 725°C, which is below the β transus temperature (780°C), and at strain rate of 10-3s-1. The presence of phases was determined using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Although the dynamic recovery took place together with slip, both deformation-induced α˝ martensite and ω were detected as other operating mechanisms for the first time in metastable-β Ti alloys deformed in α+β region. The volume fraction of stress-induced α˝ was higher than that of the same alloy deformed at room temperature due to higher strain applied. Stress-induced twinning was not operational, which could be related to the priority of slip mechanism at high temperature resulted from thermally-assisted nucleation and lateral migration of kink-pairs.

An energy production system consisting solar collector, biogas dry reforming reactor and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) was assumed to be installed in Kolkata, India. This study aims to understand the impact of climate condition on the performance of solar collectors with different lengths of parabolic trough solar collector (dx) and mass flow rate of heat transfer fluid (m). In addition, this study has evaluated the amount of H2 produced by biogas dry reforming (GH2), the amount of power generated by SOFC (PSOFC) and the maximum possible households (N) whose electricity demand could be met by the energy system proposed, considering the performance of solar collector with the different dx and m. As a result, the optimum dx was found to be 4 m. This study revealed that temperature of heat transfer fluid (Tfb) decreased with the increase in m. Tfb in March, April and May was higher than that in other months, while Tfb from June to December was the lowest. GH2, PSOFC and N in March, April and May were higher than that in other months irrespective of m. The optimum m was 0.030 kg/s.

This study investigates the properties of solution processed hybrid pol-yimide, PI nanocomposites containing a variety of nanofillers, including polyaniline copolymer modified clay, PNEA, nanographene sheets, NGS, and carbon nanotube sheet, CNT-PVDF, respectively. Through a series of experiments, the flow behavior of poly(amic acid), PAA solution and PAA suspension containing polyaniline copolymer modified clay, PNEA was determined as a function of the shear rate, processing temperature and polymerization time. It is shown that the neat PAA solution exhibited a complex rheological behavior ranging from shear thickening to New-tonian behavior with increasing shear rate and testing temperature. The presence of modified clay in PAA solution significantly reduced the viscosity of PAA. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis show that polyimide-nanographene sheets, PI NGS nanocomposites processed at high spindle speed (100 rpm) had lower total heat of decomposition which is indicative of improved fire retardancy. The effect of processing temperature on the specific capacitance of polyimide-CNT-PVDF composites containing electrodeposited polypyrrole fillers was determined by using cyclic voltammetry, CV. It was shown that the hybrid composite working electrode material processed at 90˚C produced a remarkably higher overall stored charge when compared to the composite electrode material processed at 250˚C. Consequently, the specific capacitance ob-tained at a scan rate of 5 mV/s for the hybrid nanocomposite processed at 90°C was about 858 F/g after 1 cycle, which is about 6.3 times higher than the specific capacitance of 136 F/g produced by the hybrid nanocomposite processed at 250°C. These findings show that the properties of the hybrid nanocomposites are remarkably influenced by the processing conditions and highlights the need for process optimization.

The North American Monsoon (NAM) in southern Arizona continues to be a topic of interest to ecologists, climatologists, and citizens as well as the triggers and characteristics of plant growth and reproduction in relation to the onset of the monsoon. In researching the onset of the North American Monsoon (NAM) in south-central Arizona relative to the phenology of Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) and other Sonoran Desert species we identified interesting and previously unreported features in the NAM rainfall data. We present preliminary descriptive analyses of (1) monsoon onset as measured by the first day after June 1 with precipitation ≥10 mm (1990-2022), (2) first day of year warming of Sea Surface temperatures (SST) in the Gulf of California to ≥29º C measured across five open-sea blocks (mean 9452 km2), and (3) El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) anomaly with a threshold of +/- 0.5º C for the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) in the Niño 3.4 region (5ºN-5ºS, 120º-170ºW). Three patterns emerge from our analyses: (1) The day of the year of monsoon onset occurs approximately 12 days earlier in the year from 1990-2022 in south-central Arizona. (2) There appears to be a signal in the rainfall onset data very roughly approximating cycles of ENSO Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) anomalies in Niño region 3.4. (3) Gulf of California sea surface temperature (SST) and monsoon onset data support an expected link between the timing of SST warming and monsoon rainfall onset.

A review is here provided about the thermal effects on the optical chirality. To this goal, chiral objects dispersed in an embedding fluid are examined for their magnetoelectric coupling. Thermal effects on several chiral meta-atoms and their ensembles are examined. To this goal, DNA-like helical structures are examined in detail. Mechanical aspect of thermo-elasticity is reviewed along with transverse deformations, while drawing analogies from condensed-matter physics. In this respect, chirality-induced spin selection is reviewed along with the temperature-mediated elec-tron-phonon interactions. A wide range of materials such as polymers and biological cells are also examined for temperature effects. A transition temperature delineating a sign flip in the chirality parameter is identified as well. Chirality-associated functionalities such as ratchet motions, switching, and modulations are investigated for their respective thermal effects. Issues of fabri-cating chiral meta-atoms are also discussed.

Petrochemical plants use on-stream inspection more often to detect and monitor the corrosion on the equipment and piping system. Compared to ultrasonic thickness gauging and pulse-echo A-scan, phased array corrosion mapping has better coverability and can scan a large area to detect general and localized corrosion. This paper's objective is to obtain documentary evidence on the accuracy of corrosion detection from 30°C to 250°C on A36 low-carbon steel by carrying out simulation experiments every 10°C steps. A minimum of three sets of phased array corrosion mapping data in each temperature were collected to study and evaluate the detectability. The data evidence could enhance the confidence level of the plant's end users to use the phased array mapping in the future during an inspection. The experiments were found to be insufficiently thorough despite addressing the initial concerns, leaving more area for discussion in further studies, such as expanding the investigation to thicker carbon steel, stainless steel, and wedge materials.

The broad acceptance of electromobility depends heavily on the performance and service life of the battery technology used. Lithium-ion battery technology is currently the most promising energy storage technology for mobile applications, but the performance and capacity of the cells is extremely temperature sensitive. Especially in these new complex and powerful applications there is a significant need for thermal management. Depending on the ambient conditions, part of the effective battery energy must therefore be used to temper the system. So far, mainly active components have been used for this task. This not only reduces the overall efficiency, but also increases the weight, volume and maintenance requirements of the system. In the present work, an alternative battery temperature management system (BTMS) was developed. A concept based on latent heat storage materials was created, which uses the advantages of thermal energy storage and the design freedom of additive manufacturing technology, and its suitability for use in battery applications was checked. On the one hand, the use of systems for storing thermal energy was researched and, on the other hand, an innovative cooling concept was created considering new production possibilities.

The relocation of the Indonesian capital from Jakarta to Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) East Kalimantan IKN will affect several sectors. The change in land use from vegetated to developed land will lead to local climate changes, including the emergence of the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon, which is reflected in a higher land surface temperature (LST) than the surrounding area. In this study, an analysis of UHI propagation was conducted on a seasonal (DJF, MAM, JJA, and SON), with 5 yearly periods from 2001 to 2020, study area in IKN and its buffer cities (Balikpapan, Samarinda, and Bontang). Terra-MODIS satellite data are processed using Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and output is done using GrADS. UHI (high LST) is found in urban areas/buffer cities both spatially and temporally in every season, while UHI has not yet occurred in IKN (low LST) and suburban, rural, hilly areas, vegetated areas, and water bodies (lakes, rivers). The cross-sectional latitudinal and longitudinal analysis showed that the LST DJF2015-2020 from highest to lowest temperature are in Balikpapan City (36.84 OC), Samarinda City (36.13 OC), Bontang City (32.3 OC); and IKN zero point (28.82 OC). The UHI propagation was observed in 2001-2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015, and most during 2016-2020. Seasonally, the UHI was most pronounced in the SON season, while on lowest UHI was observed in the MAM season.

Seed germination and seedling growth represent two vulnerable stages in a plant life cycle and it is important to determine how they will be affected by environmental changes associated with climate change. This study examines the impact of salinity levels (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM) at each of three temperatures (15, 25, and 35˚C) on seed germination and radicle growth for three dormant and three non-dormant varieties of conventional, glyphosate resistant, or reduced lignin alfalfa. The genetic basis and phenotypic plasticity for seed germination and seedling growth in response to salinity and temperature were determined. Both traits were phenotypically plastic with respect to temperature and salinity. Seed germination was 87.0% ± 1.7 at 25˚C, 0mM (no salinity), but decreased to 33.9% ± 3.9 germination at 35˚C and 150mM. Radicle length went from 36.7 ± 1.5 mm after four days at 25˚C, 0mM, to 10.5 ± 0.7 mm at 35˚C, 150mM. The phenotypic response brought seed germination and radicle length away from their optimum, but we detected standing genetic variation for both seed germination and radicle length. Selection to increase both traits at high temperature and salinity would facilitate alfalfa establishment under climate change.

A review is here provided on the thermal effects on the optical chirality. To this goal, chiral objects dispersed in an embedding fluid are examined for their magnetoelectric coupling. Archetypal twisted-Omega particles are examined with respect to electron transport, phonon dynamics, and temperature effects. Continuum-mechanical aspect of thermo-elasticity is reviewed along with transverse deformations. A transition temperature delineating a sign flip in the chirality parameter is identified as well.

We present the results on photothermal (PT) and heat conductive properties of nanogranular silicon (Si) films synthesized by evaporation of colloidal droplets (drop-casting) of 100 ± 50 nm sized crystalline Si nanoparticles (NP) deposited on glass substrates. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) and finite element mesh (FEM) modeling of absorbed light intensity and photo-induced spatial temperature distribution across the Si NP films were well correlated with the local temperatures measured by micro-Raman spectroscopy and used for determination of heat conductivities in the films of various thicknesses. Cubic-to-hexagonal phase transition in these films caused by laser heating was found to be heavily influenced by the film thickness and heat conductive properties of glass substrate, on which the films were deposited. Heat conductivities across the drop-casted Si nanogranular films were found to be in the range of lowest heat conductivities of other types of nanostructurely voided Si films due to enhanced phonon scattering across inherently voided topology, weak NP-NP and NP-substrate interface bonding within nanogranular Si films.

Transverse momentum spectra of +, p, Λ, Ξ or ¯Ξ+, Ω or ¯Ω+ and deuteron (d) in different centrality intervals in Gold-Gold (Au-Au) and Lead-Lead (Pb-Pb) collisions at 62.4 GeV and 2.76 TeV respectively, are analyzed by the blast wave model with Boltzmann Gibbs statistics. We extracted Kinetic freeze out temperature,transverse flow velocity and kinetic freezeout volume from the transverse momentum spectra of the particles. It is observed that the non-strange and strange (multi-strange) particles freezeout separately due to different reaction cross-sections. While the freezeout volume and transverse flow velocity are mass dependent which decrease with the rest mass of the particles. The present work reveals the scenario of double kinetic freezeout in collisions at STAR and ALICE Collaborations. Furthermore, the kinetic freezeout temperature and freezeout volume are larger in central collisions than the peripheral collisions and they decrease from central to periphery. However the transverse flow velocity remains almost unchanged from central to peripheral collisions.

Temperature differences between the atmosphere and river water allow rivers to be used as a hydrothermal energy source. The river-water heat pump system is a relatively non-invasive renewable energy source; however, effluent discharged from the heat pump can cause downstream temperature changes which may impact sensitive fluvial ecosystems. In this study, the water temperature recovery distance of the effluent was estimated for a river section in the Han River Basin, Korea, using the heat transfer equation and the Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code (EFDC) model. Results showed that, compared to the EFDC model, the heat transfer equation tended to overestimate the water temperature recovery distance due to its simplified assumptions. The water temperature recovery distance could also be used as an objective indicator to decide the reuse of downstream river water. Furthermore, as the river system was found to support an endangered fish species that is sensitive to water environment changes, care should be taken to exclude the habitats of protected species affected by water temperatures within water temperature recovery distance.

Abstract: Mass spectrometry research laboratories reported multiple probes for ambient ionization in the last years. Combining them with a mechanical moving stage enables automated sampling and imaging applications. We developed a robotic platform, which is based on RepRap 3D-printer components, and therefore easy to reproduce and to adopt for custom prototypes. The minimal step width of the Open LabBot is 12.5 μm, and the sampling dimensions (x, y, z) are 18 × 15 × 20 cm. Adjustable rails in an aluminium frame construction facilitate the mounting of additional parts such as sensors, probes, or optical components. The Open LabBot uses industry-standard G-code for its control. The simple syntax facilitates the programming of the movement. We developed two programs: 1) LABI-Imaging, for direct control via a USB connection and the synchronization with MS data acquisition. 2) RmsiGUI, which integrates all steps of mass spectrometry imaging: The creation of G-code for robot control, the assembly of imzML files from raw data and the analysis of imzML files. We proved the functionality of the system by the automated sampling and classification of essential oils with a PlasmaChip probe. Further, we performed an ambient ionization mass spectrometry imaging (AIMSI) experiment of a lime slice with laser desorption low-temperature plasma (LD-LTP) ionization, demonstrating the integration of the complete workflow in RmsiGUI. The design of the Open LabBot and the software are released under open licenses to promote their use and adoption in the instrument developers’ community.

Compared to conventional allothermal gasification of solid fuels (e.g. biomass, charcoal, lignite etc.), plasma-assisted gasification offers an efficient method to apply energy into the gasification process to increase the flexibility of operation conditions and to increase the reaction kinetics. In particular, non-thermal plasmas (NTP) are promising, in which thermal equilibrium is not reached and electrons have substantially higher mean energy than gas molecules. Thus it is generally assumed that in NTP the supplied energy is utilized more efficiently for generating free radicals initiating gasification reactions than thermal plasma processes. In order to investigate this hypothesis, we compared purely thermal to non-thermal plasma assisted gasification of biomass in steam in a drop tube reactor at atmospheric pressure. The NTP was provided by means of gliding arcs between two electrodes aligned in the inlet steam flow. Electric power of about 1 kW was supplied using a high voltage generator operating at frequencies between 70 and 150 kHz and voltage amplitudes up to 10 kV. A laser-assisted optical method (Raman spectroscopy) was applied for measuring the gas temperature both in the conventionally heated steam and flow-down of the visible plasma filaments of the gliding arcs. Reaction yields and rates were evaluated using these measured gas temperatures. The first experimental results have shown that the non-thermal plasma not only promotes the carbon conversion of the fuel particles, but also accelerates the reaction kinetics. The carbon conversion is increased by nearly 10% using wood powder as the fuel. With charcoal powder more than 3% are converted into syngas.

A home-built equipment will be presented able to measure thermal expansion and indentation up to 1100 oC. The principle of operation is similar to that of Rockwell hardness measurement. First, we apply a small load and measure the thermal expansion of the construction consisting of the sample holder quartz tube, the conical in-denter and the sample. Then we repeat the thermal cycle with such a high load that produces a deviation in thermal expansion already after 200-300 oC, compared to the previous thermal expansion measurement with low load. With increasing temperature, the indentation depth increases and at higher temperatures we already notice a contraction. The evolution of indentation depth as a function of temperature, d(T), we can obtain by sub-tracting the high load curve from the low load curve. Newly created phenomenological expressions will be tested to describe the thermal softening of pure metals and refractory HEAs. The results will be interpreted taking into account the allotropic transformations and temperature dependencies of elastic moduli. We are working on the instrument to extend the working temperature up to 1200 oC.

High temperature Ni-superalloys are limited by reliance on critical elements and complex processing steps. High entropy alloys (HEAs) have demonstrated stable single/dual phase microstructures with strong ordering tendencies. A dual phase (FCC+BCC) Al0.5Co0.5CrFeNi1.5Ti0.25 alloy (developed using CALPHAD) was tested for room and high temperature compression behavior. The microstructure mainly comprises of coarse ordered FCC(L12) surrounding decomposed lamellae of ordered FCC(L12) and BCC(L21) phases, which coarsened upon annealing at high temperature (1100 °C) into a bi-continuous structure of disordered FCC+BCC(B2). Additionally, cold rollability of the cast alloy increased from &lt;5% to ~40% after annealing, with a corresponding softening observed in room temperature compression mainly due to disordering of FCC and BCC phases. Peak flow stresses of 793.45MPa, 535.12MPa, and 324.40MPa were achieved at 800oC, 900oC, and 1000oC respectively for the high temperature annealed alloy.

This paper analyses the viability of different solutions to passively augment the axial stiffness of a horizontal axis radial levitation passive magnetic bearing (PMB) with topology previously studied. The zero-field cooling (ZFC) of high-temperature superconductor (HTS) bulks promotes higher magnetic impulsion and levitation forces and lower electromagnetic losses than with the field-cooling (FC), but on the other hand, the guiding stability is much lower than with FC. Because of stability reasons, FC was adopted in most superconducting maglev systems. The trend of this research group has been to develop an HTS ZFC horizontal axis radial levitation PMB presenting notable levitation forces with reduced electromagnetic losses, defined by a topology that creates guiding stability. Previous work has shown that even optimizing the bearing geometry to maximize magnetic guidance forces, could not be enough to guarantee the axial stiffness required for many applications. First, the extent to which guidance forces are augmented by increasing the number of HTS bulks in the stator is evaluated. Then, the axial stiffness augmentation by passively adding two limiting permanent magnet (PM) rings is evaluated. Results show that the axial stiffness is highly augmented by adding limiting PM rings with no significant additional investment. This change enables using the studied ZFC superconducting PMB in high-precision axial stability applications, such as precision gyroscopes, horizontal axis propellers and turbines.

Improper sitting positions are known as the primary reason for back pain and the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among individuals who spend prolonged time working with computer screens, keyboards, and mice. At the same time, it is well understood that automated technological tools can play an important role in the process of unhealthy habit alteration, so plenty of research efforts are focused on research and technology development (RTD) activities that aim to provide support to the prevention of back pain or the development of MSD. Here, we report on creating a new resource in support of RTD activities aiming at the automated detection of improper sitting positions. It consists of multimodal multisensory recordings of 100 persons made with a video recorder, camera, and wrist-attached sensors that capture physiological signals (PPG, EDA, Skin temperature), as well as motion sensors (three-axis accelerometer). Our multimodal multisensory dataset (MMD-MSD) opens new opportunities for modeling the body stance (sitting posture and movements), physiological state (stress level, attention, emotional arousal, valence), and performance (success rate on the Stroop test) of people working with a computer. Finally, we demonstrate two use cases: improper neck posture detection from pictures and cognitive load detection from physiological signals.

We report a preliminary exploration on the low-pressure Ar-O2 plasma generated by low-frequency alternating current (AC) power supply in the low-temperature Plasma Experimental Power Supply (CTP-2000S) for the first time. The electron density 〖(n〗_e), the electron temperature 〖(T〗_e) and the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) are measured by the single Langmuir probe in this experiment. Experimental results show that the ne increases with gas pressure rising, while the ne decreases with the oxygen concentrations rising. And, a plasma density peak is also observed with the AC power supply increase. A comparison between this work and the previous results by RF source suggests that the low-frequency AC power supply may be very fruitful exploration to generate the low-pressure plasma.

High-resolution (2 km) high-frequency (hourly) SST data from 2015-2020 provided by the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) onboard the Japanese Himawari-8 geostationary satellite positioned over 140.7°E were used to study spatial and temporal variability of the China Coastal Front (CCF) in the East China Sea. The hourly SST data were processed with the Belkin and O’Reilly (2009) algorithm to generate long-term mean monthly maps of SST gradient magnitude (GM) and frontal frequency (FM) using a GM threshold of 0.1°C/km. Horizontal structure of SST field in the vicinity of the CCF was investigated from cross-frontal distributions of SST along 8 parallels from 31°N to 24°N. The high resolution (2 km) monthly distributions of SST along these 8 parallels were used to determine inshore and offshore boundaries of the CCF and calculate the CCF strength defined as the total cross-frontal SST step dSST=Offshore SST – Inshore SST. The CCF emerges in November, fully develops in December and peaks in strength in January-February. The front’s fragmentation and shrinking/weakening begins in February and March, respectively. In winter (December-February), the front’s strength dSST exceeds 5°C offshore the Zhejiang-Fujian coast and could be as high as 7.5°C when nearshore waters cool down to 7°C. In winter, the front’s strength decreases downstream from 31°N to 24°N. The CCF changes its physical nature as the seasons progress. In winter, the CCF is a water mass front between cold and fresh water coming from the north and warm and salty water coming from the south. In summer, the CCF becomes a coastal upwelling front maintained largely by southerly winds. In winter, the CCF’s cross-frontal structure in the SST field is ramp-shaped, with SST increasing monotonously in the offshore direction. In summer, the CCF’s cross-frontal structure in the SST field is V-shaped or U-shaped, featuring a minimum SST formed by cold upwelled water at some distance from the shore. Thus, the summer SST structure effectively consists of two fronts, a nearshore and offshore, with a minimum SST in-between. Across the inshore/offshore front, the SST decreases/increases in the offshore direction. The local bathymetry, especially the relatively steep shelf slope between 20-m and 50-m isobath, steers the front, which does not meander in winter offshore the Zhejiang-Fujian coast. As the cold season progresses, the front’s axis gradually shifts into deeper waters, from ~20 m to ~50 m.

Precise monitoring of different environmental parameters and contaminations during food processing and storage is a key factor for maintaining its safety and nutritional value. Thus, developing reliable, efficient, cost-effective sensor devices for these purposes is of utmost importance. In this paper, we show that Poly-(diallyl-dimethylammonium chloride)/reduced Graphene oxide (PDAC/rGO) films produced by a simple Layer-by-Layer deposition can be effectively used to monitor temperature, relative humidity and the presence of volatile organic compounds as indicators for spoilage odors. At the same time, they show potential for electrochemical detection of organophosphate pesticide dimethoate. By monitoring the resistance/impedance changes during temperature and relative humidity variations or upon the exposure of PDAC/rGO films to methanol, good linear responses were obtained in the temperature range of 10-100 °C, 15-95 % relative humidity, and 35 ppm - 55 ppm of methanol. Moreover, linearity in the electrochemical detection of dimethoate is shown for the concentrations in the order of 102 µmol dm−3. The analytical response to different external stimuli and analytes depends on the number of layers deposited, affecting sensors’ sensitivity, response and recovery time, and long-term stability. The presented results could serve as a starting point for developing advanced multimodal sensor devices and sensor arrays with high potential for analytical applications in food safety and quality monitoring.

The study of long-term average weather patterns is known as climatology. It is a distinct field of study from meteorology and can be broken down into several subdivision. In order to predict the future, the knowledge of climatology is essential. In other words, with the help of climatology, we can figure out how likely it is that snow and hail will fall to the ground, and how much solar thermal radiation can reach a certain location etc. Climatology often focuses on how the climate has changed over time and how it has affected people and events. Both meteorology and climatology fall under the general term "meteorology", in particular, they are subdivision of research in the same field. In case of predicting the weather, meteorologists use variables such as humidity, air pressure, and temperature. This article's primary objective is to familiarize engineers with the fundamentals of climate and its processes so that they can effectively apply this knowledge to comprehend the climatic impact on water resources systems.

To understand great disparities in disease outcomes between CIVID-19 patients, we explore infection and host responses in kinetics. From existing data, we deduced a model that the lungs are damaged by rapidly rising flow resistance as a result of retaining white blood cells in lung tissues. The retention of white blood cells is initially triggered by viral infection but aggravated by injuries caused by low temperature. Lungs are initially damaged by fluid leakage, rapidly followed by extruding blood into alveolar spaces. The step of blood extruding is predicted to take place in a very short time. Our simulations show that as little as 0.1% retention of white blood cells in the lungs can lead to their failure in 5 to 10 days. The small degrees of imbalance implies that this imbalance could be corrected by a large number of factors that are known to reduce flow resistance. The model implies that the top priority is maintaining blood micro-circulation and preserving organ functions in the entire disease course, especially after the virus has spread the whole lungs. From exploring a large number of hypothetical infection modes, we propose preventive, mitigating and treatment strategies for ultimately ending the pandemic. The first strategy is avoiding exposures that could result in widespread damages to lungs and taking post exposure mitigating measures that would reduce disease severity. The second strategy is reducing death rate and disability rate from the current levels to one tenth for infected patients by using multiple factors health optimization method. The double reduction strategies are expected to generate a series of chain reactions that favor mitigating or ending the pandemic. Some reactions include a big reduction of the amount of viral discharges from infected patients into the air, the avoidance of panic, chronic stress and emotional distress, and cross-infections which are expected in quarantines. The double reductions would have a final effect of ending the pandemic.

Meixner's historical remark in 1969 "... it can be shown that the concept of entropy in the absence of equilibrium is in fact not only questionable but that it cannot even be defined...." is investigated from today's insight. Several statements --such as the three laws of phenomenological thermodynamics, the embedding theorem and the adiabatical uniqueness-- are used to get rid of non-equilibrium entropy as a primitive concept. In this framework, Clausius inequality of open systems can be derived by use of the defining inequalities which establish the non-equilibrium quantities contact temperature and non-equilibrium molar entropy which allow to describe the interaction between the Schottky system and its controlling equilibrium environment.

This study describes the properties of high-T_c cuprates by introducing rotating holes that are created by angular momentum conservations on a 2D CuO₂ surface, and which have a different mass from that of a normal hole because of the magnetic field energy induced by the rotation. This new particle called a macroscopic Boson describes the doping dependences of pseudo-gap temperature and the transition temperature at which an anomaly metal phase appears and describes the origin of the pseudo-gap. Furthermore, this study introduces a new model to handle many-body interactions, which results in a new statistic equation. This statistic equation describing many-body interactions accurately explains why high-T_c cuprates have significantly high critical temperatures. Moreover, a partition function of macroscopic Bosons describes the properties of anomaly metal phase, which sufficiently agree with experiments. Note that, the calculations were conducted, using the result from our previous study that analytically describes the doping dependence of T_c. By introducing a macroscopic Boson and the new statistical model for many-body interactions, this study uncovered the mystery of high- T_c cuprates, which have been a challenge for many researchers. An important point is that, in this study, pure analytical calculations are consistently conducted, which agree with experimental data well (i.e., they do not use numerical calculations or fitting methods but use many actual physical constants).

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to examine the impact of temperature (ranging from 250K to 350K) on the structural behavior of cellulose chains when dissolved in an aqueous cuprammonium hydroxide Cuam solvent system. By monitoring the root mean square deviation (RMSD) and radius of gyration (Rg) values at each temperature, we found that the geometric deformation of the cellulose chains changed significantly at T=300K. In contrast, Rg and RMSD values remained stable at temperatures in the range of 250K, 270K and the range of 330K, 350K. Calculating the interaction energy between the solvent and cellulose chains revealed that temperature significantly influences the cellulose dissolution process in the Cuam solvent system and that T=300K is an efficient temperature for its dissolution. The number of intra- and interchain hydrogen bonds was also calculated as a function of temperature, and the analysis confirmed that there is no breakage of these bonds at temperatures below 300 K (i,e: 250K, 270K) and above 310 K (I,e, : 330K and 350K) either between two native chains or between a native chain and another derivative.

We reviewed various physical and biological manifestations of an unprecedented large-scale water temperature anomaly that emerged in the Northeast Pacific in late 2013. The anomaly dubbed “The Blob” persisted through 2014-2016, with some signs of its persistence through 2017-2018 and a possible reemergence in 2019. The tentative timeline of The Blob’s successive appearances around the Northeast Pacific is suggestive of its advection by currents around the Gulf of Alaska, along the Aleutians, into the Bering Sea, and eventually to the Bering Strait. During the initial phase of The Blob’s development in 2013-2014, advection along the Polar Front might have played a certain role. The extreme persistence and magnitude of The Blob resulted in numerous and sometimes dramatic ecosystem responses in the eastern Bering Sea. The multi-year duration of The Blob might have preconditioned the Bering Sea for the record low seasonal sea ice extent during the winter of 2017-2018 and disappearance of the cold pool in 2016 and 2018 that profoundly affected zooplankton, invertebrates, fishes, sea birds, and marine mammals. Comparison of time-series of population responses across trophic levels suggests that The Blob lowered primary production during spring, increasing small copepod production and jellyfish, and reducing energy transfer efficiently to higher trophic levels. While the Bering Sea’s water temperature, seasonal sea ice, and cold pool seem to return to the long-term mean state in 2022, it remains to be seen if the Bering Sea ecosystem will completely recover. The two most likely alternative scenarios envision either irreversible changes or hysteresis recovery.

The article presents results of research consisting in an attempt to assess the influence of temperature, heating time and cooling method on microstructure and residual strength properties of steel previously tempered during the production process. Simulated environmental conditions to which high-strength bolts, commonly used in steel construction, were subjected, were intended to reflect conditions of a natural fire that may occur in public facilities where the obligation to ensure safety of users and rescue teams is of key importance, also required by law. Furthermore, the tests carried out also comprised a simulated effect of a rescue and firefighting operation using shock, rapid cooling of some of the heated bolts. Samples cut out from the tested bolts, after they were properly prepared, were subjected to microstructural tests using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), phase analysis with the use of an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and quantitative analysis of the microstructure involving, inter alia, measuring the surface area of grains, their equivalent diameter and mean diameter. As a result of the tests, considerable microstructure changes were identified occurring in the bolt material as a result of exposing it to fire conditions, leading to a change in key, from the point of view of structural safety, mechanical properties. The results of the microstructure tests were compared with the results of previous strength tests, including hardness of the material after the heat treatment and the residual tensile strength of the material Rm. A conducted comparative analysis showed a significant effect of all such factors as the temperature level of the simulated fire, its duration and the fire-fighting method on the mechanical properties of bolts. Results obtained were provided with required comments and the concept of using the microstructure for the post-fire assessment of steel structures was referred to.

Rapid and extensive urbanization has adversely impacted humans and ecological entities in the recent decades through a decrease in surface permeability and the emergence of urban heat islands (UHI). While detailed and continuous assessments of surface permeability and UHI are crucial for urban planning and management of landuse zones, they have mostly involved time consuming and expensive field studies, and single sensor derived large scale aerial and satellite imageries. We demonstrated the advantage of fusing imageries from multiple sensors for landuse and landcover (LULC) change assessments as well as for assessing surface permeability and UHI emergence in Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, India. Cartosat-2 and Landsat-7 ETM+ imageries from 2007 and 2017 were fused and classified using a Rotation Forest (RF), while surface permeability and temperature were quantified using Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) index, respectively. Fused images exhibited higher classification accuracies than non-fused images, i.e. overall kappa coefficient values 0.83 and 0.75, respectively. We observed an overall increase of 20 km2 (45%) in the coverage of urban (dry, real estate plots and built-up) areas, while a decrease of 27 km2 (37%) for vegetated (cropland and forest) areas in Tirunelveli between 2007 and 2017. The SAVI values indicated an extensive decrease in surface permeability for Tirunelveli overall (0.4) and also for almost all LULC zones. The LST values exhibited an associated overall increase (1.30C) of surface temperature in Tirunelveli with the highest increase (2.40C) for urban built-up areas between 2007 and 2017. The SAVI-LST combined metric depicted the Southeastern built-up areas in Tirunelveli as a potential UHI hotspot, while a caution for the Western riparian zone for UHI emergence in 2017. Our results provide important metrics for surface permeability and UHI monitoring, and inform urban and zonal planning authorities about the advantages of satellite image fusion.

While paresthesia-based spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been proven effective to treat chronic neuropathic pain, initial benefits may lead to the development of “Failed SCS Syndrome’ (FSCSS) defined as decrease over time related to Loss of Efficacy (LoE) with or without Loss of Coverage (LoC). Development of technologies associating new paresthesia-free stimulation waveforms and implanted pulse generator adapters provide opportunities to manage patients with LoE. The main goal of our study was to investigate salvage procedures, through neu-rostimulation adapters, in patients already implanted with SCS and experienced LoE. We retro-spectively analyzed a cohort of patients who were offered new SCS programs/waveforms through an implanted adapter between 2018 and 2021. Patients were evaluated before, and at 1, 3, 6 and 12-month follow-up. Outcomes included pain intensity rating with Visual Analog Scale (VAS), pain/coverage mappings and stimulation preferences. Last follow-up evaluations (N=27) showed significant improvement in VAS (p = 0.0001), ODI (p = 0.021) and Quality of Life (p=0.023). In the 11/27 patients with LoC, SCS efficacy on pain intensity (36.89%) was accompa-nied by paresthesia coverage recovery (55.57%) and pain surface decrease (47.01%). At 12-month follow-up, 81.3% preferred to keep tonic stimulation in their waveform portfolio. SCS conver-sion using adapters appears promising as a salvage solution, with an emphasis on paresthesia recapturing enabled by spatial retargeting. In light of these results, adapters could be integrated to SCS rescue algorithms or should be considered in SCS rescue.

We extensively studied serigraphic screen-printed commercial silver flake inks loaded with silicon inclusions in order to achieve pinning at the grain boundaries. Based on grain size measurements using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), commercial silver ink with silicon microparticle content of 5 wt.% shows a significant grain growth retardation compared to the pristine silver ink, which stabilizes electrical conductivity up to 700 ◦C via Zener pinning mechanism. The modified silicon-loaded silver ink experiences a two times increase in grain size when heated up to 700 ◦C, compared to a seven times increase for the pristine silver ink. In turn, this enables operation temperatures significantly higher than the conventional operational window of microparticle-based silver inks, which are usually limited to 400 ◦C. Using isothermal exposures of 10 minutes up to 4 hours this phenomenon is observed at temperatures ranging from 250 ◦C to 900 ◦C. The electrical conductivity stability, grain size evolution and oxide contents were studied up to 4 hours. The activation energy of silver ink with silicon inclusions is 54% lower than for the pristine silver ink due to pining effect, which retards grain growth via the Zener mechanism. Most importantly, the electrical resistivity becomes stable up to 700 ◦C, which is more than twice the operation limit for off-the-shelf screen-printable silver flake inks. Hence, we demonstrate that adding controlled amounts of silicon particles to silver inks towards grain structure engineering can open new vistas of possibilities for screen-printed metallic inks.

Surface processes such as coatings, corrosion, photocatalysis, and tribology are greatly diversified by acid-base interaction at the surface overlayer. This study focuses on the action of metallic copper surface as an electron donor/acceptor related to inactivation of viruses; it was found that regarding Cu2O or Cu materials electrostatic interaction plays a major role in virus inactivation. We applied TPPE method to clarify the mechanism of electron transfer (ET) occurring at light irradiated copper surfaces. The TPPE characteristics was strongly influenced by the environments, which correspond to the temperature and environment dependence of the total count of emitted electrons in the incident light wavelength scan (PE total count, NT), the photothreshold, and further the activation energy (E) analyzed from Arrhenius plot of NT values obtained in the temperature-increase and subsequent temperature-decrease processes. In this study we reexamined the dependence of the TPPE data from two types of Cu metal surfaces: Sample A, which was mechanically abraded in alcohols, water, and air, and Sample C, which was only ultrasonically cleaned in these liquids. The NT for both Samples slowly increased with increasing temperature, reached a maximum (NTmax) at 250C (maximum temperature, Tmax), and after that decreased. For Sample A the NTmax value decreased in the order H2O > CH3OH > C2H5OH > (CH3)2CHOH > C3H7OH, although the last alcohol gave Tmax = 100C, while with Sample C the NTmax value decreased in the order: C3H7OH > (CH3)2CHOH > C2H5OH > CH3OH > H2O. Interestingly, both orders of the liquids were completely opposite: this means that Cu surface can possess two-way character. The NT intensity was found to be strongly associated with the change of the hydroxyl group (Cu-OH) to the oxide oxygen (O2) in the O1s spectra in the XPS measurement. The difference between the above orders was explained by the acid-base interaction mode of the Cu-OH group with the adsorbed molecule on the surfaces. The H2O adsorbed on Sample A produces the electric dipole Cu-OH+---:OH2 (--- hydrogen bond), while the C3H7OH and (CH3)2CHOH adsorbed on Sample C produce ROH+---:O(H)-Cu (R = alkyl groups). Gutmann’s acceptor number (AN) representing the basicity of the liquid molecules was found to be related to the TPPE characteristics: (CH3)2CHOH (33.5), C2H5OH (37.1), CH3OH (41.3), H2O (54.8) (the AN of C3H7OH could not be confirmed). With Sample A the values of NTmaxa and EaUp1 both increased with increasing AN (Up1 means the 1st temperature-increase process). On the other hand, with Sample C the values of NTmaxc and EcUp1 both decreased with increasing AN. These findings suggest that Sample A acts as an acid, while Sample C functions as a base. However, in the case of both types of Samples A and C the NTmax values were found to increase with increasing EUp1. It was explained that the EUp1 values depending on the liquids originate from the difference in the energy level of the hydroxyl group radical at the surface denoted. This is able to attract electrons in the neighborhood of the Fermi level of the base metal by tunnelling. After that due to Auger emission electrons are released, leading to the ET in the overlayer. These electrons are considered to have a strong ability of reducibility.

This article discusses laser-induced laboratory-air plasma measurements and analysis of hydroxyl (OH) ultraviolet spectra. New experiments with Q-switched laser pulses illustrate occurrence of molecular recombination spectra for time delays of the order of several dozen of microseconds after plasma initiation. The computation of the emission spectra utilizes line strength data that are communicated as a supplementary file. Applications of detailed OH computations include laser-induced plasma and combustion analyses, to name but two applications.

Climate change has emerged as a crucial global issue that significantly threatens the survival of plants. In particular, low temperature (LT) is one of the critical environmental factors that influence plant morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes during both the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. LT, including abrupt drops in temperature, as well as winter conditions, can cause detrimental effects on the growth and development of tomato plants, ranging from sowing, transplanting, truss appearance, flowering, fertilization, flowering, fruit ripening, and yields. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the comprehensive mechanisms underlying the adaptation and acclimation of tomato plants to LT at the morphological and the molecular levels. In this review, we discuss the previous and current knowledge of morphological and physiological changes, which contains major factors and traits associated with the LT stress response during the period of the vegetative and reproductive growth and development in tomato plants. Moreover, we highlight recent advances in the understanding of physiological and biochemical responses, and molecular mechanisms, including LT perception, signaling transduction, gene regulation, and fruit ripening and epigenetic regulation. The comprehensive understanding of LT response provides a solid basis to develop the LT-resistant varieties for sustainable tomato production under the ever-changing temperature fluctuations.

Experiments to measure a single molecule/particle, i.e. an individual molecule/particle, at room temperature or under physiological conditions without immobilization, for example on a surface, or without significant hydrodynamic flow have so far failed. This failure has given impetus to the underlying theory of Brownian molecular motion towards its stochastics due to diffusion. Quantifying the thermodynamic jitter of molecules/particles inspires many and forms the theoretical basis of single-molecule/single-particle biophysics and biochemistry. For the first time, our simulation results for a live cell (cytoplasm) show that the tracks of individual single molecules are localized in Brownian motion, while there is fanning out in fractal diffusion (anomalous diffusion).

A reduced order model is developed to monitor aeroengines condition (defining their degradation from a baseline state) in real-time, by using data collected in specific sensors. This reduced model is constructed by applying higher order singular value decomposition plus interpolation to appropriate data, organized in tensor form. Such data are obtained using a detailed engine model that takes the engine physics into account. Thus, the method synergically combines the advantages of data-driven (fast online operation) and model-based (the engine physics is accounted for) condition monitoring methods. Using this reduced order model as surrogate of the engine model, two gradient-like condition monitoring tools are constructed. The first tool is extremely fast and able to precisely compute `on the fly’ the turbine inlet temperature, which is a paramount parameter for the engine performance, operation, and maintenance, and can only be roughly estimated by the engine instrumentation in civil aviation. The second tool is not so fast (but still reasonably inexpensive) and precisely computes both, the engine degradation and the turbine inlet temperature at which sensors data have been acquired. These tools are robust in connection with random noise added to the sensors data and can be straight forwardly applied to other mechanical systems.

Fixed offshore wind turbines continue to be developed for high latitude areas where not only wind and wave loads need to be considered, but also moving sea ice. Current rules and regulations for the design of fixed offshore structures in ice-covered waters do not adequately consider effects of ice loading and its stochastic nature on fatigue life of the structure. Ice crushing on such structures results in ice-induced vibrations, which can be represented by loading the structure using a variable-amplitude loading (VAL) sequence. Typical offshore load spectra are developed for wave and wind loading. Thus, a combined VAL spectrum is developed for wind, wave, and ice action. To this goal, numerical models are used to simulate the dynamic ice-, wind-, and wave-structure interaction. The stress time-history at an exemplarily selected critical point in an offshore wind energy monopile support structure is extracted from the model and translated into a VAL sequence, which can then be used as a loading sequence for the fatigue assessment or fatigue testing of welded joints of offshore wind turbine support structures. This study presents the approach to determine combined load spectra and standardized time series for wind, wave, and ice action.

This paper aims to present the basic assumptions for creation of social Fröhlich condensate and attract attention of other researchers (both from physics and socio-political science) to the problem of modelling of stability and order preservation in highly energetic society coupled with social energy bath of high temperature. The model of social Fröhlich condensation and its analysis are based on the mathematical formalism of quantum thermodynamics and field theory (applied outside of physics). The presented quantum-like model provides the consistent operational model of such complex socio-political phenomenon as Fröhlich condensation. The model of social Fröhlich condensation is heavily based on theory of open quantum systems. Its consistent elaboration needs additional efforts. Evidence of such phenomenon as social Fröhlich condensation is demonstrated by stability of modern informationally open societies Approaching the state of Fröhlich condensation is the powerful source of social stability. Understanding its informational structure and origin may help to stabilize the modern society. Application of the quantum-like model of Frhlich condensation in social and political sciences is really the novel and original approach to mathematical modeling of social stability in society exposed to powerful information radiation from mass-media and internet based sources.

It is known that the elastic characteristics of polyamides change with increasing temperature, in particular, the Young's modulus decreases significantly. This fact is practically not taken into account in design calculations of metal-polymer plain (MP) bearings, operating under conditions of the boundary and dry friction. The purpose of the study is the analysis of the effect of temperature on the change of the Young's modulus and, accordingly, the contact strength and triboresource according to the developed method of calculating MP bearings. MP bearings with a bushing made of polyamide PA6 reinforced with glass or carbon dispersed fibers were investi-gated. Quantitative and qualitative regularities of change of the maximum contact pressures and resource of the bearings at temperature increase under conditions of boundary and dry friction are established. The pressures in the bearing bushing made of PA6+30GF will be lower than for the bushing made of PA6+30CF. The resource of the bushing made of PA6+30CF will be significantly greater than for PA6+30GF. For thermoplastic polymers, the increase in temperature will have a useful practical effect due to the decrease in the rigidity of the polymer composites of the bearing bushing.

Most of the commonly used Ionic Liquids (ILs) contain bulky organic cations with suitable anions. With our COMPLET (Concept of Melting Point Lowering due to Ethoxylation), we follow a different approach. We use simple, low-toxic, cheap and commercially available anions of the type Cx(EO)yCH2COO– to liquefy presumably any simple metal ion, independently of its charge. In the simplest case, the cation can be sodium or lithium, but synthesis of Ionic Liquids is also possible with cations of higher valences such as transition or rare earth metals. Anions with longer alkyl chains are surface active and form surface active ionic liquids (SAILs), which combine properties of ionic and nonionic surfactants at room temperature. They show significant structuring even in their pure state, i.e. in the absence of water or any other added solvent.

Thermal sterilization is generally avoided for 3-D printed components because of the relatively low deformation temperatures for common thermoplastics used for material extrusion-based additive manufacturing. 3-D printing materials required for high-temperature heat sterilizable components for COVID-19 and other applications demands 3-D printers with heated beds, hot ends that can reach higher temperatures than polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hot ends and heated chambers to avoid part warping and delamination. There are several high temperature printers on the market, but their high costs make them inaccessible for full home-based distributed manufacturing required during pandemic lockdowns. To allow for all these requirements to be met for under $1,000, the Cerberus – an open source three-headed self-replicating rapid prototyper (RepRap) was designed and tested with the following capabilities: i) 200^oC-capable heated bed, ii) 500^oC-capabel hot end, iii) isolated heated chamber with 1kW space heater core and iv) mains voltage chamber and bed heating for rapid start. The Cereberus successfully prints polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) and polyetherimide (PEI, ULTEM) with tensile strengths of 77.5 and 80.5 MPa, respectively. As a case study, open source face masks were 3-D printed in PEKK and shown not to warp upon widely home-accessible oven-based sterilization.

In general, a superconductor has zero resistance, although it requires significant refrigeration or high pressures with high manufacturing costs, which prevents it into practical applications. In other words, solving these issues implies main superconducting researches. To solve these problems, this paper describes a new type of superconductivity, which is independent for temperatures and which operates without pressures. The principles of the presented system are as follows:First a voltage source, a current source and a load are connected in series. Then, the voltage of the voltage source is adjusted to balance the voltage of the load. Under this condition, the balance of the two voltages provides a zero voltage between the taps of the current source and the generated current from the voltage source becomes zero because of the internal infinite resistance of the current source. As a result, the electric powers generated by the two sources are zero, and therefore, the load cannot generate Joule heating because of energy conservation. However, the current from the current source (not the voltage source) is not zero; therefore, we can predict that the resistance of the load must be zero. As a theory, we derived a new electric field and transient attractive force, which result in a very short coherence of an electron pair because there is not the Coulomb repulsive force due to the existence of the above transient attractive force. Note that both the forces are derived by the Poisson equation, which implies that they cannot be compatible. Therefore, the pair combination energy from spins becomes extremely strong, which is not destroyed by the normal heat energy. Moreover, every center-of-mass motion of electron pair results in the Bose-Einstein condensation and the macroscopic wave function, which produces the London equation (i.e., the Meissner effect). Moreover, by introducing the equivalent circuit, this paper conducted numerical calculations. As a result, we could derive numerically zero resistance and responses for additional static magnetic fields as a discharged current, which implies the Meissner effect. Note that this paper has prepared Appendix section, which provides a guide to reproduce actual experiments and preliminary experimental results. These results in the Appendix indicate the zero resistances and Meissner effects.

Rapid growth and domestic migration to capital city, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Nepal have amplified land-use transition to unmanaged and unplanned urbanization have exacerbated problems of Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect. Increasing built up surfaces, means of transport and industrial activities are major results for increasing temperature in the city area as compared to other areas. This study focuses on forecasting Land Surface Temperature (LST) using both univariate and multivariate time series models. The primary goal is to predict the impact of climatic factors on the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, utilizing data from 1981 to 2019. We analyzed key factors including - (i) relative humidity, (ii) surface pressure, (iii) specific humidity, and (iv) wind speed sourced from the MEERA-2 dataset. A univariate model using exponential smoothing achieved a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 3.17°C and an R² score of 0.94, highlighting strong predictive accuracy. Additionally, the multivariate Prophet model, which incorporates trend and seasonal components, further refined the forecasting by integrating multiple climatic factors. This study aims provides valuable information via prediction for sustainable urban planning and landscape design in KMC and other 61 districts.

This paper provides a brief overview of how the Haug and Tatum Cosmological Model (HTC) outperforms the Λ-CDM model in numerous categories. In particular, we show why the HTC model is a strong competitor to the Λ-CDM model. For example, HTC appears to resolve the Hubble tension by making use of newly-discovered fundamental relationships between the CMB temperature, the Hubble parameter, and cosmological redshift. Moreover, HTC appears to better explain certain early universe telescopic observations than the Λ-CDM model.