The reserves of water, which is one of the most important requirements for human life, gradually decreases under current conditions and rapidly depletes despite being one of the renewable resources. Considering the global water reserves, it became imperative to implement measures to protect the anticipated water reserves. The fact that the amount of quality water per capita decreases every day in the world and the increasing competition in water management could be considered among the indicators of the above-mentioned case. In recent years, as the effects of this adversity became increasingly more evident, several sustainable methods were adopted all over the world such as rain gardens and rainwater storage facilities. These sustainable techniques could be observed in many areas, especially in urban centers. In the present study, the area with the highest water collection was determined at Karadeniz Technical University Kanuni Campus and identified as the study area. Precipitation per square meter and surface runoff volume were identified based on the GIS (Geographic Information System) data, annual water collection volume was calculated, and information on economic and ecological recycling of the water was provided. In conclusion, the precipitation data for 11 years were compared, and it was calculated that the average annual precipitation was 64.06 kg/m² and annual surface runoff water was 552.77 m³. Based on the surface runoff water volume in the months when no irrigation is conducted, a reservoir was designed under the vehicle road and water recycling recommendations were developed.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of the 3D point cloud density derived from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry and structure from motion (SfM) and multi-view stereopsis (MVS) techniques, the interpolation method for generating a digital terrain model (DTM), and the resolution (grid size) of the derived DTM on the accuracy of estimated heights in small areas, where a very accurate high spatial resolution is required. A UAV-photogrammetry project was carried out on a bare soil of 13 × 13 m with a rotatory wing UAV at 10 m flight altitude (equivalent ground sample distance = 0.4 cm). The 3D point cloud was derived, and five sample replications representing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90% of the original cloud were extracted to analyze the effect of cloud density on DTM accuracy. For each of these samples, DTMs were derived using four different interpolation methods (Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW), Multiquadric Radial Basis Function (MRBF), Kriging (KR), and Triangulation with Linear Interpolation (TLI)) and 15 DTM grid size (GS) values (20, 15, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.67, 0.5, and 0.4 cm). Then, 675 DTMs were analyzed. The results showed, for each interpolation method and each density, an optimal GS value (most of the cases equal to 1 cm) for which the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is minimum. IDW was the interpolator which yielded best accuracies for all combination of densities and GS. Its RMSE, considering the raw cloud, was 1.054 cm. The RMSE increased 3% when a point cloud with 80% extracted from the raw cloud was used to generate the DTM. When the point cloud included the 40% of the raw cloud, RMSE increased 5%. For densities lower than 15%, RMSE increased exponentially (45% for 1% of raw cloud). The grid size minimizing RMSE for densities of 20% or higher was 1 cm, which represents 2.5 times the ground sample distance of the pictures used for developing the photogrammetry project.

Polymer materials are increasingly being used for sliding machine elements due to their numerous advantages. They are used even where they are deformed and in such a state they interact frictionally e.g. in machine hydraulics or lip seals. Few publications deal with the influence of deformation, which is the effect of e.g. assembly on tribological properties of polymeric material. This deformation can reach up to ε ≈ 20% and is achieved without increasing the temperature of the polymer material. The paper presents the results of investigations in which high-density polyethylene (PE-HD) was maintained in deformation by means of a special grip (holder). The wear of the sample was significantly higher than that of the undeformed sample. This effect persisted even after partial relaxation of the stress in the sample after 24 hours. Additional investigations were carried out to explain the obtained results. There were the microscopic observations of the surface after friction, measurements of microhardness and free surface energy. Changes in the value of surface free energy and a significant decrease in microhardness with deformation under tension were observed. Strained material had a different surface appearance after friction and a different size and form of wear products. It was indicated that it is probable that the cohesion of the material will decrease and that the character of the wear process will change as a result of tension. Tension without heating of polymeric material (PE-HD), e.g. as a result of assembly, has been qualified as a hazard to be taken into account when designing and analysing polymeric sliding elements.

Wave overtopping, i.e., excess of water over the crest of a coastal protection infrastructure due to wave run-up, of a smooth slope can be reduced by introducing slope roughness. A stepped revetment ideally constitutes a slope with uniform roughness. Apart from reducing overtopping, a stepped revetment provides safer access to a beach compared to conventional rubble. In recent years, research studies on stepped revetments have provided valuable findings regarding the performance and design optimization of stepped revetments as a typical mean of coastal protection. A stepped revetment can reduce overtopping volumes of breaking waves up to compared to a smooth slope. The effectiveness of the overtopping reduction decreases with increasing Iribarren number. However, up to date a unique approach applicable for a wide range of boundary conditions is still missing. The present paper critically reviews previous findings, gathers and analyzes data from previous studies and proposes a new formula for robust prediction of overtopping of stepped revetments. By means of this approach a critical assessment based on beforehand disclosed parameter ranges between a smooth slope on the one hand and a plain vertical wall on the other are contrasted. By analysis of a new data set compounded from different original studies a novel empirical formulation is derived to predict the roughness reduction coefficient of a stepped revetment for breaking and non-breaking waves. This coefficient is developed and adjusted for a direct incorporation into the present design guidelines. Underlying uncertainties are clearly addressed and quantified. Scale effects are highlighted.

Recently a new class of experiments in the field of surface gravity waves has emerged. These experiments serve as demonstration of an analogy to a broad variety of phenomena in optics and quantum mechanics. In particular, experiments involving Airy water-wave packets were carried out. The Airy wave packets have attracted tremendous attention in optics and quantum mechanics owing to their unique properties, spanning from an ability to propagate along parabolic trajectories without spreading, and to accumulating a phase that scales with the cubic power of time. Non-dispersive Cosine-Gauss wave packets and self-similar Hermite-Gauss wave packets, also well known in the field of optics and quantum mechanics, were recently studied using surface gravity waves as well. These wave packets demonstrated self-healing properties in water wave pulses as well, preserving their width despite being dispersive. Finally, this new approach also allows to observe diffractive focusing from a temporal slit with finite width.

The process of preparing anti-glare thin films by spray-coating silica sol-gel to soda-lime glass was exclusively and statistically studied in this paper. The effects of sol-gel deliver pressure, air transport pressure, and spray gun displacement speed on the gloss, haze, arithmetic mean surface roughness, and total transmittance light were analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the factors of sol-gel deliver pressure, air transport pressure, and displacement speed exhibit significant effect on the haze, gloss, and Ra. In contrast, the variation of total transmittance light with these three factors are insignificant. Because the anti-glare property is predominantly determined by low gloss and high haze, therefore, we aim to minimize gloss and maximize haze to achieve high anti-glare. Central composite design and response rurface methodology are employed to analyze the main and interaction effects of the three factors through quadratic polynomial equations, which are confirmed by the analysis of variance and R². The response surface methodology predict the lowest gloss and highest haze are 9.2 GU and 57.0%, corresponding to the sol-gel deliver pressure, air-transport pressure, and displacement speed of 250 kPa, 560 kPa, and 140 mm/s, and 340 kPa, 620 kPa, and 20 mm/s, respectively. Comparing the predicted optimal data with the real experimental results validates the applicability of the mathematical model. This study provides an important basis for the subsequent production of anti-glare glass with different specifications to satisfy the market demand.

Earth’s land surface area is raised from conventionally flat 15 to 64 Gha to account for hilly undulation and soil relief detail. Three main aspects are: topography, rugosity/tortuosity and micro-relief/porosity of vegetation-free ground. Recalibration is arrived at from four approaches: first, direct empirical estimates from the few compiled satellite or LiDAR data with means of +2.5–26% progressively overlain by +94% at cm² scale for soil ruggedness then +108% for mm² micro-relief; second, from digital elevation models with 1.6–2.0 times flat areas; third, by ‘reverse engineering’ global soil bulk densities and carbon reserves requiring x 2–6 land. Finally, a Fermi estimation conveniently sets the World’s new surface area – that exposed to Sun, air and rain – at 100 Gha (with 36 Gha flat ocean). Soil organic carbon (SOC) is thence raised to 8,580 Gt mainly in SOM/humus with its biotic complexity plus roots, VAM-fungi and leaf-litter, that itself = 17,800 Gt. Although four to six times IPCC’s or NASA/NOAA’s calculations of just 1,500–2,300 Gt SOC, this is likely an underestimation. Global biomass and biodiversity are at least doubled (x 2–3.5) and net primary productivity (NPP) similarly increased on land to >270 Gt C yr^-1 due to terrain.

A great improvement in food safety and quality controls worldwide has been achieved through the development of biosensing platforms. Foodborne pathogens continue to cause serious outbreaks due to the ingestion of contaminated food. The development of new, sensitive, portable, high-throughput, and automated platforms is a primary objective to allow detection of pathogens and their toxins in foods. Listeria monocytogenes is one common foodborne pathogen. Major outbreaks of listeriosis have been caused by a variety of foods, including milk, soft cheeses, meat, fermented sausages, poultry, seafood and vegetable products. Due to its high sensitivity and easy setup, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been extensively applied for biosensor fabrication and in particular in the field of microbiology as a mean to detect and quantify foodborne bacteria. Here we describe a miniaturized, portable EIS platform consisting of a microfluidic device with EIS sensors for the detection of L. monocytogenes in milk samples, connected to a portable impedance analyzer for on-field application in clinical and food diagnostics but also for biosecurity purposes. To achieve this goal microelectrodes were functionalized with antibodies specific for L. monocytogenes. The binding and detection of L. monocytogenes was achieved in the range 2.2 x 103 cfu/ml to 1 x 102 with a Limit of Detection (LoD) of 5.5 cfu/ml.

Lanthanide ion doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) that can convert low-energy infrared photons into high-energy visible and ultraviolet photons, are becoming highly sought-after for advanced biomedical and biophotonics applications. Their unique luminescent properties enable UCNPs to be applied for diagnosis, including biolabeling, biosensing, bioimaging and multiple imaging modality, as well as therapeutic treatments including photothermal and photodynamic therapy, bio-reductive chemotherapy and drug delivery. For the employment of the inorganic nanomaterials into biological environment, it is critical to bridge the gap in between nanoparticles and biomolecules via surface modifications and subsequent functionalisation. This work reviews the various ways to surface modify and functionalise UCNPs so as to impart different functional molecular groups to the UCNPs surfaces for a board range of applications in biomedical areas. We discussed commonly used base functionalities, including –COOH, -NH2 and –SH, that are typically imparted to UCNP surfaces so as to provide further functional capacity.

In the present study, Electrocoagulated Metal Hydroxide Sludge (EMHS) was analyzed as adsorbent material to remove both fluoride ion (F-) and arsenic V (As(V)) from aqueous effluents. This material was generated during an electrocoagulation process using Aluminum anode. It was characterized by using specific surface areas and the surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Adsorbent fixed-beds are generally studied to remove different class of contaminants. EMHS was evaluated using a continuous flow rate column test with an experimental design. The effect of initial concentration of F- (2.5–10 mg L⁻¹) and the Empty Bed Contact Time (EBCT (0.4–0.8 min)) was studied following a central composite design methodology. The experimented parameters had a significant influence on saturation time, breakthrough volume, and breakthrough time. A response surface analysis was a tool for analyzing the adsorption study, showing interactions that are complicated to identify by others methods. The results, here reported, revealed that EMHS is an efficient and promising adsorbent material in order to remove F- and As(V) from water contaminated by these pollutants.

There are some limitations in the null test measurement in the stitching interferometry. In order to meet the null test conditions, the moving distance between the sub-apertures often deviates from the theoretical preset distance, which leads to a position deviation of sub-apertures under measurements. To overcome this problem, an algorithm for data processing is proposed. We used iterative calculation of the deviations between the sub-apertures to adjust their positions, to ensure the local validity of the linear approximation algorithm and realize the exact stitching. A cylindrical lens as an object for experimental examination of the proposed method was taken. The obtained results demonstrate the validity, reliability and feasibility of our iterative stitching algorithm.

In this paper we will present a simplified approach for extracting the ground level – a digital terrain model (DTM) – from the surface provided in a digital surface model (DSM). Most existing algorithms try to find the ground values in a digital surface model. Our approach works the opposite direction by detecting probable above ground areas. The main advantage of our approach is the possibility to use it with incomplete DSMs containing much no data values which can be e.g. occlusions in the calculated DSM. A smoothing or filling of such original derived DSMs will destroy much information which is very useful for deriving a ground surface from the DSM. Since the presented approach needs steep edges to detect potential high objects it will fail on smoothed and filled DSMs. After presenting the algorithm it will be applied to a test area in Salzburg and compared to a terrain model freely available from the Austrian government.

African trypanosomes are an early branch in eukaryotic evolution and developed a unique endomembrane system as an adaptation to their parasitic life style. The key virulence mechanism of many pathogens is successful immune evasion to enable survival within the host, which is a feature requiring both genetic events and membrane transport in African trypanosomes. Intracellular trafficking not only plays a role in immune evasion, but also in homeostasis of intracellular and extracellular compartments and interactions with the environment. Significantly, historical and recent work has unravelled some of the connections between these processes and highlighted how immune evasion mechanisms associated with adaptations in membrane trafficking may have, paradoxically, provided specific sensitivity to drugs. Here we explore these advances in understanding the membrane composition of the trypanosome plasma membrane and organelles and provide a perspective for how transport could be exploited for therapeutic purpose.

We investigated the structural evolution of the two-phase blends of polycarbonate (PC) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at various blend compositions by simultaneous biaxial stretching using optical microscopy and SEM observation. The spherical PMMA domains and PC matrix in 30/70 PC/PMMA were enlarged uniformly at all in-plane direction, while the anisotropic-shaped co-continuous structure in 50/50 PC/PMMA was deformed to crosshatched one by in-plane bimodal orientation. In 70/30 PC/PMMA, the phase inversion was found to occur by simultaneous biaxial stretching; i.e., the spherical PMMA domains were changed to crosshatched matrix by in-plane bimodal orientation due to coalescence of the PMMA domains during the stretching. Owing to the phase inversion, the surface hardness estimated by pencil hardness test became harder from 2B to 2H with increasing the strain from 1.0 to 2.0.

A simple fabrication method in the surface modification of electroosmotic silicon microchannel using thermal dry oxidation is presented. The surface modification is done by coating the silicon surface with a silicon dioxide (SiO₂) layer using thermal oxidation process. The process is aimed not only to improve the surface quality of the channel to be suitable for electroosmotic fluid transport but also to reduce the channel width using a simple technique. Initially, the parallel microchannel array with dimensions of 0.5 mm length and width ranging from 1.8 µm to 2 µm are created using plasma etching on the 2x2 cm <100> silicon substrate. The oxidation of silicon channel in a thermal chamber is then conducted to create the SiO₂ layer. The layer properties and the quality of the surface are analyzed using SEM and surface profiler, respectively. The results show that the maximum oxidation growth rate occurs in the first 4 hours of oxidation time and the rate decreases by time as the oxide layer becomes thicker. It is also found that the surface roughness is reduced with the increase of process temperature and oxide thickness. The scallop effect on the vertical wall due to plasma etching process also improved with the presence of the oxide layer. After the oxidation, the channel width is reduced by ~40%. The demonstrated method is suggested for the fabrication of a uniform channel cross section with high aspect ratio in sub-micro and nanometer scale that will be useful for the electroosmotic flow (EOF) manipulation of the biomedical fluid sample.

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the external friction angle of cereal kernels and the roughness of a steel friction plate. The experiment was performed on the kernels of five principal cereals: wheat, rye, barley, oats and triticale. Flat seed units composed of three spaced kernels joined by adhesive tape were analyzed in each experimental variant. The external friction angle of flat seed units was determined on 9 steel friction plates with different roughness. Measurements were performed in 3 replications with a photosensor device which registered the external friction angle of cereal kernels. On friction plates with surface roughness Ra=0.36 to Ra=6.72, the average values of the angle of external friction ranged from 17.56° in rye kernels to 34.01° in oat kernels. The greatest similarities in the angle of external friction were observed between wheat and triticale kernels, whereas the greatest differences were noted between barley and oat kernels and between barley and triticale kernels. Friction plates made of ST3S steel should be characterized by the lowest surface roughness to minimize energy consumption during grain processing. The optimal surface roughness of steel friction plates was determined at Ra=0.9.

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the external friction angle of cereal kernels and the roughness of a steel friction plate. The experiment was performed on the kernels of five principal cereals: wheat, rye, barley, oats and triticale. Flat seed units composed of three spaced kernels joined by adhesive tape were analyzed in each experimental variant. The external friction angle of flat seed units was determined on 9 steel friction plates with different roughness. Measurements were performed in 3 replications with a photosensor device which registered the external friction angle of cereal kernels. On friction plates with surface roughness Ra=0.36 to Ra=6.72, the average values of the angle of external friction ranged from 17.56° in rye kernels to 34.01° in oat kernels. The greatest similarities in the angle of external friction were observed between wheat and triticale kernels, whereas the greatest differences were noted between barley and oat kernels and between barley and triticale kernels. Friction plates made of ST3S steel should be characterized by the lowest surface roughness to minimize energy consumption during grain processing. The optimal surface roughness of steel friction plates was determined at Ra=0.9.

The design of curved surface sliders (CSS) based on the elastic response spectrum is done by iteration to find the combination of friction coefficient and displacement capacity which satisfies the condition that the maximum horizontal CSS force is equal to the horizontal force of the structure. Although this CSS design is valid it does not necessarily minimize structural acceleration. This paper therefore describes the optimum CSS design for minimum structural acceleration. All valid CSS designs and the optimum CSS design are represented by their associated trajectory in the elastic response spectrum plane which visualizes the optimization problem. The results demonstrate that the optimum CSS design is not obtained at maximum tolerated effective damping ratio. The subsequent sensitivity analysis describes how much the structural acceleration increases if the actual friction coefficient of the real CSS deviates from its optimum design value. The analysis points out that the increase in structural acceleration is approximately one order of magnitude smaller than the deviation in friction. The sensitivity data may be used by structural engineer to determine tolerable deviations in friction coefficient which still results in acceptable structural accelerations.

Analysis of water resources of this area was carried out in order to assessing the water quality by determining the concentrations of Cations, Anions, Heavy metals, Trace elements, PH, Alkalinity, Total Dissolved Solids and microbial loads in water samples. Ten (10) water samples were collected from the study area - samples each of rain water, two pond waters - 1 and 2, stream water, four (4) hand-dug wells, hand pump water and a motorized borehole. The results obtained were compared with WHO standards and it showed that all the cations in water samples are within the limits. The water samples at locations B, E, F, G, H, I, and J have high alkalinity and HC0^-₃ content. The heavy metals (Pb, Ni and Cd) and trace elements (Fe and Cu) are dominantly high in the surface waters. Microbiological substances in the water samples from the study area revealed indicator organisms higher than the WHO standard for drinking water. Samples obtained from location G, I and J recorded an absence of E. coli and are fit for human consumptions but needed to be treated due to high MPN (Most Probable Number) index of viable microorganisms as against WHO standard. This research showed that the water resources of the study area are gradually polluted and in the near future may not be good for drinking.

Plasma treatment of soft polymers is the promising technique to improve biomedical properties. The response to the deformation of such materials is not yet clear. Soft elastic polyurethane treated with plasma immersion ion implantation is subjected to fatigue uniaxial loading (50000 cycles, frequency – 1 Hz, strain amplitude – 10, 20, 40%). The influence of the strain amplitude and the plasma treatment regime on damage character is discussed. Surface defects are studied in unloaded and stretched states of the material. As a result of fatigue loading, transverse cracks (with closed overlapping edges as well as with open edges deeply propagating into the polymer) and longitudinal folds which are break and bend inward, appear on the surface. Hard edges of cracks cut the soft polymer which is squeezed from the bulk to the surface.

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

Regional heat capacity change is calculated from the ratio between the addition or subtraction of heat (ΔQ) with the increase or decrease in temperature (ΔT) region. The purpose of this study is to calculate the regional heat capacity change due to the changes of land cover composition with forest, shrubs, oil palm plantation and bare soil using Landsat-5 TM satellite data on 1994, 2000 and 2010. Total area that used on ​​this study is 12971 ha. In 1994-2000, 4 % of forest area and 2% shrubs were increased, followed by additional of biomass forest 4.01 tons/ha and 2.83 tons/ha for shrubs. The increased of forest area and biomass (tons/ha) caused by forest and shrubs growth processing towards climax that added the canopy volume. So that, the regional heat capacity in 1994 amounted 19384 MJC^o-1 increased to 19929 MJC^o-1 in 2000. Data observation for 2000-2010 showed that forest area decreased by 66% due to forest’s clearing into oil palm plantations (47%), shrubs (8%) and bare soil (11%). But, plant’s biomass continue to increased, i.e 1.48 ton/ha for forest, 2.73 tons/ha for shrubs and 4.63 tons/ha for bare soil. Before 2000, there was no land cover by oil palm plantations, so the increasing rate from this land was the biggest than the three other lands, amounting to 122.29 tons/ha. Decreasing in the percentage of forest area does not cause a decrease in the heat capacity of the region. Intensive maintenance on oil plam plantation such as water management, fertilizer and planting space made it biomass productivity and ability to save the heat is greater than the forest. As the result, in 2010 regional heat capacity increased to 22508 MJC^o-1.

We report magnetic silver nanoshells (M AgNSs) that have both magnetic and SERS properties for SERS-based detection. The M AgNSs are composed of hundreds of Fe3O4 nanoparticles for rapid accumulation and bumpy silver shell for sensitive SERS detection by near-infrared laser excitation. The intensity of the SERS signal from the M AgNSs was strong enough to provide single particle-level detection. We obtained much stronger SERS signal intensity from the aggregated M AgNSs than from the non-aggregated AgNSs. 4-Fluorothiophenol was detected at concentrations as low as 1 nM, which corresponds to 0.16 ppb. The limit of detection for tetramethylthiuram disulfide was 10 μM, which corresponds to 3 ppm. The M AgNSs can be used to detect trace amounts of organic molecules using a portable Raman system.

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

The present study propose an innovative turn-boring operation method and focuses on finding optimal turn-boring process parameters for 15-5PH Stainless steel by considering multiple performance characteristics using Taguchi orthogonal array with the grey relational analysis, the effect of machining variables such as concentration of cutting fluid , temperature of cutting fluid , feed rate, depth of cut and cutting speed are optimized with considerations of multiple performance characteristics namely surface roughness, roundness error and material removal rate, the optimal values were found out from the Grey relational grade. The result of the Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) is shown that the most significant factor is cutting speed, followed by feed rate, concentration of cutting fluid, radial depth of cut and temperature of cutting fluid. Finally, confirmation tests were carried out to make a comparison between the experimental results and developed model. Experimental results have shown that machining performance in the turn-boring process can be improved effectively through this approach.

Background: The efficacy of sunscreen is evaluated by SPF values, which are quantitatively determined in laboratories on the backs of human subjects according to a standardized procedure. However, SPF cannot be directly translated to sunburn protection under real-life situations because actual efficacy depends on various factors related to human behaviors and environmental conditions. This study clinically evaluated the efficacy of two sunscreen sprays (SPF 30 and SPF 70) under natural sunlight exposure on healthy subjects at the beach. Methods: Twenty subjects were divided into two cells for the two sunscreen sprays (SPF 70 and SPF 30) in a single-center, actual usage test. The primary endpoint of the study was sunburn protection on the dorsal arms and the secondary endpoint was protection on the face and neck. Subjects stayed at the beach for 4 h after application of the sunscreens with normal beach activities. Subjects’ behavior at the beach, the amounts of sunscreen applied and reapplied, and environmental conditions were all recorded. Results: There was no significant sunburn for a majority of the subjects in either cell. However, neither sunscreen completely blocked the sunburn, especially for the face/neck area. We found that the SPF 70 sunscreen was more effective than the SPF 30 sunscreen. Conclusion: Modern sunscreen sprays, applied liberally, are effective in providing sunburn protection for the body in a beach setting.

The urbanization effects on land surface phenology (LSP) have been investigated by many studies, but few studies focused on the temporal variations of urbanization effects on LSP. In this study, we used the MODIS EVI, MODIS LST data and China’s Land Use/Cover Datasets (CLUDs) to investigate the temporal variations of urban heat island intensity and urbanization effects on LSP in Northeast China during 2001–2015. Land surface temperature (LST) and phenology differences between urban and rural areas represented the urban heat island intensity and urbanization effects on LSP, respectively. Mann-kendall nonparametric test and Sen's slope were used to evaluating the trends of urbanization effects on LSP and urban heat island intensity. The results indicated that the average land surface phenology (LSP) during 2001–2015 was characterized by high spatial heterogeneity. The start of the growing season (SOS) in old urban area had become earlier and earlier than rural area and the differences of SOS between urbanized area and the rural area changed greatly during 2001–2015 (−0.79 days/year, p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the length of the growing season (LOS) in urban and adjacent areas had become increasingly longer than rural area especially in urbanized area (0.92 days/year, p < 0.01), but the differences of the end of the growing season (EOS) between urban and adjacent areas did not change significantly. Next, the UHII increased in spring and autumn during the whole study period. Moreover, the correlation analysis indicated that the increasing urban heat island intensity in spring contributed greatly to the increases of urbanization effects on SOS, but the increasing urban heat island intensity in autumn did not lead to the increases of urbanization effects on EOS in Northeast China.

Background: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii in aquatic environments and fish microbiota by integrating culture-dependent methods, 16S metagenomics, and antibiotic resistance profiling. Methods: A total of 83 A. baumannii isolates were recovered using culture-dependent methods from intra-hospital infections (IHI), wastewater (WW) and surface water (SW) samples from two southern Romanian cities in august 2022. The antibiotic susceptibility was screened using disc diffusion, microdilution, PCR and Whole Genome Sequencing assays. Results: The highest microbial load in the analyzed samples was found in Glina, Bucharest for both WW and SW samples across all investigated phenotypes. For Bucharest isolates, the resistance levels corresponded to fluoroquinolones &gt; aminoglycosides &gt; β-lactam antibiotics. In contrast, A. baumannii from upstream SW samples in Targoviste showed the highest resistance to aminoglycosides. The blaOXA-23 gene was frequently detected in IHI, WW, and SW isolates in Bucharest but was absent in Targoviste. Molecular phylogeny revealed presence of ST10 in Târgoviște isolates and ST2 in Bucharest isolates, while other minor STs were not specifically correlated with a sampling point. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, significant differences in microbial populations between the two locations was identified. The low abundance of Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria in both locations suggests environmental pressures or contamination events. Conclusions: These findings indicate significant fecal contamination and potential public health risks, emphasizing the need for improved water quality monitoring and management.

In this article, the research team has systematically developed a method to model the kinematics and dynamics of a 3-wheeled robot subjected to external disturbances and sideways wheel sliding. These models will be used to design control laws that compensate for wheel slippage, model uncertainties, and external disturbances. These are control algorithms developed based on Dynamic Surface Control (DSC). Adaptive trajectory tracking DSC algorithm using fuzzy logic system (AFDSC) and radial neural network (RBFNN) with fuzzy logic system to overcome the disadvantages of DSC and expand the application domain for wheeled Mobile Robots (WMR). However, this Adaptive Fuzzy Neural Network Dynamic Surface Control (AFNNDSC) adaptive controller ensures the closed system is stable and follows the preset trajectory in the presence of wheel slippage model uncertainty and is affected by significant amplitude disturbances. The stability and convergence of the closed-loop system are guaranteed based on the Lyapunov analysis. The AFNNDSC adaptive controller is evaluated by simulation on MATLAB/Simulink software and in a steady state. The maximum position error on the right wheel and left wheel is 0.000572 (m) and 0.000523 (m), and the angular velocity tracking error in the right and left wheels of the control method is 0.000394 (rad/s). The experimental results show the correctness of the theoretical analysis, the effectiveness of the proposed controller, and the possibility of practical application.

This study provides a methodology for optimizing oil production and CO2 sequestration using an integrated asset model of the Farnsworth Unit field, incorporating extensive geological, geophysical, and engineering data. Sensitivity analysis identified critical parameters impacting oil recovery and CO2 storage, leading to the construction of a proxy model using polynomial regression and radial basis function neural networks, with the latter proving more effective for "What-if" analysis. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the Corey parameters impact cumulative oil produced the most. Comprehensive history matching validated the model against historical production data, ensuring reliability for forecasting and optimization. Two scenarios, "Do-Nothing" and development strategy, were forecasted over 15 years (2020-2035). The "Do-Nothing" scenario resulted in 9.57 MMSTB of oil recovery and 2,822.70 MMlbs of CO2 storage. The development strategy case improved outcomes with 13.95 MMSTB of oil recovery and 5,061.68 MMlbs of CO2 stored, and was selected for optimization using particle swarm optimization. The optimized strategy achieved 14,043,372 STB of cumulative oil and 4,832.18 MMlbs of CO2 stored, and increased the field NPV by 25.84% to $114,871,730. This study underscores the significance of integrated asset modeling in enhancing oil recovery and optimizing CO2-EOR processes, providing valuable insights into operational conditions and constraints.

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.

Modeling carbonate growth in fractures and pores is important for understanding carbon sequestration in the environment or when supersaturated solutions are injected into rocks. Here we study the simple but nontrivial problem of calcite growth on fractures with rough walls of the same mineral using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of attachment and detachment of molecules and scaling approaches. First we consider wedge-shaped fracture walls whose upper terraces are in the same low energy planes and show that the valleys are slowly filled by propagation of parallel monolayer steps in the wedge sides. The growth ceases when the walls reach these low energy configurations, so that a gap between the walls may not be filled. Secondly we consider fracture walls with equally separated monolayer steps (vicinal surfaces with roughness below $1$~nm) and show that growth by step propagation will eventually clog the fracture gap. In both cases, scaling approaches predict the times to attain the final configurations as a function of the initial geometry and of the step propagation velocity in the chosen supersaturation. The same reasoning applied to a random wall geometry shows that step propagation leads to lateral filling of surface valleys until the wall reaches the low-energy crystalline plane that has the smallest initial density of molecules. Thus, the final configurations of the fracture walls are much more sensitive to the crystallography than to the roughness or to the local curvature. The framework developed here may be used to determine those configurations, the times to reach them, and the mass of deposited mineral.

Background/Objectives: Body surface area is one of the most important anthropometric parameters in medicine. The study's primary objective is to compare the consistency of the BSA estimation results through applying available formulas. Other objectives include determining the ability of these formulas to discriminate between the deaths and living patients, comparing the formulas’ diagnostic features as well as investigating whether the risk associated with a low BSA is independent of BMI. Methods: The study included 1029 patients (median age: 54 years, female: 13.7%, NYHA I/II/III/IV: 6.3% / 36.5% / 47.7% / 9.5%) diagnosed with heart failure. For each patient, BSA was calculated using the 25 formulas. Over the 3-year observation period, 31.2% of the patients died. Results: The average BSA value of the optimal discrimination thresholds was 1.79 m2 ± 0.084 m2 and the BSA difference between the estimators with the lowest (BSAMeeh1879) and the highest (BSANwoye1989) optimal discrimination thresholds was 0.42 m2. The lowest mortality rate was 35.2% and occurred in the subgroup of individuals with BSA values below the optimal discrimination threshold using the BSASchlich2010 estimator. The highest mortality was observed when estimators BSAMeeh1879 or BSALivingston&Lee2001 were used. Conclusions: Our study has shown a relatively good concordance of 25 BSA estimators in BSA assessment in patients, without extremes of weight or height known to disrupt it. All BSA estimators presented a significant, although weak, ability to discriminate death from alive in 3-year follow-up. The higher risk of death in smaller patients as shown by BSA was independent of BMI in all but 2 BSA estimators.

This in vitro study aimed to analyze the surface roughness (Ra) and color stability (ΔEab, ΔE00) following simulated mechanical brushing, and to evaluate the microtensile (μTBS) to dentin of Self Adhering Resin Flowable (SARF). The selected materials were Constic, Yflow AS, and Tetric N flow (TNF/control). Thirty composite resin cylinders were fabricated for surface property evaluation. Ra and color were assessed both before and after simulated brushing. The thresholds of 50:50% perceptibility and acceptability of color difference of the evaluated resins were assessed. For μTBS analysis, fifteen molars were selected, sectioned to expose flat dentin surfaces, and restored according to manufacturers' instructions. Subsequently, they were sectioned into sticks for microtensile testing. Statistically significant differences in Ra among the groups, with Constic exhibiting the highest Ra value (p < 0.05), while Yflow AS showed the lowest Ra value. No statistically significant difference in color was observed among the groups (p > 0.05). The 50:50% perceptibility and acceptability thresholds set at 1.2 and 2.7 for ΔEab and 0.8 and 1.8 for ΔE 00. All the results fell within the acceptable limits. The mean μTBS values of Constic, Yflow AS, and TNF were 10.649 MPa, 8.170 MPa, and 33.669 MPa, respectively. The study revealed increased Ra and comparable color stability among all tested composite resins after abrasion. However, SARF exhibited lower μTBS compared to conventional using an adhesive system.

The purpose of this work is to analyze heat-treated ash wood at temperature of 185 ºC, in order to analyze its dimensional stability. For comparison, native ash/ not thermally treated wood, was be used. In order to analyze heat-treated ash wood, some main properties such as water absorption, swelling in thickness, roughness, Brinell hardness, modulus of rupture and elasticity, color change toward black with CIELab space, and many others properties were determined and processed. The results obtained after processing the experimental data have showed that heat-treated ash wood had good physical properties as absorption and swelling in thickness, and the slight increase in elasticity offers new fields of use. As a general conclusion of the work, it was established that the ash wood can be properly thermally treated, the dimensional stability characteristics being very good, and the decrease in bending resistance being almost imperceptible.

Electronic skin is widely employed in multiple applications such as health monitoring, robot tactile perception, and bionic prosthetics. In this study, we fabricated millimeter-scale electronic skin featuring compact sensing units using Boston Micro Fabrication S130 (a high-precision additive manufacturing device) and the template removal method. We used a gallium-based liquid metal and achieved an inner channel diameter of 0.1 mm. The size of the sensing unit was 3 × 3 mm². This unit exhibited a wide linear sensing range (10–22000 Pa) and high pressure resolution (10 Pa) even on an ultracurved surface (radius of curvature was 6 mm). Sliding was successfully detected at speeds of 8–54 mm/s. An artificial nose with nine sensing units was fabricated, and it exhibited excellent multitouch and sliding trajectory recognition capabilities. This confirmed that the electronic skin functioned normally even on an ultracurved surface.

For centuries, humans have relied on natural products to prevent and treat numerous health issues. However, biologically active compounds from natural sources, such as polyphenols, face significant challenges, including low solubility, rapid metabolism, and instability, which hinder their effectiveness. Advances in science and nanotechnology have provided solutions to overcoming these problems through the use of porous silica materials. These materials possess unique properties, such as a high specific surface area, adjustable particle and pore sizes, and a surface that can be easily and selectively modified. In this review, we summarize and discuss findings on how the pore and particle size, structure, and surface modification of silica materials influence the preparation of efficient delivery systems for biologically active polyphenols from natural sources. The available data demonstrate how parameters such as adsorption capacity, release and antioxidant properties, bioavailability, solubility, stability, etc. of the studied delivery systems could be affected by the structural and chemical characteristics of the porous silica carriers.

In this study, AlSi12 alloy was fabricated using the selective laser melting (SLM) technique to produce high density components with complex and customized parts for railway applications. Nonetheless, the production of dense samples necessitates the optimization of production process parameters. As a statistical design of experimental technique, the response surface methodology was used to optimise different combination of SLM parameters. The results were analysed using analyse of variance (ANOVA) and the signal-to-noise(S/N) ratios. The relationship between the hardness response to the process parameters (scanning speed and lase power) for determining the optimal processing conditions were examined. A hardness value of 133 HV was obtained. The process parameters were successfully optimized and the relationship between the parameters and the structures of the fabricated samples were reported.

Daylighting design is not only a stage of dimensioning glazed surfaces to provide sufficient natural light to an occupied space, but also a method of analysing how this matter can be achieved without unwanted effects, such as: gains and losses of heat, glare, and variations of the daylighting intensity, at various indoor distances and levels. According to the international regulations in force, glazed surfaces must be designed with a careful balance between the admission of natural light and thermal performance, such as heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. In a novel project, it is essential to determine the optimal ratio of window-to-wall surface area. This necessity arises because the materials constituting the glazed surfaces of windows typically exhibit lower insulation properties compared to those of the building's walls. This methodology could be applied to building renovations when envelope modifications are possible and suitable. The case study presented in the paper highlights the energy consumed due to a group of windows with a large glazed area in an existing building, located in a temperate continental climate area. The energy consumption results from supplementary artificial lighting required to maintain adequate illumination for indoor activities and that to counterbalance heat loss during colder periods are evaluated. The analysis performed by modifying the glazed surface led to the identification of an optimum value of windows dimensions for an energy consumed minimum.

The physical properties of nano-fertilizers (NFs) are important in determining their performance, efficacy, and environmental interactions. Nano-fertilizers, due to their small size and high surface area-to-volume ratio, enhance plant metabolic reactions, resulting in higher crop yields. The properties of nano-fertilizers depend on the synthesis methods used. The nanoparticle's nutrient use efficiency (NUE) varies among plant species. This review aims to analyze the relationship between the physical properties of NF and their influence on crop performance and nutrient uptake efficiency. The review focuses on the physical properties of NFs, specifically their size, shape, crystalline, and agglomeration. This review found that smaller particle-sized nanoparticles exhibit higher nutrient use efficiency than larger particles. Nano-fertilizer-coated additives gradually release nutrients, reducing the need for frequent application and addressing limitations associated with chemical fertilizer utilization. The shapes of nano-fertilizers have varying effects on the overall performance of plants. The crystalline structure of nanoparticles promotes a slow release of nutrients. Amorphous nano-fertilizers improve the NUE and, ultimately, crop yield. Agglomeration results in nanoparticles losing their nanoscale size, accumulating on the outer surface, and becoming unavailable to plants. Understanding the physical properties of nano-fertilizers is crucial for optimizing their performance in agricultural applications.

The detection accuracy of bridge superficial defect using the deep neural network approach decreases significantly under light variation and weak texture condition. To address these issues, an enhanced intelligent detection method based on the YOLOv8 deep neural network is proposed in this study. Firstly, multi-branch coordinate attention (MBCA) is proposed to improve the accuracy of coordinate positioning by introducing a global perception module in coordinate attention mechanism. Furthermore, a deformable convolution based on MBCA is developed to improve the adaptability for complex feature shapes. Lastly, the deformable convolutional network-attention-YOLO (DAC-YOLO) detection algorithm is formed by replacing the deep C2F structure in the YOLOv8 architecture with deformable convolution. A supervised dataset consisting of 4794 bridge surface damage images is employed to verify the proposed method, and results show that it achieves improvements of 2.0% and 3.4% in mAP and R. Meanwhile, the model complexity decreases by 1.2G, increasing the detection speed by 3.5/f·s-1.

The main purpose of this work was to tests of form and size of fatigue wear of the top layer of oil gear pump wheel (3PW-BPF-24). The object of tests was operated during a determined number of hours at strictly controlled operational and environmental parameters. A microscope of focal differentiation by Alicona InfiniteFocus G4 (with Focus-Variation optical measuring technology) was used for an identification, measurement and description of noticed superficial defects, which resulted from the fatigue process of the top layer and an earlier thermochemical treatment. The work was finished with an analysis of obtained results (based on the analysis of 3D scans) and conclusions concerning about optimization of the thermal treatment. Taking into consideration the presented results (suggestions) in the technology of improving strength properties of gear wheels (of this type oil pumps) may render it possible to obtain an appropriate fatigue endurance of the top layer, i.e. a minimization of observed superficial defects.

The beta-galactoside-binding mammalian lectin galectin-1 can bind, via its carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD), various cell surface glycoproteins and has been implicated in a range of cancers. As a consequence of binding to sugar residues on cell surface receptors it has been shown to have a pleiotropic effect across many cell types and mechanisms resulting in immune system modulation and cancer progression. As a result, it has started to become a therapeutic target for both small and large molecules. In previous studies, we have used fluorescence polarisation (FP) assays to determine KD values to screen and triage small molecule glycomimetics that bind to the galectin-1 CRD. In this study surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to compare human and mouse galectin-1 affinity measures with FP as SPR has not been applied for compound screening against this galectin. Binding affinities for a selection of mono- and di-saccharides covering a 1,000-fold range correlated well between FP and SPR assay formats for both human and mouse galectin-1. It was shown that slower dissociation drove the increased affinity at human galectin-1 whilst faster association was responsible for the effects at mouse galectin-1. This study demonstrates that SPR is a sound alternative to FP for early drug discovery screening and determining affinity estimates. Consequently, it also allows association and dissociation constants to be measured in a high throughput manner for small molecule galectin-1 inhibitors.

Abstract Background: Hypochlorous acid (HA) is a potent disinfectant with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence the stability of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and their impact on its disinfectant properties Methods: This study explored the stability of hypochlorous acid, emphasizing factors that affect its disinfectant efficiency, such as pH level, temperature, and the presence of organic materials. Findings: Our investigation revealed that HOCl is the most stable and effective disinfectant under weakly acidic conditions, where the undissociated form of hypochlorous acid is predominant. Although it is stable under various conditions, its efficacy is compromised by the presence of heavy metals, organic matter, and UV radiation. Conclusions: This comprehensive analysis concludes that, while hypochlorous acid is a highly effective disinfectant, understanding and maintaining the optimal conditions for its stability is crucial for maximizing its disinfection potential. Implications: The findings can be used to formulate new guidelines and regulations to guide the proper formulation, storage, and use of stable HOCL as disinfectants.

This paper presents the results of investigations into the pyrolysis of waste polypropylene in a laboratory fixed-bed batch reactor. The experiments were designed and verified in such a way as to allow the application of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in the development of an empirical mathematical model that quantifies the impacts mentioned above. The influence of the mass of the raw material (50, 100 and 150 g), together with the reactor temperature (450, 475 and 500 °C) and the reaction time (45, 50 and 75 min) was examined. It has been shown that the mass of the raw material, i.e. the filling volume of the reactor, has a significant influence on the pyrolysis oil yield. This influence exceeds the influence of reactor temperature and reaction time. This was explained by observing the temperature change inside the reactor at three different spots at the bottom, middle and top of the reactor. Recorded temperature diagrams show that with greater masses of feedstock, local overheating occurs in the middle part of the reactor, which leads to overcracking of vapor products, and from there to an increased formation of non-condensable gases, i.e. reduced yield of pyrolytic oil.

With continuous increase in integration of the semiconductor devices, the requirements on size accuracy and surface quality of the etched lead frame are higher. The etchant is a key factor on etching process and etched surface quality, while effects of the difference in etchants on microscopic etched surface morphology of the Cu alloy have not been directly studied. In this study, the aqua regia, acidic FeCl3 and CuCl2 solutions were used as etchants, and the CuCrSn alloy specimens with different microstructure were etched and characterized. The results show that the etching rate in aqua regia is high, and the grain orientation, grain boundary (GB) and dislocation have significant influence on the local etching rate. The preferential etching of some atomic planes forms steps between grains with different orientations, and the preferential etching around the GB and dislocation group forms grooves, resulting in high surface roughness. For etching of the FeCl3 and CuCl2 etchants, the steps and grooves become blurred, and almost invisible on the surface etched by the CuCl2 etchant, thus the surface roughness is much lower. The CuCrSn alloy surface etched by the aqua regia is clean, with little Cr-rich particles, while high density Cr-rich particles are remained on the surfaces etched with the FeCl3 and CuCl2 etchants. For the same kind of etchant, the ion concentration can affect the etching mechanism and etching surface morphology.

Persistent land subsidence or uplift can cause serious latent hazards to urban infrastructure. To thoroughly investigate the causes and impacts of land surface deformation, this study examines the case of Wuxi City, focusing on the land fluctuation patterns in the region following the enforcement of the groundwater abstraction prohibition policy in 2005. This research utilizes the PS-InSAR technique to quantify land surface deformations in the Wuxi region from November 2015 to June 2023 and analyzes 100 SAR images to obtain comprehensive spatiotemporal evolution data of the land surface. Furthermore, this study conducts an in-depth analysis of the effects of various factors, including groundwater, precipitation, and soil geology, on the characteristics of land surface deformation. It pioneers the application of the GARCH (Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity) model to analyze the time-series displacement in the study area and innovatively introduces the "amplitude factor" index to assess land surface fluctuations. This study investigates the recent land surface deformation patterns and mechanisms in Wuxi City. By integrating the "amplitude factor", it provides a scientific foundation for future urban development and disaster mitigation strategies in Wuxi City, offering valuable insights for related research.

Seasonal climatology of salinity fronts in the South Atlantic has been created from satellite SMOS sea surface salinity (SSS) measurements, 2011-2019, processed at the Barcelona Expert Center of Remote Sensing (BEC) and provided as high-resolution (1/20°) SSS data. The SSS fronts are identified with narrow zones of enhanced horizontal gradient magnitude (GM) of SSS computed with the Belkin-O’Reilly algorithm. Seasonal climatologies are generated for large-scale open-ocean SSS fronts and for low-salinity regions maintained by the Rio de la Plata discharge, Magellan Strait outflow, Congo River discharge, and Benguela upwelling. To facilitate feature recognition in satellite imagery, the salinity gradient has been log-transformed, which improved visual contrast of gradient maps, revealing new features. A 2000-km-long triangular area in the eastern tropical-subtropical Atlantic is filled with regular quasi-meridional mesoscale striations that form a giant ripple field with a 100-km wave length extending from Africa toward the NE Brazil. South of the Tropical Front, within the subtropical high-salinity pool, a trans-ocean quasi-zonal narrow linear belt of SSS maximum is documented. The Smax belt shifts north-south seasonally while retaining its well-defined linear morphology, which is suggestive of a mechanism that maintains this feature. In the SW Atlantic, the Rio de la Plata plume expands in winter (June-July), reaching across the South Brazilian Bight, up to Cabo Frio (23°S) and beyond. The Plata estuarine front moves in and out seasonally. Farther south, the Magellan Strait outflow expands northward in winter up to 39-40°S to nearly join the Plata outflow. In the SE Atlantic, the Congo River plume spreads radially from the river mouth, with the spreading direction varying seasonally and interannually. The plume is often bordered from the south by a quasi-zonal front along 6°S. The diluted Congo River water spreads southward seasonally down to the thermal Angola-Benguela Front at 16°S. The Benguela upwelling is delineated by a meridional front, which extends north alongshore up to 20°S, where the low-salinity Benguela upwelling water meets the high-salinity tropical water (“Angola water”) to form a salinity front, which is separate from the thermal Angola-Benguela Front at 16°S. The Angola water thus forms a wedge between the low-salinity waters of the Congo River outflow in the north and Benguela upwelling in the south. This high-salinity wedge is bordered by salinity fronts that migrate north-south seasonally.

This work presents a numerical study on atmospheric sound propagation over rough water surfaces. A method to generate pseudorandom sea profiles consistent with sea wave spectra is presented. The proposed method is suited to capture the logarithmic nature of the energy distribution of the waves. Sea profiles representing fully developed seas for sea states 2, 3, 4 and 5 are generated from the Elfouhaily et al. (ECKV) sea wave spectra. Excess attenuation caused by refraction and surface roughness is predicted with a parabolic equation (PE) solver. A novel method to estimate equivalent effective impedance based on PE predictions at different sea states is presented. Parametric expressions using acoustic frequency and significant wave height are developed for effective surface impedances. In this work, sea surface roughness is on a scale comparable to the acoustic wavelength. Under this condition, the acoustic scattering is primarily incoherent. This work shows the limitations of using an equivalent surface impedance in such incoherent scattering cases.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using raw Whey has never been reported. Silver nanoparticle formation involves a reduction reaction of silver salt solution with Whey extract. Extract and metal salt concentrations, and temperature can control this reaction. In this work, incubation period, extract, AgNO3, and NaOH concentrations were used as the independent factors using central composite design under response surface methodology. The aim was to elucidate the influence these factors have on the measured UV-Vis absorption spectra fitted with a Voigt function, and to optimize the conditions for nanoparticle formation. The fitting parameters, peak wavelength (λ0), peak area (A), and Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), were the responses. Silver nanoparticle formation was only possible in an alkaline environment (pH 10). The peak wavelength and the FWHM are influenced mainly by extract and AgNO3 concentrations. In contrast, the peak area is influenced by a total of 33.54 % from the interaction terms of AgNO3 and extract concentrations with NaOH. Metallic AgNPs were formed for the following parameter ranges: a) Whey (0.4 – 1.6 % v/v), b) AgNO3 (0.15 – 0.6 mM), c) NaOH (10 – 50 mM), and d) Time (20 – 60 min). Silver oxide nanoparticles were also observed.

Starting from the analysis of the lack of positivity of the Cattaneo heat equation, the article addresses the thermodynamic relevance of the positivity constraint in irreversible thermodynamics, than is at least as important as the entropic constraints. The fulfillment of this condition in hyperbolic models leads to the parametrization of the concentration fields with respect to internal variables associated with the microscopic dynamics. Using Brownian motion theory as a landmarking example for deriving macroscopic transport equations from the equations of motion at the particle/molecular level, we discuss two typical problems involving hydrodynamic interactions at microscale: surface chemical reactions at a solid interface of a diffusing reactant, and mass-balance equations in a complex viscoelastic fluid, in which the physics of the interaction leads either to the overcome the parabolic diffusion model or to consider the parametrization of the concentration with respect to the degrees of freedom associated with the relaxation dynamics of the solvent fluid.

The article presents a new method called slide roller burnishing (SRB) for cold working of cylindrical surfaces on machine tools, implemented with a novel multi-functional device. The machined material was chromium–nickel austenitic stainless steel. The deforming element is a toroidal roller whose axis crosses that of the workpiece. As a result, a relative sliding velocity occurs in the contact zone between the roller and the machined surface. The sliding velocity vector is set using the burnishing device. The theoretical background of SRB is presented. When the two axes are parallel, the well-known roller burnishing (RB) method is implemented. Thus, RB is a special case of SRB. Both processes are realized using the multi-functional burnishing device. The RB process was studied experimentally and optimized according to three criteria, based on the relationship between the surface integrity and operating behavio of the respective component, to achieve three processes: smoothing, hardening and mixed burnishing. Using the optimal RB parameters obtained, the dependence of the results of SRB on the crossing angle was investigated and optimized. A comparative analysis was performed between the optimized RB and SRB processes (respectively for their three variants: smoothing, hardening and mixed) based on geometrical and physical–mechanical characteristics of the surface integrity. The main advantage of the SRB is that it provides smaller height roughness parameters and a higher surface microhardness than RB.

Muscle fatigue caused by using staplers affects the surgical procedures of surgeons. Compared to manual staplers, electric staplers decrease the muscle fatigue by replacing repeated gripping and releasing with automatic model. Still powered by the battery, the electric staplers are confronted with new operation fatigue due to the extra weight of the battery. The weight and manual operation of the electric stapler can cause user's muscle fatigue. To tackle the unsettled fatigue issue, the study is to propose a new design method to offset the influence of extra weight of the battery attached to the electrical stapler by changing the opening and closing of the stapler end clamp to electric control. The purpose of this study is to verify whether the design of this electric stapler can offset the impact of weight. Experiments are set up to test the feasibility of the design on 12 male Chinese surgeons. The muscle fatigue is indicated by measuring the EMG (electromyography) signal, and the stapler's working effect is indicated by measuring the end movement of the stapler. The result shows the new-designed stapler reduce the operation fatigue, counteracting the impact of the battery weight.

Field-effect transistor (FET)-based biosensors stand as powerful analytical tools for detecting trace-specific biomolecules in diverse sample matrices, especially in the realms of pandemics and infectious diseases. The primary concern in applying these biosensors is their stability, a factor directly impacting the accuracy and reliability of sensing over extended durations. The risk of biosensor degradation is substantial, potentially jeopardizing sensitivity and selectivity and leading to inaccurate readings, including the possibility of false positives or negatives. This paper delves into the documented degradation of silicon nanobelt FET (NBFET) biosensors induced by buffer solutions. The results highlight a positive correlation between immersion time and the threshold voltage of NBFET devices. Secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis demonstrates a gradual increase in sodium and potassium ion concentrations within the silicon as immersion days progress. This outcome is ascribed to the nanobelt's exposure to the buffer solution during the biosensing period, enabling ion penetration from the buffer into the silicon. The study emphasizes the critical need to address buffer solution-induced degradation to ensure the long-term stability and performance of FET-based biosensors in practical applications.

The role of land surface temperature (LST) is of utmost importance in multiple academic disciplines such as climatology, hydrology, ecology, and meteorology. Until to now, many methods have been proposed to estimate LST from satellite thermal infrared data. The Thermal Infrared Sensor (IRS) on the Chinese ZY1-02E satellite is a pivotal instrument employed for gathering thermal infrared (TIR) data of land surfaces. The objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of a single-channel approach based on water vapor scaling (WVS) for deriving LST from ZY1-02E IRS data because of its wide spectrum range, i.e., 7~12μm, affected strongly by both atmospheric water vapor and ozone. Three study areas, namely Baotou, Heihe River Basin, and Yantai-sea sites, were selected as validation sites to evaluate the LST inversion accuracy. This evaluation was also conducted by cross-comparison between the retrieved LST and MODIS LST product. The results revealed that the WVS-based method exhibited an average bias of 0.63K and an RMSE of 1.62K compared to the in-situ LSTs. The WVS-based method demonstrated reasonable accuracy through cross-validation with the MODIS LST product, with an average bias of 0.77K and RMSE of 2.0K. These findings provide that the WVS-based method is effective to estimate LST from ZY1-02E IRS data.

As part of a comprehensive research on eco-friendly processing techniques, the influence of heat treatment environment on the case-hardening of AISI 1018 steel using pulverized cassava leaf was studied. The process was carried out at two different temperatures (850˚C and 950˚C) and under three environmental conditions: (Process 1) the control experiment, was carried out in air only, (Process 2) the medium comprised of pulverized cassava leaves, and (Process 3) the combination of pulverized cassava leaves plus barium carbonate (BaCO3) as an energizer (CBC mixture). Vickers microhardness testing and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the effect of processing environment on case hardening of the steel. As expected, regardless of the processing temperature, Process 1 resulted in little or no hardening of the steel surface. However, notable case hardening occurred when steel specimens were subjected to either Process 2 or Process 3. Furthermore, the inclusion of barium carbonate in Process 3 significantly enhanced the case hardening effectiveness of the cassava leaf as it pertains to rate and maximum hardness achieved. Maximum enhancement was observed at 950oC. After 1 hour, the increase in hardness were 160% and 280%, for Process 2 and Process 3, respectively. Upon increasing the processing time to 5 hours, the increase in hardness due to Process 2 was raised to 254%, while that of Process 3 remained at approximately 280%. Diffusivity of AISI 1018 was calculated using the microhardness data. Diffusivity was highest in Process 2 samples with values of 1.568 x 10-9 m2/s at 850°C and 1.893 x 10-9 m2/s at 950 °C.

The paper presents the results of the study of tungsten surface structure modification under helium plasma irradiation. It is revealed that during irradiation of samples, surface modification in the form of relief development as a result of irradiation is observed. X-ray phase analysis showed that no new phases of the W system were found after irradiation, only an increase in the intensity of diffraction lines was observed. There are significant differences in the microstructure of tungsten depending on the temperature of helium plasma irradiation in the above range. It is assumed that the cause of defects is the extremely low solubility of helium in tungsten. Metallographic analysis has shown that at irradiation of tungsten samples in regime 5 and 6 the degree of relief development is not high in comparison with the tungsten sample irradiated in regime 4. The greatest increase in roughness of the sample irradiated in regime 5 was determined, which is associated with the formation of small cracks, blisters and pores in the surface layer. At the same time, in the samples irradiated in regime 6, the surface of which is characterized by chaotically located protrusions and depressions of various shapes, the roughness parameter Ra was 0.0603 µm. It was found that at temperature regimes T = 1200 °C and T = 1500 °C the microhardness of tungsten increases by 11% and 10% respectively.

The mechanical properties, structure, and morphology of milled and 3D printed Ti-6Al-4V alloys produced by selective laser melting were investigated in this study. The mechanical properties were investigated by means of nanoindentation, a tensile test, and a three-point bending test. The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was used to study the surface topography and roughness of both titanium alloys. The surface structure and phase analysis were studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and through powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results from the nanoindentation experiments showed that the 3D-printed sample has higher indentation hardness and modulus than the milled one. The AFM observation of the surface topography of the samples showed that the milled sample has a higher roughness than the 3D-printed one. The tensile test results showed that the 3D printed sample by means of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology has about 26% higher tensile strength and smaller elongation than the milled one. The 3-point bending test revealed that the 3D printed Ti-6Al-4V sample has higher flexural strength than the milled one. It was found that the 3D-printed sample has a smaller crystal size than the milled one, which, according to the Hall-Petch relationship, leads to its higher indentation hardness.

The watershed hydrologic conditions in the Madre de Dios (MDD) basin in the Peruvian Amazon have been irreversibly impacted by deforestation and changes in land use cover. These changes have also had detrimental effects on the geomorphology, water quality, and aquatic habitat within the basin. However, there is a scarcity of hydrological modeling studies in this area primarily due to the limited availability of hydrometeorological data. The primary objective of this study was to examine how deforestation impacts the hydrological conditions in the MDD basin. By implementing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, this study determined that replacing 12% of the evergreen broadleaf forest area with bare land resulted in an significant increase in surface runoff by 38% monthly, a reduction of evapotranspiration by 1% annually, and an average monthly streamflow increase of 12%. Changes in spatial patterns reveal that the primary impacted watershed is the Inambari River subbasin, a significant tributary of the Madre de Dios River. This area experiences an annual average surge of 187% in surface runoff generation while witnessing an annual average reduction of 8% in evapotranspiration.These findings have important implications, as they can contribute to instances of flooding and extreme inundation events, which have already occurred in the MDD region.

Background: The most frequent non-pigmented malignancy of the ocular surface is ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN), which has a frequency of 0.03 to 1.9 per 100,000 people per year. It can be diagnosed histologically as anything from mild dysplasia to aggressive squamous cell carcinoma that affects both the conjunctiva and the cornea. The purpose of this study is to determine the distribution of ocular surface squamous neoplasia at a teaching hospital in South Western Uganda.Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed all records of patients with ocular surface squamous neoplasia from the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)/ Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) pathology laboratory in South Western Uganda, from January 2015- October 2021.Results: Of the 1,133 cases of ocular neoplasia seen during this time, OSSN composed of 26.7% (n=303). OSSN occurred mainly in females (59.1%). The most common OSSN was invasive squamous cell carcinoma (60.4%). The age range was 15-106 years while the mean was 39.99 years. The commonest affected age group was 30-44years (41.3%).Conclusion: The burden of OSSN is high. It primarily affects young adults and is frequently found in women. Squamous cell carcinoma makes up the majority of the disease.

The three-dimensional morphology of frictional sub-surfaces holds significant importance for studying tribological issues. However, the uniformity of horizontal datum in 3D scanning is limited for curved surfaces, resulting in the inability to obtain accurate contour characterization parameters from the scanning results. This study aims to address this issue by constructing regular surface equations and normalizing the 3D profiler scanning results. By fitting the data, a "plane" surface representative of the surface features is obtained, and the paper demonstrates this approach on the surface morphology of different worn parts in the frictional area of spherical bearings located in the specific environment of the Three Gorges gate. The results indicate that the obtained "plane" effectively reconstructs the three-dimensional morphology map of the regular surface. Moreover, this reconstructed plane not only clearly illustrates the surface characteristics but also provides the foundation for analyzing the wear mechanism.

Land surface temperature (LST) is a critical parameter for the dynamic simulation of land surface processes and for analyzing variations on regional or global scales. Obtaining LST with high spatiotemporal resolution is a subject of intensive and ongoing research. This study proposes a pixel-wise temporal alignment iterative linear regression model for downscaling based on MODIS LST products. This approach allows us to address the problem of high temporal resolution but low spatial resolution of the ERA5 reanalysis LST product, while remaining immune to pixel loss caused by clouds. The hourly ERA5 LST of the study area for 2012–2021 was downscaled to 1000 m resolution, and its accuracy was verified by comparison with measured data from meteorological stations. The downscaled LST offers intricate details and is faithful to the LST characteristics of distinct land-cover categories. In comparison with other downscaling techniques, the proposed technique is more stable and preserves the spatial distribution of ERA5 LST with minimal missing pixels. The pixel-wise average R-squared and mean absolute error for MODIS view times are 0.87 and 2.7 K, respectively, for cloud-free conditions at a 1000 m scale. Accuracy verification using data from meteorological stations indicates that the overall error is lower during cloudless periods rather than during overcast periods, during the night rather than during the day, and at MODIS view times rather than at non-view times. The maximum and minimum mean errors are 0.13 K for cloud-free periods and −0.98 K for cloudy periods, indicating a slight underestimation and overestimation, respectively. Conversely, the maximum and minimum mean absolute errors are 2.01 K for the daytime and 0.85 K for the nighttime. Therefore, the model ensures higher accuracy during cloudy periods with only clear sky LST as input data, making it suitable for long-term, all-weather ERA5 LST downscaling.

The azimuth wheel-rail of large aperture radio telescope is the key component, it not only sup-ports the whole weight of the antenna, but also directly affects the pointing performance of the antenna with its surface accuracy. The whole weight of the radio telescope is hundreds or even thousands of tons, its azimuth frame rollers have great contact stress with the wheel-rail surface, repeated rolling can cause rolling contact fatigue on the wheel-rail surface, resulting in wear, cracks and other damage to the wheel-rail, and even lead to failure or fracture of the wheel-rail in serious cases, so it is very important to monitor the damage of the antenna wheel-rail. In order to visually detect the use of antenna wheel-rail surface, this paper proposed the method using electromagnetic ultrasonic detection to detect the damage of antenna wheel-rail surface for the first time. Based on the electromagnetic ultrasonic nondestructive testing principle, the simplified wheel-rail model containing wear, corrosion and crack damage is simulated. The results show that this method can effectively detect the surface damage of the antenna wheel-rail surface, and it can provide an important reference for the research of wheel-rail damage detection of large radio telescope.

Finishing coatings used in the wood-based composites industry play a key role in the final appearance of the finished product. However, the use of such coatings is not only for aesthetic purposes but also to protect the product against surface damage and moisture or minimize the emission of harmful substances. The latter is an extremely important factor in terms of safety for both the manufacturer and the user, which is why the emissivity test is one of the most important tests in the case of finishing coatings. Such a role can be played by carbon-rich materials, such as those remaining from the extraction of birch bark. In this article, an attempt was made to create coatings in the form of a film by combining a biopolymer with suberinic acid residues (SAR). There were two types of biopolymers used – polylactide (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), in various polymer-SAR ratios. SAR as a residue, is a material that bounds CO2 from the atmosphere and creates a possibility of further use. As part of this study, the obtained coatings were tested in terms of resistance to scratch, relative hardness, cold liquids, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and formaldehyde emission, surface absorption etc. Differences in the polymers used and the effect of the SAR additive on selected surface properties were demonstrated. The addition of carbon-rich SAR significantly improves the gas barrier properties of the surface finishing materials based on PLA and PCL. The relative hardness and scratch resistance has also increased with raising SAR content. However, the increasing content of SAR filler act as a limiter in the depth of penetration of deposited surface finishing materials onto the wood surface.

A new biosensor based on Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging detection technique for quantitative determination of Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 has been developed. The FGF-23 is mainly produced in the bone tissues as a phosphaturic hormone that upon secretion creates a trimeric complex with FGF receptor 1 and αKlotho. FGF-23 acts on the kidneys: it stimulates phosphate excretion and suppresses formation of active vitamin D. It has been proven that FGF-23 plays a role in bones’ carcinogenesis and its metastasis. The newly developed method based on the SPRi biosensor has been validated – the precision and accuracy as well as selectivity were acceptable and gave less than ±10% of recovery. The linear response of the biosensor ranges 1– 75 pg/ml. The limit of detection was 0.033 pg/ml and limit of quantification was 0.107 pg/ml. The biosensor was used to determine FGF-23 concentration in the plasma of healthy individuals as well as in the plasma of the patients with the clear cell carcinoma of the kidneys. The obtained results were compared with the results of the ELISA measurements. The determined Pearson correlation coefficients were close to 1 what showed that the newly developed biosensor can be used as the competitive method to the ELISA.

The rock strata movement deformation generated by the mining process of the mine will inevitably lead to surface subsidence and a series of environmental hazards, so it is particularly important to monitor the rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence in the goaf area. With the development of surface subsidence monitoring technology, InSAR technology has been widely used in the research of surface subsidence in mining areas with the advantages of high precision and wide monitoring. In this paper, by obtaining the image data of 59 Sentinel-1A scenes in the mining area, the obtained PS points were analyzed and processed by ArcGIS difference analysis by PS-InSAR technology, and the surface deformation cloud map and settlement curve of the mining area in various periods were obtained, and the rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence law of the goaf before treatment and after different treatment methods were studied by influencing factors such as stope layout and mining depth. The results show that the rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence degree of the goaf under different treatment methods are different due to different influencing factors, and their positions also change dynamically with time. Applying InSAR technology to study rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence can provide an important basis for mine safety mining, goaf treatment, rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence monitoring.

Solar energy is a rapidly growing sector, and solar farms are playing an increasingly important role in meeting the world's energy needs. However, as the size and complexity of these farms increase, so do the challenges associated with managing them efficiently. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the fundamental parameters that underpin solar energy systems. Focusing on the latest research, we examine the challenges and opportunities intrinsic to the implementation of solar energy systems, paying particular attention to the various parameters that contribute to their performance. These parameters encompass a range of factors such as thermal performance, atmospheric boundary layer, solar energy meteorology, heat islands, cloud influences, agrivoltaic systems, shading factors, and surface energy budget. The review underscores the importance of considering a diverse array of parameters when developing solar energy systems to optimize their efficiency and effectiveness. Ultimately, by unraveling these challenges and opportunities, we can work towards creating more sustainable and reliable renewable energy sources and reducing our dependence on non-renewable alternatives.

Arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater is a common problem in BDP. The alkaline pH of the groundwater provides favourable condition for geomicrobiochemical processes, where organic matter also plays an important role in mobilization of As. The total arsenic content (AsT) of the groundwater is in the range of 69-178 µgL-1 with mean value of 118.58 µgL-1. The groundwater quality of monitored drinking water wells are related to local land–use pattern and rural sanitation installation and practices (which can have a strong influence on microbial contamination). The study indicates that As heterogeneity, probably a consequence of microbial heterogeneity is a feature of the study area. The excessive total and fecal coliform (TC and FC) count of the ponds possibly suggest uncontrolled surface run offs and sewage leakage, notably from nearby pit-latrine, which increased the microbial contamination in these water sources. The tube wells located in close proximity (~ 2-3 m) of the surveyed ponds are also contaminated with high TC and FC values, due to faulty water supply system, pond water infiltration and cracked tube well platforms. Coliforms may influence geomicrobiological processes in groundwater and thereby, contribute in As release and mobilization. The TC and FC values of monitored tube wells and ponds show seasonal variation, with high TC and FC values during wet season. Attempt has been made to focus on sanitation risk of the monitored wells (based on sanitation and fecal coliform scores) which is usually less explored. The sanitary risk score reveal the need of immediate attention to all the sites, as 25.0 %, 58.3 %, 11.1 % and 5 % of tube wells of the six sites fell under very high risk (sanitary risk score ≥ 9), high risk (sanitary risk score 6-8), intermediate risk (sanitary risk score 3-5) and low risk category (sanitary risk score 0-2), respectively. Fecal coliform score classified all the sites under intermediate risk category (FC count 10-100 per 100 ml of water). The predominance of As heterogeneity particularly in areas under high risk category (showing high TC and FC contamination) is observed along with the similar sinusoidal pattern of TC, FC and AsT content. Finally, this study shed light on the factors responsible for unsafe nature of monitored tube wells and the influence of anthropogenic activities on the microenvironment of the groundwater, which could be a probable reason behind the As heterogeneity in the groundwater of the study area.

The constant increase in current density in electrical wires leads to increasingly significant heat losses due to Joule effect. Therefore, reducing the electrical resistivity of copper wires becomes necessary. To achieve this goal, the development of a composite material incorporating a more conductive reinforcement, the graphene, is a promising way. The design of a copper/graphene composite using a powder metallurgy-based method is presented. This synthesis method allows for interface control through the growth of CuO(Cu) nanoparticles tightly bonded to the reinforcement. It also involves the dispersion of graphene through ultrasonic treatment and its alignment within the matrix using a uniaxial pressing densification method. The increase in the hardness (+12 HV) demonstrates the effective dispersion and separation of graphene layers. The impact on the electrical properties of dendritic copper (ρe = 2.30 µΩ.cm) remains limited, with a decrease in electrical resistance of approximately 1.4%. However, for copper with higher electrical resistivity, flake copper (at 2.71 µΩ.cm) and brass at (7.66 µΩ.cm), reductions of 2.7% and 10% have been achieved, respectively. With the improvement of graphene quality, there is more room to improve the electrical properties. This work paves the way for the development of composites with improved electrical resistivity.

Purpose Professional oral hygiene procedures are recommended by dentists, twice a year. BioHPP is a polyetheretherketone polymer used in prosthetic dentistry as a frame material. The aim was to investigate whether routine dental cleaning procedures such as ultrasonic scaling and brushing affect the surface proprieties of prosthetic BioHPP restorations. To evaluate the surface properties of different restorations based on BioHPP (veneered with composite resin and polished) after brushing and ultrasonic scaling exposure. Materials and Methods The 66 BioHPP specimens were divided into three groups (n=22). The first group was the control group, and no further treatment was applied. The specimens in the second group were veneered with composite resin and in the third group the specimens were veneered with composite resin and polished. Each group of samples was divided into 3 subgroups: 0- no treatment, 1-exposed to tooth brushing, 2-exposed to ultrasonic scaling. The surface morphology was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The structure of samples was analysed using the XRD technique, and the surface wettability was done. Results Control group specimens were significantly rougher compared to other groups (p ≤ 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the contact angle of water analyses between the samples. Conclusion: Composite veneered BioHPP showed the highest surface resistance to brushing and ultrasonic scaling.

The development of efficient mucosal vaccines is strongly dependent on the use of appropriate vectors. Various biological systems or synthetic nanoparticles have been proposed to display and deliver antigens to mucosal surfaces. The Bacillus spore, a metabolically quiescent and extremely resistant cell, has also been proposed as a mucosal vaccine delivery system and shown able to conjugate the advantages of live and synthetic systems. Several antigens have been displayed on the spore by either recombinant or non-recombinant approaches, and antigen-specific immune responses have been observed in animals immunized by the oral or nasal route. Here we review the use of the bacterial spore as a mucosal vaccine vehicle focusing on the advantages and drawbacks of using the spore and of the recombinant vs. non-recombinant approach to display antigens on the spore surface. An overview of the immune responses induced by antigen-displaying spores so far tested in animals is presented and discussed.

MCrAlYHf bond coats are employed in jet and aircraft engines, stationary gas turbines, and power plants, which require strong resistance to oxidation at high temperatures. The oxidation behavior of a free-standing CoNiCrAlYHf coating was investigated in this study. Isothermal oxidation tests were performed in air at 1050 °C on the specimens with various levels of surface roughness to investigate the oxidation kinetics. X-ray diffraction, focused ion beam, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and scanning transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the surface oxides. The surface roughness was examined using a contact profilometer and SEM. An empirical model was proposed to elucidate the impact of surface roughness on the oxidation behavior based on the correlation between the surface roughness level and oxidation rates.

Road infrastructure is a key public asset because it benefits the social and economic development of any country. It plays an important role for the development of the industrial complex, the production sector and the road surfaces of transport roads should be of high quality, have a long service life. Road infrastructure, as well as all infrastructure, requires preservation, maintenance and repair. There are special requirements for the roadway that must be observed during construction or repair. This article is devoted to a detailed study of the use of fiber optics sensors (FOS) based on the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) for road surface monitoring. Such a fiber sensor consisting of a fiber Bragg grid and a pair of grids can offer the possibility of simultaneous measurement of deformation and temperature for monitoring the pavement. Temperature and deformation measurements were carried out by installing a sensor on the surface of a made asphalt sample. The built-in fiber sensor based on FBG provides important information about how the pavement structure can withstand the load, subsidence of soil, timely implement road safety and stability measures evaluate and predict the service life of the pavement. The results of the study showed that the synchronicity, repeatability and linearity of the characteristics of the fiber sensor are excellent. The difference between the experimental and theoretical results is about 7%. Thus, based on the results of the obtained data, the fiber sensor on the FBG can be used for monitoring, designing road surfaces and in general transport infrastructure.

The paper focuses on two unconventional magnetic field-based treatment regimes applied to an alloyed steel before applying a thermochemical treatment. This study was conducted in order to improve the behavior of the chosen material during the wear process. Increasing the wear resistance and the micro-hardness of the superficial layer obtained from the treatments are a priority, as well as improving the mechanical properties of a Cr-Mo alloyed steel. Thermomagnetic treatment, applied before plasma nitriding treatment, improves the mechanical properties of the base material, especially in the case of a steel with a considerable chromium content (1,02%). This paper is a review of my own researches in the last years.

Many studies have focused on the impacts of rainfall duration and intensity while overlooking the role of rainfall patterns on intensive tillage erosion in hilly agricultural landscapes. The objective of this study was to determine the combined effects of rainfall patterns and intensive tillage erosion on surface runoff and soil loss on sloping farmland in the purple-soil area of China. Five simulated rainfall patterns (constant, rising, falling, rising-falling, and falling-rising) with the same total precipitation were designed, and the intensive tillage erosion treatment (IT) and no-tillage treatment (NT) were subjected to simulated rainfall using rectangular steel tanks (2 m × 5 m) with a slope of 15°. To analyse the differences in the hydrodynamic characteristics induced by tillage erosion, we calculated the flow velocity (V), Reynolds number (Re), Froude number (Fr), and Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient (f). The results indicate that significant differences in surface runoff and soil loss were found among different rainfall patterns and stages (P < 0.05). The falling pattern and falling-rising pattern had faster runoff-initiating times and larger sediment yields than those of the other rainfall patterns. f varied from 0.30 to 9.05 for the IT and 0.48 to 11.57 for the NT and exhibited an approximately inverse trend to V and Fr over the course of the rainfall events. Compared with the NT, the mean sediment yield rates from the IT increased the dynamic range of 8.34%–16.21% among different rainfall patterns. The net contributions of the IT ranged from 2.77% to 46.39% on surface runoff and 10.14%–78.95% on soil loss on sloping farmland. Surface runoff and soil loss were positively correlated with rainfall intensity, V, and Fr but negatively correlated with f irrespective of tillage intensive (P < 0.05). For varying-intensity rainfall patterns, soil and water loss fluctuated during rainfall events, suggesting that the changes in rainfall intensity and tillage intensity would result in drastic variations in soil hydrological characteristics and sediment transport mechanisms. The time sequences of rainfall intensity in each rainfall pattern significantly affected surface runoff, soil erosion, and their contribution rates to total soil and water loss. Moreover, tillage erosion effects on soil and water loss were closely related to rainfall patterns in hilly agricultural landscapes. Our study not only sheds light on the mechanism of tillage erosion and rainfall erosion but also provides useful insights for developing tillage-water erosion prediction models to evaluate soil and water loss on cultivated hillslopes.

During few last years, climate change including global warming which is attributed to human activities and also its long-term adverse effects on the planet’s functions have been identified as the most challenging discussion topics which have arisen many concerns and efforts to find the possible solutions. Since the warmth arising from Earth’s landscapes affects the world’s weather and climate patterns, we decided to study the changes in the Land Surface Temperature (LST) patterns in different seasons through non-linear methods. Here, we particularly want to estimate the non-integer dimension and fractal structure of the land surface temperature. For this study, the (LST) data has been obtained during the daytime by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite. Depending on what time of the year data has been collected, temperatures change in different ranges. Since equatorial regions remain warm, and Antarctica and Greenland remain cold, and also because altitude affects temperature, we selected Riley County in the U.S. state of Kansas, which does not belong to any of this type locations and we are interested to observe the seasonal changes in temperature in this county. The results of the present study show that the Land Surface Temperature (LST) belongs to the class of fractal process with non-integer dimension.

Geological structures such as joints and faults in rock mass have significant influence on open pit mining. Hence, it is critical to develop a understanding of dynamic joint behaviour under blasting loading. This in turn can provide both theoretical and practical guidance to improve blasting rock fragmentation and associated bucket excavating efficiency. In this paper, delayed blasting on the highwall bench at Baiyunebo open-pit mine was used as an example, a nonlinear joint blasting model was also constructed. By simplifying the blasting wave propagation velocity, the P-wave normal incidence to the joint was obtained. The peak vibration velocity was 0.33m/s at 3.0s. The S-wave reflected by the joint interface was first reflected backward and then forward, which the peak vibration velocity was 0.027 m/s. By combining the relevant stress and displacement theories of type I and II cracks, the equipotential diagrams of the stress and displacement field with the vibration velocity of the particle were obtained. σx was positive in the direction of 0~330° and subjected to tensile stress, whereas σy was positive in the direction of 0~180° and under tensile stress. The longitudinal σy along joint was low in compressive stress distribution area and did not affect surrounding rock at the time. The stress concentration appeared in the lower right corner. Based on the continuous behavior of stress wave in joints, the asymmetry and continuous changes reflected in the whole process could not be analysed by the contour diagram. Hence, ANSYS used to analyse distribution of the stress field. The intensity of the shock wave after detonation was greater than that of the rock strength. Subsequently, the sub-layer shock wave supplemented the shock wave energy that was not enough to break the rock and induced further cracking. This was able to be visualized by the degree of color change post-processing. It was concluded that with the attenuation of the detonation wave energy, the stress exhibited a decreasing trend in this process. According to distribution of the peak effective stress, it was found that the peak value first increased to 10-12 MPa and then showed a downward trend. Overall, the results were validated against the finite element simulation and mathematical analysis.

The topography and chemical composition modification of the titanium (Ti) implants play a decisive role in improving biocompatibility and bioactivity, accelerating osseointegration, and, thus, determining clinical success. In spite of the development of surface modification strategies, bacterial contamination is a common cause of failure. The use of systemic antibiotic therapy does not guarantee action at the contaminated site. In this work, we proposed a surface treatment for Ti implant that aim to improve its osseointegration and reduce bacterial colonization in surgery site due to local release of antibiotic. The Ti disks were hydrothermally treated with 3M NaOH solution to form a nanostructured layer of titanate on the Ti surface. Metronidazole was impregnated on these nanostructured surfaces to allow its local release. The samples were coated with poly(vinyl alcohol) - PVA films with different thickness to evaluate a possible control of drug release. Gamma irradiation was used to crosslink the polymer chains leading to a hydrogel layer formation and to sterilize the samples. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, contact angle measurements, “in vitro” bioactivity, and drug release analysis. The alkaline hydrothermal treatment successfully produced intertwined, web-like nanostructures on the Ti surface, providing wettability and bioactivity to Ti samples (Ti+TTNT samples). Metronidazole was successfully loaded and released from Ti+TTNT samples coated or not with PVA. Although the polymeric film acted as a physical barrier to drug delivery, all groups reached the minimum inhibitory concentration for anaerobic bacteria. Thus, the surface modification method presented is a potential approach to improve the osseointegration of the Ti implant and to associate local drug delivery to dental implants, preventing early infections and bone failure.

: The paper presents the results of uniaxial tensile tests of samples of hypoeutectic aluminum-silicon alloy A319. According to the results of which the influence of surface treatment by a pulsed electron beam on the mechanical properties of the material was determined. The peculiarities of localization of deformation in the material, caused by grinding of the surface layer material structure due to rapid crystallization during electron beam treatment were revealed. The surface treatment up to 100 µm depth leads to the formation of a fine dendritic columnar structure of silumin and to an increase in the plasticity of the samples. The influence of surface treatment affects the increase of deformation localization in the region of stable concentrator before failure. The largest increase in ductility and localization of deformation occurs during processing with energy density of 15 J/cm2. In the process of specimen deformation, unstable, metastable, and stable areas of plastic deformation localization are formed and replaced, and the formation of stable areas of localized plastic deformation, in which the specimen fails at the end of the test, can be detected at the initial stages of testing. In specimens, during testing in the zone of localized plastic deformation, bands are formed that pass through the entire surface of the specimen at an angle from 35 to 55 degrees to the axis of tension, their evolution leads to the formation of stable zones of localized plastic deformation and to the failure of the specimen.

The problems of formation and propagation of surface seismic waves in vertically layered and horizontally inhomogeneous media are studied. A mathematical model has been developed for the propagation of surface seismic waves in an inhomogeneous medium based on the use of the fundamental principles of wave dynamics and Fourier transforms. The existence of various types of groups of these waves is proved, and their main properties are studied. It has been established that the reflection coefficients of different groups of a dispersive wave on models of half-spaces (a layered, inhomogeneous medium) with a sharp velocity differentiation are characterized by the same dependence on the angle of incidence as in the absence of dispersion. In the region of the critical angle, which depends on the period of the incident wave, a local decrease in the intensity of wave reflection is observed, which is associated with the origin of the head dispersive wave. It has been found that the reflection coefficients of Rayleigh waves from low-velocity layers, thin (d / λ2 = 0.205) and thick (d / λ2 = 0.82) are approximately 0.2 ± 0.04 and practically do not change with increasing angle of incidence. On the basis of theoretical studies, it was revealed that reflected surface waves carry information both about the elastic properties of the reflecting medium and about the dimensions of the reflecting horizontal inhomogeneity. An experimental dispersion curve of the group velocity of Rayleigh waves on the Central Asia-Caucasus path has been obtained. The seismic stress state of the "subgrade-base" system was studied. Based on the analysis of the results of numerical experiments, it has been established that in order to obtain a complete picture of the seismically stressed state of the subgrade, it is necessary to take into account the contribution to it of each component of the accelerogram of a real earthquake.

The advent of graphene opens up the research into two-dimensional (2D) material, which is considered as a revolutionary material in the future. Due to its unique geometric structure, graphene exhibits a series of exotic physical and chemical properties. Besides, single-element-based 2D materials (Xenes) have garnered tremendous interest. At present, 16 kinds of Xenes (silicene, borophene, germanene, phosphorene, tellurene, etc.) have been explored, mainly distributed in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth main groups. The current methods to prepare monolayer or few-layer 2D materials include epitaxy growth, mechanical exfoliation, and liquid phase exfoliation. Although two Xenes (aluminene and indiene) have not been synthesized due to the limitations of synthetic methods or stability of Xenes, other Xenes have been successfully realized by elaborately artificial design and synthesis. Focusing on elemental 2D materials, this review mainly summarizes the recently reported work about tuning the electronic, optical, mechanical, or chemical properties of Xenes via surface modifications achieved by controllable approaches (doping, adsorption, strain, intercalation, phase transition, etc.) to broaden the applications in various fields, including spintronics, electronics, optoelectronics, superconducting, photovoltaics, sensors, catalysis, and biomedicines. These advances in surface modification of Xenes have laid a theoretical and experimental foundation for the development of 2D materials and their practical applications in diverse fields.

Currently, most deep learning methods cannot solve the problem of scarcity of industrial product defect samples and significant differences in characteristics. This paper proposes an unsupervised defect detection algorithm based on a reconstruction network, which is realized using only a large number of easily obtained defect-free sample data. The network includes two parts: image reconstruction and surface defect area detection. The reconstruction network is designed through a fully convolutional autoencoder with a lightweight structure. Only a small number of normal samples are used for training so that the reconstruction network can be A defect-free reconstructed image is generated. A function combining structural loss and L1 loss is proposed as the loss function of the reconstruction network to solve the problem of poor detection of irregular texture surface defects. Further, the residual of the reconstructed image and the image to be tested is used as the possible region of the defect, and conventional image operations can realize the location of the fault. The unsupervised defect detection algorithm of the proposed reconstruction network is used on multiple defect image sample sets. Compared with other similar algorithms, the results show that the unsupervised defect detection algorithm of the reconstructed network has strong robustness and accuracy.

The paper presents a review of currently available evaluations of the effects of continuously increasing anthropogenic loads on water resources. The increase in the fluxes of elements and compounds into the environment, such as the emission of greenhouse gases and dispersion of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), acidifying gases, and toxic elements and compounds that adversely affect the water quality are considered. The significance of fresh waters as a life support factor of the human populations is demonstrated. Examples are presented to illustrate how key anthropogenic induced processes develop in land waters under the effect of anthropogenic loads, as exemplified by the Russian Kola regions. Climate warming and the increasing dispersion of elements are demonstrated to result in the eutrophication of surface waters even in areas remote from anthropogenic impacted regions. Although the emissions of acidifying gases diminish, the waters are still acidified in acid-vulnerable areas, and the chemical compositions of the waters have been significantly modified over the past decades, which indicates that the changes in the chemical composition of the waters are of irreversible. A new feature of the waters is distinguished: the toxicity of the habitats for aquatic organisms. Arguments are presented for establishing a theoretical approach for evaluating critical loads.

The controllability and consistency in the fabrication of micro-textures on large-scale remains a challenge for existing production processes. Mask electrolyte jet machining (MEJM) is an alternative to Jet-ECM for controllable and high-throughput surface microfabrication with more consistency of dimensional tolerances. This hybrid configuration combines the high-throughput of masked-ECM and the adjustable flow-field of jet-ECM. In this work, a duckbill jet nozzle was introduced to make MEJM more capable of batch micro-structuring. A multiphysics model was built to simulate the distribution of electrochemical reaction ions, the cur- rent density distribution and the evolution of the shape of the machined cavity. Experimental investigations are presented showing the influence of the machining voltage and nozzle moving speed on the micro cavity. Several 35 ×35 micro cavity arrays with a diameter of 24.92 − 11.73 µm and depth of 15.86 − 7.24 µm are generated on 304 stainless steel.

Heavy metals are toxic, persistent and non-degradable. After sedimentation and adsorption, they accumulate in water sediments. The aim of this study was to understand the heavy metal pollution of Qinjiang River sediments on the ecological environment and apportioning sources. The mean total concentrations of Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, and Pb are 3.14, 2.33, 1.39, 5.79, and 1.33 times higher than the background values, respectively, except for the Co, Ni, and Cd, which are lower than the background values; Fe, Co, Ni, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb are all primarily in the residual state, while Mn and Zn are primarily in the acid-soluble and oxidizable states, respectively. Igeo, RI, SQGs and RAC together indicate that the pollution status and ecological risk of heavy metals in Qinjiang River sediments are generally moderate; among them, Fe, Co, Ni, Cd, Cr, and Pb are not harmful to the ecological environment of the Qinjiang River. Cu is not readily released because of its higher residual composition, depicting that Cu is less harmful to the ecological environment. Mn and Zn, as the primary pollution factors of the Qinjiang River, are harmful to the ecological environment. This heavy metal pollution in surface sediments of the Qinjiang River primarily comes from manganese and zinc ore mining. Manganese carbonate and its weathered secondary manganese oxide are frequently associated with a significant amount of residual copper and Cd, as a higher pH is suitable for the deposition and enrichment of these heavy metals. Lead-zinc ore and its weathering products form organic compounds with residual Fe, Co, Cr, and Ni, and their content is related to salinity. The risk assessment results of heavy metals in sediments provide an important theoretical basis for the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution in Qinjiang River.

Electron-hole recombination and narrow range utilization of sunlight limit the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2. We synthesized a carbon dots (CDs) modified TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) with flower-like mesoporous structure, i.e., porous TiO2/CDs nanoflowers. Among such hybrid parti-cles, CDs worked as photosensitizers for the mesoporous TiO2 and enabled the resultant TiO2/CDs nanoflowers with a wide-range light absorption. Rhodamine B (Rh-B) was employed as a model organic pollutant to investigate the photocatalytic activity of the TiO2/CDs nanoflowers. The results demonstrated that the decoration of CDs on both TiO2 nanoflowers and P25 NPs enabled a significant improvement of the photocatalytic degradation efficiency compared with the pristine TiO2. TiO2/CDs nanoflowers with porous structure and larger surface areas than P25 showed a higher efficiency owing to prevent local aggregation of carbon materials. All the results revealed that the introduced CDs and the unique mesoporous structure, large surface areas and loads of pore channels of the prepared TiO2 NPs played important roles in the enhancement of the photocatalytic efficiency of the TiO2/CDs hybrid nanoflowers. Such TiO2/CDs composite NPs also opens a door for photodegradation, photocatalytic water splitting and enhanced solar sun-light as light source.

Particle deposition on the surface of the drying chamber poses the main drawback in the spray drying process, which reduces the product recovery and affects the quality of the product. In view of this, the potential application of chemical surface modification to produce a hydrophobic surface that reduces the powder adhesion (biofouling) on the wall of the drying chamber was investigated in this study. The hydrophobic Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) solution was used in the vertical dipping method at room temperature to determine the optimum coating parameters on borosilicate glass and stainless-steel substrates, which were used to mimick the wall surface of the drying chamber, to achieve highly hydrophobic surfaces. A single-factor experiment was used to define the range of the PDMS concentration and treatment duration using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) was used to study the effects of the concentration of the PDMS solution (X1, %) and the treatment duration (X2, hr) on the contact angle of the substrate (°), which reflected the hydrophobicity of the surface. A three-dimensional (3D) response surface was constructed to examine the influence of the PDMS concentration and treatment duration on the contact angle readings, which serve as an indicator of the surface's hydrophobic characteristic. Based on the optimisation study, the PDMS coating for the borosilicate glass achieved an optimum contact angle of 99.33° through the combination PDMS concentration: X1 = 1% (w/v) and treatment time X2 = 4.94 hr, while the PDMS coating for the stainless-steel substrate achieved an optimum contact angle of 98.31° with PDMS concentration: X1 = 1% (w/v) and treatment time X2 = 1 hr. Additionally, the infrared spectra identified several new peaks that appeared on the PDMS-treated surfaces, which represented the presence of Si-O-Si, Si-CH3, CH2, and CH3 functional groups for the substrates coated with PDMS. Furthermore, the surface morphology analysis using the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) showed the presence of significant roughness and uniform nanostructure on the surface of PDMS-treated substrates, which indicated the reduction of wettability and the potential effect on unwanted biofouling on the spray drying chamber.

Validation of satellite sea surface salinity (SSS) products is typically based on comparisons with in-situ measurements at a few meters depth, that are mostly done at a single location and time. The difference in term of spatio-temporal resolution between the in-situ near-surface salinity and the two-dimensional satellite SSS results in a sampling mismatch uncertainty. The Climate Change Initiative (CCI) project has merged SSS from three satellite missions. Using an optimal interpolation, weekly and monthly SSS and their uncertainties are estimated at a 50 km spatial resolution over the global ocean. Over the 2016-2018 period the mean uncertainty on weekly CCI SSS is 0.13, whereas the standard deviation of weekly CCI minus in-situ Argo salinities is 0.24. Using high resolution SSS simulations, we estimate the expected uncertainty due to the CCI versus Argo sampling mismatch. Most of the largest spatial variability of the satellite minus Argo salinity are observed in regions with large mismatch. A quantitative validation is performed by considering the statistical distribution of the CCI minus Argo salinity normalized by the sampling and retrieval uncertainties. This quantity should follow a Gaussian distribution with a standard deviation of 1, if all uncertainty contributions are properly considered. We find that 1) the sampling mismatch can explain most of the observed differences between Argo and CCI data, especially for monthly products and in dynamical regions (river plumes, fronts), 2) overall, the uncertainties are well estimated in CCI version 3, much better compared to CCI version 2. There are a few dynamical regions where discrepancies remain, and where the satellite SSS, their associated uncertainties and the sampling mismatch estimates should be further validated.

Influence of the volute design parameters on the stable operating range and the performance of a centrifugal compressor was investigated experimentally for the following design conditions. The volute casing surface roughness was changed from 0 to 200 µm in five steps and tested. The axial distance between the casing and the diffuser cascades (clearance) was varied in five steps as C/b₂ = 1.2, 2.4%, 3.6%, 4.8%, and 6% relative to the impeller exit width. The radial distance from the impeller blade exit to the diffuser vane inlet in (vaneless space radius) in six steps as C/r₂ = 1.03, 1.05, 1.07, 1.09, 1.11, and 1. 13 relatives to the rotor outlet radius. The volute outlet geometry of a symmetric and tangent with different area ratios from 0.4 to 0.9. Finally, the compressor has been tested experimentally with different pinched vaned diffuser distances relative to the impeller exit width of bp/b2 =1, 0.98, 0.96, 0.94, 0.92, and 0.9. These testes were carried at different compressor operating conditions, and the time variations of the static pressure were recorded using five high-frequency response pressure transducers. A hot-wire anemometer is used to measure the compressor flow rate. The rotating stall and surge at the vaneless zone after the impeller exit can be detected by analyzing the fluctuations of pressure signals and the power spectrum density by using the Fast Fourier Transformation analysis. The experimental results indicated that the compressor with volute casing surface roughness of 100mm gives about 10.9% enhancements in the stable operating and 1% in pressure rise coefficient. The best axial distance between the diffuser vanes and the casing is 2.4% of the impeller blade height and the compressor in this design gives about 12.4% improvements in the stable working range. The compressor with radial vaneless distance of 1.056 gives improvements of about 16.6% in the surge margin, 2% in the pressure recovery and 4% in pressure rise coefficients. The compressor with a pinched diffuser of b/bp of 0.98 gives an improvement of 20.8% in surge point.

Estimating evapotranspiration at field scale is a major component of sustainable water management. Due to the difficulty to assess some major unknowns of the water cycle at that scale, including irrigation amounts, evapotranspiration is often computed as the residual of the instantaneous surface energy budget. One of the Surface Energy Bal-ance components with the largest uncertainties in their quantification over bare soils and sparse vegetation areas is the ground heat flux (G). Over the last decades, the es-timation of G with RS data has been mainly achieved with empirical equations, on the basis of the G and net radiation (Rn) ratio, G/Rn. G/Rn empirical equations generally require vegetation data (Type I empirical equations), in combination with surface tem-perature (Ts) and albedo (Type II empirical equations). In this article we aim to evalu-ate the estimation of G with RS. For the first time, we compare eight G/Rn empirical equations against two types of machine learning (ML) methods: an ensemble ML type, the Random Forest (RF), and the Neural Networks (NN). The comparison of each method is evaluated over dense dataset, including a wide range of climate and land covers, with data of Eddy-Covariance towers extended along the mid-latitude area that encompass the European and African continent. Our results have shown evidence that the driver of G in bare soils and sparse vegetation areas (Fraction of Vegetation, Fv <= 0.25) is Ts, instead of vegetation greenness indexes. On the other hand, the estimation of G with Rn, Ts or Fv decreases at dense vegetation areas (Fv >= 0.50). There are not significant differences between the most accurate type I and II empirical equations. For bare soils and sparse vegetation areas the empirical equation that better estimates G is E8, which combines the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Ts. In dense vegetation areas (Fv >= 0.25), an exponential empirical equation based on Fv (E4), shows the best performance. However, ML better estimates G than the empirical equations, independently of the Fv ranges. A RF model with Rn, LAI and Ts as predictor variables shows the best accuracy and performance metrics, outperforming the NN model.

Abstract: The calibrator is one of the most important factors in the calibration of various laser 3D scanning instruments. The requirements for diffuse reflection surface are specially emphasized in many national standards. In this study, the spherical calibrator and plane calibrator compara-tive measurement experiments were carried out. The black ceramic standard sphere, white ce-ramic standard sphere, metal standard sphere, metal standard plane and white ceramic standard plane were used to test the laser 3D scanner. In the spherical calibrators comparative measure-ment experiments, the results indicated that the RMS of the white ceramic spherical calibrator with reflectance about 60% is 10 times that of the metal spherical calibrator with the reflectance of about 15%, and the RMS of the black ceramic spherical calibrator with reflectance of about 11% is of the same order as the metal spherical calibrator. In the plane calibrators comparative measurement experiments, the RMS of flatness measurement is 0.077 mm for metal plane cali-brator with reflectance of 15%, and 2.915 mm for ceramic plane calibrator with reflectance of 60%. The results show that when the optimal measurement distance and incident angle are selected, the reflectance of the calibrator has a great effect on the measurement results, regardless of the outlines or profiles. Based on the experiments, it is recommended to use the spherical calibrator or the standard plane with reflectance of around 18% as the standard, which can obtain the rea-sonable results. In addition, it is necessary to clearly provide the material category and surface reflectance information of the standard when calibrating the scanner according to the measure-ment standard.

In the past years, our knowledge of coastal environments has been enriched by remotely sensed data. However, to successfully extract information from a combination of different sensors systems, it should be understood how these interact with the common coastal environment. In this research we co-analyze two sensor systems: Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and satellite based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). TLS shows large potential for examining coastal processes thanks to the possibility to retrieve repeated, accurate and dense topographic information in a rapid and non-invasive manner. However, TLS presents some limits due to its high economic costs and limited field of view. SAR systems are among the most used active remote sensor system for Earth Observation. Despite their relatively low resolution, SAR systems provide the ability to monitor and map coastal areas with complete, repeated and frequent coverage, penetrating through clouds and providing all weather monitoring. Moreover, Sentinel-1 SAR images are freely available. The availability of a permanently installed TLS system (PLS, Permanent Laser Scanner) allows us, to extensively compare Sentinel-1 SAR data and topographic laser scans during different conditions on a sandy beach. PLS data are compared with simultaneous Sentinel-1 SAR images in order to investigate the combined use of PLS and SAR in coastal environments. The purpose of this comparison is the investigation of a possible relation between PLS and SAR data: knowing their relation, SAR dataset could be correlated to beaches characteristics. Meteorological and surface roughness have also been taken into consideration in the evaluation of the correlation between PLS and SAR data. The permanently installed laser scanner for the present study is located in Noordwijk (the Netherlands). A generally positive but low correlation exists between the two variables. When considering weather phenomena, their correlation increases and shows a dependence on wind directions and speed. The correlation with the surface roughness, evaluated in terms of root-mean squared height, also depends on specific wind speed and directions.

Using two metal insulated metal waveguides (MIM) and five resonator (a quadrilateral cavity and three rings with different dimensions), we design a plasmonic refractive index sensor. Using the time domain finite difference method, we examine and analyze the sensor performance (numerical analysis) and using the transmission line model method, we theoretically examine the performance of the sensor By summarizing these two methods and calculating the sensitivity coefficient S, quality coefficient Q and figure of merit (FOM), a plasmonic sensor with good performance is obtained. Using the supermods of the resonators, we will achieve a stable wavelength spectrum and a suitable and stable sensitivity coefficient spectrum. Challenges and changes that occur in different modes of this sensor will lead to a balanced and relatively good structure. This designed sensor can be useful in the development of integrated optical circuits.

In this paper, a plasmonic refractive index sensor based on metal insulated metal waveguide (MIM) with three rings and a resonant cavity is first proposed and numerically evaluated. Next, we add four teeth to the sensor structure. We study and simulate the resonant wavelengths and refractive index of resonators using the time difference finite difference method. Given that the sensor and the conduction characteristics of plasmonic waves are influenced by the structure parameters,Therefore, by changing the refractive index and changing the dimensions and coordinates of the cavity and rims, we can change the passage coefficient in the resonant modes and measure the sensor performance. As a result, we obtain the sensitivity coefficient, the figure of merit (FOM) and the quality factor Q of the sensor. We modulate the resonance wavelength FWHM using the generated modes and reach a sensitivity of 2166 nm / RIU. These plasmonic sensors with a simple framework and balanced performance and high optical resolution can be used to measure the refractive index in the medical, chemical and food industries.

In this study, we seek to analyze and numerically evaluate a plasmonic sensor. To form the sensor structure, we use several amplifiers, such as two rings attached to each other and a cavity, as well as two metal insulating metal waveguides (MIM). At the beginning of this simulation, we must examine the resonant wavelengths and the refractive index of the resonators using the finite difference time domain method. By changing the refractive index and changing the dimensions of the cavity and the rims, we seek to investigate the sensor performance and the conduction characteristics of the plasmonics and to obtain the effect of these parameters. To evaluate the sensor performance, we calculate the three factors of sensitivity coefficient S, quality factor Q and figure of merit (FOM), here we reach the sensitivity of 987.6 nm / RIU. Such a plasmonic sensor with a simple framework and high optical resolution can be very useful for sensor systems on optical circuits.

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is one of the most important carcinogenic air contaminants. However, the lack of global surface concentration of HCHO monitoring is currently hindering research on outdoor HCHO pollution. Traditional methods are either restricted to small areas or data- demanding for a global scale of research. To alleviate this issue, we adopted neural networks to estimate surface HCHO concentration with confidence intervals in 2019, where HCHO vertical column density data from TROPOMI, in-situ data from HAPs (harmful air pollutants) monitoring network and ATom mission are utilized. Our result shows that the global surface HCHO average concentration is 2.30 μg/m3. Furthermore, in terms of regions, the concentration in Amazon Basin, Northern China, South-east Asia, Bay of Bengal, Central and Western Africa are among the highest. The results from our study provides a first dataset of the global surface HCHO concentration. In addition, the derived confidence interval of surface HCHO concentration adds an extra layer for the confidence to our results. As a pioneer work in adopting confidence interval estimation into AI-driven atmospheric pollutant research and the first global HCHO surface distribution dataset, our paper will pave the way for the rigorous study on global ambient HCHO health risk and economic loss, thus providing a basis for pollutant controlling policies worldwide.

Nanographene oxide (GOn) constitutes a nanomaterial of high value in the biomedical field. However, large scale production of highly stable aqueous dispersions of GOn is yet to be achieved. In this work, we explored high-power ultrasonication as a method to reduce particle size of GO and characterized the impact of the process in the physico-chemical properties of the material. GOn was obtained with lateral dimensions of 99 ±43 nm and surface charge of −39.9 ± 2.2 mV. High-power ultrasonication enabled an improvement of stability features, particularly by resulting in a decrease of the average particle size, as well as zeta potential, in comparison to GO obtained by low-power exfoliation and centrifugation (287 ± 139 nm; −29.7 ± 1.2 mV). Re-markably, GOn aqueous dispersions were stable for up to 6 months of shelf-time, with a global process yield of 74%. This novel method enabled the production of large volumes of highly con-centrated (7.5 mg mL-1) GOn aqueous dispersions. Chemical characterization of GOn allowed the identification of characteristic oxygen functional groups, supporting high-power ultrasonication as a fast, efficient and productive process for reducing GO lateral size, while maintaining the material’s chemical features.

This paper investigates the photocatalytic characteristics of Ag Nanowire (AgNW)/TiO2 and AgNW/TiO2/Graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites. Samples were synthesized by the direct coating of TiO2 particles on the surface of silver nanowires. As-prepared AgNW/TiO2 and AgNW/TiO2/GO nanocomposites were characterized by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV/visible absorption spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images confirmed the successful deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of AgNWs. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized nanocomposites was evaluated using Rhodamine B (RhB) in an aqueous solution as the model organic dye. Results showed that synthesized AgNW/TiO2/GO nanocomposite has superior photocatalytic activities when it comes to the decomposition of RhB.

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

The overall cost of a hydropower plant is mainly due to the expenses for civil works, mechanical equipment (turbine and control units) and electrical components. The goal of a new draft tube design is to obtain a geometry that reduces investment costs, especially the excavation ones, but the primary driver is to increase the overall machine efficiency allowing for reduced payback time. In the present study, an optimization study of the elbow-draft tube assembly of a Kaplan turbine was conducted. A CFD model for the complete turbine has been developed and validated; next, an optimization of the draft tube alone was performed using a Design of Experiments technique; finally, several optimum solutions for the draft tube were obtained using a Response Surface technique aiming at maximizing pressure recovery and minimizing flow losses. A selection of optimized geometries was subsequently post-checked using the validated model of the entire turbine and a detailed flow analysis on the obtained results could make it possible to provide insight into the improved designs. It was observed that efficiency could be improved by 1% (in relative terms), and the mechanical power increased by 1,8% (in relative terms) with respect to the baseline turbine.