Solar Energy has enormous potential to fulfill the energy requirements of the world and can be extracted using solar cells. However, the solar cells are affected by poor efficiency and further affected by wind speed, orientation of the panel, temperature and dust deposition. There are different cleaning technologies devised by many industry experts to clean the solar panels. However, they are facing drawbacks when deployed in the solar farm. An efficient cleaning system, along with an added cooling system must be devised, so that the solar panels must be cleaned and cooled often to maximize the energy production. This paper presents a low-cost, energy-efficient, smart and innovative dust cleaning and cooling system for Photovoltaic (PV) Panels. The system is designed, fabricated, fully-automated using Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and tested successfully. A battery-charging kiosk, capable of charging two, 24V Lead Acid Batteries embedded within this prototype, shall provide clean-energy in a sustainable manner to the rural communities of the developing nations. The user can check the status of the battery such as battery voltage, battery temperature, and state of charge on the Human Machine Interface (HMI) panel while charging the batteries

The apparent metal-insulator transition (MIT) in two-dimension (2D) was discovered by Kravchenko et al. [1] more than two decades ago in strongly interacting 2D electrons residing in a Si-metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (Si-MOSFET). Its origin remains unresolved. Recently, low magnetic field reentrant insulating phases (RIPs), which dwell between the zero-field (B=0) metallic state and the integer quantum Hall (QH) states where the Landau-level filling factor υ > 1, have been observed in strongly correlated 2D GaAs hole systems with large interaction parameter rs (~20-40) and high purity. A new complex phase diagram was proposed, which includes zero field MIT, low magnetic field RIPs, integer QH states, fractional QH states, high field RIPs and insulating phases (HFIPs) with υ < 1 in which the insulating phases are explained by the formation of Wigner crystal. Furthermore, evidences of new intermediate phases were reported. All contribute to the further understandings of the puzzle. This review article serves the purpose of summarizing those recent experimental findings and theoretical endeavors, to foster future research efforts.

Recent advances in recording and real-time analysis of surface electromyographic signals (sEMG) have fostered the use of sEMG human-machine interfaces for controlling personal computers, prostheses of upper limbs, and exoskeletons among others. Despite a relatively high mean performance, sEMG-interfaces still exhibit strong variance in the fidelity of gesture recognition among different users. Here we systematically study the latent factors determining the performance of sEMG-interfaces in synthetic tests and in an arcade game. We show that the degree of muscle cooperation and the amount of the body fatty tissue are the decisive factors in synthetic tests. Our data suggest that these factors can only be adjusted by a long-term training, which promotes fine-tuning of low-level neural circuits driving the muscles. A short-term training has no effect on synthetic tests, but significantly increases the game scoring. This implies that it works at a higher decision-making level, not relevant for synthetic gestures. We propose a procedure that enables quantification of the gestures’ fidelity in a dynamic gaming environment. For each individual subject the approach allows identifying “problematic” gestures that decrease gaming performance. This information can be used for optimizing the training strategy and for adapting the signal processing algorithms to individual users, which could be a way for a qualitative leap in the development of future sEMG-interfaces.

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies show potential for the development of functionally integrated lightweight designs, biomimetic structures and material savings. Typically, as-built surfaces show powder particle agglomerations and re-entrant features, leading to rough surfaces, which are associated with poor fatigue performance. To benefit from the full range of advantages with special focus on aerospace applications, critical features for crack initiation when subjected to fatigue loading need to be identified and mitigated. A first step toward achieving this goal is the surface texture characterisation based on the quantification of surface features. In this paper, selected areal height, functional and feature parameters from ISO 25178-2:2022 are generated and process-specific features are examined for as-built AlSi7Mg0.6 from laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB). A connection with the particle size distribution of the used powder is demonstrated. It is shown that surface feature analysis opens up opportunities to use physically meaningful surface characteristics in future quality assurance and part qualification processes.

Here, our data provide the first evidence for the existence of a previously unknown receptive system formed by novel DNA- and RNA-based receptors in eukaryotes. This system, named the TR-system, is capable of recognizing and generating a response to different environmental factors and has been shown to orchestrate major vital functions of fungi, mammalian cells, and plants.Recently, we discovered the existence of a similar regulatory system in prokaryotes. These DNA- and RNA-based receptors are localized outside of the membrane forming a type of a network around cells that respond to a variety of chemical, biological, and physical factors and enabled the TR-system to regulate major aspects of eukaryotic cell life as follows: growth, including reproduction and development of multicellular structures; sensitivity to temperature, geomagnetic field, UV, light, and hormones; interaction with viruses; gene expression, recognition and utilization of nutrients. The TR-system was also implicated in cell memory formation and was determined to be responsible for its maintenance and the forgetting of preceding events. This system is the most distant receptive and regulatory system of the cell that regulates interactions with the outer environment and governs the functions of other receptor-mediated signaling pathways.

The surface chemistry and the morphology of SnO2 nanowires, deposited by Vapour Phase Deposition (VPD) method on Au-covered silicon substrate, were studied before and after subsequent air exposure. For this purpose, surface-sensitive methods including X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy (TDS) and the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were applied. The studies presented within this paper allowed to determine the surface non-stoichiometry combined with the presence of carbon contaminations, in a good correlation with the surface morphology. The relative concentrations of the main components [O]/[Sn]; [C]/[Sn]; [Au]/[Sn] together with the O – Sn; O – Si bondings were analyzed. The results of TDS remained in a good agreement with the observations from XPS. Moreover, conclusions obtained for SnO2 nanostructures deposited with the use of Au catalyst were compared to the previous obtained for Ag-assisted tin dioxide nanowires. The information obtained within this studies are of great importance for the potential application of SnO2 nanowires deposited on Au covered Si substrate in the field of novel chemical nanosensor devices, since the results can provide an interpretation of how aging effects influence gas sensor dynamic characteristics.

Given the rise in the number of cases and their recurrences, Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are one of the major burdens on public healthcare worldwide. Rapid, inexpensive and selective detection of Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), a major contributor to UTIs, is the need of the hour for effective treatment, given the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to improper diagnosis. Here we present a rapid, real-time, selective and label-free detection of UPEC using an integrated sensing platform based on Crossed Surface Relief Gratings (CSRGs) as nanoplasmonic sensors. Detection is achieved due to the unique Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based light energy exchange attributed to the CSRGs, allowing real-time sensing in a very narrow bandwidth of the incident light to pass where the SPR energy conversion occurs. The sensing ability of the platform is experimentally demonstrated by the detection of bulk Refractive Index (RI) changes, with a bulk sensitivity of 382.2 nm/RIU and a resolution in the order of 10-6 RIU. We demonstrate selective capture and detection of clinical concentration of UPEC, as opposed to other gram-negative bacteria, in real-time, a first for CSRGs. This work is particularly important for effective treatment of UTIs, allowing point-of-care diagnosis for economically disadvantaged regions around the world.

Blood has certain significant physical properties, which the authors investigated. This paper provides values of surface tension and viscosity of blood at 37 °C, as well as relationship between them plotted on a cross-plot. By applying Hagen- Poiseuille equation and Jurin's law to the experimentally obtained data, the authors calculated with great accuracy viscosity and surface tension of blood. Evaluating both of the properties using described methods required from the authors to know the density of investigated liquid, which was found to be on average $\rho=1063,56 \frac{kg}{m^3}$. The authors took blood samples from 30 healthy subjects and determined aforementioned physical properties. There has been made a distinction in regard of a sex of the blood donor. Results indicate that both surface tension and viscosity are independent from sex of a subject, as well as indicate that there is no correlation between viscosity and surface tension of blood at 37\degree C. Average values of surface tension and viscosity were found to be $\sigma=5,241\pm 0,262 \cdot 10^{-2}\frac{J}{m^2}$ and $\eta=3,352\pm0,360 \cdot 10^{-3} Pa \cdot s$, respectively.

Titanium membranes are used for guided bone regeneration in implant therapy. However, as a bioinert material, titanium does not have the ability to accelerate bone formation. Various titanium surface treatments to confer bioactivity have been demonstrated; however, there are concerns about the influence of chemical treatments on the corrosion of thin titanium membranes. This study investigated the influence of surface modifications on the structure of thin titanium membranes. Titanium membranes of 20 µm thickness were treated with acid or alkali solutions, and we evaluated their surface structure, wettability, corrosion depth, and mechanical strength compared to non-treated membranes. Alkali-treated thin titanium membranes displayed the formation of nanoscale pore structures on their surfaces, enhanced hydrophilicity, and less corrosion depth compared with acid-treated membranes. Furthermore, the tensile strength of alkali-treated membranes was comparable to non-treated membranes. These results suggest that alkali treatment is an appropriate surface modification method for thin titanium membranes.

The formation of a rigid tough interface based on a nacre-like structure in carbon fiber (CF) composites is a promising way to eliminate low delamination resistance. An effective method of coating CFs is electrophoretic deposition (EPD), which, in the case of dissimilar components like graphene oxide (GO) and polymeric glue, usually requires their chemical bonding/ strong interactions. In this work, we focus on chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs), leading to an excellent mechanical performance of artificial nacre, where favorable interactions and bonding with GO were controlled by degrees of deacetylation (5, 15 and 30 %). We have prepared coatings based on GO/ChNCs adducts with 95/5, 90/10,50/50 and 25/75 ratios using optimized EPD conditions (pH, concentration, voltage and time). The prepared materials were characterized using FTIR, TEM, XPS, SEM, DLS, and XRD. SEM evaluation indicates the formation of a homogeneous interlayer, which possesses a fair ability of chemical bonding with the epoxy matrix. Short beam testing of epoxy matrix composites indicates that coating does not decrease stiffness and its relatively low dependence on composition. Therefore, all coatings are promising for a detailed study of delamination resistance using laminate samples. Moreover, facile EPD from water solution/ suspension has a fair potential for industrial applications.

Cavitation resulting from underwater explosions in compressible multiphase or multicomp-onent flows presents significant challenges due to the dynamic nature of shock-cavitation-structure interactions, as well as the complex and discontinuous nature of the involved interfaces. Achieving accurate resolution of interfaces between different phases or components, in the presence of shocks, cavitating regions, and structural interactions, is crucial for modeling such problems. Furthermore, pressure convergence in simulations involving shock-cavitation-structure interactions requires accurate algorithms. In this research paper, we employ the diffuse interface method, also known as the interface capturing scheme, to investigate cavitation in various underwater explosion test cases near different surfaces; free surface and a rigid surface. The simulations are conducted using the Unstructured Compressible Navier-Stokes (UCNS3D) finite volume framework employing central-weighted essentially non-oscillatory (CWENO) reconstruction schemes, utilising the five-equation diffuse interface family of methods. Quantitative comparisons are made between the performance of both models. Additionally, we examine the effects of cavitation as a secondary loading source on structures, and evaluate the ability of the CWENO schemes to accurately capture and resolve material interfaces between fluids with minimal numerical dissipation or smearing. The results are compared with existing high-order methods and experimental data, where possible, to demonstrate the robustness of the CWENO schemes in simulating cavitation bubble dynamics, as well as their limitations within the current implementation of interface capturing.

Fires are a significant threat to people, property, and environment. One of the requirements for the buildings during fires is ensuring the safe evacuation of persons. The evacuation assessment has usually been based on a comparison of the Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) and the Available Safe Egress Time (ASET). One of the important factors influencing the safe evacuation of persons is smoke, which is an important accompanying phenomenon in the burning of polymers. The smoke layer interface is one basic barrier for effective evacuation. The current calculation technique for assessing the smoke layer interface in the Czech Republic is unsatisfactory. For this reason, a calculation technique CSN has been derived, which has been compared with the selected simple calculation techniques, the zone fire model Consolidated Model of Fire and Smoke Transport (CFAST) and the field type model Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). The CSN technique was also compared with a real large-scale experiment. The data were also subjected to statistical evaluation using the root mean square error method (RMSE). The deviations between the NFPA, ISO and CSN calculation techniques, the CFAST and FDS fire models and the implemented experiment ranged from 0.05 to 2.41. The established deviations indicate that the calculation technique CSN will be practically usable.

This study explored drivers’ emotion-based impressions of car-borne central control platforms (CBCCPs) personal-use vehicles. Thus, this preference-based study examined experts’ and drivers’ opinions regarding CBCCPs’ appeal from the perspective of Miryoku engineering. To this end, this study analyzed data via the EGM (evaluation grid method (EGM) and quantification theory type I. Results: Drivers’ preferences for specific CBCCP design characteristics were categorized into the factors “legible,” convenient,” and “tasteful,” which comprised the core of the EGM semantic hierarchical diagram. In addition, the importance of CBCCPs’ appeal factors and characteristics was assessed through quantification theory type I.The findings of this study provide valuable insights for designers, manufacturers, and researchers interested in the design of CBCCPs. Additionally, the results of this study can contribute to research on applied psychology, human-computer interactions, and car interface design.

To achieve sustainable development during urbanization, construction waste is recycled for use as an aggregate in recycled concrete (RC). To determine the influence of the brick content in coarse recycled aggregates on the damage sustained by the resultant RC, the RC was first divided into seven phases: natural crushed stone, old gravel inside waste concrete, bricks, new mortar, old mortar on waste concrete surfaces, and new and old interface transition zones. The Monte Carlo method was then applied to establish a two-dimensional random aggregate model of the RC made with coarse brick aggregates. The ABAQUS software package was used to simulate a uniaxial compression test, the results of which were combined with those of a macro-test to determine the internal damage change rule of brick-containing RC. The stress–strain curves obtained from the simulation coincided well with that of the macroscopic tests. As the brick content increased, the damage zone inside the specimen and the number of microcracks increased. The stress concentration area decreased, as indicated by a lower compressive strength in the macro-test. The results indicate that higher brick contents in RC yield more initial damage inside the concrete and a lower compressive strength.

Respiratory tract epithelium infection plays a primary role in Nipah virus (NiV) pathogenesis and transmission. Knowledge about infection dynamics and host responses to NiV infection in respir-atory tract epithelia is scarce. Studies in non-differentiated primary respiratory tract cells or cell lines indicate insufficient interferon (IFN) responses. However, studies are lacking to determin-ing complex host response patterns in differentiated respiratory tract epithelia to understand NiV replication and spread in swine. Here we characterized infection and spread of NiV in differenti-ated primary porcine bronchial epithelial cells (PBEC) cultivated at the air-liquid-interface (ALI). After the initial infection of only a few apical cells, lateral spread for 12 days with epithelium disruption was observed without releasing substantial amounts of infectious virus from the api-cal or basal sides. Deep time course proteomics revealed pronounced upregulation of genes re-lated to type I/II- IFN, immunoproteasomal subunits, TAP-mediated peptide transport and MHC I antigen presentation. Spliceosomal factors were downregulated. We propose a model in which NiV replication in PBEC is slowed by a potent and broad type I/II-IFN host response with con-version from 26S proteasomes to immunoproteasomal antigen processing and improved MHC I presentation for adaptive immunity priming. NiV induced cytopathic effects could reflect the focal release of cell-associated NiV, which may contribute to efficient airborne viral spread between pigs.

This paper presents a critical review and comparison of the results of recently published studies in the fields of human-machine interface and the use of sonomyography (SMG) for the control of upper limb prothesis. For this review paper, a combination of the keywords "Human Machine Interface", "Sonomyography", "Ultrasound", "Upper Limb Prosthesis", "Artificial Intelligence" and "Non-Invasive Sensors" was used to search for articles on Google Scholar and PubMed. Sixty-one articles were found, of which 59 were used in this review. For a comparison of the different ultrasound modes, feature extraction methods, and machine learning algorithms, 16 articles were used. It was found that various modes of ultrasound devices for prosthetic control, various machine learning algorithms for classifying different hand gestures, as well as various feature extraction methods for increasing the accuracy of artificial intelligence used in their controlling systems are reviewed in this article. The results of the review article show that ultrasound sensing has the potential to be used as a viable human-machine interface in order to control bionic hands with multiple degrees of freedom. Moreover, different hand gestures can be classified by different machine learning algorithms trained with extracted features from collected data with an accuracy of around 95%.

Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important staple food and primary source of livestock feed in the world. As the consumption of maize grown on the selenium-enriched soils of Naore Valley is one of the apparent causes of selenosis in the area, this work collected and analyzed total Se, Se fractions, and Se species distributions in maize plant samples, including grains, leaves, stalks, roots, rhizosphere soils, and the most representative parent rock materials from Naore Valley, Ziyang County, China. The Se distribution in soils markedly correlated with the weathered Se-enriched bedrocks, but most of the Se in the analyzed soils is enclosed as recalcitrant residual Se and organic-sulfide bound Se. In contrast, Se in rocks had a comparatively higher bioavailability and is bounded mainly to organic matter and sulfides minerals, with very few of the Se enclosed in the residual fraction. Maize plants might take a large amount of Se from the organic-sulfide bound Se fraction in the Se-rich soils, the weathered products from bedrocks or plant litters. Total Se concentrations in the collected samples were observed in descending order soil>leaf>root>grain>stalk. The predominant Se species detected in maize plants was SeMet. Se inorganic forms, mainly Se(VI), decreased from root to grain and were possibly assimilated into organic forms. Se (IV) was barely present. The natural increases in Se concentration affected mainly leaf and root dry-weight biomass as they are the organs that coped with the highest Se accumulation. This paper offers an insight into the uptake, accumulation, and distribution of Se forms in natural Se-rich maize crops and an opportunity for shifting Se-rich soils from menaces to valuable resources for growing Se-rich agricultural products.

Medical records contain many terms which are difficult to process. Our aim in this study is to allow the visual exploration of the information in medical databases where the texts presents a large number of syntactic variations and abbreviations, through an interface which facilitates content identification, navigation and information retrieval. We propose the use of multi-term tag clouds as content representation tools and as assistants for the browsing and querying tasks. The tag cloud generation is achieved through a novelty mathematical method that allows related terms to remain grouped together within the tags To evaluate this proposal, we have used a database with 24,481 records. 23 expert users in the medical field were tasked to complete a survey to evaluate the generated tag clouds properties and we obtained a precision of 0.990, a recall of 0.870 and a F1score of 0.904 in the evaluation of the tag cloud as an information retrieval tool. The main contribution of this approach is that we automatically generate a visual interface over the text capable of capturing the semantics of the information and facilitating access to medical records.

Thermal interface material (TIM) that can exist as liquid at the service temperature enables efficient heat transfer across two adjacent surfaces in electronic applications. In this work, the thermal conductivities of different phase regions in the Ga-In system at various compositions and temperatures are measured for the first time. A modified comparative cut bar technique is used for the measurement of the thermal conductivities of In_xGa_1-x (x=0, 0.1, 0.214, 0.3, and 0.9) alloys at 40, 60, 80, and 100^oC that are the temperatures commonly encountered in consumer electronics. The thermal conductivity values for the liquid and semi-liquid (liquid+β) Ga-In alloys are higher than the TIM currently used in consumer electronics. These measured quantities, along with the available experimental data from the literature, served as input for the thermal conductivity parameter optimization using the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHase Diagram) method for the pure elements, solution phase, and two-phase region. A set of self-consistent parameters for the description of the thermal conductivity of the Ga-In system is obtained. There is good agreement between the measured and calculated thermal conductivity values for all the phases. Hence, it can be envisaged that liquid/semi-liquid Ga-In alloys can be considered as a potential TIM in consumer electronics due to its high thermal conductivity.

There is a confusion in the original design concept for the tensioning of longitudinally connected reinforcement of CRTSII slab ballastless track. In order to clarify the effect of tension value of longitudinal reinforcement on mechanical characteristics of ballastless track, a three dimensional finite element model considering the nonlinear interaction between the track slab and CA mortar of CRTSII slab ballastless track was established. The mechanical characteristics of the track structure under longitudinal tension load and temperature gradient load of the longitudinal joint were calculated. A method of applying pre-stress to post-pouring concrete was proposed according to the concept of pre-stress loss of pretensioning pre-stressed concrete, reasonable tensile force value was proposed after the crack width and the reinforcement stress of the ballastless track in the operation stage were checked and calculated according to the concrete design principle. When the tension force is greater than 300 kN, it’s harmful to the bonding between the slab and mortar layer, which is prone to interlayer damage. In order to adding pre-stress to concrete of wide joints to ensure the longitudinal stability of ballastless track and the reinforcement stress and crack width to meet the design requirements. It is suggested that the tension force value should be 230 kN, and the temperature difference between reinforcement and concrete should be 30 °C before the initial curdle of wide joint concrete.

In this study, a preload monitoring method using impedance signatures obtained from a piezoelectric-based smart interface is presented for bolted girder connections. Firstly, the background theory of the piezoelectric-based smart interface and its implementation into health monitoring of bolted connections are outlined. A simplified electro-mechanical (EM) impedance model of a smart interface-embedded bolted connection system is formulated to interpret mechanistic understanding of EM impedance signatures under the effect of bolt preload. Secondly, finite element modeling of a bolted connection is carried out to show the numerical feasibility of the presented method and to predetermine the sensitive frequency band of impedance signatures. Finally, impedance measurements are conducted on a lab-scaled bolted girder connection to verify the predetermined sensitive frequency range and to assess the bolt preload changes in the test structure.

With forty years of developments, bio-macromolecule cryo-electron microscopy has met its revolution of resolution and is playing a very important role in structural biology study. According to different specimen states, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) involves three specific techniques, single particle analysis (SPA), electron tomography and sub-tomogram averaging, and electron diffraction. All these three techniques have not realized their full potentials of solving structures of bio-macromolecules and therefore need to be developed in the future. In this review, the current existing bottlenecks of cryo-EM SPA are discussed with theoretical analysis, which includes air-water interface during specimen cryo-vitrification, bio-macromolecular conformational heterogeneity, focus gradient within thick specimen, and electron radiation damage. Besides, potential solutions of these bottlenecks are proposed and discussed, which are worthy of further investigations in the future.

Recently, a high internal surface of the titanium alloy pipe is required due to the increment of various applications of the pipe such as aerospace. However, the traditional machining process is unable to effectively polish the internal surface of the slender pipe. Thus, a vertical magnetorheological polishing (VMRP) apparatus is carried out in this work to implement high polishing performance on the internal surface of the titanium alloy pipe. The polishing process is realized by the combination of the rotating motion of the pipe and the reciprocating linear motion of the polishing head. Moreover, a series of comparative experiments are conducted to investigate the polishing mechanism of magnetorheological (MR) fluid and enhance the polishing performance. It is shown from the experimental results that proposed VMRP approach exhibits the better polishing performance than the conventional horizontal MR polishing method under same testing conditions. This is because the proposed VMRP method well eliminates the traces of polishing particles owing to the combination of polishing particles with different sizes. In addition, it is identified from the experimental test that the polishing time of the VMRP required to achieve the same polishing effect as the conventional method is shortened under the combination of different rotation speeds. It is identified from the above benefits of the VMRP that the final surface roughness after polishing is below 0.05 μm.

Under the extreme shortage of water resources in the Yellow River Basin, it is of great signifi-cance to analyze the spatial distribution relationship between rural settlement and water re-sources for the coordinated development of human and water resources in the Yellow River Ba-sin. However, the water allocation scheme depended on statistical data in the previous work, not on rural settlements in space. Furthermore, previous researches seldom focus on the evaluation of surface water resources accessibility according to the spatial distribution characteristics of ru-ral settlements and water resources, especially, in the Yellow River Basin and using rural set-tlement as unit. Therefore, a quantitative evaluation model of surface water resources accessibil-ity is constructed by using the GIS network analysis method, taking rural settlement as the re-search unit, based on three dimensions of topography, distance, and surface water resources, at the Yellow River basin scale. The results show that: (1) The surface runoff of rural settlement in the Yellow River basin is mostly less than 0.05 km/m2, reaching 99.83%. In other words, the Yel-low River Basin is extremely short of water resources. The surface water resources accessibility is affected by distance, topography, and surface water resources. The evaluation results show that the range of surface water resources accessibility is 0.13~0.88, with an average value of 0.47 and a standard deviation of 0.05. The High surface water resources accessibility value in the Yel-low River Basin is in the east and west, and the low value is mainly distributed in the middle. (2) The range from low to high of surface water resources accessibility in 12 catchments is Sanmen-xia station, Lanzhou station, Shizuishan station, Longmen station, Tongguan station, Toudaoguai station, Xiaolangdi station, Huayuankou station, Lijin station, Gaocun station, Ai Shan station and Tangnaihai station. (3) The value of surface water resources accessibility at the city scale is higher in the east of 10 cities and in the west of 1 city. However, it is lower in the west of 9 cities. And the values of the other cities are at a medium level. The correlation coefficient with primary industry GDP and surface water resources accessibility is 0.271 (N=56, Sig=0.043, in 0.05 level, the correlation is significant), which verifies the rationality of surface water resources accessibility model to some extent.

The effect of graphene (GR) on Ni surface relaxation and reconstruction in three different substrate orientations: {111}, {001}, {011}, at two different temperatures: 300K and 400K was studied using Molecular Dynamics simulation. The change of the interplanar distances of the substrate and redistribution of Ni and C atoms in direction perpendicular to the surface were compared with the equilibrium state of GR and bulk Ni, in the absence of the counterpart. The surface reconstruction for GR/Ni system was analyzed base on the calculated radial pair distribution function of Ni and C atoms. The surface roughness was visualized using 2D atomic distribution maps. For the studied substrate orientations and temperatures, it was found that the most densely packed orientation of the Ni base {111} provides minimal changes of the structural parameters of both counterparts at 400 K.

Anion exchange of the halides, Br and I, is demonstrated through the direct mixing of two pure perovskite quantum dot solutions, CsPbBr3 and CsPbI3, and is shown to be both facile and result in a completely alloyed single phase mixed halide perovskite. Anion exchange is also observed in an interlayer printing method utilizing the pure, unalloyed perovskite solutions and a commercial inkjet printer. The halide exchange was confirmed by optical absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescent spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy characterization, and indicates that alloying is thermodynamically favorable, while the formation of a clustered alloy is not favored. Additionally, a surface-to-bulk photoemission core level transition is observed for the Cs 4d photoemission feature which indicates the electronic structure of the surface is different from the bulk. Time resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy indicates the presence of multiple excitonic decay features which is argued to originate from states residing at surface and bulk environments.

The catenary shells of revolution are widely used in constructions due to their unique mechanics' feature. However, no publications on this type of shells can be found in the literature. To have a better understanding of the deformation and stress of the catenary shells of revolution, we formulate the principal radii for two kinds of catenary shells of revolution and their displacement type governing equations. Numerical simulations are carried out based on both Reissner-Meissner mixed formulations and displacement formulations. Our investigations show that both deformation and stress response of elastic catenary shells of revolution are sensitive to its geometric parameter $c$, and reveal that the mechanics of the catenary shells of revolution does much better than the spherical shells. Two complete codes in Maple are provided.

The land-surface developments of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are based on the Carbon-Hydrology Tiled Scheme for Surface Exchanges over Land (CHTESSEL) and form an integral part of the Integrated Forecasting System (IFS), supporting a wide range of global weather, climate and environmental applications. In order to structure, coordinate and focus future developments and benefit from international collaboration in new areas, a flexible system named ECLand which would facilitates modular extensions to support numerical weather prediction (NWP) and society-relevant operational services, e.g. Copernicus, is presented . This paper introduces recent examples of novel ECLand developments on (i) vegetation, (ii) snow, (iii) soil, (iv) open water/lake (v) river/inundation, and (vi) urban areas. The developments are evaluated separately with long-range, atmosphere-forced surface offline simulations, and coupled land-atmosphere-ocean experiments. This illustrates the benchmark criteria for assessing both, process fidelity with regards to land surface fluxes and reservoirs of the water-energy-carbon exchange on the one hand, and on the other hand the requirements of ECMWF’s NWP, climate and atmospheric composition monitoring services using an Earth system assimilation prediction framework.

This paper proposes the use of non-uniform extended surfaces installed externally to the tubes of the radiation section of fired heaters, in order to obtain a better heat flux distribution to the coils. To this end, the heat transfer mechanisms present in such equipment were studied through computational fluid dynamics (CFD), using simplified geometries that represent typical sizes of fired heaters. Also, a simplified model for the combustion was considered. Although this model oversimplifies the physics of the problem, it was able to give satisfactory results for the parameters being optimized, considering the main objective of this paper, that is to minimize the non-uniformity of heat flux in the tubes of the radiant section of fired heaters. It was possible to obtain optimized geometric parameters for different types of extended surfaces evaluated, coupling the results of these models with the Particle Swarm optimization method through the use of a response surface technique,. The results indicate a significant improvement in the uniformity of the heat flux distribution to the tubes through the use of the proposed extended surfaces. Thus, this solution reveals to be an interesting alternative to reduce the risks of fluid degradation and coking formation. Future studies must investigate the non-uniformity of the heat flux due to the presence of the flame and consider the interaction between the reactive flow and the participating medium. Nevertheless, this paper presents some results that justify the optimization of such extended surfaces taking into consideration thermal radiation.

Surface urban heat island (SUHI) depicts the deteriorating thermal environment in high-density cities and local climate zone (LCZ) classification provides a universal protocol for SUHI identification. In this study, taking the central urbanized area of Guangzhou in the humid subtropical region of China as the study area, the maps or images of LCZ, land surface temperature (LST), SUHI and urban design factors were achieved by using Landsat satellite data, GIS database and a series of retrieval and classification algorithms, and the urban design factors influencing SUHI were investigated based on 625 samples of LCZs. The results show that in the summer daytime under the clear sky condition, the LST varied greatly from 26 °C to 40 °C and the SUHI changed in a wide range of -6 °C to 8 °C in the LCZs of the study area. Seven and five urban design factors influencing the summer daytime SUHI were identified for the two dominant LCZ of LCZs 1-5 (LCZ 1 to LCZ 5) and the mixed LCZ (containing at least three types of LCZs), respectively. The summer daytime SUHI prediction models were obtained by using the step-wise multiple linear regression, with the performance of R2 of 0.697, RMSE of 1.21 °C, and the d value of 0.81 for the model of LCZs 1-5, and the values of 0.666, 1.66 °C, and 0.76 for the model of the mixed LCZ, indicating that the models can predict the changes of SUHI with LCZs to a large and satisfactory extent. This study presents a methodology to efficiently achieve a large sample of SUHI and urban design factors of LCZs in the largely urbanized cities, and provides information beneficial to the urban designs and regenerations in the humid subtropical region.

Surface damage on honeycomb aircraft panels is often measured manually, and is therefore subject to variation based on inspection personnel. Eddy current testing (ECT) is sensitive to variations in probe-to-specimen spacing, or lift-off, and is thus promising for high resolution profiling of surface damage on aluminum panels. Lower frequency testing also allows inspection through the face sheet, an advantage over optical 3D scanning methods. This paper presents results from the ECT inspection of surface damage on an approximately flat aluminum honeycomb aircraft panel, and compares the measurements to those taken using optical 3D scanning technology. An ECT C-Scan of the dented panel surface was obtained by attaching the probe to a robotic scanning apparatus. Data was taken simultaneously at four frequencies of 25, 100, 400 and 1,600 kHz. A reference surface was then defined that approximated the original, undamaged panel surface, which also compensated for the effects of specimen tilt and thermal drift within the ECT instrument. Data was converted to lift-off using height calibration curves developed for each probe frequency. A damage region of 22,550 mm² area with dents ranging in depth from 0.13-1.01 mm was analyzed. The method was accurate at 1,600 kHz to within 0.05 mm (2s) when compared with 231 measurements taken via optical 3D scanning. Testing at 25 kHz revealed a 3.2 mm cell size within the honeycomb core, which was confirmed via destructive evaluation. As a result, ECT demonstrates potential for implementation as a method for rapid in-field aircraft panel surface damage assessment.

XPS and ARXPS characterization of surface layers resulting from the functionalization of polymers such as PVC modified with MPTMS and APTES is challenging due to the signals overlap, deriving both from the substrate and the functionalized layers. In this work, a freshly cleaved, ideally flat gold surface was used as carbon-free model substrate functionalized with MPTMS and subsequently grafted with APTES. Avoiding the overlap of signals from carbon atoms present in the substrate, the signals in the C1s, O1s, Si2p, S2p and N1s high-resolution spectra could be assigned to the MPTMS / APTES functionalized layer only and the curve fitting parameters could be determined. Quantitative analysis was in very good agreement with the expected stoichiometry of the functionalized layer, confirming the adopted curve fitting procedure. In addition, it was found that one molecule of APTES grafted two MPTMS via silane groups. ARXPS allowed determining the thickness of the functionalized layers: MPTMS thickness was found to be 0.5 (0.2) nm, MPTMS + APTES thickness 1.0 (0.2) nm in good agreement with Avogadro model calculations. This approach can be considered a powerful tool for characterising functionalized surfaces of more complex systems by XPS.

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) have gained significant attention due to their ability to modify the surface morphology of materials at the micro-nanoscale and show great promise for surface functionalization application. In this study, we specifically investigate the formation of LIPSS in silicon substrates and explore their impact on Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) applications. This study reveals a stepwise progression of LIPSS formation in silicon, involving three distinct stages of LIPSS: 1) integrated Low-Spatial-Frequency LIPSS (LSFL) and High-Spatial-Frequency LIPSS (HSFL), 2) principally LSFL and 3) LSFL at the edge of the irradiated spot, elucidating the complex interplay between laser fluence, pulse number, and resulting surface morphology. Furthermore, from an application standpoint, these high-quality multi-scale periodic patterns lead to the next step of texturing the entire silicon surface with homogeneous LIPSS for SERS application. The potential of LIPSS-fabricated silicon substrates for enhancing SERS performance is investigated using thiophenol as a test molecule. The results indicate that the Au-coated combination of LSFL and HSFL substrate showcased the highest enhancement factor (EF) of 1.38 × 10^6. This pronounced enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effects of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) and Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs), intricately linked to HSFL and LSFL characteristics. These findings contribute to understanding LIPSS formation in silicon and their applications in surface functionalization and SERS, paving the way for sensing platforms.

We investigated the effect of helium atmospheric-pressure plasma (PL) and deep-ultraviolet (UV) light treatments on the adhesive properties of fiber-reinforced poly(ether-ether-ketone)polymer (PEEK). PEEK disks reinforced with carbon (CPEEK) or glass (GPEEK) fibers were polished, modified with PL and UV for 60 s, and the surface energy was calculated by measuring the contact angles. The disk surfaces were analyzed by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Shear bond strength testing was performed using a universal testing machine, and the fracture surfaces were observed by electron probe microanalyzer. Data were analyzed with one and two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test (p < 0.05). The surface energies were increased by the modifications, which created OH functional groups on the surfaces. The bond strengths of CPEEK were increased by PL and those of GPEEK were increased by PL and UV, owing to chemical bonding at the interface.

Traditional ways of validating satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface salinity (SSS) products, using comparisons with buoy measurements, do not allow for evaluating the impact of mesoscale to submesoscale variability. Here we present the validation of remotely-sensed SST and SSS data against the unmanned surface vehicle (USV) – Saildrone – measurements from the Spring 2018 Baja deployment. More specifically, biases and root mean square differences (RMSD) were calculated between USV-derived SST and SSS values, and six satellite-derived SST (MUR, OSTIA, CMC, K10, REMSS, and DMI) and three SSS (JPLSMAP, RSS40, RSS70) products. Biases between the USV SST and OSTIA/CMC/DMI were approximately zero while MUR showed a bias of 0.2C. OSTIA showed the smallest RMSD of 0.36C while DMI had the largest RMSD of 0.5C. An RMSD of 0.4C between Saildrone SST and the satellite-derived products could be explained by the daily variability in USV SST which currently cannot be resolved by remote sensing measurements. For SSS, values from the JPLSMAP product showed saltier biases of 0.2 PSU, while RSS40 and RSS70 showed fresh biases of 0.3 PSU. An RMSD of 0.4 PSU could not be explained solely by the daily variability of the USV-derived SSS. Coherences were significant at the longer wavelengths, with a local maximum at 100 km that is most likely associated with the mesoscale turbulence in the California Current System.

This study aims to assess the potential of the LDAS-Monde a land data assimilation system developed by Météo-France to monitor the impact of the 2018 summer heatwave over western Europe vegetation state. The LDAS-Monde is forced by the ECMWF’s (i) ERA5 reanalysis, and (ii) the Integrated Forecasting System High Resolution operational analysis (IFS-HRES), used in conjunction with the assimilation of Copernicus Global Land Service (CGLS) satellite derived products, namely the Surface Soil Moisture (SSM) and the Leaf Area Index (LAI). Analysis of long time series of satellite derived CGLS LAI (2000-2018) and SSM (2008-2018) highlights marked negative anomalies for July 2018 affecting large areas of North Western Europe and reflects the impact of the heatwave. Such large anomalies spreading over a large part of the considered domain have never been observed in the LAI product over this 18-yr period. The LDAS-Monde land surface reanalyses were produced at spatial resolutions of 0.25°x0.25° (January 2008 to October 2018) and 0.10°x0.10° (April 2016 to December 2018). Both configuration of the LDAS-Monde forced by either ERA5 or HRES capture well the vegetation state in general and for this specific event, with HRES configuration exhibiting better monitoring skills than ERA5 configuration. The consistency of ERA5 and IFS HRES driven simulations over the common period (April 2016 to October 2018) allowed to disentangle and appreciate the origin of improvements observed between the ERA5 and HRES. Another experiment, down-scaling ERA5 to HRES spatial resolutions, was performed. Results suggest that land surface spatial resolution is key (e.g. associated to a better representation of the land cover, topography) and using HRES forcing still enhance the skill. While there are advantages in using HRES, there is added value in down-scaling ERA5, which can provide consistent, long term, high resolution land reanalysis. If the improvement from LDAS-Monde analysis on control variables (soil moisture from layers 2 to 8 of the model representing the first meter of soil and LAI) from the assimilation of SSM and LAI was expected, other model variables benefit from the assimilation through biophysical processes and feedbacks in the model. Finally, we also found added value of initializing 8-day land surface HRES driven forecasts from LDAS-Monde analysis when compared with model only initial conditions.

In urban area, one of the great problem is the rise of temperature, which leads to form the urban heat island effect. This paper refers to the trend of the urban surface temperature extracted from the Landsat images from which to consider changes in the formation of surface urban heat island for the north of Ho Chi Minh city in period 1995-2015. Research has identified land surface temperature from thermal infrared band, according to the ability of the surface emission based on characteristics of normalized difference vegetation index NDVI. The results showed that temperature fluctuated over the city with a growing trend and the gradual expansion of the area of the high-temperature zone towards the suburbs. Within 20 years, the trend of the formation of surface urban heat island with two typical locations showed a clear difference between the surface temperature of urban areas and rural areas with space expansion of heat island in 4 times in 2015 compared to 1995. An extreme heat island located in the inner city has an area of approximately 18% compared to the total area of the region. Since then, the solution to reduce the impact of urban heat island has been proposed, in order to protect the urban environment and the lives of residents in Ho Chi Minh City becoming better

The question of what generates conscious experience has mesmerized thinkers since the dawn of humanity, yet its origins remain a mystery. The topic of consciousness has gained traction in recent years, thanks to the development of large language models that now arguably pass the Turing test, an operational test for intelligence. However, intelligence and consciousness are not related in obvious ways, as anyone who suffers from a bad toothache can attest - pain generates intense feelings and absorbs all our conscious awareness yet nothing particularly intelligent is going on. Still, in the hard sciences, this topic is frequently met with skepticism because to date no protocol to measure the content or intensity of conscious experiences in an observer-independent manner has been agreed upon. Here we present a novel proposal: Conscious experience arises whenever a quantum mechanical superposition forms. Our proposal has several implications: First, it suggests that the structure of the superposition determines the qualia of the experience. Second, quantum entanglement naturally solves the binding problem, ensuring the unity of phenomenal experience. Finally, a moment of agency may coincide with the formation of a superposition state. We outline a research program to experimentally test our conjecture via a sequence of quantum biology experiments. Applying these ideas opens up the possibility of expanding human experience through brain-quantum computer interfaces.

In the early 2000s, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) emerged as a performant and relevant tool for identifying micro-organisms. Since then, it has become practically essential for identifying bacteria in microbiological diagnostic laboratories. In the last decade, it was successfully applied for arthropod identification allowing to distinguish vectors from non-vectors of infectious diseases. However, identification failures are not rare, hampering it widely use. Failure is generally attributed either to the absence of respective counter species MS spectra in the database, or to the insufficient quality of query MS spectra (i.e. lower intensity and diversity of MS peaks detected). To avoid matching errors due to non-compliant spectra, the development of a strategy for detecting and excluding outlier MS profiles became compulsory. To this end, we created MSProfileR, an R package leading to a bioinformatics tool through a simple installation, integrating the control quality system of MS spectra and an analysis pipeline including peak detection and MS spectra comparisons. MSProfileR can also add metadata concerning the sample that the spectra are derived from. MSProfileR has been developed in the R environment and offers a user-friendly web interface using the R Shiny framework. It is available on Microsoft Windows as a web browser application by simply navigation using the link of the package on the Github. MSProfileR is therefore accessible to non-computer specialists and is freely available to the scientific community. We evaluated MSProfileR using two datasets including exclusively MS spectra from arthropods. In addition to coherent sample classification, outlier MS spectra were detected in each dataset confirming the value of MSProfileR.

: The silicon single crystals for semiconductor application is usually grown by Czochralski (CZ) method. This paper researches 300mm silicon Czochralski (CZ) crystal growth with CUSP magnetic field for IGBTs substrate application. The different positions of Zero-Gauss plane (ZGP) under CUSP magnetic field are simulated and compared to numerical analysis, investigated melt convection, melt flow velocity near to quartz crucible wall, diffusion boundary layer and effect of initial oxygen concentration in the silicon crystal, and the shape of solid/liquid interface was discussed. The results show that the change of the ZGP of the CMF mainly affects the convection in the melt, which leads to the difference of the thickness of the boundary layer near to the wall of the quartz crucible, and was found to be the key to reduce the oxygen dissolution from the crucible wall and oxygen diffuse into the crystal, along with the differences in the shape of the crystal-melt interface. In addition, we have carried out actual industrial single crystal production under the three configurations. The results show that the experimental data of oxygen content and shape of the crystal-melt interfaces in silicon crystal are consistent with the numerical results.

Silicon-based photodetectors, as low-cost and environmentally friendly optical sensors, are attractive. Also, their compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology is advantageous for the development of silicon photonics systems. However, extending optical responsivity of silicon-based photodetectors to the mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength range remains challenging. In developing mid-IR infrared Schottky detectors, nanoscale metals are critical. Nonetheless, one key factor is the Fermi level pinning effect at the metal/silicon interface and the presence of metal-induced gap states (MIGS). Here, we demonstrate the utilization of the passivated surface layer on semiconductor materials as an insulating material in metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) contacts to mitigate the Fermi level pinning effect. The removal of Fermi level pinning effectively reduces the Schottky barrier height by 12.5% to 16%. The demonstrated devices exhibit a high responsivity of up to 234 μA/W at a wavelength of 2 μm, 48.2 μA/W at 3 μm, and 1.75 μA/W at 6 μm. The corresponding detectivities at 2 and 3 μm are 1.17×10^8 cm Hz^1/2 W^-1 and 2.41×10^7 cm Hz^1/2 W^-1, respectively. The expanded sensing wavelength range contributes to the application development of future silicon photonics integration platforms.

Food processing and consumption involves multiple contacts between biological fluids and solid materials of processing devices of which steel is one of the most common. Due to complexity of these interactions, it is difficult to identify the main control factors in the formation of undesirable deposits on the device surfaces that may affect safety and efficiency of the processes. Mechanistic understanding of biomolecule-metal interactions involving food proteins could improve management of these pertinent industrial processes and consumer safety in food industry and beyond. In this work, we perform a multiscale study of formation of protein corona on iron surfaces and nanoparticles in contact with cow milk proteins. By calculating the binding energies of proteins with the substrate we quantify the adsorption strength and rank proteins by the adsorption affinity. We use a multiscale method involving all-atom and coarse-grained simulations as well as generation of 3D structures of the proteins for this purpose. Finally, using the adsorption energy results, we predict the composition of protein corona on iron nanoparticles and flat surfaces via a competitive adsorption model.

Background: With the trend of intelligent display, the interface design of in-vehicle HUD is an expanding research field; Methods: To solve the subjectivity and uncertainty in the optimization of HUD interface design schemes, this paper proposed a hybrid scheme evaluation and optimization method based on entropy weight and VIKOR. The entropy weight method was used to reduce the subjectivity the decision-maker's weighting and obtain the objective weight of each indicator; The VIKOR method was used to obtain the best ranking of alternative schemes, and then the optimal interface design scheme was selected; Results: The evaluation of in-vehicle HUD interface design schemes were taken as an example for verification and calculation. The results showed that this method considers the subjectivity and uncertainty of the decision-making process in the optimization of design scheme, which can effectively improve the objectivity and accuracy of the evaluation results, and provide a reference for designers to optimize interface design schemes.

Formulation is an ancient concept, although the word has been used only recently. The first formulations made our civilization advance by inventing bronze, steel, and gunpowder; then, it was used in medieval alchemy. When chemistry became a science and with the golden age of organic synthesis, the second formulation period began. This made it possible to create new chemical species and new combinations “à la carte.” However, the research and developments were still carried out by trial and error. Finally, the third period of formulation history began after World War II, when the properties of a system were associated with its ingredients and the way they were assembled or combined. Therefore, the formulation and the systems’ phenomenology were related to the generation of some synergy to obtain a commercial product. Winsor’s formulation studies in the 1950s were enlightening for academy and industries that were studying empirically surfactant-oil-water (SOW) systems. One of its key characteristics was how the interfacial interaction of the adsorbed surfactant with oil and water phases could be equal by varying the physicochemical formulation of the system. Then, Hansen’s solubility parameter in the 1960s helped to reach a further understanding of the affinity of some substances to make them suitable to oil and water phases. In the 1970s, researchers such as Shinoda and Kunieda, and different groups working in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), among them Schechter and Wade’s group at the University of Texas, made formulation become a science by using semiquantitative correlations to attain specific characteristics in a system (e.g., low oil-water interfacial tension, formulation of a stable O/W or W/O emulsion, or high-performance solubilization in a bicontinuous microemulsion system at the so-called optimum formulation). Nowadays, over 40 years of studies with the hydrophilic-lipophilic deviation equation (HLD) have made it feasible for formulators to improve products in many different applications using surfactants to attain a target system using HLD in its original or its normalized form, i.e., HLDN. Thus, it can be said that there is still current progress being made towards an interdisciplinary applied science with numerical guidelines. In the present work, the state-of-the-art of formulation in multiphase systems containing two immiscible phases like oil and water, and therefore systems with heterogeneous or micro-heterogeneous interfaces, is discussed. Surfactants, from simple to complex or polymeric, are generally present in such systems to solve a wide variety of problems in many areas. Some significant cases are presented here as examples dealing with petroleum, foods, pharmaceutics, cosmetics, detergency, and other products occurring as dispersions, emulsions, or foams, that we find in our everyday lives.

To investigate the role of sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bonds in different protein-stabilized emulsions, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) was used as sulfhydryl-blocking agent to be added in the emulsion. The addition of NEM to block the sulfhydryl groups resulted in a reduction of the content of disulfide bonds formation, which enabled destruction of the internal structure of the protein molecule, and then decreased the restriction of protein membrane on the oil droplets. Furthermore, with NEM content increasing in the emulsion, a reduction of protein emulsifying activity and emulsion stability also occurred. At the same time, the intermolecular interaction of the protein on the oil droplet interface membrane was destroyed, and the emulsion droplet size increased with the NEM content in the emulsion. Although NEM blocking sulfhydryl groups not to form disulfide bonds has similar effects on three types of protein emulsion, the degree of myofibrillar protein (MP), egg-white protein isolate (EPI), and soybean protein isolate (SPI) as emulsifier had a subtle difference.

The feasibility of a steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) brain-computer interface (BCI) with a single flicker stimulus for multiple-target decoding has been demonstrated in a number of recent studies. The single-flicker BCIs have mainly employed the direction information for encoding the targets, i.e. different targets are placed at different spatial directions relative to the flicker stimulus. The present study explored whether visual eccentricity information can also be used to encode target for the purpose of increasing the number of targets in the single-flicker BCIs. A total number of 16 targets were encoded, placed at eight spatial directions, and two eccentricities (2.5° and 5°) relative to a 12 Hz flicker stimulus. Whereas distinct SSVEP topographies were elicited when participants gazed at targets of different directions, targets of different eccentricities were mainly represented by different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Using a canonical correlation analysis-based classification algorithm, simultaneous decoding of both direction and eccentricity information was achieved, with an average offline 16-class accuracy of 66.8±16.4% averaged over 12 participants and a best individual accuracy of 90.0%. Our results demonstrate a single-flicker BCI with a substantially increased target number towards practical applications.

The aim of work is to derive an explicit expression for a function of vertical mixing induced by wind-waves. To this end, in the Navier-Stokes equations, a current is decomposed into four constituents: the mean flow, the wave-orbital motion, the wave-induced turbulent and the background turbulent currents. This decomposition allows separating the wave-induced Reynolds stress, Rw, from the background one, Rb. To make a statistical closure for Rw, the Prandtl approach for the background turbulent fluctuations is used that results in an implicit expression for the wave-induced vertical mixing function, Bv. Expression for Bv is specified based on the author’s results for the eddy viscosity found earlier in the frame of the three-layer concept for a wavy air–sea interface, used for modelling wind-drift currents [1]. Finally, the explicit parameterization for Bv(a, u*, z) is found as a linear function in both the wave amplitude at depth z, a(z), and the friction velocity in the air, u*. The linear dependence of function Bv(a) on the wave amplitude provides the enhanced vertical mixing induced by wind–waves in comparison with function Bv(a) having the cubic dependence found in [2], as far as the wind-wave amplitude a(z) decays exponentially with depth.

Shaped surfaces are increasingly used in the field of mould making for casting or injection moulding, where future products include shapes with different curvatures. These are surfaces that form convex curves, concave curves, or a combination thereof. Given these machined surfaces, it is important to know the impact of the finishing strategies on these surfaces. This paper deals with the comparison of finishing milling strategies in the production of shaped surfaces and the analysis of different methods for the evaluation of surface topography, surface roughness and the evaluation of deviations. The material used for the experiments was AlCu4Mg aluminium alloy, and Constant Z, Spiral and Spiral circle strategies were chosen for the finishing strategies. The evaluation of surface topography and surface roughness was carried out at three different sample heights with respect to the tool contact with the machined surface. The results showed changes in the toolpaths due to the variation of the effective diameter of the tool cutter to the machined surface as well as the choice of strategy. To produce specimens with corresponding shapes in terms of topography, the Constant Z strategy was the most suitable, in which uniform toolpaths were obtained over the whole height of the sample.

Three-Dimensional reconstruction of the corneal surface provides a powerful tool for managing corneal diseases. This study proposes a novel method for reconstructing the corneal surface from elevation point clouds, using modal schemes capable of reproducing corneal shapes using surface polynomial functions. The multivariable polynomial fitting was performed using a non-dominated sorting multivariable genetic algorithm (NS-MVGA). Standard reconstruction methods using least-squares discrete fitting (LSQ) and sequential quadratic programming (SQP) were compared with the evolutionary algorithm-based approach. The study included 49 eyes of 49 patients (ages 11-63) sorted in two groups: control (33 eyes) and keratoconus (KC) (16 eyes). Tomographic information (Sirius, Costruzione Strumenti Oftalmici, Italy) was processed using Matlab. The goodness of fit for each method was evaluated using mean squared error (MSE), measured at the same nodes where the elevation data were collected. Polynomial fitting based on NS-MVGA improves MSE values by 86% compared to LSQ-based methods in healthy patients. Moreover, this new method improves aberrated surface reconstruction by 43% for Amsler-Krumeich (AK) Grade 1 keratoconus patients. Finally, significant improvements were also found in morpho-geometric parameters, such as asphericity and corneal curvature radii.

We present a numerical illumination model to calculate direct as well as diffuse or Hapke scattered radiation scenarios on arbitrary planetary surfaces. This includes small body surfaces such as main belt asteroids as well as e.g. the lunar surface. The model is based on the raytracing method. This method is not restricted to spherical or ellipsiodal shapes but digital terrain data of arbitrary spatial resolution can be fed into the model. Solar radiation is the source of direct radiation, wavelength-dependent effects (e.g. albedo) can be accounted for. Mutual illumination of individual bodies in implemented (e.g. in binary or multiple systems) as well as self-illumination (e.g. crater floors by crater walls) by diffuse or Hapke radiation. The model is validated by statistical methods. A χ2 test is undertaken to compare simnulated images with DAWN images acquired during the survey phase at small body 4 Vesta.

The calculation of the surface tension of ordinary organic and ionic liquids, based on a computer algorithm applying a refined group-additivity method, is presented. The refinement consists of a complete breakdown of the molecules into their constituting atoms, further distinguishing them by their immediate neighbour atoms and bond constitution. The evaluation of the atom-groups’ contributions was carried out by means of a fast Gauss-Seidel fitting method founded upon the experimental data of 1895 compounds from literature. The result has been tested for plausibility using a 10-fold cross-validation (cv) procedure. The direct calculation and the cv test proved the applicability of the present method by the close similarity and excellent goodness of fit R2 and Q2 of 0.9023 and 0.8821, respectively. The respective standard deviations are ±2.01 and ±2.16 dyn/cm. Some correlation peculiarities have been observed in a series of ordinary and ionic liquids with homologous alkyl chains which are illustrated and discussed in detail, exhibiting the limit of the present method.

Inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution was used to determine the surface thermodynamic properties of silica particles and PMMA adsorbed on silica, and more particularly, to quantify the London dispersive energy γsd, the Lewis acid γs+ and base γs- polar surface energies of PMMA/silica composites as a function of the temperature and the recovery fraction θ of PMMA. The polar acid–base surface energy γsAB and the total surface energy of the different composites were then deduced as a function of the temperature. In this paper, the Hamieh thermal model was used to quantify the surface thermodynamic energy of poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) adsorbed on silica particles at different recovery fractions. A comparison of the new results was carried out with those obtained by applying other molecular models of the surface areas of organic molecules adsorbed on the different solid substrates. An important deviation of these molecular models from the thermal model was proved. The determination of γsd, γs+, γs-, and γsAB of PMMA in both bulk and adsorbed phases showed an important non-linearity variation of these surface parameters as a function of the temperature. The presence of maxima in the curves of γsd(T) highlighted the second order transition temperatures in PMMA showing beta-relaxation, glass transition and liquid-liquid temperatures. These three transition temperatures depended on the adsorption rate of PMMA on silica. The proposed method gave a new relation between the recovery fraction of PMMA and its London dispersive energy showing an important effect of the temperature on the surface energy parameters of adsorption of PMMA on silica. A universal equation relating γsd(T,θ) of the systems PMMA/silica to the recovery fraction and the temperature was proposed.

This comprehensive review explores recent advancements in heavy metal remediation techniques, focusing on the utilization of cellulose-silica composites and tailored surface modification techniques. We examine the synthesis strategies and properties of cellulose-silica adsorbents, highlighting their enhanced adsorption capacities and structural robustness for removing heavy metal pollutants from aqueous environments. The review investigates various surface modification approaches, including thiol-functionalization, amino acid grafting, and silane coupling agents, for optimizing the surface chemistry and morphology of cellulose-silica composites. Mechanistic insights into the adsorption processes and kinetics of modified adsorbents are discussed, along with considerations for optimizing adsorption performance under different environmental conditions. This review provides valuable perspectives on the development of effective adsorbent materials for sustainable heavy metal remediation applications.

We present a modified characteristic finite element method that exhibits second-order spatial accuracy for solving convection-reaction-diffusion equations on surfaces. The temporal direction adopted backward-Euler method, while the spatial direction employed surface finite element method. In contrast to regular domains, it is observed that the point in the characteristic direction traverses the surface only once within a brief time. Thus, the good approximation of the solution in the characteristic direction holds significant importance for the numerical scheme. In this regard, Taylor expansion is employed to reconstruct the solution beyond the surface in the characteristic direction. The stability of our scheme is then proved. A comparison is made with an existing characteristic finite element method based on face mesh. Numerical examples are provided to validate the effectiveness of our proposed method.

AISI 1050 steel circular pocket milling under minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) surroundings including nozzle elevation angle, lubricant flow rate, air pressure and cutting speed was studied. The machined surface quality (Ra) was evaluated for Up-milling side and Down-milling side. In this study, to obtain an manifest explanation on the pivotal effective parameters of MQL surroundings and cutting speed on the machined surface quality (Ra) through analyzing Taguchi L9 (34-2) approach and ANOVA calculation to identify those parameters, by utilizing the experimental outcomes to interpret three-dimensional (3D) surface plots and the diagrams of Signal-to-Noise ratios and major impact plots of Mean. The obtained outcomes of optimal operating parameters indicated that the pivotal effective parameters of MQL surroundings are nozzle elevation angle and lubricant flow rate on the machined surface quality. Simultaneously, a quadratic mathematical paradigm generated by using response surface design (RSD) and desirableness function evaluation were utilized to forecast the optimal values of the machined surface quality compared to Taguchi method. The results unveiled that the optimal values of the machined surface quality are adjacent to experimental attained values. The machined surface quality has been significantly improved using MQL surroundings.

In this study, an investigation on the influence of In-situ tribo-oxide-layer on non-lubricated tribological behaviours of LM27/SiCp composites was carried out at different applied loads. The variations in wear performance and microstructure of brake lining friction material (LM27) with the addition of different amounts and sizes of SiCp are explored. For this purpose, LM27/SiCp composite materials were manufactured by stir casting route varying the amount of particle reinforced from 3wt.% to 12wt.% with a different size range (fine: 1-20µm and coarse: 106-125µm). Non-lubricated dry wear tests of LM27/SiCp composites samples were trialled at different loads from 9.8N to 49N by using a pin-on-disc machine system. At a contact pressure of 0.2-1 MPa, LM27/SiCp composites with 12wt.% reinforcement showed a lower coefficient of friction than other composites. In-situ formation of oxide layers on the contact region of the specimen supports the self-lubrication during the wear test, which is responsible for better wear performance of LM27/SiCp composites. However, these study portraits that composite with 12wt. % fine size SiCp exhibits better wear performance in comparison to the other developed composites.

Nobel metal nanohole arrays have been used extensively in chemical and biological systems due to their fascinating optical properties. Gold nanohole arrays (Au NHAs) were prepared as surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) generators for the surface-enhanced sum-frequency generation (SFG) detection of 4-Mercaptobenzonitrile (4-MBN). The angle-resolved reflectance spectra revealed that the Au NHAs have three angle-dependent SPP modes and two non-dispersive localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) modes under different structural orientation angles (sample surface orientation). An enhancement factor of ~30 was achieved when the SPP and LSPR modes of the Au NHAs were tuned to match the incident visible (VIS) and output SFG, respectively. This multi-mode matching strategy provided flexible controls and selective spectral windows for surface-enhanced measurements, and was especially useful in nonlinear spectroscopy where more than one light beam involved. The structural orientation- and power-dependent performance demonstrated the potential of plasmonic NHAs in SFG and other nonlinear sensing applications, and provided a promising surface molecular analysis development platform.

Dispersed silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the surface of titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) and titanium alloy modified by titania nanotube layer (Ti6Al4V/TNT) substrates were produced by chemical vapor deposition method (CVD) using novel precursor of the formula [Ag₅(O₂CC₂F₅)₅(H₂O)₃]. The structure and volatile properties of this compound were determined using single crystal X-ray diffractometry, variable temperature IR spectrophotometry (VT IR), and electron inducted mass spectrometry (EI MS). The morphology and the structure of the produced Ti6Al4V/AgNPs, and Ti6Al4V/TNT/AgNPs composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Moreover, measurements of hardness, Young’s modulus, adhesion, and surface free energy have been carried out. The ability to release silver ions from the surface of produced nanocomposite materials immersed in PBS solution has been estimated using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS). The wettability and the surface free energy of samples were estimated on the base of contact angle studies with the use of water and diiodomethane. Among the studied surface-modified titanium alloy implants, the best nano-mechanical properties were noticed for the Ti6Al4V/TNT15/AgNPs composite. The location of silver nanoparticles inside of titania nanotubes caused their lowest release rate, which may indicate on suitable properties above mentioned type of the composite for the construction of implants with a long term of antimicrobial activity.

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

A new method, the sessile drop accelerometry (SDACC) for the study and measurement of the interfacial energies of solid-liquid-gas systems, is tested and discussed in this study. The laboratory instrument and technique –a combination of a drop shape analyzer with high-speed camera and a laboratory drop tower- and the evaluation algorithms, were designed to calculate the interfacial energies as a function of the geometrical changes of a sessile droplet shape due to the effect of “switching off” gravity during the experiment. The method bases on the thermodynamic equilibrium of the system interfaces and not on the balance of bi-dimensional tensions on the solid-liquid-gas contour line. A comparison of the mathematical model that supports the method with the widely accepted Young`s equation is discussed in this study.

Strata and surface movement induced by mining under open-pit final slope is a huge threat to mine safety. Physical model test is an important method to study mining-induced strata and surface movement laws. Because of rock joints predominantly control rock mass deformation and failure, thus physical model test leaving out of consideration of rock joints is difficult to reflect the influence of rock joints on rock mass deformation. Therefore, this paper presents a three-dimensional physical model test considering simplified dominant rock joints. This test process includes the design of testing equipment, the construction of physical model with dominant rock joint sets, conduction of mining and deformation monitoring. And mining under eastern final slope of Yanqianshan iron mine was selected as a case to study the behavior of mining-induced strata and surface movement.

This paper constitutes an original and new methodology for the determination of the surface properties of carbon fibers in the two oxidized and untreated forms by inverse gas chromatography technique at infinite dilution based on the effect of the temperature on the surface area of the various organic molecules adsorbed on the carbon fibers. The studied thermal effect proved a large deviation of the classical methods or models relative to the new determination of the surface properties of carbon fibers, such as the dispersive component of their surface energy, the free surface energy, the free specific energy, the enthalpy and entropy of adsorption of molecules on the carbon fibers. The obtained specific enthalpy and entropy of adsorption for the polar solvents led to the determination of the Lewis’s acid-base constants of carbon fibers. Different molecular models and chromatographic methods were used to quantify the surface thermodynamic properties of carbon fibers and compared to the thermal model. The obtained results proved that the oxidized carbon fibers gave more specific interaction energy and greater acid-base constants than that of the untreated carbon fibers and thus highlighting the important role of the oxidization on the acid-base of fibers. The determination of the specific acid-base surface energy of the two carbon fibers showed greater values of the oxidized carbon fibers relative to the untreated carbon fibers. An important basic character was highlighted for the two studied carbon fibers, larger than the acidic character. It was observed that the Lewis’s acid-base constants of the oxidized carbon fibers are larger than that of the untreated fibers with more accentuated basic charterer. This result was confirmed by all molecular models and chromatographic methods.

We report the use of four-layer graphene (4LG) as a highly reliable transparent conductive electrode (TCE) for polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)-based smart window devices. The adhesion between 4LG and the substrate was successfully improved through a water-induced interface-cleaning (WIIC) process. We compared the performance of a device with a WIIC-processed 4LG electrode with that of devices with a conventional Indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and a 4LG electrode without a WIIC. With the application of the WIIC process, the PDLC smart window with a 4LG electrode exhibited reduced turn-on voltage and haze compared to 4LG without the WIIC process and characteristics comparable to those of the ITO electrode. Based on our observations, we conclude that 4LG with WIIC is a promising TCE for flexible smart windows.

This article presents the graphical user interface of the ACUX-R mobile recommendation system, tailored for the cultural tourism domain. ACUX-R offers personalized recommendations based on visiting preferences, augmenting the overall user experience. Building upon a comprehensive methodology and recommendation algorithms from previous work, this contribution focuses on the user interface aspects of the ACUX-R by highlighting key design considerations, user interface elements and functionalities that contribute to an effective and engaging user experience. In an effort to evaluate the proposed interface, an initial case study with a dataset consisting of points of interest from the City of Athens, Greece has been performed. In the framework of the aforementioned study, the proposed user interface attained high ratings with respect to inspiring, exciting, interesting, and enthusiastic user experiences.

Recently, there is a growing need for sensors that can operate autonomously, without the need for an external power source. This is especially important in applications where conventional power sources, such as batteries, are impractical or difficult to replace. Self-powered sensors have emerged as a promising solution to this challenge, offering a range of benefits such as low cost, high stability, and environmental friendliness. One of the most promising self-powered sensor technologies is L-S TENG, which stands for the liquid-solid triboelectric nanogenerator. This technology works by harnessing the mechanical energy generated by external stimuli such as pressure, touch, or vibration, and converting it into electrical energy that can be used to power sensors and other electronic devices. Therefore, self-powered based on L-S TENG, which provides numerous benefits such as rapidly responding, portability, cost-effectiveness, and miniaturization, is critical for increasing living standards and optimizing industrial processes. In this review paper, the working principle with three basic modes has been briefly introduced firstly. After that, affecting parameters to L-S TENG are reviewed based on the properties of the liquid and solid phases. With different working principles, L-S TENG has designed a lot of structure that works as a self-powered sensor for pressure/force change, liquid flow motion, concentration, and chemical detection or biochemical sensing. Moreover, the continuous output signal of TENG plays an important role in a real-time sensor that is vital to the growth of the Internet of Things.

As the digital era advances, many industries continue to expand their use of digital technologies to support company operations, notably at the customer interface, bringing new commercial opportunities and increased efficiencies. However, there are new sets of responsibilities associated with the deployment of these technologies, encompassed within the emerging concept of corporate digital responsibility (CDR), which to date has received little attention in the academic literature. This exploratory paper thus looks to make a small contribution to addressing this gap in the literature. The paper adopts a qualitative, inductive research method, employing an initial scoping literature review followed by two case studies. Based on the research findings, a simple model of CDR parameters is put forward, and the article concludes with a discussion of a number of emergent issues - fair and equitable access, personal and social well-being, environmental implications, and cross-supply chain complexities - that suggest possible directions for future research.

Mutations, especially those at the protein-protein interaction (PPI) interface, have been associated with various diseases. Meanwhile, though de novo mutations (DNMs) have been proven important in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as developmental delay (DD), the relationship between PPI interface DMNs and DD has not been well studied. Here we curated developmental delay DNM datasets from the PsyMuKB database and showed that DD patients showed a higher rate and deleteriousness in DNM missense on the PPI interface than sibling control. Next, we identified 302 DD-related PsychiPPIs, defined as PPI harboring a statistically significant number of DNM missenses at their interface, and 42 DD candidate genes from PsychiPPI. We then observed that PsychiPPIs preferentially affected hub proteins in the human protein interactome network. When analyzing DD candidate genes using gene ontology and gene spatio-expression, we found that PsychiPPI genes carrying PPI interface mutations, such as FGFR3 and ALOX5, were enriched in development-related pathways and the development of the neocortex, and cerebellar cortex, suggesting their potential involvement in the etiology of DD. Our results demonstrated that DD patients carried an excess burden of PPI-truncating DNM, which could be used to efficiently search for disease-related genes and mutations in large-scale sequencing studies. In conclusion, our comprehensive study indicated the significant role of PPI interface DNMs in developmental delay pathogenicity.

This review summarises the main numerical models of fuel droplet heating and evaporation (DHE) in combustion engines across the different scales by accessing the nano/micro, meso and macroscopic fluid elements. The phenomena of multi-physics, multi-scale and multi-phase fluid flow and heat transfer are fully investigated when the fuel droplet (dodecane) is heating and evaporated into a background gas (nitrogen) crossing the liquid-vapour (LV) interface, kinetic region (i.e., Knudsen layer) and the bulk regions of liquid and gas in terms of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, kinetic theory modelling (i.e., direct numerical solutions of Boltzmann equations) and convectional fluid dynamics approach, respectively. The evaporation coefficient of fuel evaporating molecules and their velocity distributions at the LV interface derived from MD simulations formulate a new kinetic boundary condition (KBC). Moreover, a novel kinetic model considering the inelastic collision between fuel molecules alongside the new KBC enables us to describe the non-equilibrium gas dynamics of fuel vapour and gas mixture in Knudsen layer (KL). Heat and mass flux analysis of the fuel droplet under combustion engine conditions can be accurately assessed by implementing the inelastic collision between fuel molecules in KL and a temperature-dependent evaporation coefficient at the LV interface into DHE. The surface temperature of fuel droplet and its evaporation time, which play a significant role in resolving the ignition delay and hence the combustion phasing in engines, can also be well estimated. The multi-scale modelling of fuel DHE will make significantly potential input into the cleaner engine targeting the low-carbon emissions and enhance the capability of the existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers.

Functional connectivity (FC) is a potential candidate that can increase the performance of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in the elderly because of its compensatory role in neural circuits. However, it is difficult to decode FC by current machine learning techniques because of a lack of its physiological understanding. To investigate the suitability of FC in BCI for the elderly, we propose the decoding of lower- and higher-order FCs using a convolutional neural network (CNN) in six cognitive-motor tasks. The layer-wise relevance propagation (LRP) method describes how age-related changes in FCs impact BCI applications for the elderly compared to younger adults. Seventeen younger (24.5±2.7 years) and twelve older (72.5±3.2 years) adults were recruited to perform tasks related to hand-force control with or without mental calculation. CNN yielded a six-class classification accuracy of 75.3% in the elderly, exceeding the 70.7% accuracy for the younger adults. In the elderly, the proposed method increases the classification accuracy by 88.3% compared to the filter-bank common spatial pattern (FBCSP). LRP results revealed that both lower- and higher-order FCs were dominantly overactivated in the prefrontal lobe depending on task type. These findings suggest a promising application of multi-order FC with deep learning on BCI systems for the elderly.

The paper describes the Field Boundary Element Method applied to the fracture analysis of a 2D rectangular plate made of Functionally Graded Material to calculate Mode I Stress Intensity Factor. The object of the Field Boundary Element Method is the transversely isotropic plane plate. Its material presents an exponential variation of the elasticity tensor depending on a scalar function of position, i.e., the elastic tensor results from multiplying a scalar function by a constant taken as a reference. Several examples using a parametric representation of the structural response show the suitability of the method that constitutes a sight of Stress Intensity Factor evaluation of Functionally Graded Materials plane plates even in the case of more complex geometries.

In this article, we report the generation of alternating current by application of constant and ramping DC voltages across oil-water interfaces. The work reported here can be broadly divided into two parts depending on the shapes of oil-water interfaces i.e. flattened and curved. In the first part, an alternating current of ~100 nA (amplitude)was generated by applying a constant DC voltage of -3V& above across a free standing and flattened oil-water interface.In another part, an alternating current of ~150 nA (amplitude) was generated by applying a ramping up DC voltage starting from -5V to 5V, then again ramping back down to -5V for the free standing and curved interface. The suggested qualitative mechanism that engenders such a phenomenon includes the oil-water interface acting like a membrane. This membrane oscillates due to the electrophoretic movement of ions present in aqueous phase by application of a DC voltage across the interface.This electrophoretic movement of ions across oil-water interfaces causes the Faraday instabilities leading to oscillations of the said interface.This method could also be used to study the stress levels in the interfacial films between two immiscible liquids. It explores more-than-Moore’s paradigm by finding a substitute to a conventional alternator/inverter that generates alternating current upon applying DC voltage input. This work would be of substantial interest to researchers exploring alternatives to conventional AC generators that can be used in liquid environments and in the design of novel integrated circuits that could be used for unconventional computing applications.

There always exist steel cuttings, holes and cracks at the interfaces in the explosive composite plate. Multi-pass friction stir processing (M-FSP) is proposed in this research to optimize the interface microstructure and the interface connection for 1060Al/Q235 explosive composite plate. Results show that the microstructures of 1060Al after M-FSP are fine and uniform owing to the strong stirring effect and recrystallization. Micro-defects formed by the explosive welding can be repaired by the M-FSP. However, M-FSP can also form tunnel defects in the aluminum, especially when the passes are one and two. The melting block and the melting lump in the composite plates are easy to become source of crack. The shear strengths and the bending properties for the 1060Al/Q235 explosive composite plate after M-FSP are the best when the passes are three, with the tool rotation speed of 1200rpm and the forward speed of 60mm/min. The optimized interfaces for the explosive composite plate after M-FSP are mainly by the metallurgical bondings, with a certain thickness and are discontinuous. Therefore, the crack extension stress is the largest and the mechanical properties are the best.

Two extreme wind-driven wildfire events impacted northern and southern California in late 2017 leading to 46 fatalities and thousands of structures lost. This study describes the meteorological and climatological factors that drove and enabled these wildfire events and quantifies the rarity of such conditions over the observational record. Both extreme wildfire events featured fire-weather metrics that were unprecedented in the observational record in addition to a sequence of climatic conditions that preconditioned fuels. The North Bay fires that affected portions of northern California in early October occurred coincident with strong downslope winds. The vast majority of the fires’ devastating effects and acres burned occurred overnight and within the first twelve hours of ignition. By contrast, the southern California fires of December were characterized by the longest Santa Ana wind event on record and included the largest wildfire in California’s history. Both fire events occurred following an exceptionally wet winter that was preceded by the drought of record in California. Fuels were further preconditioned as the warmest summer and autumn on record occurred in northern and southern California, respectively. Accelerated curing of fuels coupled with the delayed onset of autumn precipitation allowed for critically low dead fuel moisture leading up to the foehn wind events. Fire weather conditions were well forecasted several days prior to the fire. However, the rarity of fire-weather conditions that occurred in the wildland urban interface, along with other societal factors were key contributors to wildfire impacts to communities.

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

An effective method to inspect inaccessible nuclear power facility by interface wave which propagate along the shrink fit boundary of reactor head is proposed in this study. Reactor head is relatively thick to inspect from the outside of reactor by conventional ultrasonic testing. The proposed interface wave can propagate a long distance from the fixed transducer position. The inside of nuclear reactor is limited to access due to the high radiation, so transducers are located at outside of nuclear facility and interface wave propagates into the nuclear reactor for defect detection. The numerical simulation and experiments were carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed interface wave inspection method. Various defect cases simulating field failures are also presented with satisfactory detectability by the proposed technique with the features for defect classification.

The paper presents a study of two novel visual motion onset stimulus-based brain–computer interfaces (vmoBCI). Two settings are compared with afferent and efferent to a computer screen center motion patterns. Online vmoBCI experiments are conducted in an oddball event–related potential (ERP) paradigm allowing for “aha–responses” decoding in EEG brainwaves. A subsequent stepwise linear discriminant analysis classification (swLDA) classification accuracy comparison is discussed based on two inter–stimulus–interval (ISI) settings of 700 and 150 ms in two online vmoBCI applications with six and eight command settings. A research hypothesis of classification accuracy non–significant differences with various ISIs is confirmed based on the two settings of 700 ms and 150 ms, as well as with various numbers of ERP response averaging scenarios.The efferent in respect to display center visual motion patterns allowed for a faster interfacing and thus they are recommended as more suitable for the no–eye–movements requiring visual BCIs.

Robot workpiece machining is interesting in industry since it offers some advantages, such as higher flexibility in comparison with the conventional approach based on the CNC technology. However, in recent years we have been facing a strong progressive shift to custom based manufacturing and low volume/high mix production, which require a novel approach to automation by the employment of collaborative robotics. However, collaborative robots feature only limited motion capability, to provide safety in cooperation with human workers. Thus, it is highly necessary to perform more detailed robot task planning to ensure its feasibility and optimal performance. In this paper, we deal with the problem of studying kinematic robot performance in the case of such manufacturing tasks, where the robot tool is constrained to follow the machining path embedded on the workpiece surface at a prescribed orientation. The presented approach is based on the well-known concept of manipulability, although the latter suffers from physical inconsistency due to mixing different units of linear and angular velocity in a general 6 DOF task case. Therefore, we introduce the characteristics of the workpiece surface constraint in the robot kinematic analysis, that enables evaluation of its available velocity capability in a reduced dimension space. Such constrained robot kinematics transform the robot`s task space to a two-dimensional surface tangent plane, and the manipulability analysis may be limited to the space of linear velocity only. Thus, the problem of physical inconsistency is avoided effectively. We show the theoretical derivation of the proposed method, which was verified by numerical experiments.

The performance and lifespan of cutting tools are significantly influenced by their surface quality. The present report highlights recent advances in enhancing the surface characteristics of tungsten carbide and high-speed steel cutting tools using a novel micro-machining technique for polishing and edge-honing. Notably, the main aim is to reduce the surface roughness while maintaining the hardness of the materials at an optimal level. By conducting a thorough analysis, of surfaces obtained with different techniques. It was that micro-machining method effectively decreased the surface roughness of the cutting tools, most effectively of the techniques investigated. Significantly, the surface roughness is reduced from an initial measurement of 400 nm to an impressive value of 60 nm. No significant change in hardness was observed, which guarantees the maintenance of the mechanical properties of the cutting tools. This analysis enhances the comprehension of surface enhancement methodologies for cutting tools through the presentation of these findings. The observed decrease in surface roughness, along with the consistent hardness, exhibits potential for improving tool performance. These enhancements possess the capacity to optimise manufacturing processes, increase tool reliability, and minimise waste generation.

Eastern boundary upwelling systems feature strong zonal gradients of physical and biological ocean properties between cool, productive coastal oceans and warm, oligotrophic subtropical gyres. Zonal currents and jets (striations) are therefore likely to contribute to the transport of water properties between coastal and open oceanic regions. Multi-sensor satellite data are used to characterize the signatures of striations in sea surface temperature (SST), salinity (SSS), and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in subtropical eastern North/South Pacific (ENP/ESP) upwelling systems. In the ENP, tracers exhibit striated patterns extending up to ~2500 km offshore. Striations in SST and SSS are highly correlated with quasi-zonal jets, suggesting that these jets contribute to SST/SSS mesoscale patterns via zonal advection. Chl-a striations are collocated with sea surface height (SSH) bands, a possible result of mesoscale eddy trains trapping nutrients and forming striated signals. In the ESP, striations are only found in SST and coincide with SSH bands, consistently with quasi-zonal jets located outside major zonal tracer gradients. An interplay between large-scale SST/SSS advection by the quasi-zonal jets, mesoscale SST/SSS advection by the large-scale meridional flow and eddy advection may explain the persistent ENP hydrographic striations. These results underline the importance of quasi-zonal jets for surface tracer structuring at the mesoscale.

Management practices must be developed to improve yam production sustainability. Image-based phenotyping techniques could help developing such practices based on non-destructive analyses of important plant traits. Our objective was to determine the potential of image-based phenotyping methods to assess traits relevant for tuber yield formation in yam grown in glasshouse and field. We took plant and leaf pictures with consumer cameras. We used the numbers of image pixels to derive the shoot biomass and the total leaf surface and calculated the ‘triangular greenness index’ (TGI) which is an indicator of the plant nitrogen (N) nutritional status. Under glasshouse conditions, the number of pixels obtained from nadir view (image taken top down) was positively correlated to the shoot biomass, and the total leaf surface, while the TGI was negatively correlated to the N content of diagnostic leaves. Under field conditions, pictures taken from the nadir view showed an increase in soil surface cover and a decrease in TGI with time. TGI was negatively correlated to SPAD measured on specific leaves but was not correlated to the N content of these leaves. In conclusion, these phenotyping techniques deliver relevant results but need to be further developed and validated for application in yam.

Deformation of the surface of diamagnetic liquid by magnetic field is called the “Moses Effect”. Physics and applications of the direct and inverse Moses effects are reviewed. Experimental techniques enabling visualization of the effects are surveyed. Impact of magnetic field on micro- and macroscopic properties of liquids is addressed. Influence of the surface tension on the shape of the near-surface dip formed in a diamagnetic liquid by magnetic field is reported. Floating of diamagnetic bodies driven by the Moses effect is treated. The effect of the “magnetic memory of water” in its relation to the Moses Effect is discussed. The dynamics of self-healing of near-surface dips due to the Moses Effect is considered.

For marine vessels, a propeller shaft system, also known as a propulsion shaft system, is an essential changer in engine torque and propeller thrust. The propeller shaft system is subjected to transverse, longitudinal, and torsional excitations during operation. These sources of excitations originate from alternating thrust generated by the propeller, operation of a propeller in a stern flow field which is non-uniform in time and space, misalignment of components such as shafts, bearings, and keyholes in the assembly, excitations in the form of rotational motion, and the whirling motion of the shafts. These dynamic excitations posed a challenging issue for the integrity and reliability of a marine vehicle. Thus, it is crucial to analyze the dynamic response of the propulsion shaft system. The dynamic analysis of the propulsion shaft system is typically conducted using numerical /analytical models. At present, Finite Element Model (FEM) as a numerical model plays a vital role in analyzing the dynamic response of the structure. The computed response and the modal parameters from the FE model are reliable only if accurate boundary conditions, such as stiffness, can be imposed on the model. However, the numerical FE model deviates from the experimental results because of uncertainties in the stiffness values of the bearings and other connectors. This paper uses the Response Surface Optimization (RSO) technique to estimate the unknown stiffness of the bearings used in the propulsion shaft system. The experimental model of the propeller shaft system is constructed from the steady-state response of the system using the step sine excitation. The natural frequencies and the amplitude of vibrations in the FE model are updated using the parametric RSO technique. The updated model shows that the difference in natural frequencies and vibration amplitude is less than 10% between the optimized and experimental models. Propeller Shaft, Vibrations, Optimization, Response Surface

In this study, Fe-Mo-B based hardfacing electrodes containing different amounts of Mo were coated on an AISI 1020 steel substrate using the electric arc welding method. The findings show that molybdenum is highly effective on the microstructure and minor changes in the coating composition affect the phases and morphological properties. In the hardness tests, an increase of 73% was achieved in the Fe14Mo2B4 based hardfacing coating compared to the base material and a 30% increase compared to the Fe16B4 based coating. The highest macro hardness value was measured as 56.4 HRC and the highest phase hardness was measured as 3228 HV in the FeMo2B2 phase. The lowest wear rate was measured in the Fe14Mo2B2 based coating. The wear rate of the Fe14Mo2B4 based coating was 8.1 times lower than that of the substrate material and 4.7 times lower than that of the Fe16B4 based coating. According to corrosion test results, the highest corrosion resistance was obtained in Fe16B4 based coating. The current density value of the Fe16B4 based coating was measured to be 13.6 times lower than that of the substrate material.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) thermal imagery offers several advantages in environmental monitoring, as it can provide a low-cost, high-resolution, and flexible solution to measure the temperature of the surface of the land. Limitations related to the maximum load of the drone lead to use of lightweight uncooled thermal cameras whose internal components are not stabilized to a constant temperature. Such cameras suffer from several unwanted effects that contribute to the increase in temperature measurement error from ±0.5 °C in laboratory conditions, to ±5 °C in unstable flight conditions. This article describes a post processing procedure, that reduces the above unwanted effects. It consists of following steps: i) devignetting using single image vignette correction algorithm, ii) georeferencing of images using EXIF data, scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) stitching, and gradient descent optimisation, and iii) temperature calibration by minimisation of bias between overlapping thermal images using gradient descent optimisation. The solution was tested in several case studies of river areas, where natural water bodies were used as a reference temperature benchmark. In all tests, the precision of the measurements was increased. The root of the mean of the Square of Errors RMSE on average was reduced by 39.0% and Mean of the absolute value of Errors MAE by 40.5%. The proposed algorithm can be called self-calibrating, as in contrast to other known solutions is fully automatic, uses only field data and does not require any calibration equipment or additional operator effort. A Python implementation of the solution is available on GitHub.

Coalescence of nanowires and other three-dimensional structures into continuous film is desirable for growing low dislocation density III-nitride and III-V materials on lattice-mismatched substrates, and interesting from the fundamental viewpoint. Here, we develop a growth model for vertical nanowires which, under rather general assumptions on the solid-like coalescence process within the Kolmogorov crystallization theory, results in a morphological diagram for the asymptotic coverage of a substrate surface. The coverage is presented as a function of two variables, the material collection efficiency on the top nanowire facet a, and the normalized surface diffusion flux of adatoms from the NW sidewalls b. The full coalescence of nanowires is possible only when a=1 regardless of b. At a&gt;1, which is usual for vapor-liquid-solid growth with a catalyst droplet, nanowires can only partly merge but never coalesce into continuous film. These results can be used for predicting and controlling the degree of surface coverage by nanowires and three-dimensional islands by tuning the surface density, droplet size, adatoms diffusivity, and geometry of the initial structures in the vapor-liquid-solid, selective area or self-induced growth processes in different epitaxy techniques.

At the nanoscale, metals exhibit special electrochemical and optical properties, which play an important role in nanobiosensing. In particular, the surface plasmon resonance based on precious metal nanoparticles, as a kind of tag free biosensor technology, has brought high sensitivity, high reliability and convenient operation to the sensor detection. By applying an electrochemical excitation signal on the nano plasma device, modulating its surface electron density and realizing electrochemical coupling surface plasmon resonance, it can effectively complete the joint transmission of electrical signals and optical signals, increase the resonance shift of the spectrum, and further improve the sensitivity of the designed biosensor. In addition, smartphone is playing an increasingly important role in portable mobile sensor detection systems. These systems typically connect sensing devices to smartphone to perceive different types of information, from optical signals to electrochemical signals, providing ideas for the portability and low-cost design of these sensing systems. Among them, electrochemiluminescence, as a special electrochemical coupled optical technology, has good application prospects in mobile sensing detection due to its strong anti-interference ability, which is not affected by background light. In this review, the surface plasmon resonance is introduced from nanoparticles, and its response process is analyzed theoretically. Then, the mechanism and sensing application of electrochemistry coupled surface plasmon resonance and electrochemiluminescence are emphatically introduced. Finally, it extends to the related research of electrochemical coupled optical sensing on mobile detection platforms.

The surface fluorination of polypropylene (PP) was performed using F2 and O2 gas mixtures with different F2 gas proportions at 25 °C and 13.3 kPa for 1 h. The surface roughness of the fluorinated PP samples was approximately 1.5 times higher than that of the untreated sample (5 nm). The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed that the PP-derived bonds (-C-C- and -CHx) decreased because they were converted into polar groups (-C–O, -CHF-, and -CFx), which increased the surface electronegativity of PP. The variation in the F2 gas proportion in the gas mixture significantly affected the hydrophilicity and surface composition of PP. At F2 gas proportions of <70%, the hydrophilicity of the fluorinated PP samples improved. Notably, the hydrophilic and negatively charged PP surface enhanced the dyeing of the polymer with basic methylene blue (MB). In contrast, at F2 gas proportions of >90%, the PP surface became hydrophobic owing to increased hydrophobic -CF3 bonds. Thus, enhanced PP dyeing can be controlled based on the composition of the F2 and O2 gas mixture.

A highly efficient reduction process of Cr (VI) with biochar was conducted in this paper. The results showed that nearly 100% Cr (VI) was reduced at selected reaction conditions: the dosage of biochar at m (C)/m(Cr) = 3.0, reaction temperature of 90 ℃, reaction time at 60 min and concentration of H2SO4 of 20 g/L, respectively. The reduction kinetics analysis demonstrated that the reduction of Cr (VI) fitted well with the pseudo-first-order model and the apparent activation energy was calculated to 40.24 kJ/mol. Response surface methodology confirmed that all the experimental parameters had positive effect on the reduction of Cr (VI). The influence of each parameter on the reduction process followed the order: dosage of biochar> Concentration of H2SO4 > Reaction Temperature > Reaction Time. This paper provided a versatile strategy for treatment of wastewater containing Cr (VI) and showed a bright tomorrow for wastewater treatment.

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is an attracting property of certain transition metals when they are synthesized in nano-range giving rise to promising optical applications. However, most SPR and associated applications are limited to the noble metal nanoparticles, which limits their potential due to high production cost. We report surface plasmon resonance in copper-copper oxide core-shell quantum dots synthesized via chemical route studied by using UV-Visible spectrophotometry. Tuning of the plasmonic resonance with respect to the particle diameter is achieved by an inexpensive all chemical route. Photoluminescence measurements also support the data. This size reduction leads to remarkable changes in its optical response as compared to the bulk metal. The results point towards applications of these materials in tunable SPR based biosensors.

Sea ice surface roughness affects ice-atmosphere interactions, serves as an indicator of ice age, shows patterns of ice convergence and divergence, affects the spatial extent of summer melt ponds, and ice albedo. We have developed a method for mapping sea ice surface roughness using angular reflectance data from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and lidar-derived roughness measurements from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). Using an empirical data modeling approach, we derived estimates of Arctic sea ice roughness ranging from centimeters to decimeters meters within the MISR 275-m pixel size. Using independent ATM data for validation, we find that histograms of lidar and multi-angular roughness values are nearly identical for areas with roughness <20 cm but that for rougher regions, the MISR-derived roughness has a narrower range of values than the ATM data. The algorithm is able to accurately identify areas that transition between smooth and rough ice. Because of its coarser spatial scale, MISR-derived roughness data have a variance of about half that ATM roughness data.

Wetting of deformable substrates has gained significant interest over the past decade due to its extensive applications and uses. This interest has developed due to technological advances which are able to capture interfacial behavior taking place when a liquid droplet is placed on a deformable substrate. Researchers have developed different theories to explain processes taking place in the process of wetting of deformable/soft substrates. For the scope of this review, we will consider the fluid to be Newtonian, partially wetting, and surface forces are incorporated with the help of disjoining/conjoining pressure acting in the vicinity of the apparent, three-phase contact line. The following subjects are briefly reviewed: (i) Equilibrium of droplets on soft substrates. It is shown that properties of the disjoining/conjoining pressure isotherm and properties of the deformable substrate determine both the shape of the liquid droplet and deformation of the substrate; (ii) Equilibrium conditions of droplets on deformable substrates. It is shown that for a droplet to be at equilibrium on a deformable substrate under consideration, Jacobi’s sufficient condition is satisfied; (iii) Hysteresis of contact angle of sessile droplets on deformable substrates. It is shown that as the elasticity of the deformable substrate is increased, both advancing and receding contact angles are reduced.

The influence of the film thickness and the substrate’s refractive index on the surface mode at the superstrate is an important study step that may help clearing some of the misunderstandings surrounding their propagation mechanism. A single sub-wavelength slit perforating a thin metallic film is among the simplest nanostructure capable of launching Surface Plasmon Polaritons on its surrounding surface when excited by an incident field. Here, the impact of the substrate and the film thickness on surface waves is investigated. When the thickness of the film is comparable to its skin depth, SPP waves from the substrate penetrate the film and emerge from the superstrate, creating a superposition of two SPP waves, that leads to a beat interference envelope with well-defined loci which are the function of both the drive frequency and the dielectric constant of the substrate/superstrate. As the film thickness is reduced to the SPP’s penetration depth, surface waves from optically denser dielectric/metal interface would dominate, leading to volume plasmons that propagate inside the film at optical frequencies. Interference of periodic volume charge density with the incident field over the film creates charge bundles that are periodic in space and time.

The aim of the present study was to monitor implant stability after sinus floor elevation with two biomaterials during the first 6 months of healing by a resonance frequency analysis (RFA), and how physico-chemical properties affect the implant stability quotient (ISQ) at the placement and healing sites. Bilateral maxillary sinus augmentation was performed in 10 patients in a split-mouth design using a bobine HA (BBM) as a control and porcine HA (PBM). Six months after sinus lifting, 60 implants were placed in the posterior maxilla. The ISQ was recorded on the day of surgery from RFA at T1 (baseline), T2 (3 months), and T3 (6 months). Statistically significant differences were found in the ISQ values during the evaluation period. The ISQ (baseline) was 63.8±2.97 for BBM and 62.6±2.11 for PBM. The ISQ (T2) was ~ 73.5±4.21 and 67±4.99, respectively. The ISQ (T3) was ~ 74.65±2.93 and 72.9±2.63, respectively. All the used HAs provide osseointegration and statistical increases in the ISQ at baseline, T2 and T3 (follow-up), respectively. The BBM, sintered at high temperature with high crystallinity and low porosity, presented higher stability, which demonstrates that variations in the physico-chemical properties of a bone substitute material clearly influence implant stability.

Zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanostructures including nanorods are currently considered as a pioneer research of interest world-wide due to their excellent application potentials in various applied fields especially for the improvement of energy harvesting photovoltaic solar cells (PSC). We report on the growth and morphological properties of zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanorods grown on the surface of plain zinc (non-etched and chemically etched) plates by using a simple, economical, and environment-friendly technique. We apply hot water treatment (HWT) technique to grow the ZnO nanorods and varies the process parameters, such as temperature and the process time duration. The morphological, and elemental analysis confirm the agglomeration of multiple ZnO nanorods with its proper stoichiometry. The obtained nanostructures for different temperatures with different time duration showed the variation in uniformity, density, thickness and nanonorods size. The ZnO nanorods produced on the etched zinc surface were found thicker and uniform as compared to those grown on the non-etched zinc surface. This chemically etched Zinc plates preparation can be an easy solution to grow ZnO nanorods with high density and uniformity suitable for PSC applications such as to enhance the energy conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) solar cells towards the future sustainable green earth.

Giant plasmonic surface enhancement has been observed in gold coated micron sized inverse pyramids entrapping a gold nanoparticle. The amplification of both surface enhanced Raman and photoluminescence signals was found to be dependent on the diameter of trapped gold nanoparticle and around 50-fold enhancement was detected for 250nm diameter sample relatively to the 50nm one. Finite differential time domain simulations, performed to determine the near-field distribution in the structure, showed that when the nanoparticle protrudes into the hotspot zone of the void, coupling of electromagnetic field occurs and the plasmon-related near-field enhancement is concentrated into the close vicinity of the nanoparticle, mainly into the close gaps around the tangential points of the curved sphere and the flat pyramid surface. This results in a more than 15 times increase of the near-field intensity, compared to the empty void.

Managing sidelobe levels (SLLs) in metasurface-driven beam-steering antennas poses a significant challenge due to intrinsic factors leading to grating lobes. Our proposed method employs an equivalent model to optimize large periodic metasurfaces efficiently. This model predicts complete metasurface performance, accounting for mutual coupling between patches. We introduce an evolutionary optimization algorithm based on the Cross Entropy (CE) method to enhance PGM-based beam-steering antennas and suppress sidelobes. Two strategies were employed: first is to optimize the patch dimensions for a sidelobe-free pattern and the second is to maintain the PGM dimensions while optimizing feed array amplitudes. Both strategies effectively suppressed sidelobes, offering insights into the CE method's applicability and effectiveness for CPU-intensive electromagnetic optimization challenges. The proposed CE method variant retains its simplicity while improving monitoring capabilities, addressing this limitation. Smaller generations yield better improvements per evaluation

The objective of this paper is to investigate the debonding behavior of the interface between continuously and discontinuously fiber reinforced thermoplastics using the climbing drum peel test. The study emphasizes the importance of considering different climatic boundary conditions due to the properties of thermoplastics. Specimens with varying moisture contents are prepared and tested. It is observed that an increase in moisture content initially results in a higher fracture surface energy being required to separate the two materials, but a further increase results in a decrease of the required energy. The study presents an explanatory model of increasing plasticization of the polymer due to increased polymer chain mobility, which results in more deformation energy being required to propagate the crack. The experiment is also modeled numerically for the first time with cohesive surfaces, which successfully reproduces the force-displacement curve in the experiment.

Particle-mediated elasticity/viscoelasticity imaging has potential to expand the elasticity imaging field, as it can provide accurate and local tissue elastic properties as well as density, Poisson’s ratio, and viscosity. Here, we investigated elasticity imaging based on the use of small particles located within the tissue and at the tissue interface exposed to a static and dynamic external load. First, we discuss elasticity/viscoelasticity imaging methods based on the use of particles (bubbles and rigid spheres) located within the tissue. Elasticity/viscoelasticity imaging techniques based on the use of particles (bubbles, rigid and soft spheres) located at the tissue interface are then presented. Based on new advances, we updated some of the models for the responses of the particles located within the tissue and at the tissue interface available in the literature. Finally, we compared the mathematical models for the particles located within the tissue and at the tissue interface and evaluated the elasticity/viscoelasticity imaging methods based on the use of small particles. Therefore, instead of the use of the term elasticity imaging, we suggest the use of the term viscoelasticity imaging.

In this paper, we propose an imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition using deep learning. Multiple features were extracted concurrently from eight-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) signals. To obtain classifiable EEG data with fewer number of sensors, we placed the EEG sensors on carefully selected spots on the scalp. To decrease the dimensions and complexity of the EEG dataset and to avoid overfitting during the deep learning algorithm, we utilized the wavelet scattering transformation. A low-cost 8-channel EEG headset was used with MATLAB 2023a to acquire the EEG data. The Long-Short Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) was used to decode the identified EEG signals into four audio commands: Up, Down, Left, and Right. Wavelet scattering transformation was applied to extract the most stable features by passing the EEG dataset through a series of filtration processes. Filtration has been implemented for each individual command in the EEG datasets. The proposed imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition approach achieved a 92.50% overall classification accuracy. This accuracy is promising for designing a trustworthy imagined speech-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) future real-time systems. For better evaluation of the classification performance, other metrics were considered, and we obtained 92.74%, 92.50% and 92.62% for precision, recall, and F1-score, respectively.

Converting natural language into machine language that can be recognized by distributed systems is the core challenge of intelligent interactive interfaces and human-machine dialogue systems. The human-machine interface interaction of large distributed SCADA measurement and control system is tedious and the operation and maintenance cost is high, so it is significant to design an intelligent natural language interaction interface for distributed measurement and control system. In this paper, we design the intermediate language format of SCADA system, i.e., Key-value logic form, and then formulate the Text2SCADA framework and propose the TICS algorithm and SDPA algorithm, the former adopts the keyword extraction and cosine similarity optimization algorithm to complete the structured extraction of natural language for basic natural language instructions, and the latter adopts the keyword extraction and cosine similarity optimization algorithm to complete the structured extraction of natural language for relatively The latter one adopts the algorithm of dependent syntactic analysis for the structured representation of natural language instructions with relatively complex natural language instructions. Based on the above algorithms, a lightweight information extraction model based on DGCNN and probabilistic graph ideas is constructed, aiming to enhance the scientific generalization ability of the framework on unknown instruction sets. The experimental results show that the proposed intelligent natural language interface can better solve the human-machine interface interaction problem of distributed SCADA measurement and control system. The average accuracy, recall and F-value of instruction parsing reach 89.27\%, 89.28\% and 89.27\%, respectively. The average response time is 1.593 s. Especially, it provides a more convenient means of interaction for industrial and agricultural information control.