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When a droplet off-center impacts a macro-ridge, it may split into two asymmetric fragments, i.e., the smaller part (SP) and larger part (LP), which then exhibit asymmetric spreading and receding phenomena. Using lattice Boltzmann method simulations, the dynamics of a droplet off-center impacting a hydrophobic surface are explored for the first time. Influences of the off-center distance, the impact Weber number, and the surface wettability on the impact outcomes and the contact time are elucidated, and the impact regime is established. Six impact outcomes are discovered as off-center distance changes, which are dependent on the interaction force between the droplet and the surface. The effect of the off-center distance and the Weber numbers on the spreading and the receding dynamics of the SP is more obvious than that of the LP, due to the fact that adhesion of the ridge on the LP can be negligible compared to the inertial force and the surface tension. The contact time is closely related to the impact outcomes, that is, when the impact outcome is type 1 (SP and LP separate rebound), the contact time can be significantly reduced compared with that on the flat hydrophobic surface, due to the fact that the ridge can reduce the asymmetry of a liquid film and the receding distance in this case; while when the impact outcome is type 6 (SP and LP completely coalescence and rebound), the contact time cannot be reduced. This work extends the fundamental knowledge of off-center impact and provides inspiration for the efficient reduction in the contact time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we experimentally explored the impact outcomes of droplets under a wide range of Weber numbers (0.2 ≤ We ≤ 200) and contact angles (91° ≤ θ ≤ 162°). Five impact outcomes were identified: deposition, rebound, partial rebound, receding breakup, and prompt splash. Compared to the literature, we gathered more comprehensive data on the impact outcomes at various contact angles, which were then organized into a complete phase diagram. Furthermore, we corroborated the accuracy of these outcomes through comparisons with other studies. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the associated phenomena and underlying mechanisms of these outcomes. By introducing the concept of surface hysteresis energy, we also proposed identification criteria for partial rebound. This innovative approach provides an important reference for further understanding of droplet impact behavior and provides guidance for future research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Awake extubation and deep extubation are commonly used anesthesia techniques. In this study, the safety of propofol-assisted deep extubation in the dental treatment of children was assessed. Materials and methods: Children with severe caries who received dental treatment under general anesthesia and deep extubation between January 2017 and June 2023 were included in this study. Data were collected on the following variables: details and time of anesthesia, perioperative vital signs, and incidence of postoperative complications. The incidence of laryngeal spasm (LS) was considered to be the primary observation indicator. Results: The perioperative data obtained from 195 children undergoing dental treatment was reviewed. The median age was 4.2 years (range: 2.3 to 9.6 years), and the average duration of anesthesia was 2.56 h (range 1 to 4.5 h). During intubation with a videoscope, purulent mucus was found in the pharyngeal cavity of seven children (3.6%); LS occurred in five of them (2.6%), and one child developed a fever (T = 37.8 °C) after discharge. Five children (2.6%) experienced emergence agitation (EA) in the recovery room. Also, 13 children (6.7%) experienced epistaxis; 10 had a mild experience and three had a moderate experience. No cases of airway obstruction (AO) and hypoxemia were recorded. The time to open eyes (TOE) was 16.3 ± 7.2 min. The incidence rate of complications was 23/195 (11.8%). Emergency tracheal reintubation was not required. Patients with mild upper respiratory tract infections showed a significantly higher incidence of complications (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Propofol-assisted deep extubation is a suitable technique that can be used for pediatric patients who exhibited non-cooperation in the outpatient setting. Epistaxis represents the most frequently encountered complication. Preoperative upper respiratory tract infection significantly increases the risk of complications. The occurrence of EA was notably lower than reported in other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cell performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)-driven unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is affected by environmental changes during high-altitude flights. Therefore, the distribution of water and heat in a PEMFC was investigated. The result showed that the uniformity of temperature distribution on the membrane could be improved by increasing the air stoichiometry ratio, but the temperature difference on the membrane was still large and the minimum temperature difference was 14.6°C. When the temperature distribution is uniform, the temperature on the membrane is too low. Consequently, increasing the inlet temperature to 60°C, 70°C and 80°C resulted in inlet and outlet temperature differences of 3.5°C, 0.5°C and 2.7°C for the membrane respectively. By analyzing the distribution of the water content and temperature on the membranes, 70°C and 20 were considered to be the optimal inlet temperature and air stoichiometry, respectively. Under this condition, as the altitude increases, the temperature and water content on the membrane gradually decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the principle that the oxidation chemical reaction between metal calcium film and water vapor makes calcium film transparent, this experiment measures the corrosion area of calcium film to characterize the quality of water vapor passing through high barrier plastic film, so as to measure the water vapor transmission rate of high barrier plastic film. The effects of corrosion time, thickness of calcium film and barrier property of samples on the determination of water vapor permeability were analyzed with vacuum evaporation calcium film as pretreatment method and regular monitoring of calcium corrosion area as detection method. The results show that at 40 °C and 90% RH, the high barrier and ultra-high barrier plastic films with a thickness of 200 nm and a nominal water vapor permeability of 10-6~10-3 g/(m2·24 h) at the initial stage of calcium corrosion show a good linear relationship between the calcium corrosion area and the water vapor permeability. The water vapor permeability is 1.2x10-3 g/(m2·24 h) and 9.3x10-7 g/(m2·24 h), respectively, with RSD of 11.6% and 16.5%. The results of water vapor transmission of high barrier and ultra-high barrier plastic films by calcium etching method are good, and this method has a high application prospect in the measurement of water vapor transmission of high barrier and ultra-high barrier packaging materials in electronic components, solar cells and organic light emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete core wall dams have emerged as a cost-effective alternative to the reconstruction of old dams. However, the flooding mechanism and flood line of these dams differ significantly from traditional earth and rockfill dams due to the concrete core wall functioning as reinforcement. This study presents model tests that simulate the overtopping failure of earth and rockfill dams with concrete core walls of various thicknesses. The hydrologic curve and two-dimensional evolution of the breach are analyzed, and mechanical analysis examines the relationship between core wall thickness and free face during core wall failure. Results indicate that the presence of the concrete core wall shifts the overtopping failure mode to the scour pit failure mode. The scour pit failure mode occurs when upstream water scours the downstream core wall to form scour holes and free faces. Continuous scouring increases the depth of the free face, ultimately causing the moment between the two sides of the core wall to exceed the bending moment of the core wall, resulting in fracture. The study provides a theoretical basis for the design of core walls for this new type of dam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the contact time of impacting nanodroplets is of fundamental interest and importance due to its promising potential in various engineering applications, such as self-cleaning and anti-icing. In this work, nanodroplets impacting superhydrophobic surfaces decorated by a rectangular ridge are studied over a wide range of Weber number (We) and different sizes of the ridge via molecular dynamics. Six bouncing modes have been distinguished. The usage of the rectangular ridge significantly enhances the bouncing performance of nanodroplets, including enlarging the We range for bouncing and reducing the contact time. It is especially found that the rectangular ridge leads to an increased contact time compared with the flat surface in the moderate We region. The underlying mechanism of the differential effect of the rectangular ridge on the contact time is compressively elucidated by the retraction dynamics of distinct bouncing modes. Subsequently, the retraction models considering different retraction characteristics are developed for the unsplit case. To promote a universal understanding of the effect of the ridge on the retraction dynamics of nanodroplets, several typical ridge shapes (triangular, cylinder, and semi-circular) are further considered. The retraction models are extended and verified to consider the effect of the ridge shape by introducing the equivalent structure parameters. Based on such a universal understanding, a newly designed shoot-shaped ridge is proposed and can considerably reduce the contact time of unsplit nanodroplets in the moderate We region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bouncing droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces is one of the potential methods used for anti-icing. The surface supercooling is a significant parameter influencing the bouncing dynamic. A droplet impacting cold superhydrophobic surfaces is investigated via experimental methods. The influence of the surface supercooling and the Weber number on the impact dynamic is elucidated. Intriguingly, the surface supercooling shows no influence on the spreading time, and the initial retraction time as the heat exchange can be ignored in these processes, while it shows a strong influence on the late retraction time as it can lead to the wetting transformation. To further quantitatively describe the influence of surface supercooling, the relationships of the retraction rate in the late retraction are developed, considering the changes in the receding contact angle caused by the supercooling degree. Finally, the relationship of the contact time is established over a range of Weber numbers (We = 49.37–70.53), surface supercooling (ΔT = 15–24 °C), and droplet sizes (D0 = 2.2–3.2 mm). This work is the first to establish the relationship of the droplet contact time on cold superhydrophobic surfaces, which can provide a quantitative method to calculate the contact time for anti-icing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For turbine blade internal cooling, the performance of turbulent flow and convective heat transfer in the cooling channel is numerically investigated via the computational fluid dynamics method, where the cooling channel adopts the combination of transverse rib arrangements and round-edged rib configurations or the combination of oblique rib arrangements and round-edged rib configurations. Under these two combination conditions, the simulation result shows that in the wide Reynolds number range of Re = 20 000–80 000, the heat transfer enhancement and the flow loss reduction, such as the larger normalized Nusselt number of Nu/Nu0 and smaller normalized friction factor of f/f0, are simultaneously realized by the oblique rather than transverse rib arrangement. In the oblique rib channel, the relationship between turbulent flow and convective heat transfer is for the first time revealed by the relationship between secondary vortices and turbulent kinetic energies. Based on the relation between secondary vortices and turbulent kinetic energies, the overall performance of turbulent flow and convective heat transfer for the oblique rib channel is first optimized by various normalized rib height, e/Dh, and rib spacing, p/e, and then evaluated by both overall performance factors of OPT1 and OPT2. Both OPT1 and OPT2 are larger at e/Dh = 0.062 and p/e = 15.00 in the wide range of e/Dh = 0.047–0.101 and p/e = 10.00–15.00. As a result of the comprehensive evaluation of OPT1 and OPT2, the combination of e/Dh = 0.062 and p/e = 15.00 is eventually employed by the oblique rib channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates impact of nanodroplets on liquid films with varied film thicknesses over hydrophilic to hydrophobic surfaces via molecular dynamics simulations. A new crown pattern, hollow crown, is observed on medium liquid films for nanodroplets, whereas it is not reported for millimeter-sized droplets. Holes (or hollows) are attributed to capillary vibration of a nanometer-thick liquid film. The occurrence of holes is inhibited effectively for deep liquid films because the cavity thickness is much larger than the amplitude of capillary vibration. Surface wettability has a significant influence on thin and medium liquid films for nanodroplets, whereas it only affects thin liquid films for macrodroplets because the range of solid–liquid intermolecular forces is comparable to the size of droplets when the size of droplets reduces to the nanoscale. Subsequently, the accuracies of the existing macroscale models for predicting the time-dependent crown radius of nanodroplets are tested by simulated results. The results show that the macroscale models cannot capture the time-dependent crown radius of nanodroplets. On the basis of energetics analysis, we prove that the failure of macroscale models is attributed to the distinct difference in viscous dissipation mechanisms between macroscale and nanoscale droplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: aMAP score, as a hepatocellular carcinoma risk score, is proven to be associated with the degree of chronic hepatitis B‐related liver fibrosis. We aimed to evaluate the ability of aMAP score for metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD; formerly NAFLD)‐related fibrosis diagnosis and establish a machine‐learning (ML) model to improve the diagnostic performance. Methods: A total of 946 biopsy‐proved MASLD patients from China and the United States were included in the analysis. The aMAP score, demographic/clinical indices and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were included in seven ML algorithms to build fibrosis diagnostic models in the training set (N = 703). The performance of ML models was evaluated in the external validation set (N = 125). Results: The AUROCs of aMAP versus fibrosis‐4 index (FIB‐4) and aspartate aminotransferase‐platelet ratio (APRI) in cirrhosis and advanced fibrosis were (0.850 vs. 0.857 [P = 0.734], 0.735 [P = 0.001]) and (0.759 vs. 0.795 [P = 0.027], 0.709 [P = 0.049]). When using dual cut‐off values, aMAP had a smaller uncertainty area and higher accuracy (26.9%, 86.6%) than FIB‐4 (37.3%, 85.0%) and APRI (59.0%, 77.3%) in cirrhosis diagnosis. The seven ML models performed satisfactorily in most cases. In the validation set, the ML model comprising LSM and 5 indices (including age, sex, platelets, albumin and total bilirubin used in aMAP calculator), built by logistic regression algorithm (called LSM‐plus model), exhibited excellent performance. In cirrhosis and advanced fibrosis detection, the LSM‐plus model had higher accuracy (96.8%, 91.2%) than LSM alone (86.4%, 67.2%) and Agile score (76.0%, 83.2%), respectively. Additionally, the LSM‐plus model also displayed high specificity (cirrhosis: 98.3%; advanced fibrosis: 92.6%) with satisfactory AUROC (0.932, 0.875, respectively) and sensitivity (88.9%, 82.4%, respectively). Conclusions: The aMAP score is capable of diagnosing MASLD‐related fibrosis. The LSM‐plus model could accurately identify MASLD‐related cirrhosis and advanced fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) neurons are densely distributed in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which plays a crucial role in integrating and processing emotional and cognitive inputs from other brain regions. Therefore, it is important to know the neural afferent patterns of mPFCCRH neurons, which are still unclear. Here, we utilized a rabies virus‐based monosynaptic retrograde tracing system to map the presynaptic afferents of the mPFCCRH neurons throughout the entire brain. The results show that the mPFCCRH neurons receive inputs from three main groups of brain regions: (1) the cortex, primarily the orbital cortex, somatomotor areas, and anterior cingulate cortex; (2) the thalamus, primarily the anteromedial nucleus, mediodorsal thalamic nucleus, and central medial thalamic nucleus; and (3) other brain regions, primarily the basolateral amygdala, hippocampus, and dorsal raphe nucleus. Taken together, our results are valuable for further investigations into the roles of the mPFCCRH neurons in normal and neurological disease states. These investigations can shed light on various aspects such as cognitive processing, emotional modulation, motivation, sociability, and pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the limited supply and pressure margin in the air system, a cooling technique providing efficient heat transfer with lower flow loss is highly desirable for gas turbine blades. Microscale ribs have promised to be a potential cooling candidate. In this work, large eddy simulations are implemented to reveal the scale effect of micro ribs on the near-wall turbulent transport in a cooling channel. Considering a mechanistic study and practical applications, both single-rib and rib-array arrangements are studied with a wide range of dimensionless viscous-scaled rib heights involving the entire boundary layer. The results indicate that the rib-induced destruction and regeneration of coherent structures are, respectively, responsible for the weakened momentum transport and enhanced heat transport in the near-wall region. Using tiny ribs, regenerated quasi-streamwise vortices are mainly located in the buffer layer. The resulting turbulence burst greatly enhances wall heat transfer while keeping a lower flow loss due to the weak form drag. Regenerated hairpin vortices using tall ribs are activated in the log-law layer and intensively interact with mainstream. Along with improved wall heat transfer, the significant form drag results in a remarkably high flow loss. Accordingly, heat transfer and flow loss show different dependencies on the rib height, which contributes to an optimum height interval of ribs (e+ = 20–40) located in the high buffer and low log-law layer for maximizing the overall performance. Furthermore, for the rib-array scheme, adequate inter-rib spacing is essential to achieve turbulence regeneration for enhancing near-wall heat transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetized solar wind drives a current system around Mars that maintains its induced magnetosphere. The solar wind also transfers its energy to the atmospheric ions, causing continuous atmospheric erosion, which has a profound impact on the planet's evolution history. Here, we use Amitis, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)-based hybrid plasma model to first reproduce the global pattern of the net electric current and ion currents under an interplanetary magnetic field perpendicular to the solar wind flow direction. The resultant current distribution matches the observations and reveals more details. Using the electric field distribution characterized earlier with the same model, we calculate for the first time the spatial distribution of energy transfer rate to the plasmas in general and to different ion species at Mars. We find out that (1) the solar wind kinetic energy is the dominant energy source that drives Martian induced magnetosphere, (2) the energy flux of the shocked solar wind flows from the magnetic equatorial plane towards the plasma sheet in the induced magnetotail, (3) both the bow shock and the induced magnetospheric boundary are dynamos where plasma energy is transferred to the electromagnetic field, and (4) the planetary ions act as loads and gain energy from the electromagnetic field. The most intense load region is the planetary ion plume. The general pattern of the energy transfer rate revealed in this study is common for induced magnetospheres. Its variabilities with the upstream conditions can provide physical insight into the observed ion escape variabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

JQ-1 is a typical BRD4 inhibitor with the ability to directly fight tumor cells and evoke antitumor immunity via reducing the expression of PD-L1. However, problems arise with the development of JQ-1 in clinical trials, such as marked lymphoid and hematopoietic toxicity, leading to the investigation of combination therapy. SZU-101 is a TLR7 agonist designed and synthesized by our group with potent immunostimulatory activity. Therefore, we hypothesized that combination therapy of SZU-101 and JQ-1 would target innate immunity and adaptive immunity simultaneously, to achieve a better antitumor efficacy than monotherapy. In this study, the repressive effects of the combination administration on tumor growth and metastasis were demonstrated in both murine breast cancer and melanoma models. In 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, i.t. treatment with SZU-101 in combination with i.p. treatment with JQ-1 suppressed the growth of tumors at both injected and uninjected sites. Combination therapy increased M1/M2 ratio in TAMs, decreased PD-L1 expression and promoted the recruitment of activated CD8+ T cells in the TME. In summary, the improved therapeutic efficacy of the novel combination therapy appears to be feasible for the treatment of a diversity of cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Early screening may prevent fibrosis progression in metabolic‐associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Aims: We developed and validated MAFLD fibrosis score (MFS) for identifying advanced fibrosis (≥F3) among MAFLD patients. Methods: This cross‐sectional, multicentre study consecutively recruited MAFLD patients receiving tertiary care (Malaysia as training cohort [n = 276] and Hong Kong and Wenzhou as validation cohort [n = 431]). Patients completed liver biopsy, vibration‐controlled transient elastography (VCTE), and clinical and laboratory assessment within 1 week. We used machine learning to select 'highly important' predictors of advanced fibrosis, followed by backward stepwise regression to construct MFS formula. Results: MFS was composed of seven variables: age, body mass index, international normalised ratio, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase, platelet count, and history of type 2 diabetes. MFS demonstrated an area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve of 0.848 [95% CI 0.800–898] and 0.823 [0.760–0.886] in training and validation cohorts, significantly higher than aminotransferase‐to‐platelet ratio index (0.684 [0.603–0.765], 0.663 [0.588–0.738]), Fibrosis‐4 index (0.793 [0.735–0.854], 0.737 [0.660–0.814]), and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (0.785 [0.731–0.844], 0.750 [0.674–0.827]) (DeLong's test p < 0.05). MFS could include 92.3% of patients using dual cut‐offs of 14 and 15, with a correct prediction rate of 90.4%, resulting in a larger number of patients with correct diagnosis compared to other scores. A two‐step MFS‐VCTE screening algorithm demonstrated positive and negative predictive values and overall diagnostic accuracy of 93.4%, 89.5%, and 93.2%, respectively, with only 4.0% of patients classified into grey zone. Conclusion: MFS outperforms conventional non‐invasive scores in predicting advanced fibrosis, contributing to screening in MAFLD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the heat transfer enhancement by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) in a rectangular channel with various geometric and operational parameters in a wide NEHD range of 0.4–5. Here, NEHD is a dimensionless number, describing the ratio of electrostatic, inertial, and viscous forces. Two working regimes in EHD are identified: inertial and electrostatic regimes. The results show that the barrier effect exists only in the inertial regime; however, the interference effect occurs in the electrostatic regime. The barrier effect relies heavily on NEHD rather than the dimensionless distance between electrodes l* and the dimensionless channel width H* because the thermal boundary layer cannot be disturbed sufficiently by a small electrostatic force; however, the interference effect depends on l* and H* rather than NEHD due to the stagnant area initiated only by a strong interaction between adjacent emitting electrodes. A new effect, the "blocking effect," is found in the electrostatic regime. The mechanism of the blocking effect is different from that of the barrier and interference effects. The blocking effect is initiated by a giant vortex, which "blocks" the airflow flowing toward the downstream channel. The average Nusselt number of channels can be reduced by at least 8%, 13%, and 5% for the barrier, interference, and blocking effects, respectively. A working spectrum of EHD-induced heat transfer enhancement in a rectangular channel is provided under NEHD and channel area coupling conditions. We believe the spectrum can help in designing EHD-induced heat transfer enhancement because it provides theoretical guidance for avoiding the three effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassica napus is a dominant field crop for repairing and utilizing saline-alkali land. In order to dissect the genetic basis of salt tolerance during germination and obtain germplasm resources in Brassica napus, different concentrations of NaCl solution (200, 250 and 300 mmol/L) were used to seeds of a previously constructed recombinant inbred line population (RIL), and the germination rates on the 3rd day and 7th day were counted for QTL mapping and candidate gene analysis. The results showed that the germination rate of RIL population showed continuous distribution under different salt concentrations. A total of 17 QTLs were detected under 6 treatments in this study, with the phenotypic variation range from 3.75% to 17.57% explained by a single QTL. Among them, 4 QTLs (cqST.C3-1, cqST.C3-2, cqST. C3-3 and cqST. C3-4) on chromosome C3, which explained more than 10% phenotypic variation in single or multiple treatments, were considered as the main QTLs. Combined with the re-sequencing results of the two parents and the functional annotation of Arabidopsis homologous genes, 5 candidate genes related to salt tolerance were identified under the 4 major QTLs confidence intervals, which could be stably expressed under different treatment conditions. In addition, according to the above results, it was considered that the germination rate under 250 mmol/L NaCl solution on the 7th day could be used as an index for the identification of salt tolerance at germination stage, and 5 excellent salt-tolerant germplasm with a germination rate of 82.22%-100% were obtained using this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the interaction between Brassica napus and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the expression of JA (jasmonic acid) synthesis-related genes increases, while JA signal transduction is inhibited. It is speculated that the effector proteins secreted by S. sclerotiorum may directly or indirectly interact with JAR1 protein, reducing its activity and thus inhibiting the defense system of B. napus dependent on JA pathway. The full-length sequence of the differentially expressed gene BnJarl was obtained by transcriptome sequencing in the early stage of this research. In order to further reveal the mechanism of BnJarl gene involved in the interaction between B. napus and S. sclerotiorum, this study analyzed and predicted the bioinformatics of BnJAR1 protein, constructed a yeast expression gene cDNA library of B. napus-S. sclerotiorum interaction, and used BnJar1 as bait protein to screen the library by yeast two-hybrid. Through the study, 5 interacting proteins from B. napus were obtained: BnAOC2, BnCOP9, BnDcoH, BnNIT2, and BnTSJT1; and 2 interacting proteins from S. sclerotiorum: SsMFS and SsRho3. The relevant results contributed to our research on the interaction between B. napus and S. sclerotiorum, exploration of pathogenic or resistance-related genes, and on further elucidation of their mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate clinical outcome of maxillary midline diastema closure using sectional feldspathic porcelain veneers up to 4 years. Materials and Methods: Five female patients with stable maxillary midline diastema were included in the current study and restored with minimal invasive sectional feldspathic porcelain veneers under dental microscope. Esthetic, functional, as well as biologic properties of sectional veneers were evaluated according to the World Dental Federation (FDI) criteria after 1 to 4 years' follow‐up. Results: Based on FDI criteria, all five cases were evaluated as clinically excellent to satisfactory during a mean observation period of 26.4 months. Slight to moderate cervical marginal staining was observed in two cases after 3 to 4 years' follow‐up. Slight white line or ditching of labial surface margin was found in most cases, but it is not easy to be noticed with saliva covering the margins. Conclusions: Sectional feldspathic porcelain veneers presented satisfying clinical outcome with potential long‐term esthetic risk for maxillary midline diastema closure. Clinical Significance: 1. Sectional feldspathic porcelain veneers presented satisfying short to medium term clinical performance when applied to close maxillary midline diastema. 2. The exposure of labial surface margin may increase a long‐term potential esthetic risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply a recently proposed method to estimate heavy ion escape from Mars. The method combines in situ observations with a hybrid plasma model, which treats ions as particles and electrons as a fluid. With this method, we investigate how solar upstream conditions, including solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, solar wind dynamic pressure, and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength and cone angle, affect the heavy ion loss. The results indicate that the heavy ion escape rate is greater in high EUV conditions. The escape rate increases with increasing solar wind dynamic pressure, and decreases as the IMF strength increases. The ion escape rate is highest when the solar wind is parallel to the IMF and lowest when they are perpendicular. The plume escape rate decreases when the solar wind convective electric field increases. Key Points: Ion escape rate decreases as the strength of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) increasesEscape rate is smallest for an IMF perpendicular to the solar wind flowIon escape in the plume decreases with increasing magnitude of the solar wind convective electric field [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effects of in-plane shear stress on the thermal conductivities of two important kinds of graphene configurations (rectangular graphene and annular graphene) are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. The various strain angles are set as θ = 0°, 3°, 5°, 10°, and 15° for rectangular graphene and θ = 0°, 3°, 5°, and 8° for annular graphene. A spectral energy density approach is applied to carry out phononic analyses of the two configurations under in-plane shear stress for the first time. It is found that for rectangular graphene, the thermal conductivity shows a significant decreasing trend from 239.6 to 79.1 W m−1 K−1 with the θ increasing from 0° to 15°. Besides, the application of shear stress can significantly widen the energy bands of branches, which indicates shorter phonon lifetimes. Further phononic analysis shows that most of the phonon scattering caused by in-plane shear stress emanates from the in-plane mode, which is an updated conclusion in this field. On the other hand, the thermal conductivity of annular graphene also shows a decreasing evolution with the increasing strain angles, but phonon transport in rectangular graphene is more susceptible to shear stress than in annular graphene due to a stronger phonon-boundary scattering in the latter configuration. In this work, the monotonically decreasing trends of the thermal conductivities of both graphene configurations with the increasing strain angle are different from the V-shape trend reported in the literature. Based on phononic analyses, it can be concluded that an abnormal increase of the thermal conductivities at a low shear stress can be attributed to the application of the AIREBO potential model in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Functional changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) occur earlier in the aging process and play an important role in the occurrence and development of age-related metabolic diseases. The mechanism of this phenomenon is still unclear, and the change in adipose tissue with age is poorly understood. Methods: We used transcriptome sequencing (RNA seq) to screen differentially expressed genes at the mRNA level, and analyzed the functional characteristics of the differential genes through GO and KEGG analysis in human SAT of all ages. In order to clarify the specific mechanism of the functional change, we analyzed the chromatin accessibility in the promoter region in the same SAT used in the RNA seq by the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) and obtained the functional genes in SAT changed with age. To verify these changes, we enlarged our sample content of human SAT. The primary mice adipocytes were extracted and stimulated by thyroid hormone of different concentration to construct an animal model, and the expression of the genes were determined through real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction(RT-PCR). The oxygen consumption test and immunofluorescence staining were used to determine the mitochondrial function of SAT. Results: RNA-seq showed characteristic gene expression of young and old human SAT, in which 331 genes were up-regulated and 349 genes were down-regulated. ATAC-seq, RNA-seq, combined with the mouse prediction model, determined the functional changed characteristics of seven genes. All these genes expressed differently in SAT of different ages, in which, NCF1, NLRP3, DUOX1 showed positive correlation with age; The expression of IFI30, P2RX1, P2RX6, PRODH, however, decreased with age. And all these genes showed dose dependent alternations under treatment of triiodothyroxine in mice SAT. The oxygen consumption rate revealed significant changes of the mitochondrial function and ROS accumulation in human SAT of different ages. Conclusion: In elderly individuals, the function, in addition to distribution, of SAT undergoes significant changes, primarily in mitochondria, which may be due to insensitivity to thyroid hormone signaling. These results identified seven novel genes regulated by thyroid hormone, exhibiting significant changes in SAT of different age, and are probably related to the dysfunction of the aged SAT due to the mitochondrial damage and ROS accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising nanoscale technologies arouse interest in investigating the impact dynamics of nanodroplets. In this work, the impact of nanodroplets on solid spheres is investigated by the molecular dynamics simulation method, to comprehensively report outcome regimes and reveal the curvature effect, in wide ranges of Weber numbers (We) from 1.5 to 235.8, diameter ratios (λ) of nanodroplets to solid spheres from 0.3 to 5, and contact angles (θ) from 105° to 135°. Five outcomes are identified, including deposition, bouncing, splash, covering, and dripping. The former three outcomes are found in the high diameter ratio range (λ > 1), showing similar dynamic behaviors with impacts on flat surfaces, whereas in the low diameter ratio range (λ ≤)1, splash disappears, and covering and dripping take place additionally. At each contact angle, the outcomes are recorded in λ-We phase diagrams. It is found that the bouncing, splash, covering, and dripping are all promoted by decreasing diameter ratios; in addition, the critical Weber numbers for trigging bouncing and splash increase with decreasing θ. However, the critical We of the boundary between the bouncing to other regimes in the low diameter ratio range is not sensitive to wettability owing to the relatively small diameter of solid spheres. For quantitatively describing the curvature effect, the boundaries between the deposition and bouncing regimes in the high diameter ratio range and between the bouncing and other regimes in the low diameter ratio range are established. Both the established models show satisfactory agreement with the boundaries in the phase diagrams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bouncing droplets on solid surfaces is of great significance in diversified applications such as anti-icing and self-cleaning. It is important to establish a unified model to predict whether an impacting droplet can rebound from a surface or not. This work focuses on the rebound dynamic of a droplet impacting a hydrophobic surface via theoretical methods. Based on energy conservation, a new theoretical model to predict the rebound behavior of an impacting droplet is established. For an ideal surface, the contact angle hysteresis Δθ can be ignored and the rebound condition is θ ≥ θc,i, where θ is the equilibrium contact angle and θc,i is the critical rebounding contact angle (CRCA) of an ideal surface. For a real surface, Δθ is considered and the rebound condition is θr ≥ θc,r, where θr is the receding contact angle and θc,r is CRCA of a real surface. Especially, when Δθ is not large enough, the rebound condition for a real surface can be expressed as θr ≥ θc,i. This work is the first to establish the theoretical model considering both the energy dissipation throughout the impact process and the contact angle hysteresis, which shows a higher consistency with the previous works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key physical process, water vapor condensation has attracted significant attention because of its potential in engineering applications. The non-condensable gas in the surrounding vapor has a significant influence on condensation heat transfer. Considering as a crucial aspect, this work developed a transient multiphysics coupled solver to investigate droplet condensation in a moist air environment (considering dry air as the non-condensable gas). The current solver couples the time-dependent vapor-liquid phase-change heat transfer, mass transport of water vapor, and two-phase fluid flow. In contrast to the classical thermal resistance theory model, this solver can capture the dynamic and strong coupling characteristics during condensation comprehensively. The results demonstrate that for small-scale droplets, vapor condensation is driven by the coupled internal conduction-dominated heat transfer and external vapor diffusion. As the droplet grows and the contact angle increases, internal convection driven by the Marangoni effect becomes increasingly important. The enhanced fluid mixing inside the droplet can affect both the internal heat transfer and the external vapor diffusion. Because of the significant diffusion resistance, the droplet growth rates in a moist air environment are reduced up to 1-2 orders of magnitude compared with the case of pure steam. For large-scale droplets, the internal convection can increase the droplet growth rate up to 18.7%. Furthermore, the contact angle, the subcooling temperature, and the relative humidity have significant influences on droplet condensation in a moist air environment. This work not only promotes the mechanistic understanding of condensation heat transfer in a moist air ambient but also provides a flexible solver for vapor-liquid phase change problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a summary of a special issue of the Journal of Neuroendocrinology based on presentations given at the 24th International Symposium on Regulatory Peptides. The symposium focused on advancements in peptide modulation in systems physiology and included sessions on omics integration into peptide physiology, G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) structure analysis, and peptide action across hormonal and neurotransmitter modes. The special issue includes original research reports and reviews that highlight the critical functions of regulatory peptides, the mechanisms of peptide actions, and the potential for regulatory peptide-based therapeutics. The article emphasizes the need for continued cross-disciplinary attention to advance regulatory peptide research and its translation to therapeutics. [Extracted from the article]

On nanopillar-arrayed superhydrophobic surfaces, the contact time of oblique nanodroplet impacts is for the first time investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. Here, oblique nanodroplet impacts are triggered by nanodroplets impacting superhydrophobic surfaces under various impact angles, α. The simulation results show that owing to the non-axisymmetry of spreading factors on nanopillar-arrayed superhydrophobic surfaces, the contact time of oblique nanodroplet impacts is always less on nanopillar-arrayed rather than smooth superhydrophobic surfaces under same impact angles. As the impact angle is increased from 5° to 65°, that is, under different impact conditions, the non-axisymmetry is more remarkable as α > 35° instead of α < 35° at the low, medium, and high normal Weber numbers, Wen. Hence, the contact time is sharp as α > 35° and then slowly reduced as α < 35° at the low, medium, and high Wen, at which the drastically increased sliding length as α > 35° further promotes the rapid reduction in contact time. As the impact angle is constant at 35°, the non-axisymmetry is more remarkable as h/w < 1 instead of h/w > 1 as the aspect ratio of nanopillars, h/w, is increased, that is, under different surface conditions. Hence, the contact time is sharp as h/w < 1 and then slowly reduced as h/w > 1 at the low, medium, and high Wen, at which the drastically reduced sliding length as h/w > 1 further hinders the rapid reduction in contact time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigate microscale electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumps of dielectric liquids in a wide working regime range from the Ohmic to the saturation regime. We show that the electric force of microscale EHD conduction pumps differs from that of macroscale EHD conduction pumps owing to the scale effect. We reveal that the scale effect of microscale EHD conduction pumps is triggered by the enhanced ionic diffusion. When the characteristic length of the system reduces from millimeter to micrometer, the maximum order of magnitude of α increases from O(10−5) to O(10−1), resulting in significantly enhanced ionic diffusion; however, the ionic diffusion can be neglected for macroscale EHD conduction pumps, where α denotes the ratio of ionic diffusion velocity to ionic migration velocity. We found that the existing macroscale theoretical models do not work for the microscale EHD conduction pumps due to the rough estimation of heterocharge layer thickness. We show that the heterocharge layer thickness of microscale EHD conduction pumps not only depends on ionic migration but also relies on ionic diffusion. By modifying the expression of the heterocharge layer thickness with respect to ionic migration and diffusion, we develop a theoretical model of dimensionless electric force for the microscale EHD conduction pumps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanodroplet impacts have attracted significant attention, while the effect of surface wettability on contact time is evaluated poorly. Utilizing molecular dynamics simulations, the current work with a special focus on the contact time studies nanodroplets impacting solid surfaces in a wide range of static contact angles (θ0 = 105°–175°) and the Weber number (We = 0.1–200). The complete trends in contact time and restitution coefficient with surface wettability are analyzed and reported for the first time. For surfaces with θ0 > 160°, four different regimes are identified for the contact time and restitution coefficient as a function of the Weber number. For surfaces with 110° < θ0 < 160°, the fourth regime is not observed. The restitution coefficient is employed to analyze the contact time of distinct rebound patterns in the individual wettability range. Intriguingly, surface wettability has a remarkable influence on the contact time of nanodroplets even for superhydrophobic surfaces. The main reason for the difference between the macroscale and nanoscale is attributed to the significantly enhanced viscous effect and interfacial effect of the nanoscale impact. Considering the different effects of surface wettability on spreading and retraction dynamics, the theoretical models for the maximum spreading factor, spreading velocity, and retraction velocity are established. Finally, scaling laws of the spreading time τspr ∼ (R0/Vi)We2/3Re−1/3 and retraction time τret ∼ (R0/Vi)We2/3Re−1/3(1 − cos θ0)−1/2 are proposed. An excellent agreement with both the current data sources and the results in the literature verifies the universality of the current scaling law from hydrophobic to superhydrophobic surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: There is an unmet clinical need for non‐invasive tests to diagnose non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and individual fibrosis stages. We aimed to test whether urine protein panels could be used to identify NAFLD, NAFLD with fibrosis (stage F ≥ 1) and NAFLD with significant fibrosis (stage F ≥ 2). Methods: We collected urine samples from 100 patients with biopsy‐confirmed NAFLD and 40 healthy volunteers, and proteomics and bioinformatics analyses were performed in this derivation cohort. Diagnostic models were developed for detecting NAFLD (UPNAFLD model), NAFLD with fibrosis (UPfibrosis model), or NAFLD with significant fibrosis (UPsignificant fibrosis model). Subsequently, the derivation cohort was divided into training and testing sets to evaluate the efficacy of these diagnostic models. Finally, in a separate independent validation cohort of 100 patients with biopsy‐confirmed NAFLD and 45 healthy controls, urinary enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay analyses were undertaken to validate the accuracy of these new diagnostic models. Results: The UPfibrosis model and the UPsignificant fibrosis model showed an AUROC of.863 (95% CI:.725–1.000) and 0.858 (95% CI:.712–1.000) in the training set; and.837 (95% CI:.711–.963) and.916 (95% CI:.825–1.000) in the testing set respectively. The UPNAFLD model showed an excellent diagnostic performance and the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) exceeded.90 in the derivation cohort. In the independent validation cohort, the AUROC for all three of the above diagnostic models exceeded.80. Conclusions: Our newly developed models constructed from urine protein biomarkers have good accuracy for non‐invasively diagnosing liver fibrosis in NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlation between space environment conditions and the properties of escaping ions is a central topic of Mars research. Although empirical correlations have been visible in the data, a physics-based interpretation, rather than statistics-based pictures, has not been established yet. As a first effort, we investigate the electric field, the direct contributor to ion acceleration, in the Mars plasma environment from a hybrid plasma model (particle ions and fluid electrons). We use Amitis, a hybrid model combined with an observation-based ionospheric model, to simulate the Mars–solar wind interaction under nominal solar wind plasma conditions for perpendicular and Parker spiral directions of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The simulations show following results: (1) the electric field morphology is structured by the IMF direction and the different plasma domains in the solar wind–Mars interaction; (2) asymmetry of the electric field between the hemispheres where the convective electric field points inward and outward, respectively, due to the mass loading and asymmetric draping of the magnetic field lines; (3) the motional electric field dominates in most regions, especially in the dayside magnetosheath; and (4) the Hall term is an order of magnitude weaker and significant in the magnetotail and plasma boundaries for a perpendicular IMF case. The Hall term is relatively stronger for the Parker spiral case. (5) The ambipolar electric field, in principle, agrees with Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution measurements in the magnetosheath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a study of a droplet impacting an inclined hydrophobic surface using lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) simulation. The influence of surface inclination, surface wettability, and the Weber number on the dynamic of spreading and receding is elucidated. Intriguingly, the contact time is independent of the surface inclination. The surface wettability and Weber number do not affect the spreading time, while they significantly influence the receding dynamic. To further quantitatively describe the influence of surface wettability and Weber number, scaling laws of the receding rate are established as Vret ∼ (1 − cos θ)−0.25 and Vret ∼ Wen0.19, and, thus, scaling laws of the receding time are established as tr ∼ (1 − cos θ)−0.5 and tr ∼ Wen0.1, respectively, where Wen is the normal Weber numbers and θ is the contact angle. Based on this, a relationship of the contact time for a droplet impacting an inclined hydrophobic surface is ultimately established as tc = 3.1(ρR03/σ)1/2 (1 − cos θ)−1/2Wen0.1, where ρ, R0, and σ denote the droplet density, radius, and surface tension, respectively. This study provides a quantitative relationship to calculate the contact time of a droplet impacting an inclined hydrophobic surface, which can simultaneously efficiently evaluate the anti-freezing, anti-icing, and self-cleaning performance of hydrophobic surfaces employed in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under parallel electric fields and free evaporation conditions, the statics and dynamics of spreading–evaporating nanodroplets are investigated on an isothermally heated surface via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The simulation results show that at the substrate temperature of Ts = 320 K, the static and dynamic contact angles on the left and right edges are initially asymmetric and then symmetric with increasing field strengths of E = 0.00–0.06 V Å−1, resulting in the asymmetric-to-symmetric spreading transition of spreading–evaporating nanodroplets. Under weak evaporation condition, that is, at Ts = 320 K, the asymmetric-to-symmetric spreading transition is triggered by enhancing the intrinsic surface wettability θ0 = 49°–80° at a constant field strength of E = 0.03 V Å−1. However, at the substrate temperature of Ts = 350 K, the symmetric-to-asymmetric spreading transition first appears for the static and dynamic contact angles on the left and right edges, and then the asymmetric-to-symmetric spreading transition appears with increasing field strength. Under strong evaporation condition, that is, at Ts = 350 K, as the field strength is constant at E = 0.03 V Å−1, the asymmetric-to-symmetric spreading transition also appears with increasing surface wettability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysregulated bile acid (BA) metabolism has been linked to steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Aim: To determine whether circulating BA levels accurately stage liver fibrosis in NAFLD. Methods: We recruited 550 Chinese adults with biopsy‐proven NAFLD and varying levels of fibrosis. Ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was performed to quantify 38 serum BAs. Results: Compared to those without fibrosis, patients with mild fibrosis (stage F1) had significantly higher levels of secondary BAs, and increased diastolic blood pressure (DBP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), body mass index, and waist circumstance (WC). The combination of serum BAs with WC, DBP, ALT, or Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance performed well in identifying mild fibrosis, in men and women, and in those with/without obesity, with AUROCs 0.80, 0.88, 0.75 and 0.78 in the training set (n = 385), and 0.69, 0.80, 0.61 and 0.69 in the testing set (n = 165), respectively. In comparison, the combination of BAs and clinical/biochemical biomarkers performed less well in identifying significant fibrosis (F2‐4). In women and in non‐obese subjects, AUROCs were 0.75 and 0.71 in the training set, 0.65 and 0.66 in the validation set, respectively. However, these AUROCs were higher than those observed for the fibrosis‐4 index, NAFLD fibrosis score, and Hepamet fibrosis score. Conclusions: Secondary BA levels were significantly increased in NAFLD, especially in those with mild fibrosis. The combination of serum BAs and clinical/biochemical biomarkers for identifying mild fibrosis merits further assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a droplet off-center impacts a macro-ridge, the contact time increases with off-center distance (Δ x *) , which are closely related to two mechanisms, i.e., the redistribution of liquid volume and the asymmetry of the liquid film. Therefore, changing the asymmetry of the liquid film may provide fundamental inspiration for the efficient control of the contact time. Using lattice Boltzmann method simulations, the dynamics of a droplet off-center impacting a ridge on a superhydrophobic surface are explored to demonstrate the feasibility of reducing contact time by changing the asymmetry of the liquid film, which is changed by manipulating the inclination of the ridge. For positive off-center impact (Δ x * > 0) , the contact time decreases with the increase in the inclined angle as increasing the inclination can decrease the asymmetry of the liquid film. For negative off-center impact (Δ x * < 0) , tilting the ridge can further reduce the asymmetry of the liquid film to a limit, and its influence can be ignored at θ i = 30 ° – 60 ° , leading to the contact time decreasing more significantly compared with that for Δ x * > 0. On this basis, a quantitative relationship of contact time for a droplet off-center impacting an inclined ridge is established. This work provides fundamental and practical inspiration for the efficient reduction of contact time for off-center impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance optimization of electrohydrodynamics (EHD) induced heat transfer enhancement has attracted much interest in recent decades. Although various EHD device designs have been proposed, coupling optimization based on comprehensive parameters, including Reynolds number, voltage, and electrode spacing, is still absent, and the overall heat transfer efficiency is rarely considered. In this study, the heat transfer efficiency of a wire-to-plate EHD device in a wide range of secondary flow intensity NEHD = 0.4–5 is investigated. Here, NEHD is a dimensionless parameter that integrates Reynolds number, voltage, electrode radius, etc. The average Nusselt number Nu rather than the enhancement rate ER is selected for optimization. It is demonstrated that NEHD = 2 is the optimal secondary flow intensity in both single-electrode and multiple-electrode configurations. The too-weak or too-strong secondary flow will lead to a decrease in the heat transfer efficiency. The underlying physics is revealed by the barrier effect and oversize vortex. An optimal electrode spacing of l > 0.014 m is proposed in the multiple-electrode configuration. A strong interaction between adjacent vortices will significantly decrease the heat transfer efficiency when l < 0.0014 m. A new design criterion for EHD devices is proposed: make sure that the secondary flow intensity NEHD = 2.0 and the electrode spacing l > 0.014 m, then arrange as many electrodes as possible in the channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient droplet shedding from surfaces is fundamentally interesting and important due to its promising potential in numerous applications, such as anti-erosion, anti-icing, and self-cleaning. In this work, the bouncing dynamics of the head-on impact of two nanodroplets on superhydrophobic surfaces are investigated through molecular dynamics simulations. Three bouncing patterns, including regular-coalescence-bouncing, coalescence-hole-bouncing, and ring-bouncing, are identified at a wide range of impacting Weber numbers. For three bouncing patterns, the time evolutions of the spreading factors and the vertical velocity components are employed to analyze the particular dynamic behaviors and elucidate the underlying physics. As a counter-intuitive bouncing pattern, the ring-bouncing that two impact nanodroplets coalesce, spread, and then leave the surface in a ring shape without retracting exhibits a remarkable reduction in contact time by up to 60%. Considering four typical states for the ring-bouncing pattern, the comparison of the velocity distribution within the droplet clearly reveals that the ring-shaped droplet reshapes interfaces, which leads to a special hydrodynamics distribution. As a result, the internal flows at the inner and outer edges along the opposite direction collide with each other, leading to a sudden increase in the upward velocity. Combining the largely decreased contact area between solid and liquid with the small surface adhesion, the ring-shaped droplet rapidly bounces off the surface at the maximum spreading state. Finally, it is significantly highlighted that the ring-bouncing pattern offers a new avenue to break the contact time limit for efficient droplet shedding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We refine a recently presented method to estimate ion escape from non-magnetized planets and apply it to Mars. The method combines in-situ observations and a hybrid plasma model (ions as particles, electrons as a fluid). We use measurements from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission and Mars Express (MEX) for one orbit on 2015-03-01. Observed upstream solar wind conditions are used as input to the model. We then vary the total ionospheric ion upflux until the solution fits the observed bow shock location. This solution is a self-consistent approximation of the global Mars-solar wind interaction at this moment, for the given upstream conditions. We can then study global properties, such as the heavy ion escape rate. Here we investigate the effects on escape estimates of assumed ionospheric ion composition, solar wind alpha particle concentration and temperature, solar wind velocity aberration, and solar wind electron temperature. We also study the amount of escape in the ion plume and in the tail of the planet. Here we find that estimates of total heavy ion escape are not very sensitive to the composition of the heavy ions, or the amount and temperature of the solar wind alpha particles. We also find that velocity aberration has a minor influence on escape, but that it is sensitive to the solar wind electron temperature. The plume escape is found to contribute 29 % of the total heavy ion escape, in agreement with observations. Heavier ions have a larger fraction of escape in the plume compared to the tail. We also find that the escape estimates scales inversely with the square root of the atomic mass of the escaping ion specie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibiting particles aggregation plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of nanofluids. In this work, applying a rod electrode was developed to reduce particles aggregation and sedimentation for TiO2-H2O suspensions. The experimental results show that the aggregation and sedimentation of TiO2 particles are effectively suppressed when a rod electrode is inserted into the TiO2-H2O suspensions due to the increase of the absolute value of particle zeta potential. There is an optimal electric voltage (0.5 kV) to achieve the maximum suppression of sedimentation, while surface flaw of the electrode is harmful to suppress sedimentation. The mechanism for inhibition of sedimentation by the electrode is speculated that the charges transfer between the electrode and the TiO2 nanoparticles by the contact electrification. Therefore, the application of the electrode with the optimal design has great potential for improving the stability of the TiO2-H2O nanofluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On a rectangular-ridged superhydrophobic surface, the contact time of the rebounding-coalescing droplet is for the first time investigated via lattice Boltzmann method simulations, where the rebounding-coalescing droplet is caused by an impinging droplet coalescing with an adhesive droplet. The simulation results show that at constant initial radii of impinging droplets, R0, and various initial radii of adhesive droplets, R1, the contact time of rebounding–coalescing droplets depends not only on the impact condition but also on the surface condition. Under various impact conditions, that is, with increased Weber numbers of We = 1–30, the contact time is gradually reduced, and then nearly constant, and eventually constant after slightly reduced at R0 = 35 and R1 = 25. However, at R0 = 35 and R1 = 10, it is gradually reduced, then increased, and eventually constant. It indicates that the contact time of rebounding-coalescing droplets is affected by the initial radii of adhesive droplets. Under different surface conditions, that is, with increased spacing distances between adhesive droplets and ridges of L = 3–17, the contact time is reduced at the low Weber number of We = 3, constant at the moderate Weber number of We = 12, and increased at the high Weber number of We = 28 at R0 = 35 and R1 = 25. However, at R0 = 35 and R1 = 10, it is reduced at both low and moderate Weber numbers of We = 3 and 12, and constant at the high Weber number of We = 28. It indicates that under different surface conditions, the contact time of rebounding-coalescing droplets is also affected by the initial radii of adhesive droplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the retraction and bouncing dynamics of an impacting low-viscosity nanodroplet on superhydrophobic surfaces via molecular dynamics simulations, aiming to reveal the scaling laws of retraction and bouncing velocities and to establish the relationship between them. The retraction velocity, Vre, is found to scale as Vre ∼ Dmax/τc,n, where Dmax is the maximum spreading diameter, τc,n = (D0/V0)We1/2Oh1/3 is the inertial-capillary-viscous time, and We and Oh are the Weber number and Ohnesorge number, respectively. The bouncing stems from the collision of the retracting rim at the center of the nanodroplet, leading to the bouncing velocity scaling as the retraction velocity. Combining the relationship of Vre ∼ Dmax/τc,n with the scaling law of Dmax ∼ We1/2Oh1/3D0 yields both the retraction and bouncing velocities scaling as the impact velocity, indicating that both the retraction and bouncing velocities of low-viscosity nanodroplets on a superhydrophobic surface depend merely on the impact velocity. An energy analysis shows that the proportion of the surface energy at the maximum spreading state (Es,max) to the initial kinetic energy (Ek,ini) follows Es,max/Ek,ini ∼ Oh2/3, whereas the proportion of the bouncing kinetic energy (Ek,b) to the surface energy at the maximum spreading state follows Ek,b/Es,max ∼ Oh−2/3, leading to constant Ek,b/Ek,ini and also constant restitution coefficient for low-viscosity nanodroplets impacting superhydrophobic surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]