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The fabrication of complex shaped Si3N4 parts by conventional methods is challenging due to its high hardness and mechanical strength. Additive manufacturing (AM) appeared as a competitive way to attain three-dimensional complexity at lower costs. However, most of AM technologies still present limitations in producing high dense ceramics, mainly due to several difficulties in developing proper feedstock. This work presents the fabrication of dense silicon nitride-based ceramics by using an extrusion based additive manufacturing technique (direct ink writing, also known as robocasting) and cold isostatic pressing (CIP) as a post processing step. Silicon-nitride aqueous based inks containing different amounts of solids loading (36, 38 and 39 vol%) and proper rheological characteristics for the printing process were studied. The use of CIP (200 MPa) is suggested to reduce or even eliminate defects and porosity and consequently, to improve mechanical performance of the final parts. Relative density, microhardness and flexural strength increased as solids loading in the inks increased and were further improved when CIP pressing was used. Parts produced by robocasting with an ink containing 39 vol% and cold isostatic pressed at 200 MPa exhibited an average relative density around 99%, 1475 HV2 microhardness value and 650 MPa flexural strength, values similar to those of silicon nitride ceramics fabricated by conventional processing. published

Eggshell waste has been developed as a viable choice for biomaterials in bone regeneration. In this study, eggshell waste was subjected to calcination at 600°C, 700°C, 800°C and 900°C for 4 hours, resulting in the complete conversion of calcium carbonate (CaCO_3) into calcium oxide (CaO) powder. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Image J software, mean particle size powders and hardness values via Vickers-microhardness were investigated. Notably, powder calcined at 900°C has the highest mean hardness value due to powder densifications with narrow pore size. Therefore, CaO as a source of calcium ions indicates its potential use in biomedical applications.

Finely dispersed (CeO2)1−x(Nd2O3)x (x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25) powders are synthesized via liquid-phase techniques based on the co-precipitation of hydroxides and co-crystallization of nitrates. The prepared powders are used to obtain ceramic materials comprising fluorite-like solid solutions with the coherent scattering region (CSR) of about 88 nm (upon annealing at 1300 °C) and open porosity in the range of 1–15%. The effect of the synthesis procedure and sintering additives (SiO2, ZnO) on physicochemical and electrophysical properties of the resulting ceramics is studied. The prepared materials are found to possess a predominantly ionic type of electric conductivity with ion transfer numbers ti = 0.96–0.71 in the temperature range of 300–700 °C. The conductivity in solid solutions follows a vacancy mechanism with σ700 °C = 0.48 × 10−2 S/cm. Physicochemical properties (density, open porosity, type and mechanism of electrical conductivity) of the obtained ceramic materials make them promising as solid oxide electrolytes for medium temperature fuel cells.

Funding: Open access funding provided by FCT|FCCN (b-on). This work was funded by the Operational Programme Mar2020 MAR-02.01.01-FEAMP-0052 “Newcumber-Avanços para o cultivo sustentável de pepinos do mar”. This work was also supported by national funds through FCT–Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., within the strategic projects MARE (UIDB/04292/2020) Associate Laboratory ARNET (LA/P/0069/2020), CEAUL (UIDB/00006/2020), A.C. Brito with the Scientific Stimulus Programme–CEECIND/00095/2017, A. Pombo by the Scientific Employment Stimulus-Institutional Call-CEECINST/00051/2018 and F. Azevedo e Silva by the individual research grant (SFRH/BD/09563/2020). The demand for sea cucumbers from the NE-Atlantic is increasing as a consequence of the depletion of stocks that historically supplied Asian markets. Some species from the NE-Atlantic are already showing overfishing signs due to either inefficient policies or their total absence, and they do not offer any margins of sustainability to sea cucumber fisheries. The current lack of knowledge of biological and ecological traits has led to ineffective protection of those species. Holothuria arguinensis is a good example of a temperate sea cucumber species suffering from the effects of unregulated and illegal harvest. This study aims to determine the temporal and spatial distribution patterns of H. arguinensis, assessing density and size-class structure in a NE-Atlantic population, in SW Portugal, as a function of environmental conditions. Sampling was done every 1.5 months at 6 stations defined according to habitat heterogeneity, following the coastline from the mouth of the Sado estuary to marine coastal areas. At each station, there were two habitats (rocky substrate and sandy areas) sampled through SCUBA diving along 30-m random transects, each with three replicates. Individuals were counted and measured (total length) and individual behavioural parameters, such as sheltering and settlement surface, were recorded. Water column parameters, sediment composition, and substrate cover were also recorded. Generalised Linear Models were fit to the data, modelling density and size distribution of the species with respect to environmental conditions. The results indicate that the distribution of H. arguinensis was mainly determined by its ability to deal with physical environmental stressors (current), rather than the chemical properties of the water column or sediment composition. The hydrodynamic features of the region exert the greatest impact on this species’ distribution and help shape habitat usage by different size class groups. Publisher PDF

Vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) and density data for binary systems of branched alkanes + ethyl acetate are scarce in the literature. In this study, the binary mixtures 3-methylpentane + ethyl acetate and 2,3-dimethylbutane + ethyl acetate were investigated. Density measurements at atmospheric pressure were performed using a vibrating tube density meter at 293.15, 298.15 and 303.15 K. Large and positive excess molar volumes were calculated and correlated using a Redlich–Kister-type equation. Isobaric VLE data at 101.3 kPa were obtained using a Gillespie-type recirculation ebulliometer. Equilibrium compositions were determined indirectly from density measurements. The experimental data were checked for consistency by means of the Fredenslund test and the Wisniak (L-W) test and were then successfully correlated using the NRTL model. The newly studied binary systems display high deviations from ideality and minimum boiling azeotropes, the coordinates of which are reported in this work.

Systematical experimental data on density, molar volume and the surface tension, measured in electromagnetic levitation, has been summarized for the liquid Ti-V system. The optical dilatometry method as well as the oscillating drop technique have been employed to investigate the temperature- and compositional dependence. A linear decrease in density and surface tension with increasing temperature has been observed for all investigated compositions. Pure Vanadium shows hereby the highest density and surface tension while pure titanium shows the lowest density and surface tension respectively. Therefore, the density and surface tension decrease with increasing titanium content, however not linear. Since no excess quantities were available, simple models could be employed to cover the complete liquid Ti-V system. Experimental data as well as the corresponding linear fits are presented.

The role of baryonic physics, star formation and stellar feedback, in shaping the galaxies and their host halos is an evolving topic. The dark matter aspects are illustrated in this work by showing distribution features in a Milky Way sized halo. We focus on the halo morphology, geometry, and profile as well as the phase space distribution using one dark matter only and five hydrodynamical cosmological high-resolution simulations of the same halo with different subgrid prescriptions for the baryonic physics (Kennicut versus multi-freefall star formation and delayed cooling versus mechanical supernovae feedback). If some general properties like the relative halo-galaxy orientation are similar, the modifications of the gravitational potential due to the presence of baryons are found to induce different dark matter distributions (rounder and more concentrated halo). The mass density profile as well as the velocity distribution are modified distinctively according to the specific resulting baryonic distribution highlighting the variability of those properties (e.g inner power index from 1.3 to 1.8, broader speed distribution). The uncertainties on those features are of paramount importance for dark matter phenomenology, particularly when dealing with dark matter dynamics or direct and indirect detection searches. As a consequence, dark matter properties and prospects using cosmological simulations require improvement on baryonic physics description. Modeling such processes is a key issue not only for galaxy formation but also for dark matter investigations.

В статье приведены основные результаты теоретического исследования процесса непрерывного формования ультрадисперсных порошковых материалов для получения длинномерных изделий с нанокристаллической структурой. В рамках гипотезы о сходстве напряженного состояния в сжимаемых и несжимаемых материалах в канале прессования установлено распределение напряжения вдоль канала прессования. При использовании уравнения Г.М. Ждановича с новыми граничными условиями найдено распределение плотности материала по длине канала прессования., In article there are discussed the basic results of theoretical investigating continuous ultra-dispersed powder materials pressing process for obtaining lengthy products with nano-crystal structure. Within the framework of the hypothesis about similarity under stress conditions in compressible and incompressible materials in the pressing channel, the pressure distribution along the pressing channel is established. Using G.M. Zhdanovich equation with new material density distribution boundary conditions along the length of the pressing channel is found.

The paper is devoted to the study of the physicochemical properties of aviation biofuels, in particular, to the substantiation of the influence of bio-additives based on various vegetable oils on the properties of jet fuels and to the assessment of the possibility of using new bio-additives to produce aviation biofuels. The aviation industry's current state is considered and its development's key directions are presented. Considering the tasks of minimizing the environmental impact of aviation, decarbonizing the aviation sector and increasing its energy efficiency, one of the industry's main priorities is the development of technologies for the production of alternative aviation fuels and their practical use. This paper considers alternative aviation fuels (biofuels), which are a mixture of traditional aviation fuels and bio-additives derived from various vegetable oils. Taking into account the trends of active transition from first-generation biofuels to second- and third-generation biofuels, the article considers new types of plant raw materials for obtaining bio-additives to fuels. In particular, the possibilities of using bio-additives based on palm kernel and coconut oils to produce second-generation biofuels are considered. The chemical composition and physicochemical properties of bio-additives based on various vegetable oils were investigated and analyzed. It is shown that the quantitative and qualitative composition of bio-additives determines their physicochemical properties. Further, the physicochemical properties of aviation biofuel samples based on petroleum aviation fuel and bio-additives were investigated. It is shown that the introduction of bio-additives into the composition of petroleum aviation fuels leads to changes in their properties, in particular, to an increase in density, viscosity, and crystallization temperature. The experimental results substantiate that bio-additives based on palm kernel and coconut oils have better characteristics than the previously studied bio-additives (based on rapeseed and castor oils), in particular, regarding the possibility of their use as components of aviation biofuels. Thus, the new bio-additives can be successfully used for further research on the development of alternative aviation fuels. Робота присвячена дослідженню фізико-хімічних властивостей авіаційних біопалив, зокрема, обґрунтуванню впливу біодобавок на основі різних рослинних олій на властивості палив для ГТД та оцінці можливості використання нових біодобавок для одержання авіаційних біопалив. Розглянуто сучасний стан авіаційної галузі та наведено ключові напрями її розвитку. Враховуючи завдання щодо мінімізації впливу авіації на навколишнє середовище, декарбонізації авіаційного сектору та підвищення його енергоефективності, одним із основних пріоритетів галузі є розвиток технологій виробництва альтернативних авіаційних палив та упровадження їх у практичне використання. У рамках роботи розглянуто альтернативні авіаційні палива (біопалива), що є сумішшю традиційного авіаційного палива та біодобавок, одержаних з різноманітних рослинних олій. Ураховуючи тенденції щодо активного переходу від біопалив першого покоління до біопалив другого та третього поколінь у статті розглядаються нові види рослинної сировини для одержання біодобавок до палив. Зокрема, розглянуто можливості використання біодобавок на основі пальмоядрової та кокосової олій для одержання біопалив другого покоління. У роботі досліджено та проаналізовано хімічний склад та фізико-хімічні властивості біодобавок на основі різних рослинних олій. Показано, що кількісний та якісний склад біодобавок визначає їх фізико-хімічні властивості. Надалі, досліджено фізико-хімічні властивості зразків авіаційних біопалив на основі нафтового авіаційного палива та біодобавок. Показано, що введення біодобавок до складу нафтових авіаційних палив призводить до зміни їх властивостей, зокрема до підвищення густини, в’язкості та температури кристалізації. За результатами експериментальних обґрунтовано, що біодобавки на основі пальмоядрової та кокосової олій мають кращі характеристики порівняно з біодобавками, що вивчалися раніше (на основі ріпакової та рижієвої олій), зокрема, з огляду можливості їх використання як компонентів авіаційних біопалив. Таким чином, нові біодобавки можуть успішно використовуватися для подальших досліджень щодо розроблення альтернативних авіаційних палив.

International audience; We introduce a framework for quantifying random matrix behavior of 2d CFTs and AdS$_3$ quantum gravity. We present a 2d CFT trace formula, precisely analogous to the Gutzwiller trace formula for chaotic quantum systems, which originates from the $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ spectral decomposition of the Virasoro primary density of states. An analogy to Berry's diagonal approximation allows us to extract spectral statistics of individual 2d CFTs by coarse-graining, and to identify signatures of chaos and random matrix universality. This leads to a necessary and sufficient condition for a 2d CFT to display a linear ramp in its coarse-grained spectral form factor. Turning to gravity, AdS$_3$ torus wormholes are cleanly interpreted as diagonal projections of squared partition functions of microscopic 2d CFTs. The projection makes use of Hecke operators. The Cotler-Jensen wormhole of AdS$_3$ pure gravity is shown to be extremal among wormhole amplitudes: it is the minimal completion of the random matrix theory correlator compatible with Virasoro symmetry and $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$-invariance. We call this MaxRMT: the maximal realization of random matrix universality consistent with the necessary symmetries. Completeness of the $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ spectral decomposition as a trace formula allows us to factorize the Cotler-Jensen wormhole, extracting the microscopic object $Z_{\rm RMT}(\tau)$ from the coarse-grained product. This captures details of the spectrum of BTZ black hole microstates. $Z_{\rm RMT}(\tau)$ may be interpreted as an AdS$_3$ half-wormhole. We discuss its implications for the dual CFT and modular bootstrap at large central charge.

This study investigated the influence of diverse laser processing parameters on the thermophysical properties of Ti-6Al-4V and AlSi10Mg alloys manufactured via laser powder bed fusion. During fabrication, the laser power (50 W, 75 W, 100 W) and laser scanning speed (0.2 m/s, 0.4 m/s, 0.6 m/s) were adjusted while keeping other processing parameters constant. Besides laser processing parameters, this study also explored the impact of test temperatures on the thermophysical properties of the alloys. It was found that the thermophysical properties of L-PBF Ti-6Al-4V alloy samples were sensitive to laser processing parameters, while L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloy showed less sensitivity. In general, for the L-PBF Ti-6Al-4V alloy, as the laser power increased and laser scan speed decreased, both thermal diffusivity and conductivity increased. Both L-PBF Ti-6Al-4V and L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys demonstrated similar dependence on test temperatures, with thermal diffusivity and conductivity increasing as the test temperature rose. The CALPHAD software Thermo-Calc (2023b), applied in Scheil Solidification Mode, was utilized to calculate the quantity of solution atoms, thus enhancing our understanding of observed thermal conductivity variations. A detailed analysis revealed how variations in laser processing parameters and test temperatures significantly influence the alloy’s resulting density, specific heat, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity. This research not only highlights the importance of processing parameters but also enriches comprehension of the mechanisms influencing these effects in the domain of laser powder bed fusion.

Evtektična topila so novejša alternativa za ionske tekočine, saj imajo podobne lastnosti, vendar je njihova priprava enostavnejša in cenejša, zato se jih vse bolj poslužujejo predvsem v farmacevtski industriji. Njihova dobra lastnost pa je tudi ta, da so prijaznejša okolju. V tem diplomskem delu sem predstavila rezultate merjenja zmrzišč, gostote in viskoznosti petih evtektičnih topil L-mentola in oktanojske kisline. Evtektična topila L-mentol/oktanojska kislina sem pripravila v množinskih razmerjih 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1 in 3:1 ter jim izmerila gostoto in viskoznost pri temperaturah med 5 °C in 55 °C, v razmaku 10 °C. Poleg tega pa sem za primerjavo pri višjih temperaturah (35 °C, 45 °C, 55°C) izvedla meritve tudi za obe čisti komponenti. Rezultate sem predstavila v obliki tabel in grafov. Deep eutectic solvents are a newer alternative to ionic liquids, as they have similar characteristics, but their preparation is less complex and cheaper, so they are increasingly used, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. Their good feature is also that they are more environmentally friendly. In this work, the results of measuring freezing points, density and viscosity of five eutectic solvents L-menthol and octanoic acid were presented. L-menthol/octanoic acid eutectic solvents were prepared with molar ratios of 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 and their density and viscosity were measured at temperatures between 5 °C and 55 °C, with an interval of 10 °C. In addition, for comparison at higher temperatures (35 °C, 45 °C, 55 °C), I also performed measurements for both pure components. I presented the results in the form of tables and graphs.

The basic work of power data research is anomaly detection. It is necessary to find a method suitable for processing current power system data. Research proposes an algorithm of fast density peak clustering with Local Outlier Factor (LOF). The algorithm has poor performance in processing datasets with irregular shapes and significant local density changes, and has the disadvantage of strong dependence on truncation distance. This study provides the decision rules for outliers incorporating the idea of LOF. The improved algorithm can fully consider the characteristics of power data and reduce the dependence on truncation distance. In anomaly detection based on the simulation of real power data, the classification accuracy of the improved CFSFDP algorithm is 4.87% higher than that of the traditional algorithm, and the accuracy rate is 97.41%. The missed and false detection rates of the LOF-CFSFDP algorithm are decreased by 2.23% and 2.64%, respectively, compared to the traditional algorithm, and it is ultimately able to reach rates of 1.26% and 1.33%. These results indicate that the algorithm proposed in this study can better describe the characteristics of power data, making the features of outliers and cluster center points more obvious.

Numerous prior studies hypothesized a power-law relationship () between cortical bone Young's modulus (E) and density (¿) with an exponent , that has not been previously justified in the literature on a theoretical level. Moreover, despite the fact microstructure have been extensively studied, the material correlate of Fractal Dimension (FD) as a descriptor of bone microstructure was not clear in previous studies.

Amaç: Bu çalışma, Kahramanmaraş ve Adana illerinde çeşitli ilçelerde bulunan şeker pancarı tarlalarında yabancı ot türü, yoğunluğu, sıklığı ve genel kapsama alanını belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Ayrıca 2000-2001 yıllarından 20 yıl sonra şeker fabrikası üretim alanları ile yabancı ot türleri ve yoğunluğunda meydana gelen değişimlerin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır.Yöntem ve Bulgular: Çalışma alanlarında görülen yabancı ot yoğunluğunu hesaplamak için 1 hektara 40 çerçeve kullanılmıştır. Yabancı otların türü, yoğunluğu, görülme sıklığı ve genel kapsama alanları hesaplanmıştır. Şeker pancarı tarlalarında çok yoğun olarak tespit edilen yabancı ot türleri sırasıyla, Sinapis arvensis L., Chenopodium album L., Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link., Cuscuta campestris Yunck., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers., Elymus repens (L.) Gould., Convolvulus arvensis L., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. ve Cardaria draba (L.) Desv. olarak belirlenmiştir. Önemli yabancı ot türlerinin sıklığı ve genel kaplama alanı % 64.9-50.1 ve % 62.8-50.0 arasındadır.Genel yorum: Kahramanmaraş ve Adana illerinde yer alan ilçelerdeki şekerpancarı tarlalarında 26 familyaya bağlı toplam 88 yabancı ot türü tespit edilmiştir. Bu yabancı ot türlerinden 1 tür tam parazit ve Pteridophyta, 18 Monokotiledon ve 68 tür Dikotiledon sınıfına aittir. Kahramanmaraş şeker pancarı tarlalarında 20 yıl önce yapılan araştırma sonuçlarına göre hem bugün belirlenen tür sayısında hem de çok yoğun görülen tür sayısında önemli artışlar olduğu gözlenmiştir.Çalışmanın Önemi ve Etkisi: Kahramanmaraş ve Adana illerinde bulunana şeker pancarı tarlalarında tespit edilen yabancı ot türleri ve yoğunluklarının ilçeden ilçeye değişiklik gösterdiği belirlenmiştir. Holo parazit C. campestris ile rizom ve stolon gövdeli bazı yabancı ot türleri yoğunluk bakımından şeker pancarı için önemli bir tehdittir., Aims: This study was carried out to determine the weed species, density, frequency and general coverage area in sugar beet fields located at several districts in Kahramanmaras and Adana provinces. At the same time, it is aimed to determine the changes occurred in sugar factory production areas and weed species and density 20 years after 2000-2001. Methods and Results: In order to calculate the weed density seen in the study areas, 40 frames per 1 ha were used. The species, density, frequency of incidence and general coverage areas of weeds were calculated. Weed species; Sinapis arvensis L., Chenopodium album L., Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link., Cuscuta campestris Yunck., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers., Elymus repens (L.) Gould., Convolvulus arvensis L., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. and Cardaria draba (L.) Desv. were detected very intensely in sugar beet fields. The frequency of incidence and general coverage area of important weed species was calculated between 64.9-50.1 % and 62.8-50.0 %.Conclusions: A total of 88 weed species belonging to 26 families were determined in the sugar beet fields in the districts of Kahramanmaraş and Adana. From these weed species, 1 species belongs to holoparasite and pteridophyta, 18 species belong to monocotyledons and 68 species belong to dicotyledon class. According to the results of the research carried out 20 years ago in Kahramanmaras sugar beet fields, significant increases were observed both in the number of species and in the number of species that are very dense.Significance and Impact of the Study: Weed species and densities, detected in sugar beet fields in Kahramanmaraş and Adana provinces, vary according to district. Holoparasite C. campestris and some weed species with rhizome and stolon stems are a major threat to sugar beet in terms of density.

Resumo O planejamento e manejo da arborização viária são indispensáveis para o desenvolvimento urbano sustentável e requerem o conhecimento da situação existente. A identificação e a distribuição das espécies florestais presentes nas vias públicas são fundamentais para subsidiar o planejamento adequado da arborização viária. A partir dessas informações, pode-se realizar a caracterização geral do local de interesse e identificar áreas prioritárias para ações de manejo. Dessa maneira, o presente estudo teve como objetivo identificar áreas prioritárias para intervenções na arborização viária de São Pedro do Sul e verificar a influência das espécies vegetais exóticas no índice de diversidade. Realizou-se um censo quantitativo coletando-se informações sobre a posição geográfica das árvores e arbustos e identificação das espécies vegetais. Determinaram-se as frequências para famílias e espécies e calculou-se o índice de Shannon-Wiener (H’) para diversidade de espécies. A espacialização das árvores dentro dos limites dos bairros e vias foi realizada por meio de um mapa de Kernel. Por fim, obteve-se a densidade de indivíduos por quilômetro de via em cada bairro. Foram catalogados 3365 indivíduos, dos quais 98 não foram passíveis de identificação. Registrou-se a presença de 91 espécies, distribuídas em 34 famílias. A família Fabaceae obteve a maior densidade de indivíduos (19,55%). As espécies exóticas concentraram 63,98% da população, sendo a espécie Ligustrum lucidum a mais frequente (15,66%). O município obteve valores médios de 41,18 árvores por quilômetro de via e índice de diversidade de 3,22. O índice de atenção possibilitou identificar os bairros com maiores necessidades de adequação quanto à densidade da arborização viária. O mapa de Kernel possibilitou a visualização da distribuição da arborização viária. Observou-se também que a diversidade de espécies vegetais mensurada em cada bairro está representada essencialmente por espécies vegetais exóticas invasoras e que, à medida que os valores de diversidade aumentam, a composição da arborização com árvores de espécies invasoras se destaca. Abstract The planning and management of street trees are indispensable for sustainable urban development and requires knowledge of the existing situation. The identification of forest species which are present on streets and their distributions is essential to support the adequate planning of street afforestation. This information enables to carry out the general characterization of the place of interest and identify priority areas for management actions. Thus, the present study aimed to identify priority areas for interventions in urban street trees of São Pedro do Sul and to verify the influence of exotic species on the diversity index. A census was carried out collecting information about the tree species and their geographic positions, checking it with the specialized literature. The frequencies for families and species were obtained, the Shannon-Wiener index (H ') was calculated for species diversity. The spatialization of trees within the limits of neighborhoods and roads was carried out using a Kernel map. Finally, the density of individuals per kilometer of road in each neighborhood was obtained. 3365 trees were cataloged, of which 98 were not possible to be identifiable. The presence of 91 species was registered, distributed in 34 families. The Fabaceae family obtained the highest density of individuals (19.55%). Exotic species concentrated 63.98 % of the population, with Ligustrum lucidum being the most frequent species (15.66%). The municipality obtained average values of 41.18 trees per kilometer of road and a diversity index of 3.22. The attention index made it possible to identify the neighborhoods with the greatest need for adaptation in terms of the density of road afforestation. The Kernel map made it possible to visualize the distribution of the road afforestation. It was also observed that the diversity of tree species measured in each neighborhood is represented essentially by invasive alien species and that as the diversity values increase, the composition of afforestation with invasive species trees stands out.

Volumetric properties for ten binary mixtures, containing N3-substituted 1-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquids, [Cnmim][Cl] (n = 0, 1, 2, 4, 6) and butan-2-ol or butan-2-one investigated in the molality range of ionic liquids (m = 0.005–0.1 mol·kg−1), and in temperature range T = (278.15–313.15 K) at 5 K intervals. From measured density data, the thermal expansion coefficient, αp, apparent molar volume, Vϕ, partial molar volumes for solvent, V¯ 1 and solute, V¯ 2, apparent molar volume at infinite dilution, Vϕo, Masson’s interaction coefficient, Sv, Heppler’s coefficient, (∂2Vϕo∂T2)p, and limiting apparent molar expansibility, Eϕo , were calculated. Masson’s equation satisfactorily correlated with the calculated data. Based on the Sv coefficient, the interactions between cation and anion of the ionic liquids with butan-2-ol or butan-2-one are discussed. Ionic liquids [C0mim][Cl], [C4mim][Cl], and [C6mim][Cl] have structure-making properties, while [C1mim][Cl] and [C2mim][Cl] are structure-breakers in butan-2-ol. In butan-2-one solvent, the ionic liquid [C0mim][Cl] is a structure-breaker, while the other ionic liquids are structure-makers.

Super-selective multivalent ligand-receptor interactions display a signature step-like onset in binding when meeting a characteristic density of target receptors. Materials engineered for super-selective binding generally display a high number of flexible ligands to enhance the systems' avidity. In many biological processes, however, ligands are present in moderate copy numbers and arranged in spatio-temporal patterns. In this low-valency regime, the rigidity of the ligand-presenting architecture plays a critical role in the selectivity of the multivalent complex through decrease of the entropic penalty of binding. Exploiting the precision in spatial design inherent to the DNA nanotechnology, we engineered a library of rigid architectures to explore how valency, affinity, and nano-spacing control the presence of super-selectivity in multivalent binding. A micromolar monovalent affinity was required for super-selective binding to be observed within low-valency systems, and the transition point for stable interactions was measured at hexavalent ligand presentation, setting the limits of the low valency regime. Super-selective binding was observed for all hexavalent architectures, and, more strikingly, the ligand pattern determined the selectivity onset. Hereby, we demonstrate for the first time that nano-control of geometric patterns can be used to discriminate between receptor densities in a super-selective manner. Materials that were indistinguishable in their molecular composition and ligand valency bound with various efficacies on surfaces with constant receptor densities. We define this new phenomenon in super-selective binding as multivalent pattern recognition.

Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been designed as effective solvents for precombustion CO2capture by using a conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS). Reliable CO2solubilities in various compounds and binary solvents were estimated. We have developed new DESs from 38 selected, nature-derived, hydrophobic, and CO2affinitive compounds. The possibilities of any two of these substances to form DESs were assessed from predicted activity coefficients, followed by an estimation of the CO2solubilities of the theoretically feasible DESs. 58 promising hypothetical DESs were screened out. Subsequently, eight DESs were successfully prepared and characterized. Most of these DESs have a density larger than 1.0 g/mL at 298.15 K. The DESs have a similarly low volatility as decanoic acid-menthol (1:2) and are thermally stable below 420 K. Vanillin-4-oxoisophorone (1:3) and methyl salicylate-4-oxoisophorone (1:1) have been identified to be very promising for precombustion capture, showing comparable CO2solubility and viscosity to the well-known, conventionally used Selexol solvent.

Additive manufacturing (AM) as a disruptive technique has offered great potential to design and fabricate many metallic components for aerospace, medical, nuclear, and energy applications where parts have complex geometry. However, a limited number of materials suitable for the AM process is one of the shortcomings of this technique, in particular laser AM of copper (Cu) is challenging due to its high thermal conductivity and optical reflectivity, which requires higher heat input to melt powders. Fabrication of composites using AM is also very challenging and not easily achievable using the current powder bed technologies. Here, the feasibility to fabricate pure copper and copper-carbon nanotube (Cu-CNT) composites was investigated using laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (LPBF-AM), and 10 × 10 × 10 mm3 cubes of Cu and Cu-CNTs were made by applying a Design of Experiment (DoE) varying three parameters: laser power, laser speed, and hatch spacing at three levels. For both Cu and Cu-CNT samples, relative density above 90% and 80% were achieved, respectively. Density measurement was carried out three times for each sample, and the error was found to be less than 0.1%. Roughness measurement was performed on a 5 mm length of the sample to obtain statistically significant results. As-built Cu showed average surface roughness (Ra) below 20 µm; however, the surface of AM Cu-CNT samples showed roughness values as large as 1 mm. Due to its porous structure, the as-built Cu showed thermal conductivity of ~108 W/m·K and electrical conductivity of ~20% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard) at room temperature, ~70% and ~80% lower than those of conventionally fabricated bulk Cu. Thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity were ~85 W/m·K and ~10% IACS for as-built Cu-CNT composites at room temperature. As-built Cu-CNTs showed higher thermal conductivity as compared to as-built Cu at a temperature range from 373 K to 873 K. Because of their large surface area, light weight, and large energy absorbing behavior, porous Cu and Cu-CNT materials can be used in electrodes, catalysts and their carriers, capacitors, heat exchangers, and heat and impact absorption.

Urban density is central to urban research and planning and can be defined in numer- ous ways. Most measures of urban density however are biased by arbitrary chosen spatial units at their denominator and ignore the relative location of elementary urban objects within those units. We solve these two problems by proposing a new graph-based density index which we apply to the case of buildings in Belgium. The method includes two main steps. First, a graph-based spatial descending hierarchical clustering (SDHC) delineates clusters of buildings with homogeneous inter-building distances. A Moran scatterplot and a maximum Cook’s distance are used to prune the minimum spanning tree at each iteration of the SDHC. Second, within each clus- ter, the ratio of the number of buildings to the sum of inter-building distances is cal- culated. This density of buildings is thus defined independently of the definition of any basic spatial unit and preserves the built-up topology, i.e. the relative position of buildings. The method is parsimonious in parameters and can easily be transferred to other punctual objects or extended to account for additional attributes.

[EN] For topological spaces X and Y, let Qp(X,Y) be the space of all quasicontinuous functions from X to Y with the topology of pointwise convergence. In this paper, we study the cardinal invariants such as cellularity, character, weight, density, pseudocharacter and spread of the space Qp(X,Y). We also discuss the properties of the restriction and induced maps related to the space Qp(X,Y)., The first author acknowledges the fellowship grant of University Grant Commission, India with Student-ID DEC18-414765.

Light-weight aggregate and trapped air additions (TAD) affect concrete performance and lead to the production of light-weight concrete (LWC). In this research, fourteen mixes were designed to study the effects of TAD type and content and pozzolanic material (PZ) type on the microstructure characterization of concrete. Aluminum powder (AP) and lightcrete (LC) were used as TAD with content equal to (0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.57%). The PZ included silica fume (SF) and fly ash (FA) with a content equal to 10% of the weight of cement. Tests were performed for compressive strength, density, SEM, EDS, XRD, and TGA/DTG. The results show that compressive strength and density are reduced as TAD ratios are increased.

The results of coal sink and float tests are plotted as washability curves. Analysis of these curves indicates the most effective method by which the coal can be cleaned. Sink and float experiments are sampling-dependent, destructive, and use toxic chemicals. The present research introduces an alternative method based on a 3D imaging system called RhoVol, in which the density of individual particles is determined from mass and volume measurements. A quantitative error analysis was conducted on coal sample density measurements obtained by RhoVol, and the main factors influencing the errors identified and investigated. The results show that the drawback of this technique is related to its not being able to detect hidden concavities in the particle, resulting in an overestimation of particle volume. Furthermore, it is difficult to capture the impact of porosity and cracks on the volume of coal particles obtained from 3D silhouette images. This mismatch between the RhoVol data and sink and float test results has led to attempts to apply neural network (NN) and linear regression techniques to produce a fully reliable model for correction and estimation of coal density. The NN approach offers superior predictive capability over linear regression, and the estimated density distribution is in line with the sink and float analysis. The root mean square error in estimation of density using the NN model was less than 0.05 g/cm3.

In viscous fluids, motile microentities such as bacteria or artificial swimmers often display different transport modes than macroscopic ones. A current challenge in the field aims at using friction asymmetry to steer the motion of microscopic particles. Here we show that lithographically shaped magnetic microtriangles undergo a series of complex transport modes when driven by a precessing magnetic field, including a surfing-like drift close to the bottom plane. In this regime, we exploit the triangle asymmetric shape to obtain a transversal drift which is later used to transport the microtriangle in any direction along the plane. We explain this friction-induced anisotropic sliding with a minimal numerical model capable to reproduce the experimental results. Due to the flexibility offered by soft-lithographic sculpturing, our method to guide anisotropic-shaped magnetic microcomposites can be potentially extended to many other field responsive structures operating in fluid media.

Landscape composition and its related functional agrobiodiversity (FAB) was severely simplified during the last decades. As landscape composition is expected to influence the interrelated microclimate and arthropod community at different scales, this simplification might have led to a decline in multiple agro-ecosystem services, with potential impacts for the growth of crops with different demands from the environment. To study landscape-scale effects on multicrop yield and herbivory in combination with its potential drivers, including functional arthropod community and microclimate, we used standardised 1 m(2) mini-gardens planted with ten different vegetable crops as phytometers. The gardens were installed at locations varying in surrounding landscape composition and the vegetables were selected to have contrasting requirements in terms of growing conditions, pollination services and susceptibility to pests. Monitoring of the mini-gardens was performed in 2018 and 2019 in Flanders (Belgium). We found no relationship between landscape composition in a 500 m radius and crop yield. Considering possible mechanisms, we found that an increasing share of woody vegetation (>3 m high) in the surrounding landscape is important to buffer the temperature and soil moisture variation in the mini-gardens. The share of agricultural land use and urban green (

Enhancing the kinetics of liquid-vapor transition from nanoscale confinements is an attractive strategy for developing evaporation and separation applications. The ultimate limit of confinement for evaporation is an atom thick interface hosting angstrom-scale nanopores. Herein, using a combined experimental/computational approach, we report highly enhanced water evaporation rates when angstrom sized oxygen-functionalized graphene nanopores are placed at the liquid-vapor interface. The evaporation flux increases for the smaller nanopores with an enhancement up to 35-fold with respect to the bare liquid-vapor interface. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that oxygen-functionalized nanopores render rapid rotational and translational dynamics to the water molecules due to a reduced and short-lived water-water hydrogen bonding. The potential of mean force (PMF) reveals that the free energy barrier for water evaporation decreases in the presence of nanopores at the atomically thin interface, which further explains the enhancement in evaporation flux. These findings can enable the development of energy-efficient technologies relying on water evaporation.

Governments played an essential role in mitigating the social, political, health and economic impact and outcomes of COVID-19. Most literature limits the role of the state at the national level by focusing on the pandemic’s impact on economic growth, unemployment, poverty and state responses. This approach neglects the role played by subnational governments in managing the pandemic. In response to this predicament, this article explores the territorial socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and the responses adopted by subnational governments through the case studies of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and KwaDukuza Local Municipality in South Africa. A territorial understanding of the pandemic and responses is important because of the spatial dimensions of the pandemic. Methodologically, the article utilises data from a survey conducted with informal workers in the two municipalities. The article shows the diverging impact and responses from the two municipalities, and how pre-existing socio-economic structures reinforced prevailing challenges. The article argues that a territorial understanding of the pandemic allows governments to adopt targeted interventions to enhance the effectiveness of responses to the different spatial dimensions of the pandemic.

Reconstructing lens potentials and lensed sources can easily become an underconstrained problem, even when the degrees of freedom are low, due to degeneracies, particularly when potential perturbations superimposed on a smooth lens are included. Regularization has traditionally been used to constrain the solutions where the data failed to do so, e.g. in unlensed parts of the source. In this exploratory work, we go beyond the usual choices of regularization and adopt observationally motivated priors for the source brightness. We also perform a similar comparison when reconstructing lens potential perturbations, which are assumed to be stationary, i.e. permeate the entire field of view. We find that physically motivated priors lead to lower residuals, avoid overfitting, and are decisively preferred within a Bayesian quantitative framework in all the examples considered. For the perturbations, choosing the wrong regularization can have a detrimental effect that even high-quality data cannot correct for, while using a purely smooth lens model can absorb them to a very high degree and lead to biased solutions. Finally, our new implementation of the semi-linear inversion technique provides the first quantitative framework for measuring degeneracies between the source and the potential perturbations., 25 pages, 21 figures, 5 tables, submitted to MNRAS

Change regulation of the physical properties of fluid is key to accurately predicting multiphase fluid flow in the production wellbore of CO2 flooding reservoirs. Given the characteristics of significant changes in pressure, temperature, and CO2 content in the whole wellbore of production wells in CO2 flooding reservoirs, this paper systematically studied the change rules of volume factor, viscosity, density, and solubility of well fluid for pressure 5~30 MPa, temperature 20~120 °C, and CO2 content 10~90% through single degassing PVT experiments. According to the experimental results, the volume factor of crude oil increases first and then decreases with the pressure increase. At the bubble point pressure (20 MPa), the volume factor of crude oil can reach 1.89 at high temperatures. The volume factor can be increased from 1.28 to 1.44 at 8 MPa when the temperature increases from 20 °C to 120 °C. Under the bubble point pressure, the increase in pressure increases the solubility of CO2, and the viscosity of crude oil decreases rapidly. In contrast, above the saturation pressure, the increase in pressure increases the viscosity of crude oil. Under the freezing point temperature (24 °C), the viscosity of crude oil decreases sharply with increase in temperature. In contrast, above the freezing point temperature, the viscosity change of crude oil is not sensitive to temperature. The wellbore temperature has a significant impact on the density of the well fluid. At 5 MPa, the temperature increases from 20 °C to 120 °C, which can reduce the density of high CO2 crude oil from 0.93 g/cm3 to 0.86 g/cm3. The solubility of CO2 in crude oil is sensitive to pressure. When the pressure increases from 5 MPa to 15 MPa at 20 °C, the solubility increases by 36.56 cm3/cm3. The results of this paper support the multiphase fluid flow law prediction of CO2 flooding production wells with a high gas–liquid ratio.

Background: The thymus is the first lymphoid organ formed to regulate a newborn’s immunity. It reaches its maximum size during puberty, after which it undergoes an atrophic procedure called involution, but its ability to grow again in response to some stresses, such as infections, neoplasia, surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy is maintained. There is no comprehensive study on computed tomographic features of thymus in dogs. So, the goal of the present study is to gain better insight into the thymus using computed tomography as a non-invasive method. Methods: One hundred and fifty dogs classified in five age groups and five breed groups were recruited to this study and the thymus was evaluated using a 2-slice computed tomography machine. The inclusion criteria for the present study were having a normal complete blood count, plain and post-contrast CT scan examination of the thoracic region and no history of neoplasia, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The visibility, density, enhancement, grade, size, volume, shape, borders and lateralization of the thymus were evaluated and statistical analysis was performed. The effect of obesity on thymic grade and volume was also investigated. Results: The visibility, density, dorsal length, volume and grade decreased with increasing age. The thymic shape and lateralization were mostly wedge shaped and left sided, respectively. The borders became concave with aging and increasing body fat content caused an increase in the fatty degeneration of the thymus. Conclusions: Declining thymic density, grade, size and volume with aging are related to thymic involution and fatty degeneration was accelerated by increasing body fat content. Females and males were different only in thymic shape and small and large breeds were different only in thymic volume. The thymus was visible in some geriatric dogs with no underlying disease. We expect that the present work can be used by radiologists in reading thoracic computed tomography but investigation of thymic characteristics in dogs with neoplasia and history of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and thoracic surgeries can complete this study.

This study investigated the perception of numbers in humans in 3D stimuli. Recent research has shown that number processing relies on “number sense” for small values, in line with Weber’s law. While previous studies have reported 3D numerosity overestimation mainly in higher numerical values, our experiment examined whether this phenomenon occurs at lower numerical values. We also explored whether the Weber ratio follows Weber’s law when comparing 2D and 3D stimuli in terms of the number of elements. Observers were presented with pairs of stimuli on a monitor and were asked to identify the stimulus with a larger number of elements. Using the constant method, we calculated the point of subjective equality (PSE), just noticeable difference (JND), and Weber ratios from the collected data. As a result, it was confirmed that the phenomenon of over-estimation of 3D numerical values occurs even when the numerical values are small. Additionally, we observed that the Weber fraction adhered to Weber’s law within the measured range. These findings contribute to the existing body of research, supporting the existence of distinct mechanisms for perceiving numerosity and density.

This study assesses quad-band metamaterial perfect absorbers (MPAs) based on a double X-shaped ring resonator for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding applications. EMI shielding applications are primarily concerned with the shielding effectiveness values where the resonance is uniformly or non-sequentially modulated depending on the reflection and absorption behaviour. The proposed unit cell consists of double X-shaped ring resonators, a dielectric substrate of Rogers RT5870 with 1.575 mm thickness, a sensing layer, and a copper ground layer. The presented MPA yielded maximum absorptions of 99.9%, 99.9%, 99.9%, and 99.8% at 4.87 GHz, 7.49 GHz, 11.78 GHz, and 13.09 GHz resonance frequencies for the transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes at a normal polarisation angle. When the electromagnetic (EM) field with the surface current flow was investigated, the mechanisms of quad-band perfect absorption were revealed. Moreover, the theoretical analysis indicated that the MPA provides a shielding effectiveness of more than 45 dB across all bands in both TE and TM modes. An analogous circuit demonstrated that it could yield superior MPAs using the ADS software. Based on the findings, the suggested MPA is anticipated to be valuable for EMI shielding purposes.

We investigate the imprints of accretion and dynamical friction on the gravitational-wave signals emitted by binary black holes embedded in a scalar dark matter cloud. As a key feature in this work, we focus on scalar fields with a repulsive self-interaction that balances against the self-gravity of the cloud. To a first approximation, the phase of the gravitational-wave signal receives extra correction terms at $-4$PN and $-5.5$PN orders, relative to the prediction of vacuum general relativity, due to accretion and dynamical friction, respectively. Future observations by LISA and B-DECIGO have the potential to detect these effects for a large range of scalar masses~$m_\mathrm{DM}$ and self-interaction couplings~$\lambda_4$; observations by ET and Advanced~LIGO could also detect these effects, albeit in a more limited region of parameter space. Crucially, we find that even if a dark matter cloud has a bulk density~$\rho_0$ that is too dilute to be detected via the effects of dynamical friction, the imprints of accretion could still be observable because it is controlled by the independent scale $\rho_a = 4 m_{\rm DM}^4 c^3/(3 \lambda_4 \hbar^3)$. In the models we consider, the infalling dark matter increases in density up to this characteristic scale $\rho_a$ near the Schwarzschild radius, which sets the accretion rate and its associated impact on the gravitational~waveform., Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables

The present paper contains data on the density (ρ), sound velocity (u), and specific heat capacity cp of the mixture of N,N-dimethylformamide + 1-butanol (DMF + BuOH) determined in the entire concentration range of solution and in the temperature range (293.15–318.15) K. The analysis of thermodynamic functions such as isobaric molar expansion, isentropic and isothermal molar compression, isobaric and isochoric molar heat capacity, as well as their excess functions (Ep,mE,KS,mE,KT,mE,Cp,mE,CV,mE) and also VmE was undertaken. The analysis of changes in the physicochemical quantities was based on consideration of the system in terms of intermolecular interactions and resulting changes in the mixture structure. The results available in the literature were confusing during the analysis and became the reason for our decision to thoroughly examine the system. What is more, for a system whose components are widely used, there is very scarce information in the literature regarding the heat capacity of the tested mixture, which was also achieved and presented in this publication. The conclusions drawn from so many data points allow us to approximate and understand the changes that occur in the structure of the system due to the repeatability and consistency of the obtained results.

The dynamic modulus of elasticity (Ed), specified by ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements, is often used, especially for concrete built into construction, to estimate the static modulus of elasticity (Ec,s). However, the most commonly used Equations for such estimations do not take into account the influence of concrete moisture. The aim of this paper was to establish this influence for two series of structural lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) varying in their strength (40.2 and 54.3 MPa) and density (1690 and 1780 kg/m3). The effect of LWAC moisture content turned out to be much more pronounced in the case of dynamic modulus measurements than for static ones. The achieved results indicate that the moisture content of the concrete should be taken into consideration in modulus measurements as well as in Equations estimating Ec,s on the basis of Ed specified by the ultrasonic pulse velocity method. The static modulus of LWACs was lower on average by 11 and 24% in relation to dynamic modulus, respectively when measured in air-dried and water-saturated conditions. The influence of LWAC moisture content on the relationship between specified static and dynamic moduli was not affected by the type of tested lightweight concrete.

This work introduces graphical methods documenting density, diversity (species richness combined with heterogeneity) and similarity in combined diagrams for estimating the influence of environmental and taphonomic factors in living (LAs) and dead (DAs) assemblages. In this paper, the diagrams compare: 1) densities per 1 g of sediment expressed in cubic squares; 2) diversities based on rarefaction species richness (x-axis) and Shannon H rarefaction (y-axis), both extended to infinity by the logistic Hull equation, and 3) similarity diagrams based on cosine measures (x-axis) and Spearman correlation coefficients (y-axis). Diagrams were exemplified for LAs and DAs found at 53 stations along channels and intertidal areas of the Aveiro Lagoon (Portugal). Eight ‘routes’ characterized by different trends in the distribution of the analyzed biotic parameters were recognized in six regions of the Aveiro Lagoon: ‘port area’, ‘central lagoon’, ‘northeast lagoon’, ‘northern and southern extremities of the lagoon’ and ‘city area’. In addition, Detrended Correspondence Analyses (DCA) based on diversity diagrams were performed to show the influence of environmental parameters, especially grain size, salinity, and pH, on the average species composition in each route. The comparative diagrams allow deduction about the impact of parameters that simultaneously affect LAs and DAs, such as hydrodynamics, post-mortem tests dissolution, physicochemical parameters, excessive contribution of organic matter, oxygen depletion, and pollution by metals. Based on these diagrams, the most favorable environments due to the most remarkable development and diversity of LAs and DAs are located in protected coves of the Aveiro Lagoon mouth. published

The alteration of students’ ideas in favour of more scientific ones is known as conceptual change. The process might involve a combination of both higher-order cognitive skills and motivational attitudes of students, but few studies have explored all three together. The current study examines the role of executive function skills and motivation alongside conceptual change in physics understanding. The study examines a sample of 426 Egyptian students (M age = 12.5)—an underrepresented population in the literature. The participants completed a short tutorial targeting misconceptions about density. Findings from the structural equation model indicated that executive functions, especially shifting, predicted baseline density understanding (ß = .18, p < .05), but not conceptual gains. Motivational elements, particularly, self-efficacy was a significant positive predictor of conceptual gains (ß = .15, p < .05), but not baseline density understanding. However, performance goal orientation negatively predicted conceptual gains (ß = -.18, p < .05). Implications for teaching and learning are suggested in light of the present findings.

Cu matrix composites benefit from the high electrical and thermal conductivities of Cu and the mechanical wear/erosion resistance of hard reinforcement. In this study, an attempt has been made to determine the effect of the addition of reinforcement B4C in Cu-Ni-Sn. The B4C is reinforced to form a hybrid Cu matrix composite with powder metallurgy technique. The hybrid composites are obtained by milling, blending, and compacting the powders to obtain a fine grain-sized particle without aggregation. The grain size and particle nature were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, respectively. The microstructure, density, hardness, and wear rate of the composites were studied. The pin-on-disc method is equipped to study the wear behaviour and coefficient of friction. The sintered density of the prepared Cu-15%Ni is 98.25 %, Cu-8%Sn is 98.20 %, Cu-15%Ni-8%Sn is 98.10 % and Cu-15%Ni-8%Sn-2%B4C is 95.26 % and lower specific wear rate has been recorded for Cu-15Ni-8Sn-2B4C 121×10-6 mm3/(Nm) and the addition of reinforcement B4C in Cu-Ni-Sn displays remarkable changes in wear rate and friction coefficient.

Anthropogenic stressors such as climate warming and invasive species and natural stressors such as parasites exert pressures that can interact to impact the function of ecosystems. This study investigated how these stressors interact to impact the vital ecosystem process of shredding by keystone species in temperate freshwater ecosystems. We compared metabolic rates and rates of shredding at a range of temperatures up to extreme levels, from 5 °C to 30 °C, between invasive and native amphipods that were unparasitised or parasitised by a common acanthocephalan, Echinorhynchus truttae. Shredding results were compared using the relative impact potential (RIP) metric to investigate how they impacted the scale with a numerical response. Although per capita shredding was higher for the native amphipod at all temperatures, the higher abundance of the invader led to higher relative impact scores; hence, the replacement of the native by the invasive amphipod is predicted to drive an increase in shredding. This could be interpreted as a positive effect on the ecosystem function, leading to a faster accumulation of amphipod biomass and a greater rate of fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) provisioning for the ecosystem. However, the high density of invaders compared with natives may lead to the exhaustion of the resource in sites with relatively low leaf detritus levels.

Finely dispersed (CeO2)1−x(Sm2O3)x (x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.20) and (CeO2)1−x(Nd2O3)x (x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25) powders were synthesized via liquid-phase techniques based on the co-precipitation of hydroxides and were used to obtain ceramic materials comprising fluorite-like solid solutions with CSR in the range 69–88 nm (upon annealing at 1300 °C) and open porosity in the range 0.6–6.2%. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized materials were comparatively characterized. In general, the prepared materials were found to possess a mixed type of electrical conductivity, but in the medium-temperature range, the ionic component was predominant (ion transfer numbers ti = 0.93–0.73 at 300–700 °C). The highest ionic conductivity was observed for CeO2-based samples containing 20 mol.% Sm2O3 (σ700°C = 3.3 × 10−2 S/cm) and 15 mol.% Nd2O3 (σ700°C = 0.48 × 10−2 S/cm) was in the temperature range 500–700 °C. The physicochemical properties (density, open porosity, type and mechanism of electrical conductivity) of the obtained ceramic materials make them promising as solid oxide electrolytes for medium temperature fuel cells.

As our imaging capability increase, so does our need for appropriate image quantification tools. Quantitative Vascular Analysis Tool (Q-VAT) is an open-source software, written for Fiji (ImageJ), that perform automated analysis and quantification on large two-dimensional images of whole tissue sections. Importantly, it allows separation of the vessel measurement based on diameter, allowing the macro- and microvasculature to be quantified separately. To enable analysis of entire tissue sections on regular laboratory computers, the vascular network of large samples is analyzed in a tile-wise manner, significantly reducing labor and bypassing several limitations related to manual quantification. Double or triple-stained slides can be analyzed, with a quantification of the percentage of vessels where the staining's overlap. To demonstrate the versatility, we applied Q-VAT to obtain morphological read-outs of the vasculature network in microscopy images of whole-mount immuno-stained sections of various mouse tissues. ispartof: FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE vol:10 ispartof: location:Switzerland status: published

Fast-growing species have been increasingly developed in recent years, and among them, those cultivated to obtain combustible woody biomass have shown rapid development. The purpose of this research study is to highlight the properties of the briquettes and pellets obtained from energetic willow compared to the briquettes and pellets obtained from oak biomass. Methodologies have been based on international standards and were used to find the physical, mechanical, and calorific properties of the two types of briquettes and pellets. The results did not highlight a significant difference between the two categories of briquettes and pellets obtained from the two hardwood species (energetic willow and oak). Characteristics such as the calorific value were 20.7 MJ/kg for native pellets and 21.43 MJ/kg for torrefied pellets of energetic willow, as well as the compressive strength of 1.02 N/mm2, surpassed the same characteristics of briquettes and pellets obtained from oak biomass. Other characteristics of energetic willows, such as energetic density of 18.0 × 103 MJ/m3, splitting strength of 0.08 N/mm2, shear strength of 0.86 N/mm2, and abrasion of 1.92%, were favorably related to the oak biomass. The ecological analysis highlighted the high potential of the ecological willow in a period when the quantities of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by human activities are very high, and its sequestration by existing forests is insufficient. As a general conclusion of this research study, it can be stated that the two categories of briquettes and pellets obtained from the woody biomass of the energetic willow and oak species have similar characteristics, which can be used separately or together in ecological and sustainable combustion.

Social network analysis (SNA) is a process of mapping and analyzing interactions between people in social media, including crime. SNA can be used to determine network structure and relationships between criminal network actors through the social media used. After initial investigation, this study used the hashtag "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" and the phrase in Arabic to crawl the data. Business intelligence is a concept and method of how we can improve the quality of decision-making in a business based on data-based systems. By using SNA terms such as density, centrality, diameter, and reciprocity. Business intelligence can be built. With the combination of SNA and BI, groups affiliated with these groups can be identified. The research also identified 10 accounts that were considered to play an important role in collaborative communication, the flow of funds, and the dissemination of radical propaganda. By finding these 10 accounts, there are many investigations that can be carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures at the authorities

Solid catalysts are the best choice for an effective large-scale biodiesel production process. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of catalysts due to the influence of variations in sintering temperature and binder composition on heterogeneous catalysts of CaO·SiO2 pellets made from brick-burning residue. The catalyst was made by the sol-gel method with silica insoles with 5% KOH solvent, CaO soles with HNO3 solvent of 1.5 N, and a CaO:SiO2 ratio of 1:5. The amount of tapioca flour binders was 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%. The resulting gel was made into a catalyst powder, sintered at various temperatures of 600 °C, 700 °C, 800 °C, 900 °C, and 1000 °C, then pelleted with a hydraulic press with a diameter of 9 mm. Catalysts were tested with density test, hardness test, PSA, XRF, XRD, and SEM. The characteristics of the CaO·SiO2 catalysts were influenced by the composition of the binding material and the sintering temperature. The test results show that the influence of variations in the composition of the binder fluctuates because the characteristics of the catalyst are also affected by the compaction process. The higher the sintering temperature, the better the catalyst will be, but if the temperature is too high it can cause agglomeration.