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Copyright of Acta Veterinaria Brasilica is the property of Acta Veterinaria Brasilica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Preparing a friction pair "polymer-metal" using improved polymeric composites is contemplated a complicated task due to the inert surface of the polymer. Gluing polymer composites with improved mechanical and tribological properties on metals and saving their unique properties at the same time is considered the best way to prepare slide bearing products based on polymer/metal. In this work, ultraviolet initiation is used after a process of mixed acid pre-treatment. The surface of highly oriented films based on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)/graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) is grafted with nanocellulose. The grafting treatment is analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and contact angle measurements. Mechanical T-peel tests showed that the peel strength for the treated UHMWPE films increased by three times, up to 1.9 kg/cm, in comparison to the untreated films. The tensile strength of the treated UHMWPE films decreased by about 6% to 788 MPa. Tribological tests showed that the values of both friction coefficient and wear intensity of the treated UHMWPE films were increased insignificantly, which were 0.172 and 15.43 µm/m·m2, respectively. The prepared adhesive tape based on UHMWPE films, which can withstand a weight of up to 6 kg per 1 cm2 of the bonded surface, has a low coefficient of friction, high wear resistance, and high strength, and is considered a promising material for preparing slide bearing products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In forensic science, latex gloves are used to prevent law enforcement personnel from contaminating crime scenes or evidence with DNA or marks from the hands. Law enforcement personnel, however, are not the only people who want to avoid leaving DNA or latent marks at a crime scene. Perpetrators of crimes may also wear latex gloves. Alas, several forensic scientists reported that in certain cases even while wearing latex gloves, fingerprints transferred to adhesive tapes while attempting to process the tape for latent marks. Pressure sensitive tapes tend to be ideal surfaces for recovering latent marks and are commonly encountered in criminal cases involving drug packaging, explosive devices, or violent crimes (e.g., binding a victim's hands and feet). When a latent mark is developed on the adhesive surface of the tape, it may not be obvious if the latent mark was made by a bare finger or a gloved finger. Knowing that a suspect wore gloves could sometimes discourage the investigation unit from performing fingermark development procedures, as the odds to recover evidence successfully are limited. This study examines the feasibility of the transfer of friction ridge details through latex gloves to different types of adhesive tapes and uncovers the required conditions and a possible mechanism for the occurrence of this phenomenon. The findings of this work show that it is possible to develop and identify fingermarks transferred originally by gloved fingers. This study also shows that visualization of ridge details on adhesive tapes surfaces contain unique characteristics, which aid differentiating between bare or gloved hands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of laser ablation micro-propulsion, the property of double-layer tape has significant impact on the propulsion performance. In this paper, low temperature plasma was used to treat the surface of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to improve its adhesion with energetic polymer. The PET surface pre- and post-plasma treatment was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the enhancement mechanism of the interface adhesion was discussed. In addition, the ablation performance of the double-layer tape after the plasma treatment was studied. The results showed that the plasma etching effect increased the root mean square roughness of the PET surface from 1.74 nm to 19.10 nm. In addition, after the plasma treatment, the number of C–OH/COOH bonds and O=C–O bonds increased, which also greatly improved the adhesion between the PET and energetic polymers. In the optimization of the ablation performance, the optimal laser pulse width was about 200 μs. The optimal values of the specific impulse (Isp), impulse coupling coefficient (Cm), and ablation efficiency (η) were 390.65 s, 250.82 μN/W, and 48.01%, respectively. The optimization of the adhesion of the double-layer tape and the ablation performance lay the foundation for the engineering application of laser ablation micro-thrusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delamination is one of the most critical failure modes of a PV module during service lifetime. Delamination within a backsheet primarily imposes a safety risk, but may also accelerate various other PV module degradation modes. The main aim of this paper is to present a peel test set-up, which is more practical in sample preparation and execution than the width-tapered cantilever beam test and overcomes some issues of standard peel tests like the influence of sample geometry and energy dissipation through deformation on the peel test results. The best results with respect to accuracy and effort were achieved by using a 180° peel geometry where an additional adhesive tape is applied to the peel arm in order to avoid plastic deformation or breakage. The additional support of the adhesive tape leads to comparable peel strength values without any influence of the plastic deformation behavior of the peel arms with different thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead frames have been widely used in the semiconductor package assembly industry; a lot of demand is still maintained in fields requiring high reliability, such as automobiles, although many fields are being replaced by laminated substrates according to the recent electronic package product trend that requires high I/O pin count. The purpose of this paper is to introduce two-layer Rt-QFN, one of the lead frame-based coreless substrates. (Rt-QFN is a trademark of Haesung DS, which means premold type lead frame substrate.) two-layer Rt-QFN can secure more advanced design freedom compared with the lead frame and thus has I/O pin count coverage intermediate between the lead frame and laminated substrate. In addition, Rt-QFN can exhibit excellent heat dissipation performance by replacing via holes of the laminated substrate with Cu bumps formed by etching. CAE analysis showed that the thermal resistance of the two-layer Rt-QFN substrate was about 23% lower than that of the laminate substrate. The excellent heat dissipation property of two-layer Rt-QFN allows it to replace the existing expensive ceramic substrate and can achieve cost savings. In addition, the sputtering technique, including the LIS (Linear Ion Source) module, was introduced as a method to sufficiently secure the interfacial adhesion between the resin/Cu interface, which is a key factor in producing a two-layer substrate. As a method to enhance the interfacial adhesion between the resin/Cu interface, the collimated mode of LIS was used in the Ar atmosphere inside the vacuum chamber to activate the resin surface. After plasma pretreatment on the surface of the resin, a Cu seed layer was continuously formed by sputtering. As a result, it was possible to secure the high reliability of the two-layer Rt-QFN substrate, and it was confirmed through the evaluation of interfacial adhesion of more than 1.2 kgƒ/cm during the peel-off tape test at the resin/Cu interface and further moisture absorption evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin‐like sensitivity, or the capability to recognize tactile information, is essential for future robots in elder care, search and rescue, entertainment and other applications involving unstructured environments. In this paper, we propose the design of a flexible one‐dimensional pressure‐sensing system that can localize deformation along a long strip and measure its magnitude with an integrated pair of sensors. The sensor system is fabricated with piezoresistive conductive foils and copper sheets encapsulated by adhesive tape with a total thickness of 0.7 mm. For the purpose of demonstration, the sensor is used to monitor the location and magnitude of kink deformation of an inflatable tube. Finite‐element modeling and simulation are conducted to investigate the behavior of the soft sensor system when subjected to kink deformation. The model‐predicted sensor output achieves good agreement with the experimental data for different deformation magnitudes. Finally, extensive experiments on a sensor prototype with dimensions of 35 × 500 mm mounted on an inflatable tube are conducted to demonstrate the capability of the proposed scheme in simultaneous measurement of deformation location and magnitude. It is shown that the specific design approach minimizes the coupling of location and magnitude measurements, resulting in minimal complexity for data processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefiting from the high critical temperature and high critical current, the second-generation high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape is widely used in various large-scale magnet applications. Due to the length limitation of producing superconducting tapes, the joints between superconducting tapes are inevitable for large-scale high-field magnets. The joule loss from the joint resistance under over-current conditions is even larger, which will cause a sharp temperature rise, and will also decay the critical current of the superconducting tape. In this paper, 3 configurations of HTS joints are adopted to model the joint resistance characteristics using new methods, whose joint resistance model is coupled with the real-time operating temperature. The results show that the proposed temperature-dependent HTS joint resistance model well matches the experiment and analytical solution. Therefore, both the experiment and novel modeling investigation can provide useful and accurate references for the superconducting joints in real devices, and the temperature-dependent HTS joint resistance model can play an important role in giving early warnings of the over-current for HTS tapes and high-field magnets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable flies are one of the most important arthropod pests of livestock that reduce cattle weight gain and milk production leading to annual economic losses in excess of $2 billion to the US cattle industry. The host‐seeking behavior is primarily mediated by associated odors from stable fly larval development environments and host animals. The present paper reports the development and evaluation of attractant‐impregnated adhesive tapes to reduce stable fly attacks on cattle. Laboratory bioassays showed that only m‐cresol impregnated adhesive tapes caught significantly more stable flies (16 ± 1) than the control tape without attractant added (7 ± 1), with a 77% fly recapture rate. Attractant‐impregnated adhesive tapes deployed in cattle feedlots showed significant impacts in reducing fly population, with a total of one million stable flies captured over a period of three weeks (mean catches from 57 596 to 102 088 stable flies per trap per week). It further relieved cattle stress with a significant reduction of biting fly avoidance behavior, (6 ± 0.4 cows observed with tail wagging in control vs. 3 ± 0.4 from the trap‐deployed). The efficacy of the developed tapes lasted up to 1‐week longevity, although 70% of m‐cresol was released starting from the second day. The m‐cresol impregnated adhesive tape provided an 80% reduction in cattle stress due to stable fly attack. This is the first report of a technology developed by integrating an attractant compound into an adhesive material on a plastic film with demonstrated effectiveness in trapping biting flies that attack livestock animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a SERS stamp that can be pressed directly onto a solid surface for characterization of surface-adsorbed target molecules. The stamp was fabricated by transfer of a dense monolayer of SiO2 nanospheres from a glass surface onto a piece of adhesive tape and subsequent evaporation of silver. The performance of the resulting SERS stamps was evaluated by their exposure to methyl mercaptan vapor, and immersion in rhodamine 6G and ferbam solutions. It was found that beside the nanosphere diameter and metal deposition thickness, the extent of burial of the nanospheres into the adhesive tape, dictated by the pressure during the nanosphere transfer process, had a significant effect. We carried out FDTD calculations of the near field. Models are based on morphological information obtained from helium ion microscopy, which can provide high-resolution images of poor electrical conductors such as our SERS stamp. While one of our main eventual goals is detection of pesticides on agricultural produce, we have begun to take a careful step by testing our SERS stamp on better characterized surfaces such as a porous gel surface, having been immersed in fungicides such as ferbam. We also present our preliminary results with ferbam on oranges. It is expected that our well-characterized SERS stamp will play a role in shedding light on the poorly studied transfer process of target molecules onto a SERS surface as well as serving as a new SERS platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper focuses on the cross-cut test, which serves as a basis for determining the adhesion test on the surface of aluminium parts. The coating adhesion test was performed according to the ISO 2409 standard where. Before carrying out the actual measurement, the tools necessary for making those individual measurements were prepared. A knife, an adhesive tape and a grid were used. The result was evaluated on the basis of the ISO 2409 standard. Spacing of a grid was 2mm apart. Grid exam cut test was carried out on 32 samples. The classification of the samples ranged from 0 to 1. At 1, we found that the surface of the material was slightly damaged. At the scale of 0, a smooth cut was made on the material surface, and no damage occurred. Through research, we found that with a constant chemical degreasing factor, the adhesion test varies according to the EN ISO 2409 standard at values 0 and 1. It follows that if we wanted to achieve worse cutting conditions in the grid, we would have to change the temperature of the solution, the time depositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the problem of spliced money in ATM (Automatic Teller Machine), the paper puts forward a template matching algorithm for recognition of left and right numbers based on one-dimensional gray scale projection. First it uses the Canny boundary detection algorithm to separate the banknote boundary from the R component image, and then preprocesses the image to make the subsequent processing easier; secondly applies the predefined location to divide the area of left and right numbers; thirdly calculates the one-dimensional gray scale projection curves of left and right numbers, based on which every character or number is divided; finally carries out the operation of template matching to obtain correlation coefficients of every character or number, comparing which with threshold it judges whether the left and right numbers are matched. For the transparent tape attached to the spliced money, a method based on the difference in object reflectivity to recognize the tape is designed. First it highlights the characteristics of the tape by preprocessing and binary morphological analysis of the B component image. Finally, it judges whether there is transparent tape on the surface of the banknote according to the set threshold value. Experimental results show that both number matching and tape detection can be completed, and algorithm can correctly recognize spliced money. The correct recognition rate of the algorithm reaches 100%, and the false positive rate、false negative rate are both 0. The processing is fast and simple, which meets the requirements of ATM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short circuit currents show an upward trend in multi-terminal high voltage (MTHV) dc systems. DC resistive type superconducting fault current limiters (SFCLs) can limit short circuit currents to a much lower level to improve the stability of MTHV dc systems. Superconducting tapes used for dc SFCL will quench after a short circuit current attack. Then temperature and voltage of the tapes will increase. The objective of this paper is to obtain the effects of short circuit currents on quench and recovery properties of the superconducting tapes of dc resistive type SFCLs. YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) tapes was chosen as investigation samples. This paper concluded that for higher short circuit currents, the temperature and the voltage of the tape was higher. The highest temperature was 379.2 K for YBCO tapes when a short circuit current of 10 kA was applied for 50 ms. Recovery time of a short circuit current of 10 kA was 240 ms longer than the recovery time of the short circuit current of 500 A. Quenched resistance curves gotten by experiments and analysis were similar, which proved the accuracy of the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to leverage the main surface topological descriptors to classify tape surface profiles, through the modelling of the evolution of the degree of intimate contact along the consolidation of pre-impregnated preforms associated to a composite forming process. It is well-known at an experimental level that the consolidation degree strongly depends on the surface characteristics (roughness). In particular, same process parameters applied to different surfaces produce very different degrees of intimate contact. It allows us to think that the surface topology plays an important role along this process. However, solving the physics-based models for simulating the roughness squeezing occurring at the tapes interface represents a computational effort incompatible with online process control purposes. An alternative approach consists of taking a population of different tapes, with different surfaces, and simulating the consolidation for evaluating for each one the progression of the degree of intimate contact –DIC– while compressing the heated tapes, until reaching its final value at the end of the compression. The final goal is creating a regression able to assign a final value of the DIC to any surface, enabling online process control. The main issue of such an approach is the rough surface description, that is, the most precise and compact way of describing it from some appropriate parameters easy to extract experimentally, to be included in the just referred regression. In the present paper we consider a novel, powerful and very promising technique based on the topological data analysis –TDA– that considers an adequate metrics to describe, compare and classify rough surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CORC superconducting cable is a compact and flexible composite superconductor. It is widely used in large power systems because of its good flexibility and high engineering current density. In these applications, reducing the AC loss generated by the superconductor is a key factor in studying the electromagnetic field of the superconducting conductor, which affects the operational stability of the entire superconducting power device. Currently, the use of striated tape-wound cables not only allows for flexible wiring at design time but also effectively reduces AC losses. This technology has been widely used in large superconducting magnet equipment. In this paper, the finite element model of single superconducting tape and CORC superconducting cable is established based on the finite element idea. The electromagnetic properties and mechanical changes are numerically calculated by H-method. The results show that both the current density and the magnetic field of a single superconducting tape show a gradual penetration from the two sides to the center. The area of maximum current density and magnetic field distribution is at the tape boundary. The distribution of current density, magnetic field and Lorentz force of three-dimensional CORC superconducting cable is similar. All of them are gradually attenuated from the maximum value at the boundary to the center position. It is worth noting that the current density, magnetic field and Lorentz force of the striated superconducting cables are smaller than the values without striations. The calculation results of the finite element model in this paper show that the striations weaken the current density, magnetic field and Lorentz force of the CORC superconducting cable by about 8.77%, 16.21% and 9.23%. Moreover, the presence of striations can effectively reduce the AC loss of superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space exploration arises the demand for launching large size structures to satisfy the need of high bandwidth telecommunication, earth observation and deep space interplanetary missions. Launching of these monolithic structures of sizes 3 m or more are not feasible due to limited launch fairing space of state-of-the-art launch vehicles. Therefore, the development of innovative deployment mechanisms is need of the hour. Deployment process of space borne deployable systems is the process of transition from mechanism to structure which is one of the unreliable stage due to existence of many conventional rotary joints which causes loss of energy due to backlash, friction and misalignment. An investigation study is presented in this paper for churning out a solution of flexible hinges using tape springs in state-of-the-art space deployable configurations which eliminates the factors causing loss of energy. Analytical and experimental methods are evaluated for investigating the bending behaviour of tape flexures. Tape flexures demonstrate to be a suitable candidate for compliant deployable configuration. The proposed configuration with combination of two tape flexures mounted in such a way that concave curve of each tape faces each other are structurally analysed for desired rotation angle. A comparison study is carried out for various material options of single and double layered tape flexures proposed for a flexure hinge. Practical feasibility of the proposed configuration is also demonstrated successfully on space borne deployable structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main obstacle for the application of the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coated conductors (CCs) in AC energy applications is the relatively large AC loss. To tackle this, several forms of HTS cables for AC applications have been invented and investigated, such as the HTS Roebel cable, Cable on Round Conductor (CORC), and Twisted Stacked Tape Cable (TSTC). In this paper, the possibility of encapsulating Roebel cables into a single HTS CC is investigated, from which a novel conception of a Roebel tape is proposed. Compared with the existing HTS cables, HTS Roebel tapes are more compact, more capable at carrying large current with minimised AC losses, and easier to manufacture. A 3D finite element method (FEM) model of the Roebel tape is built to optimise the structure and verify the performance. The results show that, compared with normal ReBCO CCs, Roebel tapes with optimum patterns can reduce AC transport losses by 60% through field-cancelling and can reduce magnetisation losses by the factor of the filament number through patterning. With excellent loss reduction performance and high current capability, the Roebel tape shows great potential to become a revolutionary HTS cable for high-current power transmission and AC machine applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain molecularly thin flakes via mechanical exfoliation from a bulk layered crystal, the process should be repeated multiple times, but the mathematical principle behind this phenomenon remains unknown. In this paper, we show how the thickness of the MoS2 flake changes with subsequent cleavages of the adhesive tape, with the tests carried out on two widely used dicing tapes and Scotch removable tape. In the beginning, we assumed that with each subsequent tear of the tape, the thickness of the material decreases by half. We discovered that the exfoliated crystal thickness decreases with geometric progress and proposed a formula depicting that phenomenon. In addition, the exfoliated flakes are observed to crumble during the process and the fragmentation factor is discussed as well. Our observations will allow for more efficient estimation of the number of steps required to produce a sample of the desired thickness, relevant for tuning electronic transport properties and optical activity of two-dimensional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthrospira platensis is a cyanobacterium used as food due to its high protein content and bioactive compounds (e.g., phycocyanin) and marketed mainly as a dried powder. Drying may cause quality degradation of Spirulina biomass, depending on the technique and the process conditions. In this study, thin layer drying (3 mm) of Spirulina suspension was performed by different techniques, comparing innovative and traditional driers. The innovative drying technique proposed in this study, called vacuum cast‐tape drying (at 40 and 60°C), was compared, in terms of drying kinetics and quality of the powders, to air drying (at 40 and 60°C), freeze‐drying, and cast‐tape drying. Drying curves, the temporal evolution of water activity, and phycocyanin retention during drying were assessed. The microstructure and color of the powders were also determined in the dried powder. Cast‐tape drying resulted in the highest drying rate but showed a very low (≈10%) phycocyanin retention, while the other techniques allow phycocyanin retention >70%, regard to the raw biomass. The freeze‐dried product presented a lighter color compared to the other techniques. Vacuum cast‐tape drying showed a shorter drying time (90–180 min) than freeze‐drying (720 min) and air drying (420 min), maintaining high phycocyanin retention (about 80–90%). Vacuum cast‐tape drying is an efficient, suitable, and low‐cost technique to dehydrate Spirulina at moderate temperatures in short times, maintaining the high quality in terms of bioactive compounds. Practical applications: High‐quality Spirulina powders are considered as potential future sources of protein and bioactive compounds. These components should be preserved during drying, necessary for the stabilization of this product. The novel drying technique proposed in this paper for Spirulina powder production is an alternative, low‐cost, and potentially scalable technique for small and medium Spirulina producers. Vacuum cast‐tape drying allows combining the efficiency of cast‐tape drying with the vacuum atmosphere preserving the color and phycocyanin in the dried biomass. In this way, the study of novel drying processes for Spirulina powder production with high quality is of interest to researchers and the food industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conductor on round core (CORC) cable wound with second-generation high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes is a promising cable candidate with superiority in current capacity and mechanical strength. The composing superconductors and the former are tightly assembled, resulting in a strong electro-magnetic interaction between them. Correspondingly, the AC loss is influenced by the cable structure. In this paper, a 3D finite-element model of the CORC cable is first built, and it includes the complex geometry, the angular dependence of critical current and the periodic settings. The modelling is verified by the measurements conducted for the transport loss of a two-layer CORC cable. Subsequently, the simulated results show that the primary transport loss shifts from the former to the superconductors as the current increases. Meanwhile, the loss exhibited in the outer layer is larger than that of the inner layer, which is caused by the shielding effect among layers and the former. This also leads to the current inhomogeneity in CORC cables. In contrast with the two-layer case, the simulated single-layer structure indicates stronger frequency dependence because the eddy current loss in the copper former is always dominant without the cancellation of the opposite-wound layers. The core eddy current of the single structure is denser on the outer surface. Finally, the AC transport losses among a straight HTS tape, a two-layer cable and a single-layer cable are compared. The two-layer structure is confirmed to minimise the loss, meaning an even-numbered arrangement makes better use of the cable space and superconducting materials. Having illustrated the electro-magnetic behaviour inside the CORC cable, this work is an essential reference for the structure design of CORC cables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Static mixer studies in literature have often been reported for idealized systems with a concentric injected flow. These do not account for real-world mixing scenarios where the additive comes in through an injector. Depending on the injector geometry, the injected flow, and pipe Reynolds number, the injected flow may end up off-centered. This impacts the static mixer performance as the first few elements are unable to provide efficient mixing. This paper discusses a parametric study of twisted-tape mixers to numerically ascertain their performance for Newtonian flows. It focuses on industrially relevant mixers which operate with some inexactness, e.g., off-center flow of the additive. Effect on mixing of angle of twist and aspect ratio of the individual element along with Reynolds number are studied; and the Reynolds number dependency of mixer geometry for optimal performance is established. This is done without using some oft-used approximations/assumptions in previous literature like zero-thickness mixer walls, 2d analysis, periodic boundary conditions etc. Two non-dimensional quantities, i.e., Coefficient of Variation (CoV) and Z -factor, are used to assess and quantify the operation of the mixers. For idealized systems, increasing the number of elements by reducing the aspect ratio and/or the twist angle is seen to improve mixing for all Reynolds numbers tested (1−100). However, for a real-world mixer constrained by its total length/pressure drop, mixing is proven to be an optimization problem between increasing the number of flow-splits by introducing a greater number of elements and mitigating the anomalous flow (uneven split) caused due to it. For Re ≤ 10, reduction of twist angle from 180∘ to 140∘ improves mixing for only aspect ratios greater than approximately 0.9. For Reynolds number of 100, the 140∘ twist angle outperforms the 180∘ twist angle for all aspect ratios studied. In summary, there is no combination of twist angle and aspect ratio that is a universally optimal solution and these parameters must be decided subjectively based on multiple other input parameters for a given system. • Optimizes the mixer geometry for non-ideal conditions found in manufacturing units. • Establishes a parameter space for twisted tape mixers in terms of Reynolds number, aspect ratio, and twist angle. • Input variables are studied in conjunction with each other instead of in isolation. • Demonstrates the necessity of system-level study, analysis, and optimization of twisted tape mixers. • Concludes that there is no universally applicable or "silver-bullet" geometry that is optimal for all input conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of merging sorted lists in the least number of pairwise comparisons has been solved completely only for a few special cases. Graham and Karp (Sorting Search 3:197–207, 1999) independently discovered that the tape merge algorithm is optimal in the worst case when the two lists have the same size. In their seminal papers, Stockmeyer and Yao (SIAM J Comput 9(1):85–90, 1980), Murphy and Paull (Inf Control 42(1):87–96, 1979), and Christen (On the optimality of the straight merging algorithm, 1978) independently showed when the lists to be merged are of size m and n satisfying m ≤ n ≤ ⌊ 3 2 m ⌋ + 1 , the tape merge algorithm is optimal in the worst case. This paper extends this result by showing that the tape merge algorithm is optimal in the worst case whenever the size of one list is no larger than 1.52 times the size of the other. The main tool we use to prove the lower bound is Knuth's (1999) adversary methods. In addition, we show that the lower bound cannot be improved to 1.8 via Knuth's adversary methods. Moreover, we design a simple procedure, and by invoking this procedure recursively until the remaining subproblem can be solved efficiently by another known algorithm, we achieve constant improvement of the upper bound for 2 m - 2 ≤ n ≤ 3 m . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared spectroscopy is one of the most commonly used spectroscopic methods in criminalistics, through which various kinds of criminalistic traces can be explored. It finds wide application in academic research, but also in research of forensic laboratories in order to obtain results applicable in criminalistic practice. The paper provides information about selected possibilities of using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and its modifications in investigation of specific criminalistic traces such as documents, banknotes, cosmetics, blood traces and adhesive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) systems have aided the rapid manufacturing of composite aerospace structures. One of the challenges that AFP systems pose is the uniformity of the deposited prepreg tape layers, which complicates detection of laps, gaps, overlaps and twists. The current detection method used in industry involves halting fabrication and performing a time consuming, visual inspection of each tape layer. Typical AFP systems use a quartz lamp to heat the base layer to make the surface tacky as it deposits another tape layer. The innovation proposed in this paper is to use the preheated base layer as a through-transmission heat source for inspecting the newly added tape layer in situ using a thermographic camera mounted on to the AFP hardware. Such a system would not only increase manufacturing throughput by reducing inspection times, but it would also aid in process development for new structural designs or material systems by providing data on as-built parts. To this end, a small thermal camera was mounted onto an AFP robotic research platform at NASA, and thermal data was collected during typical and experimental layup operations. The data was post processed to reveal defects such as tow overlap/gap, wrinkling, and peel-up. Defects that would have been impossible to detect visually were also discovered in the data, such as poor/loss of adhesion between plies and the effects of vacuum debulking. This paper will cover the results of our experiments, and the plans for future versions of this inspection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the background of the Line F2-3 interval tunnel section of Jiujiawan in Urumqi Subway Line 1, this paper carries out the model test research on the antibreaking technology of the reducing dislocation layer in the tunnel section of the stick-slip fracture. The antibreaking effect of different locations and number of reducing dislocation layers in tunnel engineering is analyzed in this paper. The results show that when the double reducing dislocation layer, respectively, set between the surrounding rock and the primary support, and the primary support and the secondary lining, the antibreaking effect is the best. It is recommended to use this scheme for antibreaking design. The research results can provide reference for antibreaking design of traffic tunnels in active fault zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Lead frame tape is a crucial support for lead frames in the IC assembly process. The tape residue on the quad flat non-leaded (QFN) could result in low reliability and failure in electrical conductivity tests. The tape residue would affect overall performance of the chips and contribute to low pass yield. The purpose of this paper is to present an in-depth study of tape residue and factors that may affect it. Design/methodology/approach: An experiment using lead frame and tapes from three manufacturers with two types of die bond adhesives, namely, die attach film (DAF) and wafer back coating (WBC), was conducted. Copper (Cu) wire bonding and die bonding performances were measured in terms of process capability, stitch bond strength and die attach strength. Findings: Results showed that no tape residue was observed on the thermoplastic adhesive-based lead frames manufactured by Hitachi after the de-taping process because of the tape's thermoplastic adhesive properties. Originality/value: This paper studies the occurrence of tape residue and a viable solution for it through the correct process optimization and combination of semiconductor manufacturing materials. Factors that may affect tape residue have also been studied and further research can be done to explore other options in the future as an alternate solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seafloor mapping and vertical deformation monitoring are important for a gas hydrate exploitation. Due to the complexity of the marine environment and the difficulty of the seafloor operation, an in situ seafloor mapping and high-resolution vertical deformation monitoring simultaneously are big challenges. This paper describes an experimental research on an in situ system for a seafloor mapping and vertical deformation monitoring based on an elastic steel tape, along which an array of nine-axis microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors is arranged. The tape can measure both the motion of the bend and the twist. The MEMS sensor consists of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer. The Euler angles obtained from the nine-axis MEMS sensor can be converted to a relative rotation matrix, showing the amount of the bend and the twist, and the curved shape of the tape can be calculated. Based on this concept, multitapes are used for the seafloor mapping and vertical deformation monitoring. To assess the monitoring system, a lab scale experiment in a water tank is carried out. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system for the seafloor mapping and deformation monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an electroactive and soft vibrotactile actuator based on a dielectric elastomer. The vibrotactile actuator is composed of an upper layer, an adhesive tape layer, a dielectric layer with bumps, and a lower layer. When a voltage is applied to the actuator, an electrostatic force created between the upper and lower layers pulls the upper layer down, compressing the dielectric layer. As soon as the applied voltage is released, the upper layer is quickly restored to its initial state by the elastic force of the compressed dielectric elastomer. Because two forces contribute to the actuation at the same time, the created vibration is sufficiently strong to stimulate human mechanoreceptors. When the applied voltage is removed, the upper layer and dielectric elastomer return to their initial shapes. We conducted experiments to determine the best weight ratio of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Ecoflex, and to quantitatively investigate the haptic performance of the proposed vibrotactile actuator. The experiments clearly show that the plasticized vibrotactile actuator can create a variety of haptic sensations over a wide frequency range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancements in heat transfer systems are being applied for recovery of heat in domestic as well as industrial applications in many areas. These are done by generating turbulence and swirl motion in the flow by inserting inserts to reduce the thermal resistance of heat transfer. This paper presents the experimental and numerical results of heat transfer enhancement of cooling of a confined space by inserting twisted tape in a pipe buried in concrete under the floor. The Reynolds number is fixed to 15000. Thirteen cases are considered varying the configurations and designs of twisted tapes and the effects of different types of perforations and slots on twisted tapes are studied. Water as the test fluid flowed in pipe inserted with twisted tapes. Heat is transferred from a heating plate to water along the pipe length through concrete to simulate the heat transfer from a room and the water temperature rise is studied. To validate the experimental results, ANSYS-FLUENT is used as the CFD tool with a Standard k-ε turbulence flow model and the SIMPLE algorithm is implemented. Flow physics behaviour is displayed using velocity and temperature profiles inside the pipe. Insertion of twisted tapes shows that the heat transfer is enhanced due to swirling action, friction and turbulence. The experimental differences in inlet and outlet water temperature validated the CFD simulation results. The temperature distribution on a single twisted tape with increasing twist ratio is found to be the most efficient for heat transfer enhancement of the cooling floor surface with a water temperature rise of 1.62 ºC along a pipe length of 1.8 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repeatability of superconducting DC limiters has not been introduced by other literature. Understanding the performance degradation characteristics of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes under the overcurrent is of great significance for popularizing the application of a resistive-type DC superconducting fault current limiter. In this paper, the threshold experiment and repeated DC overcurrent experiment of HTS tape were carried out. With the critical current decay of the tapes under repeated DC overcurrent recorded, the current threshold under the DC overcurrent was obtained. And the performance degradation characteristics of the tapes under different repeated overcurrents were analysed, the resistance characteristics of the samples during different currents were compared. The results show that the DC overcurrent threshold of the copper-encapsulated second-generation (2G) YBCO tapes samples of Suzhou Advanced Materials Research Institute is 2.3/4 ms/3700 A. Under the repeated overcurrent, the performance degradation of the samples is abrupt, and the critical value is between 2.3/4 ms/3500 A and 2.3/4 ms/3550 A. The overcurrent has a limited influence on the magnitude of the resistance and will not affect the change trend of the resistance. The resistance at the falling edge of the current was greater than that at the rising edge of the current. The simulation was carried out by using COMSOL Multiphysics, and the simulation results matched the experimental results. The life prediction model of the samples was established and it was found that there is a custom equation relationship between the reliability of superconducting tapes and the number of the overcurrent, and the performance decline of this kind of samples is catastrophic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To verify the composed web services, a general view of what traits of a service need to be identified is still lacking. The existing verification model did not address any mechanism for getting alternative services if we failed to reach the desired service and partially concentrated on the reachability problem for a deterministic and non-deterministic system in sequential. This paper proposes a synthesised non-deterministic turing machine model (SNTMM) by combining the multistacked non-deterministic Turing machine (MSNTM) model and multitaped non-deterministic Turing machine (MTNTM) model to verify the composed web services for both deterministic and non-deterministic systems in parallel. The deceased transition and departed service marking algorithm have been proposed to address each participated service's reachability in composing service for all possible input in parallel. This article shows an example to demonstrate the meticulousness of the model. The experimental results show that the performance of the proposed model is measured efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to enhance the performance of Ag-stabilized high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes with a focus on reducing magnetization losses. Two approaches were employed: dividing the tapes into narrower widths and introducing striation at the level of the superconducting layer. The process of laser ablation proved to be an effective method for implementing these modifications. The quality of the cut edges and grooves was assessed using scanning electron microscopy. To evaluate the electrical properties, measurements were conducted on the critical current and magnetization loss in samples at different stages: in their initial state, after cutting, and after the striation process. Of the two modifications, the striation process more effectively reduced the AC losses in the HTS tapes, approximately by one order of magnitude. The retention of critical current remained high after cutting, but varied with the number of created filaments after the striation process. Subsequently, a short cable was wound from the cut and striated HTS tape. This cable demonstrated a remarkable sixfold reduction in AC losses compared to the initial HTS tape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To create a highly efficient photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) system and maximise the energy and exergy efficiency, this study aims to propose an innovative configuration of a PV-T system comprising wavy tubes with twisted-tape inserts. Following the validation of a numerical model, a parametric study has been conducted to assess the geometrical effects of twisted tape and wavy tubes, as well as the coolant fluid type and velocity, on the overall performance of a PV-T system, located in Shiraz, Iran. It is found that employing twisted tape improves the energy and exergy efficiency by approx. 6.3%. The best configuration yields 12.4% and 16.8% increase in energy and exergy efficiency compared to conventional PV systems. This is achieved at 15% volumetric concentration of microencapsulated phase change material slurry. The monthly variation of global horizontal irradiance in Shiraz highly affected the energy and exergy efficiency of PV-T, with July and October exhibiting the most efficient months, corresponding to 90% and 11.3%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfluidic chips have shown their potential for applications in fields such as chemistry and biology, and 3D printing is increasingly utilized as the fabrication method for microfluidic chips. To address key issues such as the long printing time for conventional 3D printing of a single chip and the demand for rapid response in individualized microfluidic chip customization, we have optimized the use of DLP (digital light processing) technology, which offers faster printing speeds due to its surface exposure method. In this study, we specifically focused on developing a fast-manufacturing process for directly printing microfluidic chips, addressing the high cost of traditional microfabrication processes and the lengthy production times associated with other 3D printing methods for microfluidic chips. Based on the designed three-dimensional chip model, we utilized a DLP-based printer to directly print two-dimensional and three-dimensional microfluidic chips with photosensitive resin. To overcome the challenge of clogging in printing microchannels, we proposed a printing method that combined an open-channel design with transparent adhesive tape sealing. This method enables the rapid printing of microfluidic chips with complex and intricate microstructures. This research provides a crucial foundation for the development of microfluidic chips in biomedical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify adhesive renal venous tumor thrombus (RVTT) of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by contrast-enhancement CT (CECT). Materials and methods: Our retrospective study included 53 patients who underwent preoperative CECT and pathologically confirmed RCC combined with RVTT. They were divided into two groups based on the intra-operative findings of RVTT adhesion to the venous wall, with 26 cases in the adhesive RVTT group (ARVTT) and 27 cases in the non-adhesive group (NRVTT). The location, maximum diameter (MD) and CT values of tumors, the maximum length (ML) and width (MW) of RVTT, and length of inferior vena cava tumor thrombus were compared between the two groups. The presence of renal venous wall involvement, renal venous wall inflammation, and enlarged retroperitoneal lymph node was compared between the two groups. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the diagnostic performance. Results: The MD of RCC and the ML and MW of the RVTT were all larger in the ARVTT group than in the NRVTT group (p = 0.042, p < 0.001, and p = 0.002). The proportion of renal vein wall involvement and renal vein wall inflammation were higher in the ARVTT group than in NRVTT groups (both p < 0.001). The multivariable model including ML and vascular wall inflammation to predict ARVTT could achieve the best diagnostic performance with the area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.91, 88.5%, 96.3%, and 92.5%, respectively. Conclusion: The multivariable model acquired by CECT images could be used to predict RVTT adhesion. Clinical relevance statement: For RCC patients with tumor thrombus, contrast-enhanced CT could noninvasively predict the adhesion of tumor thrombus, thus predicting the difficulty of surgery and contributing to the selection of an appropriate treatment plan. Key Points: • The length and width of the tumor thrombus could be used to predict its adhesion to the vessel wall. • Adhesion of the tumor thrombus can be reflected by inflammation of the renal vein wall. • The multivariable model from CECT can well predict whether the tumor thrombus adhered to the vein wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood-derived materials have been utilized to develop filtration membranes for sustainable oil/water separation. However, it remains a significant challenge to manufacture durable wood-based membranes with high efficiency and ultra-high flux by simple methods. Herein, we report a facile strategy to fabricate a novel superhydrophobic hybrid wood membrane (PDMS@MOF-199/WS) with ultrahigh-flux and excellent oil/water separation performance. Firstly, copper-based metal organic frameworks (MOF-199) were in situ grown on the TEMPO-oxidized wood sponge (TO-WS) substrate to construct a hierarchical micro-nano structure with internal inherent microchannels. Secondly, a super-wetting surface was formed through soaking in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and heat treatment. Remarkably, the water contact angle (WCA) of PDMS@MOF-199/WS could reach 163° and the oil contact angle (OCA) was around 0°, which remained stable over a long period of ultrasonic treatment and tape peeling. More importantly, the as-prepared modified wood membrane can efficiently separate a wide range of immiscible oil/water mixtures, solely by tiny gravity, with ultra-high flux of 10,385 L m−2 h−1 (carbon tetrachloride/water) and separation efficiency of 99.6% (n-hexane). Furthermore, this novel membrane can also effectively separate surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions with an efficiency of as high as 97.8%. Meanwhile, the hybrid membrane displayed exceptional reusability, maintaining a high-flux of 8599.6 L m−2 h−1 and retaining WCA at 154.8° after 12 cycles. Our results demonstrate that the synergetic impact of MOF-199 and PDMS as a means of encoding on-surface wettability substantially improved the separation efficiency. This work opens a new avenue for the design of functional wood-derived filtration membranes for the ultrahigh flux oil–water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a simple and interesting theory of ultratough peeling of an elastic tape from a viscoelastic substrate, Afferrante and Carbone find that there are conditions for which the load for steady state peeling could be arbitrarily large in steady state peeling, at low angles of peeling - what they call "ultratough" peeling (Afferrante, L., Carbone, G., 2016, The ultratough peeling of elastic tapes from viscoelastic substrates, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 96, pp.223-234). Surprisingly, this seems to lead to toughness enhancement higher than the limit value observed in a very large crack in an infinite viscoelastic body, possibly even considering a limit on the stress transmitted. The Afferrante-Carbone theory seems to be a quite approximate, qualitative theory and many aspects and features of this "ultratough" peeling (e.g. conformity with the Rivlin result at low peel angles) are obtained also through other mechanisms (Begley, M.R., Collino, R.R., Israelachvili, J.N., McMeeking, R.M., 2013, Peeling of a tape with large deformations and frictional sliding, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 61(5), pp. 1265-1279) although not at “critical velocities”. Experimental and/or numerical verification would be most useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of flexible sensors based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) has recently attracted much attention. It was commonly generated by laser-ablating commercial polyimide (PI). However, the weak mechanical extensibility of PI limits the development and diversified applications of LIG-based sensors. In this work, we adopted medical polyurethane (PU) tapes to peel off the LIG generated on PI and developed flexible and wearable sensors based on the proposed LIG/PU composite structure. Compared with other methods for LIG transfer, PU tape has many advantages, including a simplified process and being less time-consuming. We characterized the LIG samples generated under different laser powers and analyzed the property differences introduced by the transfer operation. We then studied the impact of fabrication mode on the strain sensitivity of the LIG/PU and optimized the design of a LIG/PU-based strain sensor, which possessed a gauge factor (GF) of up to 263.6 in the strain range of 75–90%. In addition, we designed a capacitive pressure sensor for tactile sensing, which is composed of two LIG/PU composite structures and a PI space layer. These LIG flexible devices can be used for human motion monitoring and tactile perception in sports events. This work provides a simple, fast, and low-cost way for the preparation of multifunctional sensor systems with good performance, which has a broad application prospect in human motion monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of possible strategies for the repair of cracked polyamide‐based backsheets. A repair process has been developed that comprises the following steps: (i) cleaning, (ii) pretreatment, and (iii) repair process (crack filling and sealing). The important topic of long‐term reliability is still under investigation. Two different repair strategies have been addressed in this article: (i) repairing damage by restoring electrical insulation properties and (ii) preventing further growth of the surface near microcracks. From a technical point of view, several of the repair solutions examined met the defined requirements for compatibility and applicability. On the one hand, repair tapes/films sealed the surface and only covered the cracks. The adhesive did not penetrate into the cavities that had opened through the cracks in the backsheet material. Therefore, adhesive tapes/films are not suitable for the repair of large‐scale damage and the permanent restoration of the electrical insulation properties. On the other hand, several repair coatings based on polyurethane, epoxy, silicone and synthetic rubber were identified which, after a two‐step application process, showed complete crack filling and sealing of the surface. The required insulation resistance of the aged modules could be restored. Since the new and artificial reliability tests are still running, no final conclusions on the long‐term behavior of the repair and its life‐extending effect of PV modules can be drawn at the moment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the influence of the thermal disturbance process on the electro-thermo-mechanical properties of quasi-isotropic strand (Q-IS) in self-field. We first measured the heat transfer time as well as the longitudinal temperature distribution through experiments and compared them with simulated results. Subsequently, through the finite element analysis, the transversal distribution of the temperature in the center of the strand and the attenuation of the critical current during the thermal disturbance are obtained. Finally, with considering the uniformity of the temperature distribution, the internal stress of the strand under different operating currents was studied. The results show that compared to the strand formed by directly stacked tapes, the Q-IS has advantages of uniform temperature distribution, less attenuation of critical current, and lower amplitude of internal stress in the case of higher current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, the possibility of magnetization of HTSC tape by means of pumping by a local magnetic field is considered. Within the framework of the critical state model, the calculation of the density of the induced currents and the magnetization of a square (12 × 12 mm) fragment of a second-generation HTS tape (YBCO) was made. The model considers real dependence of the critical current density on the magnetic field and has been successfully tested previously. In the sample, the currents were induced by the impact of a local magnetic field. The size of the localized area of the external magnetic field to be considered was much smaller than the size of the HTS sample. It is showed that the repeated cyclical impact of the local outer field leads to the accumulation of the total magnetic moment in the sample up to a magnitude of 94% of the theoretical magnetization limit for this sample. The results obtained make it possible to optimize the mode of magnetization of a square fragment of a tape (or a stack of tapes) when implementing a magnetic flux pump. The experimental studies showed results comprisable well with theoretical ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]