Search

• Bricks made from AAC achieved a high superiority in compressive strength compared with conventional cement bricks. • Higher glass water decreases AAC setting time and leads to rapid flash setting. • High alkali-activated binder content increases compressive strength, density, and drying shrinkage. • Manufacturing compaction pressure has a significant effect in the enhancement of AAC bricks properties. • Fully green bricks could be made with wasted slag aggregates. Alkali-activated concrete (AAC) has shown high potential as a replacement for ordinary Portland cement concrete (OPCC). It has been found that fresh AAC is usually dry and difficult to control during the casting process, as well as having flash setting issues. In light of the lack of a final form for the use of AAC in construction, there is a need to discover applications that benefit from the advantages of AAC while also being able to deal with its drawbacks. This paper will focus on taking advantage of AAC's defects by using it in a nonstructural application that does not require high-workability concrete, such as producing bricks. Waste from the iron industry was used as the main component for producing the AAC bricks in order to reduce the environmental impact, reduce the cost, and save large quantities of cement and natural aggregates consumed by the brick industry. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) were substituted for cement and aggregates, mixed along with an alkaline solution and superplasticizer. AAC bricks were produced in the same way as normal concrete bricks. The physical and mechanical properties studied were compressive strength, water absorption, bulk density, efflorescence, and drying shrinkage. Six parameters were considered throughout this investigation. The effects of binder content, cement replacement ratio, alkaline-to-binder ratio, sodium silicate/sodium hydroxide mass ratio, sodium hydroxide molarity, and compaction pressure. The results showed that compared to ordinary bricks, AAC bricks provided high compressive strength up to 92 MPa, up to 54% less water absorption, a density of more than 2.8 t/m3, and a higher drying shrinkage up to 0.002 mm. Furthermore, no signs of efflorescence or salts appeared on the bricks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freeze desalination (FD) is an energy-efficient desalination method that shows promise over traditional thermal-based approaches. FD requires minimal energy by utilizing latent heat of fusion during the phase transition of saltwater from liquid to solid state. However, the stochastic nature of nucleation and salt trapping in the formed ice has hindered industrial implementation. This study focuses on experimental investigations of ice nucleation during the freezing of brine droplets. The effects of droplet size (3–9 μL), salinity (0–70 g/L), and freezing temperature (−15 °C to −40 °C) on nucleation behavior are examined. Results showed that smaller droplets exhibit faster cooling rates, reduced supercooling degrees (SD) (12.00 to 9.81 °C), and quicker nucleation onset (117.95 to 72.7 s). Higher droplet salinity leads to decreased nucleation temperatures (from −13.89 to −15.32 °C) while lower freezing temperatures enhance cooling rates and reduce nucleation times (from 123.6 to 48.2 s). The analytical model has accurately predicted nucleation times and temperature evolution. Simulation results suggest that freezing at extremely low temperatures, i.e., −40 °C, yields to shorter nucleation time, i.e., 50 s for 5 μ L brine droplet. Varying initial temperatures (20–50 °C) showed faster precooling but delayed nucleation, while nucleation temperatures remain consistent. These insights contribute to optimizing FD for energy-efficient desalination. • Onset of nucleation in the freeze desalination (FD) process • Freezing point depression with increasing droplet salinity • Brine droplet freezing experiments under different volume, salinity and temperature • Lower freezing temperature results in larger supercooling and faster nucleation. • A model is developed to predict droplet temperature, supercooling and recalescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas bubbles that were generated in freshly prepared graphene oxide (GO) solution were found to float up as oblate shapes and travelled in the same way as they would when created in water. Gas bubbles, that were produced from the sediment of GO solution that was stood for 120 h, however, floated upward with a fine filament present in their wake while still retaining the oblate form. With bubbles that were 5 and 10 μL in volume, their average vertical speeds of 0.4 m/s could be maintained via significantly lower lateral displacements compared with similar sized gas bubbles created in water, notwithstanding that the shape aspect ratio fluctuations remained throughout. This behavior could be accounted for by a proposed mechanistic model in which the superhydrophilic and conversely superaerophobic GO particles (with contact angles of 4° ± 0.8°), that began encapsulating the liquid-gas interface as soon as the bubble was formed at the tip, prevented a typical pinch-off from occurring. This produced a thin filament with elastic properties brought along by the upward floating bubble. Rising gas bubbles, released from sedimented GO that was mixed with iron powder were found to create, under the influence of a magnet, fine structures that attached to the side of a container. These structures have the potential to be applied for environmental remediation. • Gas bubbles float up in freshly prepared graphene oxide (GO) solution as in water. • Gas bubbles float up with a fine filament present in their wake in sedimented GO. • Gas bubbles of 5 and 10 μL have much lower lateral displacements than in water. • Filament created has elastic properties and affected gas bubble travel behaviour. • When mixed with iron powder, a magnet created fine structures from the filament. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pore wetting phenomenon plays a critical role in a porous media and is critical in various processes. For instance, liquid entry pressure (LEP) is one of the critical characteristics of hydrophobic membranes used in membrane distillation (MD) processes. In this study, pore-scale models were developed to assess the accuracy of two multiphase flow computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods, as modeling tools for predicting two-phase flow in microporous MD membranes. Finite element method (FEM)-based phase field (PF) method (which was applied in the COMSOL package) and finite volume method (FVM)-based volume of fluid (VOF) method (which was applied in Star-CCM+) were the selected CFD tools for the implementation. The boundary conditions of the models were first set based on the experimental procedure for measuring the LEP, as given in the literature. Then, the models were used to capture the LEP under the gradually increased water pressure. Critical tuning of CFD parameters of each tool (such as mesh size, mesh type, and interface thickness) was conducted to investigate their influence on the LEP prediction accuracy and the water/air interface representation at the pore entrance. CFD model results were presented and compared with both experimental LEP data and the calculated value using the Young-Laplace equation (YLE). Both CFD tools were capable of capturing the water/air interface. LEP result from the VOF model showed good agreement with the experimental data, but the PF model overestimated the LEP value closer to the theoretical YLE value. For both approaches, the adjustment of the interface thickness was critical. In the VOF method, a realistic interface thickness could be achieved by adjusting both mesh size and time step simultaneously. In contrast, PF simulations were less mesh sensitive. The accuracy of the VOF model was better due to its mass conservation condition at the interface. Unlabelled Image • PF and VOF methods are used to model two-phase flow along a hydrophobic pore. • The capabilities of two commercial codes are assessed on pore-scale. • VOF model results are in good agreement with the experimental data. • PF model deviates from experimental data due to its non-conservative structure. • Modeling pore wetting in membrane distillation is a key application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The (PEM) fuel cell performance is depended to the flow field design. • The Parallel-Z flow field is shown to have the lowest performance. This is due to the poor design and mal-distribution of reactant gases. • The Serpentine-2Z and Serpentine-3Z designs, although increasing the number of channels, these proposed designs do not achieve any enhancement in the cell performance comparing with the single Serpentine flow channel. • The novel modified Serpentine-W design is the optimal flow field between all other proposed flow fields, due to its covering the entire surface area of the fuel cell. Fuel cells are one of the most important sources of alternative energy in generating electricity with a wide range of applicability. One of the most prominent of the challenges that effect on the performance of the fuel cells is the designs of flow field plate which are responsible on distributing reactant gases evenly throughout the cell, removing excess water efficiently, and supplying a conduction route for the electrons from the external circuit. In this study, the effect of gas flow fields design on fuel cell performance investigated experimentally. Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with 20 W (2.38 A × 8.4 V) were used. Where eight graphite plates with various flow field or flow channel designs (Parallel-Z flow field, Serpentine-Z flow field, Serpentine-2Z flow field, Serpentine-3Z flow field, Serpentine-S flow field, Serpentine-2S flow field, Serpentine-W flow field, and Novel serpentine- modified W flow field) were used for the PEM fuel cell assembly. From acquired results showed that Novel serpentine-modified W flow field design is superior compared with other proposed flow field designs in the current study. The reason of the modified Serpentine-W gives the better cell performance is that it extends over the entire surface, thus it generates a better and uniform distribution of the reactant gases. Therefore, an appropriate and uniform distribution of current over the electrode surface is produced, which increasing the pressure forces of the species to transfer during the sideways, resulting in more a uniform distribution of species through the (GDL). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fabricating Pb-Co 3 O 4 coating using pulsed current electrodeposition to achieve higher particle incorporation. • Increasing the corrosion resistance of the Pb-Ca-Sn substrate and DC deposited Pb-Co 3 O 4 coating. • Analyzing the electrochemical behavior of Pb-Co 3 O 4 coating and Pb-Ca-Sn substrate using EIS method. • Studying the effect of CoSO 4 additive on corrosion behavior of the system. • Studying the effect of prolonged polarization and inspecting the system's behavior using EIS method. Pb-Co 3 O 4 composite coating was electrodeposited using direct and pulsed current on Pb-Ca-Sn substrate. Corrosion evaluation using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in copper electrowinning electrolyte revealed that PC deposited coating has higher corrosion resistance than its DC counterpart, due to its higher incorporated particles and increased surface homogeneity. However, it was demonstrated that the presence of CoSO 4 as an additive in the electrolyte is crucial for the coating (irrespective of the deposition method) to maintain its higher electrochemical stability. Moreover, after prolonged polarization, the coating exhibited higher impedance in the subsequent EIS results as compared to that of the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We examined the relationship among white matter (WM) tract integrity, WM hyperintensities (WMH), lobar gray matter (GM) volumes, and cognition in the cross-sectional Framingham Offspring Study. Six hundred eighty participants (71.7 ± 7.7 years) completed cognitive testing and magnetic resonance imaging. Diffusion tensor imaging probabilistic tractography was used to reconstruct major WM tracts. We computed tract-specific mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and tract-specific WMH ratio. Linear regressions identified relations between tracts and lobar GM volumes. Partial least squares regression examined associations between integrity of combined tracts, lobar GM volumes and cognition, including scores of memory and processing speed. Five tracts were particularly vulnerable to WMH, and tract-specific WMH volumes were inversely associated with tract-specific FA (p values < 0.05). Tract-specific FA related to lobar GM volumes. Memory was associated with lobar GM, while processing speed related to both tract integrity and lobar GM volumes. We conclude that subtle microstructural WM tract degeneration relates to specific lobar GM atrophy. The integrity of associated WM tracts and GM lobes differentially impacts memory and processing speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Geant4 toolkit was used to develop a Monte Carlo (MC)-based engine for accurate dose calculations in small radiation field sizes. The Geant4 toolkit (version 10.1.p02) was used to simulate 6-MV photon beam of a Varian2100C linear accelerator that is being used for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment with small radiation fields. Geometric models of 3 in-house designed radiosurgical divergent cones, with the diameters of their projections at the isocenter being 10, 20, and 30 mm, were simulated. The accuracy of the MC simulation technique was examined by reproducing several different simulated dosimetric parameters of the primary beams with the experimental data. The dose distributions are first checked for single beams for each cone, then standard multiple field (SMF) techniques are applied. A sample set of DICOM files from computed tomography (CT) scan imaging of a patient's head was converted to the Geant4 geometry format to implement MC-based engine for a clinical test. To validate the accuracy of the MC-based calculations for SMF arrangements, the isodose lines from MC simulation in water phantom were compared with the measured isodose lines using EBT3 Gafchromic film in Solid Water phantoms. Agreements between measured and simulated depth dose values and beam profiles for SRS cones were generally within 2%/2 mm. For output factors, the largest discrepancy was observed for 10 mm SRS cone, which was 1.7%. For SMF techniques, in SRS cones, the MC simulation and EBT3 Gafchromic film dosimetry were in acceptable agreement (5%/5 mm). Excellent agreement between the results of the MC-based and measured dose values for both single and SMF techniques in SRS cones indicates the ability of the Geant4 toolkit to be applied as the platform for treatment planning of advanced radiotherapy techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petroleum hydrocarbons are extensively utilized in petrochemical industries and cause soil deterioration during exploration, transportation, refining and making petroleum products. We hypothesized that the combined use of compost, biochar and bacterial consortia as soil amendments may enhance the rhizoremediation potential of ryegrass by strengthening the plant rhizospheric effect for efficient total petroleum hydrocarbon removal. The present study focused on phytoremediation of hydrocarbons in spiked contaminated soil amended with biochar (5% v/v), and compost (5% v/v). Spiked soil was inoculated with consortia of four hydrocarbon degrading bacterial strains ( Pseudomonas poae, Actinobacter bouvetii, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila and Pseudomonas rhizosphaerae ). The spiked soil was prepared by spiking agricultural soil with 3.4% (w/w) of crude oil. Italian ryegrass (60 seeds pot −1 ) were sown and plants were harvested after 75 days. The highest hydrocarbon removal (85%) was observed in spiked soil amended with compost, biochar and consortia. Bacterial inoculation with biochar and compost showed significantly higher hydrocarbon degradation as compared to all other treatments. Highest TPHs degrading bacteria (5.74 × 10 7  cells g −1 of soil) were observed in rhizosphere of spiked soil amended with compost, biochar and consortia. The organic amendments improved plant growth and bacterial count in rhizosphere which resulted in higher removal of hydrocarbons. We concluded that plant-microbe interactions together with the organic soil amendments offer an emerging trend for remediation of hydrocarbons. Rhizoremediation is a green solution to overcome the quandary of total petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accuracy of penumbral measurements in radiotherapy is pivotal because dose planning computers require accurate data to adequately modeling the beams, which in turn are used to calculate patient dose distributions. Gamma knife is a non-invasive intracranial technique based on principles of the Leksell stereotactic system for open deep brain surgeries, invented and developed by Professor Lars Leksell. The aim of this study is to compare the penumbra widths of Leksell Gamma Knife model C and Gamma ART 6000. Initially, the structure of both systems were simulated by using Monte Carlo MCNP6 code and after validating the accuracy of simulation, beam profiles of different collimators were plotted. MCNP6 beam profile calculations showed that the penumbra values of Leksell Gamma knife model C and Gamma ART 6000 for 18, 14, 8 and 4 mm collimators are 9.7, 7.9, 4.3, 2.6 and 8.2, 6.9, 3.6, 2.4, respectively. The results of this study showed that since Gamma ART 6000 has larger solid angle in comparison with Gamma Knife model C, it produces better beam profile penumbras than Gamma Knife model C in the direct plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this report, gadolinium-substituted lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) system, La 0.5 Sr 0.5-x Gd x MnO 3 (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.4), was synthesized using the citrate precursor processing. The influence of Gd 3+ ions content on the structure, optical, electrochemical and magnetic properties of LSM was studied. Evidently, in all compositions, a single monoclinic perovskite phase was obtained after calcination at 1000 °C for 2 h. All powders exhibited crystallite sizes in the range of 25.6–35.1 nm. The formed LSM nanopowders has great optical reflectance of 20–40% from 200 to 800 nm for all substituted samples by Gd 3+ ions. Furthermore, the LSM possesses good optical absorbance of 0.65 from 200 to 800 nm. The optical band gap energy was decreased from 2.45 to 1.63 eV by increasing the Gd 3+ ions molar ratios from 0.1 to 0.4. Meanwhile, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy displayed the good results. The ohmic resistance ( R s) and the polarization resistance ( R p) of the electrode were increased by increasing the Gd 3+ ions concentration from 0.1 to 0.4. Otherwise, both the ohmic resistance ( R s) and polarization resistance in the doped samples were higher than the pure LSM sample. Finally, the saturation magnetization was increased by increasing Gd 3+ ions molar ratios. The saturation magnetization was found to be increased from 1.61 A m 2 /kg for pure LSM to 28.61 A m 2 /kg for 0.4 Gd 3+ ion substituted LSM sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge in the discovery of high-energy lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is to control the voltage stability and Li+ kinetics in lithium-rich layered oxide (LrLO) cathode materials. Although these materials can provide a higher specific capacity compared to the current industrially used cathodes, the substantial voltage decay and low Li+ diffusion during long term cycling is a serious reason for hindering their practical applications. In order to suppress the voltage decay in lithium-rich cathode materials, herein we introduce the Ti doping into Li 1.2 Mn 0.56 Ni 0.17 Co 0.07 O 2 cathodes. Also, the influence of Ti doping on the crystalline internal structure, surface chemistry, cycling retention, and Li+ kinetics of Li 1.2 Mn 0.56 Ni 0.17 Co 0.07 O 2 cathodes have been focused in this work. The Ti doping effectively enhances the structural/interfacial stability of the cathode and accelerates the Li+ kinetics by expanding the lattice, thereby significantly realizing its voltage/cycling stability and high-rate capability. Experimental results show that Ti-doped LrLO (1% Ti) has achieved high electrochemical kinetics as the discharge cycle retention increased from 61.58% (pristine) to 80.0% after 180 cycles at 1 C, with 150.3 mAh g−1 showing superior high-rate performance at 5C. Ex-situ XRD results confirmed the better structural stability of Ti-doped LrLO after high-rate electrochemical cycling. Our findings provide a suitable element doping strategy for regulating the voltage decay and cycle retention of LrLO, thus promoting their real-world application in future batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motivation of this computational research is to comprehensively analyze the performance of the air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) process by varying the membrane porosity at different inlet feed temperatures (T feed) in counter-current and co-current flow regimes. This computational study also includes the comparative study of different membrane materials with different porosities. In this research work, a detailed theoretical model for porous medium with phase change is formulated and presented to evaluate the permeate mass flux, heat flux, and evaporation efficiency of the AGMD technique. Additionally, a CFD numerical model is successfully developed and validated with the previously published data. The results reveal that high evaporation efficiency is achieved at about 90 %, 92 %, and 94 % with 90 % membrane porosity at different inlet feed temperatures of 50 °C, 60 °C, and 75 °C, respectively, in both flow regimes. Also, transported mass flux was enhanced by 43 % at T feed , 50 °C with high porosity, while it increased by 65 % at T feed , 75 °C. The AGMD thermal performance using PVDF and PTFE flat sheet membranes is comparable with the same membrane thickness and at the same porosity; however, PTFE offers relatively high evaporation efficiency and mass flux, especially at low inlet feed temperature (50 °C). • Numerical model is formulated for porous membranes with phase change. • Integrated CFD model with phase change in a porous medium is developed. • Model applied to air gap membrane distillation • High porosity and feed temperature promote high efficiency and permeate flux. • Membrane porosity dominated efficiency while feed temperature dominated mass flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PtCo IMNs were uniformly encaged within the mesopores of Cr-BDC MOFs for selective hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenole. • The PtCo/Cr-BDC catalyst exhibit superior selective hydrogenation performances than that of Pt/Cr-BDC and Co/Cr-BDC catalysts. • The exceptional activity was ascribed to mesoporous structure and synergistic interaction between Co and Pt in PtCo/Cr-BDC catalyst. • The mesoporous PtCo/Cr-BDC catalyst revealed remarkable durability. Engineering of economical and stabilized precious metal based catalysts are crucial in recent ages to achieve the desirable catalytic performance as they tend to destabilize easily. Herein, Cr-BDC MOF was prepared that provides high surface area and pore volumes to evenly distribute, host, and stabilize the Pt and Co intermetallic nanoparticles (IMNs). Among these, the PtCo/Cr-BDC catalyst showed superior selective hydrogenation activity for 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-Aminophenol (4-AP) as an exemplary reaction. A number of characterization techniques were carried out to study the influence of the Cr-BDC support and Co metal on the surface and bulk structural properties of active Pt metal species. The Cr-BDC support imparts uniform distributions while the Co metal species influenced the catalytic activity. The maximum conversion (99.3 %) of 4-NP to 4-AP was observed with PtCo/Cr-BDC in 2 min at a reaction rate constant (k) of 1.27 min−1 at room temperature, which is superior than Pt/Cr-BDC (0.64 min−1) and Co/Cr-BDC (0.14 min−1). The superior hydrogenation activity was credited to the addition of electropositive Co species to Pt/Cr-BDC catalyst that synergistically interacts with active Pt species within the pores of Cr-BDC MOFs and making PtCo IMNs system. As a result of this synergistic interaction, new additional interfacial electrophilic and nucleophilic metallic sites are generated within the pores of MOFs, which enormously encourage the selective hydrogenation of lethal 4-NP to valued 4-AP. Besides, the PtCo/Cr-BDC catalysts revealed remarkable durability up to several repeated rounds, validating its real-world applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(C 4 H 9 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 2 X 2 (X = I, Br and Cl) system have been synthesized using ball milling technique. Clearly, different orange, chartreuse and deep yellow powders were observed for (C 4 H 9 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 4 , (C 4 H 9 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 2 Br 2 and (C 4 H 9 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 2 Cl 2 , respectively based on the variation of the starting materials. Plainly, the crystal structure was altered with the change of halide ion. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies showed that single-crystalline nanorods like structure with particle size around 11 to ∼120 nm were exhibited. The FT-IR spectra were analyzed in the range of 400–4000 cm −1 . The band gap energy was decreased for the halogen ranges from Cl to Br to then I ion. The three samples were evinced an intense photoluminescence (PL) emission in the 400–600 nm range at room temperature. TGA and DTA measurements indicated that the presence of two endothermic peaks was detected in all samples. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for the second and third steps were calculated using the Coats–Redfern method. Furthermore, the parameters of total energy, heat of formation, HOMO and LUMO were evaluated using hyperchem system software. The formed materials were displayed as p-type semiconductors resulting from positive sign of Hall coefficient using the four-probe technique in 295–522 K. Good saturation magnetization 0.056, 0.015 and 0.0079 emu/g were achieved for the formed (C 4 H 9 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 4 , (C 4 H 9 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 2 Br 2 and (C 4 H 9 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 2 Cl 2 at room temperature, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to examine the thermal performance and the flow of hybrid nanofluid over three types of longitudinal wetted fins encompassing thin tip fin, thick tip fin, and fin with a rectangular shape. It is pertinent to mention that both thin and thick tip fins are of exponential profile. The longitudinal fins are of variable thickness with stagnant, stretching, and shrinking cases in a fully wetted circumstance to study the heat augmentation of a conveyer belt. The previous studies considered constant temperature but, in this analysis, the variable type (temperature-dependent) i.e. , exponential and linear forms of thermal conductivities are cogitated for all three cases. A comparison of thermal performance is also elaborated for variables thermal conductivities considering the above-cited three cases. The analysis would be more useful in the designing of fin structures that are helpful to enhance thermal efficiency. This is a pioneering study in this direction. The mathematical model is elucidated numerically. The impact of arising pertinent parameters is arbitrated. It is examined that inverted and rectangular fins possess more heat transfer rate in comparison to the tapered fin. Furthermore, the surface temperature of the stretching fin is higher than the shrinking fin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Emergency gastrointestinal surgery is followed by a high risk of major complications and death. This study aimed to investigate which complications showed the strongest association with death following emergency surgery for gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation. Methods: We retrospectively included adults who had undergone emergency gastrointestinal surgery for radiologically verified obstruction or perforation at three Danish hospitals between 2014 and 2015. The exposure variables comprised 16 predefined Clavien-Dindo-graded complications. Cox regression with delayed entry was used to analyze the association of these complications with 90-day mortality. We adjusted for hospital, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, pre-operative Sepsis-2 score, cardiac comorbidity, renal comorbidity, hypertension, active cancer, bowel obstruction or perforation, and the surgical procedure. Subgroup analyses were done for patients with gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation. Results: Of the 349 included patients, 281 (80.5%) experienced at least one complication. The risk of death was 20.6% (14) for patients with no complications and varied between 21 and 57% for patients with complications. Renal impairment (hazard ratio (HR): 6.8 (95%CI: 3.7–12.4)), arterial thromboembolic events (HR 4.8 (2.3–9.9)), and atrial fibrillation (HR 4.4 (2.8–6.8)) showed the strongest association with 90-day mortality. Atrial fibrillation was the only complication significantly associated with death in patients with gastrointestinal obstruction as well as perforation. Conclusion: This study of patients undergoing emergency gastrointestinal surgery revealed that renal impairment, arterial thromboembolic events, and atrial fibrillation had the strongest association with death. Atrial fibrillation may serve as an in-situ marker of patients needing escalation of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, a series of fluorine-substituted piperidine derivatives (1–8) has been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. In vitro and in vivo enzyme inhibitory studies were conducted to elucidate the efficacy of these compounds, shedding light on their potential therapeutic applications. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, these heterocyclic structures have been investigated against α-glucosidase and cholinesterase enzymes. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized compounds was also assessed. Evaluation of synthesized compounds revealed notable inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and cholinesterases. Remarkably, the target compounds (1–8) exhibited extraordinary α-glucosidase inhibitory activity as compared to the standard acarbose by several-fold. Subsequently, the potential antidiabetic effects of compounds 2, 4, 5, and 6 were validated using a STZ-induced diabetic rat model. Kinetic studies were also performed to understand the mechanism of inhibition, while structure-activity relationship analyses provided valuable insights into the structural features governing enzyme inhibition. Kinetic investigations revealed that compound 4 displayed a competitive mode of inhibition against α-glucosidase, whereas compound 2 demonstrated mixed-type behavior against AChE. To delve deeper into the binding interactions between the synthesized compounds and their respective enzyme targets, molecular docking studies were conducted. Overall, our findings highlight the promising potential of these densely substituted piperidines as multifunctional agents for the treatment of diseases associated with dysregulated glucose metabolism and cholinergic dysfunction. [Display omitted] • Synthesis and characterization of fluorine-substituted piperidines. • Cholinesterases and α-glucosidase inhibitions (in vitro). • In vivo , kinetic analysis and molecular docking studies. • All analogues displayed excellent anti-α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. • Anti-Oxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing evidence of widespread sub-micron pollutants in the atmosphere, the impact of airborne nanoparticles is a subject of great relevance. In particular, the smallest particles are considered the most active and dangerous, having a higher surface/volume ratio. Here we tested the effect of iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4) nanoparticles (IONPs) with different mean diameter and size distribution on the model plant Tillandsia usneoides. Strands were placed in home-built closed boxes and exposed to levels of airborne IONPs reported for the roadside air, i.e. in the order of 107 - 108 items m−2. Plant growth and other morpho-physiological parameters were monitored for two weeks, showing that exposure to IONPs significantly reduced the length increment of the treated strands with respect to controls. A dose-dependence of this impairing effect was found only for particles with mean size of a few tens of nanometers. These were also proved to be the most toxic at the highest concentration tested. The IONP-induced hamper in growth was correlated with altered concentration of macro- and micronutrients in the plant, while no significant variation in photosynthetic activity was detected in treated samples. Microscopy investigation showed that IONPs could adhere to the plant surface and were preferentially located on the trichome wings. Our results report, for the first time, evidence of the negative effects of airborne IONP pollution on plant health, thus raising concerns about related environmental risks. Future research should be devoted to other plant species and pollutants to assess the impact of airborne pollution on plants and devise suitable attenuation practices. [Display omitted] • Toxicity of airborne magnetite nanoparticles was tested on Tillandsia usneoides. • Biometry and ionome, but not photosynthesis, were altered by the treatment. • Small nanoparticles were localised on the trichome wings. • Small nanoparticles were more toxic than large ones for T. usneoides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the hydrodynamics and wall-to-bed heat transfer of gas–solid flow in a conical fluidized bed were simulated using the Eulerian–Eulerian model. Sand with a diameter of 560 μm was used as bed material where its properties were calculated by applying the kinetic theory of granular flow (KTGF). Different amounts of slip between particle and wall were given by varying the specularity coefficient. The effect of different values of specularity coefficient (0, 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0) on hydrodynamic and wall-to-bed heat transfer at superficial gas velocity of 0.65 m/s was investigated. It was found that the wall-to-bed heat transfer coefficient decreases with increasing specularity coefficient. The specularity coefficient had no clear effect on the bed pressure drop. Different values of specularity coefficient resulted in almost the same hydrodynamic behavior near the wall and the center of bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulations of conical fluidized bed combustors were carried out to estimate the effect of collision elasticity, parameterized by the particle-to-particle and particle-to-wall coefficients of restitution, upon the combustor’s hydrodynamics and heat transfer. The Eulerian–Eulerian two-fluid model was used to simulate the hydrodynamics and heat transfer in the combustor, and solid phase properties were calculated by applying the kinetic theory of granular flow (KTGF). Sand of size 560 μ m was used as a bed material and air was used as a fluidized gas, introduced at the velocity of 3 m/s at the combustor inlet. In the simulations, increasing the particle-to-particle restitution coefficient increased the bed pressure drop and caused significant changes to other hydrodynamics parameters. Oppositely increasing the particle-to-wall coefficient of restitution decreased the bed pressure drop. Changes to either the coefficients studied had little effect on heat transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, more emphasis has been given to produce clean energy from wastes and other renewable sources due to the rise in crude oil price and greenhouse gas emission. Fluidized bed combustors (FBC) are becoming the core of ‘clean wastes technology’ for power production, owing to their efficient and clean burning of coal and other solid fuels including biomass and other wastes, in an environment friendly manner with reduced pollutants. It is important to understand the mechanism of heat transfer and the effect of operating parameters on the heat transfer process for proper design of fluidized-bed reactors and for control the temperature at desired value. The scope of this paper is reviewing the heat transfer process in different types of fluidized bed combustors as well as the important operating conditions affecting the process. This paper covers both experimental and numerical studies related to the heat transfer process in different types of fluidized bed combustors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Precast SHCC plates have been prepared, cured, and then used to strengthen RC slabs having cut-outs. • The slabs having cut-outs were strengthened either at the tension side only or at both the tension and compression sides. • The application of SHCC plates at the tension side only for slabs with cut-outs increased the load-carrying capacity accompanied by a loss in ductility. • The application of the SHCC plates at both tension and compression sides of the slabs with cut-outs improved the load-carrying capacity and ductility. Creating a cut-out in an existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) slab became a common practice to allow passing facility services. This cut-out interrupts the loading trajectories resulting in the existence of weak points. Thus, the ultimate capacity of such slab including cut-out decreases with the increase of the size of the opening. In this paper, a new technique based on near-surface mounted has been employed using precast plates made of Strain-Hardening Cementitious Composites (SHCC). These SHCC plates were designed to compensate the cut reinforcement due to cut-out. The used plates had three different widths; 100, 200 and 300 mm, while their thickness was kept constant at 20 mm. One reference slab without cut-out, in addition to, nine damaged slabs with central cut-outs, were prepared and tested under incremental static loading. The tested slabs have the same dimensions; thickness = 140, effective depth = 120 mm, width = 1200 mm and span = 2200 mm. For the cut-out, a rectangular shape with constant width of 200 mm has been used, while the length parallel to the supporting line was varied considering three values; 200, 400, and 600 mm. All slabs were reinforced with a single bottom steel mesh with a longitudinal reinforcement ratio of 0.65%. The slabs having cut-outs were divided into three groups (I, II and III); each one included three different cut-outs. The slabs of group I were tested without strengthening. On the other hand, group II was strengthened at the tension side only, whereas, group III was strengthened at both tension and compression sides. Based on the experimental findings, the load-carrying capacities of group II raised by 15–57% compared to group I; however, this increase was accompanied by a significant decrease in the developed ductility where the displacement-based ductility index could be dropped by 58% for the slab having cut-out length of 600 mm. For group III, the application of SHCC plates at both tension and compression sides enabled the strengthened slabs to restore nearly the lost capacity resulting from providing the cut-out with a good ductility performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nanosized mixed metal oxides (Ca 3 Co 2 O 6 , CaMnO 3 and Ca 2 CuO 3 ) have been synthesized and their electrochemical performance as supercapacitor electrodes have been evaluated. All of them show good pseudocapacitance in KOH electrolyte with specific capacitance of 563, 384 and 275 F g −1 for Ca 3 Co 2 O 6 , CaMnO 3 and Ca 2 CuO 3 , respectively. The charge kinetics of Ca 3 Co 2 O 6 is further evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the results show the low resistivity of Ca 3 Co 2 O 6 and its charge kinetic shows little variation after long continuous cycling. The present study signifies the successful application of nanosized mixed metal oxides as supercapacitor electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing absorbers with efficient critical parameters is required to address the problems caused by electromagnetic pollution. In this context, this study focuses on the chemical synthesis of hierarchical mesoporous microspheres CoNi magnetic alloy particles, and BiVO 4 /VOOH nanocomposite as a source of dielectric dissipation for constructing bilayer absorbers that are optimized in their absorption properties using MATLAB simulation. Single layer and constructed bilayer absorber sample's mechanical and X band microwave absorption performance were investigated, compared, and optimized. It is found that the prepared bilayer absorber sample's mechanical characteristics are comparable to those of the two bulk single-layer samples of CN and BVH, indicating that the interface in the double-layer sample not only has little to no effect on the majority of BVH or CN samples but also enhances the dissipation feature. Bilayer absorber sample with reasonable design and layer thickness optimization outperform single layer samples in terms of absorption efficiency, with the ideal sample having a minimum reflection loss (RL mini) of −37.5 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 3.6 GHz with only a total thickness of 1.6 mm. The exceptional microwave absorption capabilities of the bilayer absorber sample are the consequence of the beneficial impacts of interfacial polarization between layers. • Novel hybrid BiVO 4 /VOOH nanocomposite is successfully chemically synthesized. • Hierarchical Porous CoNi magnetic alloy is synthesized via solvothermal method. • Micro and macro structural of the samples tuned for reaching to high absorption and mechanical performance. • The bilayer absorber is optimized in the absorption properties using MATLAB simulation. • Bilayer sample had RL mini = −37.5 dB and with only a total thickness of 1.6 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the transport phenomenon in which host fluid completely mixed with three different nanoparticles types (ternary hybrid nanofluid) has attract scientist's attention for considering of its significance. The primary reason for the rising interest in tri-hybrid nanofluid is its unique ability to improve thermal performance, which is really useful in various heat exchangers. In the present analysis, the main objective of this article is to examining the laminar, time-dependent, incompressible and two dimensional (2D) trihybrid magnetized squeezing flow of a Boger-micropolar nanofluid between non-porous and porous disk to observe the thermal performance of fluid. This model describes the way to attain a more appropriate heat conductor as compared to bi-hybrid, mono nanofluid. The ternary nanofluid is formulated by adding three types of nano size particles with distinct chemical and physical bonds into water as a base liquid. This mixture helps in purification of environment, decomposing destructive substance and other devices that required cooling. At z = − H (1 − a t) 1 / 2 the lower disk is fixed and the liquid is squeezing due to movement of top disk with axial direction. At the lower surface a homogeneous suction/injection is imposed. Energy and velocity slip impacts are also considered at the fixed bottom disk. Appropriate similarity functions are imposed to transform the governs equations into non-linear ordinary differential equations (ODE's) and then numerically solved by bvp4c technique in MATLAB environment. The outcomes are then displayed in graphically to investigate the microrotation, velocity and temperature profiles. The temperature profile decreased against tri-hybrid case in the lower disk case and then are enhanced near to the top disk in tri-hybrid case, so finally, we conclude that ternary nano size particles have an excellent thermal conductivity as compared to single and hybrid nanoparticles. The present results are found to be good agreement with existence literature for limited cases. • Significance of tri-hybrid nanoparticles in thermal management is modeled. • Tiwari and Das model for nanoparticles is taken into account for modeling. • Ternary hybrid nanofluid have an excellent thermal conductivity. • Higher inputs of magnetic field cause to twisting behavior between disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel porphyrin-based coordinated complex as an additive in perovskite have been introduced for the first time. • TPPP(Cl) can effectively dope into perovskite and passivate Pb-related defects. • Strong chlorine functionalized group helps passivate I-related defects. • The dual-functional coordination complex as an additive exhibited high PCE (20.2 %) with long-term stability by retaining 89 % of initial PCE after 30 days. Perovskite solar cells have emerged as promising candidates in the photovoltaic industry owing to their high efficiencies and low production costs. However, their commercial viability has been hampered by issues related to long-term environmental and operational stability, and their efficiency is lower than the Shockley–Queisser (SQ) limit. In this study, we explored a groundbreaking approach to enhance the efficiency and stability of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 perovskite solar cells via the additive engineering of tetraphenylphosphonium chloride (TPPP(Cl)). By introduction of TPPP(Cl) into perovskite precursor, we demonstrated a notable amelioration in the photovoltaic performance of respective device. The presence of TPPP(Cl) enhances the crystallinity of the perovskite film, and the Cl from TPPP(Cl) can passivate halide ion defects, resulting in reduced defect density and improved charge carrier mobility. This in turn, leads to a substantial increase in power conversion efficiency, making perovskite solar cells a more competitive option for renewable energy applications. Furthermore, our research delves into the remarkable stability enhancement achieved through the incorporation of TPPP(Cl), as the champion device retained 89 % of its initial PCE for over 30 days after being placed in an ambient environment without any encapsulation. Thus, we propose that careful regulation of the concentration of TPPP(Cl) significantly increases the resistance of the device to moisture and heat, resulting in prolonged operational lifetimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have synthesized poly(1-NA- co -oT) and sphere-like NiCoO 2 nanomaterials and then samples-with-layers were prepared to examine microwave absorption properties. For mono-layer, NiCoO 2 exhibits superior microwave absorption capabilities than poly(1-NA- co -oT) sample. And for the bilayer sample, different samples were prepared with different layer thicknesses having poly(1-NA- co -oT) layer on top and NiCoO 2 as base layer. The optimal bilayer sample having 1-mm thickness of each layer had excellent microwave absorption characteristics; indicating achieving a significant level of absorption necessitates a careful equilibrium between dielectric and magnetic loss. Additionally, best bilayer specimen has excellent absorption characteristics, as shown by its minimum reflection loss (RL mini) of −36 dB and effective absorption bandwidth of 3.5 GHz. Simulated and experimental findings of the bilayer optimal sample were compared and they were in accordance. The aforementioned results indicate a potential shift in the future creation of microwave-absorbing materials. • Poly(1-NA-co-oT) and sphere-like NiCoO 2 nanomaterials were synthesized. • Bi-layer absorber is prepared with the as-synthesize nanocomposite. • Poly(1-NA-co-oT) layer on top and NiCoO 2 as base layer get optimum absorption capacity. • 1-mm thickness of each layer had RL mini of −36 dB and EAB of 3.5 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sitagliptin is an antihyperglycemic drug used in adults for the treatment of diabetes Type 2. Literature data and in-house experiments were applied in this monograph to assess whether methods based on the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) could be used to assess the bioequivalence of solid immediate-release (IR) oral dosage forms containing sitagliptin phosphate monohydrate, as an alternative to a pharmacokinetic study in human volunteers. The solubility and permeability characteristics of sitagliptin were reviewed according to the BCS, along with dissolution, therapeutic index, therapeutic applications, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic characteristics, reports of bioequivalence (BE) / bioavailability problems, data on interactions between the drug and excipients and other data germane to the subject. All data reviewed in this monograph unambiguously support classification of sitagliptin as a BCS Class 1 drug. In light of its broad therapeutic index and lack of severe adverse effects, the clinical risks associated with moderately supraoptimal doses were deemed inconsequential, as were the risks associated with moderately suboptimal doses. Taking all evidence into consideration, it was concluded that the BCS-based biowaiver can be implemented for solid IR oral drug products containing sitagliptin phosphate monohydrate, provided (a) the test product is formulated solely with excipients commonly present in solid IR oral drug products approved in ICH or associated countries and used in amounts commonly applied in this type of product, (b) data in support of the BCS-based biowaiver are obtained using the methods recommended by the WHO, FDA, EMA or ICH and (c) the test product and the comparator product (which is the innovator product in this case) meet all in vitro dissolution specifications provided in the WHO, FDA, EMA or ICH guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Keystream reuse, also known as the two time pad problem, is a well known weakness in stream ciphers. The implementers of the cryptographic algorithms are still underestimating this threat. The keystream reuse exploitation techniques presented so far assume the underlying plaintext to be textual data and all the heuristics presented previously are based on the language characteristics of the underlying text based data, which fail when compression is applied on the plaintext before encryption. This paper presents exploitation techniques for two time pads in case of stream ciphered digitized and compressed speech signals. In this paper we show that how an adversary can automatically recover the digitized speech signals encrypted under the same keystream provided the language (e.g. English) and digital encoding/compression scheme details of the underlying speech signals are known. Our technique of cryptanalysis is based on the modeling of the speech parameters by exploiting the inter frame correlations between each components of the speech vectors in different frames and then using these models to decode the two speech signals in the keystream reuse scenario. The technique is flexible enough to incorporate all modern speech coding schemes based on parameter or hybrid encoding and compression techniques. The simulation experiments have showed promising results for most of the present day speech digitization and compression techniques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Composition and structural design play a very influential role in the microwave absorption (MA) manipulation of ferrite/carbon composites. Here, by carefully choosing the dimensionality of the bio-carbon materials, the interfacial geometries and MA properties of ferrite/bio-carbon composites have been controlled effectively. The one dimensional (1D), two dimensional (2D), and three dimensional (3D) biomass-based carbon materials decorated with ZnFe 2 O 4 (ZFO) particles were obtained respectively from carbon fibers (1D), tree leaves (2D), wheat straw (2D), peanut shell (3D) and orange peel (3D) by a simple two-step synthesis method. With increasing the bio-carbon's dimensionality from 1D, 2D to 3D, the ferrite/carbon composite's MA properties are promoted and the minimum reflection loss is enhanced from −9 dB to −45 dB. By changing the ZFO/3D-bio-carbon samples' thickness, a broad absorption range from 4 to 18 GHz can be covered. Moreover, the effective absorption bandwidth for ZFO/3D-bio-carbon can be modified up to 7.1 GHz, which covers the whole Ku band. These observations identified the important roles of the ferrite/carbon interface and dimensionality of carbon materials and provided an effective and low-cost route to design microwave absorption materials based on biomass-industrial waste composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Precast cement-based composite plates (PCBCPs) have been prepared and cured. • PCBCPs composed of SHCC material reinforced with internal mild steel plates. • PCBCPs have been used for Strengthening of shear-deficient RC beams. • Experimental tests results confirmed the capability of the adopted technique. • Inclined arrangement of the PCBCPs resulted in outstanding performance for RC beams. Precast cement-based composite plates (PCBCPs) have been prepared, cured and then used to strengthen shear-deficient reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The used PCBCPs have rectangular cross-sections of 100 mm width and 20 mm thickness made of strain-hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) material and reinforced with mild steel plates of 1 mm thickness having variant reinforcement ratios (1.4, 2.8, and 4.2%). The motivation of using such reinforced composite plates is to make use of the mutual benefits between the used materials where the internal steel plate alleviates the cracks localization manifested by plain SHCC material after cracking, while the SHCC material protects the steel plates against corrosion. Experimental test results showed that the use of PCBCPs significantly increased the ultimate shear capacity of the strengthened beams. Besides, inclined configuration of the PCBCPs showed higher shear performance compared to that exhibited by the vertical configuration from both the ultimate capacity and shear cracks characteristics viewpoints. Beam B 3-56-100-45 strengthened by inclined PCBCPs showed the best performance among all tested beams. It exhibited about 126% increases in the ultimate capacity compared to that of the control un-strengthened beam. On the other hand, the corresponding increase of counterpart beam reinforced with vertical plates was about 88%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cerebral vasospasm secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage leads to increased cerebrovascular resistance and may cause ischemia in the affected vascular territories. The currently available therapeutic options for treating vasospasm are limited. The effect of ethanol at a concentration of 0.75g/kg body weight on blood flow velocity in the major cerebral arteries was studied. In 31 healthy persons, the major extra- and intracranial cerebral vessels were examined by Doppler ultrasonography before and following oral ingestion of 0.75g/kg body weight of ethanol. An additional 20 healthy subjects served as a control group. Ethanol in the applied concentration significantly increased the systolic, diastolic, and mean blood flow velocities and significantly decreased the pulsatility indices in the middle cerebral artery (MCA). It may reduce vascular resistance and may increase cerebral blood flow in the area supplied by the MCA in healthy persons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Desublimation-based Carbon dioxide (CO 2) removal from the natural gas (NG) in a cryogenic packed bed becomes challenging due to the dry ice formation inside the packed bed. Therefore, the cryogenic packed bed has been used for NG purification only in batch processes. However, to fulfill the energy requirements, it is crucial to develop a continuous process for NG purification, which is difficult for a single cryogenic packed bed. In the current research, a novel cryogenic packed bed system is proposed for continuous capture of desublimation based CO 2 capture from natural gas. The process feasibility of the switching concept was proved through dynamic simulation and experimental study on CO 2 separation from multi-component NG. It was observed that increasing CO 2 content decreases the switching and saturation time of the cryogenic packed bed. The total energy required per packed bed per cycle in the switching system is 133.35. The saturation time for pure CO 2 feed, NG sample-1, and NG sample-2 were 300, 500, and 600 s, respectively. An excellent agreement was observed between the results obtained from the experimental results and that obtained through dynamic simulation. A switching time of 200 s was found for a CO 2 recovery of more than 98 %. This research work offers scientific data and theoretical support for the industrial application of switched cryogenic packed bed setup in CO 2 capture from natural gas in the future. Moreover, in the current research work, scale-up study, and automatic control system for the switched packed bed are recommended for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires play a pivotal role in the nanoworld due to their broad range of characteristics and applications. In this work, structural and optical properties of ZnO nanowires grown on indium doped tin oxide (ITO) coated glass have been modified by copper (Cu++) ions irradiation at constant energy of 0.7 MeV. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) are used to examine changes in the nanowires. XRD results show that the crystallite size first decreases and then increases with high ion dose while peaks' intensity decreases continuously with increasing the dose. The absence of (102) plane after irradiation depicts the defects formation. FESEM clearly shows the damage that occurred in the density of nanowires and also depicts the reduced charging effect with increasing dose. The PL spectra indicate the strong near-band edge peak and green luminescence enhancement has been recorded due to low dose ion irradiation. • The crystallite size in ZnO samples first decreased and then increased with high ion dose. • The damage in the ZnO structures occurred by increasing ion dose. • The strong near-band edge peak and green luminescence enhancement has been recorded due to low dose ion irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to assessment the rate of entropy generation in magneto-hydrodynamic free convection with flow through the boundary layers of a fluid that is viscous and dusty fluid flow subject to dispersed dust particles across the stretching surface. Dusty fluids are utilized in a wide range of construction and manufacturing sectors, included the transportation of petroleum, gas purification, auto exhaust fumes, power station piping, sedimentation process, and many more. The primary objective of this elaborated fluid problem is to observe the influence of dust particles volume fraction on the heat transfer rate and entropy generation. By using appropriate similarity transformation, for first fluid phase and second dust phase simulations, the governing partial differential equations are transfigured into nonlinear non-dimensional ordinary differential equations. The final forms of obtained equations are solved numerically via MATLAB built-in bvp4c solver scheme. When the scientific validity of the findings is analyzed, it is found that there is substantial agreement among the latest results and the existing research. The entropy generation and thermal performance in fluid is influenced by the growing volume fraction of dust particles and significance variation is noted. As volume fraction of dust particles increased, causes a decrease in fluid flow, and reduced the velocity of both fluid and dusty fluid phases. But, it plays remarkable improvement in fluid temperature and entropy generation, and cause a decline in Bejan number. In fluid phase and dust fluid phase, temperatures are increased while inclined angle fluid parameter strength increases while the fluid velocity is decreased. Additionally, dimensionless variable expressions for Bejan number (Be) and entropy generation (Ns) are produced. It is noticed how several physical attributes influence entropy generation values. • In this study we have explored the importance of dusty fluid and heat flux induced by the stretched sheet's thermal boundary gradient. • We have also study the rate of entropy generation in magneto-hydrodynamic free convection flow through the boundary layers of a fluid that is viscous and dusty fluid flow. • The most significant source of efficient heat source is nanofluids, which have many uses in scientific and technical procedures. • By using appropriate similarity adjustments, for both phase simulations, the governing PDEs are transformed into nonlinear non-dimensional ODEs. • The MATLAB scripted bvp4c approach is implemented to solve the non-dimensional issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a pressing desire for the development of ideal microwave absorption materials to tackle the escalating issue of electromagnetic interference (EMI) in electronic gadgets. So, EMI absorption material is an urgent requirement at the present time. Herein, a novel composite, MWCNTs enwrapped with AgBr and Poly(Thiophene- co -Quinoxaline), has been successfully synthesized to study absorption properties in X-bnad frequency range. The primary objective of this study is to increase the microwave absorption performance of composites by regulating their attenuation constant and impedance matching. The improved microwave absorption efficiency of MWCNTs/AgBr/Poly(Thiophene- co -Quinoxaline) has been achieved by using various filler contents. The optimal sample achieves RL mini of −54 dB with EAB of 2.2 GHz. As a result, the developed nanocomposites could be used in the field of microwave absorption. [Display omitted] • MWCNTs composites wrapped in AgBr and Poly(Thiophene- co -Quinoxaline) has been successfully synthesized. • The optimum sample has an EAB of 2.2 GHz and an RL mini value of −54 dB with EMI shielding value of −50.3 dB is achieved. • The fabricated nanocomposites may find application in microwave absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steady mixed convection flow in a square wavy cavity containing heated corrugated rods is investigated numerically. In the current work, the vertical walls are suited at a fixed temperature, and the upper and lower walls are adiabatically treated. Thermal conductivity has been calculated by Galerkin finite element methods in which computational region is discretized into small triangular portions. We have studied effects on temperature and streamlines for different Rayleigh numbers, Hartmann numbers, and numbers of undulations and fixed dimensionless amplitude A = 0.05 of right wavy wall and amplitude of corrugated rod C = 0.02. The flow is entirely steady for the range of Ra. from 10 3 to 10 5 and Ha. from 0 to 50. Mixed convection of top-motivated streams covers the tenders, for example, cooling of electronic gadgets, elite execution building protections, multi-safeguard structures utilized for atomic reactors, food handling, float glass creation, heater. Various examinations on cover-driven cavity stream and intensity move including different mixes of cavity arrangements, different liquids, and forced temperature slopes have been distributed in the writing much of the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, semiconductors such as molybdenum di-sulphide (MoS 2) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) have fascinated much attention from researchers in the arena of renewable energy, photo catalysis (hydrogen production, oxygen evaluation & dye degradation) and energy storage devices (batteries). Here, a novel MoS 2 and g-C 3 N 4 photocatalytic hetero-structure is synthesized by using hydrothermal and calcination methods, respectively. The heterostructures of these materials are synthesized by chemical and physical methods named MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 -M and MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 -P, respectively. XRD and FTIR confirms the molecular structure and bonding formation of prepared materials. UV–visible shows 2.32 and 2.26 eV band gaps for MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 -P and MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 -M, respectively. Nanorods are successfully synthesized by MoS 2 , and g-C 3 N 4 has a sponge-like structure. Heterostructures confirm the existence of both g-C 3 N 4 and MoS 2 , according to SEM. MoS 2 nanoparticles (NPs) molded on g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets significantly boosted the photocatalytic action of g-C 3 N 4. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated for the degradation of methyl blue (MB) under sunlight. The greatest photocatalytic performance for MB degradation was demonstrated by MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 -P. 95 % of MB was decomposed by MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 -P after 80 min. MoS 2 NPs can boost interface charge transport and restrict the re-mixing of hole-electron pairs produced by photons. Therefore, it is demonstrated that the novel MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 heterostructure is a capable catalyst for the photocatalytic destruction of organic contaminants utilizing solar energy. [Display omitted] • Physical and chemical methods have been used to mixed g-C 3 N 4 and MoS 2. • XRD and FTIR confirms the molecular structure and bonding of prepared materials. • UV–visible shows E g 2.32 eV (physical) and 2.26 eV (chemical) methods. • 95 % of MB was decomposed by physical mixing method after 80 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most pressing need for the majority of applications is the development of microwave absorption composites with thin thickness to make them practical to use and capable of high absorption with adjustable effective absorbing bandwidth. In this research, an innovative nanocomposite made of a LaFeO 3 compound decorated with CuCo 2 O 4 particles was chemically developed, and its electromagnetic properties were extracted to study microwave absorbing capability using both waveguide and free space methods, as well as related mechanisms. The resin-based absorber sample with 40% LaFeO 3 /CuCo 2 O 4 nanocomposite possesses the best wave dissipation feature, with a reflection loss of − 20 dB and an absorption bandwidth of 3.3 GHz in an absorber sample with just 1.8 mm thickness. This is due to the best loss capacity matching factor as well as improvements in impedance matching and attenuation coefficient capability. The sample was made on a 20 × 20 cm scale in accordance with the waveguide mode's results, and the findings were completely supported after carrying out the assessments that are required. This study presents a unique approach to developing EMW-absorbing materials with a broad effective absorption bandwidth and an appropriate absorption capacity by assessing the absorption properties using two different testing methodologies. [Display omitted] • CuCo 2 O 4 -wrapped LaFeO 3 nanocomposite was prepared to study microwave absorption properties. • Measurement was done using free-space and waveguide techniques; both of these methods show the same results. • Impedance matching, along with the best loss capacity matching factor is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]