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Tuning mechanical behavior of an FCC high entropy alloy: Insights from roll deformation and texture
Get PDFData availability: Data will be made available on request.Severe plastic deformation (SPD) is introduced as a significant approach in designing and tailoring the mechanical characteristics of high entropy alloys (HEAs). This research focuses on investigating the microstructure evolution, deformation mechanisms, and their influence on texture components and mechanical behavior in a single solid solution Ni1.5FeCrCu0.5 HEA subjected to cold rolling. For this purpose, microstructure evolution and texture expansion were studied in 25, 45, 65, and 85 % thickness reductions using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The finding illustrates that alongside dislocation density, deformation twins and shear bands increase with higher strain; in particular, nanotwins with a thickness of approximately 50 nm were observed in the 85 % cold rolled (85 % CR) alloy. Bulk texture analysis indicates that the presence of shear bands and twins leads to the Goss {110} and Brass {110} texture orientations in the cold-rolled samples, which is ascribed to the low SFE of the alloy. With increased strain, the alloy's hardness and yield strength increased from ∼150 Hv and ∼236 Mpa (As-cast sample) to ∼467 Hv and ∼1097 Mpa (85 % CR), respectively, while the elongation decreased by ∼66 %. By examining the alloy's strengthening mechanisms, it has been determined that increasing the dislocation density and the presence of twins are the two main strengthening mechanisms of the alloy
Design, numerical optimisation and experimental validation of an innovative solar-powered tube heater with multiple air impingement jets
Get PDFData availability: Data will be made available on request.This research investigates a novel tube heater designed for the seamless integration of an innovative solar thermal system into the powder-based coating process to heat steel tube at a temperature of 240 °C. It incorporates a comprehensive numerical model developed and assessed using ANSYS FLUENT, concentrating on seven critical parameters that significantly influence the tube heater’s performance and size. These parameters include tube heater length, jets’ length, funnel height, Z/Djet, Y/Djet and X/Djet ratios, as well as jet diameter. The findings underline the critical role of tube heater length in enhancing heat transfer and maximising thermal efficiency, while reducing jet length and funnel height demonstrated negligible effects on thermal performance, promoting material economy. A lower Z/Djet ratio enhanced heat transfer uniformity, improving thermal performance, while optimal X/Djet and Y/Djet ratios were identified as 4 maintaining a balance between heat transfer rate and energy consumption. A smaller jet diameter proved beneficial since the potential core was not achieved, increasing heat transfer to the steel tubes. The experimental model, conducted to validate the novel tube heater’s performance, remarkably aligns with the numerical model, showing an R-squared value of 0.992. These results affirm the numerical setup’s accuracy and reliability in capturing the tube heater’s thermal behaviour. It is concluded that the novel tube heater stands as a highly efficient solution for the seamless integration of solar thermal systems into the powder-based coating process of steel tubes, promising significant emissions reduction.European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Application of Solar Energy in Industrial processes (ASTEP), under grant agreement No 884411
From ‘girlboss’ to #stayathomegirlfriend: The romanticisation of domestic labour on TikTok
Get PDFData availability statement: Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, romanticised depictions of domestic work have proliferated on social media sites. In particular, the increasingly popular TikTok platform is replete with images of domestic labour centred on repetitive routines, catharsis and feminine aesthetics. The #stayathomegirlfriend trend exemplifies this phenomenon. Rooted in tradwife ideology, which advocates a ‘return’ to a male breadwinner model of domesticity, the #stayathomegirlfriend aesthetic espouses a romantic ideal of feminine domesticity as an escape from the ‘double shift’ and represents a backlash to popular feminism’s failed injunction to ‘lean in’. Under this trend, domestic labour is romanticised as an aesthetically pleasing self-care practice for a generation who have watched their mothers suffer through the grind of the neoliberal labour market, and who are themselves incited to become a ‘girlboss’ to survive it. Through a thematic analysis of popular videos under this hashtag trend, this article reveals that stay-at-home girlfriends unwittingly mimic the popular feminist doctrine of ‘empowerment’ through their depictions of domestic self-care and channel ‘girlboss’ culture through their work as social media influencers. Thus, despite purporting to reject popular feminism’s celebration of the ‘girlboss’ and repurpose tradwife ideology for Generation Z, stay-at-home girlfriends accomplish neither: subjugating themselves within the ‘double shift’ and denying the value of their own labour on both fronts.Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the Techne Doctoral Training Partnership [Training Grant reference number AH/ R01275X/1]
A Synthesis of Machine Learning and Internet of Things in Developing Autonomous Fleets of Heterogeneous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Enhancing the Regenerative Farming Cycle
Get PDFData availability: No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for agricultural monitoring and management offers additional advantages over traditional methods, ranging from cost reduction to environmental protection, especially when they utilize Machine Learning (ML) methods, and Internet of Things (IoT). This article presents an autonomous fleet of heterogeneous UAVs for use in regenerative farming the result of a synthesis of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and IoT. The resulting aerial framework uses DRL for fleet autonomy and ACO for fleet synchronization and task scheduling inflight. A 5G Multiple Input Multiple Output-Long Range (MIMO-LoRa) antenna enhances data rate transmission and link reliability. The aerial framework, which has been originally prototyped as a simulation to test the concept, is now developed into a functional proof-of-concept of autonomous fleets of heterogeneous UAVs. For assessing performance, the paper uses Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI). The 5G MIMO-LoRa antenna produces improved results with four key performance indicators: Reflection Coefficient (S11), Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDF), Power Spectral Density Ratio (Eb/No), and Bit Error Rate (BER).Taif University project TU-DSPP-2024-139
Optimising Thermal Performance: A Novel Approach To Battery Cooling In Electric And Hybrid Vehicles
Get PDFAbstract number 112 (https://more.bham.ac.uk/ukhtc-2024/programme/).The study explores thermal management strategies for Li-ion batteries crucial for Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles, highlighting the challenges posed by thermal runaway and uneven temperature distribution. Active and passive cooling mechanisms are evaluated, with existing systems facing issues of weight and complexity. Addressing these limitations, a novel composite casing with variable thermal conductivity is proposed, featuring strategically placed copper pins for enhanced heat dissipation. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, emphasising its potential for improving efficiency and safety in Li-ion battery systems. Overall, the study advocates for innovative thermal management solutions to meet the demands of evolving vehicle technologies.This publication was made possible by the sponsorship and support of Lloyd's register foundation. The work was enabled through, the National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSIRC) and managed by TWI Ltd
Reliability and validity of the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form in individuals with rotator cuff-related shoulder pain
Get PDFData availability statement: Data are available if requested.Purpose:
To investigate the test–retest reliability and construct validity of the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) in individuals with rotator cuff-related shoulder pain (RCRSP).
Methods:
Sixty-one participants with RCRSP completed the BPI-SF twice with an interval of two to seven days and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) at the initial visit. The BPI-SF pain severity subscale, pain interference subscale, and stand-alone pain severity items were analysed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and minimal detectable change at the 95% confidence interval (MDC95). The construct validity of BPI-SF was assessed against SPADI using Pearson’s correlation.
Results:
The BPI-SF pain severity and pain interference subscales presented moderate test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.73, 0.53) and MDC95 were 2.05 and 2.36. All stand-alone BPI-SF pain severity items presented a moderate reliability (ICC = 0.62, 0.70). BPI-SF interference items presented poor to moderate reliability (ICC = 0.39, 0.68). The correlation coefficients between the BPI-SF and SPADI subscales or total scores were large (r = 0.61, 0.75).
Conclusions:
BPI-SF pain severity and pain interference subscales have a moderate reliability in individuals with RCRSP. BPI-SF pain severity and interference subscales showed high construct validity in individuals with RCRSP. MDC95 values are useful metrics for interpreting a true change in BPI-SF scores following interventions in individuals with RCRSP.
Implications for rehabilitation:
Our findings support the use of the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) pain severity and interference subscales in patients with rotator-cuff related shoulder pain (RCRSP).
Our findings support the use of the stand-alone pain severity item (i.e., “worst pain”) in individuals with RCRSP.
The BPI-SF has good construct validity in individuals with RCRSP.This project was partially supported by the School of Physiotherapy Fund (N/A), the Dunedin School of Medicine Research Student Support Committee of University of Otago (GL.10.NB.M01), and New Zealand Manipulative Physiotherapists Association Educational Trust Fund (N/A). Part of this work was conducted during the Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellowship (18/111). SW was supported by the University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship
An Optimal Unsupervised Domain Adaptation Approach With Applications to Pipeline Fault Diagnosis: Balancing Invariance and Variance
Get PDFA practical yet challenging scenario in transfer learning is unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA), where knowledge is transferred from a labeled source domain to unlabeled target domains. The crucially important role of domain-variant characteristics is often neglected by most existing UDA methods, which can deteriorate adaptation performance and result in negative transfer. In this article, an optimal unsupervised domain adaptation (OUDA) algorithm is proposed in order to address this issue, which balances the invariance of domain-sharing features and the variance of domain-specific features. In the proposed approach, a gradient adversarial adaptation (GAA) method is introduced to align the gradient directions of source and target features within the same category, thereby facilitating knowledge transfer. In addition, a local manifold embedding (LME) technique is proposed to preserve the intrinsic geometric structure of the original feature space while implementing distribution alignment, providing distinguishable features for UDA. To stabilize the process of knowledge transfer, an evolutionary control strategy is developed to adaptively control the tradeoff between the GAA and LME by employing the particle swarm optimization algorithm. Extensive experiments are conducted on cross-domain natural gas pipeline fault diagnosis, and the results on nine cross-domain classification tasks indicate that our OUDA algorithm outperforms the existing state-of-the-art UDA methods. Moreover, the performance analysis in terms of accuracy, loss, and domain divergence demonstrates the superior stability of the proposed OUDA algorithm in dealing with unsupervised knowledge transfer.10.13039/501100001809-National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 61933007, U21A2019, 62273005 and 62073180);
Hainan Province Science and Technology Special Fund of China (Grant Number: ZDYF2022SHFZ105);
AHPU High-End-Equipment Intelligent Control Innovation Team (Grant Number: 2021CXTD005);
Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation of Germany
Sustainability in Reconstructive Breast Surgery: An Eco-audit of the Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Pathway
Get PDFTakeaways:
Question: What is the carbon footprint of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap surgery and where are emissions attributed to?
Findings: The estimated carbon footprint of DIEP flap surgery was 233.24 kg CO2eq. Anesthesia had the highest contribution, and patient and staff travel contributed more than 15% carbon emissions in this study. The impact of sterilization was less than half of that from waste management.
Meaning: This is the first study to estimate the carbon footprint of the DIEP pathway. Suggested strategies to mitigate carbon emissions were usage of reusable versus single-use equipment, virtual consultations, standardization of equipment packs, and optimization of waste disposal.Supplemental Digital Content are available online at: https://links.lww.com/PRSGO/D688 [PDF] (323 KB).Background: The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap provides an effective and popular means for autologous breast reconstruction. However, with the complexity of the pathway, the environmental impact of the pathway has yet to be evaluated. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 42 unilateral DIEPs at a single reconstructive center was performed. Process mapping and life-cycle analyses were performed for equipment, staff, patients, and land. A bottom-up approach was adopted to calculate carbon dioxide equivalent estimates for the initial consultation, preoperative, intraoperative, and immediate postoperative periods. Results: This study estimated the carbon footprint of a patient undergoing DIEP flap surgery to be approximately 233.96 kg CO2eq. Induction, maintenance, and running of anesthesia had the highest overall contribution to the carbon footprint (158.17 kg CO2eq, 67.60% overall). Patient and staff travel contributed more than 15% overall carbon emissions in this study. The impact of sterilization was less than half of that from waste management (0.81 versus 1.81 kg CO2eq, respectively). Waste management alone contributed 4.21 kg CO2eq of the overall carbon emissions, the majority of which was accountable to the incineration of 14.75 kg of noninfectious offensive waste. Conclusions: This study estimates the carbon footprint of the DIEP pathway. Strategies to mitigate the impact of carbon emissions including usage of reusable vs single-use equipment, virtual consultations, standardization of equipment packs, and optimizing waste disposal were suggested areas for improvement. Data from manufacturers on life-cycle assessments were limited, and further work is needed to fully understand and optimize the impact of DIEP surgery on the environment
How Vital is Nature? Animated Bodies and Agency in Contemporary Capitalism
No full textThis paper brings into conversation two ontologies that depart from the anthropocentric norm: new materialism, represented here by the US vitalist philosopher Jane Bennett, and the animated cosmology common among Indigenous peoples, as an example of which I take Braiding Sweetgrass by the Potawatomi bryologist Robin Wall Kimmerer. I provide exegeses of both philosophies, with respect in particular to the notion of “animation,” noting that the animated sphere is much more extensive for Bennett than for Kimmerer. I then track Bennett’s shift away from environmental ethics. Finally, I relate differences in philosophy to differences with regard to race and racism, with a detailed discussion of Bennett’s tribute to Walt Whitman, and the genocidal elements within his democratic politics
Mild Behavioral Impairment and Quality of Life in Community Dwelling Older Adults
Get PDFData Availability Statement:
Data will be available upon reasonable request via corresponding author.Objectives:
Mild behavioral impairment (MBI) is a dementia risk indicator in older adults characterized by later-life emergent and persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms. Quality of life (QoL) is a multi-dimensional concept encompassing physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. QoL aims to measure and quantify perceptions of individual health, well-being, standard of living, personal fulfillment, and satisfaction. As MBI symptoms may arise from early-stage neurodegenerative disease, MBI may contribute to declining QoL before dementia onset. In this study, we investigated the relationship between symptoms of MBI and QoL in older adults.
Methods:
The sample comprised 1107 individuals aged ≥ 50 years from the Canadian Platform for Research Online to Investigate Health, Quality of Life, Cognition, Behavior, Function, and Caregiving in Aging (CAN-PROTECT). Multivariable linear regressions were used to model the associations between MBI symptom severity (exposure), measured using the MBI Checklist (MBI-C), and QoL (outcome) assessed by the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D, higher score = poorer QoL) and the novel Quality of Life and Function Five Domain Scale (QFS-5) (QFS-5, lower score = poorer QoL). Covariates were age, sex, cognition, education, ethnocultural origin, marital status, employment status, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Moderation analysis explored potential sex differences. A sensitivity analysis was performed removing anxiety/depression items from the EQ-5D score.
Results:
Across the sample (mean age = 64.4 ± 7.2, 79.4% female) every 1-point increase in MBI-C score was associated with a 0.06-point standard deviation (SD) increase in EQ-5D score (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05–0.06, p < 0.001) and 0.08 SD decrease in QFS-5 score (95% CI: −0.09 to −0.08, p < 0.001). Neither association depended on sex (p = 0.59 and p = 0.41, respectively). The association remained significant after removing anxiety/depression items from the EQ-5D score (β = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.03– 0.04, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
The study shows that MBI is associated with poorer QoL, independent of sex, on two QoL scales. We addressed depression/anxiety items in the EQ-5D as a potential confounder for the observed MBI-QoL association by conducting a sensitivity analysis that excluded those items from the EQ-5D total score and by employing a novel measure of QoL (QFS-5) that excludes psychiatric symptoms from measurement of QoL. Associations of MBI with the novel QFS-5 were similar to associations between MBI and the EQ-5D. Finding interventions to reduce the burden of MBI symptoms might improve quality of life.The CAN-PROTECT study was supported by Gordie Howes CARES and the Evans Family Fund through the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, at the University of Calgary. D.G. is supported by the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Killam Trust, Alzheimer Society of Canada, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Z.I. is supported by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research Exeter Biomedical Research Center
Data sources:
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