Recently, graphene and its derivatives have been of particular interest as a solid lubricant to reduce friction. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphology and structure of low-friction ...Alsub.2 Osub.3 coatings containing reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Using two types of rGO, alumina coatings were produced by the sol–gel dip-coating method and characterized in terms of morphology and structure using SEM and AFM microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that composite Alsub.2 Osub.3 + rGO coatings had diversified morphology depending on the type of graphene used. The dip-coating method used for deposition had a large impact on the morphology and contributed to the orderly arrangement of rGO nanoplates in the coating matrices. It was also shown that there is a correlation between the shape and spatial orientation of nanoplates and the tribological properties of coatings. The structural studies showed differences in the number of graphene defects in the coatings, which may indicate the chemical bonding of graphene with the alumina matrices. These differences may also be responsible for divergences in the tribological properties of the coatings depending on the type of graphene. All our findings indicate the key role of an appropriate balance between the parameters of composite coating production in terms of the desired tribological properties.
This research concerns the modification of commercially available epoxy resin with flame retardants in order to obtain aging-resistant and antimicrobial polymeric materials with a plant stabilizer ...dedicated to use in rail transport. Polymer compositions based on epoxy resin, fiberglass fabric, and naringenin were prepared. Naringenin was added as a natural stabilizer at 2, 4, and 8 phr. The materials were subjected to solar aging lasting 800 h. The hardness of the samples, surface energy, and carbonyl indexes were determined, and the color change in the composition after aging was analyzed. In addition, microscopic observations, analyses of mechanical properties, and microbiological tests were performed. The hardness determination showed that the samples retained their functional properties after solar aging. The increase in the polar component of the surface energy of all materials indicated the beginning of the degradation process of the composites. The tensile one-directional tests were carried out for plane samples taken in three directions (0, 90, and 45 degrees referred to a plate edge) before and after the aging process. The addition of naringenin did not affect the functional and surface properties of the epoxy resin-based materials. Polyphenol stabilized polymer composites, as evidenced by the results of carbonyl indexes. Moreover, the obtained samples showed good antimicrobial properties for
and
in the field of testing the viability of microbial cells in contact with the tested surfaces.
The article presents selected issues related to building the institutional capacity of Polish cities in light of contemporary challenges in the field of urban renewal and improving the quality of ...urban space based on attracting human, social and creative capital. The research purpose is the identification and characterization of the main features and problems of the functioning of the urban institutional system in Polish realities, in which the integrated territorial approach, participation and effective implementation of learning processes should constitute the essential elements of the innovative institutional potential of urbanized units. One of the important research findings presented in the article is the statement that strengthening the institutional capacity of Polish cities by building different organizational forms, characterized by decentralization, multifaceted management, networking, innovation, creativity and an eco-friendly approach, sets the framework for a new urbanity.
This paper presents a new form of a mathematical estimation of stochastic bio-hydrodynamic lubrication parameters for real human joint surfaces with phospholipid bilayers. In this work, the authors ...present the analytical and stochastic considerations, which are based on the measurements of human joint surfaces. The gap is restricted between two cooperating biological surfaces. After numerous experimental measurements, it directly follows that the random symmetrical as well as unsymmetrical increments and decrements of the gap height in human joints influence the hydrodynamic pressure, load-carrying capacity, friction forces, and wear of the cooperating cartilage surfaces in human joints. The main focus of the paper was to demonstrate the influence of variations in the expected values and standard deviation of human joint gap height on the hydrodynamic lubrication parameters occurring in the human joint. It is very important to notice that the new form of apparent dynamic viscosity of synovial fluid formulated by the authors depends on ultra-thin gap height variations. Moreover, evident connection was observed between the apparent dynamic viscosity and the properties of cartilage surface coated by phospholipid cells. The above observations indicate an indirect impact of stochastic changes in the height of the gap and the indirect impact of random changes in the properties of the joint surface coated with the phospholipid layers, on the value of hydrodynamic pressure, load carrying capacity and friction forces. In this paper the authors present a synthetic, comprehensive estimation of stochastic bio-hydrodynamic lubrication parameters for the cooperating, rotational cartilage bio-surfaces with phospholipid bilayers occurring in human joints. The new results presented in this paper were obtained taking into account 3D variations in the dynamic viscosity of synovial fluid, particularly random variations crosswise the film thickness for non-Newtonian synovial fluid properties. According to the authors’ knowledge, the obtained results are widely applicable in spatiotemporal models in biology and health science.
Recent advancements have significantly enhanced our understanding of the crucial role animal microbiomes play in veterinary medicine. Their importance in the complex intestinal environment spans ...immune modulation, metabolic homeostasis, and the pathogenesis of chronic diseases. Dysbiosis, a microbial imbalance, can lead to a range of diseases affecting both individual organs and the entire organism. Microbial disruption triggers inflammatory responses in the intestinal mucosa and disturbs immune homeostasis, increasing susceptibility to toxins and their metabolites. These dynamics contribute to the development of intestinal lymphoma, necessitating rigorous investigation into the role of microbiota in tumorigenesis. The principles explored in this study extend beyond veterinary medicine to encompass broader human health concerns. There are remarkable parallels between the subtypes of lymphoproliferative disorders in animals and humans, particularly Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Understanding the etiology of a cancer of the lymphatic system formation is critical for developing both preventive strategies and therapeutic interventions, with the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes. The aim of this study is to discuss the optimal composition of the microbiome in dogs and cats and the potential alterations in the microbiota during the development of intestinal lesions, particularly intestinal lymphoma. Molecular and cellular analyses are also incorporated to detect inflammatory changes and carcinogenesis. A review of the literature on the connections between the gut microbiome and the development of lymphomas in dogs and cats is presented, along with potential diagnostic approaches for these cancers.
The presented package for the Mathematica computing system allows the harnessing of quantum random number generators (QRNG) for investigating the statistical properties of quantum states. The ...described package implements a number of functions for generating random states. The new version of the package adds the ability to use the on-line quantum random number generator service and implements new functions for retrieving lists of random numbers. Thanks to the introduced improvements, the new version provides faster access to high-quality sources of random numbers and can be used in simulations requiring large amount of random data.
Program title: TRQS
Catalogue identifier: AEKA_v2_0
Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEKA_v2_0.html
Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland
Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html
No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 18134
No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 252049
Distribution format: tar.gz
Programming language: Mathematica, C.
Computer: Any supporting Mathematica in version 7 or higher.
Operating system: Any platform supporting Mathematica; tested with GNU/Linux (32 and 64 bit).
RAM: Case-dependent
Supplementary material: Fig. 1 mentioned below can be downloaded.
Classification: 4.15.
External routines: Quantis software library (http://www.idquantique.com/support/quantis-trng.html)
Catalogue identifier of previous version: AEKA_v1_0
Journal reference of previous version: Comput. Phys. Comm. 183(2012)118
Does the new version supersede the previous version?: Yes
Nature of problem:
Generation of random density matrices and utilization of high-quality random numbers for the purpose of computer simulation.
Solution method:
Use of a physical quantum random number generator and an on-line service providing access to the source of true random numbers generated by quantum real number generator.
Reasons for new version:
Added support for the high-speed on-line quantum random number generator and improved methods for retrieving lists of random numbers.
Summary of revisions:
The presented version provides two signicant improvements. The first one is the ability to use the on-line Quantum Random Number Generation service developed by PicoQuant GmbH and the Nano-Optics groups at the Department of Physics of Humboldt University. The on-line service supported in the version 2.0 of the TRQS package provides faster access to true randomness sources constructed using the laws of quantum physics. The service is freely available at https://qrng.physik.hu-berlin.de/. The use of this service allows using the presented package with the need of a physical quantum random number generator.
The second improvement introduced in this version is the ability to retrieve arrays of random data directly for the used source. This increases the speed of the random number generation, especially in the case of an on-line service, where it reduces the time necessary to establish the connection. Thanks to the speed improvement of the presented version, the package can now be used in simulations requiring larger amounts of random data. Moreover, the functions for generating random numbers provided by the current version of the package more closely follow the pattern of functions for generating pseudo- random numbers provided in Mathematica.
Additional comments:
Speed comparison: The implementation of the support for the QRNG on-line service provides a noticeable improvement in the speed of random number generation. For the samples of real numbers of size 101; 102,…,107 the times required to generate these samples using Quantis USB device and QRNG service are compared in Fig. 1. The presented results show that the use of the on-line service provides faster access to random numbers. One should note, however, that the speed gain can increase or decrease depending on the connection speed between the computer and the server providing random numbers.
Running time:
Depends on the used source of randomness and the amount of random data used in the experiment.
References:
1 M. Wahl, M. Leifgen, M. Berlin, T. Röhlicke, H.-J. Rahn, O. Benson., An ultrafast quantum random number generator with provably bounded output bias based on photon arrival time measurements, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 098, 171105 (2011). http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3578456.
Analyses presented in the article were carried out in order to characterize the main parameters of the shaped charge jet formed due to detonation of the PG-7VM warhead. As opposed to the previously ...published studies in which rolled homogeneous armored steel was mainly used as a target, in the current work the warhead penetration capability was determined against more contemporary high-hardness (500 HB) ARMSTAL 30PM steel armor with precisely determined mechanical properties. The research included experimental depth of penetration tests and their numerical reproduction in the LS-Dyna software. Special attention was paid to factors that could perturbate the shaped charge jet formation process and under- or overestimate its penetration capability. For this reason, warheads were X-ray inspected for structural discrepancies (voids or air inclusions in explosive, misalignment between the body, explosive, and liner, or lack of contact between the explosive and the liner) and properties of materials (explosive, targets, and most important warhead components) were analyzed before the experiments. The numerical model of the warhead was defined more accurately than in previously published studies, since it was based on the real grenade dimensions and its technical documentation. Thanks to this, the depth of penetration of the target made of ARMSTAL 30PM armored steel plates by the shaped charge jet formed from the PG-7VM warhead obtained by numerical simulation was consistent with the experimental results and equaled 278 mm and 280 mm, respectively. The difference between the experimental and numerical value was smaller than 1%, which confirms that the developed methodology of modeling allows users to properly reproduce the PG-7VM shaped charge jet formation and target penetration processes. A verified numerical model of the shaped charge jet penetration into a steel target was used to determine depth of penetration in function of stand-off distance for the PG-7VM warhead. A maximum depth of penetration of about 317 mm was obtained for the stand-off distance of 360 mm, which may indicate the potential direction of modernization of warheads.
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