Effects of cooling rate on microstructure and microhardness of directionally solidified Galvalume alloy

The influences of cooling rate on the phase constitution,microstructural length scale,and microhardness of directionally solidified Galvalume(Zn-55Al-1.6Si)alloy were investigated by directional solidification experiments at different withdrawal speeds(5,10,20,50,100,200,and 400μm·s^(-1)).The results show that the microstructure of directionally solidified Galvalume alloys is composed of primary Al dendrites,Si-rich phase and(Zn-Al-Si)ternary eutectics at the withdrawal speed ranging from 5 to 400μm·s^(-1).As the withdrawal speed increases,the segregation of Si element intensifies,resulting in an increase in the area fraction of the Si-rich phase.In addition,the primary Al dendrites show significant refinement with an increase in the withdrawal speed.The relationship between the primary dendrite arm spacing(λ_(1))and the thermal parameters of solidification is obtained:λ_(1)=127.3V^(-0.31).Moreover,as the withdrawal speed increases from 5 to 400μm·s^(-1),the microhardness of the alloy increases from 90 HV to 151 HV.This is a combined effect of grain refinement and second-phase strengthening.

Estimation of the anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity through 3D fracture networks using the directional geological entropy

With an extension of the geological entropy concept in porous media,the approach called directional entrogram is applied to link hydraulic behavior to the anisotropy of the 3D fracture networks.A metric called directional entropic scale is used to measure the anisotropy of spatial order in different directions.Compared with the traditional connectivity indexes based on the statistics of fracture geometry,the directional entropic scale is capable to quantify the anisotropy of connectivity and hydraulic conductivity in heterogeneous 3D fracture networks.According to the numerical analysis of directional entrogram and fluid flow in a number of the 3D fracture networks,the hydraulic conductivities and entropic scales in different directions both increase with spatial order(i.e.,trace length decreasing and spacing increasing)and are independent of the dip angle.As a result,the nonlinear correlation between the hydraulic conductivities and entropic scales from different directions can be unified as quadratic polynomial function,which can shed light on the anisotropic effect of spatial order and global entropy on the heterogeneous hydraulic behaviors.

Security-Enhanced Directional Modulation Based on Two-Dimensional M-WFRFT

Directional modulation(DM)is one of the most promising secure communication techniques.However,when the eavesdropper is co-located with the legitimate receiver,the conventional DM has the disadvantages of weak anti-scanning capability,anti-deciphering capability,and low secrecy rate.In response to these problems,we propose a twodimensional multi-term weighted fractional Fourier transform aided DM scheme,in which the legitimate receiver and the transmitter use different transform terms and transform orders to encrypt and decrypt the confidential information.In order to further lower the probability of being deciphered by an eavesdropper,we use the subblock partition method to convert the one-dimensional modulated signal vector into a twodimensional signal matrix,increasing the confusion of the useful information.Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed DM scheme not only provides stronger anti-deciphering and anti-scanning capabilities but also improves the secrecy rate performance of the system.

Unleashing the Potential of Unidirectional Mechanical Materials: Breakthroughs and Promising Applications

The emergence of mechanically one-way materials presents an exciting opportunity for materials science and engineering. These substances exhibit unique nonreciprocal mechanical responses, enabling them to selectively channel mechanical energy and facilitate directed sound propagation, controlled mass transport, and concentration of mechanical energy amidst random motion. This article explores the fundamentals of mechanically one-way materials, their potential applications across various industries, and the economic and environmental considerations related to their production and use.

Bioinspired All‑Fibrous Directional Moisture‑Wicking Electronic Skins for Biomechanical Energy Harvesting and All‑Range Health Sensing

Electronic skins can monitor minute physiological signal variations in the human skins and represent the body’s state,showing an emerging trend for alternative medical diagnostics and human-machine interfaces.In this study,we designed a bioinspired directional moisture-wicking electronic skin(DMWES)based on the construction of heterogeneous fibrous membranes and the conductive MXene/CNTs electrospraying layer.Unidirectional moisture transfer was successfully realized by surface energy gradient and push-pull effect via the design of distinct hydrophobic-hydrophilic difference,which can spontaneously absorb sweat from the skin.The DMWES membrane showed excellent comprehensive pressure sensing performance,high sensitivity(maximum sensitivity of 548.09 kPa^(−1)),wide linear range,rapid response and recovery time.In addition,the single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator based on the DMWES can deliver a high areal power density of 21.6μW m^(−2) and good cycling stability in high pressure energy harvesting.Moreover,the superior pressure sensing and triboelectric performance enabled the DMWES for all-range healthcare sensing,including accurate pulse monitoring,voice recognition,and gait recognition.This work will help to boost the development of the next-generation breathable electronic skins in the applications of AI,human-machine interaction,and soft robots.

Correction to:Application of long-reach directional drilling boreholes for gas drainage of adjacent seams in coal mines with severe geological conditions

Correction:International Journal of Coal Science&Technology(2022)9:88 https:/doi.org/10.1007/s40789-022-00553-6 In this article,the author would like to change the Ethics Declaration as below:EthicsDeclarations Scientific work published within the framework of an international project DD-MET co-financed by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel(RFCS),(Grant Agreement:847338)and by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education(Contract no.5073/FBWiS/19/2020/2 and 5038/FBWiS/2019/2).

Nonconvex Noise-Tolerant Neural Model for Repetitive Motion of Omnidirectional Mobile Manipulators

Dear Editor,Quadratic programming problems(QPs)receive a lot of attention in various fields of science computing and engineering applications,such as manipulator control[1].Recursive neural network(RNN)is considered to be a powerful QPs solver due to its parallel processing capability and feasibility of hardware implementation[2].

Coexistence of Unidirectional Charge Density Waves in LaTe_(3)

The classic rare-earth tritelluride provides an ideal platform to study the strong correlation state owing to its stable structures and abundance of orders.Here we report the observation of an undiscovered charge density wave(CDW)in LaTe_(3)under 4.2 K,the transition temperature of the CDW states is fitted to be 35 K,and confirmed by the evanishment of this CDW at 77 K via using temperature-dependent scanning tunneling microscope/spectroscopy.The coexistence of these CDWs is confirmed by the atomic resolution and beating pattern simulation.It is the first time to observe the coexistence of unidirectional charge density waves system,providing a new platform to understand the competition and evolution between strong correlation states,and get a deeper sight into the phase lag between different order parameters.

Directional Chiral Optical Emission by Electron-Beam-Excited Nano-Antenna

Manipulating directional chiral optical emissions on a nanometer scale is significant for material science research. The electron-beam-excited nanoantenna provides a favorable platform to tune optical emissions at the deep subwavelength scale. Here we present an L-shaped electron-beam-excited nanoantenna(LENA) with two identical orthogonal arms. By selecting different electron-beam impacting sites on the LENA, either the lefthanded circularly polarized(LCP) or the right-handed circularly polarized(RCP) emission can be excited. The LCP and RCP emissions possess different emission directionality, and the emission wavelength depends on the arm length of the LENA. Further, we show a combined nanoantenna with two LENAs of different arm lengths.Induced by the electron beam, LCP and RCP lights emit simultaneously from the nanoantenna with different wavelengths to different directions. This approach is suggested to be informative for investigating electron-photon interaction and electron-beam spectroscopy in nanophotonics.

Effect of Cu addition on the microstructure and tribological performance of Ni60 directional structure coating

The Ni60/15wt% Cu directional structure coating was prepared by the composite technology of flame spraying, induction remelting,and forced cooling, and the effect of Cu on the microstructure, phase, hardness, and wear performance of Ni60 coatings was investigated. Results showed that Cu addition makes the microstructure of Ni60 directional structure coating more compact, and Cu is mainly enriched within the crystal grain, resulting in the formation of Cu_(3.8)Ni as the bonding phase. Compared with Ni60 directional structure coating, Ni60/Cu directional structure coating has a lower hardness, lower friction coefficient, and lower wear rate, which indicate that Cu can effectively enhance the antifriction performance of Ni60 directional structure coating.

The corrosion characteristics and mechanism of directionally solidified Mg-3Zn-xCa alloys

An investigation into the corrosion characteristics and mechanism of directionally solidified(DSed) Mg-3Zn-xCa(x = 0, 0.2, 0.5,0.8 wt.%) alloys in 0.9 wt.% Na Cl solution is presented. The DSed microstructure consists of columnar dendrites and eutectics distributed in the interdendritic region. The primary dendritic arm spacing(PDAS) and the volume fraction(fv) of the secondary phases are under the significant impact of the content of Ca. The corrosion rates evaluated using electrochemical measurements and immersion tests are accelerated monotonously with the increase of Ca content in DSed alloys. The corrosion resistance of the DSed alloys is significantly affected by the corrosion products film(CPF) and the secondary phases. The corrosion products of DSed Mg-3Zn alloy contain Mg(OH)_(2) and ZnO. The existence of ZnO greatly enhances the corrosion resistance of DSed Mg-3Zn alloy. As for the DSed alloys containing Ca content, a relatively protective CPF without deep pits can form on the surface of DSed Mg-3Zn-0.2Ca specimen during the corrosion. The f_(v)of the secondary phases dominates the corrosion rate of the DSed Mg-Zn-Ca alloys. The corrosion of DSed Mg-3Zn-xCa alloys initiates as a result of microgalvanic coupling between the cathodes of secondary phases and α-Mg matrix anode. Then, the corrosion gradually extends longitudinally with the breakdown of CPF.

On establishment of novel constitutive model for directionally solidified nickel-based superalloys utilizing machine learning methods

To enhance the accuracy of mechanical simulation in the directional solidification process of turbine blades for heavy-duty gas turbines,a new constitutive model that employs machine learning methods was developed.This model incorporates incremental learning and transfer learning,thus improves the predictive accuracy and generalization performance.To account for the anisotropy of the directionally solidified alloy,a deformation direction parameter is added to the model,enabling prediction of the stress-strain relationship of the alloy under different deformation directions.The predictive capabilities of both models are evaluated using correlation coefficient(R),average relative error(δ),and value of relative error(RE).Compared to the traditional model,the machine learning constitutive model achieves higher prediction accuracy and better generalization performance.This offers a new approach for the establishment of flow constitutive models for other directionally solidified and single-crystal superalloys.

Analysis on phase selection and microstructure evolution in directionally solidified Zn-Al-Mg-Ce alloy

In the process of hot-dip Zn-Al-Mg alloy coating,the plating solution dissipates heat in the direction perpendicular to the steel plate,which is considered to be a process of directional solidification.To understand the relationship between microstructure and cooling rate of Zn-Al-Mg alloys,both the phase constitution and microstructure characteristic length scales of Zn-9.5Al-3Mg-0.01Ce(wt.%)alloy were investigated by the directional solidification experiments at different growth velocities(V=40,80,160,250μm·s^(-1)).The experimental results show that the microstructure of directionally solidified Zn-9.5Al-3Mg-0.01Ce alloy is composed of primary Al dendrites and(Zn-Al-Mg2Zn11)ternary eutectics at the growth velocities ranging from 40 to 250μm·s^(-1).The primary Al dendrites are aligned regularly along the growth direction,accompanied with obvious secondary dendrites.The relationship between the microstructure length scale and the thermal parameters of solidification is obtained:λ1=374.66V-0.383,andλ2=167.5V-0.563(λ1is the primary dendrite arm spacing,andλ2 is the secondary dendrit arm spacing).In addition,through the interface response function(IRF)and the nucleation and constitutional undercooling(NCU),the phase selection of Zn-9.5Al-3Mg-0.01Ce is obtained:(Zn+Al+Mg2Zn11)ternary eutectics in the Zn-9.5Al-3Mg-0.01Ce alloy will be replaced by ternary eutectics(Zn+Al+MgZn2)when the growth rate is lower than 7.53μm·s^(-1).

Bee Colony Optimization Algorithm for Routing and Wavelength Assignment Based on Directional Guidance in Satellite Optical Networks

With the development of satellite communication,in order to solve the problems of shortage of on-board resources and refinement of delay requirements to improve the communication performance of satellite optical networks,this paper proposes a bee colony optimization algorithm for routing and wavelength assignment based on directional guidance(DBCO-RWA)in satellite optical networks.In D-BCORWA,directional guidance based on relative position and link load is defined,and then the link cost function in the path search stage is established based on the directional guidance factor.Finally,feasible solutions are expanded in the global optimization stage.The wavelength utilization,communication success probability,blocking rate,communication hops and convergence characteristic are simulated.The results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is improved compared with existing algorithms.

In Situ Directional Polymerization of Poly(1,3-dioxolane)Solid Electrolyte Induced by Cellulose Paper-Based Composite Separator for Lithium Metal Batteries

In traditional in situ polymerization preparation for solid-state electrolytes,initiators are directly added to the liquid precursor.In this article,a novel cellulose paper-based composite separator is fabricated,which employs alumina as the inorganic reinforcing material and is loaded with polymerization initiator aluminum trifluoromethanesulfonate.Based upon this,a separator-induced in situ directional polymerization technique is demonstrated,and the extra addition of initiators into liquid precursors is no longer required.The polymerization starts from the surface and interior of the separator and extends outward with the gradually dissolving of initiators into the precursor.Compared with its traditional counterpart,the separator-induced poly(1,3-dioxolane)electrolyte shows improved interfacial contact as well as appropriately mitigated polymerization rate,which are conducive to practical applications.Electrochemical measurement results show that the prepared poly(1,3-dioxolane)solid electrolyte possesses an oxidation potential up to 4.4 V and a high Li+transference number of 0.72.After 1000 cycles at 2 C rate(340 mA g^(−1)),the assembled Li||LiFePO_(4)solid battery possesses a 106.8 mAh g^(−1)discharge capacity retention and 83.5%capacity retention ratio,with high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.5%achieved.Our work may provide new ideas for the design and application of in situ polymerization technique for solid electrolytes and solid batteries.

3D Echocardiogram Reconstruction Employing a Flip Directional Texture Pyramid

Three dimensional(3D)echocardiogram enables cardiologists to visua-lize suspicious cardiac structures in detail.In recent years,this three-dimensional echocardiogram carries important clinical value in virtual surgical simulation.However,this 3D echocardiogram involves a trade-off difficulty between accu-racy and efficient computation in clinical diagnosis.This paper presents a novel Flip Directional 3D Volume Reconstruction(FD-3DVR)method for the recon-struction of echocardiogram images.The proposed method consists of two main steps:multiplanar volumetric imaging and 3D volume reconstruction.In the crea-tion of multiplanar volumetric imaging,two-dimensional(2D)image pixels are mapped into voxels of the volumetric grid.As the obtained slices are discontin-uous,there are some missing voxels in the volume data.To restore the structural and textural information of 3D ultrasound volume,the proposed method creates a volume pyramid in parallel with theflip directional texture pyramid.Initially,the nearest neighbors of missing voxels in the multiplanar volumetric imaging are identified by 3D ANN(Approximate Nearest Neighbor)patch matching method.Furthermore,aflip directional texture pyramid is proposed and aggregated with distance in patch matching tofind out the most similar neighbors.In the recon-struction step,structural and textural information obtained from differentflip angle directions can reconstruct 3D volume well with the desired accuracy.Com-pared with existing 3D reconstruction methods,the proposed Flip Directional 3D Volume Reconstruction(FD-3DVR)method provides superior performance for the mean peak signal-to-noise ratio(40.538 for the proposed method I and 39.626 for the proposed method II).Experimental results performed on the cardi-ac datasets demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method for the reconstruc-tion of echocardiogram images.

Preventing brain aging by the artificial enforcement of the unfolded protein response:future directions

As the life expectancy of the world’s population increases,age-related diseases are emerging as one of the greatest problems facing modern society.The onset of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases is strictly dependent on aging as a major risk factor and has a profound impact on various aspects of the lives of individuals and their families.

Ascertaining the influences of auxiliary qubits on the Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen steering and its directions

Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen(EPR) steering is an example of nontrivial quantum nonlocality and characteristic in the non-classical world.The directivity(or asymmetry) is a fascinating trait of EPR steering,and it is different from other quantum nonlocalities.Here,we consider the strategy in which two atoms compose a two-qubit X state,and the two atoms are owned by Alice and Bob,respectively.The atom of Alice suffers from a reservoir,and the atom of Bob couples with a bit flip channel.The influences of auxiliary qubits on EPR steering and its directions are revealed by means of the entropy uncertainty relation.The results indicate that EPR steering declines with growing time t when adding fewer auxiliary qubits.The EPR steering behaves as damped oscillation when introducing more auxiliary qubits in the strong coupling regime.In the weak coupling regime,the EPR steering monotonously decreases as t increases when coupling auxiliary qubits.The increases in auxiliary qubits are responsible for the fact that the steerability from Alice to Bob(or from Bob to Alice) can be more effectively revealed.Notably,the introductions of more auxiliary qubits can change the situation that steerability from Alice to Bob is certain to a situation in which steerability from Bob to Alice is certain.

Neonatal Direct Rigid Laryngoscopy and Bronchoscopy: A Near Miss

Airway management is a skill necessary for healthcare providers who manage patients. Intubation is a skill that both anesthesiologists and intensivists use daily. We present a case of a neonate that developed significant worsening stridor after a successful intubation for a hernia repair. After 4 intubation attempts, with easy visualization of the vocal cords and unsuccessful placement of the endotracheal tube, the patient was emergently brought to the operating room for evaluation.

Efficient Direct Decomposition of NO over La_(0.8)A_(0.2)NiO_(3)(A=K, Ba, Y) Catalysts under Microwave Irradiation

La_(0.8)A_(0.2)NiO_(3) (A=K,Ba,Y) catalysts supported on the microwave-absorbing ceramic heating carrier were prepared by the sol-gel method.The crystalline phase and the catalytic activity of the La_(0.8)A_(0.2)NiO_(3)catalysts were characterized by XRD and H_(2) temperature-programmed reduction (TPR).The effects of reaction temperature,oxygen concentration,and gas flow rate on the direct decomposition of nitric oxide over the synthesized catalysts were studied under microwave irradiation (2.45 GHz).The XRD results indicated that the La_(0.8)A_(0.2)NiO_(3) catalysts formed an ABO_(3) perovskite structure,and the H_(2)-TPR results revealed that the relative reducibility of the catalysts increased in the order of La_(0.8)K_(0.2)NiO_(3)>La_(0.8)Ba_(0.2)NiO_(3)>La_(0.8)Y_(0.2)Ni O_(3).Under microwave irradiation,the highest NO conversion amounted to 98.9%,which was obtained with the La_(0.8)K_(0.2)NiO_(3) catalyst at 400℃.The oxygen concentration did not inhibit the NO decomposition on the La_(0.8)A_(0.2)NiO_(3) catalysts,thus the N_(2) selectivity exceeded 99.8%under excess oxygen at 550℃.The NOconversion of the La_(0.8)A_(0.2)NiO_(3) catalysts decreased linearly with the increase in the gas flow rate.