Plastic instability,including both the discontinuous yielding and stress serrations,has been frequently observed during the tensile deformation of medium-Mn steels(MMnS)and has been intensively studied in recent years...Plastic instability,including both the discontinuous yielding and stress serrations,has been frequently observed during the tensile deformation of medium-Mn steels(MMnS)and has been intensively studied in recent years.Unfortunately,research results are controversial,and no consensus has been achieved regarding the topic.Here,we first summarize all the possible factors that affect the yielding and flow stress serrations in MMnS,including the morphology and stability of austenite,the feature of the phase interface,and the deformation parameters.Then,we propose a universal mechanism to explain the conflicting experimental results.We conclude that the discontinuous yielding can be attributed to the lack of mobile dislocation before deformation and the rapid dislocation multiplication at the beginning of plastic deformation.Meanwhile,the results show that the stress serrations are formed due to the pinning and depinning between dislocations and interstitial atoms in austenite.Strain-induced martensitic transformation,influenced by the mechanical stability of austenite grain and deformation parameters,should not be the intrinsic cause of plastic instability.However,it can intensify or weaken the discontinuous yielding and the stress serrations by affecting the mobility and density of dislocations,as well as the interaction between the interstitial atoms and dislocations in austenite grains.展开更多
Research on reservoir rock stress sensitivity has traditionally focused on unary granular structures,neglecting the binary nature of real reservoirs,especially tight reservoirs.Understanding the stresssensitive behavi...Research on reservoir rock stress sensitivity has traditionally focused on unary granular structures,neglecting the binary nature of real reservoirs,especially tight reservoirs.Understanding the stresssensitive behavior and mathematical characterization of binary granular media remains a challenging task.In this study,we conducted online-NMR experiments to investigate the permeability and porosity evolution as well as stress-sensitive control mechanisms in tight sandy conglomerate samples.The results revealed stress sensitivity coefficients between 0.042 and 0.098 and permeability damage rates ranging from 65.6%to 90.9%,with an average pore compression coefficient of 0.0168—0.0208 MPa 1.Pore-scale compression occurred in three stages:filling,compression,and compaction,with matrix pores playing a dominant role in pore compression.The stress sensitivity of binary granular media was found to be influenced by the support structure and particle properties.High stress sensitivity was associated with small fine particle size,high fines content,high uniformity coefficient of particle size,high plastic deformation,and low Young's modulus.Matrix-supported samples exhibited a high irreversible permeability damage rate(average=74.2%)and stress sensitivity coefficients(average=0.089),with pore spaces more slit-like.In contrast,grain-supported samples showed low stress sensitivity coefficients(average=0.021)at high stress stages.Based on the experiments,we developed a mathematical model for stress sensitivity in binary granular media,considering binary granular properties and nested interactions using Hertz contact deformation and Poiseuille theory.By describing the change in activity content of fines under stress,we characterized the non-stationary state of compressive deformation in the binary granular structure and classified the reservoir into three categories.The model was applied for production prediction using actual data from the Mahu reservoir in China,showing that the energy retention rates of support-dominated,fill-dominated,and matrix-controlled reservoirs should be higher than 70.1%,88%,and 90.2%,respectively.展开更多
We consider the interior transmission eigenvalue problem corresponding to the scattering for an anisotropic medium of the scalar Helmholtz equation in the case where the boundary?Ωis split into two disjoint parts and...We consider the interior transmission eigenvalue problem corresponding to the scattering for an anisotropic medium of the scalar Helmholtz equation in the case where the boundary?Ωis split into two disjoint parts and possesses different transmission conditions.Using the variational method,we obtain the well posedness of the interior transmission problem,which plays an important role in the proof of the discreteness of eigenvalues.Then we achieve the existence of an infinite discrete set of transmission eigenvalues provided that n≡1,where a fourth order differential operator is applied.In the case of n■1,we show the discreteness of the transmission eigenvalues under restrictive assumptions by the analytic Fredholm theory and the T-coercive method.展开更多
Simultaneously manipulating multiple physical fields plays an important role in the increasingly complex integrated systems,aerospace equipment,biochemical productions,etc.For on-chip systems with high integration lev...Simultaneously manipulating multiple physical fields plays an important role in the increasingly complex integrated systems,aerospace equipment,biochemical productions,etc.For on-chip systems with high integration level,the precise and efficient control of the propagation of electromagnetic waves and heat fluxes simultaneously is particularly important.In this study,we propose a graphical designing method(i.e.,thermal-electromagnetic surface transformation)based on thermal-electromagnetic null medium to simultaneously control the propagation of electromagnetic waves and thermal fields according to the pre-designed paths.A thermal-electromagnetic cloak,which can create a cloaking effect on both electromagnetic waves and thermal fields simultaneously,is designed by thermal-electromagnetic surface transformation and verified by both numerical simulations and experimental measurements.The thermal-electromagnetic surface transformation proposed in this study provides a new methodology for simultaneous controlling on electromagnetic and temperature fields,and may have significant applications in improving thermal-electromagnetic compatibility problem,protecting of thermal-electromagnetic sensitive components,and improving efficiency of energy usage for complex onchip systems.展开更多
The small and scattered enterprise pattern in the county economy has formed numerous sporadic pollution sources, hindering the centralized treatment of the water environment, increasing the cost and difficulty of trea...The small and scattered enterprise pattern in the county economy has formed numerous sporadic pollution sources, hindering the centralized treatment of the water environment, increasing the cost and difficulty of treatment. How enterprises can make reasonable decisions on their water environment behavior based on the external environment and their own factors is of great significance for scientifically and effectively designing water environment regulation mechanisms. Based on optimal control theory, this study investigates the design of contractual mechanisms for water environmental regulation for small and medium-sized enterprises. The enterprise is regarded as an independent economic entity that can adopt optimal control strategies to maximize its own interests. Based on the participation of multiple subjects including the government, enterprises, and the public, an optimal control strategy model for enterprises under contractual water environmental regulation is constructed using optimal control theory, and a method for calculating the amount of unit pollutant penalties is derived. The water pollutant treatment cost data of a paper company is selected to conduct empirical numerical analysis on the model. The results show that the increase in the probability of government regulation and public participation, as well as the decrease in local government protection for enterprises, can achieve the same regulatory effect while reducing the number of administrative penalties per unit. Finally, the implementation process of contractual water environmental regulation for small and medium-sized enterprises is designed.展开更多
Combined bodies of rock-like material and rock are widely encountered in geotechnical engineering,such as tunnels and mines.The existing theoretical models describing the stress-strain relationship of a combined body ...Combined bodies of rock-like material and rock are widely encountered in geotechnical engineering,such as tunnels and mines.The existing theoretical models describing the stress-strain relationship of a combined body lack a binary feature.Based on effective medium theory,this paper presents the governing equation of the“elastic modulus”for combined and single bodies under triaxial compressive tests.A binary effective medium model is then established.Based on the compressive experiment of concretegranite combined bodies,the feasibility of determining the stress threshold based on crack axial strain is discussed,and the model is verified.The model is further extended to coal-rock combined bodies of more diverse types,and the variation laws of the compressive mechanical parameters are then discussed.The results show that the fitting accuracy of the model with the experimental curves of the concretegranite combined bodies and various types of coal-rock combined bodies are over 95%.The crack axial strain method can replace the crack volumetric strain method,which clarifies the physical meanings of the model parameters.The variation laws of matrix parameters and crack parameters are discussed in depth and are expected to be more widely used in geotechnical engineering.展开更多
The influence of variable viscosity and double diffusion on the convective stability of a nanofluid flow in an inclined porous channel is investigated.The DarcyBrinkman model is used to characterize the fluid flow dyn...The influence of variable viscosity and double diffusion on the convective stability of a nanofluid flow in an inclined porous channel is investigated.The DarcyBrinkman model is used to characterize the fluid flow dynamics in porous materials.The analytical solutions are obtained for the unidirectional and completely developed flow.Based on a normal mode analysis,the generalized eigenvalue problem under a perturbed state is solved.The eigenvalue problem is then solved by the spectral method.Finally,the critical Rayleigh number with the corresponding wavenumber is evaluated at the assigned values of the other flow-governing parameters.The results show that increasing the Darcy number,the Lewis number,the Dufour parameter,or the Soret parameter increases the stability of the system,whereas increasing the inclination angle of the channel destabilizes the flow.Besides,the flow is the most unstable when the channel is vertically oriented.展开更多
To investigate the influence of diagenetic water media on the hydrogen isotopes of individual sedimentary aromatic compounds,a series of hydrous pyrolyses were conducted on herbaceous peat.Polycyclic aromatic hydrocar...To investigate the influence of diagenetic water media on the hydrogen isotopes of individual sedimentary aromatic compounds,a series of hydrous pyrolyses were conducted on herbaceous peat.Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)in hydrous pyrolysed samples and their hydrogen isotopic composition characteristics were studied.The aqueous medium demonstrated a significant influence on the hydrogen isotopic composition of the individual PAHs generated during pyrolysis.The results showed that the PAHs formed after pyrolysis in the presence of a saltwater medium with high δD value from a salt lake had a heavy hydrogen isotopic composition.The PAHs formed after pyrolysis in the presence of a fresh water medium with low δD value from a swamp had a light hydrogen isotopic composition.The difference in the average PAHδD value between the two hydrous experiments varied from -174‰ to -109‰,suggesting that the hydrogen isotopic composition of individual sedimentary PAHs can reflect the source of the diagenetic water medium.In addition,a comparative study found that the hydrogen isotopes of PAHs were superior to those of n-alkanes in the same sample for diagenetic water indications.The results indicated that the exchange of water-derived inorganic hydrogen and organic hydrogen was more intensive in freshwater experiments than in saltwater experiments.With an increase in the simulation temperature,the average δD value of PAHs generated in the hydrous simulation experiments showed an increasing trend,reflecting that the δD value of sedimentary PAHs formed with the participation of diagenetic water media was still closely related to the thermal maturity of organic matter.Comparative studies showed that theδD values of different types of organic compounds produced by hydrous pyrolysis of peat were in the order,PAHs>n-alkanes>methane.展开更多
This study investigates the suction and magnetic field effects on the two-dimensional nanofluid flow through a stretching/shrinking sheet at the stagnation point in the porous medium with thermal radiation.The governi...This study investigates the suction and magnetic field effects on the two-dimensional nanofluid flow through a stretching/shrinking sheet at the stagnation point in the porous medium with thermal radiation.The governing partial differential equations(PDEs)are converted into ordinary differential equations(ODEs)using the similarity transformation.The resulting ODEs are then solved numerically by using the bvp4c solver in MATLAB software.It was found that dual solutions exist for the shrinking parameter values up to a certain range.The numerical results obtained are compared,and the comparison showed a good agreement with the existing results in the literature.The governing parameters’effect on the velocity,temperature and nanoparticle fraction fields as well as the skin friction coefficient,the local Nusselt number and the Sherwood number are represented graphically and analyzed.The variation of the velocity,temperature and concentration increase with the increase in the suction and magnetic field parameters.It seems that the thermal radiation effect has increased the local Sherwood number while the local Nusselt number is reduced with it.展开更多
For the purpose of developing a 1 500 MPa grade steel sheet with excellent strength and ductility, a 0.15C-10Mn-1.5Al steel was employed to study austenite stability and microstructural evolution based on a novel doub...For the purpose of developing a 1 500 MPa grade steel sheet with excellent strength and ductility, a 0.15C-10Mn-1.5Al steel was employed to study austenite stability and microstructural evolution based on a novel double annealing processing.After a conventional intercritical annealing process, the sample was heated again to a temperature higher than A_(c3) for a very short time to generate austenite grains with different manganese content;thus, the microstructure of martensite plus austenite can be obtained at room temperature.The experimental results show that with increasing annealing temperature, the tensile strength and yield strength increase.When the annealing temperature was higher than 820 ℃,the microstructure consisted of martensite plus austenite, and the tensile strength almost remained invariant with the annealing temperature.A tensile strength of 1 537 MPa and an elong-ation of 25.1% were achieved for the 820 ℃ condition.The volume fractions of austenite and martensite were identified by X-ray diffraction.It was found that with increasing annealing temperature, the volume fraction of the retained austenite decreased, and the ductility also had a gradual downward trend.The related austenite stability was discussed here as well.展开更多
Human dental pulp stem cell transplantation has been shown to be an effective therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury.However,whether the human dental pulp stem cell secretome can contribute to functional recovery...Human dental pulp stem cell transplantation has been shown to be an effective therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury.However,whether the human dental pulp stem cell secretome can contribute to functional recovery after spinal cord injury remains unclear.In the present study,we established a rat model of spinal cord injury based on impact injury from a dropped weight and then intraperitoneally injected the rats with conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells.We found that the conditioned medium effectively promoted the recovery of sensory and motor functions in rats with spinal cord injury,decreased expression of the microglial pyroptosis markers NLRP3,GSDMD,caspase-1,and interleukin-1β,promoted axonal and myelin regeneration,and inhibited the formation of glial scars.In addition,in a lipopolysaccharide-induced BV2 microglia model,conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells protected cells from pyroptosis by inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1/interleukin-1βpathway.These results indicate that conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells can reduce microglial pyroptosis by inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1/interleukin-1βpathway,thereby promoting the recovery of neurological function after spinal cord injury.Therefore,conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells may become an alternative therapy for spinal cord injury.展开更多
Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion mutation of a cytosine-adenine-guanine triplet in the exon 1 of the HTT gene which is responsible for the production of the huntingtin (Htt)...Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion mutation of a cytosine-adenine-guanine triplet in the exon 1 of the HTT gene which is responsible for the production of the huntingtin (Htt) protein. In physiological conditions, Htt is involved in many cellular processes such as cell signaling, transcriptional regulation, energy metabolism regulation, DNA maintenance, axonal trafficking, and antiapoptotic activity. When the genetic alteration is present, the production of a mutant version of Htt (mHtt) occurs, which is characterized by a plethora of pathogenic activities that, finally, lead to cell death. Among all the cells in which mHtt exerts its dangerous activity, the GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons seem to be the most affected by the mHtt-induced excitotoxicity both in the cortex and in the striatum. However, as the neurodegeneration proceeds ahead the neuronal loss grows also in other brain areas such as the cerebellum, hypothalamus, thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus, and substantia nigra, determining the variety of symptoms that characterize Huntington’s disease. From a clinical point of view, Huntington’s disease is characterized by a wide spectrum of symptoms spanning from motor impairment to cognitive disorders and dementia. Huntington’s disease shows a prevalence of around 3.92 cases every 100,000 worldwide and an incidence of 0.48 new cases every 100,000/year. To date, there is no available cure for Huntington’s disease. Several treatments have been developed so far, aiming to reduce the severity of one or more symptoms to slow down the inexorable decline caused by the disease. In this context, the search for reliable strategies to target the different aspects of Huntington’s disease become of the utmost interest. In recent years, a variety of studies demonstrated the detrimental role of neuronal loss in Huntington’s disease condition highlighting how the replacement of lost cells would be a reasonable strategy to overcome the neurodegeneration. In this view, numerous have been the attempts in several preclinical models of Huntington’s disease to evaluate the feasibility of invasive and non-invasive approaches. Thus, the aim of this review is to offer an overview of the most appealing approaches spanning from stem cell-based cell therapy to extracellular vesicles such as exosomes in light of promoting neurogenesis, discussing the results obtained so far, their limits and the future perspectives regarding the neural regeneration in the context of Huntington’s disease.展开更多
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is increasingly prevalent in Japan, exceeding 30%, and increasing with age. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, obesity, insufficient exercise, and smoking have been implicated in its pathogenesis, a...Erectile dysfunction (ED) is increasingly prevalent in Japan, exceeding 30%, and increasing with age. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, obesity, insufficient exercise, and smoking have been implicated in its pathogenesis, along with endothelial dysfunction of the corpora cavernosa and impaired blood flow to the penis considered underlying factors. However, the current treatments are limited to Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. ED is the primary symptom of andropathy. This study reports the clinical efficacy of human stem cell-conditioned medium cream for ED treatment. Ten men without underlying diseases suspected of andropause with ED (mean age 43.2 ± 4.4 y, Hb 15.2 ± 0.6 gm/dL, AST/ALT 30.2/37.9 ± 12.4/14.0, eGFR 82.7 ± 12.4 mL/min/1.73 m2) were targeted. The cream was applied twice daily to the genital and scrotal areas. The erectile hardness score (EHS), International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), and Aging Male Symptoms (AMS) scale were used to evaluate the participants before and 30 days after use, and the results were compared using paired t-tests. The post-use qualitative opinions were collected through interviews. Significant improvements were observed compared to baseline in the IIEF-5 (11.8 ± 4.6→17.2 ± 5.1, P < 0.001), and AMS (46.3 ± 6.7→37.6 ± 5.3, P < 0.001) scores post cream use. EHS did not show a statistically significant difference, but a trend towards improvement was observed. Qualitative feedback included increased morning erection, improved maintenance of erection during intercourse, and reduced post work fatigue. Human stem cell-conditioned medium contains endothelial growth factors that potentially contribute to the improvement of ED and andropause by enhancing corporal endothelial function. Future studies should include control groups to further investigate the efficacy of these treatments.展开更多
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)ad hoc network has achieved significant growth for its flexibility,extensibility,and high deployability in recent years.The application of clustering scheme for UAV ad hoc network is impera...Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)ad hoc network has achieved significant growth for its flexibility,extensibility,and high deployability in recent years.The application of clustering scheme for UAV ad hoc network is imperative to enhance the performance of throughput and energy efficiency.In conventional clustering scheme,a single cluster head(CH)is always assigned in each cluster.However,this method has some weaknesses such as overload and premature death of CH when the number of UAVs increased.In order to solve this problem,we propose a dual-cluster-head based medium access control(DCHMAC)scheme for large-scale UAV networks.In DCHMAC,two CHs are elected to manage resource allocation and data forwarding cooperatively.Specifically,two CHs work on different channels.One of CH is used for intra-cluster communication and the other one is for inter-cluster communication.A Markov chain model is developed to analyse the throughput of the network.Simulation result shows that compared with FM-MAC(flying ad hoc networks multi-channel MAC,FM-MAC),DCHMAC improves the throughput by approximately 20%~50%and prolongs the network lifetime by approximately 40%.展开更多
Acoustic nonlinearity holds potential as a method for assessing material stress.Analogous to the acoustoelastic effect,where the velocity of elastic waves is influenced by third-order elastic constants,the propagation...Acoustic nonlinearity holds potential as a method for assessing material stress.Analogous to the acoustoelastic effect,where the velocity of elastic waves is influenced by third-order elastic constants,the propagation of nonlinear acoustic waves in pre-stressed materials would be influenced by higher-order elastic constants.Despite this,there has been a notable absence of research exploring this phenomenon.Consequently,this paper aims to establish a theoretical framework for governing the propagation of nonlinear acoustic waves in pre-stressed materials.It delves into the impact of pre-stress on higher-order material parameters,and specifically examines the propagation of one-dimensional acoustic waves within the contexts of the uniaxial stress and the biaxial stress.This paper establishes a theoretical foundation for exploring the application of nonlinear ultrasonic techniques to measure pre-stress in materials.展开更多
A complete road-soft ground model is established in this paper to study the dynamic responses caused by vehicle loads and/or daily temperature variation.A dynamic thermo-elastic model is applied to capturing the behav...A complete road-soft ground model is established in this paper to study the dynamic responses caused by vehicle loads and/or daily temperature variation.A dynamic thermo-elastic model is applied to capturing the behavior of the rigid pavement,the base course,and the subgrade,while the soft ground is characterized using a dynamic thermo-poroelastic model.Solutions to the road-soft ground system are derived in the Laplace-Hankel transform domain.The time domain solutions are obtained using an integration approach.The temperature,thermal stress,pore water pressure,and displacement responses caused by the vehicle load and the daily temperature variation are presented.Results show that obvious temperature change mainly exists within 0.3 m of the road when subjected to the daily temperature variation,whereas the stress responses can still be found in deeper places because of the thermal swelling/shrinkage deformation within the upper road structures.Moreover,it is important to consider the coupling effects of the vehicle load and the daily temperature variation when calculating the dynamic responses inside the road-soft ground system.展开更多
Hydrate-based CO_(2) sequestration is an effective method for reducing the greenhouse effect,and the presence of porous media and NaCl can impact the formation characteristics of hydrates.This study uses the constant ...Hydrate-based CO_(2) sequestration is an effective method for reducing the greenhouse effect,and the presence of porous media and NaCl can impact the formation characteristics of hydrates.This study uses the constant volume temperature search method to investigate the effects of quartz sand particle size(0.006‒0.03 mm),water saturation(30%–90%),and NaCl concentration(1%‒9%)on the phase equilibrium and kinetics of CO_(2) hydrates within a temperature range of 273‒285 K and pressure range of 1.0‒3.5 MPa.The results indicate that a decrease in quartz sand particle size or an increase in NaCl concentration shifts the hydrate phase equilibrium curve towards lower temperatures and higher pressures,making hydrate generation conditions more demanding.In different particle size systems,there are no significant changes in the rate of CO_(2) hydrate formation or conversion rate.The highest hydrate conversion rate of 71.1%is observed in a 0.015 mm particle size system.With increasing water saturation,both the generation rate and conversion rate of CO_(2) hydrates show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing.Meanwhile,low concentrations of NaCl(1%–3%)are found to enhance the formation and conversion rates of CO_(2) hydrates.However,as NaCl concentration increases,the rate of CO_(2) hydrate formation and conversion rate decrease.展开更多
In the context of the internationalization of higher education,many non-English speaking countries,from Europe to Asia,are promoting English as a medium of instruction(EMI).The EMI in South Korea started earlier and d...In the context of the internationalization of higher education,many non-English speaking countries,from Europe to Asia,are promoting English as a medium of instruction(EMI).The EMI in South Korea started earlier and developed rapidly under the promotion.From the initial“Study Abroad in Korea Plan”to the World Class University(WCU)and Brain Korea 21st century(BK21)PLUS programs,with the support and guidance of the government,South Korea’s higher education has made significant progress,with the global top 100 universities in QS increasing from 1 to 6 in South Korea.展开更多
Aerogel nanoporous materials possess high porosity, high specific surface area, and extremely low density due to their unique nanoscale network structure. Moreover, their effective thermal conductivity is very low, ma...Aerogel nanoporous materials possess high porosity, high specific surface area, and extremely low density due to their unique nanoscale network structure. Moreover, their effective thermal conductivity is very low, making them a new type of lightweight and highly efficient nanoscale super-insulating material. However, prediction of their effective thermal conductivity is challenging due to their uneven pore size distribution. To investigate the internal heat transfer mechanism of aerogel nanoporous materials, this study constructed a cross-aligned and cubic pore model(CACPM) based on the actual pore arrangement of SiO_(2) aerogel. Based on the established CACPM, the effective thermal conductivity expression for the aerogel was derived by simultaneously considering gas-phase heat conduction, solid-phase heat conduction, and radiative heat transfer. The derived expression was then compared with available experimental data and the Wei structure model. The results indicate that, according to the model established in this study for the derived thermal conductivity formula of silica aerogel, for powdery silica aerogel under the conditions of T = 298 K, a_(2)= 0.85, D_(1)= 90 μm, ρ = 128 kg/m^(3), within the pressure range of 0–10^(5)Pa, the average deviation between the calculated values and experimental values is 10.51%. In the pressure range of 10^(3)–10^(4)Pa, the deviation between calculated values and experimental values is within 4%. Under these conditions, the model has certain reference value in engineering verification. This study also makes a certain contribution to the research of aerogel thermal conductivity heat transfer models and calculation formulae.展开更多
One of the many renewable energy sources that offer advantages is solar energy, which also lowers energy prices and promotes environmental sustainability and energy security. Despite these advantages, various barriers...One of the many renewable energy sources that offer advantages is solar energy, which also lowers energy prices and promotes environmental sustainability and energy security. Despite these advantages, various barriers, such as installation costs, have prevented small and medium-sized enterprises from investigating this invention. Malawi has a significant energy shortfall such that most businesses have been hindered from their profit maximization goals. The “Photovoltaic systems” (PV) that transform sunlight into electricity are the subject of this study. This type of solar energy system is situated on the building’s roof and generally produces electricity for businesses and even homes. Solar energy offers a great impact to small and medium enterprises in Mzuzu city with a cost-effective and dependable alternative to energy that has the potential to change the game. Therefore the aim of the study was to identify factors that encourage the adoption of solar energy among small medium enterprises in the city of Mzuzu city. And to identify some of barriers faced when adopting solar energy among small and medium enterprises in the city of Mzuzu. The research approach employed in the study was a survey. A survey is a type of research methodology in which primary data is gathered from a sample using a questionnaire. When information is to be gathered from a wider sample, a survey is employed. A bigger sample size was needed in this study in order to facilitate hypothesis testing. It is advised to apply a logical approach while using the survey. The survey utilized a five-point Likert scale. The study used convenience sampling to select study participants. The sample size in this study was determined using Cochran’s sample size formula. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel were used for statistical analysis. About 97.2% of the participants were aware of solar as a source of energy compared to 2.8 % who were unaware. The majority of participants use solar energy for lighting only, seconded by those who use electricity. The least number of participants use solar energy for cooling only. The majority of participants 21.5% indicated partnership and collaboration as the most motivating factor for the adoption of solar energy. This was followed by technical expertise 19.1 % the least number of participants 10.8% expressed that policy and regulatory frameworks were associated with the adoption of solar energy. This study found that there are no statistically significant factors influencing barriers to the adoption of solar energy. The price of solar energy adoption was identified as the least factor associated with the acceptance or rejection of solar energy. Nonetheless, the reasons given by the homes that had embraced solar technology aligned with the findings of other studies. This survey also found that although the public was aware of solar energy, and technology, there were still a number of factors that mattered, especially for non-adopters.展开更多
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51831002,51904028,and 52233018)the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation(No.2242048)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China(No.FRF-EYIT-23-08).
文摘Plastic instability,including both the discontinuous yielding and stress serrations,has been frequently observed during the tensile deformation of medium-Mn steels(MMnS)and has been intensively studied in recent years.Unfortunately,research results are controversial,and no consensus has been achieved regarding the topic.Here,we first summarize all the possible factors that affect the yielding and flow stress serrations in MMnS,including the morphology and stability of austenite,the feature of the phase interface,and the deformation parameters.Then,we propose a universal mechanism to explain the conflicting experimental results.We conclude that the discontinuous yielding can be attributed to the lack of mobile dislocation before deformation and the rapid dislocation multiplication at the beginning of plastic deformation.Meanwhile,the results show that the stress serrations are formed due to the pinning and depinning between dislocations and interstitial atoms in austenite.Strain-induced martensitic transformation,influenced by the mechanical stability of austenite grain and deformation parameters,should not be the intrinsic cause of plastic instability.However,it can intensify or weaken the discontinuous yielding and the stress serrations by affecting the mobility and density of dislocations,as well as the interaction between the interstitial atoms and dislocations in austenite grains.
基金funded in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,grant number 51574257in part by the National Key Research and Development Program of China,grant number 2015CB250904。
文摘Research on reservoir rock stress sensitivity has traditionally focused on unary granular structures,neglecting the binary nature of real reservoirs,especially tight reservoirs.Understanding the stresssensitive behavior and mathematical characterization of binary granular media remains a challenging task.In this study,we conducted online-NMR experiments to investigate the permeability and porosity evolution as well as stress-sensitive control mechanisms in tight sandy conglomerate samples.The results revealed stress sensitivity coefficients between 0.042 and 0.098 and permeability damage rates ranging from 65.6%to 90.9%,with an average pore compression coefficient of 0.0168—0.0208 MPa 1.Pore-scale compression occurred in three stages:filling,compression,and compaction,with matrix pores playing a dominant role in pore compression.The stress sensitivity of binary granular media was found to be influenced by the support structure and particle properties.High stress sensitivity was associated with small fine particle size,high fines content,high uniformity coefficient of particle size,high plastic deformation,and low Young's modulus.Matrix-supported samples exhibited a high irreversible permeability damage rate(average=74.2%)and stress sensitivity coefficients(average=0.089),with pore spaces more slit-like.In contrast,grain-supported samples showed low stress sensitivity coefficients(average=0.021)at high stress stages.Based on the experiments,we developed a mathematical model for stress sensitivity in binary granular media,considering binary granular properties and nested interactions using Hertz contact deformation and Poiseuille theory.By describing the change in activity content of fines under stress,we characterized the non-stationary state of compressive deformation in the binary granular structure and classified the reservoir into three categories.The model was applied for production prediction using actual data from the Mahu reservoir in China,showing that the energy retention rates of support-dominated,fill-dominated,and matrix-controlled reservoirs should be higher than 70.1%,88%,and 90.2%,respectively.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11571132,12301542)the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei(2022CFB725)the Natural Science Foundation of Yichang(A23-2-027)。
文摘We consider the interior transmission eigenvalue problem corresponding to the scattering for an anisotropic medium of the scalar Helmholtz equation in the case where the boundary?Ωis split into two disjoint parts and possesses different transmission conditions.Using the variational method,we obtain the well posedness of the interior transmission problem,which plays an important role in the proof of the discreteness of eigenvalues.Then we achieve the existence of an infinite discrete set of transmission eigenvalues provided that n≡1,where a fourth order differential operator is applied.In the case of n■1,we show the discreteness of the transmission eigenvalues under restrictive assumptions by the analytic Fredholm theory and the T-coercive method.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61971300, 12274317, 12374277, 61905208)Open Foundation of China-Belarus Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Electromagnetic Environment Effect (No. ZBKF2022031202)+1 种基金Scientific and Technological Innovation Programs (STIP) of Higher Education Institutions in Shanxi (Nos. 2019L0159 and 2019L0146)2022 University Outstanding Youth Foundation of Taiyuan University of Technology
文摘Simultaneously manipulating multiple physical fields plays an important role in the increasingly complex integrated systems,aerospace equipment,biochemical productions,etc.For on-chip systems with high integration level,the precise and efficient control of the propagation of electromagnetic waves and heat fluxes simultaneously is particularly important.In this study,we propose a graphical designing method(i.e.,thermal-electromagnetic surface transformation)based on thermal-electromagnetic null medium to simultaneously control the propagation of electromagnetic waves and thermal fields according to the pre-designed paths.A thermal-electromagnetic cloak,which can create a cloaking effect on both electromagnetic waves and thermal fields simultaneously,is designed by thermal-electromagnetic surface transformation and verified by both numerical simulations and experimental measurements.The thermal-electromagnetic surface transformation proposed in this study provides a new methodology for simultaneous controlling on electromagnetic and temperature fields,and may have significant applications in improving thermal-electromagnetic compatibility problem,protecting of thermal-electromagnetic sensitive components,and improving efficiency of energy usage for complex onchip systems.
文摘The small and scattered enterprise pattern in the county economy has formed numerous sporadic pollution sources, hindering the centralized treatment of the water environment, increasing the cost and difficulty of treatment. How enterprises can make reasonable decisions on their water environment behavior based on the external environment and their own factors is of great significance for scientifically and effectively designing water environment regulation mechanisms. Based on optimal control theory, this study investigates the design of contractual mechanisms for water environmental regulation for small and medium-sized enterprises. The enterprise is regarded as an independent economic entity that can adopt optimal control strategies to maximize its own interests. Based on the participation of multiple subjects including the government, enterprises, and the public, an optimal control strategy model for enterprises under contractual water environmental regulation is constructed using optimal control theory, and a method for calculating the amount of unit pollutant penalties is derived. The water pollutant treatment cost data of a paper company is selected to conduct empirical numerical analysis on the model. The results show that the increase in the probability of government regulation and public participation, as well as the decrease in local government protection for enterprises, can achieve the same regulatory effect while reducing the number of administrative penalties per unit. Finally, the implementation process of contractual water environmental regulation for small and medium-sized enterprises is designed.
基金the Major Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41941019)Shaanxi Province Innovative Talent Promotion Plan-Science and Technology Innovation Team(No.2021TD-55)Central University Natural Science Innovation Team(No.300102262402)。
文摘Combined bodies of rock-like material and rock are widely encountered in geotechnical engineering,such as tunnels and mines.The existing theoretical models describing the stress-strain relationship of a combined body lack a binary feature.Based on effective medium theory,this paper presents the governing equation of the“elastic modulus”for combined and single bodies under triaxial compressive tests.A binary effective medium model is then established.Based on the compressive experiment of concretegranite combined bodies,the feasibility of determining the stress threshold based on crack axial strain is discussed,and the model is verified.The model is further extended to coal-rock combined bodies of more diverse types,and the variation laws of the compressive mechanical parameters are then discussed.The results show that the fitting accuracy of the model with the experimental curves of the concretegranite combined bodies and various types of coal-rock combined bodies are over 95%.The crack axial strain method can replace the crack volumetric strain method,which clarifies the physical meanings of the model parameters.The variation laws of matrix parameters and crack parameters are discussed in depth and are expected to be more widely used in geotechnical engineering.
文摘The influence of variable viscosity and double diffusion on the convective stability of a nanofluid flow in an inclined porous channel is investigated.The DarcyBrinkman model is used to characterize the fluid flow dynamics in porous materials.The analytical solutions are obtained for the unidirectional and completely developed flow.Based on a normal mode analysis,the generalized eigenvalue problem under a perturbed state is solved.The eigenvalue problem is then solved by the spectral method.Finally,the critical Rayleigh number with the corresponding wavenumber is evaluated at the assigned values of the other flow-governing parameters.The results show that increasing the Darcy number,the Lewis number,the Dufour parameter,or the Soret parameter increases the stability of the system,whereas increasing the inclination angle of the channel destabilizes the flow.Besides,the flow is the most unstable when the channel is vertically oriented.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41972110 and 41772108)。
文摘To investigate the influence of diagenetic water media on the hydrogen isotopes of individual sedimentary aromatic compounds,a series of hydrous pyrolyses were conducted on herbaceous peat.Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)in hydrous pyrolysed samples and their hydrogen isotopic composition characteristics were studied.The aqueous medium demonstrated a significant influence on the hydrogen isotopic composition of the individual PAHs generated during pyrolysis.The results showed that the PAHs formed after pyrolysis in the presence of a saltwater medium with high δD value from a salt lake had a heavy hydrogen isotopic composition.The PAHs formed after pyrolysis in the presence of a fresh water medium with low δD value from a swamp had a light hydrogen isotopic composition.The difference in the average PAHδD value between the two hydrous experiments varied from -174‰ to -109‰,suggesting that the hydrogen isotopic composition of individual sedimentary PAHs can reflect the source of the diagenetic water medium.In addition,a comparative study found that the hydrogen isotopes of PAHs were superior to those of n-alkanes in the same sample for diagenetic water indications.The results indicated that the exchange of water-derived inorganic hydrogen and organic hydrogen was more intensive in freshwater experiments than in saltwater experiments.With an increase in the simulation temperature,the average δD value of PAHs generated in the hydrous simulation experiments showed an increasing trend,reflecting that the δD value of sedimentary PAHs formed with the participation of diagenetic water media was still closely related to the thermal maturity of organic matter.Comparative studies showed that theδD values of different types of organic compounds produced by hydrous pyrolysis of peat were in the order,PAHs>n-alkanes>methane.
基金the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme(FRGS)under a grant number of FRGS/1/2018/STG06/UNIMAP/02/3 from the Ministry of Education Malaysia。
文摘This study investigates the suction and magnetic field effects on the two-dimensional nanofluid flow through a stretching/shrinking sheet at the stagnation point in the porous medium with thermal radiation.The governing partial differential equations(PDEs)are converted into ordinary differential equations(ODEs)using the similarity transformation.The resulting ODEs are then solved numerically by using the bvp4c solver in MATLAB software.It was found that dual solutions exist for the shrinking parameter values up to a certain range.The numerical results obtained are compared,and the comparison showed a good agreement with the existing results in the literature.The governing parameters’effect on the velocity,temperature and nanoparticle fraction fields as well as the skin friction coefficient,the local Nusselt number and the Sherwood number are represented graphically and analyzed.The variation of the velocity,temperature and concentration increase with the increase in the suction and magnetic field parameters.It seems that the thermal radiation effect has increased the local Sherwood number while the local Nusselt number is reduced with it.
文摘For the purpose of developing a 1 500 MPa grade steel sheet with excellent strength and ductility, a 0.15C-10Mn-1.5Al steel was employed to study austenite stability and microstructural evolution based on a novel double annealing processing.After a conventional intercritical annealing process, the sample was heated again to a temperature higher than A_(c3) for a very short time to generate austenite grains with different manganese content;thus, the microstructure of martensite plus austenite can be obtained at room temperature.The experimental results show that with increasing annealing temperature, the tensile strength and yield strength increase.When the annealing temperature was higher than 820 ℃,the microstructure consisted of martensite plus austenite, and the tensile strength almost remained invariant with the annealing temperature.A tensile strength of 1 537 MPa and an elong-ation of 25.1% were achieved for the 820 ℃ condition.The volume fractions of austenite and martensite were identified by X-ray diffraction.It was found that with increasing annealing temperature, the volume fraction of the retained austenite decreased, and the ductility also had a gradual downward trend.The related austenite stability was discussed here as well.
基金supported by the Research Foundation of Technology Committee of Tongzhou District,No.KJ2019CX001(to SX).
文摘Human dental pulp stem cell transplantation has been shown to be an effective therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury.However,whether the human dental pulp stem cell secretome can contribute to functional recovery after spinal cord injury remains unclear.In the present study,we established a rat model of spinal cord injury based on impact injury from a dropped weight and then intraperitoneally injected the rats with conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells.We found that the conditioned medium effectively promoted the recovery of sensory and motor functions in rats with spinal cord injury,decreased expression of the microglial pyroptosis markers NLRP3,GSDMD,caspase-1,and interleukin-1β,promoted axonal and myelin regeneration,and inhibited the formation of glial scars.In addition,in a lipopolysaccharide-induced BV2 microglia model,conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells protected cells from pyroptosis by inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1/interleukin-1βpathway.These results indicate that conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells can reduce microglial pyroptosis by inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1/interleukin-1βpathway,thereby promoting the recovery of neurological function after spinal cord injury.Therefore,conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells may become an alternative therapy for spinal cord injury.
文摘Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion mutation of a cytosine-adenine-guanine triplet in the exon 1 of the HTT gene which is responsible for the production of the huntingtin (Htt) protein. In physiological conditions, Htt is involved in many cellular processes such as cell signaling, transcriptional regulation, energy metabolism regulation, DNA maintenance, axonal trafficking, and antiapoptotic activity. When the genetic alteration is present, the production of a mutant version of Htt (mHtt) occurs, which is characterized by a plethora of pathogenic activities that, finally, lead to cell death. Among all the cells in which mHtt exerts its dangerous activity, the GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons seem to be the most affected by the mHtt-induced excitotoxicity both in the cortex and in the striatum. However, as the neurodegeneration proceeds ahead the neuronal loss grows also in other brain areas such as the cerebellum, hypothalamus, thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus, and substantia nigra, determining the variety of symptoms that characterize Huntington’s disease. From a clinical point of view, Huntington’s disease is characterized by a wide spectrum of symptoms spanning from motor impairment to cognitive disorders and dementia. Huntington’s disease shows a prevalence of around 3.92 cases every 100,000 worldwide and an incidence of 0.48 new cases every 100,000/year. To date, there is no available cure for Huntington’s disease. Several treatments have been developed so far, aiming to reduce the severity of one or more symptoms to slow down the inexorable decline caused by the disease. In this context, the search for reliable strategies to target the different aspects of Huntington’s disease become of the utmost interest. In recent years, a variety of studies demonstrated the detrimental role of neuronal loss in Huntington’s disease condition highlighting how the replacement of lost cells would be a reasonable strategy to overcome the neurodegeneration. In this view, numerous have been the attempts in several preclinical models of Huntington’s disease to evaluate the feasibility of invasive and non-invasive approaches. Thus, the aim of this review is to offer an overview of the most appealing approaches spanning from stem cell-based cell therapy to extracellular vesicles such as exosomes in light of promoting neurogenesis, discussing the results obtained so far, their limits and the future perspectives regarding the neural regeneration in the context of Huntington’s disease.
文摘Erectile dysfunction (ED) is increasingly prevalent in Japan, exceeding 30%, and increasing with age. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, obesity, insufficient exercise, and smoking have been implicated in its pathogenesis, along with endothelial dysfunction of the corpora cavernosa and impaired blood flow to the penis considered underlying factors. However, the current treatments are limited to Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. ED is the primary symptom of andropathy. This study reports the clinical efficacy of human stem cell-conditioned medium cream for ED treatment. Ten men without underlying diseases suspected of andropause with ED (mean age 43.2 ± 4.4 y, Hb 15.2 ± 0.6 gm/dL, AST/ALT 30.2/37.9 ± 12.4/14.0, eGFR 82.7 ± 12.4 mL/min/1.73 m2) were targeted. The cream was applied twice daily to the genital and scrotal areas. The erectile hardness score (EHS), International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), and Aging Male Symptoms (AMS) scale were used to evaluate the participants before and 30 days after use, and the results were compared using paired t-tests. The post-use qualitative opinions were collected through interviews. Significant improvements were observed compared to baseline in the IIEF-5 (11.8 ± 4.6→17.2 ± 5.1, P < 0.001), and AMS (46.3 ± 6.7→37.6 ± 5.3, P < 0.001) scores post cream use. EHS did not show a statistically significant difference, but a trend towards improvement was observed. Qualitative feedback included increased morning erection, improved maintenance of erection during intercourse, and reduced post work fatigue. Human stem cell-conditioned medium contains endothelial growth factors that potentially contribute to the improvement of ED and andropause by enhancing corporal endothelial function. Future studies should include control groups to further investigate the efficacy of these treatments.
基金supported in part by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation under Grant L192031the National Key Research and Development Program under Grant 2020YFA0711303。
文摘Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)ad hoc network has achieved significant growth for its flexibility,extensibility,and high deployability in recent years.The application of clustering scheme for UAV ad hoc network is imperative to enhance the performance of throughput and energy efficiency.In conventional clustering scheme,a single cluster head(CH)is always assigned in each cluster.However,this method has some weaknesses such as overload and premature death of CH when the number of UAVs increased.In order to solve this problem,we propose a dual-cluster-head based medium access control(DCHMAC)scheme for large-scale UAV networks.In DCHMAC,two CHs are elected to manage resource allocation and data forwarding cooperatively.Specifically,two CHs work on different channels.One of CH is used for intra-cluster communication and the other one is for inter-cluster communication.A Markov chain model is developed to analyse the throughput of the network.Simulation result shows that compared with FM-MAC(flying ad hoc networks multi-channel MAC,FM-MAC),DCHMAC improves the throughput by approximately 20%~50%and prolongs the network lifetime by approximately 40%.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.12134002)。
文摘Acoustic nonlinearity holds potential as a method for assessing material stress.Analogous to the acoustoelastic effect,where the velocity of elastic waves is influenced by third-order elastic constants,the propagation of nonlinear acoustic waves in pre-stressed materials would be influenced by higher-order elastic constants.Despite this,there has been a notable absence of research exploring this phenomenon.Consequently,this paper aims to establish a theoretical framework for governing the propagation of nonlinear acoustic waves in pre-stressed materials.It delves into the impact of pre-stress on higher-order material parameters,and specifically examines the propagation of one-dimensional acoustic waves within the contexts of the uniaxial stress and the biaxial stress.This paper establishes a theoretical foundation for exploring the application of nonlinear ultrasonic techniques to measure pre-stress in materials.
基金funding support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42077262 and 42077261).
文摘A complete road-soft ground model is established in this paper to study the dynamic responses caused by vehicle loads and/or daily temperature variation.A dynamic thermo-elastic model is applied to capturing the behavior of the rigid pavement,the base course,and the subgrade,while the soft ground is characterized using a dynamic thermo-poroelastic model.Solutions to the road-soft ground system are derived in the Laplace-Hankel transform domain.The time domain solutions are obtained using an integration approach.The temperature,thermal stress,pore water pressure,and displacement responses caused by the vehicle load and the daily temperature variation are presented.Results show that obvious temperature change mainly exists within 0.3 m of the road when subjected to the daily temperature variation,whereas the stress responses can still be found in deeper places because of the thermal swelling/shrinkage deformation within the upper road structures.Moreover,it is important to consider the coupling effects of the vehicle load and the daily temperature variation when calculating the dynamic responses inside the road-soft ground system.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC 21676145)Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions(PAPD,China).
文摘Hydrate-based CO_(2) sequestration is an effective method for reducing the greenhouse effect,and the presence of porous media and NaCl can impact the formation characteristics of hydrates.This study uses the constant volume temperature search method to investigate the effects of quartz sand particle size(0.006‒0.03 mm),water saturation(30%–90%),and NaCl concentration(1%‒9%)on the phase equilibrium and kinetics of CO_(2) hydrates within a temperature range of 273‒285 K and pressure range of 1.0‒3.5 MPa.The results indicate that a decrease in quartz sand particle size or an increase in NaCl concentration shifts the hydrate phase equilibrium curve towards lower temperatures and higher pressures,making hydrate generation conditions more demanding.In different particle size systems,there are no significant changes in the rate of CO_(2) hydrate formation or conversion rate.The highest hydrate conversion rate of 71.1%is observed in a 0.015 mm particle size system.With increasing water saturation,both the generation rate and conversion rate of CO_(2) hydrates show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing.Meanwhile,low concentrations of NaCl(1%–3%)are found to enhance the formation and conversion rates of CO_(2) hydrates.However,as NaCl concentration increases,the rate of CO_(2) hydrate formation and conversion rate decrease.
基金Shandong University of Science and Technology Education and Teaching Reform Research and Practice Project“Research on Mixed Mode of Online Course+English Medium Instruction”(JNJG202101)。
文摘In the context of the internationalization of higher education,many non-English speaking countries,from Europe to Asia,are promoting English as a medium of instruction(EMI).The EMI in South Korea started earlier and developed rapidly under the promotion.From the initial“Study Abroad in Korea Plan”to the World Class University(WCU)and Brain Korea 21st century(BK21)PLUS programs,with the support and guidance of the government,South Korea’s higher education has made significant progress,with the global top 100 universities in QS increasing from 1 to 6 in South Korea.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51764046 and 52160013)the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Postgraduate Research Innovation Project of China (Grant No. S20231165Z)the Research Program of Science and Technology at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China (Grant Nos. 2023RCTD016 and 2024RCTD008)。
文摘Aerogel nanoporous materials possess high porosity, high specific surface area, and extremely low density due to their unique nanoscale network structure. Moreover, their effective thermal conductivity is very low, making them a new type of lightweight and highly efficient nanoscale super-insulating material. However, prediction of their effective thermal conductivity is challenging due to their uneven pore size distribution. To investigate the internal heat transfer mechanism of aerogel nanoporous materials, this study constructed a cross-aligned and cubic pore model(CACPM) based on the actual pore arrangement of SiO_(2) aerogel. Based on the established CACPM, the effective thermal conductivity expression for the aerogel was derived by simultaneously considering gas-phase heat conduction, solid-phase heat conduction, and radiative heat transfer. The derived expression was then compared with available experimental data and the Wei structure model. The results indicate that, according to the model established in this study for the derived thermal conductivity formula of silica aerogel, for powdery silica aerogel under the conditions of T = 298 K, a_(2)= 0.85, D_(1)= 90 μm, ρ = 128 kg/m^(3), within the pressure range of 0–10^(5)Pa, the average deviation between the calculated values and experimental values is 10.51%. In the pressure range of 10^(3)–10^(4)Pa, the deviation between calculated values and experimental values is within 4%. Under these conditions, the model has certain reference value in engineering verification. This study also makes a certain contribution to the research of aerogel thermal conductivity heat transfer models and calculation formulae.
文摘One of the many renewable energy sources that offer advantages is solar energy, which also lowers energy prices and promotes environmental sustainability and energy security. Despite these advantages, various barriers, such as installation costs, have prevented small and medium-sized enterprises from investigating this invention. Malawi has a significant energy shortfall such that most businesses have been hindered from their profit maximization goals. The “Photovoltaic systems” (PV) that transform sunlight into electricity are the subject of this study. This type of solar energy system is situated on the building’s roof and generally produces electricity for businesses and even homes. Solar energy offers a great impact to small and medium enterprises in Mzuzu city with a cost-effective and dependable alternative to energy that has the potential to change the game. Therefore the aim of the study was to identify factors that encourage the adoption of solar energy among small medium enterprises in the city of Mzuzu city. And to identify some of barriers faced when adopting solar energy among small and medium enterprises in the city of Mzuzu. The research approach employed in the study was a survey. A survey is a type of research methodology in which primary data is gathered from a sample using a questionnaire. When information is to be gathered from a wider sample, a survey is employed. A bigger sample size was needed in this study in order to facilitate hypothesis testing. It is advised to apply a logical approach while using the survey. The survey utilized a five-point Likert scale. The study used convenience sampling to select study participants. The sample size in this study was determined using Cochran’s sample size formula. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel were used for statistical analysis. About 97.2% of the participants were aware of solar as a source of energy compared to 2.8 % who were unaware. The majority of participants use solar energy for lighting only, seconded by those who use electricity. The least number of participants use solar energy for cooling only. The majority of participants 21.5% indicated partnership and collaboration as the most motivating factor for the adoption of solar energy. This was followed by technical expertise 19.1 % the least number of participants 10.8% expressed that policy and regulatory frameworks were associated with the adoption of solar energy. This study found that there are no statistically significant factors influencing barriers to the adoption of solar energy. The price of solar energy adoption was identified as the least factor associated with the acceptance or rejection of solar energy. Nonetheless, the reasons given by the homes that had embraced solar technology aligned with the findings of other studies. This survey also found that although the public was aware of solar energy, and technology, there were still a number of factors that mattered, especially for non-adopters.