Fatigue Crack Growth Behaviour of Conventional and Modified IN 718 Superalloys at 650 °C

In the present investigation, the fatigue crack growth behaviour of modified IN 718 superalloy (Ni-0.02 %, C-19.04 %, Cr-19.31 %, Fe-3.04 %, Mo-4.73 %, Nb-1.01 %, Al-1.16 %, Ti-0.0033 %, B, all in wt%) has been compared with conventional IN 718 superalloy (Ni-0.02 %, C-19.0 %, Cr-19.35 %, Fe-3.0 %, Mo-5.10 %, Nb-0.50 %, Al-1.00 %, Ti-0.0033 %, B, all in wt%) at 650 °C. Modified IN 718 superalloy exhibits marginally lower crack growth rate as compared to conventional alloy and was attributed to roughness induced crack closure.     

AMPK Amplifies IL2–STAT5 Signaling to Maintain Stability of Regulatory T Cells in Aged Mice

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an important regulator of the aging process, is expressed in various immune cells. However, its role in regulatory T cell (Treg) stability during aging is poorly understood. Here, we addressed the role of AMPK in Treg function and stability during aging by generating Treg-specific AMPKα1 knockout mice. In this study, we found that AMPKα1-deficient Tregs failed to control inflammation as effectively as normal Tregs did during aging. AMPK knockout from Tregs reduces STAT5 phosphorylation in response to interleukin (IL)-2 stimulation, thereby destabilizing Tregs by decreasing CD25 expression. Thus, our study addressed the role of AMPK in Tregs in sensing IL-2 signaling to amplify STAT5 phosphorylation, which, in turn, supports Treg stability by maintaining CD25 expression and controlling inflamm-aging.     

Autonomous Self-Sustained Liquid Crystal Actuators Enabling Active Photonic Applications

Advances in biomimicry have led to the rise of advanced robotics, posing promising revolutions across a variety of fields. Programmable self-sustained actuation in nature, such as human's heart beating, bird's wingbeats, and penguin's waddling, are intriguing and inspiring but challenging for device innovation, which hinders the emergence of autonomous self-feedback applications, especially in optics and photonics. Herein, the design, fabrication, and operation of crosslinked liquid crystal actuators are described that combine the programming of microstructures and the engineering of macroscopic shape morphing for active optics and photonics. The actuators consist of twisted nematic liquid crystal molecules with both elastic and optical anisotropies, resulting in large bending deformations in response to heat. Programmable bending motions and self-sustained waddling oscillations are demonstrated, further contributing to the achievements of dynamic 2D beam steering and self-sustained light field modulation. It is envisioned that these actuators with self-sustained performances without requiring turning the stimulus on-off will find applications in autonomous active optical systems, photonic applications, as well as self-governing robotics with the core feature of thermo-mechanical-optical transduction.     

Biogenic Collagen-Nano ZnO Composite Membrane as Potential Wound Dressing Material: Structural Characterization,Antibacterial Studies and In Vivo Wound Healing Studies

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - The practical applicability of collagen, a natural polymer, as a wound dressing material is hindered due to its reduced stability...     

Dry Sliding Wear Behavior of Tempered (T4 and T6) Hypereutectic Aluminum Alloy-Based Composites

Silicon - The present work describes the effect of tempering (T4 and T6) processes on the dry sliding wear properties of ilmenite reinforced aluminum alloy (LM30) composites, prepared through stir...     

3D Path Optimisation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Using Q Learning-Controlled GWO-AOA

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones introduced for military applications are gaining popularity in several other fields as well such as security and surveillance, due to their ability to perform repetitive and tedious tasks in hazardous environments. Their increased demand created the requirement for enabling the UAVs to traverse independently through the Three Dimensional (3D) flight environment consisting of various obstacles which have been efficiently addressed by metaheuristics in past literature. However, not a single optimization algorithms can solve all kind of optimization problem effectively. Therefore, there is dire need to integrate metaheuristic for general acceptability. To address this issue, in this paper, a novel reinforcement learning controlled Grey Wolf Optimisation-Archimedes Optimisation Algorithm (QGA) has been exhaustively introduced and exhaustively validated firstly on 22 benchmark functions and then, utilized to obtain the optimum flyable path without collision for UAVs in three dimensional environment. The performance of the developed QGA has been compared against the various metaheuristics. The simulation experimental results reveal that the QGA algorithm acquire a feasible and effective flyable path more efficiently in complicated environment.     

Performance analysis and experimental validation of a vee-corrugated absorber integrated collector storage solar water heater

This paper focuses on enhancing the energy collection efficiency of an integrated collector storage solar water heater (ICS SWH) by vee-corrugating the absorber and optimizing the design for the vee-included angle through simulation and experimental study. This paper presents an efficient algorithm for analyzing a vee-corrugated absorber ICS SWH using Engineering Equation Solver Software. For validating this algorithm, two models of ICS SWH systems have been fabricated: one with a flat absorber and the other with a 60° vee-included angle corrugated absorber with eight corrugations. The basic purpose of the fabrication of the flat absorber ICS SWH system was to approximate the absorptivity of the absorber. A typical value of 0.68 was estimated for the absorptivity of the aluminum absorber coated with nonselective black paint. After the experimental investigation of the 60° vee-included angle ICS SWH system, it was found that the real-time readings were in close agreement with the numerical model readings. For comparison with the previous work, a five-corrugation system with an approximate 90° vee-included angle with the same projected dimensions was modeled and the efficiencies of both the models for the time from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. were calculated. The efficiency of the eight-corrugation model was 42.56%, which was better than the previous work of the five-corrugation model, with a 38.86% efficiency for the same ambient conditions. Also, it was theoretically deduced that we had an optimized system at 18 corrugations and a vee-included angle of 28.78°.     

Chemical reaction and magnetohydrodynamics effects on heat absorbing fluid past an inclined porous plate

The study of a heat-absorbing, chemically bonding fluid over a porous channel in a conducting field with ramped wall temperature is considered. The Dufour effect presence is also considered with thermal radiation. The novelty is the consideration of radiation absorption and the angle of inclination. In this approach, the dimensional governing equations and boundary forms are transformed into a dimensionless form using standard nondimensional parameters and variables. The simplified governing equations and boundary forms are then calculated using the Laplace transform method. We get accurate answers in the speed, temperature, and concentration spaces. Calculations of surface friction, the Nusselt number, and the Sherwood number are also performed. Several physical parameters' influences on the quantified flows are analysed using graphics. A comparison is also made with the results available in the literature and found a good agreement in the absence of radiation absorption. When a chemical is added to a fluid to dilute it, the velocity area and concentration area both decrease, but the temperature area increases as a result of an increase in the Schmidt Number, the Nusselt Number, and the skin friction. Our research revealed that the Dufour effect and arbitrarily ramped temperatures had a similar effect on fluid velocity.     

Fast chromatography of pulse triacylglycerols

A short 10-min ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method was used for separation and lipidomic analysis of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in 10 pulses: baby lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, butter beans, cranberry beans, garbanzo beans, green split peas, lentils, navy beans, and pinto beans. The lipids extracted using chloroform/methanol averaged 1.9–2.7% across all pulses except garbanzo beans, which gave 6.2% lipids. TAGs were analyzed using dual parallel mass spectrometry (LC1MS2), areas were integrated using LipidSearch 4.2 software, and percent relative TAG compositions were calculated. Fatty acid response factors were calculated by comparison to calibrated GC-FID, which were used to calculate response-factor adjusted TAG compositions. Principal component analysis revealed that the pulses separated into three clusters, which were further highlighted using hierarchical cluster analysis. A subset of TAGs was quantified using calibration curves made from alternating sets of regioisomers in the non-linear high concentration range (~2.5 nMol/ml to ~300 nMol/ml). A linear calibration curve for the sum of tocopherols detected by fluorescence was constructed with a coefficient of determination, r², >0.99 for low concentrations (0.50–50 μg/ml), but tocopherols in pulses appeared to be inefficiently extracted. TAG regioisomers were quantified based on a Critical Ratio (CR), [AA]⁺/[AB]⁺, interpolated between the CRs of two pure regioisomer standards taken from alternating calibration standards. TAG mole percent relative compositions are reported for the first time for most pulses and the compositions are given with more detail and specificity than previously reported.