The Challenges of O2 Detection in Biological Fluids: Classical Methods and Translation to Clinical Applications

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is deeply involved in preserving the life of cellular tissues and human beings due to its key role in cellular metabolism: its alterations may reflect important pathophysiological conditions. DO levels are measured to identify pathological conditions, explain pathophysiological mechanisms, and monitor the efficacy of therapeutic approaches. This is particularly relevant when the measurements are performed in vivo but also in contexts where a variety of biological and synthetic media are used, such as ex vivo organ perfusion. A reliable measurement of medium oxygenation ensures a high-quality process. It is crucial to provide a high-accuracy, real-time method for DO quantification, which could be robust towards different medium compositions and temperatures. In fact, biological fluids and synthetic clinical fluids represent a challenging environment where DO interacts with various compounds and can change continuously and dynamically, and further precaution is needed to obtain reliable results. This study aims to present and discuss the main oxygen detection and quantification methods, focusing on the technical needs for their translation to clinical practice. Firstly, we resumed all the main methodologies and advancements concerning dissolved oxygen determination. After identifying the main groups of all the available techniques for DO sensing based on their mechanisms and applicability, we focused on transferring the most promising approaches to a clinical in vivo/ex vivo setting.     

Large‐eddy simulations of wind‐farm wake characteristics associated with a low‐level jet

In this study, we performed a suite of flow simulations for a 12‐wind‐turbine array with varying inflow conditions and lateral spacings, and compared the impacts of the flow on velocity deficit and wake recovery. We imposed both laminar inflow and turbulent inflows, which contain turbulence for the Ekman layer and a low‐level jet (LLJ) in the stable boundary layer. To solve the flow through the wind turbines and their wakes, we used a large‐eddy simulation technique with an actuator‐line method. We compared the time series for the velocity deficit at the first and rear columns to observe the temporal change in velocity deficit for the entire wind farm. The velocity deficit at the first column for LLJ inflow was similar to that for laminar inflow. However, the magnitude of velocity deficit at the rear columns for the case with LLJ inflow was 11.9% greater because of strong wake recovery, which was enhanced by the vertical flux of kinetic energy associated with the LLJ. To observe the spatial transition and characteristics of wake recovery, we performed statistical analyses of the velocity at different locations for both the laminar and LLJ inflows. These studies indicated that strong wake recovery was present, and a kurtosis analysis showed that the probability density function for the streamwise velocity followed a Gaussian distribution. In a quadrant analysis of the Reynolds stress, we found that the ejection and sweep motions for the LLJ inflow case were greater than those for the laminar inflow case.     

A geographic analysis of wind turbine placement in Northern California

The development of new wind energy projects requires a significant consideration of land use issues. An analytic framework using a Geographic Information System (GIS) was developed to evaluate site suitability for wind turbines and to predict the locations and extent of land available for feasible wind power development. The framework uses rule-based spatial analysis to evaluate different scenarios. The suitability criteria include physical requirements as well as environmental and human impact factors. By including socio-political concerns, this technique can assist in forecasting the acceptance level of wind farms by the public. The analysis was used to evaluate the nine-county region of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. The model accurately depicts areas where large-scale wind farms have been developed or proposed. It also shows that there are many locations available in the Bay Area for the placement of smaller-scale wind turbines. The framework has application to other regions where future wind farm development is proposed. This information can be used by energy planners to predict the extent that wind energy can be developed based on land availability and public perception.     

Kinetics and thermodynamics of hydrogenation-dehydrogenation for Mg-25%TM (TM = Ti,Nb or V) composites synthesized by reactive ball milling in hydrogen

0.75Mg?0.25TM?H (TM = Ti, Nb or V) samples were mechano-chemically synthesized by reactive ball milling. The detailed reaction mechanism during hydrogen release and uptake was investigated by in-situ synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction (SR-PXD) experiments. The thermodynamic and kinetic properties have been studied by Sievert's method. On the base of calculated values of the Gibbs free energy for reaction of hydrogen absorption (ΔG < 0) it reveals that hydrogenation reaction could thermodynamically proceed at room temperature, which is experimentally confirmed for all of the studied composites. It is clearly shown that β-MgH₂ forms at RT under conditions of experiment. Comparative analysis of the MgTi, MgV and MgNb systems makes it possible to establish that the most effective additive facilitating hydrogen uptake, particularly at RT, is vanadium. It provides the degree of conversion into hydride phase α = 0.86 for the first minute of hydrogenation. In contrast, additives of Nb and Ti provide only α = 0.62 and 0.36, respectively, following the 30 min of exposure. However, this study reveals that for the dehydrogenation process, titanium is the best among the examined additives, which is evidenced by lowest value of activation energy E_a = 53.6 kJ/mol of the hydrogen desorption.     

Numerical use of {m,n}-approximation method thermoelastic anisotropic thin shell theory equations represented in a special form

A linear uncoupled quasi-static theory of thermoelastic anisotropic thin shells of constant thickness is formulated. In the derivation of equations and boundary conditions, a variant of the {$m,n$}-approximation method, which is based on the variational principle of the thermoelasticity theory, is used. According to this method, the unknown functions are represented in the form of a series of Legendre polynomials in the transverse coordinate that agree with the force boundary conditions on the facial surfaces. From the system of equations of the constructed theory for generalised displacements, strains, and stresses, a system of equations for generalised displacements is obtained; this system is solved for the second derivatives of generalised displacements with respect to one of the Gaussian parameters of the middle surface. For a system of partial differential equations represented in such a form, the known techniques for the reduction of systems of two-dimensional equations to normal systems of ordinary differential equations, which can be solved by standard numerical methods, can be applied. The system of equations for generalised displacements is reduced to a normal system of ordinary differential equations in the case of a plane deformation of a cylindrical panel. Through the use of these equations and the S. K. Godunov method of orthogonal successive substitutions, the bending problems of a planar beam subjected to a mechanical load or a thermal load and a circular cylindrical panel exposed to a thermal load are numerically solved. It is demonstrated that the proposed equations are particularly suitable for the analysis of boundary effects in planar beams and circular cylindrical panels.     

High‐Pressure Synthesis of Tantalum Nitride Having Orthorhombic U2S3 Structure

Among binary compounds, there is a high potential for discovery of novel members (polymorphic phases or compounds) of the nitrides of transition metals group due to a pronounced dependence of the oxidation state of the metals (M) on pressure. The power of high pressure–high temperature (HP‐HT) route for synthesis of binary nitrides has already been demonstrated by the discovery of cubic nitrides of the group 4 and 14 elements, of crystalline polymorphs of P₃N₅, and by reports on formation of four noble metal nitrides. It is anticipated that such HP products exhibit, in addition to enhanced elastic and mechanical behavior, other functional properties making them interesting for industrial applications. Here, HP–HT synthesis research is extended to nitrides of group 5 elements, resulting in the discovery of a novel hard tantalum nitride, exhibiting U₂S₃ structure: η‐Ta₂N₃ (Pbnm, a = 8.1911(17) Å, b = 8.1830(17) Å, c = 2.9823(3) Å). The stoichiometry is supported by two independent means, verifying that η‐Ta₂N₃ is the first thermodynamically stable transition metal nitride with a N:M ratio exceeding 4:3. Due to its high hardness and peculiar texture (needle‐like and granular crystallites), η‐Ta₂N₃ may find practical applications as a hard fracture resistant material.     

Initial stage sintering of binderless tungsten carbide powder under microwave radiation

This work represents an investigation concerning neck growth kinetics during microwave sintering of free-packed spherical shaped binderless tungsten carbide particles. Application of classical sphere-to-sphere approach showed possibility to identify main diffusion mechanisms operating during initial stage of microwave sintering of tungsten carbide powder. An anomalous neck growth in the initial period during microwave sintering was also revealed, which was then followed by neck growth obeying mechanisms of volume and surface diffusion. Numerical simulation of neck growth process revealed anomalous values for diffusion coefficients - 7.16 × 10⁻¹³ and 3.41 × 10⁻⁸ m² s⁻¹ for 950 and 1200 °C respectively. The value of activation energy of neck growth process has been calculated as 69.18 kJ mol⁻¹. That value is significantly lower then any data on activation energy of diffusion processes in W-C system, and may be explained by overheating in the neck zone, or even formation of liquid phase in the neck area.