This paper introduces the Shape Adaptive Blades for Rotorcraft Efficiency (SABRE) Horizon 2020 research program and presents initial comprehensive analysis results on the efficacy of adapting blade shapes as a means of reducing rotorcraft power requirements and emissions. The aims of the research program are introduced, followed by discussion of the six different morphing concepts that will be explored. The morphing mechanisms are based on active camber, chord extension, twist, and active tendon morphing technologies. SABRE will explore the use of these concepts individually and in combination, for rotor quasi-steady configuration-type morphing and up to 2/rev actuation of some of the mechanisms, with the objective being to find the best balance between emissions reductions versus complexity and added weight. Initial investigations into the potential power reductions compared to the baseline full-scale BO-105 main rotor achievable with the morphing concepts were performed using Blade Element Momentum Theory and a comprehensive analysis model that was developed using CAMRAD II. The analytical model was validated by full-scale rotor wind tunnel measurements. A combination of active twist and active chord extension achieved up to 11% performance gain in hover. Active camber morphing performance was very sensitive to the combination of deflection, morphing section radial length and placement on the blade, as well as the actuation phasing and blade loading coefficient. The active camber morphing showed power reductions of up to 5.5% in hover and 5% at an advance ratio of 0.313 with a 2/rev actuation, while the active tendon concept showed the capability to change the dynamic response of the rotor blade.

The extensive utilization of fossil fuel energy has caused severe degradation to our environment, therefore the search for new clean efficient energy is the need of the hour. Photocatalytic conversion of CO2 to solar fuels, and artificial photosynthesis, offer a promising solution for the energy crisis and global warming. Improving efficiency in the photo-reduction of CO2 to fuels involves developing highly efficient catalysts and optimizing photoreactor configuration. Photocatalysis is a process in which light radiations having energy equal to or greater than the band gap energy (Ebg) of a semiconductor strikes on its surface and generates electron (e−) hole(h+) pairs. The photogenerated electrons and holes participate in various oxidation and reduction processes to produce final products. This field focuses on harnessing solar energy to drive the conversion of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon fuels, showcasing significant potential for sustainable energy solutions. The global methanol market was valued at $30.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $38 billion by 2028, growing at 4.2% CAGR during the forecast period. For determining the feasibility of reactions on a larger scale, simulations must be performed at different conditions for obtaining higher conversion and cost-effective management of the process at the industrial level. So, a simulation of methanol photoreactors using different software was done to examining the kinetics of methanol reactors by employing ASPEN, DWSIM, and MATLAB software for simulating experimental data.

We provide direct evidence of the effects of interface engineering of various substrates by Microbubble lithography (MBL). We choose a model organic plastic (or polymer) poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), with conductivity of 140 S/cm, as a representative organic system to showcase our technique. Thus, we fabricate permanent patterns of PEDOT:PSS on glass, followed by a flexible PDMS substrate, and observe conductivity enhancement of 5 times on the former (694 S/cm), and 20 times (2844 S/cm) on the latter, without the use of external doping agents or invasive chemical treatment. Probing the patterned interface, we observe that MBL is able to tune the conformational states of PEDOT:PSS from coils in the pristine form, to extended coils on glass, and almost linear structures in PDMS due to its more malleable liquid-like interface. This results in higher ordering and vanishing grain boundaries leading to the highest conductivity of PEDOT:PSS on PDMS substrates.

The removal of color from dye wastewater is crucial, since dyes are extremely toxic and can cause cancer in a variety of life forms. Studies must be done to use cost-effective adsorbents for the removal of color from dye effluents to protect the environment. To our knowledge, virtually no research has been done to describe the possibility of using Calotropis gigantea leaf extract zinc hydroxide nanoparticles (CG-Zn(OH)2NPs) as an adsorbent for the decolorization of Coomassie violet (CV) from the aqueous emulsion, either in batch mode or continuously. In the present batch investigation, CV dye is removed from the synthetic aqueous phase using CG-Zn(OH)2NPs as an adsorbent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using various instrumental techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume, a particle size analyser, and zero-point charge. The decolorization efficacy of CV dye from an aqueous phase by the adsorbent was examined in batch mode by varying process parameters. The consequences of various experimental variables were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to achieve the maximum decolorization efficiency (90.74%) and equilibrium dye uptake, qe (35.12 mg g−1). The optimum pH, dye concentration, CG-Zn(OH)2NPs adsorbent dosage, and particle size were found to be 1.8, 225 mg L−1, 5 g L−1, and 78 μm, respectively for CV dye adsorption capacity at equilibrium. The adsorbent zero-point charge was found to be at pH 8.5. The Langmuir isotherm model provided a good representation of the equilibrium data in aqueous solutions, with a maximum monolayer adsorption capability (qmax) of 40.25 mg g−1 at 299 K. The dye adsorption rate follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic model at various dye concentrations, which indicated that the reaction is more chemisorption than physisorption. The negative values of ΔG and positive values of ΔH at different temperatures indicate that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic, respectively. Reusability tests revealed that the prepared nanoparticles may be used for up to three runs, indicating that the novel CG-Zn(OH)2NPs seems to be a very promising adsorbent for the removal of Coomassie violet dye from wastewater.

We pattern PEDOT:PSS using microbubble lithography on glass and PDMS, and obtain more than twenty-fold conductivity increase on the latter due to melting of PSS shells by laser absorption and reorganization of the polymers into linear conformations.

In today's world, the exchange of multimedia data has become an essential part of people's everyday routines, as they utilize various systems, services, and applications. Real-world cloud storage systems frequently experience data leaks, making secure data transmission and copyright protection of multimedia information difficult. To tackle the problem of safeguarding copyright, the implementation of digital watermarking has been proposed. This technique involves adding hidden information, such as confidential data, to digital media to authenticate its ownership. Encryption techniques are also employed to secure the data and prevent unauthorized access. The proposed approach suggests using both watermarking and proxy re-encryption techniques to efficiently exchange multimedia content. To secure confidential information, the process involves encrypting a private key with a specific encryption method that requires a key. Next, this encrypted key is combined with the user's private key and inserted into an image using the Least Significant Bit (LSB) technique. After the confidential information has been incorporated into the image, it can be encoded using the ECC Encryption technique. However, copyright protection remains a challenging and complex issue in the face of increasing internet and digital technology usage. The resulting image can be encoded using the ECC Encryption method. However, copyright protection remains a challenging and complex issue in the face of increasing internet and digital technology usage.

This work investigates process simulation and optimization as an efficient approach to mitigate global warming using carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol. Modeling and simulation of hydrogenation to methanol were studied using Aspen Plus V8. Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst is used to optimize parameters to enhance the reduction of CO2 to methanol. The effect of temperature, pressure, and the feed flow rate on CO2 conversion and CH3OH yield was reported. Response surface methodology (RSM) is used to analyze the chemical equilibrium of the CH3OH production process to obtain an optimal way of assuring a relatively higher CO2 conversion , CH3OH production rate. It helps to evaluate the op-timum temperature, pressure, andH2/CO2 molar ratio to achieve maximum CO2 conversion and CH3OH yield. The impact of conversion and CH3OH yield was evaluated using surface plots. The RSM studies show optimized conditions for conversion and CH3OH yield at a temperature of 210 degrees C, a pressure of 55 bar , a H2/CO2 concentration of 1:5. The antic-ipated CO2 conversion and CH3OH yield were 87.56% and 11.22%, respectively, whereas the simulation gave CO2 conversion of 87.65% and CH3OH yield of 11.39%. The generated quadratic model accurately predicts carbon dioxide conversion to methanol. The appli-cability of the model to forecast CO2 conversion and CH3OH yield is supported by the agreement between the simulated and expected results. This work can be considered a possible solution to overcome the thermodynamic difficulty by providing a higher CO2 conversion and would be beneficial for further investigation in industrial process.(c) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tumor-associated collagen signature-3 (TACS-3) is a prognostic indicator for breast cancer survival. It is characterized by highly organized, parallel bundles of collagen fibers oriented perpendicular to the tumor boundary, serving as directional, confining channels for cancer cell invasion. Here we design a TACS-3-mimetic anisotropic, confined collagen I matrix and examine the relation between anisotropy of matrix, directed cellular migration, and anisotropy of cell membrane-the first direct contact between TACS-3 and cell-using Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells as cancer-model. Using unidirectional freezing, we generated ∼50 μm-wide channels filled with collagen I. Optical tweezer (OT) microrheology shows that anisotropic confinement increases collagen viscoelasticity by two orders of magnitude, and the elastic modulus is significantly greater along the direction of anisotropic confinement compared to that along the orthogonal direction, thus establishing matrix anisotropy. Furthermore, MCF-7 cells embedded in anisotropic collagen I, exhibit directionality in cellular morphology and migration. Finally, using customized OT to trap polystyrene probes bound to cell-membrane (and not to ECM) of either free cells or cells under anisotropic confinement, we quantified the effect of matrix anisotropy on membrane viscoelasticity, both in-plane and out-of-plane, vis-à-vis the membrane. Both bulk and viscous modulus of cell-membrane of MCF-7 cells exhibit significant anisotropy under anisotropic confinement. Moreover, the cell membrane of MCF-7 cells under anisotropic confinement is significantly softer (both in-plane and out-of-plane moduli) despite their local environment being five times stiffer than free cells. In order to test if the coupling between anisotropy of extracellular matrix and anisotropy of cell-membrane is regulated by cell-cytoskeleton, actin cytoskeleton was depolymerized for both free and confined cells. Results show that cell membrane viscoelasticity of confined MCF-7 cells is unaffected by actin de-polymerization, in contrast to free cells. Together, these findings suggest that anisotropy of ECM induces directed migration and correlates with anisotropy of cell-membrane viscoelasticity of the MCF-7 cells in an actin-independent manner.

We develop a novel trapping scheme by combining plasmon-induced convection and thermophoretic flows. This system is capable of confining aspherical particles, cells and it also applies forces in the order of femto newtons on them.

We employ a single optically trapped upconverting nanoparticle (UCNP) of NaYF4:Yb,Er of diameter about 100 nm as a subdiffractive source to perform absorption spectroscopy. The experimentally expected mode volume of 100 nm of the backscatter profile of the nanoparticle matches well with a numerical simulation of the dominant backscattering modes to confirm our assertion of achieving a source dimension considerably lower than the diffraction limit set by the excitation wavelength of 975 nm for the UCNP. We perform absorption spectroscopy of several diverse entities such as the dye Rhodamine B in water, a thin gold film of thickness 30 nm, and crystalline soft oxometalates micro-patterned on a glass substrate using the UCNP as a source. The initial results lead to unambiguous utility of UCNPs as single nanoscopic sources for absorption spectroscopy of ultra-small sample volumes (femtolitres), and lead us to hypothesize a possible Resonance Energy Transfer mechanism between the UCNP and the molecules of the ambient medium, which may even lead to single molecule absorption spectroscopy applications.

Optical trapping of janus particles has turned out to be complicated due to lack of control on the direction of orientation. Here we use an alternative strategy, where we optically trap a NaYF4:Yb,Er upconverting nanoparticle on the pump wavelength at 975 nm and show that there is much greater visible emission in the backscatter direction than the forward scattered direction, leading to greater heating in the backscatter region of the nanoparticle. This then generates a temperature gradient across the nanoparticle to push it in the axial direction. The Mean Square Displacement (MSD) bears signature of the Hot Brownian Motion (HBM) when trapped at 975 nm, which becomes regular diffusive when the trapping wavelength is changed to non-pump wavelength 1064 nm. The effective velocity of the particle while trapped in the tweezers can be directly estimated. Thus, this is the first time that an active janus-like particle has been optically trapped in tweezers.

This paper presents a computational study that was conducted to investigate the impact of active-camber actuation on an isolated full-scale Bo 105 rotor for noise, power consumption and (non-rotating) hub vibration. The study was carried out at advance ratios of 0.05--0.35 using CAMRAD II based comprehensive analysis for the rotor aeromechanics. Acoustic analysis was carried out using the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings equation formulation for elastic blades using PSU-WOPWOP. To automate the generation of compliant data files and the subsequent analysis, an open-source post-processing framework was created. The active-camber actuation scheduling and amplitude were varied at each advance ratio and the effect on rotor acoustics, rotor power, and induced hub vibration were obtained. Using 1P (once-per-revolution) and 2P active-camber actuation, it is shown that low advance ratios 0.05-0.15 were more amenable to simultaneous reduction of power and hub vibration. For advance ratios of 0.10 and 0.15, simultaneous reduction of rotor noise, power, and hub vibration was obtained. Based on the results of a separate larger parametric study at advance ratio 0.30, it was found that the same physical effects that led to power reduction also resulted in rotor noise reduction by up to 15 dB below the rotor plane.

Energy security, as well as global climate change, are the two interlinked concerns that demands attention. Solar-assisted CO2 conversion potentially alleviates these problem by providing an efficient mode for storing energy. Among the several available methods, solar assisted phototechnology is notably an effective approach, as it takes a small amount of input energy and operates at low temperatures. This review includes a comprehensive study on the development of solar photoreactors to maximize yield for fuel production during carbon dioxide reduction. In the main stream, the general solar-driven carbon dioxide conversion methods are investigated to determine the suitable methodology for solar photoreduction of CO2 to methanol. The various photoreactors employed for solar photoreduction of carbon dioxide are evaluated and a comparative analysis is performed on different aspects of catalyst type, irradiation time, irradiated area, light intensity, and yield of methanol. Finally, the effect of parameters on the performance of solar-photoreactor is also accessed. The conclusions and future perspectives are presented which will open new path for further advances in the implementation of hybrid solar photoreactors to enhance the efficiency of CO2 photoreduction to fuel.

Reduced graphene oxide quantum dots (rGOQDTs) play a vital role in a variety of biological, optoelectronics, and environmental applications. The quality of 0D nanodots is compromised when they are cut from big 2D nanosheets. As a result, it is necessary to maintain a balance between quality and yield. Here, we developed a two-step hydrothermal process for producing nanocrystalline rGOQDTs by employing graphene oxide (GO) as an initial precursor. UV-Visible spectroscopy was used to explore the optical properties of rGOQDTs. XRD, Raman, and FTIR spectroscopic experiments were performed to better understand the crystalline and chemical properties and composition of rGOQDTs. The nanocrystalline rGOQDTs have an average crystallite size of 1.67[Formula: see text]nm. Using GO as an initial precursor implies a simple two-step approach for producing nanocrystalline rGOQDTs in a low-cost, highly efficient, and scalable manner.

A computational investigation of a helicopter main rotor with an active-camber morphing mechanism was conducted to identify the capability to simultaneously save rotor power and reduce pitch-link loads using as low as possible camber deflection magnitudes. Comprehensive rotor aeromechanics analysis with elastic blade modeling and a free vortex wake for the aerodynamics model was used to ensure computational efficiency. The investigation was based on a full-scale Bo 105 helicopter main rotor in level flight condition at μ=0.3 and CT/σ=0.089. In addition to a variation of the radial position and length of the active-camber section, the capabilities and system behavior were investigated in an extensive parametric study using practical actuation inputs. The same computational framework was used to obtain optimal control inputs that led to best performance in terms of power savings using two-per-rev (2P) individual blade control (IBC) via pitch-link inputs and 2P active-twist control. The relative potential of the three active mechanisms and the aerodynamic phenomenology was compared. All of the investigated active-rotor mechanisms contributed to rotor power savings via a more uniform distribution of thrust over the rotor disk. Both IBC and active twist yielded maximum performance improvement of about 1.8% over the baseline in terms of power reduction. With active camber, simultaneous rotor power reduction of 3.8% and a peak-to-peak pitch-link load reduction of 20% were obtained using a nonharmonic camber deflection deployment schedule with a half-peak-to-peak magnitude of 2∘. The global maximum of power savings observed with active camber was 4.4%, which resulted in an increase of peak-to-peak pitch-link loads by 35% and a required half-peak-to-peak camber deflection magnitude of 3.6∘.

3D pitch rotation of microparticles and cells assumes importance in a wide variety of applications in biology, physics, chemistry and medicine. Applications such as cell imaging and injection benefit from pitch-rotational manipulation. Generation of such motion in single beam optical tweezers has remained elusive due to the complexities of generating high enough ellipticity perpendicular to the direction of propagation. Further, trapping a perfectly spherical object at two locations and subsequent pitch rotation hasn't yet been demonstrated to be possible. Here, we use hexagonal-shaped upconverting particles and single cells trapped close to a gold-coated glass cover slip in a sample chamber to generate complete 360 degree and continuous pitch motion even with a single optical tweezer beam. The tweezers beam passing through the gold surface is partially absorbed and generates a hot-spot to produce circulatory convective flows in the vicinity which rotates the objects. The rotation rate can be controlled by the intensity of the laser light. Thus such a simple configuration can turn the particle in the pitch sense. The circulatory flows in this technique have a diameter of about 5 μm which is smaller than those reported using acousto-fluidic techniques.

Here, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanochains (CNCs) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized using charcoal powder in a mixture of concentrated H2SO4/HNO3 acidic solvent with the help of NaOH. It is demonstrated that the lower alkaline or basic environment is favourable to enhance the effectiveness for the formation of CNTs and CNCs whereas the higher alkaline or basic environment is effective for the formation of CQDs. The Raman measurements confirm the graphitic nature of the samples and also approve the structural changes in charcoal powder upon chemical treatment. The TEM measurement provides an evidence for the formation of CNTs, CNCs and CQDs from charcoal power as a result of varying pH of the reaction medium. The FTIR and XPS results further supports the chemical modification of charcoal powder by approving the appropriate bonding composition. The optical absorption behavior of the prepared samples was carried out with the help of UV-Vis. absorption spectra. The TG analysis shows the effect of chemical treatment on the thermal stability of the samples. Moreover, we have tried to provide an explanation to the experimental observations. This study not only provides insightful direction to synthesize CNTs, CNCs and CQDs in a facile way but also could lead to new developments in charcoal chemistries. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION:Uncontrolled and inadequately managed asthma substantially reduces Quality of Life (QOL) and can lead to premature death. The aim of this study is to understand the role of montelukast in improving quality of life in asthmatic patients by comparing it with placebo.METHODS:This prospective, single-arm, interventional study was conducted from September 2019 to February 2020 in the pulmonology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. All patients were prescribed montelukast (10 mg once daily).RESULTS:At day 28, participants had a higher score on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire-Standard (AQLQ-S) overall and in all sub-domains compared to day 0. The improvement was significant overall and for the sub-domains of symptoms, activity limitations, and environmental stimuli.CONCLUSION:Montelukast has an effective role in asthma control as well as in improving the quality of life in the Pakistani population.

This paper discusses open-loop and closed-loop active control investigations of a full-scale Bo 105 helicopter rotor with active camber morphing. The potential of an active camber morphing concept to reduce non-rotating vibratory hub loads and rotor power using active control was investigated. The mechanism employed was a dynamically actuated airfoil camber morphing concept known as Fish Bone Active Camber (FishBAC) that smoothly deforms the camber over the aft section of the airfoil. A comprehensive rotorcraft aeromechanics analysis was used that modeled the blade elastic motion using one-dimensional finite beam elements combined with multibody dynamics. Aerodynamic forces were calculated with a free-vortex wake model together with lifting line theory for the blade aerodynamics. The open-loop investigation comprised of a parametric study of relevant control parameters that govern the active camber deflection cyclic actuation profile and their effects on rotor performance and hub vibration. It was found that active camber morphing using superimposed once-per-revolution (1P) and 2P control inputs was able to simultaneously reduce rotor power by 4.3% and overall vibratory hub loads by 27%. Additionally, a closed-loop adaptive multicyclic controller was used to identify the potential of this morphing concept for hub vibration reduction using multicyclic active control inputs. Active camber actuation using a sum of four control harmonic inputs, i.e. 1-4P, resulted in a maximum hub vibration reduction of 50%.

In this article, charcoal is used as a new raw material for the synthesis of high yield graphene quantum dots (GQDs) for supercapacitor application.