Cold Countries Research Articles

Rôle du laboratoire dans le diagnostic d’une onychomycose : méthodes et interprétation

AbstractOnychomycosis does not represent more than 50% of all nail pathologies. Anthropophilic dermatophytes ( Trichophyton rubrum and T. interdigitale) are the main agents encountered on feet. Yeasts of the genus Trichosporon and Candida ( Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, etc.) predominate on fingernails where nail damage can be associated with perionyxis. Other filamentous species, called “pseudodermatophytes”, have a particular affinity for keratin, such as dermatophytes. These keratinophilic species belong to the genus Neoscytalidium from tropical and subtropical regions, and Arachnomyces nodosetosus from temperate or cold countries, mainly involved in onyxis on the feet of elderly people. Among the environmental molds that can sometimes parasitize nails, there are mainly species belonging to the genera Scopulariopsis, Aspergillus and Fusarium, their pathogenic power must however be clearly defined. The role of the Laboratory is precisely to identify the species in question, and to demonstrate that the fungus isolated from samples of a pathological nail is indeed the pathogen in question.

Analysis of in-bin low-temperature and high-temperature grain drying in Alberta: Specific energy, carbon costs and policy implications

Optimizing grain drying process is pivotal for both economic viability and environmental sustainability. In cold countries, supplemental heating is paramount but instigates the issue of carbon release at the same time. To curve the emission, a carbon levy has been imposed that varies with fuel types. However, there is limited knowledge of the impact of field-adaptable technologies utilizing commercialized fuels on the optimal execution of grain drying. To explore this, a comprehensive three-year on-farm grain drying study was conducted in the province of Alberta, Canada. This comparative analysis centered on three critical aspects, i.e., specific energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and operating costs. Furthermore, the research extended its projections into the year 2030, accounting for the impact of gradual carbon levies on natural gas, propane, and diesel fuel systems. Resultsshowed that indirect heaters in in-bin systems were 38 % more energy-efficient than direct heaters due to better airflow and higher initial grain temperatures, while indirect heaters with diesel burners exhibited 27.8 % lower burner turndown ratios and 35.4 % higher energy consumption than natural gas counterparts. In high-temperature drying, natural gas consumption decreased as supply air temperatures rose, with double-flow dryer showing the lowest energy consumption (6.3±1.9 GJ/t) in comparison to mixed-flow and cross-flow dryer due to waste heat recovery. Heaters and Dryers operated at varying load capacities, indicated 126–135 % increase in natural gas cost with carbon levy by 2030. Achieving lower specific energy consumption in grain drying requires precise burner and process control, along with maintenance, offering valuable guidance for producers.

Virtual Plug-In Hybrid Concept Development and Optimization under Real-World Boundary Conditions

The automotive industry faces development challenges due to emerging technologies, regulatory demands, societal trends, and evolving customer mobility needs. These factors contribute to a wide range of vehicle variants and increasingly complex powertrains. The layout of a vehicle is usually based on standardized driving cycles such as WLTC, gradeability, acceleration test cases, and many more. In real-world driving cycles, however, this can lead to limitations under certain boundary conditions. To ensure that all customer requirements are met, vehicle testing is conducted under extreme environmental conditions, e.g., in Sweden or Spain. One way to reduce the development time while ensuring high product quality and cost-effectiveness is to use model-based methods for the comprehensive design of powertrains. This study presents a layout methodology using a top-down approach. Initially, powertrain-relevant requirements for an exemplary target customer are translated into a specification sheet with specific test cases. An overall vehicle model with detailed thermal sub-models is developed to evaluate the different requirements. A baseline design for a C-segment plug-in hybrid vehicle was developed as part of the FVV research project HyFlex-ICE using standardized test cases, highlighting the influence of customer profiles on the design outcome through varying weighting factors. The target customer’s design is analyzed in four real driving scenarios, considering variations in parameters such as the ambient temperature, traffic, driver type, trailer pulling, and battery state-of-charge, to assess their influence on the target variables. In the next step, the potential of hardware technologies and predictive driving functions is examined in selected driving scenarios based on the identified constraints of the baseline design. As a result, four application-specific technology packages (Cost neutral, Cold country, Hot country, and Premium) for different customer requirements and sales markets are defined, which, finally, demonstrates the applicability of the holistic methodology.

Impact of temperature dependent coefficient of performance of heat pumps on heating systems in national and regional energy systems modelling

To successfully transition towards fully renewable energy systems, energy sectors that today are primarily autonomous should be closely integrated to increase system flexibility and maximise synergy from effective sector coupling. Heat pumps are one of the sector coupling technologies which enable a mutual integration of power and heat sectors. Heat pumps are viewed as a low-cost source of sustainable heat for both space heating and industrial processes. However, representation of heat pumps in energy system models is typically oversimplified by using a uniform coefficient of performance, which limits perception of the hourly temperature changes on heat pump efficiency, or by using generic heat pumps for all individual residential, district, or industrial heat supplies. The LUT Energy System Transition Model was expanded to examine the impact of utilisation of hourly coefficient of performance profiles and specific heat pumps for different applications. The results indicate that, in cold climate countries, the use of hourly coefficient of performance profiles has little impact on the heat supply structure and overall primary energy demand, but has a noticeable impact on the electricity supply and energy storage system. Though the cost of the optimised system stays on the same level, application of hourly COP profiles leads to a more accurate simulation of electricity consumption and energy storage operation. The separation of district and industrial heat pumps leads to a higher share of heat pumps in industrial heat supply and allows for a reduction in overall energy system primary energy demand by 1.8%.

The image of Russia in the minds of native speakers of the national Syrian version of the Arabic language

The present study is devoted to the reconstruction of the image of Russia in the minds of native speakers of the national Syrian version of the Arabic language on the basis of data from a free associative experiment with a word روسيا ‘ Russia’. The purpose of the article is a semantic analysis of associative-verbal networks of the associative field روسيا ‘ Russia’ and the identification of frequency, collective characteristics of the image of Russia, as well as the analysis of individual representations of respondents based on the material of individual associates. The conducted free associative experiment made it possible not only to reconstruct a significant fragment of the Syrians' linguistic picture of the world – the image of modern Russia, but also to identify common, average representations of speakers of Syrian linguistic culture due to the following extralinguistic factors: military-political, cultural, scientific and educational contacts between Russia and Syria in the last few years. The main research method was a free associative experiment conducted using the Google Forms resource. 116 Syrian citizens, aged 18 to 60, who are receiving or have received higher education, were interviewed. The respondents were asked to write 3 first reactions to the stimulus روسيا ‘ Russia’. An analysis of the data obtained showed that, first of all, in the minds of speakers of the Syrian linguistic culture, Russia is a cold but beautiful country that is a reliable friend and ally of Syria. It should be noted that among the 319 reactions obtained, only 3 differ in a pronounced pejorative value. For Syrians, Russia is a country with a rich history, diverse culture and vibrant traditions, a country that provides an opportunity for personal development, including higher education. It was also found that for Syrians, the image of Russia is strongly associated with its capital, Moscow. In general, it can be argued that an exceptionally positive image of a strong and independent Russia has developed in the minds of speakers of the Syrian linguistic culture. The prospect of the study is to conduct an associative experiment with Russian-speaking respondents to reconstruct the image of Syria in the minds of native speakers of Russian linguistic culture and compare the results with those given in this article.

Investigation of environmentally friendly new generation refrigerant R471A instead of R404A in low and medium temperature commercial refrigeration system

Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants (such as R134a and R404A), which are widely used in commercial refrigeration systems, contribute greatly to global warming. Because the global warming potential (GWP) values of HFC refrigerants are high. With increasing concerns about the environment (global warming, climate change, etc.) various legal regulations have been made to limit or phase out the use of refrigerants with high GWP values. To use the R471A refrigerant developed by Honeywell in 2022 as an environmentally friendly new-generation refrigerant in the commercial refrigeration system, the performance of the R471A refrigerant should be comprehensively evaluated. In this study, energy, exergy, and environmental analyses of using R471A refrigerant instead of R404A in low and medium-temperature commercial refrigeration systems were carried out and presented. Evaporator temperatures of − 30 °C, − 25 °C, − 20 °C, − 15 °C and − 10 °C and condenser temperatures of 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C were selected to represent low and medium cooling temperatures and hot and cold country seasons. It was seen that R471A presents a lower mass flow rate (between 67 and 71%) and cooling capacity (between 61 and 68%) than R404A however has higher COP (between 6% and 14%) and R404A has exergy efficiency value of 6–14% lower than R471A. Also, from an environmental point of view, R471A has better environmental results than R404A.

Heat transfer assessment incorporated with entropy generation within a curved corner structure enclosing a cold domain

AbstractIn cold climates or winter countries, maintaining optimal room temperatures is essential for comfort and energy efficiency. Conventional square or rectangle‐shaped rooms often face challenges in achieving efficient heat transfer (HT) and uniform temperature distribution. To address these limitations, this study has been explored using curved corner cavities, varying their aspect ratio (AR = 1.0 and 0.5), and incorporating a circular shape cooler to enhance HT within the room. The curved corners promote better airflow circulation, creating a more efficient HT environment. The dimensionless governing equations and corresponding boundary conditions are solved numerically using the finite element method. This research aims to assess the optimized HT and entropy production within a curved corner cavity, varying their AR and enclosing a circular shape cooler to determine the most effective configuration for maximizing HT and energy efficiency in winter conditions. This study reveals that in the case without a cooler (WOC), the average Nusselt number () is higher in the curved rectangle cavity compared with the curved square cavity for all values. Using the curved square (AR = 1.0), increases by 191.86%, while with the curved rectangle (AR = 0.5), increases by 302.63% at . Additionally, in the case with a cooler (WC), is higher than the case WOC and , and an average total entropy increases for both the WOC and WC cases for all values. Transitioning from a square to a curved rectangle (AR = 0.5) WC, increases by 329.34% at . Furthermore, in the WOC case, the curved square cavity and, in the WC case, the curved rectangle show better energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

Deep learning-based solar power forecasting model to analyze a multi-energy microgrid energy system

Multi-energy microgrids (MEM) are a new class of power grids focusing on the distributed form of generation and integrating different energy sectors. The primary idea of MEM is to increase renewable energy share in the final energy demand while maintaining the energy balance at all times. However, integrating renewable technology into the grid has some technical limitations that must be analyzed before being deployed in the real world. This study examines the impact of increasing renewable penetration and portfolio design on a multi-energy microgrid energy system from a technical standpoint. As the accuracy of the system analysis is primarily a factor of modeling accuracy, an artificial neural network-based model is trained and deployed to develop forecasts for solar power generation. The forecasting model is integrated with the EnergyPLAN simulation tool to analyze the multi-energy microgrid system regarding renewable share in primary energy consumption and import/export of energy from the primary grid. The Norwegian energy system is considered a case study, as the energy generation and consumption patterns are interesting from both renewable energy and demand contexts for a cold country. One interesting conclusion is that the portfolio and capacities of coupling components such as combined heat and power plants negatively impact renewable integration, while heat pumps positively impact renewable integration by increasing renewable energy utilization. Additionally, the photovoltaic system size has a high degree of correlation to imports and exports compared to wind generation systems.

Exploring the effects of a warmer climate on power and energy demand in multi-family buildings in a Nordic climate

The need to understand how a warmer climate affects the power and energy demand in cold countries is important for urban planners and policymakers. By using data from utility bills that are commonly available today, together with outdoor temperatures, it is possible to analyze historical and future power and energy demand. The scientific value of this research includes the development of a methodology to explore effects on future heat demand in the Nordic region based on a combination of historical data, building properties, and predictions of future climate. This is achieved by using an energy signature model and regression analysis. Seventy multi-family buildings in Linköping, Sweden, are investigated from 1980 to 2050. The results show that the effects from historical variations in internal heat gains (average annual increase of 1 %) on the specific energy use for space heating (SPH) is minor for the district, i.e., less than 2 % when comparing 2020 and 1980. The opposite is found for variations in outdoor temperatures, where the average specific energy use is predicted to decrease by about 25 % in 2050 compared to 1980, with the used forecast of future climate. This corresponds to a decrease from 127 kWh/(m2·year) to 93–96 kWh/(m2·year). Additionally, the maximum heating power demand of the district is predicted to decrease by about 30 %, from 4,855 kW in 1980 to 3,468 kW in 2050. In conclusion, our results demonstrate a strong effect of decreased SPH and heating power demand in residential districts due to a warmer climate.

Freezing stress response of wild and cultivated chickpeas.

Chickpea is an economically and nutritionally important grain legume globally, however, cold stress has adverse effects on its growth. In cold countries, like Canada where the growing season is short, having cold stress-tolerant varieties is crucial. Crop wild relatives of chickpea, especially Cicer reticulatum, can survive in suboptimal environments and are an important resource for crop improvement. In this study, we explored the performance of eleven C. reticulatum wild accessions and two chickpea cultivars, CDC Leader and CDC Consul, together with a cold sensitive check ILC533 under freezing stress. Freezing tolerance was scored based on a 1-9 scale. The wild relatives, particularly Kesen_075 and CudiA_152, had higher frost tolerance compared to the cultivars, which all died after frost treatment. We completed transcriptome analysis via mRNA sequencing to assess changes in gene expression in response to freezing stress and identified 6,184 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CDC Consul, and 7,842 DEGs in Kesen_075. GO (gene ontology) analysis of the DEGs revealed that those related to stress responses, endogenous and external stimuli responses, secondary metabolite processes, and photosynthesis were significantly over-represented in CDC Consul, while genes related to endogenous stimulus responses and photosynthesis were significantly over-represented in Kesen_075. These results are consistent with Kesen_075 being more tolerant to freezing stress than CDC Consul. Moreover, our data revealed that the expression of CBF pathway-related genes was impacted during freezing conditions in Kesen_075, and expression of these genes is believed to alleviate the damage caused by freezing stress. We identified genomic regions associated with tolerance to freezing stress in an F2 population derived from a cross between CDC Consul and Kesen_075 using QTL-seq analysis. Eight QTLs (P<0.05) on chromosomes Ca3, Ca4, Ca6, Ca7, Ca8, and two QTLs (P<0.01) on chromosomes Ca4 and Ca8, were associated with tolerance to freezing stress. Interestingly, 58 DEGs co-located within these QTLs. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the transcriptome and QTLs associated with freezing tolerance in wild relatives of chickpea under controlled conditions. Altogether, these findings provide comprehensive information that aids in understanding the molecular mechanism of chickpea adaptation to freezing stress and further provides functional candidate genes that can assist in breeding of freezing-stress tolerant varieties.

Turning weakness into strength - A feasibility analysis and comparison of datacenter deployment in hot and cold climates

Datacenters are major components of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) responsible for storing, processing and transmitting enormous amounts of data every second. The significance and importance of datacenters in the world economy can be identified from studies which report that in 2023, datacenter infrastructures consumed a total of 4 % of global electricity and contributed 3–5% of global carbon emissions, whereas between the years of 2017–2021, datacenters added $2.1 trillion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A big portion of energy supplied in datacenters is consumed by the required cooling systems hence companies do not favor developments in hot climate countries. However, due to environmental and climate change concerns along with the steep increase of energy production costs in recent years made the industry look for alternatives. This work includes an in-depth feasibility and comparative study of datacenter construction and operation in hot and cold European countries and addresses the environmental impact of photovoltaics integration in the electrical supply system. The study considers cost parameters (land, operating expenses, photovoltaic system, etc.), the net present cost and levelized cost of energy which are different for each European country under investigation. Furthermore, for every country under consideration, the PV generation was simulated using the PVsyst software which includes multiple meteorological databases, whereas the feasibility analysis was simulated using the HOMER Pro software which integrates components, resources and economic calculations. An elaborate analysis of the results knocks down the common belief that datacenters have lower operational and running expenses in cold climates because of lower cooling requirements. On the contrary, this study shows that hot climates with high solar radiation levels may favor the operation of datacenters by providing 45 % higher green energy and 35 % lower CO2 emissions, whereas the cooling cost is only 5 % higher. In addition, the break-even period for the photovoltaic system in Southern European countries with hot climates is 3–4 times faster.

Electricity consumption in Finland influenced by climate effects of energetic particle precipitation

It is known that electricity consumption in many cold Northern countries depends greatly on prevailing outdoor temperatures especially during the winter season. On the other hand, recent research has demonstrated that solar wind driven energetic particle precipitation from space into the polar atmosphere can influence the stratospheric polar vortex and tropospheric weather patterns during winter. These changes are significant, e.g., in Northern Europe, especially in Finland. In this study we demonstrate that geomagnetic activity, as a proxy of energetic particle precipitation, significantly influences Finland’s average temperature and total wintertime electricity consumption in Finland. This influence is only seen when the prevailing equatorial stratospheric winds, so called QBO winds, are easterly. The results demonstrate a previously unrecognized societal influence of space weather, and imply that long-term energy consumption forecasts could potentially be improved by considering long-term space weather predictions.

The Adverse Impacts of Climate Change on Infrastructure and Proposed Adaptation Framework for Residential Structures: Part 1

With global change in climate patterns, the uncertainty of natural hazards has also gone up significantly in the last few years. Cold countries have been experiencing seasons of extreme heat and drought whereas dry and arid areas have reported seasons of cold weather or torrential rains. In the past, monsoons in the Indian subcontinent have been very reliable in terms of timing and intensity; however in recent times, both their timing and intensity have been uncertain. Elsewhere in the world, tragic incidents have been reported due to freezing, heat waves or flooding most of which have been attributed to climate change caused by human living and industrialization on our planet. In this paper, the authors introduce to the perils of climate changes caused by rampant urbanization, industrialization, and the associated development. The authors present the importance of adapting every phase of infrastructure development such as materials, engineering, design, construction, and maintenance of our residential structures in order to minimize the impacts of human infrastructure development on climate. The various adaptations required to bring these changes are proposed and methods to make these adaptations practical are put forward. This first part of the overall study focuses on geometric, material and design adaptations. A plausible framework for creating sustainable urban residential infrastructure is proposed. Finally, conclusions are made, and a brief introduction is provided about the next part of this study and further adaptations that complement this framework.

Diversity without Harmony: Loanwords of the Languages of the Third World After WWII

Language is one of the fundamental mediums through which the culture of a country or a people is transmitted. It is through language that we can find many traces of history and foreign influence, which can help us to learn a lot about history and culture. At the same time, the post-World War II period has seen rapid social, political, cultural, and technological changes, and the world as a whole has been undergoing unprecedented changes for over a century since the Cold War and countries and peoples have had to seek common ground and find opportunities for cooperation in the midst of globalisation, especially for Third World countries, which are at a disadvantage in terms of economic development and culture. Three representative Third World countries - Tanzania, Indonesia, and Paraguay - are chosen for this study, which seeks to identify trends in the use of foreign languages in Third World countries by examining their historical and post-World War II development of foreign language cultures. Trends in the development of loanwords in languages. By focusing mainly on local economic and cultural developments after the Second World War and comparing them with the historical situation in these Third World countries (mainly during the colonial period), a new picture will emerge from the unnoticed corners of the world, showing us the way to the future of language development from the perspective of loanwords.

Night Truck Driver / Kierowca nocnej ciężarówki

Night Truck Driver / Kierowca nocnej ciężarówki

Crystallization and Solidification of Poikilitic and Granular Rocks in the Ultramafic Sequence of the Xinjie Layered Intrusion (SW China): Constraints from Complex Growth Zoning of Clinopyroxene and Spatial Variation of Dihedral Angles

AbstractCrystallization and solidification pathways in crustal magma chambers control the chemical and textural evolution of igneous rocks. However, deciphering these codes from completely solidified cumulates is challenging and requires a full understanding of growth processes of minerals and textures of rocks. In this study, we collected samples from a ca. 380-m-thick drill core intersecting the ultramafic sequence of the Xinjie layered intrusion in SW China, which is composed of wehrlite with poikilitic clinopyroxene (Cpx), and clinopyroxenite and olivine clinopyroxenite with euhedral to subhedral Cpx grains. Using micro-X-ray fluorescence and electron probe micro-analyzer mapping techniques, we found that the Cpx grains in clinopyroxenite and olivine clinopyroxenite are characterized by sector-zoned, Cr-rich cores, whereas the Cpx oikocrysts in wehrlite only show Cr-rich cores without sector zoning. The sector-zoned cores of the Cpx grains are widespread in clinopyroxenite and olivine clinopyroxenite and consist of Si–Mg-rich hourglass sectors and Cr–Al–Ti-rich prism sectors, indicating rapid growth of the Cpx grains due to moderate degrees of undercooling, which may be induced by fast cooling during initial emplacement of Cpx-saturated magma into cold country rocks. The sector-zoned Cpx grains thus likely constructed the initial crystal framework in the magma chamber. In contrast, the absence of sector zoning in Cr-rich cores of the Cpx oikocrysts indicates that an olivine-saturated magma may have intruded a high-temperature, Cpx-laden crystal mush so that magma undercooling was significantly reduced or eliminated and no sector zoning developed in the Cpx oikocrysts. Such a process may also result in the spatial variation of the medians of Cpx–Cpx–plagioclase dihedral angles (Θccp) in clinopyroxenite, which shows a significant reduction from an original impingement angle of ~60° in the middle and upper parts to ~40° in the basal part of the sequence. The reduction of Θccp could be attributed to melt-present textural equilibration in the Cpx-laden mush that was sustained by additional heat supplied by massive olivine-saturated melt input in the ~40-m-thick basal part. Here, we propose that the ultramafic sequence of the Xinjie layered intrusion may have formed by the intrusion of primitive, olivine-saturated magma into an early-formed Cpx-laden mush in a manner of sill-like sheets. This study provides new perspectives on the early history of a magma chamber and emphasizes the role of sill intrusion of primitive magmas into crystal mush in the formation of ultramafic sequences in layered intrusions, which has been relatively overlooked in previous studies.

Review of Accelerated Bridge Construction Systems for Bridge Superstructures and Their Adaptability for Cold Weather

The application of Accelerated Bridge Construction methods (ABC) to build, renovate and rehabilitate aging bridges is most likely to reduce the economic and social impacts of projects. This is especially relevant in countries with severe winter climates, where bridge construction is typically interrupted during the winter period. The objective of this study is to present the state of the art related to elements, systems, connections and materials used for bridge superstructures in ABC projects and to highlight their adaptability to cold or northern climate countries. The literature review and presentation of results are based on the gathering of Prefabricated/Precast Bridge Elements and Systems (PBES) used for ABC projects in North America and which are also used in many countries around the world. Following this inventory, and after grouping the PBES, connections and materials, the authors were able to identify the possibility of adapting the ABC method for countries with cold and northern climates. Products that can be used down to −6 °C for connections are presented, and future research orientations are proposed.

Battery Operated Portable Electric Kettle

Today, most of the homes have been fitted with electric kettles and heating systems. Electric kettles play a vital role in the development of hot water. Hot water is necessary to ensure good hygiene for everyone. Compared to drinking cold water, drinking hot water especially relieves congestion in the throat, and even encourages relaxing. Conventional electric kettles must be stored in a fixed location at the same time (which is not portable) with a fixed power source. On a trek, especially in cold countries, carrying enough drinking water is crucial to stay the person energized and feel well. On long hikes, it can be extremely dangerous to become dehydrated. Ice-covered hills freeze the water. There will be no electricity source available to heat the water while trekking on ice-covered hills. This condition has led to the proposed system i.e. battery operated portable kettle that can heat the water at any place. Without any fixed power supply, the proposed heating system will generate hot water that run on a battery source. The kettle can be shipped anywhere to make it more portable. This makes it very easy to use hot water safely with the battery management system. A battery management system (BMS) is an electronic regulator that monitors and controls the charging and discharging of rechargeable batteries. Battery management systems of various types are used in most devices that use rechargeable batteries.

Analysis of Bioclimatic Comfort Conditions with Tourism Comfort Index in Aydın Province

Geçtiğimiz birkaç on yılda turizm birçok ülkede en önemli ekonomik faaliyetlerden biri haline geldi. Son yıllarda Dünya genelinde hem salgın hem de savaş nedeniyle turizm faaliyetlerinde düşüş görülmektedir. Özellikle soğuk ülkelerden yaz aylarında Türkiye’ye turistler gelmektedir. Salgın ve savaşların yanı sıra küresel iklim değişikliğine bağlı olarak artan sıcaklık turizm aktivitelerini de etkilemektedir. İnsanlar bu artan sıcaklık karşısında kendilerini en rahat hissettiği ortamlarda turizm faaliyetlerini sürdürmek istemektedir. İnsan faaliyetlerine etki eden en önemli faktör biyoklimatik konfor koşullarıdır. Bu koşulların belirlenmesi önemlidir. Biyokonfor koşulları için çeşitli indeksler geliştirilmiştir. Bu çalışmada Aydın İli 2021 yılı haziran, temmuz ve ağustos aylarına ait sıcaklık, aylık ortalama ve maksimum bağıl nem (%), aylık ortalama rüzgâr şiddeti (km/saat), aylık ortalama yağış (mm) ve aylık ortalama güneşlenme süresi (saat) verileri temin edilmiştir. Veriler excel ortamında düzenlenmiştir. Veriler düzenlendikten sonra turizm iklim konforunun hesaplanmasında en yaygın olarak turizm konfor indeksi (TCI) formülü ile çalışma alanında yer alan meteorolojik gözlem istasyonlarına ait TCI değeri hesaplanmıştır. Açık kaynak koldu QGIS yazılımı içerisine meteorolojik gözlem istasyonları ve TCI değerleri atılmıştır. Ters mesafe ağırlıklı enterpolasyon yöntemi kullanılarak haziran, temmuz ve ağustos aylarına ait TCI haritası üretilmiştir. Bu haritalar üzerinde Aydın İli turizm iklim konforu değerlendirilmiştir.

Superior low-temperature mechanical toughness of the PP-based blown micro/nano layer films

The poor low-temperature mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) film strongly restrict its applications in low-temperature service conditions like frozen packaging, or cold countries and regions. Here the PP-based films including 8-, 128- and 512-layer, were successfully produced by the self-developed nanolayered blown film technology. The 128-layer film exhibited exceptionally enhancement in the low-temperature mechanical properties, outperforming the commercialized 2-layer film with increments of 389%, 141%, and 126% in tensile impact strength, elongation at break, and tear strength, respectively. The DSC, WAXD, and SAXS results disclosed that the crystalline structure of PP in different micro/nano layer films was nearly identical. So, the ultrathin micro/nano layer structure should be responsible for the robust low-temperature mechanical properties, which dissipated energy during the mechanical break by promoting the large plastic deformation. Briefly, the PP-based micro/nano layer films fabricated by the self-developed nanolayer blown film technology show robust low-temperature mechanical properties, so this work may attract some attention in the polymer film industry.