Enlarged Scale Research Articles

Miniaturization of elastic scattering lidars: determination of the microstructure of the surface layer of the atmosphere

Miniature elastic scattering lidars with similar schemes for determining the microstructure of the surface layer of the atmosphere are considered. In the considered microlidar model, it is assumed that in the limiting case there may be no particles in a small probed volume. In this case, the minimum value of the return signal corresponds to molecular scattering. The excess of the signal above this level is associated with the presence of a particle. The molecular component of the backscatter signal is constant and can be compared to a tabulated value of the backscatter coefficient using an optical atmospheric model. This makes it possible to compare the average value of the total backscattering signal from molecules and particles with the overall backscattering coefficient. A scheme similar to a microlidar, but on an enlarged scale – a minilidar – is considered. For both such schemes, the average values of atmospheric backscatter signals are the same. For a minilidar, the return signal is formed by scattering from a layer ranging in size from several meters to several tens of meters. In this case, the probed volume can be determined using perforated screens and reflective spheres. It is shown that the ratio of the probed volumes for the minilidar and microlidar is equal to the similarity coefficient to the fourth power. The considered lidars can be used to determine the concentration of equivalent particles.

RETRACTED: Elevated ceiling heights reduce the cognitive performance of higher-education students during exams

Examinations are a widely used assessment method in higher education. They are often conducted in large indoor environments that can accommodate high numbers of students to maximize scheduling and cost efficiency. Recent evidence, however, suggests enlarged room scale impacts brain activity that is associated with concentration, which could negatively impact cognitive performance. We analysed data (N = 15,400) from undergraduate students over eight years across three campuses at an Australian tertiary institution. Using a linear mixed model, we compared examination performance across different room scales, while accounting for coursework performance, and other variables. We found student examination performance was reduced in rooms with elevated ceiling heights. These results support the notion that built environment scale influences cognitive performance, and argue against conducting examinations in large scale, high-ceiling rooms.

Influence of the shape of a conducting chamber on the stability of rigid ballooning modes in a mirror trap

MHD stabilization of flute and ballooning modes in an axisymmetric mirror trap is studied under the assumption of strong finite Larmor radius effect that suppresses all perturbations with azimuthal numbers m⩾2 and makes the m = 1 mode ‘rigid’. The rigid mode can be effectively suppressed using perfectly conducting lateral wall without any additional means of stabilization or in combination with end MHD anchors. Numerical calculations were carried out for an anisotropic plasma produced in the course of neutral beam injection into the minimum of the magnetic field at the right angle to the trap axis. The stabilizing effect of the conducting shell made of a straightened cylinder is compared with a proportional chamber, which, on an enlarged scale, repeats the shape of the plasma column. It is confirmed that for convincing wall stabilization of the rigid modes, the plasma beta (β, the ratio of the plasma pressure to the magnetic field pressure) must exceed some critical value βcr2 . When conducting lateral wall is combined with conducting end plates imitating MHD end anchors, there are two critical betas and, respectively, two stability zones β<βcr1 and β>βcr2 that can merge, making the entire range 0<β<1 of betas allowable for stable plasma confinement. The dependence of the critical betas on the plasma anisotropy, mirror ratio, width of the vacuum gap between the plasma column and the lateral wall, radial pressure profile and the axial magnetic field profile is examined.

Efficacy and safety of fractional micro-needling radiofrequency for the treatment of enlarged pores on the cheeks of a chinese cohort: a retrospective study.

To explore the efficacy and safety of fractional micro-needling radiofrequency (FMRF) in the treatment of enlarged pores on the cheek in a Chinese cohort. Patients with enlarged facial pores who underwent FMRF between January 2020 and December 2022 were included in this study. Blinded clinical assessments were performed by two independent dermatologists using a six-grade photographic enlarged pore scale and a quartile grading scale. Patients were asked to rate the degree of pain related to treatment on a visual analog scale (VAS), with scores ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain ever). A paired t-test was used to analyze the six-grade photographic enlarged pore scores. A total of 22 patients received three consecutive sessions of FMRF treatment, with intervals of 1-3 months, and underwent follow-up as scheduled. The mean six-grade photographic enlarged score was 3.55 ± 0.96 at baseline, while the score decreased significantly to 2.59 ± 0.59 after three treatment sessions (P < 0.05). The improvement score of the patients, assessed by two independent dermatologists, was 2.31 ± 0.71, according to the quartile grading scale. The mean VAS score was 6.42 ± 1.44. FMRF is effective and safe for the treatment of enlarged facial pores after three sessions.

Electrochemical Gas Separations for Green Energy Integration

Separation and purification of molecules and compounds is one of the fundamental processes of chemistry and a hugely important factor in industrialization, accounting for as much as 15% of world’s energy consumption. As the world tries to limit and reduce the effects of climate change, simultaneous development of a green chemical economy and carbon sequestration strategies are needed. Both these goals need to effectively and efficiently separate gas phase molecules to make the implementation of these technologies feasible, requiring an even higher demand for economical and green gas phase separation. The current methods of gas phase separation used in industry rely predominantly on inefficient processes, such as cryogenic distillation or temperature or pressure swing absorption. Gas phase separation by electrochemical means can offer theoretically high energy efficiency separation, as the energy supplied can operate exclusively on the molecule of interest, if proper material and design criteria are met, while traditional methods act upon the entire gas mixture. Additionally, electrochemical separations can reduce the number of steps needed as they can simultaneously separate and compress the purified gas, easing the demand for high energy processing required when using mechanical pumps. However, the effectiveness of these technologies depends largely on the operating conditions and materials that make up the electrochemical cell. Thus, a key factor driving improvement in this field relies heavily on material development, such as improved membranes/separators, catalysts, and other cell materials which can in turn give rise to novel techniques and high performance of the electrochemically driven devices. Electrochemical gas phase separations integrated with green energy are critical to reaching climate change targets, but they in turn rely on the development of novel materials at enlarged scales and implementation of these technologies at reduced costs. In this article, we discuss the principles and applications of three electrochemical gas separations: hydrogen (H2) pump, ammonia (NH3)compression, and carbon dioxide (CO2) separation.

Cartoon-Style Poster Maps of Trans Continental Cartographers Ltd., Vancouver, B.C.

This article provides information about the stylized poster maps created in the late 1960s and early 1970s by Trans Continental Cartographers Ltd., Vancouver, B.C. These maps, which depicted cities across Canada and the United States, contained pictorial views of popular landmarks, buildings and places of interest. The restaurants, shops, stores and other attractions portrayed often paid an advertising fee to be represented on Trans Continental’s “city character maps,” which were drawn in a quirky and humorous cartoon style at an enlarged scale.

The discovery of two new species in the Cyrtodactylus irregularis group highlights that hidden diversity remains in the largest clade of the mega-diverse genus Cyrtodactylus

The Cyrtodactylus irregularis group, originally considered to consist of only one taxon, has been split into 26 species. We herein present the distribution of all species within the group in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and describe two new species based on integrative analyses. Cyrtodactylus chumuensis sp. nov. is discovered from Dak Lak Province and distinguished from the remaining taxa by more than 11.86% genetic divergence and by the following distinct morphological characters: size medium (SVL 67.5 mm); enlarged femoral scales on each thigh 4–5, femoral pores 0–2 in males; precloacal pores 6–7 in males; ventral scale rows 43–45; lamellae under toe IV 17–21. Cyrtodactylus arndti sp. nov. is described from Binh Dinh Province and genetically differentiated from its congeners by a minimum of 11.42% and by the following characters: adult size medium (SVL 73.4–80.8 mm); enlarged femoral scales on each thigh 5–11; femoral pores 0–2 in males; 6 precloacal pores in males, females with 6 pitted precloacal pores; ventral scale rows 26–38; lamellae under toe IV 17–22; subcaudal scales transversely enlarged. Additionally, we highlight the potential cryptic diversity with the taxon currently regarded as C. pseudoquadrivirgatus and understudied areas in Vietnam where new species will likely be discovered.

Production of Trichoderma harzianum K179 bioagent for maize diseases control: complete laboratory stage bioprocess development.

In order to be competitive on the market, the production of biopreparations needs to be optimized, modeled and assessed in the early stages of its development. The aim of this paper was to optimize medium for the production of Trichoderma harzianum K179 biocontrol agent, to analyze its kinetics at enlarged laboratory scale and finally economic analysis of the production of this high-value product through simulation modelling. The results showed that the bioprocess of T. harzianum K179 bioagent production in a laboratory bioreactor on the medium with optimal composition (dextrose 10 g l-1, soy flour 6.87 g l-1, K2HPO4 1.51 g l-1, KCl 0.5 g l-1 and MgSO4 x 7H2O 0.5 g l-1), at stirring speed of 1.75 x g and aeration intensity of 1.5 vvm, can be shortened from 96 h to 36 h. The results of bioprocess economic analysis showed that with a 25-year project lifetime and investment payback time of 7.58 years, this project represents an economically viable system. Complete analysis of the bioprocess of Trichoderma harzianum K179 biocontrol agent production showed that the biologically produced preparation can be competitive on the market with synthetic preparations.

“Anteaters” under the airport: a slender new species of blindsnake, genus Indotyphlops, from Timor-Leste (Scolecophidia: Typhlopidae: Asiatyphlopinae)

We describe a slender immature female blindsnake from the main airport in Dili, Timor-Leste, as a new species of Indotyphlops, adding a third species to the country's known blindsnake fauna of Sundatyphlops polygrammicus (Schlegel, 1839) and Virgotyphlops braminus (Daudin, 1803). The new species has the following combination of characteristics: small size (snout–vent length = 119 mm), slender body (relative body thickness 71), T-V supralabial imbrication pattern, relative rostral width 0.36, 434 middorsal scales, relative tail length 1.7%, absence of enlarged occipital scales, and apical spine absent. The snake was found in an ant nest under several flat rocks near the fuel depot of Nicolau Lobato International Airport, and this habitat and the discovery in a busy location with heavy human impacts indicate that the species is likely a primarily subterranean myrmeco- or termitophage.

Two new spotted species of the Cyrtodactylus (Geckoella) collegalensis (Beddome, 1870) complex from the south-eastern coast of India (Reptilia: Squamata)

We describe two new spotted species of ground-dwelling gecko of the genus Cyrtodactylus (Geckoella) from southeastern India in an integrative taxonomic framework. The new species are recovered as sister taxa within the C. collegalensis species complex, with 13.0–16.7% uncorrected mitochondrial sequence divergence from the other eight members of the C. collegalensis complex and 10.4% from one another. The new species are morphologically diagnosed by a spotted dorsal pattern of four pairs of spots (occasionally fused into figure 8-shaped markings) from the banded species C. aravindi, C. speciosus, C. rishivalleyensis and C. yakhuna; and from the spotted species with three or fewer pairs of spots in C. collegalensis and C. srilekhae; and from C. chengodumalaensis by the absence of any enlarged dorsal scales and from C. varadgirii by the absence of a patch of enlarged roughly hexagonal scales on the canthus rostralis and beneath the angle of the lower jaw. The two new species can only be differentiated from each other based on slight differences in body size, relative body width and other statistically significant, size-corrected morphometric characters. These are among the first endemic lizards from Tropical Dry Evergreen habitats along the southeast coast of India.

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON A KINETIC HYDRO TURBINE - GENERATOR ASSEMBLY

The present paper is part of a larger project whose purpose is to develop a new hydrokinetic turbine-generator assembly, suitable for very low head water courses. It presents the experimental results of a turbine–generator physical model, installed on the tailrace of Mihailesti Hydropower Plant. In order to carry out the measurements, a floating structure and an anchoring system was installed on the power plant tailrace. This system also allowed the translation of the assembly between the two shores. A first set of measurements followed the water velocity and depth in the channel at various load values of the hydropower plant units, in order to determine the proper conditions for testing the model. The turbine gives the possibility of blades adjustment at three different angles, 0, 9 and 14 degrees respectively. Therefore, a set of measurements has been performed for each position of the blades. The measured parameters were the electric parameters of the generator such as voltage, current and the power variation with rotation speed. For the blades adjustment of 9 degrees and 1.76 m/s water velocity, the generator reached its maximum power of 500 W. The results retrieved will be used for the optimization and design of a new enlarged scale turbine–generator assembly. They will also be used as input data for the numerical modeling of the generator. Also, the exact knowledge of the channel geometry and flow parameters is valuable in studies preceding testing a prototype in the site.

A new specimen of the Early Cretaceous long-necked choristodere Hyphalosaurus from Liaoning, China with exceptionally-preserved integument

Although the highly specialized long-necked Early Cretaceous choristodere Hyphalosaurus is well known from the Jehol Biota of China, the integument of this genus has been only partially described. A new specimen from Liaoning Province, China, attributed to the species H. lingyuanensis, reveals additional details. The integumentary remains demonstrate a variety of scale shapes including rhomboid, square, rectangular, polygonal, and round-to-ovoid scales. The latter are arranged in parasagittal rows along the flanks and tail, but not along the neck. These rows of enlarged scales resemble the pattern seen in the contemporaneous short-necked Chinese Monjurosuchus splendens and may be a shared derived trait. In addition, carbonaceous films between the phalanges support the view that the manus and pes were partially webbed in Hyphalosaurus, as in Monjurosuchus and many other aquatic reptiles. The new specimen thus provides further insights into the life appearance of Hyphalosaurus.

A new species of Andean lizard, Proctoporus (Gymnophthalmidae: Cercosaurinae), from the highland of Parque Nacional Otishi in Peru

The gymnophthalmid Andean lizards of the genus Proctoporus (Gymnophthalmidae, Cercosaurinae) are semifossorial species that inhabit the montane forests, inter-Andean valley, and humid grasslands across the Cordillera de los Andes from Peru to Argentina. The distribution range of Proctoporus is discontinuous, with many places lacking herpetological surveys. Here, based on morphological data, we describe a new species of Proctoporus from a remote location on a mountaintop north of the Cordillera de Vilcabamba in southeastern Peru. The new species is readily distinguished from all other species of Proctoporus by the presence of three anterior infralabials, three rows of pregular scales and the absence of enlarged pregular scales. With this new species, the species diversity has increased to 19 since 18 species have previously been identified.

A Study on the Spatial Distribution and Accessibility of Disaster Evacuation Facilities: Focusing on Cheongju City

Hazards are problems that can arise due to the climate crises. The rise in temperature on the earth can lead to an outbreak of many natural hazards. Hazards arising due to the climate crises are typically characterized by their unspecified targets, diversified aspects, and enlarged scale. This study aimed to examine the distribution and accessibility of disaster evacuation facilities, considering Cheongju as the target city. Our findings show that the disaster evacuation facilities are proportional to the population; therefore, the distance between the facilities was less in highly populated areas. Areas far from the disaster evacuation facilities are generally scattered. This particular area has a population scattered over a wide region; therefore, it was not easy to designate a disaster evacuation facility. Additionally, regression analysis was performed to examine the regional characteristics exhibited by the distance from the disaster evacuation facilities, which showed that the areas with a higher population of toddlers relative to the entire population and a higher number of buildings were nearer to the disaster evacuation facilities. Conversely, areas with a higher elderly population relative to the entire population and decrepit buildings were further from the disaster evacuation facilities.

Hidden diversity of rock geckos within the Cnemaspissiamensis species group (Gekkonidae, Squamata): genetic and morphological data from southern Thailand reveal two new insular species and verify the phylogenetic affinities of C.chanardi and C.kamolnorranathi.

Two new insular rock geckos in the genus Cnemaspis are described from Ko Samui in Surat Thani Province and Ko Similan in Phang-nga Province, southern Thailand, based on a combination of morphological and mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) data. Both new species represent divergent lineages within the Cnemaspissiamensis species group. Cnemaspissamui sp. nov. is distinguished from other species in the group by having eight or nine supralabial and infralabial scales; 5-8 pore-bearing precloacal scales in males, pores rounded; 25-27 paravertebral tubercles, arranged randomly; 22-25 subdigital lamellae under 4th toe; enlarged median subcaudal scale row present; gular region, abdomen, limbs and subcaudal region yellowish only in males, and uncorrected pairwise divergences of 8.86-26.83% from all other species in the C.siamensis species group. Cnemaspissimilan sp. nov. is distinguished from other species in the group by having eight or nine supralabial and seven or eight infralabial scales; one pore-bearing precloacal scale in males, pore rounded; 24 or 25 paravertebral tubercles, arranged randomly; 23 or 24 subdigital lamellae under 4th toe; no enlarged median subcaudal scale row; pale yellow reticulum on head, neck, flanks, belly and limbs in male only, and uncorrected pairwise divergences of 9.34-27.11% from all other species in the C.siamensis species group. Cnemaspissamui sp. nov. is found along granitic rocky stream outcrops of Hin Lad Waterfall, Ko Samui, Gulf of Thailand, while Cnemaspissimilan sp. nov. occurs in granitic rocky outcrops near Ao Nguang Chang Bay, Ko Similan, Andaman Sea. The phylogenetic analyses confirmed that C.chanardi and C.kamolnorranathi are also nested within the C.siamensis species group, as previously hypothesized from morphology and color pattern characters.

Green monoterpenes based deep eutectic solvents for effective BTEX absorption from biogas

The combustion of biogas which contains significant amounts of monoaromatic hydrocarbons, i.e. benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene (BTEX) can cause many technological, environmental, and health problems. Therefore, in these studies, a new physical absorption method based on deep eutectic solvents (DES) consisting of monoterpenes and carboxylic acids was developed for BTEX removal. A total of 39 DES were synthesized, of which seven were selected based on their affinity to BTEX, favorable physicochemical properties, and “green” character. Detailed structural (i.e. 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and FT-IR) and physicochemical experiments (i.e. melting point, density, viscosity, and surface tension) were performed for the DES. Then, DESs were used for the absorption process in both the laboratory and enlarged scale. BTEX absorption was monitored using two methods, including "in-situ" gas chromatography, and "online" sensors matrices. The crucial absorption parameters i.e. type of DES, temperature, and regeneration possibility were carefully studied. The mechanism of BTEX absorption was explained using experimental spectroscopic techniques and theoretical analysis based on the COSMO-RS model. The obtained results indicate that Eucalyptol:Octanoic acid can selectively capture BTEX from a biogas mixture due to the formation of electrostatic interaction. DES absorption capacity is 53.96 mg/g, which is comparable with commercially available absorbents.

RESEARCH ON INCREASING THE SCALE OF TEX SYNTHESIS

Work safety is currently the most important challenge facing the whole world. In the arms industry, the main focus is on the production of formulations containing low-sensitive explosives.4,10-dinitro-2,6,8,12-tetraoxa-4,10 diazoisovurcate (TEX) is an example of a low-sensitive blasting explosive with good detonation parameters and low sensitivity to mechanical stimuli. In this work, the synthesis of TEX was performed on an enlarged laboratory scale, and then laboratory tests were performed, such as density measurement, Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis, measurement of sensitivity to friction and impact. Low-sensitive explosive compositions based on TEX were made. These compositions were tested in the laboratory, charges were made and the detonation velocity of the obtained products was measured.

Enlarged Interior Built Environment Scale Modulates High-Frequency EEG Oscillations.

There is currently no robust method to evaluate how built environment design affects our emotion. Understanding emotion is significant, as it influences cognitive processes, behavior, and wellbeing, and is linked to the functioning of physiological systems. As mental health problems are becoming more prevalent, and exposure to indoor environments is increasing, it is important we develop rigorous methods to understand whether design elements in our environment affect emotion. This study examines whether the scale of interior built environments modulate neural networks involved in emotion regulation. Using a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) and controlling for indoor environmental quality (IEQ), 66 adults (31 female, aged 18-55) were exposed to context-neutral enclosed indoor room scenes to understand whether built environment scale affected self-report, autonomic nervous system, and central nervous system correlates of emotion. Our results revealed enlarged scale increased electroencephalography (EEG) power in the β bandwidth. Frontal midline low-γ and high-γ power were also found to increase with enlarged scale, but contrary to our hypothesis, scale did not modulate frontal midline power or lateralization in the θ or α bandwidths. We did not detect an effect of scale on autonomic indicators or self-reported emotion. However, we did find increased range in skin conductance response (SCR) and heart rate variability (HRV) to the built environment conditions. This study provides a rigorous empirical framework for assessing the environmental impact of a design characteristic on human emotion and suggests that measures of high-frequency oscillations may provide a useful marker of the response to built environment.

Biodegradation of diclofenac and ibuprofen in Fluidized Bed Reactor applied to sanitary sewage treatment in acidogenic and denitrifying conditions

The diclofenac (DCF) and ibuprofen (IBU) removal were assessed in an enlarged scale denitrifying Fluidized Bed Reactor (FBR), fed with sanitary sewage plus ethanol (74–100 mg L−1) and nitrate (89–136 mg L−1). The experiment was sectioned into four phases. In Phase I the Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) was set in 18 ± 3 h without DCF and IBU addition and the FBR shows a heterotrophic denitrifying behavior with 97 % nitrate removal. In Phase II the addition of pharmaceuticals did not change COD and nitrate removal. In Phase III the HRT was decreased to 12 ± 1 h which did not influence denitrification but decreased the efficiency of DCF (35 %) and IBU (40 %) removal. In Phases I, II and III the removal of organic matter was limited by the concentration of influent nitrate. The HRT was then increased in Phase IV to 18 ± 2 h and nitrate was not added to the feeding; which led to denitrification no longer being the preferential route and replaced by acidogenic metabolism, evidenced by the highest concentration and diversity of total volatile fatty acids (VFA), resulting in increased organic matter removal efficiency (56 %), DCF (53 %), IBU (56 %) and ethanol (99.7 %). In Phase IV, acidogenic bacteria were mainly responsible for DCF and IBU degradation by ω and β-oxidation. This study establishes that DCF and IBU biodegradation in FBR applied to sanitary sewage treatment in denitrifying condition is overcome by acidogenic metabolism in the absence of nitrate as an electron acceptor, favoring the pharmaceuticals degradation.

Extraction of scandium from sulphuric acid-based red mud leach liquors

Equimolar mixtures of di-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid (D2EHPA) with trin-butylphosphate (TBP) or trioctylamine (TOA) in kerosene were used for extracting scandium from sulphuric acid-based red mud leach liquor. The results showed that when using a D2EHPA-TOA mixture, the overall extraction of scandium (ЕSc) tends to rise from 37 to 68% as the concentration of sulphuric acid rises. At the same time, the extraction of concomitant elements tends to decrease and remains way below the Е Sc . When using a D2EHPATBP mixture, the rising acidity of the solution does not lead to any significant increase in scandium extraction so that the latter remains quite high (i.e. 82&ndash;85%) while the extraction of the concomitant elements is significantly lower. A five-stage countercurrent extraction process was performed using a mixture of 0.1 mol/L D2EHPA and 0.1 mol/L TBP with 2 mol/L sulphuric acid to recover scandium from the liquor with minimized amounts of concomitant metals. The results showed that a 96.8% of scandium can be recovered after a three-stage countercurrent extraction process with 97% aluminium, 95% iron, 87% titanium and 54% zirconium removed from the liquor. A 4.7 mol/L sulphuric acid solution with an organic to aqueous ratio of 1:1 was used to wash the organic phase after a three-stage extraction process. For reextraction, a solution containing 2.5% NaOH and 6.5% Na2CO3 was used at a 2:1 aqueous to organic phase ratio. The solution was filtered to separate the solid phase. The precipitate was washed and dried and a primary 3.42% concentrate was obtained. Based on the obtained data, the authors describe a scandium extraction process using sulphuric acid-based red mud leach liquor. The new scandium concentration by extraction process parameters were tested on an enlarged scale at the Intermix MET site. A 100 g experimental batch of primary scandium concentrate containing, %: 2.2 Sc; 21.8 Тi; 4.3 Na; 0.6 Al; 1.7 Fe; 5.0 Zr; 0.0056 Y, was obtained from a 260-litre red mud leach liquor. For this, a cascade of five centrifugal extractors was used at the extractant saturation stage. An 8-litre mixture of 0.1 mol/L D2EHPA and 0.1 mol/L TBP in Exxsol D100 was used. The organic phase was in recycle, and due to that its saturation was 340 mg of scandium per litre of extractant.