Increase In Ratio Research Articles

Monitoring spirooxazine–merocyanine photoisomerization with ion-current rectifying quartz nanopipettes

The characterization and discrimination of chemical compounds is imperative in both academia and industry, but currently relies on expensive and/or bulky instrumentation. Herein, we demonstrate that the ion transport properties of bare quartz nanopipettes containing aprotic acetonitrile electrolyte can be used discriminate isomers based on polarization and solvation, through changes to interfacial solvent ordering at the nanopore wall. This is demonstrated by monitoring the photoinduced isomerization of spirooxazine to merocyanine using the ion-current rectification of a quartz-nanopipette containing acetonitrile electrolyte, which results in an increase in rectification ratio (RR) from 3.6 ± 0.3 to 5.1 ± 0.2. This change is comparable to traditional UV–Vis absorbance and fluorescence measurements of the same process, with the appearance of a small shoulder-like absorbance peak from 400 to 500 nm, and a strong fluorescence signal at 430 nm.

Investigation on the biaxial stretching deformation mechanism of PA6 film based on finite element method

Abstract This study employed the finite element method to investigate the biaxial stretching deformation mechanism of polyamide 6 (PA6) Film. First, the PA6 film was subjected to biaxial stretching experiments under various conditions. Then, a three-dimensional finite element model of PA6 film was established. The biaxial stretching experiments of PA6 films under various conditions were simulated by the established finite element model. The results show that the biaxial stretching of the films under various conditions exhibited a transition from elastic deformation to plastic deformation. Meanwhile, as the stretching ratio increases, the more uniform stress and strain distribution on the film surface can be found in the stress and strain contour diagrams. The stress and strain distributions were found to be largely consistent under various annealing temperatures. However, lower stretching rates resulted in higher internal stress intensity, making the films more resistant to biaxial stretching. The findings of this study provide a theoretical reference for a deeper understanding of the deformation mechanisms of PA6 films during the biaxial stretching process.

Better Prediction of Clinical Outcome with Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate by CKD-EPI 2021.

While the real-world impact of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equation change on clinical outcome in a longitudinal cohort setting is limited, external valuation of equation performance should be performed in different population cohorts. This study aimed to compare differential impacts of eGFR values, calculated by 5 equations in a Korean patient population, on clinical outcomes. This retrospective longitudinal follow-up cohort study analyzed 23 246 participants with standardized creatinine/cystatin C assay-based laboratory results. The primary exposure was baseline eGFR calculated by 5 different equations including the recently developed 2021 race-free Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations. Clinical outcomes including all-cause mortality, renal replacement therapy, and albuminuria were analyzed to estimate the hazard ratio of the eGFR on clinical outcomes. Among the 5 equations, CKD-EPI 2021 with creatinine and cystatin C (CKD-EPI 2021-CrCys) showed an earlier increase in hazard ratios for all clinical outcomes, while CKD-EPI 2012 with cystatin C showed a higher hazard ratio for all-cause mortality at low eGFR. Replacing CKD-EPI 2012 with CKD-EPI 2021-CrCys, 5.4% of patients with mortality and 3.3% of patients who received renal replacement therapy were reclassified to a lower risk stage. The 2021 CKD-EPI equations were acceptable in a Korean population, with better predictive power for clinical outcomes when compared to previous equations. The updated race-free factors for eGFR calculation improved identification of patients at risk for clinical outcomes.

Eccentric compression behaviors of iron tailings and recycled aggregate concrete-filled steel tube columns

This paper presents a sustainable method for using iron ore tailings (IOTs) sand and recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) in concrete and concrete-filled steel tube (CFT) columns. The study first examines the impact of RCA replacement ratios (0 %, 50 %, 100 %) on concrete's mechanical properties, finding that both compressive and tensile strengths decrease with higher RCA content due to the negative effects of old interfacial transition zones and adhered cement in RCA. Then, twelve iron tailing and recycled aggregate concrete-filled steel tube (ITRAC-CFT) columns were tested under eccentric compression to assess the effects of varying RCA replacement ratios, eccentricity ratios (0.3, 0.5), and slenderness ratios (12.12, 19.05). Results indicate that RCA ratios have minimal impact on failure modes, ultimate bearing capacity, and stiffness, although ductility increases with higher RCA content. As slenderness ratios increase, the ultimate bearing capacity decreases by 5.3 % and 6.8 % for eccentricities of 0.3 and 0.5, respectively. The study further validates these findings through the finite element method (FEM), showing strong agreement between experimental and predicted results, average value, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation of Nu/NFE were 1.02 %, 0.04, and 3.92 %, respectively. Finally, a comparison with existing design codes (EC4, AISC 360, and GB 50396) reveals that AISC 360 provides the most accurate predictions of the ultimate bearing capacity of ITRAC-CFT columns. The research concludes that the comprehensive use of IOTs sand and RCA in CFT structural concrete is a highly viable and eco-friendly solution, offering potential benefits for sustainable construction practices.

Black hole—neutron star binary mergers: the impact of stellar compactness

Abstract Recent gravitational wave (GW) observations include possible detections of black hole—neutron star binary mergers. As with binary black hole mergers, numerical simulations help characterize the sources. For binary systems with neutron star components, the simulations help to predict the imprint of tidal deformations and disruptions on the GW signals. In a previous study, we investigated how the mass of the black hole has an impact on the disruption of the neutron star and, as a consequence, on the shape of the GWs emitted. We extend these results to study the effects of varying the compactness of the neutron star. We consider neutron star compactness in the 0.113–0.2 range for binaries with mass ratios of 3 and 5. As the compactness and the mass ratio increase, the binary system behaves during the late inspiral and merger more like a black hole binary. For the cases with the least compact neutron star, the GWs emitted, in terms of mismatches, are the most distinguishable from those by a binary black hole. The disruption of the star significantly suppresses the kicks on the final black hole. The disruption also affects, although not dramatically, the spin of the final black hole. Lastly, for neutron stars with low compactness, the quasi-normal ringing of the black hole after the merger does not show a clean quasi-normal ringing because of the late accretion of debris from the neutron star.

Spin Crossover OFF/ON Triggered by Ligand Chemical Doping in an Fe(III) Solid Solution†

Comprehensive SummarySpin crossover (SCO), characterized by distinct high‐spin (HS) and low‐spin (LS) states, has potential applications in memory, electronic, and electroluminescent devices. The OFF/ON switching of SCO is crucial for obtaining bistable magnetic properties. However, there are few strategies for achieving this switching. Herein, based on a ligand chemical doping strategy, we report an Fe(III) solid solution that can be prepared using a ligand chemical doping strategy, enabling not only the OFF/ON switching of SCO but also the fine‐tuning of the spin transition temperature (Tc) within a 45 K range near room temperature. The experimental results show that when the polar ligand doping ratio reaches 20%, SCO behavior is triggered, and the crystal phase transforms significantly, becoming loose and flexible. Furthermore, Tc can be continuously regulated as the ligand‐doping ratio increases. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that solid packing‐induced molecular distortion blocks SCO, whereas loosely flexible packing triggers SCO via fluorinated ligand chemical doping.

Analysis on dynamic characteristics of dam material and seismic response of embankment dam in Longyang Reservoir

PurposeThe geological conditions of Longyang Reservoir are complex and it is located in strong earthquake area. In order to determine its seismic characteristics, the seismic response and residual deformation of embankment dam should be studied to provide calculation basis for dam design and construction.Design/methodology/approachBased on the geological survey data of Longyang Reservoir, the dam filling materials are tested by dynamic deformation tests, and the equivalent linear constitutive model parameters of the filling materials are obtained. Based on Duncan-Chang E-B model, the stress state of embankment dam in Longyang Reservoir before earthquake is calculated, and the dynamic response and earthquake residual deformation of embankment dam in Longyang Reservoir under earthquake condition are calculated by using equivalent linear model and Shen Zhu-jiang’s residual deformation model.FindingsThe results show that with the increase of dynamic shear strain, the dynamic shear modulus decreases and the damping ratio increases. The scatter plot between dynamic shear modulus and dynamic shear strain, and the scatter plot between damping ratio and dynamic shear strain under different confining pressures show strips. The calculation results shows that the acceleration of embankment dam in Longyang Reservoir increases with the increase of dam height, and the acceleration distribution has obvious amplification effect. Combined with the maximum dynamic shear strain during the earthquake and the state before the earthquake, the maximum vertical residual deformation of embankment dam in Longyang Reservoir is 2.98 cm which occurs at the top of the dam, calculated by the Shen Zhu-jiang’s residual deformation model.Originality/value Finite element calculation model parameters of embankment dam are obtained by dynamic triaxial tests. Seismic dynamic responses and residual deformation of embankment dam are analyzed. With the increase of dam height, the acceleration distribution shows an obvious amplification effect. The vertical displacement of embankment dam is larger along the dam axis and decreases in the upstream and downstream direction. The maximum horizontal displacement of embankment dam occurs in the middle of upstream and downstream dam slopes.Highlights(1)Finite element calculation model parameters of embankment dam are obtained by dynamic triaxial tests.(2)Seismic dynamic responses and residual deformation of embankment dam are analyzed.(3)With the increase of dam height, the acceleration distribution shows an obvious amplification effect.(4)The vertical displacement of embankment dam is larger along the dam axis and decreases in the upstream and downstream direction.(5)The maximum horizontal displacement of embankment dam occurs in the middle of upstream and downstream dam slopes.

Effects of Climate, Soil, Topography and Disturbance on Liana Prevalence.

Lianas (woody vines and climbing monocots) are increasing in abundance in many tropical forests with uncertain consequences for forest functioning and recovery following disturbances. At a global scale, these increases are likely driven by disturbances and climate change. Yet, our understanding of the environmental variables that drive liana prevalence at regional scales is incomplete and geographically biased towards Latin America. To address this gap, we present a comprehensive study evaluating the combined effects of climate, soil, disturbance and topography on liana prevalence in the Australian Wet Tropics. We established 31 20 × 20 m vegetation plots along an elevation gradient in low disturbance (canopy closure ≥ 75%) and high disturbance (canopy closure ≤ 25%) forest stands. In these plots, all tree and liana (defined as all woody dicot vines and climbing monocots, i.e., rattans) stems ≥ 1 cm DBH were measured and environmental data were collected on climate, soil and topography. Generalised linear models were used with multi-model averaging to quantify the relative effects of the environmental variables on measures of liana prevalence (liana-tree basal area ratio, woody vine basal area and stem density and rattan stem density). Liana prevalence decreased with elevation but increased with disturbance and mean annual precipitation. The increase in the liana-tree ratio with precipitation was more pronounced for highly disturbed sites. Like other tropical regions, disturbance is an important driver of liana prevalence in Australian rainforests and appears to interact with climate to increase liana-tree ratios. The observed increase in liana-tree ratio with precipitation contrasts findings from elsewhere but is confounded by correlated changes in elevation and temperature, which highlights the importance of regional studies. Our findings show that forests with high disturbance and climatic conditions favourable to lianas are where lianas most likely to outcompete trees and impede forest recovery.

Numerical simulation of the GPSD with different Length-to-Width ratios in dynamic water environment

Abstract The gill-piece separation device (GPSD) is small, compact, and cost-effective in agricultural irrigation. To explore the influence of different length-to-width ratios on the water-sand two-phase flow field in the GPSD, numerical simulations of the velocity field and concentration field in the GPSD with different length-to-width ratios are conducted in a dynamic water environment by using the CFX software with the mixture model and RNG k – ε model. By comparing and analyzing the computational results, it is found that compared to the length-to-width ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1, the environment inside the gill-piece separation device with a ratio of 4:1 is more stable, and the formation of countercurrents is more pronounced; under dynamic water conditions, as the length-to-width ratio increases, the separation efficiency of the GPSD for water and sand increases. Among them, the water-sand separation efficiency of the GPSD with a ratio of 4:1 is the highest, reaching 90.41%, which is 2.26, 1.25, and 1.11 times higher than those of the ratios 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1, respectively.

A Nd-doped silica glass with high doping concentration, low hydroxyl content, and 900 nm fluorescence emission fabricated by laser additive manufacturing

The 900 nm wavelength laser is effective for atmospheric detection and various other applications.The frequency-doubled 450 nm deep blue laser can be used in maritime military, quantum optics, biomedicine, laser storage, laser display, and deep ultraviolet laser fields, among others. Although Nd3+ is considered the optimal medium for generating 900 nm lasers, competition with the 1060 nm emission wavelength must be addressed. In Nd-doped silica glass, without the introduction of aluminum, the emission intensity of the three-level transition is higher than that of the four-level transition. However, it can cause a concentration quenching between Nd3+, but co-doping with Al can effectively suppress it. As the Al/Nd ratio increases, the emission intensity at 1060 nm increases relative to that at 900 nm. By precisely adjusting the Al/Nd ratio, it is possible to suppress the 1060 nm emission while also inhibiting concentration quenching caused by Nd3+.

Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion to pulmonary artery systolic pressure ratio in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension improves with balloon pulmonary angioplasty.

Right ventricle (RV)-to-pulmonary artery (PA) coupling measured by the ratio of echocardiography-derived tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) is a meaningful prognostic marker in pulmonary hypertension (PH). It's unclear if balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) alters RV-PA coupling measured by TAPSE/PASP. We reviewed CTEPH patients treated with BPA at our institution who had a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) before BPA and a follow-up TTE at any point during BPA. TAPSE was obtained from the initial and lattermost TTE; hemodynamics were obtained before each BPA session. Between March 2015 to October 2023, there were 228 patients treated with BPA. After excluding post-PTE patients and those without PH, 67 were included. Initial TAPSE/PASP was 0.39 ± 0.21 mm/mmHg. Using previously defined TAPSE/PASP tertiles in PH (<0.19, 0.19-0.32, >0.32 mm/mmHg), there were 6 patients (9%) in low, 30 (45%) in middle, and 31 (46%) in the high tertiles at baseline. The lower TAPSE/PASP tertiles had more severe baseline hemodynamics (p < 0.001) compared to the high TAPSE/PASP cohort. At follow-up, TAPSE/PASP improved to 0.47 ± 0.20 mm/mmHg (p = 0.023), with 2 (3%), 13 (19%), and 52 (78%) patients in the low, middle, high TAPSE/PASP tertiles, respectively. As patients progress through BPA sessions, the TAPSE/PASP ratio increases, possibly reflecting improved RV mechanics and RV-PA coupling. TAPSE/PASP ratio as a marker of RV-PA coupling can improve with BPA treatment and may be an important measure to follow during treatment of CTEPH.

Flow characteristics inside rectangular Tesla valve with different width-to-narrow ratios

To investigate the influence of the flow channel’s width-to-narrow ratio on the Tesla valve’s flow characteristics, this paper establishes five Tesla valve models with different width-to-narrow ratios. Employing the laminar flow model, CFD methods were used to numerically simulate both the forward and reverse flows through the Tesla valve across a spectrum of width-to-narrow ratios, ranging from 0.2 to 1. The results reveal the flow trends in the straight or arc channels show opposite variation patterns when flowing in forward and reverse directions. The flow rate passing through straight channel is more sensitive to the response of a small width-to-narrow ratio. Irrespective of the flow direction, as the width-to-narrow ratio increases, the fluid flow within the valve demonstrates increasingly pronounced stratification. The pressure curve of the diversion section assumes an “∞” shape in forward flow, whereas in reverse flow, it assumes a “flat plate” shape.

Manufacture and study the mechanical, thermal and physical properties of plastic wood

Abstract This study focuses on evaluating the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of unsaturated polyester (UPE) composites reinforced with Pistacia shells (Pi-S). Wood-plastic composites were prepared using UPE reinforced with Pi-S at different weight ratios (50%, 60%, 70%). The main objective of this work is to recycle Pistacia shells in significant proportions and assess the impact of using Pi-S as reinforcing materials in UPE. Mechanical tests, such as Shore D hardness, impact resistance, and compressive strength, were employed to evaluate the mechanical properties of the composites. The results showed that the 50% weight ratio achieved the highest values in all tests compared to other ratios (60%, 70%). Impact resistance increased to 10.15 Kj/m2 at the 50% weight ratio, followed by the 60% weight ratio with the highest impact resistance. The results also indicated a slight decrease in Shore D hardness with an increase in the weight ratio and a decrease in compressive strength. Regarding thermal conductivity, the highest thermal conductivity value was at the 50% weight ratio, with a value of 0.68118762 W/mk. It then decreased at the other weight ratios but remained higher than the thermal conductivity of pure unsaturated polyester. This technique allows for the full utilization of Pistacia shells in the wood-plastic industry, contributing to various applications such as wooden and plastic flooring, surfaces, doors, and more.

Large Rupture Strain Cotton Ropes Hybridized with Affordable Fiberglass Chopped Strand Mat Sheets for Enhanced Compressive Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Columns

The hybrid confinement system combines various fiber types within a single matrix, allowing for the adjustment of volumetric ratios to optimize confinement performance. Synthetic FRPs are more expensive and have a higher carbon footprint due to significant CO2 emissions during production. In response, this study presents an innovative hybrid confinement approach using two natural materials: cotton ropes and FSMS (CFS) to improve concrete strength and ductility. Specimens, standardized at 300 mm height and 150 mm diameter with longitudinal steel bars and stirrups, were divided into two groups based on CFS configurations. The stress-strain response of CFS-confined concrete displayed distinctive behavior: an initial parabolic phase leading to peak compressive stress (ultimate strength), followed by a linearly degrading phase. Across all subgroups, CFS confinement significantly enhanced ultimate strength and corresponding compressive strains, with Subgroup 2A achieving the highest improvements of 246% in ultimate strength and 1477% in strain. Moreover, the ductility gain was reported as high as 20 for CFS-confined concrete. A non-proportional enhancement in the compressive behavior was observed with the increase in confinement ratio. Predictive models were developed for the idealized two-branch response of CFS-confined concrete, encompassing expressions based on nonlinear regression for ultimate strength, corresponding strain, ultimate strain, and elastic modulus. Two existing models were modified to trach each branch of the response. Integrating these two adjusted models closely replicated the experimental compressive curves.

Study on the influence factors of the grain growth type of micro-nano silver powders prepared by liquid-phase reduction method

Abstract The preparation was carried out by liquid-phase reduction method with AgNO3 as the oxidizing agent, ascorbic acid (C6H8O6) as the reducing agent, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVPK30) as the dispersing agent. The effects of silver nitrate concentration, ascorbic acid concentration, PVPK30 concentration, solution PH value before and after the reaction, and the temperature of reaction on average particle size (D50), dispersity, and particle size uniformity of silver particles were investigated by orthogonal experiment L18 (36) with six factors and three levels. The spheroid-like silver particles with good dispersity of 400-600nm and the spheroid-like silver particles with suitable particle size uniformity of 80-100nm were successfully prepared by optimal experiments. The results of the orthogonal experiment show that the molar ratio of the reducing agent to the oxidizing agent plays a decisive role in the type of grain growth. The crystal nucleus will coagulate and grow at a higher molar ratio (⩾1.05). With the increase in molar ratio, the nucleation rate is higher, the grain growth rate is faster, and the size of silver particles is smaller.

Vibration attenuation of dual periodic pipelines using interconnected vibration absorbers

Pipelines are crucial elements in various engineering applications. However, unexpected vibrations from different sources can jeopardize the operational performance and potentially damage the piping structures and other connected units. This study explores flexural wave propagation and attenuation characteristics of the pipes supported periodically on a rack. Also, a specific case of a rack with infinite stiffness (simple support) is investigated. The dispersion relations pertinent to pipe rack scenario is obtained through transfer matrix method (TMM) in conjunction with Floquet-Bloch’s theorem, and the accuracy of ensuing band gaps (BGs) are confirmed through finite element (FE) models. Following this, the modal analysis is performed to ascertain the minimum number of unit-cells necessary for the FE model to accurately mimic the attenuation and propagation characteristics of the corresponding infinite structure. The findings indicate that a pipe supported on rack displays resonance and Bragg-type BGs, arising from local resonance and spatial periodicity, respectively, while the pipe on simple support exhibits only Bragg-type BGs. To control low-frequency vibrations in dual pipelines placed on the rack, a novel configuration using interconnected dynamic vibration absorbers (DVAs) is proposed. The DVA consisting of two spring-damper units along with a mass is connected across the center of each span of the two pipelines. The proposed DVA is designed via genetic algorithm-based optimization. It was found that the designed DVA significantly reduces the vibration of the two pipelines. The performance of DVAs improves with an increase in the mass ratio. Additionally, the performance of pipes connected with conventional tuned mass damper (TMD) is evaluated and compared with the proposed DVA. The effectiveness of DVAs is also verified by employing a white Gaussian noise as input. The proposed DVAs are efficient in scenarios involving multiple pipes within a rack, leveraging other pipe’s mass, stiffness, and damping properties to mitigate vibrations in the considered pipes.

Study of the effect of interfacial damage and friction on stress transfer in short fiber-reinforced composites

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of different stages of different interfaces evolution under external forces on stress transfer within composite materials, which is crucial for analyzing reinforcement mechanisms in composite materials. Analytical solutions are derived to explore the impact of these distinct phases, both at the interfaces along the fiber length direction and at the fiber ends, on the complex stress distribution profiles within composite materials. Furthermore, the frictional effect at the interface serves to impede the debonding process in the composite. Under the same load, the debonding length of the interface decreases as the frictional effect increases. The increase in fiber aspect ratio (AR) effectively reduces the length of the damage and debonding interface and increases the axial fiber stress. Additionally, the theoretical results agree well with numerical simulation and experimental results. In essence, this model provides analytical solutions that are instrumental for analyzing stress transfer in fiber-reinforced composites during different stages of interface evolution.

The influence of structural defects on the electrical and infrared emission properties of VO2 thin films

Defect engineering is widely used in the modification of transition metal oxides. In this study, defects are introduced into the polycrystalline VO2 film by the energetic Ar ion irradiation, and the influence of structural defects on the electrical and infrared emission properties of VO2 thin films have been investigated. The decrease in electrical switching ratio with the increase of defect ratio (displacement per atom (dpa)) can be described as R10°C/R90°C=2.032×(dpa+0.005)−1.8069, while the infrared modulation performance is Δε=−0.119×ln(dpa+0.061). The dpa thresholds of the electrical switching ratio and the infrared modulation performance are ηdpaRR = 0.005/atom and ηdpaΔε = 0.0426/atom, respectively, indicating that the electrical switching ratio of VO2 films is more responsive to defects than the infrared modulation performance. The relationship between transition temperature and defect ratio has be determined. Concerning electrical properties, the heating phase transition temperature can be described as TMITHeating=25.88−10.93×ln(dpa+0.01); while for infrared emission modulation, the heating phase transition temperature is given by Tε−MITHeating=31.65−8.18×ln(dpa+0.01). While reducing the phase transition temperature, the VO2 thin films still exhibit an electrical switching ratio of more than two orders of magnitude and obvious infrared modulation performance. It not only offers a viable solution for broadening the application scope of VO2 but also contributes to understanding the role of defects in VO2 thin films for further research.

Impact of Rumex nepalensis on Performance, Blood Markers, Immunity, Intestinal Microbiology and Histomorphology in Broiler Chicken.

The study investigated the impact of utilizing Rumex nepalensis leaf powder (RNL) as a phytogenic feed additive on performance, blood markers, intestinal microbiology and histomorphology in broiler chicken. One hundred eighty day-old Cobb broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatment groups having three replicates with fifteen birds each. Four iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets primarily based on maize-soybean were formulated, viz., CN (Control)-fed basal diet only; RNL2.5 (basal diet + 2.5 g/kg RNL); RNL5 (basal diet + 5 g/kg RNL); and RNL10 (basal diet + 10 g/kg RNL). The results revealed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in body weight gain and feed conversion ratio in dietary treatments compared to CN with best values in RNL10 followed by RNL5. The blood markers like glucose, total protein, creatinine, alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) showed no significance (p > 0.05) among all the treatments, however total cholesterol significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in RNL5 and RNL10 as against CN. Regarding immune parameters, immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced in RNL5 and RNL10. Antioxidant enzyme status showed that superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in RNL10 compared to CN. Gut health in terms of cecal microbiology and histomorphology of duodenum and jejunum were altered by inclusion of RNL in the broiler diet. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in coliform count was recorded by incorporation of dietary treatments with highest reduction in RNL10. Lactobacillus count and total viable count did not vary significantly (p > 0.05) among dietary treatments and CN. Duodenal and jejunal villus height and villus height/crypt depth ratio were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in RNL5 and RNL10 compared to RNL2.5 and CN. Thus, it could be concluded that inclusion of Rumex nepalensis leaf powder in the diet resulted in improved performance and better immuno-antioxidant status of broilers. Further, an improvement in the gut health was observed in terms of positive effects on cecal microbiota and intestinal histomorphology of broiler chickens.

Particle Swarm Optimization for multi-chiller system: Capacity configuration and load distribution

This study applies Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to enhance the energy efficiency of a multi-chiller system in a large office building, with a focus on optimizing capacity configuration and load distribution. Given the rising demand for sustainable energy solutions in buildings, where HVAC systems, particularly chillers, account for a significant portion of energy consumption, this research aims to reduce energy use and improve system performance. EnergyPlus simulations, based on Baltimore weather data and a reference large office model, were conducted to build a baseline dataset. This dataset was then used in Python to calculate energy consumption and optimize load distribution and capacity configuration. PSO was applied in three stages: optimizing capacity configuration using five built-in EnergyPlus algorithms, optimizing load distribution, and simultaneously optimizing both. The results showed that optimizing capacity configuration alone improved performance, even using traditional load distribution methods. Load distribution optimization outperformed other algorithms and converged at a 0.7 Part Load Ratio (PLR) for staging. The integrated PSO application achieved an 11.3 % reduction in energy consumption, a 21.5 % improvement in Coefficient of Performance (COP), and a 12.8 % increase in the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) by precise operation of 15 different combinations throughout the entire load range. These results demonstrate the potential of PSO to significantly enhance the efficiency of multi-chiller systems, providing a novel approach to optimizing both capacity configuration and load distribution. This research contributes to a robust framework for improving energy performance in building systems and offers valuable insights for future sustainable energy solutions.