Increase In Intensity Research Articles

Study on the Influence of Heterogeneity of Low-Permeability Reservoirs on Wormhole Morphology and Acidizing Process Parameters

Carbonate rocks typically exhibit strong heterogeneity, which can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of acidification processes. This article developed a non-homogeneous reservoir acidification process program based on the TSC model and open-source software FMOT, and studied the influence of heterogeneity intensity on wormhole morphology and acidizing process parameters. The results indicate that different heterogeneity intensities can produce different wormhole development patterns and wormhole morphology. In the early stage of acidizing, there is competitive development at low heterogeneity intensities and a transition to dominant wormhole development as the intensity increases. The differences in the wormholes morphology are mainly reflected in the branching wormholes. Low intensity forms fewer and wider branches, while high intensity forms more and narrower branches. As the heterogeneity intensity increases, the curve shows a downward trajectory characterized by a progressively diminishing rate of decline. However, this enhanced heterogeneity does not affect the optimal injection rate. The optimal injection rate increases with the increase in the acid injection temperature. Under high-heterogeneity conditions, the optimal injection rate increases more significantly with the increase in the inject temperature. Additionally, although typically there are increases with the rise in the inject temperature, this trend reverses under high injection rates.

Azolla pinnata and Lemna minor as comparative hyperaccumulators for livestock wastewater treatment: morpho-physiological and genetic approach.

The potential of two different aquatic macrophytes, Azolla pinnata R.Br. and Lemna minor L., to treat livestock wastewater through phytoremediation was investigated. The physiological analysis includes the removal efficiency of manganese (Mn) from livestock wastewater by AAS. Morphological observation was performed by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and visual observation. RAPD analysis was applied to observe the DNA profile. It was observed that the removal efficiency of Mn was higher in L. minor with a 92% removal rate, while in A. pinnata RE, it was at a 77% rate. The higher removal rate of Mn by L. minor showed that plants had a significant impact on the removal of heavy metals, with a p ≤ 0.05. Retention time and the removal of heavy metals were found to be positively correlated. As early as 24h after exposure to livestock wastewater (LW), the stomata on the leaves of A. pinnata and L. minor have both shrunk, and the root surfaces have shortened. According to the RAPD analysis, A. pinnata only shows an increase in band intensities and no polymorphism, whereas L. minor has 19% polymorphisms that indicate higher tolerance as hyperaccumulators. As a conclusion, L. minor showed no signs of necrosis and performed more efficiently as a hyperaccumulator in LW, with a higher removal efficiency.

Simultaneous devulcanization and denitrification: a novel approach for valorization of both ground tire rubber and nitrate-containing wastewater.

This study focused on a new approach for valorization of both ground tire rubber (GTR) and nitrate-containing wastewater via simultaneous devulcanization and denitrification. Initially, sulfur-based autotrophic denitrifiers were successfully enriched from three different seed sludge sources, biological nutrient removal (BNR) sludge, anaerobic digester sludge and BNR sludge of a leather organized industrial zone WWTP. Average nitrate removal efficiencies were 96-98%. Biological devulcanization (biodevulcanization) of GTR was later investigated with these enriched cultures. Results revealed that biodevulcanization was only achieved with the culture enriched from BNR sludge of the leather organized industrial zone WWTP, as 3.9% sulfur removal (desulfurization efficiency). Metal sulfate precipitation was speculated to cause an underestimation of the desulfurization ratio. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results demonstrated a decrease in the intensity of the C-S bonds and an increase in intensity of S-O bonds in treated GTR samples. This was attributed to the oxidation of sulfidic crosslinks, i.e. verification of biodevulcanization. This study indicated that simultaneous biodevulcanization and denitrification could be a promising process for valorization of both GTR and nitrate-containing wastewater which in turn would support circular economy and sustainable development.

Determination of Solubility and Metastable Zone of Sodium Hypophosphite and Nucleation Kinetics

AbstractTo obtain thermodynamic and kinetic data of sodium hypophosphite, such as solubility and metastable zone, respectively, the solubility data for sodium hypophosphite in the temperature range of 298.15–373.15 K were obtained using a dynamic method. These data were then fitted to the Apelblat and Van't Hoff equations, and the corresponding model parameters were determined. The effects of stirring intensity and cooling rate on the width of the metastable zone of sodium hypophosphite in water were studied. The findings indicated that an increase in stirring intensity reduced the width of the metastable zone, whereas an increase in cooling rate resulted in its widening. The self‐consistent NýVlt and Sangwal metastable zone models were employed to calculate nucleation dynamic parameters in conjunction with classical nucleation theory. The results showed that the nucleation order was 2.311–3.361 over the investigated temperature range. 316.15 K is the critical temperature point at which sodium hypophosphite transforms into a dominant nucleation mode. The solid–liquid interface tension decreased rapidly with the increase of saturation temperature, and the solid–liquid interface tension is 1.167–2.638 mJ m−2.

Highly Efficient and Thermally Stable Ultra-Broadband NIR-II Emtting Li(Ga, Al)5O8:Cr3+, Ni2+ Phosphors for Spectroscopy Analysis.

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has diverse applications across various fields, such as the detection of food components and pesticide residues, early diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. In this work, a series of optimized LiAl5-xGaxO8:0.1Ni2+ (x = 0-5) ultrabroadband NIR-II luminescent systems are developed. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations, time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopy, and 77 K PL spectra demonstrate that the substitution of Ga3+ for Al3+ creates more favorable sites for Ni2+ luminescence and enhances structural orderliness while reducing the number of luminescent centers. This leads to a red shift in the emission peak from 1177 to 1252 nm with a 14-fold increase in luminescence intensity. At 375 K, thermal stability increases from 81% (x = 0) to 90% (x = 5) compared to 300 K. Subsequent co-doping with Cr3+ results in an excitation peak with a red shift into the blue-violet region (420 nm), accompanied by a notable enhancement in absorption efficiency (AE) and an increase in external quantum efficiency (EQE) from 4% to 62%. Finally, the potential application of the prepared phosphors in both qualitative and quantitative analysis of organic compounds is demonstrated, which will offer new insights for the design and synthesis of ultrabroadband NIR-II light sources.

The interactive effects between far-red light and temperature on lettuce growth and morphology diminish at high light intensity

Phytochromes (PHYs) play a dual role in sensing light spectral quality and temperature. PHYs can interconvert between the active Pfr form and inactive Pr form upon absorption of red (R) and far-red (FR) light (Photoconversion). In addition, active Pfr can be converted to inactive Pr in a temperature-dependent manner (Thermal Reversion). Recent studies have shown that FR light and temperature can interactively affect plant growth and morphology through co-regulating phytochrome activities. These studies were primarily conducted under relatively low light intensities. As light intensity increases, the impact of thermal reversion on phytochrome dynamics decreases. However, the light intensity dependency of the interactive effects between FR light and temperature on plant growth and morphology has not been characterized. In this study, lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) ‘Rex’ was grown under two total photon flux densities (TPFD; 400-800 nm) (150 and 300 μmol m-2 s-1) x three temperatures (20, 24, and 28°C) x two light spectra (0 and 20% of FR light in TPFD). Our results showed that the effects of FR light on leaf, stem, and root elongation, leaf number, and leaf expansion were dependent on temperature at lower TPFD. However, the magnitude of the interactive effects between FR light and temperature on plant morphology decreased at higher TPFD. Particularly, at a lower TPFD, FR light stimulated leaf expansion and canopy photon capture only under a cooler temperature of 20°C. However, at a higher TPFD, FR light consistently increased total leaf area across all three temperatures. Plant biomass was more strongly correlated with the total number of photons intercepted by the leaves than with the photosynthetic activities of individual leaves. FR light decreased the contents of chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolics, as well as the total antioxidant capacity. In contrast, warmer temperatures and high light intensity increased the values of these parameters. We concluded that the interactive effects between FR light and temperature on plant growth and morphology diminished as total light intensity increased. Additionally, the combination of high light intensity, warm temperature, and FR light resulted in the highest crop yield and antioxidant capacity in lettuce.

Effects of Beads and Shot Peening Intensity on the Surface Integrity and Fatigue Performance of a Stainless Gear Steel

Shot peening was performed on stainless gear steel using multiple kinds of beads at multiple intensities. The effects of shot peening on surface integrity and the rotational bending fatigue performance were tested with the crack origin location observed. The results showed that the average surface roughness increases from Sa0.408 μm to Sa1.165 μm as the shot peening intensity increases, which does not necessarily lead to an increase in surface stress concentration coefficient. The compressive residual stress profile and the depth of the hardened layer increase with the increase of shot peening intensity. During ceramic bead peening, the fatigue improvement, with a maximum of 25 times, increases with the raise of intensity (0.06–0.20 mmA), while the fatigue improvement decreases when intensity (0.2–0.30 mmA) increases using cast steel shot. Based on ceramic shot peening, a method was proposed to predict the origin location of rotational bending fatigue cracks of gear stainless steel, in which the effects of surface stress concentration, compressive residual stress, and external load introduced were all considered. By using the superposition method of external load and residual stress, the maximum actual stress corresponding depth is obtained, which is the origin position of the rotational bending fatigue crack.

Releasing characteristics and influencing factors analysis of nitrogen-containing gaseous pollutants in wastewater treatment plants with sequencing batch reactor process

The discharge of nitrogen-containing gaseous pollutants from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) has caused a certain threat to the surrounding environment and human health, which has attracted wide attention in recent years. This study investigated the release characteristics of nitrogen-containing pollutants at different treatment stages in WWTP with sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process, including nitrogen-containing odorous gases (NH3 and dimethylamine) and nitrogen-containing greenhouse gases (N2O), all of which achieved the highest release in the aeration stage, with emissions of 35.2, 12.5mg/(m2·d) and 229.7mg/L, respectively. Besides, the emission factors of NH3 and dimethylamine were calculated for 0.0091 and 0.0026g/m3, and the carbon emission of N2O was estimated for 158.4kg of CO2 per day. Furthermore, the pilot experiment of SBR showed that the odorous gas decreased first and then increased with the increase of aeration intensity and sludge concentration, and increased with the increase of influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration. This study provides theoretical and data support for the emission reduction of nitrogen-containing pollutants in SBR process WWTP.

Variations in Present and Future Hourly Extreme Rainfall: Insights from High-Resolution Data and Novel Temporal Disaggregation Model

Extreme rainfall-induced events adversely affect agriculture, infrastructure, and socioeconomic development in a region. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of their occurrences and past and future variability in the context of global warming is imperative, especially at the fine temporal (sub-daily) and spatial (local to regional) scales for better contextualizing inferences from a policymaking perspective. This study provides a detailed analysis of global warming’s impacts on extreme rainfall in Jiangsu Province, utilizing the latest high-resolution ERA5-Land reanalysis data and the latest climate models. A novel temporal disaggregation model was developed to predict future hourly extreme rainfall. The results show that the bias-corrected model reduced the overestimation of extremes by as much as ~7.4% for the location parameter and accurately reproduced the spatial variability of rainfall. Projections from eight climate models indicate a future increase in rainfall intensity by an average of over 7%. Moreover, the projections indicate two contrasting trends for different event durations: short-duration events (e.g., 1 h) show a 7.1% increase at the 5-year return period and a more pronounced 8.9% increase at the 50-year return period. Conversely, long-duration events (e.g., 24 h) experience an 8.4% increase at the 5-year return period and a smaller 6.0% increase at the 50-year return period. This suggests that rarer, short-duration events are expected to increase more than less rare ones, while rarer, long-duration events show a smaller increase than their less rare counterparts. Addressing spatial heterogeneity in extreme rainfall patterns provides actionable insights for climate adaptation and mitigation, supporting initiatives like the ‘Jiangsu Province Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan’. This study underscores the need for policy-driven, community-led climate actions to mitigate flood risks and enhance resilience in a region vulnerable to flooding amidst global warming and increasing human interventions.

Simple and low-cost thrombin activity assay using screen-printed electrodes with portable electrochemiluminescence device

Real-time monitoring of thrombin activity is essential for preventing, diagnosing, and treating coagulation-related diseases. Herein, we present a simple, disposable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for thrombin activity assay based on screen-printed electrodes (SPE). The thrombin-specific peptide substrate Mpr (4-Methoxybenzyl group)-GGRK-Fc (ferrocene) was identified from four candidates using molecular docking and specificity constant experiments. Mpr-GGRK-Fc exhibited the highest apparent specificity constant (kcat/KM) of 2.09 × 1012 M−1 s−1, indicating superior affinity and specificity for thrombin. Thrombin catalyzes the cleavage of Mpr-GGRK-Fc, resulting in the detachment of Fc from the electrode surface, which leads to an increase in ECL intensity. Under optimal conditions, the biosensor exhibits a wide linear range from 1.0 × 10−4 U/mL to 1.0 U/mL, with a low detection limit of 4.02 × 10−5 U/mL. The biosensor shows high specificity for thrombin among a range of proteins. Compared to commercial fluorescence kits, our biosensor offers superior sensitivity, selectivity, and stability in detecting thrombin activity in whole blood, making it a promising tool for bedside clinical applications.

Flood mitigation performance of low impact development practice in a coastal city from the perspective of catchment scale

Climate change and urbanization have imposed significant stress on urban drainage systems, resulting in hydraulic overloading and urban flooding. The implementation of Low Impact Development (LID) practices exhibits promising potential in mitigating these impacts. In this study, a modeling task was proposed for the drainage district of Haikou City, Hainan Province, China. The tracer-aided urban flood model was employed to conduct 64 simulation scenarios, aiming to evaluate the hydrological response of LID strategies under varying rainfall intensity, spatial distribution, and initial saturation level. The results have demonstrated the significant utility of the tracer-aided urban flood model in assessing the hydrological impact of LID practices, particularly in accurately identifying both the source area and hazard area affected by flooding. Notably, rainfall intensity plays a crucial role in influencing the hydrological response of LID practices. With the increase in rainfall intensity, the efficacy of LID strategies in mitigating value of peak flood volume gradually intensifies, but the reduction rate of peak flood volume diminishes progressively. In terms of LID strategies with varying spatial distributions, the upstream strategy outperforms both midstream and downstream strategy. Nevertheless, the correlation between reduction value of flood volume across different catchments suggests a complex synergistic effect among them. The reduction value of LID practices on flood volume will gradually decrease as the initial saturation increases, indicating that careful consideration should be given to the impact of rainfall patterns on their initial saturation when incorporating LID practices into an urban flood mitigation strategy. This study provides valuable insights into sustainable stormwater management by examining the effectiveness and influencing factors of LID practices.

Carbon emission reduction potential of land use in typical alpine meadow region in China

Alpine meadows are primarily situated in mountainous areas and plateaus, exhibiting a high sensitivity to both climate fluctuations and human activities. However, understanding the factors influencing land use carbon emissions change in these regions remains complex, with uncertain mechanisms. Thus, it is imperative to accurately grasp the factors affecting carbon emissions in alpine meadows. We conducted a study estimating land use carbon emissions in the Upper Yellow River in Gannan from 1990 to 2020, using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index decomposition model and the Tapio decoupling model to identify driving factors of land use carbon emissions. Additionally, we analyzed the correlation between these factors and economic growth. The findings showed that the land use efficiency in the Upper Yellow River in Gannan region improved substantially by 436 %. Particularly, construction land emerged as the primary source of carbon emissions. The land use carbon emission increased with the increase of carbon emission intensity of construction land and the expansion of the size of construction land. Moreover, economic development and land use carbon emissions are weak decoupled. These results suggest that economic development is considered the primary driving force behind the increase in land use carbon emissions in the region. To achieve the decoupling of economic development and land use carbon emissions, we propose to improve land use efficiency by adjusting the industrial structure as well as improving land use efficiency.

Linking hydroclimate indices to projected warming temperature and increased precipitation under CMIP6 for a sub-arctic basin

Study regionOulujoki River basin- Inland sub-Arctic. Study focusUnderstanding the impact of projected accelerated warming and increasing precipitation in the Arctic and sub-Arctic is crucial. This study examines how these changes will reshape the hydroclimatic dynamics of the inland sub-Arctic river basin, using cold climate and precipitation indices derived from statistically downscaled General Circulation Models. New hydrological insights for the regionThe results show an increase in precipitation indices, with mid-century primarily dominated by scenarios SSP1–2.6 and SSP3–7.0. Under SSP5–8.5, precipitation magnitude and intensity steadily rise throughout the century. The projected increase in precipitation magnitudes, intensity, and extreme events are highly correlated with the increasing spring and summer precipitation, linking intensified and heavy precipitation events during these seasons under all future scenarios. Cold climate indices are projected to decrease with a shortened frost season by 3.3 months, advance in spring freshet by 1.5 months under SSP5–8.5, and a drastic decline in cold spell duration index in all scenarios, indicating a lack of supercooling events. These decreasing indices are strongly correlated with warming temperatures with a Pearson correlation coefficient reaching 0.84 under SSP5–8.5. The findings also highlight the limitations of the CMIP6 ensemble in capturing extreme values, as extreme climate indices were not statistically significant. This study thus contributes to the broader understanding of climate dynamics and their potential impacts on cold regions.

Smoke movement and stratification of tunnel fires under coupled effects of rainfall and ventilation

This study investigates the smoke movement and stratification characteristics of tunnel fires under coupled effects of rainfall and ventilation through a series of reduced-scale tests. Results show that the smoke movement is affected by both ventilation and rainfall-induced airflow. The smoke tends to move downstream of the dominant airflow. As the increase in ventilation velocity, the height of the downstream smoke layer decreases. Conversely, as the rainfall intensity increases, the height of the upstream smoke layer decreases. Forced shear airflow consistently disrupts the smoke stratification downstream of the flow for both ventilation airflow and rainfall-induced airflow. A strong ventilation although capable of controlling smoke downstream, it may destroy the downstream smoke stratification. Compared to critical velocity, the confinement velocity is more suitable for tunnel smoke control as it maintains the stability of downstream smoke and thus can be applied in the early stage of fires. The confinement velocity is found to be 0.73 times the critical velocity. A model of the confinement velocity under the effect of rainfall is established. Findings are helpful in emergency rescue and evacuation of tunnel fires under rainfall conditions.

Effects of thermal desorption temperature up to 500°C on the thermophysical properties and fertility of soil in organic-contaminated sites

High-temperature thermal desorption is effective for remediating organic-contaminated sites, but its damage to soil functions and high energy consumption raise concerns. In this work, the variation of fertility indicators of two soils with thermal treatment temperature was investigated experimentally. To overcome the difficulties in measuring soil thermophysical properties under sealing and high-temperature conditions, two apparatus matching with the Hot Disk device were established and by which massive data were measured. The results show that, as temperature rises up to 500°C, the combustion and decomposition of organic components and soil minerals gradually enhance, leading to a decrease in most fertility indicators, but an increase in grain size and pH. Available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium decrease with temperature rise first, but increase over 400°C. Soil thermal conductivity and specific heat are positively correlated with temperature and water content. Water diffusion will intensify over 40∼60°C, leading to an intense increase in soil thermal conductivity. The results are expected to provide data basis and theoretical guidance for the comprehensive consideration of remediation effects, land reuse, and energy consumption in practical applications of thermal desorption remediation.

Carbohydrate storage in cells: a laboratory activity for the assessment of glycogen stores in biological tissues.

Carbohydrates and fats constitute our primary energy sources. The importance of each of these energy substrates varies across cell types and physiological conditions. For example, the brain normally relies almost exclusively on glucose oxidation, whereas skeletal muscle shifts from lipids toward higher carbohydrate oxidation rates as exercise intensity increases. Understanding how carbohydrates are stored in our cells and which tissues contain significant carbohydrate stores is crucial for health professionals, especially given the role of carbohydrate metabolism in various pathophysiological conditions. This laboratory activity uses a simple and low-cost iodine binding method to quantify glycogen in mouse skeletal muscle and liver samples. By integrating the results of this activity with literature data, students can determine overall glycogen storage in the human body. The primary goal of the activity is to enhance students' understanding of the importance and limitations of glycogen stores in energy metabolism.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Carbohydrates are one of the primary energy sources utilized by our cells. Liver and skeletal muscle glycogen, which are the main carbohydrate reserves in the body, play a central role in energy metabolism, especially during periods of fasting and exercise. In this laboratory activity, students measure glycogen levels in tissues to gain insights into how carbohydrates are stored in our cells and understand the role and limitations of liver and muscle carbohydrate stores.

Research on magnetic flux leakage testing of pipelines by finite element simulation combined with artificial neural network

Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) testing technology is widely employed in non-destructive testing of pipelines, and the analysis of leakage signals plays a crucial role in assessing pipelinea safety. This paper introduces a novel approach for MFL testing, which combines finite element simulation with artificial neural networks. First, a finite element model for MFL testing of defects is established, the influence of magnetization states on MFL signals is discussed, and the variation of signal extremum with magnetization intensity is analyzed. Next, suitable MFL signal features are selected to focus on the relationship between defect types, defect sizes, and these features. Finally, a kernel extreme learning machine (KELM) predictive model is developed to classify defect types and predict defect sizes. The results indicate that as magnetization intensity increases, the magnetization process of the pipeline can be divided into a nonlinear growth phase and a linear phase, with MFL signal extremum rapidly increasing and then gradually growing linearly. Different geometric features of defects correspond to distinct distributions of MFL signals, effectively reflecting variations in defect types and sizes. Compared to traditional ELM models, the KELM model achieves higher prediction accuracy and stable performance, with the radial basis kernel function significantly enhancing the generalization and predictive capabilities of the neural network.

Study on the Microstructure and Properties of Al Alloy/Steel CMT Welding–Brazing Joints Under Different Pulse Magnetic Field Intensities

Butt welding experiments on 6061 Al alloy and Q235B steel of 2 mm thickness were conducted using an ER4047F flux-cored wire as the filler metal, after adding a pulsed magnetic field into the process of cold metal transfer (CMT) welding. The effect of the pulsed magnetic field intensity on the macro morphology, microstructure, tensile strength and corrosion resistance of the welding–brazing joint was analyzed. The results showed that when the pulsed magnetic field intensity increased from 0 to 60 mT, the wettability and spreadability of the liquid metal were improved. As a result, the appearance of the Al alloy/steel joint was nice. However, when the pulsed magnetic field intensity was 80 mT, the stability of the arc and the forming quality of the joint decreased, which resulted in a deterioration in the appearance of the joint. A pulsed magnetic field with different intensities did not alter the microstructure of the joint. All of the joint was composed of θ-Fe2(Al,Si)5 and τ5-Al7.2Fe1.8Si at the interface and Al-Si eutectic phase and α-Al solid solution at the weld seam zone. Actually, with the pulsed magnetic field intensity increasing from 0 mT to 60 mT, the IMC thickness in the interfacial layer gradually reduced under the action of electromagnetic stirring. Also, the grain in the weld seam was refined, and elements were distributed uniformly. But when the pulsed magnetic field intensity was 80 mT, the grain in the weld seam began to coarsen, and the intermetallic compound (IMC) thickness was too small, which was unfavorable for the metallurgical bonding of Al alloy and steel. Therefore, with the increase in pulsed magnetic field intensity, the tensile strength of the joints first increased and then decreased, and it reached its maximum of 187.7 MPa with a pulsed magnetic field intensity of 60 mT. Similarly, the corrosion resistance of the joint first increased and then decreased, and it was best when the pulse magnetic field intensity was 60 mT. The Nyquist plot and Bode plot confirmed this result. The addition of a pulsed magnetic field caused less fluctuation in the anode current density, resulting in less localized corrosion of the joint using the scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET). The XPS analysis showed the Al-Fe-Si compounds replacing the Fe-Al compounds in the joint was the main reason for improving its corrosion resistance under the action of a pulsed magnetic field.

Spectroscopic Analysis of Tryptophan as a Potential Optical Biomarker for Estimating the Time of Death

The estimation of the time of death represents a highly complex and challenging task within the field of forensic medicine and science. It is essential to approach this matter with the utmost respect for human rights while acknowledging the inherent limitations of the current methods, which require continuous refinement and expansion. Forensic science recognizes the necessity to improve existing techniques and develop new, more accurate, and non-invasive procedures, such as physicochemical approaches, to enhance the precision and reliability of time of death determinations. This article proposes a novel, non-invasive method for estimating the time of death using a spectroscopic analysis of tryptophan. The initial phase of the study concerns the presentation of the spectroscopic properties of tryptophan at varying pH levels, with consideration given to the pH fluctuations that occur during the decomposition of cadavers. The findings confirm the stability of the spectroscopic properties at different environmental pH levels. Subsequently, preliminary trials were conducted on 15 healthy human volunteers, which demonstrated that tryptophan concentrations in fingerprint samples were within the detection limits using molecular spectroscopy techniques. The final objective was to ascertain whether the composition of the substance present on the skin surface of a deceased individual up to 48 h postmortem is comparable to that of the sweat–fatty substance in living individuals. This was confirmed by the absorption and emission spectral profiles, which showed overlapping patterns with those obtained from living volunteers. The most significant outcome at this stage was the demonstration of a considerable increase in emission intensity in the spectra for samples obtained approximately 48 h after death in comparison to that obtained from a sample taken approximately 24 h after death. This indicates a rise in the concentration of tryptophan on the skin surface as the postmortem interval (PMI) increases, which could serve as a basis for developing a tool to estimate the time of death.

Status quo bias with choice overload

This paper proposes a model that parsimoniously captures evidence on status quo bias, the reference effect and choice overload. Choice overload is behaviorally defined as an increase in intensity of status quo bias when the menu enlarges. Our decision maker follows a two-step procedure by first limiting consideration to the alternatives that weakly dominate the status quo according to a menu-dependent list of attributes, and then maximizing preference over this subset with tie breaking in favor of the status quo. Choice overload is generated by the key feature that the list of attributes is increasing in menu size. An axiomatic characterization and three applications are provided. In particular, a policy maker has to nudge the agent through a series of small changes in her choice problems. An incumbent firm can deter entry by exploiting choice overload, while an entrant firm can introduce new product more efficiently using information on attention.