Inhomogeneous Structure Research Articles

Nuclei as mechanical bumpers during epithelial remodeling.

The morphogenesis of developing tissues relies on extensive cellular rearrangements in shape, position, and identity. A key process in reshaping tissues is cell intercalation-driven elongation, where epithelial cells align and intercalate along a common axis. Typically, analyses focus on how peripheral cortical forces influence cell shape changes. Less attention is given to how inhomogeneities in internal structures, particularly the nucleus, impact cell shaping. Here, we examine how pulsed contractile and extension dynamics interact with the nucleus in elongating Drosophila embryos. Our data show that tightly packed nuclei in apical layers hinder tissue remodeling/oscillatory behaviors. We identify two mechanisms for resolving internuclear tensions: nuclear deformation and dispersion. Embryos with non-deformable nuclei use nuclear dispersion to maintain near-normal extensile rates, while those with non-dispersible nuclei due to microtubule inhibition exhibit disruptions in contractile behaviors. Disrupting both mechanisms leads to severe tissue extension defects and cell extrusion. These findings highlight the critical role of nuclear shape and positioning in topological remodeling of epithelia.

Tracking research on the performance changes of S31042 steel under long term service

S31042 is widely used in ultra-supercritical units due to its excellent comprehensive performance at high temperatures. Tracking and monitoring research was conducted on as-received S31042 tubes and tubes in service for 13k hours, 31k hours, and 52k hours at 650 °C. The results show that as the service time increased, a large quantity of M23C6 phase precipitated along the grain boundaries, gathered and grew up into the bulk. This weakened of the grain boundaries, which facilitated crack propagation and significantly reduced the plasticity and toughness of the S31042 heat-resistant steel. After 13k hours of operation, the dispersion strengthening of the precipitated phase inside the grain and grain boundary led to a substantial increase in hardness, while there was no obvious change in strength. However, after 52k hours of operation, the dispersed precipitated phase within the grain slowly aggregated and grew, decreasing the effectiveness of dispersion strengthening. Consequently, both the high-temperature strength and hardness of the S31042 steel gradually decreased. As the service time increased, the continuously distributed and similarly sized M23C6 phases on the grain boundaries of S31042 developed into an inhomogeneous coarsening chain structure. Additionally, the appearance of nanoscale secondary NbCrN and M23C6 phases within the grain and their resulting precipitation strengthening effects were the main reasons for the significant change in S31042 hardness values. Based on these findings, the residual life of S31042 heat-resistant steel in service was predicted using an extrapolation method based on high-temperature creep rupture tests and the relationship model between hardness and the P function. A comparison of the L-M parametric life prediction results with the strength extrapolation life prediction results based on the standard creep rupture test shows that the creep rupture strength extrapolation method is slightly conservative. Therefore, the prediction results based on the hardness L-M parameter method, which is simple and easy to perform, can be used for preliminary life prediction.

Multi-scale inhomogeneity and anomalous mechanical response of nanoscale metallic glass pillar by cryogenic thermal cycling

The mechanical responses and structure variations of Ta80Co20 nanoscale metallic glass (MG) film samples upon cryogenic thermal cycling (CTC) treatment were studied. The simultaneous improvements of strength and deformation ability bring about a super-high strength of 4.5 GPa and a large plastic strain of about 80% after CTC treatment. The significant increase in inter-element bonding and hardness makes the activation and percolation of shear transformation zones to be more difficult and delays the yielding event, leading to the ultra-high strength. Although the TaCo MG pillar reaches a relaxation energy state, the micro- and nanoscale inhomogeneities remain induced by the local densely packed units along with crystal-like ordering embedded in the matrix. The multi-scale inhomogeneity can effectively hinder the sliding of the shear bands and improve their propagation stability, which is considered to be the origin of its excellent plasticity. Our study reveals another prospect of CTC treatment on nanoscale MG samples of constructing an anomalous inhomogeneous structure and obtaining simultaneous enhancement of strength and plasticity. Graphical abstract

Mitigating Band Tailing in Kesterite Solar Absorbers: Ab Initio Quantum Dynamics.

Open-circuit voltage deficits are limiting factors in kesterite solar cells. Addressing this issue by suppressing band tailing and nonradiative charge recombination is essential for enhancing the performance. We employ ab initio nonadiabatic molecular dynamics to elucidate the origin of band tailing and charge losses and propose a mitigation strategy. The simulations show that Cu-Zn disorder, associated with antisite defect clusters [CuZn+ZnCu], is a significant source of band tailing in kesterites, as evidenced by the much larger Urbach energy in disordered than ordered kesterites. Cu-Zn disorder gives rise to new sulfur-centered coordination polyhedra, increases structural inhomogeneity, changes electrostatic potential at sulfur centers, and shifts the S(3p) orbital energy. Differences in the S(3p)/Cu(3d) and S(3p)/Sn(5s) hybridization strengths and the S(3p) orbital energy shift reduce the band gap by 0.37 eV. Furthermore, Cu-Zn disorder enhances vibrational motion of sulfur anions and surrounding cations, increasing band gap fluctuations by 15 meV. The stronger electron-phonon interactions reduce charge carrier lifetimes and limit the kesterite solar cell efficiency. Partial substitution of Zn with Cd facilitates structural ordering and significantly suppresses band tailing, particularly in disordered systems. The improvement can be attributed to the larger atomic radius and mass of Cd, which weakens bonding around the anion, suppresses S-related vibrations within the covalent tetrahedra, and reduces nonadiabatic coupling, thereby increasing charge carrier lifetimes. The reported results establish the key influence of cation disorder on band tailing and reduced charge carrier lifetimes in kesterites and highlight cation disorder engineering as a strategy to achieve high-efficiency kesterite solar cells.

Possible structures of skyrmion states in chiral ferromagnetic films with spatially modulated uniaxial anisotropy.

In this paper, the stabilization conditions, structure, and properties of possible vortex-like inhomogeneities, including kπ-skyrmions k = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, in a uniaxial multilayer disk with a columnar defect in the center are investigated based on micromagnetic modeling. Their stability diagrams depending on the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, the magnitude of magnetic anisotropy and the defect parameters are determined. New types of vortex-like inhomogeneities that can arise in such samples are found. The obtained data can be used to create artificial regions of nucleation, capture and pinning of magnetic skyrmions, which can provide greater reliability of data storage in spintronic logical devices.&#xD.

Temporally and spatially segregated discretization for a coupled electromechanical myocardium model

Abstract In this paper, we propose a novel temporally and spatially segregated numerical scheme to discretize the coupled electromechanical model of myocardium. We perform several numerical experiments with activation of a myocardial slab with structural inhomogeneity and evaluate the dependence of numerical errors on the size of spatial and temporal discretization steps. In our study, we show that the spatial step for the mechanical equations h m ⩽2.5 mm yields reasonable results with noticeable errors only in the region of myocardial inhomogeneity. We also show that time step τ m ⩽1 ms can be used for temporal discretization of mechanical equations, and the propagation velocity of the activation and contraction fronts differs from the reference one by no more than 1.3%for such time step. Finally, we show that the increase of time discretization steps of the mechanical equations τ m and the monodomain equation τ e leads to phase errors with opposite signs, and we can compensate these errors by tuning the relationship between the time steps.

Fractional-order modeling of myocardium structure effects on atrial fibrillation electrograms

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia with mechanisms of initiation and sustaining that are not fully understood. The clinical procedure for AF contemplates the analysis of the atrial electrograms, whose morphology has been correlated with the underlying structure of the atrial myocardium. This study employs a mathematical model incorporating fractional calculus to simulate cardiac electrical conduction, accounting for tissue structural inhomogeneities using complex-valued orders. Simulations of different wavefront propagation patterns were performed, and virtual electrograms were analyzed using an asymmetry factor. Our results evinced that the shapes of the action potential and the propagating wavefront can be modulated through the fractional order under both healthy and AF conditions. Moreover, the asymmetry factor changes with variations in the fractional order. For a given propagation pattern under AF conditions, variation intervals for the asymmetry factor can be generated by forming sets of simulations with different configurations for the fractional order, representing diverse samples of atrial tissue with varying degrees of structural heterogeneity. This approach successfully reproduces the electrogram negative deflection predominance seen in AF patients, which standard integer-order models cannot predict. Our fractional-order conduction model aligns with the effects of atrial structure on the electrical dynamics observed in clinical AF. Therefore, it offers a valuable tool for studying cardiac electrophysiology, encompassing both electrical and structural interactions of the tissue within a unified model.

Effect of NaCl replacement by other salt mixtures on myofibrillar proteins: Underlining protein structure, gel formation, and chewing properties.

The protein structure, gel changes, and chewing properties of low-sodium myofibrillar protein (MP) prepared by compound chloride salts (KCl/MgCl2, KCl/CaCl2, and KCl/MgCl2/CaCl2) and different substitution degrees (10%, 25%, and 40%) at same ionic strength (0.6M) were investigated. The results revealed that the low-sodium MP gels containing CaCl2 manifested more liquid loss and less moisture content accompanied by obvious morphological shrinkage, while KCl/MgCl2 contributed to the gel juiciness. At high substitution degree of 40%, KCl/CaCl2 substitution rendered the gel with dense structure and highest strength, but worse water retention capacity. Using other compound chloride salts influenced the chewing efficiency, and CaCl2 substitution made the gel relatively hard to chew. The inhomogeneous structure accompanied by cluster blocks in KCl/CaCl2-substituted MP gel accelerated the overall fracture rate. During heating process, more proteins in CaCl2-substituted MP did not participate in gel formation, intervening the final gel properties. The chloride salt mixtures containing MgCl2, rather than CaCl2, avoided or alleviated the liquid loss and shrinkage of low-sodium MP gel within the substitution degree of 10%-40%, and substitution degree not exceeding 25% was more reasonable for the controlled qualities.

Dynamic stress analysis of circular cavity in density inhomogeneous multi-layer soil structures containing a canyon

Dynamic stress analysis of circular cavity in density inhomogeneous multi-layer soil structures containing a canyon

Topological laws of the Rayleigh wave scattering on a statistical inhomogeneity of isotropic solid in the Rayleigh limit

Topological laws of the Rayleigh wave scattering on a statistical inhomogeneity of isotropic solid are obtained theoretically in the Rayleigh limit. They are completely defined by the inhomogeneity structure and include the Rayleigh law of scattering as a particular case. They violate the Rayleigh law in the case of a more general inhomogeneity topology, then the Rayleigh one. It enables first to construct theoretically arbitrary spectrum of scattering up to its oscillations and a strong angular anisotropy.

On the classical approach to describing the diffusion of cosmic rays in a turbulent medium

The inhomogeneous structure of the interstellar medium (ISM) is characterized by largescale fluctuations that significantly affect the cosmic ray propagation process. Accounting for this influence can not only lead to adjustments in the diffusion process parameters but even to pass from differential operators to integral ones. The most crucial characteristics of a turbulent medium is its power spectrum. Including appropriate approximations of this spectrum allows us to consider this problem in the framework of the traditional diffusion approach [1, 2]. This article explores the analytical representations of this spectrum applied in the cosmic ray transfer theory, including the four-parameter Uchaikin—Zolotarev approximation, derived from the generalized Ornstein—Zernike equation. Testing of the latter revealed that, with carefully chosen parameters, it accurately replicates numerical modeling results both in the inertial interval and beyond. Therefore, it can be effectively employed in addressing cosmic ray transfer issues within a turbulent interstellar medium.

Enhancing the strength-ductility synergy of dual-phase Al0.3CoCrFeNiTi0.3 high-entropy alloys through the regulation of B2 phase content

In this study, Al0.3CoCrFeNiTi0.3 high-entropy alloys (HEAs) with different phase contents and microstructures were prepared through cold rolling and recrystallization annealing. This method achieved a synergistic combination of strength and ductility, with the CR1000-1 HEA attaining an ultimate tensile strength of 1175 MPa and a uniform elongation of 21.5 %. In Al0.3CoCrFeNiTi0.3, there exist two distinct phase morphologies: dispersed structure and clustered structure. Using in-situ high-resolution digital image correlation at the microscale, it was observed that local strain in the dispersed structure tends to concentrate along the phase boundaries when a small strain is applied. As the applied strain increases, strain rapidly concentrates in the FCC phase and subsequently in the B2 phase. For the clustered structure, the strain initially concentrates rapidly within the B2 phase and then gradually diffuses into the FCC phase. The low degree of inhomogeneity of the dispersed structure reduces the likelihood of stress concentration and the risk of damage initiation. Furthermore, we observed the synergistic strain hardening effect produced by various deformation mechanisms, such as dislocation pile-ups, dislocation networks, interacting stacking faults, and deformation twins. This study provides valuable insights for the fabrication of dual-phase HEAs with enhanced strength-ductility synergy, applicable to a wide range of engineering applications.

The evolution of morphology and structure of spin-coated Zinc Acetate thin films and their impact on ZnO film morphology

The deposition of ZnO thin films using sol-gel technology is a straight forward and widely used method for fabricating ZnO films with diverse morphologies and tunable electrical and optical properties. Notably, the preparation of ZnO compact layers from a zinc acetate and monoethanolamine (ZA:MEA) solution via spin-coating has gained popularity due to its simplicity. The pretreatment of spin-coated ZA:MEA films significantly impacts the morphology and structure of the resulting ZnO films. While the effects of preheating and its rate on ZnO precursor films have been extensively studied, the morphological and structural evolution of ZA:MEA films immediately after spin-coating and its subsequent impact on the final ZnO film have not been previously explored. In this study, we present the topography and phase composition of as-grown ZA:MEA films using atomic force microscopy (AFM). We conduct an in-situ investigation of the morphological evolution of ZA:MEA films. Our results reveal that as-grown ZA:MEA films possess an inhomogeneous structure. AFM phase image shows two distinct domains in the ZA:MEA films. Over time, we observe the growth of crystals in both vertical and perpendicular directions. ZA:MEA film aged for at least 20 h develops arrays of vertically oriented crystals throughout the film covered with sheet-like crystals forming on the film surface. This temporal evolution in the morphology and structure of ZA:MEA films significantly influences the morphology of the final ZnO film.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ТЕХНОЛОГІЧНОЇ ПОШКОДЖЕНОСТІ БЕТОНУ

The article deals with the issue of obtaining building materials and equipment with specified quality parameters with reduced material consumption. It is shown that one of the possible ways to reduce the material density of structural building materials is the use of fillers. In this article, considering concrete as a structural material, it is stated that it is the formation of the structure or product that is difficult to control its quantitative and qualitative parameters, but it is practically possible only after receiving the finished product or structure. Properties of the structure are determined as individual properties of all subsystems (concrete, reinforcement), and changes in these properties during structural interactions. In turn, the construction material (concrete) is a subsystem that consists of characteristic structural inhomogeneities. Since the composition of concrete affects the structure, strength characteristics and deformable properties of reinforced concrete structures operating under the influence of external influences, there is a need for a more thorough study of it and the determination of optimal components in order to ensure the operational reliability of structures. During the technological processing of concrete into products, at all levels of structural in homogeneities in the material, technological cracks appear, which, being the structural parameters of concrete, determine the damage of structures, and thus their operational reliability. Research has established that technological damage significantly affects the strength and deformation properties of concrete.

Determination of Dynamic Stresses and Displacements under the Action of an Impact Load on a Two-Layer Structure during the Indentation Process

Introduction. Numerous researchers of the reliability of building structures pay attention to hardness, an important characteristic of the structural material. It is determined by indentation — pressing the tip of the tool into the surface. The advantages of dynamic indentation methods and the distribution of stress intensity on the surface and inside the sample are investigated. However, the condition of layered materials on impact has been poorly studied. The objective of the presented work is to consider indentation for a two-layer sample and determine the sensitivity of the top layer to the strength of the substrate. This will allow us to identify significant characteristics of the strength properties of homogeneous and heterogeneous structures.Materials and Methods. An elastoplastic model of material behavior and a shock indentation scheme were used, which took into account the masses of the indenter and the striker coupled by linear springs. The surface of the indenter was conical, the opening angle was 120°. The impact was simulated in the MATLAB system. Finite element model in Ansys APDL was used to verify the data and analyze the results of the experiment. Traditional models of elasticity theory were used for calculations. The behavior of the material in the zone of plastic deformation was described using the options of multilinear isotropic hardening and the von Mises plasticity criterion.Results. The results of comparing three versions of varying the level of yield strength in the bottom layer are presented: when the yield strength in the bottom layer is half as high as the top one, equal to it, and twice as high. Displacements at different observation points for samples with a top layer of 2 mm and 1 mm were analyzed. In the first case, under horizontal shear, the displacement indices inside the sample did not change if the yield strength level was twice lower or higher than in the top one. If these indicators were equal, the difference became noticeable. In the second case (layer 1 mm), the difference in displacement was visible at all observation points. Thus, it can be reasonably concluded that a structure with a smaller top layer is more sensitive to impact. In the course of the research, it became known that vibrations associated with the transition to the plasticity zone occurred in the 2 mm zone, and elastic damping vibrations occurred below this zone. We solved the classification problem for the top layer of the material with changing characteristics of the base. The indicator for comparison was the Brinell hardness (HB) in the range of 200–600. The results were processed using a neural network and visualized in the form of graphs. The accuracy of its calculations was 98%.Discussion and Conclusion. To determine the strength properties of homogeneous structures, it is sufficient to characterize the speed of displacement inside the sample. For an inhomogeneous structure, additional parameters should be introduced — displacements on the surface and inside the sample at fixed observation points. An integrated approach to determining the strength properties of an inhomogeneous structure improves the accuracy of calculations, and the use of neural networks increases their speed.

Research of light diffraction on electrically controlled multiplexed multilayer inhomogeneous holographic diffraction structures based on the photopolymerizing compositions with nematic liquid crystals

We presented the developed analytical model of optical radiation diffraction on multiplexed multilayer inhomogeneous diffraction structures formed by the holographic method in photopolymerizing compositions with nematic liquid crystals having smooth optical heterogeneity in the thickness of the layers. By numerical calculation, it was shown that when using an applied electric field with different polarities to the diffraction layers, as well as varying the azimuth of the polarization of the reading beam, the angular selectivity of the diffracted beam can be transformed with a significant shift in angular selectivity, which makes it possible to increase the spectral bandwidth by 4 times compared to conventional multilayer diffraction structures.

Multiscale modelling strategy for predicting fatigue performance of welded joints

This study predicts the fatigue performance of welded joints through a multiscale modelling strategy accounting for material and structural inhomogeneities. An S-N curve and detailed fracture surfaces with distinct beach marks were first derived by uniaxial fatigue tests utilising the designed cruciform welded joints. Considering the intrinsic features of welded joints, a multiscale modelling strategy was proposed to integrate multiple factors, including microstructural variations, strength distributions within the heat-affected zone (HAZ), and the diversity of three-dimensional weld toe shapes. Significantly, a modelling strategy was presented for the first time to simulate the simultaneous initiation, growth, and coalescence of multiple cracks, and was validated against experimental evidence. The results indicate that the proposed strategy can accurately predict both the fatigue strength and the overall crack growth process. Additionally, comparative assessments of single-crack and multiple-crack modelling strategies revealed notably shorter predicted fatigue lives when considering crack coalescence. Overall, this work establishes a multiscale framework for assessing the fatigue performance of welded joints considering both microscopic and macroscopic factors, offering substantial practical implications for engineering applications.

Study on the damage of Zr63.5Cu23Al9Fe4.5 amorphous and crystalline alloys by Fe, He ions beam irradiation

In order to study the physical mechanism of the effect of complex fusion irradiation environment on Zr-based amorphous alloys, simultaneous irradiation with Fe and He ions was performed on Zr63.5Cu23Al9Fe4.5 amorphous and crystalline alloys at room temperature. Single Fe ions irradiation and single He ions irradiation were used for comparison to investigate the influence of synergistic effects as well as intrinsic structural differences on irradiation-induced microstructural evolution and mechanical properties. It was been found that the irradiated amorphous alloys maintained its amorphous structure without nanocrystallization or elemental segregation. However, the irradiated region of the crystalline alloys experienced full amorphization, forming amorphous structure with bright contrast (Al-rich) and dark contrast (Cu-rich or Fe-rich). Under single He ions irradiation and simultaneous Fe+He ions irradiation conditions, He bubbles generated in both amorphous and crystalline alloys, where He bubbles in amorphous alloys distributed homogeneously, while the Cu-rich region of crystalline alloys exhibited larger sizes of He bubbles. Compared to single He ions irradiation, the size of He bubbles was larger, the atomic arrangement was more disordered (for amorphous alloys) and the element distribution was more homogeneous (for crystalline alloys) after simultaneous irradiation. Compared to single Fe ions irradiation, simultaneous irradiation induced slightly greater swelling. After irradiation, obvious softening was observed in both alloys, and the hardness of amorphous alloys was as follows: unirradiated > single He ions irradiation ≈ single Fe ions irradiation ≈ simultaneous Fe+He ions irradiation, while that of crystalline alloys was as follows: unirradiated > single He ions irradiation > single Fe ions irradiation ≈ simultaneous Fe+He ions irradiation. The serrated flow behavior of amorphous alloys weakened and the deformation was more homogeneous. As a result of irradiation-induced amorphization, serrated flow phenomenon also occurred in crystalline alloys, however, this type of inhomogeneous amorphous structure showed much weaker serrated flow behavior than the homogeneous amorphous structure. This study provides a deeper understanding of the irradiation damage mechanism of Zr-based amorphous alloys in complex irradiation environments.

Advancing laser transmission welding for additive manufacturing: A study of glass fiber reinforced polypropylene parts

Laser transmission welding (LTW) is a well-established technique for joining high-volume thermoplastic parts, such as automotive injection molded parts. For low-volume, prototype, and custom production, additive manufacturing is an emerging technology for producing complex thermoplastic parts. When compared to injection molding, the additive manufacturing process fused filament fabrication (FFF) results in an inhomogeneous structure with entrapped air within the volume. Additionally, the presence of short glass fibers in the polymer matrix leads to higher radiation scattering during the welding process. This paper presents a fundamental study of the weldability of additively manufactured fiber-reinforced parts. The specimens were fabricated using a FFF process with glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene (GF-PP). The study investigates the influence of layer thickness and line width of the FFF process on the optical transmittance. LTW-experiments were conducted using additively manufactured uncolored and black GF-PP samples. Lap shear test specimens were welded with a different energy per unit length. This research presents a process for welding additively manufactured GF-PP parts that can be used with optimized FFF-parameters to produce high-strength and durable prototypes or spare parts for the automotive industry. This research provides valuable insights into the process parameters and considerations required to achieve robust welds in additively manufactured thermoplastic parts, facilitating broader adoption of LTW in additive manufacturing contexts.

Advancing sustainable practices: Transient plane source methodology for analyzing thermophysical properties and enhancement wood as a thermal insulator

The research aims on thermophysical properties of an ancient silver fir wood using transient plane heat source method in three directions of wood defined under isotropic environment. Crucial parameters studied at room temperature include thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal effusivity. Analysis of measured thermal responses were done with respect to the full range of time window interval and shortened interval chosen for fitting by model. The depth of heat penetration was investigated with an emphasis on the criteria for evaluating the thermal response published literature (Boháč et al., 2000). The findings support the challenges and understanding of the interaction of wood's orthogonality loaded when interacting with different heating powers (25, 40, 50, 70) (m W) with time (s). The inhomogeneous structure for different levels of thermal energy provided valuable insights into the complex nature of wood and essential for applications requiring heat management such as preservation, construction, material engineering, in specific direction of wood structure.