Physical Breakdown Research Articles

Understanding Electrochemical and Mechanical Durability of Bipolar Membranes Used in Electrodialysis

Using renewable energy to drive direct carbon capture systems is a powerful way to contribute to net negative emissions. When using liquid alkaline sorbents for CO2 direct air capture, it is critical to reduce the energy demand for CO2 concentration and sorbent regeneration. Electrodialysis is an ideal candidate technology to integrate renewable energy into this process, however, to enable this ion-exchange membrane separators that can operate at high ion flux and low voltage are needed. Bipolar membranes (BPMs), that generate protons and hydroxide ions from the dissociation of water when operated in reverse bias, are the enabling component to generate acid and base in electrodialysis systems. Bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPMED) uses a BPM to create acidifying and basifying chambers which are well suited to concentrate and release CO2 and concentrate the remaining alkaline effluent to cycle back to the capture process. Current BPM durability, however, sufferers at high current density (ion flux) and physical scale. BPMs have several known degradation mechanisms including chemical breakdown of ion exchange polymers, loss of junction adhesion, or physical breakdown due to shearing force and pressure swings in an electrodialysis cell.To assess the electrochemical and mechanical durability of BPMs under operational conditions, we investigated how fabrication conditions (including preconditioning, hot pressing, and catalyst loading) impact the adhesion of custom made BPMs. T-peel studies were performed ex-situ to quantify adhesive forces of BPMs made of different compositions and prepared under different conditions, and BPMED experiments were performed to assess the electrochemical performance of the corresponding BPMs. The BPMED results show that, while adhesion is necessary to physically maintain the BPM junction, mechanical adhesion alone cannot overcome poor ion and water transport management at the water dissociation junction. The results of this systematic comparison indicate that in order for BPMs to operate at high current densities, high adhesion forces made during fabrication of BPMs will need to be balanced with water dissociation kinetics and ion/water transport through the individual membrane layers.

Design and Fabrication of Cost-Effective Composting for Easy Decomposing of Home Wastes

The primary objective is to develop a Household waste Decomposer that not only composting thee kitchen waste but also ensures quick decomposition while minimizing odors. Our design integrates innovative features, such as a compact and user-friendly composting unit, utilizing a controlled aeration system to accelerate the composting process. This aeration system promotes optimal conditions for microbial activity, enhancing the breakdown of organic matter Another one method added to using decomposer sand. Decomposition sand is a biological process that includes the physical breakdown and biochemical transformation of complex organic molecules of dead material into simpler organic and inorganic molecules. There are two effective system used in Household waste Decomposer. This composting process create a bad smell , so that we are using high suction power exhaust fan. In this suction fans is pull a Odorant particles throw out to the atmospheric air Food waste and decomposer sand ismixed well before pouring in top of the hopper. Food waste and decomposer mixer breakdown the particles like (leaf and tomato and other kitchen veg, waste food) using grinding method Traditional composting methods are slow decomposing and high level of odor form. Now odor free decomposer and quick decomposer at a same time cost effective home decomposing.Household waste Decomposer suitable for trace garden

Physical breakdown of CH4 hydrate under stress: a molecular dynamics simulation study

As a solid energy source, CH4 hydrate will inevitably break down physically as the result of geological movement or exploitation. Here, the molecular dynamics method was employed to simulate the uniaxial-deformation behavior of structure I (sI type) CH4 hydrate under stress. The stress increases regardless of whether the hydrate is stretched or squeezed, and other physical parameters also changed, such as hydrate cage numbers, order parameters, and the number of water molecules. A noticeable difference is observed between the two systems. Upon stretching, the stress immediately recovers to 0 GPa once the hydrate is completely stretched apart. During the squeeze process, the stress is ultimately not zero since solid and liquid are always in contact. When the hydrate is stretched apart, about 5% of water molecules change from solid to liquid, about 7.8% of CH4 molecules lose their shelter and become free due to the disintegration of water cages. While in the squeezing process, large cages (51262) are crushed more easily than small cages (512); in the end, about 93.5% of large cages and 73% of small cages are crushed, and approximately 87.5% CH4 is released from the cages. In mining CH4 hydrates, caution must be exercised, as if the hydrates break as a result of stress, a large release of CH4 may pose a security risk.

Current Development and Application on Inclusion of Herbal Phytochemicals in Novel Herbal Drug Delivery System

Abstract: Herbal phytochemicals as secondary metabolites are present in herbal medicines. Herbal medicines can be used to treat a wide range of illnesses and diseases. The Novel herbal drug delivery system approach includes transfersomes, ethosomes, microspheres, phytosomes, liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and nanocapsules. The novel herbal drug delivery systems have several benefits over conventional herbal remedies. Herbal medicines are less expensive and have fewer serious side effects than generic medications. The novel herbal drug delivery systems have several benefits over conventional herbal remedies. These include improved solubility and bioavailability, protection from side effects, improved pharmacological action, increased stability, better delivery to tissue macrophages, consistent delivery, and defense against active ingredients' physical and chemical breakdown. There is a need for a novel method of active components of drugs to apply on target organs or sites of the human body to avoid repeated administration of dosage forms and enhance patient adherence. Scientists have tried to focus on advanced mechanisms or processes for delivering herbal components into the human body. Novel Herbal Drug Delivery System helps to boost drug efficacy by lessening side effects and enhancing the blood level of the drug. Novel herbal formulations can reduce recurrent administration of medicines and noncompliance of patients.

Accessibility and Exhibit Safety: The Importance of Sensory Maps

Museum accessibility, through audio description services, sighted guides, sensory maps/guides/social narratives, and more, is an essential part of exhibit safety and design. In the past decade, more museums recognize the importance of trigger warnings (a trigger being a sensory experience that may cause mental or physical discomfort, overload, or breakdown) for flashing lights, noise content, and movement to ensure visitors with epilepsy, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), PTSD, and mobility devices remain safe. But while more museums are developing resources and programming for neurodiverse individuals, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), many still do not understand how sensory maps, an inclusive and easy-to-create resource, are critical to visitor safety. A sensory map is an annotated layout of an exhibit, gallery, or entire museum that identifies areas with high and low sensory stimulation and the type of stimulation. Sensory overload/overstimulation can put visitors, staff, and collections at risk; sensory maps alleviate this risk by allowing visitors to self-select in or out of experiences, and in doing so, prioritize their own mental and bodily wellbeing. Highlighting how sensory maps are critical for visitor, staff, and object safety encourages museum boards of directors to allocate funding to create these resources and to seek out more funding for tailored programming and exhibit experiences. I met with accessibility professionals from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Spy Museum, the Houston Museum of Art, and others to share their insights about how to create accessible sensory maps (physical and digital versions) and reach out to disabled communities.

Meta-analysis reveals that vertebrates enhance plant litter decomposition at the global scale.

Evidence is mounting that vertebrate defaunation greatly impacts global biogeochemical cycling. Yet, there is no comprehensive assessment of the potential vertebrate influence over plant decomposition, despite litter decay being one of the largest global carbon fluxes. We therefore conducted a global meta-analysis to evaluate vertebrate effects on litter mass loss and associated element release across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Here we show that vertebrates affected litter decomposition by various direct and indirect pathways, increasing litter mass loss by 6.7% on average, and up to 34.4% via physical breakdown. This positive vertebrate impact on litter mass loss was consistent across contrasting litter types (woody and non-woody), climatic regions (boreal, temperate and tropical), ecosystem types (aquatic and terrestrial) and vertebrate taxa, but disappeared when evaluating litter nitrogen and phosphorus release. Moreover, we found evidence of interactive effects between vertebrates and non-vertebrate decomposers on litter mass loss, and a larger influence of vertebrates at mid-to-late decomposition stages, contrasting with the invertebrate effect known to be strongest at early decomposition stage. Our synthesis demonstrates a global vertebrate control over litter mass loss, and further stresses the need to account for vertebrates when assessing the impacts of biodiversity loss on biogeochemical cycles.

Unlocking the Enigma of Cotard’s Syndrome: A Narrative Review of its Clinical Manifestations and Therapeutic Strategies

This narrative review explores Cotard’s Syndrome (CS), a rare psychiatric condition characterised by delusions of death or nonexistence, originally described by Jules Cotard in 1880. The syndrome presents a complex clinical picture, encompassing grandiosity, damnation, and physical breakdown. Despite its historical origins, CS remains poorly understood and often misdiagnosed. This review elucidates the clinical complexity, diagnostic challenges, and therapeutic strategies associated with CS. It highlights the neurological aspects, such as delusional misidentification and negation, shedding light on underlying mechanisms. Treatment approaches, including pharmacotherapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), and psychotherapy, are discussed, emphasising the importance of ongoing mental health support across the illness’s stages. The review draws from a comprehensive search methodology, encompassing diverse scholarly sources, to provide a nuanced understanding of CS. By increasing awareness among clinicians and researchers, this review aimed to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes for individuals affected by this enigmatic syndrome.

Twin Heart Meditation, Perceived Stress And Quality Of Life Among Nursing Professionals.

Abstract : Background:Nursing is a challenging profession where stress is a part of job. Long term productivity and quality of life can have a deleterious effect by prolonged stress. Structured Meditation sessions can help these professionals prevent physical and mental breakdown. Aim :Testing the effectiveness of Twin Heart Meditation in reducing perceived stress and improving quality of life of nursing professionals of Uttarakhand state.Materials and Methods: A quantitative quasi experimental two group pre test-post test research design was used for the study.200 nursing professionals selected after convenient sampling and grouped into experimental (n=100) and control group (n=100).Tools used for data collection are Cohen’s Perceived stress scale and WHO(QOL) Bref. Data analysis done using appropriate paired and unpaired t-tests. Results : A significant decrease in the perceived stress levels, from (19.73 ± 3.861) pre- test to (15.85 ± 3.543) post- test was observed with t-test value 11.888 and P-value 0.001 at P<0.05. A significant increase in the overall Quality of life mean score values were observed among the experimental group from 67.31 ± 10.799 pre –test to 75.63 ± 8.223 post-test with t-test value of s6.199 and P-value 0.001 at P<0.05.Changes were also seen in the various domains of QoL after meditation practice.Conclusion : Twin Heart Meditation has been effective in reducing the perceived stress and improving the quality of life of nursing professionals.

Understanding the physical breakdown and catechin bioaccessibility of third generation extruded snacks enriched with catechin using the human gastric simulator.

The nutritional quality of third-generation snacks prepared from rice flour by extrusion can be improved by the addition of polyphenols such as catechins, which are known to be more stable at high temperatures. However, the extrusion parameters can impact the breakdown and release of bioactive compounds and decrease the catechin bioaccessibility. Accordingly, this study investigated the impact of different extrusion parameters, including different extrusion temperatures (110, 135, and 150 °C) and moisture content prior to extrusion (27 and 31%), on the breakdown and bioaccessibility of catechin-enriched snacks during in vitro dynamic digestion using the Human Gastric Simulator (HGS). The extrusion parameters did not significantly impact most measured variables by themselves, indicating that within the tested ranges, any of the processing conditions could be used to produce a product with similar digestive behavior. However, the interaction of extrusion parameters (temperature and moisture content) played a significant role in the snack behavior during digestion. For example, the combination of 27% moisture content and 150 °C extrusion temperature had higher catechin bioaccessibility and higher starch hydrolysis than the other treatments. Overall, these findings suggest that the processing conditions of third generation snacks enriched with catechin can be optimized within certain ranges with limited modifications in the digestive properties.

„Azi este o zi bună pentru sinucigaşi.” Tematizarea morţii şi alte (in)decenţe confesive ale diaristului Eugen Simion

According to not a few diary researchers from both Eastern and Western Europe, the journal is, of all the genres of biography, the species most threatened to turn into a savoir mourir guide. This obstinate search of the author, obsessed with discovering the best ways to get used to the „daily death” (the true catalyst of writing, the main ordering/ director of meaning, and so on), can be discovered in any journal, constituting the specific (un)hidden note of the species – this is an idea that becomes central also in the studies of some of the most important Romanian thanatologists, fully convinced, such as Adela Toplean, for example, that ”any diary betrays (or «sweats») a subtle poetic of death”. In the strict order of appearances, nothing seems farther from the spirit of Eugen Simion’s Parisian Diary than the obsessive interrogation on the edge of mortality, with all the train of anxieties and fears attached. On the one hand, this book with explicit hexagonal pretext and dialogical stake (which I would rather inscribe in the category of the so-called travel writings, although its author stubbornly recommends it as a diary and problematizes its conventions) is visibly oriented in the direction of analysing the Gallic space and spirit, as they appear to a young Romanian lecturer, in a well-determined interval. On the other hand, the general tonality of the diarist and the colours of his descriptions – be they of spaces, landscapes or people – seem to be some of the brightest, most optimistic ones. Still, on a recent re-reading, I discovered numerous passages in which the diarist seems to thematize not only death, with its multiple facets and valences, but also other hypostases of radical otherness, from „physical and mental breakdown” through illness to „the foggy small creature of loneliness.” This paper focuses on a careful analysis, from a multidisciplinary perspective, of these „nagging phantasms” that make inner history (as recorded in the diary) stand at the edge between wonder and insecurity.

Effects of wearable therapies on jump performance in sport horses.

Failure to properly prepare the equine athlete for exercise and support post-exercise recovery is a contributing factor to physical breakdown and lameness. Equine physiotherapy was not introduced until the early twentieth century and has since evolved to allow for wearable therapies such as therapeutic boots to be accessible to a broad spectrum of equestrians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ceramic boots, boots combining vibration and cryotherapy, and boots containing tourmaline on the performance of sport horses during jumping as well as to examine changes in vital signs in response to treatment. Eight healthy horses received the 3 therapeutic boot treatments or a control (no boot) in a Latin square experiment for a period of 5 days each. Horses performed approximately 10 min of exercise through a jump chute for the 5 consecutive days and jump performance parameters were recorded during each exercise session. Therapeutics were applied in the morning prior to exercise per the manufacturer's recommendation and were removed only for exercise. In a Bayesian network analysis, changes in vital signs (heart rate, respiration, and temperature) were driven by individual animal, rather than boot treatment. Jump performance was influenced by boot treatment, physiological measurements, and individual animal. Therapeutic boots were associated with changes in conditional probabilities of numerous performance outcomes. This study indicates the use of wearable therapies may result in improved performance outcomes of sport horses in jumping exercises.

Illness Narratives in Popular Music: An Untapped Resource for Medical Education.

Illness narratives convey a person's feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and descriptions of suffering and healing as a result of physical or mental breakdown. Recognized genres include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, and films. Like poets and playwrights, musicians also use their life experiences as fodder for their art. However, illness narratives as expressed through popular music are an understudied and underutilized source of insights into the experience of suffering, healing, and coping with illness, disease, and death. Greater attention to the value of music within medical education is needed to improve students' perspective-taking and communication. Like reading a good book, songs that resonate with listeners speak to shared experiences or invite them into a universe of possibilities that they had not yet imagined. In this article, we show how uncovering these themes in popular music might be integrated into medical education, thus creating a space for reflection on the nature and meaning of illness and the fragility of the human condition. We describe three kinds of illness narratives that may be found in popular music (autobiographical, biographical, and metaphorical) and show how developing skills of close listening through exposure to these narrative forms can improve patient-physician communication and expand students' moral imaginations.

Interplay of egg white gel pH and intragastric pH: Impact on breakdown kinetics and mass transport processes

Egg white gels have been utilized as a model system to study protein breakdown kinetics based on physical and biochemical breakdown processes during in vitro gastric digestion. Additionally, the impact of regulating intragastric pH on the breakdown kinetic processes was investigated. The present study evaluated the impact of gel pH (based on the pH of protein dispersion prepared at pH 3, 5 and 7.5) and intragastric pH regulation (with or without adjustment to pH 2 during in vitro gastric digestion) on the effective diffusion of gastric juice components (water and HCl), gel softening kinetics during gastric digestion, microstructural analysis using micro- computed tomography and protein hydrolysis in the liquid and solid fraction of egg white gel digesta. Egg white gels were subjected to 30 s oral digestion and 15, 30, 60, 120, 180 or 240 min gastric digestion in a static in vitro gastric digestion model, with or without gastric pH adjustment to pH 2. The gel pH affected all the properties measured during gastric digestion and each gel pH represented a specific driving mechanism for protein breakdown. A lower gel pH (pH 3) demonstrated a higher diffusion of moisture and acid, resulting in faster softening (p < 0.05). An intermediate pH (pH 5) showed greater protein–protein interactions due to the proximity to the isoelectric point of egg white proteins, resulting in very slow softening during digestion (p < 0.05), and a higher pH (pH 7) resulted in higher acid diffusion, intermediate gel hardness and very slow softening kinetics (p < 0.05). The gastric pH adjustment during digestion of egg protein gels affected (p < 0.05) the equilibrium moisture and acid contents as well as protein hydrolysis. The study confirmed that there is an interplay between initial gel pH and the intragastric pH which affected the breakdown kinetics of egg white gels during the gastric digestion process.

Herbal Medicines and Recent Development on Novel Herbal Drug Delivery System

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines herbal medicine as a technique that uses herbs, herbal ingredients, herbal preparations, and finished herbal products. Herbal remedies contain a variety of chemical components known as phytochemicals, which fall into a number of categories including saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, alkaloids, and terpenoids. Due to the presence of these phytochemicals, herbal medications can be used to treat a variety of ailments and diseases, including gastrointestinal problems, skin infections, arthritis, migraines, and weariness. Herbal medicines have less major adverse effects than conventional pharmaceuticals and are less expensive.&#x0D; New herbal formulations can include transfersomes, ethosomes, microspheres, phytosomes, liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and nanocapsules. In comparison to traditional herbal medicines, the novel herbal drug delivery systems offer many advantages, including increased solubility and bioavailability, protection from side effects, enhanced pharmacological action, increased stability, better delivery to tissue macrophages, consistent delivery, and protection against the physical and chemical breakdown of active ingredients. To incorporate standardised herbal extract or aqueously soluble active ingredients into phospholipids to build lipid companionable molecular complexes, phytosome has been described as a patented innovative herbal technology produced by a leading manufacturer of medicines and nutraceuticals. The use of herbal medicines can be expanded in order to increase their efficacy by incorporating them into more sophisticated medications.

Burden and resources in caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative study.

Caregivers of people with Multiple Sclerosis are required to provide ongoing assistance especially during the advanced stages of the disease. They have to manage interventions and assume responsibilities which significantly impact both their personal quality of life and family's dynamics. A qualitative phenomenological study was carried out to understand the experience of burden in caregivers and their resources to manage it. The study also explores how healthcare services involved in the Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Pathway respond to the needs of well-being of patients and family members. 17 caregivers were involved in focus groups and in semi-structured individual interviews. Fatigue is experienced by all respondents and it starts when physical disabilities increase or when people become aware of them. Many caregivers declare that they refer to intrinsic (love towards their relatives, patience and dedication) or extrinsic (family members, hobbies) resources to cope with the burden of assistance. Patient associations and the Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Pathway play a significant role in supporting caregivers. Fatigue, loneliness, and isolation are experienced by caregivers and strongly affect their quality of life and health status. The study highlights caregivers' need to reconcile working times with care times, to give more space to self-care and to have moments to share their experiences with someone else. These needs should be at the core of health policies in order to avoid physical and emotional breakdowns which could lead to the rupture of the relational balance on which home care is based.

The Nightmare Island: Representations of St. Barthélemy in Swedish Novels

The Nightmare Island: Representations of St. Barthélemy in Swedish Novels

Physical and Electrical Breakdown Characteristics of Oil-Impregnated Kenaf Paper with the Introduction of External PVA for Transformer Application

This work examines the physical and electrical breakdown characteristics of kenaf paper coated with Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) for application in power transformers. The paper was made from kenaf bast fibers using the soda pulping method, whereby the pulps were subjected to 12,000 beating revolutions. PVA with weight percentage concentration up to 6% was introduced to the beaten kenaf through a spin coating approach. The structure of the kenaf paper was examined through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The physical properties examined were apparent density, Tensile Index (TI), Burst Index (BI), and Tear Index (TeI), while AC breakdown voltage and strength were analyzed for the electrical property. It is found that the beating and external PVA improve the kenaf paper’s apparent density, TI, BI, and AC breakdown strength while the TeI decreases.

The influence of erosion and vegetation on soil production and chemical weathering rates in the Southern Alps, New Zealand

Chemical weathering influences many aspects of the Earth system, including biogeochemical cycling, climate, and ecosystem function. Physical erosion influences chemical weathering rates by setting the supply of fresh minerals to the critical zone. Vegetation also influences chemical weathering rates, both by physical processes that expose mineral surfaces and via production of acids that contribute to mineral dissolution. However, the role of vegetation in setting surface process rates in different landscapes is unclear. Here we use 10Be and geochemical mass balance to quantify soil production, physical erosion, and chemical weathering rates in a landscape where a migrating drainage divide separates catchments with an order-of magnitude contrast in erosion rates and where vegetation spans temperate rainforest, tussock grassland, and unvegetated alpine ecosystems in the western Southern Alps of New Zealand. Soil production, physical erosion, and chemical weathering rates are significantly higher on the rapidly eroding versus the slowly eroding side of the drainage divide. However, chemical weathering intensity does not vary significantly across the divide or as a function of vegetation type. Soil production rates are correlated with ridgetop curvature, and ridgetops are more convex on the rapidly eroding side of the divide, where soil mineral residence times are lowest. Hence our findings suggest fluvially-driven erosion rates control soil production and soil chemical weathering rates by influencing the relationship between hillslope topography and mineral residence times. In the western Southern Alps, soil production and chemical weathering rates are more strongly mediated by physical rock breakdown driven by landscape response to tectonics, than by vegetation.

Contesting the English Sartorial Style in Trollope’s The West Indies and the Spanish Main : Self-Fashioning in the Caribbean

Abstract: The article examines Anthony Trollope’s affective responses to dress in the Caribbean, with a view to revealing how they shaped his clothing practices while travelling and informed his resistance to transplanted English sartorial codes. Drawing upon Jane Bennett’s conceptualization of distributive agency, I approach Trollope’s clothed body, his attire, and the tropical environment as interdependent vital forces that affected his relationship to clothing’s materiality and its symbolic significance. I argue that his dress exerted its agentic force through its materiality—the colour, the fit, and the texture—in the tropical climate and its surrounding environment. The tropical heat and humidity afflicted Trollope when he was dressed in dark, tight English attire, causing him physical discomfort and emotional anxiety that he dramatized and diffused through humour. These feelings motivated him to ponder clothing’s materiality and the need to adapt it to the environment. I shall argue that the tropical weather, in causing digestive discomfort and even physical breakdown, threatened Trollope’s sense of masculinity. He therefore resorted to alternative forms of clothing to fashion and refashion his masculinity. His masculine self-fashioning, however, was met with resistance from the capricious tropical climate. Adopting an environmentally-inflected cultural materialist approach to clothing, this article illuminates the challenges posed by what Jane Bennett might term clothing’s “agentic” power to travellers in the colonies, contributing to the recent increase in materialist studies of clothing.

Vibronic interactions in trilobite and butterfly Rydberg molecules

Ultralong-range Rydberg molecules provide an exciting testbed for molecular physics at exaggerated scales. In the so-called trilobite and butterfly Rydberg molecules, the Born-Oppenheimer approximation can fail due to strong nonadiabatic couplings arising from the combination of radial oscillations and rapid energy variations in the adiabatic potential energy curves. We utilize an accurate coupled-channel treatment of the vibronic system to observe the breakdown of Born-Oppenheimer physics, such as nonadiabatic trapping and decay of molecular states found near pronounced avoided crossings in the adiabatic potential curves. Even for vibrational states localized far away from avoided crossings, a single-channel model is quantitatively sufficient only after including the diagonal nonadiabatic corrections to the Born-Oppenheimer potentials. Our results indicate the importance of including nonadiabatic physics in the description of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules and in the interpretation of measured vibronic spectra.