Review Of Recent Improvements Research Articles

A Review of Recent Improvements, Developments, Influential Parameters and Challenges in the Friction Stir Welding Process

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is an innovative and reliable welding technique. Since this method is environmentally beneficial, it has received much attention and development over the past few decades. This study aims to revise the conceptual facts of FSW and evaluate the most recent improvements and developments in its applications. This review also assesses the influences of design parameters such as rotational and welding speeds on weld quality and joint efficiency. Existing challenges associated with applying FSW in various contexts, as well as the potential advantages that might lead to further study and broader FSW applications, are addressed. It has been concluded that FSW allows for optimising the rotating speed based on the preferred welding speed to achieve the greatest tensile strength in the welded materials. Despite FSW being established as effective in laboratory and small-scale applications, utilising FSW for large structures poses challenges. These challenges include maintaining consistent weld quality, controlling heat dissipation, and ensuring joint integrity during FSW. Consequently, further research is required to resolve these challenges and make FSW a promising welding method in contemporary production sectors.

A Review of Recent Improvements in Novel Liquid Scintillator Materials

Liquid scintillator detectors have great advantages in the field of radionuclide detection because of their low detection limit, high sensitivity, and diverse functions. However, the material properties of liquid scintillators directly determine their detection effectiveness, which leads to their poor vertex resolution and particle identification. In this work, we introduce the improvement methods, choices, and properties of different novel liquid scintillator materials in recent years. This article is expected to provide references for the development and research of liquid scintillator materials in various application fields.

A Review of Recent Improvements, Developments, Effects, and Challenges on Using Phase-Change Materials in Concrete for Thermal Energy Storage and Release

Most concrete employs organic phase change materials (PCMs), although there are different types available for more specialised use. Organic PCMs are the material of choice for concrete due to their greater heat of fusion and lower cost in comparison to other PCMs. Phase transition materials are an example of latent heat storage materials (LHSMs) that may store or release thermal energy at certain temperatures. A phase transition occurs when a solid material changes from a solid state to a liquid state and back again when heat is added or removed. It is common knowledge that adding anything to concrete, including PCMs, will affect its performance. The goal of this review is to detail the ways in which PCMs affect certain concrete features. This overview also looks into the current challenges connected with employing PCMs in concrete. The review demonstrates a number of important findings along with the possible benefits that may pave the way for more research and broader applications of PCMs in construction. More importantly, it has been elucidated that the optimum PCM integrated percentage of 40% has doubled the quantity of thermal energy stored and released in concrete. Compared to conventional concrete, the macro-encapsulated PCMs showed thermal dependability, chemical compatibility, and thermal stability due to delaying temperature peaks. Furthermore, the maximum indoor temperature decreases by 1.85 °C and 3.76 °C in the test room due to the addition of 15% and 30% PCM composite, respectively. Last but not least, incorporating microencapsulated PCM has shown a positive effect on preventing freeze-thaw damage to concrete roads.

A Review of Recent Improvements, Developments, and Effects of Using Phase-Change Materials in Buildings to Store Thermal Energy

When it comes to guaranteeing appropriate performance for buildings in terms of energy efficiency, the building envelope is a crucial component that must be presented. When a substance goes through a phase transition and either gives out or absorbs an amount of energy to provide useful heat or cooling, it is called a phase-change material, or PCM for short. Transitions often take place between the matter’s solid and liquid states. Buildings use PCMs for a variety of purposes, including thermal comfort, energy conservation, managing the temperature of building materials, reducing cooling/heating loads, efficiency, and thermal load shifting. Improved solutions are applied using new method and approach investigations. Undoubtedly, researching and applying PCM use in building applications can help create buildings that are more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, while also increasing thermal comfort and consuming less energy. It provides a possible answer to the problems posed by climate change, rising energy demand in the built environment, and energy use optimisation. However, it is true that no particular research has yet been conducted to thoroughly analyse the linked PCM applications in the building industry. Thus, the principal tactics are addressed in this paper to determine current and efficient methods for employing PCMs in buildings to store thermal energy. By gathering around 50 instances from the open literature, this study conducts a thorough assessment of the up-to-date studies between 2016 and 2023 that used PCMs as thermal energy storage in building applications. As a result, this review aims to critically evaluate the PCM integration in buildings for thermal energy storage, identify a number of issues that require more research, and draw some important conclusions from the body of literature. Specifically, the building envelope roof and external wall uses of PCMs are highlighted in this research. Applications, general and desired characteristics, and PCM types and their thermal behaviour are described. In comparison to a traditional heat storage tank that simply contains water, this review indicates that a water storage tank containing 15% PCM improves heat storage by 70%. Also, less than 7 °C of internal air temperature was reduced by the PCMs in the walls, which avoided summer warming. Finally, using PCM for space cooling resulted in substantial energy savings across the various seasons.

Nanoscale niobium oxides anode for electrochemical lithium and sodium storage: a review of recent improvements

In recent years, Nb-based oxides, especially Nb2O5, due to their unique structural advantages, have stimulated scholars’ extensive research enthusiasm in the field of energy storage systems including lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs), excellent chemical stability and outstanding rate capability dominated by pseudocapacitive nature. In addition, Nb-based oxides usually have a higher operating voltage (> 1.0 V vs Li+/Li), which can effectively prevent the decomposition of organic electrolytes and the formation of solid electrolyte interface films in batteries. This review systematically summarizes the different crystal structures of Nb2O5 and the lithium storage mechanism based on theoretical calculations, as well as the comparison of various synthesis strategies. In addition, the advanced research progress of niobium-based oxides as anode materials in LIBs and SIBs is summarized from the perspective of nanostructure control engineering that affects electrochemical performance. It also puts forward reasonable cognition and challenges for future research, which is conducive to the design of energy storage equipment that meets the needs of sustainable development. The design and optimization of various synthesis methods facilitate the formation of a variety of heterogeneous nanostructures, leading to reversible storage of Li and Na ions.

Development of Low Cost, Wireless, Inkjet Printed Microfluidic RF Systems and Devices for Sensing or Tunable Electronics

In this paper, a review of recent improvements on inkjet-printed microfluidic-based tunable/sensing RF systems is reported. The devices, such as Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) passive wireless tags, coplanar patch antennas, bandstop filters, and loop antennas, are all fabricated by combining the inkjet printing technology on photographic paper for metallization and bonding layers, and laser etching for cavities and channels manufacturing. A novelty is also introduced for the loop antennas where the photographic paper is replaced with a polymer based substrate [i.e., (Poly(methyl-methacrylate))], to reduce the substrate losses for the RF part and solve the issue of paper hydrophylia. Along this paper an evolution toward higher working frequencies and higher detecting performance is shown, demonstrating a sensitivity up to $0.5\%/\varepsilon _{r}$ with at most $6\,\mu \text {L}$ of liquid in the channel.

Offences against the Person: Into the 21st Century

The Law Commission will shortly begin discussions on reform of the law of non-fatal offences by issuing a scoping paper. This article starts with a review of recent improvements in the ways in which the Commission may get its Bills enacted. It then critiques the principal (to modern eyes) crimes of this kind found in the Offences against the Person Act 1861. Its focus lies on those offences and not the more policy-driven law, for example, on the transmission of HIV/AIDS, sado-masochism, male circumcision, and boxing (all of which are highly important). It concentrates on the Commission's previously expressed concerns that the statute's language is archaic and that the Act fails to provide a hierarchy (a ‘ladder’) of offences. It concludes with a redraft of the statute and a quote from Henry LJ in R v Lynsey that ‘Bad laws cost money and clog up the courts with better things to do’.

The role of cytology in oral lesions: A review of recent improvements

Historically, sensitivity and specificity of oral cytology is poor. Using conventional oral cytology for the diagnosis of cancer and its precursors has not had the success that cytologists had hoped for; however, with improved methodology, oral cytology has enjoyed a resurgence of interest. This renewed interest is partly due to the introduction of a specialized brush that collects a full-thickness epithelial sample and not just superficially sloughed cells, as well as analysis of that sample with computer assistance; in addition, a variety of adjunctive techniques have been introduced to potentially enhance the diagnosis of the cytologic specimens including DNA analysis, immunocytochemistry, molecular analysis, and liquid-based preparations. An increase in sensitivity (>96%) and specificity (>90%) of the oral brush biopsy with computer-assisted diagnosis has been reported for identification of malignant and premalignant lesions. Brush cytology is valuable to prevent misdiagnosing doubtful oral lesions, i.e., those lesions without a definitive etiology, diagnosing large lesions where excision of the entire tissue is not possible or practicable, evaluating patients with recurrent malignancies, and monitoring premalignant lesions.

Corporate governance and disclosure in Ukraine

This paper aims to provide an overview of the current legislative and regulatory framework in Ukraine in respect of the corporate governance of joint stock companies (JSCs), including a review of recent improvements in legislation. It goes on to highlight the deficiencies of the Ukrainian corporate governance framework itself, as well as to illustrate the widespread failure by Ukrainian JSCs to comply with and implement the existing legislation, resulting (among other things) in the widespread violation of minority shareholders' rights.

Neotropical bats in the canopy: diversity, community structure, and implications for conservation

We compare results of parallel ground and canopy netting of bats (Microchiroptera) in three adjacent forest sites near Belem, Brazil, to document possible differences in vertical distribution of species. We caught 1871 individuals representing 49 species of three families (Emballonuridae, Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae). Capture effort, totaling 1955.5 mistnet hours in several cycles over a two-year period, was similar for ground and canopy nets. The canopy rigs yielded more species (n = 41) than the ground nets (n = 35), but both samples were characterized by rank abundance curves with similar shape and with a dominance of frugivores (Phyllostomidae). Nearly half (n = 24) of the species were captured in numbers too small (n < 6) to allow firm classification, but differences in capture frequencies of some of the better-sampled species in high and low nets reveal vertical stratification. Species-specific differences in diet, foraging strategies, roost sites, and sampling bias contribute to this pattern. As a result of the differential use of space among bats, alterations of forest structure are likely to result in changes in structure and function of local bat communities, but our limited knowledge of natural history and ecology of many species limits definition of changes. We see a critical need for further research into the extent to which habitat complexity influences species richness and abundance of bats. This information is especially important in view of the need to develop and apply conservation-oriented programs to maintain biodiversity. A review of recent improvements in techniques for inventorying bats shows that a combination of methods, including mistnetting and acoustic monitoring, is mandatory for such studies.

Uncertainties in underground muon flux calculations

Influence of various theoretical and experimental uncertainties on results of underground muon flux calculations is estimated on the basis of a semi-analytical solution of muon spectrum transport equation. Status and accuracies of theoretical formulae for muon interaction cross sections and energy loss rate are discussed. A brief review of recent improvements in theoretical treatment of muon interactions is given. A necessity of a comprehensive verification of different muon transport codes is stressed.

Wind/diesel energy systems: Review of design options and recent developments

The combination of wind turbine generators with diesel engine-generator sets offers a potentially cost effective hybrid electric system that has many stand-alone and small girl-connected applications. This article reviews wind/diesel systems and the current status of worldwide research and development on such systems. Included is a detailed summary of the modes of operation and types of wind/diesel systems, as well as a review of recent improvements in system components and analysis. Included with a discussion of general applications is a case study summary of a village-scale wind/diesel systems' generating and economic performance. A design methodology for these types of systems is presented.

Summarized proceedings of a conference on stress analysis - Cranfield, September 1956

The Tenth Annual Conference of the Stress Analysis Group of The Institute of Physics was held at the College of Aeronautics on 19, 20 and 21 September, 1956, in conjunction with the Royal Aeronautical Society. Papers were read which could be divided into four main subjects: kinetic heating, extensometry and instrumentation, jet efflux and crack propagation, and the proceedings are summarized in this report. A review of recent improvements in methods of experimental stress analysis in the U.S.A. and Canada was given by Mr. A. F. C. Brown.