• Computers and Concrete
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.145-154
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• 2020

For the influence of the propagation law of stress wave at the coal-rock interface during the pre-blasting of the top coal in top coal mining, the ANSYS-LS/DYNA fluid-solid coupling algorithm was used to numerical calculation and the life-death element method was used to simulate the propagation of explosion cracks. The equation of the crushing zone and the fracturing zone were derived. The results were calculated and showed that the crushing radius is 14.6 cm and the fracturing radius is 35.8 cm. With the increase of the angles between the borehole and the coal-rock interface, the vibration velocity of the coal particles and the rock particles at the interface decreases gradually, and the transmission coefficient of the stress wave from the coal mass into the rock mass decreases gradually. When the angle between the borehole and the coal-rock interface is 0°, the overall crushing degree is about 11% and up to the largest. With the increase of the distance from the charge to the coal-rock interface, the stress wave transmission coefficient and the crushing degree of the coal-rock are gradually decreased. At the distance of 50 cm, the crushing degree of the coal-rock reached the maximum of approximately 12.3%.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권9호
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• pp.2926-2936
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• 2021

Rare-earth (RE) industries generate a massive amount of radioactive residue containing high thorium concentrations. Due to the fact that thorium is considered a non-economic element, large volume of these RE processed residues are commonly disposed of without treatment. It is essential to study an appropriate treatment that could reduce the volume of waste for final disposition. To this end, this research investigates the applicability of carbon-based adsorbent in separating thorium from aqueous phase sulphate is obtained from the cracking and leaching process of solid rare-earth by-product residue. Adsorption of thorium from the aqueous phase sulphate by carbon-based electrodes was investigated through electrosorption experiments conducted at a duration of 180 minutes with a positive potential variable range of +0.2V to +0.6V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Through this research, the specific capacity obtained was equivalent to 1.0 to 5.14 mg-Th/g-Carbon. Furthermore, electrosorption of thorium ions from aqueous phase sulphate is found to be most favorable at a higher positive potential of +0.6V (vs. Ag/AgCl). This study's findings elucidate the removal of thorium from the rare-earth residue by carbon-based electrodes and simultaneously its potential to reduce disposal waste of untreated residue.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.34-43
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• 2018

Silicon has become of increasing importance as the basic element of many high-technology products. Its synthesis is very difficult requiring high temperature solid-state reactions (> $1000^{\circ}C$) or lower temperature methods ($100-200^{\circ}C$) involving hydrothermal and solvothermal reactions under extreme pH conditions. In nature, on the other hand, a wide range of living organisms have collectively evolved the means of biosilicification at the astounding rate of gigatons/year. This is impressive because biosilicification in these organisms occurs under mild physiological conditions. Marine sponges possess the ability to sequester soluble silicon sources from their environments and assemble them into intricate 3D architecture. The advent of molecular biology has recently made it possible to glean molecular information about biosilicification from these systems and it turned out that enzyme silicatein is the core of biosilicification. In this review, biosilicification regulated by silicatein and its mechanism are described. Also, production of silicatein through recombinant technology and several applications of recombinant silicatein are described including immobilization of silicatein, formation of Au or Ag nanoparticles on nanowires, nanolithography approaches, core-shell materials, encapsulation, bone replacement materials, and microstructured optical fibers.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• 제34권5호
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• pp.99-112
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• 2019

A quantum light source is an essential element for quantum information technology, including quantum communication, quantum sensor, and quantum computer. Quantum light sources including photon number state, entangled state, and squeezed state can be divided into two types according to the generation mechanism, namely single emitter and non-linear based systems. The single emitter platform contains atom/ion trap, solid-state defect/color center, two-dimensional material, and semiconductor quantum dot, which can emit deterministic photons. The non-linear based platform contains spontaneous parametric down-conversion and spontaneous four-wave mixing, which can emit probabilistic photon pairs. For each platform, we give an overview of the recent research trends of the generation, manipulation, and integration of single photon and entangled photon sources. The characteristics of quantum light sources are investigated for each platform. In addition, we briefly introduce quantum sensing, quantum communication, and quantum computing applications based on quantum light sources. We discuss the challenges and prospects of quantum light sources for quantum information technology.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• 제3권3호
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• pp.199-203
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• 2019

The characteristics of a photonic crystal fiber sensor with reuleaux triangle are studied by using the finite element method. The wavelength sensitivity of the designed optical fiber sensor is related to the arc radius of the reuleaux triangle. Whether the core area is solid or liquid as well as the refractive index of the liquid core contributes to wavelength sensitivity. The simulation results show that larger arc radius leads to higher sensitivity. The sensitivity can be improved by introducing a liquid core, and higher wavelength sensitivity can be achieved with a lower refractive index liquid core. In addition, the specific channel plated with gold film is polished and then analyte is deposited on the film surface, in which case the position of the resonance peak is the same as that of the complete photonic crystal fiber with three analyte channels being filled with analyte. This means that filling process becomes convenient with equivalent performance of designed sensor. The maximum wavelength sensitivity of the sensor is 10200 nm/RIU and the resolution is $9.8{\times}10^{-6}RIU$.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.141-153
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• 2019

This research is comprised of virtually simulating behavior while experiencing low gravity effects in advance of real world testing in low gravity aboard Zero Gravity Corporation's (Zero-G) research aircraft (727-200F). The experiment simulated a drill rig penetrating a regolith simulant. Regolith is a layer of loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering solid rock on surfaces of the Earth' moon, asteroids and Mars. The behavior and propagation of space debris when drilled in low gravity was tested through simulations and visualization in a leading dynamic simulation software as well as discrete element modeling software and in preparation for comparing to real world results from flying the experiment aboard Zero-G. The study of outer space regolith could lead to deeper scientific knowledge of extra-terrestrial surfaces, which could lead us to breakthroughs with respect to space mining or in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). These studies aimed to test and evaluate the drilling process in low to zero gravity environments and to determine static stress analysis on the drill when tested in low gravity environments. These tests and simulations were conducted by a team from Texas A&M University's Department of Construction Science, the United States Air Force Academy's Department of Astronautical Engineering, and Crow Industries

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.419-430
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• 2021

The study aims to analyze the factors that shape patient loyalty, namely, by involving the service quality factor (SERVQUAL), hospital image, patient value, and patient satisfaction in private hospitals. This study was conducted in Makassar City, Indonesia, with a sample of 296 eligible samples from private hospitals. The sample criteria were patients with outpatient and hospitalization status. Then, this study developed 23 hypotheses to test the statistical relationship between direct, intervening and multiple-effect models. Problem-solving and research focus are carried out using a quantitative method approach with a PLS-SEM-based testing tool. The bootstrapping method is being used with the constant bootstrapping step to demonstrate the results of hypothesis testing; we find that the overall hypothesis has a positive and significant effect. The combination of testing models involving several variables shows that a patient's loyalty can be formed if a patient's satisfaction has been realized. Satisfaction can be realized if the value-customer has been felt by the patients. Therefore, the hospital image must be directly proportional to service quality. Service quality is the essence of service that directly affects customers; service quality is also the reason that shapes consumer perceptions in increasing rationalization and solid customer (patient's) decision-making.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.51-66
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• 2022

The article presents the results of finite element analyses carried out on skirted footings. The bearing capacity increases with the provision of the flexible and rigid skirt, but the effectiveness varies with various other factors. The skirts are more efficient in the case of cohesionless soils than cohesive and c-ϕ soils. Efficiency reduces with an increase in the soil strength and footing depth. The rigid skirt is relatively more efficient compared to the flexible skirt. In contrast, to the flexible skirt, the efficiency of the rigid skirt increases continuously with skirt length. The difference in the effectiveness of both skirts becomes more noticeable with an increase in the strength parameters, skirt length, and footing depth. The failure mechanism also changes significantly with the inclusion of a rigid skirt. The rigid skirt behaves as a solid embedded footing, and the failure mechanism becomes confined with an increase in the skirt length. Few small-scale laboratory tests were carried out to study the flexible and rigid skirt and verify the numerical study results. The numerical analysis results are further used to develop nonlinear equations to predict the enhancement in bearing capacity with the provision of the rigid and flexible skirts.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제81권3호
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• pp.317-333
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• 2022

Visco-Plastic Damper (VPD) as a passive energy dissipation device with dual behavior has been recently numerically studied. It consists of two bent steel plates and segments with a viscoelastic solid material in between, combining and improving characteristics of both displacement-dependent and velocity-dependent devices. In order to trust the performance of VPD, for the 1st time this paper experimentally investigates prototype damper behavior under a wide range of frequency and amplitude of dynamic loading. A high-axial damping rubber is innovatively proposed as the viscoelastic layer designed to withstand large axial strains and dissipate energy accordingly. Test results confirmed all assumptions about VPD. The behavior of VPD subjected to low levels of excitation is elastic while with increasing levels of excitation, a significant source of energy dissipation is provided through the yielding of the steel elements in addition to the viscoelastic energy dissipation. The results showed energy dissipation of 99.35 kN.m under a dynamic displacement with 14.095 mm amplitude and 0.333 Hz frequency. Lateral displacement at the middle of the device was created with an amplification factor obtained ranging from 2.108 to 3.242 in the rubber block. Therefore, the energy dissipation of viscoelastic material of VPD was calculated 18.6 times that of the ordinary viscoelastic damper.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.424-430
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• 2021

The element iron (Fe) is affordable and abundantly available, and thus, it finds use in a wide range of applications. As regards its application in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the electrochemical reactions of Fe must be clearly understood during battery charging and discharging with the LIB electrolyte. In this study, we conducted systematic electrochemical analyses under various voltage conditions to determine the voltage at which Fe corrosion begins in general lithium salts and organic solvents used in LIBs. During cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments, we observed a large corrosion current above 4.0 V (vs. Li/Li⁺). When a constant voltage of 3.7 V (vs. Li/Li⁺), was applied, the current did not increase significantly at the beginning, similar to the CV scenario; on the other hand, at a voltage of 3.8 V (vs. Li/Li⁺), the current increased rapidly. The impact of this difference was visually confirmed via scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. Our X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements showed that at 3.7 V, a thick organic solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) was formed atop a thin fluoride SEI, which means that at ≥3.8 V, the SEI cannot prevent Fe corrosion. This result confirms that Fe corrosion begins at 3.7 V, beyond which Fe is easily corrodible.