Search Results (602)

Bank business models are commonly classified into fixed groups, although banks may simultaneously resemble multiple peers and these relationships may change over time. This study examines the evolution of ratio-based business model similarity among 25 deposit banks in Türkiye from 2014 to 2024. Forty-three financial ratios were standardized within a year and used to construct weighted cosine-similarity networks; complementary analyses separated strong- and weak-profile links, tested constrained null models, controlled for bank scale and balance-sheet structure, and assessed threshold, outlier, and equal-dimension sensitivity. Under the baseline 0.40 threshold, network density was lowest in 2022 and 2023, with greater component fragmentation in 2022; winsorized specifications instead identified 2023 as the lowest-similarity year, showing that the exact extreme-year ranking is outlier-sensitive. Weak-profile links exceeded strong-profile links in every year and clustered beyond the baseline constrained-null expectation (p < 0.001). State-owned banks showed higher weighted strength after observable scale controls were applied, whereas evidence of degree centrality was weaker. Profitability and liquidity remained the densest ratio-family networks, while asset quality was the most consistently differentiating under equal-dimension comparisons. This framework provides a reproducible screening approach for identifying changing bank-business-model proximity and shared relative weaknesses, without measuring causal risk transmission, absolute financial strength, or performance superiority. Full article

Multiphase flow metering is widely employed in the oil and gas industry, particularly for measuring gas-liquid-solid multiphase flow at drilling outlets. Low-energy gamma flowmeters offer relatively high metering accuracy, with phase fraction errors for gas, liquid, and solid typically within ±10%. However, in practical applications, fluid viscosity often causes substances to adhere to the photon detector, leading to measurement deviations that can reach 18% or more. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes a hybrid Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN)-Transformer regression framework, referred to as D-Transformer. DBSCAN removes isolated abnormal detector responses before overlapping time-series windows are generated, while the Transformer captures temporal dependencies among operating variables, raw phase-fraction readings, and multi-energy photon counts. Under experiment-wise five-fold evaluation, D-Transformer obtains $R^2$ values of 0.982, 0.985, and 0.981 and RMSE values of 0.0134, 0.0122, and 0.0138 for the gas, liquid, and solid phase fractions, respectively. Component ablations and baseline comparisons show that the complete framework outperforms the no-ResNet, no-DBSCAN, CNN-GRU-Attention, CNN-LSTM, ridge-regression, and uncorrected-flowmeter alternatives. Full article

JP-10 is a pivotal high-density hydrocarbon fuel for advanced aerospace propulsion systems. Doping aluminum nanoparticles to prepare nanofluid fuels is a promising route to enhance its energy density and combustion performance, yet the droplet formation mechanism of such multiphase fuels remains poorly understood, hindering single-droplet combustion research and atomization system optimization. This work constructed a piezoelectric drop-on-demand (DOD) monodisperse droplet generation platform integrated with phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) and high-speed imaging. Using Al/JP-10/OA nanofluids with aluminum mass fractions of 0.1 wt. %, 0.5 wt. % and 1.0 wt. %, we systematically explored the effects of liquid flow rate, driving frequency and particle concentration on droplet size, size uniformity and ejection velocity. In this work, Al/JP-10/OA nanofluids with aluminum mass fractions of 0.1 wt. %, 0.5 wt. % and 1.0 wt. % were tested under liquid flow rates of 1.1–1.5 mL/min and driving frequencies of 10–50 kHz, with measured droplet diameter ranging from 241.04 μm to 292.26 μm and ejection velocity ranging from 1.65 m/s to 2.45 m/s. The results demonstrate that average droplet diameter increases linearly with flow rate and decreases monotonically with driving frequency. Compared with the 0.1 wt. % nanofluid, the 1.0 wt. % nanofluid shows a 4.4% larger droplet diameter and 12.1% lower ejection velocity, while the 0.1 wt. % sample retains excellent monodispersity with a size Span below 0.098. The multi-scale regulation mechanisms involving viscous variation, shear-thinning rheology and particle agglomeration are further clarified. This study provides fundamental data and theoretical support for atomization design of nanofluid aviation fuels. Full article

Coastal power plants draw seawater from the open ocean through their cooling-water circulation systems. The cooling water falls over an overflow weir inside the siphon well, entraining large quantities of air, and generates a foam pollution plume upon discharge to the sea. By combining physical model experiments with numerical simulation, this study investigates the key factors governing foam stability and the aeration behavior of the water downstream of the siphon-well overflow weir. The principal conclusions are as follows: among the three single-factor variables tested in controlled laboratory conditions—temperature, salinity, and shellfish-flesh suspension concentration—the biological substance proxy showed the strongest effect on foam stability; when the shellfish-flesh suspension concentration reaches 20% (mass/volume basis, independently prepared), the foam volume and half-life increase by factors of 1.4 and 3.36, respectively, relative to the 4% baseline condition. When the dimensionless aeration depth z/z₉₀ < 0.75, the air-concentration profile rises relatively slowly with depth, whereas it increases more rapidly as the free surface is approached. Within the investigated viscosity range of 1.0–8.3 mPa·s (1.0 mPa·s for the pure-water control and 1.5–8.3 mPa·s for the measured viscosities of the 4–20% shellfish-flesh suspensions), the cross-sectional mean air concentration shows an overall decreasing trend as the liquid-phase viscosity increases, and the total bubble number density decreases correspondingly. The findings provide a laboratory-based indication of the mechanisms that must be addressed in the development of physical foam-suppression technologies; confirmation against field discharge water is required. Full article

Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as credible complements to lithium-ion technology for sustainable, safe, and cost-effective energy storage. This critical review links molecular-scale electrolyte solvation and interphase chemistry to electrode compatibility, full-cell engineering, manufacturing constraints, and commercial viability. Organic liquid, aqueous, ionic-liquid, concentrated, inorganic solid, polymer, and composite electrolytes are compared using transport, stability, processing, and interface criteria. The principal cathode and anode families are then evaluated in terms of practical voltage, reversible capacity, cycling stability, raw-material exposure, manufacturability, and end-of-life implications. A distinctive contribution of this work is the explicit separation of thermodynamic predictions, laboratory measurements, prototype demonstrations, and company-reported targets, together with design rules that connect electrolyte chemistry to cell-level performance. Sodium-ion batteries are unlikely to replace lithium-ion batteries universally, but they can occupy a strategic role where cost, safety, abundance, supply-chain resilience, and circularity outweigh maximum energy density. Full article

Carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNT-FETs) are promising platforms for electrolyte-gated sensing, although the influence of CNT network density on device performance for pH measurements remains unknown. In this work, CNT-FETs with controlled network densities were fabricated from aqueous CNT solutions by varying the CNT concentration and the deposition time. Increasing CNT density improved conductivity, reducing channel resistance from the GΩ range to ~100 kΩ and increasing the on-current of electrolyte-gated devices from ~10 nA to ~1 µA. The fabricated CNT-FETs operating in a liquid-gated configuration exhibited on/off ratios ranging between 10³ and 10⁵. The minimum subthreshold swing achieved by the CNT-FETs was 77.5 mV/dec for devices employing a low-density CNT network, compared with 105 mV/dec for those incorporating a high-density CNT network. The high-density CNT networks also exhibited reduced electrostatic gate coupling due to charge screening effects. pH measurements in 1XPBS showed that low-density networks achieved the highest sensitivity of 8.9%/pH, whereas high-density networks showed lower sensitivity of 2.1%/pH, despite producing the largest absolute current response of ~70 nA. Medium-density networks provided the best balance between sensitivity, noise, and signal stability. These findings demonstrate that CNT network density is a critical parameter for optimizing electrolyte-gated CNT-FET pH sensors. Full article

To accurately predict the sustained annular pressure and annular gas–liquid interface depth during the production of high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) gas wells and address the issues of natural gas leakage and annular fluid loss caused by leaks in the tubing string, a prediction model for the sustained annular pressure and annular gas–liquid interface depth in HPHT gas wells is established. The model considers the expansion and compression of annular fluid, as well as the variation in annular volume under the effects of temperature and pressure. Taking the HPHT Well H21 in western China as an example, the model is verified using field-measured data, and the variation laws of sustained annular pressure and annular gas–liquid interface depth under different leak parameters and production parameters are investigated. The results show that the predicted sustained annular pressure first rises rapidly, then decreases slowly, and finally tends to stabilize. The expansion, compression, and leakage of annular fluid influence the depth of the annular gas–liquid interface, which changes dynamically in the early stage and stabilizes in the later stage. The maximum error between the measured and predicted sustained annular pressure is 2.65%, the stable sustained annular pressure is 13.97 MPa, and the minimum gas–liquid interface depth is 144.00 m. It is recommended to increase the density of the annular protection fluid, maintain an initial sustained annular pressure, and replenish it regularly, so as to ensure the safe control of HPHT gas wells under sustained annular pressure. Full article

Legacy liquid radioactive waste (LRW) from the BN-350 sodium-cooled fast reactor is chemically heterogeneous and requires updated characterization for further management. This study investigated the physicochemical properties and gamma-emitting radionuclide composition of 13 LRW samples collected from four tanks (B-02/1, B-02/2, B-02/5, and B-02/6) at surface (“mirror”), middle, and lower levels. Five samples were analyzed as LRW and eight as evaporated LRW residues. Physicochemical analysis included pH, density, dry residue, alkalinity, and major inorganic components. Portable gamma spectrometry was applied to all samples, and laboratory HPGe measurements were performed for selected aqueous LRW samples. The saline LRW samples were strongly alkaline and highly mineralized, with dry residue values of 139.30–295.10 g/dm³. Tank B-02/6 contained distinct oil-containing, emulsion, and carbonate-rich alkaline aqueous phases. ¹³⁷Cs was the dominant identified gamma-emitting radionuclide, with specific activities ranging from (1.4 ± 0.3) × 10⁵ to (1.1 ± 0.2) × 10⁸ Bq/kg in liquid samples and up to (6.5 ± 1.3) × 10⁸ Bq/kg in evaporated residues. The results show that BN-350 LRW is not a homogeneous waste stream; therefore, future monitoring, retrieval, treatment, and conditioning should be planned according to matrix type, sampling depth, vertical phase heterogeneity, and ¹³⁷Cs-dominated radiological characteristics. Full article

Natural gas hydrates, with their vast reserves and high gas storage density, have emerged as a highly promising alternative energy source and technology for gas storage and transportation. Wettability, as a core surface property of porous media, directly influences hydrate nucleation, growth, occurrence morphology, and flow behavior. In this study, quartz sand with varying surface properties was prepared with the octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) silane coupling agent via surface chemical reactions. The methane hydrate (MH) equilibrium conditions as well as the formation kinetics in silica sand were measured, and the mechanism and potential of the surface modification for enhancing methane hydrate storage capacity were analyzed. The experimental results indicate that surface modification of quartz sand has no significant effect on the MH equilibrium condition. Hydrophobic modification of quartz sand provides more gas–liquid interfaces, increases the contact area, and thereby significantly enhances mass transfer under high-water-saturation conditions and accelerates the MH formation rate. However, excessively high surface hydrophobicity may reduce the effective gas–liquid interfacial area and limit the overall hydrate formation rate. Due to the influences of the hydrate distribution and aggregation, as well as gas diffusion on hydrate formation, the effect of the initial formation pressure on MH formation is only observed during the early stages of MH formation, while the temperature effect is less pronounced than that of formation pressure. It is suggested to further consider combining stirring with continuous gas injection to enhance gas–liquid flow and improve gas–liquid contact, thereby increasing the formation rate of hydrates. Full article

Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and other resin-bonded wood panels pose significant end-of-life management challenges due to the presence of urea–formaldehyde (UF) resins, which hinder material recovery and circular valorization. This study evaluates hydrolysis-based methods for removing UF resins from waste MDF, melamine-faced MDF, oriented strand board (OSB), and plywood generated in a technological industrial park in Montevideo, Uruguay. The evaluated hydrolysis treatments comprised acid, alkaline, and water hydrolysis at 80 °C under agitation, and steam-assisted hydrolysis in an autoclave. Treatment performance was evaluated using total Kjeldahl nitrogen analysis, elemental analysis, mass loss determination, and semi-quantitative formaldehyde measurements using Quantofix^® indicator strips. Among the evaluated treatments, solvent-assisted hydrolysis using 0.1 M oxalic acid achieved the highest resin removal efficiency, reaching nitrogen removal values of up to 95%, while steam-assisted hydrolysis achieved removals above 90% using only distilled water. Treatment efficiency was strongly influenced by the solid-to-liquid ratio (S/L ratio) and the processed mass, highlighting key operational variables for process optimization. Overall, the proposed hydrolysis routes constitute effective pretreatment strategies for producing wood fibers with substantially reduced urea–formaldehyde resin content, thereby supporting the circular valorization of resin-bonded wood waste. Full article

This study investigates the effect of carbon nanotube (CNT) addition on the densification behavior, activation energy, microstructural evolution, and mechanical performance of WC-Co cemented carbides processed by liquid-phase sintering. WC-Co and WC-Co reinforced with 5 vol.% CNT were fabricated by powder metallurgy and sintered under argon atmosphere at temperatures between 1380 and 1400 °C using different holding times. Relative density measurements, dilatometric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Vickers hardness and fracture toughness evaluations were performed to assess the influence of CNT incorporation on the sintering response and resulting microstructure. The results showed that increasing sintering temperature and holding time promoted densification and microstructural consolidation in both systems. Although CNT addition slightly reduced the final relative density, it promoted a finer and more homogeneous carbide distribution. Dilatometric analysis revealed that CNT incorporation modified the densification kinetics and increased the apparent activation energy from 99.36 ± 8 kJ/mol for WC-Co to 126.47 kJ/mol for WC-Co + 5 vol.% CNT, corresponding to an increase of approximately 27%, indicating significant changes in the diffusion-controlled mass transport mechanisms governing liquid-phase sintering. Furthermore, the CNT-reinforced material exhibited improved mechanical performance, reaching hardness and fracture toughness values of approximately 1090 kgf/mm² and 10.5 MPa·m^1/2, respectively, compared with 995 kgf/mm² and 8.6 MPa·m^1/2 for the unreinforced WC-Co system. Enhanced fracture resistance was further supported by reduced crack propagation after Vickers indentation. The results demonstrate that CNT incorporation acts not only as a reinforcing phase but also as a microstructural and kinetic modifier, providing an effective strategy for controlling densification behavior and improving the performance of WC-Co cemented carbides processed by liquid-phase sintering. Full article

We organize the ultrafast hydrogen-bond timescales and far-infrared/terahertz band centres of liquid water on a single golden-ratio ladder, anchored to the 80 fs H-bond contraction time and indexed by a loop-free tetrahedral Bethe sequence. Both data sets fall inside the rung windows set by their shell index, placing them on one spacing from a single time anchor. A separate empirical energy anchor gives a calibrated map of the freezing and density maximum. A TIP4P/Ew analysis shows that participation is delocalisation-saturated rather than linear in shell size, and we fit a corresponding saturating law. The low-frequency intermolecular modes are delocalised over the network, with coherent shell-breathing extending over about one coordination shell, a result stable with temperature. The ladder placements are therefore an organizing construction with explicit calibrations. A statistical assessment (a scan over alternative logarithmic bases and a null-model randomisation) confirms that the bracketing does not statistically single out the golden ratio, so the physical conclusions rest on the measured participation law, not the ladder. Together these establish a calibrated bridge between hydrogen-bond-network topology and vibrational participation, with the ladder supplying the rung spacing and the molecular dynamics the participation law that populates it. Full article

The escalating global accumulation of plastic waste (PW) poses a critical obstacle to environmental sustainability, necessitating the development of viable valorization strategies. Pyrolysis process offers a thermo-chemical conversion pathway capable of transforming waste plastics into a potentially functional liquid product. This work presents a systematic and comprehensive investigation of the physicochemical, wettability, thermal stability, rheological, and tribological properties of pyrolysis oil (i.e., pyro-oil) derived from virgin linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) pellets to mimic the behavior of common polymers in such thermo-chemical conversion processes. Pyro-oil was produced under controlled slow pyrolysis conditions in a fixed-bed reactor at 700 °C, and its properties were benchmarked against tire-derived pyro-oil and a commercial engine oil. Chemical and structural characterization was conducted via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Wettability was evaluated through temperature-dependent contact angle measurements, and thermal stability was assessed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Rheological profiling of the plastic pyro-oil was investigated using a rheometer apparatus at different temperatures. Lastly, the tribological properties of plastic pyro-oils at various temperatures were examined using a tribometer instrument in a ball-on-disk configuration. Results demonstrate that plastic-derived pyro-oil exhibits a hydrocarbon-dominant chemical composition similar to that of tire pyro-oil and engine oil. Its absolute viscosity is nearly similar to that of the tire pyro-oil and is lower than that of engine oil across different temperatures. Tribological testing revealed that the plastic pyro-oil results in lower friction at elevated temperatures compared to both tire pyro-oil and commercial engine oil. However, the thermal examinations showed that plastic pyro-oil has lower thermal stability than tire pyro-oil and engine oil. Overall, these findings indicate that plastic pyro-oil holds promise as a functional lubricant for low-load and moderate-temperature industrial applications, positioning PW pyrolysis as a viable contributor to circular economy strategies in the lubricants sector. Full article

Sex-related differences in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress are recognized as important modulators of cardiovascular physiology, but they are still insufficiently explored in large animal models. This study examined the influence of sex and gonadal status on oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and hematological parameters in clinically healthy domestic pigs. Twenty sexually mature pigs (10 months old) were divided into four groups: boars, barrows, gilts, and ovariectomized females (n = 5 per group). In serum, the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GSH-RD), total superoxide dismutase (TSOD), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), together with concentrations of triglycerides, phospholipids, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL cholesterol), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), and malondialdehyde (MDA), were determined. In myocardial and liver tissues, antioxidant enzymes, lipid parameters, and MDA were analyzed. Spectrophotometric methods were used for enzyme activities and lipid parameters, while MDA was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Hematological parameters were determined using an automated hematology analyzer, and serum hormone concentrations were measured by chemiluminescent immunoassays. Group-dependent differences were observed, although the relatively small sample size warrants cautious interpretation. In serum, gilts had higher phospholipid, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol concentrations, along with the most favorable LDL: HDL ratio, whereas boars showed the least favorable ratio. Lipid peroxidation, assessed by MDA, was lowest in gilts and highest in barrows. In myocardial tissue, gilts showed higher GSH-RD and TSOD activities and lower MDA concentrations than barrows, suggesting potentially stronger antioxidant protection. In the liver, differences were found in cholesterol, triglycerides, and MDA concentrations, with higher cholesterol in barrows, higher triglycerides in boars, and higher MDA in gilts and ovariectomized females. Hematological differences were also evident, with lower leukocyte and lymphocyte counts in gilts and higher platelet count and plateletcrit in barrows and ovariectomized females. Overall, sex and gonadal status were associated with distinct patterns of metabolic and oxidative responses across serum and tissues. Given the small sample size and cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and as associative rather than causal. Full article

Liquid crystal (LC) is a key enabling technology for continuously phase-reconfigurable microwave devices, offering analogue-tuning capabilities distinct from discrete alternatives such as MEMS and p-i-n diodes. However, the insertion loss of LC-based phase shifters is inevitably influenced by conductor surface roughness—a factor often neglected in idealised simulations. This paper presents, for the first time, a rigorous numerical quantification of how metal surface roughness affects the insertion loss and phase shift of a 60 GHz LC-filled coaxial delay line (0–180° phase shifter) with radial conductor surfaces instead of conventional planar ones. Using full-wave finite-element simulations incorporating Groisse’s phenomenological model and Huray’s snowball model, four surface configurations are analysed at 54–66 GHz: perfectly smooth conductors, roughness on both inner and outer conductors simultaneously, and roughness applied to each conductor individually. Results show that roughness induces a measurable increase in insertion loss—worst when both conductors are rough—but its impact on differential phase shift remains minimal (<0.32°). Huray’s model predicts conductor losses 1.77 times higher than Groisse’s model, yielding more conservative metrics. For the insertion loss evaluation in Case 2 at 60 GHz under the reference isotropic LC state, Groisse’s model predicts 1.90921 dB, while Huray’s model predicts 2.16319 dB, a 0.25 dB discrepancy (12% uncertainty relative to the mean). The inner conductor dominates roughness-induced losses due to concentrated current density, suggesting prioritised surface finishing of the core line. This study isolates loss mechanisms in a coaxial LC structure, providing insights into low-loss reconfigurable devices. Practical PCB copper foil fabrication methods are also evaluated with quantitative analysis of non-ideal cylindrical geometries. Full article