Search Results (1,020)

Lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) are highly sensitive to temperature variations, and excessive heat accumulation can adversely affect their performance, lifespan, and safety. Therefore, an effective battery thermal management system (BTMS) is essential for maintaining safe operating conditions. This study proposes a novel air-cooled BTMS incorporating circular vent holes in an acrylic enclosure to enhance airflow distribution and convective heat transfer around LiNiCoMnO₂ batteries. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to investigate the effects of discharge rate (1C–2C), inlet air velocity (1.0–3.0 m/s), and inlet air temperature (25–35 °C) on thermal behavior. The results indicate that the proposed BTMS effectively maintains battery temperatures below the critical limit of 40 °C. Optimal cooling performance was achieved at inlet air temperatures of 25–35 °C, 25–30 °C, and 25 °C for discharge rates of 1C, 1.5C, and 2C, respectively. The proposed design provides a simple, effective, and practical BTMS solution for EV applications. These findings confirm that the combination of forced air cooling and optimized vent design significantly improves thermal management performance. Full article

Gallotia simonyi and G. bravoana are large lacertids inhabiting the islands of El Hierro and La Gomera, respectively, in the Canary Archipelago. Both species are critically endangered, but over the last several decades, they have been bred in outdoor terraria (G. simonyi since the 1990s and G. bravoana since 2000). In this study: (1) we describe all procedures carried out in the breeding centres and quantitatively analyse the long-term trajectory of breeding success throughout the study period; (2) we examine whether any parental individuals or specific pairs had a stronger influence on the number of successfully hatched offspring; (3) we report the trials of reintroducing individuals into the wild on each island in different years; (4) we provide information on several predator (cat-control) campaigns conducted on each island; (5) we detail the veterinary protocols and the results obtained when assessing the health status of breeding lizards; and (6) we report several educational activities carried out on each island. Gravid females laid eggs in suitable laying boxes; the eggs were then kept inside incubators with controlled temperature and humidity until hatching. Breeding produced 1267 offspring during the years considered for G. simonyi and 499 for G. bravoana. The mean NEL was 8.8 for G. simonyi and 5.2 for G. bravoana, and the mean HO was 6.4 and 3.54, respectively. Both NEL and HO were significantly higher in G. simonyi than in G. bravoana. NEL was significantly influenced by species and year, and by female snout–vent length (SVL) as a covariate, but not by male SVL. HO was significantly affected by year and by both male and female SVL, but not by species. There were significantly higher or lower values of both variables in specific years, but no clear long-term trend. Some breeding pairs had a greater influence on the dependent variables. Reintroduction into the wild has resulted in a currently stable population of G. simonyi on a small islet off the north-western coast of El Hierro, and some individuals are still present at an inland reintroduction site. For G. bravoana, some live specimens have recently been detected at a new reintroduction site. We conclude that: (1) captive breeding has been successfully carried out over the years in both centres; (2) there have been significant differences between the two species in NEL and HO; (3) female SVL was significantly related to both NEL and HO; and (4) reintroduction attempts have been only partially successful in each species. Veterinary monitoring revealed high dehydration tolerance, seasonal fluctuations in microbial flora, previous mineral imbalances that were corrected by improved nutrition, and effective parasite control that maintained overall lizard health. Except for a few individuals, most lizards were in good health. Full article

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive, incurable condition marked by irreversible airflow limitation and systemic inflammation. Cardiovascular comorbidities, particularly pulmonary hypertension (PH), exacerbate disease severity. While cigarette smoke is a well-known trigger, non-smoking-related inflammatory pathways remain underexplored. This study investigates vascular remodeling in a murine model of inflammation induced by chronic exposure to house dust mite Farinae (HDM). Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice were sensitized with HDM in Freund’s Complete Adjuvant and challenged intranasally with HDM for six weeks. Lung inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and vascular remodeling were evaluated via BAL, histology, immunofluorescence, echocardiography, gene expression, proteomics, and FlexiVent pulmonary function tests (FlexiVent system). Results: HDM exposure induced a mixed inflammatory response, with elevated neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes in BALF. Mucus hyperproduction (increase in MUC5AC/MUC5B) and impaired lung function (reduced FEV0.1/FVC) were observed. Vascular remodeling was evidenced by increased wall thickness, α-SMA expression, and collagen deposition. Proteomic analysis revealed dysregulation of endothelial markers and protease/antiprotease imbalance. HIF1-α was significantly upregulated in lung tissue and correlated with vascular and epithelial remodeling. Conclusions: Chronic HDM exposure in mice recapitulates key features observed in subsets of COPD and PH, including inflammation-driven airway and vascular remodeling. HIF1-α emerges as a central regulator, linking hypoxia to structural changes. This model offers insights into the effect of non-smoking-related inflammatory pathways on bronchial and vascular remodeling that are potentially relevant for subgroups of COPD patients and highlights HIF1-α as a potential therapeutic target. Full article

The tower with an attached vent stack is a special arrangement in chemical tower structures. Flow-induced vibration of this configuration directly affects the safe operation and structural fatigue life of the equipment. This paper investigates the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) characteristics of a two-cylinder system consisting of a tower and its attached vent stack. Through fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulations of two unequally sized cylinders in a bundled arrangement, the vibration responses under first and second-mode critical wind speeds with a flow direction of 0° are analyzed. The analysis examines lift and drag coefficients, vibration displacements, and wake flow evolution to reveal the vibration response pattern under multi-parameter coupling. When the lift forces obtained from FSI are applied in a static calculation, the static results for both the first and second-mode critical wind speeds are approximately 250% larger than the FSI results, indicating a significant discrepancy. Further analysis shows that in the FSI simulations, a notable phase difference exists between the fluid excitation and the structural response, causing the lift force to do negative work during part of the vibration cycle, thereby limiting the net energy input. Under the second-mode critical wind speed, the lift distribution along the tower height is significantly non-uniform. The conventional static calculation method neglects both the phase difference and the non-uniform lift distribution along the height, leading to overly conservative predictions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure with rare complications that can occur due to air entry outside the joint space. Case Presentation: A 19-year-old patient underwent right hip arthroscopy with attempted joint venting. The next morning, she had pain in her right leg, neck, and chest with paresthesias over her hands and feet. A subsequent emergency department physical exam revealed crepitation of the lower extremities, abdomen, chest, and neck caused by air entrance during arthroscopy. The patient also reported blurred near vision. Additionally, the pupils were fixed, did not accommodate, and were dilated at 7 mm. Computed tomography scans revealed subcutaneous emphysema, pneumoperitoneum, pneumomediastinum, and cervicofacial emphysema. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a Chiari I malformation. The patient received four hyperbaric oxygen treatments. By the fourth treatment, near visual acuity had improved, but far visual acuity had worsened. Vision had returned to normal eight days after discharge. Conclusions: It is proposed that the patient’s reduced near vision, accommodation paralysis, and fixed and dilated pupils were brought about by pneumomediastinum and cervicofacial emphysema, inhibiting the ability of the pupils to constrict, causing bilateral mydriasis and accommodation paralysis for near targets. Additionally, the subsequent transient myopic shift is a known complication of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which increases the refractive index of the crystalline lens. Full article

Smoke spread from concourse fires into long entrance passageways can threaten evacuation in deep-buried subway stations, especially when smoke moves upward along inclined escalator sections. This study used a 1:8-scale Fire Dynamics Simulator model to investigate smoke control in a concourse connected to two long entrance passageways. Concourse-only smoke exhaust, conventional combined smoke exhaust, different passageway vent configurations, and an optimized near-source concentrated arrangement were compared. The baseline concourse extraction rate failed to prevent smoke from entering the passageways. At a heat release rate of 15.55 kW, smoke was nearly prevented from entering landing I only when the concourse extraction rate was increased to six times the baseline value. Under conventional combined exhaust, the passageway extraction capacity was distributed between landing I and landing II, but smoke still entered escalator section I. When the total extraction rate of each single-side passageway was unchanged, concentrating the extraction capacity at landing I allowed smoke to be extracted before entering escalator section I. The optimized arrangement prevented smoke from entering escalator section I under both centered and right-offset fire source conditions for the tested passageway geometry, heat release rate, and extraction-rate conditions. Full article

In the bourbon industry, rickhouses store bourbon barrels undergoing the maturation process. Ambient conditions—including temperature, relative humidity, and overall air composition—play a critical role in the maturation process of bourbon within rickhouses. The presence of ethyl alcohol vapors is a byproduct of the aging process and has been a long-standing issue within the industry. Exposure to ethanol vapor can hasten the corrosion of barrel hoops, potentially compromise the integrity of the barrels and lead to product loss. Newly constructed rick-houses have been designed to mitigate the vapors with natural ventilation from windows and air vents. This study shows that natural ventilation does not really allow air to move through the stacks, even in an empty rickhouse. The evaluation was performed using differential pressure measurements and smoke tracing to characterize extremely low-energy airflow. Differential pressure measurements and smoke tracing conducted on the first floor and crawl space of a newly constructed empty rickhouse indicated that while air enters the warehouse through windows and vents, it does not effectively penetrate the interior rick structures. Airflow is largely confined to the crawl space and walkways, with limited movement into the central rick areas, indicating that natural ventilation alone may be insufficient for comprehensive air circulation. The findings provide important insights into airflow behavior and its implications for the spirits industry, while contributing to a growing body of evidence suggesting that natural ventilation alone may be insufficient to adequately mitigate a known de-passivating agent, ethyl alcohol vapor, accumulation in current rickhouse designs. The results align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of “Sustainable Cities and Communities” (SDG 11) and “Responsible Consumption and Production” (SDG 12). Improved understanding of airflow characteristics may support the development of better-ventilated rickhouses, enhancing sustainable production practices and reducing the impact of material and product losses on surrounding communities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Chemosymbiotic bivalves play a fundamental role in deep-sea cold seep and hydrothermal vent ecosystems, where essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are scarce. Whether these bivalves retain the capacity for endogenous PUFA synthesis remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the PUFA biosynthetic capacity of two dominant chemosymbiotic bivalves from the Haima cold seep—the mussel Gigantidas haimaensis and the clam Archivesica marissinica. Methods: Genome and transcriptome assembly revealed three fatty acid desaturase (Fad) genes per species, which phylogenetically clustered into Δ5 (GhFads1, GhFads2; AmFads1, AmFads2) and Δ6/8 (GhFads3, AmFads3) clades, with lineage-specific duplications within the Δ5 clade. Functional assays were performed in yeast to characterize the activity of these enzymes. Results:Both Fads3 enzymes (Δ6/8 clade) convert C20:3n-6 and C20:4n-3 into C20:4n-6 and C20:5n-3, respectively, exhibiting Δ8-desaturase activity. Notably, Δ5-clade isoforms showed divergent substrate specificities: GhFads2 and AmFads1 functioned as classical Δ5-desaturases on PUFA substrates, whereas GhFads1 and AmFads2 specifically desaturated the bacterial monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) C18:1n-7 to produce C18:2n PUFAs. Conclusions: Together, our results reveal that cold-seep bivalves retain endogenous LC-PUFA biosynthetic capacity and have evolved duplicated Δ5-desaturases with novel regioselectivity toward bacterial MUFAs, likely representing an adaptive membrane modification for survival under extreme deep-sea conditions. Full article

Given that stress is a significant risk factor for problematic social media use, understanding the underlying psychological mechanisms is essential. We introduce the Stress-Induced Digital Escapism (SIDE) framework, which posits that negative internal emotional responses to external stressors may increase reliance on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies that fail to alleviate distress. These processes may, in turn, strengthen escapism motives that lead to seeking emotional relief through compulsive social media use. Using structural equation modeling (N = 238), we examined three integrated psychological pathways—negative stress reactions, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and escapism motives—as sequential mediators linking external demands to problematic social media use. Consistent with the proposed framework, external demands showed significant indirect associations with problematic social media use through negative emotional responses, maladaptive interpersonal emotion regulation strategies (venting, reassurance-seeking), and escapism motives as sequential mediators. Sensitivity analysis supported the robustness of the serial mediation model over alternative models with reversed pathways. These findings support the SIDE framework as a unified account of the psychological mechanisms underlying stress-related problematic social media use. Full article

Vent holes in tire molds typically exhibit large depth-to-diameter ratios (25–50) and variable drilling angles, both of which increase the risk of drill-bit breakage during automated drilling. To address this problem, this study develops a robotic drilling system consisting of a 6-DOF industrial robot and a dedicated end effector integrating a spindle unit, a linear feed unit, and a telescopic drill-bushing unit. A GRU-based feed-torque model predictive control method (GFTMPC) is proposed for robotic small-diameter deep-hole drilling, which achieves flexible control by integrating angle-aware feed-torque modeling with constrained MPC-based feed-rate optimization. The resulting GRU-based feed-torque model (GFTM) is embedded in the MPC framework for torque prediction and achieves an R² value of 0.9682. Under identical simulation conditions, GFTMPC reduces the RMSE of the feed-rate increment by 34.82% and the saturation ratio of the feed-rate increment by 90.78% relative to a PID baseline, indicating smoother feed regulation and fewer abrupt control actions in simulation. Comparative engineering experiments further suggest that, under the tested robotic configurations, adaptive feed-rate regulation by GFTMPC is an important contributor to improved tool life and drilling reliability. Hole-diameter measurements show deviations ranging from +0.03 mm to +0.11 mm, which were considered acceptable for the subsequent work steps in this application. Engineering application results show that robotic drilling increases daily throughput per worker by 71.38% and the average number of holes drilled per bit by 237%. Full article

In a weakly constrained, confined space, four common ignition sources—electrical spark, open flame, tungsten filament, and electrochemical igniter—were employed to investigate how the ignition mode influences the overpressure and flame-propagation characteristics during the vented explosion of gasoline vapor. The results show that the explosion process can be divided into four stages, featuring three typical overpressure peaks. The flame velocity exhibits two pronounced accelerations: one upon rupture of the vent membrane and another when the flame reaches the vent opening. Among the ignition sources tested, the electric spark produced the most severe destructive effects associated with overpressure, while the electrochemical igniter yielded the fastest flame propagation, and the tungsten filament ignition generated the longest external flame, constituting the greatest external fire threat. Explosions initiated by the tungsten filament and electrochemical igniter experience flame instability at the outset, induced by disturbances from the ignition source itself. Full article

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) cells are available in various sizes, formats, and chemistries. Should a LIB be exposed to conditions outside its operating parameters, each variation affects the cell failure mechanisms and any resultant fire dynamic. Battery fires can be dynamic events that differ significantly from those solid-, liquid- or gas-based fire curves often used in standard building material fire resistance tests. This preliminary research aimed to investigate how standard building materials, sometimes used as a compartment fire envelope, such as gypsum plasterboard, react when exposed to a dynamic battery fire. The research explored batteries that produced jet fires, could act as projectiles, or produced overpressures when they failed. The results showed that cylindrical cells can travel at significant speeds and distances due to expulsing the cell’s contents through the cell’s vent or ejected end cap. These cells were shown to be capable of piercing plasterboard and remain hot enough to present a fire risk where they fall on the far side of the plasterboard. It was also found that the overpressures produced by failing prismatic cells affected the structural integrity of some building materials. The results show a need for further research into the effectiveness of standard building fire controls when exposed to LIB fires. Full article

Electrochemical aging can alter the mechanical abuse tolerance of lithium-ion cells, but evidence for large-format tabless cylindrical cells remains limited. This study investigates commercial steel-cased 4695 cells under quasi-static hemispherical indentation at 100% State-of-Charge. Fresh cells were compared with two aged groups brought to 80% remaining capacity by either room-temperature cycling at 20 °C and 20 A or low-temperature/high-current cycling at −10 °C and 45 A. Aging shifted the onset of a major internal short circuit to lower displacement, force, and absorbed mechanical work. Relative to fresh cells, the mean displacement at internal short-circuit onset decreased by 15.9% after aging at 20 °C and 20 A and by 22.1% after aging at −10 °C and 45 A, while the corresponding force decreased by 10.8% and 19.4%. The absorbed mechanical work to short-circuit onset decreased by 24.0% and 37.3%, respectively. Peak surface temperatures did not clearly separate the groups, whereas integrating the surface-temperature rise over the first 30 $\mathrm{s}$ after short-circuit onset revealed an increase from 6894 $\mathrm{K}$$\mathrm{s}$ in fresh cells to 9872 $\mathrm{K}$$\mathrm{s}$ and 13,777 $\mathrm{K}$$\mathrm{s}$ in the two aged groups. The experiments also revealed a change in observed venting behavior, with top-terminal venting occurring more frequently in aged cells. These results indicate that, under the tested conditions, aging history can reduce mechanical abuse tolerance and modify post-failure severity in large-format cylindrical cells. Full article

Passive thermoregulatory textiles, operating without external energy input, play a crucial role in maintaining the human body within the thermal comfort zone. However, integrating autonomous environmental adaptability with superior wearing comfort into a single textile remains a challenge. In this work, inspired by the autonomous actuation of water lilies, we proposed an intelligent strategy to fabricate thermoregulatory textiles that dynamically adapted to ambient temperature fluctuations, driven by a bidirectional shape memory polymer (SMP). To concurrently achieve robust thermal adaptability and human-body-compatible softness, a crosslinked polyethylene glycol–butyl acrylate (PEG-BA) bidirectional SMP network was engineered. The PEG phase, featuring a broad crystal size distribution, provided the dynamic skeleton for thermally induced actuation, while the incorporation of the BA component tuned the intrinsic softness to match conventional soft textiles. Consequently, the synthesized PEG-BA network exhibited an exceptional bidirectional shape memory effect with a reversible strain of 15.5%, while maintaining high macroscopic softness comparable to that of human skin. By integrating this bidirectional polymer into a garment to form adaptive vents, the smart textile demonstrated the capability to significantly elevate human thermal comfort. Specifically, the vents autonomously open in hot environments to accelerate heat dissipation and close in cool environments to suppress heat loss. Given its exceptional personal thermoregulatory performance and wearing compliance, this proposed strategy exhibits considerable potential for maintaining optimal human comfort against fluctuating environmental conditions. Full article

Members of the class Campylobacteria are microaerophilic bacteria widely distributed across diverse environments and are abundant in hydrothermal systems. However, cultivated representatives, particularly from shallow-water vents, remain limited. Here, we investigated the genomic diversity and environmental adaptation of the genus Sulfurospirillum. Phylogenomic analysis revealed a clear separation between terrestrial and marine clades, with relatively few cultured representatives in the marine lineage. Strain 1307, isolated from shallow-water hydrothermal vents, expands the genomic representation of this underexplored clade. Pan-genome analyses based on complete genomes revealed an open pan-genome, indicating ongoing diversification of genus Sulfurospirillum. Further comparison between hydrothermal vent (HTV) and non-HTV lineages identified distinct adaptive features. Vent-associated strains are enriched in genes involved in sulfur metabolism, carbon fixation, the glycine cleavage system (GCS), and the biosynthesis of key cofactors (spermidine, thiamine, lipoate, and heme), reflecting metabolic adaptation to hydrothermal environments. Beyond well-established processes such as sulfur metabolism and autotrophic carbon fixation, the widespread presence of the GCS in vent-associated lineages suggests its potential role as an auxiliary carbon fixation pathway under anaerobic conditions. Overall, this study expands the phylogenetic and genomic diversity of Sulfurospirillum and offers new insights into the mechanisms underlying environmental adaptation and niche differentiation in vent-associated Campylobacteria. Full article