A New Experimental Design to Study the Kinetics of Solid Dissolution into Liquids at Elevated Temperature

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - A new method was developed to study the dissolution of a solid cylinder in a liquid under forced convection at elevated temperature. In the new design,...     

Defining resilience for the US building industry

ABSTRACT

Initiatives to operationalize the concept of resilience in the building industry are rapidly emerging. The concept of resilience has introduced a way to explore solutions to some important problems in the building industry. However, much of the work that has taken place to date represents activities generally assigned to risk management, which is discussed as being inherently insufficient for sustaining the functions of the built environment under stresses. This commentary considers the opportunities and limitations for mainstreaming resilience into building industry processes and actors. Barriers include indeterminate analytical meaning, event and performance uncertainty, immature regulatory standards setting, and untested enterprise economics. Further, the multiple outcomes of recovery and the relationship between building recovery and adaptation are discussed and, along with economics of resilience investments, a research need highlighted. A simple heuristic is presented to illustrate the complement of resilience to risk management and advance the integration of resilience into existing industry workflows.     

Three-dimensional vortex wake structure of flapping wings in hovering flight

Flapping wings continuously create and send vortices into their wake, while imparting downward momentum into the surrounding fluid. However, experimental studies concerning the details of the three-dimensional vorticity distribution and evolution in the far wake are limited. In this study, the three-dimensional vortex wake structure in both the near and far field of a dynamically scaled flapping wing was investigated experimentally, using volumetric three-component velocimetry. A single wing, with shape and kinematics similar to those of a fruitfly, was examined. The overall result of the wing action is to create an integrated vortex structure consisting of a tip vortex (TV), trailing-edge shear layer (TESL) and leading-edge vortex. The TESL rolls up into a root vortex (RV) as it is shed from the wing, and together with the TV, contracts radially and stretches tangentially in the downstream wake. The downwash is distributed in an arc-shaped region enclosed by the stretched tangential vorticity of the TVs and the RVs. A closed vortex ring structure is not observed in the current study owing to the lack of well-established starting and stopping vortex structures that smoothly connect the TV and RV. An evaluation of the vorticity transport equation shows that both the TV and the RV undergo vortex stretching while convecting downwards: a three-dimensional phenomenon in rotating flows. It also confirms that convection and secondary tilting and stretching effects dominate the evolution of vorticity.     

Contribution of first- versus second-generation products to secondary organic aerosols formed in the oxidation of biogenic hydrocarbons

Biogenic hydrocarbons emitted by vegetation are important contributors to secondary organic aerosol (SOA), but the aerosol formation mechanisms are incompletely understood. In this study, the formation of aerosols and gas-phase products from the ozonolysis and photooxidation of a series of biogenic hydrocarbons (isoprene, 8 monoterpenes, 4 sesquiterpenes, and 3 oxygenated terpenes) are examined. By comparing aerosol growth (measured by Differential Mobility Analyzers, DMAs) and gas-phase concentrations (monitored by a Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer, PTR-MS), we study the general mechanisms of SOA formation. Aerosol growth data are presented in terms of a "growth curve", a plot of aerosol mass formed versus the amount of hydrocarbon reacted. From the shapes of the growth curves, it is found that all the hydrocarbons studied can be classified into two groups based entirely on the number of double bonds of the hydrocarbon, regardless of the reaction systems (ozonolysis or photooxidation) and the types of hydrocarbons studied: compounds with only one double bond and compounds with more than one double bond. For compounds with only one double bond, the first oxidation step is rate-limiting, and aerosols are formed mainly from low volatility first-generation oxidation products; whereas for compounds with more than one double bond, the second oxidation step may also be rate-limiting and second-generation products contribute substantially to SOA growth. This behavior is characterized by a vertical section in the growth curve, in which continued aerosol growth is observed even after all the parent hydrocarbon is consumed.     

Flexural behaviour and strength of cold-formed steel L-headers

Cold-formed steel headers are structural components used over wall openings in cold-formed steel residential and light commercial construction. Recently, there has been an increased interest in cold-formed L-headers among homebuilders primarily due to their ease of installation and low material cost. The findings from an extensive laboratory testing program, of full-scale single and double cold-formed steel L-headers are presented in this paper. The objective of the research was to investigate the flexural behaviour and strength of L-headers under both gravity and uplift loads. Based on the results improved ultimate strength design expressions and new deflection expressions for a wide range of L-header assemblies have been proposed.     

Effects of ion irradiation in metallic glasses

Application of metallic glasses as structural materials has been limited by their poor ductility. To overcome brittle failure, nanocrystals are intentionally introduced to stabilize the glasses. In this study, we report on the application of ion irradiation to induce nanocrystalization in a Cu₅₀Zr₄₅Ti₅ (CZT) alloy. Transmission electron microcopy, microindentation and nanoindentation have been used to characterize the CZT alloy irradiated with 140 keV He ions at room temperature. Hardness enhancement was observed near the projected range of the He ions, coinciding with the formation of nanocrystals. Such microstructural changes, however, were not observed in the near surface region, where the electronic stopping process is dominant.     

Stocking wild adult Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus): An additional fish management tool

Stocking of largemouth bass is an important management tool for fish management. The stocking of hatchery‐produced fingerling or advanced‐fingerling bass to supplement bass year‐classes, however, has exhibited varying success. Utilizing a different approach, a multiyear stocking programme using wild adult largemouth bass was initiated at the Harris Chain of Lakes (3800 ha Lake Griffin; 1811 ha Lake Dora) in central Florida. Wild adult bass (24 781 fish), ranging in size from 200 mm total length (TL) to over 600 mm TL, were stocked in Lake Griffin (13 932 fish) and Lake Dora (10 849 fish). One month after stocking, the number of stocked bass caught in electrofishing catches in Lake Griffin and Lake Dora was ~10% and 22%, respectively. Estimates of mortality were similar to the native largemouth bass, although the movement of stocked fish into other connecting water bodies was extensive. For the Lake Griffin/Lake Dora stocking programme, bass were transferred at a cost of $10.09–19.89 per fish, depending on how the costs of the project are calculated ($250 000 for just the capture and transport of the fish vs. $492 775 for the total project). Considering only capture and transport costs, conservative benefit/cost ratio estimates would be $1.77/$1.00 spent for replacement and $1.85/$1.00 spent recreational costs, although the benefit/cost ratios could exceed $10/$1. Based on the present study, stocking wild adult largemouth bass is a cost‐effective tool for managing largemouth bass.     

Evolutionary cyber-psychology: Applying an evolutionary framework to Internet behavior

An evolutionary psychological perspective has much to offer the study of Internet behavior. However, cyber-psychologists have hitherto neglected this rich theoretical tradition and evolutionary psychologists have been slow to apply their perspective to computer-mediated behavior. This paper applies an evolutionary perspective to the study of Internet behavior in four relevant domains: (1) mating and sexual competition, (2) parenting and kinship, (3) trust and social exchange, and (4) personal information management. Both general and specific evolutionary theories are explored in relation to online behavior in each domain, with an emphasis on generating testable hypotheses for future research.