Operando time and space-resolved liquid-phase diagnostics reveal the plasma selective synthesis of nanographenes.

Coupling atmospheric-pressure low-temperature plasmas to electrochemical reactors enables the generation of highly reactive species at plasma-liquid interfaces. This type of plasma electrochemical reactor (PEC) has been used to synthesize fluorescent nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs), which are usable for multifunctional applications in a facile, simple, and sustainable way. However, the synthesis mechanism remains poorly understood, as well as the location of synthesis.

Novel Class of Crystal/Glass Ultrafine Nanolaminates with Large and Tunable Mechanical Properties.

The control of local heterogeneities in metallic glasses (MGs) represents an emerging field to improve their plasticity, preventing the propagation of catastrophic shear bands (SBs) responsible for the macroscopically brittle failure. To date, a nanoengineered approach aimed at finely tuning local heterogeneities controlling SB nucleation and propagation is still missing, hindering the potential to develop MGs with large and tunable strength/ductility balance and controlled deformation behavior. In this work, we exploited the potential of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to synthesize a novel class of crystal/glass ultrafine nanolaminates (U-NLs) in which a ∼4 nm thick crystalline Al separates 6 and 9 nm thick ZrCu glass nanolayers, while reporting a high density of sharp interfaces and large chemical intermixing.

Charge density waves tuned by biaxial tensile stress.

The precise arrangement and nature of atoms drive electronic phase transitions in condensed matter. To explore this tenuous link, we developed a true biaxial mechanical deformation device working at cryogenic temperatures, compatible with x-ray diffraction and transport measurements, well adapted to layered samples. Here we show that a slight deformation of TbTe can have a dramatic influence on its Charge Density Wave (CDW), with an orientational transition from c to a driven by the a/c parameter, a tiny coexistence region near a = c, and without space group change.

The Potential Role of Wearable Inertial Sensors in Laboring Women with Walking Epidural Analgesia.

There is a growing interest in wearable inertial sensors to monitor and analyze the movements of pregnant women. The noninvasive and discrete nature of these sensors, integrated into devices accumulating large datasets, offers a unique opportunity to study the dynamic changes in movement patterns during the rapid physical transformations induced by pregnancy. However, the final cut of the third trimester of pregnancy, particularly the first stage of labor up to delivery, remains underexplored.

Pressure and folding effects on the buckling of a freestanding compressed thin film.

The combined effects of compressive stress, applied pressure, and edge folding of a freestanding thin film have been theoretically investigated on the buckle morphologies of the structure. In the framework of the Föppl-von Kármán theory of thin plates, the different buckle profiles have been analytically determined, and two buckling regimes have been identified for the film: one regime where the transition from upward to downward buckling is continuous, and one that is discontinuous (snap-through). The critical pressures characterizing the different regimes have then been determined, and an hysteresis cycle has been identified through the study of buckling versus pressure.

Relative contributions of postural balance mechanisms reveal studying the CoP displacement alone may be incomplete for analysis of challenging standing postures.

Background: The mechanical consequences of the motor actions used to maintain upright standing balance can be discriminated in two mechanisms: i) moving the center of pressure (CoP) within the base of support (M1); and ii) modifying the whole-body angular momentum (M2). Since the contribution of M2 to the whole-body CoM acceleration increases with postural constraints, a postural analysis focusing only on the CoP trajectory (i.e.

The contribution of multibody optimization when using inertial measurement units to compute lower-body kinematics.

Kinematics obtained using Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) still present significant differences when compared to those obtained using optoelectronic systems. Multibody Optimization (MBO) might diminish these differences by reducing soft-tissue artefacts - probably emphasized when using IMUs - as established for optoelectronic-based kinematics. To test this hypothesis, 15 subjects were equipped with 7 IMUs and 38 reflective markers tracked by 18 optoelectronic cameras.

Unperceived motor actions of the balance system interfere with the causal attribution of self-motion.

The instability of human bipedalism demands that the brain accurately senses balancing self-motion and determines whether movements originate from self-generated actions or external disturbances. Here, we challenge the longstanding notion that this process relies on a single representation of the body and world to accurately perceive postural orientation and organize motor responses to control balance self-motion. Instead, we find that the conscious sense of balance can be distorted by the corrective control of upright standing.

Influence of Generated Defects by Ar Implantation on the Thermoelectric Properties of ScN.

Nowadays, making thermoelectric materials more efficient in energy conversion is still a challenge. In this work, to reduce the thermal conductivity and thus improve the overall thermoelectric performances, point and extended defects were generated in epitaxial 111-ScN thin films by implantation using argon ions. The films were investigated by structural, optical, electrical, and thermoelectric characterization methods.

Experiments and numerical simulations on hovering three-dimensional flexible flapping wings.

In this paper, the applicability and accuracy of high-fidelity experimental and numerical approaches in the analysis of three-dimensional flapping (revolving and pitching) wings operating under hovering flight conditions, i.e. where unsteady and three-dimensional rotational effects are strong, are assessed.

Detection of Horse Locomotion Modifications Due to Training with Inertial Measurement Units: A Proof-of-Concept.

Detecting fatigue during training sessions would help riders and trainers to optimize their training. It has been shown that fatigue could affect movement patterns. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are wearable sensors that measure linear accelerations and angular velocities, and can also provide orientation estimates.

Easy and computer-time-saving implementation of the van der Pauw method including anisotropy and probe positioning correction factors using approximate closed-form analytical functions.

Measurements in a van der Pauw configuration often require the use of complicated mathematical expressions or implicit relations, which may be computer-time-consuming or tedious to implement in a given software. Thus, a closed-form expression is often desirable. We propose to approximate these relations by closed-form analytical functions using only basic operators that can be easily implemented.

A numerical study of the coupling between Rayleigh streaming and heat transfer at high acoustic level.

Complex coupling between thermal effects and Rayleigh streaming in a standing wave guide at high acoustic levels is analyzed numerically. The approach is guided by the recent analytical study, showing that reverse streaming cells can form if the nonlinear Reynolds number exceeds a value depending on the wave frequency and thermophysical properties of the fluid and solid wall. A numerical configuration is introduced to investigate the evolution of the streaming flow structure and the average temperature field at high acoustic levels.

Resolvent-based modeling of turbulent jet noise.

Resolvent analysis has demonstrated encouraging results for modeling coherent structures in jets when compared against their data-educed counterparts from high-fidelity large-eddy simulations (LES). We formulate resolvent analysis as an acoustic analogy that relates the near-field resolvent forcing to the near- and far-field pressure. We use an LES database of round, isothermal, Mach 0.

Biomechanical demands of percussive techniques in the context of early stone toolmaking.

Recent discoveries in archaeology and palaeoanthropology highlight that stone tool knapping could have emerged first within the genera or rather than . To explore the implications of this hypothesis determining the physical demands and motor control needed for performing the percussive movements during the oldest stone toolmaking technology (i.e.

Inhomogeneous diffusion process in elongated rooms: An interpretation based on the dynamics of sound particles.

Previous studies showed that the reverberant field in elongated rooms is governed by non-homogeneous diffusion. The objective of this study is to physically interpret this phenomenon by considering the dynamics of the sound particles. Starting from the original diffusion theory, a quantity that can be interpreted as a "local" mean free path has been proposed and computed from the paths of the propagating particles.

Experimental investigation of oscillating flow characteristics at the exit of a stacked mesh grid regenerator.

The aim of this study is to investigate the oscillating flow velocity field at the exit of different stacked mesh grid regenerators using Particle Image Velocimetry measurements. Twelve different experimental cases are discussed, yielding oscillating flow fields at the exit of four kinds of regenerators for different acoustic levels. The regenerators are classified according to the mesh wire size to viscous penetration depth ratio and according to the method of stacking the mesh grids.

Protecting the downstream migration of salmon smolts from hydroelectric power plants with inclined racks and optimized bypass water discharge.

The sustained development of hydropower energy in the last century has caused important ecological impacts, promoting recent advances in efficient mitigation measures to be implemented in existing and future hydropower plants. Although upstream fish migration has been largely addressed with the development of fish-pass infrastructures, downstream passage solutions are often missing or inefficient, strengthening the need for their improvement and efficiency assessment. The efficiency of horizontally inclined (26°) low bar spacing racks associated to a bypass was assessed using salmon smolts radiotelemetry along three successive hydropower plants (HPP) in the Ariège River (southern France).

ILIOTIBIAL BAND SYNDROME IN CYCLING: A COMBINED EXPERIMENTAL-SIMULATION APPROACH FOR ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF SADDLE SETBACK.

Background: Despite abundant literature, the treatment of iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) in cyclists remains complicated as it lacks evidence-based recommendations.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a musculoskeletal modelling approach that investigates three potential biomechanical determinants of ITBS (strain, strain rate and compression force) and to use this approach to investigate the effect of saddle setback.

Design: Cross-sectional.

In Situ and Real-Time Nanoscale Monitoring of Ultra-Thin Metal Film Growth Using Optical and Electrical Diagnostic Tools.

Continued downscaling of functional layers for key enabling devices has prompted the development of characterization tools to probe and dynamically control thin film formation stages and ensure the desired film morphology and functionalities in terms of, e.g., layer surface smoothness or electrical properties.

Azimuthal decomposition of the radiated noise from supersonic shock-containing jets.

Acoustic measurements of unheated supersonic underexpanded jets with ideally expanded Mach numbers of 1.14, 1.38, and 1.

Effect of plasma polarity on the synthesis of graphene quantum dots by atmospheric-pressure microplasmas.

The aim of this study is to optimize the production of colloidal graphene quantum dots (GQD) in an aqueous solution containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) treated by an argon microplasma jet operated in open ambient air. The plasma has been investigated by optical emission spectroscopy and electrical measurements, and the produced GQDs have been studied by Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, UV-visible absorption, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. We mainly focus on the influence of the polarity of the voltage applied to generate the microplasma.

Sensor-to-Segment Calibration Methodologies for Lower-Body Kinematic Analysis with Inertial Sensors: A Systematic Review.

Kinematic analysis is indispensable to understanding and characterizing human locomotion. Thanks to the development of inertial sensors based on microelectronics systems, human kinematic analysis in an ecological environment is made possible. An important issue in human kinematic analyses with inertial sensors is the necessity of defining the orientation of the inertial sensor coordinate system relative to its underlying segment coordinate system, which is referred to sensor-to-segment calibration.

Experimental investigation of jet-induced wall pressure fluctuations over a tangential flat plate at two Reynolds numbers.

The wall pressure fluctuations induced by a subsonic circular jet on a rigid flat plate have been investigated considering two jets with different exit section diameters at the same Mach number. The analysis is aimed at completing the series of papers presented by the authors on the interaction between a subsonic jet and infinite tangential flat plate where the exit Mach number was the only parameter of the jet flow that was varied. In order to analyse other effects out of the Mach number, two configurations with different nozzle exhaust diameters were explored with the objective of isolating the Reynolds number effect keeping fixed the exit Mach number.

Design of defected TaN supercells dataset for structural and elastic properties from ab initio simulations and comparison to experimental data.

These data are supplied for supporting their interpretations and discussions provided in the research article "Large influence of vacancies on the elastic constants of cubic epitaxial tantalum nitride layers grown by reactive magnetron sputtering" by Abadias et al. (2020) [doi: 10.1016/j.