PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF AN AUTOMOTIVE THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR

Around 40% of the total fuel energy in typical internal combustion engines (ICEs) is rejected to the environment in the form of exhaust gas waste heat. Efficient recovery of this waste heat in automobiles can promise a fuel economy improvement of 5%. The thermal energy can be harvested through thermoelectric generators (TEGs) utilizing the Seebeck effect

Computers: Will Their Magic Survive Schooling?

Looks at computers as a tool in classroom learning

The effects of laboratory-induced mood on secretory immunoglobulin A in saliva

The effects of induced mood on secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) were tested on 104 students (51 men & 53 women) using a mixed design with between subject factors of gender, induced mood (positive vs. negative), method of induction (writing about oneself vs. viewing a video), and a within subject factor, time (baseline vs. posttest). A split-plot multivariate analysis of covariance, controlling for salivary flow rate, did not support a causal link between induced mood alone and change in SIgA concentration. The effect of induced mood on blood pressure and heart rate was also examined. There were no significant main effects, but gender interacted with mood induction such that females experienced an increase in blood pressure in the positive mood induction condition. There was no significant effect of method of mood induction on SIgA, blood pressure, or heart rate. Stable personality traits, however, moderated the effects of mood induction. Persons who scored higher on depression and neuroticism, and lower on positive affect had significantly higher SIgA concentrations in the negative mood condition. There were no significant effects of personality traits on SIgA levels in the positive mood condition, nor did they interact with induced mood to change blood pressure or heart rate. These data suggest that although SIgA concentration may not be subject to short-term laboratory mood manipulations alone, changes in SIgA concentration may be associated with an interaction of stable personality traits and mood state, especially in the case induced negative mood

Demand and consumption features of information resources (example of the residents of Omsk and Omsk region)

The article discusses the features of consumption and demand for information resources by population, the factors influencing the choice of channels of information received, the perception of the city's residents information about the activities of the executive branch. The authors give recommendations for the development of mass communications between the authorities of the Federation and its population.В статье рассматриваются особенности потребления и востребованность информационных ресурсов населением, факторы, влияющие на выбор каналов получаемой информации, восприятие жителями города информации о деятельности органов исполнительной власти. Автором даются рекомендации по развитию массовых коммуникаций между властью субъекта федерации и его населением

The rise and rupture of bubbles: applications to biofouling, microplastic pollution, and sea spray aerosols

Air bubbles in liquids have complex interactions with their surroundings. A rising bubble not only mixes the surrounding fluid but also collects suspended particles such as bacteria or microplastics on its interface, transporting them to the liquid surface. When a bubble bursts, it releases droplets that carry sea salt, microorganisms, and chemicals into the air, affecting both human health and the climate. Through experiments and theory, this dissertation studies the underlying mechanisms behind bubble-mediated biofouling prevention, air-sea particle transport, and sea spray formation. Our first study examines the relationship between the flow fields created by rising bubbles and biofouling prevention on a submerged surface. Bubble aeration is a method for preventing biofouling organisms, such as barnacles, from growing on a surface without using environmentally harmful chemicals. We identify the critical flow characteristics of periodically rising bubbles that correlate with the prevention of multi-species biofouling over a seven-week period, offering a potential framework for studying and comparing flow fields that successfully inhibit biofouling. Our next study investigates how small bubbles concentrate particles adhered to the bubble interface, such as plastics or microorganisms, into highly-contaminated droplets during the bursting process. We reexamine the assumption that only particles small enough to fit within a thin microlayer around the bubble can be transported into the influential top jet drop, and demonstrate that larger particles can also be transported and exhibit higher enrichment levels than predicted. We combine experiments and theory to develop an analytical model estimating the expected enrichment based on the bubble size, particle size, and particle position on the bubble. We proceed by focusing on plastic particle transfer into the atmosphere via bursting bubbles from breaking ocean waves. Existing estimates of micro- and nanoplastic transport through this pathway have large uncertainties due to limited detection techniques and studies. We develop a modeling framework that examines the size-dependent transport of hydrophilic and hydrophobic plastic particles, revealing the dominance of jet drops over film drops and the potential for nanometer-sized plastics to become highly concentrated in the smallest drops. Finally, we explore the role of salinity on the bursting bubble production of submicron drops, which are critical to cloud formation and other atmospheric processes. It is well-known that bubbles bursting in saltier water will produce more submicron drops. However, previous studies have attributed this trend to the suppression of bubble coalescence with higher salinity, leading to more numerous bubbles and consequently more drops. We demonstrate that submicron drop production increases with salinity, even when using a salt that does not affect bubble coalescence behavior. This finding implies that salinity has a systematic effect on the physics of submicron drop formation, even at the scale of a single bubble

Effect of preparation method on activity and stability of LaMnO3 and LaCoO3 catalysts for the flameless combustion of methane

A set of LaMnO3 and LaCoO3 catalysts was prepared through different synthesis procedures. The selected techniques included the sol-gel method, flame hydrolysis from aqueous solution, complexation through EDTA and solid-state reaction. The last was accomplished through reactive grinding by ball-milling either in a vibration mill or in a planetary mill. EDTA complexation was applied for LaCoO3 only and did not improve significantly catalyst activity or stability, with respect to other techniques. Ball-milling never allowed obtaining a pure perovskitic phase, at least under the most energetic grinding conditions permitted by our apparatus. The highest activity for the catalytic flameless combustion of methane was obtained with the sol-gel prepared samples, though thermal resistance revealed insufficient for high temperature applications. A bit lower activity, but coupled with good thermal stability was obtained with the samples prepared through flame hydrolysis

Learning to Look, Looking to Learn

In order to plan and implement lessons that will be effective for a wide variety of learners, teachers must assess what students know and how they know it. They must also know students’ academic strengths, challenges, and preferences. Careful observation of what students do and say as they work provides a rich source of data about both their knowledge and ways of learning. We highlight three strategies we use to help teachers refine their understanding of individual students: (a) building teachers’ skills in observing without making judgements; (b) teaching teachers to use a shared, neurodevelopmental framework through which to view student learning and behavior; and (c) facilitating collaboration among general education and special education teachers in using these tools to assess student learning and plan lessons. The combination of careful observations, a neurodevelopmental lens through which to see and interpret the observations, and the different perspectives of general and special education teachers, builds a foundation for planning appropriately leveled and rigorous lessons that leverage students’ strengths while supporting them in their weaker areas.https://educate.bankstreet.edu/faculty-staff/1057/thumbnail.jp