Diffusion welding creates monolithic joints with complex interiors, such as in the printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) for high-temperature reactors. PCHEs are mainly subjected to low cycle fatigue, which is caused by thermal contraction and expansion during the start-up/shutdown. To utilize PCHEs in high-temperature reactors, it is essential to understand the cyclic behaviors of the diffusion weldment (DFW). In this study fatigue tests were conducted on Alloy 800H in its as-received (AR) state with the diffusion weldment at 650 degrees C and 760 degrees C and a total strain range of 0.5-1.2 %. The heat absorbed during the diffusion welding process softened the DFW, allowing it to accommodate large plastic strains. Fatigue tests revealed that the fatigue life of the DFW was longer than that of the AR where the plastic strain dominates the fatigue life. However, the fatigue life of the DFW was shorter than that of the AR where the materials resisted the cyclic behavior based on their strengths. The location of crack initiation was outside the diffusion welding interface, indicating that the cyclic behaviors of the diffusion weldment depend on the thermal history of the manufacturing process.

• Book : 57(7)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

Sexual development and male gamete formation of the malaria parasite in the mosquito midgut are initiated by rapid endomitosis in the activated male gametocyte. This process is highly regulated by protein phosphorylation, specifically by three divergent male-specific protein kinases (PKs): CDPK4, SRPK1, and MAP2. Here, we localise each PK during male gamete formation using live-cell imaging, identify their putative interacting partners by immunoprecipitation, and determine the morphological consequences of their absence using ultrastructure expansion and transmission electron microscopy. Each PK has a distinct location in either the nuclear or the cytoplasmic compartment. Protein interaction studies revealed that CDPK4 and MAP2 interact with key drivers of rapid DNA replication, whereas SRPK1 is involved in RNA translation. The absence of each PK results in severe defects in either microtubule-organising centre organisation, kinetochore segregation, or axoneme formation. This study reveals the crucial role of these PKs during endomitosis in formation of the flagellated male gamete and uncovers some of their interacting partners that may drive this process.

• Book : 8(6)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.e202403056-e202403056
• Keyword :

Abstract For fast neutron sources, such as compact neutron generators, it is desirable to have knowledge and ideally directly measure the energy spectrum of the generated neutrons. For neutrons, the produced radiation field, and the neutron energy spectrum, at a specific location from the source, can be altered by the distance to the source and become even significantly distorted by surrounding material — e.g. walls and the floor of the laboratory. To achieve this goal, we make use of the Time-of-Flight (ToF) technique, which has been implemented on the Timepix3 detector operated in highly integrated readout electronics as a miniaturized radiation camera MiniPIX-Timepix3. Equipped with a silicon sensor, the Timepix3 ASIC chip provides fast timing response of individual pixels at the nanosecond level. In this work, we use two Timepix3 detectors with a silicon sensor of thickness 300 μm and a segmented neutron conversion mask, intended for both thermal and fast neutrons and with a 65 μm thick silicon carbide (SiC) sensor. Demonstration and evaluation of the technique are provided by measurements with a compact neutron D-T pulsed generator at VSB-TU Ostrava laboratory which produces mono-energetic 14 MeV neutrons.

• Book : 20(03)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.C03045-C03045
• Keyword :

Nuclear power plants have been experiencing continuous pipe wall thinning in carbon steel materials used in the secondary system, potentially leading to pipe rupture. To prevent the sudden pipe rupture caused by this thinning, pipe thinning management programs have been conducted which include periodic thickness measurement and remaining life assessment for sampled pipes and fittings. However, periodic thickness measurement data from ultrasonic testing (UT) have a significant range of uncertainty, which can significantly affect the assessed thinning values. Moreover, the uncertainty of the evaluated thinning value is intensified because the amount of thinning of a certain pipe or fitting is defined by its maximum thinning value. Therefore, a data processing method to minimize the effect of thickness measurement uncertainty is crucial to determine more reliable thinning values. In this study, a data processing method based on the support vector machine regression algorithm was proposed, which was adjusted and modified considering the general characteristics of pipe thinning phenomena. Using datasets of thickness measurements constructed by assumed wall thickness shapes and measurement uncertainty, it was confirmed that the proposed method reduces the uncertainty and bias of evaluated thinning values.

• Book : 57(7)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

We present a 3+1 formulation of the light modes in nonlinear electrodynamics described by Plebanski-type Lagrangians, which include post-Maxwellian, Born–Infeld, ModMax, and Heisenberg–Euler–Schwinger QED Lagrangians. In nonlinear electrodynamics, strong electromagnetic fields modify the vacuum such that it acquires optical properties. Such a field-modified vacuum can possess electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, and a magneto-electric response, inducing novel phenomena such as vacuum birefringence. By exploiting the mathematical structures of Plebanski-type Lagrangians, we establish a streamlined procedure and explicit formulas to determine light modes, i.e., refractive indices and polarization vectors for a given propagation direction. We also work out the light modes of the various Lagrangians for an arbitrarily strong magnetic field. The 3+1 formulation advanced in this paper has direct applications to the current vacuum birefringence research: terrestrial experiments using permanent magnets/ultra-intense lasers for the subcritical regime and astrophysical observation of X-rays from highly magnetized neutron stars for the near-critical and supercritical regimes.

• Book : 10(3)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

• Book : ()
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

The Hippo/YAP pathway is a signaling pathway that plays an important role in cell proliferation, survival, differentiation, cell fate determination, organ size, and tissue homeostasis. Lens epithelial cells (LECs), located on the anterior surface of the lens, are the parental cells responsible for growth and development of the transparent ocular lens. During lens development, LECs undergo a process of differentiation where they exit the cell cycle and transform into lens fiber cells (LFCs), which constitute the majority of the lens structure. YAP is involved in the proliferation and differentiation of LECs, the maintenance of nuclear morphology, cell polarity, cell apical polarity complex, and connexin morphology. The role of the ordered arrangement of LFCs has been demonstrated in several animal studies, and Yap1 heterozygous deletion mice exhibit cataracts. The mechanism of the Hippo/YAP pathway in the physiological activities and lesions of LECs is complex, which is of great significance to understanding the development of the lens and the pathogenesis of lens-related diseases.

• Book : ()
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

• Book : ()
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

AbstractWater clarity regulates irradiance penetration in aquatic environments, influencing physical and biological dynamics: irradiance penetration affects heat transfer in the water column and provides energy through photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the euphotic zone, which is vital for light‐dependent organisms. The ability to accurately assess water clarity is therefore important in several aquatic science contexts, from data analysis and process interpretation to modeling. Common metrics used to quantify water clarity include the vertical irradiance attenuation coefficient , a measure of irradiance penetration, and the Secchi disk depth (), a measure of water visibility. The enduring simplicity and low cost of the Secchi disk has made it a global standard for measuring water clarity for almost two centuries. In contrast, is typically determined using expensive instruments that measure underwater irradiance profiles. This highlights the need for innovative, cost‐effective methods that integrate both types of measurements. Here we present DISCO, a low‐cost, easy‐to‐build instrument that retains the traditional appearance of a Secchi disk, and is equipped with photoresistors (also known as light‐dependent resistors, LDRs) both looking upwards and downwards for planar irradiance measurements. DISCO is also equipped with low‐cost temperature and pressure sensors, all connected to an ArduinoUNO board. DISCO was tested in two mountain lakes together with high resolution PAR, temperature and pressure sensors to calibrate the LDRs and validate its performance. The results show that the proposed instrument is able to measure the irradiance attenuation coefficients with an error of less than 10 compared to the reference PAR sensor.

• Book : ()
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

ABSTRACTEvaluating long‐term changes in thermal comfort can be useful for considering measures against thermal‐related health risks. In this study, spatio‐temporal changes in thermal comfort, using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), were calculated from observations at 140 weather stations across Japan for the 1980–2020 period. To derive the mean radiant temperature (MRT) values not readily measured at the stations but required in the estimation of UTCI, a machine‐learning model (XGBoost) was developed. The model uses the station observations, coarse‐resolution radiation data from the ERA‐5 reanalyses dataset, and available globe temperature measurements as predictors. The trend of UTCI throughout Japan in summer was found to be significantly positive. Meanwhile, negative trends were found in stations located in northern areas during the winter. This suggests that not only heat stress risks but also cold stress risks should be given careful attention in colder regions. Lastly, a comparison of the estimated UTCI with prefecture‐level daily summertime heat‐stroke data reveals that the UTCI threshold above which heat‐stroke cases rise drastically varies distinctly between warm and cold regions, with the latter having a lower threshold. These findings could contribute to the estimation of risks attributable to climate change and to better planning of climate‐change‐resilient cities.

• Book : ()
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :