A Recent Approach towards Fluidic Microstrip Devices and Gas Sensors: A Review

This paper aims to review some of the available tunable devices with emphasis on the techniques employed, fabrications, merits, and demerits of each technique. In the era of fluidic microstrip communication devices, versatility and stability have become key features of microfluidic devices. These fluidic devices allow advanced fabrication techniques such as 3D printing, spraying, or injecting the conductive fluid on the flexible/rigid substrate. Fluidic techniques are used either in the form of loading components, switching, or as the radiating/conducting path of a microwave component such as liquid metals. The major benefits and drawbacks of each technology are also emphasized. In this review, there is a brief discussion of the most widely used microfluidic materials, their novel fabrication/patterning methods.

Contact resistance based tactile sensor using covalently cross-linked graphene aerogels

A movable electrical contact between two materials is one of the most fundamental, simple, and common components in electronics that is used for binary control of a conducting path in...

Prerequisites for developing an advanced welding technology for repair of worn elements of steam-conducting systems

The main disadvantage of standard technologies of welding steam pipelines of thermal power plants is that they can allow the presence of defective structures close to the defective ones in the metal of the seam and in the sections of the HAZ. In this regard, the question arises about the development of a new technology that will provide the appropriate structure and properties that will increase the service life of steam pipelines and get a significant economic effect. Goal. The goal is improvement of the technology of welding pipelines of thermal power plants based on the study of the features of the formation of welded joints operating in Creep conditions. Methodology. The level of wear of the elements of the Steam-conducting path was estimated taking into account the provisions of the regulatory documentation of metallographic analysis, determination of chemical composition and properties, as well as the degree of their deformation. Results. It is revealed that welded joints are characterized by initial structural heterogeneity, which is closely related to long-term strength, ductility and impact strength. For example, at different sections of a welded joint, there is a different intensity of transition of alloying elements and, accordingly, a different type of structural component can be formed. The proposed technology of welding repair of damaged elements of steam pipelines using mechanized welding in CO2+Ar provides for the production of welded joints with a higher level of uniformity of structure, chemical composition and properties. Scientific novelty and practical significance. The welding technology has been improved, which includes developing the modes for performing repair work by mechanized welding in an Ar + CO2 environment of steam pipeline samples with a depth of ≥ 20 mm and a width of ≥ 30 mm, and differs from the known ones by using linear energy welding of 1.2–1.5 MJ/m.

After-hours work-related technology use and individuals' deviance: the role of other-initiated versus self-initiated interruptions

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of after-hours work-related technology use on interpersonal, organizational and nonwork deviance through work–family conflict (WFC) by focusing on the moderating role of other- and self-initiated interruptions.Design/methodology/approachThe online survey included 318 valid samples from employees working in different organizations in the Anhui provinces of the People's Republic of China. The authors applied Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) process macros for testing mediation and moderated mediation analysis while conducting path analytic procedures and bootstrapping analysis.FindingsThis study found that after-hours work-related technology use is positively associated with interpersonal, organizational and nonwork deviance through WFC. This positive relationship strengthens in the presence of other-initiated interruptions compared with self-initiated interruptions. The results show that as compared to self-initiated interruptions, other-initiated interruptions strengthen the relationship between after-hours work-related technology use and its outcomes in the forms of WFC and deviance.Originality/valueAfter-hours work-related technology use is a ubiquitous phenomenon and got significant scholarly attention. However, its effect on WFC and individual deviant behaviors has never been studied. Moreover, the moderated-mediation role of self-initiated and other-initiated interruptions presents a unique and important development in the context of after-hours work-related technology use and deviant behavior.

Relationship between quality of work-life, resilience and burnout among nursing professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Iran: A cross-sectional study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the increased workload and stress associated with the disease prevalence have posed a high risk of burnout to nurses. The effects of the workplace and environmental factors on resilience and burnout among nursing professionals have not been investigated in Iran. Objective: Present study aimed to assess a model linking quality of work-life to the resilience and various dimensions of burnout among Iranian nursing professionals based on the health service workplace environmental resilience model. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study performed on 202 Iranian nurses employed in three educational hospitals. Maslach burnout inventory, Brooks’ quality of nursing work-life survey, and an abbreviated version of the Connor-Davidson resilience scale were used to collect data. The correlation between the study variables was assessed by conducting path analysis in AMOS 22. Results: The final model demonstrated adequate fit. The quality of working life indirectly affected burnout via a direct impact on nursing professionals’ resilience (p <0.001, β = 0.39). In addition, resilience had negative, significant effects on all the dimensions of job burnout. The quality of work-life also had negative and significant effects on emotional exhaustion (p <0.001, β = -0.38) and reduced personal accomplishment (p <0.001, β = - 0.38). Conclusion: Resilience and quality of work-life are protective variables against burnout in nursing professionals. Nursing managers can increase resilience and decrease burnout among nursing professionals by adopting policies that can improve the quality of work life.

Common Mode Current Effects and Challenges for Wind Turbine Generator Application

Operation of the generator with full converter and long tower cables leads to common mode and bearing current in the wind turbine. Common mode and bearing current are almost always present in such systems, due to the harmonics reflections within large tower cables. An electrical system should be carefully designed to perform in such environments. Bearing insulation thickness should be carefully chosen to minimize the impact of bearing current. Ideally these currents should flow through the dedicated path within the nacelle and pass through the tower to the ground. Due to complex structure of the nacelle in the onshore geared turbine and dealing with a very high frequency current, this is usually not the case. A complex cable routing and formation of different conducting path leads the common mode current to flows into an unexpected direction. It is the part of a good system design to monitor the path and evaluate the potential impact on the sensitive components to avoid potential failure in the field. A higher downtime of the turbine corresponds to a less reliable turbine, this is also closely associated with the levelized cost of electricity. This paper presents an overview of the system for the preferred common mode current routing and recommend various method by which formation of unwanted grounding loops can be avoided.

Vacancy defect control of colossal thermopower in FeSb2

Iron diantimonide is a material with the highest known thermoelectric power. By combining scanning transmission electron microscopic study with electronic transport neutron, X-ray scattering, and first principle calculation, we identify atomic defects that control colossal thermopower magnitude and nanoprecipitate clusters with Sb vacancy ordering, which induce additional phonon scattering and substantially reduce thermal conductivity. Defects are found to cause rather weak but important monoclinic distortion of the unit cell Pnnm → Pm. The absence of Sb along [010] for high defect concentration forms conducting path due to Fe d orbital overlap. The connection between atomic defect anisotropy and colossal thermopower in FeSb2 paves the way for the understanding and tailoring of giant thermopower in related materials.

Visualizing atomic structure and magnetism of 2D magnetic insulators via tunneling through graphene

The discovery of two-dimensional (2D) magnetism combined with van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure engineering offers unprecedented opportunities for creating artificial magnetic structures with non-trivial magnetic textures. Further progress hinges on deep understanding of electronic and magnetic properties of 2D magnets at the atomic scale. Although local electronic properties can be probed by scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), its application to investigate 2D magnetic insulators remains elusive due to absence of a conducting path and their extreme air sensitivity. Here we demonstrate that few-layer CrI3 (FL-CrI3) covered by graphene can be characterized electronically and magnetically via STM by exploiting the transparency of graphene to tunneling electrons. STS reveals electronic structures of FL-CrI3 including flat bands responsible for its magnetic state. AFM-to-FM transition of FL-CrI3 can be visualized through the magnetic field dependent moiré contrast in the dI/dV maps due to a change of the electronic hybridization between graphene and spin-polarised CrI3 bands with different interlayer magnetic coupling. Our findings provide a general route to probe atomic-scale electronic and magnetic properties of 2D magnetic insulators for future spintronics and quantum technology applications.

M31. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BULLYING VICTIMIZATION AND PSYCHOSIS AND THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PEER AND FAMILY SOCIAL SUPPORT

Background The relationship between psychotic symptoms and bullying has received limited attention to date. A systematic review by Cunningham, Hoy, & Shannon (2016) identified only ten studies that met their inclusion criteria for examining the relationship between childhood bullying and psychosis via a prospective research design. A meta-analysis of these studies suggested that being bullied does predict the later development of psychotic symptoms. The authors went on to say that a better understanding of the factors that mediate the bullying/psychosis relationship is needed. It is possible that prolonged exposure to social adversity and exclusion can lead to a state of “social defeat” which has also been found to increase the risk of psychosis (Johnston et al., 2011; Selten et al., 2013; Selten and Cantor-Graae, 2005). Being bullied in childhood has also been linked to depression in adulthood (Bowes et al. 2014), and social support from family and friends may also mediate the bullying victimisation-depression relationship. Methods The present study is a secondary data analysis of a prospective cohort study; namely, the Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS). The BYDS followed a group of children longitudinally from ages 12–21 years. The participants are 2,087 individuals who took part in the Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS) in 2011 (Wave 7). This longitudinal survey started in 2001 (Wave 1) when the sample members were aged 11 years. The sample were then surveyed again annually up until age 15 years (Waves 2–5), and post-compulsory schooling follow ups were carried out at 17 and 21 years (Waves 6 & 7). The secondary analysis will involve conducting path models. The first of which will be a bullying victimisation-psychosis mediation model; this will include a predictor (bullied, age 12 years), outcome (Psychosis, age 21 years), mediators (e.g. peer attachment, age 13 years; parental attachment. age 14 years), and covariates (gender, free school meals, depression, and frequency of cannabis use in the past year; cannabis abuse screening test). A bullying victimisation-depression mediation model will also be examined; this will include the same mediator and covariate variables. Results The results will be reported in the poster submission (analysis in progress). These will include measures of direct and indirect effect, as well as model fit statistics. Discussion Clinical implications in terms of prevention, assessment, and intervention for young people at risk of psychotic disorders will be discussed.