SEAM-ECM Jet Milling TC4 Titanium Alloy Using Gas-Liquid Mixed Medium

A novel combined machining approach combining short electric arc machining and electrochemical machining (SEAM-ECM) is proposed in this study. It aims to improve the surface integrity of TC4 titanium alloy by adding compressed air and electrolyte into the SEAM. This approach can change the material removal mechanism of the conventional SEAM and improve the gap flow field distribution and discharge state using the dual fluid properties of electrolyte and air mixed medium. The effects of gas addition on the state of the gap flow field and the electrical conductivity of the mixed medium are illustrated by flow field simulation. The effects of the presence or absence of air and the electrical conductivity of the solution on the machining performance are compared by experiments. The results show that the recast layer is weakened by using electrolyte and air mixed medium in SEAM-ECM compared to SEAM alone. The addition of high-speed air reduces defects such as melt drops, particles, holes. It performs with higher precision and finishes than ECM alone, the overall surface integrity has been significantly improved.

Mineralization and nutrient release pattern of vermicast-sawdust mixed media with or without addition of Trichoderma viride

A combination of vermicast and sawdust mixed medium is commonly used in horticulture, but the added benefit of microbial inoculation and mechanism of nutrient availability are unknown. This study was done to determine nutrient mineralization and nutrient release patterns of different combinations or a mix of vermicast-sawdust growing media amended with or without Trichoderma viride (105 spores/g). The mixed-media treatments were (1) 80% vermicast+20% sawdust; (2) 60% vermicast+40% sawdust; (3) 40% vermicast+60% sawdust; (4) 20% vermicast+80% sawdust; and (5) sawdust alone (control). Total dissolved solids, electric conductivity and salinity increased with each sampling time following submergence in deionized. Nutrients released from media without T. viride were significantly higher than the corresponding media with added T. viride. Overall, the starting total nitrogen of the different media did not change during the incubation period, but nitrate-nitrogen was reduced to a negligible amount by the end of day 30 of incubation. A repeated measures analysis showed a significant effect of Time*T. viride*Treatment on total dissolved solids. Redundancy analysis demonstrated a positive and strong association between media composed of ≥40% vermicast and ≤60% sawdust with or without T. viride and mineral nutrients released, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and salinity. These findings suggest that fast-growing plants may benefit from 40% to 60% vermicast added to 40% to 60% sawdust without T. viride while slow-growing plants can benefit from the same mixed medium combined with the addition of T. viride. Further investigation is underway to assess microbial dynamics in the mixed media and their influence on plant growth.

Comics' reception as literature and the subjugation of the image

[Para. 1] Scholars disagree on how comics should be defined in relation to other media. Some, such as Barbara Postema, assert that comics are representative of a medium featuring unique formatting and iconography that sits outside the traditional considerations of art and literature. The counter-point, as proposed by individuals such as Thierry Groensteen, is that comics are a hybrid or mixed medium, representing the combination of the written word and fine art working in conjunction to convey different perspectives within a single narrative. Historically, comics have been rejected by both fine art and literary communities due to their failure to conform to the standards presented in either discipline. However, due in large part to the narrative elements of the prose present in a comic text, comics settled primarily in the domain of literary consideration, albeit with some negative critique initially directed at the content and marketing that popularized the medium. Once considered rudimentary writing supported by gimmicky illustrations, the ongoing discourse concerning their status as either a unique medium or hybrid media has coincided with comics gaining academic merit in recent years. One of the issues that complicates this debate is whether the text and image in comics to be given equal consideration when determining the function of a comic narrative, as “one of the significant consequences of the literary turn in the study of comics has been the tendency to drive attention away from comics as a form of visual culture” (Beaty, Comics vs. Art 18). Compounding this tendency is the suggestion that narrative is exclusive to the domain of literary prose. Comics’ inclusion of sequential art challenges literary tradition through the levels of signification applied to formatting, such as “the image, the layout, the sequence, word-image combination, and finally narrative” (Postema 105). Historically, the use of image in comics has been condemned for lowering the literary quality of the narrative through claims made by critics such as Fredric Wertham that will be explored at length throughout this paper. The assertion that image in comics had no narrative value was compiled with the art actively rejected by the “fine” art community as failing to attain the level of “high” art. This has led to the devaluing of the image and its influence on narrative in comics, as “comic[s], [as] many critics will tell you, are not art” (Beaty, Comics vs. Art 18). Instead, comics have stood in opposition to art: “largely ignored by critics and art historians, and consequently disdainful of the interests of those groups, comics have long levelled in their lowbrow, badboy image” (Beaty, Comics vs. Art 19). Without the support of the artistic community to help establish a standard of critical approach, the comics industry evolved to place more emphasis on the literary element, as seen in the rise of the 'graphic novel' as a legitimating label for rebranding of the medium. Although scholars and critics such as Barbara Postema, Bart Beaty, and Scott McCloud recognize the importance of the image when critiquing narrative, the tendency to emphasize the writer over the artist as primary contributor of narrative value to a comics work has put the image and text of comics in separate categories, causing one to rise at the expense of the other.

Comics' reception as literature and the subjugation of the image

[Para. 1] Scholars disagree on how comics should be defined in relation to other media. Some, such as Barbara Postema, assert that comics are representative of a medium featuring unique formatting and iconography that sits outside the traditional considerations of art and literature. The counter-point, as proposed by individuals such as Thierry Groensteen, is that comics are a hybrid or mixed medium, representing the combination of the written word and fine art working in conjunction to convey different perspectives within a single narrative. Historically, comics have been rejected by both fine art and literary communities due to their failure to conform to the standards presented in either discipline. However, due in large part to the narrative elements of the prose present in a comic text, comics settled primarily in the domain of literary consideration, albeit with some negative critique initially directed at the content and marketing that popularized the medium. Once considered rudimentary writing supported by gimmicky illustrations, the ongoing discourse concerning their status as either a unique medium or hybrid media has coincided with comics gaining academic merit in recent years. One of the issues that complicates this debate is whether the text and image in comics to be given equal consideration when determining the function of a comic narrative, as “one of the significant consequences of the literary turn in the study of comics has been the tendency to drive attention away from comics as a form of visual culture” (Beaty, Comics vs. Art 18). Compounding this tendency is the suggestion that narrative is exclusive to the domain of literary prose. Comics’ inclusion of sequential art challenges literary tradition through the levels of signification applied to formatting, such as “the image, the layout, the sequence, word-image combination, and finally narrative” (Postema 105). Historically, the use of image in comics has been condemned for lowering the literary quality of the narrative through claims made by critics such as Fredric Wertham that will be explored at length throughout this paper. The assertion that image in comics had no narrative value was compiled with the art actively rejected by the “fine” art community as failing to attain the level of “high” art. This has led to the devaluing of the image and its influence on narrative in comics, as “comic[s], [as] many critics will tell you, are not art” (Beaty, Comics vs. Art 18). Instead, comics have stood in opposition to art: “largely ignored by critics and art historians, and consequently disdainful of the interests of those groups, comics have long levelled in their lowbrow, badboy image” (Beaty, Comics vs. Art 19). Without the support of the artistic community to help establish a standard of critical approach, the comics industry evolved to place more emphasis on the literary element, as seen in the rise of the 'graphic novel' as a legitimating label for rebranding of the medium. Although scholars and critics such as Barbara Postema, Bart Beaty, and Scott McCloud recognize the importance of the image when critiquing narrative, the tendency to emphasize the writer over the artist as primary contributor of narrative value to a comics work has put the image and text of comics in separate categories, causing one to rise at the expense of the other.

Comparative Experimental Analysis of Temperature Distribution in Mini Size Permeable and Non-Permeable Varying Salt Density Solar Pond

Varying salt density solar pond is a method that is best suited to absorb and store solar energy. This examination includes the test enhancement of the permeable and non-permeable sunlight-based ponds dependent on its exhibition in different conditions. This experiment was done in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. This particular topographical area has a high level of solar radiation and is a tropical district. Readings for a period of 30 days were taken; the temperature circulation, a measure of heat energy stored and concentration of salt density was assessed. For examination, two comparable solar ponds of volume 0.02 m3 and a height of 0.32 m was built. Black granite pieces, broken glass pieces, and welding spatter were used as a permeable medium in the lower convective zone (LCZ) in one of the two solar ponds. The temperatures of the permeable solar pond and non-permeable solar pond reached the highest values of 42.3℃ and 40.6℃ respectively. The solar pond with a permeable medium demonstrated an increase of 4.18% in temperature. The difference in amounts of stored thermal energy is 4.54 kJ. From the obtained parameters, the optimization is done and the permeable medium solar pond is found to store more amount of heat energy than the non- permeable solar pond. For the optimization of the mixed medium, criterion parameter βelk has been acquired in the solar pond.

Adsorption of Equimolar Mixtures of Cationic and Anionic Surfactants at the Water/Hexane Interface

In mixed solutions of anionic and cationic surfactants, called catanionics, ion pairs are formed which behave like non-ionic surfactants with a much higher surface activity than the single components. In equimolar mixtures of NaCnSO4 and CmTAB, all surface-active ions are paired. For mixtures with n + m = const, the interfacial properties are rather similar. Catanionics containing one long-chain surfactant and one surfactant with medium chain length exhibit a strong increase in surface activity as compared with the single compounds. In contrast, catanionics of one medium- and one short chain surfactant have a surface activity similar to that of the medium-chain surfactant alone. Both the Frumkin model and the reorientation model describe the experimental equilibrium data equally well, while the adsorption kinetics of the mixed medium- and short-chain surfactants can be well described only with the reorientation model.

Sustainable Development and Diversifying Competencies Curricula

This paper explores the question how to approach thinking about curriculum construction for European engineering schools in the age of sustainable development. We present a theoretical argument that curriculum thinkers need to broaden their focus from the “restricted competences” paradigm (RCP) in curriculum thinking to consider how to make curricula within a diversifying competences paradigm (DCP). We claim that the best response to the challenge of sustainability is to produce more skill-diversity among engineers while simultaneously training engineers to make the most of this diversity. We support this claim with two arguments. First, we explore the problem-solving power of diversely skilled collectives, suggesting that this increases relative to homogenous collectives when confronting complex problems. Then we show that sustainable development is not only a complex problem, but an extremely complex or wicked problem. Based on these two conclusions, we propose a mixed-medium curricular model which illustrates how engineering schools might be reformed in order to produce greater student competence diversification.