Sharif Digital Repository

Civil infrastructures are vulnerable to catastrophic failures when exceeding the limit loading, requiring a reliable structural control mechanism, such as bracing systems, to enhance the integrity and stability of the structure. Bracing systems improve the performance of the structures by increasing the stiffness/strength of structures, the damping coefficient, and/or the energy absorption capacity. However, the functionality of these bracing systems is not controllable and may be altered after strong seismic events. Recently, the smart bracing systems based on multifunctional materials, particularly the shape memory alloy (SMA) and the magnetorheological fluid (MRF) have been developed. The... 

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene oxide mixed matrix membranes have been prepared and applied for the pervaporation of isooctane (aliphatic) and toluene (aromatic) mixtures. Characteristics of the membranes such as crystallinity, morphology, and swelling have been investigated, and the results have been used to describe pervaporation performance. Experimental tests evidenced that incorporation of low content of graphene oxide nanoplates (0.5 wt%) in poly(vinyl alcohol) increases affinity of the membrane to aromatics by S and π bonds and selectivity increase to about four times. Moreover, interaction of graphene oxide with toluene results in increasing of swelling and decreasing of permeation... 

The original version of this Article omitted an affiliation for Ali Ahmad. The correct affiliations for Ali Ahmad are listed below: School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, Pakistan. © 2021, The Author(s)  

The original version of this Article omitted an affiliation for Ali Ahmad. The correct affiliations for Ali Ahmad are listed below: School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, Pakistan. © 2021, The Author(s)  

The biophysical and ultrasonographic properties of the skin change in papulosquamous diseases. Aims: To identify biophysical and ultrasonographic properties for the differentiation of five main groups of papulosquamous skin diseases. Methods: Fifteen biophysical and ultrasonographic parameters were measured by multiprobe adapter system and high-frequency ultrasonography in active lesions and normal control skin in patients with chronic eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus, pityriasis rosea and parapsoriasis/mycosis fungoides. Using histological diagnosis as a gold standard, a decision tree analysis was performed based on the mean percentage changes of these parameters [(lesion-control/control)... 

Metal manufacturing plants, nuclear power plants (which produce steam, by using thermal energy yielded during the nuclear fission, for spinning enormous turbines to generate electricity), and geothermal power plants are a few in the extensive list of technologies where different processes occur in high temperature environment in the presence of strong magnetic fields. Nanofluids (NFs), on the other hand, have been successful in achieving wide acceptance as the next generation coolant in the above mentioned industries as well as in the automobiles, heat exchangers, and steam boilers, owing to their remarkable thermal performance. These observations motivate the authors to explore the change... 

The main aim of the present paper is to assess the fatigue lifetime of ductile cast iron knuckles as one of the critical components of an automotive steering system. To this end, a real driving path, including various maneuvers, such as acceleration, braking, cornering, and moving on various types of road roughness, was considered. Different load histories, which are applied on various joints of the component (i.e., lower control arm, steering linkage, and Macpherson strut), were extracted through Multi-Body Dynamics (MBD) analysis of a full vehicle model. The achievements of previous studies have proved that the steering knuckle fails from the steering linkage and due to the rotational... 

Microfluidics based systems could be useful for drug discovery as they allow for miniaturization and could potentially be run as multiple parallel cell based assays. Such miniaturization allows assays at single cell level and reduces the amount of test material needed, which, in the case of natural product extracts, simplifies the preparation. Thyme species extracts have been reported to show some promising anti-cancer effects. In the present work, we used a microfluidics based system to study the effects of Thymus kotschyanusm Boiss plant extract on two human breast cancer cells lines which are MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7. For better understanding a single cancer cell death mechanism and a flow... 

The study aimed to investigate the most effective leadership style that enhances the employees’ performance at the workplace and also evaluate the impact of leadership styles (Laissez-faire leadership, Transformational leadership, Transactional leadership,) on employees’ performance in the textile sector of Pakistan. The study explored the moderating role of Positive psychological capital to examine the relationship between leadership styles and employee performance. A quantitative research technique was used, and Data were collected from the lower to middle-level manager of the textile sector. The findings of this study showed that laissez-faire leadership has a significant but negative... 

This work addresses the preparation of self-flowing lightweight aggregate foamed concrete (LAFC) resulting from the mixing of stable foam, expanded clay aggregate (ECA) and silica fume (SF) as main raw materials. Formulated LAFC mixtures were tested for the mechanical, thermal, sorption and high-temperature resistance properties. Results showed that the increase in the volume of foam from 0% to 20% considerably improved the flowability of LAFC and LAFC mixtures were categorized into high stable visual stability index. Compressive strength of LAFC mixtures was reduced from 24.75 MPa to 21.10, 15.95 and 12.05 MPa respectively when foam volume was increased from 0% to 10, 15 and 20%. Thermal... 

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer fascinating opportunities for fundamental nanoscale science and various technological applications. They are a promising platform for next generation optoelectronics and energy harvesting devices due to their exceptional characteristics at the nanoscale, such as tunable bandgap and strong light-matter interactions. The performance of TMD-based devices is mainly governed by the structure, composition, size, defects, and the state of their interfaces. Many properties of TMDs are influenced by the method of synthesis so numerous studies have focused on processing high-quality TMDs with controlled physicochemical properties.... 

Hybrid nanofluids possess better mechanical resistance, physical strength, chemical stability, thermal conductivity and so forth as compared to individual nanoliquids. Our approach in the present work is to offer a novel study involving MHD flow of hybrid nanoparticles with viscous dissipation effect through a porous medium past a stretching surface. A powerful tool of similarity transformation is utilized to transmute the governing flow model PDEs into ordinary ones. The entire system of nonlinear coupled differential equations along with boundary conditions is tackled numerically by means of Successive over Relaxation (SOR) technique. Two distinctive fluids, named Al2O3-Cu/water (hybrid... 

Hybrid nanofluids possess better mechanical resistance, physical strength, chemical stability, thermal conductivity and so forth as compared to individual nanoliquids. Our approach in the present work is to offer a novel study involving MHD flow of hybrid nanoparticles with viscous dissipation effect through a porous medium past a stretching surface. A powerful tool of similarity transformation is utilized to transmute the governing flow model PDEs into ordinary ones. The entire system of nonlinear coupled differential equations along with boundary conditions is tackled numerically by means of Successive over Relaxation (SOR) technique. Two distinctive fluids, named Al2O3-Cu/water (hybrid... 

Taking into account the effect of viscous dissipation in the energy equation, we numerically explore the flow of an incompressible micropolar fluid with heat and mass transfer through a resistive porous medium between plane channel walls. By exploiting a similarity transformation, the governing partial differential equations are transformed into a system of nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations, which are solved numerically for various problem parameters by means of quasi-linearization. It is found that the effect of viscous dissipation is to increase the heat and mass transfer rate at both the lower and upper walls of the channel. © 2019, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd  

Hybrid nanoliquids comprise of better physical strength, mechanical resistance, thermal conductivity, and chemical stability as equated to individual nanoliquids. In this paper, MHD hybrid nanoparticle flow with heat and mass transfer attributes is numerically investigated. Flow is taken over a stretching surface embedded in a porous medium. The governing flow model partial differential equations (PDEs) are transformed into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using a powerful tool of similarity transformations. The relevant system of differential equations and boundary conditions are numerically treated with the successive over-relaxation (SOR) technique. Heat and mass transfer features... 

Among numerous methods which have been employed to reinforce the thermal efficiency in many systems, one is the thermal radiation which is a mode of heat transfer. Another way to improve the thermal efficiency is the utilization of the porous media. The present work includes the study of micropolar flow with allowance for thermal radiation through a resistive porous medium between channel walls. The governing coupled partial differential equations representing the flow model are transmuted into ordinary ones by using the suitable dimensionless coordinates, and then, quasi-linearization is employed to solve the set of relevant coupled ODEs. Effects of physical parameters on the flow under... 

Among numerous methods which have been employed to reinforce the thermal efficiency in many systems, one is the thermal radiation which is a mode of heat transfer. Another way to improve the thermal efficiency is the utilization of the porous media. The present work includes the study of micropolar flow with allowance for thermal radiation through a resistive porous medium between channel walls. The governing coupled partial differential equations representing the flow model are transmuted into ordinary ones by using the suitable dimensionless coordinates, and then, quasi-linearization is employed to solve the set of relevant coupled ODEs. Effects of physical parameters on the flow under... 

Hybrid nanoliquids comprise of better physical strength, mechanical resistance, thermal conductivity, and chemical stability as equated to individual nanoliquids. In this paper, MHD hybrid nanoparticle flow with heat and mass transfer attributes is numerically investigated. Flow is taken over a stretching surface embedded in a porous medium. The governing flow model partial differential equations (PDEs) are transformed into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using a powerful tool of similarity transformations. The relevant system of differential equations and boundary conditions are numerically treated with the successive over-relaxation (SOR) technique. Heat and mass transfer features... 

Vortices grab the attention of many scientists while analyzing any flow model due to their importance in interpreting fluid mixing and mass transport phenomena. Since vortices exist in the natural environment, so researchers need to investigate them whenever they are encountered. Solar collectors, automobile cooling, engine applications, thermal management, and machine cutting, are just a few of the major areas in which most hybrid nanofluids could help to improve overall performance. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the highly complex dynamics of a Lorentz force, which governs the rotation of nanoparticles and the composition of the complex configuration of eddies inside the fluid...