We present data from direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the fully turbulent flow through nominally two-dimensional channels containing longitudinal, surface-mounted, rectangular ribs whose widths ($W$) are either one third of or equal to the gap ($S-W$) between consecutive ribs across the domain, where $S$ is the span (centre-to-centre spacing) of the ribs. A range of the ratio of channel half-height ($H$) to span ($S$) is considered, covering $0.25\le H/S\le 2.5$. In each case, a fixed rib height ($h$) of $0.1H$ was used, but a number of cases with much smaller heights, $h/H=0.025$ or 0.05, were also studied. The secondary flows resulting from the presence of the ribs are examined, along with their sources in terms of the axial vorticity transport equation, which highlights the effects of spanwise inhomogeneity in the Reynolds stresses. We show that the strength of the secondary flows depends strongly on $H/S$ (and, correspondingly, on $W/S$) and that the major sources of axial vorticity arise near the top corners of the ribs, with convection of that vorticity dominating its spread. We also show that for smaller ribs, the secondary flow strengths are similar to those predicted by Zampino et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 944, 2022, A4) using a linearised model of the Reynolds-averaged equations, which does not include the vorticity convection process; the behaviour of secondary flow topology and strength with varying $W/H$ is thus noticeably different.

This study investigated the effect of the flavonoid-based compound isorhamnetin (ISO) on maturation and developmental competence in oxidative stress-exposed porcine oocytes in vitro. Treatment with 2 μM ISO (2 ISO) increases the developmental rate of oxidative stress-exposed porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation (IVM). The glutathione level and mRNA expression of antioxidant-related genes (NFE2L2 and SOD2) were increased in the 2 ISO-treated group, whereas the reactive oxygen species level was decreased. Treatment with 2 ISO increased mRNA expression of a cumulus cell expansion-related gene (SHAS2) and improved chromosomal alignment. mRNA expression of maternal genes (CCNB1, MOS, BMP15 and GDF9) and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity were increased in the 2 ISO-treated group. The total cell number per blastocyst and percentage of apoptotic cells were increased and decreased in the 2 ISO-treated group, respectively. Treatment with 2 ISO increased mRNA expression of development-related genes (SOX2, NANOG, and POU5F1) and anti-apoptotic genes (BCL2L1 and BIRC5) and decreased that of pro-apoptotic genes (CASP3 and FAS). These results demonstrate that 2 ISO improves the quality of porcine oocytes by protecting them against oxidative stress during IVM and enhances subsequent embryo development in vitro. Therefore, we propose that ISO is a useful supplement for IVM of porcine oocytes.

Our previous studies have already revealed that β-cryptoxanthin (BCX), hesperetin (HES), and icariin (ICA) antioxidants are effective for in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes. In this study, we investigated which of BCX, HES, or ICA was more effective for IVM of porcine oocytes. The antioxidant properties were assessed with aged porcine oocytes and embryos by comparing 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power, and H2O2 scavenging activity assays. The chemical assay results demonstrated that BCX had a greater DPPH scavenging activity and reducing power than HES and ICA, compared with controls. However, the H2O2 scavenging activity of the antioxidants was similar when tested at the optimal concentrations of 1 μM BCX (BCX-1), 100 μM HES (HES-100), and 5 μM ICA (ICA-5). The biological assay results showed that BCX-1 treatment was more effective in inducing a significant reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS), improving glutathione levels, and increasing the expression of antioxidant genes. In addition, BCX-1 inhibited apoptosis by increasing the expression of anti-apoptotic genes and decreasing pro-apoptotic genes in porcine parthenogenetic blastocysts. BCX-1 also significantly increased the blastocyst formation rate compared with the ageing control group, HES-100 and ICA-5. This study demonstrates that damage from ROS produced during oocyte ageing can be prevented by supplementing antioxidants into the IVM medium, and BCX may be a potential candidate to improve assisted reproductive technologies.

In this paper, direct numerical simulations are performed for low-speed flows past a NACA0012 aerofoil at high incidence angles. The aim is to investigate the significance of quadrupole noise generated due to separated shear layers, in comparison to dipole noise emanating from the aerofoil surface. The two different noise components (dipole and quadrupole) are calculated by using the Ffowcs Williams & Hawkings method in two different approaches: one with a solid surface and another with a permeable surface. The quadrupole noise is then estimated approximately by taking the relative difference between the two. The current study provides detailed comparisons between the quadrupole and dipole noise components at various observer locations in a wide range of frequencies. The comparisons are also made in terms of Mach number scaling, which differs significantly from theoretical predictions and changes rapidly with frequency. Additionally, pre-, near- and full-stall conditions are cross-examined, which reveals significant differences in the quadrupole contributions, including changes in the major source locations and frequencies. It is found that the inclusion of the quadrupole sources gives rise to the predicted noise power level at all frequencies (varying between 2 and 10 dB for an observer above the aerofoil) compared to the dipole-only case. The quadrupole contribution is far from negligible even at the low subsonic speeds (Mach 0.3 and 0.4) when aerofoil stall occurs.

The aeroacoustic source mechanism of a deep rectangular cavity, which has an aspect ratio of $D/L=2.632$ and is subjected to a turbulent boundary layer of $\theta /L=0.0345$ at a Mach number of 0.2, is investigated by using a high-order accurate large-eddy simulation. The primary aim of this study is to provide an improved understanding of the fluid–acoustic coupling mechanism that triggers a self-sustained acoustic resonance in a deep cavity. Various analysis methods, which include Doak's momentum potential theory that allows for the separation of hydrodynamic and acoustic components, are used to provide highly detailed investigations and findings. The vortex dynamics near the cavity opening region is investigated as the potential primary source of noise generation. In addition, the noise generation mechanism is quantitatively explained by the onset of the separation region near the downstream corner that ensues from the synchronised shear layer–wall interaction. The current work extensively focuses on the fluid–acoustic coupling mechanism, and it is found that the acoustic resonance favourably modulates the hydrodynamic fluctuation near the upstream corner of the cavity. Furthermore, the current study also suggests that nonlinear interactions between fundamental acoustic resonance and higher harmonics are plausible. Based on the discussions provided in this paper, a semi-empirical model to predict the critical free stream velocity at which a strong fluid–acoustic coupling occurs as a function of cavity geometry and inflow boundary-layer property is proposed.

A wall-resolved large-eddy simulation of a symmetric Joukowski aerofoil with a 12 % thickness at a Reynolds number of 250 000, a Mach number of 0.4 and zero incidence angle is performed in order to investigate the effect of using a serrated trailing edge on the acoustic feedback event that generates a tonal noise. The acoustic feedback is investigated in detail to emphasise the interaction between the upstream travelling acoustic expansion wave and the laminar separation bubble. The simulation shows that the serrated trailing edges may result in a significant reduction of the tonal noise. This paper provides detailed investigations into the noise reduction mechanisms. The main finding is that the presence of a serrated trailing edge decreases the amplitude of the acoustic source pressure in the transitional region and gives rise to destructive phase interference in the wall pressure fluctuations in the vicinity of the trailing edge which weakens the acoustic feedback loop.

Existing studies suggest that wavy leading edges (WLEs) offer substantial reduction of broadband noise generated by an aerofoil undergoing upstream vortical disturbances. In this context, there are two universal trends in the frequency spectra of the noise reduction which have been observed and reported to date: (i) no significant reduction at low frequencies followed by (ii) a rapid growth of the noise reduction that persists in the medium-to-high frequency range. These trends are known to be insensitive to the aerofoil type and flow condition used. This paper aims to provide comprehensive understandings as to how these universal trends are formed and what the major drivers are. The current work is based on very-high-resolution numerical simulations of a semi-infinite flat-plate aerofoil impinged by a prescribed divergence-free vortex in an inviscid base flow at zero incidence angle, continued from recent work by the authors (Turner & Kim, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 811, 2017, pp. 582–611). One of the most significant findings in the current work is that the noise source distribution on the aerofoil surface becomes entirely two-dimensional (highly non-uniform in the spanwise direction as well as streamwise) at high frequencies when the WLE is involved. Also, the sources downstream of the LE make crucial contributions to creating the universal trends across all frequencies. These findings contradict the conventional LE-focused one-dimensional source analysis that has widely been accepted for all frequencies. The current study suggests that the universal trends in the noise-reduction spectra can be properly understood by taking the downstream source contributions into account, in terms of both magnitude and phase variations. After including the downstream sources, it is shown in this paper that the first universal trend is due to the conservation of total (surface integrated) source energy at low frequencies. The surface-integrated source magnitude that decreases faster with the WLE correlates very well with the noise-reduction spectrum at medium frequencies. In the meantime, the high-frequency noise reduction is driven almost entirely by destructive phase interference that increases rapidly and consistently with frequency, explaining the second universal trend.

This paper presents an analytic solution for the sound generated by an unsteady gust interacting with a semi-infinite flat plate with a serrated leading edge in a background steady uniform flow. Viscous and nonlinear effects are neglected. The Wiener–Hopf method is used in conjunction with a non-orthogonal coordinate transformation and separation of variables to permit analytical progress. The solution is obtained in terms of a modal expansion in the spanwise coordinate; however, for low- and mid-range incident frequencies only the zeroth-order mode is seen to contribute to the far-field acoustics, therefore the far-field noise can be quickly evaluated. The solution gives insight into the potential mechanisms behind the reduction of noise for plates with serrated leading edges compared to those with straight edges, and predicts a logarithmic dependence between the tip-to-root serration height and the decrease of far-field noise. The two mechanisms behind the noise reduction are proposed to be an increased destructive interference in the far field, and a redistribution of acoustic energy from low cut-on modes to higher cut-off modes as the tip-to-root serration height is increased. The analytic results show good agreement in comparison with experimental measurements. The results are also compared against nonlinear numerical predictions where good agreement is also seen between the two results as frequency and tip-to-root ratio are varied.

A numerical investigation on the stalled flow characteristics of a NACA0021 aerofoil with a sinusoidal wavy leading edge (WLE) at chord-based Reynolds number $Re_{\infty }=1.2\times 10^{5}$ and angle of attack $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}=20^{\circ }$ is presented in this paper. It is observed that laminar separation bubbles (LSBs) form at the trough areas of the WLE in a collocated fashion rather than uniformly/periodically distributed over the span. It is found that the distribution of LSBs and their influence on the aerodynamic forces is strongly dependent on the spanwise domain size of the simulation, i.e. the wavenumber of the WLE used. The creation of a pair of counter-rotating streamwise vortices from the WLE and their evolution as an interface/buffer between the LSBs and the adjacent fully separated shear layers are discussed in detail. The current simulation results confirm that an increased lift and a decreased drag are achieved by using the WLEs compared to the straight leading edge (SLE) case, as observed in previous experiments. Additionally, the WLE cases exhibit a significantly reduced level of unsteady fluctuations in aerodynamic forces at the frequency of periodic vortex shedding. The beneficial aerodynamic characteristics of the WLE cases are attributed to the following three major events observed in the current simulations: (i) the appearance of a large low-pressure zone near the leading edge created by the LSBs; (ii) the reattachment of flow behind the LSBs resulting in a decreased volume of the rear wake; and, (iii) the deterioration of von-Kármán (periodic) vortex shedding due to the breakdown of spanwise coherent structures.

High-accuracy numerical simulations are performed to study aeroacoustic source mechanisms of wavy leading edges (WLEs) on a thin aerofoil undergoing vortical disturbances. This canonical study is based on a prescribed spanwise vortex travelling downstream and creating secondary vortices as it passes through the aerofoil’s leading edge. The primary aim of the study is to precisely understand the relationships between the vortex-induced velocity perturbation and the wall pressure fluctuation on the WLE geometry. It is observed that by increasing the size (amplitude) of the WLE the source strength at the peak region is reduced rapidly to a certain point, followed by a saturation stage, while at the root (trough) it remains fairly consistent regardless of the WLE size. This observation is demonstrated to be the consequence of three-dimensional vortex dynamics taking place along the WLE. One of the most profound features is that a system of horseshoe-like secondary vortices are created from the WLE peak region upon the impingement of the prescribed vortex. It is found that the horseshoe vortices produce a significantly non-uniform velocity perturbation in front of the WLE leading to the disparity in the source characteristics between the peak and root. The alterations to the impinging velocity perturbation are carefully analysed and related to the wall pressure fluctuation in this study. In addition, a semi-analytic model based on Biot–Savart’s law is developed to better understand and explain the role of the horseshoe vortex systems and the source mechanisms.

An aerofoil leading-edge profile based on wavy (sinusoidal) protuberances/tubercles is investigated to understand the mechanisms by which they are able to reduce the noise produced through the interaction with turbulent mean flow. Numerical simulations are performed for non-lifting flat-plate aerofoils with straight and wavy leading edges (denoted by SLE and WLE, respectively) subjected to impinging turbulence that is synthetically generated in the upstream zone (free-stream Mach number of 0.24). Full three-dimensional Euler (inviscid) solutions are computed for this study thereby eliminating self-noise components. A high-order accurate finite-difference method and artefact-free boundary conditions are used in the current simulations. Various statistical analysis methods, including frequency spectra, are implemented to aid the understanding of the noise-reduction mechanisms. It is found with WLEs, unlike the SLE, that the surface pressure fluctuations along the leading edge exhibit a significant source-cutoff effect due to geometric obliqueness which leads to reduced levels of radiated sound pressure. It is also found that there exists a phase interference effect particularly prevalent between the peak and the hill centre of the WLE geometry, which contributes to the noise reduction in the mid- to high-frequency range.

This study explains the inconsistent findings of previous research on board management by examining the direct and interaction effects of board independence and the top management team's external ties on firm performance. The results obtained using a multiyear sample of firms indicate that outsider-rich boards improved firm performance when they worked with top managers imported from outside the focal industry. On the other hand, a high proportion of outsiders on the board and top managers imported from the focal industry were not a desirable combination for firm performance. The findings imply that researchers and practitioners should pay more attention to identifying the conditions under which board competence aligns with top management.

The formation and morphological evolution of germanides formed in a ternary Ni/Ta-interlayer/Ge system were examined by ex situ and in situ annealing experiments. The Ni germanide film formed in the Ni/Ta-interlayer/Ge system maintained continuity up to 550°C, whereas agglomeration of the Ni germanide occurred in the Ni/Ge system without Ta-interlayer. Through microstructural and chemical analysis of the Ni/Ta-interlayer/Ge system during and after in situ annealing in a transmission electron microscope, it was confirmed that the Ta atoms remained uniformly on the top of the newly formed Ni germanide layer during the diffusion reaction. Consequently, the agglomeration of the Ni germanide film was retarded and the thermal stability was improved by the Ta incorporation.

We investigated the pressure dependence of the inductive coupled plasma (ICP) oxidation on the electrical characteristics of the thin oxide films. Activation energies and electron temperatures with different pressures were estimated. To demonstrate the pressure effect on the plasma oxide quality, simple N type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistors were fabricated and investigated in a few electrical properties. At higher pressure than 200mTorr, plasma oxide has a slightly higher on-current and a lower interfacial trap density. The on-current gain seems to be related to the field mobility increase and the lower defective interface to the electron temperature during oxidation.

Decision making in an emotionally conflicting situation is important in social life. We aimed to address the similarity and disparity of neural correlates involved in processing ambivalent stimuli in patients with schizophrenia and patients with depression. Behavioral task-related hemodynamic responses were measured using [15O]H2O positron emission tomography (PET) in 12 patients with schizophrenia and 12 patients with depression. The task was a modified word-stem completion task, which was designed to evoke ambivalence in forced and non-forced choice conditions. The prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum were found to show increased activity in the healthy control group. In the schizophrenia group, activity in these two regions was negligible. In the depression group, the pattern of activity was altered and a functional compensatory recruitment of the inferior parietal regions was suggested. The prefrontal cortex seems to be associated with the cognitive control to resolve the conflict toward the ambivalent stimuli, whereas the cerebellum reflects the sustained working memory to search for compromise alternatives. The deficit of cerebellar activation in the schizophrenia group might underlie the inability to search and consider compromising responses for conflict resolution. (JINS, 2009, 15, 990–1001.)

MgO thin films are widely used in plasma display panels (PDPs) to protect the dielectric layer, which is composed of PbO2, B2O3, and SiO2 compound, against ion bombardment during discharge. To improve the electrical properties of the MgO thin films, (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 or LaB6, which has a lower work function than that of MgO, added to the MgO films. The effects of (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 or LaB6 addition on the electrical properties, microstructure, and electronic band structure were investigated. In the case where (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 was added, the firing voltage, which is the voltage when the panel is ignited the first time during increasing input voltage, was about 18.4 V lower than that of the conventional MgO films. In the case where LaB6 was added, the firing voltage was also reduced by about 24 V. The luminance and luminous efficiency were also increased. Of particular interest was the valence band spectra changed after adding (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 or LaB6. The valence band edge, which is the top of the valence band, was shifted to lower binding states and the width of the valence band was increased. Moreover, the band gap was slightly reduced. Considering the emission mechanism of MgO films in plasma display panels, these results mean that the secondary electrons can be ejected more easily and the ejected electrons have more energy. Therefore, the addition of (Ba,Sr,Ca)CO3 or LaB6 might improve the electrical properties.

The dielectric and magnetic properties were investigated in Ta-substituted BiFeO3 polycrystalline ceramics synthesized by a solid-state reaction. The Ta substitution decreased the grain size by two orders of magnitude compared with that of unsubstituted ceramics and increased the electrical resistivity by 6 orders of magnitude. The high resistivity and low dielectric loss allowed the dielectric constant to be determined at room temperature. The magnetic hysteresis loops were observed in the Ta-substituted BiFeO3, and the appearance of ferromagnetism was closely associated with the distortion of the oxygen octahedra by the Ta substitution. The coupling between the electric and magnetic dipoles was examined by determining the changes of the dielectric constant with the external magnetic field.