Thermodynamics deals with irreversible transformations of substances. Every thermodynamic property of a substance, as a function of two parameters describing its state, can be illustrated as a simply connected manifold. The term manifold stands for the Methods of Geometrical Representation of Thermodynamic Properties of Substances by Means of Surfaces. Generally, every transformation of a substance changes its energy (or enthalpy) by heat transfer and work done on it. All such changes (transformations) are considered to be irreversible and can be described using appropriate manifolds. Studies show that every transformation is associated with the degradation of energy. Such relations (between heat, work and other forms of energy or enthalpy) can be described by the Pfaff formulas and their integrations.

This article discusses the issue of irreversible energy degradation in heat transfer between two fluids. Irreversible heat transfer between separated fluids most often occurs through surface heat exchangers. All such processes are determined by convective heat transfer in thermal boundary layers and conduction through the wall. Consequently, entropy changes of fluids in heat and mass transfer can be observed in these layers. While the entropy rate of the heating fluid is negative and that of the heated medium is positive, the sum of entropy changes of all substances involved in the heat transfer process is always positive. These sums, known as entropy increase (entropy generation), can be interpreted as the measure of irreversible degradation of energy in heat transfer processes. The consequence of this degradation is that an arbitrary engine powered by the degraded (lower-temperature) heat flux will operate at a lower efficiency. The significance of this discussion relates especially to cases in power plants and cooling systems where surface heat exchangers are used. In the discussion proposed is the entropy increase as a criterion of irreversible energy degradation in heat transfer. Such introduced measure of effectiveness leads to an analysis of local overall heat transfer coefficient optimization on the cone-shaped manifold.

Bills of Lading are transferable documents of title and the transfer of document results in the transfer of the rights incorporated in it. Some of B/L are additionally negotiable. However the legal meaning of these two terms isn’t the same what is not respected in practice. Historically there is also a difference in legal grounds and scope of rights represented and transferred by negotiable bills of lading according to British, American and continental law. An important role in this differentiation was played by the doctrine of privity of contract. This ultimately affects the legal position and scope of the acquired rights of legitimate holders of bills of lading, which are considered to be “negotiable”, including the right to obtain claims from the carrier for cargo damage.

In order to provide sufficient cooling capacity for working and heading faces of the coal mine, chilled water is often transported a long distance along pipelines in deep mine, which inevitably results in its temperature rising owing to heat transfer through pipe wall and the friction heat for flow resistance. Through theoretical models for temperature increasing of the chilled water were built. It is pointed out that the temperature rising of the chilled water should be considered as a result of the synergy effects of the heat transfer and the friction heat, but theoretical analysis shows that within engineering permitting error range, the temperature increasing can be regarded as the sum caused by heat transfer and fraction heat respectively, and the calculation is simplified. The calculation analysis of the above two methods was made by taking two type of pipe whose diameters are De273 × 7 mm and De377 × 10 mm, with 15 km length in coal mine as an example, which shows that the error between the two methods is not over 0.04°C within the allowable error range. Aims at the commonly used chilled water diameter pipe, it is proposed that if the specific frictional head loss is limited between 100 Pa/m and 400 Pa/m, the proportion of the frictional temperature rising is about 24%~81% of the total, and it will increase with high flow velocity and the thin of the pipe. As a result, the friction temperature rising must not be ignored and should be paid enough attention in calculation of the chilled water temperature rising along pipe.

The authors present a numerical study of a start-up of a boiler with a thick-walled element subjected to thermomechanical loading. The significance of calculations of real heat transfer coefficients has been demonstrated. Fluid dynamics, mechanical transient thermal and static structural calculations have been conducted in both separate and coupled modes. Strain-stress analyses prove that the effect of the heat transfer coefficient changing in time and place in comparison with a constant one as recommended by standards is the key factor of fatigue calculations.

Reference intervals (RIs) are one of the essential elements in the procedure of disease diagnosis. This is especially true for feline species in which RI is less available than in canine species. RIs are affected by biological, geographical and instrumental factors, yet published RIs with incomplete background are popularly used. Inappropriate interpretations of RIs may affect classification of disease and subsequent treatment. In this study, we demonstrated the step-by-step establishment of feline RIs following the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) reference interval guideline. A total of 51 parameters were examined, including 20 hematology and 31 biochemistry parameters, and the results were compared to one local RI and two foreign RIs. Overall, about 29% (10/35) of tested parameters were different form local RIs and 60% (30/50) were different from the two foreign RIs, highlighting geographical variations. A higher upper reference limit (URL) in red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit (Hct), Hemoglobin (Hgb), albumin, creatinine and lower URL in potassium and white blood cell count (WBC) were identified, which may impact the interpretation. In addition, statistical analysis of age and gender were factored separately and indicated that 10 parameters were significantly higher in the adult group. For the impact of gender, percentage of basophil and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) were lower in female and male cats, respectively. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that it is desirable to establish in-house RIs or RIs of local sources. An age specific RI for the geriatric feline population is advisable for better diagnosis and monitoring the disease.

In the paper, maximal values xe(τ) of the solutions x(t) of the linear differential equations excited by the Dirac delta function are determined. There are obtained the analytical solutions of the equations and also the maximal positive values of these solutions. The obtained sufficient conditions of the positivity of these solutions are defined by the Theorems. There are also formulated the necessary conditions of the positivity of these solutions. The analytical formulae enable the design of the system with prescribed properties [3].

In this experimental investigation, the critical heat flux (CHF) of aqua-based multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanofluids at three different volumetric concentrations 0.2%, 0.6%, and 0.8% were prepared, and the test results were compared with deionized water. Different characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared, were used to estimate the size, surface morphology, agglomeration size and chemical nature of MWCNT. The thermal conductivity and viscosity of the MWCNT at three different volumetric concentrations was measured at a different temperature, and results were compared with deionized water. Although, MWCNT-deionized water nanofluid showed superior performance in heat transfer coefficient as compared to the base fluid. However, the results proved that the critical heat flux is increased with an increase in concentrations of nanofluids.

This article contains an analysis of the issues of cultural transfer during the First World War in the areas occupied by the Central Powers and the territories affected by the war. The German propaganda institutions that emerged after August 1914 functioned, somewhat contrary to initial intentions, as a network for transnational exchanges and were used by publishers, translators, writers, and other actors in the cultural sphere of the time. On the basis of archival research, the author advances several ideas on, respectively, culturalmobility in the years 1914–1918, cultural propaganda in the period of the First World War as the prehistory (and not the antithesis) of later cultural policy, and the role of cultural propaganda/cultural policy in research into literary transfers.

Present study examines nonfinancial support granted for older people in Poland and other European countries in order to understand the relationships between family structures and that support and to diagnose the challenges that the Polish population may face in this respect in the nearest future. The analysis is based on the data from the Survey on Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The study attempts also to answer the question about the need for informal support in future generations of older Poles. The study is focused on the population of individuals aged at least 50+, because they will decide about the situation of older people in the near future. The author considers, in addition to personal care, help in running a household and help with paper work. The most frequently received type of support is the help in running a household, received primarily from neighbors and family members, which reduces the need for institutional care. Personal care is provided to the minority of the examined population, even in the highest age group, and, apart from household members, it concerns usually biological children.

The concept of control over electronic transferable records is the central premise of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Transferable Electronic Records. It indicates the method of determining the party who has the rights embodied in the negotiable electronic record. The purpose of this article is to present the most important issues related to documents and instruments that have a circular function in international maritime trade, and the intention to create a legal framework for them when they take the form of electronic records.