bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benchmark of Intraoperative Activity in Cardiac Surgery: A Comparison between Pre- and Post-Operative Prognostic Models
Authors: Zamperoni Anna , Carrara Greta , Greco Massimiliano , Rossi Carlotta , Garbero Elena , Nattino Giovanni , Minniti Giuseppe , Del Sarto Paolo , Bertolini Guido , Finazzi Stefano ,   Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Writing Committee (GiViTI)
Published: June 2022

Objectives: Despite its large diffusion and improvements in safety, the risks of complications after cardiac surgery remain high. Published predictive perioperative scores (EUROSCORE, STS, ACEF) assess risk on preoperative data only, not accounting for the intraopertive period. We propose a double-fold model, including data collected before surgery and data collected at the end of surgery, to evaluate patient risk evolution over time and assess the direct contribution of surgery. Methods: A total of 15,882 cardiac surgery patients from a Margherita-Prosafe cohort study were included in the analysis. Probability of death was estimated using two logistic regression models (preoperative data only vs. post-operative data, also including information at discharge from the operatory theatre), testing calibration and discrimination of each model. Results: Pre-operative and post-operative models were built and demonstrate good discrimination and calibration with AUC = 0.81 and 0.87, respectively. Relative difference in pre- and post-operative mortality in separate centers ranged from −0.36 (95% CI: −0.44–−0.28) to 0.58 (95% CI: 0.46–0.71). The usefulness of this two-fold preoperative model to benchmark medical care in single hospital is exemplified in four cases. Conclusions: Predicted post-operative mortality differs from predicted pre-operative mortality, and the distance between the two models represent the impact of surgery on patient outcomes. A double-fold model can assess the impact of the intra-operative team and the evolution of patient risk over time, and benchmark different hospitals on patients subgroups to promote an improvement in medical care in each center.
Pharmacologic Management for Ventricular Arrhythmias: Overview of Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs
Authors: Larson John , Rich Lucas , Deshmukh Amrish , Judge Erin C. , Liang Jackson J.
Published: June 2022

Ventricular arrhythmias (Vas) are a life-threatening condition and preventable cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD). With the increased utilization of implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD), the focus of VA management has shifted toward reduction of morbidity from VAs and ICD therapies. Anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs) can be an important adjunct therapy in the treatment of recurrent VAs. In the treatment of VAs secondary to structural heart disease, amiodarone remains the most well studied and current guideline-directed pharmacologic therapy. Beta blockers also serve as an important adjunct and are a largely underutilized medication with strong evidentiary support. In patients with defined syndromes in structurally normal hearts, AADs can offer tailored therapies in prevention of SCD and improvement in quality of life. Further clinical trials are warranted to investigate the role of newer therapeutic options and for the direct comparison of established AADs.
Prediction of Carotid In-Stent Restenosis by Computed Tomography Angiography Carotid Plaque-Based Radiomics
Authors: Cheng Xiaoqing , Dong Zheng , Liu Jia , Li Hongxia , Zhou Changsheng , Zhang Fandong , Wang Churan , Zhang Zhiqiang , Lu Guangming
Published: June 2022

In-stent restenosis (ISR) after carotid artery stenting (CAS) critically influences long-term CAS benefits and safety. The study was aimed at screening preoperative ISR-predictive features and developing predictive models. Thus, we retrospectively analyzed clinical and imaging data of 221 patients who underwent pre-CAS carotid computed tomography angiography (CTA) and whose digital subtraction angiography data for verifying ISR presence were available. Carotid plaque characteristics determined using CTA were used to build a traditional model. Backward elimination (likelihood ratio) was used for the radiomics model. Furthermore, a combined model was built using the traditional and radiomics features. Five-fold cross-validation was used to evaluate the accuracy of the trained classifier and stability of the selected features. Follow-up angiography showed ISR in 30 patients. Carotid plaque length and thickness were independently associated with ISR (multivariate analysis); regarding the conventional model, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.84 and 0.82 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The corresponding AUC values for the radiomics-based model were 0.87 and 0.82, and those for the optimal combined model were 0.88 and 0.83. Plaque length and thickness could independently predict post-CAS ISR, and the combination of radiomics and plaque features afforded the best predictive performance.
Correction: Woo et al. The Fate of Antibiotic Impregnated Cement Space in Treatment for Forefoot Osteomyelitis. J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11, 1976
Authors: Woo Inha , Park Jeongjin , Seok Hyungyu , Kim Tae-gon , Moon Jun Sung , Chung Seung Min , Park Chul Hyun
Published: June 2022

In the published publication [...]
Predicting the Poor Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes after the Anatomical Reduction and Internal Fixation of Posterior Wall Acetabular Fractures: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Lin Sung-Yen , Ho Cheng-Jung , Liu Wen-Chih , Chen Jr-Kai , Tu Hung-Pin , Lee Tien-Ching , Chang Je-Ken , Chen Chung-Hwan , Lu Cheng-Chang
Published: June 2022

Anatomical reduction is the fundamental principle of hip function restoration after posterior acetabular wall fractures (PWFs). Some patients exhibit poor outcomes despite anatomical reduction, and the prognostic factors leading to poor outcomes remain elusive. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and radiographic outcomes in patients with PWFs who had undergone anatomical reduction and internal fixation and to identify the predictors that impair clinical and radiologic outcomes. The clinical records of 60 patients with elementary PWFs who had undergone anatomical reduction and internal fixation between January 2005 and July 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. The Harris hip score (HHS) and modified Merle d’Aubigné clinical hip scores (MMAS) were used to evaluate the clinical outcome. Preoperative and final follow-up radiographs were cross checked to identify poor radiographic outcomes that included the presence of advanced osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis, as well as the need for conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Acetabular dome comminution was assessed from computerized tomography, and the outcomes were further evaluated according to the involvement of fragment comminution. The fracture comminution and age were negatively correlated with functional outcomes (correlation coefficients were −0.41 and −0.39 in HHS and MMAS, respectively) and were significantly related to the severity of osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis as well as the need for total hip arthroplasty. Regarding the radiographic factors, significantly worse post-operative HHS and MMAS were found in the fracture comminution group. In the subanalysis of the status of fracture comminution, patients with fragment comminution involving the acetabular dome had significantly lower functional scores than those with other fracture patterns. In conclusion, age, fracture comminution, and dome comminution were the prognostic indicators of advanced osteoarthritis and poor functional scores after the anatomical reduction and internal fixation of PWFs. We emphasized the relevance of acetabular dome comminution as an important contributing factor to clinical and radiographic outcomes.
Retinal Vascular Study Using OCTA in Subjects at High Genetic Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease and Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Authors: López-Cuenca Inés , Salobrar-García Elena , Sánchez-Puebla Lidia , Espejel Eva , García del Arco Lucía , Rojas Pilar , Elvira-Hurtado Lorena , Fernández-Albarral José A. , Ramírez-Toraño Federico , Barabash Ana , Salazar Juan J. , Ramírez José M. , de Hoz Rosa , Ramírez Ana I.
Published: June 2022

In 103 subjects with a high genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), family history (FH) of AD and ApoE ɛ4 characterization (ApoE ɛ4) were analyzed for changes in the retinal vascular network by OCTA (optical coherence tomography angiography), and AngioTool and Erlangen-Angio-Tool (EA-Tool) as imaging analysis software. Retinal vascularization was analyzed by measuring hypercholesterolemia (HCL) and high blood pressure (HBP). Angio-Tool showed a statistically significant higher percentage of area occupied by vessels in the FH+ ApoE ɛ4- group vs. in the FH+ ApoE ɛ4+ group, and EA-Tool showed statistically significant higher vascular densities in the C3 ring in the FH+ ApoE ɛ4+ group when compared with: i)FH- ApoE ɛ4- in sectors H3, H4, H10 and H11; and ii) FH+ ApoE ɛ4- in sectors H4 and H12. In participants with HCL and HBP, statistically significant changes were found, in particular using EA-Tool, both in the macular area, mainly in the deep plexus, and in the peripapillary area. In conclusion, OCTA in subjects with genetic risk factors for the development of AD showed an apparent increase in vascular density in some sectors of the retina, which was one of the first vascular changes detectable. These changes constitute a promising biomarker for monitoring the progression of pathological neuronal degeneration.
Oral and Dental Considerations of Combat-Induced Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Tagger-Green Nirit , Nemcovsky Carlos , Fridenberg Naama , Green Orr , Chaushu Liat , Kolerman Roni
Published: June 2022

Objective: This study compared dental, periodontal, oral, and joint/muscle tenderness among Israeli combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder (Ci-PTSD) war veterans to non-PTSD patients. Study design: This retrospective three-arm study compared oral and facial manifestations between 100 Israeli veterans with Ci- PTSD (study group) and 103 non-PTSD periodontal patients (Control group). The study group was further divided into two subgroups of individuals who received psychiatric medications (40 patients) or did not (60 patients). All patients underwent complete dental, oral, and periodontal examinations, including assessing signs of parafunction. Results: All PTSD patients had poor oral hygiene. The plaque index (PI) was higher in the PTSD group compared to the control group (0.72 ± 0.28 vs. 0.45 ± 0.29, respectively, p < 0.001). The decayed, missing, and filled teeth score (DMFt) was higher in the PTSD population than in the controls (19.97 ± 8.07 vs. 13.05 ± 6.23 p < 0.05). Severe periodontal disease was more common among the PTSD subgroup taking medications (med -group) (62.5%) compared to the nonmedicated group (non-med group) (30.0%) and the controls (27.2%) (p = 0.001). Heavy smoking was more prevalent in the medicated PTSD patients than in other groups. Conclusions: The present study shows higher morbidities in combat-induced PTSD patients, including oral, dental, and periodontal manifestations, especially in medicated patients.
Spina Bifida: A Review of the Genetics, Pathophysiology and Emerging Cellular Therapies
Authors: Hassan Abd-Elrahman Said , Du Yimeng Lina , Lee Su Yeon , Wang Aijun , Farmer Diana Lee
Published: June 2022

Spina bifida is the most common congenital defect of the central nervous system which can portend lifelong disability to those afflicted. While the complete underpinnings of this disease are yet to be fully understood, there have been great advances in the genetic and molecular underpinnings of this disease. Moreover, the treatment for spina bifida has made great advancements, from surgical closure of the defect after birth to the now state-of-the-art intrauterine repair. This review will touch upon the genetics, embryology, and pathophysiology and conclude with a discussion on current therapy, as well as the first FDA-approved clinical trial utilizing stem cells as treatment for spina bifida.
A Methodology to Design Static NCL Libraries
Authors: Thanh Toi Le , Tri Lac Truong , Hoang Trang
Published: June 2022

The Null Convention Logic (NCL) based asynchronous design technique has interested researchers because this technique had overcome disadvantages of the synchronous technique, such as noise, glitches, clock skew and power. However, using the NCL-based asynchronous design method is difficult for university students and researchers because of the lack of standard NCL cell libraries. Therefore, in this paper, a novel flow is proposed to design NCL cell libraries. These libraries are used to synthesize NCL-based asynchronous designs. We chose the static NCL cell library to illustrate the proposed design solution because this library is one of the most basic NCL libraries. Static NCL cells in this library are designed based on the Process Design Kit 45nm technology and are implemented by the Virtuoso and the Design Compiler (DC) tool. In addition, the Ocean script and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) environment are used for supporting designs and simulations. A complete library of 27 NCL cells was designed to serve for study and research. We also implemented synthesis for NCL full adders using this library and compared our synthesis results with the results of other authors. The comparison results indicated that our results were a 20% improvement on power consumption.
Implementing a Timing Error-Resilient and Energy-Efficient Near-Threshold Hardware Accelerator for Deep Neural Network Inference
Authors: Gundi Noel Daniel , Pandey Pramesh , Roy Sanghamitra , Chakraborty Koushik
Published: June 2022

Increasing processing requirements in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) realm has led to the emergence of domain-specific architectures for Deep Neural Network (DNN) applications. Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), a DNN accelerator by Google, has emerged as a front runner outclassing its contemporaries, CPUs and GPUs, in performance by 15×–30×. TPUs have been deployed in Google data centers to cater to the performance demands. However, a TPU’s performance enhancement is accompanied by a mammoth power consumption. In the pursuit of lowering the energy utilization, this paper proposes PREDITOR—a low-power TPU operating in the Near-Threshold Computing (NTC) realm. PREDITOR uses mathematical analysis to mitigate the undetectable timing errors by boosting the voltage of the selective multiplier-and-accumulator units at specific intervals to enhance the performance of the NTC TPU, thereby ensuring a high inference accuracy at low voltage. PREDITOR offers up to 3×–5× improved performance in comparison to the leading-edge error mitigation schemes with a minor loss in accuracy.
Diversity, Succession and Seasonal Variation of Phylloplane Mycoflora of Leucaena leucocephala in Relation to Its Leaf Litter Decomposition
Authors: Gulati Saloni , Chitralekha P. , Pandit Manisha Arora , Katyal Roma , Bhandari Neeru , Mehta Poonam , Rawat Charu Dogra , Kaur Surinder , Kaur Jasleen
Published: June 2022

To address international food security concerns and sustain a growing global population, global agricultural output needs to increase by 70% by the year 2050. Current agricultural techniques to increase crop yields, specifically the application of chemicals, have resulted in a wide range of negative impacts on the environment and human health. The maintenance of good quality soil organic matter, a key concern in tropical countries such as India, requires a steady input of organic residues to maintain soil fertility. A tree with many uses, Leucaena leucocephala, has attracted much attention over the past decades. As per our literature review, no research has been conducted examining Leucaena leucocephala leaves for their fungal decomposition and their use as green manure. A study of the fungal colonization of Leucaena leucocephala leaves at various stages of decomposition was conducted to get an insight into which fungi play a critical role in the decomposition process. In total, fifty-two different species of fungi were isolated. There was an increase in the percentage of fungus occurrences as the leaves senesced and then finally decomposed. Almost all decomposition stages were characterized by a higher percentage occurrence of Deuteromycetes (75.47%) and by a lower rate of Ascomycetes (9.43%). A gradual increase of basidiomycetes such as unidentified sclerotia and Rhizoctonia solani was seen as the leaves senesced and finally decomposed. In the moist chamber, Didymium nigripes was the only Myxomycete isolated from completely decomposed leaves. In the present study, on average, there were more fungi in wet seasons than in the dry seasons.
A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Outcome Impact of Cilostazol in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease or at a High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Lin Jia-Ling , Tseng Wei-Kung , Lee Po-Tseng , Lee Cheng-Han , Tseng Shih-Ya , Chen Po-Wei , Chang Hsien-Yuan , Chao Ting-Hsing
Published: June 2022

Previous studies found that cilostazol has a favorable effect on glucose and lipid homeostasis, endothelial function, atherosclerosis, and vasculo-angiogenesis. However, it is poorly understood whether these effects can translate into better clinical outcomes. This study investigated the outcome effect of cilostazol in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or at a high risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 266 patients who received cilostazol, 200 mg/day (n = 134) or placebo (n = 132). Pre-specified clinical endpoints including composite major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarct, non-fatal stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, or unplanned coronary revascularization), the composite major coronary event (MCE) and major adverse CV and cerebrovascular event (MACCE), were prospectively assessed. The mean duration of follow-up was 2.9 years. Relative to placebo, cilostazol treatment had a borderline effect on risk reduction of MACE (hazard ratio [HR], 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34–1.33), whereas the beneficial effect in favor of cilostazol was significant in patients with diabetes mellitus or a history of percutaneous coronary intervention (p for interaction, 0.02 and 0.06, respectively). Use of cilostazol, significantly reduced the risk of MCE (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.17–0.86) and MACCE (HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.23–0.96). A significantly lower risk of angina pectoris (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.17–0.86) was also observed in the cilostazol group. After multi-variable adjustment, cilostazol treatment independently predicted a lower risk of MCE. In conclusion, these results suggest cilostazol may have beneficial effects in patients with CAD or at a high risk of CV disease.
Novel DERMA Fusion Technique for ECG Heartbeat Classification
Authors: Mastoi Qurat-ul-ain , Wah Teh Ying , Mohammed Mazin Abed , Iqbal Uzair , Kadry Seifedine , Majumdar Arnab , Thinnukool Orawit
Published: June 2022

An electrocardiogram (ECG) consists of five types of different waveforms or characteristics (P, QRS, and T) that represent electrical activity within the heart. Identification of time intervals and morphological appearance of the waves are the major measuring instruments to detect cardiac abnormality from ECG signals. The focus of this study is to classify five different types of heartbeats, including premature ventricular contraction (PVC), left bundle branch block (LBBB), right bundle branch block (RBBB), PACE, and atrial premature contraction (APC), to identify the exact condition of the heart. Prior to the classification, extensive experiments on feature extraction were performed to identify the specific events from ECG signals, such as P, QRS complex, and T waves. This study proposed the fusion technique, dual event-related moving average (DERMA) with the fractional Fourier-transform algorithm (FrlFT) to identify the abnormal and normal morphological events of the ECG signals. The purpose of the DERMA fusion technique is to analyze certain areas of interest in ECG peaks to identify the desired location, whereas FrlFT analyzes the ECG waveform using a time-frequency plane. Furthermore, detected highest and lowest components of the ECG signal such as peaks, the time interval between the peaks, and other necessary parameters were utilized to develop an automatic model. In the last stage of the experiment, two supervised learning models, namely support vector machine and K-nearest neighbor, were trained to classify the cardiac condition from ECG signals. Moreover, two types of datasets were used in this experiment, specifically MIT-BIH Arrhythmia with 48 subjects and the newly disclosed Shaoxing and Ningbo People’s Hospital (SPNH) database, which contains over 10,000 patients. The performance of the experimental setup produced overwhelming results, which show around 99.99% accuracy, 99.96% sensitivity, and 99.9% specificity.
Mechanical Modeling of Tube Bending Considering Elastoplastic Evolution of Tube Cross-Section
Authors: Zhang Zongcai , Wu Jianjun , Xu Xinliang , Yang Zekun , Wu Wei , Liu Long
Published: June 2022

Aluminum alloy tubes are widely used in various industries because of their excellent performance. Up to now, when the tube is bent, the elastoplastic deformation evolution mechanism of the cross-section has not been clear, and no direct analytical proof has been found. In this paper, based on the bilinear material model assumption, a new mechanical model of tube plane bending deformation is constructed. The analytical model can describe in detail the evolution mechanism of elastic–plastic deformation on the cross-section of the tube after bending deformation, the position of the elastic–plastic boundary, the position of the radius of the strain neutral layer, and the relationship between the bending moment over the section and the bending radius. According to this model, the deformation law of the tube cross-section during bending is elucidated. The results are as follows: (1) the deformation evolution of the cross-section of the bending deformed tube calculated by the analytical model is in good agreement with the finite element model (FEM) of pure bending. (2) By comparing the results of the analytical model with FEM results, and the processing test of the self-designed four-axis free bending forming tube bender, the bending moments are in good agreement. (3) Compared with the bending moments calculated by several other analytical models of tube bending, this model has a relatively small deviation value.
Comparative Analysis of the Thermal Conductivity of Handmade and Mechanical Bricks Used in the Cultural Heritage
Authors: Cabeza-Prieto Alejandro , Camino-Olea María Soledad , Sáez-Pérez María Paz , Llorente-Álvarez Alfredo , Ramos Gavilán Ana Belén , Rodríguez-Esteban María Ascensión
Published: June 2022

During interventions to improve the energy efficiency of cultural heritage, it is common to use methodologies that are used for current buildings with different thermal behaviour. For this reason, research has been carried out on the thermal behaviour of old brick walls by carrying out thermal flow tests in the laboratory on brickwork specimens, in order to compare the behaviour of handmade bricks and mechanical bricks from more than a century ago, and to analyse the relationship between the values of thermal conductivity, humidity, density and porosity, as well as to compare these results with those obtained by applying the procedure of the EN-1745 standard. It was concluded that bricks behave thermally differently, depending on the manufacturing process: handmade or mechanical, in both types of brick it was found that the higher the moisture content and density were, the higher the brick’s thermal conductivity value. It has also been concluded that old bricks have thermal conductivity values different from those indicated in EN-1745 as a function of density, and that the ratio detected in these specimens in the dry state and in the wet state does not conform to the processes indicated in the standard. With regard to porosity, it is important to note that the greater the closed porosity, the lower the conductivity. It has been concluded that in order to intervene in cultural heritage buildings, it is necessary to carry out a specific study of the behaviour of the systems with which they were constructed.
Experimental Study on the Effect of Gradient Interface on the Mechanical Properties of Cu/WCP Functionally Gradient Materials Using Digital Image Correlation Technique
Authors: Yu Hai , Liu Yunpeng , Hu Yunxiang , Ta Mingyang
Published: June 2022

In order to investigate the effect of gradient interface on the mechanical properties of Cu/WCP functional gradient materials, digital image correlation technique was used to analyze the mechanical characteristics of laminated Cu/WCP functional gradient material under tension load in the layer direction. In this paper, the deformation information of the specimens is obtained by the digital image correlation method. In order to obtain high-precision measurement results, speckle patterns with small spots and uniform distribution are prepared on the specimen surface by using small sample speckle preparation technology. The tensile experimental results showed that the incorporation of WC particles significantly improved the stiffness and strength of Cu/WCP composites. Meanwhile, the plastic strain and plastic strain rate are non-uniform in each layer of the five-layer Cu/WCP functional gradient material under the tension load along the layer direction. The plastic strain and plastic strain rate in each layer gradually increase along with the decreasing direction of WC content. It is found, from the analysis of experimental results, the existence of the gradient interface has an obvious inhibitory effect on the increase in plastic strain rate along the decreasing direction of WC content, and the specimen fracture location also has a certain relationship with the plastic strain rate, which reflects the important influence of the gradient interface on the mechanical properties of Cu/WCP functional gradient materials.
Strain-Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance in GeS2 Monolayer
Authors: Ruan Xinying , Xiong Rui , Cui Zhou , Wen Cuilian , Ma Jiang-Jiang , Wang Bao-Tian , Sa Baisheng
Published: June 2022

Strain engineering has attracted extensive attention as a valid method to tune the physical and chemical properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Here, based on first-principles calculations and by solving the semi-classical Boltzmann transport equation, we reveal that the tensile strain can efficiently enhance the thermoelectric properties of the GeS2 monolayer. It is highlighted that the GeS2 monolayer has a suitable band gap of 1.50 eV to overcome the bipolar conduction effects in materials and can even maintain high stability under a 6% tensile strain. Interestingly, the band degeneracy in the GeS2 monolayer can be effectually regulated through strain, thus improving the power factor. Moreover, the lattice thermal conductivity can be reduced from 3.89 to 0.48 W/mK at room temperature under 6% strain. More importantly, the optimal ZT value for the GeS2 monolayer under 6% strain can reach 0.74 at room temperature and 0.92 at 700 K, which is twice its strain-free form. Our findings provide an exciting insight into regulating the thermoelectric performance of the GeS2 monolayer by strain engineering.
Effect of Microstructure on the Mechanical Properties of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Recycled Concretes
Authors: Yuan Hanquan , Zhu Lihua , Wang Xiaopeng , Yang Hongtao
Published: June 2022

A steel fiber-reinforced recycled concrete (SFRRC) is a porous material, and its macromechanical properties are affected by its microstructure. To elucidate the change rules and internal mechanisms of the mechanical properties of SFRRCs, the mechanical properties and failure modes of SFRRCs were studied at different water–cement ratio, replacement rate of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), and steel fiber content. Moreover, the microstructures of the interface transition zones (ITZ) of the SFRRC specimens were tested by scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion, and the effect of the microscopic pore structure on the macromechanical properties of SFRRC was analyzed. The research results showed that an appropriate amount of steel fibers could reduce the size and number of cracks in the ITZ and improve the pore structure of an SFRRC. Based on the fractal dimension, porosity and other factors, the quantitative relationship between the macromechanical properties and microscopic pore structure parameters of SFRRCs was established.
Effect of Laser Heating on the Life of Cutting Tools Coated with Single- and Multilayer Coatings Containing a TiN Layer
Authors: Kupczyk Maciej Jan , Józwik Jerzy
Published: June 2022

This study proposes a novel use of laser heating to increase the adhesion between coatings fabricated by low-temperature PVD and replaceable cemented carbide cutting inserts, thus extending the life of these cutting tools in the machining of difficult-to-machine materials. Our previous studies conducted on CVD coatings showed that these coatings had higher adhesion due to a much higher process temperature. However, taking into account the fact that PVD coatings have better technological properties (e.g., lower structure porosity, higher hardness, and better tribological properties) than CVD coatings, it is fully justified to investigate ways of improving the PVD coating adhesion to the substrate. In this study, replaceable cutting inserts with different hard coatings of titanium nitride were used. Laser heating was conducted with different power densities. The adhesion strength of the tested coatings was determined via vibration spectrum analysis. In addition, 2D surface imaging, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were employed to examine the coatings after laser heating. A significant increase in the adhesion of single-layer (TiN) and double-layer (TiCN + TiN) coatings to the cemented carbide substrate, together with increased tool life, was observed after heating the samples with 40% of the maximum laser power. The application of a multilayer coating containing thermal shock-sensitive (TiAlSi) N did not increase the tool life. This paper attempts to interpret the obtained results.
A Simple and Efficient Method for Preparing High-Purity α-CaSO4·0.5H2O Whiskers with Phosphogypsum
Authors: Lin Yan , Sun Hongjuan , Peng Tongjiang , Ding Wenjin , Li Xiang , Xiao Sha
Published: June 2022

A simple and efficient approach for the high-purity CaSO4·2H2O (DH) whiskers and α-CaSO4·0.5H2O (α-HH) whiskers derived from such phosphogypsum (PG) was proposed. The impact of different experimental parameters on supersaturated dissolution–recrystallization and preparation processes of α-CaSO4·0.5H2O was elaborated. At 3.5 mol/L HCl concentration, the dissolution temperature and time were 90 °C and 20 min, respectively. After eight cycles and 5–8 times cycles, total crystallization amount of CaSO4·2H2O was 21.75 and 9.97 g/100 mL, respectively, from supersaturated HCl solution. The number of cycles affected the shape and amount of the crystal. Higher HCl concentration facilitated CaSO4·2H2O dissolution and created a much higher supersaturation, which acted as a larger driving force for phase transformation of CaSO4·2H2O to α-CaSO4·0.5H2O. The HCl solution system’s optimum experimental conditions for HH whiskers preparation involved acid leaching of CaSO4·2H2O sample, with HCl concentration 6.0 mol/L, reaction temperature 80 °C, and reaction time 30 min–60 min. Under the third cycle conditions, α-CaSO4·0.5H2O whiskers were uniform in size, clear, and distinct in edges and angles. The length range of α-CaSO4·0.5H2O whiskers was from 106 μm to 231 μm and diameter range from 0.43 μm to 1.35 μm, while the longest diameter ratio was 231. Purity of α-CaSO4·0.5H2O whiskers was approximately 100%, where whiteness reached 98.6%. The reuse of the solution enables the process to discharge no waste liquid. It provides a new reference direction for green production technology of phosphogypsum.
Experimental Study on the Mix Ratio of Restored Heritage Building Adobe
Authors: Yue Jianwei , Zhang Yiang , Li Peng , Zhang Jing , Huang Xuanjia , Yue Yang , Han Zhiguang
Published: June 2022

The reciprocating action of the external environment gradually reduces the mechanical properties and water stability of original heritage buildings, resulting in the gradual loss of their cultural value. In this paper, the adobe for the construction of raw soil and cultural relics in western Henan is taken as the research object. The local plain soil is used as the raw material, and the adobe samples are prepared with modified materials such as quicklime and sodium methyl silicate, in order to improve its mechanical properties and water stability. The degree of correlation between the compressive strength, capillary water absorption, pH value, particle size distribution, and the electrical conductivity of modified raw adobe, as well as the modification mechanism of the microstructure, was studied. The results show that the addition of quicklime and sodium methyl silicate can enhance the compressive strength and water resistance of the modified raw adobe, and the optimum dosage is 1.5% sodium methyl silicate; with the increase of the curing age, the compressive strength of the single-mixed quicklime sample, the single mixed sodium methyl silicate samples, and the composite sample were increased by 1.94 times, 12.6 times and 2.61 times, respectively, compared with the plain soil samples, and with the increase of compressive strength, the pH, conductivity and capillary water absorption of the samples decreased continuously. It is evident from the particle gradation test and SEM images that the internal pores of the samples in the modified group become smaller, and the particle structure of the sample doped with sodium methyl silicate is the densest. The results of the study provide support for the restoration of the soil and cultural-relic buildings.
Fucose-Rich Sulfated Polysaccharides from Two Vietnamese Sea Cucumbers Bohadschia argus and Holothuria (Theelothuria) spinifera: Structures and Anticoagulant Activity
Authors: Ustyuzhanina Nadezhda E. , Bilan Maria I. , Dmitrenok Andrey S. , Tsvetkova Eugenia A. , Nikogosova Sofya P. , Hang Cao Thi Thuy , Thinh Pham Duc , Trung Dinh Thanh , Van Tran Thi Thanh , Shashkov Alexander S. , Usov Anatolii I. , Nifantiev Nikolay E.
Published: June 2022

Fucosylated chondroitin sulfates (FCSs) FCS-BA and FCS-HS, as well as fucan sulfates (FSs) FS-BA-AT and FS-HS-AT were isolated from the sea cucumbers Bohadschia argus and Holothuria (Theelothuria) spinifera, respectively. Purification of the polysaccharides was carried out by anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel column. Structural characterization of polysaccharides was performed in terms of monosaccharide and sulfate content, as well as using a series of non-destructive NMR spectroscopic methods. Both FCSs were shown to contain a chondroitin core [→3)-β-d-GalNAc-(1→4)-β-d-GlcA-(1→]n bearing sulfated fucosyl branches at O-3 of every GlcA residue in the chain. These fucosyl residues were different in pattern of sulfation: FCS-BA contained Fuc2S4S, Fuc3S4S and Fuc4S at a ratio of 1:8:2, while FCS-HS contained these residues at a ratio of 2:2:1. Polysaccharides differed also in content of GalNAc4S6S and GalNAc4S units, the ratios being 14:1 for FCS-BA and 4:1 for FCS-HS. Both FCSs demonstrated significant anticoagulant activity in clotting time assay and potentiated inhibition of thrombin, but not of factor Xa. FS-BA-AT was shown to be a regular linear polymer of 4-linked α-L-fucopyranose 3-sulfate, the structure being confirmed by NMR spectra of desulfated polysaccharide. In spite of considerable sulfate content, FS-BA-AT was practically devoid of anticoagulant activity. FS-HS-AT cannot be purified completely from contamination of some FCS. Its structure was tentatively represented as a mixture of chains identical with FS-BA-AT and other chains built up of randomly sulfated alternating 4- and 3-linked α-L-fucopyranose residues.
Automatic Featurization Aided Data-Driven Method for Estimating the Presence of Intermetallic Phase in Multi-Principal Element Alloys
Authors: Subedi Upadesh , Coutinho Yuri Amorim , Malla Prafulla Bahadur , Gyanwali Khem , Kunwar Anil
Published: June 2022

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) are characterized by a high-dimensional materials design space, and data-driven models can be considered as the best tools to describe the structure–property relationship in this class of materials. Predicting the prevalence of an intermetallic (IM) phase in a high-entropy alloy (HEA) regime of MPEAs has become a very important research direction recently. In this work, Automatic Featurization capability has been deployed computationally to extract composition and property features from the datasets of MPEAs. Data visualization has been performed, and through principal component analysis, the relative impacts of the input features on the two principal components have been specified. Artificial neural network is then trained upon the set of compostion, property and phase information features. A GUI interface is subsequently developed on top of the prediction model to enable the user-friendly computer environment for detection of the IM phase in a compositionally complex alloy.
Biofluid Metabolomics and Lipidomics of Mice Exposed to External Very High-Dose Rate Radiation
Authors: Pannkuk Evan L. , Laiakis Evagelia C. , Garty Guy , Bansal Shivani , Ponnaiya Brian , Wu Xuefeng , Ghandhi Shanaz A. , Amundson Sally A. , Brenner David J. , Fornace Albert J.
Published: June 2022

High-throughput biodosimetry methods to determine exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) that can also be easily scaled to multiple testing sites in emergency situations are needed in the event of malicious attacks or nuclear accidents that may involve a substantial number of civilians. In the event of an improvised nuclear device (IND), a complex IR exposure will have a very high-dose rate (VHDR) component from an initial blast. We have previously addressed low-dose rate (LDR, ≤1 Gy/day) exposures from internal emitters on biofluid small molecule signatures, but further research on the VHDR component of the initial blast is required. Here, we exposed 8- to 10-week-old male C57BL/6 mice to an acute dose of 3 Gy using a reference dose rate of 0.7 Gy/min or a VHDR of 7 Gy/s, collected urine and serum at 1 and 7 d, then compared the metabolite signatures using either untargeted (urine) or targeted (serum) approaches with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry platforms. A Random Forest classification approach showed strikingly similar changes in urinary signatures at 1 d post-irradiation with VHDR samples grouping closer to control samples at 7 d. Identical metabolite panels (carnitine, trigonelline, xanthurenic acid, N6,N6,N6-trimethyllysine, spermine, and hexosamine-valine-isoleucine-OH) could differentiate IR exposed individuals with high sensitivity and specificity (area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves 0.89–1.00) irrespective of dose rate at both days. For serum, the top 25 significant lipids affected by IR exposure showed slightly higher perturbations at 0.7 Gy/min vs. 7 Gy/s; however, identical panels showed excellent sensitivity and specificity at 1 d (three hexosylceramides (16:0), (18:0), (24:0), sphingomyelin [26:1], lysophosphatidylethanolamine [22:1]). Mice could not be differentiated from control samples at 7 d for a 3 Gy exposure based on serum lipid signatures. As with LDR exposures, we found that identical biofluid small molecule signatures can identify IR exposed individuals irrespective of dose rate, which shows promise for more universal applications of metabolomics for biodosimetry.
The Effects of an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus and Rhizobium Symbioses on Soybean Aphid Mostly Fail to Propagate to the Third Trophic Level
Authors: Dabré Élisée Emmanuel , Brodeur Jacques , Hijri Mohamed , Favret Colin
Published: June 2022

The cascading effects of microbe–plant symbioses on the second trophic level, such as phytophagous insects, have been most studied. However, few studies have examined the higher third trophic level, i.e., their natural enemies. We investigated the effects of the symbiotic associations between an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Rhizophagus irregularis (Glomerales: Glomeraceae), a nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Bradyrhizobium japonicum (Rhizobiales: Bradyrhizobiaceae), and soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. (Fabaceae) on two natural enemies of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), the ladybird beetle Coleomegilla maculata (De Geer) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and the parasitoid Aphelinus certus Yasnosh (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). We measured the growth and survival in the predator and parasitoid reared on aphids feeding on soybean inoculated seedlings. The rhizobium symbiosis alone was affected with a decreased rate of parasitoid emergence, presumably due to decreased host quality. However, number of mummies, sex-ratio, development time, and parasitoid size were all unaffected by inoculation. AM fungus alone or co-inoculated with the rhizobium was unaffected with any of the parameters of the parasitoid. For the predator, none of the measured parameters was affected with any inoculant. Here, it appears that whatever benefits the microbe–plant symbioses confer on the second trophic level are little transferred up to the third.
Long- and Short-Term Strategies for Estimation of Hydraulic Fracturing Cost Using Fuzzy Logic
Authors: Im Hyunjun , Jang Hyongdoo , Topal Erkan , Nehring Micah
Published: June 2022

Over two decades, block caving mining has developed the application of hydraulic fracturing as a preconditioning method. This study aims to estimate hydraulic fracturing costs in block caving operations and suggests the base case of specified costs based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report. Furthermore, it applies cavability factors to develop the long- and short-term strategies through the fuzzy inference system. In the long-term strategy, we suggest three possible scenarios for reducing the long-term strategy’s uncertainty by considering the association for the advancement of cost engineering (AACE)’s contingency rate. Moreover, each fuzzy membership function of the three possible redeveloped scenarios was analysed through arithmetic operations over independent/dependent fuzzy numbers for comparing each scenario. The outcome of flexible cost estimation suggested deciding on the scale of infrastructure and ore production by facilitating undercut propagation and controlling block height of block caving operation including additional fragmentation processes. The result of this study also illustrated that systematic fuzzy cost engineering could help estimate the initial stage of budgeting. In addition, through solving the uncertainty of fuzzy calculation values, the project schedule identification is presented by recognising the dependence on each scenario’s common characteristic of the cavability parameter and cost contingency rate.
Anti-Proliferative and Cytoprotective Activity of Aryl Carbamate and Aryl Urea Derivatives with Alkyl Groups and Chlorine as Substituents
Authors: Oshchepkov Maxim , Kovalenko Leonid , Kalistratova Antonida , Ivanova Maria , Sherstyanykh Galina , Dudina Polina , Antonov Alexey , Cherkasova Anastasia , Akimov Mikhail
Published: June 2022

Natural cytokinines are a promising group of cytoprotective and anti-tumor agents. In this research, we synthesized a set of aryl carbamate, pyridyl urea, and aryl urea cytokinine analogs with alkyl and chlorine substitutions and tested their antiproliferative activity in MDA-MB-231, A-375, and U-87 MG cell lines, and cytoprotective properties in H2O2 and CoCl2 models. Aryl carbamates with the oxamate moiety were selectively anti-proliferative for the cancer cell lines tested, while the aryl ureas were inactive. In the cytoprotection studies, the same aryl carbamates were able to counteract the CoCl2 cytotoxicity by 3–8%. The possible molecular targets of the aryl carbamates during the anti-proliferative action were the adenosine A2 receptor and CDK2. The obtained results are promising for the development of novel anti-cancer therapeutics.
Investigation of Heater Structures for Thermal Conductivity Measurements of SiO2 and Al2O3 Thin Films Using the 3-Omega Method
Authors: Kühnel Fabian , Metzke Christoph , Weber Jonas , Schätz Josef , Duesberg Georg S. , Benstetter Günther
Published: June 2022

A well-known method for measuring thermal conductivity is the 3-Omega (3ω) method. A prerequisite for it is the deposition of a metal heater on top of the sample surface. The known design rules for the heater geometry, however, are not yet sufficient. In this work, heaters with different lengths and widths within the known restrictions were investigated. The measurements were carried out on SiO2 thin films with different film thicknesses as a reference. There was a significant difference between theoretical deposited heater width and real heater width, which could lead to errors of up to 50% for the determined thermal conductivity. Heaters with lengths between 11 and 13 mm and widths of 6.5 µm or more proved to deliver the most trustworthy results. To verify the performance of these newfound heaters, additional investigations on Al2O3 thin films were carried out, proving our conclusions to be correct and delivering thermal conductivity values of 0.81 Wm−1 K−1 and 0.93 Wm−1 K−1 for unannealed and annealed samples, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of annealing on Al2O3 was studied, revealing a significant shrinking in film thickness of approximately 11% and an increase in thermal conductivity of 15%. The presented results on well-defined geometries will help to produce optimized heater structures for the 3ω method.
Dietary and Nutrient Patterns and Brain MRI Biomarkers in Dementia-Free Adults
Authors: Drouka Archontoula , Mamalaki Eirini , Karavasilis Efstratios , Scarmeas Nikolaos , Yannakoulia Mary
Published: June 2022

Cognitive impairment is a rapidly growing public health problem. As there is no curative treatment for dementia, the proactive management of modifiable risk factors and the identification of early biomarkers indicative of the cognitive decline are of great importance. Although nutrition is one of the most extensively studied lifestyle factor in relation to cognitive health, its association with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers is not well established. In the present work, we review available studies relating dietary or nutrient patterns with brain MRI biomarkers in dementia-free adults. Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with the preservation of structural connectivity and less brain atrophy in adults without dementia. In addition, specific nutrient patterns, characterized by a high intake of antioxidant vitamins, polyphenols and unsaturated fatty acids, have been related to larger brain volume. Although the results are encouraging regarding the role of dietary and nutrient patterns on imaging biomarkers, more well-designed observational longitudinal studies and clinical trials are needed in order to confirm potentially causal relationships and better understand underlying mechanisms.