bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation on Application Prospect of Refractories for Hydrogen Metallurgy: The Enlightenment from the Reaction between Commercial Brown Corundum and Hydrogen
Authors: Li Shaofei , Chen Ding , Gu Huazhi , Huang Ao , Fu Lvping
Published: October 2022

Hydrogenous environments put forward new requirements to refractories for the hydrogen metallurgy field. The temperature and impurities in refractories played an important role in stability. A commercial brown corundum with many impurities was adopted as a raw material, thermodynamic calculations and reduction experiments of the brown corundum by high-purity hydrogen (99.99%) were accepted to investigate the stability of the oxides. The weight loss and mass fraction were tested to estimate the stability of the oxides in the brown corundum. XRD and SEM were used to analyze the mineral compositions and microstructures. The results showed that: the thermodynamic stability of the oxides in the brown corundum under high-purity hydrogen was in the order of Al2O3 > CaO > MgO > SiO2 > TiO2 > Fe2O3 at temperatures lower than 1400 °C. Obvious weight loss appeared after heating at 1400 °C for 8 h. The content of CaO did not decline after reduction even at 1800 °C, owing to the formation of hibonite (CaAl12O19), high-purity Al2O3 and CaAl12O19 -based refractories had the prospect for lining materials in the hydrogen metallurgy field, owing to their excellent chemical stability under hydrogenous environments.
The Impact Resistance and Mechanical Properties of Recycled Aggregate Concrete with Hooked-End and Crimped Steel Fiber
Authors: Kong Xiangqing , Yao Yanbin , Wu Bojian , Zhang Wenjiao , He Wenchang , Fu Ying
Published: October 2022

The utilization of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) from construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a sustainable solution to protect the fragile natural environment and save the diminishing natural resources. The current study was aimed at exploring the impact resistance and mechanical properties of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) affected by hooked-end steel fiber (HF) and crimped steel fiber (CF). Fifteen concrete mixtures considering different RCA substitution ratio, steel fiber dosage, and steel fiber shapes were designed. Meanwhile, a statistical analysis method-based Weibull distribution was introduced to evaluate the variations of impact test results, presented using a reliability function. Lastly, the microstructural morphologies of interfacial transition zones at the cement paste/aggregate and cement paste/fiber interfaces were observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The experimental results showed that the impact resistance and mechanical properties mildly decreased with the increase in substitution ratio of RCA, whereas they conclusively increased with the increase in steel fiber content. Steel fiber recycled aggregate concrete (SFRAC) with 1.5% steel fiber content had the best impact resistance, and its initial cracking times and final failure times were 3.25–4.75 and 8.78–29.08 times those of plain RAC, respectively. HF has better impact resistance than CF. The SEM observations of microstructures indicated that the hardened cement paste of natural aggregate concrete (NAC) was more compact than that of RAC. Steel fiber had a better connection with the cement paste interface than that of aggregate and cement paste owing to better thermal conductivity. This research could be a guide for SFRAC as a structural material in practical engineering, steering the construction industry toward the circular economy.
Electrode Layout Optimization and Numerical Simulation of Cast Conductive Asphalt Concrete Steel Bridge Deck Pavement
Authors: Li Zhenxia , Guo Tengteng , Chen Yuanzhao , Yang Wenping , Ding Shengquan , Hao Menghui , Zhao Xu , Liu Jinyuan
Published: October 2022

In order to obtain the optimal electrode layout and ice melting effect of cast conductive asphalt concrete steel bridge deck pavement, firstly, pouring conductive asphalt concrete was prepared; secondly, different electrode materials and layout methods were selected to test the heating rate of the specimen from start to 120 min, and the electrode materials and layout methods were optimized. Then, the finite element analysis software ANSYS was used to build the model for heating and ice melting simulation, and the indoor test was used to further verify the ice melting effect of the cast conductive asphalt coagulation with or without the insulation layer. Finally, the thermal-structural coupling analysis of cast conductive asphalt concrete steel bridge deck pavement was carried out using ANSYS finite element software. The results showed that the stainless steel electrode material had the best heating effect, and the electrode thickness in the range of 0.1~3 mm had no effect on the heating effect. The intermediate heating rate of the upper surface of the stainless steel sheet electrode cast conductive asphalt concrete in the left and right external electrodes was 8 ∘C/h, while the intermediate heating rate of the upper surface of the stainless steel mesh electrode cast conductive asphalt concrete was 12.9 ∘C/h. The layout of the left and right buried stainless steel metal mesh was able to effectively improve the snow melting efficiency; ANSYS finite element ice melting simulation was used to obtain the variation law of ice melting efficiency and a temperature field of cast conductive asphalt concrete. The indoor ice melting test showed that when melting the same thickness ice layer at 50 V voltage, it took 240 min with an insulation layer and 720 min without an insulation layer, which was three times that of the ice with an insulation layer, which further verifies the superiority of its ice melting effect. The most unfavorable load position of pavement under load and temperature field was determined. The maximum tensile stress and compressive stress of the pavement surface were transverse, and the maximum shear stress of the pavement bottom was transverse.
Prediction of the Rheological Properties of Fresh Cementitious Suspensions Considering Microstructural Parameters
Authors: Rajagopalan Sam Rajadurai , Lee Bang-Yeon , Kang Su-Tae
Published: October 2022

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are commonly used to partially replace cements. Although it is necessary to investigate the rheological properties of the individual supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) for understanding complex rheological behaviors of the blended mixes, the study on the investigation of rheological properties of various SCMs such as fly ash, blast-furnace slag, and silica fume, according to various solid volume fractions and prediction models is fairly limited. This study investigated the rheological properties of non-blended cementitious suspensions with Portland cement (PC), fly ash (FA), blast-furnace slag (BS), and silica fume (SF) materials in the experiments and predicted using YODEL (Yield stress mODEL) and Krieger–Dougherty’s (K–D’s) equation. Experiments were designed with various solid volume fractions (ϕ) from 0.28 to 0.44, and the rheological properties of all cementitious suspensions were noted to increase with increasing ϕ, showing an improved flowability at low ϕ. YODEL, derived from the first principles considering particle-size distributions, interparticle forces and microstructural parameters predicted the yield stress. The YODEL predictions were consistent with the experiments with a positive correlation coefficient of above 0.96. K–D’s equation with the maximum particle fractions and intrinsic viscosity as key parameters predicted the plastic viscosity. The K–D’s equation predictions match up with the experiments with a positive correlation coefficient of above 0.94. Both models showed more quantitative predictions without any fitting parameters and could be applied to any multimodal powder suspensions.
Experimental Estimation of the Camber Reduction Factor of Tyres
Authors: Mottola Matteo , Massaro Matteo
Published: October 2022

One of the most used tyre models is the so-called Magic Formula, which provides the contact forces and moments as a function of the tyre slips and normal load. Among the slip inputs, there is the spin–slip, which is defined as the combination of a camber component and a path-curvature component. The two components are related to each other by the camber reduction factor, for which only a few data have been reported in the literature. In addition, these data are often obtained from indirect measurements. In this work, an experimental procedure for the direct measurement of the camber reduction factor was devised, and applied to six specimens of motorcycle tyres (three front and three rear). The approach employs a rotating-disk machine, where the tyre is intrinsically subjected to path curvature. A specific aligning procedure to mitigate sideslip disturbances is introduced and employed during testing. The three specimens of the rear tyres tested showed a camber reduction factor that was close to zero, which is the typical result suggested by the literature. On the contrary, the three specimens of front tyres showed slightly negative values, i.e., the camber component increased with respect to the curvature component. The results suggest that the classic assumption of a zero camber reduction factor does not hold valid for all motorcycle tyres.
The Sufficient Conditions for Orthogonal Matching Pursuit to Exactly Reconstruct Sparse Polynomials
Authors: Huang Aitong , Feng Renzhong , Wang Andong
Published: October 2022

Orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP for short) is a classical method for sparse signal recovery in compressed sensing. In this paper, we consider the application of OMP to reconstruct sparse polynomials generated by uniformly bounded orthonormal systems, which is an extension of the work on OMP to reconstruct sparse trigonometric polynomials. Firstly, in both cases of sampled data with and without noise, sufficient conditions for OMP to recover the coefficient vector of a sparse polynomial are given, which are more loose than the existing results. Then, based on a more accurate estimation of the mutual coherence of a structured random matrix, the recovery guarantees and success probabilities for OMP to reconstruct sparse polynomials are obtained with the help of those sufficient conditions. In addition, the error estimation for the recovered coefficient vector is gained when the sampled data contain noise. Finally, the validity and correctness of the theoretical conclusions are verified by numerical experiments.
Effect of Different Tunnel Distribution on Dynamic Behavior and Damage Characteristics of Non-Adjacent Tunnel Triggered by Blasting Disturbance
Authors: Qiu Jiadong , Feng Fan
Published: October 2022

When a blasting is executed near two tunnels, the blasting wave will trigger a dynamic response and damage to the tunnels. Depending on the tunnel distribution, the path of the blasting wave to the remote non-adjacent tunnels will change. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of the tunnel distribution on the dynamic response characteristics of a remote non-adjacent tunnel. Numerical models of two tunnels were established by PFC2D and three different tunnel distributions were considered. The two tunnels were divided into the adjacent tunnel and the non-adjacent tunnel according to their relative distance to the blasting source. The dynamic stress evolution, damage characteristics and the evolution of strain energy of the non-adjacent tunnel were initially analyzed. The results show that the stress wave amplitude of the non-adjacent tunnel is closely related to the tunnel distribution, but only near the sidewalls of the non-adjacent tunnel is the stress wave waveform sensitive to the tunnel distribution. The larger the tunnel dip, the more severe the damage to the non-adjacent tunnel. In addition, as the tunnel dip increases, the maximum strain energy densities (SEDs) in the roof, floor and sidewalls of the non-adjacent tunnel exhibit different trends. The influence of the wavelength of the blasting wave is further discussed. It is shown that the dynamic stress amplification factor and damage degree around the non-adjacent tunnel is usually positively correlated with the wavelength of the blasting wave. Moreover, the release of strain energy around the non-adjacent tunnel has a positive correlation with the wavelength. The SED variations in different areas around the non-adjacent tunnel also exhibit different trends with the increase of tunnel dip.
Stability Evaluation of Medium Soft Soil Pile Slope Based on Limit Equilibrium Method and Finite Element Method
Authors: Du Xiaoyan , Chai Jinfei
Published: October 2022

The stability of an open-pit slope is an extremely important factor related to the safe production of an open-pit mine. It is the first safety technical problem encountered and should be solved in the process of mine design and production. By the means of an engineering geology and hydrogeological investigation of the waste dump area of the Nayuan open-pit coal mine and numerical simulation research, this paper analyzes and studies the slope stability of the stope and waste dump of the Nayuan open-pit coal mine in detail and puts forward measures such as slope prevention and automatic monitoring to achieve the goal of protecting the slope of the stope and waste dump and the surrounding environment. The main research results are as follows: (1) The geotechnical physical and mechanical indexes of stope and waste dump are collected and analyzed, and the geotechnical mechanical indexes in this report were determined, which basically meet the requirements of slope stability analysis. (2) The limit equilibrium method and finite element method were used to analyze and evaluate the current slope stability of the Nayuan open-pit coal mine. It was concluded that the foundation of the waste dump is basically stable, and the potential landslide modes of the slope are arc-shaped sliding surface and arc-shaped straight-line sliding surface. The numerical simulation and checking results showed that the current stope and waste dump slope are stable. (3) According to the analysis and evaluation results of slope stability, feasible slope prevention measures are put forward. The research results are of great significance to the safety of important facilities in open-pit mines and provide a basis for the design and safety implementation of open-pit slope engineering.
Potentially Related Commodity Discovery Based on Link Prediction
Authors: Wan Xiaoji , Chen Fen , Li Hailin , Lin Weibin
Published: October 2022

The traditional method of related commodity discovery mainly focuses on direct co-occurrence association of commodities and ignores their indirect connection. Link prediction can estimate the likelihood of links between nodes and predict the existent yet unknown future links. This paper proposes a potentially related commodities discovery method based on link prediction (PRCD) to predict the undiscovered association. The method first builds a network with the discovered binary association rules among items and uses link prediction approaches to assess possible future links in the network. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the proposed method is better than traditional methods. In addition, it outperforms the link prediction based on graph neural network in some datasets.
Genetic and Environmental Effects on the Development of White Matter Hyperintensities in a Middle Age Twin Population
Authors: Alijanpourotaghsara Amirreza , Strelnikov David , Piroska Marton , Szalontai Laszlo , Forgo Bianka , Jokkel Zsofia , Persely Alíz , Hernyes Anita , Kozak Lajos Rudolf , Szabo Adam , Maurovich-Horvat Pal , Tarnoki Adam Domonkos , Tarnoki David Laszlo
Published: October 2022

Introduction: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) indicate white matter brain lesions in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can be used as a marker for brain aging and cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. Twin studies revealed substantial but not uniform WMH heritability in elderly twins. The objective of our study was to investigate the genetic and environmental components of WMH, as well as their importance in a healthy twin population, utilizing 3T MRI scanners in a middle-aged twin population. Methods: Brain MRI was performed on 120 healthy adult twins from the Hungarian Twin Registry on a 3T scanner (86 monozygotic, MZ and 34 dizygotic, DZ twins; median age 50 ± 26.5 years, 72.5% female and 27.5% male). The count of WMH on FLAIR images was calculated using an automated volumetry pipeline (volBrain) and human processing. The age- and sex-adjusted MZ and DZ intra-pair correlations were determined and the total variance was decomposed into genetic, shared and unique environmental components using structural equation modeling. Results: Age and sex-adjusted MZ intrapair correlations were higher than DZ correlations, indicating moderate genetic influence in each lesion (rMZ = 0.466, rDZ = −0.025 for total count; rMZ = 0.482, rDZ = 0.093 for deep white matter count; rMZ = 0.739, rDZ = 0.39 for infratentorial count; rMZ = 0.573, rDZ = 0.372 for cerebellar count and rMZ = 0.473, rDZ = 0.19 for periventricular count), indicating a moderate heritability (A = 40.3%, A = 45%, A = 72.7% and A = 55.5%and 47.2%, respectively). The rest of the variance was influenced by unique environmental effects (E between 27.3% and 59.7%, respectively). Conclusions: The number of WMH lesions is moderately influenced by genetic effects, particularly in the infratentorial region in middle-aged twins. These results suggest that the distribution of WMH in various brain regions is heterogeneous.
Comparison of Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer in Uzbekistan and Korea: The First Report of The Uzbekistan–Korea Oncology Consortium
Authors: Rim Chai Hong , Lee Won Jae , Musaev Bekhzood , Volichevich Ten Yakov , Pazlitdinovich Ziyayev Yakhyo , Lee Hye Yoon , Nigmatovich Tillysshaykhov Mirzagaleb , Rim Jae Suk
Published: October 2022

In general, as a country’s economy, education level, and life expectancy increase, the incidence of cancer increases. This is because the peak incidence of cancer occurs in individuals in their 70s and 80s, and the health proportion of non-communicable diseases increases with the development of the living environment. Changes in diet, lifestyle and enhanced methods of detection contribute to an increase in cancer incidence as well. Recently, Uzbekistan has grown rapidly, and its incidence of cancer is also increasing. In the health management of cancer, not only treatment but also the identification and prevention of causes and effective screening should be considered. South Korea has a common ethnicity with Uzbekistan and has successfully performed national screening for seven major cancers over the past 20 years. The 5-year survival rate after cancer diagnosis in Korea was only 42.9% 20 years ago, but recently it has improved to 70.7%. We formed an advisory consortium in which oncologists from Uzbekistan and Korea could cooperate for cancer management in Uzbekistan. This advisory consortium intends to present the necessary considerations and recommendations for cancer management in Uzbekistan by examining the literature and cancer statistics of Uzbekistan and South Korea. In addition to the overall analysis, we identified and reviewed the major cancers with high morbidity in three categories in Uzbekistan: gynecological cancer (breast and cervical cancer), cancer common in men (lung and liver cancer), and gastrointestinal cancer (stomach and colorectal cancer). This review covers the general cancer statistics of Uzbekistan and a detailed review of gynecological cancer between two countries, and relevant recommendations.
Long-Term Prognostic Value of Myocardial Viability by Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography in Patients after Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Jingxin , Yang Mengxi , Yang Zhi , Ye Lu , Luo Hong , Guo Yingkun
Published: October 2022

Background and Objectives: According to recent guidelines, myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) is recommended for detecting residual myocardial viability (MV). However, the long-term prognostic value of MV as assessed by MCE in identifying major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains undefined. Materials and Methods: We searched multiple databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for studies on the prognostic value of MCE for clinical outcomes in AMI patients. The primary endpoints were MACEs during follow-up. Six studies that evaluated a total of 536 patients with a mean follow-up of 36.8 months were reviewed. Results: The pooled sensitivity and specificity of MCE for predicting MACEs were 0.80 and 0.78, respectively, and the summary operating receiver characteristics achieved an area under the curve of 0.84. The pooled relative risks demonstrated that the MV evaluated by MCE after AMI was correlated with a high risk for total cardiac events (pooled relative risk: 2.07; 95% confidence interval: 1.28–3.37) and cardiac death (pooled relative risk: 2.48; 95% confidence interval: 1.03–5.96). MV evaluated by MCE was a highly independent predictor of total cardiac events (pooled hazard ratio: 2.09, 95% confidence interval: 1.14–3.81) in patients after AMI. Conclusions: Residual MV evaluated by MCE may be an effective long-term prognostic tool for predicting MACE in patients after AMI that can provide moderate predictive accuracy. The assessment of MV by MCE may become an alternative technique with the potential to rapidly provide important information for improving long-term risk stratification in patients after AMI, at the bedside in clinical practice, especially for patients who cannot tolerate prolonged examinations. The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42020167565.
Automated Analysis vs. Expert Reading in Nuclear Cardiology: Correlations with the Angiographic Score
Authors: Angelidis George , Valotassiou Varvara , Tsougos Ioannis , Tzavara Chara , Psimadas Dimitrios , Theodorou Evdoxia , Ziaka Anastasia , Giannakou Stavroula , Ziangas Charalampos , Skoularigis John , Triposkiadis Filippos , Georgoulias Panagiotis
Published: October 2022

Background and Objectives: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has an important role in the non-invasive investigation of coronary artery disease. The interpretation of MPI studies is mainly based on the visual evaluation of the reconstructed images, while automated quantitation methods may add useful data for each patient. However, little evidence is currently available regarding the actual incremental clinical diagnostic performance of automated MPI analysis. In the present study, we aimed to assess the correlation between automated measurements of Summed Stress Score (SSS), Summed Rest Score (SRS) and Summed Difference Score (SDS), with the corresponding expert reading values, using coronary angiography as the gold standard. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at the Nuclear Medicine Laboratory of the University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, Greece, οver an one-year period (January 2019–January 2020). 306 patients, with known or suspected coronary artery disease, were enrolled in the study. Each participant underwent a coronary angiography, prior to or after the scintigraphic study (within a three-month period). Either symptom-limited treadmill test, or pharmacologic testing using adenosine or regadenoson, was performed in all participants, and the scintigraphic studies were carried out using technetium 99m (99mTc) tetrofosmin (one-day stress/rest protocol). Coronary angiographies were scored according to a 4-point scoring system (angiographic score; O: normal study, 1: one-vessel disease, 2: two-vessel disease, 3: three-vessel disease). Moreover, automated measurements of SSS, SRS and SDS were derived by three widely available software packages (Emory Cardiac Toolbox, Myovation, Quantitative Perfusion SPECT). Results: Interclass Correlation Coefficients of SSS, SRS and SDS between expert reading and software packages were moderate to excellent. Visually defined SSS, SRS and SDS were significantly correlated with the corresponding results of all software packages. However, visually defined SSS, SRS and SDS were more strongly correlated with the angiographic score, indicating a better performance of expert reading when compared to automated analysis. Conclusions: Based on our results, visual evaluation continues to have a crucial role for the interpretation of MPI images. Software packages can provide automated measurements of several parameters, particularly contributing to the investigation of cases with ambiguous scintigraphic findings.
Softening with Ceramic Micro-Filtration for Application on Water Reclamation for Industrial Recirculating Cooling Systems
Authors: Gulamussen Noor Jehan , Donse Daniël , Arsénio André Marques , Heijman Sebastiaan Gerard Jozef , Rietveld Louis Cornelis
Published: October 2022

There is a global need for optimizing the use of water that has resulted from increased demand due to industrial development, population growth, climate change and the pollution of natural water resources. One of the solutions is to use reclaimed water in industrial applications that do not require water of potable quality, such as cooling water. However, for cooling water, (treated) wastewater’s hardness is too high, apart from having a high load of suspended solids and organic matter. Therefore, a combination of softening with ceramic micro-filtration was proposed for treating wastewater treatment effluent containing fouling agents for potential use in industrial cooling systems. The effectiveness of the softening process on model-treated wastewater with calcium hydroxide in the presence of phosphate and sodium alginate was first evaluated using jar tests. Furthermore, membrane fouling was studied when filtering the softened water. The results showed that the inhibition of calcium carbonate precipitation occurred when inorganic substances, such as phosphate and organic compounds, were present in the water. The fouling of the membranes due to sodium alginate in water was only slightly negatively affected when combined with softening and phosphate. Therefore, this combination of treatments could be potentially helpful for the post-treatment of secondary effluent for cooling systems.
Effect of Material Inhomogeneity on the Crack Tip Mechanical Field and SCC Growth Rate of 52M/316L Dissimilar Metal Welded Joints
Authors: Zhao Kuan , Wang Bangwen , Xue He , Wang Zheng
Published: October 2022

The stress–strain conditions at the crack tip in dissimilar metal welded joints (DMWJ) are a critical factor influencing stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior. The processing technology and working environment of DMWJ lead to a randomly inhomogeneous distribution of material mechanical properties, making the crack tip mechanical field more complex. An inhomogeneous model was obtained using a combination of physical experiments and the elastic–plastic finite element method to understand the effect of this inhomogeneous distribution of mechanical properties on the direction of SCC growth and the growth rate in DMWJ and the impact of inhomogeneity on the SCC growth behavior was compared and analyzed. The findings demonstrate that Type I (opening mode) cracks are more likely to form due to the inhomogeneity of mechanical properties and are more likely to deflect toward the Alloy 52M region at the interface between Alloy 52M and 316L stainless steel. Additionally, the strain gradient at the crack tip increases with the degree of inhomogeneity, which has a bigger impact on the accuracy of SCC growth rate predictions.
Hot Deformation Behavior and Microstructure Evolution of High-Strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy
Authors: Cai Jun , Chen Lin , Yang Juan , Wang Wen , Ding Ben , Yang Qingxiang , Qiao Ke , Wang Kuaishe
Published: October 2022

An isothermal compression experiment was conducted to study the rheological behavior of Al-4.57Zn-1.50Mg-1.92Cu high-strength aluminum alloy at strain rates ranging from 0.1 to 20 s−1 and temperatures in the range of 573 to 773 K. Then, the effects of strain, strain rate, and deformation temperature on material deformation were investigated through orthogonal experiment analysis. According to the research results, strain rate and temperature had significant effects on the level of flow stress. Besides, the constitutive equation was established and demonstrated as applicable to predict the performance accurately. Meanwhile, the processing map under a true strain of 1.1 was built, to assess the deformation safety in different domains. Furthermore, the evolutionary trend of microstructure was observed by means of Scanning Electron Microscope, Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscope. It was discovered that dynamic recovery and small-scale dynamic recrystallization played a major role in the softening mechanism of alloy during hot deformation. Moreover, dynamic recrystallization was found to have a significant impact on the hot deformation behavior of the alloys.
Morinda officinalis Polysaccharides Ameliorates Bone Growth by Attenuating Oxidative Stress and Regulating the Gut Microbiota in Thiram-Induced Tibial Dyschondroplasia Chickens
Authors: Zhang Chaodong , Xu Tingting , Lin Luxi , Shaukat Aftab , Tong Xishuai , Yue Ke , Cao Qinqin , Zhang Cai , Liu Fang , Huang Shucheng
Published: October 2022

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) occurs in chickens and other fast-growing birds, affecting their cartilage growth and leading to reduced meat quality in broilers. Morinda officinalis polysaccharide (MOP) is one of the chief active components of Morinda officinalis, which promotes bone formation, inhibiting bone loss and having anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A total of 120 AA chickens were randomly divided into the CON group (basal diet), TD group (100 mg/kg thiram + basal diet), and MOP group (100 mg/kg thiram + basal diet + water with 500 mg/kg MOP). The experiment lasted 21 days. The results showed that MOP could alleviates broiler lameness caused by TD, restore the morphological structure of tibial growth plate (TGP), increase tibial weight (p < 0.05), balance the disorder of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, and promote bone formation by increasing the expression of BMP-2, Smad4, and Runx2 genes In addition, MOP supplementation stimulated the secretion of plasma antioxidant enzymes (T-SOD and GSH-Px) by regulating the expression of SOD and GPX-1 genes, thereby enhancing the antioxidant capacity of TD broilers. Interestingly, we observed MOP can also improve gut microbiota by increasing the beneficial bacteria count and decreasing the harmful bacteria count. These findings indicated that MOP can regulate bone formation through the BMP/Smads signaling pathway, attenuating oxidative stress and regulating the gut microbiota of TD broilers, so as to achieve the effect of treating TD. This suggests that MOP might be a potential novel drug in the treatment of TD in chickens.
A Stretching Force Control-Based Cyclic Loading Method for the Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of Gelation Methacrylate (GelMA) Microfibers
Authors: Liang Qian , Yu Xiao , Chen Xie , Huang Qiang , Sun Tao
Published: October 2022

Microfluidic spun gelation mechacrylate (GelMA) microfiber has been widely utilized as a promising bioink for 3D bioprinting. However, its weak and easily tuned mechanical properties are still difficult to precisely evaluate, due to the lack of an effective stretching method. In this paper, we propose a force-control-based cyclic loading method for rapidly evaluating the elastic modulus: the E of the microfibers with different GelMA concentrations. A two-tube manipulation system is used to stretch microfiber with a non-destructive process. Based on the model reference adaptive control strategy, the stress response can be fitted into a sinusoidal wave when a small sinusoidal strain is automatically applied onto the microfiber. Afterwards, the maximum tensile stress and tensile stain is obtained to determine the E. Moreover, different stress amplitudes and frequencies are applied to form different stress-strain loops with almost same E. Compared with a frequently-used constant force loading method, the proposed method shows an obvious advantage in measurement accuracy, especially for low-concentration GelMA microfiber. Furthermore, the reasonableness of the measured E for different GelMA concentrations is confirmed by 3D cell culture experiments, and the results show the proposed method has great application potential to investigate the interaction between cell and fibrous bioink substrate.
Effects of Moisture Diffusion on a System-in-Package Module by Moisture–Thermal–Mechanical-Coupled Finite Element Modeling
Authors: Chen Zhiwen , Feng Zheng , Ruan Meng , Xu Guoliang , Liu Li
Published: October 2022

Epoxy molding compounds (EMCs) are commonly used in electronic products for chip encapsulation, but the moisture absorption of EMC can induce significant reliability challenges. In this study, the effects of hygrothermal conditions and structure parameters on moisture diffusion and the consequent influences (such as moisture content on die surfaces and stress distribution) on a system-in-package module have been systematically investigated by moisture–thermal–mechanical-coupled modeling. Hygroscopic tests were carried out on a new commercial EMC at 60 °C/60% RH and 85 °C/85% RH, followed by evaluations of diffusion coefficients by Fick’s law. It was found that the moisture diffusion coefficients and saturation concentrations at 85 °C/85% RH were higher than those at 60 °C/60% RH. From the modeling, it was found that the consequent maximum out-of-plane deformation and stress of the module at 85 °C/85% RH were both higher than those at 60 °C/60% RH. Influences of thicknesses of EMC and PCB on the moisture diffusion behavior have also been studied for design optimization. It was found that the maximum moisture concentration on die surfaces and resultant stress increased notably with thinner PCB, whereas the effects of EMC thickness were limited. This can be attributed to the comparison between the thicknesses of EMC and PCB and the shortest existing diffusion path within the module. These findings can provide helpful insights to the design optimization of electronic modules for hygrothermal conditions.
Temperature Stable Piezoelectric Imprint of Epitaxial Grown PZT for Zero-Bias Driving MEMS Actuator Operation
Authors: Teuschel Marco , Heyes Paul , Horvath Samu , Novotny Christian , Rusconi Clerici Andrea
Published: October 2022

In piezoelectric transducer applications, it is common to use a unipolar operation signal to avoid switching of the polarisation and the resulting nonlinearities of micro-electromechanical systems. However, semi-bipolar or bipolar operation signals have the advantages of less leakage current, lower power consumption and no additional need of a DC−DC converter for low AC driving voltages. This study investigates the potential of using piezoelectric layers with an imprint for stable bipolar operation on the basis of epitaxially grown lead zirconate titanate cantilevers with electrodes made of a metal and metal oxide stack. Due to the manufacturing process, the samples exhibit high crystallinity, rectangular shaped hysteresis and a high piezoelectric response. Furthermore, the piezoelectric layers have an imprint, indicating a strong built-in field, which shifts the polarisation versus electric field hysteresis. To obtain the stability of the imprint, laser doppler vibrometry and switching current measurements were performed at different temperatures, yielding a stable imprinted electric field of −1.83 MV/m up to at least 100 °C. The deflection of the cantilevers was measured with a constant AC driving voltage while varying the DC bias voltage to examine the influence of the imprint under operation, revealing that the same high deflection and low nonlinearities, quantified by the total harmonic distortion, can be maintained down to low bias voltages compared to unipolar operation. These findings demonstrate that a piezoelectric layer with a strong imprint makes it possible to operate with low DC or even zero DC bias, while still providing strong piezoelectric response and linear behaviour.
Optimal Design and Analysis of 4.7 μm Hybrid Deep Dielectric High Efficiency Transmission Gratings
Authors: Wang Ye , Fu Xiuhua , Chen Yongyi , Peng Hangyu , Qin Li , Ning Yongqiang , Wang Lijun
Published: October 2022

There is currently no transmission grating with good diffraction efficiency in the 4.7 μm band. Metal gratings at this wavelength are all reflective gratings which has a diffraction efficiency of lower than 90% and lower laser damage threshold. In this paper, we bring up a design of a multi-layer transmission grating with both high diffraction efficiency and wide working wavelength band. We have proved that the transmission grating made of composite materials has an average diffraction effectiveness of more than 96% throughout the whole spectral range of 200 nm. Meanwhile, the theoretically computed transmission grating has a highest first-order diffraction efficiency of more than 99.77% at 4746 nm. This multilayer dielectric film transmission grating’s optimized design may further boost spectral beam combining power, providing a practical technique for increasing SBC power and brightness.
Sodium Metabisulfite in Food and Biological Samples: A Rapid and Ultra-Sensitive Electrochemical Detection Method
Authors: Ilie-Mihai Ruxandra-Maria , Ion Bianca Cristina , van Staden Jacobus (Koos) Frederick
Published: October 2022

The primary benefit of using sulfites as a food additive is their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which stop fungi and bacteria from growing in a variety of foods. The application of analytical methods is necessary to ensure food quality control related to the presence of sulfites in a variety of foods. For the detection of sodium metabisulfite in food and urine samples, two sensors based on reduced graphene oxide doped with Pd paste and modified with 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphyrin and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl chloride)-21H,23H-iron (III) porphyrin were proposed. The new sensors were evaluated and characterized using square wave voltammetry. The response characteristics showed that the detection limits for the sensors were 3.0 × 10−12 mol L−1 for TPP/rGO@Pd0 based sensors and 3.0 × 10−11 mol L−1 for Fe(TPFPP)Cl/rGO@Pd0 based sensors while the quantification limits were 1.0 × 10−11 mol L−1 for TPP/rGO@Pd0 based sensors and 1.0 × 10−10 mol L−1 for Fe(TPFPP)Cl/rGO@Pd0 based sensors. The sensors can be used to determine sodium metabisulfite in a concentration range between 1.0 × 10−11 and 1.0 × 10−7 mol L−1 for TPP/rGO@Pd0 based sensors and between 1.0 × 10−10 mol L−1 and 1.0 × 10−6 mol L−1 for Fe(TPFPP)Cl/rGO@Pd0 based sensors. A comparison between the proposed methods’ results and other analytical applications is also presented.
Dividing the Topological Charge of a Laguerre–Gaussian Beam by 2 Using an Off-Axis Gaussian Beam
Authors: Kovalev Alexey A. , Kotlyar Victor V. , Kozlova Elena S. , Butt Muhammad Ali
Published: October 2022

In optical computing machines, many parameters of light beams can be used as data carriers. If the data are carried by optical vortices, the information can be encoded by the vortex topological charge (TC). Thus, some optical mechanisms are needed for performing typical arithmetic operations with topological charges. Here, we investigate the superposition of a single-ringed (zero-radial-index) Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beam with an off-axis Gaussian beam in the waist plane. Analytically, we derive at which polar angles intensity nulls can be located and define orders of the optical vortices born around these nulls. We also reveal which of the vortices contribute to the total TC of the superposition and which are compensated for by the opposite-sign vortices. If the LG beam has a TC of m, TC of the superposition is analytically shown to equal [m/2] or [m/2] + 1, where [] means an integer part of the fractional number. Thus, we show that the integer division of the TC by two can be done by superposing the LG beam with an off-axis Gaussian beam. Potential application areas are in optical computing machines and optical data transmission.
Scalable, Dual-Band Metasurface Array for Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting and Wireless Power Transfer
Authors: Wei Yiqing , Duan Junping , Jing Huihui , Yang Huimin , Deng Hao , Song Chengwei , Wang Jiayun , Qu Zeng , Zhang Binzhen
Published: October 2022

A dual-band metasurface array is presented in this paper for electromagnetic (EM) energy harvesting in the Wi-Fi band and Ku band. The array consists of metasurface unit cells, rectifiers, and load resistors. The metasurface units within each column are interconnected to establish two channels of energy delivery, enabling the transmission and aggregation of incident power. At the terminals of two channels, a single series diode rectifier and a voltage doubler rectifier are integrated into them to rectify the energy in the Wi-Fi band and the Ku band, respectively. A 7 × 7 prototype of the metasurface array is fabricated and tested. The measured results in the anechoic chamber show that the RF-to-dc efficiencies of the prototype at 2.4 GHz and 12.6 GHz reach 64% and 55% accordingly, when the available incident power at the surface is 3 dBm and 14 dBm, respectively.
Promoting Efficacy and Environmental Safety of Pesticide Synergists via Non-Ionic Gemini Surfactants with Short Fluorocarbon Chains
Authors: Wang Ruiguo , Xu Xinxin , Shi Xiaodi , Kou Junjie , Song Hongjian , Liu Yuxiu , Zhang Jingjing , Wang Qingmin
Published: October 2022

Improving the utilization rate of pesticides is key to achieve a reduction and synergism, and adding appropriate surfactant to pesticide preparation is an effective way to improve pesticide utilization. Fluorinated surfactants have excellent surface activity, thermal and chemical stability, but long-chain linear perfluoroalkyl derivatives are highly toxic, obvious persistence and high bioaccumulation in the environment. Therefore, new strategies for designing fluorinated surfactants which combine excellent surface activity and environmental safety would be useful. In this study, four non-ionic gemini surfactants with short fluorocarbon chains were synthesized. The surface activities of the resulting surfactants were assessed on the basis of equilibrium surface tension, dynamic surface tension, and contact angle. Compared with their monomeric counterparts, the gemini surfactants had markedly lower critical micelle concentrations and higher diffusivities, as well as better wetting abilities. We selected a single-chain surfactant and a gemini surfactant with good surface activities as synergists for the glyphosate water agent. Both surfactants clearly improved the efficacy of the herbicide, but the gemini surfactant had a significantly greater effect than the single-chain surfactant. An acute toxicity test indicated that the gemini surfactant showed slight toxicity to rats.
Determination of Residual Diisocyanates and Related Diamines in Biodegradable Mulch Films Using N-Ethoxycarbonylation Derivatization and GC-MS
Authors: Cai Kai , Lin Yechun , Ma Yunfei , Yang Zhixiao , Yu Lei , Zhang Jie , Xu Dongqing , Zeng Rong , Gao Weichang
Published: October 2022

Diisocyanates are highly reactive compounds with two functional isocyanate groups. The exposure of diisocyanates is associated with severely adverse health effects, such as asthma, inflammation in the respiratory tract, and cancer. The hydrolysis product from diisocyanates to related diamines is also a potential carcinogen. Here, we developed an effective, accurate, and precise method for simultaneous determination of residual diisocyanates and related diamines in biodegradable mulch films, based on N-ethoxycarbonylation derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method development included the optimization of ultrasonic hydrolysis and extraction, screening of N-ethoxycarbonylation conditions with ethyl chloroformate, evaluation of the diamines degradation, and analysis of the fragmentation mechanisms. Under the optimum experimental conditions, good linearity was observed with R2 > 0.999. The extraction recoveries were found in the range of 93.9–101.2% with repeatabilities and reproducibilities in 0.89–8.12% and 2.12–10.56%, respectively. The limits of detection ranged from 0.0025 to 0.057 µg/mL. The developed method was applied to commercial polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate (PBAT) biodegradable mulch film samples for analysis of the diverse residual diisocyanates and related diamine additives. The components varied greatly among the sample from different origin. Overall, this study provides a reliable method for assessing safety in biodegradable mulch films.
Exploring 2-Tetradecanoylimino-3-aryl-4-methyl-1,3-thiazolines Derivatives as Alkaline Phosphatase Inhibitors: Biochemical Evaluation and Computational Analysis
Authors: Ahmed Aftab , Rehman Sajid-ur , Ejaz Syeda Abida , Saeed Aamer , Ujan Rabail , Channar Pervaiz Ali , Mahar Khalida , Sahito Reshma , Albogami Sarah M. , Abbas Qamar , Alorabi Mohammed , Waard Michel De , Batiha Gaber El-Saber
Published: October 2022

The current study focused on the laboratory approach in conjunction with computational methods for the synthesis and bioactivity assessment of unique 2-tetradecanoylimino-3-aryl-4-methyl-1,3-thiazolines (2a–2k). Processes included cyclizing 1-aroyl-3-arylthioureas with propan-2-one in the presence of trimethylamine and bromine. By using spectroscopic techniques and elemental analyses, structures were elucidated. To assess the electronic properties, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were made, while binding interactions of synthesized derivatives were studied by the molecular docking tool. Promising results were found during the evaluation of bioactivity of synthesized compounds against alkaline phosphatase. The drug likeliness score, an indicator used for any chemical entity posing as a drug, was within acceptable limits. The data suggested that most of the derivatives were potent inhibitors of alkaline phosphatase, which in turn may act as lead molecules to synthesize derivatives having desired pharmacological profiles for the treatment of specific diseases associated with abnormal levels of ALPs.
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Hydrazone Derivatives of Isonicotinic Hydrazide and Their Evaluation for Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Potential
Authors: Shah Muhammad Abdullah , Uddin Ala , Shah Muhammad Raza , Ali Imdad , Ullah Riaz , Hannan Peer Abdul , Hussain Hidayat
Published: October 2022

Hydrazones are active compounds having an azomethine –NHN=CH group and are widely studied owing to their ease of preparation and diverse pharmacological benefits. Novel isonicotinic hydrazone derivatives of vanillin aldehyde and salicyl aldehyde were synthesized that had azomethine linkages and were characterized by UV–Visible, FTIR, EI-MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The compounds were screened for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilus, and Escherichia coli using disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods. For cytotoxicity, a brine shrimp lethality test was performed to calculate the lethal concentration (LC50). The results demonstrated appreciable antibacterial activities against the applied strains, amongst which the compounds coded NH3 and NH5 showed maximum inhibition and MIC responses. In terms of cytotoxic activity, the maximum effect was observed in compound NH5 and NH6 treatments with minimum survival percentages of 36.10 ± 3.45 and 32.44 ± 2.0, respectively. These hydrazones could be potential candidates in antitumorigenic therapy against various human cancer cells.