bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Muscle tissue structural changes in bombay-duck (Harpodon nehereus) induced by formaldehyde solution during post-mortem storage
Authors: Barokah Giri Rohmad , Januar Hedi Indra , Nurhayati Tati , Jacoeb Agoes
Published: June 2022

Formaldehyde is a harmful compound that is usually used as an illegal preservative agent in fisheries products to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life. In several fishery products, formaldehyde can be formed endogenously during the post mortem process through degradation of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) by enzymatic process. Exogenous and endogenous formaldehyde can affect the textural and structural change in fish muscle tissue significantly influencing flesh quality. This study was aimed to characterize the structural change of the muscle tissue in Bombay duck (Harpodon nehereus) that is immersed with formaldehyde solution on chilling storage temperature. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis was used to identify and characterize the structural change in muscle tissue samples, which were immersed with formaldehyde solution 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%. SEM analysis identified that in transversal section samples immersed with formaldehyde solution 0% (control) intermyofibrillar space was increased significantly during post mortem storage. This was in line with the increased of myofibril, connective tissue and sarcolemma lost on samples. Furthermore, on samples that were immersed with formaldehyde solution 1%,3%, and 5% the degradation of myofibril and intermyofibrillar was can be held and the connectivity tissue muscle still showed strong aggregation during post mortem storage.
Implementation of New Material “CCO” for Mud Drilling to Prevent Swelling Problem using Geonor As
Authors: Suhascaryo Nur , Sirait Angga Pratama
Published: June 2022

On the drilling operation, drilling mud is essential in safely and optimizes drilling operations to prevent drilling problems. Drilling problem are caused by many factors. One of the factors causing drilling problems comes from the condition of formation. The condition of formation that makes the drilling problem comes from the shale formation. The shale formation tends to become sloughing and swelling. Then to prevent that, the mud drilling must be designed to encounter that condition to reduce the risk of the drilling operation. The cutting sample for this study was from an EG wellsite with reactive clay that caused the shale problem. To determine the effectiveness of the material used in drilling mud, this study used the methylene blue test and the geonor development test. In this study, crude coconut oil (CCO) as natural material showed a good condition for use in mud drilling.
Production of zeolite-cellulose nanocomposites with garlic essential oil for antimicrobial tablets
Authors: Iin Hurun , Sugiarto  , Fahma Farah
Published: June 2022

Garlic essential oil is one of the natural antimicrobial agents which has a broad spectrum of inhibition against microbes. However, if directly applied to the packaging material, it will affect the tensile strength of the packaging. In order to overcome the weakness, this study has produced an antimicrobial active packaging with the concept of a headspace food system, the principle of this packaging is the adsorption of active compounds on a carrier material that can release them slowly. Garlic essential oil was adsorbed on zeolite nanofiber cellulose tablet composites. The effect of adding cellulose nanofibers to tablets has been investigated. The effectiveness of tablet composites was assessed by conducting a release test which was carried out by calculating the weight reduction of tablet composites every day for six days. Based on the release test, the addition of 3% nanofiber cellulose to the composite has a reliable ability to slow the release of garlic essential oil. Antimicrobial inhibition of e coli and s typhi bacteria was also tested using the agar diffusion method. Tablet composites with the addition of 3% nanofiber cellulose have a very strong inhibitory power against e coli bacteria and have moderate inhibition against s typhi bacteria
Utilization of industrial waste banana chips in feed towards morphometrics and characteristics of thin-tailed sheep carcass
Authors: Hafid H , Patriani P
Published: June 2022

This study aimed at the biomass of industrial waste banana chips as animal feed and its effects on morphometric size and carcass characteristics. Research materials in the form of 20 male thin tailed sheep were fed by (P0): 40% of industrial waste banana chips without fermentation in the ration, (P1): 20%, (P2): 40% and (P3): 60% of fermented industrial waste banana chips in ration. This study used a complete randomized design with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The results showed that the use of industrial waste from banana chips as a thin-tailed sheep feed had a very significant effect (P<0.01) on the morphometry size of the sheep body. Likewise in the assessment of carcass quality, the use of industrial waste banana chips as feed had a very significant effect (P<0.01) on the thickness GR or the thickness of longissimus dorsi muscle on rib 12 and the thickness of back fat, but it did not affect the conformation score, kidney fat score, and subcutaneous fat scores. It is recommended to use 40% of fermented biomass of industrial waste banana chips in the ration (P2) because it had the best results on the morphometric characteristics and the quantitative thin-tailed sheep carcass.
Optimization of a 10 Litre Full Electric Reflux Distiller
Authors: Mamuri A , Ubiña T , Mateo N E , Agrupis S
Published: June 2022

Sugar sap from Nipa (Nypa fruiticans) palm is one of the promising sustainable feedstocks for ethanol production. There are different stages and processes needed for the sap to produce ethanol particularly: collection, fermentation, and distillation. In order to produce high ethanol concentration and yield, each stage or process needs to be optimized and improved as such, this study optimized the flow rate and temperature of the cooling system of a 10 L full electric Reflux distiller for the production of a fuel grade (95%) bioethanol from nipa sap. The optimal power density for the 10 L full electric reflux distiller was also determined. Optimizing these parameters improved the concentration of the ethanol, ethanol yield and also decreased the operational cost of the 10 L full electric reflux distiller. First step was to determine the power density required for the 10 L Lab-Scale Distiller through experiment using different power density. After identifying the power density, multiple trials were performed with 2 protocols being the continuous method and recirculating method of the cooling system. Results showed that a flow rate of 0.77 L/min, a 27 °C cooling liquid temperature and a 100W/m3 power density were obtained. An increase of 154.2% in volume of consistent 95% concentration yield was observed. Also, there was a significant increase in the yield. Continuous method was faster by an average of 26 minutes compared to the recirculating method.
Effect of Bio-additive Derived from Essential Oils on Particulate Matter and Water Content of B30 (30% of Biodiesel Blended Fuel)
Authors: Rusli Meika Syahbana , Septyan Muhammad Adi , Farobie Obie
Published: June 2022

Indonesia is one of the most biodiesel producers globally, with a total production capacity of around 12 million kL in 2020. Recently, Indonesia has been implementing a mandatory biodiesel program with at least 30% (B30). However, the utilization of B30 still has challenges faced regarding carbon deposition and water content. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of bio-additive from essential oil to reduce the particulate as well as the water content of B30. A single essential oil of clove terpene, rhodinol, and turpentine oil, as well as their mixtures, were used in this study. A concentration of 0.5% was used for a single essential oil of clove terpene, rhodinol, and turpentine oil. Meanwhile, the concentrations of clove terpene, rhodinol, and turpentine oil mixtures were 1: 1: 8 (BA1); 0.33: 0.67: 8 (BA2); 0.5: 1.5: 8 (BA3). For the case of single essential oil, the largest reduction in the particulate matter as much as 38.26, 62.85, and 91.11% was found by adding 0.5% clove terpene at 4, 6, and 14-μm filtration, respectively. Furthermore, the best reduction in water content was observed with the addition of turpentine, reducing the water content of B30 from 312 to 282 ppm.
Comparison Performance CI Engine of Using High-Speed Diesel Fuel-Biodiesel Blend (B30) and (B40) on Diesel Engine Dyno Test
Authors: Pramudito Yogi , Wirahadi Dimaz , Faturrahman Nur Allif , Supriadi Faqih , Bethari Sylvia Ayu , Rulianto Dimitri , Widodo Setyo , Respatiningsih Catur Y , Aisyah Lies , Yuliarita Emi , Anggarani Riesta , Maymuchar  , Wibowo Cahyo Setyo
Published: June 2022

Biodiesel is one of the renewable energy resources to produce from palm oil. Now, the Indonesian government has established a mandatory for biofuel use, especially biodiesel blend with high-speed diesel (B30). The future will increase the percentage of blended biodiesel up to 30%. This study aimed to compare performance of diesel engines used B30 and B40. The methodology started from blending fuel high-speed diesel CN 48 with two biodiesel samples of B30 and B40, and performed density test, distillation test, viscosity test, and test performance using diesel engine 2400CC on the dyno test bench. The result of this study showed that the power engine decreased by about 1% and torque decreased by about 1.4%, and emission opacity decreased 3.2%.
Fermentation Based Sugar-Alcohol Downstream Processing: A Review
Authors: Salam Wildan Q , Julian Helen , Kresnowati M T A P
Published: June 2022

Sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, xylitol, and arabitol, are natural sweeteners with comparable sweetness to sucrose but have lower calories. Besides, they have unique characteristics such as teeth-friendly and low glycemic index, which are attractive for food industries. The vast availability of lignocelluloses biomass waste offers the potential of sugar alcohol production from lignocelluloses, for example, via hydrolysis and fermentation. Besides containing sugar alcohol, fermentation broth also contains other substances: biomass cells, metabolic products, leftover substrates, and inorganic minerals. Downstream processing is necessary to process further the produced sugar alcohol in fermentation broth to the commercial crystal of sugar alcohol. This paper reviews the crystallization of sugar alcohol and the preceding processes necessary to obtain high-quality sugar alcohol crystals. In particular, membrane-based processes to pretreat the fermentation broth before the crystallization process is proposed.
Selection of Liquid Organic Fertilizer Packaging by Applying the Concept of Reverse Logistics Using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Method
Authors: Amarilies Harummi , Sukarno Iwan , Sari Alifiana , Nursanto Eduardus
Published: June 2022

This paper is about the selection process of packaging design for liquid organic fertilizer made of chicken slaughterhouse waste in South Jakarta. The purpose of using packaging is to contain, transport, protect, provide product-related information, and market the product. The research aims to determine the most appropriate design, additional features, and the type of plastic as the liquid organic fertilizer container that applies the reverse logistics concept: refillable. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is applied to select the best packaging type that fulfils consumers’ requirements. This QFD method analyses the features and helps to select the best design out of various liquid container designs available in the market. The results showed that the liquid organic fertilizer to be used is made of thick High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bottle with sprays on its screw-type lid that enables the reverse logistics concept.
Ultraviolet light-emitting diodes inactivate microorganisms on contaminated surface
Authors: Wu Weiran , Shao Mengying
Published: June 2022

Ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) is a hygienic treatment in effectively inactivating pathogenic microorganisms on surfaces and objects. However, how the combination types of different light influence the disinfection efficiency remains elusive. In this study, the effects of single and double wavelength on surface disinfection were assessed. Meanwhile, the effects of different radiation modes on surface disinfection were studied. The results showed that the dual-wavelength (UVA and UVC) had better disinfecting effect than the single wavelength. For the irradiation mode, UVA pre-treatment enhanced the inactivation effectiveness of microorganisms on surface. In detail, 367 nm UVA pre-treatment followed by 265 nm UVC worked better as the log inactivation of the dual-wavelength was more than 2 times higher than that from the sum of applying single exposure separately. Moreover, the radiational order had a significant impact on disinfection effect. In addition, extending the irradiation time could enhance the inactivation efficiency. In summary, this study provides a new insight into the development of surface disinfection technologies.
Research on soil physical characteristics and dynamic response of groundwater to irrigation in typical irrigation area of Huangshui River Basin
Authors: Lv Wenxing , Chang Yuanyuan , Liu Dongxu , Li Dong
Published: June 2022

Under the influence of the natural and human factors, water table of irrigated area Changes frequently, but it is mainly affected by irrigation water infiltration replenishment. Basic physical properties of different soil layer of the typical field were determined and analyzed, and 5 groundwater observation wells were constructed to carry out the experiment of the response of groundwater to irrigation. The results showed that the upper vertical 0-40 cm is loose, the 40-60 cm layer is relatively tight, and the lower part 60-200 cm tend to loose again. Soil saturated water holding capacity, capillary water holding capacity and field capacity showed increased first and then decreased trend with the increase of soil depth. They almost showed the same nearly evenly spaced degressive trend. The groundwater stage dynamic change rule of spring and seedling irrigation stage in the typical plot was fit to the hydrological geology condition of grade-Iterrace of Huangshui river valley. Lateral canal water direction formed a line effect. The rangeability of water table of spring irrigation period was significantly higher than that of seedling irrigation period.
Effect of COD/NO3
--N ratio on nitrogen removal performance of partial denitrification coupled anaerobic ammonia oxidation
Authors: Li Jiahui
Published: June 2022

An one-stage sequencing batch partial denitrification/anammox (PD/A) reactor was used to treat simulated domestic sewage at room temperature. By changing the influent COD/NO3
--N to 3.5, 3.0 and 2.5 respectively, the change of nitrogen concentration in the reaction system was measured to determine the optimal COD/NO3
--N for the operation of PD/A technology. The results showed that during the long-term operation of the reactor, the TN removal rate is the highest when the COD/NO3
--N was 3.5. In the typical cycle, COD/NO3
--N was 3.0, which can reach the highest NTR and highest contribution rate of anammox.
Effect of microplastics on CO2 emission from Yellow River Delta wetland
Authors: Tang Xianbiao , Chen Wenjie , Liu Qiang , Wang Xiao
Published: June 2022

As natural carbon sinks, coastal wetlands are of great significance to alleviate global climate change. However, due to environmental pollution, the soil carbon sequestration capacity of coastal wetlands is decreasing, and then the emission of CO2 is accelerated. The Yellow River Delta is one of the largest deltas in China. Economic development and human activities have led to the input of large quantities of microplastics. Microplastics can alter soil properties, causing the emission of CO2 to be affected. However, the impact of common microplastics in coastal wetlands on CO2 generation and emission is not clear. In this study, tread particles (TP) and polypropylene (PP) particles were applied to coastal wetland soil to study their effects on greenhouse gas CO2 emissions. The results showed that the cumulative emission of CO2 increased by 32.7% - 49.5% and 13.9% - 24.6% respectively compared with CK 14 days after the addition of TP and PP. The promoting effect of TP was stronger than that of PP. The results provided theoretical and basic data support for the evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric environmental effects of Yellow River Delta wetlands under microplastics pollution.
Ecotoxicity risk study of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil
Authors: Xiao Heyue
Published: June 2022

Petroleum is an important industrial raw material that enters the soil in large quantities due to its production and extraction, causing toxic effects on soil organisms. To evaluate the toxicity of petroleum-contaminated soil, the study was conducted to qualitatively and quantitatively investigate the ecotoxicity of petroleum-contaminated loessal soil with different levels of petroleum. Using earthworms and wheat as indicator organisms by microcosm toxicity test. The earthworm test showed that the body weight of earthworms decreased by more than 20% with the addition of 800-3,000 mg/kg TPHs and by more than 50% with the addition of 13000 mg/kg or more TPHs. The EC50 values at 7 and 14 d were 21,130 and 25,314.5 mg/kg, respectively. The number of sprouts, shoot length and root length of wheat were inhibited in the soil with petroleum, and the more severe the petroleum contamination, the stronger the inhibition. The seedling elongation index was better than the root elongation index. The experimental results showed that earthworms had the lowest EC50 values for body weight inhibition at 7 days and the lowest IC50 values for mean shoot length at 7 days in wheat, which can be used for toxicity prediction and early diagnosis of petroleum-contaminated soil.
Efficient visible-light photodegradation of RhB via N-Doped BiOCl/PS photocatalytic system
Authors: Li Zhimin , Zhong Dan , Yang Lei
Published: June 2022

As a promising technology, the photocatalysis/persulfate-oxidation hybrid (PPOH) system has been used to degrade organic pollutants. Under visible light, a new N-Doped BiOCl/PS system was developed to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB) effectively. Using an ethylenediamine-assisted hydrothermal technique, N-BiOCl photocatalyst was manufactured and analyzed. Nanoplates self-assemble N-BiOCl to form an aggregated flower-like microstructure, which according SEM measurements. The absorption edge of N-BiOCl sample has a significant red shift toward longer wavelengths. In addition, the SBET values of the N-BiOCl is significantly increased. Compared with BiOCl, using 0.3 g/L N-BiOCl photocatalyst and 2 mM PS, 10 mg/L RhB (100 mL) could be removed in 8 minutes with the removal rate of 98% under visible-light irradiation. Through chemical quenching experiment and EPR direct detection, it is proved that the main reactive oxygen species (ROS) of visible-light catalytic system are ·OH, ·SO4
-, ·O2
- and h+, in which ·O2
- and h+ play a leading role.
Numerical Optimization of Gravitational Water Vortex Turbine using Computational Flow Analysis
Authors: Edirisinghe D S , Yang H S , Kim B H , Kim C G , Gunawardane S D G S P , Lee Y H
Published: June 2022

Gravitational Water Vortex Power (GWVP) plants are considered one of the most favourable micro-hydro extraction methods suitable for rural communities in mountain areas. Many researchers have focused on enhancing the performance of GWVP plants since it is less efficient than other commercial hydro turbines. This study mainly focuses on optimization of vortex turbine situated in conical vortex basin using the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis. The basic turbine blade design was modified with inclination, height, vertical twist, and horizontal curvature. CFD results were analysed at each step concerning air-water interface, pressure, and velocity while identifying the relationship of flow behaviour with performance. A similar blade inclination with the conical basin enhanced performance, and the increasing of blade height also showed good performance. Vertical twist and horizontal curvature were investigated separately, and the horizontal curvature blade showed slightly better performance than the vertical twisted blade recording the highest efficiency as 40.4%.
Comparative CFD analysis of Kali-Gandaki “A” Francis runner with runner generated from Bovet method
Authors: Karki S , Satyal S , Rijal KP , Koirala P , Adhikari N
Published: June 2022

Kali-Gandaki “A” is a medium head Francis turbine site located in Syangja District of Nepal. The dimensionless specific speed number for this site falls in the range suitable for generating meridional profile from Bovet Method. In this paper, the meridional profile of the actual runner currently deployed is extracted from CAD drawings and another meridional profile is generated using empirical relations of the Bovet Method. Meridional area of profile from Bovet Method is significantly larger in comparison to CAD-based profile. Both of these profiles are imported in commercial software ANSYS BLADEGEN, using linear blade angle distribution with no lean runner’s 3D model is generated for both cases. Both designs are meshed in Turbo-Grid and simulated in ANSYS CFX with k-epsilon turbulence model. Simulation reveals the CAD-based runner has 91.11% efficiency in comparison to Bovet based runner which has only 85.6% efficiency. Also, Simulation results reveal Bovet-based runner is more susceptible towards erosion and cavitation which suggests there is room for improvement and optimization of design obtained from Bovet Method.
Recent developments in the optimization of Francis turbine components for minimizing sediment erosion
Authors: Lama Ram , Gautam Saroj , Neopane Hari Prasad , Thapa Biraj Singh , Chitrakar Sailesh , Dahlhaug Ole Gunnar
Published: June 2022

Sediment erosion in hydraulic turbines are severe in case of hydropower plants operating in Himalayan Rivers of Nepal. Francis turbine components are heavily eroded while hard particles as quartz flow along with water through the water conduit in power plant. In Francis turbines, the runner blades where significant portion of hydraulic energy converts in mechanical energy are heavily eroded. This is due to complexity in fluid flow while operated at different operating conditions with sediment contained water. Conventional design of Francis turbines has overlooked on the effects of sediment erosion while considering optimum efficiency at all operating conditions. This paper examines multi-objective optimization of a reference 92 kW model Francis runner for minimizing sediment erosion effects. The model turbine studied in this paper is a scale down model turbine of Jhimruk Hydropower Plant, Nepal that is severely affected by sediment erosion. It was found that sediment erosion was reduced significantly at part load, full load and best efficiency point with improvement in hydraulic performance for model turbine utilizing multi-objective optimization on runner blade design.
Influence of Rotor Dimple Geometry on Cavitation Characteristics of Rotational Cavitation Generator
Authors: Jia Y F , Xie C , Zhang W , Meng G Q Q G
Published: June 2022

The current investigation is aimed to simulate the internal flows in a rotational cavitation generator with a rotor and a stator by using the RNG k-ε turbulence model and Zwart-Gerber-Belamri cavitation model. The design of the cavitation generator is that the rotor is provided with surface dimples. A detailed analysis of the pressure distribution, vapor volume fraction distribution and velocity distribution in cavitation generator with five different structures (5 different depth of rotor dimples h=25mm, 35mm, 45mm, 55mm, 65mm) under the same operation condition, is presented. The simulation results demonstrate that the characteristics of velocity and pressure area and cavitaion area are quite different based on the magnitude of the dimple depth of the rotor. It is showed that with the rotor dimple depth increase, cavitation area appears in the low pressures area at the bottom of the dimple and expands rapidly inside dimple; near the top of the dimple, the pressure gradient becomes larger and larger and velocity gradient changes dramatically; which induces strong flow disturbance at the top of the dimple and on the surface of the rotor, the water vapor exchange effect is enhancing, and the cavitation effect is getting stronger and stronger. The cavitation effect of the rotational hydrodynamic cavitation generator can be enhanced by increasing the depth of the rotor dimple.
Sediment erosion in the labyrinths of Francis turbine: A numerical study
Authors: Gautam Saroj , Acharya Nirmal , Chitrakar Sailesh , Neopane Hari Prasad , Iliev Igor , Dahlhaug Ole Gunnar
Published: June 2022

Development of new hydropower projects in Himalayan regions aims for the efficient performance of the turbine with lesser operation and maintenance cost. Over the past two decades, significant efforts have been made to improve the sediment handling capabilities by the turbine components. In the case of Francis turbines, the design of guide vanes and runner blades were focused on the past to improve the sediment resistivity. However, other components of these machines were not studied from the perspective of sediment erosion. The present work aims to study the sediment erosion in the labyrinth sealings of a prototype Francis turbine, having serious erosion problems. Upper labyrinth sealing and bottom labyrinth sealing were modelled by developing a reference case and the erosion wear in these regions were examined numerically. The flow leaving the gap between stationary guide vanes and the runner enters the top and bottom labyrinth seals. While sediment flows along with the clean water these seals get heavily eroded. The results from the numerical investigation show a distinct pattern of erosion locations in the labyrinth sealings that is similar to the field observation.
Wear in centrifugal pumps with causes, effects and remedies: A Review
Authors: Pokharel Nischal , Ghimire Amul , Thapa Bhola , Thapa Biraj Singh
Published: June 2022

Pumps are widely used machinery in various applications. Mostly now, a day in importance is seen from household applications to different industrial level. Various types of pumps are available in the market according to their applications and centrifugal pumps are one of most common types among them. In the course of time, pumps faces various problems and repairing is required. Among them wear is one of the most common problem for reduction in pump performance. Cavitation, corrosion, erosion, fatigue are the common wear mechanisms faced by the centrifugal pumps. In order to minimize such problems frequent maintenance strategies are required. Various researchers have purposed different methodologies. Material properties, coatings in design and optimizing hydraulic and mechanical design for such challenges has been now a major topic of research. In this study, the different wear mechanisms and their causes with reference to various research paper is presented. Different effects for such problems is highlighted. Finally, new emerging technology developed by various researchers for minimizing such wear challenges are discussed.
Research and Analysis on Model measurement and Prototype Operation of large-scale Kaplan turbine
Authors: ZHOU Jingming , ZHOU Xuezhi , XIA Ming , LUO Hongyun , WU Yibin , WANG Zhengwei
Published: June 2022

Prototype research of hydraulic turbine, as most important one of the three major methods in the research region, is different from theoretical analysis and model measurement. Since the operation conditions of the prototype turbine test are numerous and corresponding to reality, considering the complexity of the medium characteristics, operation parameters are difficult to predict accurately. Taking a giant Kaplan turbine as the research object., this paper is based on the results of numerical simulation and model measurement under rated conditions, combining with difference analysis between field data and others, as well as further study inside flow pattern of prototype and model Kaplan turbine. Reasonable judgment is made on various performance indicators, which provides reliable basis for the implement of hydraulic turbine by different methods and otherwise effectively guide the production practice.
Hydrogen as a fuel for electrifying transportation sector in Nepal: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Shakya N , Shrestha R , Saiju R , Thapa B S
Published: June 2022

At present more than 2 million kl fossil fuels are imported by Nepal per year, which is increasing at the rate of 7% annually on an average since 2012. The transportation sector alone accounts for more than 63% of the total fossil consumption. The major demand of fuels for transportation sector is diesel used by heavy-duty vehicles with high payload. The diesel demand for the year 2050 is projected to rise by 18%. There is a need for alternative fuel to diesel, which is also called hard-to-decarbonize fuel. Green hydrogen produced by electrolysis can be possibly used to power heavy locomotives due to its impressive properties as a heavy-duty transportation fuel. Several countries have already identified hydrogen as the future fuel for decarbonizing the transportation sector. Hydropower resource can be converted to green hydrogen as an energy storage medium and electrifying transportation sector. This paper identifies the need for an alternative to diesel fuel in the transportation sector and attempts to introduce hydrogen as a decarbonizing fuel to electrify the heavy-duty transportation sector of Nepal. Attempts are made to investigate the economic and environmental benefits of hydrogen in Nepal for heavy duty transportation sector in comparison to conventional fuels.
Hydrologic risk from consecutive dry and wet extremes at the global scale
Authors: Rashid M M , Wahl T
Published: June 2022

Dry and wet extremes (i.e., droughts and floods) are the costliest hydrologic hazards for infrastructure and socio-environmental systems. Being closely interconnected and interdependent extremes of the same hydrological cycle, they often occur in close succession with the potential to exacerbate hydrologic risks. However, traditionally this is ignored and both hazards are considered separately in hydrologic risk assessments; this can lead to an underestimation of critical infrastructure risks (e.g., dams, levees, dikes, and reservoirs). Here, we identify and characterize consecutive dry and wet extreme (CDW) events using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, assess their multi-hazard hydrologic risks employing copula models, and investigate teleconnections with large-scale climate variability. We identify hotspots of CDW events in North America, Europe, and Australia where the total numbers of CDW events range from 20 to 30 from 1901 to 2015. Decreasing trends in recovery time (i.e., time between termination of dry extreme and onset of wet extreme) and increasing trends in dry and wet extreme severities reveal the intensification of CDW events over time. We quantify that the joint exceedance probabilities of dry and wet extreme severities equivalent to 50-year and 100-year univariate return periods increase by several folds (up to 20 and 54 for 50-year and 100-year return periods, respectively) when CDW events and their associated dependence are considered compared to their independent and isolated counterparts. We find teleconnections between CDW and Niño3.4; at least 80% of the CDW events are causally linked to Niño3.4 at 50% of the grid locations across the hotspot regions. This study advances the understanding of multi-hazard hydrologic risks from CDW events and the presented results can aid more robust planning and decision-making.
Effect of carbon nanotubes on the biotribological behavior of hot-pressed PEEK-based composites for biomedical applications
Authors: Pigosso T , Richhariya V , Binder C , Silva F S , Carvalho O , Gomes J R
Published: June 2022

This study aims to evaluate the influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) content (0.1, 0.5, 1, and, 5 wt%) on the poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) composites based on a veneering concept and produced by the hot-pressing technique. Biotribological tests were performed in a ball-on-plate geometry using an alumina ball as the counter body under a phosphate-buffered saline solution at 37 °C, assessing the coefficient of friction and specific wear rate. Hardness measurement, white-light interferometry, and scanning electron microscopy were employed to support the study. The results revealed that the carbon nanotubes exhibited a positive influence on the biotribological behavior resulting in 1 wt% CNT proved to be the optimized value. Such findings could engineer high-performance surfaces as load-bearing materials in biomedical applications.
Convolutional neural networks with radio-frequency spintronic nano-devices
Authors: Leroux Nathan , De Riz Arnaud , Sanz-Hernández Dédalo , Marković Danijela , Mizrahi Alice , Grollier Julie
Published: June 2022

Convolutional neural networks (LeCun and Bengio 1998 The Handbook of Brain Theory and Neural Networks 255–58; LeCun, Bengio and Hinton 2015 Nature
521 436–44) are state-of-the-art and ubiquitous in modern signal processing and machine vision. Nowadays, hardware solutions based on emerging nanodevices are designed to reduce the power consumption of these networks. This is done either by using devices that implement convolutional filters and sequentially multiply consecutive subsets of the input, or by using different sets of devices to perform the different multiplications in parallel to avoid storing intermediate computational steps in memory. Spintronics devices are promising for information processing because of the various neural and synaptic functionalities they offer. However, due to their low OFF/ON ratio, performing all the multiplications required for convolutions in a single step with a crossbar array of spintronic memories would cause sneak-path currents. Here we present an architecture where synaptic communications are based on a resonance effect. These synaptic communications thus have a frequency selectivity that prevents crosstalk caused by sneak-path currents. We first demonstrate how a chain of spintronic resonators can function as synapses and make convolutions by sequentially rectifying radio-frequency signals encoding consecutive sets of inputs. We show that a parallel implementation is possible with multiple chains of spintronic resonators. We propose two different spatial arrangements for these chains. For each of them, we explain how to tune many artificial synapses simultaneously, exploiting the synaptic weight sharing specific to convolutions. We show how information can be transmitted between convolutional layers by using spintronic oscillators as artificial microwave neurons. Finally, we simulate a network of these radio-frequency resonators and spintronic oscillators to solve the MNIST handwritten digits dataset, and obtain results comparable to software convolutional neural networks. Since it can run convolutional neural networks fully in parallel in a single step with nano devices, the architecture proposed in this paper is promising for embedded applications requiring machine vision, such as autonomous driving.
Intracellular flow cytometry staining of antibody-secreting cells using phycoerythrin-conjugated antibodies: pitfalls and solutions
Authors: Renner Patrick , Crone Michael , Kornas Matthew , Pioli KimAnh T , Pioli Peter D
Published: June 2022

Background

Antibody-secreting cells are terminally differentiated B cells that play a critical role in humoral immunity through immunoglobulin secretion along with possessing the potential to be long-lived. It is now appreciated that ASCs regulate multiple aspects of biology through the secretion of various cytokines. In this regard, ICFC is a key tool used to assess the presence of intracellular proteins such as cytokines and transcription factors.

Methods

Paraformaldehyde plus saponin or the eBioscience Foxp3/Transcription Factor Staining Buffer Set were used to evaluate the non-specific intracellular retention of phycoerythrin-containing antibody conjugates by ASCs.

Results

We showed that the use of phycoerythrin-containing antibody conjugates led to a false interpretation of ASC intracellular protein expression compared with other cell types. This was mainly due to the inappropriate retention of these antibodies specifically within ASCs. Furthermore, we demonstrated how to reduce this retention which allowed for a more accurate comparison of intracellular protein expression between ASCs and other cell types such as B lymphocytes. Using this methodology, our data revealed that spleen ASCs expressed toll-like receptor 7 as well as the pro-form of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β.

Conclusion

Increasing the number of centrifugation steps performed on ASCs post-fixation leads to inappropriate retention of phycoerythrin-containing antibody conjugates during ICFC.
Root grafts matter for inter-tree water exchange – a quantification of water translocation between root grafted mangrove trees using field data and model-based indications
Authors: Wimmler Marie-Christin , Vovides Alejandra G , Peters Ronny , Walther Marc , Nadezhdina Nadezhda , Berger Uta
Published: June 2022

Background and Aims

Trees interconnected through functional root grafts can exchange resources, but the effect of exchange on trees remains under debate. A mechanistic understanding of resource exchange via functional root grafts will help understand their ecological implications for tree water exchange for individual trees, groups of trees and forest stands.

Methods

To identify the main patterns qualitatively describing the movement of sap between grafted trees, we reviewed the available literature on root grafting in woody plants that focus on tree allometry and resource translocation via root grafts. We then extended the BETTINA model, which simulates mangrove (Avicennia germinans) tree growth on the individual tree scale, to synthesize the available empirical information. Using allometric data from a field study in mangrove stands, we simulated potential water exchange and analysed movement patterns between grafted trees.

Key Results

In the simulations, relative water exchange ranged between −9.17 and 20.3 %, and was driven by gradients of water potential, i.e. differences in tree size and water availability. Moreover, the exchange of water through root grafts alters the water balance of trees and their feedback with the soil: grafted trees that receive water from their neighbours reduce their water uptake.

Conclusions

Our individual-tree modelling study is a first theoretical attempt to quantify root graft-mediated water exchange between trees. Our findings indicate that functional root grafts represent a vector of hydraulic redistribution, helping to maintain the water balance of grafted trees. This non-invasive approach can serve as a basis for designing empirical studies to better understand the role of grafted root interaction networks on a broader scale.
Comparison of Waning Neutralizing Antibody Responses Against the Omicron Variant 6 Months After Natural Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection (With or Without Subsequent Coronavirus Disease 2019 [COVID-19] Vaccination) Versus 2-Dose COVID-19 Vaccination
Authors: Lim So Yun , Park Soonju , Kim Ji Yeun , Kim Seungtaek , Jee Youngmee , Kim Sung-Han
Published: June 2022

Following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, subsequent ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination induced similar neutralizing antibody levels against the original strain but significantly higher levels against the Omicron variant compared to those who were not vaccinated. Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibited higher neutralization antibody titers than vaccination alone for both original strains and the Omicron variant.
Testing Frequency Matters: An Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance of a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Rapid Antigen Test in US Correctional Facilities
Authors: Lind Margaret L , Schultes Olivia L , Robertson Alexander J , Houde Amy J , Cummings Derek A T , Ko Albert I , Kennedy Byron S , Richeson Robert P
Published: June 2022

Background

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends serial rapid antigen assay collection within congregate facilities. Although modeling and observational studies from communities and long-term care facilities have shown serial collection provides adequate sensitivity and specificity, the accuracy within correctional facilities remains unknown.

Methods

Using Connecticut Department of Correction data from 21 November 2020 to 15 June 2021, we estimated the accuracy of a rapid assay, BinaxNOW (Abbott), under 3 collection strategies: single test collection and serial collection of 2 and 3 tests separated by 1–4 days. The sensitivity and specificity of the first (including single), second, and third serially collected BinaxNOW tests were estimated relative to RT-PCRs collected ≤1 day of the BinaxNOW test. The accuracy metrics of the testing strategies were then estimated as the sum (sensitivity) and product (specificity) of tests in each strategy.

Results

Of the 13 112 residents who contributed ≥1 BinaxNOW test during the study period, 3825 contributed ≥1 RT-PCR paired BinaxNOW test. In relation to RT-PCR, the 3-rapid-antigen-test strategy had a sensitivity of 95.9% (95% CI: 93.6–97.5%) and specificity of 98.3% (95% CI: 96.7–99.1%). The sensitivities of the 2- and 1-rapid-antigen-test strategies were 88.8% and 66.8%, and the specificities were 98.5% and 99.4%, respectively. The sensitivity was higher among symptomatic residents and when RT-PCRs were collected before BinaxNOW tests.

Conclusions

We found serial antigen test collection resulted in high diagnostic accuracy. These findings support serial collection for outbreak investigation, screening, and when rapid detection is required (such as intakes or transfers).
Early Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants Using Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance at 4 US Airports, September 2021–January 2022
Authors: Wegrzyn Renee D , Appiah Grace D , Morfino Robert , Milford Scott R , Walker Allison Taylor , Ernst Ezra T , Darrow William W , Li Siyao Lisa , Robison Keith , MacCannell Duncan , Dai Dongjuan , Girinathan Brintha P , Hicks Allison L , Cosca Bryan , Woronoff Gabrielle , Plocik Alex M , Simen Birgitte B , Moriarty Leah , Guagliardo Sarah Anne J , Cetron Martin S , Friedman Cindy R
Published: June 2022

We enrolled arriving international air travelers in a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 genomic surveillance program. We used molecular testing of pooled nasal swabs and sequenced positive samples for sublineage. Traveler-based surveillance provided early-warning variant detection, reporting the first US Omicron BA.2 and BA.3 in North America.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children During Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta and Omicron Variant Circulation—United States, July 2021–January 2022
Authors: Miller Allison D , Yousaf Anna R , Bornstein Ethan , Wu Michael J , Lindsey Katherine , Melgar Michael , Oster Matthew E , Zambrano Laura D , Campbell Angela P
Published: June 2022

We describe 2116 multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during Delta and Omicron circulation from July 2021 through January 2022. Half of MIS-C patients were aged 5–11 years, 52% received intensive care unit–level care, and 1.1% died. Only 3.0% of eligible patients were fully vaccinated prior to MIS-C onset.
Maturation of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes in cardiac microtissues promotes adult alternative splicing of sodium channel revealing mutation effects associated with cardiac arrhythmia
Authors: Campostrini G , Ward-Van Oostwaard D , Kosmidis G , Verkerk AO , Bezzina CR , Mummery CL , Bellin M
Published: June 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions - Individual Fellowship

Background

The cardiac sodium channel encoded by SCN5A gene undergoes fetal-to-adult isoform switch postnatally, regulated by alternative splicing. Various mutations in SCN5A associated with severe cardiac arrhythmia have been previously studied using cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem-cells (hiPSC-CMs), demonstrating the importance of a human cardiac cellular context for such analysis. Mutations in the adult isoform of SCN5A are however of difficult evaluation in hiPSC-CMs, because of their typical immature/fetal-like characteristics. Combining hiPSC-CMs in 3-dimensional microtissues together with hiPSC-derived cardiac fibroblasts and endothelial cells induced maturation in gene expression and functional properties, including electrophysiology.

Purpose

We investigated whether the maturation promoted by the microtissue system could reveal the functional phenotype of a mutation in the adult isoform of SCN5A.

Methods

We derived hiPSC-CMs from a cardiac arrhythmia patient carrying two compound mutations in SCN5A: p.W156X in exon 4 and p.R225W in the adult splicing variant of exon 6 (exon 6B). Using CRISPR/Cas9, we corrected exon 4 mutation to investigate specific effects of exon 6B mutation on sodium current by single-cell patch clamp. HiPSC-CMs were matured in tricell-type cardiac microtissues and analysed after dissociation. The mechanism underlying exon 6B expression was investigated by overexpressing or knocking-out the alternative splicing regulator MBNL1 in hiPSC-CMs.

Results

ddPCR analysis showed low expression of exon 6B-containing transcripts in hiPSC-CMs, accompanied by no effect of exon 6B mutation on the sodium current. Instead, maturing hiPSC-CMs in cardiac microtissues promoted SCN5A exon 6B expression and revealed the contribution of both SCN5A mutations to the diseased cellular electrophysiology. MBNL1 was upregulated in microtissues and indeed its overexpression was sufficient to increase exon 6B levels in hiPSC-CMs, while lack of MBNL1 prevented the switch of SCN5A splicing isoforms.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that a maturation of hiPSC-CMs is required to express the adult SCN5A isoform. This was achieved in the microtissue system via upregulation of MBNL1, and allowed to reveal SCN5A mutation contributions, by dissecting changes in ionic current that cause adult arrhythmic disease phenotypes in humans.