bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Augmented Degradation of Factors VIII and IX in the Intermittent Movement State
Authors: Cohen Haim , Keren-Politansky Anat , Crispel Yonatan , Yanovich Chen , Asayag Keren , Nadir Yona
Published: June 2023

The most common clinical presentation of hemophilia A and hemophilia B is bleeding in large joints and striated muscles. It is unclear why bleeding has a predilection to affect joints and muscles. As muscles and joints are involved in intermittent movement, we explored whether this phenomenon could be associated with an impact on factor VIII and IX levels. Purified proteins and a mouse model were assessed using coagulation assays, Western blot analysis and immuno-staining. Movement caused an increase in thrombin activity and a decrease in factor VIII and factor IX activity. The decrease in factor VIII activity was more significant in the presence of thrombin and during movement. Under movement condition, sodium ions appeared to enhance the activity of thrombin that resulted in decreased factor VIII activity. Unlike factor VIII, the reduction in factor IX levels in the movement condition was thrombin-independent. High factor VIII levels were found to protect factor IX from degradation and vice versa. In mice that were in movement, factor VIII and IX levels decreased in the microcirculation of the muscle tissue compared with other tissues and to the muscle tissue at rest. Movement had no effect on von Willebrand factor levels. Movement induces reduction in factor VIII and IX levels. It enables an increase in the binding of sodium ions to thrombin leading to enhanced thrombin activity and augmented degradation of factor VIII. These data suggest a potential mechanism underlying the tendency of hemophilia patients to bleed in muscles and joints.
“Nitrogen Wash-Out” in Non-Hypoxaemic Patients with Spontaneous Pneumothorax: A Narrative Review
Authors: Grasmuk-Siegl Erwin , Valipour Arschang
Published: June 2023

Following current guidelines, spontaneous pneumothorax should be primarily managed with minimal invasive strategies. In real-world clinical practice, oxygen supplementation regardless of the presence or absence of hypoxemia is frequently applied in patients with a pneumothorax, with the intention to enhance the resorption rate of air from the pleural cavity (“nitrogen wash-out theory”). This review provides an overview of the scientific origin of this practice in animal models, and its clinical use in adult and paediatric patients. Clinical studies from PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library were reviewed by the authors using the keywords, “oxygen AND pneumothorax”, “nitrogen washout AND pneumothorax” and “nitrogen AND pneumothorax”, and recommendations from current guidelines were also reviewed by the authors. A selected total of nine clinical studies and three guidelines were included. Though in animal models there appears to be a therapeutic effect of oxygen therapy for the treatment of pneumothorax, clinical data in patient populations mainly stem from retrospective studies, mostly with a small sample size and inadequate study design. We recommend conducting prospective clinical studies with adequate methodology to address the question of whether or not oxygen therapy should be used to treat pneumothorax, regardless of the presence or absence of hypoxemia.
Precision Medicine 2.0: How Digital Health and AI Are Changing the Game
Authors: Giansanti Daniele
Published: June 2023

In the era of rapid IT developments, the health domain is undergoing a considerable transformation [...]
In Situ Growth of Nano-MoS2 on Graphite Substrates as Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Zhao Yifan , Zhang Mingyang , Zhao Huimin , Zeng Zhiqiang , Xia Chaoqun , Yang Tai
Published: June 2023

In order to synthesize a high-efficiency catalytic electrode for hydrogen evolution reactions, nano-MoS2 was deposited in situ on the surface of graphite substrates via a one-step hydrothermal method. The effects of the reactant concentration on the microstructure and the electrocatalytic characteristics of the nano-MoS2 catalyst layers were investigated in detail. The study results showed that nano-MoS2 sheets with a thickness of about 10 nm were successfully deposited on the surface of the graphite substrates. The reactant concentration had an important effect on uniform distribution of the catalyst layers. A higher or lower reactant concentration was disadvantageous for the electrochemical performance of the nano-MoS2 catalyst layers. The prepared electrode had the best electrocatalytic activity when the thiourea concentration was 0.10 mol·L−1. The minimum hydrogen evolution reaction overpotential was 196 mV (j = 10 mV·cm−2) and the corresponding Tafel slope was calculated to be 54.1 mV·dec−1. Moreover, the prepared electrode had an excellent cycling stability, and the microstructure and the electrocatalytic properties of the electrode had almost no change after 2000 cycles. The results of the present study are helpful for developing low-cost and efficient electrode material for hydrogen evolution reactions.
Design of Tunable Broadband Graphene-Based Metasurface with Amplitude-Phase Modulation
Authors: Jiang Huixia , Sheng Lili , Luo Yumei , Meng Liang , Cao Weiping
Published: June 2023

Due to the growing scarcity of spectrum resources in the low-frequency band, the requirement of beam-reconfigurable antennas in the millimeter wave band is urgent. In this paper, a W-band graphene-based metasurface working in a broad bandwidth is proposed with reflective amplitude coding. Here, graphene sheets play a dual role in radiating and regulating electromagnetic waves. By adjusting the Fermi levels of graphene, the reflective amplitude and phase of the metasurface can be modulated simultaneously, enabling multi-beam switching and beam deflection in far-field. The proposed metasurface achieves amplitude-phase modulation within a significantly wide bandwidth which covers 75–91.5 GHz and 99.3–115 GHz. By optimizing the coding patterns, the proposed graphene-based metasurfaces are able to not only realize 2-D beam steering, but also achieve beam switching from single beam to four beams at 87 GHz. The proposed design provides a novel solution for the flexible manipulation of millimeter waves, which can be applied to various fields such as vehicle radar, satellite communication, 6G wireless communication, and beyond.
Study on the Up-Conversion Luminescence and Conductivity Behavior of p-Type NiO:Yb,Er Thin Films
Authors: Wei Haoming , Wu Yangqing
Published: June 2023

In this work, Li+-doped NiO:Yb,Er thin films are obtained via pulsed laser deposition. It was found that the films exhibit high transparency in the visible region and clearly red up-conversion luminescence under 980 nm excitation. Doping with Li+ can adjust the up-conversion emission intensity of the films. Moreover, all the films have p-type conductivity with a single activation energy of around 360 meV. The sheet resistivity of the films can be improved through changing the doping concentration of Li+ ions. Taken together, 5% is the best doping concentration for the potential application of this kind of film.
Fabrication and Study of Dextran/Sulfonated Polysulfone Blend Membranes for Low-Density Lipoprotein Adsorption
Authors: Fang Fei , Zhao Hai-Yang , Wang Rui , Chen Qi , Wang Qiong-Yan , Zhang Qing-Hua
Published: June 2023

The abnormal increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in human blood is a main independent risk factor for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, whereas a reduced LDL level effectively lowers morbidity. It is important to develop LDL adsorption materials with high efficiency and selectivity, as well as to simplify their fabrication processes. In this paper, polysulfone (PSF), sulfonated polysulfone (SPSF), and sulfonated polysulfone/dextran (SPSF/GLU) membranes were successfully fabricated for LDL adsorption using a solution casting technique. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements confirmed the success of the preparation. The water contact angle decreased from 89.7 ± 3.4° (PSF) to 76.4 ± 3.2° (SPSF) and to 71.2 ± 1.9° (SPSF/GLU), respectively. BSA adsorption testing showed that the SPSF/GLU with surface enrichment of sulfonate groups and glycosyl groups possessed higher resistance to protein solution. The adsorption and desorption behaviors of the studied samples in single-protein or binary-protein solutions were systematically investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), The results showed that SPSF/GLU, which had excellent resistance to protein adsorption, possessed a similar adsorption capacity to that of PSF. SPSF membrane exhibited excellent selective affinity for LDL in single and binary protein solutions, suggesting potential applications in LDL removal.
Effect of Plastic Deformation on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of the Zn-4Ag-1Cu Zinc Alloy
Authors: Khafizova Elvira , Fakhretdinova Elvira , Islamgaliev Rinat , Polenok Milena , Sitdikov Vil , Yilmazer Hakan
Published: June 2023

It is known that zinc biodegradable alloys are a promising material for producing biomedical implants for orthopedics and vascular stents. Among them, the Zn-Ag-Cu zinc alloy is of special interest due to the antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of Ag and Cu. To improve the mechanical properties of the Zn-4Ag-1Cu zinc alloy, the effect of equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) on the microstructure and strength has been investigated. The ECAP conditions for the Zn-4Ag-1Cu alloy were chosen by modeling in the Deform 3 D program (temperature and strain rate). The microstructure was analyzed using transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The study of strength was carried out by measuring the microhardness and tensile tests of small samples with a gauge dimension of 0.8 × 1 × 4 mm3. The microstructure after ECAP was characterized by equiaxed grains ranging in a size from 1.5 µm to 4 µm with particles in a size from 200 nm to 1 µm uniformly distributed along the boundaries. The ECAP samples showed a high strength of 348 MPa and good ductility of up to 30%, demonstrating their great potential as promising materials for producing medical stents.
Harnessing the Value of Tripolium pannonicum and Crithmum maritimum Halophyte Biomass through Integrated Green Biorefinery
Authors: Hulkko Laura Sini Sofia , Chaturvedi Tanmay , Custódio Luísa , Thomsen Mette Hedegaard
Published: June 2023

Bioactive extracts are often the target fractions in bioprospecting, and halophyte plants could provide a potential source of feedstock for high-value applications as a part of integrated biorefineries. Tripolium pannonicum (Jacq.) Dobrocz. (sea aster) and Crithmum maritimum L. (sea fennel) are edible plants suggested for biosaline halophyte-based agriculture. After food production and harvesting of fresh leaves for food, the inedible plant fractions could be utilized to produce extracts rich in bioactive phytochemicals to maximize feedstock application and increase the economic feasibility of biomass processing to bioenergy. This study analyzed fresh juice and extracts from screw-pressed sea aster and sea fennel for their different phenolic compounds and pigment concentrations. Antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities were also tested in vitro. Extracts from sea aster and sea fennel had phenolic contents up to 45.2 mgGAE/gDM and 64.7 mgGAE/gDM, respectively, and exhibited >70% antioxidant activity in several assays. Ethanol extracts also showed >70% inhibition activity against acetylcholinesterase and >50% inhibition of tyrosinase and α-glucosidase. Therefore, these species can be seen as potential feedstocks for further investigations.
Study of the High-Efficiency Ejecting-Explosion EDM of SiCp/Al Composite
Authors: Liu Yu , Qu Jiawei , Zhao Keguang , Zhang Xuanyuan , Zhang Shengfang
Published: June 2023

SiCp/Al composites have excellent physical properties and are widely used in aerospace and other fields. Because of their poor machinability, they are often machined by non-traditional machining methods such as electrical discharge machining (EDM). In the process of EDM, due to the “shielding” effect of the reinforced particles of SiC, the local ejection force is low during the processing process, and it is difficult to throw the reinforced particles smoothly, which ultimately leads to a low material removal rate and poor surface quality. In this paper, a high–low-voltage composite ejecting-explosion EDM power supply is developed to explore the explosive effect of reinforced particles in the ejecting-explosion EDM process and the unique process law of the explosion process. The experiment platform uses self-developed CNC machining machine tools based on an ejecting-explosive EDM power supply, and the influence of a detonation-increasing wave on the processing of SiCp/Al composites with different volume fractions was studied by changing four factors: the open-circuit voltage difference, pulse current difference, pulse phase difference, and pulse width difference of the back wave behind the step front. The material removal rate and surface roughness were measured. The research results showed that the material removal rate could be increased to 164.63%, and the material surface roughness could be increased to 30.03% by adjusting the high and low pulse current difference from 1 A to 8 A. When the voltage difference between high and low wave (HLW) pulses increases from 40 V to 120 V, the material removal rate can be increased to 150.39%, and the material surface roughness can be increased to 20.49%. The material removal rate increases with the increase in pulse phase difference and open-circuit voltage difference. With the increase in peak current difference and pulse width difference, the material removal rate becomes faster at first and then slower. The surface roughness of materials increases with the growth of open-circuit voltage difference, peak current difference, pulse width difference, and pulse phase difference.
Ultra-Narrow Bandwidth Microwave Photonic Filter Implemented by Single Longitudinal Mode Parity Time Symmetry Brillouin Fiber Laser
Authors: Hou Jiaxin , You Yajun , Liu Yuan , Jiang Kai , Han Xuefeng , He Wenjun , Geng Wenping , Liu Yi , Chou Xiujian
Published: June 2023

In this paper, a novel microwave photonic filter (MPF) based on a single longitudinal mode Brillouin laser achieved by parity time (PT) symmetry mode selection is proposed, and its unparalleled ultra-narrow bandwidth as low as to sub-kHz together with simple and agile tuning performance is experimentally verified. The Brillouin fiber laser ring resonator is cascaded with a PT symmetric system to achieve this MPF. Wherein, the Brillouin laser resonator is excited by a 5 km single mode fiber to generate Brillouin gain, and the PT symmetric system is configured with Polarization Beam Splitter (PBS) and polarization controller (PC) to achieve PT symmetry. Thanks to the significant enhancement of the gain difference between the main mode and the edge mode when the polarization state PT symmetry system breaks, a single mode oscillating Brillouin laser is generated. Through the selective amplification of sideband modulated signals by ultra-narrow linewidth Brillouin single mode laser gain, the MPF with ultra-narrow single passband performance is obtained. By simply tuning the central wavelength of the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) pumped laser to adjust the Brillouin oscillation frequency, the gain position of the Brillouin laser can be shifted, thereby achieving flexible tunability. The experimental results indicate that the MPF proposed in this paper achieves a single pass band narrow to 72 Hz and the side mode rejection ratio of more than 18 dB, with a center frequency tuning range of 0–20 GHz in the testing range of vector network analysis, which means that the MPF possesses ultra high spectral resolution and enormous potential application value in the domain of ultra fine microwave spectrum filtering such as radar imaging and electronic countermeasures.
Bioaccessibility of Tocols in Commercial Maize Hybrids Determined by an In Vitro Digestion Model for Poultry
Authors: Gunjević Veronika , Zurak Dora , Grbeša Darko , Kiš Goran , Međimurec Tatjana , Pirgozliev Vasil , Kljak Kristina
Published: June 2023

Despite the high proportion of maize grain in animal diets, the contribution made by maize phytochemicals is neglected. Tocols and their contribution to the vitamin E content of animal diets are one example, exacerbated by sparse information on the tocol bioaccessibility of commercial hybrids. In this study, the contents of individual and total tocols and their bioaccessibility were determined in the grain samples of 103 commercial hybrids using a standardized INFOGEST digestion procedure. In the studied hybrids, total tocol content ranged from 19.24 to 54.44 µg/g of dry matter. The contents of micellar α-, γ-, δ-tocopherols, γ-tocotrienol, and total tocols correlated positively with the corresponding contents in the grain samples of the studied hybrids. In contrast, a negative correlation was observed between the bioaccessibility of γ- tocopherol, α- and γ-tocotrienol, and total tocols, along with the corresponding contents in the grain of studied hybrids. The highest bioaccessibility was exhibited by γ-tocotrienol (532.77 g/kg), followed by δ-tocopherol (529.88 g/kg), γ-tocopherol (461.76 g/kg), α-tocopherol (406.49 g/kg), and α-tocotrienol (359.07 g/kg). Overall, there are significant differences in the content and bioaccessibility of total and individual tocols among commercial maize hybrids, allowing the selection of hybrids for animal production based not only on crude chemical composition but also on the content of phytochemicals.
Dandelion (Taraxacum Genus): A Review of Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Effects
Authors: Fan Min , Zhang Xiao , Song Huaping , Zhang Yakong
Published: June 2023

Dandelion (Taraxacum genus) is a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family. As a well-known and extensively studied genus, dandelion comprises numerous species. Some species have been widely used in both complementary and alternative medicine to clear heat, detoxify, activate blood circulation, dispel stasis, and discharge urine. Multiple pharmacological studies have highlighted its therapeutic potential, including anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-rheumatic activities. Furthermore, bioactive compounds associated with these effects include sesquiterpenoids, phenolic compounds, essential oils, saccharides, flavonoids, sphingolipids, triterpenoids, sterols, coumarins, etc. Based on recent studies about the Taraxacum genus, the present review critically evaluates the current state of dandelion utilization and summarizes the significant roles of dandelion and its constituents in different diseases. We also focus on the reported phytology, chemical composition, pharmacology, and toxicity of dandelion, along with the main possible action mechanisms behind their therapeutic activities. Meanwhile, the challenges and future directions of the Taraxacum genus are also prospected in this review, thus highlighting its pharmaceutical research and practical clinical applications.
Quantifying and Reducing Ion Migration in Metal Halide Perovskites through Control of Mobile Ions
Authors: Penukula Saivineeth , Estrada Torrejon Rodrigo , Rolston Nicholas
Published: June 2023

The presence of intrinsic ion migration in metal halide perovskites (MHPs) is one of the main reasons that perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are not stable under operation. In this work, we quantify the ion migration of PSCs and MHP thin films in terms of mobile ion concentration (No) and ionic mobility (µ) and demonstrate that No has a larger impact on device stability. We study the effect of small alkali metal A-site cation additives (e.g., Na+, K+, and Rb+) on ion migration. We show that the influence of moisture and cation additive on No is less significant than the choice of top electrode in PSCs. We also show that No in PSCs remains constant with an increase in temperature but μ increases with temperature because the activation energy is lower than that of ion formation. This work gives design principles regarding the importance of passivation and the effects of operational conditions on ion migration.
Ag(e)ing and Degradation of Supercapacitors: Causes, Mechanisms, Models and Countermeasures
Authors: Chen Xuecheng , Wu Yuping , Holze Rudolf
Published: June 2023

The most prominent and highly visible advantage attributed to supercapacitors of any type and application, beyond their most notable feature of high current capability, is their high stability in terms of lifetime, number of possible charge/discharge cycles or other stability-related properties. Unfortunately, actual devices show more or less pronounced deterioration of performance parameters during time and use. Causes for this in the material and component levels, as well as on the device level, have only been addressed and discussed infrequently in published reports. The present review attempts a complete coverage on these levels; it adds in modelling approaches and provides suggestions for slowing down ag(e)ing and degradation.
Synthesis of Renewable High-Density Fuel with Vanillin and Cyclopentanone Derived from Hemicellulose
Authors: Wang Wei , An Ling , Qian Chi , Li Yanqing , Li Meiping , Shao Xianzhao , Ji Xiaohui , Li Zhizhou
Published: June 2023

1,3-bis(cyclohexylmethyl)cyclopentane, a renewable high-density fuel, was first produced in a high overall carbon yield (79.5%) with vanillin and cyclopentanone, which can be derived from biomass. The synthetic route used in this work contains two steps. In the first step, 2,5-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)cyclopentanone was synthesized by aldol condensation of vanillin and cyclopentanone under the catalysis of sulphuric acid. Over the optimized condensation, a high carbon yield (82.6%) of 2,5-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene) cyclopentanone was achieved at 80 ºC. In the second step, 2,5-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene) cyclopentanone was hydrodeoxygenated over the Pd/HY catalyst in cyclohexane as solvent. High carbon yields of 1,3-bis(cyclohexylmethyl)cyclopentane (96.2%) was obtained. The polycycloalkane mixture as obtained has a density of 0.943 g mL−1 and a freezing point of −35 °C. It can be blended into conventional high-density fuels (e.g., JP-10) for rockets and missile propulsion as a potential application.
Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators: Endogenous Roles and Pharmacological Activities in Infections
Authors: Rasquel-Oliveira Fernanda S. , Silva Matheus Deroco Veloso da , Martelossi-Cebinelli Geovana , Fattori Victor , Casagrande Rubia , Verri Waldiceu A.
Published: June 2023

During an infection, inflammation mobilizes immune cells to eliminate the pathogen and protect the host. However, inflammation can be detrimental when exacerbated and/or chronic. The resolution phase of the inflammatory process is actively orchestrated by the specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs), generated from omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that bind to different G-protein coupled receptors to exert their activity. As immunoresolvents, SPMs regulate the influx of leukocytes to the inflammatory site, reduce cytokine and chemokine levels, promote bacterial clearance, inhibit the export of viral transcripts, enhance efferocytosis, stimulate tissue healing, and lower antibiotic requirements. Metabolomic studies have evaluated SPM levels in patients and animals during infection, and temporal regulation of SPMs seems to be essential to properly coordinate a response against the microorganism. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on SPM biosynthesis and classifications, endogenous production profiles and their effects in animal models of bacterial, viral and parasitic infections.
Stannate-Based Materials as Anodes in Lithium-Ion and Sodium-Ion Batteries: A Review
Authors: Duan You-Kang , Li Zhi-Wei , Zhang Shi-Chun , Su Tong , Zhang Zhi-Hong , Jiao Ai-Jun , Fu Zhen-Hai
Published: June 2023

Binary metal oxide stannate (M2SnO4; M = Zn, Mn, Co, etc.) structures, with their high theoretical capacity, superior lithium storage mechanism and suitable operating voltage, as well as their dual suitability for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), are strong candidates for next-generation anode materials. However, the capacity deterioration caused by the severe volume expansion problem during the insertion/extraction of lithium or sodium ions during cycling of M2SnO4-based anode materials is difficult to avoid, which greatly affects their practical applications. Strategies often employed by researchers to address this problem include nanosizing the material size, designing suitable structures, doping with carbon materials and heteroatoms, metal–organic framework (MOF) derivation and constructing heterostructures. In this paper, the advantages and issues of M2SnO4-based materials are analyzed, and the strategies to solve the issues are discussed in order to promote the theoretical work and practical application of M2SnO4-based anode materials.
A Randomized Controlled Study to Test Front-of-Pack (FOP) Nutrition Labels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Shin Soye , Alqunaibet Ada Mohammad , Alsukait Reem F. , Alruwaily Amaal , Alfawaz Rasha Abdulrahman , Algwizani Abdullah , Herbst Christopher H. , Shekar Meera , Finkelstein Eric A.
Published: June 2023

One common strategy for governments to tackle the non-communicable disease (NCD) epidemic is front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labeling. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is considering implementing a new FOP label that is based on either France’s Nutri-Score (NS), which labels all foods (A = healthiest to E = least healthy) based on overall nutritional quality, or the Chilean warning label (WL) approach, which identifies foods to avoid based on select nutritional characteristics. Using a fully functional online grocery store, this study aimed to test these two promising FOP strategies by randomizing 656 KSA adults into one of the three versions of the store to complete a hypothetical grocery shop: no-label (control), NS, and WL. The NS was modified with a sugar percentage tag given that reducing sugar consumption is one of KSA’s public health goals. We found that both modified NS labels and Chilean warning labels positively influenced food and beverage choices among KSA participants, but there were differential effects across the two labels. Relative to the control, NS improved the overall diet quality of the shopping baskets, measured by the weighted (by the number of servings) average NS point (ranging from 0, least healthy, to 55, healthiest), by 2.5 points [95% CI: 1.7, 3.4; p < 0.001], whereas results for WL were not statistically significant (0.6 points [95% CI: −0.2,1.5]). With respect to each nutritional attribute, we found that NS reduced sugar intake per serving, whereas WL was effective at decreasing energy and saturated fat intake per serving from food and beverages purchased. Our results suggest that the NS approach that identifies the healthiness of all foods using a holistic approach appears preferable if the purpose of the label is to improve overall diet quality as opposed to addressing select nutrients to avoid.
Reply to Abenavoli et al. Comment on “Clayton-Chubb et al. Understanding NAFLD: From Case Identification to Interventions, Outcomes, and Future Perspectives. Nutrients 2023, 15, 687”
Authors: Clayton-Chubb Daniel , Kemp William , Majeed Ammar , Lubel John S. , Hodge Alex , Roberts Stuart K.
Published: June 2023

Thank you for your interesting comment [...]
Evaluation of the Polymer Modified Tack Coat on Aged Concrete Pavement: An Experimental Study on Adhesion Properties
Authors: Kim Kyungnam , Le Tri Ho Minh
Published: June 2023

This study addresses the challenges of overlaying old concrete pavement with asphalt by introducing a new trackless tack coat material containing polymer. The aim is to enhance the durability of asphalt concrete overlay pavement on old cement concrete pavement. It contributes to the development of improved construction techniques for pavement rehabilitation and highlights the need for reliable adhesion performance evaluation based on different spray amounts and surface conditions. Additionally, to evaluate the effect of the adhesion performance based on the spraying amount, a tensile adhesion test was conducted by applying spray amounts of 0.30, 0.45, and 0.60 l/m2 on different surface conditions. The basic and adhesion performances of the polymer-modified tack coat material are evaluated through direct tensile and shear bond strength tests. The test outcomes demonstrated that the newly developed polymer-modified tack coat material had considerably greater adhesion strength compared to the traditional rapid-setting products. Its adhesive strength was 1.68 times higher on concrete and 1.78 times higher on asphalt. The new trackless tack coat material exhibited an adhesion performance of 1.05 MPa in direct tensile strength at 0.45 l/m2, which was 1.21 times higher than the rapid-setting tack coat. Results also confirmed that the new tack coat material exhibits values 1.90 times greater than the conventional rapid-setting tack coat material in shear bond strength, respectively. By simulating the process of separation and re-adhesion of pavement layers caused, the new tack coat material shows a tensile adhesion strength of 63% of the original state, which is advantageous for securing the durability of the pavement. Overall, the newly developed polymer-modified trackless tack coat has been shown to effectively enhance the adhesion performance between pavement layers without process delay, highlighting the potential of the new tack coat material to enhance the durability of asphalt concrete overlay pavement on old cement concrete pavement.
Wound Gel with Antimicrobial Effects Based on Polyvinyl Alcohol and Functional Aryloxycyclotriphosphazene
Authors: Yudaev Pavel , Butorova Irina , Chuev Vladimir , Posokhova Vera , Klyukin Bogdan , Chistyakov Evgeniy
Published: June 2023

A silver-containing gel based on polyvinyl alcohol and aryloxycyclotriphosphazene containing β-carboxyethenylphenoxy and p-formylphenoxy groups has been developed. Phosphazene was synthesized via the Doebner reaction from hexakis[(4-formyl)phenoxy]cyclotriphosphazene and malonic acid and characterized by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The study of the gel using scanning electron microscopy showed that the gel contains open pores and can absorb wound exudate. The maximum water absorption capacity of the gel was 272%, which was reached after 80 min of testing. The antimicrobial activity of the obtained silver-containing gel was evaluated using the diffusion method. The gel was found to inhibit the growth of the main microorganisms in contact with the skin: the bacteria S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, B. subtilis, S. epidermidis, and C. stationis and the fungus C. albicans. The study of the wound-healing effect of the gel in vivo showed a decrease in the wound area of the rabbit hind limb by 91.43% (p < 0.05) on the 10th day of observation and a decrease in the content of C-reactive protein in the rabbit blood serum by 1.3 times (p < 0.05).
Effect of Sandpaper Meshes on the Performance of Tilia Sp. Self-Repairing Coatings
Authors: Chang Yijuan , Wu Zhihui
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to investigate the impact of different sandpaper sanding meshes on the mechanical and optical properties of microencapsulated Tilia sp. film. An orthogonal experiment revealed that sanding between primers had the most significant effect. Furthermore, an independent experiment implied that increasing the mesh size resulted in decreased surface roughness and decreased color difference, elongation at break, and gloss after liquid resistance. In the aging test, the color difference of the paint film increased with the aging time, and the gloss tended to stabilize. Additionally, the anti-aging gloss of 240 mesh sandpaper used between primers remained relatively stable. The paint film sanded with 240 mesh sandpaper between primers displayed small and regular cracks after temperature and UV aging. Overall, the paint film demonstrated good comprehensive performance when sanded with 240 mesh between primers, 240 mesh between primer/topcoat, and 1000 mesh for topcoat. Self-repairing microcapsules showed better repair efficacy on the coating. This study provides a technical reference for the development of self-repairing coatings.
Comparison of Shear Bond Strength and Microleakage between Activa™ Bioactive Restorative™ and Bulk-Fill Composites—An In Vitro Study
Authors: Martínez-Sabio Laura , Peñate Lissethe , Arregui María , Veloso Duran Ana , Blanco José Raúl , Guinot Francisco
Published: June 2023

Bioactive materials have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional restorative materials as part of more conservative dentistry. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the shear bond strength (SBS) and microleakage of a new bioactive restorative material, two bulk-fill restorative composites, and a conventional composite at 24 h, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Three hundred and sixty molars and premolars were divided into four groups: ACTIVA™ BioACTIVE Restorative™, Filtek™ Bulk-Fill Restorative Composite, Tetric® N-Ceram Bulk-Fill Composite, and G-aenial® Composite. The normality of the data was determined with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, then the two-way ANOVA and Fisher’s test were used for analyzing SBS data, and the Kruskal-Wallis and DSCF tests were conducted to analyze the microleakage. In the SBS test, there were no statistically significant differences between materials (p = 0.587), and the relation between material and time (p = 0.467), time points showed statistically significant differences (p = 0.016). As for the microleakage, statistically significant differences were found for all three time periods (p < 0.05), showing the conventional composite to have the lowest microleakage, followed by the bioactive material, and lastly the two bulk-fill composites. In conclusion, the new bioactive material has similar evaluated properties to bulk-fill composites (bond strength) and conventional composites (bond strength and microleakage) and can be used as an alternative restorative material.
High Thermal Stability and Low Dielectric Constant of BCB Modified Silicone Resins
Authors: Wei Hubo , Li Xian , Ye Xu , Guo Chao , Peng Juan , Liu Jiaying , Hu Xinyu , Yang Junxiao , Chen Jinxiang
Published: June 2023

Based on the excellent physical properties and flexible molecular modifiability, modified silicone resins have received favorable attention in the field of microelectronics, and recently a number of modified silicone resins have appeared while few breakthroughs have been made in low dielectric constant (low-k) materials field due to the limitations of structure or the curing process. In this work, functional silicone resin with different BCB contents was prepared with two monomers. The resins showed low dielectric constant (k = 2.77 at 10 MHz) and thermal stability (T5% = 495.0 °C) after curing. Significant performance changes were observed with the increase in BCB structural units, and the functional silicone obtained does not require melting and dissolution during processing because of good fluidity at room temperature. Moreover, the mechanical properties of silicone resins can be also controlled by adjusting the BCB content. The obtained silicone resins could be potentially used in the field of electronic packaging materials.
Gearbox Fault Diagnosis Based on Optimized Stacked Denoising Auto Encoder and Kernel Extreme Learning Machine
Authors: Wu Zhenghao , Yan Hao , Zhan Xianbiao , Wen Liang , Jia Xisheng
Published: June 2023

The gearbox is one of the key components of many large mechanical transmission devices. Due to the complex working environment, the vibration signal stability of the gear box is poor, the fault feature extraction is difficult, and the fault diagnosis accuracy makes it difficult to meet the expected requirements. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a gearbox fault diagnosis method based on an optimized stacked denoising auto encoder (SDAE) and kernel extreme learning machine (KELM). Firstly, the particle swarm optimization algorithm in adaptive weight (SAPSO) was adopted to optimize the SDAE network structure, and the number of hidden layer nodes, learning rate, noise addition ratio and iteration times were adaptively obtained to make SDAE obtain the best network structure. Then, the best SDAE network structure was used to extract the deep feature information of weak faults in the original signal. Finally, the extracted fault features are fed into KELM for fault classification. Experimental results show that the classification accuracy of the proposed method can reach 97.2% under the condition of low signal-to-noise ratio, which shows the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method compared with other diagnostic methods.
Confucian Order and Religious Doctrines: Rhetorical Characterizations of Illustrations in the Fiction “Quanxiang Pinghua” in the Yuan Dynasty
Authors: Li Guoping
Published: June 2023

The fiction “Quanxiang Pinghua”, published by Jianyang 建陽 Yushi 虞氏 in the Yuan Dynasty, depicts public religious concepts using a set of organized illustrations of etiquette. As a popular cultural reading material of the Yuan Dynasty, the fiction’s illustrations are a mixture of mainstream religious ideas, such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, reflecting the Jianyang people’s compromised identification of the three religions and their value of faith. The illustrations shape the religious view of “the impermanence of destiny”. With the help of the spatial narrative of the political and religious order of Confucianism and the public construction of the ritualistic landscapes of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, these images reflect the ethical enlightenment and religious beliefs of the three religions in social life. From the perspective of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, this article adopted interdisciplinary methods to analyze inherent religious ethics in the illustrations of the fiction and explore religious beliefs among the people in the Yuan Dynasty. This article suggested that, by depicting religious rituals, the illustrations in the fiction reflect the comprehensive acceptance of the benevolence and righteousness, filial piety, loyalty, and kindness of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism by the public of the Yuan Dynasty. The illustrations in the fiction manifest Confucian order and moral ethics, of which the extension is interconnected with the concepts of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and living ethics, manifesting the inner interpretation of Confucian ethics in Jianyang popular literature and art and the collective regulation of folk religious beliefs.
Coupling Dilated Encoder–Decoder Network for Multi-Channel Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry Full-Waveform Denoising
Authors: Hu Bin , Zhao Yiqiang , Zhou Guoqing , He Jiaji , Liu Changlong , Liu Qiang , Ye Mao , Li Yao
Published: June 2023

Multi-channel airborne full-waveform LiDAR is widely used for high-precision underwater depth measurement. However, the signal quality of full-waveform data is unstable due to the influence of background light, dark current noise, and the complex transmission process. Therefore, we propose a nonlocal encoder block (NLEB) based on spatial dilated convolution to optimize the feature extraction of adjacent frames. On this basis, a coupled denoising encoder–decoder network is proposed that takes advantage of the echo correlation in deep-water and shallow-water channels. Firstly, full waveforms from different channels are stacked together to form a two-dimensional tensor and input into the proposed network. Then, NLEB is used to extract local and nonlocal features from the 2D tensor. After fusing the features of the two channels, the reconstructed denoised data can be obtained by upsampling with a fully connected layer and deconvolution layer. Based on the measured data set, we constructed a noise–noisier data set, on which several denoising algorithms were compared. The results show that the proposed method improves the stability of denoising by using the inter-channel and multi-frame data correlation.
User-Relevant Land Cover Products for Informed Decision-Making in the Complex Terrain of the Peruvian Andes
Authors: Mantas Vasco , Caro Claudia
Published: June 2023

Land cover in mountainous regions is shaped by a complex web of stressors arising from natural and anthropogenic processes. The co-design process implemented with regional stakeholders in this study highlighted persistent data gaps and the need for locally relevant (thematic, spatial, and temporal) data products, which global alternatives still fail to deliver. This study describes the development of a land cover database designed for the Junín National Reserve (JNR) in Peru as a precursor of a broader effort designed to serve Andean wetland ecosystems. The products were created using Random Forest models leveraging Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data and trained using a large database of in situ data enhanced by the use of high-resolution commercial imagery (Planet). The land cover basemap includes eight classes (two of vegetation) with an overall accuracy of 0.9 and Cohen’s Kappa of 0.93. A second product further subdivided vegetation into locally meaningful vegetation classes, for a total of four types (overall accuracy of 0.85). Finally, a surface water product (snapshot and frequency) delivered a representation of the highly variable water extent around Lake Junín. It was the result of a model incorporating 150 Sentinel-1 images from 2016 to 2021 (an overall accuracy of 0.91). The products were successfully employed in identifying 133 ecosystem services provided by the different land cover classes existing in the JNR. The study highlights the value of participatory monitoring and open-data sharing for enhanced stewardship of social-ecological systems.
Case Study: Impacts of Air-Conditioner Air Supply Strategy on Thermal Environment and Energy Consumption in Offices Using BES–CFD Co-Simulation
Authors: Wang Luhan , Li Guannan , Gao Jiajia , Fang Xi , Wang Chongchong , Xiong Chenglong
Published: June 2023

Due to energy constraints and people’s increasing requirements for indoor thermal comfort, improving energy efficiency while ensuring thermal comfort has become the focus of research in the design and operation of HVAC systems. This study took office rooms with few people occupying them in Wuhan as the research object. The EnergyPlus-Fluent co-simulation method was used to study the impact of 12 forms of air distribution on the thermal environment and air-conditioner energy consumption. The results indicate that 3 m/s supply air velocity and 45° supply air angle are more suitable for the case model in this study. The EnergyPlus-Fluent co-simulation method used in this paper provides a reference for the study of indoor environments in offices with few people occupying them.
Efficient Sensor Node Selection for Observability Gramian Optimization
Authors: Yamada Keigo , Sasaki Yasuo , Nagata Takayuki , Nakai Kumi , Tsubakino Daisuke , Nonomura Taku
Published: June 2023

Optimization approaches that determine sensitive sensor nodes in a large-scale, linear time-invariant, and discrete-time dynamical system are examined under the assumption of independent and identically distributed measurement noise. This study offers two novel selection algorithms, namely an approximate convex relaxation method with the Newton method and a gradient greedy method, and confirms the performance of the selection methods, including a convex relaxation method with semidefinite programming (SDP) and a pure greedy optimization method proposed in the previous studies. The matrix determinant of the observability Gramian was employed for the evaluations of the sensor subsets, while its gradient and Hessian were derived for the proposed methods. In the demonstration using numerical and real-world examples, the proposed approximate greedy method showed superiority in the run time when the sensor numbers were roughly the same as the dimensions of the latent system. The relaxation method with SDP is confirmed to be the most reasonable approach for a system with randomly generated matrices of higher dimensions. However, the degradation of the optimization results was also confirmed in the case of real-world datasets, while the pure greedy selection obtained the most stable optimization results.
In-Field Tobacco Leaf Maturity Detection with an Enhanced MobileNetV1: Incorporating a Feature Pyramid Network and Attention Mechanism
Authors: Zhang Yi , Zhu Yushuang , Liu Xiongwei , Lu Yingjian , Liu Chan , Zhou Xixin , Fan Wei
Published: June 2023

The maturity of tobacco leaves plays a decisive role in tobacco production, affecting the quality of the leaves and production control. Traditional recognition of tobacco leaf maturity primarily relies on manual observation and judgment, which is not only inefficient but also susceptible to subjective interference. Particularly in complex field environments, there is limited research on in situ field maturity recognition of tobacco leaves, making maturity recognition a significant challenge. In response to this problem, this study proposed a MobileNetV1 model combined with a Feature Pyramid Network (FPN) and attention mechanism for in situ field maturity recognition of tobacco leaves. By introducing the FPN structure, the model fully exploits multi-scale features and, in combination with Spatial Attention and SE attention mechanisms, further enhances the expression ability of feature map channel features. The experimental results show that this model, with a size of 13.7 M and FPS of 128.12, performed outstandingly well on the task of field maturity recognition of tobacco leaves, achieving an accuracy of 96.3%, superior to classical models such as VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, and EfficientNetB0, while maintaining excellent computational efficiency and small memory footprint. Experiments were conducted involving noise perturbations, changes in environmental brightness, and occlusions to validate the model’s robustness in dealing with the complex environments that may be encountered in actual applications. Finally, the Score-CAM algorithm was used for result visualization. Heatmaps showed that the vein and color variations of the leaves provide key feature information for maturity recognition. This indirectly validates the importance of leaf texture and color features in maturity recognition and, to some extent, enhances the credibility of the model. The model proposed in this study maintains high performance while having low storage requirements and computational complexity, making it significant for in situ field maturity recognition of tobacco leaves.