bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory Effects and Mechanism of Action of Elsinochrome A on Candida albicans and Its Biofilm
Authors: Pan Lili , Yao Yuanyuan , Zheng Hailin , Yan Shuzhen , Chen Shuanglin
Published: August 2022

Biofilm-associated Candida albicans infections, the leading cause of invasive candidiasis, can cause high mortality rates in immunocompromised patients. Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is a promising approach for controlling infections caused by biofilm-associated C. albicans. This study shows the effect of Elsinochrome A (EA) against different stages of C. albicans biofilms in vitro by XTT reduction assay and crystal violet staining. The mechanism of action of EA on C. albicans biofilm was analyzed with flow cytometry, confocal laser microscopy, and the Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). EA-mediated PACT significantly reduced the viability of C. albicans, with an inhibition rate on biofilm of 89.38% under a concentration of 32 μg/mL EA. We found that EA could not only inhibit the adhesion of C. albicans in the early stage of biofilm formation, but that it also had good effects on pre-formed mature biofilms with a clearance rate of 35.16%. It was observed that EA-mediated PACT promotes the production of a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in C. albicans and down-regulates the intracellular expression of oxidative-stress-related genes, which further disrupted the permeability of cell membranes, leading to mitochondrial and nuclear damage. These results indicate that EA has good photodynamic antagonizing activity against the C. albicans biofilm, and potential clinical value.
Amazing Fungi for Eco-Friendly Composite Materials: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Aiduang Worawoot , Chanthaluck Athip , Kumla Jaturong , Jatuwong Kritsana , Srinuanpan Sirasit , Waroonkun Tanut , Oranratmanee Rawiwan , Lumyong Saisamorn , Suwannarach Nakarin
Published: August 2022

The continually expanding use of plastic throughout our world, along with the considerable increase in agricultural productivity, has resulted in a worrying increase in global waste and related environmental problems. The reuse and replacement of plastic with biomaterials, as well as the recycling of agricultural waste, are key components of a strategy to reduce plastic waste. Agricultural waste is characterized as lignocellulosic materials that mainly consist of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Saprobe fungi are able to convert agricultural waste into nutrients for their own growth and to facilitate the creation of mycelium-based composites (MBC) through bio-fabrication processes. Remarkably, different fungal species, substrates, and pressing and drying methods have resulted in varying chemical, mechanical, physical, and biological properties of the resulting composites that ultimately vary the functional aspects of the finished MBC. Over the last two decades, several innovative designs have produced a variety of MBC that can be applied across a range of industrial uses including in packaging and in the manufacturing of household items, furniture, and building materials that can replace foams, plastics, and wood products. Materials developed from MBC can be considered highly functional materials that offer renewable and biodegradable benefits as promising alternatives. Therefore, a better understanding of the beneficial properties of MBC is crucial for their potential applications in a variety of fields. Here, we have conducted a brief review of the current findings of relevant studies through an overview of recently published literature on MBC production and the physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological properties of these composites for use in innovative architecture, construction, and product designs. The advantages and disadvantages of various applications of mycelium-based materials (MBM) in various fields have been summarized. Finally, patent trends involving the use of MBM as a new and sustainable biomaterial have also been reviewed. The resulting knowledge can be used by researchers to develop and apply MBC in the form of eco-friendly materials in the future.
Diagnostic Performance and Clinical Utility of Conventional PCR Assay in Early Diagnosis of COVID-19 Associated Rhino-Orbito-Cerebral Mucormycosis
Authors: Mohapatra Samir , Barik Manas Ranjan , Rath Suryasnata , Sharma Savitri , Mohapatra Archisman , Behera Sharmistha , Acharya Souvagini , Pattjoshi Dipti Ranjan , Padhi Rajesh Kumar , Behera Himansu Sekhar
Published: August 2022

Early diagnosis and treatment of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) are crucial. Potassium hydroxide with Calcofluorwhite (KOH + CFW) smears can demonstrate the fungal hyphae, but mixed infections caused by both mucorales and non-mucorales pose a diagnostic challenge. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can detect mixed infections and differentiate mucorales from non-mucorales. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of a single reaction PCR in the diagnosis of ROCM and the efficacy of nasal biopsy and endonasal swab in the detection of fungus. Sixty-six clinical samples were collected from 33 patients and were subjected to KOH + CFW smear, culture and PCR. PCR was performed using pan-fungal primers targeting the 28S large subunit rRNA gene, and the amplified products were further sequenced to identify the fungi. KOH + CFW smear, culture and PCR detected mucorales in 54.6%, 27.3% and 63.6% patients, respectively. PCR detected mixed infection in 51.5% patients compared to 9.1% by KOH + CFW smear. PCR detected fungus in 90% of nasal biopsies and 77.8% of endonasal swabs. Rhizopus spp. was the most common fungi identified in 43.2% of PCR-positive samples. PCR is effective in detecting mixed infection and in the diagnosis of ROCM. Nasal biopsies had better fungal detection rates than endonasal swabs.
The Impact of Banking Sector Development on Economic Growth: The Case of Vietnam’s Transitional Economy
Authors: Nguyen Phuc Tran
Published: August 2022

The objective of this paper is to examine the role of the banking system in the growth of the Vietnamese economy in the process of the transition that started in the early 1990s. An ARDL approach-based multivariate regression technique is applied to shed light on the impact on the growth of banking development, which is measured by broad money and bank credit. The empirical findings confirm a positive long-term effect of banking development on growth, reflecting the important role of the banking system in a typical bank-based financial system in mobilizing and supplying capital to the economy, thus contributing to growth throughout the process of economic transition. The empirical findings also indicate a nonlinear effect and a diminishing marginal effect of banking development in the sub-period 2007–2020. The thresholds for the two measures of banking development are estimated to be around 107% and 101% of the GDP, respectively. This finding suggests that bank credit expansion needs to be closely controlled to be adaptive to the capital-absorptive capacity of the economy. To a certain extent, this finding is also an indicator of the ongoing extensive growth model adopted in Vietnam, which relies heavily on the quantity of invested capital.
Application of Infrared Spectroscopy Techniques for Identification of Ancient Vegetation and Soil Change on Loess Areas
Authors: Dudek Michał , Kabała Cezary , Łabaz Beata , Krupski Mateusz
Published: August 2022

The discussion on the formation of Chernozems still has no consensus, and one of the outstanding questions is the type of the vegetation that supported the persistence of these soils in Central Europe over the Holocene period. The transformation of Chernozems and related soil types may be clarified by paleoenvironmental studies, which integrate different investigation techniques and proxy data. We propose a procedure based on infrared reflectance spectroscopy of soil organic matter, that presumably contains specific fingerprints from land use and plant cover. A database of spectra for 337 samples representing vegetation classes (grassland, woodland and arable) and loess soil types (Chernozem, Phaeozem, Luvisol) was created to build a mathematical model, which allows to identify the origin of buried soils with unknown history. The comparison confirmed the applicability of both near-infrared and mid-infrared spectroscopy, with higher statistical affinity of MIR. A clear disjunction of land use/vegetation classes was proven and allowed reliable association of the samples from buried soils with grassland/woodland and episodes of arable land use, followed by prevailing forest vegetation after burial. The findings are consistent with proposed models in Poland and Czechia, and confirm the potential of spectroscopy techniques in identification of soil types and their evolution.
Analysis of the Spatial Adaptability of Gross Ecosystem Production, Gross Domestic Production, and Population Density in Chinese Mainland
Authors: Zang Zheng , Ren Qilong , Zhang Yuqing
Published: August 2022

As China is currently in a critical period of transition to green development, a quantitative analysis of the coupled synergy between economic growth, population migration, and environmental protection performance can provide a rational reference for the formulation of macro-policies in relevant regions. Based on these objectives, this study built a matching analysis framework between gross domestic production (GDP) density (GD), population density (PD), and gross ecosystem production (GEP) density (ED) to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of these three indicators among 362 municipal units in different regions of the Chinese Mainland from 2000 to 2020 based on satellite remote sensing images and statistical data. The spatial adaptability between them was explored by employing a center-of-gravity model. The findings of this study show that: (1) the GD, PD, and ED on the Chinese Mainland exhibited varying degrees of spatial heterogeneity on both sides of the Hu Line during the investigation period, with the general feature of being higher in the southeastern region and lower in the northwestern region; (2) the centers of gravity of GD, PD, and ED were all located in Hubei Province during the investigation period. The centers of gravity of PD and GD shifted 79.39 km and 109.72 km to the southwest, respectively, whereas the center of gravity of ED, remained relatively stable during the investigation period; and (3) the center of gravity distances between PD–GD, ED–PD, and ED–GD in 2020 were 99.31 km, 247.52 km, and 346.27 km, respectively, and the percentages of highly matched units ranked among the 362 samples were 72.93%, 23.48%, and 25.69% for GD–PD, GD–ED, and ED–PD, respectively. This study concluded that a synergistic spatial pattern of the population, economic layout, and land use on the Chinese Mainland has not yet been formed. Therefore, this study suggests that future policies should be committed to promoting the northwest Chinese Mainland movement of the center of gravity of GD and PD, as well as the southeast movement of the ED center.
Reputation Effect on Contract Choice and Self-Enforcement: A Case Study of Farmland Transfer in China
Authors: Li Hanning , Han Hongyun , Ying Shiyu
Published: August 2022

The prevailing informal contracts of farmland transfer in China are facing frequent disputes and defaults, which call for effective self-enforcement mechanisms operating through transactors’ reputations and social networks. However, the effects of reputation on contract choice and self-enforcement have not been thoroughly considered and examined by existing research in the case of farmland transfer. This study explores the reputation’s ex-ante signaling effect on farmers’ contract choices and the ex-post penalty effect on farmers’ performance in informal contracts. Based on 403 transfer contracts obtained from a field survey conducted in the Hebei province of China, we apply the multinomial logit model and Heckman probit model to perform empirical analysis. The results show that, affected by the penalty effect, farmers with good reputations are more likely to fulfill informal contracts to avoid reputation damage and the resulting loss of future trading opportunities. However, in the ex-ante stage of contract choice, a farmer’s reputation has no significant signaling effect on the formation of informal contracts. The informal contracts are chosen due to farmers’ trust in the close social network and the demand for reduced transaction costs. These findings highlight the importance of personal reputation serving as a form of relational governance in the self-enforcement of informal contracts, which provides a means of enhancing the informal contract’s effectiveness in terms of farmland transfer in the rural acquaintance society. It also provides insights into the necessity of creating a supportive environment for informal rules. Policies should encourage the building of personal reputation and establishment of good social norms to form a long-term, stable and reasonable contractual relationship for farmland transfer.
Forest Bioeconomy in Brazil: Potential Innovative Products from the Forest Sector
Authors: Maximo Yasmin Imparato , Hassegawa Mariana , Verkerk Pieter Johannes , Missio André Luiz
Published: August 2022

The forest sector plays an important role in the circular bioeconomy due to its focus on renewable materials that can substitute fossil or greenhouse gas emissions-intensive materials, store carbon in bio-based products and provide ecosystem services. This study investigates the state of the bioeconomy in Brazil and its forest industry. Specifically, this study presents some examples of novel wood-based products being developed or manufactured in Brazil and discusses possible opportunities for the development of the country’s forest sector. The pulp and paper industry plays an important role in the forest sector. It has also been showing advancements in the development of cascading uses of wood invalue-added products, such as nanocrystalline cellulose, wood-based textile fibers, lignin-based products, and chemical derivatives from tall oil. Product and business diversification through the integration of the pulp and paper industry to biorefineries could provide new opportunities. Moreover, biochemicals derived from non-wood forest products, such as resin and tannins could promote diversification and competitiveness of the Brazilian forest industry. Although some engineered wood products are still a novelty in Brazil, the market for such products will likely expand in the future following the global trends in wood construction.
Spatial Reconstruction of Rural Settlements Based on Multidimensional Suitability: A Case Study of Pingba Village, China
Authors: Bi Guohua , Yang Qingyuan
Published: August 2022

Rural settlement reconstruction relies on multiobjective system engineering. The demolition and relocation of rural settlements affects agricultural production, farmers’ lives, and rural ecology. However, most studies on the topic have failed to examine the relationship between production, livelihoods, and ecology. We propose a framework for rural settlement reconstruction based on multidimensional suitability, which combines ecology, production, and livelihoods. Our framework integrates objective factors reflecting the differences among settlements and considers the reconstruction of the village of Pingba. The results show that: (1) Different suitability conditions yield differences in the number, scale, and spatial distribution of relocated and reserved settlements. Our results on multidimensional suitability show that 74 rural settlements in Pingba must be relocated or optimized, accounting for 67% of all settlements. (2) Rural settlements that need to be demolished and relocated have formed multiple clusters, and spatial integration and optimization have occurred mostly in reserved settlements. (3) When we consider individual factors, the number and size of rural settlements that need to be relocated increases significantly compared to when we consider regional factors only. This study unveils the influence of multidimensional suitability as well as farmers’ individual characteristics on rural settlement reconstruction and provides an exploratory tool for rural space governance and modernization.
Processing of Transitivity Alternations and Frequency-Based Accounts in Greek Adult Language
Authors: Fotiadou Georgia
Published: August 2022

The processing and resolution of syntactically ambiguous structures is accounted for by serial autonomous and multiple constraint satisfaction models differently. We investigated the extent to which frequency affects native speakers’ processing and interpretation of ‘voice (non)-alternating’ anticausative Greek verbs which differ in the availability or lack of voice alternation on the verb when it appears in intransitive structures. The accessibility of interpretations was measured with an online self-paced reading (SPR) task and an offline acceptability judgment (AJ) task addressed to 45 monolingual Greek-speaking adults. In order to investigate whether processing load is affected by statistical records in the parser, we compared empirical data with the frequency of the available readings that these verbs receive in formal and informal registers (ILSP, Web-Based Corpus). The online processing study indicated that the parser is sensitive to morphological cues ((N)ACT voice marking), while semantic factors such as animacy are integrated in subsequent stages of processing. A frequency effect was found in accordance with ‘coarse-grained’ models of sentence processing, while more ‘fine-grained’ models could not be validated with respect to frequency alone. The majority of acceptability judgements attributed to the verbs investigated correlated with the most frequent interpretations of verb forms in intransitive structures in corpora.
COVID-19 in European Soccer: A Public 2-Year Comparison of COVID-19 Case Management and Case Characteristics between the 1st Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League
Authors: Droste Jan-Niklas , Marshall Robert Percy , Borte Stephan , Seyler Sebastian , Riepenhof Helge
Published: August 2022

To evaluate the extent and characteristics of COVID-19 cases in relation to environmental COVID-19 incidences in the four best European soccer leagues (Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A and La Liga) from the first of January 2020 until the end of January 2022. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of all publicly available COVID-19 cases in the studied cohorts was performed. The 14-day case incidences from epidemiological national data were used as reference values. The leagues studied are the Bundesliga (Germany), Premier League (Great Britain), Serie A (Italy) and La Liga (Spain). For all cases, the duration of time loss and date of case notification were recorded. Results: League-specific mean time loss due to disease or quarantine per COVID-19 case differs significantly between La Liga (11.45; ±5.21 days) and the other leagues studied (Bundesliga 20.41; ±33.87; p 0.0242; Premier League 17.12; ±10.39; p 0.0001; Serie A 17.61; ±12.71; p < 0.0001). A positive correlation between 14-day national incidence with COVID-19 disease occurrence in soccer leagues was found for all leagues studied. The correlations were strong in the Bundesliga (r 0.5911; CI 0.4249–0.7187; p < 0.0001), Serie A (r 0.5979; CI 0.4336–0.7238; p < 0.0001) and La Liga (r 0.5251; CI 0.3432–0.6690; p < 0.0001). A moderate correlation was found for the Premier League (r 0.3308; CI 0.1147–0.5169; p 0.0026). Odds ratios for altered environmental case risk in the cohorts studied could be calculated for four different national COVID-19 incidence levels (<50/100.000 to >500/100.000). A trend towards shorter COVID-19 case duration in the second half of 2021 was shown for all leagues studied. Conclusions: There was a significantly lower mean time-loss caused by a COVID-19 infection for cases occurred in La Liga compared with the other three leagues studied. For all four leagues studied, a positive, significant correlation of national environmental COVID-19 incidence level and the incidence of COVID-19 cases in the cohort of a football league was found.
Effects of Obesity and Diabesity on Ventricular Muscle Structure and Function in the Zucker Rat
Authors: Sultan Ahmed , Adeghate Ernest , Emerald Bright Starling , Qureshi Muhammad A. , Minhas Saeed Tariq , Howarth Frank Christopher
Published: August 2022

(1) Background: Cardiovascular complications are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. The effects of obesity and diabesity on the function and structure of ventricular myocytes in the Zucker fatty (ZF) rat and the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat compared to Zucker lean (ZL) control rats have been investigated. (2) Methods: Shortening and intracellular Ca2+ were simultaneously measured with cell imaging and fluorescence photometry, respectively. Ventricular muscle protein expression and structure were investigated with Western blot and electron microscopy, respectively. (3) Results: The amplitude of shortening was increased in ZF compared to ZL but not compared to ZDF myocytes. Resting Ca2+ was increased in ZDF compared to ZL myocytes. Time to half decay of the Ca2+ transient was prolonged in ZDF compared to ZL and was reduced in ZF compared to ZL myocytes. Changes in expression of proteins associated with cardiac muscle contraction are presented. Structurally, there were reductions in sarcomere length in ZDF and ZF compared to ZL and reductions in mitochondria count in ZF compared to ZDF and ZL myocytes. (4) Conclusions: Alterations in ventricular muscle proteins and structure may partly underlie the defects observed in Ca2+ signaling in ZDF and ZF compared to ZL rat hearts.
Diethyl(benzamido(diisopropoxyphosphoryl)methyl) phosphonate
Authors: López-Francés Adrián , Palacios Francisco , Maestro Aitor , Vicario Javier
Published: August 2022

Bisphosphonates are widely used in medicine and related areas, mainly for the treatment of bone diseases, such as osteoporosis. However, their synthesis is usually performed under harsh reaction conditions. In order to overcome this limitation, the present work illustrates a new synthetic route to access the title α-aminobisphosphonate in milder reaction conditions using α-phosphorylated imines as key intermediates.
4-Amino-3-(1-{[amino(3-methyl-2-oxido-1,2,5-oxadiazol-4-yl)methylene]hydrazinylidene}ethyl)-1,2,5-oxadiazole 2-Oxide
Authors: Epishina Margarita A. , Kulikov Alexander S. , Fershtat Leonid L.
Published: August 2022

Functionally substituted 1,2,5-oxadiazole 2-oxides (furoxans) are important pharmaceutical scaffolds used for the preparation of various pharmacologically active substances. Furoxans bearing hydrazone functionality are considered as promising drug candidates for the treatment of neglected diseases. However, pharmacologically oriented hydrazones derived from (furoxanyl)amidrazones and acetylfuroxans have remained unknown so far. In this communication, a simple method for the synthesis of 4-amino-3-(1-{[amino(3-methyl-2-oxido-1,2,5-oxadiazol-4-yl)methylene]hydrazinylidene}ethyl)-1,2,5-oxadiazole 2-oxide is described. The structure of the synthesized compound was established by elemental analysis, high-resolution mass spectrometry, 1H, 13C NMR and IR spectroscopy.
Effect of Annealing Temperature on Microstructure and Properties of Al/Mg Magnetic Pulse Welding Joints
Authors: Li Yan , Yang Dezhi , Yang Wenyu , Wu Zhisheng , Liu Cuirong
Published: August 2022

In this investigation, 1060Al/AZ31B welded joints were obtained by magnetic pulse welding technique. In order to test the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints, the welded joints were annealed at different temperatures and then examined by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy spectrum analysis (EDS) and mechanical properties testing. The testing results of the welded joints annealed at different temperatures showed that the Al-Mg MPW welded joints were well bonded. The changing of the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al/Mg welded joints was not apparent under the temperature of 200 °C. However, Al12Mg17 intermetallic compound layer formed at 200 °C. Al12Mg17 and Al3Mg2 intermetallic compound layers formed at the temperature of 300 °C. The diffusion rate of Mg and Al elements is proportional to the annealing temperature and the intermetallic compounds layer is gradually formed. The microhardness near the interface decreased first and then increased on account of the brittleness of intermetallic compounds. In the tensile shear tests, the fracture mechanism of Al/Mg MPW welded joints were analyzed. When the temperature was lower than 200 °C the joints did not crack. At 200 °C and 250 °C, the joints fracture along the Al12Mg17-Al interface. The joint cracks along the interface of Al12Mg17-Al3Mg2 at the temperature of 300 °C.
Interface Formation of Medium-Thick AA6061 Al/AZ31B Mg Dissimilar Submerged Friction Stir Welding Joints
Authors: Huang Tifang , Zhang Zeyu , Liu Jinglin , Chen Sihao , Xie Yuming , Meng Xiangchen , Huang Yongxian , Wan Long
Published: August 2022

The medium-thick Al/Mg dissimilar friction stir welding (FSW) joint has serious groove and cavity defects due to uneven thermal distribution in the thickness direction. The submerged friction stir welding (SFSW) was employed to decrease the peak temperature of the joint and control the thermal gradient of the thickness direction, which were beneficial in suppressing the coarsening of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) layer and improving the weld formation. According to the SEM results, the thickness value of the IMC layer in the nugget zone and shoulder affect zone decreased from 0.78 μm and 1.31 μm in FSW process to 0.59 μm and 1.21 μm in SFSW process at the same parameter, respectively. Compared with the FSW process, SFSW improves the thermal accumulation during the process, which inhibits the formation of the IMCs and facilitates the material flow to form a mechanical interlocking structure. This firm interface formation elevates the effective contact area of the whole joint interface and provides a strong connection between the dissimilar metals. Thus, the ultimate strength of the 6 mm thick Al/Mg dissimilar SFSW joints was enhanced to 171 MPa, equivalent to 71.3% of AZ31B Mg alloys strength.
Effect of Different Mo Addition on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cu-15Ni-8Sn Alloy
Authors: Zhang Kai , Zhang Limin , Shu Chenglong , Fan Wenxin , Li Sha , Yuan Xia , Zhao Junsheng , Wang Yushuai , Wang Pengfei
Published: August 2022

In the present study, Mo was added to Cu–15Ni–8Sn alloy as the fourth element to solve the limitation of service performance of the alloy by composition design. The phase composition, microstructure transformation and mechanical properties of Cu–15Ni–8Sn–xMo (x = 0.3, 0.9, 1.5 wt.%) alloy were systematically studied by simulation calculation and experimental characterization. The results show that the addition of Mo can improve the as-cast structure of Cu–15Ni–8Sn alloy and reduce segregation and Cu–Mo phase precipitates on the surface with the increase in Mo contents. During solution treatment, Mo can partially dissolve into the matrix, which may be the key to improving the properties of the alloy. Furthermore, the discontinuous precipitation of Sn can be effectively inhibited by adding the appropriate amount of Mo to Cu–15Ni–8Sn alloy, and the hardness of alloy does not decrease greatly after a long-time aging treatment. When Mo content is 0.9 wt.%, the alloy reaches the peak hardness of 384 HV at 4 h of aging. These results provide new ideas for composition optimization of Cu–15Ni–8Sn alloy.
Effects of Solution Temperature on Tensile Properties of a High γ′ Volume Fraction P/M Superalloy
Authors: Jia Jian , Zhang Yiwen , Tao Yu , Yan Ting , Ji Hongyan
Published: August 2022

To meet the pressing needs concerning the optimization of the performance of powder metallurgy (P/M) superalloys for turbine disc applications, the effects of solution temperature on a novel high γ′ volume fraction P/M superalloy FGH 4107 were investigated. The results indicated that the size of the γ′ precipitates decreased dramatically as the solution temperature increased from 1160 to 1200 °C. Theoretical calculations showed that the precipitation strengthening played a dominant role in enhancing the strength of the high γ′ volume fraction P/M superalloy, and a higher solution temperature was beneficial for the modification of the γ′ phase distribution during the following cooling and aging process.
Experimental Study of Maintenance-Free Steel-Composite Buckling Restrained Braces
Authors: Zhao Jun , Wang Huiping , Dong Jun , Zhang Liwei
Published: August 2022

High-rise buildings are very flexible, have a small damping, and respond significantly under strong dynamic load. However, there is a lack of studies about buckling restrained braces (BRBs) used in high-rise buildings, towering steel structures, and bridge structures. In this paper, the authors put forward a new type of brace, the maintenance-free steel-composite buckling restrained brace (MFSC-BRB). The MFSC-BRB has a steel plate core, for which a ribbed glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) rectangular tube is used as the restraint unit; the steel core is encapsulated by the GFRP rectangular tube. In this study, MFSC-BRBs were fabricated using a vacuum-infused molding process that enabled them to be integrally formed all at once. Four specimens were designed according to the vacuum-infused molding process; then, the failure mode, deformation capacity, and hysteretic behavior of the MFSC-BRBs were studied. The results showed that the new MFSC-BRB has good integrity and good energy dissipation capacity under the action of a low weekly repeated loading effect. When the axial displacement is large, the performance of the single wave section expansion joint is better than that of the double wave section expansion joint. The greater the restraint ratio of the restrained yield section, the greater the energy dissipation of the brace. The proposed MFSC-BRBs have good integrity and are lightweight compared with traditional BRBs.
Methodology Approbation for the Overhead Power Lines Sag Determining by the Period of Conductor Owned Oscillations
Authors: Yaroslavsky Danil , Sadykov Marat , Goryachev Mikhail , Ivanov Dmitry , Andreev Nikolay
Published: August 2022

The relevance of the problem is justified and the review of existing methods for determining the overhead line sag by the period of the conductor owned oscillations is conducted. The method of controlling the sag by the period of its own oscillations is briefly presented. The experimental installation for conducting full-scale tests is described, which includes the conductor (64 m), rigid fasteners at the points of conductor suspension, accelerometer, and temperature sensor mounted on the conductor, data from which are processed and recorded by the specialized software. The measurement method is explained with a detailed description. The conductor oscillations spectral analysis is performed. The results of experimental main harmonic frequency measurements, conductor, and changes in the sag are presented. A comparative results analysis showed the efficiency of the proposed method. The described method for determining the sag is easy to use (it is enough to install an accelerometer on the conductor and process data from it) and can be recommended for monitoring the condition of overhead power lines. The correlation of changes in the conductor oscillations spectral harmonics amplitude with temperature was studied. It is found that the correlation coefficient initially increases with the growth of the harmonics number. It is maximal for the ninth harmonic R = −0.9, and then slowly weakens, remaining between 0.9 and 0.8. This property of high-frequency harmonic oscillations can be used in the high-voltage lines condition diagnosis.
Improving Large-Scale k-Nearest Neighbor Text Categorization with Label Autoencoders
Authors: Ribadas-Pena Francisco J. , Cao Shuyuan , Darriba Bilbao Víctor M.
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we introduce a multi-label lazy learning approach to deal with automatic semantic indexing in large document collections in the presence of complex and structured label vocabularies with high inter-label correlation. The proposed method is an evolution of the traditional k-Nearest Neighbors algorithm which uses a large autoencoder trained to map the large label space to a reduced size latent space and to regenerate the predicted labels from this latent space. We have evaluated our proposal in a large portion of the MEDLINE biomedical document collection which uses the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus as a controlled vocabulary. In our experiments we propose and evaluate several document representation approaches and different label autoencoder configurations.
Finite Gradient Models with Enriched RBF-Based Interpolation
Authors: Areias Pedro , Melicio Rui , Carapau Fernando , Carrilho Lopes José
Published: August 2022

A finite strain gradient model for the 3D analysis of materials containing spherical voids is presented. A two-scale approach is proposed: a least-squares methodology for RVE analysis with quadratic displacements and a full high-order continuum with both fourth-order and sixth-order elasticity tensors. A meshless method is adopted using radial basis function interpolation with polynomial enrichment. Both the first and second derivatives of the resulting shape functions are described in detail. Complete expressions for the deformation gradient F and its gradient ∇F are derived and a consistent linearization is performed to ensure the Newton solution. A total of seven constitutive properties is required. The classical Lamé parameters corresponding to the pristine material are considered constant. From RVE homogenization, seven properties are obtained, two homogenized Lamé parameters plus five gradient-related properties. Two validation 3D numerical examples are presented. The first example exhibits the size effect (i.e., the stiffening of smaller specimens) and the second example shows the absence of stress singularity and hence the convergence of the discretization method.
A Modular Approach to the Teaching of Mathematical Content at Technical Universities
Authors: Pócsová Jana , Mojžišová Andrea , Podlubny Igor
Published: August 2022

A new approach to dividing the mathematical content into partial modules is presented. This allows to compose subjects with mathematical content from such partial modules and flexibly adapt these subjects to the needs of specific study programs at technical universities. The consistent and systematic implementation of this approach in a typical learning management system is described in detail. This approach means significant changes in the massive (or bulk) delivery of knowledge using available information technologies. The main benefits of the presented system consist in the increase the resulting level of knowledge of students along with their satisfaction with the results and the form of their study. The most important changes arising from our approach are the following. First, the study process became distributed in space and in time. Second, it can be piecewise continuous in time, and, since all students can study at their own pace, it runs in multiple individual time scales. The most important change, however, is the shift of the paradigm the educational process from transmissive “teach–learn” to active “study”.
Development and Validation of a New Tool in Predicting In-Hospital Mortality for Hip-Fractured Patients: The PRIMOF Score
Authors: Di Martino Giuseppe , Di Giovanni Pamela , Cedrone Fabrizio , D’Addezio Michela , Meo Francesca , Scampoli Piera , Romano Ferdinando , Staniscia Tommaso
Published: August 2022

Background and Objectives: The improved life expectancy was associated to the increased in the incidence of hip fractures among elderly people. Subjects suffering hip fractures frequently show concomitant conditions causing prolonged lengths of stay and higher in-hospital mortality. The knowledge of factors associated to in-hospital mortality or adverse events can help healthcare providers improve patients’ outcomes and management. The aim of this study was to develop a score to predict in-hospital mortality among hip fractured patients. Materials and Methods: Cases were selected from hospital admissions that occurred during the period 2006–2015 in Abruzzo region, Italy. The study population was split into two random samples in order to evaluate the accuracy of prediction models. A multivariate logistic regression was performed in order to identify factors associated to in-hospital mortality. All diagnoses significantly associated to in-hospital mortality were included in the final model. Results: The PRIMOF ranged between 0 and 27 and was divided into four risk categories to allow the score interpretation. An increase in odds ratio values with the increase in PRIMOF score was reported in both study groups. Conclusions: This study showed that a simple score based on the patient’ clinical comorbidities was able to stratify the risk of hip-fractured patients in terms of in-hospital mortality.
Rare Heterogeneous Adverse Events Associated with mRNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccines: A Systematic Review
Authors: Oueijan Rana I. , Hill Olivia R. , Ahiawodzi Peter D. , Fasinu Pius S. , Thompson Dorothea K.
Published: August 2022

Background: Since the successful development, approval, and administration of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, there have been reports in the published literature, passive surveillance systems, and other pharmacovigilance platforms of a broad spectrum of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination. A comprehensive review of the more serious adverse events associated with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines is warranted, given the massive number of vaccine doses administered worldwide and the novel mechanism of action of these mRNA vaccines in the healthcare industry. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify relevant studies that have reported mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-related adverse events. Results: Serious and severe adverse events following mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations are rare. While a definitive causal relationship was not established in most cases, important adverse events associated with post-vaccination included rare and non-fatal myocarditis and pericarditis in younger vaccine recipients, thrombocytopenia, neurological effects such as seizures and orofacial events, skin reactions, and allergic hypersensitivities. Conclusions: As a relatively new set of vaccines already administered to billions of people, COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines are generally safe and efficacious. Further studies on long-term adverse events and other unpredictable reactions in close proximity to mRNA vaccination are required.
Model Evaluation of the Microbial Metabolic Processes in a Hydrogen-Based Membrane Biofilm Reactor for Simultaneous Bromate and Nitrate Reduction
Authors: Jiang Minmin , Zhang Yuanyuan , Zhang Jie , Dai Xingru , Li Haixiang , Zhang Xuehong , Wu Zhichao , Zheng Junjian
Published: August 2022

The H2-based membrane biofilm reactor (H2-MBfR) has been acknowledged as a cost-effective microbial reduction technology for oxyanion removal from drinking water sources, but it remains unknown how the evolution of biofilm characteristics responds to the changing critical operating parameters of the H2-MBfR for simultaneous bromate (BrO3−) and nitrate (NO3−) elimination. Therefore, an expanded multispecies model, applicable to mechanistically interpret the bromate-reducing bacteria (BRB)- and denitrifying bacteria (DNB)-dominated metabolic processes in the biofilm of the H2-MBfR, was developed in this study. The model outputs indicate that (1) increased BrO3− loading facilitated the metabolism of BRB by increasing BRB fraction and BrO3− gradients in the biofilm, but had a marginal influence on NO3− reduction; (2) H2 pressure of 0.04 MPa enabled the minimal loss of H2 and the extension of the active region of BRB and DNB in the biofilm; (3) once the influent NO3− concentration was beyond 10 mg N/L, the fraction and activity of BRB significantly declined; (4) BRB was more tolerant than DNB for the acidic aquatic environment incurred by the CO2 pressure over 0.02 MPa. The results corroborate that the degree of microbial competition for substrates and space in the biofilm was dependent on system operating parameters.
On the Tribocorrosion Behavior of Fe-Mn-Al-C Alloys in Ringer’s Solution
Authors: Barona-Osorio Gisselle M. , Teran Leonel A. , Rodríguez Sara A. , Coronado John J.
Published: August 2022

The long-term performance of steels is affected by the simultaneous actions of wear and corrosion, known as tribocorrosion. The tribocorrosion behavior of fully austenitic steels: Fe-Mn-xAl-C (x = 0, 3.5 and 8.3 wt.%) in Ringer’s solution was investigated by using a pin on disk tribometer adapted with a three-electrode corrosion cell. Open circuit potential and coefficient of friction evolution as well as polarization curves were measured. Corrosion rates were calculated by the Tafel extrapolation method, and wear rates were calculated by using a linear profilometer. Pure and total wear rates were higher for the 3Al alloy due to the greater precipitation and embedded calcium minerals, hydroxides, and oxides on the surface, to the detachment of the deformed layer and its adhesion to the counterbody. Additionally, the 8Al alloy exhibited the lowest tendency to corrosion and corrosion rate and the greatest synergistic effect, indicating that this alloy is more sensitive to this effect than the other alloys. For the three materials, the change in the wear rate due to corrosion had a greater contribution to the synergy than the change in corrosion rate due to wear and the damage in the materials was derived mainly from pure mechanical wear.
Recent Progress in Development and Applications of Ionic Polymer–Metal Composite
Authors: Park Si , Kim Sang , Park Seong , Lee Juyeon , Kim Hyungjun , Kim Min
Published: August 2022

Electroactive polymer (EAP) is a polymer that reacts to electrical stimuli, such as voltage, and can be divided into electronic and ionic EAP by an electrical energy transfer mechanism within the polymer. The mechanism of ionic EAP is the movement of the positive ions inducing voltage change in the polymer membrane. Among the ionic EAPs, an ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC) is composed of a metal electrode on the surface of the polymer membrane. A common material for the polymer membrane of IPMC is Nafion containing hydrogen ions, and platinum, gold, and silver are commonly used for the electrode. As a result, IPMC has advantages, such as low voltage requirements, large bending displacement, and bidirectional actuation. Manufacturing of IPMC is composed of preparing the polymer membrane and plating electrode. Preparation methods for the membrane include solution casting, hot pressing, and 3D printing. Meanwhile, electrode formation methods include electroless plating, electroplating, direct assembly process, and sputtering deposition. The manufactured IPMC is widely demonstrated in applications such as grippers, micro-pumps, biomedical, biomimetics, bending sensors, flow sensors, energy harvesters, biosensors, and humidity sensors. This paper will review the overall field of IPMC by demonstrating the categorization, principle, materials, and manufacturing method of IPMC and its applications.
Design and Synthesis of Cobalt-Based Hollow Nanoparticles through the Liquid Metal Template
Authors: Ji Yuan , Li Zhenlong , Liu Yundan , Wu Xianghua , Ren Long
Published: August 2022

Co-based compounds have attracted much attention due to their competitive catalytic activities. To enhance their intrinsic electrocatalytic activity, morphology engineering is one of the effective strategies. Hollow structures have fascinating properties due to their low density and high loading capacity. In this work, we introduce a Ga-based liquid alloy as a reactive template for the synthesis of varying Co-based hollow nanoparticles. The fluidity character of the Ga-based liquid alloy facilitates the large-scale production of nanoparticles via a top-down shearing process. The pre-installed active species (here is Zn) in the liquid alloy serve as a sacrificial source to quantitatively reduce Co2+ ions and form Co-based compounds. Well-structured Ga/CoOOH core-shell nanospheres are thus successfully prepared, and more varied Co-based hollow nanoparticles can be obtained by post-treatment and reaction. Hollow structures can offer enhanced interfacial area and increased active sites, benefiting the catalytic performance. Among the prepared Co-based catalysts, CoSe2 hollow nanoparticles exhibited the best oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with an overpotential of 340 mV at the current density of 10 mA/cm2. This work provides a novel strategy for the rational design and simple preparation of hollow nanoparticles.
Comparative Characterization of NWFET and FinFET Transistor Structures Using TCAD Modeling
Authors: Petrosyants Konstantin O. , Silkin Denis S. , Popov Dmitriy A.
Published: August 2022

A complete comparison for 14 nm FinFET and NWFET with stacked nanowires was carried out. The electrical and thermal performances in two device structures were analyzed based on TCAD simulation results. The electro-thermal TCAD models were calibrated to data measured on 30–7 nm FinFETs and NWFETs. The full set of output electrical device parameters Ion, Ioff, SS, Vth, and maximal device temperature Tmax was discussed to achieve the optimum VLSI characteristics.
Adaptive Non-Singular Terminal Sliding Mode Control Method for Electromagnetic Linear Actuator
Authors: Lu Yingtao , Lu Jiayu , Tan Cao , Tian Maowen , Dong Guoming
Published: August 2022

In this study, to further improve the dynamic performance and steady-state accuracy of the electromagnetic linear actuator (EMLA) for the direct-drive system, the adaptive non-singular terminal sliding mode controller (ANTSMC) based on an improved disturbance observer (IDOB) is proposed. Accurate modeling of the EMLA based on the LuGre friction model was obtained by identification. Aiming at the continuous disturbance of the system, a non-singular terminal sliding mode control based on improved exponential reaching law (IERL) is designed, which is combined with the advantages of fuzzy control. Adaptive adjustment of the IERL gain is achieved to ensure finite time convergence of the tracking error while suppressing system jitter. Based on the IDOB to achieve effective observation compensation under noise disturbance and further improve the system robustness. The stability of the control is analyzed based on the Lyapunov function. The results show that the proposed method suppresses the jitter and improves the tracking performance and robustness of the servo system for different desired trajectories effectively.
Non-Destructive Characterization of Selected Types of Films and Other Layers via White Light Reflectance Spectroscopy (WLRS)
Authors: Goustouridis Dimitrios , Raptis Ioannis , Mpatzaka Theodora , Fournari Savvina , Zisis Grigorios , Petrou Panagiota , Beltsios Konstantinos G.
Published: August 2022

In this work, we consider White Light Reflectance Spectroscopy (WLRS) as an optical methodology for the accurate, fast and non-destructive measurement of film thickness in the 1 nm to the 1 mm range and for applications that include microelectronics, photonics, bioanalysis and packaging. Films to which WLRS is applicable can be either homogeneous or layered-composite ones, while thickness and composition might be fixed or varying with time; in the latter case, real-time monitoring of the kinetics of processes such as certain transitions, film dissolution and bioreactions is possible. We present the basic principles of WLRS and a selection of characteristic application examples of current interest, and we also briefly compare WLRS with alternative methods for film measurement.