bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of Laminar Composition in Cerebral Cortex Using Low-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Images and Trust Region Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Jamárik Jakub , Vojtíšek Lubomír , Churová Vendula , Kašpárek Tomáš , Schwarz Daniel
Published: December 2021

Pathological changes in the cortical lamina can cause several mental disorders. Visualization of these changes in vivo would enhance their diagnostics. Recently a framework for visualizing cortical structures by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged. This is based on mathematical modeling of multi-component T1 relaxation at the sub-voxel level. This work proposes a new approach for their estimation. The approach is validated using simulated data. Sixteen MRI experiments were carried out on healthy volunteers. A modified echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence was used to acquire 105 individual volumes. Data simulating the images were created, serving as the ground truth. The model was fitted to the data using a modified Trust Region algorithm. In single voxel experiments, the estimation accuracy of the T1 relaxation times depended on the number of optimization starting points and the level of noise. A single starting point resulted in a mean percentage error (MPE) of 6.1%, while 100 starting points resulted in a perfect fit. The MPE was <5% for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) ≥ 38 dB. Concerning multiple voxel experiments, the MPE was <5% for all components. Estimation of T1 relaxation times can be achieved using the modified algorithm with MPE < 5%.
Epigenetics of Mitochondria-Associated Genes in Striated Muscle
Authors: Ehrlich Kenneth C. , Deng Hong-Wen , Ehrlich Melanie
Published: December 2021

Striated muscle has especially large energy demands. We identified 97 genes preferentially expressed in skeletal muscle and heart, but not in aorta, and found significant enrichment for mitochondrial associations among them. We compared the epigenomic and transcriptomic profiles of the 27 genes associated with striated muscle and mitochondria. Many showed strong correlations between their tissue-specific transcription levels, and their tissue-specific promoter, enhancer, or open chromatin as well as their DNA hypomethylation. Their striated muscle-specific enhancer chromatin was inside, upstream, or downstream of the gene, throughout much of the gene as a super-enhancer (CKMT2, SLC25A4, and ACO2), or even overlapping a neighboring gene (COX6A2, COX7A1, and COQ10A). Surprisingly, the 3′ end of the 1.38 Mb PRKN (PARK2) gene (involved in mitophagy and linked to juvenile Parkinson’s disease) displayed skeletal muscle/myoblast-specific enhancer chromatin, a myoblast-specific antisense RNA, as well as brain-specific enhancer chromatin. We also found novel tissue-specific RNAs in brain and embryonic stem cells within PPARGC1A (PGC-1α), which encodes a master transcriptional coregulator for mitochondrial formation and metabolism. The tissue specificity of this gene’s four alternative promoters, including a muscle-associated promoter, correlated with nearby enhancer chromatin and open chromatin. Our in-depth epigenetic examination of these genes revealed previously undescribed tissue-specific enhancer chromatin, intragenic promoters, regions of DNA hypomethylation, and intragenic noncoding RNAs that give new insights into transcription control for this medically important set of genes.
New In-Flame Flammability Testing Method Applied to Monitor Seasonal Changes in Live Fuel
Authors: Melnik Oleg M. , Paskaluk Stephen A. , Ackerman Mark Y. , Melnik Katharine O. , Thompson Dan K. , McAllister Sara S. , Flannigan Mike D.
Published: December 2021

Improving the accuracy of fire behavior prediction requires better understanding of live fuel, the dominant component of tree crowns, which dictates the consumption and energy release of the crown fire flame-front. Live fuel flammability is not well represented by existing evaluation methods. High-flammability live fuel, e.g., in conifers, may maintain or increase the energy release of the advancing crown fire flame-front, while low-flammability live fuel, e.g., in boreal deciduous stands, may reduce or eventually suppress flame-front energy release. To better characterize these fuel–flame-front interactions, we propose a method for quantifying flammability as the fuel’s net effect on (contribution to) the frontal flame energy release, in which the frontal flame is simulated using a methane diffusion flame. The fuel’s energy release contribution to the methane flame was measured using oxygen consumption calorimetry as the difference in energy release between the methane flame interacting with live fuel and the methane flame alone. In-flame testing resulted in fuel ignition and consumption comparable to those in wildfires. The energy release contribution of live fuel was significantly lower than its energy content measured using standard methods, suggesting better sensitivity of the proposed metric to water content- and oxygen deficiency-associated energy release reductions within the combustion zone.
Relevance of Factorization Method to Differential and Integral Equations Associated with Hybrid Class of Polynomials
Authors: Ahmad Naeem , Sabri Raziya , Khan Mohammad Faisal , Shadab Mohammad , Gupta Anju
Published: December 2021

This article has a motive to derive a new class of differential equations and associated integral equations for some hybrid families of Laguerre–Gould–Hopper-based Sheffer polynomials. We derive recurrence relations, differential equation, integro-differential equation, and integral equation for the Laguerre–Gould–Hopper-based Sheffer polynomials by using the factorization method.
The Health Professional’s View on the Inclusion of Age in the Recommendations for Pneumococcal Vaccination: Results of a Cross-Sectional Survey in France
Authors: Farge Gaëlle , de Wazières Benoît , Raude Jocelyn , Delavelle Clémence , Humbert Fabienne , Janssen Cécile
Published: December 2021

Elderly people are at high risk for pneumococcal infections. However, older age is not an eligibility factor for pneumococcal vaccination in France. Adults with certain co-morbidities or immunocompromised states are eligible for vaccination, which leaves adults aged ≥65 years without comorbidities at-risk for pneumococcal infections. The objective of the study was to evaluate the acceptability to healthcare professionals (HCPs) of extending pneumococcal vaccination to all individuals ≥65 years. Based on themes identified in semi-structured interviews with 24 HCPs, a representative sample of 500 general practitioners and pharmacists were surveyed about their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs with respect to pneumococcal vaccination for individuals ≥65 years. Current recommendations for pneumococcal vaccination are poorly understood by participants (mean score: 5.8/10). Respondents were generally supportive of inclusion of age in vaccination recommendations (7.5/10), with 58% being very supportive. For 72% of HCPs, this would contribute to improved vaccination coverage. The strategy could be facilitated by associating pneumococcal vaccination with the influenza vaccination campaign (8.3/10). Pharmacists were favourable to participating in pneumococcal vaccination (8.5/10). In conclusion, extension of pneumococcal vaccination to all people aged ≥65 years would be welcomed by HCPs, simplifying identification of patients to be vaccinated and potentially improving vaccination coverage.
The Effect of Mechanical Tongue Cleaning on Oral Malodor and Tongue Coating
Authors: Choi Ha-Na , Cho Young-Sik , Koo Jung-Wan
Published: December 2021

Background: Mechanical tongue cleaning is an important oral hygiene procedure; it is known that a significant cause of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), a major component of bad breath, is due to the bacteria coating the tongue. This study was conducted to identify the effect of mechanical tongue cleaning on reducing bad breath and tongue coating. Methods: Various mechanical tongue-cleaning methods were studied, including removing tongue coating using a toothbrush, removing tongue coating using a tongue scraper, and removing tongue coating using a toothbrush and a tongue scraper together. The results were as follows. Results: First, the organic bad breath measurement value after cleaning the tongue significantly decreased in the group using only the toothbrush, the group using only the tongue scraper, and the group using both the toothbrush and the tongue scraper. However, there was no difference between the groups. Second, after cleaning the tongue, the measured values of the tongue coating in the values of WTCI (Winkel’s tongue coating index) and Qray view were significantly reduced in all three groups, and there was no difference between the groups. Third, the gas measurement value in the oral cavity using a machine significantly decreased only the H2S value of the group using the tongue scraper immediately after the mechanical tongue cleaning. Conclusions: From these results, it can be confirmed that mechanical tongue cleaning is effective at reducing bad breath and tongue coating. However, in this study, there was no difference in the reduction effect according to the tools (groups) used for mechanical tongue cleaning. It can therefore be seen that wiping accurately from the rear of the tongue to the front is more effective at reducing bad breath and tongue coating.
Cluster Appearance Glyphs: A Methodology for Illustrating High-Dimensional Data Patterns in 2-D Data Layouts
Authors: Lee Jenny Hyunjung , Coelho Darius , Mueller Klaus
Published: December 2021

Two-dimensional space embeddings such as Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) are a popular means to gain insight into high-dimensional data relationships. However, in all but the simplest cases these embeddings suffer from significant distortions, which can lead to misinterpretations of the high-dimensional data. These distortions occur both at the global inter-cluster and the local intra-cluster levels. The former leads to misinterpretation of the distances between the various N-D cluster populations, while the latter hampers the appreciation of their individual shapes and composition, which we call cluster appearance. The distortion of cluster appearance incurred in the 2-D embedding is unavoidable since such low-dimensional embeddings always come at the loss of some of the intra-cluster variance. In this paper, we propose techniques to overcome these limitations by conveying the N-D cluster appearance via a framework inspired by illustrative design. Here we make use of Scagnostics which offers a set of intuitive feature descriptors to describe the appearance of 2-D scatterplots. We extend the Scagnostics analysis to N-D and then devise and test via crowd-sourced user studies a set of parameterizable texture patterns that map to the various Scagnostics descriptors. Finally, we embed these N-D Scagnostics-informed texture patterns into shapes derived from N-D statistics to yield what we call Cluster Appearance Glyphs. We demonstrate our framework with a dataset acquired to analyze program execution times in file systems.
Thyroid Hormone Signalling in Human Evolution and Disease: A Novel Hypothesis
Authors: Mantzouratou Polyxeni , Lavecchia Angelo Michele , Xinaris Christodoulos
Published: December 2021

Thyroid hormone (TH) signalling is a universally conserved pathway with pleiotropic actions that is able to control the development, metabolism, and homeostasis of organisms. Using evidence from paleoecology/palaeoanthropology and data from the physiology of modern humans, we try to assess the natural history of TH signalling and its role in human evolution. Our net thesis is that TH signalling has likely played a critical role in human evolution by facilitating the adaptive responses of early hominids to unprecedently challenging and continuously changing environments. These ancient roles have been conserved in modern humans, in whom TH signalling still responds to and regulates adaptations to present-day environmental and pathophysiological stresses, thus making it a promising therapeutic target.
Implementation on a Preparation and Controlled Compaction Procedure for Waste-Fiber-Reinforced Raw Earth Samples
Authors: Hussain Mazhar , Levacher Daniel , Saouti Léo , Leblanc Nathalie , Zmamou Hafida , Djeran-Maigre Irini , Razakamanantsoa Andry
Published: December 2021

Earth bricks are a traditional eco-friendly construction material. In this study, harbor-dredged sediments were used along with hemp shiv to develop a brick manufacturing procedure and compaction techniques to produce durable earth bricks for the valorization of waste hemp shiv and dredged sediments. Prismatic specimens of size 4 × 4 × 16 cm3 were manufactured with Dunkirk sediments after analyzing their suitability for earth bricks according to the French standard for flexural strength test to observe the indirect tensile strength and impact of the compaction techniques on the strength of bricks. Crude bricks were manufactured with varying hemp shiv content from 0% to 5% by mass. Compaction techniques such as dynamic compaction, static compaction, and tamping were applied. The effect of hemp shiv content and compaction techniques was evaluated with a flexural strength test and the distribution of fibers in bricks. Grain size analysis of sediments with French and Spanish standards shows that the sediments granulometry is suitable for earth bricks. The flexural strength testing of bricks indicates that bricks with saturated hemp shiv have higher flexural strength. Earth bricks have maximum strength with dynamic compaction with 1% hemp shiv, which satisfies the adobe bricks tensile strength requirements that vary from 0.012 to 0.025 MPa (NZS 4298, 1998; NORMA E.080 (2017).
Nearly Exact Discrepancy Principle for Low-Count Poisson Image Restoration
Authors: Bevilacqua Francesca , Lanza Alessandro , Pragliola Monica , Sgallari Fiorella
Published: December 2021

The effectiveness of variational methods for restoring images corrupted by Poisson noise strongly depends on the suitable selection of the regularization parameter balancing the effect of the regulation term(s) and the generalized Kullback–Liebler divergence data term. One of the approaches still commonly used today for choosing the parameter is the discrepancy principle proposed by Zanella et al. in a seminal work. It relies on imposing a value of the data term approximately equal to its expected value and works well for mid- and high-count Poisson noise corruptions. However, the series truncation approximation used in the theoretical derivation of the expected value leads to poor performance for low-count Poisson noise. In this paper, we highlight the theoretical limits of the approach and then propose a nearly exact version of it based on Monte Carlo simulation and weighted least-square fitting. Several numerical experiments are presented, proving beyond doubt that in the low-count Poisson regime, the proposed modified, nearly exact discrepancy principle performs far better than the original, approximated one by Zanella et al., whereas it works similarly or slightly better in the mid- and high-count regimes.
Multi-Scale Modeling of Residual Stresses Evolution in Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Inconel 625
Authors: Balbaa Mohamed , Elbestawi Mohamed
Published: December 2021

Laser powder bed fusion exhibits many advantages for manufacturing complex geometries from hard to machine alloys such as IN625. However, a major drawback is the formation of high tensile residual stresses, and the complex relationship between the process parameters and the residual stresses has not been fully investigated. The current study presents multi-scale models to examine the variation of process parameters on melt pool dimensions, cyclic temperature evolutions, cooling rate, and cyclic stress generation and how they affect the stress end state. In addition, the effect of the same energy density, which is often overlooked, on the generated residual stresses is investigated. Multi-level validation is performed based on melt pool dimensions, temperature measurements with a two-color pyrometer, and finally, in-depth residual stress measurement. The results show that scan speed has the strongest effect on residual stresses, followed by laser power and hatch spacing. The results are explained in light of the non-linear temperature evolution, temperature gradient, and cooling rate during laser exposure, cooling time, and the rate during recoating time.
Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis Relapses
Authors: Ramo-Tello Cristina , Blanco Yolanda , Brieva Luis , Casanova Bonaventura , Martínez-Cáceres Eva , Ontaneda Daniel , Ramió-Torrentá Lluís , Rovira Àlex
Published: December 2021

Minimizing the risk of relapse is essential in multiple sclerosis (MS). As none of the treatments currently available are capable of completely preventing relapses, treatment of these episodes remains a cornerstone of MS care. The objective of this manuscript is to reduce uncertainty and improve quality of care of this neurological process. This article addresses definitions of key concepts, recommendations for clinical examination, classification criteria, magnetic resonance imaging, biomarkers, and specific therapeutic counsels including special populations such as pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children. An algorithm for treating MS relapses is also provided.
Simulating the Relationship between Land Use/Cover Change and Urban Thermal Environment Using Machine Learning Algorithms in Wuhan City, China
Authors: Zhang Maomao , Zhang Cheng , Kafy Abdulla-Al , Tan Shukui
Published: December 2021

The changes of land use/land cover (LULC) are important factor affecting the intensity of the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Based on Landsat image data of Wuhan, this paper uses cellular automata (CA) and artificial neural network (ANN) to predict future changes in LULC and LST. The results show that the built-up area of Wuhan has expanded, reaching 511.51 and 545.28 km2, while the area of vegetation, water bodies and bare land will decrease to varying degrees in 2030 and 2040. If the built-up area continues to expand rapidly, the proportion of 30~35 °C will rise to 52.925% and 55.219%, and the affected area with the temperature >35 °C will expand to 15.264 and 33.612 km2, respectively. The direction of the expansion range of the LST temperature range is obviously similar to the expansion of the built-up area. In order to control and alleviate UHI, the rapid expansion of impervious layers (built-up areas) should be avoided to the greatest extent, and the city’s “green development” strategy should be implemented.
Development Zones and Their Surrounding Host Cities in China: Isolation and Mutually Beneficial Interactions
Authors: Gao Shuang , Wang Shaojian , Sun Dongqi
Published: December 2021

The construction of development zones is an important strategic measure for China to attract foreign investment and open up more extensively to the outside world; for this reason, such zones are also of great significance to China’s regional development. Although the economic effects of development zones have received extensive attention from scholars, the interaction between the development zone and the host city that surrounds it has, to date, remained unexamined. To fill this gap, this research constructed a panel measurement analysis framework and selected 46 of China’s national development zones established from 2004 to 2018 as study samples and used Granger causality test method to reveal the causal relationship between the total factor productivity of the development zones and their surrounding host cities. The consequences exhibited a long-term causality between the total factor productivity of the development zones and that of the host cities in all the panels. Short-term causality, however, was only identified in the eastern and western area panels. The development zone is shown to significantly promote the development of its host city, albeit with a certain lag effect; conversely, the support function provided by the host city to the development zone was found to remain weak. Our research results provide a new perspective on realizing a mutually beneficial interaction between development zones and their host cities.
Assessment of Fire Effects on Surface Runoff Erosion Susceptibility: The Case of the Summer 2021 Forest Fires in Greece
Authors: Evelpidou Niki , Tzouxanioti Maria , Gavalas Theodore , Spyrou Evangelos , Saitis Giannis , Petropoulos Alexandros , Karkani Anna
Published: December 2021

The wildfires of summer 2021 in Greece were among the most severe forest fire events that have occurred in the country over the past decade. The conflagration period lasted for 20 days (i.e., from 27 July to 16 August 2021) and resulted in the devastation of an area of more than 3600 Km2. Forest fire events of similar severity also struck other Mediterranean countries during this period. Apart from their direct impacts, forest fires also render an area more susceptible to runoff erosion by massively removing its vegetation, among other factors. It is clear that immediately after a forest fire, most areas are much more susceptible to erosion. In this paper, we evaluate the erosion hazard of Attica, Northern Euboea, and the Peloponnese that were devastated by forest fires during the summer of 2021 in Greece, in comparison with their geological and geomorphological structures, as well as land cover and management. Given that a very significant part of these areas were burnt during the major conflagrations of this summer, erosion risk, as well as flood risk, are expected to be very high, especially for the coming autumn and winter. For the evaluation of erosion risk, the burnt areas were mapped, and the final erosion-risk maps were constructed through GIS software. The final maps suggest that most of the burnt areas are highly susceptible to future surface runoff erosion events.
The Classification of Bedouin Arabic: Insights from Northern Jordan
Authors: Herin Bruno , Younes Igor , Al-Wer Enam , Al-Sirour Youssef
Published: December 2021

The goal of the present paper is to provide a revaluation of the classification of the Bedouin dialects of Northern Arabia and the Southern Levant, based on published or publicly available data and on first-hand data recently collected amongst some Bedouin tribes in Northern Jordan. We suggest extending previous classifications that identify three types of dialects, namely A (ʿnizi), B (šammari), and C (šāwi). Although intermediary or mixed types combining šammari features with šāwi features were already noted, our data suggest that further combinations are possible, either because they had so far been unnoticed or because recent levelling and dialect mixing have blurred the boundaries between some of the varieties.
Low-Temperature Rheology and Thermoanalytical Investigation of Lubricating Greases: Influence of Thickener Type and Concentration on Melting, Crystallization and Glass Transition
Authors: Conrad Andreas , Hodapp Annika , Hochstein Bernhard , Willenbacher Norbert , Jacob Karl-Heinz
Published: December 2021

This study investigates crystallization, melting and glass transition of Li- and Ca-12-hydroxystearate greases in relation to the pour point of the corresponding oils. The base oils for the greases are mineral oil, polyalphaolefin, alkylated naphthalene, propylene glycol, and trimellitate. For the mineral oil-based greases the crystallization temperature Tc increases and the melting temperature Tm decreases upon addition of thickener. The pour point of the mineral oil then is 3 K below Tc and does not properly define the lowest application temperature for mineral oil (MO) based greases. Both thickeners induce a small increase of the glass transition temperature (1–3 K) of the synthetic oils polyalphaolefin, alkylated naphthalene, propylene glycol. The pour point of the base oils correlates well with the onset of the glass transition in the corresponding grease indicated by a sharp increase in grease viscosity. Pure trimellitate with unbranched alkyl chains does not crystallize upon cooling but shows noticeable supercooling and cold crystallization. As the percentage of thickener in corresponding greases increases, more oil crystallizes upon cooling 20 K above the crystallization temperature of the trimellitate without thickener (−44 °C). Here, the thickener changes the crystallization behavior from homogeneous to heterogeneous and thus acts as a crystallization nucleus. The pour point of the base oil does not provide information on the temperature below which the greases stiffen significantly due to crystallization.
Risk Assessment and Determination of Factors That Cause the Development of Hyperinsulinemia in School-Age Adolescents
Authors: Lukic Igor , Savic Nikola , Simic Maja , Rankovic Nevena , Rankovic Dragica , Lazic Ljubomir
Published: December 2021

Background and Objectives: Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are not synonymous; if the risk of developing insulin resistance in adolescents is monitored, they do not necessarily have hyperinsulinemia. It is considered a condition of pre-diabetes and represents a condition of increased risk of developing DM (diabetes mellitus); it can exist for many years without people having the appropriate symptoms. This study aims to determine the risk of developing hyperinsulinemia at an early age in adolescents by examining which factors are crucial for its occurrence. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study lasting from 2019 to 2021 (2 years) was realized at the school children’s department in the Valjevo Health Center, which included a total of 822 respondents (392 male and 430 female) children and adolescents aged 12 to 17. All respondents underwent a regular, systematic examination scheduled for school children. BMI is a criterion according to which respondents are divided into three groups. Results: After summary analyzes of OGTT test respondents and calculated values of HOMA-IR (homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance), the study showed that a large percentage of respondents, a total of 12.7%, are at risk for hyperinsulinemia. The research described in this paper aimed to use the most popular AI (artificial intelligence) model, ANN (artificial neural network), to show that 13.1% of adolescents are at risk, i.e., the risk is higher by 0.4%, which was shown by statistical tests as a significant difference. Conclusions: It is estimated that a model using three different ANN architectures, based on Taguchi’s orthogonal vector plans, gives more precise and accurate results with much less error. In addition to monitoring changes in each individual’s risk, the risk assessment of the entire monitored group is updated without having to analyze all data.
Increased Diagnostic Yield of Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization for Autism Spectrum Disorder in One Institution in Taiwan
Authors: Lee Chung-Lin , Chuang Chih-Kuang , Tu Ru-Yi , Chiu Huei-Ching , Lo Yun-Ting , Chang Ya-Hui , Chen Yen-Jiun , Chou Chao-Ling , Wu Peih-Shan , Chen Chih-Ping , Lin Hsiang-Yu , Lin Shuan-Pei
Published: December 2021

Background and Objectives: Chromosomal microarray offers superior sensitivity for identification of submicroscopic copy number variants (CNVs) and is recommended for the initial genetic testing of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aims to determine the diagnostic yield of array comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) in ASD patients from a cohort of Chinese patients in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: Enrolled in this study were 80 ASD children (49 males and 31 females; 2–16 years old) followed up at Taipei MacKay Memorial Hospital between January 2010 and December 2020. The genomic DNA extracted from blood samples was analyzed by array-CGH via the Affymetrix GeneChip Genome-Wide Human single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and NimbleGen International Standards for Cytogenomic Arrays (ISCA) Plus Cytogenetic Arrays. The CNVs were classified into five groups: pathogenic (pathologic variant), likely pathogenic (potential pathologic variant), likely benign (potential normal genomic variant), benign (normal genomic variant), and uncertain clinical significance (variance of uncertain significance), according to the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) guidelines. Results: We identified 47 CNVs, 31 of which in 27 patients were clinically significant. The overall diagnostic yield was 33.8%. The most frequently clinically significant CNV was 15q11.2 deletion, which was present in 4 (5.0%) patients. Conclusions: In this study, a satisfactory diagnostic yield of array-CGH was demonstrated in a Taiwanese ASD patient cohort, supporting the clinical usefulness of array-CGH as the first-line testing of ASD in Taiwan.
Effect of Substituting Hf for Zr on Fe-Co-M-Nb-B (M = Zr, Hf) Amorphous Alloys with High Saturation Magnetization
Authors: Son Hyunsol , Yoo Garam , Mustaghfiroh Qoimatul , Kim Dong-Hyun , Choi-Yim Haein
Published: December 2021

The soft magnetic amorphous ribbons of (FexCo1−x)85M9Nb1B5 (M = Zr or Hf, x = 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9) were investigated in this study. Replacing Zr by Hf turned out to increase saturation magnetization and, at the same time, reduce the coercivity, both of which serve together in enhancing the soft magnetic performance of the alloys. Moreover, the optimum ratio of Fe/Co was determined after the survey on different alloys with varying Fe/Co ratio resulting in the maximum saturation magnetization while keeping the coercivity low. After optimization, the highest saturation magnetization of 1.62 T was achieved with coercivity of 11 A/m. While substitution of Hf for Zr slightly reduced the crystallization onset temperature of the amorphous structure, the thermal stability of the soft magnetic amorphous alloys was not significantly affected by the Zr/Hf replacement.
Microstructure and Mechanical Property of Al6Si2Cu Alloy Subjected to Double-Solution Heat Treatment
Authors: An Seongbin , Kim Minsuk , Huh Chaeeul , Kim Chungseok
Published: December 2021

This study aims to develop the mechanical properties of the Al6Si2Cu aluminum alloy through the double-solution treatment. In addition to the Al matrix, large amounts of coarse eutectic Si, Al2Cu intermetallic, and Fe-rich phases were generated through thermo-calc simulation in agreement with the equilibrium phases. The eutectic Si phase is fragmented and spheroidized by the solution treatment as the heat treatment temperature and time increase. The Al2Cu intermetallic phase is dissolved into the Al matrix, resulting in an increase in both strength and elongation. The second-step solution temperature at 525 °C should be an optimum condition for enhancing the mechanical properties of the Al6Si2Cu aluminum alloy.
Evolution of Microstructure and Elements Distribution of Powder Metallurgy Borated Stainless Steel during Hot Isostatic Pressing
Authors: Pei Yanbin , Qu Xuanhui , Ge Qilu , Wang Tiejun
Published: December 2021

Prepared by powder metallurgy process incorporating atomization and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) sintering at six different temperatures from 600 to 1160 °C, borated stainless steel (BSS) containing boron content of 1.86 wt% was studied. The phase of BSS, relative density of different temperature, microstructure, elemental distribution, and mechanical properties were tested and analyzed. The phases of the alloy were calculated by the Thermo-Calc (2021a, Thermo-Calc Software, Solna, Sweden) and studied by quantitative X-ray diffraction phase analysis. The distributions of boron, chromium, and iron in grains of the alloy were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope. The grain size distributions and average grain sizes were calculated for the boron-containing phases at 900, 1000, 1100, and 1160 °C, as well as the average grain size of the austenite phase at 700 and 1160 °C. After undergoing HIP sintering at 900, 1000, 1100, and 1160 °C, respectively, the tensile strength and ductility of the alloy were tested, and the fracture surfaces were analyzed. It was found that the alloy consisted of two phases (austenite and boron-containing phase) when HIP sintering temperature was higher than 900 °C, and the relative density of the prepared alloys was higher than 99% when HIP temperature was higher than 1000 °C. According to the boron-containing phase grain size distribution and microstructure analysis, the boron-containing phase precipitated both inside the austenite matrix and at the grain boundaries and its growth mechanism was divided into four steps. The tensile strength and elongation of alloy were up to 776 MPa and 19% respectively when the HIP sintering was at 1000 °C.
The Study of Graphene Oxide on the Regulations and Controls of the Sol-Gel Film Structure and Its Performance
Authors: Gao Yan , Fan Yadong , Zhang Junxi , Liu Xuanxuan , Wang Ning , Yang Shengjie
Published: December 2021

A facile strategy to boost anticorrosion potency of graphene oxide/silica hybrid sol-gel coating is developed through fully exploiting the capabilities of graphene oxide (GO). Together with a barrier to corrosives and crack inhibitor, GO was further explored herein as a regulator to regulate the gelation process and provide robust coating films with stratified microstructures and ultimately extended diffusion paths. The sol-gel coating with stratified microstructure achieved on AA5052 aluminum alloy surface afforded greatly enhanced corrosion protection capability as assessed by electrochemical measurements and immersion tests. The corrosion current density of the sample of a hybrid GO sol-gel film was about 30 times less than that of sample of pure sol-gel film sample. The regulation mechanism of GO during the film formation process and the anticorrosive protection properties of the film were discussed.
Spray-Pyrolytic Tunable Structures of Mn Oxides-Based Composites for Electrocatalytic Activity Improvement in Oxygen Reduction
Authors: Varničić Miroslava , Pavlović Miroslav M. , Eraković Pantović Sanja , Mihailović Marija , Pantović Pavlović Marijana R. , Stopić Srećko , Friedrich Bernd
Published: December 2021

Hybrid nanomaterials based on manganese, cobalt, and lanthanum oxides of different morphology and phase compositions were prepared using a facile single-step ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) process and tested as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The structural and morphological characterizations were completed by XRD and SEM-EDS. Electrochemical performance was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry in a rotating disk electrode assembly. All synthesized materials were found electrocatalytically active for ORR in alkaline media. Two different manganese oxide states were incorporated into a Co3O4 matrix, δ-MnO2 at 500 and 600 °C and manganese (II,III) oxide-Mn3O4 at 800 °C. The difference in crystalline structure revealed flower-like nanosheets for birnessite-MnO2 and well-defined spherical nanoparticles for material based on Mn3O4. Electrochemical responses indicate that the ORR mechanism follows a preceding step of MnO2 reduction to MnOOH. The calculated number of electrons exchanged for the hybrid materials demonstrate a four-electron oxygen reduction pathway and high electrocatalytic activity towards ORR. The comparison of molar catalytic activities points out the importance of the composition and that the synergy of Co and Mn is superior to Co3O4/La2O3 and pristine Mn oxide. The results reveal that synthesized hybrid materials are promising electrocatalysts for ORR.
Stretchable Filler/Solid Rubber Piezoresistive Thread Sensor for Gesture Recognition
Authors: Zhu Penghua , Zhu Jie , Xue Xiaofei , Song Yongtao
Published: December 2021

Recently, the stretchable piezoresistive composites have become a focus in the fields of the biomechanical sensing and human posture recognition because they can be directly and conformally attached to bodies and clothes. Here, we present a stretchable piezoresistive thread sensor (SPTS) based on Ag plated glass microspheres (Ag@GMs)/solid rubber (SR) composite, which was prepared using new shear dispersion and extrusion vulcanization technology. The SPTS has the high gauge factors (7.8~11.1) over a large stretching range (0–50%) and approximate linear curves about the relative change of resistance versus the applied strain. Meanwhile, the SPTS demonstrates that the hysteresis is as low as 2.6% and has great stability during 1000 stretching/releasing cycles at 50% strain. Considering the excellent mechanical strain-driven characteristic, the SPTS was carried out to monitor posture recognitions and facial movements. Moreover, the novel SPTS can be successfully integrated with software and hardware information modules to realize an intelligent gesture recognition system, which can promptly and accurately reflect the produced electrical signals about digital gestures, and successfully be translated into text and voice. This work demonstrates great progress in stretchable piezoresistive sensors and provides a new strategy for achieving a real-time and effective-communication intelligent gesture recognition system.
Influence of Maternal Microbiome and Inflammatory Response in Preterm Birth: Recent Aspects of the Prevention of Preterm Birth
Authors: Cho Hee Young , Shim Sung Shin , Park Hee Jin , Cha Dong Hyun
Published: December 2021

Preterm birth (PTB) is a global health issue and one of the most challenging problems affecting 12.9 million births worldwide. PTB is a multi-etiological disease and remains incompletely understood. The major cause of PTB is infection or inflammation and disruption of the vaginal microbiome, which affects the maternal immunologic response leading to PTB. The vaginal microbiome composition changes by a shift in the community are typically dominated by Lactobacillus during pregnancy. There are complex interactions between the maternal microbiome in pregnancy and the development of PTB, therefore, researchers have struggled to connect the maternal microbiome with the dysregulation of the maternal immune response in cases of PTB. The host microbiome affects alterations of the microorganisms with external stimuli such as disease, nutrition, immunity, and behavior. In this review, we discuss the complex association between the maternal microbiome and the risk of PTB and also focus on recent aspects of the prevention of PTB.
Research on the Method and Model for Calculating Impact Load in the Rockburst Tunnel
Authors: Yan Zhiwei , Liu Dagang , Wang Zhilong , Zhao Daming , Tian Hongtao
Published: December 2021

Among several design methods of tunnel supporting structure, the load-structure method is widely used in different countries, but the determination of load is essential in this design method. The problem of rockburst is becoming more prominent as tunnel engineering enters the deep underground space. However, the research on the impact load on the supporting structure is insufficient in relevant fields. Therefore, from the perspective of energy, this paper deduces the method and model for calculating the impact load of the rockburst tunnel acting on the supporting structure by using the method of structural mechanics first, after the location effect of impact load is determined under different section types and different section sizes. The results indicated that: dynamic load factor K is related to the stiffness EI and supporting size coefficient K0 of the supporting structure, also the difference of impact load in different sections is proved. Tunnel rockburst-prone location is related to lateral pressure coefficient, thus when λ = 1, the probability of rockburst in the whole circular tunnel is the same, while side wall and vault are prone to rockburst in single-track horseshoe tunnel, and the side wall is prone to rockburst in double-track horseshoe tunnel; furthermore when λ > 1, the vault and the inverted arch are prone to rockburst; additionally, when λ < 1, the rockburst is most likely to occur in the arch waist of the circular tunnel and the side walls and the arch waist of the horseshoe tunnel. Finally, the rockburst tunnel’s local load-structure calculation model and the calculation process based on the model are provided.
The Improved Motion Model of Particles in the Cone Crusher Considering the Spatial Compound Motion of the Mantle
Authors: Zhang Zilong , Ren Tingzhi , Cheng Jiayuan
Published: December 2021

The cone crusher is the main equipment in the particle crushing process. The productivity of the cone crusher is determined by the motion characteristics of particles passing through the crushing chamber. In order to accurately describe the motion characteristics of the particles, the influence of the spatial compound motion of the mantle rotates around the central axis of the cone crusher and its central axis on the motion characteristics of the particles is investigated, then the improved motion model is established. Through the coordinate system transformation matrix, the motion characteristics of the particles including spatial sliding, free-falling, and spatial compound falling are solved. The applicability and accuracy of the improved model in describing the motion characteristics of the particle were verified through the experiment using a reduced-scale experimental cone crusher to simulate the motion characteristics of the particle. Based on the improved model, the motion characteristics of the particles in the CF11 hydraulic cone crusher can be simulated. With the decrease in height, the motion characteristics of particles gradually change from spatial sliding to spatial compound falling and finally to free-falling. The particles deflect circumferentially around the central axis of the cone crusher. The circumferential deflection of particles is directly related to the motion characteristics including spatial sliding and spatial compound falling. The improved model provides a theoretical basis for the high energy design of the crushing chamber and productivity improvement of the cone crusher.
Error Distribution Model to Standardize LPUE, CPUE and Survey-Derived Catch Rates of Target and Non-Target Species
Authors: Santos Régis , Crespo Osman , Medeiros-Leal Wendell , Novoa-Pabon Ana , Pinho Mário
Published: December 2021

Indices of abundance are usually a key input parameter used for fitting a stock assessment model, as they provide abundance estimates representative of the fraction of the stock that is vulnerable to fishing. These indices can be estimated from catches derived from fishery-dependent sources, such as catch per unit effort (CPUE) and landings per unit effort (LPUE), or from scientific survey data (e.g., relative population number—RPN). However, fluctuations in many factors (e.g., vessel size, period, area, gear) may affect the catch rates, bringing the need to evaluate the appropriateness of the statistical models for the standardization process. In this research, we analyzed different generalized linear models to select the best technique to standardize catch rates of target and non-target species from fishery dependent (CPUE and LPUE) and independent (RPN) data. The examined error distribution models were gamma, lognormal, tweedie, and hurdle models. For hurdle, positive observations were analyzed assuming a lognormal (hurdle–lognormal) or gamma (hurdle–gamma) error distribution. Based on deviance table analyses and diagnostic checks, the hurdle–lognormal was the statistical model that best satisfied the underlying characteristics of the different data sets. Finally, catch rates (CPUE, LPUE and RPN) of the thornback ray Raja clavata, blackbelly rosefish Helicolenus dactylopterus, and common mora Mora moro from the NE Atlantic (Azores region) were standardized. The analyses confirmed the spatial and temporal nature of their distribution.
Proximate Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Antioxidant Potential of Wild Halophytes Grown in Coastal Salt Marsh Habitats
Authors: El-Amier Yasser , Soufan Walid , Almutairi Khalid , Zaghloul Nouf , Abd-ElGawad Ahmed
Published: December 2021

Halophytes have been characterized as a potential resource for fiber, food, fodder, and bioactive compounds. Proximate composition, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of five wild dominant halophytes (Arthrocnemummacrostachyum, Halocnemumstrobilaceum, Limoniastrummonopetalum, Limoniastrumpruinosum, and Tamarix nilotica) naturally growing along the Nile Delta coast were assessed. The soil supporting these halophytes was sandy to sand-silty, alkaline, with low organic carbon, and relatively high CaCO3. H. strobilaceum attained the highest moisture content, ash, crude fiber, lipids, and total soluble sugars. L. monopetalum showed the highest content of crude protein (18.00%), while T. nilotica had the highest content of total carbohydrates. The studied halophytes can be ranked according to their nutritive value as follows: H.strobilaceum > L.monopetalum > A.macrostachyum > L.pruinosum > T. nilotica. A. macrostachyum attained the highest amount of Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+. A. macrostachyum showed a high content of phenolic compounds, while H.strobilaceum was rich in tannins and saponin contents. The MeOH extract of A. macrostachyum and H. strobilaceum exhibited substantial antioxidant activity. The present results showed that the studied halophytes could be considered as candidates for forage production or used as green eco-friendly natural resources for bioactive compounds.
Sensing the Anti-Epileptic Drug Perampanel with Paper-Based Spinning SERS Substrates
Authors: Macrelli Andrea , Villa Nicolò Simone , Lucotti Andrea , Dellasega David , Ossi Paolo Maria , Tommasini Matteo
Published: December 2021

The applications of SERS in therapeutic drug monitoring, or other fields of analytical chemistry, require the availability of sensitive sensors and experimental approaches that can be implemented in affordable ways. In this contribution, we show the production of cost-effective SERS sensors obtained by depositing Lee-Meisel Ag colloids on filter paper either by natural sedimentation or centrifugation. We have characterized the morphological and plasmonic features of the sensors by optical microscopy, SEM, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Such sensors can be used to quantify by SERS the anti-epileptic drug Perampanel (in the concentration range 1 × 10−4–5 × 10−6 M) by spinning them during the micro-Raman measurements on the top of a custom device obtained from spare part hard disk drives. This approach minimizes laser-induced heating effects and allows averaging over the spatial non-uniformity of the sensor.
Stable Isotope Geochemistry of the Organic Elements within Shales and Crude Oils: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Ogbesejana Abiodun Busuyi , Liu Bo , Ostadhassan Mehdi
Published: December 2021

Over time, stable isotopes have proven to be a useful tool in petroleum geochemistry. However, there is currently insufficient literature on stable isotope geochemistry of the organic elements within shales and crude oils in many petroleum systems around the world. As a result, this paper critically reviews the early and recent trends in stable isotope geochemistry of organic elements in shales and crude oils. The bulk and compound-specific stable isotopes of H, C, and S, as well as their uses as source facies, depositional environments, thermal maturity, geological age, and oil–oil and oil–source rock correlation studies, are all taken into account. The applications of the stable isotopes of H and C in gas exploration are also discussed. Then, the experimental and instrumental approaches to the stable isotopes of H, C, and S, are discussed.