bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Simple Review of Small Vessel Disease Manifestation in the Brain, Retina, and Kidneys
Authors: Abbas Kinza , Lu Yezhong , Bavishi Shreya , Mishra Nandini , TomThundyil Saumya , Sawant Shreeya , Shahjouei Shima , Abedi Vida , Zand Ramin
Published: September 2022

Small blood vessels express specific phenotypical and functional characteristics throughout the body. Alterations in the microcirculation contribute to many correlated physiological and pathological events in related organs. Factors such as comorbidities and genetics contribute to the complexity of this topic. Small vessel disease primarily affects end organs that receive significant cardiac output, such as the brain, kidney, and retina. Despite the differences in location, concurrent changes are seen in the micro-vasculature of the brain, retina, and kidneys under pathological conditions due to their common histological, functional, and embryological characteristics. While the cardiovascular basis of pathology in association with the brain, retina, or kidneys has been well documented, this is a simple review that uniquely considers the relationship between all three organs and highlights the prevalence of coexisting end organ injuries in an attempt to elucidate connections between the brain, retina, and kidneys, which has the potential to transform diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Correlation between the Control of Blood Glucose Level and HbA1C and the Incidence of Surgical Site Infection after Emergent Surgery for the Lower Limb Fracture among Type II DM Patients Aged More Than 50 Years Old
Authors: Wang Wei-Hung , Hsieh Tsung-Cheng , Wu Wen-Tien , Lee Ru-Ping , Wang Jen-Hung , Yeh Kuang-Ting
Published: September 2022

This is the first study focusing on perioperative blood glycemic monitoring for the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) among patients with type II DM (T2DM) during the 1-year follow-up after emergent orthopedic surgery. We retrospectively collected the data of 604 patients who had received surgery for unilateral lower limb traumatic fracture from January 2011 to January 2021, including 215 men and 389 women with a mean age of 71.21 and a mean BMI of 25.26. In total, 84 (13.9%) of them developed SSI during the 1-year follow-up. Higher preoperative and postoperative -3-month hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and AC blood glucose and the presence of rheumatoid arthritis were all associated with increased rates of SSI. The thresholds for predicting SSI were the following: (1) preoperative HbA1c > 7.850% (area under curve [AUC] = 0.793); (2) postoperative HbA1c > 6.650% (AUC = 0.648); (3) preoperative AC blood glucose > 130.50 mg/dL (AUC = 0.773); and (4) postoperative AC blood glucose > 148.5 mg/dL (AUC = 0.709) by receiver-operating characteristic curve method. These findings may provide a useful control guideline for patients with T2DM older than 50 years old and who received surgery for a lower limb fracture in the prevention of postoperative SSI.
Environment Understanding Algorithm for Substation Inspection Robot Based on Improved DeepLab V3+
Authors: Wang Ping , Li Chuanxue , Yang Qiang , Fu Lin , Yu Fan , Min Lixiao , Guo Dequan , Li Xinming
Published: September 2022

Compared with traditional manual inspection, inspection robots can not only meet the all-weather, real-time, and accurate inspection needs of substation inspection, they also reduce the work intensity of operation and maintenance personnel and decrease the probability of safety accidents. For the urgent demand of substation inspection robot intelligence enhancement, an environment understanding algorithm is proposed in this paper, which is an improved DeepLab V3+ neural network. The improved neural network replaces the original dilate rate combination in the ASPP (atrous spatial pyramid pooling) module with a new dilate rate combination with better segmentation accuracy of object edges and adds a CBAM (convolutional block attention module) in the two up-samplings, respectively. In order to be transplanted to the embedded platform with limited computing resources, the improved neural network is compressed. Multiple sets of comparative experiments on the standard dataset PASCAL VOC 2012 and the substation dataset have been made. Experimental results show that, compared with the DeepLab V3+, the improved DeepLab V3+ has a mean intersection-over-union (mIoU) of eight categories of 57.65% on the substation dataset, with an improvement of 6.39%, and the model size of 13.9 M, with a decrease of 147.1 M.
Experimental Investigation on Behavior of Single-Helix Anchor in Sand Subjected to Uplift Cyclic Loading
Authors: Hao Dongxue , Che Jianyi , Chen Rong , Zhang Xin , Yuan Chi , Chen Xichao
Published: September 2022

Helical anchors have been widely used in geotechnical engineering due to their large uplift resistance. However, the current knowledge of the cyclic performance of helical anchors is still insufficient. Consequently, a series of small-scale model tests are carried out in sand to investigate the influences of embedment ratio, sand compactness and the cyclic parameters on the monotonic, cyclic and post-cyclic performance of single-helix anchors. The tests results indicate that the single-helix anchors with optimal embedment ratio still exhibit a relatively high uplift capacity after suffering cyclic load. The cyclic frequency has the greatest influence on the accumulated displacement, and the influence of amplitude is relatively greater than that of the mean cyclic load. The anchors in dense sand exhibit better performance to resist pullout than those in medium–dense sand under the same cyclic parameter ratios. Moreover, the correlation of post-cyclic uplift capacity and displacement after cyclic loading as well as the possible influence of the upward displacement on the sand flow above the helix are discussed.
Living Fungi in an Opencast Limestone Mine: Who Are They and What Can They Do?
Authors: Sansupa Chakriya , Purahong Witoon , Nawaz Ali , Wubet Tesfaye , Suwannarach Nakarin , Chantawannakul Panuwan , Chairuangsri Sutthathorn , Disayathanoowat Terd
Published: September 2022

Opencast limestone mines or limestone quarries are considered challenging ecosystems for soil fungi as they are highly degraded land with specific conditions, including high temperature, prolonged sunlight exposure, and a lack of organic matter, moisture, and nutrients in soil. In such ecosystems, certain fungi can survive and have a crucial function in maintaining soil ecosystem functions. Unfortunately, we know very little about taxonomic diversity, potential functions, and the ecology of such fungi, especially for a limestone quarry in a tropical region. Here, we characterized and compared the living soil fungal communities in an opencast limestone mine, including mining site and its associated rehabilitation site (9 months post-rehabilitation), with the soil fungal community in a reference forest, using the amplicon sequencing of enrichment culture. Our results showed that living fungal richness in the quarry areas was significantly lower than that in the reference forest, and their community compositions were also significantly different. Living fungi in the mining sites mostly comprised of Ascomycota (Eurotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes) with strongly declined abundance or absence of Basidiomycota and Mucoromycota. After nine months of rehabilitation, certain taxa were introduced, such as Hypoxylon spp. and Phellinus noxius, though this change did not significantly differentiate fungal community composition between the mining and rehabilitation plots. The majority of fungi in these plots are classified as saprotrophs, which potentially produce all fifteen soil enzymes used as soil health indicators. Network analysis, which was analyzed to show insight into complex structures of living fungal community in the limestone quarry, showed a clear modular structure that was significantly impacted by different soil properties. Furthermore, this study suggests potential taxa that could be useful for future rehabilitation.
Insights into CD24 and Exosome Physiology and Potential Role in View of Recent Advances in COVID-19 Therapeutics: A Narrative Review
Authors: Tsioulos Georgios , Grigoropoulos Ioannis , Moschopoulos Charalampos D. , Shapira Shiran , Poulakou Garyfallia , Antoniadou Anastasia , Boumpas Dimitrios , Arber Nadir , Tsiodras Sotirios
Published: September 2022

Cluster of differentiation (CD) 24, a long-known protein with multifaceted functions, has gained attention as a possible treatment for Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) due to its known anti-inflammatory action. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes and microvesicles, may serve as candidate drug delivery platforms for novel therapeutic approaches in COVID-19 and various other diseases due to their unique characteristics. In the current review, we describe the physiology of CD24 and EVs and try to elucidate their role, both independently and as a combination, in COVID-19 therapeutics. CD24 may act as an important immune regulator in diseases with complex physiologies characterized by excessive inflammation. Very recent data outline a possible therapeutic role not only in COVID-19 but also in other similar disease states, e.g., acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis where immune dysregulation plays a key pathophysiologic role. On the other hand, CD24, as well as other therapeutic molecules, can be administered with the use of exosomes, exploiting their unique characteristics to create a novel drug delivery platform as outlined in recent clinical efforts. The implications for human therapeutics in general are huge with regard to pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy that will be further elucidated in future randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Electrical and Optical Properties of CaTi1−yFeyO3−δ Perovskite Films as Interlayers for Optoelectronic Applications
Authors: Yildirim Ceren , Devoize Fabien , Geffroy Pierre-Marie , Dumas-Bouchiat Frédéric , Bouclé Johann , Vedraine Sylvain
Published: September 2022

CaTi1−yFey O3−δ perovskite oxide films are promising candidate materials for p-type interlayers of third generation solar cells or light-emitting devices. The impact of atomic Ti substitutions by Fe on electrical and optical properties of CaTi0.5Fe0.5O3−δ perovskite films have been studied. The best compromise between a high transmission coefficient and the suitable electrical conductivity is obtained for a specific atomic composition of Ca (1) Ti (0.5) Fe (0.5) O (3−δ) perovskite films. This paper shows that CaTi1−yFeyO3−δ perovskite oxides can be integrated as p-type interfacial layers of optoelectronic devices through their work functions, electrical, and optical properties.
The Impact of Co Doping and Annealing Temperature on the Electrochemical Performance and Structural Characteristics of SnO2 Nanoparticulate Photoanodes
Authors: Altowyan Abeer S. , Shaban Mohamed , Abdelkarem Khaled , El Sayed Adel M.
Published: September 2022

Obtaining H2 energy from H2O using the most abundant solar radiation is an outstanding approach to zero pollution. This work focuses on studying the effect of Co doping and calcination on the structure, morphology, and optical properties of spin-coated SnO2 films as well as their photoelectrochemical (PEC) efficiency. The structures and morphologies of the films were investigated by XRD, AFM, and Raman spectra. The results confirmed the preparation of SnO2 of the rutile phase, with crystallite sizes in the range of 18.4–29.2 nm. AFM showed the granular structure and smooth surfaces having limited roughness. UV-Vis spectroscopy showed that the absorption spectra depend on the calcination temperature and the Co content, and the films have optical bandgap (Eg) in the range of 3.67–3.93 eV. The prepared samples were applied for the PEC hydrogen generation after optimizing the sample doping ratio, using electrolyte (HCl, Na2SO4, NaOH), electrode reusability, applied temperature, and monochromatic illumination. Additionally, the electrode stability, thermodynamic parameters, conversion efficiency, number of hydrogen moles, and PEC impedance were evaluated and discussed, while the SnO2 films were used as working electrodes and platinum sheet as an auxiliary or counter electrode (2-electrode system) and both were dipped in the electrolyte. The highest photocurrent (21.25 mA/cm2), number of hydrogen moles (20.4 mmol/h.cm2), incident photon-to-current change efficiency (6.892%@307 nm and +1 V), and the absorbed photon-to-current conversion efficiency (4.61% at ~500 nm and +1 V) were recorded for the 2.5% Co-doped SnO2 photoanode that annealed at 673 K.
Investigating the Correlation between the Microstructure and Electrical Properties of FeSbO4 Ceramics
Authors: Moraes Carlos G. P. , Matos Robert S. , Santos Cledson dos , Ţălu Ştefan , Attah-Baah John M. , Junior Romualdo S. Silva , Silva Marcelo S. da , Rezende Marcos V. S. , Silva Ronaldo S. , Ferreira Nilson S.
Published: September 2022

FeSbO4 powder was prepared using the solid-state reaction method in this work. Afterward, the dense and porous ceramics were obtained by sintering the pressed powder calcined at temperatures of 900 and 1000 °C for 4 h. Rietveld profile analysis of the X-ray powder diffraction data showed that FeSbO4 adopts the trirutile-type structure (space group P42/mnm, with a ≅ 4.63 Å and c ≅ 9.23 Å). SEM images showed that the powder calcined at 900 °C after being sintered at 1200 °C resulted in ceramics of higher crystallinity, larger grains, and consequently, low porosity. The dielectric properties were measured in the frequency range of 10−1 Hz–1 MHz as a function of temperature (25–250 °C). The real (σ′) and imaginary (σ″) parts of the complex conductivity increase with rising annealing temperature for both samples. The real conductivity in the AC region for 𝑓 = 100 kHz was 1.59×10−6 S·cm−1 and 7.04×10−7 S·cm−1 for the ceramic samples obtained from the powder calcined at 900 (C-900) and 1000 °C (C-1000), respectively. Furthermore, the dielectric constants (k′) measured at room temperature and f=100 kHz were 13.77 (C-900) and 6.27 (C-1000), while the activation energies of the grain region were Ea = 0.53 eV and Ea = 0.49 eV, respectively. Similar activation energy (Ea = 0.52 eV and 0.49 eV) was also obtained by the brick-layer model and confirmed by the adjustment of activation energy by DC measurements which indicated an absence of the porosity influence on the parameter. Additionally, loss factor values were obtained to be equal to 3.8 (C-900) and 5.99 (C-1000) for measurements performed at 100 Hz, suggesting a contribution of the conductivity originated from the combination or accommodation of the pores in the grain boundary region. Our results prove that the microstructural factors that play a critical role in the electrical and dielectric properties are the average grain size and the porosity interspersed with the grain boundary region.
Co-Doping Effect on the Optical Properties of Eu(2+/3+) Doped in BaSiO3
Authors: Namkhai Purevdulam , Jang Kiwan
Published: September 2022

To investigate the effect of co-doping on the optical properties of Eu(2+/3+) doped in Ba0.98SiO3:0.02Eu, the series of Ba0.96SiO3:0.02Eu, 0.02R+/3+ (R+ = Li+, K+ or Na+, R3+ = La3+ or Y3+) phosphors were synthesized using a solid-state reaction method. The excitation efficiency due to the charge transfer band (CTB) was enhanced via co-doping of R+ and the emission intensity due to Eu3+ was thus increased by 3.7 times compared with that of the single-doped Ba0.98SiO3:0.02Eu3+. However, the co-doping of R+ does not increase the emission intensity of Eu3+ via the direct 7F0→5L6 excitation of Eu3+, but rather decreases it. On the other hand, the emission intensities due to Eu2+ were decreased via the co-doping of R+ but increased via the co-doping of La3+. The present work reveals that the optical properties of Eu3+ or Eu2+ doped in BaSiO3 depend not on the charge state (+ or 3+) of the co-doped ions, but on the co-doped element itself.
An Analysis of Jet Noise Characteristics in the Compressible Turbulent Mixing Layer of a Standard Nozzle
Authors: Mu Guozhen , Lyu Qiongying , Li Yiming
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we seek to understand the influence of TPS standard nozzle shape on jet noise and improve the accuracy of flow and pressure ratio of aeronautical simulation. Through the structural design of an equal-diameter nozzle and a standard nozzle, a concentric dichotomy monitoring point arrangement scheme is proposed for its flow field and sound field, and the free flow of the jet is used to realize k − ε. The model is solved by hydrodynamics to analyze the flow characteristics of the turbulent boundary layer, and the near-field and far-field characteristics of jet noise are analyzed by using the Lighthill equation excited by a quadrupole under fluid input, revealing the turbulent velocity and turbulent kinetic energy and other relevant fluid characteristics of the two nozzles under a single variable, and analyzing the near-field and far-field noise pressure levels and directivity of the two nozzles at a specific frequency. When the boundary conditions are consistent, the change trends and laws of the two kinds of nozzles in the turbulent jet flow field are almost the same, and the eddy viscosity extreme value of the standard nozzle is 0.02 higher than that of the equal-diameter nozzle, while the static temperature extreme value is 8 K, but they have a great impact in the noise field, mainly reflected in the noise decreasing law, noise directivity and low-frequency noise distribution. The mean value of noise extremes of standard nozzles at four frequencies is 2 dB higher than that of equal-diameter nozzles. The relative characteristics of the two nozzles can be used to design through the actual demand conditions of the flow field and the sound field by providing a reference for the customized parameter design of the standard nozzle.
Stiffness Analysis and Verification of Hydraulic Supporting Units for In-Situ Optical Testing of a 500 mm-Diameter Mirror
Authors: Dong Deyi , Zhou Di , Jiang Yuhan , Wang Lianqiang , Li Chao , Hu Haifei , Guan Yingjun , Gao Minghui
Published: September 2022

A hydraulic in-situ support system is commonly used in the optical testing of mirrors, since it is convenient to unload the gravity of a mirror to be measured without the risk of being turned over or moved to another place. The existing supporting structures have several disadvantages, such as the problem of the output force deviating from the axis, being sensitive to machining loads, its flexible components easily leading to fatigue damage by cyclic loads and so on. A new single-cylinder hydraulic supporting unit with a ball hinge was proposed, analyzed and verified in this paper. A finite simulation based on four structural parameters’ effect on the stiffness of the proposed hydraulic supporting unit showed that increasing the thickness, elastic modulus and convolution width of the rolling diaphragm and decreasing the height of the rolling diaphragm to some extent was beneficial to a high stiffness. Moreover, it could be concluded from experiments that, in order to decrease the stiffness dispersion, the air ratio should be as low as possible and the values of the initial pressure and press speed should be as high as possible. These results are conducive to maintain a high stiffness of HSU to bear the processing load and reduce the low-order aberrations of mirror which provide a reference for future hydraulic supporting unit designs.
Magnetic Properties Regulation of FeGa and FeGaNi Films with Oblique Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: Wang Chun , Ke Sanmin , Wang Zhen
Published: September 2022

Magnetic FeGa and FeGaNi films with an in-plane anisotropy were deposited by employing oblique magnetron sputtering. With the increase in oblique angle, the crystallite size of FeGa decreases, which indicates that oblique sputtering can refine the crystallite size. The remanence ratio of FeGa films increases from 0.5 to 0.92 for an easy axis, and the coercivity increases with the decrease in the crystallite size. The calculated static anisotropic field shows that the in-plane magnetic anisotropy can be induced by oblique sputtering and the strength increases with the oblique sputtering angle. After doping Ni by co-sputtering, FeGaNi films exhibit a stable remanence ratio at 0.8, low coercivity and good anisotropy. With the low sputtering power of the Ni target, there is a competitive relationship between the effect of crystallite size and Ni doping which causes the coercivity of FeGaNi films to first increase and then decrease with the increase in the oblique angle. The FeGaNi film also shows high anisotropy in a small oblique angle. The variation of coercivity and anisotropy of FeGaNi films can be explained by the crystalline size effect and increase in Ni content. For the increasing intensity of collisions between FeGa and Ni atoms in the co-sputtering, the in-plane magnetic anisotropy increases first and then decreases. As a result, the magnetic properties of FeGa films were examined to tailor their magnetic softness and magnetic anisotropy by controlling the oblique sputtering angle and Ni doping.
Multipolar Fuzzy Hyperideals in Ordered Semihypergroups
Authors: Kazancı Osman , Hoskova-Mayerova Sarka , Davvaz Bijan
Published: September 2022

An multi-polar fuzzy set is a robust mathematical model to examine multipolar, multiattribute, and multi-index data. The multi-polar fuzzy sets was created as a useful mechanism to portray uncertainty in multiattribute decision making. In this article, we consider the theoretical applications of multi-polar fuzzy sets. We present the notion of multi-polar fuzzy sets in ordered semihypergroups and define multi-polar fuzzy hyperideals (bi-hyperideals, quasi hyperideals) in an ordered semihypergroup. Relations between multi-polar fuzzy hyperideals, multi-polar fuzzy bi-hyperideals and multi-polar fuzzy quasi hyperideals are discussed.
Memristor-Based Lozi Map with Hidden Hyperchaos
Authors: Wang Jiang , Gu Yang , Rong Kang , Xu Quan , Zhang Xi
Published: September 2022

Recently, the application of memristors to improve chaos complexity in discrete chaotic systems has been paid more and more attention to. To enrich the application examples of discrete memristor-based chaotic systems, this article proposes a new three-dimensional (3-D) memristor-based Lozi map by introducing a discrete memristor into the original two-dimensional (2-D) Lozi map. The proposed map has no fixed points but can generate hidden hyperchaos, so it is a hidden hyperchaotic map. The dynamical effects of the discrete memristor on the memristor-based Lozi map and two types of coexisting hidden attractors boosted by the initial conditions are demonstrated using some numerical methods. The numerical results clearly show that the introduced discrete memristor allows the proposed map to have complicated hidden dynamics evolutions and also exhibit heterogeneous and homogeneous hidden multistability. Finally, a digital platform is used to realize the memristor-based Lozi map, and its experimental phase portraits are obtained to confirm the numerical ones.
A Population Pyramid Dynamics Model and Its Analytical Solution. Application Case for Spain
Authors: Micó Joan C.
Published: September 2022

This paper presents the population pyramid dynamics model (PPDM) to study the evolution of the population pyramid of a determined country or society, deducing as a crucial objective its exact analytical solution. The PPDM is a first-order linear partial differential equation whose unknown variable is the population density (population per age unit) depending on time and age, jointly an initial condition in the initial time and a boundary condition given by the births in the zero age. In addition, the dynamical patterns of the crude birth, death, immigration and emigration rates depending on time, jointly with the mathematical pattern of the initial population pyramid depending on ages, take part of the PPDM. These patterns can be obtained from the historical data. An application case of the PPDM analytical solution is presented: Spain, in the 2007–2021 period for its validation, and in the 2021–2026 period for its future forecasting. This application case also permits to obtain the forecasting limits of the PPDM by comparing the historical data with those provided by the PPDM. Other variables that can be obtained from the historical population pyramids data, such as the dependency ratio and the life expectancy at birth, are considered.
The Permutation Flow Shop Scheduling Problem with Human Resources: MILP Models, Decoding Procedures, NEH-Based Heuristics, and an Iterated Greedy Algorithm
Authors: Fernandez-Viagas Victor , Sanchez-Mediano Luis , Angulo-Cortes Alvaro , Gomez-Medina David , Molina-Pariente Jose Manuel
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we address the permutation flow shop scheduling problem with sequence-dependent and non-anticipatory setup times. These setups are performed or supervised by multiple servers, which are renewable secondary resources (typically human resources). Despite the real applications of this kind of human supervision and the growing attention paid in the scheduling literature, we are not aware of any previous study on the problem under consideration. To cover this gap, we start theoretically addressing the problem by: proposing three mixed-integer linear programming models to find optimal solutions in the problem; and proposing different decoding procedures to code solutions in approximated procedures. After that, the best decoding procedure is used to propose a new mechanism that generates 896 different dispatching rules, combining different measures, indicators, and sorting criteria. All these dispatching rules are embedded in the traditional NEH algorithm. Finally, an iterated greedy algorithm is proposed to find near-optimal solutions. By doing so, we provide academics and practitioners with efficient methods that can be used to obtain exact solutions of the problem; applied to quickly schedule jobs and react under changes; used for initialisation or embedded in more advanced algorithms; and/or easily updated and implemented in real manufacturing scenarios.
Phaeosphamides A and B, Cytotoxic Cyclodecadepsipeptides from the Mangrove-Derived Fungus Phaeosphaeriopsis sp. S296
Authors: Niu Siwen , He Jianlin , Huang Shuhuan , Wu Shouyuan , Zeng Ling , Wang Juan , Hong Bihong , Chen Ziming
Published: September 2022

Chemical examination of the fermented broth of the mangrove-derived fungus Phaeosphaeriopsis sp. S296 resulted in the isolation of two new cyclodecadepsipeptides, namely phaeosphamides A (1) and B (2), as well as one known congener Sch 217048 (3). The structures of new metabolites, including absolute configurations, were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analyses, chemical conversion, and Marfey’s method. The 2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanoic acid (Hmp) moiety and pipecolic acid (Pip) unit in structures were rarely discovered in nature. Interestingly, compounds 1–3 are examples of peptides discovered from the fungal genus Phaeosphaeriopsis for the first time. All identified compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against five tumor cell lines of AGS, BEL-7402, HepG2, B16, and BIU87. Among them, compound 1 showed inhibitory activities against these tumor cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 5.14 to 66.38 μM. A further mechanistic investigation found that 1 arrested AGS cells in the G2 phase and induced their apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner.
Solid and Liquid Surface-Supported Bacterial Membrane Mimetics as a Platform for the Functional and Structural Studies of Antimicrobials
Authors: Li Shiqi , Ren Ruohua , Lyu Letian , Song Jiangning , Wang Yajun , Lin Tsung-Wu , Brun Anton Le , Hsu Hsien-Yi , Shen Hsin-Hui
Published: September 2022

Increasing antibiotic resistance has provoked the urgent need to investigate the interactions of antimicrobials with bacterial membranes. The reasons for emerging antibiotic resistance and innovations in novel therapeutic approaches are highly relevant to the mechanistic interactions between antibiotics and membranes. Due to the dynamic nature, complex compositions, and small sizes of native bacterial membranes, bacterial membrane mimetics have been developed to allow for the in vitro examination of structures, properties, dynamics, and interactions. In this review, three types of model membranes are discussed: monolayers, supported lipid bilayers, and supported asymmetric bilayers; this review highlights their advantages and constraints. From monolayers to asymmetric bilayers, biomimetic bacterial membranes replicate various properties of real bacterial membranes. The typical synthetic methods for fabricating each model membrane are introduced. Depending on the properties of lipids and their biological relevance, various lipid compositions have been used to mimic bacterial membranes. For example, mixtures of phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), phosphatidylglycerols (PG), and cardiolipins (CL) at various molar ratios have been used, approaching actual lipid compositions of Gram-positive bacterial membranes and inner membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. Asymmetric lipid bilayers can be fabricated on solid supports to emulate Gram-negative bacterial outer membranes. To probe the properties of the model bacterial membranes and interactions with antimicrobials, three common characterization techniques, including quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and neutron reflectometry (NR) are detailed in this review article. Finally, we provide examples showing that the combination of bacterial membrane models and characterization techniques is capable of providing crucial information in the design of new antimicrobials that combat bacterial resistance.
Modeling and Forecasting of Coal Bed Methane Reservoir from Raniganj Coalfield, India
Authors: Panwar Deepak Singh , Chaurasia Ram Chandra , Saxena Vinod Kumar , Singh Ajay Kumar
Published: September 2022

Demand for a cleaner source of energy is increasing in India. In the search for alternate energy sources, coal bed methane gas receives considerable attention for its potential as a good energy source. During the coalification process, methane gas is captured in the coal seams and later released during coal mining operations. Coal bed methane separation is crucial for both economic benefit and methane emission reduction. The methane production from seams is an efficient way to reduce greenhouse emissions and provide a safe mining operation environment. In India, the production of coal bed methane on a commercial scale has been recently observed. In the present paper, an attempt is made to understand and establish a 3-D excavation of coal bed methane from reservoir simulation (COMET3) for Gondwana coal seams in the Sitarampur block of the Raniganj coalfield in India. The simulation study was carried out for a period of 25 years for the recovery of methane from the reservoir. It is observed from the simulation study that 372 million cubic meters CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions can be prevented by the extraction of methane with space and time. The fracture gas concentration increases with time, and it is observed that fractures are fully saturated with gas in 3000 days.
A Temperature Drift Suppression Method of Mode-Matched MEMS Gyroscope Based on a Combination of Mode Reversal and Multiple Regression
Authors: Chen Liangqian , Miao Tongqiao , Li Qingsong , Wang Peng , Wu Xuezhong , Xi Xiang , Xiao Dingbang
Published: September 2022

In recent years, the application prospects of high-precision MEMS gyroscopes have been shown to be very broad, but the large temperature drift of MEMS gyroscopes limits their application in complex temperature environments. In response to this, we propose a method that combines mode reversal and real-time multiple regression compensation to compensate for the temperature drift of gyroscope bias. This method has strong adaptability to the environment, low computational cost, the algorithm is online in real time, and the compensation effect is good. The experimental results show that under the temperature cycle of −20~20 °C and the temperature change rate of 4 °C/min, the method proposed in this paper can reduce the zero-bias stability from about 27.8°/h to 0.4527°/h, and the zero-bias variation is reduced from 65.88°/h to 1.43°/h. This method improves the zero-bias stability of the gyroscope 61-fold and the zero-bias variation 46-fold. Further, the method can effectively suppress the zero-bias drift caused by the heating of the gyroscope during the start-up phase of the gyroscope. The zero-bias stability of the gyroscope can reach 0.0697°/h within 45 min of starting up, and the zero-bias repeatability from 0 to 5 min after startup is reduced from 0.629°/h to 0.095°/h.
Development of a Three-Dimensional Nerve Stretch Growth Device towards an Implantable Neural Interface
Authors: Li Xiao , Chen Yongguang , Tu Xikai , Huang Hailong
Published: September 2022

Because of rising traumatic accidents and diseases, the number of patients suffering from nerve injury is increasing. Without effective rehabilitation therapy, the patients will get motor or sensory function losses or even a lifelong disability. As for amputees, neural interface technology can be used to splice nerves and electrical wires together in a way that allows them to control an artificial limb as if it was a natural extension of the body. However, the means the need for an autologous nerve to stimulate axonal regeneration and extension into target tissues, which are limited by the supply of donor nerves. Based on the principle of mechanical force regulating axon growth, in this paper, we developed a three-dimensional nerve stretch growth device for an implantable neural interface. The device consists of three motors controlled by single chip microcomputer and some mechanical parts. The stability and reliability of the device were tested. Then, we used neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells by small chemical molecules to explore the optimal three-dimensional stretch culture parameters. Furthermore, we found that the axons were intact through 10 rotations per day and 1 mm of horizontal pulling per day. The results of this research will provide convenience for patients treated through an implantable neural interface.
The Low Dose of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Is Beneficial for Rumen Fermentation (Both In Vivo and In Vitro) and the Growth Performance of Heat-Stressed Goats
Authors: Xue Ligang , Zhou Shuyi , Wang Dan , Zhang Fangyu , Li Junfeng , Cai Liyuan
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on rumen fermentation and the growth performance of heat-stressed goats. The fermentation experiment was conducted using Saccharomyces cerevisiae added at 0‰ (HS1), 0.30‰ (SC1), 0.60‰ (SC2), and 1.20‰ (SC3) of the dry matter (DM) weight of the basal diet. The results showed that supplementing with 0.60‰ (SC2) could increase the pH, acetic acid to propionic acid ratio, the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and the degradability of DM, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber in rumen fluids of heat-stressed goats. In the feeding experiment, twelve heat-stressed goats were assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square experimental design, and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplement levels are similar to the fermentation experiment above. Similar effects on rumen fermentation and digestibility parameters were obtained with a supplement with 0.60‰ of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC2A) compared to the fermentation trial. Moreover, in the SC2A group, the DM intake and average daily gain also increased significantly compared with other groups. These results suggested that a low dose of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can still effectively improve the rumen fermentation and growth performance of heat-stressed goats.
Effects of Root Zone Aeration on Soil Microbes Species in a Peach Tree Rhizosphere and Root Growth
Authors: Sun Maoxiang , Liu Xiaolong , Shi Kaiwu , Peng Futian , Xiao Yuansong
Published: September 2022

The oxygen content in the root zone considerably affects the growth and development of peach trees. However, few studies have been conducted on the effects of the oxygen content in the root zones of peach trees on soil microbes and root growth. Four-year-old Ruiguang 33/Prunus persica (L.) Batsch trees were used to study the effects of root-zone aeration on soil microbes in a peach orchard, as well as on the soil nutrient contents, peach tree root systems, and plant potassium-to-nitrogen ratios. The results showed that the root-zone aeration substantially increased the soil oxygen content in the root zone and changed the soil microbial community structure. Compared with the control, the relative abundances of soil nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (Beta proteobacteria and Bradyrhizobium elkanii) and potassium-solubilizing microorganisms (Bacillus circulans) under the root-zone aeration conditions were greatly enhanced. Root-zone aeration increased the soil’s alkaline nitrogen content, available potassium content, and organic matter content, as well as the number and thickness of new white roots of peach trees, and root activity was increased significantly. At the same time, root-zone aeration changed the relative contents of total potassium and total nitrogen in the plants and considerably increased the potassium–nitrogen ratio in the shoots. The results indicate that aeration in the root zone can change the soil microbial community structure, increase the abundances of nitrogen-fixing and potassium-solubilizing microorganisms, and increase the plant potassium-to-nitrogen ratio, which are conducive to peach fruit quality.
The Immune Efficacy of Inactivated Pseudorabies Vaccine Prepared from FJ-2012ΔgE/gI Strain
Authors: Chen Qiu-Yong , Wu Xue-Min , Che Yong-Liang , Chen Ru-Jing , Hou Bo , Wang Chen-Yan , Wang Long-Bai , Zhou Lun-Jiang
Published: September 2022

An emerging pseudorabies virus (PRV) variant has been reported on Bartha-K61-vaccinated farms since 2011, causing great economic losses to China’s swine-feeding industry. In this study, two vaccines, FJ-2012ΔgE/gI-GEL02 and FJ-2012ΔgE/gI-206VG, were administered to piglets for immune efficacy investigation. Humoral immunity response, clinical signs, survival rate, tissue viral load, and pathology were assessed in piglets. The results showed that both vaccines were effective against the PRV FJ-2012 challenge, the piglets all survived while developing a high level of gB-specific antibody and neutralizing antibody, the virus load in tissue was alleviated, and no clinical PR signs or pathological lesions were displayed. In the unimmunized challenged group, typical clinical signs of pseudorabies were observed, and the piglets all died at 7 days post-challenge. Compared with commercial vaccines, the Bartha-K61 vaccine group could not provide full protection, which might be due to a lower vaccine dose; the inactivated vaccine vPRV* group piglets survived, displaying mild clinical signs. The asterisk denotes inactivation. These results indicate that FJ-2012ΔgE/gI-GEL02 and FJ-2012ΔgE/gI-206VG were effective and could be promising vaccines to control or eradicate the new PRV epidemic in China.
Application of Triboelectric Nanogenerator in Fluid Dynamics Sensing: Past and Future
Authors: Cao Leo N. Y. , Xu Zijie , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: September 2022

The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) developed by Z. L. Wang’s team to harvest random mechanical energy is a promising new energy source for distributed sensing systems in the new era of the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) for a smart world. TENG has many advantages that make it suitable for a wide range of applications, including energy harvesting, environmental protection, wearable electronics, robotics, and self-powered sensors. Sensing as an important part of TENG applications is gradually expanding, with the in-depth study of TENG sensing in its working principle, material selection, processing technology, system integration, surface treatment, and back-end algorithms by researchers. In industry and academia, fluid dynamics sensing for liquid and air is urgently needed but lacking. In particular, local fluid sensing is difficult and limited to traditional sensors. Fortunately, with advantages for ordinary TENGs and TENGs as fluid dynamics sensors, fluid dynamics sensing can be better realized. Therefore, the paper summarizes the up-to-date work on TENGs as fluid dynamics sensors, discusses the advantages of TENGs as fluid dynamics sensors in-depth, and, most importantly, aims to explore possible new key areas to help guide the future direction of TENG in fluid dynamics sensing by addressing the key challenges.
Effect of Pore Filling on Properties of Nanocomposites LiClO4–MIL–101(Cr) with High Ionic Conductivity
Authors: Uvarov Nikolai , Ulihin Artem , Ponomareva Valentina , Kovalenko Konstantin , Fedin Vladimir
Published: September 2022

Experimental data on nitrogen adsorption, pellets density and ionic conductivity of nanocomposite solid electrolytes (1−x)LiClO4–xMIL-101(Cr) were interpreted in frames of the model of the composite in which the lithium salt fills the pores of a metal-organic framework MIL-101(Cr). According to the model, the concentration of lithium salt located in the pores reaches a maximum at the concentration x = xmax which is defined by a ratio of the molar volume of LiClO4 and the total volume of accessible pores in the MIL-101(Cr) framework. The model allows one to describe the dependences of pore volume and pellet density on the concentration of MIL-101(Cr). Conductivity of the composites were successfully described by two separate mixing equations for concentration ranges x < xmax and x > xmax. In the first concentration region x < xmax, the composite may be regarded as a mixture of LiClO4 and MIL-101(Cr) with completely filled pores accessible for LiClO4. At x > xmax, the total amount of lithium perchlorate is located in the pores of MIL-101(Cr) and occupies only part of the volume of the accessible pores. It was found that xmax value determined from the concentration dependence of conductivity (xmax = 0.06) is noticeably lower than the corresponding value estimated from adsorption data (xmax = 0.085) indicating a practically complete filling the pores of MIL-101(Cr) in the composite pellets heated before conductivity measurements.
Bioinspired Spinosum Capacitive Pressure Sensor Based on CNT/PDMS Nanocomposites for Broad Range and High Sensitivity
Authors: Duan Yanhao , Wu Jian , He Shixue , Su Benlong , Li Zhe , Wang Youshan
Published: September 2022

Flexible pressure sensors have garnered much attention recently owing to their prospective applications in fields such as structural health monitoring. Capacitive pressure sensors have been extensively researched due to their exceptional features, such as a simple structure, strong repeatability, minimal loss and temperature independence. Inspired by the skin epidermis, we report a high-sensitivity flexible capacitive pressure sensor with a broad detection range comprising a bioinspired spinosum dielectric layer. Using an abrasive paper template, the bioinspired spinosum was fabricated using carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (CNT/PDMS) composites. It was observed that nanocomposites comprising 1 wt% CNTs had excellent sensing properties. These capacitive pressure sensors allowed them to function at a wider pressure range (~500 kPa) while maintaining sensitivity (0.25 kPa−1) in the range of 0–50 kPa, a quick response time of approximately 20 ms and a high stability even after 10,000 loading–unloading cycles. Finally, a capacitive pressure sensor array was created to detect the deformation of tires, which provides a fresh approach to achieving intelligent tires.
Versatile Approach of Silicon Nanofabrication without Resists: Helium Ion-Bombardment Enhanced Etching
Authors: Wen Xiaolei , Zhang Lansheng , Tian Feng , Xu Yang , Hu Huan
Published: September 2022

Herein, we report a helium ion-bombardment enhanced etching method for silicon nanofabrication without the use of resists; furthermore, we demonstrate its unique advantages for straightforward fabrication on irregular surfaces and prototyping nano-electro-mechanical system devices, such as self-enclosed Si nanofluidic channels and mechanical nano-resonators. This method employs focused helium ions to selectively irradiate single-crystal Si to disrupt the crystal lattice and transform it into an amorphous phase that can be etched at a rate 200 times higher than that of the non-irradiated Si. Due to the unique raindrop shape of the interaction volumes between helium ions and Si, buried Si nanofluidic channels can be constructed using only one dosing step, followed by one step of conventional chemical etching. Moreover, suspended Si nanobeams can be fabricated without an additional undercut step for release owing to the unique raindrop shape. In addition, we demonstrate nanofabrication directly on 3D micro/nano surfaces, such as an atomic force microscopic probe, which is challenging for conventional nanofabrication due to the requirement of photoresist spin coating. Finally, this approach can also be extended to assist in the etching of other materials that are difficult to etch, such as silicon carbide (SiC).
Association of Mushrooms and Algae Consumption with Mortality among Chinese Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Shen Jie , He Mengjie , Lv Rongxia , Huang Liyan , Yang Jiaxi , Wu You , Gu Yuxuan , Rong Shuang , Yang Min , Yuan Changzheng , Zhang Ronghua
Published: September 2022

Mushrooms and algae are important sources of dietary bioactive compounds, but their associations with mortality remain unclear. We examined the association of mushrooms and algae consumption with subsequent risk of all-cause mortality among older adults. This study included 13,156 older adults aged 65 years and above in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2008–2018). Consumption of mushrooms and algae at baseline and age of 60 were assessed using a simplified food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During 74,976 person-years of follow-up, a total of 8937 death cases were documented. After adjustment for demographic, lifestyle, and other dietary factors, participants who consumed mushrooms and algae at least once per week had a lower risk of all-cause mortality than rare consumers (0–1 time per year) (HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.80–0.93). Compared to participants with rare intake at both age 60 and the study baseline (average age of 87), those who maintained regular consumptions over time had the lowest hazard of mortality (HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.76–0.98). Our findings supported the potential beneficial role of long-term consumption of mushrooms and algae in reducing all-cause mortality among older adults. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the health benefit for longevity of specific types of mushrooms and algae.