bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Analysis and Experimental Validation of a Novel Estrogen/Progesterone-Related Prognostic Signature for Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Yu Jing , Yao Hong-Wen , Liu Ting-Ting , Wang Di , Shi Jian-Hong , Yuan Guang-Wen , Ma Sai , Wu Ling-Ying
Published: June 2022

Estrogen and progesterone are the major determinants of the occurrence and development of endometrial cancer (EC), which is one of the most common gynecological cancers worldwide. Our purpose was to develop a novel estrogen/progesterone-related gene signature to better predict the prognosis of EC and help discover effective therapeutic strategies. We downloaded the clinical and RNA-seq data of 397 EC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The “limma” R package was used to screen for estrogen/progesterone-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between EC and normal tissues. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were applied to identify these DEGs that were associated with prognosis; then, a novel estrogen/progesterone-related prognostic signature comprising CDC25B, GNG3, ITIH3, PRXL2A and SDHB was established. The Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival analysis showed that the low-risk group identified by this signature had significantly longer overall survival (OS) than the high-risk group; the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and risk distribution curves suggested this signature was an accurate predictor independent of risk factors. A nomogram incorporating the signature risk score and stage was constructed, and the calibration plot suggested it could accurately predict the survival rate. Compared with normal tissues, tumor tissues had increased mRNA levels of GNG3 and PRXL2A and a reduced mRNA level of ITIH3. The knockdown of PRXL2A and GNG3 significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation of Ishikawa and AN3CA cells, while the inhibition of PRXL2A expression suppressed xenograft growth. In this study, five estrogen/progesterone-related genes were identified and incorporated into a novel signature, which provided a new classification tool for improved risk assessment and potential molecular targets for EC therapies.
Lack of Association between Inhaled Corticosteroid Use and the Risk of Future Exacerbation in Patients with GOLD Group A Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Shin Sun Hye , Kim Deog Kyeom , Kim Sang-Heon , Shin Tae Rim , Jung Ki-Suck , Yoo Kwang Ha , Hwang Ki-Eun , Park Hye Yun , Jo Yong Suk ,   on behalf of the KOCOSS Cohort
Published: June 2022

Background: As most clinical trials have been performed in more symptomatic and higher-risk patients, evidence regarding treatment in patients with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) group A chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is limited. We assessed the distribution of inhaler treatment and sought to investigate the association between inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use and future exacerbation in GOLD group A COPD patients. Methods: Patients with GOLD group A COPD who received maintenance inhalers were identified from a multicentre, prospective cohort in South Korea. Patients were categorized as group A when they had fewer symptoms and did not experience severe exacerbation in the previous year. Development of moderate or severe exacerbation during the 1-year follow-up was analysed according to baseline inhaler treatment. Results: In 286 patients with GOLD group A COPD, mono-bronchodilator (37.8%), dual-bronchodilator (29.0%), triple therapy (17.5%), and ICS/long-acting beta-2 agonist (15.4%) were used. Compared to patients without ICS-containing inhalers (N = 191), those using ICS (N = 95) were more dyspnoeic, and more likely to have asthma history, lower lung function, and bronchodilator response. During the 1-year follow-up, moderate or severe exacerbations occurred in 66 of 286 (23.1%) patients. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, ICS-containing inhaler use was not associated with the development of exacerbation, even in the subgroup with a high probability of asthma–COPD overlap. Conclusion: Although about one-third of patients with GOLD group A COPD were using ICS-containing inhalers, use of ICS was not associated with a reduction in the future development of exacerbation.
Integrated microRNA–mRNA Expression Profiling Identifies Novel Targets and Networks Associated with Autism
Authors: Gill Pritmohinder S. , Dweep Harsh , Rose Shannon , Wickramasinghe Priyankara J. , Vyas Kanan K. , McCullough Sandra , Porter-Gill Patricia A. , Frye Richard E.
Published: June 2022

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, with mutations in hundreds of genes contributing to its risk. Herein, we studied lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from children diagnosed with autistic disorder (n = 10) and controls (n = 7) using RNA and miRNA sequencing profiles. The sequencing analysis identified 1700 genes and 102 miRNAs differentially expressed between the ASD and control LCLs (p ≤ 0.05). The top upregulated genes were GABRA4, AUTS2, and IL27, and the top upregulated miRNAs were hsa-miR-6813-3p, hsa-miR-221-5p, and hsa-miR-21-5p. The RT-qPCR analysis confirmed the sequencing results for randomly selected candidates: AUTS2, FMR1, PTEN, hsa-miR-15a-5p, hsa-miR-92a-3p, and hsa-miR-125b-5p. The functional enrichment analysis showed pathways involved in ASD control proliferation of neuronal cells, cell death of immune cells, epilepsy or neurodevelopmental disorders, WNT and PTEN signaling, apoptosis, and cancer. The integration of mRNA and miRNA sequencing profiles by miRWalk2.0 identified correlated changes in miRNAs and their targets’ expression. The integration analysis found significantly dysregulated miRNA–gene pairs in ASD. Overall, these findings suggest that mRNA and miRNA expression profiles in ASD are greatly altered in LCLs and reveal numerous miRNA–gene interactions that regulate critical pathways involved in the proliferation of neuronal cells, cell death of immune cells, and neuronal development.
Fabry Disease in Slovakia: How the Situation Has Changed over 20 Years of Treatment
Authors: Jurickova Katarina , Jungova Petra , Petrovic Robert , Mattosova Slavomira , Hlavata Tereza , Kostalova Ludmila , Hlavata Anna
Published: June 2022

Fabry disease (FD, OMIM#301500) is a rare inborn error of the lysosomal enzyme α-galactosidase (α-Gal A, EC 3.2.1.22) and results in progressive substrate accumulation in tissues with a wide range of clinical presentations. Despite the X-linked inheritance, heterozygous females may also be affected. Hemizygous males are usually affected more severely, with an earlier manifestation of the symptoms. Rising awareness among health care professionals and more accessible diagnostics have positioned FD among the most-common inherited metabolic diseases in adults. An early and correct diagnosis of FD is crucial with a focus on personalised therapy. Preventing irreversible destruction of vital organs is the main goal of modern medicine. The aim of this study was to offer a complex report mapping the situation surrounding FD patients in Slovakia. A total of 48 patients (21 males, 27 females) with FD are registered in the Centre for Inborn Errors of Metabolism in Bratislava, Slovakia. In our cohort, we have identified three novel pathogenic variants in five patients. Three patients presented with the frameshift mutation c.736delA, and two others presented with the missense mutations c.203T>C, c.157A>C. Moreover, we present a new clinical picture of the pathogenic variant c.801+1G>A, which was previously described and associated with the renal phenotype.
The Performance of Shrinkage Estimator for Stock Portfolio Selection in Case of High Dimensionality
Authors: Nguyen Nhat , Nguyen Trung , Thalassinos Eleftherios , Le Hoang
Published: June 2022

Harry Markowitz introduced the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) for the first time in 1952 which has been applied widely for optimal portfolio selection until now. However, the theory still has some limitations that come from the instability of covariance matrix input. This leads the selected portfolio from MPT model to change the status continuously and to suffer the high cost of transaction. The traditional estimator of the covariance matrix has not solved this limitation yet, especially when the dimensionality of the portfolio soars. Therefore, in this paper, we conduct a practical discussion on the feasible application of the shrinkage estimator of the covariance matrix, which is expected to encourage the investors focusing on the shrinkage–based framework for their portfolio selection. The empirical study on the Vietnam stock market in the period of 2011–2021 shows that the shrinkage approach has much better performance than other traditional methods on the primary portfolio evaluation criteria such as return, level of risk, Sharpe ratio, maximum loss, and Alpla coefficient, especially the superiority is even more evident when the dimension of covariance matrix increases. The shrinkage approach tends to create more stable and secure portfolios than other estimators, as demonstrated by the average volatility and maximum loss criteria with the lowest values. Meanwhile, the factor model approach is able to generate portfolios with higher average returns and lower portfolio turnover; and the traditional approach gives good results in the case of low—dimensionality. Besides, the shrinkage method also shows effectiveness when beating the tough market benchmarks such as VN-Index and 1/N portfolio strategy on almost performance metrics in all scenarios.
Measuring Online Sensory Consumer Experience: Introducing the Online Sensory Marketing Index (OSMI) as a Structural Modeling Approach
Authors: Hamacher Kevin , Buchkremer Rüdiger
Published: June 2022

We present a novel quantitative approach to assessing sensory components on e-commerce websites. The Online Sensory Marketing Index (OSMI) provides a valuable measure of the sensory output exhibited by text, images, and other media. The OSMI enables website creators and marketers to communicate about sensory marketing elements and related components. Accordingly, websites could be designed to achieve better sensory appeal and mitigate weaknesses. Our index allows for the creation of sensory templates for various industries. Utilizing a field study of 16 websites in the tech, automotive, fashion, and food industries, we present sensory measures for websites’ acoustical and visionary elements that are easy to comprehend. Additionally, we introduce a score to quantify haptic, olfactory, and gustatory components to assess the online sensory consumer experience. We conclude and propose weighting offline and online sensory parameters per industry. Accordingly, we study quantitative parameters for online sensory overload and deprivation. Our assessment offers a comfortable determination of websites’ OSMI.
Language Beliefs of English Teachers in Norway: Trajectories in Transition?
Authors: Tishakov Theresé , Tsagari Dina
Published: June 2022

Language teachers struggle to shift from monolingual ideologies and pedagogical practices, as advocated for in the promotion of multilingualism and inclusive pedagogy. Additionally, the role of English as a multilingua franca pushes English teachers to rethink their beliefs about the language and its use. Even when positive about multilingualism, teachers are often uncertain of how to address the complexities of multilingual ideals due to varying contextual factors and a lack of practical knowledge and skills. This study reports on English teachers’ (N = 110) language beliefs and self-reported practices in linguistically diverse classrooms in Norway based on an online survey. We applied factor analysis to investigate if any demographic factors influenced the results. A complexity paradox emerged in which the teachers’ acceptance of multilingual ideals was contradicted by their beliefs and teaching practices, which reflected monolingual ideologies. Teacher age, learner age group, and teacher gender were important factors in the respondents’ beliefs. The discussion suggests why various factors may influence teachers and explores the complexity of their multifaceted ecologies. We conclude with recommendations for practitioners and researchers.
Thermally Induced Transitions of d(G4T4G3) Quadruplexes Can Be Described as Kinetically Driven Processes
Authors: Prislan Iztok , Urbic Tomaz , Poklar Ulrih Natasa
Published: June 2022

DNA sequences that are rich in guanines and can form four-stranded structures are called G-quadruplexes. Due to the growing evidence that they may play an important role in several key biological processes, the G-quadruplexes have captured the interest of several researchers. G-quadruplexes may form in the presence of different metal cations as polymorphic structures formed in kinetically governed processes. Here we investigate a complex polymorphism of d(G4T4G3) quadruplexes at different K+ concentrations. We show that population size of different d(G4T4G3) quadruplex conformations can be manipulated by cooling rate and/or K+ concentration. We use a kinetic model to describe data obtained from DSC, CD and UV spectroscopy and PAGE experiments. Our model is able to describe the observed thermally induced conformational transitions of d(G4T4G3) quadruplexes at different K+ concentrations.
Challenges in Mitigating Lubricant Foaming
Authors: Chandran Suja Vineeth
Published: June 2022

Lubricant foaming and its mitigation is an active area of research driven by demands from modern machinery that require foam-free lubricant operation over extended periods and under adverse conditions. Tackling lubricant foaming has proven to be challenging due to interdependent foam stabilization mechanisms and a multitude of antifoam inactivation routes. This perspective briefly outlines the key challenges faced by researchers in this field. Overcoming these challenges to create lubricants with superior foaming characteristics requires the development of new lubricant and antifoam chemistry as well as a shift from the existing trial-and-error methods to mechanistic-insight-driven lubricant formulation and antifoam design.
An Enhanced Lemaitre Model and Fracture Map for Cr5 Alloy Steel during High-Temperature Forming Process
Authors: Chen Xuewen , Guo Lele , Zhang Bo , Bai Rongren
Published: June 2022

To effectively control and predict crack defects in the high-temperature forming process of Cr5 alloy steel, based on the traditional Lemaitre damage model, a new high-temperature damage model of Cr5 alloy steel was proposed which considered the change of material elastic modulus with temperature, the influence of material hydrostatic pressure as well as temperature and strain rate on material damage. Because Cr5 alloy steels are usually forged at high temperatures, tensile testing is an important method to study the damage behaviour of materials. Through the high-temperature tensile test and elastic modulus measurement test of the Cr5 alloy steel, the stress–strain curves and the relationship curves of the elastic modulus value with the temperature of Cr5 alloy steel under different temperatures and strain rates were obtained. A new high-temperature damage model of Cr5 alloy steel was built by introducing the Zener–Hollomon coefficient considering the influence of temperature and strain rate. The established high-temperature damage model was embedded in Forge® finite element software through the program’s secondary development method to numerically simulate the experimental process of Cr5 alloy steel. Comparing the difference between the displacement–load curves of the numerical simulation and the actual test of the tensile process of the experimental samples, the correlation coefficient R2 is 0.987 and the difference between the experimental value and the simulated value of the tensile sample elongation at break is 1.28%. The accuracy of the high-temperature damage model of Cr5 alloy steel established in this paper was verified. Finally, the high-temperature damage map of Cr5 alloy steel was constructed to analyse the variation law of various damage parameters with the temperature and strain rate of the high-temperature damage model of Cr5 alloy steel.
Application of Raney Al-Ni Alloy for Simple Hydrodehalogenation of Diclofenac and Other Halogenated Biocidal Contaminants in Alkaline Aqueous Solution under Ambient Conditions
Authors: Bendová Helena , Kamenická Barbora , Weidlich Tomáš , Beneš Ludvík , Vlček Milan , Lacina Petr , Švec Petr
Published: June 2022

Raney Al-Ni contains 62% of Ni2Al3 and 38% NiAl3 crystalline phases. Its applicability has been studied within an effective hydrodehalogenation of hardly biodegradable anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac in model aqueous concentrates and, subsequently, even in real hospital wastewater with the aim of transforming them into easily biodegradable products. In model aqueous solution, complete hydrodechlorination of 2 mM aqueous diclofenac solution (0.59 g L−1) yielding the 2-anilinophenylacetate was achieved in less than 50 min at room temperature and ambient pressure using only 9.7 g L−1 of KOH and 1.65 g L−1 of Raney Al-Ni alloy. The dissolving of Al during the hydrodehalogenation process is accompanied by complete consumption of NiAl3 crystalline phase and partial depletion of Ni2Al3. A comparison of the hydrodehalogenation ability of a mixture of diclofenac and other widely used halogenated aromatic or heterocyclic biocides in model aqueous solution using Al-Ni was performed to verify the high hydrodehalogenation activity for each of the used halogenated contaminants. Remarkably, the robustness of Al-Ni-based hydrodehalogenation was demonstrated even for the removal of non-biodegradable diclofenac in real hospital wastewater with high chloride and nitrate content. After removal of the insoluble part of the Al-Ni for subsequent hydrometallurgical recycling, the low quantity of residual Ni was removed together with insoluble Al(OH)3 obtained after neutralization of aqueous filtrate by filtration.
Sustainable Epoxidized Guayule Natural Rubber, Blends and Composites with Improved Oil Resistance and Greater Stiffness
Authors: Ren Xianjie , Barrera Cindy S. , Tardiff Janice L. , Cornish Katrina
Published: June 2022

Production of petroleum-based synthetic rubbers (SRs) causes an enormous carbon footprint for the rubber industry. Carbon footprint would be reduced if natural rubber (NR) could take a larger market share and replace significant quantities of SR. However, some SRs have higher oil resistance than NRs, and, in applications where these properties are needed, chemically modified NR will be required. Epoxidation is a chemical modification of NR which partially converts unsaturated bonds on the backbone of NR to epoxy groups. In this research, epoxidized guayule natural rubber (EGNR)/guayule natural rubber (GNR) blends and GNR were used to make carbon black (CB) filled composites. The processability, mechanical properties, swelling behaviors and dynamic mechanical properties were characterized at various epoxide fractions. Composites made with EGNR/GNR had higher oil resistance, wet traction and stiffness than GNR composites, although tensile strength and elongation at break were reduced by epoxidation. EGNR is expected to lead to the development of new NR products with similar properties to SR, eroding SR markets and increasing the sustainability of the rubber industry.
Repeated Drop-Weight Impact Testing of Fibrous Concrete: State-Of-The-Art Literature Review, Analysis of Results Variation and Test Improvement Suggestions
Authors: Abid Sallal R. , Murali Gunasekaran , Ahmad Jawad , Al-Ghasham Thaar S. , Vatin Nikolai Ivanovich
Published: June 2022

The ACI 544-2R introduced a qualitative test to compare the impact resistance of fibrous concretes under repeated falling-mass impact loads, which is considered to be a low-cost, quick solution for material-scale impact tests owing to the simplified apparatus, test setup and procedure, where none of the usual sophisticated sensors and data acquisition systems are required. However, previous studies showed that the test results are highly scattered with noticeably unacceptable variations, which encouraged researchers to try to use statistical tools to analyze the scattering of results and suggest modifications to reduce this unfavorable disadvantage. The current article introduces a state-of-the-art literature review on the previous and recent research on repeated impact testing of different types of fibrous concrete using the ACI 544-2R test, while focusing on the scattering of results and highlighting the adopted statistical distributions to analyze this scattering. The influence of different mixture parameters on the variation of the cracking and failure impact results is also investigated based on data from the literature. Finally, the article highlights and discusses the literature suggestions to modify the test specimen, apparatus and procedure to reduce the scattering of results in the ACI 544-2R repeated impact test. The conducted analyses showed that material parameters such as binder, aggregate and water contents in addition to the maximum size of aggregate have no effect on the variation of test results, while increasing the fiber content was found to have some positive influence on decreasing this variation. The survey conducted in this study also showed that the test can be modified to lower the unfavorable variations of impact and failure results.
Experimental Study and Numerical Analysis of the Tensile Behavior of 3D Woven Ceramic Composites
Authors: Lu Hongbo , Liu Yancheng , Yan Shibo
Published: June 2022

In this work, the tensile responses of 3D woven quartz fiber silica matrix composites were experimentally and numerically investigated. The ceramic composites reinforced by 3D layer-to-layer angle interlock woven preforms were manufactured and tested under warp direction tension. A numerical method is proposed to model the mechanical response of the ceramic composites under tension. The method is based on a mesoscopic single layer unit cell for the composites, using a progressive damage analysis approach to account for damage evolution. The predicted results are compared with experimental data, and good agreement in the stress–strain response up to the ultimate tensile strength of the composites is obtained. It has been demonstrated that the proposed numerical model based on a simple single layer unit cell is both efficient and effective in characterization of the mechanical behavior of the 3D layer-to-layer woven ceramic composites.
Novel FEM-Based Wavelet Bases and Their Contextualized Applications to Bearing Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Zhang Long , Zhao Lijuan , Cai Binghuan , Yang Jinwen , Tu Wenbing , Zhang Hao , Lu Yi
Published: June 2022

Feature extraction herein refers to using an appropriate wavelet basis to filter vibration signals with the aim to reveal fault transient characteristics, which underlies bearing fault diagnosis. Wavelet transform has developed into a well-established signal processing approach with wide applications in bearing fault diagnosis. Nevertheless, a suitable wavelet basis is essential for wavelet transform to perform its best. So far, numerous wavelet bases are available for bearing diagnosis, most of which, however, have a waveform analogous to that of impulse responses of a single-degree-of-freedom system. In fact, bearings are of multi-degree-of-freedom and not totally rigid. Furthermore, a specific wavelet basis is definitely unable to accommodate all bearing vibrations, given that fault characteristics vary with bearings’ operating conditions and fault types. As such, a simulated wavelet-driven personalized scheme is proposed to improve bearing fault diagnosis for contextualized engineering practical applications. For a specific bearing of interest, personalized finite element models (FEM) with various faults are constructed and corresponding fault-induced responses are then obtained. Afterward, FEM-based wavelet bases are formulated and specified by its discrete values from such responses. Taking NU306 bearing with inner or outer defect for example, FEM-based wavelet basis is applied to the corresponding experimental signals by means of wavelet filtering. The comparisons with adaptive Morlet and impulse wavelet demonstrate that the personalized FEM-based wavelet basis match very well with the fault-induced transients present in experimental bearing vibrations and thus have a promising superiority and expandability.
Building Damage Assessment Based on Siamese Hierarchical Transformer Framework
Authors: Da Yifan , Ji Zhiyuan , Zhou Yongsheng
Published: June 2022

The rapid and accurate damage assessment of buildings plays a critical role in disaster response. Based on pairs of pre- and post-disaster remote sensing images, effective building damage level assessment can be conducted. However, most existing methods are based on Convolutional Neural Network, which has limited ability to learn the global context. An attention mechanism helps ameliorate this problem. Hierarchical Transformer has powerful potential in the remote sensing field with strong global modeling capability. In this paper, we propose a novel two-stage damage assessment framework called SDAFormer, which embeds a symmetric hierarchical Transformer into a siamese U-Net-like network. In the first stage, the pre-disaster image is fed into a segmentation network for building localization. In the second stage, a two-branch damage classification network is established based on weights shared from the first stage. Then, pre- and post-disaster images are delivered to the network separately for damage assessment. Moreover, a spatial fusion module is designed to improve feature representation capability by building pixel-level correlation, which establishes spatial information in Swin Transformer blocks. The proposed framework achieves significant improvement on the large-scale building damage assessment dataset—xBD.
Wood-Based Cellulose-Rich Ultrafiltration Membranes: Alkaline Coagulation Bath Introduction and Investigation of Its Effect over Membranes’ Performance
Authors: Lopatina Anastasiia , Liukkonen Alma , Bec Sabina , Anugwom Ikenna , Nieminen Joona , Mänttäri Mika , Kallioinen-Mänttäri Mari
Published: June 2022

In this study, wood-based cellulose-rich membranes were produced with a novel approach to casting procedure. Flat-sheet membranes were prepared from birch biomass pretreated with deep eutectic solvent and dissolved in ionic liquid-dimethylsulfoxide system via phase inversion method. Alkaline coagulation bath filled with sodium hydroxide solution was added to the process before a water coagulation bath and aimed to improve membranes’ performance. The effect of NaOH coagulation bath on the membrane was studied based on two NaOH concentrations and two different treatment times. The characterisation methods included measuring pure water permeabilities, polyethylene glycol 35 kDa model solution retentions, hydrophilicity, zeta potential, and chemical structure. Additionally, suitability of the membranes for removing residual phosphorous from a municipal wastewater treatment plant’s effluent was studied. The study revealed that introduction of the alkaline coagulation bath led to additional removal of lignin from membrane matrix and increase in the filtration capacity up to eight times. The resulting membranes can be characterised as very hydrophilic, with contact angle values 11.9–18.2°, negatively charged over a wide pH range. The membranes with the highest permeability, 380–450 L/m2·h·bar, showed approximately 70% phosphorus removal from purified wastewater, good removal of suspended solids, and low irreversible fouling tendency.
Development of 3D ZnO-CNT Support Structures Impregnated with Inorganic Salts
Authors: Chiriac Stefania , Puscasu Maria-Eliza , Tudor Ioan Albert , Matei Alexandru Cristian , Cursaru Laura Madalina , Piticescu Radu Robert
Published: June 2022

Carbon-based materials are promising candidates for enhancing thermal properties of phase change materials (PCMs) without lowering its energy storage capacity. Nowadays, researchers are trying to find a proper porous structure as PCMs support for thermal energy storage applications. In this context, the main novelty of this paper consists in using a ZnO-CNT-based nanocomposite powder, prepared by an own hydrothermal method at high pressure, to obtain porous 3D printed support structures with embedding capacity of PCMs. The morphology of 3D structures, before and after impregnation with three PCMs inorganic salts (NaNO3, KNO3 and NaNO3:KNO3 mixture (1:1 vol% saturated solution) was investigated by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). For structure impregnated with nitrates mixture, SEM cross-section morphology suggest that the inorganic salts impregnation started into micropores, continuing with the covering of the 3D structure surface and epitaxial growing of micro/nanostructured crystals, which led to reducing the distance between the structural strands. The variation of melting/crystallization points and associated enthalpies of impregnated PCMs and their stability during five repeated thermal cycles were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and simultaneous DSC-thermogravimetry (DSC-TGA). From the second heating-cooling cycle, the 3D structures impregnated with NaNO3 and NaNO3-KNO3 mixture are thermally stable.
Incorporating Carbon Nanotubes in Nanocomposite Mixed-Matrix Membranes for Gas Separation: A Review
Authors: Yazid Aimi Farzana , Mukhtar Hilmi , Nasir Rizwan , Mohshim Dzeti Farhah
Published: June 2022

Carbon nanotube (CNT) is a prominent material for gas separation due to its inherent smoothness of walls, allowing rapid transport of gases compared to other inorganic fillers. It also possesses high mechanical strength, enabling membranes to operate at high pressure. Although it has superior properties compared to other inorganic fillers, preparation of CNTs into a polymer matrix remains challenging due to the strong van der Waals forces of CNTs, which lead to agglomeration of CNTs. To utilize the full potential of CNTs, proper dispersion of CNTs must be addressed. In this paper, methods to improve the dispersion of CNTs using functionalization methods were discussed. Fabrication techniques for CNT mixed-matrix membrane (MMM) nanocomposites and their impact on gas separation performance were compared. This paper also reviewed the applications and potential of CNT MMMs in gas separation.
Influence of Heat Control on Properties and Residual Stresses of Additive-Welded High-Strength Steel Components
Authors: Scharf-Wildenhain Ronny , Haelsig André , Hensel Jonas , Wandtke Karsten , Schroepfer Dirk , Kromm Arne , Kannengiesser Thomas
Published: June 2022

Advanced high-performance filler metals for wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) exist on the market already. Nevertheless, these high-strength steels are not yet widely used in industrial applications due to limited knowledge of cold-cracking susceptibility, welding residual stresses, and therefore sufficient safety in terms of manufacturing and operation. High residual stresses promote cold-cracking risk, especially in the welding of high-strength steels, as the result of a complex interaction between the applied material, process conditions, and component design. The focus of the present investigation was the determination of the influence of the process parameters on the ∆t8/5 cooling time, mechanical properties, and residual stresses to correlate, for the first time, heat control, cooling conditions, and residual stress for WAAM of high-strength filler materials. This contributed to the knowledge regarding the safe avoidance of cold cracking. In addition to a thermophysical simulation using a dilatometer of different high-strength steels with subsequent tensile testing, reference WAAM specimens (open hollow cuboids) were welded while utilizing a high-strength filler metal (ultimate tensile strength > 790 MPa). The heat control was varied by means of the heat input and interlayer temperature such that the ∆t8/5 cooling times corresponded to the recommended processing range (approx. 5 s to 20 s). For the heat input, significant effects were exhibited, in particular on the local residual stresses in the component. Welding with an excessive heat input or deposition rate may lead to low cooling rates, and hence to unfavorable microstructure and component properties, but at the same time, is intended to result in lower tensile residual stress levels. Such complex interactions must ultimately be clarified to provide users with easily applicable processing recommendations and standard specifications for an economical WAAM of high-strength steels. These investigations demonstrated a major influence of the heat input on both the cooling conditions and the residual stresses of components manufactured with WAAM using high-strength filler materials. A higher heat input led to longer cooling times (∆t8/5) and approx. 200 MPa lower residual stresses in the surface of the top layer.
Effect of Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Hardness of Ni-Based Alloy 718 in a Variable Thickness Geometry Deposited by Powder Fed Directed Energy Deposition
Authors: Ramiro Pedro , Galarraga Haize , Pérez-Checa Anabel , Ortiz Mikel , Alberdi Amaia , Bhujangrao Trunal , Morales Elena , Ukar Eneko
Published: June 2022

Feature addition to existing parts is a trending application for Directed Energy Deposition (DED) and can be used to add complex geometry features to basic forged geometries with the aim to reduce and simplify the number of processing steps as machining and assembling. However, the mechanical properties of as-deposited Inconel 718 fabricated by Powder-fed Directed Energy Deposition (Powder-fed DED) are far lower than the relevant specifications, making it necessary to apply different heat treatment with the purpose of improving deposited material performance. In addition, the effects of heat treatments in both variable thickness deposited geometry and forge substrate have not been studied. In this study, the effect of heat treatment within the Aerospace Materials Specifications (AMS) for cast and wrought Inconel 718 on the microstructure and hardness of both the Ni-Based Alloy 718 deposited geometry and substrate are analyzed in different parts of the geometry. The microstructure of all samples (as-deposited and heat-treated) is analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS), confirming the formation of aluminum oxides and titanium nitrides and carbonitrides in the deposited structure.
Effect of Substrate-RF on Sub-200 nm Al0.7Sc0.3N Thin Films
Authors: Pirro Michele , Zhao Xuanyi , Herrera Bernard , Simeoni Pietro , Rinaldi Matteo
Published: June 2022

Sc-doped aluminum nitride is emerging as a new piezoelectric material which can substitute undoped aluminum nitride (AlN) in radio-frequency MEMS applications, thanks to its demonstrated enhancement of the piezoelectric coefficients. Furthermore, the recent demonstration of the ferroelectric-switching capability of the material gives AlScN the possibility to integrate memory functionalities in RF components. However, its high-coercive field and high-leakage currents are limiting its applicability. Residual stress, growth on different substrates, and testing-temperature have already been demonstrated as possible knobs to flatten the energy barrier needed for switching, but no investigation has been reported yet on the whole impact on the dielectric and ferroelectric dynamic behavior of a single process parameter. In this context, we analyze the complete spectrum of variations induced by the applied substrate-RF, from deposition characteristics to dielectric and ferroelectric properties, proving its effect on all of the material attributes. In particular, we demonstrate the possibility of engineering the AlScN lattice cell to properly modify leakage, breakdown, and coercive fields, as well as polarization charge, without altering the crystallinity level, making substrate-RF an effective and efficient fabrication knob to ease the limitations the material is facing.
Trojan pH-Sensitive Polymer Particles Produced in a Continuous-Flow Capillary Microfluidic Device Using Water-in-Oil-in-Water Double-Emulsion Droplets
Authors: Larrea Ane , Arruebo Manuel , Serra Christophe A. , Sebastián Victor
Published: June 2022

A facile and robust microfluidic method to produce nanoparticle-in-microparticle systems (Trojan systems) is reported as a delivery vector for the oral administration of active pharmaceutical ingredients. The microfluidic system is based on two coaxial capillaries that produce monodisperse water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsions in a highly controlled fashion with precise control over the resulting particle structure, including the core and shell dimensions. The influence of the three phase flow rates, pH and drying process on the formation and overall size is evaluated. These droplets are then used as templates for the production of pH-sensitive Trojan microparticles after solvent evaporation. The shell of Trojan microparticles is made of Eudragit®, a methacrylic acid-ethyl acrylate copolymer that would enable the Trojan microparticle payload to first pass through the stomach without being degraded and then dissolve in the intestinal fluid, releasing the inner payload. The synthesis of the pH-sensitive Trojan microparticles was also compared with a conventional batch production method. The payloads considered in this work were different in nature: (1) fluorescein, to validate the feasibility of the polymeric shell to protect the payload under gastric pH; (2) poly(D,L-lactic acid/glycolic acid)-PLGA nanoparticles loaded with the antibiotic rifampicin. These PLGA nanoparticles were produced also using a microfluidic continuous process and (3) PLGA nanoparticles loaded with Au nanoparticles to trace the PLGA formulation under different environments (gastric and intestinal), and to assess whether active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) encapsulation in PLGA is due efficiently. We further showed that Trojan microparticles released the embedded PLGA nanoparticles in contact with suitable media, as confirmed by electron microscopy. Finally, the results show the possibility of developing Trojan microparticles in a continuous manner with the ability to deliver therapeutic nanoparticles in the gastrointestinal tract.
Development of a Fault Detection Instrument for Fiber Bragg Grating Sensing System on Airplane
Authors: Du Cuicui , Kong Deren , Xu Chundong
Published: June 2022

This study develops a fault detection device for the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing system and a fault detection method to realize the rapid detection of the FBG sensing system on airplanes. According to the distribution of FBG sensors on airplanes, the FBG sensing system is built based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and space division multiplexing (SDM) technologies. Furthermore, the hardware and software of the fault detection device and the relevant FBG demodulator are studied in detail. Additionally, in view of the similar features of the healthy FBG sensor in the same measuring point, a rapid fault diagnosis method based on a synthetical anomaly index is proposed. The features (light intensity I, signal length L, standard deviation of original sample σ and energy value in time-domain P) of FBG sensors are extracted. The aggregation center value of the above feature values is obtained through the loop iteration method. Furthermore, the separation degrees of features are calculated and then form the synthetical anomaly index so as to make an effective diagnosis of the state of the FBG sensor. Finally, the designed fault detection instrument and proposed fault detection method are used to monitor the 25 FBG sensors on the airplane, the results indicated that three faulty and two abnormal FBG sensors on the airplane are identified, showing the effectiveness of the proposed fault detection method.
Implementation of ANN-Based Auto-Adjustable for a Pneumatic Servo System Embedded on FPGA
Authors: Cabrera-Rufino Marco-Antonio , Ramos-Arreguín Juan-Manuel , Rodríguez-Reséndiz Juvenal , Gorrostieta-Hurtado Efren , Aceves-Fernandez Marco-Antonio
Published: June 2022

Artificial intelligence techniques for pneumatic robot manipulators have become of deep interest in industrial applications, such as non-high voltage environments, clean operations, and high power-to-weight ratio tasks. The principal advantages of this type of actuator are the implementation of clean energies, low cost, and easy maintenance. The disadvantages of working with pneumatic actuators are that they have non-linear characteristics. This paper proposes an intelligent controller embedded in a programmable logic device to minimize the non-linearities of the air behavior into a 3-degrees-of-freedom robot with pneumatic actuators. In this case, the device is suitable due to several electric valves, direct current motors signals, automatic controllers, and several neural networks. For every degree of freedom, three neurons adjust the gains for each controller. The learning process is constantly tuning the gain value to reach the minimum of the mean square error. Results plot a more appropriate behavior for a transitive time when the neurons work with the automatic controllers with a minimum mean error of ±1.2 mm.
Deoxynivalenol: An Overview on Occurrence, Chemistry, Biosynthesis, Health Effects and Its Detection, Management, and Control Strategies in Food and Feed
Authors: Kamle Madhu , Mahato Dipendra Kumar , Gupta Akansha , Pandhi Shikha , Sharma Bharti , Dhawan Kajal , Vasundhara  , Mishra Sadhna , Kumar Manoj , Tripathi Abhishek Dutt , Rasane Prasad , Selvakumar Raman , Kumar Arvind , Gamlath Shirani , Kumar Pradeep
Published: June 2022

Mycotoxins are fungi-produced secondary metabolites that can contaminate many foods eaten by humans and animals. Deoxynivalenol (DON), which is formed by Fusarium, is one of the most common occurring predominantly in cereal grains and thus poses a significant health risk. When DON is ingested, it can cause both acute and chronic toxicity. Acute signs include abdominal pain, anorexia, diarrhea, increased salivation, vomiting, and malaise. The most common effects of chronic DON exposure include changes in dietary efficacy, weight loss, and anorexia. This review provides a succinct overview of various sources, biosynthetic mechanisms, and genes governing DON production, along with its consequences on human and animal health. It also covers the effect of environmental factors on its production with potential detection, management, and control strategies.
Plasmid-Based Gene Expression Systems for Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Review
Authors: Kazi Tawsif Ahmed , Acharya Aparupa , Mukhopadhyay Bidhan Chandra , Mandal Sukhendu , Arukha Ananta Prasad , Nayak Subhendu , Biswas Swadesh Ranjan
Published: June 2022

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a very vital role in food production, preservation, and as probiotic agents. Some of these species can colonize and survive longer in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), where their presence is crucially helpful to promote human health. LAB has also been used as a safe and efficient incubator to produce proteins of interest. With the advent of genetic engineering, recombinant LAB have been effectively employed as vectors for delivering therapeutic molecules to mucosal tissues of the oral, nasal, and vaginal tracks and for shuttling therapeutics for diabetes, cancer, viral infections, and several gastrointestinal infections. The most important tool needed to develop genetically engineered LABs to produce proteins of interest is a plasmid-based gene expression system. To date, a handful of constitutive and inducible vectors for LAB have been developed, but their limited availability, host specificity, instability, and low carrying capacity have narrowed their spectrum of applications. The current review discusses the plasmid-based vectors that have been developed so far for LAB; their functionality, potency, and constraints; and further highlights the need for a new, more stable, and effective gene expression platform for LAB.
Assessing the Tsetse Fly Microbiome Composition and the Potential Association of Some Bacteria Taxa with Trypanosome Establishment
Authors: Tsakeng Calmes Ursain Bouaka , Tanekou Tito Tresor Melachio , Soffack Steve Feudjio , Tirados Inaki , Noutchih Cedrique , Njiokou Flobert , Bigoga Jude Daiga , Wondji Charles Sinclair
Published: June 2022

The tsetse flies, biological vectors of African trypanosomes, harbour a variety of bacteria involved in their vector competence that may help in developing novel vector control tools. This study provides an inventory of tsetse bacterial communities in Cameroon and explores their possible associations with trypanosome establishment in Glossina palpalis palpalis. High throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, with subsequent metagenomic, multivariate, and association analyses, were used to investigate the levels and patterns of microbial diversity in four tsetse species. Overall, 31 bacterial genera and four phyla were identified. The primary symbiont Wigglesworthia dominated almost all the samples, with an overall relative abundance of 47.29%, and seemed to be replaced by Serratia or Burkholderia in some G. tachinoides flies. Globally, significant differences were observed in the microbiome diversity and composition among tsetse species and between teneral and non-teneral flies, or between flies displaying or not displaying mature trypanosome infections. In addition, differential abundance testing showed some OTUs, or some bacteria taxa, associated with trypanosome maturation in tsetse flies. These bacteria could be further investigated for an understanding of their mechanism of action and alternatively, transformed and used to block trypanosome development in tsetse flies.
Interaction of Microbiota between Fish and the Environment of an In-Pond Raceway System in a Lake
Authors: Zhang Xizhao , You Yang , Peng Fei , Tang Xuemei , Zhou Yifan , Liu Jianyu , Lin Danqing , Zhou Yanfeng
Published: June 2022

Due to its ability to collect and remove aquaculture waste, an in-pond raceway system (IPRS) has been used to decrease the uncontrolled waste discharge in the traditional cage aquaculture method in large water bodies. However, when applied to large water bodies, its environmental performance is still lacking. This study focused on analyzing the microbial characteristics and the interaction between largemouth bass (gill and gut) microbiota and the environment (water and sediment) microbiota of an IPRS. Further, it revealed the primary relationship from the perspective of microbiota in the IPRS. The results show that (1) the alpha diversity of microbiota in the water is significantly lower than that of fish and sediment. The relationship between water microbiota and fish microbiota is limited. (2) The water microbiota inside and outside the tank showed high similarity and were not significantly affected by environmental factors. (3) The SourceTrack analysis showed that fish microbiota is one of the primary sources of sediment microbiota, and more than 15% of the sediment microbiota come from fish. Microbes such as Faecalibacterium, Escherichia-Shigella, and Bacteroides can significantly enrich the sediment. Our study revealed the characteristics and preliminary interaction of fish and environmental microbiota in the IPRS. It provided a reference for evaluating microbial health status in the application of IPRS in large water bodies’ aquaculture.