bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tear Proteomics Study of Dry Eye Disease: Which Eye Do You Adopt as the Representative Eye for the Study?
Authors: Kuo Ming-Tse , Fang Po-Chiung , Kuo Shu-Fang , Chen Alexander , Huang Yu-Ting
Published: January 2021

Most studies about dry eye disease (DED) chose unilateral eye for investigation and drew conclusions based on monocular results, whereas most studies involving tear proteomics were based on the results of pooling tears from a group of DED patients. Patients with DED were consecutively enrolled for binocular clinical tests, tear biochemical markers of DED, and tear proteome. We found that bilateral eyes of DED patients may have similar but different ocular surface performance and tear proteome. Most ocular surface homeostatic markers and tear biomarkers were not significantly different in the bilateral eyes of DED subjects, and most clinical parameters and tear biomarkers were correlated significantly between bilateral eyes. However, discrepant binocular presentation in the markers of ocular surface homeostasis and the associations with tear proteins suggested that one eye’s performance cannot represent that of the other eye or both eyes. Therefore, in studies for elucidating tear film homeostasis of DED, we may lose some important messages hidden in the fellow eye if we collected clinical and proteomic data only from a unilateral eye. For mechanistic studies, it is recommended that researchers collect tear samples from the eye with more severe DED under sensitive criteria for identifying the more severe eye and evaluating the tear biochemical and proteomic markers with binocular concordance drawn in prior binocular studies.
A Bioclimate-Based Maximum Entropy Model for Comperiella calauanica Barrion, Almarinez and Amalin (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in the Philippines
Authors: Almarinez Billy Joel M. , Fadri Mary Jane A. , Lasina Richard , Tavera Mary Angelique A. , Carvajal Thaddeus M. , Watanabe Kozo , Legaspi Jesusa C. , Amalin Divina M.
Published: January 2021

Comperiella calauanica is a host-specific endoparasitoid and effective biological control agent of the diaspidid Aspidiotus rigidus, whose outbreak from 2010 to 2015 severely threatened the coconut industry in the Philippines. Using the maximum entropy (Maxent) algorithm, we developed a species distribution model (SDM) for C. calauanica based on 19 bioclimatic variables, using occurrence data obtained mostly from field surveys conducted in A. rigidus-infested areas in Luzon Island from 2014 to 2016. The calculated the area under the ROC curve (AUC) values for the model were very high (0.966, standard deviation = 0.005), indicating the model’s high predictive power. Precipitation seasonality was found to have the highest relative contribution to model development. Response curves produced by Maxent suggested the positive influence of mean temperature of the driest quarter, and negative influence of precipitation of the driest and coldest quarters on habitat suitability. Given that C. calauanica has been found to always occur with A. rigidus in Luzon Island due to high host-specificity, the SDM for the parasitoid may also be considered and used as a predictive model for its host. This was confirmed through field surveys conducted between late 2016 and early 2018, which found and confirmed the occurrence of A. rigidus in three areas predicted by the SDM to have moderate to high habitat suitability or probability of occurrence of C. calauanica: Zamboanga City in Mindanao; Isabela City in Basilan Island; and Tablas Island in Romblon. This validation in the field demonstrated the utility of the bioclimate-based SDM for C. calauanica in predicting habitat suitability or probability of occurrence of A. rigidus in the Philippines.
Changes in Maximal Strength and Home Run Performance in NCAA Division I Baseball Players Across 3 Competitive Seasons: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Hornsby W. Guy , Tice Abigail L. , Stone Jason D. , Merrigan Justin J. , Hagen Joshua , Wagle John P. , Cunanan Aaron J. , Stone Michael H.
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this longitudinal, descriptive study was to observe changes in maximal strength measured via isometric clean grip mid-thigh pull and home runs (total and home runs per game) across three years of training and three competitive seasons for four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 baseball players. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed, revealing significant univariate effects of time for peak force (PF) (p = 0.003) and peak force allometrically scaled (PFa) (p = 0.002). Increases in PF were noted from season 1 to season 2 (p = 0.031) and season 3 (p = 0.004), but season 2 was not significantly different than season 3 (p = 0.232). Additionally, increases in PFa were noted from season 1 to season 2 (p = 0.010) and season 3 (p < 0.001), but season 2 was not significantly different than season 3 (p = 0.052). Home runs per game rose from the 2009 (0.32) to 2010 season (1.35) and dropped during the 2011 season (1.07). A unique aspect of the study involves 2010 being the season in which ball-bat coefficient of restitution (BBCOR) bats were introduced to the NCAA competition.
The Evolution of City-as-a-Platform: Smart Urban Development Governance with Collective Knowledge-Based Platform Urbanism
Authors: Repette Palmyra , Sabatini-Marques Jamile , Yigitcanlar Tan , Sell Denilson , Costa Eduardo
Published: January 2021

Since the advent of the second digital revolution, the exponential advancement of technology is shaping a world with new social, economic, political, technological, and legal circumstances. The consequential disruptions force governments and societies to seek ways for their cities to become more humane, ethical, inclusive, intelligent, and sustainable. In recent years, the concept of City-as-a-Platform was coined with the hope of providing an innovative approach for addressing the aforementioned disruptions. Today, this concept is rapidly gaining popularity, as more and more platform thinking applications become available to the city context—so-called platform urbanism. These platforms used for identifying and addressing various urbanization problems with the assistance of open data, participatory innovation opportunity, and collective knowledge. With these developments in mind, this study aims to tackle the question of “How can platform urbanism support local governance efforts in the development of smarter cities?” Through an integrative review of journal articles published during the last decade, the evolution of City-as-a-Platform was analyzed. The findings revealed the prospects and constraints for the realization of transformative and disruptive impacts on the government and society through the platform urbanism, along with disclosing the opportunities and challenges for smarter urban development governance with collective knowledge through platform urbanism.
Modeling of Bridging Law for Bundled Aramid Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composite and its Adaptability in Crack Width Evaluation
Authors: Sunaga Daiki , Koba Takumi , Kanakubo Toshiyuki
Published: January 2021

Tensile performance of fiber-reinforced cementitious composite (FRCC) after first cracking is characterized by fiber-bridging stress–crack width relationships called bridging law. The bridging law can be calculated by an integral calculus of forces carried by individual fibers, considering the fiber orientation. The objective of this study was to propose a simplified model of bridging law for bundled aramid fiber, considering fiber orientation for the practical use. By using the pullout characteristic of bundled aramid fiber obtained in the previous study, the bridging laws were calculated for various cases of fiber orientation. The calculated results were expressed by a bilinear model, and each characteristic point is expressed by the function of fiber-orientation intensity. After that, uniaxial tension tests of steel reinforced aramid-FRCC prism specimens were conducted to obtain the crack-opening behavior and confirm the adaptability of the modeled bridging laws in crack-width evaluation. The experimental parameters are cross-sectional dimensions of specimens and volume fraction of fiber. The test results are compared with the theoretical curves calculated by using the modeled bridging law and show good agreements in each parameter.
Design of 3D Additively Manufactured Hybrid Structures for Cranioplasty
Authors: De Santis Roberto , Russo Teresa , Rau Julietta V. , Papallo Ida , Martorelli Massimo , Gloria Antonio
Published: January 2021

A wide range of materials has been considered to repair cranial defects. In the field of cranioplasty, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based bone cements and modifications through the inclusion of copper doped tricalcium phosphate (Cu-TCP) particles have been already investigated. On the other hand, aliphatic polyesters such as poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) have been frequently investigated to make scaffolds for cranial bone regeneration. Accordingly, the aim of the current research was to design and fabricate customized hybrid devices for the repair of large cranial defects integrating the reverse engineering approach with additive manufacturing, The hybrid device consisted of a 3D additive manufactured polyester porous structures infiltrated with PMMA/Cu-TCP (97.5/2.5 w/w) bone cement. Temperature profiles were first evaluated for 3D hybrid devices (PCL/PMMA, PLA/PMMA, PCL/PMMA/Cu-TCP and PLA/PMMA/Cu-TCP). Peak temperatures recorded for hybrid PCL/PMMA and PCL/PMMA/Cu-TCP were significantly lower than those found for the PLA-based ones. Virtual and physical models of customized devices for large cranial defect were developed to assess the feasibility of the proposed technical solutions. A theoretical analysis was preliminarily performed on the entire head model trying to simulate severe impact conditions for people with the customized hybrid device (PCL/PMMA/Cu-TCP) (i.e., a rigid sphere impacting the implant region of the head). Results from finite element analysis (FEA) provided information on the different components of the model.
Filtration Materials Modified with 2D Nanocomposites—A New Perspective for Point-of-Use Water Treatment
Authors: Jakubczak Michał , Karwowska Ewa , Rozmysłowska-Wojciechowska Anita , Petrus Mateusz , Woźniak Jarosław , Mitrzak Joanna , Jastrzębska Agnieszka
Published: January 2021

Point-of-use (POU) water treatment systems and devices play an essential role in limited access to sanitary safe water resources. The filtering materials applied in POU systems must effectively eliminate contaminants, be readily produced and stable, and avoid secondary contamination of the treated water. We report an innovative, 2D Ti3C2/Al2O3/Ag/Cu nanocomposite-modified filtration material with the application potential for POU water treatment. The material is characterized by improved filtration velocity relative to an unmodified reference material, effective elimination of microorganisms, and self-disinfecting potential, which afforded the collection of 99.6% of bacteria in the filter. The effect was obtained with nanocomposite levels as low as 1%. Surface oxidation of the modified material increased its antimicrobial efficiency. No secondary release of the nanocomposites into the filtrate was observed and confirmed the stability of the material and its suitability for practical application in water treatment.
Stable Superhydrophobic Aluminum Surfaces Based on Laser-Fabricated Hierarchical Textures
Authors: Milles Stephan , Dahms Johannes , Soldera Marcos , Lasagni Andrés F.
Published: January 2021

Laser-microtextured surfaces have gained an increasing interest due to their enormous spectrum of applications and industrial scalability. Direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) and the well-established direct laser writing (DLW) methods are suitable as a powerful combination for the fabrication of single (DLW or DLIP) and multi-scale (DLW+DLIP) textures. In this work, four-beam DLIP and DLW were used independently and combined to produce functional textures on aluminum. The influence of the laser processing parameters, such as the applied laser fluence and the number of pulses, on the resulting topography was analyzed by confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The static long-term and dynamic wettability characteristics of the laser-textured surfaces were determined through water contact angle and hysteresis measurements, revealing superhydrophobic properties with static contact angles up to 163° and hysteresis as low as 9°. The classical Cassie–Baxter and Wenzel models were applied, permitting a deeper understanding of the observed wetting behaviors. Finally, mechanical stability tests revealed that the DLW elements in the multi-scale structure protects the smaller DLIP features under tribological conditions.
Determination of Phase Transition and Critical Behavior of the As-Cast GdGeSi-(X) Type Alloys (Where X = Ni, Nd and Pr)
Authors: Gębara Piotr , Hasiak Mariusz
Published: January 2021

The aim of the paper is to present a study of the magnetocaloric effect and the nature of phase transition in the Gd80Ge15Si5 (S1), Gd75Ge15Si5Ni5 (S2), Gd75Ge15Si5Pr5 (S3) and Gd75Ge15Si5Nd5 (S4) alloys. The magnetic entropy changes determined for studied samples, under external magnetic field ~3T, were 11.91, 12.11, 5.08 and 4.71 J/(kg K) for S1, S2, S3 and S4, respectively. The values of refrigerant capacity (under ~3T) were 164, 140, 160 and 140 J/kg for S1, S2, S3 and S4, respectively. The first order phase transition was detected for samples S1 and S2, while specimens S3 and S4 manifested the second order phase transition at the Curie point (TC). The analysis of temperature evolution of the exponent n (ΔSM = C·(Bmax)n) showed the validity of this method in detecting either the first or the second order phase transition and the structural transition. The analysis of critical behavior was carried out for samples S3 and S4. The critical exponents and precise TC values were calculated. The ascertained critical exponents were used to determine the theoretical value of the exponent n, which corresponded well with experimental result.
Towards Further Understanding the Secondary Fracture during Spaghetti Bent Break
Authors: Long Long , Zheng Yuxuan , Zhou Fenghua , Ren Huilan
Published: January 2021

When a brittle thin rod, such as a dry spaghetti stick, is bent beyond its flexural limit, it often breaks into more than two pieces, typically three or more. This phenomenon and puzzle has aroused widespread interest and discussion since its first proposal by Feynman. Previous work has partly explained the inevitability of the secondary fracture, but without any adjustable time parameter. In order to further understand this problem, especially the secondary fracture, in this paper we propose and study the dynamics of a half-infinite model to mimic the physics that a spaghetti stick is half-infinite under uniform bending. When the breaking process starts, a gradual release of initial moment of a linearly declining time at the free end, instead of a sudden release, is adopted, resulting in the introduction of a characteristic time parameter to the model and agrees better with the real situation. A specific analytical solution in terms of the excited bending moment using Euler–Bernoulli beam theory is derived, and that the gradual release of initial moment induces a burst of flexural waves, and these flexural waves locally increase the moment in the stick and progressively get to the maximum value, and then lead to the secondary fracture are concluded. The excited moment increases with time and distance, and has an asymptotic extremum value of 1.43 times initial moment. The gradual release in our model requires and gives certain distance and time when the excited bending moment reaches its extremum value, which provides a possibility to predict the detailed fracture parameters such as fragmentation length and time and thus to further understand the secondary fracture during spaghetti bent break.
Calculation of Coke Layers Situation in the Cohesive Zone of Blast Furnace
Authors: Bernasowski Mikolaj , Klimczyk Arkadiusz , Stachura Ryszard
Published: January 2021

Coke is the only batch component that does not soften in blast furnace thermal conditions. It is especially important at the temperatures of the cohesive zone forming because coke layers are the only gas-permeable charge. The aim of the work described in this article is the identification of individual coke layers situation in the cohesive zone. Numerical calculations of the cohesive zone situation are based on the horizontal below burden probe measures, however, coke layers are calculated using analytical geometry. The results can be presented as a bitmap; the individual and total area of the coke layers passing gases through the cohesive zone is also calculated. This form of results allows for subjective but quick assessment of the blast furnace operation by its crew.
Performance Assessment of Minimum Quantity Castor-Palm Oil Mixtures in Hard-Milling Operation
Authors: Sen Binayak , Gupta Munish , Mia Mozammel , Pimenov Danil , Mikołajczyk Tadeusz
Published: January 2021

The necessity to progress towards sustainability has inspired modern researchers to examine the lubrication and cooling effects of vegetable oils on conventional metal cutting operations. Consequently, as an eco-friendly vegetable product, castor oil can be the right choice as Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) base fluid. Nonetheless, the high viscosity of castor oil limits its flowability and restricts its industrial application. Conversely, palm oil possesses superior lubricity, as well as flowability characteristics. Hence, an attempt has been made to improve the lubrication behavior of castor oil. Here, six castor-palm mixtures (varying from 1:0.5–1:3) were utilized as MQL-fluid, and the values of machining responses viz. average surface roughness, specific cutting energy, and tool wear were evaluated. Furthermore, an integrated Shannon’s Entropy-based Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) framework was employed for selecting the most suitable volume ratio of castor-palm oil mixture. The rank provided by the TOPSIS method confirmed that 1:2 was the best volume ratio for castor-palm oil mixture. Afterward, a comparative analysis demonstrated that the best castor-palm volume fraction resulted in 8.262 and 16.146% lowering of surface roughness, 5.459 and 7.971% decrement of specific cutting energy, 2.445 and 3.155% drop in tool wear compared to that of castor and palm oil medium, respectively.
Application of Spectroscopy in Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Long Jingjunjiao , Nand Ashveen , Ray Sudip
Published: January 2021

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapidly expanding material production technique that brings new opportunities in various fields as it enables fast and low-cost prototyping as well as easy customisation. However, it is still hindered by raw material selection, processing defects and final product assessment/adjustment in pre-, in- and post-processing stages. Spectroscopic techniques offer suitable inspection, diagnosis and product trouble-shooting at each stage of AM processing. This review outlines the limitations in AM processes and the prospective role of spectroscopy in addressing these challenges. An overview on the principles and applications of AM techniques is presented, followed by the principles of spectroscopic techniques involved in AM and their applications in assessing additively manufactured parts.
Manufacturing and Recycling Impact on Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Innovative Wind Power Plant Part 2/2
Authors: Bałdowska-Witos Patrycja , Doerffer Krzysztof , Pysz Michał , Doerffer Piotr , Tomporowski Andrzej , Opielak Marek
Published: January 2021

The process of conversion of wind kinetic energy into electricity in innovative wind power plant emits practically no harmful substances into the environment. However, the production stage of its components requires a lot of energy and materials. The biggest problem during production planning process of an innovative wind power plant is selection of materials and technologies and, consequently, the waste generated at this stage. Therefore, the aim of this publication was to conduct an environmental analysis of the life cycle of elements of a wind turbine by means of life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The object of the research was a wind power plant divided into five sets of components (tower, turbine structure, rotors, generators, and instrumentation), made mainly of steel and small amounts of polymer materials. Eco-indicator 99 was used as an analytical procedure. The impact of the subjects of analysis on human health, ecosystem quality and resources was assessed. Among the analyzed components, the highest level of negative impact on the environment was characterized by the life cycle of the wind turbine tower. The application of recycling processes is reducing the negative impact on the environment in the perspective of the entire life cycle of all studied elements of the wind power plant construction.
Influence of Specimen Thickness on the Acquisition of Al6061-T6 Material Properties Using SHPB and Verified by FEM
Authors: Kim Yeon-Bok , Kim Jeong
Published: January 2021

The Split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB), which is used for acquiring material properties at high strain rates (102–104 s−1), requires proper specimen size selection. Under the same applied pressure, an increased S-S curve is obtained as the thickness of the specimen decreases. In this study, 1.5 t, 2.0 t, 3.0 t, 5.0 t, and 7.0 t specimens of Al6061-T6 material were tested under 1.0 bar to understand the influence of specimen thickness on the acquisition of material properties. To grasp the behavior of the SHPB test in real time, Finite Element Method (FEM) was performed using the LS-DYNA program. During the SHPB test, the impedance is increased due to the variation in the specimen area. Because of the influence of impedance, the transmitted pulse increases, and the reflected pulse decreases. As a result, the specimen is deformed in the high-strain rate region, and the S-S curve is increased as the thickness decreases. In addition, by performing the test under different pressure conditions that created similar strain rate regions, the material properties remained constant with thickness variations.
Rumor Detection Based on SAGNN: Simplified Aggregation Graph Neural Networks
Authors: Zhang Liang , Li Jingqun , Zhou Bin , Jia Yan
Published: January 2021

Identifying fake news on media has been an important issue. This is especially true considering the wide spread of rumors on popular social networks such as Twitter. Various kinds of techniques have been proposed for automatic rumor detection. In this work, we study the application of graph neural networks for rumor classification at a lower level, instead of applying existing neural network architectures to detect rumors. The responses to true rumors and false rumors display distinct characteristics. This suggests that it is essential to capture such interactions in an effective manner for a deep learning network to achieve better rumor detection performance. To this end we present a simplified aggregation graph neural network architecture. Experiments on publicly available Twitter datasets demonstrate that the proposed network has performance on a par with or even better than that of state-of-the-art graph convolutional networks, while significantly reducing the computational complexity.
The Combined Effects of Sports Smart Bracelet and Multi-Component Exercise Program on Exercise Motivation among the Elderly in Macau
Authors: Lao Cheuk Kei , Wang Bing Long , Wang Richard S. , Chang Hsiao Yun
Published: January 2021

Background and objectives: Faced with the serious problem of an aging population, exercise is one of the most effective ways to maintain the health of the elderly. In recent years, with the popularization of smartphones, the elderly have increasingly accepted technological products that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI). However, there is not much research on using artificial intelligence bracelets to enhance elders’ motivation and participation in exercise. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of sports smart bracelets and multi-sport training programs on the motivation of the elderly in Macau. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with a randomized trial design in a 12 week multi-sport exercise training intervention. According to the evaluation, a total of sixty elders’ pre- and post-test data were included in this study. Results: After 12 weeks of multi-sport exercise training, the evaluation scores on the exercise motivation scale (EMS) increased significantly in the group wearing exercise bracelets and those taking part in the multi-component exercise program, and the degree of progress reached a statistically significant level, but the control group did not show any statistically significant difference. The influence of the combination of sports smart bracelets and multi-sport training programs on elders’ motivation is clearer. Conclusions: The use of sports smart bracelets by elderly people in conjunction with diverse exercise training can effectively enhance elders’ motivation and increase their participation in regular exercise. The combination of sports smart bracelets and multi-sport training programs is worth promoting in the elderly population.
Argon and Argon–Oxygen Plasma Surface Modification of Gelatin Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering Applications
Authors: Mozaffari Abolfazl , Parvinzadeh Gashti Mazeyar , Mirjalili Mohammad , Parsania Masoud
Published: January 2021

In the present study, we developed a novel approach for functionalization of gelatin nanofibers using the plasma method for tissue engineering applications. For this purpose, tannic acid-crosslinked gelatin nanofibers were fabricated with electrospinning, followed by treatment with argon and argon–oxygen plasmas in a vacuum chamber. Samples were evaluated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, contact angle (CA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The biological activity of plasma treated gelatin nanofibers were further investigated by using fibroblasts as cell models. SEM studies showed that the average diameter and the surface morphology of nanofibers did not change after plasma treatment. However, the mean surface roughness (RMS) of samples were increased due to plasma activation. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy demonstrated several new bands on plasma treated fibers related to the plasma ionization of nanofibers. The CA test results stated that the surface of nanofibers became completely hydrophilic after argon–oxygen plasma treatment. Finally, increasing the polarity of crosslinked gelatin after plasma treatment resulted in an increase of the number of fibroblast cells. Overall, results expressed that our developed method could open new insights into the application of the plasma process for functionalization of biomedical scaffolds. Moreover, the cooperative interplay between gelatin biomaterials and argon/argon–oxygen plasmas discovered a key composition showing promising biocompatibility towards biological cells. Therefore, we strongly recommend plasma surface modification of nanofiber scaffolds as a pretreatment process for tissue engineering applications.
Hole-Type Spacers for More Stable Shale Gas-Produced Water Treatment by Forward Osmosis
Authors: AlQattan Jawad , Kim Youngjin , Kerdi Sarah , Qamar Adnan , Ghaffour Noreddine
Published: January 2021

An appropriate spacer design helps in minimizing membrane fouling which remains the major obstacle in forward osmosis (FO) systems. In the present study, the performance of a hole-type spacer (having holes at the filament intersections) was evaluated in a FO system and compared to a standard spacer design (without holes). The hole-type spacer exhibited slightly higher water flux and reverse solute flux (RSF) when Milli-Q water was used as feed solution and varied sodium chloride concentrations as draw solution. During shale gas produced water treatment, a severe flux decline was observed for both spacer designs due to the formation of barium sulfate scaling. SEM imaging revealed that the high shear force induced by the creation of holes led to the formation of scales on the entire membrane surface, causing a slightly higher flux decline than the standard spacer. Simultaneously, the presence of holes aided to mitigate the accumulation of foulants on spacer surface, resulting in no increase in pressure drop. Furthermore, a full cleaning efficiency was achieved by hole-type spacer attributed to the micro-jets effect induced by the holes, which aided to destroy the foulants and then sweep them away from the membrane surface.
Electrically Polarized Graphene-Blended Spacers for Organic Fouling Reduction in Forward Osmosis
Authors: Yanar Numan , Liang Yejin , Yang Eunmok , Park Hosik , Son Moon , Choi Heechul
Published: January 2021

In membrane processes, a spacer is known to play a key role in the mitigation of membrane fouling. In this study, the effect of electric polarization on a graphene-blended polymer spacer (e.g., poly(lactic acid), PLA) for organic fouling on membrane surfaces was investigated. A pristine PLA spacer (P-S), a graphene-blended spacer (G-S), and an electrically polarized graphene-blended spacer (EG-S) were successfully fabricated by 3D printing. Organic fouling tests were conducted by the 5-h filtration of CaCl2 and a sodium alginate solution through commercially available membranes, which were placed together with the fabricated spacers. Membranes utilizing P-S, G-S, and EG-S were characterized in terms of the fouling amount on the membrane surface and fouling roughness. Electrostatic forces of EG-S provided 70% less and 90% smoother fouling on the membrane surface, leading to an only 14% less water flux reduction after 5 h of fouling. The importance of nanomaterial blending and polarization was successfully demonstrated herein.
Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Is Associated with Elevated Bile Acids in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Li Peipei , Killinger Bryan A. , Ensink Elizabeth , Beddows Ian , Yilmaz Ali , Lubben Noah , Lamp Jared , Schilthuis Meghan , Vega Irving E. , Woltjer Randy , Pospisilik J. Andrew , Brundin Patrik , Brundin Lena , Graham Stewart F. , Labrie Viviane
Published: January 2021

The gut microbiome can impact brain health and is altered in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The vermiform appendix is a lymphoid tissue in the cecum implicated in the storage and regulation of the gut microbiota. We sought to determine whether the appendix microbiome is altered in PD and to analyze the biological consequences of the microbial alterations. We investigated the changes in the functional microbiota in the appendix of PD patients relative to controls (n = 12 PD, 16 C) by metatranscriptomic analysis. We found microbial dysbiosis affecting lipid metabolism, including an upregulation of bacteria responsible for secondary bile acid synthesis. We then quantitatively measure changes in bile acid abundance in PD relative to the controls in the appendix (n = 15 PD, 12 C) and ileum (n = 20 PD, 20 C). Bile acid analysis in the PD appendix reveals an increase in hydrophobic and secondary bile acids, deoxycholic acid (DCA) and lithocholic acid (LCA). Further proteomic and transcriptomic analysis in the appendix and ileum corroborated these findings, highlighting changes in the PD gut that are consistent with a disruption in bile acid control, including alterations in mediators of cholesterol homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Microbially derived toxic bile acids are heightened in PD, which suggests biliary abnormalities may play a role in PD pathogenesis.
Design and Clinical Application of an Integrated Microfluidic Device for Circulating Tumor Cells Isolation and Single-Cell Analysis
Authors: Xu Mingxin , Liu Wenwen , Zou Kun , Wei Song , Zhang Xinri , Li Encheng , Wang Qi
Published: January 2021

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been considered as an alternative to tissue biopsy for providing both germline-specific and tumor-derived genetic variations. Single-cell analysis of CTCs enables in-depth investigation of tumor heterogeneity and individualized clinical assessment. However, common CTC enrichment techniques generally have limitations of low throughput and cell damage. Herein, based on micropore-arrayed filtration membrane and microfluidic chip, we established an integrated CTC isolation platform with high-throughput, high-efficiency, and less cell damage. We observed a capture rate of around 85% and a purity of 60.4% by spiking tumor cells (PC-9) into healthy blood samples. Detection of CTCs from lung cancer patients demonstrated a positive detectable rate of 87.5%. Additionally, single CTCs, ctDNA and liver biopsy tissue of a representative advanced lung cancer patient were collected and sequenced, which revealed comprehensive genetic information of CTCs while reflected the differences in genetic profiles between different biological samples. This work provides a promising tool for CTCs isolation and further analysis at single-cell resolution with potential clinical value.
Ultrafast Parallel Micro-Gap Resistance Welding of an AuNi9 Microwire and Au Microlayer
Authors: Zhang He , Wang Shang , Wu Bingying , Zhang Weiwei , Hang Chunjin , Tian Yanhong
Published: January 2021

Welding between an AuNi9 microwire and Au microlayer is of great importance for fabricating electrical contact structures for high precision inertial devices, satellite slip ring brushes, robots, etc. In this paper, the achievement of parallel micro-gap resistance welding (PMRW) with 200-μm AuNi9 microwires on a 3-μm Au layer was presented. The study on the orthogonal design of the experiment was carried out. The effect of the process parameters (welding current, welding time, and welding pressure) was discussed in reference to the morphologies and tensile force of the joint using range analysis. It is shown that too much or too little heat input will decrease the welding performance. A group of optimized process parameters (0.275 kA welding current, 3 ms welding time, and 28.7 N welding pressure) was obtained. During the welding process, the dynamic resistance of the whole welding system was measured, which can reflect the welding quality. Finite element simulation is utilized to calculate the welding temperature. The highest temperature was located in the center area of the AuNi9 microwire, reaching 1397.2 °C, which is higher than the melting point of AuNi9. By contrast, the highest temperature for the pad was 826.47 °C (lower than the melting point of Au). Hence, under optimized process parameters, a transient interfacial reaction between the liquid AuNi9 microwire and solid Au pad occurred, and the strength of the welded joint reached 5.54 N.
Editorial for Special Issue “Mineral Liberation”
Authors: Alfonso Pura
Published: January 2021

The mineral liberation studies are fundamental for mineral processing and metallurgy [...]
Uncertainty Estimation in Deep Neural Networks for Point Cloud Segmentation in Factory Planning
Authors: Petschnigg Christina , Pilz Jürgen
Published: January 2021

The digital factory provides undoubtedly great potential for future production systems in terms of efficiency and effectivity. A key aspect on the way to realize the digital copy of a real factory is the understanding of complex indoor environments on the basis of three-dimensional (3D) data. In order to generate an accurate factory model including the major components, i.e., building parts, product assets, and process details, the 3D data that are collected during digitalization can be processed with advanced methods of deep learning. For instance, the semantic segmentation of a point cloud enables the identification of relevant objects within the environment. In this work, we propose a fully Bayesian and an approximate Bayesian neural network for point cloud segmentation. Both of the networks are used within a workflow in order to generate an environment model on the basis of raw point clouds. The Bayesian and approximate Bayesian networks allow us to analyse how different ways of estimating uncertainty in these networks improve segmentation results on raw point clouds. We achieve superior model performance for both, the Bayesian and the approximate Bayesian model compared to the frequentist one. This performance difference becomes even more striking when incorporating the networks’ uncertainty in their predictions. For evaluation, we use the scientific data set S3DIS as well as a data set, which was collected by the authors at a German automotive production plant. The methods proposed in this work lead to more accurate segmentation results and the incorporation of uncertainty information also makes this approach especially applicable to safety critical applications aside from our factory planning use case.
Flexible Folding: Disulfide-Containing Peptides and Proteins Choose the Pathway Depending on the Environments
Authors: Arai Kenta , Iwaoka Michio
Published: January 2021

In the last few decades, development of novel experimental techniques, such as new types of disulfide (SS)-forming reagents and genetic and chemical technologies for synthesizing designed artificial proteins, is opening a new realm of the oxidative folding study where peptides and proteins can be folded under physiologically more relevant conditions. In this review, after a brief overview of the historical and physicochemical background of oxidative protein folding study, recently revealed folding pathways of several representative peptides and proteins are summarized, including those having two, three, or four SS bonds in the native state, as well as those with odd Cys residues or consisting of two peptide chains. Comparison of the updated pathways with those reported in the early years has revealed the flexible nature of the protein folding pathways. The significantly different pathways characterized for hen-egg white lysozyme and bovine milk α-lactalbumin, which belong to the same protein superfamily, suggest that the information of protein folding pathways, not only the native folded structure, is encoded in the amino acid sequence. The application of the flexible pathways of peptides and proteins to the engineering of folded three-dimensional structures is an interesting and important issue in the new realm of the current oxidative protein folding study.
Structure-Acid Lability Relationship of N-alkylated α,α-dialkylglycine Obtained via a Ugi Multicomponent Reaction
Authors: Ramos-Tomillero Iván , Sánchez Marisa K. , Rodríguez Hortensia , Albericio Fernando
Published: January 2021

Using the classical Ugi four-component reaction to fuse an amine, ketone, carboxylic acid, and isocyanide, here we prepared a short library of N-alkylated α,α-dialkylglycine derivatives. Due to the polyfunctionality of the dipeptidic scaffold, this highly steric hindered system shows an interesting acidolytic cleavage of the C-terminal amide. In this regard, we studied the structure-acid lability relationship of the C-terminal amide bond (cyclohexylamide) of N-alkylated α,α-dialkylglycine amides 1a–n in acidic media and, afterward, it was established that the most important structural features related to its cleavage. Then, it was demonstrated that electron-donating effects in the aromatic amines, flexible acyl chains (Gly) at the N-terminal and the introduction of cyclic compounds into dipeptide scaffolds, increased the rate of acidolysis. All these effects are related to the ease with which the oxazolonium ion intermediate forms and they promote the proximity of the central carbonyl group to the C-terminal amide, resulting in C-terminal amide cleavage. Consequently, these findings could be applied for the design of new protecting groups, handles for solid-phase synthesis, and linkers for conjugation, due to its easily modulable and the fact that it allows to fine tune its acid-lability.
Preparation and Characterization of Size-Controlled Lignin Nanoparticles with Deep Eutectic Solvents by Nanoprecipitation
Authors: Luo Tong , Wang Chao , Ji Xingxiang , Yang Guihua , Chen Jiachuan , Janaswamy Srinivas , Lyu Gaojin
Published: January 2021

Lignin nanomaterials have wide application prospects in the fields of cosmetics delivery, energy storage, and environmental governance. In this study, we developed a simple and sustainable synthesis approach to produce uniform lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) by dissolving industrial lignin in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) followed by a self-assembling process. LNPs with high yield could be obtained through nanoprecipitation. The LNPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Distinct LNPs could be produced by changing the type of DES, lignin sources, pre-dropping lignin concentration, and the pH of the system. Their diameter is in the range of 20–200 nm and they show excellent dispersibility and superior long-term stability. The method of preparing LNPs from lignin–DES with water as an anti-solvent is simple, rapid, and environmentally friendly. The outcome aids to further the advancement of lignin-based nanotechnology.
Laser-Tunable Printed ZnO Nanoparticles for Paper-Based UV Sensors with Reduced Humidity Interference
Authors: Dubourg Georges , Radović Marko , Vasić Borislav
Published: January 2021

Development of paper-based sensors that do not suffer with humidity interference is desirable for practical environmental applications. In this work, a laser processing method was reported to effectively modulate the cross-sensitivity to humidity of ZnO-based UV (Ultraviolet) sensors printed on paper substrate. The results reveal that the laser induced zinc oxide (ZnO) surface morphology contributes to the super-hydrophobicity of the printed ZnO nanoparticles, reducing humidity interference while enhancing UV sensitivity. Herein, this conducted research highlights for the first time that laser processing is an attractive choice that reduces the cross-sensitivity to water vapor in the UV sensing response of ZnO-based devices printed on paper, paving the way to low-cost and sophisticated paper-based sensors.
State of the Art in PEG-Based Heat Transfer Fluids and Their Suspensions with Nanoparticles
Authors: Minea Alina Adriana
Published: January 2021

Research on nanoparticle enhanced fluids has increased rapidly over the last decade. Regardless of several unreliable reports, these new fluids have established performance in heat transfer. Lately, polyethylene glycol with nanoparticles has been demarcated as an innovative class of phase change materials with conceivable uses in the area of convective heat transfer. The amplified thermal conductivity of these nanoparticle enhanced phase change materials (PCMs) over the basic fluids (e.g., polyethylene glycol—PEG) is considered one of the driving factors for their improved performance in heat transfer. Most of the research, however, is centered on the thermal conductivity discussion and less on viscosity variation, while specific heat capacity seems to be fully ignored. This short review abridges most of the recent investigations on new PEG-based fluids and is dedicated especially to thermophysical properties of the chemicals, while a number of PEG-based nanofluids are compared in terms of base fluid and/or nanoparticle type and concentration. This review outlines the possibility of developing promising new heat transfer fluids. To conclude, this research is in its pioneering phase, and a large amount of experimental and numerical work is required in the coming years.
Critical Temperatures for Vibrations and Buckling of Magneto-Electro-Elastic Nonlocal Strain Gradient Plates
Authors: Tocci Monaco Giovanni , Fantuzzi Nicholas , Fabbrocino Francesco , Luciano Raimondo
Published: January 2021

An analytical method is presented in this work for the linear vibrations and buckling of nano-plates in a hygro-thermal environment. Nonlinear von Kármán terms are included in the plate kinematics in order to consider the instability phenomena. Strain gradient nonlocal theory is considered for its simplicity and applicability with respect to other nonlocal formulations which require more parameters in their analysis. Present nano-plates have a coupled magneto-electro-elastic constitutive equation in a hygro-thermal environment. Nano-scale effects on the vibrations and buckling behavior of magneto-electro-elastic plates is presented and hygro-thermal load outcomes are considered as well. In addition, critical temperatures for vibrations and buckling problems are analyzed and given for several nano-plate configurations.
Inorganic Materials by Atomic Layer Deposition for Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Park Helen Hejin
Published: January 2021

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have received much attention with their rapid progress during the past decade, coming close to the point of commercialization. Various approaches in the process of PSC development have been explored with the motivation to enhance the solar cell power conversion efficiency—while maintaining good device stability from light, temperature, and moisture—and simultaneously optimizing for scalability. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a powerful tool in depositing pinhole-free conformal thin-films with excellent reproducibility and accurate and simple control of thickness and material properties over a large area at low temperatures, making it a highly desirable tool to fabricate components of highly efficient, stable, and scalable PSCs. This review article summarizes ALD’s recent contributions to PSC development through charge transport layers, passivation layers, and buffer and recombination layers for tandem applications and encapsulation techniques. The future research directions of ALD in PSC progress and the remaining challenges will also be discussed.
Bacterial Antifouling Characteristics of Helicene—Graphene Films
Authors: Liu Shuhao , Bae Michael , Hao Li , Oh Jun Kyun , White Andrew R. , Min Younjin , Cisneros-Zevallos Luis , Akbulut Mustafa
Published: January 2021

Herein, we describe interfacially-assembled [7]helicene films that were deposited on graphene monolayer using the Langmuir-Schaefer deposition by utilizing the interactions of nonplanar (helicene) and planar (graphene) π–π interactions as functional antifouling coatings. Bacterial adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus on helicene—graphene films was noticeably lower than that on bare graphene, up to 96.8% reductions in bacterial adhesion. The promising bacterial antifouling characteristics of helicene films was attributed to the unique molecular geometry of helicene, i.e., nano-helix, which can hinder the nanoscale bacterial docking processes on a surface. We envision that helicene—graphene films may eventually be used as protective coatings against bacterial antifouling on the electronic components of clinical and biomedical devices.