bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The incidence of donor white blood cell survival (transfusion‐associated microchimerism) in Australian pediatric patients
Authors: Hirani Rena , Ross Bryony , Ma Yafeng , Irish Kathleen , Chamberlain Janis , Becker Therese , Smalley Amy , Irving Helen , Irving David O.
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Donor leucocyte survival following red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, known as transfusion‐associated microchimerism (TAM), can occur in some patients. In Australia, despite the introduction of leucocyte filtration (leucodepletion) during RBC manufacture, TAM has been detected in adult trauma patients. However, the incidence of TAM in Australian pediatric patients has not been analyzed.

Methods

Patients aged 0–16 years were recruited across two cohorts. Retrospective participants had RBC transfusion between January 1, 2002 and November 15, 2017 and prospective participants received RBC transfusion between December 1, 2016 and November 25, 2020. Twelve bi‐allelic insertion/deletion (InDel) polymorphisms were used to detect microchimerism amplification patterns using real‐time PCR (RT‐PCR) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR).

Results

Of the retrospective cohort (n = 40), six patients showed amplification of InDel sequences indicating potential microchimerism. For three patients, minor InDel sequences were detected using RT‐PCR only, two patients had minor InDel amplification using ddPCR only, and one patient had minor InDel amplification that was confirmed using both techniques. Amplification of minor sequences occurred in three patients who had received a bone marrow transplant in addition to RBC transfusion. In the prospective cohort (n = 25), no InDel amplification indicating potential microchimerism was detected using RT‐PCR.

Discussion

Cell‐based therapies had been administered in three patients where microchimerism amplification patterns were detected. Three patients have microchimerism that may be attributed to RBC transfusion. In prospective patients, who received leucodepleted and gamma‐irradiated RBC units, no potential microchimerism amplification were detected. ddPCR may be a suitable technique for TAM analysis but requires further evaluation.
Understanding the benefits of universal plasma and cryoprecipitate in hospitals in England
Authors: Robbins Melanie , Edwards Rhian , Hunter Alastair , Green Laura , Edmondson Dave , Bailey Andrew , Fowler Chris , Cardigan Rebecca
Published: October 2024

Background

Group AB plasma does not contain anti‐A or anti‐B antibodies and is therefore considered universal but is in limited supply (4% of the population). There is currently no licensed universal plasma available, and therefore current clinical guidelines for transfusion require the donor and recipient to be blood group compatible. We sought to understand the benefits of universal plasma to hospitals in England, to inform R&D priorities going forward.

Study Design and Methods

To understand the benefits of universal plasma (cryoprecipitate included), we distributed two surveys to hospitals (267 in total) in England.

Results

Safety was the perceived top benefit of universal plasma (95%), with cost identified as the main barrier to adoption (82%), although the majority of respondents were willing to pay more for universal components. Ninety‐five respondents felt they would replace all or part of their stock holding with universal plasma, with 91% anticipating that their overall stock holding of plasma would reduce as well as there will be a reduction in their plasma wastage (by up to 25%). Hospitals (56%) thought that the availability of universal plasma would support more rapid provision of plasma for transfusion, particularly in emergency situations, with the emergency/trauma department deemed to be the area that would see the greatest benefit from these universal blood components.

Discussion

The response to both the potential clinical and operational benefits of a universal plasma and cryoprecipitate was positive.
Radiographic, computed tomographic, and histologic characteristics of bone for clinically normal laying hens in a free‐range housing system
Authors: Jones Jeryl , Ali Ahmed , Harrison Cerano , Rimoldi Guillermo
Published: October 2024

Laying hens are increasingly being kept in backyard flocks and considered family pets; however, diagnostic imaging characteristics of bone for clinically normal backyard hens are currently limited. This prospective, descriptive study was to describe radiographic, computed tomographic, and histologic characteristics of bone for a group of clinically normal laying hens housed in conditions comparable to those of backyard flocks. Sixteen 60‐week‐old Lohmann Brown laying hens were included. Hens were housed in a free‐range unit with outdoor access at a university research and teaching farm. Hens were defined as clinically normal by the farm manager and a veterinary researcher in laying hen behavior and welfare. Findings from the horizontal beam, left lateral, sternal radiographs (n = 16), postmortem, and whole‐body CT scans (n = 4) were recorded by a veterinary radiologist and a research technician. Histologic findings for sternal, femoral, and tibiotarsal bone samples (n = 5) were recorded by a veterinary pathologist. The most frequent radiographic findings for the sternal carina (keel bone) were smoothly marginated concave deviations of the ventral margin and caudal section fractures. Multiple punctate mineral opacities (PMOs) were present in radiographs and CT images for all hens and were involved in the sternal carina and multiple other bones in the axial and appendicular skeleton. No bone abnormalities were identified in any histologic sections where PMOs were radiographically detected. Authors propose that PMOs are normal radiographic and CT findings in the bones of mature, laying hens and may represent temporary calcium reservoirs formed during osteoclastic activities.
IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SUPPRESSOR PROTEIN HC-PRO IN PVY-INFECTED POTATO PLANTS OF KAZAKHSTANI SELECTION
Authors: Zhakmanova Y.A. , Khosnutdinova T.S. , Sutula M.Y.
Published: October 2024

Plant viruses pose a serious threat to all agricultural crops, leading to significant yield reduction, deterioration of seed quality, and degradation of cultivars. Potato infection with Potato virus Y (PVY) during the growing season causes severe damage, including leaf curling, leaf spot, and stunted growth due to shortened internodes and ring necrosis of tubers. In recent years, Kazakhstan has seen an increase in aphid populations, the main vectors of plant viruses. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct research on the diagnosis and identification of viral diseases. RNA interference (RNAi) plays a vital role in plant defense against viral infections. Viruses produce suppressor proteins to counteract RNAi, blocking plant defense mechanisms. The structural features of viral suppressors determine their specific functions in efficiently suppressing RNA interference. The HC-Pro protein is one such suppressor, aiding in virus spread and neutralizing plant-synthesized siRNA. In this study, using various methods including visual diagnostics, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chromatographic purification of plant extracts infected with PVY, Western blot, and enzymatic reaction with specific HC-Pro antibodies, the suppressor protein HC-Pro encoded by PVY was detected and identified.
Validation of the Numerical Simulation of Rotor/Stator Interactions in Aircraft Engine Low-Pressure Compressors
Authors: Favretti Isabelle , Roux Louis , Batailly Alain
Published: October 2024

This contribution focuses on the validation of a numerical strategy developed jointly by Safran and Polytechnique Montréal for the simulation and the analysis of blade-tip/casing contact interactions in low-pressure compressor stages. A large experimental campaign provided data (including strain measurements on the blade and abradable coating wear profiles) for several contact configurations involving four distinct blades and one type of abradable coating. The numerical strategy is here improved by introducing a new cutoff criterion to ensure the physical relevance of the presented results, specifically by keeping the maximum stress within the blade below the material's yield stress. Similarly to previous publications involving a single contact configuration, the numerical model is first calibrated for one of the four blades of interest. It is seen that the results using the numerical model—critical speed, relative wear depth between leading edge (LE) and trailing edge (TE), and maximum stress levels within the blade—are in good agreement with the experimental observations. Using the same calibration, numerical simulations are then blindly run for the three other blades. The results demonstrate that numerically predicted key quantities align well with experimental data. Additionally, the numerical model provides an accurate relative assessment of a blade's sensitivity to contact in agreement with experimental observations. This paper thus presents the first blind validation of a numerical strategy dedicated to blade-tip/casing contact interactions. Simultaneously, it also demonstrates that this model may be considered for the early discrimination of blade profiles depending on their sensitivity to contact.
Optimizing topology for quantum probing with discrete-time quantum walks
Authors: Cavazzoni Simone , Bordone Paolo , Paris Matteo G. A.
Published: October 2024

Discrete-time quantum walk (DTQW) represents a convenient mathematical framework for describing the motion of a particle on a discrete set of positions when this motion is conditioned by the values of certain internal degrees of freedom, which are usually referred to as the coin of the particle. As such, and owing to the inherent dependence of the position distribution on the coin degrees of freedom, DTQWs naturally emerge as promising candidates for quantum metrology. In this paper, we explore the use of DTQWs as quantum probes in scenarios where the parameter of interest is encoded in the internal degree of freedom of the walker and investigate the role of the topology of the walker's space on the attainable precision. In particular, we start considering the encoding of the parameter by rotations for a walker on the line and evaluate the quantum Fisher information (QFI) and the position Fisher information (FI), explicitly determining the optimal initial state in position space that maximizes the QFI across all encoding schemes. This allows us to understand the role of interference in the position space and to introduce an optimal topology, which maximizes the QFI of the coin parameter and makes the position FI equal to the QFI.
Site-specific sulfations regulate the physicochemical properties of papillomavirus–heparan sulfate interactions for entry
Authors: Bano Fouzia , Soria-Martinez Laura , van Bodegraven Dominik , Thorsteinsson Konrad , Brown Anna M. , Fels Ines , Snyder Nicole L. , Bally Marta , Schelhaas Mario
Published: October 2024

Certain human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are etiological agents for several anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. During initial infection, HPV16, the most prevalent cancer-causing type, specifically interacts with heparan sulfates (HSs), not only enabling initial cell attachment but also triggering a crucial conformational change in viral capsids termed structural activation. It is unknown, whether these HPV16-HS interactions depend on HS sulfation patterns. Thus, we probed potential roles of HS sulfations using cell-based functional and physicochemical assays, including single-molecule force spectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that N-sulfation of HS is crucial for virus binding and structural activation by providing high-affinity sites, and that additional 6O-sulfation is required to mechanically stabilize the interaction, whereas 2O-sulfation and 3O-sulfation are mostly dispensable. Together, our findings identify the contribution of HS sulfation patterns to HPV16 binding and structural activation and reveal how distinct sulfation groups of HS synergize to facilitate HPV16 entry, which, in turn, likely influences the tropism of HPVs.
A pathogen effector co-opts a host RabGAP protein to remodel pathogen interface and subvert defense-related secretion
Authors: Yuen Enoch Lok Him , Tumtas Yasin , King Freddie , Ibrahim Tarhan , Chan Lok I , Evangelisti Edouard , Tulin Frej , Skłenar Jan , Menke Frank L. H. , Kamoun Sophien , Bubeck Doryen , Schornack Sebastian , Bozkurt Tolga Osman
Published: October 2024

Pathogens have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to manipulate host cell membrane dynamics, a crucial adaptation to survive in hostile environments shaped by innate immune responses. Plant-derived membrane interfaces, engulfing invasive hyphal projections of fungal and oomycete pathogens, are prominent junctures dictating infection outcomes. Understanding how pathogens transform these host-pathogen interfaces to their advantage remains a key biological question. Here, we identified a conserved effector, secreted by plant pathogenic oomycetes, that co-opts a host Rab GTPase-activating protein (RabGAP), TOPGAP, to remodel the host-pathogen interface. The effector, PiE354, hijacks TOPGAP as a susceptibility factor to usurp its GAP activity on Rab8a, a key Rab GTPase crucial for defense-related secretion. By hijacking TOPGAP, PiE354 purges Rab8a from the plasma membrane, diverting Rab8a-mediated immune trafficking away from the pathogen interface. This mechanism signifies an uncanny evolutionary adaptation of a pathogen effector in co-opting a host regulatory component to subvert defense-related secretion, thereby providing unprecedented mechanistic insights into the reprogramming of host membrane dynamics by pathogens.
Myxococcus xanthus
fruiting body morphology is important for spore recovery after exposure to environmental stress
Authors: Lall Dave , Glaser Maike M. , Higgs Penelope I.
Published: October 2024

Environmental microorganisms have evolved a variety of strategies to survive fluctuations in environmental conditions, including the production of biofilms and differentiation into spores.
Myxococcus xanthus
are ubiquitous soil bacteria that produce starvation-induced multicellular fruiting bodies filled with environmentally resistant spores (a specialized biofilm). Isolated spores have been shown to be more resistant than vegetative cells to heat, ultraviolet radiation, and desiccation. The evolutionary advantage of producing spores inside fruiting bodies is not clear. Here, we examine a hypothesis that the fruiting body provides additional protection from environmental insults. We developed a high-throughput method to compare the recovery (outgrowth) of distinct cell types (vegetative cells, free spores, and spores within intact fruiting bodies) after exposure to ultraviolet radiation or desiccation. Our data indicate that haystack-shaped fruiting bodies protect spores from extended UV radiation but do not provide additional protection from desiccation. Perturbation of fruiting body morphology strongly impedes recovery from both UV exposure and desiccation. These results hint that the distinctive fruiting bodies produced by different myxobacterial species may have evolved to optimize their persistence in distinct ecological niches.

IMPORTANCE

Environmental microorganisms play an important role in the production of greenhouse gases that contribute to changing climate conditions. It is imperative to understand how changing climate conditions feedback to influence environmental microbial communities. The myxobacteria are environmentally ubiquitous social bacteria that influence the local microbial community composition. Defining how these bacteria are affected by environmental insults is a necessary component of predicting climatic feedback effects. When starved, myxobacteria produce multicellular fruiting bodies filled with spores. As spores are resistant to a variety of environmental insults, the evolutionary advantage of building a fruiting body is not clear. Using the model myxobacterium,
Myxococcus xanthus
, we demonstrate that the tall, haystack-shaped fruiting body morphology enables significantly more resistance to UV exposure than the free spores. In contrast, fruiting bodies are slightly detrimental to recovery from extended desiccation, an effect that is strongly exaggerated if fruiting body morphology is perturbed. These results suggest that the variety of fruiting body morphologies observed in the myxobacteria may dictate their relative resistance to changing climate conditions.
Adaptive traits of
Nitrosocosmicus
clade ammonia-oxidizing archaea
Authors: Han Saem , Kim Seongwook , Sedlacek Christopher J. , Farooq Adeel , Song Chihong , Lee Sujin , Liu Shurong , Brüggemann Nicolas , Rohe Lena , Kwon Miye , Rhee Sung-Keun , Jung Man-Young
Published: October 2024

Nitrification is a core process in the global nitrogen (N) cycle mediated by ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms, including ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) as a key player. Although much is known about AOA abundance and diversity across environments, the genetic drivers of the ecophysiological adaptations of the AOA are often less clearly defined. This is especially true for AOA within the genus
Nitrosocosmicus
, which have several unique physiological traits (e.g., high substrate tolerance, low substrate affinity, and large cell size). To better understand what separates the physiology of
Nitrosocosmicus
AOA, we performed comparative genomics with genomes from 39 cultured AOA, including five
Nitrosocosmicus
AOA. The absence of a canonical high-affinity type ammonium transporter and typical S-layer structural genes was found to be conserved across all
Nitrosocosmicus
AOA. In agreement, cryo-electron tomography confirmed the absence of a visible outermost S-layer structure, which has been observed in other AOA. In contrast to other AOA, the cryo-electron tomography highlighted the possibility that
Nitrosocosmicus
AOA may possess a glycoprotein or glycolipid-based glycocalyx cell covering outer layer. Together, the genomic, physiological, and metabolic properties revealed in this study provide insight into niche adaptation mechanisms and the overall ecophysiology of members of the
Nitrosocosmicus
clade in various terrestrial ecosystems.

IMPORTANCE

Nitrification is a vital process within the global biogeochemical nitrogen cycle but plays a significant role in the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems and the production of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N
2
O) from industrial agriculture ecosystems. While various types of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms play a critical role in the N cycle, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are often the most abundant nitrifiers in natural environments. Members of the genus
Nitrosocosmicus
are one of the prevalent AOA groups detected in undisturbed terrestrial ecosystems and have previously been reported to possess a range of physiological characteristics that set their physiology apart from other AOA species. This study provides significant progress in understanding these unique physiological traits and their genetic drivers. Our results highlight how physiological studies based on comparative genomics-driven hypotheses can contribute to understanding the unique niche of
Nitrosocosmicus
AOA
A stellar model in Rastall gravity with perfect fluid
Authors: Paulin-Fuentes Jorge Mauricio , Estevez-Delgado Joaquin , Cabrera Jose Vega , Ceballos Joel Arturo Rodriguez , Soto-Espitia Rafael
Published: October 2024

In this paper, we present the construction and analysis of an interior solution for a compact star in Rastall gravity. The space–time considered is static and spherically symmetric, meanwhile, the source of matter is that of a perfect fluid. The solution of the equations system which describes the model is obtained from a specific form of the red shift factor function and its result is physically acceptable. The analysis of the solution is focused on the description of the star PSR [Formula: see text], for which we know the observational data of mass [Formula: see text] and radius [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]km, a comparison with the behavior of the solution in the frame of Einstein’s general relativity theory, [Formula: see text], shows that for [Formula: see text] the density, pressure and speed of sound are greater, meanwhile for [Formula: see text] their values are lower. The analysis of the generalized TOV equation to the case of the Rastall gravity implies that the contribution of the force associated to the Rastall parameter can generate an attractive ([Formula: see text]) or repulsive ([Formula: see text]) force, showing the relevance and the effect that the Rastall parameter has in stellar models.
An RSC-Based Genetic Algorithm for Fixed-Outline Soft Module Floorplanning
Authors: Yang Runping , Du Shimin
Published: October 2024

Floorplanning is a pivotal step in the early stages of integrated circuit physical design. In modern design, the outline of the chip is typically determined before floorplanning and each module must be placed within the specified fixed outline. However, when dealing with soft modules, the task becomes even more complex and challenging as it requires simultaneous determination of both position and shape. This paper proposes a genetic algorithm based on random subtree crossover to address the floorplanning problem of soft modules under fixed-outline constraints. First, a slicing tree is employed to represent the floorplan solution due to its advantage in handling the flexibility of soft modules. A three-step random subtree crossover (RSC) is proposed to generate feasible descendants specifically for slicing tree representation. Second, we adopt three types of perturbations as mutation operators and determine the probability of selecting a mutation operator on account of its empirical performance to improve the effectiveness of mutation. Then, to enhance the genetic algorithm’s rate of convergence, a step named insert after deletion (IAD) is incorporated into the evolutionary process to eliminate operator nodes with large dead spaces. Finally, the algorithm is verified by employing two standard circuits, MCNC and GSRC. The test consequences show that the proposed algorithm realized a 100% success rate across various aspect ratios while surpassing previous works in terms of wire length performance.
A Lightweight Object Detection Model for Low-End UAVs
Authors: Liang Jun , Zhou Nuo , Long Jiahao , Yu Songsen , Faizan Khan Muhammad
Published: October 2024

With the rapid growth and widespread use of low-end commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), it is critical to develop an object detection system that works well with these devices. This paper designs an efficient and lightweight object detection model specifically designed for low-end UAVs. Through excellent information interaction and the refined use of some techniques, our model can obtain multi-scale features and better focus on the details of different parts. Extensive experiments show that our model still maintains comparable accuracy while it consumes fewer parameters and FLOPs. In addition, our model has been applied to the tracking system of low-end UAVs, greatly enhancing the tracking performance.
Real-Time Information Acquisition and Processing Method for Penetration Information Based on Multi-Information Fusion
Authors: Yang Zheyu , He Yao , Sui Li , Wang Dongya
Published: October 2024

To improve the real-time performance and the target adaptability of penetration fuze detonation control systems, and to enhance the system fusion processing capability for multi-sensor information, this paper uses a modular design concept to construct a miniaturized (ø38[Formula: see text]mm[Formula: see text]×[Formula: see text]4[Formula: see text]mm) fuze detonation control system that is capable of real-time processing of data from multiple information sources. The core component of this system is the GD32E230 microcontroller, which features a high dominant frequency and low power consumption. This device is integrated with a ferroelectric memory and signal processing circuits that match the sensors. To address the issue of unclear traditional acceleration signal penetration and the difficulties associated with the identification of these signals, the approach in this paper improves feature recognition accuracy through rapid acquisition and fusion of multiple types of sensor output signal, and self-adaptive identification of multilayered targets and single-layer thick targets is achieved. During the programming of the embedded system, the hardware register is operated directly, the instruction execution sequence is optimized, and the program execution efficiency is improved by using the function characteristic that some microcontroller unit peripherals do not occupy the central processing unit when working, thus allowing the intended purpose of improving the system’s real-time performance to be achieved. A semi-physical simulation method is then used to verify the performance of the penetration fuze detonation control system. The results obtained show that the system has 100%-layer counting accuracy for multilayered targets and a relative error of less than 1% for the calculated residual velocities of single-layer thick targets, thus validating the effectiveness of the system.
Study of the Gearbox Meshing Coupling Vibration Law Based on Mechanical Signal and Frequency Signal
Authors: Zou Hua , Cui Bingbing , Wang Wenjing , Liu Zhaojin
Published: October 2024

In this study, the failure of a certain type of gearbox of a high-speed locomotive group with cracks is examined, and a gearbox failure assessment method that considers the coupled vibration is established and combined with mechanical signal and frequency signal to determine the basis for judging the failure of a faulty gearbox. First, according to the mechanical model of the finite element calculation, we determined the stress weak links and then the layout response stress measurement points and acceleration measurement points. We then calculated the gearbox ratio, meshing frequency, vibration frequency, mechanical response, modal response, and other frequency characteristics using the Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) method and the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm to analyze the vibration signals generated by different speeds and wheel out-of-roundness conditions. These were used to calculate the frequency of the different vibration sources of the mechanical response on the weak areas. The frequency correlations of the different vibration sources on the mechanical response in the weak areas were then analyzed, and the vibration transmission law of the gearbox case was obtained. The fault determination criterion was then determined, and the final cause of the fault was obtained.
An End-Cloud Collaborative Federated Learning Debugging Framework for Data Heterogeneity
Authors: Kong Chao , Meng Dan , Fu Zhihui , Pei Ruiguang , Wu Junjie , Zhu Haibei , Zhan Tong
Published: October 2024

End-cloud collaborative computing framework ensures the security and privacy of edge device data, enabling collaborative training of global models without direct data exchange. However, in practical scenarios, anomalies in training or edge device data may severely degrade or disable the global model’s performance. Existing frameworks lack effective debugging and anomaly localization, hindering real-time monitoring and precise identification of abnormal edge devices in data heterogeneity scenarios. In this paper, we propose a new method named FedCheck, a debugging framework for end-cloud collaborative federated learning that enables real-time alerts and detects abnormal devices for nonindependent and identically distributed (nonIID) data without disrupting the regular training process. Specifically, we employ a model similarity-based method to quantitatively assess the degree of device anomaly in data heterogeneity scenarios, supporting real-time alerts during the end-cloud collaboration process. Furthermore, a simulation program replays the training process based on recorded telemetry data, facilitating backtracking debugging of any training round and the status of edge devices. Finally, the framework removes abnormal devices and repairs the global model. Experiments on MNIST and Fashion-MNIST datasets demonstrate that FedCheck can effectively detect and locate abnormal devices in data heterogeneity scenarios. Even in large-scale federated learning, it maintains high detection performance and exhibits good scalability.
A new Gram determinant from the Möbius band
Authors: Ibarra Dionne , Montoya-Vega Gabriel
Published: October 2024

Gram determinants earned traction among knot theorists after Witten’s presumption about the existence of a 3-manifold invariant connected to the Jones polynomial. Triggered by the creation of such an invariant by Reshetikhin and Turaev, several mathematicians have explored this line of research ever since. Gram determinants came into play by Lickorish’s skein theoretic approach to the invariant. The construction of different bilinear forms is possible through changes in the ambient surface of the Kauffman bracket skein module. Hence, different types of Gram determinants have arisen in knot theory throughout the years; some of these determinants are discussed here. In this paper, we introduce a new version of such a determinant from the Möbius band and prove some important results about its structure. In particular, we explore its connection to the annulus case and factors of its closed formula.
Availability Modeling of Competing Risk System with Multiple Failure Modes Incorporating Hybrid Hazard Rate Model
Authors: Chand Geeta , Singh S. B.
Published: October 2024

This paper focuses on the availability modeling of periodically inspected repairable competing risk system incorporating imperfect maintenance. The impact of imperfect maintenance is modeled by the hybrid hazard rate model, which considers the age reduction factor and hazard rate increment factor after each maintenance. The maintenance strategy used in the study involves applying imperfect preventive maintenance (IPM) whenever the system is inspected and perfect corrective maintenance (CM) whenever a failure is detected during inspections. To minimize the maintenance cost the system is replaced as soon as [Formula: see text] inspections are performed. The considered system faces multiple failure modes, each with a random failure time. The paper determines the system’s instantaneous and steady-state availability and performs sensitivity analysis to examine how inspection time affects the system availability. Mean time to failure and cost analysis are also conducted to determine the optimal number of inspections that minimize the total maintenance cost while ensuring acceptable availability levels. Overall, the study provides insights into the optimal number of inspections and the impact of imperfect maintenance on the availability and reliability indices of periodically inspected repairable competing risk system. To validate the study, a wind turbine system (WTS) is taken.
Performance Evaluation Study of Reliability Acceptance Sampling Plans Based on Compound Exponential-Geometric Distribution
Authors: Kumarasamy Pradeepa Veerakumari , Ganga N.
Published: October 2024

Manufacturing industries make use of the most prominent statistical tools such as the acceptance sampling procedures or the sampling inspection plans to reach a decision regarding the disposition of the lot(s) of products. In life testing experiments, product’s lifetime is tested by taking samples from the lot received to check the working condition of the products in the hands of the consumer. The sampling procedures involved in testing the item’s lifetime are called the reliability sampling plans. Products are assumed to follow certain continuous lifetime distributions. Compound distributions are the result of a mixture of two or more distributions that aid in modeling complex phenomena. Exponential-geometric distribution is one such kind, having its unique characteristics. In this work, reliability acceptance sampling plans are designed assuming that the product follows the exponential-geometric distribution satisfying both the producer’s and consumer’s risks. Numerical illustrations are given for the constructed life test sampling plans.
Reliability Analysis for Competitive Failure of Cutting Tools with Random Failure Thresholds
Authors: Liu Fei , Bi Junxi , Wang Si , Zhang Guobin , Qi Xiao , Li Yanglei , Sun Pengwen , Bao Changchun
Published: October 2024

This paper discusses the limitations of existing tool reliability assessment methods in CNC machining, particularly the oversight of the randomness of failure thresholds and the complexity of interactions between degradation and sudden failures. It proposes a new method for assessing reliability in competing failure scenarios. The competing failure model is composed of a degradation process and a sudden process, where the former is influenced by random shocks and the latter is impacted by cumulative degradation. For the degradation process, the randomness of the failure threshold is translated into variables with easily obtainable distribution parameters, followed by the establishment of a degradation failure function. For the sudden process, an accelerated Weibull distribution is used to simulate the impact of sudden failure times on the failure rate, leading to the development of a sudden failure function. The competing failure reliability function is finally constructed based on the competition and inherent dependency of these two processes. An illustrative example using data from the machining of external cylindrical wear is analyzed to evaluate the developed reliability model. The results indicate that the dependency between degradation and sudden has a greater impact on reliability and overlooking the randomness of failure thresholds may lead to an overestimation of reliability.
COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION BETWEEN AJM AND HOT-AJM DURING MACHINING OF ZIRCONIA CERAMIC USING SILICON CARBIDE ABRASIVES
Authors: PRADHAN SUBHADIP , SAMANTARAY SOUMYA RANJAN , DHUPAL DEBABRATA , DAS SUDHANSU RANJAN
Published: October 2024

Abrasive jet machining (AJM) process is commonly used for cutting and drilling of brittle materials in which the phenomenon of material removal can be considered as mechanical erosion by the impingement of high-velocity abrasives. The focus of this research is to compare the performance and economic benefits of recently developed hot abrasive jet machining (hot-AJM) with traditional AJM techniques when machining zirconia ceramic using silicon carbide (SiC) grain particles. The modified AJM employed abrasive air jet (combination of hot abrasive and compressed air) to strike on the work surface for material erosion. Briefly, the cutting performance is investigated by comparing the technological characteristics like material removal rate, machining cost, and taper angle of the developed hole. Abrasive grain size, nozzle pressure, and stand-off distance are considered as the variable factors for machining trials in accordance with the design of experiments. The usage of hot abrasives in AJM improved the material erosion owing to the occurrence of plastic deformation followed by deep chipping on the machined surfaces. From the results, it was observed that the hot-AJM outperformed the normal AJM with regard to improved material removal, reduced dimensional deviation of hole and minimal machining cost. According to the findings of the cost assessment, the machining of zirconia ceramic using hot-AJM was more cost-effective than using normal AJM since it resulted 25% reduction in the total cost of production. The overall machining cost expenditure per unit in hot-AJM was lower (INR 123.12) than expenditure in traditional AJM (INR 153.47). Machining with hot-modified AJM, compared to normal AJM, offers a more techno-economically viable solution for enhancing machinability.
Conditionally monotone cumulants via shuffle algebra
Authors: Celestino Adrián , Ebrahimi-Fard Kurusch
Published: October 2024

In this work, we study conditional monotone cumulants and additive convolution in the shuffle-algebraic approach to non-commutative probability. We describe c-monotone cumulants as an infinitesimal character and identify the c-monotone additive convolution as an associative operation in the set of pairs of characters in the dual of a double tensor Hopf algebra. In this algebraic framework, we understand previous results on c-monotone cumulants and prove a combinatorial formula that relates c-free and c-monotone cumulants. We also identify the notion of [Formula: see text]-Boolean cumulants in the shuffle-algebraic approach and introduce the corresponding notion of [Formula: see text]-monotone cumulants as a particular case of c-monotone cumulants.
Nonlinear Static and Dynamic Analysis of Semi-Infinite Porous Medium with Twin Tunnel
Authors: Yüksel Yusuf Zi̇ya , Akbaş Şeref Doğuşcan
Published: October 2024

Tunnel–medium interaction problems are one of the important problems in engineering. Because it has a high risk in terms of reliability, tunnel structures should be modeled in detail. The modeling of tunnel structures under static and dynamical loads is a difficult problem in engineering because of consists of a lot of conditions and effects, such as heterogeneous medium, soil layers, porosity, soil–structure interaction, groundwater, earthquake, etc. In this paper, aims to investigate the tunnel–medium interaction problems for nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. This study includes nonlinear static and dynamic analyses for layered porous semi-infinite viscoelastic medium with twin tunnels. The constitutive property of each layer of medium is considered in bilinear stress–strain relation with uniform porosity and Kelvin–Voigt viscoelastic property. The considered study is solved via the finite element method within the two-dimensional (2D) model. Layered medium is modeled as finite and infinite elements. In the solution process, the incremental force method is implemented and, for each load step, finite element equations are solved according to the bilinear stress–strain relation. In nonlinear dynamic analysis, the dynamic loads are divided by a certain finite number and applied incrementally depending on the time-dependent load function. At each load step, the final displacement, velocity and acceleration of that load step, obtained as a result of applying the Newmark [Formula: see text] method procedure, are assigned as the starting value of the next load step according to the bilinear stress–strain relation. Influences of porosity and position of tunnels on the nonlinear static and dynamic deflections of the system are investigated. Also, differences between linear and nonlinear responses are compared and discussed.
Impact of Thermal Energy on Water and Ethylene Glycol (50:50)-Based Rotating Hybrid Nanofluid Past A Riga Surface with Radiation, Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Reactions
Authors: Senthilvadivu K. , Eswaramoorthi S. , Loganathan K. , Alessa Nazek
Published: October 2024

Hybrid nanofluid is crucial in improving the efficiency of heat transmission in thermal engineering applications, particularly the cooling of electrical equipment, heat exchangers, fuel cells, printing machines, etc. This study sought to investigate the augmentation of heat and mass transmission by the use of a rotating hybrid nanofluid consisting of a mixture of gold and silver nanoparticles suspended in water and ethylene glycol (50:50) past a heated Riga surface with velocity slip and suction. The energy equation is constructed using nonlinear radiation and heat consumption. The impact of both homogeneous and heterogeneous processes on the hybrid nanofluid is also explored. The governing mathematical model begins with partial differential equations that are converted into ordinary differential equations using a suitable conversion technique. The results of numerical computations are recorded as graphs and tables using the bvp4c scheme in MATLAB. It is noticed that both directional velocities undergo significant negative changes as a result of enhanced values of the rotational parameter. The higher levels of the radiation parameter resulted in significant enhancements in the thermal profile. The falling behavior of the nanoparticle concentration profile is recorded against a greater quantity of both chemical reaction parameters. Based on our analysis, when the Biot number changes from 0.4 to 0.8, the most significant heat transmission gradient occurs.
Fractal Study of Surface Morphology on the Permeability of Fractured Rocks
Authors: Yang Shanshan , Chen Shuaiyin , Zou Mingqing
Published: October 2024

The permeability of fractured rock mass is directly related to engineering safety and resource exploitation efficiency. However, due to the fracture network’s complexity and the fracture surface’s irregularity, accurate prediction of the permeability of fractured rock mass has always been a difficult problem in the field of geotechnical engineering. Complex network theory provides a powerful tool for studying the spatial distribution and connection characteristics of fracture networks, while fractal theory can effectively describe the roughness and self-similarity of fracture surfaces. Based on the above two theories, this paper analyzes the permeability of fractured rock mass. The permeability model of the rough fractured rock is derived by considering the roughness of the fracture. It has been discovered that the permeability of fractured rock is influenced by structural parameters, including the self-similarity index, roughness and porosity. Specifically, permeability is directly proportional to the surface density of the fractures but inversely proportional to the roughness of the fracture surfaces. The model is compared with the existing numerical simulation results to verify its correctness and effectiveness.
Clickable HaloTag ligands for live cell labeling and imaging
Authors: Luo Yunhe , Zhou Siyu , Gong Mingyue , Wu Changfeng , Fang Xiaofeng
Published: October 2024

Self-labeling protein (SLP) tags, such as HaloTag, have gained considerable interest as advanced tools for live cell labeling. However, the chloroalkane-based substrates that can be directly used for protein labeling are limited. Here, we report two bioorthogonal small molecule linkers, chloroalkane-tetrazine (CA-Tz) and chloroalkane-azide (CA-N3), which can penetrate cell membranes and facilitate click chemistry-based labeling in live cells. We compare their labeling capability using two clickable silicon rhodamine dyes (SiR-PEG3-TCO and SiR-PEG4-DBCO). Confocal imaging results demonstrate that using CA-Tz and SiR-PEG3-TCO dye exhibits superior intracellular labeling with low nonspecific signals. We subsequently compared the photostability of SiR dyes with that of green fluorescent proteins (mEmerald). Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) imaging indicates that SiR dyes exhibit superior photostability under identical excitation conditions, making them suitable for long-term cell imaging. Furthermore, SiR dyes labeling also shows high structure retention for the fourth-order super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI) compared to fluorescent proteins. This study presents clickable HaloTag linkers as effective tools for live cell labeling and imaging, highlighting the high-quality labeling of chloroalkane linkers and clickable dyes for live cell imaging.
Electrochemical conversion of rice husk in molten salts to photocatalyst for CO2 photoreduction
Authors: Xu Ningning , Wu Tian , Lv Hui
Published: October 2024

Photocatalysts obtained from waste biomass by molten salt electrolysis can photocatalytically reduce carbon dioxide under simulated photosynthesis, which is of great significance for carbon neutrality. Herein, a molten-salt electrochemical synthesis strategy that silicon-carbide nanowires mixed carbon (SiC/C) is obtained at the cathode by absorption of molten salt and migration in molten salt with the rice husk (RHs) is especially used as the anode is reported. This study shows the excellent absorption and migration effect of molten salt on RHs pyrolysis products SiO2 and CO2. At the same time, the unilateral consumability of the anode is more advantageous in device design. The obtained SiC/C photocatalyst has an excellent performance in photocatalytic reduction of CO2.
The Outlook for Taiwan’s New President, Lai Ching-te
Authors: COPPER John F
Published: October 2024

On 13 January 2024, Taiwan elected Lai Ching-te as its new president, marking the first time a single political party won three consecutive times. Despite this victory, the Democratic Progressive Party did not secure a legislative majority, spelling a divided government. Meanwhile, China saw Lai as its foe and adopted a more hostile Taiwan policy. President Lai also faces a slow-growing economy, uncertain US relations and substantial challenges despite his party’s resources.
White Paper: Quantum Resilient Upgrade for ASCON (and AES) with Novel RDH Wrapper Designed for FinTech and IoT
Authors: Wanless Chad , Palachik Dave
Published: October 2024

With the looming quantum computer threat, the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) has done an exhaustive search for both quantum resilient encryption, creating new asymmetric algorithms and a separate “lightweight cryptography” suitable for small IoT electronics, selecting ASCON. However, NIST admits that ASCON is only quasi-quantum resilient. AES has also been independently declared quantum resilient. Unfortunately, the four selected quantum resilient asymmetric algorithms and AES are far too computationally heavy for FinTech smart cards’ use. The proposed Randomization Data Handshake (RDH) has been designed to wrap around both ASCON (and AES) allowing each to create and exchange instructions to build their own non-transmitted quantum resilient session keys using 100% randomized data, while simultaneously authenticating both sender and receiver. Furthermore, credit cards, debit cards, PINs, passwords and session keys are never transmitted. In a way, RDH emulates the quantum entanglement’s ability to exchange data (keys) without sending the data.