bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circular Supply Chain Management in the Wind Energy Industry – A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Kramer Kathrin Julia , Schmidt Matthias
Published: April 2023

The shift to a circular economy and the use of wind energy are key components in achieving the climate goals that some governments like Germany have set for themselves. Nevertheless, the wind energy industry is still predominantly organized as a linear system. Therefore, this paper outlines the existing research on the wind energy supply chain and embeds it in the context of a circular economy. The results show that some aspects of the circular economy have recently gained attention. For instance, the recycling of wind turbine blades is often discussed in literature. However, circular thinking is still underrepresented in supply chain management research. For example, studies on return, recover and deliver processes are rare. By presenting a structured overview of the current state of research, an agenda for future investigations can be derived. Hence, this publication makes a clear contribution towards becoming more circular in the wind energy supply chain.
Simulation-Based Analysis of (Reverse) Supply Chains in Circular Product-Service-Systems
Authors: Grosse Erdmann Julian , Koller Jan , Amir Saman , Mihelič Aleš , Döpper Frank
Published: April 2023

With an expected growth of global waste to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050 and a circularity today of only 8.6% of the world, the earth’s sustainable resources are being exploited beyond their regeneration capacity. Hence, it is necessary to step away from a take – make – dispose principal and transform from a linear towards a circular economy to close product cycles to optimize resource consumption and reduce waste. Product-Service-Systems (PSSs), based on multiple product life cycles combined with remanufacturing, offer a solution to close product cycles. In such PSS, the responsibility for returning, remanufacturing, and repairing used products remains with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and increases its need in (reverse) supply chain activities. Essential factors for (reverse) supply chains are, e.g., determining the distribution network, the location of recovery facilities, the geographical dispersion of the customers, and the information flows between the different stakeholders. In this context, this work proposes a multi-method simulation model to support practitioners in determining the optimal infrastructure for storing, remanufacturing, and repairing the used products regarding economic and ecological target criteria. The applicability of the proposed approach is illustrated through a case study of a white goods manufacturing company. This case study highlights the importance of determining the optimal infrastructure in a (reverse) supply chain in PSS business models.
Designing a Reverse Supply Chain Network for Smartphones with Material-Based GHG Emissions and Costs Using Linear Physical Programming
Authors: Ijuin Hiromasa , Nagao Takaki , Tsunezawa Masakuni , Sugiyama Kohei , Tasaka Kazuyuki , Yamada Tetsuo
Published: April 2023

Currently, levels of production and disposal for communication devices such as smartphones are continuing to increase. In the life cycle of a smartphone, the majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are generated in the material production stage. To recover the GHG emissions from end-of-life (EOL) products such as smartphones, manufacturers have to recycle EOL products. However, smartphones on the market undergo little recycling because costs related to recycling, transportation, and facilities are very high. Therefore, the decision maker (DM) has to design a reverse supply chain network for collecting EOL products from users and transporting them to recovery or disposal facilities not only environmentally friendly but also economically feasible. This study applies a bi-objective reverse supply chain network design to material-based GHG volumes and related costs applying a multi-criteria decision-making methods as linear physical programming (LPP) to design a reverse supply chain network in the case of smartphones. First, the reverse supply chain network is modeled for recycling EOL smartphones, and a case study based on literatures and life cycle assessment are prepared. Next, the objective functions are set and formulated to minimize the total volume of material-based GHG volume and the total cost using LPP and integer programming. Finally, numerical experiments on the reverse supply chain are conducted and evaluated.
revolPET®: An Innovative “Back-to-Monomer” Recycling Technology for the Open Loop Value Chain of PET and Polyester Composite Packaging and Textiles
Authors: Franco Renan Louro Cardoso , Eichert Carsten , Lücking Charlotte , Biermann Lars , Paschetag Mandy , Scholl Stephan
Published: April 2023

Nowadays there is a need for innovative solutions for composite materials in the packaging and textile sectors. These are formed by multilayer structures that improve technical performance however complicates recycling. Consequently, they are mostly sent to energy recovery or downgrade recycling processes. To avoid this, new recycling technologies are needed.

The innovative “back-to-monomer” recycling technology “revolPET®” represents a solution for this challenge. In the process, the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is selectively depolymerized to recover the monomers ethylene glycol (EG) and terephthalic acid (TA) for a new PET production. By an alkaline hydrolysis, the PET reacts continuously with a strong base in a twin-screw extruder. The average residence time in the extruder is less than one minute with a process yield up to 95%. Due to the mild depolymerization conditions, the other polymers remain chemically unchanged and can be easily separated. The produced monomers are regained in virgin quality and can achieve a 33% reduction on the greenhouse gases emissions if compared with the crude oil production route.

In this contribution, the technology on a pilot scale as well as the results of the first scale-up investigations are presented and discussed with respect to technical maturity and environmental benefit.
Towards Making Polymer Food Packaging Suitable for the Circular Economy: Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
Authors: Woolley Elliot , Sian Mala , Nahar Samsun , Clark Nikki , Hatton Fiona L. , Larder Ryan , Trimingham Rhoda , Wilson Garrath T.
Published: April 2023

Single use plastic packaging and its environmental impacts have received much attention over the last few years from governments, businesses and consumers. One option to reduce plastic packaging waste and its associated environmental impacts is to shift towards circular business models, supplying reusable packaging options that are used many times before being recycled. One technical barrier to the implementation of plastic food packaging reuse is the need to effectively clean the packs and provide cleaning assurance to prevent the possibility of product crossover. This research investigated the feasibility of using Ultraviolet Fluorescence imaging to optically detect residual food fouling and thus assuring cleanliness in the case example of margarine spread tubs. Processing of obtained images was carried out using MATLAB® applying Otsu’s thresholding method. It was established that for the current setup the minimum detectable quantity of fouling was of the order 10–4 g/mm2. The assessment process was correlated against that of Adenosine Triphosphate assay, an industry-standard process for assessing the cleanliness of food contact surfaces. The implications of the investigated technique overcome one barrier to plastic food packaging reuse on an industrial scale. Fast and reliable fouling evaluation of every pack will underpin business and consumer trust in such a circular material flow. The established technique has the potential to form part of the wider reuse system for polymer packaging. Implications on optical detection optimization, packaging design, and suitability for automation are discussed alongside wider food supply chain considerations.
A Comparative Sustainability Assessment of Cutting Fluids Usage in Band Sawing
Authors: Rangasamy Nithin , Kirwin Roan , Rakurty C. S.
Published: April 2023

Cutting fluids used in machining have received a lot of attention due to their adverse environmental and economic effects. Researchers have studied cutting fluid usage in traditional machining processes such as turning, facing, milling, etc. However, few studies focused on the cutting fluid used in band sawing applications. This study reports a literature review of the usage of the cutting fluid in band sawing and their sustainable and economic aspects. A review of the literature and industrial data has shown that the majority of band saw blades use high-speed steel as the cutting tool material for cutting metal. This study presents a metric-based sustainability assessment and a detailed analysis of recent economic factors such as the cost of the cutting fluids used in band sawing through industrial case studies. A global survey of the cutting fluid usage in the bandsawing application has shown that the majority of the industry is employing flood coolant application. The flood coolant application cost can be as high as 8% of the total consumables cost of the band sawing process.
Potential Analysis for the Use of Bio-Based Plastics with Natural Fiber Reinforcement in Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Friedel Andreas , Junk Stefan
Published: April 2023

Plastics are used today in many areas of the automotive, aerospace and mechanical engineering industries due to their lightweight potential and ease of processing. Additive manufacturing is applied more and more frequently, as it offers a high degree of design freedom and eliminates the need for complex tools. However, the application of additively manufactured components made of plastics have so far been limited due to their comparatively low strength. For this reason, processes that offer additional reinforcement of the plastic matrix using fibers made of high-strength materials have been developed. However, these components represent a composite of different materials produced on the basis of fossil raw materials, which are difficult to recycle and generally not biodegradable.

Therefore, this paper will explore the potential for new composite materials whose matrix consists of a bio-based plastic. In this investigation, it is assumed that the matrix is reinforced with a fibrous material made of natural fiber to significantly increase the strength. This potential material should offer a lightweight yet strong structure and be biodegradable after use under controlled conditions. Therefore, the state of the art in the use of bio-based materials in 3D printing is first presented. In order to determine the economic boundary conditions, the growth potentials for bio-based materials are analyzed. Also, the recycling prospects for bio-based plastics will also be highlighted. The greenhouse gas emissions and land use to be expected when using bio-based materials are also estimated. Finally, the degradability of the composites is discussed.
A Framework to Compute Carbon Emissions Generated from Additive Manufacturing Processes
Authors: Panagiotopoulou Vasiliki C. , Paraskevopoulou Aikaterini , Stavropoulos Panagiotis
Published: April 2023

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is an emerging and promising technology increasingly adopted from Industry. However, Industry is responsible for the majority of global carbon emissions (CEs), heavily contributing to greenhouse effect. Therefore, it is important to define the environmental impact of all processes, including AM carbon footprint. This work aims at reviewing literature for the equations for CE calculations of AM and developing a framework for CEs calculations generated from all the types of AM. Literature was found for some AM types, with each type of AM described stepwise and categorized per Process, Machine and System level. At each step, the equations for CEs, based on carbon emission factor and energy spent, were allocated. At process level, CEs come exclusively from the energy spent for curing. At the machine level, CEs are related to the process, auxiliary equipment and consumables. At system level, additional CEs are derived from material used, pre-processing and post-processing steps. Total carbon emissions are the sum of CEs at machine level and additional CEs from system level. Generalization of this approach led to a framework that can be used for all types of AM, to calculate CEs of each AM type based on the steps included.
Competencies to Address the Industrial Additive Manufacturing Towards Sustainable Production
Authors: Melo Gustavo , Kies Alexander , Paluch Stefanie , Schleifenbaum Johannes Henrich
Published: April 2023

Since the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) region is currently undergoing a structural change towards a CO2 neutral energy supply, the use of additive manufacturing (AM) can offer great potential to produce in a more sustainable way. AM can also offer opportunities for industry with regard to other aspects, since production complexity can also be reduced, and time-to-market shortened at the same time. Against this background of increasing importance of AM, this study has the focus to find out what competencies an employee in AM should have in order to establish him/herself in this area in the future and successfully use AM in the industry. For this purpose, problem-centered and guided expert interviews were conducted with 19 experts from different industries. The interviews were then transcribed and evaluated using Mayring’s content analysis. A key finding of this work is that knowledge of technology and materials, the ability to part identification, and a basic understanding of the process chain in AM are among the most important hard skills for a future employee in AM. Regarding soft skills, the willingness to openly exchange ideas, the ability to work in a team in conjunction with good communication skills, a conscientious approach to work and the right mindset are emphasized. In conclusion, regarding structural change in NRW, it is clear from the interviews that the experts particularly suggest opportunities in the area of sustainability, but also greater collaboration within companies and universities involved in AM.
Simulation-Based Efficiency Comparison of Different Mains Configurations for DC Grid Branches for Supplying Production Plants Based on a Rule-Compliant Design
Authors: Gutwald Benjamin , Ndjiemeni Freddy Ngankam , Barth Martin , Franke Jörg
Published: April 2023

Numerous research projects are investigating direct current (DC) grids for supplying energy to production plants. The motivation is the higher efficiency and lower material requirements compared to conventional grid structures, as fewer electrical conversion processes occur, regenerative energies can be coupled in more efficiently and recuperation energy can be stored better. The grid form and the associated earthing concept require different protective devices. The publication simulates two possible grid forms and compares the efficiency with an approximated power curve of a production cell. The publication gives researchers and plant planners an impression of how such a network is designed and which components influence the efficiency. It serves as a decision-making aid for the selection of the grid form and helps with the design of the electrical components.
The Use of Gentani Approach for Benchmarking Resource Efficiency in Manufacturing Industries
Authors: Sarfraz Shoaib , Jolly Mark , Salonitis Konstantinos
Published: April 2023

The majority of today’s manufacturing processes are based on well-developed and well-established procedures that are characteristics of mature technologies. The manufacturing industries have not evolved significantly over time because of recent economic, environmental, and societal advances at an unprecedented rate. As a result, there are numerous challenges and opportunities available, especially regarding resource efficiency. The majority of industrial processes consume far more energy than the theoretical minimal process energy requirements. This paper aims to develop a theoretical framework utilising the Gentani approach whilst targeting the minimum resources needed to carry out a process for use by manufacturing industries. The resource efficiency (exergy) metric has also been discussed that can be used as a tool to evaluate the efficiency of industry, depicting a more holistic level of energy and material consumption. The framework will help manufacturing industries in lowering costs and remain competitive by improving resource efficiency, aimed at reducing resource use and providing value delivery. The study will also assist in transforming these industries into resource-efficient modern manufactories in line with the Net-Zero 2050 agenda.
Conceptual Framework of a Digital Twin Fostering Sustainable Manufacturing in a Brownfield Approach of Small Volume Production for SMEs
Authors: Krommes Sandra , Tomaschko Florian
Published: April 2023

SMEs are increasingly forced to shift to more sustainable manufacturing. Industry 4.0 can support the transformation and foster innovation. But, SMEs need solutions with a low barrier to entry in terms of investment, IT knowledge and capacities. A framework based on value and material flow analysis, low investments and user-oriented IT skills is proposed. As an example, it is implemented in the furniture industry and shows a digital twin in terms of monitoring the energy and material flows. In addition, a product-specific allocation of energy consumption, energy peak shaving and other applications are possible.
Smart Manufacturing Systems for Small Medium Enterprises: A Conceptual Data Collection Architecture
Authors: Kanakana-Katumba M. G. , Maladzi R. W. , Oyesola M. O.
Published: April 2023

Smart manufacturing is the future of sustainable manufacturing entities with the emergence of innovative technologies readily available to foster industrial production. It becomes imperative for Small Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to adopt the initiatives of the fourth industrial revolution termed Industry 4.0, to improve productivity and efficiency. SMEs are vital for the economic growth and social transformation of any nation, as such incorporating emerging technologies would generate more revenue and support sustainability. One of the major challenges facing the SMEs in a competitive and dynamic manufacturing environment is adapting the technique and implementation of smart enabled systems. The current manufacturing data information architecture for smart manufacturing is premeditated for big organisations with funding and skills to implement such systems, however SMEs struggles to cope with such advancement. This paper aim to propose a concept based data collection architecture to aid SME using the systems of smart manufacturing for internetwork communication, prediction and analysis. This study proposes a conceptual data architecture framework, which SMEs can utilise for data collection and integrate into any type of small-scale industrial production settings to enable effective decision-making. The successful demonstration of the concept is to gear manufacturing SMEs towards smart systems with no-need for high-level implementation techniques.
Model-Based Method for Low-Effort Part-Specific CO2-Accounting During the Production on Machine Tools Using PLC Data
Authors: Sarikaya Erkut , Weyand Astrid , Dück Dominik , Weigold Matthias
Published: April 2023

Against the backdrop of advancing climate change, the pressure on industry as the second largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide is increasing. Climate neutrality and the effects on the climate of products or services are gaining more and more political and social attention. Thus, this paper is dedicated to the investigation of the holistic influence of machined components on greenhouse gas emissions. Optimisations can only be achieved through a profound understanding of the important factors in relation to climate neutrality of industrial production. To this end, a method is developed that allows the low-effort quantification of part-specific greenhouse gases emitted during the production on a CNC machine tool. Validating experiments are conducted in a real industrial environment. Finally, potential for improvement is outlined.
Conversion of a Manufacturing Lab as a Learning Factory to Educate Factories of the Future Concept
Authors: Somaskantha Iyer Smirthya , Dissanayaka Nuwan , Kulatunga Asela K. , Dharmawardhana Mahanama
Published: April 2023

The demand for enhancing the flexibility and efficiency of the manufacturing industry has rapidly increased over the years due to mass customization to cater to the needs of society. The conventional manufacturing industry could not survive these rapid changes. Though, the manufacturing sector is the forerunner to embrace technological paradigm shift, which paves the way for Industry 4.0 or the 4th industrial revolution. With Industry 4.0, now many world leaders are moving towards a new concept called “Factories of the Future” (FoF), which predominantly engages with the cyber-physical world to digitalize manufacturing while maintaining a strong link between hardware and the cyber-physical world. To perform any manufacturing, engineering teaching/learning programs should introduce these concepts with some practical exposure, which will enable students to contribute to the manufacturing industry all around the world. Therefore, this study focuses on converting an old manufacturing lab into a learning factory to promote FoF concept. This is achieved by enabling existing manufacturing machines to be digitally connected via Industry 4.0 while creating connections with the other machines to create flexible manufacturing systems (FMS). Competencies in integrated scheduling of machine centers and autonomous material handling systems were also explored. Furthermore, the study suggested that the conversion of the manufacturing lab needs to be done in many different integration platforms.
Evaluation of Competencies for a Sustainable Industrial Environment
Authors: Campana G. , Mele M. , De Bortoli L. , Cimatti B. , Kobayashi H.
Published: April 2023

The organisation of worker activities in manufacturing shops have been differently conceived depending on political, societal, environmental and economic circumstances affecting industrial development. From Taylorism and Fordism through Lean Manufacturing to the innovative Cell Production system, the level and quality of abilities and competencies of workers have increasingly become the kernel of factory management models. Sustainability has increasingly become a crucial factor for product success. The design and manufacture of industrial products are conceived in circular loops within the 6R framework. The digitalisation of information has allowed significant advancements. Qualified and skilled operators have accompanied and led these evolutions, and their abilities and creativity have grown relevant, despite the continuous increase in automation.

This work investigates the contribution of craftsmanship abilities in the industrial environment. For this purpose, the Craftsmanship Index has been proposed to assign a quantitative value to the craftsmanship skills contributing to the manufacturing activities. A customised questionnaire to be administered to workers is used to calculate this index, which is helpful to analyse worker abilities and the way they are learned and developed, being part of effective management and decision-making tools. A case study in the Japanese manufacturing environment expands on previous results achieved in Italy.

The Craftsmanship Index allowed us to give a quantitative relevance to the level of abilities of operators depending on the analysed department. Some cultural differences have also emerged thanks to the comparison between the Japanese and the Italian culture.
Immersive Virtual Work Integrated Learning: A Development of an Interactive Learning Environment for Rail Components Manufacturing
Authors: Dlamini Nokulunga Zamahlubi , Mpofu Khumbulani , Ramatsetse Boitumelo , Makinde Olusambo
Published: April 2023

Undergraduate students pursuing their studies in the engineering discipline in higher education institutions (HEI) are expected to complete their work integrated learning (WIL) component as part of their curriculum. This is a compulsory module traditionally performed in the workplace environment over a specified time. However, with the scarcity of placement-based WIL, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a reduction in the intake of students to accomplish their studies. This paper presents, a human centered design (HCD) model for developing an immersive virtual reality (IVR) rendered with an HTC Vive Pro head mounted display (HMDs) platform capable of training industrial engineering undergraduate students on the manufacturing procedure of rail components using a reconfigurable guillotine shear and bending press machine (RGS&BPM) as part of the set of immersive virtual work integrated learning (IVWIL) activities. The study explores current literature and the HCD approach to designing and developing the immersive interactive training platform. It highlights the important aspects of the development of the immersive virtual environment and recommends future work.
Adjoint Majorana QCD2 at finite N
Authors: Dempsey Ross , Klebanov Igor R. , Lin Loki L. , Pufu Silviu S.
Published: April 2023

Abstract

The mass spectrum of 1 + 1-dimensional SU(N) gauge theory coupled to a Majorana fermion in the adjoint representation has been studied in the large N limit using Light-Cone Quantization. Here we extend this approach to theories with small values of N, exhibiting explicit results for N = 2, 3, and 4. In the context of Discretized Light-Cone Quantization, we develop a procedure based on the Cayley-Hamilton theorem for determining which states of the large N theory become null at finite N. For the low-lying bound states, we find that the squared masses divided by g2N, where g is the gauge coupling, have very weak dependence on N. The coefficients of the 1/N2 corrections to their large N values are surprisingly small. When the adjoint fermion is massless, we observe exact degeneracies that we explain in terms of a Kac-Moody algebra construction and charge conjugation symmetry. When the squared mass of the adjoint fermion is tuned to g2N/π, we find evidence that the spectrum exhibits boson-fermion degeneracies, in agreement with the supersymmetry of the model at any value of N.
Topology of closure systems in algebraic lattices
Authors: Schwartz Niels
Published: April 2023

Algebraic lattices are spectral spaces for the coarse lower topology. Closure systems in algebraic lattices are studied as subspaces. Connections between order theoretic properties of a closure system and topological properties of the subspace are explored. A closure system is algebraic if and only if it is a patch closed subset of the ambient algebraic lattice. Every subset X in an algebraic lattice P generates a closure system $$\langle X \rangle _P$$

⟨
X
⟩

P

. The closure system $$\langle Y \rangle _P$$

⟨
Y
⟩

P

generated by the patch closure Y of X is the patch closure of $$\langle X \rangle _P$$

⟨
X
⟩

P

. If X is contained in the set of nontrivial prime elements of P then $$\langle X \rangle _P$$

⟨
X
⟩

P

is a frame and is a coherent algebraic frame if X is patch closed in P. Conversely, if the algebraic lattice P is coherent then its set of nontrivial prime elements is patch closed.
Differenzierte Herangehensweise und Testung seltener genetischer Erkrankungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter
Authors: Bachmann Nadine , Auber Bernd , Das Anibh , Distelmaier Felix , Gabriel Heinz , Himmelreich Nastassja , Lemke Johannes , Bergmann Carsten
Published: April 2023

Genetische Diagnostik hat mittlerweile praktisch alle Bereiche der Kinderheilkunde erreicht. Immer häufiger stellt die Humangenetik ein wichtiges Instrument ergänzend zur klinischen Diagnostik dar und nimmt zunehmend eine zentrale Funktion für die Einschätzung des Krankheitsverlaufs und die Entscheidung über eine individuelle Therapie ein. Genetische Diagnostik dient der frühzeitigen Erkennung und Spezifizierung von Erkrankungen und ermöglicht etwa auch die Identifikation krankheitsursächlicher Veränderungen mittels reverser Phänotypisierung (Diagnosestellung/Korrektur einer vorherigen Verdachtsdiagnose durch genetische Diagnostik). Genetische Diagnostik wird hierzulande weithin noch recht zurückhaltend eingesetzt, oftmals erscheint ein früherer Einsatz jedoch durchaus sinnvoll. Eine differenzierte Herangehensweise in enger interdisziplinärer Absprache ist dabei von Vorteil. Die in der genetischen Diagnostik angewandten Verfahren haben sich in den letzten Jahren rasant weiterentwickelt, was zu verbesserten Diagnoseraten führt, aber auch neue Fragen und Herausforderungen aufwirft. Die Dynamik des Feldes und eine Vielzahl oft verwirrender Begrifflichkeiten lassen die Genetik für viele Kolleg(inn)en als gewisse „Blackbox“ erscheinen. Was versteht man unter einem Exom oder einem Panel? Darf ich als „normaler“ Kinderarzt überhaupt genetische Diagnostik in Auftrag geben? Habe ich Nachteile zu befürchten, und wie interpretiere ich später den Befund? Diese und andere Aspekte haben wir versucht, in diesem Artikel aufzuarbeiten und verständlich darzustellen. Eine enge interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit zwischen betreuendem Kinderarzt, Facharzt für Humangenetik und Labor ist essenziell, um die für die vorliegende Fragestellung sinnvollste Methode auszuwählen und bestmögliche Betreuung des Patienten zu gewährleisten.
Evaluation of wave configurations in corrugated boards by experimental analysis (EA) and finite element modeling (FEM): the role of the micro-wave in packaging design
Authors: Di Russo Franco Maria , Desole Maria Maria , Gisario Annamaria , Barletta Massimiliano
Published: April 2023

The aim of this paper is to study the mechanical behavior of corrugated board boxes, focusing attention on the strength that the boxes are able to offer in compression under stacking conditions. A preliminary design of the corrugated cardboard structures starting from the definition of each individual layer, namely the outer liners and the innermost flute, was carried out. For this purpose, three distinct types of corrugated board structures that include flutes with different characteristics, namely the high wave (C), the medium wave (B), and even the micro-wave (E), were comparatively evaluated. More specifically, the comparison is able to show the potential of the micro-wave which would eventually allow a significant saving of cellulose in the fabrication process of the boxes, thus reducing the manufacturing costs and causing a lower environmental footprint. First, experimental tests were carried out to determine the mechanical properties of the different layers of the corrugated board structures. Tensile tests were performed on samples extracted from the paper reels used as base material for the manufacturing of the liners and flutes. Instead, the edge crush test (ECT) and box compression test (BCT) were directly performed on the corrugated cardboard structures. Secondly, a parametric finite element (FE) model to allow, on a comparative basis, the study of the mechanical response of the three different types of corrugated cardboard structures was developed. Lastly, a comparison between the available experimental results and the outputs of the FE model was carried out, with the same model being also adapted to evaluate additional structures where the E micro-wave was usefully combined with the B or C wave in a double-wave configuration.
Assessment of geometrical dimensions and puncture feasibility of microneedles manufactured by micromilling
Authors: Tamez-Tamez Jeanette I. , Vázquez-Lepe Elisa , Rodriguez Ciro A. , Martínez-López J. Israel , García-López Erika
Published: April 2023

Microneedles are an emerging technology designed to deliver drugs into human tissue. In this work, we assess the microneedle’s manufacturability by employing micromilling with a minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) system. A set of AISI 316L square pyramidal microneedles was fabricated and characterized using dimensional and surface metrology. Needle height (Hn), base length (Lb), tip radius (Rt), and the tip’s angle (θ) were studied. Additionally, surface roughness was quantified to correlate surface topography damage with tool wear (Dr). Experimental data shows tip truncation after manufacturing 30 needles (i.e., a tip radius between ~32 μm and 49 μm for manufacturing 10 and 30 needles, respectively). Additionally, to evaluate the effect of the tip’s morphology on the proficiency of the microneedles for a puncture, a numerical analysis to study the impact of tip truncation length (Tt) on puncture with an in silico assessment using COMSOL Multiphysics was performed. Data and insights from this work suggest that micromilling microneedle arrays is viable, considering the number of needles machined according to the cutting parameters selected to ensure functionality.
Cantharidin increases the force of contraction and protein phosphorylation in isolated human atria
Authors: Schwarz R. , Hofmann B. , Gergs U. , Neumann J.
Published: April 2023

Cantharidin, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), is known to increase the force of contraction and shorten the time to relaxation in human ventricular preparations. We hypothesized that cantharidin has similar positive inotropic effects in human right atrial appendage (RAA) preparations. RAA were obtained during bypass surgery performed on human patients. These trabeculae were mounted in organ baths and electrically stimulated at 1 Hz. For comparison, we studied isolated electrically stimulated left atrial (LA) preparations and isolated spontaneously beating right atrial (RA) preparations from wild-type mice. Cumulatively applied (starting at 10 to 30 µM), cantharidin exerted a positive concentration-dependent inotropic effect that plateaued at 300 µM in the RAA, LA, and RA preparations. This positive inotropic effect was accompanied by a shortening of the time to relaxation in human atrial preparations (HAPs). Notably, cantharidin did not alter the beating rate in the RA preparations. Furthermore, cantharidin (100 µM) increased the phosphorylation state of phospholamban and the inhibitory subunit of troponin I in RAA preparations, which may account for the faster relaxation observed. The generated data indicate that PP1 and/or PP2A play a functional role in human atrial contractility.
Combining the amplification refractory mutation system and high-resolution melting analysis for KRAS mutation detection in clinical samples
Authors: Oliveira Beatriz B. , Costa Beatriz , Morão Barbara , Faias Sandra , Veigas Bruno , Pereira Lucília Pebre , Albuquerque Cristina , Maio Rui , Cravo Marília , Fernandes Alexandra R. , Baptista Pedro Viana
Published: April 2023

The success of personalized medicine depends on the discovery of biomarkers that allow oncologists to identify patients that will benefit from a particular targeted drug. Molecular tests are mostly performed using tumor samples, which may not be representative of the tumor’s temporal and spatial heterogeneity. Liquid biopsies, and particularly the analysis of circulating tumor DNA, are emerging as an interesting means for diagnosis, prognosis, and predictive biomarker discovery. In this study, the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) coupled with high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) was developed for detecting two of the most relevant KRAS mutations in codon 12. After optimization with commercial cancer cell lines, KRAS mutation screening was validated in tumor and plasma samples collected from patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and the results were compared to those obtained by Sanger sequencing (SS) and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR). The developed ARMS-HRMA methodology stands out for its simplicity and reduced time to result when compared to both SS and ddPCR but showing high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of mutations in tumor and plasma samples. In fact, ARMS-HRMA scored 3 more mutations compared to SS (tumor samples T6, T7, and T12) and one more compared to ddPCR (tumor sample T7) in DNA extracted from tumors. For ctDNA from plasma samples, insufficient genetic material prevented the screening of all samples. Still, ARMS-HRMA allowed for scoring more mutations in comparison to SS and 1 more mutation in comparison to ddPCR (plasma sample P7). We propose that ARMS-HRMA might be used as a sensitive, specific, and simple method for the screening of low-level mutations in liquid biopsies, suitable for improving diagnosis and prognosis schemes.

Graphical Abstract
Identification of a novel immune checkpoint molecule V-set immunoglobulin domain-containing 4 that leads to impaired immunity infiltration in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Jiang Yongsheng , Han Lijie , Yang Jian , Yang Minwei , Zhang Jian , Xue Meilin , Zhu Youwei , Xiong Cheng , Shi Minmin , Zhao Shiwei , Shen Baiyong , Xu Zhiwei , Jiang Lingxi , Chen Hao
Published: April 2023

Background

Checkpoint-based immunotherapy has failed to elicit responses in the majority of patients with pancreatic cancer. In our study, we aimed to identify the role of a novel immune checkpoint molecule V-set Ig domain-containing 4 (VSIG4) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods

Online datasets and tissue microarray (TMA) were utilized to analyze the expression level of VSIG4 and its correlation with clinical parameters in PDAC. CCK8, transwell assay and wound healing assay were applied to explore the function of VSIG4 in vitro. Subcutaneous, orthotopic xenograft and liver metastasis model was established to explore the function of VSIG4 in vivo. TMA analysis and chemotaxis assay were conducted to uncover the effect of VSIG4 on immune infiltration. Histone acetyltransferase (HAT) inhibitors and si-RNA were applied to investigate factors that regulate the expression of VSIG4.

Results

Both mRNA and protein levels of VSIG4 were higher in PDAC than normal pancreas in TCGA, GEO, HPA datasets and our TMA. VSIG4 showed positive correlations with tumor size, T classification and liver metastasis. Patients with higher VSIG4 expression were related to poorer prognosis. VSIG4 knockdown impaired the proliferation and migration ability of pancreatic cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics study showed positive correlation between VSIG4 and infiltration of neutrophil and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in PDAC, and it inhibited the secretion of cytokines. According to our TMA panel, high expression of VSIG4 was correlated with fewer infiltration of CD8+ T cells. Chemotaxis assay also showed knockdown of VSIG4 increased the recruitment of total T cells and CD8+ T cells. HAT inhibitors and knockdown of STAT1 led to decreased expression of VSIG4.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that VSIG4 contributes to cell proliferation, migration and resistance to immune attack, thus identified as a promising target for PDAC treatment with good prognostic value.
Tigecycline as salvage treatment of febrile neutropenia in patients with haematological malignancies—a retrospective single-centre analysis of 200 cases
Authors: Geßner Daniel , Berisha Mirjeta , Esser Torben , Schalk Enrico
Published: April 2023

Tigecycline has been used to treat patients with febrile neutropenia (FN). This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of tigecycline as salvage treatment of FN. Patients records from 09/2004 to 04/2019 were reviewed. Cases were eligible if fever persisted/recurred (p/r-FN) after 3 days of second-line treatment with a carbapenem, and were divided into three groups: switch to tigecycline (TGC group), switch to other antibiotics (OAB group), and no switch (W&W group). The primary endpoint was response rate (defervescence for ≥ 7 days or at least until discharge); the key secondary endpoint was 30-day mortality rate. Two hundred cases from 176 patients (median 59 years; 53.5% men) treated were included, mostly acute myeloid leukaemias (61.0%). 45.5% of cases were in the TGC group (in combination with an anti-pseudomonal antibiotic, mostly ceftazidime [95.6%]); 35.5% were in the OAB and 19.0% in the W&W group. There was no significant difference in response rates (TGC, 73.6%; OAB, 62.0%; W&W, 78.9%; p = 0.12) or 30-day mortality rates (TGC, 7.7%; OAB, 7.0%; W&W, 5.3%; p = 0.94). Tigecycline plus an anti-pseudomonal antibiotic does not improve response or 30-day mortality rate compared to other antibiotics in patients with p/r-FN. Also, in some cases, no switch in antibiotics may be necessary at all.
Dynamic parameterization of a modified SEIRD model to analyze and forecast the dynamics of COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States
Authors: Davarci Orhun O. , Yang Emily Y. , Viguerie Alexander , Yankeelov Thomas E. , Lorenzo Guillermo
Published: April 2023

The rapid spread of the numerous outbreaks of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has fueled interest in mathematical models designed to understand and predict infectious disease spread, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the decision making of public health authorities. Here, we propose a computational pipeline that dynamically parameterizes a modified SEIRD (susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered-deceased) model using standard daily series of COVID-19 cases and deaths, along with isolated estimates of population-level seroprevalence. We test our pipeline in five heavily impacted states of the US (New York, California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas) between March and August 2020, considering two scenarios with different calibration time horizons to assess the update in model performance as new epidemiologic data become available. Our results show a median normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) of 2.38% and 4.28% in calibrating cumulative cases and deaths in the first scenario, and 2.41% and 2.30% when new data are assimilated in the second scenario, respectively. Then, 2-week (4-week) forecasts of the calibrated model resulted in median NRMSE of cumulative cases and deaths of 5.85% and 4.68% (8.60% and 17.94%) in the first scenario, and 1.86% and 1.93% (2.21% and 1.45%) in the second. Additionally, we show that our method provides significantly more accurate predictions of cases and deaths than a constant parameterization in the second scenario (p < 0.05). Thus, we posit that our methodology is a promising approach to analyze the dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks, and that our forecasts could contribute to designing effective pandemic-arresting public health policies.
Consistency of the regional response to global warming levels from CMIP5 and CORDEX projections
Authors: Diez-Sierra Javier , Iturbide Maialen , Fernández Jesús , Gutiérrez José M. , Milovac Josipa , Cofiño Antonio S.
Published: April 2023

Assessing the regional responses to different Global Warming Levels (GWLs; e.g. + 1.5, 2, 3 and 4 ºC) is one of the most important challenges in climate change sciences since the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature increase well below 2 °C with respect to the pre-industrial period. Regional responses to global warming were typically analyzed using global projections from Global Climate Models (GCMs) and, more recently, using higher resolution Regional Climate Models (RCMs) over limited regions. For instance, the IPCC AR6 WGI Atlas provides results of the regional response to different GWLs for several climate variables from both GCMs and RCMs. These results are calculated under the assumption that the regional signal to global warming is consistent between the GCMs and the nested RCMs. In the present study we investigate the above assumption by evaluating the consistency of regional responses to global warming from global (CMIP5) and regional (CORDEX) projections. The dataset aggregated over the new IPCC reference regions, available from the IPCC AR6 WGI Atlas repository, is analyzed here for temperature and precipitation. The existing relationships between the regional climate change signals and global warming are compared for both CMIP5 and CORDEX. Our results show significant linear scaling relationships between regional changes and global warming for most of the regions. CORDEX and CMIP5 show remarkably similar scaling relationships and similar robustness in the emergence of the climate change signal for most of the regions. These results support the use of regional climate models in the context of global warming level studies.
Antibiotic therapy in patients with amniotic fluid sludge and risk of preterm birth: a meta-analysis
Authors: Sapantzoglou I. , Pergialiotis V. , Prokopakis I. , Douligeris A. , Stavros S. , Panagopoulos P. , Theodora M. , Antsaklis P. , Daskalakis G.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Amniotic Fluid Sludge (AFS) has been theorized to be sonographic evidence of an underlying infection/inflammation and studies have concluded that approximately 10% of the patients who show signs of preterm labor with intact membranes have an underlying intraamniotic infection, mostly subclinical, carrying an increased risk for preterm birth with its subsequent neonatal and maternal complications. The purpose of the present systematic review is to evaluate the impact of antibiotic therapy on preterm birth rates of women diagnosed with AFS.

Methods

We searched Medline, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials CENTRAL, Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov databases for relevant articles published until the 30th of September 2022. Observational studies (prospective and retrospective) that evaluated the impact of antibiotics on preterm delivery rates of patients with AFS were considered eligible for inclusion. Statistical meta-analysis was performed with RStudio and we calculated pooled risk ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). To evaluate the information size, we performed trial sequential analysis (TSA) and the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using RoBINS tools.

Results

Overall, four retrospective cohort studies were included in the present systematic review and 369 women were enrolled. We demonstrated that preterm delivery prior to 34, 32 and 28 weeks of gestational age was comparable among the groups of women that had antibiotics and those that did not (OR: 0.34, 95% CI 0.05, 2.14, 0.40 [0.09, 1.66], 0.35 [0.08, 1.58], respectively) but the statistical heterogenicity of the studies included was high for every gestational period that was examined.

Conclusions

According to our study, we cannot conclude that the use of antibiotics in women with amniotic fluid sludge benefit the prognostic risk to deliver prematurely. It is quite clear that data from larger sample sizes and more well adjusted and designed studies are needed.