bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emerging Roles of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Renal Fibrosis
Authors: Lin Jinwen , Jiang Zhengqian , Liu Chenxi , Zhou Dawei , Song Jiayu , Liao Yuxuan , Chen Jianghua
Published: August 2020

Renal fibrosis is an unavoidable consequence that occurs in nearly all of the nephropathies. It is characterized by a superabundant deposition and accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). All compartments in the kidney can be affected, including interstitium, glomeruli, vasculature, and other connective tissue, during the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis. The development of this process eventually causes destruction of renal parenchyma and end-stage renal failure, which is a devastating disease that requires renal replacement therapies. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been emerging as key regulators governing gene expression and affecting various biological processes. These versatile roles include transcriptional regulation, organization of nuclear domains, and the regulation of RNA molecules or proteins. Current evidence proposes the involvement of lncRNAs in the pathologic process of kidney fibrosis. In this review, the biological relevance of lncRNAs in renal fibrosis will be clarified as important novel regulators and potential therapeutic targets. The biology, and subsequently the current understanding, of lncRNAs in renal fibrosis are demonstrated—highlighting the involvement of lncRNAs in kidney cell function, phenotype transition, and vascular damage and rarefaction. Finally, we discuss challenges and future prospects of lncRNAs in diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets, hoping to further inspire the management of renal fibrosis.
The Habitability of the Galactic Bulge
Authors: Balbi Amedeo , Hami Maryam , Kovačević Andjelka
Published: August 2020

We present a new investigation of the habitability of the Milky Way bulge, that expands previous studies on the Galactic Habitable Zone. We discuss existing knowledge on the abundance of planets in the bulge, metallicity and the possible frequency of rocky planets, orbital stability and encounters, and the possibility of planets around the central supermassive black hole. We focus on two aspects that can present substantial differences with respect to the environment in the disk: (i) the ionizing radiation environment, due to the presence of the central black hole and to the highest rate of supernovae explosions and (ii) the efficiency of putative lithopanspermia mechanism for the diffusion of life between stellar systems. We use analytical models of the star density in the bulge to provide estimates of the rate of catastrophic events and of the diffusion timescales for life over interstellar distances.
Low Temperature Thermal Atomic Layer Deposition of Aluminum Nitride Using Hydrazine as the Nitrogen Source
Authors: Jung Yong Chan , Hwang Su Min , Le Dan N. , Kondusamy Aswin L. N. , Mohan Jaidah , Kim Sang Woo , Kim Jin Hyun , Lucero Antonio T. , Ravichandran Arul , Kim Harrison Sejoon , Kim Si Joon , Choi Rino , Ahn Jinho , Alvarez Daniel , Spiegelman Jeff , Kim Jiyoung
Published: August 2020

Aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films were grown using thermal atomic layer deposition in the temperature range of 175–350 °C. The thin films were deposited using trimethyl aluminum (TMA) and hydrazine (N2H4) as a metal precursor and nitrogen source, respectively. Highly reactive N2H4, compared to its conventionally used counterpart, ammonia (NH3), provides a higher growth per cycle (GPC), which is approximately 2.3 times higher at a deposition temperature of 300 °C and, also exhibits a low impurity concentration in as-deposited films. Low temperature AlN films deposited at 225 °C with a capping layer had an Al to N composition ratio of 1:1.1, a close to ideal composition ratio, with a low oxygen content (7.5%) while exhibiting a GPC of 0.16 nm/cycle. We suggest that N2H4 as a replacement for NH3 is a good alternative due to its stringent thermal budget.
Use of Time-Frequency Representation of Magnetic Barkhausen Noise for Evaluation of Easy Magnetization Axis of Grain-Oriented Steel
Authors: Maciusowicz Michal , Psuj Grzegorz
Published: August 2020

The paper presents a new approach to non-destructive evaluation of easy/hard magnetization axis in grain-oriented SiFe electrical steels based on the Barkhausen phenomenon and its time-frequency (TF) characteristics. Anisotropy in steels is influenced by a number of factors that formulate the global relationship and affect the Barkhausen effect. Due to the observed high variability in the dynamics of magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) over time, obtained for various directions in grain-oriented steel, it becomes justified to conduct MBN signal analyses in the time-frequency domain. This representation allows not only global information from MBN signal over entire period to be expressed, but also detailed relationships between properties in time and in frequency to be observed as well. This creates the opportunity to supplement the information obtained. The main aspect considered in the work is to present a procedure that allows an assessment of the resultant angular characteristics in steel. For this purpose, a sample of a conventional grain-oriented SiFe sheet was used. Measurements were made for several angular settings towards the rolling and transverse directions. A data transformation procedure based on short-time Fourier transform (STFT) as well as quantitative analysis and synthesis of information contained in the TF space was presented. Angular characteristics of selected TF parameters were shown and discussed. In addition, an analysis of the repeatability of information obtained using the proposed procedure under various measurement conditions was carried out. The relationship between the selection of calculation parameters used during transformation and the repeatability of the obtained TF distributions were demonstrated. Then the selection of the final values of the calculation parameters was commented upon. Finally, the conclusions of the work carried out were discussed.
Strain Analysis of Ti6Al4V Titanium Alloy Samples Using Digital Image Correlation
Authors: Karolewska Karolina , Ligaj Bogdan , Boroński Dariusz
Published: August 2020

Digital image correlation (DIC) is a non-contact optical method that allows measuring displacements on a plane used to determine the strains caused by external loads of a structural element (mechanical or thermal). Currently, digital image correlation is a widely used experimental technique to assess the mechanical behavior of materials, in particular cracking characteristics and destruction methods of various structural elements. In this paper, the DIC method is applied to determine local strains of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V specimen. The samples used in the tests were made with two different technologies: (a) from a drawn bar by machining process; and (b) by the additive manufacturing method Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). The aim of the paper is to present the mechanical properties test results of the Ti6Al4V titanium alloy produced by the DMLS additive manufacturing under static loads using the digital image correlation method. As a result of the tests carried out on the drawn bar specimens, it was concluded that the change in the measurement base affects the difference in the Young’s E modulus value in the range from 89.2 to 103.8 GPa. However, for samples formed using the DMLS method, the change in the Young’s modulus value was from 112.9 to 115.3 GPa for the same measurement base.
Phosphate Surface Treatment for Improving the Corrosion Resistance of the C45 Carbon Steel Used in Carabiners Manufacturing
Authors: Burduhos-Nergis Diana-Petronela , Vizureanu Petrica , Sandu Andrei Victor , Bejinariu Costica
Published: August 2020

This study approaches the issues which appear during carabiner use and analyses the possibility to eliminate them. Therefore, to improve the corrosion resistance of carbon steel, used in carabiners manufacturing, three different insoluble phosphate layers were deposited on the samples’ surface. The layers were obtained by immersion in zinc-based phosphate solution, zinc/iron-based phosphate solution and manganese-based phosphate solution, Afterwards, to protect against mechanical shocks, a layer of elastomer-based paint was deposited. Furthermore, to reduce rope wear by decreasing the value of the coefficient of friction, the samples were impregnated in molybdenum disulfide-based lubricant. This study aims to analyse the corrosion behaviour of the layers deposited on the carbon steel surface in three of the most common corrosive environments (rainwater, seawater and fire extinguishing solution) by linear and cyclic polarisation. The overall results show that all types of deposited layers increase the corrosion resistance of C45 steel. The experimental results revealed that the samples coated with a phosphate layer obtained by immersion in the zinc-based phosphate solution possess the highest corrosion resistance among the phosphate samples.
Crosslinking of Chitosan with Dialdehyde Chitosan as a New Approach for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Wegrzynowska-Drzymalska Katarzyna , Grebicka Patrycja , Mlynarczyk Dariusz T. , Chelminiak-Dudkiewicz Dorota , Kaczmarek Halina , Goslinski Tomasz , Ziegler-Borowska Marta
Published: August 2020

Materials based on natural high molecular compounds are particularly interesting for biomedical applications. It is known that the cross-linking agent used for preparation of biomacromolecule-based materials is as important as used biopolymer. Therefore, natural cross-linkers containing reactive carbonyl groups are of great interest especially for modifying properties of natural polysaccharides. One of the most popular cross-linking agents is glutaraldehyde. Nevertheless, the unreacted particles can be released from the cross-linked material and cause cytotoxic effects. This can be eliminated when using a cross-linker based e.g., on polysaccharides. This article describes quick and efficient synthesis of dialdehyde chitosan (DACS) and its application for the preparation of chitosan films. Materials obtained with different amount of DACS were fully characterized in terms of structure and surface morphology. Thermal and mechanical properties as well as hydrophilic character were also examined. The results obtained were compared with the materials obtained by cross-linking chitosan with low molecular weight glutaraldehyde and high molecular weight cross-linking agent based on polysaccharide–dialdehyde starch. Toxicity of all obtained materials was tested using the Microtox® test. It has been shown that due to better mechanical, thermal and surface properties as well as lower toxicity, dialdehyde chitosan is a very promising crosslinking agent.
The Influence of Ag on the Microstructure and Properties of Cu-Ni-Si Alloys
Authors: Krupińska Beata , Borek Wojciech , Krupiński Mariusz , Karkoszka Tatiana
Published: August 2020

The influence of the mass concentration of Ag on properties of Cu-Ni alloys is investigated. The effect of silver addition on the structure and properties of Cu-2Ni-1Si alloys is determined. The scientific aim of this research is to determine how the addition of silver affects the mechanisms of strengthening silver-modified supersaturated, deformed, and aged Cu-2Ni-1Si alloys. The applied thermo-derivative analysis has allowed us to determine a range of the temperature values for the beginning and the end of crystallization, the phases and eutectics, and the effects of the modification on the solid fraction of the solidified alloy. In addition to the crystallization kinetics, the microstructure morphology, mechanical properties under real operating conditions, and the electrical conductivity have also been investigated. Moreover, the conducted research includes the impact of heat treatment and plastic deformation on the alloy structure and considers the type, share, and distribution of the intermetallic phases and structural stresses caused by coherent phases, as well as the effect of dislocations in the reinforcing phases during aging. Electron microscopy (SEM), micro-area analysis (EDS), optical microscopy, hardness measurements, and conductivity of the tested alloys are utilized to comment on these properties.
The 3D-Printed Bilayer’s Bioactive-Biomaterials Scaffold for Full-Thickness Articular Cartilage Defects Treatment
Authors: Thunsiri Kittiya , Pitjamit Siwasit , Pothacharoen Peraphan , Pruksakorn Dumnoensun , Nakkiew Wasawat , Wattanutchariya Wassanai
Published: August 2020

The full-thickness articular cartilage defect (FTAC) is an abnormally severe grade of articular cartilage (AC) injury. An osteochondral autograft transfer (OAT) is the recommended treatment, but the increasing morbidity rate from osteochondral plug harvesting is a limitation. Thus, the 3D-printed bilayer’s bioactive-biomaterials scaffold is of major interest. Polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) were blended with hydroxyapatite (HA) for the 3D-printed bone layer of the bilayer’s bioactive-biomaterials scaffold (B-BBBS). Meanwhile, the blended PLA/PCL filament was 3D printed and combined with a chitosan (CS)/silk firoin (SF) using a lyophilization technique to fabricate the AC layer of the bilayer’s bioactive-biomaterials scaffold (AC-BBBS). Material characterization and mechanical and biological tests were performed. The fabrication process consists of combining the 3D-printed structure (AC-BBBS and B-BBBS) and a lyophilized porous AC-BBBS. The morphology and printing abilities were investigated, and biological tests were performed. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to predict the maximum load that the bilayer’s bioactive-biomaterials scaffold (BBBS) could carry. The presence of HA and CS/SF in the PLA/PCL structure increased cell proliferation. The FEA predicted the load carrying capacity to be up to 663.2 N. All tests indicated that it is possible for BBBS to be used in tissue engineering for AC and bone regeneration in FTAC treatment.
Simpson’s Rule and Hermite–Hadamard Inequality for Non-Convex Functions
Authors: Simić Slavko , Bin-Mohsin Bandar
Published: August 2020

In this article we give a variant of the Hermite–Hadamard integral inequality for twice differentiable functions. It represents an improvement of this inequality in the case of convex/concave functions. Sharp two-sided inequalities for Simpson’s rule are also proven along with several extensions.
Strong Convergent Theorems Governed by Pseudo-Monotone Mappings
Authors: Liu Liya , Qin Xiaolong , Yao Jen-Chih
Published: August 2020

The purpose of this paper is to introduce two different kinds of iterative algorithms with inertial effects for solving variational inequalities. The iterative processes are based on the extragradient method, the Mann-type method and the viscosity method. Convergence theorems of strong convergence are established in Hilbert spaces under mild assumption that the associated mapping is Lipschitz continuous, pseudo-monotone and sequentially weakly continuous. Numerical experiments are performed to illustrate the behaviors of our proposed methods, as well as comparing them with the existing one in literature.
Developing Support Vector Machine with New Fuzzy Selection for the Infringement of a Patent Rights Problem
Authors: Chang Chih-Yao , Lin Kuo-Ping
Published: August 2020

Classification problems are very important issues in real enterprises. In the patent infringement issue, accurate classification could help enterprises to understand court decisions to avoid patent infringement. However, the general classification method does not perform well in the patent infringement problem because there are too many complex variables. Therefore, this study attempts to develop a classification method, the support vector machine with new fuzzy selection (SVMFS), to judge the infringement of patent rights. The raw data are divided into training and testing sets. However, the data quality of the training set is not easy to evaluate. Effective data quality management requires a structural core that can support data operations. This study adopts new fuzzy selection based on membership values, which are generated from fuzzy c-means clustering, to select appropriate data to enhance the classification performance of the support vector machine (SVM). An empirical example based on the SVMFS shows that the proposed SVMFS can obtain a superior accuracy rate. Moreover, the new fuzzy selection also verifies that it can effectively select the training dataset.
Strong Edge Coloring of Generalized Petersen Graphs
Authors: Chen Ming , Miao Lianying , Zhou Shan
Published: August 2020

A strong edge coloring of a graph G is a proper edge coloring such that every color class is an induced matching. In 2018, Yang and Wu proposed a conjecture that every generalized Petersen graph P(n,k) with k≥4 and n>2k can be strong edge colored with (at most) seven colors. Although the generalized Petersen graph P(n,k) is a kind of special graph, the strong chromatic index of P(n,k) is still unknown. In this paper, we support the conjecture by showing that the strong chromatic index of every generalized Petersen graph P(n,k) with k≥4 and n>2k is at most 9.
Some Remarks on Reich and Chatterjea Type Nonexpansive Mappings
Authors: Popescu Ovidiu , Stan Gabriel
Published: August 2020

In the paper, we show that some results related to Reich and Chatterjea type nonexpansive mappings are still valid if we relax or remove some hypotheses.
Precise Asymptotics for Bifurcation Curve of Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equation
Authors: Shibata Tetsutaro
Published: August 2020

We study the following nonlinear eigenvalue problem −u″(t)=λf(u(t)),u(t)>0,t∈I:=(−1,1),u(±1)=0, where f(u)=log(1+u) and λ>0 is a parameter. Then λ is a continuous function of α>0, where α is the maximum norm α=∥uλ∥∞ of the solution uλ associated with λ. We establish the precise asymptotic formula for λ=λ(α) as α→∞ up to the third term of λ(α).
Categories of L-Fuzzy Čech Closure Spaces and L-Fuzzy Co-Topological Spaces
Authors: Perfilieva Irina , Ramadan Ahmed A. , Elkordy Enas H.
Published: August 2020

Recently, fuzzy systems have become one of the hottest topics due to their applications in the area of computer science. Therefore, in this article, we are making efforts to add new useful relationships between the selected L-fuzzy (fuzzifying) systems. In particular, we establish relationships between L-fuzzy (fuzzifying) Čech closure spaces, L-fuzzy (fuzzifying) co-topological spaces and L-fuzzy (fuzzifying) approximation spaces based on reflexive L-fuzzy relations. We also show that there is a Galois correspondence between the categories of these spaces.
The Heavy-Tailed Exponential Distribution: Risk Measures, Estimation, and Application to Actuarial Data
Authors: Afify Ahmed Z. , Gemeay Ahmed M. , Ibrahim Noor Akma
Published: August 2020

Modeling insurance data using heavy-tailed distributions is of great interest for actuaries. Probability distributions present a description of risk exposure, where the level of exposure to the risk can be determined by “key risk indicators” that usually are functions of the model. Actuaries and risk managers often use such key risk indicators to determine the degree to which their companies are subject to particular aspects of risk, which arise from changes in underlying variables such as prices of equity, interest rates, or exchange rates. The present study proposes a new heavy-tailed exponential distribution that accommodates bathtub, upside-down bathtub, decreasing, decreasing-constant, and increasing hazard rates. Actuarial measures including value at risk, tail value at risk, tail variance, and tail variance premium are derived. A computational study for these actuarial measures is conducted, proving that the proposed distribution has a heavier tail as compared with the alpha power exponential, exponentiated exponential, and exponential distributions. We adopt six estimation approaches for estimating its parameters, and assess the performance of these estimators via Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, an actuarial real data set is analyzed, proving that the proposed model can be used effectively to model insurance data as compared with fifteen competing distributions.
Association of Fenofibrate and Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Ying-Chieh , Chen Yu-Ching , Horng Jorng-Tzong , Chen Jui-Ming
Published: August 2020

Background and Objectives: Fenofibrate, a PPAR-α agonist, has been demonstrated to reduce the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and the need for laser treatment in a FIELD (Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes) study. However, in the subgroup of patients without pre-existing DR, there was no significant difference in the progression of DR between the fenofibrate group and the placebo group. In this study, we aim to investigate whether fenofibrate can decrease the risk of incident DR in a population-based cohort study of type 2 diabetic patients in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: A total of 32,253 type 2 diabetic patients without previous retinopathy were retrieved from 892,419 patients in 2001–2002. They were then divided into two groups based on whether they were exposed to fenofibrate or not. The patients were followed until a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy was made or until the year 2008. Results: With a follow-up period of 6.8 ± 1.5 years and 5.4 ± 2.6 years for 2500 fenofibrate users and 29,753 non-users, respectively, the Cox proportional hazard regression analysis revealed that the hazard ratio (HR) of new onset retinopathy was 0.57 (95% CI 0.57–0.62, p < 0.001). After adjusting for hypertension; the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI); and medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), anticoagulants, gemfibrozil, statins, and hypoglycemic agents, the adjusted HR was 0.75 (95% CI 0.68–0.82, p < 0.001). The need for laser treatment has an HR and adjusted HR of 0.59 (95% CI 0.49–0.71, p < 0.001) and 0.67 (95% CI 0.56–0.81, p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Our study showed that the long-term and regular use of fenofibrate may decrease the risk of incident retinopathy and the need for laser treatment in type 2 diabetic patients. Since there are limitations associated with our study, further investigations are necessary to confirm such an association.
Long-Running Comparison of Feed-Water Scaling in Membrane Distillation
Authors: Rezaei Mohammad , Alsaati Albraa , Warsinger David M. , Hell Florian , Samhaber Wolfgang M.
Published: August 2020

Membrane distillation (MD) has shown promise for concentrating a wide variety of brines, but the knowledge is limited on how different brines impact salt scaling, flux decline, and subsequent wetting. Furthermore, past studies have lacked critical details and analysis to enable a physical understanding, including the length of experiments, the inclusion of salt kinetics, impact of antiscalants, and variability between feed-water types. To address this gap, we examined the system performance, water recovery, scale formation, and saturation index of a lab-scale vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) in long-running test runs approaching 200 h. The tests provided a comparison of a variety of relevant feed solutions, including a synthetic seawater reverse osmosis brine with a salinity of 8.0 g/L, tap water, and NaCl, and included an antiscalant. Saturation modeling indicated that calcite and aragonite were the main foulants contributing to permeate flux reduction. The longer operation times than typical studies revealed several insights. First, scaling could reduce permeate flux dramatically, seen here as 49% for the synthetic brine, when reaching a high recovery ratio of 91%. Second, salt crystallization on the membrane surface could have a long-delayed but subsequently significant impact, as the permeate flux experienced a precipitous decline only after 72 h of continuous operation. Several scaling-resistant impacts were observed as well. Although use of an antiscalant did not reduce the decrease in flux, it extended membrane operational time before surface foulants caused membrane wetting. Additionally, numerous calcium, magnesium, and carbonate salts, as well as silica, reached very high saturation indices (>1). Despite this, scaling without wetting was often observed, and scaling was consistently reversible and easily washed. Under heavy scaling conditions, many areas lacked deposits, which enabled continued operation; existing MD performance models lack this effect by assuming uniform layers. This work implies that longer times are needed for MD fouling experiments, and provides further scaling-resistant evidence for MD.
Tensile-Shear Mechanical Behaviors of Friction Stir Spot Weld and Adhesive Hybrid Joint: Experimental and Numerical Study
Authors: Yu Guishen , Chen Xin , Zhang Biao , Pan Kaixuan , Yang Lifei
Published: August 2020

In this work, the tensile-shear mechanical behaviors of friction stir spot weld and adhesive hybrid joint were performed from both numerical and experimental viewpoints. Weld through (WT) and flow in (FI) processes were studied in this research. The focus was to evaluate joint defects, tensile-shear failure load (TSFL), failure energy, failure mode and stress distribution of the joint. In FI joints, keyhole and hook defects appeared in the weld zone and the areas of material removed from the base metal were filled with adhesive. In the WT joints, the adhesive layer close to the weld zone was carbonized due to the welding heat. Meanwhile, under the rotating movement of welding tool, the adhesive impurities entered the stirring zone (SZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ) of the weld, which decreased mechanical performances of WT joints. Compared to the friction stir spot welding (FSSW) joint, the TSFL value, stiffness and failure energy of FI joint were increased by 2.7, 1.1 and 8.14 times, respectively. In order to study the stress distribution of the joints, a finite element (FE) model, which considered the weld structure and mechanical properties of weld regions, was implemented. Moreover, the adhesive layer was simplified by the cohesive zone model (CZM). FE results show that the FI process effectively decreases the stress concentration of the weld edge from 243.09 to 15.5 MPa, under the 2 kN tensile load. The weld can block the adhesive crack propagation, and the adhesive optimized the stress distribution of FI joints through a synergistic effect. So, the use of FI process for aluminum alloy connection is strongly recommended, especially in crucial structure areas.
Leaching Behavior of Gold and Silver from Concentrated Sulfide Ore Using Ammonium Thiosulfate
Authors: Bae Mooki , Kim Sookyung , Sohn Jeongsoo , Yang Donghyo , Lee Hyunju
Published: August 2020

Ammonium thiosulfate is an alternative lixiviant for the hydrometallurgical treatment of sulfide gold ores. The present study is primarily focused on ammonium thiosulfate leaching of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) from the sulfide ore (Sunshin mine in Korea). The main chemical composition of the concentrate was Au (84 ppm), Ag (852 ppm), Fe (18.9%), Si (23.2%), and S (21.1%). The effects of various parameters on the process, such as leaching time (1–4 h), ammonium thiosulfate concentration (0.05–0.5 M), copper sulfate (CuSO4), concentration (0.05–0.25 M), solid to liquid ratio (0.2–0.5), and reaction temperature (40–60 °C) were systematically examined. Optimum Au leaching efficiency (>99%) was obtained under the following leaching conditions: 0.5 M ammonium thiosulfate with 0.05 M CuSO4 concentration, 0.2 S/L ratio at 60 °C for 2 h. The results indicate that the behavior of Ag was similar to that of Au. Almost complete dissolution of Ag occurred under following leaching conditions: 0.5 M ammonium thiosulfate with 0.05 M CuSO4 concentration at 60 °C for 4 h. This study would be useful in understanding the eco-friendly leaching systems of Au and Ag during the hydrometallurgical process of sulfide gold ore.
Nucleation of {1012} Twins in Magnesium through Reversible Martensitic Phase Transformation
Authors: Ombogo Jamie , Zahiri Amir Hassan , Ma Tengfei , Cao Lei
Published: August 2020

We report the discovery of a rigorous nucleation mechanism for {101¯2} twins in hexagonal close-packed (hcp) magnesium through reversible hcp-tetragonal-hcp martensitic phase transformations with a metastable tetragonal phase as the intermediate state. Specifically, the parent hcp phase first transforms to a metastable tetragonal phase, which subsequently transforms to a twinned hcp phase. The evanescent nature of the tetragonal phase severely hinders its direct observation, while our carefully designed molecular dynamics simulations rigorously reveal the critical role of this metastable phase in the nucleation of {101¯2} twins in magnesium. Moreover, we prove that the reversible hcp-tetragonal-hcp phase transformations involved in the twinning process follow strict orientation relations between the parent hcp, intermediate tetragonal, and twin hcp phases. This phase transformation-mediated twinning mechanism is naturally compatible with the ultrafast twin growth speed. This work will be important for a better understanding of the twinning mechanism and thus the development of novel strategies for enhancing the ductility of magnesium alloys.
Surface Oxidation Behavior and Wear Performance of a Fe-21.3Cr-3.5Al-0.5Ti-0.4Zr Steel
Authors: An Jian , Chen Yiguang , Liu Zhihui , Tian Yuxi
Published: August 2020

A type of Fe-21.3Cr-3.5Al-0.5Ti-0.4Zr steel was produced for application of spot-welding location pins in automobile industry. The oxidation behavior at temperatures of 1220–1340 °C and wear performance were investigated. The morphologies and constituent phases of the oxide layers were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The hardness and wear performance of the oxide layers were also measured. The results showed that the mass gain presented a stage characteristic with increasing temperature, i.e., a small increasing at 1220–1260 °C, a moderate increasing at 1280–1300 °C, and a great increasing at 1320–1340 °C. The oxide layer primarily consisted of Al2O3 phase and a small amount of ZrO2 phase. ZrO2 increased in amount with temperature rising from 1220 to 1340 °C. The oxidized surface exhibited an increase of hardness with increasing temperature, but the lowest wear loss occurred at the oxidation temperature of 1280 °C.
The Use of Surface Topography for the Identification of Discontinuous Displacements Due to Cracks
Authors: Uzun Fatih , Korsunsky Alexander M.
Published: August 2020

The determination of three components of displacements at material surfaces is possible using surface topography information of undeformed (reference) and deformed states. The height digital image correlation (hDIC) technique was developed and demonstrated to achieve micro-level in-plane resolution and nanoscale out-of-plane precision. However, in the original formulation hDIC and other topography-based correlation techniques perform well in the determination of continuous displacements. In the present study of material deformation up to cracking and filan failure, the ability to identify discontinuous triaxial displacements at emerging discontinuities is important. For this purpose, a new method reported herein was developed based on the hDIC technique. The hDIC solution procedure comprises two stages, namely, integer-pixel level correlation and sub-pixel level correlation. In order to predict the displacement and height changes in discontinuous regions, a smoothing stage was inserted between the two main stages. The proposed method determines accurately the discontinuous edges, and the out-of-plane displacements become sharply resolved without any further intervention in the algorithm function. High computational demand required to determine discontinuous displacements using high density topography data was tackled by employing the graphics processing unit (GPU) parallel computing capability with the paging approach. The hDIC technique with GPU parallel computing implementation was applied for the identification of discontinuous edges in an aluminium alloy dog bone test specimen subjected to tensile testing up to failure.
Plasma Metabolites Associate with All-Cause Mortality in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Ottosson Filip , Smith Einar , Fernandez Céline , Melander Olle
Published: August 2020

Alterations in the human metabolome occur years before clinical manifestation of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). By contrast, there is little knowledge of how metabolite alterations in individuals with diabetes relate to risk of diabetes complications and premature mortality. Metabolite profiling was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in 743 participants with T2DM from the population-based prospective cohorts The Malmö Diet and Cancer-Cardiovascular Cohort (MDC-CC) and The Malmö Preventive Project (MPP). During follow-up, a total of 175 new-onset cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 298 deaths occurred. Cox regressions were used to relate baseline levels of plasma metabolites to incident CVD and all-cause mortality. A total of 11 metabolites were significantly (false discovery rate (fdr) <0.05) associated with all-cause mortality. Acisoga, acylcarnitine C10:3, dimethylguanidino valerate, homocitrulline, N2,N2-dimethylguanosine, 1-methyladenosine and urobilin were associated with an increased risk, while hippurate, lysine, threonine and tryptophan were associated with a decreased risk. Ten out of 11 metabolites remained significantly associated after adjustments for cardiometabolic risk factors. The associations between metabolite levels and incident CVD were not as strong as for all-cause mortality, although 11 metabolites were nominally significant (p < 0.05). Further examination of the mortality-related metabolites may shed more light on the pathophysiology linking diabetes to premature mortality.
4D Printing of NiTi Auxetic Structure with Improved Ballistic Performance
Authors: Hassanin Hany , Abena Alessandro , Elsayed Mahmoud Ahmed , Essa Khamis
Published: August 2020

Auxetic structures have attracted attention in energy absorption applications owing to their improved shear modulus and enhanced resistance to indentation. On the other hand, four-dimensional (4D) printing is an emerging technology that is capable of 3D printing smart materials with additional functionality. This paper introduces the development of a NiTi negative-Poisson’s-ratio structure with superelasticity/shape memory capabilities for improved ballistic applications. An analytical model was initially used to optimize the geometrical parameters of a re-entrant auxetic structure. It was found that the re-entrant auxetic structure with a cell angle of −30° produced the highest Poisson’s ratio of −2.089. The 4D printing process using a powder bed fusion system was used to fabricate the optimized NiTi auxetic structure. The measured negative Poisson’s ratio of the fabricated auxetic structure was found in agreement with both the analytical model and the finite element simulation. A finite element model was developed to simulate the dynamic response of the optimized auxetic NiTi structure subjected to different projectile speeds. Three stages of the impact process describing the penetration of the top plate, auxetic structure, and bottom plate have been identified. The results show that the optimized auxetic structures affect the dynamic response of the projectile by getting denser toward the impact location. This helped to improve the energy absorbed per unit mass of the NiTi auxetic structure to about two times higher than that of the solid NiTi plate and five times higher than that of the solid conventional steel plate.
Modeling of a Passive-Valve Piezoelectric Micro-Pump: A Parametric Study
Authors: Aboubakri Akam , Ahmadi Vahid Ebrahimpour , Koşar Ali
Published: August 2020

Piezoelectric micro-pumps offer many applications and could provide considerable flow rates in miniature systems. This study parametrically investigates the effects of major parameters, namely the length, width and attack angle of valves, piezoelectric length, and applied voltage. The results show that these parameters significantly affect the performance of the designed micro-pump. Even though increasing the piezoelectric length and operating voltage raise the flow rate, the modification of valve dimensions is more efficient since these parameters do not rely on any external power. According to the obtained results, as the length of the working valves increases, the provided flow rate becomes larger. There is an optimum condition for the width and attack angle of the valves. This optimum width is not dependent on the flow rate. With the use of the attack angle and the length of the valves as design parameters, the studied design shows promising results.
Research on Voltage Waveform Fault Detection of Miniature Vibration Motor Based on Improved WP-LSTM
Authors: Wang Ruirui , Feng Zhan , Huang Sisi , Fang Xia , Wang Jie
Published: August 2020

To solve the problem of vibration motor fault detection accuracy and inefficiency in smartphone components, this paper proposes a fault diagnosis method based on the wavelet packet and improves long and short-term memory network. First, the voltage signal of the vibration motor is decomposed by a wavelet packet to reconstruct the signal. Secondly, the reconstructed signal is input into the improved three-layer LSTM network as a feature vector. The memory characteristics of the LSTM network are used to fully learn the time-series fault feature information in the unsteady state signal, and then, the model is used to diagnose the motor fault. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed method is verified through experiments and can be applied to engineering practice. Compared with the existing motor fault diagnosis method, the improved WP-LSTM diagnosis method has a better diagnosis effect and improves fault diagnosis.
How to RESPOND to Modern Challenges for People Living with HIV: A Profile for a New Cohort Consortium
Authors:   The RESPOND Study Group
Published: August 2020

Background: the International Cohort Consortium of Infectious Disease (RESPOND) is a collaboration dedicated to research on HIV and other infectious diseases. Methods: RESPOND is a flexible organization, with several independent substudies operating under one shared governance. HIV-related variables, including full antiretroviral therapy (ART) history, are collected annually for all participants and merged with substudy specific data into a shared data pool. Incident clinical events are reported using standardized forms. Prospective follow-up started 1/10/17 (enrolment) with retrospective data collected back to 01/01/12. Results: Overall, 17 cohorts from Europe and Australia provided data on 26,258 people living with HIV (PLWH). The majority (43.3%) of the population were white, with men-sex-with-men accounting for 43.3% of the risk for HIV acquisition. The median age was 48 years (IQR 40–56) and 5.2% and 25.5% were known to be co-infected with hepatitis B or C. While 5.3% were ART-naïve, the median duration on ART was 10.1 years (4.8–17.6), with 89.5% having a VL <200 copies/mL and the median CD4 count being 621 cells/µL (438–830). Malignancies (n = 361) and cardiovascular disease (n = 168) were the predominant reported clinical events. Conclusion: RESPOND’s large, diverse study population and standardized clinical endpoints puts the consortium in a unique position to respond to the diverse modern challenges for PLWH.
A Comparative Study of the Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli Population and Gut Microbiota of Healthy Vegans versus Omnivores
Authors: Veca Rebecca , O’Dea Christian , Burke Jarred , Hatje Eva , Kuballa Anna , Katouli Mohammad
Published: August 2020

Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains carry virulence genes (VGs) which are rarely found in strains other than E. coli. These strains are abundantly found in gut mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, it is not clear whether their prevalence in the gut is affected by the diet of the individual. Therefore, in this study, we compared the population structure of E. coli and the prevalence of AIEC as well as the composition of gut microbiota in fecal samples of healthy participants (n = 61) on either a vegan (n = 34) or omnivore (n = 27) diet to determine whether diet is associated with the presence of AIEC. From each participant, 28 colonies of E. coli were typed using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD)–PCR. A representative of each common type within an individual was tested for the presence of six AIEC-associated VGs. Whole genomic DNA of the gut microbiota was also analyzed for its diversity profiles, utilizing the V5-V6 region of the16S rRNA gene sequence. There were no significant differences in the abundance and diversity of E. coli between the two diet groups. The occurrence of AIEC-associated VGs was also similar among the two groups. However, the diversity of fecal microbiota in vegans was generally higher than omnivores, with Prevotella and Bacteroides dominant in both groups. Whilst 88 microbial taxa were present in both diet groups, 28 taxa were unique to vegans, compared to seven unique taxa in the omnivores. Our results indicate that a vegan diet may not affect the number and diversity of E. coli populations and AIEC prevalence compared to omnivores. The dominance of Prevotella and Bacteroides among omnivores might be accounted for the effect of diet in these groups.
The Type IX Secretion System: Advances in Structure, Function and Organisation
Authors: Gorasia Dhana G. , Veith Paul D. , Reynolds Eric C.
Published: August 2020

The type IX secretion system (T9SS) is specific to the Bacteroidetes phylum. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a keystone pathogen for periodontitis, utilises the T9SS to transport many proteins—including its gingipain virulence factors—across the outer membrane and attach them to the cell surface. Additionally, the T9SS is also required for gliding motility in motile organisms, such as Flavobacterium johnsoniae. At least nineteen proteins have been identified as components of the T9SS, including the three transcription regulators, PorX, PorY and SigP. Although the components are known, the overall organisation and the molecular mechanism of how the T9SS operates is largely unknown. This review focusses on the recent advances made in the structure, function, and organisation of the T9SS machinery to provide further insight into this highly novel secretion system.
Chemo-Protective Potential of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles against Fipronil-Induced Oxidative Stress, Apoptosis, Inflammation and Reproductive Dysfunction in Male White Albino Rats
Authors: Saleh Hamida , Nassar Atef M. K. , Noreldin Ahmed E. , Samak Dalia , Elshony Norhan , Wasef Lamiaa , Elewa Yaser H. A. , Hassan Shaimaa M. A. , Saati Abdullah A. , Hetta Helal F. , Batiha Gaber El-Saber , Umezawa Masakazu , Shaheen Hazem M. , El-Sayed Yasser S.
Published: August 2020

Fipronil (FIP) is an insecticide commonly used in many fields, such as agriculture, veterinary medicine, and public health, and recently it has been proposed as a potential endocrine disrupter. The purpose of this study was to inspect the reproductive impacts of FIP and the possible protective effects of cerium nanoparticles (CeNPs) on male albino rats. Rats received FIP (5 mg/kg bwt; 1/20 LD50), CeNPs (35 mg/kg bwt) and FIP+CeNPs per os daily for 28 days. Serum testosterone levels, testicular oxidative damage, histopathological and immunohistochemical changes were evaluated. FIP provoked testicular oxidative damage as indicated by decreased serum testosterone (≈60%) and superoxide dismutase (≈50%), glutathione peroxidase activity (≈46.67%) and increased malondialdehyde (≈116.67%) and nitric oxide (≈87.5%) levels in testicular tissues. Furthermore, FIP induced edematous changes and degeneration within the seminiferous tubules, hyperplasia, vacuolations, and apoptosis in the epididymides. In addition, FIP exposure upregulated interleukin-1β (IL-1β), nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS), caspase-3 (Casp3) and downregulated the Burkitt-cell lymphomas (BCL-2), inhibin B proteins (IBP), and androgen receptor (Ar) mRNA expressions Casp3, nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(IBA1), and IL-1β immunoreactions were increased. Also, reduction of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), mouse vasa homologue (MVH), and SOX9 protein reactions were reported. Interestingly, CeNPs diminished the harmful impacts of FIP on testicular tissue by decreasing lipid peroxidation, apoptosis and inflammation and increasing the antioxidant activities. The findings reported herein showed that the CeNPs might serve as a supposedly new and efficient protective agent toward reproductive toxicity caused by the FIP insecticide in white male rats.
Structural Characterization of Mono and Dihydroxylated Umbelliferone Derivatives
Authors: Seoane-Rivero Rubén , Ruiz-Bilbao Estibaliz , Navarro Rodrigo , Laza José Manuel , Cuevas José María , Artetxe Beñat , Gutiérrez-Zorrilla Juan M. , Vilas-Vilela José Luis , Marcos-Fernandez Ángel
Published: August 2020

Coumarin derivatives are a class of compounds with a pronounced wide range of applications, especially in biological activities, in the medicine, pharmacology, cosmetics, coatings and food industry. Their potential applications are highly dependent on the nature of the substituents attached to their nucleus. These substituents modulate their photochemical and photophysical properties, as well as their interactions in their crystalline form, which largely determines the final field of application. Therefore, in this work a series of mono and dihydroxylated coumarin derivatives with different chemical substituents were synthesized and characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, thermal analysis (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and TGA), 1H NMR and X-Ray Diffraction to identify limitations and possibilities as a function of the molecular structure for expanding their applications in polymer science.
Evaluation of 1,2-Benzothiazine 1,1-Dioxide Derivatives In Vitro Activity towards Clinical-Relevant Microorganisms and Fibroblasts
Authors: Dudek-Wicher Ruth K. , Szczęśniak-Sięga Berenika M. , Wiglusz Rafał J. , Janczak Jan , Bartoszewicz Marzenna , Junka Adam F.
Published: August 2020

The global concern related with growing number of bacterial pathogens, resistant to numerous antibiotics, prone scientific environment to search for new antimicrobials. Antiseptics appear to be suitable candidates as adjunctive agents to antibiotics or alternative local treatment option aiming to prevent and treat infections. 1,2-benzothiazines are considered one the most promising of them. In this research twenty 1,2-benzothiazine 1,1-dioxide derivatives were scrutinized with regard to their biological activity. Three of them are new. For evaluation of compounds’ activity against microbial pathogens, disk diffusion method and serial microdilution method was applied. To establish the cytotoxicity profile of tested 1,2-benzothiazines 1,1-dioxides derivatives, the cytotoxicity assay using fibroblasts L292 was performed. Antimicrobial activity of all tested compounds against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis strains was higher than antimicrobial activity of DMSO solvent, which possesses antimicrobial activity itself. Gram-negative P. aeruginosa, E. coli and K. pneumoniae have shown susceptibility only to compounds 3e, 7i and 7l. None of tested compounds was effective against C. albicans. Compound 6g has demonstrated the strongest antimicrobial potency (MIC = 0.00975 mg/mL) among compounds of series 6. Compounds of series 7, namely 7d, 7f, 7g had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Compound 7f displayed also the lowest cytotoxic effect against fibroblast cell line among series 7 compounds. All tested derivatives displayed lower MIC against Gram-positive bacteria than commercially applied antiseptic, povidone iodine, which MIC value range for tested Gram-positive bacteria was 1.56–6.25 mg/mL.