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The possibility of the differentiation of glioblastoma from traumatic brain injury through blood serum analysis by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and machine learning was studied using a small animal model. Samples of a culture medium and a U87 human glioblastoma cell suspension in the
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The possibility of the differentiation of glioblastoma from traumatic brain injury through blood serum analysis by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and machine learning was studied using a small animal model. Samples of a culture medium and a U87 human glioblastoma cell suspension in the culture medium were injected into the subcortical brain structures of groups of mice referred to as the culture medium injection groups and glioblastoma groups, accordingly. Blood serum samples were collected in the first, second, and third weeks after the injection, and their terahertz transmission spectra were measured. The injection caused acute inflammation in the brain during the first week, so the culture medium injection group in the first week of the experiment corresponded to a traumatic brain injury state. In the third week of the experiment, acute inflammation practically disappeared in the culture medium injection groups. At the same time, the glioblastoma group subjected to a U87 human glioblastoma cell injection had the largest tumor size. The THz spectra were analyzed using two dimensionality reduction algorithms (principal component analysis and t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding) and three classification algorithms (Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, and Extreme Gradient Boosting Machine). Constructed prediction data models were verified using 10-fold cross-validation, the receiver operational characteristic curve, and a corresponding area under the curve analysis. The proposed machine learning pipeline allowed for distinguishing the traumatic brain injury group from the glioblastoma group with 95% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 97% accuracy with the Extreme Gradient Boosting Machine. The most informative features for these groups’ differentiation were 0.37, 0.40, 0.55, 0.60, 0.70, and 0.90 THz. Thus, an analysis of mouse blood serum using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and machine learning makes it possible to differentiate glioblastoma from traumatic brain injury.
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Apiculture is an important industry closely related to the national economy and people’s livelihoods. Beekeepers’ behavior is an important factor affecting the yield, quality, and benefits of apiculture. However, there is a lack of a systematic understanding of the long-term changes in beekeeping
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Apiculture is an important industry closely related to the national economy and people’s livelihoods. Beekeepers’ behavior is an important factor affecting the yield, quality, and benefits of apiculture. However, there is a lack of a systematic understanding of the long-term changes in beekeeping decisions made by beekeepers. Using panel data, we analyzed the dynamic trends and related influencing factors of decisions made by beekeeping models, honey source plant selection, and the migration flow space of beekeepers from 2009 to 2020. The results showed that the proportion of the LMB model decreased, while the PAB and SMB models continued to increase, the frequency of utilization of the main nectar source plants for honey collection decreased, and the concentration of migratory flow of beekeeping increased. Behavior of beekeepers from 2009 to 2020 showed a certain degree of spatial contraction, which seriously restricted the effective use of nectar plant resources. Family attributes, economic status, beekeeping models, and disaster conditions directly or indirectly affected beekeepers’ decisions. We propose a series of recommendations to facilitate the transformation and advancement of the Chinese bee industry. This study promotes an understanding of sustainable development of the bee industry in China and other countries worldwide.
Full article
Soil salinization poses a global threat to terrestrial ecosystems. Soil microorganisms, crucial for maintaining ecosystem services, are sensitive to changes in soil structure and properties, particularly salinity. In this study, contrasting dynamics within the rhizosphere and bulk soil were focused on exploring the
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Soil salinization poses a global threat to terrestrial ecosystems. Soil microorganisms, crucial for maintaining ecosystem services, are sensitive to changes in soil structure and properties, particularly salinity. In this study, contrasting dynamics within the rhizosphere and bulk soil were focused on exploring the effects of heightened salinity on soil microbial communities, evaluating the influences shaping their composition in saline environments. This study observed a general decrease in bacterial alpha diversity with increasing salinity, along with shifts in community structure in terms of taxa relative abundance. The size and stability of bacterial co-occurrence networks declined under salt stress, indicating functional and resilience losses. An increased proportion of heterogeneous selection in bacterial community assembly suggested salinity’s critical role in shaping bacterial communities. Stochasticity dominated fungal community assembly, suggesting their relatively lower sensitivity to soil salinity. However, bipartite network analysis revealed that fungi played a more significant role than bacteria in intensified microbial interactions in the rhizosphere under salinity stress compared to the bulk soil. Therefore, microbial cross-domain interactions might play a key role in bacterial resilience under salt stress in the rhizosphere.
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Many methods exist for solving the problem of evaluating efficiency in different processes. They are divided into two basic groups, parametric and non-parametric methods, which can have significant differences in the results. In this study, the authors consider the process of assessing the
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Many methods exist for solving the problem of evaluating efficiency in different processes. They are divided into two basic groups, parametric and non-parametric methods, which can have significant differences in the results. In this study, the authors consider the process of assessing the business climate depending on realized foreign investments. Due to the expected difference in efficiency assessment using different approaches, the goal of this paper is to create an optimization model of an ensemble for efficiency assessment that uses both types of methods with the aim of creating a symmetrical approach that achieves better results than each type of method individually. The proposed solution simultaneously analyzes the impact of different factors on foreign investments in order to determine the most important factors and thus enable each local government to ensure the best possible efficiency in this process. The innovative idea of this study is in the inclusion of classification and feature selection methods of machine learning to fulfill the set goal. Our research, focused on a specific case study in various cities across the Republic of Serbia, evaluated the effectiveness of that process. This study extends previous research and confirms the published results, highlighting the advantages of the newly proposed model.
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Transmission efficiency is a key characteristic of Hydro-mechanical Continuously Variable Transmission (HMCVT), which is related to the performance of heavy-duty tractors. Predicting the HMCVT transmission efficiency is beneficial for the real-time adjustment of transmission ratio during heavy-duty tractor operations, so as to obtain
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Transmission efficiency is a key characteristic of Hydro-mechanical Continuously Variable Transmission (HMCVT), which is related to the performance of heavy-duty tractors. Predicting the HMCVT transmission efficiency is beneficial for the real-time adjustment of transmission ratio during heavy-duty tractor operations, so as to obtain better performance. Aiming at the problems of accurate method, low accuracy, and high noise in the prediction of HMCVT transmission efficiency, this paper proposes a method based on Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Back Propagation (BP) neural networks to improve the quality of transmission efficiency prediction. Firstly, a simple theoretical model was established to obtain the influencing factors of transmission efficiency. Then, based on these factors, the transmission efficiency was tested on the bench under multiple conditions and the influence degree of each factor on transmission efficiency was divided using Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. Finally, the VMD method was used to denoise the test data, and a BP model, which was improved using the PSO method, was established to predict the processed data. The results showed that transmission efficiency of HMCVT is most affected by output speed, followed by power, and least by input speed. The VMD method can accurately extract effective signals and noise signals from the original data, and reconstruct signals, reducing the noise proportion. Using three conditions, the prediction regression accuracy of the PSO–BP model is 7.02%, 7.88%, and 9.26% higher than that of the BP model, respectively. In the three prediction experiments, the maximum differences in the MAE, the MAPE, and the RMSE of the PSO–BP model are 0.002, 0.463%, and 0.004, respectively, which are 0.006, 0.796%, and 0.003 lower than those of the BP model.
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by
Silvia González-Santos, Borja Mugabure, Manuel Granell, Borja Aguinagalde, Iker J. López, Ainhoa Aginaga, Inmaculada Zubelzu, Haritz Iraeta, Jon Zabaleta, Jose Miguel Izquierdo, Nuria González-Jorrín, Cristina Sarasqueta and Alejandro Herreros-Pomares
J. Clin. Med.2024, 13(7), 1972; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13071972 (registering DOI) - 28 Mar 2024
Lung resection using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) improves surgical accuracy and postoperative recovery. Unfortunately, moderate-to-severe acute postoperative pain is still inherent to the procedure, and a technique of choice has not been established for the appropriate control of pain. In this study, we
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Lung resection using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) improves surgical accuracy and postoperative recovery. Unfortunately, moderate-to-severe acute postoperative pain is still inherent to the procedure, and a technique of choice has not been established for the appropriate control of pain. In this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of intrathecal morphine (ITM) with that of intercostal levobupivacaine (ICL). Methods: We conducted a single-center, prospective, randomized, observer-blinded, controlled trial among 181 adult patients undergoing VATS (ISRCTN12771155). Participants were randomized to receive ITM or ICL. Primary outcomes were the intensity of pain, assessed by a numeric rating scale (NRS) over the first 48 h after surgery, and the amount of intravenous morphine used. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of adverse effects, length of hospital stay, mortality, and chronic post-surgical pain at 6 and 12 months after surgery. Results: There are no statistically significant differences between ITM and ICL groups in pain intensity and evolution at rest. In cough-related pain, differences in pain trajectories over time are observed. Upon admission to the PACU, cough-related pain was higher in the ITM group, but the trend reversed after 6 h. There are no significant differences in adverse effects. The rate of chronic pain was low and did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions: ITM can be considered an adequate and satisfactory regional technique for the control of acute postoperative pain in VATS, compatible with the multimodal rehabilitation and early discharge protocols used in these types of surgeries.
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Background and Objectives: Liver cancer poses a significant global health threat, ranking among the top three causes of cancer-related deaths. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often present with symptoms associated with neoplasms or unusual clinical features such as paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS), including hypoglycemia,
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Background and Objectives: Liver cancer poses a significant global health threat, ranking among the top three causes of cancer-related deaths. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often present with symptoms associated with neoplasms or unusual clinical features such as paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS), including hypoglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, thrombocytosis, and erythrocytosis. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and survival outcomes associated with PNS in HCC patients and assess each PNS’s impact on patient survival. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of PNS clinical features and survival among consecutive HCC patients diagnosed at our department over seven years, comparing them with HCC patients without PNS. The study involved a retrospective data evaluation from 378 patients diagnosed with HCC between January 2016 and October 2023. Results: We obtained a PNS prevalence of 25.7%, with paraneoplastic hypercholesterolemia at 10.9%, hypoglycemia at 6.9%, erythrocytosis at 4.5%, and thrombocytosis at 3.4%. Patients with PNS tended to be younger and predominantly male. Multivariate analysis revealed a strong correlation between PNS and levels of alpha-fetoprotein and tumor size, with diabetes also showing a significant statistical association (p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis based on specific paraneoplastic syndromes demonstrated shorter survival in patients with PNS, albeit without significant statistical differences, except for hypoglycemia (p < 0.0001). Matched analysis indicated a shorter survival rate for patients with PNS, although no significant statistical differences were observed. Conclusions: PNS are frequently observed in HCC cases and are associated with unfavorable prognoses and decreased survival rates due to their correlation with increased tumor burdens. However, they do not independently predict poor survival. The impact of individual PNS on HCC prognosis varies.
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In order to study the effect of the support mode of a staggered truss system on the continuous collapse resistance performance of a steel structure, four finite element models were established based on the bracing arrangement of a five-story steel frame structure. The
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In order to study the effect of the support mode of a staggered truss system on the continuous collapse resistance performance of a steel structure, four finite element models were established based on the bracing arrangement of a five-story steel frame structure. The situations of different columns on the first floor removed were classified into eight scenarios, and five models of each scenario were analyzed with nonlinear dynamic analyses. Finally, a computational metric based on energy robustness was proposed to evaluate the robustness of the structure. The results of nonlinear dynamic analyses indicated that the staggered truss system significantly improved the resistance to progressive collapse of steel frame structures and effectively increased the redundancy of steel frame structures. All four bracing methods effectively reduced the vertical displacement at the point of failure, with the peak displacement at the point of failure reduced by a maximum of 84 percent and a minimum of 41 percent compared to a pure frame structure. Moreover, the staggered truss system can reduce some axial force peaks in the adjacent columns adjacent to the failed columns. The structural robustness coefficients of Model A, Scheme 1, Scheme 2, Scheme 3, and Scheme 4 are 1.144, 1.339, 1.306, 1.584, and 1.176, respectively, according to the proposed robustness calculation method, which shows that the braced steel frame structure has improved robustness over the original structure. The staggered truss system improves the robustness of the steel frame structure so that the steel frame structure has better resistance to progressive collapse.
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Whereas sharing a life with someone with high cynical hostility can be straining, little is known about how partner’s cynical hostility is associated with one’s mental health. In this paper, we report the findings from a longitudinal dyadic study using two waves of
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Whereas sharing a life with someone with high cynical hostility can be straining, little is known about how partner’s cynical hostility is associated with one’s mental health. In this paper, we report the findings from a longitudinal dyadic study using two waves of a large and representative American sample of older adults and their spouses to examine how one’s own and their spouse’s cynical hostility longitudinally affect anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results from APIM analyses suggest that both husbands’ and wives’ anxiety and depressive symptoms were negatively associated with their own cynical hostility, both within each time point and longitudinally. Partners’ cynical hostility, however, predicted only husbands’ mental health cross-sectionally. Furthermore, a moderating effect was identified, although it was not consistently observed across all analyses. Specifically, when a partner’s cynical hostility was high, the association between one’s own cynical hostility and their mental health was stronger, especially for women. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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The welding process itself is a non-linear, multivariable, coupled physical metallurgical process that is easily perturbed. Improper welding parameter selection and welding process conditions will interfere with the welding process and affect the final welding quality. This study aims to identify and locate
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The welding process itself is a non-linear, multivariable, coupled physical metallurgical process that is easily perturbed. Improper welding parameter selection and welding process conditions will interfere with the welding process and affect the final welding quality. This study aims to identify and locate two types of welding interference, insufficient shielding gas and unremoved oxidation film on the base metal surface, during the Pulse Multi-Control Gas Metal Arc Welding (PMC GMAW) process of aluminum alloy. The Characteristic Intrinsic Mode Function (IMF), which is closely related to the short circuit transition process, was obtained by applying the Complementary Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (CEEMD) method to the welding current signal measured during the welding process. Time and frequency domain analysis of the acquired characteristic IMF was then performed. The experimental results demonstrated that for a stable welding process, the frequency of the characteristic IMF is concentrated within a narrow range. The frequency spectrum of the characteristic IMF exhibits distinct variations under different types of welding interference. Based on this, the chronological arrangement of characteristic IMF components’ frequency spectrum allows for locating welding interferences by analyzing their abnormal signals within the reconstructed signal sequence.
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Diabetes management requires constant monitoring and individualized adjustments. This study proposes a novel approach that leverages digital twins and personal health knowledge graphs (PHKGs) to revolutionize diabetes care. Our key contribution lies in developing a real-time, patient-centric digital twin framework built on PHKGs.
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Diabetes management requires constant monitoring and individualized adjustments. This study proposes a novel approach that leverages digital twins and personal health knowledge graphs (PHKGs) to revolutionize diabetes care. Our key contribution lies in developing a real-time, patient-centric digital twin framework built on PHKGs. This framework integrates data from diverse sources, adhering to HL7 standards and enabling seamless information access and exchange while ensuring high levels of accuracy in data representation and health insights. PHKGs offer a flexible and efficient format that supports various applications. As new knowledge about the patient becomes available, the PHKG can be easily extended to incorporate it, enhancing the precision and accuracy of the care provided. This dynamic approach fosters continuous improvement and facilitates the development of new applications. As a proof of concept, we have demonstrated the versatility of our digital twins by applying it to different use cases in diabetes management. These include predicting glucose levels, optimizing insulin dosage, providing personalized lifestyle recommendations, and visualizing health data. By enabling real-time, patient-specific care, this research paves the way for more precise and personalized healthcare interventions, potentially improving long-term diabetes management outcomes.
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The oral mucosa represents a defensive barrier between the external environment and the rest of the body. Oral mucosal cells are constantly bathed in hypotonic saliva (normally one-third tonicity compared to plasma) and are repeatedly exposed to environmental stresses of tonicity, temperature, and
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The oral mucosa represents a defensive barrier between the external environment and the rest of the body. Oral mucosal cells are constantly bathed in hypotonic saliva (normally one-third tonicity compared to plasma) and are repeatedly exposed to environmental stresses of tonicity, temperature, and pH by the drinks we imbibe (e.g., hypotonic: water, tea, and coffee; hypertonic: assorted fruit juices, and red wines). In the mouth, the broad-spectrum antiviral mediator MxA (a dynamin-family large GTPase) is constitutively expressed in healthy periodontal tissues and induced by Type III interferons (e.g., IFN-λ1/IL-29). Endogenously induced human MxA and exogenously expressed human GFP-MxA formed membraneless biomolecular condensates in the cytoplasm of oral carcinoma cells (OECM1 cell line). These condensates likely represent storage granules in equilibrium with antivirally active dispersed MxA. Remarkably, cytoplasmic MxA condensates were exquisitely sensitive sensors of hypotonicity—the condensates in oral epithelium disassembled within 1–2 min of exposure of cells to saliva-like one-third hypotonicity, and spontaneously reassembled in the next 4–7 min. Water, tea, and coffee enhanced this disassembly. Fluorescence changes in OECM1 cells preloaded with calcein-AM (a reporter of cytosolic “macromolecular crowding”) confirmed that this process involved macromolecular uncrowding and subsequent recrowding secondary to changes in cell volume. However, hypertonicity had little effect on MxA condensates. The spontaneous reassembly of GFP-MxA condensates in oral epithelial cells, even under continuous saliva-like hypotonicity, was slowed by the protein-phosphatase-inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA) and by the K-channel-blocker tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA); this is suggestive of the involvement of the volume-sensitive WNK kinase-protein phosphatase (PTP)-K-Cl cotransporter (KCC) pathway in the regulated volume decrease (RVD) during condensate reassembly in oral cells. The present study identifies a novel subcellular consequence of hypotonic stress in oral epithelial cells, in terms of the rapid and dynamic changes in the structure of one class of phase-separated biomolecular condensates in the cytoplasm—the antiviral MxA condensates. More generally, the data raise the possibility that hypotonicity-driven stresses likely affect other intracellular functions involving liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in cells of the oral mucosa.
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Micro–nanobubbles (MNBs) can generate ·OH in situ, which provides a new idea for the safe and efficient removal of pollutants in water supply systems. However, due to the difficulty in obtaining stable MNBs, the generation efficiency of ·OH is low, and the removal
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Micro–nanobubbles (MNBs) can generate ·OH in situ, which provides a new idea for the safe and efficient removal of pollutants in water supply systems. However, due to the difficulty in obtaining stable MNBs, the generation efficiency of ·OH is low, and the removal efficiency of pollutants cannot be guaranteed. This paper reviews the application research of MNB technology in water security from three aspects: the generation process of MNBs in water, the generation rule of ·OH during MNB collapse, and the control mechanisms of MNBs on pollutants and biofilms. We found that MNB generation methods are divided into chemical and mechanical (about 10 kinds) categories, and the instability of the bubble size restricts the application of MNB technology. The generation of ·OH by MNBs is affected by the pH, gas source, bubble size, temperature, and external stimulation. And the pH and external stimulus have more influence on ·OH generation in situ than the other factors. Adjusting the pH to alkaline or acidic conditions and selecting ozone or oxygen as the gas source can promote ·OH generation. MNB collapse also releases a large amount of energy, during which the temperature and pressure can reach 3000 K and 5 Gpa, respectively, making it efficient to remove ≈90% of pollutants (i.e., trichloroethylene, benzene, and chlorobenzene). The biofilm can also be removed by physical, chemical, and thermal effects. MNB technology also has great application potential in drinking water, which can be applied to improve water quality, optimize household water purifiers, and enhance the taste of bottled water. Under the premise of safety, after letting people of different ages taste water samples, we found that compared with ordinary drinking water, 85.7% of people think MNB water is softer, and 73.3% of people think MNB water is sweeter. This further proves that MNB water has a great prospect in drinking water applications. This review provides innovative theoretical support for solving the problem of drinking water safety.
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Liquid silicone rubber (LSR) garners attention across a diverse range of industries owing to its commendable fluidity and heat resistance. Nonetheless, its mechanical strength and oil resistance fall short compared to other rubbers, necessitating enhancement through the incorporation of a suitable filler. This
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Liquid silicone rubber (LSR) garners attention across a diverse range of industries owing to its commendable fluidity and heat resistance. Nonetheless, its mechanical strength and oil resistance fall short compared to other rubbers, necessitating enhancement through the incorporation of a suitable filler. This research focuses on reinforcing LSR using carbon black (CB) particles as a filler, evaluating the mechanical properties and oil resistance of neat LSR, and LSR containing up to 3 wt% of CB filler. CB was added in powder form to investigate its effect on LSR. When LSR was impregnated with oil, the deterioration of rubber was noticeably observed under high-temperature conditions compared to room-temperature conditions. Consequently, the mechanical properties and oil resistance, excluding the permanent compression reduction rate, tended to increase as the filling content of CB increased compared to the unfilled state. Notably, in the specimen with 2 wt% CB filler, the tensile modulus increased significantly by 48% and the deterioration rate was reduced by about 50% under accelerated deterioration conditions. Additionally, the swelling rate in oil decreased by around 14%. This validates a notable improvement in both mechanical properties and oil resistance. Based on the identified mechanism for properties enhancement in this study, CB/LSR composite is expected to have a wide range of applications in fields such as gaskets, oil seals, and flexible sensors.
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This article reviews the research recently undertaken to characterise and identify early synthetic dyes (ESDs) and synthetic organic pigments (SOPs) as well as study their degradation pathways with a focus on cultural heritage applications. Since the invention of the first fully synthetic dye
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This article reviews the research recently undertaken to characterise and identify early synthetic dyes (ESDs) and synthetic organic pigments (SOPs) as well as study their degradation pathways with a focus on cultural heritage applications. Since the invention of the first fully synthetic dye in 1856, these materials have been used in a variety of historic objects and artworks, such as textiles, furniture, prints, paintings, drawings, etc. The synthesis of new dyes and their implementation into pigment formulations were rapid phenomena, so that by the beginning of the 20th century, thousands of new molecules were patented and commercialised. This review will focus on these early formulations synthesised up to approximately 1914 and the outbreak of World War I. ESDs and SOPs represent a challenge from an analytical point of view. Molecular databases are fundamental for the unequivocal identification of these compounds, but reference materials are not always readily available. A combination of analytical techniques is often needed for characterisation, especially in the case of SOPs, which have both organic and inorganic components. Furthermore, the degradation of these molecules can jeopardise their detection in historic objects that have been exposed to light, humidity and temperature fluctuations. Nevertheless, ESDs and SOPs are important research tools. As the dates of their first synthesis are often known with precision, based on patent information, their detection can be used to refine the production date of objects. Additionally, their trade from Europe to the world and their adoption in artistic practices around the globe is an active area of research.
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How does a firm’s value chain digitalization contribute to its innovation in value chains? This study investigates innovation activities in value chains from a combination of distributed innovation perspective and technology affordance theory. We posit that a digital value chain (DVC) plays a
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How does a firm’s value chain digitalization contribute to its innovation in value chains? This study investigates innovation activities in value chains from a combination of distributed innovation perspective and technology affordance theory. We posit that a digital value chain (DVC) plays a pivotal role in driving distributed innovation in value chains. Our focus is specifically directed toward exploring the interconnected dynamics of the DVC, global value chain (GVC), and diversification strategy, elucidating the influence of their interactions on a firm’s distributed innovation in value chains. Leveraging the data of 862 manufacturing firms from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) in China, our empirical analysis reveals several key findings: (1) value chain digitalization positively influences distributed innovation in value chains and GVC embeddedness, (2) GVC embeddedness enhances distributed innovation in value chains, and (3) product diversification serves as a positive moderator, strengthening the effects of both value chain digitalization and GVC embeddedness on distributed innovation in value chains. In summary, this paper deepens our understanding of the relationships between DVC, GVC, diversification strategy, and distributed innovation in value chains. Our research provides theoretical and policy implications for digitalization and innovation strategies which are significant sources of sustainable development for firms and GVCs.
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The current state of mixed ionic–electronic conducting ceramic membrane technology presents significant advancements with potential applications in various fields including solid oxide electrolyzers, fuel cells, hydrogen production, CO2 reduction, and membrane reactors for chemical production and oxygen separation. Particularly in oxygen separation
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The current state of mixed ionic–electronic conducting ceramic membrane technology presents significant advancements with potential applications in various fields including solid oxide electrolyzers, fuel cells, hydrogen production, CO2 reduction, and membrane reactors for chemical production and oxygen separation. Particularly in oxygen separation applications, optimal conditions closely align with the conditions of oxygen-rich air streams emitted from the anode of solid oxide co-electrolyzers. This paper describes and analyzes a novel integrated heat recovery system based on mixed ionic–electronic conducting membranes. The system operates in two stages: firstly, oxygen is separated from the anode output stream using mixed ionic–electronic conducting membranes aided by a vacuum system, followed by the heat recovery process. Upon oxygen separation, the swept gas stream is recirculated at temperatures near thermoneutral conditions, resulting in performance improvements at both cell and system levels. Additionally, an oxygen stream is generated for various applications. An Aspen HYSYS® model has been developed to calculate heat and material balances, demonstrating the efficiency enhancements of the proposed system configuration.
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The relentless pursuit of effective strategies against skin aging has led to significant interest in the role of bioactive factors, particularly secondary metabolites from natural sources. The purpose of this study is to meticulously explore and summarize the recent advancements in understanding and
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The relentless pursuit of effective strategies against skin aging has led to significant interest in the role of bioactive factors, particularly secondary metabolites from natural sources. The purpose of this study is to meticulously explore and summarize the recent advancements in understanding and utilization of bioactive factors against skin aging, with a focus on their sources, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential. Skin, the largest organ of the body, directly interacts with the external environment, making it susceptible to aging influenced by factors such as UV radiation, pollution, and oxidative stress. Among various interventions, bioactive factors, including peptides, amino acids, and secondary metabolites, have shown promising anti-aging effects by modulating the biological pathways associated with skin integrity and youthfulness. This article provides a comprehensive overview of these bioactive compounds, emphasizing collagen peptides, antioxidants, and herbal extracts, and discusses their effectiveness in promoting collagen synthesis, enhancing skin barrier function, and mitigating the visible signs of aging. By presenting a synthesis of the current research, this study aims to highlight the therapeutic potential of these bioactive factors in developing innovative anti-aging skin care solutions, thereby contributing to the broader field of dermatological research and offering new perspectives for future studies. Our findings underscore the importance of the continued exploration of bioactive compounds for their potential to revolutionize anti-aging skin care and improve skin health and aesthetics.
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Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are highly glycosylated proteins in which heparan sulfate, a glycosaminoglycan sugar chain, is an acidic sugar chain consisting of a repeating disaccharide structure of glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine is locally sulfated. Syndecan, one of the transmembrane HSPGs, functions as a
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Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are highly glycosylated proteins in which heparan sulfate, a glycosaminoglycan sugar chain, is an acidic sugar chain consisting of a repeating disaccharide structure of glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine is locally sulfated. Syndecan, one of the transmembrane HSPGs, functions as a receptor that transmits signals from the extracellular microenvironment to the inside of the cell. In the vascular system, heparan sulfate proteoglycans, a major component of the glycocalyx, enable the binding of various plasma-derived molecules due to their diversity, epimerization of glycosaminoglycans chains, long chains, and sulfation. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans present in the extracellular matrix serve as a reservoir for bioactive molecules such as chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors. Aberrant expression of heparan sulfate proteoglycans, heparanase, and sulfatase is observed in many pathological conditions. Therefore, it can be applied to therapeutic strategies for a wide range of fields including Alzheimer’s disease, heart failure, cancer, organ transplants, diabetes, chronic inflammation, aging, and autoimmune diseases.
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Solid state sintering of cast aluminum powders by resistance heating sintering (RHS), also known as spark plasma sintering or field-assisted sintering technique, creates a very fine microstructure in the bulk material. This leads to high performance material properties with an improved strength and
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Solid state sintering of cast aluminum powders by resistance heating sintering (RHS), also known as spark plasma sintering or field-assisted sintering technique, creates a very fine microstructure in the bulk material. This leads to high performance material properties with an improved strength and ductility compared to conventional production routes of the same alloys. In this study, the mechanical behavior of an RHS-sintered age-hardenable A357 (AlSi7Mg0.6) cast alloy and a SiCp/A357 aluminum matrix composite (AMC) was investigated. Aiming for high strength and good wear behavior in tribological applications, the AMC was reinforced with a high particle content (35 vol.%) of a coarse particle fraction (d50 = 21 µm). Afterwards, separated and combined effects of particle reinforcement and heat treatment were studied under compressive load both at room temperature and at 350 °C. At room temperature compression, the strengthening effect of precipitation hardening was about twice as high as that for the particle reinforcement, despite the high particle content. At elevated temperatures, the compressive deformation behavior was characterized by simultaneously occurring temperature-activated recovery, recrystallisation and precipitation processes. The occurrence and interaction of these processes was significantly affected by the initial material condition. Moreover, a rearrangement of the SiC reinforcement particles was detected after hot deformation. This rearrangement lead to a homogenized dispersion of the reinforcement phase without considerable particle fragmentation, which offers the potential for secondary thermo-mechanical processing of highly reinforced AMCs.
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Human movements are governed by a tradeoff between speed and accuracy. Previous studies that have investigated the tradeoff relationship in sports movements involving whole-body movements have been limited to examining the relationship from the perspective of competition-specific movements, and the findings on whether
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Human movements are governed by a tradeoff between speed and accuracy. Previous studies that have investigated the tradeoff relationship in sports movements involving whole-body movements have been limited to examining the relationship from the perspective of competition-specific movements, and the findings on whether the relationship is valid have not been unified. Therefore, this study incorporated a vertical jump task with the introduction of a condition in which landing position control was added to evaluate the essence of a sports movement that requires both speed and accuracy. Accuracy was examined using a method that quantifies the coordinates of the landing and takeoff positions using entropy. The mechanism of that tradeoff was then examined by confirming the phenomenon and analyzing the 3D vector trajectories. An increase in accuracy and a decrease in speed were observed when the landing position was the control target, even in the vertical jumping task normally performed at maximum effort, and the 3D velocity vector was characterized by the following: a reduced scalar and a more vertical direction. While the entropy from the takeoff to the landing position seemed to decrease when the accuracy of the landing position improved, the following noteworthy results were obtained given the characteristics of the vertical jump. Unlike traditional feedback control in the entropy reduction in hand movements, the trajectory is predetermined in a feedforward-like manner by controlling the initial velocity vector at takeoff, which allows the landing point to be adjusted.
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Cancer is a persistent global disease and a threat to the human species, with numerous cases reported every year. Over recent decades, a steady but slowly increasing mortality rate has been observed. While many attempts have been made using conventional methods alone as
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Cancer is a persistent global disease and a threat to the human species, with numerous cases reported every year. Over recent decades, a steady but slowly increasing mortality rate has been observed. While many attempts have been made using conventional methods alone as a theragnostic strategy, they have yielded very little success. Most of the shortcomings of such conventional methods can be attributed to the high demands of industrial growth and ever-increasing environmental pollution. This requires some high-tech biomedical interventions and other solutions. Thus, researchers have been compelled to explore alternative methods. This has brought much attention to nanotechnology applications, specifically magnetic nanomaterials, as the sole or conjugated theragnostic methods. The exponential growth of nanomaterials with overlapping applications in various fields is due to their potential properties, which depend on the type of synthesis route used. Either top-down or bottom-up strategies synthesize various types of NPs. The top-down only branches out to one method, i.e., physical, and the bottom-up has two methods, chemical and biological syntheses. This review highlights some synthesis techniques, the types of nanoparticle properties each technique produces, and their potential use in the biomedical field, more specifically for cancer. Despite the evident drawbacks, the success achieved in furthering nanoparticle applications to more complex cancer stages and locations is unmatched.
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The teaching of structural analysis is essential in the training of undergraduate students who will be qualified in structural calculations. The use of games in learning can motivate students and improve their performances in evaluations. To this end, H5P-based matching games have been
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The teaching of structural analysis is essential in the training of undergraduate students who will be qualified in structural calculations. The use of games in learning can motivate students and improve their performances in evaluations. To this end, H5P-based matching games have been adopted in Moodle for a structural analysis course as an optional assignment to train graphs of internal forces (GIFs). Although the students knew that participating in the games would positively impact their grades, they were not informed of the exact number of extra points they would receive based on their performances. The engagement, motivation and performance of the students were analyzed using various statistics. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the game in facilitating knowledge acquisition was evaluated by comparing the students’ performances in the games to their performances in the GIF exercises during face-to-face examinations. The study found that the students who participated in the games exhibited high levels of motivation and engagement. In addition, the results indicate that the participants had a moderately improved understanding of GIFs when taking the course examinations.
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