In this work, a series of unsaturated polyester resin (UPRs)/electrochemically exfoliated graphene oxide (e-GO) polymer nanocomposites with different ratios of e-GO (0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 wt%) ...were prepared
via
an
in situ
polymerization method. The surface morphology and structural and chemical properties of the original UPR and UPR/e-GO nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The positive influence of e-GO nanosheets on the mechanical properties, thermal stability, and anti-UV aging performance of UPR/e-GO nanocomposites was demonstrated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The obtained results showed that the incorporation of e-GO nanosheets within the UPR matrix, despite the addition of e-GO at as low as 0.2 wt% comprehensively improves the advanced functional properties of UPR/e-GO nanocomposites as compared to the original UPR. In addition, artificial weathering testing of quartz-based artificial stone using UPR/e-GO 0.2 wt% showed excellent UV-resistant efficiency, supporting the use of e-GO nanosheets as an additive in manufacturing the industrial-scale UPRs-based artificial quartz stone samples for real outdoor applications.
Preparation of UPR/e-GO polymer nanocomposites for anti-UV aging application in quartz-based artificial stone.
Patients with end-stage renal failure are susceptible to dry eye disease. This study explores the relationship between dry eye disease and influence factors.
The control group consisted of 57 healthy ...subjects who were kidney donors. They were of the same age and sex as the kidney transplant recipients. The outcome variable was the dry eye condition of the participants. The Schirmer test confirmed dry eye disease, TBUT (breakup time test), and the Eye Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, using linear regression to evaluate the association.
The total number of subjects was 146 (89 kidney recipients and 57 kidney donors). When univariate analysis found the level of visual acuity, the age group involved was statistically significant, while the other factors were not statistically significant. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, age (odds ratio: 2.8, p<0.05), smoking history (odd ratio: 0.1, p<0.05), corneal conjunctival calcification (odd ratio: 0.2, p<0.05); central corneal thickness (odd ratio: 1.02, p<0.05) is considered to be an influence factor for disease progression.
Age group, smoking history, corneal central thickness, and conjunctival calcification are factors for dry eye disease in patients preparing to receive a kidney. These results reinforce the evidence for multifactorial dry eye disease in patients with renal impairment.
Selecting and optimizing propulsion architecture is one of the most practical goals and the most difficult decisions in designing modern commercial ships. That process faces several challenges, ...namely greenhouse gas emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels, International Maritime Organization's (IMOs) strict international legal system on environmental pollution prevention, and new energy efficiency standards for design and management of commercial fleets. With the integration of electrical systems and power supply equipment in maritime transport in the past several decades, the availability of electric propulsion systems have brought several benefits to ship owners, including improved ability to comply with international laws, increased flexibility and reliability, reduced operating costs, and enhanced access to advanced automation capabilities. However, the introduced benefits of electrical and hybrid electric propulsion system architectures in recent years have put considerable pressure on ship owners and designers when optimizing the vessel's propulsion and power system and their control strategies. This paper presents a comprehensive review of conventional and advanced electrical propulsion systems on current commercial vessels and future smart ships. By highlighting the characteristics of the propulsion system configuration, electric power source, and propulsors, the authors present a detailed comparison and analysis in optimizing the choice of electric or hybrid powertrain systems for commercial fleets. Taking into account the increasingly stringent standards related to energy efficiency and emissions regulated by IMO, this paper also addresses strategies for the development of sustainable maritime transport by proposing the efficient use of renewable energy sources and electrical energy storage system.
CO2 reduction level from electrical propulsion
Optimization of the vessel's propulsion and power system is analyzed
IMO's legal system on environmental pollution prevention and energy efficiency standards is introduced
Detailed comparison on the selection of powertrain systems for commercial fleets is conducted
An automobile's vibration can be caused by stimulation from the road's surface. The change in displacement and acceleration values of the sprung mass is used to evaluate the automobile's vibration. ...Utilizing an active suspension system is recommended in order to attain an increased level of ride comfort. This article presents a novel strategy for regulating the operation of an active suspension system that has been put up for consideration. The PI (Proportional Integral) algorithm, the SMC (Sliding Mode Control) algorithm, and the Fuzzy algorithm served as the basis for developing the FSMPIF algorithm. The signal generated by the SMC algorithm is what is used as the input for the Fuzzy algorithm. In addition, the settings of the PI controller are modified with the help of yet another Fuzzy algorithm. These two Fuzzy methods operate independently from one another and in a setting that is wholly distinct from one another. This algorithm was created in a wholly original and novel way. Using a numerical modelling technique, the vibration of automobiles is investigated with a particular emphasis on two distinct usage situations. In each case, a comparison is made between four different circumstances. Once the FSMPIF method is implemented, the results of the simulation process have demonstrated that the values of displacement and acceleration of the sprung mass are significantly decreased. This was determined by looking at the values before and after implementing the new algorithm. In the first case, these figures do not surpass a difference of 2.55% compared to automobiles that use passive suspension systems. The second case sees these figures falling short of 12.59% in total. As a direct result, the automobile's steadiness and level of comfort have been significantly improved.
Improving and optimizing the processes for transfer printing have the potential to further enhance capabilities in heterogeneous integration of various sensing materials on unconventional substrates ...for implantable and stretchable electronic devices in biosensing, diagnostics, and therapeutic applications. An advanced transfer printing method based on sacrificial layer engineering for silicon carbide materials in stretchable electronic devices is presented here. In contrast to the typical processes where defined anchor structures are required for the transfer step, the use of a sacrificial layer offers enhances versatility in releasing complex microstructures from rigid donor substrates to flexible receiver platforms. The sacrificial layer also minimizes twisting and wrinkling issues that may occur in free‐standing microstructures, thereby facilitating printing onto flat polymer surfaces (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane). The experimental results demonstrate that transferred SiC microstructures exhibit good stretchability, stable electrical properties, excellent biocompatibility, as well as promising sensing‐functions associated with a high level of structural perfection, without any cracks or tears. This transfer printing method can be applied to other classes of wide bandgap semiconductors, particularly group III‐nitrides and diamond films epitaxially grown on Si substrates, thereby serving as the foundation for the development and possible commercialization of implantable and stretchable bioelectronic devices that exploit wide bandgap materials.
Employing a dissolvable film as a supporting layer for the fabrication of free‐standing silicon carbide microstructures, the present work eliminates the wrinkling and twisting phenomena associated with nanomembranes grown at high temperatures. This technique enables transfer‐printing of diverse microstructures of wide band gap semiconductors onto a soft substrate, creating a new class of stretchable electronics for biosensing and implanting applications.
Among the main components of a smart city, the energy system plays a vital and core role in the transition towards a sustainable urban life. Furthermore, the utilization of renewable energy sources ...has been demonstrated as a significant contribution to reducing pollutant emissions and enhancing the quality of the living environment. Therefore, designing the energy systems based on clean and renewable criteria is considered a sustainable solution for smart cities. Indeed, the deep and rapid penetration of renewable energy-based technologies have been believed to very well fit into a smart city under various scales, this could supply a secure basis for a modern society with a low-carbon economy. In this review paper, the main components and roles of renewable energy resources (such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, and biofuels) for the smart city were fully introduced. Besides, integrating the renewable sources form into the energy systems of smart cities was thoroughly analyzed on the basis of technical and economic criteria. Finally, existing challenges and future scenarios were also discussed in detail to clarify the progress and perspective of smart renewable energy systems for the smart city. In general, the integration of renewables into energy systems of the smart city is a sagacious perspective and solution aiming to achieve cleaner process and more sustainable development. However, the optimization issues of the energy system for integrating of renewable components, ensuring good stability, maximizing the operating range, and minimizing the investment costs should be critically evaluated in the future works.
•Designing tools and key criteria for smart renewable energy systems.•Efficiency and prospect of integrating renewables into energy system for smart city.•Existing problems and challenges for renewable-based energy system in smart city.•Future scenarios for the sustainable development of energy system in smart city.
In this article, the author introduces a new fuzzy control solution to direct active anti-roll bars (hydraulic stabilizer bars) in order to enhance the vehicle's roll stabilization efficiency. The ...original fuzzy algorithm designed in this work can satisfy all the roll stability, comfort, and response speed requirements, while previous algorithms could only meet one of these criteria. In addition, a fully dynamic model is established to simulate the vehicle's roll oscillations instead of only using a simple half-dynamic model combined with the single-track dynamic model. The calculation and simulation processes take place in the Simulink environment. Two cases of steering are used as input to the simulation problem; the car's speed is gradually increased through three levels. According to results of research, the roll angle and roll index of the car increase as the speed and steering angle increase. The interaction between the road and wheel decreases sharply as the roll angle increases, which can lead to a rollover. In the first case, the rollover occurs only when the car travels at v.sub.3 without the stabilizer bar and has a maximum roll angle of 9.81°. In the second case, this occurs for the (None) situation when traveling at speed v.sub.1 with a maximum roll angle of 9.52° and for the (Passive) situation when traveling at speed v.sub.2 with a peak value of 11.93°. Meanwhile, the vehicle's stability is still well guaranteed when utilizing active anti-roll bars controlled by an original fuzzy algorithm.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Designing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates that combine multiple advanced features in synergy is highly desirable for the SERS technique, however, it has been a long-standing ...challenge due to inherent trade-offs in feature selection. For instance, while nanoplasmonic surface functionalization bolsters attraction to target analytes, it simultaneously introduces barriers to direct contact. Similarly, the intrinsic hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature of substrates often limits their sensing effectiveness across a wide range of analyte types. Here, we demonstrate a smart 3D Ag-decorated TiO2 nanostructure, an advanced synergistic SERS substrate, created by controlling the formation of Ag nanoparticles on functionalized TiO2 nanomaterials, which integrates four unique features: uniform hotspot distribution, efficient analyte trapping, accessible plasmonic surfaces, and dual-phase detection. This design brings unachieved sensor efficiency across a diverse array of analytes with varying sizes and hydrophobicity. Moreover, our design exhibits a novel dual-phase detection capability within mixtures of hydrophilic and hydrophobic analytes. As a proof-of-concept, our results highlight the potential of designing SERS substrates with multiple advanced features that work synergistically, enabling trace detection of a broader range of analyte types in various environments. More broadly, we anticipate that this work paves the way for the development of other nanomaterials that are capable of attracting diverse molecules while retaining key features such as accessible plasmonic surfaces and wide-area ordered hotspot distribution. Such nanomaterials could be powerful for advanced applications in hotspot engineering, surface analysis, catalysis, and plasmon-mediated reactions.
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•Smart 3D Ag-decorated TiO2 nanostructure, an advanced synergistic SERS substrate, has been successfully fabricated.•Integrating multiple unique features, this structure overcomes inherent trade-offs in feature selection during fabrication.•This substrate demonstrates exceptional detection efficiency for diverse analytes with varying natural properties.•The SERS substrate exhibits a novel dual-phase detection capability within mixtures of hydrophilic and hydrophobic analytes.
Shear strength of the soil is an important engineering parameter used in the design and audit of geo-technical structures. In this research, we aim to investigate and compare the performance of four ...machine learning methods, Particle Swarm Optimization - Adaptive Network based Fuzzy Inference System (PANFIS), Genetic Algorithm - Adaptive Network based Fuzzy Inference System (GANFIS), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), for predicting the strength of soft soils. For this purpose, case studies of 188 plastic clay soil samples collected from two major projects, Nhat Tan and Cua Dai bridges in Viet Nam have been used for generating training and testing datasets for constructing and validating the models. Validation and comparison of the models have been carried out using RMSE, and R. The results show that the PANFIS has the highest prediction capability (RMSE = 0.038 and R = 0.601), followed by the GANFIS (RMSE = 0.04 and R = 0.569), SVR (RMSE = 0.044 and R = 0.549), and ANN (RMSE = 0.059 and R = 0.49). It can be concluded that out of four models the PANFIS indicates as a promising technique for prediction of the strength of soft soils.
•We concentrated on the prediction of the shear strength of soft soils.•xANN were used.•Case studies of 188 plastic clay soil samples in Viet Nam have been used.•PANFIS indicates as a promising technique for prediction of strength of soft soils.
MicroRNA (miRNA) maturation is initiated by Microprocessor composed of RNase III DROSHA and its cofactor DGCR8, whose fidelity is critical for generation of functional miRNAs. To understand how ...Microprocessor recognizes pri-miRNAs, we here reconstitute human Microprocessor with purified recombinant proteins. We find that Microprocessor is an ∼364 kDa heterotrimeric complex of one DROSHA and two DGCR8 molecules. Together with a 23-amino acid peptide from DGCR8, DROSHA constitutes a minimal functional core. DROSHA serves as a “ruler” by measuring 11 bp from the basal ssRNA-dsRNA junction. DGCR8 interacts with the stem and apical elements through its dsRNA-binding domains and RNA-binding heme domain, respectively, allowing efficient and accurate processing. DROSHA and DGCR8, respectively, recognize the basal UG and apical UGU motifs, which ensure proper orientation of the complex. These findings clarify controversies over the action mechanism of DROSHA and allow us to build a general model for pri-miRNA processing.
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•Microprocessor is a trimeric complex with one DROSHA and two DGCR8•Functional core of Microprocessor contains DROSHA and the C-terminal tail of DGCR8•DROSHA serves as a ruler by recognizing the basal elements•DGCR8 interacts with the apical elements to ensure fidelity of processing
Functional reconstruction of human Microprocessor defines its molecular stoichiometry and the specific role of each component in substrate recognition and orientation, revealing a comprehensive processing mechanism of Microprocessor.
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