Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) image reconstruction has been largely applied for industrial applications. However, there is still a crucial need to develop a new framework to enhance the ...quality of reconstructed images and make it faster. Deep learning has recently boomed and applied in many fields since it is good at mapping complicated nonlinear functions based on series of artificial neural networks. In this paper, a novel image reconstruction method based on a deep neural network is proposed. The proposed image reconstruction algorithm mainly uses Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) deep neural network, which is abbreviated as LSTM-IR algorithm. A big simulation dataset containing 160k pairs of instances is created to train and test the performance of the proposed LSTM-IR algorithm. Each pair of the sample has a predefined permittivity distribution vector and corresponding capacitance vector. The generalization ability and feasibility of the LSTM-IR network are measured using contaminated data, data not included in the training dataset, and experimental data. The preliminary results show that the proposed LSTM-IR method can create fast and more accurate ECT images than traditional and deep learning image reconstruction algorithms.
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•Experimental testing of full-scale RC and SFRC segmental joints in shield tunnel.•Presentation of both global and local response of the tested joints.•SFRC segments are more ...attractive in terms of joint ultimate capacity reservation and cracking control.•Experimental dataset provides a solid basis for post-test FEA and further extensions.
Segmental joints act as a weak link in the tunnel lining both in terms of structural responses (due to the lower stiffness and strength compared to the main segments) and the serviceability considerations (high risk of water/gas leakage). Despite the wide applications of steel fiber as an alternative material due to the corrosion resistance and the labor reduction in shield tunnel engineering, very limited studies focus on the structural performance of segmental joints with steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC). In this paper, full-scale tests were conducted to study the ultimate bearing capacity of the conventional reinforced concrete (RC) and the SFRC joints under different loading conditions with a special attention on the corresponding cracking process. The experimental results demonstrated that the peak load bearing capacity of the SFRC joints was slightly higher than that of the RC joints. Furthermore, SFRC joints provided higher initial cracking load, sufficient ductility in the compressive-flexural actions, equivalent energy absorption capacity at initial cracking, and significant reduction in crack width compared to that of the RC joints. The performance-based engineering (PBE) concept was introduced to assess the robustness of the tested joints. According to these results, it is suggested that the SFRC can substitute the traditional reinforcement in terms of maintained bearing capacity and improved cracking control. Finally, it was verified that the classical joint design method was able to capture the flexural capacity of the tested RC and SFRC joints.
•Conductivity of BZY and BZYC was investigated in six H-atmospheres including D2 and D2O.•Cobalt not only improves the sinterability but also improves the conductivity at 500–800 °C.•Isotopic ...dependency was confirmed both in the dry and wet hydrogen atmospheres.
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Among various perovskite proton conducting oxides, Y-doped BaZrO3 perovskite is a promising material for electrochemical hydrogen devices due to its good chemical stability and higher proton conductivity at higher operating temperatures like 500–800 °C. For the practical application of the functional BaZrO3 proton conductors in electrochemical hydrogen devices like tritium purification and recovery systems in a nuclear fusion reactor (where deuterium and tritium isotopes are utilized as fuel), it’s necessary to understand the isotopic effect of proton conductivity. To understand the isotopic effect of proton conductivity in the barium zirconates, in this study, the proton conductivities in the Ar, (Ar + 4% H2), (Ar + 4% D2), (Ar + H2O), (Ar + D2O), and O2 atmospheres were measured for two different compositions: BaZr0.9Y0.1O2.95 (BZY), and BaZr0.955Y0.03Co0.015O2.97 (BZYC) in the temperature range from 500 °C to 1000 °C. By comparing the obtained results, a significant difference in sinterability, conductivity, and the isotopic effect was observed due to the co-doping of the Co element in the BaZr1−xYxO3-α proton conductor.
Dyslipidaemia leads to proatherogenic oxidative lipid stress that promotes vascular inflammation and thrombosis, the pathologies that underpin myocardial infarction, stroke, and deep vein thrombosis. ...These prothrombotic states are driven, at least in part, by platelet hyperactivity, and they are concurrent with the appearancxe of oxidatively modified low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in the circulation. Modified LDL are heterogenous in nature but, in a general sense, constitute a prototype circulating transporter for a plethora of oxidised lipid epitopes that act as danger-associated molecular patterns. It is well-established that oxidatively modified LDL promote platelet activation and arterial thrombosis through a number of constitutively expressed scavenger receptors, which transduce atherogenic lipid stress to a complex array of proactivatory signalling pathways in the platelets. Stimulation of these signalling events underlie the ability of modified LDL to induce platelet activation and blunt platelet inhibitory pathways, as well as promote platelet-mediated coagulation. Accumulating evidence from patients at risk of arterial thrombosis and experimental animal models of disease suggest that oxidised LDL represents a tangible link between the dyslipidaemic environment and increased platelet activation. The aim of this review is to summarise recent advances in our understanding of the pro-thrombotic signalling events induced in platelets by modified LDL ligation, describe the contribution of individual platelet scavenger receptors, and highlight potential future challenges of targeting these pathways.
Limited number of literature studies looked at the link between uncertainty and oil price volatility. However, the asymmetric relationship regarding this nexus remains relatively unexplored area in ...the literature. In this paper, we adopt asymmetric analysis for the uncertainty-oil price nexus, via employing the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model (NARDL) of Shin et al. (2014). We utilize three uncertainty indices; economic policy uncertainty, global geopolitical risk, and world uncertainty. The paper finds evidence of long-run relationship (cointegration), using monthly data from 1990 to 2020. The NARDL findings show long-run asymmetric effect of economic policy uncertainty and global geopolitical risk on WTI oil prices, however, asymmetric short-run effect was documented for global geopolitical risk only. The empirical inferences highlight that economic policy uncertainty and global geopolitical risk are more suitable and proper indices for analyzing the impact of uncertainty on oil price volatility.
•We examine how uncertainty indices affect asymmetrically WTI oil prices.•We apply the NARDL model of Shin et al. (2014).•We find long-run asymmetric effect of economic policy uncertainty and global geopolitical risk.•Asymmetric short-run effect was documented for global geopolitical risk only.
Salinity is a key worldwide ecological restriction to sustainable crop production and food security. Various methods were used for inducing salinity tolerance including biotechnological approaches or ...application of stress tolerance-inducing substances. Silicon supplementation has a decisive role in alleviating of salinity injury, however, the definite mechanisms behind stay scantily understood, and must be examined. The imperative roles of sodium metasilicate (Si, 100 ppm) application methods (foliar spraying at 100 mg/l; soil additive at 100 mg/kg soil; foliar spraying at 100 mg/l plus soil additive at 100 mg/kg soil), in improving growth and essential oil yield, maintaining water status, activating antioxidant system, and keeping ion homeostasis of salt affected-sweet basil (6000 mg NaCl/kg soil) were studied. Salinity induced a notable increase in oxidative biomarkers, coupled with higher osmolyte concentration and osmotic potential (OP) values, as well as increased superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities. Alternatively, sweet basil growth, essential oil yield, and catalase activity were reduced under salinity. Furthermore, salinity aggravated ion imbalance, decreased photosynthetic pigment and disrupted the plants' water status. Silicon application drastically increased osmolyte accumulation associated with sustained water status, increased OP, and improved osmotic adjustment (OA) capacity. Additionally, Si application enhanced antioxidant aptitude associated with decreased oxidative biomarkers and improved growth, photosynthetic pigment, and essential oil yield. Greater outcomes were achieved with the foliar spraying method, compared with other application methods. Salinity stress evoked modification in protein assimilation capacity and possibly will withdraw protein biosynthesis and reduce total protein band number; however, Si application may adjust the expression of salinity inducible proteins. Foliar spraying of Si with or without soil additive accelerates the expression of peroxidase isozyme over salinized or control plants. Collectively, Si foliar spraying alleviated salinity-related injuries on sweet basil by maintaining water status, increasing osmolyte assimilation, improving OA, enhancing redox homeostasis, and antioxidant capacity.
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•Salinity evoked the over-production of reactive oxygen species.•Application of silicon up regulate antioxidant capacity and maintained water status.•Application of silicon maintain redox status and ion homeostasis on plant cells.•Si activated isozymes through induces the encoding genes of peroxidase enzyme.•Si adjust the expression of salinity inducible proteins and encouraged definite polypeptides assimilation.
Tritium (T) distributions in yttrium (Y) and cobalt (Co) doped barium-zirconates (BaZrO3) were visualized by imaging plate (IP) technique using HT gas (T/H = 10−4, ∼1.3 kPa) under various exposure ...temperatures (623 to 1273 K) and exposure times (5 min to 16 h). Two types of specimens, BaZr0.9Y0.1O3-α (BZY) and BaZr0.955Y0.03Co0.015O3-α (BZYC), were prepared with conventional powder metallurgy: disk-shaped specimens were obtained with more than 97% of the theoretical densities. With IP method, uniform tritium distribution was found on the surface of both T-exposed specimens. The T distributions of the cross sections of the cut-in-half specimens were also examined with IP, which showed that more T was diffused into BZYC compared to BZY. The diffusivities of T and hydrogen solubility were determined by the T concentration profiles for the BZY and BZYC samples at different exposure conditions. Almost one order higher solubility and diffusivity for BZYC than BZY was found. It suggests that only a small amount sintering-aid cobalt doping along with yttrium may play a vital role of enhancement of electrochemical activity of the proton conducting BaZrO3 under HT exposure condition.
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•Hydrogen distributions in the Y- and Co-doped BaZrO3 (BZY & BZYC) were visualized using tritium imaging plate.•Uniform tritium distribution was observed both surface and inside of Co containing BZYC even for short time exposures.•Tritium is somewhat hard to diffuse inside the BZY without Co even for high temperature and longtime exposures.•One order higher hydrogen (H) solubility and diffusivity were found for BZYC compared to BZY.•Low activation energy along with higher H solubility & diffusivity of BZYC makes favorable for electrochemical devices.
A performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) methodology was developed at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center. The method is based on explicit determination of performance, ...e.g., monetary losses, in a probabilistic manner where uncertainties in earthquake ground motion, structural response, damage, and losses are explicitly considered. There is an increasing trend towards use of probabilistic performance-based design (PPBD) methods in practice. Therefore, the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib) initiated a task group to disseminate PPBD methods. This article is a contribution to this task group summarizing and demonstrating the PEER PBEE methodology in a useful manner to practicing engineers.
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•Importance of fluorescent materials in fingerprint, and anti-counterfeiting.•Significance of surface/substrate in fingermark detection.•Current applied methods for identification of ...latent fingermarks.•Future challenges in enlargement of fluorescent base nanomaterials in detection of fingermarks, and anti-counterfeiting.
This review summarized the applied techniques and applied nanomaterials (NMs) for the progress of latent fingerprints (LFPs) images on several surfaces. Used numerous types of NMs and their benefits along with their quality of the LFPs images on the porous and non-porous substrates. Several conventional techniques used for the examining of FPs pictures such as physical (powder dusting), chemical (cyanoacrylate, ninhydrin, AgNO3, fluorescent dye, etc.), and instrumental (gas chromatography, Raman scattering, Fourier transform infrared, etc.) have been discussed and gradually compromised their disadvantage in the current forensic science demand such as high contrast, good visualization, high sensitivity & selectivity, minimized auto-fluorescent, and low toxicity. The benefits and experimental results conducted by the researchers on various kinds of metal, metal oxides, plasmonic NPs, fluorescent NPs (conjugated polymer NPs, quantum dots(QDs), nonmetallic NPs, mesoporous silica NPs, and lanthanide (Ln3+) NPs, etc.) for the expansion of LFPs images on dissimilar surfaces. Despite the use of NPs in forensic sciences for the detection of LFPs pictures, the main emphasis is on luminescent Ln3+-NPs/ upconversion (UC) NPs. These luminescent Ln3+NPs/ UCNPs can produce more contrast, high visible, highly sensitive, selective, long-life decay imaging pictures of LFPs on different substrates (porous and non-porous) with minimized toxicity, which is lacking in most of the traditional fluorescent NMs. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive a systematic overview of current trends on LFPs imaging development in forensic sciences. Currently, more studies are required to develop the most efficient, high-performance, surface-functionalized, highly biocompatible, and nontoxic Ln3+ NPs/ UCNPs for the recognition of LFPs images on different surfaces.
The poultry industry contributes significantly to bridging the nutritional gap in many countries because of its meat and eggs products rich in protein and valuable nutrients at a cost less than other ...animal meat sources. The natural antibiotics alternatives including probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotics, organic acids, essential oils, enzymes, immunostimulants, and phytogenic (phytobiotic) including herbs, botanicals, essential oils, and oleoresins are the most common feed additives that acquire popularity in poultry industry following the ban of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs). They are commonly used worldwide because of their unique properties and positive impact on poultry production. They can be easily mixed with other feed ingredients, have no tissue residues, improve feed intake, feed gain, feed conversion rate, improve bird immunity, improve digestion, increase nutrients availability as well as absorbability, have antimicrobial effects, do not affect carcass characters, decrease the usage of antibiotics, acts as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, compete for stress factors and provide healthy organic products for human consumption. Therefore, the current review focuses on a comprehensive description of different natural antibiotic growth promoters’ alternatives, the mode of their action, and their impacts on poultry production.
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