Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) is used in biomedical applications due to its high wear-resistance, ductility, and biocompatibility. A great deal of research in recent decades has ...focused on further improving its mechanical and tribological performances in order to provide durable implants in patients. Several methods, including irradiation, surface modifications, and reinforcements have been employed to improve the tribological and mechanical performance of UHMWPE. The effect of these modifications on tribological and mechanical performance was discussed in this review.
Cotton-wheat cropping system contributes significantly to Pakistan's food security and economy. However, the system productivity is low because of soil degrading tillage, irrational use of ...irrigation, and potassium which delay cotton maturity and affect succeeding wheat crop. Conservation tillage (MT) with appropriate irrigation and potassium may improve the system's productivity and stability. Experiments were conducted at Gomal University, Pakistan. Treatments included tillage (conventional (CT) and conservation tillage (MT)) and three irrigation intervals viz. 5, 4, and 3 weeks for cotton in first year, while in second year tillage was same and best irrigation interval observed in first year was kept constant. In second year besides tillage, potassium (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg K ha
−1
) was included in cotton. For succeeding wheat, treatments were tillage (MT & CT) and six irrigations applied at crown root initiation, tillering, jointing, booting, 50% spike emergence, milk and dough stage. Results revealed that MT was better than CT regarding yield and net economic return. Five-week irrigation interval increased yield, improved fiber quality, and caused earlier cotton maturity. 150 kg K ha
−1
produced higher net return and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) for cotton under MT than CT. Wheat grown with MT produced higher yield, net return, and BCR when irrigated 4 times at jointing, booting, 50% spike emergence, milk and dough stage. MT accumulated more soil organic matter and total soil N than CT. The results suggest that MT with appropriate irrigation and potassium can improve cotton-wheat system productivity and economics besides conservation of resources.
Deep Learning (DL) algorithms enabled computational models consist of multiple processing layers that represent data with multiple levels of abstraction. In recent years, usage of deep learning is ...rapidly proliferating in almost every domain, especially in medical image processing, medical image analysis, and bioinformatics. Consequently, deep learning has dramatically changed and improved the means of recognition, prediction, and diagnosis effectively in numerous areas of healthcare such as pathology, brain tumor, lung cancer, abdomen, cardiac, and retina. Considering the wide range of applications of deep learning, the objective of this article is to review major deep learning concepts pertinent to brain tumor analysis (e.g., segmentation, classification, prediction, evaluation.). A review conducted by summarizing a large number of scientific contributions to the field (i.e., deep learning in brain tumor analysis) is presented in this study. A coherent taxonomy of research landscape from the literature has also been mapped, and the major aspects of this emerging field have been discussed and analyzed. A critical discussion section to show the limitations of deep learning techniques has been included at the end to elaborate open research challenges and directions for future work in this emergent area.
Tetramethyl thiuram disulfide (thiram) is one of the important pesticides, which is extensively used in agriculture, but if it is combined with the cell membrane, then it causes membrane damage, bone ...morphogenic inactivation, and inhibited angiogenesis. Thiram has been considered a common cause of tibial dyschondrolplasia (TD) in various avian species, because it becomes the part of feed due to environmental contamination and its overuse in agriculture as pesticides or fungicide. However, there is no systematic study on the changes of the correlation indexes with toxic effect of the thiram in chickens. Therefore, we evaluated the toxic effects of thiram on growth performance of chickens, viscera organ index, pathological changes in tissue, and gene expression associated with osteoblast differentiation, vascularization, and tibial bone development. For this study, 1-day chickens (
n
= 300) were randomly distributed into two equal groups, control group (normal basal diet) and thiram group (adding thiram 40 mg/kg in basal diet). The result presented that thiram group chickens were looking unhealthy, lazy, and showing clinical symptoms like lameness. Thiram treatment significantly reduced the performance of chickens, liver index, and tibial length compared with control group. The toxic effect of thiram increased the visceral organ index (spleen and cardiac), tibia index, and TD severity considerably. It also increased serum Ca
2+
and P
3+
concentration and decreased tibial density compared to control chickens but the difference was not significant. Histopathology of tibia and liver showed that there were severe lesions due to toxic effect of thiram. Furthermore, HIF-1α and VEGF antibody localizations were increased and WNT4 localization was reduced significantly in immunohistochemical analysis. This systemic study of toxic effects of thiram in chicken concluded that thiram reduced the growth performance of chickens through decreasing liver index, whereas increasing kidney, cardiac, and spleen index, and induced TD by changing the expressions of VEGF, HIF-1α, and WNT4.
Density functional theory (DFT) simulations are performed to explore the physical features of Dy2MgS4 and Er2MgS4. Local density approximation with Hubbard potential (LDA + U) functional is utilized ...to examine the magnetic and electronic features. Half metallic ferromagnetic (HMF) behavior is confirmed by the spin‐resolved density of states (DOS) and band structure (BS) plots. Spin‐resolved BS and DOS show that Dy2MgS4 and Er2MgS4 for spin‐down are metallic, whereas both compounds in spin‐up show semiconductor nature with the bandgaps of 1.731 and 3.081 eV for Dy2MgS4 and Er2MgS4, correspondingly. Both compounds also feature exchange energies and crystal field splitting, indicating the magnetic characteristics. The estimated magnetic moments of X2MgS4 (X = Dy, Er) are 20μB and 12μB, correspondingly, also revealed by spin‐polarized magnetic density. Optical properties such as refractive index n(ω), absorption coefficient α(ω), dielectric constant ε(ω)$\epsilon \left(\right. \omega \left.\right)$, reflectivity R(ω)$\omega \left.\right)$, extinction coefficient k(ω), and optical conductivity σ(ω) are also explored. The optical bandgaps for MgX2S4 (X = Dy, Er) are 1.70 and 1.51 eV, respectively; it shows that both are transparent to visible light. Results indicate that both materials can be suitable for spintronic and solar‐cell usage.
Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to explore the physical features of Dy2MgS4 and Er2MgS4. Density of states and band structure show that both compounds are metallic for spin down, whereas semiconductor in spin up. The estimated exchange energies and crystal field splitting indicate magnetic characteristics. The estimated magnetic moments are also revealed by spin‐polarized magnetic density. Results indicate that both materials are suitable for spintronic and solar‐cell usage.
Flexible photonic devices based on soft polymers enable real-time sensing of environmental conditions in various industrial applications. A myriad of fabrication techniques have been established for ...producing optical devices, including photo and electron-beam lithography, nano/femtosecond laser writing, and surface imprinting or embossing. However, among these techniques, surface imprinting/embossing is simple, scalable, convenient to implement, can produce nanoscale resolutions, and is cost-effective. Herein, we utilize the surface imprinting method to replicate rigid micro/nanostructures onto a commonly available PDMS substrate, enabling the transfer of rigid nanostructures into flexible forms for sensing at a nanometric scale. The sensing nanopatterned sheets were mechanically extended, and the extension was remotely monitored via optical methods. Monochromatic light (450, 532, and 650 nm) was transmitted through the imprinted sensor under various force/stress levels. The optical response was recorded on an image screen and correlated with the strain created by the applied stress levels. The optical response was obtained in diffraction pattern form from the flexible grating-based sensor and in an optical-diffusion field form from the diffuser-based sensor. The calculated Young's modulus in response to the applied stress, measured through the novel optical method, was found in a reasonable range compared to the reported range of PDMS (360-870 kPa) in the literature.
Rapid and reliable flood information is crucial for minimizing post-event catastrophes in the complex river basins of the world. The Chenab River basin is one of the complex river basins of the ...world, facing adverse hydrometeorological conditions with unpredictable hydrologic response. Resultantly, many vicinities along the river undergo destructive inundation, resulting in huge life and economic losses. In this study, Hydrologic Engineering Centre–Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) and HEC–River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) models were used for flood forecasting and inundation modeling of the Chenab River basin. The HEC-HMS model was used for peak flow simulation of 2014 flood event using Global Precipitation Mission (GMP) Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals-Final (IMERG-F), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission_Real Time (TRMM_3B42RT), and Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation_Near Real Time (GSMaP_NRT) precipitation products. The calibration and validation of the HEC-RAS model were carried out for flood events of 1992 and 2014, respectively. The comparison of observed and simulated flow at the outlet indicated that IMERG-F has good peak flow simulation results. The simulated inundation extent revealed an overall accuracy of more than 90% when compared with satellite imagery. The HEC-RAS model performed well at Manning’s n of 0.06 for the river and the floodplain. From the results, it can be concluded that remote sensing integrated with HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS models could be one of the workable solutions for flood forecasting, inundation modeling, and early warning. The concept of integrated flood management (IFM) has also been translated into practical implementation for joint Indo-Pak management for flood mitigation in the transboundary Chenab River basin.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a renewable energy source rapidly approaching commercial viability. The performance is significantly affected by the transfer of fluid, charges, and ...heat; gas diffusion layer (GDL) is primarily concerned with the consistent transfer of these components, which are heavily influenced by the material and design. High-efficiency GDL must have excellent thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, permeability, corrosion resistance, and high mechanical characteristics. The first step in creating a high-performance GDL is selecting the appropriate material. Therefore, titanium is a suitable substitute for steel or carbon due to its high strength-to-weight and superior corrosion resistance. The second crucial parameter is the fabrication method that governs all the properties. This review seeks to comprehend numerous fabrication methods such as tape casting, 3D printing, freeze casting, phase separation technique, and lithography, along with the porosity controller in each process such as partial sintering, input design, ice structure, pore agent, etching time, and mask width. Moreover, other GDL properties are being studied, including microstructure and morphology. In the future, GeoDict simulation is highly recommended for optimizing various GDL properties, as it is frequently used for other porous materials. The approach can save time and energy compared to intensive experimental work.
In this study, microwave hybrid sintering and conventional sintering of Al2O3‐ and Al2O3/ZrO2‐laminated structures fabricated via aqueous tape casting were investigated. A combination of process ...temperature control rings and thermocouples was used to measure the sample surface temperatures more accurately. Microwave hybrid sintering caused higher densification and resulted in higher hardness in Al2O3 and Al2O3/ZrO2 than in their conventionally sintered counterparts. The flexural strength of microwave‐hybrid‐sintered Al2O3/ZrO2 was 70.9% higher than that of the conventionally sintered composite, despite a lower sintering temperature. The fracture toughness of the microwave‐hybrid‐sintered Al2O3 increased remarkably by 107.8% despite a decrease in the relative density when only 3 wt.% t‐ZrO2 was added. The fracture toughness of the microwave‐hybrid‐sintered Al2O3/ZrO2 was significantly higher (247.7%) than that of the conventionally sintered composite. A higher particle coordination and voids elimination due to the tape casting and the lamination processes, the microwave effect, the stress‐induced martensitic phase transformation, and the grain refinement phenomenon are regarded as the main reasons for the mentioned outcomes.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity and safety of bacterias with probiotic potential isolated from free-ranging Tibetan yaks in high altitude regions of Tibet. For ...this purpose, one
strain (named P1) and two
and
strains (named LY1 and LY2), respectively, were isolated from fecal samples of Tibetan yaks. The antibacterial activity of the isolates was studied using
(
ATCC 25922),
(
ATCC 26112), and
as indicator pathogens. The results showed that LY1 had high antibacterial efficacy against
and
, while P1 had the most powerful bacteriostatic ability against
. PCR amplification showed that all the isolated strains were positive for
(enterocin P-like bacteriocin) and exhibited a high tolerance to bile and low pH. Moreover, the safety of P1, LY1, and LY2 was determined through antibiotic resistance experiments, resistance gene testing, and hemolytic analysis while the antibacterial activity was assessed by
and
experiments. The LY2 strain was abandoned as a potential probiotic due to the detection of the
gene. The mice were fed from days 1 to 30 in six groups, the P1-1 (gavaged with P1 1 × 10
CFU/day), P1-2 (gavaged with P1 1 × 10
CFU/day), LY1-1 (gavaged with LY1 1 × 10
CFU/day), LY1-2 (gavaged with LY1 1 × 10
CFU/day), control (gavaged with an equal volume of vehicle), and blank control (gavaged with an equal volume of vehicle) groups. After 30 days, mice in the P1-1, P1-2, LY1-1, LY1-2, and control groups were intraperitoneal challenged with 1 × 10
CFU of
(
= 10) in the abdomen. After 2 days of infection, the mice in the control group showed more severe damage in the liver, spleen and intestine than the mice in the P1-2 and LY1-2 groups. The mice in the P1-2 and LY1-2 groups had lower rates of diarrhea and mortality than other groups. In conclusion, bacteria with probiotic potential isolated from yaks may possibly be effective and safe antibacterial substances, providing a new treatment method to reduce the incidence of diarrhea associated with bacterial diseases in yaks.
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