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Correlation of microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior in a Ni34Co28Cr28Al10 multi-principal element alloy with outstanding corrosion resistance
No full textMicrostructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of a Ni34Co28Cr28Al10 multi-principal element alloy (MPEA) were investigated at different states. The as-cast and aged samples exhibited a primary face-cubic centered (FCC) phase and some B2 phase, wherein the FCC phase contained L12 precipitates and the B2 phase contained body-cubic centered (BCC) precipitates. The homogenized sample displayed a single FCC phase. The as-cast sample exhibited the best combination of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, resulting from multiple strengthening mechanisms, and Al-rich L12 and B2 precipitates which could suppress the transfer of Al atoms to surface leading to increased Cr content in passive film
Obsessed with translation : Bovaristic reading of translated love stories in early twentieth-century China
Get PDFMuch as reading in general can have an impact on reader’s interpretation of reality, reading translated works can similarly be a way of understanding the world, which then leads readers to act upon their newly gained sentiments and ideals. The large number of foreign literary works translated into Chinese at the beginning of the twentieth century had profound influence on Chinese readers’ perception of romance, marriage, and life. Chinese readers were obsessed with reading translated love stories that shed light on the way romantic love was conceived and expressed in the West. They often took what they read in novels like La Dame aux Camélias and Immensee to be principles of love in real life, and some even followed the life paths of the protagonists. This phenomenon can be best contained using the term Bovarysm, defined by Jules de Gaultier as “the human ability to conceive of oneself as other than one is”. Chinese writers actively engaged with translated love stories to create their own literary works, some of which were autobiographical, while others parodied the perceived romantic love found in translated love stories
Supraglottic airway versus tracheal intubation for airway management in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest : a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials
No full textObjectives: Given the uncertainty regarding the optimal approach for airway management for adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the use of supraglottic airways (SGAs) with tracheal intubation for initial airway management in OHCA. Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, as well as unpublished sources, from inception to February 7, 2023. Study Selection: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of adult OHCA patients randomized to SGA compared with tracheal intubation for initial prehospital airway management. Data Extraction: Reviewers screened abstracts, full texts, and extracted data independently and in duplicate. We pooled data using a random-effects model. We used the modified Cochrane risk of bias 2 tool and assessed certainty of evidence using the Grading Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. We preregistered the protocol on PROSPERO (CRD42022342935). Data Synthesis: We included four RCTs (n = 13,412 patients). Compared with tracheal intubation , SGA use probably increases return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (relative risk [RR] 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02–1.15; moderate certainty) and leads to a faster time to airway placement (mean difference 2.5 min less; 95% CI, 1.6–3.4 min less; high certainty). SGA use may have no effect on survival at longest follow-up (RR 1.06; 95% CI, 0.84–1.34; low certainty), has an uncertain effect on survival with good functional outcome (RR 1.11; 95% CI, 0.82–1.50; very low certainty), and may have no effect on risk of aspiration (RR 1.04; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.16; low certainty). Conclusions: In adult patients with OHCA, compared with tracheal intubation, the use of SGA for initial airway management probably leads to more ROSC, and faster time to airway placement, but may have no effect on longer-term survival outcomes or aspiration events
Shortest disjoint paths on a grid
Get PDFThe well-known k-disjoint paths problem involves finding pairwise vertex-disjoint paths between k specified pairs of vertices within a given graph if they exist. In the shortest k-disjoint paths problem one looks for such paths of minimum total length. Despite nearly 50 years of active research on the k-disjoint paths problem, many open problems and complexity gaps still persist. A particularly well-defined scenario, inspired by VLSI design, focuses on infinite rectangular grids where the terminals are placed at arbitrary grid points. While the decision problem in this context remains NP-hard, no prior research has provided any positive results for the optimization version. The main result of this paper is a fixed-parameter tractable (FPT) algorithm for this scenario. It is important to stress that this is the first result achieving the FPT complexity of the shortest disjoint paths problem in any, even very restricted classes of graphs where we do not put any restriction on the placements of the terminals
Composite bioprinted hydrogels containing porous polymer microparticles provide tailorable mechanical properties for 3D cell culture
No full textThe mechanical and architectural properties of the three-dimensional (3D) tissue microenvironment can have large impacts on cellular behavior and phenotype, providing cells with specialized functions dependent on their location. This is especially apparent in macrophage biology where the function of tissue resident macrophages is highly specialized to their location. 3D bioprinting provides a convenient method of fabricating biomaterials that mimic specific tissue architectures. If these printable materials also possess tunable mechanical properties, they would be highly attractive for the study of macrophage behavior in different tissues. Currently, it is difficult to achieve mechanical tunability without sacrificing printability, scaffold porosity, and a loss in cell viability. Here, we have designed composite printable biomaterials composed of traditional hydrogels [nanofibrillar cellulose (cellulose) or methacrylated gelatin (gelMA)] mixed with porous polymeric high internal phase emulsion (polyHIPE) microparticles. By varying the ratio of polyHIPEs to hydrogel, we fabricate composite hydrogels that mimic the mechanical properties of the neural tissue (0.1–0.5 kPa), liver (1 kPa), lungs (5 kPa), and skin (10 kPa) while maintaining good levels of biocompatibility to a macrophage cell line
Stable synchronous propagation of signals by feedforward networks
Get PDFWe analyze the dynamics of networks in which a central pattern generator (CPG) transmits signals along one or more feedforward chains in a synchronous or phase-synchronous manner. Such propagating signals are common in biology, especially in locomotion and peristalsis, and are of interest for continuum robots. We construct such networks as feedforward lifts of the CPG. If the CPG dynamics is periodic, so is the lifted dynamics. Synchrony with the CPG manifests as a standing wave, and a regular phase pattern creates a traveling wave. We discuss Liapunov, asymptotic, and Floquet stability of the lifted periodic orbit and introduce transverse versions of these conditions that imply stability for signals propagating along arbitrarily long chains. We compare these notions to a simpler condition, transverse stability of the synchrony subspace, which is equivalent to Floquet stability when nodes are 1 dimensional
Prediction-based coding with rate control for lossless region of interest in pathology imaging
Get PDFOnline collaborative tools for medical diagnosis produced from digital pathology images have experimented an increase in demand in recent years. Due to the large sizes of pathology images, rate control (RC) techniques that allow an accurate control of compressed file sizes are critical to meet existing bandwidth restrictions while maximizing retrieved image quality. Recently, some RC contributions to Region of Interest (RoI) coding for pathology imaging have been presented. These encode the RoI without loss and the background with some loss, and focus on providing high RC accuracy for the background area. However, none of these RC contributions deal efficiently with arbitrary RoI shapes, which hinders the accuracy of background definition and rate control. This manuscript presents a novel coding system based on prediction with a novel RC algorithm for RoI coding that allows arbitrary RoIs shapes. Compared to other methods of the state of the art, our proposed algorithm significantly improves upon their RC accuracy, while reducing the compressed data rate for the RoI by 30%. Furthermore, it offers higher quality in the reconstructed background areas, which has been linked to better clinical performance by expert pathologists. Finally, the proposed method also allows lossless compression of both the RoI and the background, producing data volumes 14% lower than coding techniques included in DICOM, such as HEVC and JPEG-LS
Climate conscious health equity is essential to achieve climate-resilient digital healthcare
Get PDFThis short communication highlights the role of digital health equity in supporting climate-resilient digital healthcare pathways for global communities experiencing the health crisis exacerbated by climate change and environmental degradation. Specifically, to design digital health responsibly to support climate change adaptation as an inclusive, equitable, human-centered process means acknowledging the interconnectedness of human health and the health of the natural environment. In this process, we recommend a more integrated and participatory approach to the dimensions of ecological and environmental determinants of health and ethical representation of diverse and vulnerable voices
A privacy-preserving querying mechanism with high utility for electric vehicles
Get PDFElectric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more popular due to environmental consciousness. The limited availability of charging stations (CSs), compared to the number of EVs on the road, has led to increased range anxiety and a higher frequency of CS queries during trips. Simultaneously, personal data use for analytics is growing at an unprecedented rate, raising concerns for privacy. One standard for formalising location privacy is geo-indistinguishability as a generalisation of local differential privacy. However, the noise must be tuned properly, considering the implications of potential utility losses. In this paper, we introduce the notion of approximate geo-indistinguishability (AGeoI), which allows EVs to obfuscate their query locations while remaining within their area of interest. It is vital because journeys are often sensitive to a sharp drop in quality of service (QoS). Our method applies AGeoI with dummy data generation to provide two-fold privacy protection for EVs while preserving a high QoS. Analytical insights and experiments demonstrate that the majority of EVs get “privacy-for-free” and that the utility loss caused by the gain in privacy guarantees is minuscule. In addition to providing high QoS, the iterative Bayesian update allows for a private and precise CS occupancy forecast, which is crucial for unforeseen traffic congestion and efficient route planning
Unveiling the performance impact of module level features on parallel-connected lithium-ion cells via explainable machine learning techniques on a full factorial design of experiments
Get PDFParallel string performance imbalances are unavoidable due to manufacturing-related cell-to-cell inhomogeneities (e.g. capacity, internal resistance), suboptimal pack and cooling system design. Understanding the most important features at a single cell and module level influencing the heterogeneity propagation inside the modules/packs is therefore crucial to limiting the phenomenon. In this article, a methodology combining well-established non-invasive single-cell characterisation tests with data-driven modelling tools is proposed. Two batches of twenty new, commercial NMC and NCA cells are first characterised to identify out-of-manufacture internal resistance and capacity distributions. Then, a 54 test condition full-factorial Design of Experiment campaign on four cells ladder-parallel connected modules is performed. The experiments inform about how the cells’ current, State of Charge, temperature distributions and time to self-balance under 0.75C constant current discharge loads are affected by interconnection resistance, operating temperature, different chemistry combination and ageing. The multivariate linear model analysis confirms that combining NMC and NCA cells in parallel is possible both for first and second life applications. Nevertheless, mixing different chemistries and including an aged cell show a detrimental effect on the balanced performance of the module. The application of Explainable Machine Learning techniques such as SHAP, Partial Dependence Plots and Individual Conditional Expectation closes the gap between data-driven models’ interpretability against traditional black box models while maintaining the advantage of capturing highly non-linear control-response relationships. According to the results, the interconnection resistance is the most relevant contributor to heterogeneous performance within the string. In the first and middle phases of the discharge, the distributions of internal resistance and capacity impact the load imbalance across the cells, respectively. Increasing the operating temperature contributes to exacerbate the thermal gradient in the string