Cm Of Distance Research Articles

Optimization of Mechanical Properties Of Electrospun Epoxidized Natural Rubber/ Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ENR/ABS) Fibre For Membrane Application

This study created membrane nanofibres using the electrospinning method and newly studied a mixture of ENR and ABS. The two-level complete factorial designs with centre points were used to characterise the functionality of the constructed membrane. The variables considered for experimental design were the polymer concentration, materials ratio (ENR concentration), applied voltage and distance between the needle tip and collector. According to the analysis of variance (ANOVA), the concentration of solution and distance were statistically significant parameters that affected the tensile properties of the ENR/ABS electrospun membrane. A mathematical model of the tensile property of polymer fibres was created using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). This model was built based on essential process factors. The mechanical properties of the electrospun ENR/ABS membrane compromised with 25wt% of solution concentration, 30% ratio of ENR, the voltage at 22.5kV and 15 cm of distance create an excellent tensile strength with desirability of 0.94. The influence of ENR on the morphology of ENR/ABS fibres was characterised by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The result showed beaded fibre and decreased fibres due to the low concentration of the solution and high ratio of ENR (50%). The contact angle measurements indicated that the electrospun fibre membrane was hydrophobic with a water contact angle of 136°. The addition of ENR showed a reduction in contact angle to 119°. The existence of ENR will change the features of the membrane, and investigations have demonstrated that RSM has been efficiently developed to acquire the interaction effects of processing parameters.

Advancing sanitary surveillance: Innovating a live-feed sewer monitoring framework for effective water level and chamber cover detections

Efficient sanitation system management relies on vigilant sewage surveillance to uphold environmental hygiene. The absence of robust monitoring infrastructure jeopardizes unimpeded conduit flow, leading to floods and contamination. The accumulation of harmful gases in sewer chambers, coupled with tampered lids, compounds sewer network challenges, resulting in structural damage, disruptions, and safety risks from accidents and gas inhalation. Notably, even vehicular transit is vulnerable, facing collisions due to inadequately secured manholes. The core objective of this research was to deconstruct and synthesize a prototype blueprint for a live-feed sewer monitoring framework (LSMF). This involves creating a data gathering nexus (DGN) and empirically assessing diverse wireless sensing implements (WSI) for precision. Simultaneously, a geographic information matrix (GIM) was developed with algorithms to detect sewer surges, blockages, and missing manhole covers. Three scrutinized sensors—the LiDar TF-Luna, laser TOF400 VL53L1X, and ultrasonic JSN-SR04T—were evaluated for their ability to measure water levels in sewer vaults. The results showed that the TF-Luna LiDar sensor performed favorably within the 1.0–5.0 m range, with a standard deviation of 0.44–1.15. The TOF400 laser sensor ranked second, with a more variable standard deviation of up to 104 as obstacle distance increased. In contrast, the JSN-SR04T ultrasonic sensor exhibited lower standard deviation but lacked consistency, maintaining readings of 0.22–0.23 m within the 2.0–5.0 m span. The insights from this study provide valuable guidance for sustainable solutions to sewer surveillance challenges. Moreover, employing a logarithmic function, TF-Luna Benewake exhibited reliability at approximately 84.5%, while TOF400 VL53L1X adopted an exponential equation, boasting reliability approaching approximately 89.6%. With this navigational tool, TF-Luna Benewake maintained accuracy within ±10 cm for distances ranging from 8 to 10 m, showcasing its exceptional performance.

Closely Packed Stretchable Ultrasound Array Fabricated with Surface Charge Engineering for Contactless Gesture and Materials Detection.

Communication with hand gestures plays a significant role in human-computer interaction by providing an intuitive and natural way for humans to communicate with machines. Ultrasound-based devices have shown promising results in contactless hand gesture recognition without requiring physical contact. However, it is challenging to fabricate a densely packed wearable ultrasound array. Here, a stretchable ultrasound array is demonstrated with closely packed transducer elements fabricated using surface charge engineering between pre-charged 1-3 Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) composite and thin polyimide film without using a microscope. The array exhibits excellent ultrasound properties with a wide bandwidth (≈57.1%) and high electromechanical coefficient (≈0.75). The ultrasound array can decipher gestures up to 10cm in distance by using a contactless triboelectric module and identify materials from the time constant of the exponentially decaying impedance based on their triboelectric properties by utilizing the electrostatic induction phase. The newly proposed metric of the areal-time constant is material-specific and decreases monotonically from a highly positive human body (1.13 m2s) to negatively charged polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) (0.02 m2s) in the triboelectric series. The capability of the closely packed ultrasound array to detect material along with hand gesture interpretation provides an additional dimension in the next-generation human-robot interaction.

Supercontinuum-based hyperspectral LiDAR for precision laser scanning.

Hyperspectral LiDAR enables non-contact mapping of the 3D surface geometry of an object along with its spectral reflectance signature and has proved to be effective for automated point cloud segmentation in various remote sensing applications. The established hyperspectral LiDAR methods offer a range precision of a few mm to a few cm for distances exceeding several meters. We propose a novel approach to hyperspectral LiDAR scanning based on a supercontinuum (SC) coherently broadened from a 780 nm frequency comb. It provides high precision distance measurements along with target reflectance over the 570-970 nm range of the SC output. The distance measurements are carried out by monitoring the differential phase delay of intermode beat notes generated by direct photodetection, while the backscattered light spectrum is acquired using a commercial CCD spectrometer with 0.16 nm resolution across the 400 nm bandwidth of the SC output. We demonstrate a measurement precision below 0.1 mm for a stand-off range up to 50 m on a diffuse target with around 89% reflectance. The measured relative accuracy as compared to a reference interferometer is on the order of 10-5 for distances up to 50 m. Initial results also indicate spectrum-based material classification within a 3D point cloud using a linear support vector machine. The results highlight the potential of this approach for joint high-precision laser scanning and automated material classification.

Response of Faba Bean (<em>Vicia faba</em> L.) Grain Yield to Biofertilizer Rates and Inter Row Spacings at Kaffa Zone, South Western Ethiopia

Purpose: Soil nutrient depletion and crop management practices are the significant factors affecting faba beans production over the world. Biofertilizers can improve soil fertility and health. Moreover, it adds essential nutrients and improves water retention in the soil. Thus, its use is unquestionable to maintain soil fertility and enhance crop production. Hence, biofertilizer rates and inter-spacings were used to enhance faba bean production. Research Method: The Field trials were performed to determine the response of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) grain yield to bio-fertilizer rates and row spacings in the main growing season in 2019 at Kaffa zone, Southwestern Ethiopia. Factorial combinations of four rates of bio-fertilizer (0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75kg/ha) and three inter-row spacings (30, 40, and 50cm) were carried out in RCBD with three replications. The LSD test was done at α = 0.05 level of probability. Findings: The results of ANOVA presented that the main effect, as well as the interaction effects of biofertilizers and row spacing, have a significant effect on the yield of faba bean. The pods/plants number, hundred seed weight, and HI are mainly affected by biofertilizer rates and row spacings. The combination of 0.75kg/ha of biofertilizer rates and 50cm of space between rows recorded the maximum pods per plant in number, the weight of hundred seeds, grain yield, and harvest index. The highest grain yield (2540±276kg/ ha) was attained with the application of 0.75kg/ha of bio-fertilizer and 50cm of distance between rows, whereas, the lowest (1083.3±117.7kg/ha) was observed from the null treatments and the smaller spacing between rows (30cm). Generally, the significantly maximum yield was obtained because of the maximum rate of bio-fertilizer with the widest inter-row spacing in this experiment. Therefore, inoculation of bio-fertilizer at a dosage of 0.75kg/ha with a row distance of 50cm was found to be optimum for the maximum yield of faba bean in Southwestern Ethiopia and other similar agroecologies. It is further recommended that this result is from only one season at one site and hence this study may be repeated in space and time to reach a concrete recommendation. Research Limitation: Additional authentication and trials across similar agroecology would be essential to make conclusive recommendations since the field trials were directed for sole cropping season and a site. Originality/ Value: This is an organic fertilizer that could be used by farmers and investors in the future, to increase the production of faba bean.

Highly Reliable Time-of-Flight L-Shaped Gesture Recognition System.

Gesture recognition is a field of study that involves recognizing human movements and gestures through sensors. In this paper, a basic gesture recognition system is proposed that uses three Time-of-Flight (TOF) VL53L0X distance sensors positioned in an L-shape able to recognize gesture through cover glass and up to 40 cm of distance. The system is capable of recognizing four basic gestures: swipe right, swipe left, swipe up and swipe down. This system can be applied in various fields such as Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Gaming, Virtual Reality (VR) and Robotics, this paper will focus on the implementation and evaluation of the proposed system. The inspiration for the system is to simplify interaction with medical panel PCs and monitors while improving the hygienic aspect of the same, while taking into consideration data privacy.

Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction of Bioactive Pigments from Spirulina platensis and Electrospinning Ability Assessment.

The first ever nanofibers produced by the electrospinning of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Spirulina platensis extracts are presented in this article. Spirulina platensis extracts were obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using two different solvents: a glucose/glycerol-based natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) and water. Through spectrophotometry analysis, it was possible to determine the pigment yield of the extractions for both extracts: phycocyanin = 3.79 ± 0.05 mg/g of dry biomass (DB); chlorophylls = 0.24 ± 0.05 mg/g DB; carotenoids = 0.13 ± 0.03 mg/g DB for the NADES/Spirulina extracts, and phycocyanin = 0.001 ± 0.0005 mg/g DB; chlorophylls = 0.10 ± 0.05 mg/g DB; carotenoids = 0.20 ± 0.05 mg/g DB for water/Spirulina extracts. Emulsions were formed by mixing the microalgae extracts in PVA (9%, w/v) at different concentrations: 5, 20, 40, and 50% (v/v). Electrospinning was carried out at the following conditions: 13 cm of distance to collector; 80 kV of applied voltage; and 85 rpm of electrode rotation. After the nanofibers were collected, they were checked under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). ImageJ was also used to determine fiber diameter and frequency. SEM results showed the formation of nanofibers for 5 and 20% (v/v) of NADES/Spirulina extract content in the electrospinning emulsions, presenting diameters of 423.52 ± 142.61 nm and 680.54 ± 271.92 nm, respectively. FTIR confirmed the presence of the NADES extracts in the nanofibers produced. Overall, the nanofibers produced showed promising antioxidant activities, with the NADES/Spirulina- and PVA-based nanofibers displaying the highest antioxidant activity (47%). The highest antimicrobial activity (89.26%) was also obtained by the NADES/Spirulina and PVA nanofibers (20%, v/v). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed positive correlations between both the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the electrospun nanofibers, and extract content in the emulsions. Moreover, PCA also indicated positive correlations between the viscosity and conductivity of the emulsions and the diameter of the nanofibers produced.

Performance, Modeling, and Cost Analysis of Chemical Coagulation-Assisted Solar Powered Electrocoagulation Treatment System for Pharmaceutical Wastewater

The combination of the chemical coagulation-assisted electrocoagulation (CC-EC) process with a solar photovoltaic energy source has attracted increasing attention for the efficient removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from pharmaceutical wastewater. In this paper, the CC-EC process has been utilized as an alternative to conventional chemical processes for the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater. The effects of the various operating parameters, such as coagulant dosage, coagulant type, number of electrodes, the distance between electrodes, electrode configuration, operating time, and current density, on COD removal efficiency were investigated. The results indicated that the optimum conditions were achieved at 500 mg/L of alum dosage, 3.105 mA/cm2 of current density, six electrodes with a distance of 4 cm between electrodes, and the MP-S electrode configuration, where the operating cost of conventional energy was 0.283 $/m3. Indeed, by using the CC process alone, the COD removal efficiency was 26% and 61.5% at the optimal dosages of 750 mg/L of NaOH and 500 mg/L of alum, respectively. In the CC-EC treatment, the removal efficiencies of COD were 88.7, 92.9, 94.4, and 89.4% using six electrodes, 2 cm of distance between electrodes, MP-S electrode configuration, and 20 min with 1.553 mA/cm2 of current density, respectively. The removal efficiencies of COD achieved through CC, EC, and CC-EC processes were 61.5, 85.4, and 94.4%, respectively.

Performance evaluation of a novel adjustable lampshade-type reflector (ALR) in indoor farming practice using choy sum (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis).

The retrieval of lost light energy for promoting vegetable development could be a challenge in indoor farming practice, yet little is attempted so far. In this study, the performance of a novel adjustable lampshade-type reflector (ALR) was investigated to evaluate the feasibility of applying such a device in indoor farm racks (IFR). This application targeted at reflecting stray light back to the IFR for improving the growth and quality of leafy vegetable choy sum (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis). The optimal configuration of ALR was firstly confirmed via simulations using TracePro software. The combination of an included angle at 32° and a reflective board width of 10 cm, under 12 cm of distance between the light sources and the germination tray surface, was revealed to achieve a cost-optimal reflective effect. The simulation-based ALR was subsequently custom-built for actual performance validation. It was shown to effectively produce uniform distributions of temperature, relative humidity, and photosynthetic photon flux density as well as to accumulate more photosynthetic photon energy density along the cultivation shelf. Compared with the control where no ALR was used, the fresh weight and the dry weight of choy sum shoots cultivated using an ALR were increased by up to 14% and 18%, respectively. In addition, their morphological traits were found to be more uniform. Furthermore, their total carotenoid level was enhanced by up to 45%, while the chlorophyll b level was markedly decreased. However, no statistically significant difference was found in total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity across the shelf, indicating that the ALR application led to a more uniform antioxidant-related quality of choy sum shoot. ALR application in IFR can thus effectively boost vegetable production and result in quality improvements under an identical amount of electricity consumption in indoor farming compared with ALR-free control.

Non-intrusive Anomaly Detection of Industrial Robot Operations by Exploiting Nonlinear Effect

With the development of Internet of Robotic Things concept, low-cost radio technologies open up many opportunities to facilitate the monitoring system of industrial robots, while the openness of wireless medium exposes robots to replay and man-in-the-middle attackers, who send pre-recorded movement data to mislead the system. Recent advances advocate the use of high-resolution sensors to monitor robot operations, which however require invasive retrofit to the robots. To overcome this predicament, we present RobotScatter, a non-intrusive system that exploits the nonlinear effect of RF circuits to fuse the propagation of backscatter tags attached to the robot to defend against active attacks. Specifically, the backscatter propagation interacted by the tags significantly depends on various movement operations, which can be captured with the nonlinearity at the receiver to uniquely determine its identity and the spatial movement trajectory. RobotScatter then profiles the robot movements to verify whether the received movement information matches the backscatter signatures, and thus detects the threat. We implement RobotScatter on two common robotic platforms, Universal Robot and iRobot Create, with over 1,500 operation cycles. The experiment results show that RobotScatter detects up to 94% of anomalies against small movement deviations of 10mm/s in velocity, and 2.6cm in distance.

Application of High Precision Mining for Optimising Load and Haul Operations at Kansanshi Mine, Zambia

Mining of copper and gold at Kansanshi is done in the Main and North West pits using hydraulic excavators and a mining fleet of haul trucks. In the recent past, there has been reduced truck deployment, increased truck and shovel waiting time, reduced production and reduced grade/quality of ore delivered to crushers. Therefore, there is need to improve productivity and optimise operations in mining, loading and hauling. This paper focuses on the use of High Precision Mining (HPM) through use of Wenco’s dispatching algorithm to achieve the best utilisation of all mining equipment and maximise production. The study involved establishing the precise bucket positioning, production rates, cycle times and monitoring the material type and quality /grade of ore delivered to the crushers. This was done by using BenchManager which relies on the motion of the Global positioning System (GPS) antenna scribing an arc as the excavator is rotated to determine the equipment’s centre of rotation by placing the bucket with the teeth flat on the ground (anywhere) and taking the rover and measuring left and right tooth on the outside of the teeth and taking note of the coordinates, first eastings then northings and lastly the elevation. With the tolerance of X=0.5m, Y=0.5m and Z=0.5m, it was noted that the events of a bucket mining out of the assigned polygon were reduced to about 50cm in distance from 34% to 15% and from 10% to 8% in terms of mismatches. The use of precision mining has led to reduced mining cost of about 10.3$/BCM, improved fleet/production reporting, high grade of the material delivered to the crushers of about 75% from the previous 65%. These results indicate that there is a strong business case for implementation of a Wenco fleet monitoring and dispatch system at the mine

Application of Atmospheric‐Air Plasma on Polyhydroxybutirate Solution – Evaluation of Promoted Changes on the Casted Film Surface and Nanoparticles Production

AbstractPolyhydroxybutirate (PHB) is a very promising biopolymer once it can be used as an eco‐friendly substitute to some synthetic polymers. In this work, PHB solutions are prepared by casting using chloroform as solvent. The solution is modified by plasma treatment using a commercial atmospheric‐air plasma‐jet system (PlasmaPen TM; PVA TePla America), feed with ambient air compressed under 7 bar, operating with a fixed potency of 150 W, receiving 220 VAC (60 Hz, 2 A) as an input, having a plasma plume with a length of 1.2–1.5 cm and a diameter of ≈0.5–0.6 cm. The PHB solution (PHB not treated or PHB‐NT) is treated for 1 min, with 5 cm of distance between the solution surface and the output of the equipment in order to promote local precipitation of PHB. The resulting solutions are used to produce PHB treated films named as PHB‐T. The PHB‐NT and PHB‐T films surface are analyzed through contact angle measurements, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier‐Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results point to changes in reduction of PHB crystallinity and increase in surface roughness of the PHB‐T film caused by the presence of the circular crystalline regions that can be an indicator of possible PHB nanoparticles production.

Toxoplasma gondii Dissemination in the Brain Is Facilitated by Infiltrating Peripheral Immune Cells.

Despite recent advances in our understanding of pathogenic access to the central nervous system (CNS), the mechanisms by which intracellular pathogens disseminate within the dense cellular network of neural tissue remain poorly understood. To address this issue, longitudinal analysis of Toxoplasma gondii dissemination in the brain was conducted using 2-photon imaging through a cranial window in living mice that transgenically express enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP)-claudin-5. Extracellular T. gondii parasites were observed migrating slowly (1.37 ± 1.28 μm/min) and with low displacement within the brain. In contrast, a population of highly motile infected cells transported vacuoles of T. gondii significantly faster (6.30 ± 3.09 μm/min) and with a higher displacement than free parasites. Detailed analysis of microglial dynamics using CX3CR1-GFP mice revealed that T. gondii-infected microglia remained stationary, and infection did not increase the extension/retraction of microglial processes. The role of infiltrating immune cells in shuttling T. gondii was examined by labeling of peripheral hematopoietic cells with anti-CD45 antibody. Infected CD45+ cells were found crawling along the CNS vessel walls and trafficked T. gondii within the brain parenchyma at significantly higher speeds (3.35 ± 1.70 μm/min) than extracellular tachyzoites. Collectively, these findings highlight a dual role for immune cells in neuroprotection and in facilitating parasite dissemination within the brain. IMPORTANCE T. gondii is a foodborne parasite that infects the brain and can cause fatal encephalitis in immunocompromised individuals. However, there is a limited understanding of how the parasites disseminate through the brain and evade immune clearance. We utilized intravital imaging to visualize extracellular T. gondii tachyzoites and infected cells migrating within the infected mouse brain during acute infection. The infection of motile immune cells infiltrating the brain from the periphery significantly increased the dissemination of T. gondii in the brain compared to that of free parasites migrating using their own motility: the speed and displacement of these infected cells would enable them to cover nearly 1 cm of distance per day! Among the infiltrating cells, T. gondii predominantly infected monocytes and CD8+ T cells, indicating that the parasite can hijack immune cells that are critical for controlling the infection in order to enhance their dissemination within the brain.

Optimization of process parameters for fabrication of electrospun nanofibers containing neomycin sulfate and Malva sylvestris extract for a better diabetic wound healing

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most concerning conditions, and its chronic consequences are almost always accompanied by infection, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Reducing excessive reactive oxygen species and the wound’s inflammatory response is a necessary treatment during the acute inflammatory phase of diabetic wound healing. Malva sylvestris extract (MS) containing nanofibers containing neomycin sulfate (NS) were synthesized for this investigation, and their impact on the healing process of diabetic wounds was assessed. Using Design Expert, the electrospinning process for the fabrication of NS nanofibers (NS-NF) was adjusted for applied voltage (X 1), the distance between the needle’s tip and the collector (X 2), and the feed rate (X 3) for attaining desired entrapment efficacy [EE] and average nanofiber diameter (ND). The optimal formulation can be prepared with 19.11 kV of voltage, 20 cm of distance, and a flow rate of 0.502 mL/h utilizing the desirability approach. All the selected parameters and responses have their impact on drug delivery from nanofibers. In addition, M. sylvestris extracts have been added into the optimal formulation [MS-NS-NF] and assessed for their surface morphology, tensile strength, water absorption potential, and in vitro drug release studies. The NS and MS delivery from MS-NS-NF has been extended for more than 60 h. M. sylvestris-loaded nanofibers demonstrated superior antibacterial activity compared to plain NS nanofibers. The scaffolds featured a broad aspect and a highly linked porous fibrous network structure. Histomorphometry study and the in vitro scratch assay demonstrate the formulation’s efficacy in treating diabetic wound healing. The cells treated with MS-NS-NF in vivo demonstrated that wound dressings successfully reduced both acute and chronic inflammations. To improve the healing of diabetic wounds, MS-NS-NF may be regarded as an appropriate candidate for wound dressing.

Validation of Monte Carlo multithreading TOpas 3.6 software in order to simulate the 6 MV Elekta Synergy MLCi2 platform linac.

Monte Carlo simulation is generally appreciated as an extraordinary technique to investigate particle physics processes and interactions in nuclear medicine and Radiation Therapy. The present task validates a new methodology of Monte Carlo simulation based on the Multithreading technique to reduce CPU time to simulate a 6 MV photon beam provided by the Elekta Synergy MLCi2 platform medical linear accelerator treatment head utilizing TOpas version 3.6 Monte Carlo software and the Slurm Marwan cluster. The simulation includes the linear accelerator (LINAC) major components. Calculations are performed for the photon beam with several treatment field sizes varying from 3 × 3 to 10 × 10 cm2 at a 100 cm of distance from the source to the surface of the IBA dosimetry water box. The simulation was wholly approved by comparison with experimental distributions. To evaluate simulation accuracy, gamma index formalism for (2%/2mm) and (3%/2mm) criteria, Distance To Agreement DTA, and the estimator standard error ɛ and ɛ max are used. Good agreement between simulations and measurements was observed for depth doses and lateral dose profiles, respectively. The gamma index comparisons also highlighted this agreement; more than 97% of the points for all simulations satisfy the quality assurance criteria of (2%/2mm). Regarding calculation performance, the event processing speed is faster using Gate-[mp] compared to TOpas-[mt] mode when running the identical simulation code for both. Consequently, according to the achieved results, the proposed methodology shows the first validation of TOpas in radiotherapy linacs simulations and a reduction in calculation time, capping simulation accuracy as much as possible. For this reason, this software is recommended to be serviceable for Treatment Planning Systems (TPS) purposes.

Laser-Induced Ocular Lesions with Thulium Fiber Laser in Endourology: An Ex Vivo Study.

Introduction and Objectives: The thulium fiber (Tm-F) laser is currently studied as an alternative to the holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser, the gold standard for endocorporeal laser lithotripsy. We aimed to evaluate the ex vivo effects of an accidental Tm-F laser exposure on bovine eyes and to test the protective action of different eyeglasses in preventing eye lesions in case of an accident. Methods: A 50-W TFL generator (IPG Photonics®, Russia) with a wavelength of 1940 nm and 200-μm core diameter fibers (CDFs) were used. The laser fiber tip was pointed perpendicularly at different distances (0, 1, 3, 5, 8, and 10 cm, respectively) to the pupil center of the bovine eye. The Tm-F laser was activated for 1 or 3 seconds at three different settings (0.5 J-20 Hz, 1 J-10 Hz, and 2 J-10 Hz, respectively). The experiment was repeated using laser safety glasses and eyeglasses. After lasering, eye samples were immersed in a 0.5% fluorescein serum (Faure-Ciba-Geigy®, Switzerland), then rinsed with saline. White and blue light examination looked for localized epithelial burns (LEBs), extended epithelial burns (EEBs), superficial corneal ulcerations (SCUs), and deep corneal ulcerations (DCUs). Results: A total of 68 bovine eyes were used. Despite the laser settings, both DCU (contact) and SCU (1 cm) developed without eye protection for 1 and 3 seconds of lasering. At the 3-cm fiber-eye distance, only burning lesions were observed. Over 5 cm, no lesion was found. At contact or 1-cm fiber-eye distance, pulse energy did not change the lesion grade, but at 3 cm, high pulse energy led to higher grade corneal lesions (0.5 J-10 Hz:LEB; 1 J-10 Hz:EEB). Despite the fiber-eye distance, no corneal lesions were reported in the laser safety glass or eyeglass group for 1 second of laser exposure. Conclusions: Our study highlights the risk of eye damage caused by Tm-F. Without proper eye protection, the Tm-F laser can cause corneal lesions up to 5 cm in distance with 1 second of exposure despite laser settings. Only dedicated protective eyeglasses are effective for long exposures.

Pengaruh Pola Pelapisan Isolator di Bagian Header Terhadap Temperatur Knalpot Sepeda Motor

The heat of vehicle engine emission is still can be used in order to efficiency effort and thermal polution preventive activity. This research is aimed to get the effect of the insulator coating pattern on the header on the motorcycle exhaust temperature. The reserach is done for Honda Scoopy motorcycle with engine rotation vary as 1000, 1500 and 2000 rpm. Isolator insulation vary for insulation pattern as 0, 1 and 2 cm in distance. The temperatures of exhaust are measured in 4 points measurement with K type thermocouple. The result shows that insulator coating pattern affects the temperature of the exhaust gas heat dissipation exhaust pipe (header) motorcycle exhaust.
 Keywords: header, exhaust, isolator insulation, heat

Experimental Investigation of Governing Parameters in the Electrospinning of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-Starch Scaffolds: Structural Characterization

In this study, for the first time, electrospinning of polyhydroxybutyrate/starch was done and optimized to produce uniform-size and bead-free nanofibers following Taguchi methodology. It was found that main parameters such as type of solvent, applied voltage, solution flow rate and distance from nozzle tip to collector surface play an important role in the characteristics of the obtained nanofibrous morphologies. It was also found out from the main effects that the solvent type (chloroform/dimethylformamide, trifluoroacetic acid) is the most effective factor in the diameter and quality of the fibers. The structure and the average diameter of the fibers were assessed by a scanning electron microscope. The results indicated that all electrospun scaffolds have three-dimensional structures with high interconnected porosity. The optimum levels of factors were determined as follows: 18kV of voltage, 0.75 µL/h of flow rate, 15 cm of distance, and TFA as solvent in order to obtain the thinnest bead-free nanofibers.

Thrower’s shoulder: 3D Experimental evaluation of scapulothoracic dyskinesia by EOS imaging

Objectives:In thrower’s shoulder pathology, scapulothoracic (S) dyskinesia (D) is classified by Kibler in 3 stages. However, the clinical or radiological diagnosis of SD is difficult and not very reproducible. The objective of this study was to evaluate scapular positioning on dry bones using low-dose 3D EOS imaging.Methods:A full-scale dry-bone S model (MODEL) was created which included the 2 scapulae and the thorax. A system of wedges enables adjustment of the right scapula to simulate the 3 stages of SD (MODEL0, MODEL1, MODEL2, MODEL3). Each MODEL was imaged in 7 random positions. The following points were identified by 2 observers: C7, T12, the xiphoid process, the inferomedial angle, the coracoid and the fulcrum. 28 S positioning measurements were taken. Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility were evaluated.Results:The thoracic and scapular points of interest are easily identified except for the fulcrum. The inter- and intra-observer reproducibility of the measurements were 94% and 94% for superior translation, 90% and 87% for protraction, 96% and 96% for anterior tilt, 75% and 86% for internal rotation, and 91% and 91% for lateral rotation. The average difference between the measurements of the 2 observers was -0.1 cm for distances (-3.3; 0.5; +/- 0.5) and -0.3° for angles (-8; 13; +/- 2.8).Conclusion:Bi-planar EOS imaging allows simple reproducible measurement of S positioning on dry bone. It could be used for diagnostic evaluation and quantification of SD. Low irradiation could play a role in the therapeutic follow-up. The potential in clinical use is yet to be confirmed.

Carrageenan as an elicitor of wheat’s mechanisms of defense

Wheat represents an important staple food for human and animal nutrition. However, it constantly suffers from the incidence of biotic and abiotic stresses which reduce yields and kernels quality. The goal with this study was to use the elicitors Acibenzolar-S-Methyl and Carrageenan to elicit the mechanisms of defense of wheat to increase kernels quality and yields. The work was conducted as a random block design with six treatments and two wheat cultivars (TBIO Audaz and TBIO Noble) in Chapecó, SC, Brazil during the harvest season of 2020. Parcels had a size of 5.0 m2 and were spread apart by 80 cm of distance. The incidence of foliar/ear diseases, seed pathological and mycotoxicological (deoxynivalenol - DON) analyses were performed. The best dosage of carrageenan (Algomel PUSH®) for wheat plants has been accessed during this work. The use of the elicitors combined with the time of application, the proximity of the parcels and the drastic climatic conditions encountered in 2020 for the area of study did not result in significant yield gain nor in kernels quality. A weak correlation between Fusarium Head Blight and DON accumulation was observed. The elicitors showed to be a great tool for the suppression of foliar diseases for a period of roughly 20 days. The best dose-response of carrageenan is of 1.21 L ha-1.