Minimal Damage Research Articles

Optimization of Drill Bit Geometries for Minimum Thermal Damage in Bone Drilling

Thermal injury is a common post-operative effect in bone drilling surgeries. The extreme heat generated during the drilling process kills bone cells, which causes irreversible bone death. This bone death loosens medical fixations—screws, plates, and implants—and subsequently refractures the bone. Research on drill bit geometries in bone drilling has attracted interest from engineering and medical researchers. However, previous research has mainly focused on the simulation of bone drilling, which could generate an incorrect approximation of thermal bone damage if the simulation model is not validated. For this reason, this study focuses on the optimization and parametric analysis of the bone temperature elevations induced by customized drill bit features—point angle (60-180°), web thickness (25-50 %), and helix angle (10-55°)—in comprehensive ex-vivo bone (bovine) experimental drilling tests. The L9 Taguchi optimization method was then applied to determine the optimal design to minimize maximum bone temperature rise. Results from the parametric analysis revealed that the optimal setup for the drill point features can be obtained with the ranges of point angle of 160-180°, web thickness of 25-30 %, and helix angle of 30-40°. Based on the Taguchi optimization results, the minimum thermal damage is produced with the point angle of 180°, web thickness of 25 %, and helix angle of 35°. This work offers a promising solution for reducing thermal injury and preventing thermal osteonecrosis in bone drilling surgeries.

Comparative analysis of microlens array formation in fused silica glass by laser: Femtosecond versus picosecond pulses

The growing demand for flexible, high-quality fabrication of free-form micro-optics drives the development of laser-based fabrication techniques for both the shape formation and surface polishing of optical elements. In this paper, we performed a thorough and systematic study on fused silica glass ablation using 10 ps and 320 fs duration pulses. Ablation processes for both pulse durations were optimized based on the measurements of the removed material layer thickness and surface roughness, and by analyzing the topographies of ablated cavities to remove material layers as thin as possible with minimum surface damage. Our findings demonstrate higher process resolution and surface quality for femtosecond pulses. Ablation of pre-roughened glass reduced the minimal removable glass layer thickness well below the 1 μm mark for both pulse durations, improving the process resolution. The minimal removable glass layer thickness was 14 times smaller for the femtosecond pulses, with up to 4.5 times lower surface roughness compared to samples processed with picosecond pulses. On the other hand, results revealed faster glass removal rates with picosecond pulses. In the end, arrays of microlenses were fabricated with both pulse durations and subsequently polished with a CO2 laser. Results revealed higher performance of microlenses fabricated with femtosecond pulses, providing better focusing capabilities and lesser beam scattering. Finally, this study demonstrated the successful fabrication of free-form optical elements with femtosecond and picosecond pulses, demonstrating the versatility and the potential of laser-based techniques.

Effects of Process Parameters on Microstructure Evolution of Pure Aluminum Target under Clock 135° Collaborative Hot Rolling: A Simulation Study

Based on the results of current research and experiments, clock 135° hot rolling has been widely considered to be the preferred method in target rolling. However, it has been found that the process parameters are of vital importance during the rolling. Therefore, this work focuses mainly on the investigation of the effects of the roll speed ratio and offset distance on the microstructure evolution of a pure aluminum (Al) target under clock 135° collaborative hot rolling. Taking the ultra-thick pure Al metal circular billet as a research object, firstly, the evolutionary behavior of the effective strain (ES) and grain refinement for a rolled piece under the clock counterclockwise 135° synchronous and asynchronous (the speed ratios between rollers are set to be 1:1.05, 1:1.1, 1:1.2, respectively) rolling modes has been comparatively studied based on numerical simulation by DEFORM-3D software. It has been shown that a large ES value of 5.835 mm/mm is obtained in the lower surface layer by counterclockwise 135° asynchronous rolling with a roll–speed ratio of 1:1.2. Meanwhile, the average grain size below 80 µm accounts for ~61.8% of the total grains. These results demonstrate that the clock counterclockwise 135° asynchronous rolling method with a roll speed ratio of 1:1.2 should be an ideal strategy in obtaining finer grains. Unfortunately, nevertheless, the maximum degree of the bad plate shape is generated after forging by clock asynchronous rolling with a speed ratio of 1:1.2. As a consequence, clock counterclockwise 135° snake rolling with a 30 mm offset distance was proposed on the basis of a rolling speed ratio of 1:1.2, which perfectly corrected the warping plate shape caused by clock asynchronous rolling. What is more important, the minimum damage value of 1.60 was achieved accordingly. Meanwhile, the ES value increased in the core of the plate for the clock counterclockwise 135° snake rolling with all of the four offset distances compared to clock synchronous rolling. This study should be significantly conducive to guidance on setting process parameters in the industrial production of hot rolling metal or alloy targets.

Rehabilitation of steel structures using innovative brace members equipped with YSPD damper

Earthquakes are serious risks to human life and infrastructure. An earthquake's influence on human life and its socioeconomic consequences highlight the need to investigate and create the most efficient and easily adaptable ways to minimize losses. The basic concept of different control mechanisms used for protecting structures from the destructive impacts of earthquakes is to dissipate the energy efficiently, therefore ensuring that the structure remains undamaged or sustains minimum damage. To achieve this purpose, the passive control mechanism is a particularly suitable and reliable technology as it doesn't rely on external power to actively dissipate energy. The present study proposes using a passive energy dissipation device called the Yielding Shear Panel Device (YSPD) for strengthening the current steel structures. The YSPD consists of a square hollow section (SHS) that houses a diaphragm plate. The fundamental concept of the YSPD involves harnessing the lateral deformation of a steel plate to absorb and disperse the seismic energy. The Bouc-Wen-Baber Noori (BWBN) material has been used for simulating the hysteresis force-deformation relationship of YSPDs by pinching. YSPDs are simulated as spring components that connect between the beam and the V-brace. A nonlinear time history dynamic analysis was performed to assess the alteration in the structural capacity with the setting up of YSPDs. The performance of the tested structure was assessed considering story drift, story displacement, story shear, column shear, and YSPD hysteresis loops. The results indicated that YSPD installation has improved the structure's capacity. However, the use of dampers resulted in significant drift in all stories, a reduction in total floor displacement, and a decrease in the shear force of the stories. However, the results demonstrated that the YSPD dampers effectively absorbed energy and exhibited stable hysteresis loops.

Influence of laser treatment on the adhesion force of metallized carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is an engineering composite material with excellent performance. After metallization, the CFRP composite exhibits unique properties such as electromagnetic shielding and high electrical conductivity. In this study, we utilized laser treatment process to enhance the adhesion strength of the copper layer electrolessed on CFRP composite. The surface microstructure of CFRP and the copper layer was determined using an optical microscope, and the adhesion force of the copper layer on CFRP composite was measured through 3M tape and pull-out tests. The results indicate that with an increase in the number of laser treatment cycles, the trenches depth on the surface of CFRP composite also increases, leading to high surface roughness and thus enhancing the adhesion strength between the copper layer and the composite. The adhesion state of the copper layer on laser-treated CFRP composite can be qualitatively classified as grade 5B. Additionally, both mechanical cutting and laser treatment can improve the adhesion strength of the samples. The samples treated by mechanical cutting and the laser scan with ±45° exhibit the highest adhesion strength of 5.48 MPa. This is 415 % higher than that of the untreated sample, with a minimum damage area after pull-out testing, approximately 10 %. Compared to the sandblasting pretreatment process, the adhesion strength of the sample by laser treatment increased by 119 %.

Immense potential for self-healing with conservative management of a large radicular cyst associated with pulpectomized primary tooth: A 40-month follow-up

Radicular cysts are one of the most common cysts of inflammatory origin involving the maxillofacial region that arise from the remnants of Herwig’s epithelial root sheath. These are often diagnosed as incidental findings on radiographs, which are seldom symptomatic and are slowly progressive. Decompression could be used as a conservative treatment approach for the management of large radicular cysts in children to have satisfactory healing and minimum damage to adjacent vital structures, simultaneously allowing the eruption of succedaneous tooth. This paper discusses the management of a large radicular cyst in a 12 year old, causing displacement of the mandibular canal and developing tooth germ using decompression that resulted in bony healing and spontaneous eruption of displaced succedaneous premolar, with a periodic follow-up for 40 months. Although decompression is a well-known approach, the present case with long-term follow-up emphasizes the potential of spontaneous healing in pediatric radicular cyst cases restoring the anatomy to normal without any functional impairment. This paper also highlights the importance of periodic clinical and radiographic follow-up in pulpally treated nonvital primary teeth.

Time-variant reliability analysis of corroded suspender of suspension bridge based on data-driven

The suspender of a suspension bridge is susceptible to corrosion due to environment, material, load, and other factors, which leads to the reduction of its bearing capacity with time, thus adversely affecting the safety and durability of the suspension bridge. Time-variant reliability analysis can consider the time-variant characteristics and uncertainties of each variable, and can better reveal the degradation of corrosion suspender resistance with time. However, due to the complex and highly nonlinear characteristics of the stress situation, the functional function of the suspender is often implicit, and the traditional time-variant reliability analysis method cannot be directly solved. To solve the problem of the implicit function of the suspender, An Adaptive Support Vector Regression with Extreme Response Surface (ASVR-ERS) method was proposed, and it was applied to the time-variant reliability analysis of corroded suspender of a suspension bridge. According to the corrosion characteristics of steel wire in suspenders, a hybrid constitutive model for calculating the ultimate bearing capacity of corroded suspenders was proposed. Furthermore, the time-variant reliability and residual life of corroded suspenders of a self-anchored suspension bridge were systematically studied. The results show that: Compared with the existing methods, the ASVR-ERS method can use fewer training samples to achieve higher computational accuracy. When calculating the ultimate bearing capacity of a corrosion suspender, the phenomenon of ductility degradation caused by steel wire corrosion in the suspender cannot be ignored, and the mixed constitutive model of the ultimate bearing capacity of a corrosion suspender is more reasonable. When the service time of the bridge is the same, the reliability of the suspender in the middle span of the main span is the smallest, and the reliability of the suspender in the full bridge gradually decreases from the bridge tower position to the middle span direction and the side span direction. The decrease rate of suspender reliability is the fastest at the beginning of corrosion and gradually slows down with the deepening of the corrosion degree. When the sheath has the minimum damage and the maximum circumferential damage and reaches life, the suspender section loss rate is between 10 % and 15 %. Compared with improving the safety factor of the suspender, delaying the breakage time of the sheath can improve the life expectancy of the suspender more obviously.

Management of Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee) Using Biopesticides and Botanicals

The field experiment was carried out during Kharif season of 2023 at the Organic Research Farm Karguaji, Department of Entomology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Bundelkhand University Jhansi (U.P.). Nine treatments were tested: neem oil, garlic bulb extract, Bacillus thuringiensis, karanj oil, panchgavya, neem seed kernel extract (NSKE), Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and a control, under a randomized block design. Three sprays of treatments were applied. The results showed that neem oil at 2 ml/L resulted in the minimum shoot damage (7.82%), followed by Bacillus thuringiensis at 5 gm/L and NSKE at 5 ml/L. To manage fruit infestation caused by brinjal fruit and shoot borer, Bacillus thuringiensis and neem oil were themost effective treatments, followed by Beauvaria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. The maximum yield and highest cost benefit ratio were found with Bacillus thuringiensis (1:3.15), followed by Metarhizium anisopliae (1:3.07) and Beauveria bassiana (1:3.04).

Structural Failure Prediction of RCC Structure Under Earthquake Using Machine Learning

Earthquake is a most dangerous and catastrophic disaster in the world. It is essential to introduce earthquake resistance features in construction. An earthquake -prone region must deal with the more challenging problem of earthquakes. And there is no more hundred percent earthquake proof building. The best way to avoid the building damages is to learn from the failures that can occur during a seismic event. This paper presents the failure prediction of RCC building using k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) algorithm which can be tuned to gives up to 90% accuracy of result. A past- earthquake assessment of building data is used to train and create a model for this project to predict the necessary pattern for a future construction project. Thereby, can be predicted whether the proposed building will be collapsed or facing a minimum damage. Key Words: Earthquake Assessment, Machine Learning, Python, K-Neighbour Algorithm, RCC Building, Failure Prediction, Site issues, Soil and Foundation Condition

Experimental implementation of the nonstructural element simulator on shake table (NEST) for an archetype tall building

AbstractNonstructural damage, usually predominates in buildings subjected to low to moderate seismic intensities and contributes significantly to business interruption and economic losses. It promotes a rapidly growing need for experimental research and qualification of various types of nonstructural elements in buildings in the recent decades. To provide a novel option of experimentally simulating the realistic boundary conditions for various nonstructural elements in labs, we developed the Nonstructural Element Simulator on Shake Table (NEST), a passively controlled three‐layer substructural testbed driven by existing shake tables. This paper presents the first experimental implementation of NEST on a challenging 42‐story archetype tall building. The dynamic properties of the substructure were tuned to adapt the archetype building and the required shake table motions were solved as a reverse problem by an open‐loop control algorithm. The test results proved the capability of NEST to replicate the history responses of the target floors in the archetype building under either recorded earthquake ground motion or artificial loading protocols for qualification purposes. In all cases, the synthetic relative error in the floor accelerations and the inter‐story drift within the frequency range of interest was less than 5% in the numerical domain and less than 30% in the physical realization. The seismic responses of a variety of nonstructural elements to the substructural motions show that, in the mid‐story of the archetype tall building, the ceiling sustained minimum damage because of the small floor acceleration while the indoor contents slid significantly and even overturned.

Mechanical properties of rice husk ash and glass powder concrete: Experimental and mesoscopic studies

Using glass powder and rice husk ash as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) can effectively reduce cement usage, protect the environment, and promote waste recycling. In this study, ordinary concrete, glass powder concrete, and glass powder rice husk ash concrete were studied through a series of experiments, including tests for slump and water absorption, uniaxial compression, variable angle shear, cyclic compression, and numerical simulation. The following results were identified. Glass powder increases the slump of concrete and reduces its water absorption, whereas the opposite is the case with the addition of rice husk ash. The uniaxial compressive strength of glass powder concrete is higher than that of ordinary concrete at 28 days of curing. Glass powder concrete has the maximum bearing capacity, in terms of the shear test. The minimum damage index is shown under cyclic compression. When the rice husk ash content is 15 %, the combination with glass powder has the strongest pozzolanic effect, while the replacement rates of 30 % and 45 % are not suitable for pozzolanic materials. The dissipation energy conversion rate of the sample containing rice husk ash is always greater than the elastic strain energy conversion rate. In addition, the samples containing rice husk ash showed ductile failure and reduced cracks during compression. This study can provide new insights into the combination of glass powder and rice husk ash as SCM.

CHARACTERIZATION OF SURFACE, SUBSURFACE DAMAGE AND THEIR EFFECT ON FATIGUE LIFE AFTER MACHINING OF AEROSPACE-GRADE ALUMINUM ALLOY (Al 6082-T6)

Aluminum alloys are widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries due to their lower mass-to-strength ratio than other metallic alloys. Apart from their inherent properties, aluminum alloys like other metallic alloys show a significant change in their mechanical properties according to the machining parameters. The research literature on obtaining optimum mechanical properties of aluminum alloys that undergo machining is very limited. Moreover, the combined effect of several parameters on the machinability of aluminum alloys has not yet been explored. In this paper, the effect of three machining parameters (Depth of Cut (DoC)), feed rate (FR), and cutting speed (CS) on the subsurface damage and fatigue life of aerospace-grade aluminum alloy (Al-6082-T6) is observed. Samples are prepared using a full fractional approach to effectively capture the effect of all input parameters. Thereafter, samples were subjected to surface roughness, micro-hardness, and fatigue life tests. Results of surface roughness and micro-hardness tests are compared with fatigue life. The general linear model was employed to capture the percentage effect of each input parameter on the output parameters. The results showed that DoC was the main contributing factor that caused subsurface damage, while surface roughness and fatigue life were mainly affected by FR and CS. Optical microscope images showed a white layer formation that had higher hardness than the base metal. Overall, this research work proposes the input parameters that can be used to achieve minimum surface damage and fatigue life.

Updates on Treatment Modalities for Primary Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Repair.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, a severe eye condition, presents anatomic separation of the neurosensory retina from its outermost layer-the retinal pigment epithelium. Early recognition of this relatively common finding and proper referral of patients to the retinal surgery department is essential in order to minimize its consequent possible severe reduction in vision. Several major surgical methods for the repair of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment have been in use over the last several decades, and they all aim to find and close the break in the retina that has caused the detachment. Surgery can be performed as pneumatic retinopexy, pars plana vitrectomy, and/or episcleral surgery (buckling). General surgical trends for reattaching the retina include moving from extraocular to intraocular surgery and from bigger gauge to smaller gauge via minimal invasive vitrectomy surgery (MIVS), with implementing shorter-lasting intraocular tamponades. Surgical options for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment treatment nowadays emphasize gaining retinal reattachment, preferably with one surgery and with minimum damage to the eye. The procedure should not bring secondary eye conditions and complications with severe impairment of visual acuity, and it should be performed on as much as a smaller budget, with possibly peribulbar anesthesia, enabling the patient the quickest possible recovery. It should be adjusted to the patient's condition, not to the surgeon's skills or preferences.

Neurofibroma: Case Series with Clinical Features and Recommendations

Abstract Neurofibroma is an autosomal benign disorder. It can be localized, diffuse or invasive like plexiform neurofibroma that involves the nerves, muscle, tissues, skeleton. It represents itself as a destructive variant of neurofibroma, mostly present as orbital or periorbital neurofibroma or may be associated with autosomal dominant disease. Clinical diagnosis of neurofibromatosis (NF) according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria should have more than two of the seven features including lisch nodules, cafe’- au-lait spots, plexiform neurofibroma, optic glioma, freckling, first degree relative with NF or dysplasia of cortical bones. However, proper early diagnosis is still crucial due to its various presentation such as cheek mass, painless swelling on skin, chalazion, intratracheal tumor, genital swelling or ptosis. It is reported that neurofibroma often represents as ocular or facial swelling. Here we are presenting features of neurofibroma of eight cases of patients from Civil Hospital, Karachi. These cases had main complain of overhanging skin mass mainly on orbital or periorbital region that damage the area and with poor daily activities. Multiple nodules on face and body along with them Cafe’-au-lait spots and lisch nodules were main signs. While, other signs i.e. ptosis, pterygium, telecanthus and muddy discoloration of conjunctiva need further evaluation for correlation with neurofibromatosis. Debulking surgery was planned for most of the cases but the huge disfigurement caused by overhanging skin mass and nodules made it a challenge for plastic surgeons to provide good outcomes with minimum damage.

Study on the grinding surface quality of CNTs/2009AL composite material based on minimum quantity lubrication

Carbon nanotube aluminum matrix (CNTs/AL) composites are ideal lightweight and high-strength materials due to their excellent properties. However, the research on CNTs/AL composites only stays in the simulation and preparation stages, and no grinding research has been carried out. Revealing the grinding mechanism of CNTs/AL composites has far-reaching significance for the development of high-end equipment industries such as aerospace. Taking CNTs/2009AL composites as the research object, a minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) flat grinding platform was built for comparing the surface quality and defects of dry grinding and MQL grinding. The experimental results show that grinding wheel velocity was the grinding parameter that had the greatest influence on surface roughness in dry grinding and MQL grinding. The subsurface defects of dry grinding mainly included microcracks, burrs, pits, coatings, cavities, etc., and the rebound phenomenon of agglomerated carbon nanotubes. The subsurface defects of MQL grinding were only burrs and pits. The surface coating phenomenon of dry grinding increased with the increase in grinding wheel velocity, and the surface quality was improved. MQL grinding could significantly reduce grinding heat, reduce friction, and make the machined surface smoother. In dry grinding and MQL grinding, the subsurface damage depth decreased obviously with the increase in grinding wheel velocity. When the grinding wheel velocity was 30 m/s, the minimum subsurface damage depth of dry grinding and MQL grinding was 40.091 and 26.906 μm, respectively. Mastering the grinding mechanism of grinding CNTs/AL composites and the influence of grinding parameters on surface quality provides a basis for the selection of parameters and methods in grinding in industry. MQL grinding of CNTs/AL composites reduces the formation of many surface defects and improves the surface quality of the workpiece. It is an efficient, clean, and environmentally friendly processing method.

Viscoelastic properties of the equine hoof wall

The equine hoof wall has outstanding impact resistance, which enables high-velocity gallop over hard terrain with minimum damage. To better understand its viscoelastic behavior, complex moduli were determined using two complementary techniques: conventional (∼5 mm length scale) and nano (∼1 µm length scale) dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The evolution of their magnitudes was measured for two hydration conditions: fully hydrated and ambient. The storage modulus of the ambient hoof wall was approximately 400 MPa in macro-scale experiments, decreasing to ∼250 MPa with hydration. In contrast, the loss tangent decreased for both hydrated (∼0.1–0.07) and ambient (∼0.04–0.01) conditions, over the frequency range of 1–10 Hz. Nano-DMA indentation tests conducted up to 200 Hz showed little frequency dependence beyond 10 Hz. The loss tangent of tubular regions showed more hydration sensitivity than in intertubular regions, but no significant difference in storage modulus was observed. Loss tangent and effective stiffness were higher in indentations for both hydration levels. This behavior is attributed to the hoof wall's hierarchical structure, which has porosity, functionally graded aspects, and material interfaces that are not captured at the scale of indentation. The hoof wall's viscoelasticity characterized in this work has implications for the design of bioinspired impact-resistant materials and structures. Statement of significanceThe outer wall of horse hooves evolved to withstand heavy impacts during gallop. While previous studies have measured the properties of the hoof wall in slowly changing conditions, we wanted to quantify its behavior using experiments that replicate the quickly changing forces of impact. Since the hoof wall's structure is complex and contributes to its overall performance, smaller scale experiments were also performed. The behavior of the hoof wall was within the range of other biological materials and polymers. When hydrated, it becomes softer and can dissipate more energy. This work improves our understanding of the hoof's function and allows for more accurate simulations that can account for different impact speeds.

Combined ultra‐microelectrode: Exploring new potentials for in vivo/in situ ascorbic acid electroanalysis

AbstractMiniaturized and portable analytical tools show promise for sophisticated analysis, particularly in biological systems such as fruits, and they are suitable for advanced agriculture and related food industries. In this study, we developed combined ultra‐microelectrodes (UME) by modifying a microscale carbon fiber electrode (33 μm) coated with an Au nano‐film in a micropipette‐tip system. The proposed UME@Au exhibited a linear response to AC concentrations ranging from 30 to 1400 μM, with a 16 μM limit of detection. It demonstrated the ability to perform in vivo‐in vitro AC analysis in micro‐zones and volumes, such as different points of fruit tissue (Such as lemon) and within the body of a living plant (Such as Cactus arms and trunk), serving as a tiny implanted probe.In the first part of our study, we analyzed AC levels in lemon tissue directly. Our measurements revealed that AC levels are distributed heterogeneously in a single fruit. Additionally, stored AC levels depend on the color of the lemon (yellow ones have higher levels than the green ones). Furthermore, the UME was applied to control AC levels in different storage conditions, including opened containers, airtight containers, with and without exposing daylight, etc.In the second part, the UME@Au was utilized as an implanted sensor for in vivo analysis of AC in different parts of the cactus, recognized as a source of AC. No sample preparation is needed with minimum damage. The implanted microsensor could perform electroanalysis inside the live plant and stored parenchyma cells, etc. Notably, our results showed that AC levels are higher in the younger arms compared to the older ones, and so on.Based on our findings, the miniaturized, small, cheap, user‐friendly electrode demonstrated many capabilities, such as being implantable, having satisfactory stability, and not requiring sample preparations for analysis. It can open up a new window for micro‐electroanalysis in food and analytical plant sciences. We predict that this microscale platform can be modified and used for bioanalysis of other (bio)targets, such as vitamins, ions, and even the detection of plant pathogens in plants and crops directly. This involvement in the smart and modern farming industry is anticipated in the near future.

A Review of Cellulosic Fibre Surface Modification Techniques - The Case of Ramie

The demand for cellulosic fibres as a reinforcement in polymers is growing due to their renewable, biodegradable, and ecologically favourable properties. In addition, they are lower in density than e.g. glass fibres, which will help in making lightweight composites. Besides, there is no health hazard with ease of processing and minimum damage to the processing equipment. Despite their advantages and high demand, their utilization in industrial applications is still limited. This is due to their inherent polar and hydrophilic nature and their consequent incompatibility with hydrophobic polymers. Therefore, it is often necessary to do hydrophobic modification treatment. The review examines a range of strategies for modifying ramie surfaces, encompassing physical, chemical, and biological processes. It also analyzes the procedures and techniques involved in the preparation and manufacturing of ramie-reinforced polymeric biocomposites. Moreover, an investigation is conducted to evaluate the performance of the composites produced. The performance evaluation includes both before and following fibre treatment, covering surface morphology, wettability, chemical composition, mechanical properties, and flame retardancy. Most of the researchers reported that alkaline and silane coupling agent treatments are the most prevalently applied pretreatments. Compared to biological and physical methods, the application of chemical agents enables excellent adhesion of fibre to polymer resins. However, the utilization of solvents such as ethanol and methanol increases the amount of waste produced and toxic compounds released.

An approach to define the minimum detectable damage and the alarm thresholds in vibration-based SHM systems

An approach to define the minimum detectable damage and the alarm thresholds in vibration-based SHM systems

Single Jar for Collecting and Rearing Mosquito Life Stages: An Innovative Prototype.

Mosquitoes vectors are the key threat that spread viruses, bacteria, nematodes, protozoans, and other infections responsible for the transmission of serious public health ailments including dengue, yellow fever, malaria, chikungunya, etc. To rear and cultivate mosquitoes at multiple stages of development (egg, larva, pupa, and adult) to be employed in various biomedical research, an innovative tool mosquito larva adult 2-in-1 rearing jar was designed and developed. The eggs/larvae or adults collected from the field or laboratory cultures can be released into the lower larvae or upper adult-rearing chamber so that they can find a suitable breeding place to oviposit or metamorphose into wrigglers and tumblers attaining the adult stage. Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex are three significant genera (Diptera: Culicidae) that were reared in experiments using this jar (Method I) in contrast to other conventional instruments available (Method II). Results of one-way ANOVA showed that the prototype was compatible and competitive for rearing as the data was non-significant when compared in both groups. However, throughout the trials, it was discovered that the prototype had a greater record of mean percentage of adult emergence (98.33), which supports the novelty of the instrument. This unique device eliminates the need for multiple tools, causes minimum bodily damage to stages during handling, can be used in both the lab and the field, is inexpensive, lightweight, portable, and requires a single manpower to operate.