Proper Material Research Articles

Microstructural evaluations of mild steel and HT250 grey cast iron in ethanol environment

The study focused on the response of mild steel and HT250 grey cast iron in varying ethanol concentration. First, a robust review of both materials’ behaviour under different environment was established using microstructural evolutions. Secondly, 30 × 30 × 10 mm dimension of both materials were employed in the study by immersing them in varying ethanol concentrations of BG-43 %, ESG- 42 %, CG-43 %, SQD- 42 % using distilled water as control. The microstructural behaviour showed that every of the sample responded according to the medium of interaction (ethanol). The degree of surface damage also depends on the ethanol concentration and the heavy presence of Fe and oxygen especially in that of grey cast iron. Corrosion cracks and deposits can be attributed to the reaction between the surface and the ethanol. Thus, environment of application is important in material selection. Results suggests that the microstructural changes provide to the material scientist the qualitative corrosion information of these materials in different environment. Conclusively, the study has enlightened the design engineers and material specialist on the need for proper material selection during engineering design.

Widely targeted metabolomics reveals the effect of different raw materials and drying methods on the quality of instant tea.

Instant teas are particularly rich in tea polyphenols and caffeine and have great potential as food ingredients or additives to improve the quality of food and enhance their nutritional and commercial value. To determine the relationships between raw material, drying method, and sensory and other quality attributes, instant teas were prepared from three tea varieties, namely black, green and jasmine tea, using two drying methods, namely spray-drying (SD) and freeze-drying (FD). Both the raw tea material and drying method influenced the quality of the finished instant teas. Black tea was quality stable under two drying, while green tea taste deteriorated much after SD. Jasmine tea must be produced from FD due to huge aroma deterioration after SD. FD produced instant tea with higher sensory quality, which was attributed to the lower processing temperature. Chemical compositional analysis and widely targeted metabolomics revealed that SD caused greater degradation of tea biochemical components. The flavonoids content changed markedly after drying, and metabolomics, combined with OPLS-DA, was able to differentiate the three varieties of tea. Instant tea preparations via SD often lost a large proportion of the original tea aroma compounds, but FD minimized the loss of floral and fruity aroma compounds. Changes in the tea flavonoids composition, especially during drying, contributed to the flavor development of instant tea. These results will provide an practicle method for high-quality instant tea production through choosing proper raw tea material and lowering down drying temperature with non-thermal technologies like FD.

Covalent Organic Frameworks in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

The development and utilization of green renewable energy are imperative with the aggravation of environmental pollution and energy crisis. In recent years, the exploration of electrochemical energy storage systems has gradually become a research hotspot in energy. Among them, aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) have progressively developed into highly competitive and efficient energy storage devices owing to their inherent safety, natural abundance, and higher theoretical capacity. However, the practical application of ZIBs suffers from the limitation of challenges such as the absence of proper cathode materials and the unavoidable zinc dendrites and side reactions of Zn anode. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an attractive class of electrode materials due to their inherent advantages, like structural designability, high stability, and ordered-open channels, bestowing them with great potential to overcome the problems of ZIBs. In this review, we concentrate on the discussion of designed strategies of COFs applied to ZIBs. Furthermore, the methods of using COFs to solve the challenging problems of cathode development, anode modification, and electrolyte optimization for ZIBs are summarized. Finally, the existing difficulties, solution measures, and prospects of COFs for ZIBs applications are discussed. Our commentary hopes to serve as a valuable reference for developing COFs-based ZIBs.

Case History of Random Material Shear Strength Evaluation using In-situ Large Scale Direct Shear Test in the Construction of the Longest Dam in the Southeast Asian

A modern dam offers many benefits to society, including water conservation, farming sustainability, energy source, and recreational activities. In Indonesia, more than 50 dams are constructed as strategic national projects within the last decade. A zoned earth-fill dam, built using soil and rock materials, is one of the most common dam types in Indonesia. This dam allows a specific material type to be placed in a particular zone, including random material fill zone. A random material is usually obtained from dam excavation work as well as borrow area. It normally contains wide range of grain sizes and a variety of weathering degree. On one hand, this material is very economic. On the other hand, it introduces a challenge in shear strength assessment. Random material frequently contains large size grain that inhibits regular laboratory test use. A catastrophic Indonesian dam construction failure in 2021 was partly attributed to inadequacy in assessing shear strength of random material. This case history highlighted the importance of a proper random material shear strength evaluation. The other dams coincidentally under construction at that time then experienced rigorous shear strength evaluations, including Semantok Dam in Nganjuk, East Java. This dam, designed to be approximately 33-m max high and 3.1-km long, is the current longest dam in the Southeast Asian. An in-situ large scale direct shear device as large as 80 cm × 80 cm × 30 cm was developed to test random material in Semantok Dam. Eight locations in random fill zones were selected. Three series of direct shear test were conducted in each location. Testing results based on 24-large size sample showed a great variability in Mohr-Coulomb parameters. The angle of internal friction ranged from 11.4° to 36.7° with average value of 27.8°, whereas the cohesion varied from 25.3 kPa to 138.6 kPa with average value of 85.2 kPa. High variation in shear strength parameters showed that such test should be performed to verify the design parameter. This in-situ large scale direct shear test provides an appealing method to assess shear strength of random material. This large-scale test is strongly recommended for a common practice in dam construction.

A Simple Integrated and Low-Radiation Receiver for Inductive Power Transfer

It is promising to pursue an integrated low-profile receiver (RX) for inductive power transfer applications. However, the existing integration solutions suffer from the complicated structure and the insertion of dielectric material. This paper proposes a novel excitation approach for the classical three-layer receiver, and the structure inductance and capacitance are utilized for self resonance. Without using additional dielectric material, proper magnetic material is evaluated and selected towards enhancing the structure capacitance and reducing the dielectric losses. The circuit model, radiation performance, and structure optimization are discussed in the simulation and experiment. A 750-kHz 100-W system is demonstrated to have a 92.4% coupler efficiency and 87.5% system efficiency. Compared to a classical RX, the proposed RX would slightly improve the shielding effect for the magnetic field and dramatically reduce the electric-field radiation by 15 dBm.

B-100 Hbsag Performance Improvement of Novel MASTM Infectious Controls for Serology Diagnostic Tests

Abstract Background Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis B virus. While preventable by vaccination, Hepatitis B remains prevalent across the globe. While prevalence is low in many areas of the world, there are still regions in which the prevalence is considered to be high. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) can be one of the first indicators of Hepatitis B infection, and it is a commonly screened diagnostic test to determine if a patient is immune, susceptible, or has acute or chronic HBV infection. While HBsAg is a critical marker in diagnosing a patient, it presents unique challenges. The Thermo Scientific™ MAS™ Omni™ Infectious BSI Positive Control Panel* is a multi-constituent IVD control containing anti-HIV-1/2, anti-HBc, anti-HCV, and anti-HTLV I/II antibodies, as well as Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in a human plasma-based matrix. Development and Stability Studies were conducted to evaluate and ensure optimal analyte performance throughout the shelf-life duration. As this is a multi-constituent control, the HBsAg challenges must be adequately addressed to ensure the integrity and reliability of the results of all analytes. Two specific areas of focus are HBsAg instability at increased temperature and HBsAg-Fibrinogen interaction in plasma products. We report here the continued development and assessment of HBsAg in the MAS™ Omni Infectious Controls family. Methods The BSI Positive Control Panel was evaluated with IVD assays to assess Shelf-Life and demonstrate the effect of elevated temperature and fibrinogen on HBsAg. Shelf life of the products was determined by real-time, accelerated, open vial, and in-use stability monitoring. Additionally, open-vial stability monitoring demonstrates the relationship between HBsAg and fibrinogen within the control products. Between Month 0 and 12, samples were run neat without processing. At Month 12, samples were centrifuged to verify the validity of the open-vial stability claim. Results The evaluation of the BSI Positive Control Panel demonstrates the effects of temperature and fibrinogen on HBsAg. The Real-Time and Accelerated stability studies combine to demonstrate the effect of elevated temperatures on HBsAg within the multi-analyte control. The Open-Vial stability studies completed at 0 and 12 months combine to demonstrate the effect of fibrinogen on HBsAg within the multi-analyte control. Conclusions The MAS™ Omni Infectious control products will perform optimally provided the proper sample processing and storage conditions are implemented. Improper storage at elevated temperatures will result in degradation at an increased rate for the HBsAg present in the sample. Additionally, it is imperative that the proper raw materials are chosen in the production of the multi-analyte controls. When using plasma products, it is best to use defibrinated plasma. For extra precaution, raw material should be centrifuged and filtered prior to production to avoid degradation due to fibrinogen. Reliable, high-quality controls are vital in ensuring that clinical diagnostic assays are functioning properly. *Availability of product in each country depends on local regulatory marketing authorization status

Surface Roughness Analysis of Microchannels Featuring Microfluidic Devices Fabricated by Three Different Materials and Methods

In recent years, the utilization of microfluidic devices for precise manipulation of small flows has significantly increased. The effective management of microfluidics is closely associated with microchannel fabrication. The fabrication method employed for microfluidic devices directly impacts the roughness of the microchannels, consequently influencing the flows within them. In this study, the surface roughness of microchannels was investigated through three different fabrication processes: PDMS lithography, PLA printing, and UV resin printing. This research compared and analyzed the surface roughness of the microchannels fabricated using these methods. Furthermore, supported by a dynamic fluid simulator, the impact of surface roughness on flow behavior was shown. Results reveal varying degrees of roughness prominence in curved regions. Comparing microfluidic device fabrication techniques is crucial to optimize the process, control roughness, analyze flow rates, and select a proper material to be used in the development of microfluidic devices.

Through the Lens of EFL Teachers: Teaching Online on Lockdown

There has been a growing interest in online EFL teaching studies after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the majority of the studies have centered around students’ perspectives. The studies examining the issue from EFL teachers’ perspectives, on the other hand, are relatively scarce. Therefore, this study qualitatively investigated EFL teachers’ perceptions and experience in this critical process to bridge the gap in the literature. For the study, the data were collected through written semi-structured interviews with 25 EFL teachers in Turkey. Five themes with several categories emerged based on the thematic analysis of the data with MAXQDA 2020 package program. The teachers commonly focused on the challenges of emergency online teaching and suggested potential solutions. The primary stemmed from the poor communication between teachers and students due to low engagement levels and technology-related issues. The teachers also struggled to find proper online EFL teaching materials since they had no or little experience in online education and did not know how find teaching resources. They suggested providing EFL teachers with workshop opportunities to learn how to tackle technology-related problems and improve their online material developing skills. This study may extend the relevant literature by providing a deeper insight into EFL teachers’ practices and recommendations for practitioners of online teaching

Physics-informed graph neural networks accelerating microneedle simulations towards novelty of micro-nano scale materials discovery

To commercialize the micro-nano needle as a drug delivery or biosensing platform, it is essential to validate the effectiveness and reliability of the piercing process for each needle material composition. However, proper microneedle material selection and fabrication requires sophisticated and costly semiconductor technology. This work aims to accelerate the material selection process of microneedles, focusing on polymeric materials due to their biocompatibility and flexibility. In this study, simulations of microneedles with various materials are used to generate training and testing data for a physics-informed machine learning model to predict von Mises stress distribution on microneedles of new materials. The training dataset is comprised of results from fifteen different materials. Different machine learning models are used, such as traditional tree-based, neural network, point cloud network, and graph-based models. Random-index selection is utilized to reduce the required number of data points by an order of magnitude. The graph attention network model is the best-performing model for predicting the von Mises stress of microneedles, with a mean square error of 8.3×10−5MPa. The resulting model only requires 7 ms to evaluate a new microneedle material, significantly faster than practical fabrication in a laboratory. The models also successfully handle data with a decimal scale obtained from microstructure simulations and predict physical behavior such as stress curves.

Natural and Synthetic Polymeric Biomaterials for Application in Wound Management.

Biomaterials are at the forefront of the future, finding a variety of applications in the biomedical field, especially in wound healing, thanks to their biocompatible and biodegradable properties. Wounds spontaneously try to heal through a series of interconnected processes involving several initiators and mediators such as cytokines, macrophages, and fibroblasts. The combination of biopolymers with wound healing properties may provide opportunities to synthesize matrices that stimulate and trigger target cell responses crucial to the healing process. This review outlines the optimal management and care required for wound treatment with a special focus on biopolymers, drug-delivery systems, and nanotechnologies used for enhanced wound healing applications. Researchers have utilized a range of techniques to produce wound dressings, leading to products with different characteristics. Each method comes with its unique strengths and limitations, which are important to consider. The future trajectory in wound dressing advancement should prioritize economical and eco-friendly methodologies, along with improving the efficacy of constituent materials. The aim of this work is to give researchers the possibility to evaluate the proper materials for wound dressing preparation and to better understand the optimal synthesis conditions as well as the most effective bioactive molecules to load.

Research on the influence of stamping materials on resist flow and the residual layer in thermal nanoimprint lithography

AbstractVarious stamp materials can significantly affect the filling quality of nanoimprint lithography (NIL). The effects of different stamp materials on the imprinting process were investigated from the angles of residual layer (RL) thickness, contact pressure, and filling proportion. The selection of various stamp materials affects the thickness and uniformity of the RL. Soft stamps (PDMS, PU) leave a thin but uneven RL distribution, while the RL imprinted by hard stamps (Si, Ni) is thicker but more uniform. The contact pressure using soft stamps is relatively more evenly distributed than hard stamps. The uneven distribution of contact pressure leads to poor cavity‐filling proportion, especially for hard stamps. This study offers guidance for choosing proper nanoimprint stamp materials for different NIL applications.

Multi-Flanges for Intensive Cell Development and Lct Forlarge Cell and Stack Evaluation

Two new test benches have been developed at Fiaxell. One is the multi-Flanges allowing to test 4cells in one run. All the functionalities of the Open flanges, such as integrated steamer, real or idealcondition testing, ceramic housing on air side, gas processing are kept apart short stacking.The second test rig is the LCT for Large Cell Tester. It has been designed for cell dimensionstarting from 90 X 90 mm and ending with the size of 130 mm X 170 mm. Again all the OpenFlanges functionalities are kept. The LCT is no delivered for short stack of maximum 3 cells. In thesecond part of 2022, heat exchanger made with proper material will be ready for market. It willallows to test up to 30 cells. Figure 1

(Invited) Electrochemical Conversion of CO2 Into Oxygen/ and C/CO in Molten Carbonate

The molten salt CO2 capture and electrochemical transformation (MSCC-ET) process has been demonstrated as an effective approach to capturing and converting CO2 into oxygen and C/CO [1-2]. The effective CO2 capture and electrochemical conversion rely on the high-temperature molten carbonate electrolytes and the cost-effective inert oxygen-evolution anode. In recent years, we have focused on the electrolyte engineering to modulate the reactions at both the cathode and anode as well as the CO2 capture efficiency [3-4]. Besides, we insist on developing iron- and nickel-base oxygen-evolution inert anodes in terms of revealing the fundamental principles and basic guidelines for choosing proper materials and fabrication processes [5]. By doing so, we can prepare functional carbon materials or CO at the cathode with a high current efficiency of over 90%, and produce oxygen at the inert anode. In addition, the kilo-ampere scale electrolyzer was built to produce oxygen, carbon or CO with an energy efficiency of over 50%. Therefore, the molten carbonate CO2 electrolyzer shows its potential to convert CO2 on the Mars to produce oxygen and fuels to support the future exploration of outer space.

Highly efficient overexpression and purification of multisubunit tethering complexes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Vesicle trafficking is a fundamental cellular process that ensures proper material exchange between organelles in eukaryotic cells, and multisubunit tethering complexes (MTCs) are essential in this process. The heterohexameric homotypic fusion and protein sorting (HOPS) complex, which functions in the endolysosomal pathway, is a member of MTCs. Despite its critical role, the complex composition and low-expression level of HOPS have made its expression and purification extremely challenging. In this study, we present a highly efficient strategy for overexpressing and purifying HOPS from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We achieved HOPS overexpression by integrating a strong promoter TEF1 before each subunit using the gRNA-tRNA array for CRISPR-Cas9 (GTR-CRISPR) system. The HOPS complex was subsequently purified using Staphylococcus aureus protein A (ProtA) affinity purification and size-exclusion chromatography, resulting in high purity and homogeneity. We obtained two-fold more HOPS using this method than that obtained using the commonly used GAL1 promoter-controlled HOPS overexpression. Negative staining electron microscopy analysis confirmed the correct assembly of HOPS. Notably, we also successfully purified two other MTCs, class C core vacuole/endosome tethering (CORVET) and Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP) using this approach. Our findings facilitate further in vitro biochemical characterization and functional studies of MTCs and provide a useful guide for the preparation of other heterogenic multisubunit complexes.

Biowaste valorization into valuable nanomaterials: Synthesis of green carbon nanodots and anode material for lithium-ion batteries from watermelon seeds

In this study, a solid biowaste watermelon seed is introduced for the first time as an alternative precursor for the production of fluorescent carbon nanodots and nanostructured activated carbon. Firstly, the seeds are carburized and then activated by using KOH after the ball milling process. The activated carbon is used as anode material in lithium-ion batteries and exhibits ∼360 mAh g − 1 capacity after the 200th cycle, with a coulombic efficiency of 98%. Additionally, carbon dots are fabricated by hydrothermally treating carburized seeds at different conditions. The obtained carbon dots show a remarkable fluorescence effect at 458 nm (when excited at 365 nm) and have the potential to be used in biomedical applications. The results show that by means of proper material selection and process design, low carbon footprint nanomaterials suitable for use in various applications can be synthesized successfully from organic wastes.

Review Using Artificial Intelligence-Generating Images: Exploring Material Ideas from MidJourney to Improve Vernacular Designs

Artificial Intelligence (AI) was created to be an assistant to humankind. The architectural design process is one of them. Artificial Intelligence is starting to enter the realm of architecture and design. Lately, teams have developed many AI algorithms to generate random images based on the database they had just by texting a command for them. MidJourney is a discord-based Artificial Intelligence for generating images with the text-to-images method, and its database is infinite; it can suggest incredible things. Architects can use MidJourney as a design ideas generator with specific commands. MidJourney, one of the AI pioneers in the design world, still has many shortcomings and limitations. Incorrect details and forms are one of its limitations. This exploration using AI should be deepened as part of MidJourney development. This study aims to discover how far researchers have done the command prompt in exploring MidJourney in architecture. This research can be the basis for further research in developing the text-to-image Artificial Intelligence Generator results. This paper uses a systematic literature review method on journals, books, and websites linked with Artificial Intelligence, architecture, and texture selection for building. The systematic literature review involves collecting questions, identifying keywords, screening articles, analyzing, discussing, and concluding. The results explain the role of Artificial Intelligence in architectural design. MidJourney can choose the proper material for its innovations by generating concept ideas. However, MidJourney has yet to be able to implement the logic of structures and buildings in its design even though it has used architecture-related prompts, perhaps because it was not specifically designed to produce architectural drawings but graphic design only. The challenge is based on the user defining the limitation and the main ideas for generating Artificial Intelligence.

Acoustic metafluid for independent manipulation of the mass density and bulk modulus

Tuning the mass density and bulk modulus independently is the key to manipulate the propagation of sound wave. Acoustic metamaterials provide a feasible method to realize various acoustic parameters. However, the relevant studies are mainly concentrated in air, and the huge impedance difference makes it difficult to directly extend these airborne structures to underwater application. Here, we propose a metafluid to realize independent manipulation of the mass density and bulk modulus underwater. The metafluid is composed of hollow regular polygons immersed in the water. By adjusting the side number of the hollow regular polygons and choosing proper materials, the effective mass density and bulk modulus of the metafluid could be modulated independently. Based on the flexible adjustment method, metafluids with same impedance but different sound velocities are designed and used to realize an underwater impedance-matched gradient index lens. In addition, by combining the proposed metafluid with other artificial structures, acoustic parameters with great anisotropy can be achieved, which is exemplified by the design and demonstration of an impedance-matched underwater acoustic carpet cloak. This work can expand the practicability of underwater metamaterials and pave the way for future potential engineering applications in the practical underwater devices.

A Battery-free Breathing monitoring System for post-COVID education

Embedded systems have more and more designs and applications in wearable health monitoring and the Internet of Things (IoT) recently. In this work, a battery-free human breathing monitoring system based on soft polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric thin film for pressure sensing and solid lead zirconate titanate (PZT) pads for powering energy harvest is designed and fabricated. Proper material and structure are chosen by the mechanical analysis to fabricate the systems. Then the device is used to measure the real breathing signal while studying (the memory test is used to represent the study procedure). The breathing frequency and intensity data are extracted and used in correction analysis with the testing score. And the results show that peaceful, slow, and deep breathing will have a positive influence on the testing score. This study opens the mind to combine the engineering designed device with education research, showing the broad application of mechanical and electronic systems.

Biocompatibility Study with Baby Hamster Kidney Cells on Acetobacter Xylinum Pellicle for Diabetic Foot Laceration

Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a persistent metabolic condition marked by elevated blood glucose levels. This condition's global prevalence has been consistently increasing, becoming a major cause for concern in public health on an international scale. This disease can lead to various complications, including impaired wound healing. The purpose of this study is to determine the cytotoxicity level of hydrogel membranes made from Acetobacter xylinum and whether the used method is appropriate for producing proper wound healing material. The findings of the study, employing BHK Kidney cells and the MTT Assay technique, revealed that the dehydrated hydrogel membrane derived from bacterial cellulose and processed through oven drying exhibited a toxicity level of less than 50% across all samples. Additionally, the swelling test indicated a rise in water absorption when the membrane was combined with collagen material

Ultrahigh-efficient material informatics inverse design of thermal metamaterials for visible-infrared-compatible camouflage

Multispectral camouflage technologies, especially in the most frequently-used visible and infrared (VIS-IR) bands, are in increasing demand for the ever-growing multispectral detection technologies. Nevertheless, the efficient design of proper materials and structures for VIS-IR camouflage is still challenging because of the stringent requirement for selective spectra in a large VIS-IR wavelength range and the increasing demand for flexible color and infrared signal adaptivity. Here, a material-informatics-based inverse design framework is proposed to efficiently design multilayer germanium (Ge) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) metamaterials by evaluating only ~1% of the total candidates. The designed metamaterials exhibit excellent color matching and infrared camouflage performance from different observation angles and temperatures through both simulations and infrared experiments. The present material informatics inverse design framework is highly efficient and can be applied to other multi-objective optimization problems beyond multispectral camouflage.