Strain Variation Research Articles

Interpretable single-cell factor decomposition using sciRED.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) maps gene expression heterogeneity within a tissue. However, identifying biological signals in this data is challenging due to confounding technical factors, sparsity, and high dimensionality. Data factorization methods address this by separating and identifying signals in the data, such as gene expression programs, but the resulting factors must be manually interpreted. We developed Single-Cell Interpretable Residual Decomposition (sciRED) to improve the interpretation of scRNA-seq factor analysis. sciRED removes known confounding effects, uses rotations to improve factor interpretability, maps factors to known covariates, identifies unexplained factors that may capture hidden biological phenomena and determines the genes and biological processes represented by the resulting factors. We apply sciRED to multiple scRNA-seq datasets and identify sex-specific variation in a kidney map, discern strong and weak immune stimulation signals in a PBMC dataset, reduce ambient RNA contamination in a rat liver atlas to help identify strain variation, and reveal rare cell type signatures and anatomical zonation gene programs in a healthy human liver map. These demonstrate that sciRED is useful in characterizing diverse biological signals within scRNA-seq data.

Strain Field Development, Fracturing, and Gas Ejection in Decoupled Charge Blasting Using Granite Cylinders

This study explored the fracture process of granite cylinders with a centric charge, varying decoupling ratios by conducting laboratory-scale experiments and numerical simulations. In experiments, the three-dimensional (3D) digital image correlation (DIC) technique was employed, using frames captured by two synchronized high-speed cameras. This instrumentation permitted the observation of full-field strain variation, the development of fractures, and gaseous products escaping from the cylinders’ surfaces. Granite cylinders measuring 240 mm in diameter and 300 mm in length served as specimens in blasting experiments, and each specimen had a charge of approximately 3 g. Specimens had a centric blasthole with a diameter of either 10 mm, 14 mm, or 20 mm. The corresponding decoupling ratio varied from 1.8 to 3.6, and the gap between the charge and the blasthole wall was filled with water or air. The experimental results showed that: (1) specimens with decoupling ratios of 1.9 and 2.6 exhibited initial strains on the cylindrical surface between 20 μs and 40 μs. (2) Specimens with water-filled blastholes developed fractures faster and in a denser manner compared to those with air-filled blastholes. In addition, fractures resulting from air-filled blastholes appeared smoother than those from water-filled blastholes. (3) The gas ejection time for the air-filled blasthole remained basically consistent across decoupling ratios ranging from 1.5 to 3.61, varying between 400 μs and 520 μs. The utilization of water-filled blastholes effectively minimized the escape of gaseous products from the cylindrical surface. Numerical simulation conducted with LS-DYNA exhibited results that aligned well with the observed fracture patterns in the experiments. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of rock behaviors in decoupled charge blasting.

Shear Performance of Deep Concrete Beams with Openings Using Waste Tyre Steel Fibres: FEM and ANN Analysis

The creation of transverse openings in beams triggers the shear performance. The dual impact of height and length on the overall shear performance and strain variations in reinforcements of deep concrete beams with and without fibres was assessed to investigate the effect of opening in the beam. This effect of opening was explored and modelled using finite element software Abaqus and predicted using an artificial neural network (ANN) model. The data set for ANN was 56 deep concrete beams, while for the finite element model (FEM), 12 deep concrete beams were used. The effect of input parameters in the ANN model was assessed through sensitivity analysis. Results show that with an increase in opening depth, the strain in top steel reinforcement shifted to tensile strain, resulting in premature beam failure. In addition, experimental and FEM shear resistance had a mean absolute error (MAE) of 4.1, 5.0, and 20.6% for deep beams without fibres, with fibres and fibre mesh, respectively. Compared to available analytical models, the ANN model reasonably predicts the shear resistance with an R2of 0.84 and a mean square error (MSE) of 0.01. The use of the ANN and FEM models is recommended as they save time, and the prediction does not involve degradation of the environment, hence demonstrating sustainable construction practices. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-08-02 Full Text: PDF

Strain variation and anomalous climate synergistically influence cholera pandemics.

Explanations for the genesis and propagation of cholera pandemics since 1817 have remained elusive. Evolutionary pathogen change is presumed to have been a dominant factor behind the 7th "El Tor" pandemic, but little is known to support this hypothesis for preceding pandemics. The role of anomalous climate in facilitating strain replacements has never been assessed. The question is of relevance to guide the understanding of infectious disease emergence today and in the context of climate change. We investigate the roles of climate and putative strain variation for the 6th cholera pandemic (1899-1923) using newly assembled historical records for climate variables and cholera deaths in provinces of former British India. We compare this historical pandemic with the 7th (El Tor) one and with the temporary emergence of the O139 strain in Bangladesh and globally. With statistical methods for nonlinear time series analysis, we examine the regional synchrony of outbreaks and associations of the disease with regional temperature and rainfall, and with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). To establish future expectations and evaluate climate anomalies accompanying historical strain replacements, climate projections are generated with multi-model climate simulations for different 50-year periods. The 6th cholera pandemic featured the striking synchronisation of cholera outbreaks over Bengal during the El Niño event of 1904-07, following the invasion of the Bombay Presidency with a delay of a few years. Accompanying anomalous weather conditions are similar to those related to ENSO during strain replacements and pandemic expansions into Africa and South America in the late 20th century. Rainfall anomalies of 1904-05 at the beginning of the large cholera anomaly fall in the 99th percentile of simulated changes for the regional climate. Evolutionary pathogen change can act synergistically with climatic conditions in the emergence and propagation of cholera strains. Increased climate variability and extremes under global warming provide windows of opportunity for emerging pathogens.

Harmonized coexistence of intragenomic variations in diatom Skeletonema strains

Metabarcoding analysis has been demonstrated to be an effective technology for monitoring diversity and dynamics of phytoplankton including Skeletonema species. Although molecular diversity uncovered in metabarcoding projects has generally been interpreted as sum of interspecies diversity and intraspecies diversity, accumulating evidence suggests that it also harbors unprecedentedly high levels of intra-genomic variations (IGVs). As up to thousands of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) identified in a typical metabarcoding project can be annotated to be Skeletonema species, we hypothesize that substantial portions of these ASVs are contributed by IGVs. Here, the nature of IGVs in Skeletonema species was quantitatively analyzed by carrying out single-strain metabarcoding analysis of 18S rDNA V4 in 49 strains belonging to seven Skeletonema species. Results showed that each Skeletonema strain harbored a high level of IGVs as expected. While many Skeletonema strains each contained one dominant ASV and a substantial number of ASVs displaying much lower relative abundance, other Skeletonema strains each contained multiple ASVs with comparable or nearly equally abundances. Thus the co-existence of multiple dominant ASVs in a single cell indicated a tug-of-war of these variants in evolution, which may eventually result in harmonized coexistence of multiple dominant ASVs. A total of nine dominant ASVs and 652 non-dominant ASVs were found in 49 strains of seven Skeletonema species, indicating rich interspecies and intraspecies variations, and complex evolution of IGVs in genus of Skeletonema. The results confirmed that the extensive degree of IGVs was the main contributor to the high molecular diversity revealed by metabarcoding analysis. This study highlights the importance of quantitative characterization of IGVs in Skeletonema species for accurate interpretation of species diversity in metabarcoding analysis.

Effect of live loads on top slab of cast-in-place reinforced concrete box culverts

Reinforced concrete box culverts (RCBCs) designed according to old codes, using lighter truck weights (e.g., H15), may require posting when rated for current design and permit vehicles. When load ratings are calculated based on current AASHTO Specifications, they can be negatively affected by the conservative live-load attenuation through soil fill. This study evaluates the positive bending strains induced by live-load distribution through soil fill when load rating cast-in-place (CIP) RCBCs. Eighteen (18) single and multicell RCBCs in Kentucky were load tested and the effects of truck live loads analyzed. Fill heights, HF, varied from 0 m (0 ft) to 3.57 m (11.7 ft), clear cell spans, S, from 3.05 m (10.0 ft) to 6.71 m (22.0 ft), and culvert spans from 6.71 m (22.0 ft) to 18.59 m (61.0 ft). Field data were collected using strain gauges attached to the interior surfaces of culverts. Irrespective of how many cells the RCBCs had, strain variations with fill height in the top slabs were similar. At fill heights greater than 3.05 m (10.0 ft), maximum strains in the top slabs measured less than 10 microstrain, a value at which live-load effects are considered negligible. Combining live-load strains measured on the Kentucky culverts with ones from field tests in Missouri and Louisiana, a live-load tensile strain envelope is proposed to load rate the top slabs of RCBCs for positive bending when cell spans are less than 4.6 m (15.0 ft).

Ligand Tail Controls the Conformation of Indium Sulfide Ultrathin Nanoribbons.

We report the conformational control of 2D ultrathin indium sulfide nanoribbons by tuning their amine ligands' alkyl chain. The initial orthorhombic InS nanoribbons bare n-octylamine ligands and display a highly curved geometry with a characteristic figure of eight shapes. Exchanging the native ligand by oleylamine induces their complete unfolding to yield flat board-shaped nanoribbons. Significant strain variations in the InS crystal structure accompany this shape-shifting. By tuning the linear alkyl chain length from 4 to 18 carbon atoms, we show using small-angle X-ray scattering in solution and transmission electron microscopy that the curvature of the nanoribbon subtly depends on the ligand-ligand interactions at the nanoribbon's surface. The curvature decreases gradually as the chain length increases, while carbon unsaturation has an unexpectedly significant effect at constant chain length. These experiments shed light on the critical role of the ligand monolayer on the curvature of ultrathin 2D crystalline nanosheets and demonstrate that weak supramolecular forces within the organic part of colloidal nanocrystals can dramatically impact their shape. This transduction mechanism, in which changes in the organic monolayer impact the shape of a nanocrystal, will help to devise new strategies to design stimuli-responsive systems that take advantage of both the flexibility of organic moieties and the physical properties of the inorganic core.

Application of Phenolic-based BFRP Rebars Adapted to High Temperature in Beam Strengthened by NSM Technique

Phenolic resin-based BFRP (P-BFRP) composites has been demonstrated to be superior to the commercial ones when being exposed to high temperature, while their strengthening effect for reinforced concrete (RC) components at ambient temperature has not been investigated. In this paper, exploration was conducted and experimental studies were mainly carried out on the flexural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with P-BFRP rebars, including epoxy- (E-BFRP) and vinyl-based BFRP (V-BFRP) rebars as a comparison. Crucial characteristics of strengthened beams, especially strain variation of BFRP rebars, were analyzed, and flexural capacities were also calculated. The results showed that P-BFRP rebars can achieve a slightly better strengthening effect compared to commercial BFRP rebars. All BFRP rebars saw a less increase in strains at glue-strengthening zones, but an obvious change from cracking to failing at grouting-strengthening zone. The bonding scheme including both grouting and epoxy glue was reasonable, and sufficient to contribute a reliable anchorage to the BFRP rebars. The calculation in ACI 440.2R-08 was conservative in predicting the ultimate load capacity of the strengthened beam, while the trend of variation can be reasonably estimated. P-BFRP rebars were more effective in the case of higher concrete strength, or lower steel reinforcement ratio.

Mechanical Properties and Cooperation Mechanism of Corroded Steel Plates Retrofitted by Laser Cladding Additive Manufacturing under Tension.

As a metal additive manufacturing process, laser cladding (LC) is employed as a novel and beneficial repair technology for damaged steel structures. This study employed LC technology with 316 L stainless steel powder to repair locally corroded steel plates. The influences of interface slope and scanning pattern on the mechanical properties of repaired specimens were investigated through tensile tests and finite element analysis. By comparing the tensile properties of the repaired specimens with those of the intact and corroded specimens, the effectiveness of LC repair technology was assessed. An analysis of strain variations in the LC sheet and substrate during the load was carried out to obtain the cooperation mechanism between the LC sheet and substrate. The experimental results showed that the decrease in interface slope slightly improved the mechanical properties of repaired specimens. The repaired specimens have similar yield strength and ultimate strength to the intact specimens and better ductility as compared to the corroded specimen. The stress-strain curve of repaired specimens can be divided into four stages: elastic stage, substrate yield-LC sheet elastic stage, substrate hardening-LC sheet elastic stage, and plastic stage. These findings suggest that the LC technology with 316 L stainless steel powder is effective in repairing damaged steel plates in civil engineering structures and that an interface slope of 1:2.5 with the transverse scanning pattern is suitable for the repair process.

Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers reveal genetic variation of rice strains obtained by millet DNA injection through coleoptile

Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers reveal genetic variation of rice strains obtained by millet DNA injection through coleoptile

Investigation of the Deformation Behavior of Baffle Structures Impacted by Debris Flow Based on Physical Modelling

The utilization of baffle structures as a highly effective strategy for mitigating debris flow has attracted significant scholarly attention in recent years. Although the predominant focus of existing research has been on augmenting the energy dissipation capabilities of baffle structures, their deformation behavior under impact load has not been extensively investigated. Addressing this research gap, the current study systematically designs a series of physical model experiments, incorporating variables such as baffle height, shape, and various combinations of baffle types to comprehensively analyze the deformation characteristics of baffles subjected to debris flow impact. The experimental results reveal that the deformation of baffle group structures demonstrates a marked non-uniform spatial distribution and exhibits a latency effect. Additionally, distinct baffle configurations show considerable variations in peak strain, suggesting that combining different baffle shapes can not only optimize energy dissipation but also enhance resistance to deformation. Moreover, the relationship between baffle height and the development of deformation in relation to energy dissipation capacity is inconsistent, indicating that deformation must be a key consideration in the design of baffle structures. Consequently, this paper advocates for the formulation of a deformation-based design strategy for baffle structures, with the findings presented herein providing a foundational reference for future studies.

Numerical simulation on the dynamic mechanical response and fracture mechanism of rocks containing a single hole

Caverns and tunnels are constantly exposed to dynamic loads, posing a potentially significant threat to the safety of rock structures. To facilitate the understanding of dynamic fracture around openings, a series of discrete element models were established to numerically examine the effect of hole shape on dynamic mechanical properties and crack evolution. The results indicate that the existence of a hole greatly reduces dynamic strength, and the reduction is closely related to hole shape. The strain variation of pre-holed specimens is more complicated and even larger than the value of intact specimens. Although crack initiation differs for varying hole shapes, the entire structural collapse of specimens is controlled by macro shear cracks along the diagonal direction of the specimen, which are effectively identified by velocity trend arrows and contact force distribution. Finally, comparative analysis between failure pattern of pre-holed specimens under static and dynamic loads were conducted.

Mechanical Properties and Microscopic Study of Recycled Fibre Concrete Based on Wind Turbine Blades.

In recent years, wind energy has begun to receive a significant amount of attention as clean energy is utilised and demanded in large quantities, resulting in a sharp increase in the use of wind turbines. The demand for wind turbines has gradually risen due to the clean and recyclable nature of wind energy. The current blade life of wind turbines in China is about 20 years, which means that the disposal of obsolete used blades can become a difficult problem in the future. Therefore, this study is of great significance to explore the regeneration performance of the blades after recycling and disposal. In this paper, wind turbine blades were mechanically recycled into recycled macrofibres, which were added to concrete as a reinforcing material to make wind impeller fibre concrete (WIC), and the three proportion ratios of 1%, 1.5%, and 2% were explored to compare the performance. The performance of WIC was also evaluated and its performance was compared to that of glass fibre concrete (GC). In addition, the material physical properties of second-generation recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) based on WIC were explored. The strength and peak strain variations and their causal mechanisms were analysed both macroscopically and microscopically by means of the classical mechanical tests (compression and bending tests), SEM, and XRD. The results show that the compressive strength of WIC was negatively correlated with the fibre content and increased by 6.04-18.12% compared to that of ordinary concrete (OG), with a maximum of 19.25 MPa; the flexural strength was positively correlated with the fibre content, with an increase of 5.37-18.5%. The microstructural analysis confirmed the macroscopic results and the intrinsic model better validated the experimental results.

The Role of Lactobacillus plantarum in Reducing Obesity and Inflammation: A Meta-Analysis.

Recent research has underscored the efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) in managing obesity among healthy adults. This meta-analysis reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from major databases up to May 2024, focusing on the effects of L. plantarum on body weight, body mass index (BMI), and metabolic parameters. This study has been registered in PROSPERO (number: CRD 42024531611). The analysis of nine studies revealed significant weight reduction and BMI decreases with L. plantarum supplementation compared to a placebo. Notably, using more than two strains together enhanced these effects. Improvements were also observed in abdominal fat and inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). This meta-analysis synthesizes evidence from nine RCTs to test the hypothesis that L. plantarum supplementation effectively reduces body weight and BMI in healthy adults compared to a placebo. However, variations in study designs, probiotic strains, and intervention durations call for more robust trials to confirm these benefits.

A Fully Biodegradable and Ultra‐Sensitive Crack‐Based Strain Sensor for Biomechanical Signal Monitoring

AbstractA fully biodegradable, ultra‐sensitive, and soft strain sensor is pivotal for temporary, real‐time monitoring of microdeformations, crucial in disease diagnosis, surgical precision, and prognosis of muscular, and vascular conditions. Nevertheless, the strain sensitivity of previous biodegradable sensors, denoted by gauge factor (GF) up to ≈100, falls short of requirements for complex biomedical monitoring scenarios, specifically monitoring cardio‐cerebrovascular diseases with microscale variations in vascular surface strain. Here, a fully biodegradable, ultra‐sensitive crack‐based flexible strain sensor is introduced achieving GF of 1355 at 1.5% strain through integration of molybdenum (Mo) film, molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) adhesion layer, and polycaprolactone (PCL) substrate. Analysis of crack morphology of biodegradable thin‐film metals, including Mo, tungsten (W), and magnesium (Mg), reveals material‐dependent sensitivity and repeatability of crack‐based strain sensors. The effect of the adhesion layer and polymer substrate is also investigated. Overall morphological studies on the sensor present a comprehensive understanding of metal film cracking behavior and corresponding performance characterization, showing significant potential for highly sensitive sensors. A hybrid membrane composed of candelilla wax (Cw), beeswax (Bw), and polybutylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate (PBAT) is introduced to provide hydrophobic, yet flexible encapsulation. In vivo, short‐term (≈3 days) monitoring of vascular pulsatility underscores the potential of the sensing tool for rapid, accurate, and temporal disease diagnosis and treatment.

Multi-stimuli-responsive conductive and luminescent hydrogels for wearable sensors and information encryption transmission

Flexible electronic sensors with optical functions have promising applications in wearable sensing, information storage, encryption and transmission, but realizing multifunctional applications in a single system is still challenging. Herein, the conductive and luminescent hydrogel in a single system was fabricated by non-covalent crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) network and covalent crosslinked acrylamide (AAm) and [2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide (SBMA) network, as well as doping Eu(PDA)3 and glycerol (GL). The acquired PVA0.9/P(AAm-co-SBMA0.5)/Eu(PDA)3/GL (P0.9P0.5EG) hydrogel possesses excellent mechanical properties, adhesion, self-healing capability, water retention ability, anti-freezing property, conductivity, self-powered property, and luminescent properties. Importantly, the hydrogel as a flexible sensor has excellent tensile strain sensitivity (GF = 17.8), pressure sensitivity (S = 1.191 kPa−1), quick response, and stable electrical signals output, which can be used for monitoring multiple movements as well as for information transmission with the help of Morse code. Moreover, the unique luminescent properties and multi-stimuli-responsive behavior also make the hydrogel monitor strain variations via detecting the luminescence signal changes. Notably, the particular process of information encryption transmission was further achieved by converting the luminescence signals to electrical signals. This work provides an alternative strategy for designing and preparing hydrogel sensors for multifunctional applications.

Strain variation in the Candida albicans iron limitation response.

Iron acquisition is critical for pathogens to proliferate during invasive infection, and the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is no exception. The iron regulatory network, established in reference strain SC5314 and derivatives, includes the central player Sef1, a transcription factor that activates iron acquisition genes in response to iron limitation. Here, we explored potential variation in this network among five diverse C. albicans strains through mutant analysis, Nanostring gene expression profiling, and, for two strains, RNA-Seq. Our findings highlight four features that may inform future studies of natural variation and iron acquisition in this species. (i) Conformity: In all strains, major iron acquisition genes are upregulated during iron limitation, and a sef1Δ/Δ mutation impairs that response and growth during iron limitation. (ii) Response variation: Some aspects of the iron limitation response vary among strains, notably the activation of hypha-associated genes. As this gene set is tied to tissue damage and virulence, variation may impact the progression of infection. (iii) Genotype-phenotype variation: The impact of a sef1Δ/Δ mutation on cell wall integrity varies, and for the two strains examined the phenotype correlated with sef1Δ/Δ impact on several cell wall integrity genes. (iv) Phenotype discovery: DNA repair genes were induced modestly by iron limitation in sef1Δ/Δ mutants, with fold changes we would usually ignore. However, the response occurred in both strains tested and was reminiscent of a much stronger response described in Cryptococcus neoformans, a suggestion that it may have biological meaning. In fact, we observed that the iron limitation of a sef1Δ/Δ mutant caused recessive phenotypes to emerge at two heterozygous loci. Overall, our results show that a network that is critical for pathogen proliferation presents variation outside of its core functions.IMPORTANCEA key virulence factor of Candida albicans is the ability to maintain iron homeostasis in the host where iron is scarce. We focused on a central iron regulator, SEF1. We found that iron regulator Sef1 is required for growth, cell wall integrity, and genome integrity during iron limitation. The novel aspect of this work is the characterization of strain variation in a circuit that is required for survival in the host and the connection of iron acquisition to genome integrity in C. albicans.

Machine learning-augmented multi-arrayed fiber bragg grating sensors for enhanced structural health monitoring by discriminating strain and temperature variations

AbstractFiber optic sensors (FOS) in long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) have drawn significant attention due to their pivotal role in detecting defects and measuring structural performance in diverse infrastructures. While using FOS, temperature variation due to environmental factors is still considered one of the major challenges to isolating sensing parameters. To address this issue, we reported a machine learning (ML)-augmented multi-parameter sensing system that enables simultaneous detection of strain and temperature effects based on one single fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) sensor for SHM. The initial phase entailed designing, fabricating, and characterizing a novel FBG sensor in the laboratory, incorporating a set of four FBGs, each distinguished by distinct Bragg wavelengths. In the next phase, ML algorithms are employed to separate temperature effects from strain variations. As a proof of concept, mechanical loading tests are conducted on the sensor, exposing the FBG portion to various temperature conditions. In the final phase, data collected from a post-tensioned concrete bridge embedded with both strain and temperature FBG sensors are utilized, and the developed ML models are applied to observe real-environment outcomes. Despite the limited feature points of collected FBG spectrums, the developed ML models effectively address cross-sensitivity issues induced by temperature perturbations. The long-term benefit of using FOS is that it will enable a better understanding and utilization of aging infrastructure. This will potentially reduce embodied carbon of infrastructure in the future and assist in the global efforts to achieve Net-Zero.

Low-Temperature Rapid Polymerization of Intrinsic Conducting PAD/OC Hydrogels with a Self-Adhesive and Sensitive Sensor for Outdoor Damage Repair and Detection.

Intrinsic conducting hydrogels fabricated in situ at low temperatures with self-adhesive properties and excellent flexibility hold significant promise for energy applications and outdoor damage repair. However, challenges such as low polymerization rate and self adhesion, insufficient ionic conductivity, inflexibility, and poor stability under extreme cold conditions have hindered their utilization as high-performance sensors. In this study, we designed an intrinsic conducting hydrogel (PADOC) composed of acrylic acid, acryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride, N,N'-methylenebis(2-propenamide), self-fabricated oxidized curdlan (OC), and a water/glycerol binary solvent. The novel hydrogel exhibited rapid gelation (30 s) at 0 °C facilitated by the promotion of OC, without the need for external energy input. Our findings from FT-IR, NMR, XPS, XRD, EPR spectra, MS, and DSC analyses revealed that OC underwent selective oxidation via the evolved Fenton reaction at 30 °C, serving as bioaccelerators for PAD polymerization. Due to OC's reductive structure and increased solubility, the reaction activation energy of the PAD polymerization reaction significantly reduced from 103.2 to 54.4 kJ/mol. PADOC ionic hydrogels demonstrated an electrical conductivity of 1.00 S/m, 0.7% low hysteresis, 39.6 kPa self-adhesive strength, and 923% strain-at-break and kept even at -20 °C owing to dense hydrogen and ionic bonds between PAD and OC chains. Furthermore, PADOC ionic hydrogels exhibited antifatigue properties for 10 cycles (0-100%) due to electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. Remarkably, using a self-designed device, the rapid polymerization of PADOC effectively repaired copper pipeline leakage under 86 kPa pressure and detected 1% strain variation as a strain sensor. This study opens a new avenue for the rapid gelation of self-adhesive and flexible intrinsic conducting hydrogels with robust sensor performance.

Preoperative right ventricular strain as an early predictor of perioperative cardiac failure in patients undergoing mitral surgery: An exploratory study.

This study's primary purpose was to demonstrate the correlation of preoperative right ventricular free-wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS) and pre-/postsurgical variation in strain (delta strain) with the clinical and echocardiographic diagnosis of right ventricular dysfunction. Its secondary purpose was to determine the correlation of RVFWLS and delta strain with length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU), ventilation days, trend of natriuretic peptide test. (NT-proBNP) and lactate in the first 48 h, incidence of acute renal failure, and 28-day mortality. Prospective observational study. Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Anaesthesia Department and ICU of the University Hospital Integrated Trust of Verona. Patients scheduled for mitral surgery. None. All clinical and transoesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) parameters were collected at baseline, before surgery (T1) and at admission in the ICU postsurgery (T2). During the postoperative period, the clinical and echocardiographic diagnoses of right, left, or biventricular dysfunction were evaluated. TEE parameters were evaluated by a cardiologist offline. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to the development of any type of ventricular dysfunction. No statistically significant differences emerged between the two groups. According to a logistic regression model, a T1-RVFWLS value of -15% appeared to predict biventricular dysfunction (sensitivity: 100%; specificity: 91.3%). No correlation between T1- or T2-RVFWLS and creatinine, hours of ventilation or ICU LOS was found. Our study introduces a new parameter that could be used in perioperative evaluations to identify patients at risk of postoperative biventricular dysfunction.