Transfer Technique Research Articles

Looking back at five decades of embryo technology in practice

This paper covers developments from International Embryo Technology Society (IETS) meetings over the past 50 years. The IETS was officially ‘born’ at a meeting in Denver, Colorado on Sunday 26 May 1974. There have been 51 IETS meetings (the first was in May 1974), and the first conference at which papers were presented was in 1975. The name of the IETS was changed from International Embryo Transfer Society to International Embryo Technology Society in 2016. The annual IETS conferences are held once a year in January. Embryo technology advanced from the laborious and slow techniques of surgical recovery and transfer of bovine embryos to non-surgical recovery and transfer in many species. Cryopreservation of embryos was initially a slow process that met with only moderate technical success before the development of technology that resulted in high embryo survival rates. The polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the sex of embryos following laminar flow cytology, which came into use to separate X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa. IVF has grown to become widely used, and several factors make it more useful than superovulation and embryo recovery/transfer. Perhaps the most important tool of all was the system that allowed the genetic ‘mapping’ of the genomic sequence of Bos taurus cattle. Charting key DNA differences by scientists, ‘haplotypes’ are now used routinely to identify animals with desirable traits of economic importance, discover new genetic disorders, and track carrier status of genotyped animals. Future technology is discussed.

Steps forward in embryo transfer technique: a retrospective study comparing direct versus afterload catheters at different time frames.

To assess whether embryo transfer (ET) technique can influence the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and its correlation with the embryo transfer difficulty. This single center retrospective cohort analysis of fresh and frozen single blastocyst transfers performed between January 2016 and December 2021 included fresh and frozen single blastocyst transfers performed during the study timeframe. Direct technique was the only one used from January 2016 to September 2017. From September 2017 to March 2019, the choice between the two techniques was given by randomization, due to a clinical trial recruitment. From April 2019, only the afterload technique was used. Preimplantation genetic testing cycles and gamete donation procedures and cycles performed with external gametes or embryos were excluded. CPR was the primary outcome, while difficult transfer rate the secondary one. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. During the period, 8,189 transfers were performed. CPR of the afterload group resulted significantly higher compared to the direct group (44.69% versus 41.65%, OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.25, p = 0.017) and the rate of difficult transfers two-thirds lower (9.06% versus 26.85%, OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.24-0.31, p < 0.001). Our study demonstrated that CPR is significantly affected by the ET technique. In particular, with the afterload protocol, both CPR and easy transfer rates increased. http://clinicaltrials.gov registration number: NCT05364528, retrospectively registered on 3rd of May 2022.

Acute Achilles Tendon Ruptures Treated With Endoscopic Flexor Hallucis Longus Transfer

The Achilles tendon represents the most commonly ruptured tendon of the human body. Numerous studies have evaluated, throughout the years, management options regarding acute Achilles tendon rupture. Minimally invasive techniques have recently gained more popularity. Endoscopic flexor hallucis longus tendon transfer has been mainly described as a treatment method for neglected Achilles tendon ruptures. However, it has recently been described as an applicable treatment option for acute Achilles tendon ruptures as well. Nevertheless, this procedure is technically quite demanding and should be performed by experienced surgeons. This technical note thoroughly describes the endoscopic flexor hallucis longus transfer technique for acute Achilles tendon ruptures, focusing on the most important technical aspects, thus attempting to simplify and render this procedure more widely accepted.

Study of the two-sided icon "Pieta" / "Holy Martyr Barbara" of the 18th century from the Church of John the Baptist in the village of Dorozhiv, Drohobytsky District, Lviv Region, in the context of the separation process of paint layers and transferring them to a new base

The study is devoted to the problems of restoration of the double-sided icon "Pieta" / "Holy Martyr Barbara" using the method of separation and transfer to a new basis of easel painting. Today, the main task of the restorer is the maximum study, research and preservation of the work of art, its history and transformation over time. The article presented the possible reasons for restoration and repainting of artworks of easel painting, as well as the most widely used methods of "preservation", fixing the layers of later repaintings, which lead to their physical loss due to the discovery of an older, original painting layer. Emphasis is placed on the expediency of applying the technique of layering and transfer to a new basis of easel painting, as an alternative in the context of maximum preservation of the entire structure of the artwork, including later historical transformations. The necessary conditions that precede the successful application of the technique of separation and transfer to a new base of artworks of easel painting are specified. There are presented the general conclusions about the state of preservation and the set of conducted physical-chemical and technical-technological studies of the double-sided icon "Pieta" / "Holy Martyr Barbara" of the 18th century from the church of John the Baptist in the village of Dorozhiv, Drohobytskyi district, Lviv region, and a program of restoration activities. Tests on separation of the paint layer of the 19th century from the "Pieta" icon are presented and the obtained results were analyzed, as a result was selected the optimal method of separation of this painting layer as one whole fragment. The entire process of conservation and restoration processes, including the application of appropriate restoration methods, as well as the specifics of the selection and use of restoration materials, is presented and illustrated. The result of this research using the technique of separation is the preserved painting layer of the icon "Pieta" of the 19th century and the painting of the icon of 1726, created by Ivan Seredyskyi, an icon painter of the Rybotytsky Center of Church Art, opened for further study. Attention is drawn to the study of this icon in the context of the work of Rybotyk masters in the monograph of Roksolana Kosiv.

V-shaped double peeling of films from curved rigid substrates

The peeling phenomenon of films from rigid substrates has been extensively studied, most of which have focused on flat substrates. However, in natural environments, curved substrates with irregular geometries are more prevalent. In this study, the peeling behavior of films from curved rigid substrates is studied. The theoretical model for V-shaped double peeling (VDP) of hyperelastic films from semi-cylindrical substrates has been proposed based on the Griffith’s energy equilibrium theory. An implicit mathematical expression of the relationship between vertical displacement and peeling length is obtained. The peeling length, peeling angle, peeling force and energy change during the peeling process are analyzed and discussed. Subsequently, experimental tests of V-shaped double peeling are carried out affirming the reliability and accuracy of the model. Finally, a simple and efficient new method for evaluating the adhesive energy release rate is proposed.

Post-Migration Support and Monitoring

SAP data center migrations are the subject of this paper with special attention to the methods, problems, and opportunities. The migration strategies are planning, data transfer techniques and the application of advanced devices and technology. Siemens, The Coca-Cola Company, and Shell are used as examples to explain how the approach work and the results achieved. Everyday problems like data accuracy and system failure, for instance, are discussed under pertinent solutions and designs and. It also outlines the positive effects of the paper on business such as improved performance and cost effectiveness and goes ahead to describe long terms effects such as scalability and flexibility. Other trends and technologies like Cloud computing, AI, and others are also covered to understand the future of SAP migrations.

Adsorptive Recovery of Heavy Metal Ions from Aquatic Systems Using Metal‐Organic Frameworks: A Perspective in the Sustainable Development of Nanomaterials

AbstractRapid industrialization in the developing countries has facilitated the unwanted mixing of wastes into the already depleting sources of potable, domestic and industrial water. In particular, the mixing of toxic heavy metal wastes into the aquatic resources have not only increased the scarcity of water at the different levels of usage but also hygiene of the ecosystem is further threatened by the presence of abysmal quality of aquatic environment around the living world. Thus, it has become quite imperative to mitigate such problems through the removal of such water contaminants at the sources before supplied for a specific purpose. In this direction, among the other available mass transfer techniques, specific and efficient adsorption of heavy metal species on the nanomaterials such as metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are found to be a promising method of heavy metal ions recovery. This reports targets to provide a new perspective into heavy metal ions removal from wastewater as a rationale for sustainable nanomaterial engineering through the recycling of toxic metal species as precious precursors in the synthesis of nanomaterials. Decades of exploring materials sciences led to the generation of groundbreaking materials of nanoscale regime, which has advanced myriad avenues of science and technology, viz. electronic, energy, biomedical, environmental, agriculture applications, and more. In this regard, nanotechnology has had a global impact by several folds, which can be observed in all day‐to‐day facilities. This perspective aims to conceptualize a strategy of wastewater decontamination through the adsorptive retrieval of heavy metal species to be subsequently recycled in the design of smart nanomaterials.

The Path from Nasal Tissue to Nasal Mucosa on Chip: Part 2-Advanced Microfluidic Nasal In Vitro Model for Drug Absorption Testing.

The nasal mucosa, being accessible and highly vascularized, opens up new opportunities for the systemic administration of drugs. However, there are several protective functions like the mucociliary clearance, a physiological barrier which represents is a difficult obstacle for drug candidates to overcome. For this reason, effective testing procedures are required in the preclinical phase of pharmaceutical development. Based on a recently reported immortalized porcine nasal epithelial cell line, we developed a test platform based on a tissue-compatible microfluidic chip. In this study, a biomimetic glass chip, which was equipped with a controlled bidirectional airflow to induce a physiologically relevant wall shear stress on the epithelial cell layer, was microfabricated. By developing a membrane transfer technique, the epithelial cell layer could be pre-cultivated in a static holder prior to cultivation in a microfluidic environment. The dynamic cultivation within the chip showed a homogenous distribution of the mucus film on top of the cell layer and a significant increase in cilia formation compared to the static cultivation condition. In addition, the recording of the ciliary transport mechanism by microparticle image velocimetry was successful. Using FITC-dextran 4000 as an example, it was shown that this nasal mucosa on a chip is suitable for permeation studies. The obtained permeation coefficient was in the range of values determined by means of other established in vitro and in vivo models. This novel nasal mucosa on chip could, in future, be automated and used as a substitute for animal testing.

Electro-capillary peeling of thin films

Thin films are widely-used functional materials that have attracted much interest in academic and industrial applications. With thin films becoming micro/nanoscale, developing a simple and nondestructive peeling method for transferring and reusing the films remains a major challenge. Here, we develop an electro-capillary peeling strategy that achieves thin film detachment by driving liquid to percolate and spread into the bonding layer under electric fields, immensely reducing the deformation and strain of the film compared with traditional methods (reaching 86%). Our approach is evaluated via various applied voltages and films, showing active control characterizations and being appropriate for a broad range of films. Theoretically, electro-capillary peeling is achieved by utilizing the Maxwell stress to compete with the film’s adhesion stress and tension stress. This work shows the great potential of the electro-capillary peeling method to provide a simple way to transfer films and facilitates valid avenues for reusing soft materials.

Surgical management and outcomes of traumatic global brachial plexus injury: A concise review and our center approach.

Global brachial plexus injury (GBPI) mainly affects adults and causes severe life-changing consequences that lead to the deterioration of patients' quality of life. Several surgical approaches have been described and reported in the literature to improve patients' functional ability. A literature review is done on PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase using specific keywords to retrieve relevant articles assessing different surgical approaches for GBPI management. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and eligible articles were included in the review. The literature survey revealed that various surgical options had been used to manage GBPI patients. In this concise review, we discuss and compare the different surgical approaches related to GBPI and its outcome in terms of restoring elbow flexion and extension, shoulder abduction, and wrist and hand function. The primary surgical intervention relies mainly on transferring single or multiple nerves with/without nerve grafts to restore the function of the targeted muscle. Different techniques using a variety of nerve donors and recipients are compared to assess the functional outcomes of each option. Moreover, further options are addressed for delayed GBPI injuries or failed nerve transfer procedures, as in free functional muscle transfer techniques. In addition, information about brachial plexus injury cases faced in our center is presented along with our center's approach to diagnosing and managing partial and GBPI cases.

Chemical compositions, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of kepel (Stelechocarpus burahol) fruit flesh and peel extracts

Abstract. Sundari D, Handayani DS, Suryanti V. 2023. Chemical compositions, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of kepel (Stelechocarpus burahol) fruit flesh and peel extracts. Biodiversitas 24: 4668-4675. Kepel (Stelechocarpus burahol (Bl.) Hook f. &amp; Th.) has been utilized by royalty in Java, Indonesia as perfume, deodorant and anti-agingagent. S. burahol fruit flesh has diuretic properties and can helpavoid kidney irritation. S. buraholpossesses anti-hyperuricemia and xanthine oxidase inhibitory properties, as well as antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity. Chemical contents and biological activities of S. burahol fruit and peel extracts were investigated in the present study. Based on GC-MS spectra, methanol fruits extract contains dodecanoic acid-1,2,3-propanetriyl ester. Methanol peel extract contains hexadecanoic acid methyl ester; 2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyl-2,6,10,14,18,22-tetracosahexaene and dodecanoic acid-1,2,3-propanetriyl ester. Ethyl acetate peel extract contains dodecanoic acid-1,2,3-propanetriyl ester. LC-MS analysis revealed that ethyl acetate fruit flesh extract contains pelargonidin-malonylrhamnoside (anthocyanins), 8-epiiridodial glucoside tetraacetate (isoprenoid), epigallocatechin gallate (catechin) and 5-octadecenal (fatty aldehydes). Ethyl acetate fruit peel extract contains 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (flavonoid), 1,6-di-o-galloylglucose (tannins), luteolin 7-O-glucoside (cynaroside),methyl hemiacetal in 3,4-DHPEA-EA (iridoids). Methanol extract of fruit flesh has strong antioxidant activity, whereas three other extracts have very strong antioxidant activities. S. burahol peel extract inhibited the S. aureus growth at a concentration extract of 15,000 to 25,000 ppm. These antioxidant and antibacterial activities are associated with the chemical composition of S. burahol fruit flesh and peel extracts. Further research into other biological functions and in vivo investigations are required for future studies.

Single-Phase Bridgeless Converter for On-Board EV Charger With Flexible Charging Capabilities

This article puts forward the analysis and design of single-phase bridgeless Cuk-derived DC-DC converter for a novel vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charge transfer technique. V2V charging adds flexibility in EV charging process and aids in mitigating range anxiety. Proposed V2V charge transfer technique has only one power conversion stage and only one onboard charger is used to charge the battery. The charger is capable of both grid-to-vehicle (G2V) and V2V charging. The converter design is in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) which reduces the control complexity. The converter has lower component count rendering the charger lightweight, power dense, and cost effective. The overall converter efficiency is high owing to low switching losses. This work has been compared to several state-of-the art V2V topologies and configuration. The complete steady state analysis and converter design operating in DC charging mode have been presented. Moreover, to validate the analysis, design, and applicability of the converter for DC V2V charge transfer, PSIM simulation and laboratory-based hardware prototype have been built and the experimental results are provided.

Integrating High‐Level Features for Consistent Palette‐based Multi‐image Recoloring

AbstractAchieving visually consistent colors across multiple images is important when images are used in photo albums, websites, and brochures. Unfortunately, only a handful of methods address multi‐image color consistency compared to one‐to‐one color transfer techniques. Furthermore, existing methods do not incorporate high‐level features that can assist graphic designers in their work. To address these limitations, we introduce a framework that builds upon a previous palette‐based color consistency method and incorporates three high‐level features: white balance, saliency, and color naming. We show how these features overcome the limitations of the prior multi‐consistency workflow and showcase the user‐friendly nature of our framework.

Generation of random sea clutter amplitude sequence with quantitative control on distribution tail

AbstractThis letter proposes a data‐driven method to simulate random sea clutter amplitude sequence with distribution and correlation characteristics directly inherited from the measured clutter. First, a generation model is developed to simulate clutter amplitude sequence with desired distribution. By multiplying the measured amplitudes with random disturbance coefficients, the model introduces sample diversity between the simulated and measured sequences. Meanwhile, to quantitatively control the difference of the distribution tails between the simulated and measured sequences (i.e. to ensure their distributions are similar), the threshold error metric is introduced to set the disturbance variance. Second, a scheme combining the generation model with the correlation transfer technique is presented, which allows to simulate clutter amplitude sequence with both desired distribution and correlation for engineering purpose. Experiments based on different measured clutter sets indicate the proposed method works very well.

The impact of concentration on the biotreatment of hair relaxers using Hydrocarbonoclastic Pseudomonas and Mucor Species from Ezu River, Awka, Nigeria

The contamination of an aquatic environment by hydrocarbons and other noxious compounds due to human activities may cause toxicity to microorganisms and may stimulate microbial activity especially at low concentrations while their persistence can be detrimental to the entire ecosystem. It is crucial therefore, to assess the risks of these pollutants for environmental policy. Diesel was used as carbon source in mineral salts medium for the isolation of petroleum degrading microorganisms from Ezu River using vapor transfer technique. Plates were incubated at 37 0C and 28 0C for bacterial and fungal cultures, respectively. Of the 23 bacterial and 4 fungal isolates recovered, Mucor species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the best hydrocarbon utilizing isolates obtained. The isolates were assessed for their ability to utilize both lye-containing and lye-free hair relaxers at different concentrations (0.2 – 1% w/v) in mineral salts medium for 14 days. The optical density (OD660nm), the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and pH of the medium were monitored during incubation. The toxicity of the hair relaxers to Nitrobacter sp. was also assessed. Results showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa utilized both lye-free(Lf) and lye-containing (Lc)hair relaxers at all concentrations as indicated by the high colony counts, reduction in BOD5 and COD during the incubation period. Mucor sp. grew better on higher concentrations Lc hair relaxer (1%&gt; 0.8%&gt; 0.6% w/v), but with minimal growth at lower concentrations of same relaxer (0.2%&lt; 0.4%&lt; 0.6% w/v). On the contrary, lye-free hair relaxer supported heavy growth of Mucor sp. at all concentrations tested. The growth of Nitrobacter sp. got inhibited by both types of hair relaxers between concentrations 0.6 and 1% w/v, with moderate growth at lower concentrations (0.2 – 0.4% w/v). The toxicity outcome of these hair relaxers to Nitrobacter species implies that the indiscriminate discharge of hair-relaxer-containing salon wastewater into the soil may affect the biogeochemical activities of the soil microbial communities. In addition, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mucor species recovered in this study can be used to attenuate sites contaminated by hair salon wastewater.

Optimize the Network Coding Paths to Enhance the Coding Protection in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Network

Efficient protection techniques for multimedia data transfer over Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) are very essential issues. In noisy Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSN) Quality of Service (QoS) is a challenging task due to bandwidth and limited energy, and unpredictable channel conditions. Therefore, Forward Error Correction (FEC), a class of channel coding has been widely used in WSN. Nevertheless, the bulky size of multimedia data makes it more difficult to be transported over the noisy multi-hop wireless network. Moreover, the efficiency of FEC drops as the number of hops increases. In this paper, an optimized protection technique based on network coding and rateless code has been proposed to enhance the throughput and reduce overhead during data transfer in WMSN. The performance of NCP-OPR is enhanced via Optimal Network Path Model (ONPM) where the best available paths are optimally selected using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). In conjunction with the proposed protection scheme, the proposed ONPM is intended for limited power WSN by optimally distributing the power usage among the network paths so that the throughput can be improved.

Performance analysis of groove-cut tube based double-pipe heat exchanger using microencapsulated phase change material slurry

It is commonly accepted practice to improve a thermal-fluid device by adopting surface enhancement techniques for better heat transfer. On the other hand, Microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) slurry has been used as a heat transfer fluid (HTF) due to its improved heat capacity and heat transfer performance. The current paper attempted to study the combined effect of the two enhancement methods in a double-pipe heat exchanger. The results were first validated with experimental work taking into account the hydraulic and heat transfer characteristics of the MPCM slurry flow. Groove-cut geometrical models of MGGC, RGC, CGC, and TGC were proposed to modify heat transfer tube geometry. The effect of the number of helical turns (3, 4, 5, and 6-turns) and various Reynolds numbers were also considered for the investigation. The result showed that the proposed groove-cut models demonstrate enhanced flow mixing for MPCM slurry but with a higher friction factor, which increases with increasing helical turns. The impact was also manifested by improving the heat transfer by facilitating a uniform melting of MPCM particles, and the RGC model shows higher performance. The overall thermohydraulic performance assessment showed that the groove-cut tube models outperformed the corresponding plain tube. The highest performance factor value of 1.24 was observed for the RGC model, while the TGC model shows only 1.14 for the 6-turns. Similarly, the Q/Wp ratio indicates that the groove cut models transport more heat than the pumping power requirement for MPCM slurry.

RETRACTED: Enhancing UAV Communication Links with Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) have emerged as a prominent and widely debated solution to enhance the energy efficiency of wireless communications. This article explores the potential of combining RIS with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)-RIS, to provide on-demand deployment services in dynamic environments. However, the energy limitations of battery-powered UAVs can curtail the advantages of UAV-RIS systems. To address this challenge and enhance the durability of UAV-RIS deployments, we introduce an energy harvesting technique for simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) coupled with optimized resource allocation and energy harvesting from incoming radio frequency (RF) signals. In contrast to previous research, our approach involves the division of passive reflected arrays across geometric space, facilitating simultaneous information transfer and energy harvesting. Additionally, we are developing deep Q-network (DQN) and deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) techniques to dynamically allocate UAV-RIS resources in both temporal and spatial dimensions. This allocation maximizes the overall harvested energy while upholding communication quality for every user. Our simulation results conclusively demonstrate the substantial superiority of the proposed UAV-RIS SWIPT system over the benchmark.

An Energy-Efficient Routing Algorithm for WSNs Using Fuzzy Logic.

Battery replacement or recharging is essential for sensor nodes because they are typically powered by batteries in wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. Therefore, creating an energy-efficient data transfer technique is required. The base station (BS) receives data from one sensor node and routes the data to another sensor node. As a result, an energy-efficient routing algorithm using fuzzy logic (EERF) represents a novel approach that is suggested in this study. One of the reasoning techniques utilized in scenarios where there is a lot of ambiguity is fuzzy logic. The remaining energy, the distance between the sensor node and the base station, and the total number of connected sensor nodes are all inputs given to the fuzzy system of the proposed EERF algorithm. The proposed EERF is contrasted with the current systems, like the energy-aware unequal clustering using fuzzy logic (EAUCF) and distributed unequal clustering using fuzzy logic (DUCF) algorithms, in terms of evaluation criteria, including energy consumption, the number of active sensor nodes for each round in the network, and network stability. EAUCF and DUCF were outperformed by EERF.

A numerical study on fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics of oily wastewater falling film outside an elliptical tube

Falling film heat exchangers have recently been widespread as a heat transfer technique for oily wastewater. Researching the characteristics of fluid mechanism for heat transmission is crucial. In this research, numerical models are applied to simulate the heat transmission and flow of falling film outside ellipse tube. In order to emulate fluid flow and heat transmission, the oily wastewater falling film is analyzed utilizing the VOF approach under circumstances of constant thermal flow. On the flow properties and heat transfer coefficient distribution of liquid film, the impacts of the input height, contact angle, liquid film flow rate, and oil content are examined. These computational outcomes are attained: (1) More so than film thickness, according to the simulation results, increasing liquid film flow significantly affects velocity;(2) One of the main causes of how oil concentration affects heat transmission is the complex disturbance process of liquid film and the force change around tube structure;(3) Around 40°, inlet height has the greatest impact on local heat transfer coefficient;(4) The overall heat transmission will deteriorate due to the hydrophobic impact brought on by increased contact angle.