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In this study, we investigated the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains used as starters for kimchi fermentation, namely Lactococcus lactis WiKim0124

Two-component self-healing carbon/epoxy composites were fabricated by incorporating healing agents between to carbon fiber laminates via the vacuum bagging method. Vinyl ester (VE), cobalt naphthalene (CN), and methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) were encapsulated in a polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) shell via co-axial electrospinning. Varying nanofiber compositions were fabricated, namely, 10, 20, 30, and 40% PAN in PVDF nanofibers. The 20% PAN fibers were finalized as the shell material owing to their superior tensile properties and surface morphology. The behavior of the PAN/PVDF nanofibers encapsulating the healing agents was studied via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to affirm the presence of the healing agents. Mechanical analysis in the presence of core-shell nanofibers indicated an enhancement of 7 and 5% in flexural strength and Izod impact strength, respectively. Three-point bending tests confirmed the autonomous healing characteristics of these nanofibers, which retained 62% of their initial strength after 24 h. FESEM and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses of the fracture surface confirmed that the resin was released from the nanofibers, restoring the initial properties of the composites.

The flammability of natural fibers is their main limitation in high-temperature engineering applications, a contemporary issue in the present green engineering sector. Therefore, the current investigation focused on developing fire-resistant natural fibers through surface coating with hybrid biochemicals using the Taguchi approach (L9 orthogonal array). The low-cost and eco-friendly chemicals, chitosan (CTS), sodium bicarbonate (SBC), and ammonium polyphosphate (APP), were utilized by dissolving 3 wt.% and 6 wt.% of each in an aqueous medium and coating the mixture on bamboo nonwoven fibers (BNF). The surface chemistry of the modified BNF was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of the hybrid coating on the flammability and thermal stability of the BNF was studied. The experimental results indicate that the synergistic effect of the chemicals through the intumescent mechanism effectively improved the flame resistance of BNFs. The results of the vertical burning test of the coated fibers indicated their exceptional self-flame-extinguishment, reaching the V0 level, with excellent thermal stability, and almost 40 wt.% residue at 700°C. Overall, the hybrid coat could enhance the flame-resistant properties of natural fibers, thereby overcoming the limitations of natural fibers and making them suitable for use as sub-structural components in engineering applications as reinforcements.

Precise estimates of earthquake source properties are crucial for understanding earthquake processes and assessing seismic hazards. Seismic waveforms can be affected not only by individual event properties, but from the Earth’s interior heterogeneity. Therefore, for accurate constraints on earthquake source parameters, the effects of three-dimensional (3D) velocity heterogeneity on seismic wave propagation need evaluation. In this study, regional moment tensor solutions for earthquakes around the southern Korean Peninsula were constrained based on the spectral-element moment tensor inversion method using a recently developed high-resolution regional 3D velocity model with accurate high-frequency waveform simulations. Located at the eastern margin of the Eurasian plate, the Korean Peninsula consists of complex geological units surrounded by thick sedimentary basins in oceanic areas. It exhibits large lateral variations in crustal thickness (> 10 km) and seismic velocity (>10% dlnVs) at its margins in the 3D model. Seismic waveforms were analyzed from regional earthquakes with local magnitudes > 3.4 that occurred within and around the peninsula recorded by local broadband arrays. Moment tensor components were inverted together with event locations using the numerically calculated Fréchet derivatives of each parameter at periods ≥ 6 s. The newly determined solutions were compared with the results calculated from the one-dimensional (1D) regional velocity model, revealing a significant increase in a double-couple component of > 20% for earthquakes off of the coastal margins. Further, compared to initial solutions, ≤ 5 km change in depth was observed for earthquakes near the continental margin and sedimentary basins. The combination of a detailed 3D crustal model and accurate waveform simulations led to an improved fit between data and synthetic seismograms. Accordingly, the present results provide the first confirmation of the effectiveness of using 3D velocity structures for accurately constraining earthquake source parameters and the resulting seismic wave propagation in this region. We suggest that accurate 3D wave simulations, together with improved source mechanisms, can contribute a reliable assessment of seismic hazards in regions with complex continental margin structures and sedimentary basins from offshore earthquakes whose seismic waveforms can be largely affected by 3D velocity structures.

Introduction Intramedullary nailing (IMN) is currently considered the gold standard in the surgical treatment of tibial shaft fractures in adult patients. In this case-control comparative study, we aimed to compare the efficacy of minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) and IMN in treating tibial shaft fractures. Materials and methods The clinical and radiological outcomes, such as a modified trauma scale, operation time, fracture healing, rate of re-operation, and complications such as malunion, nonunion, shortening, and infection were assessed between IMN and MIPO for the treatment of tibial shaft fractures. Results Seventy-three skeletally mature patients who underwent IMN (group I) or MIPO (group M) for a closed extra-articular tibial shaft fracture (AO/OTA type 42) from June 2010 to May 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age was 51.16 (18~79) years, and the mean follow-up period was 22 (12~50) months. Bony union was achieved in all cases but one for each group - group I (35 cases) and group M (36 cases) (p > 0.05). Mean callus formation was observed in 12 (8 – 16) weeks in both groups (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in operative time, hospital stay, bone healing, and the rate of complications among the two groups (p > 0.05). There was also no postoperative difference in functional evaluation between the two methods (p > 0.05). Conclusions No discrepancy was found in radiological and clinical outcomes between IMN and MIPO for tibial shaft fractures. It can be concluded that both IMN and MIPO are equally effective treatment modalities for tibial shaft fractures.

Sporadic angiosarcomas are aggressive vascular sarcomas whose rarity and genomic complexity present significant obstacles in deciphering the pathogenic significance of individual genetic alterations. Numerous fusion genes have been identified across multiple types of cancers, but their existence and significance remain unclear in sporadic angiosarcomas. In this study, we leveraged RNA-sequencing data from 13 human angiosarcomas and 76 spontaneous canine hemangiosarcomas to identify fusion genes associated with spontaneous vascular malignancies. Ten novel protein-coding fusion genes, including TEX2-PECAM1 and ATP8A2-FLT1, were identified in seven of the 13 human tumors, with two tumors showing mutations of TP53. HRAS and NRAS mutations were found in angiosarcomas without fusions or TP53 mutations. We found 15 novel protein-coding fusion genes including MYO16-PTK2, GABRA3-FLT1, and AKT3-XPNPEP1 in 11 of the 76 canine hemangiosarcomas; these fusion genes were seen exclusively in tumors of the angiogenic molecular subtype that contained recurrent mutations in TP53, PIK3CA, PIK3R1, and NRAS. In particular, fusion genes and mutations of TP53 cooccurred in tumors with higher frequency than expected by random chance, and they enriched gene signatures predicting activation of angiogenic pathways. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of human angiosarcomas and canine hemangiosarcomas identified shared molecular signatures associated with activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways. Our data suggest that genome instability induced by TP53 mutations might create a predisposition for fusion events that may contribute to tumor progression by promoting selection and/or enhancing fitness through activation of convergent angiogenic pathways in this vascular malignancy. Implications: This study shows that, while drive events of malignant vasoformative tumors of humans and dogs include diverse mutations and stochastic rearrangements that create novel fusion genes, convergent transcriptional programs govern the highly conserved morphologic organization and biological behavior of these tumors in both species.

Controlling the temporal coherence of thermal radiation plays an important role in energy harvesting and thermal management. Conventional approaches for thermal radiation control rely on resonances in bulk thermal emitters, which usually have a large footprint and display little tunability. In this work, we explore the possibility to control coherent thermal emission with atomically thin emitters. We show that, despite the atomic thickness, the peak emissivity of these emitters could be as high as the bulk emitters. We identify several linear scaling laws for the radiative properties of atomic-scale systems, providing a pathway for controlling thermal radiation with atomic precision.

Self-healing on the engineering applications is smart, decisive research for prolonging the life span of the materials and the innovations have been mounting still smarter. Connecting to advancements in self-healing carriers, in altering the chemical structure by optimizing the brittleness for self-healing performance and introducing the bio-degradability, for the first time TPS was blended to PVDF for the synthesis of nanofibers, as carriers of a vinyl ester (VE) resin (medication), by the coaxial electrospinning technique. TPS was mechanically mixed with PVDF base polymer and optimized the TPS content (10 wt%) based on mechanical performance. The novel nanofibers were characterized via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal, moisture analysis, and a mechanical line with FESEM and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis studied the self-healing. The TPS/PVDF fibers having hydrogen bonding and increased the crystallinity (40.57 → 44.12%) and the diameter (115 → 184 nm) along with the surface roughness of the fibers with increasing the TPS content. Microanalysis presented the flow-out of the VE resin at the scratched parts in the pierced fibers; interestingly, after some time, the etched part was cured automatically by the curing of the spread resin. Mechanical stretching of the nanofibers in the tensile tests up in the plastic region showed a decrement in the elasticity (TPS/PVDF fibers) and an increment in the brittle nature (cured VE resin) with the increase in Young’s modulus at each stretching, clearly elucidating the healing performance.

In this study, melamine–naphthalene covalent polyamic acid and its metal carboxylate salts were synthesized as building blocks of nanofillers (Nt–Mn–PA–COOM, M = H, Li, Na, and K). The Nt–Mn–PA–COOM nanofillers were added as a dopant to vinyl ester resin at 1–5 wt% and their flame retardancy and thermal properties were evaluated. The flame retardancies of 5 wt% of Nt–Mn–PA–COOK–VE and Nt–Mn–PA–COONa–VE were found to improve the heat release rate by up to 95% and 90%, respectively, in comparison with the pristine vinyl ester (VE) composite. These results demonstrated significant progress in the fireproofing performance of VE composites. The burning times of Nt–Mn–PA–COONa–VE and Nt–Mn–PA–COOK–VE composites were shown to be higher 10.6 min, and 12.1 min, respectively, when compared with the pure VE composite (6.28 min). Also, the burning rates of Nt–Mn–PA–COONa–VE and Nt–Mn–PA–COOK–VE concerning flame retardancies were decreased from 11.92 min to 7.07 and 6.19 min, respectively. The delay in burning time, and the reduction of burning rate clearly refer to the enhancement of flame retardancy behavior of the Nt–Mn–PA–COOM–VE composites. It was found that 5 wt% of nanofiller dopants Nt–Mn–PA–COOM–VE (M = Na, and K) in VE was the ideal loading for considering the integrated perspective for flame retardancy applications. The excellent flame retardancy and thermal performance of the Nt–Mn–PA–COOM–VE (M = Na, and K) composites made them promising candidates for developing novel flame retardancy nanofiller dopants.

In this article, we synthesized thermally exfoliated blistered graphene oxide (BGO) soft nano bundles from graphene oxide (GO) by a thermal heating method. GO was prepared using the noted Hummers’ method from graphite flakes. BGO soft nano bundles can be used as an efficient flame retardant nanofiller in vinyl ester resin. The flame retardancies are progressively enhanced by delayed periods using 0.1 wt% and 1 wt% of BGO–VE. The heat release rates (HRR) were improved after doping of BGO in VER, respectively, in comparison to the pristine vinyl ester (VE) composite. These results demonstrated the noteworthy development in the fireproofing performance of the VE composites. The burning time and burning rates of the BGO–VE composites from the VE composite were increased from 6.28 min to 11.2 min and decreased from 11.93 min to 6.7 min, respectively. 1 wt% of BGO in VER is an ideal case for enhancing the flame retardancy tests. The robust flame retardancy and thermal performance of BGO–VER indicate promising scientific advances in emerging novel flame retardancy material.

Treatment of metastatic melanoma includes the option of targeted therapy in patients with driver BRAF mutations. BRAF-MEK inhibitor drugs improve survival in the approximately 50% of patients with melanoma that harbor BRAF mutations. As BRAF mutation detection in tissue often takes days to weeks, it is not always possible or timely to obtain BRAF status in tissue using immunohistochemistry or next generation sequencing. Plasma-derived circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a potential alternative analyte in such treatment settings. We present a case of metastatic melanoma that was treated in an emergent setting using therapy supported by rapid PCR-based detection of ctDNA positive for a BRAF V600 mutation. In this rapidly deteriorating 53-year-old male with diffuse melanoma metastases and unknown BRAF mutation status requiring hospital admission, a plasma-based BRAF mutation detection supported treatment with targeted therapy, dabrafenib and trametinib. Same-day initiation of therapy resulted in swift amelioration allowing discharge within a week, followed by substantial clinical improvement over the following weeks. In cases requiring urgent clinical decision making, a plasma-based, near point-of-care detection system is useful in supporting targeted therapy decisions without the need for invasive and time-consuming biopsy.

Soluble nitrogen is highly mobile in soil and susceptible to leaching. It is important to identify nitrogen transport pathways so that the sources can be efficiently targeted in environment management. This study quantified the contribution of direct runoff and baseflow to nitrate + nitrite loading by separating flow and nitrate + nitrite concentration measurements into two periods depending on whether only baseflow was present or not using baseflow separation methods. When both direct runoff and baseflow were present in streamflow, their nitrate + nitrite concentrations were assumed based on the hydrological reasoning that baseflow does not change rapidly, and streamflow mostly consists of direct runoff within a rainfall event. For this study, we obtained and investigated daily flow and nitrate + nitrite concentration observations made at the outlets of 22 watersheds located in the Western Lake Erie area. Results showed that baseflow was responsible for 26 to 77% of the nitrate + nitrite loads. The relative nitrate + nitrite load contributions of direct runoff and baseflow substantially varied with the sizes of drainage areas and agricultural land uses. Increases in drainage areas tend to prolong the travel time of surface runoff and thus help its reinfiltration into soil, which then could increase the baseflow contribution. In addition, the artificial drainage networks common in the agricultural fields of the study areas would promote the drainage of nutrient-laden excess water from soils. Such findings suggest the need for environmental management customized considering nitrogen transport pathways.

Molecular architecture plays a key role in the self-assembly of block copolymers, but few studies have systematically examined the influence of chain connectivity on tetrahedrally close-packed (TCP) sphere phases. Here, we report a versatile material platform comprising two blocks with substantial conformational asymmetry, A = poly(trifluoroethyl acrylate) and B = poly(dodecyl acrylate), and use it to compare the phase behavior of AB diblocks, ABA triblocks, and (AB)