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Integration of multiple data sources presents a challenge for accurate prediction of molecular patho-phenotypic features in automated analysis of data from human model systems. Here, we applied a machine learning-based data integration to distinguish patho-phenotypic features at the subcellular level for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We employed a human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (iPSC-CM) model of a DCM mutation in the sarcomere protein troponin T (TnT), TnT-R141W, compared to isogenic healthy (WT) control iPSC-CMs. We established a multimodal data fusion (MDF)-based analysis to integrate source datasets for Ca2+ transients, force measurements, and contractility recordings. Data were acquired for three additional layer types, single cells, cell monolayers, and 3D spheroid iPSC-CM models. For data analysis, numerical conversion as well as fusion of data from Ca2+ transients, force measurements, and contractility recordings, a non-negative blind deconvolution (NNBD)-based method was applied. Using an XGBoost algorithm, we found a high prediction accuracy for fused single cell, monolayer, and 3D spheroid iPSC-CM models (≥92 ± 0.08 %), as well as for fused Ca2+ transient, beating force, and contractility models (>96 ± 0.04 %). Integrating MDF and XGBoost provides a highly effective analysis tool for prediction of patho-phenotypic features in complex human disease models such as DCM iPSC-CMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monochromatic waves incident on an array of structures give rise to nonlinear, time-constant mean drift forces (MDFs). These forces depend on the array's spatial configuration; their magnitude and the direction is, in general, different for every structure in the array. If the spatial configuration of an array is not fixed, as is the case in arrays of individually anchor-moored structures, the time-constant differences in MDF on individual bodies can lead to a change in spatial configuration, which could, in turn, significantly affect both the first-order, time-harmonic response of the array, as well as the downwave component of the MDF. Here, we explore the dependency of these deviatoric forces on array configurations and on the frequency of the incident monochromatic waves. We consider configurations of line arrays (consisting of 2–5 vertical circular cylinders) that are described by 1 or 2 parameters, and we focus on the along-array component of deviatoric forces. Using multiple scattering computational simulations, we identify the array configurations in which the deviatoric drift forces are zero, and we discuss the stability of these equilibrium configurations with respect to class-preserving configuration perturbations. Both stable and unstable equilibria exist, but the relative number of unstable equilibria grows as the number of degrees of freedom of the configuration perturbations increases. Interestingly, the stable configurations experience a generally lower downwave mean drift force on the entire array than the unstable ones. Overall, the variations in the deviatoric and the downwave MDFs between equilibria are significant (on the order of the isolated body MDF). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel pretreatment strategy utilizing a combination of NaOH and 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) was proposed to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of abandoned Medium-density fiberboard (MDF). The synergistic effect of NaOH and [Bmim]Cl pretreatment significantly improved the glucose yield, reaching 445.8 mg/g within 72 h, which was 5.04 times higher than that of the untreated samples. The working mechanism was elucidated according to chemical composition, as well as FTIR, 13C NMR, XRD, and SEM analyses. The combined effects of NaOH and [Bmim]Cl led to lignin degradation, hemicellulose removal, the destruction and erosion of crystalline regions, pores, and an irregular microscopic morphology. In addition, by comparing the enzymatic hydrolysis sugar yield and elemental nitrogen content of untreated MDF samples, eucalyptus, and hot mill fibers (HMF), it was demonstrated that the presence of adhesives and additives in waste MDF significantly influences its hydrolysis process. The sugar yield of untreated MDF samples (88.5 mg/g) was compared with those subjected to hydrothermal pretreatment (183.2 mg/g), Ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment (406.1 mg/g), and microwave-assisted ionic liquid pretreatment (MWI) (281.3 mg/g). A long water bath pretreatment can reduce the effect of adhesives and additives on the enzymatic hydrolysis of waste MDF. The sugar yield produced by the combined pretreatment proposed in this study and the removal ability of adhesives and additives highlight the great potential of our pretreatment technology in the recycling of waste fiberboard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iso-amyl ester rosin was synthesized and investigated for its potential utilization in medium density fiberboard (MDF) production. The isoamyl alcohol, the main starting material for the synthesis of isoamyl ester rosin, was obtained through the fractional distillation of fusel oil, a byproduct of bioethanol production. The optimum condition for the iso-amyl ester rosin synthesis was determined as: rosin (165 mmol), isoamyl alcohol (413 mmol), P-TSA/rosin 1.5% (w/w), and commercial additive/rosin 0.15% (w/w). The esterification reaction was followed by FT-IR and mass analysis. For MDF production, a water-repellent material, commercial paraffin (1.5% w/w relative to the dry fiber weight), iso-amyl ester rosin (1.5% and 2.0%; w/w), and unmodified rosin (1.5% and 2.0% w/w) were separately used. In addition, fresh wood fibers, 10% w/w urea formaldehyde (UF) adhesive (relative to the total dry fiber weight), and a 25% aqueous solution of ammonium chloride (as the hardening agent for the UF adhesive, at 0.5% w/w based on the solid adhesive content) were used. MDFs underwent various physical and mechanical tests. Isoamyl ester rosin showed promising results based on the analysis. The results showed that the isoamyl ester rosin can be considered as an alternative to paraffin in sustainable and environmentally friendly MDF production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan and bio-based epoxy resins have emerged as promising formaldehyde-free replacements for traditional urea–formaldehyde (UF) adhesives in engineered wood products. This study evaluated five chitosan-to-epoxy weight ratios (3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3) as adhesives for hot-pressing medium density fiberboards (MDF) using mixed hardwood fibers. Increasing the epoxy ratio reduced viscosity and gel time, facilitating spraying and fast curing. The density of the formulated MDFs increased with higher epoxy ratios, ranging from 679 kg/m3 for the 3:1 ratio to 701 kg/m3 for the 1:3 formulation, meeting the 500–900 kg/m3 density range specified in EN 323. The 1:3 epoxy-rich formulation enhanced modulus of rupture (MOR) to 31 MPa and modulus of elasticity (MOE) to 2392 MPa, exceeding the minimum requirements of 16 MPa and 1500 MPa set out in EN 310 and EN 316, respectively. Dimensional stability peaked at 5% thickness swelling for the 1:3 formulation after 24 h water soaking, fulfilling the < 25% requirement per EN 316. Internal bond strength reached a maximum of 0.98 MPa for the 3:1 chitosan-rich formulation, satisfying the 0.40 MPa minimum per EN 319. One-way ANOVA tests showed the adhesive ratio had a significant effect on mechanical properties and dimensional stability at 95–99% confidence levels. Duncan's multiple range test revealed the 1:3 ratio boards exhibited statistically significant improvements compared to untreated group. Overall, tailoring the ratios achieved well-balanced properties for MOR, MOE, and dimensional stability, demonstrating potential to replace UF resins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-modality images with complementary cues can significantly improve the performance of salient object detection (SOD) methods in challenging scenes. However, existing methods are specially designed for RGB-D or RGB-T SOD in general, thus it is necessary to bridge the gap to develop a unified SOD framework for processing various multi-modality images. To address this issue, we propose a unified multi-modality interaction fusion framework for RGB-D and RGB-T SOD, named UMINet. We deeply investigate the differences between appearance maps and complementary images and design an asymmetric backbone to extract appearance features and complementary cues. For the complementary cues branch, a complementary information aware module (CIAM) is proposed to perceive and enhance the weights of complementary modality features. We also propose a multi-modality difference fusion (MDF) block to fuse cross-modality features. This MDF block simultaneously considers the differences and consistency between the appearance features and complementary features. Furthermore, to promote the rich contextual dependencies and integrate cross-level multi-modality features, we design a mutual refinement decoder (MRD) to progressively predict salient results. The MRD consists of three reverse perception blocks (RPB) and five sub-decoders. Extensive experiments are provided to indicate the substantial improvement achieved by the proposed UMINet over the existing state-of-the-art (SOTA) models on six RGB-D SOD datasets and three RGB-T SOD datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood waste, which constitutes an important component of solid waste, is produced by the wood industry, and especially in the processing one. The wood industry includes tree bark, sawdust, planer shavings, sander dust etc. produces unwanted products and/or wastes. This study investigated the usability of sawdust of fruit trees in the production of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) and some technological properties of the produced MDF panels. Sawdust of fruit trees was mixed to beech fibers at the ratio of 10, 20 and 30% by weight. The mats were manually formed using 13% urea formaldehyde and pressed at a temperature of 185°C for 8 min in a computer control press. The MDF panel samples of water absorption (WA), thickness swelling (TS), surface hardness, surface roughness, MOR and MOE were investigated. It was determined that the values of WA and TS decreased with increasing the ratio of sawdust. Modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), surface hardness, surface roughness parameters (Ra, Rq and Rz) values of panel samples increased with increasing the ratio of sawdust from panels. Based on these results, it is advisable that wood sawdust fruit-trees can be used as an alternative raw material source in MDF production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the decorative properties of Magnesium-Glass-Board (MGB), the surface morphology and decoration performance of MGB, are studied in detail by using profilometer, microscope and SEM, and the influence of its characterization, such as surface roughness, surface porosity and wettability, on decorative properties of MGB is analyzed by comparing with medium density fiberboard (MDF) and medium density particleboard (MDP). The results first showed that the surface of MGB has a porous structure, but MDF and MDP are not, resulting in a poor decorative performance of MGB. Second, it is found that the surface wettability of MGB is better than others. Third, the hot-pressing parameters including pressure, temperature and time have different influence on decorative performance of MGB during hot-pressing experiment. Finally, the surface bonding strength is positively correlated with pressure, but not with temperature and time. In general, a higher surface bonding strength led to a better decorative performance of MGB. The furthermore research can concentrate on the modification method of the MGB's surface according to this paper's conclusion to improve the lamination performance of melamine paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Image Processing Based Scrub Tester (IPBST) was used to imitate the effect of household chemicals on furniture and decoration elements. For this purpose, 8 mm-thick, bright white, acrylic coated medium density fiberboard (MDF), polyvinyl chloride coated MDF, MDF lam ready-to-use sheets, and cellulosic, polyurethane, acrylic, and water-based paint applied MDF sheets were used. Carbon fiber patterned decorative coating was applied to the prepared sample surfaces using the water transfer printing and ultraviolet printing methods. The surfaces of the samples were scrubbed with various household chemicals in accordance with the Turkish Standard TS EN ISO 11998. In the image processing phase, the images before and after scrubbing were first converted to hue, saturation, and value color space. The relationship between the abrasion measurement method of the proposed IPBST and the abrasion data obtained from the stereo microscope device was examined using the Pearson Correlation analysis. The relationship between both abrasion test methods was positive, very strong, and significant (0.81). Thus, the IPBST can be used as an alternative to industrial test devices as it obtains similar data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The veneering process significantly affects the roughness of the furniture elements. The article investigates the effect of the veneering mode on the roughness of cherry (Prunus avium L.) veneered wood medium-density fiber boards (MDF). Different veneering regimes were carried out with controllable variation of the mode factors temperature and pressing pressure. For this purpose, a two-factor experiment was performed with a change in temperature of pressing from 80 to 200°C and pressure from 0.07 to 0.19MPa. Before venneering process, the veneered surfaces are sanded with P150 sandpaper. The values of basic roughness parameters were measured after each technological treatment, in the same evaluation lengths. Based on the results, graphical dependences between the roughness of the veneered boards and the basic mode parameters are presented. The press pressure does not significantly affect the roughness of the veneer. The combination of high temperature and high press pressure reduced initial surface roughness by 16%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High pressure, high-temperature events need to be quantified experimentally. Where fragmentation occurs, i.e. against personal protective equipment, there is a requirement for both a reliable and repeatable measurement of numerous experimental metrics. Typically, the most critical is calculating the energy absorbed by the target material, to characterize target performance. This is achieved by detonating a device and capturing a proportion of the fragmentation in a suitable material that can achieve successful recovery of all fragmentation produced. Therefore, allowing the estimation of the target's response using the depth of penetration within the capture material which allows the calculation of energy absorption. The current standardized fragmentation capture material used within the UK is known as strawboard. Although effective, this material is both expensive and limited in its availability. This study explores the classification of strawboard to provide a suitable baseline to compare against medium density fibreboard (MDF) and flooring underlay, which represent two more economically friendly alternatives on the openmarket. It was found that the uniformity of response for the MDF material was better than that of strawboard, due to its reproducibility between batches and velocity ranges. To further explore this phenomena, high explosive trials were conducted, further demonstrating MDF to be a viable, reliable and cheaper alternative. This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part 2)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melamine-impregnated paper decorated medium-density fiberboard (MIPMDF) is the main board used for wooden furniture materials in China, and the formaldehyde released from the board and furniture products is harmful to human beings and is a wide concern. This paper aimed to pay attention to the formaldehyde emission of MIP-MDF and its furniture products. This study utilized a 1 m³climatic chamber to measure the formaldehyde emission of MIP-MDF and nightstand made of MIP-MDF in relation to the time and load factors. According to the results, in the 2 to 24 h stage, the emission of formaldehyde in the nightstand made of MIPMDF materials changed significantly, and the overall trend showed a changing trend of first increasing and then declining. The formaldehyde emission of MIP-MDF stabilized after 40 h, while the formaldehyde emission of the nightstand stabilized after 60 h. As time passed, the formaldehyde emission changes of MIP-MDF and nightstand were almost the same. The formaldehyde emission of MIP-MDF and nightstand has a specific positive correlation with the carrying load. With increased carrying loads, the formaldehyde emission tends to increase, but the degree of influence gradually decreases with the addition of the carrying loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Utilizing MDF residue as a fuel and evaluating the effect of the updraft gasifier. • Determination of ultimate and proximate analysis of MDF residue for gasification. • Measuring of syngas compositions formed depending on different fuel feed amounts. • Calculation of mass and energy balances for the gasification unit. • Gasifier integration with ORC turbine. Biomass, which is a renewable resource, is regarded as an essential energy source due to its accessibility and abundance. In this study, the gasification of wood-based biomass wastes from the medium density fiberboard (MDF) facility was carried out and investigated utilizing an updraft fixed bed gasifier. The feeding capacity of the upstream gasifier is 2100 kg/h. MDF wastes are loaded into the system with feeding capacities of 1500, 1750 and 2100 kg/h. As a reference, the system has also been tested with oak wood chips at a maximum rate of 2100 kg/h. Produced syngas production rate to biomass waste is approximately 2.5 Nm3/kg. The measured gas compositions are CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , H 2 , O 2 and N 2. Test results with 2100 kg/h MDF wastes have similar gas composition compared to the test results with oak wood chips. The quality of the syngas produced by gasification is directly related to the fuel. It has been observed that the efficiency of the gasification process can be directly or indirectly impacted by the properties of the fuel, such as the moisture content, chemical compositions, and size. The temperature of the produced gas is approximately 430 °C, and it is directly combusted with tars and soot it contains to ensure that no chemical energy is lost. The thermal gasification system converts approximately 88% by weight of MDF residue to syngas. The calorific value of produced syngas is obtained between 6.0 and 7.0 MJ/Nm3. The hot syngas containing tars produced from the gasifier was directly burned in the thermal oil heater retrofitted to vortex syngas burner to recover thermal energy, which was then utilized in the production of energy via an ORC turbine. The thermal oil heater has a thermal capacity of 7MWh and the power generation capacity of the ORC turbine is 955 kW of electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study on the accuracy of the width of the groove channel depending on the magnitude of the mechanical vibrations. Wood-based parts, used in furniture production like plywood and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) were milled. The details are machined on a universal milling machine with bottom location of the working shaft model FD-3. The rotation frequency used for the experiments was 6000min-1 . During the research, attention is paid to some technological factors such as the feed speed of the processed material which is from 2m.min-1 to 10m.min-1, as well as milling area which ranges is from 48mm2 to 144mm2 . Measurements of the accuracy of the groove channel are made with an electronic caliper at a minimum of three points along its length. The investigation results can be used as a base for making some recommendations for the selection of technological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury is a ubiquitous contaminant known to accumulate in wildlife, particularly bird species at higher trophic levels. Knowledge of tissue-specific Hg distributions aids our understanding of Hg bioaccumulation in organisms. In this study, one adult and three juvenile Collared Scops Owls (Otus lettia) were studied to elucidate the bioaccumulation of Hg in body tissues. Six tissues and organs (feathers, nails, heart, liver, gizzard, and muscle), as well as gastric contents, were examined for total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) contents, Hg isotopic compositions including mass-dependent fractionation (MDF; δ202Hg) and mass-independent fractionation (MIF; Δ199Hg and Δ201Hg), and C (δ13C) and N (δ15N) isotopic compositions. Tissue-specific THg and MeHg concentrations in the adult were in the ranges of 150–1360 ng/g and 17–1060 ng/g, and lower in the juveniles at 91–419 ng/g and 67–350 ng/g, respectively. The δ202Hg values in the adult were strongly negative at −1.75‰ ± 0.17‰ compared with the juveniles at −0.99‰ ± 0.25‰. The adult exhibited lower MIF values than the juveniles, at 0.23‰ ± 0.07‰ for Δ199Hg and 0.2‰ ± 0.11‰ for Δ201Hg, compared with 0.81‰ ± 0.09‰ and 0.66‰ ± 0.07‰, respectively. The lower adult MDF and MIF values suggest that the adult tended to accumulate negative Hg isotopes but the juvenile's positive Hg isotopes. Differences between adult and juvenile tissue Hg concentrations indicate that metabolic processes play an important role in Hg accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood-based composites are increasingly used in the industry not only because of the shortage of solid wood, but above all because of the better properties, such as high strength and aesthetic appearance compared to wood. Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is a wood-based composite that is widely used in the furniture industry. In this work, an attempt was made to predict the surface roughness of the machined MDF in the milling process based on acceleration signals from an industrial piezoelectric sensor installed in the cutting zone. The surface roughness parameter Sq was adopted for the evaluation and measurement of surface roughness. The surface roughness prediction was performed using a radial basis function (RBF) artificial neural network (ANN) and a Takagi–Sugeno––Kang (TSK) fuzzy model with subtractive clustering. In the research, as inputs to the ANNs and fuzzy model, the kinematic parameters of the cutting process and selected measures of the acceleration signal were adopted. At the output, the values of the surface roughness parameter Sq were obtained. The results of the experiments show that the surface roughness is influenced not only by the kinematic parameters of the cutting, but also by the vibrations generated during the milling process. Therefore, by combining information on the cutting kinematics parameters and vibration, the accuracy of the surface roughness prediction in the milling process of MDF can be improved. The use of TSK fuzzy modelling based on the subtractive clustering method for integrating the information from many acceleration signal measurements in the examined range of cutting conditions meant the surface roughness was predicted with high accuracy and high reliability. With the help of two tested artificial intelligence tools, it is possible to estimate the surface roughness of the workpiece with only a small error. When using a radial neural network, the root mean square error for estimating the value of the Sq parameter was 0.379 μm, while the estimation error based on fuzzy logic was 0.198 μm. The surface of the sample made with the cutting parameters vc = 76 m/min and vf = 1200 mm/min is characterized by a less concentrated distribution of ordinate densities, compared to the surface of the sample cut with lower feed rates but at the same cutting speed. The most concentrated distribution of ordinate density (for the cutting speed vc = 76 m/min) is characterized by the surface, where the feed rate value was vf = 200 mm/min, with 90% of the material concentrated in the profile height of 28.2 μm. When using an RBF neural network, the RMSE of estimating the value of the Sq parameter was 0.379 μm, while the estimation error based on fuzzy logic was 0.198 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfire spread models that couple physical transport and chemical kinetics sometimes simplify or neglect gas-phase pyrolysis product oxidation chemistry. However, empirical evidence suggests that oxygen (O2) is available for gas-phase and solid-phase combustion within the flaming reaction zone. This study addresses outstanding questions of O2 availability by directly measuring O2 concentrations near fuel surfaces within spreading fuel bed fires for the first time. Temporally and spatially resolved O2 concentrations within laboratory fires were investigated using uniform fuel beds of medium density fiberboard (MDF) and cardboard (CB) combs at various packing ratios (β) and angles. Minimum O2 concentration reached approximately 2–5 mol% for most fuel beds of higher β (> 0.010), while some fuel beds of low β (≤ 0.010) exhibited higher minimum O2 concentrations up to 8 mol%. Flame rate of spread, residence time, and minimum O2 were found to vary with β and were influenced by bed angle within a given β. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to assess O2 availability impacts on flaming and smoldering fuel consumption rates. Negligible impacts were observed for initially unburned fuels at ambient O2 concentrations of ≤ 10 mol%, but O2 availability had significant impacts on char oxidation rates at all tested concentrations. A one-dimensional diffusion model of O2 availability at char surfaces for near-particle O2 concentrations tested and measured in TGA and fuel bed experiments revealed a strong dependence of O2 availability on mass flux from the particle. The results of this work provide new insights regarding O2 availability and inert assumptions for fire spread models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Horizon Europe funded EcoReFibre project (www.ecorefibre.eu) is concerned with recycling fibreboards and, in particular, Medium Density Fibreboard. This paper covers our research on determining the typical lifespans of products containing fibreboard. Knowing the lifespan of a product is important as it is the main determining factor that influences the age when it becomes waste. This paper proposes that the average age at which a product containing MDF becomes waste is between 10.7 and 12.1 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modification in the surface quality of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) workpieces machined in a CNC milling machine is investigated in the paper. The quality of the milling process is affected by the surface roughness. The present work is focused on the influence of the following cutting parameters: rotation speed (n), feed rate (Vf) and radial depth of cut (h) in optimising the milling process and improving the quality of the milling surface. The roughness of the processed surfaces was measured with a roughness tester, type “Surftest SJ-210” (Mitutoyo, Japan). The surface quality is evaluated using the defined average arithmetical values of roughness parameters. R̅z The results of the current study showed the following optimal values of the variable factors that ensured the highest quality of the processed surface: rotation n = 18000 min-1, feed rate Vf = 3.5 m.min-1 and radial depth of cut h = 3 mm. Based on the experiments performed, graphical dependencies, presenting the influence of the individual factors on the quality of the processed surface were derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A regional earth system model (ROM) was used to examine the projected change in the precipitation extremes (PEs) and associated dynamical and thermodynamical processes over India during the Indian summer monsoon (ISM). In this regard, PEs are computed for India, its six homogeneous regions and subregions the Western Ghats (WG) and central India (CI). The changes are computed for mid‐future (2040–2069: MDF) and far‐future (2070–2099: FRF) with respect to the historical period (1969–2000). ROM showed better resemblance with observation in simulating PEs over other regional climate models (RCMs) that participated in the CORDEX‐CORE simulation. The intense rainfall (95th percentile: R95) is expected to be enhanced over most of the region during MDF that further intensifies in FRF except CNE (central northeast) and NEI (northeast India), where the increase in R95 was restricted only up to MDF. Interestingly, very intense rainfall (99.9th percentile: R99) showed robust increases in both MDF and FRF for all regions. Additionally, long wet (dry) events were shortened (lengthen). Moreover, the short wet and dry spell frequency has increased, while the duration of the wet (dry) spell has decreased (increased) in both time slices over India with noticeable regional variation. This is attributed to the strong cyclonic circulation, reduced vertical wind shear and enhanced moisture transport during the ISM in both time slices. It is very important to highlight the substantial changes in the precipitation extremes to have better planning and strategies that will be helpful to minimize the incurred losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an unexplored method to produce formaldehyde-free MDF. Steam exploded Arundo donax L. (STEX-AD) and untreated wood fibers (WF) were mixed at different mixing rates (0/100, 50/50, and 100/0, respectively) and two series of boards were manufactured, with 4 wt% of pMDI, based on dry fibers, and self-bonded. The mechanical and physical performance of the boards was analyzed as a function of the adhesive content and the density. The mechanical performance and dimensional stability were determined by following European standards. The material formulation and the density of the boards had a significant effect on both mechanical and physical properties. The boards made solely of STEX-AD were comparable to those made with pMDI, while the panels made of WF without adhesive were those that performed the worst. The STEX-AD showed the ability to reduce the TS for both pMDI-bonded and self-bonded boards, although leading to a high WA and a higher short-term absorption for the latter. The results presented show the feasibility of using STEX-AD in the manufacturing of self-bonded MDF and the improvement of dimensional stability. Nonetheless, further studies are needed especially to address the enhancement of the internal bond (IB). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gut microbiota (GM) in the healthy state is significantly different from that in the disease state, and diet is one of vital factors affecting gut microbiota. The concept of microbiota-directed foods (MDFs) has promoted the importance of GM as a target for disease treatment. In this review, studies related to MDFs in recent years were sorted out, and the logic and significance of MDFs research were expounded based on the discovery of key GM under diseases, the mechanism of key GM, the analysis of main components in MDFs, and their possible mechanism of action. Under MDFs intervention, significant improvement on disease phenotypes and disordered GM has been observed, and its clinical efficacy and feasibility are better than those of the recommended diet. MDFs preferentially contain macromolecular polysaccharide compounds as carbohydrate sources that can be used by GM. Screening of key GM and the targeted regulation of the GM can offer additional insights into the macroscopic regulation of gut health. • The research strategy of MDFs was analyzed and summarized for the first time. • Global dietary guidelines highly consistent but without considering the bioavailability of GM. • MDF is superior to ordinary dietary patterns in alleviating metabolic diseases due to its individualized regulation of GM. • Potential components of the MDF were summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the biomechanical properties governing posterosuperior rotator cuff (RC) tear progression and dynamic shoulder abduction function, in the absence of excess loading. Methods: Twelve freshly frozen cadaveric shoulders were evaluated via an established dynamic shoulder abduction stimulator. The shoulder abduction functions were primarily evaluated using subacromial contact pressure (SACP) during an abduction procedure, and subsequent middle deltoid force (MDF) under 5 conditions: (1) intact, (2) anterior 1/3 posterosuperior rotator cuff (PSRC) tear, (3) anterior 2/3 PSRC tear, (4) entire PSRC tear, and (5) global RC tear (tear involving the entire superior RC). Results: No obvious differences were observed in the peak MDF required for abduction, and in the peak SACP among the four PSRC tear statuses (49.8 ± 9.2 N, 0.39 ± 0.05 mPa [1/3 PSRC tear]; 49.3 ± 6.8 N, 0.40 ± 0.06 mPa [2/3 PSRC tear]; 51.6 ± 7.0 N, 0.44 ± 0.08 mPa [entire PSRC tear]), as well as intact statuses (48.3 ± 9.8 N, 0.40 ± 0.05 mPa). However, significant elevations in the peak MDF and peak SACP levels were observed among the four PSRC tear statuses and global RC tear (68.1 ± 9.3 N; 4.12 ± 1.50 mPa, P < 0.01). Conclusion: In the absence of excess loading, the biomechanical function of the shoulder was not impaired by a simple PSRC tear. However, once the tear size reached the half superior portion of the humeral head, the humeral head migrated to the surface of the subacromion, and this action markedly decreased shoulder abduction function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional wood-based composites are bonded with synthetic formaldehyde-based adhesives [[1]]. 10.1155/2019/5256897 29 Antov P., Savov V., Neykov N. Reduction of Formaldehyde Emission from Engineered Wood Panels by Formaldehyde Scavengers - A Review. Another alternative to the use of synthetic formaldehyde-based adhesives is to manufacture binderless wood composites [[48]], since wood is a natural polymer material which is rich in lignocellulosic compounds such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The properties of co-extruded wood/polyethylene composites (Co-WPCs) were improved by filling the shell and wood fiber layers with low-cost nano-silica (nSiO SB 2 sb ) and micro-silica (mSiO SB 2 sb ) [[34]]. [Extracted from the article]

This study presents our new observation on mass-independent fractionation (MIF) during Mo isotope measurement by MC-ICP-MS and investigates its implication for the application of the double spike (DS) technique. A mixture of NIST SRM 3134 Mo solution with a calibrated 97Mo–100Mo DS (1 : 1) was prepared for measurements over ∼15 h. The Mo isotopic data in this study show a good linear relationship in the scatter plots of ln(97/95Mo) vs. ln(98/95Mo), ln(97/95Mo) vs. ln(100/95Mo), and ln(98/95Mo) vs. ln(100/95Mo). Considering measurement errors on both vertical and horizontal axes, York linear regression was applied to linear fit. The slopes derived from the York linear regression are 1.33 ± 0.12 (2SE), 2.30 ± 0.20 (2SE), and 1.73 ± 0.14 (2SE), respectively. Given the error, the slopes are not exactly consistent with their theoretically expected values (1.49, 2.46, and 1.64) based on the assumption of mass-dependent fractionation (MDF). This study, for the first time, identifies MIF during Mo isotope measurement by MC-ICP-MS. DS calculation using theoretical mass fractionation factors shows that the analyzed NIST SRM 3134 Mo solution yielded δ98/95Mo values of 0.00 ± 0.04‰ (2SD, n = 17) relative to the originally calibrated NIST SRM 3134 Mo. However, using experimental mass fractionation factors calculated from the slopes of line relationships, there is a deviation of about 0.46‰ for δ98/95Mo. The results indicate that the calibrated isotope ratios of the standard and DS could not be the true values but approximate values for better matching with the MDF-based equations. After DS calculation using experimental and theoretical mass fractionation factors, respectively, an additional standard-sample bracketing (SSB) method was conducted. Both calculations gave identical and accurate δ98/95Mo values (0.00 ± 0.06‰), indicating that the SSB method is able to correct deviation from MIF during DS calculation. Accordingly, we proposed that an additional SSB method is recommended to acquire accurate isotope ratios during the application of the DS technique. This study highlights that researchers should pay attention to the possible existence of instrument-related MIF during isotope measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scarcity and high cost of high-quality sawn timber has resulted in the switching of furniture industry to using composite wood such as medium density fiberboard (MDF) as the raw material for its products. One of the factors that affect production costs and product quality in the furniture industry is the quality of the cutting tool used in the cutting operation. The quality of the cutting tool could be improved through the addition of coatings on the surface of cutting tool (surface coating). The purpose of this study was to determine the life time of AlCrN, TiAlN, and TiN coated tungsten carbide (TC) tools in cutting MDF. Cutting operations were performed on a computer numerical control (CNC) router machine at feed per revolution (Frev) of 0,10, 0,15, 0,20, and 0,30 mm/rev. The TC cutting tool life was determined based on its wear and was calculated using the Taylor tool life formula. The results showed that coated TC cutting tool provided a better wear resistance and longer life than uncoated TC cutting tool. The low of Frev set in cutting MDF resulted in a lower wear and longer life of cutting tool. AlCrN coated TC cutting tool provided the best wear resistance and longest life, thus it promising to be developed and used in cutting MDF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its proximity, the stellar populations of the Galactic bulge (GB) can be resolved and can be studied in detail. This allows tracing the bulge metallicity distribution function (MDF) for different spatial regions within the bulge, which may give us clues about the bulge formation and evolution scenarios. In this work, we developed a chemical evolution model (CEM), taking into account the mass distribution in the bulge and disc, to derive the radial dependence of this time-scale in the Galaxy. Since the infall rate depends on that time-scale in the CEM, the results of the model were used to test a scenario where the bulge is formed inside-out. The obtained results for the [α/Fe] versus [Fe/H] relationship, the MDF and the [Fe/H] radial gradient in the bulge have been compared to available data in the literature. The model is able to reproduce most of the observational data: the spread in the relation [α/Fe] versus [Fe/H], the MDF shape in different regions of the bulge, the [Fe/H] radial gradient inside it, and the age–metallicity relation, as well as the [α/Fe] evolution with age. The results of the model point to a scenario where the bulk of the bulge stars pre-existed the boxy/peanut X-shape bar formation. As a result, the classical origin of the GB is not ruled out, and this scenario may be invoked to explain the chemical properties of the GB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronics in furniture and construction materials, in particular technologies which allow for a flexible and cable-free connection of electronics in such materials, are gaining broader interest. This study shows a further development of a concept to obtain highly conductive medium-density fibreboard panels (MDF) for furniture application. MDF were produced using two mixing processes (wet and dry) for wood and carbon fibres to investigate the effects of resin type (urea formaldehyde (UF) and polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (pMDI)) and carbon fibre content on their mechanical, physical, and electrical properties. Overall, wet mixed fibres showed better electrical but reduced mechanical properties. Modulus of elasticity (MOE) and bending strength (MOR) values of 3500 MPa and 35 MPa, respectively, and internal bond (IB) values of 0.45 to 0.65 MPa with electrical conductivities of up to 230 S/m were achieved. The technology has been successfully implemented in a demonstration object showing the application in a small piece of furniture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing transition from a linear to a circular, low-carbon bioeconomy is crucial for reducing the consumption of global natural resources, minimizing waste generation, reducing carbon emissions, and creating more sustainable growth and jobs, the prerequisites necessary to achieve climate neutrality targets and stop biodiversity loss. The harmful formaldehyde released from wood composites can be reduced by adding formaldehyde scavengers to conventional adhesive systems, through the surface treatment of finished wood composites, or by using novel biobased wood adhesives as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional thermosetting resins [[39], [41], [43]]. Another alternative to formaldehyde-based adhesives is the manufacture of binderless wood-based panels, since wood represents a natural polymeric material abundant in lignocellulosic constituents, such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin [[44], [46], [48], [50], [52]]. [Extracted from the article]

The current study aimed to analyze, using accelerometer-based activity, acute workload, chronic workload, acutechronic workloads ratio, training-monotony and training-strain throughout a competitive soccer-season and to compare these variables between players from different playing positions. Twenty-one professional soccer-players were monitored during the 48 weeks of the season. Players were grouped according to their position. Four lateral-defenders and four winger-players formed LDW group, four central-defenders and four forwards formed CDF group, and six midfielder-players formed MDF group. Accelerometer-based variables were collected during training and match contexts and were used to generate indicators of weekly acute and chronic workload, training monotony, training strain and metabolic power. A one-way ANOVA compared all dependent variables between groups, and effect sizes for pairwise comparisons were calculated. Results revealed variations in the weekly load throughout the season, which demands caution from coaches to avoid injuries. There were no differences in weekly-loads for all dependent variables (P > 0.05, small-to-moderate effects). We conclude that the weekly-load is not constant during a competitive season and players from different positions have similar weekly-loads. Therefore, previously reported in the literature, possible match-related positional differences might be compensated by differences in training-related loads, leading to a similar profile when considering the whole week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge Graph Embedding (KGE), which aims to embed the entities and relations of a knowledge gxraph into a low-dimensional continuous space, has been proven to be an effective method for completing a knowledge graph and improving the quality of the knowledge graph. The translation-based models represented by TransE, TransH, TransR and TransD have achieved great success in this regard. There is still potential for improvement in dealing with complex relations. In this paper, we find that the lack of flexibility in entity embedding limits the model's ability to model complex relations. Therefore, we propose single-directional-flexible (sdf) models and multi-directional-flexible (mdf) models to increase the flexibility and expressiveness of entity embeddings. These two methods can be applied to the TransD model and its variant models without increasing any time cost and space cost. We conduct experiments on benchmarks such as WN18 and FB15k. The experimental results show that the models significantly surpasses the classical translation models in both tasks of triplet classification and link prediction. In particular, for Hits@1 of link prediction of WN18, we get 71.7% after applying our method to TransD, which is much better than 24.1% of TransD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date palm fiber composites with aligned, continuous fibers and epoxy matrix were prepared and mechanically characterized using micromechanical models. A hydrothermal process with microwave heating was utilized to extract the date palm frond (midrib) fibers, making the process eco-friendly as opposed to the commonly reported chemical extraction method. Single fibers were then characterized and found to have an average elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength of 17.1 ± 1.5 GPa and 333 ± 27.4 MPa, respectively. Interfacial shear strengths ranging between 6 and 12 MPa were determined using a single-fiber pull-out test. Fibers were aligned to make uniaxial tensile samples with volume fraction ranging from 11% to 56%, elastic modulus ranging from 1.72 GPa to 9.52 GPa and ultimate tensile strengths ranging from 16.9 MPa to 43.8 MPa. All the results were found to obey "Rule of Mixtures" theory. The composite's mechanical properties are similar to or exceeding those of the commercially available wood products such as medium density fiberboard, oriented strand board, thick particle board, hard fiber board, and plywood, making the hydrothermal approach with microwave heating as a promising approach for preparation of date palm composites and further opens up similar process pathway for other natural fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune dysregulation and neutrophil infiltration are hallmarks of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). Our objective was to evaluate the blood profile of neutrophil-derived mediators [neutrophil elastase (NE), myeloperoxidase (MPO), alpha1-antitrypsin (A1AT)], and their potential relevance in ALD. Methods: 62 patients with ALD /47 males, and 15 females, aged 49,2 ± 9,9/ were prospectively recruited and distributed according to their 1/ gender, 2/ severity of liver dysfunction (by Child-Turcotte-Pugh, MELD scores, and mDF) 3/ presence of complications of ALD complications, and followed for 90 days. 24 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers served as the control group. Neutrophil-derived biomarkers were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Results: Blood concentrations of MPO and NE were significantly higher in ALD patients in comparison with controls. A1AT levels were not different. There were no gender-related differences in the studied biomarker levels. Both NE and MPO correlated with routine markers of inflammation, while NE with MELD and mDF scores. Patients with a severe ALD course i.e. MELD>20 or mDF>32, presented with significantly higher NE blood concentrations. Conclusions: Our results point out the critical role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of ALD. NE and MPO correlated with the intensity of inflammation, and NE was related to the severity of liver dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the surface of MDF is not aesthetically pleasing, it usually needs to be veneered and then painted, but such a board releases harmful VOCs, among which Benzene Series is the most harmful. Benzene and its series are a group of carcinogenic compounds. With the diluents of nitrocellulose (NC)-lacquered MDF as the research objects, the release of the Benzene Series was studied to provide a scientific basis for pollution control and a reference for eco-friendly paint production. The attenuant of NC paint, anhydrous ethanol, ethyl acetate and solvents mixed with different alcohol ester ratios were used as diluents in NC lacquer. Two kinds of wood-veneered MDF with different thickness (18 mm and 8 mm) were coated with NC lacquer and analyzed in the experiment. The gas was collected using a small environmental chamber and the Benzene Series was analyzed using GC-MS. The concentration of Benzene Series released by MDF was 316.24 μg·m−3, and that of the NC-lacquered MDF with thicknesses of 18 mm and 8 mm were 284.44 μg·m−3 and 281.06 μg·m−3, respectively. The MDF released 14 kinds of Benzene Series, and the NC-lacquered MDF with two thicknesses released 18 kinds of it. The release concentration order of Benzene Series in NC-lacquered MDF with different diluents of the 18 mm thick panel was NC-M, NC-A, and NC-E from high to low. The lowest concentration of it occurred when the ratio of anhydrous ethanol to ethyl acetate was 1:3, and the lowest amount of components were at the ratio of 1:2. The concentration of Benzene Series released by MDF is higher than that released by the NC-lacquered MDF. Thickness has no effect on the type of release. The thicker MDF was, the higher the concentration was. The alcohol and ester thinner can control the release of Benzene Series from the source, and the optimal mixing ratio was 1:3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facade systems used in modern buildings have received much attention in recent times due to their involvement in the propagation of fires in various incidents. These systems comprise of multiple components—cladding frame (typically of aluminum), façade panels (glass, aluminum composite panels, etc.), perimeter firestop (to seal the gap between floor and façade) and spandrel fire protection (typically provided from the inside of a compartment). While many standardized testing methods exist for quantifying their fire performance, most of them consider the behavior of individual components in isolation. The test conditions are also quite different from those encountered in real fire scenarios. The current study highlights these gaps and provides inferences from six full-scale real fire experiments conducted in a three-storey structure with different façade (curtain wall) and firestop configurations. Combustible façade panels of aluminum composite panels (ACP) and medium density fiberboard (MDF) and non-combustible glass panels of single glazed units and double-glazed units were utilized whereas two different methods of edge of the slab firestop and spandrel insulation were employed. The fire scenarios were developed at all floor levels (fire loads as well as initial ventilation conditions) as per realistic residential/office type dwellings. It was found that once the flames leap out of the fire compartment due to the failure of the façade panels, the spandrel area was subjected to 31 kW/m2 of additional heat flux, which indicated the need to consider fire protection of the spandrel area from the outside, especially for combustible façade systems. Further, one of the firestop installation methods was found to be more robust to address site tolerances and installation uncertainties arising due to workmanship as it allowed significantly less ingress of hot gases and toxic fumes to the upper floors. In terms of the two combustible panels, ACP and MDF, it was found that there were differences in their performance in a bench-scale experiment (cone calorimeter) and the full-scale experiments. MDF was found to perform better in the full-scale experiments. The method used for securement of the façade panels (pressure tape/silicone sealant and screws) was also found to have significant effect on the overall performance of the façade system; the failure mechanism of the façade panels was found to be different in both cases. It is expected that the findings presented in this study will provide insights to the real performance of different façade components as a system and will help in improving the codes and standards in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main motive of this present research was to make useful products from agro-waste. Leftover coir fibers extracted from coconut fruit and sawdust were used for making fiberboard panels. Nine different combinations of hybrid boards were fabricated with Urea Formaldehyde (UF) as bonding agent using compression molding machine. Samples were fabricated by varying the weight% of sawdust and coir fibers, keeping the weight% of resin unchanged. Density, moisture content, mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of the samples were found and reported. Studies showed that optimum mechanical properties and least thermal conductivity were found for the sample that contains 60 wt% of coir fibers, 20 wt% of sawdust and 20 wt% of resin. Moisture content is inversely related to the mechanical strength of fiberboards. Morphological analysis was done to study the fiber-matrix interface. The study concluded that waste coir fibers and sawdust can be used effectively to make medium density fiberboards for domestic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined the deflection performance of wooden cabinet doors during opening and closing by using different material types, opening-closing angle, and load force. The independent variables consisted of material type, opening-closing angle, and load force, and the dependent variable was determined as deflection value. Medium density fiberboard (MDF) and particleboard (PB), both melamine faced, were used as two different material types. Opening and closing angles and directions of forces were performed as directed in BS EN 16122 (2012) and TSE EN 9215 (2005) and the doors were loaded by forces of 300N, 375N and 450N. The factors affecting deflection value and the interaction between them were investigated by multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed that the material type, angle, load force, and the mean between the material type and load force was significant. As the loading force increased, the deflection value increased. As the moisture increased, the deflection value increased, and as the material density increased, deflection value decreased. The adequacy of models was evaluated by the R-square (R²) and Adjusted R-square (Adj-R2) values. The results for these values were 88.23% and 86.58%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimum application values of the Water Transfer Printing (WTP) technique were determined on various wood-based panel surfaces. For this purpose, 8-mm-thick, glossy white, acrylic-coated medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panels (high gloss panels), polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated MDF panels, MDF Lam ready-to-use panels, and cellulosic, polyurethane, acrylic, and water-based paint applied MDF panels were used. An automatic immersion system with pool was designed and produced. A 30-μm-thick carbon patterned WTP film was applied on sample panel surfaces prepared with the help of this device at four immersion angles (0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°), four immersion speeds (50 cm/min, 100 cm/min, 150 cm/min, and 200 cm/min), and four immersion times (5 to 10 s, 20 to 30 s, 50 to 60 s, and 80 to 90 s). The optimum parameters of the WTP technique regarding the temperature and relative humidity of the application environment, water temperature, laying method, dissolution time, amount of activator, spray gun angle and tip clearance, air pressure, as well as immersion angle, speed, and time were determined using the measurement and observation method. According to the optimum parameters obtained in the study, the WTP technique was successfully applied to all wood-based panel surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) is widely utilized in furniture production. Most MDF in such applications has a surface laminate layer. The lamination process improves the physical and mechanical properties of the boards. The temperature, press time, and pressure values applied during the lamination process affect such properties. In this work, the lamination process was carried out using a constant temperature (180 °C), four different press times (18, 20, 22, and 24 s), and three different pressures (25, 30, and 35 kg/cm²). The raw weight of the decor paper was 90 g/m² and UF and MF glues were used in its production. The properties of the laminated panels were then determined for each variation. In general, the water absorption and thickness swelling properties were improved at the lower pressure and higher press times. The internal bonding strength exhibited a linear change at different press times depending on increasing pressure values, whereas the changes in the bending strength and modulus of elasticity in bending were not statistically significant. It was concluded that the BS increased with rising pressure in the short-term lamination process and that the effect of the pressure on the BS declined with increasing press time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Alcoholic hepatitis is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Maddrey's discriminant function has been classically used to define the severity, with scores that are greater than 32 indicating poor outcomes and consideration for treatment with steroids. In order to use this calculation, a control prothrombin time is needed, which is not standardized across different electronic medical records or institutions. In this study, we aimed to determine if the control prothrombin time that is chosen has any effect on steroid use and mortality. We found that the higher the value of the control prothrombin time that was used, the less likely it was that individuals with alcoholic hepatitis would receive steroids. However, we found that this did not affect mortality in those who received steroids. This research is novel and important for providers to know when using Maddrey's discriminant function, as the control PT values that they choose do have implications for treatment. Our findings also suggest that the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) seems to be a better indicator of 30-day survival in this population. Background and aims: In alcoholic hepatitis (AH), increases in the total bilirubin (TB) and the prothrombin time (PT), which are included in the Maddrey's discriminant function (MDF) and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), are associated with poor outcomes. However, the impact of which control PT in the MDF to use compared to the MELD on the outcomes in AH is unknown. Our aim is to determine whether the choice of the control PT used in the MDF calculations has any impact on steroid use and survival when compared to the MELD in those with AH. Methods: Through retrospective chart review, we analyzed 882 subjects who were admitted from 2012 to 2020 with acute AH. Their MDF was calculated [(TB + 4.6 × (PT–control)] using the following three different control PTs: 12, 13.5, and 14.8 s, and was compared to the MELD. The primary outcomes were steroid use and 30-day survival. Results: When it was stratified by the control PT, the percentage of MDF ≥ 32 (the threshold for steroids) decreased with increasing control PT (70%, 61%, and 52%, respectively), along with decreased steroid use (91%, 84%, and 75%, respectively). Those who received steroids were not shown to have improved 30-day survival compared to those who did not receive steroids (p = 0.41). The ability of the MDF for each control PT threshold to predict 30-day survival was similar (AUROC 0.735), and was lower compared to the MELD (0.767). Conclusion: While the choice of PT control in the MDF impacted the use of steroids in AH, the use of steroids and the choice of PT control used did not impact the overall survival. Regardless of which control PT was used in the MDF, the MELD was better at predicting 30-day survival. Important information: Background: Treatment with steroids is indicated in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) with Maddrey discriminant function (MDF) ≥ 32 and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) ≥ 20. The impact that the control prothrombin time (PT) value that is used in MDF has on steroid use and survival in AH is poorly understood. Findings: The choice of control PT that is used when calculating the MDF impacts the use of steroids but does not impact mortality. The MELD was better than the MDF at any control PT used in predicting survival in acute AH. Implications for patient care: Providers should be aware that higher control PT's have an effect on treatment decisions but should not generally impact survival in this population. The MELD appears to better predict 30-day survival in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a large spectroscopic sample of ∼4300 RR Lyrae stars with metallicity, systemic radial velocity, and distance measurements, we present a detailed analysis of the chemical and kinematic properties of the Galactic halo. Using this sample, the metallicity distribution function (MDF) as a function of r and the velocity anisotropy parameter β profiles (for different metallicity populations) are derived for the stellar halo. Both the chemical and kinematic results suggest that the Galactic halo is composed of two distinct parts, the inner halo and outer halo. The cutoff radius (∼30 kpc) is similar to the previous break radius found in the density distribution of the stellar halo. We find that the inner part is dominated by a metal-rich population with extremely radial anisotropy (β ∼ 0.9). These features are in accordance with those of ' Gaia -Enceladus-Sausage' (GES) and we attribute this inner halo component as being dominantly composed of stars deposited from this ancient merged satellite. We find that GES probably has a slightly negative metallicity gradient. The metal-poor populations in the inner halo are characterized as a long tail in MDF with an anisotropy of β ∼ 0.5, which is similar to that of the outer part. The MDF for the outer halo is very broad with several weak peaks and the value of β is around 0.5 for all metallicities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the MDF sanding dust was examined as a precursor for synthesizing activated carbon (AC). For this purpose, MDF sanding dust was impregnated with KOH at two different weight ratios 1:0.50 and 1:1 (sanding dust/KOH). The process was done in one step at a temperature of 750 °C and a heating rate of 8 °C/min. The synthesized ACs at different content were added into urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin for medium density fiberboard (MDF) production. The laboratory MDF boards were produced using a hot press at a temperature of 190 °C and pressure of 40 MPa. The ACs content in UF resin was set at 0.25%, 0.50% and 1% based on the dry weight of the resin. The ACs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The BET equation was used to determine the specific surface area of the AC samples. Water absorption, thickness swelling, internal bonding, flexural modulus and strength, and the formaldehyde emission from MDF boards were determined. The curing behavior of UF resins were evaluated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The results revealed that surface area and micropore volume of ACs increase with increasing KOH ratio; and the ACs exhibited three-dimensional porous network structures. The DSC results also showed that the ACs significantly increase the reaction enthalpy of UF resins. The addition of AC as an additive to UF resin significantly reduces formaldehyde release from MDF boards and improves their physical and mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modafinil (MDF) is one of the neurostimulants with a potential effect in the COVID-19 ICU ventilated patients and post-COVID neurological syndrome treatment. Four rapid, simple and cost-effective stability indicating spectrophotometric methods were used for estimation of MDF in the presence of its acidic degradation product, namely; ratio difference (RD), first derivative of the ratio spectra (1DD), mean centering (MCR) and ratio subtraction method (RS). These methods were validated according to ICH guidelines and all methods revealed a good linearity in concentration range of (5-30 µg/mL) in addition to a good accuracy and precision with mean percentage recovery of 99.97 ± 0.305 for (RD), 100.10 ± 0.560 for (1DD), 100.02 ± 0.483 for (MCR) & 99.18 ± 1.145 for (RS) method. Specificity of the proposed methods was assessed and MDF was determined in the presence of up to 80% of its acidic degradation product for RD, 1DD, MCR and RS methods. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of MDF in bulk powder and its tablet dosage form with mean percentage recovery of 100.33 ± 0.915 for (RD), 100.62 ± 0.985 for (1DD), 99.70 ± 0.379 for (MCR) and 100.21 ± 0.313 for (RS) method. The results obtained were statistically compared with those of official HPLC method and showed no significant difference with relevance accuracy and precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A frequency spectrum segmentation methodology is proposed to extract the frequency response of circuits and systems with high resolution and low distortion over a wide frequency range. A high resolution is achieved by implementing a modified Dirichlet function (MDF) configured for multi-tone excitation signals. Low distortion is attained by limiting or avoiding spectral leakage and interference into the frequency spectrum of interest. The use of a window function allowed for further reduction in distortion by suppressing system-induced oscillations that can cause severe interference while acquiring signals. This proposed segmentation methodology with the MDF generates an interleaved frequency spectrum segment that can be used to measure the frequency response of the system and can be represented in a Bode and Nyquist plot. The ability to simulate and measure the frequency response of the circuit and system without expensive network analyzers provides good stability coverage for reliable fault detection and failure avoidance. The proposed methodology is validated with both simulation and hardware. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of natural resource scarcity, environmental challenges and human health concerns, the development of alternative solutions becomes crucial to sustainable development. Sustainable and renewable protein-containing materials such as soy or canola have proved to have wood bonding properties comparable to those of synthetic binders. In addition, the availability of canola meal offers a great possibility for the development of bio-adhesives for the wood-based panel industry. Furthermore, direct utilization of canola meal helps to avoid expensive and low-yield protein isolation processes. Using three different solvent solutions (water and 1 mol and 2 mol sodium hydroxide), canola-based bio-adhesives were prepared and used for the production of medium-density fiberboards (with 10 mm thickness and 800 kg/m3 target density) and three-layer particleboards (with 15 mm thickness and 640 kg/m3 target density). The produced boards were tested for their mechanical properties and dimensional stability according to European norms. With the MDFs' bending strength values above 40 N/mm2 and internal bonding strength greater than 0.5 N/mm2, the results show that there is indeed a possibility to achieve good mechanical properties using canola meal as a binder. The use of NaOH solutions as denaturants, as well as the addition of colasol, helped improve the bonding properties of the boards by 35.49% and 64.52% for 1 mol and 2 mol NaOH solutions, respectively. The obtained results show that the developed canola-based bio-adhesive can compete with conventional ones. However, despite the good mechanical properties of the produced boards, their poor dimensional stability due to the low water resistance of natural proteins suggests further improvement for industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nineteen Junín lambs at days 0 (birth), 30, 60, 90 and 120 (weaning) were evaluated. The objectives were: a) knowing the variations of 14 characteristics related to the density of fibers, ducts and incidences of fiber bundles, the diameter and growth of fibers and those linked to the skin expansion, and live weight of Junín lambs from birth to weaning, and, b) analyze the trends and relationships between them. Fibers, and ducts density (FibDen, and DucDen, respectively), fibers and ducts number per tattooed skin area (N°Fibers/APT, and N°Ducst/APT, respectively), incidence of bundles of one fiber (I_Bund1F), two-fiber (I_ Bund2F), three-fiber (I_ Bund3F), four-fiber (I_ Bund4F), average fiber diameter (AFD), fiber growth (FibGrow), tattooed skin area (TSA), horizontal, and vertical length of the TSA (HL_TSA, and VL_TSA, respectively), and live weight (LW) were the variables evaluated. The FibDen, DucDen, I_Bund1F, I_ Bund 2F, I_ Bund 3F, I_ Bund 4F were determined by the procedure, and device known as Fiber Den; LW was evaluated with a scale; AFD was evaluated with the Fiber EC device; HL_TSA, VL_TSA, and FibGrow were measured with a millimeter metal ruler; while APT, N°Fibers/TSA, and N°ducts/TSA were calculated based on some variables indicated above. The completely random design was used to evaluate effects of the days on the 14 variables, the Duncan test was used to compare means, linear and curvilinear regression models were used to evaluate trends, and the Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the relationships among the variables. The results found were: The 14 variables evaluated varied significantly over the days (p-value<0,05). Likewise, the FibDen, DucDen, I_Bund2F, I_Bund3F show oscillations with more increases than decreases, statistically significant (p-value < 0.05), while the N°Fib/TSA, N°Duc/TSA, I_Haz4F, MDF, FibGrow, LH_TSA, LV_TSA, TSA and the LW are continuously increased, although the I_Bund1F also shows oscillations showing mostly decreases, with significant differences between evaluation days. On the other hand, it was found that FibDen, and DucDen are inversely related to AFD, and LW, but that with FibGrow, and TSA there is no significant linear relationship, while AFD has a direct relationship with LW, but with FibGrow, and TSA has no linear relationship some. It is concluded that, many characteristics were determined in an unprecedented way for the Junín breed, and also in the face of the evidence that FibDen, and DucDen can be evaluated in a practical and non-invasive way, and being related to the AFD and other characteristics, they could be used as selection criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]