Hydraulic systems are equipment widely used in stationary industrial equipment and in moving agricultural equipment and construction machines. Currently, the rotation of the vibrating conveyor belt of the peanut digger-inverter is triggered by the tractor power take-off. Considering that for the equipment to operate at its optimal, the tractor engine needs to work at low rotation, responsible for the rotation of the power take-off, this work aimed at developing an electro-hydraulic system able to transmit varying work rotations to the vibrating conveyor belt of the digger-inverter, regardless the rotation of the power take-off and the speed used in the tractor. The electro-hydraulic system uses the oil of the auxiliary hydraulic system (remote control) and electric power of the tractor battery. The rotation of the hydraulic motor that drives the vibrating conveyor axis is controlled by a proportional flow control valve while the direction of rotation is determined by an electro-hydraulic directional valve, controlled by a Vcontrol Personal Device Assistant controller installed in the tractor cab. The electro-hydraulic system developed can be used to control the rotation of the vibrating conveyor belt of the peanut digger-inverter since it meets the torque and power requirements necessary to move the vibrating conveyor belt, with the respective rotation control. The harvesting of peanuts requires crop-specific machines, such as the digger-inverter, which can dig the peanut vines from the earth, shake the soil from the vines and deposit the vines in an inverted position so as the pods are exposed to drying in the field. This important step in the productive process reduces the water content in the pods so they can be collected in a subsequent operation.In Brazil, when using such equipment, the fact that the vibrating conveyor (responsible for transporting the plants to the inverting roller) is activated by the tractor power take-off (PTO) is a limiting factor. The power resulting from the transformation of chemical into mechanical energy in the engine ,2, is reThe PTO peanut digger-inverter requires the tractor engine to work at low speed to ensure optimal equipment usage . SeveralSo far, the alternative proposed to solve these problems is to use the auxiliary hydraulic system of the tractor for the digger-inverter, since these have wide applications due to high sensitivity, precision, rigidity, speed, power, and control capacity . In agriTherefore, considering that the optimization of the peanut digger-inverter operation requires the tractor to work at low engine speeds (lower PTO rotation), the objective of this study was to develop an electrohydraulic system able to transmit varying working rotations to the equipment vibrating conveyor belt, regardless of the PTO rotation and tractor displacement speed.3 rev-1) under ideal conditions is called displacement. In an agricultural tractor, the oil pump used in the hydraulic system is driven directly by the motor rotation, and the maximum oil displacement occurs when the tractor is working at its nominal speed.One of the most important components of the hydraulic system is the hydraulic pump that pumps oil in and out, leading to increased pressure when the outlet is blocked. The volume of oil carried per pump revolution ;Q = theoretical flow (L min3 rev-1);D = displacement (cmn = rotation (rpm);1000 = unit conversion factor.The theoretical torque of an ideal hydraulic motor is given by T = theoretical torque (kgf m);-2);ΔP = pressure change The hydraulic motor was dimensioned based on the rotation, the power and torque required to start and the pressure and flow of the hydraulic circuit oil.The power required to transport the peanut mass on the vibrating conveyor belt is calculated by t = torque (Nm);M30 = unit conversion factor.The torque required to transport the peanut mass on the vibrating conveyor belt is calculated by F = Tangential force caused by the load (N);r = radius (m);The tangential force on the vibrating conveyor belt of the peanut digger-inverter is given by -1);∅ = Mass flow of material on the vibrating conveyor belt (kg s-2);g = gravity (m s-1);v = Tangential velocity of the vibrating conveyor-belt (m sc = Wheelbase of the vibrating conveyor-belt (m);∅ = tilt angle of the vibrating conveyor-belt (°).-2 s-1). However, to suit the nomenclature used in Agronomy, in this work the material discharge (kg s-1) was treated as mass flow.By definition, in Engineering, mass flow is the amount of material that passes per unit area, per time ;v = Tangential velocity of the vibrating conveyor-belt (m sr = radius (m);n = rotation (rpm);Thus, the hydraulic engine needed to drive this machine was calculated based on the 2-Row Model of peanut digger-inverter shown in The description of the electrohydraulic system operation is based on The oil supplied by the tractor remote control is filtered to remove impurities and transfer to the manifold equipped with a proportional flow control valve (5), a pressure regulating valve (4), a directional valve (6) and a pressure gauge (7).First, the hydraulic oil enters the proportional flow control valve (5), which controls the conveyor-belt rotation by varying the oil flow sent to the hydraulic motor. Then, the oil flows through a 4-way directional control valve (6) with three positions. The valve positioned in the center sends the oil back to the reservoir. The other position advances the conveyor to discharge the dug peanut vines into the rollers which then invert the peanut vines to expose the pods. The last position reverses the conveyor-belt rotation, when necessary, especially when problems occur during digging (bushing).The control valve directs the oil to the hydraulic motor (8) which, in the forward position, causes the conveyor-belt to rotate in the desired direction, adjusted according to the operation needs.The electrohydraulic system works with the 12 V battery of the tractor while all solenoid control valves are controlled from inside the tractor cabin by a box with the electric circuit, potentiometer, and knob.The 4/3 way directional control valve (6) is controlled by a 3-position knob that determines the rotation direction of the hydraulic motor. The motor rotation is controlled by the proportional flow control valve (5), which is started by the potentiometer that regulates the proportional opening of this valve. The 3-position knob and potentiometer are installed in the electric control box in the tractor cab.The rotation of the hydraulic motor and the speed of the tractor are monitored by a Vcontrol PDA controller  by Verion Agriculture, which is also installed in the tractor cab. This PDA controls the rotation of the hydraulic motor automatically, acting on the solenoid valves of the electrohydraulic system. Therefore, as the tractor speed changes, the conveyor-belt speed can also be changed.In this system, the rotation of the vibrating conveyor-belt of the peanut digger-inverter is independent of the rotation of the tractor power take-off, and thus, the tractor can operate in the normal working rotation of the motor. The system works manually, using the knob and potentiometer, or automatically with the PDA.Exploratory tests are preliminary experiments to verify the behavior and efficiency of the equipment used. The following tests were carried out in this research:™ P6 software by selecting the items of interest in the library. After the selection of all the items of the model, the connection was made to the same, in which the lines represent the pipes and the numbers the components of the system to be simulated . The soil of the experimental area is typical Eutroferric RED LATOSOL with clay texture [No specific permissions were needed to access the experimental sites because all activities were performed under the supervision of the advisor of the thesis and did not involve threatened or protected species.Arachis hypogea L.) was sown using a pneumatic sowing-fertilizing machine with 0.9 m spacing between rows, at sowing density of 18 seeds m-1.The soil was conventionally prepared with a plow (disc plow) and three harrows (one heavy and two lights). The cultivar Runner IAC 886 , L2 (4.2 km h-1) and H2 (5.0 km h-1). These speeds were selected because they are commonly used in fields in PTO diggers [The digging operation was performed using a 2 rows model digger-starter-shaker, model C 200 , with 1.8 m working width, pulled by a Massey Ferguson MF 718 tractor, 4x2 TDA, with 132.4 kW (180 hp) power at 2200 rpm. The flow rate and maximum oil pressure of the hydraulic system of this tractor are 138 L min diggers .-1). The tests were performed with 3 replicates.The experimental design consisted of testing 5 different rotations of the vibrating conveyor-belt of the peanut digger-inverter  and 3 displacement speeds of the machine/tractor set , and the mechanized set variables (height and width of the formed windrow after digging) were analyzed to evaluate the performance of the peanut digger-inverter. The losses were evaluated according to  and calc2.Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed with a block randomized analysis using AGROESTAT software. Differences between treatments were analyzed using test t students of one factor ANOVA at the 5% probability level. When the value of the F test was significative to interaction among the factors, was analyzed by means of regression, opting for the adjustment of higher value of RThe simulation in the software allowed to verify which and how many components would be needed for the system to work in the next test step, allowing them to be defined as required components Two 4/3-way directional valves, two directional valves 4/2 via and four flow regulating valves, plus a hydraulic motor. The simulation allowed to gauge that these components would be necessary and sufficient for the proper functioning of the system on the test bench.The description of the operation of the electrohydraulic system is based on For this test, the engine speed was regulated by varying the opening of the flow control valves placed in the hydraulic motor supply lines.The directional valve (1) represents the remote-control valve of the tractor, which when activated releases oil to the hydraulic system allowing the hydraulic motor (9) to move the vibrating conveyor belt either forward or backward, depending on the valve position.If the valve (1) is positioned to the right, the released oil moves the hydraulic motor forward (9), and by turning the directional valve (2) to the right, the oil is sent to the directional valve (3). If the valve (3) is positioned to the left, the hydraulic oil passes through the flow control valve (5) to obtain the first rotation of the hydraulic motor. If valve (3) is positioned to the right, the hydraulic oil is fed to the flow regulating valve (6) to obtain the second rotation of the hydraulic motor.If the directional valve (2) is positioned to the left, the hydraulic fluid is sent to the directional valve (4), which turned to the right position determines the third rotation in the hydraulic motor and the oil is transported to the flow regulating valve (7). However, if valve (4) is turned to the left, the fourth rotation of the hydraulic motor is achieved with the hydraulic oil passing through the flow regulating valve (8).By turning the directional valve (1) to the left position, the hydraulic oil is directed to the flow regulating valve (10) and the hydraulic motor (9) turns in the opposite direction (reversing the direction of the vibrating conveyor belt).-1 and displacement of 125.7 cm3 rev-1  displaced at the speed of 4.2 km hThe digger-shaker did not statistically influence the unseen losses during the peanut digging (data not shown). This result was to be expected, since the invisible losses are not related to the drive system of the starter, and the occurrence of such losses is related to factors such as soil type, soil water content and maturation, which can act in isolation or even together –26.-1 velocity shows a convex curve, indicating greater losses in the lowest and highest rotations investigated while the lowest loss was observed at the inflection point, approximately 110 rpm. The curve behavior shows that digging at lower and higher rotations increased the losses while the highest losses were observed at the lowest rotation (80 rpm). Therefore, to minimize the digger visible losses for this velocity, the optimal work rotation of the conveyor is between 100 and 120 rpm with the digger-inverter performance peaking at 110 rpm.The digging visible losses  for the -1 and 132.96 kg ha-1 at a speed of 3.5 km h-1 and 5.0 km h-1, respectively). These results indicate that when the Electrohydraulic system digger-shaker performs the digging operation at low speeds, it is recommended to use the conveyor belt rotation at 100 rpm.However, it is observed that when it was used 100 rpm in the rotation of the conveyor belt there was significant increase of the visible losses, so that as it increased the shifting speed also increased the losses , for higher values than that, new field tests are needed to verify the efficiency of the equipment under these conditions.On the other hand, the drive of the digger-inverter by means of the electrohydraulic system developed in this work, allows the digger-inverter to be triggered independently of the motor rotation of the tractor, because it has its own system of drive and the possibility of reversing the motion of the vibrating conveyor belt, as described in the methodology. In addition, the digging operation can be performed with higher displacement speeds than the conventional  formed after the process of the digger-inverter are fundamental to the success of the gathering of pods, subsequent operation that occurs three days after the digging.-1 , were the ones that provided greater height and width of the windrow, when it used the speeds of 3.5 and 5 km h-1 . In so f-1 Click here for additional data file.


In our article, we described a clinical case of a patient with an acute periostitis of the maxilla with a comorbidity  who was treated using laser technology allowing us to provide good results: an intensive regeneration process and a decreased risk of developing infection complications and unpleasant signs for the patient, such as postoperative edema and intraoperative and postoperative pain syndrome. A decrease in their number below 100 × 109 per liter (thrombocytopenic syndrome) is a risk factor for the development of severe bleeding especially during surgical interventions when the integrity of the blood vessels is violated. Reducing the number of platelets below 30‐50 × 109 per liter contributes to the appearance of spontaneous bleeding [Normally, the platelet content is 150‐400 × 10bleeding .The most common form of thrombocytopenia is the primary immune thrombocytopenia, which is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of antiplatelet antibodies leading to a decrease in the number of platelets , 2. DuriThe complexity of the situation in these patients is due to an opportunity to treat only postoperative complications but not their preventive procedures. There are different data in special literature about the methods of solving the problem of bleeding after dental manipulation: tranexamic acid, extract of green tea, and others , 5.Schaffer et al. in 2016 have reported about the results of their study; they identified major barriers to performing oral care to people with bleeding disorders such as the economic side of treatment, which is highest in the list of reasons for the lack of access to dental care. Lack of skilled dentists and the anxiety of patients themselves were also a huge problem, although a significant number of doctors have expressed a desire to have the opportunity and skills to provide good oral health outcomes to their patients [The aim of our research was the evaluation of the effectiveness of an erbium laser in the provision of surgical dental care to a patient with acute periostitis and primary immune thrombocytopenia on an outpatient basis.Patient K., 26 years old, was diagnosed the acute purulent periostitis of the upper jaw on the left side. Comorbidity was a primary immune thrombocytopenia, resistant form, which has appeared from the year 1991. The patient takes courses of glucocorticosteroid medicine, eltrombopag. He refuses splenectomy.The patient has agreed to the use of material with his data in oral and written forms according to the European Medicines Agency Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice and the requirements of the local ethics committee.From anamnesis, the patient complained of severe sharp pain in the upper jaw on the left side. About 4 days ago, the patient had noted pain, which increased when biting in the area of the 2.5 tooth, previously treated endodontically. He has applied to the city dental clinic and private dental clinics in his place of residence (Lipetsk). The patient was denied help four times due to comorbidities, and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy was prescribed. The inflammatory process increased, and the pain intensified and became diffuse. The patient turned for help to hematologists of the special federal hospital, where the following premedication was performed alternately and intravenously: calcium gluconate 10%, 10 ml; dicinon, 4.0 ml; ascorbic acid 5%, 5 ml; and prednisolone, 60 mg.During examination on the skin of the surface of the elbow, shoulder, and forearm, multiple petechiae were determined Figures  and 2. TIn the oral cavity, the bulging of the transitional fold was determined in the 2.4, 2.5, and 2.6 teeth areas, the mucous membrane was hyperemic and edematous, palpation was sharply painful, and accordingly, the fluctuation focus was palpated near the 2.4 tooth. Tooth 2.5 was under a metal-ceramic crown, and percussion was sensitive.In the preoperative period, the patient underwent clinical and X-ray examination, laboratory blood tests , and a consultation with a hematologist.9/l (on treatment). Duration of bleeding based on the Duke method was 15 minutes and 30 seconds and clotting time was 4 minutes and 30 seconds.Platelets were 2 × 10On X-ray examination, bone thinning was found at the apex of the 2.4 tooth root with clear contours up to 0.6 cm in diameter; the root canal was sealed on 2/3 .The results of laboratory blood tests were as follows:After a clinical and radiological examination, a decision was made for reendodontic treatment of the 2.4 tooth, cutting a subperiosteal abscess. The orthopedic structure was removed from the 2.4 tooth, and the therapeutic dentist performed a disclosure and temporary filling of the 2.4 tooth canal. A temporary plastic crown was made on the tooth.In this case, we used an erbium laser with a wavelength of 2940 nm, which can be used on both soft and bone tissues.Under infiltration anesthesia and using an erbium laser with an irradiation energy of 300 mJ and a frequency of 10 Hz without water-air cooling, an incision was made along the transition fold in the 2.4, 2.5, and 2.6 teeth areas, bluntly penetrating deep into the inflammatory focus, and a rich purulent discharge was obtained . The wouOn the third day after the surgery, a slight collateral swelling of the soft tissues of the left buccal region was determined, and there was no drainage discharge. Drainage was removed, and further healing of the wound proceeded without features .When providing surgical dental care, the patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia have a risk of developing intra- and postoperative bleeding and also a decrease of the regeneration processes associated with taking glucocorticosteroids prescribed for treating the main disease and the deficiency of platelet factors . SurgicaUntil now, this cohort of patients is deprived of the possibility of obtaining timely and high-quality dental therapeutic and preventive care in outpatient conditions, which largely determines the high prevalence of inflammatory diseases of the maxillofacial area, their severe course.Recently, laser technology has found more and more medical applications –10. DissWe evaluate the possibility of using this laser technology. Cutting the tissue, the laser beam simultaneously coagulates the vessels on the wound walls, promoting hemostasis. In addition, postoperative edema is minimal and the intensity of the intraoperative and postoperative pain syndrome decreases , 10. LasThe use of a surgical laser in patients with impaired platelet hemostasis is designed to reduce the duration and volume of preoperative drug therapy and reduce the risk of secondary bleeding and inflammatory complications.The use of an erbium laser is a modern and effective method for the dental surgical treatment of patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia. This technology makes possible to provide surgical dental care in this group of patients at a qualitatively new level in outpatient settings, without prolonged medical preparation.


Ni-rich and AlNi3 phases for both variants of substrates was given, indicating the differences obtained in previous works on this subject.Reactivity in nickel–aluminum system was examined for two variants of nickel substrates in terms of the size and shape of Ni grains. The microstructure transformation aroused due to the annealing at 720 °C for different annealing times (0.25 to 72 h) was consequently followed. The sequence of formation of the particular intermetallic phases was given. The interconnection zones were examined by means of scanning electron microscopy supported with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron backscattered diffraction techniques as well as by the transmission electron microscopy. The growth kinetics data for AlNi, AlNi To ensure the protection against the oxidation, aluminum-rich phases such as Al3Ni, Al3Ni2 and AlNi are the most important ones, however, the greatest mechanical properties are associated with the presence of only two phases: AlNi and AlNi3 . Th. Th25].  created ,14,26. Sen Al3Ni ,28,29. Ae formed . In the e formed ,28,29. Ae formed ,28 for t2Te3. In both type of samples after the annealing, the Ni3Sn4 phase is formed, but for e-Ni substrate, additional Ni3Sn2 phase in the form of the thin film between Ni and Ni3Sn4 appeared. A large number of grain boundaries in e-Ni layer, being fast diffusion channels for Ni atoms towards Ni3Sn4, resulted in the growth of this additional phase, consisting of more nickel. The additional layer suppressed the growth of Ni3Sn4 on e-Ni layer, which is thinner in comparison to the one, formed using coarse grained Ni substrates. A similar experiment in solid Ni/liquid Al/solid Ni system is more difficult to analyze, as higher joining temperature is necessary to apply than the one for Sn/Ni diffusion pair and the nickel recovery and recrystallization phenomena occurs.Literature’s survey also presents the validity of diffusion studies on Ni substrates of variable grain boundaries. Works of Yu-Chen Tseng et al.  based onThis paper shows the results concerning the relation between the reactivity  in Ni/Al system and the microstructure of nickel substrates. As the grain boundaries can act as fast diffusion paths, they can influence the growth kinetics of the intermetallic phases and therefore, different results can be reported for apparently the same experimental procedure. In this work Ni substrates of two crystallographic orientations was employed to study the growth of the intermetallic phases in solid/liquid and solid/solid state in Ni/Al/Ni system.Substrates used in the experiment were prepared from high purity commercial Ni rod  with a diameter of 5 mm. The rod was cut in two orientations: along and perpendicular to the rod elongation direction as it is showed in In order to obtain the diffusion-soldered interconnections, two nickel slices with the same or different orientation were grinded, polished and cleaned in ultrasonic cleaner for 300 s. Then the thin (80 µm) slice of high purity aluminum  was clamped between two Ni substrates and held in specific temperature for different periods of time. As the aluminum melting point is of 660 °C, the 720 °C was applied as the joining temperature. Such temperature, higher than the one necessary to melt Al, was chosen for several reasons. First of all, it ensures that Al passes to the liquid state during the annealing in the vacuum. It also allows comparing obtained results with the data presented by Lopez et al. . Only slThe cross-sections of the interconnections for scanning electron microscopy  examinations were prepared by standard metallographic procedure: embedding samples in epoxy, grinding and then polishing with the diamond paste (3 μm) and silica (0.04 μm). As a starting point the scanning electron microscopy observations with 20 kV accelerating voltage and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy , EDAX Inc., Tilburg, The Netherlands) analysis were carried out for each sample, revealing its phase composition and thickness of particular intermetallics layers and also the chemical composition changes across them. The samples in SEM were inspected using the backscattered electrons mode (BSE). As a next step, the electron backscattered diffraction technique was used to expose the amount and character of the grain boundaries and to correlate it with the creating phases composition and thickness. The thin foils for the transmission electron microscopy  observations were prepared using the Focused Ion Beam  technique. It is the only technique suitable for this type of thin foils (exact location of the place of interest). During the milling process, problems with uneven consumption of the sample material were encountered. Difficulties were associated with significant difference in hardness of the various intermetallics phases located at the reaction zone. The obtained thin foils with the thickness of about 100 nm were next examined by TEM.The diffusion-soldering at the temperature of 720 °C for different periods of time resulted in the growth of the several intermetallic phases in the joined area. It is important that the sequence of phase-creation in all cases was the same as it was predicted in ,14,26. T3Ni  and Al3Ni2 . On the other hand, the middle of the joined zone was composed of Al3Ni-Al eutectics  instead of pure aluminum. Moreover, inside of the Al3Ni-Al eutectics, the primary precipitates of the Al3Ni intermetallic phase possessing the faced walls could be observed. Thanks to the channeling contrast, the dual-morphology of Al3Ni2 is visible, showing the larger grains to be located closer to the middle of the interconnection and finer grains being located close to the nickel substrates. As it is showed in 3Ni phase, growing next to the nickel substrate, formed the areas of irregular shape at the interface with eutectics. Such a morphology is called scallops and it is typical for the growth of the intermetallics with assistance of the liquid. Additionally, it was noticed that the interface between Al3Ni and Al3Ni2 phases is wavy. At this point it can be summarized that the interconnection consisted of the following constituents:The initial stage of reaction in Ni/Al/Ni interconnection was observed after 15 min of annealing a. SEM ob3Ni2 phase is smooth and approximately parallel to the surface of the applied substrates. This type of planar interfaces is characteristic for solid/solid reaction. Similar observation was noticed in other papers [The interface between nickel and Alr papers ,26.3Ni in 21% and Al3Ni2 in 59%, the rest is the eutectics (Al) + Al3Ni. In Tumminello’s work [The obtained interconnection zone after 15 min of annealing at 720 °C may be compared with joint described by Tumminello and Sommadossi , for theo’s work  the amouo’s work ) and also’s work ).3Ni2 phase, which was confirmed by EDS. The line scan through the area inside the pink frame, allowed excluding the presence of the eutectics (Al3Ni–Al) and Al3Ni phase in this area. The next important microstructural feature exists at the interface between Al3Ni2 phase and Ni substrate and has occurred in early stages of solid/solid reaction. The EDS measurements indicate high variability of chemical composition in the areas marked with yellow frames. Average content of aluminum in Al3Ni2 equals 60.5 at. %, while in the close neighborhood of the Al3Ni2/Ni interface it is about 57.6 at % and decreases in the direction toward the nickel substrate. The next measurements of the chemical composition showed the presence of narrow zones of about 1.5 µm, where the content of aluminum equals 51.3 at. %, which can be attributed to AlNi phase, then 30.3 at. % of Al, standing for AlNi3 phase. The presence of Ni solid solution was also observed (0.8 at. % of Al). In the mentioned area the differences in BSE contrast can be observed, the last one being distinguishable at the Al3Ni2/AlNi interface. Changes of the chemical composition near the phases’ boundaries indicate progressive diffusion processes leading to the initial stages of the AlNi growth after 30 min of annealing. Interconnection zone constituents can be this time summarized as follows:Elongation of the reaction time to 30 min, allowed observing significant difference of the interconnection zones in comparison to the sample after 15 min of annealing. The interfaces of the phases growing due to the reaction in the solid state show a linear character, as it was the case in the samples being annealed for 15 min shown in After 1 h:After 3 h:Ni-deficient) did not appear. Obtained results are the same for both types of applied orientations of nickel substrates. However, after 5 h of reaction time one significant difference was noticed. Namely, the sequence of the intermetallic phases for types A and B was not the same . For Ni/3Ni (24.1 at. % Ni) are present. Phases of AlNi type are approximately twice wider in comparison to 20 h of annealing, AlNi3 phase changes its thickness of about 30% (broadening). The sequence of the phases after 72h is as follow:A significant expansion of the annealing time to 20 and 72 h resulted in widening a and disAverage chemical composition of all intermetallic phases after annealing for different periods of time is collected in 3 and AlNi. The map shows that the zone of interest consists of grains with a random crystallographic orientation and the one large grain of nickel. The differences in size of grains for particular areas are visible. Much finer grains in comparison to other areas are observed for the intermetallic phase identified as AlNi3. On the other hand, in the case of AlNi phases large grains are observed. In both cases range of these phases grain sizes is variable. Complementary to the EBSD map, for the same area the EDS maps were collected . Three phases: AlNi3, AlNi, AlNiNi-rich for which the growth kinetic is calculated expand gradually with the annealing time.Determination of the thickness of the intermetallics  allowed Determination of the main mechanisms, which control the growth of the intermetallic phase is based on simple and useful formula (Equation 1), in details discussed in , giving c growth . DiffusiNi-rich  and later replaced by the rich in nickel phases . Three variants of AlNi phase were identified, all of them clearly visible in SEM-BSE: deficient in nickel (45 at. % of Ni), stoichiometric (50 at. % of Ni) and rich in nickel (60 at. % of Ni). While the Ni deficient AlNi phase formed separated layer of grains, electron backscattered diffraction map evidenced that the Ni-rich variant was located within the grains of already formed AlNi stoichiometric phase. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy examination revealed local presence of Al3Ni5 phase grains. Growth kinetics data showed that the fastest growing phase was the stoichiometric variant of AlNi phase, growing in a mixed mechanism: at first due to the chemical reaction and later by the volume diffusion. The most interesting results were obtained for two other phases: Ni-rich AlNi and AlNi3. As it was already showed in the literature, the general growth can be attributed to the volume diffusion, however, at early stages significant differences were noticed in this study. In the case of AlNi3 phase, the first stage of growth was due to the chemical reaction and later it slowed down (volume diffusion). For the Ni-rich AlNi phase in the later stage of growth the volume diffusion dominated. However, the first stage of phase growth varied in relation to the applied nickel substrate. In the interconnections, for which the surface of contact with aluminum was composed of the elongated grains, the grain boundary diffusion mechanism occurred, while for the Ni with small, equiaxed grains, the chemical reaction governed the growth of the phase. This work demonstrates that different mechanisms may contribute in the growth of the phases, especially in the beginning of the process and one should be aware of this. The substrate microstructure may have the influence on the intermetallics’ growth kinetics and resulting from it differences in the integral diffusion coefficients.The diffusion soldering process was successfully applied to join nickel substrates using aluminum as the solder material at 720 °C for various periods of time. Nickel substrates, applied in the experiment, differed by size and shape of their grains in order to reveal any influence on the sequence of appearance or growth kinetics of particular intermetallic phases. It was demonstrated that at first the intermetallic phases rich in aluminum were formed (Al


Expanding on our previous report, we investigate the stability of a magnetic compound fluid (MCF) rubber sensor that was developed for a variety of engineering applications. To stabilize this sensor, we proposed a novel combination technique that facilitates the addition of dimethylpolysiloxane (PDMS) to natural rubber (NR)-latex or chloroprene rubber (CR)-latex using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) by experimentally and theoretically investigating issues related to instability. This technique is one of several other novel combinations of diene and non-diene rubbers. Silicone oil or rubber with PDMS can be combined with NR-latex and CR-latex because of PVA’s emulsion polymerization behavior. In addition, owing to electrolytic polymerization based on the combination of PDMS and PVA, MCF rubber is highly porous and can be infiltrated in any liquid. Hence, the fabrication of novel intelligent rubbers using any intelligent fluid is feasible. By assembling infiltrated MCF rubber sheets and by conducting electrolytic polymerization of MCF rubber liquid with a hydrate using the adhesive technique as presented in a previous paper, it is possible to stabilize the MCF rubber sensor. This sensor is resistant to cold or hot water as well as γ-irradiation as shown in the previous report. Rubber sensors are valuable elements in a wide variety of engineering applications that affect many aspects of our daily life. The elasticity and flexibility of rubber have resulted in significant progress in several applications. To advance this field, we have investigated the mechanical, electrical and photovoltaic characteristics of a proposed magnetically responsive fluid called MCF involving rubber latex, the so-called magnetic compound fluid (MCF) rubber. This material exhibits hybrid properties during electrolytic polymerization under an applied magnetic field ,4,5,6,7.However, one issue is the stability of the MCF rubber sensor. The stability of the changes of electrical properties with time is a significant problem. In the present report, we investigate the causes of the instability and deterioration in MCF rubber. Next, we resolve these problems by introducing a combination of non-diene rubbers. The non-diene rubbers include butyl rubber (IIR), ethylene-propylene rubber (EPM or EPDM), urethane rubber (UR), silicone rubber (Q), fluoro rubber (FKM), etc., which do not or seldom contain C=C bonds. Non-diene rubbers show superior weather, ozone, chemical, and oxidation resistance, less deterioration after years of usage under a variety of environmental conditions, and they can be used at any temperature. In addition, in terms of the sensitivity of a robot operated in a nuclear building, we also investigate in the present report the feasibility of an underwater MCF rubber sensor. To date, few studies have attempted to develop rubber-type water sensors in contrast with typical sensors including acoustic ones, etc. ,11.Regarding the combination of any material into a rubber, there have been many studies on the combination of fillers such as carbon, metal, etc. particles in NR , CR 13]13], NBR Firstly, we will begin by discussing the factors that influence the instability of an MCF rubber sensor. In the previous study, we evaluated the secular stability of electrolytically polymerized MCF rubber sheets fabricated by sandwiching between opposing magnets . HoweverIn the case of (1), water is involved and is trapped in the inner MCF rubber, even if electrolytic polarization is performed, because the NR and CR latexes contain water. Therefore, due to the evaporation of water from the electrolytically polymerized MCF rubber, the MCF rubber sensor can exhibit a secular change of its electrical and mechanical properties. This will be discussed in the following section.3O4 , 16 g NR-latex  and 31 g of water. Using electrolytic polymerization, the MCF rubber is vulcanized as shown in In the case of (2), the MCF rubber liquid should be taken into account because it is fundamental in the production of MCF rubber sensors. In the previous study, we experimentally investigated the influence of the aggregation of magnetic particles and rubber molecules of MCF rubber liquid on their electrical characteristics when a magnetic field was applied . The appT, which represents the electric current flowing in the MCF rubber and the thickness b, is shown in C* and the thickness b is shown in T and C* increase by enhancing b. T is considered to be re-expression of the electric current I, C* applies to the capacitance C, and b applies to the deformation quantity. The motion of electrons described by the tunnel theory is categorized as electron transfer in the field of complex chemistry. The mechanism of the electron transfer is divided into two types based on the distance among the particles of Fe3O4 and Ni, and the molecules of polyisoprene: outer-sphere electron transfer reaction (OSETR) and inter-sphere electron transfer reaction (ISETR), as shown in a previous study [b represents a contraction of the MCF rubber. As b becomes smaller, ISETR is dominant in the change of the electrical property of the MCF rubber due to the electric-chemical reaction. In contrast, as b gets larger, OSETR is dominant. As the distance among the particles and molecules is reduced by deformation of the MCF rubber, I and C increase as shown in I and C are presented as ΔI and ΔC, respectively. In the case of ΔI and ΔC, we can obtain the results as represented by Equations (1)–(3), together with Equation (A3) in the I represents the amount of electron transfer and that C represents the amount of counter ion created by an anionic acceptor A− and cationic donor D+. A and D are generated by particles and molecules with semiconducting roles by mixing and electrolytic polymerization as shown in Equations (A4)–(A7) in the In the case of 3), we must consider the change of the electric current flowing in the MCF rubber based on its deformation. The change of the electric current of the MCF rubber by compression has been elucidated in previous studies ,2,3. In , we mustus study . WhetherV increases with time. The amount of A− and D+ is small because ISETR is dominant in the reaction as shown in Equations (A4)–(A7), due to the small distance among the particles and molecules. However, the amount of electron transfer is larger than that of the counter ion:In the case of Equation (1), the voltage V with time is constant. The amount of electron transfer is the same as that of counter ion:In the case of Equation (2), the voltage V with time decreases toward zero. The amount of A− and D+ is large because of OSETR is dominant in the reaction as shown in Equations (A4)–(A7) due to the large distance among the particles and molecules. However, the amount of electron transfer is smaller than that of the counter ion:In the case of Equation (3), the voltage Mullins effect is induced by the inner deformation among the particles and molecules of the MCF rubber. MCF rubber was determined to exhibit the Mullins effect in previous studies ,24. Ther3O4 , 3 g NR-latex (Ulacol), 3 g CR-latex , 0.5 g TiO2 , and 0.5 g hydrates Na2WO4·2H2O , and MCF rubber without hydrate as 3 g Ni powder, 0.75 g MF (W-40), 3 g NR-latex (Ulacol), 3g CR-latex (671A), and 0.5 g TiO2. Irrespective of the material used to coat the MCF rubber or MCF rubber sensor, the instability of the aforementioned (b) is still present in the MCF rubber so that the construction in the MCF rubber sensor must be improved.Moreover, the instability of the MCF rubber is significant when utilized as a sensor. To prevent the aforementioned instability: (1) a possible idea is to deposit some material on the MCF rubber sensor. However, for the MCF rubber or MCF rubber sensor, this is useless because of the attempt to prevent the aforementioned instability (2) as follows. At first, we can clarify that by comparing the electrical property between the covered and non-covered MCF rubber as shown in Incidentally, the present MCF rubber sensor is sensitive to both normal and shear forces, which has been presented in detail in our previous study ,2: the eTo resolve the instability highlighted in the previous section, the resistance of the non-diene rubber to water, heat, etc. must be considered. Moreover, we attempt to combine the non-diene rubber to diene rubber. In the present report, we deal with Q as a non-diene rubber. It is structured as the basis of dimethylpolysiloxane (PDMS) as shown in Equation A8 in the Q used in this report is KF96  which is a silicone oil with the methyl group but not the rubber liquid, KE1400, and KE1300T that are hardened to be solid rubber using a curing agent. They are produced by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. . As for KE1400 and KE1300T, in general usage, they are solidified to be silicone rubber using a curing agent. KE1400 and KE1300T are improved because of solidification so that they are different from KF96; KE1400 and KE1300T are silicone oils with some silane, however, KF96 is a pure silicone oil without any silane. In the present study, we used only KE1400 and KE1300T without using the curing agent in the present combination. Therefore, the combination using KE1400 and KE1300T is different from that with KF96 from the perspective of the presence of silane. In the case of using PVA, we combined 3 g NR (Ulacol)- or CR (671A)- latex to the previously combined 3 g KF96, KE1400 or KE1300T with 3 g PVA. As seen in 2, a liquid containing 0.5 g TiO2 is combined beforehand to MF, combined with Ni, and then this liquid is combined to the combination of non-diene and diene rubber latexes with PVA. The combination of NR-latex and CR-latex is because the resistance to heat, ozone, etc. of CR-latex is superior to that of NR-latex. If we use just CR-latex as shown in Next, these combined liquids were electrolytically polymerized whereby a static magnetic field of 312 mT is applied to a pair of two stainless electrodes with a 1 mm gap using permanent magnets as paired opposites via the application of a constant electric field at 20 V, 2.7 A, and 5 min. The magnetic field strength can be determined by the production method such that has been presented in the previous studies [To investigate the microscopic mechanism of electrolytic polymerization of the MCF rubber by combining diene and non-diene rubber latexes, we will consider the changes in temperature, voltage, and electric current of the MCF rubber during electrolytic polymerization as shown in Regarding the instability of (1) as mentioned in the previous section, it was investigated using the experimental data on the mechanical property under tension as shown in KF96 (1 cSt) has kinematic viscosity at 1 cSt and KE1300T at 7810 cSt because the molecular weight of PDMS of KF96 (1 cSt) is smaller than that of KE1300T. The PDMS has the ability to contain the remaining water in the MCF rubber. From Given that we evaluated the effectiveness of utilizing PDMS in combination with NR- or CR- latex and Q, we attempt to produce a sensor using PDMS. It is evident from Figure 62 is appropriate for combining with MCF before mixing Ni. The electrolytic polymerization of (e) in Prior to the infiltration, we prepared the electrolytically polymerized MCF rubber with PDMS as shown in (f), which is the same as that shown in In the case of instability (2), to abate the vulcanization of the MCF rubber from the time of electrolytic polymerization, which is not during the process but past the endpoint, the final procedure of drying the MCF rubber sensor shown in 2WO4·2H2O and Na2MoO4·2H2O are suitable for the MCF rubber liquid combined with PDMS. Using the same MCF rubber sensor production process as in the previous study [2WO4·2H2O, 0.75 g MF (W-40), and 3 g Ni for (c) in However, the MCF rubber liquid with hydrate must be prepared as shown in (d) in us study , MCF rub2 is specific: such as when using KF96 and Na2WO4·2H2O, or KE1300T and Na2MoO4·2H2O, adhesion occurs. In the case when KF96 and Na2MoO4·2H2O, or KE1300T and Na2WO4·2H2O is used, there is no adhesion. The adhesion phenomenon is shown in Incidentally, the hard adhesion of the MCF rubber with hydrate to metal could be confirmed. Most metals adhere including gold, silver, and platinum, except for Cr and Ti. In the case when the glass coated with TiO2. Therefore, as shown This is expected to induce the progression of metal coating to prevent corrosion and adhesive glue between the rubber and a metal as a novel adhesion technique. The present adhesion technique is superior to that proposed in the previous study , which iMoreover, we can produce many fabricated layers by repeating a single layer between the electrolytically polymerized rubbers as shown in (g) in Now, we investigate the effectiveness of the combination of PDMS, PVA, and filtration on the production of an MCF rubber sensor using the conditions as shown in For a robot with the installed sensor working in a nuclear reactor building, we investigate the sensitivity of the MCF rubber sensor when immersed in water. The resistance to irradiation is very important, especially regarding the rubber degradation problem. The MCF rubber was determined to have a resistance to γ-irradiation in the previous report . In addiThe water in a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is hot, therefore we must investigate the sensitivity of the sensor in hot as well as cold water. In addition, as observed in the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in Japan in 2001, there are many kinds of debris such as metal, concrete, etc., in the saltwater of the RPV by the sea. Therefore, we must also investigate the sensitivity of the sensor for many kinds of body in saltwater. It is also necessary to consider both hard and soft materials, in addition to water with and without salt.2, the MCF rubber cannot be easily exuded. As shown in Firstly, we immersed a single MCF rubber sheet produced as shown in (f) in 2 and infiltrating are utilized, the rubber cannot be easily exuded. As a result, we can use the MCF rubber sensor produced via a combination of PDMS and PVA in water. Its stability in water will then be investigated.Next, we immersed the MCF rubber sensor using the adhesion technique as shown in Next, we investigate the sensitivity of the MCF rubber sensor for a hard body made of acrylic resin and a soft body made of silicone oil rubber in water. The experimental procedure involved settling the MCF rubber sensors with single or double layers produced via the combination of PDMS and PVA on a half-round tube, as shown in The cause of settling in the half-round tube made of acrylic resin such that the MCF rubber sensor is bent as shown in At first, we investigate the sensitivity of the MCF rubber sensor in the case of contact with the surface of water as shown in Incidentally, the present MCF rubber sensor was confirmed to have temperature durability up to about 120 °C. This temperature is the maximum one of the MCF rubber during the electrolytic polymerization and changes by the production conditions of the MCF rubber involving its constituents, electrodes gap, applied voltage and electric current, magnetic field strength, etc. From many experiments, the MCF rubber was confirmed to have temperature durability up to about 120 °C.Finally, regarding the case of immersion of an MCF rubber sensor with single layers produced by a combination of PDMS and PVA in saltwater, By the combination of PDMS and NR-latex, or diene type and non-diene type rubbers, which is a dominant key point in the present report, the durability for ambience of dehydration and waterproof can be brought about, and then it enables the typical applications under these ambiences involving water sensor as shown in the present report and rubber sensor used in a nuclear reactor building as shown in the previous report . In addiTo stabilize MCF rubber sensors, we propose the method of combining PDMS to NR-latex or CR-latex with PVA and filtration. Predominant parameters or conditions are the use of PVA and a voltage of 20 V and 30 V on the electrolytic polymerization of the rubber involving PVA as for production of the present rubber sensor. These optimal parameters have the rubber durable to various ambiences of dehydration, waterproof, etc.The instability was examined both experimentally based on the results obtained during electrolytic polymerization, and theoretically based on tunnel theory. The stability was several requisites: (a) temporary stability during the sensing; (b) stability over a long span of time, which are related to other requisites: (1) non-evaporation of water from the MCF rubber; (2) abatement of the vulcanization of the MCF rubber from the time of electrolytic polymerization, which is not achieved during the process but when the endpoint exceeded; (3) prevention of the effect of deformation of the MCF rubber by Mullins effect. The combination method is also another novel combination of diene and non-diene rubbers. Silicone oil or rubber with PDMS can be combined with NR-latex and CR-latex by emulsion polymerization because PVA has hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. In addition, by electrolytic polymerization with the combination of PDMS and PVA, the MCF rubber is porous so that it can be infiltrated with any liquid. This eventuates in the feasibility of producing a novel intelligent rubber using any intelligent fluid. We also propose a novel adhesion method for rubber and any metals that is superior to the adhesion technique previously presented in our study. By assembling the infiltrated MCF rubber sheets and by performing electrolytic polymerization using the MCF rubber liquid with hydrate based on the adhesive technique as presented in the previous study as well as using sulfur in NR-latex and CR-latex and fabricating multilayers, a sensor with many stabilities can be produced such as (1)–(3), with resistance to water from the cold to hot temperature range. The MCF rubber sensor is applicable for usage as a sensor for operation in a nuclear reactor building as well as an underwater sensor, based on its resistance to water as well as its irradiation resistance, as shown in the previous report.


This study aims to validate a tool, the Bologna healing stifle injury index (BHSII), for the evaluation of the clinical picture and the healing after surgical treatment for cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture. The study included 158 client-owned dogs with CCL rupture and 20 healthy dogs. The BHSII is a questionnaire made up of 34 multiple-choice questions, divided into a part directed to the clinician and a part for the dog's owners. It was applied twice in the healthy dogs in order to test and retest the device. It was evaluated for reliability, validity, and responsiveness to clinical changes involving the dogs treated at the time of surgery, and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Statistical analyses were performed and the intraclass correlation coefficient test was ≥0.9 and the Cronbach-α was 0.84 suggesting good stability and good internal consistency of the tool. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve was >0.9, indicative of the high accuracy of this tool. The clinician survey correlated with the owner questionnaire. In dogs with CCL rupture, the scores of the BHSII increased significantly postoperatively as compared with baseline. In conclusion, this clinical study proved the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the BHSII. The results achieved from the BHSII provided an instantaneous, collective complete vision of the healing process of the stifle joints treated. It can be considered a valid tool for collecting data and for assessing successful surgical treatment in clinical practice. Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture is one of the most common canine orthopedic injuries, and a very frequent cause of pain and lameness in dogs –4.The treatment of CCL rupture aims to anatomically or mechanically resolve joint instability and to provide long-term functioning of the affected hindlimb. Over time, many surgical techniques, classified as intracapsular, extracapsular, and osteotomies, have been reported, studied and compared in order to identify the gold standard , 6. HoweQuestionnaires for pet owners are already available in the veterinary practice for different pathologies, such as heart disease, spinal cord injuries, chronic pain, cancer kidney disease, dermatological disease and inflammatory bowel disease –23. FurtTo the best of the authors' knowledge, a combination of instruments to measure the phase of healing after canine CCL treatment does not exist. The development and validation of outcome instruments has been well-documented in human orthopedics. Different batteries of tests have been developed to assess rehabilitation status after cruciate ligament reconstruction in human medicine; however, only one exists regarding veterinary medicine , 31–36. In the present study, the authors evaluated a tool for the clinicians to easily record and assess the healing process in dogs surgically treated for CCL rupture. The tool, or device, is based on the collection of data at the time of the diagnosis of the CCL rupture and after surgical treatment, combining clinician and pet owner assessments, as has previously been suggested by several authors and by applying Evidence-Based Medicine , 10, 37.This tool, the Bologna Healing Stifle Injury Index (BHSII), was developed as an evaluation sheet specifically edited for the assessment of stifle joint surgery. It was partially based on human medicine experience, where a questionnaire to assess patient opinion regarding their knees and associated problems is considered to have patient-relevancy, user-friendliness, reliability, validity and responsiveness to clinical change , 39.The purpose of the present study was to develop and assess reliability, validity, and responsiveness of a novel tool (the BHSII), for the clinical evaluation of dogs with CCL rupture and healing after treatment. Combining clinician and owner assessments, the authors sought to validate a complete device useful for guiding clinical practitioners in their clinical decision-making.Clinical Record).The BHSII  was compThe BHSII was developed in various steps between 2006 and 2010, following Brown's suggestions , and theThe owner multiple-answer survey was realized following and modifying the KOOS (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) questionnaire model used in human medicine to evaluate injury to the ligaments or menisci of the knee , 39.The questions were modified to resolve the issue of the impossibility of direct application to canine patients as occurs in human medicine. The questions, or items, were designed to be as unambiguous and as clear as possible.Once the set of items was formulated, the response method was chosen. The response method was selected as a Likert scale with five-levels of answers . In order to allow a “no opinion” option, an odd number of answers was offered with scores ranging from 0 to 4, as suggested by Brown .A preliminary study was conducted involving owners and colleagues to test the questions several times. It was essential to assess whether each item was ambiguous or clear and easy to understand. Feedback of the owners were collected. The questions that needed explanation from a clinician, were poorly worded or irrelevant regarding the well-being of the dog, were reworded or deleted. At the end of this process a final list of items was selected.The questions were grouped into domains.The BHSII-OQ was divided into 3 domains relative to the behavior of dogs which revealed pain (P) (12 questions: P1 to P12), stiffness (S) (5 questions: S1 to S5), and function (F) (7 questions: F1 to F7), for a total of 24 items. Their aim was to evaluate the degree of pain, stiffness and function attributed to the dog's affected limb by means of the owner evaluation in reference to the previous 2 weeks as the period of time.The BHSII-CR was directed to the veterinarians for their evaluations. It was made up of 2 domains: visual examination (V) (3 questions: V1 to V3) and manual examination of the joint treated (M) (7 questions: M1 to M7), for a total number of 10 items.The visual examination domain referred to the presence or absence of lameness, abnormal gait, and their severity and frequency. The manual examination domain included questions regarding pain, patello-femoral crepitus, joint stability, range of motion, tumefaction, and muscle mass. The items of the Clinical Record were assessed as indicated in All answer scores were entered in an Excel spreadsheet. To allow a correlation among the domains, the sum of the total scores of each domain was normalized, transforming the values scored 0 to 4, and obtaining a value scale extending from 0 to 100 in which 0 indicated the presence of serious stifle joint problems and 100 the absence of any problems, according to the KOOS survey  Tables ,2.A clinical study was designed to assess the reliability, validity, and applicability of the BHSII. A prospective study was conducted on dogs having a diagnosis of CCL rupture with a plan for surgical treatment carried out by the same surgeon in order to limit the variations based on the different skills of many surgeons . A control group of healthy dogs (CG) was enrolled instead of a placebo group for ethical reasons.Dogs with a history of lameness, undergoing an orthopedic examination with a diagnosis of unilateral CCL rupture, without concomitant orthopedic problems were included. The owners had to give written informed consent and they agreed to the participation of their dog to the study and to bring their dog to be rechecked after surgery. The medical records included the written informed consent form signed by every dog owner as required for treatment of the data collected. Furthermore, the local ethical committee did not require the approval for this research protocol: the application of the surveys does not produce any pain in the animals included in the study, and they were otherwise normally threated for their pathology, with the same clinical routine as if they were not included in the study.No restrictions of enrollment regarding breed, gender, age, and weight were applied.The BHSII for the SG was completed at the time of diagnosis (T0) and at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery , by the dog owners (BHSII-OQ) and by the veterinary surgeon who reached the diagnosis (BHSII-CR). While for the CG the BHSII was administered twice in 2 weeks for statistical purposes.Furthermore, the dogs of the SG were divided into four groups based on age (Age Group-AG) to better assess the feasibility of the test: Group A (<3 years), Group B (4–6 years), Group C (7–9 years) and Group D (>9 years).Twenty healthy dogs, with no history of right stifle disease, and free from any other orthopedic condition in any limb at the moment of the surveys, were enrolled to complete the BHSII twice, using them as the CG.The demographic data of the dogs of both the CG and the SG were reported as mean and standard deviations (SD). The weight of the dogs with CCL rupture was evaluated for normal distribution using a Shapiro-Wilk test and compared between groups using a Kruskall-Wallis test. The normalized value of the BHSII total scores, of the BHSII-OQ, of the BHSII-CR and of each domain of the dogs were summed up and reported as median and interquartile range (IQR) at every postoperative exam (from T0 to T6 months). Categorical variables (gender and limb involved) were compared using a Chi squared test.P < 0.05 were considered significant.All analyses were carried out with the use of statistical software  and values of Based on the suggestions given by Brown , the queThe stability of the tool was determined by test-retest reliability comparing the results of each domain of the questionnaire collected 2 weeks apart from the CG using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) test. Two weeks were considered to be a reasonable period: short enough to avoid any significant changes in the normal dogs health status, but at the same time long enough to permit to the owner and the clinician not to remember the first questionnaire scores. This was consistent with other studies available in literature, as Ross et al.  which reIn the SG, the internal consistency of the BHSII-OQ was evaluated item by item at T0 using the Cronbach-α test. A Cronbach-α score >0.7 was considered indicative of the good internal consistency of the BHSII-OQ .A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the specificity and sensitivity of the questionnaire to differentiate healthy dogs (CG) from those with CCL rupture (SG at T0). An area under the curve (AUC) >0.7 was considered suggestive of moderate accuracy of the questionnaire .rs: 0–0.19 very weak, 0.2–0.39 weak, 0.40–0.59 moderate, 0.6–0.79 strong, and 0.8–1 very strong , followed by the Labrador Retrievers (n = 17), Boxers (n = 10), American Staffordshire Terriers (n = 8), German Shepherds (n = 8), Rottweilers (n = 8), and Cane Corso dogs (n = 7). Other breeds were represented in the study cohort with a number of cases inferior to 5. There were 65 males and 93 females the mean age was 6.3 ± 3 years and the mean body weight was 29.2 ± 14.4 kg; the stifle joints involved were 78 right and 80 left stifles.A total of 158 dogs of different breeds with CCL rupture were included in the study as the SG. The most represented in the SG were cross-breed dogs (n = 39), 34.7 ± 13.3 kg in Group B (n = 40), 28.8 ± 16.2 kg in Group C (n = 40) and 22.2 ± 12.2 kg in Group D (n = 39). The weight of the dogs in Group B was statistically significantly higher as compared with those in Groups C and D while the weight of the dogs in Group D was statistically significantly lower as compared with that of Group A. There was no statistically significant difference in gender distribution among the groups.In the AGs, the mean body weight was 31.1 ± 13.0 kg in Group A  while 77 participants did not complete the BHSII-OQ and did not bring their dogs for clinical evaluation at T6.In the CG, the BHSII-OQ, the BHSII-CR and the BHSII had an ICC ≥ 0.9: the likelihood of obtaining a similar response in the same animal within 2 weeks and without any changes occurring in the animal's status was considered high.Therefore, the domains revealing pain (ICC = 0.96) stiffness (ICC = 0.96) and function (ICC = 0.92), and those referring to the visual examination (ICC = 1) and manual examination (ICC = 0.94) were all considered in the subsequent clinical survey.The Cronbach-α for the 24 items included in the BHSII-OQ was 0.84, and was considered indicative of good internal consistency.A ROC curve analysis was used to test the ability of the BSHII to differentiate between healthy dogs and those with CCL rupture. On the basis of the ROC curve the questionnaire had high accuracy (AUC = 0.92). A questionnaire score >27 and ≤ 85.6 should predict the health level of dogs with CCL rupture with 100% sensitivity [95% confidence interval [CI]: 97.7–100%] and 100% specificity (95% CI: 83.2–100%).rs = 0.3635; P < 0.0001). All the correlations domain-to-domain and domain-total score (BSHII) were found to be convergent except for pain during the manual examination  which indicated congruence between the owners' opinion and the clinical assessment (mination .P < 0.05). The median and IQR are listed in In the SG, the BSHII, the BSHII-OQ, and the BSHII-CR scores, and the scores of each domain increased significantly postoperatively at each time point as compared with baseline. In addition, by the first postoperative month, the scores improved significantly over time at each time point when compared with each other .The convergent validity between the owner evaluation and the clinical examination was tested and were found to be correlated , while the reduced IQR at T6 could depend on the normalization of health status and the completion of the healing process. Breeds were not statistically matched between SG and CG as the 20 healthy dogs were used only for test-retest reliability purposes, so they were not directly confronted to the study cohort. Furthermore, the questionnaire has been developed to be valid for all the canine patients.A limitation of the study was that the BHSII did not take into consideration the radiographic examination of the affected joint. The radiographic exam is an important part of the orthopedic evaluation; however, it has been reported that the osteoarthritis radiographic findings do not always correctly depict the functional and clinical aspect of the limb . FurtherIn conclusion, the analysis conducted on the BHSII confirmed its good reliability, validity and responsiveness when applied to evaluating the healing of dogs treated for CCL rupture. The BHSII is statistically valid in measuring the level of healing, providing an instrument which, by means of the combination of the owner and the clinician evaluations, may improve the ability of the practitioner to assess the progress of the healing process of the canine patient during the postoperative period.The results of this study should be considered of primary importance in assessing the response to surgical treatment of stifle injuries with respect to quality of life. The use of the BHSII could be contemplated for future studies regarding new surgical procedures or about the ones already commonly used; this tool could facilitate the data collection and their comparisons, improving at the same time their level of evidence.The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author.The study was conducted in a manner consistent with the Animal Welfare Acts and did not require the ethics committee approval.SP: conceptualization, study design, and manuscript writing. CL: statistical analyses and manuscript editing. LG: data collection and manuscript editing. NR: study design and manuscript revision.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


In this study, the influence of three mixture variables named Sand/Aggregate ratio, Liquid/Binder ratio, and Paste/Aggregate ratio on the cementitious properties were studied. The durability of cementitious including absorption, absorption rate, resistivity, rapid chloride permeability index, and carbonation rate were examined. Results showed that the alkali-activated slag cementitious has superior durability. The trends of influences on the composites properties for these three mixture variables are similar to those for the ordinary Portland cement concrete. It means that the experiences for making the ordinary Portland cement concrete should be able to be used for the alkali-activated slag cementitious. This paper also provides a lot of data for the alkali-activated slag cementitious for future development of the mix design. However, by-products used in cement-based composites must meet the requirements for strength and durability and its components should be obtained, produced, and used in an environmentally friendly manner [2 emission, it is then thought as a rising star in construction materials [The environmental impact of the production of cement has prompted research into the development of alkali-activated cementitious using 100% replacement materials activated by alkali solutions. The higher emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere was mainly COh impact ,4. Cuttiy manner  and it daterials . Besidesaterials  and it haterials , excelleaterials ,13,14, gaterials , solidifaterials , and so While the development of AASC proceeded quickly in last decades, alkaline activators have a positive effect on the development of mechanical strengths of AASC ,18; howeFor AASC, usually three phases can be distinguished: The binder, aggregates, and the interfacial transition zone. The interfacial transition zone is the interface between the binders and aggregates and was the weakest phase in cement-based composites. It is sometimes recognized as a thin layer or the weaker binder phase and is thus controlled by the properties of binder. It was constituted by the cause of crack development and brought about material damage. However, the active mineral additives, such as AASC, are able to strengthen interfacial transition zone, change its morphology and reduce the size of microcracks occurring in this phase . ImproveIn this study, the influence of three parameters in mix design was examined with parameters as the Liquid/Binder ratio (referred to the water/cement ratio of the OPC), the Sand/Aggregate ratio, and Paste/Aggregate ratio for the evaluation of AASC properties. The fresh properties such as the workability, air content, and unit weight were tested; the mechanical properties such as the compressive strength, elastic modulus, and tensile splitting strength were conducted and evaluated. Through such a systematic study, the useful results can be provided for the future development of mix design of AASC.2/g was used and its physical properties were listed in 2-37%, Na2O-17.7%, H2O-45.3%). To retard the fast setting behaviors of alkali-activated slag cementitious, the phosphoric acid was used as a setting retarder. The alkali activator was mixed to keep the following proportion: SiO2 = 100 g/L, Na2O = 100 g/L, and H3PO4 = 0.74 M.The ground granulated blast furnace slag with specific surface of 4000 cmAll specimens were made into the cylindrical specimens (ϕ100 mm × 200 mm) and cured in the saturated lime-water at the temperature of 20 ± 2 °C until the test. Three specimens of each mixture were tested and the average was taken for each test. A standard deviation was controlled less than 10% for the tested results. Three parameters were chosen as Liquid/Binder ratio, Sand/Aggregate ratio and Paste/Aggregate ratio . Mix proportions of AASC are summarized in iW is the weight of specimen after 24 h immersion and dW is the weight of specimen on oven-dried condition.The influence of three parameters on the durability was examined. The water absorption was calculated according to the standard procedure American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C642. In this test, the water absorbed by an oven-dried specimen is measured after 24 h immersion. The set-up of absorption test is illustrated in a is probe spacing, V is the voltage between the inner electrodes and I is the current between the outer electrodes. In this study, the probe spacing used was 5 cm.The resistivity was measured by four-electrode resistivity instrument following the specification of ASTM WK37880 . The app2 concentration = 100%, pressure = 15 atm, temperature = 25 ± 2 °C, and relative humidity = 70 ± 5%. The carbonation rate was measured in agreement with phenoftalein method on the split surface of the specimens.The carbonation rate was measured by a high-pressure carbonation instrument. The conditions of this test were: COThe dimensions of the resistivity, absorption, and carbonation test were ϕ100 mm × 200 mm. The resistance to chloride ion penetration was determined in accordance with the standard procedure ASTM C1202, and the specimen diameter (D) and height (H) of the specimens were 100 and 50 mm, respectively. The lateral surface of the specimen was coated with epoxy, and the specimen was placed in a vacuum desiccator with air pressure less than 1 mm-Hg (133 MPa) for 3 h. The specimen was immersed in deaerated water and the vacuum level was maintained for 1 h. The specimen was then removed and immersed in water for 18 h. A schematic setup of the rapid chloride penetration test is illustrated in Scanning electron microscopy  analysis was conducted on representative samples of 1 mm × 1 mm × 1 mm, in accordance with ASTM C1723. The samples with saw marks are removed using 600 grit followed by 1000 grit sandpaper. Dry the samples in a forced draft oven at a temperature of 100 ± 5 °C. Non-conductive samples can be coated with a thin layer of gold or carbon and thus a relatively high resolution can be obtained from secondary electrons.In 2 and H2O in the air, depended on the degree of the compactness of the cementitious. As the water absorption and absorption rate decreased, the amounts of the holes and the weak interface in the cementitious were less, and the cementitious had better durability. For this reason, as the S/A and L/B decrease and the P/A increased, it could let the AASC have the better durability.The result of absorption rate test, which measured the weight of water on the capillary suction and then calculated the rate of the water absorption, is shown in The test result of the resistivity is shown in The alkaline environment provided by the cementitious would produce the passive protective membrane that prevents the reinforcing bar from corrosion, but the existence of the chlorine ion would destroy the passive protective membrane and let the reinforcing bar to corrode easily. Rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT) is one kind of method that can measure the permeability of the chloride ion in the cementitious and estimate the resistance from the chloride ion through the cementitious in the short-term. The influence of three mix design parameters on the RCPT is shown in As shown in 2 and became neutral from alkaline. The carbonation rate, measured by the pH indicator and phenolphthalein indicator, is shown in The existence of passive protective membrane on the reinforcing bar in the alkaline environment like the cementitious can be found, but the disappearance of passive protective membrane on the reinforcing bar in the un-alkaline environment, like the cementitious carbonated. Thus, the reinforcing bar corroded easily in the disappearance of passive protect membrane on it as the cementitious suffered from COThe influence of three mix design parameters on the carbonation rate by the pH indicator is illustrated in 2 in pore solution will react with the hydrated binding phases, inducing a notable increase in the microporosity [To evaluate the effects of the carbonation on the microstructure of the AASC specimens, SEM observations before and after carbonation tests for different P/A were conducted and the specimens had finer pore structures, as illustrated in porosity ,36. The porosity ,37. Carbporosity ,37,38.The comparison of fresh properties and durability for the three mix design parameter of AASC composites is summarized in In this paper, the influence of three parameters were investigated, S/A, L/B, and P/A on the durability of AASC. It can be concluded that the L/B no longer plays as the major factor affecting the durability. The durability of AASC are strongly dependent on the activator included type and concentration. Instead, the S/A and P/A are more significant. For OPC, increasing P/A reduces the durability. However, the trends in AASC composites reversed because the pastes now were no longer the weakest phase in the interfacial transition zone between the binders and aggregates. The pastes of AASC had better strength and denser micro-structures than that of OPC. However, it has a weaker interface between the aggregate and the paste. The results indicated that the sand (fine aggregates) had a higher specific surface area than the coarse aggregate. Higher surface area provides the weaker interface between the aggregate and the paste. In addition, carbonated AASC specimens with lower P/A ratio were showed significant disorganization and disintegration of its microstructure.


Molecular dynamic simulations of the interaction during exhalation and inhalation breathing states were performed. The effects of NP hydrophilicity levels, NP structural properties, and cholesterol content in the monolayer on the behaviors of NP embedment or the transmembrane were analyzed by calculating the changes in potential energy, NP displacement, monolayer orderliness, and surface tension. Results showed that NPs can inhibit the ability of the monolayer to adjust surface tension. For all breathing states, the hydrophobic C NP cannot translocate across the monolayer and had the greatest influence on the structural properties of the monolayer, whereas the strongly hydrophilic SiO2 and C6H14O2 NPs can cross the monolayer with little impact. The semi-hydrophilic CaSO4 NP can penetrate the monolayer only during the inhalation breathing state. The hydrophilic flaky NP shows the best penetration ability, followed by the rod-shaped NP and spherical NP in turn. An increase in cholesterol content of the monolayer led to improved orderliness and decreased fluidity of the membrane system due to enhanced intermolecular forces. Consequently, difficulty in crossing the monolayer increased for the NPs. A good understanding of the mechanism of interaction between inhaled pollutant nanoparticles (NPs) and the pulmonary surfactant monolayer is useful to study the impact of fine particulate matter on human health. In this work, we established coarse-grained models of four representative NPs with different hydrophilicity properties in the air (i.e., CaSO Studies show that high concentrations of fine particulate matter PM2.5) is the underlying cause of haze. The surfaces of PM2.5 particles can carry many harmful organic and inorganic molecules, and the particles can readily enter the body via inhalation and ingestion primarily through the respiratory tract. The inhaled particles may deposit near the alveoli and interact with the pulmonary surfactant monolayer, which is used to regulate the surface tension of the lungs and, thus, maintain the stability of alveoli ,2. This .5 is theThe interaction between the pulmonary surfactant monolayer and inhalable particles is the most primitive bio-nano process. Understanding this interaction at the molecular level is one of the most important steps in studying the impact of NPs on the human body and can also provide guidance for NP-based clinical applications. Some experiments and simulations have been carried out, and many advances have been made ,8,9,10. In the present study, we used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interaction mechanism of NPs with the pulmonary surfactant monolayer and the behaviors of NP translocation across the monolayer at exhalation and inhalation breathing states for the representative atmospheric particulate matters. The coarse-grained (CG) model of DPPC containing cholesterol molecules and the surfactant-specific proteins SP-B and SP-C were established, and a qualitative comparison of the simulation results and experimental data from literature was carried out. On this basis, we comprehensively analyzed the influence of crucial factors affecting NPs and the monolayer such as NP type, shape, size, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, and cholesterol content on NP interactions and translocation. t.To investigate the interaction mechanism of four kinds of representative NPs with the pulmonary surfactant monolayer during natural breathing patterns, we analyzed the mean-square displacement (MSD) of the NPs, centroid-to-centroid distance between the NP and monolayer, order parameter of the phospholipid molecule, and surface area per lipid molecule in the interaction. The MSD is used to evaluate the movement of a given particle, indicating its diffusion rate . It is c2 is defined as [z-axis, and these two beads are DPPC C3B and C4B.The order parameter Pfined as (2)P2=124 NPs were embedded into the monolayer at the exhalation breathing state, whereas C6H14O2 and SiO2 NPs penetrated the monolayer. Compared with CaSO4, C was almost completely wrapped by the monolayer and caused the monolayer to bulge, prominently, toward to the water phase, generating a large monolayer curvature. Thus, the interaction of C can inflict great disturbance to the monolayer structure. 6H14O2 and SiO2 NPs still translocated across the pulmonary surfactant monolayer throughout the inhalation breathing process as they did throughout the exhalation breathing process. However, unlike in the exhalation breathing state, CaSO4 penetrated the monolayer, although C NP still could not cross and was embedded into the monolayer.2 was larger than those of the other three NPs, and the MSD of C was higher than that of CaSO4 NP, indicating that the diffusion rate of the SiO2 NP was the fastest, and C moved a longer distance than CaSO4. 4 NPs reached a relatively equilibrated state within approximately 10 ns, whereas C6H14O2 and SiO2 NPs took a longer time . The initial centroid-to-centroid distance between the NP and the monolayer at time t = 0 was set to 3.2 nm. The distance of the centroid position between the CaSO4 NP and the monolayer at the equilibrium state was about 1.52 nm, and C was 0.27 nm away from the monolayer, meaning that C was embedded in the monolayer more deeply than CaSO4. The final positions of C6H14O2 and SiO2 NPs were all approximately −3.3 nm away from the monolayer, with an average thickness of 2.08 nm, indicating that both NPs completely translocated across the monolayer. Compared with the compression process, the MSDs of all NPs during expansion were larger, which meant that all NPs could move faster, and their diffusion abilities were stronger than those in the exhalation breathing state. Another difference was that the MSD of CaSO4 was larger than that of C, although SiO2 showed the largest MSD. 6H14O2 and SiO2 NPs reached equilibrium within approximately 40 ns, which was shorter than that in the exhalation breathing state. Notably, the final position of the C NP was about 0.88 nm away from the centroid of the monolayer in the inhalation breathing state, indicating the C NP was embedded into the monolayer more deeply in the exhalation breathing state. These analysis results of MSD and the centroid-to-centroid distance confirmed our previous findings obtained from the molecular dynamics simulation snapshots.The MSDs of the NPs and the centroid-to-centroid distances between the NPs and the monolayer during compression and expansion were calculated, respectively, as shown in 4 NP is semi-hydrophilic. C6H14O2 NPs and SiO2 NPs are strongly hydrophilic NPs, and SiO2 NPs are more hydrophilic.The differences in hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the NPs explained the difference among the interaction behaviors. C NPs are typical hydrophobic NPs, and CaSO6H14O2 and SiO2 NPs led to the strong attractive forces between the NPs and the hydrophilic head groups of DPPC molecules or between the NPs and the water molecules on the other side of the monolayer, which enabled the NPs to overcome the energy barrier and translocate across the monolayer. The uncharged and hydrophobic C NP was attracted by the hydrophobic tail groups of DPPC molecules, and its interaction with the hydrophilic head group was repulsive at the same time. Consequently, C cannot translocate across the monolayer, and its deep encapsulation inside the monolayer caused monolayer deformation.The strong hydrophilicity of C4 NP in the exhalation breathing state, the hydrophobic interaction between the NPs and hydrophobic apolar tail groups of DPPC molecules were not intensive. The interactions between the NP and hydrophilic head groups and water molecules were attractive but not sufficiently large for NP penetration, only causing the NP to stay in the surface region of the monolayer. In the inhalation breathing state, the reason for CaSO4 translocation across the monolayer may be that the relatively loose arrangement of lipid molecules enabled the attractive interaction between the NP and the monolayer to overcome the energy barrier, resulting in NP penetration through the expanded monolayer. We further elucidated this aspect by analyzing the surface area per lipid molecule and the energy component of the simulation system, as discussed in the following sections.For the semi-hydrophilic CaSO6H14O2 and SiO2 were almost the same as those in the system without NPs, either in exhalation or at inhalation breathing states, all of which were approximately 0.458 or 0.285  of the monolayer for the strongly hydrophilic SiOrom Ref.  , rod-shaped (diameter d = 3 nm and height h = 3 nm), and flaky (size d = 3 nm and thickness δ = 0.5 nm), were modeled to analyze the effect of NP shape on the interaction. As shown in To quantify the difference in penetration behaviors of NPs with different shapes, we calculated the centroid-to-centroid distance between NPs and the monolayer, and we found that rod-shaped NPs took less time (t = 17 ns) to cross the monolayer and reach the equilibrium state than spherical NPs (t = 21 ns), although all of them eventually attached onto the monolayer and could not detach from it. The flaky NP spent more time (t = 50 ns) to penetrate the pulmonary surfactant monolayer, and equilibrium was reached within about 90 ns, where it then completely entered the water phase and was surrounded by water molecules.All simulations were carried out using the MARTINI ,28 CG fo42−, and NO3− are the most abundant chemical components of PM2.5 [6H14O2,and CaSO4 NPs to represent elemental carbon, alcoholic content, and secondary sulfate particulates discharged from automobile exhaust, coal combustion, and biomass burning, and we selected SiO2 to represent the main inorganic component of wind-blown soils. The CG models of these four kinds of NPs were constructed using GROMACS and MATERIAL STUDIO  was established using GROMACS  and Visuof PM2.5 , we seleL STUDIO e. RelevaThe model of the pulmonary surfactant monolayer consisted of 1086 CG DPPC molecules, 34 CG cholesterol molecules, and 2 CG surfactant proteins (SP-B and SP-C). They were placed in a 20 × 40 × 80 nm cubic simulation box containing 46634 CG water molecules and one NP. The monolayer was placed on the liquid–air interface in the z-direction, and the NP was initially located in the air above the monolayer. The general shape of the NP was spherical, and its diameter was approximately 3 nm. The simulation box was stretched along the z-direction to prevent water molecules in the system from running through the periodic boundary to the airside of the monolayer, as shown in −5 bar−1 in the x–y plane and 0 bar−1 on the z-axis. Given that the respiratory scale is several orders of magnitude larger than the nanoscale of the molecular simulation study [In the simulation, a cutoff distance of 1.2 nm was set for van der Waals interactions, and the Lennard–Jones potential was smoothly shifted to zero in the range of 0.9–1.2 nm to reduce cutoff noise. For electrostatic interactions, the Coulomb potential had a cutoff distance of 1.0 nm and a smooth shift to zero over the range of 0–1.0 nm. An isobaric–isothermal (NPT) ensemble with periodic boundary conditions was used for simulations. The temperature of the system was controlled at 310 K using the Berendsen thermostatting method, and semi-anisotropic coupling was used by the Berendsen barostat with a coupling constant of 3.0 ps and a compressibility of 4.5 × 10on study ,34, a la2 and C6H14O2 NPs can cross the monolayer in either exhalation or inhalation breathing states and had little effect on the monolayer structure at equilibrium, whereas NP penetration of the semi-hydrophilic CaSO4 NP occurred only in the inhalation breathing state with a slight influence on monolayer orderliness. No obvious difference was observed in NP membrane translocation and effect on the monolayer between SiO2 and C6H14O2 NPs because there was a slight difference in hydrophilicity levels. This work investigated the interaction mechanism between the representative pollutant NPs and the pulmonary surfactant monolayer using molecular dynamics simulations based on established CG models. By analyzing the snapshot, NP MSD and centroid distance, the order parameter and area of the lipid molecules, system energy, and surface pressure of the monolayer, we concluded that the strongly hydrophilic SiO4 NP could not penetrate the monolayer with 10% cholesterol content in the inhalation breathing state). The flaky shape had the advantage of membrane translocation for the hydrophilic NPs over the spherical and rod-shape ones, and only the hydrophilic flaky NP could detach from the monolayer and enter the water phase completely. The interaction of the hydrophilic SiO2 NP had a relatively slight effect on the surface tension of the monolayer, whereas that of the hydrophobic C NP could obviously decrease the surface tension. These findings indicated that NP deposition could affect its ability to regulate interfacial tension. Our simulations can provide information on the effect of NP hydrophilicity, cholesterol content of the monolayer, and NP structural properties on the interactions of air-pollutant NPs with the pulmonary surfactant monolayer, and the knowledge can be useful for drug-delivery design.The hydrophobic C NP had the most pronounced effect on monolayer orderliness because it could not cross and embedded only into the monolayer during both breathing states. The difficulty in NP membrane translocation for the hydrophilic NPs was positively correlated with the cholesterol content in the monolayer because of the change in fluidity caused by cholesterol (e.g., the semi-hydrophilic CaSO