Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wen Liu, Wei Huang, Ningning Song, Yeping Wu, Xiuli Zhao, Keping Chen
Summary: The chemical and physical properties of DGEBA/EDBA epoxy resins with different stoichiometric ratios under gamma irradiation were investigated. The results showed that a mass of amines and oxidized carbonyl-containing products were generated during the irradiation process. Chain scission predominated during irradiation for the amine-rich system, while chain cross-linking predominated for the epoxy-rich system. The alpha relaxation behaviors broadened considerably with an increasing irradiation dose, demonstrating an increasing spatial heterogeneity of the crosslinked networks. The compressive yield strengths showed a monotonous linear increase with irradiation dose. However, the yield strains showed converse trends for amine-rich and epoxy-rich systems under gamma irradiation.
RADIATION PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Ehsan Rostami-Tapeh-Esmaeil, Sahar Shojaei, Denis Rodrigue
Summary: Uniform and graded polyolefin elastomer (POE) foams were prepared using a single-step technology, and the effects of molding temperature on the foams' morphology, mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity were investigated. The results showed that the foam's properties can be easily controlled by the cellular structure, and graded samples are more interesting for thermal insulation applications.
Article
Polymer Science
Maiko Morino, Yosuke Nishitani, Tatsuya Kitagawa, Shinya Kikutani
Summary: This study investigated the effects of gamma-irradiation dose and the addition of TAIC on the properties of PA1010. The crystal structures of PA1010 were significantly changed by gamma-irradiation and TAIC addition. Mechanical and tribological properties of PA1010 were improved due to changes in the internal microstructure caused by gamma-irradiation and TAIC.
Article
Polymer Science
Yue Tian, Yinfu Luo, Haichao Meng, Long Ni, Cuiqing Zhou, Shengtai Zhou, Huawei Zou, Mei Liang
Summary: Lightweight polyimide foams (PIFs) with exceptional thermal resistance and compressive properties are fabricated by heating polyester ammonium salts (PEASs) prepared by copolymerizing 4, 4'-diaminobenzanilide (DABA), 4, 4'-diaminodiphenyl methane (MDA), and 3, 3', 4, 4'-benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA). The addition of DABA forms hydrogen bonds between CONH and C=O in the PI chains, increasing the melt viscosity of PEAS precursors and promoting the expansion of cells.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Haichao Meng, Long Ni, Cuiqing Zhou, Chen Qiu, Yinfu Luo, Huawei Zou, Shengtai Zhou, Mei Liang
Summary: Rigid polyimide foams (PIFs) with good mechanical properties and thermal resistance were successfully fabricated through thermal foaming of polyester ammonium salt precursors with the addition of a pararosaniline base as a crosslinker. The crosslinked structure derived from the base improved melt viscosity and provided sufficient strength to prevent shrinkage, leading to enhanced compressive properties. The PIFs exhibited a 6.6 to 7.9 times increase in compressive strength compared to regular polyimide foams, and their thermal properties were also excellent.
Article
Polymer Science
Mohamad Bekhit, Salwa H. El-Sabbagh, Rasha M. Mohamed, Gharieb S. El-Sayyad, Rehab Sokary
Summary: The study investigated the impact of montmorillonite/silver nanocomposites on the mechanical and thermal properties of a polymer blend, finding that incorporating these nanofillers at lower levels improved properties. Antimicrobial testing revealed that a blend containing 5% nanocomposites had the strongest effect on microbes.
JOURNAL OF INORGANIC AND ORGANOMETALLIC POLYMERS AND MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
E. Suljovrujic, Z. Stojanovic, D. Dudic, D. Milicevic
Summary: Orientation and radiation processing significantly affect the properties of polymeric materials, with changes in microstructure and crystallinity being key factors in understanding these effects.
POLYMER DEGRADATION AND STABILITY
(2021)
Review
Polymer Science
S. Anirudh, C. G. Jayalakshmi, Anoop Anand, Balasubramanian Kandasubramanian, Sikiru O. Ismail
Summary: This article introduces a new class of lightweight materials called syntactic cellular foam made from epoxy matrix and hollow glass microspheres. It presents the properties, material characterization, and applications of this material, as well as evaluates its mechanical properties, dielectric properties, and functional properties. The review is particularly useful for designers and developers/manufacturers in marine, electronics, aerospace, and military/defense industries.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Branka Music, Natasa Knez, Janez Bernard
Summary: This study investigates the influence of two flame retardants on polyurethane foam (PUR) systems, focusing on their thermal and mechanical properties. The results show that the flame retardants significantly improve the fire resistance of the PUR systems without affecting thermal conductivity, and only slightly decreasing the mechanical properties. These findings suggest that the presented systems can be applied as thermal insulation where both low heat conductivity and high flame resistance are required.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ni Komang Ayu Agustini, Andreas Triwiyono, Djoko Sulistyo, S. Suyitno
Summary: This study demonstrates that the addition of PP fibers increases the strength and tensile strength of foamed geopolymer, while the content of PP fibers significantly affects the thermal conductivity of foamed geopolymer. The thermal conductivity of foamed geopolymer in this study is similar to lightweight concrete and slightly higher than gypsum board.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Pooja Sarker, Sapan Kumar Sen, M. N. H. Mia, M. F. Pervez, A. A. Mortuza, Sazzad Hossain, M. F. Mortuza, M. H. Ali, Salahuddin Nur, Humayun Kabir, M. A. M. Chowdhury
Summary: This study explores the significant impacts of gamma irradiation on CuO thin films prepared using thermal spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrates. The research reveals changes in crystallographic, microstructural, and optical characteristics of the films, including a decrease in crystallite size, increase in dislocation density and lattice strain, as well as a reduction in optical energy band gap energies.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jianwei Li, Jun Lin, Yugen Wang, Wei Chu, Fei Liu, Bin Wang
Summary: In this work, cross-linked and rigid polyimide (PI) composite foams with low density, high mechanical strength, thermal stability, fire resistance, ultralow dielectric characteristics, and excellent wave transparency were successfully fabricated, making them attractive candidates for applications in the aviation and aerospace fields.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Asma Dahri, Yaovi Gagou, Najmeddine Abdelmoula, Hamadi Khemakhem, Mimoun El Marssi
Summary: Lead-free ferroelectric materials with Electrocaloric Effect (ECE) and recoverable energy (Wrec) have achieved a major breakthrough in the technological race for manufacturing low-cost and eco-friendly smart multifunctional devices. The use of lead-free Ba0.90Ca0.10Zr0.15Ti0.85O3 (BCZT) ferroelectric ceramic located near the phase convergence region has led to the discovery of Positive Electro-Caloric Effect (PECE) and Negative Electro-Caloric Effect (NECE) in a wide temperature range centered around room temperature, showing promising results for solid-state cooling technology.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Junyu Yang, Aaron Shen, Sachin S. Velankar
Summary: PPEK is an amorphous thermoplastic polymer with a high glass transition temperature, and foam preparation using a foaming agent allows for the production of foams with varying densities. The thermal conductivity and modulus of the foams decrease with density, following expected trends from existing models. The foams exhibit stability at high temperatures, suggesting potential applications in structural or insulation settings.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Lun Howe Mark, Chongxiang Zhao, Raymond K. M. Chu, Chul B. Park
Summary: This study focuses on the creation and application of PET nanofibrils for PP composite reinforcement. By using a spunbond process, PET nanofibrils are fibrillated within a PP matrix, leading to improved tensile and flexural performance in injection molded parts. The nanofibrils also enhance the microcellular morphology in foam injection molding, resulting in further improved performance.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miroslav Mrlik, Marketa Ilcikova, Josef Osicka, Erika Kutalkova
Summary: In this study, the hydrophobicity of graphene oxide (GO) particles was improved by modifying them with a nano-sized poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) layer, enhancing their compatibility with PVDF. The addition of the PBA layer acted as a plasticizer and increased the glass transition temperature of PVDF. The sensitivity to vibrations was significantly improved, making the system promising for structural health monitoring and data harvesting.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miroslav Mrlik, Jozef Kollar, Katarina Borska, Marketa Ilcikova, Danila Gorgol, Josef Osicka, Michal Sedlacik, Alena Ronzova, Peter Kasak, Jaroslav Mosnacek
Summary: In this study, the conducting polymer PPEMA was synthesized using conventional atom transfer radical polymerization, and a conducting shell was successfully grown on the magnetic core using surface-bonded method. The molar mass and dispersity of the polymers can be controlled, providing a system with a tailorable structure and brush-like morphology. Short polymer chains grafted to the CI particles exhibited a plasticizing effect and enhanced electromagnetic shielding. The SE materials containing the CI-PPEMA hybrid particles showed improved damping factor and mechanical performance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Anila Sebastian, Omar Elharrouss, Somaya Al-Maadeed, Noor Almaadeed
Summary: The number of people with diabetes has been increasing globally, affecting individuals of all ages. Long-term diabetes sufferers are prone to a condition called Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), which causes damage to the eyes. Early detection through automatic detection using new technologies can help prevent complications such as vision loss. Deep Learning (DL) methods, a branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI), are widely used for developing DR detection systems. This study surveys existing literature and describes current DL techniques used by researchers in this field, followed by a comparison of performance using commonly used metrics in computer vision tasks.
Article
Polymer Science
Marketa Ilcikova, Monika Galeziewska, Roman Kolarik, Miroslav Mrlik, Josef Osicka, Tomas Sedlacek, Miroslav Slouf, Sabina Krejcikova, Veronika Gajdosova, Marcin Maslowski, Szymon Kozlowski, Joanna Pietrasik, Jaroslav Mosnacek
Summary: In this study, the relationship between the morphology of immiscible blends containing polymer hybrid particles and extensional rheological properties was investigated. The length of polymer brushes grafted from graphene oxide particles (GO) affected the extensional rheological properties, with longer brushes leading to decreased elongational viscosity at low rates and increased viscosity at high rates. The findings suggest that polymer brush length plays a significant role in the coalescence and formation of elongated domains.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Najmath Ottakath, Somaya Al-Maadeed
Summary: Vehicle identification and re-identification is crucial for traffic surveillance. Computer vision techniques like vehicle segmentation, make and model classification, and license plate detection enable automated surveillance. Instance segmentation is used to uniquely represent each vehicle on the road by extracting the region of interest. By segmenting the frontal part of the vehicle, the make and license plate can be identified. The study utilizes the state-of-the-art maskRCNN method to achieve the best performing model and evaluates data augmentation techniques for improved dataset generalization. The results show significant improvements in classification accuracy and mAP compared to previous approaches.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anila Sebastian, Omar Elharrouss, Somaya Al-Maadeed, Noor Almaadeed
Summary: Diabetes is a global problem that can affect people of all ages. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major eye condition resulting from diabetes, which, if not detected and treated in time, can lead to vision loss. Manual examination by experts is currently the time-consuming process of detecting and monitoring DR. The identification of retinal vasculature, as well as segmentation of the optic disc (OD)/fovea, plays a crucial role in DR detection. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and specifically in deep learning (DL) have led to their widespread use in DR-related studies. In this study, we review the latest literature on DR segmentation and lesion detection from fundus images using DL.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hanadi Hassen Mohammed, Omar Elharrouss, Najmath Ottakath, Somaya Al-Maadeed, Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury, Ahmed Bouridane, Susu M. M. Zughaier
Summary: This study evaluates the performance of four recent deep learning models in segmenting the intima-media complex using ultrasound images. The self-ONN model outperforms the conventional CNN-based model, while the pixel difference and transformer-based models achieve the best segmentation performance.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jezia Zakraoui, Moutaz Saleh, Somaya Al-Maadeed, Jihad Mohamad Alja'am
Summary: Generating automatic visualization from natural language texts is important for language learning and literacy development. However, translating text into coherent visualizations is challenging. To address this, we proposed a robust story visualization pipeline that includes NLP, relation extraction, image sequence generation, and alignment. Our preliminary results show effectiveness, and further enhancements can be made.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Naima Nasrin Nisha, Kanchon Kanti Podder, Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury, Mamun Rabbani, Md. Sharjis Ibne Wadud, Somaya Al-Maadeed, Sakib Mahmud, Amith Khandakar, Susu M. Zughaier
Summary: Transcranial doppler (TCD) ultrasound is a non-invasive imaging technique that can monitor blood flow in the brain. This study proposes a classification model based on TCD ultrasound signals to distinguish healthy subjects from critically ill subjects for early detection of neurological diseases. The model achieves high classification accuracy using a deep learning approach.
Review
Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Yassine Himeur, Somaya Al-Maadeed, Iraklis Varlamis, Noor Al-Maadeed, Khalid Abualsaud, Amr Mohamed
Summary: This paper reviews the progress in face mask detection research, with a focus on deep learning and deep transfer learning techniques. It first describes and discusses existing face mask detection datasets, then presents recent advances in object detectors and Convolutional Neural Network architectures, as well as the different deep learning techniques that have been applied. Benchmarking results are summarized, and the limitations of datasets and methodologies are discussed. Lastly, future research directions are discussed in detail.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Katarina Borska, Melania Bednarek, Danila Gorgol, Josef Osicka, Miroslav Mrlik
Summary: This study aims to synthesize sustainable polylactide (PLA) materials with enhanced thermal shape stability and reprocessing capability by introducing a new type of dynamic/reversible covalent bonds in the polymer structure through crosslinking. PLA-based networks with and without reversible bonds were prepared, and it was found that the networks with reversible bonds exhibited better mechanical properties and repairability, making them more suitable for 3D printing.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Mithra Geetha, Sumalatha Bonthula, Somaya Al-Maadeed, Hamad Al-Lohedan, Jothi Ramalingam Rajabathar, Selvaraj Arokiyaraj, Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni
Summary: Numerous conventional methods are available for analyzing various water quality parameters to determine the water quality index. Ongoing surveillance is necessary for large bodies of water to support a robust surface and groundwater ecosystem. This review paper provides an overview of water quality monitoring, modeling, numerous sensors used, and various artificial intelligence approaches to predict the water quality index.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Taghreed Al-Gunaid, Patrik Sobolciak, Ibtissem Chriaa, Mustapha Karkri, Miroslav Mrlik, Marketa Ilcikova, Tomas Sedlacek, Anton Popelka, Igor Krupa
Summary: This study investigates the thermal energy storage systems based on shape-stabilized phase change materials designed from recycled Tetra Pak waste. The optimal composition of the materials shows good thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties. The selected phase change component can store and release heat energy efficiently.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Najmath Ottakath, Somaya Al-Maadeed, Susu M. Zughaier, Omar Elharrouss, Hanadi Hassen Mohammed, Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury, Ahmed Bouridane
Summary: This paper presents a comprehensive review of ultrasound image analysis methods for detecting and characterizing plaque buildup in the carotid artery. It includes an in-depth analysis of datasets, image segmentation techniques, and plaque measurement, characterization, classification, and grading using deep learning and machine learning. The paper also provides an overview of the performance of these methods, challenges in analysis, and future directions for research.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Younes Akbari, Al Anood Najeeb, Somaya Al Maadeed, Omar Elharrouss, Fouad Khelifi, Ashref Lawgaly
Summary: The advancement of Internet technology has greatly impacted daily life, with digital videos from smartphones being the most popular form of multimedia. These videos are extensively shared on various social media platforms. The credibility, reliability, and integrity of these videos have become major concerns. This paper presents a dataset of video forgeries, specifically copy-move forgeries, where objects are inserted or deleted from original videos without detection. The dataset includes videos from five different mobile devices and experiments are conducted using classical and deep learning methods.
Article
Polymer Science
Tetsu Sato, Mariko Takahashi, Takeshi Saito, Masahito Toyonaga, Itsuo Tanuma, Rie Yamada, Satoru Hosoda
Summary: An automatic evaluation system for photooxidation has been developed and successfully applied to assess the photo-OIT of LDPE samples containing photooxidation stabilizers. The system allows independent setting of various measurement conditions and provides detailed information on the photooxidation process.
POLYMER DEGRADATION AND STABILITY
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Zongzheng Zuo, Shuxue Zhou
Summary: In this study, three fluoroalkyl trimethoxysilane (FATMS) additives with different chain lengths were incorporated into a two-component polyurethane clearcoat to improve its hydrophobic durability. The coatings modified with FATMS maintained their surface hydrophobicity under various conditions, but quickly lost it when exposed to both UV irradiation and/or high temperature with water. The results suggest that the FATMS route is more suitable for indoor applications at room temperature.
POLYMER DEGRADATION AND STABILITY
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Song Li, Feng Zhao, Xueya Wang, Zhihua Liu, Jingze Guo, Yutong Li, Shuangmei Tan, Zhenxiang Xin, Shuai Zhao, Lin Li
Summary: Green flame retardants have garnered attention for their environmental friendliness, but current options fall short in achieving high flame retardancy for flammable polymers and maintaining environmental protection. This study takes a two-pronged approach to address flame retardants and the flame-retardant process. An eco-friendly bio-based synergistic flame retardant (PAU), synthesized using phytic acid (PA) and urea (U), is used to create a flame retardant coating that can be directly applied to any surface shape using polydopamine as an adhesive. The resulting EPS-PAU exhibits excellent flame retardancy, smoke suppression, and light weight while only slightly increasing the density.
POLYMER DEGRADATION AND STABILITY
(2024)
