by George Z. Voyiadjis  and Peter I. Kattan

Received: 27 October 2020;  Published: 10 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2102021

A robust mathematical method for the characterization of damage in carbon nanotubes is presented the presentation here is limited to elasticity. In this regard, the second and third order elastic stiffnesses are employed. All this is based on damage mechanics. The hypotheses of elastic strain equivalence and elastic energy equivalence are utilized. A new damage variable is proposed that is defined in terms of the surface area. This is in contrast to the classical damage variable which is defined in terms of the cro [...]

by Antonio Vázquez-López  , Marina García-Carrión  , Erlend Hall  , Anisa Yaseen  , Ilknur Kalafat  , María Taeño  , Junjie Zhu  , Xinyu Zhang  , Elif Arici  , Omer Suat Taskin  , David Maestre  , Emilio Nogales  , Pedro Hidalgo  , Julio Ramírez-Castellanos  , Bianchi Méndez  , Neslihan Yuca  , Smagul Karazhanov  , Erik S. Marstein  and Ana Cremades

Received: 09 November 2020;  Published: 08 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2102020

Hybrid composites based on inorganic nanomaterials embedded into a polymer matrix have were synthesized and characterized. Oxide semiconductor nanoparticles (SnO, SnO2, TiO2, Ga2O3, and NiO) and Si nanoparticles were employed as inorganic counterparts in the hybrid composite, while a conductive polymer (PEDOT:PSS) with diverse additives was used as the organic matrix. The composites were spin-coated on Si or glass substrates. The potential use of these materials in photovoltaic devices to improve Si surface passiva [...]

by Nobuyuki Imanishi  , Tao Zhang  , Daishuke Mori  , Sou Taminato  , Yashuo Takeda  and osamu yamamoto

Received: 21 February 2021;  Published: 08 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2102019

Because lithium metal exhibits high specific capacity and low potential, it is the best candidate for fabricating anodes for batteries. Rechargeable batteries fabricated using lithium anode exhibit high capacity and high potential cathode; these can be potentially used to fabricate high energy density batteries (>500 Wh kg-1) that can be used for the development of next-generation electric vehicles. However, the formation and growth of lithium dendrites and the low coulombic efficiency recorded during lithiu [...]

by Aurélie Laborel-Préneron  , Paulina Faria  , Jean-Emmanuel Aubert  and Camille Magniont

Received: 12 March 2021;  Published: 07 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2102016

Bio-based earth composites present various environmental benefits, such as usable wastes, coproducts, abundant or renewable materials, etc. Moreover, the incorporation of bioaggregates in the earth matrix allows the buildings to act as an effective carbon sink. A growing number of studies are now focusing on the mechanical and hygrothermal properties of bio-based earth building materials. However, the durability of these types of material is a major concern, and knowledge of their various aspects is essential to an [...]

by Pratima Pandey  , Narges Sadat Shamabadi  , Ewen McLean  and Omar Bagasra

Received: 28 August 2020;  Published: 07 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2102009

Normally we encounter a myriad of chemicals in our daily lives. Endocrine disrupting chemicals [EDCs] are ubiquitous in our environment and upon bodily entry many be stored in adipose tissue and, in pregnant woman, can reach the developing fetal brain, disrupting normal fetal brain development. EDC-induced aberrant levels of sex hormones can alter sexual dimorphism [i.e. degree of feminization or masculinization; sex differences in brain and behavior] and may contribute to the differential susceptibility of males a [...]

by Jessica R Turnbull  , Jenna Vyas-Lee  and Sally Hobson

Received: 17 November 2020;  Published: 06 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2102094

Sleep-related difficulties are common in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Poor sleep health is associated with detrimental impacts not only for the child/young person, but also their family members. Exercise is considered to be important for sleep health, improving duration and quality of sleep in adult studies, however there is limited literature on impact in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, and barriers to participation exist for this group. We set out to test the feasibility and accep [...]

by Cosimo Magazzino  and Marco Mele

Received: 19 February 2021;  Published: 06 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2102008

In this study, we used an image neural network model to assess the relationship between economic growth, pollution (PM2.5, PM10, and CO2), and deaths from COVID-19 in the Hubei area (China). Data analysis, neural network analysis, and deep learning experiments were carried out to assess the relationship among COVID-19 deaths, air pollution, and economic growth in China (Hubei province, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic). We collected daily data at a city level from January 20 to July 31, 2020. We used main cit [...]

by Aleksandra Oledzka  and Lynne Ann Barker

Received: 05 March 2019;  Published: 06 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2102093

Brain training apps are becoming increasingly popular for at home use and as an adjunct to more traditional therapies. There is uncertainty about whether the effects of brain training transfer to real-world cognition, or performance on other cognitive assessment tests, or is specific only to the brain training app. Executive functions (EF’s) are higher-order cognitive processes important for activities of everyday living and autonomous goal-directed behaviour [1]. EF’s are associated with frontal brain networks tha [...]

by Christiana Polyzou  , Glykeria Loupa  and Spyridon Rapsomanikis

Received: 25 January 2021;  Published: 04 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2102007

Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) was monitored in the atmosphere of a coastal site situated in the Northern Aegean Sea of Greece from August 2014 to January 2015. The selected sampling site is seldom impacted by human activities. Thus, it was possible to study the processes involved in natural terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric environments. The diurnal and monthly variations in the concentration of GEM as well as the factors influencing these variations were determined. The GEM concentrations were found to be in [...]

by Amy Spallone  and Marion Hemmersbach-Miller

Received: 29 January 2021;  Published: 02 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2102141

Donor-derived infections (DDI) are an infrequent event in solid organ transplant (SOT) due to advances in screening recommendations, prophylaxis, and surveillance of common infections. However, unexpected pathogen transmission can still occur when a donor is not known to be infected prior to organ procurement, which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality in the organ recipient. Solid organ donors with central nervous system (CNS) pathogens are an uncommon but deadly source of unexpected DDI. Clinically rec [...]