Showing papers by "Applied Science Private University published in 2020"
TL;DR: The Long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, a deep learning approach to forecast the future COVID-19 cases are presented, which predicted the possible ending point of this outbreak will be around June 2020 and compared transmission rates of Canada with Italy and USA.
Abstract: On March 11 th 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the 2019 novel corona virus as global pandemic. Corona virus, also known as COVID-19 was first originated in Wuhan, Hubei province in China around December 2019 and spread out all over the world within few weeks. Based on the public datasets provided by John Hopkins university and Canadian health authority, we have developed a forecasting model of COVID-19 outbreak in Canada using state-of-the-art Deep Learning (DL) models. In this novel research, we evaluated the key features to predict the trends and possible stopping time of the current COVID-19 outbreak in Canada and around the world. In this paper we presented the Long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, a deep learning approach to forecast the future COVID-19 cases. Based on the results of our Long short-term memory (LSTM) network, we predicted the possible ending point of this outbreak will be around June 2020. In addition to that, we compared transmission rates of Canada with Italy and USA. Here we also presented the 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 th day predictions for 2 successive days. Our forecasts in this paper is based on the available data until March 31, 2020. To the best of our knowledge, this of the few studies to use LSTM networks to forecast the infectious diseases.
673 citations
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre1, RMIT University2, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center3, Applied Science Private University4, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center5, Albert Einstein College of Medicine6, University at Buffalo7, Mayo Clinic8, University of Ottawa9, University of Cincinnati10
TL;DR: The purpose of this Editorial is to highlight recent initiatives and collaborations performed by companies, hospitals, and researchers in utilising 3D printing during the COVID-19 pandemic and to support local3D printing efforts that can be lifesaving.
Abstract: As of March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization classified coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic, at the time of writing affecting nearly every country and territory across the globe [1]. During this time of social and economic despair, global healthcare systems are under critical strain due to severe shortages of hospital beds and medical equipment. Patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Fig. 1), are at risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and a fraction will require high-level respiratory support to survive [2]. Additionally, significant strain has been placed on personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies required to protect the healthcare workers helping to treat critically ill patients during this pandemic. At the time of writing, there are active disruptions of medical supply chains throughout Europe and in the United States at the hospital level, particularly in the states of New York and Washington. The purpose of this Editorial is to highlight recent (as of April 1, 2020) initiatives and collaborations performed by companies, hospitals, and researchers in utilising 3D printing during the COVID-19 pandemic and to support local 3D printing efforts that can be lifesaving. The 3D printing community can refocus its medical attention internationally, capitalizing on centralized large-scale manufacturing facilities as well as locally distributed manufacturing of verified and tested CAD files. In addition, there are multiple medical, engineering, and other societies and groups that can pull together to work on common needs, many of which are outlined in this Editorial.
172 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the π-conjugated Lewis base molecules with high electron density were employed to systematically control the crystallization rate of FASnI3 perovskite by forming stable intermediate phase with the Sn-I frameworks.
Abstract: Tin-based perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) as the most promising candidate for lead-free PSCs have incurred extensive researches all over the world. However, the crystallization process of tin-based perovskite is too fast during the solution-deposited process, resulting in abundant pinholes and poor homogeneity that cause serious charge recombination in perovskite layer. Here, we employed the π-conjugated Lewis base molecules with high electron density to systematically control the crystallization rate of FASnI3 perovskite by forming stable intermediate phase with the Sn-I frameworks, leading to a compact and uniform perovskite film with large increase in the carrier lifetime. Meanwhile, the introduction of the π-conjugated systems also retards the permeation of moisture into perovskite crystal, which significantly suppresses the film degradation in air. These benefits contributed to a stabilizing power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.1% for the TPSCs and maintained over 90% of its initial PCE after 1000-h light soaking in air. Also, a steady-state efficiency of 9.2% was certified at the accredited test center.
143 citations
TL;DR: A critical review of hand sanitation approaches and products available on the market in light of the scientific evidence available to date is presented and a range of hand sanitisation product formulations are provided to allow for extemporaneous preparations at the community and hospital pharmacies during this urgent crisis.
142 citations
TL;DR: COVID-19 is an epidemiological crisis that is casting a shadow on youths' DAS and healthcare organisations, in collaboration with various sectors, are recommended to apply psychological first aid and design appropriate educational programmes to improve the mental health of youth.
Abstract: Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental illnesses among young people. Crisis like the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may increase the current prevalence of these illnesses. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to (1) explore the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among youth and (2) identify to what extent certain variables related to COVID-19 could predict depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) among young people in six different countries. Participants were requested to complete an online survey including demographics and the DAS scale. A total of 1,057 participants from Oman (n = 155), Saudi Arabia (n = 121), Jordan (n = 332), Iraq (n = 117), United Arab Emirates (n = 147), and Egypt (n = 182) completed the study. The total prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 57%, 40.5%, and 38.1%, respectively, with no significant differences between countries. Significant predictors of stress, anxiety, and depression were being female, being in contact with a friend and/or a family member with mental illness, being quarantined for 14 days, and using the internet. In conclusion, COVID-19 is an epidemiological crisis that is casting a shadow on youths' DAS. The restrictions and prolonged lockdowns imposed by COVID-19 are negatively impacting their level of DAS. Healthcare organisations, in collaboration with various sectors, are recommended to apply psychological first aid and design appropriate educational programmes to improve the mental health of youth.
98 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the potentiality and diversity of biological activities of silver nanoparticles that originated from the combination of silver and phyto-constituents of mostly traditionally used Sudanese medicinal and aromatic plants are critically reviewed.
Abstract: Sudan has a tremendous wealth flora due to its unique geographical location and diverse climate. Vast records of plants and plants’ secondary metabolites are reported to possess redox capacity and can be exploited for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles. Plant-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles is preferred due to their availability and their various metabolites. The present review explores the potentiality and diversity of biological activities of silver nanoparticles that originated from the combination of silver and phyto-constituents of mostly traditionally used Sudanese medicinal and aromatic plants. The green synthesis methods of silver nanoparticles mediated by more than 45 traditionally used medicinal plants are critically reviewed. In addition, parameters that affect the synthesis of plant-mediated silver nanoparticles, their characterization techniques and various biological activities are summarized and discussed. Thus, the study of green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and its applications can be extended to involve vast plant diversity of Sudan.
98 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple two-step process is designed to massively produce pure poly(amidoxime) porous network membranes (PAO PNMs) which exhibit high uranium uptake capacity and excellent mechanical strength.
94 citations
TL;DR: University teachers in Jordan have shown to exhibit various levels of psychological distress and challenges during the implementation of precautionary national measures in the battle against COVID-19 in Jordan.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has struck many countries globally. Jordan has implemented strict nationwide control measures to halt the viral spread, one of which was the closure of universities and shifting to remote teaching. The impact of this pandemic could extend beyond the risk of physical harm to substantial psychological consequences. Our study aimed at assessing 1) psychological status, 2) challenges of distance teaching, and 3) coping activities and pandemic-related concerns among university teachers in Jordan in the midst of COVID-19-related quarantine and control measures. We conducted a cross-sectional study using an anonymous online survey. The measure of psychological distress was obtained using a validated Arabic version of the Kessler Distress Scale (K10). Other information collected included sociodemographic profile, methods used to handle distress, motivation to participate in distance teaching, and challenges of distance teaching as well as the most worrisome issues during this pandemic. Three hundred eighty-two university teachers returned completed surveys. Results of K10 showed that 31.4% of respondents had severe distress and 38.2% had mild to moderate distress. Whereas gender was not associated with distress severity, age had a weak negative correlation (Rho = -0.19, P < 0.0001). Interestingly, most teachers had moderate to high motivation for distance teaching. Engagement with family was the most reported self-coping activity. More than half of the participants were most concerned and fearful about SARS-CoV-2 infection. In conclusion, university teachers have shown to exhibit various levels of psychological distress and challenges during the implementation of precautionary national measures in the battle against COVID-19 in Jordan.
89 citations
TL;DR: The use of PPA and HMP to produce covalently-stabilized chitosan NPs is completely novel and exhibited excellent stabilities under harsh pH, CaCl2, and 10% FBS conditions.
Abstract: Chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) are widely studied as vehicles for drug, protein, and gene delivery. However, lack of sufficient stability, particularly under physiological conditions, render chitosan NPs of limited pharmaceutical utility. The aim of this study is to produce stable chitosan NPs suitable for drug delivery applications. Chitosan was first grafted to phthalic or phenylsuccinic acids. Subsequently, polyphosphoric acid (PPA), hexametaphosphate (HMP), or tripolyphosphate (TPP) were used to achieve tandem ionotropic/covalently crosslinked chitosan NPs in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC). Thermal and infrared traits confirmed phosphoramide bonds formation tying chitosan with the polyphosphate crosslinkers within NPs matrices. DLS and TEM size analysis indicated spherical NPs with size range of 120 to 350 nm. The generated NPs exhibited excellent stabilities under harsh pH, CaCl2, and 10% FBS conditions. Interestingly, DLS, NPs stability and infrared data suggest HMP to reside within NPs cores, while TPP and PPA to act mainly as NPs surface crosslinkers. Drug loading and release studies using methylene blue (MB) and doxorubicin (DOX) drug models showed covalent PPA- and HMP-based NPs to have superior loading capacities compared to NPs based on unmodified chitosan, generated by ionotropic crosslinking only or covalently crosslinked by TPP. Doxorubicin-loaded NPs were of superior cytotoxic properties against MCF-7 cells compared to free doxorubicin. Specifically, DOX-loaded chitosan-phthalate polyphosphoric acid-crosslinked NPs exhibited 10-folds cytotoxicity enhancement compared to free DOX. The use of PPA and HMP to produce covalently-stabilized chitosan NPs is completely novel.
83 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the main difficulties encountered by educational institutions in Ibero-america and some strategies used in teaching and learning processes are discussed, and an evaluation model is proposed to be considered in the contingency plans for health emergencies.
Abstract: The education system in times of pandemic has had to be urgently and unexpectedly transformed into a virtual modality This paper presents an exploratory study on the main difficulties encountered by educational institutions in Iberoamerica and some strategies used in teaching and learning processes Likewise, considering the previous analysis, an evaluation model is proposed to be considered in the contingency plans for health emergencies
80 citations
TL;DR: It was showed that the addition of chitosan and Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles to the clay increases its adsorption capacity, indicating that the chromium removal process is spontaneous and exothermic.
TL;DR: A full wavelet neural network approach for short-term load forecasting, which is an ensemble method of full wavelets packet transform and neural networks, which can be used by utilities and system operators to forecast electricity consumption with high accuracy.
TL;DR: A methodology is developed to accelerate manual labelling of pixels using a two-step procedure and performance comparison of deep learning meta-architectures like SegNet and UNET and encoder blocks like VGG16 and ResNet-50 are evaluated.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed the recent research efforts on zirconia ceramic manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques and provided a comprehensive survey of the existing research, as well as an insightful discussion regarding the potential research in the future.
Abstract: In recent years, additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a type of efficient manufacturing technology for building ceramic prototypes with increased dimensional accuracy, improved time efficiency, and reduced cost A wealth of research works have been conducted to uncover the underlying formation mechanism of zirconia ceramic parts manufactured by AM processes and to improve the performance of the parts In spite of the achievements, there are still some unresolved issues, such as porosity, cracks, coffee staining, which impede the adoption of AM processes for zirconia part manufacturing This paper aims to review the recent research efforts on zirconia ceramic manufactured using AM techniques The existing works are mainly categorized in terms of the different AM preparation methods and the applications More importantly, the challenges and opportunities related to AM of zirconia products are discussed As such, this review provides not only a comprehensive survey of the existing research, but also an insightful discussion regarding the potential research in the future Innovations are expected to be stimulated for many critical industrial applications
TL;DR: A dataset was compiled to examine the psychosomatic impact of COVID-19’s e-learning digital tools on Jordanian university students’ well-being and policymakers can use the data to identify universityStudents’ emotional and psychological needs and propose practical solutions for their educationalWell-being.
TL;DR: This survey identifies the pertinent issues that arise in the case of robot swarms like preventing collisions, keeping connectivity between robots, maintaining the communication quality, and ensuring collaboration between robots.
Abstract: Collaborative assemblies of robots are promising the next generation of robot applications by ensuring that safe and reliable robots work collectively toward a common goal. To maintain this collaboration and harmony, effective wireless communication technologies are required in order to enable the robots share data and control signals amongst themselves. With the advent of Machine Learning (ML), recent advancements in intelligent techniques for the domain of robot communications have led to improved functionality in robot assemblies, ability to take informed and coordinated decisions, and an overall improvement in efficiency of the entire swarm. This survey is targeted towards a comprehensive study of the convergence of ML and communication for collaborative assemblies of robots operating in the space, on the ground and in underwater environments. We identify the pertinent issues that arise in the case of robot swarms like preventing collisions, keeping connectivity between robots, maintaining the communication quality, and ensuring collaboration between robots. ML techniques that have been applied for improving different criteria such as mobility, connectivity, Quality of Service (QoS) and efficient data collection for energy efficiency are then discussed from the viewpoint of their importance in the case of collaborative robot assemblies. Lastly, the paper also identifies open issues and avenues for future research.
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of laser power and scanning strategies on residual stress distribution in 316L steel by a metal additive manufacturing (AM) process, namely, selective laser melting (SLM), was investigated.
Abstract: Residual stress control in the metal components by additive manufacturing (AM) has been a major challenge. To mitigate this challenge, proper selection of AM process parameters is of great importance. In this study, we investigate the influence of laser power and scanning strategies on residual stress distribution in 316L steel by a metal AM process, namely, selective laser melting (SLM). Finite element simulation and experimental verification are conducted by using the identical process parameters and part geometry to ensure that the results are indeed comparable and can shed light on the challenging issue of residual stress control. With two levels of laser power (i.e., 160 W and 200 W) and two scanning strategies (i.e., stripe scanning and chessboard scanning), four process conditions are investigated. For all four conditions, both simulation and experiment show that the tensile residual stress in the area of interest (the center area of each layer) tends to gradually increase along the depth into surface. Also, the increase of laser power from 160 W to 200 W and the adoption of stripe scanning (instead of chessboard scanning) generally lead to the increase of tensile residual stress in the area of interest. The trends are also confirmed by both simulation and experiment. In addition, the laser power increase from 160 W to 200 W appears to have more significant effect, compared with the switch of two scanning strategies.
TL;DR: In this article, waste soda-lime-silica glasses as SiO2-Na2O-CaO-Bi2O3 and Sb2O 3 were investigated for X-ray photon characteristics in the energies of 0.01-0.1 MeV via WinXCom program, and results were compared with the experimental findings obtained at 0.04 MeV.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review and analyze the relevant literature and summarize the material preparation, optimization of process parameters, resultant improvements, and corresponding strengthening mechanisms for each major category of metal matrix composites.
Abstract: Metal matrix composites (MMCs) generally possess superior properties than the monotonic matrix alloys, and thus, they have become excellent candidate materials in various applications. Also, the ability of property tailoring at an affordable cost is of particular importance to industries. Among the many manufacturing techniques for MMCs, laser-assisted additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have emerged and drawn increasing attention in the past decade. In the literature, a wealth of studies have been carried out on the synthesis of MMCs via laser-assisted AM techniques, as well as the property evaluation of the obtained MMCs. In this paper, we review and analyze the relevant literature and summarize the material preparation, optimization of process parameters, resultant improvements, and corresponding strengthening mechanisms for each major category of MMCs. Moreover, the limitations and challenges related to MMC synthesis using the laser-assisted AM techniques are discussed, and the future research directions are suggested to address those issues.
TL;DR: In this article, a new instance of understanding the velocity of a particle in Brownian motion, using the Fokker-Plank equation, was provided. And the HPTM and RPSMs were used to obtain the solution in terms of Prabhakar function.
Abstract: This endeavour provides a new instance of understanding the velocity of a particle in Brownian motion, using the Fokker-Plank equation. Our treatment is based on the new mathematical tool invoked by Yang-Abdel-Aty-Cattani (YAC) to solve the fractional derivative on Fokker-Plank equation. The HPTM and RPSMs, are used to obtain the solution in terms of Prabhakar function. Numerical examples to extend these ideas and to establish the capability and truthfulness of the proposed method, which makes use of YAC-fractional derivative, is also briefly sketched.
TL;DR: A relative investigation of various synthesized hydrazone derivatives was examined for their inhibitive impact on mild steel in 1M HCl medium, using the measurements of weight loss and electrochemical procedures as discussed by the authors.
TL;DR: In this paper, the impact of barium oxide (BaO) on structural, physical, optical, and radiation shielding features of a series of multi-component barium-containing borate-based glasses, namely Sodium Zinc Borate Glass, was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis.
Abstract: The study illustrates the impact of barium oxide (BaO) on structural, physical, optical, and radiation shielding features of a series of multi-component of barium-containing borate-based glasses, namely Sodium Zinc Borate Glass. The amorphous nature of each glass material was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Fourier-Transform-Infrared (FTIR) was used to identify the BO3-BO4 distribution and how the variation of Ba-concentrations affects this distribution. The results show that the increase of barium content increases the density of glasses and, in turn, reduces their bandgap. The investigation of the shielding properties at different energies (0.01–10 MeV) by Phy-X program indicates that the high-density of Ba-30 exhibited the best performance in terms of attenuation factor. On the other hand, the samples Ba-0 and Ba-15 show the highest durability results (lowest dissolving rate). These outcomes indicate that the glass samples exhibited promising radiation shielding properties for different applications.
TL;DR: In this article, a cell-wall angle graded auxetic metamaterial was proposed for in-plane impact resistance by using dynamic finite element analysis, and the effect of the angle-grained design on energy absorption was investigated.
04 Jun 2020
TL;DR: Comparisons of corrosion inhibition property of few thiadiazole-derived bis-Schiff bases for mild steel in 1 M HCl showed consistent agreement with each other, and adsorption of bis- Schiff bases on the metal surface and thereby shielding from corrosion was confirmed.
Abstract: In the present study, comparative analyses of corrosion inhibition property of few thiadiazole-derived bis-Schiff bases for mild steel in 1 M HCl were done. Various electrochemical experiments (ele...
TL;DR: In this paper, a C-doped TiO2 photocatalyst was synthesized using a one-step sol-microwave method with micro-crystalline cellulose as the carbon source to achieve the desirable visible light absorption, cluster size, surface area and band gap.
Abstract: C-doped TiO2 photocatalyst synthesized using a one-step sol-microwave method with microcrystalline cellulose as the carbon source to achieve TiO2 of desirable visible light absorption, cluster size, surface area and band gap was applied in the photocatalytic oxidation of glycerol under visible light to produce value-added chemicals, for the first time. An increase in microwave irradiation time from 0 to 20 min reduced the anatase crystal size but increased the surface area, pore volume and pore radius. Carbon coupled with microwave treatment produced Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies in the TiO2 lattice of the C-doped TiO2 which yielded improved performance of the photocatalysts. For example, a cellulose loading at 10 % (i.e. 10 % Cel-TiO2(4-MW)) provided the highest photo-conversion of glycerol (67.5 %) and highest yields of glyceraldehyde (10.0 %), dihydroxyacetone (7.4 %), formic acid (49.0 %) and acetic acid (1.8 %). On the other hand, excess residual carbon on TiO2 surface (e.g. 20 % Cel-TiO2(0-MW)) retarded the activity of the photocatalyst.
TL;DR: More recently, biochar, a porous carbonaceous material produced by direct (i.e., solvent free) pyrolysis of biomasses, was also investigated, leading to a further decrease in the fabrication environmental footprint as mentioned in this paper.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate shielding material properties against neutron particles emitted by spontaneous fission source Cf, using FLUKA Monte Carlo simulation code for some materials of barite-water-boron.
Abstract: Unstable nuclei may emit radiation in order to make transition to stable form. This radiation may also be neutron besides other particles or electromagnetic radiation. Besides using radiation in a variety of different fields, its effect on cells makes it dangerous for human health. Neutron is more interesting than others as it is more dangerous due to its neutral and heavy character. Therefore shielding from it is also more difficult than other radiation types. The aim of this work is to investigate shielding material properties against neutron particles emitted by spontaneous fission source Cf, using FLUKA Monte Carlo simulation code for some materials of barite-water-boron.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of ionic components of nanoparticles on the brine/seawater was investigated for successful oil recovery, and the interaction between the nanoparticles and the seawater was analyzed.
Abstract: Understanding the mechanisms behind the interaction between the nanoparticles (NPs) and the brine/seawater is critical for successful oil recovery. In this study, the effect of ionic components of ...
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed and comprehensive study was carried out on using low salinity (LS) water injection to recover more oil from these types of oil reservoirs has been recommended by several researchers.
TL;DR: A framework for identifying barriers to LSS implementation in supply chains has been developed using the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) method to provide a comprehensive understanding of how the barriers of LSS affect each other.