Risk-Based Fault Detection Using Bayesian Networks Based on Failure Mode and Effect Analysis.

In this article, the authors focus on the introduction of a hybrid method for risk-based fault detection (FD) using dynamic principal component analysis (DPCA) and failure method and effect analysis (FMEA) based Bayesian networks (BNs). The FD problem has garnered great interest in industrial application, yet methods for integrating process risk into the detection procedure are still scarce. It is, however, critical to assess the risk each possible process fault holds to differentiate between non-safety-critical and safety-critical abnormalities and thus minimize alarm rates. The proposed method utilizes a BN established through FMEA analysis of the supervised process and the results of dynamical principal component analysis to estimate a modified risk priority number (RPN) of different process states. The RPN is used parallel to the FD procedure, incorporating the results of both to differentiate between process abnormalities and highlight critical issues. The method is showcased using an industrial benchmark problem as well as the model of a reactor utilized in the emerging liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology.

Glass Fibre-Reinforced Extrusion 3D-Printed Composites: Experimental and Numerical Study of Mechanical Properties.

The properties of 3D-printed bodies are an essential part of both the industrial and research sectors, as the manufacturers try to improve them in order to make this now additive manufacturing method more appealing compared to conventional manufacturing methods, like injection moulding. Great achievements were accomplished in both 3D printing materials and machines that made 3D printing a viable way to produce parts in recent years. However, in terms of printing parameters, there is still much room for advancements. This paper discusses four of the 3D printing parameters that affect the properties of the final products made by chopped glass fibre-filled nylon filaments; these parameters are the printing temperature, nozzle diameter, layer height, and infill orientation. Furthermore, a polynomial function was fitted to the measured data points, which made it possible to calculate the tensile strength, flexural strength, and Young's modulus of the 3D-printed samples based on their printing parameters. A Pearson correlation analysis was also carried out to determine the impact of each parameter on all three mechanical properties studied. Both the infill orientation and printing temperature had a significant effect on both strengths and Young's modulus, while the effect of nozzle diameters and layer heights were dependent on the infill orientation used. Also, a model with excellent performance was established to predict the three mechanical properties of the samples based on the four major parameters used. As expected from a fibre-reinforced material, the infill orientation had the most significant effect on the tensile strength, flexural strength, and Young's modulus. The temperature was also quite significant, while the nozzle diameters and layer height effect were situational. The highest values for the tensile strength, flexural strength, and Young's modulus were 72 MPa, 78.63 MPa, and 4243 MPa, respectively, which are around the same values the manufacturer states.

Assessment of the correlation between the nutrient load from migratory bird excrement and water quality by principal component analysis in a freshwater habitat.

Waterbirds depend on a dispersed network of wetlands for their annual life cycle during migration. Climate and land use changes raise new concerns about the sustainability of these habitat networks, as water scarcity triggers ecological and socioeconomic impacts threatening wetland availability and quality. During the migration period, birds can be present in large enough numbers to influence water quality themselves linking them and water management in efforts to conserve habitats for endangered populations. Despite this, the guidelines within laws do not properly account for the annual change of water quality due to natural factors such as the migration periods of birds. Principal component analysis and principal component regression was used to analyze the correlations between the presence of a multitude of migratory waterbird communities and water quality metrics based on a dataset collected over four years in the Dumbravița section of the Homoród stream in Transylvania. The results reveal a correlation between the presence and numbers of various bird species and the seasonal changes in water quality. Piscivorous birds tended to increase the phosphorus load, herbivorous waterbirds the nitrogen load, while benthivorous duck species influenced a variety of parameters. The established PCR water quality prediction model showed accurate prediction capabilities for the water quality index of the observed region. For the tested data set, the method provided an R2 value of 0.81 and a mean squared prediction error of 0.17.

BRAF increases endothelial cell stiffness through reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton.

The dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton and its connection to endothelial cell-cell junctions determine the barrier function of endothelial cells. The proper regulation of barrier opening/closing is necessary for the normal function of vessels, and its dysregulation can result in chronic and acute inflammation leading to edema formation. By using atomic force microscopy, we show here that thrombin-induced permeability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, associated with actin stress fiber formation, stiffens the cell center. The depletion of the MEK/ERK kinase BRAF reduces thrombin-induced permeability prevents stress fiber formation and cell stiffening. The peripheral actin ring becomes stabilized by phosphorylated myosin light chain, while cofilin is excluded from the cell periphery. All these changes can be reverted by the inhibition of ROCK, but not of the MEK/ERK module. We propose that the balance between the binding of cofilin and myosin to F-actin in the cell periphery, which is regulated by the activity of ROCK, determines the local dynamics of actin reorganization, ultimately driving or preventing stress fiber formation.

Robust expression of EZH2 in endocervical neoplastic lesions.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nuclear expression of histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in endocervical neoplastic lesions such as invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma (ECA) and cervical in situ adenocarcinoma (AIS) in comparison with normal endocervix and non-neoplastic counterparts. A total of 54 consecutive neoplastic cases (37 ECA, 17 AIS) and 32 non-neoplastic endocervical lesions (15 reactive atypia, 9 microglandular hyperplasia, 3 tuboendometrioid metaplasia, 3 tunnel cluster, 2 endometriosis) were included in the study with adjacent normal endocervix if present. EZH2 immunoreactivity was evaluated semiquantitatively by three independent experts in lesions and adjacent normal glandular epithelium as well. EZH2 expression was defined robust if at least two of the three experts rated partial or diffuse positivity. Robust EZH2 expression was statistically compared among the neoplastic, non-neoplastic, and normal glandular epithelium samples. Diagnostic test capability of robust EZH2 expression was calculated. Fifty-three out of the 54 neoplastic cases (98%) showed robust EZH2 expression. Robust EZH2 expression was significantly less often (4 out of 32 cases, 12.5%) found in the non-neoplastic endocervical lesions (p < 0.0001) and never (0 out of 66 samples) in the adjacent normal glandular epithelium. Robust EZH2 overexpression had a sensitivity and specificity of over 95% in detecting neoplastic lesions versus non-neoplastic lesions or normal glandular epithelium. EZH2 may play a role in the pathogenesis of endocervical neoplasia, and the detection of robust expression of EZH2 might be a useful differential diagnostic tool in problematic endocervical lesions in histology and cytology as well.