Identifying the critical factors of sustainable manufacturing using the fuzzy DEMATEL method

© 2020 Luwei Jiang et al., published by Sciendo 2020. The burgeoning trend of globalization gives rise to the formation of the manufacturing ecosystem. This study aims to identify the critical factors of sustainable manufacturing for countries and regions across the globe finding their unique ecological niches. From the perspective of the ecological niche, we develop an evaluation system of the manufacturing niche. By using the fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method, the critical factors, and its causal relationships of the manufacturing niche can be quantified and visualized. The results indicate that: (1) the evaluation system of the manufacturing niche is characterized by complexity and interactivity; (2) technical factors have the strongest impact on the evaluation system, among which R&D investment intensity and the input-output ratio of new products are key indicators; and (3) technical and policy factors are decisive for the system and actively influence economic and ecological factors. Theoretically, it is beneficial to augment the niche theory and industrial economics. Practically, it helps to create a win-win situation to facilitate governments to enact suitable industrial strategies and assist the manufacturing toward a more sustainable trajectory

Effect of Nitrogen Pressure on the Fabrication of AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 High Entropy Nitride Thin Films via Cathodic Arc Deposition

High entropy alloys (HEAs), consisting of five or more than five elements in equal or nearly equal proportions, usually exhibit superior mechanical properties, outstanding corrosion & oxidation resistance, and exceptionally high thermal stability compared to traditional alloys. HEA thin films possess further improved mechanical properties due to their nanocrystalline microstructure. Compared to HEA thin films, high entropy nitrides (HENs) have even higher mechanical strength and chemical inertness. AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 HEN thin film is reported to be an extraordinarily hard material that possesses high levels of surface protective nitrides layer, while limited work of AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 HEN thin film deposited by cathodic arc has been done. In this work, AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 HEN thin films were deposited on (100) Si wafer using a filtered cathodic arc. The nitrogen concentration for each thin film was regulated by changing pressure during depositions, tuning the distortion energy and mechanical properties. STEM-EDS revealed increased aluminium concentration as pressure increased. X-ray photoelectron spectra revealed that AlN was the preferred nitride formed. Interstitial solid solution of nitrogen enhanced the lattice distortion in the HEN films, while stronger covalent bonds contracted the crystal lattice according to XRD and HRTEM images. Amorphization was observed in the thin film with increased pressure. The mechanical properties of the cathodic arc deposited AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 HEN thin films were found to improve when pressure increased with the highest hardness of 12.4 0.6 GPa and elastic modulus of 347.3 17.7 GPa found at the highest pressure of 0.05 Pa. These mechanical properties were significantly enhanced compared to those of similar films fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering

Genome-wide analysis of 53,400 people with irritable bowel syndrome highlights shared genetic pathways with mood and anxiety disorders

Funder: Kennedy Trust Rheumatology Research Prize StudentshipFunder: DFG Cluster of Excellence “Precision Medicine in Chronic In-flammation” (PMI; ID: EXC2167)Funder: EC | EC Seventh Framework Programm | FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific Programme: “Ideas” Implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007 to 2013)); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100011199; Grant(s): 715772Funder: NWO-VIDI grant 016.178.056, the Netherlands Heart Foundation CVON grant 2018-27, and NWO Gravitation grant ExposomeNLFunder: Li Ka Shing Foundation (Li Ka Shing Foundation Limited); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100007421Abstract: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) results from disordered brain–gut interactions. Identifying susceptibility genes could highlight the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. We designed a digestive health questionnaire for UK Biobank and combined identified cases with IBS with independent cohorts. We conducted a genome-wide association study with 53,400 cases and 433,201 controls and replicated significant associations in a 23andMe panel (205,252 cases and 1,384,055 controls). Our study identified and confirmed six genetic susceptibility loci for IBS. Implicated genes included NCAM1, CADM2, PHF2/FAM120A, DOCK9, CKAP2/TPTE2P3 and BAG6. The first four are associated with mood and anxiety disorders, expressed in the nervous system, or both. Mirroring this, we also found strong genome-wide correlation between the risk of IBS and anxiety, neuroticism and depression (rg > 0.5). Additional analyses suggested this arises due to shared pathogenic pathways rather than, for example, anxiety causing abdominal symptoms. Implicated mechanisms require further exploration to help understand the altered brain–gut interactions underlying IBS

Integrated rumen microbiome and serum metabolome analysis responses to feed type that contribution to meat quality in lambs

Abstract Background Lifestyle factors, such as diet, are known to be a driver on the meat quality, rumen microbiome and serum metabolites. Rumen microbiome metabolites may be important for host health, the correlation between rumen microbiome and production of rumen metabolites are reported, while the impact of rumen microbiome on the serum metabolome and fatty acid of meat are still unclear. This study was designed to explore the rumen microbiome, serum metabolome and fatty acid of meat in response to the grass diet and concentrate diet to lambs, and the relationship of which also investigated. Methods In the present study, 12 lambs were randomly divided into two groups: a grass diet (G) and a concentrate diet (C). Here, multiple physicochemical analyses combined with 16S rRNA gene sequences and metabolome analysis was performed to reveal the changes that in response to feed types. Results The concentrate diet could improve the growth performance of lambs compared to that fed with the grass diet. The microbiome composition was highly individual, compared to the concentrate group, the abundance of Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, F082_unclassified, Muribaculaceae_unclassified, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, Bacteroidetes_unclassified, and Bacteroidales_UCG-001_unclassified were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the grass group, while, the abundance of Succinivibrio, Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-002, Fibrobacter and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the grass group. Serum metabolomics analysis combined with enrichment analysis revealed that serum metabolites were influenced by feed type as well as the metabolic pathway, and significantly affected serum metabolites involved in amino acids, peptides, and analogues, bile acids, alcohols and derivatives, linoleic acids derivatives, fatty acids and conjugates. Most of the amino acids, peptides, and analogues metabolites were positively associated with the fatty acid contents. Among the bile acids, alcohols and derivatives metabolites, glycocholic was positively associated with all fatty acid contents, except C18:0, while 25-Hydroxycholesterol and lithocholic acid metabolites were negatively associated with most of the fatty acid contents. Conclusion Correlation analysis of the association of microbiome with metabolite features, metabolite features with fatty acid provides us with comprehensive understanding of the composition and function of microbial communities. Associations between utilization or production were widely identified among affected microbiome, metabolites and fatty acid, and these findings will contribute to the direction of future research in lamb

High entropy alloy thin films on SS304 substrates: Evolution of microstructure and interface modulated by energetic condensation in nanoscale

High entropy alloys (HEAs), as a novel material in the 21st century, possess several advantages, such as excellent corrosion &amp; oxidation resistance and high mechanical properties. HEA thin films show these favourable properties with lower material costs than their bulk counterparts. Studying the HEA film-substrate interface represents challenges but is of extreme importance for the understanding of growth mechanisms with important implications for film adhesion. However, most HEA films were deposited on monocrystalline silicon substrates with limited practical applicability. Further, where commercial stainless steel, aluminium or titanium alloy substrates were used, the microstructure and chemistry at the interface were neglected. Here, we deposited AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 HEA thin films on stainless steel 304 (SS304) substrates using cathodic arc deposition with different substrate biases. The crystallography and microstructure were investigated using an X-ray and electron-microscopy based chatacterization. A transition of an incoherent to semi-coherent interface was observed from 0 V to -50 V of the substrate bias. Energy dispersive spectroscopy demonstrated a transition of Cr2O3 to aluminum oxide across the interface. The nanoindentation tests revealed the significant improvement of mechanical properties of SS304 with HEA coatings. High-strength HEA (8.0 ± 0.2 GPa) thin films with semi-coherent interfaces were manufactured on SS304

Genome-wide analysis of 53,400 people with irritable bowel syndrome highlights shared genetic pathways with mood and anxiety disorders

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) results from disordered brain–gut interactions. Identifying susceptibility genes could highlight the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. We designed a digestive health questionnaire for UK Biobank and combined identified cases with IBS with independent cohorts. We conducted a genome-wide association study with 53,400 cases and 433,201 controls and replicated significant associations in a 23andMe panel (205,252 cases and 1,384,055 controls). Our study identified and confirmed six genetic susceptibility loci for IBS. Implicated genes included NCAM1, CADM2, PHF2/FAM120A, DOCK9, CKAP2/TPTE2P3 and BAG6. The first four are associated with mood and anxiety disorders, expressed in the nervous system, or both. Mirroring this, we also found strong genome-wide correlation between the risk of IBS and anxiety, neuroticism and depression (rg &gt; 0.5). Additional analyses suggested this arises due to shared pathogenic pathways rather than, for example, anxiety causing abdominal symptoms. Implicated mechanisms require further exploration to help understand the altered brain–gut interactions underlying IBS