bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing Preference of One- Vs. Two-Stage Implant Placement in Partially Edentulous Individuals: An 18-Year Retrospective Study
Authors: Chaushu Liat , Naishlos Sarit , Rosner Ofir , Zenziper Eran , Glikman Ari , Lavi David , Kupershmidt Irit , Zelikman Helena , Chaushu Gavriel , Nissan Joseph
Published: October 2020

The purpose of the present long-term retrospective study was to assess the changing preference of one- vs. two-stage implant placement in partially edentulous individuals. The clinical outcome measures were one- vs. two-stage implant placement, implant survival, and gingival index. The radiological outcome measure was crestal bone loss. Other recorded information included gender, age, implant characteristics (brand, type, length, diameter) and implant location (maxilla/mandible). A total of 393 implants in 111 patients were included. The results revealed that there were no significant demographic differences between the one- and two-stage implant placement groups. There was a preference for one-stage surgery when wide diameter implants were used and when the number of implants per patient was ≤3. The mandible was the major implant site in the one-stage surgery group. Crestal bone loss and gingival index were similar for the two groups in both the short and long term. It can be concluded that lack of any long-term differences in implant survival, crestal bone loss and gingival health around implants after one- or two-stage implant placement promoted a significant change over 18 years, increasing to 50% the prevalence of one-stage surgery.
Experimental Study on Seismic Retrofitting of Reinforced Concrete Frames Using Welded Concrete-Filled Steel Tubes
Authors: Ro Kyong Min , Kim Min Sook , Lee Young Hak
Published: October 2020

Buildings constructed with non-seismic details are at risk of damage and collapse when an earthquake occurs due to a lack of strength, stiffness, and ductility. For reinforced concrete (RC) moment-resisting frames, seismic retrofitting methods that can enhance strength or ductility should be applied. However, such strategies have many disadvantages related to constructability, serviceability, securing integrity, and cost. In this paper, a welded concrete-filled steel tube (WCFST) system was examined in order to resolve the problems of the existing seismic retrofitting methods for RC moment-resisting frames. To evaluate the seismic performance of the proposed system, two specimens, one with non-seismic details and another reinforced with a WCFST seismic system, were manufactured for the cyclic loading tests. As a result of the experiments, the specimen retrofitted with the WCFST system showed maximum load, effective stiffness, and energy dissipation capacity values approximately 3, 2, and 2.5 times greater, respectively, than those obtained from the existing reinforced concrete frame specimen. The experimental results indicate that the proposed WCFST system is expected to be effective at improving the seismic performance by enhancing both the strength of the existing reinforced concrete frame structures and the dissipation of the seismic energy.
Effect of Whey Protein Concentrate on Physicochemical, Sensory and Antioxidative Properties of High-Protein Fat-Free Dairy Desserts
Authors: Kusio Katarzyna , Szafrańska Jagoda O. , Radzki Wojciech , Sołowiej Bartosz G.
Published: October 2020

This study evaluates a new formula for high-protein fat-free dairy desserts. The rheological, textural, organoleptic and antioxidative properties of this product have been examined. They were prepared in laboratory conditions using a magnetic stirrer and then mixed in a water bath at 80 °C for 10 min. The composition included skimmed-milk powder, different concentrations of whey proteins (WPC80) (5, 7, 9, 11 or 13%), sucrose and ĸ-carrageenan. Samples were stored at 4 °C. The use of different amounts of whey proteins significantly influenced the texture, rheological properties and appearance of dairy desserts. With the increase of WPC80 content, the hardness (5–11%), adhesiveness (5–13%), cohesiveness (513%), springiness (5–11%) and viscosity (5–13%) of the high-protein fat-free dairy desserts increased. Elastic (gel) properties were exhibited throughout the process (G’ > G”). This result was confirmed by the measurements of tan(δ) (tan(δ) < 1). Water activity decreased with an increase in WPC80 content. Health-promoting features using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) measurements were evaluated. Both methods showed that the samples have antioxidant properties. Panelists described desserts with 9% WPC80 as the most favorable according to sensory properties. This research promotes the reduction of production waste using high-protein whey powder, a by-product of whey from cheese manufacturing, as a main component during food production, and it also promotes fat-free food.
Semantics-Preserving RDB2RDF Data Transformation Using Hierarchical Direct Mapping
Authors: Jun Hee-Gook , Im Dong-Hyuk
Published: October 2020

Direct mapping is an automatic transformation method used to generate resource description framework (RDF) data from relational data. In the field of direct mapping, semantics preservation is critical to ensure that the mapping method outputs RDF data without information loss or incorrect semantic data generation. However, existing direct-mapping methods have problems that prevent semantics preservation in specific cases. For this reason, a mapping method is developed to perform a semantics-preserving transformation of relational databases (RDB) into RDF data without semantic information loss and to reduce the volume of incorrect RDF data. This research reviews cases that do not generate semantics-preserving results, and the corresponding problems into categories are arranged. This paper defines lemmas that represent the features of RDF data transformation to resolve those problems. Based on the lemmas, this work develops a hierarchical direct-mapping method to strictly abide by the definition of semantics preservation and to prevent semantic information loss, reducing the volume of incorrect RDF data generated. Experiments demonstrate the capability of the proposed method to perform semantics-preserving RDB2RDF data transformation, generating semantically accurate results. This work impacts future studies, which should involve the development of synchronization methods to achieve RDF data consistency when original RDB data are modified.
New Perspectives for BIM Usage in Transportation Infrastructure Projects
Authors: Moreno Bazán Ángela , Alberti Marcos G. , Arcos Álvarez Antonio , Trigueros Jesús Alonso
Published: October 2020

Although there is already a great amount of scientific literature dealing with the use of building information modeling (BIM) in engineering activities, the majority refer to successful case studies using the usual methods and technology of building construction but rarely bring up the real problems for implementing BIM methodology to the field of transportation infrastructure. It must be also considered that the construction activity is only a part of the infrastructure life and the stakeholder must consider the works of enlargement, renewal, and maintenance of the infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is not only to show a mere review of the existing literature but also present a rational analysis for the use of BIM in different areas of civil engineering. For that purpose, the gathered experience in the use of BIM in civil engineering projects in the final course of Civil Engineering Master Studies in the Civil Engineering School (ETSICCP) at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid were compared with the reported literature. This way, a complete and updated information regarding tendencies, applications, and practice along with limitations and benefits can be presented. The significance of this research relies on the original insight of BIM for civil engineering applications through four case studies. Two of them were focused on construction possibilities and the other two on the possibilities in the exploitation, rehabilitation, and maintenance. The results showed that despite the lack of previous experiences, the use of BIM methodology is possible for activities such as maintenance, managing, or expansion of infrastructure by applying different specific software packages. Among the main problems needing to be addressed are the following: handling of big data files, the integration of new data non-related with the modeled object, and interchange of data without losing information. That proves the need of new more efficient techniques to overcome the challenge of the full use of BIM in the civil engineering field and obtain the mutual advantage of the co-operation of the academic and industrial worlds.
Development of Quality Control Requirements for Improving the Quality of Architectural Design Based on BIM
Authors: Choi Jungsik , Lee Sejin , Kim Inhan
Published: October 2020

Building information modeling (BIM) technology has been utilized increasingly in quantitative ways in the architecture, engineering, and construction disciplines. However, owing to increasing requirements for improvement in qualitative factors in BIM-based design projects, it has become necessary to develop a checking and evaluation process for BIM-based architectural design. The purpose of this study is to develop and apply BIM-based quality control requirements for improving the quality of architectural design. To achieve this, the research investigated case studies for BIM data quality control and classified quality control targets according to physical/logical quality and data quality. The quality check criteria and checklists are developed through the reconfiguration of deduced quality control targets by requirement. The research developed a rule-based quality checking system using requirements for efficient quality control based on BIM.
A Faraday Anomalous Dispersion Optical Filter Based on Rubidium Hollow-Cathode Lamp
Authors: Shen Liang , Ma Rui , Yin Longfei , Luo Bin , Pan Duo , Yu Song , Chen Jingbiao , Guo Hong
Published: October 2020

Using a hollow-cathode lamp (HCL) to build a Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter (FADOF) is a new method to realize narrow linewidth optical filters. In contrast to other atomic optical filters based on saturated vapors, which work at a relatively high temperature to maintain the atomic density, the HCL device using sputtered particles can work at a much lower temperature. In this work, a rubidium HCL-based FADOF (HCL-FADOF) working at 780 nm is established and carefully tested. With 20 mm cathode length, the transmittance can reach 29% under 18 mA discharge current and 260 G magnetic field at room temperature, which is equivalent to the performance of a saturated vapor-based FADOF (VC-FADOF) at more than 60 ∘C. This work provides a direct comparison of the performance of the HCL-FADOF and the VC-FADOF, which is of great benefit to further studies of atomic filters at normal temperature.
Entropic Ranks: A Methodology for Enhanced, Threshold-Free, Information-Rich Data Partition and Interpretation
Authors: de Lastic Hector-Xavier , Liampa Irene , G. Georgakilas Alexandros , Zervakis Michalis , Chatziioannou Aristotelis
Published: October 2020

Background: Here, we propose a threshold-free selection method for the identification of differentially expressed features based on robust, non-parametric statistics, ensuring independence from the statistical distribution properties and broad applicability. Such methods could adapt to different initial data distributions, contrary to statistical techniques, based on fixed thresholds. This work aims to propose a methodology, which automates and standardizes the statistical selection, through the utilization of established measures like that of entropy, already used in information retrieval from large biomedical datasets, thus departing from classical fixed-threshold based methods, relying in arbitrary p-value and fold change values as selection criteria, whose efficacy also depends on degree of conformity to parametric distributions,. Methods: Our work extends the rank product (RP) methodology with a neutral selection method of high information-extraction capacity. We introduce the calculation of the RP entropy of the distribution, to isolate the features of interest by their contribution to its information content. Goal is a methodology of threshold-free identification of the differentially expressed features, which are highly informative about the phenomenon under study. Conclusions: Applying the proposed method on microarray (transcriptomic and DNA methylation) and RNAseq count data of varying sizes and noise presence, we observe robust convergence for the different parameterizations to stable cutoff points. Functional analysis through BioInfoMiner and EnrichR was used to evaluate the information potency of the resulting feature lists. Overall, the derived functional terms provide a systemic description highly compatible with the results of traditional statistical hypothesis testing techniques. The methodology behaves consistently across different data types. The feature lists are compact and rich in information, indicating phenotypic aspects specific to the tissue and biological phenomenon investigated. Selection by information content measures efficiently addresses problems, emerging from arbitrary thresh-holding, thus facilitating the full automation of the analysis.
Estimation of Risk to the Eco-Environment and Human Health of Using Heavy Metals in the Uttarakhand Himalaya, India
Authors: Kumar Amit , Cabral-Pinto Marina , Kumar Amit , Kumar Munesh , Dinis Pedro A.
Published: October 2020

In the modern era, due to the rapid increase in urbanization and industrialization in the vicinity of the Himalayas, heavy metals contamination in soil has become a key priority for researchers working globally; however, evaluation of the human and ecological risks mainly in hilly areas remains limited. In this study, we analyzed indices like the contamination factor (CF), degree of contamination (DC), enrichment factor (EF), geochemical index (Igeo), pollution ecological risk index (PERI), and pollution load index (PLI), along with cancer risk (CR) and hazard indices (HI), to ascertain the eco-environmental and human risks of using heavy metals in datasets collected from 168 sampling locations in Uttarakhand, India. The evaluation calculated of Igeo, EF, and CF suggests that represented soil samples were moderately contaminated and highly augmented with Rb, while PERI (75.56) advocates a low ecological risk. Further, PLI and DC (PLI: 1.26; DC: 36.66) show a possible health risk for the native population in the vicinity of the studied catchment. The hazard index (HI) is estimated greater than 1 (HI > 1) for Cr and Mn, representing a possible risk for cancer. However, adults are free from cancer risk, and other studied elements have been reported as noncarcinogenic. This assessment gives important information to policymakers, environmentalists, and foresters for taking mitigation measures in advance to mitigate the potential future risk of soil pollution on humans, ecology, and the environment.
Robust Filtering Options for Higher-Order Strain Fields Generated by Digital Image Correlation
Authors: Amraish Nedaa , Reisinger Andreas , Pahr Dieter H.
Published: October 2020

Digital image correlation (DIC) systems have been used in many engineering fields to obtain surface full-field strain distribution. However, noise affects the accuracy and precision of the measurements due to many factors. The aim of this study was to find out how different filtering options; namely, simple mean filtering, Gaussian mean filtering and Gaussian low-pass filtering (LPF), reduce noise while maintaining the full-field information based on constant, linear and quadratic strain fields. Investigations are done in two steps. First, linear and quadratic strain fields with and without noise are simulated and projected to discrete measurement points which build up strain window sizes consisting of 6×5, 12×11, and 26×17 points. Optimal filter sizes are computed for each filter strategy, strain field type, and strain windows size, with minimal impairment of the signal information. Second, these filter sizes are used to filter full-field strain distributions of steel samples under tensile tests by using an ARAMIS DIC system to show their practical applicability. Results for the first part show that for a typical 12×11 strain window, simple mean filtering achieves an error reduction of 66–69%, Gaussian mean filtering of 72–75%, and Gaussian LPF of 66–69%. If optimized filters are used for DIC measurements on steel samples, the total strain error can be reduced from initial 240−300 μstrain to 100–150 μstrain. In conclusion, the noise-floor of DIC signals is considerable and the preferable filters were a simple mean with s*¯ = 2, a Gaussian mean with σ*¯ = 1.7, and a Gaussian LPF with D0*¯ = 2.5 in the examined cases.
Changes in the Characteristics of Dry and Wet Periods in Europe (1851–2015)
Authors: Hänsel Stephanie
Published: October 2020

This study spanning the period 1851–2015 explores the spatial and temporal characteristics of dry and wet periods in Europe as well as their variability and changes. It is based on up to 220 stations with monthly precipitation time series that have a varying data availability within the study period. The stations are classified into eight regions with similar climate characteristics. Dry and wet periods are analyzed using the decile method as well as the modified Rainfall Anomaly Index mRAI at the 3-month timescale. Spatial extent, duration, and frequency of dry and wet periods show a large multi-decadal variability resulting in comparatively small long-term trends over the entirety of Europe for the study periods 1901–2015 and 1951–2015. Nonetheless, several sub-regions show distinct changes—with opposite signals for northern and southern Europe. Spatial extent and duration of dry periods generally decreased, while wet periods show increases throughout the 20th century—particularly in Scandinavia. A simultaneous increase in the frequency of severely dry and wet years, respectively, is observed since the 1980s. This indicates that temperature increases across Europe may be connected with an increasing frequency of extremes at both sides of the probability density function of precipitation.
Microphysical Processes of a Cold Vortex during Its Movement to the East: A Case Study
Authors: Li Yanwei , Wang Weiwei , Qin Xin , Leeuw Gerrit de
Published: October 2020

A cold vortex is an important weather system that can cause low temperatures and large amounts of rainfall. Many scientific studies have focused on the climatological features of the cold vortex along with its formation, maintenance, structure, circulation features and precipitation distribution from a synoptic perspective. However, not many studies have been conducted related to the microphysical processes in a cold vortex. In this paper, a model study is presented on the microphysical features in a cloud system associated with a cold vortex system which lasted for four days. The system formed, strengthened, split into two and dissipated while it moved towards the east and brought extensive precipitation to the influenced area. The type and amount of precipitation were not evenly distributed: liquid precipitation covered the whole area influenced by the cloud system, while solid precipitation mainly covered high latitudes north of 48° N. In this case, the cloud system was very cold and the 0 °C; level was very low, with the result that the microphysical features were dominated by cold cloud processes. The mixing ratio of liquid particles was very small, and liquid particles only covered limited areas in the clouds. Due to the low temperature, there were insufficient cloud droplets throughout the whole system for the efficient production of rain droplets by coalescence. The snow mixing ratio was largest, and ice and snow covered the whole cloud area, with very little graupel, which occurred in only a small area. The distribution of the solid particles was influenced by their growth through aggregation, the Bergeron process or accretion, resulting in many snow particles. There were insufficient liquid particles to support the formation of very large particles such as graupel. Liquid precipitation was primarily caused by the melting of snow particles precipitating out of the clouds; solid precipitation was also primarily caused by snow particles that did not melt, along with some graupel.
Degradation of Veterinary Antibiotics in Swine Manure via Anaerobic Digestion
Authors: Hosseini Taleghani Ali , Lim Teng-Teeh , Lin Chung-Ho , Ericsson Aaron C. , Vo Phuc H.
Published: October 2020

Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are drawing a lot of attention due to their severe and irreversible consequences on human health. The animal industry is considered responsible in part because of the enormous volume of antibiotics used annually. In the current research, veterinary antibiotic (VA) degradation, finding the threshold of removal and recognizing the joint effects of chlortetracycline (CTC) and Tylosin combination on the digestion process were studied. Laboratory scale anaerobic digesters were utilized to investigate potential mitigation of VA in swine manure. The digesters had a working volume of 1.38 L (in 1.89-L glass jar), with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 21 days and a loading rate of 1.0 g-VS L−1 d−1. Digesters were kept at 39 ± 2 °C in incubators and loaded every two days, produced biogas every 4 days and digester pH were measured weekly. The anaerobic digestion (AD) process was allowed 1.5 to 2 HRT to stabilize before adding the VAs. Tests were conducted to compare the effects of VAs onto manure nutrients, volatile solid removal, VA degradation, and biogas production. Concentrations of VA added to the manure samples were 263 to 298 mg/L of CTC, and 88 to 263 mg/L of Tylosin, respectively. Analysis of VA concentrations before and after the AD process was conducted to determine the VA degradation. Additional tests were also conducted to confirm the degradation of both VAs dissolved in water under room temperature and digester temperature. Some fluctuations of biogas production and operating variables were observed because of the VA addition. All CTC was found degraded even only after 6 days of storage in water solution; thus, there was no baseline to estimate the effects of AD. As for Tylosin, 100% degradation was observed due to the AD (removal was 100%, compared with 24–40% degradation observed in the 12-day water solution storage). Besides, complete Tylosin degradation was also observed in the digestate samples treated with a mixture of the two VAs. Lastly, amplicon sequencing was performed on each group by using the 50 most variable operational taxonomic units (OTUs)s and perfect discriminations were detected between groups. The effect of administration period and dosage of VAs on Phyla Firmicutes Proteobacteria, Synergistetes and Phylum Bacteroides was investigated. These biomarkers’ abundance can be employed to predict the sample’s treatment group.
Over-Production of Therapeutic Growth Factors for Articular Cartilage Regeneration by Protein Production Platforms and Protein Packaging Cell Lines
Authors: Mobasheri Ali , Choi Heonsik , Martín-Vasallo Pablo
Published: October 2020

This review article focuses on the current state-of-the-art cellular and molecular biotechnology for the over-production of clinically relevant therapeutic and anabolic growth factors. We discuss how the currently available tools and emerging technologies can be used for the regenerative treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Transfected protein packaging cell lines such as GP-293 cells may be used as “cellular factories” for large-scale production of therapeutic proteins and pro-anabolic growth factors, particularly in the context of cartilage regeneration. However, when irradiated with gamma or x-rays, these cells lose their capacity for replication, which makes them safe for use as a live cell component of intra-articular injections. This innovation is already here, in the form of TissueGene-C, a new biological drug that consists of normal allogeneic primary chondrocytes combined with transduced GP2-293 cells that overexpress the growth factor transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). TissueGene-C has revolutionized the concept of cell therapy, allowing drug companies to develop live cells as biological drug delivery systems for direct intra-articular injection of growth factors whose half-lives are in the order of minutes. Therefore, in this paper, we discuss the potential for new innovations in regenerative medicine for degenerative diseases of synovial joints using mammalian protein production platforms, specifically protein packaging cell lines, for over-producing growth factors for cartilage tissue regeneration and give recent examples. Mammalian protein production platforms that incorporate protein packaging eukaryotic cell lines are superior to prokaryotic bacterial expression systems and are likely to have a significant impact on the development of new humanized biological growth factor therapies for treating focal cartilage defects and more generally for the treatment of degenerative joint diseases such as OA, especially when injected directly into the joint.
The Function of Drosophila USP14 in Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Retinal Degeneration in a Model for Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa
Authors: Park Jung-Eun , Trần Thị Xuân Thùy , Park Nayoung , Yeom Jeonghun , Kim Kyunggon , Kang Min-Ji
Published: October 2020

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and its adaptive cellular response, the unfolded protein response (UPR), are involved in various diseases including neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, and even cancers. Here, we analyzed the novel function of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 14 (USP14) in ER stress. The overexpression of Drosophila USP14 protected the cells from ER stress without affecting the proteasomal activity. Null Hong Kong (NHK) and alpha-1-antitrypsin Z (ATZ) are ER-associated degradation substrates. The degradation of NHK, but not of ATZ, was delayed by USP14. USP14 restored the levels of rhodopsin-1 protein in a Drosophila model for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa and suppressed the retinal degeneration in this model. In addition, we observed that proteasome complex is dynamically reorganized in response to ER stress in human 293T cells. These findings suggest that USP14 may be a therapeutic strategy in diseases associated with ER stress.
Stearic Acid and TNF-α Co-Operatively Potentiate MIP-1α Production in Monocytic Cells via MyD88 Independent TLR4/TBK/IRF3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Kochumon Shihab , Arefanian Hossein , Azim Rafaat , Shenouda Steve , Jacob Texy , Abu Khalaf Nermeen , Al-Rashed Fatema , Hasan Amal , Sindhu Sardar , Al-Mulla Fahd , Ahmad Rasheed
Published: October 2020

Increased circulatory and adipose tissue expression of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α (CC motif chemokine ligand-3/CCL3) and its association with inflammation in the state of obesity is well documented. Since obesity is associated with increases in both stearic acid and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in circulation, we investigated whether stearic acid and TNF-α together could regulate MIP-1α/CCL3 expression in human monocytic cells, and if so, which signaling pathways were involved in MIP-1α/CCL3 modulation. Monocytic cells were treated with stearic acid and TNF-α resulted in enhanced production of MIP-1α/CCL3 compared to stearic acid or TNF-α alone. To explore the underlying mechanisms, cooperative effect of stearic acid for MIP-α/CCL3 expression was reduced by TLR4 blocking, and unexpectedly we found that the synergistic production of MIP-α/CCL3 in MyD88 knockout (KO) cells was not suppressed. In contrast, this MIP-α/CCL3 expression was attenuated by inhibiting TBK1/IRF3 activity. Cells deficient in IRF3 did not show cooperative effect of stearate/TNF-α on MIP-1α/CCL3 production. Furthermore, activation of IRF3 by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) produced a cooperative effect with TNF-α for MIP-1α/CCL3 production that was comparable to stearic acid. Individuals with obesity show high IRF3 expression in monocytes as compared to lean individuals. Furthermore, elevated levels of MIP-1α/CCL3 positively correlate with TNF-α and CD163 in fat tissues from individuals with obesity. Taken together, this study provides a novel model for the pathologic role of stearic acid to produce MIP-1α/CCL3 in the presence of TNF-α associated with obesity settings.
The Development of a Biomimetic Design Tool for Building Energy Efficiency
Authors: Imani Negin , Vale Brenda
Published: October 2020

The initial aim of the research was to develop a framework that would enable architects to look for thermoregulation methods in nature as inspiration for designing energy efficient buildings. The thermo-bio-architectural framework (ThBA) assumes designers will start with a thermal challenge in a building and then look in a systematic way for how this same issue is solved in nature. The tool is thus a contribution to architectural biomimicry in the field of building energy use. Since the ThBA was created by an architect, it was essential that the biology side of this cross-disciplinary tool was validated by experts in biology. This article describes the focus group that was conducted to assess the quality, inclusiveness, and applicability of the framework and why a focus group was selected over other possible methods such as surveys or interviews. The article first provides a brief explanation of the development of the ThBA. Given the focus here is on its validation, the qualitative data collection procedures and analysis results produced by NVivo 12 plus through thematic coding are described in detail. The results showed the ThBA was effective in bridging the two fields based on the existing thermal challenges in buildings, and was comprehensive in terms of generalising biological thermal adaptation strategies.
Brain Oscillatory Activity during Tactile Stimulation Correlates with Cortical Thickness of Intact Areas and Predicts Outcome in Post-Traumatic Comatose Patients
Authors: Portnova Galina , Girzhova Irina , Filatova Daria , Podlepich Vitaliy , Tetereva Alina , Martynova Olga
Published: October 2020

In this study, we have reported a correlation between structural brain changes and electroencephalography (EEG) in response to tactile stimulation in ten comatose patients after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Structural morphometry showed a decrease in whole-brain cortical thickness, cortical gray matter volume, and subcortical structures in ten comatose patients compared to fifteen healthy controls. The observed decrease in gray matter volume indicated brain atrophy in coma patients induced by TBI. In resting-state EEG, the power of slow-wave activity was significantly higher (2–6 Hz), and the power of alpha and beta rhythms was lower in coma patients than in controls. During tactile stimulation, coma patients’ theta rhythm power significantly decreased compared to that in the resting state. This decrease was not observed in the control group and correlated positively with better coma outcome and the volume of whole-brain gray matter, the right putamen, and the insula. It correlated negatively with the volume of damaged brain tissue. During tactile stimulation, an increase in beta rhythm power correlated with the thickness of patients’ somatosensory cortex. Our results showed that slow-wave desynchronization, as a nonspecific response to tactile stimulation, may serve as a sensitive index of coma outcome and morphometric changes after brain injury.
Facile Preparation of a Novel Bi2WO6/Calcined Mussel Shell Composite Photocatalyst with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance
Authors: Li Shijie , Wang Chunchun , Liu Yanping , Xue Bing , Chen Jialin , Wang Hengwei , Liu Yu
Published: October 2020

The exploration of cost-effective and highly efficient photocatalysts is still a great challenge. In this work, a cost-effective and highly active Bi2WO6/calcined mussel shell (CMS/BWO) composite photocatalyst was prepared by a facile solvothermal route, in which Bi2WO6 nanosheets were tightly, evenly, and vertically grown on waste calcined mussel shells (CMS). Multiple techniques are adopted to characterize the phases, morphology, and chemical properties of the as-fabricated catalysts. In contrast to the stacked Bi2WO6, CMS/BWO has numerous exposed edges and open transfer pathways, which can create more open space and reactive sites for photocatalytic reactions. Such favorable characteristics enable CMS/BWO to efficiently degrade organic pollutants (e.g., rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB), tetracycline hydrochloride (TC)) under visible light. Moreover, the generation of reactive species during the photocatalytic process is also examined by trapping experiments, disclosing the pivotal role of photo-generated holes (h+) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) in the photo-degradation of pollutants. Above all, this study not only provides an efficient photocatalyst for environmental remediation, but it also opens up new possibilities for waste mussel shell reutilization.
Assessing Property Level Economic Impacts of Climate in the US, New Insights and Evidence from a Comprehensive Flood Risk Assessment Tool
Authors: Armal Saman , Porter Jeremy , Lingle Brett , Chu Ziyan , Marston Michael , Wing Oliver
Published: October 2020

Hurricanes and flood-related events cause more direct economic damage than any other type of natural disaster. In the United States, that damage totals more than USD 1 trillion in damages since 1980. On average, direct flood losses have risen from USD 4 billion annually in the 1980s to roughly USD 17 billion annually from 2010 to 2018. Despite flooding’s tremendous economic impact on US properties and communities, current estimates of expected damages are lacking due to the fact that flood risk in many parts of the US is unidentified, underestimated, or available models associated with high quality assessment tools are proprietary. This study introduces an economic-focused Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approach that builds upon an our existing understanding of prior assessment methods by taking advantage of a newly available, climate adjusted, parcel-level flood risk assessment model (First Street Foundation, 2020a and 2020b) in order to quantify property level economic impacts today, and into the climate adjusted future, using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and NASA’s Global Climate Model ensemble (CMIP5). This approach represents a first of its kind—a publicly available high precision flood risk assessment tool at the property level developed completely with open data sources and open methods. The economic impact assessment presented here has been carried out using residential buildings in New Jersey as a testbed; however, the environmental assessment tool on which it is based is a national scale property level flood assessment model at a 3 m resolution. As evidence of the reliability of the EIA tool, the 2020 estimated economic impact (USD 5481 annual expectation) was compared to actual average per claim-year NFIP payouts from flooding and found an average of USD 5540 over the life of the program (difference of less than USD 100). Additionally, the tool finds a 41.4% increase in average economic flood damage through the year 2050 when environmental change is included in the model.
Influence of Magnesium Aluminate Nanoparticles on Epoxy-Based Intumescent Flame Retardation Coating System
Authors: Abuhimd Hatem , Nageswara Rao Tentu , Song Jung-il , Yarasani Prashanthi , Ahmed Faheem , Parvatamma Botsa , Alothman Asma A. , Mana AL-Anazy Murefah , Ifseisi Ahmad A.
Published: October 2020

Ethylenediamine modified ammonium polyphosphate (EDA-MAPP) and charring-foaming agents (CFA) were prepared using a simple chemical method and further used to make intumescent flame retardant coatings based on epoxy resin. The content of MAPP and CFA was fixed at a ratio of 2:1. Nanoparticles of magnesium aluminate (MgAl2O4 NPs) have been introduced into the flame retardant coating formulation in various quantities to evaluate the promotional action of MgAl2O4 NPs with a flame retardant coating system. The promotional action of MgAl2O4 NPs on the flame retardant coating formulation was studied using a vertical burning test (UL-94V), limiting oxygen index (LOI), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The UL-94V results indicated that the addition of MgAl2O4 effectively increased flame retardancy and met the V-0 rating at each concentration. The TGA results revealed that the incorporation of MgAl2O4 NPs at each concentration effectively increased the thermal stability of the flame retardant coating system. Cone-calorimeter experiments show that MgAl2O4 NPs effectively decreased peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR). The FTIR results indicated that MgAl2O4 NPs can react with MAPP and generate a dense char layer that prevents the transfer of oxygen and heat.
Assessment of Anti-Corrosion Performances of Coating Systems for Corrosion Prevention of Offshore Wind Power Steel Structures
Authors: Eom Sung-Hyun , Kim Seong-Soo , Lee Jeong-Bae
Published: October 2020

The anti-corrosion performance of coating systems (cathode protection, organic coating, and duplex coating) applied to prevent the corrosion of offshore wind power plants was assessed. As an assessment method, the adhesion strength of each coating system was evaluated after exposing the coatings to the marine environment and an indoor salt spray test. It was confirmed that the adhesion strength varied depending on the exposure period, and the deterioration of adhesion strength was related to the fracture type of each coating layer. In addition, the fracture type of each coating system was analyzed and the adhesion strength was corrected according to the fracture type. The corrosion rates after exposure to the marine environment and indoor salt spray were compared and examined using the corrected values.
A Novel Method of Light Weighting Aluminium Using Magnesium Syntactic Composite Core
Authors: Matli Penchal Reddy , Sheng Joshua Goh Yong , Parande Gururaj , Manakari Vyasaraj , Chua Beng Wah , Wong Stephen Chee Khuen , Gupta Manoj
Published: October 2020

In this study, hybrid composite consisting of aluminium (Al) shell and magnesium/glass microballoon (Mg-20 wt.% GMB) syntactic composite core was fabricated in a shell-core pattern by combining powder metallurgy and disintegrated melt deposition (DMD) techniques. Physical, microstructural and mechanical properties of as-cast Al and Al/Mg-20GMB hybrid composite were examined. Approximately 13% reduction in density (with respect to aluminium) was realized through the use of a syntactic composite core. Microstructural investigations revealed reasonable interfacial integrity between aluminium shell and Mg-GMB core material and the presence of Al, Mg and GMB phases. The interface region showed a hardness of 109 ± 2 Hv in comparison to the hardness of Al shell region (68 ± 4 Hv) and Mg-20GMB core region (174 ± 5 Hv). In comparison to as-cast Al, the yield strength and ultimate compressive strength of the as-cast Al/Mg-20GMB hybrid composite increased by ~65.4% and ~60%, respectively. Further, the energy absorption under compressive loading for the Al/Mg-20GMB hybrid composite was ~26% higher compared to pure Al. This study validated that Al/Mg-20GMB hybrid composite with superior absolute and specific mechanical properties can be fabricated and used for weight critical applications.
Assessment of the Thermal Properties of Aromatic Esters as Novel Phase Change Materials
Authors: Ravotti Rebecca , Fellmann Oliver , Fischer Ludger J. , Worlitschek Jörg , Stamatiou Anastasia
Published: October 2020

In the quest for a decarbonized energy system, the development of highly efficient technologies that allow the integration of renewables is of the utmost importance. Latent Heat Storage systems with Phase Change Materials (PCM) can contribute to solving the issue of the mismatch between demand and supply brought forward by renewable energies. Despite possessing promising thermal properties, organic PCMs and esters in particular have rarely been investigated. In the present study, eight commercial aromatic esters are assessed as possible PCM candidates. To do so, their thermal properties, such as phase change temperature, enthalpy of fusion, density, and thermal conductivity, alongside sustainability and toxicity issues, are considered. The aromatic esters are found to possess phase change temperatures between −16 ∘C and 190 ∘C and maximum enthalpies of fusion of 160 J/g. This, alongside densities above 1 g/mL, makes them interesting candidates for high-temperature applications, where, typically, salts and ceramics or metals dominate as PCMs.
Phase Stability of Chloroform and Dichloromethane at High Pressure
Authors: Kurzydłowski Dominik , Chumak Taisiia , Rogoża Jakub
Published: October 2020

Chloroform (CHCl3) and dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) are model systems for the study of intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonds and halogen–halogen interactions. Here we report a joint computational (density-functional perturbation theory (DFPT) modelling) and experimental (Raman scattering) study on the behaviour of the crystals of these compounds up to a pressure of 32 GPa. Comparing the experimental information on the Raman band positions and intensities with the results of calculations enabled us to characterize the pressure-induced evolution of the crystal structure of both compounds. We find that the previously proposed P63 phase of CHCl3 is in fact a metastable structure, and that up to 32 GPa the ambient-pressure Pnma structure is the ground state polymorph of this compound. For CH2Cl2 we confirm the stability of the ambient-pressure Pbcn structure up to 32 GPa. We show that the high-pressure evolution of the crystal geometry of CHCl3 in the Pnma structure is a result of the subtle balance between dipole–dipole interactions, hydrogen bonds and Cl···Cl contacts. For CH2Cl2 (Pbcn structure) the dipole–dipole interactions and hydrogen bonds are the main factors influencing the pressure-induced changes in the geometry.
Analysis of Concrete Failure on the Descending Branch of the Load-Displacement Curve
Authors: Kolesnikov Gennadiy
Published: October 2020

In this paper, load-displacement and stress-strain diagrams are considered for the uniaxial compression of concrete and under three-point bending. It is known that the destruction of such materials occurs on the descending branch of the load-displacement diagram. The attention of the presented research is focused on the explanation of this phenomenon. Fracture mechanics approaches are used as a research tool. The method for determining effective stresses and modulus of elasticity of concrete based on the results of uniaxial compression tests has been substantiated. The ratios necessary for the calculation were obtained without any assumptions about the reinforcement of concrete and the mechanical properties of its components. However, the effect of these properties is considered indirectly, using the stress and strain peaks determined by standard concrete compression tests. It was found that the effective stresses increase both on the ascending branch and on the descending branch of the load-displacement diagram. This explains the destruction of concrete on the descending branch of the load-displacement diagram. The results of determining the stresses and modulus of elasticity under uniaxial compression are comparable with the results obtained in experiments known in the literature.
Effect of Process Conditions on Particle Size and Shape in Continuous Antisolvent Crystallisation of Lovastatin
Authors: McGinty John , Chong Magdalene W. S. , Manson Andrew , Brown Cameron J. , Nordon Alison , Sefcik Jan
Published: October 2020

Lovastatin crystals often exhibit an undesirable needle-like morphology. Several studies have shown how a needle-like morphology can be modified in antisolvent crystallisation with the use of additives, but there is much less experimental work demonstrating crystal shape modification without the use of additives. In this study, a series of unseeded continuous antisolvent crystallisation experiments were conducted with the process conditions of supersaturation, total flow rate, and ultrasound level being varied to determine their effects on crystal size and shape. This experimental work involved identifying acetone/water as the most suitable solvent/antisolvent system, assessing lovastatin nucleation behaviour by means of induction time measurements, and then designing and implementing the continuous antisolvent crystallisation experiments. It was found that in order to produce the smallest and least needle-like particles, the maximum total flow rate and supersaturation had to be combined with the application of ultrasound. These results should aid development of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes where the ability to control particle size and shape would allow for optimisation of crystal isolation and more efficient downstream processing.
Numerical Analysis of a Novel Shaft Lining Structure in Coal Mines Consisting of Hybrid-Fiber-Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Wang Xuesong , Cheng Hua , Wu Taoli , Yao Zhishu , Huang Xianwen
Published: October 2020

To address the temperature cracking of concrete in frozen shaft linings in extra-thick alluvial layers in coal mines, a novel shaft lining structure of coal mines consisting of hybrid-fiber-reinforced concrete (HFRC) was developed. Using the Finite Element Method (FEM), a numerical simulation test of the HFRC shaft lining structure with four factors and three levels was carried out, and the mechanical characteristics of the shaft lining structure were obtained. The results show that under a uniform surface load, the maximum hoop stress position of the HFRC shaft lining presents a transition trend from the inside surface to the outside surface; the hoop strain of shaft lining concrete is always a compressive strain, and the inside surface is greater than the outside surface. The empirical formula for the ultimate capacity of this new type of shaft lining structure was obtained by fitting. Compared with the model test results, the maximum relative error of the calculated value is only 6.69%, which provides a certain reference value for designing this kind of shaft lining structure.
The Topp-Leone Generalized Inverted Exponential Distribution with Real Data Applications
Authors: Al-Saiary Zakeia A. , Bakoban Rana A.
Published: October 2020

In this article, a new three parameters lifetime model called the Topp-Leone Generalized Inverted Exponential (TLGIE) Distribution is introduced. Various properties of the model are derived, including moments, quantile function, survival function, hazard rate function, mean deviation and mode. The method of maximum likelihood is used to estimate the unknown parameters. The properties of the maximum likelihood estimators using Fisher information matrix are studied. Three real data sets are applied for illustrative purpose of this study.