bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on Weak Fault Extraction Method for Alleviating the Mode Mixing of LMD
Authors: Zhang Lin , Wang Zhijian , Quan Long
Published: May 2018

Compared with the strong background noise, the energy entropy of early fault signals of bearings are weak under actual working conditions. Therefore, extracting the bearings’ early fault features has always been a major difficulty in fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. Based on the above problems, the masking method is introduced into the Local Mean Decomposition (LMD) decomposition process, and a weak fault extraction method based on LMD and mask signal (MS) is proposed. Due to the mode mixing of the product function (PF) components decomposed by LMD in the noisy background, it is difficult to distinguish the authenticity of the fault frequency. Therefore, the MS method is introduced to deal with the PF components that are decomposed by the LMD and have strong correlation with the original signal, so as to suppress the modal aliasing phenomenon and extract the fault frequencies. In this paper, the actual fault signal of the rolling bearing is analyzed. By combining the MS method with the LMD method, the fault signal mixed with the noise is processed. The kurtosis value at the fault frequency is increased by eight-fold, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is increased by 19.1%. The fault signal is successfully extracted by the proposed composite method.
Comparison of Compression-Based Measures with Application to the Evolution of Primate Genomes
Authors: Pratas Diogo , Silva Raquel M. , Pinho Armando J.
Published: May 2018

An efficient DNA compressor furnishes an approximation to measure and compare information quantities present in, between and across DNA sequences, regardless of the characteristics of the sources. In this paper, we compare directly two information measures, the Normalized Compression Distance (NCD) and the Normalized Relative Compression (NRC). These measures answer different questions; the NCD measures how similar both strings are (in terms of information content) and the NRC (which, in general, is nonsymmetric) indicates the fraction of one of them that cannot be constructed using information from the other one. This leads to the problem of finding out which measure (or question) is more suitable for the answer we need. For computing both, we use a state of the art DNA sequence compressor that we benchmark with some top compressors in different compression modes. Then, we apply the compressor on DNA sequences with different scales and natures, first using synthetic sequences and then on real DNA sequences. The last include mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), messenger RNA (mRNA) and genomic DNA (gDNA) of seven primates. We provide several insights into evolutionary acceleration rates at different scales, namely, the observation and confirmation across the whole genomes of a higher variation rate of the mtDNA relative to the gDNA. We also show the importance of relative compression for localizing similar information regions using mtDNA.
Conditional Maximum Likelihood of Three-Phase Phasor Estimation for μPMU in Active Distribution Networks
Authors: Li Jiang , Wei Wenzhen , Zhang Shuo , Li Guoqing , Gu Chenghong
Published: May 2018

Micro phasor measurement units (μPMU) installed in active distribution networks are very useful for improving observability by acquiring system real-time data. However, three-phase imbalance and harmonic power flows adversely impact the accuracy of synchronous measurements, which implies the importance of phasor estimation errors. This paper proposes a new phasor estimation algorithm for μPMU in active distribution networks that uses a conditional maximum likelihood (CML) estimation method. Firstly, the signal model of three-phase, three-wire and four-wire imbalance systems is established. Then, the probability distributions of the magnitude and phase angles are derived from the geometric characteristics of the CML method by solving the geometric equation. Simulation results show that the proposed CML based method is effective for estimating phasor and impedance models of active distribution networks by using μPMU measurement data.
Tree Vitality Assessment in Urban Landscapes
Authors: Callow David , May Peter , Johnstone Denise M.
Published: May 2018

The recent prolonged drought in Melbourne, Australia has had a deleterious effect on the urban forest, resulting in the premature decline of many mature trees and a consequent decline in the environmental services that trees are able to provide to urban residents. Measuring the severity of tree stress and defoliation due to various climatic factors is essential to the ongoing delivery of environmental services such as shade and carbon sequestration. This study evaluates two methods to assess the vitality of drought stressed Elm trees within an inner-city environment—bark chlorophyll fluorescence measured on large branches and an urban visual vitality index. Study species were Ulmus procera Salisb. (English Elm) and Ulmus × hollandica (Dutch Elm), which are important character and shade tree species for Melbourne. Relationships were identified between leaf water potential and the urban visual vitality index and between leaf water potential and bark chlorophyll fluorescence measured on large branches, indicating that these methods could be used to assess the effect of long-term drought and other stressors on urban trees.
Large-Scale Features of the Radio Sky and a Model for Loop I
Authors: Dickinson Clive
Published: May 2018

The large-scale radio/microwave sky has been mapped over a range of frequencies from tens of MHz to tens of GHz, in intensity and polarization. The emission is primarily synchrotron radiation from cosmic ray electrons spiralling in the Galactic magnetic field, in addition to free–free radiation from warm ionized gas. Away from the Galactic plane, the radio sky is dominated by very large (tens of degrees) loops, arcs, spurs and filaments, including the well-known North Polar Spur (NPS), which forms part of Loop I with a diameter of ∼ 120 ∘ . In polarization data, such features are often more discernible due to their high polarization fractions suggesting ordered magnetic fields, while the polarization angles suggest fields that are parallel to the filament. The exact nature of these features are poorly understood. We give a brief review of these features, focussing on the NPS/Loop I, whose polarization directions can be explained using a simple expanding shell model, placing the centre of the shell at a distance of ∼100–200 pc. However, there is significant evidence for a larger distance in the range ∼500–1000 pc, while larger distances including the Galactic Centre are unlikely. We also briefly discuss other large-scale curiosities in the radio sky such as the microwave haze and anti-correlation of H α filaments and synchrotron polarized intensity.
Recent Developments in Tough Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Liu Yuan , He Weilue , Zhang Zhongtian , Lee Bruce P.
Published: May 2018

A hydrogel is a three-dimensional polymer network with high water content and has been attractive for many biomedical applications due to its excellent biocompatibility. However, classic hydrogels are mechanically weak and unsuitable for most physiological load-bearing situations. Thus, the development of tough hydrogels used in the biomedical field becomes critical. This work reviews various strategies to fabricate tough hydrogels with the introduction of non-covalent bonds and the construction of stretchable polymer networks and interpenetrated networks, such as the so-called double-network hydrogel. Additionally, the design of tough hydrogels for tissue adhesive, tissue engineering, and soft actuators is reviewed.
Application of Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels as Probiotic Delivery Systems
Authors: Kwiecień Iwona , Kwiecień Michał
Published: May 2018

Polysaccharide hydrogels have been increasingly utilized in various fields. In this review, we focus on polysaccharide-based hydrogels used as probiotic delivery systems. Probiotics are microorganisms with a positive influence on our health that live in the intestines. Unfortunately, probiotic bacteria are sensitive to certain conditions, such as the acidity of the gastric juice. Polysaccharide hydrogels can provide a physical barrier between encapsulated probiotic cells and the harmful environment enhancing the cells survival rate. Additionally, hydrogels improve survivability of probiotic bacteria not only under gastrointestinal track conditions but also during storage at various temperatures or heat treatment. The hydrogels described in this review are based on selected polysaccharides: alginate, κ-carrageenan, xanthan, pectin and chitosan. Some hydrogels are obtained from the mixture of two polysaccharides or polysaccharide and non-polysaccharide compounds. The article discusses the efficiency of probiotic delivery systems made of single polysaccharide, as well as of systems comprising more than one component.
The Impacts of Spatiotemporal Landscape Changes on Water Quality in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Liu Zhenhuan , Yang Haiyan
Published: May 2018

The urban landscape in China has changed rapidly over the past four decades, which has led to various environmental consequences, such as water quality degradation at the regional scale. To improve water restoration strategies and policies, this study assessed the relationship between water quality and landscape change in Shenzhen, China, using panel regression analysis. The results show that decreases in natural and semi-natural landscape compositions have had significant negative effects on water quality. Landscape composition and configuration changes accounted for 39–58% of the variation in regional water quality degradation. Additionally, landscape fragmentation indices, such as patch density (PD) and the number of patches (NP), are important indicators of the drivers of water quality degradation. PD accounted for 2.03–5.44% of the variability in water quality, while NP accounted for −1.63% to −4.98% of the variability. These results indicate that reducing landscape fragmentation and enhancing natural landscape composition at the watershed scale are vital to improving regional water quality. The study findings suggest that urban landscape optimization is a promising strategy for mitigating urban water quality degradation, and the results can be used in policy making for the sustainable development of the hydrological environment in rapidly urbanizing areas.
Map Changes and Theme Evolution in Work Hours: A Co-Word Analysis
Authors: Liu Bei , Chen Hong , Huang Xinru
Published: May 2018

(1) Background: Work hours are the basic carrier impacting employees’ work–life experience and organizational performance, and employees have greater anxiety in relation to work hours as new technology requires an increasingly faster work rhythm. However, scientific research on this topic lags far behind the practice, calling to attention the need for research on work hours from the perspective of historical evolution; (2) Methods: The Bibliometric method is used to analyze the 6364 articles and their contained 77 high-frequency keywords related to work hours from the Web of Science published between 1901 and 2017. Additionally, an individual–organization–society integrative perspective was adopted to describe the map changes and theme evolution of work hours; (3) Results and conclusions: The hot spots of research at the organizational level changed significantly around 1990, with the theme of “long work hours” becoming the core issue in recent years. Studies on the individual level have gradually moved from physiological aspects to the issues of burnout and psychological distress. Research topics related to the social level are somewhat loose, and mainly focused on work–life conflict areas. In addition, the cluster analysis based on the high-frequency keywords classifies six research types according to their research themes. Based on these findings, future trends are proposed to provide theoretical and practical reference for future studies.
Melatonin as a Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review of Published Evidence
Authors: Osier Nicole , McGreevy Emily , Pham Lan , Puccio Ava , Ren Dianxu , Conley Yvette P. , Alexander Sheila , Dixon C. Edward
Published: May 2018

Melatonin (MEL) is a hormone that is produced in the brain and is known to bind to MEL-specific receptors on neuronal membranes in several brain regions. MEL’s documented neuroprotective properties, low toxicity, and ability to cross the blood-brain-barrier have led to its evaluation for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), a condition for which there are currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies. The purpose of this manuscript is to summarize the evidence surrounding the use of melatonin after TBI, as well as identify existing gaps and future directions. To address this aim, a search of the literature was conducted using Pubmed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Database. In total, 239 unique articles were screened, and the 22 preclinical studies that met the a priori inclusion/exclusion criteria were summarized, including the study aims, sample (size, groups, species, strain, sex, age/weight), TBI model, therapeutic details (preparation, dose, route, duration), key findings, and conclusions. The evidence from these 22 studies was analyzed to draw comparisons across studies, identify remaining gaps, and suggest future directions. Taken together, the published evidence suggests that MEL has neuroprotective properties via a number of mechanisms with few toxic effects reported. Notably, available evidence is largely based on data from adult male rats and, to a lesser extent, mice. Few studies collected data beyond a few days of the initial injury, necessitating additional longer-term studies. Other future directions include diversification of samples to include female animals, pediatric and geriatric animals, and transgenic strains.
Alterations in Cellular Iron Metabolism Provide More Therapeutic Opportunities for Cancer
Authors: Zhou Liangfu , Zhao Bin , Zhang Lixiu , Wang Shenghang , Dong Dandan , Lv Huanhuan , Shang Peng
Published: May 2018

Iron is an essential element for the growth and proliferation of cells. Cellular iron uptake, storage, utilization and export are tightly regulated to maintain iron homeostasis. However, cellular iron metabolism pathways are disturbed in most cancer cells. To maintain rapid growth and proliferation, cancer cells acquire large amounts of iron by altering expression of iron metabolism- related proteins. In this paper, normal cellular iron metabolism and the alterations of iron metabolic pathways in cancer cells were summarized. Therapeutic strategies based on targeting the altered iron metabolism were also discussed and disrupting redox homeostasis by intracellular high levels of iron provides new insight for cancer therapy. Altered iron metabolism constitutes a promising therapeutic target for cancer therapy.
The Thermodynamics of Internal Combustion Engines: Examples of Insights
Authors: Caton Jerald A.
Published: May 2018

A major goal of the development of internal combustion (IC) engines continues to be higher performance and efficiencies. A major aspect of achieving higher performance and efficiencies is based on fundamental thermodynamics. Both the first and second laws of thermodynamics provide strategies for and limits to the thermal efficiencies of engines. The current work provides three examples of the insights that thermodynamics provides to the performance and efficiencies of an IC engine. The first example evaluates low heat rejection engine concepts, and, based on thermodynamics, demonstrates the difficulty of this concept for increasing efficiencies. The second example compares and contrasts the thermodynamics associated with external and internal exhaust gas dilution. Finally, the third example starts with a discussion of the Otto cycle analysis and explains why this is an incorrect model for the IC engine. An important thermodynamic property that is responsible for many of the observed effects is specific heat.
Octyl Gallate as an Intervention Catalyst to Augment Antifungal Efficacy of Caspofungin
Authors: Kim Jong , Chan Kathleen , Cheng Luisa
Published: May 2018

Filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus spp. are opportunistic pathogens, which cause highly invasive infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Control of such fungal pathogens is increasingly problematic due to the small number of effective drugs available for treatment. Moreover, the increased incidence of fungal resistance to antifungal agents makes this problem a global human health issue. The cell wall integrity system of fungi is the target of antimycotic drugs echinocandins, such as caspofungin (CAS). However, echinocandins cannot completely inhibit the growth of filamentous fungal pathogens, which results in survival/escape of fungi during treatment. Chemosensitization was developed as an alternative intervention strategy, where co-application of CAS with the intervention catalyst octyl gallate (OG; chemosensitizer) greatly enhanced CAS efficacy, thus achieved ≥99.9% elimination of filamentous fungi in vitro. Based on hypersensitive responses of Aspergillus antioxidant mutants to OG, it is hypothesized that, besides destabilizing cell wall integrity, the redox-active characteristic of OG may further debilitate the fungal antioxidant system.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Zn-Ni-Al2O3 Composite Coatings
Authors: Bai Yang , Wang Zhenhua , Li Xiangbo , Huang Guosheng , Li Caixia , Li Yan
Published: May 2018

Zn-Ni-Al2O3 composite coatings with different Ni contents were fabricated by low-pressure cold spray (LPCS) technology. The effects of the Ni content on the microstructural and mechanical properties of the coatings were investigated. According to X-ray diffraction patterns, the composite coatings were primarily composed of metallic-phase Zn and Ni and ceramic-phase Al2O3. The energy-dispersive spectroscopy results show that the Al2O3 content of the composite coatings gradually decreased with increasing of Ni content. The cross-sectional morphology revealed thick, dense coatings with a wave-like stacking structure. The process of depositing Zn and Ni particles and Al2O3 particles by the LPCS method was examined, and the deposition mechanism was demonstrated to be mechanical interlocking. The bond strength, micro hardness and friction coefficient of the coatings did not obviously change when the Ni content varied. The presence of Al2O3 and Ni increased the wear resistance of the composite coatings, which was higher than that of pure Zn coatings, and the wear mechanism was abrasive and adhesive wear.
Hydrogen Production by Sorption Enhanced Steam Reforming (SESR) of Biomass in a Fluidised-Bed Reactor Using Combined Multifunctional Particles
Authors: Clough Peter , Boot-Handford Matthew , Zheng Liya , Zhang Zili , Fennell Paul
Published: May 2018

The performance of combined CO2-sorbent/catalyst particles for sorption enhanced steam reforming (SESR), prepared via a simple mechanical mixing protocol, was studied using a spout-fluidised bed reactor capable of continuous solid fuel (biomass) feeding. The influence of particle size (300–500 and 710–1000 µm), CaO loading (60–100 wt %), Ni-loading (10–40 wt %) and presence of dicalcium silicate support (22.6 wt %) on SESR process performance were investigated. The combined particles were characterised by their density, porosity and CO2 carrying capacity with the analysis by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). All experiments were conducted with continuous oak biomass feeding at a rate of 0.9 g/min ± 10%, and the reactor was operated at 660 ± 5 °C, 1 atm and 20 ± 2 vol % steam which corresponds to a steam-to-carbon ratio of 1.2:1. Unsupported combined particles containing 21.0 wt % Ni and 79 wt % CaO were the best performing sorbent/catalyst particle screened in this study, when accounting for the cost of Ni and the improvement in H2 produced by high Ni content particles. SESR tests with these combined particles produced 61 mmol H2/gbiomass (122 g H2/kgbiomass) at a purity of 61 vol %. Significant coke formation within the feeding tube and on the surfaces of the particles was observed which was attributed to the low steam to carbon ratio utilised.
A Review of Tunable Wavelength Selectivity of Metamaterials in Near-Field and Far-Field Radiative Thermal Transport
Authors: Tian Yanpei , Ghanekar Alok , Ricci Matt , Hyde Mikhail , Gregory Otto , Zheng Yi
Published: May 2018

Radiative thermal transport of metamaterials has begun to play a significant role in thermal science and has great engineering applications. When the key features of structures become comparable to the thermal wavelength at a particular temperature, a narrowband or wideband of wavelengths can be created or shifted in both the emission and reflection spectrum of nanoscale metamaterials. Due to the near-field effect, the phenomena of radiative wavelength selectivity become significant. These effects show strong promise for applications in thermophotovoltaic energy harvesting, nanoscale biosensing, and increased energy efficiency through radiative cooling in the near future. This review paper summarizes the recent progress and outlook of both near-field and far-field radiative heat transfer, different design structures of metamaterials, applications of unique thermal and optical properties, and focuses especially on exploration of the tunable radiative wavelength selectivity of nano-metamaterials.
Fully Ab-Initio Determination of the Thermoelectric Properties of Half-Heusler NiTiSn: Crucial Role of Interstitial Ni Defects
Authors: Berche Alexandre , Jund Philippe
Published: May 2018

For thermoelectric applications, ab initio methods generally fail to predict the transport properties of the materials because of their inability to predict properly the carrier concentrations that control the electronic properties. In this work, a methodology to fill in this gap is applied on the NiTiSn half Heusler phase. For that, we show that the main defects act as donor of electrons and are responsible of the electronic properties of the material. Indeed, the presence of Nii interstitial defects explains the experimental valence band spectrum and its associated band gap reported in the literature. Moreover, combining the DOS of the solid solutions with the determination of the energy of formation of charged defects, we show that Nii defects are also responsible of the measured carrier concentration in experimentally supposed “pure” NiTiSn compounds. Subsequently the thermoelectric properties of NiTiSn can be calculated using a fully ab initio description and an overall correct agreement with experiments is obtained. This methodology can be extended to predict the result of extrinsic doping and thus to select the most efficient dopant for specific thermoelectric applications.
Enhancing Strong Neighbor-Based Optimization for Distributed Model Predictive Control Systems
Authors: Gao Shan , Zheng Yi , Li Shaoyuan
Published: May 2018

This paper considers a class of large-scale systems which is composed of many interacting subsystems, and each of them is controlled by an individual controller. For this type of system, to improve the optimization performance of the entire closed-loop system in a distributed framework without the entire system’s information or too-complicated network information, connectivity is always an important topic. To achieve this purpose, a distributed model predictive control (DMPC) design method is proposed in this paper, where each local model predictive control (MPC) considers the optimization performance of its strong coupling subsystems and communicates with them. A method to determine the strength of the coupling relationship based on the closed-loop system’s performance and subsystem network connectivity is proposed for the selection of each subsystem’s neighbors. Finally, through integrating the steady-state calculation, the designed DMPC is able to guarantee the recursive feasibility and asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system in the cases of both tracking set point and stabilizing system to zeroes. Simulation results show the efficiency of the proposed DMPC.
Tools for Detection of Schistosomiasis in Resource Limited Settings
Authors: Ajibola Olumide , Gulumbe Bashar Haruna , Eze Anthonius Anayochukwu , Obishakin Emmanuel
Published: May 2018

Schistosomiasis is a debilitating disease affecting over 200 million people, with the highest burden of morbidity and mortality in African countries. Despite its huge impact on the health and socio-economic burden of the society, it remains a neglected tropical disease, with limited attention from governments and stakeholders in healthcare. One of the critical areas that is hugely under-developed is the development of accurate diagnostics for both intestinal and urogenital schistosomiasis. Diagnosis of schistosomiasis is important for the detection and treatment of disease in endemic and non-endemic settings. A conclusive detection method is also an indispensable part of treatment, both in the clinic and during mass drug administration (MDA), for the monitoring efficacy of treatment. Here, we review the available diagnostic methods and discuss the challenges encountered in diagnosis in resource limited settings. We also present the available diagnostics and cost implications for deployment in resource limited settings. Lastly, we emphasize the need for more funding directed towards the development of affordable diagnostic tools that is affordable for endemic countries as we work towards the elimination of the disease.
Fabrication Technology and Material Characterization of Hot Rolled Cylindrical Fe-6.5 wt. % Si Bars
Authors: Wen Shibo , Xue Shaowei , Han Chaoyu , Liu Binbin , Liang Yongfeng , Ye Feng
Published: May 2018

Cylindrical Fe-6.5 wt. % Si bars of 7.5 mm diameter were successfully fabricated from an as-cast ingot through three rolling stages, with 10 total passes: rough rolling at 850–900 °C and 8–10 m/min; medium rolling at 800–850 °C and 10–15 m/min; finish rolling at 800–850 °C and 12–18 m/min. The evolution of the microstructure, texture, and ordered structure were studied, and the mechanical properties were investigated. Results indicated that the grains were refined by the hot bar rolling. Area fractions of the {100}<011> and {011}<100> oriented grains decreased to 0 during hot bar rolling, whereas the {100}<001>, {011}<211>, and {112}<110> components increased. Furthermore, the γ fiber with {111}<110> component was dominant. After the hot bar rolling, the DO3 ordered phase was suppressed, and the B2 ordered domains were refined. Ductility of the as-rolled bar was better than that of the rotary-swaged bar, due to the absence of the DO3 ordered phase, and refinement of the grains in the rolled bar. Moreover, discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) occurred at a high deformation rate during the rough rolling, and continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) appeared at a low strain rate during the finish rolling. Hence, hot bar rolling technology is an excellent process for the fabrication of Fe-6.5 wt. % Si bars.
Automatic Parameter Tuning of Multiple-Point Statistical Simulations for Lateritic Bauxite Deposits
Authors: Dagasan Yasin , Renard Philippe , Straubhaar Julien , Erten Oktay , Topal Erkan
Published: May 2018

The application of multiple-point statistics (MPS) in the mining industry is not yet widespread and there are very few applications so far. In this paper, we focus on the problem of algorithmic input parameter selection, which is required to perform MPS simulations. The usual approach for selecting the parameters is to conduct a manual sensitivity analysis by testing a set of parameters and evaluating the resulting simulation qualities. However, carrying out such a sensitivity analysis may require significant time and effort. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel approach to automate the parameter tuning process. The primary criterion used to select the parameters is the reproduction of the conditioning data patterns in the simulated image. The parameters of the MPS algorithm are obtained by iteratively optimising an objective function with simulated annealing. The objective function quantifies the dissimilarity between the pattern statistics of the conditioning data and the simulation image in two steps: the pattern statistics are first obtained using a smooth histogram method; then, the difference between the histograms is evaluated by computing the Jensen–Shanon divergence. The proposed approach is applied for the simulation of the geological interface (footwall contact) within a laterite-type bauxite mine deposit using the Direct Sampling MPS algorithm. The results point out two main advantages: (1) a faster parameter tuning process and (2) more objective determination of the parameters.
Evaluation of Transition Metal Complexes of Benzimidazole-Derived Scaffold as Promising Anticancer Chemotherapeutics
Authors: Hussain Afzal , AlAjmi Mohamed F. , Rehman Md. Tabish , Khan Azmat Ali , Shaikh Perwez Alam , Khan Rais Ahmad
Published: May 2018

Three new transition metal complexes, Cu(II) 1, Co(II) 2, and Zn(II) 3 with ligand “bimnap” derived from 1-methyl-2-aminobenzimidazole and 2-hydroxynapthaldehyde were synthesized and characterized. The structure of the ligand was determined by single X-ray crystallography. All the three complexes, 1–3, were examined for the mode of interaction with biomolecule viz., calf thymus-DNA (CT-DNA) using various spectroscopic methods. The nuclease activity was performed against pBR322 DNA that exhibited concentration-dependent degradation of the nucleic acid. The mechanism of DNA cleavage was studied by the electrophoretic pattern in the presence of the radical scavengers. Also, the complexes 1–3 were analyzed for groove binding affinity. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxicities of the complexes 1–3 were tested against the five human cancer cell lines, i.e., HeLa, SK-MEL-1, HepG2, HT108, and MDA-MB 231. Also, the cell adhesion and migration properties upon treatment of cell lines with complexes 1–3, and consequently, their cell death pathway via apoptosis and necrosis were analyzed. Further, complexes 1–3 were studied in vivo for their toxicities and tolerabilities in mice. In sum, the complexes 1–3 showed merits of an effective anticancer agent in cell lines–based study while minor side effects were observed in vivo.
Evaluation of Lactic Acid Bacteria on the Inhibition of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Infection and Its Application to Food Systems
Authors: Tsai Cheng-Chih , Hung Yung-Hsien , Chou Lan-Chun
Published: May 2018

This study tested the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inhibition on Vibrio parahaemolyticus BCRC (Bioresource Collection and Research Center) 10806 and BCRC 12865 in a food model. MTT [3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assays indicated that Caco-2 cells were not damaged after a two-hour treatment with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and V. parahaemolyticus. The LAB cell culture and supernatant effectively inhibited the growth of V. parahaemolyticus in a food model. ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) results indicated the significant inhibition of TNF-α; IL-1β; and IL-6; but Lactobacillus plantarum PM 222 and L. plantarum LP 735 did not significantly affect IL-8 levels. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results indicated that LAB could inhibit the mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-8; IL-6; and TNF-α; which were induced by V. parahaemolyticus. After rat-received LAB; the expression levels of TNF-α; IL-6; and IL-8 in the serum decreased significantly. In intestinal histology; the rat that received L. plantarum PM 222 and L. plantarum LP 010 was able to alleviate the intestinal villi damage caused by V. parahaemolyticus; which also helped reduce cell apoptosis. In conclusion; our results indicate that LAB can inhibit inflammatory responses caused by V. parahaemolyticus and can effectively inhibit the growth of V. parahaemolyticus in food products.
Enhanced Catalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol Driven by Fe3O4-Au Magnetic Nanocomposite Interface Engineering: From Facile Preparation to Recyclable Application
Authors: Chen Yue , Zhang Yuanyuan , Kou Qiangwei , Liu Yang , Han Donglai , Wang Dandan , Sun Yantao , Zhang Yongjun , Wang Yaxin , Lu Ziyang , Chen Lei , Yang Jinghai , Xing Scott Guozhong
Published: May 2018

In this work, we report the enhanced catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol driven by Fe3O4-Au magnetic nanocomposite interface engineering. A facile solvothermal method is employed for Fe3O4 hollow microspheres and Fe3O4-Au magnetic nanocomposite synthesis via a seed deposition process. Complementary structural, chemical composition and valence state studies validate that the as-obtained samples are formed in a pure magnetite phase. A series of characterizations including conventional scanning/transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetic testing and elemental mapping is conducted to unveil the structural and physical characteristics of the developed Fe3O4-Au magnetic nanocomposites. By adjusting the quantity of Au seeds coating on the polyethyleneimine-dithiocarbamates (PEI-DTC)-modified surfaces of Fe3O4 hollow microspheres, the correlation between the amount of Au seeds and the catalytic ability of Fe3O4-Au magnetic nanocomposites for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) is investigated systematically. Importantly, bearing remarkable recyclable features, our developed Fe3O4-Au magnetic nanocomposites can be readily separated with a magnet. Such Fe3O4-Au magnetic nanocomposites shine the light on highly efficient catalysts for 4-NP reduction at the mass production level.
Association of Tea Consumption with Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Anti-Beta-Amyloid Effects of Tea
Authors: Polito Curt Anthony , Cai Zhuo-Yu , Shi Yun-Long , Li Xu-Min , Yang Rui , Shi Meng , Li Qing-Sheng , Ma Shi-Cheng , Xiang Li-Ping , Wang Kai-Rong , Ye Jian-Hui , Lu Jian-Liang , Zheng Xin-Qiang , Liang Yue-Rong
Published: May 2018

Neurodegenerative disease Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is attracting growing concern because of an increasing patient population among the elderly. Tea consumption is considered a natural complementary therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. In this paper, epidemiological studies on the association between tea consumption and the reduced risk of AD are reviewed and the anti-amyloid effects of related bioactivities in tea are summarized. Future challenges regarding the role of tea in preventing AD are also discussed.
The Impact of Nutrition and Health Claims on Consumer Perceptions and Portion Size Selection: Results from a Nationally Representative Survey
Authors: Benson Tony , Lavelle Fiona , Bucher Tamara , McCloat Amanda , Mooney Elaine , Egan Bernadette , Collins Clare E. , Dean Moira
Published: May 2018

Nutrition and health claims on foods can help consumers make healthier food choices. However, claims may have a ‘halo’ effect, influencing consumer perceptions of foods and increasing consumption. Evidence for these effects are typically demonstrated in experiments with small samples, limiting generalisability. The current study aimed to overcome this limitation through the use of a nationally representative survey. In a cross-sectional survey of 1039 adults across the island of Ireland, respondents were presented with three different claims (nutrition claim = “Low in fat”; health claim = “With plant sterols. Proven to lower cholesterol”; satiety claim = “Fuller for longer”) on four different foods (cereal, soup, lasagne, and yoghurt). Participants answered questions on perceived healthiness, tastiness, and fillingness of the products with different claims and also selected a portion size they would consume. Claims influenced fillingness perceptions of some of the foods. However, there was little influence of claims on tastiness or healthiness perceptions or the portion size selected. Psychological factors such as consumers’ familiarity with foods carrying claims and belief in the claims were the most consistent predictors of perceptions and portion size selection. Future research should identify additional consumer factors that may moderate the relationships between claims, perceptions, and consumption.
Olive Oil and Soybean Oil Based Intravenous Lipid Emulsions, Liver Biochemistry and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Araujo Fabio , Fenton Tanis , Lukmanji Sara , Raman Maitreyi
Published: May 2018

Intravenous lipid emulsions are an essential component of parenteral nutrition (PN). Omega-6 reducing strategies may improve outcomes, including reduced PN associated liver disease, however evidence to support this recommendation is insufficient. The primary objective was to compare serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), among patients provided with either soybean oil (Intralipid) or predominantly olive oil (Clinoleic) lipid emulsions. In this quasi-experimental study, we reviewed the medical records of surgical and medical adult patients who received lipid emulsions for at least seven consecutive days. Among the 206 patients (110—Intralipid, 96—Clinoleic) there was no significant difference in ALP and remaining liver function tests within 2 weeks of PN therapy initiation between groups, even after control for lipid doses. Macronutrient dosing was similar. Triglyceride level was higher by 0.7 mmol/L in the Clinoleic group; confidence interval 0.21 to 1.1; p = 0.004. The 30-day mortality, length of hospital stay, and proportion of patients admitted to intensive care were not significantly different. The Clinoleic group had a higher infection rate (36% vs. 22%, p = 0.031) and longer intensive care stays (p = 0.045). Well-designed randomized clinical trials comparing these lipid emulsions are necessary to confirm Intralipid superiority over Clinoleic in relation to infections and serum triglycerides.
Co-Morbidities as Predictors of Airflow Limitation among Smokers in England
Authors: Kayyali Reem , Hassan Yusur , Hesso Iman , Siva Roshan
Published: May 2018

The prevalence of co-morbidities among patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is well documented in the literature. Therefore, this pilot study aimed to identify whether co-morbidities screening would enhance COPD case-finding. Smoking patients were approached at Croydon University Hospital and two local community pharmacies (CPs). Their co-morbidities, respiratory symptoms, smoking pack-years and exercise capacity were collected. Airflow limitation was determined using handheld spirometry (COPD-6) device. The prevalence of airflow limitation was 42% (n = 21/50). The main identified predictors of airflow limitation were: co-morbidities (OR = 9, CI: 1.04–77.81, p = 0.025), respiratory symptoms (OR = 33.54, CI: 1.06–11.77, p = 0.039) and smoking history of ≥20 pack-years (OR = 3.94, CI: 1.13–13.64, p = 0.029). CPs were the main location for case-finding. This study demonstrated the need to screen for co-morbidities for COPD case-finding within CPs.
Effects of Die Configuration on the Electrical Conductivity of Polypropylene Reinforced Milled Carbon Fibers: An Application on a Bipolar Plate
Authors: Mohd Radzuan Nabilah Afiqah , Sulong Abu Bakar , Rao Somalu Mahendra , Majlan Edy Herianto , Husaini Teuku , Rosli Masli Irwan
Published: May 2018

Die configurations, filler orientations, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties of polypropylene reinforced milled carbon fibers were studied as functions of their manufacturing processes. Series of manufacturing processes often deteriorate the material properties, hence, finding a suitable process aid is key to improving the electrical and mechanical properties of composite materials. Compared with the conventional manufacturing process, extrusion is a key process in the production of a highly conductive composite. A twin-screw extruder was used at a temperature of 230 °C and a rotational speed of 50 rpm before the compression molding process was carried out at 200 °C and 13 kPa. This research examined different die configurations, namely rod and sheet dies. The results indicated that the rod dies showed better mechanical properties and electrical conductivity with 25 MPa and 5 S/cm compared to the sheet dies. Moreover, rod dies are able to orientate to 86° and obtain longest filler length with 55 μm compared to the sheet dies. The alteration of the filler orientation in the produced material at a high shear rate further enhanced the electrical conductivity of the material.
Hyaluronan-Chondroitin Sulfate Anomalous Crosslinking Due to Temperature Changes
Authors: Andrysiak Tomasz , Bełdowski Piotr , Siódmiak Jacek , Weber Piotr , Ledziński Damian
Published: May 2018

Glycosaminoglycans are a wide class of biopolymers showing great lubricating properties due to their structure and high affinity to water. Two of them, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate, play an important role in articular cartilage lubrication. In this work, we present results of the all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of both molecules placed in water-based solution. To mimic changes of the physiological conditions, especially temperature, of the synovial fluid in joints under successive load (e.g., walking, jogging, jumping), simulations have been performed at different physiological temperatures in the range of 300 to 320 Kelvin (normal intra-articular temperature is 305 K). The stability of the biopolymeric network at equilibrium (isothermal and isobaric) conditions has been studied. To understand the process of physical crosslinking, the dynamics of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds forming and breaking have been studied. The results show that following addition of chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronan creates more intermolecular hydrogen bonds than when in homogeneous solution. The presence of chondroitin in a hyaluronan network is beneficial as it may increase its stability. Presented data show hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate as viscosity modifiers related to their crosslinking properties in different physicochemical conditions.
Love Wave Sensor for Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Detection Based on Hydrophilic Molecularly-Imprinted Polymer
Authors: Tang Pingping , Wang Yaobin , Huo Jichuan , Lin Xiaoyan
Published: May 2018

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a biomarker for prostate cancer (PCa), and a specific and reliable detection technique of PSMA is urgently required for PCa early diagnosis. A Love wave sensor has been widely studied for real-time sensing and highly sensitive applications, but the sensing unit needs special handling for selective detection purpose. In this study, we prepared a versatile Love wave sensor functionalized with molecularly-imprinted polymers (MIP), PSMA as the template molecule. To enhance the specific template bindings of MIP in pure aqueous solutions, facile reversible addition/fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) precipitation polymerization (RAFTPP) was used to produce surface hydrophilic polymer brushes on MIP. The presence of hydrophilic polymer brushes on MIP improved its surface hydrophilicity and significantly reduced their hydrophobic interactions with template molecules in pure aqueous media. In detection process, the acoustic delay-line is confederative to a microfluidic chip and inserted in an oscillation loop. The real-time resonance frequency of the MIP-based Love wave sensor to different concentrations of PSMA was investigated. The limit of detection (LOD) for this Love SAW sensor was 0.013 ng mL−1, which demonstrates that this sensor has outstanding performance in terms of the level of detection.
A Blended Risk Index Modeling and Visualization Based on Hierarchical Fuzzy Logic for Water Supply Pipelines Assessment and Management
Authors: Fayaz Muhammad , Ahmad Shabir , Ullah Israr , Kim DoHyeun
Published: May 2018

Critical infrastructure such as power and water delivery is growing rapidly in the developing world and there are developed assets that must be maintained in developed nations. One underground component that is difficult to inspect is water supply pipelines. Most of the water line accidents occur in buildings is due to pipeline damage. To minimize accidental loss, a risk assessment method is needed to continuously assess risk and report any abnormality for preventative maintenance. In this work, a blended hierarchical fuzzy logic model for water supply pipeline risk index assessment is proposed. Four important parameters are inputs to the proposed blended hierarchical fuzzy logic model. The blended hierarchical fuzzy logic model dramatically reduces the number of conditions in the rule base. Rule reduction is important because the transparency and interpretation are compromised by an overly large set. Further, it is challenging to accurately design a large number of rules because rule design requires expert knowledge and uncertainty in predictions can lead to unforeseen incidents. A blended hierarchical fuzzy model is designed with a structure that takes fewer rules as compared to conventional fuzzy logic. For the four parameters, the proposed model takes 85 rules and for the same four parameters, the conventional fuzzy logic approach requires 900 rules. In this paper, four parameters are considered because these are available measurements. The proposed reduction method is also applicable for systems with more parameters. The numbers of rules increase exponentially in the conventional fuzzy logic as new parameters enter into the system. The blended hierarchical fuzzy logic is deployed on a water distribution network to compute the risk index of supply pipelines. The results indicate improved performance of the blended hierarchical fuzzy logic. This approach is usable in practical applications where the calculated risk index values of the water supply pipeline are plotted on a geographic information system (GIS) map to provide a graphical interface for the caretaker. The risk index visualization is necessary to trace the risk index location and to take preemptive measures to avoid failures.
Combining Hector SLAM and Artificial Potential Field for Autonomous Navigation Inside a Greenhouse
Authors: Harik El Houssein , Korsaeth Audun
Published: May 2018

The key factor for autonomous navigation is efficient perception of the surroundings, while being able to move safely from an initial to a final point. We deal in this paper with a wheeled mobile robot working in a GPS-denied environment typical for a greenhouse. The Hector Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) approach is used in order to estimate the robots’ pose using a LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) sensor. Waypoint following and obstacle avoidance are ensured by means of a new artificial potential field (APF) controller presented in this paper. The combination of the Hector SLAM and the APF controller allows the mobile robot to perform periodic tasks that require autonomous navigation between predefined waypoints. It also provides the mobile robot with a robustness to changing conditions that may occur inside the greenhouse, caused by the dynamic of plant development through the season. In this study, we show that the robot is safe to operate autonomously with a human presence, and that in contrast to classical odometry methods, no calibration is needed for repositioning the robot over repetitive runs. We include here both hardware and software descriptions, as well as simulation and experimental results.