bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of an Assessment Method to Evaluate the Quality of Remedial Treatments on Concrete Flat Roofs of Multiple Buildings
Authors: Woon Chin-Ong , Raman Sudharshan N. , Safiuddin Md. , Jamil Maslina , Zain Muhammad Fauzi Mohd.
Published: May 2019

Existing assessment tools have not been successfully used to evaluate the performance of the remedial treatment of concrete flat roofs by building users or building management personnel because they are complicated and difficult to be applied by non-experts. In this study, a semi-quantitative method has been developed to assess the quality of remedial treatment on concrete flat roofs of multiple buildings. A 10-point scale weighting was calculated based on the results of ranking, and then the score assessment scheme was developed. Results revealed that the repairing principles included protection against ingress (W = 7.25), physical resistance against ingress (W = 5.23), concrete restoration (W = 8.22), structural strengthening (W = 8.22), moisture control (W = 6.59), and chemical resistance (W = 4.57). The grouped principles included physical resistance (W = 6.24), structural stability (W = 8.22), and chemical resistance (W = 5.58). The scoring assessment scheme was applied to a remedial treatment on multilayer concrete flat roof which was treated with bituminous membrane. The assessment scheme was revised based on the surveyors’ comments and then verified by the experts. This assessment method secured and improved the quality of the remedial treatment, since the building management staff/owner successfully evaluated, controlled, and monitored the quality of remedial treatments.
Methods for the Treatment of Cattle Manure—A Review
Authors: Font-Palma Carolina
Published: May 2019

Environmental concerns, caused by greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere and overrunning of nutrients and pathogens to water bodies, have led to reducing direct spread onto the land of cattle manure. In addition, this practice can be a source of water and air pollution and toxicity to life by the release of undesirable heavy metals. Looking at the current practices, it is evident that most farms separate solids for recycling purposes, store slurries in large lagoons or use anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. The review explores the potential for cattle manure as an energy source due to its relatively large calorific value (HHV of 8.7–18.7 MJ/kg dry basis). This property is beneficial for thermochemical conversion processes, such as gasification and pyrolysis. This study also reviews the potential for upgrading biogas for transportation and heating use. This review discusses current cattle manure management technologies—biological treatment and thermochemical conversion processes—and the diverse physical and chemical properties due to the differences in farm practices.
Synthesis and Characteristics of Zn-Doped CuCrO2 Transparent Conductive Thin Films
Authors: Yu Ruei-Sung , Chu Chen
Published: May 2019

The effects of doping a p-type CuCrO2 film with zinc on its structural and optoelectronic properties were investigated by experiments using CuCr1−xZnxO2 thin films (x = 0, 0.025, 0.065, 0.085). An increase in the amount of zinc dopant in the thin films affected the lattice constant and increased its Gibbs free energy of phase transformation. Cross-sectional images of the CuCrO2 thin film samples exhibited a dense polygonal microstructure and a surface morphology with protruding nanoscale granules. With the increase in the amount of Zn dopant, the surface roughness decreased, thereby increasing the amount of incident photons as well as the visible-light transmittance and ultraviolet-light absorption of the thin films. With the zinc doping in the CuCrO2 thin films, the band gap increased from 3.09 to 3.11 eV. The substitution of Cr3+ with Zn2+ forms hole carriers in the crystals, which was demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements. The conductivities and carrier concentrations of the Zn-doped CuCrO2 thin films were greater than those of undoped CuCrO2. The CuCr1−xZnxO2 film (x = 0.065) exhibited the best optoelectronic properties; its carrier concentration and resistivity were 1.88 × 1017 cm−3 and 3.82 Ωcm, respectively.
The Effect of Internal Free Surfaces on Void Swelling of Irradiated Pure Iron Containing Subsurface Trenches
Authors: Wang Tianyao , Kim Hyosim , Garner Frank A. , Peddicord Kenneth L. , Shao Lin
Published: May 2019

We studied the effects of internal free surfaces on the evolution of ion-induced void swelling in pure iron. The study was initially driven by the motivation to introduce a planar free-surface defect sink at depths that would remove the injected interstitial effect from ion irradiation, possibly enhancing swelling. Using the focused ion beam technique, deep trenches were created on a cross section of pure iron at various depths, so as to create bridges of thickness ranging from 0.88 μm to 1.70 μm. Samples were then irradiated with 3.5 MeV Fe2+ ions at 475 °C to a fluence corresponding to a peak displacement per atom dose of 150 dpa. The projected range of 3.5 MeV Fe2+ ions is about 1.2 μm so the chosen bridge thicknesses involved fractions of the ion range, thicknesses comparable to the mean ion range (peak of injected interstitial distribution), and thicknesses beyond the full range. It was found that introduction of such surfaces did not enhance swelling but actually decreased it, primarily because there were now two denuded zones with a combined stronger influence than that of the injected interstitial. The study suggests that such strong surface effects must be considered for ion irradiation studies of thin films or bridge-like structures.
eSports in K-12 and Post-Secondary Schools
Authors: Rothwell Gregory , Shaffer Michael
Published: May 2019

eSports is a rising modality of sports entertainment in the United States and has growing implications for education. Providing competitive eSports teams in schools satisfies the growing desire to train and educate students on the skills emphasized in STEM and Career Technical Education (CTE) education, as well as in programs such as English and Language Arts. eSports develop the soft skills universities and employers like to see in a student graduating from high school. As the market continues to grow for eSports, opportunities for post-secondary education as well as for prospective employment will increase. The popularity of eSports will continue to grow, and this popularity will be reflected in the schools.
Fence Shaping of Substrate Integrated Fan-Beam Electric Dipole for High-Band 5G
Authors: El-Halwagy Waleed , Mirzavand Rashid , Melzer Jordan , Hossain Masum , Mousavi Pedram
Published: May 2019

This work presents fence shaping for dipole antenna operating at 5G high-band frequencies. A via fence is employed around the dipole to suppress back radiation. By varying the geometric shape of the fence, the dipole’s radiation characteristics can be controlled, which adds an additional degree of freedom to the design. This was investigated by studying different fence shapes, namely rectangular-, U-, and V-shaped fences. The wide bandwidth (higher than 6.5 GHz) centered around 28 GHz, and the stable radiation performance from 24 GHz to 32 GHz made the proposed structure capable of supporting multiple 5G frequency bands and the fence shaping help modulate the gain and HPBW of the dipole. All fabricated prototypes attained front-to-back radiation ratio (F/B) higher than 36 dB, with good gain/HPBW performances of 14.1 dBi/103.7°, 13.5dBi/118°, and 12.6 dBi/133° from the V-fence, U-fence, and rectangular fence 4 × 1 arrays, respectively.
Correction: Xia, C.; Hou, X.; Chen, F. Flux-Angle-Difference Feedback Control for the Brushless Doubly Fed Machine. Energies 2018, 11, 71
Authors: Xia Chaoying , Hou Xiaoxin , Chen Feng
Published: May 2019

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
Day-Ahead Solar Irradiance Forecasting for Microgrids Using a Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network: A Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Husein Munir , Chung Il-Yop
Published: May 2019

In microgrids, forecasting solar power output is crucial for optimizing operation and reducing the impact of uncertainty. To forecast solar power output, it is essential to forecast solar irradiance, which typically requires historical solar irradiance data. These data are often unavailable for residential and commercial microgrids that incorporate solar photovoltaic. In this study, we propose an hourly day-ahead solar irradiance forecasting model that does not depend on the historical solar irradiance data; it uses only widely available weather data, namely, dry-bulb temperature, dew-point temperature, and relative humidity. The model was developed using a deep, long short-term memory recurrent neural network (LSTM-RNN). We compare this approach with a feedforward neural network (FFNN), which is a method with a proven record of accomplishment in solar irradiance forecasting. To provide a comprehensive evaluation of this approach, we performed six experiments using measurement data from weather stations in Germany, U.S.A, Switzerland, and South Korea, which all have distinct climate types. Experiment results show that the proposed approach is more accurate than FFNN, and achieves the accuracy of up to 60.31 W/m2 in terms of root-mean-square error (RMSE). Moreover, compared with the persistence model, the proposed model achieves average forecast skill of 50.90% and up to 68.89% in some datasets. In addition, to demonstrate the effect of using a particular forecasting model on the microgrid operation optimization, we simulate a one-year operation of a commercial building microgrid. Results show that the proposed approach is more accurate, and leads to a 2% rise in annual energy savings compared with FFNN.
Elevated CO2 Increases Root Mass and Leaf Nitrogen Resorption in Red Maple (Acer rubrum L.)
Authors: Li Li , Manning William , Wang Xiaoke
Published: May 2019

To understand whether the process of seasonal nitrogen resorption and biomass allocation are different in CO2-enriched plants, seedlings of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) were exposed to three CO2 concentrations (800 µL L−1 CO2 treatments—A800, 600 µL L−1 CO2 treatments—A600, and 400 µL L−1 CO2 treatments—A400) in nine continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) chambers. Leaf mass per area, leaf area, chlorophyll index, carbon (C), nitrogen (N) contents, nitrogen resorption efficiency (NRE), and biomass allocation response were investigated. The results indicated that: (1) Significant leaf N decline was found in senescent leaves of two CO2 treatments, which led to an increase of 43.4% and 39.7% of the C/N ratio in A800 and A600, respectively. (2) Elevated CO2 induced higher NRE, with A800 and A600 showing significant increments of 50.3% and 46.2%, respectively. (3) Root biomass increased 33.1% in A800 and thus the ratio of root to shoot ratio was increased by 25.8%. In conclusion, these results showed that to support greater nutrient and water uptake and the continued response of biomass under elevated CO2, Acer rubrum partitioned more biomass to root and increased leaf N resorption efficiency.
Local Users and Other Stakeholders’ Perceptions of the Identification and Prioritization of Ecosystem Services in Fragile Mountains: A Case Study of Chure Region of Nepal
Authors: Acharya Ram Prasad , Maraseni Tek Narayan , Cockfield Geoff
Published: May 2019

Forest-based ecosystem services (ES) play a vital role in improving people’s livelihoods, the environment, and the economy. Prior studies have focused on technical aspects of economic valuation such as biophysical quantification through modeling and mapping, or monetary valuation, while little attention has been paid to the social dimensions. Taking case studies of two dominant community-based forest management systems (community forestry—CF and collaborative forestry—CFM) in the Chure region of Nepal, we investigate how local users and other stakeholders perceive the valuation of forest-based ecosystem services based on proximity (nearby vs. distant users), socio-economic class (rich vs. poor users), and forest management modalities (CF vs. CFM). We found that local users and other stakeholders in the Chure region identified a total of 42 forest-based ecosystem services: 16 provisioning, 15 regulating, and 11 cultural services. While all local users prioritised firewood, water quality improvement, and bequest values as the top three services, genetic resources, hazard protection, and hunting services were valued as having the lowest priority. The priorities placed on other services varied in many respects. For instance, rich users living near a CF showed a strong preference for fodder, grasses, and soil conservation services whereas users living far from forests prioritised timber, fresh water, and flood control services. In the case of CFM, rich users adjacent to forests preferred timber, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration services but those living far from forests chose timber, poles, and flood control as their top priorities. Differences in rankings also occurred among the regional managers, national experts, and forest users. The reasons for these differences and their policy implications are discussed, and ways of reaching consensus between the users are suggested.
From Complex Interventions to Complex Systems: Using Social Network Analysis to Understand School Engagement with Health and Wellbeing
Authors: Littlecott Hannah J. , Moore Graham F. , Gallagher Hugh Colin , Murphy Simon
Published: May 2019

Challenges in changing school system functioning to orient them towards health are commonly underestimated. Understanding the social interactions of school staff from a complex systems perspective may provide valuable insight into how system dynamics may impede or facilitate the promotion of health and wellbeing. Ego social network analysis was employed with wellbeing leads within four diverse case study schools to identify variability in embeddedness of health and wellbeing roles. This variation, as well as the broader context, was then explored through semi-structured qualitative interviews with school staff and a Healthy Schools Coordinator, sampled from the wellbeing leads’ ego-networks. Networks varied in terms of perceived importance and frequency of interactions, centrality, brokerage and cliques. Case study schools that showed higher engagement with health and wellbeing had highly organised, distributed leadership structures, dedicated wellbeing roles, senior leadership support and outside agencies embedded within school systems. Allocation of responsibility for wellbeing to a member of the senior leadership team alongside a distributed leadership approach may facilitate the reorientation of school systems towards health and wellbeing. Ego-network analysis to understand variance in complex school system starting points could be replicated on a larger scale and utilised to design complex interventions.
The Acceptability of HPV Vaccines and Perceptions of Vaccination against HPV among Physicians and Nurses in Hong Kong
Authors: Cheung Teris , Lau Joseph T.F. , Wang Johnson Z. , Mo Phoenix , Siu C.K. , Chan Rex T.H. , Ho Janice Y.S.
Published: May 2019

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections nationwide. Methods: This is the first cross-sectional survey assessing physicians’ and nurses’ knowledge of HPV and recording their attitudes to HPV vaccination in Hong Kong. Survey questions were derived from the Health Belief Model. Results: 1152 clinicians (170 physicians and 982 nurses) aged 21 and 60 participated in this study. A multiple stepwise regression model was used to examine associations between cognitive factors (clinicians’ attitudes) and subjects’ intention to HPV vaccine uptake. Results showed that only 30.2% of physicians and 21.2% nurses found vaccinating for HPV acceptable. Conclusions: Perceived self-efficacy was the only significant background and cognitive variable associated with physicians’ and nurses’ accepting HPV vaccines. Further, when nurses found HPV vaccination acceptable, cues to action was featured as a significant background variable in their choice.
Angry Drivers Take Risky Decisions: Evidence from Neurophysiological Assessment
Authors: Li Shuling , Zhang Tingru , Sawyer Ben D. , Zhang Wei , Hancock Peter A.
Published: May 2019

The present study investigated the risk-taking behaviors of angry drivers, which were coincidentally measured via behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. We manipulated a driving scenario that concerned a Go/No-Go decision at an intersection when the controlling traffic light was in its yellow phase. This protocol was based upon the underlying format of the Iowa gambling task. Variation in the anger level was induced through task frustration. The data of twenty-four drivers were analyzed via behavioral and neural recordings, and P300 was specifically extracted from EEG traces. In addition, the behavioral performance was indexed by the percentage of high-risk choices minus the number of the low-risk choices taken, which identified the risk-taking propensity. Results confirmed a significant main effect of anger on the decisions taken. The risk-taking propensity decreased across the sequence of trial blocks in baseline assessments. However, with anger, the risk-taking propensity increased across the trial regimen. Drivers in anger state also showed a higher mean amplitude of P300 than that in baseline state. Additionally, high-risk choices evoked larger P300 amplitude than low-risk choices during the anger state. Moreover, the P300 amplitude of high-risk choices was significantly larger in the anger state than the baseline state. The negative feedback induced larger P300 amplitude than that recorded in positive feedback trials. The results corroborated that the drivers exhibited higher risk-taking propensity when angry although they were sensitive to the inherent risk-reward evaluations within the scenario. To reduce this type of risk-taking, we proposed some effective/affective intervention methods.
The Effect of Exercise on Glucoregulatory Hormones: A Countermeasure to Human Aging: Insights from a Comprehensive Review of the Literature
Authors: Sellami Maha , Bragazzi Nicola Luigi , Slimani Maamer , Hayes Lawrence , Jabbour Georges , De Giorgio Andrea , Dugué Benoit
Published: May 2019

Hormones are secreted in a circadian rhythm, but also follow larger-scale timetables, such as monthly (hormones of the menstrual cycle), seasonal (i.e., winter, summer), and, ultimately, lifespan-related patterns. Several contexts modulate their secretion, such as genetics, lifestyle, environment, diet, and exercise. They play significant roles in human physiology, influencing growth of muscle, bone, and regulating metabolism. Exercise training alters hormone secretion, depending on the frequency, duration, intensity, and mode of training which has an impact on the magnitude of the secretion. However, there remains ambiguity over the effects of exercise training on certain hormones such as glucoregulatory hormones in aging adults. With advancing age, there are many alterations with the endocrine system, which may ultimately alter human physiology. Some recent studies have reported an anti-aging effect of exercise training on the endocrine system and especially cortisol, growth hormone and insulin. As such, this review examines the effects of endurance, interval, resistance and combined training on hormones (i.e., at rest and after) exercise in older individuals. We summarize the influence of age on glucoregulatory hormones, the influence of exercise training, and where possible, examine masters’ athletes’ endocrinological profile.
p53 at the Crossroads between Different Types of HDAC Inhibitor-Mediated Cancer Cell Death
Authors: Mrakovcic Maria , Kleinheinz Johannes , Fröhlich Leopold F.
Published: May 2019

Cancer is a complex genetic and epigenetic-based disease that has developed an armada of mechanisms to escape cell death. The deregulation of apoptosis and autophagy, which are basic processes essential for normal cellular activity, are commonly encountered during the development of human tumors. In order to assist the cancer cell in defeating the imbalance between cell growth and cell death, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have been employed to reverse epigenetically deregulated gene expression caused by aberrant post-translational protein modifications. These interfere with histone acetyltransferase- and deacetylase-mediated acetylation of both histone and non-histone proteins, and thereby exert a wide array of HDACi-stimulated cytotoxic effects. Key determinants of HDACi lethality that interfere with cellular growth in a multitude of tumor cells are apoptosis and autophagy, which are either mutually exclusive or activated in combination. Here, we compile known molecular signals and pathways involved in the HDACi-triggered induction of apoptosis and autophagy. Currently, the factors that determine the mode of HDACi-elicited cell death are mostly unclear. Correspondingly, we also summarized as yet established intertwined mechanisms, in particular with respect to the oncogenic tumor suppressor protein p53, that drive the interplay between apoptosis and autophagy in response to HDACi. In this context, we also note the significance to determine the presence of functional p53 protein levels in the cancer cell. The confirmation of the context-dependent function of autophagy will pave the way to improve the benefit from HDACi-mediated cancer treatment.
Influence of Chemokine N-Terminal Modification on Biased Agonism at the Chemokine Receptor CCR1
Authors: Sanchez Julie , Lane J. Robert , Canals Meritxell , Stone Martin J.
Published: May 2019

Leukocyte migration, a hallmark of the inflammatory response, is stimulated by the interactions between chemokines, which are expressed in injured or infected tissues, and chemokine receptors, which are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) expressed in the leukocyte plasma membrane. One mechanism for the regulation of chemokine receptor signaling is biased agonism, the ability of different chemokine ligands to preferentially activate different intracellular signaling pathways via the same receptor. To identify features of chemokines that give rise to biased agonism, we studied the activation of the receptor CCR1 by the chemokines CCL7, CCL8, and CCL15(Δ26). We found that, compared to CCL15(Δ26), CCL7 and CCL8 exhibited biased agonism towards cAMP inhibition and away from β-Arrestin 2 recruitment. Moreover, N-terminal substitution of the CCL15(Δ26) N-terminus with that of CCL7 resulted in a chimera with similar biased agonism to CCL7. Similarly, N-terminal truncation of CCL15(Δ26) also resulted in signaling bias between cAMP inhibition and β-Arrestin 2 recruitment signals. These results show that the interactions of the chemokine N-terminal region with the receptor transmembrane region play a key role in selecting receptor conformations coupled to specific signaling pathways.
Validation of a Fast, Robust, Inexpensive, Two-Tiered Neonatal Screening Test algorithm on Dried Blood Spots for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Strunk Annuska , Abbes Andre , Stuitje Antoine , Hettinga Chris , Sepers Eline , Snetselaar Reinier , Schouten Jan , Asselman Fay-Lynn , Cuppen Inge , Lemmink Henny , van der Pol W. , Engel Henk
Published: May 2019

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the leading genetic causes of infant mortality with an incidence of 1:10,000. The recently-introduced antisense oligonucleotide treatment improves the outcome of this disease, in particular when applied at an early stage of progression. The genetic cause of SMA is, in >95% of cases, a homozygous deletion of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, which makes the low-cost detection of SMA cases as part of newborn screening programs feasible. We developed and validated a new SALSA MC002 melting curve assay that detects the absence of the SMN1 exon 7 DNA sequence without detecting asymptomatic carriers and reliably discriminates SMN1 from its genetic homolog SMN2 using crude extracts from newborn screening cards. Melting curve analysis shows peaks specific for both the SMN1 gene and the disease modifying SMN2 homolog. The detection of the SMN2 homolog, of which the only clinically relevant difference from the SMN1 gene is a single nucleotide in exon 7, was only used to confirm a correct reaction in samples that lacked the SMN1 gene, and not for SMN2 quantification. We retrieved 47 DBS samples from children with genetically-confirmed SMA, after informed consent from parents, and 375 controls from the national archive of the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The assay correctly identified all anonymized and randomized SMA and control samples (i.e., sensitivity and specificity of 100%), without the detection of carriers, on the three most commonly-used PCR platforms with melting curve analysis. This test’s concordance with the second-tier ‘golden standard’ P021 SMA MLPA test was 100%. Using the new P021–B1 version, crude extracts from DBS cards could also be used to determine the SMN2 copy number of SMA patients with a high level of accuracy. The MC002 test showed the feasibility and accuracy of SMA screening in a neonatal screening program.
Variations in Winter Ocean Wave Climate in the Japan Sea under the Global Warming Condition
Authors: Taniguchi Kenji
Published: May 2019

Future variations in the ocean wave climate caused by global warming could affect various coastal issues. Using a third-generation wave model, this study produced projections of the ocean wave climate for winter around Japan, focusing on the Japan Sea side. Wave simulation forcing (sea surface wind) was generated through five different global warming experiments. More than half the future wave projections showed an increasing tendency of the climatological mean significant wave height during winter. However, the maximum significant wave height did not show any clear tendency in future variation. The top 1% of significant wave heights and mean wave periods showed apparent increases in frequencies of higher/longer waves in three out of the five future projections. Frequency distributions of significant wave height, mean wave period, mean wavelength and wave direction showed various future variations (reduction of small ocean waves, increasing frequency of waves from the west). There are large uncertainties in future variations of wave climate in the Japan Sea, but the high probability of variations in daily wave climate is recognized, based on the future wave projections. Variations in daily wave climate are important because they could affect the topography and environment of the coast through long-term repetitive actions.
On the Path to a New Generation of Cement-Based Composites through the Use of Lignocellulosic Micro/Nanofibers
Authors: Reixach Rafel , Claramunt Josep , Chamorro M. Àngel , Llorens Joan , Pareta M. Mercè , Tarrés Quim , Mutjé Pere , Delgado-Aguilar Marc
Published: May 2019

Due to its high biocompatibility, bio-degradability, and low cost, cellulose finds application in disparate areas of research. Here we focus our attention on the potential applications of cellulose nanofiber in cement-based materials for the building sector. We first describe the chemical/morphological composition of cellulose fibers, their process and treatment, the characterization of cement-based composites, and their flexural strength. In recent research in this field, cellulose has been considered in the form of nano-sized particles, i.e., cellulose nanofibers (CNF) or cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). CNF and CNC are used for several reasons, including their mechanical and thermal properties, their extended surface area and low toxicity. This study presents some potential applications of lignocellulosic micro/nanofibers (LCMNF) in cement-based composites in order to improve flexural strength. Samples were made with 0.5-1.0-1.5-2.0 wt% of LCMNF obtained from pine sawdust, CEM I (Portland) and a 1:3 cement-water ratio. The composites were then tested for flexural strength at 7, 14, and 28 days and the evolution of flexural strength was assessed after water immersion during 72 h. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to visualize the bond between LCMNF and the cement matrix. Results showed that LCMNF improved the flexural strength of the composite in all the dosages used.
Effects of Cast-Iron Surface Texturing on the Anti-Scuffing Performance under Starved Lubrication
Authors: Li Wenhua , Yu Baihong , Ye Bin , Shen Yan , Huang Ruoxuan , Du Fengming
Published: May 2019

Advances in heavy-duty diesel engine designs place higher demands on the friction and wear performance of the piston ring and cylinder liner (PRCL) interface. The potential of using micro-textures machined on the whole stroke of a cast-iron cylinder liner was investigated in this work. A set of running-in and starved lubrication experiments was performed using a custom reciprocating test rig that imparts a combination of combustion-level pressures and the resulting impacts. Based on a comparison of micro-dimple parameters, the friction coefficient for the running-in period at the shocking dead center was the smallest at a designed combination of 1000-μm diameter, 22% area fraction, and arrangement with half-radius intersecting distance of two adjacent micro-dimple columns. The non-scuffing time under starvation was the longest at a designed combination of the following parameters: 800 μm diameter, 22% area fraction, and quarter-radius intersecting distance arrangement. From finite element analysis, it was found that stress concentrates at the micro-dimple periphery and at the connections between adjacent micro-dimples. However, surface topography examination showed that scuffing initiates in the non-dimpled regions between the micro-dimpled columns rather than at their edges. Finally, under reciprocating motion, micro-dimples can collect wear debris to inhibit further propagation of scuffing in the micro-dimpled region.
Testing and Prediction of Shear Performance for Steel Fiber Reinforced Expanded-Shale Lightweight Concrete Beams without Web Reinforcements
Authors: Li Xiaoke , Li Changyong , Zhao Minglei , Yang Hui , Zhou Siyi
Published: May 2019

In this paper, for a wide application of high-performance steel fiber reinforced expanded-shale lightweight concrete (SFRELC) in structures, the shear behavior of reinforced SFRELC beams without web reinforcements was experimentally investigated under a four-point bending test. Twenty-six beams were fabricated considering the influencing parameters of SFRELC strength, shear-span to depth ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio and the volume fraction of the steel fiber. The statistical analyses based on the foundational design principles and the experimental results are made based on the shear cracking resistance, the shear crack distribution and width, the mid-span deflection, the patterns of shear failure, and the shear capacity of the specimens. This confirms the effective strengthening of steel fibers on the shear performance of reinforced SFRELC beams without web reinforcements. Based on the modifications to the formulas of reinforced conventional concrete, lightweight-aggregate concrete or steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams, and the validation against the experimental findings, formulas are proposed for the prediction of shear cracking resistance and shear capacity of reinforced SFRELC beams without web reinforcements. Finally, formulas are discussed for the reliable design of the shear capacity of reinforced SFRELC beams without web reinforcements.
Large-Scale Simultaneous Inference with Hypothesis Testing: Multiple Testing Procedures in Practice
Authors: Emmert-Streib Frank , Dehmer Matthias
Published: May 2019

A statistical hypothesis test is one of the most eminent methods in statistics. Its pivotal role comes from the wide range of practical problems it can be applied to and the sparsity of data requirements. Being an unsupervised method makes it very flexible in adapting to real-world situations. The availability of high-dimensional data makes it necessary to apply such statistical hypothesis tests simultaneously to the test statistics of the underlying covariates. However, if applied without correction this leads to an inevitable increase in Type 1 errors. To counteract this effect, multiple testing procedures have been introduced to control various types of errors, most notably the Type 1 error. In this paper, we review modern multiple testing procedures for controlling either the family-wise error (FWER) or the false-discovery rate (FDR). We emphasize their principal approach allowing categorization of them as (1) single-step vs. stepwise approaches, (2) adaptive vs. non-adaptive approaches, and (3) marginal vs. joint multiple testing procedures. We place a particular focus on procedures that can deal with data with a (strong) correlation structure because real-world data are rarely uncorrelated. Furthermore, we also provide background information making the often technically intricate methods accessible for interdisciplinary data scientists.
Metal Oxide Nanoparticle-Based Coating as a Catalyzer for A-TIG Welding: Critical Raw Material Perspective
Authors: Balos Sebastian , Dramicanin Miroslav , Janjatovic Petar , Zabunov Ivan , Klobcar Damjan , Busic Matija , Grilli Maria Luisa
Published: May 2019

Besides a wide application in corrosion protection, wear resistance increase, providing thermal properties and power conversion, oxide coatings have found an alternative application in welding technology as catalysts of the tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding process. In this paper, the novel approach of fabricating a coating containing nanoparticles based on nanosized SiO2 and TiO2 and their mixtures was applied to the austenitic stainless-steel base metal. It was found that coatings increased depths of penetration, enabling a consumable-free welding. Using this method, the use of several critical and near-critical raw materials (e.g., Si and Cr), as well as the relatively expensive Ni can be completely avoided. The most effective coating in terms of weld penetration consisted of a mixture of nanoparticles, rather than unary oxide coatings based on nanoparticles. A model for liquid weld metal flow is proposed based on the metallographic examination of recrystallized grains and microhardnesses measured near the weld metal, supporting the reversed Marangoni convection theory.
An Extended Iterative Identification Method for the GISSMO Model
Authors: Xiao Yue , Hu Yumei
Published: May 2019

This study examines an extended method to obtain the parameters in the Generalized Incremental Stress State Dependent Damage (GISSMO) model. This method is based on an iterative Finite Element Method (FEM) method aiming at predicting the fracture behavior considering softening and failure. A large number of experimental tests have been conducted on four different alloys (7003 aluminum alloy, ADC12 aluminum alloy, ZK60 magnesium alloy and 20CrMnTiH Steel), here considering tests that span a wide range of stress triaxiality. The proposed method is compared with the two existing methods. Results show that the new extended Iterative FEM method gives the good estimate of the fracture behaviors for all four alloys considered.
Hydrogen Desorption Properties of LiBH4/xLiAlH4 (x = 0.5, 1, 2) Composites
Authors: He Qing , Zhu Dongdong , Wu Xiaocheng , Dong Duo , Xu Meng , Tong Zhaofei
Published: May 2019

A detailed analysis of the dehydrogenation mechanism of LiBH4/xLiAlH4 (x = 0.5, 1, 2) composites was performed by thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), mass spectral analysis (MS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), along with kinetic investigations using a Sievert-type apparatus. The results show that the dehydrogenation pathway of LiBH4/xLiAlH4 had a four-step character. The experimental dehydrogenation amount did not reach the theoretical expectations, because the products such as AlB2 and LiAl formed a passivation layer on the surface of Al and the dehydrogenation reactions associated with Al could not be sufficiently carried out. Kinetic investigations discovered a nonlinear relationship between the activation energy (Ea) of dehydrogenation reactions associated with Al and the ratio x, indicating that the Ea was determined both by the concentration of Al produced by the decomposition of LiAlH4 and the amount of free surface of it. Therefore, the amount of effective contact surface of Al is the rate-determining factor for the overall dehydrogenation of the LiBH4/xLiAlH4 composites.
Pulsed Laser Fabrication of TiO2 Buffer Layers for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Lungu Jeanina , Socol Gabriel , Stan George E. , Ştefan Nicolaie , Luculescu Cătălin , Georgescu Adrian , Popescu-Pelin Gianina , Prodan Gabriel , Gîrţu Mihai A. , Mihăilescu Ion N.
Published: May 2019

We report on the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells with a TiO2 buffer layer between the transparent conductive oxide substrate and the mesoporous TiO2 film, in order to improve the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the device. The buffer layer was fabricated by pulsed laser deposition whereas the mesoporous film by the doctor blade method, using TiO2 paste obtained by the sol–gel technique. The buffer layer was deposited in either oxygen (10 Pa and 50 Pa) or argon (10 Pa and 50 Pa) onto transparent conducting oxide glass kept at room temperature. The cross-section scanning electron microscopy image showed differences in layer morphology and thickness, depending on the deposition conditions. Transmission electron microscopy studies of the TiO2 buffer layers indicated that films consisted of grains with typical diameters of 10 nm to 30 nm. We found that the photovoltaic conversion efficiencies, determined under standard air mass 1.5 global (AM 1.5G) conditions, of the solar cells with a buffer layer are more than two times larger than those of the standard cells. The best performance was reached for buffer layers deposited at 10 Pa O2. We discuss the processes that take place in the device and emphasize the role of the brush-like buffer layer in the performance increase.
Probing Trans-Electroweak First Order Phase Transitions from Gravitational Waves
Authors: Addazi Andrea , Marcianò Antonino , Pasechnik Roman
Published: May 2019

We propose direct tests of very high energy first-order phase transitions, which are elusive to collider physics, deploying the gravitational waves’ measurements. We show that first-order phase transitions lying in a large window of critical temperatures, which is considerably larger than the electroweak energy scale, can be tested from advanced LIGO (aLIGO) and the Einstein Telescope. This provides the possibility to probe several inflationary mechanisms ending with the inflaton in a false minimum and high-energy first order phase transitions that are due to new scalar bosons, beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. As an important example, we consider the axion monodromy inflationary scenario and analyze the potential for its experimental verification, deploying the gravitational wave interferometers.
Dextran-Coated Zinc-Doped Hydroxyapatite for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Predoi Daniela , Iconaru Simona Liliana , Predoi Mihai Valentin
Published: May 2019

Dextran-coated zinc-doped hydroxyapatite (ZnHApD) was synthesized by an adapted sol-gel method. The stability of ZnHApD nanoparticles in an aqueous solution was analyzed using ultrasonic measurements. The analysis of the evolution in time of the attenuation for each of the frequencies was performed. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigations exhibited that no impurity was found. The morphology, size and size distribution of the ZnHApD sample was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The TEM and SEM results showed that the ZnHApD particles have an ellipsoidal shape and a narrow distribution of sizes. The cell growth and toxicity of HEK-293 cells were investigated on the ZnHApD solution for four different concentrations and analyzed after 24 and 48 h. The ZnHApD solution presented a non-toxic activity against HEK-293 cells for all analyzed concentrations. The antibacterial assay revealed that all the tested microorganisms were inhibited by the ZnHApD dispersion after 24 and 48 h of incubation. It was observed that the effect of the ZnHApD solution on bacteria growth depended on the bacterial strain. The Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277 bacterial strain was the most sensitive, as a growth inhibition in the presence of 0.075 μg/mL ZnHApD in the culture medium was observed.
Using a Microfluidics System to Reproducibly Synthesize Protein Nanoparticles: Factors Contributing to Size, Homogeneity, and Stability
Authors: van Ballegooie Courtney , Man Alice , Andreu Irene , Gates Byron D. , Yapp Donald
Published: May 2019

The synthesis of Zein nanoparticles (NPs) using conventional methods, such as emulsion solvent diffusion and emulsion solvent evaporation, is often unreliable in replicating particle size and polydispersity between batch-to-batch syntheses. We have systematically examined the parameters for reproducibly synthesizing Zein NPs using a Y-junction microfluidics chip with staggered herringbone micromixers. Our results indicate that the total flow rate of the fluidics system, relative flow rate of the aqueous and organic phase, concentration of the base material and solvent, and properties of the solvent influence the polydispersity and size of the NPs. Trends such as increasing the total flow rate and relative flow rate lead to a decrease in Zein NP size, while increasing the ethanol and Zein concentration lead to an increase in Zein NP size. The solvent property that was found to impact the size of the Zein NPs formed the most was their hydropathy. Solvents that had a hydropathy index most similar to that of Zein formed the smallest Zein NPs. Synthesis consistency was confirmed within and between sample batches. Stabilizing agents, such as sodium caseinate, Tween 80, and Pluronic F-68, were incorporated using the microfluidics system, necessary for in vitro and in vivo use, into Zein-based NPs.
A Newly Designed EGFP-2A Peptide Monocistronic Baculoviral Vector for Concatenating the Expression of Recombinant Proteins in Insect Cells
Authors: Wu Chih-Yu , Huang Chao-Wei , Nai Yu-Shin , Chu Pei-Yu , Wang Chung-Hsiung , Ding Shih-Torng
Published: May 2019

Recombinant proteins produced by the baculovirus expression vector system (BVES) have been widely applied in the agricultural and medical fields. However, the procedure for protein expression is inefficient and needs to be improved. Herein, we propose a simple construct that incorporates a selectable marker (enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP) and a picorna viral-derived “self-cleaving” 2A-like peptide to separate the EGFP and target proteins in a monocistronic baculovirus vector to facilitate isolation of the recombinant baculovirus in the BVES. In this study, porcine adiponectin (ADN), a secreted, multimeric protein with insulin-sensitizing properties, was used to demonstrate its utility in our EGFP-2A-based expression system. EGFP and ADN were simultaneously expressed by a recombinant alphabaculovirus. Co-expression of EGFP facilitates the manipulation of the following processes, such as determining expression kinetics and harvesting ADN. The results showed that the 2A “self-cleaving” process does not interfere with EGFP activity or with signal peptide removal and the secretion of recombinant ADN. Posttranslational modifications, including glycosylation, of the recombinant ADN occurred in insect cells, and the formation of various multimers was further verified. Most importantly, the insect-produced ADN showed a similar bioactivity to that of mammalian cells. This concept provides a practical and economic approach that utilizes a new combination of alphabaculovirus/insect cell expression systems for future applications.
Challenges in the Isolation and Proteomic Analysis of Cancer Exosomes—Implications for Translational Research
Authors: Jablonska Jadwiga , Pietrowska Monika , Ludwig Sonja , Lang Stephan , Thakur Basant Kumar
Published: May 2019

Exosomes belong to the group of extracellular vesicles (EVs) that derive from various cell populations and mediate intercellular communication in health and disease. Like hormones or cytokines, exosomes released by cells can play a potent role in the communication between the cell of origin and distant cells in the body to maintain homeostatic or pathological processes, including tumorigenesis. The nucleic acids, and lipid and protein cargo present in the exosomes are involved in a myriad of carcinogenic processes, including cell proliferation, tumor angiogenesis, immunomodulation, and metastasis formation. The ability of exosomal proteins to mediate direct functions by interaction with other cells qualifies them as tumor-specific biomarkers and targeted therapeutic approaches. However, the heterogeneity of plasma-derived exosomes consistent of (a) exosomes derived from all kinds of body cells, including cancer cells and (b) contamination of exosome preparation with other extracellular vesicles, such as apoptotic bodies, makes it challenging to obtain solid proteomics data for downstream clinical application. In this manuscript, we review these challenges beginning with the choice of different isolation methods, through the evaluation of obtained exosomes and limitations in the process of proteome analysis of cancer-derived exosomes to identify novel protein targets with functional impact in the context of translational oncology.
Angels or Demons? Interactions and Borrowings between Folk Traditions, Religion and Demonology in Early Modern Italian Witchcraft Trials
Authors: Moretti Debora
Published: May 2019

In 1638 Caterina di Francesco, from the town of Siena (Tuscany), was accused by the Roman Inquisition of invoking the devil through a spell called “the white angel spell” or “the spell of the carafe” (incantesimo della caraffa). She was interrogated, tortured and kept in and out of prison for nine years. Despite the accusations of the witnesses being focused on her practice of love magic, specifically her ability to bind men to “other” women rather than their wives and to help the disgruntled wives to have their husbands back with the use of a baptised magnet, the Inquisition focused its attention on her practice of the white angel spell, a divination spell to find lost or stolen objects with the help of shadows seen inside the carafe. This was a well-known spell not only among all levels of Italian lay society but also well known to the Inquisition, so much so that the 17th-century Inquisition manual Prattica per Procedere nelle Cause del Sant’Officio lists this spell among the sortilegij qualificati: Those spells presenting serious heretical elements. Using archival sources, this article will examine the effects of borrowed concepts between the theological/elite and folk witchcraft traditions within a specific case-study.