bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges and Potential Solutions of Psychophysiological State Monitoring with Bioradar Technology
Authors: Anishchenko Lesya
Published: October 2018

Psychophysiological state monitoring provides a promising way to detect stress and accurately assess wellbeing. The purpose of the present work was to investigate the advantages of utilizing a new unobtrusive multi-transceiver system on the accuracy of remote psychophysiological state monitoring by means of a bioradar technique. The technique was tested in laboratory conditions with the participation of 35 practically healthy volunteers, who were asked to perform arithmetic and physical workload tests imitating different types of stressors. Information about any variation in vital signs, registered by a bioradar with two transceivers, was used to detect mental or physical stress. Processing of the experimental results showed that the designed two-channel bioradar can be used as a simple and relatively easy approach to implement a non-contact method for stress monitoring. However, individual specificity of physiological responses to mental and physical workloads makes the creation of a universal stress-detector classifier that is suitable for people with different levels of stress tolerance a challenging task. For non-athletes, the proposed method allows classification of calm state/mental workload and calm state/physical workload with an accuracy of 89% and 83% , respectively, without the usage of any additional a priori information on the subject.
Some Consequences of the Thermodynamic Cost of System Identification
Authors: Fields Chris
Published: October 2018

The concept of a “system” is foundational to physics, but the question of how observers identify systems is seldom addressed. Classical thermodynamics restricts observers to finite, finite-resolution observations with which to identify the systems on which “pointer state” measurements are to be made. It is shown that system identification is at best approximate, even in a finite world, and that violations of the Leggett–Garg and Bell/CHSH (Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt) inequalities emerge naturally as requirements for successful system identification.
Algorithmic Entropy and Landauer’s Principle Link Microscopic System Behaviour to the Thermodynamic Entropy
Authors: Devine Sean
Published: October 2018

Algorithmic information theory in conjunction with Landauer’s principle can quantify the cost of maintaining a reversible real-world computational system distant from equilibrium. As computational bits are conserved in an isolated reversible system, bit flows can be used to track the way a highly improbable configuration trends toward a highly probable equilibrium configuration. In an isolated reversible system, all microstates within a thermodynamic macrostate have the same algorithmic entropy. However, from a thermodynamic perspective, when these bits primarily specify stored energy states, corresponding to a fluctuation from the most probable set of states, they represent “potential entropy”. However, these bits become “realised entropy” when, under the second law of thermodynamics, they become bits specifying the momentum degrees of freedom. The distance of a fluctuation from equilibrium is identified as the number of computational bits that move from stored energy states to momentum states to define a highly probable or typical equilibrium state. When reversibility applies, from Landauer’s principle, it costs k B l n 2 T Joules to move a bit within the system from stored energy states to the momentum states.
Input-Aware Implication Selection Scheme Utilizing ATPG for Efficient Concurrent Error Detection
Authors: Hassan Abdus Sami , Afzaal Umar , Arifeen Tooba , Lee Jeong A.
Published: October 2018

Recently, concurrent error detection enabled through invariant relationships between different wires in a circuit has been proposed. Because there are many such implications in a circuit, selection strategies have been developed to select the most valuable implications for inclusion in the checker hardware such that a sufficiently high probability of error detection ( P d e t e c t i o n ) is achieved. These algorithms, however, due to their heuristic nature cannot guarantee a lossless P d e t e c t i o n . In this paper, we develop a new input-aware implication selection algorithm with the help of ATPG which minimizes loss on P d e t e c t i o n . In our algorithm, the detectability of errors for each candidate implication is carefully evaluated using error prone vectors. The evaluation results are then utilized to select the most efficient candidates for achieving optimal P d e t e c t i o n . The experimental results on 15 representative combinatorial benchmark circuits from the MCNC benchmarks suite show that the implications selected from our algorithm achieve better P d e t e c t i o n in comparison to the state of the art. The proposed method also offers better performance, up to 41.10%, in terms of the proposed impact-level metric, which is the ratio of achieved P d e t e c t i o n to the implication count.
Thermal and Lighting Consumption Savings in Classrooms Retrofitted with Shading Devices in a Hot Climate
Authors: Calama-González Carmen María , Suárez Rafael , León-Rodríguez Ángel Luis
Published: October 2018

Most educational buildings in southern Spain do not meet current energy requirements as weak thermal envelopes and the lack of cooling systems lead to severe discomfort in classrooms, especially when temperatures are above 30 °C. Given that global warming is expected to worsen this situation in coming decades, one of the first steps to be taken is to protect window openings from high levels of solar radiation by adding shading devices to reduce indoor temperatures and improve visual comfort. The aim of this research is to evaluate the reduction in thermal and lighting consumption in a classroom where a solar protection system in the form of an egg-crate shading device was installed. Two classrooms—one with an egg-crate device and another with no shading system—were monitored and compared for a whole year. The use of an egg-crate device in these classrooms reduced indoor operative temperatures during warmer periods while also improving indoor natural illuminance levels. Moreover, annual electric air conditioning consumption decreased by approximately 20%, with a 50% reduction in electric lighting consumption. These savings in electricity were largely conditioned by the use patterns observed in these ambient systems.
Fabrication and Frosting Properties Study of Surface-Active Agents Coating Based on Nanoporous Aluminum Substrate
Authors: He Song , Zhang Yanmei , Yang Wansheng , Zhao Xudong , Zeng Bin
Published: October 2018

In order to solve the frosting and blockage problem of an air conditioning evaporator’s fin in winter, the nanoporous aluminum plates with low surface energy has been proposed in this paper, which are fabricated by an anodizing method and then modified by lauric acid. The nanoporous aluminum plates with different nanoporous diameters ranging from 15 nm to 400 nm are obtained by changing the magnitude of the oxidation current. The surface contact angle of the nanoporous aluminum plates is an important factor influencing its surface frost and condensation. The test results show that the surface contact angle is decreased with the increasing of nanoporous diameter. When the nanoporous aluminum plates are modified by lauric acid, the contact angle is proportional to the nanoporous diameter, and the maximum contact angle can reach about 171°. A set of experimental instruments has been set up to simulate the typical winter climate in northern China, and the frosting properties of the nanoporous aluminum plate’s fin is analyzed by experiment. The results show that increasing the contact angle of aluminum plates can effectively improve its anti-frosting properties. The average frosting rate of the aluminum plate with the contact angle of 60° is about 0.33 [g/(min∙m2)], which is 1.74 times that of the aluminum plate with the contact angle of 171°, whose frosting rate is about 0.19 [g/(min∙m2)]. After taking the expanded aperture processing to the aluminum plate, the diameter with 30 nm, 100 nm, 200 nm, 300 nm, and 400 nm nanoporous aluminum plates are obtained and the polished aluminum plates are also prepared for comparing. Through the test results, the nanoporous aluminum plates are shown to have anti-frosting properties, and the nanoporous aluminum plates with diameter of 300 nm are shown to have the best anti-frosting properties. The calculation mode of frosting growth is derived on the base of experimental results. This research will be helpful in indicating the potential research area of the low-carbon-emission and energy-saving technology for the researchers all over the world.
A Chemometrics Approach Comparing Volatile Changes during the Shelf Life of Apple Juice Processed by Pulsed Electric Fields, High Pressure and Thermal Pasteurization
Authors: Kebede Biniam , Lee Pui Yee , Leong Sze Ying , Kethireddy Vidya , Ma Qianli , Aganovic Kemal , Eyres Graham T. , Hamid Nazimah , Oey Indrawati
Published: October 2018

High-Pressure Processing (HPP) and Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) processing technologies are being used increasingly on a commercial basis, with high-quality labelled fruit juices being one of the most important promotion strategies. Quality-related enzymes, which might still be active after HPP and PEF pasteurization, can cause undesirable aroma changes during storage. This study investigated volatile changes during the shelf life of PEF (15.5 kV/cm and specific energy of 158 kJ/L), HPP (600 MPa for 3 min), and thermally (72 °C for 15 s) pasteurized Jazz apple juices—up to five weeks. To have an increased insight into the volatile changes, an integrated instrumental (GC-MS) and data analysis (chemometrics) approach was implemented. Immediately after pasteurization, PEF processing resulted a better retention of odor-active volatiles, such as (E)-2-hexenal and hexyl acetate, whereas thermal processing lowered their amount. During refrigerated storage, these volatiles have gradually decreased in all processed juices. By the end of storage, the amount of these aroma relevant volatiles appears to still be higher in PEF and HPP pasteurized juices compared to their conventional counterparts. This study demonstrated the potential of advanced chemometric approaches to obtain increased insight into complex shelf life changes.
Analyzing the Export Performance of the Horticultural Sub-Sector in Ethiopia: ARDL Bound Test Cointegration Analysis
Authors: Dube Ahmed Kasim , Ozkan Burhan , Govindasamy Ramu
Published: October 2018

High dependency on traditional primary agricultural commodities and recurrent world market price fluctuations had exposed Ethiopia to foreign earnings instability. To reduce the high dependence on primary agricultural commodities and the associated vulnerability of negative price declines, diversification of trade from primary agricultural commodities into high-value horticultural commodities has attracted the attention of policy makers. The developments made in this area have brought the sector to the position of fifth largest foreign revenue generator for the country. However, given the comparative advantage in marketing and the potential to achieve trade gains that the country possesses, the benefit from the horticultural sub-sector is far below its potential. In this regard, knowledge of the determinants of the industry’s development is very important. So far, no attempt was made to examine factors influencing the export performance of the sector, taking the long period performance of the sector into consideration. Consequently, this study was proposed to examine the factors that have influenced the horticultural export performance of Ethiopia for the period from 1985–2016. Secondary data collected from National Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopia Horticulture Producer Exporter Association, Ministry of Agriculture of Ethiopia, FAOSTAT, UNCTAD, and the World Bank were used in this study. The short-run and long-run relationships among the series were investigated using the autoregressive-distributed lag (ARDL) bound test cointegration approach. The model result of the Error Correction Model (ECM (-1)) was revealed as negative and significant, whereby it confirmed the existence of cointegration among the series. Its coefficient value was 0.472, which showed 47% of the adjustment will be made in the first year and it will return to its long-run equilibrium after 2.12 years. The model results also showed that the real effective exchange rate, the real GDP of Ethiopia, foreign direct investment (FDI), prices, and the structural break had significantly influenced the horticultural export performance both in the short-run and the long-run. Foreign GDP and real interest rates were revealed significant only in the long-run. Finally, important policy measures deemed to improve the horticultural export performance of Ethiopia were recommended.
Which Psychopathological Syndromes Could Be Associated with the Risk of Suicide among Substance Users?
Authors: Masferrer Laura , Escalé-Muntañà Elisenda , Malagón Rafel , Cid Jordi , Caparrós Beatriz
Published: October 2018

Background: Research has shown that suicide is a highly present phenomenon among the drug dependent population. Moreover, individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) present high psychopathological comorbidity. This study aimed to describe which clinical syndromes are linked to the presence of risk of suicide. Methods: The study was based on a consecutive non-probabilistic convenience sample of 196 patients who attended the Public Addiction Center in Girona (Spain). Sociodemographic data, as well as suicide risk and drug related characteristics, were recorded. The risk of suicide was assessed with the Spanish version of “risk of suicide”. Complicated grief was assessed with the Spanish version of the Inventory of Complicated Grief. Clinical syndromes were measured with the Spanish version of MCMI-III. Results: The syndromes most frequently associated with the presence of risk of suicide were complicated grief, major depression and thought disorder. Conclusions: Different psychopathological syndromes were identified in relation to risk of suicide among patients with SUD. The present results highlight the importance of accurately diagnosing those individuals.
Heavy Metal Bioaccumulation in Rice from a High Geological Background Area in Guizhou Province, China
Authors: Kong Xiangyu , Liu Ting , Yu Ziheng , Chen Zhe , Lei Da , Wang Zhiwei , Zhang Hua , Li Qiuhua , Zhang Shanshan
Published: October 2018

Long-term exposure to high levels of heavy metals can lead to a variety of diseases. In recent years, researchers have paid more attention to mining and smelting areas, industrial areas, and so forth, but they have neglected to report on high geological background areas where heavy metal levels are higher than China’s soil environmental quality standard (GB 15618-2018). In our study, an investigation of heavy metals in paddy soil and rice in the high background area of Guizhou Province was carried out, and the factors affecting the absorption and utilization of heavy metals in rice were discussed. A total of 52 paddy soil and rice samples throughout the high geological background of Guizhou, China, were collected, and concentration(s) of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc were analyzed. The arithmetic mean values of paddy soil heavy metals were 19.7 ± 17.1, 0.577 ± 0.690, 40.5 ± 32.8, 35.5 ± 32.0, and 135 ± 128 mg kg−1 for arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc, respectively. Most of the heavy metals’ contents in the soil were above the soil standard value. The highest content of cadmium was 15.5 times that of the soil standard value. The concentration(s) of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in rice were 0.09 ± 0.03, 0.01 ± 0.01, 1.57 ± 0.69, 0.002 ± 0.003, and 11.56 ± 2.61 mg kg−1, respectively, which are all lower than those specified by Chinese food safety standards (GB 2762-2017). The results and discussion show that the bioavailability, pH, and soil organic matter are important factors that affect the absorption of heavy metals by rice. According to the consumption of rice in Guizhou Province, the risk of eating rice was considered. The results revealed that the hazard quotient is ranked in the order of copper > zinc > cadmium > arsenic > lead, and there is little risk of eating rice in the high geological background area of Guizhou Province. These findings provide impetus for the revision and improvement of this Chinese soil environmental quality standard.
Valuation of Digital Platforms: Experimental Evidence for Google and Facebook
Authors: Herzog Bodo
Published: October 2018

This article investigates the fundamental value of digital platforms, such as Facebook and Google. Despite the transformative nature of digital technologies, it is challenging to value digital services, given that the usage is free of charge. Applying the methodology of discrete choice experiments, we estimated the value of digital free goods. For the first time in the literature, we obtained data for the willingness-to-pay and willingness-to-accept, together with socio-economic variables. The customer’s valuation of free digital services is on average, for Google, 121 € per week and Facebook, 28 €.
Aquaporins Alteration Profiles Revealed Different Actions of Senna, Sennosides, and Sennoside A in Diarrhea-Rats
Authors: Cao Yixin , He Ying , Wei Cong , Li Jing , Qu Lejing , Zhang Huiqin , Cheng Ying , Qiao Boling
Published: October 2018

Senna and its main components sennosides are well-known effective laxative drugs and are used in the treatment of intestinal constipation in the world. Their potential side effects have attracted more attention in clinics but have little scientific justification. In this study, senna extract (SE), sennosides (SS), and sennoside A (SA) were prepared and used to generate diarrhea rats. The diarrhea rats were investigated with behaviors, clinical signs, organ index, pathological examination, and gene expression on multiple aquaporins (Aqps) including Aqp1, Aqp2, Aqp3, Aqp4, Aqp5, Aqp6, Aqp7, Aqp8, Aqp9, and Aqp11. Using qRT-PCR, the Aqp expression profiles were constructed for six organs including colon, kidney, liver, spleen, lung, and stomach. The Aqp alteration profiles were characterized and was performed with Principle Component Analysis (PCA). The SE treatments on the rats resulted in a significant body weight loss (p < 0.001), significant increases (p < 0.001) on the kidney index (27.72%) and liver index (42.55%), and distinguished changes with up-regulation on Aqps expressions in the kidneys and livers. The SS treatments showed prominent laxative actions and down regulation on Aqps expression in the colons. The study results indicated that the SE had more influence/toxicity on the kidneys and livers. The SS showed more powerful actions on the colons. We suggest that the caution should be particularly exercised in the patients with kidney and liver diseases when chronic using senna-based products.
Physician Empathy Interacts with Breaking Bad News in Predicting Lung Cancer and Pleural Mesothelioma Patient Survival: Timing May Be Crucial
Authors: Lelorain Sophie , Cortot Alexis , Christophe Véronique , Pinçon Claire , Gidron Yori
Published: October 2018

This study is the first to examine the prognostic role of physician empathy in interaction with the type of consultation (TC) (TC, bad news versus follow-up consultations) in cancer patient survival. Between January 2015 and March 2016, 179 outpatients with thoracic cancer and a Karnofsky performance status ≥60 assessed their oncologist’s empathy using the CARE questionnaire, which provides a general score and two sub-dimensions: listening/compassion and active/positive empathy. Survival was recorded until April 2018. Usual medical, social and psychological confounders were included in the Cox regression. The median follow-up time was 3.1 years. There was a statistical interaction between listening/compassion empathy and TC (p = 0.016) such that in bad news consultations, higher listening/compassion predicted a higher risk of death (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.13; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.23; p = 0.008). In follow-up consultations, listening/compassion did not predict survival (HR = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.85–1.05; p = 0.30). The same results were found with the general score of empathy, but not with active/positive empathy. In bad news consultations, high patient-perceived physician compassion could worry patients by conveying the idea that there is no longer any hope, which could hasten death. Further studies are warranted to confirm these results and find out the determinants of patient perception of physician empathy.
The 3D Printing of Calcium Phosphate with K-Carrageenan under Conditions Permitting the Incorporation of Biological Components—A Method
Authors: Kelder Cindy , Bakker Astrid Diana , Klein-Nulend Jenneke , Wismeijer Daniël
Published: October 2018

Critical-size bone defects are a common clinical problem. The golden standard to treat these defects is autologous bone grafting. Besides the limitations of availability and co-morbidity, autografts have to be manually adapted to fit in the defect, which might result in a sub-optimal fit and impaired healing. Scaffolds with precise dimensions can be created using 3-dimensional (3D) printing, enabling the production of patient-specific, ‘tailor-made’ bone substitutes with an exact fit. Calcium phosphate (CaP) is a popular material for bone tissue engineering due to its biocompatibility, osteoconductivity, and biodegradable properties. To enhance bone formation, a bioactive 3D-printed CaP scaffold can be created by combining the printed CaP scaffold with biological components such as growth factors and cytokines, e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). However, the 3D-printing of CaP with a biological component is challenging since production techniques often use high temperatures or aggressive chemicals, which hinders/inactivates the bioactivity of the incorporated biological components. Therefore, in our laboratory, we routinely perform extrusion-based 3D-printing with a biological binder at room temperature to create porous scaffolds for bone healing. In this method paper, we describe in detail a 3D-printing procedure for CaP paste with K-carrageenan as a biological binder.
A Joint Routing and Channel Assignment Scheme for Hybrid Wireless-Optical Broadband-Access Networks
Authors: Pal Amitangshu , Nasipuri Asis
Published: October 2018

In this paper, we investigate mechanisms for improving the quality of communications in wireless-optical broadband access networks (WOBAN), which present a promising solution to meet the growing needs for capacity of access networks. This is achieved by using multiple gateways and multi-channel operation along with a routing protocol that effectively reduces the effect of radio interference. We present a joint route and channel assignment scheme with the objective of maximizing the end-to-end probability of success and minimizing the end-to-end delay for all active upstream traffic in the WOBAN. Performance evaluations of the proposed scheme are presented using ns-2 simulations, which show that the proposed scheme improves the network throughput up to three times and reduces the traffic delay by six times in presence of 12 channels and four network interface cards (NICs), compared to a single channel scenario.
Development of SiC/PVB Composite Powders for Selective Laser Sintering Additive Manufacturing of SiC
Authors: Zhou Peng , Qi Huilin , Zhu Zhenye , Qin Huang , Li Hui , Chu Chenglin , Yan Ming
Published: October 2018

Subsphaeroidal SiC/polymer composite granules with good flowability for additive manufacturing/3D printing of SiC were prepared by ball milling with surface modification using polyvinyl butyral (PVB). PVB adheres to the particle surface of SiC to form a crosslinked network structure and keeps them combined with each other into light aggregates. The effects of PVB on the shape, size, phase composition, distribution and flowability of the polymer-ceramic composite powder were investigated in detail. Results show that the composite powder material has good laser absorptivity at wavelengths of lower than 500 nm.
Design of a 2 DOFs Mini Hollow Joint Actuated with SMA Wires
Authors: Manfredi Luigi , Cuschieri Alfred
Published: October 2018

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are smart materials used in robotics because of its light weight and high force-to-weight ratio. The low energy efficiency, up to 5%, has limited their use for large actuators. However, they have shown advantages in the design of mini-robots because of the limited volume required for the actuation system. The present study reports the design and construction of a mini compliant joint (MCJ) with a 2 degrees of freedom (DOFs) intersecting axis. The MCJ prototype has a 20 mm external diameter surrounding a cavity of 8 mm, weighs 2 g, is 20 mm high and can perform an angle rotation of 30 ∘ in less than 260 ms. It uses SMA NiTi wires in antagonistic configuration and springs to reduce the energy consumption and minimise heat production. The design methods and experimental results of the manufactured prototype are reported and discussed.
Expressing Sums of Finite Products of Chebyshev Polynomials of the Second Kind and of Fibonacci Polynomials by Several Orthogonal Polynomials
Authors: Kim Taekyun , Kim Dae San , Kwon Jongkyum , Dolgy Dmitry V.
Published: October 2018

This paper is concerned with representing sums of the finite products of Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind and of Fibonacci polynomials in terms of several classical orthogonal polynomials. Indeed, by explicit computations, each of them is expressed as linear combinations of Hermite, generalized Laguerre, Legendre, Gegenbauer and Jacobi polynomials, which involve the hypergeometric functions 1 F 1 and 2 F 1 .
Effects of Reflective Labyrinth Walking Assessed Using a Questionnaire
Authors: Lizier Daniele S. , Silva-Filho Reginaldo , Umada Juliane , Melo Romualdo , Neves Afonso Carlos
Published: October 2018

Background: Meditation as it is currently known is an ancient practice, which can be traced back to Asian traditions. With the proper technique, a state of physical relaxation and respiratory balance can be reached naturally and spontaneously. This paper considers meditative labyrinth walking to be a unique expression of Dr. Lauren Artress’ work, who studied and applied the image of the labyrinth on the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France. Methods: This study used a qualitative approach. It is a cross-sectional non-randomized study, conducted at an institute for psychotherapies with a sample of 30 participants. Results: 99% of the group reported feeling emotional distress caused by the feeling of a longer walk on the way out, 21% reported feeling the same while walking the path, and 41% at the beginning. The remaining participants felt lost in time and space. Conclusions: This study showed that the practice of labyrinth walking is a physical, emotional, and sensory experience. On the clinical level, correlating this experience to the planning of care seems to be particularly relevant.
Numerical Modeling of the Effect of Randomly Distributed Inclusions on Fretting Fatigue-Induced Stress in Metals
Authors: Deng Qingming , Bhatti Nadeem , Yin Xiaochun , Abdel Wahab Magd
Published: October 2018

The analysis of fretting fatigue plays an important role in many engineering fields. The presence of heterogeneity may affect the performance of a machine or a structure, including its lifetime and stability. In this paper, the effect of randomly distributed micro inclusions on the fretting fatigue behaviour of heterogeneous materials is analysed using the finite element method (FEM) for different sizes, shape and properties of inclusions. The effect of micro inclusions on macroscopic material properties is also considered by representative volume element (RVE). It is shown that the influence of micro inclusions on macroscopic material properties cannot be ignored, and the shape and size of the inclusions have less effect on the macroscopic material properties as compared to the material properties of inclusion and volume ratio. In addition, various parameters of inclusions have little effect on the peak tensile stress, which remains almost the same as homogeneous material. Peak shear stress occurs at many places inside the specimen, which can result in multiple cracking points inside the specimen, as well as at the contact surface. Moreover, the stress band formed by the stress coupling between adjacent inclusions may have an important influence on the direction of crack growth.
Ferrite-to-Austenite and Austenite-to-Martensite Phase Transformations in the Vicinity of a Cementite Particle: A Molecular Dynamics Approach
Authors: Meiser Jerome , Urbassek Herbert M.
Published: October 2018

We used classical molecular dynamics simulation to study the ferrite–austenite phase transformation of iron in the vicinity of a phase boundary to cementite. When heating a ferrite–cementite bicrystal, we found that the austenitic transformation starts to nucleate at the phase boundary. Due to the variants nucleated, an extended poly-crystalline microstructure is established in the transformed phase. When cooling a high-temperature austenite–cementite bicrystal, the martensitic transformation is induced; the new phase again nucleates at the phase boundary obeying the Kurdjumov–Sachs orientation relations, resulting in a twinned microstructure.
Remote Microwave and Field-Effect Sensing Techniques for Monitoring Hydrogel Sensor Response
Authors: Fawole Olutosin Charles , Dolai Subhashish , Leu Hsuan-Yu , Magda Jules , Tabib-Azar Massood
Published: October 2018

This paper presents two novel techniques for monitoring the response of smart hydrogels composed of synthetic organic materials that can be engineered to respond (swell or shrink, change conductivity and optical properties) to specific chemicals, biomolecules or external stimuli. The first technique uses microwaves both in contact and remote monitoring of the hydrogel as it responds to chemicals. This method is of great interest because it can be used to non-invasively monitor the response of subcutaneously implanted hydrogels to blood chemicals such as oxygen and glucose. The second technique uses a metal-oxide-hydrogel field-effect transistor (MOHFET) and its associated current-voltage characteristics to monitor the hydrogel’s response to different chemicals. MOHFET can be easily integrated with on-board telemetry electronics for applications in implantable biosensors or it can be used as a transistor in an oscillator circuit where the oscillation frequency of the circuit depends on the analyte concentration.
Chromobacterium violaceum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1: Models for Evaluating Anti-Quorum Sensing Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil and Its Main Component Terpinen-4-ol
Authors: Noumi Emira , Merghni Abderrahmen , M. Alreshidi Mousa , Haddad Ons , Akmadar Gültekin , De Martino Laura , Mastouri Maha , Ceylan Ozgur , Snoussi Mejdi , Al-sieni Abdulbasit , De Feo Vincenzo
Published: October 2018

The problem of antibiotic resistance among pathogens encourages searching for novel active molecules. The aim of the research was to assay the anti-quorum sensing (anti-QS) and antibiofilm potential of Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil and its main constituent, terpinen-4-ol, to prevent the infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains as an alternate to antibiotics. The tea tree oil (TTO) was evaluated for its potential in inhibiting QS-dependent phenomena such as violacein production in Chromobacterium violaceum, swarming motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, and biofilm formation in MRSA strains on glass. The results showed that terpinen-4-ol was able to inhibit MRSA strain biofilm formation on the glass strips by 73.70%. TTO inhibited the violacein production at a mean inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.048 mg/mL by 69.3%. At 100 µg/mL TTO and terpinen-4-ol exhibited inhibition in swarming motility of PAO1 by 33.33% and 25%, respectively. TTO revealed anti-QS and anti-biofilm activities at very low concentrations, but it could be further investigated for new molecules useful for the treatment of MRSA infections.
Metal-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions on Azaindole Synthesis and Functionalization
Authors: Santos A. Sofia , Mortinho Ana C. , Marques M. Manuel B.
Published: October 2018

Azaindoles are rare in nature but extremely attractive for drug discovery programs. Azaindoles can be obtained by diverse methods, including those involving metal-catalyzed reactions. This important core has been fascinating the scientific community due to their challenging synthesis and relevant bioactivity. This paper highlights the diverse synthetic methodologies developed to date involving metal-catalyzed reaction to attain azaindoles and its functionalization.
Direct Exfoliation of Natural SiO2-Containing Molybdenite in Isopropanol: A Cost Efficient Solution for Large-Scale Production of MoS2 Nanosheetes
Authors: Zhao Wenyan , Jiang Tao , Shan Yujie , Ding Hongrui , Shi Junxian , Chu Haibin , Lu Anhuai
Published: October 2018

The cost-effective exfoliation of layered materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides into mono- or few- layers is of significant interest for various applications. This paper reports the preparation of few-layered MoS2 from natural SiO2-containing molybdenite by exfoliation in isopropanol (IPA) under mild ultrasonic conditions. One- to six-layer MoS2 nanosheets with dimensions in the range of 50-200 nm are obtained. By contrast, MoS2 quantum dots along with nanosheets are produced using N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP) and an aqueous solution of poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly (propylene glycol)-block-poly (ethylene glycol) (P123) as exfoliation solutions. Compared with molybdenite, commercial bulk MoS2 cannot be exfoliated to nanosheets under the same experimental conditions. In the exfoliation process of the mineral, SiO2 associated in molybdenite plays the role of similar superfine ball milling, which significantly enhances the exfoliation efficiency. This work demonstrates that isopropanol can be used to exfoliate natural molybdenite under mild conditions to produce nanosheets, which facilitates the preparation of highly concentrated MoS2 dispersions or MoS2 in powder form due to the volatility of the solvent. Such exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets exhibit excellent photoconductivity under visible light. Hence, the direct mild exfoliation method of unrefined natural molybdenite provides a solution for low-cost and convenient production of few-layered MoS2 which is appealing for industrial applications.
Eleven Weeks of Iron Supplementation Does Not Maintain Iron Status for an Entire Competitive Season in Elite Female Volleyball Players: A Follow-Up Study
Authors: Mielgo-Ayuso Juan , Zourdos Michael C. , Calleja-González Julio , Córdova Alfredo , Fernandez-Lázaro Diego , Caballero-García Alberto
Published: October 2018

Background: Even though iron supplementation can be effective, it is necessary to be cautious of toxicity and aim to do no harm, therefore, it is important to examine the length of time the benefits of iron supplementation can be maintained following its cessation. The main purpose of this study was to analyze if iron stores and strength performance were maintained in elite female volleyball players for the final 18 weeks of a competitive season following the cessation of 11 weeks of iron supplementation. Methods: Twenty-two volleyballers (age: 27.0 ± 5.6 years.) were assigned to two groups (iron treatment group-ITG, n = 11 or control gropu-CG, n = 11) at the beginning of a previous trial (T0) and ITG consumed 325mg/d of ferrous sulphate for 11 weeks (T11). Then, in the present study iron status and strength were measured again 10 (T21) and 18 weeks later (T29) after the cessation of supplementation. Results: At the end of the previous trial (T11), ITG maintained iron status as measured by hematological parameters (serum iron-sFE, serum ferritin-FER, transferrin saturation index-TSI, and hemogloblin-Hb), however, CG showed a decrease in these markers at T11. Further, from T0 to T11 ITG experienced greater (p < 0.05) changes in clean and jerk, power clean, and total mean strength (TMS-sum of all strength tests) than CG. In the present, follow-up investigation, there was a group-by-time interaction in favor of CG vs. ITG from T11 to T21 for FER (p = 0.028) and Hb (p = 0.042). Further, there was an increase for CG (p < 0.001) in power clean for CG from T11 (38.4 ± 1.7 kg) to T21 (41.3 ± 1.9 kg) and T29 (41.8 ± 1.7 kg), but no change for power clean in ITG (p > 0.05). A group-by-time interaction from T11 to T29 occurred in favor of CG for half-squat (p = 0.049) and TMS (p = 0.049). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the benefits of iron supplementation are not sustained in elite female volleyballers if supplementation is ceased for 18 weeks.
The Influence of Caffeine Expectancies on Sport, Exercise, and Cognitive Performance
Authors: Shabir Akbar , Hooton Andy , Tallis Jason , F. Higgins Matthew
Published: October 2018

Caffeine (CAF) is widely consumed across sport and exercise for its reputed ergogenic properties, including central nervous stimulation and enhanced muscular force development. However, expectancy and the related psychological permutations that are associated with oral CAF ingestion are generally not considered in most experimental designs and these could be important in understanding if/how CAF elicits an ergogenic effect. The present paper reviews 17 intervention studies across sport, exercise, and cognitive performance. All explore CAF expectancies, in conjunction with/without CAF pharmacology. Thirteen out of 17 studies indicated expectancy effects of varying magnitudes across a range of exercise tasks and cognitive skills inclusive off but not limited to; endurance capacity, weightlifting performance, simple reaction time and memory. Factors, such as motivation, belief, and habitual CAF consumption habits influenced the response. In many instances, these effects were comparable to CAF pharmacology. Given these findings and the lack of consistency in the experimental design, future research acknowledging factors, such as habitual CAF consumption habits, habituated expectations, and the importance of subjective post-hoc analysis will help to advance knowledge within this area.
Influence of Ethylene Oxide Content in Nonionic Surfactant to the Hydrolysis of Reactive Dye in Silicone Non-Aqueous Dyeing System
Authors: Wang Jiping , Zhang Yongbo , Dou Huashu , Pei Liujun
Published: October 2018

Silicone reverse dyeing technology provides an important means of saving water and salts-free in the textile dyeing industry. The interactions between dyes and surfactants may influence the hydrolysis of dye during dyeing. In this investigation, the effect of ethylene oxide content in nonionic surfactant on the hydrolytic reaction of reactive dye was firstly investigated in a siloxane reverse emulsion dyeing system. Compared with no surfactants, the hydrolytic reaction of vinyl sulfone reactive dye was a slowdown when some nonionic surfactants were used during dyeing. Usually, the hydrophobic groups in nonionic surfactants were dodecyl chains but their polar head groups were different. The hydrolytic reaction of vinyl sulfone dye showed that the longer of EO (ethylene oxide) chains, the faster the hydrolytic reaction of vinyl sulfone dye. From the absorption spectrum of dye, it could be concluded that more of dyes would be solubilized into the formed micelles, and dye-surfactant complexes were adhered to the surface of micelles if the molecular structure of surfactant had a shorter EO chains. Furthermore, the intramolecular or intermolecular hydrogen bond could be formed between dye and surfactant, which would further influence the hydrolytic reaction of vinyl sulfone dye. However, the solubility of surfactant in siloxane non-aqueous media would decrease with the increase of EO chains. Meanwhile, the dispersion of dye was enhanced as well as the hydrolytic reaction of dye. From this investigation, some surfactant can be used to improve the fixation of reactive dye during dyeing. Furthermore, washing times after dyeing and the ecological problems can be decreased.
Selective Polymer Distributed Bragg Reflector Vapor Sensors
Authors: Lova Paola
Published: October 2018

We report on Flory–Huggins photonic sensors for the selective detection of volatile organic compounds without the use of any chemical functionalization. For this purpose, we employed periodic multilayers made of inert cellulose acetate alternated to active polystyrene films whose free volume was modified with silanized ZnO nanoparticles. The simple UV-visible (UV-vis) dynamic optical response of such polymer distributed Bragg reflectors during exposure to vapors of benzene, toluene, o-dichlorobenzene, and carbon tetrachloride allows their detection and recognition based on different chemico–physical affinity with the active polymer medium.
Simulation of Dual Mixed Refrigerant Natural Gas Liquefaction Processes Using a Nonsmooth Framework
Authors: Vikse Matias , Watson Harry A. J. , Gundersen Truls , Barton Paul I.
Published: October 2018

Natural gas liquefaction is an energy intensive process where the feed is cooled from ambient temperature down to cryogenic temperatures. Different liquefaction cycles exist depending on the application, with dual mixed refrigerant processes normally considered for the large-scale production of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Large temperature spans and small temperature differences in the heat exchangers make the liquefaction processes difficult to analyze. Exergetic losses from irreversible heat transfer increase exponentially with a decreasing temperature at subambient conditions. Consequently, an accurate and robust simulation tool is paramount to allow designers to make correct design decisions. However, conventional process simulators, such as Aspen Plus, suffer from significant drawbacks when modeling multistream heat exchangers. In particular, no rigorous checks exist to prevent temperature crossovers. Limited degrees of freedom and the inability to solve for stream variables other than outlet temperatures also makes such tools inflexible to use, often requiring the user to resort to a manual iterative procedure to obtain a feasible solution. In this article, a nonsmooth, multistream heat exchanger model is used to develop a simulation tool for two different dual mixed refrigerant processes. Case studies are presented for which Aspen Plus fails to obtain thermodynamically feasible solutions.
Improved WαSH Feature Matching Based on 2D-DWT for Stereo Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Yu Mei , Deng Kazhong , Yang Huachao , Qin Changbiao
Published: October 2018

Image matching is an outstanding issue because of the existing of geometric and radiometric distortion in stereo remote sensing images. Weighted α-shape (WαSH) local invariant features are tolerant to image rotation, scale change, affine deformation, illumination change, and blurring. However, since the number of WαSH features is small, it is difficult to get enough matches to estimate the satisfactory homography matrix or fundamental matrix. In addition, the WαSH detector is extremely sensitive to image noise because it is built on sampled edges. Considering the shortcomings of the WαSH detector, this paper improves the WαSH feature matching method based on the 2D discrete wavelet transform (2D-DWT). The method firstly performs 2D-DWT on the image, and then detects WαSH features on the transformed images. According to the methods of descriptor construction for WαSH features, three matching methods on the basis of wavelet transform WαSH features (WWF), improved wavelet transform WαSH features (IWWF), and layered IWWF (LIWWF) are distinguished with respect to the character of the sub-images. The experimental results on the dataset containing affine distortion, scale distortion, illumination change, and noise images, showed that the proposed methods acquired more matches and better stableness than WαSH. Experimentation on remote sensing images with less affine distortion and slight noise showed that the proposed methods obtained the correct matching rate greater than 90%. For images containing severe distortion, KAZE obtained a 35.71% correct matching rate, which is unacceptable for calculating the homography matrix, while IWWF achieved a 71.42% correct matching rate. IWWF was the only method that achieved the correct matching rate of no less than 50% for all four test stereo remote sensing image pairs and was the most stable compared to MSER, DWT-MSER, WαSH, DWT-WαSH, KAZE, WWF, and LIWWF.
Application of NOMA in Wireless System with Wireless Power Transfer Scheme: Outage and Ergodic Capacity Performance Analysis
Authors: Do Dinh-Thuan , Le Chi-Bao
Published: October 2018

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and energy harvesting (EH) are combined to introduce a dual-hop wireless sensor system. In particular, this paper considers a novel EH protocol based on time power switching-based relaying (TPSR) architecture for amplify-and-forward (AF) mode. We introduce a novel system model presenting wireless network with impacts of energy harvesting fractions and derive analytical expressions for outage probability and ergodic rate for the information transmission link. It confirmed that the right selection of power allocation for NOMA users can be performed to obtain optimal outage and ergodic capacity performance. Theoretical results show that, in comparison with the conventional solutions, the proposed model can achieve acceptable outage performance for sufficiently small threshold signal to noise ratio (SNR) with condition of controlling time switching fractions and power splitting fractions appropriately in considered TPSR protocol. We also examine the impacts of transmitting power at source, transmission rate, the other key parameters of TPSR to outage, and ergodic performance. Simulation results are presented to corroborate the proposed system.
Wear Degree Quantification of Pin Connections Using Parameter-Based Analyses of Acoustic Emissions
Authors: Wang Jingkai , Huo Linsheng , Liu Chunguang , Song Gangbing
Published: October 2018

Pin connections are commonly used in many engineering fields, and continuous operation may cause severe wear on the pins and may lead to their eventual fracture, if undetected. However, a reliable nonintrusive real-time method to monitor the wear of pin connections is yet to be developed. In this paper, acoustic emission (AE)-based parametric analysis methods, including the logarithm of the cumulative energy (LAE), the logarithm of the slope of cumulative energy (LSCE), the b-value method, the Ib-value method, and the fast Fourier transformation (FFT), were developed to quantify the wear degree of pin connections. The b-value method offers a criterion to quickly judge whether severe wear occurs on a pin connection. To assist the research, an experimental apparatus to accelerate wear test of pin connections was designed and fabricated. The AE sensor, mounted on the test apparatus in a nondestructive manner, is capable of real-time monitoring. The micrographs of the wear of pins, and the surface roughness of pins, verified that the values of the max LAE and the max LSCE became larger as the wear degree of pin connections increased, which means different values of the max LAE and the max LSCE can reflect different wear degree of pin connections. Meanwhile, the results of the micrographs and surface roughness confirmed that the b-value is an effective method to identify severe wear, and the value “1” can be used as a criterion to detect severe damage in different structures. Furthermore, the results of spectrum analysis in the low frequency range showed that the wear frequency was concentrated in the range of 0.01 to 0.02 MHz for the pin connection. This study demonstrated that these methods, developed based on acoustic emission technique, can be utilized in quantifying the wear degree of pin connections in a nondestructive way.