bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Genotoxic and Oxidative Damage Potential of Silver Nanoparticles in Human NCM460 and HCT116 Cells
Authors: Jia Mingxi , Zhang Wenjing , He Taojin , Shu Meng , Deng Jing , Wang Jianhui , Li Wen , Bai Jie , Lin Qinlu , Luo Feijun , Zhou Wenhua , Zeng Xiaoxi
Published: February 2020

Nano Ag has excellent antibacterial properties and is widely used in various antibacterial materials, such as antibacterial medicine and medical devices, food packaging materials and antibacterial textiles. Despite the many benefits of nano-Ag, more and more research indicates that it may have potential biotoxic effects. Studies have shown that people who ingest nanoparticles by mouth have the highest uptake in the intestinal tract, and that the colon area is the most vulnerable to damage and causes the disease. In this study, we examined the toxic effects of different concentrations of Ag-NPs on normal human colon cells (NCM460) and human colon cancer cells (HCT116). As the concentration of nanoparticles increased, the activity of the two colon cells decreased and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased. RT-qPCR and Western-blot analyses showed that Ag NPs can promote the increase in P38 protein phosphorylation levels in two colon cells and promote the expression of P53 and Bax. The analysis also showed that Ag NPs can promote the down-regulation of Bcl-2, leading to an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and activation of P21, further accelerating cell death. This study showed that a low concentration of nano Ag has no obvious toxic effect on colon cells, while nano Ag with concentrations higher than 15 μg/mL will cause oxidative damage to colon cells.
Effects of Overproduction of Rubisco Activase on Rubisco Content in Transgenic Rice Grown at Different N Levels
Authors: Suganami Mao , Suzuki Yuji , Kondo Eri , Nishida Shinji , Konno So , Makino Amane
Published: February 2020

It has been reported that overproduction of Rubisco activase (RCA) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) decreased Rubisco content, resulting in declining photosynthesis. We examined the effects of RCA levels on Rubisco content using transgenic rice with overexpressed or suppressed RCA under the control of different promoters of the RCA and Rubisco small subunit (RBCS) genes. All plants were grown hydroponically with different N concentrations (0.5, 2.0 and 8.0 mM-N). In RCA overproduced plants with > 2-fold RCA content (RCA-HI lines), a 10%–20% decrease in Rubisco content was observed at 0.5 and 2.0 mM-N. In contrast, at 8.0 mM-N, Rubisco content did not change in RCA-HI lines. Conversely, in plants with 50%–60% increased RCA content (RCA-MI lines), Rubisco levels remained unchanged, regardless of N concentration. Such effects on Rubisco content were independent of the promoter that was used. In plants with RCA suppression to < 10% of the wild-type RCA content, Rubisco levels were increased at 0.5 mM-N, but were unchanged at 2.0 and 8.0 mM-N. Thus, the effects of the changes in RCA levels on Rubisco content depended on N supply. Moreover, RCA overproduction was feasible without a decrease in Rubisco content, depending on the degree of RCA production.
Non-Collagenous Dentin Protein Binding Sites Control Mineral Formation during the Biomineralisation Process in Radicular Dentin
Authors: Retana-Lobo Cristina , Guerreiro-Tanomaru Juliane Maria , Tanomaru-Filho Mario , Mendes de Souza Beatriz Dulcineia , Reyes-Carmona Jessie
Published: February 2020

The biomineralisation of radicular dentin involves complex molecular signalling. Providing evidence of protein binding sites for calcium ions and mineral precipitation is essential for a better understanding of the remineralisation process. This study aimed to evaluate the functional relationship of metalloproteinases (MMPs) and non-collagenous proteins (NCPs) with mineral initiation and maturation during the biomineralisation of radicular dentin. A standardized demineralisation procedure was performed to radicular dentin slices. Samples were remineralised in a PBS-bioactive material system for different periods of time. Assessments of ion exchange, Raman analysis, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to evaluate the remineralisation process. Immunohistochemistry and zymography were performed to analyse NCPs and MMPs expression. SEM evaluation showed that the mineral nucleation and growth occurs, exclusively, on the demineralised radicular dentin surface. Raman analysis of remineralised dentin showed intense peaks at 955 and 1063 cm−1, which can be attributed to carbonate apatite formation. Immunohistochemistry of demineralised samples revealed the presence of DMP1-CT, mainly in intratubular dentin, whereas DSPP in intratubular and intertubular dentin. DMP1-CT and DSPP binding sites control carbonate apatite nucleation and maturation guiding the remineralisation of radicular dentin.
Electric-Field-Induced Phase Transformation and Frequency-Dependent Behavior of Bismuth Sodium Titanate–Barium Titanate
Authors: Lee Kai-Yang , Shi Xi , Kumar Nitish , Hoffman Mark , Etter Martin , Checchia Stefano , Winter Jens , Lemos da Silva Lucas , Seifert Daniela , Hinterstein Manuel
Published: February 2020

The electric field response of the lead-free solid solution (1−x)Bi0.53Na0.47TiO3–xBaTiO3 (BNT–BT) in the higher BT composition range with x = 0.12 was investigated using in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. An introduced Bi-excess non-stoichiometry caused an extended morphotropic phase boundary, leading to an unexpected fully reversible relaxor to ferroelectric (R–FE) phase transformation behavior. By varying the field frequency in a broad range from 10−4 up to 102 Hz, BNT–12BT showed a frequency-dependent gradual suppression of the field induced ferroelectric phase transformation in favor of the relaxor state. A frequency triggered self-heating within the sample was found and the temperature increase exponentially correlated with the field frequency. The effects of a lowered phase transformation temperature TR–FE, caused by the non-stoichiometric composition, were observed in the experimental setup of the freestanding sample. This frequency-dependent investigation of an R–FE phase transformation is unlike previous macroscopic studies, in which heat dissipating metal contacts are used.
Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition of Plasmonic TiN Ultrathin Films Using TDMATi and NH3
Authors: Hansen Katherine , Cardona Melissa , Dutta Amartya , Yang Chen
Published: February 2020

Transition metal nitrides, like titanium nitride (TiN), are promising alternative plasmonic materials. Here we demonstrate a low temperature plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) of non-stoichiometric TiN0.71 on lattice-matched and -mismatched substrates. The TiN was found to be optically metallic for both thick (42 nm) and thin (11 nm) films on MgO and Si <100> substrates, with visible light plasmon resonances in the range of 550–650 nm. We also demonstrate that a hydrogen plasma post-deposition treatment improves the metallic quality of the ultrathin films on both substrates, increasing the ε1 slope by 1.3 times on MgO and by 2 times on Si (100), to be similar to that of thicker, more metallic films. In addition, this post-deposition was found to tune the plasmonic properties of the films, resulting in a blue-shift in the plasmon resonance of 44 nm on a silicon substrate and 59 nm on MgO.
Precise Drilling of Holes in Alumina Ceramic (Al2O3) by Rotary Ultrasonic Drilling and its Parameter Optimization using MOGA-II
Authors: Alkhalefah Hisham
Published: February 2020

Alumina is an advanced ceramic with applications in dental and medical sciences. Since ceramics are hard and brittle, their conventional machining is expensive, arduous, and time-consuming. As rotary ultrasonic machining is among the most adequate and proficient processing techniques for brittle materials like ceramics. Therefore, in this study, rotary ultrasonic drilling (RUD) has been utilized to drill holes on alumina ceramic (Al2O3). This study investigates the effect of key RUD process variables, namely vibration frequency, vibration amplitude, spindle speed, and feed rate on the dimensional accuracy of the drilled holes. A four-variable three-level central composite design (thirty experiments on three sample plates) is utilized to examine the comparative significance of different RUD process variables. The multi-objective genetic algorithm is employed to determine the optimal parametric conditions. The findings revealed that material removal rates depend on feed rate, while the cylindricity of the holes is mostly controlled by the speed and feed rate of the spindles. The optimal parametric combination attained for drilling quality holes is speed = 4000 rpm, feed rate = 1.5 (mm/min), amplitude = 20 (µm), and frequency = 23 (kHz). The validation tests were also conducted to confirm the quality of drilled holes at the optimized process parameters.
Redox-Promoted Tailoring of the High-Temperature Electrical Performance in Ca3Co4O9 Thermoelectric Materials by Metallic Cobalt Addition
Authors: Constantinescu Gabriel , Sarabando Artur R. , Rasekh Shahed , Lopes Diogo , Sergiienko Sergii , Amirkhizi Parisa , Frade Jorge R. , Kovalevsky Andrei V.
Published: February 2020

This paper reports a novel composite-based processing route for improving the electrical performance of Ca3Co4O9 thermoelectric (TE) ceramics. The approach involves the addition of metallic Co, acting as a pore filler on oxidation, and considers two simple sintering schemes. The (1-x)Ca3Co4O9/xCo composites (x = 0%, 3%, 6% and 9% vol.) have been prepared through a modified Pechini method, followed by one- and two-stage sintering, to produce low-density (one-stage, 1ST) and high-density (two-stage, 2ST) ceramic samples. Their high-temperature TE properties, namely the electrical conductivity (σ), Seebeck coefficient (α) and power factor (PF), were investigated between 475 and 975 K, in air flow, and related to their respective phase composition, morphology and microstructure. For the 1ST case, the porous samples (56%–61% of ρth) reached maximum PF values of around 210 and 140 μWm−1·K−2 for the 3% and 6% vol. Co-added samples, respectively, being around two and 1.3 times higher than those of the pure Ca3Co4O9 matrix. Although 2ST sintering resulted in rather dense samples (80% of ρth), the efficiency of the proposed approach, in this case, was limited by the complex phase composition of the corresponding ceramics, impeding the electronic transport and resulting in an electrical performance below that measured for the Ca3Co4O9 matrix (224 μWm−1·K−2 at 975K).
Effect of Filling Rate on Underwater Wet Welding Process and Weld Appearance
Authors: Zhang Xin , Guo Ning , Xu Changsheng , Kan Haoran , Tan Yanbo , Chen Hao
Published: February 2020

Real-time electric signal, matter transfer mode and welding pool behavior were obtained to investigate the effect of wires’ filling rate on arc stability and joints’ appearance during underwater wet flux-cored arc welding (FCAW). The electric signal results showed that arc stability first decreased and then increased rapidly because the raise of filling rate affected the number of charged particles and the electrical conductivity of welding arc atmosphere. Two typical transfer modes, globular repelled transfer mode and surface tension transfer mode, were observed in this study. The ratio of surface tension transition could be increased by adding wires’ filling rate. Meanwhile, the geometry of molten pool was changed and the distance between droplets to welding pool reduced as the filling rate increased. The fusion line became more regular and the radius of curvature increased under the effect of bubbles in the molten pool. As the filling rate improving, more slags on the welds surface were acquired and the welds were much flatter and smoother.
Effect of the Thickness of TiO2 Films on the Structure and Corrosion Behavior of Mg-Based Alloys
Authors: Kania Aneta , Nolbrzak Piotr , Radoń Adrian , Niemiec-Cyganek Aleksandra , Babilas Rafał
Published: February 2020

This article discusses the influence of the thickness of TiO2 films deposited onto MgCa2Zn1 and MgCa2Zn1Gd3 alloys on their structure, corrosion behavior, and cytotoxicity. TiO2 layers (about 200 and 400 nm thick) were applied using magnetron sputtering, which provides strong substrate adhesion. Such titanium dioxide films have many attractive properties, such as high corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. These oxide coatings stimulate osteoblast adhesion and proliferation compared to alloys without the protective films. Microscopic observations show that the TiO2 surface morphology is homogeneous, the grains have a spherical shape (with dimensions from 18 to 160 nm). Based on XRD analysis, it can be stated that all the studied TiO2 layers have an anatase structure. The results of electrochemical and immersion studies, performed in Ringer’s solution at 37 °C, show that the corrosion resistance of the studied TiO2 does not always increase proportionally with the thickness of the films. This is a result of grain refinement and differences in the density of the titanium dioxide films applied using the physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. The results of 24 h immersion tests indicate that the lowest volume of evolved H2 (5.92 mL/cm2) was with the 400 nm thick film deposited onto the MgCa2Zn1Gd3 alloy. This result is in agreement with the good biocompatibility of this TiO2 film, confirmed by cytotoxicity tests.
Investigation and Optimization of the C-ANN Structure in Predicting the Compressive Strength of Foamed Concrete
Authors: Dao Dong Van , Ly Hai-Bang , Vu Huong-Lan Thi , Le Tien-Thinh , Pham Binh Thai
Published: February 2020

Development of Foamed Concrete (FC) and incessant increases in fabrication technology have paved the way for many promising civil engineering applications. Nevertheless, the design of FC requires a large number of experiments to determine the appropriate Compressive Strength (CS). Employment of machine learning algorithms to take advantage of the existing experiments database has been attempted, but model performance can still be improved. In this study, the performance of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was fully analyzed to predict the 28 days CS of FC. Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) were used to statistically analyze the convergence of the modeled results under the effect of random sampling strategies and the network structures selected. Various statistical measures such as Coefficient of Determination (R2), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) were used for validation of model performance. The results show that ANN is a highly efficient predictor of the CS of FC, achieving a maximum R2 value of 0.976 on the training part and an R2 of 0.972 on the testing part, using the optimized C-ANN-[3–4–5–1] structure, which compares with previous published studies. In addition, a sensitivity analysis using Partial Dependence Plots (PDP) over 1000 MCS was also performed to interpret the relationship between the input parameters and 28 days CS of FC. Dry density was found as the variable with the highest impact to predict the CS of FC. The results presented could facilitate and enhance the use of C-ANN in other civil engineering-related problems.
Superplastic Deformation Behavior of Rolled Mg-8Al-2Sn and Mg-8Al-1Sn-1Zn Alloys at High Temperatures
Authors: Zhang Shao-You , Wang Cheng , Zhao Long-Qing , Ma Pin-Kui , Song Jia-Wang , Xu Jin , Cheng Xiu-Ming , Wang Hui-Yuan
Published: February 2020

The high-temperature superplastic deformation behavior of rolled Mg-8Al-2Sn (AT82) and Mg-8Al-1Sn-1Zn (ATZ811) alloys were investigated in this study. During tensile deformation at 573 K, no obvious grain growth occurred in both alloys, because of the high-volume fraction of second phases located at grain boundaries. Meanwhile, texture weakening was observed, suggesting that grain boundary sliding (GBS) is the dominant superplastic deformation mechanism, which agreed well with the strain rate sensitivity (m) and the activation energy (Q) calculations. The microstructural evolution during tensile deformation manifested that there were more and larger cavities in AT82 than ATZ811 during high-temperature tensile deformation. Therefore, superior superplasticity was found in the ATZ811 alloy that presented a tensile elongation of ~510% under a strain rate of 10−3 s−1 at 573 K, in contrast to the relatively inferior elongation of ~380% for the AT82 alloy. Meanwhile, good tensile properties at ambient temperature were also obtained in ATZ811 alloy, showing the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of ~355 MPa, yield strength (YS) of ~250 MPa and elongation of ~18%. Excellent mechanical performance at both ambient and elevated temperatures can be realized by using economical elements and conventional rolling process, which is desirable for the industrial application of Mg alloy sheets.
Cement Mortar Porosity by Modified Analysis of Differential Scanning Calorimetry Records
Authors: Stępień Piotr , Rusin Zbigniew , Skowera Karol
Published: February 2020

A modified method of interpreting a heat flux differential scanning calorimetry records in pore structure determination is presented. The method consists of determining the true phase transition energy distribution due to the melting of water during a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) heating run. A set of original apparatus functions was developed to approximate the recorded calorimetric signals to the actual processes of the water phase transition at a given temperature. The validity of the proposed calorimetric curves-based algorithm was demonstrated through tests on a cement mortar sample. The correct analysis required taking into account both the thermal inertia of the calorimeter and the thermal effects that are associated with water transitions over the fairly narrow temperature ranges close to 0 °C. When evaluating energy distribution without taking the shifts of the proposed modified algorithm into account, the volume of the pores with radii bigger than 20 nm was greatly overestimated, while that of the smaller pores (rp < 20 nm) was underestimated, in some cases by approximately 70%.
Optimal In-Operation Redesign of Mechanical Systems Considering Vibrations—A New Methodology Based on Frequency-Band Constraint Formulation and Efficient Sensitivity Analysis
Authors: Wehrle Erich , Gufler Veit , Vidoni Renato
Published: February 2020

The vibrational behavior of components in mechanical systems like drives and robots can become critical under changes in the system properties or loading in operation. Such undesired vibration can lead to detrimental conditions including excess wear, fatigue, discomfort, and acoustic emissions. Systems are designed to avoid certain frequencies to avoid such problems, but system parameters can change during operation due damage, wear, or change in loading. An example is the change in system properties or operation state that then activates resonance frequencies in our system. Therefore, this work has the goal of modifying the modal behavior of a system to avoid vibrational problems. Methods of design optimization are applied to find a new optimum design for this altered condition. Here, this is limited to the addition of mass in order to move the resonance frequency out of critical ranges. This though requires a new formulation of the optimization problem. We propose a new constraint formulation to avoid frequency ranges. To increase efficiency, a reduced analytical sensitivity analysis is introduced. This methodology is demonstrated on two test cases: a two-mass oscillator followed by a test case of higher complexity which is a gear housing considering over 15,000 design variables. The results show that the optimization solution gives the position and amount of mass added, which is a discrete solution that is practically implementable.
Subadditive Pre-Image Variational Principle for Bundle Random Dynamical Systems
Authors: Ma Xianfeng , Wang Zhongyue , Tan Hailin
Published: February 2020

A central role in the variational principle of the measure preserving transformations is played by the topological pressure. We introduce subadditive pre-image topological pressure and pre-image measure-theoretic entropy properly for the random bundle transformations on a class of measurable subsets. On the basis of these notions, we are able to complete the subadditive pre-image variational principle under relatively weak conditions for the bundle random dynamical systems.
Natural Products of Marine Macroalgae from South Eastern Australia, with Emphasis on the Port Phillip Bay and Heads Regions of Victoria
Authors: Lever James , Brkljača Robert , Kraft Gerald , Urban Sylvia
Published: February 2020

Marine macroalgae occurring in the south eastern region of Victoria, Australia, consisting of Port Phillip Bay and the heads entering the bay, is the focus of this review. This area is home to approximately 200 different species of macroalgae, representing the three major phyla of the green algae (Chlorophyta), brown algae (Ochrophyta) and the red algae (Rhodophyta), respectively. Over almost 50 years, the species of macroalgae associated and occurring within this area have resulted in the identification of a number of different types of secondary metabolites including terpenoids, sterols/steroids, phenolic acids, phenols, lipids/polyenes, pheromones, xanthophylls and phloroglucinols. Many of these compounds have subsequently displayed a variety of bioactivities. A systematic description of the compound classes and their associated bioactivities from marine macroalgae found within this region is presented.
Simultaneously Quantifying Both Young’s Modulus and Specific Membrane Capacitance of Bladder Cancer Cells with Different Metastatic Potential
Authors: Liu Na , Leng Mengying , Yue Tao , Dong Liang , Liu Yuanyuan , Peng Yan , Pu Huayan , Xie Shaorong , Luo Jun
Published: February 2020

Both Young’s modulus and specific membrane capacitance (SMC) are two important physical parameters for characterizing cell status. In this paper, we utilized a thin-neck-micropipette aspiration system to simultaneously quantify Young’s modulus and SMC value of six types of cell lines in different progression grades, which include four grades from the lowest metastatic potential G1 to the highest potential G4. We investigated how these two physical properties possess heterogeneities in bladder cancer cells with different grades and what roles they might play in grading bladder cancer. The characterization results of these cells of different cancer grades is linearly correlated with the cancer grades, showing that the Young’s modulus is negatively linearly correlated with bladder cancer grades, while SMC shows a positive linear correlation. Furthermore, the combination of these two physical properties on a scatter diagram clearly shows the cell groups with different cancer grades, which means that this combination could be a potential tumor grading marker to identify cancer cells with different metastatic potential.
Using Time-Series Videos to Quantify Methane Bubbles Flux from Natural Cold Seeps in the South China Sea
Authors: Di Pengfei , Feng Dong , Tao Jun , Chen Duofu
Published: February 2020

Natural cold seeps are an important source of methane and other greenhouse gases to the ocean and atmosphere in the marine environment. Accurate quantification of methane bubble fluxes from cold seeps is vital for evaluating their influence on the global methane budget and climate change. We quantified the flux of gas bubbles released from two natural cold seep sites in the South China Sea: one seep vent in the Haima cold seeps (1400 m depth) and three seep vents at Site F (1200 m depth). We determined bubble diameter, size distribution, and bubble release rate using image processing techniques and a semiautomatic bubble-counting algorithm. The bubble size distributions fit well to log-normal distribution, with median bubble diameters between 2.54 mm and 6.17 mm. The average bubble diameters and release rates (4.8–26.1 bubbles s−1) in Site F was lower than that in Haima cold seeps (22.6 bubbles s−1), which may be attributed to a variety of factors such as the nature of the gas reservoir, hydrostatic pressure, migration pathways in the sediments, and pore size. The methane fluxes emitted at Haima cold seeps (12.6 L h−1) and at Site F (4.9 L h−1) indicate that the Haima and Site F cold seeps in the South China Sea may be a source of methane to the ocean. However, temporal variations in the bubble release rate and the geochemical characteristics of the seeps were not constrained in this study due to the short observational time interval.
Electrochemical Performance of Photovoltaic Cells Using HDA Capped-SnS Nanocrystal from bis (N-1,4-Phenyl-N-Morpho-Dithiocarbamato) Sn(II) Complexes
Authors: Mbese Johannes Z. , Meyer Edson L. , Agoro Mojeed A.
Published: February 2020

Great consideration is placed on the choice of capping agents’ base on the proposed application, in order to cater to the particular surface, size, geometry, and functional group. Change in any of the above can influence the characteristics properties of the nanomaterials. The adoption of hexadecylamine (HDA) as a capping agent in single source precursor approach offers better quantum dots (QDs) sensitizer materials with good quantum efficiency photoluminescence and desirable particles size. Structural, morphological, and electrochemical instruments were used to evaluate the characterization and efficiency of the sensitizers. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) results display both reduction and oxidation peaks for both materials. XRD for SnS/HDA and SnS photosensitizers displays eleven peaks within the values of 27.02° to 66.05° for SnS/HDA and 26.03° to 66.04° for SnS in correlation to the orthorhombic structure. Current density–voltage (I–V) results for SnS/HDA exhibited a better performance compared to SnS sensitizers. Bode plot results indicate electrons lifetime (τ) for SnS/HDA photosensitizer have superiority to the SnS photosensitizer. The results connote that SnS/HDA exhibited a better performance compared to SnS sensitizers due to the presence of HDA capping agent.
A Novel Metal Nanoparticles-Graphene Nanodisks-Quantum Dots Hybrid-System-Based Spaser
Authors: Tohari Mariam M. , Lyras Andreas , S. AlSalhi Mohamad
Published: February 2020

Active nanoplasmonics have recently led to the emergence of many promising applications. One of them is the spaser (surface plasmons amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) that has been shown to generate coherent and intense fields of selected surface plasmon modes that are strongly localized in the nanoscale. We propose a novel nanospaser composed of a metal nanoparticles-graphene nanodisks hybrid plasmonic system as its resonator and a quantum dots cascade stack as its gain medium. We derive the plasmonic fields induced by pulsed excitation through the use of the effective medium theory. Based on the density matrix approach and by solving the Lindblad quantum master equation, we analyze the ultrafast dynamics of the spaser associated with coherent amplified plasmonic fields. The intensity of the plasmonic field is significantly affected by the width of the metallic contact and the time duration of the laser pulse used to launch the surface plasmons. The proposed nanospaser shows an extremely low spasing threshold and operates in the mid-infrared region that has received much attention due to its wide biomedical, chemical and telecommunication applications.
Synthesis of Three-Dimensional Carbon Nanostructure/Copper Nanowire for Additive Interface Layer of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite
Authors: Park Seongjun , Park Minjeong , Kim Seonpil , Jeon Minhyon
Published: February 2020

Additive interface materials for improved ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) actuator performance are being investigated. In this study, three-dimensional carbon nanostructure/copper nanowire (3DC Cu-NW) with a novel structure was synthesized via low-pressure chemical vapor deposition. An IPMC actuator with a 3DC Cu-NW interface layer was fabricated, which exhibited improved actuation performance, long-term stability, and electrochemical properties. The proposed 3DC consists of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, grown using an Fe catalyst and CH4 gas, respectively. We optimized the growth conditions (Fe catalyst: 12.5 mg/L, CH4: 20 sccm) to achieve a 3DC with an appropriate thickness and a large specific surface area. The 3DC Cu-NW benefited from a Cu oxidation prevention property and a large specific surface area. The electrochemical properties and actuation performance of the IPMC actuator improved with an increased 3DC Cu-NW concentration. An IPMC actuator with a 0.6 wt% 3DC Cu-NW interface layer exhibited 1.3- and 5.6-fold electrochemical property and actuation performance improvement, respectively, over an IPMC actuator with no 3DC Cu-NW interface layer. These results show that the proposed 3DC Cu-NW has potential as an IPMC actuator interface material, and that 3DC Cu-NW synthesis and application technology can be applied to future research on sensor, actuator, and flexible devices.
Probes of Lepton Flavor Universality in b → u Transitions
Authors: Colangelo Pietro , De Fazio Fulvia , Loparco Francesco
Published: February 2020

Anomalies recently observed in semileptonic b → c ℓ − ν ¯ ℓ and b → s ℓ + ℓ − transitions point to violation of Lepton Flavour Universality. Strategies for new analyses of different modes are required, in particular for the modes induced by the b → u transition. We describe the purely leptonic B decay, the B ¯ → π ℓ − ν ¯ ℓ channel and the B semileptonic modes to ρ ( 770 ) and a 1 ( 1260 ) in extensions of the Standard Model involving Lepton Flavour Universality violating b → u operators. In particular, we review the observables in the four-dimensional angular B ¯ → ρ ( π π ) ℓ − ν ¯ ℓ and B ¯ → a 1 ( ρ π ) ℓ − ν ¯ ℓ distributions, suitable to pin down deviations from the Standard Model. We discuss the complementarity among the various modes for New Physics searches.
Performance Analysis of Anaplasma Antibody Competitive ELISA Using the ROC Curve for Screening of Anaplasmosis in Camel Populations in Egypt
Authors: Parvizi Omid , El-Adawy Hosny , Roesler Uwe , Neubauer Heinrich , Mertens-Scholz Katja
Published: February 2020

Anaplasmosis is a tick-born and potential zoonotic disease caused by Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum, A. ovis, A. platys and A. capra. Anaplasma marginale affecting bovines and camels causing significant economic losses. Camels as an integral part of the socio-economic lifestyle of nomads in semi-arid to arid ecosystems are prone to suffer from subclinical Anaplasma infections. This study aimed to determine the performance and adaptation of commercial competitive Anaplasma ELISA (cELISA) as a tool for screening the seroprevalence of anaplasmosis whitin the camel populations in Egypt. This study was based on the serological investigation of 437 camel sera collected between 2015 and 2016 during a Q fever prevalence study in Egypt using commercially available cELISA for the detection of antibodies specific for Anaplasma in bovine serum. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, an analysis method for optimizing cutoff values in cELISAs, was used to estimate the sensitivity and specificity using 76 true as serological positive (n = 7) and negative (n = 60) for Anaplasma antibodies. ROC curve analysis was done for 7 true positive and 60 true negative bovine samples and 7 true positive and 29 true negative camel samples serum. Real time PCR and/or conventional PCR was applied to confirm Anaplasma spp. specific-DNA in camel serum as an indication of a true positive and true negative for ROC analysis. Chi square analysis was performed to estimate the association between risk factors and anaplasmosis in camels. The cutoff value was determined as 0.42 (p value ≤ 0.001). Data simulation with randomly generated values revealed a cutoff value of 0.417 (p ≤ 0.001) with resulting 58.1% Se and 97.8% Sp. Seven true positive and 29 true negative camel serum samples was confirmed by PCR. Using the estimated cut off, the seroprevalence in the Nile Valley and Delta and the Eastern Desert domain was 47.4% and 46.4%, respectively. The potential risk factors as domains and origin of animals were less significantly associated with the prevalence of anaplasmosis (domains: χ(2) = 41.8, p value ≤ 0.001 and origin: χ(2) = 42.56, p value ≤ 0.001). Raising awareness especially for veterinarians and animal owners will significantly contribute to the best understanding of anaplasmosis in camels in Egypt. Alternative (in silico) validation techniques and preliminary prevalence studies are mandatory towards the control of neglected anaplasmosis in the camel population.
Data-Driven Suboptimal Scheduling of Switched Systems
Authors: Zhang Chi , Gan Minggang , Zhao Jingang , Xue Chenchen
Published: February 2020

In this paper, a data-driven optimal scheduling approach is investigated for continuous-time switched systems with unknown subsystems and infinite-horizon cost functions. Firstly, a policy iteration (PI) based algorithm is proposed to approximate the optimal switching policy online quickly for known switched systems. Secondly, a data-driven PI-based algorithm is proposed online solely from the system state data for switched systems with unknown subsystems. Approximation functions are brought in and their weight vectors can be achieved step by step through different data in the algorithm. Then the weight vectors are employed to approximate the switching policy and the cost function. The convergence and the performance are analyzed. Finally, the simulation results of two examples validate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
Study of Postural Stability Features by Using Kinect Depth Sensors to Assess Body Joint Coordination Patterns
Authors: Liu Chin-Hsuan , Lee Posen , Chen Yen-Lin , Yen Chen-Wen , Yu Chao-Wei
Published: February 2020

A stable posture requires the coordination of multiple joints of the body. This coordination of the multiple joints of the human body to maintain a stable posture is a subject of research. The number of degrees of freedom (DOFs) of the human motor system is considerably larger than the DOFs required for posture balance. The manner of managing this redundancy by the central nervous system remains unclear. To understand this phenomenon, in this study, three local inter-joint coordination pattern (IJCP) features were introduced to characterize the strength, changing velocity, and complexity of the inter-joint couplings by computing the correlation coefficients between joint velocity signal pairs. In addition, for quantifying the complexity of IJCPs from a global perspective, another set of IJCP features was introduced by performing principal component analysis on all joint velocity signals. A Microsoft Kinect depth sensor was used to acquire the motion of 15 joints of the body. The efficacy of the proposed features was tested using the captured motions of two age groups (18–24 and 65–73 years) when standing still. With regard to the redundant DOFs of the joints of the body, the experimental results suggested that an inter-joint coordination strategy intermediate to that of the two extreme coordination modes of total joint dependence and independence is used by the body. In addition, comparative statistical results of the proposed features proved that aging increases the coupling strength, decreases the changing velocity, and reduces the complexity of the IJCPs. These results also suggested that with aging, the balance strategy tends to be more joint dependent. Because of the simplicity of the proposed features and the affordability of the easy-to-use Kinect depth sensor, such an assembly can be used to collect large amounts of data to explore the potential of the proposed features in assessing the performance of the human balance control system.
Designing Efficient Sinkhole Attack Detection Mechanism in Edge-Based IoT Deployment
Authors: Pundir Sumit , Wazid Mohammad , Singh Devesh Pratap , Das Ashok Kumar , J. P. C. Rodrigues Joel J. P. C. , Park Youngho
Published: February 2020

The sinkhole attack in an edge-based Internet of Things (IoT) environment (EIoT) can devastate and ruin the whole functioning of the communication. The sinkhole attacker nodes ( S H A s) have some properties (for example, they first attract the other normal nodes for the shortest path to the destination and when normal nodes initiate the process of sending their packets through that path (i.e., via S H A ), the attacker nodes start disrupting the traffic flow of the network). In the presence of S H A s, the destination (for example, sink node i.e., gateway/base station) does not receive the required information or it may receive partial or modified information. This results in reduction of the network performance and degradation in efficiency and reliability of the communication. In the presence of such an attack, the throughput decreases, end-to-end delay increases and packet delivery ratio decreases. Moreover, it may harm other network performance parameters. Hence, it becomes extremely essential to provide an effective and competent scheme to mitigate this attack in EIoT. In this paper, an intrusion detection scheme to protect EIoT environment against sinkhole attack is proposed, which is named as SAD-EIoT. In SAD-EIoT, the resource rich edge nodes (edge servers) perform the detection of different types of sinkhole attacker nodes with the help of exchanging messages. The practical demonstration of SAD-EIoT is also provided using the well known NS2 simulator to compute the various performance parameters. Additionally, the security analysis of SAD-EIoT is conducted to prove its resiliency against various types of S H A s. SAD-EIoT achieves around 95.83 % detection rate and 1.03 % false positive rate, which are considerably better than other related existing schemes. Apart from those, SAD-EIoT is proficient with respect to computation and communication costs. Eventually, SAD-EIoT will be a suitable match for those applications which can be used in critical and sensitive operations (for example, surveillance, security and monitoring systems).
Effects of probiotics on in vitro ruminal profile and population of some cellulolytic bacteria
Authors: SIZMAZ Özge , ÇALIK Ali , GÜMÜŞ Hıdır , GÜNTÜRKÜN Oğuz Berk , SIZMAZ Serdar , YILDIZ Gültekin
Published: February 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of probiotic on ruminal pH, ammonia nitrogen, production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and number of Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens. The probiotics blend was tested in vitro for 48 h incubation using “Hohenheim Formation Test” (HFT). There was no interaction effect of the treatment and incubation time on the ruminal pH and ammonia-nitrogen concentration. A supplemental probiotics blend tended to increase the total SCFA concentration in comparison to the non-supplemented control fermenter fluids (P> 0.05). There was a significant interaction effect of the treatment groups and incubation time on butyrate (P=0.042), valerate (P=0.045) and isovalerate (P= 0.028) concentrations. Total protozoa and total bacteria numbers were higher in probiotics supplemented fluid than in non-supplemented control fluid (P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively). Dietary supplementation of a probiotics blend to the fermenters did not influence (P>0.05) the number of copies of R. albus. However, population of R. flavafaciens was lower (P<0.01) in the probiotic supplemented group as compared with the non-supplemented control group. Our results showed that the probiotics blend might modulate both microbial metabolic activity and population of ruminal microorganisms.
Benefícios da Dança Esporte para Pessoas com Deficiência Física
Authors: Braga Douglas Martins , Melo Andréa Passarelli Galão e , Labronici Rita Helena Duarte Dias , Cunha Márcia Cristina Bauer , Oliveira Acary de Souza Bulle de
Published: February 2020

A dança é uma das formas mais antigas de comunicação e expressão utilizadas pela humanidade, podendo ser observado um crescimento contínuo desta arte. Desde 1940, vem sendo utilizada como meio terapêutico para pacientes com as mais diversas doenças. Transgredindo o aspecto terapêutico, a dança tem como principal função fornecer um caminho para a reabilitação por um meio não convencional. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar a dança como modalidade esportiva para pessoas com deficiência física e os possíveis benefícios que esta atividade pode propiciar para tais pessoas.
Síndrome Pós-Poliomielite
Authors: Oliveira Acary Souza Bulle , Maynard Frederick M.
Published: February 2020

A síndrome pós-poliomielite (SPP) é uma desordem neurológica considerada dentro do capitulo dos efeitos tardios da polio, caracterizada por nova fraqueza muscular e/ou fatigabilidade muscular anormal em indivíduos que tiveram poliomielite aguda, muitos anos antes. A prevalência da SPP. dependendo dos critérios diagnósticos, é variada, podendo representar até 70% dos sobreviventes de poliomielite paralítica aguda. A reabilitação da fraqueza muscular em pacientes corn SPP é fundamental, mas deve ser feita com muito cuidado. 0 uso excessivo do músculo acarreta nova atrofia e fraqueza muscular. A prescrição de &uses e de outros aparelhos, incluindo-se até cadeira de rodas, propicia ajuda.
Miastenia grave autoimune
Authors: Carvalho Andrezza Sossai Rodrigues de , Silva Alexandre Valotta da , Ortensi Francis Meire Fávero , Fontes Sissy Veloso , Oliveira Acary Souza Bulle
Published: February 2020

A Miastenia Grave (MG) é caracterizada por uma alteração na transmissão nervo músculo, decorrente da deficiência, bloqueio e destruição de receptores de acetilcolina na junção neuromuscular. A presente revisão tem o objetivo de trazer informações atuais sobre a MG, abrangendo os seguintes aspectos: histórico; fisiopatologia; procedimentos diagnósticos; classificação e tratamento da doença. Além disso, revisamos os principais modelos experimentais que mimetizam as manifestações clínicas observadas na MG humana.
Modelos animais ajudando a decifrar doenças neuromusculares humanas
Authors: Vainzof Mariz , Yamamoto Lydia U , Kossugue Patrícia M , Fogaça Luciana LQ , Velloso Fernando Z , Ayub Danielle , Muniz Viviane P , Zatz Mayana , Silva Helga CA , Massironi Silvia MG , Miglino Maria Angélica , Ambrosio Carlos Eduardo , Miyazato Ligia G , Moraes Julieta RE , D’Angeles Fernando HF , Lacerda Neto Joaquim C , Mortari Ana Carolina , Borges Alexandre S , Rezende Luiz Antonio L , Rahal Sheila C
Published: February 2020

.
Editorial
Authors: Fontes Sissy Veloso
Published: February 2020

.
Análise dos instrumentos de avaliação na miopatia
Authors: Silva Marina Brito , Asa Sabrina Kyoko de Paula , Maria Natasha Nicholson de Santa , Zanella Érica Marques , Fávero Francis Meire , Fukujima Marcia Maiumi , Fontes Sissy Veloso , Oliveira Acary Souza Bulle
Published: February 2020

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar e analisar os principais instrumentos utilizados na avaliação de pacientes com miopatia citados em artigos científicos publicados. Utilizou-se de revisão bibliográfica incluindo estudos publicados nos anos de 1966 a 2005 encontrados nas bases de dados MEDLINE, PUBMED, EMBASE, LILACS e SCIELO que utilizaram descritores na língua portuguesa (avaliação, escalas, fisioterapia, doenças musculares, reabilitação) e na inglesa (evaluation, scales, physical therapy, muscular diseases, rehabilitation). Foram encontrados 49 instrumentos de avaliação relacionados à força muscular, dor, equilíbrio, mobilidade e/ou locomoção, funcionalidade, atividades de vida diária, qualidade de vida e outros aspectos (eficácia da tosse, bem-estar, integração social, comunicação, coordenação olho-mão, raciocínio, auto-cuidado, fadiga e sono). Destas, apenas duas foram traduzidas para língua portuguesa e poucas foram elaboradas especificamente para pacientes com doenças neuromusculares. Sendo assim, tornam-se necessários estudos de tradução e validação destes instrumentos para a língua portuguesa falada no Brasil e elaboração de escalas que permitam avaliar e acompanhar o paciente ao longo da evolução da doença.
Aspectos genéticos da Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica
Authors: Magalhães Monize Lazar , Zatz Mayana
Published: February 2020

.
Hidroterapia na aquisição da funcionalidade de crianças com Paralisia Cerebral
Authors: Bonomo Lívia Maria Marques , Castro Vanessa Chamma , Castro Vanessa Chamma , Ferreira Denise Maciel , Miyamoto Samira Tatiyama
Published: February 2020

Objetivos. Verificar o efeito do tratamento hidroterapêutico na funcionalidade e tono de crianças com tetraparesia espástica. Métodos. Foram incluídas seis crianças com tetraparesia espástica e idade entre 2 e 6 anos, e realizada a avaliação do tono pela escala de Ashworth Modificada e da funcionalidade pela aplicação do Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Os pacientes foram submetidos a 20 sessões de tratamento hidroterapêutico, entre fevereiro e junho de 2006, e após estes foram reavaliados pelos mesmos procedimentos. Para testar a significância antes e após o tratamento foi utilizado o teste não paramétrico de Wilcoxon. Resultados. Não houve diferença dos valores na avaliação do tono pela Escala de Ashworth Modificada antes e após o tratamento hidroterapêutico. Na avaliação através da aplicação do PEDI, ao serem analisados os valores do escore bruto nas três áreas de função, verificou-se diferença estatisticamente significante após o tratamento. Conclusão. Os resultados mostram que a hidroterapia, como tratamento, promove melhora funcional significativa para pacientes com paralisia cerebral e tetraparéticas espásticas na faixa etária estudada.
Antecedentes sócio-econômicos de pacientes neurológicos atendidos em serviços privados e públicos em São Paulo
Authors: Coelho Fernando Morgadinho Santos , Hallinan Márcia Pradella , Oliveira José Renato Monteiro de , Abud Paulo Corrêa , Tufik Sérgio
Published: February 2020

Introdução. Este artigo traz uma análise do perfil sócio-econômico, tipos de doenças e número de solicitações de benefício entre pacientes atendidos em ambulatório de neurologia geral do sistema privado de saúde (convênio) e de ambulatório de neurologia do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) na cidade de São Paulo. Método. Estudo transversal com 149 pacientes atendidos no ambulatório de neurologia geral de convênio e 140 pacientes no ambulatório de neurologia do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) na cidade de SãoPaulo, que preencheram um questionário sobre salário e número de pessoas que moravam em casa. O médico incluiu dados relacionados ao diagnóstico, relatórios periciais e intervenções medicamentosasprescritas a cada paciente. Resultados. Como esperado, os pacientes atendidos em convênio possuem uma renda maior que os pacientes atendidos no SUS (p < 0,00001). Os pacientes atendidos no SUS apresentaram maior prevalência de epilepsia (p < 0,00001) e também solicitam um número maior de laudos para benefícios (p = 0,002). Conclusão. Neste estudo preliminar, as duas amostras estudadas diferiram quanto à prevalência de epilepsia e necessidade de laudo técnico para benefício previdenciário, sugerindo que os 2 grupos apresentam doenças e necessidades diferentes, justificandose futuros estudos para facilitar o entendimento e ações específicos de saúde às duas populações.