bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution of Chemical Species in the Water-Soil-Plant (Carya illinoiensis) System near a Mineralization Area in Chihuahua, Mexico—Health Risk Implications
Authors: Cervantes-Trejo Angélica , Pinedo-Álvarez Carmelo , Santellano-Estrada Eduardo , Cortes-Palacios Leonor , Rentería-Villalobos Marusia
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to quantify major and trace elements in the water, soil, and plants (Carya illionensis) in an agricultural area; and to determine the health risks associated with the walnuts ingestion by calculating the risk quotient. Samples of water, soil, tree leaves, and walnuts were collected; in total, 135 samples were analyzed. Physicochemical parameters were obtained in irrigation water and soil samples. Elemental measurements were performed in an ICP, -OES and -MS. In addition, the distribution coefficient (soil–water), transfer factor (soil–plant), and hazard quotient were evaluated. In the irrigation water, As, Cr, and Pb, showed concentrations above the maximum allowable limits. Likewise, high concentrations of As, Cr, Pb, and Sb were found in tree leave samples, indicating a possible tendency of hyperaccumulation of those elements. Furthermore, Cr concentrations in walnuts were high by far than the reference value (FAO/WHO). A possible competition between chemical congeners were detected from transfer factors. Although, Sb concentrations in walnuts were also high, and no legislation for it in fruits exists. The hazard risk quotient for Sb did indicate a potential health risk. Finally, it is important to consider that the health risk increases when exposure through consumption takes place over a prolonged period of time, even in low concentrations.
A hnRNP K–AR-Related Signature Reflects Progression toward Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Capaia Matteo , Granata Ilaria , Guarracino Mario , Petretto Andrea , Inglese Elvira , Cattrini Carlo , Ferrari Nicoletta , Boccardo Francesco , Barboro Paola
Published: July 2018

The major challenge in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains the ability to predict the clinical responses to improve patient selection for appropriate treatments. The finding that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) induces alterations in the androgen receptor (AR) transcriptional program by AR coregulators activity in a context-dependent manner, offers the opportunity for identifying signatures discriminating different clinical states of prostate cancer (PCa) progression. Gel electrophoretic analyses combined with western blot showed that, in androgen-dependent PCa and CRPC in vitro models, the subcellular distribution of spliced and serine-phosphorylated heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) isoforms can be associated with different AR activities. Using mass spectrometry and bioinformatic analyses, we showed that the protein sets of androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and ADT-resistant cell lines (PDB and MDB) co-immunoprecipitated with hnRNP K varied depending on the cell type, unravelling a dynamic relationship between hnRNP K and AR during PCa progression to CRPC. By comparing the interactome of LNCaP, PDB, and MDB cell lines, we identified 51 proteins differentially interacting with hnRNP K, among which KLK3, SORD, SPON2, IMPDH2, ACTN4, ATP1B1, HSPB1, and KHDRBS1 were associated with AR and differentially expressed in normal and tumor human prostate tissues. This hnRNP K–AR-related signature, associated with androgen sensitivity and PCa progression, may help clinicians to better manage patients with CRPC.
Phenotype and Viability of MLO-Y4 Cells Is Maintained by TGFβ3 in a Serum-Dependent Manner within a 3D-Co-Culture with MG-63 Cells
Authors: Jähn Katharina , Mason Deborah J. , Ralphs Jim R. , Evans Bronwen A.J. , Archer Charles W. , Richards R. Geoff , Stoddart Martin J.
Published: July 2018

The osteocyte network inside the bone matrix is of functional importance and osteocyte cell death is a characteristic feature of pathological bone diseases. Osteocytes have emerged as key regulators of bone tissue maintenance, yet maintaining their phenotype during in vitro culture remains challenging. A 3D co-culture system for osteocytes with osteoblasts was recently presented, enabling the determination of more physiological effects of growth factors on cells in vitro. MLO-Y4 cells were embedded within a type I collagen gel and cultured in the presence of surface MG-63 cells. Co-culture was performed in the presence or absence of TGFβ3. Gene expression by quantitative PCR, protein expression by fluorescent immunohistochemistry and cell viability tests were performed. The 3D co-culture induced cell differentiation of MG-63 cells seen by increased type I collagen and osteocalcin mRNA expression. TGFβ3 maintained osteocyte differentiation of MLO-Y4 cells during co-culture as determined by stable E11 and osteocalcin mRNA expression till day 4. Interestingly, most of the effects of TGFβ3 on co-cultured cells were serum-dependent. Also, TGFβ3 reduced cell death of 3D co-cultured MLO-Y4 cells in a serum-dependent manner. This study shows that 3D co-culture upregulates differentiation of MG-63 cells to a more mature osteoblast-like phenotype; while the addition of TGFβ3 maintained the characteristic MLO-Y4 osteocyte-like phenotype and viability in a serum-dependent manner.
Postnatal Development and Distribution of Sympathetic Innervation in Mouse Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Straka Tatjana , Vita Veronica , Prokshi Kaltrina , Hörner Sarah Janice , Khan Muzamil Majid , Pirazzini Marco , Williams Marion Patrick Ivey , Hafner Mathias , Zaglia Tania , Rudolf Rüdiger
Published: July 2018

Vertebrate neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) have been conceived as tripartite synapses composed of motor neuron, Schwann cell, and muscle fiber. Recent work has shown the presence of sympathetic neurons in the immediate vicinity of NMJs and experimental and clinical findings suggest that this plays an eminent role in adult NMJ biology. The present study examined the postnatal development and distribution of sympathetic innervation in different muscles using immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy, and Western blot. This demonstrates the proximity of sympathetic neurons in diaphragm, extensor digitorum longus, tibialis anterior, soleus, and levator auris longus muscles. In extensor digitorum longus muscle, sympathetic innervation of NMJs was quantified from perinatal to adult stage and found to increase up to two months of age. In diaphragm muscle, an extensive network of sympathetic neurons was prominent along the characteristic central synapse band. In summary, these data demonstrate that an elaborate sympathetic innervation is present in several mouse skeletal muscles and that this is often next to NMJs. Although the presence of sympathetic neurons at the perisynaptic region of NMJs increased during postnatal development, many synapses were already close to sympathetic neurons at birth. Potential implications of these findings for treatment of neuromuscular diseases are discussed.
A Bloom Filter for High Dimensional Vectors
Authors: Shuai Chunyan , Yang Hengcheng , Ouyang Xin , Gong Zeweiyi
Published: July 2018

Regardless of the type of data, traditional Bloom filters treat each element of a set as a string, and by iterating every character of the string, they discretize all data randomly and uniformly. However, with the data size and dimension increases, these variants are inefficient. To better discretize vectors with high numerical dimensions, this paper improves the string hashes to integer hashes. Based on the integer hashes and a counter array, we propose a new variant—high-dimensional bloom filter (HDBF)—to extend the Bloom filter into high-dimensional spaces, which can represent and query numerical vectors of a big set with a low false positive probability. This paper theoretically analyzes the feasibility of the integer hashes on discretizing data and discusses the relationship of parameters of the HDBF. The experiments illustrate that, in high-dimensional numerical spaces, the HDBF shows better randomness on distribution and entropy than that of the counting Bloom filter. Compared with the parallel Bloom filters, for a fixed false positive probability, the HDBF displays time-space overheads, and is more suitable to deal with the numerical vectors with high dimensions.
AAC Double Compression Audio Detection Algorithm Based on the Difference of Scale Factor
Authors: Huang Qijuan , Wang Rangding , Yan Diqun , Zhang Jian
Published: July 2018

Audio dual compression detection is an important part of audio forensics. It is of great significance to judge whether the audio has been falsified and forged. This study found that the advanced audio coding (AAC) audio scale factor gradually decreases with the number of compressions increases. Based on this, we propose an AAC double compression audio detection algorithm based on the statistical characteristics of the scale factor difference before and after audio re-compression. The experimental results show that the algorithm can accurately classify dual compressed AAC audio. The average accuracy of AAC audio classification between low-bit-rate transcoding to high-bit-rate is 99.91%, and the accuracy rate between the same bit rate is 97.98%. In addition, experiments with different durations, different noises, and different encoders also proved the better performance of this algorithm.
A Green Supplier Assessment Method for Manufacturing Enterprises Based on Rough ANP and Evidence Theory
Authors: Li Lianhui , Wang Hongguang
Published: July 2018

Within the context of increasingly serious global environmental problems, green supplier assessment has become one of the key links in modern green supply chain management. In the actual work of green supplier assessment, the information of potential suppliers is often ambiguous or even absent, and there are interrelationships and feedback-like effects among assessment indexes. Additionally, the thinking of experts in index importance judgment is always ambiguous and subjective. To handle the uncertainty and incompleteness in green supplier assessment, we propose a green supplier assessment method based on rough ANP and evidence theory. The uncertain index value is processed by membership degree. Trapezoidal fuzzy number is adopted to express experts’ judgment on the relative importance of the indexes, and rough boundary interval is used to integrate the judgment opinions of multiple experts. The ANP structure is built to deal with the interrelationship and feedback-like effects among indexes. Then, the index weight is calculated by ANP method. Finally, the green suppliers are assessed by a trust interval, based on evidence theory. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by an application of a bearing cage supplier assessment.
Therapeutic Contact Lenses with Polymeric Vehicles for Ocular Drug Delivery: A Review
Authors: Choi Seung Woo , Kim Jaeyun
Published: July 2018

The eye has many barriers with specific anatomies that make it difficult to deliver drugs to targeted ocular tissues, and topical administration using eye drops or ointments usually needs multiple instillations to maintain the drugs’ therapeutic concentration because of their low bioavailability. A drug-eluting contact lens is one of the more promising platforms for controllable ocular drug delivery, and, among various manufacturing methods for drug-eluting contact lenses, incorporation of novel polymeric vehicles with versatile features makes it possible to deliver the drugs in a sustained and extended manner. Using the diverse physicochemical properties of polymers for nanoparticles or implants that are selected according to the characteristics of drugs, enhancement of encapsulation efficiency and prolonged drug release are possible. Even though therapeutic contact lenses with polymeric vehicles allow us to achieve sustained ocular drug delivery, drug leaching during storage and distribution and the possibility of problems related to surface roughness due to the incorporated vehicles still need to be discussed before application in a real clinic. This review highlights the overall trends in methodology to develop therapeutic contact lenses with polymeric vehicles and discusses the limitations including comparison to cosmetically tinted soft contact lenses.
Microstructural Differences in Response of Thermoresistant (Ceramic) and Standard (Granite) Concretes on Heating. Studies Using SEM and Nonstandard Approaches to Microtomography and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry Data
Authors: Franus Wojciech , Halicka Anna , Lamorski Krzysztof , Jozefaciuk Grzegorz
Published: July 2018

The microstructure of concretes containing ceramic sanitary ware waste and granite aggregates was studied using scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry and computer microtomography, before and after cyclic heating of the concretes to 1000 °C. All methods showed an increase in porosities in the concretes after heating. The proposed new approach to microtomography data analysis detected a much higher increase in the number of cracks in granite than in ceramic concrete after heating. This new approach to combining mercury intrusion and microtomography data showed that heating led to the narrowing of throats connecting smaller pore voids and a broadening of throats connecting larger pore voids, in both concretes.
Antioxidative activity of Ginkgo, Echinacea, and Ginseng tinctures
Authors: Masteikova Rūta , Muselik Jan , Bernatonienė Jurga , Bernatonienė Rūta
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to determine the amount of phenol compounds in tinctures prepared from Ginkgo leaves, Echinacea plant, and Ginseng roots and to evaluate the antioxidative activity of these preparations. We studied the antioxidative activity using the standard 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) radical cation scavenging and tyrosine nitration inhibition tests. The obtained findings showed that the amount of phenol compounds in the studied tinctures differed and ranged between 114 to 340±29 gallic acid equivalents (GAE) mg/100 mL. We found that the amount of phenol compounds in Ginkgo tincture was statistically significantly greater than that in Echinacea or Ginseng tinctures. The effectiveness of Ginkgo tincture was by 52.7% (P<0.01) lower (from 1343±11 µmmol catechin/100 mL solution to 637±64 catechin/100 mL solution), compared to Echinacea tincture. Ginseng tincture was the weakest scavenger of free radicals – only 8±1 µmmol catechin/100 mL solution. The inhibition of tyrosine nitration was by 34% (P<0.01) greater in Echinacea tincture, compared to Ginkgo tincture (from 892±36 µmmol catechin/100 mL solution to 588±17 µmmol catechin/100 mL solution). Ginseng tincture was the weakest inhibitor of tyrosine nitration – only 20±8 µmmol catechin/100 mL solution, which was by 44.6 times less, compared to Echinacea tincture. Tests on DPPH· radical cation scavenging and inhibition of nitration showed that the antioxidative activity of Echinacea tincture was statistically significantly greater compared to that of Ginkgo or Ginseng tinctures. This allows us to conclude that antioxidative activity is determined not only by phenol compounds, but also by a complex of other components of medicinal raw material.
Paradigm errors in the old biomedical science
Authors: Skurvydas Albertas
Published: July 2018

The aim of this article was to review the basic drawbacks of the deterministic and reductionistic thinking in biomedical science and to provide ways for dealing with them. The present paradigm of research in biomedical science has not got rid of the errors of the old science yet, i.e. the errors of absolute determinism and reductionism. These errors restrict the view and thinking of scholars engaged in the studies of complex and dynamic phenomena and mechanisms. Recently, discussions on science paradigm aimed at spreading the new science paradigm that of complex dynamic systems as well as chaos theory are in progress all over the world. It is for the nearest future to show which of the two, the old or the new science, will be the winner. We have come to the main conclusion that deterministic and reductionistic thinking applied in improper way can cause substantial damage rather than prove benefits for biomedicine science.
Cystic lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Mišeikytė-Kaubrienė Edita , Trakymas Mantas , Ulys Albertas
Published: July 2018

Background. Thyroid cancer, especially papillary carcinoma, metastasizes most often into cervical lymph nodes. Cervical ultrasound and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy are the most sensitive modalities in detecting locoregional neck recurrence. Objective. The aim of this study was to illustrate the ultrasound spectrum of lymph node metastases from papillary thyroid carcinoma. Patients and methods. During 1998–2002 years due to suspicion of recurrence of thyroid cancer, 75 ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies of regional lymph nodes were performed. Ultrasound examination of 75 patients with thyroid cancer (56 women and 19 men; mean age of patients was 54.67±12.89 years) was performed. All biopsies were performed on nonpalpable lesions (lymph node short axis £1.5 cm). Results. A total of 75 ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies of regional lymph nodes under suspicion of malignancy were performed. Only 5 (6.7%) of the 75 lymph nodes were cystic with internal septation. Other 70 (93.3%) lymph nodes were solid. Cytopathological results of 75 ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies from regional cervical lymph nodes were noninformative in 4 (5.3%) cases, benign – 40 (53.4%), suspicion – 4 (5.3%), and malignant – 27 (36.0%) cases. Eighteen patients underwent surgery for regional lymph nodes. All cystic metastases were confirmed to be papillary thyroid carcinoma on pathologic examination. Conclusion. Ultrasound cannot exactly distinguish benign from malign lesions, but sonographic appearance can suggest malignancy and help in selection of the correct lymph nodes to aspirate with ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Cystic lymph node metastases may occur in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Cystic neck lesion patients with thyroid papillary carcinoma should always be verified with fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome components and their combinations in men and women with acute ischemic syndromes
Authors: Žaliūnas Remigijus , Šlapikas Rimvydas , Babarskienė Rūta , Šlapikienė Birutė , Lukšienė Dalia , Milvidaitė Irena , Laukaitienė Jolanta
Published: July 2018

During the last decade, it has been shown that the metabolic syndrome and its different components – arterial hypertension (AH), abdominal obesity (AO), diabetes mellitus (DM), atherogenic hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), and/or low concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)) – increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. There is increasing evidence that the incidence of the metabolic syndrome and the distribution of its components in combinations in the general male and female population differ. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of the metabolic syndrome in men and women with acute ischemic syndromes and to evaluate the distribution of the metabolic syndrome component combinations in the presence of the metabolic syndrome. Contingent and methods. The study included 2756 patients (1670 males and 1086 females) with acute ischemic syndromes (1997 with myocardial infarction and 759 with unstable angina pectoris), in whom all five components of the metabolic syndrome were assessed. Women were significantly older than men (68.1±9.5 vs. 60.2±11.8 years, P<0.001). The metabolic syndrome was found (according to modified NCEP III) in 1641 (59.5%) patients (in 70.2% of females and in 52.6% of males, P<0.001). The most common components in both men and women were AH andAO(94.0%vs. 95.9%and 86.4%vs. 84.5%, respectively). HTGwas significantlymore common in men than in women (80.0% vs. 73.0%, P<0.001), while decreased HDL-C concentration was more common in women (82.8% and 59.2%, P<0.001). The DM component, detected in more than one-third of patients with acute ischemic syndromes, was significantly more common in women than in men (39.2% vs. 33.1%, P<0.05). Combinations of three components were significantly more common in men than in women, while combinations of four–five components were more common in women (55.6% vs. 41.4%, P<0.001; and 58.6% vs. 44.4%, P<0.01). The most common combination of three components in men was AH+AO+HTG and in women – AH+AO+lowHDL-C; themost common combination of four components in bothmen and women was AH+AO+HTG+low HDL-C. Conclusion. In the metabolic syndrome, the differences between the components of atherogenic dyslipidemia in patients with acute ischemic syndromes were related to the patients’ gender: men significantly more frequently had increased TG concentration and women – decreased HDLC concentration; this is the problem to be addressed in further studies of dyslipidemia.
Acute liver failure in Lithuania
Authors: Adukauskienė Dalia , Dockienė Ilona , Naginienė Rima , Kėvelaitis Egidijus , Pundzius Juozas , Kupčinskas Limas
Published: July 2018

Objectives. Acute liver failure (ALF) is a life-threatening condition that can rapidly progress into coma and death due to the cerebral edema and multi-organ dysfunction. The ALF etiology and risk factors have been investigated inWest Europe, North America, and Asia; however, there are still no published data about the causes and prognosis of ALF in Central and East European countries. The aim of our study was to analyze the causes, outcomes, and prognostic factors of ALF in patients referred to tertiary care center in Lithuania. Material and methods. A total of 28 consecutive patients admitted to the tertiary care center (one of two university-level medical centers in Lithuania) over the period of January 1996 and December 2004 and who fulfilled the entry criteria of ALF (presence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and prothrombin international normalized ratio (INR) >1.5) were included into a prospective study. Results. In our study the most frequent causes of ALF were acute viral hepatitis B (21.4 %), drug-induced hepatitis (21.4%), and indeterminate hepatitis (17.9%); other etiologies included Budd-Chiari syndrome (10.7%), ischemic hepatitis (10.7%), Wilson’s disease (7.1%), Amanita phalloides-induced liver damage (3.6%), acute fatty liver of pregnancy (3.6%), and malignant infiltration of the liver (3.6%). Among patients with drug-induced liver injury, only one case of acetaminophen poisoning was diagnosed. Clinical status of 9 persons in all patients with ALF corresponded to criteria for liver transplantation (LT) (one liver transplantation was performed), 6 of them had contraindications, and 13 patients did not fulfill requirements for urgent LT. The patients’ survival rate in these groups was 11.1%, 16.7% and 69.2%, respectively. In 27 nontransplanted patients univariate analysis revealed the grade of HE on the day of enrolment, total serumbilirubin, pH, and prothrombin INR as risk factors for death fromALF.Multivariate logistic regressive analysis determined only prothrombin INR >3.24 and serum pH £7.29 as independent predictors of lethal outcome in ALF. Conclusions. Acute viral hepatitis B, drug-induced liver injury, and indeterminate hepatitis are the main ALF causes in Lithuania. In non-transplanted patients, the main predictors of lethal outcome were severe coagulopathy and metabolic acidosis. Improvement of liver donation system for urgent liver transplantation is essential requirement for amelioration of ALF patient’s survival.
Epidemiology of burns in Lithuania during 1991–2004
Authors: Rimdeika Rytis , Kazanavičius Mindaugas , Kubilius Darius
Published: July 2018

The objective of this article is to overview and present the burn incidence and burn care in Lithuania. Materials and methods. In this study, data from the period of 1991–2004 were collected from the Lithuanian Department of Statistics, Department of Fire and Rescue, Lithuanian Health Information Center, State Patient Fund, health care institutions, burn care facilities. Results. In the 14-year period, 9459 persons per year (2.6/1000 population) in average sustained burn injuries. The majority of burned patients (74.8%) were adults and 25.2% were children; 21.5% of all burned patients were hospitalized (2013 inpatients per year). The number of hospitalizations per 100 000 individuals has decreased from 65.6 to 39.5, but it is still very high and worrying. Among all the patients admitted to hospitals, 67% were males and 33% females, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. The length of hospitalization decreased from 16.2 to 12.7 days. The number of fire-related deaths for the 14-year period was 289 deaths per year (8 per 100 000 persons). The number of deaths among inpatients was 63.6 deaths per year, the age being an important factor in mortality rates. Although the mortality of inpatients has increased in recent years, the mortality in the age group up to 14 years has decreased to 0. Children made up 24.6%of burn patients; among those admitted to hospital, they accounted for 41.1%. Mortality rates for males and females were almost the same. Conclusions. The number of burns is decreasing. The hospitalization rate and hospitalization time are becoming shorter. In the last few years, patients suffer from more severe burns, while children sustain more severe burns requiring hospitalization. Children and working-age persons make up 91.9% of hospitalized burn patients. Number of deaths in fire accidents is increasing.
A Thermoplastic Multilayered Carbon-Fabric/Polycarbonate Laminate Prepared by a Two-Step Hot-Press Technique
Authors: Liu Xiaokang , Yang Binbin , Lu Longsheng , Wan Zhenping , Tang Yong
Published: July 2018

Carbon fiber (CF) reinforced thermoplastic composites have gradually become increasingly popular in composite production owing to their lower hazard level, good structural flexibility and recyclability. In this work, a multilayered carbon–fabric/polycarbonate laminate (multi-CFPL) was fabricated by a two-step hot-press process, mainly based on the thermoplastic properties of its polycarbonate (PC) matrix. Different from the conventional one-step method, the two-step hot-press process was composed of two separate procedures. First, a unit-hot-press operation was introduced to prepare a single-layered carbon–fabric/PC laminate (simplified as unit-CFPL). Subsequently, a laminating-hot-press was employed to compress several as-prepared unit-CFPLs bonded together. This combined process aims to reduce the hot-press temperature and pressure, as well as facilitate the structure designability of this new composite. Several mechanical investigations were conducted to analyze the effect of the hot-press parameters and unit-CFPL numbers on the performance of this multi-CFPL material, including flexural, uniaxial tensile and impact tests. The results reveal that the multi-CFPL exhibits a good stability of flexural and tensile properties in terms of strength and modulus. Furthermore, during impact tests, the multi-CFPL presents an accelerated growth of peak force and energy absorption capability with increasing unit-CFPL layers.
Synthesis and Optoelectronic Properties of Block and Random Copolymers Containing Pendant Carbazole and (Di)phenylanthracene
Authors: Lo Chen-Tsyr , Abiko Yohei , Kosai Jun , Watanabe Yuichiro , Nakabayashi Kazuhiro , Mori Hideharu
Published: July 2018

Synthesis of novel block and random copolymers, containing a carbazole unit and (di)phenylanthracene moiety in the side chains, has been described in this paper. Block and random copolymers composed of 4-bromophenyl vinyl sulfide (BPVS) and N-vinylcarbazole (NVC) were initially prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Then, anthracene-based groups were introduced on the bromophenyl unit in the carbazole-containing copolymers by Pd-catalyzed coupling to yield functional copolymers with additional (di)phenylanthracene units. The resulting copolymers, having two distinct electronic functionalities, exhibited characteristic fluorescence resonance energy transfer, as confirmed by UV-vis and fluorescence spectra.
A Novel Glucose Biosensor Based on Hierarchically Porous Block Copolymer Film
Authors: Guo Teng , Gao Jiefeng , Qin Xiang , Zhang Xu , Xue Huaiguo
Published: July 2018

Enzymatic biosensors are widely used in clinical diagnostics, and electrode materials are essential for both the efficient immobilization of enzyme and the fast electron transfer between the active sites of enzyme and electrode surface. Electrode materials with a hierarchically porous structure can not only increase the specific surface area but also promote the electron transfer, facilitating the catalysis reaction. Block copolymer is a good candidate for preparation of film with a hierarchically porous structure due to its unique characteristics of self-assembly and phase separation. In the current work, hierarchically porous block copolymer film containing both micropores and nanopores was prepared by spinodal decomposition induced phase separation. The resultant copolymer film was adopted as the electrode material to immobilize glucose oxidase (GOx) for construction of an enzyme biosensor. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle (CA) measurements, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and electrochemical impendence spectroscopy (EIS) were adopted to investigate the microstructure of the as-developed biosensor. Results demonstrated that the hierarchically porous block copolymer film offered a favorable and biocompatible microenvironment for proteins. These as-prepared glucose biosensors possessed a wide linear range (10–4500 μM), a low detection limit (0.05 μM), quick response (2 s), excellent stability, and selectivity. This work demonstrates that hierarchically porous block copolymer film is a good matrix candidate for the immobilization of the enzyme and provides a potential electrode material to construct novel biosensors with excellent performance.
Lignin Nanosphere-Supported Cuprous Oxide as an Efficient Catalyst for Huisgen [3+2] Cycloadditions under Relatively Mild Conditions
Authors: Zhou Zidan , Peng Xinwen , Zhong Linxin , Li Xuehui , Sun Runcang
Published: July 2018

In this work, low-cost lignin nanospheres were fabricated and further applied as an efficient and sustainable support for preparing cuprous oxide (Cu2O) “green” catalyst by using electrospraying technology. The unalloyed lignin, a special three-dimensional molecular structure, was successfully processed into uniform nanospheres under an electrospraying condition. The synthesized lignin-supported Cu2O catalyst had a well-defined nanosphere structure, and Cu2O nanoparticles with sizes less than 30 nm were supported by exposed layers of lignin nanospheres. There were C–O–Cu bonds formed between the lignin nanospheres and the metallic nanoparticles. The lignin nanospheres and the lignin nanosphere-supported catalyst werfe characterized by utilizing XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, EDS, and TGA. The immobilization of Cu2O nanoparticles on the lignin nanospheres was beneficial for dispersion of the Cu2O nanoparticles and preventing their aggregation, which could cause catalyst deactivation, which favored the Huisgen [3+2] cycloaddition reaction. The triazole synthesis results indicated that the lignin nanosphere-supported Cu2O catalyst had a high catalytic performance with 99% yield under solvent-free conditions. Furthermore, the as-synthesized catalyst could be recycled for four times without significantly losing its catalytic activity.
Structural Characterization of Lignocresols from Transgenic and Wild-Type Switchgrass
Authors: Ren Hao , Tian Wenyuan , Shu Fan , Xu Dongliang , Fu Chunxiang , Zhai Huamin
Published: July 2018

Cafferic acid-O-methyltransferases (COMT) down-regulated transgenic and wild-type switchgrass were separated into lignocresols (LCs) and sugars by a phase separation method involving 72% sulfuric acid and cresol. The isolated LCs were characterized by FTIR, GPC, 1H NMR and 2D-HSQC to understand potential structural modification caused by transgenic engineering lignin or phase separation treatment. No significant changes were found in terms of molecular weights and the amount of incorporated p-cresols between transgenic and wild-type switchgrass LCs. However, the compositions, ratios of syringyl (S) units to guaiacyl (G) units, were changed significantly leading to decrease in S units and increase in G units for transgenic switchgrass LC. The benzodioxane structures and 5-hydroxyguaiacyl units were observed in the 2D-HSQC implied that 5-hydroxyconiferyl alcohol was incorporated into lignin as a result of COMT-down-regulation in the transgenic process.
The Role of Non-Timber Forest Products in Creating Incentives for Forest Conservation: A Case Study of Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia
Authors: Chou Phanith
Published: July 2018

The fundamental issue in this study is to confirm whether or not the extraction of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) will encourage additional pro-conservation behavior from local people. This study clarifies three research questions as follows: what is the current activity of forest conservation in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary?; does the extraction of NTFPs create incentives for forest conservation?; and how much value do NTFPs have for incentives for forest conservation activities? Fieldworks were conducted in September 2015, March and April 2016, March 2017 in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary: participatory rural appraisals, key informant interviews, and structured questionnaire interviews with 288 households were randomly selected. Though this study confirmed that extraction of NTFPs is generally seen as the most positive influenced factors for local people’s participation towards forest conservation. Additionally, this study found that the annual value of NTFPs as incentives for forest conservation was around US$0.95/ha or US$95/km2 in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia.
A Semi-Supervised Approach to Bearing Fault Diagnosis under Variable Conditions towards Imbalanced Unlabeled Data
Authors: Chen Xinan , Wang Zhipeng , Zhang Zhe , Jia Limin , Qin Yong
Published: July 2018

Fault diagnosis of rolling element bearings is an effective technology to ensure the steadiness of rotating machineries. Most of the existing fault diagnosis algorithms are supervised methods and generally require sufficient labeled data for training. However, the acquisition of labeled samples is often laborious and costly in practice, whereas there are abundant unlabeled samples which also imply health information of bearings. Thus, it is worthwhile to develop semi-supervised methods of fault diagnosis to make effective use of the plentiful unlabeled samples. Nevertheless, considering the normal data are much more than the faulty ones, the problem of imbalanced data exists among unlabeled samples for fault diagnosis. Besides, in practice, bearings often work under uncertain and variable operation conditions, which would also have negative influence on fault diagnosis. To solve these issues, a novel hybrid method for bearing fault diagnosis is proposed in this paper: (1) Inspired by visibility graph, a novel fault feature extraction method named visibility graph feature (VGF) is proposed. The obtained features by VGF are natively insensitive to variable conditions, which has been validated by a simulation experiment in this paper; (2) On basis of VGF, to deal with imbalanced unlabeled data, graph-based rebalance semi-supervised learning (GRSSL) for fault diagnosis is proposed. In GRSSL, a graph based on a weighted sparse adjacency matrix is constructed by the k-nearest neighbors and Gaussian Kernel weighting algorithm by means of the samples. Then, a bivariate cost function over classification and normalized label variable is built up to rebalance the importance of labels. Finally, the proposed VGF-GRSSL method was verified by data collected from Case Western Reserve University Bearing Data Center. The experiment results show that the proposed method of bearing fault diagnosis performs effectively to deal with the imbalanced unlabeled data under variable conditions.
A Novel Eddy Current Testing Error Compensation Technique Based on Mamdani-Type Fuzzy Coupled Differential and Absolute Probes
Authors: Abdalla Ahmed N. , Ali Kharudin , Paw Johnny K. S. , Rifai Damhuji , Faraj Moneer A.
Published: July 2018

Eddy current testing (ECT) is an accurate, widely used and well-understood inspection technique, particularly in the aircraft and nuclear industries. The coating thickness or lift-off will influence the measurement of defect depth on pipes or plates. It will be an uncertain decision condition whether the defects on a workpiece are cracks or scratches. This problem can lead to the occurrence of pipe leakages, besides causing the degradation of a company’s productivity and most importantly risking the safety of workers. In this paper, a novel eddy current testing error compensation technique based on Mamdani-type fuzzy coupled differential and absolute probes was proposed. The general descriptions of the proposed ECT technique include details of the system design, intelligent fuzzy logic design and Simulink block development design. The detailed description of the proposed probe selection, design and instrumentation of the error compensation of eddy current testing (ECECT) along with the absolute probe and differential probe relevant to the present research work are presented. The ECECT simulation and hardware design are proposed, using the fuzzy logic technique for the development of the new methodology. The depths of the defect coefficients of the probe’s lift-off caused by the coating thickness were measured by using a designed setup. In this result, the ECECT gives an optimum correction for the lift-off, in which the reduction of error is only within 0.1% of its all-out value. Finally, the ECECT is used to measure lift-off in a range of approximately 1 mm to 5 mm, and the performance of the proposed method in non-linear cracks is assessed.
Characterization of the Use of Low Frequency Ultrasonic Guided Waves to Detect Fouling Deposition in Pipelines
Authors: Lais Habiba , Lowe Premesh S. , Gan Tat-Hean , Wrobel Luiz C. , Kanfoud Jamil
Published: July 2018

The accumulation of fouling within a structure is a well-known and costly problem across many industries. The build-up is dependent on the environmental conditions surrounding the fouled structure. Many attempts have been made to detect fouling accumulation in critical engineering structures and to optimize the application of power ultrasonic fouling removal procedures, i.e., flow monitoring, ultrasonic guided waves and thermal imaging. In recent years, the use of ultrasonic guided waves has been identified as a promising technology to detect fouling deposition/growth. This technology also has the capability to assess structural health; an added value to the industry. The use of ultrasonic guided waves for structural health monitoring is established but fouling detection using ultrasonic guided waves is still in its infancy. The present study focuses on the characterization of fouling detection using ultrasonic guided waves. A 6.2-m long 6-inch schedule 40 carbon steel pipe has been used to study the effect of (Calcite) fouling on ultrasonic guided wave propagation within the structure. Parameters considered include frequency selection, number of cycles and dispersion at incremental fouling thickness. According to the studied conditions, a 0.5 dB/m drop in signal amplitude occurs for a fouling deposition of 1 mm. The findings demonstrate the potential to detect fouling build-up in lengthy pipes and to quantify its thickness by the reduction in amplitude found from further numerical investigation. This variable can be exploited to optimize the power ultrasonic fouling removal procedure.
Activity Based Costing for Wastewater Treatment and Reuse under Uncertainty: A Fuzzy Approach
Authors: Durán Orlando , Durán Paulo Andrés
Published: July 2018

The objective of this article is to present a methodology for computing and allocating wastewater recuperation costs using an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) methodology. One of the most critical problems in modelling those costs is the limited information and the subjectivity used to represent some of the cost’s elements (e.g., values, drivers, among others). Thus, a fuzzy ABC approach is incorporated into the methodology to overcome those limitations. The application of this methodology aims at providing an alternative procedure to allocating the costs related to wastewater management activities to products. To validate the proposed methodology and illustrate its utility, a case study using data from a bus assembly plant is provided. Part of the wastewater produced is coming from a surface treatment installation which, after a recovery process, reuse part of the same water in a closed loop circuit. Using the proposed Fuzzy ABC methodology, the costs (including uncertainty) of the surface treatment and water treatment activities can be appropriately allocated to the products that generate those activities and that waste.
Key Issues in Slow Fashion: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives
Authors: Štefko Róbert , Steffek Vladimira
Published: July 2018

The study seeks to explore and synthesize current issues in Slow Fashion and discuss potential future directions of the industry. While there are multiple definitions of the term, Slow Fashion typically describes long-lasting, locally manufactured clothing, primarily made from sustainably sourced fair-trade fabrics. It affords latitude to individual style, fosters education about clothing and emphasizes durability. While several challenges regarding the implementation of Slow Fashion principles in current society remain, the study offers an overview of the current state, and presents a fashion matrix-based framework for outlining the position of the Slow Fashion movement within industry-specific fashion segments and uses the matrix to present current knowledge and review future challenges. The support of networks serves as an indispensable tool for Slow Fashion designers, keeping them abreast of the competition.
On the Diameter and Incidence Energy of Iterated Total Graphs
Authors: Lenes Eber , Mallea-Zepeda Exequiel , Robbiano María , Rodríguez Jonnathan
Published: July 2018

The total graph of G, T(G) is the graph whose vertex set is the union of the sets of vertices and edges of G, where two vertices are adjacent if and only if they stand for either incident or adjacent elements in G. For k≥2, the k-th iterated total graph of G, Tk(G), is defined recursively as Tk(G)=T(Tk−1(G)), where T1(G)=T(G) and T0(G)=G. If G is a connected graph, its diameter is the maximum distance between any pair of vertices in G. The incidence energy IE(G) of G is the sum of the singular values of the incidence matrix of G. In this paper, for a given integer k we establish a necessary and sufficient condition under which diam(Tr+1(G))>k−r,r≥0. In addition, bounds for the incidence energy of the iterated graph Tr+1(G) are obtained, provided G is a regular graph. Finally, new families of non-isomorphic cospectral graphs are exhibited.
Selected Harmonic Elimination for Cascaded Multilevel Inverter Based on Photovoltaic with Fuzzy Logic Control Maximum Power Point Tracking Technique
Authors: Gopal Yatindra , Birla Dinesh , Lalwani Mahendra
Published: July 2018

This paper describes the work performed on a single phase 9-level cascaded H-Bridge multilevel inverter (CHB-MLI) for photovoltaic (PV) power generation, using two methods of maximum power point tracking (MPPT)—namely fuzzy logic controller (FLC) and perturbation & observation (P&O). The MPPT scheme is used to extract maximum power from solar PV cells. PV cell temperature and solar irradiation are input quantities and the two used methods estimate the optimum duty cycle to ensure DC-DC boost converter maximum output. This paper also compares the results obtained by the work performed on CHB-MLI with DC-DC boost converter using FLC based MPPT controller to that of results obtained with the conventional P&O method. The fuzzy logic controller works with imprecise inputs, it does not need an accurate mathematical model and it can handle nonlinearity well. Besides, fuzzy is more robust as compared to the conventional non-linear controller. The genetic algorithm (GA) based Selective Harmonic Elimination (SHE) technique is also applied to CHB-MLI for the elimination of harmonics from the output voltage. In the work reported in this paper on PV inverter making use of the Fuzzy MPPT technique, the obtained total harmonic distortion (THD) of the output voltage without filter circuit and with filter circuit are within IEEE standard 519.
Primordial Gravitational Waves and Reheating in a New Class of Plateau-Like Inflationary Potentials
Authors: Chongchitnan Siri
Published: July 2018

We study a new class of inflation model parametrized by the Hubble radius, such that aH∝exp(−αφ)n. These potentials are plateau-like, and reduce to the power-law potentials in the simplest case n=2. We investigate the range of model parameters that is consistent with current observational constraints on the scalar spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio. The amplitude of primordial gravitational waves in these models is shown to be accessible by future laser interferometers such as DECIGO. We also demonstrate how these observables are affected by the temperature and equation of state during reheating. We find that a large subset of this model can support instantaneous reheating, as well as very low reheating temperatures of order a few MeV, giving rise to interesting consequences for dark-matter production.
An Integrated Approach for Modeling Wetland Water Level: Application to a Headwater Wetland in Coastal Alabama, USA
Authors: Rezaeianzadeh Mehdi , Kalin Latif , Hantush Mohamed M.
Published: July 2018

Headwater wetlands provide many benefits such as water quality improvement, water storage, and providing habitat. These wetlands are characterized by water levels near the surface and respond rapidly to rainfall events. Driven by both groundwater and surface water inputs, water levels (WLs) can be above or below the ground at any given time depending on the season and climatic conditions. Therefore, WL predictions in headwater wetlands is a complex problem. In this study a hybrid modeling approach was developed for improved WL predictions in wetlands, by coupling a watershed model with artificial neural networks (ANNs). In this approach, baseflow and stormflow estimates from the watershed draining to a wetland are first estimated using an uncalibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). These estimates are then combined with meteorological variables and are utilized as inputs to an ANN model for predicting daily WLs in wetlands. The hybrid model was used to successfully predict WLs in a headwater wetland in coastal Alabama, USA. The model was then used to predict the WLs at the study wetland from 1951 to 2005 to explore the possible teleconnections between the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and WLs. Results show that both precipitation and the variations in WLs are partially affected by ENSO in the study area. A correlation analysis between seasonal precipitation and the Nino 3.4 Index suggests that winters are wetter during El Niño in Coastal Alabama. Analysis also revealed a significant negative correlation between WLs and the Nino 3.4 Index during the El Niño phase for spring. The findings of this study and the developed methodology/tools are useful to predict long-term WLs in wetlands and construct more accurate restoration plans under a variable climate.