bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One Computational Innovation Transition-Based Recovery Policy for Flexible Manufacturing Systems Using Petri nets
Authors: Pan Yen-Liang
Published: March 2020

In the third and fourth industrial revolutions, smart or artificial intelligence flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) seem to be the key machine equipment for capacity of factory production. However, deadlocks could hence appear due to resources competition between robots. Therefore, how to prevent deadlocks of FMS occurring is a very important and hot issue. Based on Petri nets (PN) theory, in existing literature almost all research adopts control places as their deadlock prevention mean. However, under this strategy the real optimal reachable markings are not achieved even if they claimed that their control policy is maximally permissive. Accordingly, in this paper, the author propose one novel transition-based control policy to solve the deadlock problem of FMS. The proposed control policy could also be viewed as deadlock recovery since it can recover all initial deadlock and quasi-deadlock markings. Furthermore, control transitions can be calculated and obtained once the proposed three-dimension matrix, called generating and comparing aiding matrix (GCAM) in this paper, is built. Finally, an iteration method is used until all deadlock markings become live ones. Experimental results reveal that our control policy seems still the best one among all existing methods in the literature regardless of whether these methods belong to places or transitions based.
BIM-based Hazard Recognition and Evaluation Methodology for Automating Construction Site Risk Assessment
Authors: Kim Inhan , Lee Yongha , Choi Jungsik
Published: March 2020

Construction sites in Korea are the locus of many disasters and work-related illnesses, and construction workers are particularly likely to be exposed to serious disasters such as falls, collapses, and burial. At domestic construction sites, the concept of Design for Safety has been adopted from abroad, and current regulations are intended to secure the personnel safety at each site. However, current government guidelines and regulations are difficult to apply in the field, mainly because they do not clearly address work issues and safety management measures. The current safety review method depends too much on the subjective experience of site workers or managers. This study analyzes the step-by-step tasks required for more automated building information modeling (BIM)-based construction site safety management. An example BIM-based assessment of one specific construction site hazard, the risk of a worker fall, is carried out. In the risk analysis stage, all of the associated hazards are identified and the attendant risks are estimated and quantified. A broader risk rating methodology is derived based on the scenarios of each possible disaster at a construction site, and the hazards are extracted by defining the relationships between each building element based on the BIM information. The result is a risk rating methodology derived from a BIM-based risk assessment.
Could the Enrichment of a Biomaterial with Conditioned Medium or Extracellular Vesicles Modify Bone-Remodeling Kinetics during a Defect Healing? Evaluations on Rat Calvaria with Synchrotron-Based Microtomography
Authors: Giuliani Alessandra , Sena Gabriela , Tromba Giuliana , Mazzon Emanuela , Fontana Antonella , Diomede Francesca , Piattelli Adriano , Trubiani Oriana
Published: March 2020

Tissue engineering has been shown to offer promising approaches for bone regeneration, mostly based on replacement with biomaterials that provide specific environments and support for bone growth. In this context, we previously showed that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their derivatives, such as conditioned medium (CM) and extracellular vesicles (EV), when seeded on collagen membranes (COL) or polylactide (PLA) biomaterials, are able to favor bone tissue regeneration, especially evidenced in animal model calvary defects. In the present study, we investigated whether the enrichment of a rat calvary defect site with CM, EVs and polyethylenimine (PEI)-engineered EVs could substantially modify the bone remodeling kinetics during defect healing, as these products were reported to favor bone regeneration. In particular, we focused the study, performed by synchrotron radiation-based high-resolution tomography, on the analysis of the bone mass density distribution. We proved that the enrichment of a defect site with CM, EVs and PEI-EVs substantially modifies, often accelerating, bone remodeling kinetics and the related mineralization process during defect healing. Moreover, different biomaterials (COL or PLA) in combination with stem cells of different origin (namely, human periodontal ligament stem cells-hPDLSCs and human gingival mesenchymal stem cells-hGMSCs) and their own CM, EVs and PEI-EVs products were shown to exhibit different mineralization kinetics.
Short-Term Measurement of Indoor Radon Concentration in Northern Croatia
Authors: Ptiček Siročić Anita , Stanko Davor , Sakač Nikola , Dogančić Dragana , Trojko Tomislav
Published: March 2020

(1) Background: Radon concentrations in the environment are generally very low. However, radon concentrations can be high indoors and can cause some serious health issues. The main source of indoor radon (homes, buildings and other residential objects) can be soil under the house, while other sources can be construction materials, groundwater and natural gas. Radon accumulates mainly in the lower levels of the buildings (especially low-ventilated underground levels and basements). (2) Methods: in this paper, we have measured the indoor radon concentrations at 15 locations in various objects (basements and ground floor/1st floor rooms) in the area of northern Croatia. (3) Results: the results show a higher concentration of radon in the basement area in comparison to values measured in the ground floor and first-floor rooms. The arithmetic mean (AM) and geometric mean (GM) of basement rooms were 70.9 ± 38.8 Bq/m3 and 61.2 ± 2.2 Bq/m3 compared to ground floor and first-floor rooms 42.5 ± 30.8 Bq/m3 and 32.8 ± 2.9 Bq/m3, respectively. (4) Conclusions: results obtained (AM and GM values) are within the maximal allowed values (300 Bq/m3) according to the Euroatom Directive. However, there are periods when maximum radon concentration exceeds 300 Bq/m3. Indoor radon concentrations vary with the occupancy of the rooms and it is evident that the ventilation has significant effect on the reduction of concentration.
Evaluation of Tramadol Hydrochloride Toxicity to Juvenile Zebrafish—Morphological, Antioxidant and Histological Responses
Authors: Plhalova Lucie , Sehonova Pavla , Blahova Jana , Doubkova Veronika , Tichy Frantisek , Faggio Caterina , Berankova Petra , Svobodova Zdenka
Published: March 2020

The presence of pharmaceuticals in water bodies is associated with the increasing consumption of these substances and limited elimination from wastewater. Pharmaceutical residues and their metabolites may have an unfavorable impact on fish and other aquatic biota. As the purification of wastewater from tramadol is very limited and the knowledge on its effects on non-target organisms is low, we decided to assess the subchronic impact of tramadol hydrochloride on fish—on the mortality, growth and histopathology, together with the impact on selected indices of oxidative stress. The juvenile growth toxicity test was carried out on zebrafish (Danio rerio), in accordance with the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation Guidelines 215 (Fish, Juvenile Growth Test). The fish were exposed to a range of tramadol hydrochloride concentrations (0.2, 2, 20, 200 and 600 µg/L) for 28 days. The outcome of this study suggests that chosen concentrations of tramadol hydrochloride did not affect either mortality or growth (regarding weight, length and specific growth rate). However, the results of this study indicate that 28-day exposure can negatively influence selected indices of oxidative stress, which is a harmful imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in an organism. A significant increase was observed in glutathione S-transferase activity in the experimental group exposed to 2 µg/L tramadol hydrochloride, compared to the control. Moreover, lipid peroxidation was observed in groups exposed to 20 and 200 µg/L, in comparison to the control.
Estimation of Thermal Resistance Field in Layered Materials by Analytical Asymptotic Method
Authors: Groz Marie-Marthe , Bensalem Mohamed , Sommier Alain , Abisset-Chavanne Emmanuelle , Chevalier Stéphane , Chulkov Arsenii , Battaglia Jean-Luc , Batsale Jean-Christophe , Pradere Christophe
Published: March 2020

In this paper, the problem of the quantitative characterization of thermal resistance fields in a multilayer sample is addressed by using the classical front face flash method as the thermal excitation and infrared thermography (IRT) as the monitoring sensor. In this challenging problem, the complete inverse processing of a multilayer analytical model is difficult due to the lack of sensitivity of some parameters (layer thickness, depth of thermal resistance, etc.) and the expansive computational iterative processing. For these reasons, the proposed strategy is to use a simple multilayer problem where only one resistive layer is estimated. Moreover, to simplify the inverse processing often based on iterative methods, an asymptotic development method is proposed here. Regarding the thermal signal reconstruction (TSR) methods, the drawback of these methods is the inability to be quantitative. To overcome this problem, the method incorporates a calibration process originating from the complete analytical quadrupole solution to the thermal problem. This analytical knowledge allows self-calibration of the asymptotic method. From this calibration, the quantitative thermal resistance field of a sample can be retrieved with a reasonable accuracy lower than 5%.
Evaluation of Effectiveness of Digital Technologies During Anatomy Learning in Nursing School
Authors: Bianchi Serena , Bernardi Sara , Perilli Enrico , Cipollone Claudia , Di Biasi Jasmine , Macchiarelli Guido
Published: March 2020

The disciplines of biosciences included in the curricula of a nursing degree represent a daunting but crucial type of knowledge that a well-prepared nurse should acquire. Given the importance and the objective difficulties of these courses, nursing students experience anxiety, especially for the anatomy course. This anxiety and the related rate of exam failures lead professors to analyze their teaching approach, by diversifying the lecturing methods. The aim of our study was to test the use of a virtual dissection table (DT) during the anatomy lectures of a nursing course, evaluating the anxiety level before the exam and evaluating the exam score. The feedback of the evaluated student population was positive overall. The integration of the DT in anatomy lectures improved the learning performance and mostly enhanced the self-confidence of the first year nursing students.
Antibacterial and Osteoconductive Effects of Chitosan/Polyethylene Oxide (PEO)/Bioactive Glass Nanofibers for Orthopedic Applications
Authors: Boschetto Francesco , Ngoc Doan Hoan , Phong Vo Phu , Zanocco Matteo , Zhu Wenliang , Sakai Wataru , Adachi Tetsuya , Ohgitani Eriko , Tsutsumi Naoto , Mazda Osam , Kinashi Kenji , Marin Elia , Pezzotti Giuseppe
Published: March 2020

This study investigated the efficiency of chitosan/polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based nanofibers with incorporated bioactive glass particles as a coating for titanium alloy, in order to improve the bacteriostatic behavior and, concurrently, promote the production of mineralized tissue. Nanofibers with and without bioglass powder were fabricated by electrospinning technique and characterized using several microscopic and spectroscopic techniques in order to study their morphological and physiochemical properties. Subsequently, the substrates were tested in vitro against Staphylococcus epidermidis and SaOS-2 human osteosarcoma cell line. After in vitro testing, viability and CFU counting assays combined with fluorescence microscopy showed a clear decrease in bacterial growth on all substrates with increasing time. However, this trend was stronger for substrates coated with nanofibers. Formation of mineralized matrix upon exposure to osteoblasts was confirmed by means of SEM/EDX and the content/distribution of osteocalcin and osteopontin estimated by fluorescence microscopy. Incorporation of bioglass promoted biomineralization and stimulated osteoblasts to produce a higher amount of bone extracellular matrix. The present results suggest that a chitosan/PEO/bioactive glass nanofiber composite applied as coating on titanium alloys could concurrently improve antibacterial and osteoconductive properties and could be a potential candidate for dental and orthopedic applications.
E-mail-Based Phishing Attack Taxonomy
Authors: Rastenis Justinas , Ramanauskaitė Simona , Janulevičius Justinas , Čenys Antanas , Slotkienė Asta , Pakrijauskas Kęstutis
Published: March 2020

The amount of fraud on the Internet is increasing along with the availability and the popularity of the Internet around the world. One of the most common forms of Internet fraud is phishing. Phishing attacks seek to obtain a user’s personal or secret information. The variety of phishing attacks is very broad, and usage of novel, more sophisticated methods complicates its automated filtering. Therefore, it is important to form up-to-date and detailed phishing attack taxonomy, which could be used for both human education purposes as well as phishing attack discrete notation. In this paper, we propose an e-mail-based phishing attack taxonomy, which includes six phases of the attack. Each phase has at least one criterion for the attack categorization. Each category is described, and in some cases the categories have sub-classes to present the full variety of phishing attacks. The proposed taxonomy is compared to similar taxonomies. Our taxonomy outperforms other phishing attack taxonomies in numbers of phases, criteria and distinguished classes. Validation of the proposed taxonomy is achieved by adapting it as a phishing attack notation for an incident management system. Taxonomy usage for phishing attack notation increases the level of description of phishing attacks compared to free-form phishing attack descriptions.
The Influence of Main Design Parameters on the Overall Cost of a Gearbox
Authors: Vu Ngoc-Pi , Nguyen Dinh-Ngoc , Luu Anh-Tung , Tran Ngoc-Giang , Tran Thi-Hong , Nguyen Van-Cuong , Bui Thanh-Danh , Nguyen Hong-Linh
Published: March 2020

This study is aimed at determining optimum partial gear ratios to minimize the cost of a three-stage helical gearbox. In this work, eleven input parameters were investigated to find their influence on the optimum gear ratios of the second and the third stages ( u 2 and u 3 ). To reach the goal, a simulation experiment was designed and implemented by a cost optimization program. The results revealed that in addition to the input parameters, their interactions also have important effects in which the total ratio gearbox ratio ( u t ) and the cost of shaft ( C s ) have the most impact on u 2 and u 3 responses, respectively. Moreover, the proposed models of the two responses are highly consistent to the experimental results. The proposed regression equations can be applied to solve optimization cost problems.
Development of Novel Polymer Supported Nanocomposite GO/TiO2 Films, Based on poly(L-lactic acid) for Photocatalytic Applications
Authors: Malesic Eleftheriadou Neda , Ofrydopoulou Anna , Papageorgiou Myrsini , Lambropoulou Dimitra
Published: March 2020

In the present study the development of novel polymer-supported nanocomposite graphene oxide (GO)–TiO2 films, based on poly(L-lactic acid), one of the most exploited bioplastics worldwide, was explored for photocatalytic applications. The nanocomposites were synthesized and evaluated as photocatalysts for the removal of a mixture of nine antibiotics, consisting of two sulphonamides (sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine), three fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin, norfloxacin, moxifloxacin), one anti-TB agent (isoniazid), one nitroimidazole (metronidazole), one lincosamide (lincomycin) and one diaminopyrimidine (trimethoprim), which are commonly found in wastewaters. The films were synthesized using 1 wt% GO and different TiO2 content (10, 25, and 50 wt%) and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Findings confirmed the successful immobilization of GO/TiO2 in all cases. The PLLA–GO–TiO2 50 wt% composite film demonstrated higher photocatalytic efficiency and, thus, was further investigated demonstrating excellent photostability and reusability even after four cycles. Overall, PLLA–GO–TiO2 50 wt% nanocomposite demonstrated high efficiency in the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotics in various matrices including pure water and wastewater.
An Experimental Tuning Approach of Fractional Order Controllers in the Frequency Domain
Authors: Birs Isabela , Folea Silviu , Prodan Ovidiu , Dulf Eva , Muresan Cristina
Published: March 2020

Fractional calculus has been used intensely in recent years in control engineering to extend the capabilities of the classical proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller, but most tuning techniques are based on the model of the process. The paper presents an experimental tuning procedure for fractional-order proportional integral–proportional derivative (PI/PD) and PID-type controllers that eliminates the need of a mathematical model for the process. The tuning procedure consists in recreating the Bode magnitude plot using experimental tests and imposing the desired shape of the closed loop system magnitude. The proposed method is validated in the field of active vibration suppression by using an experimental set-up consisting of a smart beam.
Acoustic Individual Identification in Birds Based on the Band-Limited Phase-Only Correlation Function
Authors: Pedroza Angel David , De la Rosa José I. , Rosas Rogelio , Becerra Aldonso , Villa Jesús , Moreno Gamaliel , González Efrén , Alaniz Daniel
Published: March 2020

A new technique based on the Band-Limited Phase-Only Correlation (BLPOC) function to deal with acoustic individual identification is proposed in this paper. This is a biometric technique suitable for limited data individual bird identification. The main advantage of this new technique, in contrast to traditional algorithms where the use of large-scale datasets is assumed, is its ability to identify individuals by the use of only two samples from the bird species. The proposed technique has two variants (depending on the method used to analyze and extract the bird vocalization from records): automatic individual verification algorithm and semi-automatic individual verification algorithm. The evaluation of the automatic algorithm shows an average precision that is over 80% for the identification comparatives. It is shown that the efficiencies of the algorithms depend on the complexity of the vocalizations.
An Analog Circuit Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Circle Model and Extreme Learning Machine
Authors: Guo Sumin , Wu Bo , Zhou Jingyu , Li Hongyu , Su Chunjian , Yuan Yibo , Xu Kebao
Published: March 2020

The fault diagnosis of analog circuits faces problems, such as inefficient feature extraction and fault identification. To solve the problems, this paper combines the circle model and the extreme learning machine (ELM) into a fault diagnosis method for the linear analog circuit. Firstly, a circle model for the voltage features of fault elements was established in the complex domain, according to the relationship between the circuit response, element position and circuit topology. To eliminate the impacts of tolerances and signal aliasing, the 3D feature was introduced to make the indistinguishable features in fuzzy groups distinguishable. Fault feature separability is very important to improve the fault diagnosis accuracy. In addition, an effective classier can improve the precision and the time taken. With less computational complexity and a simpler process, the ELM algorithm has a fast speed and a good classification performance. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulation. The simulation results show the ELM-based algorithm classifier with the circle model can enhance precision and reduce time taken by about 80% in comparison with other methods for analog circuit fault diagnosis. To sum up, this proposed method offers a fault diagnosis method that reduces the complexity in generating fault features, improves the isolation probability of faults, speeds up fault classification, and simplifies fault testing.
Not Different Enough: Avoiding Representation as “Balkan” and the Constrained Appeal of Macedonian Ethno Music
Authors: Wilson Dave
Published: March 2020

Since the early 1990s, interest in various forms of traditional music among middle-class urban ethnic Macedonians has grown. Known by some as the “Ethno Renaissance”, this trend initially grew in the context of educational ensembles in Skopje and gained momentum due to the soundtrack of the internationally acclaimed Macedonian film Before the Rain (1994) and the formation of the group DD Synthesis by musician and pedagogue Dragan Dautovski. This article traces the development of this multifaceted musical practice, which became known as “ethno music” (etno muzika) and now typically features combinations of various traditional music styles with one another and with other musical styles. Ethno music articulates dynamic changes in Macedonian politics and wider global trends in the “world music” market, which valorizes musical hybridity as “authentic” and continues to prioritize performers perceived as exotic and different. This article discusses the rhetoric, representation, and musical styles of ethno music in the 1990s and in a second wave of “ethno bands” (etno bendovi) that began around 2005. Drawing on ethnography conducted between 2011 and 2018 and on experience as a musician performing and recording in Macedonia periodically since 2003, I argue that, while these bands and their multi-layered musical projects resonate with middle-class, cosmopolitan audiences in Macedonia and its diaspora, their avoidance of the term “Balkan” and associated stereotypes constrains their popularity to Macedonian audiences and prevents them from participating widely in world music festival networks and related markets.
A Portfolio Policy Package to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Authors: Freebairn John
Published: March 2020

Arguments for a portfolio of price, regulation and subsidy policy interventions to reduce the production and consumption of greenhouse gas emissions are presented. The operation and effects of each intervention are described and compared. A combination of different sets of market failures across the many potential decision changes available to producers and consumers to reduce emissions and different properties of the mitigation instruments support a portfolio approach to reduce emissions at a low cost.
Differential Study of Projectile Coherence Effects on Double Capture Processes in p + Ar Collisions
Authors: Voss Trevor , Lamichhane Basu , Dhital Madhav , Lomsadze Ramaz , Schulz Michael
Published: March 2020

We have measured differential yields for double capture and double capture accompanied by ionization in 75 keV p + Ar collisions. Data were taken for two different transverse projectile coherence lengths. A small effect of the projectile coherence properties on the yields were found for double capture, but not for double capture plus ionization. The results suggest that multiple projectile–target interactions can lead to a significant weakening of projectile coherence effects.
3D Bioprinting Strategies for the Regeneration of Functional Tubular Tissues and Organs
Authors: Jeong Hun-Jin , Nam Hyoryung , Jang Jinah , Lee Seung-Jae
Published: March 2020

It is difficult to fabricate tubular-shaped tissues and organs (e.g., trachea, blood vessel, and esophagus tissue) with traditional biofabrication techniques (e.g., electrospinning, cell-sheet engineering, and mold-casting) because these have complicated multiple processes. In addition, the tubular-shaped tissues and organs have their own design with target-specific mechanical and biological properties. Therefore, the customized geometrical and physiological environment is required as one of the most critical factors for functional tissue regeneration. 3D bioprinting technology has been receiving attention for the fabrication of patient-tailored and complex-shaped free-form architecture with high reproducibility and versatility. Printable biocomposite inks that can facilitate to build tissue constructs with polymeric frameworks and biochemical microenvironmental cues are also being actively developed for the reconstruction of functional tissue. In this review, we delineated the state-of-the-art of 3D bioprinting techniques specifically for tubular tissue and organ regeneration. In addition, this review described biocomposite inks, such as natural and synthetic polymers. Several described engineering approaches using 3D bioprinting techniques and biocomposite inks may offer beneficial characteristics for the physiological mimicry of human tubular tissues and organs.
Current Advances in Pediatric Onset Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Fisher Kristen S. , Cuascut Fernando X. , Rivera Victor M. , Hutton George J.
Published: March 2020

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease affecting the central nervous system leading to demyelination. MS in the pediatric population is rare, but has been shown to lead to significant disability over the duration of the disease. As we have learned more about pediatric MS, there has been a development of improved diagnostic criteria leading to earlier diagnosis, earlier initiation of disease-modifying therapies (DMT), and an increasing number of DMT used in the treatment of pediatric MS. Over time, treatment with DMT has trended towards the initiation of higher efficacy treatment at time of diagnosis to help prevent further disease progression and accrual of disability over time, and there is evidence in current literature that supports this change in treatment patterns. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge in diagnosis, treatment, and clinical outcomes in pediatric MS.
Hydrogen Sorption and Reversibility of the LiBH4-KBH4 Eutectic System Confined in a CMK-3 Type Carbon via Melt Infiltration
Authors: Peru Filippo , Payandeh SeyedHosein , Charalambopoulou Georgia , Jensen Torben R. , Steriotis Theodore
Published: March 2020

Metal borohydrides have very high hydrogen densities but their poor thermodynamic and kinetic properties hinder their use as solid hydrogen stores. An interesting approach to improve their functionality is nano-sizing by confinement in mesoporous materials. In this respect, we used the 0.725 LiBH4–0.275 KBH4 eutectic mixture, and by exploiting its very low melting temperature (378 K) it was possible to successfully melt infiltrate the borohydrides in a mesoporous CMK-3 type carbon (pore diameter ~5 nm). The obtained carbon–borohydride composite appears to partially alleviate the irreversibility of the dehydrogenation reaction when compared with the bulk LiBH4-KBH4, and shows a constant hydrogen uptake of 2.5 wt%–3 wt% for at least five absorption–desorption cycles. Moreover, pore infiltration resulted in a drastic decrease of the decomposition temperature (more than 100 K) compared to the bulk eutectic mixture. The increased reversibility and the improved kinetics may be a combined result of several phenomena such as the catalytic action of the carbon surface, the nano-sizing of the borohydride particles or the reduction of irreversible side-reactions.
Purifying of Waste Tire Pyrolysis Oil Using an S-ZrO2/SBA-15-H2O2 Catalytic Oxidation Method
Authors: Hossain Muhammad Nobi , Choi Myung Kyu , Park Hoon Chae , Choi Hang Seok
Published: March 2020

Heavy fuel oils contain a high amount of sulfur. In this work, an extent amount of sulfur content waste tire pyrolysis oil (WTPO) was used as a fuel feedstock. A promising alternative oxidative desulfurization (ODS) method was applied in sulfur removal from WTPO using a S-ZrO2/SBA-15 solid acid catalyst, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an oxidant and acetonitrile as an extracting solvent at varied conditions. The prepared catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Bruanuer-Emmet-Teller (BET) method and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The influence of reaction parameters such as reaction time (30-60 min), catalyst loading (0.5–1.5 wt.%), oxidant to oil mole ratio (5–15) at fixed reaction temperature 70 °C on desulfurization of WTPO were investigated. Taguchi method was selected to design the experiment for optimizing the reaction parameters by maximizing the sulfur removal efficiency. The maximum desulfurization efficiency 59.49% was obtained under optimum conditions reaction time (60 min), catalyst loading (1.0 wt.%) and oxidant to sulfur mole ratio (10:1). A catalytic S-ZrO2/SBA-15 -H2O2 oxidation system for oxidative desulfurization of waste tire pyrolysis oil using at mild reaction conditions was developed.
Ultrasound-Assisted Hydrothermal Fabrication of AgI/MFeO3/g-C3N4 (M = Y, Gd, La) Nano Sheet–Sphere–Sheet Photocatalysts with Enhanced Photodegradation Activities for Norfloxacin
Authors: Zhang Junjiao , Zhu Zhengru , Jiang Junchao , Li Hong
Published: March 2020

AgI/MFeO3/g-C3N4 (M = Y, Gd, La) nano sheet–sphere–sheet photocatalysts were synthesized by a simple ultrasound-assisted hydrothermal approach. We characterized the microstructure, surface morphology, and optical absorption capacity of the obtained samples. According to the characterization results, AgI/MFeO3/g-C3N4 (M = Y, Gd, La) nano sheet–sphere–sheet photocatalysts were successfully obtained. MFeO3 nanospheres and AgI nanosheets were dispersed evenly on the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets. AgI/MFeO3/g-C3N4 showed remarkable photocatalytic. Especially, 95% of NOF was photodegradated over AgI/LaFeO3/g-C3N4 within 3 h and the higher photocatalytic performance still remained after six cycles. Additionally, The N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms of AgI/MFeO3/g-C3N4 showed that AgI/LaFeO3/g-C3N4 possessed the highest specific surface area (79.32 m2/g). The result of scavenging experiment revealed that ·O2−, h+, and ·OH were the main roles in the photodegradation process. Benefitting from the nice energy band matching, MFeO3 acted as the center of photogenerated electrons migration and separation provided more direct electron channels. This work proposes an effective approach for the design and configuration of dual Z-scheme photocatalysts to accomplish the removal of organic contaminants based on g-C3N4.
Multiscale Eulerian CFD of Chemical Processes: A Review
Authors: Ngo Son Ich , Lim Young-Il
Published: March 2020

This review covers the scope of multiscale computational fluid dynamics (CFD), laying the framework for studying hydrodynamics with and without chemical reactions in single and multiple phases regarded as continuum fluids. The molecular, coarse-grained particle, and meso-scale dynamics at the individual scale are excluded in this review. Scoping single-scale Eulerian CFD approaches, the necessity of multiscale CFD is highlighted. First, the Eulerian CFD theory, including the governing and turbulence equations, is described for single and multiple phases. The Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS)-based turbulence model such as the standard k-ε equation is briefly presented, which is commonly used for industrial flow conditions. Following the general CFD theories based on the first-principle laws, a multiscale CFD strategy interacting between micro- and macroscale domains is introduced. Next, the applications of single-scale CFD are presented for chemical and biological processes such as gas distributors, combustors, gas storage tanks, bioreactors, fuel cells, random- and structured-packing columns, gas-liquid bubble columns, and gas-solid and gas-liquid-solid fluidized beds. Several multiscale simulations coupled with Eulerian CFD are reported, focusing on the coupling strategy between two scales. Finally, challenges to multiscale CFD simulations are discussed. The need for experimental validation of CFD results is also presented to lay the groundwork for digital twins supported by CFD. This review culminates in conclusions and perspectives of multiscale CFD.
Development of a New Analytical Method for Determination of Veterinary Drug Oxyclozanide by Electrochemical Sensor and Its Application to Pharmaceutical Formulation
Authors: Demir Ersin , Silah Hulya
Published: March 2020

A novel highly selective, sensitive and simple analytical technique was recommended for the investigation of anthelmintic veterinary drug oxyclozanide based on square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) by using a carbon paste electrode (CPE). According to the cyclic voltammetric data, the oxidation and electron transfer processes of oxyclozanide were found as irreversible and adsorption-controlled, respectively. The voltammetric anodic peak response was characterized with respect to pH, accumulation potential, accumulation time, frequency and pulse amplitude, etc. Under these optimized experimental conditions, the anodic peak density of oxyclozanide was linear to oxyclozanide concentrations in the range from 0.058 to 4.00 mg/L. The described electrochemical method was successfully carried out for the oxyclozanide in pharmaceutical formulation and tap water with mean percentage recovery of 101.5 % and 102.2 %, respectively. The results of pharmaceutical formulation studies were statistically compared to the high-performance liquid chromatographic method.
Global Research Output on Sleep Research in Athletes from 1966 to 2019: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Lastella Michele , Memon Aamir Raoof , Vincent Grace E.
Published: March 2020

This study examined sleep research in athletes published between 1966 and 2019, through a bibliometric analysis of research output in the Scopus database. Following a robust assessment of titles, the bibliometric indicators of productivity for studies included in the final analysis were: Distribution of publications and citations (excluding self-citations), top ten active journals, countries, institutions and authors, single- and multi-country collaboration, and 25 top-cited papers. Out of the 1015 papers, 313 were included in the final analysis. The majority of the papers were research articles (n = 259; 82.8%) and published in English (n = 295; 94.3%). From 2011, there was a dramatic increase in papers published (n = 257; 82.1%) and citations (n = 3538; 91.0%). The number of collaborations increased after 2001, with papers published through international (n = 81; 25.9%) and national (n = 192; 61.3%) collaboration. Australia was the most prolific country in terms of number of publications (n = 97; 31.0%), and citations (n = 1529; 15.8%). In conclusion, after the beginning of the twenty-first century, the scientific production on sleep research in athletes has seen significant growth in publication and citation output. Future research should focus on interventions to improve sleep in athletes.
Monthly Entomological Inoculation Rate Data for Studying the Seasonality of Malaria Transmission in Africa
Authors: Yamba Edmund I. , Tompkins Adrian M. , Fink Andreas H. , Ermert Volker , Amelie Mbouna D. , Amekudzi Leonard K. , Briët Olivier J. T.
Published: March 2020

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to create a new database of 197 field surveys of monthly malaria Entomological Inoculation Rates (EIR), a metric of malaria transmission intensity. All field studies provide data at a monthly temporal resolution and have a duration of at least one year in order to study the seasonality of the disease. For inclusion, data collection methodologies adhered to a specific standard and the location and timing of the measurements were documented. Auxiliary information on the population and hydrological setting were also included. The database includes measurements that cover West and Central Africa and the period from 1945 to 2011, and hence facilitates analysis of interannual transmission variability over broad regions.
Multiplex Point-of-Care Tests for the Determination of Antibodies after Acellular Pertussis Vaccination
Authors: Knuutila Aapo , Rautanen Carita , Mertsola Jussi , He Qiushui
Published: March 2020

Most of the current serological diagnosis of pertussis is based on pertussis toxin (PT) IgG antibodies and does not differentiate between vaccination and infection-induced antibodies. PT is included in all of acellular pertussis vaccines available in the world. Multiplex testing of non-vaccine antigen-related antibodies has the potential to improve the diagnostic outcome of these assays. In this study, we developed a quantitatively spatial multiplex lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for the detection of IgG antibodies directed against PT, pertactin (PRN), and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). The assay was evaluated with serum samples with varying anti-PT, anti-PRN, and anti-FHA IgG levels and the result was compared to those obtained with standardized ELISA. The developed assay showed good specificity with PT and PRN antibodies and semiquantification throughout the antigen combinations. This exploratory study indicates that the multiplex LFIA is specific and sensitive, and a similar test platform with alternative antigens could be suitable for new type of pertussis serology.
Age Is a Determining Factor of Dry Eye-Related Signs and Symptoms
Authors: Ayaki Masahiko , Negishi Kazuno , Kawashima Motoko , Uchino Miki , Kaido Minako , Tsubota Kazuo
Published: March 2020

Purpose: The reported signs and symptoms of dry eye (DE) have been discordant. This study evaluated risk factors of DE-related symptoms and signs to explore their association with patient demographics, focusing on the age factor. Methods: The study enrolled 704 consecutive patients visiting general eye clinics who complained of ocular discomfort, but had normal vision. The patients were asked about the presence of six common symptoms related to DE and, tear break-up time (TBUT). The severity of patients’ keratopathy was also examined, and patients underwent Schirmer’s test. Results: Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that younger age (≤29 years) was associated with non-visual symptoms and keratopathy, while older age (≥60 years) was associated with short TBUT and low values on Schirmer’s test. Middle age was associated with both severe symptoms and signs. Conclusions: Discrepancies in the signs and symptoms of DE may depend, in part, on age, with younger subjects showing severe non-visual symptoms with apparently normal tear function and severe keratopathy, and older subjects showing fewer symptoms and less severe keratopathy despite worse tear function.
Can Transfer Entropy Infer Information Flow in Neuronal Circuits for Cognitive Processing?
Authors: Tehrani-Saleh Ali , Adami Christoph
Published: March 2020

How cognitive neural systems process information is largely unknown, in part because of how difficult it is to accurately follow the flow of information from sensors via neurons to actuators. Measuring the flow of information is different from measuring correlations between firing neurons, for which several measures are available, foremost among them the Shannon information, which is an undirected measure. Several information-theoretic notions of “directed information” have been used to successfully detect the flow of information in some systems, in particular in the neuroscience community. However, recent work has shown that directed information measures such as transfer entropy can sometimes inadequately estimate information flow, or even fail to identify manifest directed influences, especially if neurons contribute in a cryptographic manner to influence the effector neuron. Because it is unclear how often such cryptic influences emerge in cognitive systems, the usefulness of transfer entropy measures to reconstruct information flow is unknown. Here, we test how often cryptographic logic emerges in an evolutionary process that generates artificial neural circuits for two fundamental cognitive tasks (motion detection and sound localization). Besides counting the frequency of problematic logic gates, we also test whether transfer entropy applied to an activity time-series recorded from behaving digital brains can infer information flow, compared to a ground-truth model of direct influence constructed from connectivity and circuit logic. Our results suggest that transfer entropy will sometimes fail to infer directed information when it exists, and sometimes suggest a causal connection when there is none. However, the extent of incorrect inference strongly depends on the cognitive task considered. These results emphasize the importance of understanding the fundamental logic processes that contribute to information flow in cognitive processing, and quantifying their relevance in any given nervous system.
Analysis of Solidarity Effect for Entropy, Pareto, and Gini Indices on Two-Class Society Using Kinetic Wealth Exchange Model
Authors: Lim Gyuchang , Min Seungsik
Published: March 2020

It is well known that two different underlying dynamics lead to different patterns of income/wealth distribution such as the Boltzmann–Gibbs form for the lower end and the Pareto-like power-law form for the higher-end. The Boltzmann–Gibbs distribution is naturally derived from maximizing the entropy of random interactions among agents, whereas the Pareto distribution requires a rational approach of economics dependent on the wealth level. More interestingly, the Pareto regime is very dynamic, whereas the Boltzmann–Gibbs regime is stable over time. Also, there are some cases in which the distributions of income/wealth are bimodal or polymodal. In order to incorporate the dynamic aspects of the Pareto regime and the polymodal forms of income/wealth distribution into one stochastic model, we present a modified agent-based model based on classical kinetic wealth exchange models. First, we adopt a simple two-class society consisting of the rich and the poor where the agents in the same class engage in random exchanges while the agents in the different classes perform a wealth-dependent winner-takes-all trading. This modification leads the system to an extreme polarized society with preserving the Pareto exponent. Second, we incorporate a solidarity formation among agents belonging to the lower class in our model, in order to confront a super-rich agent. This modification leads the system to a drastic bimodal distribution of wealth with a varying Pareto exponent over varying the solidarity parameter, that is, the Pareto-regime becomes narrower and the Pareto exponent gets larger as the solidarity parameter increases. We argue that the solidarity formation is the key ingredient in the varying Pareto exponent and the polymodal distribution. Lastly, we take two approaches to evaluate the level of inequality of wealth such as Gini coefficients and the entropy measure. According to the numerical results, the increasing solidarity parameter leads to a decreasing Gini coefficient not linearly but nonlinearly, whereas the entropy measure is robust over varying solidarity parameters, implying that there is a trade-off between the intermediate party and the high end.
Information Bottleneck for Estimating Treatment Effects with Systematically Missing Covariates
Authors: Parbhoo Sonali , Wieser Mario , Wieczorek Aleksander , Roth Volker
Published: March 2020

Estimating the effects of an intervention from high-dimensional observational data is a challenging problem due to the existence of confounding. The task is often further complicated in healthcare applications where a set of observations may be entirely missing for certain patients at test time, thereby prohibiting accurate inference. In this paper, we address this issue using an approach based on the information bottleneck to reason about the effects of interventions. To this end, we first train an information bottleneck to perform a low-dimensional compression of covariates by explicitly considering the relevance of information for treatment effects. As a second step, we subsequently use the compressed covariates to perform a transfer of relevant information to cases where data are missing during testing. In doing so, we can reliably and accurately estimate treatment effects even in the absence of a full set of covariate information at test time. Our results on two causal inference benchmarks and a real application for treating sepsis show that our method achieves state-of-the-art performance, without compromising interpretability.
Analyzing the Influence of Hyper-parameters and Regularizers of Topic Modeling in Terms of Renyi Entropy
Authors: Koltcov Sergei , Ignatenko Vera , Boukhers Zeyd , Staab Steffen
Published: March 2020

Topic modeling is a popular technique for clustering large collections of text documents. A variety of different types of regularization is implemented in topic modeling. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for analyzing the influence of different regularization types on results of topic modeling. Based on Renyi entropy, this approach is inspired by the concepts from statistical physics, where an inferred topical structure of a collection can be considered an information statistical system residing in a non-equilibrium state. By testing our approach on four models—Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (pLSA), Additive Regularization of Topic Models (BigARTM), Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) with Gibbs sampling, LDA with variational inference (VLDA)—we, first of all, show that the minimum of Renyi entropy coincides with the “true” number of topics, as determined in two labelled collections. Simultaneously, we find that Hierarchical Dirichlet Process (HDP) model as a well-known approach for topic number optimization fails to detect such optimum. Next, we demonstrate that large values of the regularization coefficient in BigARTM significantly shift the minimum of entropy from the topic number optimum, which effect is not observed for hyper-parameters in LDA with Gibbs sampling. We conclude that regularization may introduce unpredictable distortions into topic models that need further research.
Performance of Universal Reciprocating Heat-Engine Cycle with Variable Specific Heats Ratio of Working Fluid
Authors: Chen Lingen , Ge Yanlin , Liu Chang , Feng Huijun , Lorenzini Giulio
Published: March 2020

Considering the finite time characteristic, heat transfer loss, friction loss and internal irreversibility loss, an air standard reciprocating heat-engine cycle model is founded by using finite time thermodynamics. The cycle model, which consists of two endothermic processes, two exothermic processes and two adiabatic processes, is well generalized. The performance parameters, including the power output and efficiency (PAE), are obtained. The PAE versus compression ratio relations are obtained by numerical computation. The impacts of variable specific heats ratio (SHR) of working fluid (WF) on universal cycle performances are analyzed and various special cycles are also discussed. The results include the PAE performance characteristics of various special cycles (including Miller, Dual, Atkinson, Brayton, Diesel and Otto cycles) when the SHR of WF is constant and variable (including the SHR varied with linear function (LF) and nonlinear function (NLF) of WF temperature). The maximum power outputs and the corresponding optimal compression ratios, as well as the maximum efficiencies and the corresponding optimal compression ratios for various special cycles with three SHR models are compared.