bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Earing of Cross-Rolled Al Sheets from {h00} Pole Figures
Authors: Benke Marton , Schweitzer Bence , Hlavacs Adrienn , Mertinger Valeria
Published: January 2020

The plastic anisotropy of rolled Al sheets is the result of a crystallographic texture. It leads to the formation of uneven cup heights during deep-drawing, which is called earing. A new, simple and rapid method had been previously developed by the authors to predict earing directly from {h00} pole figures. In the present manuscript, this method is applied to cross-rolling for the first time. 5056 type aluminum sheets were unidirectionally- (conventionally) and cross-rolled from 4 to ~1 mm thickness in 6 or 12 passes. Earing was predicted from recalculated {200} pole figures obtained after X-ray diffraction texture measurements. The results were validated by deep-drawing tests. It is shown that the proposed method predicts the type (locations of ears) and magnitude of earing with satisfactory results. However, a different scaling factor must be used to calculate the magnitude of earing for cross-rolling than for unidirectional rolling even if all other parameters (including cold rolling, texture measurements, and deep-drawing) are the same. This is because the cross-rolled sheets exhibit a similar type but weaker earing compared to the unidirectionally rolled samples.
Fabrication of Composite Unidirectional Cellular Metals by Using Explosive Compaction
Authors: Nishi Masatoshi , Tanaka Shigeru , Vesenjak Matej , Ren Zoran , Hokamoto Kazuyuki
Published: January 2020

Development of a small and highly efficient heat exchanger is an important issue for energy saving. In this study, the fabrication method of unidirectional (UniPore) composite cellular structure with long and uniform unidirectional cells was investigated to be applied as a heat exchanger. The composite UniPore structure was achieved by the unique fabrication method based on the explosive compaction of a particular arrangement of thin copper and stainless steel pipes. Slightly smaller thin stainless steel pipes filled with paraffin are inserted into small thin copper pipes, which are then arranged inside bigger and thicker outer copper pipes. Such an arrangement of pipes is placed centrally into a cylindrical explosion container and surrounded with explosive. Upon explosive detonation, the pipes are compacted and welded together, which results in a UniPore structure with a stainless steel covered inner surface of unidirectional pores to improve the corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance performance. Two different composite UniPore structures arrangements were studied. The microstructure of the new composite UniPore structure was investigated to confirm good bonding between the components (pipes).
Evolution of the Second-Phase Particles and Their Effect on Tensile Fracture Behavior of 2219 Al-xCu Alloys
Authors: Xu Daofen , Chen Kanghua , Chen Yunqiang , Chen Songyi
Published: January 2020

In this study, the continuous evolution of the second-phase particles across as-cast, homogenization, multi-directional forging (MDF), and solution-aging treatment and their effect on tensile fracture behavior of 2219 aluminum alloys with different Cu contents was examined by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile tests. The results showed that the microstructure of as-cast 2219 aluminum alloy consisted of the α-Al matrix, Al2Cu coarse phase, and Fe-rich impurity phase. Severe segregation of Cu existed, and eutectic networks can be observed in the ingot. With an increase in Cu content, the eutectic networks became coarsen and thicker. During the complex improved process, the refinement mechanisms were fragmentation, dissolution, and diffusion of Al2Cu particles. Most fine Al2Cu particles were fully dissolved into the matrix and partial coarse particles were still retained after solution-aging treatment. Thus, the elongations of all the samples, undergoing solution treatment followed by water quenching, increased evidently. Then, the elongations decreased slightly due to the increase of precipitates. The fractography analysis of peak aged condition samples indicated that the fracture mode was diverted from a typical inter-granular fracture to a mainly trans-granular fracture with increase in Cu content from 5.56% to 6.52%. Fracture initiation mainly occurred by original microcrack propagation and microvoid nucleation at the coarse constituents.
Blood and Lymphatic Vasculatures On-Chip Platforms and Their Applications for Organ-Specific In Vitro Modeling
Authors: Henderson Aria R. , Choi Hyoann , Lee Esak
Published: January 2020

The human circulatory system is divided into two complementary and different systems, the cardiovascular and the lymphatic system. The cardiovascular system is mainly concerned with providing nutrients to the body via blood and transporting wastes away from the tissues to be released from the body. The lymphatic system focuses on the transport of fluid, cells, and lipid from interstitial tissue spaces to lymph nodes and, ultimately, to the cardiovascular system, as well as helps coordinate interstitial fluid and lipid homeostasis and immune responses. In addition to having distinct structures from each other, each system also has organ-specific variations throughout the body and both systems play important roles in maintaining homeostasis. Dysfunction of either system leads to devastating and potentially fatal diseases, warranting accurate models of both blood and lymphatic vessels for better studies. As these models also require physiological flow (luminal and interstitial), extracellular matrix conditions, dimensionality, chemotactic biochemical gradient, and stiffness, to better reflect in vivo, three dimensional (3D) microfluidic (on-a-chip) devices are promising platforms to model human physiology and pathology. In this review, we discuss the heterogeneity of both blood and lymphatic vessels, as well as current in vitro models. We, then, explore the organ-specific features of each system with examples in the gut and the brain and the implications of dysfunction of either vasculature in these organs. We close the review with discussions on current in vitro models for specific diseases with an emphasis on on-chip techniques.
Excited State Lifetimes of Sulfur-Substituted DNA and RNA Monomers Probed Using the Femtosecond Fluorescence Up-Conversion Technique
Authors: Brister Matthew M. , Gustavsson Thomas , Crespo-Hernández Carlos E.
Published: January 2020

Sulfur-substituted DNA and RNA nucleobase derivatives (a.k.a., thiobases) are an important family of biomolecules. They are used as prodrugs and as chemotherapeutic agents in medical settings, and as photocrosslinker molecules in structural-biology applications. Remarkably, excitation of thiobases with ultraviolet to near-visible light results in the population of long-lived and reactive triplet states on a time scale of hundreds of femtoseconds and with near-unity yields. This efficient nonradiative decay pathway explains the vanishingly small fluorescence yields reported for the thiobases and the scarcity of fluorescence lifetimes in the literature. In this study, we report fluorescence lifetimes for twelve thiobase derivatives, both in aqueous solution at physiological pH and in acetonitrile. Excitation is performed at 267 and 362 nm, while fluorescence emission is detected at 380, 425, 450, 525, or 532 nm. All the investigated thiobases reveal fluorescence lifetimes that decay in a few hundreds of femtoseconds and with magnitudes that depend and are sensitive to the position and degree of sulfur-atom substitution and on the solvent environment. Interestingly, however, three thiopyrimidine derivatives (i.e., 2-thiocytidine, 2-thiouridine, and 4-thiothymidine) also exhibit a small amplitude fluorescence component of a few picoseconds in aqueous solution. Furthermore, the N-glycosylation of thiobases to form DNA or RNA nucleoside analogues is demonstrated as affecting their fluorescence lifetimes. In aqueous solution, the fluorescence decay signals exciting at 267 nm are equal or slower than those collected exciting at 362 nm. In acetonitrile, however, the fluorescence decay signals recorded upon 267 nm excitation are, in all cases, faster than those measured exciting at 362 nm. A comparison to the literature values show that, while both the DNA and RNA nucleobase and thiobase derivatives exhibit sub-picosecond fluorescence lifetimes, the 1ππ* excited-state population in the nucleobase monomers primarily decay back to the ground state, whereas it predominantly populates long-lived and reactive triplet states in thiobase monomers.
Development and Application of a Novel QuEChERS Method for Monitoring of Tributyltin and Triphenyltin in Bottom Sediments of the Odra River Estuary, North Westernmost Part of Poland
Authors: Kucharski Dawid , Drzewicz Przemysław , Nałęcz-Jawecki Grzegorz , Mianowicz Kamila , Skowronek Artur , Giebułtowicz Joanna
Published: January 2020

A Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction method combined with Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for determination of organotin compounds (OTC) has been newly developed. The novel analytical method was validated and the quality of the results was tested by the use of certificate reference material of freshwater sediment BCR 646. The method was applied in determination of OTC concentration in real samples of bottom sediments collected from the Polish part of Odra River Estuary. The samples came from locations with different anthropogenic impact. Additionally, the extraction recovery of OTC and matrix effect on MS signal response was investigated based on those real environmental samples. It was found that organic compounds and anthropogenic contaminations present in bottom sediments may affect extraction efficiency of the organotin compounds (OTC) and change the matrix effect on MS signal response. The highest concentrations of tributyltin were found in bottom sediments collected from locations in vicinity of the Szczecin harbor and shipyards. The presence of triphenyltin above limit of detection (5 ng TPhT/g of sediment) was observed only in two samples and its concentration was several times lower compared to concentration of tributyltin (from 58 ng/g to 5263 ng/g). In spite of the fact that, the application of TBT-based paints on hull of vessel entering EU ports has been banned by European Commission regulation No. 782/2003 since 2008, the OTC compounds are still present in bottom sediment and pose significant threat to the environment. This threat should be taken into account during dredging of waterways and other hydrotechnical works.
Cobalt Nanoparticles on Plasma-Controlled Nitrogen-Doped Carbon as High-Performance ORR Electrocatalyst for Primary Zn-Air Battery
Authors: Kim Seonghee , Park Hyun , Li Oi Lun
Published: January 2020

Metal–air batteries and fuel cells have attracted much attention as powerful candidates for a renewable energy conversion system for the last few decades. However, the high cost and low durability of platinum-based catalysts used to enhance sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at air electrodes prevents its wide application to industry. In this work, we applied a plasma process to synthesize cobalt nanoparticles catalysts on nitrogen-doped carbon support with controllable quaternary-N and amino-N structure. In the electrochemical test, the quaternary-N and amino-N-doped carbon (Q-A)/Co catalyst with dominant quaternary-N and amino-N showed the best onset potential (0.87 V vs. RHE) and highest limiting current density (−6.39 mA/cm2). Moreover, Q-A/Co was employed as the air catalyst of a primary zinc–air battery with comparable peak power density to a commercial 20 wt.% Pt/C catalyst with the same loading, as well as a stable galvanostatic discharge at −20 mA/cm2 for over 30,000 s. With this result, we proposed the synergetic effect of transitional metal nanoparticles with controllable nitrogen-bonding can improve the catalytic activity of the catalyst, which provides a new strategy to develop a Pt-free ORR electrocatalyst.
Chitosan-Stabilized Noble Metal Nanoparticles: Study of their Shape Evolution and Post-Functionalization Properties
Authors: Ottonelli Massimo , Zappia Stefania , Demartini Anna , Alloisio Marina
Published: January 2020

Noble metal anisotropic nanostructures have achieved a growing interest in both academic and industrial domains mostly because of their shape-dependent plasmonic properties in the near-infrared region. In this paper, gold and gold-silver anisotropic nanostructures were synthesized in very high shape-yields through a wet, seed-mediated approach based on the use of nearly spherical silver nanoparticles as seeds and chitosan as stabilizing agent. Two chitosans of different origin and molecular properties were selected for the synthetic pathway, leading to the formation of variously sized and shaped end products. In detail, quite homogeneous nanoplatelets of about 25-nm size and 7-nm thickness or nearly spherical, highly porous nanocages of about 50-nm size were obtained, depending on the type of polysaccharide employed. The shape transition towards anisotropic morphologies occurred through a slow, spontaneous process, in which the chitosan nature seemed to play a key role. As expected, both nanoplatelets and nanocages exhibit shape-dependent plasmonic features and surface properties tunable for a variety of application fields. To prove this point, the nanostructures were successfully post-functionalized with poly(10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid) (PCDA), a carboxylic-endowed diacetylene able to anchor on noble metal substrates, to obtain versatile, chromic platforms suitable for sensing and spectroscopic purposes.
KxWO Is a Novel Ferroelectric Nanomaterial for Application as a Room Temperature Acetone Sensor
Authors: Johnson Michael E. , Zhang Qifeng , Wang Danling
Published: January 2020

A newly synthesized nanomaterial known as KxW7O22 (KxWO) exhibits a stable room-temperature ferroelectric property. This unique ferroelectric property has revealed that KxWO is a promising material for application in a breath sensor, which can be used for patients to monitor their daily health condition and diagnose disease at every early stage with low cost, convenience, and non-invasion. In this study, we successfully synthesized nano-structured KxWO through a low cost but high yield hydrothermal method. The sensing response of KxWO to acetone is examined based on a chemiresistive effect. For the first time, we systematically studied how material structures and the component, potassium (K), can affect KxWO-based sensing performance. The results indicate that the low temperature ferroelectric property of KxWO causes an excellent response to acetone, which is the biomarker for diabetes. The lowest detection limit can be down to 0.1 ppm and the KxWO-based sensor can operate at room temperature. In addition, the Kx component KxWO and its crystal structure also play an important role in improving its sensing performance. Our results provide advanced research in (1) exploring the study of KxWO material properties by tailoring the concentration of the potassium in KxWO and introducing the surfactant Pluronic L-121 in the growing process, and (2) optimizing KxWO sensing performance by controlling its material properties.
Effect of Nano-Montmorillonite on Osteoblast Differentiation, Mineral Density, and Osteoclast Differentiation in Bone Formation
Authors: Kim Gyeong-Ji , Kim Daniel , Lee Kwon-Jai , Kim Daeyoung , Chung Kang-Hyun , Choi Jeong Woo , An Jeung Hee
Published: January 2020

Calcium-type montmorillonite, a phyllosilicate mineral, has diverse health benefits when introduced into the gastrointestinal tract or applied to the skin. However, the predominant use of this layered material has thus far been in traditional industries, despite its potential application in the pharmaceutical industry. We investigated the effects and mechanism of nano-montmorillonite (NM) on osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation in vivo and in vitro. We examined the osteogenic effects of NM with high calcium content (3.66 wt%) on alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, mineralization, bone microarchitecture, and expression level of osteoblast and osteoclast related genes in Ca-deficient ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Micro-computed tomography of OVX rats revealed that NM attenuated the low-Ca-associated changes in trabecular and cortical bone mineral density. It improved ALP activity and mineralization, as well as the expression of osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation associated genes. NM also activated the expression of runt-related transcription factor 2, osteocalcin, bone morphogenetic protein 2, and type 1 collagen via phosphorylated small mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 1/5/8 signaling. Further, NM repressed the expression of receptor activator for cathepsin K, nuclear factor kappa-B ligand and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase. Therefore, NM inhibits osteoclastogenesis, stimulates osteoblastogenesis, and alleviates osteoporosis.
High-Order Harmonic Generation in Au Nanoparticle-Contained Plasmas
Authors: Venkatesh Mottamchetty , Ganeev Rashid A. , Ivanov Dmitry S. , Boltaev Ganjaboy S. , Kim Vyacheslav V. , Liang Jingguang , Samokhvalov Andrey A. , Kabashin Andrei V. , Klimentov Sergey M. , Garcia Martin E. , Guo Chunlei
Published: January 2020

Gold nanoparticles (NPs) have a wide range of applications in various fields. Here, we present high-order nonlinear optical studies of the plasmas produced from ablation of Au bulk targets and Au NP films deposited on paper and glass substrates. Experimentally, we analyze high-order harmonic generation (HHG) from gold NPs-containing plasmas. The HHG is produced by 35-fs pulses at 800 and 400 nm, while the plasmas are produced by femtosecond (35 fs, 800 nm), picosecond (200 ps, 800 nm), and nanosecond (5 ns, 1064 nm) pulses, respectively. High-order harmonics produced from ablated Au NPs on paper were 40 times stronger than the HHG from that ablated from the Au bulk targets. Through molecular dynamic simulations, we investigate the formation of gold NPs during laser ablation of a metal surface under different conditions.
Multiple Fano Resonances with Tunable Electromagnetic Properties in Graphene Plasmonic Metamolecules
Authors: Zhou Hengjie , Su Shaojian , Qiu Weibin , Zhao Zeyang , Lin Zhili , Qiu Pingping , Kan Qiang
Published: January 2020

Multiple Fano resonances (FRs) can be produced by destroying the symmetry of structure or adding additional nanoparticles without changing the spatial symmetry, which has been proved in noble metal structures. However, due to the disadvantages of low modulation depth, large damping rate, and broadband spectral responses, many resonance applications are limited. In this research paper, we propose a graphene plasmonic metamolecule (PMM) by adding an additional 12 nanodiscs around a graphene heptamer, where two Fano resonance modes with different wavelengths are observed in the extinction spectrum. The competition between the two FRs as well as the modulation depth of each FR is investigated by varying the materials and the geometrical parameters of the nanostructure. A simple trimer model, which emulates the radical distribution of the PMM, is employed to understand the electromagnetic field behaviors during the variation of the parameters. Our proposed graphene nanostructures might find significant applications in the fields of single molecule detection, chemical or biochemical sensing, and nanoantenna.
Gold Nanoclusters as Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
Authors: Kawawaki Tokuhisa , Negishi Yuichi
Published: January 2020

Gold nanoclusters (Aun NCs) exhibit a size-specific electronic structure unlike bulk gold and can therefore be used as catalysts in various reactions. Ligand-protected Aun NCs can be synthesized with atomic precision, and the geometric structures of many Aun NCs have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, Aun NCs can be doped with various types of elements. Clarification of the effects of changes to the chemical composition, geometric structure, and associated electronic state on catalytic activity would enable a deep understanding of the active sites and mechanisms in catalytic reactions as well as key factors for high activation. Furthermore, it may be possible to synthesize Aun NCs with properties that surpass those of conventional catalysts using the obtained design guidelines. With these expectations, catalyst research using Aun NCs as a model catalyst has been actively conducted in recent years. This review focuses on the application of Aun NCs as an electrocatalyst and outlines recent research progress.
Tailorable Synthesis of Highly Oxidized Graphene Oxides via an Environmentally-Friendly Electrochemical Process
Authors: Díez-Pascual Ana María , Sainz-Urruela Carlos , Vallés Cristina , Vera-López Soledad , San Andrés María Paz
Published: January 2020

Graphene oxide (GO) is an attractive alternative to graphene for many applications due to its captivating optical, chemical, and electrical characteristics. In this work, GO powders with a different amount of surface groups were synthesized from graphite via an electrochemical two-stage process. Many synthesis conditions were tried to maximize the oxidation level, and comprehensive characterization of the resulting samples was carried out via elemental analysis, microscopies (TEM, SEM, AFM), X-ray diffraction, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies as well as electrical resistance measurements. SEM and TEM images corroborate that the electrochemical process used herein preserves the integrity of the graphene flakes, enabling to obtain large, uniform and well exfoliated GO sheets. The GOs display a wide range of C/O ratios, determined by the voltage and time of each stage as well as the electrolyte concentration, and an unprecedented minimum C/O value was obtained for the optimal conditions. FT-IR evidences strong intermolecular interactions between neighbouring oxygenated groups. The intensity ratio of D/G bands in the Raman spectra is high for samples prepared using concentrated H2SO4 as an electrolyte, indicative of many defects. Furthermore, these GOs exhibit smaller interlayer spacing than that expected according to their oxygen content, which suggests predominant oxidation on the flake edges. Results point out that the electrical resistance is conditioned mostly by the interlayer distance and not simply by the C/O ratio. The tuning of the oxidation level is useful for the design of GOs with tailorable structural, electrical, optical, mechanical, and thermal properties.
Improvement of Exciton Collection and Light-Harvesting Range in Ternary Blend Polymer Solar Cells Based on Two Non-Fullerene Acceptors
Authors: Wang Yanbin , Zhuang Changlong , Fang Yawen , Kim Hyung Do , Yu Huang , Wang Biaobing , Ohkita Hideo
Published: January 2020

A non-fullerene molecule named Y6 was incorporated into a binary blend of PBDB-T and IT-M to further enhance photon harvesting in the near-infrared (near-IR) region. Compared with PBDB-T/IT-M binary blend devices, PBDB-T/IT-M/Y6 ternary blend devices exhibited an improved short-circuit current density (JSC) from 15.34 to 19.09 mA cm−2. As a result, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) increased from 10.65% to 12.50%. With an increasing weight ratio of Y6, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) was enhanced at around 825 nm, which is ascribed to the absorption of Y6. At the same time, EQE was also enhanced at around 600–700 nm, which is ascribed to the absorption of IT-M, although the optical absorption intensity of IT-M decreased with increasing weight ratio of Y6. This is because of the efficient energy transfer from IT-M to Y6, which can collect the IT-M exciton lost in the PBDB-T/IT-M binary blend. Interestingly, the EQE spectra of PBDB-T/IT-M/Y6 ternary blend devices were not only increased but also red-shifted in the near-IR region with increasing weight ratio of Y6. This finding suggests that the absorption spectrum of Y6 is dependent on the weight ratio of Y6, which is probably due to different aggregation states depending on the weight ratio. This aggregate property of Y6 was also studied in terms of surface energy.
The Relationship between Circulating Acetate and Human Insulin Resistance before and after Weight Loss in the DiOGenes Study
Authors: González Hernández Manuel A. , Canfora Emanuel E. , Pasmans Kenneth , Astrup A. , Saris W. H. M. , Blaak Ellen E.
Published: January 2020

Microbially-produced acetate has been reported to beneficially affect metabolic health through effects on satiety, energy expenditure, insulin sensitivity, and substrate utilization. Here, we investigate the association between sex-specific concentrations of acetate and insulin sensitivity/resistance indices (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), circulating insulin and Matsuda Index) in the Diet, Obesity and Genes (DiOGenes) Dietary study at baseline and after a low-calorie diet (LCD, 800 kcal/d). In this analysis, 692 subjects (Body Mass Index >27 kg/m2) were included, who underwent an LCD for 8 weeks. Linear mixed models were performed, which were adjusted for mean acetate concentration, center (random factor), age, weight loss, and fat-free mass (FFM). At baseline, no associations between plasma acetate and insulin sensitivity/resistance indices were found. We found a slight positive association between changes in acetate and changes in HOMA-IR (stdβ 0.130, p = 0.033) in women, but not in men (stdβ −0.072, p = 0.310) independently of age, weight loss and FFM. We were not able to confirm previously reported associations between acetate and insulin sensitivity in this large European cohort. The mechanisms behind the sex-specific relationship between LCD-induced changes in acetate and insulin sensitivity require further study.
Inflaming Public Interest: A Qualitative Study of Adult Learners’ Perceptions on Nutrition and Inflammation
Authors: Cowan Stephanie , Sood Surbhi , Truby Helen , Dordevic Aimee , Adamski Melissa , Gibson Simone
Published: January 2020

Research suggests national dietary guidelines are losing public resonance, with consumers actively seeking alternate nutrition advice from unregulated online platforms that often propagate misinformation. Improved diet quality can beneficially affect inflammation, and with science relating to nutrition and inflammation also appealing to consumers, this emerging topic provides an opportunity to consider how novel engagement strategies can be used to increase public support of expert-generated advice. This study aimed to qualitatively explore MOOC learners’ perceptions and experiences of following diets believed to help manage inflammation. Data were collected from an evidence-based nutrition-focused Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), which included a unit titled Foods and Inflammation. The Framework method was used to analyze 12,622 learner comments, taken from the MOOC’s online discussion forum and questionnaire. Learners identified avoidance of core food groups, such as dairy and grains, as key in managing inflammation. Dietary advice came mainly from the internet, and health professionals reportedly lacked an appreciation of the learners’ underlying nutrition knowledge, providing oversimplified advice that did not satisfy their scientific curiosity. To help build consumer trust and increase engagement, health professionals need to consider innovative education strategies that utilize novel topics such as nutrition and inflammation, in a safe and accurate manner.
The Many Faces of Kefir Fermented Dairy Products: Quality Characteristics, Flavour Chemistry, Nutritional Value, Health Benefits, and Safety
Authors: Farag Mohamed A. , Jomaa Suzan A. , Abd El-Wahed Aida , R. El-Seedi Hesham
Published: January 2020

Kefir is a dairy product that can be prepared from different milk types, such as goat, buffalo, sheep, camel, or cow via microbial fermentation (inoculating milk with kefir grains). As such, kefir contains various bacteria and yeasts which influence its chemical and sensory characteristics. A mixture of two kinds of milk promotes kefir sensory and rheological properties aside from improving its nutritional value. Additives such as inulin can also enrich kefir’s health qualities and organoleptic characters. Several metabolic products are generated during kefir production and account for its distinct flavour and aroma: Lactic acid, ethanol, carbon dioxide, and aroma compounds such as acetoin and acetaldehyde. During the storage process, microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory characteristics of kefir can further undergo changes, some of which improve its shelf life. Kefir exhibits many health benefits owing to its antimicrobial, anticancer, gastrointestinal tract effects, gut microbiota modulation and anti-diabetic effects. The current review presents the state of the art relating to the role of probiotics, prebiotics, additives, and different manufacturing practices in the context of kefir’s physicochemical, sensory, and chemical properties. A review of kefir’s many nutritional and health benefits, underlying chemistry and limitations for usage is presented.
Dietary Bioactive Compounds and Human Health and Disease
Authors: González Sonia
Published: January 2020

In the last century, solid scientific evidence has demonstrated the role of nutritional compounds in the maintenance of health [...]
Increasing the Safety Profile of the Master Donor Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine
Authors: Hilimire Thomas A. , Nogales Aitor , Chiem Kevin , Ortego Javier , Martinez-Sobrido Luis
Published: January 2020

Seasonal influenza epidemics remain one of the largest public health burdens nowadays. The best and most effective strategy to date in preventing influenza infection is a worldwide vaccination campaign. Currently, two vaccines are available to the public for the treatment of influenza infection, the chemically Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (IIV) and the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV). However, the LAIV is not recommended for parts of the population, such as children under the age of two, immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and pregnant adults. In order to improve the safety of the LAIV and make it available to more of the population, we sought to further attenuate the LAIV. In this study, we demonstrate that the influenza A virus (IAV) master donor virus (MDV) A/Ann Arbor/6/60 H2N2 LAIV can inhibit host gene expression using both the PA-X and NS1 proteins. Furthermore, we show that by removing PA-X, we can limit the replication of the MDV LAIV in a mouse model, while maintaining full protective efficacy. This work demonstrates a broadly applicable strategy of tuning the amount of host antiviral responses induced by the IAV MDV for the development of newer and safer LAIVs. Moreover, our results also demonstrate, for the first time, the feasibility of genetically manipulating the backbone of the IAV MDV to improve the efficacy of the current IAV LAIV.
Molecular Mechanisms of the Interactions of N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide Copolymers Designed for Cancer Therapy with Blood Plasma Proteins
Authors: Janisova Larisa , Gruzinov Andrey , Zaborova Olga V. , Velychkivska Nadiia , Vaněk Ondřej , Chytil Petr , Etrych Tomáš , Janoušková Olga , Zhang Xiaohan , Blanchet Clement , Papadakis Christine M. , Svergun Dmitri I. , Filippov Sergey K.
Published: January 2020

The binding of plasma proteins to a drug carrier alters the circulation of nanoparticles (NPs) in the bloodstream, and, as a consequence, the anticancer efficiency of the entire nanoparticle drug delivery system. We investigate the possible interaction and the interaction mechanism of a polymeric drug delivery system based on N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers (pHPMA) with the most abundant proteins in human blood plasma—namely, human serum albumin (HSA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), fibrinogen (Fbg), and apolipoprotein (Apo) E4 and A1—using a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Through rigorous investigation, we present evidence of weak interactions between proteins and polymeric nanomedicine. Such interactions do not result in the formation of the protein corona and do not affect the efficiency of the drug delivery.
Jet Cutting Technique for the Production of Chitosan Aerogel Microparticles Loaded with Vancomycin
Authors: López-Iglesias Clara , Barros Joana , Ardao Inés , Gurikov Pavel , Monteiro Fernando J. , Smirnova Irina , Alvarez-Lorenzo Carmen , García-González Carlos A.
Published: January 2020

Biopolymer-based aerogels can be obtained by supercritical drying of wet gels and endowed with outstanding properties for biomedical applications. Namely, polysaccharide-based aerogels in the form of microparticles are of special interest for wound treatment and can also be loaded with bioactive agents to improve the healing process. However, the production of the precursor gel may be limited by the viscosity of the polysaccharide initial solution. The jet cutting technique is regarded as a suitable processing technique to overcome this problem. In this work, the technological combination of jet cutting and supercritical drying of gels was assessed to produce chitosan aerogel microparticles loaded with vancomycin HCl (antimicrobial agent) for wound healing purposes. The resulting aerogel formulation was evaluated in terms of morphology, textural properties, drug loading, and release profile. Aerogels were also tested for wound application in terms of exudate sorption capacity, antimicrobial activity, hemocompatibility, and cytocompatibility. Overall, the microparticles had excellent textural properties, absorbed high amounts of exudate, and controlled the release of vancomycin HCl, providing sustained antimicrobial activity.
The Importance of the Wadi Daliyeh Manuscripts for the History of Samaria and the Samaritans
Authors: Dušek Jan
Published: January 2020

In this article, we deal with the topic of the Samaria papyri from Wadi Daliyeh in three main parts implied by the title. First, we briefly summarize the basic data related to the manuscripts. Second, we analyze their significance for the history of Samaria. Third, the last section is devoted to the meaning of the papyri for the history of the Samaritans.
Centrality of Religiosity Scale in Polish Research: A Curvilinear Mechanism that Explains the Categories of Centrality of Religiosity
Authors: Zarzycka Beata , Bartczuk Rafał P. , Rybarski Radosław
Published: January 2020

The centrality of religiosity scale (CRS) is a measure of the importance of religious constructs in personality. The Polish CRS has been applied in more than 40 published studies on the psychology of religion, with over 18,000 total participants. However, no comprehensive overview on the Polish CRS is available. This paper shows how using the CRS sheds light on different patterns in which religion integrates with other psychological variables. It consists of three parts: first, we introduce the Polish adaptation of the CRS; second, we present the review of the research using the Polish CRS; and finally, we provide research results that suggest a curvilinear mechanism for explaining the categories of the centrality of religiosity. Three measures were applied to the research: the CRS, emotions toward God scale, and content of prayer scale-revised. The results indicated that there is a curvilinear relationship between centrality of religiosity and emotions toward God, prayer types, and styles of request prayer (excluding passive request prayer). We determined the changepoints at which the relationship between the centrality of religiosity and the religious contents changes. This finding allowed us to provide empirical confirmation of Huber’s thesis (2003) that there is a different way of operating low, medium, and high scores in centrality, namely marginal, subordinated, and central religiosity. The study also broadens our understanding of each of these types of religiosity.
Geometric Insight into the Control Allocation Problem for Open-Frame ROVs and Visualisation of Solution
Authors: Omerdic Edin , Trslic Petar , Kaknjo Admir , Weir Anthony , Rao Muzaffar , Dooly Gerard , Toal Daniel
Published: January 2020

The overall control system for an open-frame Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) is typically built from three subsystems: guidance, navigation and control (GNC). The control allocation plays a vital role in the control subsystem. Typically, open-frame underwater vehicles have p actuators (thrusters) for the motion in the horizontal plane, and the control allocation problem, in this case, is very complex and hard to visualise, because the normalised constrained control subset is a p-dimensional unit cube. The aim of this paper is to give a clear picture and a geometric interpretation of the problem and to introduce a hybrid method, based on the integration of a weighted pseudoinverse and the fixed-point method. The main idea of the hybrid method is visualised, and the deep geometric insight is provided using a “virtual” ROV in low-dimensional control spaces, including visualisation of the attainable command set, solution lines, control energy spheres and the role of pseudoinverse and fixed-point iterations. The same concepts are then extended to higher-dimensional cases, for open-frame ROV with four X-shaped (vectored) horizontal thrusters, which is one of the most common thruster configurations for commercial ROVs. The proposed hybrid method has been developed, integrated into a generic fault-tolerant ROV control system and evaluated in virtual and real-world environments off the west coast of Ireland using observation-class ROV Latis and work-class ROV Étaín.
GPU-Based Soil Parameter Parallel Inversion for PolSAR Data
Authors: Yin Qiang , Wu You , Zhang Fan , Zhou Yongsheng
Published: January 2020

With the development of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR), quantitative parameter inversion has been seen great progress, especially in the field of soil parameter inversion, which has achieved good results for applications. However, PolSAR data is also often many terabytes large. This huge amount of data also directly affects the efficiency of the inversion. Therefore, the efficiency of soil moisture and roughness inversion has become a problem in the application of this PolSAR technique. A parallel realization based on a graphics processing unit (GPU) for multiple inversion models of PolSAR data is proposed in this paper. This method utilizes the high-performance parallel computing capability of a GPU to optimize the realization of the surface inversion models for polarimetric SAR data. Three classical forward scattering models and their corresponding inversion algorithms are analyzed. They are different in terms of polarimetric data requirements, application situation, as well as inversion performance. Specifically, the inversion process of PolSAR data is mainly improved by the use of the high concurrent threads of GPU. According to the inversion process, various optimization strategies are applied, such as the parallel task allocation, and optimizations of instruction level, data storage, data transmission between CPU and GPU. The advantages of a GPU in processing computationally-intensive data are shown in the data experiments, where the efficiency of soil roughness and moisture inversion is increased by one or two orders of magnitude.
Virtual Reality to Foster Social Integration by Allowing Wheelchair Users to Tour Complex Archaeological Sites Realistically
Authors: Pérez Emiliano , Merchán Pilar , Merchán María José , Salamanca Santiago
Published: January 2020

People with disabilities encounter numerous barriers when dealing with the simplest and most usual things in their daily lives. This is even more remarkable when they are faced with archaeological heritage buildings or environments. People with reduced mobility come too often upon architectural barriers that stop them from enjoying their visits to sites and monuments. This paper introduces a virtual reality (VR) experience developed to provide people in wheelchairs with the most realistic sensations while virtually touring some archaeological sites. To this end, the remote sensing of the site enables the production of a realistic 3D model leading to the creation of a virtual world that the user will explore. This VR application has been developed to traverse one of the most important monumental buildings in Spanish Protohistory, the site of Cancho Roano (Zalamea de la Serena, Spain).
Earth Stewardship Science—Transdisciplinary Contributions to Quantifying Natural and Cultural Heritage of Southernmost Africa
Authors: Linol Bastien , Miller Warren , Rensburg Cheryl , Schoeman Renee , Bezuidenhout Lucian , Genin Fabien , Morkel Barry , Dhliwayo Nyaradzo , Jeppesen Keegan , Dlakavu Sinazo , Poto Okuhle , Mahed Gaathier , Gariremo Natasha , Berkland James , Claassen Debbie , Sebake Tebogo , Kunjwa Thulisile , Guzzo Gregorio , Bobbio Maria , Pellen Romain , Mngcele Lizalise , Makuzeni Manyano , Winkler Katherine , Tembe Thandeka , Musa Sameera , Valashiya Khaya , Nengovhela Vhuhwavhohau , Sonn Verouschka , Stroebel Divan , Kom Nokuthua , Mambalu Philasande , Dhansay Taufeeq , Muedi Thomas , Ntholi Thakane
Published: January 2020

Evaluating anthropogenic changes to natural systems demand greater quantification through innovative transdisciplinary research focused on adaptation and mitigation across a wide range of thematic sciences. Southernmost Africa is a unique field laboratory to conduct such research linked to earth stewardship, with ‘earth’ as in our Commons. One main focus of the AEON’s Earth Stewardship Science Research Institute (ESSRI) is to quantify the region’s natural and cultural heritage at various scales across land and its flanking oceans, as well as its time-scales ranging from the early Phanerozoic (some 540 million years) to the evolution of the Anthropocene (changes) following the emergence of the first human-culture on the planet some 200 thousand years ago. Here we illustrate the value of this linked research through a number of examples, including: (i) geological field mapping with the aid of drone, satellite and geophysical methods, and geochemical fingerprinting; (ii) regional ground and surface water interaction studies; (iii) monitoring soil erosion, mine tailing dam stability and farming practices linked to food security and development; (iv) ecosystem services through specific biodiversity changes based on spatial logging of marine (oysters and whales) and terrestrial (termites, frogs and monkeys) animals. We find that the history of this margin is highly episodic and complex by, for example, the successful application of ambient noise and groundwater monitoring to assess human-impacted ecosystems. This is also being explored with local Khoisan representatives and rural communities through Citizen Science. Our goal is to publicly share and disseminate the scientific and cultural data, through initiatives like the Africa Alive Corridor 10: ‘Homo Sapiens’ that embraces storytelling along the entire southern coast. It is envisioned that this approach will begin to develop the requisite integrated technological and societal practices that can contribute toward the needs of an ever-evolving and changing global ‘village’.
Retrieval of Sediment Filling Factor in a Salt Panne from Multi-View Hyperspectral Imagery
Authors: Eon Rehman S. , Bachmann Charles M. , Lapszynski Christopher S. , Tyler Anna Christina , Goldsmith Sarah
Published: January 2020

This work describes a study using multi-view hyperspectral imagery to retrieve sediment filling factor through inversion of a modified version of the Hapke radiative transfer model. We collected multi-view hyperspectral imagery from a hyperspectral imaging system mounted atop a telescopic mast from multiple locations and viewing angles of a salt panne on a barrier island at the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research site. We also collected ground truth data, including sediment bulk density and moisture content, within the common field of view of the collected hyperspectral imagery. For samples below a density threshold for coherent effects, originally predicted by Hapke, the retrieved sediment filling factor correlates well with directly measured sediment bulk density ( R 2 = 0.85 ). The majority of collected samples satisfied this condition. The onset of the threshold occurs at significantly higher filling factors than Hapke’s predictions for dry sediments because the salt panne sediment has significant moisture content. We applied our validated inversion model to successfully map sediment filling factor across the common region of overlap of the multi-view hyperspectral imagery of the salt panne.
Satellite-Based Evapotranspiration in Hydrological Model Calibration
Authors: Jiang Lulu , Wu Huan , Tao Jing , Kimball John S. , Alfieri Lorenzo , Chen Xiuwan
Published: January 2020

Hydrological models are usually calibrated against observed streamflow (Qobs), which is not applicable for ungauged river basins. A few studies have exploited remotely sensed evapotranspiration (ETRS) for model calibration but their effectiveness on streamflow simulation remains uncertain. This paper investigates the use of ETRS in the hydrological calibration of a widely used land surface model coupled with a source–sink routing scheme and global optimization algorithm for 28 natural river basins. A baseline simulation is a setup based on the latest model developments and inputs. Sensitive parameters are determined for Qobs and ETRS-based model calibrations, respectively, through comprehensive sensitivity tests. The ETRS-based model calibration results in a mean Kling–Gupta Efficiency (KGE) value of 0.54 for streamflow simulation; 61% of the river basins have KGE > 0.5 in the validation period, which is consistent with the calibration period and provides a significant improvement over the baseline. Compared to Qobs, the ETRS calibration produces better or similar streamflow simulations in 29% of the basins, while further significant improvements are achieved when either better ET or precipitation observations are used. Furthermore, the model results show better or similar performance in 68% of the basins and outperform the baseline simulations in 90% of the river basins using model parameters from the best ETRS calibration runs. This study confirms that with reasonable precipitation input, the ETRS-based spatially distributed calibration can efficiently tune parameters for better ET and streamflow simulations. The application of ETRS for global scale hydrological model calibration promises even better streamflow accuracy as the satellite-based ETRS observations continue to improve.