bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facial Expression Recognition Based on Discrete Separable Shearlet Transform and Feature Selection
Authors: Lu Yang , Wang Shigang , Zhao Wenting
Published: December 2018

In this paper, a novel approach to facial expression recognition based on the discrete separable shearlet transform (DSST) and normalized mutual information feature selection is proposed. The approach can be divided into five steps. First, all test and training images are preprocessed. Second, DSST is applied to the preprocessed facial expression images, and all the transformation coefficients are obtained as the original feature set. Third, an improved normalized mutual information feature selection is proposed to find the optimal feature subset of the original feature set, thus we can retain the key classification information of the original data. Fourth, the feature extraction and selection of the feature space is reduced by employing linear discriminant analysis. Finally, a support vector machine is used to recognize the expressions. In this study, experimental verification was carried out on four open facial expression databases. The results show that this method can not only improve the recognition rate of facial expressions, but also significantly reduce the computational complexity and improve the system efficiency.
Factors Affecting Purchase Intentions in Generation Y: An Empirical Evidence from Fast Food Industry in Malaysia
Authors: Xiao Aiyun , Yang Shaohua , Iqbal Qaisar
Published: December 2018

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the factors that influence the purchase intentions of Generation Y students towards the fast food industry in Nilai, Malaysia. Nowadays, purchase intentions are an important aspect of organizational long-term success in the fast food industry. In addition, purchase intentions are the critical element in competing with other competitive environments; hence, it is important for the fast food industry to pay a significant attention to this matter. The present study was conducted to identify the key determinants that impact the purchase intention of Generation Y students towards the fast food industry in Nilai, Malaysia. Employing the quantitative method in this study, a total of 313 questionnaires were distributed with the response rate of 91%. Another purpose of this study was to provide important insights to Nilai fast food restaurants in understanding the purchase intentions of customers. Therefore, the leaders and managers of Nilai local fast food restaurants can enhance customers’ experience, solve their problems, and ultimately obtain high quality business by understanding the key factors of purchase intentions in fast food industry.
The Miniature Optical Communication Transceiver—A Compact, Power-Efficient Lasercom System for Deep Space Nanosatellites
Authors: Barnwell Nathan , Ritz Tyler , Parry Samantha , Clark Myles , Serra Paul , Conklin John W.
Published: December 2018

Optical communication is becoming more prevalent in orbit due to the need for increased data throughput. Nanosatellites, which are satellites that typically weigh less than 10 kg, are also becoming more common due to lower launch costs that enable the rapid testing of technology in a space environment. Nanosatellites are cheaper to launch than their larger counterparts and may be a viable option for communicating beyond Earth’s orbit, but have strict Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) requirements. The Miniature Optical Communication Transceiver (MOCT) is a compact optical transceiver designed to provide modest data rates to SWaP constrained platforms, like nanosatellites. This paper will cover the optical amplifier characterization and simulated performance of the MOCT amplifier design that produces 1 kW peak power pulses and closes three optical links which include Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Earth, LEO to LEO, and Moon to Earth. Additionally, a benchtop version of the amplifier design was constructed and was able to produce amplified pulses with 1.37 W peak power, including a 35.7% transmit optics loss, at a pump power of 500 mW. Finally, the modulator, seed laser, amplifier, receiver, and time-to-digital converter were all used together to measure the Bit Error Ratio (BER), which was 0.00257 for a received optical peak power of 176 nW.
Harvest Maturity Stage and Cold Storage Length Influence on Flavour Development in Peach Fruit
Authors: Ceccarelli Alessandro , Farneti Brian , Frisina Christine , Allen David , Donati Irene , Cellini Antonio , Costa Guglielmo , Spinelli Francesco , Stefanelli Dario
Published: December 2018

Peach market is facing a constant decrease due to the poor fruit quality perceived at consumption that might be greatly affected by fruit ripening stage at harvest and by the post-harvest management. The present work aimed at clarifying the influence of maturity at harvest on the evolution of peach aroma and quality during shelf-life after prolonged cold storage. “August Flame” peaches were harvested at three maturity stages, determined based on IAD (index of absorption difference) and ethylene emission. Fruit quality traits (firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity), ethylene and volatile organic compound (VOC) emission were monitored during for four weeks of cold storage (0 °C). Every week of cold storage was followed by 6 days of shelf-life (18 °C). Ripening segregation at harvest based on IAD was successful since each maturity classes significantly differed based on all quality traits. Cold storage enhanced the aroma development of ‘August Flame’ peach, primarily by increasing the emission of esters and lactones associated with pleasant aroma. Moreover, cold storage also reduced the differences in aroma between the maturity classes. The role of ethylene, which was also influenced by cold storage, in regulating the VOCs emission is discussed.
Evaluation of Sheep Anticipatory Response to a Food Reward by Means of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Chincarini Matteo , Qiu Lina , Spinelli Lorenzo , Torricelli Alessandro , Minero Michela , Dalla Costa Emanuela , Mariscoli Massimo , Ferri Nicola , Giammarco Melania , Vignola Giorgio
Published: December 2018

Anticipatory behaviour to an oncoming food reward can be triggered via classical conditioning, implies the activation of neural networks, and may serve to study the emotional state of animals. The aim of this study was to investigate how the anticipatory response to a food reward affects the cerebral cortex activity in sheep. Eight ewes from the same flock were trained to associate a neutral auditory stimulus (water bubble) to the presence of a food reward (maize grains). Once conditioned, sheep were trained to wait 15 s behind a gate before accessing a bucket with food (anticipation phase). For 6 days, sheep were submitted to two sessions of six consecutive trials each. Behavioural reaction was filmed and changes in cortical oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin concentration ([ΔO2Hb] and [ΔHHb] respectively) following neuronal activation were recorded by functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Compared to baseline, during the anticipation phase sheep increased their active behaviour, kept the head oriented to the gate (Wilcoxon’s signed rank test; p ≤ 0.001), and showed more asymmetric ear posture (Wilcoxon’s signed rank test; p ≤ 0.01), most likely reflecting a learnt association and an increased arousal. Results of trial-averaged [ΔO2Hb] and [ΔHHb] within individual sheep showed in almost every sheep a cortical activation during the anticipation phase (Student T-test; p ≤ 0.05). The sheep showed a greater response of the right hemisphere compared to the left hemisphere, possibly indicating a negative affective state, such as frustration. Behavioural and cortical changes observed during anticipation of a food reward reflect a learnt association and an increased arousal, but no clear emotional valence of the sheep subjective experience. Future work should take into consideration possible factors affecting the accurateness of measures, such as probe’s location and scalp vascularization.
Ethical and Scientific Pitfalls Concerning Laboratory Research with Non-Human Primates, and Possible Solutions
Authors: Carvalho Constança , Gaspar Augusta , Knight Andrew , Vicente Luís
Published: December 2018

Basic and applied laboratory research, whenever intrusive or invasive, presents substantial ethical challenges for ethical committees, be it with human beings or with non-human animals. In this paper we discuss the use of non-human primates (NHPs), mostly as animal models, in laboratory based research. We examine the two ethical frameworks that support current legislation and guidelines: deontology and utilitarianism. While human based research is regulated under deontological principles, guidelines for laboratory animal research rely on utilitarianism. We argue that the utilitarian framework is inadequate for this purpose: on the one hand, it is almost impossible to accurately predict the benefits of a study for all potential stakeholders; and on the other hand, harm inflicted on NHPs (and other animals) used in laboratory research is extensive despite the increasing efforts of ethics committees and the research community to address this. Although deontology and utilitarianism are both valid ethical frameworks, we advocate that a deontological approach is more suitable, since we arguably have moral duties to NHPs. We provide suggestions on how to ensure that research currently conducted in laboratory settings shifts towards approaches that abide by deontological principles. We assert that this would not impede reasonable scientific research.
Theoretical Investigation of Laser Induced Magnetization Reversal by Spin Orbit Coupling and Stimulated Raman Scattering
Authors: Zou Yuhao , Wang Haiwei , Xiao Yao , Zeng Zhihao , Huang Lanlan , Wang Kai , Wang Sicong , Li Xiangping , Xie Changsheng
Published: December 2018

We theoretically study the mechanism of the all-optical magnetic switching by combining the Rashba effect and stimulated Raman scattering. In hydrogenlike systems, we show that the Rashba effect splits the energy band and stimulated Raman scattering transits the electrons between the lambda three-level system and controls the spin states to reverse the orientation of magnetization. The dynamics of electrons are described with the Lindblad equation in a few hundreds of femtoseconds. We further investigate the influence of laser intensity and wavelength on the probability of spin-flip in a ferromagnetic material, CoPt.
Predicting Freeway Travel Time Using Multiple- Source Heterogeneous Data Integration
Authors: Long Kejun , Yao Wukai , Gu Jian , Wu Wei , Han Lee D.
Published: December 2018

Freeway travel time is influenced by many factors including traffic volume, adverse weather, accidents, traffic control, and so on. We employ the multiple source data-mining method to analyze freeway travel time. We collected toll data, weather data, traffic accident disposal logs, and other historical data from Freeway G5513 in Hunan Province, China. Using the Support Vector Machine (SVM), we proposed the travel time predicting model founded on these databases. The new SVM model can simulate the nonlinear relationship between travel time and those factors. In order to improve the precision of the SVM model, we applied the Artificial Fish Swarm algorithm to optimize the SVM model parameters, which include the kernel parameter σ, non-sensitive loss function parameter ε, and penalty parameter C. We compared the new optimized SVM model with the Back Propagation (BP) neural network and a common SVM model, using the historical data collected from freeway G5513. The results show that the accuracy of the optimized SVM model is 17.27% and 16.44% higher than those of the BP neural network model and the common SVM model, respectively.
Data Fusion of Multivariate Time Series: Application to Noisy 12-Lead ECG Signals
Authors: Diao Chen , Wang Bin , Cai Ning
Published: December 2018

Twelve-lead Electrocardiograph (ECG) signals fusion is crucial for further ECG signal processing. In this paper, based on the idea of the local weighted linear prediction algorithm, a novel fusion data algorithm is proposed, which was applied in data fusion of the 12-lead ECG signals. In order to analyze the signal quality comprehensively, the quality characteristics should be adequately retained in the final fused result. In our algorithm, the values for the weighted coefficient of state points were closely related to the final fused result. Thus, two fuzzy inference systems were designed to calculate the weighted coefficients. For the sake of assessing the performance of our method, synthetic ECG signals and realistic ECG signals were applied in the experiments. Experimental results indicate that our method can fuse the 12-lead ECG signals effectively with inherit the quality characteristics of original ECG signals inherited properly.
Preparation and Characterization of Bacterial Cellulose-Carbon Dot Hybrid Nanopaper for Potential Sensing Applications
Authors: Quraishi Sakeena , Plappert Sven , Ungerer Bernhard , Taupe Philip , Gindl-Altmutter Wolfgang , Liebner Falk
Published: December 2018

Green and facile approaches aiming at the manufacture of biocompatible paper-based optical sensors reporting the presence of photoluminescence (PL) modulating compounds is an emerging field of research. This study investigates the preparation of bacterial cellulose nanopaper containing covalently immobilized carbon dots for potential biosensing applications. Preliminary work of this feasibility study included TEMPO-mediated ((2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl-mediated) oxidation and nanofibrillation of bacterial cellulose (TOBC) on the one hand as well as synthesis and comparative analysis of different types of carbon dots (CDs) on the other hand. The two source materials of the targeted functional nanopaper were finally linked to each other by two different N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride/ N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) coupling approaches to clarify whether grafting of CDs prior to or after TOBC paper formation would be the method of choice. Synthesis of the carbon nanodots was accomplished by microwave-assisted co-hydrothermolysis of appropriate precursor compounds. After isolation and purification by dialysis particles in the single-digit nanometer-range were obtained and characterized with regard to their photoluminescence properties in terms of emission wavelength, pH stability, and quantum yield. All types of synthesized CDs reached their PL maxima (450–480 nm; light blue) in a narrow excitation wavelength range of 340–360 nm. Variation of molar (C/N) ratio of the CD precursors and substitution of the nitrogen donor EDEA by urea increased PL and quantum yield (QY), respectively. The highest relative QY of nearly 32% was obtained for CDs synthesized from citric acid and urea. PL of all CDs was virtually insensitive to pH changes in the range of 4–10. Tensile testing of hybrid nanopaper prepared after EDC/NHS-mediated grafting of GEA-type CDs onto TOBC (0.52 mmol·g−1 COOH) in dispersion state revealed that both stiffness and strength are not compromised by incorporation of carbon dots, while plastic deformation and elongation at break increased slightly compared to nanopaper formed prior to decoration with CDs. Water contact angle of the nanopaper is unaffected by introduction of carbon dots which is supposedly due to the presence of surface amino- and amide groups compensating for the loss of carboxyl groups by grafting.
Photocatalytic Activity of Monosized AuZnO Composite Nanoparticles
Authors: Ma Chenguang , Wang Xianhong , Zhan Shixia , Li Xuemei , Liu Xiao , Chai Yun , Xing Ruimin , Liu Hongling
Published: December 2018

Photocatalytic activity of monosized AuZnO composite nanoparticles with different compositions were synthesized by the one-pot polyol procedure, using the triblock copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-blockpoly(ethylene glycol) (PEO-PPO-PEO) as the surfactant. The structure and morphology of the composite nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The characterization showed that the AuZnO composite nanoparticles were spherical, with narrow particle size distribution and high crystallinity. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study confirms the PEO-PPO-PEO molecules on the surface of the composite nanoparticles. The investigations by ultraviolet-visible light absorbance spectrometer (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence spectrophotometer (PL) demonstrate well the dispersibility and excellent optical performance of the AuZnO composite nanoparticles. Photocatalytic activity and reusability of the AuZnO nanoparticles in UV and visible light regions was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB). The experimental results show that the AuZnO composite nanoparticles with a suitable amount of Au loading have stability and improved photocatalytic activity. AuZnO composite nanoparticles are effective and stable for the degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous solution.
Role of Need-Supportive Family Behaviours on Purpose in Life and Depressive Feelings of French Older People: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective
Authors: Martinent Guillaume , Ferrand Claude , Humblot Esteban , Bauvineau Alexis , Noisiez Manon
Published: December 2018

Grounded in a self-determination theory framework, this study aimed to examine the relationships between satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs (BPN), need-supportive family behaviours, social support, purpose in life, and depressive feelings among older people living at home. We used a partial least squares path modelling approach among 118 older people living at home (Mage = 74.42 + 8.96). Results showed that: (1) Availability of social support and family support for competence negatively predicted BPN frustration significantly; (2) family support for autonomy and competence positively predicted BPN satisfaction significantly; (3) BPN satisfaction for competence positively predicted purpose in life significantly; and (4) BPN frustration for competence and relatedness positively predicted depressive feelings significantly and negatively predicted purpose in life significantly. This study provided evidence for broadening the concept of social support by taking into account need-supportive family behaviours when one wants to study well- and ill-being in older people.
Regular Equivalence for Social Networks
Authors: Audenaert Pieter , Colle Didier , Pickavet Mario
Published: December 2018

Networks and graphs are highly relevant in modeling real-life communities and their interactions. In order to gain insight in their structure, different roles are attributed to vertices, effectively clustering them in equivalence classes. A new formal definition of regular equivalence is presented in this paper, and the relation with other equivalence types is investigated and mathematically proven. An efficient algorithm is designed, able to detect all regularly equivalent roles in large-scale complex networks. We apply it to both Barabási–Albert random networks, as well as real-life social networks, which leads to interesting insights.
Effects of Corn Stover Pretreated with NaOH and CaO on Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Swine Manure and Corn Stover
Authors: You Zhaoyang , Zhang Shujuan , Kim Hyunook , Chiang Pen-Chi , Sun Yonjun , Guo Ziyang , Xu Haiyang
Published: December 2018

In this study, effects of pretreatment of corn stover (CS) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) combined with calcium oxide (CaO) on anaerobic co-digestion of swine manure and CS for biogas production were investigated. Different pretreated-CSs were prepared by adding different doses of NaOH and CaO to CS: Treat-CSA (0.10 g NaOH/g CS), Treat-CSB ((0.075 g NaOH + 0.05 g CaO)/g CS), Treat-CSC ((0.05 g NaOH + 0.05 g CaO)/g CS), and Treat-CSD ((0.025 g NaOH + 0.1 g CaO)/g CS). Lignin removal rate, biomass recovery, reduced sugar, methane yield, DT80 (digestion time when biogas achieved 80% of the total biogas), composition of residues, and cost-efficiency were measured to characterize CS after pretreatment and to evaluate the performance of co-digestors fed with swine manure and differently-pretreated CS. The results showed that Treat-CSB showed an excellent lignin removal efficiency and biomass recovery, resulting in the highest methane yield in its co-digestion with swine manure. Since the net benefit of Treat-CSB was calculated to be the highest (i.e., $1.89/ton total solids), therefore, we believe the co-digestion of Treat-CSB and swine manure for biogas production be an effective valorization option for the wastes.
Synthesis and Catalytic Activity of Activated Carbon Supported Sulfonated Cobalt Phthalocyanine in the Preparation of Dimethyl Disulfide
Authors: Cheng Zhiliang , Dai Mingxing , Quan Xuejun , Li Shuo , Zheng Daomin , Liu Yaling , Yao Rujie
Published: December 2018

The Merox process was widely applied in the fine chemical industry to convert mercaptans into disulfides by oxidation with oxygen, including dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). In this paper, a new activated carbon (AC)-supported sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine (AC-CoPcS) catalyst was prepared through the chemical linkage of ethylenediamine between them. UV−VIS, FT-IR, BET, and XPS were used to characterize the structure of the new catalyst. Then AC-CoPcS was applied to catalyze sodium methylmercaptide (SMM) oxidation for the preparation of DMDS. The effect of process parameters, such as reaction time, catalyst dosage, reaction temperature, and oxygen pressure on SMM conversion per pass (CPPSMM), yield (YieldDMDS), and purity of the DMDS (PurityDMDS) product were investigated to evaluate the catalytic performance of AC-CoPcS. The new supported catalyst exhibits better catalytic performance than the commercial one and can be properly reused four times to obtain CPPSMM and YieldDMDS higher than 90% and 70%. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the CPPSMM and YieldDMDS could reach as high as 98.7% and 86.8%, respectively, and the purity of the DMDS product is as high as 99.8%. This new supported catalyst exhibits good industrial application prospects.
Hip Hop Family Tree Treasury Editions: A Book Review for Art and Visual Culture Educators
Authors: Broome Jeffrey L.
Published: December 2018

This book review examines Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree as compiled and packaged by Fantagraphics into two gift box sets featuring a total of four treasury editions of collected works. The basic premise of Hip Hop Family Tree focuses on a loose narrative detailing the historical development of hip-hop culture as depicted in a comic book format. The review begins with a brief summary of each treasury edition with a specific focus on selected vignettes detailing the role that visual art has played in hip-hop culture. The review closes with a discussion of the overall relevance of Piskor’s work to those working in art and visual culture education.
Separability of Topological Groups: A Survey with Open Problems
Authors: Leiderman Arkady , Morris Sidney
Published: December 2018

Separability is one of the basic topological properties. Most classical topological groups and Banach spaces are separable; as examples we mention compact metric groups, matrix groups, connected (finite-dimensional) Lie groups; and the Banach spaces C ( K ) for metrizable compact spaces K; and ℓ p , for p ≥ 1 . This survey focuses on the wealth of results that have appeared in recent years about separable topological groups. In this paper, the property of separability of topological groups is examined in the context of taking subgroups, finite or infinite products, and quotient homomorphisms. The open problem of Banach and Mazur, known as the Separable Quotient Problem for Banach spaces, asks whether every Banach space has a quotient space which is a separable Banach space. This paper records substantial results on the analogous problem for topological groups. Twenty open problems are included in the survey.
Stem Cell Extracellular Vesicles in Skin Repair
Authors: Ferreira Andrea da Fonseca , Gomes Dawidson Assis
Published: December 2018

Stem cell extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been widely studied because of their excellent therapeutic potential. EVs from different types of stem cell can improve vascularization as well as aid in the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. The skin is a complex organ that is susceptible to various types of injury. Strategies designed to restore epithelial tissues’ integrity with stem cell EVs have shown promising results. Different populations of stem cell EVs are able to control inflammation, accelerate skin cell migration and proliferation, control wound scarring, improve angiogenesis, and even ameliorate signs of skin aging. However, large-scale production of such stem cell EVs for human therapy is still a challenge. This review focuses on recent studies that explore the potential of stem cell EVs in skin wound healing and skin rejuvenation, as well as challenges of their use in therapy.
Real Time Monitoring of a UV Light-Assisted Biofunctionalization Protocol Using a Nanophotonic Biosensor
Authors: Sabek Jad , Torrijos-Morán Luis , Griol Amadeu , Díaz Betancor Zeneida , Bañuls Polo María-José , Maquieira Ángel , García-Rupérez Jaime
Published: December 2018

A protocol for the covalent biofunctionalization of silicon-based biosensors using a UV light-induced thiol–ene coupling (TEC) reaction has been developed. This biofunctionalization approach has been used to immobilize half antibodies (hIgG), which have been obtained by means of a tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) reduction at the hinge region, to the surface of a vinyl-activated silicon-on-insulator (SOI) nanophotonic sensing chip. The response of the sensing structures within the nanophotonic chip was monitored in real time during the biofunctionalization process, which has allowed us to confirm that the bioconjugation of the thiol-terminated bioreceptors onto the vinyl-activated sensing surface is only initiated upon UV light photocatalysis.
Industrial Data-Based Life Cycle Assessment of Architecturally Integrated Glass-Glass Photovoltaics
Authors: Park Jeeyoung , Hengevoss Dirk , Wittkopf Stephen
Published: December 2018

Worldwide, an increasing number of new buildings have photovoltaics (PV) integrated in the building envelope. In Switzerland, the use of coloured PV façades has become popular due to improved visual acceptance. At the same time, life cycle assessment of buildings becomes increasingly important. While a life cycle inventory for conventional glass-film PV laminates is available, this is not the case for glass-glass laminates, and in particular, coloured front glasses. Only conventional glass-film PV laminates are considered in databases, some of which are partly outdated. Our paper addresses this disparity, by presenting life cycle inventory data gathered from industries producing coloured front glass by digital ceramic printing and manufacturing glass-glass PV laminates. In addition, we applied this data to a hypothetical façade made of multi-coloured glass-glass laminates and its electricity generation in terms of Swiss eco-points, global warming potential, and cumulative energy demand as impact indicators. The results of the latter show that the effect of the digital ceramic printing is negligible (increase of 0.1%), but the additional glass (4% increase) and reduction of electricity yield (20%) are significant in eco-points. The energy pay-back time for a multi-coloured PV façade is 8.1 years, which decreases by 35% to 5.3 years when replacing the glass rain cladding in an existing façade, leaving 25 years for surplus electricity generation.
Nanostructure Quantification of Carbon Blacks
Authors: Singh Madhu , Vander Wal Randy L.
Published: December 2018

Carbon blacks are an extensively used manufactured product. There exist different grades by which the carbon black is classified, based on its purpose and end use. Different properties inherent to the various carbon black types are a result of their production processes. Based on the combustion condition and fuel used, each process results in a carbon black separate from those obtained from other processes. These carbons differ in their aggregate morphology, particle size, and particle nanostructure. Nanostructure is key in determining the material’s behavior in bulk form. A variety of carbon blacks have been analyzed and quantified for their lattice parameters and structure at the nanometer scale, using transmission electron microscopy and custom-developed fringe analysis algorithms, to illustrate differences in nanostructure and their potential relation to observed material properties.
Small Bowel Carcinomas Associated with Immune-Mediated Intestinal Disorders: The Current Knowledge
Authors: Giuffrida Paolo , Vanoli Alessandro , Arpa Giovanni , Bonometti Arturo , Luinetti Ombretta , Solcia Enrico , Corazza Gino Roberto , Paulli Marco , Di Sabatino Antonio
Published: December 2018

Small bowel carcinomas (SBC) are uncommon neoplasms, whose predisposing conditions include hereditary syndromes and immune-mediated intestinal disorders including coeliac disease (CD) and Crohn’s disease (CrD). Although both CD-associated SBC (CD-SBC) and CrD-associated SBC (CrD-SBC) arise from an inflammatory background, they differ substantially in tumour cell phenotype, frequency of microsatellite instability and nuclear β-catenin expression, as well as in prognosis. For these patients, high tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte density and glandular/medullary histotype represent independent positive prognostic factors. Dysplasia adjacent to SBC is rare and characterized by intestinal phenotype and nuclear β-catenin in CD, while it is frequent and typified by gastro-pancreatobiliary marker expression and preserved membranous β-catenin in CrD. Recent evidence suggests that Epstein-Barr virus-positive dysplasia and SBC, albeit exceptional, do exist and are associated with CrD. In this review, we summarize the novel pathological and molecular insights of clinical and therapeutic interest to guide the care of CD-SBC and CrD-SBC.
Non-Invasive Fluorescent Monitoring of Ovarian Cancer in an Immunocompetent Mouse Model
Authors: Wilson Amy L. , Wilson Kirsty L. , Bilandzic Maree , Moffitt Laura R. , Makanji Ming , Gorrell Mark D. , Oehler Martin K. , Rainczuk Adam , Stephens Andrew N. , Plebanski Magdalena
Published: December 2018

Ovarian cancers (OCs) are the most lethal gynaecological malignancy, with high levels of relapse and acquired chemo-resistance. Whilst the tumour–immune nexus controls both cancer progression and regression, the lack of an appropriate system to accurately model tumour stage and immune status has hampered the validation of clinically relevant immunotherapies and therapeutic vaccines to date. To address this need, we stably integrated the near-infrared phytochrome iRFP720 at the ROSA26 genomic locus of ID8 mouse OC cells. Intrabursal ovarian implantation into C57BL/6 mice, followed by regular, non-invasive fluorescence imaging, permitted the direct visualization of tumour mass and distribution over the course of progression. Four distinct phases of tumour growth and dissemination were detectable over time that closely mimicked clinical OC progression. Progression-related changes in immune cells also paralleled typical immune profiles observed in human OCs. Specifically, we observed changes in both the CD8+ T cell effector (Teff):regulatory (Treg) ratio, as well as the dendritic cell (DC)-to-myeloid derived suppressor cell (MDSC) ratio over time across multiple immune cell compartments and in peritoneal ascites. Importantly, iRFP720 expression had no detectible influence over immune profiles. This new model permits non-invasive, longitudinal tumour monitoring whilst preserving host–tumour immune interactions, and allows for the pre-clinical assessment of immune profiles throughout disease progression as well as the direct visualization of therapeutic responses. This simple fluorescence-based approach provides a useful new tool for the validation of novel immuno-therapeutics against OC.
Antrocin Sensitizes Prostate Cancer Cells to Radiotherapy through Inhibiting PI3K/AKT and MAPK Signaling Pathways
Authors: Chen Yu-An , Tzeng David T. W. , Huang Yi-Ping , Lin Chun-Jung , Lo U-Ging , Wu Chia-Lin , Lin Ho , Hsieh Jer-Tsong , Tang Chih-Hsin , Lai Chih-Ho
Published: December 2018

Radiotherapy is one of the most common treatment options for local or regional advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Importantly, PCa is prone to radioresistance and often develops into malignancies after long-term radiotherapy. Antrocin, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea, possesses pharmacological efficacy against various cancer types; however, its therapeutic potential requires comprehensive exploration, particularly in radioresistant PCa cells. In this study, we emphasized the effects of antrocin on radioresistant PCa cells and addressed the molecular mechanism underlying the radiosensitization induced by antrocin. Our results showed that a combination treatment with antrocin and ionizing radiation (IR) synergistically inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in radioresistant PCa cells. We further demonstrated that antrocin downregulated PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways as well as suppressed type 1 insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R)-mediated induction of β-catenin to regulate cell cycle and apoptosis. Using xenograft mouse models, we showed that antrocin effectively enhanced radiotherapy in PCa. Our study demonstrates that antrocin sensitizes PCa to radiation through constitutive suppression of IGF-1R downstream signaling, revealing that it can be developed as a potent therapeutic agent to overcome radioresistant PCa.
Reducible Inverse CeOx-Based Catalyst as a Potential Candidate for Electroreduction
Authors: Shen Yongli , Xiao Zihui
Published: December 2018

The inverse metal oxide/metal catalyst is very suitable for electrochemical reaction due to unique catalytic properties of metal oxide with small size and good conductivity of metal. To clarify the potential applications of inverse catalyst in electrochemistry, especially for reducible oxides, an inverse CeOx/Ag(111) model electrocatalyst was constructed and investigated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) for CO2 electrochemical reduction. It is found that Ag atoms acting as an electron donor, can partially reduce Ce4+ to Ce3+ in the supported CeOx cluster leading to the formation of interfacial Ce3+ active sites, which could promote the adsorption and reduction of CO2. As expected, all elementary reaction involved in the CO2 electrochemical reduction are more facile on CeOx/Ag(111) than pure Ag catalyst. Besides, the generation of CH3OH and CH4 is favored on CeOx/Ag(111), whereas the formation of CO, CH2O and H2 is obviously suppressed. More importantly, the weak interaction between H2O and CeOx cluster is beneficial for the desorption of OH intermediate, which makes the regeneration of the catalyst become easier and result in a great recyclability. All those results demonstrate that CeOx/Ag(111) is a potential excellent electrochemical catalyst.
In Situ Regeneration and Deactivation of Co-Zn/H-Beta Catalysts in Catalytic Reduction of NOx with Propane
Authors: Pan Hua , Xu Dongmei , He Chi , Shen Chao
Published: December 2018

Regeneration and deactivation behaviors of Co-Zn/H-Beta catalysts were investigated in NOx reduction with C3H8. Co-Zn/H-Beta exhibited a good water resistance in the presence of 10 vol.% H2O. However, there was a significant drop off in N2 yield in the presence of SO2. The formation of surface sulfate and coke decreased the surface area, blocked the pore structure, and reduced the availability of active sites of Co-Zn/H-Beta during the reaction of NO reduction by C3H8. The activity of catalyst regenerated by air oxidation followed by H2 reduction was higher than that of catalyst regenerated by H2 reduction followed by air oxidation. Among the catalysts regenerated by air oxidation followed by H2 reduction with different regeneration temperatures, the optimal regeneration temperature was 550 °C. The textural properties of poisoned catalysts could be restored to the levels of fresh catalysts by the optimized regeneration process. The regeneration process of air oxidation followed by H2 reduction could recover the active sites of cobalt and zinc species from sulfate species, as well as eliminate coke deposition on poisoned catalysts. The regeneration pathway of air oxidation followed by H2 reduction is summarized as initial removal of coke by air oxidation and final reduction of the sulfate species by H2.
The Fate of Fusions
Authors: Clawson Gary
Published: December 2018

The concept of leukocyte-tumor cell fusion as a significant driver of cancer progression has been around a long time, and has garnered growing support over the last several years. The underlying idea seems quite simple and attractive: Fusion of tumor cells (with their inherent genetic instability) with leukocytes, particularly macrophages, could produce hybrids with high invasive capabilities, greatly facilitating their metastatic dissemination, while potentially accelerating tumor cell heterogeneity. While there are a number of attractive features with this story on the surface, the various studies seem to leave us with a conundrum, namely, what is the fate of such fusions?
Advantages of Yolk Shell Catalysts for the DRM: A Comparison of Ni/ZnO@SiO2 vs. Ni/CeO2 and Ni/Al2O3
Authors: Price Cameron Alexander Hurd , Earles Emily , Pastor-Pérez Laura , Liu Jian , Reina Tomas Ramirez
Published: December 2018

Encapsulation of metal nanoparticles is a leading technique used to inhibit the main deactivation mechanisms in dry reforming of methane reaction (DRM): Carbon formation and Sintering. Ni catalysts (15%) supported on alumina (Al2O3) and ceria (CeO2) have shown they are no exception to this analysis. The alumina supported catalysts experienced graphitic carbonaceous deposits, whilst the ceria showed considerable sintering over 15 h of DRM reaction. The effect of encapsulation compared to that of the performance of uncoated catalysts for DRM reaction has been examined at different temperatures, before conducting longer stability tests. The encapsulation of Ni/ZnO cores in silica (SiO2) leads to advantageous conversion of both CO2 and CH4 at high temperatures compared to its uncoated alternatives. This work showcases the significance of the encapsulation process and its overall effects on the catalytic performance in chemical CO2 recycling via DRM.
Temperature-Induced Formation of Lubricous Oxides in Vanadium Containing Iron-Based Arc Sprayed Coatings
Authors: Tillmann Wolfgang , Hagen Leif , Kokalj David , Paulus Michael , Tolan Metin
Published: December 2018

In the field of surface engineering, the use of self-lubricous coatings with the incorporation of vanadium represent a promising approach to reduce friction, thus contributing to the wear behavior. For vanadium containing hard coatings produced by means of thin film technology, the reduction in friction at elevated temperatures was repeatedly attributed to temperature-induced and tribo-oxidatively formed oxides which act as solid lubricant. Only very few studies focused on the tribological characteristics of vanadium containing arc sprayed coatings. In this study, the tribological characteristics of a vanadium containing iron-based arc sprayed deposit were investigated in dry sliding experiments under ambient conditions and different temperatures. Types of wear at the worn surfaces and counterparts were examined by means of electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The speciation of vanadium in the superficial layer was determined using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. It was found that the vanadium-containing coating exhibited a distinctly reduction of the coefficient of friction above 450 °C which further decreased with increasing temperature. XANES spectroscopy indicated an increased oxidation state for the V component on the coating surface, suggesting the prevalence of specific vanadium oxides which promote a self-lubricating ability of the coating.
Pulsed Laser Deposition of Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films on Nanopatterned Glass Substrates
Authors: Socol Marcela , Preda Nicoleta , Rasoga Oana , Costas Andreea , Stanculescu Anca , Breazu Carmen , Gherendi Florin , Socol Gabriel
Published: December 2018

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were grown on nanopatterned glass substrates by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The deposition was carried out at 1.2 J/cm2 laser fluence, low oxygen pressure (1.5 Pa) and on unheated substrate. Arrays of periodic pillars with widths of ~350 nm, heights of ~250 nm, and separation pitches of ~1100 nm were fabricated on glass substrates using UV nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL), a simple, cost-effective, and high throughput technique used to fabricate nanopatterns on large areas. In order to emphasize the influence of the periodic patterns on the properties of the nanostructured ITO films, this transparent conductive oxide (TCO) was also grown on flat glass substrates. Therefore, the structural, compositional, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of both non-patterned and patterned ITO films were investigated in a comparative manner. The energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) confirms that the ITO films preserve the In2O3:SnO2 weight ratio from the solid ITO target. The SEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images prove that the deposited ITO films retain the pattern of the glass substrates. The optical investigations reveal that patterned ITO films present a good optical transmittance. The electrical measurements show that both the non-patterned and patterned ITO films are characterized by a low electrical resistivity (<2.8 × 10−4). However, an improvement in the Hall mobility was achieved in the case of the nanopatterned ITO films, evidencing the potential applications of such nanopatterned TCO films obtained by PLD in photovoltaic and light emitting devices.
Nanofluids Thin Film Flow of Reiner-Philippoff Fluid over an Unstable Stretching Surface with Brownian Motion and Thermophoresis Effects
Authors: Ullah Asad , Alzahrani Ebraheem O. , Shah Zahir , Ayaz Muhammad , Islam Saeed
Published: December 2018

The current investigation is carried out on the thin film flow of Reiner-Philippoff fluid of boundary-layer type. We have analyzed the flow of thin films of Reiner-Philippoff fluid in the changeable heat transmission and radiation over a time-dependent stretching sheet in 2D. The time-dependent governing equations of Reiner-Philippoff fluid model are simplified with the help of transformation of similarity variables. To investigate the behavior of the Reiner-Philippoff fluid with variable stretching surface for different physical effects, we considered thermophoresis and Brownian motion parameters in the flow. The Homotopy Analysis Method is implemented in the reduced model to achieve a solution of the original problem. A numerical convergence of the implemented method is also analyzed. The behavior of temperature, velocity, and concentration profiles have been investigated with the variation of skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number. A comparative graphical survey is presented for the velocity gradient, under different parameters. An analytical analysis is presented for the time-dependent parameter over thin film flow. The results we obtained are better than the previously available results. For the survey, the physical representation of the embedded parameters, like, β depends on the stretching parameter ζ , and the Reiner-Philippoff fluid parameter ϵ are discussed in detail and plotted graphically. Prandtl number P r , Brownian motion parameter N b , thermophoretic number N t , and Schmidt number S c are presented by graphs and discussed in detail.
Utilizing Transfer Learning and Homomorphic Encryption in a Privacy Preserving and Secure Biometric Recognition System
Authors: Salem Milad , Taheri Shayan , Yuan Jiann-Shiun
Published: December 2018

Biometric verification systems have become prevalent in the modern world with the wide usage of smartphones. These systems heavily rely on storing the sensitive biometric data on the cloud. Due to the fact that biometric data like fingerprint and iris cannot be changed, storing them on the cloud creates vulnerability and can potentially have catastrophic consequences if these data are leaked. In the recent years, in order to preserve the privacy of the users, homomorphic encryption has been used to enable computation on the encrypted data and to eliminate the need for decryption. This work presents DeepZeroID: a privacy-preserving cloud-based and multiple-party biometric verification system that uses homomorphic encryption. Via transfer learning, training on sensitive biometric data is eliminated and one pre-trained deep neural network is used as feature extractor. By developing an exhaustive search algorithm, this feature extractor is applied on the tasks of biometric verification and liveness detection. By eliminating the need for training on and decrypting the sensitive biometric data, this system preserves privacy, requires zero knowledge of the sensitive data distribution, and is highly scalable. Our experimental results show that DeepZeroID can deliver 95.47% F1 score in the verification of combined iris and fingerprint feature vectors with zero true positives and with a 100% accuracy in liveness detection.
Anion Influence on Spin State in Two Novel Fe(III) Compounds: [Fe(5F-sal2333)]X
Authors: Sundaresan Sriram , Kühne Irina A. , Kelly Conor T. , Barker Andrew , Salley Daniel , Müller-Bunz Helge , Powell Annie K. , Morgan Grace G.
Published: December 2018

Structural and magnetic data on two iron (III) complexes with a hexadentate Schiff base chelating ligand and Cl− or BPh4− counterions are reported. In the solid state, the Cl− complex [Fe(5F-sal2333)]Cl, 1, is high spin between 5–300 K while the BPh4− analogue [Fe(5F-sal2333)]BPh4, 2, is low spin between 5–250 K, with onset of a gradual and incomplete spin crossover on warming to room temperature. Structural investigation reveals different orientations of the hydrogen atoms on the secondary amine donors in the two salts of the [Fe(5F-sal2333)]+ cation: high spin complex [Fe(5F-sal2333)]Cl, 1, crystallizes with non-meso orientations while the spin crossover complex [Fe(5F-sal2333)]BPh4, 2, crystallizes with a combination of meso and non-meso orientations disordered over one crystallographic site. Variable temperature electronic absorption spectroscopy of methanolic solutions of 1 and 2 suggests that both are capable of spin state switching in the solution.
Modulating and Orienting an Anisotropic Zn-Based Metal Organic Framework for Selective CH4/CO2 Gas Separation
Authors: Huelsenbeck Luke , Westendorff Karl S. , Gu Yuntao , Marino Silvia , Jung Sangeun , Epling William S. , Giri Gaurav
Published: December 2018

This work investigates the morphological control of the anisotropic [Zn2(NDC)2(DABCO)]n MOF (Metal organic framework) and the subsequent adsorption characteristics for CO2/CH4 gas separation. Morphology of the MOF crystals is controlled by the use of modulators. The addition of acetic acid or pyridine successfully produce rod or plate morphologies, respectively, with each morphology possessing a different major surface pore aperture. Single-component equilibrium and kinetic adsorption data for CO2 and CH4 were collected. Equilibrium analysis indicates a slight selectivity towards CO2 whereas kinetic data unexpectedly shows lower diffusion time constants for CO2 compared to CH4. Mass transfer resistances on each species is discussed. Finally, a coating technique termed solution shearing is used to orient different morphologies on substrates as a film. An increase in film orientation is observed for the rod morphology, indicating that this MOF morphology is a promising candidate to create large area, thin-film applications.