bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity Analysis of Fuel Injection Characteristics of GDI Injector to Injector Nozzle Diameter
Authors: Li Xinhai , Cheng Yong , Ji Shaobo , Yang Xue , Wang Lu
Published: January 2019

The accuracy of a nozzle diameter directly affects the difference of the injection characteristics between the holes and productions of a GDI (gasoline direct injection) injector. In order to reduce the difference and guarantee uniform injection characteristics, this paper carried out a CFD simulation of the effect of nozzle diameter which fluctuated in a small range on single-cycle fuel mass. The sensitivity of the fuel injection quantity to the injector nozzle diameter was obtained. The results showed that the liquid phase ratio at the nozzle outlet decreased and the velocity of the outlet increased with the increase of the nozzle diameter. When fluctuating in a small range of nozzle diameters, the sensitivity of the single-hole fuel mass to the nozzle diameter remained constant. The increase of the injection pressure lead to the increase of the sensitivity coefficient of the single-hole fuel mass to the nozzle diameter. The development of cavitation in the nozzle and the deviation of the fuel jet from the axis were aggravated with the increase of the injection pressure. However, the fluctuation in a small range of nozzles had little effect on the near-nozzle flow.
A Real-Time Layer-Adaptive Wavelet Transform Energy Distribution Strategy in a Hybrid Energy Storage System of EVs
Authors: Peng Jun , Wang Rui , Liao Hongtao , Zhou Yanhui , Li Heng , Wu Yue , Huang Zhiwu
Published: January 2019

In this paper, a real-time energy distribution strategy is designed by a layer-adaptive wavelet transform algorithm and proposed to meet the load power demand while distributing the high-frequency component to supercapacitors and the low-frequency component to batteries in a hybrid energy storage system. In the proposed method, the number of decomposition layers of wavelet transform corresponding to the load power is adaptively determined by dividing the operation zone of supercapacitors into eight cases to respectively distribute the low frequency component to batteries and the remaining high frequency component to supercapacitors. Firstly, since the state of charge of supercapacitors decreases faster as the decomposition layers increases, the state of charge of supercapacitors is divided into eight cases of operation zones. Secondly, since supercapacitors act as the peak power buffer unit, the corresponding number of decomposition layers is finally adaptively determined according to the operation zone of supercapacitors. An experiment testbed is built to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Extensive experiment results show that the proposed method provides a better real-time energy sharing between supercapacitors and batteries when compared with the conditional method.
On PWM Strategies and Current THD for Single- and Three-Phase Cascade H-Bridge Inverters with Non-Equal DC Sources
Authors: Akhmetov Zhansen , Hammami Manel , Grandi Gabriele , Ruderman Alex
Published: January 2019

Cascade H-bridge (CHB) inverter is an attractive choice for integration of DC sources of different nature, e.g., for distributed generation with energy storage, photovoltaic generation, etc. In general, non-equal DC voltage sources can affect the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the CHB by introducing undesirable low-frequency subharmonics. This paper investigates different level-shifted (LS) and phase-shifted (PS) pulse width modulation (PWM) strategies for single- and three-phase cascade H-bridge inverters with non-equal DC sources from the load current THD minimization perspective. The best current quality is provided by LS PWM, as reported in the literature. The paper provides a simple time domain explanation of LS PWM superiority. However, PS PWM may be a preferable choice for practical applications due to fair power and loss sharing across individual H-bridges. The paper explains how to obtain the best current quality by PS PWM carriers’ order arrangement (DC sources switching sequence selection).
Robust Nonlinear Predictive Current Control Techniques for PMSM
Authors: Lyu Mingcheng , Wu Gongping , Luo Derong , Rong Fei , Huang Shoudao
Published: January 2019

This paper proposes a robust nonlinear predictive current control (RNPCC) method for permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives, which can optimize the current control loop performance of the PMSM system with model parameter perturbation. First, the disturbance caused by parameter perturbation was considered in the modeling of PMSM. Based on this model, the influence of parameter perturbation on the conventional predictive current control (PCC) was analyzed. The composite integral terminal sliding mode observer (SMO) was then designed to estimate the disturbance caused by the parameter perturbation in real time. Finally, a RNPCC method is developed without relying on the mathematical model of PMSM, which can effectively eliminate the influence of parameter perturbation by injecting the estimated disturbance value. Simulations and experiments verified that the proposed RNPCC method was able to remove the current error caused by the parameter perturbation during steady state operation.
Herbaceous Vegetation Responses to Gap Size within Natural Disturbance-Based Silvicultural Systems in Northeastern Minnesota, USA
Authors: Bolton Nicholas W. , D’Amato Anthony W.
Published: January 2019

The use of silvicultural systems that emulate aspects of natural disturbance regimes, including natural disturbance severities and scales, has been advocated as a strategy for restoring and conserving forest biodiversity in forests managed for wood products. Nonetheless, key information gaps remain regarding the impacts of these approaches on a wide range of taxa, including understory plant species. We investigated the 6- or 7-year response of herbaceous vegetation to natural disturbance-based silvicultural harvest gaps in a northern hardwood forest in Northeastern Minnesota. These results indicate that harvest gaps are effective in conserving understory plant diversity by promoting conditions necessary for disturbance-dependent understory plant species. However, harvest gaps also contained non-native invasive plant species.
Important Factors for Improving Google Search Rank
Authors: Ziakis Christos , Vlachopoulou Maro , Kyrkoudis Theodosios , Karagkiozidou Makrina
Published: January 2019

The World Wide Web has become an essential modern tool for people’s daily routine. The fact that it is a convenient means for communication and information search has made it extremely popular. This fact led companies to start using online advertising by creating corporate websites. With the rapid increase in the number of websites, search engines had to come up with a solution of algorithms and programs to qualify the results of a search and provide the users with relevant content to their search. On the other side, developers, in pursuit of the highest rankings in the search engine result pages (SERPs), began to study and observe how search engines work and which factors contribute to higher rankings. The knowledge that has been extracted constituted the base for the creation of the profession of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This paper consists of two parts. The first part aims to perform a literature review of the factors that affect the ranking of websites in the SERPs and to highlight the top factors that contribute to better ranking. To achieve this goal, a collection and analysis of academic papers was conducted. According to our research, 24 website characteristics came up as factors affecting any website’s ranking, with the most references mentioning quality and quantity of backlinks, social media support, keyword in title tag, website structure, website size, loading time, domain age, and keyword density. The second part consists of our research which was conducted manually using the phrases “hotel Athens”, “email marketing”, and “casual shoes”. For each one of these keywords, the first 15 Google results were examined considering the factors found in the literature review. For the measurement of the significance of each factor, the Spearman correlation was calculated and every factor was compared with the ranking of the results individually. The findings of the research showed us that the top factors that contribute to higher rankings are the existence of website SSL certificate as well as keyword in URL, the quantity of backlinks pointing to a website, the text length, and the domain age, which is not perfectly aligned with what the literature review showed us.
Proteolysis and Rheological Properties of Cream Cheese Made with a Plant-Derived Coagulant from Solanum elaeagnifolium
Authors: Gutiérrez-Méndez Néstor , Balderrama-Carmona Alejandro , García-Sandoval Socorro E. , Ramírez-Vigil Pamela , Leal-Ramos Martha Y. , García-Triana Antonio
Published: January 2019

Cream cheese is a fresh acid-curd cheese with pH values of 4.5–4.8. Some manufacturers add a small volume of rennet at the beginning of milk fermentation to improve the texture of the cream cheese. However, there is no information about the effect that proteases other than chymosin-like plant-derived proteases may have on cream cheese manufacture. This work aimed to describe some proteolytic features of the protease extracted from fruits of Solanum elaeagnifolium Cavanilles and to assess the impact that this plant coagulant has on the viscoelastic properties of cream cheeses. Results showed that caseins were not hydrolyzed extensively by this plant-derived coagulant. In consequence, the ratio of milk clotting units (U) to proteolytic activity (U-Tyr) was higher (1184.4 U/U-Tyr) than reported for other plant proteases. The plant coagulant modified neither yield nor composition of cream cheeses, but viscoelastic properties did. Cream cheeses made with chymosin had a loss tangent value (tan δ = 0.257) higher than observed in cheeses made with 0.8 mL of plant-derived coagulant per liter (tan δ = 0.239). It is likely that casein fragments released by the plant-derived coagulant improve the interaction of protein during the formation of acid curds, leading to an increase in the viscoelastic properties of cream cheese.
Relativistic Jet Simulations of the Weibel Instability in the Slab Model to Cylindrical Jets with Helical Magnetic Fields
Authors: Nishikawa Ken-Ichi , Mizuno Yosuke , Gómez Jose , Duţan Ioana , Meli Athina , Niemiec Jacek , Kobzar Oleh , Pohl Martin , Sol Helene , MacDonald Nicholas , Hartmann Dieter
Published: January 2019

The particle-in-cell (PIC) method was developed to investigate microscopic phenomena, and with the advances in computing power, newly developed codes have been used for several fields, such as astrophysical, magnetospheric, and solar plasmas. PIC applications have grown extensively, with large computing powers available on supercomputers such as Pleiades and Blue Waters in the US. For astrophysical plasma research, PIC methods have been utilized for several topics, such as reconnection, pulsar dynamics, non-relativistic shocks, relativistic shocks, and relativistic jets. PIC simulations of relativistic jets have been reviewed with emphasis placed on the physics involved in the simulations. This review summarizes PIC simulations, starting with the Weibel instability in slab models of jets, and then focuses on global jet evolution in helical magnetic field geometry. In particular, we address kinetic Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and mushroom instabilities.
Down-Sampling of Point Clouds for the Technical Diagnostics of Buildings and Structures
Authors: Suchocki Czesław , Błaszczak-Bąk Wioleta
Published: January 2019

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is a non-destructive testing method for the technical assessment of existing structures. TLS has been successfully harnessed for monitoring technical surface conditions and morphological characteristics of historical buildings (e.g., the detection of cracks and cavities). TLS measurements with very high resolution should be taken to detect minor defects on the walls of buildings. High-resolution measurements are mostly needed in certain areas of interest, e.g., cracks and cavities. Therefore, reducing redundant information on flat areas without cracks and cavities is very important. In this case, automatic down-sampling of datasets according to the aforementioned criterion is required. This paper presents the use of the Optimum Dataset (OptD) method to optimize TLS dataset. A Leica ScanStation C10 time-of-flight scanner and a Z+F IMAGER 5016 phase-shift scanner were used during the research. The research was conducted on a specially prepared concrete sample and real object, i.e., a brick citadel located on the Kościuszko Mound in Cracow. The reduction of dataset by the OptD method and random method from TLS measurements were compared and discussed. The results prove that the large datasets from TLS diagnostic measurements of buildings and structures can be successfully optimized using the OptD method.
Railroad Buildings of Eskişehir: Challenges and Opportunities for Industrial Heritage
Authors: Ekimci Betül , Ergincan Feray , İnceoğlu Mehmet
Published: January 2019

While railways are considered as a sign of development for countries, the railway structures are part of the industrial heritage of cities and comprise some of the most important urban public places. In Turkey, the Eskişehir railway buildings, constructed between 1886 and 1894, are at the west of the main railroad between the Enveriye and Eskişehir stations. They are also public places having strong resonance in the collective memory. Because of the fast development in technology, they face the threat of losing their function. Conservation of former industrial structures requires, first and foremost, identifying and documenting the distinctive features that makes them cultural heritage sites. It is a shared responsibility between public institutions and sectors to identify and protect the distinguishing features of industrial heritage sites. With this awareness, at the Anadolu University Architecture Department, integrated student work focused on the Railroad Roundhouse—built in 1896—and Staff Housing Quarters—built in the early 20th century—which are part of this district and embody a series of urban problems, was carried out over four academic semesters. This study focuses on historic railway buildings in the Eskişehir railway district that is known for its urban problems. An exhibition combining these student works was opened at the Railcar Repair Facility on 16 November 2017. This exhibition showcased the student involvement in history of Eskişehir and increased public awareness of cultural heritage.
Crime Scene Shoeprint Retrieval Using Hybrid Features and Neighboring Images
Authors: Wu Yanjun , Wang Xinnian , Zhang Tao
Published: January 2019

Given a query shoeprint image, shoeprint retrieval aims to retrieve the most similar shoeprints available from a large set of shoeprint images. Most of the existing approaches focus on designing single low-level features to highlight the most similar aspects of shoeprints, but their retrieval precision may vary dramatically with the quality and the content of the images. Therefore, in this paper, we proposed a shoeprint retrieval method to enhance the retrieval precision from two perspectives: (i) integrate the strengths of three kinds of low-level features to yield more satisfactory retrieval results; and (ii) enhance the traditional distance-based similarity by leveraging the information embedded in the neighboring shoeprints. The experiments were conducted on a crime scene shoeprint image dataset, that is, the MUES-SR10KS2S dataset. The proposed method achieved a competitive performance, and the cumulative match score for the proposed method exceeded 92.5% in the top 2% of the dataset, which was composed of 10,096 crime scene shoeprints.
A General Pathway Model for Improving Health Disparities: Lessons from Community and Cultural Involvement in Improving Cervical Cancer Screening in Vietnamese Women
Authors: Kones Richard , Rumana Umme , Arain Fauzia
Published: January 2019

Objective: Chronic diseases have become dominant in the global health landscape. Despite remarkable advances in basic science, pharmacology, surgery, and technology, progress in lifestyle improvements, now considered essential, has been disappointing. Patient adherence to medications and other instructions play the greatest role in individual outcome shortfalls. Classically medicine has approached management using a high-risk model, targeting clinical manifestations of disease with progressively intensive therapies, in contrast with population-based models. In an effort to identify effectiveness among the many models available, the “pathways model” is reevaluated. Methods: Relying upon secondary data from prior studies in which Papanicolaou (Pap) test utilization was successfully improved, a “pathway model” is qualitatively reexamined in which characteristics of patients, providers, and the health system—as impacted by culture, beliefs, values, and habits—are acknowledged and incorporated by community resources into treatment plans. In so doing, health disparities are also addressed. Observations: The culturally inclusive pathways model using immersion community-based participation was successful in modifying behaviors when applied to a high-risk population in great need of improving Pap test adherence. Conclusions: In populations characterized by recognized cultural barriers contributing to low adherence, the pathways model may improve chronic disease outcomes. This model emphasizes a high degree of immersion within a culture and community as vehicles to improve patient behavior and address inequities. Central features are concordant with current concepts in guidelines, scientific statements, manuals, and advisories concerning the conduct of community-based research and social determinants of health. The pathways model deserves consideration for use in other chronic illnesses, such as cardiometabolic disease.
Same Same but Different: A Clinical Characterization of Men with Hypersexual Disorder in the Sex@Brain Study
Authors: Engel Jannis , Veit Maria , Sinke Christopher , Heitland Ivo , Kneer Jonas , Hillemacher Thomas , Hartmann Uwe , Kruger Tillmann H.C.
Published: January 2019

Problems arising from hypersexual behavior are often seen in clinical settings. We aimed to extend the knowledge about the clinical characteristics of individuals with hypersexual disorder (HD). A group of people who fulfilled the proposed diagnostic criteria for HD (men with HD, n = 50) was compared to a group of healthy controls (n = 40). We investigated differences in sociodemographic, neurodevelopmental, and family factors based on self-report questionnaires and clinical interviews. Men with HD reported elevated rates of sexual activity, paraphilias, consumption of child abusive images, and sexual coercive behavior compared to healthy controls. Moreover, rates of affective disorders, attachment difficulties, impulsivity, and dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies were higher in men with HD. Men with HD seem to have experienced various forms of adverse childhood experiences, but there were no further differences in sociodemographic, neurodevelopmental factors, and family factors. Regression analyses indicated that attachment-related avoidance and early onset of masturbation differentiated between men with HD and healthy controls. In conclusion, men with HD appear to have the same neurodevelopment, intelligence levels, sociodemographic background, and family factors compared to healthy controls, but they report different and adverse experiences in childhood, problematic sexual behavior, and psychological difficulties.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti + N Ion Implanted Cronidur30 Steel
Authors: Jin Jie , Wang Wei , Chen Xinchun
Published: January 2019

In this study, Ti + N ion implantation was used as a surface modification method for surface hardening and friction-reducing properties of Cronidur30 bearing steel. The structural modification and newly-formed ceramic phases induced by the ion implantation processes were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). The mechanical properties of the samples were tested by nanoindentation and friction experiments. The surface nanohardness was also improved significantly, changing from ~10.5 GPa (pristine substrate) to ~14.2 GPa (Ti + N implanted sample). The friction coefficient of Ti + N ion implanted samples was greatly reduced before failure, which is less than one third of pristine samples. Furthermore, the TEM analyses confirmed a trilamellar structure at the near-surface region, in which amorphous/ceramic nanocrystalline phases were embedded into the implanted layers. The combined structural modification and hardening ceramic phases played a crucial role in improving surface properties, and the variations in these two factors determined the differences in the mechanical properties of the samples.
Heavy Mineral Variability in the Yellow River Sediments as Determined by the Multiple-Window Strategy
Authors: Jin Bingfu , Wang Mengyao , Yue Wei , Zhang Lina , Wang Yanjun
Published: January 2019

In this study, heavy mineral analysis was carried out in different size fractions of the Yellow River sediment to extract its end-members. It shows that heavy mineral contents, species, and compositions vary in different grain sizes. Distribution curve of heavy mineral concentration (HMC) and particle size frequency curve are in normal distribution. In most samples, the size fraction of 4.5–5.0 Φ contains the maximum HMC (18% on average). Heavy mineral assemblages of the Yellow River are featured by amphibole + epidote + limonite + garnet. Amphibole content is high in coarse fraction of >3.0 Φ and reaches its peak value in 3.5–4.5 Φ. Epidote is rich in a size fraction of >3.5 Φ, and increase as the particle size becomes fine. Micas content is high in coarse subsamples of <3.0 Φ, but almost absent in fine grains of >4.0 Φ. Metallic minerals (magnetite, ilmenite, hematite, and limonite) increase as the sediment particle size become fine, and reach the peak in silt (>4.0 Φ). Other minerals such as zircon, rutile, tourmaline, garnet, and apatite account for about 15%, and mainly concentrate in fine sediment. Further analysis reveals that similarity value between the most abundant grain size group and wide window grain size group is high (0.978 on average). The grain size of 4.0–5.0 Φ ± 0.5 Φ is suitable to carry out detrital mineral analysis in the Yellow River sediments. Our study helps to eliminate cognitive bias due to narrow grain size strategy, and to provide heavy mineral end-members of the Yellow River sediment for provenance discrimination in the marginal seas of East China.
Pharmaceutical Cocrystal Formation of Pyrazinamide with 3-Hydroxybenzoic Acid: A Terahertz and Raman Vibrational Spectroscopies Study
Authors: Wang Qiqi , Xue Jiadan , Hong Zhi , Du Yong
Published: January 2019

Vibrational modes of pyrazinamide (PZA), 3-hydroxybenzoic acid (3-hBA), and their cocrystal were characterized using terahertz time-domain (THz-TDS) and Raman vibrational spectroscopic techniques. In experimental THz spectra, the cocrystal has characteristic absorption bands at around 0.81, 1.47, and 1.61 THz, respectively, meanwhile the raw materials are absolutely different in this region. Raman spectra also show similar results about differences between the cocrystal and corresponding starting parent materials. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to simulate both optimized structures and vibrational modes of the cocrystal formed between PZA and 3-hBA. The vibrational modes of such cocrystal are assigned through comparing the simulation DFT frequency results with experimental vibrational spectra. The calculation of the theoretical THz spectrum shows that the hydrogen bonding effect established between H11–N12–H13 and the carboxyl group -COOH makes contributions to the formation of absorption peaks in 0.49, 0.62, 0.83, and 1.61 THz, which agrees pretty well with experimental results. The theoretical Raman result also matches well with experimental observations. The results provide a fundamental benchmark for the study of pharmaceutical cocrystal formation and also inter-molecular hydrogen bonding interactions between active pharmaceutical ingredients and various cocrystal coformers based on Raman and terahertz vibrational spectroscopic techniques combined with theoretical simulations.
Special Issue: The Antioxidant Capacities of Natural Products
Authors: Cardoso Susana M.
Published: January 2019

Antioxidants are under the research spotlight because of their potential to prevent oxidative stress as well as for their versatile biological properties that grant them multiple industrial applications [...]
Chemical Diversity of Headspace and Volatile Oil Composition of Two Brown Algae (Taonia atomaria and Padina pavonica) from the Adriatic Sea
Authors: Jerković Igor , Kranjac Marina , Marijanović Zvonimir , Roje Marin , Jokić Stela
Published: January 2019

Two selected brown algae (Taonia atomaria and Padina pavonica from the family Dictyotaceae, order Dictyotales) growing in the same area (island Vis, central Adriatic Sea) were collected at the same time. Their phytochemical composition of the headspace volatile organic compounds (HS-VOCs; first time report) was determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME). Hydrodistillation was applied for the isolation of their volatile oils (first report on T. atomaria volatile oil). The isolates were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The headspace and oil composition of T. atomaria were quite similar (containing germacrene D, epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene, β-cubebene and gleenol as the major compounds). However, P. pavonica headspace and oil composition differed significantly (dimethyl sulfide, octan-1-ol and octanal dominated in the headspace, while the oil contained mainly higher aliphatic alcohols, trans-phytol and pachydictol A). Performed research contributes to the knowledge of the algae chemical biodiversity and reports an array of different compounds (mainly sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and aliphatic compounds); many of them were identified in both algae for the first time. Identified VOCs with distinctive chemical structures could be useful for taxonomic studies of related algae.
Design and Synthesis of Arylamidine Derivatives as Serotonin/Norepinephrine Dual Reuptake Inhibitors
Authors: Wen Hui , Qin Wen , Yang Guangzhong , Guo Yanshen
Published: January 2019

To improve the in vivo antidepressant activity of previously reported serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) dual reuptake inhibitors, three series of arylamidine derivatives were designed and synthesized. The in vitro 5-HT and NE reuptake inhibitory activities of these compounds were evaluated, and compound II-5 was identified as the most potent 5-HT (IC50 = 620 nM) and NE (IC50 = 10 nM) dual reuptake inhibitor. Compound II-5 exhibited potent antidepressant activity in the rat tail suspension test and showed an acceptable safety profile in a preliminary acute toxicity test in mice. Our results show that these arylamidine derivatives exhibit potent 5-HT/NE dual reuptake inhibition and should be explored further as antidepressant drug candidates.
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids: Biosynthesis, Biological Activities and Occurrence in Crop Plants
Authors: Schramm Sebastian , Köhler Nikolai , Rozhon Wilfried
Published: January 2019

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are heterocyclic secondary metabolites with a typical pyrrolizidine motif predominantly produced by plants as defense chemicals against herbivores. They display a wide structural diversity and occur in a vast number of species with novel structures and occurrences continuously being discovered. These alkaloids exhibit strong hepatotoxic, genotoxic, cytotoxic, tumorigenic, and neurotoxic activities, and thereby pose a serious threat to the health of humans since they are known contaminants of foods including grain, milk, honey, and eggs, as well as plant derived pharmaceuticals and food supplements. Livestock and fodder can be affected due to PA-containing plants on pastures and fields. Despite their importance as toxic contaminants of agricultural products, there is limited knowledge about their biosynthesis. While the intermediates were well defined by feeding experiments, only one enzyme involved in PA biosynthesis has been characterized so far, the homospermidine synthase catalyzing the first committed step in PA biosynthesis. This review gives an overview about structural diversity of PAs, biosynthetic pathways of necine base, and necic acid formation and how PA accumulation is regulated. Furthermore, we discuss their role in plant ecology and their modes of toxicity towards humans and animals. Finally, several examples of PA-producing crop plants are discussed.
Transthyretin Amyloid Fibril Disrupting Activities of Extracts and Fractions from Juglans mandshurica Maxim. var. cordiformis (Makino) Kitam.
Authors: Chaudhary Niraj , Sasaki Ryoko , Shuto Tsuyoshi , Watanabe Masato , Kawahara Teppei , Suico Mary Ann , Yokoyama Takeshi , Mizuguchi Mineyuki , Kai Hirofumi , Devkota Hari Prasad
Published: January 2019

Transthyretin-related amyloidosis is a slowly progressive disorder caused by deposition of insoluble amyloid plaques formed by fibrillization of mutant or defective transthyretin (TTR) monomers that leads to neurodegeneration and organ failure. Thus, any compound exhibiting TTR amyloid formation inhibitory activity or TTR amyloid fibril disrupting activity might be a potential candidate for the development of therapies for these disorders. Our aim in this study was the evaluation of the TTR amyloid fibril disrupting potential of extracts of leaves and immature fruits of two Juglans plants, i.e., Juglans mandshurica var. sachalinensis and Juglans mandshurica var. cordiformis. The TTR amyloid fibril disrupting activity was measured by Thioflavin-T (ThT) assay and PROTEOSTAT® Protein aggregation assay methods. A fifty percent acetone extract of the fruits of Juglans mandshurica var. cordiformis showed strong amyloid fibril disrupting activity, and was further fractionated using different solvents. Ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions showed significant activity in both assays. Syringic acid was isolated and identified as main compound in both of these fractions; however, it did not show any activity. Furthermore, some of the previously reported compounds from Juglans plants including naphthoquinone derivatives and phenolic compounds were evaluated to identify the potential bioactive compounds. Among them, juglone, a naphthoquinone derivative showed promising activity. However, juglone also showed strong cytotoxicity in HEK293 cells. Thus, future studies should focus on the isolation and identification of naphthoquinone derivatives or other compounds from Juglans plan ts with potent bioactivity and low cytotoxicity.
Phytochemical Characterization, Antioxidant and In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity Evaluation of Juniperus oxycedrus Subsp. oxycedrus Needles and Berries
Authors: Ben Mrid Reda , Bouchmaa Najat , Bouargalne Youssef , Ramdan Btissam , Karrouchi Khalid , Kabach Imad , El Karbane Miloud , Idir Abderrazak , Zyad Abdelmajid , Nhiri Mohamed
Published: January 2019

In order to evaluate the antioxidant properties of aqueous and methanol extracts of needles and berries of Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus (Joo) species, various antioxidant capacity assessment tests (free radical scavenging assays (DPPH• and ABTS•+ tests), ferrous ions (Fe2+) chelating activity and reducing power assay (FRAP) were conducted. In all of the tests, the extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activity. Furthermore, in-vitro cytotoxic activity assays of the methanolic extracts showed potent cytotoxic effects against two breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-468 and MCF-7), with no cytotoxicity towards normal cells (PBMCs). Reactive oxygen species generation was presumed to be a potential reason for the observed cytotoxic effects. According to all the above, and considering its appropriate composition of mineral elements and phenolic compounds, Joo could offer a beneficial and natural source of bioactive compounds that can be either used on the preventive side as it could potentially be used in the clinic without toxicity.
Polydopamine-Based Surface Modification of ZnO Nanoparticles on Sericin/Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Film for Antibacterial Application
Authors: Ai Lisha , Wang Yejing , Tao Gang , Zhao Ping , Umar Ahmad , Wang Peng , He Huawei
Published: January 2019

Silk sericin (SS) is a type of natural macromolecular protein with excellent hydrophilicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability, but also has very poor mechanical properties. To develop sericin-based wound dressings, we utilized polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to reinforce the mechanical property of sericin by blending PVA and sericin, then modified zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on SS/PVA film with the assistance of polydopamine (PDA) to endow SS/PVA film with antibacterial activity. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction demonstrated ZnO NPs were well grafted on PDA-SS/PVA film. Fourier transform infrared spectra suggested PDA coating and ZnONPs modification did not alter the structure of sericin and PVA. Water contact angle and swelling tests indicated the excellent hydrophilicity and swellability of ZnO NPs-PDA-SS/PVA composite film. Mass loss analysis showed ZnO NPs-PDA-SS/PVA film had excellent stability. The mechanical performance test suggested the improved tensile strength and elongation at break could meet the requirement of ZnO NPs-PDA-SS/PVA film in biomaterial applications. The antibacterial assay suggested the prepared ZnO NPs-PDA-SS/PVA composite film had a degree of antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The excellent hydrophilicity, swellability, stability, mechanical property and antibacterial activity greatly promote the possibility of ZnO NPs-PDA-SS/PVA composite film in antibacterial biomaterials application.
Structural Asymmetry and Kinetic Limping of Single Rotary F-ATP Synthases
Authors: Sielaff Hendrik , Yanagisawa Seiga , Frasch Wayne D. , Junge Wolfgang , Börsch Michael
Published: January 2019

F-ATP synthases use proton flow through the FO domain to synthesize ATP in the F1 domain. In Escherichia coli, the enzyme consists of rotor subunits γεc10 and stator subunits (αβ)3δab2. Subunits c10 or (αβ)3 alone are rotationally symmetric. However, symmetry is broken by the b2 homodimer, which together with subunit δa, forms a single eccentric stalk connecting the membrane embedded FO domain with the soluble F1 domain, and the central rotating and curved stalk composed of subunit γε. Although each of the three catalytic binding sites in (αβ)3 catalyzes the same set of partial reactions in the time average, they might not be fully equivalent at any moment, because the structural symmetry is broken by contact with b2δ in F1 and with b2a in FO. We monitored the enzyme’s rotary progression during ATP hydrolysis by three single-molecule techniques: fluorescence video-microscopy with attached actin filaments, Förster resonance energy transfer between pairs of fluorescence probes, and a polarization assay using gold nanorods. We found that one dwell in the three-stepped rotary progression lasting longer than the other two by a factor of up to 1.6. This effect of the structural asymmetry is small due to the internal elastic coupling.
The Efficacy of Probiotics, Prebiotic Inulin-Type Fructans, and Synbiotics in Human Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Astó Erola , Méndez Iago , Audivert Sergi , Farran-Codina Andreu , Espadaler Jordi
Published: January 2019

Studies of probiotics, fructan-type prebiotics, and synbiotics in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) show significant heterogeneity in methodology and results. Here, we study the efficacy of such interventions and the reasons for the heterogeneity of their results. Eligible random controlled trials were collected from the PUBMED and SCOPUS databases. A total of 18 placebo-controlled and active treatment-controlled (i.e., mesalazine) studies were selected with a Jadad score ≥ 3, including 1491 patients with UC. Data for prebiotics and synbiotics were sparse and consequently these studies were excluded from the meta-analysis. The UC remission efficacy of probiotics was measured in terms of relative risk (RR) and odds ratio (OR). Significant effects were observed in patients with active UC whenever probiotics containing bifidobacteria were used, or when adopting the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-recommended scales (UC Disease Activity Index and Disease Activity Index). By the FDA recommended scales, the RR was 1.55 (CI95%: 1.13–2.15, p-value = 0.007, I2 = 29%); for bifidobacteria-containing probiotics, the RR was 1.73 (CI95%: 1.23–2.43, p-value = 0.002, I2 = 35%). No significant effects were observed on the maintenance of remission for placebo-controlled or mesalazine-controlled studies. We conclude that a validated scale is necessary to determine the state of patients with UC. However, probiotics containing bifidobacteria are promising for the treatment of active UC.
Co-Crystal Formation of Antibiotic Nitrofurantoin Drug and Melamine Co-Former Based on a Vibrational Spectroscopic Study
Authors: Zhang Ziming , Cai Qiang , Xue Jiadan , Qin Jianyuan , Liu Jianjun , Du Yong
Published: January 2019

The co-crystallization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) has received increasing attention due to the modulation of the relative physicochemical properties of APIs such as low solubility, weak permeability and relatively inferior oral bioavailability. Crystal engineering plays a decisive role in the systematic design and synthesis of co-crystals by means of exerting control on the inter-molecular interactions. The characterization and detection of such co-crystal formations plays an essential role in the field of pharmaceutical research and development. In this work, nitrofurantoin (NF), melamine (MELA) and their hydrated co-crystal form were characterized and analyzed by using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and Raman vibrational spectroscopy. According to the experimental THz spectra, the hydrated co-crystal form has characteristic absorption peaks at 0.67, 1.05, 1.50 and 1.73 THz, while the THz spectra for the two raw parent materials (NF and MELA) are quite different within this spectral region. Similar observations were made from the experimental Raman vibrational spectra results. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation was performed to help determine the major vibrational modes of the hydrated co-crystal between nitrofurantoin and melamine, as well as identify the structural changes due to inter- and/or intra-molecular hydrogen bonding motifs between NF and MELA. The results of the theoretical frequency calculations corroborate the THz and Raman experimental spectra. The characteristic bands of the NF–MELA-hydrated co-crystal between nitrofurantoin and melamine were also determined based on the DFT simulated calculation. The reported results in this work provide us with a wealth of structural information and a unique vibrational spectroscopic method for characterizing the composition of specific co-crystals and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding interactions upon pharmaceutical co-crystallization.
Assessment of Insulin-related Knowledge among Healthcare Professionals in a Large Teaching Hospital in the United Kingdom
Authors: Bain Amie , Kavanagh Sallianne , McCarthy Sinead , Babar Zaheer-Ud-Din
Published: January 2019

Despite numerous strategies introduced to promote the safe use of insulin, insulin-related medication errors persist. Our aim was to examine the knowledge and self-reported confidence of a range of healthcare professionals regarding insulin use in a large teaching hospital in the North of England. A 16-item electronic questionnaire was prepared in light of locally reported insulin-related incidents and distributed electronically to all healthcare professionals at the hospital over a 4-week study period. A range of healthcare professionals, including nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, junior doctors and consultants, completed the questionnaires (n = 109). Pharmacists achieved the greatest percentage of mean correct answers overall (49%), followed by consultant doctors (38%) and pharmacy technicians (37%), junior doctors (34%) and nurses (32%). Healthcare professionals were mainly “slightly confident” in their knowledge and use of insulin. Confidence level positively correlated to performance, but number of years’ experience did not result in higher confidence or performance. This small-scale study allowed for a broad assessment of insulin-related topics that have been identified both nationally and locally as particularly problematic. Identifying knowledge gaps may help tailor strategies to help improve insulin knowledge and patient safety.
Cul-De-Sac of the Spatial Image of Proton Interactions
Authors: Dremin Igor
Published: January 2019

The unitarity condition in the impact parameter space is used to obtain some information about the shape of the interaction region of colliding protons. It is shown that, strictly speaking, a reliable conclusion can be gained only if the behavior of the elastic scattering amplitude (especially, its imaginary part) at all transferred momenta is known. This information is currently impossible to obtain from experimentation. In practice, several assumptions and models are used. They lead to different results as shown below.
Faith in Numbers—Re-quantifying the English Quaker Population during the Long Eighteenth Century
Authors: Fincham Andrew
Published: January 2019

The Religious Society of Friends was traditionally disinclined to define “membership” in pursuit of the Quaker mission to create a worldwide church. As a result, for almost two centuries before the first census of 1847, there are no records of the numbers within the Society. By the time of the census, Victorian Friends were seeking an explanation of what they generally perceived as a decline. The first, and still most widely accepted attempt to address this question, was John Stephenson Rowntree’s Quakerism, Past and Present, who grounded his 1857 essay on estimates extrapolated from summaries of Quaker records of marriages, births and deaths. This paper re-examines for the first time the assumptions made by Rowntree, and deploys both more recent demographic estimates and findings from the detailed Births, Marriages and Deaths records for over 33,000 Quakers in London from 1650 to 1809 to create an alternative population model charting stock and flows in the Quaker population of England by decade from 1650 to 1809. The paper seeks to reconcile such population estimates with accepted trends in English Quakerism across the period of the long eighteenth century.
The Robotic Construction Kit as a Tool for Cognitive Stimulation in Children and Adolescents: The RE4BES Protocol
Authors: D’Amico Antonella , Guastella Domenico
Published: January 2019

Through numerous experiences, the robotics has been demonstrated to have good potential in the field of strengthening social skills in children with Special Educational Needs and in particular with autism spectrum disorder. There are still not many experimental studies on the cognitive enhancement and social skills of children with special needs conducted with robotics construction kits that, requiring both the construction of the robot body and the programming of its “mind“, bring into play a multiplicity of cognitive and social skills. For the aforementioned reasons our team from the University of Palermo and from the Center MetaIntelligenze ONLUS developed the treatment protocol RE4BES, which is a collection of guidelines for realizing robotics personalized activities for children with special needs. In this paper, two studies will be described concerning the first application of activities drawn from the RE4BES protocol. The first study concerns the use of the robotic construction kits for the stimulation of visuo-spatial abilities; in the second study the robot construction kits have been used to stimulate the attentional abilities in a child with severe difficulties on focused attention tasks.
Detection and Monitoring of Forest Fires Using Himawari-8 Geostationary Satellite Data in South Korea
Authors: Jang Eunna , Kang Yoojin , Im Jungho , Lee Dong-Won , Yoon Jongmin , Kim Sang-Kyun
Published: January 2019

Geostationary satellite remote sensing systems are a useful tool for forest fire detection and monitoring because of their high temporal resolution over large areas. In this study, we propose a combined 3-step forest fire detection algorithm (i.e., thresholding, machine learning-based modeling, and post processing) using Himawari-8 geostationary satellite data over South Korea. This threshold-based algorithm filtered the forest fire candidate pixels using adaptive threshold values considering the diurnal cycle and seasonality of forest fires while allowing a high rate of false alarms. The random forest (RF) machine learning model then effectively removed the false alarms from the results of the threshold-based algorithm (overall accuracy ~99.16%, probability of detection (POD) ~93.08%, probability of false detection (POFD) ~0.07%, and 96% reduction of the false alarmed pixels for validation), and the remaining false alarms were removed through post-processing using the forest map. The proposed algorithm was compared to the two existing methods. The proposed algorithm (POD ~ 93%) successfully detected most forest fires, while the others missed many small-scale forest fires (POD ~ 50–60%). More than half of the detected forest fires were detected within 10 min, which is a promising result when the operational real-time monitoring of forest fires using more advanced geostationary satellite sensor data (i.e., with higher spatial and temporal resolutions) is used for rapid response and management of forest fires.
Artificial Neural Network Application for Current Sensors Fault Detection in the Vector Controlled Induction Motor Drive
Authors: Dybkowski Mateusz , Klimkowski Kamil
Published: January 2019

This paper describes a Fault Tolerant Control structure for the Induction Motor (IM) drive. We analyzed the influence of current sensor faults on the properties of the vector-controlled IM drive system. As a control algorithm, the Direct Field Oriented Control structure was chosen. For the proper operation of this system and for other vector algorithms, information about the stator currents components is required. It is important to monitor and detect these sensor faults, especially in drives with an increased safety level. We discuss the possibility of the neural network application in detecting stator current sensor faults in the vector control algorithm. Simulation and experimental results for various drive conditions are presented.