bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Maize Residue Biochar Amendments on Soil Properties and Soil Loss on Acidic Hutton Soil
Authors: Nyambo Patrick , Taeni Thembalethu , Chiduza Cornelius , Araya Tesfay
Published: November 2018

Soil acidification is a serious challenge and a major cause of declining soil and crop productivity in the Eastern parts of South Africa (SA). An incubation experiment investigated effects of different maize residue biochar rates on selected soil properties and soil loss in acidic Hutton soils. Biochar amendment rates were 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% (soil weight) laid as a completely randomized design. Soil sampling was done on a 20-day interval for 140 days to give a 5 × 7 factorial experiment. Rainfall simulation was conducted at 60, 100 and 140 days after incubation to quantify soil loss. Relative to the control biochar amendments significantly improved soil physicochemical properties. After 140 days, biochar increased soil pH by between 0.34 to 1.51 points, soil organic carbon (SOC) by 2.2% to 2.34%, and microbial activity (MBC) by 496 to 1615 mg kg−1 compared to control. Soil aggregation (MWD) changes varied from 0.58 mm to 0.70 mm for the duration of the trial. Soil loss significantly decreased by 27% to 70% under biochar amendment compared to control. This indicates that maize residue biochar application has the potential to improve the soil properties and reduce soil loss in the degraded acidic Hutton soil.
Green Manuring Effect on Changes of Soil Nitrogen Fractions, Maize Growth, and Nutrient Uptake
Authors: Yang Lu , Bai Jinshun , Liu Jia , Zeng Naohua , Cao Weidong
Published: November 2018

Green manure is a promising, at least partial, substitution for chemical fertilizer in agriculture, especially for nitrogen (N), which in soil can be radically changed by exogenous input. However, it is not well understood how, after green manure incorporation, soil N changes coordinate with crop N uptake and consequently contribute to fertilizer reduction in a maize–green manure rotation. A four-year field study was performed consisting of (1) control, no fertilization; (2) F100, recommended inorganic fertilization alone; (3) G, green manure incorporation alone; (4) F70 + G (70% of F100 plus G); (5) F85 + G; and (6) F100 + G. The results show that treatments with 15–30% reduction of inorganic fertilizer (i.e., F70 + G and F85 + G) had similar grain yield, dry matter (DM) accumulation, and N uptake as F100 treatment. F100 + G maize had 17% greater DM and 15% more N uptake at maturity relative to F100. Of the five soil N fractions examined, dissolved organic N (DON) and mineral N (Nmin) explained over 70% of the variation of maize DM and N accumulation. Partial least squares path modeling further revealed that soil N fractions had positive indirect effects on DM production through N uptake, which might be coordinated with improved DON and Nmin status at both early and mid-late stages of maize growth. Overall, the results highlight enhanced maize production with reduced fertilizer inputs based on green manure incorporation in temperate regions.
Spread of an Experimental Salmonella Derby Infection in Antibiotic-Treated or Lawsonia intracellularis Vaccinated Piglets
Authors: Visscher Christian , Mischok Jasmin , Sander Saara , Verspohl Jutta , Peitzmeier Eva-Ursula , Von dem Busche Isabel , Kamphues Josef
Published: November 2018

Lawsonia intracellularis infections are a common reason for antibiotic treatment in pig production. Experimental studies in animals naturally infected with Lawsonia intracellularis comparing the course of an experimental Salmonella infection in piglets previously treated with tylosin or vaccinated against Lawsonia intracellularis are scarce. A total of 72 seven-week-old Salmonella-free pigs were taken from a herd with a Lawsonia intracellularis history in piglet rearing. The pigs were divided into two groups with three replicates each. Animals had either been previously treated with tylosin (10 mg/kg body weight) for seven days (AB+VAC−) or had been vaccinated as suckling pigs by drenching (Enterisol®Ileitis; AB−VAC+). Two animals per replicate were primarily infected with Salmonella Derby (1.04 × 108 colony-forming units per animal). The detection of Salmonella in faeces (p < 0.0001, odds ratio: 3.8364) and in the ileocaecal lymph nodes (p = 0.0295, odds ratio: 3.5043) was significantly more frequent in AB+VAC− animals. Overall, the odds ratio for detecting Salmonella in any substrate or organ was significantly higher in the AB+VAC− group animals (p = 0.0004, odds ratio: 5.9091). Treatment with tylosin can significantly increase the spread of a Salmonella infection, which is not observed after early Lawsonia intracellularis vaccination.
Production of a Novel Functional Fruit Beverage Consisting of Cornelian Cherry Juice and Probiotic Bacteria
Authors: Mantzourani Ioanna , Nouska Chryssa , Terpou Antonia , Alexopoulos Athanasios , Bezirtzoglou Eugenia , Panayiotidis Mihalis I. , Galanis Alexis , Plessas Stavros
Published: November 2018

The present study describes the development of a novel functional beverage through the application of probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) 14917 in Cornelian cherry juice fermentation. The probiotic was employed in free and immobilized in a delignified wheat bran carrier (DWB) form. Cornelian cherry juice was fermented for 24 h and then it was stored at 4 °C for 4 weeks. Several parameters were evaluated such as residual sugar, organic acid and alcohol levels, total phenolics content, and cell viability as well as consumers acceptance. Regarding sugar and organic acids analyses, it was proved that the probiotic free or immobilized biocatalyst was effective. The concentration of ethanol was maintained at low levels (0.3–0.9% v/v). The total phenolic content of fermented Cornelian cherry juice with immobilized cells was recorded in higher levels (214–264 mg GAE/100 mL) for all the cold storage time compared to fermented juice with free cells (165–199 mg GAE/100 mL) and non-fermented juice (135–169 mg GAE/100 mL). Immobilized cells retained their viability in higher levels (9.95 log cfu/mL at the 4th week) compared to free cells (7.36 log cfu/mL at the 4th week). No significant sensory differences were observed among the fermented and the non-fermented samples.
An Efficient Routing Protocol Using the History of Delivery Predictability in Opportunistic Networks
Authors: Lee Eun Hak , Seo Dong Yeong , Chung Yun Won
Published: November 2018

In opportunistic networks such as delay tolerant network, a message is delivered to a final destination node using the opportunistic routing protocol since there is no guaranteed routing path from a sending node to a receiving node and most of the connections between nodes are temporary. In opportunistic routing, a message is delivered using a ‘store-carry-forward’ strategy, where a message is stored in the buffer of a node, a node carries the message while moving, and the message is forwarded to another node when a contact occurs. In this paper, we propose an efficient opportunistic routing protocol using the history of delivery predictability of mobile nodes. In the proposed routing protocol, if a node receives a message from another node, the value of the delivery predictability of the receiving node to the destination node for the message is managed, which is defined as the previous delivery predictability. Then, when two nodes contact, a message is forwarded only if the delivery predictability of the other node is higher than both the delivery predictability and previous delivery predictability of the sending node. Performance analysis results show that the proposed protocol performs best, in terms of delivery ratio, overhead ratio, and delivery latency for varying buffer size, message generation interval, and the number of nodes.
An Improved Neural Network Cascade for Face Detection in Large Scene Surveillance
Authors: Peng Chengbin , Bu Wei , Xiao Jiangjian , Wong Ka-chun , Yang Minmin
Published: November 2018

Face detection for security cameras monitoring large and crowded areas is very important for public safety. However, it is much more difficult than traditional face detection tasks. One reason is, in large areas like squares, stations and stadiums, faces captured by cameras are usually at a low resolution and thus miss many facial details. In this paper, we improve popular cascade algorithms by proposing a novel multi-resolution framework that utilizes parallel convolutional neural network cascades for detecting faces in large scene. This framework utilizes the face and head-with-shoulder information together to deal with the large area surveillance images. Comparing with popular cascade algorithms, our method outperforms them by a large margin.
A Novel Approach for a Inverse Kinematics Solution of a Redundant Manipulator
Authors: Kelemen Michal , Virgala Ivan , Lipták Tomáš , Miková Ľubica , Filakovský Filip , Bulej Vladimír
Published: November 2018

Kinematically-redundant manipulators present considerable difficulties, especially from the view of control. A high number of degrees of freedom are used to control so-called secondary tasks in order to optimize manipulator motion. This paper introduces a new algorithm for the control of kinematically-redundant manipulator considering three secondary tasks, namely a joint limit avoidance task, a kinematic singularities avoidance task, and an obstacle avoidance task. For path planning of end-effector from start to goal point, the potential field method is used. The final inverse kinematic model is designed by a Jacobian-based method considering weight matrices in order to prioritize particular tasks. Our approach is based on the flexible behavior of priority value due to the acceleration of numerical simulation. The results of the simulations show the advantage of our approach, which results in a significant decrease of computing time.
The Effect of Ageing on Chemical and Mechanical Properties of Asphalt Mortar
Authors: Jing Ruxin , Liu Xueyan , Varveri Aikaterini , Scarpas Athanasios , Erkens Sandra
Published: November 2018

Asphalt mortar is a mixture of bitumen, filler, and sand. Mortar plays an important role in asphalt mixtures as it serves as the adhesive between the coarser aggregates. Due to the effect of bitumen ageing, the chemical and mechanical properties of asphalt mortar evolve with time. The mortar becomes more brittle and prone to cracking, thus leading to inferior pavement performance. In this study, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry was used to quantify changes in the chemical functional groups related to ageing and to calculate the carbonyl and sulfoxide indices. In addition, frequency sweep tests and uniaxial tension tests were performed by means of dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests to determine evolution of the stiffness and strength due to ageing. Two different oven ageing protocols were used to evaluate the effect of fine mineral particles on bitumen ageing. The protocols differed with respect to the order of ageing and mixing of the constituents. The results showed that both the chemical and mechanical properties of mortars significantly changed with ageing. Specifically, the carbonyl index, stiffness, and strength of the mortar increased. Under the same ageing conditions, a higher ageing level was observed for mortars produced by first mixing and then ageing compared to the mortars produced by mixing aged bitumen with filler and sand. This could be due to the presence of sand and filler particles, which resulted in an increased length of diffusion paths and consequently a slower ageing process.
The Alhambra: Transformation and Change through Architectural Ceramics
Authors: Díez Jorge María Elena , Maturana Ignacio Barrera , Díaz Nieves Jiménez
Published: November 2018

In the following paper, we look at the Alhambra from a perspective of architectural ceramics, an essential element in the understanding of the monument. From the Nasrid era onward, glazed ceramic tile mosaics were used to adorn the walls, a style that extended into the Christian conquest, when the palace complex was used as a royal residence. Since then, restoration work has continued to be carried out on the alicatados that cover the Alhambra’s walls, especially during an intense period in the 19th century, when it was the subject of much interest from Romantic travellers to Granada. A detailed, documented analysis of this work shows the complexity of the palace and fortress complex, helping us to better understand a part of its history. In the following pages, we specifically focus on one room in the Alhambra, the so-called Cuarto Dorado (Golden Room), outlining the preliminary findings of a research project that we are undertaking in association with the University of Granada and the Patronato de la Alhambra y el Generalife (Council of the Alhambra and the Generalife).
Impact of Snow Darkening by Deposition of Light-Absorbing Aerosols on Snow Cover in the Himalayas–Tibetan Plateau and Influence on the Asian Summer Monsoon: A Possible Mechanism for the Blanford Hypothesis
Authors: Lau William , Kim Kyu-Myong
Published: November 2018

The impact of snow darkening by deposition of light-absorbing aerosols (LAAs) on snow cover over the Himalayas–Tibetan Plateau (HTP) and the influence on the Asian summer monsoon were investigated using the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Model Version 5 (GEOS-5). The authors found that during April–May–June, the deposition of LAAs on snow led to a reduction in surface albedo, initiating a sequence of feedback processes, starting with increased net surface solar radiation, rapid snowmelt in the HTP and warming of the surface and upper troposphere, followed by enhanced low-level southwesterlies and increased dust loading over the Himalayas–Indo-Gangetic Plain. The warming was amplified by increased dust aerosol heating, and subsequently amplified by latent heating from enhanced precipitation over the Himalayan foothills and northern India, via the elevated heat pump (EHP) effect during June–July–August. The reduced snow cover in the HTP anchored the enhanced heating over the Tibetan Plateau and its southern slopes, in conjunction with an enhancement of the Tibetan Anticyclone, and the development of an anomalous Rossby wave train over East Asia, leading to a weakening of the subtropical westerly jet, and northward displacement and intensification of the Mei-Yu rain belt. The authors’ results suggest that the atmosphere-land heating induced by LAAs, particularly desert dust, plays a fundamental role in physical processes underpinning the snow–monsoon relationship proposed by Blanford more than a century ago.
An Investigation of Optically Very Thin Ice Clouds from Ground-Based ARM Raman Lidars
Authors: Balmes Kelly A. , Fu Qiang
Published: November 2018

Optically very thin ice clouds from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) and ground-based Raman lidars (RL) at the atmospheric radiation measurement (ARM) sites of the Southern Great Plains (SGP) and Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) are analyzed. The optically very thin ice clouds, with ice cloud column optical depths below 0.01, are about 23% of the transparent ice-cloudy profiles from the RL, compared to 4–7% from CALIPSO. The majority (66–76%) of optically very thin ice clouds from the RLs are found to be adjacent to ice clouds with ice cloud column optical depths greater than 0.01. The temporal structure of RL-observed optically very thin ice clouds indicates a clear sky–cloud continuum. Global cloudiness estimates from CALIPSO observations leveraged with high-sensitivity RL observations suggest that CALIPSO may underestimate the global cloud fraction when considering optically very thin ice clouds.
Determination of Vitamin B2 Content in Black, Green, Sage, and Rosemary Tea Infusions by Capillary Electrophoresis with Laser-Induced Fluorescence Detection
Authors: Tezcan Filiz , Erim F. Bedia
Published: November 2018

Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin (RF) is an essential micronutrient for human health and must be obtained from dietary sources. Plants biosynthesize riboflavin and are important dietary sources of vitamin B2 for humans. Our present study reports sensitive detection of vitamin B2 in widely consumed tea infusions, namely black, green, sage and rosemary tea infusions, by a capillary electrophoresis method combined with laser induced fluorescence detection. Moreover, the correlation between the vitamin B2 content of tea plants with their total phenolics (TPs) and antioxidant capacity are evaluated in this study. Whereas green teas have the highest TPs and antioxidant capacity, the highest RF content is in sage infusions. The RF content ranged between 0.34 and 10.36 µg/g for all tea samples studied. Comparing the RF content of tea samples found in this study to the RF content of known RF sources, tea infusions are proposed as important dietary sources of vitamin B2.
CRISPR/Cas9 for Cancer Therapy: Hopes and Challenges
Authors: Martinez-Lage Marta , Puig-Serra Pilar , Menendez Pablo , Torres-Ruiz Raul , Rodriguez-Perales Sandra
Published: November 2018

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and remains a major economic and social burden. Although our understanding of cancer at the molecular level continues to improve, more effort is needed to develop new therapeutic tools and approaches exploiting these advances. Because of its high efficiency and accuracy, the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technique has recently emerged as a potentially powerful tool in the arsenal of cancer therapy. Among its many applications, CRISPR-Cas9 has shown an unprecedented clinical potential to discover novel targets for cancer therapy and to dissect chemical-genetic interactions, providing insight into how tumours respond to drug treatment. Moreover, CRISPR-Cas9 can be employed to rapidly engineer immune cells and oncolytic viruses for cancer immunotherapeutic applications. Perhaps more importantly, the ability of CRISPR-Cas9 to accurately edit genes, not only in cell culture models and model organisms but also in humans, allows its use in therapeutic explorations. In this review, we discuss important considerations for the use of CRISPR/Cas9 in therapeutic settings and major challenges that will need to be addressed prior to its clinical translation for a complex and polygenic disease such as cancer.
Metal Oxide Nanoparticle Based Electrochemical Sensor for Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) Detection in Wine Samples
Authors: Tortolini Cristina , Bollella Paolo , Zumpano Rosaceleste , Favero Gabriele , Mazzei Franco , Antiochia Riccarda
Published: November 2018

A single-use electrochemical screen-printed electrode is reported based on biomimetic properties of nanoceria particles (CeNPs). The developed tool showed an easy approach compared to the classical spectrophotometric methods reported in literature in terms of ease of use, cost, portability, and unnecessary secondary reagents. The sensor allowed the detection of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in wine samples. The sensor has been optimized and characterized electrochemically and then tested with antioxidant compounds occurred in wine samples. The electrochemical CeNPs modified sensor has been used for detection of TAC in white and red commercial wines and the data compared to the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS)-based spectrophotometric method. Finally, the obtained results have demonstrated that the proposed sensor was suitable for the simple and quick evaluation of TAC in beverage samples.
Social Disadvantage, Maternal Psychological Distress, and Difficulties in Children’s Social-Emotional Well-Being
Authors: Noonan Robert J. , Fairclough Stuart J.
Published: November 2018

This study used data from wave four of the United Kingdom (U.K.) Millennium Cohort Study to examine whether there is an individual (i.e., maternal education) and area-level social disadvantage (i.e., neighborhood deprivation) gradient to difficulties in social-emotional well-being (SEW) in 7-year-old English children. We then investigated to what extent maternal psychological distress (Kessler 6 score) explains the relationship between social disadvantage indicators and boys’ and girls’ SEW difficulties. Subjects consisted of 3661 child–mother dyads (1804 boys and 1857 girls). Results discerned gender differences in the effect social disadvantage indicators have on child SEW difficulties. Maternal education had a comparable effect on boys’ and girls’ SEW difficulties, but a steeper neighborhood deprivation gradient was evident for boys’ SEW difficulties compared to girls’ SEW difficulties. The effect of each social disadvantage indicator on boys’ and girls’ SEW difficulties was for most part direct and strong (p ≤ 0.001) rather than through maternal psychological distress, suggesting that the theoretical framework was incomplete. Here we demonstrate that where children are positioned on the social disadvantage gradient matters greatly to their SEW. Improving the living conditions and health of mothers with psychological distress may offer a pathway to improve child SEW.
Identification and Assessment of Uncertainty Factors that Influence the Transaction Cost in Public Sector Construction Projects in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Zaigham , Zhu Fangwei , Hussain Shahid
Published: November 2018

Like other kinds of projects, construction projects are exposed to uncertainty, which plays a critical role in determining the transaction cost (TC). This study explores the uncertainty factors that are associated with construction projects that substantially influence the TC. To obtain the opinions of construction professionals, a survey questionnaire was developed after identifying 30 relevant causes of uncertainty from the literature. A survey of 216 professionals was conducted in Pakistan, and the relative importance index (RII) was used to prioritize the significant uncertainty factors that escalate the TC. Based on the responses from various construction professionals, this study determined that the most significant uncertainty factors that influence TC are: competitive tendering, incomplete design and specifications, late payments, conflict management, delayed possession of sites, force majeure, and work acceleration. This study also compared and analyzed the views of project managers and consultants and found that uncertainty from internal sources has a more significant influence on TC than that from external sources. The political and environmental groups do not contribute much escalating the TC. However, uncertainties that arise from the commercial, project site, and technical groups are more of an influence on TC. This research helps practitioners and professionals to adopt integrative systems in most uncertain situations proactively to find opportunities in volatile markets to reduce the impact of uncertainty on the total project cost.
Image Post-Processing Method for Quantification of Cracking in RC Precast Beams under Bending
Authors: Albareda-Valls Albert , Bustos Herrera Alejandra , Zamora Mestre Joan , Zaribaf Saeid
Published: November 2018

Image processing methods are increasingly used in civil engineering, especially in the maintenance of concrete structures. Current digital cameras and post-processing methods allow verifying qualitatively the state of conservation of wide areas of concrete in dams and bridges. When dealing with building refurbishments and rehabilitation, it is important to verify that existing structural elements fit the requirements of the standards; in the case of structures formed by traditional RC joists, cracking of the bottom-face provides information about the serviceability of these elements. This research proposed and put in practice through experimental tests an image post-processing method for quantification of cracking (five specimens were used and calibrated). Based on a sequence of shots and through a complex step-by-step post-processing, cracks were identified and measured to calibrate this method for real purposes. The method quantifies the crack opening width and spacing by analyzing the bottom-face of the joists through the shots. Measured values of crack spacing are very similar to those predicted by the standards, while the values of crack opening width differ more from theoretical ones due to the scattering of results. However, the proposed method has been proved as suitable and useful for fast inspections of RC elements under bending.
Catalytic Hydroisomerization of Long-Chain Hydrocarbons for the Production of Fuels
Authors: Mäki-Arvela Päivi , Kaka khel Taimoor A. , Azkaar Muhammad , Engblom Simon , Murzin Dmitry Yu.
Published: November 2018

Hydroisomerization of long chain paraffins for the production of branched alkanes has recently been intensively studied due to a large availability of these compounds. The most interesting research topics have been the development of novel bifunctional catalysts to maximize the yield of isomers and to suppress the cracking reactions. Since both of these reactions are catalyzed by Brønsted acid sites, the optimum catalyst exhibits equal amounts of metal and acid sites, and it facilitates rapid mass transfer. Thus, several hierarchical and nano-shaped zeolites have been developed, in addition to composite catalysts containing both micro- and mesoporous phases. In addition to catalyst development, the effect of the reactant structure, optimal reaction conditions, catalyst stability and comparison of batch vs continuous operations have been made.
Experimental Study on Catalytic Combustion of Methane in a Microcombustor with Metal Foam Monolithic Catalyst
Authors: Li Yanxia , Luo Chaoming , Liu Zhongliang , Lin Feng
Published: November 2018

Utilizing catalysts in microcombustors is probably an excellent practical solution to stabilize fuel combustion because of the relatively fast reaction speed. In the present work, the monolithic catalyst Pd/A2O3/Fe-Ni with metal foam as matrix was used inside a 5 mm in diameter microcombustor. Then the effects of inlet velocity and equivalent ratio on catalytic combustion characteristics of methane were studied experimentally. The results showed that the methane and air mixture with the stoichiometric ratio Φ = 1.0 could be ignited at v = 0.2–0.6 m/s. The velocity of premixed mixture had a great influence on the catalytic combustion of methane. The larger the inlet velocity, the higher the temperature and the brighter the flame were. The experiment results also showed that the equivalence ratio had a large essential impact on the catalytic combustion, especially for the lean mixture of methane and air. It seemed the addition of the porous matrix with catalysts could significantly extend the limits of stable combustion. In the detection of exhaust gas, CO selectivity increased and CO2 selectivity decreased with the equivalence ratio. When Φ was between 0.94 and 1.0 m/s, a little amount of hydrogen was produced due to the lack of oxygen. The measured conversion of methane to CO and CO2 was very high, usually greater than 99%, which indicated the excellent performance of the catalyst.
Homogeneous Catalysis and Mechanisms in Water and Biphasic Media
Authors: Gonsalvi Luca
Published: November 2018

After its discovery in the early 1980s and successful application on an industrial scale (Ruhrchemie/Rhone-Poulenc process) [...]
Aquaporins: More Than Functional Monomers in a Tetrameric Arrangement
Authors: Ozu Marcelo , Galizia Luciano , Acuña Cynthia , Amodeo Gabriela
Published: November 2018

Aquaporins (AQPs) function as tetrameric structures in which each monomer has its own permeable pathway. The combination of structural biology, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental approaches has contributed to improve our knowledge of how protein conformational changes can challenge its transport capacity, rapidly altering the membrane permeability. This review is focused on evidence that highlights the functional relationship between the monomers and the tetramer. In this sense, we address AQP permeation capacity as well as regulatory mechanisms that affect the monomer, the tetramer, or tetramers combined in complex structures. We therefore explore: (i) water permeation and recent evidence on ion permeation, including the permeation pathway controversy—each monomer versus the central pore of the tetramer—and (ii) regulatory mechanisms that cannot be attributed to independent monomers. In particular, we discuss channel gating and AQPs that sense membrane tension. For the latter we propose a possible mechanism that includes the monomer (slight changes of pore shape, the number of possible H-bonds between water molecules and pore-lining residues) and the tetramer (interactions among monomers and a positive cooperative effect).
Experimental Investigation of the Gas/Liquid Phase Separation Using a Membrane-Based Micro Contactor
Authors: Dyrda Kay Marcel , Wilke Vincent , Haas-Santo Katja , Dittmeyer Roland
Published: November 2018

The gas/liquid phase separation of CO2 from a water-methanol solution at the anode side of a µDirect-Methanol-Fuel-Cell (µDMFC) plays a key role in the overall performance of fuel cells. This point is of particular importance if the µDMFC is based on a “Lab-on-a-Chip” design with transient working behaviour, as well as with a recycling and a recovery system for unused fuel. By integrating a membrane-based micro contactor downstream into the µDMFC, the efficient removal of CO2 from a water-methanol solution is possible. In this work, a systematic study of the separation process regarding gas permeability with and without two-phase flow is presented. By considering the µDMFC working behaviour, an improvement of the overall separation performance is pursued. In general, the gas/liquid phase separation is achieved by (1) using a combination of the pressure gradient as a driving force, and (2) capillary forces in the pores of the membrane acting as a transport barrier depending on the nature of it (hydrophilic/hydrophobic). Additionally, the separation efficiency, pressure gradient, orientation, liquid loss, and active membrane area for different feed inlet temperatures and methanol concentrations are investigated to obtain an insight into the separation process at transient working conditions of the µDMFC.
A Rare Pediatric Case of Severe Bird Fancier’s Lung Presented with Viral Pneumonitis-Like Picture
Authors: Habra Basel , AbdulWahab Atqah
Published: November 2018

Bird Fancier’s Lung (BFL) is a rare, nonatopic immunologic response to repeated or intense inhalation of avian (bird) proteins/antigens found in the feathers or droppings of many species of birds, which leads to an immune-mediated inflammatory reaction in the respiratory system. Although this is the most common type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) reported in adults, it is one of the classifications of a rare subtype of interstitial lung disease that occurs in the pediatric age group of which few case reports are available in the literature. The pathophysiology of HP is complex; numerous organic and inorganic antigens can cause immune dysregulation, leading to an immune-related antigen–antibody response (immunoglobulin G—IgG- against the offending antigen). Diagnosing BFL in the pediatric age group is challenging due to the history of exposure usually being missed by health care providers, symptoms and clinical findings in such cases being nonspecific and often misdiagnosed during the acute illness with other common diseases such asthma or acute viral lower respiratory tract infection, and the lack of standardization of criteria for diagnosing such a condition or sensitive radiological or laboratory tests. Treatment, on the other hand, is also controversial. Avoidance of the offending antigen could be the sole or most important part of treatment, particularly in acute mild and moderate cases. Untreated cases can result in irreversible lung fibrosis. In this case report, we highlight how children presenting with an acute viral lower respiratory tract infection can overlap with the acute/subacute phase of HP. Early intervention with pulse steroids markedly improves the patient’s clinical course.
Synthesis and Properties of SBA-15 Modified with Non-Noble Metals
Authors: Kosmulski Marek , Mączka Edward , Ruchomski Leszek
Published: November 2018

Modification of SBA-15 with non-noble metal leads to functional materials, which can be applied as gas sensors, adsorbents, and catalysts of various reactions. The new materials contain up to four various metals, which are deposited consecutively or simultaneously at various concentrations ranging from a fraction of 1% to an amount that is comparable with the mass of silica-support. These materials contain metals at various oxidation levels, usually as oxides, which occur in crystalline form (a typical crystallite size of about 10 nm matches the width of the SBA-15 channels), but in a few other materials, crystalline metal compounds have not been detected. Many researchers have provided detailed physico- chemical characteristics of SBA-15 modified with non-noble metals by the means of various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques.
The Role of Dimensionality in Understanding Granuloma Formation
Authors: Marino Simeone , Hult Caitlin , Wolberg Paul , Linderman Jennifer J. , Kirschner Denise E.
Published: November 2018

Within the first 2–3 months of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, 2–4 mm spherical structures called granulomas develop in the lungs of the infected hosts. These are the hallmark of tuberculosis (TB) infection in humans and non-human primates. A cascade of immunological events occurs in the first 3 months of granuloma formation that likely shapes the outcome of the infection. Understanding the main mechanisms driving granuloma development and function is key to generating treatments and vaccines. In vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies have been performed in the past decades to address the complexity of granuloma dynamics. This study builds on our previous 2D spatio-temporal hybrid computational model of granuloma formation in TB (GranSim) and presents for the first time a more realistic 3D implementation. We use uncertainty and sensitivity analysis techniques to calibrate the new 3D resolution to non-human primate (NHP) experimental data on bacterial levels per granuloma during the first 100 days post infection. Due to the large computational cost associated with running a 3D agent-based model, our major goal is to assess to what extent 2D and 3D simulations differ in predictions for TB granulomas and what can be learned in the context of 3D that is missed in 2D. Our findings suggest that in terms of major mechanisms driving bacterial burden, 2D and 3D models return very similar results. For example, Mtb growth rates and molecular regulation mechanisms are very important both in 2D and 3D, as are cellular movement and modulation of cell recruitment. The main difference we found was that the 3D model is less affected by crowding when cellular recruitment and movement of cells are increased. Overall, we conclude that the use of a 2D resolution in GranSim is warranted when large scale pilot runs are to be performed and if the goal is to determine major mechanisms driving infection outcome (e.g., bacterial load). To comprehensively compare the roles of model dimensionality, further tests and experimental data will be needed to expand our conclusions to molecular scale dynamics and multi-scale resolutions.
Evaluation of the Transepidermal Penetration of a Carnosine Complex in Gel Formulation by 3D Skin Models
Authors: Dissette Valeria , Bignozzi Carlo Alberto , Valacchi Giuseppe , Pecorelli Alessandra , Manfredini Stefano , Vertuani Silvia
Published: November 2018

Carnosine has several physiological roles, from intracellular pH buffering to antioxidant activities, which all depend on bioavailability. This study was conducted in a human skin 3D model and focuses on the effects of the topical delivery of carnosine, from a dermo-cosmetic gel, through the stratum corneum in the presence of a magnesium ion as a complexing agent. To evaluate possible enhancement for small peptide delivery to the skin from simple cosmetic formulations, we discovered that complexation was able to improve the delivery of carnosine into human skin 3D models by application in gel formulation. The concentrations of carnosine released in the underlying media and those that remained in the reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) tissues after 24 and 48 h exposure were measured. Moreover, the influence of magnesium ions was also evaluated comparing the same formulation with and without the salt. The results obtained in this study support hypothesis that magnesium can influence the delivery of small peptides and that the gel formulation based on the carnosine-magnesium complex allows for superior delivery of carnosine in the lower skin layer at a concentration up to 60% more than carnosine alone.
Clinical Characteristics of Nursing- and Healthcare-Associated Tuberculosis
Authors: Suzuki Toshitaka , Kato Tatsuo , Ohnishi Ryoko , Yasuda Shigeo , Sano Kimiyasu , Shirakami Yohei , Shimizu Masahito , Murakami Nobuo
Published: November 2018

Tuberculosis remains a serious health problem worldwide. Patients with tuberculosis who also require nursing care due to aging and underlying diseases are considered to have a high mortality rate; however, there are few studies describing detailed examinations of such disease conditions. Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate differences in clinical features of elderly tuberculosis patients according to the levels of nursing and healthcare required. Design: The study participants included 146 elderly (≥65 years) patients diagnosed with active tuberculosis among patients hospitalized with tuberculosis at a single center. The patients were classified into two groups: a nursing- and healthcare-associated tuberculosis group (n = 71) and a community-acquired tuberculosis group (n = 75). Results: The nursing- and healthcare-associated tuberculosis patients were older and had a higher frequency of comorbidities compared with the community-acquired tuberculosis group. Patients in the nursing- and healthcare-associated tuberculosis group had markedly lower levels of serum albumin and hemoglobin, and higher levels of C-reactive protein. The rate of in-hospital death was significantly higher in the nursing- and healthcare-associated tuberculosis group. This was attributed to malnutrition and comorbid conditions rather than the severity of tuberculosis. Conclusion: The prognosis was poor in elderly tuberculosis patients receiving nursing and healthcare.
Quantitative Assessment of Landslide Susceptibility Comparing Statistical Index, Index of Entropy, and Weights of Evidence in the Shangnan Area, China
Authors: Liu Jie , Duan Zhao
Published: November 2018

In this study, a comparative analysis of the statistical index (SI), index of entropy (IOE) and weights of evidence (WOE) models was introduced to landslide susceptibility mapping, and the performance of the three models was validated and systematically compared. As one of the most landslide-prone areas in Shaanxi Province, China, Shangnan County was selected as the study area. Firstly, a series of reports, remote sensing images and geological maps were collected, and field surveys were carried out to prepare a landslide inventory map. A total of 348 landslides were identified in study area, and they were reclassified as a training dataset (70% = 244 landslides) and testing dataset (30% = 104 landslides) by random selection. Thirteen conditioning factors were then employed. Corresponding thematic data layers and landslide susceptibility maps were generated based on ArcGIS software. Finally, the area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated for the training dataset and the testing dataset in order to validate and compare the performance of the three models. For the training dataset, the AUC plots showed that the WOE model had the highest accuracy rate of 76.05%, followed by the SI model (74.67%) and the IOE model (71.12%). In the case of the testing dataset, the prediction accuracy rates for the SI, IOE and WOE models were 73.75%, 63.89%, and 75.10%, respectively. It can be concluded that the WOE model had the best prediction capacity for landslide susceptibility mapping in Shangnan County. The landslide susceptibility map produced by the WOE model had a profound geological and engineering significance in terms of landslide hazard prevention and control in the study area and other similar areas.
Observations of Vocabulary Activities during Second- and Third-Grade Reading Lessons
Authors: Sparapani Nicole , Carlisle Joanne F. , Connor Carol McDonald
Published: November 2018

Vocabulary instruction is a critical component of language and literacy lessons, yet few studies have examined the nature and extent of vocabulary activities in early elementary classrooms. We explored vocabulary activities during reading lessons using video observations in a sample of 2nd- and 3rd-grade students (n = 228) and their teachers (n = 38). Teachers spent more time in vocabulary activities than has been previously observed. In the fall, 28% of their literacy block was devoted to vocabulary in 2nd grade and 38% in 3rd grade. Our findings suggest that vocabulary activities were most likely to take place prior to reading a text—teachers rarely followed-up initial vocabulary activities after text reading. Analysis of teachers’ discourse moves showed more instructional comments and short-answer questions than other moves; students most frequently engaged in participating talk, such as providing short, simple answers to questions. Students engaged in significantly more talk during vocabulary activities (including generative talk such as initiating an idea) in the spring of 3rd grade than the spring of 2rd grade. These data contribute descriptive information about how teachers engage their students in vocabulary learning during the early elementary years. We discuss implications for practice and future research directions.
Protection Schemes of Meshed Distribution Networks for Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles
Authors: Lazarou Stavros , Vita Vasiliki , Ekonomou Lambros
Published: November 2018

This paper reviews protection schemes for meshed distribution networks. It gives emphasis to the increasing penetration of electric vehicles, their charging patterns, and to the increasing value of distributed generators, especially from renewables. It includes a preliminary analysis on system planning with electric vehicles that is studied probabilistically and a more detailed analysis of the expected changes introduced by these new loads. Finally, a real time hardware-in-the-loop review analysis for protection systems and the open source networks available for protection studies from several sources are also provided. This work could be useful as a collective review of the recent bibliography on protection for meshed networks, giving emphasis to electric vehicles and their real time simulation.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Measurement of Oil and Water Distributions in Spontaneous Imbibition Process in Tight Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Nie Xiangrong , Chen Junbin
Published: November 2018

Spontaneous imbibition of water into tight oil reservoirs is considered an effective way to improve tight oil recovery. We have combined testing techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance, mercury injection capillary pressure, and magnetic resonance imaging to reveal the distribution characteristics of oil and water during the spontaneous imbibition process of tight sandstone reservoir. The experimental results were used to describe the dynamic process of oil–water distribution at the microscopic scale. The water phase is absorbed into the core sample by micropores and mesopores under capillary forces that dry away the original oil phase into the hydraulically connected macropores. The oil phase entering the macropores will drive away the oil in place and expel the original oil from the macropores. The results of magnetic resonance imaging clearly show that the remaining oil accumulates in the central region of the core because a large amount of water is absorbed in the late stage of spontaneous imbibition, and the water in the pores gradually connects to form a “water shield” that blocks the flow of the oil phase. We propose the spontaneous imbibition pathway, which can effectively explain the internal mechanisms controlling the spontaneous imbibition rate. The surface of the core tends to form many spontaneous imbibition pathways, so the rate of spontaneous imbibition is fast. The deep core does not easily form many spontaneous imbibition pathways, so the rate of spontaneous imbibition is slow. This paper reveals the pore characteristics and distribution of oil and water during the spontaneous imbibition process, which is of significance for the efficient development of tight oil.
Numerical Study of Flow Maldistribution in Multi-Plate Heat Exchangers Based on Robust 2D Model
Authors: Brenk Arkadiusz , Pluszka Pawel , Malecha Ziemowit
Published: November 2018

Plate heat exchangers (PHE) are characterized by high heat transfer efficiency and compactness. An exploitation problem of the PHE is related to flow maldistribution, which can make part of the PHE idle, resulting in overheating and damage. Making geometrical modifications to the PHE can help reduce flow maldistribution. Modifications should be kept to a minimum, so as not to complicate the production process. There is a large number of possible geometrical modifications, which simply considers additional obstacles or stream dividers. To test all of them would be impractical and would also take a prohibitively long amount of time to obtain experimental measurements. A typical PHE is characterized by a complex system of channels. Making numerical calculations of its 3D model can be prohibitively time and resource-consuming. The present work introduces a physically consistent methodology of the transformation of a real 3D geometry to its 2D representation. Its main novelty is to assure the same pressure drop balance remains between the 3D and 2D geometries. This is achieved by a preservation of the same cumulative pressure losses in both geometries. The proposed innovative approach levels the pressure balance difference by adding properly designed local geometrical modifications. The developed methodology allowed a wide range of parameter space and various geometrical modifications to be investigated, and revealed geometrical optimizations leading to the improved performance of the PHE. To minimize the influence of other factors, an incompressible and single-phase flow was studied.
Mild Hydrothermal Liquefaction of High Water Content Agricultural Residue for Bio-Crude Oil Production: A Parametric Study
Authors: Zhang Yongsheng , Minaret Jamie , Yuan Zhongshun , Dutta Animesh , Xu Chunbao (Charles)
Published: November 2018

Depleting petroleum reserves together with the associated environmental concerns have intensified the exploration of alternatives to petroleum. Wet food processing wastes present promising bioresources for liquid fuel production via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) followed by additional upgrading. In this study, tomato plant waste (TPW) was utilized as a feedstock for the production of bio-crude oils via HTL at medium-temperature (220–280 °C) in water or a water–ethanol (17/3, v/v) medium in a 600 mL autoclave reactor. Effects of various operating parameters, such as catalysts (H2SO4 or KOH), reaction time (15–60 min) and reaction temperature (220–280 °C) on product yields were investigated. This study showed that a high yield (45.1 wt%) of bio-crude oil was achieved from HTL of TPW in water–ethanol medium at 250 °C in the presence of acid catalyst H2SO4. The oil, gas and solid residue (SR) products were analyzed for their chemical and structural properties.