bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regional Inhaled Deposited Dose of Indoor Combustion-Generated Aerosols in Jordanian Urban Homes
Authors: Hussein Tareq , Boor Brandon E. , Löndahl Jakob
Published: October 2020

Indoor combustion processes associated with cooking, heating, and smoking are a major source of aerosols in Jordanian dwellings. To evaluate human exposure to combustion-generated aerosols in Jordanian indoor environments, regional inhaled deposited dose rates of indoor aerosols (10 nm to 25 µm) were determined for different scenarios for adult occupants. The inhaled deposited dose rate provides an estimate of the number or mass of inhaled aerosol that deposits in each region of the respiratory system per unit time. In general, sub-micron particle number (PN1) dose rates ranged from 109 to 1012 particles/h, fine particle mass (PM2.5) dose rates ranged from 3 to 216 µg/h, and coarse particle mass (PM10) dose rates ranged from 30 to 1600 µg/h. Dose rates were found to be dependent on the type and intensity of indoor combustion processes documented in the home. Dose rates were highest during cooking activities using a natural gas stove, heating via natural gas and kerosene, and smoking (shisha/tobacco). The relative fraction of the total dose rate received in the head airways, tracheobronchial, and alveolar regions varied among the documented indoor combustion (and non-combustion) activities. The significant fraction of sub-100 nm particles produced during the indoor combustion processes resulted in high particle number dose rates for the alveolar region. Suggested approaches for reducing indoor aerosol dose rates in Jordanian dwellings include a reduction in the prevalence of indoor combustion sources, use of extraction hoods to remove combustion products, and improved ventilation/filtration in residential buildings.
An Update on the Status of Mean Sea Level Rise around the Korean Peninsula
Authors: Watson Phil J. , Lim Hak-Soo
Published: October 2020

The threat of sea level rise to the heavily populated Korean Peninsula, which contains around 15,000 km of coastline bordering open sea margins, has profound and far reaching implications. This study updates and extends previous detailed studies with the addition of a further 2 years of data to the end of 2019, providing renewed robustness to the identification of emerging threats associated with sea level rise within the warming sea margins around the Korean Peninsula. The study analyzes tide gauge records and satellite altimetry around the Republic of Korea using enhanced time series analysis techniques to detect coastal vertical land motion and current rates of rise in mean sea level to augment planning, design and risk management activities. Despite fluctuations over time at each site, the highest “relative” mean sea level at each of the seven longest tide gauge records occurs in 2019, with weak evidence of an acceleration in the increase in mean sea level around the Republic of Korea. Trends in sea surface height from satellite altimetry across this region note two discreet areas east and west of the Korean Peninsula around 37.5° N (around Ulleungdo Island and in the Gyeonggi Bay region of the Yellow Sea), where rates of rise are well above the global average trend.
Research and Application of Information Model of a Lithium Ion Battery Intelligent Manufacturing Workshop Based on OPC UA
Authors: Han Youjun , Hu Yueming , Wang Yaqing , Jia Gang , Ge Chengjie , Zhang Chunjie , Huang Xuejie
Published: October 2020

Automation equipment with different functions from different manufacturers is common in lithium ion battery manufacturing workshops, which is manifested as heterogeneous data distributed at different network levels at the information level. The interconnection between a workshop system and equipment is the basis for realizing manufacturing informatization and intelligence, and is a core problem of intelligent manufacturing workshop integration. The key to solve this problem is to establish a standardized and consistent information model. Aiming at the problem of information interconnection, this paper established an information model of the intelligent manufacturing workshop of lithium ion batteries based on the analysis of the architecture, functional categories, and information interaction of the intelligent manufacturing workshop. Then, by clarifying the attribute set, component set, and the information objects contained in each information model, the hierarchical architecture of the information model was constructed. Then, the rules that map the information model in to the OLE for Process Control Unified Architecture (OPC UA) address space is established. The approach for implementing data storage and interaction of the information model based on the OPC UA server/client are also discussed. Finally, taking the soft-pack battery manufacturing workshop as an example, the information model is applied to realize the interconnection and interoperability of production management data, material management data, equipment management data, and quality management data among various levels of the workshop, which verifies the feasibility of the proposed information model.
Combinatorial Metabolic Engineering in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the Enhanced Production of the FPP-Derived Sesquiterpene Germacrene
Authors: Bröker Jan Niklas , Müller Boje , Prüfer Dirk , Schulze Gronover Christian
Published: October 2020

Farnesyl diphosphate (FPP)-derived isoprenoids represent a diverse group of plant secondary metabolites with great economic potential. To enable their efficient production in the heterologous host Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we refined a metabolic engineering strategy using the CRISPR/Cas9 system with the aim of increasing the availability of FPP for downstream reactions. The strategy included the overexpression of mevalonate pathway (MVA) genes, the redirection of metabolic flux towards desired product formation and the knockout of genes responsible for competitive reactions. Following the optimisation of culture conditions, the availability of the improved FPP biosynthesis for downstream reactions was demonstrated by the expression of a germacrene synthase from dandelion. Subsequently, biosynthesis of significant amounts of germacrene-A was observed in the most productive strain compared to the wild type. Thus, the presented strategy is an excellent tool to increase FPP-derived isoprenoid biosynthesis in yeast.
Evidence of Modular Responsiveness of Osteoblast-Like Cells Exposed to Hydroxyapatite-Containing Magnetic Nanostructures
Authors: Scialla Stefania , Palazzo Barbara , Sannino Alessandro , Verri Tiziano , Gervaso Francesca , Barca Amilcare
Published: October 2020

The development of nanocomposites with tailored physical–chemical properties, such as nanoparticles containing magnetic iron oxides for manipulating cellular events at distance, implies exciting prospects in biomedical applications for bone tissue regeneration. In this context, this study aims to emphasize the occurrence of differential responsiveness in osteoblast-like cells to different nanocomposites with diverse features: dextran-grafted iron oxide (DM) nanoparticles and their hybrid nano-hydroxyapatite (DM/n-HA) counterpart. Here, responsiveness of cells in the presence of DMs or DM/n-HAs was evaluated in terms of cytoskeletal features. We observed that effects triggered by the DM are no more retained when DM is embedded onto the DM/n-HA nanocomposites. Also, analysis of mRNA level variations of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK), P53 and SLC11A2/DMT1 human genes showed that the DM/n-HA-treated cells retain tracts of physiological responsiveness compared to the DM-treated cells. Overall, a shielding effect by the n-HA component can be assumed, masking the DM’s cytotoxic potential, also hinting a modular biomimicry of the nanocomposites respect to the physiological responses of osteoblast-like cells. In this view, the biocompatibility of n-HA together with the magnetic responsiveness of DMs represent an optimized combination of structural with functional features of the DM/n-HA nano-tools for bone tissue engineering, for finely acting within physiological ranges.
Stability Evaluation and Degradation Studies of DAC® Hyaluronic-Polylactide Based Hydrogel by DOSY NMR Spectroscopy
Authors: Guzzo Tatiana , Barile Fabio , Marras Cecilia , Bellini Davide , Mandaliti Walter , Nepravishta Ridvan , Paci Maurizio , Topai Alessandra
Published: October 2020

The stability and the degradation of polymers in physiological conditions are very important issues in biomedical applications. The copolymer of hyaluronic acid and poly-D,L-lactic acid (made available in a product called DAC®) produces a hydrogel which retains the hydrophobic character of the poly-D,L-lactide sidechains and the hydrophilic character of a hyaluronic acid backbone. This hydrogel is a suitable device for the coating of orthopedic implants with structured surfaces. In fact, this gel creates a temporary barrier to bacterial adhesion by inhibiting colonization, thus preventing the formation of the biofilm and the onset of an infection. Reabsorbed in about 72 h after the implant, this hydrogel does not hinder bone growth processes. In the need to assess stability and degradation of both the hyaluronan backbone and of the polylactic chains along time and temperature, we identified NMR spectroscopy as a privileged technique for the characterization of the released species, and we applied diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY-NMR) for the investigation of molecular weight dispersion. Our diffusion studies of DAC® in physiological conditions provided a full understanding of the product degradation by overcoming the limitations observed in applying classical chromatography approaches by gel permeation UV.
Modulation of Small RNA Signatures in Schwann-Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles by the p75 Neurotrophin Receptor and Sortilin
Authors: Gonçalves Nádia P. , Yan Yan , Ulrichsen Maj , Venø Morten T. , Poulsen Ebbe T. , Enghild Jan J. , Kjems Jørgen , Vægter Christian B.
Published: October 2020

Schwann cells (SCs) are the main glial cells of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and are known to be involved in various pathophysiological processes, such as diabetic neuropathy and nerve regeneration, through neurotrophin signaling. Such glial trophic support to axons, as well as neuronal survival/death signaling, has previously been linked to the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) and its co-receptor Sortilin. Recently, SC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) were shown to be important for axon growth and nerve regeneration, but cargo of these glial cell-derived EVs has not yet been well-characterized. In this study, we aimed to characterize signatures of small RNAs in EVs derived from wild-type (WT) SCs and define differentially expressed small RNAs in EVs derived from SCs with genetic deletions of p75NTR (Ngfr−/−) or Sortilin (Sort1−/−). Using RNA sequencing, we identified a total of 366 miRNAs in EVs derived from WT SCs of which the most highly expressed are linked to the regulation of axonogenesis, axon guidance and axon extension, suggesting an involvement of SC EVs in axonal homeostasis. Signaling of SC EVs to non-neuronal cells was also suggested by the presence of several miRNAs important for regulation of the endothelial cell apoptotic process. Ablated p75NTR or sortilin expression in SCs translated into a set of differentially regulated tRNAs and miRNAs, with impact in autophagy and several cellular signaling pathways such as the phosphatidylinositol signaling system. With this work, we identified the global expression profile of small RNAs present in SC-derived EVs and provided evidence for a regulatory function of these vesicles on the homeostasis of other cell types of the PNS. Differentially identified miRNAs can pave the way to a better understanding of p75NTR and sortilin roles regarding PNS homeostasis and disease.
Design and Analysis of a Variable Inertia Spatial Robotic Tail for Dynamic Stabilization
Authors: Wang Xinran , Ren Hailin , Kumar Anil , Ben-Tzvi Pinhas
Published: October 2020

This paper presents the design of a four degree-of-freedom (DoF) spatial tail and demonstrates the dynamic stabilization of a bipedal robotic platform through a hardware-in-loop simulation. The proposed tail design features three active revolute joints with an active prismatic joint, the latter of which provides a variable moment of inertia. Real-time experimental results validate the derived mathematical model when compared to simulated reactive moment results, both obtained while executing a pre-determined trajectory. A 4-DoF tail prototype was constructed and the tail dynamics, in terms of reactive force and moments, were validated using a 6-axis load cell. The paper also presents a case study where a zero moment point (ZMP) placement-based trajectory planner, along with a model-based controller, was developed in order for the tail to stabilize a simulated unstable biped robot. The case study also demonstrates the capability of the motion planner and controller in reducing the system’s kinetic energy during periods of instability by maintaining ZMP within the support polygon of the host biped robot. Both experimental and simulation results show an improvement in the tail-generated reactive moments for robot stabilization through the inclusion of prismatic motion while executing complex trajectories.
Exergames and Telerehabilitation on Smartphones to Improve Balance in Stroke Patients
Authors: Burgos Pablo I. , Lara Oriana , Lavado Alejandro , Rojas-Sepúlveda Ignacia , Delgado Carolina , Bravo Eusebio , Kamisato Cristian , Torres Julio , Castañeda Victor , Cerda Mauricio
Published: October 2020

Stroke is currently the world’s second cause of disability. It can cause deficits such as postural control, and telerehabilitation could improve the therapeutic dose as well as functional results. The aim of this work is to determine the effectiveness and usability of a low-cost telerehabilitation system in patients with stroke. We developed a telerehabilitation system based on exergames on smartphones, inertial sensors, and a cloud database. We trained the balance of six participants (three men and three women) in early subacute stroke (seven weeks of progress). In addition to their conventional treatment, these participants trained for a total of nine sessions of 30 min per week, for four weeks. The telerehabilitation group was compared with a control group of four clinically similar participants (three men and one woman). Clinical and usability measurements were made before and after the training. The results show a significant improvement of 11.3 ± 3.5 points in the Berg Balance Scale, 8.3 ± 3.01 points in the Mini-BESTest, and 17.5 ± 9.87 points in the Barthel scale for the telerehabilitation group. However, only the improvements of Berg and Barthel scales were statistically higher for the telerehabilitation group compared to the control group. The proposed system achieved excellent usability on the System Usability Scale (87.5 ± 11.61). Our results demonstrate that a complementary low-cost telemedicine approach is feasible, and that it can significantly improve the balance of stroke patients; therefore, the proposed clinical strategy could potentially improve dosage and overall treatment effectiveness.
The Mediating Role of Insomnia and Exhaustion in the Relationship between Secondary Traumatic Stress and Mental Health Complaints among Frontline Medical Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Secosan Ica , Virga Delia , Crainiceanu Zorin Petrisor , Bratu Tiberiu
Published: October 2020

The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) brought significant psychological implications for healthcare professionals. We aimed to investigate the serial mediation effect of insomnia and exhaustion in the relationship between secondary traumatic stress (STS) and mental health complaints among the frontline healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this cross-sectional study, 126 frontline healthcare workers from Romania completed validated surveys between March and April 2020. PROCESS macros were used to test the proposed hypotheses of the three-path mediation model. We computed the models for insomnia as the first mediator (M1) and exhaustion (M2) as our second mediator. STS was significantly related to insomnia. Insomnia was significantly related to exhaustion, and STS was positively related to exhaustion. In the third model, exhaustion was strongly and positively related to mental health complaints. The total indirect effect was positive, and the sequential indirect impact of STS on mental health complaints via both mediators in series (insomnia and exhaustion) was significant. Secondary traumatic stress had a positive direct effect on mental health complaints. In our limited sample, the results show that frontline medical staff during the COVID-19 outbreak have high STS, which are related to mental health complaints through insomnia and exhaustion.
Treosulfan-Based Conditioning Regimen for Second Allograft in Patients with Myelofibrosis
Authors: Atagunduz Isik Kaygusuz , Klyuchnikov Evgeny , Wolschke Christine , Janson Dietlinde , Heidenreich Silke , Christopeit Maximilian , Ayuk Francis , Kröger Nicolaus
Published: October 2020

Relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in myelofibrosis (MF) patients remains as a significant issue despite advances in transplantation procedures and significant prolongation in survival. Second AHSCT is a potential treatment option but associated with high treatment-related mortality and novel less toxic conditioning regimens are needed. In 33 MF patients with relapse after AHSCT and failure to donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) we investigated treosulfan (36–42 g/m2) in combination with fludarabine and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) as conditioning regimen for a second AHSCT with matched related (n = 2), unrelated (n = 23), or mismatched unrelated (n = 8) donors. All patients achieved leukocyte engraftment after a median of 11 days, and 56 ± 13% experienced acute GVHD grade II–IV at day 100. The therapy-related mortality at day 100 and at 3 years was 16% and 31%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of relapse at 5 years was 16%, resulting in a 5-year disease-free and overall survival of 45% and 47%, respectively. Treosulfan-based conditioning for second allograft in relapsed MF patients resulted in about 50% of the patients in long-term freedom from disease.
Enzymatic Bioreactors: An Electrochemical Perspective
Authors: Arshi Simin , Nozari-Asbemarz Mehran , Magner Edmond
Published: October 2020

Biocatalysts provide a number of advantages such as high selectivity, the ability to operate under mild reaction conditions and availability from renewable resources that are of interest in the development of bioreactors for applications in the pharmaceutical and other sectors. The use of oxidoreductases in biocatalytic reactors is primarily focused on the use of NAD(P)-dependent enzymes, with the recycling of the cofactor occurring via an additional enzymatic system. The use of electrochemically based systems has been limited. This review focuses on the development of electrochemically based biocatalytic reactors. The mechanisms of mediated and direct electron transfer together with methods of immobilising enzymes are briefly reviewed. The use of electrochemically based batch and flow reactors is reviewed in detail with a focus on recent developments in the use of high surface area electrodes, enzyme engineering and enzyme cascades. A future perspective on electrochemically based bioreactors is presented.
NiPd Supported on Mesostructured Silica Nanoparticle as Efficient Anode Electrocatalyst for Methanol Electrooxidation in Alkaline Media
Authors: Mansor Muliani , Timmiati Sharifah Najiha , Wong Wai Yin , Mohd Zainoodin Azran , Lim Kean Long , Kamarudin Siti Kartom
Published: October 2020

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is a portable device and has the potential to produce 10 times higher energy density than lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. It is essential to build efficient methanol electrooxidation reaction electrocatalysts for DMFCs to achieve their practical application in future energy storage and conversion. A catalyst consisting of nickel–palladium supported onto mesostructured silica nanoparticles (NiPd–MSN) was synthesized by the wet impregnation method, while MSN was synthesized using the sol-gel method. MSN act as a catalyst support and has very good characteristics for practical support due to its large surface area (>1000 m2/g) and good chemical and mechanical stability. The microstructure and catalytic activity of the electrocatalysts were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) theory, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and chronoamperometry (CA). XRD showed that the NiPd–MSN electrocatalysts had a high crystallinity of PdO and NiO, while FESEM displayed that NiPd was dispersed homogeneously onto the high surface area of MSN. In alkaline media, the catalytic activity toward the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) of NiPd–MSN demonstrated the highest, which was 657.03 mA mg−1 more than the other electrocatalysts. After 3600 s of CA analysis at −0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), the MOR mass activity of NiPd–MSN in alkaline media was retained at a higher mass activity of 190.8 mA mg−1 while the other electrocatalyst was significantly lower than that. This electrocatalyst is a promising anode material toward MOR in alkaline media.
Effect of the Solvent on the Basic Properties of Mg–Al Hydrotalcite Catalysts for Glucose Isomerization
Authors: An Suna , Kwon Dahye , Cho JeongHyun , Jung Ji Chul
Published: October 2020

We suggested the existence of a relationship between the base properties of Mg–Al hydrotalcite catalysts and the solvents employed in the industrially important isomerization of glucose produce fructose. We prepared Mg–Al hydrotalcite catalysts with different Mg/Al atomic ratios to tune the basic properties of the catalyst. The prepared catalysts were used in the glucose isomerization conducted in various solvents. Experimental results confirmed that the catalysts exhibited different activities in the different solvents. We also implemented the Hammett indicator method, which allows to analyze the basic properties of the catalysts in various solvents. According to evidence, the basic properties of the catalysts varied substantially in different solvents. Notably, increases in the catalysts’ base properties matched the observed increases in fructose yield of the glucose isomerization. Consequently, we suggested that, in order to prepare efficient Mg–Al hydrotalcite catalysts for glucose isomerization, the interaction between the solvent used to conduct the reaction and the basic properties of the catalyst, which are in turn influenced by the solvent, should be considered.
Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity of Thin Film Coated on Polycarbonate Surface with N- and Ni-Codoped TiO2 Photocatalyst
Authors: Park Byung-Geon , Lee Chang-Ho , Chung Kyong-Hwan
Published: October 2020

N- and Ni-coated TiO2 (NNT) were prepared by a facile sol-gel method as a photosensitive photocatalyst to visible light. NNT sol was used to coat the surface of an LED lamp cap and body made of polycarbonate with a thin NNT film. The coated thin film was dried in an oven at 130 °C. This NNT thin film had an amorphous TiO2 structure and absorbed 600 nm of visible light. The decomposition properties of formaldehyde on the NNT photocatalyst after irradiation with visible light were investigated. The LED lamp was irradiated with visible light at 500–620 nm and 6 W. Formaldehyde was decomposed by a photocatalytic reaction by visible light irradiation on the NNT-coated polycarbonate surface. Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also used to examine the sterilizing properties of pathogenic bacteria using an LED lamp kit. The pathogenic bacteria on the NNT-coated polycarbonate surface were sterilized by irradiation with visible light.
Selective Autophagy by Close Encounters of the Ubiquitin Kind
Authors: Vainshtein Anna , Grumati Paolo
Published: October 2020

Autophagy, a bulk degradation process within eukaryotic cells, is responsible for cellular turnover and nutrient liberation during starvation. Increasing evidence indicate that this process can be extremely discerning. Selective autophagy segregates and eliminates protein aggregates, damaged organelles, and invading organisms. The specificity of this process is largely mediated by post-translational modifications (PTMs), which are recognized by autophagy receptors. These receptors grant autophagy surgical precision in cargo selection, where only tagged substrates are engulfed within autophagosomes and delivered to the lysosome for proteolytic breakdown. A growing number of selective autophagy receptors have emerged including p62, NBR1, OPTN, NDP52, TAX1BP1, TOLLIP, and more continue to be uncovered. The most well-documented PTM is ubiquitination and selective autophagy receptors are equipped with a ubiquitin binding domain and an LC3 interacting region which allows them to physically bridge cargo to autophagosomes. Here, we review the role of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like post-translational modifications in various types of selective autophagy.
Coming in the Air: Hypoxia Meets Epigenetics in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Geismann Claudia , Arlt Alexander
Published: October 2020

With a five-year survival rate under 9%, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents one of the deadliest tumors. Although the treatment options are slightly improving, PDAC is the second leading cause of cancer related death in 2020 in the US. In addition to a pronounced desmoplastic stroma reaction, pancreatic cancer is characterized by one of the lowest levels of oxygen availability within the tumor mass and these hypoxic conditions are known to contribute to tumor development and progression. In this context, the major hypoxia associated transcription factor family, HIF, regulates hundreds of genes involved in angiogenesis, metabolism, migration, invasion, immune escape and therapy resistance. Current research implications show, that hypoxia also modulates diverse areas of epigenetic mechanisms like non-coding RNAs, histone modifications or DNA methylation, which cooperate with the hypoxia-induced transcription factors as well as directly regulate the hypoxic response pathways. In this review, we will focus on hypoxia-mediated epigenetic alterations and their impact on pancreatic cancer.
A Review of Nanostructured Resistive-Based Vanadium Oxide Gas Sensors
Authors: Amiri Vahid , Roshan Hossein , Mirzaei Ali , Sheikhi Mohammad Hossein
Published: October 2020

Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is a transition metal oxide with features such as high availability, good catalytic activity, unique electrical properties and high conductivity which are appropriate for gas sensing applications. In this review, we discuss different gas sensing aspects of V2O5 in pristine, doped, decorated and composite forms. Depending on its synthesis procedure, morphology, sensing temperature and surface conditions, the V2O5-based gas sensors show different responses to target gases. Herein, we have discussed the behavior of V2O5-based gas sensors to different gases and associated sensing mechanisms. This review paper can be a useful reference for the researchers who works in the field of gas sensors.
How Do Floods and Drought Impact Economic Growth and Human Development at the Sub-National Level in India?
Authors: Amarasinghe Upali , Amarnath Giriraj , Alahacoon Niranga , Ghosh Surajit
Published: October 2020

This paper tries to shift the focus of research on the impact of natural disasters on economic growth from global and national levels to sub-national levels. Inadequate sub-national level information is a significant lacuna for planning spatially targeted climate change adaptation investments. A fixed-effect panel regression analyses of 19 states from 2001 to 2015 assess the impacts of exposure to floods and droughts on the growth of gross state domestic product (GSDP) and human development index (HDI) in India. The flood and drought exposure are estimated using satellite data. The 19 states comprise 95% of the population and contribute 93% to the national GDP. The results show that floods indeed expose a large area, but droughts have the most significant impacts at the sub-national level. The most affected GSDPs are in the non-agriculture sectors, positively by the floods and negatively by droughts. No significant influence on human development may be due to substantial investment on mitigation of flood and drought impacts and their influence on better income, health, and education conditions. Because some Indian states still have a large geographical area, profiling disasters impacts at even smaller sub-national units such as districts can lead to effective targeted mitigation and adaptation activities, reduce shocks, and accelerate income growth and human development.
Fabrication of Ultralow Ice-Adhesion Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surfaces on Aluminum Alloy (7075-T651)
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Wang Liang , Liu Guoyong , Liao Ruijin
Published: October 2020

Slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have been considered to be potential and effective method for anti-icing. Much work needed to be done for the application in field. In this study, SLIPS were successfully fabricated on 7075-T651 aluminum alloy by anodizing in phosphoric acid solution with three different voltage parameters and coating lubricant. Then the most suitable anodization parameters of samples were selected through the anti-icing performance tests. The best as-prepared surface exhibited ultralow ice-adhesion strength, which reduced from 261 to 6 kPa. Meanwhile, the freezing time of water-drop on aluminum alloy surfaces have been dramatically delayed at −5 and −10 °C (humidity of 75% ± 5%), respectively. Moreover, the durability of the SLIPS have also been investigated. Cycles of icing/deicing, mechanical damage, thermal and UV exposure were used to investigate the durability of SLIPS, and SLIPS could still show low ice-adhesion strength.
Work Function Tuning of Zinc–Tin Oxide Thin Films Using High-Density O2 Plasma Treatment
Authors: Joo Young-Hee , Wi Jae-Hyung , Lee Woo-Jung , Chung Yong-Duck , Cho Dae-Hyung , Kang Saewon , Um Doo-Seung , Kim Chang-Il
Published: October 2020

Work function tuning has a significant influence on the performance of semiconductor devices, owing to the formation of potential barriers at the interface between metal-semiconductor junctions. In this work, we introduce a technique for tuning the work function of ZnSnO thin films using high-density O2 plasma treatment. The work function and chemical composition of the ZnSnO thin film surfaces were investigated with regards to plasma treatment time through UPS/XPS systems. The optical band gap was estimated using Tauc’s relationship from transmittance data. The work function of Zn0.6Sn0.4O thin film increased from 4.16 eV to 4.64 eV, and the optical band gap increased from 3.17 to 3.23 eV. The surface of Zn0.6Sn0.4O thin films showed a smooth morphology with an average of 0.65 nm after O2 plasma treatment. The O2 plasma treatment technique exhibits significant potential for application in high-performance displays in optical devices, such as thin-film transistors (TFTs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and solar cells.
Reactive Water Vapor Barrier Coatings Derived from Cellulose Undecenoyl Esters for Paper Packaging
Authors: Qin Chengrong , Wang Wei , Li Wei , Zhang Song
Published: October 2020

Paper packaging materials have been widely applied in our daily life. To maintain the quality of packed goods as well as the mechanical property, there is a need to enhance the paper water vapor barrier function. Although long-chain cellulose esters with saturated aliphatic chains have been employed as barrier coatings due to their excellent hydrophobicity as well as film-forming properties, the coated unsaturated cellulose esters would be beneficial to design reactive materials to further enrich their functionalities, e.g., antibacterial performance. Herein, solutions of cellulose undecenoyl esters (CUEs) were bar-coated to base papers. Obvious coating films were formed on the paper surfaces from the coating grammage of 6.25 g m−2. The resulting CUE-coated papers displayed good mechanical performance, hydrophobicity, and water vapor barrier property (the barrier ratio up to 66.35%), and the best coating grammage was 11.62 g m−2. Additionally, the reactivity of the coated paper was evaluated by further immobilization of the antibacterial agent (polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHGH)) using photo-click thiol-ene and condensation reaction. The generated paper exhibited good antibacterial and water vapor barrier performance. The obvious reactivity of our CUE-coated paper indicated the great possibility to design multi-functional paper packaging materials.
Facile Synthesis, Characterization, Anti-Microbial and Anti-Oxidant Properties of Alkylamine Functionalized Dumb-Bell Shaped Copper-Silver Nanostructures
Authors: Mallikarjuna Koduru , Al-Mohaimeed Amal M. , Al-Farraj Dunia A. , Reddy Lebaka Veeranjaneya , Vasudeva Reddy Minnam Reddy , Mohammed Arifullah
Published: October 2020

Admirable studies have been established on the utilization of ligand-materials as bimetallic nanoparticles in the field of nanoscience and biotechnology. UV-Vis, XRD, HR-TEM, STEM-HAADF, EDS, FTIR, and DPPH analyses characterized the optical, structural, compositional morphological, and antioxidant properties of synthesized Cu-Ag nanostructures. The spectrum of UV-Vis exhibited absorption bands at 590 and 413 nm, which reflects the surface plasmon resonance of copper-silver nanostructures. Herein, our exploration of alkylamine stabilized copper/silver nanostructures while using hexadecylamine as capping material and their primary biomedical investigation on antimicrobial and antioxidant studies is reported. Cu-Ag bimetallic nanostructures were more effective against gram-negative bacteria E. coli and Klebsiella when compared to gram-positive bacteria. The antioxidant activity of Cu-Ag nanoparticles was comparable with Ascorbic acid.
Development of High Performance Quantum Image Algorithm on Constrained Least Squares Filtering Computation
Authors: Wang Shumei , Xu Pengao , Song Ruicheng , Li Peiyao , Ma Hongyang
Published: October 2020

Recent development of computer technology may lead to the quantum image algorithms becoming a hotspot. Quantum information and computation give some advantages to our quantum image algorithms, which deal with the limited problems that cannot be solved by the original classical image algorithm. Image processing cry out for applications of quantum image. Most works on quantum images are theoretical or sometimes even unpolished, although real-world experiments in quantum computer have begun and are multiplying. However, just as the development of computer technology helped to drive the Technology Revolution, a new quantum image algorithm on constrained least squares filtering computation was proposed from quantum mechanics, quantum information, and extremely powerful computer. A quantum image representation model is introduced to construct an image model, which is then used for image processing. Prior knowledge is employed in order to reconstruct or estimate the point spread function, and a non-degenerate estimate is obtained based on the opposite processing. The fuzzy function against noises is solved using the optimal measure of smoothness. On the constraint condition, determine the minimum criterion function and estimate the original image function. For some motion blurs and some kinds of noise pollutions, such as Gaussian noises, the proposed algorithm is able to yield better recovery results. Additionally, it should be noted that, when there is a noise attack with very low noise intensity, the model based on the constrained least squares filtering can still deliver good recovery results, with strong robustness. Subsequently, discuss the simulation analysis of the complexity of implementing quantum circuits and image filtering, and demonstrate that the algorithm has a good effect on fuzzy recovery, when the noise density is small.
The World as a Neural Network
Authors: Vanchurin Vitaly
Published: October 2020

We discuss a possibility that the entire universe on its most fundamental level is a neural network. We identify two different types of dynamical degrees of freedom: “trainable” variables (e.g., bias vector or weight matrix) and “hidden” variables (e.g., state vector of neurons). We first consider stochastic evolution of the trainable variables to argue that near equilibrium their dynamics is well approximated by Madelung equations (with free energy representing the phase) and further away from the equilibrium by Hamilton–Jacobi equations (with free energy representing the Hamilton’s principal function). This shows that the trainable variables can indeed exhibit classical and quantum behaviors with the state vector of neurons representing the hidden variables. We then study stochastic evolution of the hidden variables by considering D non-interacting subsystems with average state vectors, x¯1, …, x¯D and an overall average state vector x¯0. In the limit when the weight matrix is a permutation matrix, the dynamics of x¯μ can be described in terms of relativistic strings in an emergent D+1 dimensional Minkowski space-time. If the subsystems are minimally interacting, with interactions that are described by a metric tensor, and then the emergent space-time becomes curved. We argue that the entropy production in such a system is a local function of the metric tensor which should be determined by the symmetries of the Onsager tensor. It turns out that a very simple and highly symmetric Onsager tensor leads to the entropy production described by the Einstein–Hilbert term. This shows that the learning dynamics of a neural network can indeed exhibit approximate behaviors that were described by both quantum mechanics and general relativity. We also discuss a possibility that the two descriptions are holographic duals of each other.
Numerical Investigation into the Development Performance of Gas Hydrate by Depressurization Based on Heat Transfer and Entropy Generation Analyses
Authors: Li Bo , Wei Wen-Na , Wan Qing-Cui , Peng Kang , Chen Ling-Ling
Published: October 2020

The purpose of this study is to analyze the dynamic properties of gas hydrate development from a large hydrate simulator through numerical simulation. A mathematical model of heat transfer and entropy production of methane hydrate dissociation by depressurization has been established, and the change behaviors of various heat flows and entropy generations have been evaluated. Simulation results show that most of the heat supplied from outside is assimilated by methane hydrate. The energy loss caused by the fluid production is insignificant in comparison to the heat assimilation of the hydrate reservoir. The entropy generation of gas hydrate can be considered as the entropy flow from the ambient environment to the hydrate particles, and it is favorable from the perspective of efficient hydrate exploitation. On the contrary, the undesirable entropy generations of water, gas and quartz sand are induced by the irreversible heat conduction and thermal convection under notable temperature gradient in the deposit. Although lower production pressure will lead to larger entropy production of the whole system, the irreversible energy loss is always extremely limited when compared with the amount of thermal energy utilized by methane hydrate. The production pressure should be set as low as possible for the purpose of enhancing exploitation efficiency, as the entropy production rate is not sensitive to the energy recovery rate under depressurization.
Optimal Control of Time-Delay Fractional Equations via a Joint Application of Radial Basis Functions and Collocation Method
Authors: Chen Shu-Bo , Soradi-Zeid Samaneh , Jahanshahi Hadi , Alcaraz Raúl , Gómez-Aguilar José Francisco , Bekiros Stelios , Chu Yu-Ming
Published: October 2020

A novel approach to solve optimal control problems dealing simultaneously with fractional differential equations and time delay is proposed in this work. More precisely, a set of global radial basis functions are firstly used to approximate the states and control variables in the problem. Then, a collocation method is applied to convert the time-delay fractional optimal control problem to a nonlinear programming one. By solving the resulting challenge, the unknown coefficients of the original one will be finally obtained. In this way, the proposed strategy introduces a very tunable framework for direct trajectory optimization, according to the discretization procedure and the range of arbitrary nodes. The algorithm’s performance has been analyzed for several non-trivial examples, and the obtained results have shown that this scheme is more accurate, robust, and efficient than most previous methods.
Further Evidence on Import Demand Function and Income Inequality
Authors: Konstantakopoulou Ioanna
Published: October 2020

In advanced economies, rising inequality has become a significant economic issue. Our paper examines one dimension of the impact of inequality. This study employs panel estimators that tackle heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence to estimate the impact of income inequality on import demand. In addition, we use a Bayesian approach to the cointegrated VAR model as well as a model that allows for stochastic trends and cross-sectional dependence. Annual panel data for the period from 1995 to 2016 on OECD countries are used. The empirical results show that inequality has a positive and significant effect on import demand. The estimation also yields some other expected results, viz. that the income and price elasticity of import demand function are positive and negative, respectively.
Impact of Farmers’ Associations on Household Income: Evidence from Tea Farms in Vietnam
Authors: Vu Hung Van , Ho Huong , Le Quoc Hoi
Published: October 2020

Farmers’ associations play an important role to help members increase their access to supports of information, capital, and technology; bring benefits to members; and partly promote production, enhance productivity, and increase income. This paper systematizes the theoretical foundation and empirical evidence on income difference between the member and non-member farmers and identifies factors that affect their decisions to join associations. By comparing specific characteristics between the member and non-member farmers, the paper examines the impact of joining farmers’ associations on the income of tea farmers in Vietnam by using the data from the survey of 742 farms. In our sample, 376 respondents are members and 366 non-members of associations in the four largest tea-producing areas, which cover 30 provinces in Vietnam. The paper uses OLS regression model to identify the factors that influence the decision of tea farms to join farmers’ organizations and tobit model to assess more detailed impacts of membership on income. The findings show that the farmers, who are members of an association, are more helpful in the ability to access better market services and more tea prices, and are more likely to earn a higher average income than those are non-members. Moreover, their memberships result in an increase of 0.166 unit of income. The research results also show that other factors, including labor, tea price, share of tea sold, farmer age, tea area, ability to access extension services, and credit services, affect the farmer’s income.
A Design of a Dual-Band Bandpass Filter Based on Modal Analysis for Modern Communication Systems
Authors: Lalbakhsh Ali , Alizadeh Seyed Morteza , Ghaderi Amirhossein , Golestanifar Alireza , Mohamadzade Bahare , Jamshidi Mohammad (Behdad) , Mandal Kaushik , Mohyuddin Wahab
Published: October 2020

A dual-band bandpass filter (BPF) composed of a coupling structure and a bent T-shaped resonator loaded by small L-shaped stubs is presented in this paper. The first band of the proposed BPF covers 4.6 to 10.6 GHz, showing 78.9% fractional bandwidth (FBW) at 7.6 GHz, and the second passband is cantered at 11.5 GHz with a FBW of 2.34%. The bent T-shaped resonator generates two transmission zeros (TZs) near the wide passband edges, which are used to tune the bandwidth of the first band, and the L-shaped stubs are used to create and control the narrow passband. The selectivity performance of the BPF is analyzed using the transfer function extracted from the lumped circuit model verified by a detailed even/odd mode analysis. The BPF presents a flat group delay (GD) of 0.45 ns and an insertion loss (IL) less than 0.6 dB in the wide passband and a 0.92 IL in the narrow passband. A prototype of the proposed BPF is fabricated and tested, showing very good agreement between the numerically predicted and measured results.
Toward Developing Efficient Conv-AE-Based Intrusion Detection System Using Heterogeneous Dataset
Authors: Khan Muhammad Ashfaq , Kim Juntae
Published: October 2020

Recently, due to the rapid development and remarkable result of deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) approaches in various domains for several long-standing artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, there has an extreme interest in applying toward network security too. Nowadays, in the information communication technology (ICT) era, the intrusion detection (ID) system has the great potential to be the frontier of security against cyberattacks and plays a vital role in achieving network infrastructure and resources. Conventional ID systems are not strong enough to detect advanced malicious threats. Heterogeneity is one of the important features of big data. Thus, designing an efficient ID system using a heterogeneous dataset is a massive research problem. There are several ID datasets openly existing for more research by the cybersecurity researcher community. However, no existing research has shown a detailed performance evaluation of several ML methods on various publicly available ID datasets. Due to the dynamic nature of malicious attacks with continuously changing attack detection methods, ID datasets are available publicly and are updated systematically. In this research, spark MLlib (machine learning library)-based robust classical ML classifiers for anomaly detection and state of the art DL, such as the convolutional-auto encoder (Conv-AE) for misuse attack, is used to develop an efficient and intelligent ID system to detect and classify unpredictable malicious attacks. To measure the effectiveness of our proposed ID system, we have used several important performance metrics, such as FAR, DR, and accuracy, while experiments are conducted on the publicly existing dataset, specifically the contemporary heterogeneous CSE-CIC-IDS2018 dataset.
Development of Fail-Safe Algorithm for Exteroceptive Sensors of Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Shin Donghoon , Park Kang-moon , Park Manbok
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a fail-safe algorithm for the exteroceptive sensors of autonomous vehicles. The proposed fault diagnosis mechanism consists of three parts: (1) fault detecting by a duplication-comparison method, (2) fault isolating by possible area prediction and (3) in-vehicle sensor fail-safes. The main ideas are the usage of redundant external sensor pairs, which estimate the same target, whose results are compared to detect the fault by a modified duplication-comparison method and the novel fault isolation method using target predictions. By comparing the estimations of surrounding vehicles and the raw measurement data, the location of faults can be determined whether they are from sensors themselves or a software error. In addition, faults were isolated by defining possible areas where existing sensor coordinates could be measured, which can be predicted by using previous estimation results. The performance of the algorithm has been tested by using offline vehicle data analysis via MATLAB. Various fault injection experiments were conducted and the performance of the suggested algorithm was evaluated based on the time interval between injection and the detection of faults.