bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface Characterization and Corrosion Behavior of 90/10 Copper-Nickel Alloy in Marine Environment
Authors: Jin Tingzhu , Zhang Weifang , Li Ning , Liu Xuerong , Han Lu , Dai Wei
Published: June 2019

Surface characterization and corrosion behavior of 90/10 copper-nickel alloy in seawater from Xiamen bay at 30 °C for 56 days were investigated in this study. The results indicated that the corrosion product layer was mainly a mixture of CuO, Cu2O, and Cu(OH)2, with a transition to CuCl, CuCl2, and Cu2(OH)3Cl during the corrosion process. However, as corrosion proceeds, the resistance of the product film was reduced due to its heterogeneous and fairly porous structures, which led to local corrosion of the alloy. The corrosion potentials (Ecorr) increase while corrosion current densities (Icorr) decrease with time because of the formation of protective oxide film.
Molybdenum Dopped Copper Ferrites as Active Catalysts for Alcohols Oxidative Coupling
Authors: Mitran Gheorghiţa , Chen Shaojiang , Seo Dong-Kyun
Published: June 2019

Copper ferrites dopped with molybdenum were studied in an oxidative coupling reaction between methanol and ethanol in the gas phase. The catalysts have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, where the presence of ferrite, magnetite, and tenorite phases was observed; scanning electron microscopy; UV-Vis spectroscopy; and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, which highlighted the presence of octahedral coordination of isolated molybdena species. The catalyst with the highest activity in this reaction and with the highest selectivity to hydroxyacetone is the one that presents Lewis sites with weak acidity. The methyl and ethyl acetate selectivities are directly proportional to the Cu/Fe ratio. It has been observed that the presence of reduced copper sites is responsible for the selectivity in esters, while the presence of reduced iron and molybdenum sites is responsible for the acetol production.
Structural Evolution in Isothermal Crystallization Process of Poly(L-lactic acid) Enhanced by Silk Fibroin Nano-Disc
Authors: Pandey Amit Kumar , Katiyar Vimal , Takagi Hideaki , Shimizu Nobutaka , Igarashi Noriyuki , Sasaki Sono , Sakurai Shinichi
Published: June 2019

The nucleating effect of silk fibroin nano-disc (SFN) on the crystallization behavior of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was investigated by simultaneous synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements. For the isothermal crystallization at 110 °C from the melt, the induction period of the PLLA specimens containing 1% SFN was reduced compared to that of the neat specimens, indicating the acceleration of the nucleation of PLLA. The final degree of crystallinity was also increased, and the crystallization half-time was decreased, which indicates that the overall crystallization process was accelerated. Furthermore, the final value of the crystallite size (the lateral size of the crystalline lamella) was slightly lower for the specimens containing 1% SFN than that for the PLLA neat specimen, although the crystallites started growing much earlier. However, it was found that there was no effect of SFN on the growth rate of the crystallite size. The lamellar thickening process was also accelerated with a clear overshooting phenomenon with the inclusion of 1% SFN. As for the polymorphism, the α’ phase is dominant with about 96%, but a small amount of the α phase (4%) is found to exist. It was found that the SFN can also accelerate the formation of the minor α phase as well as the major α’ phase.
Effect of Chitin Nanofibrils on Biocompatibility and Bioactivity of the Chitosan-Based Composite Film Matrix Intended for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Smirnova Natalia V. , Kolbe Konstantin A. , Dresvyanina Elena N. , Grebennikov Sergey F. , Dobrovolskaya Irina P. , Yudin Vladimir E. , Luxbacher Thomas , Morganti Pierfrancesco
Published: June 2019

This paper discusses the mechanical and physicochemical properties of film matrices based on chitosan, as well as the possibility of optimizing these properties by adding chitin nanofibrils. It is shown that with the introduction of chitin nanofibrils as a filler, the mechanical stability of the composite materials increases. By varying the concentration of chitin nanofibrils, it is possible to obtain a spectrum of samples with different bioactive properties for the growth of human dermal fibroblasts. Film matrices based on the nanocomposite of chitosan and 5 wt % chitin nanofibrils have an optimal balance of mechanical and physicochemical properties and bioactivity in relation to the culture of human dermal fibroblasts.
Study on the Viscoelasticity Measurement of Materials Based on Surface Reflected Waves
Authors: Chang Jun-jie , Li Yuan-yuan , Zeng Xue-feng , Zhong Hai-ying , Wan Tao-lei , Lu Chao
Published: June 2019

The reflected waves received from ultrasonic waves propagating in materials contain information that constitutes the physical properties, material composition, defects, and degradation states. When measuring the dynamic viscoelasticity, the traditional bottom reflection method (BRM) cannot be used to measure the bottom irregular samples. In this paper, the storage modulus, loss modulus, and loss tangent are extracted by the surface reflection method (SRM) to evaluate the elastomer sample viscoelasticity. A theoretical study on the phase change caused by multiple reflections in the case of non-thin layer coupling is conducted. Based on this research, the experimental system is built. The results show that considering the thickness of the coupling layer can optimize the determination of viscoelasticity and reduce the error of the viscoelastic evaluation results of an elastomer with the traditional BRM. Finally, based on the principle of the SRM, the density of the elastomers is measured, and the feasibility and overall efficiency of this method are verified by experiments.
Genetic Association of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Gene I/D Polymorphism with Preterm Birth in Korean Women: Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lee Noo Ri , Hwang In Wook , Kim Hyung Jun , Kang Yun Dan , Park Jin Wan , Jin Han Jun
Published: June 2019

Background and Objectives: The ACE gene encodes the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), a component of the renin-angiotensin system. Increased ACE activity may cause abnormal regulation of placental circulation and angiogenesis, resulting in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Previous studies have reported that the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the ACE gene is associated with the development of preterm birth (PTB). However, results of the association between ACE gene I/D and PTB are inconsistent in various populations. Therefore, we performed a case-control study and a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between ACE I/D polymorphism and PTB. Materials and Methods: We analyzed a total of 254 subjects (111 patients with PTB and 143 women at ≥38 weeks gestation) for the case-control study. For the meta-analysis, we searched Google Scholar, PubMed, and NCBI databases with the terms “ACE,” “angiotensin-converting enzyme,” “preterm birth,” “preterm delivery,” and their combinations. Results: Our results of the case-control study indicated that ACE I/D polymorphism is significantly associated with PTBs in the overdominant genetic model (odds ratio (OR) 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.347–0.949, p = 0.029) and that the ID genotype of ACE I/D polymorphism has a protective effect for PTB (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.333–0.986, p = 0.043). Similarly, the meta-analysis showed that the OR for the ACE gene ID genotype was 0.66 (95% CI 0.490–0.900, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The ACE gene ID genotype has a significant association with PTB and is a protective factor for PTB. A larger sample set and functional studies are required to further elucidate of our findings.
Memristor Neural Network Training with Clock Synchronous Neuromorphic System
Authors: Jo Sumin , Sun Wookyung , Kim Bokyung , Kim Sunhee , Park Junhee , Shin Hyungsoon
Published: June 2019

Memristor devices are considered to have the potential to implement unsupervised learning, especially spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), in the field of neuromorphic hardware research. In this study, a neuromorphic hardware system for multilayer unsupervised learning was designed, and unsupervised learning was performed with a memristor neural network. We showed that the nonlinear characteristic memristor neural network can be trained by unsupervised learning only with the correlation between inputs and outputs. Moreover, a method to train nonlinear memristor devices in a supervised manner, named guide training, was devised. Memristor devices have a nonlinear characteristic, which makes implementing machine learning algorithms, such as backpropagation, difficult. The guide-training algorithm devised in this paper updates the synaptic weights by only using the correlations between inputs and outputs, and therefore, neither complex mathematical formulas nor computations are required during the training. Thus, it is considered appropriate to train a nonlinear memristor neural network. All training and inference simulations were performed using the designed neuromorphic hardware system. With the system and memristor neural network, the image classification was successfully done using both the Hebbian unsupervised training and guide supervised training methods.
Efficient Fabrication Process of Ordered Metal Nanodot Arrays for Infrared Plasmonic Sensor
Authors: Yoshino Masahiko , Kubota Yusuke , Nakagawa Yuki , Terano Motoki
Published: June 2019

In this paper, a simple process to fabricate ordered Au nanodot arrays up to 520 nm in diameter that respond to infrared light is developed, and the feasibility of its application to infrared plasmonic sensors is shown. The developed process utilizes thermal dewetting to agglomerate a coated gold film into nanodots. It was difficult to produce large nanodots that responded to infrared light owing to dot separation. In this paper, therefore, the mechanism of dot agglomeration by thermal dewetting is studied via an experiment and theoretical model, and conditions to form single nanodots are clarified. Furthermore, Au nanodot arrays of 100 nm to 520 nm in diameter were fabricated by this process, and their absorption spectra were analyzed. In addition, an analysis of the change in the peak wavelength against the refractive index indicates the possibility of further improvement of the sensitivity of the infrared plasmon sensors.
Evaluation of Positive and Negative Methods for Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells by Lateral Magnetophoresis
Authors: Kang Haeli , Kim Jinho , Cho Hyungseok , Han Ki-Ho
Published: June 2019

We developed an epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-based positive method and CD45/CD66b-based negative method for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) by lateral magnetophoresis. The CTC recovery rate, white blood cell depletion rate, and purity of CTCs isolated using the positive and negative methods were analyzed using blood samples spiked with cancer cells with different expression levels of EpCAM. The aim was to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the positive and negative isolation methods for CTC-based diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics for cancer. The EpCAM-based positive method yielded CTCs of high purity, while the CD45/CD66b-based negative method yielded a large number of CTCs. In conclusion, the positive method shows promise for detecting somatic oncogenic mutations and the negative method shows promise for discovery of cellular and transcriptomic biomarkers of cancer.
Gastrointestinal Sensing of Meal-Related Signals in Humans, and Dysregulations in Eating-Related Disorders
Authors: Hajishafiee Maryam , Bitarafan Vida , Feinle-Bisset Christine
Published: June 2019

The upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays a critical role in sensing the arrival of a meal, including its volume as well as nutrient and non-nutrient contents. The presence of the meal in the stomach generates a mechanical distension signal, and, as gastric emptying progresses, nutrients increasingly interact with receptors on enteroendocrine cells, triggering the release of gut hormones, with lipid and protein being particularly potent. Collectively, these signals are transmitted to the brain to regulate appetite and energy intake, or in a feedback loop relayed back to the upper GI tract to further adjust GI functions, including gastric emptying. The research in this area to date has provided important insights into how sensing of intraluminal meal-related stimuli acutely regulates appetite and energy intake in humans. However, disturbances in the detection of these stimuli have been described in a number of eating-related disorders. This paper will review the GI sensing of meal-related stimuli and the relationship with appetite and energy intake, and examine changes in GI responses to luminal stimuli in obesity, functional dyspepsia and anorexia of ageing, as examples of eating-related disorders. A much better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these dysregulations is still required to assist in the development of effective management and treatment strategies in the future.
Effect of Nutrient and Micronutrient Intake on Chylomicron Production and Postprandial Lipemia
Authors: Desmarchelier Charles , Borel Patrick , Lairon Denis , Maraninchi Marie , Valéro René
Published: June 2019

Postprandial lipemia, which is one of the main characteristics of the atherogenic dyslipidemia with fasting plasma hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and an increase of small and dense low-density lipoproteins is now considered a causal risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Postprandial lipemia, which is mainly related to the increase in chylomicron production, is frequently elevated in individuals at high cardiovascular risk such as obese or overweight patients, type 2 diabetic patients and subjects with a metabolic syndrome who share an insulin resistant state. It is now well known that chylomicron production and thus postprandial lipemia is highly regulated by many factors such as endogenous factors: circulating factors such as hormones or free fatty acids, genetic variants, circadian rhythms, or exogenous factors: food components, dietary supplements and prescription drugs. In this review, we focused on the effect of nutrients, micronutrients and phytochemicals but also on food structure on chylomicron production and postprandial lipemia.
An Ontology to Standardize Research Output of Nutritional Epidemiology: From Paper-Based Standards to Linked Content
Authors: Yang Chen , Ambayo Henry , De Baets Bernard , Kolsteren Patrick , Thanintorn Nattapon , Hawwash Dana , Bouwman Jildau , Bronselaer Antoon , Pattyn Filip , Lachat Carl
Published: June 2019

Background: The use of linked data in the Semantic Web is a promising approach to add value to nutrition research. An ontology, which defines the logical relationships between well-defined taxonomic terms, enables linking and harmonizing research output. To enable the description of domain-specific output in nutritional epidemiology, we propose the Ontology for Nutritional Epidemiology (ONE) according to authoritative guidance for nutritional epidemiology. Methods: Firstly, a scoping review was conducted to identify existing ontology terms for reuse in ONE. Secondly, existing data standards and reporting guidelines for nutritional epidemiology were converted into an ontology. The terms used in the standards were summarized and listed separately in a taxonomic hierarchy. Thirdly, the ontologies of the nutritional epidemiologic standards, reporting guidelines, and the core concepts were gathered in ONE. Three case studies were included to illustrate potential applications: (i) annotation of existing manuscripts and data, (ii) ontology-based inference, and (iii) estimation of reporting completeness in a sample of nine manuscripts. Results: Ontologies for “food and nutrition” (n = 37), “disease and specific population” (n = 100), “data description” (n = 21), “research description” (n = 35), and “supplementary (meta) data description” (n = 44) were reviewed and listed. ONE consists of 339 classes: 79 new classes to describe data and 24 new classes to describe the content of manuscripts. Conclusion: ONE is a resource to automate data integration, searching, and browsing, and can be used to assess reporting completeness in nutritional epidemiology.
Macronutrient Intake in Soccer Players—A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Steffl Michal , Kinkorova Ivana , Kokstejn Jakub , Petr Miroslav
Published: June 2019

The nutrition of soccer players is an important topic and its knowledge may help to increase the quality of this popular game and prevent possible health problems and injuries in players. This meta-analysis aims to estimate the current dietary trends of three basic macronutrients in junior and senior soccer players during the first two decades of the 21st century. We analyzed data from 647 junior players (mean age 10.0–19.3) from 27 groups, and 277 senior (mean age 20.7–27.1) players from 8 groups from altogether 21 papers in this meta-analysis. Weighted averages were calculated for each macronutrients. Protein intake is higher than recommended in both juniors, 1.9 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8–2.0 g/kg/day, and seniors 1.8 95% CI 1.6–2.0 g/kg/day. However, carbohydrate intake is still below the recommended values in both groups (5.7 95% CI 5.5–5.9 g/kg/day in junior and 4.7 95% CI 4.3–5.0 g/kg/day in senior players). The proportion of fat as total energy intake is in concordance with the recommendations (31.5 95% CI 32.0–35.9% in junior and 33.1 95% CI 29.9–36.2% in senior players). In particular, due to possible health complications, the small carbohydrate intake should be alarming for coaches, nutritional experts, and parents.
A Review of Bioactive Factors in Human Breastmilk: A Focus on Prematurity
Authors: Gila-Diaz Andrea , Arribas Silvia M. , Algara Alba , Martín-Cabrejas María A. , López de Pablo Ángel Luis , Sáenz de Pipaón Miguel , Ramiro-Cortijo David
Published: June 2019

Preterm birth is an increasing worldwide problem. Prematurity is the second most common cause of death in children under 5 years of age. It is associated with a higher risk of several pathologies in the perinatal period and adulthood. Maternal milk, a complex fluid with several bioactive factors, is the best option for the newborn. Its dynamic composition is influenced by diverse factors such as maternal age, lactation period, and health status. The aim of the present review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding some bioactive factors present in breastmilk, namely antioxidants, growth factors, adipokines, and cytokines, paying specific attention to prematurity. The revised literature reveals that the highest levels of these bioactive factors are found in the colostrum and they decrease along the lactation period; bioactive factors are found in higher levels in preterm as compared to full-term milk, they are lacking in formula milk, and decreased in donated milk. However, there are still some gaps and inconclusive data, and further research in this field is needed. Given the fact that many preterm mothers are unable to complete breastfeeding, new information could be important to develop infant supplements that best match preterm human milk.
Functional Nutrients for Epilepsy
Authors: Kim Ji-Eun , Cho Kyung-Ok
Published: June 2019

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder of which seizures are a core symptom. Approximately one third of epileptic patients are resistant to antiepileptic drugs and therefore require alternative therapeutic options. Dietary and nutritional supplements can in some cases replace drugs, but with the exception of ketogenic diets, there are no officially recommended dietary considerations for patients with epilepsy. In this review we summarize a selection of nutritional suggestions that have proved beneficial in treating different types of epilepsy. We describe the types of seizures and epilepsy and follow this with an introduction to basic molecular mechanisms. We then examine several functional nutrients for which there is clinical evidence of therapeutic efficacy in reducing seizures or epilepsy-associated sudden death. We also discuss experimental results that demonstrate possible molecular mechanisms elicited by the administration of various nutrients. The availability of multiple dietary and nutritional candidates that show favorable outcomes in animals implies that assessing the clinical potential of these substances will improve translational medicine, ultimately benefitting epilepsy patients.
Nanomaterial-Based Approaches for Neural Regeneration
Authors: Teleanu Raluca Ioana , Gherasim Oana , Gherasim Tudor George , Grumezescu Valentina , Grumezescu Alexandru Mihai , Teleanu Daniel Mihai
Published: June 2019

Mechanical, thermal, chemical, or ischemic injury of the central or peripheral nervous system results in neuron loss, neurite damage, and/or neuronal dysfunction, almost always accompanied by sensorimotor impairment which alters the patient’s life quality. The regenerative strategies for the injured nervous system are currently limited and mainly allow partial functional recovery, so it is necessary to develop new and effective approaches for nervous tissue regenerative therapy. Nanomaterials based on inorganic or organic and composite or hybrid compounds with tunable physicochemical properties and functionality proved beneficial for the transport and delivery/release of various neuroregenerative-relevant biomolecules or cells. Within the following paragraphs, we will emphasize that nanomaterial-based strategies (including nanosized and nanostructured biomaterials) represent a promising alternative towards repairing and regenerating the injured nervous system.
Essential Oils-Loaded Polymer Particles: Preparation, Characterization and Antimicrobial Property
Authors: Froiio Francesca , Ginot Lorianne , Paolino Donatella , Lebaz Noureddine , Bentaher Abderrazzak , Fessi Hatem , Elaissari Abdelhamid
Published: June 2019

In the last few years, essential oils (EOs) derived from plants have aroused great interest due to their well-known antimicrobial activity. Unfortunately, they present several limitations in their use, such as photosensitivity, temperature sensitivity, high volatility, and poor water solubility. The encapsulation technique represents a good solution to these problems and ensures protection of the functional properties of essential oils. In this work, bergamot essential oil (BEO) and sweet orange essential oil (OEO) loaded-Eudragit® RS 100 (EuRS100) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by using the nanoprecipitation technique. We obtained nanoparticles characterized by a mean diameter of 57 to 208 nm and a positive surface charge (39 to 74 mV). The antibacterial activity of the obtained systems against Escherichia coli was in vitro investigated. We demonstrated that both orange and bergamot essential oils were successfully encapsulated and our nanoparticles have good antibacterial activity. Finally, in order to evaluate the potential applicability of OEONps to prolong fresh orange juice shelf-life, survival of E. coli during a storage period of one week at 25 °C was investigated: Orange essential oil-loaded nanoparticles (OEONPs) have been able to prolong the orange juice shelf life.
Polymeric Composites with Silver (I) Cyanoximates Inhibit Biofilm Formation of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria
Authors: Lotlikar S. R. , Gallaway E. , Grant T. , Popis S. , Whited M. , Guragain M. , Rogers R. , Hamilton S. , Gerasimchuk N. G. , Patrauchan M. A.
Published: June 2019

Biofilms are surface-associated microbial communities known for their increased resistance to antimicrobials and host factors. This resistance introduces a critical clinical challenge, particularly in cases associated with implants increasing the predisposition for bacterial infections. Preventing such infections requires the development of novel antimicrobials or compounds that enhance bactericidal effect of currently available antibiotics. We have synthesized and characterized twelve novel silver(I) cyanoximates designated as Ag(ACO), Ag(BCO), Ag(CCO), Ag(ECO), Ag(PiCO), Ag(PICO) (yellow and red polymorphs), Ag(BIHCO), Ag(BIMCO), Ag(BOCO), Ag(BTCO), Ag(MCO) and Ag(PiPCO). The compounds exhibit a remarkable resistance to high intensity visible light, UV radiation and heat and have poor solubility in water. All these compounds can be well incorporated into the light-curable acrylate polymeric composites that are currently used as dental fillers or adhesives of indwelling medical devices. A range of dry weight % from 0.5 to 5.0 of the compounds was tested in this study. To study the potential of these compounds in preventing planktonic and biofilm growth of bacteria, we selected two human pathogens (Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-positive environmental isolate Bacillus aryabhattai. Both planktonic and biofilm growth was abolished completely in the presence of 0.5% to 5% of the compounds. The most efficient inhibition was shown by Ag(PiCO), Ag(BIHCO) and Ag(BTCO). The inhibition of biofilm growth by Ag(PiCO)-yellow was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Application of Ag(BTCO) and Ag(PiCO)-red in combination with tobramycin, the antibiotic commonly used to treat P. aeruginosa infections, showed a significant synergistic effect. Finally, the inhibitory effect lasted for at least 120 h in P. aeruginosa and 36 h in S. aureus and B. aryabhattai. Overall, several silver(I) cyanoximates complexes efficiently prevent biofilm development of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and present a particularly significant potential for applications against P. aeruginosa infections.
Fabrication of Polymer Micelles with Zwitterionic Shell and Biodegradable Core for Reductively Responsive Release of Doxorubicin
Authors: Jiang Junting , Li Junbo , Zhou Biyu , Niu Chaohuang , Wang Wendi , Wu Wenlan , Liang Ju
Published: June 2019

To achieve a high stability in physiological environment and rapid intracellular drug release, a biodegradable zwitterionic triblock copolymer with a disulfide-linked poly-ε-caprolactone and polycarboxybetaine methacrylate (PCBMA-SS-PCL-SS-PCBMA) was prepared for micellar carrier to delivery doxorubicin (DOX) into tumor cells. PCBMA-SS-PCL-SS-PCBMA was obtained by following steps: i) introducing disulfide bonds through end-group modification of PCL diol with cystamine dihydrochloride; ii) preparing PCL-RAFT macromolecular chain transfer agent by EDC/NHS chemistry; iii) RAFT polymerization of zwitterionic monomer. Self-assembling from PCBMA-SS-PCL-SS-PCBMA, polymeric micelles had many advantages, such as ultra-low protein absorption in serum and obvious reduction-responsiveness in the presence of DTT. Furthermore, DOX-loaded micelles exhibited high stability upon centrifugation and lyophilization, a fast intracellular drug release and enhanced drug efficacy due to GSH-triggered PCBMA shell shedding and micellar reassembling. Thus, the polymeric micelles integrated several functions and properties could be prospectively utilized as valuable nanocarriers in cancer chemotherapeutics.
Crowding-Activity Coupling Effect on Conformational Change of a Semi-Flexible Polymer
Authors: Cao Xiuli , Zhang Bingjie , Zhao Nanrong
Published: June 2019

The behavior of a polymer in a passive crowded medium or in a very dilute active bath has been well studied, while a polymer immersed in an environment featured by both crowding and activity remains an open problem. In this paper, a systematic Langevin simulation is performed to investigate the conformational change of a semi-flexible chain in a concentrated solution packed with spherical active crowders. A very novel shrinkage-to-swelling transition is observed for a polymer with small rigidity. The underlying phase diagram is constructed in the parameter space of active force and crowder size. Moreover, the variation of the polymer gyration radius demonstrates a non-monotonic dependence on the dynamical persistence length of the active particle. Lastly, the activity-crowding coupling effect in different crowder size baths is clarified. In the case of small crowders, activity strengthens the crowding-induced shrinkage to the chain. As crowder size increases, activity turns out to be a contrasting factor to crowding, resulting in a competitive shrinkage and swelling. In the large size situation, the swelling effect arising from activity eventually becomes dominant. The present study provides a deeper understanding of the unusual behavior of a semi-flexible polymer in an active and crowded medium, associated with the nontrivial activity-crowding coupling and the cooperative crowder size effect.
A Hypericin Delivery System Based on Polydopamine Coated Cerium Oxide Nanorods for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Wang Yang , Zhang Yu , Jin Ming , Lv Yinghua , Pei Zhichao , Pei Yuxin
Published: June 2019

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a non-aggressive therapy with fewer side effects has unique advantages over traditional treatments. However, PDT still has certain limitations in clinical applications, mainly because most photosensitizers utilized in PDT are hydrophobic compounds, which will self-aggregate in the aqueous phase and cause undesirable effects. In order to resolve this, we utilized the self-polymerization of dopamine molecules under alkaline conditions to coat cerium oxide nanorods (CeONR) with a dense polydopamine (PDA) film. Thereafter, thiolated galactose (Gal-SH) and hypericin (Hyp) were modified and loaded onto the surface to construct CeONR@PDA-Gal/Hyp, respectively, which can be used for targeted photodynamic therapy of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. CeONR@PDA-Gal/Hyp was characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), Zeta potential, Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), and fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. This hypericin delivery system possesses good biocompatibility and specific targeting ability, where the galactose units on the surface of CeONR@PDA-Gal/Hyp can specifically recognize the asialo-glycoprotein receptors (ASGP-R), which overexpress on HepG2 cell membrane. Furthermore, Hyp will detach from the surface of CeONR@PDA-Gal/Hyp after the nanorods enter cancer cells, and shows excellent PDT effect under the irradiation of light with a wavelength of 590 nm. Our work exemplifies a novel targeted delivery of hydrophobic photosensitizers for cancer treatment.
Phase Behavior of Melts of Diblock-Copolymers with One Charged Block
Authors: Gavrilov Alexey A. , Chertovich Alexander V. , Potemkin Igor I.
Published: June 2019

In this work, we investigated the phase behavior of melts of block-copolymers with one charged block by means of dissipative particle dynamics with explicit electrostatic interactions. We assumed that all the Flory–Huggins χ parameters were equal to 0. We showed that the charge- correlation attraction solely can cause microphase separation with a long-range order; a phase diagram was constructed by varying the volume fraction of the uncharged block and the electrostatic interaction parameter λ (dimensionless Bjerrum length). The obtained phase diagram was compared to the phase diagram of “equivalent” neutral diblock-copolymers with the non-zero χ-parameter between the beads of different blocks. The neutral copolymers were constructed by grafting the counterions to the corresponding co-ions of the charged block with further switching off the electrostatic interactions. Surprisingly, the differences between these phase diagrams are rather subtle; the same phases in the same order are observed, and the positions of the order-disorder transition ODT points are similar if the λ-parameter is considered as an “effective” χ-parameter. Next, we studied the position of the ODT for lamellar structure depending on the chain length N. It turned out that while for the uncharged diblock copolymer the product χcrN was almost independent of N, for the diblock copolymers with one charged block we observed a significant increase in λcrN upon increasing N. This can be attributed to the fact that the counterion entropy prevents the formation of ordered structures, and its influence is more pronounced for longer chains since they undergo the transition to ordered structures at smaller values of λ, when the electrostatic energy becomes comparable to kbT. This was supported by studying the ODT in diblock-copolymers with charged blocks and counterions cross-linked to the charged monomer units. The ODT for such systems was observed at significantly lower values of λ, with the difference being more pronounced at longer chain lengths N. The fact that the microphase separation is observed even at zero Flory–Huggins parameter can be used for the creation of “high-χ” copolymers: The incorporation of charged groups (for example, ionic liquids) can significantly increase the segregation strength. The diffusion of counterions in the obtained ordered structures was studied and compared to the case of a system with the same number of charged groups but a homogeneous structure; the diffusion coefficient along the lamellar plane was found to be higher than in any direction in the homogeneous structure.
A Model for Optimizing Location Selection for Biomass Energy Power Plants
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Tsai Tsang-Ta , Huang Ying-Fang
Published: June 2019

In addition to its potential for wave power, wind power, hydropower, and solar power, it can be said that Vietnam is a country with great potential for biomass energy derived from agricultural waste, garbage, and urban wastewater, which are resources widely available across the country. This huge amount of biomass, however, if left untreated, could become a major source of pollution and cause serious impacts on ecosystems (soil, water, and air), as well as on human health. In this research, the authors present a fuzzy multicriteria decision-making model (FMCDM) for optimizing the site selection process for biomass power plants. All of the criteria affecting location selection are identified by experts and literature reviews; in addition, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method was utilized so as to identify the weight of all of the criteria in the second stage. Furthermore, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is applied for ranking potential locations in the final stage of this research. As a result, Long An (DMU/005) was found to be the best location for building biomass energy in Vietnam. The main contributions of this work include modeling the site selection decision process under fuzzy environment conditions. The proposed approaches also can address the complex problems in site selection; it is also a flexible design model for considering the evaluation criteria, and is applicable to location selection for other industries.
Default Ambiguity
Authors: Fadina Tolulope , Schmidt Thorsten
Published: June 2019

This paper discusses ambiguity in the context of single-name credit risk. We focus on uncertainty in the default intensity but also discuss uncertainty in the recovery in a fractional recovery of the market value. This approach is a first step towards integrating uncertainty in credit-risky term structure models and can profit from its simplicity. We derive drift conditions in a Heath–Jarrow–Morton forward rate setting in the case of ambiguous default intensity in combination with zero recovery, and in the case of ambiguous fractional recovery of the market value.
Climate Catastrophe and Stanley Milgram’s Electric Shock “Obedience” Experiments: An Uncanny Analogy
Authors: Russell Nestar , Bolton Annette
Published: June 2019

Awareness of impending climate catastrophe has greatly increased over the last 30 years. Increasing awareness, however, has not translated into decreasing but instead increasing greenhouse gas emissions. This paper aims to shed new light on this perplexing and ultimately destructive positive correlation. It does so by applying a new interpretation of Milgram’s Obedience to Authority “electric shock” experiments to the problem of climate catastrophe. This paper reveals that both the Obedience Studies and climate catastrophe share a crucial common denominator: both involve powerful figures utilising manipulative techniques of bureaucratic organisation to push and pull the functionary helpers below them into contributing to preconceived goal achievement. In both cases, for the functionary helpers to achieve the goals of the powerful, all must agree to contribute to the infliction of harm on a powerless group. Nearly all helpers choose to make their harmful contributions because they not only stand to personally benefit, they also suspect that—with so many other links in the chain participating in goal achievement—they can probably do so with total impunity. It is argued that this comparison may help to better understand the complex, self-reinforcing, yet ultimately destructive relationship shared between fossil fuel corporations, the ideological pursuit of economic growth, political impotence, rapacious consumer demand, and impending climate catastrophe.
Spatial Cluster-Based Model for Static Rebalancing Bike Sharing Problem
Authors: Lahoorpoor Bahman , Faroqi Hamed , Sadeghi-Niaraki Abolghasem , Choi Soo-Mi
Published: June 2019

Bike sharing systems, as one of the complementary modes for public transit networks, are designed to help travelers in traversing the first/last mile of their trips. Different factors such as accessibility, availability, and fares influence these systems. The availability of bikes at certain times and locations is studied under rebalancing problem. The paper proposes a bottom-up cluster-based model to solve the static rebalancing problem in bike sharing systems. First, the spatial and temporal patterns of bike sharing trips in the network are investigated. Second, a similarity measure based on the trips between stations is defined to discover groups of correlated stations, using a hierarchical agglomerative clustering method. Third, two levels for rebalancing are assumed as intra-clusters and inter-clusters with the aim of keeping the balance of the network at the beginning of days. The intra-cluster level keeps the balance of bike distribution inside each cluster, and the inter-cluster level connects different clusters in order to keep the balance between the clusters. Finally, rebalancing tours are optimized according to the positive or negative balance at both levels of the intra-clusters and inter-clusters using a single objective genetic algorithm. The rebalancing problem is modeled as an optimization problem, which aims to minimize the tour length. The proposed model is implemented in one week of bike sharing trip data set in Chicago, USA. Outcomes of the model are validated for two subsequent weekdays. Analyses show that the proposed model can reduce the length of the rebalancing tour by 30%.
Strengthening and Repair of Reinforced Concrete Columns by Jacketing: State-of-the-Art Review
Authors: Raza Saim , Khan Muhammad K. I. , Menegon Scott J. , Tsang Hing-Ho , Wilson John L.
Published: June 2019

Sustainability necessitates the protection of infrastructure from any kind of deterioration over the life cycle of the asset. Deterioration in the capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) infrastructure (e.g., bridges, buildings, etc.) may result from localised damage sustained during extreme loading scenarios, such as earthquakes, hurricanes or tsunamis. In addition, factors such as the corrosion of rebars or ageing may also deteriorate or degrade the capacity of an RC column, thereby necessitating immediate strengthening to either extend or ensure its design life is not limited. The aim of this paper is to provide a state-of-the-art review of various strengthening and repair methods for RC columns proposed by different researchers in the last two decades. The scope of this review paper is limited to jacketing techniques for strengthening and/or repairing both normal- and high-strength RC columns. The paper also identifies potential research gaps and outlines the future direction of research into the strengthening and repair of RC columns.
Developing Fair Investment Plans to Enhance Supply Chain Visibility Using Cooperative Games
Authors: Kim Changhyun , Shin KwangSup
Published: June 2019

As supply chains become more complex and globalized, the individual participants of the supply chains should invest in systems based on information communication technologies (ICT) such as the remote frequency identification device (RFID) with tags that secure the visibility of the entire supply chain. In addition, the level of visibility, such as the container, pallet, carton, and box, should be determined for each participant to optimize its own profit function. By using a collaborative game scheme, the present study illustrates the relationships among participants who invest to a certain level of visibility, and then how much value each participant gets. To find feasible solutions, a genetic algorithm-based mechanism is devised for modeling various fitness functions considering the total profit and benefit to cost (B/C) ratio. The proposed framework considers the relationship among participants, as well as the impact from the enhanced visibility, and it may be possible to make fair and rational decisions for all participants based on the quantitative metrics such as the B/C ratio. In this paper, we propose a novel method based on the game-theoretic approach where the enhanced visibility prevents a certain participant from taking most of the benefit. It seems possible to establish a long-term sustainable supply chain visibility by distributing profit fairly to all participants in the supply chain.
Role of Nutrient-Enriched Biochar as a Soil Amendment during Maize Growth: Exploring Practical Alternatives to Recycle Agricultural Residuals and to Reduce Chemical Fertilizer Demand
Authors: Kizito Simon , Luo Hongzhen , Lu Jiaxin , Bah Hamidou , Dong Renjie , Wu Shubiao
Published: June 2019

Recycling and value-added utilization of agricultural residues through combining technologies such as anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis could double the recoverable energy, close the nutrient recycle loop, and ensure cleaner agricultural production. This study assessed the beneficial application of biochar to soil to recycle digestate nutrients, improve soil quality, and reduce conventional chemical fertilizer. The addition of digestate-enriched biochar improved soil quality as it provided higher soil organic matter (232%–514%) and macronutrients (110%–230%) as opposed to the unenriched biochar and control treatments. Maize grown in soil amended with digestate-enriched biochar showed a significantly higher biomass yield compared to the control and non-enriched biochar treatments but was slightly lower than yields from chemical fertilizer treatments. The slightly lower yield (20%–25%) achieved from digestate-enriched biochar was attributed to slower mineralization and release of the adsorbed nutrients in the short term. However, digestate-enriched biochar could in the long term become more beneficial in sustaining soil fertility through maintaining high soil organic matter and the gradual release of micronutrients compared to conventional chemical fertilizer. Positive effects on soil micronutrients, macronutrients, organic matter, and biomass yield indicates that enriched biochar could partly replace chemical fertilizers and promote organic farming in a circular economy concept.
A Method for Rockburst Prediction in the Deep Tunnels of Hydropower Stations Based on the Monitored Microseismicity and an Optimized Probabilistic Neural Network Model
Authors: Feng Guangliang , Xia Guoqing , Chen Bingrui , Xiao Yaxun , Zhou Ruichen
Published: June 2019

Hydropower is one of the most important renewable energy sources. However, the safe construction of hydropower stations is seriously affected by disasters like rockburst, which, in turn, restricts the sustainable development of hydropower energy. In this paper, a method for rockburst prediction in the deep tunnels of hydropower stations based on the use of real-time microseismic (MS) monitoring information and an optimized probabilistic neural network (PNN) model is proposed. The model consists of the mean impact value algorithm (MIVA), the modified firefly algorithm (MFA), and PNN (MIVA-MFA-PNN model). The MIVA is used to reduce the interference from redundant information in the multiple MS parameters in the input layer of the PNN. The MFA is used to optimize the parameter smoothing factor in the PNN and reduce the error caused by artificial determination. Three improvements are made in the MFA compared to the standard firefly algorithm. The proposed rockburst prediction method is tested by 93 rockburst cases with different intensities that occurred in parts of the deep diversion and drainage tunnels of the Jinping II hydropower station, China (with a maximum depth of 2525 m). The results show that the rates of correct rockburst prediction of the test samples and learning samples are 100% and 86.75%, respectively. However, when a common PNN model combined with monitored microseismicity is used, the related rates are only 80.0% and 61.45%, respectively. The proposed method can provide a reference for rockburst prediction in MS monitored deep tunnels of hydropower projects.
An Investigation on the Prime and Twin Prime Number Functions by Periodical Binary Sequences and Symmetrical Runs in a Modified Sieve Procedure
Authors: Aiazzi Bruno , Baronti Stefano , Santurri Leonardo , Selva Massimo
Published: June 2019

In this work, the Sieve of Eratosthenes procedure (in the following named Sieve procedure) is approached by a novel point of view, which is able to give a justification of the Prime Number Theorem (P.N.T.). Moreover, an extension of this procedure to the case of twin primes is formulated. The proposed investigation, which is named Limited INtervals into PEriodical Sequences (LINPES) relies on a set of binary periodical sequences that are evaluated in limited intervals of the prime characteristic function. These sequences are built by considering the ensemble of deleted (that is, 0) and undeleted (that is, 1) integers in a modified version of the Sieve procedure, in such a way a symmetric succession of runs of zeroes is found in correspondence of the gaps between the undeleted integers in each period. Such a formulation is able to estimate the prime number function in an equivalent way to the logarithmic integral function Li(x). The present analysis is then extended to the twin primes, by taking into account only the runs whose size is two. In this case, the proposed procedure gives an estimation of the twin prime function that is equivalent to the one of the logarithmic integral function Li 2 ( x ) . As a consequence, a possibility is investigated in order to count the twin primes in the same intervals found for the primes. Being that the bounds of these intervals are given by squares of primes, if such an inference were actually proved, then the twin primes could be estimated up to infinity, by strengthening the conjecture of their never-ending.