bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Systems—Recent Manufacturing Techniques and Applications
Authors: Kaynak Akif , Zolfagharian Ali
Published: July 2019

Stimuli-responsive polymer systems can be defined as functional materials that show physical or chemical property changes in response to external stimuli, such as temperature, radiation, chemical agents, pH, mechanical stress, and electric and magnetic fields [...]
Synthesis, X-ray Crystal Structure, and Photochromism of a Sandwich-Type Mono-Aluminum Complex Composed of Two Tri-Lacunary α-Dawson-Type Polyoxotungstates
Authors: Kato Chika Nozaki , Kato Daichi , Kashiwagi Toshifumi , Nagatani Shunpei
Published: July 2019

The synthesis and molecular structure of a dimeric, mono-aluminum complex composed of two tri-lacunary α-Dawson polyoxometalates, [H14Al(B-α-P2W15O56)2]7− (1), is described herein. The tetra-n-butylammonium salt of 1, [(n-C4H9)4N]7[H14Al(B-α-P2W15O56)2] (TBA-1) was prepared by passing an aqueous solution of K6[B-α-H3P2W15O59{Al(OH2)}3]⋅14H2O through an ion-exchange resin column (H+-form), followed by addition of tetra-n-butylammonium bromide. Analytically pure and colorless crystals of TBA-1 were obtained via vapor diffusion from acetonitrile/methanol at ~25 °C. Single-crystal X-ray structure analysis revealed that a six-coordinate aluminum ion was sandwiched between two tri-lacunary α-Dawson-type units, resulting in an overall C2h symmetry. The characterization of TBA-1 was accomplished by elemental analyses, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyses, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The photochromic properties of TBA-1 were also characterized in methanol under light irradiation (λ = 365 nm and ≥400 nm).
Investigation of the Flow Properties of CBM Based on Stochastic Fracture Network Modeling
Authors: Zhang Bo , Li Yong , Fantuzzi Nicholas , Zhao Yuan , Liu Yan-Bao , Peng Bo , Chen Jie
Published: July 2019

Coal contains a large number of fractures, whose characteristics are difficult to describe in detail, while their spatial distribution patterns may follow some macroscopic statistical laws. In this paper, several fracture geometric parameters (FGPs) were used to describe a fracture, and the coal seam was represented by a two-dimensional stochastic fracture network (SFN) which was generated and processed through a series of methods in MATLAB. Then, the processed SFN image was able to be imported into COMSOL Multiphysics and converted to a computational domain through the image function. In this way, the influences of different FGPs and their distribution patterns on the permeability of the coal seam were studied, and a finite element model to investigate gas flow properties in the coal seam was carried out. The results show that the permeability of the coal seam increased with the rising of fracture density, length, aperture, and with the decrease of the angle between the fracture orientation and the gas pressure gradient. It has also been found that large-sized fractures have a more significant contribution to coal reservoir permeability. Additionally, a numerical simulation of CBM extraction was carried out to show the potential of the proposed approach in the application of tackling practical engineering problems. According to the results, not only the connectivity of fractures but also variations of gas pressure and velocity can be displayed explicitly, which is consistent well with the actual situation.
Sliding Interaction for Coated Asperity with Power-Law Hardening Elastic-Plastic Coatings
Authors: Zhao Bin , Xu Hanzhang , Lu Xiqun
Published: July 2019

Sliding between asperities occurs inevitably in the friction pair, which affects the efficiency and reliability in both lubricated and non-lubricated conditions. In this work, the contact parameters in the coated asperity sliding process are studied, and the universal expressions of the average contact force and the friction coefficient are obtained. The effect of the interference between asperities, the material and geometrical parameters including the Young’s modulus ratio and yield strength ratio of the coating and substrate, and the hardening exponent and thickness of the coating on the average contact forces and friction coefficient is considered. It shows both normal and tangential contact forces increase with the increasing interference, increasing Young’s modulus ratio, decreasing yield strength ratio, and decreasing coating thickness; while the trend is different for the effect of the hardening exponent of the coating. The normal force increases and the tangential force decreases as the hardening exponent increases. Based on this, the influence of these parameters on the effective friction coefficient is obtained further. It reveals that the friction coefficient increases as the interference and Young’s modulus ratio enlarge and decreases as the yield strength ratio, the coating’s hardening exponent, and thickness increase. The universal expressions for the contact force and friction coefficient in the sliding process are obtained. This work might give some useful results to help choose the optimum coatings for specific substrates to reduce friction in cases where the asperity contact exists, especially in the focused field of the journal bearing in the marine engine under poor lubrication conditions.
A Multi-Method Simulation Toolbox to Study Performance and Variability of Nanowire FETs
Authors: Seoane Natalia , Nagy Daniel , Indalecio Guillermo , Espiñeira Gabriel , Kalna Karol , García-Loureiro Antonio
Published: July 2019

An in-house-built three-dimensional multi-method semi-classical/classical toolbox has been developed to characterise the performance, scalability, and variability of state-of-the-art semiconductor devices. To demonstrate capabilities of the toolbox, a 10 nm gate length Si gate-all-around field-effect transistor is selected as a benchmark device. The device exhibits an off-current ( I OFF ) of 0.03 μ A/ μ m, and an on-current ( I ON ) of 1770 μ A/ μ m, with the I ON / I OFF ratio 6.63 × 10 4 , a value 27 % larger than that of a 10.7 nm gate length Si FinFET. The device SS is 71 mV/dec, no far from the ideal limit of 60 mV/dec. The threshold voltage standard deviation due to statistical combination of four sources of variability (line- and gate-edge roughness, metal grain granularity, and random dopants) is 55.5 mV, a value noticeably larger than that of the equivalent FinFET (30 mV). Finally, using a fluctuation sensitivity map, we establish which regions of the device are the most sensitive to the line-edge roughness and the metal grain granularity variability effects. The on-current of the device is strongly affected by any line-edge roughness taking place near the source-gate junction or by metal grains localised between the middle of the gate and the proximity of the gate-source junction.
Acid Mesoporous Carbon Monoliths from Lignocellulosic Biomass Waste for Methanol Dehydration
Authors: Ibeh Paul O. , García-Mateos Francisco J. , Ruiz-Rosas Ramiro , Rosas Juana María , Rodríguez-Mirasol José , Cordero Tomás
Published: July 2019

Activated carbon monoliths (ACMs), with 25 cells/cm2, were prepared from the direct extrusion of Alcell, Kraft lignin and olives stones particles that were impregnated with phosphoric acid, followed by activation at 700 °C. These ACMs were used as catalysts for methanol dehydration reaction under air atmosphere. ACM that was prepared from olive stone and at impregnation ratio of 2, OS2, showed the highest catalytic activity, with a methanol conversion of 75%, a selectivity to dimethyl ether (DME) higher than 90%, and a great stability under the operating conditions studied. The results suggest that the monolithic conformation, with a density channel of 25 cells/cm2 avoid the blockage of active sites by coke deposition to a large extent. Methanol conversion for OS2 was reduced to 29% in the presence of 8%v water, at 350 °C, although the selectivity to DME remained higher than 86%. A kinetic model of methanol dehydration in the presence of air was developed, while taking into account the competitive adsorption of water. A Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism, whose rate-limiting step was the surface reaction between two adsorbed methanol molecules, represented the experimental data under the conditions studied very well. An activation energy value of 92 kJ/mol for methanol dehydration reaction and adsorption enthalpies for methanol and water of −12 and −35 kJ/mol, respectively, were obtained.
Generalized Tikhonov Method and Convergence Estimate for the Cauchy Problem of Modified Helmholtz Equation with Nonhomogeneous Dirichlet and Neumann Datum
Authors: Zhang Hongwu , Zhang Xiaoju
Published: July 2019

We investigate a Cauchy problem of the modified Helmholtz equation with nonhomogeneous Dirichlet and Neumann datum, this problem is ill-posed and some regularization techniques are required to stabilize numerical computation. We established the result of conditional stability under an a priori assumption for an exact solution. A generalized Tikhonov method is proposed to solve this problem, we select the regularization parameter by a priori and a posteriori rules and derive the convergence results of sharp type for this method. The corresponding numerical experiments are implemented to verify that our regularization method is practicable and satisfied.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid from COPD Patients Reveals More Compounds Associated with Disease than Matched Plasma
Authors: Halper-Stromberg Eitan , Gillenwater Lucas , Cruickshank-Quinn Charmion , O’Neal Wanda Kay , Reisdorph Nichole , Petrache Irina , Zhuang Yonghua , Labaki Wassim W. , Curtis Jeffrey L. , Wells James , Rennard Stephen , Pratte Katherine A. , Woodruff Prescott , Stringer Kathleen A. , Kechris Katerina , Bowler Russell P.
Published: July 2019

Smoking causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Though recent studies identified a COPD metabolomic signature in blood, no large studies examine the metabolome in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, a more direct representation of lung cell metabolism. We performed untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) on BAL and matched plasma from 115 subjects from the SPIROMICS cohort. Regression was performed with COPD phenotypes as the outcome and metabolites as the predictor, adjusted for clinical covariates and false discovery rate. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) grouped metabolites into modules which were then associated with phenotypes. K-means clustering grouped similar subjects. We detected 7939 and 10,561 compounds in BAL and paired plasma samples, respectively. FEV1/FVC (Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second/Forced Vital Capacity) ratio, emphysema, FEV1 % predicted, and COPD exacerbations associated with 1230, 792, eight, and one BAL compounds, respectively. Only two plasma compounds associated with a COPD phenotype (emphysema). Three BAL co-expression modules associated with FEV1/FVC and emphysema. K-means BAL metabolomic signature clustering identified two groups, one with more airway obstruction (34% of subjects, median FEV1/FVC 0.67), one with less (66% of subjects, median FEV1/FVC 0.77; p < 2 × 10−4). Associations between metabolites and COPD phenotypes are more robustly represented in BAL compared to plasma.
Fiber Optofluidic Technology Based on Optical Force and Photothermal Effects
Authors: Zhang Chenlin , Xu Bingjie , Gong Chaoyang , Luo Jingtang , Zhang Quanming , Gong Yuan
Published: July 2019

Optofluidics is an exciting new area of study resulting from the fusion of microfluidics and photonics. It broadens the application and extends the functionality of microfluidics and has been extensively investigated in biocontrol, molecular diagnosis, material synthesis, and drug delivery. When light interacts with a microfluidic system, optical force and/or photothermal effects may occur due to the strong interaction between light and liquid. Such opto-physical effects can be used for optical manipulation and sensing due to their unique advantages over conventional microfluidics and photonics, including their simple fabrication process, flexible manipulation capability, compact configuration, and low cost. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in fiber optofluidic (FOF) technology based on optical force and photothermal effects in manipulation and sensing applications. Optical force can be used for optofluidic manipulation and sensing in two categories: stable single optical traps and stable combined optical traps. The photothermal effect can be applied to optofluidics based on two major structures: optical microfibers and optical fiber tips. The advantages and disadvantages of each FOF technology are also discussed.
Multimineral Fingerprinting of Transhimalayan and Himalayan Sources of Indus-Derived Thal Desert Sand (Central Pakistan)
Authors: Liang Wendong , Garzanti Eduardo , Andò Sergio , Gentile Paolo , Resentini Alberto
Published: July 2019

As a Quaternary repository of wind-reworked Indus River sand at the entry point in the Himalayan foreland basin, the Thal Desert in northern Pakistan stores mineralogical information useful to trace erosion patterns across the western Himalayan syntaxis and the adjacent orogenic segments that fed detritus into the Indus delta and huge deep-sea fan throughout the Neogene. Provenance analysis of Thal Desert sand was carried out by applying optical and semi-automated Raman spectroscopy on heavy-mineral suites of four eolian and 11 fluvial sand samples collected in selected tributaries draining one specific tectonic domain each in the upper Indus catchment. In each sample, the different types of amphibole, garnet, epidote and pyroxene grains—the four dominant heavy-mineral species in orogenic sediment worldwide—were characterized by SEM-EDS spectroscopy. The chemical composition of 4249 grains was thus determined. Heavy-mineral concentration, the relative proportion of heavy-mineral species, and their minerochemical fingerprints indicate that the Kohistan arc has played the principal role as a source, especially of pyroxene and epidote. Within the western Himalayan syntaxis undergoing rapid exhumation, the Southern Karakorum belt drained by the Hispar River and the Nanga Parbat massif were revealed as important sources of garnet, amphibole, and possibly epidote. Sediment supply from the Greater Himalaya, Lesser Himalaya, and Subhimalaya is dominant only for Punjab tributaries that join the Indus River downstream and do not contribute sand to the Thal Desert. The detailed compositional fingerprint of Thal Desert sand, if contrasted with that of lower course tributaries exclusively draining the Himalaya, provides a semi-actualistic key to be used, in conjunction with complementary provenance datasets and geological information, to reconstruct changes in paleodrainage and unravel the relationship between climatic and tectonic forces that controlled the erosional evolution of the western Himalayan-Karakorum orogen in space and time.
One-Step ARMS-PCR for the Detection of SNPs—Using the Example of the PADI4 Gene
Authors: Ehnert Sabrina , Linnemann Caren , Braun Bianca , Botsch Josephine , Leibiger Karolin , Hemmann Philipp , Nussler Andreas K.
Published: July 2019

In eukaryotes, cellular functions are tightly controlled by diverse post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins. One such PTM affecting many proteins is the deimination of arginine to citrulline. This process, called citrullination is catalyzed by a group of hydrolases called protein arginine deiminases (PADs), of which five isoforms have been identified. Hypercitrullination, as a result of increased PAD expression or activity, is associated with autoimmune diseases e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Alzheimer’s disease, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, and certain cancers. Three common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PADI4 gene have been described, namely rs874881, rs11203366, and rs11203367, which are thought to affect PAD4 expression and activity. We here compared the suitability of four methods for the screening of SNPs in the PADI4 gene: (i) SYBR-green based real-time polymerase chain reaction followed by high resolution melting curve analysis (HRM-PCR); (ii) PCR followed by detection of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP); (iii) conventional tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system PCR (ARMS-PCR); and (iv) real-time PCR based on the one-step ARMS-PCR. Of these, ARMS-PCR proved to be the most suitable method regarding handling, duration, and cost of experiments. Using the method with SYBR-green based real-time PCR reagents further diminished handling steps and thus potential sources of error.
Investigating the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Aluminum-Matrix Reinforced-Graphene Nanosheet Composites Fabricated by Mechanical Milling and Equal-Channel Angular Pressing
Authors: Hasanzadeh Azar Mahdi , Sadri Bahareh , Nemati Alireza , Angizi Shayan , Shaeri Mohammad Hossein , Minárik Peter , Veselý Jozef , Djavanroodi Faramarz
Published: July 2019

Layered-graphene reinforced-metal matrix nanocomposites with excellent mechanical properties and low density are a new class of advanced materials for a broad range of applications. A facile three-step approach based on ultra-sonication for dispersion of graphene nanosheets (GNSs), ball milling for Al-powder mixing with different weight percentages of GNSs, and equal-channel angular pressing for powders’ consolidation at 200 °C was applied for nanocomposite fabrication. The Raman analysis revealed that the GNSs in the sample with 0.25 wt.% GNSs were exfoliated by the creation of some defects and disordering. X-ray diffraction and microstructural analysis confirmed that the interaction of the GNSs and the matrix was almost mechanical, interfacial bonding. The density test demonstrated that all samples except the 1 wt.% GNSs were fully densified due to the formation of microvoids, which were observed in the scanning electron microscope analysis. Investigation of the mechanical properties showed that by using Al powders with commercial purity, the 0.25 wt.% GNS sample possessed the maximum hardness, ultimate shear strength, and uniform normal displacement in comparison with the other samples. The highest mechanical properties were observed in the 0.25 wt.% GNSs composite, resulting from the embedding of exfoliated GNSs between Al powders, excellent mechanical bonding, and grain refinement. In contrast, agglomerated GNSs and the existence of microvoids caused deterioration of the mechanical properties in the 1 wt.% GNSs sample.
Food Composition at Present: New Challenges
Authors: Kapsokefalou Maria , Roe Mark , Turrini Aida , Costa Helena S. , Martinez-Victoria Emilio , Marletta Luisa , Berry Rachel , Finglas Paul
Published: July 2019

Food composition data is important for stakeholders and users active in the areas of food, nutrition and health. New challenges related to the quality of food composition data reflect the dynamic changes in these areas while the emerging technologies create new opportunities. These challenges and the impact on food composition data for the Mediterranean region were reviewed during the NUTRIMAD 2018 congress of the Spanish Society for Community Nutrition. Data harmonization and standardization, data compilation and use, thesauri, food classification and description, and data exchange are some of the areas that require new approaches. Consistency in documentation, linking of information between datasets, food matching and capturing portion size information suggest the need for new automated tools. Research Infrastructures bring together key data and services. The delivery of sustainable networks and Research Infrastructures in food, nutrition and health will help to increase access to and effective use of food composition data. EuroFIR AISBL coordinates experts and national compilers and contributes to worldwide efforts aiming to produce and maintain high quality data and tools. A Mediterranean Network that shares high quality food composition data is vital for the development of ambitious common research and policy initiatives in support of the Mediterranean Diet.
Acute Effects of Nutritive and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners on Postprandial Blood Pressure
Authors: Pham Hung , Phillips Liza K. , Jones Karen L.
Published: July 2019

Postprandial hypotension (PPH) is under-recognised, but common, particularly in the elderly, and is of clear clinical importance due to both the independent association between PPH and an increase in mortality and lack of effective management for this condition. Following health concerns surrounding excessive consumption of sugar, there has been a trend in the use of low- or non-nutritive sweeteners as an alternative. Due to the lack of literature in this area, we conducted a systematic search to identify studies relevant to the effects of different types of sweeteners on postprandial blood pressure (BP). The BP response to ingestion of sweeteners is generally unaffected in healthy young subjects, however in elderly subjects, glucose induces the greatest decrease in postprandial BP, while the response to sucrose is less pronounced. The limited studies investigating other nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners have demonstrated minimal or no effect on postprandial BP. Dietary modification by replacing high nutritive sweeteners (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) with low nutritive (d-xylose, xylitol, erythritol, maltose, maltodextrin, and tagatose) and non-nutritive sweeteners may be a simple and effective management strategy for PPH.
Phenolic Composition of Artichoke Waste and Its Antioxidant Capacity on Differentiated Caco-2 Cells
Authors: Jiménez-Moreno Nerea , Cimminelli María José , Volpe Francesca , Ansó Raul , Esparza Irene , Mármol Inés , Rodríguez-Yoldi María Jesús , Ancín-Azpilicueta Carmen
Published: July 2019

Artichoke waste represents a huge amount of discarded material. This study presents the by-products (bracts, exterior leaves, and stalks) of the “Blanca de Tudela” artichoke variety as a potential source of phenolic compounds with promising antioxidant properties. Artichoke residues were subjected to different extraction processes, and the antioxidant capacity and phenolic composition of the extracts were analyzed by spectrophotometric methods and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses, respectively. The most abundant polyphenols in artichoke waste were chlorogenic acid, luteolin-7-O-rutinoside, and luteolin-7-O-glucoside. Minor quantities of cynarin, luteolin, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, apigenin-7-O-rutinoside, and naringenin-7-O-glucoside were also found. The antioxidant activity of the obtained extracts determined by ABTS [2, 2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)], DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-pycrilhydracyl), and FRAP (Ferric Ion Reducing Antioxidant Power) was highly correlated with the total concentration of phenolic compounds. Chlorogenic acid, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, and luteolin-7-O-rutinoside, the most abundant compounds in 60% methanol extracts, are the components most responsible for the antioxidant activity of the artichoke waste extracts. The extract with the best antioxidant capacity was selected to assay its antioxidant potential on a model intestinal barrier. This action of the hydroxycinnamic acids on intestinal cells (Caco-2) was confirmed. In summary, artichoke waste may be considered a very interesting ingredient for food functionalization and for therapeutic purposes.
Validation and Application of Biocrates AbsoluteIDQ® p180 Targeted Metabolomics Kit Using Human Milk
Authors: Hampel Daniela , Shahab-Ferdows Setareh , Hossain Muttaquina , Islam M. Munirul , Ahmed Tahmeed , Allen Lindsay H.
Published: July 2019

Human-milk-targeted metabolomics analysis offers novel insights into milk composition and relationships with maternal and infant phenotypes and nutritional status. The Biocrates AbsoluteIDQ® p180 kit, targeting 40 acylcarnitines, 42 amino acids/biogenic amines, 91 phospholipids, 15 sphingolipids, and sum of hexoses, was evaluated for human milk using the AB Sciex 5500 QTRAP mass-spectrometer in liquid chromatography-tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and flow-injection analysis (FIA) mode. Milk (<6 months lactation) from (A) Bangladeshi apparently healthy mothers (body mass index (BMI) > 18.5; n = 12) and (B) Bangladeshi mothers of stunted infants (height-for-age Z (HAZ)-score <−2; n = 13) was analyzed. Overall, 123 of the possible 188 metabolites were detected in milk. New internal standards and adjusted calibrator levels were used for improved precision and concentration ranges for milk metabolites. Recoveries ranged between 43% and 120% (coefficient of variation (CV): 2.4%–24.1%, 6 replicates). Milk consumed by stunted infants vs. that from mothers with BMI > 18.5 was lower in 6 amino acids/biogenic amines but higher in isovalerylcarnitine, two phospholipids, and one sphingomyelin (p < 0.05 for all). Associations between milk metabolites differed between groups. The AbsoluteIDQ® p180 kit is a rapid analysis tool suitable for human milk analysis and reduces analytical bias by allowing the same technique for different specimens. More research is needed to examine milk metabolite relationships with maternal and infant phenotypes.
Physiological and Dietary Determinants of Iron Status in Spanish Vegetarians
Authors: Gallego-Narbón Angélica , Zapatera Belén , Vaquero M. Pilar
Published: July 2019

Vegetarian diets may compromise iron status, as they provide non-haem iron which has low bioavailability. Spanish lacto-ovo vegetarians (n = 49) and vegans (n = 55) were recruited and haematological and biochemical iron parameters were analysed. Food and supplements consumption, body composition, physical activity, menstrual blood losses and hormonal contraceptive use were assessed. Four groups were studied: Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), iron depletion (ferritin <15 ng/mL), iron deficiency (ferritin ≥15 to ≤30 ng/mL), and iron sufficiency (ferritin >30 ng/mL). IDA was uncommon (n = 5, 4.8%), 27.9% of participants were iron-depleted, and 30.8% were iron-deficient. Serum ferritin was lower in women than men (p < 0.001) and IDA and iron depleted individuals were all women. There were no differences attributed to diet type, time being vegetarian or physical activity. The menstrual period length was negatively associated with transferrin saturation (ρ = −0.364, p = 0.001) and hormonal contraceptive use (ρ = −0.276, p = 0.014). Iron supplements were consumed most frequently by IDA and iron-deficient subjects (p = 0.031). Conclusions: Iron status did not vary between lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans and there was not an influence of the time following a vegetarian diet. Although men were iron-sufficient, iron deficiency was frequent in women, who should apply strategies to increase iron bioavailability, especially if they experience intense menstrual blood losses.
Uric Acid and Plant-Based Nutrition
Authors: Jakše Boštjan , Jakše Barbara , Pajek Maja , Pajek Jernej
Published: July 2019

Plant-based diets (PBDs) are associated with decreased risk of morbidity and mortality associated with important noncommunicable chronic diseases. Similar to animal-based food sources (e.g., meat, fish, and animal visceral organs), some plant-based food sources (e.g., certain soy legume products, sea vegetables, and brassica vegetables) also contain a high purine load. Suboptimally designed PBDs might consequently be associated with increased uric acid levels and gout development. Here, we review the available data on this topic, with a great majority of studies showing reduced risk of hyperuricemia and gout with vegetarian (especially lacto-vegetarian) PBDs. Additionally, type of ingested purines, fiber, vitamin C, and certain lifestyle factors work in concordance to reduce uric acid generation in PBDs. Recent limited data show that even with an exclusive PBD, uric acid concentrations remain in the normal range in short- and long-term dieters. The reasonable consumption of plant foods with a higher purine content as a part of PBDs may therefore be safely tolerated in normouricemic individuals, but additional data is needed in hyperuricemic individuals, especially those with chronic kidney disease.
In Vitro Evaluation of Combined Commercialized Ophthalmic Solutions Against Acanthamoeba Strains
Authors: Reyes-Batlle María , Mura-Escorche Glorian , Sifaoui Ines , Otero-Ruiz Alejandro , Alfaro-Sifuentes Rosalía , López-Arencibia Atteneri , Rocha-Cabrera Pedro , Chiboub Olfa , Rizo-Liendo Aitor , Zamora-Herrera Jonadab , Bethencourt-Estrella Carlos J. , Rodríguez-Expósito Rubén L. , San Nicolás-Hernández Desirée , Piñero José E. , Lorenzo-Morales Jacob
Published: July 2019

Acanthamoeba is a free-living amoebae genus which is present worldwide in natural and artificial environments. These amoebae are clinically important as causative agents of diseases in humans and other animals such as a fatal encephalitis or a sight threatening Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). Lately; studies have focused on the search of novel therapeutic options for AK but also to prevent infections. Furthermore; the evaluation of commercialized products seems to be an option for this case since not clinical assays would be required. Thus; we aimed to test the amoebicidal activity of different mixtures of two commercial ophthalmic solutions: Systane® Ultra; which has already shown anti-Acanthamoeba properties; and Naviblef® Daily Care. In addition, we tested their cytotoxic effect against murine macrophages. At the individual level; Naviblef® Daily Care showed to be the most active product against Acanthamoeba spp. Nevertheless; the combinations of Systane® Ultra and Naviblef® Daily Care; showed an improvement in the activity against trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba castellanii Neff. Moreover; the concentration necessary to generate cytotoxic effect against murine macrophages (J774.1) was much higher than the required for the amoebicidal and cysticidal effect achieved in the most effective mixtures.
Identification of 16S rRNA and Virulence-Associated Genes of Arcobacter in Water Samples in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Authors: Ghaju Shrestha Rajani , Tanaka Yasuhiro , Sherchand Jeevan B. , Haramoto Eiji
Published: July 2019

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Arcobacter and five associated virulence genes (cadF, ciaB, mviN, pldA, and tlyA) in water samples in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A total of 286 samples were collected from deep tube wells (n = 30), rivers (n = 14), a pond (n = 1), shallow dug wells (n = 166), shallow tube wells (n = 33), springs (n = 21), and stone spouts (n = 21) in February and March (dry season) and August (wet season), 2016. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the water samples and subjected to SYBR Green-based quantitative PCR for 16S rRNA and virulence genes of Arcobacter. The 16S rRNA gene of Arcobacter was detected in 36% (40/112) of samples collected in the dry season, at concentrations ranging from 5.7 to 10.2 log copies/100 mL, and 34% (59/174) of samples collected in the wet season, at concentrations of 5.4–10.8 log copies/100 mL. No significant difference in Arcobacter 16S rRNA gene-positive results was observed between samples collected in the two seasons (p > 0.05). Seventeen (17%), 84 (84%), 19 (19%), 23 (23%), and 17 (17%) of the 99 Arcobacter 16S rRNA gene-positive samples were also positive for cadF, ciaB, mviN, pldA, and tlyA, respectively. At least one virulence gene was detected in 87 (88%) of the 99 Arcobacter 16S rRNA gene-positive samples. The presence of Arcobacter and the virulence genes in these samples illustrates the persistence of pathogenic bacteria in the environment and highlights the importance of regular monitoring of water for pathogens.
ATRP of Methyl Acrylate by Continuous Feeding of Activators Giving Polymers with Predictable End-Group Fidelity
Authors: Wang Yu
Published: July 2019

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl acrylate (MA) was carried out by continuous feeding of Cu(I) activators. Typically, the solvent, the monomer, the initiator, and the CuBr2/Me6TREN deactivator are placed in a Schlenk flask (Me6TREN: tris[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine), while the CuBr/Me6TREN activator is placed in a gas-tight syringe and added to the reaction mixture at a constant addition rate by using a syringe pump. As expected, the polymerization started when Cu(I) was added and stopped when the addition was completed, and polymers with a narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained. The polymerization rate could be easily adjusted by changing the activator feeding rate. More importantly, the loss of chain end-groups could be precisely predicted since each loss of Br from the chain end resulted in the irreversible oxidation of one Cu(I) to Cu(II). The Cu(I) added to the reaction system may undergo many oxidation/reduction cycles in ATRP equilibrium, but would finally be oxidized to Cu(II) irreversibly. Thus, the loss of chain end-groups simply equals the total amount of Cu(I) added. This technique provides a neat way to synthesize functional polymers with known end-group fidelity.
A Short Report on the Polymerization of Pyrrole and Its Copolymers by Sonochemical Synthesis of Fluorescent Carbon Dots
Authors: Maruthapandi Moorthy , Gedanken Aharon
Published: July 2019

In polymer chemistry, polymerization constitutes the process of the conversion of monomers into polymers using an initiator to form polymeric chains. There are many polymerization techniques and different systems exist by which the polymers are classified. Recently, our group has reported the synthesis of polymers using both carbon dots (CDs) and UV light as initiators. In these reports, the carbon dots were used with or without UV light. The CDs produce free radicals in the presence of UV light, indicating their role as initiators. The CD surface has many unshared or unpaired electrons, making it negatively charged. The present study focuses on the use of CDs for the formation of polymers from monomers containing various functional group. The properties of the synthesized CDs and the polymers obtained from the various monomers were characterized by various analytical techniques, including Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Solid-State NMR spectroscopy. This polymerization technique is of interest both from the scientific aspect and for its applicative potential. The synthesized polymers were investigated for their various applications.
Improving the Flame Retardance of Polyisocyanurate Foams by Dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepine 6-Oxide-Containing Additives
Authors: Lenz Johannes , Pospiech Doris , Paven Maxime , Albach Rolf W. , Günther Martin , Schartel Bernhard , Voit Brigitte
Published: July 2019

A series of new flame retardants (FR) based on dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepine 6-oxide (BPPO) incorporating acrylates and benzoquinone were developed previously. In this study, we examine the fire behavior of the new flame retardants in polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams. The foam characteristics, thermal decomposition, and fire behavior are investigated. The fire properties of the foams containing BPPO-based derivatives were found to depend on the chemical structure of the substituents. We also compare our results to state-of-the-art non-halogenated FR such as triphenylphosphate and chemically similar phosphinate, i.e. 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10- phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO), based derivatives to discuss the role of the phosphorus oxidation state.
Shakespeare in Chinese as Christian Literature: Isaac Mason and Ha Zhidao’s Translation of Tales from Shakespeare
Authors: Yao Dadui
Published: July 2019

The introduction of Shakespeare to China was through the Chinese translation of Mary and Charles Lamb’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s plays, Tales from Shakespeare. The Western missionaries’ Chinese translations of the Lambs’ adaptation have rarely been studied. Isaac Mason and his assistant Ha Zhidao’s 1918 translation of the Lambs’ book, entitled Haiguo Quyu (Interesting Tales from Overseas Countries), is one of the earliest Chinese versions translated by Christian missionaries. Although Mason was a Christian missionary and his translation was published by The Christian Literature Society for China, Mason adopted an indirect way to propagate Christian thoughts and rewrote some parts that are related to Christian belief. The rewriting is manifested in several aspects, including the use of four-character titles with Confucian ethical tendencies, rewriting paragraphs with hidden Christian ideas and highlighting themes closely related to Christian ethics, such as mercy, forgiveness and justice. While unique in its time, such a strategy of using the Chinese translation of Shakespeare for indirect missionary work had an impact on subsequent missionary translations.
Cobra Deities and Divine Cobras: The Ambiguous Animality of Nāgas
Authors: Lange Gerrit
Published: July 2019

In South Asia, cobras are the animals most dangerous to humans—as humans are to cobras. Paradoxically, one threat to cobras is their worship by feeding them milk, which is harmful to them, but religiously prescribed as an act of love and tenderness towards a deity. Across cultural and religious contexts, the Nāgas, mostly cobra-shaped beings, are prominent among Hindu and Buddhist deities. Are they seen as animals? Doing ethnographic fieldwork on a Himalayan female Nāga Goddess, this question has long accompanied me during my participant observation and interviews, and I have found at least as many possible answers as I have had interview partners. In this article, I trace the ambiguous relationship between humans, serpents and serpent deities through the classical Sanskrit literature, Hindu and Buddhist iconographies and the retelling of myths in modern movies, short stories, and fantasy novels. In these narrations and portrayals, Nāgas are often “real” snakes, i.e., members of the animal kingdom—only bigger, shape-shifting or multi-headed and, curiously, thirsty for milk. The article focuses on those traits of Nāgas which set them apart from animals, and on those traits that characterize them as snakes.
Devil Landforms as Resources for Geotourism Development: An Example from Southern Apulia (Italy)
Authors: Sansò Paolo
Published: July 2019

The landscape of Murge Tarantine limestone ridge (southern Apulia, Italy) is marked by the presence of an isolated relief showing a singular shape and name, the Monte del Diavolo (i.e., the Devil’s Mount). The Monte del Diavolo is located in a very interesting area from a geological point of view since it shows an E–W trending high-fault scarp, the morphological effect of the right-lateral transtensive North Salento Fault Zone. The Monte del Diavolo is a small isolated conical relief reaching at its top 115 m above m.s.l.; it elevates about 20 m from the surrounding plain surface, stretching at about 95 m altitude. Its evolution has been influenced by the occurrence of strongly cemented breccia deposits, most likely due to cave roof collapse and calcite precipitation, which are more resistant to the karst denudation process than surrounding limestones. This paper would be the first step towards the cultural promotion of the Monte del Diavolo area, which is marked by geological and geomorphological peculiar features and by a relevant archaeological and natural heritage as well.
Modeling and Flight Experiments for Swarms of High Dynamic UAVs: A Stochastic Configuration Control System with Multiplicative Noises
Authors: Zhao Hongbo , Wu Sentang , Wen Yongming , Liu Wenlei , Wu Xiongjun
Published: July 2019

UAV Swarm with high dynamic configuration at a large scale requires a high-precision mathematical model to fully exploit its boundary performance. In order to instruct the engineering application with high confidence, uncertainties induced from either systematic measurement or the environment cannot be ignored. This paper investigates the I t o ^ stochastic model of the UAV Swarm system with multiplicative noises. By combining the cooperative kinematic model with a simplified individual dynamic model of fixed-wing-aircraft for the first time, the configuration control model is derived. Considering the uncertainties in actual flight, multiplicative noises are introduced to complete the I t o ^ stochastic model. Following that, the estimator and controller are designed to control the formation. The mean-square uniform boundedness condition of the proposed stochastic system is presented for the closed-loop system. In the simulation, the stochastic robustness analysis and design (SRAD) method is used to optimize the properties of the formation. More importantly, the effectiveness of the proposed model is also verified using real data of five unmanned aircrafts collected in outfield formation flight experiments.
Intelligent Fault Diagnosis of Diesel Engines via Extreme Gradient Boosting and High-Accuracy Time–Frequency Information of Vibration Signals
Authors: Tao Jianfeng , Qin Chengjin , Li Weixing , Liu Chengliang
Published: July 2019

Accurate and timely misfire fault diagnosis is of vital significance for diesel engines. However, existing algorithms are prone to fall into model over-fitting and adopt low energy-concentrated features. This paper presents a novel extreme gradient boosting-based misfire fault diagnosis approach utilizing the high-accuracy time–frequency information of vibration signals. First, diesel engine misfire tests were conducted under different spindle speeds, and the corresponding vibration signals were acquired via a triaxial accelerometer. The time-domain features of signals were extracted by using a time-domain statistics method, while the high-accuracy time–frequency domain features were obtained via the high-resolution multisynchrosqueezing transform. Thereafter, considering the nonlinearity and high dimensionality of the original characteristic data sets, the locally linear embedding method was employed for feature dimensionality reduction. Eventually, to avoid model overfitting, the extreme gradient boosting algorithm was utilized for diesel engine misfire fault diagnosis. Experiments under different spindle speeds and comprehensive comparisons with other evaluation methods were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed extreme gradient boosting-based misfire diagnosis method. The results verify that the highest classification accuracy of the proposed extreme gradient boosting-based algorithm is up to 99.93%. Simultaneously, the classification accuracy of the presented approach is approximately 24.63% higher on average than those of algorithms that use wavelet packet-based features. Moreover, it is shown that it obtains the minimum root mean squared error and can effectively prevent the model from falling into overfitting.
Evaluating the Implications of Varying Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Transmission Power Levels on Wireless Indoor Localization Accuracy and Precision
Authors: Qureshi Umair Mujtaba , Umair Zuneera , Hancke Gerhard Petrus
Published: July 2019

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based Wireless Indoor Localization System (WILS) with high localization accuracy and high localization precision is a key requirement in enabling the Internet of Things (IoT) in today’s applications. In this paper, we investigated the effect of BLE signal variations on indoor localization caused by the change in BLE transmission power levels. This issue is not often discussed as most of the works on localization algorithms use the highest power levels but has important practical implications for energy efficiency, e.g., if a designer would like to trade-off localization performance and node lifetime. To analyze the impact, we used the established trilateration based localization model with two methods i.e., Centroid Approximation (CA) and Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE). We observed that trilateration based localization with MMSE method outperforms the CA method. We further investigated the use of two filters i.e., Low Pass Filter (LPF) and Kalman Filter (KF) and evaluated their effects in terms of mitigating the random variations from BLE signal. In comparison to non-filter based approach, we observed a great improvement in localization accuracy and localization precision with a filter-based approach. Furthermore, in comparison to LPF based trilateration localization with CA, the performance of a KF based trilateration localization with MMSE is far better. An average of 1 m improvement in localization accuracy and approximately 50% improvement in localization precision is observed by using KF in trilateration based localization model with the MMSE method. In conclusion, with KF in trilateration based localization model with MMSE method effectively eliminates random variations in BLE RSS with multiple transmission power levels and thus results in a BLE based WILS with high accuracy and high precision.
Simultaneous Voltammetric Determination of Acetaminophen, Ascorbic Acid and Uric Acid by Use of Integrated Array of Screen-Printed Electrodes and Chemometric Tools
Authors: Ortiz-Aguayo Dionisia , Bonet-San-Emeterio Marta , del Valle Manel
Published: July 2019

In the present work, ternary mixtures of Acetaminophen, Ascorbic acid and Uric acid were resolved using the Electronic tongue (ET) principle and Cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. The screen-printed integrated electrode array having differentiated response for the three oxidizable compounds was formed by Graphite, Prussian blue (PB), Cobalt (II) phthalocyanine (CoPc) and Copper oxide (II) (CuO) ink-modified carbon electrodes. A set of samples, ranging from 0 to 500 µmol·L−1, was prepared, using a tilted (33) factorial design in order to build the quantitative response model. Subsequently, the model performance was evaluated with an external subset of samples defined randomly along the experimental domain. Partial Least Squares Regression (PLS) was employed to construct the quantitative model. Finally, the model successfully predicted the concentration of the three compounds with a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 1.00 and 0.99 for the training and test subsets, respectively, and R2 ≥ 0.762 for the obtained vs. expected comparison graphs. In this way, a screen-printed integrated electrode platform can be successfully used for voltammetric ET applications.
Erratum: Cheng, Y.; Zhao, C.; Zhang, J.; Wu, Z. Application of a Novel Long-Gauge Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor for Corrosion Detection via a Two-Level Strategy. Sensors 2019, 19, 954
Authors: Cheng Yuyao , Zhao Chenyang , Zhang Jian , Wu Zhishen
Published: July 2019

The authors wish to make the following erratum to this paper [...]
The Impact of Stress on Life, Working, and Management Styles: How to Make an Organization Healthier?
Authors: Katić Ivana , Knežević Tatjana , Berber Nemanja , Ivanišević Andrea , Leber Marjan
Published: July 2019

This article provides guidelines for optimizing organizational management styles and achieving a balance between life and work. Contributing to sustainable human development will contribute to the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development. The main purpose of the paper is to determine the relations between the preferences of management styles, working styles and lifestyles, and exposure to stress in the managerial population in order to achieve harmonization. A correlation study was conducted on a sample of 618 subjects using the Blanchard test of situational leadership, the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire for determining the stress levels, the modified Allport–Vernon–Lindsay Scale of Values, and Julie Hay’s Working Styles Questionnaire. The paper provides insight into the contribution of management styles to the balance of private and professional areas of life, as well as to stress reduction in managers.