bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current State of Atmospheric Aerosol Thermodynamics and Mass Transfer Modeling: A Review
Authors: Semeniuk Kirill , Dastoor Ashu
Published: February 2020

A useful aerosol model must be able to adequately resolve the chemical complexity and phase state of the wide particle size range arising from the many different secondary aerosol growth processes to assess their environmental and health impacts. Over the past two decades, significant advances in understanding of gas-aerosol partitioning have occurred, particularly with respect to the role of organic compounds, yet aerosol representations have changed little in air quality and climate models since the late 1990s and early 2000s. The gas-aerosol partitioning models which are still commonly used in air quality models are separate inorganics-only thermodynamics and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation based on absorptive partitioning theory with an assumption of well-mixed liquid-like particles that continuously maintain equilibrium with the gas phase. These widely used approaches in air quality models for secondary aerosol composition and growth based on separated inorganic and organic processes are inadequate. This review summarizes some of the important developments during the past two decades in understanding of gas aerosol mass transfer processes. Substantial increases in computer performance in the last decade justify increasing the process detail in aerosol models. Organics play a central role during post-nucleation growth into the accumulation mode and change the hygroscopic properties of sulfate aerosol. At present, combined inorganic-organic aerosol thermodynamics models are too computationally expensive to be used online in 3-D simulations without high levels of aggregation of organics into a small number of functional surrogates. However, there has been progress in simplified modeling of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and distinct chemical regimes within organic-rich and inorganic-rich phases. Additional limitations of commonly used thermodynamics models are related to lack of surface tension data for various aerosol compositions in the small size limit, and lack of a comprehensive representation of surface interaction terms such as disjoining pressure in the Gibbs free energy which become significant in the small size limit and which affect both chemical composition and particle growth. As a result, there are significant errors in modeling of hygroscopic growth and phase transitions for particles in the nucleation and Aitken modes. There is also increasing evidence of reduced bulk diffusivity in viscous organic particles and, therefore, traditional secondary organic aerosol models, which are typically based on the assumption of instantaneous equilibrium gas-particle partitioning and neglect the kinetic effects, are no longer tenable.
Statistical Modelling of Temperature-Attributable Deaths in Portuguese Metropolitan Areas under Climate Change: Who Is at Risk?
Authors: Rodrigues Mónica , Santana Paula , Rocha Alfredo
Published: February 2020

Several studies emphasize that temperature-related mortality can be expected to have differential effects on different subpopulations, particularly in the context of climate change. This study aims to evaluate and quantify the future temperature-attributable mortality due to circulatory system diseases by age groups (under 65 and 65+ years), in Lisbon metropolitan area (LMA) and Porto metropolitan area (PMA), over the 2051–2065 and 2085–2099 time horizons, considering the greenhouse gas emissions scenario RCP8.5, in relation to a historical period (1991–2005). We found a decrease in extreme cold-related deaths of 0.55% and 0.45% in LMA, for 2051–2065 and 2085–2099, respectively. In PMA, there was a decrease in cold-related deaths of 0.31% and 0.49% for 2051–2065 and 2085–2099, respectively, compared to 1991–2005. In LMA, the burden of extreme heat-related mortality in age group 65+ years is slightly higher than in age group <65 years, at 2.22% vs. 1.38%, for 2085–2099. In PMA, only people aged 65+ years showed significant temperature-related burden of deaths that can be attributable to hot temperatures. The heat-related excess deaths increased from 0.23% for 2051–2065 to 1.37% for 2085–2099, compared to the historical period.
Hyperfine Anomaly in Eu Isotopes and the Universiability of the Moskowitz–Lombardi Formula
Authors: Persson Jonas R.
Published: February 2020

A method for determining the hyperfine anomaly, without using the nuclear magnetic moments, is used on a series of unstable isotopes of Eu. The large number of experimental data in Eu makes it possible to extract the hyperfine anomaly for a number of unstable isotopes. Calculations of the Bohr–Weisskopf effect and hence the hyperfine anomaly are performed using the particle-rotor formalism. The result from the calculations and experiments is compared with other theoretical calculations and the empirical Moskowitz–Lombardi formula. The results show that the Moskowitz–Lombardi formula is not universal.
Value of SUVmax for the Prediction of Bone Invasion in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Stalder Stephanie A. , Schumann Paul , Lanzer Martin , Hüllner Martin W. , Rupp Niels J. , Broglie Martina A. , Morand Grégoire B.
Published: February 2020

In advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), accurate planning of surgical resection and reconstruction are crucial for outcome and postoperative function. For OSCC close to the maxilla or mandible, prediction of bone invasion is necessary. The aim of this study was to examine whether metabolic tumor imaging obtained by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) could enhance preoperative predictability of bone invasion. We performed an analysis of 84 treatment-naïve OSCCs arising from gum (upper and lower), hard palate, floor of mouth, and retromolar trigone treated at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, who underwent wide local excision with free flap reconstruction between 04/2010 and 09/2018 and with available preoperative FDG-PET. Prediction of bone invasion by metabolic tumor imaging such as maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was examined. On definitive histopathology, bone invasion was present in 47 of 84 cases (56%). The probability of bone infiltration increased with a higher pretherapeutic SUVmax in an almost linear manner. A pretherapeutic SUVmax of primary tumor below 9.5 ruled out bone invasion preoperatively with a high specificity (97.6%). The risk of bone invasion was 53.6% and 71.4% for patients with SUVmax between 9.5–14.5 and above 14.5, respectively. Patients with bone invasion had worse distant metastasis-free survival compared to patients without bone invasion (log-rank test, p = 0.032). In conclusion, metabolic tumor imaging using FDG-PET could be used to rule out bone invasion in oral cancer patients and may serve in treatment planning.
“What You Need, Baby, I Got It”: Transposable Elements as Suppliers of Cis-Operating Sequences in Drosophila
Authors: Moschetti Roberta , Palazzo Antonio , Lorusso Patrizio , Viggiano Luigi , Massimiliano Marsano René
Published: February 2020

Transposable elements (TEs) are constitutive components of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes. The role of TEs in the evolution of genes and genomes has been widely assessed over the past years in a variety of model and non-model organisms. Drosophila is undoubtedly among the most powerful model organisms used for the purpose of studying the role of transposons and their effects on the stability and evolution of genes and genomes. Besides their most intuitive role as insertional mutagens, TEs can modify the transcriptional pattern of host genes by juxtaposing new cis-regulatory sequences. A key element of TE biology is that they carry transcriptional control elements that fine-tune the transcription of their own genes, but that can also perturb the transcriptional activity of neighboring host genes. From this perspective, the transposition-mediated modulation of gene expression is an important issue for the short-term adaptation of physiological functions to the environmental changes, and for long-term evolutionary changes. Here, we review the current literature concerning the regulatory and structural elements operating in cis provided by TEs in Drosophila. Furthermore, we highlight that, besides their influence on both TEs and host genes expression, they can affect the chromatin structure and epigenetic status as well as both the chromosome’s structure and stability. It emerges that Drosophila is a good model organism to study the effect of TE-linked regulatory sequences, and it could help future studies on TE–host interactions in any complex eukaryotic genome.
Preliminary Studies on the Application of Grape Seed Extract in the Dyeing and Functional Modification of Cotton Fabric
Authors: Guo Ling , Yang Zhi-Yi , Tang Ren-Cheng , Yuan Hua-Bin
Published: February 2020

Cotton has the shortcomings of having no antibacterial, antioxidant and ultraviolet (UV) protection properties, which are of great importance for health protection purposes. In the present study, grape seed extract (GSE) mainly composed of proanthocyanins (tannins) was employed to simultaneously import pale colors and the three aforementioned functions to cotton fabric. The tests on the application conditions of GSE showed that pH and GSE concentration had great impact on the color depth of cotton fabric, and the color hue of dyed fabric could be controlled in the absence of pH regulators due to the weakly acidic nature of GSE solution. The fabric dyed with 10%owf (on the weight of fabric) GSE exhibited an excellent inhibition effect towards Escherichia coli, whereas the one dyed with 20%owf GSE had high antioxidant activity of 97%. The fabric dyed with 5%owf GSE offered excellent UV protection. This study reveals that GSE can be used as a functional finishing agent for health protection in cotton textiles in addition to coloration capability.
Understanding Failure and Improving Treatment Using HDAC Inhibitors for Prostate Cancer
Authors: Rana Zohaib , Diermeier Sarah , Hanif Muhammad , Rosengren Rhonda J.
Published: February 2020

Novel treatment regimens are required for castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPCs) that become unresponsive to standard treatments, such as docetaxel and enzalutamide. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors showed promising results in hematological malignancies, but they failed in solid tumors such as prostate cancer, despite the overexpression of HDACs in CRPC. Four HDAC inhibitors, vorinostat, pracinostat, panobinostat and romidepsin, underwent phase II clinical trials for prostate cancers; however, phase III trials were not recommended due to a majority of patients exhibiting either toxicity or disease progression. In this review, the pharmacodynamic reasons for the failure of HDAC inhibitors were assessed and placed in the context of the advancements in the understanding of CRPCs, HDACs and resistance mechanisms. The review focuses on three themes: evolution of androgen receptor-negative prostate cancers, development of resistance mechanisms and differential effects of HDACs. In conclusion, advancements can be made in this field by characterizing HDACs in prostate tumors more extensively, as this will allow more specific drugs catering to the specific HDAC subtypes to be designed.
Short-Term Diet Restriction but Not Alternate Day Fasting Prevents Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Mice
Authors: Gunebakan Evrin , Yalcin Esra , Cikler Dulger Esra , Yigitbasi Ahmet , Ates Nilay , Caglayan Aysun , Beker Mustafa C. , Sahin Kazim , Korkaya Hasan , Kilic Ertugrul
Published: February 2020

Cisplatin (CP) is one of the most preferred platinum-containing antineoplastic drugs. However, even in nontoxic plasma concentrations, it may cause kidney injury. To be able to increase its effective pharmacological dose, its side effects need to be regarded. Diet restriction (DR) has been demonstrated to improve cellular survival in a number of disorders. In this context, we investigated the role of DR in CP-induced nephrotoxicity (CPN). Besides alternate DR, animals were exposed to DR for 3 days prior or after CP treatment. Here, we observed that both 3 days of DR reverses the nephrotoxic effect of CP, which was associated with improved physiological outcomes, such as serum creatine, blood-urea nitrogen and urea. These treatments significantly increased phosphorylation of survival kinases PI3K/Akt and ERK-1/2 and decreased the level of stress kinase JNK were noted. In addition, the activation level of signal transduction mediator p38 MAPK phosphorylation was higher particularly in both three-day DR groups. Next, animals were fed with carbohydrate-, protein- or fat-enriched diets in the presence of CP. Results indicated that not only fasting but also dietary content itself may play a determinant role in the severity of CPN. Our data suggest that DR is a promising approach to reduce CPN by regulating metabolism and cell signaling pathways.
What Makes a Partner Ideal, and for Whom? Compatibility Tests, Filter Tests, and the Mating Stability Matrix
Authors: Lucchi Basili Lorenza , Sacco Pier Luigi
Published: February 2020

We introduce a typological characterization of possible human heterosexual couples in terms of the concordance-opposition of the orientations of their active and receptive areas as defined by the tie-up theory. We show that human mating incentives, as characterized by widely adopted approaches, such as Becker’s marriage market approach, only capture very specific instances of actual couples thus characterized. Our approach allows us to instead explore how super-cooperation among partners vs. convenience vs. constriction may be regarded as alternatives modes of couple formation and cohesion, leading to very different types of couples with different implications in terms of stability and resilience. Our results may have interesting implications for future experimental research and for individual and family counseling.
Evaluating the Influence of Varied External Shading Elements on Internal Daylight Illuminances
Authors: Grobman Yasha , Austern Guy , Hatiel Yaniv , Capeluto Isaac
Published: February 2020

This paper presents an assessment and comparison of the effects of static and kinetic external shading elements on the dynamic measurement of daylighting. For this purpose, we used a method and parametric tool developed previously for the design and analysis of external shading elements in buildings. The proposed approach was used to compare static and dynamic movement scenarios for achieving optimal internal adjusted useful daylight illuminances (AUDI). The current paper presents the results of a methodical analysis, which compared various types of louvers in static and dynamic operation scenarios for a typical office in a Mediterranean climate. The results show that dynamically adjusted louvers perform notably better than fixed or seasonally adjusted modes of operation. The results show that dynamic operation scenarios can increase the AUDI by up to 51%. The results also show that in some conditions the existing rules of thumb fail to predict the correct design approach to louver geometry and that the use of rules of thumb in architectural daylight design needs to be revaluated.
Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Pathogenesis, Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Fujimoto Ayumi , Suzuki Ritsuro
Published: February 2020

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous virus belonging to the human γ-herpes virus subfamily. After primary infection, EBV maintains a life-long latent infection. A major concern is that EBV can cause a diverse range of neoplasms and autoimmune diseases. In addition, patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or solid organ transplantation can experience post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) due to dysfunction or suppression of host’s immune system, or uncontrolled proliferation of EBV-infected cells. In recent years, the number of EBV-associated PTLD cases has increased. This review focuses on the current understandings of EBV-associated PTLD pathogenesis, as well as the risk factors and clinical outcomes for patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
Kinase Inhibitor Treatment of Patients with Advanced Cancer Results in High Tumor Drug Concentrations and in Specific Alterations of the Tumor Phosphoproteome
Authors: Labots Mariette , Pham Thang V. , Honeywell Richard J. , Knol Jaco C. , Beekhof Robin , de Goeij-de Haas Richard , Dekker Henk , Neerincx Maarten , Piersma Sander R. , van der Mijn Johannes C. , van der Peet Donald L. , Meijerink Martijn R. , Peters Godefridus J. , van Grieken Nicole C.T. , Jiménez Connie R. , Verheul Henk M.W.
Published: February 2020

Identification of predictive biomarkers for targeted therapies requires information on drug exposure at the target site as well as its effect on the signaling context of a tumor. To obtain more insight in the clinical mechanism of action of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs), we studied tumor drug concentrations of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs) and their effect on the tyrosine-(pTyr)-phosphoproteome in patients with advanced cancer. Tumor biopsies were obtained from 31 patients with advanced cancer before and after 2 weeks of treatment with sorafenib (SOR), erlotinib (ERL), dasatinib (DAS), vemurafenib (VEM), sunitinib (SUN) or everolimus (EVE). Tumor concentrations were determined by LC-MS/MS. pTyr-phosphoproteomics was performed by pTyr-immunoprecipitation followed by LC-MS/MS. Median tumor concentrations were 2–10 µM for SOR, ERL, DAS, SUN, EVE and >1 mM for VEM. These were 2–178 × higher than median plasma concentrations. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of pTyr-phosphopeptide intensities revealed patient-specific clustering of pre- and on-treatment profiles. Drug-specific alterations of peptide phosphorylation was demonstrated by marginal overlap of robustly up- and downregulated phosphopeptides. These findings demonstrate that tumor drug concentrations are higher than anticipated and result in drug specific alterations of the phosphoproteome. Further development of phosphoproteomics-based personalized medicine is warranted.
Sensitive Photodynamic Detection of Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma and Specific Leukemic Cell Death Induced by Photodynamic Therapy: Current Status in Hematopoietic Malignancies
Authors: Oka Takashi , Matsuoka Ken-ichi , Utsunomiya Atae
Published: February 2020

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), an aggressive type of T-cell malignancy, is caused by the human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1) infections. The outcomes, following therapeutic interventions for ATL, have not been satisfactory. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) exerts selective cytotoxic activity against malignant cells, as it is considered a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure. In PDT, photosensitizing agent administration is followed by irradiation at an absorbance wavelength of the sensitizer in the presence of oxygen, with ultimate direct tumor cell death, microvasculature injury, and induced local inflammatory reaction. This review provides an overview of the present status and state-of-the-art ATL treatments. It also focuses on the photodynamic detection (PDD) of hematopoietic malignancies and the recent progress of 5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-PDT/PDD, which can efficiently induce ATL leukemic cell-specific death with minor influence on normal lymphocytes. Further consideration of the ALA-PDT/PDD system along with the circulatory system regarding the clinical application in ATL and others will be discussed. ALA-PDT/PDD can be promising as a novel treatment modality that overcomes unmet medical needs with the optimization of PDT parameters to increase the effectiveness of the tumor-killing activity and enhance the innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses by the optimized immunogenic cell death.
Recent Advances on the Rational Design of Non-Precious Metal Oxide Catalysts Exemplified by CuOx/CeO2 Binary System: Implications of Size, Shape and Electronic Effects on Intrinsic Reactivity and Metal-Support Interactions
Authors: Konsolakis Michalis , Lykaki Maria
Published: February 2020

Catalysis is an indispensable part of our society, massively involved in numerous energy and environmental applications. Although, noble metals (NMs)-based catalysts are routinely employed in catalysis, their limited resources and high cost hinder the widespread practical application. In this regard, the development of NMs-free metal oxides (MOs) with improved catalytic activity, selectivity and durability is currently one of the main research pillars in the area of heterogeneous catalysis. The present review, involving our recent efforts in the field, aims to provide the latest advances—mainly in the last 10 years—on the rational design of MOs, i.e., the general optimization framework followed to fine-tune non-precious metal oxide sites and their surrounding environment by means of appropriate synthetic and promotional/modification routes, exemplified by CuOx/CeO2 binary system. The fine-tuning of size, shape and electronic/chemical state (e.g., through advanced synthetic routes, special pretreatment protocols, alkali promotion, chemical/structural modification by reduced graphene oxide (rGO)) can exert a profound influence not only to the reactivity of metal sites in its own right, but also to metal-support interfacial activity, offering highly active and stable materials for real-life energy and environmental applications. The main implications of size-, shape- and electronic/chemical-adjustment on the catalytic performance of CuOx/CeO2 binary system during some of the most relevant applications in heterogeneous catalysis, such as CO oxidation, N2O decomposition, preferential oxidation of CO (CO-PROX), water gas shift reaction (WGSR), and CO2 hydrogenation to value-added products, are thoroughly discussed. It is clearly revealed that the rational design and tailoring of NMs-free metal oxides can lead to extremely active composites, with comparable or even superior reactivity than that of NMs-based catalysts. The obtained conclusions could provide rationales and design principles towards the development of cost-effective, highly active NMs-free MOs, paving also the way for the decrease of noble metals content in NMs-based catalysts.
Encapsulation of HRP Enzyme onto a Magnetic Fe3O4 Np–PMMA Film via Casting with Sustainable Biocatalytic Activity
Authors: Abdulaal Wesam H. , Almulaiky Yaaser Q. , El-Shishtawy Reda M.
Published: February 2020

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme was effectively encapsulated onto an Fe3O4 nanoparticle–polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) film via the casting method. The HRP was immobilized on the 0.5% Fe3O4Np–PMMA film and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the reusability, thermal stability, optimum pH, optimum temperature, the influence of metal ions, and the effects of detergent and organic solvent were investigated. After optimizing the immobilization conditions, the highest efficiency of the immobilized enzyme was 88.4% using 0.5% Fe3O4Np–PMMA. The reusability of the immobilized HRP activity was 78.5% of its initial activity after being repeatedly used for 10 cycles. When comparing the free and immobilized forms of the HRP enzyme, changes in the optimum temperature and optimum pH from 30 to 40 °C and 7.0 to 7.5, respectively, were observed. The Km and Vmax for the immobilized HRP were estimated to be 41 mM, 0.89 U/mL for guaiacol and 5.84 mM, 0.66 U/mL for H2O2, respectively. The high stability of the immobilized HRP enzyme was obtained using metal ions, a high urea concentration, isopropanol, and Triton X-100. In conclusion, the applicability of immobilized HRP involves the removal of phenol in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, therefore, it could be a potential catalyst for the removal of wastewater aromatic pollutants.
Painting of Fourth and the X-Linked 1.688 Satellite in D. melanogaster Is Involved in Chromosome-Wide Gene Regulation
Authors: Ekhteraei-Tousi Samaneh , Lewerentz Jacob , Larsson Jan
Published: February 2020

Chromosome-specific regulatory mechanisms provide a model to understand the coordinated regulation of genes on entire chromosomes or on larger genomic regions. In fruit flies, two chromosome-wide systems have been characterized: The male-specific lethal (MSL) complex, which mediates dosage compensation and primarily acts on the male X-chromosome, and Painting of fourth (POF), which governs chromosome-specific regulation of genes located on the 4th chromosome. How targeting of one specific chromosome evolves is still not understood; but repeated sequences, in forms of satellites and transposable elements, are thought to facilitate the evolution of chromosome-specific targeting. The highly repetitive 1.688 satellite has been functionally connected to both these systems. Considering the rapid evolution and the necessarily constant adaptation of regulatory mechanisms, such as dosage compensation, we hypothesised that POF and/or 1.688 may still show traces of dosage-compensation functions. Here, we test this hypothesis by transcriptome analysis. We show that loss of Pof decreases not only chromosome 4 expression but also reduces the X-chromosome expression in males. The 1.688 repeat deletion, Zhr1 (Zygotic hybrid rescue), does not affect male dosage compensation detectably; however, Zhr1 in females causes a stimulatory effect on X-linked genes with a strong binding affinity to the MSL complex (genes close to high-affinity sites). Lack of pericentromeric 1.688 also affected 1.688 expression in trans and was linked to the differential expression of genes involved in eggshell formation. We discuss our results with reference to the connections between POF, the 1.688 satellite and dosage compensation, and the role of the 1.688 satellite in hybrid lethality.
PPM1A Controls Diabetic Gene Programming through Directly Dephosphorylating PPARγ at Ser273
Authors: Khim Keon Woo , Choi Sun Sil , Jang Hyun-Jun , Lee Yo Han , Lee Eujin , Hyun Ji-Min , Eom Hye-Jin , Yoon Sora , Choi Jeong-Won , Park Tae-Eun , Nam Dougu , Choi Jang Hyun
Published: February 2020

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a master regulator of adipose tissue biology. In obesity, phosphorylation of PPARγ at Ser273 (pSer273) by cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) orchestrates diabetic gene reprogramming via dysregulation of specific gene expression. Although many recent studies have focused on the development of non-classical agonist drugs that inhibit the phosphorylation of PPARγ at Ser273, the molecular mechanism of PPARγ dephosphorylation at Ser273 is not well characterized. Here, we report that protein phosphatase Mg2+/Mn2+-dependent 1A (PPM1A) is a novel PPARγ phosphatase that directly dephosphorylates Ser273 and restores diabetic gene expression which is dysregulated by pSer273. The expression of PPM1A significantly decreases in two models of insulin resistance: diet-induced obese (DIO) mice and db/db mice, in which it negatively correlates with pSer273. Transcriptomic analysis using microarray and genotype-tissue expression (GTEx) data in humans shows positive correlations between PPM1A and most of the genes that are dysregulated by pSer273. These findings suggest that PPM1A dephosphorylates PPARγ at Ser273 and represents a potential target for the treatment of obesity-linked metabolic disorders.
Influence of Epoxy Content on the Properties and Marine Bacterial Adhesion of Epoxy Modified Silicone Coatings
Authors: Zhao Ruikang , Zhang Zhanping , Qi Yuhong
Published: February 2020

This study addresses the issue of enhancing the mechanical properties and adhesion of silicone antifouling coatings. In this paper, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane was used to pretreat bisphenol A epoxy resin to obtain epoxy-silicone prepolymer, which was then mixed with hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane to obtain epoxy-modified silicone. It was cured with polyamide curing agent and dibutyltin dilaurate catalyst to form film, and a three-component epoxy-modified silicone coating was prepared. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to characterize its chemical structure. The effects of epoxy content on the surface properties, mechanical properties and antibacterial properties of the coatings were characterized by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), contact angle measurements, tensile test and bacterial adhesion test. The results show that adding epoxy makes the adhesion of the coating at level 1 and the surface free energy of the coating was between 15–21 mJ/m2. When its content is less than 22.1 wt %, the coating is in a ductile material state. Once it is higher than 22.1 wt %, the coating was in a brittle material state. As the content increases, material’s hardness and fracture strength increases; elastic modulus decreases first and then increases, but bacteria removal rate decreases. The modification of the epoxy to silicone can effectively improve the adhesion and mechanical properties of the coating, while maintaining the characteristics of the low surface of the coating. It plays a positive role in improving the performance of silicone antifouling coatings.
High Performance Planar Structure Perovskite Solar Cells Using a Solvent Dripping Treatment on Hole Transporting Layer
Authors: Wang Xuhui , Lu Gang , Zhang Min , Gao Yali , Liu Yanbo , Zhou Long , Lin Zhenhua
Published: February 2020

Perovskite solar cell efficiency is not only related with material properties, but also affected by the interface engineering that used in perovskite solar cells. The perovskite film/electrode interface properties play important roles in charge carrier extraction, transport, and recombination. To achieve better interface contact for the device operation, proper interlayers or surface treatment should be applied. In this study, we applied a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) interlayer with a solvent/solution washing treatment as the hole transport layer. It showed that by the solvent/solution treatment, the PEDOT:PSS film conductivity was significantly enhanced, and hence, the charge carrier transfer efficiency was efficiently improved, and the device short-circuit current density was enlarged. Finally, the device efficiency significantly increased from 14.8% to 16.2%.
Improvement on Thermal Stability of Nano-Domains in Lithium Niobate Thin Films
Authors: Jiao Yuejian , Shao Zhen , Li Sanbing , Wang Xiaojie , Bo Fang , Xu Jingjun , Zhang Guoquan
Published: February 2020

We present a simple and effective way to improve the thermal stability of nano-domains written with an atomic force microscope (AFM)-tip voltage in a lithium niobate film on insulator (LNOI). We show that nano-domains in LNOI (whether in the form of stripe domains or dot domains) degraded, or even disappeared, after a post-poling thermal annealing treatment at a temperature on the order of ∼100 ∘ C. We experimentally confirmed that the thermal stability of nano-domains in LNOI is greatly improved if a pre-heat treatment is carried out for LNOI before the nano-domains are written. This thermal stability improvement of nano-domains is mainly attributed to the generation of a compensating space charge field parallel to the spontaneous polarization of written nano-domains during the pre-heat treatment process.
Coordination-Induced Self-Assembly of a Heteroleptic Paddlewheel-Type Dirhodium Complex
Authors: Arakawa Kazuki , Yano Natsumi , Imasaki Nanako , Kohara Yoshihiro , Yatsushiro Daiki , Atarashi Daiki , Handa Makoto , Kataoka Yusuke
Published: February 2020

A novel heteroleptic paddlewheel-type dirhodium (Rh2) complex [Rh2(O2CCH3)3(PABC)] (1; PABC = para-aminobenzenecarboxylate), which has an amino group as a potential donor site for coordination with the metal ion, was synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, ESI-TOF-MS, infrared spectra, and elemental analysis. The slow evaporation of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)-dissolved 1 produces the purple-colored crystalline polymeric species [Rh2(O2CCH3)3 (PABC)(DMF)]n (1P). Single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction analyses, as well as thermo-gravimetric analysis, clarified that 1P formed a one-dimensional polymeric structure, in which the two axial sites of the Rh2 ion in 1P are coordinated by a DMF molecule and an amino group of the PABC ligand of the neighboring molecule 1, by coordination-induced self-assembly (polymerization) with an Rh-amino bond. The reversible structural change (self-assembly and disassembly transformations) between the discrete species [Rh2(O2CCH3)3(PABC)(DMF)2] (1D; green solution) and the polymeric species 1P (purple solid) was accompanied by a color change, which easily occurred by the dissolution and evaporation procedures with DMF.
Can Topographic Variation in Climate Buffer against Climate Change-Induced Population Declines in Northern Forest Birds?
Authors: Virkkala Raimo , Aalto Juha , Heikkinen Risto K. , Rajasärkkä Ari , Kuusela Saija , Leikola Niko , Luoto Miska
Published: February 2020

Increased attention is being paid to the ecological drivers and conservation measures which could mitigate climate change-induced pressures for species survival, potentially helping populations to remain in their present-day locations longer. One important buffering mechanism against climate change may be provided by the heterogeneity in topography and consequent local climate conditions. However, the buffering capacity of this topoclimate has so far been insufficiently studied based on empirical survey data across multiple sites and species. Here, we studied whether the fine-grained air temperature variation of protected areas (PAs) affects the population changes of declining northern forest bird species. Importantly to our study, in PAs harmful land use, such as logging, is not allowed, enabling the detection of the effects of temperature buffering, even at relatively moderate levels of topographic variation. Our survey data from 129 PAs located in the boreal zone in Finland show that the density of northern forest species was higher in topographically heterogeneous PAs than in topographically more homogeneous PAs. Moreover, local temperature variation had a significant effect on the density change of northern forest birds from 1981–1999 to 2000–2017, indicating that change in bird density was generally smaller in PAs with higher topographic variation. Thus, we found a clear buffering effect stemming from the local temperature variation of PAs in the population trends of northern forest birds.
Virtual Implant Rehabilitation of the Severely Atrophic Maxilla: A Radiographic Study
Authors: Manacorda Michele , Poletti de Chaurand Bianca , Merlone Alberto , Tetè Giulia , Mottola Francesca , Vinci Raffaele
Published: February 2020

Background: Advanced maxillary atrophy is one of the most common clinical scenarios where implant placement could become difficult. Nevertheless, a volumetric evaluation using a suitable diagnostic software could facilitate the implant planning. The purpose of the present study is to suggest the potential application of the maxillary retro-canine area as the designated location for virtual tilted implants. Methods: A sample of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images from the Department of Dentistry (IRCSS San Raffaele, Milan, Italy) was evaluated. After a 3D anatomical evaluation, tilted implants were virtually positioned in the retro-canine regions. All the implants were inserted using the same procedure at 30° and 45° degrees of tilting. The length, palatal angulation and diameter of the placed implant were identified. Results: A total of 220 tilted implants were placed. An average implant measurement of 13.51 mm in length and 3.42 mm in diameter were calculated. Additionally, an average buccal–palatal angulation of 6° was identified. Upon statistical analysis, the implant length was found to be significantly higher at 45° degrees of mesio-distal angulation than at 30° degrees (<0.0001). Conclusions: A considerable number of patients show a significant degree of bone atrophy. The implant-supported treatment plan can rely on three-dimensional imaging of the residual bone as a guiding tool to establish the most effective implant position for each specific case. In this study, it was found that an implant could have a greater length if its mesio–distal angulation was more accentuated. In addition, owing to the volumetric evaluation, it was possible to virtually insert tilted implants in almost all of the cases of atrophy. This could lead clinicians to consider the retro-canine area as a viable place to insert a longer tilted implant.
Add-On Type Pulse Charger for Quick Charging Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Kwak Bongwoo , Kim Myungbok , Kim Jonghoon
Published: February 2020

In this paper, an add-on type pulse charger is proposed to shorten the charging time of a lithium ion battery. To evaluate the performance of the proposed pulse charge method, an add-on type pulse charger prototype is designed and implemented. Pulse charging is applied to 18650 cylindrical lithium ion battery packs with 10 series and 2 parallel structures. The proposed pulse charger is controlled by pulse duty, frequency and magnitude. Various experimental conditions are applied to optimize the charging parameters of the pulse charging technique. Battery charging data are analyzed according to the current magnitude and duty at 500 Hz and 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz frequency conditions. The proposed system is similar to the charging speed of the constant current method under new battery conditions. However, it was confirmed that as the battery performance is degraded, the charging speed due to pulse charging increases. Thus, in applications where battery charging/discharging occurs frequently, the proposed pulse charger has the advantage of fast charging in the long run over conventional constant current (CC) chargers.
A Novel MAC Protocol for Low Datarate Cooperative Mobile Robot Teams
Authors: Patti Gaetano , Leonardi Luca , Lo Bello Lucia
Published: February 2020

Cooperative mobile robot applications enable robots to perform tasks that are more complex than those that each single robot can perform alone. In this application context, communication networks play a very important role, as they have to cope with strict requirements (e.g., in terms of mobility, reliability, and bounded latencies). Recent cooperative robot applications foresee the support of low datarate communication technologies, that provide, among other benefits, lower energy consumption and easy integration with Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Unfortunately, the state-of-the-art solutions either entail high costs and complexity or are not suitable for low data rate communications. Consequently, novel solutions for cooperating robots are required. For this reason, this paper presents RoboMAC, a new MAC protocol for mobile cooperating robots that enables the integration of robots with WSNs, supports mobility and real-time communications, and provides high scalability. The paper also presents a proof-of-concept implementation that proves the feasibility of the RoboMAC protocol on COTS devices.
Energy Efficient Power Domain Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Based Cellular Device-to-Device Communication for 5G Networks
Authors: Al-kahtani Mohammed S. , Ferdouse Lilatul , Karim Lutful
Published: February 2020

This paper examines the resource block and power allocation in the power domain non-orthogonal multiple access (PD-NOMA) based cellular device-to-device (D2D) systems. To improve the energy efficiency of the D2D systems and to manage the mutual interference level as well as the quality of service (QoS) requirement of cellular users, different power level is applied to the D2D users sharing the same resource blocks (RBs) to the legacy users. It is essential to design an efficient resource block and power allocation method for PD-NOMA based cellular D2D systems which guarantee the successive interference cancellation (SIC) order in the power allocation solution. In this paper, we propose an iterative algorithm of resource block and power allocation for cellular D2D system which incorporates the SIC aware geometric water filling (GWF) method in the power allocation solution. It is shown that the proposed SIC aware geometric water filling achieves higher energy efficiency compared to iterative water-filling (IWF) power allocation and the GWF based orthogonal multiple access (OMA) method.
Effective Position Control for a Three-Phase Motor
Authors: Alkorta Patxi , Barambones Oscar , Cortajarena José , Martija Itziar , Maseda Fco.
Published: February 2020

This document presents an efficient proportional derivative (PD) position controller for three-phase motor drives. The regulator has been designed in frequency domain, employing the direct–quadrature (d–q) synchronous rotating reference frame and the indirect vector control. The presented position regulator is easy to tune and incorporates a feed forward (FF) term to compensate effectively the effect of the load disturbance. This position controller has been validated experimentally by using two industrial three-phase motors: an induction motor (IM) of 7.5 kW and a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) of 3.83 kW. The inner proportional integral (PI) current loops of both machines have also been designed in the frequency domain. Each machine has connected in its shaft an incremental encoder of 4096 pulses per revolution, to measure the position. Several simulations and experimental tests have been carried out with both motors, in favorable conditions and also with various types of adversities (parametric uncertainties, unknown load disturbance and measurement noise in the position and current loops), getting very good results and suggesting that this controller could be used in the research area and also in the industry.
Complex Bianisotropy Effect on the Propagation Constant of a Shielded Multilayered Coplanar Waveguide Using Improved Full Generalized Exponential Matrix Technique
Authors: Sayad Djamel , Zebiri Chemseddine , Elfergani Issa , Rodriguez Jonathan , Abobaker Hasan , Ullah Atta , Abd-Alhameed Raed , Otung Ifiok , Benabdelaziz Fatiha
Published: February 2020

A theoretical study of the electromagnetic propagation in a complex medium suspended multilayer coplanar waveguide (CPW) is presented. The study is based on the generalized exponential matrix technique (GEMT) combined with Galerkin’s spectral method of moments applied to a CPW printed on a bianisotropic medium. The analytical formulation is based on a Full-GEMT, a method that avoids usual procedures of heavy and tedious mathematical expressions in the development of calculations and uses matrix-based mathematical expressions instead. These particularities are exploited to develop a mathematical model for the characterization of wave propagation in a three-layer shielded suspended CPW structure. This study is based on the development of mathematical formulations in full compact matrix-based expressions resulting in Green’s functions in a matrix form. The implemented method incorporates a new accelerating procedure developed in the GEMT which provides an initial value used to speed up searching for the exact solution in the principal computation code. This helped us to obtain accurate solutions with tolerable computing time. Good agreements have been achieved with the literature in terms of accuracy and rapid convergence. The results for different cases of bianisotropy have been investigated, and particularly, the effect on the dispersion characteristics is presented and compared with the isotropic case.
A Reciprocating Motion Control Strategy of Single-Cylinder Free-Piston Engine Generator
Authors: Yan Hao , Xu Zhaoping , Lu Jinkang , Liu Dong , Jiang Xiaohui
Published: February 2020

Free-piston engine generator is a novel electrical power generating system developed for electric vehicles, and it is labeled as a more efficient power system than conventional engines. This paper proposes a reciprocating motion control strategy of free piston to enable the stable running of the system. The control problem was decomposed to the stroke control, the top turning center (TTC) control, and the bottom turning center (BTC) control for reducing unnecessary energy consumption during the control. An iterative learning controller (ILC) was designed for the TTC control, the BTC control was based on the combustion states estimation, and the stroke control was based on finite-state machine (FSM). The turning centers of the previous stroke and the maximum cylinder pressure of the current stroke were taken for feedback. A combined simulation model including the combustion cycle fluctuation was presented and validated by the prototype, and the performance of the control strategy was analyzed. The results showed that the system obtained the stable running and the reciprocating motion of the free piston was well controlled.
A Formal Verification Framework for Security Issues of Blockchain Smart Contracts
Authors: Sun Tianyu , Yu Wensheng
Published: February 2020

Blockchain technology has attracted more and more attention from academia and industry recently. Ethereum, which uses blockchain technology, is a distributed computing platform and operating system. Smart contracts are small programs deployed to the Ethereum blockchain for execution. Errors in smart contracts will lead to huge losses. Formal verification can provide a reliable guarantee for the security of blockchain smart contracts. In this paper, the formal method is applied to inspect the security issues of smart contracts. We summarize five kinds of security issues in smart contracts and present formal verification methods for these issues, thus establishing a formal verification framework that can effectively verify the security vulnerabilities of smart contracts. Furthermore, we present a complete formal verification of the Binance Coin (BNB) contract. It shows how to formally verify the above security issues based on the formal verification framework in a specific smart contract. All the proofs are checked formally using the Coq proof assistant in which contract model and specification are formalized. The formal work of this paper has a variety of essential applications, such as the verification of blockchain smart contracts, program verification, and the formal establishment of mathematical and computer theoretical foundations.
Isolation, Culture, and Differentiation of Blastema Cells from the Regenerating Caudal Fin of Zebrafish
Authors: Vijayakumar Parameswaran , Cancela M. Leonor , Laizé Vincent
Published: February 2020

The caudal fin of teleost fish has become an excellent system for investigating the mechanisms of epimorphic regeneration. Upon amputation of the caudal fin, a mass of undifferentiated cells, called blastema, proliferate beneath the wound-epidermis and differentiate into various cell types to faithfully restore the missing fin structures. Here we describe a protocol that can be used to isolate and culture blastema cells from zebrafish. Primary cultures were initiated from 36 h post-amputation (hpa) blastema and optimal cell growth was achieved using L-15 medium supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum in plates either coated with fibronectin or uncoated. After seeding, zebrafish blastema cells formed a uniform culture and exhibited polygonal shapes with prominent nucleus, while various cell types were also observed after few days in culture indicating cell differentiation. Upon treatment with all-trans retinoic acid, zebrafish blastema cells differentiated into neuron-like and oligodendritic-like cells. Immunocytochemistry data also revealed the presence of mesenchymal and neuronal cells. The availability of blastema cell cultures could contribute to a better understanding of epimorphic regeneration by providing a mean to investigate the mechanisms underlying blastema cell differentiation. Furthermore, this protocol is simple, rapid, and cost-efficient, and can be virtually applied to the development of any fish blastema cell culture.