bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical and Durability Performance Improvement of Natural Hydraulic Lime-Based Mortars by Lithium Silicate Solution
Authors: Song Zijian , Lu Zhongyuan , Lai Zhenyu
Published: November 2020

Natural hydraulic lime (NHL) as a building material has been widely used to restore the historic structure. However, the slow growth rate of strength and durability limits its engineering application. In this work, the NHL-based mortars were pretreated by lithium silicate (LS) solution impregnation and surface spraying. The results show that the compressive strength, surface hardness, and freeze-thaw cycle (FTC) resistance of NHL-based mortar were greatly improved after LS pretreatment. Specifically, the compressive strengths of the sample increased by about 32.7–52.0%. LS was sprayed on the sample’s surface (about 0.2 kg/m2) and the surface hardness increased by up to 10 grades. Compared with the control samples, the weight loss of treated samples decreased by about 31.6–43.8%. A rehydration process to generate the hydrated calcium silicate gel (C-S-H) was observed between calcium hydroxide (CH) and LS, which can decrease the sample’s porosity and form a silicate coating on the surface. With an increase in the concentration of LS, the macropores (50–10,000 nm) content decreased, while the mesopores (10–50 nm) and nanopores (less than 10 nm) increased. This work reveals that the LS pretreatment provides a potential route to improve NHL-based mortar’s mechanical properties and durability.
Finite Element Simulation and Multi-Factor Stress Prediction Model for Cement Concrete Pavement Considering Void under Slab
Authors: Liu Bangyi , Zhou Yang , Gu Linhao , Huang Xiaoming
Published: November 2020

Uneven support as result of voids beneath concrete slabs can lead to high tensile stresses at the corner of the slab and eventually cause many forms of damage, such as cracking or faulting. Three-dimensional (3D) finite element models of the concrete pavement with void are presented. Mesh convergence analysis was used to determine the element type and mesh size in the model. The accuracy of the model is verified by comparing with the calculation results of the code design standards in China. The reliability of the model is verified by field measurement. The analysis shows that the stresses are more affected at the corner of the slab than at the edge. Impact of void size and void depth at the slab corner on the slab stress are similar, which result in the change of the position of the maximum tensile stress. The maximum tensile stresses do not increase with the increase in the void size for relatively small void size. The maximum tensile stress increases rapidly with the enlargement in the void size when the size is ≥0.4 m. The increments of maximum tensile stress can reach 183.7% when the void size is 1.0 m. The increase in slab thickness can effectively reduce maximum tensile stress. A function is established to calculate the maximum tensile stress of the concrete slab. The function takes into account the void size, the slab thickness and the vehicle load. The reliability of the function was verified by comparing the error between the calculated and simulated results.
Polarization-Selective Bidirectional Absorption Based on a Bilayer Plasmonic Metasurface
Authors: Li Tong , Chen Bin-Quan , He Qian , Bian Li-An , Shang Xiong-Jun , Song Guo-Feng
Published: November 2020

We propose an alignment-free and polarization-selective bidirectional absorber composed of a one-dimensional bilayer Au grating array buried in a silicon nitride spacer. The absorptivity of the designed structure is more than 95% (77%) under normal forward (backward) TM-polarized light incidence, and is more than 80% (70%) within a forward (backward) incident angle up to 30°. The great bidirectional absorption performance is illustrated by the resonance coupling of the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) resonance, the propagating surface plasmon (PSP) resonance and the localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance under TM-polarized wave illumination. Moreover, the excitation of the Fano-like resonance mode of the proposed metasurface can produce two significantly different peaks in the absorption spectrum under the oblique TM-polarized incidence, which is beneficial for the plasmon-sensing application. Therefore, the proposed bidirectional metasurface absorber can be a candidate in the application of optical camouflage, thermal radiation, solar cells and optical sensing.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis Investigations of PLA-Based Renewable Materials: How Are They Useful?
Authors: Cristea Mariana , Ionita Daniela , Iftime Manuela Maria
Published: November 2020

Interest in renewable polymers increased exponentially in the last decade and in this context poly(lactic acid) (PLA) became the leader mainly for practical reasons. Nevertheless, it is outstanding also from a scientific point of view, because its thermal and morphological properties are offering challenging new insights. With regard to dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), PLA does not have the classical behavior of a thermoplastic polymer. Often, overlapping events (enthalpic relaxation, glass transition and crystallization) that occur as the temperature increases make the DMA result of a PLA look inexplicable even for polymer scientists. This review offers a perspective of the main phenomena that can be revealed in a DMA experiment and systematizes the information that can be obtained for every region (glassy, glass transition, rubbery, cold-crystallization and melting). Also, some unusual patterns registered in some cases will be commented upon. The review intends to offer indices that one should pay attention to in the interpretation of a DMA experiment, even if the investigator has only basic skills with DMA investigations.
Lifting Dual Connections with the Riemann Extension
Authors: Puechmorel Stéphane
Published: November 2020

Let (M,g) be a Riemannian manifold equipped with a pair of dual connections (∇,∇*). Such a structure is known as a statistical manifold since it was defined in the context of information geometry. This paper aims at defining the complete lift of such a structure to the cotangent bundle T*M using the Riemannian extension of the Levi-Civita connection of M. In the first section, common tensors are associated with pairs of dual connections, emphasizing the cyclic symmetry property of the so-called skewness tensor. In a second section, the complete lift of this tensor is obtained, allowing the definition of dual connections on TT*M with respect to the Riemannian extension. This work was motivated by the general problem of finding the projective limit of a sequence of a finite-dimensional statistical manifold.
Lorenz Surfaces Based on the Sarmanov–Lee Distribution with Applications to Multidimensional Inequality in Well-Being
Authors: Sarabia José María , Jorda Vanesa
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this paper is to derive analytic expressions for the multivariate Lorenz surface for a relevant type of models based on the class of distributions with given marginals described by Sarmanov and Lee. The expression of the bivariate Lorenz surface can be conveniently interpreted as the convex linear combination of products of classical and concentrated univariate Lorenz curves. Thus, the generalized Gini index associated with this surface is expressed as a function of marginal Gini indices and concentration indices. This measure is additively decomposable in two factors, corresponding to inequality within and between variables. We present different parametric models using several marginal distributions including the classical Beta, the GB1, the Gamma, the lognormal distributions and others. We illustrate the use of these models to measure multidimensional inequality using data on two dimensions of well-being, wealth and health, in five developing countries.
Dynamic Analysis and Experiment of 6-DOF Compliant Platform Based on Bridge-Type Amplifier
Authors: Lin Chao , Zheng Shan , Jiang Mingdong
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we establish a dynamic model of a six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) compliant positioning platform based on bridge-type amplifiers. Based on the elastic beam theory and energy relationship, we derived the bridge-type amplifier’s dynamic model using the Lagrange equation. Then, we established a dynamic model of the compliant platform based on the equivalent mass and equivalent stiffness of the bridge-type amplifier, and the analysis formula of the natural frequency was derived. Finally, the analytical models of natural frequencies of the bridge-type amplifier and the compliant platforms were verified using the finite element analysis (FEA) method. Through modal experiments, the damping ratio and natural frequency were identified. Step response experiments in the X/Y direction and Z direction were performed. The phenomenon that the experimental results appeared to match the theoretical calculations indicates that the dynamic model was accurate.
In Situ DNA/Protein Interaction Assay to Visualize Transcriptional Factor Activation
Authors: Corsini Michela , Moroni Emanuela , Ravelli Cosetta , Grillo Elisabetta , Presta Marco , Mitola Stefania
Published: November 2020

The chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) represents a powerful in vivo model to study several physiological and pathological processes including inflammation and tumor progression. Nevertheless, the possibility of deepening the molecular processes in the CAM system is biased by the absence/scarcity of chemical and biological reagents, designed explicitly for avian species. This is particularly true for transcriptional factors, proteinaceous molecules that regulate various cellular responses, including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Here, we propose a detailed antibody-independent protocol to visualize the activation and nuclear translocation of transcriptional factors in cells or in tissues of different animal species. As a proof of concept, DNA/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) interaction was characterized on the CAM tissue using oligonucleotides containing the palindromic binding sequence of CREB. Scrambled oligonucleotides were used as controls. In situ DNA/protein interaction protocol is a versatile method that is useful for the study of transcription factors in the cell and tissue of different origins.
Immunostimulatory Effects of Live Lactobacillus sakei K040706 on the CYP-Induced Immunosuppression Mouse Model
Authors: Kim Seo-Yeon , Shin Ji-Sun , Chung Kyung-Sook , Han Hee-Soo , Lee Hwi-Ho , Lee Jeong-Hun , Kim Su-Yeon , Ji Yong Woo , Ha Yejin , Kang Jooyeon , Rhee Young Kyoung , Lee Kyung-Tae
Published: November 2020

Our previous studies have shown that heat-killed Lactobacillus sakei K040706 exerts immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activities in macrophages, cyclophosphamide (CYP)-treated mice, and dextran sulfate sodium–induced colitis mice. However, the immunostimulatory effects of live Lactobacillus sakei K040706 (live K040706) against CYP-induced immunosuppression and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, we investigated the immunostimulatory effects of live K040706 (108 or 109 colony forming unit (CFU)/day, p.o.) in CYP-induced immunosuppressed mice. Oral administration of live K040706 prevented the CYP-induced decreases in body weight, thymus index, natural killer (NK) cell activity, T and B cell proliferation, and cytokine (interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, and IL-12) production. The administration of live K040706 also exerted positive effects on the gut microbiota of CYP-induced mice, resulting in a microbiota composition similar to that of normal mice. Moreover, live K040706 significantly enhanced IL-6 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production in the splenocytes and Peyer’s patch (PP) cells of mice and increased bone marrow (BM) cell proliferation. Taken together, our data indicate that live K040706 may effectively accelerate recovery from CYP-induced immunosuppression, leading to activation of the immune system. Therefore, live K040706 may serve as a potential immunomodulatory agent against immunosuppression.
Impact of Sugary Food Consumption on Pregnancy: A Review
Authors: Casas Rosa , Castro Barquero Sara , Estruch Ramon
Published: November 2020

Obesity in pregnancy has been directly associated with an increased risk of almost all pregnancy complications such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and premature delivery. Thereby, according to current evidence available, life-style interventions to prevent pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity in women of fertile age are necessary to reduce the negative impact of obesity on mother and child health. Unhealthy dietary patterns, together with the increased consumption of processed foods rich in simple sugar and sweeteners are some of the responsible, among others, for the increase in obesity rates during the last years. Nevertheless, how its consumption can affect pregnancy outcomes and long-term children’s health is still uncertain. This review aims to collate the available evidence about the consequences of unhealthy dietary patterns and sugary products consumption, including sweeteners, during pregnancy for obesity in childhood and mid-childhood. High simple sugar intake during gestation may contribute to an excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) as well as to develop other pregnancy complications such as GDM, preeclampsia and preterm birth. The heterogeneity of study populations, sample size, different approaches to measure GWG, GMD, preeclampsia, and birth weight, among other conditions, might explain the divergences observed among studies. Therefore, large, well-designed intervention-controlled trials with biological biomarkers to ensure dietary adherence are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in order to provide effective nutritional advice.
Rubi Fructus Water Extract Alleviates LPS-Stimulated Macrophage Activation via an ER Stress-Induced Calcium/CHOP Signaling Pathway
Authors: Kim Do-Hoon , Lee Ji-Young , Kim Young-Jin , Kim Hyun-Ju , Park Wansu
Published: November 2020

Despite the availability of antibiotics and vaccines, many intractable infectious diseases still threaten human health across the globe. Uncontrolled infections can lead to systemic inflammatory response syndrome and the excessive production of inflammatory cytokines, known as a cytokine storm. As cytokines also play necessary and positive roles in fighting infections, it is important to identify nontoxic and anti-inflammatory natural products that can modulate cytokine production caused by infections. Rubi Fructus, the unripe fruits of Rubus coreanus Miquel, are known to possess antioxidative properties. In this study, the effect of the water extract of Rubi Fructus (RF) on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 macrophages was investigated using biochemical and cell biology techniques. Our data indicated that RF inhibits p38 phosphorylation, intracellular calcium release, and the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemotactic activating factor (MCP)-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), lipopolysaccharide-induced CXC chemokine (LIX), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, MIP-2, and regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) in LPS-treated macrophages. In addition, we observed decreasing mRNA expression of Chop, Camk2a, Stat1, Stat3, Jak2, Fas, c-Jun, c-Fos, Nos2, and Ptgs2 without cytotoxic effects. We concluded that RF demonstrated immunoregulatory activity on LPS-stimulated macrophages via an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced calcium/CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) pathway and the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway.
The Mediating and Moderating Effects of Physical Fitness of the Relationship between Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Health-Related Quality of Life in University Students
Authors: Martín-Espinosa Noelia María , Garrido-Miguel Miriam , Martínez-Vizcaíno Vicente , González-García Alberto , Redondo-Tébar Andrés , Cobo-Cuenca Ana Isabel
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study was to estimate the relationship between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in university students and to assess whether this relationship is mediated or moderated by cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and handgrip strength. A cross-sectional study was performed involving 310 first-year Spanish university students. Adherence to the MD was evaluated with the 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), and the HRQoL was evaluated with the Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaire. CRF was assessed by the 20 m shuttle run test, and the handgrip strength was determined by dynamometry. ANCOVA models showed that participants with higher CRF and handgrip strength levels had significantly higher scores in the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of the SF-12 and in the MEDAS questionnaire than those with medium and low scores (p < 0.050). Additionally, the ANCOVA models showed that students with good adherence to the MD showed higher scores in the MCS of HRQoL than those with low adherence (p = 0.044, ES = 0.013), but these results did not appear for the PCS of HRQoL (p = 0.728, ES = 0.001). In the mediation analysis, it was found that CRF and handgrip strength acted as full mediators of the relationship between adherence to the MD and the MCS of HRQoL. In the moderation analysis, it was evidenced that CRF and handgrip strength did not act as moderators in the relationship between adherence to the MD and the MCS of HRQoL. In conclusion, adherence to the MD does not seem to have a direct effect on the MCS of HRQoL because this association seems to be fully mediated by CRF and handgrip strength.
Identification and Characterization of Edible Cricket Peptides on Hypertensive and Glycemic In Vitro Inhibition and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity on RAW 264.7 Macrophage Cells
Authors: Hall Felicia , Reddivari Lavanya , Liceaga Andrea M.
Published: November 2020

Recent studies continue to demonstrate the potential of edible insects as a protein base to obtain bioactive peptides applicable for functional food development. This study aimed at identifying antihypertensive, anti-glycemic, and anti-inflammatory peptides derived from the in vitro gastrointestinal digests of cricket protein hydrolysates. After sequential fractionation, the protein digest subfraction containing the lowest molecular weight (<0.5 kDa), hydrophobic (C18) and cationic peptides (IEX) was found responsible for the most bioactivity. The cationic peptide fraction significantly reduced (p < 0.05) α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity in vitro, and also inhibited the expression of NF-κB in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. A total of 28 peptides were identified with mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and de novo sequencing from the potent fraction. Three novel peptides YKPRP, PHGAP, and VGPPQ were chosen for the molecular docking studies. PHGAP and VGPPQ exhibited a higher degree of non-covalent interactions with the enzyme active site residues and binding energies comparable to captopril. Results from this study demonstrate the bioactive potential of edible cricket peptides, especially as ACE inhibitors.
Integrating Nutrition into Outpatient Oncology Care—A Pilot Trial of the NutriCare Program
Authors: Keaver Laura , Yiannakou Ioanna , Zhang Fang Fang
Published: November 2020

Nutrition is an essential part of oncology care; however, nutrition advice and guidance are not always provided. This six-week pilot pretest-posttest intervention was designed to test the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating a nutrition education program (NutriCare) into outpatient oncology care. Twenty breast cancer survivors were recruited through Tufts Medical Centre. Nutrition impact symptoms and demographics were collected at baseline, dietary quality and quality of life measures were collected pre and post-intervention and an evaluation form was completed post-intervention. Forty-four percent of eligible participants were recruited, and 90% of those completed the study. The NutriCare program was well received with participants reporting that goals were feasible (94.4%), the program had a positive impact on their diet (77.8%), and over 80% would recommend the program. There was an interest in continuing with the program (89%) and in receiving additional guidance from the healthcare team (83%). There was a significant improvement (p = 0.04) in physical function over the six weeks; however, no additional significant differences in quality of life or dietary quality were seen. In conclusion, cancer survivors were positive about the NutriCare program and its integration into practice.
Clinical Profiles and Factors Associated with a Low Sodium Intake in the Population: An Analysis of the Swiss Survey on Salt
Authors: Burnier Michel , Paccaud Fred M. , Bochud Murielle
Published: November 2020

As a part of the salt controversy, it has been suggested that people with a low sodium intake have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, there is no clear explanation for this increased risk. We examined the socio-demographic, clinical profile, and behavioral factors associated with a low sodium intake in the Swiss subjects who participated in the Swiss Survey on Salt. Only 13.3% of the Swiss population eat less than 5 g of salt daily and among them 78.2% are women. Subjects with a low sodium intake eat and drink less as reflected by lower intakes of proteins, potassium, and calcium and a smaller urine volume. In addition, a low blood pressure, a normal body mass index, a low prevalence of obesity, a low serum uric acid, and less alcohol and cigarette consumption characterized this group, suggesting a rather low cardiovascular risk profile. Being single and doing most of the cooking at home are associated with a low intake of sodium, as well as a less frequent consumption of meat and fish when eating less than 5 g salt per day. However, the awareness of the effects of salt on health and cardiovascular risk, health concerns, and physical activity are similar in subjects eating more or less salt. In conclusion, we could not evidence clinical or behavioral factors that could significantly increase the risk of developing cardiovascular events in low salt eaters.
Functional Deficits in Gut Microbiome of Young and Middle-Aged Adults with Prediabetes Apparent in Metabolizing Bioactive (Poly)phenols
Authors: Zhang Xuhuiqun , Zhao Anqi , Sandhu Amandeep K. , Edirisinghe Indika , Burton-Freeman Britt M.
Published: November 2020

Background: Gut microbiota metabolize select dietary (poly)phenols to absorbable metabolites that exert biological effects important in metabolic health. Microbiota composition associated with health/disease status may affect its functional capacity to yield bioactive metabolites from dietary sources. Therefore, this study assessed gut microbiome composition and its related functional capacity to metabolize fruit (poly)phenols in individuals with prediabetes and insulin resistance (PreDM-IR, n = 26) compared to a metabolically healthy Reference group (n = 10). Methods: Shotgun sequencing was used to characterize gut microbiome composition. Targeted quantitative metabolomic analyses of plasma and urine collected over 24 h were used to assess microbial-derived metabolites in response to a (poly)phenol-rich raspberry test drink. Results: PreDM-IR compared to the Reference group: (1) enriched Blautia obeum and Blautia wexlerae and depleted Bacteroides dorei and Coprococcus eutactus. Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides spp. were depleted in the lean PreDM-IR subset; and (2) impaired microbial catabolism of select (poly)phenols resulting in lower 3,8-dihydroxy-urolithin (urolithin A), phenyl-γ-valerolactones and various phenolic acids concentrations (p < 0.05). Controlling for obesity revealed relationships with microbial species that may serve as metagenomic markers of diabetes development and therapeutic targets. Conclusions: Data provide insight from multi-omics approaches to advance knowledge at the diet–gut–disease nexus serving as a platform for devising dietary strategies to improve metabolic health.
Gut Microbiota for Health: How Can Diet Maintain A Healthy Gut Microbiota?
Authors: Ferraris Cinzia , Elli Marina , Tagliabue Anna
Published: November 2020

The human intestinal tract is colonized by a resilient integrated ecosystem represented by a complex consortium of trillions of microbes [...]
Secretory Phospholipase A2-IIA Protein and mRNA Pools in Extracellular Vesicles of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid from Patients with Early Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A New Perception in the Dissemination of Inflammation?
Authors: Papadopoulos Stylianos , Kazepidou Eleftheria , Antonelou Marianna H. , Leondaritis George , Tsapinou Alexia , Koulouras Vasilios P. , Avgeropoulos Apostolos , Nakos George , Lekka Marilena E.
Published: November 2020

Secretory phospholipase-IIA A2 (sPLA2-IIA) is expressed in a variety of cell types under inflammatory conditions. Its presence in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with the severity of the injury. Exosomal type extracellular vesicles, (EVs), are recognized to perform intercellular communication. They may alter the immune status of recipient target cells through cargo shuttling. In this work, we characterized the exosomal type EVs isolated from BAL fluid of patients with early and late ARDS as compared to control/non-ARDS patients, through morphological (confocal and electron microscopy) and biochemical (dynamic light scattering, qRT-PCR, immunoblotting) approaches. We provide evidence for the presence of an sPLA2-IIA-carrying EV pool that coprecipitates with exosomes in the BAL fluid of patients with ARDS. PLA2G2A mRNA was present in all the samples, although more prominently expressed in early ARDS. However, the protein was found only in EVs from early phase ARDS. Under both forms, sPLA2-IIA might be involved in inflammatory responses of recipient lung cells during ARDS. The perception of the association of sPLA2-IIA to the early diagnosis of ARDS or even with a mechanism of development and propagation of lung inflammation can help in the adoption of appropriate and innovative therapeutic strategies.
Recent Advances on Ultrasound Contrast Agents for Blood-Brain Barrier Opening with Focused Ultrasound
Authors: Dauba Ambre , Delalande Anthony , Kamimura Hermes A. S. , Conti Allegra , Larrat Benoit , Tsapis Nicolas , Novell Anthony
Published: November 2020

The blood-brain barrier is the primary obstacle to efficient intracerebral drug delivery. Focused ultrasound, in conjunction with microbubbles, is a targeted and non-invasive way to disrupt the blood-brain barrier. Many commercially available ultrasound contrast agents and agents specifically designed for therapeutic purposes have been investigated in ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening studies. The new generation of sono-sensitive agents, such as liquid-core droplets, can also potentially disrupt the blood-brain barrier after their ultrasound-induced vaporization. In this review, we describe the different compositions of agents used for ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening in recent studies, and we discuss the challenges of the past five years related to the optimal formulation of agents.
Highest Cost First-Based QoS Mapping Scheme for Fiber Wireless Architecture
Authors: Mohammadani Khalid.H. , Butt Rizwan Aslam , Memon Kamran Ali , Hassan Fayaz , Majeed Abdul , Kumar Rajesh
Published: November 2020

The combination of a high-speed wireless network with passive optical network technologies has led to the evolution of a modern integrated fiber wireless (FiWi) access network. Compared to broadband wireless networks, the FiWi network offers higher bandwidth with improved reliability and reduced maintenance costs due to the passive nature of passive optical network (PON). Since the quality of service (QoS) is a baseline to deploy high-speed FiWi broadband access networks, therefore, it is essential to analyze and reduce the typical problems (e.g., bandwidth and delay) in the high-speed next-generation networks (NGANs). This study investigates the performance of a fiber wireless architecture where a 10-Gigabit-capable passive optical network (XGPON) and fifth generation of wireless local area network (WLAN) (i.e., IEEE 802.11ac) are integrated. Both technologies take benefits from each other and have pros and cons concerning the QoS demands of subscribers. The proposed work offers a very flexible QoS scheme for the different types of services of 5G WLAN and XGPON with the help of the highest cost first (HCF) algorithm, which leads to reduced upstream delays for delay-sensitive applications. The simulation results show that the HCF algorithm boosts the performance of the dynamic bandwidth assignment (DBA) scheme and results in up to 96.1%, 90.8%, and 55.5% reduced upstream (US) delays for video: VI(T2), background: BK(T3), and best effort: BE(T4) traffic in enhanced-distributed-channel-access (EDCA) mode. Compared to earlier work, the HCF and immediate allocation with the colorless grant (IACG) DBA combination results in the reduction of up to 54.8% and 53.4% mean US delays. This happens because of 50% to 65% better bandwidth assignment by the IACG DBA process due to efficient mapping by the HCF algorithm.
Correction: Pereyra, P. Photonic Transmittance in Metallic and Left Handed Superlattices. Photonics 2020, 7, 29
Authors: Pereyra Pedro
Published: November 2020

The author wishes to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
Investigation of the Evaporation Rate of Water from Colloidal Unimolecular Polymer (CUP) Systems by Isothermal TGA
Authors: Geng Peng , Zore Ashish , Van De Mark Michael R.
Published: November 2020

Studies of the evaporation of aqueous nanoparticle solutions have been limited due to lack of homogeneity of the solution, difficulties in obtaining reproducible samples and stability of substrates, as well as the effect of other volatile components or contaminants such as surfactants. Colloidal unimolecular polymer (CUP) is a spheroidal nanoparticle with charged hydrophilic groups on the surface, and the particle size ranges from 3 to 9 nm. The large amount of surface water on the CUP surface provides the opportunity to evaluate the evaporation of surface water, which may contribute to the investigation the factors that affect the evaporation rate in solutions of ultra-small particles, like protein, micelle, colloidal, etc. Six CUP systems were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with respect to time and solids content. The evaporation rate of water was initially enhanced due to the deformation of the air-water interface at low to moderate concentration due to particle charge repulsive forces. At higher concentrations, above 20%, surface charge condensation and increasing viscosity began to dominate. At higher concentration where the CUP reached the gel point the rate of diffusion controlled the evaporation. The final drying point was the loss of three waters of hydration for each carboxylate on the CUP surface.
Influence of Oil–Pressboard Mass Ratio on the Equilibrium Characteristics of Furfural under Oil Replacement Conditions
Authors: Liu Jiefeng , Cao Zhanwei , Fan Xianhao , Zhang Heng , Geng Chuhan , Zhang Yiyi
Published: November 2020

The distribution behavior of furfural in insulation systems is influenced by the oil–pressboard mass ratio. In addition, the equilibrium distribution of furfural between oil and pressboard will be disturbed after oil replacement. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the distribution ratio of furfural in oil with various oil–pressboard mass ratios after oil replacement. In this research, an accelerated thermal aging experiment and oil replacement experiment were conducted in the lab. Furthermore, the equilibrium characteristics of furfural dissolved in oil with various oil–pressboard mass ratios were studied. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the oil–pressboard mass ratios and the distribution ratio of furfural in oil. The equilibrium distribution model of furfural was thus obtained. Afterwards, the modified furfural distribution model under oil replacement conditions was established. A novel scheme is provided for analyzing the equilibrium characteristics of furfural under various oil–pressboard mass ratios after oil replacement. The work of this paper is expected to improve the accuracy of furfural analysis.
Development of Coarse-Grained Models for Poly(4-vinylphenol) and Poly(2-vinylpyridine): Polymer Chemistries with Hydrogen Bonding
Authors: Kapoor Utkarsh , Kulshreshtha Arjita , Jayaraman Arthi
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we identify the modifications needed in a recently developed generic coarse-grained (CG) model that captured directional interactions in polymers to specifically represent two exemplary hydrogen bonding polymer chemistries—poly(4-vinylphenol) and poly(2-vinylpyridine). We use atomistically observed monomer-level structures (e.g., bond, angle and torsion distribution) and chain structures (e.g., end-to-end distance distribution and persistence length) of poly(4-vinylphenol) and poly(2-vinylpyridine) in an explicitly represented good solvent (tetrahydrofuran) to identify the appropriate modifications in the generic CG model in implicit solvent. For both chemistries, the modified CG model is developed based on atomistic simulations of a single 24-mer chain. This modified CG model is then used to simulate longer (36-mer) and shorter (18-mer and 12-mer) chain lengths and compared against the corresponding atomistic simulation results. We find that with one to two simple modifications (e.g., incorporating intra-chain attraction, torsional constraint) to the generic CG model, we are able to reproduce atomistically observed bond, angle and torsion distributions, persistence length, and end-to-end distance distribution for chain lengths ranging from 12 to 36 monomers. We also show that this modified CG model, meant to reproduce atomistic structure, does not reproduce atomistically observed chain relaxation and hydrogen bond dynamics, as expected. Simulations with the modified CG model have significantly faster chain relaxation than atomistic simulations and slower decorrelation of formed hydrogen bonds than in atomistic simulations, with no apparent dependence on chain length.
A Thermal Design of a 1 kW-Class Shell and Tube Methanol Steam Reforming System with Internal Evaporator
Authors: Yu Dongjin , Trinh Van Ngoc , Yun Jinwon , Yu Sangseok
Published: November 2020

Due to its low operating temperature, the performance of a methanol steam reformer depends on efficient thermal integration. In particular, the integration of the evaporator is crucial to enhance thermal efficiency. This paper presents two different configurations to utilize thermal energy for evaporation of methanol/water mixture. The reformer system is composed of a methanol steam reformer, a burner, and two different evaporators such as internal evaporator and external evaporator. Moreover, since the performance of the reforming system strongly depends on thermal utilization, a heat recovery module is designed for methanol reforming system with internal evaporator. The heat duty and steam to carbon ratio (S/C) are the variables for evaluation of its suitability. The experimental results indicate that the internal evaporator with the auxiliary heat recovery module provides stable conditions over wide operating ranges.
Analysis of Flow and Wear Characteristics of Solid–Liquid Two-Phase Flow in Rotating Flow Channel
Authors: Wang Peng , Zhu Xinyu , Li Yi
Published: November 2020

To study the flow characteristics and the wear distribution of pumps at different rotation speeds, a rotating disc with three blades was designed for experiments. Numerical simulations were conducted using a computational fluid dynamics-discrete phase model (CFD–DPM) approach. The experimental and numerical results were compared, and the flow characteristics and wear behaviors were determined. As the speed increased, the particles at the blade working surface aggregated. The particle velocity gradually increased at the outlet of the channel. The severe wear areas were all located in the outlet area of the blade working surface, and the wear area extended toward the inlet area of the blade with increasing speed. The wear rate of the blade surface increased as the speed increased, and an area with a steady wear rate appeared at the outlet area of the blade. When the concentration was more than 8%, the severe wear areas were unchanged at the same speed. When the speed increased, the severe wear areas of the blade produced wear ripples, and the area of the ripples increased with increasing speed. The height difference between the ripples along the flow direction on the blade became larger as the speed increased.
Nitrogen Recovery from Swine Manure Using a Zeolite-Based Process
Authors: Ellersdorfer Markus , Pesendorfer Sandro , Stocker Kristina
Published: November 2020

Intensive pig farming produces huge amounts of swine manure, which can cause regional nutrient imbalances and represent a potential source of soil and water pollution due to manure over-application. In order to improve nutrient stewardship, technologies for manure treatment and selective recovery of nutrients (especially ammonia) have to be developed to foster agriculture–food system sustainability. In the present study, a combined stripping and ion exchange process using natural zeolite (ion-exchanger-loop-stripping process) is tested for nitrogen recovery from swine manure to determine its technical feasibility in this novel field of application. Ammonium removal rates of 85 to 96% were achieved in pilot scale experiments with preprocessed manure (~500 L h−1 after mechanical filtration; input concentration: ~1.3 g NH4+ L−1). NH4+ was successfully transferred to a concentrated ammonium sulfate solution (final concentration: 66 g NH4+ L−1), with no significant transfer of other manure components. Hence, various utilizations of the product solution are possible, e.g., for industrial off-gas cleaning (DeNOx) or as raw material for fertilizer production. Based on these findings, the ILS-process can be regarded as a promising option for nitrogen recovery from swine manure.
Evaluation for the Removal Efficiency of VOCs and Heavy Metals by Zeolites-Based Materials in the Wastewater: A Case Study in the Tito Scalo Industrial Area
Authors: Mancinelli Maura , Arfè Antonella , Martucci Annalisa , Pasti Luisa , Chenet Tatiana , Sarti Elena , Vergine Giulia , Belviso Claudia
Published: November 2020

The current study was designed to demonstrate the efficiency of selected zeolites in the immobilization of heavy metals and volatile organic compounds from water in the industrial area of Tito Scalo (Basilicata Region in Southern Italy). The efficiency of zeolite materials has been evaluated by analyzing real water samples, by a multi-technique approach. Gas chromatography (GC) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) were selected for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals respectively, and then by thermal analysis (TG, DTA) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) to verify the presence of contaminants in the structural channels of the adsorbents. ZSM-5 zeolite (MFI topology) was suitable for volatile organic compounds, showing removal efficiencies 87%. 13X (FAU topology) was more selective for in situ abatements of heavy metals, with efficiencies up to 100%. After VOCs and heavy metals removal, structure refinements of loaded zeolites highlighted variations of both lattice parameters and extraframework content confirming the pollutants immobilization in the framework microporosities. The occurrence of these species was also confirmed by DTA curves showing different phenomena explained on the basis of the nature and number of extraframework species hosted in the zeolite micropores.
First Principles Statistical Process Monitoring of High-Dimensional Industrial Microelectronics Assembly Processes
Authors: Rato Tiago J. , Delgado Pedro , Martins Cristina , Reis Marco S.
Published: November 2020

Modern industrial units collect large amounts of process data based on which advanced process monitoring algorithms continuously assess the status of operations. As an integral part of the development of such algorithms, a reference dataset representative of normal operating conditions is required to evaluate the stability of the process and, after confirming that it is stable, to calibrate a monitoring procedure, i.e., estimate the reference model and set the control limits for the monitoring statistics. The basic assumption is that all relevant “common causes” of variation appear well represented in this reference dataset (using the terminology adopted by the founding father of process monitoring, Walter A. Shewhart). Otherwise, false alarms will inevitably occur during the implementation of the monitoring scheme. However, we argue and demonstrate in this article, that this assumption is often not met in modern industrial systems. Therefore, we introduce a new approach based on the rigorous mechanistic modeling of the dominant modes of common cause variation and the use of stochastic computational simulations to enrich the historical dataset with augmented data representing a comprehensive coverage of the actual operational space. We show how to compute the monitoring statistics and set their control limits, as well as to conduct fault diagnosis when an abnormal event is declared. The proposed method, called AGV (Artificial Generation of common cause Variability) is applied to a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) production line of Bosch Car Multimedia, where more than 17 thousand product variables are simultaneously monitored.
Theoretical Evaluation of the Melting Efficiency for the Single-Screw Micro-Extrusion Process: The Case of 3D Printing of ABS
Authors: La Gala Andrea , Fiorio Rudinei , Erkoç Mustafa , Cardon Ludwig , D’hooge Dagmar R.
Published: November 2020

One of the challenges for single-screw micro-extrusion or additive manufacturing (AM), thus 3D printing, of polymers is controlling the melting efficiency so that energy and equipment costs can be minimized. Here, a numerical model is presented for AM process design, selecting acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) as viscoelastic reference polymer. It is demonstrated that AM melting is different compared to conventional melting due to variation in extrusion dimensions, leading to a different balance in heating by conduction and viscous heat dissipation as caused by the shearing between the melt layers in the associated film layer near the barrel. The thickness of this melt film layer is variable along the screw length, and it is shown that simplified models assuming an overall average value are too approximate. It is highlighted that the screw frequency, pitch angle and compression ratio are important process parameters to control the point of melt finalization. In addition, the power-law index reflecting the shear thinning nature of the polymer melt is showcased as a key parameter. Moreover, AM process results assuming constant and temperature dependent specific heat capacities and thermal conductivities are compared. The current work opens the door for on-line AM process control, addressing all relevant operating and material parameters.
Visual-Inertial Odometry of Smartphone under Manhattan World
Authors: Wang YuAn , Chen Liang , Wei Peng , Lu XiangChen
Published: November 2020

Based on the hypothesis of the Manhattan world, we propose a tightly-coupled monocular visual-inertial odometry (VIO) system that combines structural features with point features and can run on a mobile phone in real-time. The back-end optimization is based on the sliding window method to improve computing efficiency. As the Manhattan world is abundant in the man-made environment, this regular world can use structural features to encode the orthogonality and parallelism concealed in the building to eliminate the accumulated rotation error. We define a structural feature as an orthogonal basis composed of three orthogonal vanishing points in the Manhattan world. Meanwhile, to extract structural features in real-time on the mobile phone, we propose a fast structural feature extraction method based on the known vertical dominant direction. Our experiments on the public datasets and self-collected dataset show that our system is superior to most existing open-source systems, especially in the situations where the images are texture-less, dark, and blurry.
Mapping Burned Areas of Mato Grosso State Brazilian Amazon Using Multisensor Datasets
Authors: Shimabukuro Yosio Edemir , Dutra Andeise Cerqueira , Arai Egidio , Duarte Valdete , Cassol Henrique Luís Godinho , Pereira Gabriel , Cardozo Francielle da Silva
Published: November 2020

Quantifying forest fires remain a challenging task for the implementation of public policies aimed to mitigate climate change. In this paper, we propose a new method to provide an annual burned area map of Mato Grosso State located in the Brazilian Amazon region, taking advantage of the high spatial and temporal resolution sensors. The method consists of generating the vegetation, soil, and shade fraction images by applying the Linear Spectral Mixing Model (LSMM) to the Landsat-8 OLI (Operational Land Imager), PROBA-V (Project for On-Board Autonomy–Vegetation), and Suomi NPP-VIIRS (National Polar-Orbiting Partnership-Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) datasets. The shade fraction images highlight the burned areas, in which values are represented by low reflectance of ground targets, and the mapping was performed using an unsupervised classifier. Burned areas were evaluated in terms of land use and land cover classes over the Amazon, Cerrado and Pantanal biomes in the Mato Grosso State. Our results showed that most of the burned areas occurred in non-forested areas (66.57%) and old deforestation (21.54%). However, burned areas over forestlands (11.03%), causing forest degradation, reached more than double compared with burned areas identified in consolidated croplands (5.32%). The results obtained were validated using the Sentinel-2 data and compared with active fire data and existing global burned areas products, such as the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer product) MCD64A1 and MCD45A1, and Fire CCI (ESA Climate Change Initiative) products. Although there is a good visual agreement among the analyzed products, the areas estimated were quite different. Our results presented correlation of 51% with Sentinel-2 and agreement of r2 = 0.31, r2 = 0.29, and r2 = 0.43 with MCD64A1, MCD45A1, and Fire CCI products, respectively. However, considering the active fire data, it was achieved the better performance between active fire presence and burn mapping (92%). The proposed method provided a general perspective about the patterns of fire in various biomes of Mato Grosso State, Brazil, that are important for the environmental studies, specially related to fire severity, regeneration, and greenhouse gas emissions.