bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of an Edible Mushroom-Derived Renewable Carbon Material as a Highly Stable Electrocatalyst towards Four-Electron Oxygen Reduction
Authors: Guo Chaozhong , Sun Lingtao , Liao Wenli , Li Zhongbin
Published: December 2015

The development of highly stable and efficient electrocatalysts for sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is exceedingly significant for the commercialization of fuel cells but remains a challenge. We here synthesize a new nitrogen-doped biocarbon composite material (N-BC@CNP-900) as a nitrogen-containing carbon-based electrocatalyst for the ORR via facile all-solid-state multi-step pyrolysis of bioprotein-enriched enoki mushroom as a starting material, and inexpensive carbon nanoparticles as the inserting matrix and conducting agent at controlled temperatures. Results show that the N-BC@CNP-900 catalyst exhibits the best ORR electrocatalytic activity with an onset potential of 0.94 V (versus reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) and high stability. Meanwhile, this catalyst significantly exhibits good selectivity of the four-electron reaction pathway in an alkaline electrolyte. It is notable that pyridinic- and graphtic-nitrogen groups that play a key role in the enhancement of the ORR activity may be the catalytically active structures for the ORR. We further propose that the pyridinic-nitrogen species can mainly stabilize the ORR activity and the graphitic-nitrogen species can largely enhance the ORR activity. Besides, the addition of carbon support also plays an important role in the pyrolysis process, promoting the ORR electrocatalytic activity.
Effect of Moisture Exchange on Interface Formation in the Repair System Studied by X-ray Absorption
Authors: Lukovic Mladena , Ye Guang
Published: December 2015

In concrete repair systems, material properties of the repair material and the interface are greatly influenced by the moisture exchange between the repair material and the substrate. If the substrate is dry, it can absorb water from the repair material and reduce its effective water-to-cement ratio (w/c). This further affects the hydration rate of cement based material. In addition to the change in hydration rate, void content at the interface between the two materials is also affected. In this research, the influence of moisture exchange on the void content in the repair system as a function of initial saturation level of the substrate is investigated. Repair systems with varying level of substrate saturation are made. Moisture exchange in these repair systems as a function of time is monitored by the X-ray absorption technique. After a specified curing age (3 d), the internal microstructure of the repair systems was captured by micro-computed X-ray tomography (CT-scanning). From reconstructed images, different phases in the repair system (repair material, substrate, voids) can be distinguished. In order to quantify the void content, voids were thresholded and their percentage was calculated. It was found that significantly more voids form when the substrate is dry prior to application of the repair material. Air, initially filling voids and pores of the dry substrate, is being released due to the moisture exchange. As a result, air voids remain entrapped in the repair material close to the interface. These voids are found to form as a continuation of pre-existing surface voids in the substrate. Knowledge about moisture exchange and its effects provides engineers with the basis for recommendations about substrate preconditioning in practice.
Aeroplysinin-1, a Sponge-Derived Multi-Targeted Bioactive Marine Drug
Authors: García-Vilas Javier , Martínez-Poveda Beatriz , Quesada Ana , Medina Miguel
Published: December 2015

Organisms lacking external defense mechanisms have developed chemical defense strategies, particularly through the production of secondary metabolites with antibiotic or repellent effects. Secondary metabolites from marine organisms have proven to be an exceptionally rich source of small molecules with pharmacological activities potentially beneficial to human health. (+)-Aeroplysinin-1 is a secondary metabolite isolated from marine sponges with a wide spectrum of bio-activities. (+)-Aeroplysinin-1 has potent antibiotic effects on Gram-positive bacteria and several dinoflagellate microalgae causing toxic blooms. In preclinical studies, (+)-aeroplysinin-1 has been shown to have promising anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor effects. Due to its versatility, (+)-aeroplysinin-1 might have a pharmaceutical interest for the treatment of different pathologies.
In Vitro and in Vivo Anticancer Activity of Pardaxin against Proliferation and Growth of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Han Yifan , Cui Zhibin , Li Yen-Hsing , Hsu Wei-Hsuan , Lee Bao-Hong
Published: December 2015

Pardaxin (H-GFFALIPKIISSPLFKTLLSAVGSALSSSGGQE-OH), a 33-amino-acid polypeptide, is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) isolated from the marine fish species Pardachirus marmoratus. Pardaxin shows antibacterial and antitumor activities. However, pardaxin-induced inhibition of oral cancer and the mechanism of tumor reduction in buccal pouch carcinogenesis after pardaxin painting remain undetermined. Additionally, the toxic effects of pardaxin on normal tissue remain unclear. The present study investigated the anticancer activity of pardaxin in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells in the hamster buccal pouch model with or without 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) pretreatment. This is the first study to confirm the effects of pardaxin on normal tissue and its nontoxic effects in vivo. Cell viability assays and colony formation tests in OSCC cell lines (SCC-4) demonstrated that pardaxin reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Immunofluorescence staining of cleaved caspase-3 in SCC-4 cells revealed that expression of activated caspase-3 in SCC-4 cells significantly increased after 24-h treatment with pardaxin. Additionally, a cell cycle analysis indicated that pardaxin treatment resulted in the cell cycle arrest of SCC-4 cells in the G2/M phase, thereby limiting cell proliferation. Furthermore, pardaxin treatment substantially alleviated carcinogenesis in the DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch model by lowering prostaglandin E2 levels. These results suggest that pardaxin is a potential marine drug for adjuvant chemotherapy for human OSCC and oral cancer.
Crosslinked PEG and PEBAX Membranes for Concurrent Permeation of Water and Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Scholes Colin , Chen George , Lu Hiep , Kentish Sandra
Published: December 2015

Membrane technology can be used for both post combustion carbon dioxide capture and acidic gas sweetening and dehydration of natural gas. These processes are especially suited for polymeric membranes with polyether functionality, because of the high affinity of this species for both H2O and CO2. Here, both crosslinked polyethylene glycol diacrylate and a polyether-polyamide block copolymer (PEBAX 2533©) are studied for their ability to separate CO2 from CH4 and N2 under single and mixed gas conditions, for both dry and wet feeds, as well as when 500 ppm H2S is present. The solubility of gases within these polymers is shown to be better correlated with the Lennard Jones well depth than with critical temperature. Under dry mixed gas conditions, CO2 permeability is reduced compared to the single gas measurement because of competitive sorption from CH4 or N2. However, selectivity for CO2 is retained in both polymers. The presence of water in the feed is observed to swell the PEG membrane resulting in a significant increase in CO2 permeability relative to the dry gas scenario. Importantly, the selectivity is again retained under wet feed gas conditions. The presence of H2S is observed to only slightly reduce CO2 permeability through both membranes.
Establishment of Heat Treatment Process for Modified 440A Martensitic Stainless Steel Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Thermo-Calc Calculation
Authors: Wang Huei-Sen , Hsieh Pei-Ju
Published: December 2015

To provide a suitable microstructure and mechanical properties for modified Grade 440A martensitic stainless steel (MSS), which could facilitate the further cold deformation process (e.g., cold rolling), this work used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Thermo-Calc software to determine three soaking temperatures for annealing heat treatment processes (HT1, HT2 and HT3). To verify the feasibility of the proposed annealing heat treatment processes, the as-received samples were initially heated to 1050 °C (similar to the on-line working temperature) for 30 min and air quenched to form a martensitic structure. The air-quenched samples were then subjected to three developed annealing heat treatment conditions. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the heat-treated samples were then investigated. Test results showed that considering the effects of the microstructure and the hardness, the HT1, the HT2 or the soaking temperatures between the HT1 and HT2 were the most recommended processes to modified Grade 440A MSS. When using the recommended processes, their carbides were fine and more evenly distributed, and the microhardness was as low as 210 Hv, which can be applied to the actual production process.
Miniature Microwave Notch Filters and Comparators Based on Transmission Lines Loaded with Stepped Impedance Resonators (SIRs)
Authors: Su Lijuan , Naqui Jordi , Mata-Contreras Javier , Martín Ferran
Published: December 2015

In this paper, different configurations of transmission lines loaded with stepped impedance resonators (SIRs) are reviewed. This includes microstrip lines loaded with pairs of SIRs, and coplanar waveguides (CPW) loaded with multi-section SIRs. Due to the high electric coupling between the line and the resonant elements, the structures are electrically small, i.e., dimensions are small as compared to the wavelength at the fundamental resonance. The circuit models describing these structures are discussed and validated, and the potential applications as notch filters and comparators are highlighted.
SNP Array in Hematopoietic Neoplasms: A Review
Authors: Song Jinming , Shao Haipeng
Published: December 2015

Cytogenetic analysis is essential for the diagnosis and prognosis of hematopoietic neoplasms in current clinical practice. Many hematopoietic malignancies are characterized by structural chromosomal abnormalities such as specific translocations, inversions, deletions and/or numerical abnormalities that can be identified by karyotype analysis or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays offer high-resolution identification of copy number variants (CNVs) and acquired copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (LOH)/uniparental disomy (UPD) that are usually not identifiable by conventional cytogenetic analysis and FISH studies. As a result, SNP arrays have been increasingly applied to hematopoietic neoplasms to search for clinically-significant genetic abnormalities. A large numbers of CNVs and UPDs have been identified in a variety of hematopoietic neoplasms. CNVs detected by SNP array in some hematopoietic neoplasms are of prognostic significance. A few specific genes in the affected regions have been implicated in the pathogenesis and may be the targets for specific therapeutic agents in the future. In this review, we summarize the current findings of application of SNP arrays in a variety of hematopoietic malignancies with an emphasis on the clinically significant genetic variants.
Synthesis, Characterization and Molecular Docking of Novel Bioactive Thiazolyl-Thiazole Derivatives as Promising Cytotoxic Antitumor Drug
Authors: Gomha Sobhi , Salaheldin Taher , Hassaneen Huwaida , Abdel-Aziz Hassan , Khedr Mohammed
Published: December 2015

Reactions of ethylidenethiocarbohydrazide with hydrazonoyl halides gave 1,3-thiazole or 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives according to the type of hydrazonoyl halides. Treatment of ethylidenethiosemicarbazide with hydrazonoyl halides and dimethylacetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD) afforded the corresponding arylazothiazoles and 1,3-thiazolidin-4-one derivatives, respectively. The structures of the synthesized products were confirmed by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and mass spectral techniques. The cytotoxic activity of the selected products against the Hepatic carcinoma cell line (Hepg-2) was determined by MTT assay indicating a concentration dependent cellular growth inhibitory effect, especially for compounds 14c and 14e. The dose response curves indicated the IC50 (the concentration of test compounds required to kill 50% of cell population) were 0.54 μM and 0.50 μM, respectively. Confocal laser scanning imaging of the treated cells stained by Rhodamin 123 and Acridine orange dyes confirmed that the selected compounds inhibit the mitochondrial lactate dehydrogenase enzymes. The binding mode of the active compounds was interpreted by a molecular docking study. The obtained results revealed promising cytotoxic activity.
Introduction to Nanomedicine
Authors: Astruc Didier
Published: December 2015

Although mentions of nanoparticles in relation to biomedicine appeared in the late 1970s and are now the subject of over 10,000 publications per year, the term “Nanomedicine” only appeared at the turn of this century, and less than 30 papers including this term were published up to 2005. [...]
Microreactors—A Powerful Tool to Synthesize Peroxycarboxylic Esters
Authors: Illg Tobias , Knorr Annett , Fritzsche Lutz
Published: December 2015

The synthesis of peroxycarboxylic esters, as one subgroup of organic peroxides, is characterized by a high thermal hazard potential regarding process safety. In case of failure in the production process, e.g., if the heat of reaction cannot be removed sufficiently fast, decomposition reactions can be triggered, and as a result, remarkable amounts of heat and gas can be released and can cause a high extent of damage. Multifarious technical and organizational measures are necessary to ensure the safe industrial production of peroxides. With the introduction of microreaction technology plenty of possibilities have been opened to carry out highly exothermic reactions in smaller volumes and with more efficient heat removal. In this paper we report the application of three different microstructured reactors, representing different mixing strategies, to synthesize two peroxymonocarboxylic esters, namely tert-butyl peroxypivalate and tert-butyl peroxy-2-ethylhexanoate. The following reactor types were considered: an orifice microreactor, a split and recombine microreactor and a capillary tube reactor in combination with ultrasonication. The efficiency of the two phase liquid/liquid reaction is expressed in comparison of conversion and selectivity. With microreaction technology a remarkable increase in space-time-yield, ranging from 12,500 kg·m−3·h−1 to 414,000 kg·m−3·h−1, is achieved.
Anti-Diabetic, Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Hyperlipidemic Activities of Flavonoids from Corn Silk on STZ-Induced Diabetic Mice
Authors: Zhang Yan , Wu Liying , Ma Zhongsu , Cheng Jia , Liu Jingbo
Published: December 2015

Corn silk is a well-known ingredient frequently used in traditional Chinese herbal medicines. This study was designed to evaluate the anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant and anti-hyperlipidemic activities of crude flavonoids extracted from corn silk (CSFs) on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. The results revealed that treatment with 300 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg of CSFs significantly reduced the body weight loss, water consumption, and especially the blood glucose (BG) concentration of diabetic mice, which indicated their potential anti-diabetic activities. Serum total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) assays were also performed to evaluate the anti-oxidant effects. Besides, several serum lipid values including total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were reduced and the high density lipoprotein cholesterol level (HDL-C) was increased. The anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant and anti-hyperlipidemic effect of the CSFs suggest a potential therapeutic treatment for diabetic conditions.
Cytotoxic and Antifungal Constituents Isolated from the Metabolites of Endophytic Fungus DO14 from Dendrobium officinale
Authors: Wu Ling-Shang , Jia Min , Chen Ling , Zhu Bo , Dong Hong-Xiu , Si Jin-Ping , Peng Wei , Han Ting
Published: December 2015

Two novel cytotoxic and antifungal constituents, (4S,6S)-6-[(1S,2R)-1, 2-dihydroxybutyl]-4-hydroxy-4-methoxytetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one (1), (6S,2E)-6-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-oxodec-2-enoic acid (2), together with three known compounds, LL-P880γ (3), LL-P880α (4), and Ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3b-ol (5) were isolated from the metabolites of endophytic fungi from Dendrobium officinale. The chemical structures were determined based on spectroscopic methods. All the isolated compounds 1–5 were evaluated by cytotoxicity and antifungal effects. Our present results indicated that compounds 1–4 showed notable anti-fungal activities (minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≤ 50 μg/mL) for all the tested pathogens including Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton rubrum, Aspergillus fumigatus. In addition, compounds 1–4 possessed notable cytotoxcities against human cancer cell lines of HL-60 cells with the IC50 values of below 100 μM. Besides, compounds 1, 2, 4 and 5 showed strong cytotoxities on the LOVO cell line with the IC50 values were lower than 100 μM. In conclusion, our study suggested that endophytic fungi of D. officinale are great potential resources to discover novel agents for preventing or treating pathogens and tumors.
Isocyanide-Based Multicomponent Reactions for the Synthesis of Heterocycles
Authors: Váradi András , Palmer Travis , Notis Dardashti Rebecca , Majumdar Susruta
Published: December 2015

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) are extremely popular owing to their facile execution, high atom-efficiency and the high diversity of products. MCRs can be used to access various heterocycles and highly functionalized scaffolds, and thus have been invaluable tools in total synthesis, drug discovery and bioconjugation. Traditional isocyanide-based MCRs utilize an external nucleophile attacking the reactive nitrilium ion, the key intermediate formed in the reaction of the imine and the isocyanide. However, when reactants with multiple nucleophilic groups (bisfunctional reactants) are used in the MCR, the nitrilium intermediate can be trapped by an intramolecular nucleophilic attack to form various heterocycles. The implications of nitrilium trapping along with widely applied conventional isocyanide-based MCRs in drug design are discussed in this review.
Analgesic Potential of Essential Oils
Authors: Sarmento-Neto José , Do Nascimento Lázaro , Felipe Cícero , De Sousa Damião
Published: December 2015

Pain is an unpleasant sensation associated with a wide range of injuries and diseases, and affects approximately 20% of adults in the world. The discovery of new and more effective drugs that can relieve pain is an important research goal in both the pharmaceutical industry and academia. This review describes studies involving antinociceptive activity of essential oils from 31 plant species. Botanical aspects of aromatic plants, mechanisms of action in pain models and chemical composition profiles of the essential oils are discussed. The data obtained in these studies demonstrate the analgesic potential of this group of natural products for therapeutic purposes.
Synthesis and Anti-Tumor Activities of 4-Anilinoquinoline Derivatives
Authors: Liu Dan , Luan Tian , Kong Jian , Zhang Ying , Wang Hai-Feng
Published: December 2015

Twenty-two 7-fluoro (or 8-methoxy)-4-anilinoquinolines compounds were designed and synthesized as potentially potent and selective antitumor inhibitors. All the prepared compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against the HeLa and BGC823 cell lines. Ten compounds (1a–g; 2c; 2e and 2i) exhibited excellent antitumor activity superior to that of gefitinib. Among the ten compounds; seven (1a–c; 1e–1g and 2i) displayed excellent selectivity for BGC823 cells. In particular; 1f and 2i exhibited potent cytotoxic activities against HeLa cells and BGC823 cells with better IC50 values than gefitinib.
Severe Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome to Cow’s Milk in Infants
Authors: Yang Min , Geng Lanlan , Xu Zhaohui , Chen Peiyu , Friesen Craig , Gong Sitang , Li Ding-You
Published: December 2015

Cow’s milk is the most common cause of food-protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). The aim of this study was to examine the clinical features and treatment outcomes of infants with severe FPIES to cow’s milk. We reviewed all infants ≤12 months of age who were hospitalized and diagnosed with severe FPIES to cow’s milk between 1 January 2011 and 31 August 2014 in a tertiary Children’s Medical Center in China. Patients’ clinical features, feeding patterns, laboratory tests, and treatment outcomes were reviewed. A total of 12 infants met the inclusion criteria. All infants presented with diarrhea, edema, and hypoalbuminemia. Other main clinical manifestations included regurgitation/vomiting, skin rashes, low-grade fever, bloody and/or mucous stools, abdominal distention, and failure to thrive. They had clinical remission with resolution of diarrhea and significant increase of serum albumin after elimination of cow’s milk protein (CMP) from the diet. The majority of infants developed tolerance to the CMP challenge test after 12 months of avoidance. In conclusion, we reported the clinical experience of 12 infants with severe FPIES to cow’s milk, which resulted in malnutrition, hypoproteinemia, and failure to thrive. Prompt treatment with CMP-free formula is effective and leads to clinical remission of FPIES in infants.
Instantaneous Real-Time Kinematic Decimeter-Level Positioning with BeiDou Triple-Frequency Signals over Medium Baselines
Authors: He Xiyang , Zhang Xiaohong , Tang Long , Liu Wanke
Published: December 2015

Many applications, such as marine navigation, land vehicles location, etc., require real time precise positioning under medium or long baseline conditions. In this contribution, we develop a model of real-time kinematic decimeter-level positioning with BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) triple-frequency signals over medium distances. The ambiguities of two extra-wide-lane (EWL) combinations are fixed first, and then a wide lane (WL) combination is reformed based on the two EWL combinations for positioning. Theoretical analysis and empirical analysis is given of the ambiguity fixing rate and the positioning accuracy of the presented method. The results indicate that the ambiguity fixing rate can be up to more than 98% when using BDS medium baseline observations, which is much higher than that of dual-frequency Hatch-Melbourne-Wübbena (HMW) method. As for positioning accuracy, decimeter level accuracy can be achieved with this method, which is comparable to that of carrier-smoothed code differential positioning method. Signal interruption simulation experiment indicates that the proposed method can realize fast high-precision positioning whereas the carrier-smoothed code differential positioning method needs several hundreds of seconds for obtaining high precision results. We can conclude that a relatively high accuracy and high fixing rate can be achieved for triple-frequency WL method with single-epoch observations, displaying significant advantage comparing to traditional carrier-smoothed code differential positioning method.
Damage Detection in Flexible Plates through Reduced-Order Modeling and Hybrid Particle-Kalman Filtering
Authors: Capellari Giovanni , Eftekhar Azam Saeed , Mariani Stefano
Published: December 2015

Health monitoring of lightweight structures, like thin flexible plates, is of interest in several engineering fields. In this paper, a recursive Bayesian procedure is proposed to monitor the health of such structures through data collected by a network of optimally placed inertial sensors. As a main drawback of standard monitoring procedures is linked to the computational costs, two remedies are jointly considered: first, an order-reduction of the numerical model used to track the structural dynamics, enforced with proper orthogonal decomposition; and, second, an improved particle filter, which features an extended Kalman updating of each evolving particle before the resampling stage. The former remedy can reduce the number of effective degrees-of-freedom of the structural model to a few only (depending on the excitation), whereas the latter one allows to track the evolution of damage and to locate it thanks to an intricate formulation. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed procedure, the case of a plate subject to bending is investigated; it is shown that, when the procedure is appropriately fed by measurements, damage is efficiently and accurately estimated.
Fault-Tolerant Algorithms for Connectivity Restoration in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Zeng Yali , Xu Li , Chen Zhide
Published: December 2015

As wireless sensor network (WSN) is often deployed in a hostile environment, nodes in the networks are prone to large-scale failures, resulting in the network not working normally. In this case, an effective restoration scheme is needed to restore the faulty network timely. Most of existing restoration schemes consider more about the number of deployed nodes or fault tolerance alone, but fail to take into account the fact that network coverage and topology quality are also important to a network. To address this issue, we present two algorithms named Full 2-Connectivity Restoration Algorithm (F2CRA) and Partial 3-Connectivity Restoration Algorithm (P3CRA), which restore a faulty WSN in different aspects. F2CRA constructs the fan-shaped topology structure to reduce the number of deployed nodes, while P3CRA constructs the dual-ring topology structure to improve the fault tolerance of the network. F2CRA is suitable when the restoration cost is given the priority, and P3CRA is suitable when the network quality is considered first. Compared with other algorithms, these two algorithms ensure that the network has stronger fault-tolerant function, larger coverage area and better balanced load after the restoration.
Integration of Directional Antennas in an RSS Fingerprinting-Based Indoor Localization System
Authors: Guzmán-Quirós Raúl , Martínez-Sala Alejandro , Gómez-Tornero José , García-Haro Joan
Published: December 2015

In this paper, the integration of directional antennas in a room-level received signal strength (RSS) fingerprinting-based indoor localization system (ILS) is studied. The sensor reader (SR), which is in charge of capturing the RSS to infer the tag position, can be attached to an omnidirectional or directional antenna. Unlike commonly-employed omnidirectional antennas, directional antennas can receive a stronger signal from the direction in which they are pointed, resulting in a different RSS distributions in space and, hence, more distinguishable fingerprints. A simulation tool and a system management software have been also developed to control the system and assist the initial antenna deployment, reducing time-consuming costs. A prototype was mounted in a real scenario, with a number of SRs with omnidirectional and directional antennas properly positioned. Different antenna configurations have been studied, evidencing a promising capability of directional antennas to enhance the performance of RSS fingerprinting-based ILS, reducing the number of required SRs and also increasing the localization success.
Proximal Detection of Traces of Energetic Materials with an Eye-Safe UV Raman Prototype Developed for Civil Applications
Authors: Chirico Roberto , Almaviva Salvatore , Colao Francesco , Fiorani Luca , Nuvoli Marcello , Schweikert Wenka , Schnürer Frank , Cassioli Luigi , Grossi Silvana , Murra Daniele , Menicucci Ivano , Angelini Federico , Palucci Antonio
Published: December 2015

A new Raman-based apparatus for proximal detection of energetic materials on people, was developed and tested for the first time. All the optical and optoelectronics components of the apparatus, as well as their optical matching, were carefully chosen and designed to respect international eye-safety regulations. In this way, the apparatus is suitable for civil applications on people in public areas such as airports and metro or railway stations. The acquisition software performs the data analysis in real-time to provide a fast response to the operator. Moreover, it allows for deployment of the apparatus either as a stand alone device or as part of a more sophisticated warning system architecture made up of several sensors. Using polyamide as substrate, the apparatus was able to detect surface densities of ammonium nitrate (AN), 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNT), 3-nitrooxy-2,2-bis(nitrooxymethyl)propyl] nitrate (PETN) and urea nitrate (UN) in the range of 100–1000 μg/cm2 at a distance of 6.4 m using each time a single laser pulse of 3 mJ/cm2. The limit of detection calculated for AN is 289 μg/cm2. AN and UN provided the highest percentages of true positives (>82% for surface densities of 100–400 μg/cm2 and fingerprints) followed by TNT and PETN (17%–70% for surface densities of 400–1000 μg/cm2 and fingerprints).
Service-Aware Clustering: An Energy-Efficient Model for the Internet-of-Things
Authors: Bagula Antoine , Abidoye Ademola , Zodi Guy-Alain
Published: December 2015

Current generation wireless sensor routing algorithms and protocols have been designed based on a myopic routing approach, where the motes are assumed to have the same sensing and communication capabilities. Myopic routing is not a natural fit for the IoT, as it may lead to energy imbalance and subsequent short-lived sensor networks, routing the sensor readings over the most service-intensive sensor nodes, while leaving the least active nodes idle. This paper revisits the issue of energy efficiency in sensor networks to propose a clustering model where sensor devices’ service delivery is mapped into an energy awareness model, used to design a clustering algorithm that finds service-aware clustering (SAC) configurations in IoT settings. The performance evaluation reveals the relative energy efficiency of the proposed SAC algorithm compared to related routing algorithms in terms of energy consumption, the sensor nodes’ life span and its traffic engineering efficiency in terms of throughput and delay. These include the well-known low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) and LEACH-centralized (LEACH-C) algorithms, as well as the most recent algorithms, such as DECSA and MOCRN.
Segmentation of a Vibro-Shock Cantilever-Type Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Operating in Higher Transverse Vibration Modes
Authors: Zizys Darius , Gaidys Rimvydas , Dauksevicius Rolanas , Ostasevicius Vytautas , Daniulaitis Vytautas
Published: December 2015

The piezoelectric transduction mechanism is a common vibration-to-electric energy harvesting approach. Piezoelectric energy harvesters are typically mounted on a vibrating host structure, whereby alternating voltage output is generated by a dynamic strain field. A design target in this case is to match the natural frequency of the harvester to the ambient excitation frequency for the device to operate in resonance mode, thus significantly increasing vibration amplitudes and, as a result, energy output. Other fundamental vibration modes have strain nodes, where the dynamic strain field changes sign in the direction of the cantilever length. The paper reports on a dimensionless numerical transient analysis of a cantilever of a constant cross-section and an optimally-shaped cantilever with the objective to accurately predict the position of a strain node. Total effective strain produced by both cantilevers segmented at the strain node is calculated via transient analysis and compared to the strain output produced by the cantilevers segmented at strain nodes obtained from modal analysis, demonstrating a 7% increase in energy output. Theoretical results were experimentally verified by using open-circuit voltage values measured for the cantilevers segmented at optimal and suboptimal segmentation lines.
Comparative Influences of Precipitation and River Stage on Groundwater Levels in Near-River Areas
Authors: Kim Incheol , Park Donggyu , Kyung Doohyun , Kim Garam , Kim Sunbin , Lee Junhwan
Published: December 2015

The sustainable performance of foundations of various urban buildings and infrastructures is strongly affected by groundwater level (GWL), as GWL causes changes in the stress state within soil. In the present study, the components affecting GWL were investigated, focusing on the effects of precipitation and river stage. These components were analyzed using a six-year database established for hydrological and groundwater monitoring data. Five study regions for which daily measured precipitation, river stage, and GWL data were available were compared. Different periods of precipitation, geographical characteristics, and local surface conditions were considered in the analysis. The results indicated that key influence components on GWL are different depending on the hydrological, geological, and geographical characteristics of the target regions. River stage had the strongest influence on GWL in urban areas near large rivers with a high ratio of paved surface. In rural areas, where the paved surface area ratio and soil permeability were low, the moving average showed a closer correlation to GWL than river stage. A moving average-based method to predict GWL variation with time was proposed for regions with a low ratio of paved surface area and low permeability soils.
Innovative Carbon Allowance Allocation Policy for the Shenzhen Emission Trading Scheme in China
Authors: Ye Bin , Jiang Jingjing , Miao Lixin , Li Ji , Peng Yang
Published: December 2015

The initial allocation of tradable carbon emission allowances is among the most contentious issues in developing an emission trading scheme (ETS). China faces serious dilemmas of system complexity and information incompleteness and asymmetry in allocating carbon allowance among enterprises. As one of the pilot ETS regions, Shenzhen has launched the first regional cap-and-trade ETS (SZ ETS) in China. Adhering to the overall plan and classification analysis, SZ ETS intends to solve the aforementioned dilemmas by developing innovative allowance allocation policies. A fundamental principle is to allocate allowances based on carbon intensity and actual output, according to which a two-step allocation procedure is constructed. A competitive game mechanism is introduced for allowance allocation among manufacturing enterprises. Empirical results indicate the following: (1) Carbon allowance allocation based on carbon intensity and actual output can mitigate carbon emission growth by reducing CO2 emitted per unit output, and, thus, buffer the shocks of unexpected economic fluctuations to ETS stability; (2) Competitive game allocation may contribute to improving the use of scattered information to enhance the efficiency of information and emission resource allocation. Exploring SZ ETS may provide a reference for formulating future national carbon allowance allocation policies in China and other developing regions.
Motivating Action through Fostering Climate Change Hope and Concern and Avoiding Despair among Adolescents
Authors: Stevenson Kathryn , Peterson Nils
Published: December 2015

Efforts to build climate change concern seem warranted to overcome apathy and promote action. However, research suggests that these efforts can backfire by breeding despair, denial and inaction. This may be especially true among younger audiences, as despair is highest among those who view climate challenges as out of their control, and children generally have lower perceived and actual control than adults in political and personal arenas. Though many studies have documented feelings of despair and sadness among younger audiences, few have explored how climate change hope may counteract despair and encourage productive responses to climate change concern. This study examined how climate change hope, despair, and concern predict pro-environmental behavior with a quantitative survey of a random sample of middle school students in North Carolina, USA (n = 1486). We did not find an interaction between climate change hope and concern or despair, but instead found climate change hope and concern independently and positively related to behavior and despair negatively related to behavior. These results suggest that climate change concern among K-12 audiences may be an important antecedent to behavior which does not dampen the positive impacts of hope. Further, rather than mitigating the negative effects of climate change despair, hope may be an independent predecessor to behavior. Students at Title I (a measure of low socioeconomic status) schools were less likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviors, suggesting climate literacy efforts should target schools with lower levels of socioeconomic status specifically.
Wetland Accretion Rates Along Coastal Louisiana: Spatial and Temporal Variability in Light of Hurricane Isaac’s Impacts
Authors: Bianchette Thomas , Liu Kam-biu , Qiang Yi , Lam Nina
Published: December 2015

The wetlands of the southern Louisiana coast are disappearing due to a host of environmental stressors. Thus, it is imperative to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of wetland vertical accretion rates. A key question in accretion concerns the role of landfalling hurricanes as a land-building agent, due to their propensity to deposit significant volumes of inorganic sediments. Since 1996, thousands of accretion measurements have been made at 390 sites across coastal Louisiana as a result of a regional monitoring network, called the Coastal Reference Monitoring System (CRMS). We utilized this dataset to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of accretion by mapping rates during time periods before, around, and after the landfall of Hurricane Isaac (2012). This analysis is vital for quantifying the role of hurricanes as a land-building agent and for understanding the main mechanism causing heightened wetland accretion. The results show that accretion rates averaged about 2.89 cm/year from stations sampled before Isaac, 4.04 cm/year during the period encompassing Isaac, and 2.38 cm/year from sites established and sampled after Isaac. Accretion rates attributable to Isaac’s effects were therefore 40% and 70% greater than before and after the event, respectively, indicating the event’s importance toward coastal land-building. Accretion associated with Isaac was highest at sites located 70 kilometers from the storm track, particularly those near the Mississippi River and its adjacent distributaries and lakes. This spatial pattern of elevated accretion rates indicates that freshwater flooding from fluvial channels, rather than storm surge from the sea per se, is the main mechanism responsible for increased wetland accretion. This significance of riverine flooding has implications toward future coastal restoration policies and practices.
High‐speed centrifugation induces aggregation of extracellular vesicles
Authors: Linares Romain , Tan Sisareuth , Gounou Céline , Arraud Nicolas , Brisson Alain R.
Published: December 2015

Plasma and other body fluids contain cell‐derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), which participate in physiopathological processes and have potential biomedical applications. In order to isolate, concentrate and purify EVs, high‐speed centrifugation is often used. We show here, using electron microscopy, receptor‐specific gold labelling and flow cytometry, that high‐speed centrifugation induces the formation of EV aggregates composed of a mixture of EVs of various phenotypes and morphologies. The presence of aggregates made of EVs of different phenotypes may lead to erroneous interpretation concerning the existence of EVs harbouring surface antigens from different cell origins.
Impact of Group Package Tour Dimensions on Customer Satisfaction (an ANNs Application)
Authors: Moutinho Luiz , Caber Meltem , Silva Maria Manuela Santos , Albayrak Tahir
Published: December 2015

This study examines the main dimensions of a traditional group package tour and their impacts on customer satisfaction by using artificial neural networks approach. Data obtained from the Russian tourists visiting Antalya, Turkey are analyzed for testing the neural network model. Five
nodes at the input layer of the neural network model were: Airline (AL), Transfer (TRF), Hotel Guide (HG), Info (INF), and Hotel (H), which offered three hidden neurons related to single output layer of customer satisfaction (SAT). The optimal fit between inputs and output was achieved with
a feedforward network with a single hidden layer of three neurons. The three hidden neurons: “Over Promises and Under Delivered,” “Home from Home,” and “Tourism-Built Environment,” were also examined by their influence on the SAT of two customer segments,
who are named as the “positivists” and “negativists.”
Construction and Evaluation of a Performance Model of the Tourism Industry
Authors: Wei Min
Published: December 2015

In order to analyze the total performance and quality performance of tourism industry, panel data model with fixed effects and quantile regression method were applied to systematically study both the direct and indirect influencing factors from low level to high level under conditional
distribution. This article selected China as an example, and the results demonstrated that the improvement of China's tourism industry performance mainly relied on the gradual release from lower elements to higher elements, and that the overall economy strength could be enhanced by increasing
capital investment of tourism industry. In addition, the quality construction could be further strengthened with the help of human resources and market system construction; opening level and service level of the economic structure should be paid close attention for more excellent performance.
Application of Game Theory in Tourism
Authors: Tran Xuan , Thompson Carla
Published: December 2015

Although tourism development in Northeast Asia is growing increasingly competitive, there has been limited research focused on applying game theory to analyze the competition between tourist country destinations. Game theory involves the study of conflict and cooperation applied whenever
the actions of the involved agents are interdependent. This study utilized game theory to examine characteristics between China and Japan relative to tourism in Northeast Asia destinations. The game theory components were analyzed for Japan, China, and Northeast Asia to create a benchmark
for future tourism policy. Findings indicate: (1) the best responses for China and Japan to boost their economies by engaging in tourism development, (2) Japan has a dominant strategy but China does not in their tourism competition, and (3) both China and Japan include the Nash equilibrium
strategy when they engage in tourism development.
Nutrition in Older Adults on Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Johansson Lina
Published: December 2015

Nutrition in older adults on peritoneal dialysis is an important aspect of a patient's clinical management as well as being influenced by their overall well-being, both mental and physical. This is especially pertinent as individuals age, since the potential impact of life changes and physical changes contribute to the development of protein-energy wasting and potentially exacerbating sarcopenia and wasting. This article provides an outline of the nutritional issues to consider in older adults on peritoneal dialysis (PD).
Patient and Technique Survival of Older Adults with Esrd Treated with Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Bieber Scott D. , Mehrotra Rajnish
Published: December 2015

The number of older adults worldwide is increasing as societies gain success in improving the health and lifespan of their citizens. As a result, increasing numbers of older adults are presenting to the medical community with advanced kidney failure. Historically, dialysis treatments were withheld from older adults particularly those with severe co-existing illnesses. This has changed in most parts of the world, and there is now an increasing emphasis on shared decision-making to determine whether dialysis is appropriate and to determine which modality meets the needs, expectations, and desire of patients. Evidence examining the difference in risk for death of older adults treated with hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD), and the probability of those treated with PD to transfer to HD among older compared to younger adults, is largely derived from prospective cohort studies or analyses of data from national registries. In such studies, it is difficult to distinguish whether differences in outcomes reflect the effect of dialysis modality or differences in health status of different groups of patients. Longevity and technique survival are important, albeit not the only or most important consideration in such decision-making. Given the risk for bias in observational studies and the profound effect of dialysis modality on patients’ lifestyle, the selection of dialysis modality should remain a decision made by the patient, caregivers, and his/her physician after thorough education and review of the available data.
Genicunolide A, B and C: three new triterpenoids from Euphorbia geniculata
Authors: Farozi Alia , Banday Javid Ahmad , Shah Shakeel Ahmad
Published: December 2015

Three new triterpenoids, designated as genicunolide A (1), B (2) and C (3), along with friedelin (4) and friedelinol (5), were isolated from the aerial parts of Euphorbia geniculata. They were characterized as 1β-acetoxy-3β-hydroxy-11α,12α-oxidotaraxer-14-ene, 1β,3β-diacetoxy-21α-hydroxy-11α,12α-oxidotaraxer-14-ene and 3β,9α,20α-trihydroxy-Ψ-taraxast-5-ene, respectively, by spectral and chemical methods.
Learning from the unexpected in life and DNA self-assembly
Authors: Heemstra Jennifer M
Published: December 2015

The greatest lessons in life and science often arise from the unexpected. Thus, rather than viewing these experiences as hindering our progress, they should be embraced and appreciated for their ability to lead to new discoveries. In this perspective, I will discuss the unexpected events that have shaped my career path and the early stages of my independent research program.
OVERBUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT CASCADES UNDER IRRATIONAL EXPECTATIONS
Authors: LV Xiu-Mei , FAN Gang-Zhi
Published: December 2015

The recent sluggish recovery in the U.S. house market has further motivated our research interests in overbuilding in real estate markets. Our model is an extension to Grenadier's (1996), who emphasizes rational investment decisions possibly leading to oversupply in real estate markets, by further allowing for the important implication of irrational expectation for the strategic interaction amongst competing investors. In this model, two market participants are asymmetric because one of them is allowed to have heterogeneous expectations about the growth and volatility of demand shocks. Unlike most of previous studies that only simply think of this phenomenon as a result of irrationality, our model further finds that irrational investors’ value-maximizing investment choices matter in understanding the strategic interaction of investment decisions in real estate markets, therefore providing additional insights into overbuilding and other puzzling phenomena in real estate markets.