bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Heat Input on Formability, Microstructure, and Properties of Al–7Si–0.6Mg Alloys Deposited by CMT-WAAM Process
Authors: Li Chengde , Gu Huimin , Wang Wei , Wang Shuai , Ren Lingling , Wang Zhenbiao , Ming Zhu , Zhai Yuchun
Published: December 2019

In order to improve the forming efficiency of Al–7Si–0.6Mg fabricated by wire and arc additive manufacturing process (WAAM), wire with a diameter of 1.6 mm was selected as the raw material. The effect of heat input on the formability, microstructure, and properties of the WAAM alloy was investigated, and the forming model was established. The WAAM alloys were characterized by electronic universal testing, scanning electron microscopy, energy spectrum analysis, and metallographic microscopy. The results show that Al–7Si–0.6Mg alloy has a large processing window under the cold metal transfer (CMT) process, and it can be well formed with a large range of heat input. The secondary dendrite arm spacing and Fe-phase in the as-deposited alloy gradually increase with an increase in heat input, and slight overburning occurs in the heat affected zone at higher heat inputs. After solid solution and aging treatment (T6 heat treatment), the size of α-Al grain and eutectic silicon grain increases with the increase of heat input. Little anisotropy in the mechanical properties is observed except at higher heat inputs. The tensile strength is 354.5 MPa ± 7.5 MPa, yield strength is 310 MPa ± 5.5 MPa, and elongation is 6.3 ± 0.7%.
Motor Vector Control Based on Speed-Torque-Current Map
Authors: Hu Jianjun , Jia Meixia , Xiao Feng , Fu Chunyun , Zheng Lingling
Published: December 2019

In order to effectively extend the mileage of pure electric vehicles, the influence of the electromechanical energy conversion principle and the dynamic control of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) on the performance of pure electric vehicles are studied with a dual-motor drive system as a carrier in this paper. A vector control strategy based on the speed-torque-current map of a motor is proposed, considering the bus voltage fluctuation influenced by battery charge and discharge. By constructing a complete vehicle model including the dynamic control model of the motor, the power distribution control strategy of a dual-motor coupling mode considering the dynamic characteristics of the motor is developed and simulated on the MATLAB platform. The results show that the dynamic model of the motor is closer to the actual running conditions. The proposed control strategy effectively reduces the demand power, decreases the energy consumption of the electric drive system, and extends the mileage of the vehicle.
Damage Evaluation of Porcelain Insulators with 154 kV Transmission Lines by Various Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Ensemble Methods Using Frequency Response Data
Authors: Choi In Hyuk , Koo Ja Bin , Woo Jung Wook , Son Ju Am , Bae Do Yeon , Yoon Young Geun , Oh Tae Keun
Published: December 2019

Frequency response signals have been used for the non-destructive evaluation of many different structures and for the integrity evaluation of porcelain insulators. However, it is difficult to accurately estimate the integrity of porcelain insulators under various environmental conditions only by using general frequency response signals. Therefore, this study used a method that extracted several features that can be derived from the frequency response signal and reduced their dimensions to select features suitable for the evaluation of the soundness of porcelain insulators. The latest machine learning techniques were used to identify correlations and not for basic feature analyses. Two machine learning models were developed using the support vector machine and ensemble methods in MATLAB. Both models showed high reliability in distinguishing between normal and defective porcelain insulators, and they could visualize the distribution area of the data by extracting quantitative values and applying machine learning, rather than simply verifying the frequency response signal.
Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Traditional Dry Cured Smoked Ham Slavonska Šunka
Authors: Mastanjević Krešimir , Kartalović Brankica , Lukinac Jasmina , Jukić Marko , Kovačević Dragan , Petrović Jelena , Habschied Kristina
Published: December 2019

Slavonska šunka is a traditional dry-cured smoked ham. Smoking with open fire commonly results in the accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) molecules in tissues. The objective of this research was to assess the types and concentrations of 16 PAHs in 30 samples of traditional dry-cured smoked ham Slavonska šunka. In general, all samples had high values of anthracene while higher levels of acenaphthylene were present in some samples. In sample SS1, the maximal value for anthracene reached 228.03 µg/kg, while sample SS28 had the lowest value of this PAH—33.38 µg/kg. SS1 had increased values for several other PAHs: benzo[a]anthracene (54.03 µg/kg), acenaphtene (19.90 µg/kg) and phenanthrene (27.11 µg/kg). Cancerogenic benzo[a]pyrene content was below the limit of quantification for all samples. PAH4 (benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene) concentrations were above legislative recommendation (>30 µg/kg) in seven samples. All the samples of Slavonska šunka had significant PAH16 concentrations, with the lowest value of 61.30 µg/kg (SS28) and the highest 462.83 µg/kg (SS1). The highest concentrations of PAHs were determined in the Vukovar–Srijem county samples. Another conclusion from this research is that samples smoked with elm tree showed high PAH concentrations in comparison to the ones smoked with beech and hornbeam.
Coordinated Dispatch of Multi-Energy Microgrids and Distribution Network with a Flexible Structure
Authors: Chen Sijie , Yang Yongbiao , Xu Qingshan , Zhao Jun
Published: December 2019

With the increasing scale of multi-energy microgrids (MGs) and complicated operation modes, the coordinated operation of microgrids and the distribution network (DN) has posed great challenges. In this paper, a bi-level optimal coordinated dispatch framework of the DN and multi-energy MGs based on CCHP (combined cooling, heating, and power) is proposed. The first level studies the optimal operation of the DN with power interaction on tie lines between MGs considering the coupling relationship and constraints of the equipment and network. The network reconfiguration with limited control actions is considered to increase the flexibility of the topology and further improve the working state. For the second level, MGs receive orders from the DN and determine the optimal strategies of multi-energy devices to achieve optimized operation under the condition of satisfying the different types of load and requirement for the DN. To solve the optimal dispatch problem of both the DN and the multi-energy MGs considering the DN reconfiguration, a method combining particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) with mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) is proposed. Cases studied in an IEEE33-node DN with renewable power sources and grid-connected MGs validate that the proposed method is very effective in reducing the power loss and voltage offset of the DN while ensuring the benefits of the MGs.
Effect of Corrosion Characteristics on Long-Term Aging of Austenitic 304 Steel
Authors: Huh Chaeeul , An Seongbin , Kim Minsuk , Kim Chungseok
Published: December 2019

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of long-term aging on electrochemical corrosion characteristics of austenitic AISI 304 steel. AISI 304 steel was subjected to aging treatment for an extended period at 700 °C up to a maximum of 10,000 h. The variation in the microstructure of aged specimens was observed with an optical microscope (OM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The electrochemical polarization test was conducted to obtain the corrosion current density (Icorr) and corrosion potential (Ecorr). The metastable intermetallic M23C6 carbides generated in the vicinity of γ/γ grain boundaries and coarsened with aging time. The δ-ferrite island decomposed into σ-phase and M23C6 carbide with an aging time increase. As the aging time increased, the current density increased, but the corrosion potential of the austenitized specimen exhibited a minimum value of 0.04 μA/cm2. The highest pitting resistance exhibited at the austenitized specimen due to the absence of carbides. Consequently, the corrosion resistance of austenitic AISI 304 steel decreases with long-term aging time. The microstructural analyses well support this result.
Non-Programmers Composing Software Services: A Confirmatory Study of the Mental Models and Design Challenges
Authors: Namoun Abdallah , Owrak Ali , Mehandjiev Nikolay
Published: December 2019

Ordinary web users can now create and publish online content. They even venture into “mashups,” integrating information from different sources into a composite information-providing web service. This is a non-trivial design task, which falls into the area of end-user development when the ordinary users who perform it do not have programming education. In this article, we investigate the service design strategies of 12 such ordinary users and compare them against the baseline of 12 programmers. In our think-aloud study, users completed two contrasting types of tasks involved in developing service-based applications: (a) manual service composition and (b) parametric design using templates with a high degree of software support (or assisted composition). These service composition tasks were chosen to differ in respect to the level of user support provided by the tool. Our findings show that non-programmers liked, more than programmers, the template-based parametric design and did not find the tool assistance as constraining as the programmers did. The difficulty of design involved in manual service composition and the absence of user guidance hindered non-programmers in expressing and implementing accurate design solutions. The differences in the mental models and needs of non-programmers are established to be in stark contrast to those of programmers. We used the details of our findings to propose specialized design recommendations for service composition tools aligned with the profiles of their target users.
The Role of Thermal Effects in Plasma Medical Applications: Biological and Calorimetric Analysis
Authors: Cordaro Luigi , De Masi Gianluca , Fassina Alessandro , Gareri Clarice , Pimazzoni Antonio , Desideri Daniele , Indolfi Ciro , Martines Emilio
Published: December 2019

Plasma Medicine tools exploit the therapeutic effects of the exposure of living matter to plasma produced at atmospheric pressure. Since these plasmas are usually characterized by a non-thermal equilibrium (highly energetic electrons, low temperature ions), thermal effects on the substrate are usually considered negligible. Conversely, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), UV radiation and metastables are thought to play a major role. In this contribution, we compare the presence of thermal effects in different operational regimes (corresponding to different power levels) of the Plasma Coagulation Controller (PCC), a plasma source specifically designed for accelerating blood coagulation. In particular, we analyze the application of PCC on human blood samples (in vitro) and male Wistar rats tissues (in vivo). Histological analysis points out, for the highest applied power regime, the onset of detrimental thermal effects such as red cell lysis in blood samples and tissues damages in in-vivo experiments. Calorimetric bench tests performed on metallic targets show that the current coupled by the plasma on the substrate induces most of measured thermal loads through a resistive coupling. Furthermore, the distance between the PCC nozzle and the target is found to strongly affect the total power.
Machine Learning for Quantitative Finance Applications: A Survey
Authors: Rundo Francesco , Trenta Francesca , di Stallo Agatino Luigi , Battiato Sebastiano
Published: December 2019

The analysis of financial data represents a challenge that researchers had to deal with. The rethinking of the basis of financial markets has led to an urgent demand for developing innovative models to understand financial assets. In the past few decades, researchers have proposed several systems based on traditional approaches, such as autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and the exponential smoothing model, in order to devise an accurate data representation. Despite their efficacy, the existing works face some drawbacks due to poor performance when managing a large amount of data with intrinsic complexity, high dimensionality and casual dynamicity. Furthermore, these approaches are not suitable for understanding hidden relationships (dependencies) between data. This paper proposes a review of some of the most significant works providing an exhaustive overview of recent machine learning (ML) techniques in the field of quantitative finance showing that these methods outperform traditional approaches. Finally, the paper also presents comparative studies about the effectiveness of several ML-based systems.
Speaking Volumes: Studying Depth in Holographic Narratives
Authors: Vila Doris
Published: December 2019

This article investigates a decision every holographer makes: where to place light-forms along the z-axis, given the power of light imagery. This choice governs what sits behind the plate, what is on the surface and what projects in front of the plate toward the viewer. After considering ways that the placement of imagery sets the stage for viewers to respond to a holographic narrative, examples are offered from a series of reflection holograms. These examples are drawn from a continuing creative practice which explores aspects of narrative within the unique parameters of holographic volume.
A Review of the Transformation of Road Transport Systems: Are We Ready for the Next Step in Artificially Intelligent Sustainable Transport?
Authors: Hasan Umair , Whyte Andrew , Al Jassmi Hamad
Published: December 2019

Mobility is experiencing a revolution, as advanced communications, computers with big data capacities, efficient networks of sensors, and signals, are developing value-added applications such as intelligent spaces and autonomous vehicles. Another new technology that is both promising and might even be pervasive for faster, safer and more environmentally-friendly public transport (PT) is the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs). This study aims to understand the state of the current research on the artificially intelligent transportation system (ITS) and AVs through a critical evaluation of peer-reviewed literature. This study’s findings revealed that the majority of existing research (around 82% of studies) focused on AVs. Results show that AVs can potentially reduce more than 80% of pollutant emissions per mile if powered by alternate energy resources (e.g., natural gas, biofuel, electricity, hydrogen cells, etc.). Not only can private vehicle ownership be cut down by bringing in ridesharing but the average vehicle miles travelled (VMT) should also be reduced through improved PT. The main benefits of AV adoption were reported in the literature to be travel time, traffic congestion, cost and environmental factors. Findings revealed barriers such as technological uncertainties, lack of regulation, unawareness among stakeholders and privacy and security concerns, along with the fact that lack of simulation and empirical modelling data from pilot studies limit the application. AV–PT was also found to be the most sustainable strategy in dense urban areas to shift the heavy trip load from private vehicles.
Relational Variants of Lattice-Valued F-Transforms
Authors: Močkoř Jiří
Published: December 2019

Two categories of lower and upper lattice-valued F-transforms with fuzzy relations as morphisms are introduced, as generalisations of standard categories of F-transforms with maps as morphisms. Although F-transforms are defined using special structures called spaces with fuzzy partitions, it is shown that these categories are identical to the relational variants of the two categories of semimodule homomorphisms where these fuzzy partitions do not occur. This a priori independence of the F-transform on spaces with fuzzy partitions makes it possible, for example, to use a simple matrix calculus to calculate F-transforms, or to determine the image of F-transforms in relational morphisms of the two categories.
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) May Be a Striking Link Between Modern Diet and Health
Authors: Gill Vidhu , Kumar Vijay , Singh Kritanjali , Kumar Ashok , Kim Jong-Joo
Published: December 2019

The Maillard reaction is a simple but ubiquitous reaction that occurs both in vivo and ex vivo during the cooking or processing of foods under high-temperature conditions, such as baking, frying, or grilling. Glycation of proteins is a post-translational modification that forms temporary adducts, which, on further crosslinking and rearrangement, form permanent residues known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Cooking at high temperature results in various food products having high levels of AGEs. This review underlines the basis of AGE formation and their corresponding deleterious effects on the body. Glycated Maillard products have a direct association with the pathophysiology of some metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), acute renal failure (ARF), Alzheimer’s disease, dental health, allergies, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The most glycated and structurally abundant protein is collagen, which acts as a marker for diabetes and aging, where decreased levels indicate reduced skin elasticity. In diabetes, high levels of AGEs are associated with carotid thickening, ischemic heart disease, uremic cardiomyopathy, and kidney failure. AGEs also mimic hormones or regulate/modify their receptor mechanisms at the DNA level. In women, a high AGE diet directly correlates with high levels of androgens, anti-Müllerian hormone, insulin, and androstenedione, promoting ovarian dysfunction and/or infertility. Vitamin D3 is well-associated with the pathogenesis of PCOS and modulates steroidogenesis. It also exhibits a protective mechanism against the harmful effects of AGEs. This review elucidates and summarizes the processing of infant formula milk and the associated health hazards. Formulated according to the nutritional requirements of the newborn as a substitute for mother’s milk, formula milk is a rich source of primary adducts, such as carboxy-methyl lysine, which render an infant prone to inflammation, dementia, food allergies, and other diseases. We therefore recommend that understanding this post-translational modification is the key to unlocking the mechanisms and physiology of various metabolic syndromes.
Complexity Measures of Voice Recordings as a Discriminative Tool for Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Viswanathan Rekha , Arjunan Sridhar P. , Bingham Adrian , Jelfs Beth , Kempster Peter , Raghav Sanjay , Kumar Dinesh K.
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we have investigated the differences in the voices of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and age-matched control (CO) subjects when uttering three phonemes using two complexity measures: fractal dimension (FD) and normalised mutual information (NMI). Three sustained phonetic voice recordings, /a/, /u/ and /m/, from 22 CO (mean age = 66.91) and 24 PD (mean age = 71.83) participants were analysed. FD was first computed for PD and CO voice recordings, followed by the computation of NMI between the test groups: PD–CO, PD–PD and CO–CO. Four features reported in the literature—normalised pitch period entropy (Norm. PPE), glottal-to-noise excitation ratio (GNE), detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and glottal closing quotient (ClQ)—were also computed for comparison with the proposed complexity measures. The statistical significance of the features was tested using a one-way ANOVA test. Support vector machine (SVM) with a linear kernel was used to classify the test groups, using a leave-one-out validation method. The results showed that PD voice recordings had lower FD compared to CO (p < 0.008). It was also observed that the average NMI between CO voice recordings was significantly lower compared with the CO–PD and PD–PD groups (p < 0.036) for the three phonetic sounds. The average NMI and FD demonstrated higher accuracy (>80%) in differentiating the test groups compared with other speech feature-based classifications. This study has demonstrated that the voices of PD patients has reduced FD, and NMI between voice recordings of PD–CO and PD–PD is higher compared with CO–CO. This suggests that the use of NMI obtained from the sample voice, when paired with known groups of CO and PD, can be used to identify PD voices. These findings could have applications for population screening.
Flexible and Transparent Substrates Based on Gold Nanoparticles and TiO2 for in Situ Bioanalysis by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Mandrile Luisa , Giovannozzi Andrea , Sacco Alessio , Martra Gianmario , Rossi Andrea
Published: December 2019

Flexible and transparent substrates are emerging as low cost and easy-to-operate support for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In particular, in situ SERS detection approach for surface characterization in transmission modality can be efficiently employed for non-invasive analysis of non-planar surfaces. Here we propose a new methodology to fabricate a homogenous, transparent, and flexible SERS membrane by the assistance of a thin TiO2 porous layer deposited on the PDMS surface, which supports the uniform loading of gold nanoparticles over large area. The substrate was first characterized for homogeneity, sensitivity and repeatability using a model molecule for SERS, i.e., 7-mercapto-4-methylcoumarin. Satisfactory intra-substrate uniformity and inter-substrates repeatability was achieved, showing an RSD of 10%, and an analytical sensitivity down to 10 nM was determined with an EF of 3.4 × 105 ± 0.4 × 105. Furthermore, SERS detection of pyrimethanil (PMT), a commonly employed pesticide in crops for human consumption, was performed in situ, exploiting the optical transparency of the device, using both model surfaces and non-flat bio-samples. PMT contamination at the phytochemical concentration levels corresponding to commonly used infield doses was successfully detected on the surface of the yellow Ficus benjiamina leaves, supporting the use of this substrate for food safety in-field application.
Cerebral Blood Flow in Low Intracranial Pressure Headaches—What Is Known?
Authors: Nowaczewska Magdalena , Kaźmierczak Henryk
Published: December 2019

Headaches attributed to low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure are described as orthostatic headaches caused by spontaneous or secondary low CSF pressure or CSF leakages. Regardless of the cause, CFS leaks may lead to intracranial hypotension (IH) and influence cerebral blood flow (CBF). When CSF volume decreases, a compensative increase in intracranial blood volume and cerebral vasodilatation occurs. Sinking of the brain and traction on pain-sensitive structures are thought to be the causes of orthostatic headaches. Although there are many studies concerning CBF during intracranial hypertension, little is known about CBF characteristics during low intracranial pressure. The aim of this review is to examine the relationship between CBF, CSF, and intracranial pressure in headaches assigned to low CSF pressure.
Delay-Period Activity and Executive Functions of the Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Phensy Aarron , Kroener Sven
Published: December 2019

The term “working memory” (WM) describes the ability to maintain and manipulate information in the memory for the guidance of goal-directed behavior [...]
The Impact of a Structured Exercise Programme upon Cognitive Function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients
Authors: Zalewski Paweł , Kujawski Sławomir , Tudorowska Malwina , Morten Karl , Tafil-Klawe Małgorzata , Klawe Jacek , Strong James , Estévez-López Fernando , Murovska Modra , Newton Julia ,   the European Network on ME/CFS (EUROMENE)
Published: December 2019

Background: Cognitive function disturbance is a frequently described symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In this study, the effects of a structured exercise programme (SEP) upon cognitive function in ME/CFS patients was examined. Methods: Out of the 53 ME/CFS patients initiating SEP 34 (64%) completed the 16 week programme. Cognitive function was assessed using a computerized battery test consisting of a Simple Reaction Time (SRT) (repeated three times) and Choice Reaction Time (CRT) measurements, a Visual Attention Test (VAT) and a Delayed Matching to Sample (DMS) assessment. Results: Statistically significant improvement was noted in the third attempt to SRT in reaction time for correct answers, p = 0.045, r = 0.24. Moreover, significant improvement was noted in VAT reaction time, number of correct answers and errors committed, p = 0.02, omega = 0.03, p = 0.007, r = 0.34 and p = 0.004, r = 0.35, respectively. Non-significant changes were noted in other cognitive tests. Conclusions: A substantial number of participants were unwilling or unable to complete the exercise programme. ME/CFS patients able to complete the SEP showed improved visual attention both in terms of reaction time and correctness of responses and processing speed of simple visual stimuli.
Psychological Mediation of Dysfunction and Hyperfunction of Respiratory Regulation
Authors: Koniukhovskaia Julia , Pervichko Elena
Published: December 2019

This research investigates the continuum between the dysfunction and the hyperfunction of breath regulation and presents the psychological mediation that supports or disrupts this regulation. The pilot study compared breathing regulation in patients with hyperventilation syndrome (HVS), free divers, and healthy volunteers. To examine the ability of voluntary respiration regulation, breath holding involving “easy-going” and “struggling” phases was used. Psychological mediation was assessed through (a) respiratory experience interviews, (b) anxiety levels, and (c) psycho-semantic techniques. Free divers have a bigger “positive breathing vocabulary” and can endure the conflict between the physiological need to inhale and the voluntary motivation to hold their breath for longer. The connection between emotions and negative breathing experience in patients with HVS leads to less breathing control.
Relationships Between Medical Doctors’ Personality Traits and Their Professional Risk Perception
Authors: Bogacheva Nataliya , Kornilova Tatiana , Pavlova Elizaveta
Published: December 2019

Medical decision-making is often related to risk and uncertainty, but existing research does not offer a comprehensive approach to this matter. We discuss the necessity to study cognitive representations of risks (CRRs), which we define as the subject’s images of risky situations, possible outcomes, and alternative decisions. The psychometric approach towards risk assessment often involves the evaluation of different risks, but we aim to create such a list from medical professionals’ expert knowledge. Via qualitative analysis, CRRs were obtained from interviews with practicing doctors from Russia (N = 24). The list includes 21 risks from real-life medical practice, with seven aspects for numerical evaluation each. Then, practicing doctors (N = 64) evaluated CRRs along with filling risk-related personality traits questionnaires: Personal Decision-Making Factors Questionnaire, Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire, Ten Item Personality Measure, and Budner’s Intolerance of Ambiguity Scale. A correlational analysis showed interconnections between most CRRs aspects, with predictability and negative outcome probability seemingly being the central aspects of the risk assessment. CRRs aspects were also found to be gender- and experience-specific, with female doctors and younger specialists being more sensitive to professional risks. Personality traits in relation to CRRs aspects, medical experience and gender are also discussed.
Holistic Analysis of Waste Copper Slag Based Concrete by Means of EIPI Method
Authors: Kubissa Wojciech , Jaskulski Roman , Gil Damian , Wilińska Iwona
Published: December 2019

The aim of the research is a comprehensive evaluation of concrete using the EIPI method. In the evaluation the compressive strength of concrete and its durability properties represented by sorptivity and air permeability are taken into account. Since waste copper slag with increased natural radioactivity is used in the assessed concrete, additional evaluation is carried out taking into account the influence of natural radioactivity within the performance index. Additionally, the reference concrete, which is made without the use of waste copper slag, is evaluated for comparative purposes. In order to make the evaluation as comprehensive as possible, the concrete made with the use of three types of cement is subjected to CEM I, CEM II and CEM III assessments. If natural radioactivity is not taken into account in the evaluation, the best result of the most favourable value of Gross Ecological and Performance Indicator (GEPI) is obtained by the concrete made with waste copper slag, and if radioactivity is considered, the most favourable value of GEPI is obtained with concrete without addition of the waste. The results show that in both approaches the best result is achieved by concrete with CEM III cement. It follows from the above that although natural radioactivity has a significant impact on the EIPI evaluation result, the decisive factor is still the type of cement.
GSTO1*CC Genotype (rs4925) Predicts Shorter Survival in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Male Patients
Authors: Radic Tanja , Coric Vesna , Bukumiric Zoran , Pljesa-Ercegovac Marija , Djukic Tatjana , Avramovic Natasa , Matic Marija , Mihailovic Smiljana , Dragicevic Dejan , Dzamic Zoran , Simic Tatjana , Savic-Radojevic Ana
Published: December 2019

Omega class glutathione transferases, GSTO1-1 and GSTO2-2, exhibit different activities involved in regulation of inflammation, apoptosis and redox homeostasis. We investigated the the prognostic significance of GSTO1 (rs4925) and GSTO2 (rs156697 and rs2297235) polymorphisms in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients. GSTO1-1 and GSTO2-2 expression and phosphorylation status of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/ /mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and Raf/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways in non-tumor and tumor ccRCC tissue, as well as possible association of GSTO1-1 with signaling molecules were also assessed. GSTO genotyping was performed by quantitative PCR in 228 ccRCC patients, while expression and immunoprecipitation were analyzed by Western blot in 30 tissue specimens. Shorter survival in male carriers of GSTO1*C/C wild-type genotype compared to the carriers of at least one variant allele was demonstrated (p = 0.049). GSTO1*C/C genotype independently predicted higher risk of overall mortality among male ccRCC patients (p = 0.037). Increased expression of GSTO1-1 and GSTO2-2 was demonstrated in tumor compared to corresponding non-tumor tissue (p = 0.002, p = 0.007, respectively), while GSTO1 expression was correlated with interleukin-1β (IL-1β)/pro-interleukin-1β (pro-IL-1β) ratio (r = 0.260, p = 0.350). Interaction of GSTO1 with downstream effectors of investigated pathways was shown in ccRCC tumor tissue. This study demonstrated significant prognostic role of GSTO1 polymorphism in ccRCC. Up-regulated GSTO1-1 and GSTO2-2 in tumor tissue might contribute to aberrant ccRCC redox homeostasis.
Metal-Free Enhanced Photocatalytic Activation of Dioxygen by g-C3N4 Doped with Abundant Oxygen-Containing Functional Groups for Selective N-Deethylation of Rhodamine B
Authors: Huang Jia , Nie Gang , Ding Yaobin
Published: December 2019

To develop highly efficient heterogeneous photocatalysts for the activation of dissolved oxygen is very interesting in the field of green degradation of organic pollutants. In the paper, oxygen atom doped g-C3N4 (O-g-C3N4) was prepared via a facile chemical oxidation of g-C3N4 by peroxymonosulfate. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis suggests the oxidative treatment of g-C3N4 by peroxymonosulfate evidently increased atomic percentage of oxygen on O-g-C3N4 surface to 6.9% as compared with 1.8% for g-C3N4. Meanwhile, the doped oxygen atom mainly existed as carbonyl and carboxyl groups. Optical characterization indicates the introduction of oxygen improved the response of O-g-C3N4 to visible light, and more obviously, separation of photo-generated h+-e−. 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl) probe measurement indicates the formation of O2•− was dramatically enhanced through activation of dioxygen by photo-generated electrons in the O-g-C3N4 photocatalytic system. Through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, it was found rhodamine B (RhB) photocatalytic degradation by O-g-C3N4 followed step by step N-deethylation reaction pathways induced by the formed O2•−, rather than the non-selective decomposition of the chromophore in RhB by other radicals, such as hydroxyl radicals. This study provides a facile method to develop oxygen atom doped g-C3N4 photocatalyst, and also clarifies its photocatalytic activation mechanism of molecular oxygen for N-deethylation reaction of RhB.
Manganese and Cobalt Doped Hierarchical Mesoporous Halloysite-Based Catalysts for Selective Oxidation of p-Xylene to Terephthalic Acid
Authors: Karakhanov Eduard , Maximov Anton , Zolotukhina Anna , Vinokurov Vladimir , Ivanov Evgenii , Glotov Aleksandr
Published: December 2019

Bimetallic MnCo catalyst, supported on the mesoporous hierarchical MCM-41/halloysite nanotube composite, was synthesized for the first time and proved its efficacy in the selective oxidation of p-xylene to terephthalic acid under conditions of the AMOCO process. Quantitative yields of terephthalic acid were achieved within 3 h at 200–250 °C, 20 atm. of O2 and at a substrate to the Mn + Co ratio of 4–4.5 times higher than for traditional homogeneous system. The influence of temperature, oxygen, pressure and KBr addition on the catalyst activity was investigated, and the mechanism for the oxidation of p-toluic acid to terephthalic acid, excluding undesirable 4-carboxybenzaldehyde, was proposed.
A Cross-Sectional Study of the Associations between Chronotype, Social Jetlag and Subjective Sleep Quality in Healthy Adults
Authors: Raman Sudha , Coogan Andrew N.
Published: December 2019

Social jetlag, a mismatch between internal biological time and social schedules, and a later timing of the midpoint of sleep on work-free days as an indicator of the circadian phase of entrainment (late chronotype), may be factors associated with poor quality sleep. This study examined the association of social jetlag and chronotype with subjective sleep quality ratings in a healthy young adult cohort and interrogated the moderating effects of sex and age on these associations. A total of 1322 participants aged 18 to 40 completed the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire. Later timing of midsleep on “free” days (an indicator of chronotype) had a small-to-medium association with poorer subjective sleep quality, independently of sex and age (rho = 0.212, P < 0.001). Greater social jetlag had a small association with poorer subjective sleep quality ratings (rho = 0.077), and this effect was moderated by sex with there being a relationship between social jetlag and sleep quality only in males. Social jetlag did not mediate the relationship between chronotype and sleep quality. These results indicate differential relationships of the chronotype and social jetlag with subjective sleep quality and indicate that sex is a moderating factor for sleep quality’s relationship with social jetlag, but not for the association between sleep quality and chronotype.
Utility of Scanning Electron Microscopy Elemental Analysis Using the ‘NanoSuit’ Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy Method in the Diagnosis of Lanthanum Phosphate Deposition in the Esophagogastroduodenal Mucosa
Authors: Shinmura Kazuya , Kawasaki Hideya , Baba Satoshi , Ohta Isao , Kato Hisami , Yasuda Hideo , Yamada Satoshi , Misawa Kiyoshi , Sugimoto Ken , Osawa Satoshi , Sato Masanori , Hariyama Takahiko , Sugimura Haruhiko
Published: December 2019

Background: We have recently developed the correlative light and electron microscopy of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained glass slides using the ‘NanoSuit’ method. The aim of this study is to explore the utility of the new NanoSuit-correlative light and electron microscopy method combined with scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy elemental analysis for the diagnosis of lanthanum phosphate deposition in the H&E-stained glass slides. Methods: Nine H&E-stained glass slides of the upper gastrointestinal tract mucosa containing the brown pigmented areas by light microscopic observation, which were suspected as lanthanum phosphate deposition, were observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using the NanoSuit-correlative light and electron microscopy method. Results: In all nine slides, the new NanoSuit-correlative light and electron microscopy method combined with scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed the accumulation of both lanthanum and phosphorus in the tissue area corresponding to the brown pigment deposition. In addition to the existence of lanthanum phosphate in the stomach and duodenum, known target organs, we observed deposition in the esophagus for the first time. Furthermore, we observed lanthanum phosphate deposition in the background mucosa of stomach containing primary adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis using the NanoSuit-correlative light and electron microscopy method is useful for the diagnosis of lanthanum phosphate deposition in the H&E-stained glass slides. Lanthanum phosphate deposition occurs not only in the stomach and duodenum but also in the esophagus.
Detection Rate of Culprit Tumors Causing Osteomalacia Using Somatostatin Receptor PET/CT: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Meyer Marie , Nicod Lalonde Marie , Testart Nathalie , Jreige Mario , Kamani Christel , Boughdad Sarah , Muoio Barbara , Becce Fabio , Schaefer Niklaus , Candrian Christian , Giovanella Luca , Prior John O. , Treglia Giorgio , Riegger Martin
Published: December 2019

Background: Tumor-induced or oncogenic osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome in which osteomalacia is a consequence of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) secretion by a mesenchymal tumor. The localization of the culprit lesion in patients with TIO is often challenging. Several studies have evaluated the detection rate (DR) of these tumors using somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography (SSTR-PET/CT). We aimed to summarize literature findings on this topic providing pooled estimates of DR. Methods: A comprehensive literature search by screening PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library electronic databases through August 2019 was performed. The pooled DR of culprit tumors using SSTR-PET/CT in patients with TIO was calculated using a random-effects statistical model. Results: Fourteen studies on the use of SSTR-PET/CT in detecting the culprit tumor in patients with TIO were included in the qualitative analysis. The pooled DR of SSTR-PET/CT on a per-patient-based analysis calculated using eleven studies (166 patients) was 87.6% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 80.2–95.1%). Statistical heterogeneity among studies was detected (I-square = 63%), likely due to the use of different radiolabeled somatostatin analogues, as demonstrated by a subgroup analysis. Conclusions: Despite limited literature data due to the rarity of the disease, SSTR-PET/CT demonstrated a very high DR of culprit tumors in patients with TIO and it could be used as first-line imaging method for this indication.
Expectations Versus Reality: What Matters to Students of Economics vs. What They Receive from Universities?
Authors: Mamica Łukasz , Mazur Błażej
Published: December 2019

The phenomenon of increasing tuition fees is one of the factors which reinforce the increasingly consumerist attitudes among students towards the product (understood as a whole process of university education) they receive from universities. The aim of the study is to characterise the difference between the expectations of students and the extent to which those expectations are met by universities. This analysis also focuses on the conditions that determine this perception of what universities offer and discusses selected issues concerning the relations between universities and industry. The findings demonstrate why creativity, apart from practical knowledge, is one of the most important aspects in the process of education, where a student’s graduation work is aimed at solving specific problems in companies and institutions. In the empirical part of the paper, students’ opinions about the importance of selected aspects of the education process are compared with the level of support provided by universities. The research covered 505 students of economics from 10 different countries. Their expectations of the educational process with regard to the majority of its aspects (apart from theoretical knowledge) proved to be higher than those of their universities. The findings of this research may thus be useful in formulating optimal study plans.
TLS-VaD: A New Tool for Developing Centralized Link-Scheduling Algorithms on the IEEE802.15.4e TSCH Network
Authors: Santoso Iman Hedi , Ramli Kalamullah , M.T. Suryadi
Published: December 2019

A simulator plays an important role in network protocol research, as it enables researchers to develop protocols more flexibly. Many simulators have been developed to support research in this field, including NS-2, NS-3, OPNET, OMNeT, and Cooja. Although, as a research support tools, NS3 and Cooja have already been equipped with an Internet of things (IoT) module, their support for research on IoT centralized scheduling is still limited. Therefore, this study is aimed to develop a tool for IoT centralized scheduling research, where the IoT technology is based on the IEEE802.15.4e time synchronized channel hopping (TSCH) standard. The tool is called the TSCH Link-Scheduling visualization and data processing (TLS-VaD). The results of validity tests show that TLS-VaD works well; therefore, this tool can be used in the performance measurement of centralized scheduling algorithms on TSCH networks. As an example of the application, this research used TLS-VaD to test the performance of three scheduling algorithms: Iman Ramli Bursty Transmission Scheduling Algorithm (IRByTSA), first top scheduling algorithm (FTSA), and first leaf scheduling algorithm (FLSA). The test results using TLS-VaD shows that IRByTSA had better performance compared to FLSA and FTSA, because it saved more power and was able to generate scheduling decisions relatively quickly.
Pure Sinusoidal Output Single-Phase Current-Source Inverter with Minimized Switching Losses and Reduced Output Filter Size
Authors: Priandana Eka Rakhman , Noguchi Toshihiko
Published: December 2019

This paper proposes a novel single-phase current-source inverter that generates a pure sinusoidal waveform with minimized switching losses and using a small-size output filter capacitor. The proposed method is investigated by incorporating a conventional multilevel current-source inverter with a linear amplifier. The conventional multilevel technique uses fundamental switching frequency instead of using high-switching frequency modulation for the H-bridge circuit. The linear amplifier such as class-A or class-D types has a function to reform the staircase waveform generated by the multilevel inverter into a pure sinusoidal by using superimposition technique. As a result, pure sinusoidal output current is generated with a small ripple and the system only requires a small output filter capacitor for smoothing the waveform. Based on the simulation and experimental results, the proposed system presents not only the optimal configuration, but also an option as to whether to obtain excellent power efficiency or very low output harmonic. Implications of the results and future research directions are also presented.
Opponent-Aware Planning with Admissible Privacy Preserving for UGV Security Patrol under Contested Environment
Authors: Luo Junren , Zhang Wanpeng , Gao Wei , Liao Zhiyong , Ji Xiang , Gu Xueqiang
Published: December 2019

Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) have been widely used in security patrol. The existence of two potential opponents, the malicious teammate (cooperative) and the hostile observer (adversarial), highlights the importance of privacy-preserving planning under contested environments. In a cooperative setting, the disclosure of private information can be restricted to the malicious teammates. In adversarial setting, obfuscation can be added to control the observability of the adversarial observer. In this paper, we attempt to generate opponent-aware privacy-preserving plans, mainly focusing on two questions: what is opponent-aware privacy-preserving planning, and, how can we generate opponent-aware privacy-preserving plans? We first define the opponent-aware privacy-preserving planning problem, where the generated plans preserve admissible privacy. Then, we demonstrate how to generate opponent-aware privacy-preserving plans. The search-based planning algorithms were restricted to public information shared among the cooperators. The observation of the adversarial observer could be purposefully controlled by exploiting decoy goals and diverse paths. Finally, we model the security patrol problem, where the UGV restricts information sharing and attempts to obfuscate the goal. The simulation experiments with privacy leakage analysis and an indoor robot demonstration show the applicability of our proposed approaches.
The Low-Dimensional Three-Dimensional Tin Halide Perovskite: Film Characterization and Device Performance
Authors: Gai Cuili , Wang Jigang , Wang Yongsheng , Li Junming
Published: December 2019

Halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are considered as one of the most promising candidates for the next generation solar cells as their power conversion efficiency (PCE) has rapidly increased up to 25.2%. However, the most efficient halide perovskite materials all contain toxic lead. Replacing the lead cation with environmentally friendly tin (Sn) is proposed as an important alternative. Today, the inferior performance of Sn-based PSCs mainly due to two challenging issues, namely the facile oxidation of Sn2+ to Sn4+ and the low formation energies of Sn vacancies. Two-dimensional (2D) halide perovskite, in which the large sized organic cations confine the corner sharing BX6 octahedra, exhibits higher formation energy than that of three-dimensional (3D) structure halide perovskite. The approach of mixing a small amount of 2D into 3D Sn-based perovskites was demonstrated as an efficient method to produce high performance perovskite films. In this review, we first provide an overview of key points for making high performance PSCs. Then we give an introduction to the physical parameters of 3D ASnX3 (MA+, FA+, and Cs+) perovskite and a photovoltaic device based on them, followed by an overview of 2D/3D halide perovskites based on ASnX3 (MA+ and FA+) and their optoelectronic applications. The current challenges and a future outlook of Sn-based PSCs are discussed in the end. This review will give readers a better understanding of the 2D/3D Sn-based PSCs.