bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-Situ X-ray Tomography Observation of Structure Evolution in 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene Based Polymer Bonded Explosive (TATB-PBX) under Thermo-Mechanical Loading
Authors: Yuan Zeng-Nian , Chen Hua , Li Jing-Ming , Dai Bin , Zhang Wei-Bin
Published: May 2018

In order to study the fracture behavior and structure evolution of 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene (TATB)-based polymer bonded explosive in thermal-mechanical loading, in-situ studies were performed on X-ray computed tomography system using quasi-static Brazilian test. The experiment temperature was set from −20 °C to 70 °C. Three-dimensional morphology of cracks at different temperatures was obtained through digital image process. The various fracture modes were compared by scanning electron microscopy. Fracture degree and complexity were defined to quantitatively characterize the different types of fractures. Fractal dimension was used to characterize the roughness of the crack surface. The displacement field of particles in polymer bonded explosive (PBX) was used to analyze the interior structure evolution during the process of thermal-mechanical loading. It was found that the brittleness of PBX reduced, the fracture got more tortuous, and the crack surface got smoother as the temperature rose. At lower temperatures, especially lower than glass transition temperature of binders, there were slipping and shear among particles, and particles tended to displace and disperse; while at higher temperatures, especially above the glass transition temperature of binders, there was reorganization of particles and particles tended to merge, disperse, and reduce sizes, rather than displacing.
Electrical Conduction Mechanism and Dielectric Properties of Spherical Shaped Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Synthesized by Co-Precipitation Method
Authors: Radoń Adrian , Łukowiec Dariusz , Kremzer Marek , Mikuła Jarosław , Włodarczyk Patryk
Published: May 2018

On the basis of dielectric measurements performed in a wide temperature range (173–373 K), a comprehensive analysis of the dielectric and electrical properties of magnetite nanoparticles electrical conduction mechanism of compressed spherical shaped Fe3O4 nanoparticles was proposed. The electrical conductivity of Fe3O4 nanoparticles was related to two different mechanisms (correlated barrier hopping and non-overlapping small polaron tunneling mechanisms); the transition between them was smooth. Additionally, role of grains and grain boundaries with charge carrier mobility and with observed hopping mechanism was described in detail. It has been confirmed that conductivity dispersion (as a function of frequencies) is closely related to both the long-range mobility (conduction mechanism associated with grain boundaries) and to the short-range mobility (conduction mechanism associated with grains). Calculated electron mobility increases with temperature, which is related to the decreasing value of hopping energy for the tunneling of small polarons. The opposite scenario was observed for the value of electron hopping energy.
Advanced Material-Ordered Nanotubular Ceramic Membranes Covalently Capped with Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Al-Gharabli Samer , Hamad Eyad , Saket Munib , Abu El-Rub Ziad , Arafat Hassan , Kujawski Wojciech , Kujawa Joanna
Published: May 2018

Advanced ceramic materials with a well-defined nano-architecture of their surfaces were formed by applying a two-step procedure. Firstly, a primary amine was docked on the ordered nanotubular ceramic surface via a silanization process. Subsequently, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were covalently grafted onto the surface via an amide building block. Physicochemical (e.g., hydrophobicity, and surface free energy (SFE)), mechanical, and tribological properties of the developed membranes were improved significantly. The design, preparation, and extended characterization of the developed membranes are presented. Tools such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), single-area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis, microscopy, tribology, nano-indentation, and Raman spectroscopy, among other techniques, were utilized in the characterization of the developed membranes. As an effect of hydrophobization, the contact angles (CAs) changed from 38° to 110° and from 51° to 95° for the silanization of ceramic membranes 20 (CM20) and CM100, respectively. SWCNT functionalization reduced the CAs to 72° and 66° for ceramic membranes carbon nanotubes 20 (CM-CNT-20) and CM-CNT-100, respectively. The mechanical properties of the developed membranes improved significantly. From the nanotribological study, Young’s modulus increased from 3 to 39 GPa for CM-CNT-20 and from 43 to 48 GPa for pristine CM-CNT-100. Furthermore, the nanohardness increased by about 80% after the attachment of CNTs for both types of ceramics. The proposed protocol within this work for the development of functionalized ceramic membranes is both simple and efficient.
Determination of the μ-Conotoxin PIIIA Specificity Against Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels from Binding Energy Calculations
Authors: Chen Fangling , Huang Wenxin , Jiang Tao , Yu Rilei
Published: May 2018

Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels generate and propagate action potentials in excitable cells, and several NaV subtypes have become important targets for pain management. The μ-conotoxins inhibit subtypes of the NaV with varied specificity but often lack of specificity to interested subtypes. Engineering the selectivity of the μ-conotoxins presents considerable complexity and challenge, as it involves the optimization of their binding affinities to multiple highly conserved NaV subtypes. In this study, a model of NaV1.4 bound with μ-conotoxin PIIIA complex was constructed using homology modeling, docking, molecular dynamic simulations and binding energy calculations. The accuracy of this model was confirmed based on the experimental mutagenesis data. The complex models of PIIIA bound with varied subtypes of NaV1.x (x = 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9) were built using NaV1.4/PIIIA complex as a template, and refined using molecular dynamic simulations. The binding affinities of PIIIA to varied subtypes of NaV1.x (x = 1 to 9) were calculated using the Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born/Surface Area (MMGB/SA) and umbrella sampling, and were compared with the experimental values. The binding affinities calculated using MMGB/SA and umbrella sampling are correlated with the experimental values, with the former and the latter giving correlation coefficient of 0.41 (R2) and 0.68 (R2), respectively. Binding energy decomposition suggests that conserved and nonconserved residues among varied NaV subtypes have a synergistic effect on the selectivity of PIIIA.
Phytochemistry, Antioxidant, and Hepatoprotective Potential of Acanthospermum hispidum DC Extracts against Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats
Authors: N’DO Jotham Yhi-pênê , HILOU Adama , OUEDRAOGO Noufou , SOMBIE Ernest Nogma , TRAORE Tata Kadiatou
Published: May 2018

Background: Burkina Faso is classified among the countries with a high prevalence (˃12%) of hepatitis. Hepatic diseases, such as cirrhosis—related to alcoholism—and hepatitis B and C, are the cause of the increase in cases of liver cancer. They promote the development of cancer by decreasing the natural cell death, causing problems with DNA repair, or by increasing the production of free radical toxins to the cell. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were nearly 639,000 deaths from liver cancer worldwide in 2014, hence the need to search for natural hepatoprotective molecules. Objective: To evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of Acanthospermum hispidum extracts on rats and the antioxidant capacity of extracts in vitro and in vivo, and to perform phytochemistry. Methods: The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the whole Acanthospermum hispidum plant were used to evaluate hepatoprotection. The hepatotoxin used in our case was diethylenitrosamine. The animals were divided into groups of six. The sera of the treated animals were used for the determination of transaminases, and the liver homogenates were used for the determination of antioxidant. The total phenol and flavonoid contents, and the antioxidant properties of the extracts, were evaluated in vitro. Results: The results of the in vitro antioxidant tests showed good antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract, using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test (0.08 ± 0.0018 μg/mL) and 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzolin-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) (246.05 ± 1.55 mmol TE/g). The in vivo tests showed, through the evaluation of the antioxidant in vivo and the biochemical parameters, that the ethanolic extract with the highest phenolic content had a good hepatoprotective capacity. Conclusions: The antioxidant activity of Acanthopermum hispidum extracts would justify the observed hepatoprotective activity. These results confirmed that the plant is used in the treatment of liver diseases in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso.
Assessment of Different Metal Screw Joint Parameters by Using Multiple Criteria Analysis Methods
Authors: Čereška Audrius , Podviezko Askoldas , Zavadskas Edmundas Kazimieras
Published: May 2018

This study compares screw joints made of different materials, including screws of different diameters. For that purpose, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 mm diameter steel screws and various parts made of aluminum (Al), steel (Stl), bronze (Brz), cast iron (CI), copper (Cu) and brass (Br) are considered. Multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) methods such as evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS), simple additive weighting (SAW), technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and complex proportional assessment (COPRAS) are utilized to assess reliability of screw joints also considering cost issues. The entropy, criterion impact loss (CILOS) and integrated determination of objective criteria weights (IDOCRIW) methods are utilized to assess weights of decision criteria and find the best design alternative. Numerical results confirm the validity of the proposed approach.
Titanium Alloys 2017
Authors: Whittaker Mark T.
Published: May 2018

n/a
Modelling on Inclusion Motion and Entrapment during the Full Solidification in Curved Billet Caster
Authors: Yin Yanbin , Zhang Jiongming , Dong Qipeng , Li Yuanyuan
Published: May 2018

Inclusions entrapped by the solidifying front during continuous casting would deteriorate the properties of the final steel products. In order to investigate the inclusion motion and the entrapment during the full solidification in curved billet caster, the present work has developed a three-dimensional numerical model coupling the flow, solidification, and inclusion motion. The predicted result indicates that the inclusion distribution inside the liquid pool of the mold is not perfectly symmetrical. Furthermore, the motion and the entrapment of micro inclusions in the mold are mainly affected by the molten steel flow pattern, however, those of macro inclusions depend both on the molten steel flow pattern and the buoyancy force of the inclusions. In the curved part of the strand, macro inclusions shift to the solidifying front of the inner radius as time goes on, while the solidifying front of the outer radius cannot entrap inclusions. The distributions of inclusions smaller than 5 μm in the solidified strand are even. However, for inclusions that are larger than 5 μm, their distributions become uneven. To validate the model, measurement of the strand surface temperature and the detection of inclusions in samples obtained from a plant have been performed. Good agreement is found between the predicted and experimental results.
Hybrid Binder to Mitigate Feed Powder Segregation in the Inkjet 3D Printing of Titanium Metal Parts
Authors: Maleksaeedi Saeed , Meenashisundaram Ganesh Kumar , Lu Shenglu , Salehi Mojtaba , Jun Wei
Published: May 2018

Using feedstock containing discrete dual or multi powders leads to segregation in the powder bed of additive manufacturing processes. In the present study, a new impregnated hybrid binder with properties closer to those of the base powder is developed to mitigate powder segregation in the inkjet 3D printing of titanium components.
A Non-Resonant Kinetic Energy Harvester for Bioimplantable Applications
Authors: Beyaz Mustafa İ. , Baelhadj Hacene C. , Habibiabad Sahar , Adhikari Shyam S. , Davoodi Hossein , Badilita Vlad
Published: May 2018

A linear non-resonant kinetic energy harvester for implantable devices is presented. The design contains a metal platform with permanent magnets, two stators with three-dimensional helical coils for increased power generation, ball bearings, and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) package for biocompatibility. Mechanical excitation of this device within the body due to daily activities leads to a relative motion between the platform and stators, resulting in electromagnetic induction. Initial prototypes without packaging have been fabricated and characterized on a linear shaker. Dynamic tests showed that the friction force acting on the platform is on the order of 0.6 mN. The resistance and the inductance of the coils were measured to be 2.2 Ω and 0.4 µH, respectively. A peak open circuit voltage of 1.05 mV was generated per stator at a platform speed of 5.8 cm/s. Further development of this device offers potential for recharging the batteries of implantable biomedical devices within the body.
Genomic Comparison of the P-ATPase Gene Family in Four Cotton Species and Their Expression Patterns in Gossypium hirsutum
Authors: Chen Wen , Si Guo-Yang , Zhao Gang , Abdullah Muhammad , Guo Ning , Li Da-Hui , Sun Xu , Cai Yong-Ping , Lin Yi , Gao Jun-Shan
Published: May 2018

Plant P-type H+-ATPase (P-ATPase) is a membrane protein existing in the plasma membrane that plays an important role in the transmembrane transport of plant cells. To understand the variety and quantity of P-ATPase proteins in different cotton species, we combined four databases from two diploid cotton species (Gossypium raimondii and G. arboreum) and two tetraploid cotton species (G. hirsutum and G. barbadense) to screen the P-ATPase gene family and resolved the evolutionary relationships between the former cotton species. We identified 53, 51, 99 and 98 P-ATPase genes from G. arboretum, G. raimondii, G. barbadense and G. hirsutum, respectively. The structural and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the gene structure was consistent between P-ATPase genes, with a close evolutionary relationship. The expression analysis of P-ATPase genes showed that many P-ATPase genes were highly expressed in various tissues and at different fiber developmental stages in G. hirsutum, suggesting that they have potential functions during growth and fiber development in cotton.
Synthesis of New Glycosylated Flavonoids with Inhibitory Activity on Cell Growth
Authors: Neves Ana R. , Correia-da-Silva Marta , Silva Patrícia M. A. , Ribeiro Diana , Sousa Emília , Bousbaa Hassan , Pinto Madalena
Published: May 2018

Natural flavonoids and xanthone glycosides display several biological activities, with the glycoside moiety playing an important role in the mechanism of action of these metabolites. Herein, to give further insights into the inhibitory activity on cell growth of these classes of compounds, the synthesis of four flavonoids (5, 6, 9, and 10) and one xanthone (7) containing one or more acetoglycoside moieties was carried out. Acetyl groups were introduced using acetic anhydride and microwave irradiation. The introduction of one or two acetoglycoside moieties in the framework of 3,7-dihydroxyflavone (4) was performed using two synthetic methods: the Michael reaction and the Koenigs-Knorr reaction. The in vitro cell growth inhibitory activity of compounds 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 was investigated in six human tumor cell lines: A375-C5 (malignant melanoma IL-1 insensitive), MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer), U251 (glioblastoma astrocytoma), U373 (glioblastoma astrocytoma), and U87MG (glioblastoma astrocytoma). The new flavonoid 3-hydroxy-7-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-glucopyranosyl) flavone (10) was the most potent compound in all tumor cell lines tested, with GI50 values < 8 μM and a notable degree of selectivity for cancer cells.
Kaempferol Induces G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest via Checkpoint Kinase 2 and Promotes Apoptosis via Death Receptors in Human Ovarian Carcinoma A2780/CP70 Cells
Authors: Gao Ying , Yin Junfeng , Rankin Gary O. , Chen Yi Charlie
Published: May 2018

Kaempferol is a widely distributed dietary flavonoid. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated kaempferol consumption lowers the risk of ovarian cancer. Our previous research proved that kaempferol suppresses human ovarian cancer cells by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. However, the effects of kaempferol on the cell cycle and extrinsic apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells have not yet been studied. In the present study, we demonstrated that kaempferol induced G2/M cell cycle arrest via the Chk2/Cdc25C/Cdc2 pathway and Chk2/p21/Cdc2 pathway in human ovarian cancer A2780/CP70 cells. Chk2 was not responsible for kaempferol-induced apoptosis and up-regulation of p53. Kaempferol stimulated extrinsic apoptosis via death receptors/FADD/Caspase-8 pathway. Our study suggested that Chk2 and death receptors played important roles in the anticancer activity of kaempferol in A2780/CP70 cells. These findings provide more evidence of the anti-ovarian cancer properties of kaempferol and suggest that kaempferol could be a potential candidate for ovarian cancer adjuvant therapy.
Novel Natural Products for Healthy Ageing from the Mediterranean Diet and Food Plants of Other Global Sources—The MediHealth Project
Authors: Waltenberger Birgit , Halabalaki Maria , Schwaiger Stefan , Adamopoulos Nicolas , Allouche Noureddine , Fiebich Bernd L. , Hermans Nina , Jansen-Dürr Pidder , Kesternich Victor , Pieters Luc , Schönbichler Stefan , Skaltsounis Alexios-Leandros , Tran Hung , Trougakos Ioannis P. , Viljoen Alvaro , Wolfender Jean-Luc , Wolfrum Christian , Xynos Nikos , Stuppner Hermann
Published: May 2018

There is a rapid increase in the percentage of elderly people in Europe. Consequently, the prevalence of age-related diseases will also significantly increase. Therefore, the main goal of MediHealth, an international research project, is to introduce a novel approach for the discovery of active agents of food plants from the Mediterranean diet and other global sources that promote healthy ageing. To achieve this goal, a series of plants from the Mediterranean diet and food plants from other origins are carefully selected and subjected to in silico, cell-based, in vivo (fly and mouse models), and metabolism analyses. Advanced analytical techniques complement the bio-evaluation process for the efficient isolation and identification of the bioactive plant constituents. Furthermore, pharmacological profiling of bioactive natural products, as well as the identification and synthesis of their metabolites, is carried out. Finally, optimization studies are performed in order to proceed to the development of innovative nutraceuticals, dietary supplements or herbal medicinal products. The project is based on an exchange of researchers between nine universities and four companies from European and non-European countries, exploiting the existing complementary multidisciplinary expertise. Herein, the unique and novel approach of this interdisciplinary project is presented.
Extending Methods in Dietary Patterns Research
Authors: Reedy Jill , Subar Amy F. , George Stephanie M. , Krebs-Smith Susan M.
Published: May 2018

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Disease Prevention held a workshop titled, “Extending Methods in Dietary Patterns Research”, in May of 2016. The workshop’s goal was to articulate, refine, and prioritize methodological questions to advance the science of dietary patterns in epidemiological research. Although the focus was on how to improve methods for assessing the relationship between dietary patterns and cancer risk, many, if not all, of the discussions and conclusions are relevant for other health outcomes as well. Recognizing that dietary intake is both multidimensional (i.e., it is a complex, multi-layered exposure and behavior) and dynamic (i.e., it varies over time and the life course), workshop presenters and participants discussed methodological advances required to include these concepts in dietary patterns research. This commentary highlights key needs that were identified to extend methods in dietary patterns research by integrating multidimensionality and dynamism into how dietary patterns are measured and defined, and how relationships with dietary patterns and health outcomes are modeled.
Dietary Zinc Intake and Its Association with Metabolic Syndrome Indicators among Chinese Adults: An Analysis of the China Nutritional Transition Cohort Survey 2015
Authors: Wang Yun , Jia Xiao-Fang , Zhang Bing , Wang Zhi-Hong , Zhang Ji-Guo , Huang Fei-Fei , Su Chang , Ouyang Yi-Fei , Zhao Jian , Du Wen-Wen , Li Li , Jiang Hong-Ru , Zhang Ji , Wang Hui-Jun
Published: May 2018

The dietary zinc consumed in Chinese households has decreased over the past decade. However, the national dietary zinc intake in the last five years has seldom been investigated. Using data from 12,028 participants 18 to 64 years old (52.9% male) in the China Nutritional Transition Cohort Survey (CNTCS) 2015, we describe the intake of dietary zinc and the contributions of major foods and we examine the relationship between the level of dietary zinc intake and metabolic syndrome indicators, including blood pressure, fasting glucose, and triglycerides (TG), in Chinese adults. We assessed dietary zinc intake using 24 h recalls on three consecutive days. The mean daily dietary zinc intake for all participants was 10.2 milligrams per day (males 11.2 mg/day, females 9.4 mg/day, p < 0.001). The mean daily dietary zinc density for all participants was 5.2 mg/day per 1000 kilocalories. Among all participants, 31.0% were at risk of zinc deficiency, with dietary zinc intakes of less than the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) (males 49.2%, females 14.8%, p < 0.050), and 49.9% had adequate dietary zinc intakes, equal to or greater than the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) (males 30.7%, females 67.0%, p < 0.050). We found substantial gender differences in dietary zinc intake and zinc deficiency, with nearly half of the men at risk of zinc deficiency. Males of younger age, with higher education and incomes, and who consumed higher levels of meat, had higher zinc intakes, higher zinc intake densities, and higher rates of meeting the EAR. Among all participants, grains, livestock meat, fresh vegetables, legumes, and seafood were the top five food sources of zinc, and their contributions to total dietary zinc intake were 39.5%, 17.3%, 8.9%, 6.4%, and 4.8%, respectively. The groups with relatively better dietary zinc intakes consumed lower proportions of grains and higher proportions of livestock meat. For males with adequate dietary zinc intake (≥RNI), TG levels increased by 0.219 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) compared with males with deficient dietary zinc intake (<EAR). For females in the ≥RNI group, diastolic blood pressure decreased by 0.963 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and fasting glucose decreased by 0.187 mmol/L compared with females in the <EAR group; in addition, TG increased by 0.097 mmol/L in females in the ≥RNI group and by 0.120 mmol/L in females in the equal to or greater than the EAR and less than the RNI (EAR-RNI) group compared with females in the <EAR group. Adequate dietary zinc was associated with reduced diastolic blood pressure and fasting glucose levels in female Chinese adults, but with raised TG levels in all Chinese adults. We recommend strengthened nutrition interventions for Chinese males and lower socioeconomic subgroups.
Comparing the Folds of Prions and Other Pathogenic Amyloids
Authors: Flores-Fernández José , Rathod Vineet , Wille Holger
Published: May 2018

Pathogenic amyloids are the main feature of several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. High resolution structures of tau paired helical filaments (PHFs), amyloid-β(1-42) (Aβ(1-42)) fibrils, and α-synuclein fibrils were recently reported using cryo-electron microscopy. A high-resolution structure for the infectious prion protein, PrPSc, is not yet available due to its insolubility and its propensity to aggregate, but cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray fiber diffraction, and other approaches have defined the overall architecture of PrPSc as a 4-rung β-solenoid. Thus, the structure of PrPSc must have a high similarity to that of the fungal prion HET-s, which is part of the fungal heterokaryon incompatibility system and contains a 2-rung β-solenoid. This review compares the structures of tau PHFs, Aβ(1-42), and α-synuclein fibrils, where the β-strands of each molecule stack on top of each other in a parallel in-register arrangement, with the β-solenoid folds of HET-s and PrPSc.
Barrier Properties of Poly(Propylene Cyclohexanedicarboxylate) Random Eco-Friendly Copolyesters
Authors: Siracusa Valentina , Genovese Laura , Ingrao Carlo , Munari Andrea , Lotti Nadia
Published: May 2018

Random copolymers of poly(propylene 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate) containing different amounts of neopentyl glycol sub-unit were investigated from the gas barrier point of view at the standard temperature of analysis (23 °C) with respect to the three main gases used in food packaging field: N2, O2, and CO2. The effect of temperature was also evaluated, considering two temperatures close to the Tg sample (8 and 15 °C) and two above Tg (30 and 38 °C). Barrier performances were checked after food contact simulants and in different relative humidity (RH) environments obtained with two saturated saline solutions (Standard Atmosphere, 23 °C, 85% of RH, with saturated KCl solution; Tropical Climate, 38 °C, 90% RH, with saturated KNO3 solution). The results obtained were compared to those of untreated film, which was used as a reference. The relationships between the gas transmission rate, the diffusion coefficients, the solubility, and the copolymer composition were established. The results highlighted a correlation between barrier performance and copolymer composition and the applied treatment. In particular, copolymerization did not cause a worsening of the barrier properties, whereas the different treatments differently influenced the gas barrier behavior, depending on the chemical polymer structure. After treatment, Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed the chemical stability of these copolymers. Films were transparent, with a light yellowish color, slightly more intense after all treatments.
Grafting Polytetrafluoroethylene Micropowder via in Situ Electron Beam Irradiation-Induced Polymerization
Authors: Wang Hui , Wen Yingfeng , Peng Haiyan , Zheng Chengfu , Li Yuesheng , Wang Sheng , Sun Shaofa , Xie Xiaolin , Zhou Xingping
Published: May 2018

Decreasing the surface energy of polyacrylate-based materials is important especially in embossed holography, but current solutions typically involve high-cost synthesis or encounter compatibility problems. Herein, we utilize the grafting of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micropowder with poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The grafting reaction is implemented via in situ electron beam irradiation-induced polymerization in the presence of fluorinated surfactants, generating PMMA grafted PTFE micropowder (PMMA–g–PTFE). The optimal degree of grafting (DG) is 17.8%. With the incorporation of PMMA–g–PTFE, the interfacial interaction between polyacrylate and PTFE is greatly improved, giving rise to uniform polyacrylate/PMMA–g–PTFE composites with a low surface energy. For instance, the loading content of PMMA–g–PTFE in polyacrylate is up to 16 wt %, leading to an increase of more than 20 degrees in the water contact angle compared to the pristine sample. This research paves a way to generate new polyacrylate-based films for embossed holography.
Nanofiller Reinforced Biodegradable PLA/PHA Composites: Current Status and Future Trends
Authors: Sun Jingyao , Shen Jingjing , Chen Shoukai , Cooper Merideth A. , Fu Hongbo , Wu Daming , Yang Zhaogang
Published: May 2018

The increasing demand for environmental protection has led to the rapid development of greener and biodegradable polymers, whose creation provided new challenges and opportunities for the advancement of nanomaterial science. Biodegradable polymer materials and even nanofillers (e.g., natural fibers) are important because of their application in greener industries. Polymers that can be degraded naturally play an important role in solving public hazards of polymer materials and maintaining ecological balance. The inherent shortcomings of some biodegradable polymers such as weak mechanical properties, narrow processing windows, and low electrical and thermal properties can be overcome by composites reinforced with various nanofillers. These biodegradable polymer composites have wide-ranging applications in different areas based on their large surface area and greater aspect ratio. Moreover, the polymer composites that exploit the synergistic effect between the nanofiller and the biodegradable polymer matrix can lead to enhanced properties while still meeting the environmental requirement. In this paper, a broad review on recent advances in the research and development of nanofiller reinforced biodegradable polymer composites that are used in various applications, including electronics, packing materials, and biomedical uses, is presented. We further present information about different kinds of nanofillers, biodegradable polymer matrixes, and their composites with specific concern to our daily applications.
Controlled Preparation of Thermally Stable Fe-Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Composite by Magnetic Induction Heating
Authors: Al-Harbi Laila M. , Darwish Mohamed S. A. , Khowdiary Manal M. , Stibor Ivan
Published: May 2018

The most challenging task in the preparation of poly(dimethylsiloxane) composites is to control the curing time as well as to enhance their thermal and swelling behavior. Curing rate can be modified and controlled by a range of iron powder contents to achieve a desired working time, where iron is used as self-heating particles. Iron under alternative current magnetic field (ACMF) is able to generate thermal energy, providing a benefit in accelerating the curing of composites. Three types of iron-Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (Fe-PDMS) composites were prepared under ACMF with iron content 5, 10, and 15 wt %. The curing process was investigated by FTIR, while the morphology and the thermal stability were examined by SEM, DMA, and TGA. The heating’s profile was studied as functions of iron content and induction time. It was found that the time required to complete curing was reduced and the curing temperature was controlled by varying the iron content and induction time. In addition, the thermal stability and the swelling behavior of the prepared composites were enhanced in comparison with the conventional PDMS and thus offer a promising route to obtain thermally stable composites.
Membrane Fouling Characteristics of a Side-Stream Tubular Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR) Treating Domestic Wastewater
Authors: Martin Vincent Nsanzumukiza , Tong Juan , Yu Dawei , Zhang Junya , Wei Yuansong
Published: May 2018

A lab-scale of a side stream anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) equipped with a tubular membrane operated at the mesophilic temperature of 37.0 ± 1.2 °C for treating domestic wastewater was tested to investigate its performance and fouling characteristics at two organic loading rates (OLR) of 0.25 kg COD m−3d−1, and 0.70 kg COD m−3d−1, respectively. The AnMBR was operated for 600 days at sludge retention time (SRT) of 100 days. This AnMBR exhibits excellent chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 91% at 0.25 kg COD m−3d−1, and 94% at 0.7 kg COD m−3d−1 respectively, with effluent-soluble COD below 50 mg/L. Chemically-enhanced cleaning method using NaOH, NaOCl, and citric acid solution were introduced for fouling investigation at these two stages. The results showed that sequential chemical cleaning of alkaline and acid were most effective to recover the membrane flux. The alkaline cleaning was effective at removing organic foulants, while citric acid cleaning was effective at removing the scalants. The analyses of the excitation emission matrix, gel permeation chromatography, and extracellular polymeric substances indicated that major components of membrane foulants were proteins, carbohydrates, humic, and fulvic acids. At 0.25 kg COD m−3d−1, organic fouling was more prone to be trapped in the cake layers and responsible for membrane pore blockage, inorganic fouling exhibited marginal contribution to the membrane fouling behavior. However, at 0.70 kg COD m−3d−1, high concentrations of organic and inorganic foulants supported an essential role of organic and inorganic fouling on membrane fouling behavior.
Key Parameters of Gob-Side Entry Retaining in A Gassy and Thin Coal Seam with Hard Roof
Authors: Yan Shuai , Liu Tianxiao , Bai Jianbiao , Wu Wenda
Published: May 2018

Gob-side entry retaining (GER) employed in a thin coal seam (TCS) can increase economic benefits and coal recovery, as well as mitigate gas concentration in the gob. In accordance with the caving style of a limestone roof, the gas concentration and air pressure in the gob were analyzed, and a roof-cutting mechanical model of GER with a roadside backfill body (RBB) was proposed, to determine the key parameters of the GER-TCS, including the roof-cutting resistance and the width of the RBB. The results show that if the immediate roof height is greater than the seam height, the roof-cutting resistance and width of the RBB should meet the requirement of the immediate roof being totally cut along the gob, for which the optimal roof-cutting resistance and width of RBB were determined by analytical and numerical methods. The greater the RBB width, the greater its roof-cutting resistance. The relationship between the supporting strength of the RBB and the width of the RBB can be derived as a composite curve. The floor heave of GER increases with increasing RBB width. When the width of the RBB increased from 0.8 m to 1.2 m, the floor heave increased two-fold to 146.2 mm. GER was applied in a TCS with a limestone roof of 5 m thickness; the field-measured data verified the conclusions of the numerical model.
Critique with Limits—The Construction of American Religion in BioShock: Infinite
Authors: Wysocki Jan
Published: May 2018

Released in 2013, BioShock: Infinite is a blockbuster first-person shooter which explores topics of American nationalism and religion. This article examines how religion is represented within the game and how motifs from American religious history are used to construct its game world. After an overview of the game’s production process and a literature review, several specific religious and historical motifs are discussed. Through a dissection of the aesthetic and narrative dimensions of the game, the article analyzes elements of religious history from which the developers of Infinite drew their inspiration, such as the biblical motif of Exodus or the still-popular concept of millennialism. The analysis shows how the game uses familiar but simultaneously transformed American imagery, such as a religiously legitimated American Exceptionalism in which George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin are worshiped as saintly figures. Infinite plays with popular notions of evangelical religion, mixed with themes related to so-called dangerous cults and sects. In this construction, Infinite strangely vacillates between a biting liberal caricature of religiously fueled nationalism and a nod to widespread moderate mainstream values in which unusual religious movements are negatively portrayed. The article argues that a critique of a mainstream religious movement such as evangelical Christianity is not possible for a multi-billion-dollar industry which is wary of critical topics that may potentially estrange its broad consumer base. In such instances, critique can only be applied to forms of religion that are already viewed as strange by the popular discourse.
Real-Option Valuation in a Finite-Time, Incomplete Market with Jump Diffusion and Investor-Utility Inflation
Authors: Hillman Timothy , Zhang Nan , Jin Zhuo
Published: May 2018

We extend an existing numerical model (Grasselli (2011)) for valuing a real option to invest in a capital project in an incomplete market with a finite time horizon. In doing so, we include two separate effects: the possibility that the project value is partly describable according to a jump-diffusion process, and incorporation of a time-dependent investor utility function, taking into account the effect of inflation. We adopt a discrete approximation to the jump process, whose parameters are restricted in order to preserve the drift and the volatility of the project-value process that it modifies. By controlling for these low-order effects, the higher-order effects may be considered in isolation. Our simulated results demonstrate that the inclusion of the jump process tends to decrease the value of the option, and expand the circumstances under which it should be exercised. Our results also demonstrate that an appropriate selection of the time-dependent investor utility function yields more reasonable investor-behaviour predictions regarding the decision to exercise the option, than would occur otherwise.
Sewer Inlet Localization in UAV Image Clouds: Improving Performance with Multiview Detection
Authors: Moy de Vitry Matthew , Schindler Konrad , Rieckermann Jörg , Leitão João
Published: May 2018

Sewer and drainage infrastructure are often not as well catalogued as they should be, considering the immense investment they represent. In this work, we present a fully automatic framework for localizing sewer inlets from image clouds captured from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The framework exploits the high image overlap of UAV imaging surveys with a multiview approach to improve detection performance. The framework uses a Viola–Jones classifier trained to detect sewer inlets in aerial images with a ground sampling distance of 3–3.5 cm/pixel. The detections are then projected into three-dimensional space where they are clustered and reclassified to discard false positives. The method is evaluated by cross-validating results from an image cloud of 252 UAV images captured over a 0.57-km2 study area with 228 sewer inlets. Compared to an equivalent single-view detector, the multiview approach improves both recall and precision, increasing average precision from 0.65 to 0.73. The source code and case study data are publicly available for reuse.
Low-Rank and Sparse Matrix Decomposition with Cluster Weighting for Hyperspectral Anomaly Detection
Authors: Zhu Lingxiao , Wen Gongjian , Qiu Shaohua
Published: May 2018

Hyperspectral anomaly detection plays an important role in the field of remote sensing. It provides a way to distinguish interested targets from the background without any prior knowledge. The majority of pixels in the hyperspectral dataset belong to the background, and they can be well represented by several endmembers, so the background has a low-rank property. Anomalous targets usually account for a tiny part of the dataset, and they are considered to have a sparse property. Recently, the low-rank and sparse matrix decomposition (LRaSMD) technique has drawn great attention as a method for solving anomaly detection problems. In this letter, a new anomaly detection method based on LRaSMD and cluster weighting is proposed. We concentrate on the sparse part, which contains most of anomaly information, and calculate the initial anomaly matrix based on this part. To suppress background regions and discriminate anomalies from the background more distinctly, a weighting strategy in terms of the clustering result is used, and then the anomaly matrix is updated. The judgement of anomalies is made according to the responses on the matrix. Our proposed method considers the characteristics of anomalies from the spectral dimension and the spatial distribution simultaneously. Experiments on three hyperspectral datasets demonstrate the outstanding performance of the proposed method.
Online Hashing for Scalable Remote Sensing Image Retrieval
Authors: Li Peng , Zhang Xiaoyu , Zhu Xiaobin , Ren Peng
Published: May 2018

Recently, hashing-based large-scale remote sensing (RS) image retrieval has attracted much attention. Many new hashing algorithms have been developed and successfully applied to fast RS image retrieval tasks. However, there exists an important problem rarely addressed in the research literature of RS image hashing. The RS images are practically produced in a streaming manner in many real-world applications, which means the data distribution keeps changing over time. Most existing RS image hashing methods are batch-based models whose hash functions are learned once for all and kept fixed all the time. Therefore, the pre-trained hash functions might not fit the ever-growing new RS images. Moreover, the batch-based models have to load all the training images into memory for model learning, which consumes many computing and memory resources. To address the above deficiencies, we propose a new online hashing method, which learns and adapts its hashing functions with respect to the newly incoming RS images in terms of a novel online partial random learning scheme. Our hash model is updated in a sequential mode such that the representative power of the learned binary codes for RS images are improved accordingly. Moreover, benefiting from the online learning strategy, our proposed hashing approach is quite suitable for scalable real-world remote sensing image retrieval. Extensive experiments on two large-scale RS image databases under online setting demonstrated the efficacy and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Remote Sensing Big Data: Theory, Methods and Applications
Authors: Liu Peng , Di Liping , Du Qian , Wang Lizhe
Published: May 2018

Nowadays, our ability to acquire remote sensing data has been improved to an unprecedented level.[...]
Identifying Flood Events over the Poyang Lake Basin Using Multiple Satellite Remote Sensing Observations, Hydrological Models and In Situ Data
Authors: Zhou Hao , Luo Zhicai , Tangdamrongsub Natthachet , Zhou Zebing , He Lijie , Xu Chuang , Li Qiong , Wu Yunlong
Published: May 2018

The Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, is famous for its ecological and economic importance as well as frequent flood characteristics. In this study, multiple satellite remote sensing observations (e.g., GRACE, MODIS, Altimetry, and TRMM), hydrological models, and in situ data are used to characterize the flood phenomena over the Poyang Lake basin between 2003 and 2016. To improve the accuracy of the terrestrial water storage (TWS) estimates over the Poyang Lake basin, a modified forward-modeling method is introduced in the GRACE processing. The method is evaluated using the contaminated noise onboard observations for the first time. The results in both spectral and spatial domains infer a good performance of the method on the suppression of high-frequency noise while reducing the signal loss. After applying forward-modeling method, the TWS derived from the GRACE spherical harmonic coefficients presents a comparable performance with the solution derived from the newly released CSR Release05 mascon product over the Poyang Lake basin. The flood events in 2010 and 2016 are identified from the positive anomalies in non-seasonal TWSs derived by GRACE and hydrological models. The flood signatures also coincide with the largest inundated areas estimated from MODIS data, and the observed areas in 2010 and 2016 are 3370.3 km2 (30% higher than the long-term mean) and 3445.0 km2 (33% higher), respectively. The water levels in the Hukou station exceed the warning water level for 25 days in 2010 and 28 days in 2016. These continuous warning-exceeded water levels also imply the severe flood events, which are primarily driven by the local plenteous precipitation in the rainy season (1528 mm in 2010, 1522 mm in 2016).
3D Geostrophy and Volume Transport in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Vigo María Isabel , García-García David , Sempere María Dolores , Chao Ben F.
Published: May 2018

The 3D geostrophic currents and the associated volume transport (VT) can be estimated from the GOCE and Altimetry satellite data and in-situ temperature and salinity profiles measured by the Argo floats. We do so for the Southern Ocean between 20°S and 65°S with their time variability down to the depth of 1975 m (in 58 layers) over the 11-year period of 2004–2014. The results depict the Southern Ocean circulation where a zonal Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) interacts with a meridional thermohaline circulation. The VT reproduces the polar front and the subantarctic front of the ACC, as well as the large scale and mesoscale currents in the Southern Ocean. Our estimates for the Agulhas current and the East Australia currents are also quantitatively comparable with results from other approaches in the literature based on in-situ data. For ACC, the estimated VT at the Drake Passage is 185 Sv for the norm of the time average VT, or 202 Sv for the mean of the norms of the monthly VT, which are larger than previous estimations (ranging from 134 to 175 Sv). The estimate is potentially reconciled when only the zonal transport is considered (181 Sv). The Drake Passage total VT appears to be quite stable during the studied period, unlike its (dominant) zonal and meridional components which show higher variability that mostly compensate each other. The spatially averaged ACC VT shows per 1° width in the main stream a mean value of 29.6 Sv or 35.8 Sv (depending on the method used), an annual signal with an amplitude of 0.33 ± 0.06 Sv that peaks in early April, with no significant semi-annual signals nor linear trend. Water transports of barotropic and baroclinic origin have been isolated in the VT series showing that 75% of transport is barotropic and the remaining 25% baroclinic, while the variability and annual signal in the ACC is fully barotropic.
Microphytobenthos Biomass and Diversity Mapping at Different Spatial Scales with a Hyperspectral Optical Model
Authors: Launeau Patrick , Méléder Vona , Verpoorter Charles , Barillé Laurent , Kazemipour-Ricci Farzaneh , Giraud Manuel , Jesus Bruno , Le Menn Erwan
Published: May 2018

This work is an extension of the MicroPhytoBenthos Optical Model (MPBOM) workflow. The model was based on the observation that the biofilm itself has a negligible inherent reflectance and can be described solely by the ratio between its apparent reflectance (RA) and background reflectance (RB), allowing a straightforward calculation of the absorption coefficient (α). This coefficient is directly related to pigment concentrations estimated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). To run the model, assess and extend the use of α, the background contribution is a critical step. This work shows that: (i) indices based on reflectance and absorption coefficient spectra derived from the optical model correctly identified the main microphytobenthos (MPB) groups covering a pixel; (ii) contrary to the RA index each new α index was insensitive to biomass variations; (iii) for each MPB group there was a significant linear relation between the biomass estimated by HPLC and α peak at 673 nm; (iv) indices based on α spectra were almost insensitive to mixing constraints at a subpixel level. Knowing the background reflectance contribution of MPB biofilms, α can therefore be used to map MPB algal composition and biomass at any scale from MPB synthetized in laboratory to intertidal mudflat airborne observations.