bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular dynamic simulation of CO2 absorption into mixed aqueous solutions MDEA/PZ
Authors: Harun Noorlisa , Masiren Emyra Ezzaty
Published: September 2017

The mixture of amine absorption process is an approach for mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gas that produces from power plant. Several experimental and simulation studies have been undertaken to understand this process but the mechanism of CO2 absorption into the aqueous blended amines such as MDEA/PZ is not well understood and available knowledge within the open literature is limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the intermolecular interaction of the blended MDEA/PZ using Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation. MD simulation was run under condition 313 K and 1 atm. The thermodynamic ensemble used were 200 ps for NVE and 1 ns for NVT. The periodic boundary is used to visualize the interaction of molecules of the whole system. The simulation method also involved calculation of force field and time integration algorithm.The results were interpreted in terms of Radial Distribution Function (RDF) analysis. It was observed that the hydroxyl group (–OH) of MDEA is more attracted to water molecule compared to amino group (–NH) of MDEA. The intermolecular interaction probability of –OH and –NH group of MDEA with CO2 in blended MDEA/PZ is higher than using pure MDEA. This finding shows that PZ molecule act as an activator to promote the intermolecular interaction between MDEA and CO2.Thus, blend of MDEA with PZ is expecting to increase the absorption rate of CO2 and reduce the heat regeneration requirement.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 1-11
A Review of Rare Earth Mineral Processing Technology
Authors: Suli Liyananadirah Mat , Ibrahim Wan Hanisah Wan , Aziz Badhrulhisham Abdul , Deraman Mohd Rizauddin , Ismail Nurul Ain
Published: September 2017

The recent technological advancement has made the rare earth elements (REEs) more significant and they in turn have facilitated the culmination of more new technological applications owing to their unique physical and chemical properties. In this regard, renewable energy applications such as wind turbine and hybrid cars testify to the increasing demands on permanent magnet in the future. Considering such increasing demands on REEs, it is felt necessary to identify alternative producers of REEs outside of China as one of the measures to create a fair competition and control the price on the market. It is worth highlighting that the separation of rare earth can be both complex and challenging owing to similar properties which are shared by them. The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively review and summarize the rare earth processing routes, the mostly employed rare earth separation methods, supply and demand of rare earth around the world and some possible scenarios in rare earth market. This review has critically looked into a few authors‘ recent reviews on six major processes of rare earth processing steps and each step is considered as important to produce both high quality and better quantity of REEs.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 20-35
Factorial experimental design for biobutanol production from oil palm frond (OPF) juice by Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824
Authors: Nasrah Nur Syazana Muhd , Mohd Zahari Mior Ahmad Khushairi , Masngut Nasratun , Ariffin Hidayah
Published: September 2017

Biobutanol is an alternative energy that can be promising as the future energy source. It can be produced from natural and renewable agriculture wastes such as oil palm frond (OPF) juice by microbes. Clostridium acetobutylicum has the ability to ferment the sugars in OPF juice as carbon source into biobutanol. This research aimed to investigate the effect of independent and interaction factors; initial pH medium (5-7), inoculum size (1-20%), initial total sugars concentration (40-60 g/L), temperature (32-42°C) and yeast extract concentration (1-10 g/L) on the production of biobutanol from oil palm frond (OPF) juice by C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 using a two level half factorial design which have been developed by the Design Expert Software Version 7.1. Based on the factorial analysis, it was observed that the most significant parameter was yeast extract concentration, which contributes 8.20%, followed by inoculum size and temperature, which were contribute 7.84% and 7.56%, respectively. The analysis showed the R2 value for the model was 0.9805 and the interaction between inoculum size and temperature gave the highest influenced to the fermentation process with contribution up to 16.31%. From the validation experiments, the experimental values were reasonable close to the predicted values with only 5.87% and 10.09% of errors. It confirmed the validity and adequacy of the predicted models. Hence, the data analysis developed from the Design Expert Software could reliably predict biobutanol yields. This study indicated that each of the factors may affect the fermentation process of the biobutanol production.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 36-42
Preservation of Bioactive Compound via Microencapsulation
Authors: Mohd Yusop Fatin Hafizah , Manaf Shareena Fairuz Abd , Hamzah Fazlena
Published: September 2017

The aim of this paper is to discuss on the preservation of bioactive compound by using microencapsulation techniques. Microencapsulation is a process of building a functional barrier between the core and wall material to prevent any chemical or physical reactions. Microencapsulation provides an important technique in various food, pharmaceutical industry and textile product because has the ability to improve shelf-life, oxidative stability, provide protection and controlled biological activity release of active agents. Microencapsulation of plant extract, essential oils, vegetable has been developed and commercialized by employing various method including freeze drying, coacervation, spray drying, in situ polymerization and melt-extrusion. The most commonly used techniques for microencapsulation of oils are by using spray drying and coacervation method. Microencapsulation methods have been developed in order to modify the efficiency based on several factors such as types of active agents, shell material used, generating particles with a variable range of sizes, shell thickness and permeability. With this work, an overview regarding efficient and applications of microencapsulation process will be presented.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 50-56
Performance of layer-by-layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte forward osmosis membrane for humic acid removal and reverse solute diffusion
Authors: Husaini Suriani , Seman Mazrul Nizam Abu
Published: September 2017

Recent study claimed that forward osmosis (FO) process could handle the fouling problem due it driven force based on natural osmotic pressure. However, researchers observed that FO membrane had problem with reverse solute diffusion (RSD) of draw solution. Therefore, FO membrane properties must be improved either physically or chemically in order to overcome this problem. Among all, surface modification approach has been acknowledged as a best technique to alter the membrane properties without significantly change the bulk membrane properties. In this study, polyelectrolyte FO membrane has been produced through Layer by Layer (LbL) deposition method by using Poly (diallyl-dimethylammoniumchloride), PDADMAC and Poly (sodium 4-styrene-sulfonate), PSS as an active monomers. Humic acid (HA) as part of Natural Organic Matter constituents was used as the feed solution and NaCl as a draw solution. The chemical structure and morphology of the FO membrane were characterized by FTIR and FESEM, respectively. From this study, the highest water flux and humic acid rejection were achieved at 2.5M of draw solution with value of 2.56 L/m².h and 99%, respectively. In general, the water flux increases as the concentration of draw solutions were increased. However, it was observed that reverse salt diffusion (RSD) become worse at higher concentration of draw solution.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 75-79
Effect of oscillation amplitude on the residence time distribution for the mesoscale oscillatory baffled reactor
Authors: Yussof HW , Bahri SS , Phan AN , Harvey AP
Published: September 2017

A recent development in oscillatory baffled reactor technology is down-scaling the reactor, so that it can be used for the applications such as small-scale continuous production of bioethanol. A mesoscale oscillatory baffled reactor (MOBR) with central baffle system was developed and fabricated at mesoscales (typically 5 mm diameter). This present work aims to analyse the mixing conditions inside the MOBR by evaluating the residence time distribution (RTD) against the dynamic parameters of net flow Reynolds number (Ren) at 4.2, 8.4 and 12.6 corresponding to flow rates of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 ml/min respectively, oscillatory Reynolds number (Reo) between 62 to 622, and Strouhal number (Str) between 0.1 to 1.59. The effect of oscillation frequency and amplitude on RTD performance were studied at frequency, amplitude, and velocity ratio ranging from 4 to 8 Hz, 1 to 4 mm and 1 to 118, respectively. Effect of oscillation frequency has resulted in the variance of the RTD increased as the oscillation frequency increased from 5 Hz to 8 Hz and peak at 6 Hz of 0.264. A further increase in the frequency above 5 Hz caused the RTD to slightly broaden and positively skewed. At frequency of 5 Hz, the RTD profiles were close to Gaussian form for all tested amplitude values from 1 mm to 4 mm. At low amplitudes, i.e. xo = 1 mm, the variance exhibited its minimum around 0.842 at Reo =156. An increase in Reo above 300 resulted in increased in the variance rapidly to 1.28, and later eliminated the plug flow behaviour and the reactor behaved similar to a single continuous stirred tank reactor.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 111-117
Effect of coagulation bath temperature during preparation of PES hollow fiber supported liquid membrane for acetic acid removal
Authors: Sanmugam Sathiya , Harruddin Norlisa , Saufi Syed M
Published: September 2017

Acetic acid is a byproduct of acid hydrolysis of biomass during sugar recovery step in biofuel production. Acetic acid can inhibit the enzyme used during fermentation of sugar to the ethanol. Hollow fiber supported liquid membrane (SLM) was used in this study to remove acetic acid from aqueous solution. Liquid membrane was formulated using trioctylamine and 2-ethyl hexanol as a carrier and solvent, respectively. The hollow fiber membrane support was prepared from 15 wt.% polyethersulfone, 42.5 wt.% polyethyleneglycol 200 and 42.5 wt.% dimethylacetamide. The effect of coagulation bath temperature (CBT) at 30ºC, 40ºC and 50ºC during hollow fiber membrane spinning process was investigated. The porosity of the membrane increased as the CBT increased. The porosity of the membrane prepared using CBT of 30ºC, 40ºC and 50ºC were 35.7%, 46.7% and 61.6%, respectively. SLM process using hollow fiber membrane prepared at 50ºC of coagulation bath was able to remove 52% of acetic acid from the aqueous solution.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 118-122
The solubilization and extraction parameters of erythromycin from aqueous phase into mixed AOT/SB3-18 reverse micelle phase
Authors: Aziz SN Mohamad , Sakinah AM Mimi
Published: September 2017

A liquid anionic-zwitterionic surfactant-based aqueous two-phase extraction was developed and applied for the extraction of erythromycin. Erythromycin solubilization from aqueous to reverse micelle phase was studied. Zwitterion SB3-18 surfactant was added to ionic solution of bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT) to form an organic mixed micellar phase. Erythromycin was then added to the mixtures and two clear phases were formed. The parameters affecting erythromycin solubilization including AOT concentration (20.0 ̶ 120.0 g/L), zwitterion concentration (6.0 ̶ 16.0 g/L), NaCl concentration (0.0 ̶ 25.0 g/L) and aqueous pH (6.0 ̶ 9.0) were investigated via statistical software. Solubilization of erythromycin into mixed reverse micelle could be easily evaluated by the measurement of erythromycin concentration in the organic phase. The results showed that AOT and zwitterion concentration governed the erythromycin solubilization by a factor of 4.562 based on the Pareto chart.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 123-128
Review on methods for preservation and natural preservatives for extending the food longevity
Authors: Sharif ZIM , Mustapha FA , Jai J , Mohd Yusof N , Zaki NAM
Published: September 2017

Chemical, enzymatic or microbial activities from the surrounding environment and the food itself can cause spoilage to food products. In the meantime, the recent surge in world population, calls forfood products to be stored and delivered from one place to another place. During delivery, food products will start to deteriorate, losetheir appearance and decrease in nutritional values. Thus, the presence of food preservation methods such as heating, pickling, edible coating, drying, freezing and high-pressure processing can solve this problem by extending the food products‟ shelf life, stabilize their quality, maintaining their appearance and their taste. There are two categories of food preservations, the modern technology preservation method and the conventional preservation method. In the meantime, conventional food preservations usually use natural food preservatives. Meanwhile, the use of the synthetic preservative such as sulphites, benzoates, sorbates etc. for food preservation can cause certain health problems. In this light, replacing these synthetic preservatives with natural preservatives such as salt, vinegar, honey, etc. are much safer for human and environment. Furthermore, natural preservatives are easy to obtain since the sources are from plant, animal and microbes origin. This review paper focuses on preservation methodsand the natural preservatives that are suitable to be used for food preservation.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 145-153
Effect of Estrogen on Serum Total Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels in postmenopausal women
Authors: Yeasmin Nahid , Akhter Qazi Shamima , Mahmuda Sayeeda , Nahar Sharrmin , Rabbani Rukhshana , Hasan Mahmudul , Salehin Masood
Published: September 2017

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. Increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women may be due to hyperlipidemia caused by lower level of estrogen hormone.Objectives: The study was carried out to observe the association of serum estrogen with total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels in postmenopausal women.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, during the period of January to December 2011. A total of 90 females were selected from different areas of Dhaka city. Among them, 60 postmenopausal women with age ranging from 50 to 60 years were taken as study group and 30 apparently healthy premenopausal women with age ranging from 20 to 30 years were included as control group for comparison. The study parameters total cholesterol and triglyceride were estimated by enzymatic method in both groups. Serum estrogen level was estimated by Radioimmunoassay ( RIA) method in order to assess the hormonal level of both groups. Data was analyzed by Unpaired Students t- test and Pearsons correlation co-efficient (r) test as applicable.Results: In this study, the mean serum TC level was higher in postmenopausal women than those of premenopausal women and result was statistically significant. The level of mean serum TG was significantly (p<0.001) higher in postmenopausal women in comparison to those of premenopausal women. In postmenopausal women serum estrogen level was lower than premenopausal women and serum estrogen level showed negative correlation with TC level. .Again serum TG level also showed negative correlation with serum estrogen level. All these correlation were statistically non-significant.Conclusion: From the results of the present study it may be concluded that the serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels are significantly higher in postmenopausal women that may be due to low level of estrogen.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 26, No.1, April, 2017, Page 25-31
Silicon Integrated Dual-Mode Interferometer with Differential Outputs
Authors: Hoppe Niklas , Scheck Pascal , Sweidan Rami , Diersing Philipp , Rathgeber Lotte , Vogel Wolfgang , Riegger Benjamin , Southan Alexander , Berroth Manfred
Published: September 2017

The dual-mode interferometer (DMI) is an attractive alternative to Mach-Zehnder interferometers for sensor purposes, achieving sensitivities to refractive index changes close to state-of-the-art. Modern designs on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platforms offer thermally stable and compact devices with insertion losses of less than 1 dB and high extinction ratios. Compact arrays of multiple DMIs in parallel are easy to fabricate due to the simple structure of the DMI. In this work, the principle of operation of an integrated DMI with differential outputs is presented which allows the unambiguous phase shift detection with a single wavelength measurement, rather than using a wavelength sweep and evaluating the optical output power spectrum. Fluctuating optical input power or varying attenuation due to different analyte concentrations can be compensated by observing the sum of the optical powers at the differential outputs. DMIs with two differential single-mode outputs are fabricated in a 250 nm SOI platform, and corresponding measurements are shown to explain the principle of operation in detail. A comparison of DMIs with the conventional Mach-Zehnder interferometer using the same technology concludes this work.
On Generalized Stam Inequalities and Fisher–Rényi Complexity Measures
Authors: Zozor Steeve , Puertas-Centeno David , Dehesa Jesús
Published: September 2017

Information-theoretic inequalities play a fundamental role in numerous scientific and technological areas (e.g., estimation and communication theories, signal and information processing, quantum physics, …) as they generally express the impossibility to have a complete description of a system via a finite number of information measures. In particular, they gave rise to the design of various quantifiers (statistical complexity measures) of the internal complexity of a (quantum) system. In this paper, we introduce a three-parametric Fisher–Rényi complexity, named ( p , β , λ ) -Fisher–Rényi complexity, based on both a two-parametic extension of the Fisher information and the Rényi entropies of a probability density function ρ characteristic of the system. This complexity measure quantifies the combined balance of the spreading and the gradient contents of ρ , and has the three main properties of a statistical complexity: the invariance under translation and scaling transformations, and a universal bounding from below. The latter is proved by generalizing the Stam inequality, which lowerbounds the product of the Shannon entropy power and the Fisher information of a probability density function. An extension of this inequality was already proposed by Bercher and Lutwak, a particular case of the general one, where the three parameters are linked, allowing to determine the sharp lower bound and the associated probability density with minimal complexity. Using the notion of differential-escort deformation, we are able to determine the sharp bound of the complexity measure even when the three parameters are decoupled (in a certain range). We determine as well the distribution that saturates the inequality: the ( p , β , λ ) -Gaussian distribution, which involves an inverse incomplete beta function. Finally, the complexity measure is calculated for various quantum-mechanical states of the harmonic and hydrogenic systems, which are the two main prototypes of physical systems subject to a central potential.
On the Capacity and the Optimal Sum-Rate of a Class of Dual-Band Interference Channels
Authors: Majhi Subhajit , Mitran Patrick
Published: September 2017

We study a class of two-transmitter two-receiver dual-band Gaussian interference channels (GIC) which operates over the conventional microwave and the unconventional millimeter-wave (mm-wave) bands. This study is motivated by future 5G networks where additional spectrum in the mm-wave band complements transmission in the incumbent microwave band. The mm-wave band has a key modeling feature: due to severe path loss and relatively small wavelength, a transmitter must employ highly directional antenna arrays to reach its desired receiver. This feature causes the mm-wave channels to become highly directional, and thus can be used by a transmitter to transmit to its designated receiver or the other receiver. We consider two classes of such channels, where the underlying GIC in the microwave band has weak and strong interference, and obtain sufficient channel conditions under which the capacity is characterized. Moreover, we assess the impact of the additional mm-wave band spectrum on the performance, by characterizing the transmit power allocation for the direct and cross channels that maximizes the sum-rate of this dual-band channel. The solution reveals conditions under which different power allocations, such as allocating the power budget only to direct or only to cross channels, or sharing it among them, becomes optimal.
Experimental Investigation of Flow Domain Division in Beds Packed with Different Sized Particles
Authors: Yang Xin , Yang Tianhong , Xu Zenghe , Yang Bin
Published: September 2017

Seepage in a medium packed with particles of variable granular size can be seen in many fields of engineering applications. Due to the relative complex spatial aspect of pore geometry, there are notable differences in the critical parameters of flow transition (Reynolds number and Forchheimer number) between different structures. It is difficult to distinguish the available range of seepage equations and predict the water flux accurately. This work aims to establish the relationship between particle size and flow transition. This is conducted according to the results of flow region division, which obtains the application range for seepage equations. Experiments were carried out in sand columns with nine different particle sizes of sand with mean diameters of 0.0375, 0.1125, 0.225, 0.45, 0.8, 1.5, 2.18, 3.555 and 7.125 mm. Four flow regimes were identified (pre-Darcy regime, Darcy regime, Forchheimer regime and turbulent regime). The experimental data indicate that the permeability increases exponentially and the inertia factor reduces exponentially with an increase in particle diameter. The inertial effect becomes more significant in the medium with larger particles than with finer particles when the flow transition occurs.
Optimization Model of an Efficient Collaborative Power Dispatching System for Carbon Emissions Trading in China
Authors: Tan Qinliang , Ding Yihong , Zhang Yimei
Published: September 2017

In this paper, a collaborative power dispatching system (CPDS) was developed to maximize the profit of a regional biomass power system consisting of an independent power grid. A power generating, dispatching and carbon emissions trading system (CETS) could be engaged in joint strategic planning and operational execution. The principal of CPDS is interactive planning of generating units in power generation and carbon emissions trading. An efficient carbon emissions trading plan for a CPDS would lead to optimized power generation levels under available power production capacities and carbon emissions. In a case study, four generator policies are proposed by considering basic CETSs to comparatively analyze the function of each generator in the CPDS. Results of four scenarios are compared, showing that biomass energy could replace thermal units to a certain extent, the carbon emissions and coal consumption of the CPDS would lie at a lower level, and a pumped storage unit could adjust the load fluctuations. The results of a carbon trading analysis show that the CETS has no significant impact on the CPDS, but along with the increase in trading price or the decrease in the free quota, the economic interests of power plants will be reduced accordingly. This may lead to carrying out low-carbon projects and reducing carbon emissions. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce carbon emissions by replacing power units with high energy consumption, and improve the consumption capacity of renewable energy.
Differences in Stream Water Nitrate Concentrations between a Nitrogen-Saturated Upland Forest and a Downstream Mixed Land Use River Basin
Authors: Shinozuka Ken’ichi , Chiwa Masaaki , Tayasu Ichiro , Yoshimizu Chikage , Otsuki Kyoichi , Kume Atsushi
Published: September 2017

Nitrogen (N) saturation of upland forests has been assumed to be a substantial N source downstream. However, removal processes of N, including assimilation and denitrification in the downstream area, have not been clarified. To evaluate the N removal processes, nitrate (NO3−) and organic N concentrations, as well as nitrogen isotope ratio (δ15N) and oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) of NO3− were measured along three rivers of Tatara River Basin, Japan where upland forests have already been N-saturated. Geographic information system (GIS) based topographical analysis was also conducted to evaluate the land use as urban area in relation to topography. In two of the three rivers, NO3− concentrations did not increase from upstream to downstream, despite the potential non-point N sources of urban areas. In another river, NO3− concentrations rather decreased. The values of δ15N and δ18O of NO3− and organic N concentrations suggested the presence of denitrification and assimilation over N pollutants in the river whose watersheds have a lower percentage of urban area. The lower percentage of urban area could be explained by the lower topographic index. This study concluded that the NO3− leaching from upland N-saturated forests was substantially assimilated or denitrified in the downstream area.
Hospital Costs of Foreign Non-Resident Patients: A Comparative Analysis in Catalonia, Spain
Authors: Arroyo-Borrell Elena , Renart-Vicens Gemma , Saez Marc , Carreras Marc
Published: September 2017

Although patient mobility has increased over the world, in Europe there is a lack of empirical studies. The aim of the study was to compare foreign non-resident patients versus domestic patients for the particular Catalan case, focusing on patient characteristics, hospitalisation costs and differences in costs depending on the typology of the hospital they are treated. We used data from the 2012 Minimum Basic Data Set-Acute Care hospitals (CMBD-HA) in Catalonia. We matched two case-control groups: first, foreign non-resident patients versus domestic patients and, second, foreign non-resident patients treated by Regional Public Hospitals versus other type of hospitals. Hospitalisation costs were modelled using a GLM Gamma with a log-link. Our results show that foreign non-resident patients were significantly less costly than domestic patients (12% cheaper). Our findings also suggested differences in the characteristics of foreign non-resident patients using Regional Public Hospitals or other kinds of hospitals although we did not observe significant differences in the healthcare costs. Nevertheless, women, 15–24 and 35–44 years old patients and the days of stay were less costly in Regional Public Hospitals. In general, acute hospitalizations of foreign non-resident patients while they are on holiday cost substantially less than domestic patients. The typology of hospital is not found to be a relevant factor influencing costs.
Disaster Governance for Community Resilience in Coastal Towns: Chilean Case Studies
Authors: Villagra Paula , Quintana Carolina
Published: September 2017

This study aimed to further our understanding of a characteristic of Community Resilience known as Disaster Governance. Three attributes of Disaster Governance—redundancy, diversity, and overlap—were studied in four coastal towns in southern Chile that are at risk of tsunamis. Overall, we explored how different spatial structures of human settlements influence Disaster Governance. Using the Projective Mapping Technique, the distribution of emergency institutions (N = 32) and uses given to specific sites (e.g., for refuge, sanitary purposes and medical attention) were mapped. Content and GIS analyses (Directional Distribution and Kernel Density Index) were used to explore the dispersion and concentration of institutions and uses in each town. Disaster Governance was found to be highly influenced by decisions taken during regional, urban, and emergency planning. Governance is better in towns of higher order in the communal hierarchical structure. Most of the emergency institutions were found to be located in central and urban areas, which, in turn, assures more redundancy, overlap, and diversity in governance in the event of a tsunami. Lack of flexibility of emergency plans also limits governance in rural and indigenous areas. While the spatial relationships found in this study indicate that urban sectors have better Disaster Governance than rural and indigenous sectors, the influence of resource availability after tsunamis, the role and responsibility of different levels of governments, and the politics of disaster also play an important role in Disaster Governance for determining Community Resilience. These findings shed light on emergency planning and aspects of the Disaster Management cycle.
Biological Pathways Involved in Tumor Angiogenesis and Bevacizumab Based Anti-Angiogenic Therapy with Special References to Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Loizzi Vera , Del Vecchio Vittoria , Gargano Giulio , De Liso Maria , Kardashi Anila , Naglieri Emanuele , Resta Leonardo , Cicinelli Ettore , Cormio Gennaro
Published: September 2017

The creation of new blood vessels from existing ones, which is a mechanism called “angiogenesis”, is essential in cancer to supply cancerous growth. Moreover, the development and the progression of the tumor and its metastases are the result of an efficient vascular response. Cancer cells release and activate different angiogenic growth factors and their receptors in the tumor microenvironment to promote the angiogenic process. The most important pro-angiogenic factor is the “Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor” (VEGF) because of its mitogen activity on vascular endothelium. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that obstructs the binding of circulating vascular endothelial growth factor to its receptors and has been approved for the treatment of primary and recurrent ovarian cancer but also for many other solid tumors.
Complementary RNA-Sequencing Based Transcriptomics and iTRAQ Proteomics Reveal the Mechanism of the Alleviation of Quinclorac Stress by Salicylic Acid in Oryza sativa ssp. japonica
Authors: Wang Jian , Islam Faisal , Li Lan , Long Meijuan , Yang Chong , Jin Xiaoli , Ali Basharat , Mao Bizeng , Zhou Weijun
Published: September 2017

To uncover the alleviation mechanism of quinclorac stress by salicylic acid (SA), leaf samples of Oryza sativa ssp. Japonica under quinclorac stress with and without SA pre-treatment were analyzed for transcriptional and proteomic profiling to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and proteins (DEPs), respectively. Results showed that quinclorac stress altered the expression of 2207 DEGs (1427 up-regulated, 780 down-regulated) and 147 DEPs (98 down-regulated, 49 up-regulated). These genes and proteins were enriched in glutathione (GSH) metabolism, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and so on. It also influenced apetala2- ethylene-responsive element binding protein (AP2-EREBP) family, myeloblastosis (MYB) family and WRKY family transcription factors. After SA pre-treatment, 697 genes and 124 proteins were differentially expressed. Pathway analysis showed similar enrichments in GSH, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. Transcription factors were distributed in basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), MYB, Tify and WRKY families. Quantitative real-time PCR results revealed that quinclorac stress induced the expression of glutathion reductase (GR) genes (OsGR2, OsGR3), which was further pronounced by SA pre-treatment. Quinclorac stress further mediated the accumulation of acetaldehyde in rice, while SA enhanced the expression of OsALDH2B5 and OsALDH7 to accelerate the metabolism of herbicide quinclorac for the protection of rice. Correlation analysis between transcriptome and proteomics demonstrated that, under quinclorac stress, correlated proteins/genes were mainly involved in the inhibition of intermediate steps in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll. Other interesting proteins/genes and pathways regulated by herbicide quinclorac and modulated by SA pre-treatment were also discussed, based on the transcriptome and proteomics results.
Therapeutic Effect of Exogenous Truncated IK Protein in Inflammatory Arthritis
Authors: Choi Seulgi , Park HyeLim , Jung SeoYeon , Kim Eun-Kyung , Cho Mi-La , Min Jun-Ki , Moon Su-Jin , Lee Sang-Myeong , Cho Jang-Hee , Lee Dong-Hee , Nam Jae-Hwan
Published: September 2017

Inhibitor K562 (IK) protein was first isolated from the culture medium of K562, a leukemia cell line. It is known to be an inhibitory regulator of interferon-γ-induced major histocompatibility complex class (MHC) II expression. Previously, we found that transgenic (Tg) mice constitutively expressing truncated IK (tIK) showed reduced numbers of pathogenic Th1 and Th17 cells, which are known to be involved in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here, we investigated whether exogenous tIK protein has a therapeutic effect in arthritis in disease models and analyzed its mechanism. Exogenous tIK protein was produced in an insect expression system and applied to the collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) mouse disease model. Injection of tIK protein alleviated the symptoms of arthritis in the CAIA model and reduced Th1 and Th17 cell populations. In addition, treatment of cultured T cells with tIK protein induced expression of A20, a negative regulator of nuclear factor-κB (NFκB)-induced inflammation, and reduced expression of several transcription factors related to T cell activation. We conclude that exogenous tIK protein has the potential to act as a new therapeutic agent for RA patients, because it has a different mode of action to biopharmaceutical agents, such as tumor necrosis factor antagonists, that are currently used to treat RA.
Cost and Materials Required to Retrofit US Seaports in Response to Sea Level Rise: A Thought Exercise for Climate Response
Authors: Becker Austin , Hippe Ariel , Mclean Elizabeth
Published: September 2017

Climate changes projected for 2100 and beyond could result in a worldwide race for adaptation resources on a scale never seen before. This paper describes a model for estimating the cost and materials of elevating coastal seaport infrastructure in the United States to prevent damage from sea level rise associated with climate change. This study pilots the use of a generic port model (GenPort) as a basis from which to estimate regional materials and monetary demands, resulting in projections that would be infeasible to calculate on an individual port-by-port basis. We estimate the combined cost of adding two meters of additional fill material to elevate the working surface and then reconstructing the generic port. We use the resulting unit area cost to develop an estimate to elevate and retrofit 100 major United States commercial coastal ports. A total of $57 billion to $78 billion (2012 US dollars) and 704 million cubic meters of fill would be required to elevate the 100 ports by two meters and to reconstruct associated infrastructure. This estimation method and the results serve as a thought exercise to provoke considerations of the cumulative monetary and material demands of widespread adaptations of seaport infrastructure. The model can be adapted for use in multiple infrastructure sectors and coastal managers can use the outlined considerations as a basis for individual port adaptation strategy assessments.
Material Viscoelasticity-Induced Drift of Micro-Accelerometers
Authors: Zhou Wu , Peng Peng , Yu Huijun , Peng Bei , He Xiaoping
Published: September 2017

Polymer-based materials are commonly used as an adhesion layer for bonding die chip and substrate in micro-system packaging. Their properties exhibit significant impact on the stability and reliability of micro-devices. The viscoelasticity, one of most important attributes of adhesive materials, is investigated for the first time in this paper to evaluate the long-term drift of micro-accelerometers. The accelerometer was modeled by a finite element (FE) method to emulate the structure deformation and stress development induced by change of adhesive property. Furthermore, the viscoelastic property of the adhesive was obtained by a series of stress–relaxation experiments using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The DMA curve was imported into the FE model to predict the drift of micro-accelerometers over time and temperature. The prediction results verified by experiments showed that the accelerometer experienced output drift due to the development of packaging stress induced by both the thermal mismatch and viscoelastic behaviors of the adhesive. The accelerometers stored at room temperature displayed a continuous drift of zero offset and sensitivity because of the material viscoelasticity. Moreover, the drift level of accelerometers experiencing high temperature load was relatively higher than those of lower temperature in the same period.
Facile Preparation of a Robust and Durable Superhydrophobic Coating Using Biodegradable Lignin-Coated Cellulose Nanocrystal Particles
Authors: Huang Jingda , Wang Siqun , Lyu Shaoyi
Published: September 2017

It is a challenge for a superhydrophobic coating to overcome the poor robustness and the rough surface structure that is usually built using inorganic particles that are difficult to degrade. In this study, a robust superhydrophobic coating is facilely prepared by using commercial biodegradable lignin-coated cellulose nanocrystal (L-CNC) particles after hydrophobic modification to build rough surface structures, and by choosing two different adhesives (double-sided tape and quick-setting epoxy) to support adhesion between the L-CNC particles and the substrates. In addition to excellent self-cleaning and water repellence properties, the resulting coatings show outstanding mechanical strength and durability against sandpaper abrasion, finger-wipe, knife-scratch, water jet, UV radiation, high temperature, and acidic and alkali solutions, possessing a wide application prospect.
Multiple Fatigue Failure Behaviors and Long-Life Prediction Approach of Carburized Cr-Ni Steel with Variable Stress Ratio
Authors: Deng Hailong , Li Wei , Zhao Hongqiao , Sakai Tatsuo
Published: September 2017

Axial loading tests with stress ratios R of −1, 0 and 0.3 were performed to examine the fatigue failure behavior of a carburized Cr-Ni steel in the long-life regime from 104 to 108 cycles. Results show that this steel represents continuously descending S-N characteristics with interior inclusion-induced failure under R = −1, whereas it shows duplex S-N characteristics with surface defect-induced failure and interior inclusion-induced failure under R = 0 and 0.3. The increasing tension eliminates the effect of compressive residual stress and promotes crack initiation from the surface or interior defects in the carburized layer. The FGA (fine granular area) formation greatly depends on the number of loading cycles, but can be inhibited by decreasing the compressive stress. Based on the evaluation of the stress intensity factor at the crack tip, the surface and interior failures in the short life regime can be characterized by the crack growth process, while the interior failure with the FGA in the long life regime can be characterized by the crack initiation process. In view of the good agreement between predicted and experimental results, the proposed approach can be well utilized to predict fatigue lives associated with interior inclusion-FGA-fisheye induced failure, interior inclusion-fisheye induced failure, and surface defect induced failure.
Fretting Wear Behaviors of Aluminum Cable Steel Reinforced (ACSR) Conductors in High-Voltage Transmission Line
Authors: Ma Xingchi , Gao Lei , Zhang Junxi , Zhang Lai-Chang
Published: September 2017

This work reports the fretting wear behavior of aluminum cable steel reinforced (ACSR) conductors for use in high-voltage transmission line. Fretting wear tests of Al wires were conducted on a servo-controlled fatigue testing machine with self-made assistant apparatus, and their fretting process characteristics, friction force, wear damage, and wear surface morphology were detailed analyzed. The results show that the running regime of Al wires changes from a gross slip regime to a mixed regime more quickly as increasing contact load. With increasing amplitudes, gross slip regimes are more dominant under contact loads of lower than 30 N. The maximum friction force is relatively smaller in the NaCl solution than in a dry friction environment. The primary wear mechanisms in dry friction environments are abrasive wear and adhesive wear whereas abrasive wear and fatigue damage are dominant in NaCl solution.
Multi-Objective Topology Optimization of a Compliant Parallel Planar Mechanism under Combined Load Cases and Constraints
Authors: Wang Gao , Zhu Dachang , Liu Ning , Zhao Wei
Published: September 2017

This paper focuses on a new type of configuration design of a compliant parallel mechanism (CPM) planar continuum structure and its characteristic analysis of vibration-inherent frequency for planar motion, which can suppress the impact of random vibration in ultra-precision positioning and manufacturing equipment and improve the inherent frequency response of the mechanism. Firstly, a vector-mapping isomorphism between the fully CPM and conventional isomorphic parallel mechanism was constructed with a kinematic differential Jacobian matrix. Then, the mathematical model of topology optimization was put forward considering the compromise programming on the static stiffness and mean vibration-inherent frequency of the mechanism as the design variable and the minimization of compliance as the objective function. A constraint of volume fraction was considered and multi-objective micro displacement mechanism topology optimization based on a prismatic-revolute-revolute (3-PRR) planar nano-positioning continuum structure was performed using the solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) technique, which combines the criteria of the optimization algorithm and the vector isomorphic mapping method. Multi-objective topology optimization of the continuum structure micro displacement mechanism was investigated and presented by optimizations with different initial rejection rates. The simulation results show that the stiffness and vibration suppression performance of the continuum structure were improved, whereas the positioning of differential kinematics characteristics of the 3-PRR micro displacement planar fully CPM and isomorphic prototype mechanism retain the same. The modal analysis also provides a rational configuration for the micro displacement mechanism dimensional design and its optimal modal parameters. The crossover oscillation in frequency response of the continuum structure was reduced and quickly converged in the optimization iterations. The performance of the optimized mechanism was verified by the experiments on a planar fully compliant micro displacement continuum structure based on Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) actuator.
Connecting the Morphological and Crystal Structural Changes during the Conversion of Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate to Lithium Carbonate Using Multi-Scale X-ray Scattering Measurements
Authors: Gadikota Greeshma
Published: September 2017

While CO2 storage technologies via carbon mineralization have focused on the use of earth-abundant calcium- and magnesium-bearing minerals, there is an emerging interest in the scalable synthesis of alternative carbonates such as lithium carbonate. Lithium carbonate is the carbonated end-product of lithium hydroxide, a highly reactive sorbent for CO2 capture in spacecraft and submarines. Other emerging applications include tuning the morphology of lithium carbonates synthesized from the effluent of treated Li-bearing batteries, which can then be reused in ceramics, glasses, and batteries. In this study, in operando Ultra-Small-Angle, Small-Angle, and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (USAXS/SAXS/WAXS) measurements were used to link the morphological and crystal structural changes as lithium hydroxide monohydrate is converted to lithium carbonate. The experiments were performed in a flow-through reactor at PCO2 of 1 atm and at temperatures in the range of 25–500 °C. The dehydration of lithium hydroxide monohydrate to form lithium hydroxide occurs in the temperature range of 25–150 °C, while the onset of carbonate formation is evident at around 70 °C. A reduction in the nanoparticle size and an increase in the surface area were noted during the dehydration of lithium hydroxide monohydrate. Lithium carbonate formation increases the nanoparticle size and reduces the surface area.
Short-Term Intake of a Fructose-, Fat- and Cholesterol-Rich Diet Causes Hepatic Steatosis in Mice: Effect of Antibiotic Treatment
Authors: Brandt Annette , Jin Cheng , Nolte Katja , Sellmann Cathrin , Engstler Anna , Bergheim Ina
Published: September 2017

Intestinal microbiota and barrier functions seem to play an important role in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, whether these changes are an early event in the development of NAFLD or are primarily associated with later stages of the disease, has not yet been clarified. Using a pair-feeding model, we determined the effects of a short-term intake of a fat-, fructose- and cholesterol-rich diet (FFC) on the development of early hepatic steatosis and markers of intestinal barrier function in mice treated with and without non-resorbable antibiotics (AB). For four days, C57BL/6J mice were either pair-fed a control diet or a FFC diet ± AB (92 mg/kg body weight (BW) polymyxin B and 216 mg/kg BW neomycin). Hepatic steatosis and markers of inflammation, lipidperoxidation and intestinal barrier function were assessed. Lipid accumulation and early signs of inflammation found in the livers of FFC-fed mice were markedly attenuated in FFC + AB-fed animals. In FFC-fed mice the development of NAFLD was associated with a significant loss of tight junction proteins and an induction of matrix metalloproteinase-13 in the upper parts of the small intestine as well as significantly higher portal endotoxin levels and an induction of dependent signaling cascades in the liver. As expected, portal endotoxin levels and the expression of dependent signaling cascades in liver tissue were almost at the level of controls in FFC + AB-fed mice. However, FFC + AB-fed mice were also protected from the loss of zonula occludens-1 and partially of occludin protein in small intestine. Our data suggest that the development of early diet-induced hepatic steatosis in mice at least in part results from alterations of intestinal barrier function.