bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cascading Failures and Vulnerability Evolution in Bus–Metro Complex Bilayer Networks under Rainstorm Weather Conditions
Authors: Ma Fei , Liu Fei , Yuen Kum Fai , Lai Polin , Sun Qipeng , Li Xiaodan
Published: January 2019

In recent years, the frequent occurrence of rainstorms has seriously affected urban–public transport systems. In this study, we examined the impact of rainstorms on the vulnerability of urban–public transport systems consisting of both ground bus and metro systems, which was abstracted into an undirected weighted Bus–Metro complex bilayer network (Bus–Metro CBN) and the passenger volume was regarded as its weight. Through the changes in the node scale, network efficiency, and passenger volume in the maximal connected component of the Bus–Metro CBN, we constructed a vulnerability operator to quantitatively calculate the vulnerability of the Bus–Metro CBN. Then, the flow-based couple map lattices (CMLs) model was proposed to simulate cascading failure scenarios of the Bus–Metro CBN under rainstorm conditions, in which the rainstorm is introduced through a perturbation variable. The simulation results show that under the condition of passenger flow overload, the network may have a two-stage cascading failure process. The impact analysis shows that there is a rainstorm intensity threshold that causes the Bus–Metro CBN to collapse. Meanwhile, we obtained the optimal node and edge capacity through capacity analysis. In addition, our analysis implies that the vulnerability of the Bus–Metro CBN network in most scenarios is mainly caused by the degradation of network structure rather than the loss of passenger flow. The network coupling strength analysis results show that the node coupling strength has greater potential to reduce the vulnerability than edge coupling strength. This indicates that traffic managers should prioritize controlling the mutual influence between bus stops (or metro stations) to reduce the vulnerability of the Bus–Metro CBN more effectively.
Grazing Altered the Pattern of Woody Plants and Shrub Encroachment in a Temperate Savanna Ecosystem
Authors: Zhang Zhiyong , Zhang Bo , Zhang Xiao , Yang Xiaohui , Shi Zhongjie , Liu Yanshu
Published: January 2019

Ulmus pumila-dominated temperate savanna is an important tree-grass complex ecosystem in the Otindag sand land, northern China. To date, few investigations have been undertaken on the spatial patterns and structure of this ecosystem and its driving factors under different grazing pressures. The objective of our study therefore is to explore whether grazing has affected the population structure/pattern of woody plants and shrub encroachment in a temperate savanna ecosystem. Results indicate that species richness and seedlings decreased with increasing grazing pressure. An increase in grazing pressure did not significantly affect adult-tree density, but it hindered the normal regeneration of U. pumila seedlings, further inducing population decline. U. pumila seedlings had a more significant aggregated distribution than juvenile or adult trees. The adult and juvenile trees had an aggregated distribution at the small scale and a random distribution at the large scale. Shrubs also showed a significant aggregated distribution. No clear effect on the spatial patterns of adult trees was observed; however, there was a noticeable effect for juveniles and seedlings under different grazing pressures. U. pumila seedlings had a positive association with their juveniles and Spiraea aquilegifolia, but a negative association with Caragana microphylla. Shrub encroachment occurred with decreasing grazing pressures. In conclusion, overgrazing led to the decline of U. pumila population, but the decrease in grazing pressure increased shrub encroachment in the temperate savanna ecosystem. Moderate grazing management may be a better way to enhance the stability of U. pumila population and reduce shrub encroachment.
Examining Trade-Offs between Social, Psychological, and Energy Potential of Urban Form
Authors: Bielik Martin , Schneider Sven , Kuliga Saskia , Griego Danielle , Ojha Varun , König Reinhard , Schmitt Gerhard , Donath Dirk
Published: January 2019

Urban planners are often challenged with the task of developing design solutions which must meet multiple, and often contradictory, criteria. In this paper, we investigated the trade-offs between social, psychological, and energy potential of the fundamental elements of urban form: the street network and the building massing. Since formal methods to evaluate urban form from the psychological and social point of view are not readily available, we developed a methodological framework to quantify these criteria as the first contribution in this paper. To evaluate the psychological potential, we conducted a three-tiered empirical study starting from real world environments and then abstracting them to virtual environments. In each context, the implicit (physiological) response and explicit (subjective) response of pedestrians were measured. To quantify the social potential, we developed a street network centrality-based measure of social accessibility. For the energy potential, we created an energy model to analyze the impact of pure geometric form on the energy demand of the building stock. The second contribution of this work is a method to identify distinct clusters of urban form and, for each, explore the trade-offs between the select design criteria. We applied this method to two case studies identifying nine types of urban form and their respective potential trade-offs, which are directly applicable for the assessment of strategic decisions regarding urban form during the early planning stages.
One New Phenolic Compound from Castanea mollissima Shells and its Suppression of HepatomaCell Proliferation and Inflammation by Inhibiting NF-κB Pathway
Authors: Wu Fei , Yao Xuan , Xu Jian , Wu Yue , Yang Yuejun , Jin Yu , Xie Huifang , Liu Yuancai , Yang Yifu , Zheng Xiangwei
Published: January 2019

Shells of Castanea mollissima (CMS), an agricultural remain and often considered waste from chestnut processing industry, have been proven a resource for traditional Chinese medicine. One new phenol, named castanolB(1), andsix known phenolic compounds (2–7) were isolated froma water-soluble extract of CMS. Their chemical structures were determined using preparative HPLC and various spectral analyses, and then were compared to literatures, which indicated the first identification of the seven compounds from C. mollissima. The physicochemical property of compound (2) was also reported for the first time. After antiproliferative screening of compounds (1–7) on LPS-induced SMMC-7721 and HepG2 hepatoma cells, castanolB (1) showed the best suppression. CastanolB(1) also significantly induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, castanolB (1) decreasedsecretion of TNF-α and IL-6. Mechanistically, TLR4–NF-κB pathway was inhibited bycastanolB (1) with downregulation of TLR4, IKKβ, and NF-κB p65. This study presents a new phenol and shows its profiles of anticancer and anti-inflammation via inhibiting the TLR4–NF-κB pathway.
Sphingolipid Metabolism: New Insight into Ceramide-Induced Lipotoxicity in Muscle Cells
Authors: Bandet Cécile L. , Tan-Chen Sophie , Bourron Olivier , Le Stunff Hervé , Hajduch Eric
Published: January 2019

Insulin-resistance is a characteristic feature of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and plays a major role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Skeletal muscles are quantitatively the biggest glucose users in response to insulin and are considered as main targets in development of insulin-resistance. It is now clear that circulating fatty acids (FA), which are highly increased in T2D, play a major role in the development of muscle insulin-resistance. In healthy individuals, excess FA are stored as lipid droplets in adipocytes. In situations like obesity and T2D, FA from lipolysis and food are in excess and eventually accumulate in peripheral tissues. High plasma concentrations of FA are generally associated with increased risk of developing diabetes. Indeed, ectopic fat accumulation is associated with insulin-resistance; this is called lipotoxicity. However, FA themselves are not involved in insulin-resistance, but rather some of their metabolic derivatives, such as ceramides. Ceramides, which are synthetized de novo from saturated FA like palmitate, have been demonstrated to play a critical role in the deterioration of insulin sensitivity in muscle cells. This review describes the latest progress involving ceramides as major players in the development of muscle insulin-resistance through the targeting of selective actors of the insulin signaling pathway.
Interactive Genetic Algorithm Oriented toward the Novel Design of Traditional Patterns
Authors: Lv Jian , Zhu Miaomiao , Pan Weijie , Liu Xiang
Published: January 2019

To create alternative complex patterns, a novel design method is introduced in this study based on the error back propagation (BP) neural network user cognitive surrogate model of an interactive genetic algorithm with individual fuzzy interval fitness (IGA-BPFIF). First, the quantitative rules of aesthetic evaluation and the user’s hesitation are used to construct the Gaussian blur tool to form the individual’s fuzzy interval fitness. Then, the user’s cognitive surrogate model based on the BP neural network is constructed, and a new fitness estimation strategy is presented. By measuring the mean squared error, the surrogate model is well managed during the evolution of the population. According to the users’ demands and preferences, the features are extracted for the interactive evolutionary computation. The experiments show that IGA-BPFIF can effectively design innovative patterns matching users’ preferences and can contribute to the heritage of traditional national patterns.
Coronary Artery Bypass in Young Patients—On or Off-Pump?
Authors: Okano Ryoi , Liou Yi-Jia , Yu Hsi-Yu , Wu I-Hui , Chou Nai-Kuan , Chen Yih-Sharng , Chi Nai-Hsin
Published: January 2019

A definitive conclusion regarding whether on-pump or off-pump coronary artery bypass is preferable in young patients is lacking. The aim of our study was to perform a long-term comparison of the two approaches in young patients. We analyzed the National Health Insurance Research Database, using data for patients between 18 and 45 years of age who had undergone isolated coronary artery bypass between 2001 and 2011. The study endpoints were: all-cause death, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, and repeat revascularization within 30 days, 1 year, 5 years, and the entire 10-year follow-up period. A total of 344 patients received off-pump surgery and 741 patients received on-pump surgery. Preoperative characteristics and comorbidities were similar in both groups, and all-cause mortality was almost equal (p = 0.716). The 5-year survival rates were 93.9% and 92.2% in the off-pump and on-pump groups, respectively, and the 10-year survival rates were 86.3% and 82.1%, respectively. The repeat revascularization rate was significantly lower in the on-pump group (p = 0.0407). Both the on-pump and off-pump methods offer equally good long-term outcomes in terms of mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events. However, the need for repeat revascularization is a concern in the long term after off-pump surgery.
Antigenic Targets for the Immunotherapy of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
Authors: Khan Ghazala Naz , Orchard Kim , Guinn Barbara-ann
Published: January 2019

One of the most promising approaches to preventing relapse is the stimulation of the body’s own immune system to kill residual cancer cells after conventional therapy has destroyed the bulk of the tumour. In acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), the high frequency with which patients achieve first remission, and the diffuse nature of the disease throughout the periphery, makes immunotherapy particularly appealing following induction and consolidation therapy, using chemotherapy, and where possible stem cell transplantation. Immunotherapy could be used to remove residual disease, including leukaemic stem cells from the farthest recesses of the body, reducing, if not eliminating, the prospect of relapse. The identification of novel antigens that exist at disease presentation and can act as targets for immunotherapy have also proved useful in helping us to gain a better understand of the biology that belies AML. It appears that there is an additional function of leukaemia associated antigens as biomarkers of disease state and survival. Here, we discuss these findings.
Prediction of the Outcome of Cochlear Implantation in the Patients with Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristics
Authors: Han Jae Joon , Bae Yun Jung , Song Seul Ki , Song Jae-Jin , Koo Ja-Won , Lee Jun Ho , Oh Seung Ha , Kim Bong Jik , Choi Byung Yoon
Published: January 2019

The goal of this study was to elucidate radiologic biomarker that can predict the outcome of cochlear implantation (CI) in congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) related deafness. A retrospective survey of speech perception after CI and an evaluation of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were performed in 10 cochlear implantees with cCMV-related prelingual deafness. Specifically, a special attention was paid to the degree of white matter (WM) abnormality shown in brain MRI, which was used to divide our cohort into two groups: The mild and severe pathology groups. Age-matched prelingual deaf patients with idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss were selected as controls. Subjects in mild pathology groups showed higher a Category of Auditory Performance (CAP) score (5.2 ± 0.8) than those with severe pathologies (3.4 ± 1.5) (P = 0.041). Importantly, speech performance from subjects with mild pathology was comparable to that of the control group (mean CAP score of 5.2 ± 0.8 vs. 5.1 ± 1.2) (P = 0.898). Mild pathologies related to the limited WM lesion in MRI not accompanied by severe MRI pathologies, such as diffuse WM abnormality, myelination delay, ventriculomegaly, migration abnormality, and cerebellar hypoplasia, can be tolerated and do not adversely affect the CI outcome in cCMV deafness.
Energetic Potential Assessment of Wind-Driven Waves on the South-Southeastern Brazilian Shelf
Authors: Oleinik Phelype Haron , Kirinus Eduardo de Paula , Fragassa Cristiano , Marques Wiliam Correa , Costi Juliana
Published: January 2019

Global electric energy demand is constantly growing, consequently leading towards the usage of renewable energy sources reducing pollution and increasing sustainability. The ocean is a poorly explored renewable energy source; thus, to evaluate the Brazilian wave energy budget, this study investigated the mean behaviour of the wave power rate on the south-southeastern Brazilian Shelf as well as analysed the temporal variability of the wave power rate at the most energetic locations near the coast. Three locations were examined, namely Laguna, Ilhabela and Farol Island, based on the criteria of high means and small standard deviations. The mean wave power rate was approximately 9.08 kW / m on Laguna, 10.01 kW / m on Ilhabela and 15.93 kW / m on Farol Island. The standard deviation identified in the three locations reached values of 6.47 kW / m on Laguna, 7.59 kW / m on Ilhabela and 13.51 kW / m on Farol Island. Temporal variability analysis was conducted through wavelet analysis. The results show a dominant yearly cycle with a background presence of synoptic cycles, with little deviation between the locations. The El Niño southern oscillation plays a minor role on the energy spectrum of Laguna and does not have a significant influence on Ilhabela and Farol Island.
Agroforestry Systems of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: Land Use for Biocultural Diversity Conservation
Authors: Vallejo Mariana , Ramírez M. Isabel , Reyes-González Alejandro , López-Sánchez Jairo G. , Casas Alejandro
Published: January 2019

The Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico, is the semiarid region with the richest biodiversity of North America and was recently recognized as a UNESCO’s World Heritage site. Original agricultural practices remain to this day in agroforestry systems (AFS), which are expressions of high biocultural diversity. However, local people and researchers perceive a progressive decline both in natural ecosystems and AFS. To assess changes in location and extent of agricultural land use, we carried out a visual interpretation of very-high resolution imagery and field work, through which we identified AFS and conventional agricultural systems (CAS) from 1995 to 2003 and 2012. We analyzed five communities, representative of three main ecological and agricultural zones of the region. We assessed agricultural land use changes in relation to conspicuous landscape features (relief, rivers, roads, and human settlements). We found that natural ecosystems cover more than 85% of the territory in each community, and AFS represent 51% of all agricultural land. Establishment and permanence of agricultural lands were strongly influenced by gentle slopes and the existence of roads. Contrary to what we expected, we recorded agricultural areas being abandoned, thus favoring the regeneration of natural ecosystems, as well as a 9% increase of AFS over CAS. Agriculture is concentrated near human settlements. Most of the studied territories are meant to preserve natural ecosystems, and traditional AFS practices are being recovered for biocultural conservation.
Operational Methods in the Study of Sobolev-Jacobi Polynomials
Authors: Behr Nicolas , Dattoli Giuseppe , Duchamp Gérard H. E. , Licciardi Silvia , Penson Karol A.
Published: January 2019

Inspired by ideas from umbral calculus and based on the two types of integrals occurring in the defining equations for the gamma and the reciprocal gamma functions, respectively, we develop a multi-variate version of umbral calculus and of the so-called umbral image technique. Besides providing a class of new formulae for generalized hypergeometric functions and an implementation of series manipulations for computing lacunary generating functions, our main application of these techniques is the study of Sobolev-Jacobi polynomials. Motivated by applications to theoretical chemistry, we moreover present a deep link between generalized normal-ordering techniques introduced by Gurappa and Panigrahi, two-variable Hermite polynomials and our integral-based series transforms. Notably, we thus calculate all K-tuple L-shifted lacunary exponential generating functions for a certain family of Sobolev-Jacobi (SJ) polynomials explicitly.
A Hidden Markov Model for the Linguistic Analysis of the Voynich Manuscript
Authors: Acedo Luis
Published: January 2019

Hidden Markov models are a very useful tool in the modeling of time series and any sequence of data. In particular, they have been successfully applied to the field of mathematical linguistics. In this paper, we apply a hidden Markov model to analyze the underlying structure of an ancient and complex manuscript, known as the Voynich manuscript, which remains undeciphered. By assuming a certain number of internal states representations for the symbols of the manuscripts, we train the network by means of the α and β -pass algorithms to optimize the model. By this procedure, we are able to obtain the so-called transition and observation matrices to compare with known languages concerning the frequency of consonant andvowel sounds. From this analysis, we conclude that transitions occur between the two states with similar frequencies to other languages. Moreover, the identification of the vowel and consonant sounds matches some previous tentative bottom-up approaches to decode the manuscript.
A Novel Air Quality Monitoring Unit Using Cloudino and FIWARE Technologies
Authors: Baca Gómez Yolanda , Estrada Esquivel Hugo , Martínez Rebollar Alicia , Villanueva Vásquez Daniel
Published: January 2019

Smart City applications aim to improve the quality of life of citizens. Applying technologies of the Internet of Things (IoT) to urban environments is considered as a key of the development of smart cities. In this context, air pollution is one of the most important factors affecting the quality of life and the health of the increasing urban population of industrial societies. For this reason, it is essential to develop applications that allow citizens monitoring the concentration of pollutants and avoid places with high levels of pollution. Due to the increasing use of IoT in different areas, there are arising platforms which deal with the challenges IoT implies, such as FIWARE, which provides technologies to facilitate the development of IoT applications. In this paper, an Air Quality Monitoring Unit using Cloudino and Arduino devices and FIWARE technologies is presented. Through Cloudino and Arduino, the monitoring unit gather data from various sensors and transforms the data in a FIWARE data model. Then, the measurements are sent to the Orion Context Broker (OCB), which is a software component provided by FIWARE. The Orion Context Broker allows to manage and publish the data to be consumed by users and applications.
Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Induced Oral Mucositis
Authors: Daugėlaitė Goda , Užkuraitytė Kristė , Jagelavičienė Eglė , Filipauskas Aleksas
Published: January 2019

Background and objectives: Oral mucositis is one of the main adverse events of cancer treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It presents as erythema, atrophy or/and ulceration of oral mucosa. It occurs in almost all patients, who receive radiation therapy of the head and neck area and from 20% to 80% of patients who receive chemotherapy. There are few clinical trials in the literature proving any kind of treatment or prevention methods to be effective. Therefore, the aim of this study is to perform systematic review of literature and examine the most effective treatment and prevention methods for chemotherapy or/and radiotherapy induced oral mucositis. Materials and methods: Clinical human trials, published from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2017 in English, were included in this systematic review of literature. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) protocol was followed while planning, providing objectives, selecting studies and analyzing data for this systematic review. “MEDLINE” and “PubMed Central” databases were used to search eligible clinical trials. Clinical trials researching medication, oral hygiene, cryotherapy or laser therapy efficiency in treatment or/and prevention of oral mucositis were included in this systematic review. Results: Results of the studies used in this systematic review of literature showed that laser therapy, cryotherapy, professional oral hygiene, antimicrobial agents, Royal jelly, L. brevis lozenges, Zync supplementation and Benzydamine are the best treatment or/and prevention methods for oral mucositis. Conclusions: Palifermin, Chlorhexidine, Smecta, Actovegin, Kangfuxin, L. brevis lozenges, Royal jelly, Zync supplement, Benzydamine, cryotherapy, laser therapy and professional oral hygiene may be used in oral mucositis treatment and prevention.
Microstructure and Tensile Properties of the Mg-6Zn-4Al-xSn Die Cast Magnesium Alloy
Authors: Zhou Jin , Jafari Nodooshan Hamid Reza , Li Dejiang , Zeng Xiaoqin , Ding Wenjiang
Published: January 2019

The effect of various Sn contents (1–2 wt. %) on the microstructure, age hardening response, and tensile and casting properties of the high-pressure die cast Mg-6Zn-4Al alloy were studied. All as-cast alloys consisted of α-Mg and icosahedral quasi-crystalline phase; and the addition of 2% Sn caused the formation of Mg2Sn phases. Dendrite structure and eutectic phases were observably refined by Sn addition. The hot tearing susceptibility of the die cast Mg-6Zn-4Al alloy prominently decreased with increasing Sn addition. During T6 heat treatment, Sn addition did not obviously affect the time to reach peak hardness, but significantly enhanced the age hardening response and improved the strength of alloys under peak-aged conditions. Compared to single aging, double aging resulted in the higher density of finer β1′ and β2′ precipitates. The double aged Mg-6Zn-4Al-1Sn alloy offered the optimum tensile properties among all conditions. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation were 209 MPa, 305 MPa, and 4.3%, respectively.
Effects of Welding Speed and Pulse Frequency on Surface Depression in Variable Polarity Gas Tungsten Arc Welding of Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Du Jun , Zhao Guangxi , Wei Zhengying
Published: January 2019

A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model with the volume of fluid method is developed for high-speed variable polarity gas tungsten arc welding (VP-GTAW) of aluminum alloys. It predicts the thermal flow field in the weld pool, the weld pool surface deformation, and solidified bead geometry during VP-GTAW in successive welding passes. Verification of the numerical model was performed by comparing the calculated results with metallography of welded cross-sections. The prediction showed reasonable accuracy in predicting weld bead geometry. The prediction average relative errors of the bead width and depth of penetration are less than 7%. The deformed weld pool surface, the fluid flow in the weld pool, and maximum fluid temperature in the workpiece based on the developed model, are discussed in detail. The effects of welding speed and pulse frequency on surface depression are studied. The results show that the maximum fluid temperature is closely correlated to the welding speed and pulse frequency. Further, the upper and lower limit of maximum fluid temperature would provide a clue by which the surface depression and the pitch of humps may be recognized. An increase in welding speed will lead to the increase of the pitch of humps, but the reverse is true in the pulse frequency. These detailed physical insights facilitate the prediction of welding surface defects in the high-speed VP-GTAW of aluminum alloy.
Acetic Acid Etching of Mg-xGd Alloys
Authors: Gawlik Marcjanna Maria , Wiese Björn , Welle Alexander , González Jorge , Desharnais Valérie , Harmuth Jochen , Ebel Thomas , Willumeit-Römer Regine
Published: January 2019

Mg-xGd alloys show potential to be used for degradable implants. As rare earth containing alloys, they are also of special interest for wrought products. All applications from medical to engineering uses require a low and controlled degradation or corrosion rate without pitting. Impurities from fabrication or machining, like Fe inclusions, encourage pitting, which inhibits uniform material degradation. This work investigates a suitable etching method to remove surface contamination and to understand the influence of etching on surface morphology. Acetic acid (HAc) etching as chemical surface treatment has been used to remove contamination from the surface. Extruded Mg-xGd (x = 2, 5 and 10) discs were etched with 250 g/L HAc solution in a volume of 5 mL or 10 mL for different times. The microstructure in the near surface region was characterized. Surface characterization was done by SEM, EDS, interferometry, and ToF-SIMS (time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry) analysis. Different etching kinetics were observed due to microstructure and the volume of etching solution. Gd rich particles and higher etching temperatures due to smaller etchant volumes promote the formation of pits. Removal of 2–9 µm of material from the surface was sufficient to remove surface Fe contamination and to result in a plain surface morphology.
Influence of Explosive Ratio on Morphological and Structural Properties of Ti/Al Clads
Authors: Fang Zhonghang , Shi Changgen , Shi Hesheng , Sun Zerui
Published: January 2019

The current work focuses on the effect of explosive ratio R on the comprehensive properties of Ti/Al clads manufactured via explosive welding. The lower and upper limits of explosive ratio, namely R1 and R2, were determined according to the R–δf (flyer plate thickness) welding window. Two TA2/1060 explosive cladding plates were successfully manufactured at the different explosive ratios. Microstructure investigation was conducted by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The small wave bonding interface was observed at R1, where the vortex structure containing the ingot structure appeared periodically. The bonding interface presented a big wave bonding morphology and a locally continuous melting layer at R2. Many prolonged grains and adiabatic shear bands (ASBs) were found near the interface for a greater explosive load. Intermetallic compounds were formed in the bonding zones of the two plates. The thickness of element diffusion area increased with an increasing explosive ratio. Comparative tests of mechanical properties indicated that the tensile shear strength at R1 was higher. The microhardness, tensile strength, and bending performance of the two plates are similar and acceptable. Tensile fracture analysis indicated the fracture mode at R1 was ductile fracture, while the explosive cladding plate at R2 had mainly ductile fracture with quasi-cleavage fracture as the supplement.
Hydrogen Solubility in Pd3Ag Phases from First-Principles Calculation
Authors: Chen Liang , Wang Qian , Jiang Wugui , Gong Haoran
Published: January 2019

First-principles calculation was used to systematically investigate hydrogen solubility in Pd3Ag phases. It was found that the solubility of hydrogen in Pd3Ag phases was much greater than in face-centered cubic (FCC) Pd, suggesting that Ag atoms enhanced hydrogen solubility with respect to FCC Pd. In addition, the present calculation also revealed that the anti-site defect formation enthalpies of Pd3Ag were close to zero, and the values of vacancy were positive and large, which indicated that Pd3Ag distributed compactly. In the process of hydrogen separation, anti-site defects decreased the hydrogen solubility in the Pd3Ag phases, i.e., the ordered Pd3Ag phases bestowed excellent properties of H selectivity. The results presented not only explore the fundamental properties of Pd3Ag phases and their various potential applications, but also agree with experimental observations reported in the literature.
Characterisation of the Solidification of a Molten Steel Surface Using Infrared Thermography
Authors: Slater Carl , Hechu Kateryna , Davis Claire , Sridhar Seetharaman
Published: January 2019

Infrared thermography provides an option for characterising surface reactions and their effects on the solidification of steel under different gas atmospheres. In this work, infrared thermography has been used during solidification of Twin Induced Plasticity (TWIP) steel in argon, carbon dioxide and nitrogen atmospheres using a confocal scanning laser microscope (CSLM). It was found that surface reactions resulted in a solid oxide film (in carbon dioxide) and decarburisation, along with surface graphite formation (in nitrogen). In both cases the emissivity and, hence, the cooling rate of the steel was affected in distinct ways. Differences in nucleation conditions (free surface in argon compared to surface oxide/graphite in carbon dioxide/nitrogen) as well as chemical composition changes (decarburisation) affected the liquidus and solidus temperatures, which were detected by thermal imaging from the thermal profile measured.
High On-Current Ge-Channel Heterojunction Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor Using Direct Band-to-Band Tunneling
Authors: Kim Garam , Lee Jaehong , Kim Jang Hyun , Kim Sangwan
Published: January 2019

The main challenge for tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) is achieving high on-current (Ion) and low subthreshold swing (SS) with reasonable ambipolar characteristics. In order to address these challenges, Ge-channel heterostructure TFET with Si source and drain region is proposed, and its electrical characteristics are compared to other TFET structures. From two-dimensional (2-D) device simulation results, it is confirmed that the Si/Ge heterostructure source junction improves Ion and SS characteristics by using the direct band-to-band tunneling current. Furthermore, the proposed structure shows suppressed ambipolar behavior since the Ge/Si heterostructure is used at the drain junction.
Swimming of Spermatozoa in a Maxwell Fluid
Authors: Omori Toshihiro , Ishikawa Takuji
Published: January 2019

It has been suggested that the swimming mechanism used by spermatozoa could be adopted for self-propelled micro-robots in small environments and potentially applied to biomedical engineering. Mammalian sperm cells must swim through a viscoelastic mucus layer to find the egg cell. Thus, understanding how sperm cells swim through viscoelastic liquids is significant not only for physiology, but also for the design of micro-robots. In this paper, we developed a numerical model of a sperm cell in a linear Maxwell fluid based on the boundary element slender-body theory coupling method. The viscoelastic properties were characterized by the Deborah number (De), and we found that, under the prescribed waveform, the swimming speed decayed with the Deborah number in the small-De regime (De < 1.0). The swimming efficiency was independent of the Deborah number, and the decrease in the swimming speed was not significantly affected by the wave pattern.
Marine Alkaloid 2,2-Bis(6-bromo-3-indolyl) Ethylamine and Its Synthetic Derivatives Inhibit Microbial Biofilms Formation and Disaggregate Developed Biofilms
Authors: Campana Raffaella , Favi Gianfranco , Baffone Wally , Lucarini Simone
Published: January 2019

The antimicrobial activity of the marine bisindole alkaloid 2,2-bis(6-bromo-3-indolyl) ethylamine (1) and related synthetic analogues (compounds 2–8) against target microorganisms was investigated by Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) determination. Compound 1 showed the greatest antimicrobial activity with the lowest MIC (8 mg/L) against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, while the derivatives exhibited higher MICs values (from 16 to 128 mg/L). Compounds 1, 3, 4, and 8, the most active ones, were then tested against E. coli, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, and Candida albicans during biofilms formation as well as on 24 h developed biofilms. The natural alkaloid 1 inhibited the biofilm formation of all the tested microorganisms up to 82.2% and disaggregated biofilms of E. coli, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, and C. albicans after 30 min of contact, as assessed by viable plate count and crystal violet (CV) staining (optical density at 570 nm). Synthetic derivatives 3, 4, and 8 displayed anti-biofilm activity toward individual bacterial populations. This study highlights the potential of marine bisindole alkaloid 1 as anti-biofilm agent and shows, through a preliminary structure activity relationship (SAR), the importance of halogens and ethylamine side chain for the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of this bisindole series.
Purple Sulfur Bacteria Dominate Microbial Community in Brazilian Limestone Cave
Authors: Marques Eric L. S. , Dias João C. T. , Gross Eduardo , Silva Adriana B. de Cerqueira e , de Moura Suzana R. , Rezende Rachel P.
Published: January 2019

The mineralogical composition of caves makes the environment ideal for inhabitation by microbes. However, the bacterial diversity in the cave ecosystem remains largely unexplored. In this paper, we described the bacterial community in an oxic chamber of the Sopradeira cave, an iron-rich limestone cave, in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil. The microbial population in the cave samples was studied by 16S rDNA next-generation sequencing. A type of purple sulfur bacteria (PSB), Chromatiales, was found to be the most abundant in the sediment (57%), gravel-like (73%), and rock samples (96%). The predominant PSB detected were Ectothiorhodospiraceae, Chromatiaceae, and Woeseiaceae. We identified the PSB in a permanently aphotic zone, with no sulfur detected by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The absence of light prompted us to investigate for possible nitrogen fixing (nifH) and ammonia oxidizing (amoA) genes in the microbial samples. The nifH gene was found to be present in higher copy numbers than the bacterial-amoA and archaeal-amoA genes, and archaeal-amoA dominated the ammonia-oxidizing community. Although PSB dominated the bacterial community in the samples and may be related to both nitrogen-fixing and ammonia oxidizing bacteria, nitrogen-fixing associated gene was the most detected in those samples, especially in the rock. The present work demonstrates that this cave is an interesting hotspot for the study of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and aphotic PSB.
High-Throughput Rapid and Inexpensive Assay for Quantitative Determination of Low Cell-Density Yeast Cultures
Authors: Casagrande Pierantoni Debora , Corte Laura , Roscini Luca , Cardinali Gianluigi
Published: January 2019

A procedure for microbial cell density determination with a high-throughput densitometric assay was developed to allow a precise quantification of both free and sessile cells, such as those of a biofilm, with a large range from low to high cell densities. Densitometry was chosen because it allows fast, rapid and cost-effective measures; it is non-disruptive; and has an easy learning curve. The method setup, and the further validation, was carried out with strains of Candida albicans, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis. Equations were developed at the level of the single strains, of the three species and finally a general one applicable to all three species. In the cross validation, with strains absent from the training set, the method was shown to be robust and flexible. The best results were obtained with species specific equations, although the global equation performed almost as well in terms of correlation between real and estimated density values. In all cases, a correlation around 0.98 between effective and predicted density was obtained with figures ranging from 102 to 108 cells mL−1. The entire analytical part of the procedure can be accomplished with a MS Excel macro provided free of charge.
Quercetin and Related Chromenone Derivatives as Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors: Targeting Neurological and Mental Disorders
Authors: Dhiman Priyanka , Malik Neelam , Sobarzo-Sánchez Eduardo , Uriarte Eugenio , Khatkar Anurag
Published: January 2019

Monoamine oxidase inhibitions are considered as important targets for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. This has encouraged many medicinal chemistry research groups for the development of most promising selective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. A large number of plant isolates also reported for significant MAO inhibition potential in recent years. Differently substituted flavonoids have been prepared and investigated as MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors. Flavonoid scaffold showed notable antidepressant and neuroprotective properties as revealed by various and established preclinical trials. The current review made an attempt to summarizing and critically evaluating the new findings on the quercetin and related flavonoid derivatives functions as potent MAO isoform inhibitors.
Updating the Role of Reduced Graphene Oxide Ink on Field Emission Devices in Synergy with Charge Transfer Materials
Authors: Stylianakis Minas M. , Viskadouros George , Polyzoidis Christos , Veisakis George , Kenanakis George , Kornilios Nikolaos , Petridis Konstantinos , Kymakis Emmanuel
Published: January 2019

Hydroiodic acid (HI)-treated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) ink/conductive polymeric composites are considered as promising cold cathodes in terms of high geometrical aspect ratio and low field emission (FE) threshold devices. In this study, four simple, cost-effective, solution-processed approaches for rGO-based field effect emitters were developed, optimized, and compared; rGO layers were coated on (a) n+ doped Si substrate, (b) n+-Si/P3HT:rGO, (c) n+-Si/PCDTBT:rGO, and (d) n+-Si/PCDTBT:PC71BM:rGO composites, respectively. The fabricated emitters were optimized by tailoring the concentration ratios of their preparation and field emission characteristics. In a critical composite ratio, FE performance was remarkably improved compared to the pristine Si, as well as n+-Si/rGO field emitter. In this context, the impact of various materials, such as polymers, fullerene derivatives, as well as different solvents on rGO function reinforcement and consequently on FE performance upon rGO-based composites preparation was investigated. The field emitter consisted of n+-Si/PCDTBT:PC71BM(80%):rGO(20%)/rGO displayed a field enhancement factor of ~2850, with remarkable stability over 20 h and low turn-on field in 0.6 V/μm. High-efficiency graphene-based FE devices realization paves the way towards low-cost, large-scale electron sources development. Finally, the contribution of this hierarchical, composite film morphology was evaluated and discussed.
2D Au Nanosphere Arrays/PVA-PBA-Modified-Hydrogel Composite Film for Glucose Detection with Strong Diffraction Intensity and Linear Response
Authors: Li Wenjuan , Xiang Junhuai , Men Dandan , Zhang Honghua
Published: January 2019

A novel glucose sensor was reported that consisted of two-dimensional (2D) Au nanosphere arrays and glucose-responsive hydrogel film. This sensor exhibited an intense diffraction signal and an obvious diffraction color on a quartz slide due to the strong diffraction intensity of the Au nanosphere arrays. Thus, glucose was detected via the variation of diffraction wavelength and diffraction color, without a high reflective mirror. In addition, by introducing poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to crosslink the phenylboronic acid (PBA)-modified hydrogel film, the diffraction wavelength of the 2D Au nanosphere arrays/hydrogel composite film shifted in the same direction in high ionic strength condition. In particular, it showed a nearly linear red-shift when the glucose concentration increased from 0 mM to 20 mM. Moreover, this glucose sensor displayed good reproducibility. The nearly linear response and good reproducibility were highly helpful for improving practical application of this glucose sensor.
Coherent Thermal Conduction in Silicon Nanowires with Periodic Wings
Authors: Anufriev Roman , Nomura Masahiro
Published: January 2019

Artificial periodic nanostructures, known as phononic crystals, promise to control the thermal properties of nanostructures in the coherent regime, which can be achieved in semiconductors at low temperatures. Here, we study coherent thermal conduction in silicon nanowires with added periodic wings at sub-Kelvin temperature. Our simulations show that the added periodic wings flatten the phonon dispersion and thus reduce the thermal conductance. We investigate the dependence of this reduction on the size of the wings and conclude that the reduction is mainly caused by the periodicity of the wings, rather than by local resonances in them. These findings help to better understand the mechanisms controlling coherent heat conduction in periodic resonant nanostructures.
Evaluation of the Stability of Dielectric Nanofluids for Use in Transformers under Real Operating Conditions
Authors: Primo Victor A. , Pérez-Rosa Daniel , García Belén , Cabanelas Juan Carlos
Published: January 2019

The application of nanotechnology to the electrical insulation of transformers has become a topic of interest in the last few years. Most authors propose the use of dielectric nanofluids, which are obtained by dispersing low concentrations of nanoparticles in conventional insulating liquids. Although a good number of works have demonstrated that dielectric nanofluids may exhibit superior dielectric properties than the base fluids, there is a key issue that still needs to be addressed, which is the long-term stability of those liquids. The studies about the stability of dielectric nanofluids fluids that have been published so far analyze the performance of the fluids under laboratory conditions which are far from the real working conditions the liquids would be subjected to when working inside a transformer. In this paper, an experimental study is presented that evaluates the stability of several dielectric nanofluids under realistic transformer operating conditions. As the study demonstrates, the stability of dielectric nanofluids depends strongly on the working temperature, on the materials applied to obtain the fluid, and on the manufacturing procedure, while other aspects, such as the interaction with other materials, are less relevant. Additional topics, such as the methods applied for evaluation of the stability and the physical properties of the dielectric nanofluids under test, are discussed in the paper as well.
Rapid Generation of Long Noncoding RNA Knockout Mice Using CRISPR/Cas9 Technology
Authors: Hansmeier Nils R. , Widdershooven Pia J. M. , Khani Sajjad , Kornfeld Jan-Wilhelm
Published: January 2019

In recent years, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as multifaceted regulators of gene expression, controlling key developmental and disease pathogenesis processes. However, due to the paucity of lncRNA loss-of-function mouse models, key questions regarding the involvement of lncRNAs in organism homeostasis and (patho)-physiology remain difficult to address experimentally in vivo. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 platform provides a powerful genome-editing tool and has been successfully applied across model organisms to facilitate targeted genetic mutations, including Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio and Mus musculus. However, just a few lncRNA-deficient mouse lines have been created using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering, presumably due to the need for lncRNA-specific gene targeting strategies considering the absence of open-reading frames in these loci. Here, we describe a step-wise procedure for the generation and validation of lncRNA loss-of-function mouse models using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering. In a proof-of-principle approach, we generated mice deficient for the liver-enriched lncRNA Gm15441, which we found downregulated during development of metabolic disease and induced during the feeding/fasting transition. Further, we discuss guidelines for the selection of lncRNA targets and provide protocols for in vitro single guide RNA (sgRNA) validation, assessment of in vivo gene-targeting efficiency and knockout confirmation. The procedure from target selection to validation of lncRNA knockout mouse lines can be completed in 18–20 weeks, of which <10 days hands-on working time is required.
Effects of Dietary Protein and Fat Content on Intrahepatocellular and Intramyocellular Lipids during a 6-Day Hypercaloric, High Sucrose Diet: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Normal Weight Healthy Subjects
Authors: Surowska Anna , Jegatheesan Prasanthi , Campos Vanessa , Marques Anne-Sophie , Egli Léonie , Cros Jérémy , Rosset Robin , Lecoultre Virgile , Kreis Roland , Boesch Chris , Pouymayou Bertrand , Schneiter Philippe , Tappy Luc
Published: January 2019

Sucrose overfeeding increases intrahepatocellular (IHCL) and intramyocellular (IMCL) lipid concentrations in healthy subjects. We hypothesized that these effects would be modulated by diet protein/fat content. Twelve healthy men and women were studied on two occasions in a randomized, cross-over trial. On each occasion, they received a 3-day 12% protein weight maintenance diet (WM) followed by a 6-day hypercaloric high sucrose diet (150% energy requirements). On one occasion the hypercaloric diet contained 5% protein and 25% fat (low protein-high fat, LP-HF), on the other occasion it contained 20% protein and 10% fat (high protein-low fat, HP-LF). IHCL and IMCL concentrations (magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and energy expenditure (indirect calorimetry) were measured after WM, and again after HP-LF/LP-HF. IHCL increased from 25.0 ± 3.6 after WM to 147.1 ± 26.9 mmol/kg wet weight (ww) after LP-HF and from 30.3 ± 7.7 to 57.8 ± 14.8 after HP-LF (two-way ANOVA with interaction: p < 0.001 overfeeding x protein/fat content). IMCL increased from 7.1 ± 0.6 to 8.8 ± 0.7 mmol/kg ww after LP-HF and from 6.2 ± 0.6 to 6.9 ± 0.6 after HP-LF, (p < 0.002). These results indicate that liver and muscle fat deposition is enhanced when sucrose overfeeding is associated with a low protein, high fat diet compared to a high protein, low fat diet.