bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in Non-Precious Transition Metal/Nitrogen-doped Carbon for Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts in PEMFCs
Authors: Song Meixiu , Song Yanhui , Sha Wenbo , Xu Bingshe , Guo Junjie , Wu Yucheng
Published: January 2020

The proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have been considered as promising future energy conversion devices, and have attracted immense scientific attention due to their high efficiency and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, the practical application of PEMFCs has been seriously restricted by high cost, low earth abundance and the poor poisoning tolerance of the precious Pt-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. Noble-metal-free transition metal/nitrogen-doped carbon (M–NxC) catalysts have been proven as one of the most promising substitutes for precious metal catalysts, due to their low costs and high catalytic performance. In this review, we summarize the development of M–NxC catalysts, including the previous non-pyrolyzed and pyrolyzed transition metal macrocyclic compounds, and recent developed M–NxC catalysts, among which the Fe–NxC and Co–NxC catalysts have gained our special attention. The possible catalytic active sites of M–NxC catalysts towards the ORR are also analyzed here. This review aims to provide some guidelines towards the design and structural regulation of non-precious M–NxC catalysts via identifying real active sites, and thus, enhancing their ORR electrocatalytic performance.
The Association between Air Temperature and Mortality in Two Brazilian Health Regions
Authors: Péres Wolmir Ercides , Ribeiro Andreia F. S. , Russo Ana , Nunes Baltazar
Published: January 2020

Air temperature, both cold and hot, has impacts on mortality and morbidities, which are exacerbated by poor health service and protection responses, particularly in under-developed countries. This study was designed to analyze the effects of air temperature on the risk of deaths for all and specific causes in two regions of Brazil (Florianopolis and Recife), between 2005 and 2014. The association between temperature and mortality was performed through the fitting of a quasi-Poisson non-linear lag distributed model. The association between air temperature and mortality was identified for both regions. The results showed that temperature exerted influence on both general mortality indicators and specific causes, with hot and cold temperatures bringing different impacts to the studied regions. Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular deaths were more sensitive to cold temperatures for Florianopolis and Recife, respectively. Based on the application of the very-well documented state-of-the-art methodology, it was possible to conclude that there was evidence that extreme air temperature influenced general and specific deaths. These results highlighted the importance of consolidating evidence and research in tropical countries such as Brazil as a way of understanding climate change and its impacts on health indicators.
Photocatalytic Properties of Copper Nitride/Molybdenum Disulfide Composite Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: Zhu Liwen , Gong Chenyang , Xiao Jianrong , Wang Zhiyong
Published: January 2020

Cu3N/MoS2 composite films were prepared by magnetron sputtering under different preparation parameter, and their photocatalytic properties were investigated. Results showed that the composite films surface was uniform and had no evident cracks. When the sputtering power of MoS2 increased from 2 W to 8 W, the photocatalytic performance of the composite films showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. Among these films, the composite films with MoS2 sputtering power of 4 W showed the best photocatalytic degradation performance. The photocatalytic degradation rate of methyl orange at 30 min was 98.3%, because the MoS2 crystal in the films preferentially grew over the Cu3N crystal, thereby affecting the growth of the Cu3N crystal. The crystallinity of the copper nitride also increased. During photocatalytic degradation, the proper amount of MoS2 reduced the band gap of Cu3N, and the photogenerated electron hole pairs were easily separated. Thus, the films produces additional photogenerated electrons and promotes the degradation reaction of the composite films on methyl orange solution.
Adhesion Effect on the Hyperfine Frequency Shift of an Alkali Metal Vapor Cell with Paraffin Coating Using Peak-Force Tapping AFM
Authors: Wei Jiuyan , Ma Zongmin , Wen Huanfei , Guo Hao , Tang Jun , Liu Jun , Li Yanjun , Sugawara Yasuhiro
Published: January 2020

We have investigated the adhesion effect on the hyperfine frequency shift of an alkali metal vapor cell with paraffin coating using the peak-force tapping AFM (atomic force microscopy) technique by developing a uniform and high-quality paraffin coating method. We observed a relatively uniform temperature field on the substrate can be obtained theoretically and experimentally with the closed-type previse temperature-controlled evaporation method. The roughness and adhesion of the coating surface as low as 0.8 nm and 20 pN were successfully obtained, respectively. Furthermore, the adhesion information dependence of the topography was investigated from the force spectroscopy, which indicates that the adhesion force jumped on the edge of the particles and stepped but remained constant above the particles and steps regardless of their height for paraffin coating. Finally, we can evaluate the relaxation and the hyperfine frequency shift of an alkali metal vapor cell through accurately calculating the surface adsorption energy of the paraffin coating from peak-force tapping information. This finding is crucial for improving the sensitivity of the atomic sensors through directly analyzing the adhesion effect of the paraffin coating films instead of measuring the relaxation times.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Cosmetics in 2019
Authors:   Cosmetics Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not [...]
Skull Melting Growth and Characterization of (ZrO2)0.89(Sc2O3)0.1(CeO2)0.01 Crystals
Authors: Agarkov Dmitrii , Borik Mikhail , Eliseeva Galina , Kulebyakin Alexey , Lomonova Elena , Milovich Filipp , Myzina Valentina , Parkhomenko Yuriy , Skryleva Elena , Tabachkova Nataliya
Published: January 2020

(ZrO2)0.89(Sc2O3)0.1(CeO2)0.01 crystals have been grown by directional melt crystallization in a cold crucible. The chemical and phase compositions of the crystals have been characterized using energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Raman scattering spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The X-ray photoelectron emission method has been used for determining the valence state of the Ce ions. We show that directional melt crystallization produces an inhomogeneous ceria distribution along the crystal length. The as-grown crystals are mixtures of cubic and rhombohedral zirconia modifications. The rhombohedral phase has an inhomogeneous distribution along crystal length. Melt crystallization does not produce single-phase cubic (ZrO2)0.89(Sc2O3)0.1(CeO2)0.01 crystals. The formation of the phase structure in the crystals for different synthesis methods has been discussed.
Cardiac Catheterization versus Echocardiography for Monitoring Pulmonary Pressure: A Prospective Study in Patients with Connective Tissue Disease-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Bournia Vasiliki Kalliopi , Tsangaris Iraklis , Rallidis Loukianos , Konstantonis Dimitrios , Frantzeskaki Frantzeska , Anthi Anastasia , Orfanos Stylianos E. , Demerouti Eftychia , Karyofillis Panagiotis , Voudris Vassilis , Laskari Katerina , Panopoulos Stylianos , Vlachoyiannopoulos Panayiotis G. , Sfikakis Petros P.
Published: January 2020

Standard echocardiography is important for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) screening in patients with connective tissue disease (CTD), but PAH diagnosis and monitoring require cardiac catheterization. Herein, using cardiac catheterization as reference, we tested the hypothesis that follow-up echocardiography is adequate for clinical decision-making in these patients. We prospectively studied 69 consecutive patients with CTD-associated PAH. Invasive baseline pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) was 60.19 ± 16.33 mmHg (mean ± SD) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was 6.44 ± 2.95WU. All patients underwent hemodynamic and echocardiographic follow-up after 9.47 ± 7.29 months; 27 patients had a third follow-up after 17.2 ± 7.4 months from baseline. We examined whether clinically meaningful hemodynamic deterioration of follow-up catheterization-derived PASP (i.e., > 10% increase) could be predicted by simultaneous echocardiography. Echocardiography predicted hemodynamic PASP deterioration with 59% sensitivity, 85% specificity, and 63/83% positive/negative predictive value, respectively. In multivariate analysis, successful echocardiographic prediction correlated only with higher PVR in previous catheterization (p = 0.05, OR = 1.235). Notably, in patients having baseline PVR > 5.45 WU, echocardiography had both sensitivity and positive predictive values of 73%, and both specificity and negative predictive value of 91% for detecting hemodynamic PASP deterioration. In selected patients with CTD-PAH echocardiography can predict PASP deterioration with high specificity and negative predictive value. Additional prospective studies are needed to confirm that better patient selection can increase the ability of standard echocardiography to replace repeat catheterization.
Mucinous Cancer of the Ovary: Overview and Current Status
Authors: Babaier Abdulaziz , Ghatage Prafull
Published: January 2020

Mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) is a rare subtype of epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). Whereas all EOC subtypes are addressed in the same way, MOC is a distinct entity. Appreciating the pathological features and genomic profile of MOC may result in the improvement in management and, hence, the prognosis. Distinguishing primary MOC from metastatic mucinous carcinoma can be challenging but is essential. Early-stage MOC carries an excellent prognosis, with advanced disease having a poor outcome. Surgical management plays an essential role in the early stage and in metastatic disease. Chemotherapy is usually administered for stage II MOC and beyond. The standard gynecology protocol is frequently used, but gastrointestinal regimens have also been administered. As MOC is associated with multiple molecular alterations, targeted therapy could be the answer to treat this disease.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Diseases in 2019
Authors:   Diseases Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not [...]
Use of an Oral Device in the Stabilization of Facial Advancement after Early Removal of the Osteodistraction Device for Postoperative Sequelae
Authors: Gasparini Giulio , Saponaro Gianmarco , Perina Michela , Boniello Roberto , Azzuni Camillo , Foresta Enrico , D’Amato Giuseppe , Todaro Mattia , Doneddu Piero , Massimi Luca , Tamburrini Gianpiero , Pelo Sandro , Garagiola Umberto , Moro Alessandro
Published: January 2020

The aim of this study is to present an oral device that improves splanchnocranium stability after osteodistraction in children treated for correction of craniofacial malformations. When removal of the distraction device before the end of the treatment is necessary, the reposition of a new fixation system might not be possible. In these cases, regrown bone is immature, and relapse of malformation occurs frequently. We have been treating these cases by the application of an oral device named Maxillary Advancement Contention (MAC). MAC is used in every patient when any complication interrupts the protocol of osteodistraction before the end of the stabilization time. The device is placed immediately after the removal of the distraction device and left in place for at least three months. We used MAC in six children surgically treated for correction of craniosynostosis with facial or craniofacial advancement. To establish the relapse of malformation we analyzed relations Sella-Nasion-Orbitale (SNOr) and Sella-Nasion-A point (SNA) angles before application of the MAC and after one year. The analysis of stability was excellent in every patient. This device might help, with a minimally invasive procedure, to maintain the obtained advancement allowing stabilization of the regrown bone.
Analysis of the Critical Bits of a RISC-V Processor Implemented in an SRAM-Based FPGA for Space Applications
Authors: Aranda Luis Alberto , Wessman Nils-Johan , Santos Lucana , Sánchez-Macián Alfonso , Andersson Jan , Weigand Roland , Maestro Juan Antonio
Published: January 2020

One of the traditional issues in space missions is the reliability of the electronic components on board spacecraft. There are numerous techniques to deal with this, from shielding and rad-hard fabrication to ad-hoc fault-tolerant designs. Although many of these solutions have been extensively studied, the recent utilization of FPGAs as the target architecture for many electronic components has opened new possibilities, partly due to the distinct nature of these devices. In this study, we performed fault injection experiments to determine if a RISC-V soft processor implemented in an FPGA could be used as an onboard computer for space applications, and how the specific nature of FPGAs needs to be tackled differently from how ASICs have been traditionally handled. In particular, in this paper, the classic definition of the cross-section is revisited, putting into perspective the importance of the so-called “critical bits” in an FPGA design.
Energy Management of Solar-Powered Aircraft-Based High Altitude Platform for Wireless Communications
Authors: Arum Steve Chukwuebuka , Grace David , Mitchell Paul Daniel , Zakaria Muhammad Danial , Morozs Nils
Published: January 2020

With the increasing interest in wireless communications from solar-powered aircraft-based high altitude platforms (HAPs), it is imperative to assess the feasibility of their deployment in different locations with the constraints on energy consumption and payload weight under consideration. This paper considers the energy management of solar-powered aircraft-based HAPs for wireless communications service provisioning in equatorial regions and regions further up the northern hemisphere. The total solar energy harvested and consumed on the shortest day of the year is analyzed, and it is explained how this determines the feasibility of long endurance, semi-permanent missions. This takes into account the different aircraft-based HAPs and the energy storage systems currently available, and how these can be deployed for wireless communications. We show that the solar-powered HAPs are energy and weight limited, and this depends largely on the platform’s wingspan available for the deployment of solar collectors. Our analysis show that services can be provided for a duration of 15–24 h/day using current platforms, with wingspans ranging between 25–35 m, depending on the configuration and coverage radius. Furthermore, we show that doubling an aircraft’s wingspan can increase its payload capacity by a factor of 6, which in turn enhances its feasibility for wireless communications.
Activities of Daily Living and Environment Recognition Using Mobile Devices: A Comparative Study
Authors: Ferreira José M. , Pires Ivan Miguel , Marques Gonçalo , García Nuno M. , Zdravevski Eftim , Lameski Petre , Flórez-Revuelta Francisco , Spinsante Susanna , Xu Lina
Published: January 2020

The recognition of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) using the sensors available in off-the-shelf mobile devices with high accuracy is significant for the development of their framework. Previously, a framework that comprehends data acquisition, data processing, data cleaning, feature extraction, data fusion, and data classification was proposed. However, the results may be improved with the implementation of other methods. Similar to the initial proposal of the framework, this paper proposes the recognition of eight ADL, e.g., walking, running, standing, going upstairs, going downstairs, driving, sleeping, and watching television, and nine environments, e.g., bar, hall, kitchen, library, street, bedroom, living room, gym, and classroom, but using the Instance Based k-nearest neighbour (IBk) and AdaBoost methods as well. The primary purpose of this paper is to find the best machine learning method for ADL and environment recognition. The results obtained show that IBk and AdaBoost reported better results, with complex data than the deep neural network methods.
FPGA-Based Hardware Matrix Inversion Architecture Using Hybrid Piecewise Polynomial Approximation Systolic Cells
Authors: Vázquez-Castillo Javier , Castillo-Atoche Alejandro , Carrasco-Alvarez Roberto , Longoria-Gandara Omar , Ortegón-Aguilar Jaime
Published: January 2020

The hardware of the matrix inversion architecture using QR decomposition with Givens Rotations (GR) and a back substitution (BS) block is required for many signal processing algorithms. However, the hardware of the GR algorithm requires the implementation of complex operations, such as the reciprocal square root (RSR), which is typically implemented using LookUp Table (LUT) and COordinate Rotation DIgital Computer (CORDICs), among others, conveying to either high-area consumption or low throughput. This paper introduces an Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based full matrix inversion architecture using hybrid piecewise polynomial approximation systolic cells. In the design, a hybrid segmentation technique was incorporated for the implementation of piecewise polynomial systolic cells. This hybrid approach is composed by an external and internal segmentation, where the first is nonuniform and the second is uniform, fitting the curve shape of the complex functions achieving a better signal-quantization-to noise-ratio; furthermore, it improves the time performance and area resources. Experimental results reveal a well-balanced improvement in the design achieving high throughput and, hence, less resource utilization in comparison to state-of-the-art FPGA-based architectures. In our study, the proposed design achieves 7.51 Mega-Matrices per second for performing 4 × 4 matrix operations with a latency of 12 clock cycles; meanwhile, the hardware design requires only 1474 slice registers, 1458 LUTs in an FPGA Virtex-5 XC5VLX220T, and 1474 slice registers and 1378 LUTs when a FPGA Virtex-6 XC6VLX240T is used.
Stator Inductance Identification Based on Low-Speed Tests for Three-Level NPC Inverter-Fed Induction Motor Drives
Authors: Khojakhan Yerganat , Choo Kyoung-Min , Won Chung-Yuen
Published: January 2020

This paper proposes a stator inductance identification process for three-level neutral point clamped (NPC), inverter-fed Induction Motor (IM) drives based on a low-speed test drive. Conventionally, the stator inductance of an IM is identified by methods based on standstill or rotational tests. Since conventional standstill test-based methods have several practical problems when used with three-level inverters because of their nonlinearity, an identification method based on rotational tests is superior in such applications. However, conventional rotational tests cause unintended behavior because of the high speeds used during the test. In the proposed stator inductance identification process, the stator inductance is identified based on a low-speed test drive. In the proposed method, the stator flux is estimated using the instantaneous reactive power of the IM during low-frequency sinusoidal current excitation, and the stator inductance is then identified based upon this. Therefore, the proposed identification process is safer than conventional approaches, as it uses only a low-speed test. The accuracy and reliability of this method are verified by simulation and experiment using three motors with different rated voltage and power.
Leukemia Image Segmentation Using a Hybrid Histogram-Based Soft Covering Rough K-Means Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Inbarani H. Hannah , Azar Ahmad Taher , G Jothi
Published: January 2020

Segmenting an image of a nucleus is one of the most essential tasks in a leukemia diagnostic system. Accurate and rapid segmentation methods help the physicians identify the diseases and provide better treatment at the appropriate time. Recently, hybrid clustering algorithms have started being widely used for image segmentation in medical image processing. In this article, a novel hybrid histogram-based soft covering rough k-means clustering (HSCRKM) algorithm for leukemia nucleus image segmentation is discussed. This algorithm combines the strengths of a soft covering rough set and rough k-means clustering. The histogram method was utilized to identify the number of clusters to avoid random initialization. Different types of features such as gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), color, and shape-based features were extracted from the segmented image of the nucleus. Machine learning prediction algorithms were applied to classify the cancerous and non-cancerous cells. The proposed strategy is compared with an existing clustering algorithm, and the efficiency is evaluated based on the prediction metrics. The experimental results show that the HSCRKM method efficiently segments the nucleus, and it is also inferred that logistic regression and neural network perform better than other prediction algorithms.
Developing Efficient Discrete Simulations on Multicore and GPU Architectures
Authors: Cagigas-Muñiz Daniel , Diaz-del-Rio Fernando , López-Torres Manuel Ramón , Jiménez-Morales Francisco , Guisado José Luis
Published: January 2020

In this paper we show how to efficiently implement parallel discrete simulations on multicore and GPU architectures through a real example of an application: a cellular automata model of laser dynamics. We describe the techniques employed to build and optimize the implementations using OpenMP and CUDA frameworks. We have evaluated the performance on two different hardware platforms that represent different target market segments: high-end platforms for scientific computing, using an Intel Xeon Platinum 8259CL server with 48 cores, and also an NVIDIA Tesla V100 GPU, both running on Amazon Web Server (AWS) Cloud; and on a consumer-oriented platform, using an Intel Core i9 9900k CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI GPU. Performance results were compared and analyzed in detail. We show that excellent performance and scalability can be obtained in both platforms, and we extract some important issues that imply a performance degradation for them. We also found that current multicore CPUs with large core numbers can bring a performance very near to that of GPUs, and even identical in some cases.
A Recent Electronic Control Circuit to a Throttle Device
Authors: Acho Leonardo , Pujol-Vázquez Gisela , Gibergans-Báguena José
Published: January 2020

The main objective of this paper was to conceive a new electronic control circuit to the throttle device. The throttle mechanical actuator is the most important part in an automotive gasoline engine. Among the different control strategies recently reported, an easy to implement control scheme is an open research topic in the analog electronic engineering field. Hence, we propose using the nonlinear dwell switching control theory for an analog electronic control unit, to manipulate an automotive throttle plate. Due to the switching mechanism commuting between a stable and an unstable controllers, the resultant closed-loop system is robust enough to the control objective. This fact is experimentally evidenced. The proposed electronic controller uses operational amplifiers along with an Arduino unit. This unit is just employed to generate the related switching signal that can be replaced by using, for instance, the timer IC555. Thus, this study is a contribution on design and realization of an electronic control circuit to the throttle device.
Design of SWB MIMO Antenna with Extremely Wideband Isolation
Authors: Ullah Habib , Rahman Saeed Ur , Cao Qunsheng , Khan Ijaz , Ullah Hamid
Published: January 2020

This paper presents a compact planar multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna for super wide band (SWB) applications. The presented MIMO antenna comprises two identical patches on the same substrate. Dimensions of the MIMO antenna are 0.17λ × 0.20λ × 0.006λ mm3, with respect to the lowest resonance of 1.30 GHz. The SWB antenna was manufactured using F4B substrate having a dielectric constant of 2.65 that provides a percent impedance bandwidth and bandwidth ratio of 187% and 30.76:1, respectively. The mutual coupling between the antenna elements is suppressed by placing a T-shaped corrugated strip in the mid of two antenna elements. The proposed MIMO antenna exhibits maximum diversity gain of 10 dB, low mutual coupling (<−20 dB), low envelope correlation coefficient (ECC < 0.02), efficiency >80%, and low reflection coefficient (<−10 dB) in the SWB frequency range (1.30 GH–40 GHz). The presented antenna is a good candidate for SWB applications. The designed antenna has been experimentally validated, and the simulated results were also verified.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Gels in 2019
Authors:   Gels Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not [...]
Trace Metal and Cd Isotope Systematics of the Basal Datangpo Formation, Yangtze Platform (South China) Indicate Restrained (Bio)Geochemical Metal Cycling in Cryogenian Seawater
Authors: Hohl Simon V. , Jiang Shao-Yong , Viehmann Sebastian , Wei Wei , Liu Qian , Wei Hai-Zhen , Galer Stephen J.G.
Published: January 2020

The behaviour of bioavailable trace metals and their stable isotopes in the modern oceans is controlled by uptake into phototrophic organisms and adsorption on and incorporation into marine authigenic minerals. Among other bioessential metals, Cd and its stable isotopes have recently been used in carbonate lithologies as novel tracer for changes in the paleo primary productivity and (bio)geochemical cycling. However, many marine sediments that were deposited during geologically highly relevant episodes and which, thus, urgently require study for a better understanding of the paleo environment are rather composed of a mixture of organic matter (OM), and detrital and authigenic minerals. In this study, we present Cd concentrations and their isotopic compositions as well as trace metal concentrations from sequential leachates of OM-rich shales of the Cryogenian basal Datangpo Formation, Yangtze Platform (South China). Our study shows variable distribution of conservative and bioavailable trace metals as well as Cd isotope compositions between sequential leachates of carbonate, OM, sulphide, and silicate phases. We show that the Cd isotope compositions obtained from OM leachates can be used to calculate the ambient Cryogenian surface seawater of the restricted Nanhua Basin by applying mass balance calculations. By contrast, early diagenetic Mn carbonates and sulphides incorporated the residual Cd from dissolved organic matter that was in isotopic equilibrium with deep/pore waters of the Nanhua Basin. Our model suggests that the Cd isotopic composition of surface seawater at that time reached values of modern oxygenated surface oceans. However, the deep water Cd isotope composition was substantially heavier than that of modern fully oxygenated oceans and rather resembles deep waters with abundant sulphide precipitation typical for modern oxygen minimum zones. This argues for incomplete recycling of Cd and other bioavailable metals shortly after the Sturtian glaciation in the redox stratified Cryogenian Nanhua Basin. Our study highlights the importance of sequential leaching procedures when dealing with impure authigenic sediments such as OM-rich carbonates, mudstones, or shales to achieve reliable trace metal concentrations and Cd isotope compositions as proxies for (bio)geochemical metal cycling in past aquatic systems.
Practical Toponymics: Szczecin on the Geographical Map of World
Authors: Maciąg Łukasz
Published: January 2020

This article presents practical aspects of toponymics in the context of complex analysis of different kinds of data (ethnological, historical, geographical, geological, geopolitical, and sociological). The application of toponymy is here related to the city of Szczecin—a historical city and the recent capital of Western Pomerania, Poland—in order to reveal other same-named localities established on four continents. The historical, geological, and geographical backgrounds of different Szczecin locations is described, with an emphasis on natural values and geoheritage. Analysis of different kinds of data shows several toponymical units that have geographical names related to Szczecin (Stettin, Stettyn, or Settin), which are identified and associated mostly with geological or geographical units. The historical development of the locations described is related mostly to migration and exploration by people originating from Western Pomerania (historically part of Prussia and the German Empire), especially during the colonial and post-colonial ages.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of International Journal of Molecular Science in 2019
Authors: International Journal of Molecular Science Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not.[...]
Community Detection Based on a Preferential Decision Model
Authors: Sheng Jinfang , Lu Ben , Wang Bin , Hu Jie , Wang Kai , Pan Xiaoxia , Dong Qiangqiang , Aklilu Dawit
Published: January 2020

The research on complex networks is a hot topic in many fields, among which community detection is a complex and meaningful process, which plays an important role in researching the characteristics of complex networks. Community structure is a common feature in the network. Given a graph, the process of uncovering its community structure is called community detection. Many community detection algorithms from different perspectives have been proposed. Achieving stable and accurate community division is still a non-trivial task due to the difficulty of setting specific parameters, high randomness and lack of ground-truth information. In this paper, we explore a new decision-making method through real-life communication and propose a preferential decision model based on dynamic relationships applied to dynamic systems. We apply this model to the label propagation algorithm and present a Community Detection based on Preferential Decision Model, called CDPD. This model intuitively aims to reveal the topological structure and the hierarchical structure between networks. By analyzing the structural characteristics of complex networks and mining the tightness between nodes, the priority of neighbor nodes is chosen to perform the required preferential decision, and finally the information in the system reaches a stable state. In the experiments, through the comparison of eight comparison algorithms, we verified the performance of CDPD in real-world networks and synthetic networks. The results show that CDPD not only has better performance than most recent algorithms on most datasets, but it is also more suitable for many community networks with ambiguous structure, especially sparse networks.
High-Resolution Infection Kinetics of Entomopathogenic Nematodes Entering Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Dziedziech Alexis , Shivankar Sai , Theopold Ulrich
Published: January 2020

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been a useful model for studying wound healing in insects due to their natural mechanism of entering an insect host either through the cuticle or an orifice. While many experiments have shed light on nematode and host behavior, as well as the host immune response, details regarding early nematode entry and proliferative events have been limited. Using high-resolution microscopy, we provide data on the early infection kinetics of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and its symbiotic bacteria, Photorhabdus luminescens. EPNs appendage themselves to the host and enter through the host cuticle with a drill-like mechanism while leaving their outer sheath behind. EPNs immediately release their symbiotic bacteria in the host which leads to changes in host behavior and septicemia within 6 h while EPNs travel through the host in a predictable manner, congregating in the anterior end of the host. This paper sheds light on the entry and proliferative events of EPN infection, which will further aid in our understanding of wound healing and host immune activation at a high spatiotemporal resolution.
Using Scuba for In Situ Determination of Chlorophyll Distributions in Corals by Underwater Near Infrared Fluorescence Imaging
Authors: Oh Thomas , Sermsripong Jittiwat , Hicks Barry W.
Published: January 2020

Studies reporting quantitation and imaging of chlorophyll in corals using visible fluorescent emission in the red near 680 nm can suffer from competing emission from other red-emitting pigments. Here, we report a novel method of selectively imaging chlorophyll distributions in coral in situ using only the near infrared (NIR) fluorescence emission from chlorophyll. Commercially available equipment was assembled that allowed the sequential imaging of visible, visible-fluorescent, and NIR-fluorescent pigments on the same corals. The relative distributions of chlorophyll and fluorescent proteins (GFPs) were examined in numerous corals in the Caribbean Sea, the Egyptian Red Sea, the Indonesian Dampier Strait, and the Florida Keys. Below 2 m depth, solar induced NIR chlorophyll fluorescence can be imaged in daylight without external lighting, thus, it is much easier to do than visible fluorescence imaging done at night. The distributions of chlorophyll and GFPs are unique in every species examined, and while there are some tissues where both fluorophores are co-resident, often tissues are selectively enriched in only one of these fluorescent pigments. Although laboratory studies have clearly shown that GFPs can be photo-protective, their inability to prevent large scale bleaching events in situ may be due to their limited tissue distribution.
Dynamic Simulation of System Performance Change by PID Automatic Control of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Authors: Seungtaek Lim , Hoseang Lee , Hyeonju Kim
Published: January 2020

Near infinite seawater thermal energy, which is considered as an alternative to energy shortage, is expected to be available to 98 countries around the world. Currently, a demonstration plant is being built using closed MW class ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). In order to stabilize the operation of the OTEC, automation through a PID control is required. To construct the control system, the control logic is constructed, the algorithm is selected, and each control value is derived. In this paper, we established an optimal control system of a closed OTEC, which is to be demonstrated in Kiribati through simulation, to compare the operating characteristics and to build a system that maintains a superheat of 1 °C or more according to seawater temperature changes. The conditions applied to the simulation were the surface seawater temperature of 31 °C and the deep seawater temperature of 5.5 °C, and the changes of turbine output, flow rate, required power, and evaporation pressure of the refrigerant pump were compared as the temperature difference gradually decreased. As a result of comparing the RPM control according to the selected PID control value, it was confirmed that an error rate of 0.01% was shown in the temperature difference condition of 21.5 °C. In addition, the average superheat degree decreased as the temperature difference decreased, and after about 6000 s and a temperature decrease to 24 °C or less, the average superheat degree was maintained while maintaining the superheat degree of 1.7 °C on average.
A Bibliometric Analysis on Land Degradation: Current Status, Development, and Future Directions
Authors: Xie Hualin , Zhang Yanwei , Wu Zhilong , Lv Tiangui
Published: January 2020

Land degradation is a global issue receiving much attention currently. In order to objectively reveal the research situation of land degradation, bibliometrix and biblioshiny software packages have been used to conduct data mining and quantitative analysis on research papers in the fields of land degradation during 1990–2019 (data update time was 8 April 2019) in the Web of Science core collection database. The results show that: (1) during the past 20 years, the number of papers on land degradation has increased. According to the number of articles, it is divided into four stages: a low-production exploration period, a developmental sprout period, expansion of the promotion period, and a high-yield active period. (2) Land-degradation research covers 93 countries or regions. The top five countries in terms of research volume are China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. China, the United States, and the United Kingdom are the most important countries for international cooperation in the field of land degradation. However, cooperation between countries is not very close overall. (3) Land degradation, degradation, desertification, remote sensing, soil erosion, and soil degradation are high-frequency keywords in the field of land degradation in recent years. (4) The research hotspots in the field of land degradation mainly focus on research directions such as restoration and reconstruction of land degradation, and sustainable management of land resources. (5) The themes of various periods in the field of land degradation are diversified, and the evolutionary relationship is complex. There are 15 evolutionary paths with regard to dynamic monitoring of land degradation, environmental governance of land degradation, and responses of land degradation to land-use change. Finally, the paper concludes that the research directions on land degradation in future include the process, mechanism, and effect of land degradation, the application of new technologies, new monitoring methods for land degradation, theory enhancement, methods and models of ecological restoration, reconstruction of degraded land, multidisciplinary integrated system research, constructing a policy guarantee system for the reconstruction of degraded land, and strengthening research on land resource engineering.
Characterizing the Landscape Structure of Urban Wetlands Using Terrain and Landscape Indices
Authors: O. Festus Olusola , Ji Wei , Zubair Opeyemi
Published: January 2020

Several studies have shown human impacts on urban wetlands. These impacts are mostly studied at broad scales, which may generalize and aggregate important information needed for landscape quantification or terrain analysis. This situation can weakly or inappropriately address the structure of wetland landscapes, thus affecting the assessment of the quantities and qualities of terrestrial wetland habitats. To address these issues for urban wetland dynamics, this study proposes the use of landscape and terrain indices to characterize the landscape structure of urban wetlands at a fine scale in order to assess its usefulness in contributing to wildlife sustainability. To achieve this goal, secondary terrain attribute data are integrated with an object-based satellite image classification at the wetland and watershed level. The result reveals a general swell in wetland coverage at the watershed level. Further analysis shows the size and shape complexities, and edge irregularities are increased significantly at the patch level but slightly at the watershed level. Terrain analysis further reveals a potential increase in wetness and decrease in stream power vulnerability for most of the major wetlands under study. These results suggest that terrain and landscape indices are effective in characterizing the structure of urban wetlands that supports socio-ecological sustainability.
Degradation and Biocompatibility of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Implants In Vitro and In Vivo: A Micro-Computed Tomography Study in Rats
Authors: Kawamura Naohiko , Nakao Yuya , Ishikawa Rina , Tsuchida Dai , Iijima Masahiro
Published: January 2020

In current orthodontic practice, miniscrew implants (MSIs) for anchorage and bone fixation plates (BFPs) for surgical orthodontic treatment are commonly used. MSIs and BFPs that are made of bioabsorbable material would avoid the need for removal surgery. We investigated the mechanical, degradation and osseointegration properties and the bone-implant interface strength of the AZ31 bioabsorbable magnesium alloy to assess its suitability for MSIs and BFPs. The mechanical properties of a Ti alloy (TiA), AZ31 Mg alloy (MgA), pure Mg and poly-L-lactic acid (PLA) were investigated using a nanoindentation test. Also, pH changes in the solution and degradation rates were determined using immersion tests. Three-dimensional, high-resolution, micro-computed tomography (CT) of implants in the rat femur was performed. Biomechanical push-out testing was conducted to calculate the maximum shear strength of the bone-implant interface. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), histological analysis and an evaluation of systemic inflammation were performed. MgA has mechanical properties similar to those of bone, and is suitable for implants. The degradation rate of MgA was significantly lower than that of Mg. MgA achieved a significantly higher bone-implant bond strength than TiA. Micro-CT revealed no significant differences in bone density or bone-implant contact between TiA and MgA. In conclusion, the AZ31 Mg alloy is suitable for both MSIs and BFPs.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Materials in 2019
Authors:   Materials Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not [...]
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Machines in 2019
Authors:   Machines Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not [...]
Nash Equilibrium Investment-Reinsurance Strategies for an Insurer and a Reinsurer with Intertemporal Restrictions and Common Interests
Authors: Bai Yanfei , Zhou Zhongbao , Gao Rui , Xiao Helu
Published: January 2020

This paper investigates the generalized multi-period mean-variance investment-reinsurance optimization model in a discrete-time framework for a general insurance company that contains a reinsurer and an insurer. The intertemporal restrictions and the common interests of the reinsurer and the insurer are considered. The common goal of the reinsurer and the insurer is to maximize the expectation of the weighted sum of their wealth processes and minimize the corresponding variance. Based on the game method, we obtain the Nash equilibrium investment-reinsurance strategies for the above-proposed model and find out the equilibrium strategies when unilateral interest is considered. In addition, the Nash equilibrium investment-reinsurance strategies are deduced under two special premium calculated principles (i.e., the expected value premium principle and the variance value premium principle). We theoretically study the effect of the intertemporal restrictions on Nash equilibrium investment-reinsurance strategies and find the effect depends on the value of some parameters, which differs from the previous researches that generally believed that intertemporal restrictions would make investors avoid risks. Finally, we perform corresponding numerical analyses to verify our theoretical results.
A Rectifying Acceptance Sampling Plan Based on the Process Capability Index
Authors: Yen Ching-Ho , Lee Chun-Chia , Lo Kuo-Hung , Shiue Yeou-Ren , Li Shu-Hua
Published: January 2020

The acceptance sampling plan and process capability index (PCI) are critical decision tools for quality control. Recently, numerous research papers have examined the acceptance sampling plan in combination with the PCI. However, most of these papers have not considered the aspect of rectifying inspections. In this paper, we propose a quality cost model of repetitive sampling to develop a rectifying acceptance sampling plan based on the one-sided PCI. This proposed model minimizes the total quality cost (TQC) of sentencing one lot, including inspection cost, internal failure cost, and external failure cost. In addition, sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the behavior of relevant parameters against TQC. To demonstrate the advantages of the proposed methodology, a comparison is implemented with the existing rectifying sampling plan in terms of TQC and average outgoing quality limit. This comparison reveals that our proposed methodology exhibits superior performance.
Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix—Single-Center Study Over a 10-Year Period
Authors: Yordanov Angel , Karamanliev Martin , Tantchev Latchezar , Konsoulova Assia , Strashilov Strahil , Vasileva-Slaveva Mariela
Published: January 2020

Background and objectives: Adenosquamous cancer of the uterine cervix is a rare type of cervical cancer with both malignant squamous and glandular components. A very rare subtype is mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), which was first described as a salivary gland tumor. It has been described as having the appearance of a squamous cell carcinoma without glandular formation and contains intracellular mucin. The postoperative evolution of this tumor and the potentially poorer prognosis may indicate an intensification of the follow-up. The objective of our study was to analyze the frequency of mucoepidermoid carcinoma in hospitalized women with cervical cancer, clinical characteristics and prognosis. Material and Methods: A retrospective study of all cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the cervix at Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University Hospital—Pleven, Pleven Bulgaria between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2016 was performed. All patients were followed-up till December 2019. We analyzed certain clinical characteristics of the patients; calculated the frequency of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the cervix from all patients with stage I cervical cancer; and looked at the overall survival rate, correlation between overall survival, lymph node status and the size of the tumor. Results: The frequency of MEC was 1.12% of all patients with stage I cervical cancer in this study. The median age of the patients with MEC was 46.7 years (range 38–62). Four patients (57.1%) were staged as FIGO IB1, and three patients (42.8%) were FIGO IB2. The size of the primary tumor was <2 cm in 2 patients (28.57%), 2–4 cm in 2 patients (28.57%) and >4 cm in 3 patients (42.8%). Metastatic lymph nodes were found in two patients (28.57%), and nonmetastatic lymph nodes were found in five patients (71.43%). There were two (28.57%) disease-related deaths during the study period. The five-year observed survival in the MEC group was 85.7% and in the other subtypes of adenosquamous cancer group was 78.3%. Conclusions: MEC of the uterine cervix is a rare entity diagnosis. As a mucin-producing tumor, it is frequently regarded as a subtype with worse clinical behavior and patients’ outcomes. Nevertheless, our data did not confirm this prognosis. New molecular markers and better stratification are needed for better selection of patients with CC, which may benefit more from additional treatment and new target therapies.