bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Surface Roughness and Predictive Modelling of Machining Stellite 6
Authors: Valíček Jan , Řehoř Jan , Harničárová Marta , Gombár Miroslav , Kušnerová Milena , Fulemová Jaroslava , Vagaská Alena
Published: August 2019

The aim of the paper was to examine the influence of cutting conditions on the roughness of surfaces machined by longitudinal turning, namely of surfaces coated with Stellite 6 prepared by high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) technology and applied onto a standard structural steel substrate. From the results of measurements of the cutting parameters, a prediction model of the roughness parameters was created using mathematical and statistical methods. Based on a more detailed analysis and data comparison, a new method for prediction of parameters of longitudinal turning technology was obtained. The main aim of the paper was to identify the mutual discrete relationships between the substrate roughness and the machining parameters. These were the feed rate vc (m·min−1), in the case of turning and milling, and the feed rate f (mm·rev−1) and the depth of cut ap (mm). The paper compared and verified two approaches of this method, namely the mathematical statistical approach, the analytical approach and measured dates. From the evaluated and interpreted results, new equations were formulated, enabling prediction of the material parameters of the workpiece, the technological parameters and the parameters of surface quality.
Special Issue: Advances in Zintl Phases
Authors: Kauzlarich Susan M.
Published: August 2019

Zintl phases have garnered a great deal of attention for many applications. The term “Zintl phase” recognizes the contributions of the German chemist Eduard Zintl to the field of solid-state chemistry. While Zintl phases were initially defined as a subgroup of intermetallic phases where cations and anions or polyanions in complex intermetallic structures are valence satisfied, the foundational idea of electron counting to understand complex solid-state structures has provided insight into bonding and a bridge between solid-state and molecular chemists. This Special Issue, “Advances in Zintl Phases”, provides a collage of research in the area, from solution to solid-state chemistry.
Incidence Dependency of Photonic Crystal Substrate and Its Application on Solar Energy Conversion: Ag2S Sensitized WO3 in FTO Photonic Crystal Film
Authors: Ke Xi , Yang Mengmeng , Wang Weizhe , Luo Dongxiang , Zhang Menglong
Published: August 2019

In addition to the most common applications of macroporous film: Supplying a large surface area, PC-FTO (macroporous fluorine-doped tin oxide with photonic crystal structure) can be employed as a template to control the morphologies of WO3 for exposing a more active facet, and enhance the overall photo-electron conversion efficiency for the embedded photoactive materials under changing illumination incidence through refracting and scattering. The optical features of PC-FTO film was demonstrated by DRUVS (diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectra). Plate-like WO3 were directly synthesized inside the PC-FTO film as a control group photoanode, Ag2S quantum dots were subsequently decorated on WO3 to tune the light absorption range. The impact of photonic crystal film on the photoactivity of Ag2S/WO3 was demonstrated by using the photoelectrochemical current density as a function of the incidence of the simulated light source.
Viscosity and Structure of a CaO-SiO2-FeO-MgO System during a Modified Process from Nickel Slag by CaO
Authors: Shen Yingying , Chong Junkai , Huang Ziniu , Tian Jianke , Zhang Wenjuan , Tang Xingchang , Ding Wanwu , Du Xueyan
Published: August 2019

There is a high iron content in nickel slag that mainly exists in the fayalite phase. Basic oxide can destroy the stable structure of fayalite which is beneficial to the treatment and comprehensive utilization of nickel slag. The research was based on the composition of the raw nickel slag, taking the CaO-SiO2-FeO-MgO system as the object and CaO as a modifier. The effect of basicity on the melting characteristics, viscosity and structure of the CaO-SiO2-FeO-MgO system was studied. The relationship between the viscosity and structure of the CaO-SiO2-FeO-MgO system was also explored. The results show as follows: (1) When the basicity is lower than 0.90, the primary phase of the slag system is olivine phase. When the basicity is greater than 0.90, the primary phase of the slag system transforms into monoxide. When the basicity is 0.90, olivine and monoxide precipitate together as the temperature continues to decrease. At the same time, the liquidus temperature, softening temperature, hemispherical temperature, and flow temperature all reach the lowest value. (2) With the increase of basicity, the critical viscosity temperature of the CaO-SiO2-FeO-MgO system decreases first and then increases. Critical viscosity temperature is the lowest at the basicity of 0.90, which is 1295 °C. (3) When the slag system is heterogeneous, the viscosity of the molten slag increases rapidly because of the quantity of solid phase precipitated from the CaO-SiO2-FeO-MgO system. (4) When the slag system is in a homogeneous liquid phase, the molar fraction of O0 decreases with the increase of basicity and the mole fraction of O−, and O2− increases continuously at the basicity of 0.38~1.50. The silicate network structure is gradually depolymerized into simple monomers, resulting in the degree of polymerization, and the viscosity, being reduced. The mole fraction of different kinds of oxygen atoms is converged to a constant value when the basicity is above 1.20.
Activating the Intrinsic Pathway of Apoptosis Using BIM BH3 Peptides Delivered by Peptide Amphiphiles with Endosomal Release
Authors: Schnorenberg Mathew R. , Bellairs Joseph A. , Samaeekia Ravand , Acar Handan , Tirrell Matthew V. , LaBelle James L.
Published: August 2019

Therapeutic manipulation of the BCL-2 family using BH3 mimetics is an emerging paradigm in cancer treatment and immune modulation. For example, peptides mimicking the BIM BH3 helix can directly target the full complement of anti- and pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins to trigger apoptosis. This study has incorporated the potent BH3 α-helical death domain of BIM into peptide amphiphile (PA) nanostructures designed to facilitate cellular uptake and induce cell death. This study shows that these PA nanostructures are quickly incorporated into cells, are able to specifically bind BCL-2 proteins, are stable at physiologic temperatures and pH, and induce dose-dependent apoptosis in cells. The incorporation of a cathepsin B cleavable linker between the BIM BH3 peptide and the hydrophobic tail resulted in increased intracellular accumulation and mitochondrial co-localization of the BIM BH3 peptide while also improving BCL-2 family member binding and apoptotic reactivation. This PA platform represents a promising new strategy for intracellular therapeutic peptide delivery for the disruption of intracellular protein:protein interactions.
Analytical Wave Solutions for Foam and KdV-Burgers Equations Using Extended Homogeneous Balance Method
Authors: Abdelsalam U.M. , Ghazal M. G. M.
Published: August 2019

In this paper, extended homogeneous balance method is presented with the aid of computer algebraic system Mathematica for deriving new exact traveling wave solutions for the foam drainage equation and the Kowerteg-de Vries–Burgers equation which have many applications in industrial applications and plasma physics. The method is effective to construct a series of analytical solutions including many types like periodical, rational, singular, shock, and soliton wave solutions for a wide class of nonlinear evolution equations in mathematical physics and engineering sciences.
Calculating the Weighted Moore–Penrose Inverse by a High Order Iteration Scheme
Authors: Bin Jebreen Haifa
Published: August 2019

The goal of this research is to extend and investigate an improved approach for calculating the weighted Moore–Penrose (WMP) inverses of singular or rectangular matrices. The scheme is constructed based on a hyperpower method of order ten. It is shown that the improved scheme converges with this rate using only six matrix products per cycle. Several tests are conducted to reveal the applicability and efficiency of the discussed method, in contrast with its well-known competitors.
The Quantitative ER Immunohistochemical Analysis in Breast Cancer: Detecting the 3 + 0, 4 + 0, and 5 + 0 Allred Score Cases
Authors: Ilić Ivan , Stojanović Nikola , Radulović Niko , Živković Vesna , Randjelović Pavle , Petrović Aleksandar , Božić Marina , Ilić Ratko
Published: August 2019

Background and objectives: The currently used immunohistochemical approach in determining the estrogen receptor (ER) positivity of breast cancers (BCs) is inherently subjective and additionally limited by its semi-quantitative nature. The application of software in the analysis of digitized slide images may overcome some of these limitations. However, the utilization of such an approach requires that the entire staining procedure is standardized. Background and objectives: We aimed to establish a procedure for the photometric and morphometric analysis of BC immunohistochemical parameters that can possibly be used for a diagnostic purpose that is in line with the current semi-quantitative scoring system. Materials and Methods: Semi-quantitative analysis of ER-stained tissue sections was performed following the Allred scoring system guidelines. The quantitative analysis was performed in ImageJ software after color deconvolution. The quantitative analysis of 66 cases of invasive lobular BC included: Percent of ER-positive cells, average nuclear coloration intensity, and the quantitative ER score. The percent of ER-positive tumor cells was counted using a standard grid overlay, while optical density (0.0–1.0) was measured within each nucleus at the grid points. Results: A statistical analysis revealed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.886, p < 0.001) between the subjective semi-quantitative and quantitative ER scores, with a large effect size (d = 3.8215). We observed strong statistically significant correlations between individual parameters of the total ER score, percentage of ER-positive nuclei, and color intensity, obtained by the two independent methods. Conclusions: Additionally, besides excluding subjectivity, the up to now unreported cases of 3 + 0, 4 + 0, and 5 + 0 Allred scores were detected only by the application of the proposed quantitative approach.
Recent Progresses in Application of Membrane Bioreactors in Production of Biohydrogen
Authors: Jabbari Bahman , Jalilnejad Elham , Ghasemzadeh Kamran , Iulianelli Adolfo
Published: August 2019

Biohydrogen is a clean and viable energy carrier generated through various green and renewable energy sources such as biomass. This review focused on the application of membrane bioreactors (MBRs), emphasizing the combination of these devices with biological processes, for bio-derived hydrogen production. Direct biophotolysis, indirect biophotolysis, photo-fermentation, dark fermentation, and conventional techniques are discussed as the common methods of biohydrogen production. The anaerobic process membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) technology is presented and discussed as a preferable choice for producing biohydrogen due to its low cost and the ability of overcoming problems posed by carbon emissions. General features of AnMBRs and operational parameters are comprehensively overviewed. Although MBRs are being used as a well-established and mature technology with many full-scale plants around the world, membrane fouling still remains a serious obstacle and a future challenge. Therefore, this review highlights the main benefits and drawbacks of MBRs application, also discussing the comparison between organic and inorganic membranes utilization to determine which may constitute the best solution for providing pure hydrogen. Nevertheless, research is still needed to overcome remaining barriers to practical applications such as low yields and production rates, and to identify biohydrogen as one of the most appealing renewable energies in the future.
Influence of Heat Treatments on Heat Affected Zone Cracking of Gas Tungsten Arc Welded Additive Manufactured Alloy 718
Authors: Raza Tahira , Hurtig Kjell , Asala Gbenga , Andersson Joel , Svensson Lars-Erik , Ojo Olanrewaju Akanbi
Published: August 2019

The weldability of additive manufactured Alloy 718 was investigated in various heat-treated conditions. The microstructure of the base metal was examined in detail in order to understand the effect of different pre-weld heat treatments; i.e., solution, solution and aging, and hot isostatic pressing. After welding, the variation in total crack lengths, maximum crack length and the total number of cracks in the heat affected zone (HAZ) were used as criteria for the cracking susceptibility of each material condition where wrought Alloy 718 was used as the reference material. Selective laser melting (SLM) manufactured Alloy 718 was susceptible to HAZ cracking in all material conditions. Total crack lengths in HAZ were highest in the SLM as-built condition and lowest in the SLM hot isostatic pressed condition. The cracks that were found in the HAZ of the welded materials consisted of liquation cracks, with eutectic product surrounding the cracks, as well as cracks from which liquation products were absent.
Effect of Heat Input and Undermatched Filler Wire on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Dissimilar S700MC/S960QC High-Strength Steels
Authors: Njock Bayock Francois , Kah Paul , Mvola Belinga , Layus Pavel
Published: August 2019

The effect of heat input on the microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar S700MC/S960QC high-strength steels (HSS) using undermatched filler material was evaluated. Experiments were performed using the gas metal arc welding process to weld three samples, which had three different heat input values (i.e., 15 kJ/cm, 7 kJ/cm, and 10 kJ/cm). The cooling continuous temperature (CCT) diagrams, macro-hardness values, microstructure formations, alloy element compositions, and tensile test analyses were performed with the aim of providing valuable information for improving the strength of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of both materials. Micro-hardness measurement was conducted using the Vickers hardness test and microstructural evaluation by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The mechanical properties were characterized by tensile testing. Dissimilar welded samples (S700MC/S960QC) with a cooling rate of 10 °C/s (15 kJ/cm) showed a lower than average hardness (210 HV5) in the HAZ of S700MC than S960QC. This hardness was 18% lower compared to the value of the base material (BM). The best microstructure formation was obtained using a heat input of 10 kJ/cm, which led to the formation of bainite (B, 60% volume fraction), ferrite (F, 25% volume fraction), and retained austenite (RA, 10%) in the final microstructure of S700MC, and B (55%), martensite (M, 45%), and RA (10%), which developed at the end of the transformation of S960QC. The results showed the presence of 1.3 Ni, 0.4 Mo, and 1.6 Mn in the fine-grain heat-affected zone of S700MC. The formation of a higher carbide content at a lower cooling rate reduced both the hardness and strength.
Polar Lipids in Starch-Rich Commodities to be Analyzed with LC-MS-Based Metabolomics—Optimization of Ionization Parameters and High-Throughput Extraction Protocols
Authors: Claassen Christin , Kuballa Jürgen , Rohn Sascha
Published: August 2019

Metabolomics-based approaches are still receiving growing attention with regard to food authenticity testing. Such studies require enormous sample numbers with negligible experimental or analytical variations to obtain statistically reliable results. In this context, an extraction protocol in line with optimized ionization parameters was developed in consideration of potential starch-derived matrix effects focusing on the polar lipids of potatoes. Therefore, well-known extractions (Bligh and Dyer, Folch, Matyash, and a n-hexane-based procedure) were compared in a non-targeted and a targeted approach regarding the extractability of their lipids such as phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, galacto- and glucocerebrosides, di- and triglycerides, and acylated steryl glucosides. The selected Folch method was also scrutinized in view of its ability to remove the matrix’s starch and consequently improved by substituting trichlormethane with ethyl acetate as a “greener” Folch approach. Moreover, the challenge of starch-derived contamination and imminent ion suppression in the electrospray ionization source (ESI) was addressed by an optimization of ionization parameters varying desolvation settings, removing injection peaks, and increasing the angles and distances of the ESI-device. Long-term stability tests over five days were performed successfully with a combination of appropriate extraction and decreased desolvation settings during ionization. In conclusion, the present methodology provided the basis for on-going large-scale metabolomic studies with respect to the botanical origin of potatoes using UPLC-IMS-QToF (ultra-high performance liquid chromatography ion mobility spectroscopy quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometer).
Performance of Electrochemical Processes in the Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrates of Sanitary Landfill Leachate
Authors: Fernandes Annabel , Chamem Oumaima , Pacheco Maria José , Ciríaco Lurdes , Zairi Moncef , Lopes Ana
Published: August 2019

Electrochemical technologies have been broadly applied in wastewaters treatment, but few studies have focused on comparing the performance of the different electrochemical processes, especially when used to treat highly-polluted streams. The electrochemical treatment of a reverse osmosis concentrate of sanitary landfill leachate was performed by means of electrocoagulation (EC), anodic oxidation (AO) and electro-Fenton (EF) processes, and the use of different electrode materials and experimental conditions was assessed. All the studied processes and experimental conditions were effective in organic load removal. The results obtained showed that EC, with stainless steel electrodes, is the cheapest process, although it presents the disadvantage of sludge formation with high iron content. At high applied current intensity, AO presents the best treatment time/energy consumption ratio, especially if the samples’ initial pH is corrected to 3. However, pH correction from natural to 3 deeply decreases nitrogen-containing compounds’ removal. For longer treatment time, the EF process with a carbon-felt cathode and a BDD anode, performed at natural iron content and low applied current intensity, is the most favorable solution.
Terpene Glycosides from Sanguisorba officinalis and Their Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Authors: Guo Da-Le , Chen Jin-Feng , Tan Lu , Jin Meng-Ying , Ju Feng , Cao Zhi-Xing , Deng Fang , Wang Li-Na , Gu Yu-Cheng , Deng Yun
Published: August 2019

Two new terpene glycosides (1–2) along with two known analogs (3–4) were obtained from the root of Sanguisorba officinalis, which is a common traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Their structures were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electrospray ionization high resolution mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), and a hydrolysis reaction, as well as comparison of these data with the literature data. Compounds 1–4 exhibited anti-inflammatory properties in vitro by attenuating the production of inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO) as well as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). An anti-inflammatory assay based on the zebrafish experimental platform indicated that compound 1 had good anti-inflammatory activity in vivo by not only regulating the distribution, but also by reducing the amount of the macrophages of the zebrafish exposed to copper sulfate.
Structural Elucidation of Three Novel Kaempferol O-tri-Glycosides that Are Involved in the Defense Response of Hybrid Ornithogalum to Pectobacterium carotovorum
Authors: Yedidia Iris , Schultz Keren , Golan Avner , Gottlieb Hugo E. , Kerem Zohar
Published: August 2019

Ornithogalum is an ornamental flowering species that grows from a bulb and is highly susceptible to soft-rot disease caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum (Pc). Interspecific hybridization between O. thyrsoides and O. dubium yielded hybrids with enhanced resistance to that pathogen. The hybrids displayed distinct phenolic-compound profiles with several peaks that were specifically heightened following Pc infection. Three of these compounds were isolated and identified as novel kaempferol O-tri-glycosides. The structures of these compounds were elucidated using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-LC), RP-LC coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (RP-LC-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (1D 1H and 13C, DEPT, HMQC, HMBC, COSY, and NOE), in order to achieve pure and defined compounds data. The new compounds were finally identified as kaempferol 3-O-[4-O-α-l-(3-O-acetic)-rhamnopyranosyl-6-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside, kaempferol 3-O-[4-O-α-l-(2-O-acetic)-rhamnopyranosyl-6-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside and kaempferol 3-O-[4-O-α-l-(2,3-O-diacetic)-rhamnopyranosyl-6-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside.
Diselenides and Benzisoselenazolones as Antiproliferative Agents and Glutathione-S-Transferase Inhibitors
Authors: Krasowska Dorota , Iraci Nunzio , Santi Claudio , Drabowicz Józef , Cieslak Marcin , Kaźmierczak-Barańska Julia , Palomba Martina , Królewska-Golińska Karolina , Magiera Jakub , Sancineto Luca
Published: August 2019

A series of variously functionalized selenium-containing compounds were purposely synthesized and evaluated against a panel of cancer cell lines. Most of the compounds showed an interesting cytotoxicity profile with compound 5 showing a potent activity on MCF7 cells. The ethyl amino derivative 5 acts synergistically with cis-platin and inhibits the GST enzyme with a potency that well correlates with the cytotoxicity observed in MCF7 cells. A computational analysis suggests a possible binding mode on the GST enzyme. As the main outcome of the present study, the ethyl amino derivative 5 emerged as a valid lead compound for further, future developments.
Investigation of Hydrodynamic Behavior of Alginate Aerogel Particles in a Laboratory Scale Wurster Fluidized Bed
Authors: Akgün Işık Sena , Erkey Can
Published: August 2019

The effects of design and operating parameters on the superficial velocity at the onset of circulatory motion and the residence time of alginate aerogel particles in a laboratory scale Wurster fluidized bed were investigated. Several sets of experiments were conducted by varying Wurster tube diameter, Wurster tube length, batch volume and partition gap height. The superficial velocities for Wurster tube with 10 cm diameter were lower than the tube with 8 cm diameter. Superficial velocities increased with increasing batch volume and partition gap height. Moreover, increasing batch volume and partition gap height led to a decrease in the particle residence time in the Wurster tube. The results showed that there is an upper limit for each parameter in order to obtain a circulatory motion of the particles. It was found that the partition gap height should be 2 cm for proper particle circulation. Maximum batch volume for the tube with 10 cm diameter was found as 500 mL whereas maximum batch volume was 250 mL for the tube with 8 cm diameter. The fluidization behavior of the aerogel particles investigated in this study could be described by the general fluidization diagrams in the literature.
Resveratrol Maintains Lipid Metabolism Homeostasis via One of the Mechanisms Associated with the Key Circadian Regulator Bmal1
Authors: Li Jing , Wei Liping , Zhao Caicai , Li Junyi , Liu Zhigang , Zhang Min , Wang Yutang
Published: August 2019

Resveratrol (RES) possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities, and it can prevent liver lipid metabolism disorders in obese and diabetic individuals. This study elucidated the mechanisms of brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (Bmal1) in the protective effects of RES against liver lipid metabolism disorders. The results indicated that RES ameliorated free fatty acid (FFA)-induced (oleic acid (OA): palmitic acid (PA) = 2:1) glycolipid metabolic disorders in hepatocytes. Simultaneously, RES partially reverted the relatively shallow daily oscillations of FFA-induced circadian clock gene transcription and protein expression in HepG2 cells. RES also attenuated FFA-triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS) secretion and restored mitochondrial membrane potential consumption, as well as the restoration of mitochondrial respiratory complex expression. This study provides compelling evidence that RES controls intracellular lipid metabolic imbalance in a Bmal1-dependent manner. Overall, RES may serve as a promising natural nutraceutical for the regulation of lipid metabolic disorders relevant to the circadian clock.
A Strategy for Quality Control of Vespa magnifica (Smith) Venom Based on HPLC Fingerprint Analysis and Multi-Component Separation Combined with Quantitative Analysis
Authors: Zhou Si-Tong , Luan Kai , Ni Lian-Li , Wang Ying , Yuan Shi-Meng , Che Yi-Hao , Yang Zi-Zhong , Zhang Cheng-Gui , Yang Zhi-Bin
Published: August 2019

As a folk medicine of the Jingpo minority in Yunnan province, the venom of Vespa magnifica has been commonly used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Quality standardization of the wasp venom is a necessary step for its pharmaceutical research and development. To control the quality of the wasp venom, a method based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for chemical fingerprint analysis. In the chromatographic fingerprinting, chemometrics procedures, including similarity analysis (SA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and principal component analysis (PCA), were applied to classify 134 batches (S1–S134) of wasp venom from different origins. The HPLC fingerprint method displayed good precision (Relative standard deviation, RSD < 0.27%), stability (in 16 h, RSD < 0.34%), and repeatability (RSD < 1.00%). Simultaneously, four compounds (VMS1, VMS2, VMS3, and VMS4) in the wasp venom were purified and identified. VMS1 was 5-hydroxytryptamine, and the other compounds were three peptides that were sequenced as follows: Gly–Arg–Pro–Hyp–Gly–Phe–Ser–Pro–Phe–Arg–Ile–Asp–NH2 (VMS2), Ile–Asn–Leu–Lys–Ala–Ile–Ala–Ala–Leu–Ala–Lys–Lys–Leu–Leu–NH2 (VMS3), and Phe–Leu–Pro–Ile–Ile–Gly–Lys–Leu–Leu–Ser–Gly–Leu–Leu–NH2 (VMS4). The quantifications for these components were 110.2 mg/g, 26.9 mg/g, 216.3 mg/g, and 58.0 mg/g, respectively. The results of this work indicated that the combination of the chemical fingerprint and quantitative analysis offers a reasonable way to evaluate the quality of wasp venom.
2D In-Plane CuS/Bi2WO6 p-n Heterostructures with Promoted Visible-Light-Driven Photo-Fenton Degradation Performance
Authors: Guo Li , Zhang Kailai , Han Xuanxuan , Zhao Qiang , Wang Danjun , Fu Feng
Published: August 2019

Photo-Fenton degradation of pollutants in wastewater is an ideal choice for large scale practical applications. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) in-plane CuS/Bi2WO6 p-n heterostructures have been successfully constructed by an in situ assembly strategy and characterized using XRD, XPS, SEM/TEM, EDX, UV-Vis-DRS, PL, TR-PL, ESR, and VB-XPS techniques. The XPS and the TEM results confirm the formation of CuS/Bi2WO6 heterostructures. The as-constructed CuS/Bi2WO6 showed excellent absorption in visible region and superior charge carrier separation efficiency due to the formation of a type-II heterojunctions. Under visible light irradiation, 0.1% CuS/Bi2WO6 heterostructure exhibited the best photo-Fenton-like catalytic performance. The degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RhB, 20 mg·L−1) can reach nearly 100% within 25 min, the apparent rate constant (kapp/min−1) is approximately 40.06 and 3.87 times higher than that of pure CuS and Bi2WO6, respectively. The degradation efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl, 40mg·L−1) can reach 73% in 50 min by employing 0.1% CuS/Bi2WO6 heterostructure as a photo-Fenton-like catalyst. The promoted photo-Fenton catalytic activity of CuS/Bi2WO6 p-n heterostructures is partly ascribed to its low carriers recombination rate. Importantly, CuS in CuS/Bi2WO6 heterostructures is conducive to the formation of heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalytic system, in which Bi2WO6 provides a strong reaction site for CuS to avoid the loss of Cu2+ in Fenton reaction, resulting in its excellent stability and reusability. The possible photo-Fenton-like catalytic degradation mechanism of RhB and TC-HCl was also elucidated on the basis of energy band structure analysis and radical scavenger experiments. The present study provides strong evidence for CuS/Bi2WO6 heterostructures to be used as promising candidates for photo-Fenton treatment of organic pollutants.
Luminescence and X-ray Absorption Properties of Uniform Eu3+:(H3O)Lu3F10 Nanoprobes
Authors: González-Mancebo Daniel , Becerro Ana Isabel , Corral Ariadna , Balcerzyk Marcin , Ocaña Manuel
Published: August 2019

Due to the high atomic number of lutetium and the low phonon energy of the fluoride matrix, Lu-based fluoride nanoparticles doped with active lanthanide ions are potential candidates as bioprobes in both X-ray computed tomography and luminescent imaging. This paper shows a method for the fabrication of uniform, water-dispersible Eu3+:(H3O)Lu3F10 nanoparticles doped with different Eu contents. Their luminescent properties were studied by means of excitation and emission spectra as well as decay curves. The X-ray attenuation capacity of the phosphor showing the highest emission intensity was subsequently analyzed and compared with a commercial contrast agent. The results indicated that the 10% Eu3+-doped (H3O)Lu3F10 nanoparticles fabricated with the proposed polyol-based method are good candidates to be used as dual probes for luminescent imaging and X-ray computed tomography.
Health Benefits of Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 Tablets in Young Adults Exposed to Chronic Stress: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
Authors: Nishida Kensei , Sawada Daisuke , Kuwano Yuki , Tanaka Hiroki , Rokutan Kazuhito
Published: August 2019

Short-term administration of Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 improves stress-associated symptoms and clinical symptoms in healthy young adults and in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, respectively. We evaluated the efficacy and health benefits of the long-term use of a tablet containing heat-inactivated, washed Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 (CP2305) in healthy young adults. Sixty Japanese medical students (41 men and 19 women) preparing for the national examination for medical practitioners ingested CP2305-containing or placebo tablets once daily for 24 weeks. Intake of the CP2305 tablet significantly reduced anxiety and sleep disturbance relative to placebo, as quantitated by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Single-channel sleep electroencephalograms show that CP2305 significantly shortened sleep latency and wake time after sleep onset and increased the delta power ratio in the first sleep cycle. CP2305 also significantly lowered salivary chromogranin A levels compared with placebo. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of participant feces demonstrated that CP2305 administration attenuated the stress-induced decline of Bifidobacterium spp. and the stress-induced elevation of Streptococcus spp. We conclude that the long-term use of CP2305-containing tablets may improve the mental state, sleep quality, and gut microbiota of healthy adults under stressful conditions.
Association of Lactase Persistence Genotypes (rs4988235) and Ethnicity with Dairy Intake in a Healthy U.S. Population
Authors: Chin Elizabeth L. , Huang Liping , Bouzid Yasmine Y. , Kirschke Catherine P. , Durbin-Johnson Blythe , Baldiviez Lacey M. , Bonnel Ellen L. , Keim Nancy L. , Korf Ian , Stephensen Charles B. , Lemay Danielle G.
Published: August 2019

Lactase persistence (LP) is a trait in which lactose can be digested throughout adulthood, while lactase non-persistence (LNP) can cause lactose intolerance and influence dairy consumption. One single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP ID: rs4988235) is often used as a predictor for dairy intake, since it is responsible for LP in people in European descent, and can occur in other ethnic groups. The objective of this study was to determine whether rs4988235 genotypes and ethnicity influence reported dairy consumption in the United States (U.S.). A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and multiple Automated Self-Administered 24-h recalls (ASA24®) were used to measure habitual and recent intake, respectively, of total dairy, cheese, cow’s milk, plant-based alternative milk, and yogurt in a multi-ethnic U.S. cohort genotyped for rs4988235. Within Caucasian subjects, LP individuals reported consuming more recent total dairy and habitual total cow’s milk intake. For subjects of all ethnicities, LP individuals consumed more cheese (FFQ p = 0.043, ASA24 p = 0.012) and recent total dairy (ASA24 p = 0.005). For both dietary assessments, Caucasians consumed more cheese than all non-Caucasians (FFQ p = 0.036, ASA24 p = 0.002) independent of genotype, as well as more recent intake of yogurt (ASA24 p = 0.042). LP subjects consumed more total cow’s milk than LNP, but only when accounting for whether subjects were Caucasian or not (FFQ p = 0.015). Fluid milk and alternative plant-based milk consumption were not associated with genotypes or ethnicity. Our results show that both LP genotype and ethnicity influence the intake of some dairy products in a multi-ethnic U.S. cohort, but the ability of rs4988235 genotypes to predict intake may depend on ethnic background, the specific dairy product, and whether intake is reported on a habitual or recent basis. Therefore, ethnicity and the dietary assessment method should also be considered when determining the suitability of rs4988235 as a proxy for dairy intake.
Aerosolization Performance of Jet Nebulizers and Biopharmaceutical Aspects
Authors: Adorni Greta , Seifert Gerrit , Buttini Francesca , Colombo Gaia , Stecanella Luciano A. , Krämer Irene , Rossi Alessandra
Published: August 2019

In this work, 13 jet nebulizers, some of which in different configurations, were investigated in order to identify the biopharmaceutical constraints related to the quality attributes of the medicinal products, which affect their safety, efficiency, compliance, and effectiveness. The aerosolization parameters, including the aerosol output, aerosol output rate, mass median aerodynamic diameter, and fine particle fraction, were determined according to the European Standard EN 13544-1, using sodium fluoride as a reference formulation. A comparison between the aerosol output nebulization time and the fine particle fraction displayed a correlation between the aerosol quality and the nebulization rate. Indeed, the quality of the nebulization significantly increased when the rate of aerosol emission was reduced. Moreover, the performance of the nebulizers was analyzed in terms of respirable delivered dose and respirable dose delivery rate, which characterize nebulization as the rate and amount of respirable product that could be deposited into the lungs. Depending on which of these two latter parameters was used, the nebulizers showed different performances. The differences, in terms of the rate and amount of delivered aerosol, could provide relevant information for the appropriate choice of nebulizer as a function of drug product, therapy, and patient characteristics.
A Community Bundle to Lower School-Aged Obesity Rates in a Small Midwestern City
Authors: Barnes Allison , Hudgens Michelle , Robison Debora , Kipp Roger , Strasser Kathleen , Siegel Robert
Published: August 2019

Background: Multi-component interventions in large communities such as Philadelphia can effectively lower childhood obesity rates. It is less clear whether this type of intervention can be successful in smaller communities with more limited resources. Norwood, Ohio is a small Midwestern city with a population of 19,207. In 2010, Ohio passed a school health law requiring Body Mass Index (BMI) screening of students in kindergarten and grades 3, 5 and 9 along with restrictions on competitive foods and vending machine products and a physical education requirement of 30 min per day. In 2014, Norwood implemented a multi-component childhood obesity prevention and treatment bundle of interventions. Our objective was to describe the effects if this bundle on childhood overweight/obesity (OW/OB) rates. We hypothesized that implementation of the bundle would lower the prevalence of OW/OB in Norwood school children. Methods: In 2012, the Healthy Kids Ohio Act was fully implemented in the Norwood City School District (NCSD). In 2014 a comprehensive bundle was implemented that included: 1. A student gardening program; 2. Supplementation of fresh produce to a local food pantry and a family shelter; 3. A farmers market; 4. A health newsletter; 5. Incentives in the school cafeterias to promote healthy food selection; 6. A 100-mile walking club; 7. “Cook for America” (a “cooked from scratch” intervention for school cafeterias); 8. A school-based obesity treatment clinic; Results: The OW/OB rate in the NCSD was 43% at the time of the Bundle implementation in 2014 and 37% in 2016 (p = 0.029). Conclusions: A childhood OW/OB prevention bundle can be implemented in a small city and is associated with a favorable change in BMI.
Session Recommendation via Recurrent Neural Networks over Fisher Embedding Vectors
Authors: Kelen Domokos , Daróczy Bálint , Ayala-Gómez Frederick , Ország Anna , Benczúr András
Published: August 2019

Recommendation services bear great importance in e-commerce, shopping, tourism, and social media, as they aid the user in navigating through the items that are most relevant to their needs. In order to build recommender systems, organizations log the item consumption in their user sessions by using different sensors. For instance, Web sites use Web data loggers, museums and shopping centers rely on user in-door positioning systems to register user movement, and Location-Based Social Networks use Global Positioning System for out-door user tracking. Most organizations do not have a detailed history of previous activities or purchases by the user. Hence, in most cases recommenders propose items that are similar to the most recent ones viewed in the current user session. The corresponding task is called session based, and when only the last item is considered, it is referred to as item-to-item recommendation. A natural way of building next-item recommendations relies on item-to-item similarities and item-to-item transitions in the form of “people who viewed this, also viewed” lists. Such methods, however, depend on local information for the given item pairs, which can result in unstable results for items with short transaction history, especially in connection with the cold-start items that recently appeared and had no time yet to accumulate a sufficient number of transactions. In this paper, we give new algorithms by defining a global probabilistic similarity model of all the items based on Random Fields. We give a generative model for the item interactions based on arbitrary distance measures over the items, including explicit, implicit ratings and external metadata to estimate and predict item-to-item transition probabilities. We exploit our new model in two different item similarity algorithms, as well as a feature representation in a recurrent neural network based recommender. Our experiments on various publicly available data sets show that our new model outperforms simple similarity baseline methods and combines well with recent item-to-item and deep learning recommenders under several different performance metrics.
Subdiffusive Source Sensing by a Regional Detection Method
Authors: Song Weijing , Ge Fudong , Chen YangQuan
Published: August 2019

Motivated by the fact that the danger may increase if the source of pollution problem remains unknown, in this paper, we study the source sensing problem for subdiffusion processes governed by time fractional diffusion systems based on a limited number of sensor measurements. For this, we first give some preliminary notions such as source, detection and regional spy sensors, etc. Secondly, we investigate the characterizations of regional strategic sensors and regional spy sensors. A regional detection approach on how to solve the source sensing problem of the considered system is then presented by using the Hilbert uniqueness method (HUM). This is to identify the unknown source only in a subregion of the whole domain, which is easier to be implemented and could save a lot of energy resources. Numerical examples are finally included to test our results.
An Assembled Detector Based on Geometrical Constraint for Power Component Recognition
Authors: Ji Zheng , Liao Yifan , Zheng Li , Wu Liang , Yu Manzhu , Feng Yanjie
Published: August 2019

The intelligent inspection of power lines and other difficult-to-access structures and facilities has been greatly enhanced by the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which allow inspection in a safe, efficient, and high-quality fashion. This paper analyzes the characteristics of a scene containing power equipment and the operation mode of UAVs. A low-cost virtual scene is created, and a training sample for the power-line components is generated quickly. Taking a vibration-damper as the main object, an assembled detector based on geometrical constraint (ADGC) is proposed and is used to analyze the virtual dataset. The geometric positional relationship is used as the constraint, and the Faster Region with Convolutional Neural Network (R-CNN), Deformable Part Model (DPM), and Haar cascade classifiers are combined, which allows the features of different classifiers, such as contour, shape, and texture to be fully used. By combining the characteristics of virtual data and real data using UAV images, the power components are detected by the ADGC. The result produced by the detector with relatively good performance can help expand the training set and achieve a better detection model. Moreover, this method can be smoothly transferred to other power-line facilities and other power-line scenarios.
Real-Time Water Surface Object Detection Based on Improved Faster R-CNN
Authors: Zhang Lili , Zhang Yi , Zhang Zhen , Shen Jie , Wang Huibin
Published: August 2019

In this paper, we consider water surface object detection in natural scenes. Generally, background subtraction and image segmentation are the classical object detection methods. The former is highly susceptible to variable scenes, so its accuracy will be greatly reduced when detecting water surface objects due to the changing of the sunlight and waves. The latter is more sensitive to the selection of object features, which will lead to poor generalization as a result, so it cannot be applied widely. Consequently, methods based on deep learning have recently been proposed. The River Chief System has been implemented in China recently, and one of the important requirements is to detect and deal with the water surface floats in a timely fashion. In response to this case, we propose a real-time water surface object detection method in this paper which is based on the Faster R-CNN. The proposed network model includes two modules and integrates low-level features with high-level features to improve detection accuracy. Moreover, we propose to set the different scales and aspect ratios of anchors by analyzing the distribution of object scales in our dataset, so our method has good robustness and high detection accuracy for multi-scale objects in complex natural scenes. We utilized the proposed method to detect the floats on the water surface via a three-day video surveillance stream of the North Canal in Beijing, and validated its performance. The experiments show that the mean average precision (MAP) of the proposed method was 83.7%, and the detection speed was 13 frames per second. Therefore, our method can be applied in complex natural scenes and mostly meets the requirements of accuracy and speed of water surface object detection online.
Measuring Multi-Scale Urban Forest Carbon Flux Dynamics Using an Integrated Eddy Covariance Technique
Authors: Zhang Kaidi , Gong Yuan , Escobedo Francisco J. , Bracho Rosvel , Zhang Xinzhong , Zhao Min
Published: August 2019

The multi-scale carbon-carbon dioxide (C-CO2) dynamics of subtropical urban forests and other green and grey infrastructure types were explored in an urbanized campus near Shanghai, China. We integrated eddy covariance (EC) C-CO2 flux measurements and the Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon footprint tool to analyze C-CO2 dynamics at the landscape-scale as well as in local-scale urban forest patches during one year. The approach measured the C-CO2 flux from different contributing areas depending on wind directions and atmospheric stability. Although the study landscape was a net carbon source (2.98 Mg C ha−1 yr−1), we found the mean CO2 flux in urban forest patches was −1.32 μmol m−2s−1, indicating that these patches function as a carbon sink with an annual carbon balance of −5.00 Mg C ha−1. These results indicate that urban forest patches and vegetation (i.e., green infrastructure) composition can be designed to maximize the sequestration of CO2. This novel integrated modeling approach can be used to facilitate the study of the multi-scale effects of urban forests and green infrastructure on CO2 and to establish low-carbon emitting planning and planting designs in the subtropics.
Computational Bottom-Up Vulnerability Indicator for Low-Income Flood-Prone Urban Areas
Authors: Rodríguez-Gaviria Edna M. , Ochoa-Osorio Sol , Builes-Jaramillo Alejandro , Botero-Fernández Verónica
Published: August 2019

This study presents the implementation of a methodology for the formulation of a vulnerability indicator for low-income urban territories in flood-prone areas, for two flood types: Sudden and slow. The methodology developed a computational assessment tool based on the Multiple Correspondence Analysis and the framework for vulnerability analysis in sustainable science. This approach uses participatory mapping and on-site data. The data collection was easily implemented with free software tools to facilitate its use in low-income urban territories. The method combines the evaluation of experts using the of the traditional approach for the qualification of the variables of vulnerability in its three components (exposure, susceptibility, and resilience), and incorporates a computational method of the correspondence analysis family to formulate the indicators of vulnerability. The results showed that the multiple correspondence analysis is useful for the identification of the most representative variables in the vulnerability assessment, used for the construction of spatial disaggregated vulnerability indicators and therefore the development of vulnerability maps that will help in the short term in disaster risk management, urban planning, and infrastructure protection. In addition, the variables of the susceptibility component are the most representative regardless of the type of flooding, followed by the variables of the exposure component, for sudden flood-prone territories, and the resilience component for slow flood-prone territories. Our findings and the computational tool can facilitate the prioritization of improvement projects and flood risk management on a household, neighborhood, and municipal level.