bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Word-Level Neural Language Models for Sentence Completion
Authors: Park Heewoong , Park Jonghun
Published: February 2020

The task of sentence completion, which aims to infer the missing text of a given sentence, was carried out to assess the reading comprehension level of machines as well as humans. In this work, we conducted a comprehensive study of various approaches for the sentence completion based on neural language models, which have been advanced in recent years. First, we revisited the recurrent neural network language model (RNN LM), achieving highly competitive results with an appropriate network structure and hyper-parameters. This paper presents a bidirectional version of RNN LM, which surpassed the previous best results on Microsoft Research (MSR) Sentence Completion Challenge and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) sentence completion questions. In parallel with directly applying RNN LM to sentence completion, we also employed a supervised learning framework that fine-tunes a large pre-trained transformer-based LM with a few sentence-completion examples. By fine-tuning a pre-trained BERT model, this work established state-of-the-art results on the MSR and SAT sets. Furthermore, we performed similar experimentation on newly collected cloze-style questions in the Korean language. The experimental results reveal that simply applying the multilingual BERT models for the Korean dataset was not satisfactory, which leaves room for further research.
Numerical Simulation of Breaking Wave Loading on Standing Circular Cylinders with Different Transverse Inclined Angles
Authors: Qu Sen , Liu Shengnan , Ong Muk Chen , Sun Shuzheng , Ren Huilong
Published: February 2020

The purpose of this paper is to numerically simulate the breaking wave past a standing cylinder with different transverse inclined angles. The numerical simulations are carried out by solving the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations with the k − ω S S T turbulence model. The air–water interface is captured using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. The convergence studies on the grid and time-step are performed by examining the total horizontal breaking wave forces on the vertical cylinder. The present numerical results have been validated with the published experimental data. A good agreement is obtained between the present numerical results and the experimental data in terms of the surface elevation and the horizontal breaking wave force. Moreover, the total horizontal breaking wave force is decomposed into low-order and high-order wave forces through Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). It is observed that the free surface elevations in front of the cylinder and the normalized high-order wave force have a minimum value when the transverse inclined angle of the cylinder is 45°. The secondary load causing the higher-harmonic ringing motion of structures is not observed when the cylinder is placed with the transverse inclined angles of 30° and 45°.
HBIM-GIS Integration: From IFC to CityGML Standard for Damaged Cultural Heritage in a Multiscale 3D GIS
Authors: Colucci Elisabetta , De Ruvo Valeria , Lingua Andrea , Matrone Francesca , Rizzo Gloria
Published: February 2020

This study describes the technical-systemic and conceptual-informative interoperability tests for the integration of a Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) model in a 3D Geographic Information System (GIS) environment aimed to provide complete and useful documentation for multiscale analyses on cultural heritage particularly exposed to risks. The case study of the San Lorenzo Church in Norcia (Italy) has been chosen given the urgent need to update the existing documentation for its protection and conservation issues, due to the extensive damage suffered after the series of earthquakes that occurred in central Italy starting from summer 2016. Different tests to evaluate two levels of conceptual interoperability (technical and semantic) when importing the HBIM model into a GIS environment were performed, whether with commercial software or with open source ones (ArcGIS Pro and QGIS, respectively). A data integration platform (Feature Manipulation Engine, FME) has been used for converting the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) data format into the GML (Geography Markup Language) format, in order to obtain a unique and unified model and vocabulary for the 3D GIS project, structured with different levels of detail, according to CityGML standard. Finally, as HBIM-GIS integration is considered, the loss of geometric and informative data has been taken into account and evaluated.
The Antimicrobial Effect of Radiant Catalytic Ionization on the Bacterial Attachment and Biofilm Formation by Selected Foodborne Pathogens under Refrigeration Conditions
Authors: Skowron Krzysztof , Skowron Karolina Jadwiga , Bauza-Kaszewska Justyna , Wałecka-Zacharska Ewa , Kwiecińska-Piróg Joanna , Grudlewska-Buda Katarzyna , Wiktorczyk Natalia , Gospodarek-Komkowska Eugenia
Published: February 2020

The decontamination of food contact surfaces is a major problem for the food industry. The radiant catalytic ionization (RCI) method, based on the ionization process, may be an alternative for conventional decontamination procedures. The advantage of this technique is the possibility of its application to household refrigerating appliances and industrial cold rooms. This study aimed to assess the effect of RCI on the reduction of Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Enteritidis from the biofilms formed on a glass surface under refrigeration conditions. Bacterial biofilms were exposed to RCI for 24 h and after 12 (variant I) and 72 h (variant II) of the glass surface contamination. In the last variant (III), the contaminated meat was placed on the glass surface in the refrigerator and subjected to RCI treatment for 72 h. The significantly highest values of absolute reduction efficiency coefficient E were found for the bacterial attachment stage of biofilm formation (variant I). The research proves the efficiency of the RCI method in the reduction of bacteria number from a glass surface.
The Analysis of Mechanical Structure of a Robotic Leg in Running for Impact Mitigation
Authors: Cho Jungsoo , Kong Kyoungchul
Published: February 2020

Legged robots suffer from the impact due to the consistent collisions with the ground. At the moment of collision, the sudden impact force not only causes the legs to lose contact off the ground, but can also reduce controllability and durability. This phenomenon becomes worse for the robots in running. In order to mitigate such an impact effectively, this study focuses on the mechanical structure of the legs, unlike the previous studies, which focused on the component level. The mechanical structures include actuator configuration, segment ratio, total length, and flexion direction. Contact inertia (CI), closely related to the impact, is derived and utilized to analyze the mechanical structure in terms of impact mitigation. A series of impact experiments with a fabricated leg verify that the mechanical structure affects mitigating the impact.
How to Adopt BIM in the Building Construction Sector across Greece?
Authors: Bakogiannis Efthimios , Papadaki Kalliopi , Kyriakidis Charalampos , Potsiou Chryssy
Published: February 2020

The construction sector is of strategic importance for the European Commission. This is the reason why there is a special interest in the development of this sector which is attempting to transform into a more sustainable one in order to face various challenges. In this context, European Directive 2014/24/EU brings to the foreground of the European institutional framework the term building information modelling (BIM), that it is widely used in many countries across Europe. In Greece, the situation seems to be different, not only because it has not been applied in practice but also because of some special features of the way the construction sector functions. This paper presents the BIM use-level in Greece and the way with which it could be better integrated in the construction sector. Through this review we make a brief assessment of the strategy developed in order for the BIM to be integrated in Greek building procedures. Furthermore, we focus on specific issues, like the extended informal housing phenomenon, and on factors that cannot easily be standardized that create problems in BIM use. Finally, through an initial market analysis we underline the role of academic institutions for integrating BIM across Greece.
An Agent-Ensemble for Thresholded Multi-Target Classification
Authors: Parrish Nathan H. , Llorens Ashley J. , Driskell Alex E.
Published: February 2020

We propose an ensemble approach for multi-target binary classification, where the target class breaks down into a disparate set of pre-defined target-types. The system goal is to maximize the probability of alerting on targets from any type while excluding background clutter. The agent-classifiers that make up the ensemble are binary classifiers trained to classify between one of the target-types vs. clutter. The agent ensemble approach offers several benefits for multi-target classification including straightforward in-situ tuning of the ensemble to drift in the target population and the ability to give an indication to a human operator of which target-type causes an alert. We propose a combination strategy that sums weighted likelihood ratios of the individual agent-classifiers, where the likelihood ratio is between the target-type for the agent vs. clutter. We show that this combination strategy is optimal under a conditionally non-discriminative assumption. We compare this combiner to the common strategy of selecting the maximum of the normalized agent-scores as the combiner score. We show experimentally that the proposed combiner gives excellent performance on the multi-target binary classification problems of pin-less verification of human faces and vehicle classification using acoustic signatures.
When the Image Takes over the Real: Holography and Its Potential within Acts of Visual Documentation
Authors: Bartram Angela
Published: February 2020

In Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes discusses the capacity of the photographic image to represent “flat death”. Documentation of an event, happening, or time is traditionally reliant on the photographic to determine its ephemeral existence and to secure its legacy within history. However, the traditional photographic document is often unsuitable to capture the real essence and experience of the artwork in situ. The hologram, with its potential to offer a three-dimensional viewpoint, suggests a desirable solution. However, there are issues concerning how this type of photographic document successfully functions within an art context. Attitudes to methods necessary for artistic production, and holography’s place within the process, are responsible for this problem. The seductive qualities of holography may be attributable to any failure that ensues, but, if used precisely, the process can be effective to create a document for ephemeral art. The failures and successes of the hologram to be reliable as a document of experience are discussed in this article, together with a suggestion of how it might undergo a transformation and reactivation to become an artwork itself.
De Modo Qualiter Reges Aragonum Coronabuntur. Visual, Material and Textual Evidence during the Middle Ages
Authors: Serrano-Coll Marta
Published: February 2020

The aim of this study is to analyze the coronation ceremonies carried out in the Crown of Aragon throughout the Middle Ages. Although the pope granted most Western monarchies the right to hold these ceremonies in their own kingdoms in 1204, our study will address the mechanisms used to appoint kings both before and after the consolidation of these ceremonies, mechanisms which reflected the power struggles between the parties involved, that is, the prince and the Church. We will examine the elements that remained constant throughout this period but we will also pay particular attention to the alterations that were made and how these had important consequences that went beyond politics and entered religious terrain. Among the changes were the kings’ efforts to participate in priestly orders, the promotion and consolidation of new liturgy with content intended to legitimize the kings, and the use of new iconographies with sacred references. As will be seen, these are only a small example of the mechanisms used by the sovereigns of the Crown of Aragon to re-emphasize their links with God, which had been weakened by the transformations to the anointing and coronation ceremonials and the resulting tensions with Rome, particularly during the times of Peter IV (1336–1387).
An Intelligent Microwave Oven with Thermal Imaging and Temperature Recommendation Using Deep Learning
Authors: Khan Tareq
Published: February 2020

Whenever food in a microwave oven is heated, the user estimates the time to heat. This estimation can be incorrect, leading the food to be too hot or still cold. In this research, an intelligent microwave oven is designed. After the food is put into the microwave oven and the door is closed, it captures the image of the food, classifies the image and then suggests the food’s target temperature by learning from previous experiences, so the user does not have to recall the target food temperature each time the same food is warmed. The temperature of the food is measured using a thermal camera. The proposed microwave incorporates a display to show a real-time colored thermal image of the food. The microwave automatically stops the heating when the temperature of the food hits the target temperature using closed-loop control. The deep learning-based image classifier gradually learns the type of foods that are consumed in that household and becomes smarter in temperature recommendation. The system can classify and recommend target temperature with 93% accuracy. A prototype is developed using a microcontroller-based system and successfully tested.
Sensitivity of Radiative Fluxes to Aerosols in the ALADIN-HIRLAM Numerical Weather Prediction System
Authors: Rontu Laura , Gleeson Emily , Martin Perez Daniel , Pagh Nielsen Kristian , Toll Velle
Published: February 2020

The direct radiative effect of aerosols is taken into account in many limited-area numerical weather prediction models using wavelength-dependent aerosol optical depths of a range of aerosol species. We studied the impact of aerosol distribution and optical properties on radiative transfer, based on climatological and more realistic near real-time aerosol data. Sensitivity tests were carried out using the single-column version of the ALADIN-HIRLAM numerical weather prediction system, set up to use the HLRADIA simple broadband radiation scheme. The tests were restricted to clear-sky cases to avoid the complication of cloud–radiation–aerosol interactions. The largest differences in radiative fluxes and heating rates were found to be due to different aerosol loads. When the loads are large, the radiative fluxes and heating rates are sensitive to the aerosol inherent optical properties and the vertical distribution of the aerosol species. In such cases, regional weather models should use external real-time aerosol data for radiation parametrizations. Impacts of aerosols on shortwave radiation dominate longwave impacts. Sensitivity experiments indicated the important effects of highly absorbing black carbon aerosols and strongly scattering desert dust.
Empirical Line Lists in the ExoMol Database
Authors: Wang Yixin , Tennyson Jonathan , Yurchenko Sergei
Published: February 2020

The ExoMol database aims to provide comprehensive molecular line lists for exoplanetary and other hot atmospheres. The data are expanded by inclusion of empirically derived line lists taken from the literature for a series of diatomic molecules, namely CH, NH, OH, AlCl, AlF, OH + , CaF, MgF, KF, NaF, LiCl, LiF, MgH, TiH, CrH, FeH, C 2 , CP, CN, CaH, and triplet N 2 . Generally, these line lists are constructed from measured spectra using a combination of effective rotational Hamiltonian models for the line positions and ab initio (transition) dipole moments to provide intensities. This work results in the inclusion of 22 new molecules (36 new isotopologues) in the ExoMol database.
Nutrient Addition to Low pH Base Wines (L. cv. Riesling) during Yeast Acclimatization for Sparkling Wine: Its Influence on Yeast Cell Growth, Sugar Consumption and Nitrogen Usage
Authors: Kemp Belinda , Plante Jessy , L. Inglis Debra
Published: February 2020

In traditional method sparkling wine production, to carry out a successful second alcoholic fermentation, yeast are acclimatized to stressful base wine conditions. Base wines typically have low pH, low nutrient concentrations, high acid concentrations, contain sulfur dioxide (SO2), and high ethanol concentrations. Supplementing yeast during the acclimatization stages prior to second alcoholic fermentation with different nutrient sources was assessed to determine the impact on yeast growth, sugar consumption and nitrogen usage. Four treatments were tested with Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain EC1118: the control (T1) with no additives; addition of diammonium phosphate (DAP) during acclimatization, (T2); Go-Ferm® inclusion during yeast rehydration (GF), (T3); and DAP + GF (T4). Results (n = 4) indicated that supplementing with DAP, GF or DAP + GF increased both the rate of sugar consumption and the concentration of viable cells during the yeast acclimatization phase in comparison to the control. Treatments supplemented with DAP + GF or DAP alone resulted in yeast consuming 228 and 220 mg N/L during the acclimatization phase, respectively. Yeast treated only with GF consumed 94 mg N/L in comparison to the control, which consumed 23 mg N/L. The time required to reach the target specific gravity (1.010) during acclimatization was significantly reduced to 57 h for yeast treated with DAP and GF, 69 h for yeast treated with DAP only and 81 h for yeast rehydrated with GF in comparison to 105 h for the control. Our results suggest that nutrients used during yeast acclimatization could have an important impact on the kinetics of second alcoholic fermentation.
Rostral Anterior Cingulate Thickness Predicts the Emotional Psilocybin Experience
Authors: Lewis Candace R. , Preller Katrin H. , Braden B. Blair , Riecken Cory , Vollenweider Franz X.
Published: February 2020

Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound of mushrooms in the psilocybe species. Psilocybin directly affects a number of serotonin receptors, with highest affinity for the serotonin 2A receptor (5HT-2Ar). Generally, the effects of psilocybin, and its active metabolite psilocin, are well established and include a range of cognitive, emotional, and perceptual perturbations. Despite the generality of these effects, there is a high degree of inter-individual variability in subjective psilocybin experiences that are not well understood. Others have shown brain morphology metrics derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can predict individual drug response. Due to high expression of serotonin 2A receptors (5HT-2Ar) in the cingulate cortex, and its prior associations with psilocybin, we investigate if cortical thickness of this structure predicts the psilocybin experience in healthy adults. We hypothesized that greater cingulate thickness would predict higher subjective ratings in sub-scales of the Five-Dimensional Altered State of Consciousness (5D-ASC) with high emotionality in healthy participants (n = 55) who received oral psilocybin (either low dose: 0.160 mg/kg or high dose: 0.215 mg/kg). After controlling for sex, age, and using false discovery rate (FDR) correction, we found the rostral anterior cingulate predicted all four emotional sub-scales, whereas the caudal and posterior cingulate did not. How classic psychedelic compounds induce such large inter-individual variability in subjective states has been a long-standing question in serotonergic research. These results extend the traditional set and setting hypothesis of the psychedelic experience to include brain structure metrics.
5-(Carbamoylmethylene)-oxazolidin-2-ones as a Promising Class of Heterocycles Inducing Apoptosis Triggered by Increased ROS Levels and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Breast and Cervical Cancer
Authors: Armentano Biagio , Curcio Rosita , Brindisi Matteo , Mancuso Raffaella , Rago Vittoria , Ziccarelli Ida , Frattaruolo Luca , Fiorillo Marco , Dolce Vincenza , Gabriele Bartolo , Cappello Anna Rita
Published: February 2020

Oxazolidinones are antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis by binding the 50S ribosomal subunit. Recently, numerous worldwide researches focused on their properties and possible involvement in cancer therapy have been conducted. Here, we evaluated in vitro the antiproliferative activity of some 5-(carbamoylmethylene)-oxazolidin-2-ones on MCF-7 and HeLa cells. The tested compounds displayed a wide range of cytotoxicity on these cancer cell lines, measured by MTT assay, exhibiting no cytotoxicity on non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cells. Among the nine tested derivatives, four displayed a good anticancer potential. Remarkably, OI compound showed IC50 values of 17.66 and 31.10 µM for MCF-7 and HeLa cancer cells, respectively. Furthermore, we assessed OI effect on the cell cycle by FACS analysis, highlighting a G1 phase arrest after 72 h, supported by a low expression level of Cyclin D1 protein. Moreover, mitochondrial membrane potential was reduced after OI treatment driven by high levels of ROS. These findings demonstrate that OI treatment can inhibit MCF-7 and HeLa cell proliferation and induce apoptosis by caspase-9 activation and cytochrome c release in the cytosol. Hence, 5-(carbamoylmethylene)-oxazolidin-2-ones have a promising anticancer activity, in particular, OI derivative could represent a good candidate for in vivo further studies and potential clinical use.
The Impact of a Flexible Stern on Canoe Boat Maneuverability and Speed
Authors: Stadler Anna Theresia , Schönauer Martin , Aslani Roozbeh , Baumgartner Werner , Philippi Tillmann
Published: February 2020

Paddle boats like canoes and kayaks draw a sinusoidal path when a linear movement is intended. The reason for this behavior is that each paddle stroke induces a lateral movement of the boat. In this study, we sought to reduce the so-called yawing motion. We therefore replaced the stiff stern by a flexible stern, which is based on the Fin Ray Effect®. We built down-scaled boat models and tested them in a water channel. The similarities between experimental and original setup were evaluated by means of a dimensional analysis. (Thermoplastic) elastomers with various flexibility were used for the stern construction. In the experiments conducted in the water channel, we determined the forces acting on the boat with different stern models. The results reveal that the flexible stern induced a torque counteracting the boat’s deflection, while the stiff stern caused a torque enhancing it. A paddle boat with a flexible stern could hence be a promising new method to reduce the boat’s yawing movement.
The Impact of Removal of Ovarian Hormones on Cholinergic Muscarinic Receptors: Examining Prepulse Inhibition and Receptor Binding
Authors: Ch’ng Sarah S. , Walker Adam J. , McCarthy Madeleine , Le Thien-Kim , Thomas Natalie , Gibbons Andrew , Udawela Madhara , Kusljic Snezana , Dean Brian , Gogos Andrea
Published: February 2020

Ovarian hormones, such as estrogens and progesterone, are known to exert beneficial effects on cognition and some psychiatric disorders. The basis of these effects is not fully understood, but may involve altered cholinergic neurotransmission. This study aimed to investigate how a lack of ovarian hormones would impact muscarinic receptor-induced deficits in prepulse inhibition (PPI) and muscarinic receptor density in several brain regions. Adult female rats were either ovariectomized, to remove the source of ovarian hormones, or left intact (sham-operated). PPI is a measure of sensorimotor gating that is typically impaired in schizophrenia patients, and similar deficits can be induced in rats by administering scopolamine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist. Our results revealed no significant effects of ovariectomy on PPI after saline or scopolamine treatment. Autoradiography was performed to measure cholinergic muscarinic receptor binding density using [3H]-pirenzepine, [3H]-AF-DX, and [3H]-4-DAMP, to label M1, M2/M4, and M3 receptors, respectively. We examined the amygdala, caudate putamen, dorsal hippocampus, motor cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and ventromedial hypothalamus. There were no significant group differences in any region for any muscarinic receptor type. These results suggest that removing peripheral ovarian hormones does not influence the cholinergic muscarinic receptor system in the context of PPI or receptor binding density.
Facile Fabrication of Glycosylpyridyl-Triazole@Nickel Nanoparticles as Recyclable Nanocatalyst for Acylation of Amines in Water
Authors: Lin Zhiwei , Jin Jianzhong , Qiao Jun , Tong Jianying , Shen Chao
Published: February 2020

In this report, novel glycosylpyridyl-triazole@nickel nanoparticles (GPT-Ni) were successfully prepared via click chemistry and were fully characterized by various spectroscopy measurements. The as-prepared catalysts could be used as a recyclable catalyst for the catalytic acylation of amines by employing N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), N,N-dimethylpropionamide (DMP), and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as acylation reagents in water, providing the corresponding amides in good yields. The practicability of this methodology is highlighted by the good recyclability of the catalyst. A unique mechanism was proposed for the catalytic process.
Synthesis of Lipase-Immobilized CeO2 Nanorods as Heterogeneous Nano-Biocatalyst for Optimized Biodiesel Production from Eruca sativa Seed Oil
Authors: Fatima Anam , Mumtaz Muhammad Waseem , Mukhtar Hamid , Akram Sadia , Touqeer Tooba , Rashid Umer , Ul Mustafa Muhammad Raza , Nehdi Imededdine Arbi , Saiman Mohd Izham
Published: February 2020

Biodiesel has emerged as one of the most attractive alternative energy sources to meet the growing needs of energy. Many approaches have been adopted for biodiesel synthesis. In the present work, biodiesel was produced from non-edible Eruca sativa oil using nano-biocatalyst-catalysed transesterification. Nano-biocatalyst (CeO2@PDA@A. terreus Lipase) was developed via the immobilization of lipase on polydopamine coated ceria nanorods, and CeO2 nanorods were developed via a hydrothermal process. The mean diameter of nanorods were measured to be 50–60 nm, while their mean length was 150–200 nm. Lipase activity before and after immobilization was measured to be 18.32 and 16.90 U/mg/min, respectively. The immobilized lipase depicted high stability at high temperature and pH. CeO2@PDA@A. terreus Lipase-catalysed transesterification resulted in 89.3% yield of the product. Process optimization through response surface methodology was also executed, and it was depicted that the optimum/maximum E. sativa oil-based biodiesel yield was procured at conditions of 10% CeO2@PDA@A. terreus Lipase, 6:1 methanol/oil ratio, 0.6% water content, 35 °C reaction temperature, and 30 h reaction time. The fuel compatibility of synthesized biodiesel was confirmed via the estimation of fuel properties that were in agreement with the ASTM D standard. The nanorods and dopamine-modified nanorods were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), while conversion of E. sativa oil to biodiesel was confirmed by GC/MS and FTIR spectroscopy. Conclusively, it was revealed that CeO2@PDA@A. terreus Lipase has potential to be employed as an emphatic nano-biocatalyst.
An Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Solutions Derived from a Copper Chelate Polymer via In Situ Electrochemical Transformation
Authors: Putra Ridwan P. , Horino Hideyuki , Rzeznicka Izabela I.
Published: February 2020

Efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts are highly desired in the field of water electrolysis and rechargeable metal-air batteries. In this study, a chelate polymer, composed of copper (II) and dithiooxamide, was used to derive an efficient catalytic system for OER. Upon potential sweep in 1 M KOH, copper (II) centers of the chelate polymer were transformed to CuO and Cu(OH)2. The carbon-dispersed CuO nanostructures formed a nanocomposite which exhibits an enhanced catalytic activity for OER in alkaline media. The nanocomposite catalyst has an overpotential of 280 mV (at 1 mA/cm2) and a Tafel slope of 81 mV/dec in 1M KOH solution. It has a seven-fold higher current than an IrO2/C electrode, per metal loading. A catalytic cycle is proposed, in which CuO undergoes electrooxidation to Cu2O3 that further decomposes to CuO with the release of oxygen. This work reveals a new method to produce an active nanocomposite catalyst for OER in alkaline media using a non-noble metal chelate polymer and a porous carbon. This method can be applied to the synthesis of transition metal oxide nanoparticles used in the preparation of composite electrodes for water electrolyzers and can be used to derive cathode materials for aqueous-type metal-air batteries.
Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Au/TiO2 Nanoparticles against Ciprofloxacin
Authors: Martins Pedro , Kappert Sandro , Nga Le Hoai , Sebastian Victor , Kühn Klaus , Alves Madalena , Pereira Luciana , Cuniberti Gianaurelio , Melle-Franco Manuel , Lanceros-Méndez Senentxu
Published: February 2020

In the last decades, photocatalysis has arisen as a solution to degrade emerging pollutants such as antibiotics. However, the reduced photoactivation of TiO2 under visible radiation constitutes a major drawback because 95% of sunlight radiation is not being used in this process. Thus, it is critical to modify TiO2 nanoparticles to improve the ability to absorb visible radiation from sunlight. This work reports on the synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles decorated with gold (Au) nanoparticles by deposition-precipitation method for enhanced photocatalytic activity. The produced nanocomposites absorb 40% to 55% more radiation in the visible range than pristine TiO2, the best results being obtained for the synthesis performed at 25 °C and with Au loading of 0.05 to 0.1 wt. %. Experimental tests yielded a higher photocatalytic degradation of 91% and 49% of ciprofloxacin (5 mg/L) under UV and visible radiation, correspondingly. Computational modeling supports the experimental results, showing the ability of Au to bind TiO2 anatase surfaces, the relevant role of Au transferring electrons, and the high affinity of ciprofloxacin to both Au and TiO2 surfaces. Hence, the present work represents a reliable approach to produce efficient photocatalytic materials and an overall contribution in the development of high-performance Au/TiO2 photocatalytic nanostructures through the optimization of the synthesis parameters, photocatalytic conditions, and computational modeling.
Dry Reforming of Methane Using Ce-modified Ni Supported on 8%PO4 + ZrO2 Catalysts
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmed A. , Al-Fatesh Ahmed S. , Kumar Nadavala Siva , Abasaeed Ahmed E. , Kasim Samsudeen O. , Fakeeha Anis H.
Published: February 2020

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) was studied in the light of Ni supported on 8%PO4 + ZrO2 catalysts. Cerium was used to modify the Ni active metal. Different percentage loadings of Ce (1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, and 5%) were tested. The wet incipient impregnation method was used for the preparation of all catalysts. The catalysts were activated at 700 °C for ½ h. The reactions were performed at 800 °C using a gas hourly space velocity of 28,000 mL (h·gcat)−1. X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 physisorption, hydrogen temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), temperature programmed oxidation (TPO), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used for characterizing the catalysts. The TGA analysis depicted minor amounts of carbon deposition. The CO2-TPD results showed that Ce enhanced the basicity of the catalysts. The 3% Ce loading possessed the highest surface area, the largest pore volume, and the greatest pore diameter. All the promoted catalysts enhanced the conversions of CH4 and CO2. Among the promoted catalysts tested, the 10Ni + 3%Ce/8%PO4 + ZrO2 catalyst system operated at 1 bar and at 800 °C gave the highest conversions of CH4 (95%) and CO2 (96%). The stability profile of Cerium-modified catalysts (10%Ni/8%PO4 + ZrO2) depicted steady CH4 and CO2 conversions during the 7.5 h time on stream.
The Profile, Health Seeking Behavior, Referral Patterns, and Outcome of Outborn Neonates Admitted to a District and Regional Hospital in the Upper West Region of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Tette Edem , Nuertey Benjamin , Azusong Emmanuel , Gandau Naa
Published: February 2020

Neonatal mortality is the major contributor to under-five mortality rates in many low and middle income countries. We examined the health practices, care-seeking behavior, and referral of sick outborn neonates to a district and regional hospital in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study was a cross-sectional study conducted over an eight (8) month period in 2018. Data were obtained from caregiver interviews and case notes. Altogether, 153 outborn neonates were examined. Inappropriate practices including the use of enemas, cord care with cow dung, and herbal baths were found. Three babies treated this way died. The majority of caregivers sought care at a health facility. However, 67 (44%) sought care only after their babies were ill for ≥7 days, suggesting the influence of a period of confinement on health seeking. More than half, 94 (61.4%), of the facilities visited referred patients to destination hospitals without giving any treatment. Delayed care-seeking was associated with a low birth weight, using home remedies, and a maternal age of ≥30 years. Altogether, 12 neonates (7.8%) died, consisting of three males and nine females (p = 0.018). Socio-cultural factors strongly influence health seeking behavior and the health outcome of neonates in this setting. There appeared to be a limited repertoire of interventions for treating neonatal disease in primary care.
Preparation of WC Reinforced Co-Based Alloy Gradient Coatings on a H13 Mold Steel Substrate by Laser Cladding
Authors: Li Chenchen , Yang Xuefeng , Wang Shouren , Wang Yanjun , Cao Jinlong
Published: February 2020

H13 die steel often fails as a result of physical and chemical effects such as wear, erosion and cyclic stress. Accordingly, the study evaluates Co-based gradient coating on an H13 steel featuring a stress-relieving effect. Scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the microstructure and phase of the coatings. A microhardness tester and friction and wear tester were used to compare the hardness and wear resistance of the coatings and the substrate, and the wear morphology was observed. A pendulum impact test was used to compare the impact resistance of the coatings and the substrate, and the fracture morphology was observed. Finally, a corrosion test was used to compare the corrosion resistance of coatings and substrate. The results show that the Co-based gradient coatings have good combinations with the substrate, the hard phase content gradually increases from the bottom to the top of the coating, and the crystal microstructure generally maintains a distribution trend from coarse to fine. The hardness of the gradient coatings is significantly higher than the substrate, and from the coating surface to the substrate, the hardness decreases slowly. The wear loss of the coatings is much lower than that of the substrate, the main wear mechanism of the substrate is abrasive wear, and the main wear mechanism of the coatings is brittle spalling. While the gradient coatings increase the surface hardness, the brittleness also increases, the impact resistance of the coatings is lower than that of the substrate, the fracture form of the substrate is a ductile fracture, and the fracture form of the coating is a brittle fracture. The gradient coatings effectively improve the corrosion resistance of the substrate surface, and the higher the content of the reinforcing phase, the better the corrosion resistance of the coatings.
Breast Cancer Detection—A Synopsis of Conventional Modalities and the Potential Role of Microwave Imaging
Authors: Moloney Brian M. , O’Loughlin Declan , Abd Elwahab Sami , Kerin Michael J.
Published: February 2020

Global statistics have demonstrated that breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed invasive cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among female patients. Survival following a diagnosis of breast cancer is grossly determined by the stage of the disease at the time of initial diagnosis, highlighting the importance of early detection. Improving early diagnosis will require a multi-faceted approach to optimizing the use of currently available imaging modalities and investigating new methods of detection. The application of microwave technologies in medical diagnostics is an emerging field of research, with breast cancer detection seeing the most significant progress in the last twenty years. In this review, the application of current conventional imaging modalities is discussed, and recurrent shortcomings highlighted. Microwave imaging is rapid and inexpensive. If the preliminary results of its diagnostic capacity are substantiated, microwave technology may offer a non-ionizing, non-invasive, and painless adjunct or stand-alone modality that could possibly be implemented in routine diagnostic breast care.
Long-Term Follow-up Posthematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in a Japanese Patient with Type-VII Mucopolysaccharidosis
Authors: Orii Kenji , Suzuki Yasuyuki , Tomatsu Shunji , Orii Tadao , Fukao Toshiyuki
Published: February 2020

The effectiveness of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for type-VII mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS VII, Sly syndrome) remains controversial, although recent studies have shown that it has a clinical impact. In 1998, Yamada et al. reported the first patient with MPS VII, who underwent HSCT at 12 years of age. Here, we report the results of a 22-year follow-up of that patient post-HSCT, who harbored the p.Ala619Val mutation associated with an attenuated phenotype. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in physical symptoms, the activity of daily living (ADL), and the intellectual status in the 34-year-old female MPS VII patient post-HSCT, and to prove the long-term effects of HSCT in MPS VII. Twenty-two years after HSCT, the β-glucuronidase activity in leukocytes remained at normal levels, and urinary glycosaminoglycan excretion was reduced and kept within normal levels. At present, she is capable of sustaining simple conversation, and her intellectual level is equivalent to that of a 6-year-old. She can walk alone and climb upstairs by holding onto a handrail, although she feels mild pain in the hip joint. The cervical vertebrae are fused with the occipital bone, causing dizziness and light-headedness when the neck is bent back. Overall, her clinical condition has been stabilized and kept well for long-term post-HSCT, indicating that HSCT is a therapeutic option for MPS VII.
SD-UNet: Stripping down U-Net for Segmentation of Biomedical Images on Platforms with Low Computational Budgets
Authors: Gadosey Pius Kwao , Li Yujian , Agyekum Enock Adjei , Zhang Ting , Liu Zhaoying , Yamak Peter T. , Essaf Firdaous
Published: February 2020

During image segmentation tasks in computer vision, achieving high accuracy performance while requiring fewer computations and faster inference is a big challenge. This is especially important in medical imaging tasks but one metric is usually compromised for the other. To address this problem, this paper presents an extremely fast, small and computationally effective deep neural network called Stripped-Down UNet (SD-UNet), designed for the segmentation of biomedical data on devices with limited computational resources. By making use of depthwise separable convolutions in the entire network, we design a lightweight deep convolutional neural network architecture inspired by the widely adapted U-Net model. In order to recover the expected performance degradation in the process, we introduce a weight standardization algorithm with the group normalization method. We demonstrate that SD-UNet has three major advantages including: (i) smaller model size (23x smaller than U-Net); (ii) 8x fewer parameters; and (iii) faster inference time with a computational complexity lower than 8M floating point operations (FLOPs). Experiments on the benchmark dataset of the Internatioanl Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI) challenge for segmentation of neuronal structures in electron microscopic (EM) stacks and the Medical Segmentation Decathlon (MSD) challenge brain tumor segmentation (BRATs) dataset show that the proposed model achieves comparable and sometimes better results compared to the current state-of-the-art.
Management of a Facilitated Aesthetic Orthodontic Treatment with Clear Aligners and Minimally Invasive Corticotomy
Authors: Caruso Silvia , Darvizeh Atanaz , Zema Stefano , Gatto Roberto , Nota Alessandro
Published: February 2020

Accelerating orthodontic tooth movement has become a topical issue and the corticotomy seems to be the only effective and safe technique reported in the literature. Simultaneously, aesthetic orthodontic treatment with removable clear aligners has become commonly requested. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the management of facilitated aesthetic orthodontic treatment, a combined approach including piezocision corticotomy and clear aligners for orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic planning for traditional clear aligners should be modified to take advantage of the corticotomy technique in order to facilitate the most difficult orthodontic movements needed to achieve treatment completion, where each aligner will be used for four days rather than 15 days for a total time of four months. A corticotomy with a modified minimally invasive flapless piezocision technique should be performed in both jaws at the same time, before the time window of the orthodontic treatment, where the most difficult orthodontic movements are planned. Treatment planning where difficult orthodontic movements, such as anterior open-bite closure and extraction space closure, are easily managed with clear aligners and are presented as examples of facilitated aesthetic orthodontic treatment application. The combination between aesthetic treatment with clear aligners and modified piezocision corticotomy, if carefully planned, seems to represent a synergy that achieves the current goals of orthodontic treatment. The primary objectives of this combination should be facilitating difficult orthodontic movements and reducing treatment duration.
A Novel General Purpose Combined DFVF/VCII Based Biomedical Amplifier
Authors: Stornelli Vincenzo , Barile Gianluca , Leoni Alfiero
Published: February 2020

We here present a 0.15 µm CMOS high input impedance and low noise AC coupled flipped voltage follower-based amplifier for high integration level in integrated circuits in a wide range of sensing applications. With such a circuit, it is possible to achieve a high level of integration, thanks to the absence of passive resistors, and also to implement a very high input impedance without capacitive feedback thanks to bootstrap operation, thus offering a very low high-pass cutoff frequency. Simulated results with a proven and well modeled standard technology show a whole circuit input-referred noise of 5.4 µVrms. The bias voltage is ±0.6 V with a total power consumption of the single amplifier of 20 µW. The very low circuit complexity allows a very low estimated reduced area occupation giving, as a general example, the possibility of integrating an array of up to thousands of channels for biomedical applications. Detailed simulation results, PVT analysis and comparison tables are also presented in the paper.
Sequence-To-Sequence Neural Networks Inference on Embedded Processors Using Dynamic Beam Search
Authors: Jahier Pagliari Daniele , Daghero Francesco , Poncino Massimo
Published: February 2020

Sequence-to-sequence deep neural networks have become the state of the art for a variety of machine learning applications, ranging from neural machine translation (NMT) to speech recognition. Many mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) applications would benefit from the ability of performing sequence-to-sequence inference directly in embedded devices, thereby reducing the amount of raw data transmitted to the cloud, and obtaining benefits in terms of response latency, energy consumption and security. However, due to the high computational complexity of these models, specific optimization techniques are needed to achieve acceptable performance and energy consumption on single-core embedded processors. In this paper, we present a new optimization technique called dynamic beam search, in which the inference complexity is tuned to the difficulty of the processed input sequence at runtime. Results based on measurements on a real embedded device, and on three state-of-the-art deep learning models, show that our method is able to reduce the inference time and energy by up to 25% without loss of accuracy.
Target Localization Methods Based on Iterative Super-Resolution for Bistatic MIMO Radar
Authors: Du Jianhe , Han Meng , Jin Libiao , Hua Yan , Li Shufeng
Published: February 2020

The direction-of-departure (DOD) and the direction-of-arrival (DOA) are important localization parameters in bistatic MIMO radar. In this paper, we are interested in DOD/DOA estimation of both single-pulse and multiple-pulse multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radars. An iterative super-resolution target localization method is firstly proposed for single-pulse bistatic MIMO radar. During the iterative process, the estimated DOD and DOA can be moved from initial angles to their true values with high probability, and thus can achieve super-resolution estimation. It works well even if the number of targets is unknown. We then extend the proposed method to multiple-pulse configuration to estimate target numbers and localize targets. Compared with existing methods, both of our proposed algorithms have a higher localization accuracy and a more stable performance. Moreover, the proposed algorithms work well even with low sampling numbers and unknown target numbers. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Analysis and Design of a Sine Wave Filter for GaN-Based Low-Voltage Variable Frequency Drives
Authors: Baek Seunghoon , Choi Dongmin , Bu Hanyoung , Cho Younghoon
Published: February 2020

Gallium nitride (GaN) devices have been widely adopted to achieve high efficiency and high power density as alternative solutions to silicon devices. When the GaN power devices are used for variable frequency drive (VFD) systems, the high dv/dt pulses at the motor terminal, which induce shaft voltage and common mode current, should be carefully considered to ensure system reliability. Although the high dv/dt issues can be mitigated with a dv/dt filter method, it leads to performance degradation depending on cable length. Meanwhile, a matrix converter also becomes a next-generation power converter for the VFDs which has a regeneration capability and unity power factor. Thus, this paper discusses the GaN-based matrix converter for the VFD as a study case considering the motor terminal voltage quality and the common mode current. Also, a sine wave filter is adopted to cope with the terminal voltage quality irrespective of cable length. The optimized design procedure of the sine filter considers practical issues. Experimental results are presented to suggest a suitable solution for the GaN-based VFDs in accordance with the cable length.