bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The use of electromagnetic field in designing the high quality Al alloys for hot forging process
Authors: Gulišija Zvonko , Patarić Aleksandra , Mihailović Marija
Published: May 2015

This work presents a way to obtain the better quality of EN AW 7075 aluminum high-strength alloy by application of electromagnetic field (EMF) during the casting process. In this way, the uniform fine-grained microstructure, and hence the better mechanical properties of the alloy can be achieved. The microstructure and mechanical characterization for samples obtained with and without EMF were performed. The application of numerical simulation for hot forging process, using appropriate software, is efficient and highly useful tool for problem prediction in industrial production, reducing the time and costs in the process of development of new products. The input data of high strength Al-alloy EN AW-7075 is used for simulation because it enables the development of parts with complex dimensions and shape.
Pneumocystis pneumonia in HIV‐positive patients in Spain: epidemiology and environmental risk factors
Authors: Alvaro‐Meca Alejandro , Palomares‐Sancho Ines , Diaz Asuncion , Resino Rosa , De Miguel Angel Gil , Resino Salvador
Published: May 2015

Introduction

Specific environmental factors may play a role in the development of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in HIV‐positive patients. The aim of this study was to estimate the PCP incidence and mortality in hospitalized HIV‐positive patients in Spain during the combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) era (1997 to 2011), as well as to analyze the climatological factors and air pollution levels in relation to hospital admissions and deaths.

Methods

We carried out a retrospective study. Data were collected from the National Hospital Discharge Database and the State Meteorological Agency of Spain. A case‐crossover analysis was applied to identify environmental risk factors related to hospitalizations and deaths. For each patient, climatic factors and pollution levels were assigned based on readings from the nearest meteorological station to his or her postal code.

Results

There were 13,139 new PCP diagnoses and 1754 deaths in hospitalized HIV‐positive patients from 1997 to 2011. The PCP incidence (events per 1000 person‐years) dropped from 11.6 in 1997 to 2000, to 5.4 in 2004 to 2011 (p<0.001). The mortality (events per 10,000 person‐years) also decreased from 14.3 in 1997 to 2000, to 7.5 in 2004 to 2011 (p<0.001). Most hospital admissions and deaths occurred in the winter season and the fewest occurred in the summer, overlapping respectively with the lowest and highest temperatures of the year in Spain. Moreover, lower temperatures prior to PCP admission, as well as higher concentrations of NO2 and particulate matter up to 10 m in size (PM10) at the time of admission were associated with higher likelihoods of hospital admission due to PCP when two weeks, one month, 1.5 months or two months were used as controls (p<0.01). Furthermore, higher concentrations of ozone at one month (p=0.007), 1.5 months (p<0.001) and two months (p=0.006) prior to admission were associated with higher likelihoods of hospital admission with PCP. For PCP‐related deaths, lower temperatures prior to admission and higher concentrations of atmospheric PM10 at the time of admission were related to higher likelihood of death when two weeks, one month and 1.5 months were used as controls (p<0.05).

Conclusions

PCP was a significant health problem in the cART era (1997 to 2011), and PCP epidemiology was adversely influenced by colder climatological factors and higher ambient air pollution levels.
Thalamic theta phase alignment predicts human memory formation and anterior thalamic cross-frequency coupling
Authors: Sweeney-Reed Catherine M , Zaehle Tino , Voges Jürgen , Schmitt Friedhelm C , Buentjen Lars , Kopitzki Klaus , Hinrichs Hermann , Heinze Hans-Jochen , Rugg Michael D , Knight Robert T , Richardson-Klavehn Alan
Published: May 2015

Previously we reported electrophysiological evidence for a role for the anterior thalamic nucleus (ATN) in human memory formation (Sweeney-Reed et al., 2014). Theta-gamma cross-frequency coupling (CFC) predicted successful memory formation, with the involvement of gamma oscillations suggesting memory-relevant local processing in the ATN. The importance of the theta frequency range in memory processing is well-established, and phase alignment of oscillations is considered to be necessary for synaptic plasticity. We hypothesized that theta phase alignment in the ATN would be necessary for memory encoding. Further analysis of the electrophysiological data reveal that phase alignment in the theta rhythm was greater during successful compared with unsuccessful encoding, and that this alignment was correlated with the CFC. These findings support an active processing role for the ATN during memory formation.
Physician Satisfaction and Physician Well-Being: Should Anyone Care?
Authors: Casalino Lawrence P. , Crosson Francis J.
Published: May 2015

We present a model of hypothesized relationships between physician satisfaction, physician well-being and the quality of care, in addition to a review of relevant literature. The model suggests that physicians who are stressed, burned out, depressed, and/or have poor self-care are more likely to be dissatisfied, and vice-versa. Both poor physician well-being and physician dissatisfaction are hypothesized to lead to diminished physician concentration, effort, empathy, and professionalism. This results in misdiagnoses and other medical errors, a higher rate of inappropriate referrals and prescriptions, lower patient satisfaction and adherence to physician recommendations, and worse physician performance in areas not observed by others. Research to date largely supports the model, but high quality studies are few. Research should include studies that are prospective, larger, and have a stronger analytic design, ideally including difference in differences analyses comparing quality of care for patients of physicians who become dissatisfied to those who remain satisfied, and vice versa.

Keywords: physician satisfaction, physician dissatisfaction, quality of care, physician well-being, physician burnout
Laparoscopic Hand-Assisted Adrenal-Sparing Surgery for a Giant Adrenal Myelolipoma: A Case Report
Authors: Park Bong Hee , Lee Su Lim , Seo Kyung Jin , Bae Sang Rak , Lee Yong Seok , Kang Sung Hak , Han Chang Hee
Published: May 2015

Adrenal myelolipoma is a rare, benign tumor. Surgical resection is advocated in symptomatic cases, large (size >4 cm) cases, cases where there is an increase in size on follow-up, and cases with an atypical appearance on imaging. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is currently the gold standard operation for managing benign adrenal mass. However, to date, laparoscopic entire resection of ipsilateral adrenal gland with the tumor has mainly been reported in the literature. Under clinical circumstances, adrenal-sparing surgery is underused as first-line therapy for adrenal tumors. We present a case of adrenal myelolipoma involving the right adrenal gland of a 45-year-old woman who presented with right-sided flank pain. On radiologic and endocrine evaluation, she received a diagnosis of a giant adrenal myelolipoma (>8 cm). Right hand-assisted laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy was performed, and postoperative recovery was uneventful. Finally, histologic examination confirmed adrenal myelolipoma. On follow-up computed tomography, there was no residual tumor and the remaining right adrenal gland. Our report suggests that hand-assisted laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy could be considered for appropriate removal of adrenal myelolipoma, even in giant adrenal myelolipoma.
New model for capturing the variations of fertilizer‐induced emission factors of N2O
Authors: Zhou Feng , Shang Ziyin , Zeng Zhenzhong , Piao Shilong , Ciais Philippe , Raymond Peter A. , Wang Xuhui , Wang Rong , Chen Minpeng , Yang Changliang , Tao Shu , Zhao Yue , Meng Qian , Gao Shuoshuo , Mao Qi
Published: May 2015

Accumulating evidence indicates that N2O emission factors (EFs) vary with nitrogen additions and environmental variations. Yet the impact of the latter was often ignored by previous EF determinations. We developed piecewise statistical models (PMs) to explain how the N2O EFs in agricultural soils depend upon various predictors such as climate, soil attributes, and agricultural management. The PMs are derived from a new Bayesian Recursive Regression Tree algorithm. The PMs were applied to the case of EFs from agricultural soils in China, a country where large EF spatial gradients prevail. The results indicate substantial improvements of the PMs compared with other EF determinations. First, PMs are able to reproduce a larger fraction of the variability of observed EFs for upland grain crops (84%, n = 381) and paddy rice (91%, n = 161) as well as the ratio of EFs to nitrogen application rates (73%, n = 96). The superior predictive accuracy of PMs is further confirmed by evaluating their predictions against independent EF measurements (n = 285) from outside China. Results show that the PMs calibrated using Chinese data can explain 75% of the variance. Hence, the PMs could be reliable for upscaling of N2O EFs and fluxes for regions that have a phase space of predictors similar to China. Results from the validated models also suggest that climatic factors regulate the heterogeneity of EFs in China, explaining 69% and 85% of their variations for upland grain crops and paddy rice, respectively. The corresponding N2O EFs in 2008 are 0.84 ± 0.18% (as N2O‐N emissions divided by the total N input) for upland grain crops and 0.65 ± 0.14% for paddy rice, the latter being twice as large as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier 1 defaults. Based upon these new estimates of EFs, we infer that only 22% of current arable land could achieve a potential reduction of N2O emission of 50%.
The Cape Ghir filament system in August 2009 (NW Africa)
Authors: Sangrà Pablo , Troupin Charles , Barreiro‐González Beatriz , Desmond Barton Eric , Orbi Abdellatif , Arístegui Javier
Published: May 2015

In the framework of the Canaries‐Iberian marine ecosystem Exchanges (CAIBEX) experiment, an interdisciplinary high‐resolution survey was conducted in the NW African region of Cape Ghir (30°38′N) during August 2009. The anatomy of a major filament is investigated on scales down to the submesoscale using in situ and remotely sensed data. The filament may be viewed as a system composed of three intimately connected structures: a small, shallow, and cold filament embedded within a larger, deeper, and cool filament and an intrathermocline anticyclonic eddy (ITE). The cold filament, which stretches 110 km offshore, is a shallow feature 60 m deep and 25 km wide, identified by minimal surface temperatures and rich in chlorophyll a. This structure comprises two asymmetrical submesoscale (∼18 km) fronts with jets flowing in opposite directions. The cold filament is embedded near the equatorward boundary of a much broader region of approximately 120 km width and 150 m depth that forms the cool filament and stretches at least 200 km offshore. This cool region, partly resulting from the influence of cold filament, is limited by two asymmetrical mesoscale (∼50 km) frontal boundaries. At the ITE, located north of the cold filament, we observe evidence of downwelling as indicated by a relatively high concentration of particles extending from the surface to more than 200 m depth. We hypothesize that this ITE may act as a sink of carbon and thus the filament system may serve dual roles of offshore carbon export and carbon sink.
Modeling water isotopologues during the last glacial: Implications for quantitative paleosalinity reconstruction
Authors: Caley Thibaut , Roche Didier M.
Published: May 2015

Quantitative paleosalinity reconstructions with reasonable uncertainties remain a challenge in paleoceanography. In this study, we focus on stable isotope‐based methods (δ18O and δ2H) to derive paleosalinity. We use the water isotopes‐enabled fully coupled atmosphere/ocean/vegetation/land surface three‐dimensional model of intermediate complexity iLOVECLIM to simulate the climate and water isotopes during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Heinrich event 1. We investigate how the isotopes in water can be used as reliable proxies to quantitatively reconstruct past changes in seawater salinity. Our results demonstrate that a quantitative salinity reconstruction during glacial conditions based on present‐day regional δ18O‐salinity relationships can lead to considerable errors (up to 25 g/kg in certain regions). However, we show that these eventual uncertainties on paleosalinity reconstruction can be reduced by allowing for model‐derived regional δ18O‐salinity relationships to vary through time. Our results indicate a rather stable dependence between δ2H and δ18O in surface seawater during the LGM. This suggest that quantitative reconstruction of salinity based on the δ2H measurement of alkenones (δ2Ha) might be possible if the slope and the intercept of the regression between the fractionation factor δ2Ha‐δ2Hsw and salinity can be sufficiently tightly constrained in open ocean conditions. We confirm that pairing water isotopologues has a strong potential to reduce uncertainties on quantitative paleosalinity reconstructions, also under glacial boundary conditions.
New magnetobiostratigraphic chronology and paleoceanographic changes across the Oligocene‐Miocene boundary at DSDP Site 516 (Rio Grande Rise, SW Atlantic)
Authors: Florindo Fabio , Gennari Rocco , Persico Davide , Turco Elena , Villa Giuliana , Lurcock Pontus C. , Roberts Andrew P. , Winkler Aldo , Carter Lionel , Pekar Stephen F.
Published: May 2015

New magnetobiostratigraphic data for the late Oligocene through early Miocene at Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Hole 516F provide a significantly revised age model, which permits reevaluation of developments that led to the Mi‐1 glacial event at the Oligocene‐Miocene boundary. Our new high‐resolution paleomagnetic study, which is supported by quantitative calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminiferal analyses, significantly refines previous age models for Oligocene‐Miocene sediments from DSDP Hole 516F, with ages that are systematically younger than those previously determined. In some parts of the Oligocene, the discrepancy with previous studies exceeds 450 kyr. Based on this new age model, we infer a progressive increase in sedimentation rate and paleoproductivity between circa 23.9 Ma and circa 22.9 Ma, with the highest rate coinciding with the Mi‐1 glacial event at the Oligocene‐Miocene boundary. This productivity increase would have resulted in higher rates of carbon burial and in turn a drawdown of atmospheric CO2. Immediately afterward, an abrupt decrease in sedimentation rate and paleoproductivity suggests that the Mi‐1 deglaciation was associated with decreased carbon input into the ocean. Elevated sedimentation rates are also documented at ~24.5 Ma, coincident with the Oi2D glacioeustatic event. The presence of volcanic material within the sediments during these glacial events is interpreted to have resulted from redeposition of sediment scoured from nearby sites on the Rio Grande Rise due to transient variations in bottom water flow patterns.
A spatiotemporal precipitation generator based on a censored latentGaussian field
Authors: Baxevani Anastassia , Lennartsson Jan
Published: May 2015

A daily stochastic spatiotemporal precipitation generator that yields precipitation realizations that are quantitatively consistent is described. The methodology relies on a latent Gaussian field that drives both the occurrence and intensity of the precipitation process. For the precipitation intensity, the marginal distributions, which are space and time dependent, are described by a composite model of a gamma distribution for observations below some threshold with a generalized Pareto distribution modeling the excesses above the threshold. Model parameters are estimated from data and extrapolated to locations and times with no direct observations using linear regression of position covariates. One advantage of such a model is that stochastic generator parameters are readily available at any location and time of the year inside the stationarity regions. The methodology is illustrated for a network of 12 locations in Sweden. Performance of the model is judged through its ability to accurately reproduce a series of spatial dependence measures and weather indices.
A new interhemispheric 16‐moment model of the plasmasphere‐ionosphere system: IPIM
Authors: Marchaudon A. , Blelly P.‐L.
Published: May 2015

We present a new interhemispheric numerical model: the IRAP plasmasphere‐ionosphere model (IPIM). This model describes the transport of the multispecies ionospheric plasma from one hemisphere to the other along convecting and corotating magnetic field lines, taking into account source processes at low altitude such as photoproduction, chemistry, and energization through the coupling with a kinetic code solving the transport of suprathermal electron along the field line. Among the new developments, a 16‐moment‐based approach is used for the transport equations in order to allow development of strong temperature anisotropy at high altitude and we consider important but often neglected effects, such as inertial acceleration (centrifugal and Coriolis). In this paper, after presenting in detail the principle of the model, we focus on preliminary results showing the original contribution of this new model. For these first runs, we simulate the convection and corotation transport of closed flux tubes in the plasmasphere for tilted/eccentric dipolar magnetic field configuration in solstice and equinox conditions. We follow different flux tubes between 1.2 and 6 Earth Radii (RE) and demonstrate the capability of the model to describe a wide range of density (above 15 orders of magnitude). The relevance of the mathematical approach used is highlighted, as anisotropies can develop above 3000 km in the plasmasphere as a result of the mirroring effect related to the anisotropic pressure tensor. Moreover, we show that the addition of inertial acceleration may become critical to describe plasma interhemispheric transport above 4RE. The ability of the model to describe the external plasmasphere is demonstrated, and innovative studies are foreseen, regarding the dynamics of the plasma along the magnetic field lines (in particular interhemispheric exchanges and “opening”/“closure” of a flux tube).
Quantitative Analyses of MWCNT‐Ti Powder Mixtures using Raman Spectroscopy: The Influence of Milling Parameters on Nanostructural Evolution
Authors: Munir Khurram S. , Qian M. , Li Yuncang , Oldfield Daniel T. , Kingshott Peter , Zhu De Ming , Wen Cuie
Published: May 2015

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered as promising reinforcements for metal matrix composites because of their unique mechanical and thermal properties. High energy ball milling (HEBM) via powder metallurgy has emerged as an effective technique to disperse CNTs in metal powder matrices. Despite the effectiveness in dispersion, HEBM under harsh milling conditions may damage the CNTs. In this study, a planetary ball mill has been employed to disperse 0.5 wt% multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into a titanium (Ti) powder matrix. The results indicated that harsh ball milling conditions created non‐sp2 defects in MWCNTs. In‐situ formation of TiC depended upon the milling parameters and milling environment.
Unraveling the Reasons for Efficiency Loss in Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Lee Yong Hui , Luo Jingshan , Humphry‐Baker Robin , Gao Peng , Grätzel Michael , Nazeeruddin Mohammad Khaja
Published: May 2015

The effect of the presence of unreacted PbI2 on the perovskite solar cells efficiency is reported. N,N‐Dimethylformamide vapor treatment is introduced to study the influence of complete conversion to a power conversion efficiency of the device. It is discovered that the optimized morphology of the PbI2 under layer is essential to form a dense perovskite layer preventing recombination by direct contact between TiO2 and a hole transporting layer, and to increase the charge collection efficiency. The present findings provide an insight into the morphology and growth mechanism of perovskite layer, the correlation between the device performance, and the film deposition process.
High‐Performance Olivine for Lithium Batteries: Effects of Ni/Co Doping on the Properties of LiFeαNiβCoγPO4 Cathodes
Authors: Pagot Gioele , Bertasi Federico , Nawn Graeme , Negro Enrico , Carraro Giorgio , Barreca Davide , Maccato Chiara , Polizzi Stefano , Di Noto Vito
Published: May 2015

New high voltage and high capacity storage systems are needed to sustain the increasing energy demand set by the portable electronics and auto­motive fields. Due to their good electrochemical performance, lithium‐transition metal‐phosphates (LiMPO4) seem to be very attractive as cathode materials for lithium secondary batteries. Here the synthesis and the characterization of five high voltage cathodes for lithium batteries, based on lithium–iron, lithium–nickel, lithium–cobalt phosphates are described. The effect of differing degrees of cobalt and nickel doping on structure, morphology, and the electrochemical properties of the different materials is thoroughly studied. Transition metal atoms in these materials are found to be vicariant within the olivine crystal structure; however, the lattice parameters and cell volume can be modulated by varying the nickel/cobalt ratio during the synthesis. High performance battery prototypes in terms of voltage (>4.0 V), specific capacity (125 mAh g−1), specific energy (560 mWh g−1), and cyclic life (>150 cycles) are also demonstrated.
Multiphase transport modeling for vacuum drying of pharmaceutical products
Authors: Dodda Aditya G. , Henson Michael A. , Saranteas Kostas
Published: May 2015

Vacuum drying of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) is an energy‐intensive process that is often a manufacturing bottleneck. A multiphase transport model to predict drying performance under the assumption that boiling is the dominant mechanism is developed. Laboratory scale drying experiments were performed over a range of temperatures and pressures using acetone as the solvent and glass beads of three different particle sizes to mimic APIs. A two‐phase transport model with the vapor and solid considered as one phase and the liquid treated as the second phase was capable of qualitatively reproducing the drying dynamics is found. Adjustable model parameters estimated from experimental data collected over a range of operating conditions exhibited trends that provided further insight into drying behavior. Boiling is the dominant mechanism in vacuum drying and our transport model captured the key physics of the process. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 3639–3655, 2015
Short‐term reproducibility and variability of the pupillographic sleepiness test
Authors: Wilhelm Barbara , Bittner Evelyn , Hofmann Anna , Koerner Andreas , Peters Tobias , Lüdtke Holger , Wilhelm Helmut
Published: May 2015

Objectives

The pupillographic sleepiness test (PST) measures the amplitude of the fluctuations of pupil size in the dark, which reflects the level of central nervous system activation and thus alertness. The aim of this study was to assess the short‐term reproducibility and variability of the results obtained with the PST in normal healthy subjects.

Methods

The PST was measured at 9.00, 11:00, and 13:00 h on three consecutive days in 13 young adults. Subjective sleepiness was assessed with the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) and with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The intra‐class correlation (ICC), a measure of reproducibility and the intra‐ and inter‐individual variability, was calculated.

Results

ANOVA analysis of the data revealed no significant differences in the PST measurements for testing day. Time of day and subject did however significantly affect the results with an ICC 73.1%. For the SSS and VAS, the ICC was 38.8% and 45.9%, respectively. The intra‐ and inter‐individual variability in PST results did not differ considerably between time and days.

Conclusions

We conclude that recordings of the PST have a good reproducibility and low intra‐ and inter‐individual variability compared to subjective scales of sleepiness or the Multiple Sleep Latency Test. The PST is thus a viable method to measure daytime sleepiness objectively. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:862–866, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Household environment and behavioral determinants of respiratory tract infection in infants and young children in northern bangladesh
Authors: Nasanen‐Gilmore S. Pieta K. , Saha Subir , Rasul Izaz , Rousham Emily K.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

Respiratory tract infections (RTI) are one of the leading causes of under‐five mortality in Bangladesh. Solid biomass fuels are the main source of domestic fuel used for cooking across Bangladesh, leading to smoke and pollution exposure in the home. This article aims to identify risk factors for RTI among children aged under five years in Bangladesh with a particular focus on the household environment, fuel use, and cooking practices.

Methods

A cross‐sectional household‐health survey was carried out in 321 households in northern Bangladesh. The survey included care‐giver interviews on cooking practices, child health, and household behaviors during cooking. Health status of the youngest child (under five years) from each household was recorded through maternal interviews, medical diagnosis, and assessment of biomarkers (C‐reactive protein (CRP), hemoglobin) from finger‐prick blood samples. Anthropometric status (weight, height) was recorded.

Results

Children who spent ≥30 minutes/day within 5 feet of the stove during cooking had a significantly increased risk of moderate/severe RTI compared with children spending <30 minutes/day close to the stove (OR = 2.15, 95%CI: 1.20–3.86, P = 0.01), independent of socio‐economic status (SES), biomass fuel type (wood, dung, plant‐derived, compressed rice husks), child age, anthropometric status, CRP and hemoglobin.

Conclusions

In environments with a heavy reliance on solid biomass fuels, the amount of time a child spends near the stove during cooking may be an important risk for RTI. These novel findings from Bangladesh warrant further investigation of mother‐infant behaviors during cooking in relation to child health, to ascertain whether the association is likely to be causal. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:851–858, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bionanocomposites based on polysaccharides and fibrous clays for packaging applications
Authors: Alcântara Ana C. S. , Darder Margarita , Aranda Pilar , Ayral André , Ruiz‐Hitzky Eduardo
Published: May 2015

The present paper reports the use of sepiolite and palygorskite fibrous clays as fillers to improve the mechanical and barrier properties of films based on neutral or negatively charged polysaccharides, such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, alginate, pectin, and xanthan. The interaction established between the polysaccharide chains and the clay fibers, as well as the physicochemical characteristics of the resulting bionanocomposites are characterized by several techniques. These materials are processed as self‐standing films that not only exhibit improved mechanical properties and water resistance, but also a significant barrier to UV light and reduced water absorption capacity, which make them very attractive for use in food packaging or coatings. Moreover, fibrous clays previously modified with the hydrophobic protein zein are also evaluated as fillers in alginate matrices, focusing on the improvement of water resistance, as well as of light and gas barrier properties, especially towards oxygen, which are of special interest for potential application in the food packaging sector. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42362.
Production and characterization of microfibrillated cellulose‐reinforced thermoplastic starch composites
Authors: Lendvai László , Karger‐Kocsis József , Kmetty Ákos , Drakopoulos Stavros X.
Published: May 2015

In this study thermoplastic starch (TPS) matrix‐based microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) reinforced microcomposites were prepared via extrusion compounding in one‐step. Starch was plasticized with a combination of glycerol and water. The native starch/glycerol and the plasticized starch/water ratios were set for 4/1 and 6/1, respectively. Two different MFC types (of varying mean length and diameter) were incorporated up to 20 wt % in the plasticizer‐containing premix prior to its compounding in a twin‐screw extruder. The mechanical properties of the TPS biocomposites were markedly enhanced by the introduction of MFC. The yield strength was improved by ∼50%, whereas the stiffness by ∼250% upon adding 20 wt % MFC compared to the parent TPS. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed that the reinforcing effect of the MFC was more prominent in the starch‐ than in the glycerol (plasticizer)‐rich phase of the TPS. The mean length and diameter of the MFCs, yielding similar aspect ratio values lying below the estimated critical one, influenced the mechanical, thermal, and thermo‐mechanical properties marginally. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42397.
Micro‐contact reconstruction of adjacent carbon nanotubes in polymer matrix through annealing‐Induced relaxation of interfacial residual stress and strain
Authors: Li Dongxu , Fei Guoxia , Xia Hesheng , Spencer Paul E. , Coates Philip D.
Published: May 2015

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) nanocomposites were prepared by twin‐screw extrusion and micro injection molding. The electrical conductivity of micro injection molded polymer nanocomposites exhibits a low value and uneven distribution in the micromolded samples. Real‐time tracing of electrical conductivity was conducted to investigate the post thermal treatment on the electrical conductivity of microinjection molded composites. The results show that postmolding thermal treatment leads to a significant increase in the electrical conductivity by over three orders of magnitude for 5 wt % CNT‐filled TPU composites. In‐situ Transmission electron microscopy confirms the conductive CNT network does not change at the micron/sub‐micron scale during thermal treatment. TEM image analysis by a statistical method was used to determine the spatial distribution of CNT in the sample and showed that the average distance between adjacent CNT reduced slightly at the nanometer scale after postmolding thermal treatment. A new conductive mechanism is proposed to explain the enhancement of electrical conductivity after thermal treatment, i.e. micro‐contact reconstruction of adjacent CNT in the polymer matrix through annealing‐induced relaxation of interfacial residual stress and strain. Raman spectra and small angle X‐ray scattering curve of annealed samples provide supporting evidence for the proposed new conductive mechanism. The electron tunneling model was used to understand the effect of inter‐particle distance on the conductivity of polymer composites. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42416.
Film‐formation of polyacrylate/silica composite latexes by sol‐gel process
Authors: Liao Wenbo , Huang Xiangxuan , Ye Lingyun , Lan Shanhong , Fan Hongbo , Qu Jinqing
Published: May 2015

The polyacrylate/silica composite latexes were prepared by directly mixing silica particles with polyacrylate modified by γ‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of polyacrylate/silica composite films confirmed the sol‐gel processes occurred to form Si–O–Si crosslinking bonds during the process of film‐formation. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images revealed that the polyacrylate latexes were in contact with silica particles while some silica particles stayed together. Atomic force microscope (AFM) photos showed that organic and inorganic phases were strictly connected with each other and silica particles were embedded in the polymeric matrix with a size range of 20–50 nm. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves demonstrated that the composite film with 3% MPS has higher Tg than those of pure polyacrylate films. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42417.
Understanding the foamability and mechanical properties of foamed polypropylene blends by using extensional rheology
Authors: Laguna‐Gutierrez Ester , Van Hooghten Rob , Moldenaers Paula , Rodriguez‐Perez Miguel Angel
Published: May 2015

In this article, the influence of the rheological behavior of miscible blends of a linear and a high melt strength, branched, polypropylene (HMS PP), on the cellular structure and mechanical properties of cellular materials, with a fixed relative density, has been investigated. The rheological properties of the PP melts were investigated in steady and oscillatory shear flow and in uniaxial elongation in order to calculate the strain hardening coefficient. While the linear PP does not exhibit strain hardening, the blends of the linear and the HMS PP show pronounced strain hardening, increasing with the concentration of HMS PP. Related to the cellular structure, in general, the amount of open cells, the cell size, and the width of the cell size distribution increase with the amount of linear PP in the blends. Also mechanical properties are conditioned by the extensional rheological behavior of PP blends. Cellular materials with the best mechanical properties are those that have been fabricated using large amounts of HMS PP. The results demonstrate the importance of the extensional rheological behavior of the base polymers for a better understanding and steering of the cellular structure and properties of the cellular materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42430.
Flexural behavior of PP/Mica composites interfacial modified by a p‐phenylen‐bis‐maleamic acid grafted atactic polypropylene modifier obtained from industrial wastes
Authors: García‐Martínez Jesus Maria , Collar Emilia P.
Published: May 2015

The study of the flexural behavior of the polypropylene/mica system with modified interface by the presence of an interfacial agent obtained from an industrial polymerization by‐product is one of the purposes of present work. The interfacial agent used was a p‐phenylen‐bis‐maleamic grafted atactic polypropylene, aPP‐pPBMA, obtained in authors’ laboratories. Jointly to the study of the effect of the interfacial modification in the composite system, this paper has tried to underline a mathematical model to make predictions of the ultimate properties of the composite. So, a statistical two independent variables Box‐Wilson experimental design have been used to model the behavior of the composite system. The two independent variables considered were the amount of mica particles and of interfacial agent. The fact that the flexural test consist in a combination of compressive and tensile stresses emerges from the analysis of both the data and the statistic parameters of the model. Additionally, a lower sensitivity to changes in the amount of the interfacial agent is found if compared to the obtained for tensile properties. Furthermore, an excellent correlation emerges between the flexural modulus forecasts and those obtained under tensile conditions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42437.
Development of bioplastics based on agricultural side‐stream products: Film extrusion of Crambe abyssinica/wheat gluten blends for packaging purposes
Authors: Rasel Hannah , Johansson Therese , Gällstedt Mikael , Newson William , Johansson Eva , Hedenqvist Mikael
Published: May 2015

The purpose of this work was to add economic value to crambe meal, the protein‐rich byproduct from the industrial extraction of Crambe abyssinica seed oil, by using it as a potential feedstock for oilseed meal‐based plastics. The feasibility to produce continuous, flexible plastic films of glycerol‐plasticized crambe meal blended with wheat gluten (WG) to improve extrudate properties and urea as a protein denaturant using extrusion was investigated. The effect of process parameters and blend composition were studied with regard to the extrusion performance and the film properties. Tensile properties and oxygen permeability were determined, and the film morphology was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy. A die temperature between 125 and 130°C resulted in films with the most homogeneous surfaces and highest tensile strength and extensibility. The use of compression molding after extrusion improved the surface quality and film strength and lowered the oxygen permeability. A decrease in the plasticizer content (from 30 to 20 wt %) improved the extrudability and showed the highest tensile strength, whereas the extensibility was essentially unaffected. The importance of the presence of WG was shown by the fact that strength and extensibility decreased when the crambe content was increased from 60 to 80 wt %. It was shown that crambe‐based biopolymer blends could be extruded as continuous flexible plastic films that exhibited promising mechanical and oxygen barrier properties. The operational window was, however, found to be narrow. The results provide a first basis to further develop the process and the blend toward industrial applications, for example, as packaging materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42442.
Preparation and morphological, thermal, and physicomechanical properties of polypropylene‐potato peel biocomposites
Authors: Sugumaran Vatsala , Vimal Kakkarakkal Kottiyath , Kapur Gurpreet Singh , Narula Anudeep Kumar
Published: May 2015

Potato peel powder (POPL), which is biodegradable, has been used as filler material in polypropylene (PP) matrix in varying concentration from 10 to 40% by weight to prepare biocomposites and investigated water absorption, physicomechanical and thermal properties. Scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction has been used for morphological characterization and crystallization studies. Flexural modulus of biocomposites increased by 40% compared with neat PP at 30% loading of POPL. Flexural strength also increased with increasing filler loading. Tensile strength of biocomposites has been observed to be comparable with neat PP up to 20% filler loading and increase in tensile modulus up to 40% was seen in biocomposites with 20% filler loading. Impact strength of biocomposites up to 20% filler loading was found to be at par with neat PP. Use of MA‐g‐PP compatibilizer in the biocomposites yielded better physico‐mechanical and thermal properties than biocomposites without compatibilizer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42445.
How Can We Strengthen Governance of Non‐communicable Diseases in Pacific Island Countries and Territories?
Authors: Magnusson Roger S. , Patterson David
Published: May 2015

Pacific island countries and territories (PICTs) are some of the most geographically isolated in the world. Most have small populations and economies. In addition to the economic challenges that they face because of isolation and size are the risks of climate disaster and the challenge of non‐communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and tobacco‐related diseases. This article builds on knowledge about the key features that characterise effective national responses to NCDs, as embodied in the World Health Organization's Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013–2020. It seeks to identify some promising strategies for strengthening the governance and law reform processes that will be required to enhance the capacity of small island states to reduce NCD risks in their populations.
Is the fracto‐mechanoluminescence of ZnS:Mn phosphor dominated by charged dislocation mechanism or piezoelectrification mechanism?
Authors: Chandra B. P. , Chandra V. K. , Jha Piyush , Pateria Deepti , Baghel R. N.
Published: May 2015

Mathematical approaches made for both the charged dislocation model and piezoelectrically induced electron bombardment model of fracto‐mechanoluminescence (FML), the luminescence induced by fracture of solids, in ZnS:Mn phosphor indicate that the piezoelectrically induced electron bombardment model provides a dominating process for the FML of ZnS phosphors. The concentration of 3000 ppm Mn2+ is optimal for ML intensity of ZnS:Mn phosphor. The decay time of ML gives the relaxation time of the piston used to deform the sample and the time tm of maximum of ML is controlled by both the relaxation time of the piston and decay time of charges on the newly created surfaces of crystals. As the product of the velocity of dislocations and pinning time of dislocations gives the mean free path of a moving dislocation. Both factors play an important role in the ML excitation of impurity doped II–VI semiconductors. The linear increase of total ML intensity IT with the impact velocity indicates that the damage increases linearly with impact velocity of the load. Thus, the ML measurement can be used remotely to monitor the real‐time damage in the structures, and therefore, the ML of ZnS:Mn phosphor has also the potential for a structural health monitoring system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Liver sinusoid on a chip: Long‐term layered co‐culture of primary rat hepatocytes and endothelial cells in microfluidic platforms
Authors: Kang Young Bok (Abraham) , Sodunke Temitope R. , Lamontagne Jason , Cirillo Joseph , Rajiv Caroline , Bouchard Michael J. , Noh Moses
Published: May 2015

We describe the generation of microfluidic platforms for the co‐culture of primary hepatocytes and endothelial cells; these platforms mimic the architecture of a liver sinusoid. This paper describes a progressional study of creating such a liver sinusoid on a chip system. Primary rat hepatocytes (PRHs) were co‐cultured with primary or established endothelial cells in layers in single and dual microchannel configurations with or without continuous perfusion. Cell viability and maintenance of hepatocyte functions were monitored and compared for diverse experimental conditions. When primary rat hepatocytes were co‐cultured with immortalized bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) in a dual microchannel with continuous perfusion, hepatocytes maintained their normal morphology and continued to produce urea for at least 30 days. In order to demonstrate the utility of our microfluidic liver sinusoid platform, we also performed an analysis of viral replication for the hepatotropic hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV replication, as measured by the presence of cell‐secreted HBV DNA, was successfully detected. We believe that our liver model closely mimics the in vivo liver sinusoid and supports long‐term primary liver cell culture. This liver model could be extended to diverse liver biology studies and liver‐related disease research such as drug induced liver toxicology, cancer research, and analysis of pathological effects and replication strategies of various hepatotropic infectious agents. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 2571–2582. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Family history and outcome of young patients with breast cancer in the UK (POSH study)
Authors: Eccles B K , Copson E R , Cutress R I , Maishman T , Altman D G , Simmonds P , Gerty S M , Durcan L , Stanton L , Eccles D M , Eccles D , Simmonds P , Altman D G , Pharoah P , Warren R , Gilbert F , Jones L , Eeles R , Evans D G R , Hanby A , Thompson A , Hodgson S , Hammad H , Lakhani S
Published: May 2015

Background

Young patients presenting to surgical clinics with breast cancer are usually aware of their family history and frequently believe that a positive family history may adversely affect their prognosis. Tumour pathology and outcomes were compared in young British patients with breast cancer with and without a family history of breast cancer.

Methods

Prospective Outcomes in Sporadic versus Hereditary breast cancer (POSH) is a large prospective cohort study of women aged less than 41 years with breast cancer diagnosed and treated in the UK using modern oncological management. Personal characteristics, tumour pathology, treatment and family history of breast/ovarian cancer were recorded. Follow-up data were collected annually.

Results

Family history data were available for 2850 patients. No family history was reported by 65·9 per cent, and 34·1 per cent reported breast/ovarian cancer in at least one first- or second-degree relative. Patients with a family history were more likely to have grade 3 tumours (63·3 versus 58·9 per cent) and less likely to have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive tumours (24·7 versus 28·8 per cent) than those with no family history. In multivariable analyses, there were no significant differences in distant disease-free intervals for patients with versus those without a family history, either for the whole cohort (hazard ratio (HR) 0·89, 95 per cent c.i. 0·76 to 1·03; P = 0·120) or when stratified by oestrogen receptor (ER) status (ER-negative: HR 0·80, 0·62 to 1·04, P = 0·101; ER-positive: HR 0·95, 0·78 to 1·15, P = 0·589).

Conclusion

Young British patients presenting to breast surgical clinics with a positive family history can be reassured that this is not a significant independent risk factor for breast cancer outcome.
Identification of chemical constituents and rat metabolites of Kangxianling granule by HPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS
Authors: Zheng Lu , Fang Lianxiang , Cong Haijian , Xiang Ting , Xue Ming , Yao Zhongqing , Wu Bin , Lin Wenhui
Published: May 2015

A high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass tandem mass spectrometry method was established to characterize the chemical constituents of Kangxianling granule (KXL), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, and the metabolic profile in rat urine and plasma after oral administration of KXL. A total of 27 compounds in KXL extract and 13 prototype compounds with 12 metabolites in rat urine and plasma were identified. Among the 27 detected compounds, 15 were identified by comparing the retention time and MS data with that of reference compounds and the other 12 compounds were tentatively assigned based on the MS data and reference literature. The main prototype components absorbed in rat were amygdalin, salvianolic acid B, tanshinones and anthraquinones. Hydroxylation, glucuronidation and sulfation were the principal metabolic pathways in rat. The results revealed that the 25 compounds identified in rat urine and plasma were the potential active ingredients of KXL, which provides helpful chemical information for further study of the pharmacology mechanism of KXL. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Data mining on vast data sets as a cluster system benchmark
Authors: Heinecke Alexander , Karlstetter Roman , Pflüger Dirk , Bungartz Hans‐Joachim
Published: May 2015

Comparing different (accelerated) cluster architectures by a single application is a tough piece of work because this application has to be optimized with respect to platform‐dependent features. In this work, we demonstrate such an optimization for a data mining algorithm which solves regression and classification problems on vast data sets. Our technique is based on least squares regression, and its major component is the iterative matrix‐free solution of a linear system of equations. By processing data sets ranging from several hundreds of thousands instances to multi‐million data points in strong‐scaling and weak‐scaling settings, we are able to estimate the amount of parallelism needed to unleash the performance of classic CPU‐based machines and clusters employing Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors and NVIDIA Kepler GPUs. Only in strong‐scaling experiments, GPUs and coprocessors suffer from their tremendous amount of needed parallelism and get outperformed by dual socket Intel Sandy Bridge nodes at large scale (more than 64 nodes/accelerators). However, in weak‐scaling scenarios, a speed‐up larger than 2X over an entire CPU node can be achieved by a single accelerator. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.