bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Regional Enstrophy and Block Intensity as a Measure of Kolmogorov Entropy
Authors: Jensen Andrew , Lupo Anthony , Mokhov Igor , Akperov Mirseid , Reynolds DeVondria
Published: November 2017

Enstrophy in a fluid relates to the dissipation tendency in a fluid that has use in studying turbulent flows. It also corresponds to vorticity as kinetic energy does to velocity. Earlier work showed that the integrated regional enstrophy (IRE) was related to the sum of the positive Lyapunov exponents. Lyapunov exponents are the characteristic exponent(s) of a dynamic system or a measure of the divergence or convergence of system trajectories that are initially close together. Relatively high values of IRE derived from an atmospheric flow field in the study of atmospheric blocking was identified with the onset or demise of blocking events, but also transitions of the large-scale flow in general. Kolmogorv–Sinai Entropy (KSE), also known as metric entropy, is related to the sum of the positive Lyapunov exponents as well. This quantity can be thought of as a measure of predictability (higher values, less predictability) and will be non-zero for a chaotic system. Thus, the measure of IRE is related to KSE as well. This study will show that relatively low (high) values of IRE derived from atmospheric flows correspond to a more stable (transitioning) large-scale flow with a greater (lesser) degree of predictability and KSE. The transition is least predictable and should be associated with higher IRE and KSE.
Study of SH-SY5Y Cancer Cell Response to Treatment with Polyphenol Extracts Using FT-IR Spectroscopy
Authors: Ricciardi Valerio , Portaccio Marianna , Piccolella Simona , Manti Lorenzo , Pacifico Severina , Lepore Maria
Published: November 2017

Plant polyphenols are important components of human diet and a number of them are considered to possess chemo-preventive and therapeutic properties against cancer. They are recognized as naturally occurring antioxidants, but also as pro-oxidant, pro-apoptotic, or chromosomal aberrations inducers, depending on their concentration and/or the stage of cell-cycle of the cells with which they interact. For these reasons, particular interest is devoted to knowing the total effects of polyphenols on the cell cycle and metabolism. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy thanks to its ability in analyzing cells at a molecular level can be particularly useful in investigating the biochemical changes induced in protein, nucleic acid, lipid, and carbohydrate content of cells by means of polyphenols administration. Spectroscopic analysis was performed on in vitro human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells that were exposed to different doses of a cherry derived polyphenol extract. The infrared spectra that were obtained from unexposed and exposed cells show significant differences that can be helpful in order to understand the cells-polyphenols interaction.
Binge Alcohol Exposure Transiently Changes the Endocannabinoid System: A Potential Target to Prevent Alcohol-Induced Neurodegeneration
Authors: Liput Daniel , Pauly James , Stinchcomb Audra , Nixon Kimberly
Published: November 2017

Excessive alcohol consumption leads to neurodegeneration, which contributes to cognitive decline that is associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in the development of AUDs, but little is known about how the neurotoxic effects of alcohol impact the endocannabinoid system. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of neurotoxic, binge-like alcohol exposure on components of the endocannabinoid system and related N-acylethanolamines (NAEs), and then evaluated the efficacy of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibition on attenuating alcohol-induced neurodegeneration. Male rats were administered alcohol according to a binge model, which resulted in a transient decrease in [3H]-CP-55,940 binding in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus following two days, but not four days, of treatment. Furthermore, binge alcohol treatment did not change the tissue content of the three NAEs quantified, including the endocannabinoid and anandamide. In a separate study, the FAAH inhibitor, URB597 was administered to rats during alcohol treatment and neuroprotection was assessed by FluoroJade B (FJB) staining. The administration of URB597 during binge treatment did not significantly reduce FJB+ cells in the entorhinal cortex or hippocampus, however, a follow up “target engagement” study found that NAE augmentation by URB597 was impaired in alcohol intoxicated rats. Thus, potential alcohol induced alterations in URB597 pharmacodynamics may have contributed to the lack of neuroprotection by FAAH inhibition.
Oxidative Depolymerization of Lignin Using Supported Niobium Catalysts
Authors: Das Lalitendu , Kolar Praveen , Sharma-Shivappa Ratna , Classen John , Osborne Jason
Published: November 2017

Valorization of lignin into aromatics has driven researchers for decades. In this research, niobium was deposited on oyster shells (OSNC) and carbon rods (CRNC) and tested as a catalyst for depolymerization of lignin. Catalysts (2%, 5%, and 8% loading) were synthesized via wet impregnation. Batch experiments were performed at 95 °C, using 8 g of lignin, and 1 g of catalyst. Our research indicates that niobium supported catalysts are effective in partial oxidation of lignin. Maximum vanillin concentration for OSNC was found to be 86.25 mg L−1 (0.1 wt%) at 5% niobium whereas, as for CRNC, maximum vanillin concentration was found to be 139.40 mg L−1 (0.17 wt%) at 2% niobium loading. Addition of hydrogen peroxide into the batch reactor decreased the concentration of vanillin production.
Influence of Power Pulse Parameters on the Microstructure and Properties of the AlCrN Coatings by a Modulated Pulsed Power Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: Zheng Jun , Zhou Hui , Gui Binhua , Luo Quanshun , Li Haixu , Wang Qimin
Published: November 2017

In this study, AlCrN coatings were deposited using modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering (MPPMS) with different power pulse parameters by varying modulated pulsed power (MPP) charge voltages (350 to 550 V). The influence of power pulse parameters on the microstructure, mechanical properties and thermal stability of the coatings was investigated. The results indicated that all the AlCrN coatings exhibited a dense columnar microstructure. Higher charge voltage could facilitate a denser coating microstructure. As the charge voltage increased up to 450 V or higher, the microvoids along the column boundaries disappeared and the coatings became fully dense. The main phase in the AlCrN coatings was the c-(Al, Cr)N solid solution phase with NaCl-type phase structure. A diffraction peak of the h-AlN phase was detected at a 2θ of around 33°, when the charge voltage was higher than 500 V. The hardness of the AlCrN coatings varied as a function of charge voltage. The maximum value of the hardness (30.8 GPa) was obtained at 450 V. All the coatings showed good thermal stability and maintained their structure and mechanical properties unchanged up to 800 °C during vacuum annealing. However, further increasing the annealing temperature to 1000 °C resulted in apparent change in the microstructure and decrease in the hardness. The charge voltages also showed a significant influence on the high-temperature tribological behavior of the coatings. The coating deposited at the charge voltage of 550 V exhibited excellent tribological properties with a low friction coefficient.
An Extension to the Revised Approach in the Assessment of Informational Entropy
Authors: Baran Turkay , Harmancioglu Nilgun , Cetinkaya Cem , Barbaros Filiz
Published: November 2017

This study attempts to extend the prevailing definition of informational entropy, where entropy relates to the amount of reduction of uncertainty or, indirectly, to the amount of information gained through measurements of a random variable. The approach adopted herein describes informational entropy not as an absolute measure of information, but as a measure of the variation of information. This makes it possible to obtain a single value for informational entropy, instead of several values that vary with the selection of the discretizing interval, when discrete probabilities of hydrological events are estimated through relative class frequencies and discretizing intervals. Furthermore, the present work introduces confidence limits for the informational entropy function, which facilitates a comparison between the uncertainties of various hydrological processes with different scales of magnitude and different probability structures. The work addresses hydrologists and environmental engineers more than it does mathematicians and statisticians. In particular, it is intended to help solve information-related problems in hydrological monitoring design and assessment. This paper first considers the selection of probability distributions of best fit to hydrological data, using generated synthetic time series. Next, it attempts to assess hydrometric monitoring duration in a netwrok, this time using observed runoff data series. In both applications, it focuses, basically, on the theoretical background for the extended definition of informational entropy. The methodology is shown to give valid results in each case.
Quantum Information: What Is It All About?
Authors: Griffiths Robert
Published: November 2017

This paper answers Bell’s question: What does quantum information refer to? It is about quantum properties represented by subspaces of the quantum Hilbert space, or their projectors, to which standard (Kolmogorov) probabilities can be assigned by using a projective decomposition of the identity (PDI or framework) as a quantum sample space. The single framework rule of consistent histories prevents paradoxes or contradictions. When only one framework is employed, classical (Shannon) information theory can be imported unchanged into the quantum domain. A particular case is the macroscopic world of classical physics whose quantum description needs only a single quasiclassical framework. Nontrivial issues unique to quantum information, those with no classical analog, arise when aspects of two or more incompatible frameworks are compared.
Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals the Secondary Metabolome in Streptomyces kanasensis ZX01
Authors: Zhang Guoqiang , Yu Dailin , Sang Bu , Feng Juntao , Han Lirong , Zhang Xing
Published: November 2017

Streptomyces kanasensis ZX01 produces some antibiotics and a glycoprotein with antiviral activity. To further evaluate its biosynthetic potential, here we sequenced the 7,026,279 bp draft genome of S. kanasensis ZX01 and analyzed all identifiable secondary gene clusters for controlling natural products. More than 60 putative clusters were found in S. kanasensis ZX01, the majority of these biosynthetic loci are novel. In addition, the regulators for secondary metabolism in S. kanasensis ZX01 were abundant. The global regulator nsdA not only controls biosynthesis of some antibiotics, but also enhances production of glycoprotein GP-1 with antiviral activity. This study importantly reveals the powerful interplay between genomic analysis and studies of traditional natural product purification/production increasing.
Buprofezin Is Metabolized by CYP353D1v2, a Cytochrome P450 Associated with Imidacloprid Resistance in Laodelphax striatellus
Authors: Elzaki Mohammed , Miah Mohammad , Han Zhaojun
Published: November 2017

CYP353D1v2 is a cytochrome P450 related to imidacloprid resistance in Laodelphax striatellus. This work was conducted to examine the ability of CYP353D1v2 to metabolize other insecticides. Carbon monoxide difference spectra analysis indicates that CYP353D1v2 was successfully expressed in insect cell Sf9. The catalytic activity of CYP353D1v2 relating to degrading buprofezin, chlorpyrifos, and deltamethrin was tested by measuring substrate depletion and analyzing the formation of metabolites. The results showed the nicotinamide–adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent depletion of buprofezin (eluting at 8.7 min) and parallel formation of an unknown metabolite (eluting 9.5 min). However, CYP353D1v2 is unable to metabolize deltamethrin and chlorpyrifos. The recombinant CYP353D1v2 protein efficiently catalyzed the model substrate p-nitroanisole with a maximum velocity of 9.24 nmol/min/mg of protein and a Michaelis constant of Km = 6.21 µM. In addition, imidacloprid was metabolized in vitro by the recombinant CYP353D1v2 microsomes (catalytic constant Kcat) 0.064 pmol/min/pmol P450, Km = 6.41 µM. The mass spectrum of UPLC-MS analysis shows that the metabolite was a product of buprofezin, which was buprofezin sulfone. This result provided direct evidence that L. striatellus cytochrome P450 CYP353D1v2 is capable of metabolizing imidacloprid and buprofezin.
Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory Network with a Conditional Random Field Layer for Uyghur Part-Of-Speech Tagging
Authors: Maimaiti Maihemuti , Wumaier Aishan , Abiderexiti Kahaerjiang , Yibulayin Tuergen
Published: November 2017

Uyghur is an agglutinative and a morphologically rich language; natural language processing tasks in Uyghur can be a challenge. Word morphology is important in Uyghur part-of-speech (POS) tagging. However, POS tagging performance suffers from error propagation of morphological analyzers. To address this problem, we propose a few models for POS tagging: conditional random fields (CRF), long short-term memory (LSTM), bidirectional LSTM networks (BI-LSTM), LSTM networks with a CRF layer, and BI-LSTM networks with a CRF layer. These models do not depend on stemming and word disambiguation for Uyghur and combine hand-crafted features with neural network models. State-of-the-art performance on Uyghur POS tagging is achieved on test data sets using the proposed approach: 98.41% accuracy on 15 labels and 95.74% accuracy on 64 labels, which are 2.71% and 4% improvements, respectively, over the CRF model results. Using engineered features, our model achieves further improvements of 0.2% (15 labels) and 0.48% (64 labels). The results indicate that the proposed method could be an effective approach for POS tagging in other morphologically rich languages.
Structuring Surfaces by Microfinishing Using Defined Abrasive Belts
Authors: Tilger Meik , Kipp Monika , Schumann Sebastian , Dereli Tountzer Tsagkir , Biermann Dirk
Published: November 2017

Microfinishing, also known as superfinishing or short-stroke honing, is a commonly used process for generating technical surfaces focusing on tribological applications. Due to microfinishing processes high surface qualities are manufacturable regarding the surface roughness and bearing area ratio. While the required characteristics for tribological loaded workpieces are changing with their rising significance, the surface structuring is becoming more and more important. With the use of defined abrasive belts, the possibilities of surface structuring by microfinishing are enhanced. The possibilities and challenges concerning surface structuring by microfinishing applying defined abrasive belts are described in this research study. Therefore, a geometrical-kinematic simulation is used to predict the theoretical structures generated by microfinishing, while in experimental investigations the influences of kinematic parameters and a multi-stage process sequence are considered.
The Physiopathology of Cardiorenal Syndrome: A Review of the Potential Contributions of Inflammation
Authors: Kingma John , Simard Denys , Rouleau Jacques , Drolet Benoit , Simard Chantale
Published: November 2017

Inter-organ crosstalk plays an essential role in the physiological homeostasis of the heart and other organs, and requires a complex interaction between a host of cellular, molecular, and neural factors. Derangements in these interactions can initiate multi-organ dysfunction. This is the case, for instance, in the heart or kidneys where a pathological alteration in one organ can unfavorably affect function in another distant organ; attention is currently being paid to understanding the physiopathological consequences of kidney dysfunction on cardiac performance that lead to cardiorenal syndrome. Different cardiorenal connectors (renin–angiotensin or sympathetic nervous system activation, inflammation, uremia, etc.) and non-traditional risk factors potentially contribute to multi-organ failure. Of these, inflammation may be crucial as inflammatory cells contribute to over-production of eicosanoids and lipid second messengers that activate intracellular signaling pathways involved in pathogenesis. Indeed, inflammation biomarkers are often elevated in patients with cardiac or renal dysfunction. Epigenetics, a dynamic process that regulates gene expression and function, is also recognized as an important player in single-organ disease. Principal epigenetic modifications occur at the level of DNA (i.e., methylation) and histone proteins; aberrant DNA methylation is associated with pathogenesis of organ dysfunction through a number of mechanisms (inflammation, nitric oxide bioavailability, endothelin, etc.). Herein, we focus on the potential contribution of inflammation in pathogenesis of cardiorenal syndrome.
Rapid Interactive and Intuitive Segmentation of 3D Medical Images Using Radial Basis Function Interpolation
Authors: Kurzendorfer Tanja , Fischer Peter , Mirshahzadeh Negar , Pohl Thomas , Brost Alexander , Steidl Stefan , Maier Andreas
Published: November 2017

Segmentation is one of the most important parts of medical image analysis. Manual segmentation is very cumbersome, time-consuming, and prone to inter-observer variability. Fully automatic segmentation approaches require a large amount of labeled training data and may fail in difficult or abnormal cases. In this work, we propose a new method for 2D segmentation of individual slices and 3D interpolation of the segmented slices. The Smart Brush functionality quickly segments the region of interest in a few 2D slices. Given these annotated slices, our adapted formulation of Hermite radial basis functions reconstructs the 3D surface. Effective interactions with less number of equations accelerate the performance and, therefore, a real-time and an intuitive, interactive segmentation of 3D objects can be supported effectively. The proposed method is evaluated on 12 clinical 3D magnetic resonance imaging data sets and are compared to gold standard annotations of the left ventricle from a clinical expert. The automatic evaluation of the 2D Smart Brush resulted in an average Dice coefficient of 0.88 ± 0.09 for the individual slices. For the 3D interpolation using Hermite radial basis functions, an average Dice coefficient of 0.94 ± 0.02 is achieved.
Properties of Concrete Paving Blocks and Hollow Tiles with Recycled Aggregate from Construction and Demolition Wastes
Authors: Rodríguez Carlos , Miñano Isabel , Aguilar Miguel , Ortega José , Parra Carlos , Sánchez Isidro
Published: November 2017

In recent years there has been an increasing tendency to recycle the wastes generated by building companies in the construction industry, demolition wastes being the most important in terms of volume. The aim of this work is to study the possibility of using recycled aggregates from construction and demolition wastes in the preparation of precast non-structural concretes. To that purpose, two different percentages (15% and 30%) of natural aggregates were substituted by recycled aggregates in the manufacture of paving blocks and hollow tiles. Dosages used by the company have not been changed by the introduction of recycled aggregate. Precast elements have been tested by means of compressive and flexural strength, water absorption, density, abrasion, and slipping resistance. The results obtained show the possibility of using these wastes at an industrial scale, satisfying the requirements of the Spanish standards for these elements.
Mechatronic Design for an Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Machine
Authors: Giberti Hermes , Sbaglia Luca , Silvestri Marco
Published: November 2017

3D printers, especially in the implementation of innovative extrusion processes which do not have a long history of development, are often built by adapting mechanical designs, drives and controls previously developed for generic machine tools. This is done through a process of choice and integration which is based principally on empirical criteria and taking into account separately the different aspects and parameters. Hereafter, we present an integrated mechatronic approach which has been adopted to design from the scratch a machine to implement the innovative metal injection moulding (MIM) technology. Its extrusion rate involves the adaptation of the generated trajectories and consequently requires “ad hoc” designs, drives and numerical controls (NC) to enable non standard acceleration (and hence torque) setpoint curves. Overall, the project resulted in an acceptable workspace volume (depending on the number of degrees of freedom of the platform) and allows one to combine the extruder flow rate, the given accuracy and the required working speed (1 m/s). The system is currently used as a test bench for exploring and optimizing the parameter space of a new MIM process.
Methods of Micropatterning and Manipulation of Cells for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Martinez-Rivas Adrian , González-Quijano Génesis , Proa-Coronado Sergio , Séverac Childérick , Dague Etienne
Published: November 2017

Micropatterning and manipulation of mammalian and bacterial cells are important in biomedical studies to perform in vitro assays and to evaluate biochemical processes accurately, establishing the basis for implementing biomedical microelectromechanical systems (bioMEMS), point-of-care (POC) devices, or organs-on-chips (OOC), which impact on neurological, oncological, dermatologic, or tissue engineering issues as part of personalized medicine. Cell patterning represents a crucial step in fundamental and applied biological studies in vitro, hence today there are a myriad of materials and techniques that allow one to immobilize and manipulate cells, imitating the 3D in vivo milieu. This review focuses on current physical cell patterning, plus chemical and a combination of them both that utilizes different materials and cutting-edge micro-nanofabrication methodologies.
Geostatistical Methodology to Characterize Volcanogenic Massive and Stockwork Ore Deposits
Authors: Silva David , Almeida José
Published: November 2017

The Zambujal ore deposit, Neves-Corvo mine, is a zoned volcanogenic sulfide deposit of copper and zinc, with massive ores at the top and stockwork ores at the bottom. Metal grades are strongly zoned by ore types. The main methodology hereby proposed combines geostatistical techniques so that an improved stochastic geological model of the Zambujal deposit encompassing morphology and grades is presented. The model of the morphology was made in two main steps. First, a 3D solid of the boundaries was created and then a 3D grid model of the local sulfide proportion was simulated. This latter variable was modeled by using rock specific gravity as a proxy. After that, a conditional grid model of relative copper grades, i.e., recalculated metal grades assuming only the sulfide content, is also simulated in accordance with the morphology. At the end, the new tool, metal tonnage cut-off surface, is proposed, which combines copper grades within massive ores and stockwork ores. To validate the results found, the global tonnages of copper obtained by Ordinary Kriging and the proposed methodology are compared.
Resveratrol-Induced Effects on Body Fat Differ Depending on Feeding Conditions
Authors: Milton-Laskibar Iñaki , Gómez-Zorita Saioa , Aguirre Leixuri , Fernández-Quintela Alfredo , González Marcela , Portillo María
Published: November 2017

Science constantly seeks to identify new molecules that could be used as dietary functional ingredients in the fight against obesity and its co-morbidities. Among them, polyphenols represent a group of molecules of increasing interest. One of the most widely studied polyphenols is resveratrol (trans-3,4′,5-trihydroxystilbene), which has been proposed as an “energy restriction mimetic” because it can exert energy restriction-like effects. The aim of this review is to analyze the effects of resveratrol on obesity under different feeding conditions, such as overfeeding, normal feeding, and energy restriction, in animals and humans. The vast majority of the studies reported have addressed the administration of resveratrol to animals alongside an obesogenic diet. Under these experimental conditions usually a decreased body weight amount was found. To date, studies that focus on the effects of resveratrol under normal feeding or energy restriction conditions in animals and humans are scarcer. In these studies no changes in body fat were reported. After analyzing the results obtained under overfeeding, normal feeding, and energy restriction conditions, it can be stated that resveratrol is useful in reducing body fat accumulation, and thus preventing obesity. Nevertheless, for ethical reasons, these results have been obtained in animals. By contrast, there are no evidences showing the usefulness of this phenolic compound in reducing previously accumulated body fat. Consequently, as of yet, there is not scientific support for proposing resveratrol as a new anti-obesity treatment tool.
Platinum-Catalyzed Allylation of 2,3-Disubstituted Indoles with Allylic Acetates
Authors: Peng Bai-Jing , Wu Wen-Ting , Yang Shyh-Chyun
Published: November 2017

Given the importance of heterocycle indole derivatives, much effort has been directed toward the development of methods for functionalization of the indole nucleus at N1 and C3 sites. Moreover, the platinum-catalyzed allyation of nucleophiles was an established and efficient way, which has been applied to medicinal and organic chemistry. In our research, the platinum-catalyzed 2,3-disubstitued indoles with allylic acetates was investigated under different conditions. Herein, we established a simple, convenient, and efficient method, which afforded high yield of allylated indoles.
Comparison of the Binding of Reversible Inhibitors to Human Butyrylcholinesterase and Acetylcholinesterase: A Crystallographic, Kinetic and Calorimetric Study
Authors: Rosenberry Terrone L. , Brazzolotto Xavier , Macdonald Ian R. , Wandhammer Marielle , Trovaslet-Leroy Marie , Darvesh Sultan , Nachon Florian
Published: November 2017

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) hydrolyze the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and, thereby, function as coregulators of cholinergic neurotransmission. Although closely related, these enzymes display very different substrate specificities that only partially overlap. This disparity is largely due to differences in the number of aromatic residues lining the active site gorge, which leads to large differences in the shape of the gorge and potentially to distinct interactions with an individual ligand. Considerable structural information is available for the binding of a wide diversity of ligands to AChE. In contrast, structural data on the binding of reversible ligands to BChE are lacking. In a recent effort, an inhibitor competition approach was used to probe the overlap of ligand binding sites in BChE. Here, we extend this study by solving the crystal structures of human BChE in complex with five reversible ligands, namely, decamethonium, thioflavin T, propidium, huprine, and ethopropazine. We compare these structures to equivalent AChE complexes when available in the protein data bank and supplement this comparison with kinetic data and observations from isothermal titration calorimetry. This new information now allows us to define the binding mode of various ligand families and will be of importance in designing specific reversible ligands of BChE that behave as inhibitors or reactivators.
Novel Artificial Tears Containing Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid: An In Vitro Re-Epithelialization Study
Authors: Fallacara Arianna , Vertuani Silvia , Panozzo Giacomo , Pecorelli Alessandra , Valacchi Giuseppe , Manfredini Stefano
Published: November 2017

Dry eye syndrome is a common disease which can damage the corneal epithelium. It is treated with eye drops to stimulate tear production and hydrate the corneal surface. The most prescribed artificial tear remedies contain hyaluronic acid (HA), which enhances epithelial wound healing, improving tissue health. To the best of our knowledge, only a few recent studies have investigated cross-linked HA (HA-CL) in eye drops for human applications. This work consists in an in vitro evaluation of the re-epithelialization ability of two different preparations containing a recently synthetized HA cross-linked with urea: 0.02% (w/v) HA-CL (solution 1, S1), and 0.4% (w/v) HA-CL (solution 2, S2). The study was conducted on both 2D human corneal cells (HCEpiC) and 3D reconstructed tissues of human corneal epithelium (HCE). Viability by 3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test, pro-inflammatory cytokine release (interleukin-8, IL-8) by ELISA, and morphology by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were evaluated. In addition, to understand the molecular basis of the re-epithelialization properties, cyclin D1 levels were assessed by western blot. The results showed no cellular toxicity, a slight decrease in IL-8 release, and restoration of epithelium integrity when the wounded 3D model was treated with S1 and S2. In parallel, cyclin D1 levels increased in cells treated with both S1 and S2.
Molecular Spring Enabled High-Performance Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Zheng Tianyue , Jia Zhe , Lin Na , Langer Thorsten , Lux Simon , Lund Isaac , Gentschev Ann-Christin , Qiao Juan , Liu Gao
Published: November 2017

Flexible butyl interconnection segments are synthetically incorporated into an electronically conductive poly(pyrene methacrylate) homopolymer and its copolymer. The insertion of butyl segment makes the pyrene polymer more flexible, and can better accommodate deformation. This new class of flexible and conductive polymers can be used as a polymer binder and adhesive to facilitate the electrochemical performance of a silicon/graphene composite anode material for lithium ion battery application. They act like a “spring” to maintain the electrode mechanical and electrical integrity. High mass loading and high areal capacity, which are critical design requirements of high energy batteries, have been achieved in the electrodes composed of the novel binders and silicon/graphene composite material. A remarkable area capacity of over 5 mAh/cm2 and volumetric capacity of over 1700 Ah/L have been reached at a high current rate of 333 mA/g.
Simple and High Yield Synthesis of Metal-Polymer Nanocomposites: The Role of Theta-Centrifugation as an Essential Purification Step
Authors: Hummel Patrick , Lerch Arne , Goller Sebastian , Karg Matthias , Retsch Markus
Published: November 2017

Nanocomposites are an important materials class, which strives to foster synergistic effects from the intimate mixture of two vastly different materials. Inorganic nanoparticles decorated with polymer ligands, for instance, aim to combine the processing flexibility of polymers with the mechanical robustness of solid state materials. The fabrication and purification of such composite nanoparticles, however, still presents a synthetic challenge. Here, we present a simple synthesis of silver polystyrene nanocomposites with a controllable interparticle distance. The interparticle distance can be well-controlled with a few nanometer precision using polystyrene ligands with various molecular weights. The nanoparticle and polymer ligand synthesis yield both materials on gram scales. Consequently, the polymer nanocomposites can also be fabricated in such large amounts. Most importantly, we introduce Θ-centrifugation as a purification method, which is capable of purifying large nanocomposite batches in a reproducible manner. We employ a range of characterization methods to prove the successful purification procedure, such as transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic light scattering. Our contribution will be of high interest for many groups working on nanocomposite materials, where the sample purification has been a challenge up to now.
Coating of TPU-PDMS-TMS on Polycotton Fabrics for Versatile Protection
Authors: Moiz Arsheen , Padhye Rajiv , Wang Xin
Published: November 2017

This research aims to develop a non-fluorine based and durable coating technology that brings excellent hydrophobic, oleophobic and aqueous liquid repellent properties to polycotton fabrics (blend ratio 80/20 for cotton/polyester) while maintaining comfort to an acceptable level. A crosslinked network from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and trimethylated silica (TMS) has been formed on the surface of polycotton fabrics by the conventional padding-knife coating-padding-curing technique. A series of characterizations have been conducted to understand the chemical components, morphology, versatile protection and comfort of the coated fabrics. The TPU-PDMS-TMS (TPT) coated fabrics showed a high hydrophobic surface with a high water contact angle of 142°, and the coating was durable against different cycles of laundering and crocking. The coated fabrics also showed excellent repellency against oils, liquids and chemicals for a long period of time. The coating has affected the air permeability and water vapor permeability together with the moisture management property of the polycotton fabrics, and the thermal resistance of the polycotton fabric has been enhanced at the same time. The coating technology developed can be further applied in protective clothing and functional textiles in different areas including military, mining and outdoor protection gear.
Synthesis, Structure, and Dye Adsorption Properties of a Nickel(II) Coordination Layer Built from d-Camphorate and Bispyridyl Ligands
Authors: Tsai Meng-Jung , Wu Jing-Yun
Published: November 2017

Reaction of NiCl2∙6H2O, d-camphoric acid (d-H2cam), and N,N′-bis(pyraz-2-yl)piperazine (bpzpip) in pure water at 150 °C afforded a novel nickel(II) coordination layer, [Ni4(d-cam)2(d-Hcam)4(bpzpip)4(H2O)2] (1), under hydro(solvo)thermal conditions. Single-crystal X-ray structure analysis reveals that 1 adopts a six-connected two-dimensional (2D) chiral layer structure with 36-hxl topology. Dye adsorption explorations indicate that 1 readily adsorbs methyl blue (MyB) from water without destruction of crystallinity. On the contrary, methyl orange (MO) is not adsorbed at all. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model could be used to interpret the adsorption kinetics for MyB. Equilibrium isotherm studies suggest complicated adsorption processes for MyB which do not have good applicability for either the two-parameter Langmuir or Freundlich isotherm model. The saturated adsorption capacity of 1 for MyB calculated by Langmuir is 185.5 mg·g−1 at room temperature.
Environmentally-Friendly Synthesis of Carbonate-Type Macrodiols and Preparation of Transparent Self-Healable Thermoplastic Polyurethanes
Authors: Kim Seon-Mi , Park Seul-A , Hwang Sung , Kim Eun , Jegal Jonggeon , Im Changgyu , Jeon Hyeonyeol , Oh Dongyeop , Park Jeyoung
Published: November 2017

Carbonate-type macrodiols synthesized by base-catalyzed polycondensation of co-diols and dimethyl carbonate as an environmentally-friendly route were subsequently utilized for the preparation of transparent and self-healable thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) containing a carbonate-type soft segment. Three types of macrodiols, obtained from mono, dual and triple diol-monomers for target molecular weights of 1 and 1.5 kg mol−1, were analyzed by 1H NMR integration and the OH titration value. Colorless transparent macrodiols in a liquid state at a room temperature of 20 °C were obtained, except the macrodiol from mono 1,6-hexanediol. Before TPU synthesis, macrodiols require pH neutralization to prevent gelation. TPUs synthesized by a solution pre-polymer method with 4,4′-methylene(bisphenyl isocyanate) and 1,4-butanediol as a chain extender exhibited moderate molecular weights, good transparencies and robust mechanical properties. Especially, the incorporation of 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol within carbonate-type macrodiols enhanced the transparency of the resultant TPUs by decreasing the degree of microphase separation evidenced by ATR-FTIR and DSC. Interestingly, packing density of hard segments and the degree of microphase separation determined the self-healing efficiency of TPUs, which showed good performances in the case of sourced macrodiols from triple diol-monomers.
An Integrated Procedure to Assess the Stability of Coastal Rocky Cliffs: From UAV Close-Range Photogrammetry to Geomechanical Finite Element Modeling
Authors: Mancini Francesco , Castagnetti Cristina , Rossi Paolo , Dubbini Marco , Fazio Nunzio Luciano , Perrotti Michele , Lollino Piernicola
Published: November 2017

The present paper explores the combination of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry and three-dimensional geomechanical modeling in the investigation of instability processes of long sectors of coastal rocky cliffs. The need of a reliable and detailed reconstruction of the geometry of the cliff surfaces, beside the geomechanical characterization of the rock materials, could represent a very challenging requirement for sub-vertical coastal cliffs overlooking the sea. Very often, no information could be acquired by alternative surveying methodologies, due to the absence of vantage points, and the fieldwork could pose a risk for personnel. The case study is represented by a 600 m long sea cliff located at Sant’Andrea (Melendugno, Apulia, Italy). The cliff is characterized by a very complex geometrical setting, with a suggestive alternation of 10 to 20 m high vertical walls, with frequent caves, arches and rock-stacks. Initially, the rocky cliff surface was reconstructed at very fine spatial resolution from the combination of nadir and oblique images acquired by unmanned aerial vehicles. Successively, a limited area has been selected for further investigation. In particular, data refinement/decimation procedure has been assessed to find a convenient three-dimensional model to be used in the finite element geomechanical modeling without loss of information on the surface complexity. Finally, to test integrated procedure, the potential modes of failure of such sector of the investigated cliff were achieved. Results indicate that the most likely failure mechanism along the sea cliff examined is represented by the possible propagation of shear fractures or tensile failures along concave cliff portions or over-hanging due to previous collapses or erosion of the underlying rock volumes. The proposed approach to the investigation of coastal cliff stability has proven to be a possible and flexible tool in the rapid and highly-automated investigation of hazards to slope failure in coastal areas.
The Impact of Different Support Vectors on GOSAT-2 CAI-2 L2 Cloud Discrimination
Authors: Oishi Yu , Ishida Haruma , Nakajima Takashi , Nakamura Ryosuke , Matsunaga Tsuneo
Published: November 2017

Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite-2 (GOSAT-2) will be launched in fiscal year 2018. GOSAT-2 will be equipped with two sensors: the Thermal and Near-infrared Sensor for Carbon Observation (TANSO)-Fourier Transform Spectrometer 2 (FTS-2) and the TANSO-Cloud and Aerosol Imager 2 (CAI-2). CAI-2 is a push-broom imaging sensor that has forward- and backward-looking bands to observe the optical properties of aerosols and clouds and to monitor the status of urban air pollution and transboundary air pollution over oceans, such as PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter). CAI-2 has important applications for cloud discrimination in each direction. The Cloud and Aerosol Unbiased Decision Intellectual Algorithm (CLAUDIA1), which applies sequential threshold tests to features is used for GOSAT CAI L2 cloud flag processing. If CLAUDIA1 is used with CAI-2, it is necessary to optimize the thresholds in accordance with CAI-2. However, CLAUDIA3 with support vector machines (SVM), a supervised pattern recognition method, was developed, and then we applied CLAUDIA3 for GOSAT-2 CAI-2 L2 cloud discrimination processing. Thus, CLAUDIA3 can automatically find the optimized boundary between clear and cloudy areas. Improvements in CLAUDIA3 using CAI (CLAUDIA3-CAI) continue to be made. In this study, we examined the impact of various support vectors (SV) on GOSAT-2 CAI-2 L2 cloud discrimination by analyzing (1) the impact of the choice of different time periods for the training data and (2) the impact of different generation procedures for SV on the cloud discrimination efficiency. To generate SV for CLAUDIA3-CAI from MODIS data, there are two times at which features are extracted, corresponding to CAI bands. One procedure is equivalent to generating SV using CAI data. Another procedure generates SV for MODIS cloud discrimination at the beginning, and then extracts decision function, thresholds, and SV corresponding to CAI bands. Our results indicated the following. (1) For the period from November to May, it is more effective to use SV generated from training data from February while for the period from June to October it is more effective to use training data from August; (2) In the preparation of SV, features obtained using MODIS bands are more effective than those obtained using the corresponding GOSAT CAI bands to automatically extract cloud training samples.
River Levels Derived with CryoSat-2 SAR Data Classification—A Case Study in the Mekong River Basin
Authors: Boergens Eva , Nielsen Karina , Andersen Ole , Dettmering Denise , Seitz Florian
Published: November 2017

In this study we use CryoSat-2 SAR (delay-Doppler synthetic-aperture radar) data in the Mekong River Basin to estimate water levels. Compared to classical pulse limited radar altimetry, medium- and small-sized inland waters can be observed with CryoSat-2 SAR data with a higher accuracy due to the smaller along track footprint. However, even with this SAR data the estimation of water levels over a medium-sized river (width less than 500 m) is still challenging with only very few consecutive observations over the water. The target identification with land–water masks tends to fail as the river becomes smaller. Therefore, we developed a classification approach to divide the observations into water and land returns based solely on the data. The classification is done with an unsupervised classification algorithm, and it is based on features derived from the SAR and range-integrated power (RIP) waveforms. After the classification, classes representing water and land are identified. Better results are obtained when the Mekong River Basin is divided into different geographical regions: upstream, middle stream, and downstream. The measurements classified as water are used in a next step to estimate water levels for each crossing over a river in the Mekong River network. The resulting water levels are validated and compared to gauge data, Envisat data, and CryoSat-2 water levels derived with a land–water mask. The CryoSat-2 water levels derived with the classification lead to more valid observations with fewer outliers in the upstream region than with a land–water mask (1700 with 2% outliers vs. 1500 with 7% outliers). The median of the annual differences that is used in the validation is in all test regions smaller for the CryoSat-2 classification results than for Envisat or CryoSat-2 land–water mask results (for the entire study area: 0.76 m vs. 0.96 m vs. 0.83 m, respectively). Overall, in the upstream region with small- and medium-sized rivers the classification approach is more effective for deriving reliable water level observations than in the middle stream region with wider rivers.
Casino Business in the Context of Tourism Development (Case: Montenegro)
Authors: Bulatović Iva , Stranjančević Ana , Lacmanović Darko , Raspor Andrej
Published: November 2017

Special Interest tourism (SIT) represents an answer to mass tourism and its goal is to ensure tourist destination sustainability. The casino industry is growing intensively in the territory of Montenegro and a question arises whether casino tourism development is an opportunity or a danger for Montenegro and its sustainability. The goals of this paper are to show and assess the current offerings and potential for development of casino tourism in Montenegro, to point out advantages and challenges in development of casino tourism in this type of destination. Econometric models were used for the needs of this paper (time series correlations and regression for defining relation between casino business and tourism, ARIMA model for prognosis of casino business in the context of tourism until 2020). For the first time in the territory of Montenegro, 14 anonymous interviews were carried out with casino players to determine the quality of current offerings for development of casino tourism in Montenegro. The main finding suggests that casino tourism in Montenegro is not sufficiently developed, but that we can boast of a high-quality casino offering such as Slovenia. Limitations lie in the lack of data over a long period and the non-existence of the records on number of casino tourists in Montenegro. The emphasis is put on the economic effects of developing casino tourism, rather than the social ones.
Global Warming Leading to Phenological Responses in the Process of Urbanization, South Korea
Authors: Lee Sang-Don
Published: November 2017

Current studies are either region-limited, sole-species, or have short researching periods; so, studies about various species are necessary throughout South Korea. In this study, trends of changes in the budding and flowering dates of spring plants by climate factors served to explore the process of urbanization. Four common species, such as Forsythia koreana (forsythia), Rhododendron mucronulatum (azalea), Prunus yedoensis (Yoshino cherry) and Prunus mume (Japanese apricot), are examined during the period from 1973 to 2008 due to the limitation of recent datasets. Budding of forsythia, azalea, Yoshino cherry and the flowering of Japanese apricot are defined as Type I (inland, of reverse letter ‘L’) and flowering of forsythia, azalea and Yoshino cherry were grouped as Type II (inland and south coastline). Prunus mume budding was different from others, so it was defined as Type III (subtropical climate). The inland phonological response is relatively cold and dry and areas are affected by the Siberian high atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, the south and east coastlines are humid and warm areas even in the winter season due to the southeastern wind. There were advancements for 3.1 days of forsythia, 5.5 days of azalea, 6.5 days of Yoshino cherry and 18.6 days of Japanese apricot during the research period. The greatest changes occurred with respect to the minimum temperature in January and the maximum temperature in February, while the precipitation change was not significant. However, in Type II, the precipitation significantly impacted plant flowering events. Precipitation was the lowest in early spring in South Korea and especially the flowering of plants was impacted by the small amount of precipitation in this region. Additionally, if precipitation after budding was over 1 mm for forsythia and azalea, 2 mm for Yoshino cherry and 7 mm for apricot, flowering occurred in over 80% of the region. South Korea is characterized as having a small amount of land and a high population density in cities. As such, it encounters strong influences due to global warming, as well as urbanization. Seven metropolitan cities and Suwon have populations over 1 million and showed more remarkable phenological events and changes of climate factors than the other regions. Especially in the case of shrubs, the phenological events were delayed in urban areas during this research. In conclusion, climate change, as well as urbanization, serve as strong factors leading to phonological and regional events in the ecosystem.