bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Telesupervision: Building bridges in a digital era
Authors: Inman Arpana G. , Soheilian Sepideh S. , Luu Linh P.
Published: December 2018

Technological advances have revolutionized the way we think of counseling and psychotherapy education. Not only are we able to reach trainees, counselors, and clients in the far corners of the world, but Internet‐based educational processes have transformed the process by which we deliver curriculum and engage in supervision practices. This study highlights a training model that has been successfully used at one institution for preparing supervisors‐in‐training to engage in telesupervision. Through empirical data, we highlight lessons learned—challenges, benefits, ethical dilemmas, the impact of telesupervision practices on the supervisory working alliance, and attitudes towards and willingness to use telesupervision in the future. Implications for training and supervision in a global society are addressed.
Stressing out the mitochondria: Mechanistic insights into NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Authors: Yabal Monica , Calleja Dale J , Simpson Daniel S , Lawlor Kate E
Published: December 2018

Inflammasomes are multimeric protein complexes that induce the cleavage and release of bioactive IL-1β and cause a lytic form of cell death, termed pyroptosis. Due to its diverse triggers, ranging from infectious pathogens and host danger molecules to environmental irritants, the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome remains the most widely studied inflammasome to date. Despite intense scrutiny, a universal mechanism for its activation remains elusive, although, recent research has focused on mitochondrial dysfunction or potassium (K+) efflux as key events. In this review, we give a general overview of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and explore the recently emerging noncanonical and alternative pathways to NLRP3 activation. We highlight the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis of metabolic disease that is associated with mitochondrial and oxidative stress. Finally, we interrogate the mechanisms proposed to trigger NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation. A greater understanding of how NLRP3 inflammasome activation is triggered may reveal new therapeutic targets for the treatment of inflammatory disease.

Review of the ambiguities surrounding mitochondrial damage-mediated activation of NLRP3, including new models for how cell death may activate NLRP3 to influence inflammation.
Variation of reference evapotranspiration and its teleconnection with multiple large‐scale climate oscillations in the Yangtze River Delta, China
Authors: Xu Yu , Wu Yanfei , Xu Gang
Published: December 2018

Evapotranspiration is a key factor in regional hydrological processes and water resources management. Long‐term variation of evapotranspiration affects the regional climate wet/dry tendency and agricultural production profoundly. Thus, reference evapotranspiration (ET0) values for 46 meteorological stations in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) were calculated for 1957–2014 using the FAO‐Penman–Monteith (FAO‐PM) method. The variation patterns of ET0 values were determined based on the principal component analysis (PCA) method. In addition, the methods of cross wavelet transform (CWT), Kendall tau‐b correlation coefficient determination and cross‐correlation method were applied in the assessment of the correlation between ET0 values and large‐scale climate oscillations, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the Oceanic Niño3.4 Sea Surface Temperature Index (NINO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). Annual ET0 patterns for three dominant geographic subregions of the YRD (the southeastern, northwestern and mid‐eastern) were determined. There were only several discontinuous lower timescale bands between the three change patterns of annual ET0 and climate oscillations. In seasonal scale, the temporal patterns of ET0 changed simultaneously with the NAO, NINO and PDO in spring, the PDO in summer and the NAO in winter. The monthly ET0 was mostly influenced by the NAO and IOD in January, the IOD in February, the IOD and NINO in March, the NINO in June, the PDO in July to October, the NINO, IOD and NAO in October and the NINO in December. The lag times for the ET0 changes were about 0–5 months for the NAO and NINO, 1–2 months for the PDO and 4 months for the IOD.
In situ Raman study of laser‐induced stabilization of reduced nanoceria (CeO2−x) supported on graphene
Authors: Nikolenko Andrii , Strelchuk Viktor , Gnatyuk Olena , Kraszkiewicz Piotr , Boiko Vitaliy , Kovalska Evgeniya , Mista Wlodzimierz , Klimkiewicz Roman , Karbivskii Volodymyr , Dovbeshko Galina
Published: December 2018

This work demonstrates a novel approach to application of in situ Raman spectroscopy to study laser‐induced stabilization of reduced nanoceria (CeO2−x) supported on graphene—a promising nanocomposite for future development of nanomaterial‐enabled gas sensors or vital catalysts for hydrogenation of alcohols under anaerobic conditions. Structural stabilization of CeO2−x nanoparticles (NPs) on a graphene surface is evidenced by significant modification of Raman spectra—the appearance, increase in relative intensity, and low‐wavenumber shift of CeO2 F2g band at excitation laser powers higher than ~5 mW. The effect is related to the reduction in a number of oxygen vacancies in CeO2−x NPs. Analysis of the graphene 2D and G band wavenumbers through ω2D(ωG) correlation indicated a decrease in p‐type graphene doping attributed to the charge transfer between the stabilizing CeO2−x NPs and the graphene that occurs due to trapping of graphene mobile holes by oxygen vacancies in CeO2−x. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis supported this idea by showing the increased lattice constant of fluorite‐type hexagonal‐shaped CeO2−x NPs as compared with bulk CeO2 and which could be related to partial reduction of CeO2−x NPs as a result of the Ce4+ transformation to Ce3+ with formation of corresponding oxygen vacancies. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy data confirmed the mixed Ce4+/Ce3+ valence state of the CeO2−x NPs. Thus, by combining the structure conversion of nanoceria induced by electromagnetic radiation and its stabilization by the graphene support, this work provides a foundation for advanced concepts in the development of the next‐generation catalysts and sensors.
Subjective and objective evaluation of visual fatigue caused by continuous and discontinuous use of HMDs
Authors: Guo Jie , Weng Dongdong , Zhang Zhenliang , Liu Yue , Duh Henry B.‐L. , Wang Yongtian
Published: December 2018

During continuous use of displays, a short rest can relax users' eyes and relieve visual fatigue. As one of the most important devices of virtual reality, head‐mounted displays (HMDs) can create an immersive 3D virtual world. When users have a short rest during the using of HMDs, they will experience a transition from virtual world to real world. In order to investigate how this change affects users' eye condition, we designed a 2 × 2 experiment to explore the effects of short rest during continuous using of HMDs and compared the results with those of 2D displays. The Visual Fatigue Scale, critical flicker frequency, visual acuity, pupillary diameter, and accommodation response of 80 participants were measured to assess the subject's performance. The experimental results indicated that a short rest during the using of 2D displays could significantly reduce users' visual fatigue. However, the experimental results of using HMDs showed that short rest during continuous using of HMD induced more severe symptoms of subjectively visual discomfort, but reduced the objectively visual fatigue.
Management of difficult airway among patients with oropharyngeal angioedema
Authors: Pandian Vinciya , Zhen Gooi , Stanley Stanola , Oldsman Marco , Haut Elliott , Mark Lynette , Miller Christina , Hillel Alexander
Published: December 2018

Objective

The objective of our study was to assess the impact of a multidisciplinary difficult airway response team (DART), a quality improvement program, in the management of patients with difficult airway associated with oropharyngeal angioedema patients.

Methods

Individual retrospective cohort study. Retrospective review of patient charts from July 2003 to June 2008 (pre‐DART) and retrospective review of prospectively collected data from July 2008 to June 2013 (post‐DART). Patients with angioedema were identified using International Classification of Disease codes 995.1 and 277.6. Patients were included in the study if an otolaryngologist was consulted for airway management. Patients were excluded if they had a history of angioedema but no active issues. Patient characteristics, airway evaluation, and interventions (intubation/surgical airway) were compared between the pre‐DART and post‐DART cohort.

Results

The DART team attended to 27 patients with advanced oropharyngeal angioedema. Response time averaged 3.36 minutes. Preintubation fiberoptic airway evaluations were performed in 81% of the post‐DART cohort and 56% of the pre‐DART cohort. The incidence of patients requiring intubation was higher in the post‐DART cohort (18 out of 27 [67%]) than the pre‐DART (14 out of 36 [39%]) cohort. One emergency cricothyroidotomy was performed in each of the post‐DART and pre‐DART cohorts.

Conclusion

Angioedema of the larynx is a predictor of intubation or cricothyroidotomy. Fiberoptic‐guided intubation is primarily used for establishing airway in angioedema patients. A multidisciplinary standardized approach such as the DART program offers adequate time and resources for airway evaluation prior to intervention and allows fewer number of attempts to secure an airway.

Level of Evidence

3

Laryngoscope, 129:1360–1367, 2019
Radioactivity in the Marine Environment: Cosmogenic and Anthropogenic Radionuclides
Authors: Benitez‐Nelson Claudia R. , Buesseler Ken , Dai Minhan , Aoyama Michio , Casacuberta Núria , Charmasson Sabine , Godoy José Marcus , Johnson Andy , Maderich Vladimir , Masqué Pere , Moore Willard , Morris Paul J. , Smith John N.
Published: December 2018

Natural and anthropogenic radionuclides are used to study a suite of environmental processes. Yet their applications in aquatic systems are hindered by a general lack of knowledge regarding the underlying concepts of radioactivity, the occurrence of radionuclides in ecosystems, and the equations used to describe their decay mechanisms in environmentally applicable ways. The goal of this lecture is to provide upper level undergraduate and graduate students with a basic understanding of how cosmogenic and anthropogenically produced radionuclides can be used to address a range of environmentally relevant questions in marine systems. The lecture begins with a brief introduction to cosmogenic and anthropogenic radionuclide production and sources to the marine environment. The remaining lecture focuses on specific case studies using these radionuclides in a range of applications including: ocean circulation and mixing, particle scavenging, and sedimentation/age dating. This lecture is the third of a four‐part lecture series on radionuclides in the marine environment.
Radioactivity in the Marine Environment: Uranium‐Thorium Decay Series
Authors: Benitez‐Nelson Claudia R. , Buesseler Ken , Dai Minhan , Aoyama Michio , Casacuberta Núria , Charmasson Sabine , Johnson Andy , Godoy José Marcus , Maderich Vladimir , Masqué Pere , Moore Willard , Morris Paul J. , Rutgers van der Loeff Michiel , Smith John N.
Published: December 2018

Natural and anthropogenic radionuclides are used to study a suite of environmental processes. Yet their applications in aquatic systems are hindered by a general lack of knowledge regarding the underlying concepts of radioactivity, the occurrence of radionuclides in ecosystems, and the equations used to describe their decay mechanisms in environmentally applicable ways. The goal of this lecture is to provide upper level undergraduate and graduate students with a basic understanding of how the naturally occurring uranium‐thorium radioactive decay series can be used to address a range of environmentally relevant questions in marine systems. The lecture begins with a brief introduction to uranium‐thorium series decay patterns and their distribution in the marine environment. The remaining lecture focuses on four case studies that cover a range of applications where uranium‐thorium series radionuclides are used and includes: scavenging, air‐sea gas exchange, tracing groundwater, and sedimentation/age dating. This lecture is the second of a four‐part lecture series on radionuclides in the marine environment.
RNA isolation from taxonomically diverse photosynthetic protists
Authors: Mundt Florian , Heinrich Sandra , Hanelt Dieter
Published: December 2018

High quality RNA is a crucial requirement in a variety of analyses including next generation sequencing, microarray, and gene expression studies. A number of protocols for the extraction of ribonucleic acids from algae are currently in use, but different reagents interfere with buffer capacities and therefore lower the success of the isolations. The diversity of microalgae is reflected in a large variety of biomolecules and so far no standard protocol for the extraction of RNA from these highly divergent groups has been assessed. With this study, 11 conventional protocols are compared and an alternative standardized protocol for the isolation of high quality total RNA is proposed. Furthermore, the extraction method is applied on four different microalgae species of the Chlorophyta, Charophyta, Rhodophyta, and a dinoflagellate. We present an optimized RNA extraction method, yielding total RNA of high purity and integrity from all the investigated protists. The protocol provided in this study is cost‐effective and can assist in future functional genomics, covering an essential step when working with RNA from non‐model microorganisms.
Corrosion protection by zinc‐magnesium coatings on steel studied by electrochemical methods
Authors: Andreatta Francesco , Rodriguez Justine , Mouanga Maixent , Lanzutti Alex , Fedrizzi Lorenzo , Olivier Marjorie G.
Published: December 2018

The mechanism of corrosion protection of zinc‐magnesium coatings on steel is investigated in this work in order to understand if each layer of the metallic coating is able to provide galvanic protection to the underlying layer and to the steel substrate. Thus, the electrochemical behavior of the metallic coating is studied as a function of the in‐depth structure and composition. The microstructure of each layer is analyzed using the scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDXS). The electrochemical characterization is carried out by means of electrochemical micro‐cell and scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET). The corrosion protection mechanism of Zn‐Mg metallic coatings is based on the galvanic protection provided by the Zn‐Mg and Zn layers to the steel substrate. Preferential Mg dissolution in the metallic coating plays an important role in the protection mechanism. Local alkalinization at cathodic sites favors the precipitation of protective Mg‐rich oxides/hydroxides that reinforce the protective corrosion products and therefore could inhibit corrosion processes on the metallic coating and steel substrate.
Subcomplete forcing principles and definable well‐orders
Authors: Fuchs Gunter
Published: December 2018

It is shown that the boldface maximality principle for subcomplete forcing, , together with the assumption that the universe has only set many grounds, implies the existence of a well‐ordering of definable without parameters. The same conclusion follows from , assuming there is no inner model with an inaccessible limit of measurable cardinals. Similarly, the bounded subcomplete forcing axiom, together with the assumption that does not exist, for some , implies the existence of a well‐ordering of which is Δ1‐definable without parameters, and ‐definable using a subset of ω1 as a parameter. This well‐order is in . Enhanced versions of bounded forcing axioms are introduced that are strong enough to have the implications of mentioned above, and along the way, a bounded forcing axiom for countably closed forcing is proposed.
A Self‐Healing PAM/CMHPG System for Unconventional Reservoir Stimulation
Authors: Ma Ying‐Xian , Xiong Yu‐Jia , Lai Jie , Shen Xin , Guo Jian‐Chun
Published: December 2018

A hybrid chemically and physically linked polyacrylamide (PAM)/carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl guar gum (CMHPG) system is prepared via a fast and controllable one‐pot strategy. Due to the synergetic effect of the non‐covalent interactions between chains, these systems show improved, balanced mechanical properties. The apparent morphology, storage modulus G′, and loss modulus G″ show that these systems have rapid and almost full recovery ability (the self‐healing efficiency can reach 95%) with several hydrogen‐bonding interactions between two networks. This self‐healing property can cover the shortage of G′, G″, and viscosity loss at high shear force, which will help the system keep enough viscosity to create fractures or carry proppants during the whole fracturing process. Meanwhile, the self‐healing fracturing fluid can be broken easily and flow back to surface with little damage to the fracture conductivity, indicating great potential in unconventional reservoir which is sensitive to the fracturing fluid damage.
Networked Nanogels from Self‐Assembly of End‐Functionalized Polymers at the Vapor/Liquid Interface: Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Xiang Wenjun , Zhu Zhaoju , Zhou Lvshan , Wang Kun , Chen Jinhui
Published: December 2018

Polymers confined at a vapor/liquid interface are particularly interesting and important as the immiscibility degree of polymers in the vapor phase is typically much less than in the liquid phase. With the help of molecular dynamics simulations, the self‐assembled monolayers of end‐functionalized polymers at the vapor/liquid interface are analyzed as a function of surface coverage, end‐attraction strength, and simulation temperature. Typical self‐assembled structures of end‐functionalized polymers such as rod‐like, branch‐like aggregates and scaffold‐like network gels have been successfully observed. Moreover, large end‐attraction interactions result into more ordered and stable networked gel configuration by providing enough scaffold crossing points in the networked framework. However, high temperature increases the diffusion coefficient of the polymers, meanwhile destroys networked structure. The potential of mean force demonstrates that the van der Waals interactions between polymer chains generate the aggregation of polymer backbones with side‐to‐side pattern, while the end‐group interactions lead to the aggregation of end‐groups of the polymers with end‐to‐end pattern. However, the end‐group interactions majorly mediate the formation of networked gels at the vapor/liquid interface. Our studies provide a deeper understanding of the formation of networked gels at vapor/liquid interface, and they can also guide the robust target‐specified design of nanostructured network materials.
Utilizing historical MLC performance data from trajectory logs and service reports to establish a proactive maintenance model for minimizing treatment disruptions
Authors: Wu Binbin , Zhang Pengpeng , Tsirakis Bill , Kanchaveli David , LoSasso Thomas
Published: December 2018

Purpose

This study proposes a proactive maintenance model utilizing historical Multileaf collimator (MLC) performance data to predict potential MLC dysfunctions, promote preemptive maintenance and thereby reduce treatment disruptions.

Methods

MLC failures were assumed to correlate with MLC performance quantitation from trajectory logs. A cohort of data from service reports and trajectory logs was used to establish a model for predicting MLC dysfunctions. Specifically, the service reports logged by our in‐house engineers recorded failure status, including service date, service reason and actions taken, while trajectory logs recorded the ordered/actual leaf positions in 20‐ms intervals. Leaf performance from trajectory logs was quantified, where an event was defined as detecting a leaf's position deviation ≥a mm. Three a values, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 mm, were used as candidates to determine the appropriate threshold for deviation event quantitation. Logged MLC failures from service reports were retrieved and classified into two categories based on the patterns of their deviation events calculated from trajectory logs: (a) failures with continuous deviations: deviation events lasted several days before failure, and (b) failures with a burst of deviations: deviation events only lasted 1 or 2 days and then MLC failed suddenly. The proposed proactive model focused on the failures with continuous deviations since abnormal trends in their deviation events lasted couple of days, allowing preventive maintenance. The model was predefined with three parameters (x, y, z): if a leaf scored ≥x deviation events per day in any y days within up to a z‐day window, the leaf was marked as a “potential failure.” The distributions of the deviation events as functions of time (days or weeks) and leaves using the found a‐value were then associated with logged failures to find model parameters. In a retrospective demonstration, a total of 28 logged failures with continuous deviations and 66 397 trajectory logs from two TBs' 3‐yr records were used to determine the model parameters (x, y, z). The established model was then applied to a third TB for validation.

Results

Deviation event threshold, a, was determined to be 0.1 mm, and the resulting model parameters were (x = 20, y = 6, z = 10). When validating the third TB's 3‐yr record with 12 logged continuous deviation failures, the model predicted 16 failures: seven were confirmed from the records with a hit rate of 58.3%, while nine were not; further investigation of each unconfirmed failure convinced that some could be actual failures, but somehow not recorded.

Conclusion

The model offers an addition to preemptive maintenance for reducing treatment disruptions.
ASL‐MRICloud: An online tool for the processing of ASL MRI data
Authors: Li Yang , Liu Peiying , Li Yue , Fan Hongli , Su Pan , Peng Shin‐Lei , Park Denise C. , Rodrigue Karen M. , Jiang Hangyi , Faria Andreia V. , Ceritoglu Can , Miller Michael , Mori Susumu , Lu Hanzhang
Published: December 2018

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI is increasingly used in research and clinical settings. The purpose of this work is to develop a cloud‐based tool for ASL data processing, referred to as ASL‐MRICloud, which may be useful to the MRI community. In contrast to existing ASL toolboxes, which are based on software installation on the user's local computer, ASL‐MRICloud uses a web browser for data upload and results download, and the computation is performed on the remote server. As such, this tool is independent of the user's operating system, software version, and CPU speed. The ASL‐MRICloud tool was implemented to be compatible with data acquired by scanners from all major MRI manufacturers, is capable of processing several common forms of ASL, including pseudo‐continuous ASL and pulsed ASL, and can process single‐delay and multi‐delay ASL data. The outputs of ASL‐MRICloud include absolute and relative values of cerebral blood flow, arterial transit time, voxel‐wise masks indicating regions with potential hyper‐perfusion and hypo‐perfusion, and an image quality index. The ASL tool is also integrated with a T1‐based brain segmentation and normalization tool in MRICloud to allow generation of parametric maps in standard brain space as well as region‐of‐interest values. The tool was tested on a large data set containing 309 ASL scans as well as on publicly available ASL data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study.
A VDQ‐based multifield approach to the 2D compressible nonlinear elasticity
Authors: Hassani R. , Ansari R. , Rouhi H.
Published: December 2018

A numerical multifield methodology is developed to address the large deformation problems of hyperelastic solids based on the 2D nonlinear elasticity in the compressible and nearly incompressible regimes. The governing equations are derived using the Hu‐Washizu principle, considering displacement, displacement gradient, and the first Piola‐Kirchhoff stress tensor as independent unknowns. In the formulation, the tensor form of equations is replaced by a novel matrix‐vector format for computational purposes. In the solution strategy, based on the variational differential quadrature (VDQ) technique and a transformation procedure, a new numerical approach is proposed by which the discretized governing equations are directly obtained through introducing derivative and integral matrix operators. The present method can be regarded as a viable alternative to mixed finite element methods because it is locking free and does not involve complexities related to considering several DOFs for each element in the finite element exterior calculus. Simple implementation is another advantage of this VDQ‐based approach. Some well‐known examples are solved to demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of the approach. The results reveal that it has good performance in the large deformation problems of hyperelastic solids in compressible and nearly incompressible regimes.
Minimal time crisis versus minimum time to reach a viability kernel: A case study in the prey‐predator model
Authors: Bayen Terence , Rapaport Alain
Published: December 2018

In this work, we provide a reformulation of the minimal time crisis problem associated with a constraint set as a free terminal time control problem. The proof requires the existence of a nonempty viability kernel that is reachable from the state space. In addition, we suppose a uniform lower bound between two consecutive crossing times of the constraint set. Thanks to this result, we compute an optimal synthesis for the minimal time crisis problem governed by the prey‐predator dynamics, with a controlled mortality on the predators. Finally, we compare the time spent in the crisis set by optimal trajectories of the minimal time crisis problem with the minimum time problem to reach the viability kernel. This is made possible by means of an exact characterization of the viability kernel.
Free radical photopolymerization process for fiber‐reinforced polymer: Effect on the mechanical properties
Authors: Hasiaoui Basma , Ibrahim Ahmad , L'Hostis Gildas , Gautier Karine , Allonas Xavier , Croutxé‐Barghorn Céline , Durand Bernard , Laurent Fabrice
Published: December 2018

Glass–fiber‐reinforced polymers were manufactured either through a room temperature thermal curing or under ultraviolet (UV) light from a LED. The thermal system yields high performances when a post‐curing process at 65°C is applied. The photochemical curing leads to a composite in a faster timescale, albeit at the extent of the mechanical properties. It is found that in this case, impregnation and vacuum steps are too fast to allow a good wetting of the fibers, thereby leading to mechanical weaknesses and larger void volume. However, when applying longer vacuum and impregnation steps, the mechanical properties of the photochemically cured sample match the best thermally cured one. As a conclusion, it is shown that photochemical curing of glass–fiber‐reinforced polymer can lead to high performance composite provided that the preparation steps are well controlled.
Characterisation and classification of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium varieties based on UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS combined with multivariate statistical analyses
Authors: Zheng Yu‐ying , Zeng Xuan , Peng Wei , Wu Zhong , Su Wei‐wei
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP), comprising dried pericarps of Citrus reticulata Blanco and its cultivars, is popularly used for its great medicinal and dietary values. Generally, the pericarps from C. reticulate “Chachi” (“Guangchenpi” in Chinese, GCP) is considered to have superior qualities and merit premium price compared with CRP derived from other cultivars (collectively called “Chenpi” in Chinese, CP). Since its multiple origins and derived economic adulteration, it is significant to systematically compare the chemical profiles of different CRP varieties.

Objective

The main objective of this work was to identify the chemical profiles of CRP from different varieties and find out potential chemical markers for differentiating GCP and CP.

Methods

In the present study, a total of 42 CRP samples from 10 varieties (including GCP and CP) were analysed by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS) for chemical profiling. Obtained MS/MS data were further employed in multivariate statistical methods to screen the main compounds which contributed to the characterisation and classification of CRP.

Results

As a result, 73 compounds (mainly flavonoids) were identified or tentatively characterised in these CRP samples. Based on the obtained chemical profiles data, GCP and CP samples could be easily discriminated from each other by statistical analyses. Moreover, seven compounds were selected as having the most discriminating features which contributed to the classification of CRP.

Conclusion

This work obtains a better understanding of the chemical profiles of different CRP varieties and provides a practical strategy for the authentication of GCP and CP.
Effect of ultrasonically aided extrusion of NR/BR blends on structure and properties of silica‐filled compounds and vulcanizates
Authors: Liang Tian , Isayev Avraam I.
Published: December 2018

Ultrasonic extrusion of NR/BR blends at amplitudes up to 7.5 μm was carried out. Silica or silica/silane at loading of 60 phr was incorporated into blends to prepare compounds and vulcanizates. Effect of ultrasound on molecular structure of rubber blends, rubber–filler interaction of compounds and crosslinking structure of vulcanizates was studied. No gel was generated in NR/BR blends upon ultrasonic treatment, while earlier studies on treatment of BR alone have shown generation of gel. This finding provides means to significantly improve filler dispersion and minimize deterioration of vulcanizate properties. Processing‐structure‐properties relationship was established. Die pressure and ultrasonic power consumption were recorded. Imposition of ultrasound reduced die pressure providing potentials to increase extrusion output. No polymer degradation observed during treatment at amplitudes of 3.5 and 5 μm. A slight degradation was found at 7.5 μm leading to a decrease of storage and loss moduli of the blend, and an increase of loss tangent. Treated blends compounded with silica showed more bound rubber content, better rubber–filler interaction, reduced filler–filler interaction and less flocculation. M100 and tensile strength of NR/BR/Silica 5 μm vulcanizate was increased. In contrast, ultrasonic treatment showed little effect on NR/BR/Silica/Silane blends. The predictions related to tire performance was discussed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:E261–E270, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Lignin‐polystyrene composite foams through high internal phase emulsion polymerization
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Mulyadi Arie , Kuang Xiao , Liu Wei , Li Vincent , Gogoi Parikshit , Liu Xinliang , Deng Yulin
Published: December 2018

The composites made‐up from renewable fillers and polymer matrix have drawn great attention due to the renewable nature, improved thermal and mechanical properties, environmental issues and most importantly to reduce dependency on fossil fuel resources. In this work, kraft lignin in its modified form (butylated lignin) was used to make composites with polystyrene successfully through bulk polymerization and high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) polymerization. The kraft lignin was first modified to butyrated lignin by esterification using 1‐Methylimidazole as a catalyst in order to increase the compatibility as fillers with both monomer and polymer, which was further studied and verified through Hansen solubility parameter model. The thermal, mechanical, and structural properties of the lignin/polymer composites were systematically investigated. The incorporation of lignin in the composites could increase the modulus significantly and almost double (1,391 MPa) at 15 wt% of lignin loading as compared with bare composites. Excellent porous structure and mechanical properties are maintained with the lignin content as high as 10 wt% of the total foam mass. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:964–972, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
High Quantum Yield Single‐Band Green Upconversion in La2O3:Yb3+, Ho3+ Microcrystals for Anticounterfeiting and Plastic Recycling
Authors: Gao Guojun , Busko Dmitry , Joseph Reetu , Turshatov Andrey , Howard Ian A. , Richards Bryce S.
Published: December 2018

Single‐band green upconversion (UC) with high green purity and color stability is urgently required for plastic recycling and anticounterfeiting. However, it is very difficult to obtain single‐band green emission for benchmark Yb3+/Er3+ activated UC materials (such as NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+) due to the strong accompanying red UC. Herein, highly efficient and stable single‐band green UC is reported in La2O3:Yb3+/Ho3+ (LYH) microcrystals with record high absolute UC quantum yield (UCQY) of 2.6% for single‐band green UC. LYH yields pure green UC with large and stable intensity ratio, IGreen/IRed ≈ 18. LYH presents not only higher UCQY for a single‐band green UC but also much more pure and stable green UC than the benchmark UC materials such as NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ and Gd2O2S:Yb3+,Er3+. These results suggest that the newly developed LYH can, in principle, be promising for anticounterfeiting and plastic recycling. Its proof‐of‐concept is demonstrated as a security label based on a transparent institute logo.
Biphasic Dielectrophoresis of Isotropic Pocket Carriers Containing Quantum Dots (QDs) in Nematic Medium and Fabrication of QD Cluster Array with Matrix Emission of Point Light Sources
Authors: Lee Jun‐Seo , Lee Bomi , Song Suk‐Ho , Song Jang‐Kun
Published: December 2018

Unusual physical properties of an anisotropic liquid crystal (LC) medium, such as topological defects, elastic interaction with particles, and nonlinear electrophoresis, are ingeniously utilized to handle nanoparticles. Here, a new approach to manipulate quantum dots (QDs) using volume‐tunable and electrically movable isotropic pocket carriers in a nematic medium is demonstrated. This method is based on multiple mechanisms: spontaneous formation of QD flocs in LCs, sharp solubility contrast of QDs in nematic and isotropic phases, and biphasic dielectrophoresis in isotropic–nematic mixture. By thermally and electrically controlling the isotropic pockets containing QDs, an array of hierarchical QD clusters with the arbitrarily controllable size and location is fabricated. The phase boundary pressure squeezes the QD flocs to adhere to each other and on the substrate. The QD cluster array can be transferred to a flexible substrate, and can serve as a point light source array for display and image acquisition applications.
Improved mitochondrial targeting effect of HPMA copolymer by SS20 peptide mediation and nonendocytosis pathway
Authors: Liu Yanxi , Li Qiuyi , Xiong Xiaofeng , Zhou Zhou
Published: December 2018

Mitochondrion plays an important role in executing cell programmed death pathway. Therefore, drugs designed to target mitochondria are supposed to make superior contributions to cancer therapy. However, the problem that drugs or drug delivery systems being sequestrated in endosomes/lysosomes needs to be solved for effective drug delivery. Here, mitochondrial targeting and nonendocytic cell entry peptide SS20 modified HPMA copolymer (P‐FITC‐SS20) was synthesized. With SS20 peptide modification, the uptake behavior of HPMA copolymers changed remarkably compared with unmodified ones. The internalization of P‐FITC‐SS20 was not influenced by endocytic inhibitors and temperature. Further, the internalized copolymers were not trapped in endosomes/lysosomes. Although cellular uptake of HPMA copolymer was decreased after SS20 peptide modification, SS20 peptide significantly improved mitochondrial accumulation of HPMA copolymers due to its outstanding mitochondrial targeting ability. Moreover, owing to lower susceptibility to macrophagocyte in blood, P‐SS20‐Cy5 showed longer blood circulation time and enhanced tumor accumulation. The current study validated that SS20 peptide modification is a promising strategy for mitochondrial targeting drug delivery systems and can be further applied to mitochondria associated diseases to improve therapeutic efficacy.
High Amplitude Microwave Generation Using Domain Wall Motion in a Nanowire
Authors: Bhatti Sabpreet , Piramanayagam S. N.
Published: December 2018

Microwave generation has been extensively investigated due to their application in telecommunication and promising use in emerging technologies like internet‐of‐things (IoT) devices. The current approaches to generate microwave using voltage‐controlled oscillators have the problem of high power consumption. Spin torque oscillators have been investigated as an alternative, but they suffer from a weak output signal. Hence, there is a need for an alternative approach which overcomes these issues. Here a new approach is reported, which relies on the motion of domain walls to generate microwave with strong signal and lower power consumption. In this study, a magnetic nanowire with a sequence of oppositely magnetized domains in one half of the nanowire is simulated. The domain walls are moved by applying spin–orbit torque to the nanowire. It is proposed to generate microwave by detecting the changes in magnetization value using a magnetic tunnel junction in real application. The oscillating frequency of magnetization is found to be in GHz. It is demonstrated that the frequency can be tuned by varying the applied current density. The outcome of this work promises the application of the reported method to generate microwave in nanoscale devices of the future.
The Design and Application on Interfacial Phase‐Change Memory
Authors: Tominaga Junji
Published: December 2018

Intel and Micron Technology successfully shipped phase‐change memory (PCM) to the market in 2017, as Storage Class Memory (SCM). The switching mechanism of PCM relies on a structural phase‐change of a GeSbTe alloy that generates a large difference on electric resistance in between the amorphous and crystalline states. To form the amorphous state, it needs a Joule heating to heat a memory cell once up to the melting point (>900 K) followed by rapid‐quenching. However, due to the second law of thermodynamics, more than a half of the Joule energy injected to a memory cell is not used for the switching, releasing as an entropy loss. Interfacial phase‐change memory (iPCM) was invented to improve the problem in 2008. In this review, the model concepts until the completion of iPCM devices are first reviewed. Second the device performance is discussed including intermixing issues, and finally, new functionalities related to topological insulator are explained as the future perspective.
An enhanced approach for the progressive mean control charts
Authors: Abbas Zameer , Nazir Hafiz Zafar , Akhtar Noureen , Riaz Muhammad , Abid Muhammad
Published: December 2018

To maintain and improve the quality of the processes, control charts play an important role for reduction of variation. To detect large shifts in the process parameters, Shewhart control charts are commonly applied but for small shifts, exponentially weighted moving averages (EWMA), cumulative sum (CUSUM), double exponentially weighted moving average (DEWMA), double CUSUM, moving average (MA), double moving average (DMA), and progressive mean (PM) control charts, are used. This study proposes double progressive mean (DPM) and optimal DPM control charts to enhance the performance of the PM chart. As the proposed DPM control charts use information sequentially, hence their performance is compared with natural competitors EWMA, CUSUM, DEWMA, double CUSUM, MA, DMA, and PM control charts. Run length and its different properties are evaluated to compare the performance of the proposed charts and counterparts. Results reveal that proposed optimal DPM outperforms the other charts. An example related to voltage on fixed capacitance level is also provided to illustrate the proposed charts.
The STRAND Chart: A survival time control chart
Authors: Grigg Olivia AJ
Published: December 2018

The STRAND Chart (Survival Time, Risk‐Adjusted, N‐Division Chart) is a new tool for online risk‐adjusted (RA) monitoring of survival outcomes. The chart is drawn in continuous time, making it responsive to change in the process of interest, for example, performance over time of a surgical unit and the procedures that they employ. Though it is difficult to achieve with charts designed for the purpose described, we show that our suggested chart keeps patient ordering intact. We discuss the difficulties maintaining patient ordering poses, making reference to other charts in the literature. Our conclusion is that the best approach to preserving patient ordering on any chart of this nature involves compromising on the fullness of presentation of the recorded data. The chart is divided intoNstrands, each strand relating to a benchmark patient's survival information attndays following treatment,n = 1,2,…,N. We present a simple version of the chart where the strands consist of Bernoulli RA exponentially weighted moving averages, recording RA failure rates attndays. It can detect recent process changeandhistorical change. We illustrate the STRAND Chart using a well‐known UK post cardiac surgery survival dataset, where the nature of a certain cluster in the data can be seen.
Two‐stage residual inclusion for survival data and competing risks—An instrumental variable approach with application to SEER‐Medicare linked data
Authors: Ying Andrew , Xu Ronghui , Murphy James
Published: December 2018

Instrumental variable is an essential tool for addressing unmeasured confounding in observational studies. Two‐stage predictor substitution (2SPS) estimator and two‐stage residual inclusion (2SRI) are two commonly used approaches in applying instrumental variables. Recently, 2SPS was studied under the additive hazards model in the presence of competing risks of time‐to‐events data, where linearity was assumed for the relationship between the treatment and the instrument variable. This assumption may not be the most appropriate when we have binary treatments. In this paper, we consider the 2SRI estimator under the additive hazards model for general survival data and in the presence of competing risks, which allows generalized linear models for the relation between the treatment and the instrumental variable. We derive the asymptotic properties including a closed‐form asymptotic variance estimate for the 2SRI estimator. We carry out numerical studies in finite samples and apply our methodology to the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)–Medicare database comparing radical prostatectomy versus conservative treatment in early‐stage prostate cancer patients.
Enhanced Liquid Fuel Production from CO2 Hydrogenation: Catalytic Performance of Bimetallic Catalysts over a Two‐Stage Reactor System
Authors: Guo Lisheng , Cui Yu , Zhang Peipei , Peng Xiaobo , Yoneyama Yoshiharu , Yang Guohui , Tsubaki Noritatsu
Published: December 2018

A bimetallic catalyst combining Fe and Co active sites enables direct conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbons with a higher activity but modest CO selectivity compared with a sole Fe catalyst. The introduction of cobalt metal increases the adsorption ability of CO2, which promotes the CO2 activation over iron species through RWGS reaction. Besides, the carbide content (Fe5C2) also increases significantly with the further introduction of cobalt metal in comparison to potassium modified one, achieving a high C−C bond coupling activity. On the basis, the catalytic performance of CO2 hydrogenation over this bimetallic catalyst was investigated in a two‐stage reactor system, where the influence of number of reactors on CO2 conversion and the catalytic performance over each reactor were analysed regarding the yield of liquid fuel. A significant increase in liquid fuel production was achieved under ordinary conditions. It was proven that ex situ water removal plays the determining role in the integrated process for improving the catalytic activity and lowering the selectivity of undesired CO by‐product. The utilization of a two‐stage reactor system promotes CO2 conversion, making the CO2 conversion approaching a higher value (69.9%). Meanwhile, the yield of liquid fuel exceeds 300 gfuels/(kgcath) under conventional conditions.
Synthesis of Benzothiazoles via Condensation Reaction of 2‐Aminothiophenols and β‐Oxodithioesters Using a Combination of PTSA and CuI as Catalyst
Authors: Ghosh Arindam , Gattu Radhakrishna , Khan Abu T.
Published: December 2018

An efficient and straight forward synthesis of 2‐substituted benzo[d]thiazole derivatives has been accomplished using a catalyst combination of p‐toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) and CuI through one‐pot condensation reaction of 2‐aminothiophenols and β‐oxodithioesters in acetonitrile at 80 °C. Simple experimental procedure, good to excellent yields, mild reaction conditions and broad substrate scope are the salient features of the present protocol.
Cache‐aware design of general‐purpose Single‐Producer–Single‐Consumer queues
Authors: Maffione Vincenzo , Lettieri Giuseppe , Rizzo Luigi
Published: December 2018

Data processing pipelines normally use lockless Single‐Producer–Single‐Consumer (SPSC) queues to efficiently decouple their processing threads and achieve high throughput, minimizing the cost of synchronization. SPSC queues have been widely studied, mostly for applications such as streaming data or network monitoring, where the main goal is maximizing throughput. There are now many applications, such as virtual‐machine–virtual‐machine communication, software‐defined networking, and message‐based kernels, where low latency is also important, and the tradeoffs between high‐throughput and low‐latency algorithms have not been studied equally well. Furthermore, at high or variable transaction rates, the effect of memory hierarchies and cache coherence subsystems may be dominant and yield surprising results. In this paper, we make two contributions. First, we provide a comprehensive study of the two main families of SPSC queues, namely, “Lamport” and “FastForward” queues, with a detailed analytical and experimental characterization of their behavior in terms of operating regimes, throughput, latency, and cache misses. Second, we propose two new queue variants, namely, improved FastForward and batched improved FastForward, which have better worst‐case behavior than other variants in terms of cache misses, which is an important feature for a number of applications. Together, these two contributions provide practical guidelines to choose the best solution depending on the application requirements.
Electrochemical On‐line ICP‐MS in Electrocatalysis Research
Authors: Kasian Olga , Geiger Simon , Mayrhofer Karl J.J. , Cherevko Serhiy
Published: December 2018

Electrocatalyst degradation due to dissolution is one of the major challenges in electrochemical energy conversion technologies such as fuel cells and electrolysers. While tendencies towards dissolution can be grasped considering available thermodynamic data, the kinetics of material's stability in real conditions is still difficult to predict and have to be measured experimentally, ideally in‐situ and/or on‐line. On‐line inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) is a technique developed recently to address exactly this issue. It allows time‐ and potential‐resolved analysis of dissolution products in the electrolyte during the reaction under dynamic conditions. In this work, applications of on‐line ICP‐MS techniques in studies embracing dissolution of catalysts for oxygen reduction (ORR) and evolution (OER) as well as hydrogen oxidation (HOR) and evolution (HER) reactions are reviewed.