bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rammed earth sustainability and durability in seismic areas as a building material
Authors: Preciado Adolfo , Santos Juan Carlos 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Rammed earth is one of the oldest materials of the world and has been used as a building material for centuries due to its availability, low cost benefits, auto-construction and bioclimatic capabilities to sustain extreme weathers. Rammed earth and adobe housing are constructed in earthquake prone areas around the world due to these benefits. These earthen materials are used to mainly build load carrying walls with light cover of timber. These auto-constructed buildings are extremely vulnerable to earthquake shaking due to its heavy mass, strength degradation through time and lack of structural integrity among elements. This is a natural and sustainable material that deserves to be investigated in order to be used again as a main construction material against masonry and concrete housing. It is needed to understand its behaviour under different loading conditions to identify the components that convert it into a highly vulnerable material. The present investigation focuses on the durability of rammed earth as a construction material of housing located in seismic areas of Mexico. It is presented a survey on one existing rammed earth house constructed almost 15 years ago. It was extracted soil of the surroundings of the construction site to investigate by laboratory tests the compressive strength of the material as constructed in day one and compared against the existing one. It was observed that the water content plays an important role in the compressive strength. The new earth specimens with similar water content as the existing wall samples, presented five times more compressive strength. Finally, advantages and disadvantages are highlighted about the behaviour and durability of this sustainable material.
Influence of perlite and aerogel addition on the performance of cement-based mortars at elevated temperatures
Authors: Stefanidou Maria , Pachta Vasiliki 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Structures confront severe damages when subjected to fire, related to the characteristics of the fire (i.e. maximum temperature, duration) and the constructional types and materials confronted. During the last decades, the influence of fire and extreme temperatures on building materials has been induced. In this paper, the influence of perlite and aerogel addition on the resistance of cement-based mortars at elevated temperatures is studied. Four compositions of cement-mortars have been manufactured and tested at 200°C, 400°C, 600°C, 800°C and 1000°C. The mortar mixtures was based on cement I42.5 and siliceous sand (0-4mm) in a Binder/Aggregate ratio of 1/2. A proportion of 20% w/w of aggregates was substituted by perlite, while an addition of aerogel at a proportion of 0.5% w/w of binders was performed. After their exposure at the elevated temperatures, the physico-mechanical properties of the specimens were recorded, concerning: volume change, weight loss, porosity, apparent specific gravity, dynamic modulus of elasticity, flexural and compressive strength. Additionally, macroscopic and microstructural observation was conducted. From the comparative evaluation of the results it was concluded that although the perlite and aerogel addition, reduced the initial strength of the mortar compositions, they had a positive effect on their resistance at elevated temperatures, especially regarding their volume stability and mechanical properties above 800°C.
Treasures gutted by fire. Fire safety design awareness as a consequence of historic building accidents and disasters
Authors: Bakas Iasonas , Georgiadis-Filikas Konstantinos , Kontoleon Karolos J. 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Many of the emblematic buildings of historical importance that have been constructed throughout human history still survive today. However, a significant number has been destroyed by fire. Despite the impact this loss has on cultural heritage, important lessons can also be learnt, enhancing our understanding on how fires develop in historical structures and why they occur in the first place. A review of the existing fire design approaches, in conjunction with the heritage building values and fundamental conservation principles, initiates a dialogue in terms of acceptable interventions and fire protection solutions. The aim of this study is to provide contemporary scientists, conservation professionals and building owners with an insight of how building physics affect the fire performance of historic structures, highlight common risks following a thorough literature review and discuss the role of the fire and conservation engineer.
Building a new sustainable preconstructed building element
Authors: Tsikaloudaki K. , Theodosiou T. , Giarma C. , Kontoleon K. , Aravantinos D. , Tsoka S. , Tsirigoti D. , Karaoulis A. , Chastas P. 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
This paper presents the primary findings of a research project, aiming to introduce an innovative building module with improved thermophysical and mechanical properties that will serve as a bearing element and/or as an internal partition wall in prefabricated residential buildings. This new building module will comply with current requirements as regards its operation and performance. For the purposes of this investigation, the overall performance of the considered building elements is ensured by the proper configuration and assembly of the involved layers and is verified through analytical and experimental analyses, as well as through measurements at accredited laboratories. The objective of this innovative building element is to establish a building envelope with a high structural, hygrothermal, energy, acoustic, fire and environmental performance, while reducing both the time and cost required to complete its construction. Evidently, the accomplishment of this objective suggests various benefits on both the business sector and the research community. Moreover, the utilization of this building module is influential in terms of social impact, as it promotes the construction of buildings with advanced energy and environmental performance that can furthermore mitigate and adapt to the climate change impacts.
Spherical microwell arrays for studying single cells and microtissues in 3D confinement
Authors: Huang Cheng-Kuang , Paylaga Giovanni J , Bupphathong Sasinan , Lin Keng-Hui 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Microwell arrays have emerged as three-dimensional substrates for cell culture due to their simplicity of fabrication and promise for high-throughput applications such as 3D cell-based assays for drug screening. To date, most microwells have had cylindrical geometries. Motivated by our previous findings that cells display 3D physiological characteristics when grown in the spherical micropores of monodisperse foam scaffolds (Lee et al 2013 Integr. Biol.
5 1447–55 and Lin et al 2011 Soft Matter
7 10010–6), here we engineered novel microwells shaped as spherical caps with obtuse polar angles, yielding narrow apertures. When used as bare substrates, these microwells were suitable for culturing cell spheroids; the narrow apertures sterically hindered unattached cultured cells from rolling out of microwells under agitation. When only the walls of the microwell were conjugated with extracellular matrix proteins, cells remained confined in the microwells. Epithelial cells proliferated and burst out of the aperture, and cell polarity was oriented based on the distribution of extracellular matrix proteins in the microwells. Surprisingly, single fibroblast cells in spherical wells of various diameters (40–100 μm) underwent cell-cycle arrest, while cells in circular cylindrical microwells continued to proliferate. Spatial confinement was not sufficient to cause cell-cycle arrest; however, confinement in a constant negative-curvature microenvironment led to cell-cycle arrest. Overall, these investigations demonstrate that this spherical microwell substrate constitutes a novel basic research tool for elucidating how cells respond to dimensionality and microenvironment with radii of curvature at the cellular length scale.
Effect of (Pr + Ce) addition and T6 heat treatment on microhardness and corrosion of AlSi5Cu1Mg alloy
Authors: Zou Yongcheng , Yan Hong , Hu Zhi , Ran Qianwen 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
The effects of T6 heat treatment and 0.6 wt% (Pr + Ce) addition on microstructure, microhardness, and corrosion of AlSi5Cu1Mg alloy were investigated. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the T6 heat treatment and the addition of 0.6 wt% (Pr + Ce) effectively refined the α-Al and eutectic Si phases, which were uniformly distributed with Al2Cu phase in the alloy. Microhardness, weight loss, hydrogen evolution, Tafel polarization, and EIS tests showed that the combination of T6 heat treatment and 0.6 wt% (Pr + Ce) addition resulted in the best corrosion resistance and microhardness of the alloy. The microhardness of the AlSi5Cu1Mg+0.6 wt% (Pr + Ce)/T6 (115 HV) was 27.8% higher than that of the matrix (90 HV). At the same time, the corrosion current density of the alloy also reached the minimum value (38.4 μA cm−2). The T6 heat treatment and the addition of (Pr + Ce) can significantly decrease the average grain size, change the redistribution of the precipitated Al2Cu phase, refine the Si phase, and increase the pitting formation position, thus reducing the sensitivity of exfoliation corrosion.
Application of porous TiAl intermetallic compound in purification of industrial TiCl4 liquid in Ti metallurgy
Authors: Jiang Yao , He Yuehui , Liu Xinli , Gao Haiyan 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Industrial TiCl4 liquid, which is a key intermediate in Ti metallurgy, is hard to be purified by traditional porous metals or ceramics due to its characteristics of easy hydrolysis, toxicity and corrosivity. In this work, porous TiAl intermetallic filter tubes were fabricated through a reactive synthesis process, and their filtration properties in industrial TiCl4 liquid were investigated. The cyclic corrosion kinetics of porous TiAl in TiCl4 follows a parabolic rate law, in which the corrosion rate constant is 4.8%, 0.06% and 0.04% of that of porous Ti, Ni and 316L stainless steel, respectively. After the cyclic corrosion of 408 h, the maximum aperture reduction rate of porous TiAl is 3.9%, which is far lower than that of porous Ti, Ni and 316L, indicating good pore structure stability. Porous TiAl filter tubes exhibit clean filtration performance in the solid-liquid separation of raw TiCl4 suspension with stable filtrate solid content of 0.1 wt% and high filtration flux of 8.17 m3 · m−2 · h−1 at the maximum aperture of 17.0 μm. The filtration equation and the filter medium resistance of porous TiAl are determined.
Analytic dependence of the Madelung constant on lattice parameters for 2D and 3D metal diiodides (MI2) with CdI2 (2H polytype) layered structure
Authors: Harutyunyan V S 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
In this theoretical study, the Madelung constant (A

M
) both for a 2D layer and parent 3D bulk crystal of metal diiodides MI2 (M = Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cd, Pb) with CdI2(2 H polytype) structure is calculated on the basis of the lattice summation method proposed in author’s earlier work. This method enabled, both for a 2D layer and 3D bulk crystal of these compounds, to obtain an analytic dependence of the Madelung constant, A

M
(a, c, u), on the main crystallographic parameters a, c, and u. The dependence A

M
(a, c, u) reproduces with a high accuracy the value of the constant A

M
not only for metal diiodides MI2 with CdI2(2 H polytype) structure, but also for metal dihalides (MX2) and metal dihydroxides [M(OH)2] with the same structure. With the use of the high-pressure experimental results available in literature particularly for FeI2, it is demonstrated that the above analytic dependence A

M
(a, c, u) is also valid for direct and precise analysis of the pressure-dependent variation of the Madelung constant.
Effects of graphene addition on the microstructure of 7075Al
Authors: Dong YunFan , Ren BingHui , Wang Kang , Wang Jianrong , Leng JinFeng 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
In this paper, the effect of the addition of graphene on the as-cast and homogenized annealing microstructure of 7075 aluminum alloy (AlZnMgCu) was studied. The analytical model devised in this study has demonstrated the significant grain refinement of graphene-7075 aluminium matrix composites (G-7075) due to large surface area of graphene. The results showed that the as-cast microstructure of graphene-7075 aluminum matrix composite was refined significantly, which the average grain size of the composite decreased from 78 μm to 45 μm and lattice distortion is more significant. The effect of the dissolution of the non-equilibrium eutectic structure and the secondary phase distribution of the graphene-7075 aluminum matrix composite is better after annealing at 470 °C for 16 hours.
The role of pinhole structures in Mo thin films on multi-layer graphene synthesis
Authors: Kizir Seda , van den Beld Wesley , Schurink Bart , van de Kruijs Robbert , Benschop Jos , Bijkerk Fred 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
In this study, the density and oxygen content of Mo thin films were varied by changing the deposition conditions, in order to understand their influence on the catalytic activity of Mo2C for the synthesis of multi-layer graphene (MLG). Structural and morphological analysis of Mo2C in relation to its catalytic activity indicate that the density of Mo plays a more critical role on MLG synthesis than the oxygen content. Results show that the pinholes present in relatively low density Mo layers act as catalytically active defect sites, promoting MLG synthesis.
‘Qué barbaridad, son latinos y deberían saber español primero’: Language Ideology, Agency, and Heritage Language Insecurity across Immigrant Generations
Authors: Tseng Amelia 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis case study examines the consequences of community language attitudes and ideologies on later-generation heritage speakers through qualitative sociolinguistic and discourse analysis of 22 interviews with first- and second-generation Latinos of diverse backgrounds in a major US metropolitan area. The findings show that imposed deficit identities derived from ideologies of language purity, proficiency, and individual agency were misunderstood and stigmatized later-generation heritage speakers, leading to language insecurity and avoidance despite overtly positive attitudes toward Spanish maintenance. Results demonstrate the resilience of prescriptive/purist language attitudes and the tension inherent between these beliefs (albeit couched within positive heritage language attitudes) and speakers’ actual bilingualism. Further, they show that the ideologies of individual agency can paradoxically contribute to the imposition of deficit sociolinguistic identities on later-generation speakers and curtail their language use. The study renders visible connections between ideologies of language, identity, and agency and demonstrates how their reproduction within families and communities circumscribes later-generation heritage speakers’ linguistic identities and behavior.
GiniQC: a measure for quantifying noise in single-cell Hi-C data
Authors: Horton Connor A , Alver Burak H , Park Peter J 
Published: January 2020

Abstract

Summary
Single-cell Hi-C (scHi-C) allows the study of cell-to-cell variability in chromatin structure and dynamics. However, the high level of noise inherent in current scHi-C protocols necessitates careful assessment of data quality before biological conclusions can be drawn. Here, we present GiniQC, which quantifies unevenness in the distribution of inter-chromosomal reads in the scHi-C contact matrix to measure the level of noise. Our examples show the utility of GiniQC in assessing the quality of scHi-C data as a complement to existing quality control measures. We also demonstrate how GiniQC can help inform the impact of various data processing steps on data quality.

Availability and implementation
Source code and documentation are freely available at https://github.com/4dn-dcic/GiniQC.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Importance of the Detection Method for Thyroglobulin Antibodies for the Validity of Thyroglobulin Measurements in Sera from Patients with Graves Disease
Authors: Massart Catherine , Maugendre Didier 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackground: The use of recovery tests has been proposed to disclose interferences from anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAbs) in thyroglobulin (Tg) assays. We studied the value of a recovery test in Tg measurement by a new commercial IRMA.Methods: Blood samples were collected from 153 patients with untreated Graves disease. Tg and TgAbs were measured by IRMA and RIA, respectively (Dynotest Tg-plus and Dynotest anti-Tgn; Brahms Diagnostica). The recoveries of added amounts of Tg were calculated for each serum.Results: TgAbs were detected in 72 of the 153 patients (47%). The recovery test results for the 81 TgAb-negative sera (median, 101%; range, 80–115%) were identical to the results for the 91 controls (median, 102%; range, 80–124%). By contrast, significantly lower recovery test results were observed for the 72 TgAb-positive sera (median, 79%; range, 60–103%; Z = −8.363; P &lt;0.0001). In the 34 of the 72 TgAb-positive sera with a normal recovery test, Tg concentrations were significantly lower (median Tg, 13.6 μg/L; range, 1.1–360 μg/L) than those measured in the TgAb-negative sera (median, 107 μg/L; range, 1.2–700 μg/L; Z = −3.797; P &lt;0.0001).Conclusions: Tg values were decreased in TgAb-positive sera even when the results of the recovery tests were normal. This test should not be used alone to determine the validity of a serum Tg measurement in Graves disease.
Influence of Adsorption and Deproteination on Potential Free Thyroxine Reference Methods
Authors: Holm Steen S , Andreasen Lisbeth , Hansen Steen H , Faber Jens , Staun-Olsen Poul 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Background: There is a need for consensus concerning reference methods to be used for calibration of commercial free-thyroxine (FT4) assays.
Methods: Three different potential reference techniques were investigated for adsorption of T4 to membrane materials, including any in vitro solid surfaces to which T4 might adsorb, and for efficient separation of the T4-binding proteins from the free hormone fraction. We compared ultrafiltration with different commercial ultrafiltration units, ultrafiltration by dialysis tubing, equilibrium dialysis, and ultracentrifugation. We measured the adsorption to membranes and materials with l-[125I]T4. Separation efficiency was determined by measuring the T4-binding protein albumin in the ultrafiltrate and the dialysate as well as in the supernatant from the ultracentrifugation with a double-antibody sandwich ELISA technique.
Results: We found a constant relationship between the amount of T4 adsorbed to the dialysis or ultrafiltration membranes/materials and the initial T4 concentration in HEPES buffer (protein-free medium). T4 was considerably less adsorbed from serum than from HEPES buffer (P &lt;0.001). Serum T4 was less adsorbed upon ultracentrifugation than during dialysis and ultrafiltration (P &lt;0.001). It was difficult to completely separate FT4 from the binding proteins by ultrafiltration and ultracentrifugation. Separation by ultrafiltration depended on the material used.
Conclusions: No investigated separation technique provides technically and theoretically correct separation of the free fraction of T4 from the protein-bound fraction. Equilibrium dialysis seems to be the least compromised.
Determination of Oligosaccharides in Pompe Disease by Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Rozaklis Tina , Ramsay Steven L , Whitfield Phillip D , Ranieri Enzo , Hopwood John J , Meikle Peter J 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackground: The development of therapies for lysosomal storage disorders has created a need for biochemical markers to monitor the efficacy of therapy and methods to quantify these markers in biologic samples. In Pompe disease, the concentration of a tetrasaccharide, consisting of four glucose residues, is reputedly increased in urine and plasma, but faster and more sensitive methods are required for the analysis of this, and other oligosaccharides, from biologic fluids.Methods: We optimized the derivatization of storage oligosaccharides with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone for the measurement, by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, of oligosaccharide concentrations in urine (n = 6), plasma (n = 11), and dried-blood spots (n = 17) from Pompe-affected individuals. Age-matched control samples of urine (n = 10), plasma (n = 28), and blood spots (n = 369) were also analyzed.Results: The mean tetrasaccharide concentration was increased in urine from infantile-onset (0.69–12 mmol/mol of creatinine) and adult-onset (0.22–3.0 mmol/mol of creatinine) Pompe individuals compared with age-matched controls. In plasma samples, an increased tetrasaccharide concentration was observed in some infantile patients (up to 22 μmol/L) compared with age-matched controls (mean, 2.2 μmol/L). The method developed was sensitive enough to determine oligosaccharide concentrations in a single 3-mm blood spot, but no differences were observed between blood spots from control and Pompe-affected individuals.Conclusions: Measurements of oligosaccharide concentrations in urine by this new method have potential application for the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with Pompe disease. Plasma analysis may have limited application for infantile patients, but analysis of blood spots does not discriminate between controls and affected individuals.
Yield and Cost of Individual Common Diagnostic Tests in New Primary Care Outpatients in Japan
Authors: Takemura Yuzuru , Ishida Haku , Inoue Yuji , Beck J Robert 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Background:Appropriate diagnostic testing involves considerations of cost-effectiveness. We examined the cost-effectiveness of individual tests in a panel of tests defined by the Japan Society of Clinical Pathology.
Methods: We studied 540 new, symptomatic primary care outpatients with a set of 30 common diagnostic tests [the Essential Laboratory Tests (2); ELT(2) panel] for clinical evaluation and identification of occult disease. A useful result (UR) of testing was defined as a finding that contributed to a change in a physician’s diagnosis or decision-making relating to a “tentative initial diagnosis” obtained from history and physical examination alone.
Results: The ELT(2) panel testing yielded 398 URs and uncovered 261 occult diseases among 540 patients. In total, 1592 tests contributed to either UR-generation or discovery of occult disease. The cost per effective test (cost required per test that contributed to either definition of effectiveness) ranged from ¥108 (∼US$0.92) for total cholesterol to ¥6200 (∼$52.50) for chest x-ray. Contribution rates and the cost per effective test varied among disease categories. We restructured panel components considering the effectiveness of each test. Subsets of the ELT(2) would have improved cost-effectiveness and achieved cost savings in five of eight disease categories.
Conclusions: Assembly of tests based on cost-effectiveness can improve clinical efficiency and decrease total cost of panel testing for selected patient groups.