bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Drying Kinetics and Mathematical Modeling of Bottle Gourd
Authors: Ingle Murlidhar , Tapre A. R. , Nawkar Radhika 
Published: November 2019

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the drying behavior of bottle gourd slices using tray dryer.
Study Design: The bottle gourd slices were dried in a tray dryer at 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 + 1°C. The moisture loss was determined by gravimetry. Readings were taken at 30 minutes till constant weight was observed.
Place and Duration of Study: Experiments were done in Department of Food Science and Technology, MPKV Rahuri and completed within 12 months.
Methodology: The drying curves were fitted into four different drying models (Henderson, Logarithm, Page and Modified Page) widely accepted for modeling of agricultural materials drying. The best model describing the drying process was selected based on the low RMSE, low χ2, and high R2.
Results: The drying time at 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70ºC drying temperature were 630, 570, 450, 420 and 360 min respectively for bottle gourd slices. By comparing time required at 50ºC and 60ºC temperature and 60ºC and 70ºC there were 28.57% and 20.00% reduction in drying time respectively. At the beginning of a drying process, the moisture content of fresh bottle gourd was 92.09% (w.b.) which is reduced to 7.08% (wb). The drying rate decreased with increase in drying time. The drying rates were as high as 0.89 at 55ºC and as low as 0.1 at almost all the temperatures. The R2 values ranged from 0.788 to 0.954, the adjusted R2 values also ranged from from 0.777 to 0.951, χ2 values between 0.029 and 0.681, and RMSE values between 0.0533 and 0.3742.
Conclusion: Henderson and Pabis model was found to be a better model for describing the drying characteristics of bottle gourd at all temperatures. The product quality was found well at all the temperature.
Effect of Organic Manure and Agricultural Lime on Growth and Yield of Two Bean Varieties
Authors: Effa E. A. , Mofunanya A. A. J. , Ngele B. A. 
Published: November 2019

Aim: This study evaluates the effects of soil amendment with organic manure-OM and agricultural lime-AL on the growth and yield of Phaseolus vulgaris and Vigna aconitifolia grown on soils with 3 different pH (locations) in Southern Cross River State.
Study Design: The study was laid in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at the Greenhouse, Department of Plant and Ecological Studies, University of Calabar for a period of 3 months.
Methodology: The three locations were: Akamkpa with pH 4.0, Calabar Municipality with pH of 7.0 and Odukpani with pH of 9.0. The treatments were; control (0 g), OM1 (100 g organic manure), OM2 (200g organic manure), AL1 (100 g agricultural lime), AL2 (200 g agricultural lime), OM1 + AL1 (50 g organic manure + 50 g agricultural lime) and OM2 +AL2 (100 g organic manure and 100 g agricultural lime.
Results: Results obtained from the physico-chemical properties of the soil before treatment application revealed low nutrients and minerals which increased after treatment application. Six weeks after planting, there were significant increase in plant height (p<0.05) of P. vulgaris and V. aconitifolia on soil from Akamkpa (169.66 cm) and Odukpani (146.63 cm) treated with OM2 + AL2 compared to 43.77 cm and 71.77 cm from control. Leaf area, petiole length, number of leaves were all significantly improved especially at 8 weeks after planting. Fresh weights of leaf, stem and root revealed higher yield (p<0.05) at the final harvest recorded as 8 weeks after planting than the amount at 4 weeks after planting. The results obtained from the pod number, pod weight and number of seed showed significant improvement after treatment application.
Conclusion: The findings of this study strongly support the use of organic manure and agriculture lime as affordable and accessible sources of manure especially for our local farmers.
Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in a University Hospital in Al-Kharj City
Authors: Ahmed Nehad J. , Khan Mohd F. 
Published: November 2019

Introduction: Antibiotics are medications that are used to kill a bacterium which causes different infections. The misuse of these medications has contributed to the development of bacterial resistance. In order to predict the efficacy of the antimicrobial drugs and to guide antimicrobial therapy, antibiogram should be used.
Objective: This study aims to explore the Antibiotic resistance patterns in a university hospital in AL-kharj city.
Methods: Data from a university hospital in Al-Kharj city were used to assess the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility rates for different types of bacteria. We included all bacterial and fungal cultures in the last 2 years.
Results: The most common bacterium was E. coli and the most common fungus pathogen was Candida albicans. There was a low resistance rate to gentamicin, imipenem, meropenem and amikacin for the studied bacteria pathogens and high resistance rate for some antibiotics such as erythromycin, tetracycline and ampicillin.
Conclusion: The physicians should follow the treatment guidelines and they should know the susceptibility rate of different bacteria to prescribe antibiotics appropriately.
Study on visual acuity curves of the elderly
Authors: Iwata Michico , Kitamoto Hiroyuki 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis research discusses basic data for lighting design in an aged society. The presented data are the result of an experiment which studied the relation of three parameters: object size (Landolt ring), luminance contrast of target and background, and background luminance. When viewed under the same threshold conditions, the results show that a higher level of brightness is necessary for elderly people than for young people.
Non‐Fullerene Organic Solar Cells Based on Benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]difuran‐Conjugated Polymer with 14% Efficiency
Authors: Li Xueshan , Weng Kangkang , Ryu Hwa Sook , Guo Jing , Zhang Xuning , Xia Tian , Fu Huiting , Wei Donghui , Min Jie , Zhang Yuan , Woo Han Young , Sun Yanming 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe development of high‐performance donor polymers is important for obtaining high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of non‐fullerene polymer solar cells (PSCs). Currently, most high‐efficiency PSCs are fabricated with benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene (BDT)‐based conjugated polymers. The photovoltaic performance of benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]difuran (BDF)‐based copolymers has lagged far behind that of BDT‐based counterparts. In this study, a novel BDF‐based copolymer L2 is designed and synthesized, in which BDF and benzotriazole (BTz) building blocks have been used as the electron‐sufficient and deficient units, respectively. When blending with a non‐fullerene small molecule acceptor (SMA), TTPT‐T‐4F, the L2‐based device exhibits a remarkably high PCE of 14.0%, which is higher than that of the device fabricated by its analogue BDT copolymer (12.72%). Moreover, PSCs based on the L2:TTPT‐T‐4F blend demonstrate excellent ambient stability with 92% of its original PCE remaining after storage in air for 1800 h. Thus, BDF is a promising electron‐donating unit, and the BDF‐based copolymers can be competitive or even surpass the performance of BDT‐based counterparts.
Blood pressure in adults with short stature skeletal dysplasias
Authors: Hoover‐Fong Julie , Alade Adekemi Yewande , Ain Michael , Berkowitz Ivor , Bober Michael , Carter Erin , Hecht Jacqueline , Hoerschemeyer Dan , Krakow Debra , MacCarrick Gretchen , Mackenzie William G. , Mendoza‐Londono Roberto , Okenfuss Ericka , Popplewell Deirdre , Raggio Cathleen , Schulze Kerry , McGready John 
Published: November 2019

AbstractHypertension, compounded by obesity, contributes to cardiovascular disease and mortality. Data describing hypertension prevalence in adults with short stature skeletal dysplasias are lacking, perhaps due to poor fit of typical adult blood pressure cuffs on rhizomelic or contracted upper extremities. Through health screening research, blood pressure was measured in short stature adults attending support group meetings and skeletal dysplasia clinics. Blood pressure was measured with a commercially available, narrower adult cuff on the upper and/or lower segment of the arm. Height, weight, age, gender, diagnosis, exercise, and medications were collected. Subjects were classified as normotensive, prehypertensive, or hypertensive for group analysis; no individual clinical diagnoses were made. In 403 short stature adults, 42% were hypertensive (systolic >140, diastolic >90 OR taking antihypertensive medications). For every BMI unit and 1 kg weight increase in males, there was a 9% and an 8% increase, respectively, in the odds of hypertension versus normotension. In females, the increase was 10% and 6%, respectively. In those with achondroplasia, the most common short stature dysplasia, males (n = 106) had 10% greater odds of hypertension versus normotension for every BMI unit and kilogram increase. In females with achondroplasia (n = 128), the odds of hypertension versus normotension was 8% greater for each BMI unit and 7% for each additional kilogram. These data suggest a high population prevalence of hypertension among short stature adults. Blood pressure must be monitored as part of routine medical care, and measuring at the forearm may be the only viable clinical option in rhizomelic short stature adults with elbow contractures.
Clinical and neurocognitive issues associated with Bosch‐Boonstra‐Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome: A case study
Authors: Bojanek Erin K. , Mosconi Matthew W. , Guter Stephen , Betancur Catalina , Macmillan Carol , Cook Edwin H. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractNuclear receptor subfamily 2 group F member 1 (NR2F1) is an orphan receptor and transcriptional regulator that is involved in neurogenesis, visual processing and development, and cortical patterning. Alterations in NR2F1 cause Bosch‐Boonstra‐Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome (BBSOAS), a recently described autosomal dominant disorder characterized by intellectual and developmental disabilities and optic atrophy. This study describes the clinical and neurocognitive features of an individual with a de novo nonsense variant in NR2F1 (NM_005654.5:c.82C > T, p.Gln28*), identified by whole exome sequencing. The patient was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and unlike most previously reported cases, he had no developmental delay, superior verbal abilities (verbal IQ = 141), and high educational attainment despite reduced nonverbal abilities (nonverbal IQ = 63). He had optic nerve hypoplasia with minimal visual impairment as well as mild dysmorphic features. Compared to both age‐matched individuals with ASD and healthy controls, the patient showed reductions in manual motor speed, accuracy of saccadic eye movements, and rates of successful behavioral response inhibition. Although the majority of previously reported cases of BBSOAS have been associated with more global intellectual dysfunction, we report on a patient with selective disruption of nonverbal abilities and superior verbal abilities.
Reversible adhesives based on acrylate copolymer modified by caffeic acid containing boroxin
Authors: Zhang Chun , Bai Yongping , Liu Wenwen 
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACT4‐formyl‐phenylboronic acid (FBA) and caffeic acid (CA) can combine to obtain a novel vinyl monomer containing boroxin, which was named as FBCA. Having been reduced the inhibition of phenolic hydroxyl groups, FBCA could directly copolymerize with acrylate (for instance, isobornyl acrylate (IBOA), butyl acrylate (BA), and hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA)) by free‐radical polymerization to produce modified acrylate copolymer adhesive (FBCA‐IBH). Compared with sole acrylate copolymer adhesive (IBH), the FBCA‐IBH adhesive presents a higher thermal stability, cohesive strength, creep resistance, strain recovery, and adhesion strength to different substrate (such as carbon steel, polypropylene (PP), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)). According to the results of TGA, the initial degradation temperature of FBCA‐IBH is increased by 50 °C. The creep resistance of FBCA‐IBH is improved and its holding power to carbon steel is increased from 19 min to 3 h. It is eye catching that the shear strength to carbon steel could reach 9.37 MPa. Besides, this shear strength can be maintained even if after 18 cycle times, even the maximum value can achieve 14.36 MPa. The adhesion of thermoplastic adhesives to carbon steel exhibits adhesion strength comparable to that of thermoset adhesives. The reversible adhesive presents bonding strength in macro‐field, not just limited in micro‐field. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 137, 48703.
Tribological properties of the polyacrylate/PTFE coating modified by POSS in the space environment
Authors: Yu Chuanyong , Ju Pengfei , Wan Hongqi , Chen Lei , Li Hongxuan , Zhou Huidi , Chen Jianmin 
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACTThe irradiation conditions in the low earth orbit (LEO) severely inhibit the development of polymeric materials for solid lubrication coatings used on the external surfaces of spacecraft. To solve the problem, octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (OvPOSS) were covalently grafted onto poly(methyl/butyl methacrylate) composites (PMB). The results showed that the appropriate incorporation of OvPOSS (10 wt %) significantly reduced the friction coefficient and improved the wear resistance of the OvPOSS/PMB composite coatings. Furthermore, the impact of OvPOSS on the tribological properties of PMB/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) lubrication coatings in the space environment was investigated. In particular, the degradations, mass losses, surface morphologies, and chemical compositions of POSS/PMB/PTEF composite coatings were characterized under ultraviolet (UV), electric irradiation (EI), and atomic oxygen (AO). The results indicated that OvPOSS provides numerous SiOSi bonds in the polymer matrix that improve the resistance to UV and EI. Besides, a passivating SiO2layer was formed to prevent further erosion and degradation of the underlying PMB and PTFE components during AO irradiation. Particularly, the wear resistance of OvPOSS/PMB/PTFE coatings under AO irradiation increased significantly compared with the pristine PMB/PTFE coating. Overall, our results indicate that POSS‐containing composites are a good prospective material for space application in the LEO. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2020,137, 48730.
Anticorrosion reinforcement of waterborne polyacrylate coating with nano‐TiO2 loaded graphene
Authors: Xia Yuzheng , Cheng Huan , Duo Leijiao , Zhang Dong , Chen Xiaonong , Shi Shuxian , Lei Lei 
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACTPhotocathodic protection coatings have been widely applied in various areas such as ship and architectural protection, or chemical industry. In this work, a composite of titanium dioxide loaded with reduced graphene oxide (RGO/TiO2) was prepared and used as filler on waterborne polyacrylate (PA) coating to reinforce the metal protection against corrosion. Compared with the current filler of zinc phosphate used for anticorrosive coating, the photoelectrochemical properties of RGO/TiO2‐PA coating exhibit improved photocathodic protection under visible light illumination since RGO/TiO2 composite has significant superiority in enhancing metal protection due to its dispersion, micropore blocking ability, and photoelectrochemical conversion performance. The mechanism of anticorrosion reinforcement of RGO/TiO2‐PA coating was hypothesized that graphene provides an extrabarrier layer to obstruct corrosive in dark condition and photocathodic protection under lighting. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48733.
Human nephron number, hypertension, and renal pathology
Authors: Kanzaki Go , Tsuboi Nobuo , Shimizu Akira , Yokoo Takashi 
Published: November 2019

AbstractRecent studies have reported that total nephron number varies widely in human kidneys and some racial groups with low nephron number have a higher incidence of hypertension and kidney disease. Importantly, nephrogenesis normally reaches completion at about 34–36 weeks gestation, with no new nephrons formed for the lifetime in humans after this time. Although the loss of glomeruli varies among individuals due to aging, blood pressure, or additional inducers of kidney injury, much of the variation in nephron number is nowadays thought to be present at birth. According to the hyperfiltration hypothesis, this subsequent nephron loss results in compensatory hyperfiltration and/or hypertension of remaining glomeruli, thereby contributing to increased susceptibility to systemic hypertension. However, recent studies have suggested that the association between a low nephron number and systemic hypertension is not a universal finding. In most studies to date, nephron counts were performed on kidneys obtained at autopsy. Several recent studies have attempted to estimate nephron number in living human subjects, but further work is required to obtain accurate and precise estimates of nephron number using these noninvasive methods. Longitudinal studies in living humans have the potential to reveal associations between nephron number and hypertension/renal pathology.
Anatomical similarity between the Sost‐knockout mouse and sclerosteosis in humans
Authors: Schwarze Uwe Y. , Dobsak Toni , Gruber Reinhard , Bookstein Fred L. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSclerosteosis, a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by a mutation of the Sost gene, manifests in the facial skeleton by gigantism, facial distortion, mandibular prognathism, cranial nerve palsy, and, in extreme cases, compression of the medulla oblongata. Mice lacking sclerostin reflect some symptoms of sclerosteosis, but this is the first report of the effect on the facial skeleton. We used geometric morphometrics (GMM) to analyze the deformations of the murine facial skeleton from the wild‐type to the Sost gene knockout. Landmark coordinates were obtained by surface reconstructions from micro‐computed tomography. Centroid size, principal component scores in shape space and form space, and asymmetry were computed by the standard GMM formulas, and dental and skeletal jaw lengths were examined as ratios. We show here that, compared to wild type controls, mice lacking Sost have larger centroid size (effect size, p‐value: 4.59, <.001), higher mean asymmetry (1.14, .065), dental and skeletal mandibular prognathism (1.36, .010 and 5.92, <.001), a smaller foramen magnum (−1.71, .015), and calvaria that are more highly curved (form space p = 4.09, .002; shape space p = 12.82, .002). These features of mice lacking sclerostin largely correspond to the changes of the facial skeleton observed in sclerosteosis. This alignment further supports claims that the Sost gene plays a fundamental role in bony facial development in rodents and humans alike.
Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Characteristics and Applications
Authors: Jeon In‐Yup , Noh Hyuk‐Jun , Baek Jong‐Beom 
Published: November 2019

AbstractNonmetallic carbon‐based nanomaterials (CNMs) are important in various potential applications, especially after the emergence of graphene and carbon nanotubes, which demonstrate outstanding properties arising from their unique nanostructures. The pristine graphitic structure of CNMs consists of sp2 hybrid C−C bonds and is considered to be neutral in nature with low wettability and poor reactivity. To improve its compatibility with other materials and, hence, for greater applicability, CNMs are generally required to be functionalized effectively and/or doped with heteroatoms in their graphitic frameworks for feasible interfacial interactions. Among the various possible functional/doping elements, nitrogen (N) atoms have received much attention given their potential to fine tune the intrinsic properties, such as the work‐function, charge carrier concentration, surface energy, and polarization, of CNMs. N‐doping improves the surface energy and reactivity with enhanced charge polarization and minimal damage to carbon frameworks. The modified surface energy and chemical activity of N‐doped carbon nanomaterials (NCNMs) can be useful for a broad range of applications, including fuel cells, solar cells, Li‐ion batteries, supercapacitors, chemical catalysts, catalyst supports, and so forth.
Pebax‐Based Membrane Filled with Two‐Dimensional Mxene Nanosheets for Efficient CO2Capture
Authors: Liu Guozhen , Cheng Long , Chen Guining , Liang Feng , Liu Gongping , Jin Wanqin 
Published: November 2019

AbstractMixed matrix membranes (MMMs) made from inorganic fillers and polymers is a kind of promising candidate for gas separation. In this work, two‐dimensional MXene nanosheets were synthesized and incorporated into a polyether‐polyamide block copolymer (Pebax) matrix to fabricate MMM for CO2capture. The physicochemical properties of MXene nanosheets and MXene/Pebax membranes were studied systematically. The introduction of MXene nanosheets provided additional molecular transport channels and meanwhile enhanced the CO2adsorption capacity, thereby enhancing both the CO2peremance and CO2/N2selectivity of Pebax membrane. The optimized MXene/Pebax membrane with a MXene loading of 0.15 wt % displayed a high separation performance with a CO2permeance of 21.6 GPU and a CO2/N2selectivity of 72.5, showing potential application in CO2capture.
Microscopic Imaging of Chiral Amino Acids in Agar Gel through Circularly Polarized Luminescence of EuIII Complex
Authors: Koike Hikaru , Nozaki Koichi , Iwamura Munetaka 
Published: November 2019

AbstractWe recently found that [Eu(pda)2]− (pda: 1,10‐phenanthroline‐2,9‐dicarboxylic acid), which has an achiral structure in crystals, exhibits circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) in aqueous solutions containing chiral amino acids such as arginine and histidine. CPL measurements were performed for agar gel, which includes an aqueous solution of [Eu(pda)2]− and chiral arginine or histidine. The spectral shape, concentration, and pH dependences on CPL intensity in the agar gels were very close to those in aqueous solutions, indicating that the CPL of the EuIII complex in the agar gels was induced by mechanism similar to that in aqueous solutions. We performed spatially resolved CPL measurements using a laboratory‐built microscopic CPL spectroscopic system for agar‐gel samples, where d‐ and l‐ amino acids were separately dispersed. We successfully recorded CPL imaging maps showing spatial dispersions of d‐ and l‐amino acid in the agar gels.
A pure neural network controller for double‐pendulum crane anti‐sway control: Based on Lyapunov stability theory
Authors: Chen Qingrong , Cheng Wenming , Gao Lingchong , Fottner Johannes 
Published: November 2019

AbstractCrane systems have been widely applied in logistics due to their efficiency of transportation. The parameters of a crane system may vary from each transport, therefore the anti‐sway controller should be designed to be insensitive to the variation of system parameters. In this paper, we focus on pure neural network adaptive tracking controller design issue that does not require the parameters of crane systems, i.e. the trolley mass, the payload mass, the cable lengths, and etc. The proposed neural network controller only requires the output feedback signals of the trolley, i.e. the position and the velocity, which means no sway measuring equipment is needed. The Lyapunov method is utilized to design the weights update law of neural network, and the robustness of the proposed controller is proved by the Lyapunov stability theory. The results of numerical simulations show that the proposed neural network controller has excellent performance of trolley position tracking and payload anti‐sway controlling.