bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Structure evolution driven by phase separation and the corresponding foaming behavior of polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends via a batch foaming process
Authors: Liu Wei , Pang Yongyan , Wang Kun , Zheng Wenge 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTMorphology evolution of immiscible polymer blends during processing is a common phenomenon, but how it affects the foaming behavior is still unknown. The present work aims to study the effect of morphology evolution of polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS/PMMA) blends driven by phase separation on foaming behavior via a batch foaming process. Morphology evolution of PS/PMMA blends were conducted via thermal annealing using a compression molding machine. Phase contrast optical microscope and scanning electron microscope were used to investigate the morphology evolution and cell structures. The diffusion coefficients were calculated to study the effect of morphology evolution on gas diffusion behavior. It was found that phase domain was increased in size with the annealing and that cell structure was significantly dependent on morphology evolution. The thermal annealing with a long time could dramatically impact cell structures, especially for the blends with a bi‐continuous phase structure or a sea‐island structure with very large phase domains. The diffusion coefficient for the interface was increased with the annealing, which resulted in the generally decreased expansion ratio. Therefore, annealing for a long time at melt states during processing should be avoided for obtaining well‐defined cell structures for immiscible polymer blends. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2018,135, 46704.
Transport properties of blended sulfonated poly(styrene‐isobutylene‐styrene) and isopropyl phosphate membranes
Authors: Ruiz‐Colón Eduardo , Pérez‐Pérez Maritza , Suleiman David 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThis work discusses the effect of isopropyl phosphate (IP) on the transport properties of sulfonated poly(styrene‐isobutylene‐styrene) (SO3H SIBS) as membranes for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and chemical and biological protective clothing (CBPC) applications. The properties were determined as a function of SIBS sulfonation level (i.e., 24, 34, 49, and 84 mol %) and IP loading (i.e., 1, 3, 5, 11, and 15 wt %). A comprehensive material characterization study (e.g., FTIR, TGA, AFM, and SAXS) was performed to confirm the presence of the phosphate groups in the polymer matrix, assess the thermal stability of the proton‐exchange membranes (PEMs), and understand how the unique interactions between the phosphate and sulfonic groups influenced the nanostructure of SO3H SIBS. The transport properties, water absorption capabilities (i.e., swelling ratio, water uptake, etc.), oxidative stability, and ion‐exchange capacity (IEC) were performed to evaluate the impact of IP on the properties of the resulting solvent‐casted membranes. Results suggest that the morphology, thermal stability, and vapor permeability are governed by the sulfonation level, whereas the IEC, oxidative stability, water absorption capabilities, and the rest of the transport properties are dominated by the ionic content (i.e., sulfonic and phosphate groups) and their synergistic effects. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47009.
Multiscale Porous Carbon Nanomaterials for Applications in Advanced Rechargeable Batteries
Authors: Li Wei , Fang Ruyi , Xia Yang , Zhang Wenkui , Wang Xiuli , Xia Xinhui , Tu Jiangping 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe Construction of advanced electrode materials can push the boundaries of electrochemical performance of energy storage devices and accordingly open up a booming energy storage market. Typically, porous carbon is one of the most widely used materials in the field of batteries due to its attractive properties including large porosity, high electronic mobility, good mechanical strength and chemical stability, and ultrahigh specific surface area. This review focuses on diverse synthetic methods of multiscale porous carbon nanomaterials including direct carbonization, electrospinning, puffing, hydrothermal methods, and chemical vapor deposition, with and without templates, as well as their applications in different rechargeable secondary batteries. We summarize different dimensional porous carbon (1D, 2D and 3D) with controlled pore sizes and analyze their formation mechanisms. Additionally, the structure‐activity relationship of multiscale porous carbon nanomaterials is reviewed in detail. Meanwhile, we propose general guidelines to fabricate multiscale porous carbon nanomaterials with large surface area and high conductivity. Finally, future prospects and development trends on the advanced multiscale porous carbon nanomaterials toward construction of next‐generation batteries are presented.
Effect of γ‐irradiation on optical properties of Eu2O3‐doped polystyrene polymer films
Authors: Bhavsar Shilpa , Patel Gnansagar B. , Singh N. L. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIn the present study, europium (III) oxide (Eu2O3)‐doped polystyrene (PS) polymer films were synthesized using a solution‐casting technique for different filler levels. These films were irradiated with 5, 25 and 50 kGy γ doses and characterized using various techniques, viz. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies as a function of composition level and radiation dose. The UV–visible spectra indicated a decrease in the optical direct band gap of composite films with increasing concentrations of dopant and radiation dose. The band gaps of composites obtained using Tauc's equation were found to be 4.38, 4.37, 4.36 and 4.34 eV for 0, 1, 3 and 5% Eu2O3‐doped PS respectively, while the band gaps of 5% Eu2O3‐doped PS polymer films irradiated with 5, 25 and 50 kGy were found to be 4.30, 4.26 and 4.21 eV, respectively. Photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra showed the characteristic peaks of Eu3+ at 595 nm, 612 nm and 617 nm with an excitation wavelength of 247 nm. The intensity of characteristic peaks of Eu3+ was observed to increase with increasing filler concentration, while it was found to decrease with increasing radiation dose. The polymer under study may be useful in accidental dosimetry. As photoluminescence studies are carried out after a gap of 200 h from irradiation and PL emission of γ‐irradiated polymer yielded 10 times emission when compared with non‐irradiated polymer.
Circulating endothelial progenitor cells and endothelial cells in moyamoya disease
Authors: Bao Xiang‐Yang , Fan Yan‐Na , Liu Yi , Wang Qian‐Nan , Zhang Yong , Zhu Bing , Liu Bing , Duan Lian 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIntroductionThere is no well‐recognized biomarker for accurately predicting outcome in the presence of moyamoya disease (MMD), a progressive occlusive cerebrovascular disease of the internal carotid arteries or their branches. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and circulating endothelial cells (CECs) in MMD and correlate the findings with clinical features.MethodsPatients with MMD (n = 66) were compared with healthy controls (n = 81). Blood samples were obtained from an antecubital vein and analyzed using flow cytometry. EPCs were defined as CD31+CD45dimCD34brCD133+ and CECs as CD31brCD45−CD34dimCD133−. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were carried out.ResultsThe CEC counts were significantly higher in the patients than in the controls (p = 0.008). In multivariate analysis, EPC counts were independently associated with age of patients with MMD (p = 0.049) and CEC counts were independently negatively associated with concomitant disease such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease (p = 0.034).ConclusionsThis is the first study to investigate the presence of CECs in the plasma of patients with MMD, and the amount of CECs was negatively correlated with concomitant disease in these patients.
Near‐Infrared Image Analysis as Tool for Monitoring Process Activities
Authors: Kübel‐Heising Felix , Kunkel Sven , Medina Isabel , Hien Andreas , Schmitt Lukas , Scholl Stephan , Repke Jens‐Uwe , Rädle Matthias 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIn process engineering, there are often states in which the local distribution of fluids and solids and their temporal and spatial concentration represent dominant process‐relevant parameters. This article is dedicated to the monitoring of such processes, e.g., drying, moistening, and crystal structure formation, which requires the use of both space‐resolved and molecule‐specific measurement methods. A non‐contact measuring procedure is the near‐infrared (NIR) image analysis with an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) sensor. The application possibilities and the potential of this inline measurement method are presented and explained.
Color, antioxidation, and texture of dough and Chinese steamed bread enriched with pitaya peel powder
Authors: Hsu Chia‐Tai , Chang Yung‐Ho , Shiau Sy‐Yu 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBackground and objectivesIntake of phytochemicals such as betalains, polyphenols, and dietary fiber is health beneficial. Pitaya peel, a by‐product during fruit processing, is usually discarded. In this study, pitaya peel powder (PPP) was added to the dough of Chinese steamed bread (CSB) as a bioactive ingredient.FindingsTotal betacyanins, free phenolics, and DPPH radical scavenging capacity of the dough and CSB increased with increasing the PPP level from 0% to 9%. Color properties of the dough and CSB were significantly affected by the PPP level. Moreover, steaming led to significant decreases in the betacyanin content, redness, and free phenolic content of CSB. The addition of PPP led to a stiffer and less extensible dough. With increasing the level of PPP, the hardness of CSB was increased, but its specific volume, cohesiveness, springiness, and elasticity were reduced. With 3% PPP, the CSB had similar sensory scores to the control.ConclusionsHealthy and colorful CSB with high phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity as well as acceptable texture can be produced by the addition of 3% PPP.Significance and noveltyPPP can be used as a bioactive ingredient, and its level significantly affects the color, antioxidative, rheological, and sensory properties of dough and CSB.
Highly Efficient Removal of CO in Effluent Streams from Real‐Life Propane Oxidation Process over CuO−CeO2−Based Catalysts
Authors: Chu Wenling , Liu Yanchun , Wang Hongkui , Cai Rui , Yang Weishen 
Published: August 2018

AbstractSelective removal of CO from the effluent streams in real‐life chemical processes is of great importance in many different fields of industry. Until now it remains challenging to use non‐precious metal oxides to selectively remove CO at low temperatures from real‐life chemical effluent with complex compositions. Herein, a series of binary and ternary transition metal oxide catalysts were prepared by co‐precipitation method and employed for the preferential removal of CO in the effluent stream (off‐gas) of propane selective oxidation. It was found that the CuO−CeO2−based mixed oxide catalyst exhibited the best CO removal performance, wider operating temperature window and higher resistance to the inhibition of hydrocarbons, H2O and CO2. The presented catalyst showed high potential for selective removal of CO in the off‐gas stream containing CO2, H2O and various hydrocarbons.
Dehydration of Castor Oil over a NaHSO4/MCM‐41 Catalyst Prepared by Supercritical Impregnation
Authors: Ding Jian-Fei , Ma Tian-Lin , Yan Cui-Xia , Shao Rong , Xu Wei , Guan Rong-Feng , Song Xiao-Yong , Wang Peng-Fei 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe NaHSO4/MCM‐41 catalyst was synthesized by supercritical impregnation and investigated in dehydration of castor oil. The NaHSO4/MCM‐41 prepared by wet impregnation was also tested. The supercritical condition was favorable to improve NaHSO4 dispersion. The amount of interaction sites between NaHSO4 and MCM‐41 was enhanced and NaHSO4 leaching was retarded. Surface area, pore volume and size, total amount of acid sites, and the ratio of Brønsted to total acidity were increased. The Brønsted acid sites and the weaker acid strength were beneficial to produce dehydrated castor oil (DCO). Therefore, coke formation was retarded and castor oil conversion, DCO selectivity, and stability of the catalyst were obviously improved.
1‐AminoTriazole Transition‐Metal Complexes as Laser‐Ignitable and Lead‐Free Primary Explosives
Authors: Szimhardt Norbert , Wurzenberger Maximilian H. H. , Zeisel Lukas , Gruhne Michael S. , Lommel Marcus , Klapötke Thomas M. , Stierstorfer Jörg 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThis unique complex study describes two isomeric aminotriazoles as auspicious nitrogen‐rich ligands for energetic coordination compounds (ECCs) to replace the commonly used highly poisonous and environmentally harmful lead‐based primary explosives. The triazoles were obtained by easily scalable and convenient synthetic routes starting solely from commercially available starting materials. 1‐Amino‐1,2,3‐triazole (1, 1‐ATRI) and, for the first time, 1‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole (2, 1A‐1,2,4‐TRI) were employed as ligands to form highly energetic transition‐metal(II) complexes. The desired characteristics could be altered successively by using various nonpoisonous metal(II) centers (Cu2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+) and anions (Cl−, NO3−, ClO3−, ClO4−, picrate, styphnate, 2,4,6‐trinitro‐3‐hydroxyphenolate, and 2,4,6‐trinitro‐3,5‐dihydroxyphenolate). The 14 synthesized coordination compounds were characterized comprehensively by XRD, IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses. Ball‐drop impact, electrostatic discharge (ESD), and mechanical (impact and friction) sensitivities were determined according to BAM standard methods. In addition to laser ignition experiments, selected ECCs were evaluated in classical secondary explosive initiation tests (detonators filled with pentaerythritol tetranitrate (nitropenta)), which revealed their enormous potential and proved them to be very attractive for future applications in explosives.
Regulation of microtubule plus end dynamics by septin 9
Authors: Nakos Konstantinos , Rosenberg Marshall , Spiliotis Elias T. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractSeptins are GTP‐binding proteins that associate with the microtubule (MT) and actin cytoskeleton. Septins affect MT organization and posttranslational modifications, but their role in MT dynamics is less understood. Here, we reconstituted MT dynamics in the presence of the MT‐binding septin (SEPT9) using an in vitro cell‐free assay, which images the polymerization of tubulin from guanosine‐5′‐[(α,β)‐methyleno]triphosphate (GMPCPP)‐stabilized MT seeds. We found that submicromolar concentrations of SEPT9 suppress MT catastrophe and enhance the growth of MT plus ends to great lengths, while low micromolar concentrations of SEPT9 stabilize MTs by inhibiting dynamic instability. We show that SEPT9 associates preferentially with the lattice of GMPCPP‐stabilized MT seeds and surprisingly recruits soluble tubulin to the MT lattice. Notably, the effects of SEPT9 on MT dynamics are dependent on its G‐G dimerization interface, which is formed by the pockets of the GTP‐binding domains. A mutation (H530D) that disrupts G‐G dimerization abrogates the effects of SEPT9 on MT dynamics and diminishes its ability to recruit tubulin to the MT lattice. Taken together, these results suggest that SEPT9 promotes the formation and maintenance of long stable MTs through a mechanism that may involve recruitment of unpolymerized tubulin to the MT lattice.
Protein Corona Formation on Magnetic Nanoparticles Conjugated with Luminescent Europium Complexes
Authors: Khan Latif U. , Petry Romana , Paula Amauri J. , Knobel Marcelo , Martinez Diego Stéfani T. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe evaluation of the nanoparticles interactions with blood plasma enables a first and important insight on the organization of the adsorbed protein layer. In this context, we studied the formation of protein corona on magneto‐luminescent Fe3O4@calix‐Eu(TTA) nanoparticles in human plasma. The difference in the surface chemistry of F3O4 functionalized with calixarene (+30 mV ζ‐potential) and europium (III) thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (Eu3+‐TTA) complex (+7.4 mV ζ‐potential) affected the colloidal stability and hard corona composition of the nanoparticles, which were monitored by SDS‐PAGE gel electrophoresis, differential centrifugal sedimentation analyses and luminescence spectroscopy. Strikingly, after conjugation with Eu3+ TTA complex, the magnetic nanoparticles show lower adsorption affinity to proteins at higher blood plasma concentration. Moreover, the Eu3+ compound is featured with the narrow emission lines of 5D0→7FJ (J=0–4) transitions, imparting additional characteristics to bifunctional nanoparticles that were used as probes to evaluate the protein corona formation.
Assessment of the Effects of Age and Renal Function on Pharmacokinetics of Bazedoxifene in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: McKeand William , Ermer James , Korth‐Bradley Joan 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBazedoxifene (BZA), a chemically distinct selective estrogen receptor modulator, has demonstrated efficacy and long‐term safety in phase 3 placebo‐controlled studies for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Here, we assessed the potential effects of age and renal function on BZA pharmacokinetics in healthy postmenopausal women (aged 55–84 years; CLcr, 32‐109 mL/min). This was an open‐label, single‐dose, parallel, nonrandomized inpatient study conducted in healthy postmenopausal women and postmenopausal women with impaired renal function. Each subject received a single oral dose of BZA in a 20‐mg tablet. Twenty‐six subjects were enrolled: 8 in each of 3 age groups (55–64 years, 65–74 years, ≥75 years) and 2 (aged 71 and 75 years) with mild renal impairment; all subjects received treatment and completed the study. Age‐related changes in pharmacokinetics were apparent. Although the correlation was modest (R2 = 0.28), BZA CL/F decreased steadily with age, such that the oldest group (>75 years) had a mean CL/F 60% less than the youngest group (55–64 years). Over the observed range of CLcr, there was a weak positive correlation (R2 = 0.19) between BZA CL/F and CLcr.
Performance evaluation of heterogeneous cloud functions
Authors: Figiela Kamil , Gajek Adam , Zima Adam , Obrok Beata , Malawski Maciej 
Published: August 2018

SummaryCloud Functions, often called Function‐as‐a‐Service (FaaS), pioneered by AWS Lambda, are an increasingly popular method of running distributed applications. As in other cloud offerings, cloud functions are heterogeneous due to variations in underlying hardware, runtime systems, as well as resource management and billing models. In this paper, we focus on performance evaluation of cloud functions, taking into account heterogeneity aspects. We developed a cloud function benchmarking framework, consisting of one suite based on Serverless Framework and one based on HyperFlow. We deployed the CPU‐intensive benchmarks: Mersenne Twister and Linpack. We measured the data transfer times between cloud functions and storage, and we measured the lifetime of the runtime environment. We evaluated all the major cloud function providers: AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Google Cloud Functions, and IBM Cloud Functions. We made our results available online and continuously updated. We report on the results of the performance evaluation, and we discuss the discovered insights into resource allocation policies.
Coprevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis in low‐income and middle‐income countries: A systematic review
Authors: McMurry Hannah Stowe , Mendenhall Emily , Rajendrakumar Aravind , Nambiar Lavanya , Satyanarayana Srinath , Shivashankar Roopa 
Published: August 2018

SummaryIncreasing coprevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) in low‐income and middle‐income countries (LMICs) indicates a rising threat to the decades of progress made against TB and requires global attention. This systematic review provides a summary of type 2 diabetes and tuberculosis coprevalence in various LMICs. We searched PubMed, Ovid Medline, Embase, and PsychINFO databases for studies that provided estimates of TB‐DM coprevalence in LMICs published between 1990 and 2016. Studies that were non‐English and exclusively conducted in multidrug resistant‐tuberculosis or type 1 diabetes and inpatient settings were excluded. We reviewed 84 studies from 31 countries. There were huge diversity of study designs and diagnostic methods used to estimate coprevalence, and this precluded pooling of the results. Most studies (n = 78) were from small, localized settings. The DM prevalence among TB patients in various LMICs varied from 1.8% to 45%, with the majority (n = 44) between 10% and 30%. The TB prevalence among people with DM ranged from 0.1% to 6.0% with most studies (n = 9) reporting prevalences less than 2%. Coprevalence of TB‐DM was higher than general population prevalence of either diseases in these countries. This study underscores the need for intervention and more focused research on TB DM bidirectional screening programs in low‐income and middle‐income countries as well as integrated chronic disease management.
Simultaneous quantification of THC‐COOH, OH‐THC, and further cannabinoids in human hair by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry with electron ionization applying automated sample preparation
Authors: Kieliba Tobias , Lerch Oliver , Andresen‐Streichert Hilke , Rothschild Markus A. , Beike Justus 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe detection of Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) in hair, for the purpose of identifying cannabis consumption, is conducted in many forensic laboratories. Since external contamination of hair with these cannabis components cannot be excluded, even after hair decontamination, only the detection of THC metabolites such as 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC‐COOH) or 11‐hydroxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (OH‐THC), is considered to prove cannabis consumption. At present, testing for THC metabolites is not standard practice due to its analytical complexity. For these reasons, we developed a novel method for the detection of THC‐COOH and OH‐THC as well as THC, CBD, and CBN in one single analytical run using gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) with electron ionization. After manual hair washing and grinding, sample preparation was fully automated, by means of a robotic autosampler. The hair extraction took place by digestion with sodium hydroxide. A solid‐phase extraction (SPE) was chosen for sample clean‐up, using a mixed‐mode anion exchange sorbent. Derivatization of all analytes was by silylation. The method has been fully validated according to guidelines of the Society of Toxicological and Forensic Chemistry (GTFCh), with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.2 pg/mg for THC‐COOH and OH‐THC and 2 pg/mg for THC, CBD and CBN, respectively, thus fulfilling the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) recommendations. The validated method has been successfully applied to our routine forensic case work and a summary of data from authentic hair samples is given, as well as data from proficiency tests.