bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determination of the effect of pressure on viscosity at high shear rates by using an injection molding machine
Authors: Volpe Valentina , Pantani Roberto 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTThe effect of pressure on rheological behavior of polymer melts is surely a significant phenomenon for polymer processing, and its determination has been the object of several studies which highlighted the difficulties in performing accurate measurements. Even more important is the determination of this effect at very high shear rates, which cannot easily be obtained by conventional rheometers. In this work, a slit rheometer was located at the nozzle of the injection molding machine to obtain rheological measurements by means of two pressure transducers. Pressure values were analyzed by an original method to evaluate the pressure coefficient and the viscosity at zero pressure. The zero pressure viscosity aligned with independent rheological measurements obtained in previous works. The effect of pressure on viscosity was described by means of a parameter whose values resulted to be in line with those obtained in previous works, although the highest shear rates explored in this work were at least one order of magnitude larger. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45277.
Graphene‐based molecularly imprinted polymer for separation and pre‐concentration of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental water samples
Authors: Kibechu Rose Waithiegeni , Sampath Srinivasan , Mamba Bhekie Brilliance , Msagati Titus Alfred Makudali 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTA composite of reduced graphene oxide and pyrene‐imprinted polymer was synthesized and employed as a solid phase for extraction of five selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from water samples. Gas chromatography‐time of flight/mass spectrometry was employed in the analysis of the extracts. The composite was prepared by a free radical polymerization of methacrylic acid and 4‐vinylpyridine as monomers and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a crosslinker. The adsorption studies were carried out through batch binding studies. The binding capacity for the imprinted and non‐imprinted composite was 101.83 and 68.21 µg g−1, respectively. The adsorption followed the pseudo 2nd order and well fitted the Langmuir isotherm. Mean recoveries ranging from 73% to 105.4% for both spiked deionized water and environmental water samples were obtained when the imprinted composites were employed in solid phase extraction of the PAHs. The composites could be re‐used for five times without a significant loss in recoveries. The proposed method was employed for the analysis of spiked environmental water samples and did not show significant changes in the recoveries showing there were no matrix interferences. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45300.
Alkyl amine functional dextran macromonomer‐based thin film composite loose nanofiltration membranes for separation of charged and neutral solutes
Authors: Trivedi Jaladhi S. , Bera Anupam , Jewrajka Suresh K. 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTThin film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membranes with defined porous structure of the separation layer are desirable for the concentration of neutral solute and separation of salts from a mixture. Herein, we report the formation of TFC membranes composed of polyamide (PA) separation layer by the interfacial polymerization between new dextran‐butyl amine (Dex‐NH2) macromonomer and trimesoyl chloride on polysulfone support membrane. The membranes prepared with 1%–1.5% (wt/vol) of Dex‐NH2 exhibited water permeance of 110–116 L m−2 h−1 MPa−1 with 62%–71% rejection of Na2SO4 and 12%–14% rejection of MgCl2. The membranes also showed about 91% rejection of poly(ethylene glycol) of molecular weight 2000 g/mol and about 11% rejection of NaCl. A decrease in permeance and ions selectivity was observed with increasing concentration of Dex‐NH2. The dextran chains attached to the PA network restrict the diffusion of Dex‐NH2 toward the interfacial zone and thereby assist the formation of porous and thin PA layer compared to that when free amine (alkyl diamine) was used. These membranes are applicable for the separation of small molecular weight neutral solutes from mixture containing monovalent salts. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45301.
Thermosensitive polymeric micelles based on the triblock copolymer poly(d,l‐lactide)‐b‐poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide)‐b‐poly(d,l‐lactide) for controllable drug delivery
Authors: Li Peng , Zhang Zhenfang , Su Zhiqiang , Wei Gang 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTA thermosensitive amphiphilic triblock copolymer, poly(d,l‐lactide) (PLA)‐b‐poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAM)‐b‐PLA, was synthesized by the ring‐opening polymerization of d,l‐lactide; the reaction was initiated from a dihydroxy‐terminated poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) homopolymer (HO‐PNIPAAM‐OH) created by radical polymerization. The molecular structure, thermosensitive characteristics, and micellization behavior of the obtained triblock copolymer were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H‐NMR, gel permeation chromatography, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The obtained results indicate that the composition of PLA‐b‐PNIPAAM‐b‐PLA was in good agreement with what was preconceived. This copolymer could self‐assemble into spherical core–shell micelles (ca. 75–80 nm) in aqueous solution and exhibited a phase‐transition temperature around 26 °C. Furthermore, the drug‐delivery properties of the PLA‐b‐PNIPAAM‐b‐PLA micelles were investigated. The drug‐release test indicated that the synthesized PLA‐b‐PNIPAAM‐b‐PLA micelles could be used as nanocarriers of the anticancer drug adriamycin (ADR) to effectively control the release of the drug. The drug‐delivery properties of PLA‐b‐PNIPAAM‐b‐PLA showed obvious thermosensitive characteristics, and the release time of ADR could be extended to 50 h. This represents a significant improvement from previous PNIPAAM‐based drug‐delivery systems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45304.
Metabolic profiling of quercetin in rats using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Wu Ming‐jiang , Wu Xiao‐lei , Zhang De‐qin , Qiu Feng , Ding Li‐qin , Ma Hao‐ling , Chen Xin‐ze 
Published: May 2017

AbstractQuercetin, a kind of major flavonoid found in many traditional chinese medicines, is an effective substance for treatments such as lowering blood lipids. However, the studies on quercetin have been mainly focused on its pharmacological effect; the treatment of diseases on a material basis, particularly the metabolites derived from quercetin in vivo, has not been evaluated. In this study, we determined the levels, distributions and types of quercetin's metabolites in plasma, urine, feces and bile of rats after a single oral administration of quercetin at a dose of 80 mg/kg, using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS). A total of 36 metabolites of quercetin were identified, including 11 metabolites in plasma, 34 metabolites in urine, 12 metabolites in feces and 21 metabolites in bile. The results showed that phase I metabolites were reduction metabolites and phase II metabolites mainly included glucuronidation, sulfation and methylation metabolites. These results provide important information on the metabolism of quercetin, which will be helpful for its further development and utilization.
Associations between ABO blood groups and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: influence on resection status and survival
Authors: El Jellas Khadija , Hoem Dag , Hagen Kristin G , Kalvenes May Britt , Aziz Sura , Steine Solrun J , Immervoll Heike , Johansson Stefan , Molven Anders 
Published: May 2017

AbstractBoth serology‐based and genetic studies have reported an association between pancreatic cancer risk and ABO blood groups. We have investigated this relationship in a cohort of pancreatic cancer patients from Western Norway (n = 237) and two control materials (healthy blood donors, n = 379; unselected hospitalized patients, n = 6149). When comparing patient and blood donor ABO allele frequencies, we found only the A1 allele to be associated with significantly higher risk for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) (23.8% vs. 17.9%; OR = 1.43, P = 0.018). Analyzing phenotypes, blood group A was more frequent among PDAC cases than blood donors (50.8% vs. 40.6%; OR = 1.51, P = 0.021), an enrichment fully explained by the A1 subgroup. Blood group O frequency was lower in cases than in blood donors (33.8% vs. 42.7%; OR = 0.69, P = 0.039). This lower frequency was confirmed when cases were compared to hospitalized patients (33.8% vs. 42.9%; OR = 0.68, P = 0.012). Results for blood group B varied according to which control cohort was used for comparison. When patients were classified according to surgical treatment, the enrichment of blood group A was most prominent among unresected cases (54.0%), who also had the lowest prevalence of O (28.7%). There was a statistically significant better survival (P = 0.04) for blood group O cases than non‐O cases among unresected but not among resected patients. Secretor status did not show an association with PDAC or survival. Our study demonstrates that pancreatic cancer risk is influenced by ABO status, in particular blood groups O and A1, and that this association may reflect also in tumor resectability and survival.
Acetazolamide Inhibits the Level of Tyrosinase and Melanin: An Enzyme Kinetic, In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Studies
Authors: Abbas Qamar , Raza Hussain , Hassan Mubashir , Phull Abdul Rehman , Kim Song Ja , Seo Sung‐Yum 
Published: May 2017

Melanin is the major factor that determines skin color and protects from ultraviolet radiation. In present study we evaluated the anti‐melanogenesis effect of acetazolamide (ACZ) using four different approaches: enzyme kinetic, in vitro, in vivo and in silico. ACZ demonstrated significant inhibitory activity (IC50 7.895 ± 0.24 μm) against tyrosinase as compared to the standard drug kojic acid (IC50 16.84 ± 0.64 μm) and kinetic analyses showed that ACZ is a non‐competitive inhibitor without cytotoxic effect. In in vitro experiments, A375 human melanoma cells were treated with 20 or 40 μm of ACZ with or without 50 μm of l‐DOPA. Western blot results showed that ACZ significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the expression level of tyrosinase at 40 μm. Zebrafish embryos were treated with 10, 20 or 40 μm of ACZ and of positive control kojic acid. At 72 h of treatment with ACZ and kojic acid, ACZ significantly (P < 0.001) decreased the embryos pigmentation to 40.8% of untreated embryos at the dose of 40 μm of ACZ while kojic acid decreased only 25.0% of pigmentation at the same dose of kojic acid. In silico docking were performed against tyrosinase using PyRx tool. Docking studies suggested that His244, Asn260 and His85 are the major interacting residues in the binding site of the protein. In conclusion, our results suggest that ACZ is a good candidate for the inhibition of melanin and it could be used as a lead for developing the drugs for hyperpigmentary disorders and skin whitening.
Porous Aromatic Framework as an Efficient Metal‐Free Electro‐catalyst for Non‐enzymatic H2O2 Sensing
Authors: Yuan Rongrong , Gu Yue , Ren Hao , Liu Jia , Zhu Guangshan 
Published: May 2017

AbstractA porous aromatic framework (referred as PAF‐39) based on tetrakis(4‐(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)phenyl)methane has been designed and synthesized by oxidative coupling polymerization. PAF‐39 exhibits high surface area and high heat of adsorption (Qst) of CO2. Especially, the PAF material was applied for non‐enzymatic H2O2 sensing.
Two‐Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks for Optoelectronics and Energy Storage
Authors: Mandal Amal Kumar , Mahmood Javeed , Baek Jong‐Beom 
Published: May 2017

AbstractSynthetic polymers with branched macromolecules and outstanding functional‐group tolerance exhibit diverse and useful properties that influence most aspects of modern life. Extending polymerization strategies to two dimensions (2D) allows precise integration of building units into extended structures with periodic skeletons and ordered nanopores. The construction principle of these frameworks is to direct the topological evolution in a predictable manner with controlled geometry, dimensions and structural periodicity. This unique designable feature of 2D covalent organic frameworks (2D‐COFs) with versatile properties makes them an emerging material platform, with great interest for areas such as gas storage, separation, catalysis and optoelectronics. In this Focus Review, we discuss the recent progress in 2D‐COFs as optoelectronic materials with an emphasis on their semiconducting, energy‐conversion and energy‐storage properties.
Performance of the Ishihara, D‐15, and City University colour vision test as a function of intraocular straylight
Authors: Zlatkova Margarita , Robinson Elizabeth , Beirne Raymond O. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThree colour vision tests, the Ishihara test, the City University Test (CUT), and the D‐15 test were studied as a function of induced intraocular straylight, using a commercially available light‐scattering filter. Thirty young individuals (aged 17‐28 years) with no ocular abnormalities and normal colour vision participated in the study. Intraocular straylight was estimated in all individuals using a psychophysical compensation method with the C‐Quant straylight meter, with and without the light‐scattering filter which caused an increase in intraocular straylight typical of that found for cataract. Under normal viewing conditions all the subjects passed each of the 3 tests with no errors. When viewing the Ishihara test plates through the filter, 10 out of the 30 observers made at least 1 error. Three subjects also made errors on the desaturated CUT test plates, but all subjects still passed the D‐15 test with the filter. The errors in the Ishihara test correlated with the amount of intraocular straylight, as measured with the C‐Quant. This study indicates that interpretation of the Ishihara test in a clinical environment will be made more difficult in individuals with higher levels of straylight.
A generic parallel pattern interface for stream and data processing
Authors: del Rio Astorga David , Dolz Manuel F. , Fernández Javier , García J. Daniel 
Published: May 2017

SummaryCurrent parallel programming frameworks aid developers to a great extent in implementing applications that exploit parallel hardware resources. Nevertheless, developers require additional expertise to properly use and tune them to operate efficiently on specific parallel platforms. On the other hand, porting applications between different parallel programming models and platforms is not straightforward and demands considerable efforts and specific knowledge. Apart from that, the lack of high‐level parallel pattern abstractions, in those frameworks, further increases the complexity in developing parallel applications. To pave the way in this direction, this paper proposes GRPPI, a generic and reusable parallel pattern interface for both stream processing and data‐intensive C++ applications. GRPPI accommodates a layer between developers and existing parallel programming frameworks targeting multi‐core processors, such as C++ threads, OpenMP and Intel TBB, and accelerators, as CUDA Thrust. Furthermore, thanks to its high‐level C++ application programming interface and pattern composability features, GRPPI allows users to easily expose parallelism via standalone patterns or patterns compositions matching in sequential applications. We evaluate this interface using an image processing use case and demonstrate its benefits from the usability, flexibility, and performance points of view. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of using stream and data pattern compositions on CPUs, GPUs and heterogeneous configurations.
A Free‐Radical Pathway to Hydrogenated Phenanthrene in Molecular Clouds—Low Temperature Growth of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Authors: Thomas Aaron M. , Lucas Michael , Yang Tao , Kaiser Ralf I. , Fuentes Luis , Belisario‐Lara Daniel , Mebel Alexander M. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe hydrogen‐abstraction/acetylene‐addition mechanism has been fundamental to unravelling the synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) detected in combustion flames and carbonaceous meteorites like Orgueil and Murchison. However, the fundamental reaction pathways accounting for the synthesis of complex PAHs, such as the tricyclic anthracene and phenanthrene along with their dihydrogenated counterparts, remain elusive to date. By investigating the hitherto unknown chemistry of the 1‐naphthyl radical with 1,3‐butadiene, we reveal a facile barrierless synthesis of dihydrophenanthrene adaptable to low temperatures. These aryl‐type radical additions to conjugated hydrocarbons via resonantly stabilized free‐radical intermediates defy conventional wisdom that PAH growth is predominantly a high‐temperature phenomenon and thus may represent an overlooked path to PAHs as complex as coronene and corannulene in cold regions of the interstellar medium like in the Taurus Molecular Cloud.
High‐Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cell Based on Poly(3‐Hexylthiophene): Influence of Molecular Weight and Mesoscopic Scaffold Layer
Authors: Nia Narges Yaghoobi , Matteocci Fabio , Cina Lucio , Di Carlo Aldo 
Published: May 2017

AbstractHere, we investigated the effect of the molecular weight (MW) of poly 3‐hexylthiophene (P3HT) hole‐transport material on the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). We found that by increasing the MW the photovoltaic performances of the cells are enhanced leading to an improvement of the overall efficiency. P3HT‐based PSCs with a MW of 124 kDa can achieve an overall average efficiency of 16.2 %, double with respect to the ones with a MW of 44 kDa. Opposite to spiro‐OMeTAD‐based PSCs, the photovoltaic parameters of the P3HT‐based devices are enhanced by increasing the mesoporous TiO2 layer thickness from 250 to 500 nm. Moreover, for a titania scaffold layer thickness of 500 nm, the efficiency of P3HT‐based PSCs with high MW is larger than the spiro‐OMeTAD based PSCs with the same scaffold layer thickness. Recombination reactions of the devices were also investigated by voltage decay and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. We found that the relationship between P3HT MW and cell performance is related to the reduction of charge recombination and to the increase of the P3HT light absorption by increasing the MW.
Design and deployment of a smart system for data gathering in aquaculture tanks using wireless sensor networks
Authors: Parra Lorena , Sendra Sandra , Lloret Jaime , Rodrigues Joel J.P.C. 
Published: May 2017

SummaryThe design of monitoring systems for marine areas has increased in the last years. One of the many advantages of wireless sensor networks is the quick process in data acquisition. The information from sensors can be processed, stored, and transmitted using protocols efficiently designed to energy saving and establishing the fastest routes. The processing and storing of data can be very useful for taking intelligent decisions for improving the water quality. The monitoring of water exchange in aquaculture tanks is very important to monitor the fish welfare. Thus, this paper presents the design, deployment, and test of a smart data gathering system for monitoring several parameters in aquaculture tanks using a wireless sensor network. The system based on a server is able to request and collect data from several nodes and store them in a database. This information can be postprocessed to take efficient decisions. The paper also presents the design of a conductivity sensor and a level sensor. These sensors are installed in several aquaculture tanks. The system was implemented using Flyport modules. Finally, the data gathering system was tested in terms of consumed bandwidth and the delay Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) packets delivering data from the sensors.
On the Role of PTB7‐Th:[70]PCBM Blend Concentration in ortho‐Xylene on Polymer Solar‐Cell Performance
Authors: Salamandra Luigi , La Notte Luca , Paronesso Giorgia , Susanna Gianpaolo , Cinà Lucio , Polino Giuseppina , Mattiello Leonardo , Catini Alexandro , Di Natale Corrado , Martinelli Eugenio , Di Carlo Aldo , Brunetti Francesca , Brown Thomas M. , Reale Andrea 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe use of low‐band‐gap polymers as donors is a new approach to realize high‐efficiency polymer solar cells. Among the low bandgap polymers, poly{4,8‐bis[5‐(2‐ethylhexyl)thiophen‐2‐yl]benzo[1,2‐b;4,5‐b′]dithiophene‐2,6‐diyl‐alt‐[4‐(2‐ethylhexyl)‐3‐fluorothieno[3,4‐b]thiophene]‐2‐carboxylate‐2‐6‐diyl} (PTB7‐Th) is one of the most promising candidates, thanks to the possibility of exploiting deposition protocols (technique, solvent, concentration) from the most‐known poly{[4,8‐bis(2‐ethylhexyloxy)benzo(1,2‐b:4,5‐b′)dithiophene]‐2,6‐diyl‐alt‐[4‐(2‐ethylhexyl)‐3‐fluorothieno[3,4‐b]thiophene]‐2‐carboxylate‐2‐6‐diyl} (PTB7) and the fact that it shows a power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 10 %. In this paper, we focus on the role of the ink concentration for film deposition and the formation of the active layer. The effect of the solid content (PTB7‐Th:[70]PCBM; [70]PCBM=[6,6]‐phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester) in an ortho‐xylene‐based solution on the performance of the polymer solar cell was investigated. Further, a correlation between the solid content and the1,8‐diiodooctane additive in the ink formulation with respect to device performance was discussed. A remarkable PCE of 8.2 % was demonstrated.
Factors determining subsidence in urbanized floodplains: evidence from MT‐InSAR in Seville (southern Spain)
Authors: Ruiz‐Constán Ana , Ruiz‐Armenteros Antonio M. , Galindo‐Zaldívar Jesús , Lamas‐Fernández Francisco , Sousa Joaquim João , Sanz de Galdeano Carlos , Pedrera Antonio , Martos‐Rosillo Sergio , Caro Cuenca Miguel , Delgado J. Manuel , Hanssen Ramon F. , Gil Antonio J. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractMajor rivers have traditionally been linked with important human settlements throughout history. The growth of cities over recent river deposits makes necessary the use of multidisciplinary approaches to characterize the evolution of drainage networks in urbanized areas. Since under‐consolidated fluvial sediments are especially sensitive to compaction, their spatial distribution, thickness, and mechanical behavior must be studied. Here, we report on subsidence in the city of Seville (Southern Spain) between 2003 and 2010, through the analysis of the results obtained with the Multi‐Temporal InSAR (MT‐InSAR) technique. In addition, the temporal evolution of the subsidence is correlated with the rainfall, the river water column and the piezometric level. Finally, we characterize the geotechnical parameters of the fluvial sediments and calculate the theoretical settlement in the most representative sectors. Deformation maps clearly indicate that the spatial extent of subsidence is controlled by the distribution of under‐consolidated fine‐grained fluvial sediments at heights comprised in the range of river level variation. This is clearly evident at the western margin of the river and the surroundings of its tributaries, and differs from rainfall results as consequence of the anthropic regulation of the river. On the other hand, this influence is not detected at the eastern margin due to the shallow presence of coarse‐grain consolidated sediments of different terrace levels. The derived results prove valuable for implementing urban planning strategies, and the InSAR technique can therefore be considered as a complementary tool to help unravel the subsidence tendency of cities located over under‐consolidated fluvial deposits. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.