Correction to: Online Identity Crisis: Identity Issues in Online Communities

Minds and Machines - An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.     

Assessment of the austemperability of high-silicon cast steels through Jominy hardenability tests

The austemperability of seven high silicon cast steels with different alloy contents was characteri sed. The maximum round bar diameter that can be fully austempered changed from about 10?mm for an unalloyed steel to more than 70?mm for a low-alloy steel. The austemperability was calculated by applying a procedure based on a standard Jominy test and the characterisation of the microstructure along the Jominy sample. The method, which was validated experimentally, creates a relatively simple procedure to measure austemperability. Processing factors such as the ability of the salt bath to extract heat and the austempering temperature are accounted for the method. The metallographic study revealed the influence of microsegregation on hardenability, which is particularly important for cast steels.     

Multivariate Analysis of Multiple Datasets: a Practical Guide for Chemical Ecology

Chemical ecology has strong links with metabolomics, the large-scale study of all metabolites detectable in a biological sample. Consequently, chemical ecologists are often challenged by the statistical analyses of such large datasets. This holds especially true when the purpose is to integrate multiple datasets to obtain a holistic view and a better understanding of a biological system under study. The present article provides a comprehensive resource to analyze such complex datasets using multivariate methods. It starts from the necessary pre-treatment of data including data transformations and distance calculations, to the application of both gold standard and novel multivariate methods for the integration of different omics data. We illustrate the process of analysis along with detailed results interpretations for six issues representative of the different types of biological questions encountered by chemical ecologists. We provide the necessary knowledge and tools with reproducible R codes and chemical-ecological datasets to practice and teach multivariate methods.     

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry at the true cyclotron frequency

Ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) cells provide stability and coherence of ion oscillations in crossed electric and magnetic fields over extended periods of time. Using the Fourier transform enables precise measurements of ion oscillation frequencies. These precisely measured frequencies are converted into highly accurate mass-to-charge ratios of the analyte ions by calibration procedures. In terms of resolution and mass accuracy, Fourier transform ICR mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) offers the highest performance of any MS technology. This is reflected in its wide range of applications. However, in the most challenging MS application, for example, imaging, enhancements in the mass accuracy of fluctuating ion fluxes are required to continue advancing the field. One approach is to shift the ion signal power into the peak corresponding to the true cyclotron frequency instead of the reduced cyclotron frequency peak. The benefits of measuring the true cyclotron frequency include increased tolerance to electric fields within the ICR cell, which enhances frequency measurement precision. As a result, many attempts to implement this mode of FT-ICR MS operation have occurred. Examples of true cyclotron frequency measurements include detection of magnetron inter-harmonics of the reduced cyclotron frequency (i.e., the sidebands), trapping field-free (i.e., screened) ICR cells, and hyperbolic ICR cells with quadrupolar ion detection. More recently, ICR cells with spatially distributed ion clouds have demonstrated attractive performance characteristics for true cyclotron frequency ion detection. Here, we review the corresponding developments in FT-ICR MS over the past 40 years.     

Controlled Solidification of Liquids Within the SFC Primary Phase Field of the “Fe2O3”-CaO-SiO2 System in Air

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - To provide fundamental information on the phases and microstructures formed during sintering, a liquid with a bulk composition within the silico ferrite...     

Electrically insulating polymeric nanocomposites with enhanced thermal conductivity by visible‐light curing of epoxy–boron nitride nanotube formulations

Epoxy–boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) composites were prepared using visible light through a radical‐induced cationic polymerization method activated by camphorquinone. The fully cured films showed an enhancement of glass transition temperature in the presence of the filler. Electrical characterization showed a slight dielectric constant decrease with BNNT content. Finally, thermal conductivity measured using nano‐flash analysis showed a linear increase in the thermal conductivity of the materials with increasing BNNT content in the photocurable formulations. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of different treatments on the microstructure and functional and pasting properties of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.), dolichos bean (Dolichos lablab L.) and jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) flours from the north‐east Argentina

The effect of germination (G; 5 days), soaking‐cooking (SC; 6 h–20 min, 6 h–40 min, 6 h–60 min) and microwave (M; 50%, 70%, 100%) treatments on pigeon pea (PP), dolichos bean (DB) and jack bean (JB) seeds was studied. Microstructure of seeds and functional (protein solubility, water‐holding capacity, oil‐holding capacity, emulsion stability) and pasting properties of flours were determined. Germination and microwave treatments modified the protein matrix of cotyledon cells preserving the shape of the starch granule, whereas the SC treatment (6 h–60 min) affected both. The soaking‐cooking is the most influential treatment on the functional properties of PP, DB and JB flours, as increased water absorption capacity (73–96%), decreased protein solubility (>80%) and the tendency to retrogradation of amylose (69–85%) also improved emulsion stability.     

Antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of procyanidins extracted from laurel wood against a selection of foodborne microorganisms

This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of two procyanidins isolated from an ethyl acetate extract of laurel wood against a selection of foodborne pathogens. The analysis of the extract by HPLC–DAD/ESI–MS allowed us to detect the presence of two procyanidins, which were selectively isolated and identified by chromatographic and spectroscopic means as cinnamtannin B‐1 ( 1 ) and procyanidin B‐2 ( 2 ). Procyanidins 1 and 2 exhibited two biological activities: inhibition of bacterial growth at high concentrations and prevention of biofilm formation at lower concentrations. Synergistic effect was also detected when both compounds were tested in combination against Listeria monocytogenes. Significant effects were also detected on disruption of preformed biofilm. The ability of procyanidins to inhibit microbial growth and biofilm formation and to synergistically work with each other may stimulate a market as natural food preservatives, and/or natural sanitisers for processing equipment where foodborne pathogens reside.     

Increasing espresso coffee brew antioxidant capacity using phenolic extract recovered from hazelnut skin waste

The simultaneous consumption of different classes of phytochemical antioxidants in the diet can result in more beneficial effects than when consumed alone. In the present study, the in vitro and in vivo antioxidative effects of espresso coffee brew (EC) (rich in chlorogenic acids) with added crude hazelnut skin phenolic extract (HSPE) from hazelnut skin waste (rich in flavonoids) were studied. Both post-brewing and pre-brewing phenolic-enriched espresso coffees (PE-ECs) were analysed for total phenols and screened for their in vitro antiradical ability. Moreover, the in vivo biological effect on the antioxidant potential of plasma in rats was evaluated. The PE-ECs showed increased both in vitro and in vivo antiradical activity proportional to the added HSPE. The in vivo experiments suggested that HSPE was much more antioxidant active than the phenolic fraction naturally contained in EC. Moreover, evidence of possible synergic effects of EC and HSPE phenolics was observed in vivo.     

An algorithm to represent occupant use of windows and fans including situation-specific motivations and constraints

A theoretical model of the interaction between a building and its occupants is developed based on field survey data; the role of the model in building performance simulation is illustrated. If free to do so, people adjust their clothing or available building controls (windows, blinds, doors, fans, and thermostats) with the aim of achieving or restoring comfort and reducing discomfort. Initially responses to thermal conditions are considered. Trigger temperatures are established where responses to warm or cold thermal discomfort may occur. These trigger-temperatures depend on (among other things) clothing (which may depend on season and social conditions) and air movement (e.g., fan setting). Trigger-temperatures differ from person to person and from time to time. If several controls are available people will use those that are most user-friendly, effective and free from undesirable consequences, and this is represented in the model by a constraint assigned to each control option. The concept of constraints is then expanded to capture non-thermal stimuli for control use (e.g., fresh-air). Using datasets from surveys in Europe and Pakistan, estimates are made of the parameters used in the model: the comfort temperature in relation to the prevailing outdoor temperature, the extent of inter-personal variation of trigger temperature, the effect of a fan on the comfort temperature, and the values of constraints that affect the use of windows and fans in the surveyed buildings. The incorporation of the new model, including constraints, into building simulation code is illustrated. Some limitations or unknowns in the current model are identified and possible approaches for future research to fill these gaps suggested. The application of the model in building performance analysis and building design is discussed.