Effects of the Treatment with Flavonoids on Metabolic Syndrome Components in Humans: A Systematic Review Focusing on Mechanisms of Action

Diets high in bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, have been used to mitigate metabolic syndrome (MetS). Polyphenols are a large group of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, classified into two main classes: non-flavonoids and flavonoids. Flavonoids are distributed in foods, such as fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine, and cocoa. Studies have already demonstrated the benefits of flavonoids on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as cancer cells. The present review summarizes the results of clinical studies that evaluated the effects of flavonoids on the components of the MetS and associated complications when offered as supplements over the long term. The results show that flavonoids can significantly modulate several metabolic parameters, such as lipid profile, blood pressure, and blood glucose. Only theaflavin and catechin were unable to affect metabolic parameters. Moreover, only body weight and body mass index were unaltered. Thus, the evidence presented in this systematic review offers bases in support of a flavonoid supplementation, held for at least 3 weeks, as a strategy to improve several metabolic parameters and, consequently, reduce the risk of diseases associated with MetS. This fact becomes stronger due to the rare side effects reported with flavonoids.     

Selective Synthesis of Perillyl Alcohol from β-Pinene Epoxide over Ti and Mo Supported Catalysts

Catalysis Letters - Isomerization of β-pinene epoxide to perillyl alcohol using several materials based on titanium and molybdenum is reported. The metals were incorporated on SBA-15, MCM-41...     

通州门楼 中国北京

正在距北京三十英里的地方,一个由200多名具有国际知名度的中国艺术家组成的社区,缺乏一个互动吸引点、艺术展示区或接待场所。一个由艺术家、评论家和代理人组成的财团收购了一处地产,准备为通州的艺术组织建设一个这样的项目。这是一个分期项目,已完工的首期是门楼,包括定居在此的艺术家们的住房和工作室。项目场址被一堵现有的砖墙隔开,一边是一片树林,另一边是一片贫瘠的工业场     

Drying behavior of dense refractory ceramic castables. Part 1 – General aspects and experimental techniques used to assess water removal

Despite the continuous evolution on the performance of refractory ceramic products, monolithic materials still require special attention during their processing steps as various phase transformations may take place during the curing, drying and firing stages. Drying is usually the longest and the most critical process observed during the first heating cycle of refractory linings, as the enhanced particle packing and reduced permeability of the resulting microstructure may lead to recurrent explosive spalling and mechanical damage associated with dewatering and the development of high steam pressure at the inner regions of such dense materials. In this context, this review article mainly addresses (i) the theoretical aspects related to the drying process of dense refractories, (ii) the influence of the phase transformations derived from the binder additives, and (iii) the usual and advanced experimental techniques to assess the water removal from consolidated castable pieces. Many studies have pointed out that due to the complex nature of this phenomenon (i.e., considering combined thermal stresses and pore pressure, heterogeneous microstructure, evolving pore structure with temperature, etc.), the mechanisms behind the water withdrawal and castables’ explosive spalling are lacking further understanding and, consequently, it has been difficult to save time and energy during the first heating of industrial equipment lined with ceramic materials. On the other hand, different methods are used for refractory spalling assessment and many efforts have been carried out in applying in situ imaging techniques (such as NMR and neutron tomography) to follow the moisture evolution during such thermal treatments. These novel techniques, also addressed in this review, might be of particular importance to provide more accurate data for the validation of many state-of-the-art numerical models, which can be used to predict the steam pressure developed in refractory systems and help in the design of proper heating schedules for such products.     

Artificial Neural Networks and Deep Learning in the Visual Arts: a review

Neural Computing and Applications - In this article, we perform an exhaustive analysis of the use of Artificial Neural Networks and Deep Learning in the Visual Arts. We begin by introducing changes...     

Determination of optical properties of a corn starch biofilm

In this work, the optical properties of a corn starch-based film were correlated with its structural properties. Scanning electron microscopy was performed to determine if incorporation of starch into the matrix gives a homogenous and smooth surface. X-ray diffraction was performed to identify the relative degree of crystallinity. The optical properties of the film in the range 300 to 2500 nm were studied, showing diffuse total transmissivity and total absorption coefficients comparable with that of low-density polyethylene films. The process used in this research is carried out in an aqueous solvent, without using any toxic raw material, and prepared by casting. The process allows for the use of different additives. This processing of the starch film represents a great advantage also because it takes a maximum of 10 h, four times less than other processes, and no special equipment is needed. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47111.     

Improving importance sampling method in structural reliability

Based on comparing with some existing variance reduced techniques for sampling, an improving importance sampling method for failure probability calculation, which combines the importance sampling technique with the conditional expectation variance reduced technique, is shown in this paper. This improving method can ensure the validation of every sampling simulation procedure, avoid the complicated optimization procedure, and improve the precision and efficiency of simulation estimation.