Adaptation of the musical composition method for solving constrained optimization problems

Many real-world problems may be expressed as nonlinear constrained optimization problems (CNOP). For this kind of problems, the set of constraints specifies the feasible solution space. In the last decades, several algorithms have been proposed and developed for tackling CNOP. In this paper, we present an extension of the “Musical Composition Method” (MMC) for solving constrained optimization problems. MMC was proposed by Mora et al. (Artif Intell Rev 1–15, doi:10.1007/s10462-011-9309-8, 2012a). The MMC is based on a social creativity system used to compose music. We evaluated and analyzed the performance of MMC on 12 CNOP benchmark cases. The experimental results demonstrate that MMC significantly improves the global performances of the other tested metaheuristics on some benchmark functions.     

Comparison of composition and antioxidant capacity of some cereals and pseudocereals

Polyphenols, phenolic acids, fibres and antioxidant capacity were determined in water, acetone and methanol extracts of buckwheat, rice, soybean, quinoa and 3 amaranth cultivars. Their antioxidant activities were comparatively assessed by total radical‐trapping antioxidative potential (TRAP), ferric ion‐reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric‐reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) and nitric oxide (NO^?) assays, which comprised of contributions from polyphenols and phenolic acids (especially from the most abundant ferulic acid). The correlation coefficients between polyphenols and antioxidant activities of cereal and pseudocereal methanol extracts with FRAP, NO^?, CUPRAC and TRAP were 0.99, 0.97, 0.96 and 0.77, respectively. The weakest correlation was with dietary fibres, an average one exhibited with tannins and marked correlation was shown with the phenolics. All the applied methods have shown that pseudocereals have higher antioxidant activity than some cereals (rice and buckwheat) and can be successfully replaced by cereals in case of allergy.     

Enzymatic Polymerization of Phosphonate Nucleosides

5′‐O‐Phosphonomethyl‐2′‐deoxyadenosine (PMdA) proved to be a good substrate of the Therminator polymerase. In this article, we investigated whether the A, C, T and U analogues of this phosphonate nucleoside (PMdN) series can function as substrates of natural DNA polymerases. PMdT and PMdU could only be polymerized enzymatically to a limited extent. Nevertheless, PMdA and PMdC could be incorporated into a DNA duplex with complete chain elongation by all the DNA polymerases tested. A mixed sequence of four nucleotides containing modified C, T and A residues could be obtained with the Vent(exo^?) and Therminator polymerases. The kinetic values for the incorporation of PMdA by Vent(exo^?) polymerase were determined; a reduced K_M value was found for the incorporation of PMdA compared to the natural substrate. Future polymerase directed evolution studies will allow us to select an enzyme with a heightened capacity to process these modified DNA building blocks into modified strands.     

Redox stable Ni-YSZ anode support in solid oxide fuel cell stack configuration

State-of-the-art nickel-based SOFC anode-supported cells are highly sensitive to reoxidation of the metal phase at the temperature of utilization. This work presents results on redox stable nickel-YSZ (yttria-stabilized zirconia) anode-supported cells, for both smaller and larger scale cells. A 55 cm² cell was mounted in a SOFC stack repeat element and tested over 40 full redox cycles. Performances and electrochemical impedance results of the repeat element are compared to the smaller sized cells of similar anode support structure.     

Bioavailability and Antioxidant Activity of Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) Polyphenols: in vitro and in vivo Evidences and Possible Mechanisms of Action: A Review

Abstract: Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) is a distinctive berry with a high content of polyphenol compounds and possesses one of the highest in vitro antioxidant activities among fruits. The bioavailability of aronia polyphenols seems to be low, but there is ample evidence for chokeberry health benefits including antidiabetic, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic effects. This review presents the available information for the bioavailability and antioxidant activity of chokeberry polyphenols and explains the possible mechanisms of action in vivo in the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress‐related diseases. The review shows the available data for chokeberry antioxidant activity in vitro, in isolated cells and cell lines, and in vivo, in both human subjects and animals. It is evident that in vivo antioxidant action of chokeberry extends far beyond radical scavenging and includes suppression of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species formation, inhibition of prooxidant enzymes, restoration of antioxidant enzymes, and probably cellular signaling to regulate the level of antioxidant compounds and enzymes. The original contribution of this work is that it compiles the available information up to date and outlines the gaps and future directions in the assessment of chokeberry antioxidant action in vivo.     

Elementary Deformation and Damage Mechanisms During Fatigue of Pseudoelastic NiTi Microstents

In the present study, we investigate the fatigue behavior of Nickel Titanium (NiTi) microstents at 22 °C (room temperature) and 37 °C up to 30 × 10⁶ load cycles. We briefly describe our test procedure, which applies displacement‐controlled pull–pull fatigue cycling between displacements corresponding to apparent strains of 5 and 7.5%. The response of the microstents to mechanical loading indicates cyclic softening during 30 × 10⁴ cycles. Subsequently, the maximum load remains constant throughout the remainder of the test. We use transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to clarify the microstructural reasons for cyclic softening. A focused ion beam (FIB) technique is used to take out thin foil specimens from critical microstent locations. Our TEM results show that the dislocation density increases during cycling. We also find that microstructural regions with stabilized stress‐induced B19′ martensite can be detected.     

Controlled oxygen plasma treatment of single-walled carbon nanotube films improves osteoblastic cells attachment and enhances their proliferation

The effects of oxidative treatment of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on the adhesion and proliferation of human osteoblasts (SAOS-2) were investigated. The surface properties of SWCNTs after oxygen plasma treatment were characterized by contact angle measurement, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The immunofluorescent staining of vinculin, actin filaments and nuclei was used to probe cell adhesion and growth on SWCNT films. Our results show that adhesion and proliferation of human osteoblasts cultivated on SWCNT films indeed depends on the degree of an oxidative treatment. As an optimal procedure was found the treatment with oxygen plasma for 5 min. In the latter case the osteoblasts form a confluent layer with pronounced focal adhesions throughout the entire cell body. The optimal conditions compromise the effect of hydrophilic character of SWCNT films and the level of damage of SWCNT surface.     

Textural and physicochemical predictors of sensory texture and sweetness of boiled plantain

Boiled pulp is a major form of consumption for plantain. We assessed instrumental (puncture test and texture profile analysis) and sensory texture attributes of 13 plantain cultivars, two cooking hybrids and one dessert banana at different stages of ripeness after cooking in boiling water. Firmness, chewiness, stickiness, mealiness, sweetness and moistness described sensory variability, which was greater between stages of ripeness than between types of cultivars. Firmness and chewiness were well-predicted by instrumental force and hardness (r² > 0.72), and by soluble solid and dry matter content (r² > 0.85). Complementary sensitivity analysis revealed that a pulp puncture force or a hardness of at least 2.1 N or of 0.3 N/mm² was needed before a difference in firmness or chewiness could be perceived; a Brix of 3.7 was required to ensure a detectable difference in sweetness. Rheological and biochemical predictors can be useful for breeders for high-throughput phenotyping.