Fabric impregnated with TiO2 gel with self-cleaning property

Cotton fabric decorated with TiO₂ synthesized by sol-gel approach was investigated as a self-cleaning material depending on the TiO₂ loading (1.5 wt% in the case of single layered fabric and 3 wt% in the case of double layered). The materials were investigated by SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, and photoactivity. The self-cleaning property was established by determining the amount of the coated dust, the elemental composition, the carbon content, the opacity, and the water contact angle. The self-cleaning property of the impregnated fabric was accentuated by TiO₂ loading. The dust deposited on the single layer fabric stored inside was 3.8 wt% lower than on the nonimpregnated fabric and that deposited on double layer fabric, respectively, was reduced by 9.1 wt%. The decrease in the deposited dust was more accentuated for the samples stored outside (4.2 wt% for the single layer fabric and 16 wt% for the double layer fabric, as compared with the nonimpregnated textile).     

Crystallization of poly(ε-caprolactone)/MWCNT composites: A combined SAXS/WAXS,electrical and thermal conductivity study

In situ crystallization of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) filled with different contents (0.2–5 wt%) of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated in X-ray (SAXS/WAXS) synchrotron experiments simultaneously with thermal and electric conductivity measurements. The combined study provides information on nucleation ability of MWCNT, crystallization and melting kinetics, degree of crystallinity as well as the evolution of thermal diffusivity and electrical conductivity of PCL/MWCNT composites during isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization.     

Development and Application of a HPLC-PDA-FL Method for the Determination of Melatonin and its Precursors in Infant Formulas

It is well known that the secretion of melatonin begins after the first months of life and is necessary to be supplied through mother’s milk or infant formula. It is also important to know the concentrations of compounds involved in the synthesis of melatonin in the pineal gland from the composition of infant formula. Therefore, an HPLC method with UV and fluorescence detection was developed which enables the simultaneous determination of melatonin, serotonin, L-tryptophan, and vitamins B₃ and B₆ in 30 min. The chromatographic method was validated in terms of selectivity, linearity range of the response (R > 0.9997), detection limit (0.0011–0.01 mg L^?1), limit of quantitation, precision, accuracy, and robustness and has been proved that it may be used as a tool for evaluating these compounds in infant formulas and also in the manufacture of baby foods. The chromatographic method was applied for the quantification of analytes of interest and for the first time, it has proven the existence of melatonin (0.00045–0.00824 mg/g) and serotonin (0.00002–0.00056 mg/g) in infant formulas from birth onwards.     

Protocadherin Gamma C3 (PCDHGC3) Is Strongly Expressed in Glioblastoma and Its High Expression Is Associated with Longer Progression-Free Survival of Patients

Protocadherins (PCDHs) belong to the cadherin superfamily and represent the largest subgroup of calcium-dependent adhesion molecules. In the genome, most PCDHs are arranged in three clusters, α, β, and γ on chromosome 5q31. PCDHs are highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). Several PCDHs have tumor suppressor functions, but their individual role in primary brain tumors has not yet been elucidated. Here, we examined the mRNA expression of PCDHGC3, a member of the PCDHγ cluster, in non-cancerous brain tissue and in gliomas of different World Health Organization (WHO) grades and correlated it with the clinical data of the patients. We generated a PCDHGC3 knockout U343 cell line and examined its growth rate and migration in a wound healing assay. We showed that PCDHGC3 mRNA and protein were significantly overexpressed in glioma tissue compared to a non-cancerous brain specimen. This could be confirmed in glioma cell lines. High PCDHGC3 mRNA expression correlated with longer progression-free survival (PFS) in glioma patients. PCDHGC3 knockout in U343 resulted in a slower growth rate but a significantly faster migration rate in the wound healing assay and decreased the expression of several genes involved in WNT signaling. PCDHGC3 expression should therefore be further investigated as a PFS-marker in gliomas. However, more studies are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the PCDHGC3 effects.     

Phenolic and Anthocyanin Profile of Valea Calugareasca Red Wines by HPLC-PDA-MS and MALDI-TOF Analysis

The quality of red wines is given by phenolic compounds and anthocyanins and is associated with colour, taste and therapeutic effects on human health. This work aims to provide a detailed profile of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins that are found in five red wine samples from Dealu Mare-Valea Calugareasca region. The phenolic and anthocyanin profiles of the red wine samples were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation–time of flight, respectively. The results obtained showed that Feteasca Neagra had the highest content of phenolic compounds followed by Pinot Noir while the preponderant compound was gallic acid. Amongst anthocyanins, malvidin was found to be the major compound and the highest anthocyanin content was found also for Feteasca Neagra wine. A simple high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass spectrometry method was developed, optimised and applied for the quantification of phenolic compounds in red wine samples from Dealu Mare-Valea Calugareasca region. In the same time, a rapid matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation–time of flight method that does not need sample preparation was applied for the identification of anthocyanins. Moreover, the phenolic and anthocyanin composition of red wines from Dealu Mare-Valea Calugareasca region is reported for the first time. The phenolic and anthocyanin profile determination will be beneficial for the Romanian winemakers to produce high-quality red wines.     

Multi-objective energy aware multiprocessor scheduling using bat intelligence

In this paper, a new heuristic called bat intelligence (BI) is introduced for solving energy aware multiprocessor scheduling problems. Bat intelligence is a novel optimization method that models prey hunting behaviors of bats. Bat intelligence and genetic algorithm (GA) are used to solve single-objective multiprocessor scheduling problem using, makespan, tardiness, and energy consumption as objective functions. Bat intelligence shows considerable improvement in terms of solution quality when compared with GA. Different combinations of these objectives are used to solve bi-objective multiprocessor scheduling problems, (makespan vs. energy, and also tardiness vs. energy). Tri-objective multiprocessor scheduling problem is also presented at the end. To generate desirable efficient alternatives, a Normalized Weighted Additive Utility Function is used. Simulation shows that BI identifies a set of efficient solutions that correspond to the assigned weights. The computational simulation also shows conflicting relationships between makespan and energy, and also between tardiness and energy.     

Dealing with overlap and imbalance: a new metric and approach

This paper addresses learning in complex scenarios involving imbalance and overlap. We propose a novel measure, the Augmented R-value, for estimating the level of overlap in the data. It improves an existing model-based measure, by including the data imbalance in the estimation process. We provide both a theoretical demonstration and empirical validations of the new metric’s efficacy in estimating the overlap level. Another contribution of the present paper is to propose a collection of meta-features to be used in conjunction with a meta-learning strategy for predicting the most suitable classifier for a given problem. The evaluations performed on a well-known collection of benchmark problems have shown that the meta-learning approach achieves superior results to the manual classifier selection process normally carried out by data scientists. The analysis of the results obtained by the meta-feature selection step has confirmed the power of the Augmented R-value in predicting the expected performance of classifiers in such complex classification scenarios. Also, we found that the overlap is a more serious factor affecting the performance of classifiers than imbalance.     

Electrical and optical measurements on the first SCUBA-2 prototype 1280 pixel submillimeter superconducting bolometer array

SCUBA-2 is a submillimeter camera being built for the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. Bringing CCD style imaging to the submillimeter for the first time, with over 10000 pixels, it will provide a revolutionary improvement in sensitivity and mapping speed. We present results of the first tests on a prototype 1280 pixel SCUBA-2 subarray; the full instrument will be made up of eight such subarrays. The array is made up of transition edge sensor (TES) detectors, with Mo/Cu bilayers as the sensing element. To keep the number of wires reasonable, a multiplexed readout is used. Unlike previous TES arrays, an in-focal plane multiplexer configuration is used, in which the multiplexing elements are located beneath each pixel. To achieve the required performance, the detectors are operated at a temperature of approximately 120 mK. We describe the results of a basic electrical and optical characterization of the array, demonstrating that it is fully operational. Noise measurements were made on several pixels and gave a noise equivalent power below 2.5 x 10(-17) W HZ(-0.5), within the requirements for SCUBA-2. The construction of the testbed used to carry out these measurements is also described.     

Mechanisms of Oxidative Processes in Meat and Toxicity Induced by Postprandial Degradation Products: A Review

Antioxidant system loss after slaughtering, reactive species production, cell disruption, contact with oxygen and light, heme and nonheme iron, and irradiation starts up mainly by 2 related oxidative processes: lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. Products generated in these processes are responsible for meat quality loss, and some of them are suspected to be toxic to humans. This review article is focused on reactive species implicated in oxidative processes in meat, on lipid peroxidation mechanisms, heme protein, and nonheme protein oxidation, and on some toxic oxidation and digestion products. Nonenzymatic fatty acid peroxidation is exemplified by an arachidonic acyl group, and the initiation of chain reaction can be described by 3 pathways: singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical from the Fenton reaction, and perferrylmyoglobin. Enzymatic oxidation of fatty acids is exemplified using linoleic acid, and the main characteristics of lipoxygenase are also presented. Heme protein oxidation is described in an interrelation with lipid peroxidation and the significance for food quality is shown. For protein oxidation, 3 different mechanism types are described: oxidation of amino acid residues, oxidation of protein backbone, and reactions of proteins with carbonyl compounds from lipid peroxidation. The effects of oxidative damage on protein properties and bioavailability are also shown. At the end of each oxidative process, the postprandial toxicity induced by oxidation products and the dietary degradation products are presented. Also discussed are reports by some researchers who suggest that dietary lipid and protein oxidation products and heme iron from red meat are in part cytotoxic and/or genotoxic.