A comparative analysis of local similarity metrics and machine learning approaches: application to link prediction in author citation networks

Scientometrics - Understanding the evolution of paper and author citations is of paramount importance for the design of research policies and evaluation criteria that can promote and accelerate...     

Recent Advances in Lipase-Mediated Preparation of Pharmaceuticals and Their Intermediates

Biocatalysis offers an alternative approach to conventional chemical processes for the production of single-isomer chiral drugs. Lipases are one of the most used enzymes in the synthesis of enantiomerically pure intermediates. The use of this type of enzyme is mainly due to the characteristics of their regio-, chemo- and enantioselectivity in the resolution process of racemates, without the use of cofactors. Moreover, this class of enzymes has generally excellent stability in the presence of organic solvents, facilitating the solubility of the organic substrate to be modified. Further improvements and new applications have been achieved in the syntheses of biologically active compounds catalyzed by lipases. This review critically reports and discusses examples from recent literature (2007 to mid-2015), concerning the synthesis of enantiomerically pure active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their intermediates in which the key step involves the action of a lipase.     

Scalable and flexible wireless distributed architecture for intelligent video surveillance systems

Multimedia Tools and Applications - This paper presents a novel distributed intelligent video surveillance architecture based on Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs). This architecture is...     

Probabilistic seismic damage assessment of reinforced concrete buildings considering directionality effects

Most of buildings and structures are usually projected according to two main axes. However, the geographical position of these buildings varies randomly. Such random distributions of the azimuthal positions of structures, in most of the cities, generally, are not accounted for when assessing their seismic risk; certainly, the direction of the seismic loads is another highly random variable. Moreover, an additional important source of uncertainty is related to the structural response, mainly due to the random character of the mechanical properties. There is a consensus that uncertainties must be considered for adequately assessing the seismic risk of structures, but these directionality effects have not been deeply explored so far. In this article, the influence of the high uncertainty involved in these input variables on the expected seismic damage is analysed. Thus, an actual earthquake, which affected the southern part of Spain, is studied. Notably, damages on a group of affected buildings, located close to the epicentre, are analysed and discussed in detail. The results show that the influence of the random azimuthal position of structures is an important source of uncertainty and that it should be taken into account when estimating the expected seismic risk in urban areas.     

Molecular and biochemical aspects of Brettanomyces in brewing

Brettanomyces is a semi‐domesticated yeast that is a crucial component of lambic beers and is increasingly attracting the attention of the brewing industry. Brettanomyces display Saccharomyces‐like features, such as a positive Crabtree effect, ethanol synthesis and tolerance to harsh environments. Additionally, Brettanomyces exhibit β‐glucosidase and esterase activities, the production of phenolic compounds and tetrahydropyridines, together with the ability to ferment dextrins and breakdown cellobiose from wooden casks. Although the importance of Brettanomyces species is documented in the production of different beer styles, the molecular and biochemical features of these species required for brewing are poorly understood. Therefore, this work reviews the current knowledge of the molecular biology and biochemistry underlying the performance of Brettanomyces in the brewing industry. © 2019 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Shallow and Undoped Germanium Quantum Wells: A Playground for Spin and Hybrid Quantum Technology

Buried‐channel semiconductor heterostructures are an archetype material platform for the fabrication of gated semiconductor quantum devices. Sharp confinement potential is obtained by positioning the channel near the surface; however, nearby surface states degrade the electrical properties of the starting material. Here, a 2D hole gas of high mobility (5 × 10⁵ cm² V^?1 s^?1) is demonstrated in a very shallow strained germanium (Ge) channel, which is located only 22 nm below the surface. The top‐gate of a dopant‐less field effect transistor controls the channel carrier density confined in an undoped Ge/SiGe heterostructure with reduced background contamination, sharp interfaces, and high uniformity. The high mobility leads to mean free paths ≈ 6 µm, setting new benchmarks for holes in shallow field effect transistors. The high mobility, along with a percolation density of 1.2 × 10¹¹cm^?2, light effective mass (0.09m_e), and high effective g‐factor (up to 9.2) highlight the potential of undoped Ge/SiGe as a low‐disorder material platform for hybrid quantum technologies.     

The moderating role of just‐in‐time on sociotechnical practices' effect over quality and workers' health

Sociotechnical (ST) theory emphasizes the notion that the design and performance of new systems can be improved, and can only work satisfactorily within an organization if the social and the technical aspects are brought together and treated as interdependent aspects of a work system. The implementation of lean manufacturing (LM) principles and practices has become popular, despite increasing demand on the current and emerging workforce to achieve higher levels of quality and flexibility with lower costs. Exploratory studies that investigate how LM practices influence the effect of ST practices on performance are still scarce, and a holistic view of such a relationship is needed. In this context, this study aims at verifying the moderating effect of just‐in‐time (JIT) practices on the relationship between ST practices and the performance of quality and workers' health. We carried out a survey with 144 different companies from Southern Brazil that are undergoing a lean implementation. Results indicate that ST practices have a positive significant relationship with such performance, and the concurrent adoption of JIT does not undermine quality and workers' health.