The combined effects of boron and oil heat treatment on beech and Scots pine wood properties. Part 1: Boron leaching,thermogravimetric analysis,and chemical composition

The aim of the study was to screen any possible synergistic effect available with combination of plant oils and boron compounds to decrease boron leaching and improve thermal degradation of wood by means of dual treatment. In order to reduce the leachability of boron compounds, sapwood of beech and Scots pine samples were treated with oils to create a hydrophobic layer on the wood cells that may prevent water uptake. Increase (%) of boron retained in double-treated samples after leaching was approximately 20% compared to boron-treated samples without oil. The most promising results on boron leaching obtained in the case of using waste and sunflower oil. Thermogravimetric residues were increased by the higher loading of boron compounds in double-treated samples. Spectra of FTIR-Photoacoustic spectrometer showed some deformation of lignin and cellulose followed by degradation of hemicelluloses of treated wood samples due to heat effect at 160 °C.     

Exact corotational shell for finite strains and fracture

The corotational method for frame-invariant elements is generalized to obtain a consistent large-strain shell element incorporating thickness extensibility. The resulting element allows arbitrary in-plane deformations and is distinct from the traditional corotational methods (either quadrature-based or element-based) in the sense that the corotational frame is exact. The polar decomposition operation is performed in two parts, greatly simplifying the linearization calculations. Expressions for the strain-degrees-of-freedom matrices are given for the first time. The symbolic calculations are performed with a well-known algebraic system with a code generation package. Classical linear benchmarks are shown with excellent results. Applications with hyperelasticity and finite strain plasticity are presented, with asymptotically quadratic convergence and very good benchmark results. An example of finite strain plasticity with fracture is solved successfully, showing remarkable robustness without the need of enrichment techniques.     

Shaping the interdisciplinary knowledge network of China: a network analysis based on citation data from 1981 to 2010

This study builds the interdisciplinary knowledge network of China, which is used to catch the knowledge exchange structure of disciplines, and investigates the evolution process from 1981 to 2010. A network analysis was performed to examine the special structure and we compare state of the networks in different periods to determine how the network has got such properties. The dataset are get from the reference relationship in literature on important Chinese academic journals from 1980 to 2010. The analytical results reveal the hidden network structure of interdisciplinary knowledge flows in China and demonstrate that the network is highly connected and has a homogeneous link structure and heterogeneous weight distribution. Through comparing of the network in three periods, that is 1981–1990, 1991–2000 and 2001–2010, we find that the special evolution process, which is limited by the number of nodes, play an important influence on interdisciplinary knowledge flows.     

Intellectual structure of stem cell research: a comprehensive author co-citation analysis of a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary field

This study is an attempt to approach the intellectual structure of the stem cell research field 2004–2009 through a comprehensive author co-citation analysis (ACA), and to contribute to a better understanding of a field that has been brought to the forefront of research, therapy and political and public debates, which, hopefully, will in turn better inform research and policy. Based on a nearly complete and clean dataset of stem cell literature compiled from PubMed and Scopus, and using automatic author disambiguation to further improve results, we perform an exclusive all-author ACA of the 200 top-ranked researchers of the field by fractional citation count. We find that, despite the theoretically highly interdisciplinary nature of the field, stem cell research has been dominated by a few central medical research areas—cancer and regenerative medicine of the brain, the blood, the skin, and the heart—and a core of cell biologists trying to understand the nature and the molecular biology of stem cells along with biotechnology researchers investigating the practical identification, isolation, creation, and culturing of stem cells. It is also remarkably self-contained, drawing only on a few related areas of cell biology. This study also serves as a baseline against which the effectiveness of a range of author-based bibliometric methods and indicators can be tested, especially when based on less comprehensive datasets using less optimal analysis methods.     

The research productivity of academic psychologists: assessment,trends, and best practice recommendations

Research productivity affects the careers of academic psychologists. Unfortunately, there is a surprising lack of consensus on productivity’s meaning, measurement, and how to compare the productivity of one academic psychologist to another. In the present study, we review academic productivity research within psychology, and using a sample of 673 psychologists, compute six indexes of productivity. Most productivity metrics (publication count, citation count, or some combination of the two) were substantially interrelated and one (Integrated Research Productivity Index) was independent from years in the field. Female psychologists were equally as productive as male psychologists after accounting for years in the field, and pre-tenure psychologists showed steeper change-over-time productivity slopes than post-tenure psychologists. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for the use and measurement of academic research productivity.     

A study on the optimization of KCI-based index (Kor-Factor) in evaluating Korean journals

This study describes the development process of Kor-Factor, which is a novel composite evaluation index that was developed to promote Korean domestic academic journals. As more data accumulate, the Kor-Factor’s optimization process was modified in an attempt to address possible drawbacks of the original form; the result is presented in this study. This study compares Kor-Factor with the Impact Factor, which is the most well-known single element evaluation index. We found that Kor-Factor demonstrates a better power of differentiation and a greater capacity to reflect the reputability of key journals. The modified Kor-Factor, which has been developed through an optimization process, reveals a greater power of differentiation than the original Kor-Factor; however, the modified version has less capacity to reflect reputability. The evaluation elements of the modified Kor-Factor are better and are more evenly reflected on the index value than those of the original version. Finally, we propose the establishment of an appropriate data measurement period for the actual application of the index.     

Quantitative analysis of collaborative and mobility networks

This study proposes a quantitative analysis of researcher mobility (i.e. transfer from one institution to another) and collaborative networks on the basis of author background data extracted from biographical notes in scientific articles to identify connections that are not revealed via simple co-authorship analysis. Using a top-ranked journal in the field of computer vision, we create a layered network that describes various aspects of author backgrounds, demonstrating a geographical distribution of institutions. We classify networks according to various dimensions including authors, institutions and countries. The results of the quantitative analysis indicate that mobility networks extend beyond the typical collaborative networks describing institutional and international relationships. We also discuss sectoral collaboration considering the mobility networks. Our findings indicate a limitation of collaborative analysis based on bibliometric data and the importance of tracing researcher mobility within potential networks to identify the true nature of scientific collaboration.     

Effects of the porcelain-fused-to-metal firing process on the surface and corrosion of two Co–Cr dental alloys

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a simulated porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) firing process on the surface, corrosion behavior, and cell culture response of two cobalt–chromium (Co–Cr) dental alloys. Two Co–Cr dental alloys were tested—a high and a low molybdenum (Mo)-containing alloys. Before PFM firing, as-cast alloy specimens were examined for their microstructure, surface composition, and hardness. Corrosion behavior was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests. Mouse 3T3 fibroblasts were exposed indirectly to specimens and MTT cell proliferation assays were performed after 3 and 6 days. The cell culture medium exposed to specimens was analyzed for metal ion release. After firing, similar alloy specimens were examined for the same properties. The tests showed that the PFM firing changed both alloys’ microstructures and hardness values. After PFM firing, the corrosion resistance of the low Mo-containing Co–Cr alloy decreased statistically, which corresponded with a reduction of Cr and oxygen levels in the surface oxides via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Also, the MTT assay of this alloy decreased significantly corresponding with an obvious increase of Co release after the firing. For the high Mo-containing Co–Cr alloy, the surface composition, corrosion resistance, and cell culture response were not significantly changed after PFM firing. The results suggested that the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of the low Mo-containing Co–Cr alloy decreased after PFM firing, whereas the firing process had little effect on the same properties of the high Mo-containing Co–Cr alloy.     

Surface modification of Scots pine: the effect of process parameters on the through thickness density profile

This study evaluated the significance of different process parameters (press temperature, closing time, holding time, moisture content and compression ratio) on solid wood surface densification and its effect on the density profile generated in Scots pine sapwood. Changes in the microstructure of the wood were also evaluated microscopically. The results showed that with a shorter closing time, densification occurred closer to the sample surface than with an extended closing time. At a compression temperature of 150 °C, the vertical density profile exhibited a sharp peak in density that was close to the wood surface. A higher temperature of 200 °C resulted in a slightly broader density peak that was less intense and further from the surface. A holding time of 10 min resulted in the wood compressing to a slightly greater extent than when using a holding time of 1 min. Higher moisture content led to more extensive deformation. The results indicate that surface modification by densification is a viable method of enhancing wood properties.