Economic Policy Uncertainty Index Meets Ensemble Learning

Computational Economics - We utilize a battery of ensemble learning techniques [ensemble linear regression (LM), random forest], as well as two gradient boosting techniques [Gradient Boosting...     

The intertwining issues of energy security,environmental protection,and societal development

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy -     

The Cyclic Cystine Ladder of Theta‐Defensins as a Stable,Bifunctional Scaffold: A Proof‐of‐Concept Study Using the Integrin‐Binding RGD Motif.

Peptides have the specificity and size required to target the protein–protein interactions involved in many diseases. Some cyclic peptides have been utilised as scaffolds for peptide drugs because of their stability; however, other cyclic peptide scaffolds remain to be explored. θ‐Defensins are cyclic peptides from mammals; they are characterised by a cyclic cystine ladder motif and have low haemolytic and cytotoxic activity. Here we demonstrate the potential of the cyclic cystine ladder as a scaffold for peptide drug design by introducing the integrin‐binding Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD) motif into the θ‐defensin RTD‐1. The most active analogue had an IC₅₀ of 18 nM for the α_vβ₃ integrin as well as high serum stability, thus demonstrating that a desired bioactivity can be imparted to the cyclic cystine ladder. This study highlights how θ‐defensins can provide a stable and conformationally restrained scaffold for bioactive epitopes in a β‐strand or turn conformation. Furthermore, the symmetry of the cyclic cystine ladder presents the opportunity to design peptides with dual bioactive epitopes to increase activity and specificity.     

Forecasting of Reference Evapotranspiration by Artificial Neural Networks

In recent years, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been applied to forecasting in many areas of engineering. In this note, a sequentially adaptive radial basis function network is applied to the forecasting of reference evapotranspiration (ETo). The sequential adaptation of parameters and structure is achieved using an extended Kalman filter. The criterion for network growing is obtained from the Kalman filter’s consistency test, while the criteria for neuron/connection pruning are based on the statistical parameter significance test. The weather parameter data (air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and sunshine) were available at Nis, Serbia and Montenegro, from January 1977 to December 1996. The monthly reference evapotranspiration data were obtained by the Penman-Monteith method, which is proposed as the sole standard method for the computation of reference evapotranspiration. The network learned to forecast ETo,t+1 based on ETo,t?11 and ETo,t?23. The results show that ANNs can be used for forecasting reference evapotranspiration with high reliability.     

Process innovation through Integration approaches at multiple scales: a perspective

Process innovation can be efficiently enabled by considering it as a holistic procedure, which applies integration—starting from molecules and extending through process tasks, unit operations, plant-wide and finally at enterprise level. It is only through such a comprehensive approach that truly breakthrough process innovations are possible and realisable in a highly competing and enormously complex system environment with multiple counter balancing objectives.     

Computing the electromagnetic field of the system of arbitrarily positioned conductors in horizontally stratified multilayer medium

This paper presents a novel computational methodology, based on the finite element technique, for the analysis of electromagnetic field due to system of arbitrarily positioned current‐carrying conductors in horizontally stratified multilayer medium, having arbitrary number of layers with different characteristics (including air). Each soil layer is horizontally unbounded, homogenous and isotropic, whereas conductors can penetrate different layers and extend into the air. The effect of the stratified multilayer medium is taken into account by using the originally developed fixed image method. Complete electromagnetic coupling between grounding system conductors (satisfying thin‐wire approximation) is taken into account, whereas attenuation and phase shift effects are approximated. The electric and magnetic field in stratified multilayer medium are computed from the scalar electric and vector magnetic potentials, using the said fixed image method and approximations to the attenuation and phase shift effects. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development and characterization of thermosensitive hydrogels based on poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) and calcium alginate

This work refers to the synthesis and characterization of thermosensitive hydrogels based on interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and calcium alginate in the form of films. The influence of the crosslinking degree of PNIPAAm and alginate content on thermal, swelling, mechanical, and morphological properties of hydrogels is investigated in detail. Characterization of pure PNIPAAm hydrogels and IPN hydrogels was performed by FTIR, DSC, DMA, and SEM. In addition, the studies of equilibrium swelling behavior as well as swelling, deswelling, and reswelling kinetics are performed. The results obtained imply the benefits of synthesizing IPNs based on PNIPAAm and calcium alginate over pure PNIPAAm hydrogels. The presence of calcium alginate contributes to the improvement of mechanical properties, the deswelling rate of hydrogels, and the network porosity, without altering the thermosensitivity of PNIPAAm significantly. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012