Correction to: Where do university graduates live? – a computer vision approach using satellite images

Applied Intelligence - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10489-021-02433-z     

From LTL to unambiguous Büchi automata via disambiguation of alternating automata

Formal Methods in System Design - Due to the high complexity of translating linear temporal logic (LTL) to deterministic automata, several forms of “restricted” nondeterminism have been...     

Nodal ant colony optimization for solving profit based unit commitment problem for GENCOs

This paper proposes a nodal ant colony optimization (NACO) technique to solve profit based unit commitment problem (PBUCP). Generation companies (GENCOs) in a competitive restructured power market, schedule their generators with an objective to maximize their own profit without any regard for system social benefit. Power and reserve prices become important factors in decision process. Ant colony optimization that mimics the behavior of ants foraging activities is suitably implemented to search the UCP search space. Here a search space consisting of optimal combination of binary nodes for unit ON/OFF status is represented for the movement of the ants to maintain good exploration and exploitation search capabilities. The proposed model help GENCOs to make decisions on the quantity of power and reserve that must be put up for sale in the markets and also to schedule generators in order to receive the maximum profit. The effectiveness of the proposed technique for PBUCP is validated on 10 and 36 generating unit systems available in the literature. NACO yields an increase of profit, greater than 1.5%, in comparison with the basic ACO, Muller method and hybrid LR-GA.     

Wollaston prism with large split angle

The image formation through a Wollaston prism with large split angle is studied. Formulas for the split angle, approximate calculations of aberrations, and ray tracings are used. The most important aberrations found are astigmatism and anamorphic distortion. Tilting the Wollaston with respect to the incident beam may reduce these aberrations, and if the orientation of the optical axis in the first element is varied it is possible to cancel one of the two aberrations for both images simultaneously, while the other one is substantially reduced. With an adequate adjustment of all the construction parameters the images become sharp enough to allow the use of large split angles (approximately 15 degrees).     

Interleukin 6 and Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. A Narrative Review

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a prominent proinflammatory cytokine. Neuroinflammation in general, and IL-6 signaling in particular, appear to play a major role in the pathobiology and pathophysiology of aneurysm formation and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Most importantly, elevated IL-6 CSF (rather than serum) levels appear to correlate with delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI, “vasospasm”) and secondary (“vasospastic”) infarctions. IL-6 CSF levels may also reflect other forms of injury to the brain following SAH, i.e., early brain damage and septic complications of SAH and aneurysm treatment. This would explain why many researchers have found an association between IL-6 levels and patient outcomes. These findings clearly suggest CSF IL-6 as a candidate biomarker in SAH patients. However, at this point, discrepant findings in variable study settings, as well as timing and other issues, e.g., defining proper clinical endpoints (i.e., secondary clinical deterioration vs. angiographic vasospasm vs. secondary vasospastic infarct) do not allow for its routine use. It is also tempting to speculate about potential therapeutic measures targeting elevated IL-6 CSF levels and neuroinflammation in SAH patients. Corticosteroids and anti-platelet drugs are indeed used in many SAH cases (not necessarily with the intention to interfere with detrimental inflammatory signaling), however, no convincing benefit has been demonstrated yet. The lack of a robust clinical perspective against the background of a relatively large body of data linking IL-6 and neuroinflammation with the pathophysiology of SAH is somewhat disappointing. One underlying reason might be that most relevant studies only report correlative data. The specific molecular pathways behind elevated IL-6 levels in SAH patients and their various interactions still remain to be delineated. We are optimistic that future research in this field will result in a better understanding of the role of neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of SAH, which in turn, will translate into the identification of suitable biomarkers and even potential therapeutic targets.     

Synergistic Effect of PVDF-Coated PCL-TCP Scaffolds and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Osteogenesis

Bone exhibits piezoelectric properties. Thus, electrical stimulations such as pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and stimuli-responsive piezoelectric properties of scaffolds have been investigated separately to evaluate their efficacy in supporting osteogenesis. However, current understanding of cells responding under the combined influence of PEMF and piezoelectric properties in scaffolds is still lacking. Therefore, in this study, we fabricated piezoelectric scaffolds by functionalization of polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP) films with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coating that is self-polarized by a modified breath-figure technique. The osteoinductive properties of these PVDF-coated PCL-TCP films on MC3T3-E1 cells were studied under the stimulation of PEMF. Piezoelectric and ferroelectric characterization demonstrated that scaffolds with piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ = −1.2 pC/N were obtained at a powder dissolution temperature of 100 °C and coating relative humidity (RH) of 56%. DNA quantification showed that cell proliferation was significantly enhanced by PEMF as low as 0.6 mT and 50 Hz. Hydroxyapatite staining showed that cell mineralization was significantly enhanced by incorporation of PVDF coating. Gene expression study showed that the combination of PEMF and PVDF coating promoted late osteogenic gene expression marker most significantly. Collectively, our results suggest that the synergistic effects of PEMF and piezoelectric scaffolds on osteogenesis provide a promising alternative strategy for electrically augmented osteoinduction. The piezoelectric response of PVDF by PEMF, which could provide mechanical strain, is particularly interesting as it could deliver local mechanical stimulation to osteogenic cells using PEMF.     

Copolymerization in UF/pMDI adhesives networks

Kinetic evidence in thermomechanical analysis experiments and carbon‐13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹³C NMR) evidence indicates that the strength of a joint bonded with UF (urea–formaldehyde)/polymeric 4,4'‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (pMDI) glue mixes is improved by coreaction of the methylol groups of UF resins with pMDI to form a certain number of methylene cross‐links. The formation of these methylene cross‐links is predominant, rather than formation of urethane bridges which still appear to form but which are in great minority. This reaction occurs in presence of water and under the predominantly acid hardening conditions, which is characteristic of aminoplastic resins (thus, in presence of a hardener). Coreaction occurs to a much lesser extent under alkaline conditions (hence, without UF resins hardeners). The predominant reaction is then different in UF/pMDI adhesive systems than that observed in phenol‐formaldehyde (PF)/pMDI adhesive systems. The same reaction observed for UF/pMDI system at higher temperatures has also been observed in PF/pMDI systems, but only at lower temperatures. The water introduced in the UF/pMDI mix by addition of the UF resin solution has been shown not to react with pMDI to an extent such as to contribute much, if at all, to the increase in strength of the hardened adhesive. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 3681–3688, 2002     

Layered silicate nanocomposites based on various high‐functionality epoxy resins. Part II: The influence of an organoclay on the rheological behavior of epoxy prepolymers

The effect of an organically surface modified layered silicate on the viscosity of various epoxy resins of different structures and different functionalities was investigated. Steady and dynamic shear viscosities of the epoxy resins containing 0–10 Wt% of the organoclay were determined using parallel plate rheology. Viscosity results were compared with those achieved through addition of a commonly used micronsized CaCO₃ filler. It was found that changes in viscosities due to the different fillers were of the same order, since the layered silicate was only dispersed on a micron‐sized scale in the monomer (prior to reaction), as indicated by X‐ray diffraction measurements. Flow activation energies at a low frequency were determined and did not show any significant changes due to the addition of organoclay or CaCO₃. Comparison between dynamic and steady shear experiments showed good agreement for low layered silicate concentrations below 7.5 wt%, i.e. the Cox‐Merz rule can be applied. Deviations from the Cox‐Merz rule appeared at and above 10 wt%, although such deviations were only slightly above experimental error. Most resin organoclay blends were well predicted by the Power Law model, only concentrations of 10 wt% and above requiring the Herschel‐Buckley (yield stress) model to achieve better fits. Wide‐angle X‐ray measurements have shown that the epoxy resin swells the layered silicate with an increase in the interlayer distance of approximately 15 Å, and that the rheology behavior is due to the lateral, micron‐size of these swollen tactoids.