Omar Meziab, Dominic J. Abrams, Mark E. Alexander, Laura Bevilacqua, Vassilios Bezzerides, Doug Y. Mah, Edward P. Walsh, John K. Triedman

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.3, pp. 419-427, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12589

Abstract Objective: This study evaluates the ability of experienced pediatric electrophysiologists (EPs) to reliably classify incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB) and assesses its clinical utility as an isolated ECG finding in a group of healthy outpatient children without prior cardiac evaluation.
Design: We performed a retrospective analysis of all electrocardiographic and echocardiographic records at Boston Children’s Hospital between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2014. Echocardiographic diagnoses were identified if registered between the date of the index electrocardiogram and the ensuing year. A selected subset of 473 ECGs was subsequently reanalyzed in a blinded manner by six… More >

Qayyum S¹, SA Majid¹, A Bibi², A Ulfat¹, K Khanum¹, A Munir¹, S Nisar¹, S Aziz¹, N Mumtaz¹

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.87, pp. 191-197, 2018, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2018.87.191

Abstract Maize (Zea mays L., the third most important cereal crop after wheat and rice, is the major kharif (summer) crop of rainfed areas in Pakistan. The yield per hectare and total production of maize in Pakistan is low versus an exponentially increasing population. The objective of this work was to study the interactive effects of phytohormones [Gibberellic acid (GA), Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), Abscicic acid (ABA) and kinetin (KIN)] on morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters during the germination of maize seeds. Seeds were presoaked in different hormones, separately or in combinations. Priming with GA+SNP+ABA+KIN enhanced the total More >

Jianar A, JH Yuan, YF Yang

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.87, pp. 32-39, 2018, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2018.87.032

Abstract Ulmus macrocarpa Hance can form monodominant woodlands in the semiarid Keerqin sandy lands, China. Methods of sampling at meter intervals from the bases of trees at the woodland edges and isolated trees, respectively, were employed along vertical sections in different directions. Using statistical methods based on the density function of the Weibull distribution, the patterns of seed dispersal and the spatial expansion response of U. macrocarpa, which is a typical anemochorous plant, were analyzed. Although as an effect of the wind direction varying owing to the monsoon, there were differences in the degree of dispersal of seeds… More >

Yi TANG^1,*, Carlos Alberto BUSSO²

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.2, pp. 61-66, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07015

Abstract Elm (Ulmus pumila L.) is the dominant tree species in the sparse elm woodland, the original vegetation in the Horqin Sandy Land. The effects of changes in precipitation on U. pumila trees have not been fully studied. We determined a dynamic model by considering the five stages in the U. pumila life cycle, i.e. seed, seedling, and juvenile, mature and over-mature tree stages. The effects of changes in precipitation on population density and age structure were then evaluated. Population density, after averaging all study developmental morphology stages, ranged from 16.67 individuals/m2 to 25.01 individuals/m2 under More >

Sawsan Dacrory^1*, Hussein Abou-Yousef¹, Ragab E. Abou-Zeid¹, Samir Kamel¹, Mohamed S. Abdel-Aziz², Mohamed Elbadry³

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.5, pp. 536-547, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634190

Abstract Carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels were developed through crosslinking process using eco-friendly crosslinkers such as maleic, succinic, and citric acids. Carboxymethyl cellulose was prepared from the cellulosic fraction of olive industry residues. A series of hydrogels with varying crosslinker acid concentrations, reaction times, and reaction temperatures was produced to study the swelling capacities and gel fraction of the obtained hydrogels. Additional study pertains to the preparation of antimicrobial nanocomposite hydrogels through in-situ incorporation of the silver nanoparticles during the crosslinking reaction. Silver nanoparticles were prepared by reduction of AgNO3with leaves of Ricinus communis. The particle size of More >

Kunal Wazarkar, Anagha Sabnis*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.5, pp. 517-528, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634181

Abstract This research work discloses the preparation of polyurethane coatings from cardanol modified using thiolene chemistry, wherein unsaturated long alkyl chain of cardanol was successfully utilized via thiol-ene click reaction to synthesize polyol. For this purpose, cardanol and thioglycerol was reacted in the presence of Irgacure 184 (photoinitiator) and 1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (catalyst) and exposed to UV light for 12 h at 80 °C. One mole of thioglycerol was successfully added across the double bond of fatty chain of cardanol and confirmed by chemical and spectroscopic analysis. Further, the polyol thus prepared was cured with various polyisocyanates, viz., More >

Ibtissem Moussa¹, Noureddine Baaka¹, Ramzi Khiari^1,2,3*, Ali Moussa⁴, Gérard Mortha³, Mohamed Farouk Mhenni¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.1, pp. 55-67, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634141

Abstract Natural dyes have become an interesting subject of study because of their better ecological properties in comparison to their synthetic counterparts. This article concerns the dyeing of wool, silk, and polyamide fabrics with natural dyes extracted from almond shells and stems. The developed method of dyeing by these extracts is interesting and very attractive for several reasons: firstly, the extracts used are the black liquor discharged from the industries of delignification, which is a chemical process for removing lignin from agricultural wastes to produce a cellulosic fiber; (ii) these natural dyes are renewable and available More >

Fati Zoma^1*, David Y.K. Toguyeni¹, Ousmane Coulibaly¹, Ivon Hassel², Abdoulaye Ouedraogo³

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.1, pp. 47-54, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634147

Abstract This study aims to show the aptitude of a locally made composite for providing thermal comfort and mechanical resistance in buildings in hot-dry climates. The thermal characterization reveals that the thermal diffusivity of the studied material is lower than that of commonly used materials such as agglomerated and full cinderblocks and laterite blocks and therefore is a better insulating material. In addition, its thermal inertia is the highest compared to commonly used materials of agglomerated and full cinderblocks, laterite blocks and compressed earth blocks, which implies a longer time lag. On the basis of mechanical More >

Qianxin Wang^1,2,3, Chao Hu^1,2,*, Ya Mao^1,2

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.117, No.3, pp. 509-525, 2018, DOI:10.31614/cmes.2018.04098

Abstract Designing the optimal distribution of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) ground stations is crucial for determining the satellite orbit, satellite clock and Earth Rotation Parameters (ERP) at a desired precision using a limited number of stations. In this work, a new criterion for the optimal GNSS station distribution for orbit and ERP determination is proposed, named the minimum Orbit and ERP Dilution of Precision Factor (OEDOP) criterion. To quickly identify the specific station locations for the optimal station distribution on a map, a method for the rapid determination of the selected station locations is developed,… More >

Yang Yang^{1, *}

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.116, No.3, pp. 365-389, 2018, DOI:10.31614/cmes.2018.03847

Abstract The selection of machining parameters directly affects the production time, quality, cost, and other process performance measures for multi-pass milling. Optimization of machining parameters is of great significance. However, it is a nonlinear constrained optimization problem, which is very difficult to obtain satisfactory solutions by traditional optimization methods. A new optimization technique combined chaotic operator and imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) is proposed to solve this problem. The ICA simulates the competition between the empires. It is a population-based meta-heuristic algorithm for unconstrained optimization problems. Imperialist development operator based on chaotic sequence is introduced to improve… More >