Stabilities and catapults of truncated carbon nanocones.

Truncated carbon nanocones (CNCs) can be taken as energy suppliers because of their special structures. In this paper, we demonstrate the stability of truncated CNCs under compression and the escape behavior of a fullerene catapulted from a compressed CNC by molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical models. The strain energy of a CNC and cohesive energy between a fullerene and the CNC (due to their van der Waals interactions) dominate the stability and catapulting capability of the cone, which strongly depend on geometrical parameters (apex angle, top radius and height) of each CNC and axial distances between them. In particular, the additional transverse vibration of buckled CNCs after released plays a significant role in their catapulting abilities and efficiencies. Finally, finite element method and experiments are further performed to validate the escape mechanism. This study should be of great importance to providing a theoretical support for designing novel nanodevices in mico/nanoelectromechanical systems.

[Research on the Spectrophotometry for Determination of Flavonoids in Waste Residue of Stevia Rebaudiana].

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of flavonoids content in Waste Residue of Stevia Rebaudiana was established by comparing the UV-Vis spectra with three spectrophotometric methods: Direct, AlCl3 and NaNO2-Al (NO3)3-NaOH method. The effects of spectrophotometric reaction were studied by analyzing the wavelength, the dosage of color development reagent, reaction time, temperature and pH. The further research was studied by analyzing linearity between the absorbance and the concentration, the stability of this color system, the recovery rate and so on. The results showed that NaNO2-Al(NO3)3-NaOH method was best. The wavelength was 500 nm. The standard sample was rutin. There was a good linear relationship in the ranges of 2 - 24 µg x mL(-1), correlation coefficient R2 = 0.999 5. The recovery of the additional sample was 96.0%-104.3%. The relative standard deviation(RSD) is respectively 3.75%. The dosages of NaNO2 and Al(NO3)3 both were 1.0 mL, both of their reaction time was 6 min. The dosage of NaOH was 15.0 mL and the reaction time was 15 min. The temperature in the whole process of the reaction must be maintained at 40 degrees C and pH is 5. The spectrophotometric condition was further improved on the determination of flavonoids content. This method, which is simple, rapid and accuracy, can be used in practical application.

Intracerebral hematoma extends via perivascular spaces and perineurium.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating disorder associated with high morbidity and mortality. ICH results in the formation of hematoma that affects not only the primary site of injury but also the remote regions. In fact, hematoma can extend via perivascular spaces (also called Virchow-Robin spaces, VRS) and perineurium in an animal model of ICH. In the present study, we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) to investigate the characteristics of the perivascular and perineural extensions of hematomas in patients with ICH. A total of 20 ICH patients without secondary subarachnoid and secondary intraventricular hemorrhages were recruited. Brain MRI scans, including SWI, T1, and T2-weighted images, were performed between 17 h to 7 days after the onset of ICH. MRI with SWI revealed that paramagnetic substances spread along the VRS or the perineurium. Such distribution could cause the formation of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). However, the distribution of remote hemorrhagic lesions varied, depending on the size and location of the original hematoma. The unenhanced CT scans of the 20 patients did not show any hyperdensity around the blood vessels and nerve tracts outside the hematoma. These results indicate the perivascular and perineural extensions of hematomas in patients with ICH, which is formed by the leakage of the original hematoma via the VRS or perineurium. We also provide a new explanation for the series of pathological processes involved in ICH, including the remote effects of hematoma and the formation of CMBs in patients with ICH.

Identifying sensory drivers of liking for plant-based milk coffees: Implications for product development and application.

The global plant-based product market is growing rapidly, and plant-based milks show promising potential in the coffee beverage sector. This study aimed to identify sensory drivers of liking of plant-based milk coffees for guiding the development of plant-based products with competitive advantages over dairy milk coffees. Twelve coffee samples were prepared with plant-based (oat, soy, almond, and coconut) and dairy (cow) milk. Quantitative descriptive analysis was used to generate sensory attribute terms for the 12 samples. Check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions were given to consumers to evaluate the sensory profiles and consumer acceptance of the 12 samples. Correspondence analysis and cluster analysis of the CATA results from 80 consumers showed that the oat and soy milk coffee samples were closer to what the consumers perceived as "typical" milk products, while the coconut and almond milk coffee samples were closer to the "flavored" milk products. Partial least squares regression results revealed that the attributes smooth, milky, and thick were important drivers of liking for the milk coffee samples. On the contrary, rancid oil, greasy, astringent, and rice bran were the major sensory attributes lowering the panelists' acceptance of the milk coffee samples. The majority of consumers (53.5%) were "dairy milk lovers," who specifically liked the dairy milk coffee sample and had low acceptance for the plant-based milk coffee samples. There was also a group of consumers (46.2%) classified as "plant-based milk coffee lovers." They enjoyed coffees prepared with a wide range of milks (both dairy and nondairy milks) and represent high-potential consumers for plant-based milk coffee products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The positive and negative drivers of liking for plant-based milk coffee samples were identified. A competitive landscape analysis method for assessing the acceptability and sensory attributes of 12 milk coffee samples (11 commercial plant-based milks and 1 dairy milk product) in the current Asian market was established. The sensory terms developed in this study can also be applied to evaluate sensory profiles of other plant-based and dairy milk coffee samples.

An evidence-based approach to assess the accuracy of diffusion kurtosis imaging in characterization of gliomas.

OBJECTIVE: Accurate and noninvasive pathologic grading of glioma patients before surgery was crucial to guiding clinicians to select appropriate treatment and improve patient prognosis. This study was performed to investigate the potential diagnostic value of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) to distinguish high-grade gliomas (HGGs) from low-grade gliomas (LGGs) based on an evidence-based approach. METHODS: Relevant articles that used DKI to distinguish HGG from LGG in Embase, PubMed, China Knowledge Resource Integrated database (CNKI), Web of Knowledge, and Cochrane Libraries databases were electronically searched to April 31, 2018 by 2 reviewers. All analysis was performed by using Meta-disc1.4 and Stata. Influence factors on the diagnostic accuracy were evaluated using meta-regression analysis. RESULTS: Five eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity (SEN) and specificity (SPE) was 91% (confidence interval [CI]: 0.78-0.96; P = .02) and 91% (CI: 0.80-0.97; P = .01). The pooled data showed that diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of DKI was 79.75 (CI: 31.57-201.45). The area under the curve (AUC) of summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.96. There is no evidence that our research has a threshold effect (Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.300, P = .624) and publication bias. Meta regression analysis identified that country, language, field strength, and parameter of magnetic resonance imaging had no significant effect on diagnostic performance. CONCLUSION: The present meta-analysis shows that the mean kurtosis values derived from DKI may be useful in characterization of gliomas with high sensitivity and specificity. Taken into consideration the small sample of this study, we need to be cautious when interpreting the results of this study.