bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Seeds from Four Vitis vinifera Tunisian Varieties
Authors: Majoul Thouraya , Bouabdallah Faten , Hammami Majdi , Satouri Hajer , Tabbene Olfa , Slimen Imen B. , Elkahoui Salem , Limam Férid , Aouani Ezzedine
Published: May 2019

Thousands of polyphenolic compounds have been identified in various plants. Recently, a number of studies showed that beneficial effects of grapes are related to the presence of polyphenols, with multiple biological activities. The aim of this study was to compare the polyphenol profiles as well as biological activities of the seeds of four Tunisia cultivated grape cultivars, syrat, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and carignan. The total phenolic content of seed extracts varied between varieties and seemed to be correlated to the scavenging activity. Preliminary antibacterial results showed a good growth inhibitory activity of syrat cultivar against Staphylococcus epidermidis. To our knowledge, this is the first of such study being performed on this bacterium, known as a leading cause of Tunisian hospital-acquired infections. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry analysis identified 20 polyphenol components, flavonoids being the most abundant in all extracts, followed by phenolic acids, resveratrol, tyrosol, and syringaldehyde. We also noticed a deficiency of three phenolic acid compounds (salicylic acid methyl ester, ferulic acid, Sinapic acid) as well as a flavonoid one (myricetin) in merlot cultivar, which could be responsible for its low antioxidant activity. These results will help in the selective exploitation of the seeds obtained from winemaking wastes, as well as in further pharmacological and/or in vivo investigations.
ANALISIS KESESUAIAN APB DES DENGAN PERENCANAAN PEMBANGUNAN DESA BERDASARKAN PP 43 TAHUN 2014 DI DESA KALIGADING KECAMATAN BOJA KABUPATEN KENDAL PROPINSI JAWA TENGAH
Authors: Widyartati Penta , Indriastuti Ariyani
Published: May 2019

The Village Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBDes) is the annual financial plan of the village government that is discussed and agreed upon jointly by the village government and Village Consultation, and is determined by village regulations. The mechanism for using village funds starts from the planning, implementation, accountability and utilization of village funds. In order for the use of village funds to be targeted and in accordance with the priorities of community needs, the planning process as a basis for implementing village funds is expected to be carried out in accordance with Government Regulation No. 43 of 2014 article 114 and article 117. From the results of the study obtained evidence that the Kaligading Village government has carried out the mandate in accordance with Government Regulation No. 43 of 2014 article 114 concerning deliberation for the screening of community aspirations which then results from the deliberations set forth in the RPJMDes.
PENGARUH KEPEMIMPINAN ETIS(ETHICAL LEADERSHIP),BUDAYA ORGANISASI, DAN PENGHARGAAN(REWARDS) TERHADAP KETERIKATAN KERJA(WORK ENGAGEMENT)ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE (AR) PADA KPP PRATAMA DI LINGKUNGAN KANWIL DJP ‘X’
Authors: Domiyandra Rimon , Rivai Hariv Amali
Published: May 2019

Employee engagement has become an important issue in human resource management because employee engagement is a key driver in realizing organizational goals. Engaged workers can provide sustainable differentiation for the organization and become a significant competitive advantage.

This study aims to examine the influence of ethical leadership, organizational culture, and rewardsto work engagement. The object of this research is the Account Representative (AR) at the tax officeson ‘X’ Regional Tax Offices which amounted to 165 people.

This research is a type of quantitative research that is descriptive. From the nature of the problem this research is correlational research. Data processing is done using the SPSS version 16 application.

The results showed that ethical leadership, organizational culture, and appreciation had a significant and positive influence on work engagement.

From the results of this study it is suggested that organizations give serious attention to efforts to realize the character of ethical storage in their managers, build and implement organizational culture, and develop various forms of appreciation for employee performance, both financial and non-financial awards in order to improve work engagement of employees.
Australian Consumers’ Response to Insects as Food
Authors: Sogari Giovanni , Bogueva Diana , Marinova Dora
Published: May 2019

Many research articles have been published about people’s perceptions and acceptance of eating insects as novel foods in Western countries; however, only a few studies have focused on Australian consumers. The aim of this work is to explore attitudes towards edible insects of younger Australians (Millennials and Generation Z) with data collection carried out in Sydney, Australia. Two representative surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2019 using open-ended questions. The main findings suggest that there is low willingness to accept edible insects as a meat substitute among Australian consumers, due mainly to the strong psychological barriers such as neophobia and disgust, combined with a perception about threats to masculinity. Environmental and nutritional benefits, even when recognised, do not seem to influence consumers to consider insects as a food alternative. In the near future, as young people become more aware of sustainability and climate change issues related to food production, the impact of the potential benefits of insects might grow. Furthermore, a positive sensory experience might improve the acceptability of insects as food. Introducing new processed, insect-based products may help establish familiarity with such novel food options and open up new business opportunities.
Integrated Rice-Duck Farming Decreases Soil Seed Bank and Weed Density in a Paddy Field
Authors: Wei Hui , Bai Wenjuan , Zhang Jiaen , Chen Rui , Xiang Huimin , Quan Guoming
Published: May 2019

Coupled cropping-breeding modes have been highly recommended due to their ecological and sustainable nature. Integrated rice-duck farming is a typical ecological planting system in rice paddy fields and has been widely popularized in Asia where a considerable area of cropland has been planting rice. In this study, two experimental treatments of turbid water or rice-duck treatment were established to compare with the control and a conventional treatment in absence of ducks. The turbid water treatment imitated the muddying effect by duck activities with the trampling and foraging effects excluded, while the rice-duck treatment included all of the mentioned effects by raising ducks in rice paddy field. Results showed that the rice-duck treatment significantly reduced soil seed bank density by more than 40% and the figures under the turbid water treatment were 18.2% and 30.5%, accordingly, in the early and late rice growing seasons. Moreover, the rice-duck treatment significantly altered the vertical distribution of soil seed bank by substantially declining the seed density in the topsoil (0–5 cm). Changes in soil seed bank density considerably contributed to the declines in above-ground weed density because a significant correlation was detected between the soil seed bank density in the early season and the weed density in the late season. Our results of declined soil seed bank and weed density in integrated rice-duck farming imply that this system is highly efficient as a biological pathway for controlling weeds.
Merging Observed and Self-Reported Behaviour in Agent-Based Simulation: A Case Study on Photovoltaic Adoption
Authors: Borghesi Andrea , Milano Michela
Published: May 2019

Designing and evaluating energy policies is a difficult challenge because the energy sector is a complex system that cannot be adequately understood without using models merging economic, social and individual perspectives. Appropriate models allow policy makers to assess the impact of policy measures, satisfy strategic objectives and develop sustainable policies. Often the implementation of a policy cannot be directly enforced by governments, but falls back to many stakeholders, such as private citizens and enterprises. We propose to integrate two basic cornerstones to devise realistic models: the self-reported behaviour, derived from surveys, and the observed behaviour, from historical data. The self-reported behaviour enables the identification of drivers and barriers pushing or limiting people in their decision making process, while the observed behaviour is used to tune these drivers/barriers in a model. We test our methodology on a case-study: the adoption of photovoltaic panels among private citizens in the Emilia–Romagna region, Italy. We propose an agent-based model devised using self-reported data and then empirically tuned using historical data. The results reveal that our model can predict with great accuracy the photovoltaic (PV) adoption rate and thus support the energy policy-making process.
Poly-β-Hydroxybutyrate Production by the Cyanobacterium Scytonema geitleri Bharadwaja under Varying Environmental Conditions
Authors: Singh Manoj K. , Rai Pradeep K. , Rai Anuradha , Singh Surendra , Singh Jay Shankar
Published: May 2019

The production of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) under varying environmental conditions (pH, temperature and carbon sources) was examined in the cyanobacterium Scytonema geitleri Bharadwaja isolated from the roof-top of a building. The S. geitleri produced PHB and the production of PHB was linear with the growth of cyanobacterium. The maximum PHB production (7.12% of dry cell weight) was recorded when the cells of S. geitleri were at their stationary growth phase. The production of PHB was optimum at pH 8.5 and 30 °C, and acetate (30 mM) was the preferred carbon source.
Nanoelectronic Materials, Devices and Modeling: Current Research Trends
Authors: Zhu Hao , Li Qiliang
Published: May 2019

As CMOS scaling is approaching the fundamental physical limits, a wide range of new nanoelectronic materials and devices have been proposed and explored to extend and/or replace the current electronic devices and circuits so as to maintain progress in speed and integration density [...]
Supporting the Smart Readiness Indicator—A Methodology to Integrate A Quantitative Assessment of the Load Shifting Potential of Smart Buildings
Authors: Märzinger Thomas , Österreicher Doris
Published: May 2019

With the third revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) issued in July 2018, the assessment of buildings now has to include a Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) to consider the fact that buildings must play an active role within the context of an intelligent energy system. In order to support the development of the SRI, this article describes a methodology for a simplified quantitative assessment of the load shifting potential of buildings. The aim of the methodology is to provide a numerical, model-based approach, which allows buildings to be categorized based on their energy storage capacity, load shifting potential and their subsequent interaction with the grid. A key aspect is the applicability within the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in order to provide an easy to use calculation, which is applied in addition to the already established energy efficiency, building services and renewable energy assessments. The developed methodology is being applied to theoretical use cases to validate the approach. The results show that a simplified model can provide an adequate framework for a quantitative assessment for the Smart Readiness Indicator.
Biogas Production and Heat Transfer Performance of a Multiphase Flow Digester
Authors: Guo Pei , Zhou Jiri , Ma Rongjiang , Yu Nanyang , Yuan Yanping
Published: May 2019

Traditional static anaerobic digestion technology presents the disadvantages of a low gas production rate and long digestion cycle, which is not conducive to the treatment of livestock manure. A 12 m3 multiphase flow anaerobic digester (MFD) was developed in this study to improve the biogas production rate and maintain constant temperature digestion during winters. Full-scale field experiments were conducted on the biogas production rate at different temperatures, the dynamic digestion effects, and the dynamic heating digestion effects of the system at Sichuan, China. A comparison of the dynamic and static digestion results of 50 days indicated that the biogas production for the dynamic digestion (DD) group was 115.22 m3 or 127.1% higher than that of the static digestion (SD) group with the same digestion temperature. The results of the heat transfer performance experiment revealed that the heat transfer rate of the system increased significantly, and the temperature of the biogas slurry increased rapidly. The optimization analysis of the system was based on the experimental results of the relationship between the slurry temperature and biogas production rate, and the economical digestion temperature of the system was proposed and calculated. Different insulation materials or insulation thicknesses have an influence on the economical digestion temperature. Additionally, the economical digestion temperature of the system in which the polystyrene insulation layer with a thickness of 90 mm was used, was found to be 27.2 °C. When digestion temperature was 22.3 °C, the energy efficiency ratio (EER) of dynamic anaerobic digestion system is 1. The advantages of MFD are low biogas production unit cost and high heat and mass transfer rate. However, the disadvantage of high operation energy consumption needs further improvement. And additional energy was required when system digestion temperature below 22.3 °C. The proposed MFD and dynamic anaerobic digestion system can play a significant role in using biomass resources and promoting the development of biogas projects.
Identification of Suitable Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Assays in Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) Sarg
Authors: Tu Zhonghua , Hao Ziyuan , Zhong Weiping , Li Huogen
Published: May 2019

The precision and reliability of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) depend mainly on suitable reference genes; however, reference genes have not yet been identified for Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) Sarg. In this study, the expression stability of 15 candidate reference genes, ACT7, ACT97, UBQ1, eIF2, eIF3, HIS, BIG, AGD11, EFG, GAPDH, CYP, RPL25, UBC, RPB1, and TUB, was tested across multiple organs of L. chinense using four algorithms, geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. To understand the difference between the selected reference genes and the unsuitable candidate reference genes, the expression level of a target gene, LcPAT7, was normalized across various plant samples. ACT97 and eIF3 represented the best combination across all samples tested, while AGD11 and UBQ1 were unsuitable for normalization in this case. In the vegetative organ subset, ACT97, ACT7, and GAPDH showed the highest expression stability. For floral organs, UBC and eIF3 were the most stable reference genes. Unsuitable reference genes underestimated the expression levels of a target gene, LcPAT7. This study identified two reference genes (ACT97 and eIF3) for the precise and reliable normalization of L. chinense RT-qPCR data across various organs. Our work provides an effective framework for quantifying gene expression in L. chinense.
Low Childhood Nature Exposure is Associated with Worse Mental Health in Adulthood
Authors: Preuß Myriam , Nieuwenhuijsen Mark , Marquez Sandra , Cirach Marta , Dadvand Payam , Triguero-Mas Margarita , Gidlow Christopher , Grazuleviciene Regina , Kruize Hanneke , Zijlema Wilma
Published: May 2019

Exposure to natural outdoor environments (NOE) is associated with health benefits; however, evidence on the impact of NOE exposure during childhood on mental health (MH) and vitality in adulthood is scarce. This study was based on questionnaire data collected from 3585 participants, aged 18–75, in the PHENOTYPE project (2013) in four European cities. Mixed models were used to investigate associations between childhood NOE exposure and (i) MH; (ii) vitality (perceived level of energy and fatigue); and (iii) potential mediation by perceived amount, use, satisfaction, importance of NOE, and residential surrounding greenness, using pooled and city-level data. Adults with low levels of childhood NOE exposure had, when compared to adults with high levels of childhood NOE exposure, significantly worse mental health (coef. −4.13; 95% CI −5.52, −2.74). Childhood NOE exposure was not associated with vitality. Low levels of childhood NOE exposure were associated with lower importance of NOE (OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.66, 0.98) in adulthood. The association with perceived amount of NOE differed between cities. We found no evidence for mediation. Childhood NOE exposure might be associated with mental well-being in adulthood. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to identify mechanisms underlying long-term benefits of childhood NOE exposure.
A Motivational Perspective on Job Insecurity: Relationships Between Job Insecurity, Intrinsic Motivation, and Performance and Behavioral Outcomes
Authors: Shin Yuhyung , Hur Won-Moo , Moon Tae Won , Lee Soomi
Published: May 2019

As a result of the global economic recession over the past decade, employees have been exposed to constant threats of job insecurity. Despite having conducted extensive research on job insecurity, scholars have paid little attention to the motivational processes underlying employees’ reactions to job insecurity. The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between job insecurity, intrinsic motivation, and performance and behavioral outcomes. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), we propose a mediated relationship in which job insecurity decreases intrinsic motivation, which, in turn, undermines job performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and change-oriented OCB. To test our propositions, we collected survey-based data from 152 R&D professionals employed in a South Korean manufacturing company. As predicted, job insecurity was negatively related to intrinsic motivation, which, in turn, had a positive relationship with all three outcomes. Furthermore, job insecurity exerted significant indirect effects on job performance, OCB, and change-oriented OCB through intrinsic motivation. These findings affirm SDT, which posits that motivation, as a key intermediary process, affects employees’ reactions to job stressors.
Changes in Child Nutrition in India: A Decomposition Approach
Authors: Nie Peng , Rammohan Anu , Gwozdz Wencke , Sousa-Poza Alfonso
Published: May 2019

Background: Improvements in child health are a key indicator of progress towards the third goal of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Poor nutritional outcomes of Indian children are occurring in the context of high economic growth rates. The aim of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the demographic and socio-economic factors contributing to changes in the nutritional status of children aged 0–5 years in India using data from the 2004–2005 and 2011–2012 Indian Human Development Survey. Methods: To identify how much the different socio-economic conditions of households contribute to the changes observed in stunting, underweight and the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF), we employ both linear and non-linear decompositions, as well as the unconditional quantile technique. Results: We find the incidence of stunting and underweight dropping by 7 and 6 percentage points, respectively. Much of this remarkable improvement is encountered in the Central and Western regions. A household’s economic situation, as well as maternal body mass index and education, account for much of the change in child nutrition. The same holds for CIAF in the non-linear decomposition. Although higher maternal autonomy is associated with a decrease in stunting and underweight, the contribution of maternal autonomy to improvements is relatively small. Conclusions: Household wealth consistently makes the largest contribution to improvements in undernutrition. Nevertheless, maternal autonomy and education also play a relatively important role.
Wetlands of International Importance: Status, Threats, and Future Protection
Authors: Xu Ting , Weng Baisha , Yan Denghua , Wang Kun , Li Xiangnan , Bi Wuxia , Li Meng , Cheng Xiangjun , Liu Yinxue
Published: May 2019

The 2303 Wetlands of International Importance distribute unevenly in different continents. Europe owns the largest number of sites, while Africa has the largest area of sites. More than half of the sites are affected by three or four impact factors (55%). The most significant impact factors are pollution (54%), biological resources use (53%), natural system modification (53%), and agriculture and aquaculture (42%). The main affected objects are land area and environment of the wetlands, occurred in 75% and 69% of the sites, respectively. The types most affected by land area occupation are river wetlands and lake wetlands, the types with the greatest impact on environment are marine/coastal wetlands and river wetlands, the type with the greatest impact on biodiversity is river wetlands, the types most affected by water resources regulation are marsh wetlands and river wetlands, and the types most affected by climate change are lake wetlands and marine/coastal wetlands. About one-third of the wetland sites have been artificially reconstructed. However, it is found that the proportions of natural wetland sites not affected or affected by only one factor are generally higher than that of wetland sites both containing natural wetlands and human-made wetlands, while the proportions of wetland sites both containing natural wetlands and human-made wetlands affected by three or four factors are generally higher than that of natural wetland sites. Wetland sites in the UK and Ireland are least affected among all countries. Wetland management plans in different regions still have large space for improvement, especially in Africa and Asia. The protection and restoration of global wetlands can be carried out in five aspects, including management and policy, monitoring, restoration, knowledge, and funding.
Endocannabinoid System in Hepatic Glucose Metabolism, Fatty Liver Disease, and Cirrhosis
Authors: Bazwinsky-Wutschke Ivonne , Zipprich Alexander , Dehghani Faramarz
Published: May 2019

There is growing evidence that glucose metabolism in the liver is in part under the control of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) which is also supported by its presence in this organ. The ECS consists of its cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) and enzymes that are responsible for endocannabinoid production and metabolism. ECS is known to be differentially influenced by the hepatic glucose metabolism and insulin resistance, e.g., cannabinoid receptor type 1(CB1) antagonist can improve the glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Interestingly, our own study shows that expression patterns of CBRs are influenced by the light/dark cycle, which is of significant physiological and clinical interest. The ECS system is highly upregulated during chronic liver disease and a growing number of studies suggest a mechanistic and therapeutic impact of ECS on the development of liver fibrosis, especially putting its receptors into focus. An opposing effect of the CBRs was exerted via the CB1 or CB2 receptor stimulation. An activation of CB1 promoted fibrogenesis, while CB2 activation improved antifibrogenic responses. However, underlying mechanisms are not yet clear. In the context of liver diseases, the ECS is considered as a possible mediator, which seems to be involved in the synthesis of fibrotic tissue, increase of intrahepatic vascular resistance and subsequently development of portal hypertension. Portal hypertension is the main event that leads to complications of the disease. The main complication is the development of variceal bleeding and ascites, which have prognostic relevance for the patients. The present review summarizes the current understanding and impact of the ECS on glucose metabolism in the liver, in association with the development of liver cirrhosis and hemodynamics in cirrhosis and its complication, to give perspectives for development of new therapeutic strategies.
Proteomic Analysis of the Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis Microenvironment
Authors: Kalita-de Croft Priyakshi , Straube Jasmin , Lim Malcolm , Al-Ejeh Fares , Lakhani Sunil R. , Saunus Jodi M.
Published: May 2019

Patients with brain-metastatic breast cancer face a bleak prognosis marked by morbidity and premature death. A deeper understanding of molecular interactions in the metastatic brain tumour microenvironment may inform the development of new therapeutic strategies. In this study, triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells or PBS (modelling traumatic brain injury) were stereotactically injected into the cerebral cortex of NOD/SCID mice to model metastatic colonization. Brain cells were isolated from five tumour-associated samples and five controls (pooled uninvolved and injured tissue) by immunoaffinity chromatography, and proteomic profiles were compared using the Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS) discovery platform. Ontology and cell type biomarker enrichment analysis of the 125 differentially abundant proteins (p < 0.05) showed the changes largely represent cellular components involved in metabolic reprogramming and cell migration (min q = 4.59 × 10−5), with high-throughput PubMed text mining indicating they have been most frequently studied in the contexts of mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and autophagy. Analysis of mouse brain cell type-specific biomarkers suggested the changes were paralleled by increased proportions of microglia, mural cells and interneurons. Finally, we orthogonally validated three of the proteins in an independent xenograft cohort, and investigated their expression in craniotomy specimens from triple-negative metastatic breast cancer patients, using a combination of standard and fluorescent multiplex immunohistochemistry. This included 3-Hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA Hydrolase (HIBCH), which is integral for gluconeogenic valine catabolism in the brain, and was strongly induced in both graft-associated brain tissue (13.5-fold by SWATH-MS; p = 7.2 × 10−4), and areas of tumour-associated, reactive gliosis in human clinical samples. HIBCH was also induced in the tumour compartment, with expression frequently localized to margins and haemorrhagic areas. These observations raise the possibility that catabolism of valine is an effective adaptation in metastatic cells able to access it, and that intermediates or products could be transferred from tumour-associated glia. Overall, our findings indicate that metabolic reprogramming dominates the proteomic landscape of graft-associated brain tissue in the intracranial MDA-MB-231 xenograft model. Brain-derived metabolic provisions could represent an exploitable dependency in breast cancer brain metastases.
Heart Rate Variability in Sport Performance: Do Time of Day and Chronotype Play A Role?
Authors: Vitale Jacopo Antonino , Bonato Matteo , La Torre Antonio La , Banfi Giuseppe
Published: May 2019

A reliable non-invasive method to assess autonomic nervous system activity involves the evaluation of the time course of heart rate variability (HRV). HRV may vary in accordance with the degree and duration of training, and the circadian fluctuation of this variable is crucial for human health since the heart adapts to the needs of different activity levels during sleep phases or in the daytime. In the present review, time-of-day and chronotype effect on HRV in response to acute sessions of physical activity are discussed. Results are sparse and controversial; however, it seems that evening-type subjects have a higher perturbation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), with slowed vagal reactivation and higher heart rate values in response to morning exercise than morning types. Conversely, both chronotype categories showed similar ANS activity during evening physical tasks, suggesting that this time of day seems to perturb the HRV circadian rhythm to a lesser extent. The control for chronotype and time-of-day effect represents a key strategy for individual training schedules, and, in perspective, for primary injury prevention.
Nuclear Phospho-SOD1 Protects DNA from Oxidative Stress Damage in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Bordoni Matteo , Pansarasa Orietta , Dell’Orco Michela , Crippa Valeria , Gagliardi Stella , Sproviero Daisy , Bernuzzi Stefano , Diamanti Luca , Ceroni Mauro , Tedeschi Gabriella , Poletti Angelo , Cereda Cristina
Published: May 2019

We already demonstrated that in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) patients, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) was present in an aggregated form in the cytoplasmic compartment. Here, we investigated the possible effect of soluble SOD1 decrease and its consequent aggregation. We found an increase in DNA damage in patients PBMCs characterized by a high level of aggregated SOD1, while we found no DNA damage in PBMCs with normal soluble SOD1. We found an activation of ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM)/Chk2 and ATM and Rad3-related (ATR)/Chk1 DNA damage response pathways, which lead to phosphorylation of SOD1. Moreover, data showed that phosphorylation allows SOD1 to shift from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, protecting DNA from oxidative damage. Such pathway was finally confirmed in our cellular model. Our data lead us to suppose that in a sub-group of patients this physiologic pathway is non-functional, leading to an accumulation of DNA damage that causes the death of particularly susceptible cells, like motor neurons. In conclusion, during oxidative stress SOD1 is phosphorylated by Chk2 leading to its translocation in the nuclear compartment, in which SOD1 protects DNA from oxidative damage. This pathway, inefficient in sALS patients, could represent an innovative therapeutic target.
The Prime Beat Components Extraction Method for the Time Spectra Analysis of Nuclear Resonant Forward Scattering
Authors: Li Tang , Zhang Xiaowei
Published: May 2019

Spectra of quantum beats (QBs) of nuclear resonant forward scattering contain the interference information of all allowed energy transitions of a nucleus, which makes it complicated to extract hyperfine structure directly. Here, we propose a new method, based upon the extraction of prime beat components, to understand QBs. In this method, the origin of major spectral lines in the Fourier Transformation of QBs is studied, and the energy levels of hyperfine structure are obtained directly from the QBs. We applied this method to the temperature dependent QBs of hematite. The Morin temperature and hyperfine structure obtained by this method are in consistent with that by conventional Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS). It serves to interpret the components of QBs of nuclear resonant forward scattering as simple as the conventional (MS).
Relationship between Phase Occurrence, Chemical Composition, and Corrosion Behavior of as-Solidified Al–Pd–Co Alloys
Authors: Palcut Marián , Ďuriška Libor , Černičková Ivona , Brunovská Sandra , Gerhátová Žaneta , Sahul Martin , Čaplovič Ľubomír , Janovec Jozef
Published: May 2019

The microstructure, phase constitution, and corrosion performance of as-solidified Al70Pd25Co5 and Al74Pd12Co14 alloys (element concentrations in at.%) have been investigated in the present work. The alloys were prepared by arc-melting of Al, Pd, and Co lumps in argon. The Al74Pd12Co14 alloy was composed of structurally complex εn phase, while the Al70Pd25Co5 alloy was composed of εn and δ phases. The corrosion performance was studied by open circuit potential measurements and potentiodynamic polarization in aqueous NaCl solution (3.5 wt.%). Marked open circuit potential oscillations of the Al70Pd25Co5 alloy have been observed, indicating individual breakdown and re-passivation events on the sample surface. A preferential corrosion attack of εn was found, while the binary δ phase (Al3Pd2) remained free of corrosion. A de-alloying of Al from εn and formation of intermittent interpenetrating channel networks occurred in both alloys. The corrosion behavior of εn is discussed in terms of its chemical composition and crystal structure. The corrosion activity of εn could be further exploited in preparation of porous Pd–Co networks with possible catalytic activity.
Effectiveness of Dowels in Concrete Pavement
Authors: Grosek Jiri , Zuzulova Andrea , Brezina Ilja
Published: May 2019

Dowels are located in transverse joints of Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCP) and they are used to provide load transfer between individual slabs, reduce faulting and improve performance. Dowels and the concrete itself are under the highest stress in the vicinity of joints; thus, in terms of pavement design, the joints are the weakest points of the whole structure. This study dealt with the drawbacks of JPCP with dowels. The evaluation was based on direct measurements on real airport and motorway pavements and highlights insufficient efficiency of load transfer and its possible causes. The authors present a successful outcome with validation by using the finite element method where high tensile stress values of the surrounding concrete were found.
100 Gb/s Silicon Photonic WDM Transmitter with Misalignment-Tolerant Surface-Normal Optical Interfaces
Authors: Huang Beiju , Zhang Zanyun , Zhang Zan , Cheng Chuantong , Zhang Huang , Zhang Hengjie , Chen Hongda
Published: May 2019

A 4 × 25 Gb/s ultrawide misalignment tolerance wavelength-division-multiplex (WDM) transmitter based on novel bidirectional vertical grating coupler has been demonstrated on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. Simulations indicate the bidirectional grating coupler (BGC) is widely misalignment tolerant, with an excess coupling loss of only 0.55 dB within ±3 μm fiber misalignment range. Measurement shows the excess coupling loss of the BGC is only 0.7 dB within a ±2 μm fiber misalignment range. The bidirectional grating structure not only functions as an optical coupler, but also acts as a beam splitter. By using the bidirectional grating coupler, the silicon optical modulator shows low insertion loss and large misalignment tolerance. The eye diagrams of the modulator at 25 Gb/s don’t show any obvious deterioration within the waveguide-direction fiber misalignment ranger of ±2 μm, and still open clearly when the misalignment offset is as large as ±4 μm.
Formation of Fe-Te Nanostructures during in Situ Fe Heavy Doping of Bi2Te3
Authors: Liang Jing , Yao Xiong , Zhang Yu Jun , Chen Fei , Chen Yuanzhen , Sou Iam Keong
Published: May 2019

To study the in situ doping effect upon monotonically increasing dopant concentration, a Bi2Te3 layer doped with Fe up to ~6.9% along the growth direction was fabricated by the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique. Its resistance versus temperature curve displays a superconductivity transition at about 12.3 K. Detailed structural and chemical analysis via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) reveal that this layer consists of two types of unexpected Fe-Te nanostructures: one is FeTe thin layer formed near the surface, and the other is FeTe2 nanorod embedded in the Bi2Te3 layer. Based on the results of further electrical and magnetotransport studies, it is likely that the observed superconductivity originates from the interface between the FeTe nanostructure and the neighboring Bi2Te3 layer. We have addressed the formation mechanisms of the observed nanostructures, which is attributed to the strong reaction between Fe and Te atoms during the growth process. The findings of this study also provide an unusual approach to synthesizing nanostructures via heavy doping if the dopant element is strongly reactive with an element in the host matrix.
The Characteristics of Transparent Non-Volatile Memory Devices Employing Si-Rich SiOX as a Charge Trapping Layer and Indium-Tin-Zinc-Oxide
Authors: Park Joong-Hyun , Shin Myung-Hun , Yi Jun-Sin
Published: May 2019

We fabricated the transparent non-volatile memory (NVM) of a bottom gate thin film transistor (TFT) for the integrated logic devices of display applications. The NVM TFT utilized indium–tin–zinc–oxide (ITZO) as an active channel layer and multi-oxide structure of SiO2 (blocking layer)/Si-rich SiOX (charge trapping layer)/SiOXNY (tunneling layer) as a gate insulator. The insulators were deposited using inductive coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition, and during the deposition, the trap states of the Si-rich SiOx charge trapping layer could be controlled to widen the memory window with the gas ratio (GR) of SiH4:N2O, which was confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). We fabricated the metal–insulator–silicon (MIS) capacitors of the insulator structures on n-type Si substrate and demonstrated that the hysteresis capacitive curves of the MIS capacitors were a function of sweep voltage and trap density (or GR). At the GR6 (SiH4:N2O = 30:5), the MIS capacitor exhibited the widest memory window; the flat band voltage (ΔVFB) shifts of 4.45 V was obtained at the sweep voltage of ±11 V for 10 s, and it was expected to maintain ~71% of the initial value after 10 years. Using the Si-rich SiOX charge trapping layer deposited at the GR6 condition, we fabricated a bottom gate ITZO NVM TFT showing excellent drain current to gate voltage transfer characteristics. The field-effect mobility of 27.2 cm2/Vs, threshold voltage of 0.15 V, subthreshold swing of 0.17 V/dec, and on/off current ratio of 7.57 × 107 were obtained at the initial sweep of the devices. As an NVM, ΔVFB was shifted by 2.08 V in the programing mode with a positive gate voltage pulse of 11 V and 1 μs. The ΔVFB was returned to the pristine condition with a negative voltage pulse of −1 V and 1 μs under a 400–700 nm light illumination of ~10 mWcm−2 in erasing mode, when the light excites the electrons to escape from the charge trapping layer. Using this operation condition, ~90% (1.87 V) of initial ΔVFB (2.08 V) was expected to be retained over 10 years. The developed transparent NVM using Si-rich SiOx and ITZO can be a promising candidate for future display devices integrating logic devices on panels.
Design and Characterization of Inulin Conjugate for Improved Intracellular and Targeted Delivery of Pyrazinoic Acid to Monocytes
Authors: Afinjuomo Franklin , Barclay Thomas G. , Parikh Ankit , Song Yunmei , Chung Rosa , Wang Lixin , Liu Liang , Hayball John D. , Petrovsky Nikolai , Garg Sanjay
Published: May 2019

The propensity of monocytes to migrate into sites of mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection and then become infected themselves makes them potential targets for delivery of drugs intracellularly to the tubercle bacilli reservoir. Conventional TB drugs are less effective because of poor intracellular delivery to this bacterial sanctuary. This study highlights the potential of using semicrystalline delta inulin particles that are readily internalised by monocytes for a monocyte-based drug delivery system. Pyrazinoic acid was successfully attached covalently to the delta inulin particles via a labile linker. The formation of new conjugate and amide bond was confirmed using zeta potential, Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1HNMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that no significant change in size after conjugation which is an important parameter for monocyte targeting. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to establish the change in thermal properties. The analysis of in-vitro release demonstrated pH-triggered drug cleavage off the delta inulin particles that followed a first-order kinetic process. The efficient targeting ability of the conjugate for RAW 264.7 monocytic cells was supported by cellular uptake studies. Overall, our finding confirmed that semicrystalline delta inulin particles (MPI) can be modified covalently with drugs and such conjugates allow intracellular drug delivery and uptake into monocytes, making this system potentially useful for the treatment of TB.
Data-Driven Estimation of Significant Kinetic Parameters Applied to the Synthesis of Polyolefins
Authors: Salas Santiago D. , Brandão Amanda L. T. , Soares João B. P. , Romagnoli José A.
Published: May 2019

A data-driven strategy for the online estimation of important kinetic parameters was assessed for the copolymerization of ethylene with 1,9-decadiene using a metallocene catalyst at different diene concentrations and reaction temperatures. An initial global sensitivity analysis selected the significant kinetic parameters of the system. The retrospective cost model refinement (RCMR) algorithm was adapted and implemented to estimate the significant kinetic parameters of the model in real time. After verifying stability and robustness, experimental data validated the algorithm performance. Results demonstrate the estimated kinetic parameters converge close to theoretical values without requiring prior knowledge of the polymerization model and the original kinetic values.
Songs of the Bauls: Voices from the Margins as Transformative Infrastructures
Authors: Dutta Uttaran , Dutta Mohan Jyoti
Published: May 2019

Bauls, the rural minstrels who sing songs of transformation, are a socio-economically and politico-religiously marginalized cultural population from rural Bengal (both from eastern and north-eastern, India and from Bangladesh). They identify themselves outside of any organized religion or established caste system in India, and therefore are constituted at the margins of contemporary global South. Voicing through their songs and narratives of emancipation, they interrogate and criticize material and symbolic inequalities and injustices such as discrimination and intolerance (including class and caste hierarchies, and other forms of disparities) perpetuated by hegemonic authorities and religious institutions. Embracing a critical communication lens, this paper pays attention to material and discursive marginalization of Bauls and Fakirs, foregrounding voice as an anchor to communicative interrogation of structural and cultural inequalities. Through voice, Bauls and Fakirs foreground reflexive spiritual and humane practices that raise societal consciousness and cultivate polymorphic possibilities.
Regional Models for High-Resolution Retrieval of Chlorophyll a and TSM Concentrations in the Gorky Reservoir by Sentinel-2 Imagery
Authors: Molkov Alexander A. , Fedorov Sergei V. , Pelevin Vadim V. , Korchemkina Elena N.
Published: May 2019

The possibilities of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and total suspended matter (TSM) retrieval using Sentinel-2/MSI imagery and in situ measurements in the Gorky Reservoir are investigated. This water body is an inland freshwater ecosystem within the territory of the Russian Federation. During the algal bloom period, the optical properties of water are extremely heterogeneous and vary on scales of tens of meters. Additionally, they vary in time under the influence of currents and wind forcing. In this case, the usage of the traditional station-based sampling to describe the state of the reservoir may be uninformative and not rational. Therefore, we proposed an original approach based on simultaneous in situ measurements of the remote sensing reflectance by a single radiometer and the concentration of water constituents by an ultraviolet fluorescence LiDAR from a high-speed gliding motorboat. This approach provided fast data collection including 4087 synchronized LiDAR and radiometric measurements with high spatial resolutions of 8 m for two hours. A part of the dataset was coincided with Sentinel-2 overpass and used for the development of regional algorithms for the retrieval of Chl a and TSM concentrations. For inland waters of the Russian Federation, such research was performed for the first time. The proposed algorithms can be used for regular environmental monitoring of the Gorky Reservoir using ship measurements or Sentinel-2 images. Additionally, they can be adapted for neighboring reservoirs, for example, for other seven reservoirs on the Volga River. Moreover, the proposed ship measurement approach can be useful in the practice of limnological monitoring of inland freshwater ecosystems with high spatiotemporal variability of the optical properties.
Direction of Arrival Estimation in Elliptical Models via Sparse Penalized Likelihood Approach
Authors: Chen Chen , Zhou Jie , Tang Mengjiao
Published: May 2019

In this paper, an l 1 -penalized maximum likelihood (ML) approach is developed for estimating the directions of arrival (DOAs) of source signals from the complex elliptically symmetric (CES) array outputs. This approach employs the l 1 -norm penalty to exploit the sparsity of the gridded directions, and the CES distribution setting has a merit of robustness to the uncertainty of the distribution of array output. To solve the constructed non-convex penalized ML optimization for spatially either uniform or non-uniform sensor noise, two majorization-minimization (MM) algorithms based on different majorizing functions are developed. The computational complexities of the above two algorithms are analyzed. A modified Bayesian information criterion (BIC) is provided for selecting an appropriate penalty parameter. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed methods in producing high DOA estimation accuracy are shown in numerical experiments.
Secure Three-Factor Authentication Protocol for Multi-Gateway IoT Environments
Authors: Lee JoonYoung , Yu SungJin , Park KiSung , Park YoHan , Park YoungHo
Published: May 2019

Internet of Things (IoT) environments such as smart homes, smart factories, and smart buildings have become a part of our lives. The services of IoT environments are provided through wireless networks to legal users. However, the wireless network is an open channel, which is insecure to attacks from adversaries such as replay attacks, impersonation attacks, and invasions of privacy. To provide secure IoT services to users, mutual authentication protocols have attracted much attention as consequential security issues, and numerous protocols have been studied. In 2017, Bae et al. presented a smartcard-based two-factor authentication protocol for multi-gateway IoT environments. However, we point out that Bae et al.’s protocol is vulnerable to user impersonation attacks, gateway spoofing attacks, and session key disclosure, and cannot provide a mutual authentication. In addition, we propose a three-factor mutual authentication protocol for multi-gateway IoT environments to resolve these security weaknesses. Then, we use Burrows–Abadi–Needham (BAN) logic to prove that the proposed protocol achieves secure mutual authentication, and we use the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) tool to analyze a formal security verification. In conclusion, our proposed protocol is secure and applicable in multi-gateway IoT environments.