bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of heat treatment on corrosion resistance of Mg-Al-Zn alloy processed by severe plastic deformation
Authors: Zemková Mária , Král Róbert , Čížek Jakub , Šmilauerová Jana , Minárik Peter
Published: November 2018

The effect of subsequent annealing on the electrochemical properties of an AZ31 magnesium alloy processed by extrusion and equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was investigated. The electrochemical properties were evaluated using potentiodynamic tests in corrosion solution of 0.1 M sodium chloride. The electrochemical changes after annealing were correlated with microstructure evolution. The microstructure was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The evolution of dislocation density was determined by positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The annealing for 1h at temperatures ranging from 150∘C to 250∘C resulted in higher polarization resistance in all cases. The polarization resistance of sample annealed at 250∘C was ~17% higher compared to just ECAPed material. Combination of gradual decrease of dislocation density, grain growth and second phase particles dissolution played the crucial role in the corrosion resistance improvement.
Predicting the vessel lumen area tree-ring parameter of Quercus robur with linear and nonlinear machine learning algorithms
Authors: Jevšenak Jernej , Džeroski Sašo , Levanič Tom
Published: November 2018

Climate-growth relationships in Quercus robur chronologies for vessel lumen area (VLA) from two oak stands (QURO-1 and QURO-2) showed a consistent temperature signal: VLA is highly correlated with mean April temperature and the temperature at the end of the previous growing season. QURO-1 showed significant negative correlations with winter sums of precipitation. Selected climate variables were used as predictors of VLA in a comparison of various linear and nonlinear machine learning methods: Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Model Trees (MT), Bagging of Model Trees (BMT) and Random Forests of Regression Trees (RF). ANN outperformed all the other regression algorithms at both sites. Good performance also characterised RF and BMT, while MLR, and especially MT, displayed weaker performance. Based on our results, advanced machine learning algorithms should be seriously considered in future climate reconstructions.
The effects of estradiol and testosterone on renal tissues oxidative after central injection of angiotensin II in female doca – salt treated rats
Authors: Kafami Marzieh , Hosseini Mahmoud , Niazmand Saeed , Farrokhi Esmaeil , Hajzadeh Mosa Al-Reza , Nazemi Samad
Published: November 2018

Background

Although numerous studies have proven that estrogen (Est) has a protective effect on the development of hypertension, more research needs to be done to show its detailed mechanism in a variety of hypertension. The important role of active oxygen species in blood pressure is well defined. We examined whether or not sex hormones change the growth of reactive oxygen species (ROS) ‎in kidneys after central microinjection of angiotensin II (Ang II).‎

Materials and methods

Female Wistar rats, 8 weeks old (200 ± 10 g) were used in this study. The animal groups were (1) Sham, (2) Ovariectomy (OVX), (3) Sham-Hypertension (Sham-Hyper), (4) OVX-Hypertension (OVX-Hyper), (5) Sham-Hyper-Est, (6) OVX-Hyper-Est‎;‎ (7) Sham-Hyper-Testosterone (Tst) and (8) OVX-Hyper-Tst. Solutions of 1% NaCl and 0.1 KCl ‎were used and desoxycorticostrone (doca-salt) was injected (45 mg/kg) 3 times a week in Hypertension groups. Estradiol and Tst (2 mg/kg and ‎5 mg/kg‎; daily; subcutaneously) for 4 weeks. Ang II (50 μM, 5 μL) was microinjected by intracerebroventricular ( i.c.v.) infusion and malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiol in the kidneys were measured.

Results

MDA in the kidneys was increased by Ang II and doca-salt treatments. Both estradiol and Tst decreased the kidney’s MDA. The level of thiol was higher in Hyper ‎groups and reversed after treatment with estradiol and Tst.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that central effect of Ang II on blood pressure and kidney ‎disease is accompanied with increased levels of oxidative stress in the kidneys. Indeed sex hormones change the ROS level in the kidneys after central ‎microinjection of Ang II.‎‎
MAPE - An Alternative Fitness Metric for Prony Analysis of Power System Signals
Authors: Rao Krishna , Shubhanga K.N
Published: November 2018

Phasor Measurement Units have facilitated tracking of oscillations in power system response signals. This has provided an impetus for identifying unstable component modes directly from oscillatory signals. Prony analysis, the earliest method proposed for this purpose, throws up some trivial modes. These not only distract the analyzer but also prolong processing time thereby delaying corrective action. Hence the fitness metric chosen should serve to minimize the number of trivial modes. The conventional fitness metric is Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), which is actually Signal-to- Estimation error Ratio (SER). This paper proposes that Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) can also serve well as a fitness metric. It is shown through case studies carried out on well-known four-machine power system that there are a few cases where MAPE performs better than SER while in some instances SER works better. This inference is verified even in the presence of measurement noise. Hence a novel fitness metric is proposed combining MAPE with SER. Case studies on simulated signals obtained from New England-power system prove that this novel metric can achieve considerable reduction in processing time. Besides, an exponential binary search has been suggested for determining the optimal model order in minimum number of iterations.
Sign Language Semantics: Problems and Prospects
Authors: Schlenker Philippe
Published: November 2018

‘Visible Meaning’ (Schlenker 2018b) claims (i) that sign language makes visible some aspects of the Logical Form of sentences that are covert in spoken language, and (ii) that, along some dimensions, sign languages are more expressive than spoken languages because iconic conditions can be found at their logical core. Following nine peer commentaries, we clarify both claims and discuss three main issues: what is the nature of the interaction between logic and iconicity in sign language and beyond? does iconicity in sign language play the same role as gestures in spoken language? and is sign language Role Shift best analyzed in terms of visible context shift, or by way of demonstrations referring to gestures?
Farklı Yüzey Bitirme İşlemleri Uygulanan Farklı Yapıdaki Tam Seramik Materyallerinin Densitometrik Analizi
Authors: GÖNÜLDAŞ Fehmi , ÖZTÜRK Caner , ATALAY Pelin , ÖZTAŞ Doğan Derya
Published: November 2018

Amaç: Tam seramik restorasyonların radyoopak olması, diş hekimine radyografik olarak bir çok değerlendirme kriteri sunmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, farklı yüzey bitirme tekniklerinin farklı materyal yapısına sahip tam seramik sistemlerin radyopasitese değerlerine üzerine etkisini değerlendirmektir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu çalışmada iki farklı materyal yapısına sahip toplam 40 adet tam seramik örnek hazırlanmıştır. Feldspatik ve lösit ile güçlendirilmiş tam seramik CAD/CAM bloklardan elde edilen örnekler, yüzey işlemlerinde manuel olarak bitirme ve polisaj kitlerinin kullanılmasına veya örneklerin glaze işlemi uygulanarak fırınlanmasına göre, 4 alt gruba ayrılmıştır. Hazırlanan örneklerin radyopasite değerleri densitometre cihazı kullanılarak ölçülmüştür ve elde edilen veriler istatistiksel olarak 2-yönlü ANOVA ve Tukey HSD çoklu karşılaştırma testi ile analiz edilmiştir.Bulgular: Densitometrik analiz sonuçlarına göre; glaze işlemi uygulanmış örnekler için, feldspatik tam seramik örnekler, lösit ile güçlendirilmiş tam seramik örneklerden istatistiksel olarak anlamlı şekilde daha radyolusent bulunmuştur. Elde edilen diğer sonuçlara bakıldığında ise, farklı yüzey bitirme tekniklerinin tam seramik sistemlerin densitometrik karakteristikleri üzerine etkisinin anlamlı olmadığı görülmektedir.Sonuçlar: Bu çalışmanın sonuçlarına göre, tam seramik sistemlerin densitometrik değerleri yüzey bitirme işlemlerinden etkilense de, elde edilen farklılıklar istatistiksel olarak anlamlı değildir. Bunun yanında, materyal yapısı ve fırınlama prosedürü, restorasyonun radyoopasite değerleri açısından önemli olabilir. Bu konu ile ilgili ileri araştırmaların yapılmasına ihtiyaç vardır.Anahtar Kelimeler: Densitometre, tam seramikler, yüzey bitirme işlemi.
Panoramik Radyografi Üzerinden Yaygın Görülen Dental Durumların Yaş ve Cinsiyetle İlişkisinin Değerlendirilmesi
Authors: YESİLOVA Esra , IRMAK Özgür , KILIÇASLAN Mehmet Ali
Published: November 2018

AmaçBu çalışmanın amacı, yaş ve cinsiyetin
panoramik radyografide dolgu, kanal tedavisi, kron, çürük ve eksik diş varlığı
üzerinde etkisinin değerlendirilmesidir.Gereç ve Yöntemler277 kadın ve 180 erkek hastaya ait toplam 457 panoramik radyograf rastgele
seçildi.  Hastalar hastalar dekatlarına
göre 5 farklı gruba; cinsiyet açısından da erkek ve kadın olarak iki farklı
gruba ayrıldı. Panoramik radyografta üst ve alt çeneler anterior ve posterior
olarak segmentlere ayrıldı. Bu bölgelerdeki kök kanal
tedavisi (KT), dolgu (D), kron (K), çürük (Ç) ve eksik diş (E) varlığı
her bir hasta için kaydedildi. Elde edilen veriler Pearson ki-kare, Pearson
kesin (Exact) ki-kare testi ve Mann Whitney U testi yapıldı (α=0.05).BulgularÜst ve alt posterior bölgelerde KT görülme sıklığı birbiriyle ilişkili
olarak bulunmuştur (p<0.05). Üst anterior bölgede dolgu görülme sıklığı üst
ve alt posterior bölgelerde görülme sıklığıyla; üst posteriorda dolgu görülme
sıklığı alt posterior ve üst anterior bölgelerde dolgu görülme sıklığı ile
anlamlı derecede ilişkili olarak bulunmuştur (p<0.05). Üst ve alt posterior
bölgelerde çürük görülme sıklığı birbirleriyle, üst anterior bölgede çürük
görülme sıklığı alt anterior ve alt posterior bölgede görülme sıklığıyla
ilişkili olarak bulundu (p<0.05). Herhangi bir bölgede eksik diş görülme
sıklığı diğer bölgelerde görülme sıklıklarıyla ilişkili olarak izlendi
(p<0.05). SonuçEskişehir iline ait bir popülasyonda yapılan bu çalışmada, ağızda farklı
bölgelerde eksik diş görülme sıklıkları birbiri ile ilişkili olarak bulundu. Alt
ve üst posterior bölgelerde dolgu varlığı kadınlarda önemli derecede fazla
izlendi.
Nuclear Transcriptomes of the Seven Neuronal Cell Types That Constitute theDrosophilaMushroom Bodies
Authors: Shih Meng-Fu Maxwell , Davis Fred Pejman , Henry Gilbert Lee , Dubnau Josh
Published: November 2018

The insect mushroom body (MB) is a conserved brain structure that plays key roles in a diverse array of behaviors. The Drosophila melanogaster MB is the primary invertebrate model of neural circuits related to memory formation and storage, and its development, morphology, wiring, and function has been extensively studied. MBs consist of intrinsic Kenyon Cells that are divided into three major neuron classes (γ, α′/β′ and α/β) and 7 cell subtypes (γd, γm, α′/β′ap, α′/β′m, α/βp, α/βs and α/βc) based on their birth order, morphology, and connectivity. These subtypes play distinct roles in memory processing, however the underlying transcriptional differences are unknown. Here, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to profile the nuclear transcriptomes of each MB neuronal cell subtypes. We identified 350 MB class- or subtype-specific genes, including the widely used α/β class marker Fas2 and the α′/β′ class marker trio. Immunostaining corroborates the RNA-seq measurements at the protein level for several cases. Importantly, our data provide a full accounting of the neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes, neuropeptides, and neuropeptide receptors expressed within each of these cell types. This high-quality, cell type-level transcriptome catalog for the Drosophila MB provides a valuable resource for the fly neuroscience community.
Detecting Adaptation with Genome-Scale Molecular Evolutionary Analysis: An Educational Primer for Use with “RNA Interference Pathways Display High Rates of Adaptive Protein Evolution in Multiple Invertebrates”
Authors: Lazzaro Brian P
Published: November 2018

Hosts and pathogens impose coevolutionary pressure on each other as pathogens strive to establish themselves and hosts seek to suppress infection. RNA interference (RNAi) is a mechanism by which cells repress viruses and transposable elements, thereby serving as a form of immune defense. Previous studies have shown that antiviral RNAi genes evolve extraordinarily quickly in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, suggesting that they may adaptively coevolve with viruses and transposable elements. An article by Palmer and colleagues extends this observation to nematodes and multiple insects. Their article can be combined with this Primer to demonstrate the use of comparative genomics and molecular evolutionary analyses in the measurement of natural selection.

Related article in GENETICS: Palmer, W. H., J. D. Hadfield, and D. J. Obbard, 2018 RNA-Interference pathways display high rates of adaptive protein evolution in multiple invertebrates. Genetics 208: 1585–1599.
Genotyping Polyploids from Messy Sequencing Data
Authors: Gerard David , Ferrão Luis Felipe Ventorim , Garcia Antonio Augusto Franco , Stephens Matthew
Published: November 2018

Gerard et al. highlight several issues encountered when genotyping polyploid organisms from next-generation sequencing data, including allelic bias, overdispersion, and outlying observations. They present modeling solutions and software to account for these issues...

Detecting and quantifying the differences in individual genomes (i.e., genotyping), plays a fundamental role in most modern bioinformatics pipelines. Many scientists now use reduced representation next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches for genotyping. Genotyping diploid individuals using NGS is a well-studied field, and similar methods for polyploid individuals are just emerging. However, there are many aspects of NGS data, particularly in polyploids, that remain unexplored by most methods. Our contributions in this paper are fourfold: (i) We draw attention to, and then model, common aspects of NGS data: sequencing error, allelic bias, overdispersion, and outlying observations. (ii) Many datasets feature related individuals, and so we use the structure of Mendelian segregation to build an empirical Bayes approach for genotyping polyploid individuals. (iii) We develop novel models to account for preferential pairing of chromosomes, and harness these for genotyping. (iv) We derive oracle genotyping error rates that may be used for read depth suggestions. We assess the accuracy of our method in simulations, and apply it to a dataset of hexaploid sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). An R package implementing our method is available at https://cran.r-project.org/package=updog.
Scaling of G1 Duration with Population Doubling Time by a Cyclin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Blank Heidi M , Callahan Michelle , Pistikopoulos Ioannis P E , Polymenis Aggeliki O , Polymenis Michael
Published: November 2018

The longer cells stay in particular phases of the cell cycle, the longer it will take these cell populations to increase. However, the above qualitative description has very little predictive value, unless it can be codified mathematically. A quantitative relation that defines the population doubling time (Td) as a function of the time eukaryotic cells spend in specific cell cycle phases would be instrumental for estimating rates of cell proliferation and for evaluating introduced perturbations. Here, we show that in human cells, the length of the G1 phase (TG1) regressed on Td with a slope of ≈0.75, while in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the slope was slightly smaller, at ≈0.60. On the other hand, cell size was not strongly associated with Td or TG1 in cell cultures that were proliferating at different rates. Furthermore, we show that levels of the yeast G1 cyclin Cln3p were positively associated with rates of cell proliferation over a broad range, at least in part through translational control mediated by a short upstream ORF (uORF) in the CLN3 transcript. Cln3p was also necessary for the proper scaling between TG1 and Td. In contrast, yeast lacking the Whi5p transcriptional repressor maintained the scaling between TG1 and Td. These data reveal fundamental scaling relationships between the duration of eukaryotic cell cycle phases and rates of cell proliferation, point to the necessary role of Cln3p in these relationships in yeast, and provide a mechanistic basis linking Cln3p levels to proliferation rates and the scaling of G1 with doubling time.
Effects of Transmission Bottlenecks on the Diversity of Influenza A Virus
Authors: Sigal Daniel , Reid Jennifer N S , Wahl Lindi M
Published: November 2018

We investigate the fate of de novo mutations that occur during the in-host replication of a pathogenic virus, predicting the probability that such mutations are passed on during disease transmission to a new host. Using influenza A virus as a model organism, we develop a life-history model of the within-host dynamics of the infection, deriving a multitype branching process with a coupled deterministic model to capture the population of available target cells. We quantify the fate of neutral mutations and mutations affecting five life-history traits: clearance, attachment, budding, cell death, and eclipse phase timing. Despite the severity of disease transmission bottlenecks, our results suggest that in a single transmission event, several mutations that appeared de novo in the donor are likely to be transmitted to the recipient. Even in the absence of a selective advantage for these mutations, the sustained growth phase inherent in each disease transmission cycle generates genetic diversity that is not eliminated during the transmission bottleneck.
A Robust Methodology for Assessing Differential Homeolog Contributions to the Transcriptomes of Allopolyploids
Authors: Boatwright J Lucas , McIntyre Lauren M , Morse Alison M , Chen Sixue , Yoo Mi-Jeong , Koh Jin , Soltis Pamela S , Soltis Douglas E , Barbazuk W Brad
Published: November 2018

Polyploidy has played a pivotal and recurring role in angiosperm evolution. Allotetraploids arise from hybridization between species and possess duplicated gene copies (homeologs) that serve redundant roles immediately after polyploidization. Although polyploidization is a major contributor to plant evolution, it remains poorly understood. We describe an analytical approach for assessing homeolog-specific expression that begins with de novo assembly of parental transcriptomes and effectively (i) reduces redundancy in de novo assemblies, (ii) identifies putative orthologs, (iii) isolates common regions between orthologs, and (iv) assesses homeolog-specific expression using a robust Bayesian Poisson-Gamma model to account for sequence bias when mapping polyploid reads back to parental references. Using this novel methodology, we examine differential homeolog contributions to the transcriptome in the recently formed allopolyploids Tragopogon mirus and T. miscellus (Compositae). Notably, we assess a larger Tragopogon gene set than previous studies of this system. Using carefully identified orthologous regions and filtering biased orthologs, we find in both allopolyploids largely balanced expression with no strong parental bias. These new methods can be used to examine homeolog expression in any tetrapolyploid system without requiring a reference genome.
Patterns of Transmission Ratio Distortion in Interspecific Lettuce Hybrids Reveal a Sex-Independent Gametophytic Barrier
Authors: Giesbers Anne K J , den Boer Erik , Ulen Jacqueline J W E H , van Kaauwen Martijn P W , Visser Richard G F , Niks Rients E , Jeuken Marieke J W
Published: November 2018

Interspecific crosses can result in progeny with reduced vitality or fertility due to genetic incompatibilities between species, a phenomenon known as hybrid incompatibility (HI). HI is often caused by a bias against deleterious allele combinations, which results in transmission ratio distortion (TRD). Here, we determined the genome-wide distribution of HI between wild lettuce, Lactuca saligna, and cultivated lettuce, L. sativa, in a set of backcross inbred lines (BILs) with single introgression segments from L. saligna introgressed into a L. sativa genetic background. Almost all BILs contained an introgression segment in a homozygous state except a few BILs, for which we were able to obtain only a single heterozygous introgression. Their inbred progenies displayed severe TRD with a bias toward the L. sativa allele and complete nontransmission of the homozygous L. saligna introgression, i.e., absolute HI. These HI might be caused by deleterious heterospecific allele combinations at two loci. We used an multilocus segregating interspecific F2 population to identify candidate conspecific loci that can nullify the HI in BILs. Segregation analysis of developed double-introgression progenies showed nullification of three HI and proved that these HI are explained by nuclear pairwise incompatibilities. One of these digenic HI showed 29% reduced seed set and its pattern of TRD pointed to a sex-independent gametophytic barrier. Namely, this HI was caused by complete nontransmission of one heterospecific allele combination at the haploid stage, surprisingly in both male and female gametophytes. Our study shows that two-locus incompatibility systems contribute to reproductive barriers among Lactuca species.
Estimates of the Heritability of Human Longevity Are Substantially Inflated due to Assortative Mating
Authors: Ruby J Graham , Wright Kevin M , Rand Kristin A , Kermany Amir , Noto Keith , Curtis Don , Varner Neal , Garrigan Daniel , Slinkov Dmitri , Dorfman Ilya , Granka Julie M , Byrnes Jake , Myres Natalie , Ball Catherine
Published: November 2018

Here, Ruby et al. analyze an unprecedented amount of public family tree data from Ancestry and determine that the heritability of human longevity was well below 10%, lower than the widely-held belief that lifespan...

Human life span is a phenotype that integrates many aspects of health and environment into a single ultimate quantity: the elapsed time between birth and death. Though it is widely believed that long life runs in families for genetic reasons, estimates of life span “heritability” are consistently low (∼15–30%). Here, we used pedigree data from Ancestry public trees, including hundreds of millions of historical persons, to estimate the heritability of human longevity. Although “nominal heritability” estimates based on correlations among genetic relatives agreed with prior literature, the majority of that correlation was also captured by correlations among nongenetic (in-law) relatives, suggestive of highly assortative mating around life span-influencing factors (genetic and/or environmental). We used structural equation modeling to account for assortative mating, and concluded that the true heritability of human longevity for birth cohorts across the 1800s and early 1900s was well below 10%, and that it has been generally overestimated due to the effect of assortative mating.
Maternal Intellectual or Developmental Disability and Newborn Discharge to Protective Services
Authors: Brown Hilary K. , Potvin Lynne A. , Lunsky Yona , Vigod Simone N.
Published: November 2018

BACKGROUND:

Approximately half of women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) lose custody of their children at some point in their child’s development, but their rates of and risk factors for newborn discharge to child protective services from the birth hospitalization are relatively unknown.

METHODS:

We conducted a population-based study of newborns of 3845 women with IDDs and 379 834 women without IDDs in Ontario, Canada (2002–2012). We used modified Poisson regression to estimate adjusted relative risks (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for discharge to child protective services directly from the birth hospitalization (1) comparing newborns of women with and without IDDs and (2) among newborns of women with IDDs according to sociodemographic, health, service, and perinatal characteristics.

RESULTS:

Approximately 5.7% of newborns of women with IDDs, compared with 0.2% of newborns of women without IDDs, were discharged to child protective services (aRR 8.10; 95% CI 6.51–10.09). Among newborns of women with IDDs, risk factors were maternal psychotic disorder (aRR 2.58; 95% CI 1.90–3.50), social assistance receipt (aRR 2.55; 95% CI 1.87–3.47), failure to receive an ultrasound by 20 weeks’ gestation (aRR 1.76; 95% CI 1.32–2.34), and receipt of <4 prenatal visits by 36 weeks’ gestation (aRR 1.71; 95% CI 1.05–2.78).

CONCLUSIONS:

Although women with IDDs are at risk for custody loss immediately postdelivery, certain subgroups are at higher risk than others. Women with vulnerabilities related to comorbid psychotic disorders, poverty, and inadequate prenatal care may benefit from tailored, behavior-based parenting interventions before and during pregnancy to prevent maternal-newborn separations.
Integración SOA-MAS en Ambientes Inteligentes
Authors: Sánchez Manuel , Aguilar Jose , Exposito Ernesto
Published: November 2018

SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) ha emergido como una arquitectura dominante para la interoperabilidad entre aplicaciones, por medio de un modelo de acoplamiento débil basado en la flexibilidad que proveen los servicios web, esto ha dado lugar a una amplia gama de aplicaciones, en lo que se conoce hoy en día como computación en la nube. Por otro lado, los MAS (Multiagent System, por sus siglas en inglés) son usados ampliamente en la industria, ya que brindan soluciones apropiadas a problemas complejos, de forma proactiva e inteligente. En particular, los Ambientes Inteligentes (AmI) educativos se benefician de estás dos arquitecturas, ya que por un lado los MAS dotan al AmI de inteligencia, mientras que SOA permite a los usuarios interactuar con servicios académicos en la nube. El propósito de este artículo es proponer una arquitectura de integración bidireccional SOA-MAS para AmI educativos. La solución propuesta aprovecha las ventajas de ambas tecnologías (SOA-MAS), y resuelve problemas de integración planteados en investigaciones previas.
Beneficios agronómicos y ambientales de fuentes de fertilizantes nitrogenados en Ocimum basilicum L.
Authors: Daza-Torres Martha Constanza , Ladino-Tabarquino Greydy Selene , Urrutia-Cobo Norberto
Published: November 2018

Este trabajo evaluó diferentes fuentes de fertilizantes nitrogenados en albahaca cultivada en un suelo del Valle del Cauca (Colombia). Se realizó un diseño completo al azar con 14 tratamientos en lisímetros y se compararon dos fertilizantes de rápida liberación (FRL) (nitrato de calcio y sulfato de amonio) y tres fertilizantes de lenta liberación (FLL) (urea recubierta, lombricompost y gallinaza). A los 84 días se midió nitrógeno lixiviado, masa seca foliar, (%MS), nitrógeno foliar (NF), pH, conductividad eléctrica, materia orgánica y nitrógeno total del suelo. También se determinaron la eficiencia aparente de recuperación (ER), la eficiencia interna de utilización (EI) y el uso eficiente de agua (UEA). Como principales resultados se encontró que los abonos orgánicos ocasionaron cambios en la porosidad, produciendo lixiviación de nitrógeno. Los FRL obtuvieron mejor comportamiento en %MS, NF y ER, mientras que los FLL lo hicieron en las propiedades del suelo, la EI y UEA.
Relación entre el tamaño de partícula y el contenido de las fases cristalinas presentes en una escoria de aluminio
Authors: Gómez-Gómez Adriana , Vinasco-Isaza Luz Elena , De Lima Nelson Batista , Tenório Jorge Aberto Soares
Published: November 2018

En este trabajo se presenta la caracterización de una escoria de aluminio proveniente de la industria primaria, con tamaño de partícula inferior a 3.35 mm. Inicialmente el material fue separado en cuatro fracciones granulométricas las cuales fueron analizadas mediante difracción de rayos X con el fin de analizar la cantidad de cada una de las fases cristalinas presentes en la escoria. Se encontraron las siguientes fases: aluminio metálico, óxido de aluminio, espinelio, espinelio con defecto, diaoyudaoite y nitruro de aluminio. La dependencia del tamaño de partícula con la cantidad de cada una de las fases cristalinas fue analizada mediante un análisis de varianza (ANOVA) con un nivel de confianza del 99%. Del análisis estadístico se pudo concluir que la variación en el contenido encontrado de cada fase cristalina es explicada en un alto porcentaje por el tamaño de partícula.
Microgrid analysis using HOMER: a case study
Authors: Restrepo David , Restrepo Bonie , Trejos-Grisales Luz Adriana
Published: November 2018

The integration of renewable energy sources to create microgrids is drawing growing interest to address current energy-related challenges around the globe. Nevertheless, microgrids must be analyzed using specialized tools that allow to conduct operation, technical and economic studies. In that regard, this paper presents a case study in which the software HOMER Energy Pro was implemented to design and analyze the performance of a microgrid. Such microgrid comprises a photovoltaic system, a wind system and a diesel plant. The parameters of the energy systems are based on information about local weather conditions available in databases. Finally, this analysis is performed under two conditions: stand-alone and grid-tied.
Evaluation of viability of probiotic bacteria in mango (Mangifera indica L. Cv. “Tommy Atkins”) beverage
Authors: Acevedo-Martínez Elizabeth Cristina , Gutiérrez Cortés Carolina , García Mahecha Maribel , Díaz Moreno Consuelo
Published: November 2018

The interest about probiotic bacteria supplementation in fruit beverages has been increased recently in order to develop functional beverages without lactose. That is a technological challenge since pH and storage temperature can affect their viability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the viability of three commercial probiotic strains (L. paracasei, L. casei and L. rhamnosus) in mango beverage stored at 4°C. This research was developed in three stages: the assessment of the acid strain tolerance, the selection of a prebiotic as cellular protectant against environmental stress, the evaluation of physiochemical and sensory stability during storage. L. casei was chosen as the most stable strain with FOS at 5% as a prebiotic substance that stimulated its growth. At the final stage, it was found that L. casei produced significant changes in pH and titratable acidity in mango beverages after one week at 4°C, which was also detected by consumers with good sensory acceptance
FDR ECH2O sensor performance in Spodosols
Authors: Almeida Ceres Duarte Guedes Cabral de , Silva Denize Maria Oliveira , Almeida Brivaldo Gomes de , Silva Ênio Farias de França e , Barbosa Rebeca Neves , Santos Júnior José Amilton
Published: November 2018

Frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) is widely used to measure the soil water contents. However, the soil composition effects on FDR calibration has to be quantified to reduce the need for further calibration. Our objectives were to (1) evaluate the accuracy of EC-5 for measuring soil water content in sandy soils and (2) develop soil-specific sensor calibration curve. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected in a Sopossol profile (07º 37’ 30’’ S, 34º 57’ 30’’ W) representative of region sugarcane grown, in northeast of Brazil. Regression statistics analysis showed good accuracy and RMSE = 0.01 m3 m-3, while without specific calibration the RMSE = 0.06 m3 m-3. The EC-5 sensor should be subjected to field-specific calibration in sandy soils due to the low field capacity and water content during the growing season.
Methodological proposal for the analysis and measurement of sensory marketing integrated to the consumer experience
Authors: Rodas-Areiza Jairo Antonio , Montoya-Restrepo Luz Alexandra
Published: November 2018

Purpose - Through a literature review, evidence was found of the importance of sensory stimulation related to consumer experience processes, when analyzed together with variables of another nature.Design / Methodology - Traditional market research techniques and neuromarketing tools were used. Regarding traditional research, the observation technique was used, through which the purchase behavior of facial cream consumers at the sales point was explored; and a quantitative phase, through online surveys to 495 women, with the purpose of identifying elements of interest related to the purchasing decision. We worked with FaceReader, EEG and Eye Tracking, to analyze the experiences of consumers with the product and its promotion.Findings. The results present a model that incorporates the impact and attention, specific emotions and the rational argument of the consumer for the construction of a whole experience.
Accumulation of dry mass and macronutrients by the Caeté tomato cultivar under field conditions
Authors: Diógenes Talita Barbosa Abreu , De Oliveira Fábio Henrique Tavares , De Queiroga Fabio Martins , Moura Anderson Cley Costa , De Carvalho Simplicio Lyra , Tavares Hernane Arllen Medeiros
Published: November 2018

New cultivation techniques associated to the use of genetic materials of highly productive potential have provided the need for studies related to the accumulation of dry mass and nutrients by tomato plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of dry mass and macronutrients by the ‘Caeté’ tomato at Chapada do Apodi-CE. The accumulation of dry mass and nutrients was quantified by sampling the plants at 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84 and 99 days after transplantation (DAT). The total accumulation of macronutrients in the plant followed the dry mass accumulation, with higher demands in the fruiting phase. The accumulation of macronutrients at 99 DAT followed by the following decreasing order: K> N> Ca> S> Mg> P. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were accumulated in larger quantities in the fruits, while the other macronutrients in the vegetative part.
A practical calculation of the distance to a discontinuity in anisotropic systems from well test interpretation
Authors: Escobar Freddy Humberto , Bonilla-Camacho Luis Fernando , Hernández-Cortés Claudia Marcela
Published: November 2018

Well testing is the cheapest and most accurate tool available to find the distance from a well to a linear constant-pressure boundary or fault. Several methods exist in the literature with which to determine this parameter. Most of them use conventional analysis and are only useful for isotropic reservoir systems. The few methods for anisotropic systems obtain the well-to-discontinuity distance through conventional analysis, type-curve matching and TDS technique, and then a correction by anisotropic effects is applied. In this work, a unified behavior of the pressure derivative was found, so the new shorter and most practical expressions used to find the distance from the well to the discontinuity, including the simultaneous effects of anisotropy angle and anisotropy index, are included. These new formulae were successfully tested with two synthetic examples and one field case example, and deviation errors higher than 30% are observed if an anisotropic system is treated as an isotropic one.
Changes in physical properties of sweet potato due to effects of thermal pre-treatments for puree production
Authors: Gallego-Castillo Sonia , Ayala-Aponte Alfredo Adolfo
Published: November 2018

In response to increasing consumer demand for high-quality, easy-to-prepare foods, it is necessary to develop innovative ways to use roots and tubers, such as sweet potatoes, in processed foods. Thus, two thermal processes were evaluated, freezing-cooking (F+C) and blanching-freezing-cooking (B+F+C) on the physical properties of the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) cultivar, which has a high content of β-carotene, in terms of drip loss (Δm), volume variation (ΔV), color, and texture. Cylindrical samples of OFSP were used. Blanched and unblanched samples were stored by freezing, at -18 °C for 2 months, and subsequently cooked at 95 °C. The blanching process was carried out at 95 °C for 2 min. The results showed that, when blanching was used as a pre-treatment for freezing-cooking, a product with fewer physical changes, with a lighter and more intense color (chroma), and with a lower loss of elasticity (Ed) and firmness (F) was obtained.
Physicochemical and microbiological characterization of blackberry (Rubus glaucus Benth) wine, El Hobo (Huila)
Authors: Oviedo-Arbeláez Manuel , Lozano-Vera Jennifer , Amorocho-Cruz Claudia Milena
Published: November 2018

The department of Huila is a producer of Castilla blackberry (Rubus glaucus Benth), a perishable fruit in post-harvest, making it necessary to develop processing alternatives in order to extend its shelf life and improve its market price. It was therefore proposed to elaborate a fermented blackberry drink using clarification, maturation, and aging processes. The physiochemical and microbiological parameters were characterized in the different phases. The inoculated yeast generated changes during the fermentation of the blackberry juice reducing the soluble solids to 6.9°Brix and viscosity to 1.5 cP. The alcohol content at the end of the process was of 14.4 alcohol by volume (ABV).
SERUM LEVELS OF HEMOPOIETIC AND ANGIOGENESIS GROWTH FACTORS (IL-5, IL-7, IL-9, FGF-β, G-CSF, VEGF AND PDGF) IN WOMEN WITH UTERINE MYOMA
Authors: Konenkov V. I. , Koroleva E. G. , Orlov N. B. , Prokofiev V. F. , Shevchenko A. V. , Novikov A. M.
Published: November 2018

Uterine leiomyomas are common benign tumors developing from smooth muscle tissues, often leading to infertility and recurrent abortions. Pregnancy and development of uterine fibroids are characterized by an unusual rate of myometrium growth, hyperproduction of extracellular matrix and increased expression of numerous growth factor receptors. The purpose of this study was to determine concentrations of some key growth factors (IL-5, IL-7, IL-9, FGF-β, G-CSF, VEGF and PDGF) in blood serum of women with uterine myoma. Concentrations of the 27 cytokines were determined using a Bio Rad kit (USA) – Bio-Plex Pro™. Human Cytokine 27-plex Assay by means of flow-through fluorometry at the Bio-Plex 200 double-beam laser analyzer. Thirty-six patients with verified uterine myoma were followed up, being later subject to operative treatment (laparoscopic myomectomy). The results of this study showed a trend to decreased amounts of some hematopoiesis and angiogenesis growth factors, e.g., IL-9 and FGF, in blood serum of women with uterine myoma. Сoncentrations of IL-5, IL-7, and G-CSF proved to be significantly decreased if compared to serum contents of European healthy women. The most significant decrease was registered for pro-angiogenic factors, such as VEGF and PDGF. Their serum concentration in women with leiomyoma was reduced, respectively, 3- and 6-fold against controls. The decreased G-CSF concentration was not only quite significant, as compared to healthy women, but showed significant correlations with changes of such factors as IL-5, IL-7 and IL-9, with correlation quotients of, resp., 0.723, 0.637, and 0.504, respectively. One may conclude that, in spite of literature data on significantly increased contents of the mentioned growth factors in tissues of myometrium and growing uterine leiomyoma, our data show that the concentrations of these regulatory proteins in blood serum are decreased to some extent in this clinical condition.
Co–Cu–YSZ–GDC as an anode material for internal reforming SOFC?
Authors: Kumar Selvaraj Senthil , Jayaram Vikram , Ojha Prasanta Kumar , Badi Shri Prakash , Aruna Singanahalli ThippaReddy
Published: November 2018

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a fuel-flexible device, and, apart from using pure hydrogen, it can utilize carbon monoxide, methane or any other higher hydrocarbons. Moreover, it can tolerate some degree of common fossil fuel impurities, such as ammonia and chlorides. It can even utilize the biogas derived from decomposable waste. However, the propensity of the state-of-the-art anode (nickel (Ni)–yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)) toward carburization limits the ability of SOFCs to realize such a goal. In an attempt to develop a carbon-resistant anode system, the present work explores the carburization studies of a cobalt (Co)–copper (Cu) bimetallic anode system and fabrication of a cobalt–copper–YSZ–gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) anode composite. The effect of alloying cobalt with copper and addition of rare-earth oxide on carburization has also been studied in detail. The anode composition was characterized for crystal structure, microstructure and redox stability. Using the optimized anode composition, SOFC single cells have been fabricated and their electrical and electrochemical performances have been evaluated. The investigated Co0·9Cu0·1YSZ0·95GDC0·05 anode has undergone severe agglomeration during the fabrication and operation of the cell, which resulted in inferior performance. The surface-segregated copper acted as a poor catalyst for hydrocarbon oxidation.
Sharing bus lanes: a new lanes multiplexing-based method using a dynamic time slice policy
Authors: Dong Hongzhao , Zhao Chenxin , Fu Fengjie
Published: November 2018

Dedicated bus lanes (DBLs) can only be used by buses in principle, so there is an intermittent waste of road resources. Coupled with increasingly serious traffic congestion, how to fully exploit the relatively surplus road resources of DBLs under the premise of guaranteeing bus priority is an issue that is worth studying. The authors propose a dynamic time slice policy for the time division multiplexing (TDM) method to share dedicated bus lanes. First, the TDM method is outlined to present the basic mechanism of the dynamic time slice policy. Subsequently, models for predicting the travel times of approaching vehicles and lane-borrowing vehicles based on TDM are established. Then, a lane-borrowing discriminative model is proposed to determine whether low-priority vehicles have the right to use the DBL at the current moment, and the time slices of DBL multiplexing are allocated based on vehicles of different types. Furthermore, to increase the operability of the method in engineering applications, a spatiotemporal control strategy for TDM is designed. Finally, the dynamic time slice policy is applied to a DBL through simulations and practical traffic experiments. The results prove the feasibility of the dynamic time slice policy.
RNA extraction from adult Aiptasia v1
Authors: Speer Kelsey , Poole Angela , from Weis lab protocol by Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty modified
Published: November 2018

A protocol for extracting RNA from Aiptasia, modified from the Weis lab protocol by Angela Poole and Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty. Note that the final product has significant DNA contamination and needs to be cleaned up via DNase treatment.
Growing an overnight bacteria culture v1
Authors: M Monteith Katy
Published: November 2018

This protocol describes how to grow an overnight culture of bacteria in LB (Luria-Bertani) liquid media broth. The overnight culture can be used directly, reinoculated into a larger volume of LB broth or plated to acquire either a lawn of bacterial growth or single isolated colonies.
Human Primary T Cells: A Practical Guide v5
Authors: Arman Aksoy Bulent , Aksoy Pınar , Wyatt Megan , M. Paulos Chrystal , Hammerbacher Jeff
Published: November 2018

Human primary T cells are invaluable and feasible model systems to study the characteristics of the human immune cells in various contexts, including but not limited to cancer immunotherapy. Following isolation of T cells from fresh human blood samples, it is possible to culture, expand, and manipulate these cells, which allows extensive investigation for research purposes. Techniques for isolation and handling of T cells are well-established but parts of the protocols can highly vary across different labs. These differences in the protocols are, often, there due to historical reasons and are only supported by anecdotal evidence. We systematically modified basic components of the T cell culturing protocols and collected data on how they altered the final yield. Here, based on these data, we provide practical hints and tips on basic cellular and molecular techniques for handling primary human T cells. We hope that this guide will serve as a reference point to allow evaluate, discuss, and improve current practices in T cell culturing and manipulation.
STG-ET: DLR Electric Propulsion Test Facility
Authors: Neumann Andreas
Published: November 2018

Abstract: DLR operates the High Vacuum Plume Test Facility Göttingen – Electric Thrusters (STG-ET). This electric propulsion test facility has now accumulated several years of EP-thruster testing experience. Special features tailored to electric space propulsion testing like a large vacuum chamber mounted on a low vibration foundation, a beam dump target made of low sputtering material, and a performant pumping system characterize this facility. The vacuum chamber is 12.2m long and has a diameter of 5m. With respect to accurate thruster testing, the design focus is on accurate thrust measurement, plume diagnostics, and plume interaction with spacecraft components. Electric propulsion thrusters have to run for thousands of hours, and with this the facility is prepared for long-term experiments. This paper gives an overview of the facility, and shows some details of the vacuum chamber, pumping system, diagnostics, and experiences with these components.
Cutaneous immune system: Age specificities
Authors: Vladimirovna Markelova Elena , Yutskovskaya Yana Alexandrovna , Nikolaevna Birko Oksana , Valerjevna Bajbarina Elena , Chepurnova Natalya Sergeevna
Published: November 2018

The review is dedicated to the modern concepts in understanding the age-related changes of skin protective functions, with an emphasis on the impairments in interaction between the immune cells of innate and acquired immunity, resulting in a decrease in antigen-specific T cell immune surveillance in the skin. We discuss the various defects of T cells and their environment as well as focus on the issue of possible correction of T-reg and other cells activity in the skin which would increase the level of immune surveillance in elderly persons and reduce the risk of malignant neoplasms or skin infections developing.
Giant Plexiform Neurofibroma
Authors: Vestita Michelangelo Giovanni , Elia Rossella , Giudice Giuseppe
Published: November 2018

We report a rare case of giant plexiform neurofibroma in a patient affected by type-1 neurofibromatosis and we describe the correct surgical management of such lesions in order to avoid intra- and post-op blood loss related complications.
Waste Management on the Base of Principle of Limiting
Authors: Naiman S.M. , Bulatov M.F. , Naiman M.O.
Published: November 2018

The concept of waste management is proposed, based on the assessment of the utilized potential of waste and on the determination of factors limiting the yield of the final product. An algorithm has been developed for elaboration of strategic decisions on the management of recyclable waste.
Indigenous Language Knowledge and Educational Attainment Among First Nations People: Trends Over Time
Authors: Bougie Evelyne , Kohen Dafna , Guèvremont Anne
Published: November 2018

This study investigated whether associations between Indigenous language knowledge and educational outcomes might be changing for cohorts of language speakers over time. Using Census and National Household Survey data, educational attainment for First Nations people aged 20 to 34 was examined at four time points (1996, 2001, 2006, and 2011), separately for those able versus unable to speak an Indigenous language and separately for those living on and off reserve. Findings point to improvements in levels of education for Indigenous language speakers among First Nations people living on and off reserve. Findings should be interpreted with caution as differences in educational attainment may reflect differences between language speakers and non-speakers that go beyond the ability to speak an Indigenous language.