bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A interface entre transtorno de estresse pós-traumático e transtorno do humor bipolar
Authors: Carvalho Rodrigo , Giuliana Giuliana C. , Nobrega Luciana Porto Cavalcante da , Mateus Mario Dini , Braga Rosaly , Prado Euthymia Almeida , Mello Andrea Feijó de
Published: August 2017

A 5ª edição do Manual Diagnóstico e Estatístico de Transtornos Mentais (DSM-V) chamou a atenção para a presença de sintomas persistentes de humor no transtorno de estresse pós-traumático (TEPT). Este artigo descreve o caso de um paciente com TEPT que apresentou alterações persistentes de humor e exigiu revisão das abordagens medicamentosas adotadas. O desafio ao tratar esses casos é como abordar o conjunto de sintomas, tratando simultaneamente o TEPT e a disforia. O uso de estabilizadores do humor atende às teorias fisiopatológicas atuais, mas mais estudos são necessários para comprovar a real eficácia dessas medicações no tratamento do TEPT “subtipo disfórico”.
Filicídio e psicose: relato de dois casos
Authors: Valença Alexandre Martins , Mecler Kátia , Telles Lisieux E. de Borba
Published: August 2017

Um indivíduo tem quatro vezes mais chance de ser vítima de homicídio no primeiro ano de vida. Este artigo apresenta definições de filicídio e relata dois casos de mulheres com transtornos psicóticos que tentaram assassinar seus filhos. É enfatizado o papel dos serviços de saúde mental no sentido de prevenir a perda de contato e a não aderência ao tratamento, que frequentemente precedem o homicídio cometido por pessoas com transtornos mentais graves.
Transtorno dissociativo de identidade (múltiplas personalidades): relato e estudo de caso
Authors: Santos Mirian Pezzini dos , Guarienti Lidiane Dotta , Santos Pedro Paim , Dal’pizol Adriana Denise
Published: August 2017

Na prática clínica, deparamo-nos com um grande número de pacientes vítimas de violência, sobretudo durante fases precoces do desenvolvimento, uma das causas centrais na etiologia dos transtornos dissociativos (ou transtorno de estresse pós-traumático complexo). Este artigo descreve o caso de um paciente diagnosticado com transtorno dissociativo de identidade após permanecer sintomático por 10 anos e comenta sobre o manejo e os desafios no tratamento desses pacientes.
Apresentação
Authors: Silva Antônio Geraldo da , Bueno João Romildo
Published: August 2017

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Mecanismos fisiopatológicos da associação entre depressão e síndrome coronariana aguda
Authors: Oliveira Norma Alves de , Filho José Augusto Soares Barreto , Oliveira Joselina Luzia Menezes de , Melo Enaldo Vieira de , Coelho Otávio Rizzi , Jorge Juliana Goes , Sousa Antônio Carlos Sobral
Published: August 2017

A depressão tem sido associada à síndrome coronariana aguda (SCA), agravando o prognóstico durante e após a internação, independentemente dos fatores de risco tradicionais. Apesar de estudos diversos enfatizarem a alta prevalência e o grande impacto no prognóstico, a depressão é subdiagnosticada e subtratada na maioria dos pacientes com SCA. Um dos desafios no contexto científico tem sido elucidar os mecanismos subjacentes, especialmente os psicossociais e os fisiopatológicos. Neste trabalho, fazemos uma revisão bibliográfica sobre os possíveis mecanismos fisiopatológicos implicados na associação entre depressão e SCA. Dentre os mecanismos fisiopatológicos, destacam-se a aterogênese inflamatória, os fatores imunológicos, o aumento da atividade plaquetária, a variação da frequência cardíaca, as alterações hematológicas, os fatores neuroendócrinos, as alterações estruturais decorrentes de anormalidades vasculares, como a desordem vascular disseminada, as alterações fibrinolíticas, os fatores genéticos, as diferenças entre os gêneros, as alterações hormonais e o tratamento farmacológico. Apesar do reconhecido efeito fisiopatológico da associação entre depressão e SCA, existe uma escassez de publicações dedicadas a estudar os mecanismos relacionados. A realização de mais estudos pode, no futuro, dar embasamento à comunidade científica para que a investigação da depressão faça parte do protocolo de exame e tratamento dos pacientes com SCA.
Síndrome de Cotard: a doença da imortalidade
Authors: Machado Liliane , Machado Leonardo
Published: August 2017

A síndrome de Cotard é uma condição rara caracterizada por melancolia ansiosa, delírios de não existência relativos ao próprio corpo e delírios de imortalidade. Neste artigo, relatamos o caso de um paciente do sexo masculino, com 66 anos de idade, com síndrome de Cotard refratária a psicofármacos e tratado com eletroconvulsoterapia. São discutidas algumas peculiaridades do manejo diagnóstico e terapêutico desta condição.
Mudanças apontadas no DSM-5 em relação aos transtornos específicos de aprendizagem em leitura e escrita
Authors: Mousinho Renata , Navas Ana Luiza
Published: August 2017

A publicação, em 2013, da 5ª edição do Manual Diagnóstico e Estatístico de Transtornos Mentais (DSM-5) trouxe mudanças importantes para a classificação dos transtornos do neurodesenvolvimento, em especial para os transtornos específicos de aprendizagem. O presente trabalho descreve criticamente as diferenças encontradas na versão mais recente em comparação à 4ª edição (DSM-IV). De forma geral, houve mudanças em relação aos critérios diagnósticos, à terminologia adotada, bem como à importante recomendação do emprego do paradigma de resposta à intervenção para confirmar a hipótese diagnóstica dos transtornos específicos de aprendizagem, como na dislexia.
Pródromos e estados de risco para transtorno bipolar: oportunidades para prevenção
Authors: Noto Mariane Nunes , Rios Adiel , Pedrini Mariana , Brietzke Elisa
Published: August 2017

O transtorno bipolar (TB) é uma doença psiquiátrica crônica e potencialmente grave. Nos últimos anos, pesquisas que focaram nas fases prodrômicas e iniciais do TB demonstraram que estratégias de detecção e intervenção precoces têm o potencial de atrasar, diminuir a severidade ou prevenir episódios completos do TB. Dessa forma, um novo caminho se apresenta para a clínica dos transtornos do humor, que passa não só a preocupar-se com o tratamento dos episódios de mania e depressão, como a buscar a detecção e o diagnóstico precoce e, fundamentalmente, a prevenção. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir dados da literatura sobre as fases iniciais do TB, os desafios da detecção precoce e as implicações desse enfoque para intervenções e manejo clínico antes ou logo após o desenvolvimento do primeiro episódio de mania, que marca, oficialmente, o início da doença.
A Review on Process Variables Effects of an Oral Dosage Form by Using “Quality by Design”
Authors: Bala Indu , Verma Suraj , Namdev Kuldeep
Published: August 2017

Quality by design is an important tool which used by pharmaceutical manufacturer with increased self-regulated flexibility
while maintaining best quality standards and fast production of the product. The concept of QBD was mentioned in the ICH
Q8 guidance, which elaborate that “quality cannot be tested into products, i.e., quality should be built in by design”. Under
the concept of QbD during designing and development of a product, a company needs to define desire product performance
profile [Target product Profile (TPP), Target Product Quality Profile (TPQP)] and identify critical quality attributed
(CQA).This paper discuss about the pharmaceutical quality by design and describes how it can be used to study the effect of
process parameters on quality attributes of oral dosage forms.
Estimation of Total Phenolics and Flavonoid Content and In-vitro Antioxidant Activity of Drypetes sepiaria Stem (Wight and Arn.) Pax and K. Hoffm.
Authors: M. Packia , D. Daffodil , S. Tresina , R. Mohan
Published: August 2017

The total phenolics, flavonoids and in vitro antioxidant activity of petroleum ether, benzene, ethyl acetate, methanol and ethanol extracts of stem of Drypetes sepiaria were determined using various antioxidant model systems viz, DPPH, hydroxyl, superoxide, ABTS and reducing power. Total phenolic content was estimated by Folin-Ciocalteau method. Flavonoids were determined by Aluminium chloride method. The total phenolics and flavonoids contents were found to be 0.81 g 100 g-1 and 1.12g 100 g-1 respectively in the methanol extract. Among the solvent tested, methanol and ethanol extracts of D. sepiaria stem showed potent in vitro antioxidant activities. This investigation explored that D. sepiaria stem is a potential source of natural antioxidant.
PENGGUNAAN DAN PERGESERAN BAHASA MASYARAKAT BELU DI KECAMATAN TASIFETO TIMUR (The Language Use and Language Shift of Belu Community at The East Tasifeto Districts)
Authors: Lestariningsih Dewi Nastiti
Published: August 2017

The result presented in this paper is the result of a survey conducted by Subbidang Tenaga Kebahasaan, Bidang Pembelajaran, Pusat Pembinaan, Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa in 2016. In general, the survey aims to provide an overview of the language situation that includes language attitude also a description of the use of Indonesian, local languages, and foreign languages in the border region of the NTT and Timor Leste. The survey on the use of the Indonesian language, local languages, and foreign languages is done by quantitative and qualitative methods based on a questionnaire of language use and language attitude. In general, language speakers in the district of Belu admit that their attitude show loyalty to the Indonesian. Based on the results of research, the Indonesian language use has been done in the formal situastion and public space. Another interesting thing that we have found in the language use is the language shift from local languages to Indonesian language. This is shown by the use of Indonesian language by the respondents (productive age) when communicating to their children at home. The factors influencing language shift due to social factors. The handling efforts tend to be the local language learning at home and the elementary level in school.
Occupational Health Hazards in Sanitary Workers of Chandrapur City, Central India
Authors: Patil Priyanka V. , Kamble R. K.
Published: August 2017

About 198 sanitary workers work in Chandrapur Municipal Corporation, out of which 20 workers (10% of the population) was selected as a sample size (all male workers). The study was carried out from November 2015 to January 2016. Occupational health hazards of these workers were analyzed through questionnaire survey and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) analysis. The results of the study showed that, these workers were exposed to a number of environmental and occupational hazards leading to musculoskeletal disorders (85%), exposure to harmful gases (65%), respiratory problems (45%), headache (40%), dermatological problem (35%), gastrointestinal (10%) and leptospirosis (10%) during work. It was further observed that the workers were suffering from cough and cold (90%), skin problems (50%), allergies (15%), malaria and typhoid (15%), bronchitis lung and asthmatic problems (10%) and hearing disorder (5%) etc. after completion of work. The PEFR values were lower in exposed workers. Reduction in PEFR values was directly proportional with exposure duration. To reduce occupational health hazards, workers must be made alert and aware of potential health risk arising from their work. Reduction in exposure and use of personal protective equipments such as face mask, gloves, gum boots, caps, apron etc. should be encouraged.International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-6, Issue-3, Jun-Aug 2017, page: 15-24
Soil Fertility Assessment and Mapping of Agricultural Research Station, Jaubari, Illam, Nepal
Authors: Khadka Dinesh , Lamichhane Sushil , Shrestha Keshav , Joshi Sushila , Karna Manoj , Pant Buddhi B. , Yadav Surendra
Published: August 2017

Soil fertility evaluation is a prerequisite factor for sustainable planning of a particular region. Considering this, a study was conducted to determine the soil fertility status of the Agricultural Research Station, Jaubari, Illam, Nepal. In total, 78 soil samples were collected using soil sampling auger randomly from a depth of 0-20 cm. The texture, pH, OM, N, P2O5, K2O, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn status of the samples were analyzed in the laboratory of Soil Science Division, Khumaltar by following standard analytical methods. The soil fertility maps of the observed parameters were prepared through Arc-GIS 10.1 software. The observed data revealed that soil was brown (10YR 4/3), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) in colour, and the structure was granular. Similarly, the sand, silt and clay content were 53.84±1.06%, 34.34±0.83% and 11.82±0.47%, respectively and were indicated as sandy loam and loam in texture. The soil was very acidic (pH 3.85±0.04), and very low in available boron (0.26±0.06mg/kg) and available sulphur (0.59±0.15mg/kg). The available calcium (188.7±31.30mg/kg), available magnesium (50.98±5.0mg/kg) and available manganese (5.16±0.90mg/kg) were low. Likewise, available potassium (110.91±7.30mg/kg), available zinc (1.19±0.31mg/kg) and available copper (0.95±0.05mg/kg) content were medium. Similarly, organic matter (7.88±0.32%), total nitrogen (0.27±0.01%) and available phosphorus (36.53±5.66mg/kg) were high, and available iron (39.5±2.17 mg/kg) was very high.  International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-6, Issue-3, Jun-Aug 2017, page: 46-70
Simulationsbasierte Konfiguration der Produktionsplanung und -steuerung
Authors: Dombrowski Uwe , Dix Yannick
Published: August 2017

Kurzfassung

Die Adaption der Produktionsplanung und -steuerung (PPS) an die unternehmensindividuellen Rahmenbedingungen stellt einen entscheidenden Wettbewerbsvorteil dar. Um auf Nachfrageschwankungen und wechselnde Auftragscharakteristika angemessen reagieren zu können, ist eine kontinuierliche Anpassung der PPS-Konfiguration erforderlich. Für die Identifikation effektiver Planungs- und Steuerungsansätze stellt die Ablaufsimulation ein wirkungsvolles Werkzeug bereit. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt einen Ansatz, um auf Basis derartiger Simulationsmodelle, Verbesserungspotenziale für die PPS-Konfiguration zu identifizieren. Die in einer Ablaufsimulation zu evaluierenden Potenziale sind hierbei das Ergebnis eines simulierten Verhandlungsprozesses intelligenter Objekte im Rahmen einer Agentenbasierten Simulation.
Gewinde-Wirbeln und Fräsen schwer zerspanbarer Werkstoffe
Authors: Schulze Volker , Sellmeier Volker , Abele Eberhard , Kannwischer Markus
Published: August 2017

Kurzfassung

In zwei Benchwerk-Forschungsprojekten haben Projektpartner aus Indus-trie und Wissenschaft in den vergangenen drei Jahren Hochleistungsfertigungsverfahren entwickelt, die sich insbesondere durch eine innovative Werkzeugtechnik auszeichnen. Dazu zählt zum einen das „Dreh-Wirbeln von Gewinden“ (Projekt GeWinDe), das vor allem mit geringem Werkzeugverschleiß und kurzen Fertigungszeiten punkten kann. Zum anderen lassen sich mithilfe eines neu entwickelten Zerspanungsverfahrens (Projekt SchwerSpan) Titanlegierungen effizient bearbeiten.
Intuitive Programmierung für die Mensch-Roboter-Kollaboration
Authors: Müller Nico , Wagner Maximilian , Heß Peter
Published: August 2017

Kurzfassung

Aufgrund des wachsenden Einsatzes von Prozessen, in denen Mensch und Roboter zusammen und ohne Schutzzaun interagieren, wächst die Zahl der zu programmierenden sicheren Roboter in der Industrie. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, ein Prinzip der einfachen Programmierung zu zeigen, sodass auch Facharbeiter ohne große Programmierkenntnisse eine Mensch-Roboter-Kollaboration (MRK) erstellen können. Es wird ein Baukastenprinzip vorgestellt, mit dem Mensch-Roboter-Interaktionen durch verschieden zusammengesetzte Bausteine aufgebaut beziehungsweise programmiert werden können. Zum Schluss verdeutlichen zwei Beispiele an einem Leichtbauroboter das ausgeführte Prinzip der Programmierung.
Risk of Thermal Cracking from Use of Lightweight Aggregate in Mass Concrete
Authors: Tankasala Aravind , Schindler Anton K. , Riding Kyle A.
Published: August 2017

This paper describes the results of a numerical investigation of incorporating lightweight aggregate (LWA) in mass concrete structures. Numerical simulation was performed with ConcreteWorks software on three rectangular piers for normal weight concrete, internally cured concrete, sand–lightweight concrete, and all–lightweight concrete. Results show that temperature differences greater than 35°F may not necessarily introduce thermal cracking in mass concrete made with LWA. Maximum core temperatures and temperature differences increased with decreasing concrete density; however, the cracking risk of the mass concrete elements decreased as a greater quantity of LWA was used, regardless of element size. This trend occurred because other properties, such as coefficient of thermal expansion, creep, modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, and geometrical conditions, influenced the risk of thermal cracking. Additionally, the identification of the cross-section locations involved in measuring the critical temperature difference in a mass concrete structure are presented. The results of this work can be helpful in identifying critical stress locations in cross sections and assessing the cracking risk for mass concrete structures. A temperature and stress analysis is recommended before mass concrete construction involving LWA is begun.
Comparative Study of Rebound Hammer, Nitto Hammer, and Pullout Tests to Estimate Concrete In-Place Strength by Using Random Sampling Analysis
Authors: Spalvier Agustin , Hall Kerry , Popovics John S.
Published: August 2017

The use of nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques to estimate concrete in-place strength has been broadly studied, with proof of their usefulness in complementing destructive testing (DT). However, the use of DT techniques still dominates. The main objective of this investigation was to compare the performance of three NDT techniques—the rebound hammer, Nitto hammer, and pullout tests—to determine in-place strength. NDT-versus-strength correlation curves were fit to data measured from thick concrete slabs. Strength was measured from cast-in-place cylinders. Analyses of NDT sensitivity, uncertainty, and variability are presented. A new parameter to quantify the performance of the NDT techniques is proposed. This parameter is the limit error between the measured and estimated strengths, which combine uncertainty and variability analyses. The analysis shows that the least limit error for predicting in-place strength was achieved by the rebound hammer test when one testing location was considered or by the pullout test for two or more testing locations.
Partial Sheehans Syndrome with Primary Hypothyroidism- A Delayed Diagnosis
Authors: Khan Nora Anwar , Ekram Rezaul , Mallick Pronob Kumar , Islam Mohammad Rafiqul , Amin Md Robed
Published: August 2017

In Sheehan;s syndrome hypopituitarism is caused by the ischemic damage to the pituitary following postpartum hemorrhage and vascular collapse. In Sheehan;s syndrome secondary hypothyroidism occurs. We report here a case of partial Sheehans syndrome with primary hypothyroidism with high anti thyroid antibody titre which is an uncommon association.J MEDICINE July 2017; 18 (2) : 115-118
Adaptive Virtual RSU Scheduling for Scalable Coverage under Bidirectional Vehicle Traffic Flow
Authors: Chen Fei , Bi Xiaohong , Lyu Ruimin , Hua Zhongwei , Liu Yuan , Zhang Xiaoting
Published: August 2017

Over the past decades, vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) have been a core networking technology to provide drivers and passengers with safety and convenience. As a new emerging technology, the vehicular cloud computing (VCC) can provide cloud services for various data-intensive applications in VANETs, such as multimedia streaming. However, the vehicle mobility and intermittent connectivity present challenges to the large-scale data dissemination with underlying computing and networking architecture. In this paper, we will explore the service scheduling of virtual RSUs for diverse request demands in the dynamic traffic flow in vehicular cloud environment. Specifically, we formulate the RSU allocation problem as maximum service capacity with multiple-source and multiple-destination, and propose a bidirectional RSU allocation strategy. In addition, we formulate the content replication in distributed RSUs as the minimum replication set coverage problem in a two-layer mapping model, and analyze the solutions in different scenarios. Numerical results further prove the superiority of our proposed solution, as well as the scalability to various traffic condition variations.
Progress in Integrative Biomaterial Systems to Approach Three-Dimensional Cell Mechanotransduction
Authors: Zhang Ying , Liao Kin , Li Chuan , Lai Alvin , Foo Ji-Jinn , Chan Vincent
Published: August 2017

Mechanotransduction between cells and the extracellular matrix regulates major cellular functions in physiological and pathological situations. The effect of mechanical cues on biochemical signaling triggered by cell–matrix and cell–cell interactions on model biomimetic surfaces has been extensively investigated by a combination of fabrication, biophysical, and biological methods. To simulate the in vivo physiological microenvironment in vitro, three dimensional (3D) microstructures with tailored bio-functionality have been fabricated on substrates of various materials. However, less attention has been paid to the design of 3D biomaterial systems with geometric variances, such as the possession of precise micro-features and/or bio-sensing elements for probing the mechanical responses of cells to the external microenvironment. Such precisely engineered 3D model experimental platforms pave the way for studying the mechanotransduction of multicellular aggregates under controlled geometric and mechanical parameters. Concurrently with the progress in 3D biomaterial fabrication, cell traction force microscopy (CTFM) developed in the field of cell biophysics has emerged as a highly sensitive technique for probing the mechanical stresses exerted by cells onto the opposing deformable surface. In the current work, we first review the recent advances in the fabrication of 3D micropatterned biomaterials which enable the seamless integration with experimental cell mechanics in a controlled 3D microenvironment. Then, we discuss the role of collective cell–cell interactions in the mechanotransduction of engineered tissue equivalents determined by such integrative biomaterial systems under simulated physiological conditions.
Comparative Degradation of a Thiazole Pollutant by an Advanced Oxidation Process and an Enzymatic Approach
Authors: Al-Maqdi Khadega A. , Hisaindee Soleiman M. , Rauf Muhammad A. , Ashraf Syed Salman
Published: August 2017

Organic pollutants, especially those found in water bodies, pose a direct threat to various aquatic organisms as well as humans. A variety of different remediation approaches, including chemical and biological methods, have been developed for the degradation of various organic pollutants. However, comparative mechanistic studies of pollutant degradation by these different systems are almost non-existent. In this study, the degradation of a model thiazole pollutant, thioflavin T (ThT), was carried out in the presence of either an advanced oxidation process (ultraviolet (UV) + H2O2) or a chloroperoxidase enzyme system (CPO + H2O2). The degradation was followed both spectrophotometrically and using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS), and the products formed were identified using tandem liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). The results show that the two remediation approaches produced different sets of intermediates, with only one common species (a demethylated form of ThT). This suggests that different degradation schemes were operating in the two systems. Interestingly, one of the major intermediates produced by the CPO + H2O2 system was a chlorinated form of thioflavin. Phytotoxicity studies showed that the CPO + H2O2-treated ThT solution was significantly (p <0.05) less toxic than the UV + H2O2-treated ThT solution. This is the first time that a comparative mechanistic study showing in detail the intermediates generated in chemical and biological remediation methods has been presented. Furthermore, the results show that different remediation systems have very different degradation schemes and result in products having different toxicities.
Rethinking Design and Urban Planning for the Cities of the Future
Authors: Saaty Thomas , De Paola Pierfrancesco
Published: August 2017

Growth of urban areas and abandonment of rural areas are phenomena that increase quickly. The main consequences of urbanization are pollution, consumption of resources and energy, waste dumps, and junk yards. These aspects require a better planning and design of European urban metropolitan areas, considering benefits, opportunities, costs and risks (B.O.C.R.), derivable by urban transformations and available resources. The paper consists of five parts. The first part contains some reflections on consequences of urban sprawl. In the second part, some possible kinds of cities are discussed (sustainable city, smart city, and compact city). The third part briefly describes a multicriteria decision-making approach known as the ‘analytic hierarchy process’ to deal with complex decisions. In the fourth part, alternative city models are analyzed (compact city, elevated city, green house city, and water city). Finally, in the fifth part, the criteria selected for the planning and design of the alternative city models are used for the prioritization of some European cities.
Cross-Aldol Condensation of Acetone and n-Butanol into Aliphatic Ketones over Supported Cu Catalysts on Ceria-Zirconia
Authors: Kim Minseok , Park Jongha , Kannapu Hari Prasad Reddy , Suh Young-Woong
Published: August 2017

A long-chain hydrocarbon biofuel of jet fuel range can be produced via aldol condensation of fermented products such as acetone and alcohols over the catalysts containing both metallic sites for the dehydrogenation of alcohols and basic sites for the condensation reaction. However, an efficient catalyst system has not been studied widely yet the route is promising for biofuel production. In this work, Cu catalysts supported on ceria-zirconia (Cu/xCeZr) were prepared using coprecipitated CexZr1-xO2 supports with different Ce/Zr ratios for the cross-aldol condensation of acetone and n-butanol into mono- and di-alkylated aliphatic ketones, 2-heptanone and 6-undecanone. The acetone conversion and 6-undecanone selectivity increased with specific Cu surface area due to formation of the dehydrogenation product butyraldehyde at a higher concentration. The total yield of cross-aldol condensation products was strongly dependent on a combination of Cu sites and basic sites. This was confirmed by the results in the reaction between acetone and butyraldehyde over supported Cu catalysts that additionally examined the adsorbed acyl species on Cu surface taking part in the aldol condensation reaction. The best catalytic performance was achieved with Cu/0.8CeZr showing the largest Cu surface and the highest base site density among Cu/xCeZr catalysts. While the activity of Cu/0.8CeZ was comparable to or a little higher than that of Cu/MgO, the former catalyst was more stable than the latter suffering from the transformation of MgO to Mg(OH)2 by the reaction. Consequently, it is suggested that Cu supported on ceria-zirconia of ceria rich contains such a dual function that it can efficiently catalyze the cross-aldol condensation of acetone and n-butanol.
Diagnostic Approach to Pulmonary Hypertension in Premature Neonates
Authors: Kumar Vasantha
Published: August 2017

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a form of chronic lung disease in premature infants following respiratory distress at birth. With increasing survival of extremely low birth weight infants, alveolar simplification is the defining lung characteristic of infants with BPD, and along with pulmonary hypertension, increasingly contributes to both respiratory morbidity and mortality in these infants. Growth restricted infants, infants born to mothers with oligohydramnios or following prolonged preterm rupture of membranes are at particular risk for early onset pulmonary hypertension. Altered vascular and alveolar growth particularly in canalicular and early saccular stages of lung development following mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy, results in developmental lung arrest leading to BPD with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Early recognition of PH in infants with risk factors is important for optimal management of these infants. Screening tools for early diagnosis of PH are evolving; however, echocardiography is the mainstay for non-invasive diagnosis of PH in infants. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance are being used as imaging modalities, however their role in improving outcomes in these patients is uncertain. Follow-up of infants at risk for PH will help not only in early diagnosis, but also in appropriate management of these infants. Aggressive management of lung disease, avoidance of hypoxemic episodes, and optimal nutrition determine the progression of PH, as epigenetic factors may have significant effects, particularly in growth-restricted infants. Infants with diagnosis of PH are managed with pulmonary vasodilators and those resistant to therapy need to be worked up for the presence of cardio-vascular anomalies. The management of infants and toddlers with PH, especially following premature birth is an emerging field. Nonetheless, combination therapies in a multi-disciplinary setting improves outcomes for these infants.
Incorporating Oxygen-Enhanced MRI into Multi-Parametric Assessment of Human Prostate Cancer
Authors: Zhou Heling , Hallac Rami , Yuan Qing , Ding Yao , Zhang Zhongwei , Xie Xian-Jin , Francis Franto , Roehrborn Claus , Sims R. , Costa Daniel , Raj Ganesh , Mason Ralph
Published: August 2017

Hypoxia is associated with prostate tumor aggressiveness, local recurrence, and biochemical failure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers insight into tumor pathophysiology and recent reports have related transverse relaxation rate (R2*) and longitudinal relaxation rate (R1) measurements to tumor hypoxia. We have investigated the inclusion of oxygen-enhanced MRI for multi-parametric evaluation of tumor malignancy. Multi-parametric MRI sequences at 3 Tesla were evaluated in 10 patients to investigate hypoxia in prostate cancer prior to radical prostatectomy. Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD), tissue oxygen level dependent (TOLD), dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE), and diffusion weighted imaging MRI were intercorrelated and compared with the Gleason score. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was significantly lower in tumor than normal prostate. Baseline R2* (BOLD-contrast) was significantly higher in tumor than normal prostate. Upon the oxygen breathing challenge, R2* decreased significantly in the tumor tissue, suggesting improved vascular oxygenation, however changes in R1 were minimal. R2* of contralateral normal prostate decreased in most cases upon oxygen challenge, although the differences were not significant. Moderate correlation was found between ADC and Gleason score. ADC and R2* were correlated and trends were found between Gleason score and R2*, as well as maximum-intensity-projection and area-under-the-curve calculated from DCE. Tumor ADC and R2* have been associated with tumor hypoxia, and thus the correlations are of particular interest. A multi-parametric approach including oxygen-enhanced MRI is feasible and promises further insights into the pathophysiological information of tumor microenvironment.
Investigating the Relationship between Classification Quality and SMT Performance in Discriminative Reordering Models
Authors: Kazemi Arefeh , Toral Antonio , Way Andy , Monadjemi Amirhassan , Nematbakhsh Mohammadali
Published: August 2017

Reordering is one of the most important factors affecting the quality of the output in statistical machine translation (SMT). A considerable number of approaches that proposed addressing the reordering problem are discriminative reordering models (DRM). The core component of the DRMs is a classifier which tries to predict the correct word order of the sentence. Unfortunately, the relationship between classification quality and ultimate SMT performance has not been investigated to date. Understanding this relationship will allow researchers to select the classifier that results in the best possible MT quality. It might be assumed that there is a monotonic relationship between classification quality and SMT performance, i.e., any improvement in classification performance will be monotonically reflected in overall SMT quality. In this paper, we experimentally show that this assumption does not always hold, i.e., an improvement in classification performance might actually degrade the quality of an SMT system, from the point of view of MT automatic evaluation metrics. However, we show that if the improvement in the classification performance is high enough, we can expect the SMT quality to improve as well. In addition to this, we show that there is a negative relationship between classification accuracy and SMT performance in imbalanced parallel corpora. For these types of corpora, we provide evidence that, for the evaluation of the classifier, macro-averaged metrics such as macro-averaged F-measure are better suited than accuracy, the metric commonly used to date.
Whole Genome Sequencing Revealed Mutations in Two Independent Genes as the Underlying Cause of Retinal Degeneration in an Ashkenazi Jewish Pedigree
Authors: Gustafson Kevin , Duncan Jacque , Biswas Pooja , Soto-Hermida Angel , Matsui Hiroko , Jakubosky David , Suk John , Telenti Amalio , Frazer Kelly , Ayyagari Radha
Published: August 2017

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) causes progressive photoreceptor loss resulting from mutations in over 80 genes. This study identified the genetic cause of RP in three members of a non-consanguineous pedigree. Detailed ophthalmic evaluation was performed in the three affected family members. Whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) were performed in the three affected and the two unaffected family members and variants were filtered to detect rare, potentially deleterious variants segregating with disease. WES and WGS did not identify potentially pathogenic variants shared by all three affected members. However, WES identified a previously reported homozygous nonsense mutation in KIZ (c.226C>T, p.Arg76*) in two affected sisters, but not in their affected second cousin. WGS revealed a novel 1.135 kb homozygous deletion in a retina transcript of C21orf2 and a novel 30.651 kb heterozygous deletion in CACNA2D4 in the affected second cousin. The sisters with the KIZ mutation carried no copies of the C21orf2 or CACNA2D4 deletions, while the second cousin with the C21orf2 and CACNA2D4 deletions carried no copies of the KIZ mutation. This study identified two independent, homozygous mutations in genes previously reported in autosomal recessive RP in a non-consanguineous family, and demonstrated the value of WGS when WES fails to identify likely disease-causing mutations.
Two Archaeal RecJ Nucleases from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii Show Reverse Hydrolysis Polarity: Implication to Their Unique Function in Archaea
Authors: Yi Gang-Shun , Song Yang , Wang Wei-Wei , Chen Jia-Nan , Deng Wei , Cao Weiguo , Wang Feng-Ping , Xiao Xiang , Liu Xi-Peng
Published: August 2017

Bacterial nuclease RecJ, which exists in almost all bacterial species, specifically degrades single-stranded (ss) DNA in the 5′ to 3′ direction. Some archaeal phyla, except Crenarchaea, also encode RecJ homologs. Compared with bacterial RecJ, archaeal RecJ exhibits a largely different amino acid sequence and domain organization. Archaeal RecJs from Thermococcus kodakarensis and Pyrococcus furiosus show 5′→3′ exonuclease activity on ssDNA. Interestingly, more than one RecJ exists in some Euryarchaeota classes, such as Methanomicrobia, Methanococci, Methanomicrobia, Methanobacteria, and Archaeoglobi. Here we report the biochemical characterization of two RecJs from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, the long RecJ1 (MJ0977) and short RecJ2 (MJ0831) to understand their enzymatic properties. RecJ1 is a 5′→3′ exonuclease with a preference to ssDNA; however, RecJ2 is a 3′→5′ exonuclease with a preference to ssRNA. The 5′ terminal phosphate promotes RecJ1 activity, but the 3′ terminal phosphate inhibits RecJ2 nuclease. Go-Ichi-Ni-San (GINS) complex does not interact with two RecJs and does not promote their nuclease activities. Finally, we discuss the diversity, function, and molecular evolution of RecJ in archaeal taxonomy. Our analyses provide insight into the function and evolution of conserved archaeal RecJ/eukaryotic Cdc45 protein.
Arabidopsis E3 Ubiquitin Ligases PUB22 and PUB23 Negatively Regulate Drought Tolerance by Targeting ABA Receptor PYL9 for Degradation
Authors: Zhao Jinfeng , Zhao Linlin , Zhang Ming , Zafar Syed , Fang Jingjing , Li Ming , Zhang Wenhui , Li Xueyong
Published: August 2017

Drought causes osmotic stress and rapidly triggers abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in plants. The roles of various ABA receptors in drought tolerance and molecular mechanisms regulating ABA receptor stability needs to be elucidated. Here, we report that Arabidopsis plants overexpressing PYL9, one of the 14 pyrabactin resistance (PYR)/pyrabactin resistance-like (PYL)/regulatory component of ABA receptors (RCAR) family ABA receptors, gained drought tolerance trait. Osmotic stress induced accumulation of the PYL9 protein, which was regulated by the 26S proteasome. PYL9 interacted with two highly homologous plant U-box E3 ubiquitin ligases PUB22 and PUB23. In the cell-free degradation assay, the degradation of GST-PYL9 was accelerated in protein extract from plants overexpressing PUB22 but slowed down in protein extract from the pub22 pub23 double mutant. The in vivo decay of Myc-PYL9 was significantly reduced in the pub22 pub23 double mutant as compared with the wild-type. Additionally, PUB22 also interacted with other ABA receptors such as PYL5, PYL7 and PYL8. Considering the improved drought tolerance in the pub22 pub23 double mutant in previous studies, our results suggest that PUB22 and PUB23 negatively regulate drought tolerance in part by facilitating ABA receptors degradation.
Web Apps Come of Age for Molecular Sciences
Authors: Abriata Luciano
Published: August 2017

Whereas server-side programs are essential to maintain databases and run data analysis pipelines and simulations, client-side web-based computing tools are also important as they allow users to access, visualize and analyze the content delivered to their devices on-the-fly and interactively. This article reviews the best-established tools for in-browser plugin-less programming, including JavaScript as used in HTML5 as well as related web technologies. Through examples based on JavaScript libraries, web applets, and even full web apps, either alone or coupled to each other, the article puts on the spotlight the potential of these technologies for carrying out numerical calculations, text processing and mining, retrieval and analysis of data through queries to online databases and web services, effective visualization of data including 3D visualization and even virtual and augmented reality; all of them in the browser at relatively low programming effort, with applications in cheminformatics, structural biology, biophysics, and genomics, among other molecular sciences.
Efficiency of Conservation Agriculture Production Systems for Smallholders in Rain-Fed Uplands of India: A Transformative Approach to Food Security
Authors: Chan Catherine , Sipes Brent , Ayman Abouzeid , Zhang Xu , LaPorte Patricia , Fernandes Fellipe , Pradhan Aliza , Chan-Dentoni Jacqueline , Roul Pravat
Published: August 2017

With challenges from global climate change, it is imperative to enhance food production using climate-smart technologies and maximize farm efficiency. Fifty-six households in Rudhiapada and Badamahulidiha, Odisha, India were selected to evaluate farmers’ efficiency using conservation agriculture (CA) cropping system practices. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and regression analysis were used to estimate farmer efficiency and the determinants of yield. Conventional tillage with the local maize cultivar was compared to reduced tillage with improved maize cultivar and maize intercropped with cowpea. Badamahulidiha outperformed Rudhiapada in yields for all cropping systems. This could be attributed to lower input use and exposure to NGO training. The current efficiency level of farmers’ productivity was between 0.4 and 0.7. Inputs such as labor, seed, and fertilizers were found to be significant in increasing yield except for female labor and phosphate. This finding suggests conservation agriculture cropping system is female friendly. The conservation agriculture cropping systems improved maize yields by 60% to 70% when compared to conventional farming system. Combining conservation agriculture practices with improving efficiency of farmers in optimal use of the inputs can contribute substantially to productivity, thus enhancing food security and nutrition in the face of climate change in India and other tropical areas.
Exploring the Effects of Argon Plasma Treatment on Plasmon Frequency and the Chemiresistive Properties of Polymer-Carbon Nanotube Metacomposite
Authors: Rivera Manuel , Rahaman Mostafizur , Aldalbahi Ali , Velázquez Rafael , Zhou Andrew , Feng Peter
Published: August 2017

Metacomposites, composite materials exhibiting negative permittivity, represent an opportunity to create materials with depressed plasmon frequency without the need to create complex structural geometries. Although many reports exist on the synthesis and characterizations of metacomposites, very few have ventured into exploring possible applications that could take advantage of the unique electrical properties of these materials. In this article, we report on the chemiresistive properties of a polymer-CNT metacomposite and explore how these are affected by Argon plasma treatment.
Novel Approach in the Use of Plasma Spray: Preparation of Bulk Titanium for Bone Augmentations
Authors: Fousova Michaela , Vojtech Dalibor , Jablonska Eva , Fojt Jaroslav , Lipov Jan
Published: August 2017

Thermal plasma spray is a common, well-established technology used in various application fields. Nevertheless, in our work, this technology was employed in a completely new way; for the preparation of bulk titanium. The aim was to produce titanium with properties similar to human bone to be used for bone augmentations. Titanium rods sprayed on a thin substrate wire exerted a porosity of about 15%, which yielded a significant decrease of Young′s modulus to the bone range and provided rugged topography for enhanced biological fixation. For the first verification of the suitability of the selected approach, tests of the mechanical properties in terms of compression, bending, and impact were carried out, the surface was characterized, and its compatibility with bone cells was studied. While preserving a high enough compressive strength of 628 MPa, the elastic modulus reached 11.6 GPa, thus preventing a stress-shielding effect, a generally known problem of implantable metals. U-2 OS and Saos-2 cells derived from bone osteosarcoma grown on the plasma-sprayed surface showed good viability.
Isolation, Characterization and Bioactivities of an Extracellular Polysaccharide Produced from Streptomyces sp. MOE6
Authors: Elnahas Marwa , Amin Magdy , Hussein Mohamed , Shanbhag Vinit , Ali Amal , Wall Judy
Published: August 2017

A Streptomyces strain was isolated from soil and the sequence of 1471 nucleotides of its 16S rDNA showed 99% identity to Streptomyces sp. HV10. This newly isolated Streptomyces strain produced an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) composed mainly of glucose and mannose in a ratio of 1:4.1, as was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), HPLC and 1H-NMR. The antioxidant activities of the partially purified MOE6-EPS were determined by measuring the hydroxyl free radical scavenging activity and the scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. In addition, the partially purified MOE6-EPS showed high ferrous ion (Fe2+) chelation activity which is another antioxidant activity. Interestingly, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays that were colorimetric assays for NAD(P)H-dependent cellular oxidoreductases and a proxy of the number of viable cells, showed that the partially purified MOE6-EPS inhibited the proliferation of the human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231). The scratch wound assay showed that MOE6-EPS reduced the migration of mouse breast cancer cells (4T1). This study reports the production of EPS from Streptomyces species with promising antioxidant, metal chelating and mammalian cell inhibitory activities.
A Vote for School Lunches: School Lunches Provide Superior Nutrient Quality than Lunches Obtained from Other Sources in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Children
Authors: Vernarelli Jacqueline , O’Brien Brady
Published: August 2017

Childhood obesity is an ongoing public health program. As such, a major public health research objective is to identify potential targets for intervention; one such area is school lunches (SL). The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) serves over 31 million children each day; the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is uniquely positioned to allow researchers to assess diet quality in federal nutrition assistance programs. The objective of the study was to investigate whether lunches provided by schools provide different nutritional value than lunches obtained elsewhere. In a nationally representative sample of 2190 children, consumption of a school-provided lunch (SL) was associated with greater nutritional quality compared to lunches obtained elsewhere across both age and income categories. Children who were eligible for no-cost school lunch, but did not participate in the NSLP consumed approximately 60% more energy, 58% more total fat, 60% more saturated fat, 50% more solid fat, 61% more sodium, double the amount of added sugars and less than half the amount of fruit than NSLP participants (all p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that though widely criticized, school lunches provide superior nutrient quality than lunches obtained from other sources, particularly for low-income children.
The Lipid Raft Proteome of African Trypanosomes Contains Many Flagellar Proteins
Authors: Sharma Aabha , Olson Cheryl , Engman David
Published: August 2017

Lipid rafts are liquid-ordered membrane microdomains that form by preferential association of 3-β-hydroxysterols, sphingolipids and raft-associated proteins often having acyl modifications. We isolated lipid rafts of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei and determined the protein composition of lipid rafts in the cell. This analysis revealed a striking enrichment of flagellar proteins and several putative signaling proteins in the lipid raft proteome. Calpains and intraflagellar transport proteins, in particular, were found to be abundant in the lipid raft proteome. These findings provide additional evidence supporting the notion that the eukaryotic cilium/flagellum is a lipid raft-enriched specialized structure with high concentrations of sterols, sphingolipids and palmitoylated proteins involved in environmental sensing and cell signaling.