bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rediscovery of the hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal after three decades
Authors: Khadka Bed Bahadur , Yadav Bhupendra Prasad , Aryal Nurendra , Aryal Achyut
Published: November 2017

SummaryThe critical endangered hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) was first recorded as present in Chitwan, Bardiya and Shuklaphanta National Parks of Nepal in 1984. Since then, the species was recorded only in Bardiya and Suklaphanta National Parks. For more than three decades, it had not been observed in Chitwan National Park (CNP), where it was consequently considered extinct. In January 2016, a new recording for the hispid hare took place in CNP, placing that rare mammal again within CNP mammal assemblages. We reported the first photographic confirmation of the presence (30 Jan 2016) of the species in the CNP after 1984. The presence of hispid hare is confined to isolate patched of grassland of the national park. The population of the hispid hare is rapidly declining due to anthropogenic pressure and grassland fire from its distributed range (only found in Nepal, India, and Bhutan). Therefore, further study about their presence-absence, population status need to do throughout the grassland of the low land of Nepal including the newly rediscovering park.CitationKhadka BD, Yadav BP, Aryal N, Aryal A (2017) Rediscovery of the hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal after three decades. Conservation Science, 1: 10-12
Mining association rules on Big Data through MapReduce genetic programming
Authors: Padillo F. , Luna J.M. , Herrera F. , Ventura S.
Published: November 2017

Association rule mining is one of the most important tasks to describe raw data. Although many efficient algorithms have been developed to this aim, existing algorithms do not work well on huge volumes of data. The aim of this paper is to propose a new genetic programming algorithm for mining association rules in Big Data. The genetic operators of our proposal have been specifically designed to avoid a growing in the complexity of the solutions without an improvement in their fitness function values. Furthermore, it introduces a repairing operator to improve the convergence. Additionally, to facilitate its application on real world problems a grammar has been included, allowing it to introduce subjective knowledge into the mining process and to reduce the search space. Due to the growing interest in data gathering, a unique implementation of the proposed algorithm is not useful so different implementations (considering different architectures such as RMI, Hadoop and Spark) are required depending on the data size. All these adaptations obtain exactly the same solutions as those of the original algorithm since they only differ on the software architectures. The experimental study considers more than 75 datasets and 14 algorithms and the results reveal that the proposed algorithm obtains excellent results for more than 12 quality measures. The scalability of the proposal is also analyzed by considering the three parallel implementations on high dimensional datasets (3,000 millions of instances) and file sizes up to 800 GB.
Disorders of metal metabolism
Authors: Ferreira Carlos R. , Gahl William A.
Published: November 2017

Trace elements are chemical elements needed in minute amounts for normal physiology. Some of the physiologically relevant trace elements include iodine, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, selenium, cobalt and molybdenum. Of these, some are metals, and in particular, transition metals. The different electron shells of an atom carry different energy levels, with those closest to the nucleus being lowest in energy. The number of electrons in the outermost shell determines the reactivity of such an atom. The electron shells are divided in sub-shells, and in particular the third shell has s, p and d sub-shells. Transition metals are strictly defined as elements whose atom has an incomplete d sub-shell. This incomplete d sub-shell makes them prone to chemical reactions, particularly redox reactions. Transition metals of biologic importance include copper, iron, manganese, cobalt and molybdenum. Zinc is not a transition metal, since it has a complete d sub-shell. Selenium, on the other hand, is strictly speaking a nonmetal, although given its chemical properties between those of metals and nonmetals, it is sometimes considered a metalloid. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the inborn errors of metal and metalloid metabolism.
Sengers syndrome in Asian Indians – two novel mutations and variant phenotype-genotype correlation
Authors: Khatter Sangeeta , Puri Ratna Dua , Bijarnia-Mahay Sunita , Aggarwal Mridul , Ramprasad V.L. , Saxena Renu , Verma Ishwar C.
Published: November 2017

Sengers syndrome is an autosomal recessive mitochondrial disease comprising a tetrad of congenital cataract, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy and lactic acidosis. Mutations in the AGK gene cause Senger syndrome. We describe two unrelated Asian Indian families with two novel mutations, c.909 G>A (p.Trp303Ter) and c.982G>T (p.E328Ter), in the AGK gene. Similar nonsense mutations have previously been reported with a severe phenotype and early infantile death, while this patient is doing well at 3 years, suggesting a mild phenotype.

The second child tested positive for two previously reported mutations, c.841C>T (p.Arg281Ter) and c.424-3C>G. The presence of a splice site mutation typically predicts a milder phenotype with one exception reported to date. The second patient we report died at 9 months of age adding to the one previously reported exception.

Both these cases add onto the scant literature of genotype phenotype correlation in Sengers syndrome. We emphasize the importance of diagnosis of this clinically recognizable syndrome to counsel families of recurrence risks and option of prenatal diagnosis.
KCNMA1 mutation in children with paroxysmal dyskinesia and epilepsy: Case report and literature review
Authors: Wang Jiaping , Yu Shujie , Zhang Qingping , Chen Yan , Bao Xinhua , Wu Xiru
Published: November 2017

Patients with KCNMA1 gene mutation present with paroxysmal dyskinesia and/or epilepsy. We describe a male with heterozygous mutation c.3158A>G, (p.N1053S) in KCNMA1 gene, displaying paroxysmal dyskinesia and moderate mental retardation. We also review 20 reported cases with KCNMA1 mutation. We summarize that there is clinical heterogeneity in these patients. The onset age of episodic events ranges from 20 days to 15 years old. 6/21 (29%) patients merely had epilepsy, 10/21(48%) patients had paroxysmal dyskinesia only, and 5/21 (24%) had both epilepsy and paroxysmal dyskinesia. Seizure types were various, including absence, generalized tonic–clonic seizures, and myoclonic seizures. Paroxysmal dyskinesia was nonkinesigenic, but can be induced by alcohol, fatigue or stress. Most patients had variable degrees of mental retardation. The clinical outlook for this condition is in general not good. Epilepsy or non-epileptic events were resistant in most patients. Most patients presented with mild to severe intellectual disability and developmental delay.
Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Anaerobic Bacteria: Rubik’s Cube of Clinical Microbiology?
Authors: Gajdács Márió , Spengler Gabriella , Urbán Edit
Published: November 2017

Anaerobic bacteria have pivotal roles in the microbiota of humans and they are significant infectious agents involved in many pathological processes, both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Their isolation, cultivation and correct identification differs significantly from the workup of aerobic species, although the use of new technologies (e.g., matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, whole genome sequencing) changed anaerobic diagnostics dramatically. In the past, antimicrobial susceptibility of these microorganisms showed predictable patterns and empirical therapy could be safely administered but recently a steady and clear increase in the resistance for several important drugs (β-lactams, clindamycin) has been observed worldwide. For this reason, antimicrobial susceptibility testing of anaerobic isolates for surveillance purposes or otherwise is of paramount importance but the availability of these testing methods is usually limited. In this present review, our aim was to give an overview of the methods currently available for the identification (using phenotypic characteristics, biochemical testing, gas-liquid chromatography, MALDI-TOF MS and WGS) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (agar dilution, broth microdilution, disk diffusion, gradient tests, automated systems, phenotypic and molecular resistance detection techniques) of anaerobes, when should these methods be used and what are the recent developments in resistance patterns of anaerobic bacteria.
Kaxiras’s Porphyrin: DFT Modeling of Redox-Tuned Optical and Electronic Properties in a Theoretically Designed Catechol-Based Bioinspired Platform
Authors: Crescenzi Orlando , D’Ischia Marco , Napolitano Alessandra
Published: November 2017

A detailed computational investigation of the 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI)-based porphyrin-type tetramer first described by Kaxiras as a theoretical structural model for eumelanin biopolymers is reported herein, with a view to predicting the technological potential of this unique bioinspired tetracatechol system. All possible tautomers/conformers, as well as alternative protonation states, were explored for the species at various degrees of oxidation and all structures were geometry optimized at the density functional theory (DFT) level. Comparison of energy levels for each oxidized species indicated a marked instability of most oxidation states except the six-electron level, and an unexpected resilience to disproportionation of the one-electron oxidation free radical species. Changes in the highest energy occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)–lowest energy unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gaps with oxidation state and tautomerism were determined along with the main electronic transitions: more or less intense absorption in the visible region is predicted for most oxidized species. Data indicated that the peculiar symmetry of the oxygenation pattern pertaining to the four catechol/quinone/quinone methide moieties, in concert with the NH centers, fine-tunes the optical and electronic properties of the porphyrin system. For several oxidation levels, conjugated systems extending over two or more indole units play a major role in determining the preferred tautomeric state: thus, the highest stability of the six-electron oxidation state reflects porphyrin-type aromaticity. These results provide new clues for the design of innovative bioinspired optoelectronic materials.
Role of Immunological Memory Cells as a Therapeutic Target in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Bose Tanima
Published: November 2017

Pharmacological targeting of memory cells is an attractive treatment strategy in various autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Multiple sclerosis is the most common inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system, characterized by focal immune cell infiltration, activation of microglia and astrocytes, along with progressive damage to myelin sheaths, axons, and neurons. The current review begins with the identification of memory cell types in the previous literature and a recent description of the modulation of these cell types in T, B, and resident memory cells in the presence of different clinically approved multiple sclerosis drugs. Overall, this review paper tries to determine the potential of memory cells to act as a target for the current or newly-developed drugs.
On Work and Heat in Time-Dependent Strong Coupling
Authors: Aurell Erik
Published: November 2017

This paper revisits the classical problem of representing a thermal bath interacting with a system as a large collection of harmonic oscillators initially in thermal equilibrium. As is well known, the system then obeys an equation, which in the bulk and in the suitable limit tends to the Kramers–Langevin equation of physical kinetics. I consider time-dependent system-bath coupling and show that this leads to an additional harmonic force acting on the system. When the coupling is switched on and switched off rapidly, the force has delta-function support at the initial and final time. I further show that the work and heat functionals as recently defined in stochastic thermodynamics at strong coupling contain additional terms depending on the time derivative of the system-bath coupling. I discuss these terms and show that while they can be very large if the system-bath coupling changes quickly, they only give a finite contribution to the work that enters in Jarzynski’s equality. I also discuss that these corrections to standard work and heat functionals provide an explanation for non-standard terms in the change of the von Neumann entropy of a quantum bath interacting with a quantum system found in an earlier contribution (Aurell and Eichhorn, 2015).
Urban Climate Vulnerability in Cambodia: A Case Study in Koh Kong Province
Authors: Sa Kimleng
Published: November 2017

This study investigates an urban climate vulnerability in Cambodia by constructing an index to compare three different communes, Smach Meanchey, Daun Tong, and Steong Veng, located in the Khemarak Phoumin district, Koh Kong province. It is found that Daun Tong commune is the most vulnerable location among the three communes, followed by Steong Veng. Besides, vulnerability as Expected Poverty (VEP) is used to measure the vulnerability to poverty, that is, the probability of a household income to fall below the poverty line, as it captures the impact of shocks can be conducted in the cross-sectional study. It applies two poverty thresholds: the national poverty line after taking into account the inflation rate and the international poverty line defined by the World Bank, to look into its sensitivity. By using the national poverty line, the study reveals that more than one-fourth of households are vulnerable to poverty, while the international poverty threshold shows that approximately one-third of households are in peril. With low levels of income inequality, households are not highly sensitive to poverty; however, both poverty thresholds point out that the current urban poor households are more vulnerable than non-poor families.
Sliding Mode Control of DFIG Wind Turbines with a Fast Exponential Reaching Law
Authors: Xiong Linyun , Li Penghan , Li Hao , Wang Jie
Published: November 2017

This paper proposes a novel sliding mode control (SMC) technique for doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) based on the fast exponential reaching law (FERL). The proposed FERL-based SMC is capable of reducing to a large extent the chattering phenomena existing in the sliding stage. Meanwhile, the reaching stage is accelerated with the introduction of an adaptive gain. The proposed method is employed in a DFIG-based wind energy conversion system (WECS) for direct power control (DPC). The FERL-based DPC approach is tested with simulations conducted in Matlab/Simulink under the scenarios of unbalanced grid voltage, grid fault conditions and highly unstable wind speed accompanied by an experimental study. The simulations and experimental results reveal the better performance of the proposed control method in active/reactive power tracking and dc-link voltage maintenance.
Evaluation of Electrical Tree Degradation in Cross-Linked Polyethylene Cable Using Weibull Process of Propagation Time
Authors: Jang Donguk , Park Seonghee
Published: November 2017

The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate electrical tree degradation for cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation for three difference models. In order to show the distribution characteristics using phase resolved partial discharge (PD), we acquire data by using a PD detecting system. These acquired data presented four 2D distributions such as phase angle-average discharge distribution, pulse magnitude-pulse number distribution, phase angle-pulse number distribution, and phase angle-maximum discharge derived from the distribution of PD. From the analysis of these distributions, each of the tree models are proved to hold its unique characteristics and the results were then applied as basic specific qualities. In order to evaluate the progresses of an electrical tree, we proposed methods using parameters by means of Weibull distribution to the time of tree propagation. We measured the time of tree propagation for 16 specimens of each artificial tree models from initiation stage, middle stage, and final stage respectively, using these breakdown data, we estimated the shape parameter, scale parameter, and mean time to failure. It is possible to analyze the difference in lifetime between the initial stage, the middle stage, and the final stage, and could be used to predict the lifetime of an XLPE cable from these results.
Harmonic Adaptability Remote Testing Method for Offshore Wind Turbines
Authors: Jiang Zimin , Li Changgang , Liu Xiaohao , Liu Yutian , Wang Ruiming
Published: November 2017

Harmonic adaptability (HA) capability is required for large-scale onshore and offshore wind turbines (WTs) connected to the grid. To ensure that the distortion of the harmonic voltage at the grid access point generated by grid simulator is in accordance with the required value, this paper proposes an on-site HA remote testing method for offshore WTs to eliminate submarine cable effects. The deviation compensation method detects the integer harmonic voltage distortion based on instantaneous reactive power theory, and the deviation from the required value is compensated by series active power filter. In order to further reduce the capacity of the designed device, integer harmonics close to the resonant frequency are suppressed by the selective harmonic damping (SHD) method initially. Owing to the attenuation of extreme amplification, the deviation determining the equipment capacity is decreased correspondingly. As a small synthesized impedance working for the selected frequency can suppress the amplification significantly, a low power ratings design for the SHD method can be achieved, and undesired resonance can be avoided. Simulation results indicate that the proposed method can make the harmonic distortion within the error tolerance.
Urban Floods Adaptation and Sustainable Drainage Measures
Authors: Ramos Helena , Pérez-Sánchez Modesto , Franco A. , López-Jiménez P.
Published: November 2017

Sustainability is crucial to the urban zones, especially related to the water management, which is vulnerable to flood occurrence. This research applies the procedure contemplated by the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) to determine the generated volumes when the impervious areas can exceed the drainage capacity of existing pluvial water networks. Several computational simulations were developed for the current scenario of an existing basin in Lisbon. Using CivilStorm software from Bentley Systems (Bentley EMEA, Bentley Systems International Limited, Dublin, Ireland), it enabled the evaluation of the volumes of flood peaks and the hydraulic behavior of a small hydrographic basin in the continuation of an urbanization process, considering the modification of its superficial impervious parts and the growth of the urbanized area. Several measures are suggested to solve the limited capacity of the existing drainage system. This study analyzes the efficiency of the application of constructive measures, pondering the viability of their effectiveness, individually and combined. The option that best minimizes the effects of the urbanization is the combination of different structural measures, in particular retention ponds, storage blocks, ditches and specific drainage interventions in some parts of the network.
Modified Newtonian Gravity as an Alternative to the Dark Matter Hypothesis
Authors: Acedo Luis
Published: November 2017

[-5]The applications of Newtonian dynamics in galactic scales have shown that the inverse square law is incompatible with the amount of visible mass in the form of stars and molecular clouds. This manifests as the rotational curves of galaxies being asymptotically flat instead of decaying with the distance to the center of the galaxy. In the context of Newtonian gravity, the standard explanation requires a huge amount of dark mass in the form of hypothetical particles that still remain undetected. A different theory was provided as a modification of Newtonian dynamics (MOND) at low accelerations . This MOND theory still has many supporters and it can easily explain some features of the rotation curves, such as the Tully–Fisher (TF) phenomenological relation between luminosity and velocity. In this paper, we revisit the third approach of a non-Newtonian force, that has resurfaced from time to time, in order to reconcile it with a finite apparent dark mass and the TF relation.
Pattern of Road Traffic Injuries in Rural Bangladesh: Burden Estimates and Risk Factors
Authors: Ul Baset Md. , Rahman Aminur , Alonge Olakunle , Agrawal Priyanka , Wadhwaniya Shirin , Rahman Fazlur
Published: November 2017

Globally, road traffic injury (RTI) causes 1.3 million deaths annually. Almost 90% of all RTI deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. RTI is one of the leading causes of death in Bangladesh; the World Health Organization estimated that it kills over 21,000 people in the country annually. This study describes the current magnitude and risk factors of RTI for different age groups in rural Bangladesh. A household census was carried out in 51 unions of seven sub-districts situated in the north and central part of Bangladesh between June and November 2013, covering 1.2 million individuals. Trained data collectors collected information on fatal and nonfatal RTI events through face-to-face interviews using a set of structured pre-tested questionnaires. The recall periods for fatal and non-fatal RTI were one year and six months, respectively. The mortality and morbidity rates due to RTI were 6.8/100,000 population/year and 889/100,000 populations/six months, respectively. RTI mortality and morbidity rates were significantly higher among males compared to females. Deaths and morbidities due to RTI were highest among those in the 25–64 years age group. A higher proportion of morbidity occurred among vehicle passengers (34%) and pedestrians (18%), and more than one-third of the RTI mortality occurred among pedestrians. Twenty percent of all nonfatal RTIs were classified as severe injuries. RTI is a major public health issue in rural Bangladesh. Immediate attention is needed to reduce preventable deaths and morbidities in rural Bangladesh.
Historic Low Wall Detection via Topographic Parameter Images Derived from Fine-Resolution DEM
Authors: Chu Hone-Jay , Huang Min-Lang , Tain Yu-Ching , Yang Mon-Shieh , Höfle Bernhard
Published: November 2017

Coral walls protect vegetation gardens from strong winds that sweep across Xiji Island, Taiwan Strait for half the year. Topographic parameters based on light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-based high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) provide obvious correspondence with the expected form of landscape features. The information on slope, curvature, and openness can help identify the location of landscape features. This study applied the automatic landscape line detection to extract historic vegetable garden wall lines from a LiDAR-derived DEM. The three rapid processes used in this study included the derivation of topographic parameters, line extraction, and aggregation. The rules were extracted from a decision tree to check the line detection from multiple topographic parameters. Results show that wall line detection with multiple topographic parameter images is an alternative means of obtaining essential historic wall feature information. Multiple topographic parameters are highly related to low wall feature identification. Furthermore, the accuracy of wall feature detection is 74% compared with manual interpretation. Thus, this study provides rapid wall detection systems with multiple topographic parameters for further historic landscape management.
Fabrication of In Vitro Cancer Microtissue Array on Fibroblast-Layered Nanofibrous Membrane by Inkjet Printing
Authors: Park Tae-Min , Kang Donggu , Jang Ilho , Yun Won-Soo , Shim Jin-Hyung , Jeong Young , Kwak Jong-Young , Yoon Sik , Jin Songwan
Published: November 2017

In general, a drug candidate is evaluated using 2D-cultured cancer cells followed by an animal model. Despite successful preclinical testing, however, most drugs that enter human clinical trials fail. The high failure rates are mainly caused by incompatibility between the responses of the current models and humans. Here, we fabricated a cancer microtissue array in a multi-well format that exhibits heterogeneous and batch-to-batch structure by continuous deposition of collagen-suspended Hela cells on a fibroblast-layered nanofibrous membrane via inkjet printing. Expression of both Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) was higher in cancer microtissues than in fibroblast-free microtissues. The fabricated microtissues were treated with an anticancer drug, and high drug resistance to doxorubicin occurred in cancer microtissues but not in fibroblast-free microtissues. These results introduce an inkjet printing fabrication method for cancer microtissue arrays, which can be used for various applications such as early drug screening and gradual 3D cancer studies.
Steroidal Glycosides from Convallaria majalis Whole Plants and Their Cytotoxic Activity
Authors: Matsuo Yukiko , Shinoda Daisuke , Nakamaru Aina , Kamohara Kuni , Sakagami Hiroshi , Mimaki Yoshihiro
Published: November 2017

Phytochemical examination of Convallaria majalis (Liliaceae) whole plants yielded 15 steroidal glycosides (1–15), including nine new compounds (4–6, 10–15) with a lycotetrose unit. The structures of the new compounds were determined using two-dimensional Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses and chemical methods. The isolated compounds were evaluated for cytotoxicity against HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells, A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells, and HSC-4 and HSC-2 human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. Of these, (25S)-spirost-5-en-3β-yl O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-d-galactopyranoside (1) exhibited cytotoxic activity against HL-60, A549, HSC-4, and HSC-2 cells with IC50 values ranging from 0.96 to 3.15 μM. The corresponding furostanol glycoside of 1, (25S)-26-[(β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-22α-hydroxyfurost-5-en-3β-yl O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-d-galactopyranoside (8), was cytotoxic to the adherent cell lines of A549, HSC-4, and HSC-2 cells with IC50 values of 2.97, 11.04, and 8.25 μM, respectively. The spirostanol lycotetroside (1) caused necrotic cell death in A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Alternatively, the furostanol lycotetroside (8) induced apoptotic cell death in A549 cells in a time-dependent manner, as was evident by morphological observations and flow cytometry analyses.
Overexpression of a New Chitinase Gene EuCHIT2 Enhances Resistance to Erysiphe cichoracearum DC. in Tobacco Plants
Authors: Dong Xuan , Zhao Yichen , Ran Xin , Guo Linxia , Zhao De-Gang
Published: November 2017

In this study, we cloned a new chitinase gene, EuCHIT2, from Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (E. ulmoides) using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technology and constructed an overexpression vector, pSH-35S-EuCHIT2, to introduce it into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi). Resistance to Erysiphe cichoracearum de Candolle (E.cichoracearum DC) and molecular mechanisms in the transgenic tobacco were determined by drop inoculation, spore counting, determination of physicochemical indicators, and analysis of gene expression. The chitinase activity and resistance to E. cichoracearum DC were significantly higher in the transgenic tobacco than in wild-type tobacco (p < 0.05). The activities of peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), after inoculation with E. cichoracearum DC, were higher in the transgenic tobacco than in the wild-type. Conversely, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content was significantly lower in the transgenic tobacco than the wild-type before and after inoculation. In addition, our study also indicated that the resistance to E. cichoracearum DC might involve the salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) pathways, because the expression levels of pathogenesis-related gene 1 (PR-1a) and coronatine-insensitive 1 (COI1) were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, after inoculation with E. cichoracearum DC. The present study supports the notion that PR-1a and POD participate in resistance to E. cichoracearum DC in the transgenic tobacco plants.
Characterization of Sheep Wool as a Sustainable Material for Acoustic Applications
Authors: Del Rey Romina , Uris Antonio , Alba Jesús , Candelas Pilar
Published: November 2017

In recent years, natural materials are becoming a valid alternative to traditional sound absorbers due to reduced production costs and environmental protection. This paper reports the acoustical characterization of sheep wool. Measurements on normal incidence and diffuse-incidence sound absorption coefficients of different samples are reported. The airflow resistance has also been measured. The results prove that sheep wool has a comparable sound absorption performance to that of mineral wool or recycled polyurethane foam. An empirical model is used to calculate the sound absorption of sheep wool samples. A reasonable agreement on the acoustic absorption of all sheep wool samples is obtained.
Numerical Study on Solidification Behavior and Structure of Continuously Cast U71Mn Steel
Authors: Fang Qing , Ni Hongwei , Zhang Hua , Wang Bao , Liu Chengsong
Published: November 2017

The solidification behavior and structure of continuous casting high rail U71Mn bloom, under different secondary cooling conditions and superheat, were numerically investigated using the Cellular Automaton-Finite Element (CAFE) model implemented with ProCAST software. Nail shooting and macro etch experiments of the bloom samples under different cooling conditions were conducted to verify the model of macroscopic solidification and structure. The results showed that the simulated results of the solidified shell and solidification structure are basically consistent with experimental results. The secondary cooling condition has little effect on the grain size and distribution of the bloom, while both the bloom surface and corner temperatures are higher and the temperature rise at the beginning of the air-cooling zone is smaller under the super-slow cooling condition. The percentage of center-equiaxed grains decreases from 44.6% to 20.1% and the grain average radius increases from 1.025 to 1.128 mm when the superheat increases from 15 to 40 K, with little change in the grain size occurring between 15 and 20 K. Moreover, for a step increase in the superheat of 5 K, the solidification end is lengthened by about 0.19 m and the surface temperature is enhanced by 3 K. The super-slow secondary cooling condition with the superheat controlled within 20 K is suitable for big-bloom casting.
Enhanced Agronomic Traits and Medicinal Constituents of Autotetraploids in Anoectochilus formosanus Hayata, a Top-Grade Medicinal Orchid
Authors: Chung Hsiao-Hang , Shi Shu-Kai , Huang Bin , Chen Jen-Tsung
Published: November 2017

This study developed an efficient and reliable system for inducing polyploidy in Anoectochilus formosanus Hayata, a top-grade medicinal orchid. The resulting tetraploid gave a significant enhancement on various agronomic traits, including dry weight, fresh weight, shoot length, root length, leaf width, the size of stoma, and number of chloroplasts per stoma. A reduction of the ratio of length to width was observed in stomata and leaves of the tetraploid, and consequently, an alteration of organ shape was found. The major bioactive compounds, total flavonoid and gastrodin, were determined by the aluminum chloride colorimetric method and ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), respectively. The tetraploid produced significantly higher contents of total flavonoid and gastrodin in the leaf, the stem, and the whole plant when compared with the diploid. The resulting tetraploids in this study are proposed to be suitable raw materials in the pharmaceutical industry for enhancing productivity and reducing cost.
Peptide Nucleic Acid Based Molecular Authentication for Identification of Four Medicinal Paeonia Species Using Melting Array Analysis of the Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 Region
Authors: Kim Wook , Yang Sungyu , Choi Goya , Moon Byeong
Published: November 2017

Accurate taxonomic identification of plant materials in herbal medicines is important for product quality control. The genus Paeonia (Saxifragales) is the source of the herbal preparations Paeoniae Radix (Paeoniae Radix Alba and Paeoniae Radix Rubra) and Moutan Radicis Cotex. However, confusion has arisen regarding their contents due to linguistic and taxonomic ambiguities, similar morphologies and different definitions of Paeoniae Radix in the Korean and Chinese national pharmacopoeias, leading to the distribution of adulterated products. To develop a method for identifying the four Paeonia species used in these medicines, three fluorescently-labeled peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes were designed against ITS2 sequences containing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and used in a real-time PCR melting curve assay. Each of the four Paeonia species was accurately identified using this analysis. The accuracy and analytical stability of the PNA melting curve assay was confirmed using commercially available samples of the four Paeonia species. This assay is a reliable genetic tool to distinguish between different Paeonia-derived herbal medicines and identify the botanical origins of Paeoniae Radix and Moutan Radicis Cortex. This technique may also contribute to quality control and standardization of herbal medicines by providing a reliable authentication tool and preventing the distribution of inauthentic adulterants.
Application of Low-Cost UASs and Digital Photogrammetry for High-Resolution Snow Depth Mapping in the Arctic
Authors: Cimoli Emiliano , Marcer Marco , Vandecrux Baptiste , Bøggild Carl E. , Williams Guy , Simonsen Sebastian B.
Published: November 2017

The repeat acquisition of high-resolution snow depth measurements has important research and civil applications in the Arctic. Currently the surveying methods for capturing the high spatial and temporal variability of the snowpack are expensive, in particular for small areal extents. An alternative methodology based on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) and digital photogrammetry was tested over varying surveying conditions in the Arctic employing two diverse and low-cost UAS-camera combinations (500 and 1700 USD, respectively). Six areas, two in Svalbard and four in Greenland, were mapped covering from 1386 to 38,410 m2. The sites presented diverse snow surface types, underlying topography and light conditions in order to test the method under potentially limiting conditions. The resulting snow depth maps achieved spatial resolutions between 0.06 and 0.09 m. The average difference between UAS-estimated and measured snow depth, checked with conventional snow probing, ranged from 0.015 to 0.16 m. The impact of image pre-processing was explored, improving point cloud density and accuracy for different image qualities and snow/light conditions. Our UAS photogrammetry results are expected to be scalable to larger areal extents. While further validation is needed, with the inclusion of extra validation points, the study showcases the potential of this cost-effective methodology for high-resolution monitoring of snow dynamics in the Arctic and beyond.
Recognition and Matching of Clustered Mature Litchi Fruits Using Binocular Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) Color Cameras
Authors: Wang Chenglin , Tang Yunchao , Zou Xiangjun , Luo Lufeng , Chen Xiong
Published: November 2017

Recognition and matching of litchi fruits are critical steps for litchi harvesting robots to successfully grasp litchi. However, due to the randomness of litchi growth, such as clustered growth with uncertain number of fruits and random occlusion by leaves, branches and other fruits, the recognition and matching of the fruit become a challenge. Therefore, this study firstly defined mature litchi fruit as three clustered categories. Then an approach for recognition and matching of clustered mature litchi fruit was developed based on litchi color images acquired by binocular charge-coupled device (CCD) color cameras. The approach mainly included three steps: (1) calibration of binocular color cameras and litchi image acquisition; (2) segmentation of litchi fruits using four kinds of supervised classifiers, and recognition of the pre-defined categories of clustered litchi fruit using a pixel threshold method; and (3) matching the recognized clustered fruit using a geometric center-based matching method. The experimental results showed that the proposed recognition method could be robust against the influences of varying illumination and occlusion conditions, and precisely recognize clustered litchi fruit. In the tested 432 clustered litchi fruits, the highest and lowest average recognition rates were 94.17% and 92.00% under sunny back-lighting and partial occlusion, and sunny front-lighting and non-occlusion conditions, respectively. From 50 pairs of tested images, the highest and lowest matching success rates were 97.37% and 91.96% under sunny back-lighting and non-occlusion, and sunny front-lighting and partial occlusion conditions, respectively.
Coercive Population Control and Asylum in the U.S.
Authors: Oxford Connie
Published: November 2017

In 1980, China implemented one of the most controversial population policies in modern times. China’s one-child policy shaped population politics for thirty-five years until its dissolution in 2015. During this time, many women were subjected to routine gynecological examinations, pregnancy testing, abortions, and sterilizations, which were often forced upon them by family planning officials. Some women fled China and sought refuge in the United States after having experienced a forced abortion or forced sterilization or feared that they would be subjected to a forced abortion or forced sterilization. This article focuses on how the U.S. government responded to China’s one-child policy through the passage of immigration laws and policies that made asylum a viable option for Chinese nationals who had been persecuted or feared persecution because of coercive population control policies. Based on observations of asylum hearings and interviews with immigration judges and immigration attorneys, this article uses feminist ethnographic methods to show how China’s one-child policy and U.S. asylum laws shape the gender politics of reproduction and migration.
Assessing the User Resistance to Recommender Systems in Exhibition
Authors: Koo Chulmo , Chung Namho , Ham Juyeon
Published: November 2017

Under the paradigm shift toward smart tourism, the exhibition industry is making efforts to introduce innovative technologies that can provide more diverse and valuable experiences to attendees. However, various new information technologies have failed in a market in practice due to the user’s resistance against it. Since innovative technology, such as booth recommender systems (BRS), is changing, creating uncertainty among consumers, consumer’s resistance to innovative technology can be considered a normal reaction. Therefore, it is important for a company to understand the psychological aspect of the consumer’s resistance and make measures to overcome the resistance. Accordingly, based on the model of Kim and Kankanhalli (2009), by applying the perceived value, the technology acceptance model, and the status quo bias theory, this study focused on the importance of self-efficacy and technical support in the context of using BRS. To do this purpose, a total of 455 survey data that was collected from “Korea franchise exhibition” attendees were used to analyze the proposed model. Structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis. The result shows that perceived value was affected by relative advantage and switching cost, also switching cost reduced the perceived value. However, self-efficacy reduced the switching cost, thereby decreasing the resistance of exhibition attendees. In addition, technical support increased the relative advantage switching cost and the perceived value. Exhibition attendee’s resistance was significantly negatively affected by perceived value, and positively affected by switching cost. The results will provide balanced viewpoints between the relative advantage and switching cost for exhibition marketers, helping to strengthen the competitiveness in terms of sustainable tourism of exhibition.
Poxvirus Host Range Genes and Virus–Host Spectrum: A Critical Review
Authors: Oliveira Graziele , Rodrigues Rodrigo , Lima Maurício , Drumond Betânia , Abrahão Jônatas
Published: November 2017

The Poxviridae family is comprised of double-stranded DNA viruses belonging to nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDV). Among the NCLDV, poxviruses exhibit the widest known host range, which is likely observed because this viral family has been more heavily investigated. However, relative to each member of the Poxviridae family, the spectrum of the host is variable, where certain viruses can infect a large range of hosts, while others are restricted to only one host species. It has been suggested that the variability in host spectrum among poxviruses is linked with the presence or absence of some host range genes. Would it be possible to extrapolate the restriction of viral replication in a specific cell lineage to an animal, a far more complex organism? In this study, we compare and discuss the relationship between the host range of poxvirus species and the abundance/diversity of host range genes. We analyzed the sequences of 38 previously identified and putative homologs of poxvirus host range genes, and updated these data with deposited sequences of new poxvirus genomes. Overall, the term host range genes might not be the most appropriate for these genes, since no correlation between them and the viruses’ host spectrum was observed, and a change in nomenclature should be considered. Finally, we analyzed the evolutionary history of these genes, and reaffirmed the occurrence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) for certain elements, as previously suggested. Considering the data presented in this study, it is not possible to associate the diversity of host range factors with the amount of hosts of known poxviruses, and this traditional nomenclature creates misunderstandings.
Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a Boy with Familial Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Attributable to a TSC2 Deletion—A Case Report
Authors: Flader M. , Kurzawa P. , Maldyk J. , Sygut J. , Harasymczuk J. , Kropinska A. , Handkiewicz-Junak D. , Jarzab B. , Kotulska K. , Niedziela M.
Published: November 2017

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a phacomatosis, is a rare genetic disease (autosomal dominant; incidence: 1 in 6,800–17,300) associated with mutations in the TSC1 and TSC2 genes, 70% of which are sporadic. The disease causes benign tumours in the brain, kidneys, heart, lungs, skin, and eyes; thyroid lesions are extremely rare. A 13-year-old euthyroid boy with a hereditary form of TSC (del 4730G in TSC2, also seen in 2 sisters and the father) was admitted to hospital with a thyroid nodule. Physical examination revealed a nodular left lobe with increased consistency. Thyroid ultrasonography revealed a heterogeneous left lobe, predominantly hypoechoic with multiple microcalcifications and the presence of suspicious cervical lymph nodes on the left side. A macrocalcification was observed on the right lobe. Fine-needle biopsy results showed a few groups of cells with discrete atypical characteristics, including abundant cytoplasm, nuclei with conspicuous nucleoli, intra-nuclear inclusions, and nuclear grooves. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy with lymphadenectomy. Histopathology examination confirmed papillary thyroid carcinoma. The coincidence of endocrine neoplasia including thyroid cancer and TSC is rare, and TSC with papillary thyroid carcinoma has never been described in a child. Studies of mutations in the tumour suppressor genes TSC1, TSC2, and STK11, activating the mtor (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway, might support their role in the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer.
Clinical Utility of Multigene Profiling Assays in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Authors: Chang M. C. , Souter L. H. , Kamel-Reid S. , Rutherford M. , Bedard P. , Trudeau M. , Hart J. , Eisen A.
Published: November 2017

Background: This clinical practice guideline was developed to determine the level of evidence supporting the clinical utility of commercially available multigene profiling assays and to provide guidance about whether certain breast cancer patient populations in Ontario would benefit from alternative tests in addition to Oncotype DX (Genomic Health, Redwood City, CA, U.S.A.). Methods: A systematic electronic Ovid search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases sought out systematic reviews and primary literature. A systematic review and practice guideline was written by a working group and was then reviewed and approved by Cancer Care Ontario’s Molecular Oncology Advisory Committee. Results: Twenty-four studies assessing the clinical utility of Oncotype DX, Prosigna (NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.), EndoPredict (Myriad Genetics, Salt Lake City, U.S.A.), and MammaPrint (Agendia, Irvine, CA, U.S.A.) were included in the evidence base. Conclusions: The clinical utility of multigene profiling assays is currently established for an appropriate subset of patients with estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative, node-negative breast cancer for whom a decision to give chemotherapy is difficult to make. For patients with estrogen receptor–positive tumours who receive tamoxifen alone, Oncotype DX, Prosigna, and EndoPredict validly identify a low-risk population with favourable outcomes, indicating that a low-risk assay result is actionable and the decision to withhold chemotherapy is supported. Clinical evidence indicates that a high Oncotype DX recurrence score can predict for chemotherapy benefit, but a high Prosigna or EndoPredict score, although prognostic, is not, based on clinical trial evidence, directly actionable. Prosigna and EndoPredict are statistically more likely to identify a population at risk for recurrence beyond 5 years, but that information is currently not actionable because of a lack of interventional studies.