bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Mechanistic Differences in HLA-Associated Carbamazepine Hypersensitivity
Authors: Simper Gwendolin S. , Gräser Lareen S. , Celik Alexander A. , Kuhn Joachim , Kunze-Schumacher Heike , Hò Gia-Gia T. , Blasczyk Rainer , Pich Andreas , Bade-Doeding Christina
Published: October 2019

Drug hypersensitivity reactions that resemble acute immune reactions are linked to certain human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. Severe and life-threatening Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis following treatment with the antiepileptic and psychotropic drug Carbamazepine are associated with HLA-B*15:02; whereas carriers of HLA-A*31:01 develop milder symptoms. It is not understood how these immunogenic differences emerge genotype-specific. For HLA-B*15:02 an altered peptide presentation has been described following exposure to the main metabolite of carbamazepine that is binding to certain amino acids in the F pocket of the HLA molecule. The difference in the molecular mechanism of these diseases has not been comprehensively analyzed, yet; and is addressed in this study. Soluble HLA-technology was utilized to examine peptide presentation of HLA-A*31:01 in presence and absence of carbamazepine and its main metabolite and to examine the mode of peptide loading. Proteome analysis of drug-treated and untreated cells was performed. Alterations in sA*31:01-presented peptides after treatment with carbamazepine revealed different half-life times of peptide-HLA- or peptide-drug-HLA complexes. Together with observed changes in the proteome elicited through carbamazepine or its metabolite these results illustrate the mechanistic differences in carbamazepine hypersensitivity for HLA-A*31:01 or B*15:02 patients and constitute the bridge between pharmacology and pharmacogenetics for personalized therapeutics.
Natural Diatom Biosilica as Microshuttles in Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Delasoie Joachim , Zobi Fabio
Published: October 2019

Unicellular diatom microalgae are a promising natural resource of porous biosilica. These microorganisms produce around their membrane a highly porous and extremely structured silica shell called frustule. Once harvested from living algae or from fossil sediments of diatomaceous earth, this biocompatible and non-toxic material offers an exceptional potential in the field of micro/nano-devices, drug delivery, theranostics, and other medical applications. The present review focused on the use of diatoms in the field of drug delivery systems, with the aim of presenting the different strategies implemented to improve the biophysical properties of this biosilica in terms of drug loading and release efficiency, targeted delivery, or site-specific binding capacity by surface functionalization. The development of composite materials involving diatoms for drug delivery applications is also described.
Impact of Combined Heat and Drought Stress on the Potential Growth Responses of the Desert Grass Artemisia sieberi alba: Relation to Biochemical and Molecular Adaptation
Authors: Alhaithloul Haifa Abdulaziz S.
Published: October 2019

Artemisia sieberi alba is one of the important plants frequently encountered by the combined effect of drought and heat stress. In the present study, we investigated the individual and combined effect of drought and heat stress on growth, photosynthesis, oxidative damage, and gene expression in A. sieberi alba. Drought and heat stress triggered oxidative damage by increasing the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, and therefore electrolyte leakage. The accumulation of secondary metabolites, such as phenol and flavonoids, and proline, mannitol, inositol, and sorbitol, was increased due to drought and heat stress exposure. Photosynthetic attributes including chlorophyll synthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, photosynthetic efficiency, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were drastically reduced due to drought and heat stress exposure. Relative water content declined significantly in stressed plants, which was evident by the reduced leaf water potential and the water use efficiency, therefore, affecting the overall growth performance. Relative expression of aquaporin (AQP), dehydrin (DHN1), late embryogenesis abundant (LEA), osmotin (OSM-34), and heat shock proteins (HSP70) were significantly higher in stressed plants. Drought triggered the expression of AQP, DHN1, LEA, and OSM-34 more than heat, which improved the HSP70 transcript levels. A. sieberi alba responded to drought and heat stress by initiating key physio-biochemical and molecular responses, which were distinct in plants exposed to a combination of drought and heat stress.
Effect of Polysaccharide Sources on the Physicochemical Properties of Bromelain–Chitosan Nanoparticles
Authors: Ataide Janaína Artem , Gérios Eloah Favero , Cefali Letícia Caramori , Fernandes Ana Rita , Teixeira Maria do Céu , Ferreira Nuno R. , Tambourgi Elias Basile , Jozala Angela Faustino , Chaud Marco Vinicius , Oliveira-Nascimento Laura , Mazzola Priscila Gava , Souto Eliana B.
Published: October 2019

Bromelain, a set of proteolytic enzymes potential pharmaceutical applications, was encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles to enhance enzyme stability, and the effect of different chitosan sources was evaluated. Chitosan types (i.e., low molecular weight chitosan, chitosan oligosaccharide lactate, and chitosan from shrimp shells) produced nanoparticles with different physicochemical properties, however in all cases, particle size and zeta potential decreased, and polydispersity index increased after bromelain addition. Bromelain encapsulation was higher than 84% and 79% for protein content and enzymatic activity, respectively, with low molecular weight chitosan presenting the highest encapsulation efficiency. Nanoparticle suspension was also tested for accelerated stability and rheological behavior. For the chitosan–bromelain nanoparticles, an instability index below 0.3 was recorded and, in general, the loading of bromelain in chitosan nanoparticles decreased the cohesiveness of the final suspension.
Selective Wet-Etching of Polymer/Fullerene Blend Films for Surface- and Nanoscale Morphology-Controlled Organic Transistors and Sensitivity-Enhanced Gas Sensors
Authors: Park Min Soo , Meresa Alem Araya , Kwon Chan-Min , Kim Felix Sunjoo
Published: October 2019

Surface and nanoscale morphology of thin poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films are effectively controlled by blending the polymer with a soluble derivative of fullerene, and then selectively dissolving out the fullerene from the blend films. A combination of the polymer blending with fullerene and a use of diiodooctane (DIO) as a processing additive enhances the molecular ordering of P3HT through nanoscale phase separation, compared to the pristine P3HT. In organic thin-film transistors, such morphological changes in the blend induce a positive effect on the field-effect mobility, as the mobility is ~5–7 times higher than in the pristine P3HT. Simple dipping of the blend films in butyl acetate (BA) causes a selective dissolution of the small molecular component, resulting in a rough surface with nanoscale features of P3HT films. Chemical sensors utilizing these morphological features show an enhanced sensitivity in detection of gas-phase ammonia, water, and ethanol.
New Antibacterial Silver(I) Coordination Polymers Based on a Flexible Ditopic Pyrazolyl-Type Ligand
Authors: Tăbăcaru Aurel , Pettinari Claudio , Bușilă Mariana , Dinică Rodica Mihaela
Published: October 2019

In the last two decades, a tremendous amount of attention has been directed towards the design of antibacterial silver(I)-based materials, including coordination polymers (CPs) built up with a great variety of oxygen and nitrogen-containing ligands. Herein, a family of six new silver(I)-based CPs, having the general stoechiometric formula [Ag(H2DMPMB)(X)] (X = NO3, 1; CF3CO2, 2; CF3SO3, 3; BF4, 4; ClO4, 5; and PF6, 6) and incorporating the flexible ditopic pyrazolyl-type ligand 4,4′-bis((3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methyl)biphenyl (H2DMPMB), has been prepared by the chemical precipitation method involving the reaction of silver(I) salts with H2DMPMB in the 1:1 molar ratio, in alcohols, or acetonitrile at room temperature for two-hours. The new silver(I)-based polymeric materials were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis (EA), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), allowing for the proposition that their structures comprise one-dimensional chains, with the silver(I) ions mostly assuming a T-shapped stereochemistry completed by the exo-bidentate ligands and counter-anions. The obtained silver(I) CPs showed a remarkable light insensitivity and stability in the air, are insoluble in water and in most common organic solvents, and possess appreciable thermal stabilities spanning the range 250–350 °C. The antibacterial activity of the obtained silver(I) CPs was tested against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) using the Tetrazolium/Formazan test (TTC), by measuring the bacterial viability at different time intervals. The complete reduction of both bacterial strains occurred after 24 h of exposure to all silver(I) CPs, the bacterial viability values for S. aureus reaching 8% for compounds 3, 5, and 6 after only two-hours.
Membrane Surface Patterning as a Fouling Mitigation Strategy in Liquid Filtration: A Review
Authors: Barambu Nafiu Umar , Bilad Muhammad Roil , Wibisono Yusuf , Jaafar Juhana , Mahlia Teuku Meurah Indra , Khan Asim Laeeq
Published: October 2019

Membrane fouling is seen as the main culprit that hinders the widespread of membrane application in liquid-based filtration. Therefore, fouling management is key for the successful implementation of membrane processes, and it is done across all magnitudes. For optimum operation, membrane developments and surface modifications have largely been reported, including membrane surface patterning. Membrane surface patterning involves structural modification of the membrane surface to induce secondary flow due to eddies, which mitigate foulant agglomeration and increase the effective surface area for improved permeance and antifouling properties. This paper reviews surface patterning approaches used for fouling mitigation in water and wastewater treatments. The focus is given on the pattern formation methods and their effect on overall process performances.
Design and Verification of a Single-Channel Pump Model based on a Hybrid Optimization Technique
Authors: Kim Jin-Hyuk , Ma Sang-Bum , Kim Sung , Choi Young-Seok , Kim Kwang-Yong
Published: October 2019

This paper handles a hybrid multiple optimization technique to concurrently enhance hydraulic efficiency and decrease unsteady radial forces resulting from fluid-induced vibration of a single-channel pump for wastewater treatment. A single-channel impeller and volute was optimized systematically by using a hybrid particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm coupled with surrogate modeling. Steady and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes analyses were conducted to optimize the internal flow path in the single-channel pump. Design variables for controlling the internal flow cross-sectional area of the single-channel impeller and volute in the single-channel pump were chosen to concurrently optimize objective functions with hydraulic efficiency and the unsteady radial forces resulting from impeller–volute interaction. The optimization results clearly showed that the arbitrary cluster optimum design considerably enhanced hydraulic efficiency and decreased the unsteady radial forces concurrently, compared to the reference design. Finally, the hydraulic performance of the optimized prototype model was verified experimentally. Then, it was proved that the proposed technique is a practical tool for designing a single-channel pump.
Comparative vs. Hagiology: Two Variant Approaches to the Field
Authors: Keune Jon
Published: October 2019

There is a basic tension within the idea of Comparative Hagiology, because the two terms that constitute its name are incongruous. To formulate a comparative hagiological project, we must choose at the outset which term will take priority. Prioritizing the comparative in comparative hagiology orients us to focus more on the basic disciplinary approaches to gather compare-able data, leaving hagiology as a placeholder whose content will be defined by the results of the comparison. Prioritizing hagiology requires first defining hagio- and reckoning with the European and Christian baggage that it brings to cross-cultural and inter-religious comparison. Holding that definition in mind, we then locate examples to compare by whatever approach seems fruitful in that case. Different choices of priorities lead to potentially different results. I argue that a path that prioritizes comparative is more likely to inspire experimental and innovative groupings, unconventional definitions of hagiology, and new perspectives in the cross-cultural study of religion. An approach that prioritizes hagiology runs a greater risk of repeating the same provincial and conceptual biases that doomed much of 20th-century comparative religion scholarship.
Notes on the Nature of Beliefs in Witchcraft: Folklore and Classical Culture in Fifteenth Century Mendicant Traditions
Authors: Conti Fabrizio
Published: October 2019

Witchcraft is a varied historical phenomenon with changing sociocultural aspects according to the times and the places considered. Nonetheless, it is possible to trace the different cultural substrata giving shape to witch-beliefs in order to shed light on their process of amalgamation. The aim of this study is to show how the folkloric and the Classical literary motives were intertwined in the fifteenth century by figures lauded as the high intellectuals of the time, Franciscan and Dominican preachers and inquisitors, to produce a coherent and multifaceted picture of witchcraft-related beliefs. By putting some of the most significant sources that I have analyzed in my monograph Witchcraft, Superstition, and Observant Franciscan Preachers in relation to others that I have not considered before composed by the same or different authors, my aim is to show how this process of combination of various cultural traditions gave shape to the creation and the understanding of the witchcraft phenomenon. Furthermore, I also intend to highlight how the at times contradictory views concerning witch-beliefs, pointing either to realistic or to skeptical stances, are related to specific declensions of those different traditions on the part of the friars.
A GIS-Based Water Balance Approach Using a LiDAR-Derived DEM Captures Fine-Scale Vegetation Patterns
Authors: Dyer James M.
Published: October 2019

Topography exerts strong control on microclimate, resulting in distinctive vegetation patterns in areas of moderate to high relief. Using the Thornthwaite approach to account for hydrologic cycle components, a GIS-based Water Balance Toolset is presented as a means to address fine-scale species–site relationships. For each pixel within a study area, the toolset assesses inter-annual variations in moisture demand (governed by temperature and radiation) and availability (precipitation, soil storage). These in turn enable computation of climatic water deficit, the amount by which available moisture fails to meet demand. Summer deficit computed by the model correlates highly with the Standardized Precipitation–Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for drought at several sites across the eastern U.S. Yet the strength of the approach is its ability to model fine-scale patterns. For a 25-ha study site in central Indiana, individual tree locations were linked to summer deficit under different historical conditions: using average monthly climatic variables for 1998–2017, and for the drought year of 2012. In addition, future baseline and drought-year projections were modeled based on downscaled GCM data for 2071–2100. Although small deficits are observed under average conditions (historical or future), strong patterns linked to topography emerge during drought years. The modeled moisture patterns capture vegetation distributions described for the region, with beech and maple preferentially occurring in low-deficit settings, and oak and hickory dominating more xeric positions. End-of-century projections suggest severe deficit, which should favor oak and hickory over more mesic species. Pockets of smaller deficit persist on the landscape, but only when a fine-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is used; a coarse-resolution DEM masks fine-scale variability and compresses the range of observed values. Identification of mesic habitat microrefugia has important implications for retreating species under altered climate. Using readily available data to evaluate fine-scale patterns of moisture demand and availability, the Water Balance Toolset provides a useful approach to explore species–environment linkages.
Vegetation Mapping by Using GPM/DPR over the Mongolian Land
Authors: Nyamsuren Baasankhuu , Nasahara Kenlo Nishida , Kubota Takuji , Masaki Takeshi
Published: October 2019

Mongolian steppe is one of the largest and important ecosystems. The degradation of grassland and the expansion of desert are occurring due to drought and desertification processes. We attempted monitoring of the broad-scale vegetation in Mongolia by a space-borne precipitation radar, which may complement typical approaches of vegetation monitoring (such as NDVI). We utilized the Global Precipitation Mission’s (GPM) dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR). We characterized backscatter (σ0) of GPM/DPR’s two microwave bands (Ku and Ka) with respect to the dominant vegetation zones (forest, grassland, desert). Both Ku and Ka radars’ σ0 values were investigated for incidence angle dependency and the seasonal variation. As a result, the use of multi-angle, multi-band observations of GPM/DPR could help to characterize the vegetation zones. Especially, the σ0 at incidence angles between 1° and 8° represented useful characteristics of vegetation. Based on it, by using unsupervised clustering, we produced annual maps describing vegetation zones from 2014 to 2018. The result indicated that Mongolia experienced extensive changes in grassland and desert areas during the study years.
Ultra-Wideband Angle of Arrival Estimation Based on Angle-Dependent Antenna Transfer Function
Authors: Ledergerber Anton , D’Andrea Raffaello
Published: October 2019

Ultra-wideband radio signals are used in communication, indoor localization and radar systems, due to the high data rates, the high resilience to fading and the fine temporal resolution that can be achieved with a large bandwidth. This paper introduces a new method to estimate the angle of arrival of ultra-wideband radio signals with which existing time-of-flight based localization and radar systems can be augmented at no additional hardware cost. The method does not require multiple transmitter or receiver antennas, or relative motion between transmitter and receiver. Instead, it is solely based on the angle-dependent impulse response function of ultra-wideband antennas. Datasets on which the method is evaluated are publicly available. The method is further applied to a localization problem and it is shown how a robot can self-localize solely based on these angle of arrival estimates, and how they can be combined with time-of-flight measurements. Even though existing angle of arrival techniques that use multiple antennas show better accuracy, the method presented herein looks promising enough to be developed further and could potentially lead to electronically and mechanically simpler angle of arrival estimation technology.
Recent Progress in Fabrications and Applications of Heating-Induced Long Period Fiber Gratings
Authors: Fu Cailing , Wang Yiping , Liu Shen , Bai Zhiyong , Liao Changrui , He Jun , Wang Ying
Published: October 2019

This paper presents a review of our work concerning the recent progress in fabrications and applications of heating-induced long period fiber gratings (LPFGs). Firstly, three kinds of heating fabrication techniques based on CO2 laser, hydrogen–oxygen flame and arc discharge are demonstrated to fabricate LPFGs, i.e., standard LPFGs (SLPFGs) and helical LPFGs (HLPFGs), in different types of optical fibers such as conventional fibers, photonic crystal fibers, and photonic bandgap fibers. Secondly, the all-fiber orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode converters based on heating-induced SLPFGs and HLPFGs in different types of fibers are studied to increase the transmission capacity. Finally, the heating-induced SLPFGs and HLPFGs are investigated to develop various LPFG-based strain, pressure, torsion and biochemical sensors.
A Novel Human Activity Recognition and Prediction in Smart Home Based on Interaction
Authors: Du Yegang , Lim Yuto , Tan Yasuo
Published: October 2019

Smart Homes are generally considered the final solution for living problem, especially for the health care of the elderly and disabled, power saving, etc. Human activity recognition in smart homes is the key to achieving home automation, which enables the smart services to automatically run according to the human mind. Recent research has made a lot of progress in this field; however, most of them can only recognize default activities, which is probably not needed by smart homes services. In addition, low scalability makes such research infeasible to be used outside the laboratory. In this study, we unwrap this issue and propose a novel framework to not only recognize human activity but also predict it. The framework contains three stages: recognition after the activity, recognition in progress, and activity prediction in advance. Furthermore, using passive RFID tags, the hardware cost of our framework is sufficiently low to popularize the framework. In addition, the experimental result demonstrates that our framework can realize good performance in both activity recognition and prediction with high scalability.
How Cognitive Biases Influence the Data Verification of Safety Indicators: A Case Study in Rail
Authors: Burggraaf Julia , Groeneweg Jop , Sillem Simone , van Gelder Pieter
Published: October 2019

The field of safety and incident prevention is becoming more and more data based. Data can help support decision making for a more productive and safer work environment, but only if the data can be, is and should be trusted. Especially with the advance of more data collection of varying quality, checking and judging the data is an increasingly complex task. Within such tasks, cognitive biases are likely to occur, causing analysists to overestimate the quality of the data and safety experts to base their decisions on data of insufficient quality. Cognitive biases describe generic error tendencies of persons, that arise because people tend to automatically rely on their fast information processing and decision making, rather than their slow, more effortful system. This article describes five biases that were identified in the verification of a safety indicator related to train driving. Suggestions are also given on how to formalize the verification process. If decision makers want correct conclusions, safety experts need good quality data. To make sure insufficient quality data is not used for decision making, a solid verification process needs to be put in place that matches the strengths and limits of human cognition.
Subjective Immediate Experiences during Large-Scale Cultural Events in Cities: A Geotagging Experiment
Authors: Dane Gamze , Borgers Aloys , Feng Tao
Published: October 2019

Cities are increasingly exploiting new activities such as large-scale cultural events in public open spaces. Investigating the subjective immediate experiences of visitors is valuable to reflect on these events and their configuration in the city. Therefore the aim of this study is twofold: (i) to demonstrate a data collection methodology to measure subjective immediate experiences of visitors and (ii) to test different types of factors that influence visitors’ subjective immediate experiences at cultural events by means of the new methodology. A quantitative research that is enabled by geotagging, paper surveys and secondary data (location characteristics and weather conditions) is applied at the Dutch Design Week event in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. After data collection, a binary logit model is estimated. It is found that apart from age and intended duration of stay, visitor characteristics do not influence the subjective immediate experiences while temporal, physical environmental and weather conditions do. Specifically, it is found that subjective immediate experiences at outdoor locations are mainly influenced by location characteristics. This study shows that the proposed data collection methodology is useful for gathering insights especially on the influence of physical characteristics on subjective immediate experiences. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and with suggestions to policy makers and event managers.
Bioeconomy Transitions through the Lens of Coupled Social-Ecological Systems: A Framework for Place-Based Responsibility in the Global Resource System
Authors: de Schutter Liesbeth , Giljum Stefan , Häyhä Tiina , Bruckner Martin , Naqvi Asjad , Omann Ines , Stagl Sigrid
Published: October 2019

Bioeconomy strategies in high income societies focus at replacing finite, fossil resources by renewable, biological resources to reconcile macro-economic concerns with climate constraints. However, the current bioeconomy is associated with critical levels of environmental degradation. As a potential increase in biological resource use may further threaten the capacity of ecosystems to fulfil human needs, it remains unclear whether bioeconomy transitions in high income countries are sustainable. In order to fill a gap in bioeconomy sustainability assessments, we apply an ontological lens of coupled social-ecological systems to explore critical mechanisms in relation to bioeconomy activities in the global resource system. This contributes to a social-ecological systems (SES)-based understanding of sustainability from a high income country perspective: the capacity of humans to satisfy their needs with strategies that reduce current levels of pressures and impacts on ecosystems. Building on this notion of agency, we develop a framework prototype that captures the systemic relation between individual human needs and collective social outcomes on the one hand (micro-level) and social-ecological impacts in the global resource system on the other hand (macro-level). The BIO-SES framework emphasizes the role of responsible consumption (for physical health), responsible production (to reduce stressors on the environment), and the role of autonomy and self-organisation (to protect the reproduction capacity of social-ecological systems). In particular, the BIO-SES framework can support (1) individual and collective agency in high income country contexts to reduce global resource use and related ecosystem impacts with a bioeconomy strategy, (2) aligning social outcomes, monitoring efforts and governance structures with place-based efforts to achieve the SDGs, as well as (3), advancing the evidence base and social-ecological theory on responsible bioeconomy transitions in the limited biosphere.
The Use of Structural Symmetries of a U12 Engine in the Vibration Analysis of a Transmission
Authors: Mihălcică Mircea , Vlase Sorin , Păun Marius
Published: October 2019

The paper focuses on the vibration analysis of a vehicle equipped with two identical engines. Such solutions are encountered in practice when less power is needed for a vehicle for a certain period of time and then greater power the rest of the time. An example of this would be a mobile drilling rig. During transport (a relatively short period of time) only one engine operates and then, in service (most of the operating time), both engines operate. A characteristic of such an aggregate is the existence, within the transmission, of two identical engines. The existence of identical parts in mechanical systems leads to properties that allow the computations to be simplified in order to obtain suggestive and rapid results, with reduced computation effort. These properties refer to the eigenvalues and eigenmodes of vibration for these types of systems and have been stated and demonstrated in the paper. It also allows for a qualitative analysis of the behavior of the system in case of vibrations. The existence of these properties allows for easier calculation and shortening of the design time. The mechanical consequences of the existence of symmetries or identical parts have begun to be studied in more detail in the last decade (see references), and the work is part of these trends. The vibration properties of a transmission of a truck with two identical engines have been stated and proven and a real example is analyzed. Two 215 hp engines were used in the application. In order to establish a useful solution in practice, two constructive variants with a different clutch position in the transmission are analyzed in parallel.
Analysis of Long-Term Water Level Variations in Qinghai Lake in China
Authors: Fang Jianmei , Li Guijing , Rubinato Matteo , Ma Guoqing , Zhou Jinxing , Jia Guodong , Yu Xinxiao , Wang Henian
Published: October 2019

Qinghai Lake is the largest inland saline lake on the Tibetan Plateau. Climate change and catchment modifications induced by human activities are the main drivers playing a significant role in the dramatic variation of water levels in the lake (Δh); hence, it is crucial to provide a better understanding of the impacts caused by these phenomena. However, their respective contribution to and influence on water level variations in Qinghai Lake are still unclear and without characterizing them, targeted measures for a more efficient conservation and management of the lake cannot be implemented. In this paper, data monitored during the period 1960–2016 (e.g., meteorological and land use data) have been analyzed by applying multiple techniques to fill this gap and estimate the contribution of each parameter recorded to water level variations (Δh). Results obtained have demonstrated that the water level of Qinghai Lake declined between 1960 and 2004, and since then has risen continuously and gradually, due to the changes in evaporation rates, precipitation and consequently surface runoff associated with climate change effects and catchment modifications. The authors have also pinpointed that climate change is the main leading cause impacting the water level in Qinghai Lake because results demonstrated that 93.13% of water level variations can be attributable to it, while the catchment modifications are responsible for 6.87%. This is a very important outcome in the view of the fact that global warming clearly had a profound impact in this sensitive and responsive region, affecting hydrological processes in the largest inland lake of the Tibetan Plateau.
Silica Storage, Fluxes, and Nutrient Stoichiometry in Different Benthic Primary Producer Communities in the Littoral Zone of a Deep Subalpine Lake (Lake Iseo, Italy)
Authors: Scibona Alessandro , Nizzoli Daniele , Cristini Domiziana , Longhi Daniele , Bolpagni Rossano , Viaroli Pierluigi
Published: October 2019

Benthic vegetation at the land-water interface is recognized as a filter for silica fluxes, which represents an important but under-investigated subject. This paper aims to analyze stocks and fluxes of biogenic (BSi) and dissolved (DSi) silica in relation to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the littoral zone of a deep lake. Specifically, we evaluated how different primary producers can influence BSi retention and DSi release. The study was performed from April to October in 2017, in three different benthic communities: submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and microphytobenthos (MPB), both occurring in soft bottom sediments, and epilithic macro- and microalgae (EA) on rocky substrates. The main result was that SAV and MPB were a DSi source and a N and P sink with the DSi efflux from SAV nearly three times as much as in MPB patches. These findings corroborate the hypothesis that SAV mediates the DSi transport from pore water to the water column. Conversely, EA communities were a DSi sink and a N and P source. Overall, these results highlight the fact that the littoral zone of lakes plays a key role in regulating aquatic Si cycling, which is likely to depend on the health status of SAV communities.
Applying a Series and Parallel Model and a Bayesian Networks Model to Produce Disaster Chain Susceptibility Maps in the Changbai Mountain area, China
Authors: Han Lina , Zhang Jiquan , Zhang Yichen , Lang Qiuling
Published: October 2019

The aim of this project was to produce an earthquake–landslide debris flow disaster chain susceptibility map for the Changbai Mountain region, China, by applying data-driven model series and parallel model and Bayesian Networks model. The accuracy of these two models was then compared. Parameters related to the occurrence of landslide and debris flow disasters, including earthquake intensity, rainfall, elevation, slope, slope aspect, lithology, distance to rivers, distance to faults, land use, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), were chosen and applied in these two models. Disaster chain susceptibility zones created using the two models were then contrasted and verified using the occurrence of past disasters obtained from remote sensing interpretations and field investigations. Both disaster chain susceptibility maps showed that the high susceptibility zones are situated within a 10 km radius around the Tianchi volcano, whereas the northern and southwestern sections of the study area comprise primarily very low or low susceptibility zones. The two models produced similar and compatible results as indicated by the outcomes of basic linear correlation and cross-correlation analyses. The verification results of the ROC curves were found to be 0.7727 and 0.8062 for the series and parallel model and BN model, respectively. These results indicate that the two models can be used as a preliminary base for further research activities aimed at providing hazard management tools, forecasting services, and early warning systems.
Application of Asymmetrical Statistical Distributions for 1D Simulation of Solute Transport in Streams
Authors: Sokáč Marek , Velísková Yvetta , Gualtieri Carlo
Published: October 2019

Analytical solutions of the one-dimensional (1D) advection–dispersion equations, describing the substance transport in streams, are often used because of their simplicity and computational speed. Practical computations, however, clearly show the limits and the inaccuracies of this approach. These are especially visible in cases where the streams deform concentration distribution of the transported substance due to hydraulic and morphological conditions, e.g., by transient storage zones (dead zones), vegetation, and irregularities in the stream hydromorphology. In this paper, a new approach to the simulation of 1D substance transport is presented, adapted, and tested on tracer experiments available in the published research, and carried out in three small streams in Slovakia with dead zones. Evaluation of the proposed methods, based on different probability distributions, confirmed that they approximate the measured concentrations significantly better than those based upon the commonly used Gaussian distribution. Finally, an example of the application of the proposed methods to an iterative (inverse) task is presented.
АНАЛИЗ ПОЛИМОРФИЗМА ГЕНОВ MSTN И IGF-I У КОЗ ЗААНЕНСКОЙ ПОРОДЫ
Authors: POZOVNIKOVA M.V. , LARKINA T.A. , KRUTIKOVA A.A. , NIKITKINA Е.V. , TIMOFEEVA S.V.
Published: October 2019

Важной задачей в козоводстве является получение животных с высоким генетическим потенциалом, обладающих крепкой конституцией и достаточной живой массой. Изучение генов, ассоциированных с ростом и развитием животных, представляет научный интерес. В качестве перспективных геновкандидатов в этом аспекте можно рассматривать ген инсулиноподобного фактора роста I (IGFI) и миостатина (MSTN). IGFI играет ключевую роль в метаболизме млекопитающих, стимулируя пролиферацию тканей, анаболические процессы. Ген MSTN кодирует белок, регулирующий развитие мышечной ткани. Был изучен полиморфизм IGFI/HaeIII, определяемый в районе 4го экзона и частично 4го интрона гена IGFI и полиморфизм MSTN/DraI, расположенного в 1м экзоне гена MSTN в российской популяции коз зааненской породы. Генотипы животных определяли методом ПЦРПДРФ. В изученной выборке коз зааненской породы определена высокая встречаемость генотипа ВВ (0,949) и аллеля В (0,975) гена IGFI. Животных с генотипом АА не выявлено. По гену МSTN наблюдалось равномерное распределение аллеля А и В (0,534 и 0,466, соответственно) и преобладание животных с генотипом АВ (0,474). Полученные знания расширяют представления о генетическом потенциале российской популяции коз зааненской породы.

An important task in goat breeding is to obtain animals with high genetic potential, with a strong constitution and sufficient body weight. Therefore, the study of genes associated with the growth and development of animals has a scientific interest. In this aspect, insulinlike growth factorI (IGFI) and myostatin (MSTN) can be considered as promising candidate genes. IGFI plays a key role in mammalian metabolism, stimulating tissue proliferation and anabolic processes. The MSTN gene encodes a protein that regulates the development of muscle tissue. In our work, we studied the IGFI / HaeIII polymorphism, determined in the region of the 4th exon and partially of the 4th intron of the IGFI gene and the MSTN / DraI polymorphism located in the 1st exon of the MSTN gene in the Russian population of the Saanen goats. Animal genotypes were determined by PCRRFLP. In the studied samples, the high occurrence of the BB (0.949) genotype and allele B (0.975) of the IGFI gene was determined. No animals with AA genotypes were identified. The MSTN gene showed a uniform distribution of the A and B allele (0.534 and 0.466, respectively) and the predominance of animals with the AB genotype (0.474). The obtained data extend the understanding of the genetic potential of the Russian population of Saanen goat.
СКРЕЩИВАНИЕ БЕСТУЖЕВСКОГО СКОТА С ГОЛШТИНСКИМ ДЛЯ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ПРОИЗВОДСТВА МОЛОКА
Authors: YUMAGUZIN I.F. , AMINOVA A.L. , FENCHENKO N.G. , KHAIRULLINA N.I. , SHAMSUTDINOV D.H.
Published: October 2019

Приведены результаты исследований продуктивного долголетия, пожизненной продуктивности и удоя на 1 день жизни чистопородных бестужевских и помесных коров с различной долей генов по голштинской породе. В обработку были включены данные о 684 животных, имеющих не менее одной законченной лактации. В зависимости от доли кровности по голштинской породе выбывшие коровы были разделены на 6 групп: I чистопородные бестужевские особи, II 25 и менее кровности по голштинской породе, III 25,149,9, IV 50, V 50,174,9 и VI 75 и более. Чистопородные коровы бестужевской породы имели существенное превосходство над помесными по продолжительности продуктивного использования и величине пожизненного удоя. У помесных коров с повышением кровности по голштинской породе снижалось продуктивное долголетие и, соответственно, пожизненный удой. Наиболее оптимальная кровность по голштинской породе в условиях данного хозяйства составила 50. Коровы с такой кровностью имели максимальный удой на 1 день жизни. Поэтому при использовании голштинской породы для повышения генетического потенциала бестужевского скота необходимо учесть, чтобы у коров кровность по голштинам не превышала 50.

The results of studies of productive longevity, lifetime productivity and milk yield per 1 day of life of Bestuzhev purebred and crossbred cows with different share of Holstein breeds genes. The treatment included data on 684 animals with at least one complete lactation. Depending on the proportion of blood on the Holstein breed retired cows were divided into 6 groups: I purebred Bestuzhevs specimens, II 25 or less of Holstein breed, III 25,149,9, IV 50 V 50.174.9, VI 75 or more. Purebred cows of Bestuzhev breed had a significant superiority over the crossbred cows on duration of the productive use and the value of lifetime milk yield. Productive longevity and, consequently, lifetime milk yield have been decreased by crossbred cows with an increase of Holstein breed blood . The most optimal blood content of the Holstein breed in the conditions of this farm was 50. Cows with such blood had a maximum yield for 1 day of life. Therefore, when using the Holstein breed to increase the genetic potential of Bestuzhev cattle, it is necessary to take into account that the Holstein blood content of cows does not exceed 50.
Programa educativo alternativo para los estudiantes de la escuela “Juventud del Sur”
Authors: Lugo Coromoto , Chacón Miguel
Published: October 2019

El presente artículo tuvo como objetivo pro-poner un programa educativo alternativo a los estudiantes de la escuela “Juventud del Sur” ubicada en la Gran Base de Misiones de Flor Amarillo en el estado Carabobo. Las bases teóricas utilizadas están fundamentadas en la visión del problema que asumen en la investigación los teóricos: Paulo Freire, Edgar Morín y Lev Vigotsky. La investigación fue de tipo proyectiva, bajo un diseño de campo. La técnica utilizada fue la encuesta de tipo cerrada y como instrumento un cuestionario compuesto por 9 ítems de con-tenido, los resultados obtenidos en relación a la encuesta aplicada, arrojaron como resultado que la totalidad de los estudiantes está de acuerdo con que es necesario el uso de talleres de formación alternativa para el aprendizaje, lo que permite la formación de estos jóvenes y contribuye a promover la revitalización de los programas de formación.
Fusing Carbocycles of Inequivalent Ring Size to a Bis(imino)pyridine-Iron Ethylene Polymerization Catalyst: Distinctive Effects on Activity, PE Molecular Weight, and Dispersity
Authors: Wang Zheng , Solan Gregory A. , Ma Yanping , Liu Qingbin , Liang Tongling , Sun Wen-Hua
Published: October 2019

The 4,6-bis(arylimino)-1,2,3,7,8,9,10-heptahydrocyclohepta[
b
]quinoline-iron(II) chlorides (aryl = 2,6-Me
2
C
6
H
3
Fe1
; 2,6-Et
2
C
6
H
3
Fe2
; 2,6-
i
-Pr
2
C
6
H
3
Fe3
; 2,4,6-Me
3
C
6
H
2
Fe4
; and 2,6-Et
2
-4-Me
2
C
6
H
2
Fe5
) have been prepared in good yield by a straightforward one-pot reaction of 2,3,7,8,9,10-hexahydro-1H-cyclohepta[
b
]quinoline-4,6-dione, FeCl
2
·4H
2
O, and the appropriate aniline in acetic acid. All ferrous complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. In addition, the structure of
Fe3
has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, which showed the iron center to adopt a distorted square pyramidal geometry with the saturated sections of the fused six- and seven-membered carbocycles to be
cis
-configured. In combination with either MAO or MMAO,
Fe1
–
Fe5
exhibited exceptionally high activities for ethylene polymerization (up to

15.86
×

10

6

 
g

PE

 
mo

l

−
1

 

Fe

 

h

−
1

at 40°C (MMAO) and

9.60
×

10

6

 
g

PE

 
mo

l

−
1

 

Fe

 

h

−
1

at 60°C (MAO)) and produced highly linear polyethylene (HLPE,

T

m

≥
12

8

°

C

) with a wide range in molecular weights; in general, the MMAO-promoted polymerizations were more active. Irrespective of the cocatalyst employed, the 2,6-Me
2
-substituted
Fe1
and
Fe4
proved the most active while the more sterically hindered 2,6-
i
-Pr
2
Fe3
the least but afforded the highest molecular weight polyethylene (

M

w

:
65.6–72.6 kg mol
-1
). Multinuclear NMR spectroscopic analysis of the polymer formed using
Fe4
/MMAO at 40°C showed a preference for fully saturated chain ends with a broad bimodal distribution a feature of the GPC trace (

M

w

/

M

n

=
13.4

). By contrast, using
Fe4
/MAO at 60°C a vinyl-terminated polymer of lower molecular weight (

M

w

=
14.2
 
kg
 
mo

l

−
1

) was identified that exhibited a unimodal distribution (

M

w

/

M

n

=
3.8

). Moreover, the amount of aluminoxane cocatalyst employed, temperature, and run time were also found to be influential on the modality of the polymer.
Preparation and Characterization of Mixed-Oxide Catalyst
Authors: Alhassan M. , Faruq U. Z. , Galadima A. , Suleiman M. , Nasiru Y. , Garba A. A. , Yelwa A. S.
Published: October 2019

Solid heterogeneous CuO-MoO3/ZrO2 catalyst was prepared by impregnation using suitable precursor materials supported over zirconia. Upon calcination at 450°C for 2 hours, available techniques were employed for the characterization. The available oxides and minerals in the catalyst were revealed by the XRF and XRD profiles respectively. The catalyst crystallite size (131.6nm) was obtained using the Bragg’s equation from the latter. Thermal analysis showed three weight loss stages between (49.25-152.06°C), (152.06-559.47°C) and (559.47-752.0°C) while presence of sulphate and zirconia oxides was revealed by the FTIR analysis due to appearance of absorption bands around 1225-980cm-1 and 700-600 cm-1 respectively.
Cytogenotoxic effects of cypermethrin on root growth: Allium sativum as a model system
Authors: Onuminya Temitope Olabisi , Eze Tochukwu Emmanueal
Published: October 2019

Cypermethrin is a pyrethroid pesticide used on agricultural farms in Nigeria to control pests of fruits and vegetables but this is highly toxic to aquatic organisms. To determine toxicity of chemicals, Allium cepa is commonly used as an established bioassay however the bulb is used whole. Allium sativum in contrast is able to be split into cloves of smaller units hence this research aims to validate the potential of Allium sativum as a model plant for genotoxicity assessment. In this study, root growth inhibition test and chromosome aberration assay were used and the effective concentration (EC50) of cypermethrin was determined from the root growth curve. Furthermore, the mitotic activities of the root meristem were assessed using light microscopy. Treatment of root meristem of A. sativum with various concentrations of cypermethrin (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 mg/ml) revealed a reduction in the root length and EC50 of 0.44 mg/ml. Also morphological changes such root wilting, dark spots, tenderness of the clove bases and discoloration of the roots were observed. Cytological studies showed a reduction in mitotic index with increasing cypermethrin concentration. Chromosomal aberrations ranging from abnormal metaphases: c-metaphases, disturbed spindles and vagrant metaphases; to abnormal anaphases: laggard chromosomes, chromosome breaks and multipolarities were also recorded. These aberrations reduced with increased concentration of the pesticide leading to the production of lesser number of dividing cells. These show that cypermethrin is genotoxic to the root meristem and A. sativum is a suitable model plant for detecting pyrethroid genotoxicity in plant.
COLLOCATION TRANSLATION ERRORS FROM ARABIC INTO ENGLISH: A CASE STUDY OF NAGUIB MAHFOUZ’S NOVEL “AWLAD HARATINA”
Authors: Obeidat Adham Mousa , Tengku Mahadi Tengku Sepora
Published: October 2019

The purpose of this analysis is to understand the notion of translation errors while translating collocations from Arabic into English. The translation errors are found in the Arabic novel “Awlad Haratina” which is written by Naguib Mahfouz. The problem of translating collocations and the reasons behind those problems are studied based on Baker’s model of collocational errors which are the engrossing effect of source text (ST) patterning, misinterpreting the meaning of ST collocations, the tension between accuracy and naturalness, cultural-specific collocation and marked collocation in the source text. descriptive qualitative method is used as the method of this study. 71 errors are examined accordingly to find out the reason behind committing translation errors while translating collocation. The study reveals that the tension between accuracy and naturalness, cultural-specific collocation are the main reasons behind committing errors. As a result, the study finds that translators should pay more attention to the notion of collocation before the process of translation.