bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphological Characterization of Root System Architecture in Diverse Tomato Genotypes during Early Growth
Authors: Alaguero-Cordovilla Aurora , Gran-Gómez Francisco Javier , Tormos-Moltó Sergio , Pérez-Pérez José Manuel
Published: December 2018

Plant roots exploit morphological plasticity to adapt and respond to different soil environments. We characterized the root system architecture of nine wild tomato species and four cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) varieties during early growth in a controlled environment. Additionally, the root system architecture of six near-isogenic lines from the tomato ‘Micro-Tom’ mutant collection was also studied. These lines were affected in key genes of ethylene, abscisic acid, and anthocyanin pathways. We found extensive differences between the studied lines for a number of meaningful morphological traits, such as lateral root distribution, lateral root length or adventitious root development, which might represent adaptations to local soil conditions during speciation and subsequent domestication. Taken together, our results provide a general quantitative framework for comparing root system architecture in tomato seedlings and other related species.
Mitochondrial Dynamics in Stem Cells and Differentiation
Authors: Seo Bong Jong , Yoon Sang Hoon , Do Jeong Tae
Published: December 2018

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that continuously change their shape. Their main function is adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production; however, they are additionally involved in a variety of cellular phenomena, such as apoptosis, cell cycle, proliferation, differentiation, reprogramming, and aging. The change in mitochondrial morphology is closely related to the functionality of mitochondria. Normal mitochondrial dynamics are critical for cellular function, embryonic development, and tissue formation. Thus, defects in proteins involved in mitochondrial dynamics that control mitochondrial fusion and fission can affect cellular differentiation, proliferation, cellular reprogramming, and aging. Here, we review the processes and proteins involved in mitochondrial dynamics and their various associated cellular phenomena.
Calcium Signaling-Mediated Plant Response to Cold Stress
Authors: Yuan Peiguo , Yang Tianbao , Poovaiah B.W.
Published: December 2018

Low temperatures have adverse impacts on plant growth, developmental processes, crop productivity and food quality. It is becoming clear that Ca2+ signaling plays a crucial role in conferring cold tolerance in plants. However, the role of Ca2+ involved in cold stress response needs to be further elucidated. Recent studies have shown how the perception of cold signals regulate Ca2+ channels to induce Ca2+ transients. In addition, studies have shown how Ca2+ signaling and its cross-talk with nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathways ultimately lead to establishing cold tolerance in plants. Ca2+ signaling also plays a key role through Ca2+/calmodulin-mediated Arabidopsis signal responsive 1 (AtSR1/CAMTA3) when temperatures drop rapidly. This review highlights the current status in Ca2+ signaling-mediated cold tolerance in plants.
The C Terminus of the Ribosomal-Associated Protein LrtA Is an Intrinsically Disordered Oligomer
Authors: Neira José L. , Giudici A. Marcela , Hornos Felipe , Arbe Arantxa , Rizzuti Bruno
Published: December 2018

The 191-residue-long LrtA protein of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is involved in post-stress survival and in stabilizing 70S ribosomal particles. It belongs to the hibernating promoting factor (HPF) family, intervening in protein synthesis. The protein consists of two domains: The N-terminal region (N-LrtA, residues 1–101), which is common to all the members of the HPF, and seems to be well-folded; and the C-terminal region (C-LrtA, residues 102–191), which is hypothesized to be disordered. In this work, we studied the conformational preferences of isolated C-LrtA in solution. The protein was disordered, as shown by computational modelling, 1D-1H NMR, steady-state far-UV circular dichroism (CD) and chemical and thermal denaturations followed by fluorescence and far-UV CD. Moreover, at physiological conditions, as indicated by several biochemical and hydrodynamic techniques, isolated C-LrtA intervened in a self-association equilibrium, involving several oligomerization reactions. Thus, C-LrtA was an oligomeric disordered protein.
Prior Use of Antiplatelet Therapy and Outcomes after Endovascular Therapy in Acute Ischemic Stroke Due to Large Vessel Occlusion: A Single-Center Experience
Authors: Merlino Giovanni , Sponza Massimo , Gigli Gian Luigi , Lorenzut Simone , Vit Alessandro , Gavrilovic Vladimir , Pellegrin Andrea , Cargnelutti Daniela , Valente Mariarosaria
Published: December 2018

Endovascular therapy (EVT) represents the gold standard treatment in patients affected by acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). Prior antiplatelet (APT) therapy might increase the risk of bleeding and modify the clinical outcome of AIS patients treated with EVT. Thus, we compared effectiveness and safety of EVT in Caucasian patients with and without previous use of APT agents. We recruited consecutive patients admitted to Udine University Hospital with AIS undergoing EVT from January 2015 to December 2017. The following outcomes were documented: successful recanalization, 3-month favorable outcome, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), parenchymal hematoma (PH), and 3-month mortality. The study population included 100 patients (mean age 70.1 ± 11.2 years, 58% males). At time of admission, 34 patients were taking APT agents. Patients on APT pretreatment were older, had more vascular risk factors, and showed higher levels of serum creatinine than APT naïve patients. Moreover, prior APT therapy was associated with a higher rate of pre-stroke disability and a more severe stroke at admission. Patients pretreated with APT had higher rates of successful recanalization (91.2% vs. 74.2%, p = 0.04). Prevalence of 3-month unfavorable outcome and 3-month mortality was significantly higher in APT-pretreated patients than in those without APT pretreatment. However, these associations were not confirmed on multivariable analyses. Prevalence of sICH and PH did not differ in the two groups. APT pretreatment is associated to successful recanalization rate, without increasing the risk of intracranial bleeding in patients with LVO undergoing EVT.
Evaluation of Cardiac Complications Following Hemorrhagic Stroke Using 5-Year Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Database
Authors: Cheng Chun-Yu , Hsu Chia-Yu , Wang Ting-Chung , Jeng Ya-Chung , Yang Wei-Hsun
Published: December 2018

Literature regarding cardiac deaths in hemorrhagic stroke patients is few. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of cardiac death in hemorrhagic stroke patients. We used the multiple causes of death database from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data of the United States. We identified death certificates from 2006 to 2010 with hemorrhagic stroke (International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code I60-62), or ischemic stroke (ICD-10 code I63), and evaluated the frequency and risk factors of reporting MI (ICD-10 code I20-25) or arrhythmias (ICD-10 code I44-45, I47-49) as the main cause of death in these populations. Over the five-year period, 224,359 death certificates that mentioned hemorrhagic stroke were identified, and the cause of death was MI in 8.95% and arrhythmia in 7.28% patients. With autopsy confirmation, the incidences of MI and arrhythmias in the hemorrhagic stroke group were still lower than the ischemic group. The odds ratio of reporting arrhythmias as a cause of death in hospitalized population was higher. A substantial percentage of hemorrhagic stroke patients had cardiac death. Greater efforts are needed to closely monitor high-risk groups such as females and the elderly.
ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters in the Clinical Implementation of Pharmacogenetics
Authors: López-Fernández Luis A.
Published: December 2018

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are involved in a large number of processes and contribute to various human genetic diseases. Among other functions, ABC proteins are involved in the transport of multiple drugs through cells. Most of the genes coding for these transporters are highly polymorphic and DNA variants in these genes can affect the normal functioning of these proteins, affecting the way drugs are transported, increasing or decreasing drug levels. These changes in the intracellular and extracellular drug levels may be associated with altered drug effectiveness or severe drug-induced adverse events. This review presents a state-of-art of the most pharmacogenetics clinically relevant ABC transporters closed to the clinical implementation.
Anisotropic Compressive Behavior of Functionally Density Graded Aluminum Foam Prepared by Controlled Melt Foaming Process
Authors: Zhang Bingbing , Hu Shuangqi , Fan Zhiqiang
Published: December 2018

Aluminum foams with a functionally graded density have exhibited better impact resistance and a better energy absorbing performance than aluminum foams with a uniform density. Nevertheless, the anisotropic compression behavior caused by the graded density has scarcely been studied. In this paper, a density graded aluminum foam (FG) was prepared by a controlled foaming process. The effect of density anisotropy on the mechanical behavior of FGs was investigated under quasi-static compression and a low-velocity impact. Digital image correlation (DIC) and numerical simulation techniques were used to identify deformation mechanisms at both macro and cell levels. Results show that transverse compression on FGs lead to a higher collapse strength but also to a lower energy absorption, due to the significant decrease in densification strain and plateau stress. The deformation behavior of FGs under longitudinal compression was dominated by the progressive extension of the deformation bands. For FGs under transverse compression, the failure mode of specimens was characterized by multiple randomly distributed deformation bands. Moreover, the transverse compression caused more deformation on cells, through tearing and lateral stretching, because of the high lateral strain level in the specimens. It was concluded that the transverse compression of FGs lead to a lower plateau stress and a lower cell usage, thus resulting in a poorer energy absorption efficient; this constitutes a key factor which should be taken into consideration in structural design.
Numerical Simulation on the Transient Temperature Field of Anode Rodding in Aluminium Reduction Cells
Authors: Li Tuofu , Tao Wenju , Wang Zhaowen , Liu Xiaozhen , Hou Jianfeng
Published: December 2018

The temperature field of the anode rodding process is the root of most of problems related to the anode. A 3D transient thermal finite element model was developed, based on ANSYS in this paper. The temperature field of the rodding process was investigated using this model. The results were presented and analyzed in detail, including the transient temperature fields of different components in the anode, the characteristics of the cast iron solidification, and the cooling rate distribution. The conclusions were as follows. When the stub hole was filled up at 10 s, 30% by volume of cast iron was below the liquidus temperature. At 70 s, the cast iron solidified completely. The cast iron close to the stub solidified prior to that close to the carbon. The solidification mode was intermediate-freezing. The solidifying sequence was vertically from bottom to top, indicating that shrinkage cavities were less likely to occur. The temperature of the stub was higher than the carbon, and portion at high temperature was concentrated around the stub hole. The cooling rate during solidification was 4.3 °C s−1 to 43.7 °C s−1, and the gradient on the radial direction was relatively obvious.
Multidisciplinary Collaboration between a Community Pharmacy and a Travel Clinic in a Swiss University Primary Care and Public Health Centre
Authors: Berger Jérôme , Barbalat Marie-José , Pavón Clément Vanessa , Genton Blaise , Bugnon Olivier
Published: December 2018

This review is a narrative description of a collaboration between a travel clinic and a community pharmacy centre within a university primary care and public health centre (Lausanne/Switzerland). Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians participate in this collaboration to provide (1). counselling and clinical activities with travellers (e.g., pre-travel consultations and advice to travellers), (2). clinical pharmacy expertise and medicine information services (e.g., selection of an appropriate antimalarial medication for a traveller to manage of drug-drug interactions), (3). technical and logistical activities related to medicines and vaccines (e.g., management of vaccine shortages and specially imported medicines and vaccines from foreign countries) and (4). educational activities (e.g., undergraduate pharmacy teaching and continuous education to community pharmacists). Such a multidisciplinary collaboration should be encouraged as it enables us to address the evolution and challenges of travel medicine related to medication, such as growing vaccine shortages and an increasing number of chronic patients who travel. This review may be used as a model for the dissemination of such collaborative practices, to develop future advanced teaching and training activities, to provide a framework for research related to travel and medicines and to participate in the evaluation of vaccination practices by community pharmacists.
Encapsulation and Ultrasound-Triggered Release of G-Quadruplex DNA in Multilayer Hydrogel Microcapsules
Authors: Alford Aaron , Tucker Brenna , Kozlovskaya Veronika , Chen Jun , Gupta Nirzari , Caviedes Racquel , Gearhart Jenna , Graves David , Kharlampieva Eugenia
Published: December 2018

Nucleic acid therapeutics have the potential to be the most effective disease treatment strategy due to their intrinsic precision and selectivity for coding highly specific biological processes. However, freely administered nucleic acids of any type are quickly destroyed or rendered inert by a host of defense mechanisms in the body. In this work, we address the challenge of using nucleic acids as drugs by preparing stimuli responsive poly(methacrylic acid)/poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PMAA/PVPON)n multilayer hydrogel capsules loaded with ~7 kDa G-quadruplex DNA. The capsules are shown to release their DNA cargo on demand in response to both enzymatic and ultrasound (US)-triggered degradation. The unique structure adopted by the G-quadruplex is essential to its biological function and we show that the controlled release from the microcapsules preserves the basket conformation of the oligonucleotide used in our studies. We also show that the (PMAA/PVPON) multilayer hydrogel capsules can encapsulate and release ~450 kDa double stranded DNA. The encapsulation and release approaches for both oligonucleotides in multilayer hydrogel microcapsules developed here can be applied to create methodologies for new therapeutic strategies involving the controlled delivery of sensitive biomolecules. Our study provides a promising methodology for the design of effective carriers for DNA vaccines and medicines for a wide range of immunotherapies, cancer therapy and/or tissue regeneration therapies in the future.
Fabrication and Characterization of Isotropic and Anisotropic Magnetorheological Elastomers, Based on Silicone Rubber and Carbonyl Iron Microparticles
Authors: Puente-Córdova Jesús G. , Reyes-Melo M. Edgar , Palacios-Pineda Luis M. , Martínez-Perales Imperio A. , Martínez-Romero Oscar , Elías-Zúñiga Alex
Published: December 2018

This article focuses on studying the rheological behavior of isotropic and anisotropic magnetorheological elastomers (MREs), made of carbonyl iron microparticles dispersed into a silicone–rubber matrix by considering 20 and 30 wt % of microparticles. Sample sets were prepared for each composition, with and without the application of an external magnetic field. Experimental measurements of the material rheology behavior were carried out by a shear oscillatory rheometer at constant temperature, to determine both the shear storage modulus (G′) and shear loss modulus (G′′) for all characterized samples. Then, experimental data collected from the isotropic and the anisotropic material samples were used to plot the Cole-Cole diagrams to quantify the interfacial adhesion between carbonyl iron microparticles and the silicone-rubber matrix. Furthermore, the Fractional Zener Model (FZM) with two spring-pots in series is used for quantitative analysis of collected experimental data.
Soil Moisture and Irrigation Mapping in A Semi-Arid Region, Based on the Synergetic Use of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Data
Authors: Bousbih Safa , Zribi Mehrez , El Hajj Mohammad , Baghdadi Nicolas , Lili-Chabaane Zohra , Gao Qi , Fanise Pascal
Published: December 2018

This paper presents a technique for the mapping of soil moisture and irrigation, at the scale of agricultural fields, based on the synergistic interpretation of multi-temporal optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data (Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1). The Kairouan plain, a semi-arid region in central Tunisia (North Africa), was selected as a test area for this study. Firstly, an algorithm for the direct inversion of the Water Cloud Model (WCM) was developed for the spatialization of the soil water content between 2015 and 2017. The soil moisture retrieved from these observations was first validated using ground measurements, recorded over 20 reference fields of cereal crops. A second method, based on the use of neural networks, was also used to confirm the initial validation. The results reported here show that the soil moisture products retrieved from remotely sensed data are accurate, with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of less than 5% between the two moisture products. In addition, the analysis of soil moisture and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) products over cultivated fields, as a function of time, led to the classification of irrigated and rainfed areas on the Kairouan plain, and to the production of irrigation maps at the scale of individual fields. This classification is based on a decision tree approach, using a combination of various statistical indices of soil moisture and NDVI time series. The resulting irrigation maps were validated using reference fields within the study site. The best results were obtained with classifications based on soil moisture indices only, with an accuracy of 77%.
Retrieval of the Absorption Coefficient of L-Band Radiation in Antarctica From SMOS Observations
Authors: Passalacqua Olivier , Picard Ghislain , Ritz Catherine , Leduc-Leballeur Marion , Quiquet Aurélien , Larue Fanny , Macelloni Giovanni
Published: December 2018

Microwave emissions at the L-band (1–2 GHz) in Antarctica are characterized by a significant contribution of ice layers at great depth, from hundreds to a thousand meters. Brightness temperatures, thus, could provide the internal temperature of the ice sheet. However, there are two difficulties to overcome in developing an accurate retrieval algorithm. First, it is difficult to know precisely from which depths waves are emanating because the ice-absorption coefficient is uncertain at the L-band, despite several formulations proposed in the literature over the past few decades. Second, emissivity potentially varies in Antarctica due to remnant scattering in firn (or ice), even at the Brewster angle, and despite the low frequency, limiting the accuracy of the estimate of the physical temperature. Here, we present a retrieval method able to disentangle the absorption and emissivity effects from brightness temperature over the whole continent. We exploit the fact that scattering and absorption are controlled by different physical parameters and phenomena that can be considered as statistically independent. This independence provides a constraint to the retrieval method, that is then well-conditioned and solvable. Our results show that (1) the retrieved absorption agrees with the permittivity model proposed by Mätzler et al. (2006), and (2) emissivity shows significant variations, up to 6% over the continent, which are correlated with wind speed and accumulation patterns. A possible cause of this latter point is density heterogeneity and sastrugi buried in the firn. These two results are an important step forward for the accurate retrieval of internal temperature using low-frequency microwave radiometers.
Remote Sensing of Floodpath Lakes and Wetlands: A Challenging Frontier in the Monitoring of Changing Environments
Authors: Wang Yeqiao , Yésou Hervé
Published: December 2018

Monitoring of changing lake and wetland environments has long been among the primary focus of scientific investigation, technology innovation, management practice, and decision-making analysis. Floodpath lakes and wetlands are the lakes and associated wetlands affected by seasonal variations of water level and water surface area. Floodpath lakes and wetlands are, in particular, sensitive to natural and anthropogenic impacts, such as climate change, human-induced intervention on hydrological regimes, and land use and land cover change. Rapid developments of remote sensing science and technologies, provide immense opportunities and capacities to improve our understanding of the changing lake and wetland environments. This special issue on Remote Sensing of Floodpath Lakes and Wetlands comprise featured articles reporting the latest innovative research and reflects the advancement in remote sensing applications on the theme topic. In this editorial paper, we review research developments using state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies for monitoring dynamics of floodpath lakes and wetlands; discuss challenges of remote sensing in inventory, monitoring, management, and governance of floodpath lakes and wetlands; and summarize the highlights of the articles published in this special issue.
Robust Lane-Detection Method for Low-Speed Environments
Authors: Li Qingquan , Zhou Jian , Li Bijun , Guo Yuan , Xiao Jinsheng
Published: December 2018

Vision-based lane-detection methods provide low-cost density information about roads for autonomous vehicles. In this paper, we propose a robust and efficient method to expand the application of these methods to cover low-speed environments. First, the reliable region near the vehicle is initialized and a series of rectangular detection regions are dynamically constructed along the road. Then, an improved symmetrical local threshold edge extraction is introduced to extract the edge points of the lane markings based on accurate marking width limitations. In order to meet real-time requirements, a novel Bresenham line voting space is proposed to improve the process of line segment detection. Combined with straight lines, polylines, and curves, the proposed geometric fitting method has the ability to adapt to various road shapes. Finally, different status vectors and Kalman filter transfer matrices are used to track the key points of the linear and nonlinear parts of the lane. The proposed method was tested on a public database and our autonomous platform. The experimental results show that the method is robust and efficient and can meet the real-time requirements of autonomous vehicles.
Cholinesterases and Engineered Mutants for the Detection of Organophosphorus Pesticide Residues
Authors: Xu Yu-Ling , Li Feng-Ye , Ndikuryayo Ferdinand , Yang Wen-Chao , Wang Hong-Mei
Published: December 2018

Nowadays, pesticide residues constitute an increasing public health concern. Cholinesterases, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase, are reported to be involved in detoxification processes owing to their capability of scavenging organophosphates and carbamates. Thus, these enzymes are targeted for the discovery of sensors aiming at detecting pesticide residues. In recent years, cholinesterase-based biosensors have attracted more and more attention in the detection of pesticides. Herein, this review describes the recent progress on the engineering of cholinesterases and the development of the corresponding sensors that could be used for the detection of organophosphorus pesticide residues.
Optical Vapor Sensing on Single Wing Scales and on Whole Wings of the Albulina metallica Butterfly
Authors: Kertész Krisztián , Piszter Gábor , Bálint Zsolt , Biró László Péter
Published: December 2018

Fast, chemically-selective sensing of vapors using an optical readout can be achieved with the photonic nanoarchitectures occurring in the wing scales of butterflies possessing structural color. These nanoarchitectures are built of chitin and air. The Albulina metallica butterfly is remarkable as both the dorsal (blue) and ventral (gold-green) cover scales are colored by the same type (pepper-pot) of photonic nanoarchitecture, exhibiting only a short-range order. The vapors of ten different volatiles were tested for sensing on whole wing pieces and some of the volatiles were tested on single scales as well, both in reflected and transmitted light. Chemically-selective responses were obtained showing that selectivity can be increased by using arrays of sensors. The sensing behavior is similar in single scales and on whole wing pieces, and is similar in reflected and transmitted light. By immersing single scales in an index-matching fluid for chitin, both the light scattering and the photonic nanoarchitecture were switched off, and the differences in pigment content were revealed. By artificially stacking several layers of blue scales on top of each other, both the intensity of the characteristic photonic signal in air and the magnitude of the vapor sensing response for 50% ethanol vapor in artificial air were increased.
Low-Cost Indoor Positioning Application Based on Map Assistance and Mobile Phone Sensors
Authors: Li Yi-Shan , Ning Fang-Shii
Published: December 2018

Current mainstream navigation and positioning equipment, intended for providing accurate positioning signals, comprise global navigation satellite systems, maps, and geospatial databases. Although global navigation satellite systems have matured and are widespread, they cannot provide effective navigation and positioning services in covered areas or areas lacking strong signals, such as indoor environments. To solve the problem of positioning in environments lacking satellite signals and achieve cost-effective indoor positioning, this study aimed to develop an inexpensive indoor positioning program, in which the positions of users were calculated by pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) using the built-in accelerometer and gyroscope in a mobile phone. In addition, the corner and linear calibration points were established to correct the positions with the map assistance. Distance, azimuth, and rotation angle detections were conducted for analyzing the indoor positioning results. The results revealed that the closure accuracy of the PDR positioning was enhanced by more than 90% with a root mean square error of 0.6 m after calibration. Ninety-four percent of the corrected PDR positioning results exhibited errors of <1 m, revealing a desk-level positioning accuracy. Accordingly, this study successfully combined mobile phone sensors with map assistance for improving indoor positioning accuracy.
Lift-off Effect for Capacitive Imaging Sensors
Authors: Yin Xiaokang , Li Chen , Li Zhen , Li Wei , Chen Guoming
Published: December 2018

Capacitive Imaging (CI) sensors are capable of non-destructively detecting both surface and hidden defects in dielectric materials and characterizing conducting surfaces through a relatively thick insulation layer. However, the complex Measurement Sensitivity Distribution (MSD) of CI sensors render the sensor capacitance variation with lift-off highly non-linear, which may lead to misinterpretation of defect indications. This work systematically studied the lift-off effect using both Finite Element (FE) analysis and experimental approaches. Sensor MSD was used as a tool to predict the imaging performance. Normalized Variation Ratio (NVR) was introduced and used to characterise sensor responses due to defects for a CI sensor. Both the FE analysis and experiments suggest that the lift-off effect for a CI sensor is specimen type and condition dependent. For a given defect, the NVR may vary non-monotonically with increased lift-offs. A case study on a glass-fibre composite/aluminium hybrid structure with multiple artificial defects demonstrated the feasibility of defects discrimination using multiple CI scans with increased lift-offs.
Application of Butterfly Pea Flower Extract in Mask Development
Authors: Chen Li Hsien , Chen I Chia , Chen Pei Yen , Huang Ping Hsin
Published: December 2018

(1) Background: Clitoria ternatea (butterfly pea), a plant species belonging to the Leguminosae (Fabaceae) family, is useful for medical treatments and has been used in folk medicines and to cure different diseases. The antioxidation ability of the total phenolic compounds of butterfly pea is useful for preserving flavor, and colour and for preventing vitamin destruction in processed foods. In this study, a butterfly pea flower fermentation solution was added to cosmetics as a whiting ingredient. (2) Methods: After the phenolics, flavonoids and ascorbic acid content of the butterfly pea flower extraction had been determined, lactic acid bacteria fermented the extraction. The whitening and moisturizing effect was assayed by SSC3 and NF333 analyzers. (3) Results: This study demonstrated that the butterfly pea flower fermentation solution has free radical scavenging ability, a reducing power in high concentrations, a moisturizing effect, and a whiting effect. (4) Conclusions: The results showed that the butterfly pea flower fermentation solution not only inhibits redness, itching, allergies, and irritation to the skin, but also has antioxidation properties and promotes moisture retention and whitening effects, and the results increase as the concentration increases. Therefore, butterfly bean flowers may be suitable as a raw material for natural beauty care products.
The Resilience of Sustainability Transitions
Authors: Schilling Thorsten , Wyss Romano , Binder Claudia R.
Published: December 2018

Finding ways to understand, analyze, and manage sustainability transitions is a fundamental challenge for sustainability science. In this paper, we show how we can substantially deepen our understanding of factors that determine the success of sustainability transitions by combining two key concepts from the resilience literature—stability and adaptability—with a dynamic understanding of the progress of socio-technical transitions. We propose a conceptual perspective for sustainability transitions, the resilience of sustainability transitions (RST) concept, which integrates progress, stability, and adaptability as key dimensions to comprehend the dynamics of sustainability transitions. In a case analysis of the energy transition process in the Austrian region of Weiz-Gleisdorf, we apply the concept. In doing so, we illustrate how RST thinking helps identify and understand crucial elements that influence the dynamics of a sustainability transition process.
Noise Indicators for Size Distributions of Airborne Particles and Traffic Activities in Urban Areas
Authors: Jeon Jin Yong , Hong Joo Young , Kim Sung Min , Kim Ki-Hyun
Published: December 2018

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among the particle number concentration (PNC), noise, and traffic conditions. Field measurements were conducted to measure the temporal variabilities of the noise levels and PNC over 24 h in a location adjacent to three main traffic roads in Seoul, Korea. The PNC was measured in the range of 0.3 to 10 µm. The noise data was measured by utilizing both the overall levels and spectral characteristics. Traffic data including volumes and speeds of vehicles on the roads were also collected. The results showed that the correlations among the three key parameters varied depending on changes in the noise frequency and particle size. The noise levels at 100–200 Hz were positively correlated with traffic volume and submicron particles. In contrast, they exhibited inverse correlations with the traffic speed and the number of larger particles (>2.5 µm). Compared to noise levels at 100–200 Hz, noise levels at 1–2 kHz exhibited reverse relationships between the traffic and PNC. Submicron particles (0.3–1.0 µm) tended to be more strongly associated with noise levels during the daytime, while those greater than 2.5 µm maintained relatively stable correlations with the noise throughout the day. The findings address the importance of temporal and spectral-specific monitoring of air and noise pollutants for a better understanding of the exposure of the community to air and noise pollution.
Analysis on Consumers’ Purchase and Shopping Well-Being in Online Shopping Carnivals with Two Motivational Dimensions
Authors: Yu Han , Zhang Rong , Liu Bin
Published: December 2018

The development of online shopping carnivals (OSCs) is in full bloom due to the support of logistics industry and information technology. More and more people are keen to participate in them. This study contributes to literature by exploring the role of motivational factors (based on utilitarian and hedonic shopping values dimension) of the intention to participate in the actual purchase behavior of consumers and their shopping well-being in OSC. A model is developed and tested to explain consumers’ shopping process in the context of OSC. Results show that hedonic shopping values are primarily influenced by entertainment construct, and utilitarian shopping values are positively related to monetary saving, selection, and convenience. Furthermore, the correlation between hedonic shopping value and intention to participate is higher than that between utilitarian shopping value and intention to participate. The findings indicate that intention to participate in OSC exerts a stronger influence on shopping well-being than the effect on actual purchases.
Public Support of Private R&D–Effects on Economic Sustainability
Authors: Cadil Jan , Mirosnik Karel , Petkovova Ludmila , Mirvald Michal
Published: December 2018

A substantial part of contemporary R&D policy in developed countries is focused on the support of R&D in the private sector. Such intervention is theoretically justified by a higher propensity to innovation and consequently to higher competitiveness, which promotes sustainable economic growth. Most of the empirical research done so far focuses mainly on the leverage effect, the effect on innovation activity or on estimating the crowding out effect of public support. Although the outcomes of this research are quite contradictory, only a few studies focus on the effect of public support of private R&D on the private bodies’ performance indicators, which are naturally connected with a company’s economic sustainability. In this article we use counterfactual design and show that the R&D policy of supporting the private sector leads to higher innovation activity, but it does not lead to higher value added and productivity for supported subjects, at least in the short run. Such a finding suggests a possible flaw in R&D policy implementation—it is questionable if higher innovation activity is truly effective if it is not followed by a positive effect on production (value added) and productivity, and if it does not have a positive effect on competitiveness or lead to sustainable economic growth.
Urban (Un)Sustainability: Cases of Vilnius’s Informal and Illegal Settings
Authors: Kačerauskas Tomas
Published: December 2018

The current analysis addresses cases of both informal and illegal settlements in Vilnius, Lithuania. By using semiotic means (specifically, semiotic squares), the author presents the Romani district (tabors), as well the Šnipiškės district, describing the circumstances of their emerging and comparing these cases. In addition to that, the philosophical questions about the dichotomies ‘formal/informal’, ‘temporal/eternal’, ‘order/chaos’, ‘legal/illegal’, ‘sustainable/unsustainable’ are discussed. On the one hand, illegal buildings serve as a signal about too high a barrier of bureaucracy, about a surfeit of law and even about the violation of certain rights. On the other hand, some urban districts can become illegal because of a changed urban vision reflected in a new General Plan. The paper also analyzes the issue of public interest. Additionally, the tendency of democratic society to turn into bureaucratic society is analyzed. The paper addresses sensitive issues related to sustainable development of cities, intercultural dialogue and equal opportunities.
Augmented Reality and Valorizing the Mesozoic Geological Heritage (Burgos, Spain)
Authors: Martínez-Graña Antonio , González-Delgado José Ángel , Ramos Celia , Gonzalo Juan Carlos
Published: December 2018

This article presents the application of augmented reality through the use of devices in the valorisation of the geological heritage of six known geosites of the Jurassic or Cretaceous age, located in the South-East (SE) of the province of Burgos (Castilla y León, Spain). Using augmented reality techniques, geomatic resources have been developed that allow real-time interaction with different thematic layers (e.g., cartography, digital terrain model, etc.). Using these techniques, this paper proposes a virtual route in Google Earth and a Field Trip Guide with a detailed description of each site and suggested activities for educational use and one free geoapp. These geosites comprise three zones with deposits of dinosaur ichnites and three other sectors with marine fossils (Jurassic limestones), fossil trees, or singular karstic landscapes. The globalization of geodatabases allows the intelligent use of geo-resources and their use for tourism, didactic and scientific purposes.
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods can Provide Important Insights into the Evolution of Toxic Weaponry
Authors: Arbuckle Kevin
Published: December 2018

The literature on chemical weaponry of organisms is vast and provides a rich understanding of the composition and mechanisms of the toxins and other components involved. However, an ecological or evolutionary perspective has often been lacking and is largely limited to (1) molecular evolutionary studies of particular toxins (lacking an ecological view); (2) comparisons across different species that ignore phylogenetic relatedness (lacking an evolutionary view); or (3) descriptive studies of venom composition and toxicology that contain post hoc and untested ecological or evolutionary interpretations (a common event but essentially uninformative speculation). Conveniently, comparative biologists have prolifically been developing and using a wide range of phylogenetic comparative methods that allow us to explicitly address many ecological and evolutionary questions relating to venoms and poisons. Nevertheless, these analytical tools and approaches are rarely used and poorly known by biological toxinologists and toxicologists. In this review I aim to (1) introduce phylogenetic comparative methods to the latter audience; (2) highlight the range of questions that can be addressed using them; and (3) encourage biological toxinologists and toxicologists to either seek out adequate training in comparative biology or seek collaboration with comparative biologists to reap the fruits of a powerful interdisciplinary approach to the field.
Association between Protein-Bound Uremic Toxins and Asymptomatic Cardiac Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Chinnappa Shanmugakumar , Tu Yu-Kang , Yeh Yi Chun , Glorieux Griet , Vanholder Raymond , Mooney Andrew
Published: December 2018

Although the relationship between protein-bound uremic toxins (PBUTs) and cardiac structure and cardiac mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been studied in the past, the association between cardiac dysfunction and PBUTs has not yet been studied. We therefore evaluated the association between impaired peak cardiac performance and the serum free and total concentrations of potentially cardiotoxic PBUTs. In a cross-sectional study of 56 male CKD patients (stages 2–5 (pre-dialysis)) who were asymptomatic with no known cardiac diseases or diabetes we measured peak cardiac power (CPOmax), aerobic exercise capacity (VO2max), and echocardiographic parameters of cardiac morphology and evaluated their association with PBUTs. The serum total and free concentrations of indoxyl sulfate (IXS), p-cresyl sulfate (PCS), p-cresyl glucuronide, indole acetic acid, and hippuric acid showed significant negative correlation with CPOmax and VO2max. IXS and PCS were independently associated with CPOmax and VO2max even after controlling for eGFR. No correlation between left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and PBUTs was seen. The present study for the first time has demonstrated the association between subclinical cardiac dysfunction in CKD and serum levels of a panel of PBUTs. Further studies are required to evaluate the mechanism of cardiotoxicity of the individual uremic toxins.
Serious Games as Planning Support Systems: Learning from Playing Maritime Spatial Planning Challenge 2050
Authors: Jean Steven , Gilbert Laura , Medema Wietske , Keijser Xander , Mayer Igor , Inam Azhar , Adamowski Jan
Published: December 2018

The inherent complexity of planning at sea, called maritime spatial planning (MSP), requires a planning approach where science (data and evidence) and stakeholders (their engagement and involvement) are integrated throughout the planning process. An increasing number of innovative planning support systems (PSS) in terrestrial planning incorporate scientific models and data into multi-player digital game platforms with an element of role-play. However, maritime PSS are still early in their innovation curve, and the use and usefulness of existing tools still needs to be demonstrated. Therefore, the authors investigate the serious game, MSP Challenge 2050, for its potential use as an innovative maritime PSS and present the results of three case studies on participant learning in sessions of game events held in Newfoundland, Venice, and Copenhagen. This paper focusses on the added values of MSP Challenge 2050, specifically at the individual, group, and outcome levels, through the promotion of the knowledge co-creation cycle. During the three game events, data was collected through participant surveys. Additionally, participants of the Newfoundland event were audiovisually recorded to perform an interaction analysis. Results from survey answers and the interaction analysis provide evidence that MSP Challenge 2050 succeeds at the promotion of group and individual learning by translating complex information to players and creating a forum wherein participants can share their thoughts and perspectives all the while (co-) creating new types of knowledge. Overall, MSP Challenge and serious games in general represent promising tools that can be used to facilitate the MSP process.
Groundwater Flow Modeling in Karst Aquifers: Coupling 3D Matrix and 1D Conduit Flow via Control Volume Isogeometric Analysis—Experimental Verification with a 3D Physical Model
Authors: Malenica Luka , Gotovac Hrvoje , Kamber Grgo , Simunovic Srdjan , Allu Srikanth , Divic Vladimir
Published: December 2018

A novel numerical model for groundwater flow in karst aquifers is presented. A discrete-continuum (hybrid) approach, in which a three-dimensional matrix flow is coupled with a one-dimensional conduit flow, was used. The laminar flow in the karst matrix is described by a variably saturated flow equation to account for important hydrodynamic effects in both the saturated and unsaturated zones. Turbulent conduit flow for both free surface and pressurized flow conditions was captured via the noninertia wave equation, whereas the coupling of two flow domains was established through an exchange term proportional to head differences. The novel numerical approach based on Fup basis functions and control-volume formulation enabled us to obtain smooth and locally conservative numerical solutions. Due to its similarity to the isogeometric analysis concept (IGA), we labeled it as control-volume isogeometric analysis (CV-IGA). Since realistic verification of the karst flow models is an extremely difficult task, the particular contribution of this work is the construction of a specially designed 3D physical model ( dimensions: 5.66 × 2.95 × 2.00 m) in order to verify the developed numerical model under controlled laboratory conditions. Heterogeneous porous material was used to simulate the karst matrix, and perforated pipes were used as karst conduits. The model was able to capture many flow characteristics, such as the interaction between the matrix and conduit, rainfall infiltration through the unsaturated zone, direct recharge through sinkholes, and both free surface and pressurized flow in conduits. Two different flow experiments are presented, and comparison with numerical results confirmed the validity of the developed karst flow model under complex laboratory conditions.
A propos de publications récentes concernant le peuplement en Gaule à l'époque mérovingienne : la « question franque »
Authors: Périn Patrick
Published: December 2018

The author takes up the opinions that have been developed in three recent publications about the peopling of Gaul after ihe invasions of the 5th century. He refuses to call «Germanic» the funerary styles, types of objects, and decorative patterns that came into being in the late Romm Empire, without their belonging to a particular ethnic group. Instead, he finds these cases to be the result of a mixed Frankish-Roman culture. When the historical and archaeological sources are examined carefully, the «Frankish phenomenon» seems to have been more political and social than ethnic.
La fortification des portes avant la Guerre de Cent Ans. Essai de typologie des défenses des ouvrages d'entrée avant 1350
Authors: Mesqui J.
Published: December 2018

L'auteur étudie les divers types de défenses d'entrées (villes, châteaux) en France avant le milieu du XIVe siècle. L'évolution des dispositifs défensifs est particulièrement sensible au XIIIe siècle dans les grands ouvrages royaux, tandis que le plus grand nombre de constructeurs restent longtemps fidèles aux schémas conçus dès le début du XIIIe siècle.
Deux riches tombes de l'époque des Grandes Invasions au nord de la Gaule (Airan et Pouan)
Authors: Kazanski Michel
Published: December 2018

Michel Kazansky, Two rich burials of the time of the Great Invasions in Northern

Gaule : Airan and Pouan.

The Hunnic or barbarian style that appears in the burial furnishings of Airan (Department of Calvados) and of Pouan (Department of Aube) first saw the light during the first half of the 5th century in the cosmopolitan environment of Attila's court, in the central Danube area. The spread of this style is due in part to the renown of the Huns at the time and partly to the mobility that the aristocracy of that period enjoyed. These important people went from one court to the next, and in their train were doubtless goldsmiths. It would therefore be inappropriate to look for an eastern connection as regards the individuals who were buried in Airan and in Pouan. Each of these tombs should be studied, above all, within the context that applies to the antiquities of the area in which the tombs were found.