bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of SHBG rs1799941 Polymorphism on Free Testosterone Levels and Hypogonadism Risk in Young Non-Diabetic Obese Males
Authors: Castellano-Castillo Daniel , Royo José Luis , Martínez-Escribano Ana , Sánchez-Alcoholado Lidia , Molina-Vega María , Queipo-Ortuño María Isabel , Ruiz-Galdon Maximiliano , J. Álvarez-Millán Juan , Cabezas-Sanchez Pablo , Reyes-Engel Armando , Tinahones Francisco J. , Cardona Fernando , Fernandez-Garcia José C.
Published: July 2019

Introduction: Obesity has been associated with increased risk of presenting hypogonadism. Free testosterone (FT) is the fraction of testosterone that carries out the biological function of testosterone, and is determined from total testosterone (TT) and sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels. We aimed to study the SHBG polymorphism rs1799941 in a cohort of young non-diabetic obese males to unravel the possible implication of this polymorphism in obesity-related hypogonadism. Methodology: 212 young (<45 years) non-diabetic obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) males participated in this study. Subjects were classified according to TT and FT levels in: Eugonadal (n = 55, TT > 3.5 ng/mL and FT ≥ 70 pg/mL; EuG), normal FT hypogonadism (n = 40, TT < 3.5 and FT ≥ 70 pg/mL; normal FT HG) and hypogonadism (n = 117, TT < 3.5 ng/mL and TL < 70 pg/mL; HG). The SHBG rs1799941 polymorphism (GG/GA/AA) was analyzed using the Taqman Open Array (Applied biosystem). Results: The rs1799941 frequencies were different among the groups. Higher proportion of the allele (A) was found in HG, compared to EuG and normal FT HG. Among the genotypes, the rare homozygous (AA) were found in the normal FT HG group and higher levels of serum SHBG and lower of FT were observed. The presence of the allele A was related (according to lineal regression models) to an increased of SHBG levels ((GA) β = 3.28; (AA) β = 12.45) and a decreased of FT levels ((GA) β = −9.19; (AA) β = −18.52). The presence of the allele (A) increased the risk of presenting HG compared to normal FT HG (OR = 2.54). Conclusions: The rs1799941 of the SHBG gene can partially determine the presence of obesity-related hypogonadism in young non-diabetic males and whether these subjects have normal FT HG.
Prevalence of Thyroid Disease in Patients Surgically Treated for Pituitary Disease
Authors: Kim Daham , Cho Yongin , Ku Cheol Ryong , Jung Hyein , Moon Ju Hyung , Kim Eui Hyun , Shin Dong Yeob , Kim Sun Ho , Lee Eun Jig
Published: July 2019

Thyroid disease mainly has a thyroid origin but can occasionally have a pituitary origin. Clinicians face several challenges when these conditions occur together. We aimed to determine the prevalence of thyroid disorders in patients undergoing trans-sphenoidal adenomectomy (TSA) for pituitary disease. We reviewed the medical records of patients undergoing TSA for pituitary disease between 2008 and 2017 at Severance Hospital. Thyroid disorders were categorized using blood test results and medical histories at the time of preoperative evaluation. Among 2202 patients, 44 (2%), 218 (9.9%), and 74 (3.4%) had hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and post-thyroidectomy status before TSA, respectively. Among the 44 patients with hyperthyroidism, 30 (68.2%) had central hyperthyroidism. Among the 218 patients with hypothyroidism, 165 (75.7%) had central hypothyroidism. Central hypothyroidism was more common in patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas (aOR (adjusted odds ratio) 1.85), Rathke’s cleft cysts (aOR 2.34), and craniopharyngiomas (aOR 2.58) (all p < 0.05) than in those with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. Contrastingly, thyroid cancer had an increased prevalence in patients with growth hormone- (aOR 3.17), prolactin- (aOR 3.66), and thyroid-stimulating hormone-secreting (aOR 6.28) pituitary adenomas (all p < 0.05). Pituitary disease sometimes accompanies thyroid disorders; their characteristics vary according to the type of pituitary disease.
Revisiting the Dependence of Poisson’s Ratio on Liquid Fragility and Atomic Packing Density in Oxide Glasses
Authors: Østergaard Martin B. , Hansen Søren R. , Januchta Kacper , To Theany , Rzoska Sylwester J. , Bockowski Michal , Bauchy Mathieu , Smedskjaer Morten M.
Published: July 2019

Poisson’s ratio (ν) defines a material’s propensity to laterally expand upon compression, or laterally shrink upon tension for non-auxetic materials. This fundamental metric has traditionally, in some fields, been assumed to be a material-independent constant, but it is clear that it varies with composition across glasses, ceramics, metals, and polymers. The intrinsically elastic metric has also been suggested to control a range of properties, even beyond the linear-elastic regime. Notably, metallic glasses show a striking brittle-to-ductile (BTD) transition for ν-values above ~0.32. The BTD transition has also been suggested to be valid for oxide glasses, but, unfortunately, direct prediction of Poisson’s ratio from chemical composition remains challenging. With the long-term goal to discover such high-ν oxide glasses, we here revisit whether previously proposed relationships between Poisson’s ratio and liquid fragility (m) and atomic packing density (Cg) hold for oxide glasses, since this would enable m and Cg to be used as surrogates for ν. To do so, we have performed an extensive literature review and synthesized new oxide glasses within the zinc borate and aluminoborate families that are found to exhibit high Poisson’s ratio values up to ~0.34. We are not able to unequivocally confirm the universality of the Novikov-Sokolov correlation between ν and m and that between ν and Cg for oxide glass-formers, nor for the organic, ionic, chalcogenide, halogenide, or metallic glasses. Despite significant scatter, we do, however, observe an overall increase in ν with increasing m and Cg, but it is clear that additional structural details besides m or Cg are needed to predict and understand the composition dependence of Poisson’s ratio. Finally, we also infer from literature data that, in addition to high ν, high Young’s modulus is also needed to obtain glasses with high fracture toughness.
Isolation, Characterization and Biotechnological Potentials of Thraustochytrids from Icelandic Waters
Authors: Stefánsson Magnús Örn , Baldursson Sigurður , Magnússon Kristinn P. , Eyþórsdóttir Arnheiður , Einarsson Hjörleifur
Published: July 2019

The following study reports on the first thraustochytrid isolates identified from Iceland. They were collected from three different locations off the northern coast of the country (Location A, Skagaströnd; Location B, Hveravík; and Location C, Eyjafjörður). Using 18S rDNA sequence analysis, isolates from Locations A and B were identified within the Thraustochytrium kinnei species while other isolates within the Sicyoidochytrium minutum species when compared to other known strains. Cells isolated from Locations A ( 2.10 ± 0.70 g/L) and B ( 1.54 ± 0.17 g/L) produced more biomass than the ones isolated from Location C ( 0.43 ± 0.02 g/L). This study offers the first-time examination of the utility of byproducts from fisheries as a nitrogen source in media formulation for thraustochytrids. Experiments showed that isolates produced more biomass (per unit of substrate) when cultured on nitrogen of marine ( 2.55 ± 0.74 g/L) as compared to of commercial origin ( 1.06 ± 0.57 g/L). Glycerol ( 2.43 ± 0.56 g/L) was a better carbon source than glucose ( 1.84 ± 0.57 g/L) in growth studies. Fatty acid (FA) profiles showed that the isolates from Location C (S. minutum) had low ratios of monounsaturated ( 4.21 ± 2.96 % ) and omega-6 ( 0.68 ± 0.59 % ) FAs. However, the isolates also had high ratios of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 35.65 ± 1.73 % ) and total omega-3 FAs ( 40.39 ± 2.39 % ), indicating that they could serve as a source of marine oils for human consumption and in aquaculture feeds. The T. kinnei isolates from Location A could be used in biodiesel production due to their high ratios of monounsaturated ( 18.38 ± 6.27 % ) long chain ( 57.43 ± 8.27 % ) FAs.
Identification and Structure–Activity Relationship of Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Function Protective Collagen Peptides from Alaska Pollock Skin
Authors: Song Wenkui , Chen Qianru , Wang Ying , Han Yan , Zhang Hongwei , Li Bo , Yu Guangli
Published: July 2019

The effect of collagen peptides (CPs) in intestinal mucosal protection has been approved in both cell and animal models. However, its structure–activity relationship and efficient peptide sequences are unclear, which hinders the in-depth study of its action mechanism and relative nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals development. In this work, size exclusion chromatography, cation-exchange chromatography, and RP-HPLC were used to separate Alaska pollock skin-derived collagen hydrolysates based on their molecular weight, charge property, and hydrophobicity. The intestinal epithelial barrier function (IEBF) protective effect of separated peptide fractions were evaluated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced Caco-2 cell model. Results indicated that lower molecular weight (500–1000 Da) and higher hydrophilicity of CPs were related to better IEBF protective effect. Two high-efficiency IEBF protective peptide sequences, GPSGPQGSR and GPSGLLGPK with the corresponding molecular weights of 841.41 Da and 824.38 Da, were subsequently identified by UPLC-QToF-MS/MS. Their IEBF protective ability are comparable or even better than the currently used intestinal health supplements glutamine and arginine. The present findings suggested that the hydrophilic CPs, with molecular weight between 500 Da to 1000 Da, should be preferred in IEBF protective peptides preparation. GPSGPQGSR and GPSGLLGPK might have the potential of being IEBF protective ingredients used in intestinal health supplements and drugs.
Handheld Ultrasound and Focused Cardiovascular Echography: Use and Information
Authors: Savino Ketty , Ambrosio Giuseppe
Published: July 2019

The availability of miniaturized ultrasound machines has changed our approach to many cardiovascular diseases. Handheld ultrasound imaging can be performed at the bedside, it is easy to use, and the information provided, although limited, is of unquestionable importance for a quick diagnosis that leads to early treatment. They have unique characteristics: Low cost, wide availability, safety, accuracy, and can be used in different clinical scenarios and by operators with different backgrounds. Image acquisition and interpretation is rapid and provides, in each situation, useful information for diagnosis, prognosis, and clinical and therapeutic management. This review focuses on the use of handheld ultrasound devices, describes differences with other equipment, their limitations, and the numerous advantages derived from their use.
A Meta-Analysis of the Utility of Preoperative Intravenous Paracetamol for Post-Caesarean Analgesia
Authors: Ng Qin Xiang , Loke Wayren , Yeo Wee Song , Chng Kelvin Yong Yan , Tan Chin How
Published: July 2019

Background and objectives: Worldwide, the number of caesarean sections performed has increased exponentially. Some studies have reported better pain control and lower postoperative requirements for opioids when intravenous (IV) paracetamol was administered preoperatively. This meta-analysis thus aimed to investigate the utility of preoperative IV paracetamol for post-caesarean analgesia. Materials and Methods: By using the keywords (paracetamol OR acetaminophen) AND [cesarea* OR caesarea* OR cesaria* OR caesaria*], a systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Medline, Embase, Google Scholar and ClinicalTrials.gov databases for papers published in English between January 1, 1960 and March 1, 2019. Grey literature was searched as well. Results: Seven clinical trials were reviewed, while five randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies were included in the final meta-analysis. Applying per-protocol analysis and a random-effects model, there was a significant reduction in postoperative opioid consumption and pain score in the group that received preoperative IV paracetamol, compared to placebo, as the standardized mean difference (SMD) were −0.460 (95% CI −0.828 to −0.092, p = 0.014) and −0.719 (95% CI: −1.31 to −0.13, p = 0.018), respectively. However, there was significant heterogeneity amongst the different studies included in the meta-analysis (I2 = 70.66%), perhaps owing to their diverse protocols. Some studies administered IV paracetamol 15 min before induction while others gave it before surgical incision. Conclusion: This is the first review on the topic. Overall, preoperative IV paracetamol has convincingly demonstrated useful opioid-sparing effects and it also appears safe for use at the time of delivery. It should be considered as a component of an effective multimodal analgesic regimen. Future studies could be conducted on other patient groups, e.g., those with multiple comorbidities or chronic pain disorders, and further delineate the optimal timing to administer the drug preoperatively.
Effect of Quench Polish Quench Nitriding Temperature on the Microstructure and Wear Resistance of SAF2906 Duplex Stainless Steel
Authors: Xiang Hongliang , Wu Gaoxiang , Liu Dong , Cao Huatang , Dong Xuanpu
Published: July 2019

The effect of quench polish quench (QPQ) nitriding temperature on the microstructure and wear resistance of SAF2906 duplex stainless steel was investigated. Results showed the surface of the nitrided samples was composed of an oxidized layer, a loose compound layer, a compact compound layer, and a diffusion layer. The oxidized layer was composed of Fe3O4. The main phases of the loose compound layer were CrN, αN, Fe2–3N, and Fe3O4. The compact compound layer was composed of CrN, αN, and Fe2–3N. In the diffusion layer, CrN and expanded austenite (S) were the main phases. The nitrided layer thickness increased from 20 to 41 μm with an increasing temperature of 570 to 610 °C. When the nitriding temperature was above 590 °C, the precipitates in the diffusion layer became coarsened, and their morphologies gradually changed from spherical particulate to rod-like and flocculent-like. Tribotests showed the cumulative mass loss of QPQ-treated samples was much lower than that of the substrate. The cumulative mass loss of the samples nitrided at 610 °C was higher than that at 570 °C during the first 29 h. When the test time was over 29 h, the former was lower than the latter.
Contrast of Real-Time Fluorescent PCR Methods for Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and of Introducing an Internal Amplification Control
Authors: Zhao Xihong , Xia Jing , Liu Yao
Published: July 2019

Various constituents in food specimens can inhibit the PCR assay and lead to false-negative results. An internal amplification control was employed to monitor the presence of false-negative results in PCR amplification. In this study, the objectives were to compare the real-time PCR-based method by introducing a competitive internal amplification control (IAC) for the detection of Escherichia O157:H7 with respect to the specificity of the primers and probes, analytical sensitivity, and detection limits of contamination-simulated drinking water. Additionally, we optimized the real-time fluorescent PCR detection system for E. coli O157:H7. The specificity of primers and probes designed for the rfbE gene was evaluated using four kinds of bacterial strains, including E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes strains. The real time PCR assay unambiguously distinguished the E. coli O157:H7 strains after 16 cycles. Simultaneously, the lowest detection limit for E. coli O157:H7 in water samples introducing the IAC was 104 CFU/mL. The analytical sensitivity in water samples had no influence on the detection limit compared with that of pure cultures. The inclusion of an internal amplification control in the real-time PCR assay presented a positive IAC amplification signal in artificially simulated water samples. These results indicated that real-time fluorescent PCR combined with the IAC possessed good characteristics of stability, sensitivity, and specificity. Consequently, the adjusted methods have the potential to support the fast and sensitive detection of E. coli O157:H7, enabling accurate quantification and preventing false negative results in E. coli O157:H7 contaminated samples.
Mono and Poly-Cationic Adsorption of Heavy Metals Using Natural Glauconite
Authors: Franus Małgorzata , Bandura Lidia , Madej Jarosław
Published: July 2019

The issue of heavy metal pollution of industrial wastewaters is a major environmental concern nowadays. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of heavy metals removal from aqueous solutions by natural glauconite, in batch and dynamic systems. Glauconite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm, scanning electron microscope, differential thermal analysis, and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. Cation exchange capacity, bulk density and point of zero charge were also determined. In the batch system, the impact of initial concentration, contact time, and pH of metal solutions on sorption efficiency was analysed, whereas for the dynamic system, the influence of flow rate was studied. The adsorption capacity in the batch system followed the order: Pb > Cd > Zn > Cu. The highest adsorption rate was achieved in the pH range 7–9. In the column experiments, the selectivity order in the case of mono-cationic system was the same as that of batch system, whereas in the case of poly-cationic system it was: Pb > Zn > Cd > Cu. With the increase of the flow rate, the total capacity at the exhaustion point increased.
Hydrophobic Interactions Drive Binding between Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGFA) and Polyphenolic Inhibitors
Authors: Perez-Moral Natalia , Needs Paul W. , Moyle Christina W.A. , Kroon Paul A.
Published: July 2019

Some polyphenols have been shown to inhibit, at physiological levels, the VEGF-induced VEGF receptor-2 signaling that causes angiogenesis, allegedly by direct interaction with VEGF and reducing the binding to its receptor VEGFR2. Surface plasmon resonance was used to measure the parameters of binding between VEGF and polyphenols as well as the nature of the interactions by assessing the effect of physico-chemical changes in the solution. CD spectrometry was used to determine any change in the secondary structure of the protein upon binding. The kinetic parameters (ka, kd, and KD) that characterise the binding to VEGF were measured for both inhibitor and non-inhibitor polyphenolic molecules. The effect of changes in the physico-chemical conditions of the solution where the binding occurred indicated that the nature of the interactions between VEGF and EGCG was predominantly of a hydrophobic nature. CD studies suggested that a change in the secondary structure of the protein occurred upon binding. Direct interaction and binding between VEGF and polyphenol molecules acting as inhibitors of the signaling of VEGFR2 has been measured for the first time. The binding between VEGF and EGCG seemed to be based on hydrophobic interactions and caused a change in the secondary structure of the protein.
Mineral Content of Various Portuguese Breads: Characterization, Dietary Intake, and Discriminant Analysis
Authors: Torrinha Álvaro , Oliveira Marta , Marinho Susana , Paíga Paula , Delerue-Matos Cristina , Morais Simone
Published: July 2019

The chemical composition and daily mineral intake (DMI) of six macro (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorous, and chloride) and four microminerals (copper, iron, manganese, and zinc) were determined in four types of Portuguese breads (white wheat, maize, wheat/maize, and maize/rye breads). Samples were processed with microwave assisted digestion and mineral composition was determined with a high-resolution continuum-source atomic absorption spectrometer with flame and graphite furnace. Bread contributes to an equilibrated diet since it is rich in several minerals (0.21 mg/100 g of copper in wheat bread to 537 mg/100 g of sodium in maize/rye bread). Maize/rye bread presented the highest content of all minerals (except phosphorous and chloride), while the lowest levels were mainly found in wheat bread. Median sodium concentrations (422–537 mg/100 g) represented more than 28% of the recommended daily allowance, being in close range of the maximum Portuguese limit (550 mg/100 g). Maize/rye bread exhibited the highest DMI of manganese (181%), sodium (36%), magnesium (32%), copper (32%), zinc (24%), iron (22%), potassium (20%), and calcium (3.0%). A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) model based on the mineral content allowed the differentiation among white wheat, maize, and maize/rye bread. Zinc, magnesium, manganese, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and calcium proved to be good chemical markers to differentiate bread compositions.
Phytotoxic Activity and Structure–Activity Relationships of Radicinin Derivatives against the Invasive Weed Buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris)
Authors: Masi Marco , Freda Fabrizio , Clement Suzette , Cimmino Alessio , Cristofaro Massimo , Meyer Susan , Evidente Antonio
Published: July 2019

Radicinin (1), is a fungal dihydropyranopyran-4,5-dione isolated together with some analogues, namely 3-epi-radicinin, radicinol, 3-epi-radicinol, and cochliotoxin (2–5), from the culture filtrates of the fungus Cochliobolus australiensis, a foliar pathogen of buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris), an invasive weed in North America. Among the different metabolites 1 showed target-specific activity against the host plant and no toxicity on zebrafish embryos, promoting its potential use to develop a natural bioherbicide formulation to manage buffelgrass. These data and the peculiar structural feature of 1 suggested to carry out a structure-activity relationship study, preparing some key hemisynthetic derivatives and to test their phytotoxicity. In particular, p-bromobenzoyl, 5-azidopentanoyl, stearoyl, mesyl and acetyl esters of radicinin were semisynthesized as well as the monoacetyl ester of 3-epi-radicinin, the diacetyl esters of radicinol and its 3 epimer, and two hexa-hydro derivatives of radicinin. The spectroscopic characterization and the activity by leaf puncture bioassay against buffelgrass of all the derivatives is reported. Most of the compounds showed phytotoxicity but none of them had comparable or higher activity than radicinin. Thus, the presence of an α,β unsaturated carbonyl group at C-4, as well as, the presence of a free secondary hydroxyl group at C-3 and the stereochemistry of the same carbon proved to be the essential feature for activity.
Zn2+ Interaction with Amyloid-B: Affinity and Speciation
Authors: Arena Giuseppe , Rizzarelli Enrico
Published: July 2019

Conflicting values, obtained by different techniques and often under different experimental conditions have been reported on the affinity of Zn2+ for amyloid-β, that is recognized as the major interaction responsible for Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we compare the approaches employed so far, i.e., the evaluation of Kd and the determination of the stability constants to quantitatively express the affinity of Zn2+ for the amyloid-β peptide, evidencing the pros and cons of the two approaches. We also comment on the different techniques and conditions employed that may lead to divergent data. Through the analysis of the species distribution obtained for two selected examples, we show the implications that the speciation, based on stoichiometric constants rather than on Kd, may have on data interpretation. The paper also demonstrates that the problem is further complicated by the occurrence of multiple equilibria over a relatively narrow pH range.
An Effective Protocol for Proteome Analysis of Medaka (Oryzias latipes) after Acute Exposure to Ionizing Radiation
Authors: Pérez-Gélvez Yeni , Unger Shem , Gutiérrez-Sánchez Gerardo , Bridger Robert , Rhodes Olin E. , Bergmann Carl
Published: July 2019

All terrestrial organisms are subject to evolutionary pressures associated with natural sources of ionizing radiation (IR). The legacy of human-induced IR associated with energy, weapons production, medicine, and research has changed the distribution and magnitude of these evolutionary pressures. To date, no study has systematically examined the effects of environmentally relevant doses of radiation exposure across an organismal proteome. This void in knowledge has been due, in part, to technological deficiencies that have hampered quantifiable environmentally relevant IR doses and sensitive detection of proteomic responses. Here, we describe a protocol that addresses both needs, combining quantifiable IR delivery with a reliable method to yield proteomic comparisons of control and irradiated Medaka fish. Exposures were conducted at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL, in Aiken, SC), where fish were subsequently dissected into three tissue sets (carcasses, organs and intestines) and frozen until analysis. Tissue proteins were extracted, resolved by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and each sample lane was divided into ten equal portions. Following in-gel tryptic digestion, peptides released from each gel portion were identified and quantified by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to obtain the most complete, comparative study to date of proteomic responses to environmentally relevant doses of IR. This method provides a simple approach for use in ongoing epidemiologic studies of chronic exposure to environmentally relevant levels of IR and should also serve well in physiological, developmental, and toxicological studies.
Unsupervised Keyphrase Extraction for Web Pages
Authors: Haarman Tim , Zijlema Bastiaan , Wiering Marco
Published: July 2019

Keyphrase extraction is an important part of natural language processing (NLP) research, although little research is done in the domain of web pages. The World Wide Web contains billions of pages that are potentially interesting for various NLP tasks, yet it remains largely untouched in scientific research. Current research is often only applied to clean corpora such as abstracts and articles from academic journals or sets of scraped texts from a single domain. However, textual data from web pages differ from normal text documents, as it is structured using HTML elements and often consists of many small fragments. These elements are furthermore used in a highly inconsistent manner and are likely to contain noise. We evaluated the keyphrases extracted by several state-of-the-art extraction methods and found that they did not transfer well to web pages. We therefore propose WebEmbedRank, an adaptation of a recently proposed extraction method that can make use of structural information in web pages in a robust manner. We compared this novel method to other baselines and state-of-the-art methods using a manually annotated dataset and found that WebEmbedRank achieved significant improvements over existing extraction methods on web pages.
Modulation of the Functional Components of Growth, Photosynthesis, and Anti-Oxidant Stress Markers in Cadmium Exposed Brassica juncea L.
Authors: Kapoor Dhriti , Singh Mahendra P. , Kaur Satwinderjeet , Bhardwaj Renu , Zheng Bingsong , Sharma Anket
Published: July 2019

Heavy metals (including Cadmium) are being entered into the environment through various sources and cause toxicity to plants. Response of Brassica juncea L. var. RLC-1 was evaluated after exposing them to different concentration of cadmium (Cd) for seven days. Seeds of B. juncea were treated with different concentrations of Cd like 0.2–0.6 mM for 7 days, allowing them to grow in Petri-dishes, and seedlings were examined for different physiological responses. Following exposure to Cd, in the seedlings of B. juncea, growth parameters (root and shoot length), stress markers (lipid peroxidation and H2O2 content), secondary metabolites, photosynthetic pigments, and ion analysis, were estimated along with enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. We observed a significant reduction in root and shoot length after Cd treatment as compared to control seedlings. Malondialdehyde and H2O2 contents were increased accompanied by enhanced Cd uptake. Activities of antioxidative enzymes were also significantly altered following Cd exposure to the seedlings of B. juncea. Conclusively, we suggest that Cd exposure to the seedlings triggered an induction of several defense responses in B. juncea including major metabolites.
The Preparation and Properties of Terephthalyl-Alcohol-Modified Phenolic Foam with High Heat Aging Resistance
Authors: Ge Tiejun , Hu Xiaoqi , Tang Kaihong , Wang Dongqi
Published: July 2019

In this experiment, terephthalyl alcohol was used as a modifier to modify phenol under both acidic and alkaline conditions to obtain modified phenols with different molecular structures. Subsequently, the modified phenols reacted with paraformaldehyde in an alkaline environment. After foaming and curing, a modified phenolic foam with high heat aging resistance was obtained. The molecular structure was characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR). The results showed that two different structures of phenolic resin can be successfully prepared under different conditions of acid and alkali. The modified phenolic foam was tested by thermogravimetric analysis. In addition, the modified phenolic foam was tested for mass change rate, dimensional change rate, powdering rate, water absorption rate, and compressive strength before and after aging. The results show that the modified phenolic foam has excellent performance. After heat aging for 24 h, the mass loss rate of the modified phenolic foam obtained by acid catalysis was as low as 4.5%, the pulverization rate was only increased by 3.2%, and the water absorption of the modified phenolic foam increased by 0.77%, which is one-third that of the phenolic foam. Compared with the phenolic foam, the modified phenolic foam shows good heat aging resistance.
Protic Imidazolium Polymer as Ion Conductor for Improved Oxygen Evolution Performance
Authors: Zhang Fangfang , Yang Minchen , Zhang Siyi , Fang Pengfei
Published: July 2019

Improving the electrocatalytic performance of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for oxygen-involved electrochemical devices, including water splitting and rechargeable metal–air batteries. In this work, we report that the OER performance of commercial catalysts of IrO2, Co3O4, and Pt-C can be improved by replacing the traditional Nafion® ionomer with newly synthesized copolymers consisting of protonated imidazolium moieties such as ion conductors and binders in electrodes. Specifically, such an improvement in OER performance for all the tested catalysts is more significant in basic and neutral environments than that under acidic conditions. We anticipate that the results will provide new ideas for the conceptual design of electrodes for oxygen-involved electrochemical devices.
On the Dielectric Behavior of Amine and Anhydride Cured Epoxy Resins Modified Using Multi-Terminal Epoxy Functional Network Modifier
Authors: Saeedi Istebreq A. , Andritsch Thomas , Vaughan Alun S.
Published: July 2019

A range of modified amine- and anhydride-cured epoxy systems based upon diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A was produced, through the systematic incorporation of moieties termed functional network modifiers (FNMs) that serve to change the network structure in controlled ways. Here, the chosen FNM was trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TTE). The resulting materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, dielectric spectroscopy and measurements of direct current conduction. A progressive reduction in the glass transition temperature of the modified samples was seen with increasing TTE, which is interpreted in terms of changes in the network architecture of the resin. The molecular origins of the dielectric γ and β relaxation processes are proposed. The observed increase in conduction seen exclusively with increasing TTE content in the amine-cured systems is considered in terms of the chemistry of the FNMs, variations in free volume, changes in molecular dynamics and residual unreacted groups retained from the curing reaction. Specifically, we relate the observed increase in conduction to the presence of unreacted amine groups.
Evaluation of Electron Induced Crosslinking of Masticated Natural Rubber at Different Temperatures
Authors: Huang Ying , Gohs Uwe , Müller Michael Thomas , Zschech Carsten , Wießner Sven
Published: July 2019

In this work, natural rubber (NR) was masticated using an internal mixer to fit the requirements of reactive blending with polylactide and characterized by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and dynamic rheology measurements. Subsequently, the effect of elevated temperatures (25 °C, 80 °C, and 170 °C) on the electron beam (EB) induced crosslinking and degradation of masticated natural rubber (mNR) in a nitrogen atmosphere without adding crosslinking agents has been investigated. The sol gel investigation showed that the gel dose of mNR slightly increased with increasing irradiation temperature, which is also confirmed by the swelling test. The chain scission to crosslinking ratio (Gs/Gx) was found to be less than 1 for irradiated mNR at 25 °C and 80 °C, suggesting a dominating crosslinking behavior of mNR. However, a significant increase of Gs/Gx ratio (~1.12) was observed for mNR irradiated at 170 °C due to the enhanced thermal degradation behavior at high temperature. A remarkably improved elasticity (higher complex viscosity, higher storage modulus, and longer relaxation time) for EB modified mNR was demonstrated by dynamic rheological analysis. Particularly, the samples modified at higher temperatures represented more pronounced elasticity behavior which resulted from the higher number of branches and/or the longer branched chains.
Expression of Concern: Lynn, R. Reflections on Sixty-Eight Years of Research on Race and Intelligence. Psych, 2019, 1, 123–131
Authors:   Psych Editorial Office
Published: July 2019

The Editorial Office of Psych issues the following Expression of Concern about the published paper: Reflections on Sixty-Eight Years of Research on Race and Intelligence [...]
Identifying Salt Marsh Shorelines from Remotely Sensed Elevation Data and Imagery
Authors: Farris Amy S. , Defne Zafer , Ganju Neil K.
Published: July 2019

Salt marshes are valuable ecosystems that are vulnerable to lateral erosion, submergence, and internal disintegration due to sea level rise, storms, and sediment deficits. Because many salt marshes are losing area in response to these factors, it is important to monitor their lateral extent at high resolution over multiple timescales. In this study we describe two methods to calculate the location of the salt marsh shoreline. The marsh edge from elevation data (MEED) method uses remotely sensed elevation data to calculate an objective proxy for the shoreline of a salt marsh. This proxy is the abrupt change in elevation that usually characterizes the seaward edge of a salt marsh, designated the “marsh scarp.” It is detected as the maximum slope along a cross-shore transect between mean high water and mean tide level. The method was tested using lidar topobathymetric and photogrammetric elevation data from Massachusetts, USA. The other method to calculate the salt marsh shoreline is the marsh edge by image processing (MEIP) method which finds the unvegetated/vegetated line. This method applies image classification techniques to multispectral imagery and elevation datasets for edge detection. The method was tested using aerial imagery and coastal elevation data from the Plum Island Estuary in Massachusetts, USA. Both methods calculate a line that closely follows the edge of vegetation seen in imagery. The two methods were compared to each other using high resolution unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) data, and to a heads-up digitized shoreline. The root-mean-square deviation was 0.6 meters between the two methods, and less than 0.43 meters from the digitized shoreline. The MEIP method was also applied to a lower resolution dataset to investigate the effect of horizontal resolution on the results. Both methods provide an accurate, efficient, and objective way to track salt marsh shorelines with spatially intensive data over large spatial scales, which is necessary to evaluate geomorphic change and wetland vulnerability.
A Decision Tree Approach for Spatially Interpolating Missing Land Cover Data and Classifying Satellite Images
Authors: Holloway Jacinta , Helmstedt Kate J. , Mengersen Kerrie , Schmidt Michael
Published: July 2019

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of priorities the United Nations and World Bank have set for countries to reach in order to improve quality of life and environment globally by 2030. Free satellite images have been identified as a key resource that can be used to produce official statistics and analysis to measure progress towards SDGs, especially those that are concerned with the physical environment, such as forest, water, and crops. Satellite images can often be unusable due to missing data from cloud cover, particularly in tropical areas where the deforestation rates are high. There are existing methods for filling in image gaps; however, these are often computationally expensive in image classification or not effective at pixel scale. To address this, we use two machine learning methods—gradient boosted machine and random forest algorithms—to classify the observed and simulated ‘missing’ pixels in satellite images as either grassland or woodland. We also predict a continuous biophysical variable, Foliage Projective Cover (FPC), which was derived from satellite images, and perform accurate binary classification and prediction using only the latitude and longitude of the pixels. We compare the performance of these methods against each other and inverse distance weighted interpolation, which is a well-established spatial interpolation method. We find both of the machine learning methods, particularly random forest, perform fast and accurate classifications of both observed and missing pixels, with up to 0.90 accuracy for the binary classification of pixels as grassland or woodland. The results show that the random forest method is more accurate than inverse distance weighted interpolation and gradient boosted machine for prediction of FPC for observed and missing data. Based on the case study results from a sub-tropical site in Australia, we show that our approach provides an efficient alternative for interpolating images and performing land cover classifications.
Mapping Human Settlements with Higher Accuracy and Less Volunteer Efforts by Combining Crowdsourcing and Deep Learning
Authors: Herfort Benjamin , Li Hao , Fendrich Sascha , Lautenbach Sven , Zipf Alexander
Published: July 2019

Reliable techniques to generate accurate data sets of human built-up areas at national, regional, and global scales are a key factor to monitor the implementation progress of the Sustainable Development Goals as defined by the United Nations. However, the scarce availability of accurate and up-to-date human settlement data remains a major challenge, e.g., for humanitarian organizations. In this paper, we investigated the complementary value of crowdsourcing and deep learning to fill the data gaps of existing earth observation-based (EO) products. To this end, we propose a novel workflow to combine deep learning (DeepVGI) and crowdsourcing (MapSwipe). Our strategy for allocating classification tasks to deep learning or crowdsourcing is based on confidence of the derived binary classification. We conducted case studies in three different sites located in Guatemala, Laos, and Malawi to evaluate the proposed workflow. Our study reveals that crowdsourcing and deep learning outperform existing EO-based approaches and products such as the Global Urban Footprint. Compared to a crowdsourcing-only approach, the combination increased the quality (measured by Matthew’s correlation coefficient) of the generated human settlement maps by 3 to 5 percentage points. At the same time, it reduced the volunteer efforts needed by at least 80 percentage points for all study sites. The study suggests that for the efficient creation of human settlement maps, we should rely on human skills when needed and rely on automated approaches when possible.
Edge Computing, IoT and Social Computing in Smart Energy Scenarios
Authors: Sittón-Candanedo Inés , Alonso Ricardo S. , García Óscar , Muñoz Lilia , Rodríguez-González Sara
Published: July 2019

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become one of the most widely research paradigms, having received much attention from the research community in the last few years. IoT is the paradigm that creates an internet-connected world, where all the everyday objects capture data from our environment and adapt it to our needs. However, the implementation of IoT is a challenging task and all the implementation scenarios require the use of different technologies and the emergence of new ones, such as Edge Computing (EC). EC allows for more secure and efficient data processing in real time, achieving better performance and results. Energy efficiency is one of the most interesting IoT scenarios. In this scenario sensors, actuators and smart devices interact to generate a large volume of data associated with energy consumption. This work proposes the use of an Edge-IoT platform and a Social Computing framework to build a system aimed to smart energy efficiency in a public building scenario. The system has been evaluated in a public building and the results make evident the notable benefits that come from applying Edge Computing to both energy efficiency scenarios and the framework itself. Those benefits included reduced data transfer from the IoT-Edge to the Cloud and reduced Cloud, computing and network resource costs.
Surface Plasmon Resonance Based Temperature Sensors in Liquid Environment
Authors: Ibrahim Joyce , Al Masri Mostafa , Verrier Isabelle , Kampfe Thomas , Veillas Colette , Celle Frédéric , Cioulachtjian Serge , Lefèvre Frédéric , Jourlin Yves
Published: July 2019

The aim of this work is to measure the temperature variations by analyzing the plasmon signature on a metallic surface that is periodically structured and immersed in a liquid. A change in the temperature of the sample surface induces a modification of the local refractive index leading to a shift of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) frequency due to the strong interaction between the evanescent electric field and the metallic surface. The experimental set-up used in this study to detect the refractive index changes is based on a metallic grating permitting a direct excitation of a plasmon wave, leading to a high sensibility, high-temperature range and contactless sensor within a very compact and simple device. The experimental set-up demonstrated that SPR could be used as a non-invasive, high-resolution temperature measurement method for metallic surfaces.
An Innovative Method for Preserving Privacy in Internet of Things
Authors: Yamin Mohammad , Alsaawy Yazed , B. Alkhodre Ahmad , Abi Sen Adnan Ahmed
Published: July 2019

Preservation of privacy of users’ personal data has always been a critical issue to deal with. This issue in the Internet of Things (IoT), which facilitates millions of applications, has become even more challenging. Currently, several approaches and methods are available to safeguard privacy but each of them suffers from one or more anomalies. In particular, Trusted Third-Party approach relies on the trust of a third-party server, Cooperation needs the trust of other peers, Obfuscation is known to return inaccurate results, and Dummy generates too much overhead. Moreover, these and most of the other well-known approaches deal only with specific types of applications linked to the location-based services. In this paper, we present two new methods, namely: Blind Third Party (BTP) and Blind Peers ( B L P ), and combine them to form a new one to be known as the Blind Approach ( B L A ). With the help of simulation results we shall demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of B L A over the other available methods. The simulation results also exhibit that B L A is free from all the existing problems of the other approaches. However, B L A causes a slight increase in the average (response) time, which we consider to be a minor issue. We shall also discuss the capability and superiority of the Blind Approach in the cases of E-health, Smart Transportation, and Smart Home systems.
POF Smart Carpet: A Multiplexed Polymer Optical Fiber-Embedded Smart Carpet for Gait Analysis
Authors: Avellar Leticia M. , Leal-Junior Arnaldo G. , Diaz Camilo A. R. , Marques Carlos , Frizera Anselmo
Published: July 2019

This paper presents the development of a smart carpet based on polymer optical fiber (POF) for ground reaction force (GRF) and spatio-temporal gait parameter assessment. The proposed carpet has 20 intensity variation-based sensors on one fiber with two photodetectors for acquisition, each one for the response of 10 closer sensors. The used multiplexing technique is based on side-coupling between the light sources and POF lateral sections in which one light-emitting diode (LED) is activated at a time, sequentially. Three tests were performed, two for sensor characterization and one for validation of the smart carpet, where the first test consisted of the application of calibrated weights on the top of each sensor for force characterization. In the second test, the foot was positioned on predefined points distributed on the carpet, where a mean relative error of 2.9% was obtained. Results of the walking tests on the proposed POF-embedded smart carpet showed the possibility of estimating the GRF and spatio-temporal gait parameters (step and stride lengths, cadence, and stance duration). The obtained results make possible the identification of gait events (stance and swing phases) as well as the stance duration and double support periods. The proposed carpet is a low-cost and reliable tool for gait analysis in different applications.
Monitoring of Carbon Dioxide Using Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal Fiber Mach–Zehnder Interferometer
Authors: Ahmed Farid , Ahsani Vahid , Nazeri Kaveh , Marzband Ehsan , Bradley Colin , Toyserkani Ehsan , Jun Martin B. G.
Published: July 2019

Monitoring of greenhouse gases is essential to understand the present state and predict the future behavior of greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the greenhouse gas of most immediate concern, because of its high atmospheric concentration and long lifetime. A fiber-optic Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) is proposed and demonstrated for the laboratory-scale monitoring of carbon dioxide concentration. The interferometric sensor was constructed using a small stub of hollow-core photonic crystal fiber between a lead-in and lead-out standard single mode fiber, with air-gaps at both interfaces. At room temperature and atmospheric pressure, the sensor shows the sensitivity of 4.3 pm/% CO2. The device was packaged to demonstrate the laboratory-scale leakage detection and measurement of CO2 concentration in both subsurface and aqueous environments. The experimental study of this work reveals the great potential of the fiber-optic approach for environmental monitoring of CO2.