bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Power Tracking Algorithms on Lifetime of Power Electronic Devices Used in Solar Systems
Authors: Batunlu Canras , Alrweq Mohamad , Albarbar Alhussein
Published: October 2016

In photovoltaic solar energy systems, power management algorithms (PMAs), usually called maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms, are widely used for extracting maximum available power at every point in time. However, tracking the maximum power has negative effects on the availability of solar energy systems. This is due, mainly, to the created disturbances and thermal stresses on the associated power electronic converters (PECs). This work investigates the effects of PMA on the lifetime consumption, thermal stresses and failures on DC-DC converters used in solar systems. Firstly theoretical analysis and modelling of photovoltaic solar systems including converter’s electro thermal characteristics were developed. Subsequently, experiments on photovoltaic solar systems were carried out using two different PMAs, namely, perturb and observe (P&O) and incremental conductance (IC). Real-time data was collected, under different operating conditions, including thermal behavior using thermal imaging camera and dSPACE. Converters’ thermal cycling was found to be approximately 3 °C higher with the IC algorithm. The steady state temperature was 52.7 °C, for the IC while it was 42.6 °C for P&O. Although IC algorithm offers more accurate power management tool, it causes more severe thermal stresses which, in this study, has led to approximately 1.4 times greater life consumption compared to P&O.
Scrap Tyre Management Pathways and Their Use as a Fuel—A Review
Authors: Rowhani Amir , Rainey Thomas
Published: October 2016

This article provides a review of different methods for managing waste tyres. Around 1.5 billion scrap tyres make their way into the environmental cycle each year, so there is an extreme demand to manage and mitigate the environmental impact which occurs from landfilling and burning. Numerous approaches are targeted to recycle and reuse the tyre rubber in various applications. Among them, one of the most important methods for sustainable environmental stewardship is converting tyre rubber components into bio-oil. In this study, scrap tyre management techniques including landfill, retreading, recycling, combustion, and conversion to liquid fuels was reviewed (including gasification, hydrothermal liquefaction, and pyrolysis). The effects of parameters such as reactor types, pyrolysis temperature, and catalyst on the oil, gas and solid products in pyrolysis process were investigated.
Communication Channel Reconstruction for Transmission Line Differential Protection: System Arrangement and Routing Protocol
Authors: Chen Xu , Yin Xianggen , Yu Bin , Zhang Zhe
Published: October 2016

Natural disasters may be of significant impact on overhead transmission lines and cause communication outage related to pilot protection. This paper aims at reconstructing communication channels and maintaining functions of pilot-wire differential protections after the main channel fails. With the development of smart grids as well as new communication technologies, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been potential means for realizing reconstructed communication channels (RCCs) without further installation. For a reliable design, system arrangement and the communication structure were presented. Theoretical planning of sensor nodes was formulated, which enjoys advantages such as high reliability, cost optimization, and capacity of satisfying the connectivity of the communication network. To meet the need of time delay, a novel routing protocol for WSNs was proposed with three stages including route establishment, route discovery and route maintenance, which ensured the directional propagation of data packets. Practical experiments and simulation results indicate that the proposed RCC scheme can satisfy time delay of protection relaying in emergency communication channel, as well as guarantee the connectivity of networks when some WSN nodes are damaged.
Seafood Safety and Quality: The Consumer’s Role
Authors: Hicks Doris
Published: October 2016

All the good news about seafood—the health and nutritional benefits, the wide varieties and flavors—has had a positive effect on consumption: people are eating more seafood (http://www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/seafood/pdfs/SeafoodSavvy.pdf). Yet consumers want to be assured that seafood is as safe as, or safer to eat than, other foods. When you hear “seafood safety”, think of a safety net designed to protect you, the consumer, from food-borne illness. Every facet of the seafood industry, from harvester to consumer, plays a role in holding up the safety net. The role of state and federal agencies, fishermen, aquaculturists, retailers, processors, restaurants, and scientists is to provide, update, and carry out the necessary handling, processing, and inspection procedures to give consumers the safest seafood possible. The consumer’s responsibility is to follow through with proper handling techniques, from purchase to preparation. It doesn’t matter how many regulations and inspection procedures are set up; the final edge of the safety net is held by the consumer. This article will give you the information you need to educate yourself and be assured that the fish and shellfish you consume are safe. The most common food-borne illnesses are caused by a combination of bacteria naturally present in our environment and food handling errors made in commercial settings, food service institutions, or at home.
Antibacterial Activity of Fructus forsythia Essential Oil and the Application of EO-Loaded Nanoparticles to Food-Borne Pathogens
Authors: Guo Na , Gai Qing-Yan , Jiao Jiao , Wang Wei , Zu Yuan-Gang , Fu Yu-Jie
Published: October 2016

Fructus forsythia essential oil (FEO) with excellent antibacterial activity was rarely reported. The objective of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial activity and the antibacterial mechanism of FEO against two food-borne pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in vitro. When treated FEO, the zones of inhibition (ZOI) of E. coli (20.5 ± 0.25 mm) and S. aureus (24.3 ± 0.21 mm) were much larger than control (p < 0.05). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of FEO were 3.13 mg/mL and 1.56 mg/mL for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. The antibacterial mechanism of FEO against E. coil was due to the changes in permeability and integrity of cell membrane leading to the leakage of nucleic acids and proteins. With the superior antibacterial activity of FEO, the nano-encapsulation method has been applied in FEO. When compared to FEO and blank chitosan nanoparticles, FEO-loaded nanoparticles (chitosan to FEO of 1:1) can effectively inhibit the growth of E. coil above 90% at room temperature. It is necessary to consider that FEO and FEO-loaded nanoparticles will become promising antibacterial additives for food preservative, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications.
Ferritin Level Is Positively Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease in Korean Men, Based on the 2010–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Kang Hee-Taik , Linton John , Kwon Soon , Park Byoung-Jin , Lee Jong
Published: October 2016

(1) Background: Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with higher risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Serum ferritin concentrations correlate with total iron levels and systemic inflammation. (2) Methods: This study was cross-sectionally designed, based on the 2010–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). According to ferritin values, 13,462 participants (6082 men and 7380 women) were categorized into the normal- and high-ferritin groups (cut-off points: 200 ng/mL in men, 150 ng/mL in women). (3) Results: The mean ages of men and women were 44.5 and 48.4 years, respectively. The percentage of participants categorized into the high-ferritin group was 15.1% for men and 3.6% for women. The estimated glomerular filtration rate levels in the normal- and high-ferritin groups were 93.2 and 93.8 mL/min/1.73 m2 for men and 97.1 and 87.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 for women, respectively. The prevalence of CKD in the normal- and high-ferritin groups was 2.6% and 3.9% for men and 3.2% and 8.1% for women, respectively. Compared with the normal-ferritin group, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for CKD of the high-ferritin group were 1.573 (1.014–2.441) in men and 1.061 (0.381–2.955) in women, after adjustments for age and other covariates. (4) Conclusions: High ferritin levels were associated with a higher risk of CKD in men but not in women.
System Dynamics Model and Simulation of Employee Work-Family Conflict in the Construction Industry
Authors: Wu Guangdong , Duan Kaifeng , Zuo Jian , Yang Jianlin , Wen Shiping
Published: October 2016

The construction industry is a demanding work environment where employees’ work-family conflict is particularly prominent. This conflict has a significant impact on job and family satisfaction and performance of employees. In order to analyze the dynamic evolution of construction industry employee’s work-family conflict between work and family domains, this paper constructs a bi-directional dynamic model framework of work-family conflict by referring to the relevant literature. Consequently, a system dynamics model of employee’s work-family conflict in the construction industry is established, and a simulation is conducted. The simulation results indicate that construction industry employees experience work interference with family conflict (WIFC) levels which are significantly greater than the family interference with work conflict (FIWC) levels. This study also revealed that improving work flexibility and organizational support can have a positive impact on the satisfaction and performance of construction industry employees from a work and family perspective. Furthermore, improving family support can only significantly improve employee job satisfaction.
Patterns of Smoking Behaviour in Low-Income Pregnant Women: A Cohort Study of Differential Effects on Infant Birth Weight
Authors: Hayes Catherine , Kearney Morgan , O’Carroll Helen , Zgaga Lina , Geary Michael , Kelleher Cecily
Published: October 2016

Maternal smoking accounts for 20%–30% of low birth weight (BW). Second-Hand Smoke (SHS) also negatively affects BW. This cohort study explored the differential effect of smoking patterns during pregnancy on infant BW. Smoking status for 652 self-reported smokers attending public ante-natal clinics was assessed at baseline (V1 first ante-natal visit), 28–32 weeks (V2) and one week after birth (V3). Multivariable generalised linear regression models tested smoking patterns (continuing to smoke, sustained quitting, partial quitting) on BW adjusting for household smoking and other co-variates. Total quitting showed a median increase of 288 g in BW (95% CI (confidence intervals): 153.1–423 g, p < 0.001), compared to partial quitting (147 g, (95% CI: 50–244 g), p < 0.003). In partial quitters, increased BW was observed only in females 218 g, (95% CI: 81–355 g), p = 0.002). Household SHS showed a specific negative influence on pre-term but not term BW. This study suggests that, for low-income women, quitting or partial quitting during pregnancy both have a positive influence on infant BW. Whether others in the household smoke is also important.
Benzene Exposure Alters Expression of Enzymes Involved in Fatty Acid β-Oxidation in Male C3H/He Mice
Authors: Sun Rongli , Cao Meng , Zhang Juan , Yang Wenwen , Wei Haiyan , Meng Xing , Yin Lihong , Pu Yuepu
Published: October 2016

Benzene is a well-known hematotoxic carcinogen that can cause leukemia and a variety of blood disorders. Our previous study indicated that benzene disturbs levels of metabolites in the fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) pathway, which is crucial for the maintenance and function of hematopoietic and leukemic cells. The present research aims to investigate the effects of benzene on changes in the expression of key enzymes in the FAO pathway in male C3H/He mice. Results showed that benzene exposure caused reduced peripheral white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), platelet (Pit) counts, and hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration. Investigation of the effects of benzene on the expression of FA transport- and β-oxidation-related enzymes showed that expression of proteins Cpt1a, Crat, Acaa2, Aldh1l2, Acadvl, Crot, Echs1, and Hadha was significantly increased. The ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential decreased in mice exposed to benzene. Meanwhile, reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased in the benzene group. Our results indicate that benzene induces increased expression of FA transport and β-oxidation enzymes, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress, which may play a role in benzene-induced hematotoxicity.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Growth Using GIS and Remote Sensing: A Case Study of the Colombo Metropolitan Area, Sri Lanka
Authors: Subasinghe Shyamantha , Estoque Ronald , Murayama Yuji
Published: October 2016

Understanding urban growth spatiotemporally is important for landscape and urban development planning. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal pattern of urban growth of the Colombo Metropolitan Area (CMA)—Sri Lanka’s only metropolitan area—from 1992 to 2014 using remote sensing data and GIS techniques. First, we classified three land-use/cover maps of the CMA (i.e., for 1992, 2001, and 2014) using Landsat data. Second, we examined the temporal pattern of urban land changes (ULCs; i.e., land changes from non-built-up to built-up) across two time intervals (1992–2001 and 2001–2014). Third, we examined the spatial pattern of ULCs along the gradients of various driver variables (e.g., distance to roads) and by using spatial metrics. Finally, we predicted the future urban growth of the CMA (2014–2050). Our results revealed that the CMA’s built-up land has increased by 24,711 ha (221%) over the past 22 years (11,165 ha in 1992 to 35,876 ha in 2014), at a rate of 1123 ha per year. The analysis revealed that ULC was more intense or faster during the 2000s (1268 ha per year) than in the 1990s (914 ha per year), coinciding with the trends of population and economic growth. The results also revealed that most of the ULCs in both time intervals occurred in close proximity to roads and schools, while also showing some indications of landscape fragmentation and infill urban development patterns. The ULC modeling revealed that by 2030 and 2050, the CMA’s built-up land will increase to 42,500 ha and 56,000 ha, respectively. Most of these projected gains of built-up land will be along the transport corridors and in proximity to the growth nodes. These findings are important in the context of landscape and urban development planning for the CMA. Overall, this study provides valuable information on the landscape transformation of the CMA, also highlighting some important challenges facing its future sustainable urban development.
A Clinical Trial about a Food Supplement Containing α-Lipoic Acid on Oxidative Stress Markers in Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Derosa Giuseppe , D’Angelo Angela , Romano Davide , Maffioli Pamela
Published: October 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a food supplement containing α-lipoic acid and of a placebo on glyco-metabolic control and on oxidative stress markers in type 2 diabetics. We randomized 105 diabetics to either a supplementation containing 600 mg of α-lipoic acid, 165 mg of L-carnosin, 7.5 mg of zinc, and vitamins of group B, or a placebo, for three months. We evaluated body mass index, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post-prandial-glucose (PPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), HOMA-index (HOMA-IR), lipid profile, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA). There was a reduction of FPG, PPG, and HbA1c with the food supplement containing α-lipoic acid compared with a baseline, and with the placebo. Concerning lipid profile, we observed a reduction of LDL-C, and Tg with the food supplement, compared with both the baseline, and the placebo. There was a reduction of Hs-CRP with the food supplement containing α-lipoic acid, both compared with the baseline and the placebo. An increase of SOD, and GSH-Px, and a decrease of MDA were reached by the food supplement containing α-lipoic acid, both compared with the baseline and the placebo. We can conclude that the food supplement containing α-lipoic acid, L-carnosin, zinc, and vitamins of group B improved glycemic control, lipid profile, and anti-oxidative stress markers.
PPIC, EMP3 and CHI3L1 Are Novel Prognostic Markers for High Grade Glioma
Authors: Gao Yuan-Feng , Zhu Tao , Mao Chen-Xue , Liu Zhi-Xiong , Wang Zhi-Bin , Mao Xiao-Yuan , Li Ling , Yin Ji-Ye , Zhou Hong-Hao , Liu Zhao-Qian
Published: October 2016

Current treatment methods for patients diagnosed with gliomas have shown limited success. This is partly due to the lack of prognostic genes available to accurately predict disease outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate novel prognostic genes based on the molecular profile of tumor samples and their correlation with clinical parameters. In the current study, microarray data (GSE4412 and GSE7696) downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus were used to identify differentially expressed prognostic genes (DEPGs) by significant analysis of microarray (SAM) between long-term survivors (>2 years) and short-term survivors (≤2 years). DEPGs generated from these two datasets were intersected to obtain a list of common DEPGs. The expression of a subset of common DEPGs was then independently validated by real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR (qPCR). Survival value of the common DEPGs was validated using known survival data from the GSE4412 and TCGA dataset. After intersecting DEPGs generated from the above two datasets, three genes were identified which may potentially be used to determine glioma patient prognosis. Independent validation with glioma patients tissue (n = 70) and normal brain tissue (n = 19) found PPIC, EMP3 and CHI3L1 were up-regulated in glioma tissue. Survival value validation showed that the three genes correlated with patient survival by Kaplan-Meir analysis, including grades, age and therapy.
Deletion of afpab1 Causes Increased Sensitivity to Oxidative Stress and Hypovirulence in Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Wang Dongyang , Wang Shunan , He Dan , Gao Song , Xue Baiji , Wang Li
Published: October 2016

Aspergillus fumigatus AFPAB1 is the ortholog of the Aspergillus oryzae cytoplasmic messenger ribonucleoprotein granules AOPAB1 that function to depress the initiation of translation during stress. A. fumigatus can regulate its cellular physiology in response to environmental stresses, but there has been no research on Pab1 in A. fumigatus. The associated gene afpab1 was replaced with a hygromycin-selectable marker to generate the strain Δafpab1. Phenotypic analysis showed that the Δafpab1 grew more weakly than the wild-type strain. Also the germination rate of Δafpab1 was decreased when exposed to oxidative stress. The morphology of Δafpab1 spores also showed great changes. The killing rate of Δafpab1 by RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells was increased, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging ability of Δafpab1 was decreased. Pathogenicity testing showed that the deletion strain had decreased virulence. Therefore, we conclude that afpab1 activity is correlated with susceptibility to oxidative stress, and deletion of afpab1 from A. fumigatus possibly leads to observed hypovirulence in an immunosuppressed mouse model.
The Rheology behind Stress-Induced Solidification in Native Silk Feedstocks
Authors: Laity Peter , Holland Chris
Published: October 2016

The mechanism by which native silk feedstocks are converted to solid fibres in nature has attracted much interest. To address this question, the present work used rheology to investigate the gelation of Bombyx mori native silk feedstock. Exceeding a critical shear stress appeared to be more important than shear rate, during flow-induced initiation. Compositional changes (salts, pH etc.,) were not required, although their possible role in vivo is not excluded. Moreover, after successful initiation, gel strength continued to increase over a considerable time under effectively quiescent conditions, without requiring further application of the initial stimulus. Gelation by elevated temperature or freezing was also observed. Prior to gelation, literature suggests that silk protein adopts a random coil configuration, which argued against the conventional explanation of gelation, based on hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. Instead, a new hypothesis is presented, based on entropically-driven loss of hydration, which appears to explain the apparently diverse methods by which silk feedstocks can be gelled.
Assessing Heterogeneity of Osteolytic Lesions in Multiple Myeloma by 1H HR-MAS NMR Metabolomics
Authors: Tavel Laurette , Fontana Francesca , Garcia Manteiga Josè , Mari Silvia , Mariani Elisabetta , Caneva Enrico , Sitia Roberto , Camnasio Francesco , Marcatti Magda , Cenci Simone , Musco Giovanna
Published: October 2016

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy of plasma cells characterized by multifocal osteolytic bone lesions. Macroscopic and genetic heterogeneity has been documented within MM lesions. Understanding the bases of such heterogeneity may unveil relevant features of MM pathobiology. To this aim, we deployed unbiased 1H high-resolution magic-angle spinning (HR-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics to analyze multiple biopsy specimens of osteolytic lesions from one case of pathological fracture caused by MM. Multivariate analyses on normalized metabolite peak integrals allowed clusterization of samples in accordance with a posteriori histological findings. We investigated the relationship between morphological and NMR features by merging morphological data and metabolite profiling into a single correlation matrix. Data-merging addressed tissue heterogeneity, and greatly facilitated the mapping of lesions and nearby healthy tissues. Our proof-of-principle study reveals integrated metabolomics and histomorphology as a promising approach for the targeted study of osteolytic lesions.
Collectively Facilitated Behavior of the Neonate Caterpillars of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Authors: Fitzgerald Terrence , Wolfin Michael , Young Ryan , Meyer Katelyn , Fabozzi Elizabeth
Published: October 2016

The behavioral biology of the first instar larva of Cactoblastis cactorum was studied from the time of eclosion until the colony penetrated and initiated excavation of the host plant. Hatching from an egg stick was asynchronous, requiring 20 h for the entire cohort to eclose at 50%–70% RH and significantly longer at a lower range of RHs. On eclosion, neonates aggregated in an arena at the base of their egg stick and did not attempt to excavate the cladode until an average of 25 caterpillars had collected, approximately 15 h after the onset of egg hatch. Typically only a single entrance hole was formed, limiting the active process of excavating to one or a few individuals at-a-time until the host was fully penetrated and enlarged internally. Olfactometer tests showed that the neonates are strongly attracted to volatile chemicals released when caterpillars chewed into the cladode, accounting for the strong fidelity of the whole cohort to the initial site of penetration. In one instance, the caterpillars were observed to deal with an explosive release of mucilage by imbibing the liquid until the flooded zone was drained and the caterpillars could reenter the plant through the original entrance hole. Once inside the cladode, marked individuals adopted a regular cycle of defecating at the surface at a mean interval of approximately 10 min when followed for 35 successive cycles. Blanket spraying cladodes with a mandibular gland extract prior to hatching led to the independent dispersal of neonates and a failure to form an arena. When the cladode was impenetrable at the site of eclosion, the active cohort of unfed neonates set off together in search of a new site, marking and following a persistent trail that allowed late-to-eclose caterpillars to join their departed siblings. The adaptive significance of these observations is discussed in the context of the life history of the caterpillar.
Air Embolism: Practical Tips for Prevention and Treatment
Authors: McCarthy Colin , Behravesh Sasan , Naidu Sailendra , Oklu Rahmi
Published: October 2016

Air embolism is a rarely encountered but much dreaded complication of surgical procedures that can cause serious harm, including death. Cases that involve the use of endovascular techniques have a higher risk of air embolism; therefore, a heightened awareness of this complication is warranted. In particular, central venous catheters and arterial catheters that are often placed and removed in most hospitals by a variety of medical practitioners are at especially high risk for air embolism. With appropriate precautions and techniques it can be preventable. This article reviews the causes of air embolism, clinical management and prevention techniques.
IDICAP: A Novel Tool for Integrating Drug Intervention Based on Cancer Panel
Authors: Kosarek Noelle , Ho Eric
Published: October 2016

Cancer is a heterogeneous disease afflicting millions of people of all ages and their families worldwide. Tremendous resources have been and continue to be devoted to the development of cancer treatments that target the unique mutation profiles of patients, namely targeted cancer therapy. However, the sheer volume of drugs coupled with cancer heterogeneity becomes a challenge for physicians to prescribe effective therapies targeting patients’ unique genetic mutations. Developing a web service that allows clinicians as well as patients to identify effective drug therapies, both approved and experimental, would be helpful for both parties. We have developed an innovative web service, IDICAP, which stands for Integrated Drug Intervention for CAncer Panel. It uses genes that have been linked to a cancer type to search for drug and clinical trial information from ClinicalTrials.gov and DrugBank. IDICAP selects and integrates information pertaining to clinical trials, disease conditions, drugs under trial, locations of trials, drugs that are known to target the queried gene, and any known single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) effects. We tested IDICAP by gene panels that contribute to breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cancer in general. Clinical trials and drugs listed by our tool showed improved precision compared to the results from ClinicalTrials.gov and Drug Gene Interaction Database (DGIdb). Furthermore, IDICAP provides patients and doctors with a list of clinical facilities in their proximity, a characteristic that lends credence to the Precision Medicine Initiative launched by the White House in the United States in 2015.
The Design and Risk Management of Structured Finance Vehicles
Authors: Das Sanjiv , Kim Seoyoung
Published: October 2016

Special investment vehicles (SIVs), extremely popular financial structures for the creation of highly-rated tranched securities, experienced spectacular demise in the 2007-2008 financial crisis. These financial vehicles epitomize the shadow banking sector, characterized by high leverage, undiversified asset pools, and long-dated assets supported by short-term debt, thus bearing material rollover risk on their liabilities which led to defeasance. This paper models these vehicles, and shows that imposing leverage risk control triggers can be optimal for all capital providers, though they may not always be appropriate. The efficacy of these risk controls varies depending on anticipated asset volatility and fire-sale discounts on defeasance. Despite risk management controls, we show that a high failure rate is inherent in the design of these vehicles, and may be mitigated to some extent by including contingent capital provisions in the ex-ante covenants. Post the recent subprime financial crisis, we inform the creation of safer SIVs in structured finance, and propose avenues of mitigating risks faced by senior debt through deleveraging policies in the form of leverage risk controls and contingent capital.
The Community-Conservation Conundrum: Is Citizen Science the Answer?
Authors: Galbraith Mel , Bollard-Breen Barbara , Towns David
Published: October 2016

Public participation theory assumes that empowering communities leads to enduring support for new initiatives. The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, approved in 2000, embraces this assumption and includes goals for community involvement in resolving threats to native flora and fauna. Over the last 20 years, community-based ecological restoration groups have proliferated, with between 600 and 4000 identified. Many of these groups control invasive mammals, and often include protection of native species and species reintroductions as goals. Such activities involve the groups in “wicked” problems with uncertain biological and social outcomes, plus technical challenges for implementing and measuring results. The solution might be to develop a citizen science approach, although this requires institutional support. We conducted a web-based audit of 50 community groups participating in ecological restoration projects in northern New Zealand. We found great variation in the quality of information provided by the groups, with none identifying strategic milestones and progress towards them. We concluded that, at best, many group members are accidental scientists rather than citizen scientists. Furthermore, the way community efforts are reflected in biodiversity responses is often unclear. The situation may be improved with a new approach to data gathering, training, and analyses.
A Coupled Thermal–Hydrological–Mechanical Damage Model and Its Numerical Simulations of Damage Evolution in APSE
Authors: Wei Chenhui , Zhu Wancheng , Chen Shikuo , Ranjith Pathegama
Published: October 2016

This paper proposes a coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical damage (THMD) model for the failure process of rock, in which coupling effects such as thermally induced rock deformation, water flow-induced thermal convection, and rock deformation-induced water flow are considered. The damage is considered to be the key factor that controls the THM coupling process and the heterogeneity of rock is characterized by the Weibull distribution. Next, numerical simulations on excavation-induced damage zones in Äspö pillar stability experiments (APSE) are carried out and the impact of in situ stress conditions on damage zone distribution is analysed. Then, further numerical simulations of damage evolution at the heating stage in APSE are carried out. The impacts of in situ stress state, swelling pressure and water pressure on damage evolution at the heating stage are simulated and analysed, respectively. The simulation results indicate that (1) the v-shaped notch at the sidewall of the pillar is predominantly controlled by the in situ stress trends and magnitude; (2) at the heating stage, the existence of confining pressure can suppress the occurrence of damage, including shear damage and tensile damage; and (3) the presence of water flow and water pressure can promote the occurrence of damage, especially shear damage.
Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants over Flower-Like Bi2O2CO3 Dotted with Ag@AgBr
Authors: Lin Shuanglong , Wang Miao , Liu Li , Liang Yinghua , Cui Wenquan , Zhang Zisheng , Yun Nan
Published: October 2016

A facile and feasible oil-in-water self-assembly approach was developed to synthesize flower-like Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 micro-composites. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated through methylene blue degradation under visible light irradiation. Compared to Bi2O2CO3, flower-like Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 micro-composites show enhanced photocatalytic activities. In addition, results indicate that both the physicochemical properties and associated photocatalytic activities of Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 composites are shown to be dependent on the loading quantity of Ag@AgBr. The highest photocatalytic performance was achieved at 7 wt % Ag@AgBr, degrading 95.18% methylene blue (MB) after 20 min of irradiation, which is over 1.52 and 3.56 times more efficient than that of pure Ag@AgBr and pure Bi2O2CO3, respectively. Bisphenol A (BPA) was also degraded to further demonstrate the degradation ability of Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3. A photocatalytic mechanism for the degradation of organic compounds over Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 was proposed. Results from this study illustrate an entirely new approach to fabricate semiconductor composites containing Ag@AgX/bismuth (X = a halogen).
Influence of Alloying Treatment and Rapid Solidification on the Degradation Behavior and Mechanical Properties of Mg
Authors: Chen Jian , Wu Ping , Wang Qiyuan , Yang Youwen , Peng Shuping , Zhou Yuanzhuo , Shuai Cijun , Deng Youwen
Published: October 2016

Magnesium (Mg) has drawn increasing attention as a tissue engineering material. However, there have been very few studies of laser-melted Mg-Zn alloys. In this study, four binary Mg-xZn (x = 2, 4, 6 and 8 wt. %) alloys were fabricated by laser melting. The influence of zinc (Zn) content and technique on the degradation behavior and mechanical properties of Mg were discussed. Results revealed that Mg-xZn alloys consisted of an α-Mg matrix and MgZn phases, which dispersed at the grain boundaries. In addition, the MgZn phase increased with the increase in Zn content. The laser-melted alloy had fine homogenous grains, with an average grain size of approximately 15 μm. Grain growth was effectively inhibited due to the precipitation of the MgZn phase and rapid solidification. Grain refinement consequently slowed down the degradation rate, with Zn content increasing to 6 wt. %. However, a further increase of Zn content accelerated the degradation rate due to the galvanic couple effect between α-Mg and MgZn. Moreover, the mechanical properties were improved due to the grain refinement and reinforcement of the MgZn phase.
Temperature-Dependent Helium Ion-Beam Mixing in an Amorphous SiOC/Crystalline Fe Composite
Authors: Su Qing , Price Lloyd , Shao Lin , Nastasi Michael
Published: October 2016

Temperature dependent He-irradiation-induced ion-beam mixing between amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and crystalline Fe was examined with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and via Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The Fe marker layer (7.2 ± 0.8 nm) was placed in between two amorphous SiOC layers (200 nm). The amount of ion-beam mixing after 298, 473, 673, 873, and 1073 K irradiation was investigated. Both TEM and RBS results showed no ion-beam mixing between Fe and SiOC after 473 and 673 K irradiation and a very trivial amount of ion-beam mixing (~2 nm) after 298 K irradiation. At irradiation temperatures higher than 873 K, the Fe marker layer broke down and RBS could no longer be used to quantitatively examine the amount of ion mixing. The results indicate that the Fe/SiOC nanocomposite is thermally stable and tends to demix in the temperature range from 473 to 673 K. For application of this composite structure at temperatures of 873 K or higher, layer stability is a key consideration.
Discrimination and Nitric Oxide Inhibitory Activity Correlation of Ajwa Dates from Different Grades and Origin
Authors: Abdul-Hamid Nur , Mediani Ahmed , Maulidiani M. , Abas Faridah , Ismail Intan , Shaari Khozirah , Lajis Nordin
Published: October 2016

This study was aimed at examining the variations in the metabolite constituents of the different Ajwa grades and farm origins. It is also targeted at establishing the correlations between the metabolite contents and the grades and further to the nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activity. Identification of the metabolites was generated using 1H-NMR spectroscopy metabolomics analyses utilizing multivariate methods. The NO inhibitory activity was determined using a Griess assay. Multivariate data analysis, for both supervised and unsupervised approaches, showed clusters among different grades of Ajwa dates obtained from different farms. The compounds that contribute towards the observed separation between Ajwa samples were suggested to be phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and phenylalanine. Ajwa dates were shown to have different metabolite compositions and exhibited a wide range of NO inhibitory activity. It is also revealed that Ajwa Grade 1 from the al-Aliah farm exhibited more than 90% NO inhibitory activity compared to the other grades and origins. Phenolic compounds were among the compounds that played a role towards the greater capacity of NO inhibitory activity shown by Ajwa Grade 1 from the al-Aliah farm.
Phenolic Melatonin-Related Compounds: Their Role as Chemical Protectors against Oxidative Stress
Authors: Galano Annia , Castañeda-Arriaga Romina , Pérez-González Adriana , Tan Dun-Xian , Reiter Russel
Published: October 2016

There is currently no doubt about the serious threat that oxidative stress (OS) poses to human health. Therefore, a crucial strategy to maintain a good health status is to identify molecules capable of offering protection against OS through chemical routes. Based on the known efficiency of the phenolic and melatonin (MLT) families of compounds as antioxidants, it is logical to assume that phenolic MLT-related compounds should be (at least) equally efficient. Unfortunately, they have been less investigated than phenols, MLT and its non-phenolic metabolites in this context. The evidence reviewed here strongly suggests that MLT phenolic derivatives can act as both primary and secondary antioxidants, exerting their protection through diverse chemical routes. They all seem to be better free radical scavengers than MLT and Trolox, while some of them also surpass ascorbic acid and resveratrol. However, there are still many aspects that deserve further investigations for this kind of compounds.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel 4-Morpholino-7,8-dihydro-5H-thiopyrano[4,3-d]pyrimidine Derivatives Bearing Phenylpyridine/ Phenylpyrimidine-Carboxamides
Authors: Liu Huimin , Wang Wenhui , Sun Chengyu , Wang Caolin , Zhu Wufu , Zheng Pengwu
Published: October 2016

Four series of novel 4-morpholino-7,8-dihydro-5H-thiopyrano[4,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives 11a–j, 12a–j, 13a–g and 14a–g bearing phenylpyridine/phenylpyrimidine- carboxamide scaffolds were designed, synthesized and their IC50 values against three cancer cell lines (A549, PC-3 and MCF-7) were evaluated. Eleven of the compounds showed moderate cytotoxicity activity against the cancer cell lines. Structure-activity relationships (SARs) and pharmacological results indicated that the introduction of phenylpyridine-carboxamide scaffold was beneficial for the activity. What’s more, the oxidation of the sulfur atom in thiopyran and various types of substituents on the aryl group have different impacts on different series of compounds. Furthermore, the positions of aryl group substituents have a slight impact on the activity of the phenylpyridine-carboxamide series compounds.
Discovery of Bioactive Compounds by the UIC-ICBG Drug Discovery Program in the 18 Years Since 1998
Authors: Zhang Hong-Jie , Li Wan-Fei , Fong Harry , Soejarto Djaja
Published: October 2016

The International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) Program based at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is a program aimed to address the interdependent issues of inventory and conservation of biodiversity, drug discovery and sustained economic growth in both developing and developed countries. It is an interdisciplinary program involving the extensive synergies and collaborative efforts of botanists, chemists and biologists in the countries of Vietnam, Laos and the USA. The UIC-ICBG drug discovery efforts over the past 18 years have resulted in the collection of a cumulative total of more than 5500 plant samples (representing more than 2000 species), that were evaluated for their potential biological effects against cancer, HIV, bird flu, tuberculosis and malaria. The bioassay-guided fractionation and separation of the bioactive plant leads resulted in the isolation of approximately 300 compounds of varying degrees of structural complexity and/or biological activity. The present paper summarizes the significant drug discovery achievements made by the UIC-ICBG team of multidisciplinary collaborators in the project over the period of 1998–2012 and the projects carried on in the subsequent years by involving the researchers in Hong Kong.
Tea Polysaccharides and Their Bioactivities
Authors: Du Ling-Ling , Fu Qiu-Yue , Xiang Li-Ping , Zheng Xin-Qiang , Lu Jian-Liang , Ye Jian-Hui , Li Qing-Sheng , Polito Curt , Liang Yue-Rong
Published: October 2016

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is a beverage beneficial to health and is also a source for extracting bioactive components such as theanine, tea polyphenols (TPP) and tea polysaccharides (TPS). TPS is a group of heteropolysaccharides bound with proteins. There is evidence showing that TPS not only improves immunity but also has various bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antitumor, antihyperglycemia, and anti-inflammation. However, inconsistent results concerning chemical composition and bioactivity of TPS have been published in recent years. The advances in chemical composition and bioactivities of TPS are reviewed in the present paper. The inconsistent and controversial results regarding composition and bioactivities of TPS are also discussed.
Mono-PEGylation of Alpha-MMC and MAP30 from Momordica charantia L.: Production, Identification and Anti-Tumor Activity
Authors: Sun Yun , Sun Fenghui , Li Jianlong , Wu Minlu , Fan Xiang , Meng Yanfa , Meng Yao
Published: October 2016

PEGylation is a well-established and effective strategy to decrease immunogenicity, which can increase the stability and in vivo half-life time. However, the generation of multi-site modified products is inevitable due to the lysine chemistry, which will bring difficulties in subsequent research, such as purification and quantification. Site-specific modification by mPEG-succinimidyl carbonate (mPEG-SC) is a widely used method for N-terminal conjugation. In this study, we used it for site-directed modification on two ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), alpha-momorcharin (α-MMC) and momordica anti-HIV protein (MAP30), from Momordica charantia L. According to the optimization of previous modification conditions, we compared Macro-Cap SP with SP-Sepharose FF chromatography for separating the final mPEGylated RIPs. Two kinds of methods both can obtain homogenous mPEGylated RIPs which were identified by sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), isoelectric focusing electrophoresis (IEF), and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight/time of flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) analysis. We also used iodine staining method to detect the amount of unmodified PEG. Furthermore, the inhibition activity of both mPEGylated and non-PEGylated RIPs against human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial A549 cells was detected. All of the results suggested that the mPEGylated α-MMC/MAP30 might be potentially developed as new anti-tumor drugs.
Developing HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors through Stereospecific Reactions in Protein Crystals
Authors: Olajuyigbe Folasade , Demitri Nicola , De Zorzi Rita , Geremia Silvano
Published: October 2016

Protease inhibitors are key components in the chemotherapy of HIV infection. However, the appearance of viral mutants routinely compromises their clinical efficacy, creating a constant need for new and more potent inhibitors. Recently, a new class of epoxide-based inhibitors of HIV-1 protease was investigated and the configuration of the epoxide carbons was demonstrated to play a crucial role in determining the binding affinity. Here we report the comparison between three crystal structures at near-atomic resolution of HIV-1 protease in complex with the epoxide-based inhibitor, revealing an in-situ epoxide ring opening triggered by a pH change in the mother solution of the crystal. Increased pH in the crystal allows a stereospecific nucleophile attack of an ammonia molecule onto an epoxide carbon, with formation of a new inhibitor containing amino-alcohol functions. The described experiments open a pathway for the development of new stereospecific protease inhibitors from a reactive lead compound.
Morphology Controlled Fabrication of InN Nanowires on Brass Substrates
Authors: Li Huijie , Zhao Guijuan , Wang Lianshan , Chen Zhen , Yang Shaoyan
Published: October 2016

Growth of semiconductor nanowires on cheap metal substrates could pave the way to the large-scale manufacture of low-cost nanowire-based devices. In this work, we demonstrated that high density InN nanowires can be directly grown on brass substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. It was found that Zn from the brass substrates is the key factor in the formation of nanowires by restricting the lateral growth of InN. The nanowire morphology is highly dependent on the growth temperature. While at a lower growth temperature, the nanowires and the In droplets have large diameters. At the elevated growth temperature, the lateral sizes of the nanowires and the In droplets are much smaller. Moreover, the nanowire diameter can be controlled in situ by varying the temperature in the growth process. This method is very instructive to the diameter-controlled growth of nanowires of other materials.
DNA Origami Reorganizes upon Interaction with Graphite: Implications for High-Resolution DNA Directed Protein Patterning
Authors: Rahman Masudur , Neff David , Green Nathaniel , Norton Michael
Published: October 2016

Although there is a long history of the study of the interaction of DNA with carbon surfaces, limited information exists regarding the interaction of complex DNA-based nanostructures with the important material graphite, which is closely related to graphene. In view of the capacity of DNA to direct the assembly of proteins and optical and electronic nanoparticles, the potential for combining DNA-based materials with graphite, which is an ultra-flat, conductive carbon substrate, requires evaluation. A series of imaging studies utilizing Atomic Force Microscopy has been applied in order to provide a unified picture of this important interaction of structured DNA and graphite. For the test structure examined, we observe a rapid destabilization of the complex DNA origami structure, consistent with a strong interaction of single-stranded DNA with the carbon surface. This destabilizing interaction can be obscured by an intentional or unintentional primary intervening layer of single-stranded DNA. Because the interaction of origami with graphite is not completely dissociative, and because the frustrated, expanded structure is relatively stable over time in solution, it is demonstrated that organized structures of pairs of the model protein streptavidin can be produced on carbon surfaces using DNA origami as the directing material.