bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aerosol Retrieval Sensitivity and Error Analysis for the Cloud and Aerosol Polarimetric Imager on Board TanSat: The Effect of Multi-Angle Measurement
Authors: Chen Xi , Yang Dongxu , Cai Zhaonan , Liu Yi , Spurr Robert
Published: February 2017

Aerosol scattering is an important source of error in CO2 retrievals from satellite. This paper presents an analysis of aerosol information content from the Cloud and Aerosol Polarimetric Imager (CAPI) onboard the Chinese Carbon Dioxide Observation Satellite (TanSat) to be launched in 2016. Based on optimal estimation theory, aerosol information content is quantified from radiance and polarization observed by CAPI in terms of the degrees of freedom for the signal (DFS). A linearized vector radiative transfer model is used with a linearized Mie code to simulate observation and sensitivity (or Jacobians) with respect to aerosol parameters. In satellite nadir mode, the DFS for aerosol optical depth is the largest, but for mode radius, it is only 0.55. Observation geometry is found to affect aerosol DFS based on the aerosol scattering phase function from the comparison between different viewing zenith angles or solar zenith angles. When TanSat is operated in target mode, we note that multi-angle retrieval represented by three along-track measurements provides additional 0.31 DFS on average, mainly from mode radius. When adding another two measurements, the a posteriori error decreases by another 2%–6%. The correlation coefficients between retrieved parameters show that aerosol is strongly correlated with surface reflectance, but multi-angle retrieval can weaken this correlation.
A Sensor Data Fusion System Based on k-Nearest Neighbor Pattern Classification for Structural Health Monitoring Applications
Authors: Vitola Jaime , Pozo Francesc , Tibaduiza Diego , Anaya Maribel
Published: February 2017

Civil and military structures are susceptible and vulnerable to damage due to the environmental and operational conditions. Therefore, the implementation of technology to provide robust solutions in damage identification (by using signals acquired directly from the structure) is a requirement to reduce operational and maintenance costs. In this sense, the use of sensors permanently attached to the structures has demonstrated a great versatility and benefit since the inspection system can be automated. This automation is carried out with signal processing tasks with the aim of a pattern recognition analysis. This work presents the detailed description of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system based on the use of a piezoelectric (PZT) active system. The SHM system includes: (i) the use of a piezoelectric sensor network to excite the structure and collect the measured dynamic response, in several actuation phases; (ii) data organization; (iii) advanced signal processing techniques to define the feature vectors; and finally; (iv) the nearest neighbor algorithm as a machine learning approach to classify different kinds of damage. A description of the experimental setup, the experimental validation and a discussion of the results from two different structures are included and analyzed.
Long Term Amperometric Recordings in the Brain Extracellular Fluid of Freely Moving Immunocompromised NOD SCID Mice
Authors: Reid Caroline , Finnerty Niall
Published: February 2017

We describe the in vivo characterization of microamperometric sensors for the real-time monitoring of nitric oxide (NO) and oxygen (O2) in the striatum of immunocompromised NOD SCID mice. The latter strain has been utilized routinely in the establishment of humanized models of disease e.g., Parkinson’s disease. NOD SCID mice were implanted with highly sensitive and selective NO and O2 sensors that have been previously characterized both in vitro and in freely moving rats. Animals were systemically administered compounds that perturbed the amperometric current and confirmed sensor performance. Furthermore, the stability of the amperometric current was investigated and 24 h recordings examined. Saline injections caused transient changes in both currents that were not significant from baseline. l-NAME caused significant decreases in NO (p < 0.05) and O2 (p < 0.001) currents compared to saline. l-Arginine produced a significant increase (p < 0.001) in NO current, and chloral hydrate and Diamox (acetazolamide) caused significant increases in O2 signal (p < 0.01) compared against saline. The stability of both currents were confirmed over an eight-day period and analysis of 24-h recordings identified diurnal variations in both signals. These findings confirm the efficacy of the amperometric sensors to perform continuous and reliable recordings in immunocompromised mice.
Efficient Data Collection in Widely Distributed Wireless Sensor Networks with Time Window and Precedence Constraints
Authors: Liu Peng , Fu Tingting , Xu Jia , Ding Yue
Published: February 2017

In addition to the traditional densely deployed cases, widely distributed wireless sensor networks (WDWSNs) have begun to emerge. In these networks, sensors are far away from each other and have no network connections. In this paper, a special application of data collection for WDWSNs is considered where each sensor (Unmanned Ground Vehicle, UGV) moves in a hazardous and complex terrain with many obstacles. They have their own work cycles and can be accessed only at a few locations. A mobile sink cruises on the ground to collect data gathered from these UGVs. Considerable delay is inevitable if the UGV and the mobile sink miss the meeting window or wait idly at the meeting spot. The unique challenge here is that, for each cycle of an UGV, there is only a limited time window for it to appear in front of the mobile sink. Therefore, we propose scheduling the path of a single mobile sink, targeted at visiting a maximum number of UGVs in a timely manner with the shortest path, according to the timing constraints bound by the cycles of UGVs. We then propose a bipartite matching based algorithm to reduce the number of mobile sinks. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve performance close to the theoretical maximum determined by the duty cycle instance.
Experimental Validation of Depth Cameras for the Parameterization of Functional Balance of Patients in Clinical Tests
Authors: Moreno Francisco-Ángel , Merchán-Baeza José , González-Sánchez Manuel , González-Jiménez Javier , Cuesta-Vargas Antonio
Published: February 2017

In clinical practice, patients’ balance can be assessed using standard scales. Two of the most validated clinical tests for measuring balance are the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the MultiDirectional Reach Test (MDRT). Nowadays, inertial sensors (IS) are employed for kinematic analysis of functional tests in the clinical setting, and have become an alternative to expensive, 3D optical motion capture systems. In daily clinical practice, however, IS-based setups are yet cumbersome and inconvenient to apply. Current depth cameras have the potential for such application, presenting many advantages as, for instance, being portable, low-cost and minimally-invasive. This paper aims at experimentally validating to what extent this technology can substitute IS for the parameterization and kinematic analysis of the TUG and the MDRT tests. Twenty healthy young adults were recruited as participants to perform five different balance tests while kinematic data from their movements were measured by both a depth camera and an inertial sensor placed on their trunk. The reliability of the camera’s measurements is examined through the Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), whilst the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) is computed to evaluate the correlation between both sensor’s measurements, revealing excellent reliability and strong correlations in most cases.
A New Deep Learning Model for Fault Diagnosis with Good Anti-Noise and Domain Adaptation Ability on Raw Vibration Signals
Authors: Zhang Wei , Peng Gaoliang , Li Chuanhao , Chen Yuanhang , Zhang Zhujun
Published: February 2017

Intelligent fault diagnosis techniques have replaced time-consuming and unreliable human analysis, increasing the efficiency of fault diagnosis. Deep learning models can improve the accuracy of intelligent fault diagnosis with the help of their multilayer nonlinear mapping ability. This paper proposes a novel method named Deep Convolutional Neural Networks with Wide First-layer Kernels (WDCNN). The proposed method uses raw vibration signals as input (data augmentation is used to generate more inputs), and uses the wide kernels in the first convolutional layer for extracting features and suppressing high frequency noise. Small convolutional kernels in the preceding layers are used for multilayer nonlinear mapping. AdaBN is implemented to improve the domain adaptation ability of the model. The proposed model addresses the problem that currently, the accuracy of CNN applied to fault diagnosis is not very high. WDCNN can not only achieve 100% classification accuracy on normal signals, but also outperform the state-of-the-art DNN model which is based on frequency features under different working load and noisy environment conditions.
Emerging Cytokine Biosensors with Optical Detection Modalities and Nanomaterial-Enabled Signal Enhancement
Authors: Singh Manpreet , Truong Johnson , Reeves W. , Hahm Jong-in
Published: February 2017

Protein biomarkers, especially cytokines, play a pivotal role in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide spectrum of diseases. Therefore, a critical need for advanced cytokine sensors has been rapidly growing and will continue to expand to promote clinical testing, new biomarker development, and disease studies. In particular, sensors employing transduction principles of various optical modalities have emerged as the most common means of detection. In typical cytokine assays which are based on the binding affinities between the analytes of cytokines and their specific antibodies, optical schemes represent the most widely used mechanisms, with some serving as the gold standard against which all existing and new sensors are benchmarked. With recent advancements in nanoscience and nanotechnology, many of the recently emerging technologies for cytokine detection exploit various forms of nanomaterials for improved sensing capabilities. Nanomaterials have been demonstrated to exhibit exceptional optical properties unique to their reduced dimensionality. Novel sensing approaches based on the newly identified properties of nanomaterials have shown drastically improved performances in both the qualitative and quantitative analyses of cytokines. This article brings together the fundamentals in the literature that are central to different optical modalities developed for cytokine detection. Recent advancements in the applications of novel technologies are also discussed in terms of those that enable highly sensitive and multiplexed cytokine quantification spanning a wide dynamic range. For each highlighted optical technique, its current detection capabilities as well as associated challenges are discussed. Lastly, an outlook for nanomaterial-based cytokine sensors is provided from the perspective of optimizing the technologies for sensitivity and multiplexity as well as promoting widespread adaptations of the emerging optical techniques by lowering high thresholds currently present in the new approaches.
Perceptions of the Social Relevance of Science: Exploring the Implications for Gendered Patterns in Expectations of Majoring in STEM Fields
Authors: Blanchard Kyte Sarah , Riegle-Crumb Catherine
Published: February 2017

Despite efforts to increase participation in science, technology, engineering and math fields (STEM), the role of students’ perceptions of the social relevance of science in guiding their expectations to major in STEM remains largely unexplored. Though science education scholars predict that perceptions of social relevance likely matter equally for boys and girls, gender scholars suggest that these perceptions should matter more for girls than boys. Using longitudinal data from a large, urban, low-income, and predominantly minority-serving district, this study examines the potentially gendered role of perceptions of social relevance in ninth graders’ expectations to major in STEM. Further, it examines these dynamics with respect to expectations to major in any STEM field as well as expectations to major in specific STEM fields. Findings largely support the perspective of gender scholars; perceptions of the social relevance of science positively and significantly predict female, but not male, students’ intentions to major in STEM (vs. non-STEM fields). Subsequent analyses that look at intentions to major in specific STEM fields reveal a similar pattern, such that perceptions of relevance positively predict female students’ intentions to major in the biological sciences, the physical sciences, and engineering, while male students’ intentions are not similarly impacted. By contrast, positive perceptions of the relevance of science predict a modest increase in interest in computer science for both boys and girls.
Beyond Depression and Suicide: The Mental Health of Transgender College Students
Authors: Oswalt Sara , Lederer Alyssa
Published: February 2017

Research studies examining the mental health of transgender individuals often focus on depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation through the use of clinic samples. However, little is known about the emerging adult (18–26 years old) transgender population and their mental health. The current study seeks to fill that gap by using a national dataset of college students (N = 547,727) to examine how transgender college students (n = 1143) differ from their cisgender peers regarding 12 different mental health conditions. Chi-square and regression analyses were conducted. Results demonstrate that transgender students have approximately twice the risk for most mental health conditions compared to cisgender female students. A notable exception is schizophrenia, in which transgender individuals have about seven times the risk compared to cisgender females. While these were significant findings, regression analyses indicate that being non-heterosexual is a greater predictor for mental health concerns. Implications for mental health practitioners at colleges and universities are discussed.
Democratic Institutions, Natural Resource Governance, and Ghana’s Oil Wealth
Authors: Kumah-Abiwu Felix
Published: February 2017

The literature on natural resources is endowed with works on countries that have experienced slow economic performance despite their abundant natural resources (resource curse), with the exception of Norway and other few countries. Strong institutions and good governance practices have been underscored as some of the explanatory factors to the high performance of the outlier countries. Ghana’s oil discovery in the era of its advancing democratic practices has led some to argue that the country might escape the resource curse phenomenon. While recognizing the importance of this argument, this article, however, argues that Ghana’s likelihood of escaping the resource curse could be problematic due to its exclusive emphasis on democratic governance without greater focus on oil sector governance. Drawing on the theory of agenda setting and the existing literature, the article makes the case for agenda shift in the debate on Ghana’s oil wealth and development. It stresses the need for a dualistic governance (the democratic and the oil sector) approach in the broader discourse on how Ghana can escape the resource curse.
The New Cooperative Medical Scheme and Self-Employment in Rural China
Authors: Su Baozhong , Thierry Gatwaza , Chen Qihui , Zhao Qiran
Published: February 2017

Using panel data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, this study estimates the effect of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) on self-employment in rural China, based on a difference-in-differences method (combined with propensity score matching). Specifically, we compare employment status of the participants and non-participants groups before and after the NCMS was implemented (within the common-support region). We found that the NCMS increased a rural resident’s likelihood of shifting from working for others to self-employed by 38 percentage points and that of shifting from temporarily employed to self-employed by 23 percentage points. These results suggest that apart from reducing uncertainty in future spending for the insured due to catastrophic illness, universal health insurance could also have a positive effect on the labor market, namely, that of increasing rates of self-employment.
Improving Agricultural Water Use Efficiency: A Quantitative Study of Zhangye City Using the Static CGE Model with a CES Water−Land Resources Account
Authors: Liu Yu , Hu Xiaohong , Zhang Qian , Zheng Mingbo
Published: February 2017

Water resources play a vital role in human life and agriculture irrigation, especially for agriculture-dominant developing countries and regions. Improving agricultural water use efficiency has consequently become a key strategic choice. This study, based on Zhangye City’s economic characteristics and data, applies a static Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model with a constant elasticity of substitution (CES) composited water−land resources account to assess the impact of improving agricultural water use efficiency on economy, water conservation and land reallocation. Results reveal that: Zhangye City’s GDP increases by 0.10% owing to an increasing average technical level by improving agricultural water use efficiency; total water consumption decreases by 122 million m3, 69% of which comes from a reduction of surface water use; and land demand increases by 257.43 hectares mainly due to agricultural land demands. With respect to the sectors’ output, export-oriented sectors with higher water intensities in the agricultural sectors benefit most. In contrast, land-intensive sectors contract the most, as the rental price of land rises. Therefore, agricultural water conservation technology should be introduced considering more in surface water. Furthermore, higher demand for agricultural land would reduce land availability for other sectors, thus inhibiting urbanization pace on a small scale.
Fostering Learning in Large Programmes and Portfolios: Emerging Lessons from Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Authors: Harvey Blane , Pasanen Tiina , Pollard Alison , Raybould Julia
Published: February 2017

In fields like climate and development, where the challenges being addressed can be described as “wicked”, learning is key to successful programming. Useful practical and theoretical work is being undertaken to better understand the role of reflexive learning in bringing together different knowledge to address complex problems like climate change. Through a review of practical cases and learning theories commonly used in the areas of resilience, climate change adaptation and environmental management, this article: (i) reviews the theories that have shaped approaches to reflexive learning in large, highly-distributed climate change and resilience-building programmes for development; and (ii) conducts a comparative learning review of key challenges and lessons emerging from early efforts to promote and integrate reflexive learning processes in programmes of this nature. Using a case study approach, the authors focus on early efforts made in four large, inter-related (or nested) programmes to establish, integrate and sustain learning processes and systems. Eight themes emerged from the review and are considered from the perspective of learning programmes as emergent communities of practice. By investigating how these themes play out in the nested programming, the paper contributes to the limited existing body of evidence on learning in large climate change programmes and identifies areas where future efforts might focus.
The MIMOSE Approach to Support Sustainable Forest Management Planning at Regional Scale in Mediterranean Contexts
Authors: Vizzarri Matteo , Sallustio Lorenzo , Travaglini Davide , Bottalico Francesca , Chirici Gherardo , Garfì Vittorio , Lafortezza Raffaele , La Mela Veca Donato , Lombardi Fabio , Maetzke Federico , Marchetti Marco
Published: February 2017

In recent decades, Mediterranean landscapes have been affected by human-induced drivers, such as land use and climate change. Forest ecosystems and landscapes have been particularly affected in mountainous regions due to limited management and stewardship, especially in remote areas. Therefore, there is a need to set up new strategies to enhance ecosystem services in forested areas which, in turn, will benefit local communities and economies. In this study, we implemented a new approach—Multiscale Mapping of Ecosystem Services (MIMOSE)—to assess ecosystem services in Mediterranean forests located in a mountainous region of Italy. We spatially assessed timber provision and carbon sequestration according to three forest management strategies: business-as-usual, maximizing economic values, and prioritizing conservation. Sustainable strategies for forest planning were identified at the landscape scale. We found that (i) timber provision is a conflicting service, especially when adaptation strategies are promoted; (ii) the most balanced set of forest ecosystem services is achieved through prioritizing conservation; and (iii) the ecosystem services availability is enhanced by optimizing the spatial allocation of different management strategies. Our approach is suitable to support landscape planning for balancing forest ecosystem potentialities while respecting local community needs and promoting sustainable development goals in the Mediterranean area.
Erratum: Corrigan, E. and Nieuwenhuis, M. Using Goal-Programming to Model the Effect of Stakeholder Determined Policy and Industry Changes on the Future Management of, and Ecosystem Services Provision by Ireland’s Western Peatland Forests. Sustainability 2017, 9, 11.
Authors:   Sustainability Editorial Office
Published: February 2017

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How to Set the Allowance Benchmarking for Cement Industry in China’s Carbon Market: Marginal Analysis and the Case of the Hubei Emission Trading Pilot
Authors: Dai Fan , Xiong Ling , Ma Ding
Published: February 2017

Greenhouse gas (GHG) benchmarking for allocation serves as rewards for early actions in mitigating GHG emissions by using more advanced technologies. China Hubei launched the carbon emission trading pilot in 2014, with the cement industry represented as a major contributor to the GHG emissions in Hubei. This article is set to establish a general benchmarking framework by describing and calculating the marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) and marginal revenue and then comparing the different GHG benchmarking approaches for the cement industry in the Hubei Emission Trading Pilot (Hubei ETS) case. Based on the comparison of three GHG benchmarking approaches, the Waxman-Markey standard, the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) cement benchmarking, and the benchmarking approach applied in California Cap-and-Trade program, it is found that; (1) the Waxman-Markey benchmark is too loose to apply in Hubei as it provides little incentive for companies to mitigate; (2) the EU ETS benchmark approach fits the current cement industry in Hubei ETS; and (3) the GHG benchmarking standard in the California Cap-and-Trade Program is the most stringent standard and drives the direction of the future development for Hubei ETS.
Restructuring the Vietnamese Rice Sector: Towards Increasing Sustainability
Authors: Demont Matty , Rutsaert Pieter
Published: February 2017

Although Vietnam is one of the biggest rice exporters today, there is an urgent need to restructure the sector. To guide the transition from being a quantity-focused producer to a credible supplier of quality rice, this study explores the sector’s opportunities for sustainable value chain upgrading. Data was collected through focus group discussions with farmers, stacked surveys with rice value chain stakeholders, and a participatory workshop bringing several value chain actors together. Stakeholders perceive the sector’s capability to grasp opportunities (including growing export and domestic markets) to be higher than its resilience to potential threats (including more stringent food safety regulations and climate change). Three strategies are discussed for making rice value chains more sustainable; embodying sustainability in the product through certified sustainable production labels; internalizing sustainable production standards through vertical coordination (e.g., contract farming); and disembodying sustainability through book and claim certificate trading.
A Balance Paradigm for Post-Plutocracy: Toward Sustainable Development with Integral Harmony
Authors: Hiwaki Kensei
Published: February 2017

For a sustainable human future, a rapid paradigm shift is a must from the prevailing “Explosion Paradigm” to a more reasonable “Balance Paradigm” by means of constantly enriching the existing diverse society-specific holistic cultures (“Cultures”). This means inviting a new age of balanced and integrated socio-economic systems worldwide with the help of the most important human common property—diverse Cultures. Generally speaking, each Culture has been deeply interwoven with its social value system, belief system, natural-social environments, and experience-based knowledge and wisdom. Such Cultures all over the world, however, have been mostly devastated by the modern ideology of lopsided market fundamentalism (“Market”) that has favored the plutocracy-driven power structure (“Big Market”) of the world. In order to seek a sustainable future by achieving the paradigm shift, the devastated diverse Cultures need to be restored, invigorated and enriched by long-term worldwide collaborations. For such a purpose, we cannot rely totally on the existing line of modern thoughts and theories of economics and other disciplines. Therefore, the present article introduces an alternative theoretical framework of balanced socio-economic development, which is argued for on the assumption of respectively and differently enriched diverse Cultures.
Additive Manufacturing: Reproducibility of Metallic Parts
Authors: Prashanth Konda , Scudino Sergio , Chatterjee Riddhi , Salman Omar , Eckert Jürgen
Published: February 2017

The present study deals with the properties of five different metals/alloys (Al-12Si, Cu-10Sn and 316L—face centered cubic structure, CoCrMo and commercially pure Ti (CP-Ti)—hexagonal closed packed structure) fabricated by selective laser melting. The room temperature tensile properties of Al-12Si samples show good consistency in results within the experimental errors. Similar reproducible results were observed for sliding wear and corrosion experiments. The other metal/alloy systems also show repeatable tensile properties, with the tensile curves overlapping until the yield point. The curves may then follow the same path or show a marginal deviation (~10 MPa) until they reach the ultimate tensile strength and a negligible difference in ductility levels (of ~0.3%) is observed between the samples. The results show that selective laser melting is a reliable fabrication method to produce metallic materials with consistent and reproducible properties.
Toxin Release of Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa after Exposure to Typical Tetracycline Antibiotic Contaminants
Authors: Ye Jing , Du Yuping , Wang Lumei , Qian Jingru , Chen Jiejing , Wu Qingwen , Hu Xiaojun
Published: February 2017

The global usage of veterinary antibiotics is significant. Antibiotics can be released into aquatic environments and elicit toxic effects on non-target organisms. In this study, the growth characteristics and toxin release of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) were examined to investigate the physiological effects of tetracycline antibiotics on aquatic life. Results showed that the degree of toxicities of the following target antibiotics was TC (tetracycline hydrochloride) > CTC (chlortetracycline hydrochloride) > OTC (oxytetracycline hydrochloride) in terms of growth parameters, EC10 (0.63, 1.86, and 3.02 mg/L, respectively), and EC20 (1.58, 4.09, and 4.86 mg/L, respectively) values. These antibiotics inhibited the production of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) to varying degrees. CTC interfered M. aeruginosa cells and decreased their ability to release MC-LR, but this antibiotic stimulated the ability of these cells to synthesize MC-LR at 2 and 5 mg/L. OTC elicited a relatively weaker toxicity than CTC did and reduced MC-LR release. TC was the most toxic among the three antibiotics, and this antibiotic simultaneously reduced intracellular and extracellular MC-LR equivalents. Our results helped elucidate the effects of tetracycline antibiotics on M. aeruginosa, which is essential for environmental evaluation and protection. Our results are also helpful for guiding the application of veterinary antibiotics in agricultural settings.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Penicillium citrinum Cultured with Different Carbon Sources Identifies Genes Involved in Citrinin Biosynthesis
Authors: Li Taotao , Jiang Guoxiang , Qu Hongxia , Wang Yong , Xiong Yehui , Jian Qijie , Wu Yu , Duan Xuewu , Zhu Xiangrong , Hu Wenzhong , Wang Jiasheng , Gong Liang , Jiang Yueming
Published: February 2017

Citrinin is a toxic secondary metabolite of Penicillium citrinum and its contamination in many food items has been widely reported. However, research on the citrinin biosynthesis pathway and its regulation mechanism in P. citrinum is rarely reported. In this study, we investigated the effect of different carbon sources on citrinin production by P. citrinum and used transcriptome analysis to study the underlying molecular mechanism. Our results indicated that glucose, used as the sole carbon source, could significantly promote citrinin production by P. citrinum in Czapek’s broth medium compared with sucrose. A total of 19,967 unigenes were annotated by BLAST in Nr, Nt, Swiss-Prot and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. Transcriptome comparison between P. citrinum cultured with sucrose and glucose revealed 1085 differentially expressed unigenes. Among them, 610 were upregulated while 475 were downregulated under glucose as compared to sucrose. KEGG pathway and Gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that many metabolic processes (e.g., carbohydrate, secondary metabolism, fatty acid and amino acid metabolism) were affected, and potentially interesting genes that encoded putative components of signal transduction, stress response and transcription factor were identified. These genes obviously had important impacts on their regulation in citrinin biosynthesis, which provides a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of citrinin biosynthesis by P. citrinum.
Determination of Mycotoxin Production of Fusarium Species in Genetically Modified Maize Varieties by Quantitative Flow Immunocytometry
Authors: Bánáti Hajnalka , Darvas Béla , Fehér-Tóth Szilvia , Czéh Árpád , Székács András
Published: February 2017

Levels of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species in genetically modified (GM) and near-isogenic maize, were determined using multi-analyte, microbead-based flow immunocytometry with fluorescence detection, for the parallel quantitative determination of fumonisin B1, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, T-2, ochratoxin A, and aflatoxin B1. Maize varieties included the genetic events MON 810 and DAS-59122-7, and their isogenic counterparts. Cobs were artificially infested by F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum conidia, and contained F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides natural infestation. The production of fumonisin B1 and deoxynivalenol was substantially affected in GM maize lines: F. verticillioides, with the addition of F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides, produced significantly lower levels of fumonisin B1 (~300 mg·kg−1) in DAS-59122-7 than in its isogenic line (~580 mg·kg−1), while F. proliferatum, in addition to F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides, produced significantly higher levels of deoxynivalenol (~18 mg·kg−1) in MON 810 than in its isogenic line (~5 mg·kg−1). Fusarium verticillioides, with F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides, produced lower amounts of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone than F. proliferatum, with F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides. T-2 toxin production remained unchanged when considering the maize variety. The results demonstrate the utility of the Fungi-Plex™ quantitative flow immunocytometry method, applied for the high throughput parallel determination of the target mycotoxins.
Static Hot Air and Infrared Rays Roasting are Efficient Methods for Aflatoxin Decontamination on Hazelnuts
Authors: Siciliano Ilenia , Dal Bello Barbara , Zeppa Giuseppe , Spadaro Davide , Gullino Maria
Published: February 2017

Aflatoxins are a group of secondary metabolites produced by members of Aspergillus Section Flavi that are dangerous to humans and animals. Nuts can be potentially contaminated with aflatoxins, often over the legal threshold. Food processes, including roasting, may have different effects on mycotoxins, and high temperatures have proven to be very effective in the reduction of mycotoxins. In this work, two different roasting methods—traditional static hot air roasting and infra-red rays roasting—were applied and compared for the detoxification of hazelnuts from Italy and Turkey. At the temperature of 140 °C for 40 min of exposure, detoxification was effective for both roasting techniques. Residual aflatoxins after infra-red rays treatments were lower compared to static hot air roasting. On Italian hazelnuts, residual aflatoxins were lower than 5%, while for Turkish hazelnuts they were lower than 15% after 40 min of exposure to an infra-red rays roaster. After roasting, the perisperm was detached from the nuts and analyzed for aflatoxin contents. Residual aflatoxins in the perisperm ranged from 80% up to 100%. After roasting, the lipid profile and the nutritional quality of hazelnuts were not affected. Fatty acid methyl esters analyses showed a similar composition for Italian and Turkish hazelnuts.
A3R Phage and Staphylococcus aureus Lysate Do Not Induce Neutrophil Degranulation
Authors: Borysowski Jan , Międzybrodzki Ryszard , Wierzbicki Piotr , Kłosowska Danuta , Korczak-Kowalska Grażyna , Weber-Dąbrowska Beata , Górski Andrzej
Published: February 2017

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of A3R phage and Staphylococcus aureus lysate obtained after phage infection on neutrophil degranulation. The exocytosis of primary and secondary granules from neutrophils was investigated in vitro in whole blood specimens by flow cytometry based on the expression of specific markers of exocytosis (CD63 for primary granules and CD66b for secondary granules). We found that both A3R and S. aureus lysate had no significant effect on the exocytosis of primary and secondary granules. These data suggest that neither A3R virions nor any products of phage-induced lysis of S. aureus are likely to induce neutrophil degranulation in patients who are treated with phage preparations. Since neutrophil granules contain some potentially toxic proteins, our results provide an important argument for the safety of phage therapy. Moreover, these data indicate that the induction of neutrophil degranulation is not likely to contribute to antibacterial effects of phages.
Water Leakage and Nitrate Leaching Characteristics in the Winter Wheat–Summer Maize Rotation System in the North China Plain under Different Irrigation and Fertilization Management Practices
Authors: Chen Shufeng , Sun Chengchun , Wu Wenliang , Sun Changhong
Published: February 2017

Field experiments were carried out in Huantai County from 2006 to 2008 to evaluate the effects of different nitrogen (N) fertilization and irrigation management practices on water leakage and nitrate leaching in the dominant wheat–maize rotation system in the North China Plain (NCP). Two N fertilization (NF1, the traditional one; NF2, fertilization based on soil testing) and two irrigation (IR1, the traditional one; IR2, irrigation based on real-time soil water content monitoring) management practices were designed in the experiments. Water and nitrate amounts leaving the soil layer at a depth of 2.0 m below the soil surface were calculated and compared. Results showed that the IR2 effectively reduced water leakage and nitrate leaching amounts in the two-year period, especially in the winter wheat season. Less than 10 percent irrigation water could be saved in a dry winter wheat season, but about 60 percent could be saved in a wet winter wheat season. Besides, 58.8 percent nitrate under single NF2IR1 and 85.2 percent under NF2IR2 could be prevented from leaching. The IR2 should be considered as the best management practice to save groundwater resources and prevent nitrate from leaching. The amounts of N input play a great role in affecting nitrate concentrations in the soil solutions in the winter wheat–summer maize rotation system. The NF2 significantly reduced N inputs and should be encouraged in ordinary agricultural production. Thus, nitrate leaching and groundwater contamination could be alleviated, but timely N supplement might be needed under high precipitation condition.
Where to Find Water Pipes and Sewers?—On the Correlation of Infrastructure Networks in the Urban Environment
Authors: Mair Michael , Zischg Jonatan , Rauch Wolfgang , Sitzenfrei Robert
Published: February 2017

Urban water infrastructure, i.e., water supply and sewer networks, are underground structures, implying that detailed information on their location and features is not directly accessible, frequently erroneous, or missing. For public use, data is also not made available due to security concerns. This lack of quality data, especially for research purposes, requires substantial effort when such data is sought for both statistical and model‐based analyses. An alternative to gathering data from archives and observations is to extract the information from surrogate data sources (e.g., the street network). The key for such an undertaking is to identify the common characteristics of all urban infrastructure network types and to quantify them. In this work, the network correlations of the street, water supply, and sewer networks are systematically analyzed. The results showed a strong correlation between the street networks and urban water infrastructure networks, in general. For the investigated cases, on average, 50% of the street network length correlates with 80%-85% of the total water supply/sewer network. A correlation between street types and water infrastructure properties (e.g., pipe diameter) cannot be found. All analyses are quantified in the form of different geometric‐ and graph‐based indicators. The obtained results improve the understanding of urban network infrastructure from an integrated point of view. Moreover, the method can be fundamental for different research purposes, such as data verification, data completion, or even the entire generation of feasible datasets.
Simulating Spawning and Juvenile Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Habitat in Colorado River Based on High-Flow Effects
Authors: Yao Weiwei , Liu Huaxian , Chen Yuansheng , Zhang Wenyi , Zhong Yu , Fan Haiyan , Li Linkai , Bamal Sudeep
Published: February 2017

High flow generates significant alterations in downstream river reaches, resulting in physical condition changes in the downstream regions of the river such as water depth, flow velocity, water temperature and river bed. These alterations will lead to change in fish habitat configuration in the river. This paper proposes a model system to evaluate the high flow effects on river velocity, water depth, substrates changes, temperature distribution and consequently assess the change in spawning and juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) habitats in the downstream region of the Glen Canyon Dam. Firstly, based on the 2 dimensional (2D) depth-averaged CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) model and heat transfer equation applied for simulation, three indices were simulated, namely depth, flow velocity and temperature distribution. Then, the spawning and juvenile fish preference curves were obtained based on these three indices and substrates distribution. After that, the habitat model was proposed and used to simulate the high flow effects on juvenile and spawning rainbow trout habitat structure. Finally, the weighted usable area (WUA) and overall suitability index (OSI) of the spawning and juvenile fish species were quantitatively simulated to estimate the habitat sensitivity. The results illustrate that the high flow effect (HFE) increased the juvenile rainbow trout habitat quality but decreased the spawning rainbow trout habitat quality. The juvenile trout were mainly affected by the water depth while the spawning rainbow trout were dominated by the bed elevation.
Posttranslational isoprenylation of tryptophan in bacteria
Authors: Okada Masahiro , Sugita Tomotoshi , Abe Ikuro
Published: February 2017

Posttranslational isoprenylation is generally recognized as a universal modification of the cysteine residues in peptides and the thiol groups of proteins in eukaryotes. In contrast, the Bacillus quorum sensing peptide pheromone, the ComX pheromone, possesses a posttranslationally modified tryptophan residue, and the tryptophan residue is isoprenylated with either a geranyl or farnesyl group at the gamma position to form a tricyclic skeleton that bears a newly formed pyrrolidine, similar to proline. The post-translational dimethylallylation of two tryptophan residues of a cyclic peptide, kawaguchipeptin A, from cyanobacteria has also been reported. Interestingly, the modified tryptophan residues of kawaguchipeptin A have the same scaffold as that of the ComX pheromones, but with the opposite stereochemistry. This review highlights the biosynthetic pathways and posttranslational isoprenylation of tryptophan. In particular, recent studies on peptide modifying enzymes are discussed.
Evaluation of Learning and Competence in the Training of Nurses
Authors: Braz da Silva Cícera Maria , Paiva de Menezes Rejane Maria , Guilherme Gonçalves Rafaella
Published: February 2017

Introduction: health education becomes a more complex process, since it aims to ensure the training of professionals with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary for their performance, requiring the adoption of strategies that allow the integral evaluation of these competences.

Objective: analyze the scientific evidence about the evaluation of learning and competence in undergraduate nursing education. 

Method: integrative literature review with online search in LILACS, MEDLINE, Web of Science, SCOPUS and CINAHL databases, using these descriptors: Competence Based Education, Nursing Education, Learning and Assessment. 

Results: the 18 articles analyzed, based on a synthesis and critical analysis, allowed the identification of the following thematic categories: concept of competence; essential competences to the training of nurses; learning strategies; and evaluation. It was evidenced that, despite the polysemy around the term competence, the concept presented more similarities than differences. The nursing competencies identified are similar to those recommended by the National Curriculum Guidelines, emphasizing learning strategies in simulated settings and doubts about methods and the construction of evaluation tools.  Conclusions: the evaluation of learning and competence continues to be a challenge for nursing educators and it is recognized that there are difficulties in this process. In this sense, it seems necessary to develop reliable evaluation tools, based on criteria and indicators, that can verify the performance of the student in action and their earliest possible approximation to real learning scenarios.

Keywords: Competency-Based Education. Education. Nursing. Learning. Evaluation.
Primary Health Care Follow-Up Visits: Investigation Of Care Continuity Of Preterm Newborns From A Kangaroo-Mother Care Unit
Authors: Ribeiro Feitosa Marielle , Do Amaral Gubert Fabiane , Braga Gomes Tomé Marcela Ariadne , Mota Pinheiro Maria Talyta , Da Silva Neves Clarice , Lima Benevides Jéssica , Nogueira Rebouças Lidiane , Alexandrino da Silva Leonardo , Cordeiro Sales Pinheiro Sarah Rayssa , Costa Barros Êmile , Costa Gomes Clarissa , Da Silva Diógenes Mariana , Rebouças Bezerra de Menezes Amanda , Moreira de Lima Essyo Pedro , Rodrigues Cruz Lima Daiana , Monteiro de Souza Brito Larissa Ludmila , Coelho Oliveira Lopes Márcia Maria , Melo Dodt Regina Cláudia , Nóbrega Rocha Gláucia Maria , De Almeida Paulo César
Published: February 2017

INTRODUCTION: The kangaroo-mother care method is an approach adopted in Brazil as a public police, which has helped in the reduction of neonatal mortality rate. Premature birth and its vulnerabilities can trigger, especially in mothers, feelings of fear and insecurity related to taking care of newborns.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate care continuity of preterm newborns from a kangaroo-mother care method unit in primary health care facilities.

METHODS: It was a transversal study performed with 43 mothers of preterm newborns who were hospitalized in the rooming-in care unit of a kangaroo-mother care method unit of a Brazilian public maternity school. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire, which was used to interview mothers between September 2015 and February 2016.

RESULTS: It was found a relationship between sociodemographic status and risk of premature birth, and the following variables: age, education, marital status, and family income. Regarding findings from the follow-up home visits in primary health care, most of the participants were still breastfeeding and using the kangaroo position. However, 60.5% of the interviewed mothers reported not receiving home visits from health professionals of primary health care facilities.

CONCLUSION: It is essential the support of health professionals and the participation of mothers and families to improve, through health education, quality of life promotion for newborns from kangaroo care approach.
Precession of Mercury’s Perihelion from Ranging to the MESSENGER Spacecraft
Authors: Park Ryan S. , Folkner William M. , Konopliv Alexander S. , Williams James G. , Smith David E. , Zuber Maria T.
Published: February 2017

The perihelion of Mercury’s orbit precesses due to perturbations from other solar system bodies, solar quadrupole moment (J
2), and relativistic gravitational effects that are proportional to linear combinations of the parametrized post-Newtonian parameters β and γ. The orbits and masses of the solar system bodies are quite well known, and thus the uncertainty in recovering the precession rate of Mercury’s perihelion is dominated by the uncertainties in the parameters J
2, β, and γ. Separating the effects due to these parameters is challenging since the secular precession rate has a linear dependence on each parameter. Here we use an analysis of radiometric range measurements to the MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft in orbit about Mercury to estimate the precession of Mercury’s perihelion. We show that the MESSENGER ranging data allow us to measure not only the secular precession rate of Mercury’s perihelion with substantially improved accuracy, but also the periodic perturbation in the argument of perihelion sensitive to β and γ. When combined with the γ estimate from a Shapiro delay experiment from the Cassini mission, we can decouple the effects due to β and J
2 and estimate both parameters, yielding

and J
2 = (2.25 ± 0.09) × 10−7. We also estimate the total precession rate of Mercury’s perihelion as 575.3100 ± 0.0015″/century and provide estimated contributions and uncertainties due to various perturbing effects.