bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Production of New Isoflavone Glucosides from Glycosylation of 8-Hydroxydaidzein by Glycosyltransferase from Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633
Authors: Chiang Chien-Min , Wang Tzi-Yuan , Yang Szu-Yi , Wu Jiumn-Yih , Chang Te-Sheng
Published: September 2018

8-Hydroxydaidzein (8-OHDe) has been proven to possess some important bioactivities; however, the low aqueous solubility and stability of 8-OHDe limit its pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical applications. The present study focuses on glycosylation of 8-OHDe to improve its drawbacks in solubility and stability. According to the results of phylogenetic analysis with several identified flavonoid-catalyzing glycosyltransferases (GTs), three glycosyltransferase genes (BsGT110, BsGT292 and BsGT296) from the genome of the Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 strain were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The three BsGTs were then purified and the glycosylation activity determined toward 8-OHDe. The results showed that only BsGT110 possesses glycosylation activity. The glycosylated metabolites were then isolated with preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and identified as two new isoflavone glucosides, 8-OHDe-7-O-β-glucoside and8-OHDe-8-O-β-glucoside, whose identity was confirmed by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The aqueous solubility of 8-OHDe-7-O-β-glucoside and 8-OHDe-8-O-β-glucoside is 9.0- and 4.9-fold, respectively, higher than that of 8-OHDe. Moreover, more than 90% of the initial concentration of the two 8-OHDe glucoside derivatives remained after 96 h of incubation in 50 mM of Tris buffer at pH 8.0. In contrast, the concentration of 8-OHDe decreased to 0.8% of the initial concentration after 96 h of incubation. The two new isoflavone glucosides might have potential in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical applications.
Static and Dynamic Performance of Wet Foam and Polymer-Enhanced Foam in the Presence of Heavy Oil
Authors: Telmadarreie Ali , Trivedi Japan J.
Published: September 2018

Inadequate sweep efficiency is one of the main concerns in conventional heavy oil recovery processes. Alternative processes are therefore needed to increase heavy oil sweep efficiency. Foam injection has gained interest in conventional oil recovery in recent times as it can control the mobility ratio and improve the sweep efficiency over chemical or gas flooding. However, most of the studies have focused on light crude oil. This study aims to investigate the static and dynamic performances of foam and polymer-enhanced foam (PEF) in the presence of heavy oil. Static and dynamic experiments were conducted to investigate the potential of foam and PEF for heavy oil recovery. Static analysis included foam/PEF stability, decay profile, and image analysis. A linear visual sand pack was used to visualize the performance of CO2 foam and CO2 PEF in porous media (dynamic experiments). Nonionic, anionic, and cationic surfactants were used as the foaming agents. Static stability results showed that the anionic surfactant generated relatively more stable foam, even in the presence of heavy oil. Slower liquid drainage and collapse rates for PEF compared to that of foam were the key observations through foam static analyses. Besides improving heavy oil recovery, the addition of polymer accelerated foam generation and propagation in porous media saturated with heavy oil. Visual analysis demonstrated more stable frontal displacement and higher sweep efficiency of PEF compared to conventional foam flooding. Unlike foam injection, lesser channeling (foam collapse) was observed during PEF injection. The results of this study will open a new insight on the potential of foam, especially polymer-enhanced foam, for oil recovery of those reservoirs with viscous oil.
Evaluation of Sustainability Information Disclosure Based on Entropy
Authors: Li Ming , Wang Jialin , Li Ying , Xu Yingcheng
Published: September 2018

Disclosure of sustainability information is important for stockholders and governments. In order to evaluate the quality of sustainability information disclosure in heavily polluting industries, the quality of the disclosure is proposed to be evaluated from completeness, adequacy, relevance, reliability, normativeness and clarity aspects. The corresponding evaluation indicator system is constructed. Due to the ambiguity and complexity of the evaluation information, the intuitionistic fuzzy sets are applied to model the linguistic ratings. Entropy is used to derive the weight of experts, the object weight and the subject weight of the indicators. which are integrated when dealing with the evaluation information. The quality of sustainability information disclosure of seven representative companies in heavily polluting industries is evaluated. The importance of indicators and ranking of the companies are derived. Based on the evaluation results, the discussion and suggestions are also provided.
Attitude towards Mobile Learning in English Language Education
Authors: Yurdagül Cemil , Öz Saba
Published: September 2018

Mobile devices, especially smart phones, are the most frequently used technological devices for daily routines. Mobile devices can be used for various purposes to meet different needs. Since education is a core requirement for human beings, smart phones are being integrated into education. However, it remains to be seen whether they have an impact on learning or not. Consequently, integration of these technologies, or “mobile learning”, has become a popular research study in the field of instructional technology. It is important to investigate the impact of smart phones in language education since students today use them frequently. This attitudinal study aims to investigate the attitude of students in higher education towards smart phone use in the context of foreign language learning. In particular, it gathers information about how smart phones are used for language learning. Participants of the study were 294 prep school students from a well-known university in Turkey. Descriptive study was selected as a research method and mixed-method was the research design for the study. The findings of the study showed that participants care about instant and easy access to information in language learning. In addition to drawing attention to the ease of information access, participants provided suggestions about future applications of smartphones in language learning.
Embedded Fuzzy Logic Controller and Wireless Communication for Home Energy Management Systems
Authors: Soetedjo Aryuanto , Nakhoda Yusuf Ismail , Saleh Choirul
Published: September 2018

Energy management systems in residential areas have attracted the attention of many researchers along the deployment of smart grids, smart cities, and smart homes. This paper presents the implementation of a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) based on the fuzzy logic controller. The objective of the proposed HEMS is to minimize electricity cost by managing the energy from the photovoltaic (PV) to supply home appliances in the grid-connected PV-battery system. A fuzzy logic controller is implemented on a low-cost embedded system to achieve the objective. The fuzzy logic controller is developed by the distributed approach where each home appliance has its own fuzzy logic controller. An automatic tuning of the fuzzy membership functions using the Genetic Algorithm is developed to improve performance. To exchange data between the controllers, wireless communication based on WiFi technology is adopted. The proposed configuration provides a simple effective technology that can be implemented in residential homes. The experimental results show that the proposed system achieves a fast processing time on a ten-second basis, which is fast enough for HEMS implementation. When tested under four different scenarios, the proposed fuzzy logic controller yields an average cost reduction of 10.933% compared to the system without a fuzzy logic controller. Furthermore, by tuning the fuzzy membership functions using the genetic algorithm, the average cost reduction increases to 12.493%.
Color-Independent Visible Light Communications Based on Color Space: State of the Art and Potentials
Authors: Kwon Tae-Ho , Kim Jai-Eun , Kim Youn-Hee , Kim Ki-Doo
Published: September 2018

Color independency is an important factor in visible light communication (VLC) systems. This paper aims to review and summarize recent achievements in color-independent visible light communication based on color space, with the main focus being on color-space-based modulation (CSBM), termed as generalized color modulation (GCM), which allows VLC to adapt to any target color. The main advantages of GCM are its color independency, reasonable bit error rate (BER) performance during color variation, and dimming control. We also address our past research works that aimed to achieve a color-independent visual MIMO system by incorporating the advantages of GCM, which can lead to higher data rates over longer distances and improved performance, using image processing in addition to color independency. Finally, two case studies are introduced to demonstrate the potential applicability of a color-independent visual-MIMO system using color-space-based modulation techniques.
Dynamic Efficiency Analysis of an Off-Shore Hydrocyclone System, Subjected to a Conventional PID- and Robust-Control-Solution
Authors: Durdevic Petar , Yang Zhenyu
Published: September 2018

There has been a continued increase in the load on the current offshore oil and gas de-oiling systems that generally consist of three-phase gravity separators and de-oiling hydrocyclones. Current feedback control of the de-oiling systems is not done based on de-oiling efficiency, mainly due to lack of real-time monitoring of oil-in-water concentration, and instead relies on an indirect method using pressure drop ratio control. This study utilizes a direct method where a real-time fluorescence-based instrument was used to measure the transient efficiency of a hydrocyclone combined with an upstream gravity separator. Two control strategies, a conventional PID control structure and an H ∞ robust control structure, both using conventional feedback signals were implemented, and their efficiency was tested during severely fluctuating flow rates. The results show that the direct method can measure the system’s efficiency in real time. It was found that the efficiency of the system can be misleading, as fluctuations in the feed flow affect the inlet concentration more than the outlet oil concentration, which can lead to a discharge of large oil quantities into the ocean.
Solving Multi-Objective Fuzzy Optimization in Wireless Smart Sensor Networks under Uncertainty Using a Hybrid of IFR and SSO Algorithm
Authors: Wang Meihua , Yeh Wei-Chang , Chu Ta-Chung , Zhang Xianyong , Huang Chia-Ling , Yang Jun
Published: September 2018

Wireless (smart) sensor networks (WSNs), networks made up of embedded wireless smart sensors, are an important paradigm with a wide range of applications, including the internet of things (IoT), smart grids, smart production systems, smart buildings and many others. WSNs achieve better execution efficiency if their energy consumption can be better controlled, because their component sensors are either difficult or impossible to recharge, and have a finite battery life. In addition, transmission cost must be minimized, and signal transmission quantity must be maximized to improve WSN performance. Thus, a multi-objective involving energy consumption, cost and signal transmission quantity in WSNs needs to be studied. Energy consumption, cost and signal transmission quantity usually have uncertain characteristics, and can often be represented by fuzzy numbers. Therefore, this work suggests a fuzzy simplified swarm optimization algorithm (fSSO) to resolve the multi-objective optimization problem consisting of energy consumption, cost and signal transmission quantity of the transmission process in WSNs under uncertainty. Finally, an experiment of ten benchmarks from smaller to larger scale WSNs is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed fSSO algorithm.
Numerical Modeling of Flow Patterns Applied to Analysis of Susceptibility to Movements of the Ground
Authors: Cando Jácome Marcelo , Martínez-Graña Antonio
Published: September 2018

Mass movements in deformed areas of natural relief deformed by seismotectonic factors are one of the most destructive and recurrent natural hazards in the Republic of Ecuador, especially during intense rain periods, the El Niño phenomenon, or due to earthquakes such as the one that occurred on 16 April 2016 in the Ecuadorian coastline. This study proposes the application of Hydrological Model D8 and its derived morphometric parameters like slope, orientation of the slope, and curvatures, extracted from the high spatial resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM), implemented in programs such as Rockworks 7 (gridzo), SURFER (downwards slope), ArcView (flowacc), and SAGA (curvatures) to obtain runoff flow, structural geological lineaments, and superficial deformations of the topographic relief that are the origin of erosion, superficial landslides, lateral propagation, of the rock–soil complex, mass flows, and deep gravitational deformations. This methodology has been validated in three locations with intense deformations: two in Ecuador and one in Spain. The DEM were obtained from the Ecuadorian Spatial Institute (ESI) (spatial resolution of 10 m), the Rural Technological Infrastructure and Information National System (SIGTIERRAS) (spatial resolution of 5 m), and the Council of Andalusia (spatial resolution of 5 m).
Evaluating Short-Term Musculoskeletal Pain Changes in Desk-Based Workers Receiving a Workplace Sitting-Reduction Intervention
Authors: Brakenridge Charlotte L. , Chong Yee Ying , Winkler Elisabeth A.H. , Hadgraft Nyssa T. , Fjeldsoe Brianna S. , Johnston Venerina , Straker Leon M. , Healy Genevieve N. , Clark Bronwyn K.
Published: September 2018

This paper explores changes in musculoskeletal pain among desk-based workers over three months of a workplace-delivered, sitting-reduction intervention. Participants (n = 153, 46% female; mean ± SD aged 38.9 ± 8.0 years) were cluster-randomized (n = 18 work teams) to receive an organizational change intervention, with or without an activity tracker. A modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire assessed pain intensity (0–9; none–worst possible) in the neck, upper and lower back, upper and lower extremities, and in total. The activPAL3 (7 days, 24 h/day protocol) measured sitting and prolonged sitting in ≥30 min bouts at work. Mixed models adjusting for cluster and intervention arm examined changes in pain (n = 104), and their associations with reductions in sitting and prolonged sitting (h/10 h at work) (n = 90). Changes in pain were nonsignificant (p ≥ 0.05) and small for total pain (−0.06 [95% CI: −0.27, 0.16]) and for each body area (−0.26 [−0.66, 0.15] for upper back to 0.09 [−0.39, 0.56] for lower back). Sitting reduction was associated with reduced lower back pain (−0.84 [−1.44, −0.25] per hour, p = 0.005); other effects were small and non-significant. No substantial average changes in pain were seen; some improvement in lower back pain might be expected with larger sitting reductions. Larger samples and diverse interventions are required for more definitive evidence.
Selenium-Related Transcriptional Regulation of Gene Expression
Authors: Lammi Mikko J. , Qu Chengjuan
Published: September 2018

The selenium content of the body is known to control the expression levels of numerous genes, both so-called selenoproteins and non-selenoproteins. Selenium is a trace element essential to human health, and its deficiency is related to, for instance, cardiovascular and myodegenerative diseases, infertility and osteochondropathy called Kashin–Beck disease. It is incorporated as selenocysteine to the selenoproteins, which protect against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. They also participate in the activation of the thyroid hormone, and play a role in immune system functioning. The synthesis and incorporation of selenocysteine occurs via a special mechanism, which differs from the one used for standard amino acids. The codon for selenocysteine is a regular in-frame stop codon, which can be passed by a specific complex machinery participating in translation elongation and termination. This includes a presence of selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) in the 3′-untranslated part of the selenoprotein mRNAs. Nonsense-mediated decay is involved in the regulation of the selenoprotein mRNA levels, but other mechanisms are also possible. Recent transcriptional analyses of messenger RNAs, microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs combined with proteomic data of samples from Keshan and Kashin–Beck disease patients have identified new possible cellular pathways related to transcriptional regulation by selenium.
Clinical and Biological Characterization of Skin Pigmentation Diversity and Its Consequences on UV Impact
Authors: Del Bino Sandra , Duval Christine , Bernerd Françoise
Published: September 2018

Skin color diversity is the most variable and noticeable phenotypic trait in humans resulting from constitutive pigmentation variability. This paper will review the characterization of skin pigmentation diversity with a focus on the most recent data on the genetic basis of skin pigmentation, and the various methodologies for skin color assessment. Then, melanocyte activity and amount, type and distribution of melanins, which are the main drivers for skin pigmentation, are described. Paracrine regulators of melanocyte microenvironment are also discussed. Skin response to sun exposure is also highly dependent on color diversity. Thus, sensitivity to solar wavelengths is examined in terms of acute effects such as sunburn/erythema or induced-pigmentation but also long-term consequences such as skin cancers, photoageing and pigmentary disorders. More pronounced sun-sensitivity in lighter or darker skin types depending on the detrimental effects and involved wavelengths is reviewed.
lncRNAs in Non-Malignant Tissue Have Prognostic Value in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Thiele Jana-Aletta , Hosek Petr , Kralovcova Eva , Ostasov Pavel , Liska Vaclav , Bruha Jan , Vycital Ondrej , Rosendorf Jachym , Opattova Alena , Horak Josef , Kralickova Milena , Vodicka Pavel , Pitule Pavel
Published: September 2018

Although colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequent cause of cancer related death in Europe, clinically relevant biomarkers for therapy guidance and prognosis are insufficiently reliable. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNAs over 200 nucleotides long that are not translated into proteins but can influence biological processes. There is emerging evidence for their involvement in solid cancer as oncogenes, tumour suppressors or regulators of cell proliferation and metastasis development. The goal of this study was to evaluate the prognostic effect of selected lncRNAs in a retrospective study on CRC patients from the Czech Republic. We used a quantitative PCR approach to measure the expression in paired non-malignant and tumour tissue samples of CRC patients of nine lncRNAs previously shown to be involved in cancer progression—ANRIL, CCAT1, GAS5, linc-ROR, MALAT1, MIR155HG, PCAT1, SPRY4-IT1 and TUG1. Associations between expression and expression ratios and clinical characteristics and survival were assessed by using univariable Cox proportional hazards models, Kaplan-Meier estimations with the Gehan-Wilcoxon test, the Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman’s correlations. A comparison of expression in tumour tissue (TT) and non-malignant mucosa tissue (MT) showed significant upregulation of CCAT1 and linc-ROR in TT (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively) and downregulation of ANRIL, MIR155HG and MALAT1 (p = 0.001, p = 0.010, p = 0.001, respectively). Linc-ROR was significantly associated with the presence of synchronous metastases (p = 0.033). For individual tissue types, lower MIR155HG expression in TT was correlated with both shorter overall survival (p = 0.008) and shorter disease-free survival (p = 0.040). In MT, expression ratios of CCAT1/ANRIL and CCAT1/MIR155HG were associated with overall survival (p = 0.005 and p = 0.006, respectively). Our results revealed that changes in expression of lncRNAs between MT and TT hold potential to be used as prognostic biomarkers in CRC patients. Moreover, the ratios of CCAT1 to ANRIL and MIR155HG in MT also exhibit potential for prognosis assessment without tumour sampling. Our results also indicate that cancer progression is associated with detrimental system-wide changes in patient tissue, which might govern patient survival even after successful elimination of tumour or cancerous cells.
Crosstalk of the Brassinosteroid Signalosome with Phytohormonal and Stress Signaling Components Maintains a Balance between the Processes of Growth and Stress Tolerance
Authors: Gruszka Damian
Published: September 2018

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of phytohormones, which regulate various processes during plant life cycle. Intensive studies conducted with genetic, physiological and molecular approaches allowed identification of various components participating in the BR signaling—from the ligand perception, through cytoplasmic signal transduction, up to the BR-dependent gene expression, which is regulated by transcription factors and chromatin modifying enzymes. The identification of new components of the BR signaling is an ongoing process, however an emerging view of the BR signalosome indicates that this process is interconnected at various stages with other metabolic pathways. The signaling crosstalk is mediated by the BR signaling proteins, which function as components of the transmembrane BR receptor, by a cytoplasmic kinase playing a role of the major negative regulator of the BR signaling, and by the transcription factors, which regulate the BR-dependent gene expression and form a complicated regulatory system. This molecular network of interdependencies allows a balance in homeostasis of various phytohormones to be maintained. Moreover, the components of the BR signalosome interact with factors regulating plant reactions to environmental cues and stress conditions. This intricate network of interactions enables a rapid adaptation of plant metabolism to constantly changing environmental conditions.
Structural Basis for the Lipopolysaccharide Export Activity of the Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide Transport System
Authors: Hicks Greg , Jia Zongchao
Published: September 2018

Gram-negative bacteria have a dense outer membrane (OM) coating of lipopolysaccharides, which is essential to their survival. This coating is assembled by the LPS (lipopolysaccharide) transport (Lpt) system, a coordinated seven-subunit protein complex that spans the cellular envelope. LPS transport is driven by an ATPase-dependent mechanism dubbed the “PEZ” model, whereby a continuous stream of LPS molecules is pushed from subunit to subunit. This review explores recent structural and functional findings that have elucidated the subunit-scale mechanisms of LPS transport, including the novel ABC-like mechanism of the LptB2FG subcomplex and the lateral insertion of LPS into the OM by LptD/E. New questions are also raised about the functional significance of LptA oligomerization and LptC. The tightly regulated interactions between these connected subcomplexes suggest a pathway that can react dynamically to membrane stress and may prove to be a valuable target for new antibiotic therapies for Gram-negative pathogens.
Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Comparison between Brassica napus Genic Male Sterile Line and Restorer Line
Authors: Wang Zhixin , Wu Xiangping , Wu Zengxiang , An Hong , Yi Bin , Wen Jing , Ma Chaozhi , Shen Jinxiong , Fu Tingdong , Tu Jinxing
Published: September 2018

DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic modification that dynamically regulates gene expression during plant development. However, few studies have determined the DNA methylation profiles of male-sterile rapeseed. Here, we conducted a global comparison of DNA methylation patterns between the rapeseed genic male sterile line 7365A and its near-isogenic fertile line 7365B by whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). Profiling of the genome-wide DNA methylation showed that the methylation level in floral buds was lower than that in leaves and roots. Besides, a total of 410 differentially methylated region-associated genes (DMGs) were identified in 7365A relative to 7365B. Traditional bisulfite sequencing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to validate the WGBS data. Eleven DMGs were found to be involved in anther and pollen development, which were analyzed by quantitative PCR. In particular, Bnams4 was hypo-methylated in 7365A, and its expression was up-regulated, which might affect other DMGs and thus control the male sterility. This study provided genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of floral buds and important clues for revealing the molecular mechanism of genic male sterility in rapeseed.
Feeding the Walls: How Does Nutrient Availability Regulate Cell Wall Composition?
Authors: Ogden Michael , Hoefgen Rainer , Roessner Ute , Persson Staffan , Khan Ghazanfar Abbas
Published: September 2018

Nutrients are critical for plants to grow and develop, and nutrient depletion severely affects crop yield. In order to optimize nutrient acquisition, plants adapt their growth and root architecture. Changes in growth are determined by modifications in the cell walls surrounding every plant cell. The plant cell wall, which is largely composed of complex polysaccharides, is essential for plants to attain their shape and to protect cells against the environment. Within the cell wall, cellulose strands form microfibrils that act as a framework for other wall components, including hemicelluloses, pectins, proteins, and, in some cases, callose, lignin, and suberin. Cell wall composition varies, depending on cell and tissue type. It is governed by synthesis, deposition and remodeling of wall components, and determines the physical and structural properties of the cell wall. How nutrient status affects cell wall synthesis and organization, and thus plant growth and morphology, remains poorly understood. In this review, we aim to summarize and synthesize research on the adaptation of root cell walls in response to nutrient availability and the potential role of cell walls in nutrient sensing.
Soft Coral Dendronephthya puetteri Extract Ameliorates Inflammations by Suppressing Inflammatory Mediators and Oxidative Stress in LPS-Stimulated Zebrafish
Authors: Kim Eun-A , Ding Yuling , Yang Hye-Won , Heo Soo-Jin , Lee Seung-Hong
Published: September 2018

Marine-derived extract and/or bioactive compounds have attracted increasing demand due to their unique and potential uses as cures for various inflammation-based diseases. Several studies revealed anti-inflammatory candidates found in soft corals. However, the effects of soft corals on inflammation in an in vivo model remain to be determined. Therefore, the extract of soft coral Dendronephthya puetteri (DPE) was investigated for an in vivo anti-inflammatory effect in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated zebrafish model to determine its potential use as a natural anti-inflammatory agent. We also investigated whether DPE has toxic effects in a zebrafish model. No significant changes were observed in terms of survival, heart beat rate, or developmental abnormalities in the zebrafish embryos exposed to a concentration below 100 µg/mL of DPE. Treating the zebrafish model with LPS-treatment significantly increased the ROS, NO generation, and cell death. However, DPE inhibited this LPS-stimulated ROS, NO generation, and cell death in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, DPE significantly reduced the mRNA expression of both iNOS and COX-2 and markedly suppressed the expression levels of the proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6, in an LPS-stimulated zebrafish model. These findings demonstrate that DPE has profound anti-inflammatory effect in vivo, suggesting that DPE might be a strong natural anti-inflammatory agent.
Gestational Diabetes Alters the Metabolomic Profile in 2nd Trimester Amniotic Fluid in a Sex-Specific Manner
Authors: O’Neill Kathleen , Alexander Jacqueline , Azuma Rikka , Xiao Rui , Snyder Nathaniel W. , Mesaros Clementina A. , Blair Ian A. , Pinney Sara E.
Published: September 2018

Maternal diabetes and obesity induce marked abnormalities in glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion in the fetus, and are linked to obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease in the offspring, with specific metabolic characterization based on offspring sex. Gestational diabetes (GDM) has profound effects on the intrauterine milieu, which may reflect and/or modulate the function of the maternal–fetal unit. In order to characterize metabolic factors that affect offspring development, we profiled the metabolome of second trimester amniotic fluid (AF) from women who were subsequently diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GDM) using a targeted metabolomics approach, profiling 459 known biochemicals through gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) assays. Using a nested case-control study design, we identified 69 total biochemicals altered by GDM exposure, while sex-specific analysis identified 44 and 58 metabolites in male and female offspring, respectively. The most significant changes were in glucose, amino acid, glutathione, fatty acid, sphingolipid, and bile acid metabolism with specific changes identified based on the offspring sex. Targeted isotope dilution LC/MS confirmatory assays measured significant changes in docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid. We conclude that the sex-specific alterations in GDM maternal–fetal metabolism may begin to explain the sex-specific metabolic outcomes seen in offspring exposed to GDM in utero.
History of Non-Fatal Physical Assault Is Associated with Premature Mortality for Whites but Not Blacks
Authors: Assari Shervin , Haidar Jalal
Published: September 2018

Exposure to trauma increases the long-term risk of mortality, and experiencing non-fatal physical assault is not an exception. To better understand population heterogeneity in this link, the current study explored Black–White differences in the association between history of non-fatal physical assault and risk of all-cause mortality over a 25-year period in the United States. Data came from the Americans’ Changing Lives (ACL) study that followed 3617 non-institutionalized respondents for up to 25 years. History of non-fatal physical assault at baseline was the predictor. Outcome was time to death due to all-cause mortality during follow-up from baseline (1986) to follow-up (2011). Confounders included gender, age, and baseline socio-economic status (education and income), health behaviors (smoking and drinking), and health status (chronic medical conditions, self-rated health, and body mass index). Race was the moderator. Cox regressions were used for multi-variable analysis. History of non-fatal physical assault at baseline was associated with an increased risk of mortality, above and beyond baseline socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and health status. Race interacted with history of non-fatal physical assault on mortality, suggesting a stronger effect for Whites compared to Blacks. In race-specific models, history of non-fatal physical assault was associated with risk of mortality for Whites but not Blacks. The current study showed that experiencing non-fatal physical assault increases the risk of premature death above and beyond demographics, socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and health status. Experiencing non-fatal physical assault may have a larger effect on premature mortality among Whites than Blacks. Future research is needed on how Blacks and Whites differ in the health consequences of social adversities.
Keeping up with the Neighbors: Social Interaction in a Production Economy
Authors: Feng Zhenhua , Lien Jaimie W. , Zheng Jie
Published: September 2018

It is well-documented that individuals care about how others around them are doing. This paper studies a production economy in which consumers provide labor supply to a representative firm to earn income for consumption, and their utility depends on their own leisure time, their own consumption level, as well as their neighbors’ consumption levels. We characterize the unique equilibrium for such an economy, allowing for three different types of effects of the neighborhood size: linear effect, zero effect, and nonlinear effect. Four network structures (empty network, ring network, star network, and core-periphery network) with different production technologies are analyzed. Our work contributes to a better understanding of the general equilibrium effect of social preferences and network structures.
Higher Order Hamiltonian Systems with Generalized Legendre Transformation
Authors: Smetanová Dana
Published: September 2018

The aim of this paper is to report some recent results regarding second order Lagrangians corresponding to 2nd and 3rd order Euler–Lagrange forms. The associated 3rd order Hamiltonian systems are found. The generalized Legendre transformation and geometrical correspondence between solutions of the Hamilton equations and the Euler–Lagrange equations are studied. The theory is illustrated on examples of Hamiltonian systems satisfying the following conditions: (a) the Hamiltonian system is strongly regular and the Legendre transformation exists; (b) the Hamiltonian system is strongly regular and the Legendre transformation does not exist; (c) the Legendre transformation exists and the Hamiltonian system is not regular but satisfies a weaker condition.
Introducing Weights Restrictions in Data Envelopment Analysis Models for Mutual Funds
Authors: Basso Antonella , Funari Stefania
Published: September 2018

Data envelopment analysis has been applied in a number of papers to measure the performance of mutual funds, besides a great many applications on the more diverse fields of performance evaluation. The data envelopment analysis models proposed in the mutual funds literature do not generally set restrictions on the weights assigned to the input and output variables. In this paper, we study the effects of the introduction of different weight restrictions on the results of the performance evaluation of mutual funds. In addition, we provide a unified matrix representation for three widely used approaches on weight restrictions: virtual weight restrictions with constraints on all decision-making units (DMUs) (on all funds); virtual weight restrictions with constraints only on the target unit; assurance regions. Using the unified matrix representation of the weights constraints, we formulate the data envelopment analysis (DEA ) efficiency model and express the efficient frontier in a unified way for the different weight restrictions considered. We investigate the effects of the different weight restrictions on the performance evaluation by means of an empirical application on a set of European mutual funds. Moreover, we study the behaviour of the fund performance scores as the restrictions on the weights become increasingly strict.
TL-Moments for Type-I Censored Data with an Application to the Weibull Distribution
Authors: Ibrahim Hager A. , Mahmoud Mahmoud Riad , Khalil Fatma A. , El-Kelany Ghada A.
Published: September 2018

This paper aims to provide an adaptation of the trimmed L (TL)-moments method to censored data. The present study concentrates on Type-I censored data. The idea of using TL-moments with censored data may seem conflicting. However, our perspective is that we can use data censored from one side and trimmed from the other side. This study is applied to estimate the two unknown parameters of the Weibull distribution. The suggested point is compared with direct L-moments and maximum likelihood (ML) methods. A Monte Carlo simulation study is carried out to compare these methods in terms of estimate average, root of mean square error (RMSE), and relative absolute biases (RABs).
Fucoidan Extracted from Undaria pinnatifida: Source for Nutraceuticals/Functional Foods
Authors: Zhao Yu , Zheng Yizhou , Wang Jie , Ma Shuyi , Yu Yiming , White William Lindsey , Yang Shiping , Yang Fan , Lu Jun
Published: September 2018

The importance of fucoidan as a functional ingredient in food, health products, and pharmaceutics is well-recognized due to its beneficial biological effects. Fucoidan is usually extracted from brown seaweeds, including Undaria pinnatifida. Fucoidan exhibits beneficial bio-activity and has antioxidant, anticancer, and anticoagulant properties. This review focuses on the biological activity of U. pinnatifida-derived fucoidan and investigates its structure–activity or fraction–activity relationship. It also describes several fucoidan extracts, along with their claimed anticancer effects. It aims to provide information and thoughts for future research such as the development of fucoidan into functional foods or nutraceuticals.
Antiviral Activities of Oleanolic Acid and Its Analogues
Authors: Khwaza Vuyolwethu , Oyedeji Opeoluwa O. , Aderibigbe Blessing A.
Published: September 2018

Viral diseases, such as human immune deficiency virus (HIV), influenza, hepatitis, and herpes, are the leading causes of human death in the world. The shortage of effective vaccines or therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of the numerous viral infections, and the great increase in the number of new drug-resistant viruses, indicate that there is a great need for the development of novel and potent antiviral drugs. Natural products are one of the most valuable sources for drug discovery. Most natural triterpenoids, such as oleanolic acid (OA), possess notable antiviral activity. Therefore, it is important to validate how plant isolates, such as OA and its analogues, can improve and produce potent drugs for the treatment of viral disease. This article reports a review of the analogues of oleanolic acid and their selected pathogenic antiviral activities, which include HIV, the influenza virus, hepatitis B and C viruses, and herpes viruses.
Association between Anaemia in Children 6 to 23 Months Old and Child, Mother, Household and Feeding Indicators
Authors: Prieto-Patron Alberto , Van der Horst Klazine , Hutton Zsuzsa V. , Detzel Patrick
Published: September 2018

In Low and Lower-Middle-Income countries, the prevalence of anaemia in infancy remains high. In early childhood anaemia cause irreversible cognitive deficits and represents a higher risk of child mortality. The consequences of anaemia in infancy are a major barrier to overcome poverty traps. The aim of this study was to analyse, based on a multi-level approach, different factors associated with anaemia in children 6–23 months old based on recent available Standard Demographic Health Surveys (S-DHS). We identified 52 S-DHS that had complete information in all covariates of interest in our analysis between 2005 and 2015. We performed traditional logistic regressions and multilevel logistic regression analyses to study the association between haemoglobin concentrations and household, child, maternal, socio-demographic variables. In our sample, 70% of the 6–23 months-old children were anaemic. Child anaemia was strongly associated with maternal anaemia, household wealth, maternal education and low birth weight. Children fed with fortified foods, potatoes and other tubers had significantly lower rates of anaemia. Improving overall household living conditions, increasing maternal education, delaying childbearing and introducing iron rich foods at six months of age may reduce the likelihood of anaemia in toddlerhood.
Pre-Sleep Consumption of Casein and Whey Protein: Effects on Morning Metabolism and Resistance Exercise Performance in Active Women
Authors: Madzima Takudzwa A. , Melanson Jared T. , Black Jonas R. , Nepocatych Svetlana
Published: September 2018

Consuming milk proteins (casein (CP) and whey (WP)) at night before sleep has been shown to positively influence next morning resting metabolic rate (RMR). No data exist regarding the effect of pre-sleep consumption of CP and WP on the ability to perform resistance exercise (RE) the following morning. The present study compared the effects of low (24 g) and high (48 g) doses of CP and WP and a non-energetic placebo (PLA) consumed 30 min before sleep on morning RMR, and RE performance. Nine active women participated in this randomized, double-blind, crossover study. Next morning RMR was measured via indirect calorimetry. RE was performed on six machines for 2 sets of 10 repetitions, and a 3rd set to failure at 60% of one-repetition maximum to calculate RE volume (weight lifted × sets × repetitions). Magnitude based inferences were used. Compared to the PLA, 48 g CP had a likely increase in RMR (4.0 ± 4.8%) and possibly trivial (1.1 ± 7.0%) effect on RE volume. There were no clear effects of 24 g CP, 24 g and 48 g of WP on RMR and RE volume. In conclusion, 48 g CP elicited favorable changes in morning RMR, with only trivial changes in RE performance.
Brain Fatty Acid Composition and Inflammation in Mice Fed with High-Carbohydrate Diet or High-Fat Diet
Authors: Gimenez da Silva-Santi Lorena , Masetto Antunes Marina , Mori Marco Aurélio , Biesdorf de Almeida-Souza Camila , Vergílio Visentainer Jesuí , Carbonera Fabiana , Rabello Crisma Amanda , Nunes Masi Laureane , Massao Hirabara Sandro , Curi Rui , Barbosa Bazotte Roberto
Published: September 2018

Both high fat diet (HFD) and high carbohydrate diet (HCD) modulate brain fatty acids (FA) composition. Notwithstanding, there is a lack of information on time sequence of brain FA deposition either for HFD or HCD. The changes in brain FA composition in mice fed with HFD or HCD for 7, 14, 28, or 56 days were compared with results of 0 (before starting given the diets). mRNA expressions of allograft inflammatory factor 1 (Aif1), cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox 2), F4/80, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), integrin subunit alpha m (Itgam), interleukin IL-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured. The HFD group had higher speed of deposition of saturated FA (SFA), monounsaturated FA (MUFA), and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) at the beginning of the experimental period. However, on day 56, the total amount of SFA, MUFA, and PUFA were similar. mRNA expressions of F4/80 and Itgam, markers of microglia infiltration, were increased (p < 0.05) in the brain of the HCD group whereas inflammatory marker index (IMI) was higher (46%) in HFD group. In conclusion, the proportion of fat and carbohydrates in the diet modulates the speed deposition of FA and expression of inflammatory gene markers.
Polyphenols in Liubao Tea Can Prevent CCl4-Induced Hepatic Damage in Mice through Its Antioxidant Capacities
Authors: Pan Yanni , Long Xingyao , Yi Ruokun , Zhao Xin
Published: September 2018

The present study investigated the preventive effect of polyphenols in Liubao tea (PLT) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in mice. The mice were initially treated with PLT, followed by induction of liver injury using 10 mL/kg CCl4. Then liver and serum indices, as well as the expression levels of related messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and proteins in liver tissues were measured. The results showed that PLT reduces the liver quality and indices of mice with liver injury. PLT also downregulates aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglycerides (TGs), and malondialdehyde (MDA), and upregulates superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the sera of mice with liver injury. PLT also reduces serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-12 (IL-12), tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α ), and interferon- γ (IFN- γ ) cytokines in mice with liver injury. Pathological morphological observation also shows that PLT reduces CCl4-induced central venous differentiation of liver tissues and liver cell damage. Furthermore, qPCR and Western blot also confirm that PLT upregulates the mRNA and protein expressions of Gu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, catalase (CAT), GSH-Px, and nuclear factor of κ -light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor- α (I κ B- α ) in liver tissues, and downregulates the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and nuclear factor κ -light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF- κ B). Meanwhile, PLT also raised the phosphorylated (p)-NF- κ B p65 and cytochrome P450 reductase protein expression in liver injury mice. The components of PLT include gallic acid, catechin, caffeine, epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), gallocatechin gallate (GCG), and epicatechin gallate (ECG), which possibly have a wide range of biological activities. Thus, PLT imparts preventive effects against CCl4-induced liver injury, which is similar to silymarin.
Iron Absorption in Iron-Deficient Women, Who Received 65 mg Fe with an Indonesian Breakfast, Is Much Better from NaFe(III)EDTA than from Fe(II)SO4, with an Acceptable Increase of Plasma NTBI. A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Ginanjar Eka , Indrawati Lilik , Setianingsih Iswari , Atmakusumah Djumhana , Harahap Alida , Timan Ina S. , Marx Joannes J. M.
Published: September 2018

Plasma non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) is potentially harmful due to the generation of free radicals that cause tissue damage in vascular and other diseases. Studies in iron-replete and iron-deficient subjects, receiving a single oral test dose of Fe(II)SO4 or NaFe(III)EDTA with water, revealed that FeSO4 was well absorbed when compared with NaFeEDTA, while only the Fe(II) compound showed a remarkable increase of NTBI. As NaFeEDTA is successfully used for food fortification, a double-blind randomized cross-over trial was conducted in 11 healthy women with uncomplicated iron deficiency. All subjects received a placebo, 6.5 mg FeSO4, 65 mg FeSO4, 6.5 mg NaFeEDTA, and 65 mg NaFeEDTA with a traditional Indonesian breakfast in one-week intervals. Blood tests were carried out every 60 min for five hours. NTBI detection was performed using the fluorescein-labeled apotransferrin method. Plasma iron values were highly increased after 65 mg NaFeEDTA, twice as high as after FeSO4. A similar pattern was seen for NTBI. After 6.5 mg of NaFeEDTA and FeSO4, NTBI was hardly detectable. NaFeEDTA was highly effective for the treatment of iron deficiency if given with a meal, inhibiting the formation of nonabsorbable Fe-complexes, while NTBI did not exceed the range of normal values for iron-replete subjects.
Physiology Based Approaches for Breeding of Next-Generation Food Legumes
Authors: Shunmugam Arun S. K. , Kannan Udhaya , Jiang Yunfei , Daba Ketema A. , Gorim Linda Y.
Published: September 2018

Plant breeders and agricultural scientists of the 21st century are challenged to increase the yield potentials of crops to feed the growing world population. Climate change, the resultant stresses and increasing nutrient deficiencies are factors that are to be considered in designing modern plant breeding pipelines. Underutilized food legumes have the potential to address these issues and ensure food security in developing nations of the world. Food legumes in the past have drawn limited research funding and technological attention when compared to cereal crops. Physiological breeding strategies that were proven to be successful in cereals are to be adapted to legume crop improvement to realize their potential. The gap between breeders and physiologists should be narrowed by collaborative approaches to understand complex traits in legumes. This review discusses the potential of physiology based approaches in food legume breeding and how they impact yield gains and abiotic stress tolerance in these crops. The influence of roots and root system architectures in food legumes’ breeding is also discussed. Molecular breeding to map the relevant physiological traits and the potentials of gene editing those traits are detailed. It is imperative to unlock the potentials of these underutilized crops to attain sustainable environmental and nutritional food security.