bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phytoremediation Efficacy of Salix discolor and S. eriocephela on Adjacent Acidic Clay and Shale Overburden on a Former Mine Site: Growth, Soil, and Foliage Traits
Authors: Mosseler Alex , Major John E.
Published: December 2017

Plants regularly experience suboptimal environments, but this can be particularly acute on highly-disturbed mine sites. Two North American willows—Salix discolor Muhl. (DIS) and S. eriocephala Michx. (ERI)—were established in common-garden field tests on two adjacent coal mine spoil sites: one with high clay content, the other with shale overburden. The high clay content site had 44% less productivity, a pH of 3.6, 42% clay content, high water holding capacity at saturation (64%), and high soil electrical conductivity (EC) of 3.9 mS cm−1. The adjacent shale overburden site had a pH of 6.8, and after removing 56.5% stone content, a high sand content (67.2%), low water holding capacity at saturation (23%), and an EC of 0.9 mS cm−1. The acidic clay soil had significantly greater Na (20×), Ca (2×), Mg (4.4×), S (10×), C (12×) and N (2×) than the shale overburden. Foliar concentrations from the acidic clay site had significantly greater Mg (1.5×), Mn (3.3×), Fe (5.6×), Al (4.6×), and S (2×) than the shale overburden, indicating that these elements are more soluble under acidic conditions. There was no overall species difference in growth; however, survival was greater for ERI than DIS on both sites, thus overall biomass yield was greater for ERI than DIS. Foliar concentrations of ERI were significantly greater than those of DIS for N (1.3×), Ca (1.5×), Mg (1.2×), Fe (2×), Al (1.5×), and S (1.5×). There were no significant negative relationships between metal concentrations and growth or biomass yield. Both willows showed large variation among genotypes within each species in foliar concentrations, and some clones of DIS and ERI had up to 16× the Fe and Al uptake on the acidic site versus the adjacent overburden. Genetic selection among species and genotypes may be useful for reclamation activities aimed at reducing specific metal concentrations on abandoned mine sites. Results show that, despite having a greater water holding capacity, the greater acidity of the clay site resulted in greater metal mobility—in particular Na—and thus a greater EC. It appears that the decline in productivity was not due to toxicity effects from the increased mobility of metals, but rather to low pH and moisture stress from very high soil Na/EC.
Social-Aware Relay Selection for Cooperative Multicast Device-to-Device Communications
Authors: Chiti Francesco , Fantacci Romano , Pierucci Laura
Published: December 2017

The increasing use of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share photos, video streaming, and music among friends has generated a huge increase in the amount of data traffic over wireless networks. This social behavior has triggered new communication paradigms such as device-to-device (D2D) and relaying communication schemes, which are both considered as strong drivers for the next fifth-generation (5G) cellular systems. Recently, the social-aware layer and its relationship to and influence on the physical communications layer have gained great attention as emerging focus points. We focus here on the case of relaying communications to pursue the multicast data dissemination to a group of users forming a social community through a relay node, according to the extension of the D2D mode to the case of device-to-many devices. Moreover, in our case, the source selects the device to act as the relay among different users of the multicast group by taking into account both the propagation link conditions and the relay social-trust level with the constraint of minimizing the end-to-end content delivery delay. An optimization procedure is also proposed in order to achieve the best performance. Finally, numerical results are provided to highlight the advantages of considering the impact of social level on the end-to-end delivery delay in the integrated social–physical network in comparison with the classical relay-assisted multicast communications for which the relay social-trust level is not considered.
Methylxanthine Content in Commonly Consumed Foods in Spain and Determination of Its Intake during Consumption
Authors: Sanchez Juan
Published: December 2017

Methylxanthines present psychostimulant effects. These compounds have low toxicity and their consumption at moderate levels presents some beneficial health effects, whereas some significant risk appears at high levels. Samples of common types of methylxanthine-containing beverages and foods consumed in Spain were analyzed to determine their content. Caffeine was the methylxanthine that was most found in the samples investigated. Instant coffees gave the highest caffeine percentage (18–44 mg·g−1). Green and scented teas were found to have a caffeine dry-weight content (8–26 mg·g−1) equivalent to ground coffees (13–23 mg·g−1), but black and pu-erh teas (18–30 mg·g−1) had a higher caffeine content. The evaluation of the most conventional methods for preparing espresso coffees showed that an espresso contains between 88–116 mg of caffeine. In the case of tea beverages, the amount of caffeine present was 2–3 times smaller than in espresso coffees. Energy drinks showed a similar caffeine content (80–106 mg) as espresso coffees. Chocolates had the lowest caffeine content. It has been found that none of the foods evaluated reach the recommended daily intake limit of 400 mg of caffeine with a single dose. This limit can be reached with 4–5 doses in the case of coffees and energy drinks. In the case of chocolates, the methylxanthine compound detected at large levels was theobromine, with amounts ranging from 4 to 10 mg·g−1 for dark chocolates.
TRIM8: Making the Right Decision between the Oncogene and Tumour Suppressor Role
Authors: Caratozzolo Mariano , Marzano Flaviana , Mastropasqua Francesca , Sbisà Elisabetta , Tullo Apollonia
Published: November 2017

The TRIM8/GERP protein is a member of the TRIM family defined by the presence of a common domain structure composed of a tripartite motif including a RING-finger, one or two B-box domains, and a coiled-coil motif. The TRIM8 gene maps on chromosome 10 within a region frequently found deleted and rearranged in tumours and transcribes a 3.0-kB mRNA. Its expression is mostly ubiquitously in murine and human tissues, and in epithelial and lymphoid cells, it can be induced by IFNγ. The protein spans 551 aa and is highly conserved during evolution. TRIM8 plays divergent roles in many biological processes, including important functions in inflammation and cancer through regulating various signalling pathways. In regulating cell growth, TRIM8 exerts either a tumour suppressor action, playing a prominent role in regulating p53 tumour suppressor activity, or an oncogene function, through the positive regulation of the NF-κB pathway. The molecular mechanisms underlying this dual role in human cancer will be discussed in depth in this review, and it will highlight the challenge and importance of developing novel therapeutic strategies specifically aimed at blocking the pro-oncogenic arm of the TRIM8 signalling pathway without affecting its tumour suppressive effects.
Molecular Investigation of the Stem Snap Point in Textile Hemp
Authors: Behr Marc , Legay Sylvain , Hausman Jean-Francois , Lutts Stanley , Guerriero Gea
Published: December 2017

Fibre crops are important natural resources, as they sustainably provide bast fibres, an economically-valuable raw material used in the textile and biocomposite sectors. Among fibre crops, textile hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is appreciated for its long and strong gelatinous bast fibres. The stem of fibre crops is a useful system for cell wall-oriented studies, because it shows a strong tissue polarity with a lignified inner core and a cellulosic hypolignified cortex, as well as a basipetal lignification gradient. Along the stem axis of fibre crops, a specific region, denoted snap point, marks the transition from elongation (above it) to fibre thickening (below it). After empirically determining the snap point by tilting the plant, we divided the stem segment containing it into three non-overlapping consecutive regions measuring 1 cm each, and carried out targeted RT-qPCR on cell wall-related genes separately, in outer and inner tissues. Different gene clusters can be observed, two of which are the major gene groups, i.e., one group with members expressed at higher levels in the inner tissues, and one group whose genes are more expressed in the cortex. The present results provide a molecular validation that the snap point is characterised by a gradient of events associated with the shift from fibre elongation to thickening.
Cancer-Related Information Seeking and Scanning Behaviors among Older Chinese Adults: Examining the Roles of Fatalistic Beliefs and Fear
Authors: Leung Doris , Chow Twiggy , Wong Eliza
Published: December 2017

Effective communication in health information plays an important role in health promotion and cancer prevention. Cancer-related information acquisition can happen via active and purposeful seeking, but may also happen less purposely via the routine use of media and interactions with other people (called scanning). We examined seeking and scanning behaviors regarding cancer prevention in older Chinese adults, identified commonly used sources of information of such behaviors, and examined their associations with fatalistic beliefs and cancer fear. A convenience sample of 224 community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 were recruited between May and July in 2013 in Hong Kong. Results suggested that cancer information scanning (79.5%) was more common than information seeking (30.4%) among our participants. Health professional was the most popular source for both scanning (78.7%) and seeking (58.8%) behaviors regarding cancer information. Fatalistic beliefs was significantly and negatively associated with seeking behaviors (OR = 0.50) but not scanning behaviors, and cancer fear showed no relationship with either behavior. This study shows that the cancer information seeking and scanning behaviors were still suboptimal in this age group and adds to the knowledge regarding the associations between fatalistic beliefs and fear with cancer information seeking and scanning behaviors among older Chinese adults.
The Impact of Technological Progress in the Energy Sector on Carbon Emissions: An Empirical Analysis from China
Authors: Jin Lei , Duan Keran , Shi Chunming , Ju Xianwei
Published: December 2017

This paper investigates the relationship between technological progress in the energy sector and carbon emissions based on the Environment Kuznets Curve (EKC) and data from China during the period of 1995–2012. Our study confirms that the situation in China conforms to the EKC hypothesis and presents the inverted U-curve relationship between per capita income and carbon emissions. Furthermore, the inflection point will be reached in at least five years. Then, we use research and development (R & D) investment in the energy industry as the quantitative indicator of its technological progress to test its impact on carbon emissions. Our results show that technological progress in the energy sector contributes to a reduction in carbon emissions with hysteresis. Furthermore, our results show that energy efficiency improvements are also helpful in reducing carbon emissions. However, climate policy and change in industrial structure increase carbon emissions to some extent. Our conclusion demonstrates that currently, China is not achieving economic growth and pollution reduction simultaneously. To further achieve the goal of carbon reduction, the government should increase investment in the energy industry research and improve energy efficiency.
Tunisian Milk Thistle: An Investigation of the Chemical Composition and the Characterization of Its Cold-Pressed Seed Oils
Authors: Meddeb Wiem , Rezig Leila , Abderrabba Manef , Lizard Gérard , Mejri Mondher
Published: December 2017

In this study, milk thistle seeds growing in different areas in Tunisia were cold pressed and the extracted oils were examined for their chemical and antioxidant properties. The major fatty acids were linoleic acid (C18:2) (57.0%, 60.0%, and 60.3% for the milk thistle seed oils native to Bizerte, Zaghouan and Sousse, respectively) and oleic acid (C18:1) (15.5%, 21.5%, and 22.4% for the milk thistle seed oils originating from Bizerte, Zaghouan and Sousse, respectively). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the richness of the milk thistle seed oils (MTSO) in α-tocopherol. The highest content was recorded for that of the region of Zaghouan (286.22 mg/kg). The total phenolic contents (TPC) of Zaghouan, Bizerte, and Sousse were 1.59, 8.12, and 4.73 Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE) mg/g, respectively. Three phenolic acids were also identified (vanillic, p-coumaric, and silybine), with a predominance of the vanillic acid. The highest value was recorded for the Zaghouan milk thistle seed oil (83 mg/100 g). Differences in outcomes between regions may be due to climatic differences in areas. Zaghouan’s cold-pressed milk thistle seed oil had a better quality than those of Bizerte and Sousse, and can be considered as a valuable source for new multi-purpose products or by-products for industrial, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical utilization.
Emerging Roles of Mitochondrial Ribosomal Proteins in Plant Development
Authors: Robles Pedro , Quesada Víctor
Published: December 2017

Mitochondria are the powerhouse of eukaryotic cells because they are responsible for energy production through the aerobic respiration required for growth and development. These organelles harbour their own genomes and translational apparatus: mitochondrial ribosomes or mitoribosomes. Deficient mitochondrial translation would impair the activity of this organelle, and is expected to severely perturb different biological processes of eukaryotic organisms. In plants, mitoribosomes consist of three rRNA molecules, encoded by the mitochondrial genome, and an undefined set of ribosomal proteins (mitoRPs), encoded by nuclear and organelle genomes. A detailed functional and structural characterisation of the mitochondrial translation apparatus in plants is currently lacking. In some plant species, presence of small gene families of mitoRPs whose members have functionally diverged has led to the proposal of the heterogeneity of the mitoribosomes. This hypothesis supports a dynamic composition of the mitoribosomes. Information on the effects of the impaired function of mitoRPs on plant development is extremely scarce. Nonetheless, several works have recently reported the phenotypic and molecular characterisation of plant mutants affected in mitoRPs that exhibit alterations in specific development aspects, such as embryogenesis, leaf morphogenesis or the formation of reproductive tissues. Some of these results would be in line with the ribosomal filter hypothesis, which proposes that ribosomes, besides being the machinery responsible for performing translation, are also able to regulate gene expression. This review describes the phenotypic effects on plant development displayed by the mutants characterised to date that are defective in genes which encode mitoRPs. The elucidation of plant mitoRPs functions will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that control organelle gene expression and their contribution to plant growth and morphogenesis.
Switching between Successful and Dead-End Intermediates in Membrane Fusion
Authors: Molotkovsky Rodion , Galimzyanov Timur , Jiménez-Munguía Irene , Pavlov Konstantin , Batishchev Oleg , Akimov Sergey
Published: December 2017

Fusion of cellular membranes during normal biological processes, including proliferation, or synaptic transmission, is mediated and controlled by sophisticated protein machinery ensuring the preservation of the vital barrier function of the membrane throughout the process. Fusion of virus particles with host cell membranes is more sparingly arranged and often mediated by a single fusion protein, and the virus can afford to be less discriminative towards the possible different outcomes of fusion attempts. Formation of leaky intermediates was recently observed in some fusion processes, and an alternative trajectory of the process involving formation of π-shaped structures was suggested. In this study, we apply the methods of elasticity theory and Lagrangian formalism augmented by phenomenological and molecular geometry constraints and boundary conditions to investigate the traits of this trajectory and the drivers behind the choice of one of the possible scenarios depending on the properties of the system. The alternative pathway proved to be a dead end, and, depending on the parameters of the participating membranes and fusion proteins, the system can either reversibly enter the corresponding “leaky” configuration or be trapped in it. A parametric study in the biologically relevant range of variables emphasized the fusion protein properties crucial for the choice of the fusion scenario.
Rapid Non-Enzymatic Glycation of the Insulin Receptor under Hyperglycemic Conditions Inhibits Insulin Binding In Vitro: Implications for Insulin Resistance
Authors: Rhinesmith Tyler , Turkette Thomas , Root-Bernstein Robert
Published: December 2017

The causes of insulin resistance are not well-understood in either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Insulin (INS) is known to undergo rapid non-enzymatic covalent conjugation to glucose or other sugars (glycation). Because the insulin receptor (IR) has INS-like regions associated with both glucose and INS binding, we hypothesize that hyperglycemic conditions may rapidly glycate the IR, chronically interfering with INS binding. IR peptides were synthesized spanning IR- associated INS-binding regions. Glycation rates of peptides under hyperglycemic conditions were followed over six days using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. INS conjugated to horse-radish peroxidase was used to determine INS binding to IR peptides in glycated and non-glycated forms. Several IR peptides were glycated up to 14% within days of exposure to 20–60 mM glucose. Rates of IR-peptide glycation were comparable to those of insulin. Glycation of four IR peptides significantly inhibits INS binding to them. Glycation of intact IR also decreases INS binding by about a third, although it was not possible to confirm the glycation sites on the intact IR. Glycation of the IR may therefore provide a mechanism by which INS resistance develops in diabetes. Demonstration of glycation of intact IR in vivo is needed.
Preparation of A Spaceflight: Apoptosis Search in Sutured Wound Healing Models
Authors: Riwaldt Stefan , Monici Monica , Graver Petersen Asbjørn , Birk Jensen Uffe , Evert Katja , Pantalone Desiré , Utpatel Kirsten , Evert Matthias , Wehland Markus , Krüger Marcus , Kopp Sascha , Frandsen Sofie , Corydon Thomas , Sahana Jayashree , Bauer Johann , Lützenberg Ronald , Infanger Manfred , Grimm Daniela
Published: December 2017

To prepare the ESA (European Space Agency) spaceflight project “Wound healing and Sutures in Unloading Conditions”, we studied mechanisms of apoptosis in wound healing models based on ex vivo skin tissue cultures, kept for 10 days alive in serum-free DMEM/F12 medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin, hydrocortisone, insulin, ascorbic acid and antibiotics at 32 °C. The overall goal is to test: (i) the viability of tissue specimens; (ii) the gene expression of activators and inhibitors of apoptosis and extracellular matrix components in wound and suture models; and (iii) to design analytical protocols for future tissue specimens after post-spaceflight download. Hematoxylin-Eosin and Elastica-van-Gieson staining showed a normal skin histology with no signs of necrosis in controls and showed a normal wound suture. TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling for detecting DNA fragmentation revealed no significant apoptosis. No activation of caspase-3 protein was detectable. FASL, FADD, CASP3, CASP8, CASP10, BAX, BCL2, CYC1, APAF1, LAMA3 and SPP1 mRNAs were not altered in epidermis and dermis samples with and without a wound compared to 0 day samples (specimens investigated directly post-surgery). BIRC5, CASP9, and FN1 mRNAs were downregulated in epidermis/dermis samples with and/or without a wound compared to 0 day samples. BIRC2, BIRC3 were upregulated in 10 day wound samples compared to 0 day samples in epidermis/dermis. RELA/FAS mRNAs were elevated in 10 day wound and no wound samples compared to 0 day samples in dermis. In conclusion, we demonstrate that it is possible to maintain live skin tissue cultures for 10 days. The viability analysis showed no significant signs of cell death in wound and suture models. The gene expression analysis demonstrated the interplay of activators and inhibitors of apoptosis and extracellular matrix components, thereby describing important features in ex vivo sutured wound healing models. Collectively, the performed methods defining analytical protocols proved to be applicable for post-flight analyzes of tissue specimens after sample return.
Setting up a Newborn Hearing Screening Programme in a Low-Income Country: Initial Findings from Malawi
Authors: Brough Helen
Published: December 2017

Establishing a newborn hearing screening programme in a low-income country with poor communication infrastructure has unique challenges. Data from 195 infants in three different patient populations in Malawi who underwent hearing screening using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) testing were analysed to investigate the feasibility of a long-term screening programme. There were 65 infants in each group: infants from Group A were born in a private maternity unit, Group B attended a free community vaccination clinic, and Group C were receiving special care at a government hospital. 75% of infants requiring follow-up from the special-care baby unit were uncontactable following hospital discharge, and screening was discontinued there. Lost to follow-up rates after the first screen were lower from the private maternity unit (14%) and the community vaccination clinic (36%), and these screening programmes continue. A successful hearing screening programme requires extensive support services to manage infants requiring further testing and habilitation, this is not currently possible on a large scale in Malawi due to the small number of Audiology departments and trained staff.
Microstructure and Hydrogen Storage Properties of Ti1V0.9Cr1.1 Alloy with Addition of x wt % Zr (x = 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12)
Authors: Sleiman Salma , Huot Jacques
Published: December 2017

The effect of adding Zr on microstructure and hydrogen storage properties of BCC Ti1V0.9Cr1.1 synthesized by arc melting was studied. The microstructures of samples with Zr were multiphase with a main BCC phase and secondary Laves phases C15 and C14. The abundance of secondary phases increased with increasing amount of zirconium. We found that addition of Zr greatly enhanced the first hydrogenation kinetics. The addition of 4 wt % of Zr produced fast kinetics and high hydrogen storage capacity. Addition of higher amount of Zr had for effect of decreasing the hydrogen capacity. The reduction in hydrogen capacity might be due to the increased secondary phase abundance. The effect of air exposure was also studied. It was found that, for the sample with 12 wt % of Zr, exposure to the air resulted in appearance of an incubation time in the first hydrogenation and a slight reduction of hydrogen capacity.
The Mechanism of Rh-Catalyzed Transformation of Fatty Acids to Linear Alpha olefins
Authors: Eliasson Sondre , Chatterjee Anamitra , Occhipinti Giovanni , Jensen Vidar
Published: December 2017

Linear alpha olefins (LAOs) are key commodity chemicals and petrochemical intermediates that are currently produced from fossil resources. Fatty acids are the obvious renewable starting material for LAOs, which can be obtained via transition-metal-catalyzed decarbonylative dehydration. However, even the best catalysts that have been obtained to date, which are based on palladium, are not active and stable enough for industrial use. To provide insight for design of better catalysts, we here present the first computationally derived mechanism for another attractive transition-metal for this reaction, rhodium. By comparing the calculated mechanisms and free energy profiles for the two metals, Pd and Rh, we single out important factors for a facile, low-barrier reaction and for a stable catalyst. While the olefin formation is rate limiting for both of the metals, the rate-determining intermediate for Rh is, in contrast to Pd, the starting complex, (PPh3)2Rh(CO)Cl. This complex largely draws its stability from the strength of the Rh(I)–CO bond. CO is a much less suitable ligand for the high-oxidation state Rh(III). However, for steric reasons, rhodium dissociates a bulkier triphenylphosphine and keeps the carbonyl during the oxidative addition, which is less favorable than for Pd. When compared to Pd, which dissociates two phosphine ligands at the start of the reaction, the catalytic activity of Rh also appears to be hampered by its preference for high coordination numbers. The remaining ancillary ligands leave less space for the metal to mediate the reaction.
Insights into the Pathogenic Secondary Symptoms Caused by the Primary Loss of Dystrophin
Authors: Forcina Laura , Pelosi Laura , Miano Carmen , Musarò Antonio
Published: December 2017

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked genetic disease in which the dystrophin gene is mutated, resulting in dysfunctional dystrophin protein. Without dystrophin, the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) is unstable, leading to an increase in muscle damage. Moreover, the imbalance between muscle damage and repair leads to a chronic inflammatory response and an increase in the amount of fibrosis over time. The absence of dystrophin at the sarcolemma also delocalizes and downregulates nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and alters enzymatic antioxidant responses, leading to an increase in oxidative stress. In this review, we analyze the pathogenic role of both inflammation and oxidative stress in muscular dystrophy.
Transmission of Low-Frequency Acoustic Waves in Seawater Piping Systems with Periodical and Adjustable Helmholtz Resonator
Authors: Liu Boyun , Yang Liang
Published: December 2017

The characteristics of acoustic wave transmitting in a metamaterial-type seawater piping system are studied. The metamaterial pipe, which consists of a uniform pipe with air-water chamber Helmholtz resonators (HRs) mounted periodically along its axial direction, could generate a wide band gap in the low-frequency range, rendering the propagation of low-frequency acoustic waves in the piping system dampened spatially. Increasing the air volume in the Helmholtz chamber would result in a sharply decrease in the central frequency of the resonant gap and an extension in the bandwidth in the beginning, yet very slowly as the air volume is further augmented. Acoustic waves will experience a small amount of energy loss if the acoustic–structure interaction effect is considered. Also, the structure-borne sound will be induced because of the interaction effects. High pressure loadings on the system may bring in a shrink in the band gap; nevertheless, the features of broad band gaps of the system is still be maintained.
Delegation Based User Authentication Framework over Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Kim Hyunsung , Ryu Eun
Published: December 2017

To address the ever increasing demand for wireless bandwidth, cognitive radio networks (CRNs) have been proposed to improve the efficiency of channel utilization. CRN permits unlicensed users to utilize the idle spectrum as long as it does not introduce interference to the primary users due to the Federal Communications Commission’s recent regulatory policies. In this paper, we first identify some required distinctive security and privacy features for CRNs focused on ECMA-392, which is the first industrial standard for personal or portable devices in the television white spaces. After that, we propose a delegation based user authentication framework as a basic security and privacy module with full consideration of the required features over CRNs. The proposed framework provides privacy preserving yet accountable security within the CRN entities. Security and privacy analyses show that the proposed framework supports unlinkability, context privacy, anonymity, no registration and conditional traceability, which are the required security and privacy aspects in CRNs.
Extended Batches Petri Nets Based System for Road Traffic Management in WSNs
Authors: Riouali Youness , Benhlima Laila , Bah Slimane
Published: December 2017

One of the most critical issues in modern cities is transportation management. Issues that are encountered in this regard, such as traffic congestion, high accidents rates and air pollution etc., have pushed the use of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies in order to facilitate the traffic management. Seen in this perspective, this paper brings forward a road traffic management system based on wireless sensor networks; it introduces the functional and deployment architecture of the system and focuses on the analysis component that uses a new extension of batches Petri nets for modeling road traffic flow. A real world implementation of visualization and data analysis components were carried out.
A Food Transportation Framework for an Efficient and Worker-Friendly Fresh Food Physical Internet
Authors: Pal Amitangshu , Kant Krishna
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we introduce a physical Internet architecture for fresh food distribution networks with the goal of meeting the key challenges of maximizing the freshness of the delivered product and minimizing waste. The physical Internet (PI) architecture is based on the fundamental assumptions of infrastructure sharing among various parties, standardized addressing of all entities and modularized operations. In this paper, we enhance the PI architecture by including a freshness metric and the space-efficient loading/unloading of heterogeneous perishable goods onto the trucks depending on their delivery requirements. We also discuss mechanisms for reducing empty miles of trucks and the carbon footprint of the logistics while reducing the driver’s away-from-home time for long distance delivery. Via extensive simulations, the paper shows that the proposed architecture reduces the driver’s away-from-home time by ∼93%, whereas it improves the food delivery freshness by ∼5%. We show that there is a clear tradeoff between the transportation efficiency of the trucks and the delivery freshness of the food packages.
N1-(5-Fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl)-N2-phenyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene-1,2-diamine
Authors: Zissimou Georgia , Koutentis Panayiotis
Published: December 2017

Treating 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (1) with N1-phenyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)benzene-1,2-diamine (4) and N,N-diisopropylethylamine in EtOH at ca. 0 °C for 4 h affords a mixture of N1-(5-ethoxy-2,4-dinitrophenyl)-N2-phenyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene-1,2-diamine (5) (38%) and N1-(5-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl)-N2-phenyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene-1,2-diamine (6) (51%) that can be separated by chromatography. Repeating the reaction in dichloromethane led to the sole formation of N1-(5-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl)-N2-phenyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene-1,2-diamine (6) in 96% yield.
Effect of Solution Treatment on Precipitation Behaviors, Age Hardening Response and Creep Properties of Elektron21 Alloy Reinforced by AlN Nanoparticles
Authors: Saboori Abdollah , Padovano Elisa , Pavese Matteo , Dieringa Hajo , Badini Claudio
Published: December 2017

In the present study, the solution and ageing treatments behavior of Mg-RE-Zr-Zn alloy (Elektron21) and its nano-AlN reinforced nanocomposites have been evaluated. The properties of the thermal-treated materials were investigated in terms of Vickers hardness, the area fraction of precipitates, microstructure and phase composition. The solution treatments were performed by treating at 520 °C, 550 °C and 580 °C in argon atmosphere. The outcomes show that the hardness of the solutionized alloys was slightly affected by the solution temperature. X-ray diffraction and image analysis revealed that the complete dissolution of precipitates was not possible, neither for Elektron21 (El21) nor for its AlN containing nanocomposites. The ageing treatment of El21 led to a significant improvement in hardness after 20 h, while for longer times, it progressively decreased. The effect of ageing on the hardness of El21–AlN composites was found to be much less than this effect on the hardness of the host alloy. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis of El21 and El21–1%AlN after solution treatment confirm the random orientation of grains with a typical texture of random distribution. The as-cast creep results showed that the incorporation of nanoparticles could effectively improve the creep properties, while the results after solution treatment at 520 °C for 12 h followed by ageing treatment at 200 °C for 20 h confirmed that the minimum creep rate of T6-El21 was almost equal to the as-cast El21–AlN.
The Effects of Carbon Nanotubes on the Mechanical and Wear Properties of AZ31 Alloy
Authors: Zhou Mingyang , Qu Xiaoni , Ren Lingbao , Fan Lingling , Zhang Yuwenxi , Guo Yangyang , Quan Gaofeng , Tang Qi , Liu Bin , Sun Hao
Published: December 2017

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced AZ31 matrix nanocomposites were successfully fabricated using a powder metallurgy method followed by hot extrusion. The influence of CNTs on microstructures, mechanical properties, and wear properties were systematically investigated by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), hardness test, tensile test, and wear test. The results revealed that the nanocomposites showed a slightly smaller grain size compared with the matrix and uniform distribution that CNTs could achieve at proper content. As a result, the addition of CNTs could weaken basal plane texture. However, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the composites were enhanced as the amount of CNTs increased up to 2.0 wt. %, reaching maximum values of 241 MPa (+28.2%) and 297 MPa (+6.1%), respectively. The load transfer mechanism, Orowan mechanism, and thermal mismatch mechanism played important roles in the enhancement of the yield strength, and several classical models were employed to predict the theoretical values. The effect of CNT content on the friction coefficient and weight loss of the nanocomposites was also studied. The relationships between the amount of CNTs, the friction coefficient, and weight loss could be described by the exponential decay model and the Boltzmann model, respectively.
Fractional Derivatives, Memory Kernels and Solution of a Free Electron Laser Volterra Type Equation
Authors: Artioli Marcello , Dattoli Giuseppe , Licciardi Silvia , Pagnutti Simonetta
Published: December 2017

The high gain free electron laser (FEL) equation is a Volterra type integro-differential equation amenable for analytical solutions in a limited number of cases. In this note, a novel technique, based on an expansion employing a family of two variable Hermite polynomials, is shown to provide straightforward analytical solutions for cases hardly solvable with conventional means. The possibility of extending the method by the use of expansion using different polynomials (two variable Legendre like) expansion is also discussed.
Optimization of Collagenase Production by Pseudoalteromonas sp. SJN2 and Application of Collagenases in the Preparation of Antioxidative Hydrolysates
Authors: Yang Xinghao , Xiao Xiao , Liu Dan , Wu Ribang , Wu Cuiling , Zhang Jiang , Huang Jiafeng , Liao Binqiang , He Hailun
Published: December 2017

Collagenases are the most important group of commercially-produced enzymes. However, even though biological resources are abundant in the sea, very few of these commercially popular enzymes are from marine sources, especially from marine bacteria. We optimized the production of marine collagenases by Pseudoalteromonas sp. SJN2 and investigated the antioxidant activities of the hydrolysates. Media components and culture conditions associated with marine collagenase production by Pseudoalteromonas sp. SJN2 were optimized by statistical methods, namely Plackett–Burman design and response surface methodology (RSM). Furthermore, the marine collagenases produced by Pseudoalteromonas sp. SJN2 were seen to efficiently hydrolyze marine collagens extracted from fish by-products, and remarkable antioxidant capacities of the enzymatic hydrolysates were shown by DPPH radical scavenging and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) tests. The final optimized fermentation conditions were as follows: soybean powder, 34.23 g·L−1; culture time, 3.72 d; and temperature, 17.32 °C. Under the optimal fermentation conditions, the experimental collagenase yield obtained was 322.58 ± 9.61 U·mL−1, which was in agreement with the predicted yield of 306.68 U·mL−1. Collagen from Spanish mackerel bone, seabream scale and octopus flesh also showed higher DPPH radical scavenging rates and ORAC values after hydrolysis by the collagenase. This study may have implications for the development and use of marine collagenases. Moreover, seafood waste containing beneficial collagen could be used to produce antioxidant peptides by proteolysis.
Lobocrassin B Induces Apoptosis of Human Lung Cancer and Inhibits Tumor Xenograft Growth
Authors: Lin Meng-Xian , Lin Shen-Hao , Li Yi-Rong , Chao Ya-Hsuan , Lin Ching-Hsiung , Su Jui-Hsin , Lin Chi-Chien
Published: December 2017

Lobocrassin B, a natural cembrane-type compound isolated from the soft coral Lobophytum crassum, has been shown to have significant biological effects, including anticancer activity. As the most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide, lung cancer remains a major concern threatening human health. In the current study, we conducted in vitro experiments to demonstrate the inhibiting effect of Lobocrassin B on CL1-5 and H520 human lung cancer cells growth and to explore the underlying mechanisms, as well as in nude mice bearing CL1-5 tumor xenografts. Lobocrassin B exerted cytotoxic effects on lung cancer cells, as shown by decreasing cell viability, and inducing apoptosis, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, the increased level of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, -9 and -8, and the suppression of Bcl-2 were observed in the Lobocrassin B treated cells. Moreover, in vivo assays verified the significance of these results, revealing that Lobocrassin B inhibited CL1-5 tumor xenograft growth and that inhibitory effects were accompanied by a marked increase in tumor cell apoptosis. In conclusion, the results suggested that Lobocrassin B could be a potential anticancer compound for its propensity to inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in human lung cancer cells.
Three New Cytotoxic Steroidal Glycosides Isolated from Conus pulicarius Collected in Kosrae, Micronesia
Authors: Lee Yeon-Ju , Han Saem , Kim Su , Lee Hyi-Seung , Shin Hee , Lee Jong , Lee Jihoon
Published: December 2017

Three new sulfated steroidal glycosides (3–5), along with known cholesterol derivatives (1,2), were isolated from the visceral extract of the cone snail Conus pulicarius. The structure of each new compound was elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The three new compounds exhibited significant in vitro cytotoxicity (GI50 values down to 0.49 μM) against the K562 human leukemia cell line.
Bioinspiring Chondrosia reniformis (Nardo, 1847) Collagen-Based Hydrogel: A New Extraction Method to Obtain a Sticky and Self-Healing Collagenous Material
Authors: Fassini Dario , Duarte Ana Rita , Reis Rui , Silva Tiago
Published: December 2017

Collagen is a natural and abundant polymer that serves multiple functions in both invertebrates and vertebrates. As collagen is the natural scaffolding for cells, collagen-based hydrogels are regarded as ideal materials for tissue engineering applications since they can mimic the natural cellular microenvironment. Chondrosia reniformis is a marine demosponge particularly rich in collagen, characterized by the presence of labile interfibrillar crosslinks similarly to those described in the mutable collagenous tissues (MCTs) of echinoderms. As a result single fibrils can be isolated using calcium-chelating and disulphide-reducing chemicals. In the present work we firstly describe a new extraction method that directly produces a highly hydrated hydrogel with interesting self-healing properties. The materials obtained were then biochemically and rheologically characterized. Our investigation has shown that the developed extraction procedure is able to extract collagen as well as other proteins and Glycosaminoglycans (GAG)-like molecules that give the collagenous hydrogel interesting and new rheological properties when compared to other described collagenous materials. The present work motivates further in-depth investigations towards the development of a new class of injectable collagenous hydrogels with tailored specifications.
Mechanism of Dynamic Recrystallization and Evolution of Texture in the Hot Working Domains of the Processing Map for Mg-4Al-2Ba-2Ca Alloy
Authors: Suresh Kalidass , Rao Kamineni , Prasad Yellapregada , Wu Chi-Man , Hort Norbert , Dieringa Hajo
Published: December 2017

The occurrence of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and its effect on the evolution of texture during uniaxial compression of a creep-resistant cast Mg-4Al-2Ba-2Ca alloy in the temperature range of 260–500 °C and strain rate range of 0.0003–10 s−1 has been studied using transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction techniques with a view to understand its mechanism. For this purpose, a processing map has been developed for this alloy, which revealed two domains of DRX in the temperature and strain rate ranges of: (1) 300–390 °C/0.0003–0.001 s−1 and (2) 400–500 °C/0.0003–0.5 s−1. In Domain 1, DRX occurs by basal slip and recovery by dislocation climb, as indicated by the presence of planar slip bands and high dislocation density leading to tilt boundary formation and a low-intensity basal texture. On the other hand, DRX in Domain 2 occurs by second order pyramidal slip and recovery by cross-slip since the microstructure revealed tangled dislocation structure with twist boundaries and randomized texture. The high volume content of intermetallic phases Mg21Al3Ba2 and (Al,Mg)2Ca eutectic phase is considered to be responsible for the observed hot deformation behavior.
Phenylpropionamides, Piperidine, and Phenolic Derivatives from the Fruit of Ailanthus altissima
Authors: Ni Jian-Cheng , Shi Jian-Ting , Tan Qing-Wei , Chen Qi-Jian
Published: December 2017

Four novel compounds—two phenylpropionamides, one piperidine, and one phenolic derivatives—were isolated and identified from the fruit of a medicinal plant, Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Simaroubaceae), together with one known phenylpropionamide, 13 known phenols, and 10 flavonoids. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated as 2-hydroxy-N-[(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl)phenyl]propionamide (1), 2-hydroxy-N-[(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl)phenyl]propionamide (2), 2β-carboxyl-piperidine-4β-acetic acid methyl ester (4), and 4-hydroxyphenyl-1-O-[6-(hydrogen-3-hydroxy-3-methylpentanedioate)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (5) based on spectroscopic analysis. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) using the leaf-disc method. Among the compounds isolated, arbutin (6), β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-arbutin (7), 4-methoxyphenylacetic acid (10), and corilagin (18) showed moderate inhibition against TMV with IC50 values of 0.49, 0.51, 0.27, and 0.45 mM, respectively.
Celebrating Two Centuries of Research in Selenium Chemistry: State of the Art and New Prospective
Authors: Santi Claudio , Bagnoli Luana
Published: December 2017

In 2017, the 200th anniversary of the discovery of selenium was celebrated. In 1817, the Swedish chemists, Berzelius and Gahn, on roasting 200 kg of sulfur from a pyrite from the Falun mine, obtained about 3 g of a precipitate that they first wrongly identified as tellurium. Berzelius doubted this result and repeated the analysis some months later realizing that a new element was in his hands and he named this element Selenium (Greek: Selene, moon) in consideration of its resemblance to Tellurium (Latin: Tellus, earth). Several events were organized in the year for this special celebration and this Special Issue would like to be an additional contribution to the success of a research that, especially during the last decades, rapidly grew in different fields: synthesis, medicinal chemistry, biology, material, and environment. These studies are strongly characterized by multi- and interdisciplinary connections, and, for this reason, we collected here contributions coming from different areas and disciplines, not exclusively synthetic organic chemistry.
Biochemical, Physiological and Transcriptomic Comparison between Burley and Flue-Cured Tobacco Seedlings in Relation to Carbohydrates and Nitrate Content
Authors: Li Yafei , Yang Huijuan , Chang Dong , Lin Shuzhen , Feng Yuqing , Li Jingjing , Shi Hongzhi
Published: December 2017

Burley tobacco is a genotype of chloroplast-deficient mutant with accumulates high levels of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) which would induce malignant tumors in animals. Nitrate is a principle precursor of tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Nitrate content in burley tobacco was significantly higher than that in flue-cured tobacco. The present study investigated differences between the two tobacco types to explore the mechanisms of nitrate accumulation in burley tobacco. transcripts (3079) related to the nitrogen and carbon metabolism were observed. Expression of genes involved in carbon fixation, glucose and starch biosynthesis, nitrate translocation and assimilation were significantly low in burley tobacco than flue-cured tobacco. Being relative to flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco was significantly lower at total nitrogen and carbohydrate content, nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activities, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate (Pn), but higher nitrate content. Burley tobacco required six-fold more nitrogen fertilizers than flue-cured tobacco, but both tobaccos had a similar leaf biomass. Reduced chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate (Pn) might result in low carbohydrate formation, and low capacity of nitrogen assimilation and translocation might lead to nitrate accumulation in burley tobacco.
Review of Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties of Euclea natalensis A.DC.
Authors: Maroyi Alfred
Published: December 2017

Euclea natalensis is traditionally used as herbal medicine for several human diseases and ailments in tropical Africa. This study reviews information on ethnomedicinal uses, botany, phytochemical constituents, pharmacology and toxicity of E. natalensis. Results of this study are based on literature search from several sources including electronic databases, books, book chapters, websites, theses and conference proceedings. This study showed that E. natalensis is used as traditional medicine in 57.1% of the countries where it is indigenous. Euclea natalensis has a high degree of consensus on abdominal pains, antidote for snake bites, diabetes, diarrhoea, malaria, roundworms, stomach problems, toothache, venereal diseases and wounds. Several ethnopharmacological studies have shown that crude extracts and chemical compounds from E. natalensis demonstrated many biological activities both in vitro and in vivo, which included antibacterial, antidiabetic, antifungal, antimycobacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, larvicidal, antischistosomal, molluscicidal, dentin permeability and hepatoprotective activities. Future studies should focus on the mechanism of biological activities of both crude extracts and chemical compounds from the species, as well as structure–function relationships of bioactive constituents of the species.