bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SIMETRISITAS SEBAGAI KOSMOLOGI RUANG JAWA PADA RUMAH KOLONIAL DI KAMPUNG BUBUTAN SURABAYA (The Symmetricity of Colonial House as Javanese Space Cosmology at Kampung Bubutan Surabaya)
Authors: Cahyani Risqi , Wulandari Lisa Dwi , Antariksa Antariksa
Published: June 2017

Symmetricity is part of the Javanese Cosmology that describes the perfection of Javanese. Symmetricity has been the main principle in Javanese house, not only in the faade of the house but olso the hierarchy of spatial inside. Kampung Bubutan is the ancient settlement experienced two phases of Government which strongly influenced the architectural character, which at the time became the Kingdom of Mataram (15th century) and the colonialism of the Netherlands (17th century up to the 19th century). The remains of the era of colonialism in Surabaya can still be felt by many colonial buildings surounding in the settlement. This study will explore how the principles of Javanese symmetricity in Kampung Bubutan colonial house, by using descriptive qualitative methods. Can the Javanese symmetricity still become principal in colonial house and survive? The results shows that the symmetricity of fasade became decreased at the last peroide of 19th century, when the NA-Romantiek was popular. Spatial symmetricity at the colonial houses have inconsistancy since the beginning of 19th century until the early 20th century. The main hierarchy of the spatial Javanese House, which are pendopo (verandah), pringgitan (foyer), dalem (living room) and senthong (bedroom), have become inconsistence since the end of 19th century periode
PROGRAM RELOKASI PERMUKIMAN BERBASIS MASYARAKAT UNTUK KORBAN BENCANA ALAM LETUSAN GUNUNG MERAPI TAHUN 2010 (Community Based Resettlement Program for the Victims of Natural Disaster of Merapi Volcano Eruption 2010)
Authors: Bawole Paulus
Published: June 2017

The most active volcanoes in Indonesia, Mount Merapi erupted with devastating in October and November 2010. Besides some infrastructure facilities are damage, about 2,900 houses were destroyed. 350,000 people were evacuated and accommodated in refugee camps. To accommodate the survivors of Merapi Volcano eruption whose houses were destroyed by the heat clouds it necessary to find a strategy for integrated housing development which is environmental friendly and sustainable.

The strategy which is choosen to implement relocation program for survivors of Merapi eruption is the Community-Driven Resettlement. Community involvement from the beginning of the planning process until the end shows that the power of community involvement in the development process greatly affect the sense of belonging the residential area. By the strategy of Community-Driven Resettlement the inhabitants can keep, maintain, and develop their settlements very well. The development of sustainable resettlements was planned holistically by considering aspects of disaster mitigation, eco-settlement and community livelihood.
The Use of Self Construction Animation Learning Software to Improve the Students Concept Mastery on Structure and Functions of Plants
Authors: I Akbar Shidiq , Rochintaniawati Diana , (Page 01-13 ) Yayan Sanjaya
Published: June 2017

The use of learning media plays an ultimate role in Biology learning to assist students in understanding subject matter. This study aims to improve students’ concept mastery after using selfconstruction animation learning software in subject matter of structure and function of plant. The method used in this study was Quasi Experiment, while the design used was Pretest Posttest None-equivalent Groups Design Research. The study was conducted in the 8th grade of MTs Ma’arif  Cikeruh Jatinangor. The sampling used Purposive Sampling, thus 8th B was chosen as the experimental class while 8th was chosen as the control class. The instrument used in this study was a written test in the form of multiple choices. The taken data were analyzed by using N-Gain to discover the improvement of concept mastery and hypothesis test analysis to discover the differences of concept mastery improvement. The result of the study shows that there is a significant difference in the concept mastery improvement in structure and function of plants subject matter. The result of NGain analysis shows that such a media mentioned earlier can improve students’ concept mastery.
“A Complete Woman, but One Who Hates Women”: Un psicópata del tercer género en A Son of the Circus, de John Irving.
Authors: Díaz Marín Cecilia
Published: June 2017

Resumen: Este artículo explora las complejas circunstancias que convierten en un psicópata transexual a Rahul Rai, personaje de la novela A Son of the Circus, de John Irving. Los abusos sexuales a los que lo somete su tía y tutora en su infancia, junto con un conflicto de identidad de género mal resuelto influenciado por el modelo de tercer género autóctono de la India –lxs hijras- contribuyen al desarrollo de una sociopatía que Rahul canalizará dedicándose a asesinar prostitutas en los burdeles de Bombay y Londres.  Abstract: This article explores the complex circumstances that lead Rahul Rai, from the novel A Son of the Circus, by John Irving, to become a transsexual serial killer. A victim of sexual abuse when he was a child, and in deep conflict with his gender identity (which is strongly influenced by the Indian third sex option, the hijras), Rahul becomes a sociopath who kills prostitutes in the brothels of London and Bombay for over two decades.
Design of Speaker Verification using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) on Graphical Programming for Authentication Process
Authors: Prasetio Barlian Henryranu , Syauqy Dahnial
Published: June 2017

Authentication is generally required on systems which need safety and privacy. In common, typed username and password are used and applied in authentication system. However, this type of authentication has been identified to have many weaknesses. In order to overcome the problem, many proposed authentication system based on voice as unique characteristics of human. We implement Dynamic Time Warping algorithm to compare human voice with reference voice as the authentication process. The testing results show that the system accuracy of the speech recognition average is 86.785%.
Optimization of Healthy Diet Menu Variation using PSO-SA
Authors: Cholissodin Imam , Dewi Ratih Kartika
Published: June 2017

Abstract. Optimal healthy diet in accordance with the allocation of cost needed so that the level of nutritional adequacy of the family is maintained. The problem of optimal healthy diet (based on family budget) can be solved with genetic algorithm. The algorithm particle swarm optimization (PSO) has the same effectiveness with genetic algorithm but PSO is superior in terms of efficiency, PSO algorithm has a lower complexity than genetic algorithm. However, genetic algorithms and PSO have a problem of local optimum because these algorithm associated with random numbers. To overcome this problem, PSO algorithm will be improved by combining it with simulated annealing algorithm (SA). Simulated annealing algorithm is a numerical optimization algorithms that can avoid local optimal. From our results, optimal parameter for PSO-SA are popsize 280, crossover rate 0.6, mutation rate 0.4, first temperature 1, last temperature 0.2, alpha 0.9, and generation size 100.Keywords: PSO, SA, optimization, variation, healthy diet menu.
Evaluation of Antidiabetic Activity of Gymnema sylvestre and Andrographis paniculata in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Kumar Prem , Rani Sudha , Arunjyothi B , Chakrapani P. , Rojarani A
Published: June 2017

Diabetes mellitus is a difficult metabolic disorder that has seriously impact the human health and quality of life. Medicinal
plants are being used to control diabetes However, they are not entirely effective and no one has ever been reported to have
fully recovered from diabetes. Many plants have been used for the management of diabetes mellitus in various traditional
systems of medicine worldwide as they are a great source of biological constituents and many of them are known to be
effective against diabetes. Medicinal plants with antihyperglycemic activities are being more desired, owing to lesser sideeffects
and low cost. Streptozotocin was induced to all groups of rats at dosage of 35 -55mg/kg except for the normal.
Streptozotocin induced diabetes in sprague dawly rats were used to study antidiabetic activity of methonolic extract of
two medicinal plants Gymnema sylvestre,Andrographis paniculata methanolic leaf extract was administered orally in
graded doses of 30 mg/kg,50mg /kg sprague dawly rats Gymnema sylvestre at a dose of 30mg/kg and Andrographis
paniculata at a dose of 50mg/kg showed significant anti-hyperglycemic and anti-oxidative effect which was evident from
the 1st week of treatment.
Chemical Constituents of Rheum ribes L.
Authors: Ragasa Consolacion Y. , Bacar Jariel Naomi B. , Querido Maria Margarita R. , Tan Maria Carmen S. , Oyong Glenn G. , Brkljača Robert , Urban Sylvia
Published: June 2017

Chemical investigation of the dichloromethane extract of Rheum ribes has led to the isolation of β-sitosteryl-3β-
glucopyranoside-6'-O-fatty acid esters (1), β-sitosterol (2), phytyl fatty acid esters (3), triacylgly c e r o l s (4) and
chlorophyllide a (5). The structures of 1-5 were identified by comparison of their NMR data with literature data.
Correlation of Total Phenolic, Flavonoid and Carotenoid Content of Sesbania sesban (L. Merr) Leaves Extract with DPPH Scavenging Activties
Authors: Fitriansyah Sani N. , Fidrianny Irda , Ruslan Komar
Published: June 2017

Antioxidants are found in many plants and can neutralize free radicals. Sesbania sesban (L.)Merr is a plant that has been
used empirically by Indonesian people and its proven have many pharmacologycal activity. The objectives of this research
were to study antioxidant activity Sesbania sesban leaves extract using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method and
correlation with its total phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid content. Extraction was performed by reflux using different
polarity solvent. The extracts were vaporated using rotary evaporator. Antioxidant activity was tested using DPPH assay.
Determination of total phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid content were performed by UV-visible spectrophotometry and
its correlation with inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) DPPH scavenging activity were analyzed by Pearson’s method. Nhexane,
ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of Sesbania sesban leaves had IC50 DPPH  50 g/ml and it can be classified as
very strong antioxidant. Ethanol extract of Sesbania sesban had the highest of total phenolic content (5.18 g GAE/100 g)
and highest total flavonoid content (4.56 g QE/100 g), while the highest total carotenoid content (4.56 g BE/100 g) was
given by n-hexane extract. Total phenolic content in Sesbania sesban leaves extracts had significant and negative
correlation with their IC50 DPPH scavenging activities. Phenolic compounds in Sesbania sesban leaves extracts were
contributor major in its antioxidant activities by DPPH method.
Potential Investigation of In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Haemolytic Activities from Polar Solvent Extracts of Pterocarpus marsupium
Authors: Londonkar Ramesh L. , H. Aruna L. , Kanjikar Amarvani P.
Published: June 2017

Pterocarpus marsupium is a well known plant in ayurvedic system of medicine. The plant has been found to possess diverse
number of biological activities and is thus commercially exploited. In the present study, methanol and aqueous extracts of
P.marsupium bark were used to evaluate in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-haemolytic activities. In vitro
antioxidant activity was carried out by DPPH, ABTS, phosphomolybdenum, reducing power assays, anti- inflammatory
activity by inhibition of protein denaturation and anti-haemolytic by hyposaline induced haemolysis. Total phenolic and
flavonoid content was also estimated. Methanol extract showed an effective pharmacological activity in all assays when
compared with their respective standards. The maximum phenolic and flavonoid contents were found to be (280
±0.47mg/g) and (620±0.81mg/g) respectively in methanol extract of Pterocarpus marsupium. This study indicates the
presence of active constituents which can be exploited for the treatment of various diseases and also could be used in
pharmaceutical industry.
The Effects and Implications of Urbanization on the Environmental Integrity of the Oak Ridges Moraine in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Baker Madeleine J.E. , Gillies Mackenzie B. , Liu Rachel M. , Maynard Kevin M. , Williams Spencer D. , Yee Elliott K.
Published: June 2017

A significant geological feature in Ontario, the Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM), is an environmentally vulnerable area under pressure from both urbanization and population growth. In 1995, the provincial government sought to expand highways and the sale of public land in these ecologically sensitive areas. Five years later, municipal drinking water was contaminated with E. coli in the nearby town Walkerton, and political motives regarding land use were questioned. This prompted the formation of several initiatives in 2001–2002, including the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act (ORMCA), the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation (ORMF), and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP). This article examines both population growth and urbanization throughout the ORM since the 1980s, with a focus on the Oak Ridges Community (ORC) in the municipality of Richmond Hill. Specifically, steady population growth has put pressure on sensitive geological features such as aquifers, which are the source of drinking water in the community. Further analysis of the ORC shows that urbanization has been minimally influenced by the initiatives of 2002. This article raises questions about land use in the ORC and thus the ORM as a whole.
The ethnographic negative
Authors: O'Neill Bruce
Published: June 2017

Outside the main railway station in Bucharest, Romania, otherwise unemployed
day laborers hustle for small change as informal parking lot attendants
(parcagii). While their efforts yield numerous ethnographic observations of entrepreneurial
activity, these attendants report “doing nothing” day in and day out.
This article explores the tension between etic observations and emic feelings in order
to ask a methodological question: how can “not doing” and “absent activity” be
captured within an ethnographic method primed to observe activity constantly? In
response, this article takes inspiration from photography to develop “the negative”
as a technique for bringing the impress of absent activity on social worlds into
ethnographic view. The intent of this methodological intervention is to open new
theoretical lines of flight into the politics of inactivity.
Proving God's Existence? A Reassessment of al-Rāzī’s Arguments for the Existence of the Creator
Authors: Erlwein Hannah C.
Published: June 2017

Arguments for God's existence, it has often been argued in the secondary academic literature, form an essential part of classical Islamic theology (ʿilm al-kalām) and philosophy (falsafa). In the past decades, numerous scholars have dealt with what could be termed the Islamic discourse on arguments for God's existence, and have commonly analysed these arguments making recourse to Immanuel Kant's (1724–1804) categorisation of such arguments as cosmological, teleological, or ontological. The great Ashʿarī theologian Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210) is, unsurprisingly, seen as no exception to this: he, too, has been regarded as a participant in the aforementioned discourse, and in several of his major kalām works he introduces four methods to ‘prove the existence of the creator’. In this article, I will, however, argue that al-Rāzī had no concern for proving God's existence; the arguments in his kalām works, which, in the secondary academic literature, have been described as seeking to prove that God exists, it shall be suggested, serve a different purpose. This shall become clear when al-Rāzī’s commentary on the Qur'an, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, is taken into account. Previous studies of al-Rāzī’s (alleged) arguments for God's existence have only focused on his kalām works proper, however, in the Tafsīr al-Rāzī not only presents the very same four kalām methods to ‘prove the existence of the creator’ and stresses that they originate in Qur'anic forms of argumentation, but he also places them in a thematic context which, in his theological works, is oftentimes lacking. This article therefore clarifies the objective underlying al-Rāzī’s arguments for the existence of the creator and explains their significance in his broader theological thought.
Text-Critical Approaches to Sura Structure: Combining Synchronicity with Diachronicity inSūrat al-Baqara.Part Two
Authors: Klar Marianna
Published: June 2017

This article is an exploratory attempt to rationalise a combination of seemingly disparate strands of current thought on sura structure into a workable, if tentative, system. Despite the number of unknowns in this area, the overlapping structures that are posited by thematic concerns, semantic repetitions, sura rhythm, rhyme patterns, and variations in verse length, would seem to highlight the possibility of a fusion of synchronic and diachronic elements in sura composition.

The present essay divides into two parts, and four main sections. Part One, published in JQS 19:1, contrasted five scholarly analyses of the structure of (largely) Sūrat al-Baqara in order to highlight the differences and overlaps between them. It then built upon the work of Neuwirth and Stewart, and looked at the rhyme patterns in Sūrat al-Baqara in an attempt to achieve a closer definition of what should be considered anomalous within the context of this sura, and what the structural significance of this could be. Part Two, published in this volume, first considers Bazargan's system for the internal division of suras into diachronic layers (‘Sura Structure III: Chronological Markers’), contrasting this to the schemes proposed by Nöldeke and Bell, and making a preliminary attempt at assessing the extent to which apparent chronological markers within al-Baqara can be utilised alongside synchronic approaches to the corpus, in order to attain a more precise understanding of sura structure. Finally, ‘Sura Structure IV: Exploring the Potential for Synthesis’ further investigates the possibility that the structural markers identified by the various hermeneutical systems need not be applied in isolation of one another, and looks at compositional paradigms for the Qur'anic corpus with specific reference to Medinan material.
Are the Fenno-Scandinavian Arctic Wetlands a Significant Regional Source of Formic Acid?
Authors: Jones Benjamin , Muller Jennifer , O’Shea Sebastian , Bacak Asan , Allen Grant , Gallagher Martin , Bower Keith , Le Breton Michael , Bannan Thomas , Bauguitte Stephane , Pyle John , Lowry Dave , Fisher Rebecca , France James , Nisbet Euan , Shallcross Dudley , Percival Carl
Published: June 2017

This study presents the first gaseous formic acid (HC(O)OH) concentration measurements collected over the Fenno-Scandinavian wetlands (67.9–68.0° N, 22.1–27.8° E) as part of the MAMM (Methane and other greenhouse gases in the Arctic-Measurements, process studies and Modelling) aircraft campaigns conducted in August and September 2013. A boundary layer box model approach has been used to calculate a regionally representative (~240 km2) surface flux for HC(O)OH of 0.0098 (±0.0057) mg[HCOOH]·m−2·h−1. A surface-type classification map was used to estimate proportional source contributions to the observed HC(O)OH flux over the measurement region. The removal of expected source contributions (using available literature parameterisations) from the calculated surface flux identified that 75% remained unaccounted for. This may suggest that HC(O)OH emission from wetland within the Fenno-Scandinavian region could contribute up to 29 times higher per unit area than previous theoretical HC(O)OH globally-averaged wetland estimates, highlighting a need for further constrained wetland studies of HC(O)OH emission to better understand its potentially significant impact on the Arctic HC(O)OH budget and consequent impacts on oxidative capacity.
Towards a Uniform Metrological Assessment of Grating-Based Optical Fiber Sensors: From Refractometers to Biosensors
Authors: Chiavaioli Francesco , Gouveia Carlos , Jorge Pedro , Baldini Francesco
Published: June 2017

A metrological assessment of grating-based optical fiber sensors is proposed with the aim of providing an objective evaluation of the performance of this sensor category. Attention was focused on the most common parameters, used to describe the performance of both optical refractometers and biosensors, which encompassed sensitivity, with a distinction between volume or bulk sensitivity and surface sensitivity, resolution, response time, limit of detection, specificity (or selectivity), reusability (or regenerability) and some other parameters of generic interest, such as measurement uncertainty, accuracy, precision, stability, drift, repeatability and reproducibility. Clearly, the concepts discussed here can also be applied to any resonance-based sensor, thus providing the basis for an easier and direct performance comparison of a great number of sensors published in the literature up to now. In addition, common mistakes present in the literature made for the evaluation of sensor performance are highlighted, and lastly a uniform performance assessment is discussed and provided. Finally, some design strategies will be proposed to develop a grating-based optical fiber sensing scheme with improved performance.
Selection of Nucleic Acid Aptamers Targeting Tumor Cell-Surface Protein Biomarkers
Authors: Mercier Marie-Cécile , Dontenwill Monique , Choulier Laurence
Published: June 2017

Aptamers are nucleic acids referred to as chemical antibodies as they bind to their specific targets with high affinity and selectivity. They are selected via an iterative process known as ‘selective evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment’ (SELEX). Aptamers have been developed against numerous cancer targets and among them, many tumor cell-membrane protein biomarkers. The identification of aptamers targeting cell-surface proteins has mainly been performed by two different strategies: protein- and cell-based SELEX, when the targets used for selection were proteins and cells, respectively. This review aims to update the literature on aptamers targeting tumor cell surface protein biomarkers, highlighting potentials, pitfalls of protein- and cell-based selection processes and applications of such selected molecules. Aptamers as promising agents for diagnosis and therapeutic approaches in oncology are documented, as well as aptamers in clinical development.
The Entropic Linkage between Equity and Bond Market Dynamics
Authors: Parker Edgar
Published: June 2017

An alternative derivation of the yield curve based on entropy or the loss of information as it is communicated through time is introduced. Given this focus on entropy growth in communication the Shannon entropy will be utilized. Additionally, Shannon entropy’s close relationship to the Kullback–Leibler divergence is used to provide a more precise understanding of this new yield curve. The derivation of the entropic yield curve is completed with the use of the Burnashev reliability function which serves as a weighting between the true and error distributions. The deep connections between the entropic yield curve and the popular Nelson–Siegel specification are also examined. Finally, this entropically derived yield curve is used to provide an estimate of the economy’s implied information processing ratio. This information theoretic ratio offers a new causal link between bond and equity markets, and is a valuable new tool for the modeling and prediction of stock market behavior.
Sustainable Financial Obligations and Crisis Cycles
Authors: Juselius Mikael , Kim Moshe
Published: June 2017

The ability to distinguish between sustainable and excessive debt developments is crucial for securing economic stability. By studying US private sector credit loss dynamics, we show that this distinction can be made based on a measure of the incipient aggregate liquidity constraint, the financial obligations ratio. Specifically, as this variable rises, the interaction between credit losses and the business cycle increases, albeit with different intensity depending on whether the problems originate in the household or the business sector. This occurs 1–2 years before each recession in the sample. Our results have implications for macroprudential policy and countercyclical capital-buffers.
Correction: Arsalis A.; Alexandrou, A.N.; Georghiou, G.E. Thermoeconomic Modeling and Parametric Study of a Photovoltaic-Assisted 1 MWe Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power System. Energies 2016, 9, 663
Authors: Arsalis Alexandros , Alexandrou Andreas , Georghiou George
Published: June 2017

We have found two inadvertent errors in our paper [1], and thus would like to make the following corrections: [...]
Development of a Diesel Engine Thermal Overload Monitoring System with Applications and Test Results
Authors: Nanda Sangram , Jia Boru , Smallbone Andrew , Roskilly Anthony
Published: June 2017

In this research, the development of a diesel engine thermal overload monitoring system is presented with applications and test results. The designed diesel engine thermal overload monitoring system consists of two set of sensors, i.e., a lambda sensor to measure the oxygen concentration and a fast response thermocouple to measure the temperature of the gas leaving the cylinder. A medium speed Ruston diesel engine is instrumented to measure the required engine process parameters, measurements are taken at constant load and variable fuel delivery i.e., normal and excessive injection. It is indicated that with excessive injection, the test engine is of high risk to be operated at thermal overload condition. Further tests were carried out on a Sulzer 7RTA84T engine to explore the influence of engine operating at thermal overload condition on exhaust gas temperature and oxygen concentration in the blow down gas. It is established that a lower oxygen concentration in the blow down gas corresponds to a higher exhaust gas temperature. The piston crown wear rate will then be much higher due to the high rate of heat transfer from a voluminous flame.
Is Biomass Accumulation in Forests an Option to Prevent Climate Change Induced Increases in Nitrate Concentrations in the North German Lowland?
Authors: Fleck Stefan , Ahrends Bernd , Sutmöller Johannes , Albert Matthias , Evers Jan , Meesenburg Henning
Published: June 2017

The North German Lowland is a region with locally high nitrate (NO3−) concentrations in seepage water, inducing an increased susceptibility to the effects of climate change. The future risk of rising NO3− concentrations in seepage water from forests was quantified for four regions in the North German Lowland using climate projections and a modelling system comprising submodels for forest stand development (WaldPlaner), water budgets (WaSiM-ETH), and biogeochemical element cycles (VSD+). The simulations for the period from 1990 to 2070 included three different forest management scenarios (reference, biodiversity, and climate protection) and showed a general decrease in groundwater recharge which could hardly be influenced by any of the management options. The simulated soil organic matter stocks adequately represented their past increase as expected from the National Forest Soil Inventory (NFSI), but also showed a future decline under climate change conditions which leads to higher organic matter decomposition and a long-lasting increase of NO3− leaching from forest soils. While the climate protection oriented scenario shows the highest increase in NO3− concentrations during the projection period until 2070, the biodiversity scenario kept NO3− concentrations in seepage water below the legal thresholds in three of four selected model regions.
Multi-Leader Multi-Follower Model with Aggregative Uncertainty
Authors: Mallozzi Lina , Messalli Roberta
Published: June 2017

We study a non-cooperative game with aggregative structure, namely when the payoffs depend on the strategies of the opponent players through an aggregator function. We assume that a subset of players behave as leaders in a Stackelberg model. The leaders, as well the followers, act non-cooperatively between themselves and solve a Nash equilibrium problem. We assume an exogenous uncertainty affecting the aggregator and we obtain existence results for the stochastic resulting game. Some examples are illustrated.
Metal Oxide/TiO2 Hybrid Nanotubes Fabricated through the Organogel Route
Authors: Suzuki Masahiro , Tanaka Keita , Kato Yukie , Hanabusa Kenji
Published: June 2017

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube and its hybrid nanotubes (with various metal oxides such as Ta2O5, Nb2O5, ZrO2, and SiO2) were fabricated by the sol-gel polymerization in the ethanol gels formed by simple l-lysine-based organogelator. The self-assembled nanofibers (gel fibers) formed by the gelator functioned as a template. The different calcination temperatures gave TiO2 nanotubes with various crystalline structures; e.g., anatase TiO2 nanotube was obtained by calcination at 600 °C, and rutile TiO2 nanotube was fabricated at a calcination temperature of 750 °C. In the metal oxide/TiO2 hybrid nanotubes, the metal oxide species were uniformly dispersed in the TiO2 nanotube, and the percent content of metal oxide species was found to correspond closely to the feed ratio of the raw materials. This result indicated that the composition ratio of hybrid nanotubes was controllable by the feed ratio of the raw materials. It was found that the metal oxide species inhibited the crystalline phase transition of TiO2 from anatase to rutile. Furthermore, the success of the hybridization of other metal oxides (except for TiO2) indicated the usefulness of the organogel route as one of the fabrication methods of metal oxide nanotubes.
The Genealogy of Roberts Settlement Explored Through Black Feminist Autoethnography
Authors: Peters Charnell
Published: June 2017

This autoethnographic research examines the legacy of Roberts Settlement, a mixed-race settlement in Indiana that became one of the largest rural communities of free people of color in the state before the 20th century. As a Roberts descendent, the researcher uses Black feminist thought and poetic inquiry to investigate the gendered and racial family narratives that constitute the genealogy of the Roberts family. Utilizing present and past narratives to analyze the lived experience of being a black hoosier woman, the researcher finds that dominant male narratives marginalize the stories of Black women in the Roberts family genealogy.
Risk Prediction Models for Post-Stroke Dementia
Authors: Tang Eugene , Robinson Louise , Stephan Blossom
Published: June 2017

A strong association exists between stroke and dementia with both diseases linked to ageing. Survival rates from stroke are improving which would equate to an ever-expanding population of patients at risk of future dementia. Early or timelier identification of dementia has become a priority in many countries, including the UK. Although screening for dementia is not advocated, targeting at risk populations could be used to reduce an individual’s risk via intervention (i.e., personalised medicine), where available. One approach to improving identification of high-risk dementia individuals is using risk prediction models. Such models could be applied to stroke survivors. Dementia risk prediction models specific to stroke survivors have recently been developed and will be discussed here.
Numerical Tests of the Lookup Table Method in Solving Richards’ Equation for Infiltration and Drainage in Heterogeneous Soils
Authors: Islam Mohammad , Paniconi Claudio , Putti Mario
Published: June 2017

The lookup table option, as an alternative to analytical calculation for evaluating the nonlinear heterogeneous soil characteristics, is introduced and compared for both the Picard and Newton iterative schemes in the numerical solution of Richards’ equation. The lookup table method can be a cost-effective alternative to analytical evaluation in the case of heterogeneous soils, but it has not been examined in detail in the hydrological modeling literature. Three layered soil test problems are considered, and the robustness and accuracy of the lookup table approach are assessed for uniform and non-uniform distributions of lookup points in the soil moisture retention curves. Results from the three one-dimensional test simulations show that the uniform distributed option gives improved convergence and robustness for the drainage problem compared to the non-uniform strategy. On the other hand, the non-uniform technique can be chosen for test problems involving flow into initially dry layered soils.
The Fate of Pollutants in Porous Asphalt Pavements, Laboratory Experiments to Investigate Their Potential to Impact Environmental Health
Authors: Charlesworth Susanne , Beddow Jamie , Nnadi Ernest
Published: June 2017

Pervious Paving Systems (PPS) are part of a sustainable approach to drainage in which excess surface water is encouraged to infiltrate through their structure, during which potentially toxic elements, such as metals and hydrocarbons are treated by biodegradation and physical entrapment and storage. However, it is not known where in the PPS structure these contaminants accumulate, which has implications for environmental health, particularly during maintenance, as well as consequences for the recycling of material from the PPS at the end-of-life. A 1 m3 porous asphalt (PA) PPS test rig was monitored for 38 months after monthly additions of road sediment (RS) (367.5 g in total) and unused oil (430 mL in total), characteristic of urban loadings, were applied. Using a rainfall simulator, a typical UK rainfall rate of 15 mm/h was used to investigate its efficiency in dealing with contamination. Water quality of the effluent discharged from the rig was found to be suitable for discharge to most environments. On completion of the monitoring, a core was taken down through its surface, and samples of sediment and aggregate were taken. Analysis showed that most of the sediment remained in the surface course, with metal levels lower than the original RS, but higher than clean, unused aggregate or PA. However, even extrapolating these concentrations to 20 years’ worth of in-service use (the projected life of PPS) did not suggest their accumulation would present an environmental pollution risk when carrying out maintenance of the pavement and also indicates that the material could be recycled at end-of-life.
Antibiotic Concentrations Decrease during Wastewater Treatment but Persist at Low Levels in Reclaimed Water
Authors: Kulkarni Prachi , Olson Nathan , Raspanti Greg , Rosenberg Goldstein Rachel , Gibbs Shawn , Sapkota Amir , Sapkota Amy
Published: June 2017

Reclaimed water has emerged as a potential irrigation solution to freshwater shortages. However, limited data exist on the persistence of antibiotics in reclaimed water used for irrigation. Therefore, we examined the fate of nine commonly-used antibiotics (ampicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, linezolid, oxacillin, oxolinic acid, penicillin G, pipemidic acid, and tetracycline) in differentially treated wastewater and reclaimed water from two U.S. regions. We collected 72 samples from two Mid-Atlantic and two Midwest treatment plants, as well as one Mid-Atlantic spray irrigation site. Antibiotic concentrations were measured using liquid-chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests and Kruskal Wallis tests. Overall, antibiotic concentrations in effluent samples were lower than that of influent samples. Mid-Atlantic plants had similar influent but lower effluent antibiotic concentrations compared to Midwest plants. Azithromycin was detected at the highest concentrations (of all antibiotics) in influent and effluent samples from both regions. For most antibiotics, transport from the treatment plant to the irrigation site resulted in no changes in antibiotic concentrations, and UV treatment at the irrigation site had no effect on antibiotic concentrations in reclaimed water. Our findings show that low-level antibiotic concentrations persist in reclaimed water used for irrigation; however, the public health implications are unclear at this time.
Animal-Assisted Interventions in the Classroom—A Systematic Review
Authors: Brelsford Victoria , Meints Kerstin , Gee Nancy , Pfeffer Karen
Published: June 2017

The inclusion of animals in educational practice is becoming increasingly popular, but it is unclear how solid the evidence for this type of intervention is. The aim of this systematic review is to scrutinise the empirical research literature relating to animal-assisted interventions conducted in educational settings. The review included 25 papers; 21 from peer-reviewed journals and 4 obtained using grey literature databases. Most studies reported significant benefits of animal-assisted interventions in the school setting. Despite this, studies vary greatly in methods and design, in intervention types, measures, and sample sizes, and in the length of time exposed to an animal. Furthermore, a worrying lack of reference to risk assessment and animal welfare must be highlighted. Taken together, the results of this review show promising findings and emerging evidence suggestive of potential benefits related to animals in school settings. The review also indicates the need for a larger and more robust evidence base driven by thorough and strict protocols. The review further emphasises the need for safeguarding for all involved—welfare and safety are paramount.
Experimental Evaluation of the Usability of Cartogram for Representation of GlobeLand30 Data
Authors: Han Rui , Li Zhilin , Ti Peng , Xu Zhu
Published: June 2017

GlobeLand30 is the world’s first global land cover dataset at 30 m resolution for two epochs, i.e., 2000 and 2010. On the official website, the data are represented by qualitative thematic maps which show the distribution of global land cover, and some proportional symbol maps which are quantitative representations of land cover data. However, researchers have also argued that the cartogram, a kind of value-by-area representation, has some advantages over these maps in some cases, while others doubt their usability because of the possible distortion in shape. This led us to conduct an experimental evaluation of the usability of the cartogram for the representation of GlobeLand30. This experimental evaluation is a comparative analysis between the cartogram and the proportional symbol map to examine which is more effective in various kinds of quantitative analyses. The results show that the thematic map is better than the cartogram for the representation of quantity (e.g., area size), but the cartogram performs better in the representation of tendency distribution and areas’ multiple relationships. The usability of the cartogram is notably affected by map projection and the irregularity in area shapes, but the equal-area projection does not necessarily perform better than equidistance projection, especially at high latitudes.
Quinolin-6-Yloxyacetamides Are Microtubule Destabilizing Agents That Bind to the Colchicine Site of Tubulin
Authors: Sharma Ashwani , Sáez-Calvo Gonzalo , Olieric Natacha , De Asís Balaguer Francisco , Barasoain Isabel , Lamberth Clemens , Díaz J. , Steinmetz Michel
Published: June 2017

Quinolin-6-yloxyacetamides (QAs) are a chemical class of tubulin polymerization inhibitors that were initially identified as fungicides. Here, we report that QAs are potent anti-proliferative agents against human cancer cells including ones that are drug-resistant. QAs act by disrupting the microtubule cytoskeleton and by causing severe mitotic defects. We further demonstrate that QAs inhibit tubulin polymerization in vitro. The high resolution crystal structure of the tubulin-QA complex revealed that QAs bind to the colchicine site on tubulin, which is targeted by microtubule-destabilizing agents such as colchicine and nocodazole. Together, our data establish QAs as colchicine-site ligands and explain the molecular mechanism of microtubule destabilization by this class of compounds. They further extend our structural knowledge on antitubulin agents and thus should aid in the development of new strategies for the rational design of ligands against multidrug-resistant cancer cells.
Nomegestrol Acetate Suppresses Human Endometrial Cancer RL95-2 Cells Proliferation In Vitro and In Vivo Possibly Related to Upregulating Expression of SUFU and Wnt7a
Authors: Ma A-ying , Xie Shu-wu , Zhou Jie-yun , Zhu Yan
Published: June 2017

Nomegestrol acetate (NOMAC) has been successfully used for the treatment of some gynecological disorders, and as a combined oral contraceptive with approval in many countries. In this study, we investigated the effects of NOMAC on human endometrial cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The proliferation of human endometrial cancer cells (RL95-2 and KLE) were assessed using CCK-8 and EdU incorporation assays. Whole-genome cDNA microarray analysis was used to identify the effects of NOMAC on gene expression profiles in RL95-2 cells. RL95-2 xenograft nude mice were treated with NOMAC (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) or medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA; 100 and 200 mg/kg) for 28 consecutive days. The results showed that NOMAC significantly inhibited the growth of RL95-2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, but not in KLE cells. Further investigation demonstrated that NOMAC produced a stronger inhibition of tumor growth (inhibition rates for 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg NOMAC were 24.74%, 47.04%, and 58.06%, respectively) than did MPA (inhibition rates for 100 and 200 mg/kg MPA were 41.06% and 27.01%, respectively) in the nude mice bearing the cell line of RL95-2. NOMAC altered the expression of several genes related to cancer cell proliferation, including SUFU and Wnt7a. The upregulation of SUFU and Wnt7a was confirmed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting in RL95-2 cells and RL95-2 xenograft tumor tissues, but not in KLE cells. These data indicate that NOMAC can inhibit the proliferation of RL95-2 cell in vitro and suppress the growth of xenografts in the nude mice bearing the cell line of RL95-2 in vivo. This effect could be related to the upregulating expression of SUFU and Wnt7a.
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Current and Evolving Therapies
Authors: Adamska Aleksandra , Domenichini Alice , Falasca Marco
Published: June 2017

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which constitutes 90% of pancreatic cancers, is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Due to the broad heterogeneity of genetic mutations and dense stromal environment, PDAC belongs to one of the most chemoresistant cancers. Most of the available treatments are palliative, with the objective of relieving disease-related symptoms and prolonging survival. Currently, available therapeutic options are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and use of targeted drugs. However, thus far, therapies targeting cancer-associated molecular pathways have not given satisfactory results; this is due in part to the rapid upregulation of compensatory alternative pathways as well as dense desmoplastic reaction. In this review, we summarize currently available therapies and clinical trials, directed towards a plethora of pathways and components dysregulated during PDAC carcinogenesis. Emerging trends towards targeted therapies as the most promising approach will also be discussed.
10a,11,11-Trimethyl-10a,11-dihydro-8H-benzo[e]imidazo[1,2-a]indol-9(10H)-one
Authors: Ščerbetkaitė Elena , Tamulienė Rasa , Bieliauskas Aurimas , Šačkus Algirdas
Published: June 2017

The alkylation of 1,1,2-trimethyl-1H-benzo[e]indole with 2-chloroacetamide, followed by work-up of the reaction mixture with a base and the subsequent treatment of a crude product with acetic acid gives 10a,11,11-trimethyl-10a,11-dihydro-8H-benzo[e]imidazo[1,2-a]indol-9(10H)-one. The structure assignments were based on data from 1H, 13C, and 15N-NMR spectroscopy. The optical properties of the obtained compound were studied by UV–Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy.
Characterization and In Vitro and In Vivo Assessment of a Novel Cellulose Acetate-Coated Mg-Based Alloy for Orthopedic Applications
Authors: Neacsu Patricia , Staras Adela , Voicu Stefan , Ionascu Iuliana , Soare Teodoru , Uzun Seralp , Cojocaru Vasile , Pandele Andreea , Croitoru Sorin , Miculescu Florin , Cotrut Cosmin , Dan Ioan , Cimpean Anisoara
Published: June 2017

Despite their good biocompatibility and adequate mechanical behavior, the main limitation of Mg alloys might be their high degradation rates in a physiological environment. In this study, a novel Mg-based alloy exhibiting an elastic modulus E = 42 GPa, Mg-1Ca-0.2Mn-0.6Zr, was synthesized and thermo-mechanically processed. In order to improve its performance as a temporary bone implant, a coating based on cellulose acetate (CA) was realized by using the dipping method. The formation of the polymer coating was demonstrated by FT-IR, XPS, SEM and corrosion behavior comparative analyses of both uncoated and CA-coated alloys. The potentiodynamic polarization test revealed that the CA coating significantly improved the corrosion resistance of the Mg alloy. Using a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, the biocompatibility of both groups of biomaterials was assessed. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the media containing their extracts showed good cytocompatibility on MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts in terms of cell adhesion and spreading, viability, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. In vivo studies conducted in rats revealed that the intramedullary coated implant for fixation of femur fracture was more efficient in inducing bone regeneration than the uncoated one. In this manner, the present study suggests that the CA-coated Mg-based alloy holds promise for orthopedic aplications.
Cembrene Diterpenoids with Ether Linkages from Sarcophyton ehrenbergi: An Anti-Proliferation and Molecular-Docking Assessment
Authors: Hegazy Mohamed-Elamir F. , Elshamy Abdelsamed I. , Mohamed Tarik A. , Hamed Ahmed R. , Ibrahim Mahmoud A. A. , Ohta Shinji , Paré Paul W.
Published: June 2017

Three new cembrene diterpenoids, sarcoehrenbergilid A–C (1–3), along with four known diterpenoids, sarcophine (4), (+)-7α,8β-dihydroxydeepoxysarcophine (5), sinulolide A (6), and sinulolide B (7), and one steroid, sardisterol (8), were isolated and characterized from a solvent extract of the Red Sea soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi. Chemical structures were elucidated by NMR and MS analyses with absolute stereochemistry determined by X-ray analysis. Since these isolated cembrene diterpenes contained 10 or more carbons in a large flexible ring, conformer stabilities were examined based on density functional theory calculations. Anti-proliferative activities for 1–8 were evaluated against three human tumor cell lines of different origins including the: lung (A549), colon (Caco-2), and liver (HepG2). Sardisterol (8) was the most potent of the metabolites isolated with an IC50 of 27.3 µM against the A549 cell line. Since an elevated human-cancer occurrence is associated with an aberrant receptor function for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), molecular docking studies were used to examine preferential metabolite interactions/binding and probe the mode-of-action for metabolite-anti tumor activity.