bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geotectonic Controls on CO2 Formation and Distribution Processes in the Brazilian Pre-Salt Basins
Authors: Gamboa Luiz , Ferraz André , Baptista Rui , Neto Eugênio V. Santos
Published: June 2019

Exploratory work for hydrocarbons along the southeastern Brazilian Margin discovered high concentrations of CO2 in several fields, setting scientific challenges to understand these accumulations. Despite significant progress in understanding the consequences of high CO2 in these reservoirs, the role of several variables that may control such accumulations of CO2 is still unclear. For example, significant differences in the percentages of CO2 have been found in reservoirs of otherwise similar prospects lying close to each other. In this paper, we present a hypothesis on how the rifting geodynamics are related to these CO2-rich accumulations. CO2-rich mantle material may be intruded into the upper crustal levels through hyper-stretched continental crust during rifting. Gravimetric and magnetic potential methods were used to identify major intrusive bodies, crustal thinning and other geotectonic elements of the southeastern Brazilian Margin. Modeling based on magnetic, gravity, and seismic data suggests a major intrusive magmatic body just below the reservoir where a high CO2 accumulation was found. Small faults connecting this magmatic body with the sedimentary section could be the fairway for the magmatic sourced gas rise to reservoirs. Mapping and understanding the crustal structure of sedimentary basins are shown to be important steps for “de-risking” the exploration process.
Characterization of Biofilm Formed by Phenanthrene-Degrading Bacteria on Rice Root Surfaces for Reduction of PAH Contamination in Rice
Authors: Zhou Yuman , Gao Xiaorong
Published: June 2019

One effective method in to reduce the uptake of organic contaminants by plants is the development of a root barrier. In this study, the characterization of biofilm structure and function by phenanthrene-degrading Pseudomonas sp. JM2-gfp on rice root surfaces were carried out. Our results showed that root surfaces from three rice species, namely Liaojing401, Koshihikari, and Zhenzhuhong all present hydrophobicity and a high initial adhesion of strain JM2-gfp. Matured robust biofilm formation occurred at 48 h on the root surfaces. The biofilm exhibited cell dense aggregates and biomass embedded in the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix. EPS composition results showed that the proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids are produced in the biofilm, while the content varied with rice species. Under the initial concentration of phenanthrene 50 mg·L−1, the residual phenanthrene in plant roots from ‘Zhengzhuhong’, ‘Koshihikari’ and ‘Liaojing401’ with biofilm mediated were significantly decreased by 71.9%, 69.3% and 58.7%, respectively, compared to those without biofilm groups after 10 days of exposure. Thus, the biofilm colonized on roots plays an important role of degradation in order to reduce the level of phenanthrene uptake of plants. Thereby, the present work provides significant new insights into lowering the environmental risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crop products from contaminated agriculture soils.
Suicide Trends over Time by Occupation in Korea and Their Relationship to Economic Downturns
Authors: Yoon Jin-Ha , Jung Sun Jae , Choi Jaesung , Kang Mo-Yeol
Published: June 2019

We analyzed suicide mortality by occupation using administrative data from 1993 to 2016. Methods: National death records from 1993 to 2016 of the Korea National Statistical Office (KNSO) were used. Suicidal death was taken from Korean Classification of Disease codes as intentional self-harm (X60–X84) and sequelae of intentional self-harm (Y870). Occupational groups were categorized into “Manager,” “Officer,” ”Service-Trade,” “Agricultural-Fishery-Forestry” (AFF), “Skilled Manual,” and “Unskilled Manual.” Direct standardized mortality (DSM) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Overall, suicide rates increased during economic downturns, especially among lower socio-economic occupation classes. Both DSM and SMR were highest in AFF, followed by Unskilled Manual, Service-Trade, Officer, Skilled Manual, and Manager categories among men, whereas women showed the highest DSM and SMR in AFF, followed by Service-Trade, Officer, Unskilled Manual, Manager, and Skilled Manual categories. The age-stratified analysis showed that age groups with increasing trends in suicide differed according to occupation and gender. In certain occupational groups, the time-point prevalence fluctuated with socio-economic background in suicidal mortality and differed by age and gender.
Issue of Compliance with Use of Personal Protective Equipment among Wastewater Workers across the Southeast Region of the United States
Authors: Wright Tamara , Adhikari Atin , Yin Jingjing , Vogel Robert , Smallwood Stacy , Shah Gulzar
Published: June 2019

Wastewater workers are exposed to different occupational hazards such as chemicals, gases, viruses, and bacteria. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a significant factor that can reduce or decrease the probability of an accident from hazardous exposures to chemicals and microbial contaminants. The purpose of this study was to examine wastewater worker’s beliefs and practices on wearing PPE through the integration of the Health Belief Model (HBM), identify the impact that management has on wastewater workers wearing PPE, and determine the predictors of PPE compliance among workers in the wastewater industry. Data was collected from 272 wastewater workers located at 33 wastewater facilities across the southeast region of the United States. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to present frequency distributions of participants’ knowledge and compliance with wearing PPE. Univariate and multiple linear regression models were applied to determine the association of predictors of interest with PPE compliance. Wastewater workers were knowledgeable of occupational exposures and PPE requirements at their facility. Positive predictors of PPE compliance were perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of contracting an occupational illness (p < 0.05). A negative association was identified between managers setting the example of wearing PPE sometimes and PPE compliance (p < 0.05). Utilizing perceived susceptibility and severity for safety programs and interventions may improve PPE compliance among wastewater workers.
A Predictive Model Assessing Genetic Susceptibility Risk at Workplace
Authors: Chiarella Pieranna , Capone Pasquale , Carbonari Damiano , Sisto Renata
Published: June 2019

(1) Background: The study of susceptibility biomarkers in the immigrant workforce integrated into the social tissue of European host countries is always a challenge, due to high individual heterogeneity and the admixing of different ethnicities in the same workplace. These workers having distinct cultural backgrounds, beliefs, diets, and habits, as well as a poor knowledge of the foreign language, may feel reluctant to donate their biological specimens for the biomonitoring research studies. (2) Methods: A model predicting ethnicity-specific susceptibility based on principal component analysis has been conceived, using the genotype frequency of the investigated populations available in publicly accessible databases. (3) Results: Correlations among ethnicities and between ethnic and polymorphic genes have been found, and low/high-risk profiles have been identified as valuable susceptibility biomarkers. (4) Conclusions: In the absence of workers’ consent or access to blood genotyping, ethnicity represents a good indicator of the subject’s genotype. This model, associating ethnicity-specific genotype frequency with the susceptibility biomarkers involved in the metabolism of toxicants, may replace genotyping, ensuring the necessary safety and health conditions of workers assigned to hazardous jobs.
Spatial Variations in Fertility of South Korea: A Geographically Weighted Regression Approach
Authors: Jung Myunggu , Ko Woorim , Choi Yeohee , Cho Youngtae
Published: June 2019

South Korea has witnessed a remarkable decline in birth rates in the last few decades. Although there has been a large volume of literature exploring the determinants of low fertility in South Korea, studies on spatial variations in fertility are scarce. This study compares the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models to investigate the potential role of the spatially heterogeneous response of the total fertility rate (TFR) to sociodemographic factors. The study finds that the relationships between sociodemographic factors and TFRs in South Korea vary across 252 sub-administrative areas in terms of both magnitude and direction. This study therefore demonstrates the value of using spatial analysis for providing evidence-based local-population policy options in pursuit of a fertility rebound in South Korea.
Toward the Evolution of National Spatial Data Infrastructure Development in Indonesia
Authors: Putra Tandang Yuliadi Dwi , Sekimoto Yoshihide , Shibasaki Ryosuke
Published: June 2019

Over the last 25 years, the potential benefits of sharing and reusing geographic information for national development programs have led many countries to establish their own national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI). Indonesia is among the early adopters; however, despite its early introduction of NSDI concepts, the implementation has encountered some difficulties. The main objective of this study is to understand the evolution of NSDI development in Indonesia and then develop strategic directions for future implementation. We first characterized periods of current NSDI development based on the use of technology and identified problems that have occurred. To understand the problems’ causes, we conducted a stakeholder analysis utilizing questionnaire surveys. In addition, we analyzed cost components allocated for NSDI operation. The results showed that stakeholders’ low participation was caused by insufficient technological, financial, and human resources to manage geographic information. Subsequently, a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats analysis was conducted to determine proposed directions of the institutional and technical aspects. This research provides the framework for analyzing NSDI evolution in one country—Indonesia. The proposed directions can be applied in other countries to ensure effective NSDI development and implementation.
Evolution and Medical Significance of LU Domain−Containing Proteins
Authors: Leth Julie Maja , Leth-Espensen Katrine Zinck , Kristensen Kristian Kølby , Kumari Anni , Lund Winther Anne-Marie , Young Stephen G. , Ploug Michael
Published: June 2019

Proteins containing Ly6/uPAR (LU) domains exhibit very diverse biological functions and have broad taxonomic distributions in eukaryotes. In general, they adopt a characteristic three-fingered folding topology with three long loops projecting from a disulfide-rich globular core. The majority of the members of this protein domain family contain only a single LU domain, which can be secreted, glycolipid anchored, or constitute the extracellular ligand binding domain of type-I membrane proteins. Nonetheless, a few proteins contain multiple LU domains, for example, the urokinase receptor uPAR, C4.4A, and Haldisin. In the current review, we will discuss evolutionary aspects of this protein domain family with special emphasis on variations in their consensus disulfide bond patterns. Furthermore, we will present selected cases where missense mutations in LU domain−containing proteins leads to dysfunctional proteins that are causally linked to genesis of human disease.
A Cross-Sectional Study on 3-(2-Deoxy-β-D-Erythro-Pentafuranosyl)Pyrimido[1,2-α]Purin-10(3H)-One Deoxyguanosine Adducts among Woodworkers in Tuscany, Italy
Authors: Cellai Filippo , Capacci Fabio , Sgarrella Carla , Poli Carla , Arena Luciano , Tofani Lorenzo , Giese Roger W. , Peluso Marco
Published: June 2019

Occupational exposure to wood dust has been estimated to affect 3.6 million workers within the European Union (EU). The most serious health effect caused by wood dust is the nasal and sinonasal cancer (SNC), which has been observed predominantly among woodworkers. Free radicals produced by inflammatory reactions as a consequence of wood dust could play a major role in SNC development. Therefore, we investigated the association between wood dust and oxidative DNA damage in the cells of nasal epithelia, the target site of SNC. We have analyzed oxidative DNA damage by determining the levels of 3-(2-deoxy-β-D-erythro-pentafuranosyl)pyrimido[1,2-α]purin-10(3H)-one deoxyguanosine (M1dG), a major-peroxidation-derived DNA adduct and a biomarker of cancer risk in 136 woodworkers compared to 87 controls in Tuscany, Italy. We then examined the association of M1dG with co-exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), exposure length, and urinary 15-F2t isoprostane (15-F2t-IsoP), a biomarker of oxidant status. Wood dust at the workplace was estimated by the Information System for Recording Occupational Exposures to Carcinogens. M1dG was measured using 32P-postlabeling and mass spectrometry. 15-F2t-IsoP was analyzed using ELISA. Results show a significant excess of M1dG in the woodworkers exposed to average levels of 1.48 mg/m3 relative to the controls. The overall mean ratio (MR) between the woodworkers and the controls was 1.28 (95% C.I. 1.03–1.58). After stratification for smoking habits and occupational status (exposure to wood dust alone and co-exposure to VOCs), the association of M1dG with wood dust (alone) was even greater in non-smokers workers, MR of 1.43 (95% C.I. 1.09–1.87). Conversely, not consistent results were found in ex-smokers and current smokers. M1dG was significantly associated with co-exposure to VOCs, MR of 1.95 (95% C.I. 1.46–2.61), and occupational history, MR of 2.47 (95% C.I. 1.67–3.62). Next, the frequency of M1dG was significantly correlated to the urinary excretion of 15-F2t-IsoP, regression coefficient (β) = 0.442 ± 0.172 (SE). Consistent with the hypothesis of a genotoxic mechanism, we observed an enhanced frequency of M1dG adducts in woodworkers, even at the external levels below the regulatory limit. Our data implement the understanding of SNC and could be useful for the management of the adverse effects caused by this carcinogen.
Calcium Signaling Pathways: Key Pathways in the Regulation of Obesity
Authors: Song Ziguo , Wang Yu , Zhang Fei , Yao Fangyao , Sun Chao
Published: June 2019

Nowadays, high epidemic obesity-triggered hypertension and diabetes seriously damage social public health. There is now a general consensus that the body’s fat content exceeding a certain threshold can lead to obesity. Calcium ion is one of the most abundant ions in the human body. A large number of studies have shown that calcium signaling could play a major role in increasing energy consumption by enhancing the metabolism and the differentiation of adipocytes and reducing food intake through regulating neuronal excitability, thereby effectively decreasing the occurrence of obesity. In this paper, we review multiple calcium signaling pathways, including the IP3 (inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate)-Ca2+ (calcium ion) pathway, the p38-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway, and the calmodulin binding pathway, which are involved in biological clock, intestinal microbial activity, and nerve excitability to regulate food intake, metabolism, and differentiation of adipocytes in mammals, resulting in the improvement of obesity.
Oestrogen Non-Genomic Signalling is Activated in Tamoxifen-Resistant Breast Cancer
Authors: Poulard Coralie , Jacquemetton Julien , Trédan Olivier , Cohen Pascale A. , Vendrell Julie , Ghayad Sandra E. , Treilleux Isabelle , Marangoni Elisabetta , Le Romancer Muriel
Published: June 2019

Endocrine therapies targeting oestrogen signalling have significantly improved breast cancer management. However, their efficacy is limited by intrinsic and acquired resistance to treatment, which remains a major challenge for oestrogen receptor α (ERα)-positive tumours. Though many studies using in vitro models of endocrine resistance have identified putative actors of resistance, no consensus has been reached. We demonstrated previously that oestrogen non-genomic signalling, characterized by the formation of the ERα/Src/PI3K complex, is activated in aggressive breast cancers (BC). We wondered herein whether the activation of this pathway is also involved in resistance to endocrine therapies. We studied the interactions between ERα and Src or PI3K by proximity ligation assay (PLA) in in-vitro and in-vivo endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer models. We reveal an increase in ERα/Src and ERα/PI3K interactions in patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with acquired resistance to tamoxifen, as well as in tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cells compared to parental counterparts. Moreover, no interactions were observed in breast cancer cells resistant to other endocrine therapies. Finally, the use of a peptide inhibiting the ERα–Src interaction partially restored tamoxifen sensitivity in resistant cells, suggesting that such components could constitute promising targets to circumvent resistance to tamoxifen in BC.
Safety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis in Fibromyalgia
Authors: Sagy Iftach , Bar-Lev Schleider Lihi , Abu-Shakra Mahmoud , Novack Victor
Published: June 2019

Background: Chronic pain may be treated by medical cannabis. Yet, there is scarce evidence to support the role of medical cannabis in the treatment of fibromyalgia. The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics, safety, and effectiveness of medical cannabis therapy for fibromyalgia. Methods: A prospective observational study with six months follow-up period based on fibromyalgia patients who were willing to answer questionnaire in a specialized medical cannabis clinic between 2015 and 2017. Results: Among the 367 fibromyalgia patients, the mean age was 52.9 ± 15.1, of whom 301 (82.0%) were women. Twenty eight patients (7.6%) stopped the treatment prior to the six months follow-up. The six months response rate was 70.8%. Pain intensity (scale 0–10) reduced from a median of 9.0 at baseline to 5.0 (p < 0.001), and 194 patients (81.1%) achieved treatment response. In a multivariate analysis, age above 60 years (odds ratio [OR] 0.34, 95% C.I 0.16–0.72), concerns about cannabis treatment (OR 0.36, 95% C.I 0.16–0.80), spasticity (OR 2.26, 95% C.I 1.08–4.72), and previous use of cannabis (OR 2.46 95% C.I 1.06–5.74) were associated with treatment outcome. The most common adverse effects were mild and included dizziness (7.9%), dry mouth (6.7%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (5.4%). Conclusion: Medical cannabis appears to be a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms. Standardization of treatment compounds and regimens are required.
Cross-Flow Vortex-Induced Vibration (VIV) Responses and Hydrodynamic Forces of a Long Flexible and Low Mass Ratio Pipe
Authors: Gao Xifeng , Xu Zengwei , Xu Wanhai , He Ming
Published: June 2019

Laboratory tests were carried out to investigate the cross-flow (CF) dynamic responses and hydrodynamic forces of a flexible pipe that subjected to vortex-induced vibration (VIV). The pipe had a critical mass ratio of 0.54 and an aspect ratio of 181.8. The uniform flow environment was realized by towing the pipe along a towing tank. The towing velocity ranged from 0.1–1.0 m/s with an interval of 0.05 m/s. Two axial pre-tension cases (200 N and 300 N) were enforced. The structural strains were measured at seven positions evenly distributed along the pipe. Then a modal analysis method was applied to reconstruct the displacement responses. It is revealed that the maximum CF displacement amplitude reached up to 2.18 pipe diameter and the strain response exhibited higher harmonic components. The CF dominant frequency gradually rises with the increase of reduced velocity and up to a three-order vibration mode can be observed. In addition, mean drag coefficient, lift force coefficient and added mass coefficient were also calculated to further investigate the fluid force feature of a low mass flexible pipe undergoing VIV.
Microwave-Leaching of Copper Smelting Dust for Cu and Zn Extraction
Authors: Sabzezari Behrouz , Koleini Seyed Mohammad Javad , Ghassa Sina , Shahbazi Behzad , Chehreh Chelgani Saeed
Published: June 2019

Industrial wastes may contain high concentrations of valuable metals. Extraction and recovery of these metals have several economic and environmental advantages. Various studies showed positive effects of microwaves as a pretreatment method before the leaching of minerals. However, there are empty rooms for exploring simultaneous microwave and leaching (microwave-leaching) of industrial waste material for the production of valuable metals. This investigation examined the microwave-leaching method to extract copper and zinc from a copper-smelter dust (CSD). The results of microwave-leaching mechanism were compared with conventional heating leaching based on kinetics modelling. The final Cu recovery in the conventional heating and microwave irradiation was 80.88% and 69.83%, respectively. Kinetic studies indicated that the leaching reactions follow diffusion across the product layer. Based on X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analyses, during conventional experiments sulfate; components formed with high intensity as an ash layer which prevents reagent access to the solid surface and decreases the Cu dissolution. While the sulfate components did not detect in the microwave-leaching residuals which means that microwave irradiation helped to decrease the ash layer formation. Taking all mentioned results into consider it can be concluded that microwave-leaching can be considered as an efficient method for extraction of valuable metals from waste materials.
Influence of Welded Pores on Very Long-Life Fatigue Failure of the Electron Beam Welding Joint of TC17 Titanium Alloy
Authors: Liu Fulin , Zhang Hong , Liu Hanqing , Chen Yao , Muhammad Kashif Khan , Wang Qingyuan , Liu Yongjie
Published: June 2019

The electron beam welding process is widely used in the connection among titanium alloy material parts of aero-engines. Its mechanical properties need to meet the requirements of long life and high reliability. In this paper, the static strength and the fatigue failure behavior of the electron beam weldments of TC17 titanium alloy were investigated experimentally under low amplitude high frequency (20 kHz), and the mechanical response and failure mechanism under different external loading conditions were analyzed. In summary, the samples were found to have anisotropic microstructure. The tensile strength of the PWHT of TC17 EBW joint was ~4.5% lower than that of the base metal. Meanwhile, compared with the base metal, the fatigue strength was reduced by 45.5% at 109 cycles of fatigue life. The fracture analysis showed that the fatigue failure of the welded joint of TC17 alloy was caused by the welded pores and the fatigue cracks initiated from the welded pores. A fine granular area (FGA) was observed around the crack initiation region. The existence of pores caused the stress intensity factor of the fine granular area (KFGA) to be inversely proportional to the fatigue life. The KFGA calculation formula was modified and the fatigue crack propagation threshold of the welded joint of TC17 alloy was calculated (3.62 MPa·m1/2). Moreover, the influences of the effective size and the relative depth of the pores on the very long fatigue life of the electron beam welded joint of TC17 titanium alloy were discussed.
Optimal Clustering and Cluster Identity in Understanding High-Dimensional Data Spaces with Tightly Distributed Points
Authors: Chikumbo Oliver , Granville Vincent
Published: June 2019

The sensitivity of the elbow rule in determining an optimal number of clusters in high-dimensional spaces that are characterized by tightly distributed data points is demonstrated. The high-dimensional data samples are not artificially generated, but they are taken from a real world evolutionary many-objective optimization. They comprise of Pareto fronts from the last 10 generations of an evolutionary optimization computation with 14 objective functions. The choice for analyzing Pareto fronts is strategic, as it is squarely intended to benefit the user who only needs one solution to implement from the Pareto set, and therefore a systematic means of reducing the cardinality of solutions is imperative. As such, clustering the data and identifying the cluster from which to pick the desired solution is covered in this manuscript, highlighting the implementation of the elbow rule and the use of hyper-radial distances for cluster identity. The Calinski-Harabasz statistic was favored for determining the criteria used in the elbow rule because of its robustness. The statistic takes into account the variance within clusters and also the variance between the clusters. This exercise also opened an opportunity to revisit the justification of using the highest Calinski-Harabasz criterion for determining the optimal number of clusters for multivariate data. The elbow rule predicted the maximum end of the optimal number of clusters, and the highest Calinski-Harabasz criterion method favored the number of clusters at the lower end. Both results are used in a unique way for understanding high-dimensional data, despite being inconclusive regarding which of the two methods determine the true optimal number of clusters.
Complex Dynamical Behaviors of Lorenz-Stenflo Equations
Authors: Zhang Fuchen , Xiao Min
Published: June 2019

A mathematical chaos model for the dynamical behaviors of atmospheric acoustic-gravity waves is considered in this paper. Boundedness and globally attractive sets of this chaos model are studied by means of the generalized Lyapunov function method. The innovation of this paper is that it not only proves this system is globally bounded but also provides a series of global attraction sets of this system. The rate of trajectories entering from the exterior of the trapping domain to its interior is also obtained. Finally, the detailed numerical simulations are carried out to justify theoretical results. The results in this study can be used to study chaos control and chaos synchronization of this chaos system.
Efficacy of the Post-Exposure Prophylaxis and of the HIV Latent Reservoir in HIV Infection
Authors: Pinto Carla M. A. , Carvalho Ana R. M. , Baleanu Dumitru , Srivastava Hari M.
Published: June 2019

We propose a fractional order model to study the efficacy of the Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) within-host dynamics, in the presence of the HIV latent reservoir. Latent reservoirs harbor infected cells that contain a transcriptionally silent but reactivatable provirus. The latter constitutes a major difficulty to the eradication of HIV in infected patients. PEP is used as a way to prevent HIV infection after a recent possible exposure to HIV. It consists of the in-take of antiretroviral drugs for, usually, 28 days. In this study, we focus on the dosage and dosage intervals of antiretroviral therapy (ART) during PEP and in the role of the latent reservoir in HIV infected patients. We thus simulate the model for immunologically important parameters concerning the drugs and the fraction of latently infected cells. The results may add important information to clinical practice of HIV infected patients.
Marine Carotenoid Fucoxanthin Possesses Anti-Metastasis Activity: Molecular Evidence
Authors: Garg Sukant , Afzal Sajal , Elwakeel Ahmed , Sharma Damini , Radhakrishnan Navaneethan , Dhanjal Jaspreet Kaur , Sundar Durai , Kaul Sunil C. , Wadhwa Renu
Published: June 2019

Fucoxanthin is commonly found in marine organisms; however, to date, it has been one of the scarcely explored natural compounds. We investigated its activities in human cancer cell culture-based viability, migration, and molecular assays, and found that it possesses strong anticancer and anti-metastatic activities that work irrespective of the p53 status of cancer cells. In our experiments, fucoxanthin caused the transcriptional suppression of mortalin. Cell phenotype-driven molecular analyses on control and treated cells demonstrated that fucoxanthin caused a decrease in hallmark proteins associated with cell proliferation, survival, and the metastatic spread of cancer cells at doses that were relatively safe to the normal cells. The data suggested that the cancer therapy regimen may benefit from the recruitment of fucoxanthin; hence, it warrants further attention for basic mechanistic studies as well as drug development.
Association between the FAS/FASL Variants and Risk of Male Infertility in Asian Populations; A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Asgari Rezvan , Mansouri Kamran , Bakhtiari Mitra , Mozafari Hadi , Roshankhah Shiva
Published: June 2019

Background and Objectives: Studies suggest that FAS/FASL polymorphisms are associated with male infertility; however, their results are still inconclusive. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize and clarify the overall association of FAS/FASL polymorphisms and risk of male infertility. Materials and Methods: Our search was conducted on the databases of Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar. For performing the meta-analysis, pooled odds ratio (OR) values with 95% confidence interval (CI) was applied in order to analyze the strength of association between the FAS/FASL polymorphisms and risk of male infertility. A total of seven relevant studies published up to September 2018 were considered. Results: FASL-844C/T genotype results of 559 patients and 623 healthy individuals were included in our study. For FAS-670A/G genotype effect, 751 patients and 821 healthy individuals were explored. Results showed that all analysis models including dominant, recessive and allelic models of FASL-844C/T and FAS-670A/G polymorphism had no significant effect on infertility in men (p > 0.05 and p > 0.05, respectively). According to sensitivity analysis, our results were stable. Conclusion: We demonstrated that FAS/FASL polymorphisms might not be an effective factor on male reproductive health. For precise determination of FAS/FASL polymorphisms effects on male infertility, large-scale case-control studies should be performed.
Evaluation of Permeate Quality in Pilot Scale Membrane Distillation Systems
Authors: Ruiz-Aguirre Alba , Andrés-Mañas Juan A. , Zaragoza Guillermo
Published: June 2019

In this work, the salinity of permeate obtained with membrane distillation (MD) in pilot scale systems was analyzed. Experiments were performed with three different spiral-wound commercial modules, one from Solar Spring with 10 m2 surface membrane area and two from Aquastill with 7.2 and 24 m2. Intermittent operation meant that high permeate conductivity was measured in the beginning of each experiment, which was gradually decreasing until reaching a constant value (3–143 µS·cm−1 for seawater feed). The final quality reached did not depend on operating conditions, only the time it took to reach it. This can be because the permeate flux dilutes the minimal feed leak taking place through pinholes in the membranes. Larger feed leak through the membrane was observed when operating in vacuum-enhanced air-gap MD configuration (V-AGMD), which is compatible with this explanation. However, for the increase of feed leak with salinity (up to 1.8 M), a conclusive explanation cannot be given. Pore wetting due to crystallization is discarded because the high permeate quality was recovered after washing with distilled water. More studies at higher salinities and also at membrane level are required to investigate this.
Chips and Showmanship: Running and Technology
Authors: Sailors Pam R.
Published: June 2019

A brief review and classification of technology in general begins the paper, followed by an application of the classification to two specific marathon case studies: the 2018 Boston marathon and the 2017 Nike Breaking2 Project marathon. Then concepts from an array of sport philosophers are discussed to suggest an explanation for why each of the case studies strikes us as problematic. The conclusion provides a reasonable explanation for our misgivings, as well as an indication of how we might evaluate sporting endeavors in the face of increasing technological innovation.
Gyroscope-Based Continuous Human Hand Gesture Recognition for Multi-Modal Wearable Input Device for Human Machine Interaction
Authors: Han Hobeom , Yoon Sang Won
Published: June 2019

Human hand gestures are a widely accepted form of real-time input for devices providing a human-machine interface. However, hand gestures have limitations in terms of effectively conveying the complexity and diversity of human intentions. This study attempted to address these limitations by proposing a multi-modal input device, based on the observation that each application program requires different user intentions (and demanding functions) and the machine already acknowledges the running application. When the running application changes, the same gesture now offers a new function required in the new application, and thus, we can greatly reduce the number and complexity of required hand gestures. As a simple wearable sensor, we employ one miniature wireless three-axis gyroscope, the data of which are processed by correlation analysis with normalized covariance for continuous gesture recognition. Recognition accuracy is improved by considering both gesture patterns and signal strength and by incorporating a learning mode. In our system, six unit hand gestures successfully provide most functions offered by multiple input devices. The characteristics of our approach are automatically adjusted by acknowledging the application programs or learning user preferences. In three application programs, the approach shows good accuracy (90–96%), which is very promising in terms of designing a unified solution. Furthermore, the accuracy reaches 100% as the users become more familiar with the system.
Wildcard Fields-Based Partitioning for Fast and Scalable Packet Classification in Vehicle-to-Everything
Authors: Wee Jaehyung , Choi Jin-Ghoo , Pak Wooguil
Published: June 2019

Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) requires high-speed communication and high-level security. However, as the number of connected devices increases exponentially, communication networks are suffering from huge traffic and various security issues. It is well known that performance and security of network equipment significantly depends on the packet classification algorithm because it is one of the most fundamental packet processing functions. Thus, the algorithm should run fast even with the huge set of packet processing rules. Unfortunately, previous packet classification algorithms have focused on the processing speed only, failing to be scalable with the rule-set size. In this paper, we propose a new packet classification approach balancing classification speed and scalability. It can be applied to most decision tree-based packet classification algorithms such as HyperCuts and EffiCuts. It determines partitioning fields considering the rule duplication explicitly, which makes the algorithm memory-effective. In addition, the proposed approach reduces the decision tree size substantially with the minimal sacrifice of classification performance. As a result, we can attain high-speed packet classification and scalability simultaneously, which is very essential for latest services such as V2X and Internet-of-Things (IoT).
Design for Distributed Feedback Laser Biosensors Based on the Active Grating Model
Authors: Wang Bowen , Zhou Yi , Guo Zhihe , Wu Xiang
Published: June 2019

The distributed feedback (DFB) laser is widely used in sensing because of its portable size, simple fabrication and high sensitivity. Most theoretical design models are based on passive Bragg gratings. However, passive grating models cannot be used to predict sensor performance using the important indicator of figure of merit (FOM) through theoretical calculations. To solve this problem, we replaced the passive grating with an active grating by using the imaginary part of the coupling constant that represents the value of the gain. As a comparison, the influence of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) and sensitivity were analyzed for different grating duty cycles and depths in the passive grating sensors. To obtain a higher FOM in the active grating sensors, we systematically investigated the effects of duty cycle and gain value through numerical simulations. We found that the redshift caused by a duty cycle increase can improve the sensitivity of biomolecule detection by 1.7 times.
THE COMMUNICATIVE HORIZON OF MODERN SOCIETY AS A REFLECTION OF PROSPECTS AND CONSTRAINTS
Authors: Kuzomenska Lidiya
Published: June 2019

The dynamics of social processes have always been substantially determined by the level, efficiency, and peculiarities of communicative interaction between people. The reason for the communication difficulties that arise when people communicate in a culturally heterogeneous society is in such characteristics of speech as intonation, rhythm, choice of lexical, phonetic and syntactic options.
BRICS: Trends in Economic Growth of Extractive Industry in the XXI Century
Authors: Rastyannikova E. V.
Published: June 2019

In 2019, the BRICS Association celebrates its anniversary - it is ten years since the first BRICS summit, at which the BRICS group was created. Currently, the extractive industry in BRICS countries plays a strategic role. The purpose of the article is to characterize the economic growth in the extractive industry of the BRICS countries on the example of oil, gas, coal, iron ore, and gold mining. The article for the first time provides a comparative analysis of the BRICS countries of the dynamics, structure, and results of the development of the resource base since the beginning of the XXI century.Based on statistical data, the author studied the balances of  production, export, import, consumption of fuel and energy resources and resources of the mining industry. The article highlights the main problems that Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa  faced at the beginning of the XXI century in the mining industry. It is concluded that the primary development goals of the BRICS mining industry are to increase labor productivity, reduce manual labor, increase labor security, improve the environmental situation in the areas of resource extraction. At the same time, the implementation of these goals is impossible without an innovative modernization of the extractive industry.
Introduction sur les propriétés physiques des centres colorés
Authors: Taurel L. , Chapelle Jean-Pierre
Published: June 2019

The different types of coloration of crystals (F-centres, the nomenclature of excess electron centres, positive centres), centres in alkali and alkaline-earth halides is reviewed.
Dosage d'impuretés et détermination de profils de concentration dans les solides par l'observation directe de réactions nucléaires et de la diffusion élastique
Authors: Abel François
Published: June 2019

The principles involved in the use of monocinetic light ions beams, of about 1 MeV, to impurity analysis in, or on, solids are presented. Two complementary techniques are described : a) the use of elastic scattering, which allows the analysis of impurity elements heavier than the matrix, or the substrate, components, b) the use of nuclear reactions specific of light isotopes.

These two techniques allow the direct analysis of the first microns of a solid. The depth resolution varies, according to the cases, from about a hundred angstroms to a few thousand angstroms ; the sensitivity can reach 10¹¹ atoms/cm² in good cases.
”FOR CROP PROTECTION” Establishment medallion in honour of Antal Gulyás (1884-1980)
Authors: György Kövics
Published: June 2019

The Public Utility for Development of Crop Protection Teaching (NOFKA) and The Hajdú-Bihar County Regional Association of Hungarian Chamber of Crop Protection Specialists and Plant Doctors (Chamber) established a joined Award Committee in September of 2011, which intend to serve as moral appreciation to prominent persons with excellent achievements by award Antal Gulyás medallion for crop protection“ which are available for outstanding teachers, researchers, and practical plant protectionists. The members of Committee: dr. István Szarukán, president, dr. György Kövics, secretary, dr. István Dávid member (Public Utility), dr. László Kiss, president, dr. Gábor Tarcali, secretary (Chamber). Handing over of medallion, charter and gold badge will be happened generally once a year in a special ceremony. The award was established in commemoration of Antal Gulyás, who was the first eminent professor of plant protection in Debrecen and reached outstanding achievements in the field of teaching of agronomists for more than 30 years, and research on plant pathology. He became one of the first Honoris Causa Doctors of Debrecen Agricultural University in 1978. The Committee made its decision on the first meeting that the first medallion will be award to dr. Oszkár Tóth retired reader of plant pathology for his excellence in teaching plant protection in 2011. His laudation is available in a separate article of this issue.
Adequate responses to plant protection policy
Authors: László Jordán
Published: June 2019

The head of crop protection in the Central Agricultural Office offers a survey of the lately reconstructured official structure, outlines the sections of Central Directorate, sketches the roles of County Government Bureaues. To keep the standard of knowledge changes are necessary to make in the higher education of plant protection specialists. The prersentation will concern the contacts between researches made on universities and agricultural official directorates. It is analized the regulation of present and future pesticide usage, the possible alternatives of reduced quantity pesticide usage including the application of Integrated Plant Management (IPM) as well. The tasks of national activity according to the EU direcives about sustainable pesticide usage touch the problems of plant protection machinery and environment safety. It is summarized the tasks of official directorate, chamber of crop protection specialists, moreover practice of plant protection for the nearest future.
Usage of microbiological products in the protection of the sunflower
Authors: István Kristó  , Kálmán Erdei  , Imre Máté
Published: June 2019

White mould is the most important desease of sunflower. We are not able to grow sunflower on the same area for 5-6 years, because of sclerotia. One of the protection methods is if we destroy the sclerotia in the soil with hyperparasite microorganisms, so we can reduce the comeback time of sunflower.

We carried out our farm size researches through 3 years, with the most important sunflower hybrids of Hungary in the area of Vásárhelyi Róna Kft. We can conclude that the microbiological products (Koni, Trifender, Mico’sol) effect positively on the yield of sunflower hybrids, but the weather (moisture) can significantly modify this effect.
Q-PCR analysis of the resistance of Hungarian Botrytis cinerea isolates toward azoxystrobin
Authors: Anikó Szojka  , Mojtaba Asadollahi  , Éva Fekete  , Erzsébet Fekete  , Levente Karaffa  , Erzsébet Sándor
Published: June 2019

The genes being in the mitochondrial DNA primarily encode the enzymes of cellular respiration. Fungicides belonging to the family of quinol oxidase inhibitors (QoIs) play on important role in the protection against several plant diseases caused by fungi. These fungicides bind to the cytochrome bc1 complex so they block electron transport between cytochrome b and cytochrome c1. This way these fungicides inhibit the ATP synthesis consequently they inhibit the mitochondrial respiration. The QoI resistance has two mechanisms. One of them is the point mutation of the cytochrome b gene (CYTB), e.g. the substitution of a single glycine by alanine at position 143 results in high-resistance. The other is the cyanide-resistant alternative respiration sustained by the alternative oxidase.In a cell there are several mitochondria. The phenomenon when the genomes of all mitochondria in the cell are identical is called homoplazmy. If in the cell there is wild and mutant mitochondrial DNA this is called heteroplasmy. Whether the mutation in the mitochondria causes fenotypical diversity or does not depend on the dose, i.e. it depends on the percentage of the changed mitochondrials. During our work we investigated Botrytis cinerea single spore isolates which have been collected in 2008-2009 on different host plants. Our goal was to decide whether heteroplasmy influences the level of resistance. We managed to detect the change of the level of heteroplasmy, so the change the level of the resistance due to the treatment with fungicide.
МАЛОИНВАЗИВНАЯ КОРРЕКЦИЯ ГЕМИФАЦИАЛЬНОЙ ДЕФОРМАЦИИ СИНДРОМА ГОЛЬДЕНХАРА. ОПИСАНИЕ КЛИНИЧЕСКОГО СЛУЧАЯ
Authors: Яковенко Людмила , Єфименко Владислав , Шафета О.Б.
Published: June 2019

Основной проблемой пациента с синдромом Гольденхара (СГ) является гемифациальная асимметрия. Дифференцированный подход в лечении таких больных позволяет избежать многоэтапности и чрезмерной травматичности хирургических вмешательств. Современные технологии СКТ и CAD/CAM позволяют провести высокоинформативное диагностическое обследование и компьютерное моделирование самой операции с виртуальной визуализацией результатов. В педиатрической хирургии надо отдавать предпочтение малоинвазивным методам лечения, которые позволяют достичь максимального результата с учетом всех клинических проявлений в корреляции с возрастом пациента и сокращением сроков его реабилитации.
ОЦІНКА ФІЗИКО-МЕХАНІЧНИХ І КЛІНІКО-ТЕХНОЛОГІЧНИХ ВЛАСТИВОСТЕЙ А-СИЛІКОНОВИХ МАТЕРІАЛІВ ПРИ ВИГОТОВЛЕННІ ДВОШАРОВИХ БАЗИСІВ ЗНІМНИХ ПРОТЕЗІВ
Authors: Федотова Олена
Published: June 2019

Метою дослідження було вивчення фізико-механічних та клініко-технологічних властивостей А-силіконових матеріалів для виготовлення двошарових конструкцій знімних зубних протезів з обтуруючою частиною як крок до підвищення якості лікування і життя пацієнтів із дефектами верхньої щелепи.

Матеріали і методи. Порівняльну оцінку властивостей А-силіконових підкладочних матеріалів проводили спільно зі співробітниками центральної заводської лабораторії АТ «Стома» (Харків, Україна) відповідно до вимог міжнародного стандарту ISO-10139 сертифікованих полівінілсилоксанових підкладочних матеріалів «ПМ-С» (АТ «Стома»), «ПМ-С екстра» (АТ «Стома»), «ПМ-СН» (АТ «Стома»), «Ufi Gel P» (Voco), «Silagum» (DMG) та за стандартними методиками, передбаченими ТУ 724.6-00481318-027-2003.

Висновки. Виконана порівняльна характеристика основних властивостей дозволила виявити наступні закономірності: у результаті оптимізації структури матеріалу міцність зв’язку з акриловим базисом значно та достовірно (р<0,05) збільшилась з (5,3±0,2) до (9,3±0,2) кгс/см2, тобто на 75,5%; показники відносного подовження достовірно (р<0,05) збільшились з (32,2±0,8) до (41,9±0,7)%, що становить 30,1%; значення консистенції компаунда також достовірно (р<0,05) переважає прототип на 44%, становлячи (23,2±0,1) та (33,4±0,9) мм відповідно; відносна деформація стиснення збільшилась (р>0,05) у порівнянні з прототипом на 6,6% з (38,1±0,7) до (40,6±1,5)%; загальний робочий час збільшився з (63,8±0,89) до (76,3±0,8) с, отже на 13,3% (р>0,05), час замішування оптимізовано на 1,2%, час вулканізації на 2,6%; водопоглинання порівняно з прототипом зменшилось на 13,6% (р>0,05) – з (0,22±0,01) до (0,19±0,01)%, а мікропористість із (0,120±0,001) до (0,108±0,001) мкм2, тобто на 10%. Показники всіх властивостей досліджуваних матеріалів відповідають критеріям ISO-10139. Підсумовуючи отримані результати, можемо стверджувати, що удосконалений вітчизняний матеріал «ПМ-СН» лише у декількох випадках поступається своїм закордонним аналогам та безперечно має покращені властивості у порівнянні із прототипом «ПМ-С».