bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HUBUNGAN PEER AND PARENT ATTACHMENT DENGAN GANGGUAN PERILAKU MAKAN PADA REMAJA SMA
Authors: Yuliana Maria , - Mustikasari
Published: August 2018

ABSTRAKRemaja mengalami pertumbuhan dan perkembangan fisik serta psikologis yang pesat. Hal ini membuat remaja rentan mengalami masalah kesehatan, salah satunya gangguan perilaku makan. Salah satu faktor yang memengaruhi yaitu peer attachment dan parent attachment. Tujuan penelitian: untuk mengetahui adanya hubungan peer dan parent attachment dengan gangguan perilaku makan pada remaja SMA. Metode: Penelitian menggunakan desain cross sectional kepada 65 responden yang diambil berdasarkan purposive sampling. Kriteria responden penelitian yaitu remaja usia 15-17 tahun dan mengalami gangguan perilaku makan. Gangguan perilaku makan diidentifikasi menggunakan alat ukur The Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), sedangkan attachment diukur dengan The Inventory of Peer and Parent Attachment (IPPA) yang valid dan reliabel. Penelitian ini telah dinyatakan lolos kaji etik oleh Komite Etik Penelitian Fakultas Ilmu Keperawatan Universitas Indonesia. Hasil: penelitian menunjukkan ada hubungan peer attachment dengan gangguan perilaku makan (p=0,000; r=0,459), dan ada hubungan parent attachment dengan gangguan perilaku makan (p=0,020; r=0,288). Kesimpulan: Rekomendasi adalah sekolah dapat memaksimalkan upaya membangun perilaku hidup sehat dengan mengadakan penyuluhan secara berkala berkaitan dengan berat badan ideal, perilaku makan yang baik, dan gizi seimbangKata Kunci: gangguan perilaku makan, parent attachment, peer attachment, remajaCORRELATION BETWEEN PEER AND PARENT ATTACHMENT WITH DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIORS IN HIGH SCHOOL ADOLESCENTSABSTRACTObjective: This study is aimed to determine the correlation between peer and parent attachment with disordered eating behaviors in high school adolescents. Methods: Its design was cross-sectional with samples and selected through purposive sampling technique.The Criteria of respondents were adolescent aged 15-17 years and experienced disodered eating behaviors. Disordered eating behaviors were identified using the The Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), while attachments were measured by The Inventory of Peer and Parent Attachment (IPPA). Both of them are valid and reliable. This research has been declared escaped ethical review by Research Ethics Committee Faculty of Nursing University of Indonesia. Data was analyzed with pearson correlation test. Results: The results showed there were a correlation between peer attachment and disordered eating behaviors (p=0,000; r=0,459). Also, there were a correlation between parent attachment and disordered eating behaviors (p=0,020; r=0,288). Disscussion: Recommendation is schools can maximize efforts to build healthy lifestyles by conducting periodic counseling related to ideal body weight, good eating behavior, and balanced nutrition.Keywords: adolescent, disordered eating behaviors, parent attachment, parent attachment
Numerical Modeling of Wave Disturbances in the Process of Ship Movement Control
Authors: Borkowski Piotr
Published: August 2018

The article presents a numerical model of sea wave generation as an implementation of the stochastic process with a spectrum of wave angular velocity. Based on the wave spectrum, a forming filter is determined, and its input is fed with white noise. The resulting signal added to the angular speed of a ship represents disturbances acting on the ship’s hull as a result of wave impact. The model was used for simulation tests of the influence of disturbances on the course stabilization system of the ship.
Antioxidant Capacity and UPLC-PDA ESI-MS Phenolic Profile of Stevia rebaudiana Dry Powder Extracts Obtained by Ultrasound Assisted Extraction
Authors: Covarrubias-Cárdenas Ana G. , Martínez-Castillo José Isabel , Medina-Torres Nelly , Ayora-Talavera Teresa , Espinosa-Andrews Hugo , García-Cruz N. Ulises , Pacheco Neith
Published: August 2018

Stevia leaves, which are commonly used as a natural sweetener in food products, have increased in importance for antioxidant delivery due to their high content of phenolic compounds. In this study, the influence of the drying process on stevia leaves, with regards to phenolic content and antioxidant activity during drying kinetics 40 °C for 7 h, was studied. The effect of solvent concentration and extraction time using a 32 factorial design on total phenol content (TPC), and on antioxidant activity of extracts obtained from dried stevia leaves, by ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) as alternative method was evaluated. Steviol glycosides contents were also evaluated by a conventional and UAE method. Phenols identification, quantification and purification were performed by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS), Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array (UPLC-PDA) and advanced automated flash purification, respectively. Drying time affected the moisture content of stevia leaves. A constant weight was reached after six hours of drying, and higher antioxidant activity was observed, while the highest TPC was obtained after seven hours of drying. The highest TPC (91.57 ± 8.8 mg GAE/g dw) and antioxidant activity (603.24 ± 3.5 μmol TE/g dw) in UAE method was obtained when ethanol 50% at 5 min was used. Steviol glycosides extracted by UAE were recorded with a content of 93.18 ± 1.36 mg/g dw and 98.97 ± 1.75 mg/g dw for stevioside and rebaudioside A respectively. Six phenolic compounds including four phenolic acids and two flavonoids were identified and quantified by UPLC-PDA, and confirmed by ESI-MS reporting its fragmentation pattern. Diosmin and chlorogenic acid were the most abundant compounds with values of 2032.36 μg/mL and 434.95 μg/mL respectively. As a novelty we found that the antioxidant activity evaluated in partially purified fractions suggested that biological activity might be attributed to the synergistic effect of the six phenols present in the stevia leaves extract. In addition to its sweeting properties, stevia leaves constitute a potential source of polyphenolic compounds, with antioxidant activity that could be used as a food additive.
Relative Contribution of Framework and CDR Regions in Antibody Variable Domains to Multimerisation of Fv- and scFv-Containing Bispecific Antibodies
Authors: Bhatta Pallavi , Humphreys David P.
Published: August 2018

Bispecific antibodies represent an emerging class of antibody drugs that are commonly generated by fusion of Fv or scFv antigen binding domains to IgG or Fab scaffolds. Fv- or scFv-mediated multimerisation of bispecific antibodies via promiscuous vH-vL pairing can result in sub-optimal monomer levels during expression, and hence, undesirable therapeutic protein yields. We investigate the contribution of disulphide stabilised Fv and scFv to Fab-Fv and Fab-scFv multimerisation. We show that monomer levels of isolated Fv/scFv cannot always be used to predict monomer levels of Fab-linked Fv/scFv, and that Fab-scFv monomer levels are greater than the equivalent Fab-Fv. Through grafting bispecifics with framework/CDR-‘swapped’ Fv and scFv, we show that monomer levels of disulphide stabilised Fab-Fv and Fab-scFv can be improved by Fv framework ‘swapping’. The Fab-Fv and Fab-scFv can be considered representative of the significant number of bispecific antibody formats containing appended Fv/scFv, as we also used Fv framework ‘swapping’ to increase the monomer level of an IgG-scFv bispecific antibody. This research may, therefore, be useful for maximising the monomeric yield of numerous pharmaceutically-relevant bispecific formats in pre-clinical development.
Lateralized Brainstem and Cervical Spinal Cord Responses to Aversive Sounds: A Spinal fMRI Study
Authors: Smith Stephen D. , Kolesar Tiffany A. , Kornelsen Jennifer
Published: August 2018

Previous research has delineated the networks of brain structures involved in the perception of emotional auditory stimuli. These include the amygdala, insula, and auditory cortices, as well as frontal-lobe, basal ganglia, and cerebellar structures involved in the planning and execution of motoric behaviors. The aim of the current research was to examine whether emotional sounds also influence activity in the brainstem and cervical spinal cord. Seventeen undergraduate participants completed a spinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study consisting of two fMRI runs. One run consisted of three one-minute blocks of aversive sounds taken from the International Affective Digitized Sounds (IADS) stimulus set; these blocks were interleaved by 40-s rest periods. The other block consisted of emotionally neutral stimuli also drawn from the IADS. The results indicated a stark pattern of lateralization. Aversive sounds elicited greater activity than neutral sounds in the right midbrain and brainstem, and in right dorsal and ventral regions of the cervical spinal cord. Neutral stimuli, on the other hand, elicited less neural activity than aversive sounds overall; these responses were left lateralized and were found in the medial midbrain and the dorsal sensory regions of the cervical spinal cord. Together, these results demonstrate that aversive auditory stimuli elicit increased sensorimotor responses in brainstem and cervical spinal cord structures.
Transient Receptor Potential Channel A1 (TRPA1) Regulates Sulfur Mustard-Induced Expression of Heat Shock 70 kDa Protein 6 (HSPA6) In Vitro
Authors: Lüling Robin , John Harald , Gudermann Thomas , Thiermann Horst , Mückter Harald , Popp Tanja , Steinritz Dirk
Published: August 2018

The chemosensory transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) ion channel perceives different sensory stimuli. It also interacts with reactive exogenous compounds including the chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard (SM). Activation of TRPA1 by SM results in elevation of intracellular calcium levels but the cellular consequences are not understood so far. In the present study we analyzed SM-induced and TRPA1-mediated effects in human TRPA1-overexpressing HEK cells (HEKA1) and human lung epithelial cells (A549) that endogenously exhibit TRPA1. The specific TRPA1 inhibitor AP18 was used to distinguish between SM-induced and TRPA1-mediated or TRPA1-independent effects. Cells were exposed to 600 µM SM and proteome changes were investigated 24 h afterwards by 2D gel electrophoresis. Protein spots with differential staining levels were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and nano liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Results were verified by RT-qPCR experiments in both HEKA1 or A549 cells. Heat shock 70 kDa protein 6 (HSPA6) was identified as an SM-induced and TRPA1-mediated protein. AP18 pre-treatment diminished the up-regulation. RT-qPCR measurements verified these results and further revealed a time-dependent regulation. Our results demonstrate that SM-mediated activation of TRPA1 influences the protein expression and confirm the important role of TRPA1 ion channels in the molecular toxicology of SM.
Preparation and Spectrum Characterization of a High Quality Linear Variable Filter
Authors: Tang Haolong , Gao Jinsong , Zhang Jian , Wang Xiaoyi , Fu Xiuhua
Published: August 2018

To meet the requirements for lightweight, miniaturized dispersive optical systems for space applications, linear variable filters with a high transmittance and spatial dispersion coefficient are proposed. The filters were produced with dual ion beam sputtering, where a single layer thickness variation was achieved with a deposition rate adjustment based on a linear variable correction formula. A linear variable trend matching method was used to correct the film thickness based on the reduction of the mismatch error between two materials: Ta2O5 and SiO2. The influence of the spectral and spatial measuring average effects was addressed by sampling the spot size optimization. This paper presents an all-dielectric linear variable filter that operates between 520 and 1000 nm, with an excellent linear dependence of 40 nm/mm over 12 mm. The linear variable filter possessed a 2.5% bandwidth, and its transmittance was found to be >80% at the central wavelength of the band, with a 0.1% transmittance in the cut-off region. These results indicate great potential for optical devices for space applications, and the developed process has good reproducibility and stability.
Barrel Shifter Physical Unclonable Function Based Encryption
Authors: Guo Yunxi , Dee Timothy , Tyagi Akhilesh
Published: August 2018

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are designed to extract physical randomness from the underlying silicon. This randomness depends on the manufacturing process. It differs for each device. This enables chip-level authentication and key generation applications. We present an encryption protocol using PUFs as primary encryption/decryption functions. Each party has a PUF used for encryption and decryption. This PUF is constrained to be invertible and commutative. The focus of the paper is an evaluation of an invertible and commutative PUF based on a primitive shifting permutation network—a barrel shifter. Barrel shifter (BS) PUF captures the delay of different shift paths. This delay is entangled with message bits before they are sent across an insecure channel. BS-PUF is implemented using transmission gates for physical commutativity. Post-layout simulations of a common centroid layout 8-level barrel shifter in 0.13 μ m technology assess uniqueness, stability, randomness and commutativity properties. BS-PUFs pass all selected NIST statistical randomness tests. Stability similar to Ring Oscillator (RO) PUFs under environmental variation is shown. Logistic regression of 100,000 plaintext–ciphertext pairs (PCPs) fails to successfully model BS-PUF behavior.
The Relationship between Free Time Satisfaction and Stress Levels of Elite-Level Student-Wrestlers
Authors: Yasarturk Fatih , Akyüz Hayri , Karatas Ismail , Turkmen Mutlu
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between free time satisfaction and stress levels of elite level student wrestlers according to some demographic factors. The sample of the study consisted of 119 (85 male and 34 female) elite level student wrestlers who participated in the Wrestling National Team camp in 2018. As data collection tools, “Personal Information Form”, “Stress Scale in Working Life: SSWL”, and “Free Time Satisfaction Scale: FTSS” were used. In the analysis of the derived data, t-test, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis were used, and Pearson Correlation test was applied to examine relations between study variables. There was no significant difference in the t-test results according to the “gender” variable (p > 0.05). There was a meaningful, low-level negative correlation between the “age” variable and social, aesthetic, sub-dimensions of stress scale. As a result, this study found that participants’ free time satisfaction levels were related to age; and stress levels were related to age, sport year, national team year, and income level.
Undergraduate Biology Students’ Teleological and Essentialist Misconceptions
Authors: Stern Florian , Kampourakis Kostas , Huneault Catherine , Silveira Patricia , Müller Andreas
Published: August 2018

Research in developmental psychology has shown that deeply-rooted, intuitive ways of thinking, such as design teleology and psychological essentialism, impact children’s scientific explanations about natural phenomena. Similarly, biology education researchers have found that students often hold inaccurate conceptions about natural phenomena, which often relate to these intuitions. In order to further investigate the relation between students’ conceptions and intuitions, we conducted a study with 93 first year undergraduate students in biology. They were asked to express their level of agreement or disagreement with six misconception statements and to explain their choices in a two-tier test. Results showed a tendency for students to agree with teleological and essentialist misconceptions. However, no association was found between students’ teleological and essentialist conceptions as expressed in their agreement or disagreement with the various misconception statements. Moreover, we found evidence of a variable consistency across students’ answers depending on the misconception considered, which indicates that item features and contexts may have an effect on students’ answers. All together, these findings provide evidence for considerable persistence of teleological and essentialist misconceptions among students. We suggest future directions for thinking, studying, and analyzing students’ conceptions about biological phenomena.
A Hybrid Framework for Short Term Multi-Step Wind Speed Forecasting Based on Variational Model Decomposition and Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Zhou Jianzhong , Liu Han , Xu Yanhe , Jiang Wei
Published: August 2018

Wind speed is an important factor in wind power generation. Wind speed forecasting is complicated due to its highly nonstationary character. Therefore, this paper presents a hybrid framework for the development of multi-step wind speed forecasting based on variational model decomposition and convolutional neural networks. In the first step of signal pre-processing, the variational model decomposition approach decomposes the wind speed data into several independent modes under different center pulsation. The vibrations of decomposed modes are useful for accurate wind speed forecasting. Then, the influence of different numbers of modes and the input length of the convolutional neural network are discussed to select the optimal value through calculating the errors. During the regression step, each mode is treated as a channel that constitutes the input of the forecasting model. The convolution operations in convolutional neural networks extract helpful local features in each mode and the relationships between modes for forecasting. We take advantage of the convolutional neural network and directly output multi-step forecasting results. In order to show the forecasting and generalization performance of the proposed method, wind seed data from two wind farms in Inner Mongolia, China and Sotavento Galicia, Spain with different statistical information were employed. Some classic statistical approaches were adopted for comparison. The experimental results show the satisfactory performance for all of the methods in single-step forecasting and the advantages of using decomposed modes. The root mean squared errors range from 0.79 m/s to 1.64 m/s for all of the methods. In the case of multi-step forecasting, our proposed method achieves an outstanding improvement compared with the other methods. The root mean squared error of our proposed method was 1.30 m/s while the worst performance of the other methods was 9.68 m/s. The proposed method is able to directly predict the variation trend of wind speed based on historical data with minor errors. Hence, the proposed forecasting schemes can be utilized for wind speed multi-step forecasting to cost-effectively manage wind power generation.
Design, Analysis of the Location and Materials of Neodymium Magnets on the Torque and Power of In-Wheel External Rotor PMSM for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Łebkowski Andrzej
Published: August 2018

The technology of mounting electric direct drive motors into vehicle wheels has become one of the trends in the field of electric vehicle drive systems. The article presents suggestions for answering the question: How should magnets be mounted on the External Rotor Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (ERPMSM) with three phase concentrated windings, to ensure optimal operation of the electric machine in all climatic and weather conditions? The ERPMSM design methodology is discussed. Step by step, a method related to the implementation of subsequent stages of design works and tools (calculation methods) used in this type of work are presented. By means of FEM 2D software, various ERPMSM designs were analyzed in terms of power, torque, rotational speed, cogging torque and torque ripple. The results of numerical calculations related to variations in geometric sizes and application of different base materials for each of ERPMSM machine components are presented. The final parameters of the motor designed for mounting inside the wheel of the vehicle are presented (Power = 53 kW, Torque = 347 Nm; Base speed = 1550 RPM), which correspond to the adopted initial assumptions.
Intersectoral and Intermunicipal Cooperation as a Tool for Supporting Local Economic Development: Prospects for the Forest and Wood-Based Sector in Poland
Authors: Wanat Leszek , Potkański Tomasz , Chudobiecki Jan , Mikołajczak Elżbieta , Mydlarz Katarzyna
Published: August 2018

Intersectoral and intermunicipal cooperation are still underdeveloped spheres of public and economic development policies. This also applies to the natural economy to a large extent. Scientific discussions are invariably focused on pro-competitive activities, the economic efficiency of which is not always sufficient. In this paper the authors attempt to identify factors leading to cooperation between local government authorities and economic entities focusing on the forestry and wood-based sector in Poland. These processes were analyzed within the framework of the Spatial Economics and New Institutional Economy, both in the theoretical and practical context. The aim of the research was to identify the ability to create intersectoral and intermunicipal partnerships in already existing and newly established functional areas, as this may determine the development of the forestry and wood-based industry.
About One in Five Novice Vapers Buying Their First E-Cigarette in a Vape Shop Are Smoking Abstinent after Six Months
Authors: Adriaens Karolien , Van Gucht Dinska , Baeyens Frank
Published: August 2018

Background: E-cigarette use is rising with the majority of vapers purchasing their e-cigarettes in vape shops. We investigated the smoking/vaping trajectories and quit-smoking success rates of smokers deciding to start vaping for the first time and buying their e-cigarette in brick-and-mortar vape shops in Flanders. Methods: Participants filled out questionnaires assessing smoking/vaping behaviour at three moments (intake, after three and six months) and smoking status was biochemically verified using eCO measurements. Results: Participants (n = 71) were regular smokers (MeCO-intake = 22 ppm), half of whom reported a motivation to quit smoking in the near future. Participants bought 3rd/4th generation e-cigarettes and e-liquid with a nicotine concentration averaging 7 mg/mL. A smoking reduction of 53% (17 cigarettes per day (CPD) at intake to 8 CPD after six months) was observed, whereas eCO decreased to 15 ppm. Eighteen percent of participants had quit smoking completely (eCO = 2 ppm), another 25% had at least halved CPD, whereas 57% had failed to reduce CPD by at least 50% (including 13% lost to follow-up). Quitters consumed more e-liquid than reducers and those who continued to smoke. Conclusions: Around one in five smoking customers buying their first e-cigarette in a brick-and-mortar vape shop had quit smoking completely after six months.
Share Our Cultural Heritage (SOCH): Worldwide 3D Heritage Reconstruction and Visualization via Web and Mobile GIS
Authors: Dhonju Hari K. , Xiao Wen , Mills Jon P. , Sarhosis Vasilis
Published: August 2018

Despite being of paramount importance to humanity, tangible cultural heritage is often at risk from natural and anthropogenic threats worldwide. As a result, heritage discovery and conservation remain a huge challenge for both developed and developing countries, with heritage sites often inadequately cared for, be it due to a lack of resources, nonrecognition of the value by local people or authorities, human conflict, or some other reason. This paper presents an online geo-crowdsourcing system, termed Share Our Cultural Heritage (SOCH), which can be utilized for large-scale heritage documentation and sharing. Supported by web and mobile GIS, cultural heritage data such as textual stories, locations, and images can be acquired via portable devices. These data are georeferenced and presented to the public via web-mapping. Using photogrammetric modelling, acquired images are used to reconstruct heritage structures or artefacts into 3D digital models, which are then visualized on the SOCH web interface to enable public interaction. This end-to-end system incubates an online virtual community to encourage public engagement, raise awareness, and stimulate cultural heritage ownership. It also provides valuable resources for cultural heritage exploitation, management, education, and monitoring over time.
Antiproliferative Activity of Non-Calcemic Vitamin D Analogs on Human Melanoma Lines in Relation to VDR and PDIA3 Receptors
Authors: Wasiewicz Tomasz , Piotrowska Anna , Wierzbicka Justyna , Slominski Andrzej T. , Zmijewski Michal A.
Published: August 2018

Vitamin D is a precursor for secosteroidal hormones, which demonstrate pleiotropic biological activities, including the regulation of growth and the differentiation of normal and malignant cells. Our previous studies have indicated that the inhibition of melanoma proliferation by a short side-chain, low calcemic analog of vitamin D—21(OH)pD is not fully dependent on the expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR). We have examined the effects of classic vitamin D metabolites, 1,25(OH)2D3 and 25(OH)D3, and two low calcemic vitamin D analogs, (21(OH)pD and calcipotriol), on proliferation, mRNA expression and vitamin D receptor (VDR) translocation in three human melanoma cell lines: WM98, A375 and SK-MEL-188b (subline b of SK-MEL-188, which lost responsiveness to 1,25(OH)2D3 and became VDR−/−CYP27B1−/−). All tested compounds efficiently inhibited the proliferation of WM98 and A375 melanoma cells except SK-MEL-188b, in which only the short side-chain vitamin D analog—21(OH)pD was effective. Overall, 21(OH)pD was the most potent compound in all three melanoma cell lines in the study. The lack of responsiveness of SK-MEL-188b to 1,25(OH)2D3, 25(OH)D3 and calcipotriol is explained by a lack of characteristic transcripts for the VDR, its splicing variants as well as for vitamin D-activating enzyme CYP27B1. On the other hand, the expression of VDR and its splicing variants and other vitamin D related genes (RXR, PDIA3, CYP3A4, CYP2R1, CYP27B1, CYP24A1 and CYP11A1) was detected in WM98 and A375 melanomas with the transcript levels being modulated by vitamin D analogs. The expression of VDR isoforms in WM98 cells was stimulated strongly by calcipotriol. The antiproliferative activities of 21(OH)pD appear not to require VDR translocation to the nucleus, which explains the high efficacy of this noncalcemic pregnacalciferol analog in SK-MEL-188b melanoma, that is, VDR−/−. Therefore, we propose that 21(OH)pD is a good candidate for melanoma therapy, although the mechanism of its action remains to be defined.
TGF-β and BMPR2 Signaling in PAH: Two Black Sheep in One Family
Authors: Rol Nina , Kurakula Konda Babu , Happé Chris , Bogaard Harm Jan , Goumans Marie-José
Published: August 2018

Knowledge pertaining to the involvement of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is continuously increasing. There is a growing understanding of the function of individual components involved in the pathway, but a clear synthesis of how these interact in PAH is currently lacking. Most of the focus has been on signaling downstream of BMPR2, but it is imperative to include the role of TGF-β signaling in PAH. This review gives a state of the art overview of disturbed signaling through the receptors of the TGF-β family with respect to vascular remodeling and cardiac effects as observed in PAH. Recent (pre)-clinical studies in which these two pathways were targeted will be discussed with an extended view on cardiovascular research fields outside of PAH, indicating novel future perspectives.
Combined Modulation of Tumor Metabolism by Metformin and Diclofenac in Glioma
Authors: Gerthofer Valeria , Kreutz Marina , Renner Kathrin , Jachnik Birgit , Dettmer Katja , Oefner Peter , Riemenschneider Markus J. , Proescholdt Martin , Vollmann-Zwerenz Arabel , Hau Peter , Seliger Corinna
Published: August 2018

Glioblastoma remains a fatal diagnosis. Previous research has shown that metformin, which is an inhibitor of complex I of the respiratory chain, may inhibit some brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs), albeit at dosages that are too high for clinical use. Here, we explored whether a combined treatment of metformin and diclofenac, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) shown to inhibit glycolysis by interfering with lactate efflux, may lead to additive or even synergistic effects on BTICs (BTIC-8, -11, -13 and -18) and tumor cell lines (TCs, U87, and HTZ349). Therefore, we investigated the functional effects, including proliferation and migration, metabolic effects including oxygen consumption and extracellular lactate levels, and effects on the protein level, including signaling pathways. Functional investigation revealed synergistic anti-migratory and anti-proliferative effects of the combined treatment with metformin and diclofenac on BTICs and TCs. Signaling pathways did not sufficiently explain synergistic effects. However, we observed that metformin inhibited cellular oxygen consumption and increased extracellular lactate levels, indicating glycolytic rescue mechanisms. Combined treatment inhibited metformin-induced lactate increase. The combination of metformin and diclofenac may represent a promising new strategy in the treatment of glioblastoma. Combined treatment may reduce the effective doses of the single agents and prevent metabolic rescue mechanisms. Further studies are needed in order to determine possible side effects in humans.
Recombinant Escherichia coli BL21-pET28a-egfp Cultivated with Nanomaterials in a Modified Microchannel for Biofilm Formation
Authors: Zhu Chang-Tong , Mei Yi-Yuan , Zhu Lin-Lin , Xu Yan , Sheng Sheng , Wang Jun
Published: August 2018

The application of whole cells as catalytic biofilms in microchannels has attracted increasing scientific interest. However, the excessive biomass formation and structure of biofilms in a reactor limits their use. A microchannel reactor with surface modification was used to colonize recombinant Escherichia coil BL21-pET28a-egfp rapidly and accelerated growth of biofilms in the microchannel. The segmented flow system of ‘air/culture medium containing nanomaterials’ was firstly used to modulate the biofilms formation of recombinant E. coil; the inhibitory effects of nanomaterials on biofilm formation were investigated. The results indicated that the segmental flow mode has a significant impact on the structure and development of biofilms. Using the channels modified by silane reagent, the culture time of biofilms (30 h) was reduced by 6 h compared to unmodified channels. With the addition of graphene sheets (10 mg/L) in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium, the graphene sheets possessed a minimum inhibition rate of 3.23% against recombinant E. coil. The biofilms cultivated by the LB medium with added graphene sheets were stably formed in 20 h; the formation time was 33.33% shorter than that by LB medium without graphene. The developed method provides an efficient and simple approach for rapid preparation of catalytic biofilms in microchannel reactors.
Molecular Pathways of Estrogen Receptor Action
Authors: Pakdel Farzad
Published: August 2018

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Dihydromyricetin Attenuates Myocardial Hypertrophy Induced by Transverse Aortic Constriction via Oxidative Stress Inhibition and SIRT3 Pathway Enhancement
Authors: Chen Yun , Luo Hui-Qin , Sun Lin-Lin , Xu Meng-Ting , Yu Jin , Liu Lu-Lu , Zhang Jing-Yao , Wang Yu-Qin , Wang Hong-Xia , Bao Xiao-Feng , Meng Guo-Liang
Published: August 2018

Dihydromyricetin (DMY), one of the flavonoids in vine tea, exerts several pharmacological actions. However, it is not clear whether DMY has a protective effect on pressure overload-induced myocardial hypertrophy. In the present study, male C57BL/6 mice aging 8–10 weeks were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery after 2 weeks of DMY (250 mg/kg/day) intragastric administration. DMY was given for another 2 weeks after surgery. Blood pressure, myocardial structure, cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area, cardiac function, and cardiac index were observed. The level of oxidative stress in the myocardium was assessed with dihydroethidium staining. Our results showed that DMY had no significant effect on the blood pressure. DMY decreased inter ventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall thickness, relative wall thickness, cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas, as well as cardiac index after TAC. DMY pretreatment also significantly reduced arterial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) mRNA and protein expressions, decreased reactive oxygen species production and malondialdehyde (MDA) level, while increased total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), expression of sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), forkhead-box-protein 3a (FOXO3a) and SOD2, and SIRT3 activity in the myocardium of mice after TAC. Taken together, DMY ameliorated TAC induced myocardial hypertrophy in mice related to oxidative stress inhibition and SIRT3 pathway enhancement.
Association between Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and CNS Infection Risk: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Hung Wei-Te , Teng Ying-Hock , Yang Shun-Fa , Yeh Han-Wei , Yeh Ying-Tung , Wang Yu-Hsun , Chou Ming-Yung , Chou Ming-Chih , Chan Chi-Ho , Yeh Chao-Bin
Published: August 2018

This study investigated the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) infection following the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Taiwan by using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified and enrolled 16,241 patients with CNS infection who used PPIs (PPI users). The patients were individually propensity score matched (1:1) according to age, sex, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), H2 blocker, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroid, and immunosuppressant use with 16,241 controls (PPI nonusers). A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for CNS infection in the PPI users and nonusers. After adjustment for other confounding factors, the incidence of CNS infection in the PPI users was 2.23-fold higher than that in the PPI nonusers (95% CI = 1.27–3.94). In addition, the PPI users exhibited a higher risk of CNS infection than the nonusers in the hypertension and CCI = 1 groups (aHR = 3.80, 95% CI = 1.40–10.32; aHR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.07–5.70 in the PPI users and nonusers, respectively). In conclusions, according to these results, we concluded that the incidence of CNS infection was higher in the PPI users than in the nonusers.
Column Leaching of Greek Low-Grade Limonitic Laterites
Authors: Komnitsas Kostas , Petrakis Evangelos , Pantelaki Olga , Kritikaki Anna
Published: August 2018

In this study, column leaching experiments were carried out to investigate the extraction of Ni and Co from low-grade limonitic laterites from Agios Ioannis mines in central Greece. Tests were carried out in laboratory Plexiglas columns using H2SO4 as leaching solution. Parameters determining the efficiency of the process, i.e., acid concentration (0.5 M or 1.5 M) and addition of 20 or 30 g/L of sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) in the leaching solution, were also studied. Upflow transport of the leaching solution with the use of peristaltic pumps was carried out, while the pregnant leach solution (PLS) was recycled several times over the entire test duration. The concentration of Ni, Co, Fe, Ca, Al, Mg, and Mn in the PLS was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The ore and the leaching residues were characterized by different techniques, i.e., X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry (DSC/TG). The experimental results showed that (i) Ni and Co extractions increased with the increase of H2SO4 concentration—60.2% Ni and 59.0% Co extractions were obtained after 33 days of leaching with 1.5 M H2SO4; (ii) addition of 20 g/L Na2SO3 in the leaching solution resulted in higher extraction percentages for both metals (73.5% for Ni and 84.1% for Co, respectively), whereas further increase of Na2SO3 concentration to 30 g/L only marginally affected Ni and Co extractions; and (iii) when leaching was carried out with 1.5 M H2SO4 and 20 g/L Na2SO3, its selectivity was improved, as deduced from the ratios Ni/Mg, Ni/Ca and Ni/Al in the PLS; on the other hand, the ratio Ni/Fe dropped as a result of the higher Fe extraction compared with that of Ni.
A Simple Method for On-Gel Detection of Myrosinase Activity
Authors: Gonda Sándor , Szűcs Zsolt , Plaszkó Tamás , Cziáky Zoltán , Kiss-Szikszai Attila , Vasas Gábor , M-Hamvas Márta
Published: August 2018

Myrosinase is an enzyme present in many functional foods and spices, particularly in Cruciferous vegetables. It hydrolyses glucosinolates which thereafter rearrange into bioactive volatile constituents (isothiocyanates, nitriles). We aimed to develop a simple reversible method for on-gel detection of myrosinase. Reagent composition and application parameters for native PAGE and SDS-PAGE gels were optimized. The proposed method was successfully applied to detect myrosinase (or sulfatase) on-gel: the detection solution contains methyl red which gives intensive red bands where the HSO4− is enzymatically released from the glucosinolates. Subsequently, myrosinase was successfully distinguished from sulfatase by incubating gel bands in a derivatization solution and examination by LC-ESI-MS: myrosinase produced allyl isothiocyanate (detected in conjugate form) while desulfo-sinigrin was released by sulfatase, as expected. After separation of 80 µg protein of crude extracts of Cruciferous vegetables, intensive color develops within 10 min. On-gel detection was found to be linear between 0.031–0.25 U (pure Sinapis alba myrosinase, R2 = 0.997). The method was successfully applied to detection of myrosinase isoenzymes from horseradish, Cruciferous vegetables and endophytic fungi of horseradish as well. The method was shown to be very simple, rapid and efficient. It enables detection and partial characterization of glucosinolate decomposing enzymes without protein purification.
Direct Asymmetric Reductive Amination for the Synthesis of (S)-Rivastigmine
Authors: Gao Guorui , Du Shaozhi , Yang Yang , Lei Xue , Huang Haizhou , Chang Mingxin
Published: August 2018

In this article we demonstrate how asymmetric total synthesis of (S)-rivastigmine has been achieved using direct asymmetric reductive amination as the key transformation in four steps. The route started with readily available and cheap m-hydroxyacetophenone, through esterification, asymmetric reductive amination, N-diphenylmethyl deprotection and reductive amination, to provide the final (S)-rivastigmine in 82% overall yield and 96% enantioselectivity. In the asymmetric reductive amination, catalysed by the iridium–phosphoramidite ligand complex and helped by some additives, the readily prepared 3-acetylphenyl ethyl(methyl)carbamate directly reductively coupled with diphenylmethanamine to yield the chiral amine product in 96% ee and 93% yield.
Screening of Cytotoxicity and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Feijoa Extracts Using Genetically Modified Cell Models Targeting TLR2, TLR4 and NOD2 Pathways, and the Implication for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Peng Yaoyao , Bishop Karen Suzanne , Ferguson Lynnette Robin , Quek Siew Young
Published: August 2018

Feijoa has been increasingly studied in the recent decade, while investigations into its bioactivities including anti-inflammatory activity are lacking. In this article, the cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory properties of feijoa extracts, from flesh, peel and whole fruit, from four cultivars namely APOLLO, UNIQUE, OPAL STAR and WIKI TU are presented. Three inflammatory pathways, Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4 and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), were investigated using genetically modified cell models namely HEK-Blue™ hTLR2, HEK-Blue™ hTLR4, NOD2-WT and NOD2-G908R. Results show that feijoa peel extract induced higher cytotoxicity than flesh and whole fruit extracts, and the APOLLO cultivar was the most anti-inflammatory among the four tested cultivars. The anti-inflammatory activity of feijoa flesh was detected only through the TLR2 pathway, and the activity of feijoa peel and whole fruit was evident mainly through the TLR2 and NOD2 pathways. Most notably, feijoa anti-inflammatory activity was superior to ibuprofen particularly through the TLR2 pathway, with significantly lower secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase IC50 concentrations (7.88, 12.81, 30.84 and 442.90 μg/mL for APOLLO flesh, peel, whole fruit extract and ibuprofen respectively). These findings indicate that feijoa has great potential to be used in the treatment and prevention of inflammation-related diseases including inflammatory bowel disease.
Estimation of River Discharge Solely from Remote-Sensing Derived Data: An Initial Study Over the Yangtze River
Authors: Sichangi Arthur , Wang Lei , Hu Zhidan
Published: August 2018

A novel approach has been developed to estimating river discharge solely using satellite-derived parameters. The temporal river width observations from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), made at two stream segments a distance apart, are plotted to identify the time lag. The river velocity estimate is then computed using the time lag and distance between the width measurement locations, producing a resultant velocity of 0.96 m/s. The estimated velocity is comparable to that computed from in situ gauge-observed data. An empirical relationship is then utilized to estimate river depth. In addition, the channel condition values published in tables are used to estimate the roughness coefficient. The channel slope is derived from the digital elevation model averaged over a river section approximately 516 km long. Finally, the temporal depth changes is captured by adjusting the estimated depth to the Envisat satellite altimetry -derived water level changes, and river width changes from Landsat ETM+. The newly developed procedure was applied to two river sites for validation. In both cases, the river discharges were estimated with reasonable accuracy (with Nash–Sutcliffe values >0.50). The performance evaluation of discharge estimation using satellite-derived parameters was also analyzed. Since the methodology for estimating discharge is solely dependent on global satellite datasets, it represents a promising technique for use on rivers worldwide.
Antarctic Snowmelt Detected by Diurnal Variations of AMSR-E Brightness Temperature
Authors: Zheng Lei , Zhou Chunxia , Liu Ruixi , Sun Qizhen
Published: August 2018

Antarctic surface snowmelt is sensitive to the polar climate. The ascending and descending passes of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System Sensor (AMSR-E) observed the Antarctic ice sheet in the afternoon (the warmest period) and at midnight (a cold period), enabling us to make full use of the diurnal amplitude variations (DAV) in brightness temperature (Tb) to detect snowmelt. The DAV in vertically polarized 36.5 GHz Tb (DAV36V) is extremely sensitive to liquid water and can reduce the effects of the structural changes in snowpacks during melt seasons. A set of controlled experiments based on the microwave emission model of layered snow (MEMLS) were conducted to study the changes of the vertically polarized 36.5 GHz Tb (Δ36V) during the transitions from dry to wet snow regimes. Results of the experiments suggest that 9 K can be used as a DAV36V threshold to recognize snowmelt. The analyses of snowmelt suggest that the Antarctic ice sheet began to melt in November and became almost completely frozen in late March of the following year. The total cumulative melt area from 2002 to 2011 was 2.44 × 106 km2, i.e., 17.58% of the Antarctic ice sheet. The annual cumulative melt area showed considerable fluctuations, with a significant (above 90% confidence level) drop of 5.24 × 104 km2/year in the short term. Persistent snowmelt (i.e., melt that continues for at least three days) detected by AMSR-E and hourly air temperatures (Tair) were very consistent. Though melt seasons became longer in the western Antarctic Peninsula and the Shackleton Ice Shelf, Antarctica was subjected to considerable decreases in duration and melting days in stable melt areas, i.e., −0.64 and −0.81 days/year, respectively. Surface snowmelt in Antarctica decreased temporally and spatially from 2002 to 2011.
A Novel Dielectric Tomography System for In-Situ Tracking Three-Dimensional Soil Water Dynamics
Authors: Yu Song , Chen Chao , Xu Qiang , Cheng Qiang , Yan Xiaofei , Yu Zhou , Ma Yihan , Chen Haonan
Published: August 2018

In this study, we developed a novel dielectric tomography system for in-situ tracking three-dimensional (3D) soil water dynamics. The system was designed to control a single dielectric tube sensor that automatically lowered in a PVC tube array installed in-situ to determine the water content of a soil profile, which eliminated probe-to-probe uncertainties and labor costs. Two tests for evaluating the novel system were conducted (i) to analyze and correct the positional error of the probe due to out-of-step errors of stepper motors, and (ii) to track and visualize 3D soil water temporal variations in a soil tank with heterogenetic bulk densities and initial water contents under drip irrigation. The results show that the positioning correcting algorithm combined with starting point alignment can minimize the positioning error of the probe during the 3D tomography. The single drip emitter test illustrated spatial and temporal variations of soil water content due to heterogeneous soil properties in vertical and horizontal directions around the access tube array. Based on these data, 3D distributions of soil water dynamics were visualized. The developed tomography system has potential application to be extended to the local scale in a greenhouse or the large scale in an agricultural field. Future research should explore the performance for agricultural crop irrigation or for modeling and validating soil water flow or hydrological process under either steady state or non-steady state condition.
Non-Contact Measurement of the Surface Displacement of a Slope Based on a Smart Binocular Vision System
Authors: He Leping , Tan Jie , Hu Qijun , He Songsheng , Cai Qijie , Fu Yutong , Tang Shuang
Published: August 2018

The paper presents an intelligent real-time slope surface deformation monitoring system based on binocular stereo-vision. To adapt the system to field slope monitoring, a design scheme of concentric marking point is proposed. Techniques including Zernike moment edge extraction, the least squares method, and k-means clustering are used to design a sub-pixel precision localization method for marker images. This study is mostly focused on the tracking accuracy of objects in multi-frame images obtained from a binocular camera. For this purpose, the Upsampled Cross Correlation (UCC) sub-pixel template matching technique is employed to improve the spatial-temporal contextual (STC) target-tracking algorithm. As a result, the tracking accuracy is improved to the sub-pixel level while keeping the STC tracking algorithm at high speed. The performance of the proposed vision monitoring system has been well verified through laboratory tests.