bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The H2-Treated TiO2 Supported Pt Catalysts Prepared by Strong Electrostatic Adsorption for Liquid-Phase Selective Hydrogenation
Authors: Kuhaudomlap Sasithorn , Mekasuwandumrong Okorn , Praserthdam Piyasan , Fujita Shin-Ichiro , Arai Masahiko , Panpranot Joongjai
Published: February 2018

The H2-treated TiO2 supported Pt catalysts were prepared by strong electrostatic adsorption method and tested in the liquid-phase selective hydrogenation of various organic compounds such as 3-nitrostyrene to vinylaniline (VA) and furfural to furfuryl alcohol (FA). A combination of high Pt dispersion, strong interaction of Pt-TiOx, and the presence of low coordination Pt sites was necessary for high hydrogenation activity. However, while the selectivity of VA in 3-nitrostyrene hydrogenation did not depend much on the catalyst preparation method used, the selectivity of FA in furfural hydrogenation was much higher when the catalysts were prepared by SEA, comparing to those obtained by impregnation in which the solvent product was formed, due probably to the non-acidic conditions used during Pt loading by SEA method.
Ruthenium(II)-Arene Complexes of the Water-Soluble Ligand CAP as Catalysts for Homogeneous Transfer Hydrogenations in Aqueous Phase
Authors: Guerriero Antonella , Peruzzini Maurizio , Gonsalvi Luca
Published: February 2018

The neutral Ru(II) complex κP-[RuCl2(η6-p-cymene)(CAP)] (1), and the two ionic complexes κP-[RuCl(η6-p-cymene)(MeCN)(CAP)]PF6 (2) and κP-[RuCl(η6-p-cymene)(CAP)2]PF6 (3), containing the water-soluble phosphine 1,4,7-triaza-9-phosphatricyclo[5.3.2.1]tridecane (CAP), were tested as catalysts for homogeneous hydrogenation of benzylidene acetone, selectively producing the saturated ketone as product. The catalytic tests were carried out in aqueous phase under transfer hydrogenation conditions, at mild temperatures using sodium formate as hydrogen source. Complex 3, which showed the highest stability under the reaction conditions applied, was also tested for C=N bond reduction from selected cyclic imines. Preliminary NMR studies run under pseudo-catalytic conditions starting from 3 showed the formation of κP-[RuH(η6-p-cymene)(CAP)2]PF6 (4) as the pivotal species in catalysis.
The Sitting-Height Index of Build, (Body Mass)/(Sitting Height)3, as an Improvement on the Body Mass Index for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Burton Richard
Published: February 2018

The body mass index (BMI) is unsatisfactory in being affected by both relative leg length and height, and, for use with children and adolescents, therefore needs to be interpreted in relation to age. The sitting-height index of build (body mass)/(sitting height)3, is largely free of these disadvantages. Furthermore, because that index is independent of relative leg length, the latter can be treated as a separate indicator of nutritional history and health risks. Past studies on white children and adults have shown body mass to be approximately proportional to (sitting height)3. Moreover, multiple regression of (body mass)1/3 on sitting height and leg length, using year-by-year averages, has indicated that leg length is an insignificant predictor of body mass. The present study used data for individuals, namely 2–20 years old males and females, black as well as white. Regression analysis as above again showed leg length to be an insignificant predictor of body mass, but only above the age of about nine years. However, sitting height is still a stronger predictor of body mass than leg length at all ages. The advantages of the sitting-height index of build for use with young people are confirmed.
Coarse-Graining Approaches in Univariate Multiscale Sample and Dispersion Entropy
Authors: Azami Hamed , Escudero Javier
Published: February 2018

The evaluation of complexity in univariate signals has attracted considerable attention in recent years. This is often done using the framework of Multiscale Entropy, which entails two basic steps: coarse-graining to consider multiple temporal scales, and evaluation of irregularity for each of those scales with entropy estimators. Recent developments in the field have proposed modifications to this approach to facilitate the analysis of short-time series. However, the role of the downsampling in the classical coarse-graining process and its relationships with alternative filtering techniques has not been systematically explored yet. Here, we assess the impact of coarse-graining in multiscale entropy estimations based on both Sample Entropy and Dispersion Entropy. We compare the classical moving average approach with low-pass Butterworth filtering, both with and without downsampling, and empirical mode decomposition in Intrinsic Multiscale Entropy, in selected synthetic data and two real physiological datasets. The results show that when the sampling frequency is low or high, downsampling respectively decreases or increases the entropy values. Our results suggest that, when dealing with long signals and relatively low levels of noise, the refine composite method makes little difference in the quality of the entropy estimation at the expense of considerable additional computational cost. It is also found that downsampling within the coarse-graining procedure may not be required to quantify the complexity of signals, especially for short ones. Overall, we expect these results to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the development of stable, fast and robust-to-noise multiscale entropy techniques suited for either short or long recordings.
Lagrangian Function on the Finite State Space Statistical Bundle
Authors: Pistone Giovanni
Published: February 2018

The statistical bundle is the set of couples ( Q , W ) of a probability density Q and a random variable W such that
A Simple and Adaptive Dispersion Regression Model for Count Data
Authors: Klakattawi Hadeel , Vinciotti Veronica , Yu Keming
Published: February 2018

Regression for count data is widely performed by models such as Poisson, negative binomial (NB) and zero-inflated regression. A challenge often faced by practitioners is the selection of the right model to take into account dispersion, which typically occurs in count datasets. It is highly desirable to have a unified model that can automatically adapt to the underlying dispersion and that can be easily implemented in practice. In this paper, a discrete Weibull regression model is shown to be able to adapt in a simple way to different types of dispersions relative to Poisson regression: overdispersion, underdispersion and covariate-specific dispersion. Maximum likelihood can be used for efficient parameter estimation. The description of the model, parameter inference and model diagnostics is accompanied by simulated and real data analyses.
A Spatial-Filtering Zero-Inflated Approach to the Estimation of the Gravity Model of Trade
Authors: Metulini Rodolfo , Patuelli Roberto , Griffith Daniel
Published: February 2018

Nonlinear estimation of the gravity model with Poisson-type regression methods has become popular for modelling international trade flows, because it permits a better accounting for zero flows and extreme values in the distribution tail. Nevertheless, as trade flows are not independent from each other due to spatial and network autocorrelation, these methods may lead to biased parameter estimates. To overcome this problem, eigenvector spatial filtering (ESF) variants of the Poisson/negative binomial specifications have been proposed in the literature on gravity modelling of trade. However, no specific treatment has been developed for cases in which many zero flows are present. This paper contributes to the literature in two ways. First, by employing a stepwise selection criterion for spatial filters that is based on robust (sandwich) p-values and does not require likelihood-based indicators. In this respect, we develop an ad hoc backward stepwise function in R. Second, using this function, we select a reduced set of spatial filters that properly accounts for importer-side and exporter-side specific spatial effects, as well as network effects, both at the count and the logit processes of zero-inflated methods. Applying this estimation strategy to a cross-section of bilateral trade flows between a set of 64 countries for the year 2000, we find that our specification outperforms the benchmark models in terms of model fitting, both considering the AIC and in predicting zero (and small) flows.
Experimental and Numerical Vibrational Analysis of a Horizontal-Axis Micro-Wind Turbine
Authors: Castellani Francesco , Astolfi Davide , Becchetti Matteo , Berno Francesco , Cianetti Filippo , Cetrini Alessandro
Published: February 2018

Micro-wind turbines are energy conversion technologies strongly affected by fatigue, as a result of their size and the variability of loads, induced by the unsteady wind conditions, and modulated by a very high rotational speed. This work is devoted to the experimental and numerical characterization of the aeroelastic behavior of a test-case horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) with a 2 m rotor diameter and a maximum power production of 3 kW. The experimental studies have been conducted at the wind tunnel of the University of Perugia and consisted of accelerometer measurements at the tower and the tail fin. The numerical setup was the Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence (FAST) code for aeroelastic simulations, which was fed as input with the same wind conditions employed in the wind tunnel tests. The experimental and numerical analyses were coupled with the perspective of establishing a reciprocal feedback, and this has been accomplished. On one hand, the numerical model is important for interpreting the measured spectrum of tower oscillations and, for example, inspires the detection of a mass unbalance at the blades. On the other hand, the measurements inspire the question of how to interpret the interaction between the blades and the tower. The experimental spectrum of tail fin vibrations indicates that secondary elements, in terms of weight, can also transmit to the tower, giving meaningful contributions to the vibration spectra. Therefore, an integrated numerical and experimental approach is not only valuable but is also unavoidable, to fully characterize the dynamics of small wind-energy conversion systems.
A Comprehensive Energy Analysis and Related Carbon Footprint of Dairy Farms, Part 2: Investigation and Modeling of Indirect Energy Requirements
Authors: Todde Giuseppe , Murgia Lelia , Caria Maria , Pazzona Antonio
Published: February 2018

Dairy cattle farms are continuously developing more intensive systems of management, which require higher utilization of durable and non-durable inputs. These inputs are responsible for significant direct and indirect fossil energy requirements, which are related to remarkable emissions of CO2. This study focused on investigating the indirect energy requirements of 285 conventional dairy farms and the related carbon footprint. A detailed analysis of the indirect energy inputs related to farm buildings, machinery and agricultural inputs was carried out. A partial life cycle assessment approach was carried out to evaluate indirect energy inputs and the carbon footprint of farms over a period of one harvest year. The investigation highlights the importance and the weight related to the use of agricultural inputs, which represent more than 80% of the total indirect energy requirements. Moreover, the analyses carried out underline that the assumption of similarity in terms of requirements of indirect energy and related carbon emissions among dairy farms is incorrect especially when observing different farm sizes and milk production levels. Moreover, a mathematical model to estimate the indirect energy requirements of dairy farms has been developed in order to provide an instrument allowing researchers to assess the energy incorporated into farm machinery, agricultural inputs and buildings. Combining the results of this two-part series, the total energy demand (expressed in GJ per farm) results in being mostly due to agricultural inputs and fuel consumption, which have the largest share of the annual requirements for each milk yield class. Direct and indirect energy requirements increased, going from small sized farms to larger ones, from 1302–5109 GJ·y−1, respectively. However, the related carbon dioxide emissions expressed per 100 kg of milk showed a negative trend going from class <5000 to >9000 kg of milk yield, where larger farms were able to emit 48% less carbon dioxide than small herd size farm (43 vs. 82 kg CO2-eq per 100 kg Fat- and Protein-Corrected Milk (FPCM)). Decreasing direct and indirect energy requirements allowed reducing the anthropogenic gas emissions to the environment, reducing the energy costs for dairy farms and improving the efficient utilization of natural resources.
Amazon Sailfin Catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Loricariidae) in Bangladesh: A Critical Review of Its Invasive Threat to Native and Endemic Aquatic Species
Authors: Hossain Mohammad , Vadas Robert , Ruiz-Carus Ramon , Galib Shams M.
Published: February 2018

The Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis is native to the Amazon River basin. It has since expanded its range to North America, the Caribbean, and more recently to South Asia, as with some of its congeners. Our paper reviews recent data from Bangladesh, clarifies taxonomic identification, and examines the potential effects of P. pardalis and congeneric species on local aquatic ecosystems and elsewhere in South Asia. Range expansions there probably reflect aquarium releases and escapes from aquaculture farms, as exacerbated by dispersal due to storm flooding and in impacted waters like irrigation canals. Given their potential ecosystem-level effects, we also review potential control mechanisms and human use for these invasive loricariids.
Macroeconomic Stability in a Model with Bond Transaction Services
Authors: Marzo Massimiliano , Zagaglia Paolo
Published: February 2018

Cochrane (2014) shows that high-powered money balances and short-term government bonds can be considered as perfect substitutes for the U.S economy during the past twenty years. We build on this claim and consider a variant of the standard cashless new-Keynesian model with two types of government bonds, which can be thought of as short- and long-term bonds. The first one has a macroeconomic role in the sense that it provides transaction services in addition to generating a yield. The other type of government bond pays only an interest rate. Consistent with previous findings, the Taylor principle is not a panacea for equilibrium determinacy in a model without money. When the government bond market matters beyond the need for fiscal solvency, monetary policy rules do not need to comply with the Taylor principle for unique equilibria to exist.
Belowground Interactions Impact the Soil Bacterial Community, Soil Fertility, and Crop Yield in Maize/Peanut Intercropping Systems
Authors: Li Qisong , Chen Jun , Wu Linkun , Luo Xiaomian , Li Na , Arafat Yasir , Lin Sheng , Lin Wenxiong
Published: February 2018

Intercropping has been widely used to control disease and improve yield in agriculture. In this study, maize and peanut were used for non-separation intercropping (NS), semi-separation intercropping (SS) using a nylon net, and complete separation intercropping (CS) using a plastic sheet. In field experiments, two-year land equivalent ratios (LERs) showed yield advantages due to belowground interactions when using NS and SS patterns as compared to monoculture. In contrast, intercropping without belowground interactions (CS) showed a yield disadvantage. Meanwhile, in pot experiments, belowground interactions (found in NS and SS) improved levels of soil-available nutrients (nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) and enzymes (urease and acid phosphomonoesterase) as compared to intercropping without belowground interactions (CS). Soil bacterial community assay showed that soil bacterial communities in the NS and SS crops clustered together and were considerably different from the CS crops. The diversity of bacterial communities was significantly improved in soils with NS and SS. The abundance of beneficial bacteria, which have the functions of P-solubilization, pathogen suppression, and N-cycling, was improved in maize and peanut soils due to belowground interactions through intercropping. Among these bacteria, numbers of Bacillus, Brevibacillus brevis, and Paenibacillus were mainly increased in the maize rhizosphere. Burkholderia, Pseudomonas, and Rhizobium were mainly increased in the peanut rhizosphere. In conclusion, using maize and peanut intercropping, belowground interactions increased the numbers of beneficial bacteria in the soil and improved the diversity of the bacterial community, which was conducive to improving soil nutrient (N and P) supply capacity and soil microecosystem stability.
Articular Cartilage Aging-Potential Regenerative Capacities of Cell Manipulation and Stem Cell Therapy
Authors: Krajewska-Włodarczyk Magdalena , Owczarczyk-Saczonek Agnieszka , Placek Waldemar , Osowski Adam , Wojtkiewicz Joanna
Published: February 2018

Changes in articular cartilage during the aging process are a stage of natural changes in the human body. Old age is the major risk factor for osteoarthritis but the disease does not have to be an inevitable consequence of aging. Chondrocytes are particularly prone to developing age-related changes. Changes in articular cartilage that take place in the course of aging include the acquisition of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype by chondrocytes, a decrease in the sensitivity of chondrocytes to growth factors, a destructive effect of chronic production of reactive oxygen species and the accumulation of the glycation end products. All of these factors affect the mechanical properties of articular cartilage. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms in the process of articular cartilage aging may help to create new therapies aimed at slowing or inhibiting age-related modifications of articular cartilage. This paper presents the causes and consequences of cellular aging of chondrocytes and the biological therapeutic outlook for the regeneration of age-related changes of articular cartilage.
Identification and Evaluation of Cytotoxicity of Peptide Liposome Incorporated Citron Extracts in an in Vitro System
Authors: Zhang Xiaowei , Yoon Hee Jeong , Kang Min Gyeong , Kim Gyeong Jin , Shin Sun Young , Baek Sang Hong , Lee Jung Gyu , Bai Jingjing , Lee Sang Yoon , Choi Mi Jung , Hong Kwonho , Bae Hojae
Published: February 2018

Citrons have been widely used for medicinal purposes for a long time, but the application of citron in the food industry is still restricted. The extensive advantages of nanotechnology in the food industry have greatly broadened the application of foods. In this study, by employing nanotechnology, we prepared citron-extract nanoparticle with an average size of 174.11 ± 3.89 nm, containing protein peptide and/or liposome. In order to evaluate the toxicity of nanoparticles and to ensure food safety, biological cytotoxicity at the cell and genomic levels was also identified to examine the toxicity of citron extracts by using an in vitro system. Our results demonstrated that the cytotoxicity of citronliposome was dependent on cell type in high concentrations (1 and 5 mg/mL), selectively against primary human cardiac progenitor cells (hCPCs), and human endothelial progenitor cells (hEPCs) in MTT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. Interestingly, for the NIH-3T3 and H9C2 cell lines, cell cytotoxicity was observed with slight genotoxicity, especially from citronpeptide extract for both cell lines. Taken together, our study provides cytotoxicity data on nanoengineered citron extracts according to different cell type as is crucial for further applications.
Benchmarking of Document Image Analysis Tasks for Palm Leaf Manuscripts from Southeast Asia
Authors: Kesiman Made , Valy Dona , Burie Jean-Christophe , Paulus Erick , Suryani Mira , Hadi Setiawan , Verleysen Michel , Chhun Sophea , Ogier Jean-Marc
Published: February 2018

This paper presents a comprehensive test of the principal tasks in document image analysis (DIA), starting with binarization, text line segmentation, and isolated character/glyph recognition, and continuing on to word recognition and transliteration for a new and challenging collection of palm leaf manuscripts from Southeast Asia. This research presents and is performed on a complete dataset collection of Southeast Asian palm leaf manuscripts. It contains three different scripts: Khmer script from Cambodia, and Balinese script and Sundanese script from Indonesia. The binarization task is evaluated on many methods up to the latest in some binarization competitions. The seam carving method is evaluated for the text line segmentation task, compared to a recently new text line segmentation method for palm leaf manuscripts. For the isolated character/glyph recognition task, the evaluation is reported from the handcrafted feature extraction method, the neural network with unsupervised learning feature, and the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based method. Finally, the Recurrent Neural Network-Long Short-Term Memory (RNN-LSTM) based method is used to analyze the word recognition and transliteration task for the palm leaf manuscripts. The results from all experiments provide the latest findings and a quantitative benchmark for palm leaf manuscripts analysis for researchers in the DIA community.
Gentamicin-Releasing Mesoporous ZnO Structures
Authors: Laurenti Marco , Cauda Valentina
Published: February 2018

Among metal oxides, zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most attractive materials thanks to its biocompatible and biodegradable properties along with the existence of various morphologies featuring piezoelectric, semiconducting and photocatalytic activities. All of these structures were successfully prepared and tested for numerous applications, including optoelectronics, sensors and biomedical ones. In the last case, biocompatible ZnO nanomaterials positively influenced cells growth and tissue regeneration as well, promoting wound healing and new bone formation. Despite showing high surface areas, ZnO morphologies generally lack an intrinsic mesoporous structure, strongly limiting the investigation of the corresponding drug loading and release properties. Within this scope, this study focuses on the adsorption and release properties of high surface area, mesoporous ZnO structures using gentamicin sulfate (GS), a well known antibiotic against bacterial infections especially in orthopedics. The particular ZnO morphology was achieved starting from sputtered porous zinc layers, finally converted into ZnO by thermal oxidation. By taking advantage of this mesoporous framework, GS was successfully adsorbed within the ZnO matrix and the kinetic release profile evaluated for up to seven days. The adsorption of GS was successfully demonstrated, with a maximum amount of 263 mg effectively loaded per gram of active material. Then, fast kinetic release was obtained in vitro by simple diffusion mechanism, thus opening further possibilities of smart pore and surface engineering to improve the controlled delivery.
Carbon-Fibre-Reinforced SiC Composite (C/SiSiC) as an Alternative Material for Endoprosthesis: Fabrication, Mechanical and In-Vitro Biological Properties
Authors: Reichert Aline , Seidenstuecker Michael , Gadow Rainer , Mayr Hermann , Suedkamp Norbert , Latorre Sergio , Weichand Partick , Bernstein Anke
Published: February 2018

Particle-induced periprosthetic osteolysis and subsequent aseptic implant loosening are a major cause of compromising the long-term results of total joint replacements. To date, no implant has been able to mirror radically the tribological factors (friction/lubrication/wear) of in vivo tribological pairings. Carbon-Fibre Reinforced SiC-Composites (C/SiSiC), a material primarily developed for brake technology, has the opportunity to fulfil this requirement. Until now, the material itself has not been used in medicine. The aim of this investigation was to test the suitability of C/SiSiC ceramics as a new material for bearing couples in endoprosthetics. After the preparation of the composites flexural strength was determined as well as the Young’s-modulus and the coefficient of friction. To investigate in vitro biological properties, MG 63 and primary human osteoblasts were cultured on C/SiSiC composites. To review the proliferation, the cytotoxicity standardized tests were used. The cell morphology was observed by light microscopy, ESEM, confocal and 3D-laserscanning microscopy. C/SiSiC possesses a high resistance to wear. Cells exhibited no significant alterations in morphology. Vitality was not impaired by contact with the ceramic composite. There was no higher cytotoxicity to observe. Regarding these results, C/SiSiC ceramics seem to be biologically and mechanically appropriate for orthopaedic applications.
Ultrarapid Multimode Microwave Synthesis of Nano/Submicron β-SiC
Authors: Zhao Min , Johnson Michael , He Wenzhi , Li Guangming , Zhao Chen , Yu Luling , Huang Juwen , Zhu Haochen
Published: February 2018

This paper presents the design, development and realization of a fast and novel process for the synthesis of 3C silicon carbide (β-SiC) nanorods and submicron powder. Using SiO2 (or Si) and activated carbon (AC), this process allows β-SiC to be synthesized with almost 100% purity in timeframes of seconds or minutes using multimode microwave rotary tube reactors under open-air conditions. The synthesis temperature used was 1460 ± 50 °C for Si + AC and 1660 ± 50 °C for SiO2 + AC. The shortest β-SiC synthesis time achieved was about 20 s for Si + AC and 100 s for SiO2 + AC. This novel synthesis method allows for scaled-up flow processes in the rapid industrial-scale production of β-SiC, having advantages of time/energy saving and carbon dioxide emission reduction over comparable modern processes.
Membranes: A Variety of Energy Landscapes for Many Transfer Opportunities
Authors: Bacchin Patrice
Published: February 2018

A membrane can be represented by an energy landscape that solutes or colloids must cross. A model accounting for the momentum and the mass balances in the membrane energy landscape establishes a new way of writing for the Darcy law. The counter-pressure in the Darcy law is no longer written as the result of an osmotic pressure difference but rather as a function of colloid-membrane interactions. The ability of the model to describe the physics of the filtration is discussed in detail. This model is solved in a simplified energy landscape to derive analytical relationships that describe the selectivity and the counter-pressure from ab initio operating conditions. The model shows that the stiffness of the energy landscape has an impact on the process efficiency: a gradual increase in interactions (such as with hourglass pore shape) can reduce the separation energetic cost. It allows the introduction of a new paradigm to increase membrane efficiency: the accumulation that is inherent to the separation must be distributed across the membrane. Asymmetric interactions thus lead to direction-dependent transfer properties and the membrane exhibits diode behavior. These new transfer opportunities are discussed.
RaMP: A Comprehensive Relational Database of Metabolomics Pathways for Pathway Enrichment Analysis of Genes and Metabolites
Authors: Zhang Bofei , Hu Senyang , Baskin Elizabeth , Patt Andrew , Siddiqui Jalal , Mathé Ewy
Published: February 2018

The value of metabolomics in translational research is undeniable, and metabolomics data are increasingly generated in large cohorts. The functional interpretation of disease-associated metabolites though is difficult, and the biological mechanisms that underlie cell type or disease-specific metabolomics profiles are oftentimes unknown. To help fully exploit metabolomics data and to aid in its interpretation, analysis of metabolomics data with other complementary omics data, including transcriptomics, is helpful. To facilitate such analyses at a pathway level, we have developed RaMP (Relational database of Metabolomics Pathways), which combines biological pathways from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Reactome, WikiPathways, and the Human Metabolome DataBase (HMDB). To the best of our knowledge, an off-the-shelf, public database that maps genes and metabolites to biochemical/disease pathways and can readily be integrated into other existing software is currently lacking. For consistent and comprehensive analysis, RaMP enables batch and complex queries (e.g., list all metabolites involved in glycolysis and lung cancer), can readily be integrated into pathway analysis tools, and supports pathway overrepresentation analysis given a list of genes and/or metabolites of interest. For usability, we have developed a RaMP R package (https://github.com/Mathelab/RaMP-DB), including a user-friendly RShiny web application, that supports basic simple and batch queries, pathway overrepresentation analysis given a list of genes or metabolites of interest, and network visualization of gene-metabolite relationships. The package also includes the raw database file (mysql dump), thereby providing a stand-alone downloadable framework for public use and integration with other tools. In addition, the Python code needed to recreate the database on another system is also publicly available (https://github.com/Mathelab/RaMP-BackEnd). Updates for databases in RaMP will be checked multiple times a year and RaMP will be updated accordingly.
Bioactive Phenolic and Isocoumarin Glycosides from the Stems of Homalium paniculiflorum
Authors: Wu Shou-Yuan , Fu Yan-Hui , Zhou Qi , Bai Meng , Chen Guang-Ying , Zhao Si-Yu , Han Chang-Ri , Song Xiao-Ping
Published: February 2018

Two new phenolic glycosides (1 and 2) and two new isocoumarin glycosides (3 and 4), along with 14 known compounds (5–18), were isolated from the stems of Homalium paniculiflorum. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods. All new compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities via examining the inhibitory activity on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. Compounds 1 and 4 exhibited inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 30.23 ± 1.23 μM and 19.36 ± 0.19 μM, respectively.
Metabolic Responses in Endothelial Cells Following Exposure to Ketone Bodies
Authors: Meroni Erika , Papini Nadia , Criscuoli Franca , Casiraghi Maria , Massaccesi Luca , Basilico Nicoletta , Erba Daniela
Published: February 2018

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet based on the induction of the synthesis of ketone bodies (KB). Despite its widespread use, the systemic impact of KD is not completely understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of physiological levels of KB on HMEC-1 endothelial cells. To this aim, DNA oxidative damage and the activation of Nrf2, a known transcriptional factor involved in cell responses to oxidative stress, were assessed. The exposure of cells to KB exerted a moderate genotoxic effect, measured by a significant increase in DNA oxidative damage. However, cells pre-treated with KB for 48 h and subjected to a secondary oxidative insult (H2O2), significantly decreased DNA damage compared to control oxidized cells. This protection occurred by the activation of Nrf2 pathway. In KB-treated cells, we found increased levels of Nrf2 in nuclear extracts and higher gene expression of HO-1, a target gene of Nrf2, compared to control cells. These results suggest that KB, by inducing moderate oxidative stress, activate the transcription factor Nrf2, which induces the transcription of target genes involved in the cellular antioxidant defense system.
Cosmetics and Cosmeceutical Applications of Chitin, Chitosan and Their Derivatives
Authors: Aranaz Inmaculada , Acosta Niuris , Civera Concepción , Elorza Begoña , Mingo Javier , Castro Carolina , Gandía María , Heras Caballero Angeles
Published: February 2018

Marine resources are well recognized for their biologically active substances with great potential applications in the cosmeceutical industry. Among the different compounds with a marine origin, chitin and its deacetylated derivative—chitosan—are of great interest to the cosmeceutical industry due to their unique biological and technological properties. In this review, we explore the different functional roles of chitosan as a skin care and hair care ingredient, as an oral hygiene agent and as a carrier for active compounds, among others. The importance of the physico-chemical properties of the polymer in its use in cosmetics are particularly highlighted. Moreover, we analyse the market perspectives of this polymer and the presence in the market of chitosan-based products.
Development of a System of Compatible Individual Tree Diameter and Aboveground Biomass Prediction Models Using Error-In-Variable Regression and Airborne LiDAR Data
Authors: Fu Liyong , Liu Qingwang , Sun Hua , Wang Qiuyan , Li Zengyuan , Chen Erxue , Pang Yong , Song Xinyu , Wang Guangxing
Published: February 2018

Estimating individual tree diameters at breast height (DBH) from delineated crowns and tree heights on the basis of airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data provides a good opportunity for large-scale forest inventory. Generally, ground-based measurements are more accurate, but LiDAR data and derived DBH values can be obtained over larger areas for a relatively smaller cost if a right procedure is developed. A nonlinear least squares (NLS) regression is not an appropriate approach to predict the aboveground biomass (AGB) of individual trees from the estimated DBH because both the response variable and the regressor are subject to measurement errors. In this study, a system of compatible individual tree DBH and AGB error-in-variable models was developed using error-in-variable regression techniques based on both airborne LiDAR and field-measured datasets of individual Picea crassifolia Kom. trees, collected in northwestern China. Two parameter estimation algorithms, i.e., the two-stage error-in-variable model (TSEM) and the nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression (NSUR), were proposed for estimating the parameters in the developed system of compatible individual tree DBH and AGB error-in-variable models. Moreover, two model structures were applied to estimate AGB for comparison purposes: NLS with AGB estimation depending on DBH (NLS&DD) and NLS with AGB estimation not depending on DBH (NLS&NDD). The results showed that both TSEM and NSUR led to almost the same parameter estimates for the developed system. Moreover, the developed system effectively accounted for the inherent correlation between DBH and AGB as well as for the effects of measurement errors in the DBH on the predictions of AGB, whereas NLS&DD and NLS&NDD did not. A leave-one-out cross-validation indicated that the prediction accuracy of the developed system of compatible individual tree DBH and AGB error-in-variable models with NSUR was the highest among those estimated by the four methods evaluated, but, statistically, the accuracy improvement was not significantly different from zero. The main reason might be that, except for the measurement errors, other source errors were ignored in the modeling. This study implies that, overall, the proposed method provides the potential to expand the estimations of both DBH and AGB from individual trees to stands by combining the error-in-variable modeling and LiDAR data and improve their estimation accuracies, but its application needs to be further validated by conducting a systematical uncertainty analysis of various source errors in a future study.
Dynamic Evolution of Regional Discrepancies in Carbon Emissions from Agricultural Land Utilization: Evidence from Chinese Provincial Data
Authors: Lu Xinhai , Kuang Bing , Li Jing , Han Jing , Zhang Zuo
Published: February 2018

Agricultural land, as an important carbon source, has produced about 20% of carbon dioxide globally. The calculation and spatial-temporal distribution of carbon emissions resulting from agricultural land utilization (ALU) has attracted a great deal of attention from scholars. Most of the existing literature widely agrees that China’s carbon emissions from ALU showed significant regional discrepancies, but rarely pays attention to the evolutionary characteristics of the discrepancies. This study calculated the total carbon emissions from ALU based on six kinds of carbon emissions sources in the 31 provinces of mainland China, which showed obviously different characteristics in terms of their abundances of agricultural land resources, relative scarcities of production factors, levels of science and technology and economic prosperity. We then analyzed the evolutionary process and characteristics of regional discrepancies in carbon emissions from ALU at the national level and regional level with the method of kernel density estimation. The key results demonstrated the following: (1) The carbon emissions from ALU in the whole country and the eastern, central and western regions of China have increased sharply during the study period. From 2000 to 2015, the carbon emissions from ALU in the whole of China, the eastern region, central region, and western region were increased by 2626.11 (104 tons), 441.32 (104 tons), 1054.45 (104 tons), and 1130.3 (104 tons), respectively, with an average annual growth rate of 2.75%, 1.29%, 3%, and 4.35%, respectively; (2) The scale of carbon emissions from ALU showed significant spatial disparities at the regional and inter-provincial levels. From 2000 to 2015, the central region had the highest carbon emissions from ALU, while the eastern and western regions had the second and third highest carbon emissions; (3) The distribution curves of carbon emissions from ALU in the whole country and each region all moved in the right direction gradually during the study period, and the width of the curves increased, indicating the regional discrepancies of carbon emissions from ALU was expanding at different spatial scales. Distribution curves of carbon emissions from ALU in the eastern, central and western regions all showed a “multi-polar” differentiation phenomenon in 2000, while presented a “tri-polar”, “bipolar” and “multi-polar” division in 2015, respectively.
The Major Fusarium Species Causing Maize Ear and Kernel Rot and Their Toxigenicity in Chongqing, China
Authors: Zhou Danni , Wang Xiaoming , Chen Guokang , Sun Suli , Yang Yang , Zhu Zhendong , Duan Canxing
Published: February 2018

Fusarium verticillioides, F. proliferatum, and F. meridionale were identified as the predominant fungi among 116 Fusarium isolates causing maize ear and kernel rot, a destructive disease in Chongqing areas, China. The toxigenic capability and genotype were determined by molecular amplification and toxin assay. The results showed that the key toxigenic gene FUM1 was detected in 47 F. verticillioides and 19 F. proliferatum isolates. Among these, F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum isolates mainly produced fumonisin B1, ranging from 3.17 to 1566.44, and 97.74 to 11,100.99 µg/g for each gram of dry hyphal weight, with the averages of 263.94 and 3632.88 µg/g, respectively, indicating the F. proliferatum isolates on average produced about an order of magnitude more fumonisins than F. verticillioides did in these areas, in vitro. Only NIV genotype was detected among 16 F. meridionale and three F. asiaticum isolates. Among these, 11 F. meridionale isolates produced NIV, varying from 17.40 to 2597.34 µg/g. ZEA and DON toxins were detected in 11 and 4 F. meridionale isolates, with the toxin production range of 8.35–78.57 and 3.38–33.41 µg/g, respectively. Three F. asiaticum isolates produced almost no mycotoxins, except that one isolate produced a small amount of DON. The findings provide us with insight into the risk of the main pathogenic Fusarium species and a guide for resistance breeding in these areas.
Walter Percy Day (1878-1965), pionnier britannique des effets spéciaux français des années 1920
Authors: Day Susan , Hamus-Vallée Réjane
Published: February 2018

Entre 1921 et 1932, le peintre britannique Walter Percy Day transforme en profondeur la façon de truquer les décors en France. Il met à la mode la peinture sur verre et y introduit le Procédé Hall, qui permet d'agrandir les décors en utilisant une peinture de taille réduite positionnée sur un support rigide devant la caméra, pour un coût modeste et de manière imperceptible. En 1929, il invente, pour Au bonheur des dames de Julien Duvivier, son propre dispositif, le stationary matte, qu'il ira déployer en Grande-Bretagne sur des projets comme le Voleur de Bagdad (1940, Berger et Powell), Colonel Blimp (1943) et le Narcisse noir (1947), tous deux de Powell et Pressburger. Lors de sa carrière française, il collabore à une trentaine de films aussi divers que Salammbô (1925) de Pierre Marodon, Nana (1926) de Jean Renoir, Napoléon (1927) et la Fin du monde (1930) d'Abel Gance, Casanova (1927) d'Alexandre Volkoff, Verdun, visions d'histoire (1928) de Léon Poirier. Cet article met en avant la contribution majeure de Walter Percy Day à la technique cinématographique française, à l'aide des archives privées conservées par sa petite-fille, Susan Day.
1967 : Un projet de Société d’Histoire du Cinéma(en marge de l’« Affaire Langlois »)
Authors: Peton Gaël
Published: February 2018

Dans une lettre du 16 mai 1967 adressée au ministre des Affaires culturelles, Charles Ford fait part d'un ambitieux projet de création d'une association de type loi 1901 dénommée « Société d'histoire du cinéma ». Les buts avancés sont « de donner à la recherche historique dans le domaine du cinéma un essor nouveau et de contribuer à éclaircir de nombreux points d'histoire demeurés obscurs ». Découverte parmi un versement du Centre national de la cinématographie (CNC) aux Archives nationales, une série de documents révèle l'existence de ce projet auquel participa également Jacques Deslandes notamment. Les documents reproduits illustrent combien les rapports tendus entre les pouvoirs publics et Henri Langlois, contemporains à ce projet, ont entravé la demande de « haut patronage » soumise à André Malraux et l'ont fait échouer.
Dossier « Pont Mirabeau », Fatras de scénarios : les archives cinématographiques de Jacques Prévert à la cité Véron
Authors: Servel Charlotte
Published: February 2018

En 1928, Prévert, Queneau, Desnos, Péret, Morice et Marcel Duhamel conçurent le projet de constituer une « agence de scénarios ». Neuf furent rédigés. Une pochette intitulée « pont mirabeau » découverte dans les archives Prévert en contient trois, l'un de Queneau (Faux feux d'artifices pour Monsieur monsieur), l'autre de Prévert (le Bateau mouche pirate) et le troisième attribuée à Aragon (« A man comes out of a house »). Ces scénarios révèlent le goût de ces poètes surréalistes pour la dimension onirique du cinéma mais avant tout d'une pratique scripturale moins détachée de la réalité industrielle cinématographique de l'époque qu'on ne pouvait le penser. Ils semblent répondre, en effet, à une vraie demande des professionnels du cinéma à Berlin, Paris ou Londres. La présence de versions traduites témoigne, d'ailleurs, d'un réel soin apporté par ces poètes pour s'adresser au plus grand nombre de producteurs afin de voir leur projet se réaliser.
Diabetes Mellitus and Aging
Authors: Pandey Jyoti Mishra , Mishra Preeti
Published: February 2018

Aging mirrors all the changes that occur over the period of life. It comes with various changes both positive and negative. Among all medical illnesses, Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most common and serious medical condition that has affected not only the aging population but also the young children and adults as well. Diabetes and its complications can contribute to aging process in a number of ways and the complications can speed up the aging process as well. For people with type 2 diabetes managing their emotional health can be as important as keeping their blood sugar under control. Patients with diabetes mellitus need psychological support throughout their life span from the time of diagnosis. However, provision of psychosocial support is generally inadequate due to its challenging nature of needs and demands on the healthcare systems. The present chapter will cover different aspects of diabetes mellitus and its impact on human life and also how with healthy coping mechanism one can prevent the distressing effect of diabetes on aging and vice versa.
Aging and Suicide
Authors: Khurana Hitesh , Raj Aishwarya
Published: February 2018

Suicide is a global phenomenon and a potential cause of preventable death. After the young (below the age of 40 years), the elderly compose the second most prominent peak in the graph of suicide attempts and suicide victims. The cause and dynamics of suicidal behavior among elderly are quite different from the younger suicides. There have been different multidisciplinary theories proposed for it. Among all mental disorders, depressive disorders are particularly associated with suicidal behavior. Alcohol use, social isolation, financial difficulties are few unique factors that identify a suicidal elder. Physical illnesses, particularly those marked with pain, increase the chances of suicide. Prevention requires a multidisciplinary approach involving community, adequate and appropriate health services near to the place of victim, legal restrictions on the methods used for suicide such as availability of firearm and insecticides, public policies to take care of the elderly are recommended.
Physical Principles of the Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
Authors: Libra Martin , Poulek Vladislav
Published: February 2018

This chapter describes how the I-V characteristic of illuminated PV cells varies with temperature changes. The effect is explained according to the solid states theory. The higher temperature, the lower open-circuit voltage and the higher short-circuit current. This behavior is explained on the basis of band theory in solid-state physics. The increasing temperature causes a narrowing of the forbidden gap and a shift of the Fermi energy level toward the center of the forbidden gap. Both of these effects lead to a reduction of the potential barrier in the band diagram of the illuminated PN junction, thus to decrease of the photovoltaic voltage. In addition, the narrowing of the forbidden gap causes higher generation of electron-hole pairs in the illuminated PN junction and short-circuit current increases. The efficiency of the PV energy conversion decreases with the increasing temperature.
Time Factor for Determination of Power Supply System Efficiency of Rural Consumers
Authors: Vinogradov Alexander , Vasiliev Alexey , Bolshev Vadim , Semenov Alexander , Borodin Maksim
Published: February 2018

This chapter proposes the interpretation of the concept of “power supply system efficiency” and a mathematical model that focuses on minimization of electricity supply expenses while observing the time criteria. The research examines the constituents of the specified time criteria, the calculations of power outage time, and the time of power supply restoration. In addition, this chapter describes the constituents of implementation time for a technological connection of rural consumers to electric networks and the statistical data on the time of inconsistency between power quality and regulatory requirements. Furthermore, this chapter investigates the applying possibility of the proposed mathematical model for the development of measures that can improve power supply system efficiency. In order to improve electricity supply reliability of rural consumers, the technical condition monitoring of power lines and electrical network automation is carried out.