bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple Sclerosis: A Global Concern with Multiple Challenges in an Era of Advanced Therapeutic Complex Molecules and Biological Medicines
Authors: Rivera Victor M.
Published: November 2018

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has become a common neurological disorder involving populations previously considered to be infrequently affected. Genetic dissemination from high- to low-risk groups is a determining influence interacting with environmental and epigenetic factors, mostly unidentified. Disease modifying therapies (DMT) are effective in treating relapsing MS in variable degrees; one agent is approved for primary progressive disease, and several are in development. In the era of high-efficacy medications, complex molecules, and monoclonal antibodies (MAB), including anti-VLA4 (natalizumab), anti-CD52 (alemtuzumab), and anti-CD20 (ocrelizumab), obtaining NEDA (no evidence of disease activity) becomes an elusive accomplishment in areas of the world where access to MS therapies and care are generally limited. Countries’ income and access to public MS care appear to be a shared socioeconomic challenge. This disparity is also notable in the utilization of diagnostic tools to adhere to the proposed elements of the McDonald Criteria. The impact of follow-on medications (“generics”); injectable non-biological complex drugs (NBCD), oral sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators, and biosimilars (interferon 1-a and 1-b), utilized in many areas of the world, is disconcerting considering these products generally lack data documenting their efficacy and safety. Potential strategies addressing these concerns are discussed from an international point of view.
Recent Progress in Daytime Radiative Cooling: Is It the Air Conditioner of the Future?
Authors: Santamouris Mattheos , Feng Jie
Published: November 2018

Radiative cooling is a well-researched area. For many years, surfaces relying on radiative cooling failed to exhibit a sub-ambient surface temperature under the sun because of the limited reflectance in the solar spectrum and the reduced absorptivity in the atmospheric window. The recent impressive developments in photonic nanoscience permitted to produce photonic structures exhibiting surface temperatures much below the ambient temperature. This paper aims to present and analyze the main recent achievements concerning daytime radiative cooling technologies. While the conventional radiative systems are briefly presented, the emphasis is given on the various photonic radiative structures and mainly the planar thin film radiators, metamaterials, 2 and 3D photonic structures, polymeric photonic technologies, and passive radiators under the form of a paint. The composition of each structure, as well as its experimental or simulated thermal performance, is reported in detail. The main limitations and constraints of the photonic radiative systems, the proposed technological solutions, and the prospects are presented and discussed.
Propranolol Promotes Glucose Dependence and Synergizes with Dichloroacetate for Anti-Cancer Activity in HNSCC
Authors: Lucido Christopher , Miskimins W. , Vermeer Paola
Published: November 2018

Tumor cell metabolism differs from that of normal cells, conferring tumors with metabolic advantages but affording opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Accordingly, metabolism-targeting therapies have shown promise. However, drugs targeting singular metabolic pathways display limited efficacy, in part due to the tumor’s ability to compensate by using other metabolic pathways to meet energy and growth demands. Thus, it is critical to identify novel combinations of metabolism-targeting drugs to improve therapeutic efficacy in the face of compensatory cellular response mechanisms. Our lab has previously identified that the anti-cancer activity of propranolol, a non-selective beta-blocker, is associated with inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In response to propranolol, however, HNSCC exhibits heightened glycolytic activity, which may limit the effectiveness of propranolol as a single agent. Thus, we hypothesized that propranolol’s metabolic effects promote a state of enhanced glucose dependence, and that propranolol together with glycolytic inhibition would provide a highly effective therapeutic combination in HNSCC. Here, we show that glucose deprivation synergizes with propranolol for anti-cancer activity, and that the rational combination of propranolol and dichloroacetate (DCA), a clinically available glycolytic inhibitor, dramatically attenuates tumor cell metabolism and mTOR signaling, inhibits proliferation and colony formation, and induces apoptosis. This therapeutic combination displays efficacy in both human papillomavirus-positive (HPV(+)) and HPV(−) HNSCC cell lines, as well as a recurrent/metastatic model, while leaving normal tonsil epithelial cells relatively unaffected. Importantly, the combination significantly delays tumor growth in vivo with no evidence of toxicity. Additionally, the combination of propranolol and DCA enhances the effects of chemoradiation and sensitizes resistant cells to cisplatin and radiation. This novel therapeutic combination represents a promising treatment strategy which may overcome some of the limitations of targeting individual metabolic pathways in cancer.
Time Series Analysis of MODIS-Derived NDVI for the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, South Africa: Impact of Recent Intense Drought
Authors: Mbatha Nkanyiso , Xulu Sifiso
Published: November 2018

The variability of temperature and precipitation influenced by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is potentially one of key factors contributing to vegetation product in southern Africa. Thus, understanding large-scale ocean–atmospheric phenomena like the ENSO and Indian Ocean Dipole/Dipole Mode Index (DMI) is important. In this study, 16 years (2002–2017) of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra/Aqua 16-day normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), extracted and processed using JavaScript code editor in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform was used to analyze the vegetation response pattern of the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa, the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) to climatic variability. The MODIS enhanced vegetation index (EVI), burned area index (BAI), and normalized difference infrared index (NDII) were also analyzed. The study used the Modern Retrospective Analysis for the Research Application (MERRA) model monthly mean soil temperature and precipitations. The Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) evapotranspiration (ET) data were used to investigate the HiP vegetation water stress. The region in the southern part of the HiP which has land cover dominated by savanna experienced the most impact of the strong El Niño. Both the HiP NDVI inter-annual Mann–Kendal trend test and sequential Mann–Kendall (SQ-MK) test indicated a significant downward trend during the El Niño years of 2003 and 2014–2015. The SQ-MK significant trend turning point which was thought to be associated with the 2014–2015 El Niño periods begun in November 2012. The wavelet coherence and coherence phase indicated a positive teleconnection/correlation between soil temperatures, precipitation, soil moisture (NDII), and ET. This was explained by a dominant in-phase relationship between the NDVI and climatic parameters especially at a period band of 8–16 months.
Graph Energies of Egocentric Networks and Their Correlation with Vertex Centrality Measures
Authors: Morzy Mikołaj , Kajdanowicz Tomasz
Published: November 2018

Graph energy is the energy of the matrix representation of the graph, where the energy of a matrix is the sum of singular values of the matrix. Depending on the definition of a matrix, one can contemplate graph energy, Randić energy, Laplacian energy, distance energy, and many others. Although theoretical properties of various graph energies have been investigated in the past in the areas of mathematics, chemistry, physics, or graph theory, these explorations have been limited to relatively small graphs representing chemical compounds or theoretical graph classes with strictly defined properties. In this paper we investigate the usefulness of the concept of graph energy in the context of large, complex networks. We show that when graph energies are applied to local egocentric networks, the values of these energies correlate strongly with vertex centrality measures. In particular, for some generative network models graph energies tend to correlate strongly with the betweenness and the eigencentrality of vertices. As the exact computation of these centrality measures is expensive and requires global processing of a network, our research opens the possibility of devising efficient algorithms for the estimation of these centrality measures based only on local information.
Noise Reduction Method of Underwater Acoustic Signals Based on Uniform Phase Empirical Mode Decomposition, Amplitude-Aware Permutation Entropy, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient
Authors: Li Guohui , Yang Zhichao , Yang Hong
Published: November 2018

Noise reduction of underwater acoustic signals is of great significance in the fields of military and ocean exploration. Based on the adaptive decomposition characteristic of uniform phase empirical mode decomposition (UPEMD), a noise reduction method for underwater acoustic signals is proposed, which combines amplitude-aware permutation entropy (AAPE) and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC). UPEMD is a recently proposed improved empirical mode decomposition (EMD) algorithm that alleviates the mode splitting and residual noise effects of EMD. AAPE is a tool to quantify the information content of nonlinear time series. Unlike permutation entropy (PE), AAPE can reflect the amplitude information on time series. Firstly, the original signal is decomposed into a series of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) by UPEMD. The AAPE of each IMF is calculated. The modes are separated into high-frequency IMFs and low-frequency IMFs, and all low-frequency IMFs are determined as useful IMFs (UIMFs). Then, the PCC between the high-frequency IMF with the smallest AAPE and the original signal is calculated. If PCC is greater than the threshold, the IMF is also determined as a UIMF. Finally, all UIMFs are reconstructed and the denoised signal is obtained. Chaotic signals with different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) are used for denoising experiments. Compared with EMD and extreme-point symmetric mode decomposition (ESMD), the proposed method has higher SNR and smaller root mean square error (RMSE). The proposed method is applied to noise reduction of real underwater acoustic signals. The results show that the method can further eliminate noise and the chaotic attractors are smoother and clearer.
Teacher Mindframes from an Educational Science Perspective
Authors: Zierer Klaus , Lachner Christina , Tögel Jonas , Weckend Denise
Published: November 2018

In this article, we describe the philosophical and the scientific background of teacher mindframes and we argue that educational professionalism consists not only of ability and knowledge (competence), but also of will and judgement (attitudes). To back up our argument, we present the results of our current research project on this matter.
Stochastic Dynamic Response Analysis of a 10 MW Tension Leg Platform Floating Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine
Authors: Luo Tao , Tian De , Wang Ruoyu , Liao Caicai
Published: November 2018

The dynamic response of floating horizontal axis wind turbines (FHWATs) are affected by the viscous and inertia effects. In free decay motion, viscous drag reduces the amplitude of pitch and roll fluctuation, the quasi-static mooring system overestimates the resonant amplitude values of pitch and roll. In this paper, the quasi-static mooring system is modified by introducing linear damping and quadratic damping. The dynamic response characteristics of the FHAWT modified model of the DTU 10 MW tension leg platform (TLP) were studied. Dynamic response of the blade was mainly caused by wind load, while the wave increased the blade short-term damage equivalent load. The tower base bending moment was affected by inclination of the tower and the misaligned angle βwave between wind and wave. Except the yaw motion, other degrees of freedom motions of the TLP were substantially affected by βwave. Ultimate tension of the mooring system was related to the displacement caused by pitch and roll motions, and standard deviation of the tension was significantly affected by the wave frequency response. Under the action of wave load, the viscous drag would stimulate the mooring system and increase the resonance of the platform motion.
How Reliable Are Standard Thermal Response Tests? An Assessment Based on Long-Term Thermal Response Tests Under Different Operational Conditions
Authors: Urchueguía Javier F. , Lemus-Zúñiga Lenin-Guillermo , Oliver-Villanueva Jose-Vicente , Badenes Borja , Mateo Pla Miguel A. , Cuevas José Manuel
Published: November 2018

In this contribution, we analyze the results of a number of thermal response test (TRT) experiments performed during several years at the same location at our university campus in Valencia (Spain), a permeable saturated soil area with possible groundwater flow conditions. A combination of different heat injection rates, TRT operation times of up to 32 days, and various methods for parameter estimation of ground thermal properties have been applied to study their influence on the result and accuracy of TRTs. Our main objective has been to experimentally quantify the influence of groundwater flow heat advection using moving infinite and finite line-source theories, as well as to analyze the influence of factors such as test duration, sensor accuracy, and external thermal influences. We have shown that the traditionally used infinite and finite line-source models, as well as the moving line-source models, can accurately represent experimental temperature evolution, but that there are many caveats regarding the significance parameters extracted and its reproducibility and stability. These features can be improved if data from the first test days are disregarded for the analysis, obtaining a much faster convergence to the definitive soil parameter estimates, including the effective Péclet number that represents groundwater flow in our particular case.
A New Reservoir Operation Chart Drawing Method Based on Dynamic Programming
Authors: Jiang Zhiqiang , Qiao Yaqi , Chen Yuyun , Ji Changming
Published: November 2018

A reservoir operation chart is an important tool in guiding actual reservoir operation at present. There are mainly two kinds of methods in drawing the operation chart, i.e., conventional methods and optimization methods, but each of them has some shortcomings, such as the repeated empirical inspection and correction of conventional methods, and the sensitivity to the initial trajectories of some optimization algorithms. In view of this, based on the principle of dynamic programming (DP), this paper coupled the reservoir operation chart drawing model and the DP model, and proposed a new reservoir operation chart drawing method which has no empirical inspection and correction, no requirement for initial solution, no problem of premature convergence and local convergence. In addition, this method can guarantee the global convergence of the results to a certain extent because of the global convergence of DP. Ya Yangshan reservoir in the Li Xianjiang River of China was selected as the research object to derive the operation chart by the drawing method. The simulation results show that the proposed method in this paper presents better performance compared with the conventional method on power generation, guaranteed output, and assurance rate, especially on the latter, which has a 2.68% increase. In addition, compared with the deterministic optimization results of DP, it is found that the results of the proposed method are very close to that of deterministic DP, the differences are only 1.8 GWh (0.36% decline) and 1.6 GWh (0.32% decline). So, the validity and rationality of the proposed method are further verified by the simulation results.
De Novo Transcriptomic Analysis and Development of EST–SSRs for Styrax japonicus
Authors: Li Wei , Zhang Cuiping , Jiang Xinqiang , Liu Qingchao , Liu Qinghua , Wang Kuiling
Published: November 2018

Styrax japonicus sieb. et Zucc. is widely distributed in China with ornamental and medicinal values. However, the transcriptome of S. japonicus has not yet been reported. In this study, we carried out the first transcriptome analysis of S. japonicus and developed a set of expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeats (EST–SSRs). We obtained 338,570,222 clean reads in total, of which the mean GC content was 41.58%. In total, 136,071 unigenes were obtained having an average length of 611 bp and 71,226 unigenes were favorably annotated in the database. In total, we identified 55,977 potential EST–SSRs from 38,611 unigenes, of which there was 1 SSR per 6.73 kb. The di-nucleotide repeats (40.40%) were the most identified SSRs. One set of 60 primer pairs was randomly selected, and the amplified products in S. japonicus were validated; 28 primer pairs successfully produced clear amplicons. A total of 21 (35%) polymorphic genic SSR markers were identified between two populations. In total, 15 alleles were detected and the average number was 6. The average of observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity was 0.614 and 0.552, respectively. The polymorphism information content (PIC) value fluctuated between 0.074 and 0.855, with a mean value of 0.504, which was also the middle level. This study provides useful information for diversity studies and resource assessments of S. japonicus.
Ancient Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Varieties of Tuscany Have High Contents of Bioactive Compounds
Authors: Berni Roberto , Romi Marco , Parrotta Luigi , Cai Giampiero , Cantini Claudio
Published: November 2018

The Tuscan Region has a vast repertoire of ancient plants that have been recovered across the territory over the years. These plants thrive in an environment characterized by minimal human intervention and are thus the result of the process of adaptation to the territory of origin. In this work, we focused on the quantification of bioactive compounds in ancient tomato varieties. More specifically, we quantified polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamin C in eight local Tuscan tomato varieties and found higher contents with respect to those in commercial tomatoes Polyphenol and antioxidant compounds in ancient varieties reported a two- and, in some instances, three-fold increase in concentration, compared to the commercial counterparts. Interestingly, the data relative to the carotenoids did not show any significant differences when comparing the ancient varieties with the commercial ones, a finding confirming the market selection criterion based on color. On a longer-term perspective, this study aims at drawing attention to the importance of preserving autochthonous natural plant biodiversity and towards promoting research on local varieties. We believe that this study will pave the way to the valorization of local plant biodiversity and promote an extended use of products in the nutraceutical sector derived from vegetables.
Safety Analysis of Motorcycle Crashes in Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea: An Application of Nonlinear Optimal Scaling Methods
Authors: Chung Younshik , Song Tai-Jin
Published: November 2018

This study identifies the critical factors that affect motorcycle crash severity based on Korean motorcycle crash data in 2009. Motorcyclists, the environment, roadways, other vehicles involved in the crashes, and traffic flow characteristics were used as variables for identifying critical factors. Multivariable statistical methods were used to analyze the data, including categorical principal components analysis (CatPCA) and nonlinear canonical correlation analysis (NLCCA). The results indicate that the following factors are the most critical in increasing motorcycle crash severity: age (motorcyclists in their teens and over fifty years old), motorcycle speed over 30 km/h, speed over 50 km/h for other vehicles involved in the crash, crashes with heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks, crashes on roadways less than six meters wide, crashes at curved sections, crashes at basic roadway segments without any speed control facilities, and head-on crashes. These findings are expected to serve as a valuable reference for formulating remedial policy measures to decrease the severity of motorcycle crashes on roadways in the Seoul metropolitan area of South Korea.
The Identification of Scientific Communities and Their Approach to Worldwide Malaria Research
Authors: Garrido-Cardenas José Antonio , Manzano-Agugliaro Francisco , González-Cerón Lilia , Gil-Montoya Francisco , Alcayde-Garcia Alfredo , Novas Nuria , Mesa-Valle Concepción
Published: November 2018

It is essential to establish a pattern to detect the strengths and weaknesses of working groups publishing on malaria, to promote coordination to facilitate the eradication of the disease. Given the complexity of the scientific network of groups and institutions studying malaria, it is necessary to use a mathematical algorithm that allows us to know the real structure of research on the disease in the world. In this work, articles with the word “malaria” in the title or author keywords gathered from Elsevier Scopus database were analyzed. By means of specific software, graphs were created. The analysis of the data allowed established different scientific communities, among which two were very diverse: one formed by those groups concerned about the vector transmission and control, and another one focused on the drug resistance of the parasite. Basic, applied, and operational research to eradicate malaria is an ambitious goal of the international institutions and the scientific community. The combination of effort and the establishment of a worldwide-scientific network that allows an effective interconnection (exchange) of knowledge, infrastructure technology, collaborators, financial resources, and datasets will contribute more effectively to end the disease.
A Remote Sensing Algorithm of Column-Integrated Algal Biomass Covering Algal Bloom Conditions in a Shallow Eutrophic Lake
Authors: Li Jing , Ma Ronghua , Xue Kun , Zhang Yuchao , Loiselle Steven
Published: November 2018

Column integrated algal biomass provides a robust indicator for eutrophication evaluation because it considers the vertical variability of phytoplankton. However, most remote sensing-based inversion algorithms of column algal biomass assume a homogenous distribution of phytoplankton within the water column. This study proposes a new remote sensing-based algorithm to estimate column integrated algal biomass incorporating different possible vertical profiles. The field sampling was based on five surveys in Lake Chaohu, a large eutrophic shallow lake in China. Field measurements revealed a significant variation in phytoplankton profiles in the water column during algal bloom conditions. The column integrated algal biomass retrieval algorithm developed in the present study is shown to effectively describe the vertical variation of algal biomass in shallow eutrophic water. The Baseline Normalized Difference Bloom Index (BNDBI) was adopted to estimate algal biomass integrated from the water surface to 40 cm. Then the relationship between 40 cm integrated algal biomass and the whole column algal biomass at various depths was built taking into consideration the hydrological and bathymetry data of each site. The algorithm was able to accurately estimate integrated algal biomass with R2 = 0.89, RMSE = 45.94 and URMSE = 28.58%. High accuracy was observed in the temporal consistency of satellite images (with the maximum MAPE = 7.41%). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the estimated algal biomass integrated from the water surface to 40 cm has the greatest influence on the estimated column integrated algal biomass. This algorithm can be used to explore the long-term variation of algal biomass to improve long-term analysis and management of eutrophic lakes.
The Role of Hydrogen Bonding in the Folding/Unfolding Process of Hydrated Lysozyme: A Review of Recent NMR and FTIR Results
Authors: Mallamace Domenico , Fazio Enza , Mallamace Francesco , Corsaro Carmelo
Published: November 2018

The biological activity of proteins depends on their three-dimensional structure, known as the native state. The main force driving the correct folding mechanism is the hydrophobic effect and when this folding kinetics is altered, aggregation phenomena intervene causing the occurrence of illnesses such as Alzheimer and Parkinson’s diseases. The other important effect is performed by water molecules and by their ability to form a complex network of hydrogen bonds whose dynamics influence the mobility of protein amino acids. In this work, we review the recent results obtained by means of spectroscopic techniques, such as Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, on hydrated lysozyme. In particular, we explore the Energy Landscape from the thermal region of configurational stability up to that of the irreversible denaturation. The importance of the coupling between the solute and the solvent will be highlighted as well as the different behaviors of hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties of protein amino acid residues.
Expression Profile of Diabetes-Related Genes Associated with Leukocyte Sirtuin 1 Overexpression in Gestational Diabetes
Authors: Mac-Marcjanek Katarzyna , Zieleniak Andrzej , Zurawska-Klis Monika , Cypryk Katarzyna , Wozniak Lucyna , Wojcik Marzena
Published: November 2018

Although compelling evidence indicates that Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) plays a prominent role in type 2 diabetes, its relationship with gestational diabetes (GDM) remains elusive. This study was aimed at identifying diabetes-related genes and cellular pathways linked to changes of leukocyte SIRT1 expression at the time of GDM diagnosis. For this purpose, 122 GDM patients were screened for leukocyte SIRT1 expression, and two subgroups were distinguished, namely GDM/SIRT1(↑) (n = 30, p < 0.05) and GDM/SIRT1(↔) (n = 92, p > 0.05), with significant and insignificant changes in leukocyte SIRT1 expression compared to a normal glucose tolerant (NGT) group (n = 41), respectively. PCR array analysis identified 11 diabetes-related genes with at least a ± 2-fold difference in expression in GDM/SIRT1(↑) patients (n = 9) vs. NGT controls (n = 7); in addition, significant differences in the expression of four of the six investigated genes were confirmed between the entire GDM/SIRT1(↑) group and the whole NGT group (p < 0.05). Interestingly, of these four genes, only ACLY expression was found to significantly differ between GDM/SIRT1(↑) and GDM/SIRT1(↔). This study demonstrates that under hyperglycemic conditions, leukocyte SIRT1 overexpression is accompanied by an over-abundance of three transcripts and an under-abundance of another; these four govern related metabolism, inflammation, and transport functions, suggesting that such alterations might represent systemic biological adaptations with a unique ACLY under-expression in GDM/SIRT1(↑) women.
SPACIA1/SAAL1 Deletion Results in a Moderate Delay in Collagen-Induced Arthritis Activity, along with mRNA Decay of Cyclin-dependent Kinase 6 Gene
Authors: Fujii Ryoji , Komatsu Rie , Sato Tomoo , Seki Iwao , Konomi Koji , Aono Hiroyuki , Niki Hisateru , Yudoh Kazuo , Nishioka Kusuki , Nakajima Toshihiro
Published: November 2018

This study was performed to elucidate the molecular function of the synoviocyte proliferation-associated in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) 1/serum amyloid A-like 1 (SPACIA1/SAAL1) in mice CIA, an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and human RA-synovial fibroblasts (RASFs). SPACIA1/SAAL1-deficient mice were generated and used to create mouse models of CIA in mild or severe disease conditions. Cell cycle-related genes, whose expression levels were affected by SPACIA1/SAAL1 small interfering RNA (siRNA), were screened. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional effects of SPACIA1/SAAL1 siRNA on cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) 6 gene expression were investigated in human RASFs. SPACIA1/SAAL1-deficient mice showed later onset and slower progression of CIA than wild-type mice in severe disease conditions, but not in mild conditions. Expression levels of cdk6, but not cdk4, which are D-type cyclin partners, were downregulated by SPACIA1/SAAL1 siRNA at the post-transcriptional level. The exacerbation of CIA depends on SPACIA1/SAAL1 expression, although CIA also progresses slowly in the absence of SPACIA1/SAAL1. The CDK6, expression of which is up-regulated by the SPACIA1/SAAL1 expression, might be a critical factor in the exacerbation of CIA.
Identification and Characterization of the Entamoeba Histolytica Rab8a Binding Protein: A Cdc50 Homolog
Authors: Hanadate Yuki , Saito-Nakano Yumiko , Nakada-Tsukui Kumiko , Nozaki Tomoyoshi
Published: November 2018

Membrane traffic plays a pivotal role in virulence in the enteric protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica. EhRab8A small GTPase is a key regulator of membrane traffic at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of this protist and is involved in the transport of plasma membrane proteins. Here we identified the binding proteins of EhRab8A. The Cdc50 homolog, a non-catalytic subunit of lipid flippase, was identified as an EhRab8A binding protein candidate by affinity coimmunoprecipitation. Binding of EhRab8A to EhCdc50 was also confirmed by reciprocal immunoprecipitation and blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the latter of which revealed an 87 kDa complex. Indirect immunofluorescence imaging with and without Triton X100 showed that endogenous EhCdc50 localized on the surface in the absence of permeabilizing agent but was observed on the intracellular structures and overlapped with the ER marker Bip when Triton X100 was used. Overexpression of N-terminal HA-tagged EhCdc50 impaired its translocation to the plasma membrane and caused its accumulation in the ER. As reported previously in other organisms, overexpression and accumulation of Cdc50 in the ER likely inhibited surface transport and function of the plasma membrane lipid flippase P4-ATPase. Interestingly, HA-EhCdc50-expressing trophozoites gained resistance to miltefosine, which is consistent with the prediction that HA-EhCdc50 overexpression caused its accumulation in the ER and mislocalization of the unidentified lipid flippase. Similarly, EhRab8A gene silenced trophozoites showed increased resistance to miltefosine, supporting EhRab8A-dependent transport of EhCdc50. This study demonstrated for the first time that EhRab8A mediates the transport of EhCdc50 and lipid flippase P4-ATPase from the ER to the plasma membrane.
Evaluating User Behaviour in a Cooperative Environment
Authors: Bazzi Enrico , Cassavia Nunziato , Chiggiato Davide , Masciari Elio , Saccà Domenico , Spada Alessandra , Trubitsyna Irina
Published: November 2018

Big Data, as a new paradigm, has forced both researchers and industries to rethink data management techniques which has become inadequate in many contexts. Indeed, we deal everyday with huge amounts of collected data about user suggestions and searches. These data require new advanced analysis strategies to be devised in order to profitably leverage this information. Moreover, due to the heterogeneous and fast changing nature of these data, we need to leverage new data storage and management tools to effectively store them. In this paper, we analyze the effect of user searches and suggestions and try to understand how much they influence a user’s social environment. This task is crucial to perform efficient identification of the users that are able to spread their influence across the network. Gathering information about user preferences is a key activity in several scenarios like tourism promotion, personalized marketing, and entertainment suggestions. We show the application of our approach for a huge research project named D-ALL that stands for Data Alliance. In fact, we tried to assess the reaction of users in a competitive environment when they were invited to judge each other. Our results show that the users tend to conform to each other when no tangible rewards are provided while they try to reduce other users’ ratings when it affects getting a tangible prize.
Drifting Phenologies Cause Reduced Seasonality of Butterflies in Response to Increasing Temperatures
Authors: Gezon Zachariah J. , Lindborg Rebekah J. , Savage Anne , Daniels Jaret C.
Published: November 2018

Climate change has caused many ecological changes around the world. Altered phenology is among the most commonly observed effects of climate change, and the list of species interactions affected by altered phenology is growing. Although many studies on altered phenology focus on single species or on pairwise species interactions, most ecological communities are comprised of numerous, ecologically similar species within trophic groups. Using a 12-year butterfly monitoring citizen science data set, we aimed to assess the degree to which butterfly communities may be changing over time. Specifically, we wanted to assess the degree to which phenological sensitivities to temperature could affect temporal overlap among species within communities, independent of changes in abundance, species richness, and evenness. We found that warming winter temperatures may be associated with some butterfly species making use of the coldest months of the year to fly as adults, thus changing temporal co-occurrence with other butterfly species. Our results suggest that changing temperatures could cause immediate restructuring of communities without requiring changes in overall abundance or diversity. Such changes could have fitness consequences for individuals within trophic levels by altering competition for resources, as well as indirect effects mediated by species interactions across trophic levels.
Recent Advances on Nitrofluorene Derivatives: Versatile Electron Acceptors to Create Dyes Absorbing from the Visible to the Near and Far Infrared Region
Authors: Noirbent Guillaume , Dumur Frédéric
Published: November 2018

Push–pull dyes absorbing in the visible range have been extensively studied so that a variety of structures have already been synthesized and reported in the literature. Conversely, dyes absorbing in the near and far infrared region are more scarce and this particularity relies on the following points: difficulty of purification, presence of side-reaction during synthesis, low availability of starting materials, and low reaction yields. Over the years, several strategies such as the elongation of the π-conjugated spacer or the improvement of the electron-donating and accepting ability of both donors and acceptors connected via a conjugated or an aliphatic spacer have been examined to red-shift the absorption spectra of well-established visible dyes. However, this strategy is not sufficient, and the shift often remains limited. A promising alternative consists in identifying a molecule further used as an electron-accepting group and already presenting an absorption band in the near infrared region and to capitalize on its absorption to design near and far infrared absorbing dyes. This is the case with poly(nitro)fluorenes that already exhibit such a contribution in the near infrared region. In this review, an overview of the different dyes elaborated with poly(nitro)fluorenes is presented. The different applications where these different dyes have been used are also detailed.
Switchable-Hydrophilicity Triethylamine: Formation and Synergistic Effects of Asphaltenes in Stabilizing Emulsions Droplets
Authors: Li Xingang , Hou Jinjian , Sui Hong , Sun Lingyu , Xu Lin
Published: November 2018

In this study, SHT (switchable-hydrophilicity triethylamine, [Et3NH]·[HCO3]) has been synthesized and instrumentally characterized by Fourier transform–infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The operational synthesis conditions of SHT were optimized and determined at 25 °C, Et3N/H2O volume ratio of 1:2 and CO2 injection rate at 300 mL/min. When it was used to extract heavy oil from unconventional oil ore, it was found that it could break maltenes-in-water emulsions. When asphaltenes were present in the oil phase, it was observed that SHT could cooperate with asphaltenes. These results indicated that SHT works with asphaltenes, leading to synergistic effects in stabilizing oil–water (o/w) emulsions.
Deposition of Cellulose-Based Thin Films on Flexible Substrates
Authors: Schlemmer Werner , Zankel Armin , Niegelhell Katrin , Hobisch Mathias , Süssenbacher Michael , Zajki-Zechmeister Krisztina , Weissl Michael , Reishofer David , Plank Harald , Spirk Stefan
Published: November 2018

This study investigates flexible (polyamide 6.6 PA-6.6, polyethylene terephthalate PET, Cu, Al, and Ni foils) and, for comparison, stiff substrates (silicon wafers and glass) differing in, for example, in surface free energy and surface roughness and their ability to host cellulose-based thin films. Trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC), a hydrophobic acid-labile cellulose derivative, was deposited on these substrates and subjected to spin coating. For all the synthetic polymer and metal substrates, rather homogenous films were obtained, where the thickness and the roughness of the films correlated with the substrate roughness and its surface free energy. A particular case was the TMSC layer on the copper foil, which exhibited superhydrophobicity caused by the microstructuring of the copper substrate. After the investigation of TMSC film formation, the conversion to cellulose using acidic vapors of HCl was attempted. While for the polymer foils, as well as for glass and silicon, rather homogenous and smooth cellulose films were obtained, for the metal foils, there is a competing reaction between the formation of metal chlorides and the generation of cellulose. We observed particles corresponding to the metal chlorides, while we could not detect any cellulose thin films after HCl treatment of the metal foils as proven by cross-section imaging using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Research on the Application of MWCNTs/PLA Composite Material in the Manufacturing of Conductive Composite Products in 3D Printing
Authors: Luo Jinjie , Wang Haibao , Zuo Duquan , Ji Anping , Liu Yaowen
Published: November 2018

As an advanced manufacturing technology that has been developed in recent years, three-dimensional (3D) printing of macromolecular materials can create complex-shaped components that cannot be realized by traditional processing. However, only a few types of macromolecular materials are suitable for 3D printing: the structure must have a single function, and manufacturing macromolecular functional devices is difficult. In this study, using poly lactic acid (PLA) as a matrix, conductive composites were prepared by adding various contents of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The printability and properties of MWCNT/PLA composites with different MWCNT proportions were studied by using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) processing technology of 3D printing. The experimental results showed that high conductivity can be realized in 3D-printed products with a composite material containing 5% MWCNTs; its conductivity was 0.4 ± 0.2 S/cm, its tensile strength was 78.4 ± 12.4 MPa, and its elongation at break was 94.4% ± 14.3%. It had a good melt flow rate and thermal properties, and it enabled smooth printing, thus meeting all the requirements for the 3D printing of consumables.
Testing Effects on Shear Transformation Zone Size of Metallic Glassy Films Under Nanoindentation
Authors: Ma Yi , Song Yuxuan , Huang Xianwei , Chen Zhongli , Zhang Taihua
Published: November 2018

Room-temperature creep tests are performed at the plastic regions of two different metallic glassy films under Berkovich nanoindetation. Relying on the strain rate sensitivity of the steady-state creep curve, shear transformation zone (STZ) size is estimated based on the cooperative shear model (CSM). By applying various indentation depths, loading rates, and holding times, the testing effects on the STZ size of metallic glasses are systematically studied. Experimental results indicate that STZ size is greatly increased with increased indentation depth and shortened holding time. Meanwhile, STZ size is weakly dependent on the loading history. Both the intrinsic and extrinsic reasons are discussed, to reveal the testing effects on the nanoindentation creep flow and STZ size.
Thermophilic Co-Digestion of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Wastes—The Influence of Food Industry Wastes Addition on Biogas Production in Full-Scale Operation
Authors: Seruga Przemysław , Krzywonos Małgorzata , Wilk Marta
Published: November 2018

Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been used widely as a form of energy recovery by biogas production from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the introduction of co-substrates (restaurant wastes, corn whole stillage, effluents from the cleaning of chocolate transportation tanks) on the thermophilic anaerobic digestion process of the mechanically separated organic fraction of municipal solid wastes in a full-scale mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plant. Based on the results, it can be seen that co-digestion might bring benefits and process efficiency improvement, compared to mono-substrate digestion. The 15% addition of effluents from the cleaning of chocolate transportation tanks resulted in an increase in biogas yield by 31.6%, followed by a 68.5 kWh electricity production possibility. The introduction of 10% corn stillage as the feedstock resulted in a biogas yield increase by 27.0%. The 5% addition of restaurant wastes contributed to a biogas yield increase by 21.8%. The introduction of additional raw materials, in fixed proportions in relation to the basic substrate, increases biogas yield compared to substrates with a lower content of organic matter. In regard to substrates with high organic loads, such as restaurant waste, it allows them to be digested. Therefore, determining the proportion of different feedstocks to achieve the highest efficiency with stability is necessary.
Nonlinear Electrical Properties and Field Dependency of BST and Nano-ZnO-Doped Silicone Rubber Composites
Authors: Guo Juyi , Wang Xilin , Jia Zhidong , Wang Jun , Chen Chuan
Published: November 2018

Recently, composite materials with nonlinear dielectric or resistive properties performed well in electric field homogenization and space charge suppression in a high voltage transmission and distribution system. For the purpose of obtaining insulation materials with desirable dielectric and electrical resistance properties, we investigated several fillers with nonlinear electrical properties doped in silicon rubber composites, and their dependency on the temperature and field. The samples of silicone rubber composites with different components were prepared using barium strontium titanate (BST) and zinc oxide (ZnO) as the filler, and high temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (SiR) as the matrix. The investigations revealed that the BST-doped samples showed different dielectric properties compared to ZnO-doped composites, with an increase in the electric field, which was nonlinear. The resistivity of both doped samples was similar. Results demonstrated that it was possible to achieve higher values of permittivity, and lower values of tanδ and resistivity, with respect to unfilled silicone rubber composites over a wide electrical field and temperature range. Discussion of the results attributes these important functional behaviours to the spontaneous polarization of nonlinear nanoparticles and the interaction between the SiR chains and the nonlinear nanoparticles at the interfacial area.
Photo-Induced Depletion of Binding Sites in DNA-PAINT Microscopy
Authors: Blumhardt Philipp , Stein Johannes , Mücksch Jonas , Stehr Florian , Bauer Julian , Jungmann Ralf , Schwille Petra
Published: November 2018

The limited photon budget of fluorescent dyes is the main limitation for localization precision in localization-based super-resolution microscopy. Points accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (PAINT)-based techniques use the reversible binding of fluorophores and can sample a single binding site multiple times, thus elegantly circumventing the photon budget limitation. With DNA-based PAINT (DNA-PAINT), resolutions down to a few nanometers have been reached on DNA-origami nanostructures. However, for long acquisition times, we find a photo-induced depletion of binding sites in DNA-PAINT microscopy that ultimately limits the quality of the rendered images. Here we systematically investigate the loss of binding sites in DNA-PAINT imaging and support the observations with measurements of DNA hybridization kinetics via surface-integrated fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (SI-FCS). We do not only show that the depletion of binding sites is clearly photo-induced, but also provide evidence that it is mainly caused by dye-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We evaluate two possible strategies to reduce the depletion of binding sites: By addition of oxygen scavenging reagents, and by the positioning of the fluorescent dye at a larger distance from the binding site.
Walnut Polyphenol Extract Protects against Fenitrothion-Induced Immunotoxicity in Murine Splenic Lymphocytes
Authors: Liu Hong , Wan Yifang , Wang Yuxin , Zhao Yue , Zhang Yue , Zhang Ao , Weng Qiang , Xu Meiyu
Published: November 2018

Fenitrothion (FNT), an organophosphate pesticide, exerts an immunotoxic effect on splenocytes. Dietary polyphenol compounds exert antioxidant, anticancer and antihypertensive effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of walnut polyphenol extract (WPE) on FNT-induced immunotoxicity in splenic lymphocytes in vitro. Treatment with WPE significantly increased the proliferation of FNT-exposed splenocytes, as evidenced by increases in the proportions of splenic T lymphocytes (CD3+ T cells) and T-cell subsets (CD8+ T cells), as well as the secretion of the T-cell-related cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, interferon-γ, IL-4 and granzyme B. These effects were associated with a reduction in oxidative stress, as evidenced by changes in the levels of hydroxyl radical, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde. Moreover, WPE decreased the FNT-induced overexpression of NADPH oxidase 2 and dual oxidase 1 by regulating Toll-like receptor 4 signaling in splenic T-cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that WPE protects against FNT-mediated immunotoxicity and improves immune function by inhibiting oxidative stress.