bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applying Supercritical Fluid Technology to Prepare Ibuprofen Solid Dispersions with Improved Oral Bioavailability
Authors: Han Fei , Zhang Wei , Wang Ying , Xi Ziyue , Chen Lu , Li Sanming , Xu Lu
Published: February 2019

In this study, supercritical fluid (SCF) technology was applied to prepare reliable solid dispersions of pharmaceutical compounds with limited bioavailability using ibuprofen (IBU) as a model compound. Solid-state characterization of the dispersions was conducted by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The PXRD and DSC results suggested that the amorphous form of IBU was maintained in the solid dispersions. Furthermore, in vitro dissolution and in vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in rats were also performed. The dissolution performance of the SCF-prepared IBU dispersions was significantly improved compared to that of the physical mixtures of crystalline IBU and a polymer. In addition, the PK results revealed that the SCF-prepared IBU dispersions produced remarkably high blood drug concentrations (both the AUC and Cmax) and a rapid absorption rate (Tmax). Finally, molecular modeling was used to evaluate the binding energy of interactions between IBU and the polymers. The negative binding energy suggests a relatively stable system. Hence, SCF technology can be used as a very effective approach to prepare IBU solid dispersions with good physical stability and enhanced in vitro and in vivo performance.
Preparation of a Cross-Linked Cartilage Acellular-Matrix Film and Its In Vivo Evaluation as an Antiadhesive Barrier
Authors: Park Joon Yeong , Song Bo Ram , Lee Jin Woo , Park Seung Hun , Kang Tae Woong , Yun Hee-Woong , Park Sang-Hyug , Min Byoung Hyun , Kim Moon Suk
Published: February 2019

In this paper, a cartilage acellular-matrix (CAM) is chosen as a biomaterial for an effective antiadhesive barrier to apply between injured tissue and healthy tissues or organs. CAM is cross-linked using glutaraldehyde to create a cross-linked CAM (Cx-CAM) film. Cx-CAM has higher elastic modulus and toughness and more hydrophobic surface properties than CAM before cross-linking. Small intestinal submucosa (SIS), cross-linked SIS (Cx-SIS) as a negative control, and Seprafilm as a positive control are used in an experiment as adhesion barriers. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) on SIS, Cx-SIS, or in a culture plate get attached and effectively proliferate for 7 days, but Cx-CAM and Seprafilm allow for little or no attachment and proliferation of HUVECs, thus manifesting antiadhesive and antiproliferative effects. In animals with surgical damage to the peritoneal wall and cecum, Cx-CAM and Seprafilm afford little adhesion and negligible inflammation after seven days, as confirmed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and macrophage staining, in contrast to an untreated-injury model, SIS, or Cx-SIS film. Cx-CAM significantly suppresses the formation of blood vessels between the peritoneal wall and cecum, as confirmed by CD31 staining. Overall, the newly designed Cx-CAM film works well as an antiadhesion barrier and has better anti-tissue adhesion efficiency.
Hydrophobicity of Polyacrylate Emulsion Film Enhanced by Introduction of Nano-SiO2 and Fluorine
Authors: Xu Tao , Xiao Qiangqiang , Chen Jiayu , Li Li , Yang Xiongjun , Liu Lifang , Yuan Wenhui , Zhang Bingjian , Wu Huijun
Published: February 2019

This study proposes to utilize modified Nano-SiO2/fluorinated polyacrylate emulsion that was synthesized with a semi-continuous starved seed emulsion polymerization to improve the hydrophobicity, thermal stability, and UV-Vis absorption of polyacrylate emulsion film. To verify the proposed method, a series inspection had been conducted to investigate the features of the emulsion film. The morphological analysis indicated that Nano-SiO2 was surrounded by a silane molecule after modification, which can efficiently prevent silica nanoparticles from aggregating. Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed that modified SiO2 and dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFMA) were successfully introduced to the copolymer latex. The particle size of latex increased with the introduction of modified Nano-SiO2 and DFMA. UV-Vis absorption spectra revealed that modified silicon nanoparticles can improve the ultraviolet shielding effect obviously. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy illustrated that the film–air interface was richer in fluorine than film section and the glass side. The contact angle of modified Nano-SiO2/fluorinated polyacrylate emulsion containing 3 wt % DFMA was 112°, slightly lower than double that of polyacrylate emulsion, indicating composite emulsion films possess better hydrophobicity. These results suggest that introducing modified Nano-SiO2 and fluorine into polyacrylate emulsion can significantly enhance the thermal stability of emulsion films.
Facile Preparation of Reduction-Responsive Micelles Based on Biodegradable Amphiphilic Polyurethane with Disulfide Bonds in the Backbone
Authors: Zhang Peng , Hu Jiaying , Bu Leran , Zhang Hena , Du Baixiang , Zhu Caihong , Li Yuling
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we synthesized a biodegradable amphiphilic polymer of polyurethane-polyethylene glycol with disulfide bonds in the main chain (PEG-PU(SS)-PEG). DLS and SEM showed that the polymer could self-assemble into micelles in aqueous solution and could be used to load the hydrophobic anticancer drug DOX. Intriguingly, drug release in vitro indicated that DOX-loaded PEG-PU(SS)-PEG micelles had good stability under the extracellular physiological environment, but the disulfide bonds broke rapidly and DOX was released quickly under the intracellular reducing conditions. CCK-8 assays showed that DOX-loaded PEG-PU(SS)-PEG micelles had a high in vitro antitumor activity in C6 cells, whereas blank PEG-PU(SS)-PEG micelles were nontoxic to C6 cells. It was also found that there was strong and persistent accumulation of DOX-loaded PEG-PU(SS)-PEG as compared with PEG-PU-PEG both by the cell internalization tests and the flow cytometry measurements. Hence, PEG-PU(SS)-PEG micelles will have a potential use for clinical treatment of cancer in the future.
The Accident Path of Coal Mine Gas Explosion Based on 24Model: A Case Study of the Ruizhiyuan Gas Explosion Accident
Authors: Fu Gui , Zhao Ziqi , Hao Chuanbo , Wu Qiang
Published: February 2019

In order to effectively prevent coal mine accidents, we selected the most serious type of accident in coal mines—gas explosions—as the research object. Based on the accident causation model (24Model), we propose an action path and analysis steps of accidents caused by different employees in the organization. A gas explosion coal mine accident was analyzed using the 24Model and the proposed action path, and 12 unsafe actions, 3 unsafe states, 4 habitual behaviors, 10 safety management systems, and 10 safety cultures were obtained. Case analysis results show that by using the 24Model and path analysis the proposed effect can help employees to clearly identify the cause of the accident, to better understand the logical relationship with the causes of the accident, improve the effectiveness of training, and effectively prevent similar accidents. The 24Model and the proposed path can be used to comprehensively analyze the reasons for and help to effectively prevent coal mine gas explosion accidents.
Grain-Size Distribution and Structural Characteristics of Varved Sediments from Lake Żabińskie (Northeastern Poland)
Authors: Żarczyński Maurycy , Szmańda Jacek , Tylmann Wojciech
Published: February 2019

Typically, the description of varve microfacies is based on microscopic sedimentary structures, while standard grain-size analysis is commonly applied with lower resolution. Studies involving a direct comparison of varve microfacies and particle-size distributions, common for clastic environments, are scarce for biogenic varves. In this study, we analyzed nine-year resolution grain-size data from Lake Żabińskie (northeastern Poland) to detect differences between varve microfacies. Six varve microfacies were differentiated using grain-size distributions and sedimentological attributes (calcite layer thickness, dark layer thickness, mass accumulation rate). However, changes in particle-size distributions between different varve types are relatively small and indicate a similar source for the material deposited. Decomposition of grain-size distributions with the end-member approach allows recognition of relative changes for the deposition of allochthonous (mineral) and autochthonous (carbonates, (hydr)oxides) components. Grain-size data suggest that sources of allochthonous material remained constant, while varve formation was controlled mostly by in-lake processes.
Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma and Late Onset of Lung Distant Metastasis. A Case Report
Authors: Semprebene Alessandro , Mangano Anna Maria , Ventroni Guido , Barone Raffaella , Piro Francesca Romana , Mango Lucio
Published: February 2019

Background: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), which includes the papillary and follicular variants, is a common neoplasm. DTC has a very high cure rate and is treated surgically, usually followed by ablation of the post-surgical remnant with radioiodine. Case Presentation: The case of a 68-year-old male patient who underwent a minimally invasive complete thyroidectomy on July 4, 2007 for capsulated follicular carcinoma with margins of excision exempted from neoplastic infiltration (AJCC 2002 pT2 PNX PMX) is presented. Discussion: As the patient showed the presence of a pulmonary metastasis after 11 years, the potential implications of DTC follow-up management are here summarized. Conclusions: Follow up must be continued throughout life.
Combined Lane Mapping Using a Mobile Mapping System
Authors: Wan Rui , Huang Yuchun , Xie Rongchang , Ma Ping
Published: February 2019

High-definition mapping of 3D lane lines has been widely needed for the highway documentation and intelligent navigation of autonomous systems. A mobile mapping system (MMS) captures both accurate 3D LiDAR point clouds and high-resolution images of lane markings at highway driving speeds, providing an abundant data source for combined lane mapping. This paper aims to map lanes with an MMS. The main contributions of this paper include the following: (1) an intensity correction method was introduced to eliminate the reflectivity inconsistency of road-surface LiDAR points; (2) a self-adaptive thresholding method was developed to extract lane markings from their complicated surroundings; and (3) a LiDAR-guided textural saliency analysis of MMS images was proposed to improve the robustness of lane mapping. The proposed method was tested with a dataset acquired in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which contained straight roads, curved roads, and a roundabout with various pavement markings and a complex roadside environment. The experimental results achieved a recall of 96.4%, a precision of 97.6%, and an F-score of 97.0%, demonstrating that the proposed method has strong mapping ability for various urban roads.
Optimized Combination of Local Beams for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Oh Semyoung , Kim Young-Dam , Park Daejin
Published: February 2019

This paper proposes an optimization algorithm to determine the optimal coherent combination candidates of distributed local beams in a wireless sensor network. The beams are generated from analog uniform linear arrays of nodes and headed toward the random directions due to the irregular surface where the nodes are mounted. Our algorithm is based on one of the meta-heuristic schemes (i.e., the single-objective simulated annealing) and designed to solve the objective of minimizing the average interference-to-noise ratio (INR) under the millimeter wave channel, which leads to the reduction of sidelobes. The simulation results show that synthesizing the beams on the given system can form a deterministic mainlobe with considerable and unpredictable sidelobes in undesired directions, and the proposed algorithm can decrease the average INR (i.e., the average improvement of 12.2 dB and 3.1 dB are observed in the directions of π 6 and 2 π 3 , respectively) significantly without the severe loss of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the desired direction.
Where There Is Fire There Is SMOKE: A Scalable Edge Computing Framework for Early Fire Detection
Authors: Avgeris Marios , Spatharakis Dimitrios , Dechouniotis Dimitrios , Kalatzis Nikos , Roussaki Ioanna , Papavassiliou Symeon
Published: February 2019

A Cyber-Physical Social System (CPSS) tightly integrates computer systems with the physical world and human activities. In this article, a three-level CPSS for early fire detection is presented to assist public authorities to promptly identify and act on emergency situations. At the bottom level, the system’s architecture involves IoT nodes enabled with sensing and forest monitoring capabilities. Additionally, in this level, the crowd sensing paradigm is exploited to aggregate environmental information collected by end user devices present in the area of interest. Since the IoT nodes suffer from limited computational energy resources, an Edge Computing Infrastructure, at the middle level, facilitates the offloaded data processing regarding possible fire incidents. At the top level, a decision-making service deployed on Cloud nodes integrates data from various sources, including users’ information on social media, and evaluates the situation criticality. In our work, a dynamic resource scaling mechanism for the Edge Computing Infrastructure is designed to address the demanding Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of this IoT-enabled time and mission critical application. The experimental results indicate that the vertical and horizontal scaling on the Edge Computing layer is beneficial for both the performance and the energy consumption of the IoT nodes.
Haptic Glove and Platform with Gestural Control For Neuromorphic Tactile Sensory Feedback In Medical Telepresence †
Authors: D’Abbraccio Jessica , Massari Luca , Prasanna Sahana , Baldini Laura , Sorgini Francesca , Airò Farulla Giuseppe , Bulletti Andrea , Mazzoni Marina , Capineri Lorenzo , Menciassi Arianna , Petrovic Petar , Palermo Eduardo , Oddo Calogero Maria
Published: February 2019

Advancements in the study of the human sense of touch are fueling the field of haptics. This is paving the way for augmenting sensory perception during object palpation in tele-surgery and reproducing the sensed information through tactile feedback. Here, we present a novel tele-palpation apparatus that enables the user to detect nodules with various distinct stiffness buried in an ad-hoc polymeric phantom. The contact force measured by the platform was encoded using a neuromorphic model and reproduced on the index fingertip of a remote user through a haptic glove embedding a piezoelectric disk. We assessed the effectiveness of this feedback in allowing nodule identification under two experimental conditions of real-time telepresence: In Line of Sight (ILS), where the platform was placed in the visible range of a user; and the more demanding Not In Line of Sight (NILS), with the platform and the user being 50 km apart. We found that the entailed percentage of identification was higher for stiffer inclusions with respect to the softer ones (average of 74% within the duration of the task), in both telepresence conditions evaluated. These promising results call for further exploration of tactile augmentation technology for telepresence in medical interventions.
Exploring the Term “Resilience” in Arctic Health and Well-Being Using a Sharing Circle as a Community-Centered Approach: Insights from a Conference Workshop
Authors: Healey Akearok Gwen , Cueva Katie , Stoor Jon Petter A. , Larsen Christina V. L. , Rink Elizabeth , Kanayurak Nicole , Emelyanova Anastasia , Hiratsuka Vanessa Y.
Published: February 2019

In the field of Arctic health, “resilience” is a term and concept used to describe capacity to recover from difficulties. While the term is widely used in Arctic policy contexts, there is debate at the community level on whether “resilience” is an appropriate term to describe the human dimensions of health and wellness in the Arctic. Further, research methods used to investigate resilience have largely been limited to Western science research methodologies, which emphasize empirical quantitative studies and may not mirror the perspective of the Arctic communities under study. To explore conceptions of resilience in Arctic communities, a Sharing Circle was facilitated at the International Congress on Circumpolar Health in 2018. With participants engaging from seven of the eight Arctic countries, participants shared critiques of the term “resilience,” and their perspectives on key components of thriving communities. Upon reflection, this use of a Sharing Circle suggests that it may be a useful tool for deeper investigations into health-related issues affecting Arctic Peoples. The Sharing Circle may serve as a meaningful methodology for engaging communities using resonant research strategies to decolonize concepts of resilience and highlight new dimensions for promoting thriving communities in Arctic populations.
Does Project Children’s University Increase Academic Self-Efficacy in 6th Graders? A Weak Experimental Design
Authors: Toytok Esef Hakan , Gürel Sungur
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this study is to determine whether students’ academic self-efficacy levels increase through a 20 week of education that is based on the problem-based learning theory and transmitted in an inter-disciplinary manner in Project Children’s University. The project aimed to teach students to learn how to learn. Eventually, students will be life-long learners and gain sustainable learning skills. In order to observe the effect of Project Children’s University, academic self-efficacy levels are measured in terms of “self-efficacy in ability”, “context”, and “education quality domains”. Changes in treatment group students’ academic self-efficacy levels are modeled in growth curve modeling framework throughout three waves. Then, they are compared with those of control group students using Welch’s t test. Results have shown that the levels of academic self-efficacy throughout the research have fallen significantly for the treatment group students. In addition, the levels of self-efficacy in ability of the treatment group students were significantly higher than the levels of the control group students. On the other hand, the levels of context of the treatment group students were significantly lower than the levels of the control group students. In conclusion, Project Children’s University has failed to increase students’ academic self-efficacy levels, but entitled them to understand what academic self-efficacy really means, to socialize, to be self-confident students, and to criticize themselves more rationally.
Taking Advantage of Students’ Passion for Apps in Sustainability and CSR Teaching
Authors: Alonso-Martínez Daniel , Jiménez-Parra Beatriz , González-Álvarez Nuria , Godos-Díez José-Luis , Cabeza-García Laura
Published: February 2019

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using mobile apps combined with traditional methods for teaching sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) to undergraduate students. Although previous papers stated the importance of apps, they showed no conclusive results, and there are few studies analyzing their importance in management training, and particularly in sustainability management. To achieve our main goal, drawing upon the action learning system, we designed and implemented several training sessions combining traditional methods and apps. The effectiveness of teaching methods was assessed with two surveys (pre- and post-training) with questions about sustainable consumption, lifestyle, and CSR management. The results demonstrate that students found this type of learning beneficial, showing an increase in their commitment to social and environmental issues. These findings underline the potential for apps in teaching sustainability at undergraduate levels in combination with more traditional methods.
Spatiotemporal Evolution and the Driving Forces of the Coupling Coordination Degree between Urbanization and Urban Residents’ Livelihood Level in Mongolia
Authors: Cui Dan , Liu Honghong , Xiao Ye , Cui Nana , Liu Jingjing , Wu Dianting
Published: February 2019

Rapid expansion in Mongolia has resulted in an inequality in livelihood, growing air pollution, and unevenly distributed social goods, which implies that the urbanization of Mongolia is experiencing a chronic imbalance. Using 21 Aimags and 1 capital in Mongolia as the research object, this paper provides a detailed assessment of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) to analyze the coupling and coordination relationship between urbanization and urban residents’ livelihood level. The results suggest that there is a serious imbalance in the coordination of urban development and urban residents’ livelihood among the Aimags of Mongolia. The high CCD values were mainly concentrated in the central regions of Mongolia, while the low values were clustered in the western and eastern areas. The spatial Durbin model was employed to analyze the driving forces of the CCD, and the results imply that the secondary industry share and the number of registered enterprises play significant roles in promoting coordination between urbanization and urban residents’ livelihood level. Here, we present an overview of how our analysis can provide useful insights for policymakers and decision makers.
Firms’ Sustainability: Does Economic Policy Uncertainty Affect Internal Control?
Authors: Liao Fang-Nan , Ji Xiao-Li , Wang Zhi-Ping
Published: February 2019

This paper studies whether economic policy uncertainty (EPU) influences internal control (IC). Exploiting EPU as an exogenous shock and using unique internal control index data at the firm level from China, we can make causal inferences about the EPU effect on IC, and provide new insight into firms’ sustainability. Our results show that firms tend to cope with higher EPU by improving IC, indicating their efforts to ensure sustainability development. We also find that this trend is intensified for firms localized in regions with a lower marketization degree, state-owned firms, or firms with fewer analysts following. Further analyses show that EPU significantly reduces the internal control auditing fees, hence backing up the association between EPU and IC. Unlike the previous literature, this paper shows the important role of internal control for firms in coping with EPU, which is of crucial significance to how firms seek to adhere to sustainable development and how economic policy works best.
The Promising Effect of a Green Food Label in the New Online Market
Authors: Jiang Yu , Wang H. Holly , Jin Shaosheng , Delgado Michael S.
Published: February 2019

Although public interest in sustainable and safer products have steadily risen worldwide, research has shown a difference between consumer’s willingness to purchase, and actual purchasing behavior, for which two main explanations exist, including a lack of accessibility and a poor knowledge of related attributes. Fortunately, the emergence of online food markets may improve this situation through convenient accessibility to sustainable food and detailed description about sustainability labels. This research uses a hedonic price analysis to compare the price premiums for the sustainability attribute in Chinese online and offline markets, using edible oil as a case. The specific objective is to test the different values of a sustainable attribute, a green food label, in two types of markets. Results show that the green food attribute could gain a price premium in the online market but not in the offline market, indicating the importance of the online channel for sustainable food sale in China. A big price mechanism difference between online and offline markets is also found, with regard to attributes of production method, variety, place of origin, packaging, and discount. These results provide a guide for firms’ pricing strategies in online and offline markets.
A Methodology to Evaluate Accessibility to Bus Stops as a Contribution to Improve Sustainability in Urban Mobility
Authors: Corazza Maria Vittoria , Favaretto Nicola
Published: February 2019

Walking and transit are the backbone of sustainable mobility. Bus stops not only represent the connection between the two, but are also central in dictating the attractiveness of the latter. Accessibility of bus stops becomes, then, pivotal in increasing both attractiveness and sustainability of public transport. The paper describes a multi-step methodology to evaluate bus stops’ accessibility starting from a cluster of seven indicators describing objective and subjective features influencing passengers’ choice toward a given bus stop. The indicators are weighed by a questionnaire submitted to experts. Finally, a multicriteria analysis is developed to obtain a final score describing univocally the accessibility of each stop. Outcomes are mapped and a case study in Rome is reported as an example, with 231 bus and tram stops assessed accordingly. Results shows the relevance of the urban network and environment in evaluating the accessibility and in promoting more sustainable mobility patterns. Research innovation relies on the possibility to merge data from different fields into a specific GIS map and easily highlight for each bus stop the relationships between built environment, passengers’ comfort, and accessibility, with the concluding goal to provide advanced knowledge for further applications.
The Impact of Haze on the Availability of Company Debt Financing: Evidence for Sustainability of Chinese Listed Companies
Authors: Li Bin , Guo Peixiang , Zeng Yating
Published: February 2019

Based on the data of A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2013 to 2017 and the air quality monitoring data released by China Environmental Monitoring Station, the paper examines the impact of haze on the availability of company debt financing by using fixed-effects model and quantile regression model. The empirical results show that: Firstly, haze has a positive impact on the demand of company debt financing, and the positive effect is marginal increment. Secondly, haze has a negative impact on the availability of company debt financing, and the negative impact is also marginal increment. Further study found that heavy polluting industry characteristics weaken the impact of haze on company debt financing availability. The paper analyzes the influence of air pollution on enterprise management from the perspective of company debt financing and explains the necessity for companies to implement an environmentally sustainable development strategy.
Emotion Recognition from Speech Using the Bag-of-Visual Words on Audio Segment Spectrograms
Authors: Spyrou Evaggelos , Nikopoulou Rozalia , Vernikos Ioannis , Mylonas Phivos
Published: February 2019

It is noteworthy nowadays that monitoring and understanding a human’s emotional state plays a key role in the current and forthcoming computational technologies. On the other hand, this monitoring and analysis should be as unobtrusive as possible, since in our era the digital world has been smoothly adopted in everyday life activities. In this framework and within the domain of assessing humans’ affective state during their educational training, the most popular way to go is to use sensory equipment that would allow their observing without involving any kind of direct contact. Thus, in this work, we focus on human emotion recognition from audio stimuli (i.e., human speech) using a novel approach based on a computer vision inspired methodology, namely the bag-of-visual words method, applied on several audio segment spectrograms. The latter are considered to be the visual representation of the considered audio segment and may be analyzed by exploiting well-known traditional computer vision techniques, such as construction of a visual vocabulary, extraction of speeded-up robust features (SURF) features, quantization into a set of visual words, and image histogram construction. As a last step, support vector machines (SVM) classifiers are trained based on the aforementioned information. Finally, to further generalize the herein proposed approach, we utilize publicly available datasets from several human languages to perform cross-language experiments, both in terms of actor-created and real-life ones.
Subclinical Lipopolysaccharide from Salmonella Enteritidis Induces Dysregulation of Bioactive Substances from Selected Brain Sections and Glands of Neuroendocrine Axes
Authors: Mikołajczyk Anita , Złotkowska Dagmara
Published: February 2019

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can contribute to the pathogenesis and the clinical symptoms of many diseases such as cancer, mental disorders, neurodegenerative as well as metabolic diseases. The asymptomatic carrier state of Salmonella spp. is a very important public health problem. A subclinical single dose of LPS obtained from S. Enteritidis (5 μg/kg, i.v.) was administered to discern the consequences of changes of various brain peptides such as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), galanin (GAL), neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SOM), substance P (SP), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in selected clinically important brain sections and endocrine glands of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), -thyroid (HPT), -ovarian (HPO) axes. The study was conducted on ten immature crossbred female pigs. The brain peptides were extracted from the hypothalamus (medial basal hypothalamus, preoptic area, lateral hypothalamic area, mammillary bodies, and the stalk median eminence), and pituitary gland (adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis) sections and from the ovaries and adrenal and thyroid glands. There was no difference in health status between LPS and the control groups during the period of the experiment. Nevertheless, even a low single dose of LPS from S. Enteritidis that did not result in any clinical symptoms of disease induced dysregulation of various brain peptides, such as CRH, GnRH, TRH, GAL, NPY, SOM, SP, and VIP in selected brain sections of hypothalamus, pituitary gland and in the endocrine glands of the HPA, HPO, and HPT axes. In conclusion, the obtained results clearly show that subclinical LPS from S. Enteritidis can affect the brain chemistry structure and dysregulate bioactive substance from selected brain sections and glands of the neuroendocrine axes. The exact mechanisms by which LPS can influence major neuroendocrine axes are not fully understood and require further studies.
Effect of Pullet Vaccination on Development and Longevity of Immunity
Authors: Aston Emily J. , Jordan Brian J. , Williams Susan M. , García Maricarmen , Jackwood Mark W.
Published: February 2019

Avian respiratory disease causes significant economic losses in commercial poultry. Because of the need to protect long-lived poultry against respiratory tract pathogens from an early age, vaccination programs for pullets typically involve serial administration of a variety of vaccines, including infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV). Often the interval between vaccinations is only a matter of weeks, yet it is unknown whether the development of immunity and protection against challenge when vaccines are given in short succession occurs in these birds, something known as viral interference. Our objective was to determine whether serially administered, live attenuated vaccines against IBV, NDV, and ILTV influence the development and longevity of immunity and protection against challenge in long-lived birds. Based on a typical pullet vaccination program, specific-pathogen-free white leghorns were administered multiple live attenuated vaccines against IBV, NDV, and ILTV until 16 weeks of age (WOA), after which certain groups were challenged with IBV, NDV, or ILTV at 20, 24, 28, 32, and 36 WOA. Five days post-challenge, viral load, clinical signs, ciliostasis, tracheal histopathology, and antibody titers in serum and tears were evaluated. We demonstrate that pullets serially administered live attenuated vaccines against IBV, NDV, and ILTV were protected against homologous challenge with IBV, NDV, or ILTV for at least 36 weeks, and conclude that the interval between vaccinations used in this study (at least 2 weeks) did not interfere with protection. This information is important because it shows that a typical pullet vaccination program consisting of serially administered live attenuated vaccines against multiple respiratory pathogens can result in the development of protective immunity against each disease agent.
Exploring Bacterial Communities in Aquaponic Systems
Authors: Eck Mathilde , Sare Abdoul Razack , Massart Sébastien , Schmautz Zala , Junge Ranka , Smits Theo H. M. , Jijakli M. Haïssam
Published: February 2019

Aquaponics is a production system based on the dynamic equilibrium between fish, plants, and microorganisms. In order to better understand the role of microorganisms in this tripartite relationship, we studied the bacterial communities hosted in eight aquaponic and aquaculture systems. The bacterial communities were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene deep sequencing. At the phylum level, the bacterial communities from all systems were relatively similar with a predominance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, however, the communities present in the sampled systems were more heterogeneous. The biofilter samples harbored more diverse communities than the corresponding sump samples. The core microbiomes from the coupled and decoupled systems shared more common operational taxonomic units than with the aquaculture systems. Eventually, some of the taxa identified in the systems could have beneficial functions for plant growth and health, but a deeper analysis would be required to identify the precise functions involved in aquaponics.
The Effect of Pervious Concrete on Water Quality Parameters: A Case Study
Authors: Pilon Brent S. , Tyner John S. , Yoder Daniel C. , Buchanan John R.
Published: February 2019

Stormwater is a leading source of pollutants that when transported to surface waters may damage aquatic habitat, decrease reservoir capacity, and contaminate drinking water. In order to evaluate whether a pervious concrete detention system can remove stormwater pollutants from the runoff, water quality was monitored at a site with both impervious asphalt and pervious concrete parking areas. The stormwater flowed across asphalt pavement before infiltrating into the pervious concrete and an aggregate sub-base below. The runoff was sampled exiting the asphalt but prior to entering the pervious concrete, and after it passed through the pervious concrete detention system, representing pre- and post-treatment sampling. Results showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) decreases in concentrations of total suspended solids, nitrite, chemical oxygen demand, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons compared to untreated asphalt runoff. Zinc concentrations were apparently reduced, but not quite to statistically significant levels (p = 0.054). Values of pH and sulfate both showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) increases.
Determining the Discharge and Recharge Relationships between Lake and Groundwater in Lake Hulun Using Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotopes and Chloride Ions
Authors: Han Zhiming , Shi Xiaohong , Jia Keli , Sun Biao , Zhao Shengnan , Fu Chenxing
Published: February 2019

This study examined the discharge and recharge relationships between lake and groundwater in Lake Hulun using a novel tracer method that tracks hydrogen and oxygen isotopes and chloride ions. The hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in precipitation falling in the Lake Hulun Basin were compared with those in water samples from the lake and from the local river, well and spring water during both freezing and non-freezing periods in 2017. The results showed that the local meteoric water line equation in the Lake Hulun area is δD = 6.68 δ18O − 5.89‰ (R2 = 0.96) and the main source of water supply in the study area is precipitation. Long-term groundwater monitoring data revealed that the groundwater is effectively recharged by precipitation through the aeration zone. Exchanges between the various compounds during the strong evaporative fractionation process in groundwater are responsible for the gradual depletion of δ18O. The lake is recharged by groundwater during the non-freezing period, as shown in the map constructed to show the recharge and discharge relationships between the lake and groundwater. The steadily rising lake water levels in the summer mean that the water level before the freeze is high and consequently the water in the lake drains into the surrounding groundwater via faults along both sides of the lake during the frozen period. The groundwater is discharged into the lake in the west and into the Urson River in the east due to the Cuogang uplift.
Bayesian Hierarchical Model Uncertainty Quantification for Future Hydroclimate Projections in Southern Hills-Gulf Region, USA
Authors: Beigi Ehsan , Tsai Frank T.-C. , Singh Vijay P. , Kao Shih-Chieh
Published: February 2019

The study investigates the hierarchical uncertainty of multi-ensemble hydroclimate projections for the Southern Hills-Gulf region, USA, considering emission pathways and a global climate model (GCM) as two main sources of uncertainty. Forty projections of downscaled daily air temperature and precipitation from 2010 to 2099 under four emission pathways and ten CMIP5 GCMs are adopted for hydroclimate modeling via the HELP3 hydrologic model. This study focuses on evapotranspiration (ET), surface runoff, and groundwater recharge projections in this century. Climate projection uncertainty is characterized by the hierarchical Bayesian model averaging (HBMA) method, which segregates emission pathway uncertainty and climate model uncertainty. HBMA is able to derive ensemble means and standard deviations, arising from individual uncertainty sources, for ET, runoff, and recharge. The model results show that future recharge in the Southern Hills-Gulf region is more sensitive to different climate projections and exhibits higher variability than ET and runoff. Overall, ET is likely to increase and runoff is likely to decrease in this century given the current emission path scenarios. Runoff are predicted to have an 18% to 20% decrease and ET is predicted to have around a 3% increase throughout the century. Groundwater recharge is likely to increase in this century with a decreasing trend. Recharge would increase about 13% in the early century and will have only a 3% increase in the late century. All hydrological projections have increasing uncertainty towards the end of the century. The HBMA result suggests that the GCM uncertainty dominates the overall hydrological projection uncertainty in the early century and the mid-century. The emission pathway uncertainty becomes important in the late century.
Change in Extreme Precipitation over North Korea Using Multiple Climate Change Scenarios
Authors: Kwon Minsung , Sung Jang , Ahn Jaehyun
Published: February 2019

Although the magnitude and frequency of extreme events on the global scale are expected to change because of changes in the hydrological cycle under climate change, little quantitative assessment of future extreme precipitation in North Korea has been attempted. Therefore, this study projected the changes in extreme precipitation in North Korea by applying downscaling to GCMs forced by Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) Scenarios 4.5 and 8.5, preserving the long-term trend of climate change projection. Employing climate change scenario ensembles of RCP8.5, the precipitation level of the 20-year return period in the reference period of 1980–2005 increased to 21.1 years for the future period 2011–2040, decreased to 16.2 years for 2041–2070, and decreased to 8.8 years for 2071–2100. Extreme precipitation was expected to occur often in the future. In addition, an increase in extreme precipitation at the border of North and South Korea is expected, and it is concluded that a joint response for the Imjin River, a river shared by North and South Korea, is needed.
One-step nonhydrolytic sol–gel synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 phosphonate hybrid materials
Authors: Wang Yanhui , Mutin P Hubert , Alauzun Johan G
Published: February 2019

Mesoporous TiO2–octylphosphonate hybrid materials were prepared in one step by a nonhydrolytic sol–gel method involving the reaction of Ti(OiPr)4, acetophenone (2 equiv) and diethyl octylphosphonate (from 0 to 0.2 equiv) at 200 °C for 12 hours, in toluene. The different samples were characterized by 31P magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen physisorption. For P/Ti ratios up to 0.1, the hybrid materials can be described as aggregated, roughly spherical, crystalline anatase nanoparticles grafted by octylphosphonate groups via Ti–O–P bonds. The crystallite size decreases with the P/Ti ratio, leading to an increase of the specific surface area and a decrease of the pore size of the hybrid samples. For a P/Ti ratio of 0.2, the volume fraction of organic octyl groups exceeds 50%. The hybrid material becomes nonporous and can be described as amorphous TiO2 clusters modified by octylphosphonate units, where the octyl chains form an organic continuous matrix.
The Excitation State of Galactic Diffuse Molecular Gas, Investigated with ALMA Observations of Multi-transition Absorption Lines
Authors: Ando Ryo , Kohno Kotaro , Umehata Hideki , Izumi Takuma , Ishii Shun , Nishimura Yuri , Sorai Kazuo , Tosaki Tomoka , Taniguchi Akio , Tamura Yoichi
Published: February 2019

We report Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of 243–263 GHz absorption lines from Galactic diffuse molecular gas seen against three extragalactic radio-loud objects, J1717-337, J1625-254, and NRAO530. No significant absorption features were detected in our new sensitive ALMA Band 6 (λ ≃ 1.2 mm) spectra (1σ ≃ 2–4 mJy beam−1 with a velocity resolution of 1 km s−1), despite the fact that the obtained spectra cover the line frequencies of c-C3H2, CS, H13CN, HCO, H13CO+, SiO, and C2H, and that the lower transition absorption lines of these molecular species have been detected in ALMA Band 3 (λ ≃ 3 mm) observations toward these three Galactic molecular absorption systems. By combining the upper limits of the higher transitions that we obtain in this study and the archival detections of the lower transitions, we constrain the excitation temperatures of these species in the Galactic diffuse medium to be below 10 K, in spite of their PDR-like chemical states, where elevated column density ratios of HCO to H13CO+ are previously reported. These constraints are in line with the widely accepted view of the diffuse molecular clouds, where the molecular excitation is almost in equilibrium with the cosmic microwave background, although its kinetic temperature can be a few tens of Kelvin. Molecular abundance patterns seem to be similar in the Galactic diffuse gas and nearby active galaxies observed with a kpc-scale beam, suggesting the importance of observations with a parsec-scale resolution, which can resolve individual molecular clouds.
ALMA Observations of Ethyl Formate toward Orion KL
Authors: Peng Yaping , Rivilla V. M. , Zhang Li , Ge J. X. , Zhou Bing
Published: February 2019

Orion KL is one of the prime templates of astrochemical and prebiotic chemical studies. We wish to explore more organic molecules with increasing complexity in this region. In particular, we have searched for one of the most complex organic molecules detected in space so far, ethyl formate (C2H5OCHO). This species is the next step in chemical complexity after the simplest member of esters (methyl formate, CH3OCHO). The mechanisms leading to its formation are still poorly known. We have used high angular resolution (∼1.″5) ALMA observations covering a large bandwidth from 214 to 247 GHz. We have detected 82 unblended lines of C2H5OCHO (49 and 33 of the trans- and gauche-conformers, respectively). The line images showed that C2H5OCHO arises mainly from the compact ridge and the hot core-southwest regions. The derived rotational temperatures and column densities are 122 ± 34 K, (0.9 ± 0.3) × 1016 cm−2 for the hot core-SW, and 103 ± 13 K, (0.6 ± 0.3) × 1016 cm−2 for the compact ridge. The comparison of spatial distribution and abundance ratios with chemically related molecules (methyl formate, ethanol, and formic acid) indicates that C2H5OCHO is likely formed on the surface of dust grains by addition of CH3 to functional-group radicals (CH2OCHO) derived from methyl formate (CH3OCHO).
A Curved 150 pc Long Jet in the Double-peaked Emission-line AGN KISSR 434
Authors: Kharb P. , Vaddi S. , Sebastian B. , Subramanian S. , Das M. , Paragi Z.
Published: February 2019

Double-peaked emission lines in the narrow- and/or broad-line spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have been suggested to arise as a result of disky broad/narrow-line regions, jet–medium interaction, or the presence of binary supermassive black holes. We present the results from 1.5 and 4.9 GHz phase-referenced very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the Seyfert type 2 galaxy KISSR 434, which exhibits double-peaked emission lines in its optical spectrum. We detect a steep-spectrum (α < −1), curved and long (∼150 pc) jet in the VLBI images of KISSR 434. The jet curvature could be a result of precession rather than ram pressure bending from a rotating interstellar medium. Precession could in turn arise as a result of a warped accretion disk or the presence of a binary black hole with a separation of 0.015 pc, not accessible to present-day telescopes. An examination of the emission-line ratios with the MAPPINGS III code reveals that AGN photoionization is likely to be responsible for the observed line ratios and not shock ionization due to the jet. A light (with jet-to-ambient medium density ratio of η ∼ 0.01) and fast (with speed

) precessing jet in KISSR 434 may have stirred up the emission-line gas clouds to produce the observed splits in the narrow-line peaks but is not powerful enough to shock-ionize the gas.
Bell-instability-mediated Spectral Modulation of Hadronic Gamma-Rays from a Supernova Remnant Interacting with a Molecular Cloud
Authors: Inoue Tsuyoshi
Published: February 2019

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are believed to be the site of galactic cosmic-ray acceleration. However, the details of the cosmic-ray acceleration are still not well understood. Gamma-ray observation is a promising method to study cosmic-ray acceleration in the SNRs, because a hadronic gamma-ray can trace high-energy cosmic-rays above ∼GeV energy. Conventional theory predicts that the hadronic gamma-ray shows a flat νF

ν
spectrum from the pion-creation threshold energy to the maximum energy of diffusive shock acceleration. In this paper, by employing numerical simulations that solve a hybrid system of the magnetohydrodynamics of a molecular cloud and diffusive propagation of cosmic-rays, we demonstrate that the hadronic gamma-ray spectrum can be harder than the conventional one and that the modulated spectrum becomes consistent with observations. The modification mechanism is explained as follows: The cosmic-rays accelerated at the supernova blast wave shock propagate into a clump of a molecular cloud. The cosmic-ray streaming in the cloud induces the so-called Bell instability that induces Alfvén waves in the cloud. The induced magnetic field fluctuations prevent further cosmic-ray incursion by diminishing the diffusion coefficient for the cosmic-rays below ∼1 TeV energy. This mechanism reinforces recent claims of a similar spectral modification by magnetic field amplification around a molecular cloud by Inoue et al. and Celli et al.