bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Informative Nature and Nonlinearity of Lagged Poincaré Plots Indices in Analysis of Heart Rate Variability
Authors: Koichubekov Berik , Riklefs Viktor , Sorokina Marina , Korshukov Ilya , Turgunova Lyudmila , Laryushina Yelena , Bakirova Riszhan , Muldaeva Gulmira , Bekov Ernur , Kultenova Makhabbat
Published: October 2017

Lagged Poincaré plots have been successful in characterizing abnormal cardiac function. However, the current research practices do not favour any specific lag of Poincaré plots, thus complicating the comparison of results of different researchers in their analysis of heart rate of healthy subjects and patients. We researched the informative nature of lagged Poincaré plots in different states of the autonomic nervous system. It was tested in three models: different age groups, groups with different balance of autonomous regulation, and in hypertensive patients. Correlation analysis shows that for lag l = 6, SD1/SD2 has weak (r = 0.33) correlation with linear parameters of heart rate variability (HRV). For l more than 6 it displays even less correlation with linear parameters, but the changes in SD1/SD2 become statistically insignificant. Secondly, surrogate data tests show that the real SD1/SD2 is statistically different from its surrogate value and the conclusion could be made that the heart rhythm has nonlinear properties. Thirdly, the three models showed that for different functional states of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), SD1/SD2 ratio varied only for lags l = 5 and 6. All of this allow to us to give cautious recommendation to use SD1/SD2 with lags 5 and 6 as a nonlinear characteristic of HRV. The received data could be used as the basis for continuing the research in standardisation of nonlinear analytic methods.
An Approximated Box Height for Differential-Box-Counting Method to Estimate Fractal Dimensions of Gray-Scale Images
Authors: Panigrahy Chinmaya , Garcia-Pedrero Angel , Seal Ayan , Rodríguez-Esparragón Dionisio , Mahato Nihar , Gonzalo-Martín Consuelo
Published: October 2017

The Fractal Dimension (FD) of an image defines the roughness using a real number which is highly associated with the human perception of surface roughness. It has been applied successfully for many computer vision applications such as texture analysis, segmentation and classification. Several techniques can be found in literature to estimate FD. One such technique is Differential Box Counting (DBC). Its performance is influenced by many parameters. In particular, the box height is directly related to the gray-level variations over image grid, which badly affects the performance of DBC. In this work, a new method for estimating box height is proposed without changing the other parameters of DBC. The proposed box height has been determined empirically and depends only on the image size. All the experiments have been performed on simulated Fractal Brownian Motion (FBM) Database and Brodatz Database. It has been proved experimentally that the proposed box height allow to improve the performance of DBC, Shifting DBC, Improved DBC and Improved Triangle DBC, which are closer to actual FD values of the simulated FBM images.
Influences of Traction Load Shock on Artificial Partial Discharge Faults within Traction Transformer—Experimental Test for Pattern Recognition
Authors: Li Shuaibing , Gao Guoqiang , Hu Guangcai , Gao Bo , Yin Haojie , Wei Wenfu , Wu Guangning
Published: October 2017

Partial discharge (PD) measurement and its pattern recognition are vital to fault diagnosis of transformers, especially to those traction substation transformers undergoing repetitive traction load shocks. This paper presents the primary factors induced by traction load shocks including high total harmonics distortion (THD), transient voltage impulse and high-temperature rise, and their effects on the feature parameters of PD. Experimental tests are conducted on six artificial PD models with these factors introduced one by one. Results reveal that the maximum PD quantity and the PD repetitive rate are favorable to be enlarged when the oil temperature exceeds 80 °C or the THD is higher than 16% with certain orders of harmonic. The decline in PD inception voltage can mainly be attributed to the transient voltage impulse. The variation in central frequency of the fast Fourier transformation (FFT) spectra transformed from ultra-high frequency signals can mainly be attributed to high THD, especially when it exceeds 20%. The temperature rise has no significant influence on the FFT spectra; the transient voltage impulse, however, can result in a central frequency shift of the floating particle discharge. With the rapid development of high-speed railways, the study presented in this paper will be helpful for field PD detection and recognition of traction substation transformers in the future.
Impact of Vitiation on a Swirl-Stabilized and Premixed Methane Flame
Authors: Li Mao , Tong Yiheng , Klingmann Jens , Thern Marcus
Published: October 2017

Vitiation refers to the condition where the oxygen concentration in the air is reduced due to the mix of dilution gas. The vitiation effects on a premixed methane flame were investigated on a swirl-stabilized gas turbine model combustor under atmospheric pressure. The main purpose is to analyze the combustion stability and CO emission performance in vitiated air and compare the results with the flame without vitiation. The N2, CO2, and H2O (steam) were used as the dilution gas. Measurements were conducted in a combustor inlet temperature of 384 K and 484 K. The equivalence ratio was varied from stoichiometric conditions to the LBO (Lean Blowout) limits where the flame was physically blown out from the combustor. The chemical kinetics calculation was performed with Chemkin software to analyze the vitiation effects on the flame reaction zone. Based on the calculation results, the changes in the temperature gradient, CO concentration, and active radicals across the flame reaction zone were identified. The time-averaged CH chemiluminescence images were recorded and the results indicated the features of the flame shape and location. The CH signal intensity provided the information about the heat-release zone in the combustor. The combustion LBO limits were measured and the vitiation of CO2 and H2O were found to have a stronger impact to elevate the LBO limits than N2. Near the LBO limits, the instability of the flame reaction was revealed by the high-speed chemiluminescence imaging and the results were analyzed by FFT (Fast Fourier Transfer). CO emission was measured with a water-cooled probe which is located at the exit of the combustor. The combustion vitiation has been found to have the compression effect on the operation range for low CO emission. However, this compression effect could be compensated by improving the combustor inlet temperature.
Predicting Child Protective Services (CPS) Involvement among Low-Income U.S. Families with Young Children Receiving Nutritional Assistance
Authors: Slack Kristen , Font Sarah , Maguire-Jack Kathryn , Berger Lawrence
Published: October 2017

This exploratory study examines combinations of income-tested welfare benefits and earnings, as they relate to the likelihood of child maltreatment investigations among low-income families with young children participating in a nutritional assistance program in one U.S. state (Wisconsin). Using a sample of 1065 parents who received the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits in late 2010 and early 2011, we find that relying on either work in the absence of other means-tested welfare benefits, or a combination of work and welfare benefits, reduces the likelihood of CPS involvement compared to parents who rely on welfare benefits in the absence of work. Additionally, we find that housing instability increases the risk of CPS involvement in this population. The findings from this investigation may be useful to programs serving low-income families with young children, as they attempt to identify safety net resources for their clientele.
Assessment of the Public Health Risks and Impact of a Tornado in Funing, China, 23 June 2016: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Wang Kaiwen , Zhong Shuang , Wang Xiaoye , Wang Zhe , Yang Lianping , Wang Qiong , Wang Suhan , Sheng Rongrong , Ma Rui , Lin Shao , Liu Wenyu , Zu Rongqiang , Huang Cunrui
Published: October 2017

(1) Background: Tornadoes are one of the deadliest disasters but their health impacts in China are poorly investigated. This study aimed to assess the public health risks and impact of an EF-4 tornado outbreak in Funing, China; (2) Methods: A retrospective analysis on the characteristics of tornado-related deaths and injuries was conducted based on the database from the Funing’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Funing People’s Hospital. A change-point time-series analysis of weekly incidence for the period January 2010 to September 2016 was used to identify sensitive infectious diseases to the tornado; (3) Results: The 75 to 84 years old group was at the highest risk of both death (RR = 82.16; 95% CIs = 19.66, 343.33) and injury (RR = 31.80; 95% CI = 17.26, 58.61), and females were at 53% higher risk of death than males (RR = 1.53; 95% CIs = 1.02, 2.29). Of the 337 injuries, 274 injuries (81%) were minor. Most deaths occurred indoors (87%) and the head (74%) was the most frequent site of trauma during the tornado. Five diseases showed downward change-points; (4) Conclusions: The experience of the Funing tornado underscores the relative danger of being indoors during a tornado and is successful in avoiding epidemics post-tornado. Current international safety guidelines need modification when generalized to China.
Blood Lead Levels and Learning Disabilities: A Cross-Sectional Study of the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
Authors: Geier David , Kern Janet , Geier Mark
Published: October 2017

Difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities are present among persons diagnosed with learning disabilities (LDs). Previous studies suggest a significant relationship between lead (Pb) exposure and LDs. This study evaluated the potential dose-response relationship between blood Pb levels and the risk of LDs. This cross-sectional study examined 1411 children (32,788,743 weighted-persons) between 6 and 15 years old from the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) by analyzing demographics, health related-questions, and laboratory tests using survey logistic and frequency modeling in SAS. On a µg Pb/dL basis, a significant dose-dependent relationship between increasing blood Pb levels and increasing risk of LDs was observed (odds ratio (OR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03–1.43). The relationship remained significant when examining covariates such as gender and race (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.00–1.40). By contrast, no dose-dependence was observed between increasing blood Pb levels and the risk of hay fever in the last year (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.56–1.056), a non-plausibly biologically related outcome of blood Pb levels. Persons in the 50th–75th (12.80%) and 75th–100th (17.14%) percentiles of blood Pb were significantly more likely to have LDs than persons in the 0–50th percentile of blood Pb (8.78%). An estimated 1 million persons born in the US from 1989 to 1998 developed LDs from elevated blood Pb levels. Overall, this study revealed a significant dose-dependent association between increasing childhood blood Pb levels and the risk of a LD diagnosis, but it was not possible to ascribe a direct cause-effect relationship between blood Pb exposure and LD diagnosis. Childhood Pb exposure should be considered when evaluating children with LDs, and continuing efforts should be made to reduce Pb exposure.
“He’s the Number One Thing in My World”: Application of the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model to Explore Child Car Seat Use in a Regional Community in New South Wales
Authors: Hunter Kate , Keay Lisa , Clapham Kathleen , Brown Julie , Bilston Lynne , Lyford Marilyn , Gilbert Celeste , Ivers Rebecca
Published: October 2017

We explored the factors influencing the use of age-appropriate car seats in a community with a high proportion of Aboriginal families in regional New South Wales. We conducted a survey and three focus groups with parents of children aged 3–5 years enrolled at three early learning centres on the Australian south-east coast. Survey data were triangulated with qualitative data from focus groups and analysed using the PRECEDE-PROCEED conceptual framework. Of the 133 eligible families, 97 (73%) parents completed the survey including 31% of parents who reported their children were Aboriginal. Use of age-appropriate car seats was reported by 80 (83%) of the participants, and awareness of the child car seat legislation was high (91/97, 94%). Children aged 2–3 years were less likely reported to be restrained in an age-appropriate car seat than were older children aged 4–5 years (60% versus 95%: χ2 = 19.14, p < 0.001). Focus group participants highlighted how important their child’s safety was to them, spoke of the influence grandparents had on their use of child car seats and voiced mixed views on the value of authorised child car seat fitters. Future programs should include access to affordable car seats and target community members as well as parents with clear, consistent messages highlighting the safety benefits of using age-appropriate car seats.
Social Hazards as Manifested Workplace Discrimination and Health (Vietnamese and Ukrainian Female and Male Migrants in Czechia)
Authors: Drbohlav Dušan , Dzúrová Dagmar
Published: October 2017

Social hazards as one of the dimensions of workplace discrimination are a potential social determinant of health inequalities. The aim of this study was to investigate relations between self-reported health and social hazard characteristics (defined as—discrimination as such, violence or threat of violence, time pressure or work overload and risk of accident) among Vietnamese and Ukrainian migrants (males and females) in Czechia by age, education level and marital status. This study is based on data from a survey of 669 immigrants in Czechia in 2013. Logistic regression analysis indicates that the given independent variables (given social hazards and socio-demographic characteristics), as predictors of a quality of self-reported health are more important for immigrant females than for males, irrespective of citizenship, albeit only for some of them and to differing extents. We found out that being exposed to the selected social hazards in the workplace leads to worsening self-rated health, especially for females. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant relationship found between poor self-rated health and discrimination as such. Reality calls for more research and, consequently, better policies and practices in the field of health inequalities.
Prediction Potential of Serum miR-155 and miR-24 for Relapsing Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Bašová Petra , Pešta Michal , Sochor Marek , Stopka Tomáš
Published: October 2017

Oncogenic microRNAs (oncomiRs) accumulate in serum due to their increased stability and thus serve as biomarkers in breast cancer (BC) pathogenesis. Four oncogenic microRNAs (miR-155, miR-19a, miR-181b, and miR-24) and one tumor suppressor microRNA (let-7a) were shown to differentiate between high- and low-risk early breast cancer (EBC) and reflect the surgical tumor removal and adjuvant therapy. Here we applied the longitudinal multivariate data analyses to stochastically model the serum levels of each of the oncomiRs using the RT-PCR measurements in the EBC patients (N = 133) that were followed up 4 years after diagnosis. This study identifies that two of the studied oncomiRs, miR-155 and miR-24, are highly predictive of EBC relapse. Furthermore, combining the oncomiR level with Ki-67 expression further specifies the relapse probability. Our data move further the notion that oncomiRs in serum enable not only monitoring of EBC but also are a very useful tool for predicting relapse independently of any other currently analyzed characteristics in EBC patients. Our approach can be translated into medical practice to estimate individual relapse risk of EBC patients.
Transforming Growth Factor-β Drives the Transendothelial Migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Koudelkova Petra , Costina Victor , Weber Gerhard , Dooley Steven , Findeisen Peter , Winter Peter , Agarwal Rahul , Schlangen Karin , Mikulits Wolfgang
Published: October 2017

The entry of malignant hepatocytes into blood vessels is a key step in the dissemination and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The identification of molecular mechanisms involved in the transmigration of malignant hepatocytes through the endothelial barrier is of high relevance for therapeutic intervention and metastasis prevention. In this study, we employed a model of hepatocellular transmigration that mimics vascular invasion using hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells and malignant hepatocytes evincing a mesenchymal-like, invasive phenotype by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. Labelling of respective cell populations with various stable isotopes and subsequent mass spectrometry analyses allowed the “real-time” detection of molecular changes in both transmigrating hepatocytes and endothelial cells. Interestingly, the proteome profiling revealed 36 and 559 regulated proteins in hepatocytes and endothelial cells, respectively, indicating significant changes during active transmigration that mostly depends on cell–cell interaction rather than on TGF-β alone. Importantly, matching these in vitro findings with HCC patient data revealed a panel of common molecular alterations including peroxiredoxin-3, epoxide hydrolase, transgelin-2 and collectin 12 that are clinically relevant for the patient’s survival. We conclude that hepatocellular plasticity induced by TGF-β is crucially involved in blood vessel invasion of HCC cells.
Optimization of Electrochemical Performance of LiFePO4/C by Indium Doping and High Temperature Annealing
Authors: Kumar Ajay , Bashiri Parisa , Mandal Balaji , Dhindsa Kulwinder , Bazzi Khadije , Dixit Ambesh , Nazri Maryam , Zhou Zhixian , Garg Vijayendra , Oliveira Aderbal , Vaishnava Prem , Naik Vaman , Nazri Gholam-Abbas , Naik Ratna
Published: October 2017

We have prepared nano-structured In-doped (1 mol %) LiFePO4/C samples by sol–gel method followed by a selective high temperature (600 and 700 °C) annealing in a reducing environment of flowing Ar/H2 atmosphere. The crystal structure, particle size, morphology, and magnetic properties of nano-composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microsopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The Rietveld refinement of XRD patterns of the nano-composites were indexed to the olivine crystal structure of LiFePO4 with space group Pnma, showing minor impurities of Fe2P and Li3PO4 due to decomposition of LiFePO4. We found that the doping of In in LiFePO4/C nanocomposites affects the amount of decomposed products, when compared to the un-doped ones treated under similar conditions. An optimum amount of Fe2P present in the In-doped samples enhances the electronic conductivity to achieve a much improved electrochemical performance. The galvanostatic charge/discharge curves show a significant improvement in the electrochemical performance of 700 °C annealed In-doped-LiFePO4/C sample with a discharge capacity of 142 mAh·g−1 at 1 C rate, better rate capability (~128 mAh·g−1 at 10 C rate, ~75% of the theoretical capacity) and excellent cyclic stability (96% retention after 250 cycles) compared to other samples. This enhancement in electrochemical performance is consistent with the results of our electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements showing decreased charge-transfer resistance and high exchange current density.
Input Forces Estimation for Nonlinear Systems by Applying a Square-Root Cubature Kalman Filter
Authors: Song Xuegang , Zhang Yuexin , Liang Dakai
Published: October 2017

This work presents a novel inverse algorithm to estimate time-varying input forces in nonlinear beam systems. With the system parameters determined, the input forces can be estimated in real-time from dynamic responses, which can be used for structural health monitoring. In the process of input forces estimation, the Runge-Kutta fourth-order algorithm was employed to discretize the state equations; a square-root cubature Kalman filter (SRCKF) was employed to suppress white noise; the residual innovation sequences, a priori state estimate, gain matrix, and innovation covariance generated by SRCKF were employed to estimate the magnitude and location of input forces by using a nonlinear estimator. The nonlinear estimator was based on the least squares method. Numerical simulations of a large deflection beam and an experiment of a linear beam constrained by a nonlinear spring were employed. The results demonstrated accuracy of the nonlinear algorithm.
Production of Fish Protein Hydrolysates from Scyliorhinus canicula Discards with Antihypertensive and Antioxidant Activities by Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Mathematical Optimization Using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Vázquez José , Blanco Maria , Massa Agueda , Amado Isabel , Pérez-Martín Ricardo
Published: October 2017

Fish discards are of major concern in new EU policies. Alternatives for the management of the new biomass that has to be landed is compulsory. The production of bioactive compounds from fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) has been explored in recent years. However, the viability of Scyliorhinus canicula discards, which might account for up to 90–100% of captures in mixed trawler, gillnet, and longline industrial fisheries, to produce FPH from the muscle with bioactivities has still not been studied in terms of the optimization of the experimental conditions to enhance its production. The effect of pH and temperature on the hydrolysis of the S. canicula muscle was mediated by three commercial proteases using response surface methodology. Temperatures of 64.6 °C and 60.8 °C and pHs of 9.40 and 8.90 were established as the best hydrolysis conditions for Alcalase and Esperase, respectively. Optimization of the best conditions for the maximization of antihypertensive and antioxidant activities was performed. Higher Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was found with Esperase. The pH optimum and temperature optimum for antioxidants were 55 °C/pH8.0 for ABTS/DPPH-Esperase, 63.1 °C/pH9.0 for DPPH-Alcalase, and 55 °C/pH9.0 for ABTS-Alcalase. No hydrolysis was detected when using Protamex.
AlN-Based Ceramic Patch Antenna-Type Wireless Passive High-Temperature Sensor
Authors: Yan Dan , Yang Yong , Hong Yingping , Liang Ting , Yao Zong , Chen Xiaoyong , Xiong Jijun
Published: October 2017

An aluminum nitride (AlN) based patch antenna-type high-temperature wireless passive sensor is reported to operate as both a sensor and an antenna, which integrates in situ measurement/sensing with remote wireless communication at the same time. The sensor is small, easy to manufacture, highly sensitive and has a high operating temperature; it can be used in high-temperature, chemically corrosive and other harsh environments. The sensing mechanism of the sensor, the dielectric constant of the AlN ceramic substrate, increases with rising temperature, which reduces the resonant frequency of the sensor. Thus, the temperature can be measured by detecting changes in the sensor’s resonant frequency. High-Frequency Simulation Structure (HFSS) software is used to determine the structure and size of the sensor, which is then fabricated using thick-film technology. The substrate of the sensor is AlN ceramic due to its outstanding thermal resistance at high temperature; and its conductors (the radiation patch and the ground under the substrate) are silver-palladium alloy sintered form silver–palladium paste. A vector network analyzer reveals that the sensor’s operating range extends to 700 °C. Furthermore, its resonant frequency decreases from 2.20 GHz to 2.13 GHz with increasing temperature from room temperature (25 °C) to 700 °C, with an absolute sensitivity of 104.77 KHz/°C. Our work verifies the feasibility of measuring high temperatures using AlN-based patch antenna wireless passive temperature sensors, and provides a new material and temperature sensitive structure for high-temperature measurement in harsh environments.
Middle Ear Prosthesis with Bactericidal Efficacy—In Vitro Investigation
Authors: Ziąbka Magdalena , Dziadek Michał , Menaszek Elżbieta , Banasiuk Rafał , Królicka Aleksandra
Published: October 2017

Materials used in ossicular replacement prostheses must possess appropriate biological properties, such as biocompatibility, stability, no cytotoxicity. Due to the risk of infection (otitis media and chronic otitis media), it is desirable to use an antibacterial agent for illness prevention during the ossicular reconstruction. The goal of this work was to observe biological properties of a new composite prosthesis made of ABS containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs 45T). Samples for biological tests and then a prototype of middle ear prosthesis were prepared using injection moulding and extrusion techniques. In vitro experiments were carried out to assess bactericidal efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomona aeruginosa standard strains, cell proliferation, viability and cytotoxicity, using Hs680.Tr. fibroblast cells. Surface parameters of the samples were evaluated, including roughness and wettability. The silver ions were continually released from the polymer in aqueous solution. The silver ions release was measured as increasing with time and concentration of the silver nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. No cytotoxicity effect was observed, while bactericidal efficacy was noticed for silver nanoparticles. The roughness studies showed an increase in roughness for the samples with silver nanoparticles. All polymer and composite materials containing silver nanoparticles showed hydrophilic properties. The composites were found to release silver ions at a concentration level capable of rendering the antimicrobial efficacy even with the lowest concentration of silver nanoparticles in the material. Our results demonstrate that middle ear prosthesis made of polymer and silver nanoparticles may eliminate bacteria during inflammation in the middle ear.
Design, Modeling and Synthesis of 1,2,3-Triazole-Linked Nucleoside-Amino Acid Conjugates as Potential Antibacterial Agents
Authors: Malkowski Sarah , Dishuck Carolyn , Lamanilao Gene , Embry Carter , Grubb Christopher , Cafiero Mauricio , Peterson Larryn
Published: October 2017

Copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions (CuAAC or click chemistry) are convenient methods to easily couple various pharmacophores or bioactive molecules. A new series of 1,2,3-triazole-linked nucleoside-amino acid conjugates have been designed and synthesized in 57–76% yields using CuAAC. The azido group was introduced on the 5′-position of uridine or the acyclic analogue using the tosyl-azide exchange method and alkylated serine or proparylglycine was the alkyne. Modeling studies of the conjugates in the active site of LpxC indicate they have promise as antibacterial agents.
Anti-Inflammatory Pyranochalcone Derivative Attenuates LPS-Induced Acute Kidney Injury via Inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB Pathway
Authors: Shi Min , Zeng Xiaoxi , Guo Fan , Huang Rongshuang , Feng Yanhuan , Ma Liang , Zhou Li , Fu Ping
Published: October 2017

Treatment of septic acute kidney injury (AKI) has still been beyond satisfaction, although anti-inflammatory therapy is beneficial for sepsis-induced AKI. Compound 5b was derived from natural pyranochalcones and exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity in adjuvant-induced arthritis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the renoprotective effects and potential mechanism of 5b against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced AKI. C57BL/6 mice and human renal proximal tubule cell line (HK-2 cell) were treated with LPS, respectively. Compound 5b was orally administrated at a dose of 25 mg/kg/day for 5 days before LPS (10 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection. Cells were pretreated with 25 μg/mL 5b for 30 min before LPS (1 μg/mL) treatment. Pretreatment with 5b markedly alleviated tubular injury and renal dysfunction in LPS-induced AKI. The expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α both in renal tissue of AKI mice and in the LPS-stimulated HK-2 cell culture medium were reduced by 5b treatment (p < 0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry staining showed that 5b reduced the expression of NF-κB p65 in kidneys. Similarly, 5b decreased the LPS-induced levels of NF-κB p65 and TLR4 proteins in kidneys and HK-2 cells. These data demonstrated that a potent pyranochalcone derivative, 5b, exhibited renoprotective effect against LPS-induced AKI, which was associated with anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB pathway.
β-Amyloid and the Pathomechanisms of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Comprehensive View
Authors: Penke Botond , Bogár Ferenc , Fülöp Lívia
Published: October 2017

Protein dyshomeostasis is the common mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aging is the key risk factor, as the capacity of the proteostasis network declines during aging. Different cellular stress conditions result in the up-regulation of the neurotrophic, neuroprotective amyloid precursor protein (APP). Enzymatic processing of APP may result in formation of toxic Aβ aggregates (β-amyloids). Protein folding is the basis of life and death. Intracellular Aβ affects the function of subcellular organelles by disturbing the endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria cross-talk and causing severe Ca2+-dysregulation and lipid dyshomeostasis. The extensive and complex network of proteostasis declines during aging and is not able to maintain the balance between production and disposal of proteins. The effectivity of cellular pathways that safeguard cells against proteotoxic stress (molecular chaperones, aggresomes, the ubiquitin-proteasome system, autophagy) declines with age. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion causes dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and thus the Aβ-clearance from brain-to-blood decreases. Microglia-mediated clearance of Aβ also declines, Aβ accumulates in the brain and causes neuroinflammation. Recognition of the above mentioned complex pathogenesis pathway resulted in novel drug targets in AD research.
Large-Scale Oral Treatment Study with the Four Most Promising D3-Derivatives for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Kutzsche Janine , Schemmert Sarah , Tusche Markus , Neddens Jörg , Rabl Roland , Jürgens Dagmar , Brener Oleksandr , Willuweit Antje , Hutter-Paier Birgit , Willbold Dieter
Published: October 2017

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is associated with the aggregation of the amyloid β protein (Aβ). Aβ oligomers are currently thought to be the major neurotoxic agent responsible for disease development and progression. Thus, their elimination is highly desirable for therapy development. Our therapeutic approach aims at specific and direct elimination of toxic Aβ oligomers by stabilizing Aβ monomers in an aggregation-incompetent conformation. We have proven that our lead compound “D3”, an all d-enantiomeric-peptide, specifically eliminates Aβ oligomers in vitro. In vivo, D3 enhances cognition and reduces plaque load in several transgenic AD mouse models. Here, we performed a large-scale oral proof of concept efficacy study, in which we directly compared four of the most promising D3-derivatives in transgenic mice expressing human amyloid precursor protein with Swedish and London mutations (APPSL), transgenic mice, to identify the most effective compound. RD2 and D3D3, both derived from D3 by rational design, were discovered to be the most effective derivatives in improving cognition in the Morris water maze. The performance of RD2- and D3D3-treated mice within the Morris water maze was significantly better than placebo-treated mice and, importantly, nearly as good as those of non-transgenic littermates, suggesting a complete reversal of the cognitive deficit of APPSL mice.
PrLPAAT4, a Putative Lysophosphatidic Acid Acyltransferase from Paeonia rockii, Plays an Important Role in Seed Fatty Acid Biosynthesis
Authors: Zhang Qingyu , Yu Rui , Sun Daoyang , Bai Zhangzhen , Li Hong , Xue Liang , Zhang Yanlong , Niu Lixin
Published: October 2017

Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferases (LPAATs) are essential for the acylation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and the synthesis of phosphatidic acid (PA), a key intermediate in the synthesis of membrane phospholipids and storage lipids. Here, a putative lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase gene, designated PrLPAAT4, was isolated from seed unsaturated fatty acid (UFA)-rich P. rockii. The complete PrLPAAT4 cDNA contained a 1116-bp open reading frame (ORF), encoding a 42.9 kDa protein with 371 amino acid residues. Bioinformatic analysis indicates that PrLPAAT4 is a plasma membrane protein belonging to acyl-CoA:1-acylglycerol-sn-3-phosphate acyltranferases (AGPAT) family. PrLPAAT4 shared high sequence similarity with its homologs from Citrus clementina, Populus trichocarpa, Manihot esculenta, and Ricinus communis. In Arabidopsis, overexpression of PrLPAAT4 resulted in a significant increase in the content of oleic acid (OA) and total fatty acids (FAs) in seeds. AtDGAT1, AtGPAT9, and AtOleosin, involved in TAG assembly, were upregulated in PrLPAAT4-overexpressing lines. These results indicated that PrLPAAT4 functions may be as a positive regulator in seed FA biosynthesis.
Study of Statin- and Loratadine-Induced Muscle Pain Mechanisms Using Human Skeletal Muscle Cells
Authors: Leung Yat , Turgeon Jacques , Michaud Veronique
Published: October 2017

Many drugs can cause unexpected muscle disorders, often necessitating the cessation of an effective medication. Inhibition of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) may potentially lead to perturbation of l-lactic acid homeostasis and muscular toxicity. Previous studies have shown that statins and loratadine have the potential to inhibit l-lactic acid efflux by MCTs (MCT1 and 4). The main objective of this study was to confirm the inhibitory potentials of atorvastatin, simvastatin (acid and lactone forms), rosuvastatin, and loratadine on l-lactic acid transport using primary human skeletal muscle cells (SkMC). Loratadine (IC50 31 and 15 µM) and atorvastatin (IC50 ~130 and 210 µM) demonstrated the greatest potency for inhibition of l-lactic acid efflux at pH 7.0 and 7.4, respectively (~2.5-fold l-lactic acid intracellular accumulation). Simvastatin acid exhibited weak inhibitory potency on l-lactic acid efflux with an intracellular lactic acid increase of 25–35%. No l-lactic acid efflux inhibition was observed for simvastatin lactone or rosuvastatin. Pretreatment studies showed no change in inhibitory potential and did not affect lactic acid transport for all tested drugs. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that loratadine and atorvastatin can inhibit the efflux transport of l-lactic acid in SkMC. Inhibition of l-lactic acid efflux may cause an accumulation of intracellular l-lactic acid leading to the reported drug-induced myotoxicity.
Monitoring Recent Fluctuations of the Southern Pool of Lake Chad Using Multiple Remote Sensing Data: Implications for Water Balance Analysis
Authors: Zhu Wenbin , Yan Jiabao , Jia Shaofeng
Published: October 2017

The drought episodes in the second half of the 20th century have profoundly modified the state of Lake Chad and investigation of its variations is necessary under the new circumstances. Multiple remote sensing observations were used in this paper to study its variation in the recent 25 years. Unlike previous studies, only the southern pool of Lake Chad (SPLC) was selected as our study area, because it is the only permanent open water area after the serious lake recession in 1973–1975. Four satellite altimetry products were used for water level retrieval and 904 Landsat TM/ETM+ images were used for lake surface area extraction. Based on the water level (L) and surface area (A) retrieved (with coinciding dates), linear regression method was used to retrieve the SPLC’s L-A curve, which was then integrated to estimate water volume variations ( Δ V ). The results show that the SPLC has been in a relatively stable phase, with a slight increasing trend from 1992 to 2016. On annual average scale, the increase rate of water level, surface area and water volume is 0.5 cm year−1, 0.14 km2 year−1 and 0.007 km3 year−1, respectively. As for the intra-annual variations of the SPLC, the seasonal variation amplitude of water level, lake area and water volume is 1.38 m, 38.08 km2 and 2.00 km3, respectively. The scatterplots between precipitation and Δ V indicate that there is a time lag of about one to two months in the response of water volume variations to precipitation, which makes it possible for us to predict Δ V . The water balance of the SPLC is significantly different from that of the entire Lake Chad. While evaporation accounts for 96% of the lake’s total water losses, only 16% of the SPLC’s losses are consumed by evaporation, with the other 84% offset by outflow.
Comparison of Satellite-Observed XCO2 from GOSAT, OCO-2, and Ground-Based TCCON
Authors: Liang Ailin , Gong Wei , Han Ge , Xiang Chengzhi
Published: October 2017

CO2 is one of the most important greenhouse gases. Its concentration and distribution in the atmosphere have always been important in studying the carbon cycle and the greenhouse effect. This study is the first to validate the XCO2 of satellite observations with total carbon column observing network (TCCON) data and to compare the global XCO2 distribution for the passive satellites Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) and Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT), which are on-orbit greenhouse gas satellites. Results show that since GOSAT was launched in 2009, its mean measurement accuracy was −0.4107 ppm with an error standard deviation of 2.216 ppm since 2009, and has since decreased to −0.62 ppm with an error standard deviation of 2.3 ppm during the past two more years (2014–2016), while the mean measurement accuracy of the OCO-2 was 0.2671 ppm with an error standard deviation of 1.56 ppm from September 2014 to December 2016. GOSAT observations have recently decreased and lagged behind OCO-2 on the ability to monitor the global distribution and monthly detection of XCO2. Furthermore, the XCO2 values gathered by OCO-2 are higher by an average of 1.765 ppm than those by GOSAT. Comparison of the latitude gradient characteristics, seasonal fluctuation amplitude, and annual growth trend of the monthly mean XCO2 distribution also showed differences in values but similar line shapes between OCO-2 and GOSAT. When compared with the NOAA statistics, both satellites’ measurements reflect the growth trend of the global XCO2 at a low and smooth level, and reflect the seasonal fluctuation with an absolutely different line shape.
Assessing and Improving the Reliability of Volunteered Land Cover Reference Data
Authors: Zhao Yuanyuan , Feng Duole , Yu Le , See Linda , Fritz Steffen , Perger Christoph , Gong Peng
Published: October 2017

Volunteered geographic data are being used increasingly to support land cover mapping and validation, yet the reliability of the volunteered data still requires further research. This study proposes data-based guidelines to help design the data collection by assessing the reliability of volunteered data collected using the Geo-Wiki tool. We summarized the interpretation difficulties of the volunteers at a global scale, including those areas and land cover types that generate the most confusion. We also examined the factors affecting the reliability of majority opinion and individual classification. The results showed that the highest interpretation inconsistency of the volunteers occurred in the ecoregions of tropical and boreal forests (areas with relatively poor coverage of very high resolution images), the tundra (a unique region that the volunteers are unacquainted with), and savannas (transitional zones). The volunteers are good at identifying forests, snow/ice and croplands, but not grasslands and wetlands. The most confusing pairs of land cover types are also captured in this study and they vary greatly with different biomes. The reliability can be improved by providing more high resolution ancillary data, more interpretation keys in tutorials, and tools that assist in coverage estimation for those areas and land cover types that are most prone to confusion. We found that the reliability of the majority opinion was positively correlated with the percentage of volunteers selecting this choice and negatively related to their self-evaluated uncertainty when very high resolution images were available. Factors influencing the reliability of individual classifications were also compared and the results indicated that the interpretation difficulty of the target sample played a more important role than the knowledge base of the volunteers. The professional background and local knowledge had an influence on the interpretation performance, especially in identifying vegetation land cover types other than croplands. These findings can help in building a better filtering system to improve the reliability of volunteered data used in land cover validation and other applications.
Sparse Aperture InISAR Imaging via Sequential Multiple Sparse Bayesian Learning
Authors: Zhang Shuanghui , Liu Yongxiang , Li Xiang
Published: October 2017

Interferometric inverse synthetic aperture radar (InISAR) imaging for sparse-aperture (SA) data is still a challenge, because the similarity and matched degree between ISAR images from different channels are destroyed by the SA data. To deal with this problem, this paper proposes a novel SA–InISAR imaging method, which jointly reconstructs 2-dimensional (2-D) ISAR images from different channels through multiple response sparse Bayesian learning (M-SBL), a modification of sparse Bayesian learning (SBL), to achieve sparse recovery for multiple measurement vectors (MMV). We note that M-SBL suffers a heavy computational burden because it involves large matrix inversion. A computationally efficient M-SBL is proposed, which, proceeding in a sequential manner to avoid the time-consuming large matrix inversion, is denoted as sequential multiple sparse Bayesian learning (SM-SBL). Thereafter, SM-SBL is introduced to InISAR imaging to simultaneously reconstruct the ISAR images from different channels. Numerous experimental results validate that the proposed SM-SBL-based InISAR imaging algorithm performs superiorly against the traditional single-channel sparse-signal recovery (SSR)-based InISAR imaging methods in terms of noise suppression, outlier reduction and 3-dimensional (3-D) geometry estimation.
An IoT-Based Solution for Monitoring a Fleet of Educational Buildings Focusing on Energy Efficiency
Authors: Amaxilatis Dimitrios , Akrivopoulos Orestis , Mylonas Georgios , Chatzigiannakis Ioannis
Published: October 2017

Raising awareness among young people and changing their behaviour and habits concerning energy usage is key to achieving sustained energy saving. Additionally, young people are very sensitive to environmental protection so raising awareness among children is much easier than with any other group of citizens. This work examines ways to create an innovative Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) ecosystem (including web-based, mobile, social and sensing elements) tailored specifically for school environments, taking into account both the users (faculty, staff, students, parents) and school buildings, thus motivating and supporting young citizens’ behavioural change to achieve greater energy efficiency. A mixture of open-source IoT hardware and proprietary platforms on the infrastructure level, are currently being utilized for monitoring a fleet of 18 educational buildings across 3 countries, comprising over 700 IoT monitoring points. Hereon presented is the system’s high-level architecture, as well as several aspects of its implementation, related to the application domain of educational building monitoring and energy efficiency. The system is developed based on open-source technologies and services in order to make it capable of providing open IT-infrastructure and support from different commercial hardware/sensor vendors as well as open-source solutions. The system presented can be used to develop and offer new app-based solutions that can be used either for educational purposes or for managing the energy efficiency of the building. The system is replicable and adaptable to settings that may be different than the scenarios envisioned here (e.g., targeting different climate zones), different IT infrastructures and can be easily extended to accommodate integration with other systems. The overall performance of the system is evaluated in real-world environment in terms of scalability, responsiveness and simplicity.
A Straight Skeleton Based Connectivity Restoration Strategy in the Presence of Obstacles for WSNs
Authors: Wang Xiaoding , Xu Li , Zhou Shuming
Published: October 2017

Connectivity has significance in both of data collection and aggregation for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Once the connectivity is lost, relay nodes are deployed to build a Steiner Minimal Tree (SMT) such that the inter-component connection is reestablished. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in connectivity restoration problems. In previous works, the deployment area of a WSN is assumed to be flat without obstacles. However, such an assumption is not realistic. In addition, most of the existing strategies chose the representative of each component, which serves as the starting point of relay node deployment during the connectivity restoration, either in a random way or in the shortest-distance based manner. In fact, both ways of representative selection could potentially increase the length of the SMT such that more relay nodes are required. In this paper, a novel connectivity restoration strategy is proposed—Obstacle–Avoid connectivity restoration strategy based on Straight Skeletons (OASS), which employs both the polygon based representative selection with the presence of obstacles and the straight skeleton based SMT establishment. The OASS is proved to be a 3- o p t approximation algorithm with the complexity of O ( n log n ) , and the approximation ratio can reduce to 3 3 2 while it satisfies a certain condition. The theoretical analysis and simulations show that the performance of the OASS is better than other strategies in terms of the relay count and the quality of the established topology (i.e., distances between components, delivery latency and balanced traffic load) as well.
Biosensing Using Magnetic Particle Detection Techniques
Authors: Chen Yi-Ting , Kolhatkar Arati G. , Zenasni Oussama , Xu Shoujun , Lee T. Randall
Published: October 2017

Magnetic particles are widely used as signal labels in a variety of biological sensing applications, such as molecular detection and related strategies that rely on ligand-receptor binding. In this review, we explore the fundamental concepts involved in designing magnetic particles for biosensing applications and the techniques used to detect them. First, we briefly describe the magnetic properties that are important for bio-sensing applications and highlight the associated key parameters (such as the starting materials, size, functionalization methods, and bio-conjugation strategies). Subsequently, we focus on magnetic sensing applications that utilize several types of magnetic detection techniques: spintronic sensors, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensors, superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), sensors based on the atomic magnetometer (AM), and others. From the studies reported, we note that the size of the MPs is one of the most important factors in choosing a sensing technique.