bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response to fire, thermal insulation and acoustic performance of rigid polyurethane agglomerates with addition of natural fiber
Authors: Rizzo Marcos Vinicius , Nunes Maria Fernanda de Oliveira , Zeni Mara , Grisa Ana Maria Coulon
Published: May 2015

This paper aims to reuse rigid polyurethane waste in the preparation of composites with the addition of banana fibers and cellulose in order to qualify the acoustic performance, thermal insulation and reaction to fire the material with the addition of 7% of polysulfone. Agglomerated with 100% of polyurethane and either with 20% of banana fiber or 20% of cellulose were characterized in the sound transmission loss, thermal conductivity and reaction to fire, take into account variations in the granulometry of the solid polyurethane and type of pressing. Natural fiber composites had lower thermal conductivity, higher acoustic insulation in medium frequencies and the addition of polysulfone delayed the total time of firing the material. http://dx.doi.org/10.18226/23185279.v3iss1p17
What determines tree mortality in dry environments? a multi‐perspective approach
Authors: Dorman Michael , Svoray Tal , Perevolotsky Avi , Moshe Yitzhak , Sarris Dimitrios
Published: May 2015

Forest ecosystems function under increasing pressure due to global climate changes, while factors determining when and where mortality events will take place within the wider landscape are poorly understood. Observational studies are essential for documenting forest decline events, understanding their determinants, and developing sustainable management plans. A central obstacle towards achieving this goal is that mortality is often patchy across a range of spatial scales, and characterized by long‐term temporal dynamics. Research must therefore integrate different methods, from several scientific disciplines, to capture as many relevant informative patterns as possible.

We performed a landscape‐scale assessment of mortality and its determinants in two representativePinus halepensisplanted forests from a dry environment (~300 mm), recently experiencing an unprecedented sequence of two severe drought periods. Three data sources were integrated to analyze the spatiotemporal variation in forest performance: (1) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time‐series, from 18 Landsat satellite images; (2) individual dead trees point‐pattern, based on a high‐resolution aerial photograph; and (3) Basal Area Increment (BAI) time‐series, from dendrochronological sampling in three sites.

Mortality risk was higher in older‐aged sparse stands, on southern aspects, and on deeper soils. However, mortality was patchy across all spatial scales, and the locations of patches within “high‐risk” areas could not be fully explained by the examined environmental factors. Moreover, the analysis of past forest performance based on NDVI and tree rings has indicated that the areas affected by each of the two recent droughts do not coincide.

The association of mortality with lower tree densities did not support the notion that thinning semiarid forests will increase survival probability of the remaining trees when facing extreme drought. Unique information was obtained when merging dendrochronological and remotely sensed performance indicators, in contrast to potential bias when using a single approach. For example, dendrochronological data suggested highly resilient tree growth, since it was based only on the “surviving” portion of the population, thus failing to identify past demographic changes evident through remote sensing. We therefore suggest that evaluation of forest resilience should be based on several metrics, each suited for detecting transitions at a different level of organization.
Cartographic sign as a core of multimedia map prepared by non-cartographers in free map services
Authors: Medyńska-Gulij Beata
Published: May 2015

The fundamental importance of cartographic signs in traditional maps is unquestionable, although in the case of multimedia maps their key function is not so obvious. Our aim was to search the problem of cartographic signs as a core of multimedia maps prepared by non-cartographer in on-line Map Services. First, preestablished rules for multimedia map designers were prepared emphasizing the key role of the cartographic signs and habits of Web-users. The comparison of projects completed by a group of designers led us to the general conclusion that a cartographic sign should determine the design of a multimedia map in on-line Map Services. Despite the selection of five different map topics, one may list the general characteristics of the maps with a cartographic sign in the core.
Optical fixing the positions of the off-shore objects applying the method of two reference points
Authors: Naus Krzysztof , Szulc Dariusz
Published: May 2015

The Paper presents the optical method of fixing the off-shore objects positions from the land. The method is based on application of two reference points, having the geographical coordinates defined. The first point was situated high on the sea shore, where also the camera was installed. The second point was intended for use to determine the topocentric horizon plane and it was situated at the water-level.

The first section of the Paper contains the definition of space and disposed therein reference systems: connected with the Earth, water-level and the camera system.

The second section of the Paper provides a description of the survey system model and the principles of the Charge Coupled Device - CCD array pixel’s coordinates (plate coordinates) transformation into the geographic coordinates located on the water-level.

In the final section there are presented the general rules of using the worked out method in the optical system.
Presentation of spatio-temporal data in the context of information capacity and visual suggestiveness
Authors: Cybulski Paweł
Published: May 2015

The aim of this article is to present the concept of information capacity and visual suggestiveness as a map characteristic on the example of two maps of human migration. From this viewpoint the literature study has been performed. Proposed by the author the features of cartographic visualization are an attempt to establish cartographic pragmatics and find the way to increase effectiveness of dynamic maps with large information capacity. Among the works on cartographic pragmatics, muliaspectuality of spatio-temporal data the proposed solution has not been taken so far, and refers to the map design problematic.
Architecture and Cityscapes: Taking a Second Look
Authors: Crossman Kelly
Published: May 2015

M, Christine Boyer. Dreaming the Rational City: The Myth of American City Planning. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1983. 331 pp. Klaus Herdeg. The Decorated Diagram: Harvard Architecture and the Failure of the Bauhaus Legacy. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1983. 125 pp. Richard Longstreth. On the Edge of the World: Four Architects in San Francisco at the Turn of the Century. New York: The Architectural History Foundation; and Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1983.455 pp. Herbert Muschamp. Man About Town: Frank Lloyd Wright in New York City. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1983. 214 pp. In 1937 Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer were invited to join the faculty of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Gropius took charge of the program as a whole while Breuer taught the third year and bachelor's studio. What they taught at Harvard was the gospel of architectural Modernism: functional planning, the machine esthetic, attention to detail and craftsmanship. What they achieved was the transformation of American architecture. Gropius' program was widely imitated in the United States and his students have dominated American architecture for a generation. Edward Larrabee Barnes, John Johansen, Ulrich Franzen, I.M. Pei, Paul Rudolph and Philip Johnson have all become famous in their own right. To the students of the fifties and sixties they were the "bright young heroes" of the age; now, thirty years later, they are part of the establishment.
Six Interdisciplinary Studies
Authors: Smith Herbert F.
Published: May 2015

John L. Caughey. Imaginary Social Worlds: A Cultural Approach. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1984. 280 pp. Marshall W. Fishwick. Common Culture and the Great Tradition: The Case for Renewal. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1982.230 pp. Winfried Fluck, Jurgen Peper, and Willi Paul Adams, eds. Forms and Functions of History in American Literature .'Essays in Honor of Ursula Brumm. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag, 1981. 205 + xivpp. John A. Kouwenhoven. Haifa Truth is Better than None: Some Unsystematic Conjectures about Art, Disorder, and American Experience. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1982. 248 + xiii pp. Kenneth S. Lynn. The AirLine to Seattle: Studies in Literary and Historical Writing about America. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1983. 227 pp. Michael Spindler. American Literature and Social Change: William Dean Howells to Arthur Miller. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1983.236 + viii pp. There are two reasons why conservative academics look down on interdisci- plinary studies. The first is that they suspect the academic who spans more than one discipline has spread himself too thinly and is not engaged in hard-nosed analysis. This is the "there's physics, and all the rest is stamp collecting" school. It is terribly unfortunate that many promotion advisory committees are packed with academics of this persuasion, denying the inter- disciplinary innovator a fair hearing, and punishing instead of rewarding innovative research. Any intellectual with the slightest tint of liberalism must deplore such negative restriction upon freedom of investigation and urge that the academic community give full weight to all interdisciplinary investigation as a responsible academic discipline itself.
Critical Paradigms of Contemporary American Literature
Authors: Grace Sherrill E.
Published: May 2015

Charles Caramello. Silverless Mirrors: Book, Self & Postmodern American Fiction. Tallahassee: University Presses of Florida, 1983.250 pp. Peter L. Cooper. Signs and Symptoms: Thomas Pynchon and the Contemporary World. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983. 238 pp. Charles B. Harris. Passionate Virtuosity: The Fiction of John Earth. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1983. 217 pp. Robert F. Kiernan. American Writing Since 1945: A Critical Survey. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1983.178 pp. Reading books, like the ones under review here, individually is one thing; writing about them as a group is another. Perhaps it would be wisest to abandon any attempt to discuss these four critical studies of contemporary American literature together and to concentrate upon their individual contributions to scholarship. This I shall certainly do; however, these four books, and the attempt to reflect upon their common endeavor, raise a number of interrelated questions, questions which are important to anyone interested in modern literature, contemporary culture, or literary history and critical theory.
The Complexity of the Assyrian Genocide
Authors: Gaunt David
Published: May 2015

The Assyrian Genocide involved many non-Armenian Christian groups native to eastern Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia. Among them were the Assyrian Church of the East, the Chaldean Church, the Syriac Orthodox, and some smaller sects. Massacres and ethnic cleansing culminated during the summer and fall of 1915. Using archival documents from the Prime Ministerial Ottoman Archive (Istanbul) and the Military History and Strategic Studies Directorate Archives (Ankara), this article discusses the involvement of the Young Turk government and the Ottoman army in two extreme cases of Assyrian resistance. It then takes up possible explanations as to why these groups were targeted.
Epidemiology of generalized anxiety disorder in Canadian military personnel
Authors: Erickson Julie , Kinley D. Jolene , Afifi Tracie O. , Zamorski Mark A. , Pietrzak Robert H. , Stein Murray B. , Sareen Jitender
Published: May 2015

Introduction: This study examined the prevalence, clinical characteristics, help seeking patterns, and military experiences associated with past-year generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) using a representative sample of military personnel. Methods: Data were from the Canadian Community Health Survey–Canadian Forces Supplement ( n = 5,115 Regular Force, n = 3,286 Reserve Force), conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of the Department of National Defence in 2002. GAD and other mental disorders were assessed using the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Clinical features of GAD of interest included mean age of onset and episode length, symptoms, degree of impairment and co-occurring disorders, and perceived need for help and help seeking. Multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to examine the sociodemographic, military characteristics, and mental disorders correlated with past-year GAD. Results: Past-year and lifetime prevalence rates of GAD were 1.7% and 4.4%, respectively. The majority of military personnel with past-year GAD reported being severely impaired at work and in their relationships and social life. Those with past-year GAD, relative to those without it, had higher odds of having another mental disorder. Of military personnel with past-year GAD, 72.2% had sought help. Regular Force personnel, relative to reservists, had higher odds of having past-year GAD, as did individuals who witnessed atrocities. Discussion: GAD is modestly prevalent in the Canadian military and is associated with considerable functional impairment. Nevertheless, high rates of help seeking for GAD may speak to the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of mental health care in the Canadian Armed Forces.
The psychotherapeutic mapping of a soldier’s suffering: a narrative analysis of the Grimms’ “Bearskin”
Authors: Stephenson Craig
Published: May 2015

The Brothers Grimm introduced into the fifth edition of Children’s and Household Tales a new story, “Bearskin,” that addressed the psychological suffering of soldiers after active service in combat. They took a traditional tale, “The Devil’s Greenjacket,” and combined it with details of a story by Grimmelshausen, changing the protagonist from a young man abandoned by his two older brothers after the death of their father to a soldier returning from war. With this revision, they spoke to two questions of soldiering in their time: how to integrate a warring spirit during peacetime and how to heal a loss of self that comes with returning home from combat. A narrative analysis of “Bearskin” makes explicit the psychological map with which the Grimms wanted every household to be familiar, a description of a soldier’s process of intrapsychically recovering self and interpersonally reconnecting to society.
Development of sandwich dot-ELISA for specific detection of Ochratoxin A and its application on to contaminated cereal grains originating from India
Authors: Venkataramana M. , Rashmi R. , Uppalapati Siva R. , Chandranayaka S. , Balakrishna K. , Radhika M. , Gupta Vijai K. , Batra H. V.
Published: May 2015

In the present study, generation and characterization of a highly specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) against Ochratoxin A (OTA) was undertaken. The generated mAb was further used to develop a simple, fast, and sensitive sandwich dot-ELISA (s-dot ELISA) method for detection of OTA from contaminated food grain samples. The limit of detection (LOD) of the developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was determined as 5.0 ng/mL of OTA. Developed method was more specific toward OTA and no cross reactivity was observed with the other tested mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1, or aflatoxin B1. To assess the utility and reliability of the developed method, several field samples of maize, wheat and rice (n = 195) collected from different geographical regions of southern Karnataka region of India were evaluated for the OTA occurrence. Seventy two out of 195 samples (19 maize, 38 wheat, and 15 rice) were found to be contaminated by OTA by s-dot ELISA. The assay results were further co-evaluated with conventional analytical high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Results of the s-dot ELISA are in concordance with HPLC except for three samples that were negative for OTA presence by s-dot ELISA but found positive by HPLC. Although positive by HPLC, the amount of OTA in the three samples was found to be lesser than the accepted levels (>5 μg/kg) of OTA presence in cereals. Therefore, in conclusion, the developed s-dot ELISA is a better alternative for routine cereal based food and feed analysis in diagnostic labs to check the presence of OTA over existing conventional culture based, tedious analytical methods.
The Indian Sundarban Mangrove Forests: History, Utilization, Conservation Strategies and Local Perception
Authors: Ghosh Aditya , Schmidt Susanne , Fickert Thomas , Nüsser Marcus
Published: May 2015

Covering approximately 10,000 km2 the Sundarbans in the Northern Bay of Bengal is the largest contiguous mangrove forest on earth. Mangroves forests are highly productive and diverse ecosystems, providing a wide range of direct ecosystem services for resident populations. In addition, mangroves function as a buffer against frequently occurring cyclones; helping to protect local settlements including the two most populous cities of the world, Kolkata and Dhaka, against their worst effects. While large tracts of the Indian Sundarbans were cleared, drained and reclaimed for cultivation during the British colonial era, the remaining parts have been under various protection regimes since the 1970s, primarily to protect the remaining population of Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris ssp. tigris). In view of the importance of such forests, now severely threatened worldwide, we trace the areal change that the Indian Sundarbans have undergone over the last two-and-a-half centuries. We apply a multi-temporal and multi-scale approach based on historical maps and remote sensing data to detect changes in mangrove cover. While the mangroves’ areal extent has not changed much in the recent past, forest health and structure have. These changes result from direct human interference, upstream development, extreme weather events and the slow onset of climate change effects. Moreover, we consider the role of different management strategies affecting mangrove conservation and their intersection with local livelihoods.
Aerial Seeding: An Effective Forest Restoration Method in Highly Degraded Forest Landscapes of Sub-Tropic Regions
Authors: Xiao Xin , Wei Xiaohua , Liu Yuanqiu , Ouyang Xunzhi , Li Qinglin , Ning Jinkui
Published: May 2015

Carbon stock is an important indicator of cumulative ecosystem productivity. Using this indicator, and based on field sampling data, this paper compared the long-term difference in carbon stocks between aerial seeding (AS) and natural regeneration (NR) forests of Pinus massoniana in sub-tropic forests, China, in order to assess the effectiveness of AS in a highly degraded forest landscape. The results showed that the carbon stocks of stems, branches, roots, and trees (including stems, branches, leaves, and roots) were 140%, 85%, 110%, and 110%, significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the NR forests than those in the AS forests at the ages of 11–20 years, respectively. In addition, the carbon stocks of understory, litter and soil were also 176%, 151%, and 77%, significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the NR forests than those in the AS forests at the same age range, respectively. However, with increasing age (i.e., >21 years), those differences became statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). The total carbon stocks of the two forest types also showed a similar pattern. Those results clearly demonstrate that AS was an effective mean for restoring carbon stocks in highly degraded areas, even though their early growth was lower than the NR forests, and thus can be applied in the regions where the areas with limited seed sources and road accessibility.
Replication Stress in Mammalian Cells and Its Consequences for Mitosis
Authors: Gelot Camille , Magdalou Indiana , Lopez Bernard
Published: May 2015

The faithful transmission of genetic information to daughter cells is central to maintaining genomic stability and relies on the accurate and complete duplication of genetic material during each cell cycle. However, the genome is routinely exposed to endogenous and exogenous stresses that can impede the progression of replication. Such replication stress can be an early cause of cancer or initiate senescence. Replication stress, which primarily occurs during S phase, results in consequences during mitosis, jeopardizing chromosome segregation and, in turn, genomic stability. The traces of replication stress can be detected in the daughter cells during G1 phase. Alterations in mitosis occur in two types: 1) local alterations that correspond to breaks, rearrangements, intertwined DNA molecules or non-separated sister chromatids that are confined to the region of the replication dysfunction; 2) genome-wide chromosome segregation resulting from centrosome amplification (although centrosomes do not contain DNA), which amplifies the local replication stress to the entire genome. Here, we discuss the endogenous causes of replication perturbations, the mechanisms of replication fork restart and the consequences for mitosis, chromosome segregation and genomic stability.
Contesting Ideas of a University: The Case of South Africa
Authors: Wolhuter Charl , Mushaandja John
Published: May 2015

This article portrays four historically evolved ideas of a university, as they have developed in the South African context, namely the British liberal-humanistic education idea, the Afrikaner idea of an ethnically-oriented developmental university, the idea of an African university, and the idea of a university proclaimed by neo-liberal economics. The global significance of this contest, as it plays out itself on South African soil, is noted.
Detection of Emerging and Re-Emerging Pathogens in Surface Waters Close to an Urban Area
Authors: Marcheggiani Stefania , D'Ugo Emilo , Puccinelli Camilla , Giuseppetti Roberto , D'Angelo Anna , Gualerzi Claudio , Spurio Roberto , Medlin Linda , Guillebault Delphine , Weigel Wilfried , Helmi Karim , Mancini Laura
Published: May 2015

Current knowledge about the spread of pathogens in aquatic environments is scarce probably because bacteria, viruses, algae and their toxins tend to occur at low concentrations in water, making them very difficult to measure directly. The purpose of this study was the development and validation of tools to detect pathogens in freshwater systems close to an urban area. In order to evaluate anthropogenic impacts on water microbiological quality, a phylogenetic microarray was developed in the context of the EU project µAQUA to detect simultaneously numerous pathogens and applied to samples from two different locations close to an urban area located upstream and downstream of Rome in the Tiber River. Furthermore, human enteric viruses were also detected. Fifty liters of water were collected and concentrated using a hollow-fiber ultrafiltration approach. The resultant concentrate was further size-fractionated through a series of decreasing pore size filters. RNA was extracted from pooled filters and hybridized to the newly designed microarray to detect pathogenic bacteria, protozoa and toxic cyanobacteria. Diatoms as indicators of the water quality status, were also included in the microarray to evaluate water quality. The microarray results gave positive signals for bacteria, diatoms, cyanobacteria and protozoa. Cross validation of the microarray was performed using standard microbiological methods for the bacteria. The presence of oral-fecal transmitted human enteric-viruses were detected using q-PCR. Significant concentrations of Salmonella, Clostridium, Campylobacter and Staphylococcus as well as Hepatitis E Virus (HEV), noroviruses GI (NoGGI) and GII (NoGII) and human adenovirus 41 (ADV 41) were found in the Mezzocammino site, whereas lower concentrations of other bacteria and only the ADV41 virus was recovered at the Castel Giubileo site. This study revealed that the pollution level in the Tiber River was considerably higher downstream rather than upstream of Rome and the downstream location was contaminated by emerging and re-emerging pathogens.
The Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Students’ Behavioral Disorder: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis
Authors: Tian Xian-Liang , Guan Xian
Published: May 2015

Objective: The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of Hurricane Katrina on displaced students’ behavioral disorder. Methods: First, we determine displaced students’ likelihood of discipline infraction each year relative to non-evacuees using all K12 student records of the U.S. state of Louisiana during the period of 2000–2008. Second, we investigate the impact of hurricane on evacuee students’ in-school behavior in a difference-in-difference framework. The quasi-experimental nature of the hurricane makes this framework appropriate with the advantage that the problem of endogeneity is of least concern and the causal effect of interest can be reasonably identified. Results: Preliminary analysis demonstrates a sharp increase in displaced students’ relative likelihood of discipline infraction around 2005 when the hurricane occurred. Further, formal difference-in-difference analysis confirms the results. To be specific, post Katrina, displaced students’ relative likelihood of any discipline infraction has increased by 7.3% whereas the increase in the relative likelihood for status offense, offense against person, offense against property and serious crime is 4%, 1.5%, 3.8% and 2.1%, respectively. Conclusion: When disasters occur, as was the case with Hurricane Katrina, in addition to assistance for adult evacuees, governments, in cooperation with schools, should also provide aid and assistance to displaced children to support their mental health and in-school behavior.
Season of Birth, Sex and Sleep Timing Preferences
Authors: Huang Yuee , Lin Dongdong , Lu Chuanwen , Ali Gholam , Metzger James , Shankar Nivedita , Xu Tan , Sun Wenjie , Shan Guangliang
Published: May 2015

Objective: To evaluate whether the season of birth and sex are associated with preferences for bedtime among Chinese adults. Methods: A national population-based study on sleep preferences was conducted among Chinese in 2008. A questionnaire was used to collect information on the sleep time of Chinese adults. Analysis of covariance was used to examine the relationship between season of birth and preferences for bedtime. Two sets of potential confounders were used in the adjusted models. Model 1 adjusted for age. Model 2 additionally adjusted for area, occupation, education level, smoking, and drinking. Participants and Measurements: The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 3959 Chinese adults. Results: Men had a higher delayed mean sleep onset and offset time (22:38 and 6:32) than women (22:18 and 6:25). Men also slept for a shorter duration compared to women (7 h 54 min vs. 8 h 7 min). Women born in fall had the latest sleep onset time sleep offset time (22:23/6:30), compared to their counterparts born in winter. These associations were attenuated by additional adjustments of more confounders. Conclusions: There were significant differences in sleep timing preferences between men and women. Season of birth was not associated with sleep timing in Chinese adults.
Road-Traffic Noise: Annoyance, Risk Perception, and Noise Sensitivity in the Finnish Adult Population
Authors: Okokon Enembe , Turunen Anu , Ung-Lanki Sari , Vartiainen Anna-Kaisa , Tiittanen Pekka , Lanki Timo
Published: May 2015

Exposure to road-traffic noise commonly engenders annoyance, the extent of which is determined by factors not fully understood. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence and determinants of road-traffic noise annoyance and noise sensitivity in the Finnish adult population, while comparing the perceptions of road-traffic noise to exhausts as environmental health problems. Using a questionnaire that yielded responses from 1112 randomly selected adult Finnish respondents, we estimated road-traffic noise- and exhausts-related perceived exposures, health-risk perceptions, and self-reported annoyance on five-point scales, while noise sensitivity estimates were based on four questions. Determinants of noise annoyance and sensitivity were investigated using multivariate binary logistic regression and linear regression models, respectively. High or extreme noise annoyance was reported by 17% of respondents. Noise sensitivity scores approximated a Gaussian distribution. Road-traffic noise and exhausts were, respectively, considered high or extreme population-health risks by 22% and 27% of respondents. Knowledge of health risks from traffic noise, OR: 2.04 (1.09–3.82) and noise sensitivity, OR: 1.07 (1.00–1.14) were positively associated with annoyance. Knowledge of health risks (p < 0.045) and positive environmental attitudes (p < 000) were associated with higher noise sensitivity. Age and sex were associated with annoyance and sensitivity only in bivariate models. A considerable proportion of Finnish adults are highly annoyed by road-traffic noise, and perceive it to be a significant health risk, almost comparable to traffic exhausts. There is no distinct noise-sensitive population subgroup. Knowledge of health risks of road-traffic noise, and attitudinal variables are associated with noise annoyance and sensitivity.
Aminomethylphosphonic Acid and Methoxyacetic Acid Induce Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Parajuli Keshab , Zhang Qiuyang , Liu Sen , You Zongbing
Published: May 2015

Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and its parent compound herbicide glyphosate are analogs to glycine, which have been reported to inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis of cancer cells, but not normal cells. Methoxyacetic acid (MAA) is the active metabolite of ester phthalates widely used in industry as gelling, viscosity and stabilizer; its exposure is associated with developmental and reproductive toxicities in both rodents and humans. MAA has been reported to suppress prostate cancer cell growth by inducing growth arrest and apoptosis. However, it is unknown whether AMPA and MAA can inhibit cancer cell growth. In this study, we found that AMPA and MAA inhibited cell growth in prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP, C4-2B, PC-3 and DU-145) through induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Importantly, the AMPA-induced apoptosis was potentiated with the addition of MAA, which was due to downregulation of the anti-apoptotic gene baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis protein repeat containing 2 (BIRC2), leading to activation of caspases 7 and 3. These results demonstrate that the combination of AMPA and MAA can promote the apoptosis of prostate cancer cells, suggesting that they can be used as potential therapeutic drugs in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Biomedical Application of Low Molecular Weight Heparin/Protamine Nano/Micro Particles as Cell- and Growth Factor-Carriers and Coating Matrix
Authors: Ishihara Masayuki , Kishimoto Satoko , Takikawa Makoto , Hattori Hidemi , Nakamura Shingo , Shimizu Masafumi
Published: May 2015

Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH)/protamine (P) nano/micro particles (N/MPs) (LMWH/P N/MPs) were applied as carriers for heparin-binding growth factors (GFs) and for adhesive cells including adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). A mixture of LMWH and P yields a dispersion of N/MPs (100 nm–3 μm in diameter). LMWH/P N/MPs can be immobilized onto cell surfaces or extracellular matrix, control the release, activate GFs and protect various GFs. Furthermore, LMWH/P N/MPs can also bind to adhesive cell surfaces, inducing cells and LMWH/P N/MPs-aggregate formation. Those aggregates substantially promoted cellular viability, and induced vascularization and fibrous tissue formation in vivo. The LMWH/P N/MPs, in combination with ADSCs or BMSCs, are effective cell-carriers and are potential promising novel therapeutic agents for inducing vascularization and fibrous tissue formation in ischemic disease by transplantation of the ADSCs and LMWH/P N/MPs-aggregates. LMWH/P N/MPs can also bind to tissue culture plates and adsorb exogenous GFs or GFs from those cells. The LMWH/P N/MPs-coated matrix in the presence of GFs may provide novel biomaterials that can control cellular activity such as growth and differentiation. Furthermore, three-dimensional (3D) cultures of cells including ADSCs and BMSCs using plasma-medium gel with LMWH/P N/MPs exhibited efficient cell proliferation. Thus, LMWH/P N/MPs are an adequate carrier both for GFs and for stromal cells such as ADSCs and BMSCs, and are a functional coating matrix for their cultures.
Small-Nucleic-Acid-Based Therapeutic Strategy Targeting the Transcription Factors Regulating the Vascular Inflammation, Remodeling and Fibrosis in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Youn Sung , Park Kwan-Kyu
Published: May 2015

Atherosclerosis arises when injury to the arterial wall induces an inflammatory cascade that is sustained by a complex network of cytokines, together with accumulation of lipids and fibrous material. Inflammatory cascades involve leukocyte adherence and chemotaxis, which are coordinated by the local secretion of adhesion molecules, chemotactic factors, and cytokines. Transcription factors are critical to the integration of the various steps of the cascade response to mediators of vascular injury, and are induced in a stimulus-dependent and cell-type-specific manner. Several small-nucleic-acid-based therapeutic strategies have recently been developed to target transcription factors: antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, RNA interference, microRNA, and decoy oligodeoxynucleotides. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of these particular targeted therapeutic strategies, toward regulation of the vascular inflammation, remodeling and fibrosis associated with atherosclerosis.
High-Throughput Screening for a Moderately Halophilic Phenol-Degrading Strain and Its Salt Tolerance Response
Authors: Lu Zhi-Yan , Guo Xiao-Jue , Li Hui , Huang Zhong-Zi , Lin Kuang-Fei , Liu Yong-Di
Published: May 2015

A high-throughput screening system for moderately halophilic phenol-degrading bacteria from various habitats was developed to replace the conventional strain screening owing to its high efficiency. Bacterial enrichments were cultivated in 48 deep well microplates instead of shake flasks or tubes. Measurement of phenol concentrations was performed in 96-well microplates instead of using the conventional spectrophotometric method or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The high-throughput screening system was used to cultivate forty-three bacterial enrichments and gained a halophilic bacterial community E3 with the best phenol-degrading capability. Halomonas sp. strain 4-5 was isolated from the E3 community. Strain 4-5 was able to degrade more than 94% of the phenol (500 mg·L−1 starting concentration) over a range of 3%–10% NaCl. Additionally, the strain accumulated the compatible solute, ectoine, with increasing salt concentrations. PCR detection of the functional genes suggested that the largest subunit of multicomponent phenol hydroxylase (LmPH) and catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (C12O) were active in the phenol degradation process.
Lack of Association between the TSPAN18 Gene and Schizophrenia Based on New Data from Han Chinese and a Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Bao , Li Da-Xu , Lu Ning , Fan Qian-Rui , Li Wen-Hao , Feng Zu-Fei
Published: May 2015

Tetraspanin-18 (TSPAN18) potentially plays a role in the calcium signaling that is associated with dopamine-induced cortical neuron apoptosis and is considered to be an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (SCZ). Furthermore, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified TSPAN18 as a possible susceptibility gene for SCZ. To validate these findings and reveal the effects of different inheritance models, seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the TSPAN18 gene were analyzed in 443 patients with SCZ and 628 controls of Han Chinese descent via the SNPscan method. Single SNP, genotype, and association analyses with different models (i.e., additive, dominant, and recessive models) were performed, and the published datasets (2062 cases and 2053 controls) were combined with our results to determine the inheritance effects of the SNPs on SCZ. We observed genotypes and allele distributions of TSPAN18 gene did not show any significant associations in the Han Chinese population based on our experimental and meta-analytical results. Our findings indicate that the TSPAN18 gene is unlikely to be a major susceptibility gene for schizophrenia in Han Chinese.
Identification of Novel Pesticides for Use against Glasshouse Invertebrate Pests in UK Tomatoes and Peppers
Authors: George David , Banfield-Zanin Jennifer , Collier Rosemary , Cross Jerry , Birch A. , Gwynn Roma , O'Neill Tim
Published: May 2015

To inform current and future pesticide availability to glasshouse vegetable growers, the current project trialled more than twenty products, including existing industry standards, against four key pests of glasshouse tomatoes and bell peppers. These included experimental conventional chemical pesticides as well as alternative biopesticide and biorational products based on phytochemicals, microbials and physically-acting substances. The results suggest that certain biopesticide products, particularly botanicals, provide good levels of pest control, with the same being true of experimental conventional chemical pesticides not yet recommended for use against these pests on these crops. Efforts are on-going to ensure that results of the current project translate to industry benefit via new pesticide approvals.
Biofilm and Dental Biomaterials
Authors: Øilo Marit , Bakken Vidar
Published: May 2015

All treatment involving the use of biomaterials in the body can affect the host in positive or negative ways. The microbiological environment in the oral cavity is affected by the composition and shape of the biomaterials used for oral restorations. This may impair the patients’ oral health and sometimes their general health as well. Many factors determine the composition of the microbiota and the formation of biofilm in relation to biomaterials such as, surface roughness, surface energy and chemical composition, This paper aims to give an overview of the scientific literature regarding the association between the chemical, mechanical and physical properties of dental biomaterials and oral biofilm formation, with emphasis on current research and future perspectives.
Subordination Principle for a Class of Fractional Order Differential Equations
Authors: Bazhlekova Emilia
Published: May 2015

The fractional order differential equation \(u'(t)=Au(t)+\gamma D_t^{\alpha} Au(t)+f(t), \ t>0\), \(u(0)=a\in X\) is studied, where \(A\) is an operator generating a strongly continuous one-parameter semigroup on a Banach space \(X\), \(D_t^{\alpha}\) is the Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative of order \(\alpha \in (0,1)\), \(\gamma>0\) and \(f\) is an \(X\)-valued function. Equations of this type appear in the modeling of unidirectional viscoelastic flows. Well-posedness is proven, and a subordination identity is obtained relating the solution operator of the considered problem and the \(C_{0}\)-semigroup, generated by the operator \(A\). As an example, the Rayleigh–Stokes problem for a generalized second-grade fluid is considered.
A Mathematical Formulation to Estimate the Effect of Grain Refiners on the Ultimate Tensile Strength of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys
Authors: Kurt Halil , Oduncuoglu Murat , Kurt Mehmet
Published: May 2015

In this study, the feed-forward (FF) neural networks (NNs) with back-propagation (BP) learning algorithm is used to estimate the ultimate tensile strength of unrefined Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys and refined the alloys by Al-5Ti-1B and Al-5Zr master alloys. The obtained mathematical formula is presented in great detail. The designed NN model shows good agreement with test results and can be used to predict the ultimate tensile strength of the alloys. Additionally, the effects of scandium (Sc) and carbon (C) rates are investigated by using the proposed equation. It was observed that the tensile properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys improved with the addition of 0.5 Sc and 0.01 C wt.%.
Cellular Structural Changes in Candida albicans Caused by the Hydroalcoholic Extract from Sapindus saponaria L.
Authors: Shinobu-Mesquita Cristiane , Bonfim-Mendonça Patricia , Moreira Amanda , Ferreira Izabel , Donatti Lucelia , Fiorini Adriana , Svidzinski Terezinha
Published: May 2015

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a disease caused by the abnormal growth of yeast-like fungi in the mucosa of the female genital tract. Candida albicans is the principal etiological agent involved in VVC, but reports have shown an increase in the prevalence of Candida non-C. albicans (CNCA) cases, which complicates VVC treatment because CNCA does not respond well to antifungal therapy. Our group has reported the in vitro antifungal activity of extracts from Sapindus saponaria L. The present study used scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to further evaluate the antifungal activity of hydroalcoholic extract from S. saponaria (HE) against yeast obtained from VVC and structural changes induced by HE. We observed the antifungal activity of HE against 125 vaginal yeasts that belonged to four different species of the Candida genus and S. cerevisae. The results suggest that saponins that are present in HE act on the cell wall or membrane of yeast at the first moments after contact, causing damage to these structures and cell lysis.
Protein-Carbohydrate Interaction between Sperm and the Egg-Coating Envelope and Its Regulation by Dicalcin, a Xenopus laevis Zona Pellucida Protein-Associated Protein
Authors: Miwa Naofumi
Published: May 2015

Protein-carbohydrate interaction regulates multiple important processes during fertilization, an essential biological event where individual gametes undergo intercellular recognition to fuse and generate a zygote. In the mammalian female reproductive tract, sperm temporarily adhere to the oviductal epithelium via the complementary interaction between carbohydrate-binding proteins on the sperm membrane and carbohydrates on the oviductal cells. After detachment from the oviductal epithelium at the appropriate time point following ovulation, sperm migrate and occasionally bind to the extracellular matrix, called the zona pellucida (ZP), which surrounds the egg, thereafter undergoing the exocytotic acrosomal reaction to penetrate the envelope and to reach the egg plasma membrane. This sperm-ZP interaction also involves the direct interaction between sperm carbohydrate-binding proteins and carbohydrates within the ZP, most of which have been conserved across divergent species from mammals to amphibians and echinoderms. This review focuses on the carbohydrate-mediated interaction of sperm with the female reproductive tract, mainly the interaction between sperm and the ZP, and introduces the fertilization-suppressive action of dicalcin, a Xenopus laevis ZP protein-associated protein. The action of dicalcin correlates significantly with a dicalcin-dependent change in the lectin-staining pattern within the ZP, suggesting a unique role of dicalcin as an inherent protein that is capable of regulating the affinity between the lectin and oligosaccharides attached on its target glycoprotein.
Combine Use of Selected Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Lachancea thermotolerans Yeast Strains as an Alternative to theTraditional Malolactic Fermentation in Red Wine Production
Authors: Benito Ángel , Calderón Fernando , Palomero Felipe , Benito Santiago
Published: May 2015

Most red wines commercialized in the market use the malolactic fermentationprocess in order to ensure stability from a microbiological point of view. In this secondfermentation, malic acid is converted into L-lactic acid under controlled setups. Howeverthis process is not free from possible collateral effects that on some occasions produceoff-flavors, wine quality loss and human health problems. In warm viticulture regions suchas the south of Spain, the risk of suffering a deviation during the malolactic fermentationprocess increases due to the high must pH. This contributes to produce wines with highvolatile acidity and biogenic amine values. This manuscript develops a new red winemakingmethodology that consists of combining the use of two non-Saccharomyces yeast strains asan alternative to the traditional malolactic fermentation. In this method, malic acid is totallyconsumed by Schizosaccharomyces pombe, thus achieving the microbiological stabilizationobjective, while Lachancea thermotolerans produces lactic acid in order not to reduce andeven increase the acidity of wines produced from low acidity musts. This technique reducesthe risks inherent to the malolactic fermentation process when performed in warm regions.The result is more fruity wines that contain less acetic acid and biogenic amines than thetraditional controls that have undergone the classical malolactic fermentation.
Practical Radiosynthesis and Preclinical Neuroimaging of [11C]isradipine, a Calcium Channel Antagonist
Authors: Rotstein Benjamin , Liang Steven , Belov Vasily , Livni Eli , Levine Dylan , Bonab Ali , Papisov Mikhail , Perlis Roy , Vasdev Neil
Published: May 2015

In the interest of developing in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) probes for neuroimaging of calcium channels, we have prepared a carbon-11 isotopologue of a dihydropyridine Ca2+-channel antagonist, isradipine. Desmethyl isradipine (4-(benzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazol-4-yl)-5-(isopropoxycarbonyl)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine -3-carboxylic acid) was reacted with [11C]CH3I in the presence of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide in DMF in an HPLC injector loop to produce the radiotracer in a good yield (6 ± 3% uncorrected radiochemical yield) and high specific activity (143 ± 90 GBq·µmol−1 at end-of-synthesis). PET imaging of normal rats revealed rapid brain uptake at baseline (0.37 ± 0.08% ID/cc (percent of injected dose per cubic centimeter) at peak, 15–60 s), which was followed by fast washout. After pretreatment with isradipine (2 mg·kg−1, i.p.), whole brain radioactivity uptake was diminished by 25%–40%. This preliminary study confirms that [11C]isradipine can be synthesized routinely for research studies and is brain penetrating. Further work on Ca2+-channel radiotracer development is planned.
Xerogel-Sequestered Silanated Organochalcogenide Catalysts for Bromination with Hydrogen Peroxide and Sodium Bromide
Authors: Gatley Caitlyn , Muller Lisa , Lang Meredith , Alberto Eduardo , Detty Michael
Published: May 2015

While H2O2 is a powerful oxidant, decomposing into environmentally benign H2O and O2, a catalyst is often required for reactions with H2O2 to proceed at synthetically useful rates. Organotellurium and organoselenium compounds catalyze the oxidation of halide salts to hypohalous acids using H2O2. When sequestered into xerogel monoliths, the xerogel-chalcogenide combinations have demonstrated increased catalytic activity relative to the organochalcogen compound alone in solution for the oxidation of halide salts to hypohalous acids with H2O2. Diorganotellurides, diorganoselenides, and diorganodiselenides bearing triethoxysilane functionalities were sequestered into xerogel monoliths and their catalytic activity and longevity were investigated. The longevity of the catalyst-xerogel combinations was examined by isolating and recycling the catalyst-xerogel combination. It was found tellurium-containing catalyst 3 and selenium-containing catalyst 8 maintained their catalytic activity through three recycling trials and adding electron-donating substituents to catalyst 3 also increased the catalytic rate. The presence of organotellurium and organoselenium groups in the +4 oxidation state was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.