bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploiting Waste Heat from Combine Harvesters to Damage Harvested Weed Seeds and Reduce Weed Infestation
Authors: Andreasen Christian , Bitarafan Zahra , Fenselau Johanna , Glasner Christoph
Published: March 2018

Weeds are mainly controlled with herbicides in intensive crop production, but this has resulted in increasing problems with herbicide-resistant weeds and public concerns about the unwanted side-effects of herbicide use. Therefore, there is a need for new alternative methods to reduce weed problems. One way to reduce weed infestation could be to collect or kill weed seeds produced in the growing season. Crop and weeds are harvested simultaneously with the combine harvester, but most of the weed seeds are returned with the chaff to the field creating new problems in future growing seasons. During the harvesting process, the harvester produces heat. Under normal harvest conditions, the exhaust gas temperature measured directly behind the turbocharger of the engine of a combine harvester may reach between 400 °C and 480 °C depending of the size of the engine. These high temperatures indicate that there is a potential for developing a system which perhaps could be utilized to kill or damage the weeds seeds. We investigate how much heat is needed to damage weed seeds significantly and focuses on the germination patterns over time in response to these treatments. We investigated if heat treatment of weed seeds could kill the seeds or reduce seed vigour or kill the seeds before they are returned to the field. The aim is to avoid harvested viable weed seeds being added to the soil seed bank. During the threshing and cleaning process in the combine harvester, most weed seeds and chaff are separated from the crop grains. After this separation, we imagine that the weed seeds could be exposed to a high temperature before they are returned to the field. Seeds of nine common weed species were treated with temperatures of 50 °C, 100 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C, and 250 °C for 0, 2, 5, 10, and 20 s, respectively. Afterwards, the seeds were germinated for fourteen days. Seeds were differently affected by the heat treatments. We found that 50 °C and 100 °C was insufficient to harm the seeds of all species significantly at all durations. Heating with a temperature of 50 °C and 100 °C showed a slight tendency to break the dormancy of Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. and Papaver rhoeas L., but the results were not statistically significant. Seeds treated with 150 °C gave varying results depending on the duration and the weed species. The germination of A. myosuroides was significantly repressed when seeds were exposed to 250 °C for 5 s. Most species were significantly damaged when they were exposed to 250 °C for more than 10 s. Our results showed that there is a potential to explore how the waste heat energy produced by combine harvesters can be exploited to either kill or reduce the vigour of weed seeds before they are returned to the field with the chaff.
Evaluation of Two Models of Non-Penetrating Captive Bolt Devices for On-Farm Euthanasia of Turkeys
Authors: Woolcott Caitlin , Torrey Stephanie , Turner Patricia , Serpa Lilia , Schwean-Lardner Karen , Widowski Tina
Published: March 2018

On-farm euthanasia is a critical welfare issue in the poultry industry and can be particularly difficult to perform on mature turkeys due to their size. We evaluated the efficacy of two commercially available non-penetrating captive bolt devices, the Zephyr-EXL and the Turkey Euthanasia Device (TED), on 253 turkeys at three stages of production: 4–5, 10, and 15–20 weeks of age. Effectiveness of each device was measured using both ante- and post-mortem measures. Application of the Zephyr-EXL resulted in a greater success rate (immediate abolishment of brainstem reflexes) compared to the TED (97.6% vs. 89.3%, p = 0.0145). Times to last movement (p = 0.102) and cardiac arrest (p = 0.164) did not differ between devices. Ante- and post-mortem measures of trauma and hemorrhage were highly correlated. Skull fractures and gross subdural hemorrhage (SDH) were present in 100% of birds euthanized with both the Zephyr-EXL and TED devices. Gross SDH scores were greater in birds killed with the Zephyr-EXL than the TED (p < 0.001). Microscopic SDH scores indicated moderate to severe hemorrhage in 92% of turkeys for the Zephyr-EXL and 96% of turkeys for the TED, with no difference between devices (p = 0.844). Overall, both devices were highly effective inducing immediate insensibility through traumatic brain injury and are reliable, single-step methods for on-farm euthanasia of turkeys.
Novel Aspects of Polynucleotide Phosphorylase Function in Streptomyces
Authors: Jones George
Published: March 2018

Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) is a 3′–5′-exoribnuclease that is found in most bacteria and in some eukaryotic organelles. The enzyme plays a key role in RNA decay in these systems. PNPase structure and function have been studied extensively in Escherichia coli, but there are several important aspects of PNPase function in Streptomyces that differ from what is observed in E. coli and other bacterial genera. This review highlights several of those differences: (1) the organization and expression of the PNPase gene in Streptomyces; (2) the possible function of PNPase as an RNA 3′-polyribonucleotide polymerase in Streptomyces; (3) the function of PNPase as both an exoribonuclease and as an RNA 3′-polyribonucleotide polymerase in Streptomyces; (4) the function of (p)ppGpp as a PNPase effector in Streptomyces. The review concludes with a consideration of a number of unanswered questions regarding the function of Streptomyces PNPase, which can be examined experimentally.
Vitamin E
Authors: Böhm Volker
Published: March 2018

Vitamin E is the major lipid-soluble antioxidant in the cell antioxidant system and is exclusively obtained from the diet[...]
A Novel Distributed Large-Scale Demand Response Scheme in High Proportion Renewable Energy Sources Integration Power Systems
Authors: Fan Shuai , He Guangyu , Jia Kunqi , Wang Zhihua
Published: March 2018

Large-scale demand response (DR) is a useful regulatory method used in high proportion renewable energy sources (RES) integration power systems. Current incentive-based DR schemes are unsuitable for large-scale DR due to their centralized formulation. This paper proposes a distributed scheme to support large-scale implementation of DR. To measure DR performance, this paper proposes the customer directrix load (CDL), which is a desired load profile, to replace the customer baseline load (CBL). The uniqueness of CDL makes it more suitable for distributed schemes, while numerous CBLs have to be calculated in a centralized manner to ensure fairness. To allocate DR tasks and rebates, this paper proposes a distributed approach, where the load serving entity (LSE) only needs to publish a total rebate and corresponding CDL. As for each customer, s/he needs to claim an ideal rebate ratio that ranges from 0 to 1, which indicates the proportion of rebate s/he wants to get from LSE. The rebate value for each customer also determines his or her DR task. Then, the process of customer claims for the ideal rebate ratio is modeled as a non-cooperative game, and the Nash equilibrium is proved to exist. The Gossip algorithm is improved in this paper to be suitable for socially connected networks, and the entire game process is distributed. Finally, a large-scale DR system is formulated. The simulation results show that the proposed DR can promote the consumption of RES. Additionally, this scheme is suitable for large-scale customer systems, and the distributed game process is effective.
Plasmonic Filter and Demultiplexer Based on Square Ring Resonator
Authors: Zhang Zhaojian , Yang Junbo , He Xin , Han Yunxin , Zhang Jingjing , Huang Jie , Chen Dingbo
Published: March 2018

A ring resonator is a basic component of traditional photonic integrated circuits (PIC), which has been, however, found difficult to be applied efficiently in high-compact plasmonic metal-insulator-metal (MIM) systems. Here, based on a plasmonic band-stop filter with a square ring resonator (SRR), a novel side-coupling method is introduced both numerically and theoretically to achieve a drop in the resonant wavelength in the SRR with considerable efficiency. By introducing the reflector structure, the performance can be appreciably improved. Besides, this structure also has potential for sensing and switching. Finally, a dual demultiplexer based on SRRs is realized at telecommunication wavelengths with comparable performance, which makes it possible to apply ring resonators in on-chip plasmonic wavelength division multiplex (WDM) networks. This work is valuable for PIC design, and will promote the on-chip plasmonic system progress.
Extraction of Coal and Gangue Geometric Features with Multifractal Detrending Fluctuation Analysis
Authors: Liu Kai , Zhang Xi , Chen YangQuan
Published: March 2018

The separation of coal and gangue is an important process of the coal preparation technology. The conventional way of manual selection and separation of gangue from the raw coal can be replaced by computer vision technology. In the literature, research on image recognition and classification of coal and gangue is mainly based on the grayscale and texture features of the coal and gangue. However, there are few studies on characteristics of coal and gangue from the perspective of their outline differences. Therefore, the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) method is introduced in this paper to extract the geometric features of coal and gangue. Firstly, the outline curves of coal and gangue in polar coordinates are detected and achieved along the centroid, thereby the multifractal characteristics of the series are analyzed and compared. Subsequently, the modified local singular spectrum widths Δ h of the outline curve series are extracted as the characteristic variables of the coal and gangue for pattern recognition. Finally, the extracted geometric features by MFDFA combined with the grayscale and texture features of the images are compared with other methods, indicating that the recognition rate of coal gangue images can be increased by introducing the geometric features.
NMR-MPar: A Fault-Tolerance Approach for Multi-Core and Many-Core Processors
Authors: Vargas Vanessa , Ramos Pablo , Méhaut Jean-Francois , Velazco Raoul
Published: March 2018

Multi-core and many-core processors are a promising solution to achieve high performance by maintaining a lower power consumption. However, the degree of miniaturization makes them more sensitive to soft-errors. To improve the system reliability, this work proposes a fault-tolerance approach based on redundancy and partitioning principles called N-Modular Redundancy and M-Partitions (NMR-MPar). By combining both principles, this approach allows multi-/many-core processors to perform critical functions in mixed-criticality systems. Benefiting from the capabilities of these devices, NMR-MPar creates different partitions that perform independent functions. For critical functions, it is proposed that N partitions with the same configuration participate of an N-modular redundancy system. In order to validate the approach, a case study is implemented on the KALRAY Multi-Purpose Processing Array (MPPA)-256 many-core processor running two parallel benchmark applications. The traveling salesman problem and matrix multiplication applications were selected to test different device’s resources. The effectiveness of NMR-MPar is assessed by software-implemented fault-injection. For evaluation purposes, it is considered that the system is intended to be used in avionics. Results show the improvement of the application reliability by two orders of magnitude when implementing NMR-MPar on the system. Finally, this work opens the possibility to use massive parallelism for dependable applications in embedded systems.
Evaluation of Fatigue Life of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures with Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement
Authors: Bańkowski Wojciech
Published: March 2018

The topic of this article is the evaluation of the fatigue life of asphalt concrete mixtures with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). The evaluation was carried out in relation to asphalt concrete mixtures AC22P and high modulus asphalt concrete ACWMS16 with 50% contents of RAP, greater than currently permitted by technical regulations in Poland. The first stage consisted of the evaluation of laboratory results, which was followed by a mechanistic analysis of the designed life of pavement structures with reclaimed asphalt. The evaluation included the results of laboratory tests (i.e., the air voids content, effective asphalt content, properties of recovered asphalt (penetration, softening point), stiffness, and resistance to fatigue of bituminous mixtures). Calculations of the design life of the structure were made using the criteria according to the 2004 AASHTO specifications for fatigue life and the Asphalt Institute for subgrade deformation. In addition, calculations were carried out using the French method. The analyses allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of the asphalt concrete mixture in the analyzed scope. The evaluation of the fatigue life of AC22P and ACWMS16 mixtures with 50% content of reclaimed asphalt as well as the results of the calculations of design life of the structure indicated positive effects. The tests have been carried out within the framework of the research project dedicated to hot recycling entitled “Reclaimed asphalt pavement: Innovative technology of bituminous mixtures using material from reclaimed asphalt pavement”.
Dispersion Properties of an Elliptical Patch with Cross-Shaped Aperture for Synchronized Propagation of Transverse Magnetic and Electric Surface Waves
Authors: Tellechea Amagoia , Ederra Iñigo , Gonzalo Ramón , Iriarte Juan Carlos
Published: March 2018

This paper presents a novel pixel geometry for the implementation of metasurfaces requiring synchronized phase propagation of transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) modes. The pixel is composed by an elliptical metallic patch with an asymmetric cross-shaped aperture in the center, printed on a grounded slab. A practical implementation of a metasurface was carried out employing such a pixel geometry. Simulation results show similar frequency dispersion properties for both modes within the working frequency band, in agreement with the theoretical basis.
Multi-Objective Motion Control Optimization for the Bridge Crane System
Authors: Xiao Renxin , Wang Zelin , Guo Ningyuan , Wu Yitao , Shen Jiangwei , Chen Zheng
Published: March 2018

A novel control algorithm combining the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control and trajectory planning (TP) is proposed for the control of an underactuated crane system, targeting position adjustment and swing suppression. The TP is employed to control the swing angle within certain constraints, and the LQR is applied to achieve anti-disturbance. In order to improve the accuracy of the position control, a differential-integral control loop is applied. The weighted LQR matrices representing priorities of the state variables for the bridge crane motion are searched by the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA). The stability proof is provided in order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Numerous simulation and experimental validations justify the feasibility of the proposed method.
The PT/S-Box of Modular Cellulase AcCel12B Plays a Key Role in the Hydrolysis of Insoluble Cellulose
Authors: Li Yuwei , Wang Junling , Wang Limei , Tong Hao , Bu Mingwei , Gao Gui , Han Weiwei , Zhang Zuoming
Published: March 2018

Cellulases play key roles in the degradation of lignocellulosic materials. The function and mechanism of the catalytic domain (CD) and carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) of cellulases were earlier revealed by analysis and characterization of protein structure. However, understanding of the catalytic mechanism of the entire enzyme, and the analysis of the catalytic model, were inadequate. Therefore, the linker chain between CD and CBM has been extensively studied to bridge this gap. Cellulase AcCel12B and three mutants with different linker lengths (with no or 1–3 PT/S-box units) were successfully constructed and purified. Results showed that the activity of cellulases on Avicel and regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC) increased with the number of PT/S-box units. Furthermore, the desorption of AcCel12B and its mutants from RAC and Avicel were significantly different. The energy of desorption of wild-type and mutant AcCel12B from cellulose decreased with the number of PT/S-box units. Thus, AcCel12B containing more PT/S-box units was more easily desorbed and had more opportunity to hydrolyze cellulose than other samples. The number of PT/S-box units in endocellulase affected the desorption of the enzyme, which is possibly responsible for the differences in the activity of wild-type and mutant AcCel12B on Avicel and RAC.
Characterization of Carotid Smooth Muscle Cells during Phenotypic Transition
Authors: Goikuria Haize , Freijo Maria , Vega Manrique Reyes , Sastre María , Elizagaray Elena , Lorenzo Ana , Vandenbroeck Koen , Alloza Iraide
Published: March 2018

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are central players in carotid atherosclerosis plaque development. Although the precise mechanisms involved in plaque destabilization are not completely understood, it is known that VSMC proliferation and migration participate in plaque stabilization. In this study, we analyzed expression patterns of genes involved in carotid atherosclerosis development (e.g., transcription factors of regulation of SMC genes) of VSMCs located inside or outside the plaque lesion that may give clues about changes in phenotypic plasticity during atherosclerosis. VSMCs were isolated from 39 carotid plaques extracted from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients by endarterectomy. Specific biomarker expression, related with VSMC phenotype, was analyzed by qPCR, western immunoblot, and confocal microscopy. MYH11, CNN1, SRF, MKL2, and CALD1 were significantly underexpressed in VSMCs from plaques compared with VSMCs from a macroscopically intact (MIT) region, while SPP1, KLF4, MAPLC3B, CD68, and LGALS3 were found significantly upregulated in plaque VSMCs versus MIT VSMCs. The gene expression pattern of arterial VSMCs from a healthy donor treated with 7-ketocholesterol showed high similarity with the expression pattern of carotid plaque VSMCs. Our results indicate that VSMCs isolated from plaque show a typical SMC dedifferentiated phenotype with macrophage-like features compared with VSMCs isolated from a MIT region of the carotid artery. Additionally, MYH11, KLF5, and SPP1 expression patterns were found to be associated with symptomatology of human carotid atherosclerosis.
The Properties of Binary and Ternary Ti Based Coatings Produced by Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) Technology
Authors: Mandes Aurelia , Vladoiu Rodica , Prodan Gabriel , Dinca Virginia , Porosnicu Corneliu , Dinca Paul
Published: March 2018

A series of the multicomponent thin films (binary: Ti-C; Ti-Ag and ternary: Ti-C-Ag; Ti-C-Al) were fabricated by Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) technology in order to study the wear resistance and the anticorrosion properties. The effects of Ti amount on the microstructure, tribological and morphological properties were subsequently investigated. TVA is an original deposition method using a combination of anodic arc and electron gun systems for the growth of films. The samples were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM) accompanied by selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Tribological properties were studied by a ball-on-disc tribometer in the dry regime and the wettability was assessed by measuring the contact angle with the See System apparatus. Wear Rate results indicate an improved sliding wear behavior for Ti-C-Ag: 1.31 × 10−7 mm3/N m (F = 2 N) compared to Ti-C-Al coating wear rate: 4.24 × 10−7 mm3/N m. On the other hand, by increasing the normal load to 3 N an increase to the wear rate was observed for Ti-C-Ag: 2.58 × 10−5 mm3 compared to 2.33 × 10−6 mm3 for Ti-C-Al coating.
Tube Inner Coating of Non-Conductive Films by Pulsed Reactive Coaxial Magnetron Plasma with Outer Anode
Authors: Gasab Musab , Sugawara Hiroyuki , Sato Takemi , Fujiyama Hiroshi
Published: March 2018

The double-ended coaxial magnetron pulsed plasma (DCMPP) method with auxiliary outer anode was introduced in order to achieve the uniform coating of non-conductive thin films on the inner walls of insulator tubes. In this study, titanium (Ti) was employed as a cathode (sputtering target), and a glass tube was used as a substrate. In an argon (Ar) and oxygen (O2) gas mixture, magnetron plasma was generated. Oxygen gas was introduced to deposit a titanium oxide (TiO2) film. A comparison between films coated with and without an auxiliary outer anode was made. As a result, it was clearly shown that the DCMPP method using an auxiliary outer anode enhanced the uniformity of the deposited non-conductive film compared to the conventional DCMPP method. Moreover, the optimum conditions under which the thin TiO2 film was deposited on the inner wall of the glass tube were revealed. From the results, it was supposed that the auxiliary outer anode contributed to the uniformity of the distributions of deposited negative charge on the non-conductive film and consequently the electric field and the plasma density uniform.
Structurally Characterized Solvent-Induced Homotrinuclear Cobalt(II) N2O2-Donor Bisoxime-Type Complexes
Authors: Dong Xiu-Yan , Kang Quan-Peng , Li Xiao-Yan , Ma Jian-Chun , Dong Wen-Kui
Published: March 2018

Four new solvent-induced Co(II) complexes with chemical formulae [{CoL(μ2-OAc)(MeOH)}2Co] (1), [{CoL(μ2-OAc)(EtOH)}2Co] (2), [{CoL(μ2-OAc)(Py)}2Co] (3) and [{CoL(μ2-OAc)(DMF)}2Co] (4) (H2L = 4-nitro-4′-chloro-2,2′-[(1,3-propylene)dioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, FT–IR, UV–Vis spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Each of the prepared complexes, crystallizing in the space groups P–1 (1 and 4), P21/n (2) and P21/c (3), consists of three Co(II) atoms, two completely deprotonated (L)2− units, two μ2-acetato ligands and two coordinated solvent molecules. Although the four complexes 1–4 were synthesized in different solvents, it is worthwhile that the Co(II) atoms in the four complexes 1–4 adopt hexa–coordinated with slightly distorted octahedral coordination geometries, and the ratio of the ligand H2L to Co(II) atoms is 2:3. The complexes 2–4 possess a self-assembled infinite 1D, 2D and 1D supramolecular structures via the intermolecular hydrogen bonds, respectively. Magnetic measurement was performed in the complex 3.
Synthesis and Characterization of Charge Transfer Salts Based on [M(dcdmp)2] (M = Au, Cu and Ni) with TTF Type Donors
Authors: Silva Rafaela , Santos Isabel , Rabaça Sandra , Lopes Elsa , Gama Vasco , Almeida Manuel , Belo Dulce
Published: March 2018

The charge transfer salts α-DT-TTF[Au(dcdmp)2] (1), BET-TTF[Au(dcdmp)2] (2M and 2T), α-DT-TTF[Cu(dcdmp)2] (3), ET[Cu(dcdmp)2] (4), (BET-TTF)2[Cu(dcdmp)2] (5), (ET)2[Ni(dcdmp)2] (6), and α-mtdt[Cu(dcdmp)2] (7) were obtained by electrocrystallization of different electron donor molecules derived from TTF (α-DT-TTF = alpha-dithiophene-tetrathiafulvalene; BET-TTF = (bis(ethylenethio)tetrathiafulvalene; ET = bis(ethylenedithio)-tetrathiafulvalene; α-mtdt = alpha-methylthiophenetetrathiafulvalene) in the presence of transition metal complex [M(dcdmp)2] (M = Au (III), Cu (III) and Ni (II)) (dcdmp = 2,3-dicyano-5,6-dimercaptopyrazine). Compounds 1 and 2 (2M and 2T) have a similar packing pattern composed of mixed stacks of alternating donor-acceptor molecules. For (BET-TTF)[Au(dcdmp)2] two different crystal structures (2M and 2T) were obtained indicating polymorphism. Compounds 3 and 4 are isostructural being composed of zigzag chains of alternating donor and acceptor molecules. The salts with a 2:1 stoichiometry, (BET-TTF)2[Cu(dcdmp)2] (5), and (ET)2[Ni(dcdmp)2] (6) present the donor molecules fully oxidized and [M(dcdmp)2] (M = Ni and Cu) in a dianionic state. The salt of the dissymmetric donor α-mtdt with [Cu(dcdmp)2], α-mtdt[Cu(dcdmp)2] (7) has a crystal structure composed of segregated donor stacks that are positioned in a head-to-head fashion and alternate with the anion stacks. All charge transfer salts (1–7) are modest semiconductors with conductivities in the range 10−1–10−5 S/cm, with the highest values obtained in α-DT-TTF salts, compounds 1 and 3.
Leggett-Garg Inequalities for Quantum Fluctuating Work
Authors: Miller Harry , Anders Janet
Published: March 2018

The Leggett-Garg inequalities serve to test whether or not quantum correlations in time can be explained within a classical macrorealistic framework. We apply this test to thermodynamics and derive a set of Leggett-Garg inequalities for the statistics of fluctuating work done on a quantum system unitarily driven in time. It is shown that these inequalities can be violated in a driven two-level system, thereby demonstrating that there exists no general macrorealistic description of quantum work. These violations are shown to emerge within the standard Two-Projective-Measurement scheme as well as for alternative definitions of fluctuating work that are based on weak measurement. Our results elucidate the influences of temporal correlations on work extraction in the quantum regime and highlight a key difference between quantum and classical thermodynamics.
Hydrodynamic Performance of an Array of Wave Energy Converters Integrated with a Pontoon-Type Breakwater
Authors: Ning De , Zhao Xuan , Chen Li , Zhao Ming
Published: March 2018

The cost of wave energy converters (WECs) can be reduced significantly by integrating WECs into other marine facilities, especially in sea areas with a mild wave climate. To reduce the cost and increase the efficiency, a hybrid WEC system, comprising a linear array (medium farm) of oscillating buoy-type WECs attached to the weather side of a fixed-type floating pontoon as the base structure is proposed. The performance of the WEC array is investigated numerically using a boundary element method (BEM) based on the linear potential flow theory. The linear power take-off (PTO) damping model is used to calculate the output power of the WEC array. The performance of the WEC array and each individual WEC device is balanced by using the mean interaction factor and the individual interaction factor. To quantify the effect of the pontoon, the hydrodynamic results of the WEC arrays with and without a pontoon are compared with each other. Detailed investigations on the influence of the structural and PTO parameters are performed in a wide wave frequency range. Results show that the energy conversion efficiency of a WEC array with a properly designed pontoon is much higher than that without a pontoon. This integration scheme can achieve the efficiency improvement and construction-cost reduction of the wave energy converters.
Topoedaphic and Forest Controls on Post-Fire Vegetation Assemblies Are Modified by Fire History and Burn Severity in the Northwestern Canadian Boreal Forest
Authors: Whitman Ellen , Parisien Marc-André , Thompson Dan , Flannigan Mike
Published: March 2018

Wildfires, which constitute the most extensive natural disturbance of the boreal biome, produce a broad range of ecological impacts to vegetation and soils that may influence post-fire vegetation assemblies and seedling recruitment. We inventoried post-fire understory vascular plant communities and tree seedling recruitment in the northwestern Canadian boreal forest and characterized the relative importance of fire effects and fire history, as well as non-fire drivers (i.e., the topoedaphic context and climate), to post-fire vegetation assemblies. Topoedaphic context, pre-fire forest structure and composition, and climate primarily controlled the understory plant communities and shifts in the ranked dominance of tree species (***8% and **13% of variance explained, respectively); however, fire and fire-affected soils were significant secondary drivers of post-fire vegetation. Wildfire had a significant indirect effect on understory vegetation communities through post-fire soil properties (**5%), and fire history and burn severity explained the dominance shifts of tree species (*7%). Fire-related variables were important explanatory variables in classification and regression tree models explaining the dominance shifts of four tree species (R2 = 0.43–0.65). The dominance of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) increased following fires, whereas that of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) declined. The overriding importance of site and climate to post-fire vegetation assemblies may confer some resilience to disturbed forests; however, if projected increases in fire activity in the northwestern boreal forest are borne out, secondary pathways of burn severity, fire frequency, and fire effects on soils are likely to accelerate ongoing climate-driven shifts in species compositions.
Seasonal Effects on Microbial Community Structure and Nitrogen Dynamics in Temperate Forest Soil
Authors: Yokobe Tomohiro , Hyodo Fujio , Tokuchi Naoko
Published: March 2018

The soil microbial community and nitrogen (N) dynamics change seasonally due to several factors. The microbial community structure (MCS) can regulate N dynamics. However, there is insufficient information on seasonal changes in MCS and the relationship between MCS and N dynamics. We investigated MCS and N dynamics in forest soils with two different fertilities throughout a year. MCS, measured with phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, showed a consistent seasonal trend, regardless of the fertility. Microbial indices (particularly the Saturated-/monounsaturated-PLFA ratio; Sat/mono) indicated a major PLFA shift among seasons, with temperature likely the most important factor. The fungal-/bacterial-PLFA ratio in the dormant season (December–April) was approximately 1.3 times greater than in the growing season (June–November). The trend in N dynamics showed that in summer (June–August), the gross N mineralization potential was greater than immobilization, whereas in winter (December–April), immobilization was dominant. The net mineralization potential in the growing season was approximately 1.6 times higher than in the dormant season. Moreover, a relationship was found between Sat/mono and N transformation potentials. We highlight the microbial sensitivity to seasonal dynamics which can be associated with temperature, as well as carbon and N dynamics.
Comparative Analysis of Surface Layer Glycoproteins and Genes Involved in Protein Glycosylation in the Genus Haloferax
Authors: Shalev Yarden , Soucy Shannon , Papke R. , Gogarten J. , Eichler Jerry , Gophna Uri
Published: March 2018

Within the Haloferax genus, both the surface (S)-layer protein, and the glycans that can decorate it, vary between species, which can potentially result in many different surface types, analogous to bacterial serotypes. This variation may mediate phenotypes, such as sensitivity to different viruses and mating preferences. Here, we describe S-layer glycoproteins found in multiple Haloferax strains and perform comparative genomics analyses of major and alternative glycosylation clusters of isolates from two coastal sites. We analyze the phylogeny of individual glycosylation genes and demonstrate that while the major glycosylation cluster tends to be conserved among closely related strains, the alternative cluster is highly variable. Thus, geographically- and genetically-related strains may exhibit diverse surface structures to such an extent that no two isolates present an identical surface profile.
The Humanistic Value of Proverbs in Sociopolitical Discourse
Authors: Mieder Wolfgang
Published: March 2018

Proverbs as strategic signs for recurrent situations have long played a significant communicative role in political rhetoric. Folk proverbs as well as Bible proverbs appear as expressions of wisdom and common sense, adding authority and didacticism to the multifaceted aspects of sociopolitical discourse. Some proverbs like the golden rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12) or “It takes a village to raise a child” can function as traditional leitmotifs while other well-known proverbs might be changed into anti-proverbs to express innovative insights. The moralistic, evaluative, and argumentative employment of proverbs can be seen in the letters, speeches and writings by Lord Chesterfield, Abigail Adams, and Benjamin Franklin in the eighteenth century. Fredrick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Elisabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony stand out in their use of proverbs for civil and women’s rights during the nineteenth century. This effective preoccupation with proverbs for sociopolitical improvements can also be observed in the impressive oratory of Martin Luther King, Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Bernie Sanders in the modern age. The ubiquitous proverbs underscore various political messages and add metaphorical as well as folkloric expressiveness to the worldview that social reformers and politicians wish to communicate. As commonly held beliefs the proverbs clearly bring humanistic values to political communications as they argue for an improved world order.
Spatial and Temporal Dynamics in Air Pollution Exposure Assessment
Authors: Dias Daniela , Tchepel Oxana
Published: March 2018

Analyzing individual exposure in urban areas offers several challenges where both the individual’s activities and air pollution levels demonstrate a large degree of spatial and temporal dynamics. This review article discusses the concepts, key elements, current developments in assessing personal exposure to urban air pollution (seventy-two studies reviewed) and respective advantages and disadvantages. A new conceptual structure to organize personal exposure assessment methods is proposed according to two classification criteria: (i) spatial-temporal variations of individuals’ activities (point-fixed or trajectory based) and (ii) characterization of air quality (variable or uniform). This review suggests that the spatial and temporal variability of urban air pollution levels in combination with indoor exposures and individual’s time-activity patterns are key elements of personal exposure assessment. In the literature review, the majority of revised studies (44 studies) indicate that the trajectory based with variable air quality approach provides a promising framework for tackling the important question of inter- and intra-variability of individual exposure. However, future quantitative comparison between the different approaches should be performed, and the selection of the most appropriate approach for exposure quantification should take into account the purpose of the health study. This review provides a structured basis for the intercomparing of different methodologies and to make their advantages and limitations more transparent in addressing specific research objectives.
A Co-Citation and Cluster Analysis of Scientometrics of Geographic Information Ontology
Authors: Liu Yu , Li Lin , Shen Hang , Yang Hui , Luo Feng
Published: March 2018

Geographic information ontology represents an effective means of expressing geographic concepts and relationships between them. As an emerging field of study, it has drawn the attention of increasing numbers of scholars worldwide. In this study, both co-citation and cluster analysis methods of scientometrics are used to perform a comprehensive analysis of the papers on the topic of geographic information ontology indexed by the Web of Science (WoS) and published between 2001 and 2016. The results show that the history of the study of geographic information ontology can be divided roughly into three periods. Computer science and mathematics play important roles in this field of study. The International Journal of Geographical Information Science is an important periodical that provides knowledge resources for the study of geographic information ontology. The papers of Gruber TR and Guarino N are referenced most frequently, as well as that of Smith B., who formally introduced information ontology to the field of geographic information science. Providing personalized and intelligent geographic information services for users is an important focus of geographic information ontology.
Profiling Prostate Cancer Therapeutic Resistance
Authors: Wade Cameron , Kyprianou Natasha
Published: March 2018

The major challenge in the treatment of patients with advanced lethal prostate cancer is therapeutic resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and chemotherapy. Overriding this resistance requires understanding of the driving mechanisms of the tumor microenvironment, not just the androgen receptor (AR)-signaling cascade, that facilitate therapeutic resistance in order to identify new drug targets. The tumor microenvironment enables key signaling pathways promoting cancer cell survival and invasion via resistance to anoikis. In particular, the process of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT), directed by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), confers stem cell properties and acquisition of a migratory and invasive phenotype via resistance to anoikis. Our lead agent DZ-50 may have a potentially high efficacy in advanced metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) by eliciting an anoikis-driven therapeutic response. The plasticity of differentiated prostate tumor gland epithelium allows cells to de-differentiate into mesenchymal cells via EMT and re-differentiate via reversal to mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) during tumor progression. A characteristic feature of EMT landscape is loss of E-cadherin, causing adherens junction breakdown, which circumvents anoikis, promoting metastasis and chemoresistance. The targetable interactions between androgens/AR and TGF-β signaling are being pursued towards optimized therapeutic regimens for the treatment of mCRPC. In this review, we discuss the recent evidence on targeting the EMT-MET dynamic interconversions to overcome therapeutic resistance in patients with recurrent therapeutically resistant prostate cancer. Exploitation of the phenotypic landscape and metabolic changes that characterize the prostate tumor microenvironment in advanced prostate cancer and consequential impact in conferring treatment resistance are also considered in the context of biomarker discovery.
Suppression Effect of Astaxanthin on Osteoclast Formation In Vitro and Bone Loss In Vivo
Authors: Hwang Yun-Ho , Kim Kwang-Jin , Kim Su-Jin , Mun Seul-Ki , Hong Seong-Gyeol , Son Young-Jin , Yee Sung-Tae
Published: March 2018

Osteoporosis is characterized by a reduction of the bone mineral density (BMD) and microarchitectural deterioration of the bone, which lead to bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Astaxanthin (AST) has a variety of biological activities, such as a protective effect against asthma or neuroinflammation, antioxidant effect, and decrease of the osteoclast number in the right mandibles in the periodontitis model. Although treatment with AST is known to have an effect on inflammation, no studies on the effect of AST exposure on bone loss have been performed. Thus, in the present study, we examined the antiosteoporotic effect of AST on bone mass in ovariectomized (OVX) mice and its possible mechanism of action. The administration of AST (5, 10 mg/kg) for 6 weeks suppressed the enhancement of serum calcium, inorganic phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity. The bone mineral density (BMD) and bone microarchitecture of the trabecular bone in the tibia and femur were recovered by AST exposure. Moreover, in the in vitro experiment, we demonstrated that AST inhibits osteoclast formation through the expression of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) c1, dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP), TRAP, and cathepsin K without any cytotoxic effects on bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). Therefore, we suggest that AST may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
CpG ODN1826 as a Promising Mucin1-Maltose-Binding Protein Vaccine Adjuvant Induced DC Maturation and Enhanced Antitumor Immunity
Authors: Jie Jing , Zhang Yixin , Zhou Hongyue , Zhai Xiaoyu , Zhang Nannan , Yuan Hongyan , Ni Weihua , Tai Guixiang
Published: March 2018

Mucin 1 (MUC1), being an oncogene, is an attractive target in tumor immunotherapy. Maltose binding protein (MBP) is a potent built-in adjuvant to enhance protein immunogenicity. Thus, a recombinant MUC1 and MBP antitumor vaccine (M-M) was constructed in our laboratory. To enhance the antitumor immune activity of M-M, CpG oligodeoxynucleotides 1826 (CpG 1826), a toll-like receptor-9 agonist, was examined in this study as an adjuvant. The combination of M-M and CpG 1826 significantly inhibited MUC1-expressing B16 cell growth and prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice. It induced MUC1-specific antibodies and Th1 immune responses, as well as the Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL) cytotoxicity in vivo. Further studies showed that it promoted the maturation and activation of the dendritic cell (DC) and skewed towards Th1 phenotype in vitro. Thus, our study revealed that CpG 1826 is an efficient adjuvant, laying a foundation for further M-M clinical research.
A Dynamic Fuzzy Approach Based on the EDAS Method for Multi-Criteria Subcontractor Evaluation
Authors: Keshavarz-Ghorabaee Mehdi , Amiri Maghsoud , Zavadskas Edmundas , Turskis Zenonas , Antucheviciene Jurgita
Published: March 2018

Selection of appropriate subcontractors for outsourcing is very important for the success of construction projects. This can improve the overall quality of projects and promote the qualification and reputation of the main contractors. The evaluation of subcontractors can be made by some experts or decision-makers with respect to some criteria. If this process is done in different time periods, it can be defined as a dynamic multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) problem. In this study, we propose a new fuzzy dynamic MCGDM approach based on the EDAS (Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution) method for subcontractor evaluation. In the procedure of the proposed approach, the sets of alternatives, criteria and decision-makers can be changed at different time periods. Also, the proposed approach gives more weight to newer decision information for aggregating the overall performance of alternatives. A numerical example is used to illustrate the proposed approach and show the application of it in subcontractor evaluation. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach is efficient and useful in real-world decision-making problems.
Estimating the Burden of Serious Fungal Infections in Uruguay
Authors: Macedo-Viñas Marina , Denning David
Published: March 2018

We aimed to estimate for the first time the burden of fungal infections in Uruguay. Data on population characteristics and underlying conditions were extracted from the National Statistics Institute, the World Bank, national registries, and published articles. When no data existed, risk populations were used to estimate frequencies extrapolating from the literature. Population structure (inhabitants): total 3,444,006; 73% adults; 35% women younger than 50 years. Size of populations at risk (total cases per year): HIV infected 12,000; acute myeloid leukemia 126; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 30; solid organ transplants 134; COPD 272,006; asthma in adults 223,431; cystic fibrosis in adults 48; tuberculosis 613; lung cancer 1400. Annual incidence estimations per 100,000: invasive aspergillosis, 22.4; candidemia, 16.4; Candida peritonitis, 3.7; Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, 1.62; cryptococcosis, 0.75; severe asthma with fungal sensitization, 217; allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, 165; recurrent Candida vaginitis, 6323; oral candidiasis, 74.5; and esophageal candidiasis, 25.7. Although some under and overestimations could have been made, we expect that at least 127,525 people suffer from serious fungal infections each year. Sporothrichosis, histoplasmosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, and dermatophytosis are known to be frequent but no data are available to make accurate estimations. Given the magnitude of the burden of fungal infections in Uruguay, efforts should be made to improve surveillance, strengthen laboratory diagnosis, and warrant access to first line antifungals.
Robust Wireless Local Area Networks Based on Compressed Sensing
Authors: Balouchestani-Asli Mohammadreza
Published: March 2018

A wireless local area network (WLAN) is an important type of wireless network which connotes different wireless nodes in a local area network. Network traffic or data traffic in a WLAN is the amount of network packets moving across a wireless network from each wireless node to another wireless node, which provide the load of sampling in a wireless network. WLAN’s network traffic is the main component for network traffic measurement, network traffic control, and simulation. In addition, traffic classification technique is an essential tool for improving the Quality of Service (QoS) in different wireless networks in the complex applications, such as local area networks, wireless local area networks, wireless personal area networks, wireless metropolitan area networks, and wide area networks. Network traffic classification is also an essential component in the products for QoS control in different wireless network systems and applications. Classifying network traffic in a WLAN allows one to see what kinds of traffic we have in each part of the network, organize the various kinds of network traffic in each path into different classes in each path, and generate network traffic matrix in order to identify and organize network traffic, which is an important key for improving the QoS feature. In this paper, a new architecture based on the following algorithms is presented for improving the QoS feature in a wireless local area network: (1) Real-Time Network Traffic Classification (RTNTC) algorithm for WLANs based on Compressed Sensing (CS); (2) Real-Time Network Traffic Monitoring (RTNTM) approach based on CS. This architecture enables continuous data acquisition and compression of WLAN’s signals that are suitable for a variety of other wireless networking applications. At the transmitter side of each wireless node, an analog CS framework is applied at the sensing step before an analog to digital converter in order to generate the compressed version of the input signal. At the receiver side of the wireless node, a reconstruction algorithm is applied in order to reconstruct the original signals from the compressed signals with high probability and enough accuracy. The proposed architecture allows reducing Data Delay Probability (DDP) to 15%, Bit Error Rate (BER) to 14% at each wireless node, False Detection Rate (FDR) to 25%, and Packet Delay (PD) to 15%, which are good records for WLANs. The proposed architecture is increased Data Throughput (DT) to 22% and Signal to Noise (S/N) ratio to 17%, and 10% accuracy of wireless transmission. The proposed algorithm outperforms existing algorithms by achieving a good level of Quality of Service (QoS), which provides a good background for establishing high quality wireless local area networks.