bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Attitudes toward Suicide and Family History of Suicide in Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Authors: Tsukahara Teruomi , Arai Hiroaki , Kamijo Tomoko , Kobayashi Yoshikiyo , Washizuka Shinsuke , Arito Heihachiro , Nomiyama Tetsuo
Published: June 2016

Certain attitudes toward suicide may be a risk factor for suicide among the bereaved. To explore this possibility, we examined the relationship between attitudes toward suicide and family history of suicide. We focused on two specific attitudes indicating resignation in a survey: #1 “When a person chooses to die by suicide, the suicide is inevitable” (i.e., inevitability belief); and #2 “A suicide cannot be stopped by any person, because suicide is unpreventable” (i.e., unpreventable belief). The data of 5117 fully completed questionnaires were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the two attitudes of resignation were significantly associated with a family history of suicide. The adjusted odds ratio for #1 was 1.39 (95% CI, 1.07–1.79) for individuals having experienced suicide by a family member or relative, while that for #2 was 1.57 (95% CI, 1.27–1.95) for experiencing a suicide by a family member or relative and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.05–1.49) for experiencing a suicide by a friend, business associate, partner or other. These two attitudes of resignation toward suicide were significantly associated with a family history of suicide. These attitudes might increase suicide risk among the bereaved.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand-Induced Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells after Treatment with Xanthohumol—A Natural Compound Present in Humulus lupulus L.
Authors: Kłósek Małgorzata , Mertas Anna , Król Wojciech , Jaworska Dagmara , Szymszal Jan , Szliszka Ewelina
Published: June 2016

TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) is an endogenous ligand, which plays role in immune surveillance and anti-tumor immunity. It has ability to selectively kill tumor cells showing no toxicity to normal cells. We tested the apoptotic and cytotoxic activities of xanthohumol, a prenylated chalcone found in Humulus lupulus on androgen-sensitive human prostate adenocarcinoma cells (LNCaP) in combination with TRAIL. Cytotoxicity was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide tetrazolium reduction assay (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase assay (LDH). The expression of death receptors (DR4/TRAIL-R1 and DR5/TRAIL-R2) and apoptosis were detected using flow cytometry. We examined mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) by DePsipher reagent using fluorescence microscopy. The intracellular expression of proteins was evaluated by Western blotting. Our study showed that xanthohumol enhanced cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of TRAIL. The tested compounds activated caspases-3, -8, -9, Bid, and increased the expression of Bax. They also decreased expression of Bcl-xL and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, while the expression of death receptors was not changed. The findings suggest that xanthohumol is a compound of potential use in chemoprevention of prostate cancer due to its sensitization of cancer cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis.
Toxicological Effects of Caco-2 Cells Following Short-Term and Long-Term Exposure to Ag Nanoparticles
Authors: Chen Ni , Song Zheng-Mei , Tang Huan , Xi Wen-Song , Cao Aoneng , Liu Yuanfang , Wang Haifang
Published: June 2016

Extensive utilization increases the exposure of humans to Ag nanoparticles (NPs) via the oral pathway. To comprehensively address the action of Ag NPs to the gastrointestinal systems in real situations, i.e., the long-term low-dose exposure, we evaluated and compared the toxicity of three Ag NPs (20–30 nm with different surface coatings) to the human intestine cell Caco-2 after 1-day and 21-day exposures, using various biological assays. In both the short- and long-term exposures, the variety of surface coating predominated the toxicity of Ag NPs in a descending order of citrate-coated Ag NP (Ag-CIT), bare Ag NP (Ag-B), and poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-coated Ag NP (Ag-PVP). The short-term exposure induced cell growth inhibition and death. The cell viability loss appeared after cells were exposed to 0.7 μg/mL Ag-CIT, 0.9 μg/mL Ag-B or >1.0 μg/mL Ag-PVP for 24 h. The short-term and higher-dose exposure also induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial damage, cell membrane leakage, apoptosis, and inflammation (IL-8 level). The long-term exposure only inhibited the cell proliferation. After 21-day exposure to 0.4 μg/mL Ag-CIT, the cell viability dropped to less than 50%, while cells exposed to 0.5 μg/mL Ag-PVP remained normal as the control. Generally, 0.3 μg/mL is the non-toxic dose for the long-term exposure of Caco-2 cells to Ag NPs in this study. However, cells presented inflammation after exposure to Ag NPs with the non-toxic dose in the long-term exposure.
Multi-Elemental Profiling of Tibial and Maxillary Trabecular Bone in Ovariectomised Rats
Authors: Han Pingping , Lu Shifeier , Zhou Yinghong , Moromizato Karine , Du Zhibin , Friis Thor , Xiao Yin
Published: June 2016

Atomic minerals are the smallest components of bone and the content of Ca, being the most abundant mineral in bone, correlates strongly with the risk of osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women have a far greater risk of suffering from OP due to low Ca concentrations in their bones and this is associated with low bone mass and higher bone fracture rates. However, bone strength is determined not only by Ca level, but also a number of metallic and non-metallic elements in bone. Thus, in this study, the difference of metallic and non-metallic elements in ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis tibial and maxillary trabecular bone was investigated in comparison with sham operated normal bone by laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry using a rat model. The results demonstrated that the average concentrations of 25Mg, 28Si, 39K, 47Ti, 56Fe, 59Co, 77Se, 88Sr, 137Ba, and 208Pb were generally higher in tibia than those in maxilla. Compared with the sham group, Ovariectomy induced more significant changes of these elements in tibia than maxilla, indicating tibial trabecular bones are more sensitive to changes of circulating estrogen. In addition, the concentrations of 28Si, 77Se, 208Pb, and Ca/P ratios were higher in tibia and maxilla in ovariectomised rats than those in normal bone at all time-points. The present study indicates that ovariectomy could significantly impact the element distribution and concentrations between tibia and maxilla.
The Obesity-Breast Cancer Conundrum: An Analysis of the Issues
Authors: Matthews Shawna , Thompson Henry
Published: June 2016

Breast cancer develops over a timeframe of 2–3 decades prior to clinical detection. Given this prolonged latency, it is somewhat unexpected from a biological perspective that obesity has no effect or reduces the risk for breast cancer in premenopausal women yet increases the risk for breast cancer in postmenopausal women. This conundrum is particularly striking in light of the generally negative effects of obesity on breast cancer outcomes, including larger tumor size at diagnosis and poorer prognosis in both pre- and postmenopausal women. This review and analysis identifies factors that may contribute to this apparent conundrum, issues that merit further investigation, and characteristics of preclinical models for breast cancer and obesity that should be considered if animal models are used to deconstruct the conundrum.
Molecular Characteristics of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis on the Abdominal Skin of Females before Laparotomy
Authors: Wang Pin-Jia , Xie Cheng-Bin , Sun Feng-Hui , Guo Li-Juan , Dai Min , Cheng Xi , Ma Yong-Xin
Published: June 2016

Staphylococcus epidermidis, especially methicillin-resistant strains, may be the source of surgical site infections and may be a reservoir of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) for S. aureus. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis (MRSE) on the abdominal skin of females before laparotomy and determine the molecular characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of these isolates. MRSE was found in 54 of 157 isolates based on mecA gene detection, and there was no difference in icaA gene carriage rate between MRSE and methicillin-susceptible S. epidermidis (MSSE) isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were determined by broth microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing according to the latest CLSI manuals. All MRSE isolates had unfavorable antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Twenty-three MRSE strains (42.6%) were multi-drug resistant. SCCmec typing and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing was performed. Thirty-nine (72.2%) had a single SCCmec type, whereas 1.9% had two types. Fourteen strains (25.9%) were non-typeable (NT). The most frequent MRSE genotype was SCCmec type IVa. High diversity with PFGE patterns was obtained for MRSE, and there were no isolates exhibiting identical pulsotype. The results confirm that methicillin-resistant strains are frequently present among S. epidermidis on the abdominal skin of females before laparotomy. Moreover, resistance profiles seem to have no association with the SCCmec types or PFGE types for most common antibiotics.
Fully-Programmable, Low-Cost, “Do-It-Yourself” Pressure Source for General Purpose Use in the Microfluidic Laboratory
Authors: Frank Philipp , Haefner Sebastian , Elstner Martin , Richter Andreas
Published: June 2016

Microfluidics is still a fast growing field and an interesting market, which increasingly demands sophisticated equipment and specific engineering solutions. Aside from the widely discussed chip technology, the external equipment and machinery to operate such a microfluidic chip system comes into focus. A number of companies offer solutions to pursue the various requests made by the microfluidic community. Commercially available systems for pumping fluids are versatile but also highly expensive. Here, we present a fully-programmable pressure source, which is low-cost and can be utilized for pressure-controlled fluid driving, destructive bonding tests, and other pressure-relevant experiments. We evaluated our setup and compared the performance to a commercially available system. Furthermore, we demonstrated the use of the system in the field of droplet microfluidics as a possible application. Our development aims to lower the entrance threshold for microfluidic technology and make it more accessible to a broader audience.
Typologies and Spatialization of Agricultural Production Systems in Rondônia, Brazil: Linking Land Use, Socioeconomics and Territorial Configuration
Authors: Almeida Cláudio , Mourão Moisés , Dessay Nadine , Lacques Anne-Elisabeth , Monteiro Antônio , Durieux Laurent , Venturieri Adriano , Seyler Frédérique
Published: June 2016

The current Amazon landscape consists of heterogeneous mosaics formed by interactions between the original forest and productive activities. Recognizing and quantifying the characteristics of these landscapes is essential for understanding agricultural production chains, assessing the impact of policies, and in planning future actions. Our main objective was to construct the regionalization of agricultural production for Rondônia State (Brazilian Amazon) at the municipal level. We adopted a decision tree approach, using land use maps derived from remote sensing data (PRODES and TerraClass) combined with socioeconomic data. The decision trees allowed us to allocate municipalities to one of five agricultural production systems: (i) coexistence of livestock production and intensive agriculture; (ii) semi-intensive beef and milk production; (iii) semi-intensive beef production; (iv) intensive beef and milk production, and; (v) intensive beef production. These production systems are, respectively, linked to mechanized agriculture (i), traditional cattle farming with low management, with (ii) or without (iii) a significant presence of dairy farming, and to more intensive livestock farming with (iv) or without (v) a significant presence of dairy farming. The municipalities and associated production systems were then characterized using a wide variety of quantitative metrics grouped into four dimensions: (i) agricultural production; (ii) economics; (iii) territorial configuration, and; (iv) social characteristics. We found that production systems linked to mechanized agriculture predominate in the south of the state, while intensive farming is mainly found in the center of the state. Semi-intensive livestock farming is mainly located close to the southwest frontier and in the north of the state, where human occupation of the territory is not fully consolidated. This distributional pattern reflects the origins of the agricultural production system of Rondônia. Moreover, the characterization of the production systems provides insights into the pattern of occupation of the Amazon and the socioeconomic consequences of continuing agricultural expansion.
On the Growth Rate of Tribomaterial in Bovine Serum Lubricated Sliding Contacts
Authors: Fischer Alfons , Stickel Daniel , Schoss Christian , Bosman Rob , Wimmer Markus
Published: June 2016

Considering total hip arthroplasty, so-called tribolayers (aka tribomaterial), consist of carbonaceous material from the periprosthetic joint fluid or bovine serum mixed with nanometer size metal and oxide wear particles. Currently, its growth sequence and rate are unknown. Thus, smooth surfaces of low-Carbon (LC-) vs. high-Carbon (HC-)CoCrMo (Cobalt-Chromium-Molybdenum) alloys have been worn in a conforming contact under bovine serum lubrication by means of a pin-on-ball wear tester. These tests were interrupted at certain numbers of cycles in order to weigh the specimens, characterize the topography, and investigate the wear appearances. In addition, after cleaning in ethanol and anionic detergent, before-and-after comparison rendered the weight of the tribomaterial. This revealed that, during run-in, the specimens gained weight by generating tribomaterial. Afterwards the loss of material surpassed the generation of new tribomaterial and a steady weight-loss was measured. Topography measurements were used as input data for contact mechanics calculations. Apparently the incipient, locally high contact stresses accelerated tribochemical reactions. After run-in, the contact situation changes and leads to a much smaller generation rate. This paper provides information about the growth sequence and rate of such tribomaterial formation. It further highlights the significance of highly localized contact stress as an important factor for tribomaterial generation.
Immunomodulatory Effects of the Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids Shinorine and Porphyra-334
Authors: Becker Kathrin , Hartmann Anja , Ganzera Markus , Fuchs Dietmar , Gostner Johanna
Published: June 2016

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are secondary metabolites, produced by a large variety of microorganisms including algae, cyanobacteria, lichen and fungi. MAAs act as UV-absorbers and photo-protectants. MAAs are suggested to exert pharmaceutical relevant bioactivities in the human system. We particularly focused on their effect on defence and regulatory pathways that are active in inflamed environments. The MAAs shinorine and porphyra-334 were isolated and purified from the red algae Porphyra sp. using chromatographic methods. The effect of MAAs on central signaling cascades, such as transcription factor nuclear factor kappa b (NF-κB) activation, as well as tryptophan metabolism, was investigated in human myelomonocytic THP-1 and THP-1-Blue cells. Cells were exposed to the MAAs in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). NF-κB activity and the activity of tryptophan degrading enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO-1) were used as readout. Compounds were tested in the concentration range from 12.5 to 200 µg/mL. Both MAAs were able to induce NF-κB activity in unstimulated THP-1-Blue cells, whereby the increase was dose-dependent and more pronounced with shinorine treatment. While shinorine also slightly superinduced NF-κB in LPS-stimulated cells, porphyra-334 reduced NF-κB activity in this inflammatory background. Modulation of tryptophan metabolism was moderate, suppressive in stimulated cells with the lower treatment concentration of both MAAs and with the unstimulated cells upon porphyra-334 treatment. Inflammatory pathways are affected by MAAs, but despite the structural similarity, diverse effects were observed.
Synthesis and Anticancer Activities of Novel Guanylhydrazone and Aminoguanidine Tetrahydropyran Derivatives
Authors: Silva Fábio , Dantas Bruna , Faheina Martins Gláucia , De Araújo Demétrius , Vasconcellos Mário
Published: June 2016

In this paper we present the convenient syntheses of six new guanylhydrazone and aminoguanidine tetrahydropyran derivatives 2–7. The guanylhydrazone 2, 3 and 4 were prepared in 100% yield, starting from corresponding aromatic ketones 8a–c and aminoguanidine hydrochloride accessed by microwave irradiation. The aminoguanidine 5, 6 and 7 were prepared by reduction of guanylhydrazone 2–4 with sodium cyanoborohydride (94% yield of 5, and 100% yield of 6 and 7). The aromatic ketones 8a–c were prepared from the Barbier reaction followed by the Prins cyclization reaction (two steps, 63%–65% and 95%–98%). Cytotoxicity studies have demonstrated the effects of compounds 2–7 in various cancer and normal cell lines. That way, we showed that these compounds decreased cell viabilities in a micromolar range, and from all the compounds tested we can state that, at least, compound 3 can be considered a promising molecule for target-directed drug design.
Aldol Reactions of Axially Chiral 5-Methyl-2-(o-aryl)imino-3-(o-aryl)-thiazolidine-4-ones
Authors: Erol Gunal Sule , Dogan Ilknur
Published: June 2016

Axially chiral 5-methyl-2-(o-aryl)imino-3-(o-aryl)-thiazolidine-4-ones have been subjected to aldol reactions with benzaldehyde to produce secondary carbinols which have been found to be separable by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase. Based on the reaction done on a single enantiomer resolved via a chromatographic separation from a racemic mixture of 5-methyl-2-(α-naphthyl)imino-3-(α-naphthyl)-thiazolidine-4-one by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase, the aldol reaction was shown to proceed via an enolate intermediate. The axially chiral enolate of the thiazolidine-4-one was found to shield one face of the heterocyclic ring rendering face selectivity with respect to the enolate. The selectivities observed at C-5 of the ring varied from none to 11.5:1 depending on the size of the ortho substituent. Although the aldol reaction proceeded with a lack of face selectivity with respect to benzaldehyde, recrystallization returned highly diastereomerically enriched products.
Cytotoxic and Pro-Apoptotic Effects of Cassane Diterpenoids from the Seeds of Caesalpinia sappan in Cancer Cells
Authors: Bao Han , Zhang Le-Le , Liu Qian-Yu , Feng Lu , Ye Yang , Lu Jin-Jian , Lin Li-Gen
Published: June 2016

The chemical study on the seeds of Caesalpinia sappan led to the isolation of five new cassane diterpenoids, phanginins R‒T (1–3) and caesalsappanins M and N (4 and 5), together with seven known compounds 6–12. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and HRESIMS analyses. The absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 4 were determined by the corresponding CD spectra. All the isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity against ovarian cancer A2780 and HEY, gastric cancer AGS, and non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. Compound 1 displayed significant toxicity against the four cell lines with the IC50 values of 9.9 ± 1.6 µM, 12.2 ± 6.5 µM, 5.3 ± 1.9 µM, and 12.3 ± 3.1 µM, respectively. Compound 1 induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest in A2780 cells. Furthermore, compound 1 dose-dependently induced A2780 cells apoptosis as evidenced by Hoechst 33342 staining, Annexin V positive cells, the up-regulated cleaved-PARP and the enhanced Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. What’s more, compound 1 also promoted the expression of the tumor suppressor p53 protein. These findings indicate that cassane diterpenoids might have potential as anti-cancer agents, and further in vivo animal studies and structural modification investigation are needed.
Synthesis of Bioactive 2-(Arylamino)thiazolo[5,4-f]-quinazolin-9-ones via the Hügershoff Reaction or Cu- Catalyzed Intramolecular C-S Bond Formation
Authors: Hédou Damien , Dubouilh-Benard Carole , Loaëc Nadège , Meijer Laurent , Fruit Corinne , Besson Thierry
Published: June 2016

A library of thirty eight novel thiazolo[5,4-f]quinazolin-9(8H)-one derivatives (series 8, 10, 14 and 17) was prepared via the Hügershoff reaction and a Cu catalyzed intramolecular C-S bond formation, helped by microwave-assisted technology when required. The efficient multistep synthesis of the key 6-amino-3-cyclopropylquinazolin-4(3H)-one (3) has been reinvestigated and performed on a multigram scale from the starting 5-nitroanthranilic acid. The inhibitory potency of the final products was evaluated against five kinases involved in Alzheimer’s disease and showed that some molecules of the 17 series described in this paper are particularly promising for the development of novel multi-target inhibitors of kinases.
The Deformation of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Microfluidic Channels Filled with Embedded Circular Obstacles under Certain Circumstances
Authors: Roh Changhyun , Lee Jaewoong , Kang Chankyu
Published: June 2016

Experimental investigations were conducted to determine the influence of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channels containing aligned circular obstacles (with diameters of 172 µm and 132 µm) on the flow velocity and pressure drop under steady-state flow conditions. A significant PDMS bulging was observed when the fluid flow initially contacted the obstacles, but this phenomenon decreased in the 1 mm length of the microfluidic channels when the flow reached a steady-state. This implies that a microfluidic device operating with steady-state flows does not provide fully reliable information, even though less PDMS bulging is observed compared to quasi steady-state flow. Numerical analysis of PDMS bulging using ANSYS Workbench showed a relatively good agreement with the measured data. To verify the influence of PDMS bulging on the pressure drop and flow velocity, theoretical analyses were performed and the results were compared with the experimental results. The measured flow velocity and pressure drop data relatively matched well with the classical prediction under certain circumstances. However, discrepancies were generated and became worse as the microfluidic devices were operated under the following conditions: (1) restricted geometry of the microfluidic channels (i.e., shallow channel height, large diameter of obstacles and a short microchannel length); (2) operation in quasi-steady state flow; (3) increasing flow rates; and (4) decreasing amount of curing agent in the PDMS mixture. Therefore, in order to obtain reliable data a microfluidic device must be operated under appropriate conditions.
Exploiting the Biosynthetic Potential of Type III Polyketide Synthases
Authors: Lim Yan , Go Maybelle , Yew Wen
Published: June 2016

Polyketides are structurally and functionally diverse secondary metabolites that are biosynthesized by polyketide synthases (PKSs) using acyl-CoA precursors. Recent studies in the engineering and structural characterization of PKSs have facilitated the use of target enzymes as biocatalysts to produce novel functionally optimized polyketides. These compounds may serve as potential drug leads. This review summarizes the insights gained from research on type III PKSs, from the discovery of chalcone synthase in plants to novel PKSs in bacteria and fungi. To date, at least 15 families of type III PKSs have been characterized, highlighting the utility of PKSs in the development of natural product libraries for therapeutic development.
The Changes in Color, Soluble Sugars, Organic Acids, Anthocyanins and Aroma Components in “Starkrimson” during the Ripening Period in China
Authors: Liu Yulian , Chen Nianlai , Ma Zonghuan , Che Fei , Mao Juan , Chen Baihong
Published: June 2016

“Starkrimson” is a traditional apple cultivar that was developed a long time ago and was widely cultivated in the arid region of the northern Wei River of China. However, little information regarding the quality characteristics of “Starkrimson” fruit has been reported in this area. To elucidate these characteristics, the color, soluble sugars, organic acids, anthocyanins and aroma components were measured during the ripening period through the use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results indicated that the changes in anthocyanin contents took place later than the changes in the Commission International Eclairage (CIE) parameters. Meanwhile, cyanidin 3-galactoside (cy3-gal), fructose, sucrose, glucose and malic acid were the primary organic compounds, and 1-butanol-2-methyl-acetate, 2-hexenal and 1-hexanol were the most abundant aroma components in the skin. Furthermore, rapidly changing soluble sugars and organic acid synchronization took place in the early ripening period, while rapidly changing aroma components occurred later, on the basis of fresh weight. This result suggested that the production of aroma components might be a useful index of apple maturity.
Essential Oil Variation from Twenty Two Genotypes of Citrus in Brazil—Chemometric Approach and Repellency Against Diaphorina citri Kuwayama
Authors: Andrade Moacir , Ribeiro Leandro , Borgoni Paulo , Silva Maria , Forim Moacir , Fernandes João , Vieira Paulo , Vendramin José , Machado Marcos
Published: June 2016

The chemical composition of volatile oils from 22 genotypes of Citrus and related genera was poorly differentiated, but chemometric techniques have clarified the relationships between the 22 genotypes, and allowed us to understand their resistance to D. citri. The most convincing similarities include the synthesis of (Z)-β-ocimene and (E)-caryophyllene for all 11 genotypes of group A. Genotypes of group B are not uniformly characterized by essential oil compounds. When stimulated with odor sources of 22 genotypes in a Y-tube olfactometer D. citri preferentially entered the arm containing the volatile oils of Murraya paniculata, confirming orange jasmine as its best host. C. reticulata × C. sinensis was the least preferred genotype, and is characterized by the presence of phytol, (Z)-β-ocimene, and β-elemene, which were not found in the most preferred genotype. We speculate that these three compounds may act as a repellent, making these oils less attractive to D. citri.
Ultrahigh Pressure Processing Produces Alterations in the Metabolite Profiles of Panax ginseng
Authors: Lee Mee , Singh Digar , Kim Sung , Lee Sang , Lee Choong
Published: June 2016

Ultrahigh pressure (UHP) treatments are non-thermal processing methods that have customarily been employed to enhance the quality and productivity of plant consumables. We aimed to evaluate the effects of UHP treatments on ginseng samples (white ginseng: WG; UHP-treated WG: UWG; red ginseng: RG; UHP-treated RG: URG; ginseng berries: GB; and UHP-treated GB: UGB) using metabolite profiling based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-linear trap quadrupole-ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-IT-MS/MS) and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS). Multivariate data analyses revealed a clear demarcation among the GB and UGB samples, and the phenotypic evaluations correlated the highest antioxidant activities and the total phenolic and flavonoid compositions with the UGB samples. Overall, eight amino acids, seven organic acids, seven sugars and sugar derivatives, two fatty acids, three notoginsenosides, three malonylginsenosides, and three ginsenosides, were identified as significantly discriminant metabolites between the GB and UGB samples, with relatively higher proportions in the latter. Ideally, these metabolites can be used as quality biomarkers for the assessment of ginseng products and our results indicate that UHP treatment likely led to an elevation in the proportions of total extractable metabolites in ginseng samples.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Melandrii Herba Ethanol Extract via Inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways and Induction of HO-1 in RAW 264.7 Cells and Mouse Primary Macrophages
Authors: Jeong Yun , Oh You-Chang , Cho Won-Kyung , Lee Bohyoung , Ma Jin
Published: June 2016

Melandrii Herba (MH) is a traditional Asian medicinal herb used to treat breast cancer, anuria, and diseases of lactation. However, its biological properties and molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity and underlying molecular mechanism of MH ethanol extract (MHE) on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated inflammatory response in macrophages. MHE cytotoxicity was determined using a cell counting kit (CCK) assay. The effects of MHE on the production of NO, inflammatory cytokines, and related proteins and mRNAs were determined using the Griess test, ELISA, Western blotting, and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. In addition, intracellular signaling pathways, such as NF-κB, MAPK, and HO-1, were analyzed using Western blotting. Our results revealed that MHE treatment significantly inhibited the secretion of NO and inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in macrophages, at sub-cytotoxic concentrations. Furthermore, MHE treatment inhibited iNOS expression and induced HO-1 expression. Finally, the transcriptional activities of NF-κB and MAPK activation were significantly suppressed by MHE in LPS-stimulated macrophages. The results indicate that MHE exerts anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing inflammatory mediator production via NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways inhibition and induction of HO-1 expression in macrophages. Therefore, our results suggest the potential value of MHE as an inflammatory therapeutic agent developed from a natural substance.
Mitochondrial Proteome Studies in Seeds during Germination
Authors: Czarna Malgorzata , Kolodziejczak Marta , Janska Hanna
Published: June 2016

Seed germination is considered to be one of the most critical phases in the plant life cycle, establishing the next generation of a plant species. It is an energy-demanding process that requires functioning mitochondria. One of the earliest events of seed germination is progressive development of structurally simple and metabolically quiescent promitochondria into fully active and cristae-containing mitochondria, known as mitochondrial biogenesis. This is a complex and tightly regulated process, which is accompanied by sequential and dynamic gene expression, protein synthesis, and post-translational modifications. The aim of this review is to give a comprehensive summary of seed mitochondrial proteome studies during germination of various plant model organisms. We describe different gel-based and gel-free proteomic approaches used to characterize mitochondrial proteomes of germinating seeds as well as challenges and limitations of these proteomic studies. Furthermore, the dynamic changes in the abundance of the mitochondrial proteomes of germinating seeds are illustrated, highlighting numerous mitochondrial proteins involved in respiration, tricarboxycylic acid (TCA) cycle, metabolism, import, and stress response as potentially important for seed germination. We then review seed mitochondrial protein carbonylation, phosphorylation, and S-nitrosylation as well as discuss the possible link between these post-translational modifications (PTMs) and the regulation of seed germination.
“What Is This Love That Loves Us?”: Terrence Malick’s To the Wonder as a Phenomenology of Love
Authors: Hamilton Julie
Published: June 2016

Terrence Malick’s To the Wonder (2013) considers the relationship of Divine Love with the individual soul, and its corresponding relationships to the other as neighbor. In this article, I analyze the congruency of Malick’s form and content by correlating the relationship of his dynamic, existential filmmaking style with the film’s phenomenologically constructed plotline. Jean-Luc Marion’s phenomenology of givenness and Søren Kierkegaard’s Works of Love contribute to my analysis, aiding our understanding of love’s sheer gratuity and sacrificial labor, amid inevitable idolatry and despondency, in To the Wonder’s intersecting narratives. While Marion helps us comprehend the affective qualities of “saturated phenomena” in the film’s formal dimensions, Kierkegaard elucidates the film’s many iterations of love. Malick aesthetically demonstrates the reciprocity of love and the experience of wonder as contingent operations, making To the Wonder a cinematic phenomenology of the fractured yet indissoluble dimensions of love.
Possessions and Identity: Job’s Problems and Ours
Authors: Pelham Abigail
Published: June 2016

Recent research undertaken in the fields of anthropology and consumer behavior indicates that possessions play an important role in the construction of identity. While it is tempting to view both the connection between possessions and identity and the problems this engenders as a recent phenomenon, the Book of Job also recognizes this connection and is cognizant of its problematic nature. While Job does not offer answers to our contemporary dilemmas of possession, the book highlights the nuances of the problem as they existed in its own time and place, with all characters offering different perspectives on how the connection should be understood and how one ought to live in consequence of this understanding.
Generation of Land Cover Maps through the Fusion of Aerial Images and Airborne LiDAR Data in Urban Areas
Authors: Kim Yongmin
Published: June 2016

Satellite images and aerial images with high spatial resolution have improved visual interpretation capabilities. The use of high-resolution images has rapidly grown and has been extended to various fields, such as military surveillance, disaster monitoring, and cartography. However, many problems were encountered in which one object has a variety of spectral properties and different objects have similar spectral characteristics in terms of land cover. The problems are quite noticeable, especially for building objects in urban environments. In the land cover classification process, these issues directly decrease the classification accuracy by causing misclassification of single objects as well as between objects. This study proposes a method of increasing the accuracy of land cover classification by addressing the problem of misclassifying building objects through the output-level fusion of aerial images and airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. The new method consists of the following three steps: (1) generation of the segmented image via a process that performs adaptive dynamic range linear stretching and modified seeded region growth algorithms; (2) extraction of building information from airborne LiDAR data using a planar filter and binary supervised classification; and (3) generation of a land cover map using the output-level fusion of two results and object-based classification. The new method was tested at four experimental sites with the Min-Max method and the SSI-nDSM method followed by a visual assessment and a quantitative accuracy assessment through comparison with reference data. In the accuracy assessment, the new method exhibits various advantages, including reduced noise and more precise classification results. Additionally, the new method improved the overall accuracy by more than 5% over the comparative evaluation methods. The high and low patterns between the overall and building accuracies were similar. Thus, the new method is judged to have successfully solved the inaccuracy problem of classification that is often produced by high-resolution images of urban environments through an output-level fusion technique.
Sea and Freshwater Ice Concentration from VIIRS on Suomi NPP and the Future JPSS Satellites
Authors: Liu Yinghui , Key Jeffrey , Mahoney Robert
Published: June 2016

Information on ice is important for shipping, weather forecasting, and climate monitoring. Historically, ice cover has been detected and ice concentration has been measured using relatively low-resolution space-based passive microwave data. This study presents an algorithm to detect ice and estimate ice concentration in clear-sky areas over the ocean and inland lakes and rivers using high-resolution data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and on future Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites, providing spatial detail that cannot be obtained with passive microwave data. A threshold method is employed with visible and infrared observations to identify ice, then a tie-point algorithm is used to determine the representative reflectance/temperature of pure ice, estimate the ice concentration, and refine the ice cover mask. The VIIRS ice concentration is validated using observations from Landsat 8. Results show that VIIRS has an overall bias of −0.3% compared to Landsat 8 ice concentration, with a precision (uncertainty) of 9.5%. Biases and precision values for different ice concentration subranges from 0% to 100% can be larger.
Crop Monitoring Based on SPOT-5 Take-5 and Sentinel-1A Data for the Estimation of Crop Water Requirements
Authors: Navarro Ana , Rolim João , Miguel Irina , Catalão João , Silva Joel , Painho Marco , Vekerdy Zoltán
Published: June 2016

Optical and microwave images have been combined for land cover monitoring in different agriculture scenarios, providing useful information on qualitative and quantitative land cover changes. This study aims to assess the complementarity and interoperability of optical (SPOT-5 Take-5) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) (Sentinel-1A) data for crop parameter (basal crop coefficient (Kcb) values and the length of the crop’s development stages) retrieval and crop type classification, with a focus on crop water requirements, for an irrigation perimeter in Angola. SPOT-5 Take-5 images are used as a proxy of Sentinel-2 data to evaluate the potential of their enhanced temporal resolution for agricultural applications. In situ data are also used to complement the Earth Observation (EO) data. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and dual (VV + VH) polarization backscattering time series are used to compute the Kcb curve for four crop types (maize, soybean, bean and pasture) and to estimate the length of each phenological growth stage. The Kcb values are then used to compute the crop’s evapotranspiration and to subsequently estimate the crop irrigation requirements based on a soil water balance model. A significant R2 correlation between NDVI and backscatter time series was observed for all crops, demonstrating that optical data can be replaced by microwave data in the presence of cloud cover. However, it was not possible to properly identify each stage of the crop cycle due to the lack of EO data for the complete growing season.
An IPCC-Compliant Technique for Forest Carbon Stock Assessment Using Airborne LiDAR-Derived Tree Metrics and Competition Index
Authors: Lin Chinsu , Thomson Gavin , Popescu Sorin
Published: June 2016

This study developed an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) compliant method for the estimation of above-ground carbon (AGC) in forest stands using remote sensing technology. A multi-level morphological active contour (MMAC) algorithm was employed to obtain tree-level metrics (tree height (LH), crown radius (LCR), competition index (LCI), and stem diameter (LDBH)) from an airborne LiDAR-derived canopy height model. Seven biomass-based AGC models and 13 volume-based AGC models were developed using a training dataset and validated using a separate validation dataset. Four accuracy measures, mean absolute error (MAE), root-mean-square error (RMSE), percentage RMSE (PRMSE), and root-mean-square percentage error (RMSPE) were calculated for each of the 20 models. These measures were transformed into a new index, accuracy improvement percentage (AIP), for post hoc testing of model performance in estimating forest stand AGC stock. Results showed that the tree-level AGC models explained 84% to 91% of the variance in tree-level AGC within the training dataset. Prediction errors (RMSEs) for these models ranged between 15 ton/ha and 210 ton/ha in mature forest stands, which is equal to an error percentage in the range 6% to 86%. At the stand-level, several models achieved accurate and reliable predictions of AGC stock. Some models achieved 90% to 95% accuracy, which was equal to or superior to the R-squared of the tree-level AGC models. The first recommended model was a biomass-based model using the metrics LDBH, LH, and LCI and the others were volume-based models using LH, LCI, and LCR and LDBH and LH. One metric, LCI, played a critical role in upgrading model performance when banded together with LH and LCR or LDBH and LCR. We conclude by proposing an IPCC-compatible method that is suitable for calculating tree-level AGC and predicting AGC stock of forest stands from airborne LiDAR data.
Sixteen Years of Agricultural Drought Assessment of the BioBío Region in Chile Using a 250 m Resolution Vegetation Condition Index (VCI)
Authors: Zambrano Francisco , Lillo-Saavedra Mario , Verbist Koen , Lagos Octavio
Published: June 2016

Drought is one of the most complex natural hazards because of its slow onset and long-term impact; it has the potential to negatively affect many people. There are several advantages to using remote sensing to monitor drought, especially in developing countries with limited historical meteorological records and a low weather station density. In the present study, we assessed agricultural drought in the croplands of the BioBío Region in Chile. The vegetation condition index (VCI) allows identifying the temporal and spatial variations of vegetation conditions associated with stress because of rainfall deficit. The VCI was derived at a 250 m spatial resolution for the 2000–2015 period with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MOD13Q1 product. We evaluated VCI for cropland areas using the land cover MCD12Q1 version 5.1 product and compared it to the in situ Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for six-time scales (1–6 months) from 26 weather stations. Results showed that the 3-month SPI (SPI-3), calculated for the modified growing season (November–April) instead of the regular growing season (September–April), has the best Pearson correlation with VCI values with an overall correlation of 0.63 and between 0.40 and 0.78 for the administrative units. These results show a very short-term vegetation response to rainfall deficit in September, which is reflected in the vegetation in November, and also explains to a large degree the variation in vegetation stress. It is shown that for the last 16 years in the BioBío Region we could identify the 2007/2008, 2008/2009, and 2014/2015 seasons as the three most important drought events; this is reflected in both the overall regional and administrative unit analyses. These results concur with drought emergencies declared by the regional government. Future studies are needed to associate the remote sensing values observed at high resolution (250 m) with the measured crop yield to identify more detailed individual crop responses.
Evaluating Soil Moisture Status Using an e-Nose
Authors: Bieganowski Andrzej , Jaromin-Glen Katarzyna , Guz Łukasz , Łagód Grzegorz , Jozefaciuk Grzegorz , Franus Wojciech , Suchorab Zbigniew , Sobczuk Henryk
Published: June 2016

The possibility of distinguishing different soil moisture levels by electronic nose (e-nose) was studied. Ten arable soils of various types were investigated. The measurements were performed for air-dry (AD) soils stored for one year, then moistened to field water capacity and finally dried within a period of 180 days. The volatile fingerprints changed during the course of drying. At the end of the drying cycle, the fingerprints were similar to those of the initial AD soils. Principal component analysis (PCA) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis showed that e-nose results can be used to distinguish soil moisture. It was also shown that different soils can give different e-nose signals at the same moistures.
A Single Nanobelt Transistor for Gas Identification: Using a Gas-Dielectric Strategy
Authors: Cai Bin , Song Zhiqi , Tong Yanhong , Tang Qingxin , Shaymurat Talgar , Liu Yichun
Published: June 2016

Despite tremendous potential and urgent demand in high-response low-cost gas identification, the development of gas identification based on a metal oxide semiconductor nanowire/nanobelt remains limited by fabrication complexity and redundant signals. Researchers have shown a multisensor-array strategy with “one key to one lock” configuration. Here, we describe a new strategy to create high-response room-temperature gas identification by employing gas as dielectric. This enables gas discrimination down to the part per billion (ppb) level only based on one pristine single nanobelt transistor, with the excellent average Mahalanobis distance (MD) as high as 35 at the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) space. The single device realizes the selective recognition function of electronic nose. The effect of the gas dielectric on the response of the multiple field-effect parameters is discussed by the comparative investigation of gas and solid-dielectric devices and the studies on trap density changes in the conductive channel. The current work opens up exciting opportunities for room-temperature gas recognition based on the pristine single device.
The Reusable Load Cell with Protection Applied for Online Monitoring of Overhead Transmission Lines Based on Fiber Bragg Grating
Authors: Ma Guoming , Mao Naiqiang , Li Yabo , Jiang Jun , Zhou Hongyang , Li Chengrong
Published: June 2016

Heavy ice coating of high–voltage overhead transmission lines may lead to conductor breakage and tower collapse causing the unexpected interrupt of power supply. The optical load cell applied in ice monitoring systems is immune to electromagnetic interference and has no need of a power supply on site. Therefore, it has become a hot research topic in China and other countries. In this paper, to solve the problem of eccentric load in measurement, we adopt the shearing structure with additional grooves to improve the strain distribution and acquire good repeatability. Then, the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with a permanent weldable package are mounted onto the front/rear groove of the elastic element by spot welding, the direction deviation of FBGs is 90° from each other to achieve temperature compensation without an extra FBG. After that, protection parts are designed to guarantee high sensitivity for a light load condition and industrial safety under a heavy load up to 65 kN. The results of tension experiments indicate that the sensitivity and resolution of the load cell is 0.1285 pm/N and 7.782 N in the conventional measuring range (0–10 kN). Heavy load tension experiments prove that the protection structure works and the sensitivity and resolution are not changed after several high load (65 kN) cycles. In addition, the experiment shows that the resolution of the sensor is 87.79 N in the large load range, allowing the parameter to be used in heavy icing monitoring.
A Fiber-Coupled Self-Mixing Laser Diode for the Measurement of Young’s Modulus
Authors: Lin Ke , Yu Yanguang , Xi Jiangtao , Li Huijun , Guo Qinghua , Tong Jun , Su Lihong
Published: June 2016

This paper presents the design of a fiber-coupled self-mixing laser diode (SMLD) for non-contact and non-destructive measurement of Young’s modulus. By the presented measuring system, the Young’s modulus of aluminum 6061 and brass are measured as 70.0 GPa and 116.7 GPa, respectively, showing a good agreement within the standards in the literature and yielding a much smaller deviation and a higher repeatability compared with traditional tensile testing. Its fiber-coupled characteristics make the system quite easy to be installed in many application cases.