bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effectiveness of Vitamin E Treatment in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Lloret Ana , Esteve Daniel , Monllor Paloma , Cervera-Ferri Ana , Lloret Angeles
Published: February 2019

Vitamin E was proposed as treatment for Alzheimer’s disease many years ago. However, the effectiveness of the drug is not clear. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and neuroprotector and it has anti-inflammatory and hypocholesterolemic properties, driving to its importance for brain health. Moreover, the levels of vitamin E in Alzheimer’s disease patients are lower than in non-demented controls. Thus, vitamin E could be a good candidate to have beneficial effects against Alzheimer’s. However, evidence is consistent with a limited effectiveness of vitamin E in slowing progression of dementia; the information is mixed and inconclusive. The question is why does vitamin E fail to treat Alzheimer’s disease? In this paper we review the studies with and without positive results in Alzheimer’s disease and we discuss the reasons why vitamin E as treatment sometimes has positive results on cognition but at others, it does not.
Carnosol as a Nrf2 Activator Improves Endothelial Barrier Function Through Antioxidative Mechanisms
Authors: Li Xi , Zhang Qiao , Hou Ning , Li Jing , Liu Min , Peng Sha , Zhang Yuxin , Luo Yinzhen , Zhao Bowen , Wang Shifeng , Zhang Yanling , Qiao Yanjiang
Published: February 2019

Oxidative stress is the main pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy, which can cause microvascular endothelial cell damage and destroy vascular barrier. In this study, it is found that carnosol protects human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) through antioxidative mechanisms. First, we measured the antioxidant activity of carnosol. We showed that carnosol pretreatment suppressed tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced cell viability, affected the production of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS), and increased the produce of nitric oxide (NO). Additionally, carnosol promotes the protein expression of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) to keep the integrity of intercellular junctions, which indicated that it protected microvascular barrier in oxidative stress. Meanwhile, we investigated that carnosol can interrupt Nrf2-Keap1 protein−protein interaction and stimulated antioxidant-responsive element (ARE)-driven luciferase activity in vitro. Mechanistically, we showed that carnosol promotes the expression of heme oxygenase 1(HO-1) and nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2(Nrf2). It can also promote the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Collectively, our data support the notion that carnosol is a protective agent in HMVECs and has the potential for therapeutic use in the treatments of microvascular endothelial cell injury.
Identification and Evaluation of Inhibitors of Lipase from Malassezia restricta using Virtual High-Throughput Screening and Molecular Dynamics Studies
Authors: Ali Shahid , Khan Faez Iqbal , Mohammad Taj , Lan Dongming , Hassan Md. Imtaiyaz , Wang Yonghua
Published: February 2019

Recent studies revealed the role of lipase in the pathogenicity of Malassezia restricta in dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis (D/SD). The lipase from M. restricta (Mrlip1) is considered a potential target for dandruff therapy. In this work, we performed structure-based virtual screening in Zinc database to find the natural bioactive inhibitors of Mrlip1. We identified three compounds bearing superior affinity and specificity from the Traditional Chinese Medicine database (~60,000 compounds), and their binding patterns with Mrlip1 were analyzed in detail. Additionally, we performed three sets of 100 ns MD simulations of each complex in order to understand the interaction mechanism of Mrlip1 with known inhibitor RHC80267 and the newly identified compounds such as ZINC85530919, ZINC95914464 and ZINC85530320, respectively. These compounds bind to the active site cavity and cause conformational changes in Mrlip1. The Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MMPBSA) studies suggested that the average binding energy was stronger in the case of Mrlip1-ZINC85530919 and Mrlip1-ZINC95914464. The selected natural inhibitors might act as promising lead drugs against Mrlip1. Further, the present study will contribute to various steps involved in developing and creating potent drugs for several skin diseases including dandruff.
Loss of C/EBPδ Exacerbates Radiation-Induced Cognitive Decline in Aged Mice due to Impaired Oxidative Stress Response
Authors: Banerjee Sudip , Alexander Tyler , Majumdar Debajyoti , Groves Thomas , Kiffer Frederico , Wang Jing , Gorantla Akshita , Allen Antiño R. , Pawar Snehalata A.
Published: February 2019

Aging is characterized by increased inflammation and deterioration of the cellular stress responses such as the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium, DNA damage repair fidelity, and telomeric attrition. All these factors contribute to the increased radiation sensitivity in the elderly as shown by epidemiological studies of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. There is a global increase in the aging population, who may be at increased risk of exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) as part of cancer therapy or accidental exposure. Therefore, it is critical to delineate the factors that exacerbate age-related radiation sensitivity and neurocognitive decline. The transcription factor CCAAT enhancer binding protein delta (C/EBPδ) is implicated with regulatory roles in neuroinflammation, learning, and memory, however its role in IR-induced neurocognitive decline and aging is not known. The purpose of this study was to delineate the role of C/EBPδ in IR-induced neurocognitive decline in aged mice. We report that aged Cebpd−/− mice exposed to acute IR exposure display impairment in short-term memory and spatial memory that correlated with significant alterations in the morphology of neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1 apical and basal regions. There were no significant changes in the expression of inflammatory markers. However, the expression of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and catalase (CAT) were altered post-IR in the hippocampus of aged Cebpd−/− mice. These results suggest that Cebpd may protect from IR-induced neurocognitive dysfunction by suppressing oxidative stress in aged mice.
Autonomy Challenges in Epigenetic Risk-Stratified Cancer Screening: How Can Patient Decision Aids Support Informed Consent?
Authors: Alblas Maaike , Schermer Maartje , Vergouwe Yvonne , Bolt Ineke
Published: February 2019

Information of an individual’s epigenome can be useful in cancer screening to enable personalised decision making on participation, treatment options and further screening strategies. However, adding this information might result in complex risk predictions on multiple diseases, unsolicited findings and information on (past) environmental exposure and behaviour. This complicates informed consent procedures and may impede autonomous decision-making. In this article we investigate and identify the specific features of epigenetic risk-stratified cancer screening that challenge the current informed consent doctrine. Subsequently we describe current and new informed consent models and the principle of respect for autonomy and argue for a specific informed consent model for epigenetic risk-stratified screening programmes. Next, we propose a framework that guides the development of Patient Decision Aids (PDAs) to support informed consent and promote autonomous choices in the specific context of epigenetic cancer screening programmes.
Common Fixed Point Theorems of Generalized Multivalued (ψ,ϕ)-Contractions in Complete Metric Spaces with Application
Authors: Ameer Eskandar , Arshad Muhammad , Shin Dong Yun , Yun Sungsik
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the notion of generalized multivalued ψ , ϕ-type contractions and generalized multivalued ψ , ϕ-type Suzuki contractions and establish some new common fixed point theorems for such multivalued mappings in complete metric spaces. Our results are extension and improvement of the Suzuki and Nadler contraction theorems, Jleli and Samet, Piri and Kumam, Mizoguchi and Takahashi, and Liu et al. fixed point theorems. We provide an example for supporting our new results. Moreover, an application of our main result to the existence of solution of system of functional equations is also presented.
On the Mixed Dirichlet–Steklov-Type and Steklov-Type Biharmonic Problems in Weighted Spaces
Authors: Matevossian Hovik
Published: February 2019

We studied the properties of generalized solutions in unbounded domains and the asymptotic behavior of solutions of elliptic boundary value problems at infinity. Moreover, we studied the unique solvability of the mixed Dirichlet–Steklov-type and Steklov-type biharmonic problems in the exterior of a compact set under the assumption that generalized solutions of these problems has a bounded Dirichlet integral with weight | x | a. Depending on the value of the parameter a, we obtained uniqueness (non-uniqueness) theorems of these problems or present exact formulas for the dimension of the space of solutions.
An Explorative Study of Qualities in Interactive Processes with Children and Their Parents in Music Therapy during and after Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Uggla Lena , Mårtenson Blom Katarina , Bonde Lars Ole , Gustafsson Britt , Wrangsjö Björn
Published: February 2019

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an established treatment for severe disorders of the pediatric hematopoietic system. However, there is a need for supportive interventions due to physiological and psychological strain. Music therapy is used in health care to help patients through difficult experiences and enable well-being. Our previous randomized studies showed significantly reduced heart rates four to eight hours after intervention as well as increased health-related quality of life. Methods: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the participants’ and parents’ own experiences of the interactive processes during the music therapy intervention. Six families were included. The data collection used collaborative research interviews. An independent psychologist facilitated the interviews with the children, the parents, and the music therapist and also performed the analysis. Results: Three main themes emerged: experiences of competency and recognition of self, interactive affect regulation as change potential, and importance of the therapeutic relationship. Conclusions: For the participants, music therapy developed into a significant and helpful experience, an important ingredient in coping with and managing the treatment period at the hospital.
FTIR-Based Crystallinity Assessment of Aragonite–Calcite Mixtures in Archaeological Lime Binders Altered by Diagenesis
Authors: Toffolo Michael B. , Regev Lior , Dubernet Stéphan , Lefrais Yannick , Boaretto Elisabetta
Published: February 2019

Lime plaster and mortar are pyrotechnological materials that have been employed in constructions since prehistoric times. They may nucleate as calcite and/or aragonite under different environmental settings. In nature, aragonite and calcite form through biogenic and geogenic processes that lead to different degrees of atomic order. The latter is a result of defects in the crystal lattice, which affect the properties of crystals, including their interaction with infrared light. Using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) with the KBr pellet method, it is possible to exploit these differences and assess the degree of atomic order of aragonite and calcite crystals and thus their mechanisms of formation. Here we use FTIR to characterize the degree of short-range atomic order of a pyrogenic form of aragonite recently observed in experimental and archaeological lime binders. We show that pyrogenic aragonite has a unique signature that allows its identification in archaeological sediments and lime binders of unknown origin. Based on these results, we developed a new FTIR-based method to assess the integrity and degree of preservation of aragonite and calcite when they occur together in the same material. This method allowed a better assessment of the diagenetic history of an archaeological plaster and finds application in the characterization of present-day conservation materials, such as lime plaster and mortar, where different polymorphs may nucleate and undergo recrystallization processes that can alter the mechanical properties of binders.
Yifei Tongluo, a Chinese Herbal Formula, Suppresses Tumor Growth and Metastasis and Exerts Immunomodulatory Effect in Lewis Lung Carcinoma Mice
Authors: Qi Qiuchen , Hou Yanhong , Li Ang , Sun Yueyue , Li Siying , Zhao Zhongxi
Published: February 2019

This study was aimed to investigate the anti-tumor, anti-metastasis and immunomodulatory effects of Yifei Tongluo (YFTL), a Chinese herbal formula, in Lewis lung carcinoma mice and to explore the underlying mechanisms. LLC cells were inoculated subcutaneously in C57BL/6 mice to establish the Lewis lung carcinoma model. We observed that YFTL effectively inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the overall survival of tumor-bearing mice. Additionally, YFTL treatment resulted in a significantly decreased number of surface lung metastatic lesions compared with the model control group. Meanwhile, TUNEL staining confirmed that the tumors from YFTL-treated mice exhibited a markedly higher apoptotic index. The results suggest that Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) pathways may be involved in YFTL-induced apoptosis. The results show that YFTL also inhibited the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, MMP-9, N-cadherin, and Vimentin expression, but increased E-cadherin expression. Mechanistic studies indicated that YFTL could suppress the angiogenesis and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the tumor through Akt/ERK1/2 and TGFβ1/Smad2 pathways. In addition, YFTL also showed immunomodulatory activities in improving the immunosuppressive state of tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, our findings could support the development of YFTL as a potential antineoplastic agent and a potentially useful anti-metastatic agent for lung carcinoma therapy.
Review of Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties of Lannea schweinfurthii (Engl.) Engl.
Authors: Maroyi Alfred
Published: February 2019

Lannea schweinfurthii is a valuable medicinal plant species among different ethnic groups in tropical Africa. The aim of the current study was to review existing literature on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of L. schweinfurthii in an effort to evaluate the therapeutic potential of the species. The relevant information on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of L. schweinfurthii was generated from several sources including books, book chapters, theses, scientific reports and journal articles obtained from the library and internet sources such as SciFinder, Wiley, Web of Science, American Chemical Society publications, PubMed, BMC, Elsevier, Science Direct, Scielo and Scopus. Traditionally, L. schweinfurthii is used against reproductive system disorders, respiratory disorders, injuries, headache, blood system disorders, infections or infestations and gastro-intestinal disorders. The phytochemical compounds that have been isolated from L. schweinfurthii include alkaloids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids. The in vitro and animal studies carried out so far from the crude extracts and compounds isolated from the species exhibited acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, anti-apoptotic, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-giardial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, antitrypanosomal, hepatoprotective, larvicidal and cytotoxicity activities. Detailed ethnopharmacological studies emphasizing clinical and toxicological evaluations are needed to assess efficacy and safety of the species as herbal medicine.
DesMol2, an Effective Tool for the Construction of Molecular Libraries and Its Application to QSAR Using Molecular Topology
Authors: García-Pereira Inma , Zanni Riccardo , Galvez-Llompart Maria , Galvez Jorge , García-Domenech Ramón
Published: February 2019

A web application, DesMol2, which offers two main functionalities, is presented: the construction of molecular libraries and the calculation of topological indices. These functionalities are explained through a practical example of research of active molecules to the formylpeptide receptor (FPR), a receptor associated with chronic inflammation in systemic amyloidosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Starting from a data(base) of 106 dioxopiperazine pyrrolidin piperazine derivatives and their respective constant values of binding affinity to FPR, multilinear regression and discriminant analyses are performed to calculate several predictive topological-mathematical models. Next, using the DesMol2 application, a molecular library consisting of 6,120 molecules is built and performed for each predictive model. The best potential active candidates are selected and compared with results from other previous works.
A Smart Nanovector for Cancer Targeted Drug Delivery Based on Graphene Quantum Dots
Authors: Iannazzo Daniela , Pistone Alessandro , Celesti Consuelo , Triolo Claudia , Patané Salvatore , Giofré Salvatore V. , Romeo Roberto , Ziccarelli Ida , Mancuso Raffaella , Gabriele Bartolo , Visalli Giuseppa , Facciolà Alessio , Di Pietro Angela
Published: February 2019

Graphene quantum dots (GQD), the new generation members of graphene-family, have shown promising applications in anticancer therapy. In this study, we report the synthesis of a fluorescent and biocompatible nanovector, based on GQD, for the targeted delivery of an anticancer drug with benzofuran structure (BFG) and bearing the targeting ligand riboflavin (RF, vitamin B2). The highly water-dispersible nanoparticles, synthesized from multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) by prolonged acidic treatment, were linked covalently to the drug by means of a cleavable PEG linker while the targeting ligand RF was conjugated to the GQD by π–π interaction using a pyrene linker. The cytotoxic effect of the synthesized drug delivery system (DDS) GQD-PEG-BFG@Pyr-RF was tested on three cancer cell lines and this effect was compared with that exerted by the same nanovector lacking the RF ligand (GQD-PEG-BFG) or the anticancer drug (GQD@Pyr-RF). The results of biological tests underlined the low cytotoxicity of the GQD sample and the cytotoxic activity of the DDS against the investigated cancer cell lines with a higher or similar potency to that exerted by the BFG alone, thus opening new possibilities for the use of this drug or other anticancer agents endowed of cytotoxicity and serious side effects.
Preparation of Self-Assembled Composite Films Constructed by Chemically-Modified MXene and Dyes with Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Characterization
Authors: Chen Kaiyue , Yan Xiaoya , Li Junkai , Jiao Tifeng , Cai Chong , Zou Guodong , Wang Ran , Wang Mingli , Zhang Lexin , Peng Qiuming
Published: February 2019

The effective functionalization and self-assembly of MXene are of crucial importance for a broad range of nanomaterial applications. In this work, we investigated the aggregates of sulfanilic acid-modified MXene (abbreviated as MXene-SO3H) with three model dyes at the air–water interface and demonstrated the morphological and aggregation changes of composite films, using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technology, as well as excellent uniformity and reproducibility by using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra. This research has found that cationic dye molecules were adsorbed onto negatively charged MXene-SO3H particles mainly through electrostatic interaction and the particles induced dyes to form highly ordered nanostructures including H- and/or J-aggregates corresponding to monomers in bulk solution. The surface pressure-area isotherms from different dye sub phases confirmed that the stable composite films have been successfully formed. And the spectral results reveal that different dyes have different types of aggregations. In addition, the SERS spectra indicated that the optimal layers of MXene-SO3H/methylene blue (MB) films was 50 layers using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as probe molecule. And the formed 50 layers of MXene-SO3H/MB films (MXene-SO3H/MB-50) as SERS substrate were proved to possess excellent uniformity and repeatability.
Controlling the Self-Assembly of Biomolecules into Functional Nanomaterials through Internal Interactions and External Stimulations: A Review
Authors: Wang Li , Gong Coucong , Yuan Xinzhu , Wei Gang
Published: February 2019

Biomolecular self-assembly provides a facile way to synthesize functional nanomaterials. Due to the unique structure and functions of biomolecules, the created biological nanomaterials via biomolecular self-assembly have a wide range of applications, from materials science to biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, nanotechnology, and analytical science. In this review, we present recent advances in the synthesis of biological nanomaterials by controlling the biomolecular self-assembly from adjusting internal interactions and external stimulations. The self-assembly mechanisms of biomolecules (DNA, protein, peptide, virus, enzyme, metabolites, lipid, cholesterol, and others) related to various internal interactions, including hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, π–π stacking, DNA base pairing, and ligand–receptor binding, are discussed by analyzing some recent studies. In addition, some strategies for promoting biomolecular self-assembly via external stimulations, such as adjusting the solution conditions (pH, temperature, ionic strength), adding organics, nanoparticles, or enzymes, and applying external light stimulation to the self-assembly systems, are demonstrated. We hope that this overview will be helpful for readers to understand the self-assembly mechanisms and strategies of biomolecules and to design and develop new biological nanostructures or nanomaterials for desired applications.
Elaboration of Trans-Resveratrol Derivative-Loaded Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Glioma Treatment
Authors: Sallem Fadoua , Haji Rihab , Vervandier-Fasseur Dominique , Nury Thomas , Maurizi Lionel , Boudon Julien , Lizard Gérard , Millot Nadine
Published: February 2019

In this work, new nanohybrids based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were elaborated and discussed for the first time as nanovectors of a derivative molecule of trans-resveratrol (RSV), a natural antioxidant molecule, which can be useful for brain disease treatment. The derivative molecule was chemically synthesized (4’-hydroxy-4-(3-aminopropoxy) trans-stilbene: HAPtS) and then grafted onto SPIONs surface using an organosilane coupling agent, which is 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane (CPTES) and based on nucleophilic substitution reactions. The amount of HAPtS loaded onto SPIONs surface was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses at 116 µmol·g−1 SPIONs. The synthesized HAPtS molecule, as well as the associated nanohybrids, were fully characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), XPS, TGA, infrared (IR) and UV-visible spectroscopies, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential measurements. The in vitro biological assessment of the synthesized nanohybrid’s efficiency was carried out on C6 glioma cells and showed that the nanovector SPIONs-CPTES-HAPtS do not affect the mitochondrial metabolism (MTT test), but damage the plasma membrane (FDA test), which could contribute to limiting the proliferation of cancerous cells (clonogenic test) at a HAPtS concentration of 50 µM. These nanoparticles have a potential cytotoxic effect that could be used to eliminate cancer cells.
Eucommia ulmoides Leaf Extract Ameliorates Steatosis Induced by High-fat Diet in Rats by Increasing Lysosomal Function
Authors: Lee Geum-Hwa , Lee Hwa-Young , Park Sun-Ah , Shin Tai-Sun , Chae Han-Jung
Published: February 2019

The recent discovery that the impairment of autophagic flux in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) might be a strong determining factor in steatosis suggests the potential of therapeutic control of autophagic flux with natural agents in restoring NAFLD. We investigated the potential of Eucommia ulmoides leaf extract (EUL) to control dyslipidemia in NAFLD. EUL supplementation (200 mg/kg) promoted recovery from high fat diet (HFD)-induced lipid dysmetabolism. This hepatoprotective efficacy was accompanied by suppression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, enhancing lysosomal functions, and thereby increasing autophagic flux. We found a strong indication that inhibition of the mTOR-ER stress pathway was related to the enhanced autophagic flux. However, the direct antioxidative effect of EUL on cytoprotection cannot be ruled out as a significant contributing factor in NAFLD. Our findings will aid in further elucidating the mechanism of the anti-steatosis activity of EUL and highlight the therapeutic potential of EUL in the treatment of NAFLD.
One-Pot Processing of Regenerated Cellulose Nanoparticles/Waterborne Polyurethane Nanocomposite for Eco-friendly Polyurethane Matrix
Authors: Choi Soon Mo , Lee Min Woong , Shin Eun Joo
Published: February 2019

Regenerated cellulose nanoparticles (RCNs) reinforced waterborne polyurethanes (WPU) were developed to improve mechanical properties as well as biodegradability by using a facile, eco-friendly approach, and introducing much stronger chemical bonding than common physical bonding between RCNs and WPU. Firstly, RCNs which have an effect on improving the solubility and stability of a solution, thereby resulting in lower crystallinity, were fabricated by using a NaOH/urea solution. In addition, the stronger chemical bond between RCNs and WPU was here introduced by regarding at which stage in particular added RCNs worked best on strengthening their bond in the process of WPU synthesis. The chemical structure, mechanical, particle size and distribution, viscosity, and thermal properties of the resultant RCNs/WPU nanocomposites were investigated by Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR), Zeta-potential analysis, viscometer, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Instron, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results of all characterizations indicated that the RCNs/WPU-DMF associated with the addition of RCNs in DMF-dispersed step resulted in more effectively crosslinked between WPU and nano-fillers of nanocellulose particles in the dispersion than Acetone and Water-dispersed steps, thereby attributing to novel interactions formed between RCNs and WPU.
Extraction of Oil and Minor Compounds from Oil Palm Fruit with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Phan Tai Huan , Brunner Gerd
Published: February 2019

A significant quantity of tocochromanols and carotenoids remains in the residual from palm oil production by traditional screw pressing. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction was used as alternative method with the purpose to recover better these valuable minor compounds. Total oil yield and co-extracted water were investigated in the course of extraction. Tocochromanols and carotenoids were evaluated, not only in the extraction oil, but also in the oil of residual fibre. Modelling of extraction process was also performed for a further up-scaling. The results showed that oil yield up to 90% could be observed within 120 min. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) could extract tocochromanols and carotenoids with concentration in the same range of normal commercial processing palm oil, while co-extracted water remained rather low at a level of 2–4%. Moreover, recovery efficiencies of these minor compounds were much higher in case of extraction processed with supercritical carbon dioxide than those with screw pressing method.
Workplace Spiritual Climate and Its Influence on Nurses’ Provision of Spiritual Care in Multicultural Hospitals
Authors: Albaqawi Hamdan Mohammad , Alquwez Nahed , Almazan Joseph U. , Alharbi Sami Melbes , Catimbang Conrado C. , Rivera Pedro P. , Cruz Jonas Preposi
Published: February 2019

Background: Spiritual care is a growing field of interest in the healthcare industry in Saudi Arabia, one that is largely defined by the religious and cultural context of the country that has a rich and strong backdrop. Workplace spiritual climate may have a significant impact on nurses’ ability and willingness to provide spiritual care. This study aims to examine the influence of workplace spiritual climate on nurses’ provision of spiritual care. Methods: A convenience sample of 918 nurses employed in seven public hospitals in Saudi Arabia was surveyed in this cross-sectional study using the Spiritual Climate Scale (SCS) and the Spiritual Care Intervention-Provision Scale (SCIPS). Results: The overall mean in the SCS was 64.58 (SD = 24.60), whereas the overall mean in the SCIPS was 56.83 (SD = 9.46). Nurses with Saudi nationality, with Islamic faith, with administrative functions, and with higher years of experience as a nurse reported better perceptions of workplace spirituality. Hospital, position, years of experience in the present hospital, and the hospital’s spiritual climate were identified as significant predictors of the nurses’ spiritual care interventions provision. Conclusions: The results of the study support the importance of having good workplace spiritual climate as it impacts the nurses’ provision of spiritual care interventions.
Mandatory Recycling of Waste Cooking Oil from Residential and Commercial Sectors in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai Wen-Tien
Published: February 2019

Waste cooking oil (WCO) has been considered a low-cost and renewable feedstock for the production of biodiesel and biobased products if it can be economically and efficiently collected and recycled. The objective of this case study is to review the scientific background of WCO recycling in the literature in connection with the regulatory and promotional measures in Taiwan under the authorization of a legal waste management system. Furthermore, the updated information about the on-line reporting WCO amounts in Taiwan is also analyzed to illustrate its significant increase in the recycling status of WCO officially designated as one of the mandatory recyclable wastes since 2015. Finally, an overview of available utilization of WCO as biodiesel, fuel oil, and non-fuel related uses is briefly addressed in this paper. It shows that the collected amounts of WCO from residential and commercial sectors in Taiwan significantly increased from 1599 tonnes in 2015 to 12,591 tonnes, reflecting on the WCO recycling regulation effective since 2015. Practically, the most important option for this urban mining is to reuse WCO as an energy source for the productions of biodiesel and auxiliary fuel. Other non-fuel related uses include the production of soaps/detergents, C-18 fatty acids, and lubricants. However, the reuse of WCO as a feed additive should be banned to prevent it from re-entering the food chain.
Optimal Combination of Predictors and Algorithms for Forest Above-Ground Biomass Mapping from Sentinel and SRTM Data
Authors: Chen Lin , Wang Yeqiao , Ren Chunying , Zhang Bai , Wang Zongming
Published: February 2019

Accurate forest above-ground biomass (AGB) mapping is crucial for sustaining forest management and carbon cycle tracking. The Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) and Sentinel satellite series offer opportunities for forest AGB monitoring. In this study, predictors filtered from 121 variables from Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR), Sentinal-2 multispectral instrument (MSI) and SRTM digital elevation model (DEM) data were composed into four groups and evaluated for their effectiveness in prediction of AGB. Five evaluated algorithms include linear regression such as stepwise regression (SWR) and geographically weighted regression (GWR); machine learning (ML) such as artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine for regression (SVR), and random forest (RF). The results showed that the RF model used predictors from both the Sentinel series and SRTM DEM performed the best, based on the independent validation set. The RF model achieved accuracy with the mean error, mean absolute error, root mean square error, and correlation coefficient in 1.39, 25.48, 61.11 Mg·ha−1 and 0.9769, respectively. Texture characteristics, reflectance, vegetation indices, elevation, stream power index, topographic wetness index and surface roughness were recommended predictors for AGB prediction. Predictor variables were more important than algorithms for improving the accuracy of AGB estimates. The study demonstrated encouraging results in the optimal combination of predictors and algorithms for forest AGB mapping, using openly accessible and fine-resolution data based on RF algorithms.
Estimating Surface Soil Heat Flux in Permafrost Regions Using Remote Sensing-Based Models on the Northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau under Clear-Sky Conditions
Authors: Yang Cheng , Wu Tonghua , Wang Jiemin , Yao Jimin , Li Ren , Zhao Lin , Xie Changwei , Zhu Xiaofan , Ni Jie , Hao Junming
Published: February 2019

The ground surface soil heat flux (G0) quantifies the energy transfer between the atmosphere and the ground through the land surface. However; it is difficult to obtain the spatial distribution of G0 in permafrost regions because of the limitation of in situ observation and complication of ground surface conditions. This study aims at developing an improved G0 parameterization scheme applicable to permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau under clear-sky conditions. We validated several existing remote sensing-based models to estimate G0 by analyzing in situ measurement data. Based on the validation of previous models on G0; we added the solar time angle to the G0 parameterization scheme; which considered the phase difference problem. The maximum values of RMSE and MAE between “measured G0” and simulated G0 using the improved parameterization scheme and in situ data were calculated to be 6.102 W/m2 and 5.382 W/m2; respectively. When the error of the remotely sensed land surface temperature is less than 1 K and the surface albedo measured is less than 0.02; the accuracy of estimates based on remote sensing data for G0 will be less than 5%. MODIS data (surface reflectance; land surface temperature; and emissivity) were used to calculate G0 in a 10 x 10 km region around Tanggula site; which is located in the continuous permafrost region with long-term records of meteorological and permafrost parameters. The results obtained by the improved scheme and MODIS data were consistent with the observation. This study enhances our understanding of the impacts of climate change on the ground thermal regime of permafrost and the land surface processes between atmosphere and ground surface in cold regions.
Special Issue on “Smart Homes”: Editors’ Notes
Authors: Freddi Alessandro , Longhi Sauro , Monteriù Andrea
Published: February 2019

In this editorial, we provide an overview of the content of the Special Issue on “Smart Homes”. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive collection of some of the current state-of-the-art technologies in the context of smart homes, together with new advanced theoretical and technological solutions that enable smart technology diffusion into homes.
Pedestrian Stride-Length Estimation Based on LSTM and Denoising Autoencoders
Authors: Wang Qu , Ye Langlang , Luo Haiyong , Men Aidong , Zhao Fang , Huang Yan
Published: February 2019

Accurate stride-length estimation is a fundamental component in numerous applications, such as pedestrian dead reckoning, gait analysis, and human activity recognition. The existing stride-length estimation algorithms work relatively well in cases of walking a straight line at normal speed, but their error overgrows in complex scenes. Inaccurate walking-distance estimation leads to huge accumulative positioning errors of pedestrian dead reckoning. This paper proposes TapeLine, an adaptive stride-length estimation algorithm that automatically estimates a pedestrian’s stride-length and walking-distance using the low-cost inertial-sensor embedded in a smartphone. TapeLine consists of a Long Short-Term Memory module and Denoising Autoencoders that aim to sanitize the noise in raw inertial-sensor data. In addition to accelerometer and gyroscope readings during stride interval, extracted higher-level features based on excellent early studies were also fed to proposed network model for stride-length estimation. To train the model and evaluate its performance, we designed a platform to collect inertial-sensor measurements from a smartphone as training data, pedestrian step events, actual stride-length, and cumulative walking-distance from a foot-mounted inertial navigation system module as training labels at the same time. We conducted elaborate experiments to verify the performance of the proposed algorithm and compared it with the state-of-the-art SLE algorithms. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm outperformed the existing methods and achieves good estimation accuracy, with a stride-length error rate of 4.63% and a walking-distance error rate of 1.43% using inertial-sensor embedded in smartphone without depending on any additional infrastructure or pre-collected database when a pedestrian is walking in both indoor and outdoor complex environments (stairs, spiral stairs, escalators and elevators) with natural motion patterns (fast walking, normal walking, slow walking, running, jumping).
PLUG-N-HARVEST Architecture for Secure and Intelligent Management of Near-Zero Energy Buildings
Authors: Marin-Perez Rafael , Michailidis Iakovos T. , Garcia-Carrillo Dan , Korkas Christos D. , Kosmatopoulos Elias B. , Skarmeta Antonio
Published: February 2019

Building Automation (BA) is key to encourage the growth of more sustainable cities and smart homes. However, current BA systems are not able to manage new constructions based on Adaptable/Dynamic Building Envelopes (ADBE) achieving near-zero energy-efficiency. The ADBE buildings integrate Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Envelope Retrofitting (ER) that must be managed by new BA systems based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) through secure protocols. This paper presents the PLUG-N-HARVEST architecture based on cloud AI systems and security-by-design IoT networks to manage near-zero ADBE constructions in both residential and commercial buildings. To demonstrate the PLUG-N-HARVEST architecture, three different real-world pilots have been considered in Germany, Greece and Spain. The paper describes the Spain pilot of residential buildings including the deployment of IoT wireless networks (i.e., sensors and actuators) based on Zwave technology to enable plug-and-play installations. The real-world tests showed the high efficiency of security-by-design Internet communications between building equipment and cloud management systems. Moreover, the results of cloud intelligent management demonstrate the improvements in both energy consumption and comfort conditions.
Bio-Inspired PHM Model for Diagnostics of Faults in Power Transformers Using Dissolved Gas-in-Oil Data
Authors: Dong Huanyu , Yang Xiaohui , Li Anyi , Xie Zihao , Zuo Yuanlong
Published: February 2019

Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) is an emerging technique which can improve the availability and efficiency of equipment. A series of related optimization of the PHM system has been achieved due to the growing need for lowering the cost of maintenance. The PHM system highly relies on data collected from its components. Based on the theory of machine learning, this paper proposes a bio-inspired PHM model based on a dissolved gas-in-oil dataset (DGA) to diagnose faults of transformes in power grids. Specifically, this model applies Bat algorithm (BA), a metaheuristic population-based algorithm, to optimize the structure of the Back-propagation neural network (BPNN). Furthermore, this paper proposes a modified Bat algorithm (MBA); here the chaos strategy is utilized to improve the random initialization process of BA in order to avoid falling into local optima. To prove that the proposed PHM model has better fault diagnostic performance than others, fitness and mean squared error (MSE) of Bat-BPNN are set as reference amounts to compare with other power grid PHM approaches including BPNN, Particle swarm optimization (PSO)-BPNN, as well as Genetic algorithm (GA)-BPNN. The experimental results show that the BA-BPNN model has increased the fault diagnosis accuracy from 77.14% to 97.14%, which is higher than other power transformer PHM models.
Minimum-Cost Offloading for Collaborative Task Execution of MEC-Assisted Platooning
Authors: Fan Xiayan , Cui Taiping , Cao Chunyan , Chen Qianbin , Kwak Kyung Sup
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we study the offloading decision of collaborative task execution between platoon and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) server. The mobile application is represented by a series of fine-grained tasks that form a linear topology, each of which is either executed on a local vehicle, offloaded to other members of the platoon, or offloaded to a MEC server. The objective of the design is to minimize the cost of tasks offloading and meets the deadline of tasks execution. The cost minimized task decision problem is transformed into the shortest path problem, which is limited by the deadline of the tasks on a directed acyclic graph. The classical Lagrangian Relaxation-based Aggregated Cost (LARAC) algorithm is adopted to solve the problem approximately. Numerical analysis shows that the scheduling method of the tasks decision can be well applied to the platoon scenario and execute the tasks in cooperation with the MEC server. In addition, compared with task local execution, platoon execution and MEC server execution, the optimal offloading decision for collaborative task execution can significantly reduce the cost of task execution and meet deadlines.
Saddlepoint Approximation for Data in Simplices: A Review with New Applications
Authors: Gatto Riccardo
Published: February 2019

This article provides a review of the saddlepoint approximation for a M-statistic of a sample of nonnegative random variables with fixed sum. The sample vector follows the multinomial, the multivariate hypergeometric, the multivariate Polya or the Dirichlet distributions. The main objective is to provide a complete presentation in terms of a single and unambiguous notation of the common mathematical framework of these four situations: the simplex sample space and the underlying general urn model. Some important applications are reviewed and special attention is given to recent applications to models of circular data. Some novel applications are developed and studied numerically.
Climate Change Preparedness: Comparing Future Urban Growth and Flood Risk in Amsterdam and Houston
Authors: Kim Youjung , Newman Galen
Published: February 2019

Rising sea levels and coastal population growth will increase flood risk of more people and assets if land use changes are not planned adequately. This research examines the efficacy of flood protection systems and land use planning by comparing Amsterdam in the Netherlands (renown for resilience planning methods), with the city of Houston, Texas in the US (seeking ways of increasing resilience due to extreme recent flooding). It assesses flood risk of future urban growth in lieu of sea level rise using the Land Transformation Model, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based Artificial Neural Network (ANN) land use prediction tool. Findings show that Houston has currently developed much more urban area within high-risk flood-prone zones compared to Amsterdam. When comparing predicted urban areas under risk, flood-prone future urban areas in Amsterdam are also relatively smaller than Houston. Finally, the increased floodplain when accounting for sea level rise will impact existing and future urban areas in Houston, but do not increase risk significantly in Amsterdam. The results suggest that the protective infrastructure used in the Netherlands has protected its future urban growth from sea level rise more adequately than has Houston.
Balancing Tourism’s Economic Benefit and CO2 Emissions: An Insight from Input–Output and Tourism Satellite Account Analysis
Authors: Li Ling , Li Jingjing , Tang Ling , Wang Shouyang
Published: February 2019

To balance tourism’s economic benefit and environmental pollution, this paper proposes an analytical approach by using the input–output (IO) model and tourism satellite accounts (TSA). Four steps are taken: (1) the setting of system boundaries according to the combined IO and TSA database; (2) economic benefit estimation for tourism income, sectoral multipliers and inter-sector linkages; (3) environmental pollution estimation of direct and indirect CO2 emissions; and (4) a policy analysis to balance the economic benefit and CO2 emissions (in terms of reducing the CO2 emissions intensity) in tourism-related sectors. In the case of Beijing, some interesting insights can be obtained. Beijing’s tourism sectors experienced a fast economic growth and a clear decrease in CO2 emissions during 2007–2012, with the former having a greater absolute change rate (particularly for the shopping and sightseeing sectors). In all tourism sectors (except for transportation), the indirect CO2 emissions were over three times greater than the direct CO2 emissions. Transportation was a leading contributor to both the economic benefit (representing 91.65% of tourism income in 2012) and to environmental pollution (representing 38.75% of tourism-related CO2 emissions). The detailed findings regarding the industrial and energy structures offer insightful policies for a high-benefit and low-emissions development of tourism.
Effect of the Emissions Trading Scheme on CO2 Abatement in China
Authors: Wang Qian , Gao Cuiyun , Dai Shuanping
Published: February 2019

This article takes advantage of the pilot Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) project to estimate the causal impact of the ETS on CO2 abatement in China. The CO2 emissions and CO2 intensities of each province are calculated by using the fossil fuel data of 30 provincial administration regions from 2006 to 2016. Then difference in difference (DiD) models and propensity score matching (PSM) with panel data are applied to estimate the causal impact of the pilot ETS project. Results show that the pilot regions reduce their CO2 emissions and intensities more than the non-pilot regions under the pilot ETS project. The pilot ETS project significantly induced 12% decreases in the nominal CO2 intensity and 7.6% decrease in the real CO2 intensity, after controlling for regional heterogeneity, but its reduction effects on CO2 emissions are insignificant. Decreasing the proportion of coal to total energy consumption may be the main channel of the pilot ETS project inducing CO2 abatement. The estimated results for control variables indicate that upgrading industrial structures, attracting FDI, and purifying the export structure have significant effects on CO2 abatement.