bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chaste Treasure and National Identity in the Rape of Lucrece and Cymbeline
Authors: Gillen Katherine
Published: January 2018

This chapter addresses chastity’s role in English (and British) national identity, arguing that Shakespeare’s Rape of Lucrece and Cymbeline question the Roman myth’s application in early capitalist England. In particular, both works employ chastity-as-treasure tropes tointerrogate the ways in which commercial models disrupt national ideologies that align Elizabeth I’s virgin body with the integrity of the state. The Rape of Lucrece exposes the ways in which mercantile treasure discourse invites sexual violence, compromising a woman who metonymically symbolises the state. In Cymbeline, Shakespeare reconfigures the Lucretia myth so as to articulate a revised mode of chaste national thinking suited to a nation headed by a male monarch and aspiring to become an imperial mercantile power. By transforming Innogen’s jewellery into currency that circulates in her name, Shakespeare infuses Britain’s expanding mercantile sphere—and its imperial projects—with chaste, white legitimacy while removing the physical female body from its once central place in the national imaginary.
Parti-Coloured Parables
Authors: Coodin Sara
Published: January 2018

Chapter 2 examines a key biblical intertext for Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice that Shylock references act 1, scene 3 of the play. Known as ‘the Genesis Jacob cycle,’ chapters 12-50 of the biblical Book of Genesis chronicle the exploits of the patriarch Jacob, including his rivalry with his twin brother Esau; the deception of his blind father Isaac with the aid of his mother; and the parable of the parti-coloured lambs. This chapter examines the Judaic interpretive legacy surrounding these stories, and argues that Shylock’s citation of episodes from the Jacob cycle models a form of midrash, a distinctively Judaic mode of scriptural exegesis. This chapter develops the argument that Shylock’s distinctively Judaic mode of explicating and using these stories offers a notable counterpoint to the Christian interpretations of these same scenes, interpretations voiced by Antonio and reiterated by scholars, who frequently align it with the archetypal perspective of the play or its author. This chapter asks how reading Shylock’s character instead through his own self-proclaimed identification with the Jewish Jacob positions readers of this play to see and understand Shylock differently from how he has been read by Antonio and a wide variety of the play’s critics.
Conclusion
Authors: Ridge Emily
Published: January 2018

The conclusion briefly reviews the chief concerns of the book but also addresses the status of literary portability after World War II. Using Graham Greene’s Travels with my Aunt (1969) and Marcel Duchamp’s Bôite-en-valise series as key examples, it makes a case for the historical distinctiveness of modernist luggage in its representation of a modern culture of portability in an emergent form, caught between solid and liquid modernities.
Spectral Spaces of Counter-Memory
Authors: Athanasiou Athena
Published: January 2018

How does the political action of reclaiming a public space for remembering others and otherwise work to transfigure the polis and the ways in which it comes to organize its remembrance? The counter-memory of Women in Black is enacted through deheroicized standing at Belgrade’s Republic Square, under the national hero’s sleepless gaze. This chapter engages with the ways in which theWomen in Black political actors carve an expansive cartography of critical memory in the polis through performative idioms of body-archive that decenter national memory as a haunted space of political death. This account bears on the modes of embodiment, knowledge, as well as affective intensity that is rendered possible by the work of haunting the polis’s “organized remembrance”, in Hannah Arendt’s terms. Focusing on the agonistic eventness of appearing (out of place), the chapter offers a reflection on what kind of polis would emerge from performing the spectral potentiality of disconcerted memory: an occurrence of memory that persistently complicates the ways in which people “come together”.
Introduction
Authors: Snir Reuven
Published: January 2018

The Introduction explains why the need for a new theoretical framework for the study of Arabic literature is so urgent. Its main outlines are based on the theoretical achievements of historical poetics, in particular those of Russian Formalism and its theoretical legacy. The basic assumption is that all potential inventories of canonized and non-canonized Arabic literary texts ― including children’s literature and translated texts ― are to be seen as forming one dynamic, autonomous literary system.
Literary Dynamics in Synchronic Cross-section
Authors: Snir Reuven
Published: January 2018

This chapter looks at the literary dynamics of Arabic literature in synchronic cross-section. Inventories of canonized and non-canonized literary texts are presented separately in three subsystems: texts for adults, children’s literature, and texts in translation. The resulting six subsystems ― three canonized and three non-canonized ― are seen as autonomous networks of relationships and as interacting literary networks on various levels. The internal and external interrelationships and interactions between the various subsystems need to be studied if we want to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the modern Arabic literary system. The structure of the canonical center of the Arabic literary system is discussed referring to the phenomenon of Islamist literature and the reasons for its exclusion from the secular literary center.
Orientalisation, Securitisation and Minoritisation of Arabic
Authors: Suleiman Camelia
Published: January 2018

This chapter discusses the affinity between the teaching and the scholarship of Arabic and the nation-building in Israel. The three generations of scholars identified in this chapter have contributed to the discourse of subordination of Arabic. Academia has also played a role in strengthening the ties between the Arabic language and the national security of Israel. A study of the Arab (MK) Ahmad Tibi’s style in his Knesset speeches reveals that Arabic is used for making or reinforcing a point he is generally expressing in the Hebrew language, thus Tibi, while getting attention for his message, is still confining Arabic to a subordinate position to that of Hebrew. Moreover, in analyzing interviews of journalists and students, the mood in regard to the Arabic language seems gloomy, as they sense its subordination to Hebrew, as well as their subordination as a group to the Jewish hegemony of the majority. At the same time, however, these interviewees demonstrate a linguistic repertoire that is highly sophisticated and diverse.
Conclusion
Authors: Suleiman Camelia
Published: January 2018

While the Palestinians lost their inheritance of the land, which has resulted in a century of political conflict, the Arabs’ inheritance of the Arabic language in Israel, while much less visible as a conflict, does not lack the same political intensity. Further, in studying Arabic, if a researcher confines herself to the modernist tools of for example, ‘diglossia’ and ‘code-switching’, she misses out on very complex social, historic, and political phenomena which make Arabic into what it is today.
Introduction
Authors: Cannon Harris Susan
Published: January 2018

The introduction identifies the “other revolutions”—the sexual revolution, the socialist revolution, and the ‘free theater’ revolution—that came together in London in the 1890s as the first wave of modern Irish playwrights sought to prove themselves on the London stage. The introduction also explains and justifies the book’s theoretical paradigm and methodologies, arguing for the importance of reading social politics and sexual politics together. It identifies some of the limitations of the “global turn” and its dependence on evolutionary and market-theory based conceptions of “world literature,” arguing that these paradigms obscure the existence of the intentionally anticapitalist systems of exchange that sustained left theater during the period under investigation. It makes the case for reading the intersection of Irish drama and utopian socialism through queer theory, based on their shared ambivalence about what Lee Edelman calls “reproductive futurism,” and draws on the work of Jose Munoz, J. J. Halberstam, and Natalie Melas to elaborate a comparative paradigm which is not defined by developmental logic or capitalist conceptions of value. It argues for the necessity of treating socialism as an embodied praxis, especially in the Irish context. It concludes with summaries of the five chapters and the epilogue.
Epilogue: What the Irish Left – Sean O’casey, Samuel Beckett and Lorraine Hansberry’s the Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Authors: Cannon Harris Susan
Published: January 2018

The epilogue considers the impact of Irish playwrights on an American left that had been decimated by anti-Communist persecution. Just prior to the 1956 New York premiere of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist Waiting for Godot, O’Casey made his Broadway comeback with the expressionist Lockout play Red Roses For Me. The lesbian African-American playwright Lorraine Hansberry, whose work engages with both O’Casey and Beckett, suspends the antirealist effects of these two different Irish premieres within her 1964 play The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, which chronicles the crises faced by a group of New York progressives in the aftermath of McCarthyism. Hansberry separates O’Casey and Beckett’s most promising techniques from their masculinist foundations, re-deploying them in order to help Sidney Brustein – and, by extension, the white left – resolve the impasse in which they have been trapped, by abandoning a definition of struggle based on a self-defeating attachment to a heroic masculinity which was never attainable.
Ties: Elizabeth Bowen
Authors: Plock Vike Martina
Published: January 2018

This chapter shows that Elizabeth Bowen’s most cosmopolitan novel, To the North (1932), strategically uses references to clothes and other sartorial items in the construction of literary character. Far from being simply the markers of characters’ socio-economic constellations, clothes, it argues, function as agents of intersubjectivity in the text. Because they are associated with the velocity and the verve of modern capitalism, clothes in To the North connect people and are responsible for the development of interpersonal energies. Although she acknowledges fashion’s tendency to promote standardized images of modern femininity, Bowen’s assessment of fashion and commodity culture therefore moves beyond outright rejection and criticism. By the same token, she developed idiosyncratic literary aesthetics that, paradoxically, represent the materiality of the world without returning to the use of realist literary conventions criticized by Woolf and other modernist writers.
Farmers’ Knowledge on Pesticide Safety and Pest Management Practices: A Case Study of Vegetable Growers in Chitwan, Nepal
Authors: Rijal Jhalendra , Regmi Rajendra , Ghimire Rajan , Puri Krishna , Gyawaly Sudan , Poudel Sujata
Published: January 2018

Farmers’ knowledge on pesticides and their safe use are critical for implementing effective pest management program. A household survey was conducted using the semi-structured questionnaire to evaluate vegetable growers’ knowledge on pesticide safety and pest management practices in Nepal. Results indicated that chemical pesticides were the primary choice of over 80% growers for pest management. Notably, 90% growers were aware of adverse effects of pesticides on human health and to the environment. Over 84% growers used at least one form of personal protection equipment (PPE) during pesticide spray or handling, although the quality and appropriateness of the PPE warrants further investigation. Nearly 17% growers received at least one short-term training on integrated pest management (IPM); however, all of them neither knew the harmful effects of pesticide residues nor practiced proper pesticide disposal methods. Over 90% of growers rely on local pesticide retailers (i.e., Agro-vets) for technical know-how about pesticide selection, handling, and use. This study highlighted a need for immediate implementation of strict pesticide use regulations and recommended educational programs for pest control professionals, growers, and pesticide retailers.
Involvement of Epigenetic Mechanisms in Herbicide Resistance: The Case of Conyza canadensis
Authors: Margaritopoulou Theoni , Tani Eleni , Chachalis Demosthenis , Travlos Ilias
Published: January 2018

Glyphosate is the most important herbicide globally, and horseweed (Conyza canadensis) has been one of the most commonly encountered weed species that has developed resistance to it in various parts of the world, including Greece. After glyphosate application, horseweed populations show a wide range of phenotypic plasticity in response to selection pressure. In previous work, we have proposed a herbicide resistance mechanism that is not due to a point mutation at the codon 106 of EPSP synthase but most likely due to a synchronized overexpression of EPSPS and the ABC transporter genes. In the current study, it is hypothesized that the observed phenotypic alterations and differential expression of the EPSPS gene could be attributed to epigenetic changes. DNA methylation plays a pivotal role in many biological procedures such as gene expression, differentiation, and cellular proliferation. Sodium bisulfite sequencing was used to detect epigenetic changes that occur at the C5 position of cytosine residues within CpGdi nucleotides in two horseweed populations (resistant vs. susceptible). Results show differential methylation pattern between the two populations. This work will elucidate the naturally increased resistance of C. Canadensis to glyphosate and set the bases for future development of techniques that restrict weed resistance to herbicides.
Variability of Hydroacoustic Noise Probability Density Function at the Output of Automatic Gain Control System
Authors: Gorovoy Sergey , Kiryanov Alexey , Zheldak Evgeniy
Published: January 2018

This research presents results of the estimation of temporal variability of the hydroacoustic noise probability density function (PDF) in shallow waters within the frequency band of 0.03–3.3 kHz; the studies were conducted near the Primorsky Aquarium on Russky Island, Vladivostok, Russia. Signals were received via unidirectional hydrophone and automatic gain control of the received signals. The hydrophone was attached to a drifting buoy via an elastic suspension; the received signals were transmitted by cable to a boat drifting with the buoy. The results of the comparison of the sea noise probability density function (PDF) estimates at the output of a system with automatic gain control (AGC) with similar results for a white Gaussian noise in the same frequency band are described.
Pre-Lithiation Strategies for Rechargeable Energy Storage Technologies: Concepts, Promises and Challenges
Authors: Holtstiege Florian , Bärmann Peer , Nölle Roman , Winter Martin , Placke Tobias
Published: January 2018

In order to meet the sophisticated demands for large-scale applications such as electro-mobility, next generation energy storage technologies require advanced electrode active materials with enhanced gravimetric and volumetric capacities to achieve increased gravimetric energy and volumetric energy densities. However, most of these materials suffer from high 1st cycle active lithium losses, e.g., caused by solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, which in turn hinder their broad commercial use so far. In general, the loss of active lithium permanently decreases the available energy by the consumption of lithium from the positive electrode material. Pre-lithiation is considered as a highly appealing technique to compensate for active lithium losses and, therefore, to increase the practical energy density. Various pre-lithiation techniques have been evaluated so far, including electrochemical and chemical pre-lithiation, pre-lithiation with the help of additives or the pre-lithiation by direct contact to lithium metal. In this review article, we will give a comprehensive overview about the various concepts for pre lithiation and controversially discuss their advantages and challenges. Furthermore, we will critically discuss possible effects on the cell performance and stability and assess the techniques with regard to their possible commercial exploration.
Bioengineering of rFVIIa Biopharmaceutical and Structure Characterization for Biosimilarity Assessment
Authors: Montacir Othman , Montacir Houda , Eravci Murat , Springer Andreas , Hinderlich Stephan , Mahboudi Fereidoun , Saadati Amirhossein , Parr Maria
Published: January 2018

Eptacog alfa (NovoSeven®) is a vitamin K-dependent recombinant Factor VIIa produced by genetic engineering from baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells as a single peptide chain of 406 residues. After activation, it consists of a light chain (LC) of 152 amino and a heavy chain (HC) of 254 amino acids. Recombinant FVIIa undergoes many post-translational modifications (PTMs). The first ten glutamic acids of the N-terminal moiety are γ-carboxylated, Asn145 and Asn322 are N-glycosylated, and Ser52 and Ser60 are O-glycosylated. A head-to-head biosimilarity study was conducted for the originator and the first biosimilar AryoSeven™ to evaluate comparable bioengineering. Physicochemical properties were analyzed based on mass spectrometry, including intact mass, PTMs and higher-order structure. Both biotherapeutics exhibit a batch-to-batch variability in their N-glycan profiles. N-Glycopeptide analysis with UHPLC-QTOF-MSE confirmed N-glycosylation sites as well as two different O-glycopeptide sites. Ser60 was found to be O-fucosylated and Ser52 had O-glucose or O-glucose-(xylose)1,2 motifs as glycan variants. Ion mobility spectrometry (TWIMS) and NMR spectroscopy data affirm close similarity of the higher-order structure of both biologicals. Potency of the biodrugs was analyzed by a coagulation assay demonstrating comparable bioactivity. Consequently, careful process optimization led to a stable production process of the biopharmaceuticals.
Comparing Nutrient Removal from Membrane Filtered and Unfiltered Domestic Wastewater Using Chlorella vulgaris
Authors: Mayhead Elyssia , Silkina Alla , Llewellyn Carole , Fuentes-Grünewald Claudio
Published: January 2018

The nutrient removal efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated in domestic wastewater was investigated, along with the potential to use membrane filtration as a pre-treatment tool during the wastewater treatment process. Chlorella vulgaris was batch cultivated for 12 days in a bubble column system with two different wastewater treatments. Maximum uptake of 94.18% ammonium (NH4-N) and 97.69% ortho-phosphate (PO4-P) occurred in 0.2 μm membrane filtered primary wastewater. Membrane filtration enhanced the nutrient uptake performance of C. vulgaris by removing bacteria, protozoa, colloidal particles and suspended solids, thereby improving light availability for photosynthesis. The results of this study suggest that growing C. vulgaris in nutrient rich membrane filtered wastewater provides an option for domestic wastewater treatment to improve the quality of the final effluent.
HBIM and Virtual Tools: A New Chance to Preserve Architectural Heritage
Authors: Osello Anna , Lucibello Greta , Morgagni Francesco
Published: January 2018

Nowadays, architectural heritage is increasingly exposed to dangers due to natural disasters or human invasive actions. However, management and conservation represent crucial phases within the life cycle of historical buildings. Unfortunately, the complexity of conservation practices and the lack of knowledge of historic buildings are the cause of an inefficient recovering process in case of emergencies. To overcome this problem, this research aims to ensure the preservation of relevant information through the use of building information modeling (BIM) methodology. By developing historic building information models (HBIMs), it is possible to enhance the architectural heritage. This represents an opportunity to incorporate digital media into the global heritage conservation field. To achieve this goal, a historical castle was selected as a case study; this unique piece of architecture is located in the Piedmont Region, close to city of Turin (Italy). The results show a direct relation between a historical digital model, finalized to the management of architectural and system components, and visualization tools. To conclude, the adoption of this strategy is an effective way to preserve and consult information using advanced visualization techniques based on augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR).
Anthracene-Based Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks: Synthesis, Structure, Photoluminescence, and Radioluminescence Properties
Authors: Mathis Stephan , Golafale Saki , Solntsev Kyril , Ingram Conrad
Published: January 2018

Four anthracene-based lanthanide metal-organic framework structures (MOFs) were synthesized from the combination of the lanthanide ions, Eu3+, Tb3+, Er3+, and Tm3+, with 9,10-anthracenedicarboxylic acid (H2ADC) in dimethylformamide (DMF) under hydrothermal conditions. The 3-D networks crystalize in the triclinic system with P-1 space group with the following compositions: (i) {{[Ln2(ADC)3(DMF)4·DMF]}n, Ln = Eu (1) and Tb (2)} and (ii) {{[Ln2(ADC)3(DMF)2(OH2)2·2DMF·H2O]}n, Ln = Er (3) and Tm (4)}. The metal centers exist in various coordination environments; nine coordinate in (i), while seven and eight coordinate in (ii). The deprotonated ligand, ADC, assumes multiple coordination modes, with its carboxylate functional groups severely twisted away from the plane of the anthracene moiety. The structures show ligand-based photoluminescence, which appears to be significantly quenched when compared with that of the parent H2ADC solid powder. Structure 2 is the least quenched and showed an average photoluminescence lifetime from bi-exponential decay of 0.3 ns. On exposure to ionizing radiation, the structures show radioluminescence spectral features that are consistent with the isolation of the ligand units in its 3-D network. The spectral features vary among the 3-D networks and appear to suggest that the latter undergo significant changes in their molecular and/or electronic structure in the presence of the ionizing radiation.
Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change and Their Implications in the Zou Department of South Benin
Authors: Fadina Adégnandjou , Barjolle Dominique
Published: January 2018

Climate change is a global phenomenon. Its impact on agricultural activities in developing countries has increased dramatically. Understanding how farmers perceive climate change and how they adapt to it is very important to the implementation of adequate policies for agricultural and food security. This paper aims to contribute to an understanding of farmers’ adaptation choices, determinants of the adaptation choices and the long-term implications of the adaptation choices. Data were collected from 120 respondents in the Zou Department of Benin. A binary logit model was used to analyze the factors influencing household decisions to adapt to climate change. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was estimated to analyze the factors influencing households’ choice of adaptation strategies to climate change. The results show that farmers have a developed perception of climate change. These changes are translated by rainfall disturbances (rainfall delays, early cessation, bad rainfall distribution etc.), shortening of the small dry season, increasing of temperature and sometimes, violent winds. The survey reveals that Benin farmers adopt many strategies in response to climate change. These strategies include “Crop–livestock diversification and other good practices (mulching, organic fertilizer),” “Use of improved varieties, chemical fertilizers and pesticides,” “Agroforestry and perennial plantation” and “Diversification of income-generating activities.” The findings also reveal that most of the respondents use these strategies in combination. From the binary logit model, we know that “farming experience” and “educational level of household head” positively influence adaptation decisions. The result of the multinomial logit analysis shows that farming experience, educational level, farm size and gender have a significant impact on climate change adaptation strategies. Based on in-depth analysis of each strategy, we identify crop diversification and agroforestry as being the most promising strategies with benefits for farmers, the environment and future generations.
Influence of Lysozyme Addition on Hydroxycinnamic Acids and Volatile Phenols during Wine Fermentation
Authors: Sommer Stephan , Wegmann-Herr Pascal , Wacker Michael , Fischer Ulrich
Published: January 2018

Most yeast and bacteria in wine are able to metabolize hydroxycinnamic acids into volatile phenols via enzyme-mediated decarboxylation. Our trials performed in wine and model systems suggest that lysozyme addition prior to fermentation affects both bacterial activity and the release of hydroxycinnamic acids from their tartrate esters. This increases the potential for volatile phenol formation, as microorganisms can only metabolize free hydroxycinnamates. Wines with delayed malolactic fermentation due to lysozyme addition contained significantly higher concentrations of free hydroxycinnamic acids and elevated levels of volatile phenols in some cases. The reason for this is likely related to the side activity of lysozyme in combination with a detoxification mechanism that only occurs under stressful conditions for the yeast. Experiments in model systems indicate that lysozyme can affect the yeast at a pH higher than usually found in wine by attacking chitin in the bud scars of the cell walls and therefore weakening the cell structure. Free hydroxycinnamates can also affect yeast viability, making an increased release during fermentation problematic for a successful fermentation.
Mangifera indica as Bioindicator of Mercury Atmospheric Contamination in an ASGM Area in North Gorontalo Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Prasetia Hendra , Sakakibara Masayuki , Omori Koji , Laird Jamie , Sera Koichiro , Kurniawan Idham
Published: January 2018

We report the atmospheric Hg contamination in an artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) area in North Gorontalo, Indonesia. It is well known that atmospheric Hg contaminates the air, water, soil, and living organisms, including trees. In this study, we calculated total weight of heavy metals, especially Hg, and quantitatively measure the concentrations of heavy metals, especially Hg, in tree bark from an ASGM area. Tree bark can be used for the environmental assessment of atmospheric contamination because it attaches and absorbs heavy metals. Atmospheric Hg and other heavy metals, including Fe and Mn, and As were detected on the tree bark samples. The total weight of Hg, As, Fe, and Mn in the tree bark samples ranged from undetectable (ND) to 9.77, ND to 81.3, 124–4028, 37.0–1376 µg dry weight (DW), respectively per weight of sample. Based on quantitatively analysis micro-PIXE, the highest concentrations of all these metals were detected in the outer part of the bark. We conclude that tree bark can adsorb atmospheric contamination, which is then absorbed into the inner tissues.
Exploring Facilitators and Barriers to Initiation and Completion of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Series among Parents of Girls in a Safety Net System
Authors: O’Leary Sean T. , Lockhart Steven , Barnard Juliana , Furniss Anna , Dickinson Miriam , Dempsey Amanda F. , Stokley Shannon , Federico Steven , Bronsert Michael , Kempe Allison
Published: January 2018

Objective: To assess, among parents of predominantly minority, low-income adolescent girls who had either not initiated (NI) or not completed (NC) the HPV vaccine series, attitudes and other factors important in promoting the series, and whether attitudes differed by language preference. Design/Methods: From August 2013–October 2013, we conducted a mail survey among parents of girls aged 12–15 years randomly selected from administrative data in a Denver safety net system; 400 parents from each group (NI and NC) were targeted. Surveys were in English or Spanish. Results: The response rate was 37% (244/660; 140 moved or gone elsewhere; 66% English-speaking, 34% Spanish-speaking). Safety attitudes of NIs and NCs differed, with 40% NIs vs. 14% NCs reporting they thought HPV vaccine was unsafe (p < 0.0001) and 43% NIs vs. 21% NCs that it may cause long-term health problems (p < 0.001). Among NCs, 42% reported they did not know their daughter needed more shots (English-speaking, 20%, Spanish-speaking 52%) and 39% reported that “I wasn’t worried about the safety of the HPV vaccine before, but now I am” (English-speaking, 23%, Spanish-speaking, 50%). Items rated as very important among NIs in the decision regarding vaccination included: more information about safety (74%), more information saying it prevents cancer (70%), and if they knew HPV was spread mainly by sexual contact (61%). Conclusions: Safety concerns, being unaware of the need for multiple doses, and low perceived risk of infection remain significant barriers to HPV vaccination for at-risk adolescents. Some parents’ safety concerns do not appear until initial vaccination.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in 2017
Authors:   International Journal of Molecular Sciences Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that the International Journal of Molecular Sciences maintains high quality standards for its published papers [...]
Analysis of Transposable Elements in Coccidioides Species
Authors: Kirkland Theo , Muszewska Anna , Stajich Jason
Published: January 2018

Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are primary pathogenic fungi that cause disease in immunologically-normal animals and people. The organism is found exclusively in arid regions of the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and South America, but not in other parts of the world. This study is a detailed analysis of the transposable elements (TE) in Coccidioides spp. As is common in most fungi, Class I and Class II transposons were identified and the LTR Gypsy superfamily is the most common. The minority of Coccidioides Gypsy transposons contained regions highly homologous to polyprotein domains. Phylogenetic analysis of the integrase and reverse transcriptase sequences revealed that many, but not all, of the Gypsy reverse transcriptase and integrase domains clustered by species suggesting extensive transposition after speciation of the two Coccidiodies spp. The TEs were clustered and the distribution is enriched for the ends on contigs. Analysis of gene expression data from C. immitis found that protein-coding genes within 1 kB of hAT or Gypsy TEs were poorly expressed. The expression of C. posadasii genes within 1 kB of Gypsy TEs was also significantly lower compared to all genes but the difference in expression was smaller than C. immitis. C. posadasii orthologs of C. immitis Gyspsy-associated genes were also likely to be TE-associated. In both C. immitis and C. posadasii the TEs were preferentially associated with genes annotated with protein kinase gene ontology terms. These observations suggest that TE may play a role in influencing gene expression in Coccidioides spp. Our hope is that these bioinformatic studies of the potential TE influence on expression and evolution of Coccidioides will prompt the development of testable hypotheses to better understand the role of TEs in the biology and gene regulation of Coccidioides spp.
Does the Assumption on Innovation Process Play an Important Role for Filtered Historical Simulation Model?
Authors: Altun Emrah , Tatlidil Huseyin , Ozel Gamze , Nadarajah Saralees
Published: January 2018

Most of the financial institutions compute the Value-at-Risk (VaR) of their trading portfolios using historical simulation-based methods. In this paper, we examine the Filtered Historical Simulation (FHS) model introduced by Barone-Adesi et al. (1999) theoretically and empirically. The main goal of this study is to find an answer for the following question: “Does the assumption on innovation process play an important role for the Filtered Historical Simulation model?”. For this goal, we investigate the performance of FHS model with skewed and fat-tailed innovations distributions such as normal, skew normal, Student’s-t, skew-T, generalized error, and skewed generalized error distributions. The performances of FHS models are evaluated by means of unconditional and conditional likelihood ratio tests and loss functions. Based on the empirical results, we conclude that the FHS models with generalized error and skew-T distributions produce more accurate VaR forecasts.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Medical Sciences in 2017
Authors:   Medical Sciences Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Medical Sciences maintains high quality standards for its published papers.[...]
Generation of a Layer of Severe Plastic Deformation near Friction Surfaces in Upsetting of Steel Specimens
Authors: Alexandrov Sergei , Šidjanin Leposava , Vilotić Dragiša , Movrin Dejan , Lang Lihui
Published: January 2018

Narrow layers of severe plastic deformation are often generated near frictional interfaces in deformation processes as a result of shear deformation caused by friction. This results in material behavior that is very different from that encountered in conventional tests. To develop models capable of predicting the behavior of material near frictional surfaces, it is necessary to design and carry out tests that account for typical features of deformation processes in a narrow sub-surface layer. In the present paper, upsetting of steel specimens between conical and flat dies is used as such a test. The objective of the paper is to correlate the thickness of the layer of severe plastic deformation generated near the friction surface and the die angle using a new criterion for determining the boundary between the layer of severe plastic deformation and the bulk.
Sustainable Steel Carburization by Using Snack Packaging Plastic Waste as Carbon Resources
Authors: Yin Songyan , Rajarao Ravindra , Pahlevani Farshid , Sahajwalla Veena
Published: January 2018

In recent years, the research regarding waste conversion to resources technology has attracted growing attention with the continued increase of waste accumulation issues and rapid depletion of natural resources. However, the study, with respect to utilizing plastics waste as carbon resources in the metals industry, is still limited. In this work, an environmentally friendly approach to utilize snack packaging plastic waste as a valuable carbon resources for steel carburization is investigated. At high temperature, plastic waste could be subject to pyrolytic gasification and decompose into small molecular hydrocarbon gaseous products which have the potential to be used as carburization agents for steel. When heating some snack packaging plastic waste and a steel sample together at the carburization temperature, a considerable amount of carbon-rich reducing gases, like methane, could be liberated from the plastic waste and absorbed by the steel sample as a carbon precursor for carburization. The resulting carburization effect on steel was investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalyzer, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer techniques. These investigation results all showed that snack packaging plastic waste could work effectively as a valuable carbon resource for steel carburization leading to a significant increase of surface carbon content and the corresponding microstructure evolution in steel.
Interaction of Model Inhibitor Compounds with Minimalist Cluster Representations of Hydroxyl Terminated Metal Oxide Surfaces
Authors: Taylor Christopher , Kurapati Yathish , Mondal Sujit
Published: January 2018

The computational modeling of corrosion inhibitors at the level of molecular interactions has been pursued for decades, and recent developments are allowing increasingly realistic models to be developed for inhibitor–inhibitor, inhibitor–solvent and inhibitor–metal interactions. At the same time, there remains a need for simplistic models to be used for the purpose of screening molecules for proposed inhibitor performance. Herein, we apply a reductionist model for metal surfaces consisting of a metal cation with hydroxide ligands and use quantum chemical modeling to approximate the free energy of adsorption for several imidazoline class candidate corrosion inhibitors. The approximation is made using the binding energy and the partition coefficient. As in some previous work, we consider different methods for incorporating solvent and reference systems for the partition coefficient. We compare the findings from this short study with some previous theoretical work on similar systems. The binding energies for the inhibitors to the metal hydroxide clusters are found to be intermediate to the binding energies calculated in other work for bare metal vs. metal oxide surfaces. The method is applied to copper, iron, aluminum and nickel metal systems.
Density Functional Theory and Atomic Force Microscopy Study of Oleate Functioned on Siderite Surface
Authors: Li Lixia , Zhang Chen , Yuan Zhitao , Hao Haiqing , Zhao Chenyang
Published: January 2018

Efficiently discovering the interaction of the collector oleate and siderite is of great significance for understanding the inherent function of siderite weakening hematite reverse flotation. For this purpose, investigation of the adsorption behavior of oleate on siderite surface was performed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations associating with atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. The siderite crystal geometry was computationally optimized via convergence tests. Calculated results of the interaction energy and the Mulliken population verified that the collector oleate adsorbed on siderite surface and the covalent bond was established as a result of electrons transferring from O1 atoms (in oleate molecule) to Fe1 atoms (in siderite lattice). Therefore, valence-electrons’ configurations of Fe1 and O1 changed into 3d6.514s0.37 and 2s1.832p4.73 from 3d6.214s0.31 and 2s1.83p4.88 correspondingly. Siderite surfaces with or without oleate functioned were examined with the aid of AFM imaging in PeakForce Tapping mode, and the functioned siderite surface was found to be covered by vesicular membrane matters with the average roughness of 16.4 nm assuring the oleate adsorption. These results contributed to comprehending the interaction of oleate and siderite.
Curcumin Attenuates on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice via Modulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 and TGF-β1/Smad3 Pathway
Authors: Peng Xinyan , Dai Chongshan , Liu Quanwen , Li Junke , Qiu Jingru
Published: January 2018

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of curcumin against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury in a mouse model, and to explain the underlying mechanism. Curcumin at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day were administered orally once daily for seven days prior to CCl4 exposure. At 24 h, curcumin-attenuated CCl4 induced elevated serum transaminase activities and histopathological damage in the mouse’s liver. Curcumin pre-treatment at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly ameliorated CCl4-induced oxidative stress, characterized by decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) formations, and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities and glutathione (GSH) content, followed by a decrease in caspase-9 and -3 activities. Curcumin pre-treatment significantly decreased CCl4-induced inflammation. Furthermore, curcumin pre-treatment significantly down-regulated the expression of TGF-β1 and Smad3 mRNAs (both p < 0.01), and up-regulated the expression of nuclear-factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and HO-1 mRNA (both p < 0.01) in the liver. Inhibition of HO-1 attenuated the protective effect of curcumin on CCl4-induced acute liver injury. Given these outcomes, curcumin could protect against CCl4-induced acute liver injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation, which may partly involve the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 and inhibition of TGF-β1/Smad3 pathways.
Preparation of High Mechanical Performance Nano-Fe3O4/Wood Fiber Binderless Composite Boards for Electromagnetic Absorption via a Facile and Green Method
Authors: Dang Baokang , Chen Yipeng , Wang Hanwei , Chen Bo , Jin Chunde , Sun Qingfeng
Published: January 2018

Fe3O4/wood fiber composites are prepared with a green mechanical method using only distilled water as a solvent without any chemical agents, and then a binderless composite board with high mechanical properties is obtained via a hot-press for electromagnetic (EM) absorption. The fibers are connected by hydrogen bonds after being mechanically pretreated, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) are attached to the fiber surface through physical adsorption. The composite board is bonded by an adhesive, which is provided by the reaction of fiber composition under high temperature and pressure. The Nano-Fe3O4/Fiber (NFF) binderless composite board shows remarkable microwave absorption properties and high mechanical strength. The optional reflection loss (RL) of the as-prepared binderless composite board is −31.90 dB. The bending strength of the NFF binderless composite board is 36.36 MPa with the addition of 6% nano-Fe3O4, the modulus of elasticity (MOE) is 6842.16 MPa, and the internal bond (IB) strength is 0.81 MPa. These results demonstrate that magnetic nanoparticles are deposited in binderless composite board by hot pressing, which is the easiest way to produce high mechanical strength and EM absorbers.
A Comparison of Oral and Intravenous Mouse Models of Listeriosis
Authors: Pitts Michelle , D’Orazio Sarah
Published: January 2018

Listeria monocytogenes is one of several enteric microbes that is acquired orally, invades the gastric mucosa, and then disseminates to peripheral tissues to cause systemic disease in humans. Intravenous (i.v.) inoculation of mice with L. monocytogenes has been the most widely-used small animal model of listeriosis over the past few decades. The infection is highly reproducible and has been invaluable in deciphering mechanisms of adaptive immunity in vivo, particularly CD8+ T cell responses to intracellular pathogens. However, the i.v. model completely bypasses the gut phase of the infection. Recent advances in generating both humanized mice and murinized bacteria, as well as the development of a foodborne route of transmission has reignited interest in studying oral models of listeriosis. In this review, we analyze previously published reports to highlight both the similarities and differences in tissue colonization and host response to infection using either oral or i.v. inoculation.
Grasping Force Control for a Robotic Hand by Slip Detection Using Developed Micro Laser Doppler Velocimeter
Authors: Morita Nobutomo , Nogami Hirofumi , Higurashi Eiji , Sawada Renshi
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this paper is to show the feasibility of grasping force control by feeding back signals of the developed micro-laser Doppler velocimeter (μ-LDV) and by discriminating whether a grasped object is slipping or not. LDV is well known as a high response surface velocity sensor which can measure various surfaces—such as metal, paper, film, and so on—thus suggesting the potential application of LDV as a slip sensor for grasping various objects. However, the use of LDV as a slip sensor has not yet been reported because the size of LDVs is too large to be installed on a robotic fingertip. We have solved the size problem and enabled the performance of a feasibility test with a few-millimeter-scale LDV referred to as micro-LDV (μ-LDV) by modifying the design which was adopted from MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) fabrication process. In this paper, by applying our developed μ-LDV as a slip sensor, we have successfully demonstrated grasping force control with three target objects—aluminum block, wood block, and white acrylic block—considering that various objects made of these materials can be found in homes and factories, without grasping force feedback. We provide proofs that LDV is a new promising candidate slip sensor for grasping force control to execute target grasping.
Exploring the Technological Collaboration Characteristics of the Global Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Liu Yun , Yan Zhe , Cheng Yijie , Ye Xuanting
Published: January 2018

With the intensification of international competition, there are many international technological collaborations in the integrated circuit manufacturing (ICM) industry. The importance of improving the level of international technological collaboration is becoming more and more prominent. Therefore, it is vital for a country, a region, or an institution to understand the international technological collaboration characteristics of the ICM industry and, thus, to know how to enhance its own international technological collaboration. This paper depicts the international technological collaboration characteristics of the ICM industry based on patent analysis. Four aspects, which include collaboration patterns, collaboration networks, collaboration institutions, and collaboration impacts, are analyzed by utilizing patent association analysis and social network analysis. The findings include the following: first, in regard to international technological collaboration, the USA has the highest level, while Germany has great potential for future development; second, Asia and Europe have already formed clusters, respectively, in the cooperative network; last, but not least, research institutions, colleges, and universities should also actively participate in international collaboration. In general, this study provides an objective reference for policy making, competitiveness, and sustainability in the ICM industry. The framework presented in this paper could be applied to examine other industrial international technological collaborations.
Hydrothermal Liquefaction Enhanced by Various Chemicals as a Means of Sustainable Dairy Manure Treatment
Authors: Chen Junying , Wang Lijun , Zhang Bo , Li Rui , Shahbazi Abolghasem
Published: January 2018

Because of the increase in concentrated animal feeding operations, there is a growing interest in sustainable manure management. In this study, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of dairy manure enhanced by various chemicals (NH3·H2O, H3PO4, and glycerol) was proposed as a sustainable alternative for the dairy manure management. The applications of NH3·H2O and H3PO4 during HTL could significantly enhance the production of liquid chemicals. The addition of NH3·H2O or glycerol increased the amounts of non-polar toluene, xylene, and other benzene-contained compounds, while the use of H3PO4 produced high amounts of acids, pyridine, 3-methyl-pyridine, 2,6-dimethyl-pyrazine, 2-cyclopenten-1-ones, and phenols. The biochars produced via HTL showed a significant increase in the surface area/pore volume and relatively higher N, P, C, and other minerals, and may serve as a good soil amendment and nutrient source. The preliminary energy analyses showed that the energy consumption of this process might be reduced to 50% of the original energy content of the feedstock, and the energy payback period was about 3.5 years. Combining all advantages, HTL of dairy manure might increase the sustainability of the farming operation via producing energy products, fine chemicals, and biochars.