bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RIPK2: New Elements in Modulating Inflammatory Breast Cancer Pathogenesis
Authors: Zare Alaa , Petrova Alexandra , Agoumi Mehdi , Armstrong Heather , Bigras Gilbert , Tonkin Katia , Wine Eytan , Baksh Shairaz
Published: June 2018

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer that is associated with significantly high mortality. In spite of advances in IBC diagnoses, the prognosis is still poor compared to non-IBC. Due to the aggressive nature of the disease, we hypothesize that elevated levels of inflammatory mediators may drive tumorigenesis and metastasis in IBC patients. Utilizing IBC cell models and patient tumor samples, we can detect elevated NF-κB activity and hyperactivation of non-canonical drivers of NF-κB (nuclear factor kappaB)-directed inflammation such as tyrosine phosphorylated receptor-interacting protein kinase 2 (pY RIPK2), when compared to non-IBC cells or patients. Interestingly, elevated RIPK2 activity levels were present in a majority of pre-chemotherapy samples from IBC patients at the time of diagnosis to suggest that patients at diagnosis had molecular activation of NF-κB via RIPK2, a phenomenon we define as “molecular inflammation”. Surprisingly, chemotherapy did cause a significant increase in RIPK2 activity and thus molecular inflammation suggesting that chemotherapy does not resolve the molecular activation of NF-κB via RIPK2. This would impact on the metastatic potential of IBC cells. Indeed, we can demonstrate that RIPK2 activity correlated with advanced tumor, metastasis, and group stage as well as body mass index (BMI) to indicate that RIPK2 might be a useful prognostic marker for IBC and advanced stage breast cancer.
Studied Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Effects of Au Nanoparticles on TiO2 by FDTD Simulations
Authors: Yao Guo-Ying , Liu Qing-Lu , Zhao Zong-Yan
Published: June 2018

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) plays a significant role in the fields of photocatalysis and solar cells. It can not only broaden the spectral response range of materials, but also improve the separation probability of photo-generated electron-hole pairs through local field enhancement or hot electron injection. In this article, the LSPR effects of Au/TiO2 composite photocatalyst, with different sizes and shapes, have been simulated by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The variation tendency of the resonance-absorption peaks and the intensity of enhanced local enhanced electric field were systematically compared and emphasized. When the location of Au nanosphere is gradually immersed into the TiO2 substrate, the local enhanced electric field of the boundary is gradually enhanced. When Au nanoshperes are covered by TiO2 at 100 nm depths, the local enhanced electric field intensities reach the maximum value. However, when Au nanorods are loaded on the surface of the TiO2 substrate, the intensity of the corresponding enhanced local enhanced electric field is the maximum. Au nanospheres produce two strong absorption peaks in the visible light region, which are induced by the LSPR effect and interband transitions between Au nanoparticles and the TiO2 substrate. For the LSPR resonance-absorption peaks, the corresponding position is red-shifted by about 100 nm, as the location of Au nanospheres are gradually immersed into the TiO2 substrate. On the other hand, the size change of the Au nanorods do not lead to a similar variation of the LSPR resonance-absorption peaks, except to change the length-diameter ratio. Meanwhile, the LSPR effects are obviously interfered with by the interband transitions between the Au nanorods and TiO2 substrate. At the end of this article, three photo-generated carrier separation mechanisms are proposed. Among them, the existence of direct electron transfer between Au nanoparticles and the TiO2 substrate leads to the enhanced local enhanced electric field at the boundaries, which is favorable for the improvement of photocatalytic performance of TiO2. These findings could explain the underlying mechanism of some experimental observations in published experimental works, and helpful to design highly efficient composite photocatalysts that contain noble metal co-catalyst nanoparticles.
Industrial Applications of Enzymes: Recent Advances, Techniques, and Outlooks
Authors: Chapman Jordan , Ismail Ahmed E. , Dinu Cerasela Zoica
Published: June 2018

Enzymes as industrial biocatalysts offer numerous advantages over traditional chemical processes with respect to sustainability and process efficiency. Enzyme catalysis has been scaled up for commercial processes in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries, although further enhancements in stability and biocatalyst functionality are required for optimal biocatalytic processes in the energy sector for biofuel production and in natural gas conversion. The technical barriers associated with the implementation of immobilized enzymes suggest that a multidisciplinary approach is necessary for the development of immobilized biocatalysts applicable in such industrial-scale processes. Specifically, the overlap of technical expertise in enzyme immobilization, protein and process engineering will define the next generation of immobilized biocatalysts and the successful scale-up of their induced processes. This review discusses how biocatalysis has been successfully deployed, how enzyme immobilization can improve industrial processes, as well as focuses on the analysis tools critical for the multi-scale implementation of enzyme immobilization for increased product yield at maximum market profitability and minimum logistical burden on the environment and user.
Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Technique for Dielectric Measurement of Biological Tissues: Challenges and Common Practices
Authors: La Gioia Alessandra , Porter Emily , Merunka Ilja , Shahzad Atif , Salahuddin Saqib , Jones Marggie , O’Halloran Martin
Published: June 2018

Electromagnetic (EM) medical technologies are rapidly expanding worldwide for both diagnostics and therapeutics. As these technologies are low-cost and minimally invasive, they have been the focus of significant research efforts in recent years. Such technologies are often based on the assumption that there is a contrast in the dielectric properties of different tissue types or that the properties of particular tissues fall within a defined range. Thus, accurate knowledge of the dielectric properties of biological tissues is fundamental to EM medical technologies. Over the past decades, numerous studies were conducted to expand the dielectric repository of biological tissues. However, dielectric data is not yet available for every tissue type and at every temperature and frequency. For this reason, dielectric measurements may be performed by researchers who are not specialists in the acquisition of tissue dielectric properties. To this end, this paper reviews the tissue dielectric measurement process performed with an open-ended coaxial probe. Given the high number of factors, including equipment- and tissue-related confounders, that can increase the measurement uncertainty or introduce errors into the tissue dielectric data, this work discusses each step of the coaxial probe measurement procedure, highlighting common practices, challenges, and techniques for controlling and compensating for confounders.
Truncated Power-Normal Distribution with Application to Non-Negative Measurements
Authors: Castillo Nabor O. , Gallardo Diego I. , Bolfarine Heleno , Gómez Héctor W.
Published: June 2018

This paper focuses on studying a truncated positive version of the power-normal (PN) model considered in Durrans (1992). The truncation point is considered to be zero so that the resulting model is an extension of the half normal distribution. Some probabilistic properties are studied for the proposed model along with maximum likelihood and moments estimation. The model is fitted to two real datasets and compared with alternative models for positive data. Results indicate good performance of the proposed model.
Solutions of a Two-Particle Interacting Quantum Walk
Authors: Bisio Alessandro , D’Ariano Giacomo Mauro , Mosco Nicola , Perinotti Paolo , Tosini Alessandro
Published: June 2018

We study the solutions of an interacting Fermionic cellular automaton which is the analogue of the Thirring model with both space and time discrete. We present a derivation of the two-particle solutions of the automaton recently in the literature, which exploits the symmetries of the evolution operator. In the two-particle sector, the evolution operator is given by the sequence of two steps, the first one corresponding to a unitary interaction activated by two-particle excitation at the same site, and the second one to two independent one-dimensional Dirac quantum walks. The interaction step can be regarded as the discrete-time version of the interacting term of some Hamiltonian integrable system, such as the Hubbard or the Thirring model. The present automaton exhibits scattering solutions with nontrivial momentum transfer, jumping between different regions of the Brillouin zone that can be interpreted as Fermion-doubled particles, in stark contrast with the customary momentum-exchange of the one-dimensional Hamiltonian systems. A further difference compared to the Hamiltonian model is that there exist bound states for every value of the total momentum and of the coupling constant. Even in the special case of vanishing coupling, the walk manifests bound states, for finitely many isolated values of the total momentum. As a complement to the analytical derivations we show numerical simulations of the interacting evolution.
Complexity Analysis of Global Temperature Time Series
Authors: Lopes António M. , Tenreiro Machado J. A.
Published: June 2018

Climate has complex dynamics due to the plethora of phenomena underlying its evolution. These characteristics pose challenges to conducting solid quantitative analysis and reaching assertive conclusions. In this paper, the global temperature time series (TTS) is viewed as a manifestation of the climate evolution, and its complexity is calculated by means of four different indices, namely the Lempel–Ziv complexity, sample entropy, signal harmonics power ratio, and fractal dimension. In the first phase, the monthly mean TTS is pre-processed by means of empirical mode decomposition, and the TTS trend is calculated. In the second phase, the complexity of the detrended signals is estimated. The four indices capture distinct features of the TTS dynamics in a 4-dim space. Hierarchical clustering is adopted for dimensional reduction and visualization in the 2-dim space. The results show that TTS complexity exhibits space-time variability, suggesting the presence of distinct climate forcing processes in both dimensions. Numerical examples with real-world data demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Analysis of Cell Signal Transduction Based on Kullback–Leibler Divergence: Channel Capacity and Conservation of Its Production Rate during Cascade
Authors: Tsuruyama Tatsuaki
Published: June 2018

Kullback–Leibler divergence (KLD) is a type of extended mutual entropy, which is used as a measure of information gain when transferring from a prior distribution to a posterior distribution. In this study, KLD is applied to the thermodynamic analysis of cell signal transduction cascade and serves an alternative to mutual entropy. When KLD is minimized, the divergence is given by the ratio of the prior selection probability of the signaling molecule to the posterior selection probability. Moreover, the information gain during the entire channel is shown to be adequately described by average KLD production rate. Thus, this approach provides a framework for the quantitative analysis of signal transduction. Moreover, the proposed approach can identify an effective cascade for a signaling network.
Factoid Question Answering with Distant Supervision
Authors: Zhang Hongzhi , Liang Xiao , Xu Guangluan , Fu Kun , Li Feng , Huang Tinglei
Published: June 2018

Automatic question answering (QA), which can greatly facilitate the access to information, is an important task in artificial intelligence. Recent years have witnessed the development of QA methods based on deep learning. However, a great amount of data is needed to train deep neural networks, and it is laborious to annotate training data for factoid QA of new domains or languages. In this paper, a distantly supervised method is proposed to automatically generate QA pairs. Additional efforts are paid to let the generated questions reflect the query interests and expression styles of users by exploring the community QA. Specifically, the generated questions are selected according to the estimated probabilities they are asked. Diverse paraphrases of questions are mined from community QA data, considering that the model trained on monotonous synthetic questions is very sensitive to variants of question expressions. Experimental results show that the model solely trained on generated data via the distant supervision and mined paraphrases could answer real-world questions with the accuracy of 49.34%. When limited annotated training data is available, significant improvements could be achieved by incorporating the generated data. An improvement of 1.35 absolute points is still observed on WebQA, a dataset with large-scale annotated training samples.
On a Common Misconception Regarding the de Broglie–Bohm Theory
Authors: Passon Oliver
Published: June 2018

We discuss a common misconception regarding the de Broglie–Bohm (dBB) theory; namely, that it not only assigns a position to each quantum object but also contains the momenta as “hidden variables”. Sometimes this alleged property of the theory is even used to argue that the dBB theory is inconsistent with quantum theory. We explain why this claim is unfounded and show in particular how this misconception veils the true novelty of the dBB theory.
Esterification of Jatropha Oil with Isopropanol via Ultrasonic Irradiation
Authors: Chang Chia-Chi , Teng Syuan , Yuan Min-Hao , Ji Dar-Ren , Chang Ching-Yuan , Chen Yi-Hung , Shie Je-Lueng , Ho Chungfang , Tian Sz-Ying , Andrade-Tacca Cesar Augusto , Manh Do Van , Tsai Min-Yi , Chang Mei-Chin , Chen Yen-Hau , Huang Michael , Liu Bo-Liang
Published: June 2018

The reduction of high acid value (AV) of inedible jatropha oil (JO) by esterification with isopropanol (IPA), which is a common alcohol solvent waste in Taiwan’s high-tech industry, was studied. The decrease of AV is beneficial for the subsequent transesterification to produce JO biodiesel (i.e., biodiesel of fatty acid isopropyl ester (FAIE)). Acid catalyst (H2SO4) and a novel mixing/emulsion technique using ultrasound irradiation (UI) were applied to promote and facilitate the esterification process. The results showed that increased IPA/oil molar ratio (MIOE) can significantly reduce the AV, kinematic viscosity (KV), density (ρLO), and water content (MW) of esterified JO, while also providing the benefit of enhancing the yield (YF) of biodiesel of FAIE. For example, with MIOE = 5 at esterification temperature (TE) = 394.2 K (393.8–394.7 K), a reduction of AV of 99.25% with YF of 67.15% can be achieved. Free fatty acid (FFA) was reduced from 18.06 wt.% to 0.14 wt.%, indicating 17.92 wt.% out of 18.06 wt.% of FFA was esterified to FAIE. As a result, among the YF of 67.15%, 49.23% (= 67.15 wt.% deducting 17.92 wt.%) was contributed by the transesterification of triglycerides. By esterification of high FFA-containing raw JO with acid catalyst, one can not only avoid saponification, but also reduce the loading of the subsequent alkali-catalyzed transesterification. Moreover, increasing TE from 394.2 to 454.4 K further reduced AV (from 0.27 to 0.084 mg KOH/g) and MW (from 0.27 to 0.043 wt.%), but, on the other hand, it increased KV (from 14.62 to 25.2 mm2/s) and ρLO (from 901.6 to 913.3 kg/m3), while it decreased YF (from 67.15 to 25.84%). In sum, IPA was successfully used as a replacement for methanol in the esterification of JO while UI provided mixing/emulsion along with heating resulting from cavitation for the system.
Optimal Planning Method of On-load Capacity Regulating Distribution Transformers in Urban Distribution Networks after Electric Energy Replacement Considering Uncertainties
Authors: Su Yu , Zhou Niancheng , Wang Qianggang , Lei Chao , Fang Jian
Published: June 2018

Electric energy replacement is the umbrella term for the use of electric energy to replace oil (e.g., electric automobiles), coal (e.g., electric heating), and gas (e.g., electric cooking appliances), which increases the electrical load peak, causing greater valley/peak differences. On-load capacity regulating distribution transformers have been used to deal with loads with great valley/peak differences, so reasonably replacing conventional distribution transformers with on-load capacity regulating distribution transformers can effectively cope with load changes after electric energy replacement and reduce the no-load losses of distribution transformers. Before planning for on-load capacity regulating distribution transformers, the nodal effective load considering uncertainties within the life cycle after electric energy replacement was obtained by a Monte Carlo method. Then, according to the loss relation between on-load capacity regulating distribution transformers and conventional distribution transformers, three characteristic indexes of annual continuous apparent power curve and replacement criteria for on-load capacity regulating distribution transformers were put forward in this paper, and a set of distribution transformer replaceable points was obtained. Next, based on cost benefit analysis, a planning model of on-load capacity regulating distribution transformers which consists of investment profitability index within the life cycle, investment cost recouping index and capacity regulating cost index was put forward. The branch and bound method was used to solve the planning model within replaceable point set to obtain upgrading and reconstruction scheme of distribution transformers under a certain investment. Finally, planning analysis of on-load capacity regulating distribution transformers was carried out for electric energy replacement points in one urban distribution network under three scenes: certain load, uncertain load and nodal effective load considering uncertainties. Results showed that the planning method of on-load capacity regulating distribution transformers proposed in this paper was very feasible and is of great guiding significance to distribution transformer planning after electric energy replacement and the popularization of on-load capacity regulating distribution transformers.
Adaptive Higher-Order Sliding Mode Control for Islanding and Grid-Connected Operation of a Microgrid
Authors: Han Yaozhen , Ma Ronglin , Cui Jinghan
Published: June 2018

Grid-connected and islanding operations of a microgrid are often influenced by system uncertainties, such as load parameter variations and unmodeled dynamics. This paper proposes a novel adaptive higher-order sliding mode (AHOSM) control strategy to enhance system robustness and handle an unknown uncertainty upper bounds problem. Firstly, microgrid models with uncertainties are established under islanding and grid-connected modes. Then, adaptive third-order sliding mode and adaptive second-order sliding mode control schemes are respectively designed for the two modes. Microgrid models’ descriptions are divided into nominal part and uncertain part, and higher-order sliding mode (HOSM) control problems are transformed into finite time stability problems. Again, a scheduled law is proposed to increase or decrease sliding mode control gain adaptively. Real higher-order sliding modes are established, and finite time stability is proven based on the Lyapunov method. In order to achieve smooth mode transformation, an islanding mode detection algorithm is also adopted. The proposed control strategy accomplishes voltage control and current control of islanding mode and grid-connected mode. Control voltages are continuous, and uncertainty upper bounds are not required. Furthermore, adjustable control gain can further whittle control chattering. Simulation experiments verify the validity and robustness of the proposed control scheme.
Forecasting Electricity Market Price for End Users in EU28 until 2020—Main Factors of Influence
Authors: Pezzutto Simon , Grilli Gianluca , Zambotti Stefano , Dunjic Stefan
Published: June 2018

The scope of the present investigation is to provide a description of final electricity prices development in the context of deregulated electricity markets in EU28, up to 2020. We introduce a new methodology to predict long-term electricity market prices consisting of two parts: (1) a self-developed form of Porter’s five forces analysis (PFFA) determining that electricity markets are characterized by a fairly steady price increase. Dominant driving factors come out to be: (i) uncertainty of future electricity prices; (ii) regulatory complexity; and (iii) generation overcapacities. Similar conclusions derive from (2) a self-developed form of multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). In this case, we find that the electricity market particularly depends on (i) market liberalization and (ii) the European Union (EU)’s economy growth. The applied methodologies provide a novel contribution in forecasting electricity price trends, by analyzing the sentiments, expectations, and knowledge of industry experts, through an assessment of factors influencing the market price and goals of key market participants. An extensive survey was conducted, interviewing experts all over Europe showed that the electricity market is subject to a future slight price increase.
Characteristics of Students Who Frequently Conduct Plant Observations: Toward Fostering Leaders and Supporters of Fixed-Point Observation of Forests
Authors: Nakamura Kazuhiko W. , Fukumoto Rui , Horie Yuta
Published: June 2018

In order to foster leaders and supporters of fixed-point observation for sustainable forest management, it is considered effective to focus on students who have demonstrated potential for fixed-point observations of forests in the universal education stage. This study aims to identify the characteristics of students who frequently conduct plant observations, which is the basis for the fixed-point observation of forests, including methods involving photography. We conducted a questionnaire survey, which consisted of 19 questions that provided insight into junior high school students’ experiences, opportunities, and interests related to plant observation. We compared students who have conducted plant observations with those who have not, using Fisher’s exact test and multiple comparisons using the Benjamini and Hochberg method. The ratio of students who frequently conducted plant observations was significantly higher among female students than male students, and their characteristics differed by gender. The significant characteristics of male students included farm work experience and niche hobbies such as camping and lighting a bonfire, as well as using digital single-lens reflex cameras for photography; female students had relatively niche hobbies such as enjoying science. Students who increased the frequency of plant observations after the lecture about fixed-point observations of forests had an inclination toward social studies and tended not to use a smartphone for photography.
On the Future of Legal Publishing Services in the Semantic Web
Authors: Francesconi Enrico
Published: June 2018

The development of the Semantic Web represents an essential precondition to the definition of new scenarios for the future Internet. This perspective is of particular interest in the legal information domain for the specialized nature of legal information and the peculiarities of the legal users’ information needs. In this paper, the evolution in recent years of the Semantic Web in the legal domain is reviewed, with particular emphasis to the most recent developments related to Linked Open Data initiative and to the role, in the legal Semantic Web, of the Publications Office of the European Union in its two-fold role of public institution and legal publisher.
Relativistic Motion of Stars near Rotating Black Holes
Authors: Tito Elizabeth , Pavlov Vadim
Published: June 2018

Formulation of the Lagrangian approach is presented for studying features of motions of stellar bodies with non-zero rest mass in the vicinity of fast-spinning black holes. The structure of Lagrangian is discussed. The general method is applied to description of body motion in the Kerr model of space–time to transition to the problem of tidal disruption of elastic bodies by a strong gravitational field.
Synthesis of Biomaterials Utilizing Microfluidic Technology
Authors: Wang Xiaohong , Liu Jinfeng , Wang Peizhou , DeMello Andrew , Feng Lingyan , Zhu Xiaoli , Wen Weijia , Kodzius Rimantas , Gong Xiuqing
Published: June 2018

Recently, microfluidic technologies have attracted an enormous amount of interest as potential new tools for a large range of applications including materials synthesis, chemical and biological detection, drug delivery and screening, point-of-care diagnostics, and in-the-field analysis. Their ability to handle extremely small volumes of fluids is accompanied by additional benefits, most notably, rapid and efficient mass and heat transfer. In addition, reactions performed within microfluidic systems are highly controlled, meaning that many advanced materials, with uniform and bespoke properties, can be synthesized in a direct and rapid manner. In this review, we discuss the utility of microfluidic systems in the synthesis of materials for a variety of biological applications. Such materials include microparticles or microcapsules for drug delivery, nanoscale materials for medicine or cellular assays, and micro- or nanofibers for tissue engineering.
Response of Soils and Soil Ecosystems to the Pennsylvanian–Permian Climate Transition in the Upper Fluvial Plain of the Dunkard Basin, Southeastern Ohio, USA
Authors: Hembree Daniel , Carnes Jennifer
Published: June 2018

Direct exposure of paleosols to the atmosphere during formation make them ideal for reconstructing paleoclimate. Paleosol and ichnofossil properties are dependently linked making it important to study them in tandem, to avoid errors in interpretation. Small scale studies (<1 km) yield high resolution data that can be used to assess allogenic processes through comparison of spatial and temporal trends. This study used field and laboratory analyses to gather data from Late Pennsylvanian to Early Permian Upper Monongahela and Lower Dunkard group paleosols on Ohio Route 33 in Meigs County, OH, USA. The physical and geochemical properties of the paleosols from the field sites indicate that channel migration was the primary control on paleosol formation in the study area, however, a clear climate signal was observed. The change in paleosol type and calculated mean annual precipitation (MAP) values indicate that the climate became more strongly seasonal and drier over the course of the Pennsylvanian–Permian transition with a temporary excursion to a more ever-wet climate with higher MAP, marked by the occurrence of the Waynesburg Coal at the Pennsylvanian–Permian boundary.
Trend of Age-Adjusted Rates of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury in U.S. Emergency Departments from 2006 to 2013
Authors: Chen Cheng , Peng Jin , Sribnick Eric A. , Zhu Motao , Xiang Henry
Published: June 2018

Objective: To use the 2006–2013 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) database to describe trends of age-adjusted rates of pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBI) treated in U.S. emergency departments. Methods: Time trend analysis was conducted on age-adjusted rates among children ≤17 years in the U.S. The annual percent change (APC) was calculated by fitting a least squares regression to the logarithm of the rates, using the calendar year as an independent variable. Results: In males, motor-vehicle-related trauma (APC −2.5%) and severe TBI (APC −3.6%) decreased over the study time period. Conversely, concussion (APC 5.1%), unspecified head injury (APC 6.6%), fall-related TBI (APC 7.1%), and mild TBI (APC 5.9%) increased. In females, severe TBI (APC −3.3%) decreased over the study time period and concussion (APC 6.5%), unspecified head injury (APC 7.2%), fall-related TBI (APC 7.6%), and mild TBI (APC 6.8%) increased. Conclusion: The overall age-adjusted rates of pediatric TBI-related emergency department (ED) visits increased from 2006 to 2013, which is largely caused by pediatric mild TBIs, especially unspecified injury to the head (ICD-9-CM code 959.01) and concussion. In comparison, age-adjusted rates of pediatric severe TBIs decreased. A major contributing factor might be a reduced number of traffic-related head trauma.
The Impacts of Transportation Infrastructure on Sustainable Development: Emerging Trends and Challenges
Authors: Wang Luqi , Xue Xiaolong , Zhao Zebin , Wang Zeyu
Published: June 2018

Transportation infrastructure has an enormous impact on sustainable development. To identify multiple impacts of transportation infrastructure and show emerging trends and challenges, this paper presents a scientometric review based on 2543 published articles from 2000 to 2017 through co-author, co-occurring and co-citation analysis. In addition, the hierarchy of key concepts was analyzed to show emerging research objects, methods and levels according to the clustering information, which includes title, keyword and abstract. The results expressed by visual graphs compared high-impact authors, collaborative relationships among institutions in developed and developing countries. In addition, representative research issues related to the economy, society and environment were identified such as cost overrun, spatial economy, prioritizing structure, local development and land value. Additionally, two future directions, integrated research of various effects and structure analysis of transportation network, are recommended. The findings of this study provide researchers and practitioners with an in-depth understanding of transportation infrastructure’s impacts on sustainable development by visual expression.
Activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathway Contributes to the Protective Effects of Sargassum serratifolium Extract against Oxidative Stress-Induced DNA Damage and Apoptosis in SW1353 Human Chondrocytes
Authors: Park Cheol , Hong Su Hyun , Shin Soon Shik , Lee Dae-Sung , Han Min Ho , Cha Hee-Jae , Kim Suhkmann , Kim Heui-Soo , Kim Gi-Young , Park Eui Kyun , Jeon You-Jin , Choi Yung Hyun
Published: June 2018

Oxidative stress in chondrocytes plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis as an important cause of articular cartilage degradation. Sargassum serratifolium C. Agardh, a marine brown algae, is known to have potent antioxidant activity. Nevertheless, no study has been conducted yet on the protective efficacy against oxidative stress in chondrocytes. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to investigate the mechanism of the antioxidative effect of ethanol extract of S. serratifolium (EESS) on DNA damage and apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in SW1353 human chondrocytes. For this purpose, SW1353 cells exposed to H2O2 in the presence or absence of EESS were applied to cell viability assay, comet assay, immunoblotting and flow cytometry analyses. Our results showed that EESS effectively attenuated H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage associated with the inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. EESS also weakened the mitochondria membrane permeabilization by H2O2, and recovered H2O2-induced decreased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and pro-caspase-3, and degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. In addition, EESS increased not only expression, but also phosphorylation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), and promoted the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a critical target enzyme of Nrf2, but decreased the expression of kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1; however, the inhibition of HO-1 activity by zinc protoporphyrin abolished the antioxidant potential induced by EESS against H2O2-mediated oxidative stress. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that the antioxidant efficacy of EESS in chondrocytes is at least involved in the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway-dependent mechanism.
Cost-of-Illness and the Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients in the Dengue Fever Outbreak in Hanoi in 2017
Authors: Tran Bach , Thu Vu Giang , Hoang Nguyen Long , Tuan Le Nguyen Anh , Thanh Tran Tung , Thanh Nguyen Binh , Phuong Thi Thai Thao , Latkin Carl , Ho Cyrus , Ho Roger
Published: June 2018

Dengue fever (DF) outbreaks occur intermittently in Vietnam, and the most recent epidemic happened in 2017. However, attempts to measure the burden of DF in relation to the quality of life and the cost of treatment for patients during an epidemic period are constrained. This study explored the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the cost of illness among patients with dengue fever in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bach Mai Hospital from September to November 2017. The EuroQol-5 dimensions-5 levels (EQ-5D-5L) was used to measure HRQOL. Cost-of illness was measured by collecting data about the direct medical cost, the non-medical cost, and the indirect cost. Among 225 patients, most of the participants experienced problems regarding mobility (62.3%), self-care (71.8%), usual activities (64.6%), and anxiety/depression (64.1%). The mean EQ-5D index was 0.66 (SD = 0.24). The median cost of illness for inpatient and outpatient groups were US $110.10 (IQR = US $4.40–1200.00) and US $36.10 (IQR = US $1.80–816.30), respectively. Indirect costs accounted for a major proportion in both groups. Lower-skilled workers and those with a higher severity of the disease had significantly lower HRQOL. Meanwhile, people who were inpatients, had comorbidities, had higher incomes, and who experienced a longer disease duration, had a higher cost of treatment. In conclusion, high costs and severe health deterioration, especially in psychological dimensions, were found in patients with DF in Vietnam. Strengthening primary health care services and communication campaigns are necessary to relieve the burden of diseases and could possibly contribute to effective DF control and prevention strategies.
Teenage Reproductive Health: Pregnancy, Contraception, Unsafe Abortion, Fertility
Authors: Odland Jon Øyvind
Published: June 2018

We are proud to present 14 papers with focus on teenager health in this Special Issue entitled “Teenage Reproductive Health: Pregnancy, Contraception, Unsafe Abortion, Fertility”. [...]
Assessment of Groundwater Susceptibility to Non-Point Source Contaminants Using Three-Dimensional Transient Indexes
Authors: Zhang Yong , Weissmann Gary S. , Fogg Graham E. , Lu Bingqing , Sun HongGuang , Zheng Chunmiao
Published: June 2018

Groundwater susceptibility to non-point source contamination is typically quantified by stable indexes, while groundwater quality evolution (or deterioration globally) can be a long-term process that may last for decades and exhibit strong temporal variations. This study proposes a three-dimensional (3-d), transient index map built upon physical models to characterize the complete temporal evolution of deep aquifer susceptibility. For illustration purposes, the previous travel time probability density (BTTPD) approach is extended to assess the 3-d deep groundwater susceptibility to non-point source contamination within a sequence stratigraphic framework observed in the Kings River fluvial fan (KRFF) aquifer. The BTTPD, which represents complete age distributions underlying a single groundwater sample in a regional-scale aquifer, is used as a quantitative, transient measure of aquifer susceptibility. The resultant 3-d imaging of susceptibility using the simulated BTTPDs in KRFF reveals the strong influence of regional-scale heterogeneity on susceptibility. The regional-scale incised-valley fill deposits increase the susceptibility of aquifers by enhancing rapid downward solute movement and displaying relatively narrow and young age distributions. In contrast, the regional-scale sequence-boundary paleosols within the open-fan deposits “protect” deep aquifers by slowing downward solute movement and displaying a relatively broad and old age distribution. Further comparison of the simulated susceptibility index maps to known contaminant distributions shows that these maps are generally consistent with the high concentration and quick evolution of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) in groundwater around the incised-valley fill since the 1970s’. This application demonstrates that the BTTPDs can be used as quantitative and transient measures of deep aquifer susceptibility to non-point source contamination.
Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia among Inpatients via the Emergency Department: A Propensity-Score Matched Analysis
Authors: Min Jin-young , Kim Hye-Jin , Yoon Chungsik , Lee Kiyoung , Yeo Myoungsouk , Min Kyoung-bok
Published: June 2018

Background: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is an inflammatory condition of the lung that develops at least 48–72 h after admission. HAP is contracted by both intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients, but no studies have examined the risk of HAP in patients admitted to the emergency department (ED). This study investigated the risk of developing HAP in ED patients and compared the occurrence of HAP 3–10 days after the first day of hospitalization in patients hospitalized via ED with those hospitalized via outpatient clinics. Methods: We analyzed the 2010 National Inpatient Sample data collected by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in South Korea. After propensity score matching for age, sex, residential area, hospital, and diseases, 153,130 inpatients (76,565 admitted via ED and 76,565 admitted via outpatient clinics) were included in the analysis. The diagnosis of pneumonia was based on the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (Pneumonia, all (J12–J18); Pneumonia, bacterial (J13–J15); Pneumonia, non-bacterial (J12, J16, J17); and Pneumonia, unspecified (J18)). Results: The percentage of newly diagnosed cases of pneumonia in inpatients admitted via ED was significantly higher than that in inpatients admitted via outpatient clinics. After propensity score matching for baseline characteristics, the likelihood of developing pneumonia (excluding the category of ‘Pneumonia, non-bacterial’) in inpatients hospitalized via ED was significantly increased by 1.33–1.97-fold. The cumulative incidence of pneumonia was also significantly higher in patients admitted via ED than in those hospitalized via outpatient clinics. Conclusions: ED visits may be an important risk factor for the development of HAP.
Ethnic, Geographic, and Genetic Differences in Arsenic Metabolism at Low Arsenic Exposure: A Preliminary Analysis in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)
Authors: Balakrishnan Poojitha , Jones Miranda R. , Vaidya Dhananjay , Tellez-Plaza Maria , Post Wendy S. , Kaufman Joel D. , Bielinski Suzette J. , Taylor Kent , Francesconi Kevin , Goessler Walter , Navas-Acien Ana
Published: June 2018

We investigated the effect of candidate variants in AS3MT (arsenic (III) methyltransferase) with urinary arsenic metabolites and their principal components in a subset of 264 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Urinary arsenic species, including inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsonate (MMA), dimethylarsinate (DMA), and arsenobetaine (Ab), were measured using high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICPMS) and corrected for organic sources from seafood consumption by regressing Ab on arsenic species using a validated method. Principal components of arsenic metabolism were also used as independent phenotypes. We conducted linear regression of arsenic traits with allelic dosage of candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs12768205 (G > A), rs3740394 (A > G), and rs3740393 (G > C) measured using Illumina MetaboChip. Models were stratified by non-Hispanic white vs. all other race/ethnicity and adjusted for age, sex, arsenic exposure, study site, and population stratification. Consistent with previous studies, rs12768205 showed evidence for strongest association (non-Hispanic white: iAs% −0.14 (P 0.83), MMA% −0.66 (0.49), DMA% 0.81(0.49); other race/ethnicity: 0.13 (0.71), −1.21 (0.09), 1.08 (0.20)). No association, however, passed the strict Bonferroni p-value. This was a novel study among an ethnically diverse population exposed to low arsenic levels.
Using Co-Design to Develop a Collective Leadership Intervention for Healthcare Teams to Improve Safety Culture
Authors: Ward Marie E. , De Brún Aoife , Beirne Deirdre , Conway Clare , Cunningham Una , English Alan , Fitzsimons John , Furlong Eileen , Kane Yvonne , Kelly Alan , McDonnell Sinéad , McGinley Sinead , Monaghan Brenda , Myler Ann , Nolan Emer , O’Donovan Róisín , O’Shea Marie , Shuhaiber Arwa , McAuliffe Eilish
Published: June 2018

While co-design methods are becoming more popular in healthcare; there is a gap within the peer-reviewed literature on how to do co-design in practice. This paper addresses this gap by delineating the approach taken in the co-design of a collective leadership intervention to improve healthcare team performance and patient safety culture. Over the course of six workshops healthcare staff, patient representatives and advocates, and health systems researchers collaboratively co-designed the intervention. The inputs to the process, exercises and activities that took place during the workshops and the outputs of the workshops are described. The co-design method, while challenging at times, had many benefits including grounding the intervention in the real-world experiences of healthcare teams. Implications of the method for health systems research are discussed.
Wheat Gene TaATG8j Contributes to Stripe Rust Resistance
Authors: Mamun Md. Abdullah-Al , Tang Chunlei , Sun Yingchao , Islam Md. Nazrul , Liu Peng , Wang Xiaojie , Kang Zhensheng
Published: June 2018

Autophagy-related 8 (ATG8) protein has been reported to be involved in plant’s innate immune response, but it is not clear whether such genes play a similar role in cereal crops against obligate biotrophic fungal pathogens. Here, we reported an ATG8 gene from wheat (Triticum aestivum), designated TaATG8j. This gene has three copies located in chromosomes 2AS, 2BS, and 2DS. The transcriptions of all three copies were upregulated in plants of the wheat cultivar Suwon 11, inoculated with an avirulent race (CYR23) of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), the causal fungal pathogen of stripe rust. The transient expression of TaATG8j in Nicotiana benthamiana showed that TaATG8j proteins were distributed throughout the cytoplasm, but mainly in the nucleus and plasma membrane. The overexpression of TaATG8j in N. benthamiana slightly delayed the cell death caused by the mouse apoptotic protein BAX (BCL2-associated X protein). However, the expression of TaATG8j in yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) induced cell death. The virus-induced gene silencing of all TaATG8j copies rendered Suwon 11 susceptible to the avirulent Pst race CYR23, accompanied by an increased fungal biomass and a decreased necrotic area per infection site. These results indicate that TaATG8j contributes to wheat resistance against stripe rust fungus by regulating cell death, providing information for the understanding of the mechanisms of wheat resistance to the stripe rust pathogen.
Vitamin D Receptor Is Necessary for Mitochondrial Function and Cell Health
Authors: Ricca Chiara , Aillon Alessia , Bergandi Loredana , Alotto Daniela , Castagnoli Carlotta , Silvagno Francesca
Published: June 2018

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) mediates many genomic and non-genomic effects of vitamin D. Recently, the mitochondrial effects of vitamin D have been characterized in many cell types. In this article, we investigated the importance of VDR not only in mitochondrial activity and integrity but also in cell health. The silencing of the receptor in different healthy, non-transformed, and cancer cells initially decreased cell growth and modulated the cell cycle. We demonstrated that, in silenced cells, the increased respiratory activity was associated with elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In the long run, the absence of the receptor caused impairment of mitochondrial integrity and, finally, cell death. Our data reveal that VDR plays a central role in protecting cells from excessive respiration and production of ROS that leads to cell damage. Because we confirmed our observations in different models of both normal and cancer cells, we conclude that VDR is essential for the health of human tissues.
Rv0613c/MSMEG_1285 Interacts with HBHA and Mediates Its Proper Cell-Surface Exposure in Mycobacteria
Authors: Veyron-Churlet Romain , Dupres Vincent , Saliou Jean-Michel , Lafont Frank , Raze Dominique , Locht Camille
Published: June 2018

Heparin-binding haemagglutinin (HBHA) is a surface-exposed virulence factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is involved in the binding of mycobacteria to non-phagocytic cells, allowing for extra-pulmonary dissemination of the bacilli. Despite its surface exposure, HBHA is not produced as a pre-protein containing a typical cleavable N-terminal signal peptide and is thus likely secreted by a Sec-independent, as of yet unknown mechanism. Here, we used the bacterial adenylate cyclase two-hybrid system to identify the proteins encoded by rv0613c and mmpL14 as being able to interact with HBHA. Our study was focused on Rv0613c, as it showed more consistent interactions with HBHA than MmpL14. Deletion of its orthologous gene MSMEG_1285 in recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis producing HBHA from M. tuberculosis resulted in the loss of proper surface exposure of HBHA, as evidenced by atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, the lack of MSMEG_1285 also abolished the clumping phenotype and rough colony morphology of the recombinant M. smegmatis and reduced its adherence to A549 epithelial cells. These phenotypes have previously been associated with surface-exposed HBHA. Thus, MSMEG_1285 is directly involved in the proper cell-surface exposure of HBHA. These observations identify MSMEG_1285/Rv0613c as the first accessory protein involved in the cell surface exposure of HBHA.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 as a Possible Alternative to Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 to Induce Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Vitro
Authors: Reible Bruno , Schmidmaier Gerhard , Moghaddam Arash , Westhauser Fabian
Published: June 2018

Growth factors and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) support consolidation of bone defects. Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 (BMP-7) has been used clinically and experimentally, but the outcomes remain controversial. Increased systemic expression of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) significantly correlates with successful regeneration of bone healing disorders, making IGF-1 a promising alternative to BMP-7. There is no experimental data comparing the osteoinductive potential of IGF-1 and BMP-7. Therefore, in this study, the influence of IGF-1 and BMP-7 in different concentrations on the osteogenic differentiation of two human MSC-subtypes, isolated from reaming debris (RMSC) and iliac crest bone marrow (BMSC) has been assessed. A more sensitive reaction of BMSC towards stimulation with IGF-1 in concentrations of 400–800 ng/mL was found, leading to a significantly higher degree of osteogenic differentiation compared to stimulation with BMP-7. RMSC react more sensitively to stimulation with BMP-7 compared to BMSC. Lower concentrations of IGF-1 were necessary to significantly increase osteogenic differentiation of RMSC and BMSC compared to BMP-7. Therefore, IGF-1 should be considered as a valuable option to improve osteogenic differentiation of MSC and merits further experimental consideration. The MSC subtype and method of differentiation factor application also have to be considered, as they affect the outcome of osteogenic differentiation.