bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anthropometric status between tribal and non tribal school children
Authors: Das Anup Kanti , Biswas Manaj Kumar , Pal Suparna , Biswas Gonopati
Published: June 2015

A descriptive cross sectional study named "Anthropometric status between tribal and non tribal school children" was conducted on Guimara primary school, Matiranga, Kharagrachari and Thana primary school, Sitakund, Chittagong to assess the difference in nutritional status between tribal and non tribal school children aged 6 to 10 years in terms of selected indicators. The indicators were height for age Z score, weight for height Z score, and weight for age Z score. Data were collected by interview from mother of the child through semi-structured questionnaire and measuring height and weight of 128 children. Among them 63 were selected from tribal community and 65 from non tribal area. The study revealed that 9.2% non tribal and 7.9% tribal children were severely stunted, 12.3% non tribal and 1.6% tribal were moderately wasted and 9.2% non tribal and 1.6% tribal children were moderately underweight. In relation to sex among tribal children 12.9% tribal boys and 3.1% tribal girls were severely stunted, only 3.2% tribal boys were both moderately wasted and underweight. In case of non tribal children 17.9% boys and 2.7% girls were severely stunted, 17.9% boys and 8.1% girls were moderately wasted and 17.9% boys and 2.7% girls were moderately underweight. According to the age group of 6 to 7 years it was found that, only 4.2% non tribal children were severely stunted and 29.2% were moderately stunted where as 12% tribal children were moderately stunted. In both case of moderately wasting and underweight non tribal were 8.5% more than tribal children and among 8 to 10 years age group it was 12.2% and 7.3% more respectively and in case of severely stunted tribal children were 1% more than non tribal. Improper dietary practice was also found among the two group of study population. Information and health education should be provided to the parents of the children by community participation regarding proper use of sanitary latrine, provision of safe drinking water and proper dietary practice.Faridpur Med. Coll. J. 2014;9(1): 12-18
Amblyopia of refractive origin: a clinical evaluation
Authors: Hossain Khandaker Anowar , Rashid Md Abdur , Islam AKM Rafiqul
Published: June 2015

Amblyopia is defined as unilateral or bilateral decrease in visual acuity without any organic ocular lesion. It generally develops during the first decade of life when the visual system is vulnerable to deprivation. Unilateral amblyopia is more common than bilateral and the amblyopic eye is called lazy eye. This study was carried out in Faridpur Medical College & Hospital (FMCH) and Diabetic Association Medical College & Hospital (DAMCH) Faridpur, in the department of Ophthalmology from January - 2010 to December 2012 with a view to establish that anisometropic (Refractive) amblyopia is more in patients with astigmatism with the rule of both hypermetropic & myopic types also astigmatism against the rule in hypermetropic patients but simple myopia is not associated with amblyopia. Clinically diagnosed 110 patients of amblyopia of refractive origin were selected. Age of the patients was 6 to 15 years with male & female ratio 1.2:1. There was no pathology in the eyes except refractive error. Refraction done all the cases and found the following results: 26 cases (23.63%) of simple myopic astigmatism with the rule, 19 cases (17.27%) of compound myopic astigmatism with the rule, 10 cases (9.09%) of simple hypermetropia, 38 cases (34.54%) of simple hypermertopic astigmatism with the rule and 17 cases (15.45%) of compound hypermetropic astigmatism againt the rule. No case of simple myopia was associated with amblyopia. Amblyopia was more in patients with astigmatism with the rule of both hypermetropic and myopic types and also astigmatism against the rule in hypermetropic patients but simple myopia was not associated with amblyopia.Faridpur Med. Coll. J. 2014;9(1): 35-36
Nonsyndromic aplasia cutis congenita: a case report
Authors: Hassan Md Kamrul , Paul Amal Chandra , Fatema Kaneez , Islam Md Raisul
Published: June 2015

Nonsyndromic aplasia cutis congenita is a condition in which babies are born with localized areas of missing skin. These areas resemble ulcers or open wounds, although they are sometimes already healed at birth. Lesions most commonly occur on the top of the head (skull vertex). In some cases, the bone and other tissues under the skin defect are also underdeveloped. If the baby is born by cesarean section, then the patient's attendants recognize the wound as an injury which might be performed by the surgeon at the time of cesarean section. We are reporting this type of a case whose father attempted to take legal procedure against the surgeon, but finally he understood that this was a congenital disease of his baby.Faridpur Med. Coll. J. 2014;9(1): 56-57
Vurdering for yrkesrelevant opplæring
Authors: Sylte Ann Lisa
Published: June 2015

Nye vurderingsverktøy som var kjent for elevene førte til økt motivasjon og økt læringsutbytte. Vurderingsverktøyene hadde tydelige kjennetegn med beskrivelse av kvaliteten på kompetansemålene og nivå for måloppnåelse. Stor grad av elevmedvirkning gjennom elevenes deltakelse i valg av arbeidsmåter, egenvurdering og yrkesrelevante kjennetegn bidro til meningsfull og yrkesrelevant opplæring. Artikkelen bygger på et aksjonsforskningsprosjekt (2006 – 2010) om kunnskapsutvikling og implementering av nye læreplaner (Kunnskapsløftet 2006) i Norge. Lav yrkesrelevans og stort frafall i den norske yrkesopplæringen var bakgrunnen for aksjonsforskningsprosjektet. For å utvikle yrkesrelevant og meningsfylt opplæring preget av elevmedvirkning, fra første dag i videregående skole, stod utvikling av lærernes yrkespedagogiske og -didaktiske kompetanse gjennom skoleutviklingsprosjekter sentralt i aksjonsforskningsprosjektet. I aksjonsforskningsprosjektet forsket lærere i videregående skole på egen praksis gjennom utvikling av yrkesdidaktiske metoder som blant annet nye vurderingsverktøy som fremmet yrkesrelevant opplæring. Artikkelen belyser og drøfter hvordan utvikling av vurderingsverktøy med kjennetegn kan fremme yrkesrelevant opplæring og dets utfordringer.
Autocorrelation and Frequency-Resolved Optical Gating Measurements Based on the Third Harmonic Generation in a Gaseous Medium
Authors: Takao Yoshinari , Imasaka Tomoko , Kida Yuichiro , Imasaka Totaro
Published: June 2015

A gas was utilized in producing the third harmonic emission as a nonlinear optical medium for autocorrelation and frequency-resolved optical gating measurements to evaluate the pulse width and chirp of a Ti:sapphire laser. Due to a wide frequency domain available for a gas, this approach has potential for use in measuring the pulse width in the optical (ultraviolet/visible) region beyond one octave and thus for measuring an optical pulse width less than 1 fs.
Land-Atmosphere Transfer Parameters in the Brazilian Pantanal during the Dry Season
Authors: Martano Paolo , Filho Edson , De Abreu Sá Leonardo
Published: June 2015

The Brazilian region of Pantanal is one of the largest wetlands in the world, characterized by a wet season, in which it is covered by a shallow water layer, and a dry season, in which the water layer disappears. The aim of this study is the estimation of the main parameters (drag coefficients and surface scale lengths) involved in modelling the surface atmosphere transfer of momentum, heat and water vapor from the dataset of the second Interdisciplinary Pantanal Experiment (IPE2). The roughness parameters and the stability correction parameters have been estimated in the framework of the similarity theory for the vertical profiles of wind speed and temperature. Thus, a previously-developed methodology was adapted to the available dataset from the IPE2 five-level mast. The results are in reasonable agreement with the available literature. An attempt to obtain the scalar transfer parameters for water vapor has been performed by a Penman–Monteith approach using a two-component surface resistance in parallel between a vegetation and a bare soil part. The parameters of the model have been calibrated using a non-linear regression method. The scalar drag coefficient retrieved in this way is in agreement with that calculated by the flux-gradient approach for the sensible heat flux. Eventually, an evaluation of the vegetation contribution to the total vapor flux is given.
A Comparative Study of Physiological Monitoring with a Wearable Opto-Electronic Patch Sensor (OEPS) for Motion Reduction
Authors: Alzahrani Abdullah , Hu Sijung , Azorin-Peris Vicente
Published: June 2015

This paper presents a comparative study in physiological monitoring between a wearable opto-electronic patch sensor (OEPS) comprising a three-axis Microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) accelerometer (3MA) and commercial devices. The study aims to effectively capture critical physiological parameters, for instance, oxygen saturation, heart rate, respiration rate and heart rate variability, as extracted from the pulsatile waveforms captured by OEPS against motion artefacts when using the commercial probe. The protocol involved 16 healthy subjects and was designed to test the features of OEPS, with emphasis on the effective reduction of motion artefacts through the utilization of a 3MA as a movement reference. The results show significant agreement between the heart rates from the reference measurements and the recovered signals. Significance of standard deviation and error of mean yield values of 2.27 and 0.65 beats per minute, respectively; and a high correlation (0.97) between the results of the commercial sensor and OEPS. T, Wilcoxon and Bland-Altman with 95% limit of agreement tests were also applied in the comparison of heart rates extracted from these sensors, yielding a mean difference (MD: 0.08). The outcome of the present work incites the prospects of OEPS on physiological monitoring during physical activities.
Delayed-Compensation Algorithm for Second-Order Leader-Following Consensus Seeking under Communication Delay
Authors: Liu Cheng-Lin , Liu Fei
Published: June 2015

In this paper, the leader-following consensus algorithm, which is accompanied with compensations related to neighboring agents’ delayed states, is constructed for second-order multi-agent systems with communication delay. Using frequency-domain analysis, delay-independent and delay-dependent consensus conditions are obtained for second-order agents respectively to converge to the dynamical leader’s states asymptotically. Simulation illustrates the correctness of the results.
Radial Wavelet Neural Network with a Novel Self-Creating Disk-Cell-Splitting Algorithm for License Plate Character Recognition
Authors: Cheng Rong , Bai Yanping , Hu Hongping , Tan Xiuhui
Published: June 2015

In this paper, a novel self-creating disk-cell-splitting (SCDCS) algorithm is proposed for training the radial wavelet neural network (RWNN) model. Combining with the least square (LS) method which determines the linear weight coefficients, SCDCS can create neurons adaptively on a disk according to the distribution of input data and learning goals. As a result, a disk map is made for input data as well as a RWNN model with proper architecture and parameters can be decided for the recognition task. The proposed SCDCS-LS based RWNN model is employed for the recognition of license plate characters. Compared to the classical radial-basis-function (RBF) network with K-means clustering and LS, the proposed model can make a better recognition performance even with fewer neurons.
A Colour Image Encryption Scheme Using Permutation-Substitution Based on Chaos
Authors: Wang Xing-Yuan , Zhang Ying-Qian , Bao Xue-Mei
Published: June 2015

An encryption scheme for colour images using a spatiotemporal chaotic system is proposed. Initially, we use the R, G and B components of a colour plain-image to form a matrix. Then the matrix is permutated by using zigzag path scrambling. The resultant matrix is then passed through a substitution process. Finally, the ciphered colour image is obtained from the confused matrix. Theoretical analysis and experimental results indicate that the proposed scheme is both secure and practical, which make it suitable for encrypting colour images of any size.
An Integrated Chip High-Voltage Power Receiver for Wireless Biomedical Implants
Authors: Nair Vijith , Choi Jun
Published: June 2015

In near-field wireless-powered biomedical implants, the receiver voltage largely overrides the compliance of low-voltage power receiver systems. To limit the induced voltage, generally, low-voltage topologies utilize limiter circuits, voltage clippers or shunt regulators, which are power-inefficient methods. In order to overcome the voltage limitation and improve power efficiency, we propose an integrated chip high-voltage power receiver based on the step down approach. The topology accommodates voltages as high as 30 V and comprises a high-voltage semi-active rectifier, a voltage reference generator and a series regulator. Further, a battery management circuit that enables safe and reliable implant battery charging based on analog control is proposed and realized. The power receiver is fabricated in 0.35-μm high-voltage Bipolar-CMOS-DMOStechnology based on the LOCOS0.35-μm CMOS process. Measurement results indicate 83.5% power conversion efficiency for a rectifier at 2.1 mA load current. The low drop-out regulator based on the current buffer compensation and buffer impedance attenuation scheme operates with low quiescent current, reduces the power consumption and provides good stability. The topology also provides good power supply rejection, which is adequate for the design application. Measurement results indicate regulator output of 4 ± 0.03 V for input from 5 to 30 V and 10 ± 0.05 V output for input from 11 to 30 V with load current 0.01–100 mA. The charger circuit manages the charging of the Li-ion battery through all if the typical stages of the Li-ion battery charging profile.
Performance Analysis of an Evaporator for a Diesel Engine–Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) Combined System and Influence of Pressure Drop on the Diesel Engine Operating Characteristics
Authors: Bei Chen , Zhang Hongguang , Yang Fubin , Song Songsong , Wang Enhua , Liu Hao , Chang Ying , Wang Hongjin , Yang Kai
Published: June 2015

The main purpose of this research is to analyze the performance of an evaporator for the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system and discuss the influence of the evaporator on the operating characteristics of diesel engine. A simulation model of fin-and-tube evaporator of the ORC system is established by using Fluent software. Then, the flow and heat transfer characteristics of the exhaust at the evaporator shell side are obtained, and then the performance of the fin-and-tube evaporator of the ORC system is analyzed based on the field synergy principle. The field synergy angle (β) is the intersection angle between the velocity vector and the temperature gradient. When the absolute values of velocity and temperature gradient are constant and β < 90°, heat transfer enhancement can be achieved with the decrease of the β. When the absolute values of velocity and temperature gradient are constant and β >90°, heat transfer enhancement can be achieved with the increase of the β. Subsequently, the influence of the evaporator of the ORC system on diesel engine performance is studied. A simulation model of the diesel engine is built by using GT–Power software under various operating conditions, and the variation tendency of engine power, torque, and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) are obtained. The variation tendency of the power output and BSFC of diesel engine–ORC combined system are obtained when the evaporation pressure ranges from 1.0 MPa to 3.5 MPa. Results show that the field synergy effect for the areas among the tube bundles of the evaporator main body and the field synergy effect for the areas among the fins on the windward side are satisfactory. However, the field synergy effect in the areas among the fins on the leeward side is weak. As a result of the pressure drop caused by the evaporator of the ORC system, the diesel engine power and torque decreases slightly, whereas the BSFC increases slightly with the increase of exhaust back pressure. With the increase of engine speed, power loss, torque loss, and BSFC increment increase gradually, where the most significant change is less than 1%. Compared with the diesel engine itself, the maximum increase of power output of the diesel engine–ORC combined system is 6.5% and the maximum decrease of BSFC is 6.1%.
Metamodel for Efficient Estimation of Capacity-Fade Uncertainty in Li-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Lee Jaewook , Sung Woosuk , Choi Joo-Ho
Published: June 2015

This paper presents an efficient method for estimating capacity-fade uncertainty in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in order to integrate them into the battery-management system (BMS) of electric vehicles, which requires simple and inexpensive computation for successful application. The study uses the pseudo-two-dimensional (P2D) electrochemical model, which simulates the battery state by solving a system of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). The model parameters that are responsible for electrode degradation are identified and estimated, based on battery data obtained from the charge cycles. The Bayesian approach, with parameters estimated by probability distributions, is employed to account for uncertainties arising in the model and battery data. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique is used to draw samples from the distributions. The complex computations that solve a PDE system for each sample are avoided by employing a polynomial-based metamodel. As a result, the computational cost is reduced from 5.5 h to a few seconds, enabling the integration of the method into the vehicle BMS. Using this approach, the conservative bound of capacity fade can be determined for the vehicle in service, which represents the safety margin reflecting the uncertainty.
Early Differential Responses of Co-dominant Canopy Species to Sudden and Severe Drought in a Mediterranean-climate Type Forest
Authors: Ruthrof Katinka , Matusick George , Hardy Giles
Published: June 2015

Globally, drought and heat-induced forest disturbance is garnering increasing concern. Species from Mediterranean forests have resistance and resilience mechanisms to cope with drought and differences in these ecological strategies will profoundly influence vegetation composition in response to drought. Our aim was to contrast the early response of two co-occurring forest species, Eucalyptus marginata and Corymbia calophylla, in the Northern Jarrah Forest of southwestern Australia, following a sudden and severe drought event. Forest plots were monitored for health and response, three and 16 months following the drought. Eucalyptus marginata was more susceptible to partial and complete crown dieback compared to C. calophylla, three months after the drought. However, resprouting among trees exhibiting complete crown dieback was similar between species. Overall, E. marginata trees were more likely to die from the impacts of drought, assessed at 16 months. These short-term differential responses to drought may lead to compositional shifts with increases in frequency of drought events in the future.
Gender-Specific Analyses of the Prevalence and Factors Associated with Substance Use and Misuse among Bosniak Adolescents
Authors: Zenic Natasa , Terzic Admir , Rodek Jelena , Spasic Miodrag , Sekulic Damir
Published: June 2015

Ethnicity and religion are known to be important factors associated with substance use and misuse (SUM). Ethnic Bosniaks, Muslims by religion, are the third largest ethnic group in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, but no study has examined SUM patterns among them. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of SUM and to examine scholastic-, familial- and sport-factors associated with SUM in adolescent Bosniaks from Bosnia-and-Herzegovina. The sample comprised 970 17-to-18-year-old adolescents (48% boys). Testing was performed using an previously validated questionnaire investigating socio-demographic-factors, scholastic-variables, and sport-factors, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, simultaneous smoking and drinking (multiple SUM), and the consumption of other drugs. The 30% of boys and 32% of girls smoke (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 0.86–1.49), 41% of boys and 27% of girls are defined as harmful alcohol drinkers (OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.48–2.54), multiple SUM is prevalent in 17% of boys and 15% of girls (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 0.79–1.56), while the consumption of other drugs, including sedatives, is higher in girls (6% and 15% for boys and girls, respectively; OR = 2.98; 95% CI = 1.89–4.70). Scholastic achievement is negatively associated with SUM. SUM is more prevalent in those girls who report higher income, and boys who report a worse familial financial situation. The study revealed more negative than positive associations between sport participation and SUM, especially among girls. Results can help public health authorities to develop more effective prevention campaign against SUM in adolescence.
Characterization of a Bioflocculant (MBF-UFH) Produced by Bacillus sp. AEMREG7
Authors: Okaiyeto Kunle , Nwodo Uchechukwu , Mabinya Leonard , Okoli Arinze , Okoh Anthony
Published: June 2015

A bioflocculant named MBF-UFH produced by a Bacillus species isolated from sediment samples of Algoa Bay of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa was characterized. The bacterial identification was through 16S rDNA sequencing; nucleotide sequences were deposited in GenBank as Bacillus sp. AEMREG7 with Accession Number KP659187. The production of the bioflocculant was observed to be closely associated with cell growth. The bioflocculant had the highest flocculating activity of 83.2% after 72 h of cultivation, and approximately 1.6 g of purified MBF-UFH was recovered from 1 L of fermentation broth. Its chemical analyses indicated that it is a glycoprotein composed of polysaccharide (76%) and protein (14%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that it consisted of hydroxyl, amide, carboxyl and methoxyl as the functional moieties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the amorphous structure of MBF-UFH and flocculated kaolin clay particles. The maximum flocculating activity of 92.6% against kaolin clay suspension was achieved at 0.3 mg/mL over pH ranges of 3–11 with the peak flocculating rate at pH 8 in the presence of MgCl2. The bioflocculant retained high flocculating activity of 90% after heating at 100 °C for 1 h. MBF-UFH appears to have immense potential as an alternative to conventional chemical flocculants.
A Proposed Molecular Mechanism of High-Dose Vitamin D3 Supplementation in Prevention and Treatment of Preeclampsia
Authors: Zabul Piotr , Wozniak Michal , Slominski Andrzej , Preis Krzysztof , Gorska Magdalena , Korozan Marek , Wieruszewski Jan , Zmijewski Michal , Zabul Ewa , Tuckey Robert , Kuban-Jankowska Alicja , Mickiewicz Wieslawa , Knap Narcyz
Published: June 2015

A randomized prospective clinical study performed on a group of 74 pregnant women (43 presenting with severe preeclampsia) proved that urinary levels of 15-F2t-isoprostane were significantly higher in preeclamptic patients relative to the control (3.05 vs. 2.00 ng/mg creatinine). Surprisingly enough, plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in both study groups were below the clinical reference range with no significant difference between the groups. In vitro study performed on isolated placental mitochondria and placental cell line showed that suicidal self-oxidation of cytochrome P450scc may lead to structural disintegration of heme, potentially contributing to enhancement of oxidative stress phenomena in the course of preeclampsia. As placental cytochrome P450scc pleiotropic activity is implicated in the metabolism of free radical mediated arachidonic acid derivatives as well as multiple Vitamin D3 hydroxylations and progesterone synthesis, we propose that Vitamin D3 might act as a competitive inhibitor of placental cytochrome P450scc preventing the production of lipid peroxides or excess progesterone synthesis, both of which may contribute to the etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia. The proposed molecular mechanism is in accord with the preliminary clinical observations on the surprisingly high efficacy of high-dose Vitamin D3 supplementation in prevention and treatment of preeclampsia.
Alternative Donor Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Bejanyan Nelli , Haddad Housam , Brunstein Claudio
Published: June 2015

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a potentially curative therapy for adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but its use for consolidation therapy after first remission with induction chemotherapy used to be limited to younger patients and those with suitable donors. The median age of AML diagnosis is in the late 60s. With the introduction of reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC), many older adults are now eligible to receive allo-HCT, including those who are medically less fit to receive myeloablative conditioning. Furthermore, AML patients commonly have no human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical or medically suitable sibling donor available to proceed with allo-HCT. Technical advances in donor matching, suppression of alloreactivity, and supportive care have made it possible to use alternative donors, such as unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB) and partially HLA-matched related (haploidentical) donors. Outcomes after alternative donor allo-HCT are now approaching the outcomes observed for conventional allo-HCT with matched related and unrelated donors. Thus, with both UCB and haploidentical donors available, lack of donor should rarely be a limiting factor in offering an allo-HCT to adults with AML.
The pH Sensing Properties of RF Sputtered RuO2 Thin-Film Prepared Using Different Ar/O2 Flow Ratio
Authors: Sardarinejad Ali , Maurya Devendra , Alameh Kamal
Published: June 2015

The influence of the Ar/O2 gas ratio during radio frequency (RF) sputtering of the RuO2 sensing electrode on the pH sensing performance is investigated. The developed pH sensor consists in an RF sputtered ruthenium oxide thin-film sensing electrode, in conjunction with an electroplated Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The performance and characterization of the developed pH sensors in terms of sensitivity, response time, stability, reversibility, and hysteresis are investigated. Experimental results show that the pH sensor exhibits super-Nernstian slopes in the range of 64.33–73.83 mV/pH for Ar/O2 gas ratio between 10/0–7/3. In particular, the best pH sensing performance, in terms of sensitivity, response time, reversibility and hysteresis, is achieved when the Ar/O2 gas ratio is 8/2, at which a high sensitivity, a low hysteresis and a short response time are attained simultaneously.
Ru-N-C Hybrid Nanocomposite for Ammonia Dehydrogenation: Influence of N-doping on Catalytic Activity
Authors: Hien Nguyen , Kim Hyo , Jeon Mina , Lee Jin , Ridwan Muhammad , Tamarany Rizcky , Yoon Chang
Published: June 2015

For application to ammonia dehydrogenation, novel Ru-based heterogeneous catalysts, Ru-N-C and Ru-C, were synthesized via simple pyrolysis of a mixture of RuCl3·6H2O and carbon black with or without dicyandiamide as a nitrogen-containing precursor at 550 °C. Characterization of the prepared Ru-N-C and Ru-C catalysts via scanning transmission electron microscopy, in conjunction with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, indicated the formation of hollow nanocomposites in which the average sizes of the Ru nanoparticles were 1.3 nm and 5.1 nm, respectively. Compared to Ru-C, the Ru-N-C nanocomposites not only proved to be highly active for ammonia dehydrogenation, giving rise to a NH3 conversion of >99% at 550 °C, but also exhibited high durability. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the Ru active sites in Ru-N-C were electronically perturbed by the incorporated nitrogen atoms, which increased the Ru electron density and ultimately enhanced the catalyst activity.
On the Stability of the Melt Jet Stream during Casting of Metallic Glass Wires
Authors: Olofinjana Ayo , Voo Nyuk
Published: June 2015

The factors that affect the stability of the melt stream during the casting of wire directly from the melt have been investigated. It is shown that the criticality of process parameters centres mostly on the forces imposed on the melt stream at confluence with the cooling water. The analysis of these forces indicated that the shear component of the disturbance is dependent on the ratio of the velocity of the melt stream (vm) to that of the cooling water (vw) in accord with results obtained from previous experiments. The role of oxide-forming elements in widening the process parameters range is attributed to the increased stability of the melt stream due to the additional shear force resistance offered by the solid oxide layer. The roles of Cr and Si oxides in stabilising the melt stream are confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of wire indicating the presence of these oxides on fresh as-cast wires. Melt superheat and nozzle clearance distance are not strictly stream stability factors, but rather their role in glass formation prescribes optimal limits for fully amorphous wire.
Generation of PHB from Spent Sulfite Liquor Using Halophilic Microorganisms
Authors: Weissgram Michaela , Gstöttner Janina , Lorantfy Bettina , Tenhaken Raimund , Herwig Christoph , Weber Hedda
Published: June 2015

Halophilic microorganisms thrive at elevated concentrations of sodium chloride up to saturation and are capable of growing on a wide variety of carbon sources like various organic acids, hexose and also pentose sugars. Hence, the biotechnological application of these microorganisms can cover many aspects, such as the treatment of hypersaline waste streams of different origin. Due to the fact that the high osmotic pressure of hypersaline environments reduces the risk of contamination, the capacity for cost-effective non-sterile cultivation can make extreme halophilic microorganisms potentially valuable organisms for biotechnological applications. In this contribution, the stepwise use of screening approaches, employing design of experiment (DoE) on model media and subsequently using industrial waste as substrate have been implemented to investigate the applicability of halophiles to generate PHB from the industrial waste stream spent sulfite liquor (SSL). The production of PHB on model media as well as dilutions of industrial substrate in a complex medium has been screened for by fluorescence microscopy using Nile Blue staining. Screening was used to investigate the ability of halophilic microorganisms to withstand the inhibiting substances of the waste stream without negatively affecting PHB production. It could be shown that neither single inhibiting substances nor a mixture thereof inhibited growth in the investigated range, hence, leaving the question on the inhibiting mechanisms open. However, it could be demonstrated that some haloarchaea and halophilic bacteria are able to produce PHB when cultivated on 3.3% w/w dry matter spent sulfite liquor, whereas H. halophila was even able to thrive on 6.6% w/w dry matter spent sulfite liquor and still produce PHB.
Kinetics of the Reaction of Pyrogallol Red, a Polyphenolic Dye, with Nitrous Acid: Role of •NO and •NO2
Authors: Hugo Estefania , Reyes Jael , Montupil Elisa , Bridi Raquel , Lissi Eduardo , Denicola Ana , Rubio María , López-Alarcón Camilo
Published: June 2015

In the present work we studied the reaction under gastric conditions of pyrogallol red (PGR), a polyphenolic dye, with nitrous acid (HONO). PGR has been used as a model polyphenol due to its strong UV-visible absorption and its high reactivity towards reactive species (radicals and non-radicals, RS). The reaction was followed by UV-visible spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A clear decrease of the PGR absorbance at 465 nm was observed, evidencing an efficient bleaching of PGR by HONO. In the initial stages of the reaction, each HONO molecule nearly consumed 2.6 PGR molecules while, at long reaction times, ca. 7.0 dye molecules were consumed per each reacted HONO. This result is interpreted in terms of HONO recycling. During the PGR-HONO reaction, nitric oxide was generated in the micromolar range. In addition, the rate of PGR consumption induced by HONO was almost totally abated by argon bubbling, emphasising the role that critical volatile intermediates, such as NO and/or nitrogen dioxide (NO2), play in the bleaching of this phenolic compound.
Mucin-Type O-Glycosylation in Invertebrates
Authors: Staudacher Erika
Published: June 2015

O-Glycosylation is one of the most important posttranslational modifications of proteins. It takes part in protein conformation, protein sorting, developmental processes and the modulation of enzymatic activities. In vertebrates, the basics of the biosynthetic pathway of O-glycans are already well understood. However, the regulation of the processes and the molecular aspects of defects, especially in correlation with cancer or developmental abnormalities, are still under investigation. The knowledge of the correlating invertebrate systems and evolutionary aspects of these highly conserved biosynthetic events may help improve the understanding of the regulatory factors of this pathway. Invertebrates display a broad spectrum of glycosylation varieties, providing an enormous potential for glycan modifications which may be used for the design of new pharmaceutically active substances. Here, overviews of the present knowledge of invertebrate mucin-type O-glycan structures and the currently identified enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of these oligosaccharides are presented, and the few data dealing with functional aspects of O-glycans are summarised.
Neurotrophins and Neuropathic Pain: Role in Pathobiology
Authors: Khan Nemat , Smith Maree
Published: June 2015

Neurotrophins (NTs) belong to a family of trophic factors that regulate the survival, growth and programmed cell death of neurons. In mammals, there are four structurally and functionally related NT proteins, viz. nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin 3 and neurotrophin 4. Most research on NTs to date has focussed on the effects of NGF and BDNF signalling via their respective cognate high affinity neurotrophic tyrosine kinase viz TrkA and TrkB receptors. Apart from the key physiologic roles of NGF and BDNF in peripheral and central nervous system function, NGF and BDNF signalling via TrkA and TrkB receptors respectively have been implicated in mechanisms underpinning neuropathic pain. Additionally, NGF and BDNF signalling via the low-affinity pan neurotrophin receptor at 75 kDa (p75NTR) may also contribute to the pathobiology of neuropathic pain. In this review, we critically assess the role of neurotrophins signalling via their cognate high affinity receptors as well as the low affinity p75NTR in the pathophysiology of peripheral neuropathic and central neuropathic pain. We also identify knowledge gaps to guide future research aimed at generating novel insight on how to optimally modulate NT signalling for discovery of novel therapeutics to improve neuropathic pain relief.
Serum Vitamin D Levels and Polycystic Ovary syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: He Chunla , Lin Zhoumeng , Robb Sara , Ezeamama Amara
Published: June 2015

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is common in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and may be associated with metabolic and endocrine disorders in PCOS. The aim of this meta-analysis is to assess the associations of serum vitamin D levels with metabolic and endocrine dysregulations in women with PCOS, and to determine effects of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic and hormonal functions in PCOS patients. The literature search was undertaken through five databases until 16 January 2015 for both observational and experimental studies concerning relationships between vitamin D and PCOS. A total of 366 citations were identified, of which 30 were selected (n = 3182). We found that lower serum vitamin D levels were related to metabolic and hormonal disorders in women with PCOS. Specifically, PCOS patients with VDD were more likely to have dysglycemia (e.g., increased levels of fasting glucose and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR)) compared to those without VDD. This meta-analysis found no evidence that vitamin D supplementation reduced or mitigated metabolic and hormonal dysregulations in PCOS. VDD may be a comorbid manifestation of PCOS or a minor pathway in PCOS associated metabolic and hormonal dysregulation. Future prospective observational studies and randomized controlled trials with repeated VDD assessment and better characterization of PCOS disease severity at enrollment are needed to clarify whether VDD is a co-determinant of hormonal and metabolic dysregulations in PCOS, represents a consequence of hormonal and metabolic dysregulations in PCOS or both.
Contribution of Food Groups to Energy and Nutrient Intakes in Five Developed Countries
Authors: Auestad Nancy , Hurley Judith , Fulgoni Victor , Schweitzer Cindy
Published: June 2015

Economic growth in developing countries and globalization of the food sector is leading to increasingly similar food consumption patterns worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in the contributions of main food groups to energy and nutrient intakes in five developed countries across three continents. We obtained summary reports of national food consumption survey data from Australia, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States. Survey years spanned 2003–2012; sample size ranged from 1444 to 17,386. To mitigate heterogeneity of food groups across countries, we recategorized each survey’s reported food groups and subgroups into eight main food groups and, for three countries, a ninth “mixed dishes” group. We determined the percent contribution of each food group to mean daily intakes of energy, saturated fat, sodium, fiber, and ten vitamins and minerals that are commonly under-consumed. Differences in findings from surveys utilizing a foods-as-consumed versus a disaggregated or ingredients approach to food group composition and contributions from the milk and milk products group, a source of several under-consumed nutrients, were explored. Patterns of food group contributions to energy and nutrient intakes were generally similar across countries. Some differences were attributable to the analytical approach used by the surveys. For the meat/protein, milk and milk products, vegetables, and fruit groups, percent contributions to key nutrient intakes exceeded percent contributions to energy intake. The mixed dishes group provided 10%–20% of total daily energy and a similar 10%–25% of the daily intake of several nutrients. This descriptive study contributes to an understanding of food group consumption patterns in developed countries.
Sesamin Ameliorates Advanced Glycation End Products-Induced Pancreatic β-Cell Dysfunction and Apoptosis
Authors: Kong Xiang , Wang Guo-Dong , Ma Ming-Zhe , Deng Ru-Yuan , Guo Li-Qun , Zhang Jun-Xiu , Yang Jie-Ren , Su Qing
Published: June 2015

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), the direct modulators of β-cells, have been shown to cause insulin-producing β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis through increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Sesamin has been demonstrated to possess antioxidative activity. This study was designed to investigate whether sesamin protects against AGEs-evoked β-cell damage via its antioxidant property. The effects of sesamin were examined in C57BL/6J mice and MIN6 cell line. In in vivo studies, mice were intraperitoneally injected with AGEs (120 mg/kg) and orally treated with sesamin (160 mg/kg) for four weeks. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance and insulin releasing tests were performed. Insulin content, ROS generation and β-cell apoptosis in pancreatic islets were also measured. In in vitro studies, MIN6 cells were pretreated with sesamin (50 or 100 μM) and then exposed to AGEs (200 mg/L) for 24 h. Insulin secretion, β-cell death, ROS production as well as expression and activity of NADPH oxidase were determined. Sesamin treatment obviously ameliorated AGE-induced β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. These effects were associated with decreased ROS production, down-regulated expression of p67phox and p22phox, and reduced NADPH oxidase activity. These results suggest that sesamin protects β-cells from damage caused by AGEs through suppressing NADPH oxidase-mediated oxidative stress.
Relationship between Organic Carbon and Opportunistic Pathogens in Simulated Glass Water Heaters
Authors: Williams Krista , Pruden Amy , Falkinham Joseph , Edwards Marc
Published: June 2015

Controlling organic carbon levels in municipal water has been hypothesized to limit downstream growth of bacteria and opportunistic pathogens in premise plumbing (OPPPs). Here, the relationships between influent organic carbon (0–15,000 µg ozonated fulvic acid /L) and the number of total bacteria [16S rRNA genes and heterotrophic plate counts (HPCs)] and a wide range of OPPPs (gene copy numbers of Acanthamoeba polyphaga, Vermamoeba vermiformis, Legionella pneumophila, and Mycobacterium avium) were examined in the bulk water of 120-mL simulated glass water heaters (SGWHs). The SGWHs were operated at 32–37 °C, which is representative of conditions encountered at the bottom of electric water heaters, with water changes of 80% three times per week to simulate low use. This design presented advantages of controlled and replicated (triplicate) conditions and avoided other potential limitations to OPPP growth in order to isolate the variable of organic carbon. Over seventeen months, strong correlations were observed between total organic carbon (TOC) and both 16S rRNA gene copy numbers and HPC counts (avg. R2 > 0.89). Although M. avium gene copies were occasionally correlated with TOC (avg. R2 = 0.82 to 0.97, for 2 out of 4 time points) and over a limited TOC range (0–1000 µg/L), no other correlations were identified between other OPPPs and added TOC. These results suggest that reducing organic carbon in distributed water is not adequate as a sole strategy for controlling OPPPs, although it may have promise in conjunction with other approaches.
Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Modeling of Substituted Indeno[1,2-b]indoles as Inhibitors of Human Protein Kinase CK2
Authors: Alchab Faten , Ettouati Laurent , Bouaziz Zouhair , Bollacke Andre , Delcros Jean-Guy , Gertzen Christoph , Gohlke Holger , Pinaud Noël , Marchivie Mathieu , Guillon Jean , Fenet Bernard , Jose Joachim , Borgne Marc
Published: June 2015

Due to their system of annulated 6-5-5-6-membered rings, indenoindoles have sparked great interest for the design of ATP-competitive inhibitors of human CK2. In the present study, we prepared twenty-one indeno[1,2-b]indole derivatives, all of which were tested in vitro on human CK2. The indenoindolones 5a and 5b inhibited human CK2 with an IC50 of 0.17 and 0.61 µM, respectively. The indeno[1,2-b]indoloquinone 7a also showed inhibitory activity on CK2 at a submicromolar range (IC50 = 0.43 µM). Additionally, a large number of indenoindole derivatives was evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against the cell lines 3T3, WI-38, HEK293T and MEF.
How? Why? What? Where? When? Who? Grounding Ontology in the Actions of a Situated Social Agent
Authors: Lallee Stephane , Verschure Paul
Published: June 2015

Robotic agents are spreading, incarnated as embodied entities, exploring the tangible world and interacting with us, or as virtual agents crawling over the web, parsing and generating data. In both cases, they require: (i) processes to acquire information; (ii) structures to model and store information as usable knowledge; (iii) reasoning systems to interpret the information; and (iv) finally, ways to express their interpretations. The H5W (How, Why, What, Where, When, Who) framework is a conceptualization of the problems faced by any agent situated in a social environment, which has defined several robotic studies. We introduce the H5W framework, through a description of its underlying neuroscience and the psychological considerations it embodies, we then demonstrate a specific implementation of the framework. We will focus on the motivation and implication of the pragmatic decisions we have taken. We report the numerous studies that have relied upon this technical implementation as a proof of its robustness and polyvalence; moreover, we conduct an additional validation of its applicability to the natural language domain by designing an information exchange task as a benchmark.
Automatic Ship Detection in SAR Images Using Multi-Scale Heterogeneities and an A Contrario Decision
Authors: Huang Xiaojing , Yang Wen , Zhang Haijian , Xia Gui-Song
Published: June 2015

The robust detection of ships is one of the key techniques in coastal and marine applications of synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Conventional SAR ship detectors involved multiple parameters, which need to be estimated or determined very carefully. In this paper, we propose a new ship detection approach based on multi-scale heterogeneities under the a contrario decision framework, with a few parameters that can be easily determined. First, multi-scale heterogeneity features are extracted and fused to build a heterogeneity map, in which ships are well highlighted from backgrounds. Second, a set of reference objects are automatically selected by analyzing the saliency of local regions in the heterogeneity map and then are used to construct a null hypothesis model for the final decision. Finally, the detection results are obtained by using an a contrario decision. Experimental results on real SAR images demonstrate that the proposed method not only works more stably for ships with different sizes, but also has better performance than conventional ship detectors.
Ratiometric Molecular Probes Based on Dual Emission of a Blue Fluorescent Coumarin and a Red Phosphorescent Cationic Iridium(III) Complex for Intracellular Oxygen Sensing
Authors: Yoshihara Toshitada , Murayama Saori , Tobita Seiji
Published: June 2015

Ratiometric molecular probes RP1 and RP2 consisting of a blue fluorescent coumarin and a red phosphorescent cationic iridium complex connected by a tetra- or octaproline linker, respectively, were designed and synthesized for sensing oxygen levels in living cells. These probes exhibited dual emission with good spectral separation in acetonitrile. The photorelaxation processes, including intramolecular energy transfer, were revealed by emission quantum yield and lifetime measurements. The ratios (RI = (Ip /If) ) between the phosphorescence (Ip) and fluorescence (If) intensities showed excellent oxygen responses; the ratio of RI under degassed and aerated conditions ( R I 0 MathType@MTEF@5@5@+= feaagKart1ev2aqatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr 4rNCHbGeaGqiVCI8FfYJH8YrFfeuY=Hhbbf9v8qqaqFr0xc9pk0xbb a9q8WqFfeaY=biLkVcLq=JHqpepeea0=as0Fb9pgeaYRXxe9vr0=vr 0=vqpWqaaeaabiGaciaacaqabeaadaqaaqaaaOqaaabaaaaaaaaape GaamOua8aadaqhaaWcbaWdbiaadMeaa8aabaWdbiaaicdaaaaaaa@38D6@ / RI) was 20.3 and 19.6 for RP1 and RP2. The introduction of the cationic Ir (III) complex improved the cellular uptake efficiency compared to that of a neutral analogue with a tetraproline linker. The emission spectra of the ratiometric probes internalized into living HeLa or MCF-7 cells could be obtained using a conventional microplate reader. The complex RP2 with an octaproline linker provided ratios comparable to the ratiometric measurements obtained using a microplate reader: the ratio of the value of RP2 under hypoxia (2.5% O2) to that under normoxia (21% O2) was 1.5 and 1.7 for HeLa and MCF-7 cells, respectively. Thus, the intracellular oxygen levels of MCF-7 cells could be imaged by ratiometric emission measurements using the complex RP2.