bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing the Planet: The Anthropocene, Good Stewardship, and the Empty Promise of a Solution to Ecological Crisis
Authors: Stubblefield Charles
Published: May 2018

The Anthropocene has emerged as the dominant conceptualization of the current geological epoch and, more significantly, of Humanity’s relation to nature. By its proponents the Anthropocene is espoused as a “solution formulation,” an analytical tool which clarifies Humanity’s multifarious impacts on nature and nature’s subsequent crises; and further as a conceptual apparatus from which to launch mitigation and adaption strategies, promising deliverance from or at least engagement with ecological crises. However, the Anthropocene is not a neutral concept, merely illuminating transition within ecological conditions and connections between human activities and nature; rather, it is a particular prism from which to understand humanity’s relation to nature. And, as the Anthropocene becomes ascendant both analytically and politically, it becomes vital to question its imaginary, how it constructs nature and Humanity, how it influences and constrains responses to ecological crises, and what the long-term implications of operating within this imaginary are. I argue that the Anthropocene as a political/analytical prism rests upon flawed conceptions of nature, history, and humanity, rending it an impotent construct from which to respond to ecological crises; offering only partial and presumptive “solutions” in the form of intensified governmental regulation and the application of manifold technological “fixes” through the geoengineering of Earth’s systems, in an attempt to address isolated aspects of ecological destruction.  
Manual Grading Task Support System with Interactive Correction Mechanism
Authors: Yamamoto Kohei , Kan Fumiya , Murao Kazuya , Mochizuki Masahiro , Nishio Nobuhiko
Published: May 2018

Gesture-based recognition is one of the most intuitive methods for inputting information and is not subject to cumbersome operations. Recognition is performed on human's consecutive motion without reference to retrial or alternation by user. We propose a gesture recognition model with a mechanism for correcting recognition errors that operates interactively and is practical. We applied the model to a setting involving a manual grading task in order to verify its effectiveness. Our system, named GERMIC, consists of two major modules, namely, handwritten recognition and interactive correction. Recognition is materialized with image feature extraction and convolutional neural network. A mechanism for interactive correction is called on-demand by a user-based trigger. GERMIC monitors, track, and stores information on the user's grading task and generates output based on the recognition information collected. In contrast to conventional grading done manually, GERMIC significantly shortens the total time for completing the task by 24.7% and demonstrates the effectiveness of the model with interactive correction in two real world user environments.
The Improved Least Square Support Vector Machine Based on Wolf Pack Algorithm and Data Inconsistency Rate for Cost Prediction of Substation Projects
Authors: Wang Haichao , Niu Dongxiao , Li Si , Wang Fenghua , Liang Yi
Published: May 2018

Accurate and stable cost forecasting of substation projects is of great significance to ensure the economic construction and sustainable operation of power engineering projects. In this paper, a forecasting model based on the improved least squares support vector machine (ILSSVM) optimized by wolf pack algorithm(WPA) is proposed to improve the accuracy and stability of the cost forecasting of substation projects. Firstly, the optimal features are selected through the data inconsistency rate (DIR), which helps reduce redundant input vectors. Secondly, the wolf pack algorithm is used to optimize the parameters of the improved least square support vector machine. Lastly, the cost forecasting method of WPA-DIR-ILSSVM is established. In this paper, 88 substation projects in different regions from 2015 to 2017 are chosen to conduct the training tests to verify the validity of the model. The results indicate that the new hybrid WPA-DIR-ILSSVM model presents better accuracy, robustness and generality in cost forecasting of substation projects.
Sub-Saharan African Countries Public Expenditure and Economic Growth: Wagner’s Panel Cointegration and Causality Applications
Authors: Ahmed Elsadig Musa , Hanif Choudhry Mohammad
Published: May 2018

In this paper, the validity of the Wagner’s law is investigated in tenth selected Sub- Saharan African countries, namely Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Madagascar, and DR Congo. Five variants of the Wagner’s law were tested for the period 2005-2014, using panel econometric approaches encompassing cointegration and causality. The study found a long run relationship between the public expenditure and the various explanatory variables used as proxies of income. The long-run causality tests indicate that there is bidirectional causality between expenditure and income in all models with the exemption of the Gupta model. It is concluded that for Sub-Saharan Africa, both the Wagner’s law the Keynesian hypothesis tend to be valid under the period of investigation. The explanation is that there has been the tendency for public expenditure to grow relative to national income (Wagner’s law) and that public expenditure is a policy instrument (an exogenous factor) for improving national income (Keynesian hypothesis) during the 10-year period.
Simulation of Bell Correlations in Walker Systems
Authors: Fleury Marc
Published: May 2018

We describe results from a Monte-Carlo simulation of Bell-CHSH type correlations in hydrodynamic walkers. We study feasibility of a real life walker test with relevant hydrodynamic parametric ranges. We observe the generic formation of pairs of walkers strongly anti-correlated both in position and momentum. With this source of entangled walkers, we model the insertion of 2 pins in the bath as a notion of measure, akin to the polarizers of photonic Bell tests. This insertion of pins, either static or dynamic, introduces 2 weak field signals. Each field has the physical form of a standing wave Bessel hat, representing the non-local (field mediated) influences of the measure on the walkers. With this representation of the measure, we develop protocol for a Bell game with actual hydrodynamic walkers. We model both static and dynamic insertion of pins in the walker bath. Static pins give us numerical S > 2, as a permissible Bell violation for a non-local (field based) effect. Dynamic insertion of the pins, however, leads to causal space separation of the two arms. We observe the again expected S ≤ 2. We argue for the hydrodynamic implementation and observation of these effects as a walker visualization of Bell inequalities.
Spontaneous Healing of a Bucket-Handle Posterior Labral Detachment After Hip Dislocation in a Five-Year-Old Child
Authors: Clement R. Carter , Carpenter Daniel P. , Cuomo Anna V.
Published: May 2018

Case:

We report the case of a 5-year-old girl who sustained a traumatic hip dislocation and a spontaneous reduction that was complicated by nonconcentric reduction and a large bucket-handle labral detachment. This injury was managed, via an anterior approach, with capsulotomy and reduction of the large interposed labral tear with an attached osteochondral fragment from the posterior aspect of the acetabulum. No additional surgical treatment was employed for the labral tear.

Conclusion:

The patient ultimately demonstrated radiographic healing and an asymptomatic, clinically stable hip. This case illustrates the spontaneous healing of a large posterior labral detachment in a young pediatric patient with a good outcome at 2.5 years after injury.
Temperature Effects on Glyphosate Resistance in California Populations of Junglerice
Authors: Shrestha Anil , Budhathoki Samikshya , Steinhauer Katrina
Published: May 2018

Temperature effects glyphosate resistance.

Glyphosate is more effective when applied at cooler temperatures.

Air temperature is important in glyphosate application.

This study determined the effect of glyphosate on a glyphosate‐resistant (GR) and glyphosate‐susceptible (GS) biotype of junglerice (Echinochloa colona L.). Potted plants at the 4‐ to 5‐leaf stage were acclimatized for 72 h in growth chambers programmed for day/night temperatures of 15/10, 25/20, and 35/30°C. On the fourth day, three plants of each biotype were treated with glyphosate at 840 g ae ha−1 and immediately placed back in the respective growth chambers and grown for seven additional days. Three non‐treated plants of each biotype were used as controls for each temperature regime. On the eighth day after glyphosate treatment, the plants were moved to a greenhouse set at 22°C, grown for 21 d, and aboveground dry weights recorded after evaluating phytotoxicity. None of the treated GS plants survived at any of the temperatures while all the non‐treated plants grew well at all temperatures. All treated and non‐treated GR plants showed no phytotoxicity in the 25/20 and 35/30°C temperature regimes. However, all the treated GR plants subjected to 15/10°C died. The aboveground biomass of the non‐treated GR plants was reduced under cooler temperatures but was unaffected in the GS plants. Therefore, this study showed that GR junglerice was susceptible to glyphosate when grown under 15/10°C suggesting that the prevalence of GR plants in the fields could be reduced if glyphosate applications were made in spring when temperatures were at or below 15°C when the plants were just emerging or had developed less than six leaves.
Comparison of Arthropod Communities among Different Forage Types on the Texas High Plains using Pitfall Traps
Authors: Bhandari Krishna B. , West C.P. , Longing S.D. , Brown C.P. , Green P.E.
Published: May 2018

Core Ideas

Red imported fire ants and harvester ants account for most of the arthropods found.

Forage types did not differ in numbers of non‐pest and beneficial insects.

Old World bluestem provided an unfavorable habitat for ants but not desirable insects.

Deterrence towards deleterious ants promotes resilience of Old World bluestem

The decline in water supply for irrigation in the Texas High Plains is encouraging some growers to produce dryland forages. ‘WW‐B.Dahl’ Old World bluestem [OWB, Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz) S.T. Blake] is a drought‐tolerant grass in dryland and limited‐irrigation conditions. This grass reportedly repels red imported fire ants (RIFA, Solenopsis invicta Buren); however, broader insect communities associated with OWB have not been investigated. We characterized the ground‐active arthropod community occurring in OWB, OWB‐alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), alfalfa, and native mixed grass pastures by using pitfall traps over 3 years. Forty‐seven families among 10 insect orders and five families of five non‐insect arthropod orders were collected. Beside ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), the most abundant taxa collected were ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), house flies (Diptera: Muscidae), butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), and field crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), with jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) and sow bugs (Isopoda: Oniscidae) representing the non‐insect taxa. Pastures containing OWB had nearly zero (P < 0.001) RIFA and harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.), but no other arthropod family responded to forage treatments. Ant abundances were greatest in the native mix and intermediate in the alfalfa and teff [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] pastures. The relatively low abundances of RIFA and harvester ants in the OWB and OWB‐alfalfa mixture compared to the other forage treatments suggest that WW‐B.Dahl OWB might act to deter activity of ants, yet further studies are needed to determine the specific mechanisms and insect‐deterring traits of these forage systems to support strategies for pasture management.
Projecting Soil Organic Carbon Distribution in Central Chile under Future Climate Scenarios
Authors: Reyes Rojas Luis A. , Adhikari Kabindra , Ventura Stephen J.
Published: May 2018

Soil organic C (SOC) is the largest terrestrial C pool, and it influences diverse soil properties and processes in a landscape. At global scales, SOC is related to climate; as climate changes, we expect that SOC will change at broad scales as well, but how SOC will respond to climate change in diverse environments is complex and highly uncertain. To evaluate the potential impact of predicted changes in temperature and precipitation across central Chile, we first estimated current SOC content using pedon descriptions and environmental variables (temperature, rainfall, land use, topography, soil types, and geology) as predictors. A random forest statistical model was used to predict SOC content by pedon data. Maps were created for six standard depths of the GlobalSoilMap project. Results showed mean SOC of 54 g kg−1 at a depth interval of 0 to 5 cm, 51 g kg−1 at 5 to 15 cm, 42 g kg−1 at 15 to 30 cm, 29 g kg−1 at 30 to 60 cm, 17 g kg−1 at 60 to 100 cm, and 11 g kg−1 at 100 to 200 cm. Model validation, withholding 25% of pedons, showed R2 values of 0.70, 0.73, 0.75, 0.65, 0.56, and 0.29 for six depths, respectively. Two future temperature and precipitation for climate change scenarios, representative concentration pathways RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 from the NASA GISS‐E2‐R models, were considered in predicting SOC in 2050 and 2080. We found that central Chile would experience a loss of SOC in the depth range of 0 to 30 cm, averaging 9.7% for RCP4.5 and 12.9% for the RCP8.5 scenarios by the year 2050, with additional decreases of 8% in the RCP4.5 scenario and 16.5% under RCP8.5 by 2080.

Core Ideas

We mapped soil organic C concentration in current and future climates.

Soil organic C in central Chile is affected by changes in rainfall and temperature.

We discuss the rescue and use of legacy data for digital soil mapping.
Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Turfgrass Receiving Different Irrigation Amounts and Nitrogen Fertilizer Forms
Authors: Braun Ross C. , Bremer Dale J.
Published: May 2018

Nitrous oxide is an important greenhouse gas associated with global climate change. Turfgrasses emit N2O when fertilized with N and irrigated. The development of management practices such as use of controlled‐release N fertilizers and/or deficit irrigation may reduce N2O emissions in turf soils. The objectives of this study were (i) to quantify the magnitude and patterns of N2O emissions in turfgrass, and (ii) to determine how irrigation and N fertilization may be managed to reduce N2O fluxes. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured for 2 yr in ‘Meyer’ zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) under an automated rainout shelter in Manhattan, KS, using static chambers. Two irrigation levels (66 [medium] and 33% [low] reference evapotranspiration replacement), and three N fertilization treatments (urea and polymer‐coated urea [PCU], both applied at a rate of 98 kg N ha−1 yr−1, and an unfertilized plot) were included. During two summers, N2O emissions were reduced by 6% with low (2.71 kg ha−1) vs. medium irrigation (2.88 kg ha−1) (P ≤ 0.001). Over the 2 yr, cumulative N2O emissions averaged 4.06 kg ha−1 in unfertilized turf and 4.5 kg ha−1 in PCU‐treated turf, which represent reductions of 28 and 20%, respectively, from urea‐treated turf (5.62 kg ha−1) (P ≤ 0.01). Results from this study indicate that the use of a controlled‐release fertilizer, such as PCU, and/or lower irrigation reduces N2O emissions in turfgrass.
An Approximate Explicit Green–Ampt Infiltration Model for Cumulative Infiltration
Authors: Nie Wei-Bo , Li Yi-Bo , Liu Ye , Ma Xiao-Yi
Published: May 2018

Core Ideas

Proposed an explicit Green–Ampt model (EGA model) to estimate cumulative 1D vertical infiltration.

The form of error term ε is determined as a power‐function through non‐dimensional numerical analysis.

The EGA model is reliable for estimation the cumulative infiltration for a variety of soil textures.

Accurately estimating soil moisture infiltration information contributes to scientific understanding of the one‐dimensional (1D) vertical infiltration process. Because of its simple form, the Green–Ampt (GA) model has been extensively employed to simulate soil infiltration processes. However, the GA model is an implicit solution that must be solved through iterative techniques, and thus is inconvenient. Therefore, based on the two‐parameter infiltration equation proposed by Valiantzas, by adding an error term and non‐dimensional numerical analysis, this study proposes an approximate explicit Green–Ampt model (EGA model) for estimating cumulative infiltration with a determined power function expression for the error term. A total of 12 typical soils were selected from the USDA soil textural classes, and the 1D vertical soil infiltration process was simulated using Hydrus‐1D. The reliability of the proposed EGA model was verified using measured and simulated values. The mean absolute percentage relative error (MAPRE) and percentage of bias (PB) were taken as evaluation indicators to compare the estimated cumulative infiltration with the measured and simulated values. The results revealed that all cumulative infiltration values estimated by the EGA model are in good agreement with those measured in laboratory experiments and simulated using Hydrus‐1D; the mean MAPRE and PB values of all treatments were 4.2 and 0.7%, respectively. In addition, the estimated errors of the EGA model were consistent with those of the GA model. Hence, the EGA model can estimate the cumulative infiltration in 1D vertical soil infiltration with high accuracy and is suitable for a variety of soil textures.
Corporate image in behavioral marketing of business entities
Authors: Polinkevych Oksana , Kamiński Ryszard
Published: May 2018

Nowadays, the development of an effective corporate image model is a topical issue. Under increasing competition in many economic spheres, forming the company’s reputation and meeting the growing needs of consumers are especially noteworthy. The purpose of the article is to develop a set of marketing measures that would contribute to the formation of a positive corporate image of business entities and support it in the long run. The relationship between the research subject and the consumer needs is highlighted. The article deals with the features of behavioral economics and general approaches to shaping the corporate image. It is proposed that business entities should take into account five target segments, including clients, suppliers, shareholders, employees, and intermediaries when forming a positive corporate image. It is noted that each of these subjects is an “econ” who does not make rationalistic decisions, but places emphasis on spontaneity and emotionality. It is also noted that it is difficult to predict the situation of forming a positive corporate image of business entities. The results of this article can be used in further research and taken into account when creating a corporate image of an enterprise.
Survey by knocking the door and response rate enhancement technique in international business research
Authors: Yosephine Dwi Hayu Agustini Maria
Published: May 2018

Low response rate has been considered as a matter in a survey. Even though researcher has applied techniques to enhance the response rate, they very often still experience low rate of response. This paper tries to share the challenging experience in dealing with low response rate in the context of international business research. This is a questionnaire survey of small firms in Indonesia that were doing business abroad. The results show that it is more important to select the most effective survey method rather than techniques to enhance response rate in order to deal with local condition. Survey by knocking the door is found to be the best suited alternative for maximizing the response rate.
Managing large multidimensional hydrologic datasets: A case study comparing NetCDF and SciDB
Authors: Liu Haicheng , van Oosterom Peter , Tijssen Theo , Commandeur Tom , Wang Wen
Published: May 2018

Management of large hydrologic datasets including storage, structuring, clustering, indexing, and query is one of the crucial challenges in the era of big data. This research originates from a specific problem: time series extraction at specific locations takes a long time when a large multidimensional (MD) dataset is stored in the NetCDF classic or the 64-bit offset format. The essence of this issue lies in the contiguous storage structure adopted by NetCDF. In this research, NetCDF file-based solutions and a MD array database management system applying a chunked storage structure are benchmarked to determine the best solution for storing and querying large MD hydrologic datasets. Expert consultancy was conducted to establish benchmark sets, with the HydroNET-4 system being utilized to provide the benchmark environment. In the final benchmark tests, the effect of data storage configurations, elaborating chunk size, dimension order (spatio-temporal clustering) and compression on the query performance, is explored. Results indicate that for big hydrologic MD data management, the properly chunked NetCDF-4 solution without compression is, in general, more efficient than the SciDB DBMS. However, benefits of a DBMS should not be neglected, for example, the integration with other data types, smart caching strategies, transaction support, scalability, and out-of-the-box support for parallelization.
Microalgae population dynamics growth with AnMBR effluent: effect of light and phosphorus concentration
Authors: Sanchis-Perucho P. , Duran F. , Barat R. , Pachés M. , Aguado D.
Published: May 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of light intensity and phosphorus concentration on biomass growth and nutrient removal in a microalgae culture and their effect on their competition. The photobioreactor was continuously fed with the effluent from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor pilot plant treating real wastewater. Four experimental periods were carried out at different light intensities (36 and 52 μmol s−1 m−2) and phosphorus concentrations (around 6 and 15 mgP L−1). Four green algae – Scenedesmus, Chlorella, Monoraphidium and Chlamydomonas– and cyanobacterium were detected and quantified along whole experimental period. Chlorella was the dominant species when light intensity was at the lower level tested, and was competitively displaced by a mixed culture of Scenedesmus and Monoraphidium when light was increased. When phosphorus concentration in the photobioreactor was raised up to 15 mgP L−1, a growth of cyanobacterium became the dominant species in the culture. The highest nutrient removal efficiency (around 58.4 ± 15.8% and 96.1 ± 16.5% of nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively) was achieved at 52 μmol s−1 m−2 of light intensity and 6.02 mgP L−1 of phosphorus concentration, reaching about 674 ± 86 mg L−1 of volatile suspended solids. The results obtained reveal how the light intensity supplied and the phosphorus concentration available are relevant operational factors that determine the microalgae species that is able to predominate in a culture. Moreover, changes in microalgae predominance can be induced by changes in the growth medium produced by the own predominant species.
Metabolic Routes in Inflammation: The Citrate Pathway and its Potential as Therapeutic Target
Authors: Infantino Vittoria , Pierri Ciro Leonardo , Iacobazzi Vito
Published: May 2018

Significant metabolic changes occur in inflammation to respond to the new energetic
needs of cells. Mitochondria are addressed not only to produce ATP, but also to supply
substrates, such citrate, to produce pro-inflammatory molecules. In this context, most of the
citrate is diverted from Krebs cycle and channeled into the “citrate pathway” leading to the
increase in the export of citrate into cytosol by the Mitochondrial Citrate Carrier (CIC) followed
by its cleavage into acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate by ATP Citrate Lyase (ACLY). Acetyl-
CoA is used to produce PGE2 and oxaloacetate to make NADPH needed for NO and ROS
production. In addition, cytosolic citrate also provides precursors for itaconate synthesis. Citrate-
derived itaconate acts as a negative regulator of inflammation by modulating the synthesis
of the inflammatory mediators. Inhibition of CIC or ACLY by different synthetic and natural
molecules results in the reduction of NO, ROS and PGE2 levels suggesting that the citrate
pathway can be a new target to be addressed in inflammation. Beneficial effects can be obtained
also in the oxidative stress and inflammatory conditions observed in Down syndrome.
Acanthamoeba Keratitis: Current Status and Urgent Research Priorities
Authors: Khan Naveed Ahmed , Anwar Ayaz , Siddiqui Ruqaiyyah
Published: May 2018

Background:

First discovered in the early 1970s, Acanthamoeba keratitis has remained a major eye infection and presents a significant threat to the public health, especially in developing countries. The aim is to present a timely review of our current understanding of the advances made in this field in a comprehensible manner and includes novel concepts and provides clear directions for immediate research priorities.

Methods:

We undertook a search of bibliographic databases for peer-reviewed research literature and also summarized our published results in this field.

Results:

The present review focuses on novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in details which can provide access to management and treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis. This coupled with the recently available genome sequence information together with high throughput genomics technology and innovative approaches should stimulate interest in the rational design of preventative and therapeutic measures. Current treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis is problematic and often leads to infection recurrence. Better understanding of diagnosis, pathogenesis, pathophysiology and therapeutic regimens, would lead to novel strategies in treatment and prophylaxis.
Synthesis and Evaluation of a Series of 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents
Authors: Altıntop Mehlika D. , Sever Belgin , Özdemir Ahmet , Ilgın Sinem , Atlı Özlem , Turan-Zitouni Gülhan , Kaplancıklı Zafer A.
Published: May 2018

Background and Methods: In an attempt to develop potent antitumor agents, the synthesis of a series
of N-(6-substituted benzothiazol-2-yl)-2-[(5-(arylamino)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)thio]acetamides (1-14) was described
and their cytotoxic effects on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma, MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma,
HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma and NIH/3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines were investigated
using MTT assay.

Results: Phenyl-substituted compounds (8-14) were found to be more effective than naphthyl-substituted compounds
(1-7) on cancer cells. Compounds 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 were identified as the most potent anticancer
agents on MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines and therefore their effects on DNA synthesis and apoptosis/necrosis in
MCF-7 cell line were evaluated. Among these compounds, N-(6-methoxybenzothiazol-2-yl)-2-[(5-
(phenylamino)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)thio]acetamide (13) was the most selective anticancer agent against MCF-7
and HepG2 cell lines with a SI value of 100. On the other hand, compounds 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 inhibited
DNA synthesis in MCF-7 cell line in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analyses clearly indicated that
the compounds showed significant anticancer activity against MCF-7 cell line via the induction of apoptosis
dose dependently.

Conclusion: According to in vitro assays, compounds 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 stand out as promising candidates
for further studies.
Protective Effect of Kaempferol on the Transgenic Drosophila Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Beg Tanveer , Jyoti Smita , Naz Falaq , Rahul  , Ali Fahad , Ali Syed Kashif , Reyad Ahmed Mohamed , Siddique Yasir Hasan
Published: May 2018

Background:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation and deposition
of β-amyloid peptides leading to a progressive neuronal damage and cell loss. Besides several hypotheses
for explaining the neurodegenerative mechanisms, oxidative stress has been considered to be
one of them. Till date, there is no cure for AD, but the pathogenesis of the disease could be delayed by
the use of natural antioxidants. In this context, we decided to study the effect of kaempferol against the
transgenic Drosophila expressing human amyloid beta-42.

Method:

The AD flies were allowed to feed on the diet having 10, 20, 30 and 40µM of kaempferol for
30 days. After 30 days of exposure, the amyloid beta flies were studied for their climbing ability and
Aversive Phototaxis Suppression assay. Amyloid beta flies head homogenate was prepared for estimating
the oxidative stress markers, Caspase and acetylcholinesterase activity.

Results:

The results of the present study reveal that the exposure of AD flies to kaempferol delayed
the loss of climbing ability, memory, reduced the oxidative stress and acetylcholinesterase activity.

Conclusion:

Kaempferol could be used as a possible therapeutic agent against the progression of the
Alzheimer’s disease.
Protease-, Pectinase- and Amylase- Producing Bacteria from a Kenyan Soda Lake
Authors: Oluoch Kevin Raymond , Okanya Patrick Wafula , Hatti-Kaul Rajni , Mattiasson Bo , Mulaa Francis Jakim
Published: May 2018

Background:

Alkaline enzymes are stable biocatalysts with potential applications in industrial technologies that offer high quality products.

Objective:

The growing demand for alkaline enzymes in industry has enhanced the search for microorganisms that produce these enzymes.

Methods:

Eighteen bacterial isolates from Lake Bogoria, Kenya, were screened for alkaline proteases, pectinases and amylases; characterized and subjected to quantitative analysis of the enzymes they produced.

Results:

The screening analysis ranked 14, 16 and 18 of the bacterial isolates as potent producers of alkaline proteases, pectinases and amylases, respectively. The isolates were classified into two groups: Group 1 (16 isolates) were facultatively alkaliphilicB. haloduranswhile group 2 (2 isolates) were obligately alkaliphilicB. pseudofirmus. Further analysis revealed that group 1 isolates were divided into two sub-groups, with sub-group I (4 isolates) being a phenotypic variant sub-population of sub-group II (12 isolates). Variation between the two populations was also observed in their enzymatic production profilese.g. sub-group I isolates did not produce alkaline proteolytic enzymes while those in sub-group II did so (0.01-0.36 U/ml). Furthermore, they produced higher levels of the alkaline pectinolytic enzyme polygalacturonase (0.12-0.46 U/ml) compared to sub-group II isolates (0.05-0.10 U/ml), which also produced another pectinolytic enzyme - pectate lyase (0.01 U/ml). No clear distinction was however, observed in the production profiles of alkaline amylolytic enzymes by the isolates in the two sub-populations [0.20-0.40 U/ml (amylases), 0.24-0.68 U/ml (pullulanases) and 0.01-0.03 U/ml (cyclodextrin glycosyl transferases)]. On the other hand, group 2 isolates were phenotypically identical to one another and also produced similar amounts of proteolytic (0.38, 0.40 U/ml) and amylolytic [amylases (0.06, 0.1 U/ml), pullulanases (0.06, 0.09 U/ml) and cyclodextrin glycosyl transferases (0.01, 0.02 U/ml)] enzymes.

Conclusion:

The facultatively alkaliphilicB. haloduransand obligately alkaliphilicB. pseudofirmusisolates are attractive biotechnological sources of industrially important alkaline enzymes.
Design and Experiment of a Replant Crops Separating Garlic Harvester
Authors: Tian Zhonglai , Zhao Ying , Sui Yongxiang , Hou Jialin , Sun Qun , Wang Chong , Wang Zhenyou , Zhao Ling
Published: May 2018

Background:

Garlic is one of the main economic crops in China and the planting area is increasing quickly. But the harvest process of the garlic mainly relies on manual digging, resulting in low harvest efficiency and high cost.

Objective:

In order to improve the efficiency of garlic harvest, and achieve the mechanization of garlic harvest. The study presents a new design of a garlic harvesting machine that can perform automatic processing and deal with the issue of garlic harvesting.

Methods:

Firstly, the three-dimensional model of the whole machine and the key mechanism is established and the parameters of the system are calculated by theoretical calculation. Then, the simulation be made and the design be optimized. Finally, the design was processed into a product. It employs an isolation mechanism and positioned cutting mechanism to isolate garlic and crop stubbles and keep the length of the remaining garlic straw consistent.

Results:

The results of field harvest experiments show that the miss digging rate, miss cutting rate and injury rate of the harvester are as low as 1.23%, 3.13% and 0.68% respectively, and the harvest efficiency is 0.06km2/h.

Conclusion:

The advantages of the harvester such as high harvesting rate, low damage rate, strong adaptability and high versatility, effectively improve the working efficiency, reduce the labor intensity and the harvest cost.
Comparison of Vitamin D Serum Values between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus Populations: An Observational Study
Authors: Maryam Sahebari , Atabati Elham , Yalda Ravanshad
Published: May 2018

Background:

In recent years, the role of Vitamin D (VitD), as an immunomedulator in autoimmune diseases, has been evaluated in basic science and practice. There is a considerable volume of data on the effect of VitD position in lupus and rheumatoid arthritis exacerbation.

Objective:

This study aims to compare VitD serum values in lupus (SLE) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in the geographical region of northeastern Iran.

Methods:

Lupus and RA Patients were selected with various disease activity levels. All the patients received an equal amount of VitD supplementation and were selected by the same inclusion and exclusion criteria. VitD serum values were measured by a commercial ELISA kit. Data were analyzed in SPSS-15.

Results:

A total of 148 SLE and 156 RA patients were studied. VitD serum levels were 66.54±41.2 nmol/l in the SLE group and 83.74±46.45 nmol/l in the RA group. Statistical analysis showed that VitD serum levels were lower in lupus patients than RA ones (p=0.006).

Conclusion:

Since VitD deficiency is very common in Iran, physiologic doses of VitD supplementation in patients lead to higher serum levels of VitD. Lower VitD values in lupus patients compared with RA ones may stem from intestinal malabsorption, higher doses of corticosteroid therapy, renal involvement and proteinuria, different polymorphisms of VitD receptors, and more sun protection strategies in lupus patients.
Feeding Value of Maize Stover Treated with Urea or Urea Molasses for Hararghe Highland Sheep
Authors: Abera Fitsum , Urge Mengistu , Animut Getachew
Published: May 2018

Introduction:

The present trial was designed to investigate the effect of urea or urea molasses treatment of maize stover (MS) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and profitability of sheep. Twenty yearling male lambs of Hararghe Highland breed at the initial body weight of 15.4 ± 0.57 (mean ± SD) kg.

Experiment:

The experimental animals were sorted into five blocks based on the initial weight and assigned randomly to four treatments; namely, untreated maize stover ad libitum (T1); urea treated maize stover (UTMS) ad libitum (T2); urea-molasses treated maize stover (UMTMS) ad libitum (T3); all of which were supplemented with 300g concentrate mix of wheat bran (WB) and noug seed cake (NSC) at the ratio of 2:1 and only urea-molasses treated maize stover ad libitum (T4). Feeding trial was carried out for ninety days and digestibility trial for seven days following 3 days of adaptation to the metabolic cage and carrying the fecal collection bag.

Results:

The result depicted that the content of crude protein (CP) is 5.9, 8, 10, 30.1, and 17.2%, for MS, UTMS, UMTMS, NSC and WB respectively. Total DM intake was higher for T2 (700.7 g/day) and T3 (770.9 g/day) than sheep fed T1 (538.28 g/day) and T4 (481.4 g/day). Apparent DM and CP digestibility were higher for T2 and T3 than T1 and T4. Hence, urea or urea-molasses treated maize stover with concentrate supplement had a good impact on feed intake and digestibility. Conversely, urea-molasses treated maize stover alone failed to improve the feeding value of MS. Therefore, MS treatment with urea and urea-molasses with energy and protein source of supplement has a desirable alternative in enhancing the utilization of maize stover.
Firefighters and Flame Retardant Activism
Authors: Cordner Alissa , Rodgers Kathryn M. , Brown Phil , Morello-Frosch Rachel
Published: May 2018

In the past decade, exposure to flame retardant chemicals has become a pressing health concern and widely discussed topic of public safety for firefighters in the United States. Working through local, state, and national unions and independent health and advocacy organizations, firefighters have made important contributions to efforts to restrict the use of certain flame retardants. Firefighters are key members in advocacy coalitions dedicated to developing new environmental health regulations and reforming flammability standards to reflect the best available fire science. Their involvement has been motivated by substantiated health concerns and critiques of deceptive lobbying practices by the chemical industry. Drawing on observations and interviews with firefighters, fire safety experts, and other involved stakeholders, this article describes why firefighters are increasingly concerned about their exposure to flame retardant chemicals in consumer products, and analyzes their involvement in state and national environmental health coalitions.
Harnessing Social Media to Explore Youth Social Withdrawal in Three Major Cities in China: Cross-Sectional Web Survey
Authors: Liu Lucia Lin , Li Tim MH , Teo Alan R , Kato Takahiro A , Wong Paul WC
Published: May 2018

Background

Socially withdrawn youth belong to an emerging subgroup of youth who are not in employment, education, or training and who have limited social interaction intention and opportunities. The use of the internet and social media is expected to be an alternative and feasible way to reach this group of young people because of their reclusive nature.

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of using various social media platforms to investigate the existence of the phenomenon of youth social withdrawal in 3 major cities in China.

Methods

A cross-sectional open Web survey was conducted from October 2015 to May 2016 to identify and reach socially withdrawn youth in 3 metropolitan cities in China: Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. To advertise the survey, 3 social media platforms were used: Weibo, WeChat, and Wandianba, a social networking gaming website.

Results

In total, 137 participants completed the survey, among whom 13 (9.5%) were identified as belonging to the withdrawal group, 7 (5.1%) to the asocial group, and 9 (6.6%) to the hikikomori group (both withdrawn and asocial for more than 3 months). The cost of recruitment via Weibo was US $7.27 per participant.

Conclusions

Several social media platforms in China are viable and inexpensive tools to reach socially withdrawn youth, and internet platforms that specialize in a certain culture or type of entertainment appeared to be more effective in reaching socially withdrawn youth.
The Bilingual Lemma Activation Model as a Comparative Approach to Codeswitching
Authors: Wei Longxing , Liu Xuexin
Published: May 2018

This paper explores intrasentential Codeswitching (CS) as a commonly observed bilingual speech behavior. Different from surface-based models, it investigates CS at an abstract level by relating the nature and activity of the bilingual mental lexicon in bilingual speech production to the structural principles governing CS. The Matrix Language Frame (MLF) Model is adopted for describing some fundamental structural principles governing CS, and the Bilingual Lemma Activation Model (BLA) is proposed for explaining the linguistic motivations for CS. Based on the analysis of some naturally occurring CS instances involving various language pairs, this study supports the claim that one of the bilingual’s languages is activated as the Matrix Language (ML) and the other as the Embedded Language (EL), and content and system morphemes are unequally activated. It is the ML which provides the sentential frame for CS and the EL only provides content morphemes switched into this frame. It further argues that bilingual mental lexicon contains not only lexemes but also more abstract elements called “lemmas”, and lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific and such lemmas are in contact in CS. This study provides evidence that only conceptually activated EL lemmas can be switched into the ML sentential frame.
Extraction of tetracycline using the ionic liquid-based aqueous two phase systems: Single-stage versus multi-stage
Authors: Liu Yi , Chen Li , Zhou Jun , Yan Zongcheng
Published: May 2018

Ionic liquids-based aqueous two-phase extraction (ILs-ATPE) offers an alternative approach to the extraction of tetracycline (TC) through their partitioning between two phases. Single-stage and multi-stage strategies have been evaluated and compared for the purification of TC using ATPE composed of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium halide ([Bmim]X(X=Cl,Br)) and K2HPO4. The influence factors on single-stage extraction behavior of TC were optimized systematically, including the pH value, tie line length, and volume ratio. The optimal extraction efficiency of TC could reach above 95% when the volume ratio is higher than 1.5 and the tie line length is 30.52%. The multi-stage ATPE was also investigated by simulating a three-stage crosscurrent operation in test tubes. According to the TC isotherm curve and respective McCabe?Thiele diagrams, a predicted optimized scheme of the countercurrent multi-stage ATPE was determined. TC can be purified in the IL-rich top phase with a final extraction efficiency of 99% and a final TC concentration of 0.25 mg/mL, if a three- -stage [Bmim]Cl-K2HPO4 ATPE with volume ratio of 0.5 and tie line length of 30.52% was employed. Thus, the multi-stage extraction with small volume ratio is necessary to achieve a higher recovery yield, resulting in the reduction of the IL consumption.
Computational fluid simulation of non-Newtonian two-phase fluid flow through a channel with a cavity
Authors: Ahmadi Mehdi , Khosravi Farsani
Published: May 2018

In this paper, the numerical solution of non-Newtonian two-phase fluid-flow through a channel with a cavity was studied. Carreau-Yasuda non-Newtonian model which represents well the dependence of stress on shear rate was used and the effect of n index of the model and the effect of input Reynolds on the attribution of flow were considered. Governing equations were discretized using the finite volume method on staggered grid and the form of allocating flow parameters on staggered grid is based on marker and cell method. The QUICK scheme is employed for the convection terms in the momentum equations, also the convection term is discretized by using the hybrid upwind-central scheme. In order to increase the accuracy of making discrete, second order Van Leer accuracy method was used. For mixed solution of velocity-pressure field SIMPLEC algorithm was used and for pressure correction equation iteratively line-by-line TDMA solution procedure and the strongly implicit procedure was used. As the results show, by increasing Reynolds number, the time of sweeping the non-Newtonian fluid inside the cavity decreases, the velocity of Newtonian fluid increases and the pressure decreases. In the second section, by increasing n index, the velocity increases and the volume fraction of non-Newtonian fluid after cavity increases and by increasing velocity, the pressure decreases. Also changes in the velocity, pressure and volume fraction of fluids inside the channel and cavity are more sensible to changing the Reynolds number instead of changing n index.
PERBEDAAN PENGGUNAAN DRAIN DAN TANPA PENGGUNAAN DRAIN INTRA ABDOMEN TERHADAP LAMA PERAWATAN PASCAOPERASI LAPAROTOMI APENDISITIS PERFORASI
Authors: Indra Rahmadi , Bagus B.S.A Ida , Alfianto Untung
Published: May 2018

ABSTRAKApendisitis menjadi salah satu kasus bedah abdomen yang paling sering terjadi di dunia.Apendisitis perforasi berhubungan dengan tingkat mortalitas yang tinggi. Peradangan akut pada apendiks perforasi memerlukan tindakan pembedahan segera untuk mencegah terjadinya komplikasi berbahaya. Tindakan pascabedah sangat diperlukan untuk mencegah komplikasi lanjutan. Pemasangan drain diharapkan mampu menurunkan risiko komplikasi abses intra-abdominal, meskipun demikian, drain intraabdomen setelah operasi apendisitis dalam kasus apendisitis perforasi masih kontroversi. Ada beberapa ahli bedah yang memilih untuk tidak memasang drain pasca bedah. Penelitian ini untuk mengetahui ada perbedaan penggunaan drain dan tanpa penggunaan drain intra abdomen terhadap lama perawatan pascaoperasi laparotomi apendisitis perforasi. Subjek penelitian ini adalah pasien apendisitis perforasi yang pasca-apendiktomi, dengan total sampel 20. Teknik sampling menggunakan random sampling. Jenis penelitian ini desain eksperimen semu (quasi experiment) dengan metode Posstest-Only Control Design. Dalam rancangan ini sampel dibagi menjadi dua kelompok yaitu, kelompok I dilakukan pemasangan drain intra abdomen dan kelompok II tidak dilakukan pemasangan drain kemudian dilakukan follow up untuk menilai lamanya perawatan pascaoperasi pada apendisitis perforasi. Mayoritas pasien pascaoperasi apendisitis perforasi berumur antara 40-60 tahun (45%). Penyembuhan luka dan terjadinya komplikasi pasien pascaoperasi apendisitis perforasi baik yang dipasang drain maupun yang tidak dipasang drain semuanya mengalami proses penyembuhan luka dengan baik (100%) dan tidak ada yang mengalami komplikasi (100%). Lama perawatan pasien tanpa dipasang drain tercepat perawatan 4 hari dan paling lama 6 hari, sedangkan yang dipasang drain cenderung lebih lama, yaitu tercepat 5 hari dan terlama 8 hari. Ada perbedaan yang signifikan antara lama perawatan pasien pasca operasi apendisitis perforasi dengan yang dipasang drain dengan yang tidak dipasang drain dengan nilai p=0,001. Secara statistik terdapat hubungan yang sangat signifikan antara lama perawatan pasien pascaoperasi apendisitis perforasi dengan yang dipasang drain dengan yang tidak dipasang drain. Kata Kunci: Drain Apendisitis Perforasi, Lama Perawatan
STATUS SEROLOGIS TIDAK MEMPENGARUHI PROFIL HEMATOLOGI ANAK TERINFEKSI VIRUS DENGUE
Authors: Jatmiko Safari Wahyu
Published: May 2018

Antibodi anti dengue bersifat autoantibodi yang bisa merusak self antigen. Respon imun humoral terhadap DENV adalah terbentuknya IgM dan IgG yang spesifik terhadap sub tipe DENV penyebab. Jika IgG dan IgM anti degue bersifat autoantibodi maka secara teoritis pasien dengan status serologis IgM (+) dan IgG +) akan mempunyai profil hematologi yang lebih buruk dari pada pasien dengan IgG (+).Penelitian ini bertjuan untuk mengetahui perbedaan profil hematologi menurut status serologi pada anak terinfeksi virus dengue. Penelitian menggunakan desian analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Data diambil dari pasien anak di RSUD Surakarta dari bulan September 2016 – Januari 2017. Kriteria pasien yang diikutkan dalam penelitian adalah semua pasien anak dengan usia kurang dari 14 tahun dan memenuhi kriteria infeksi virus dengue menurut WHO 2009. Pasien dengan riwayat kelainan hematologi dan pasien dengan riwayat immunocompremised dikeluarkan dari penelitian.Hasil penelitian ditemukan 65 pasien dengan IVD yang memenuhi kriteria.Tujuh belas pasien dengan IgM dan IgG positif sedangkan sisanya hanya IgG positif Hasil penelitian perbedaan profil hematologi jumlah leukosit, trombosit, hematokrit, dan hemoglobin berdasarkan status IgM (+) IgG (+) dengan IgG (+) didapatkan nilai p masing-masing 0.833, 0,865, 0,137, 0,086, dan 0,223. Dapat disimpilkan bahwa tidak terdapat perbedaan profil hematologi antara pasien dengan IgM (+) IgG (+) dengan pasien IgG (+). Kata Kunci: infeksi virus dengue, antibodi anti dengue, autoantibodi, profil hematologi.