bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validating Rainfall-Runoff Modelling Using Satellite-Based and Reanalysis Precipitation Products in the Sre Pok Catchment, the Mekong River Basin
Authors: Nguyen Thu Ha , Masih Ilyas , Mohamed Yasir A. , Van der Zaag Pieter
Published: May 2018

The limitation in quantity and quality of climate data, in particular rainfall measurements, directly affects the reliability of hydrological models, which negatively impacts on the quality of water resources planning and management. This is obviously true in poorly-gauged or in transboundary river catchments with limited practice of data sharing among the riparian states. Satellite-based and reanalysis rainfall products are increasingly recognised as a promising information source to supplement ground observations. This research aims to study the feasibility of using satellite-based and reanalysis rainfall data for rainfall-runoff modelling in the Sre Pok catchment-a poorly gauged catchment located in Vietnam and Cambodia. First, three selected rainfall products (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission-TRMM, CPC MORPHing Technique-CMORPH, and European Reanalysis-ERA-Interim) were compared against ground rainfall data of 13 rain-gauges, located inside and in the vicinity of the study catchment. The validation results show that the studied global datasets have a reasonably good correlation with ground observation at monthly time scale (NSE = 0.3 to 0.8, R2 = 0.4 to 0.8), but relatively poor correlation at daily scale (NSE = −0.4 to 0.3, R2 = 0.1 to 0.4). Next, a semi-distributed rainfall-runoff model based on HBV-Light was developed to validate these datasets in the Krong Ana sub-catchment of the Sre Pok. The results illustrate satisfactory to very good model performances at monthly time scale for the satellite-based and reanalysis rainfall inputs (NSE = 0.58 to 0.77, R2 = 0.59 to 0.78 for the calibration period from 2004 to 2007, while NSE = 0.59 to 0.80, R2 = 0.64 to 0.84 for the validation period from 2008 to 2010). However, only TRMM and ERA-Interim give acceptable results at daily scale with NSE = 0.52 to 0.67, R2 = 0.53 to 0.67 for the calibration period, and NSE = 0.41 to 0.61, R2 = 0.45 to 0.65 for the validation period. The study concludes that the tested satellite-based and reanalysis rainfall products, especially TRMM and ERA-Interim, could mimic reasonably well the monthly rainfall pattern in the study region. It also demonstrates a great opportunity to use satellite-based and reanalysis rainfall for runoff modelling at monthly time scale in the Sre Pok catchment and other poorly-gauged (transboundary) catchments in the region, for example in the Mekong and Red River Basins.
Skin Protective Nutraceuticals: The Current Evidence in Brief
Authors: Nwanodi Oroma
Published: May 2018

Nutraceuticals are important for healthy skin maintenance. Probiotics, phenolics, and vitamins are just a few of the nutraceuticals meant to potentially prevent and assist medical management of dermatologic conditions. Among these, probiotics, vitamin E, and green tea catechins may offer the broadest array of skin protective mechanisms with probiotics having the greatest clinical range. Probiotics’ amelioration of atopic dermatitis and opportunistic infections of skin burns has been targeted in recent research efforts. This includes the improvement of Scoring Atopic Dermatitis index scores, p = 0.02, with intact Lactobacillus rhamnosus Goldin and Gorbach (LGG) in comparison to heat inactivated LGG or placebo. Lactobacillus reuteri used prior to or concurrently with Staphylococcus aureus infection can increase epidermal keratinocyte survival, p < 0.01. Phenolics may not have been extensively studied for atopic dermatitis or skin burns. However, phenolics do have a role in photoprotection. The phenolic rutin increases ultraviolet B radiation filter reactive oxygen species scavenging at 75%, p < 0.002, and peak wavelength absorption, p < 0.001. While oral and topical probiotics have untapped potential for atopic dermatitis amelioration and skin infection prevention, phenolics will be increasingly used for photoprotection. With optimized bioavailability, dosage, and formulation, nutraceuticals will become crucial for healthy skin maintenance.
The Inverse Response Law: Theory and Relevance to the Aftermath of Disasters
Authors: Phibbs Suzanne , Kenney Christine , Rivera-Munoz Graciela , Huggins Thomas J. , Severinsen Christina , Curtis Bruce
Published: May 2018

The Inverse Care Law is principally concerned with the effect of market forces on health care which create inequities in access to health services through privileging individuals who possess the forms of social capital that are valued within health care settings. The fields of disaster risk reduction need to consider the ways in which inequities, driven by economic and social policy as well as institutional decision-making, create vulnerabilities prior to a disaster, which are then magnified post disaster through entrenched structural differences in access to resources. Drawing on key principles within the Inverse Care Law, the Inverse Response Law refers to the idea that people in lower socio-economic groups are more likely to be impacted and to experience disparities in service provision during the disaster response and recovery phase. In a market model of recovery, vulnerable groups struggle to compete for necessary services creating inequities in adaptive capacity as well as in social and wellbeing outcomes over time. Both the Inverse Care Law and the Inverse Response Law focus on the structural organisation of services at a macro level. In this article, the Inverse Care Law is outlined, its application to medical treatment following disasters considered and an explanation of the Inverse Response Law provided. Case studies from recent disasters, in London, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Mexico City are examined in order to illustrate themes at work relating to the Inverse Response Law.
Mood Regulation Focused CBT Based on Memory Reconsolidation, Reduced Suicidal Ideation and Depression in Youth in a Randomised Controlled Study
Authors: Högberg Göran , Hällström Tore
Published: May 2018

Suicide attempts and suicidal ideation in adolescence are considered to be related to suicide and psychiatric adversity later in life. Secondary prevention by improving the treatment of suicidal youth is a distinct possibility. In this study, treatment with a systematised mood-regulation focused cognitive behavioural therapy (MR-CBT) (n = 15) was compared with treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 12) in a group of depressed adolescents in a clinical setting. MR-CBT focuses on mood regulation by means of counter conditioning with memory reconsolidation being the proposed mechanism of change. Subjects practice keeping emotionally positive memories to diminish the emotional impact of negative memories. Symptoms of depression were tested with a short version of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ), and wellbeing with the World Health Organization 5 Wellbeing Index (WHO-5). Suicidal events were rated according to the clinical interview Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Suicidal events at the end of treatment were significantly reduced in the MR-CBT group, but not in the TAU group. Depression and wellbeing improved significantly in both treatment groups. While far from conclusive, the results are encouraging enough to suggest that further studies should be undertaken to examine whether psychotherapy focusing on mood regulation for young individuals at risk might enhance secondary prevention of suicide.
Are Differences in Physical Activity across Socioeconomic Groups Associated with Choice of Physical Activity Variables to Report?
Authors: Stalsberg Ragna , Pedersen Arve Vorland
Published: May 2018

Despite being challenged in recent years, the hypothesis that individuals of higher socioeconomic status (SES) are more physically active than their lower SES counterparts is generally considered a fact. Recent reviews, however, have suggested that differences across groups might be related to which physical activity (PA) domains have been investigated. In the present review, searches for relevant studies were performed in the MEDLINE, ISI Web of Knowledge and SPORTDiscus databases. Search terms included “socioeconomic”, “socio-economic”, “socio economic” and “social class” to meet all variations of the variable “socioeconomic status” in combination with the term “physical activity”. Studies were included when applying the dimensions of intensity, frequency, type/mode, and duration in measuring PA. Fifty-six studies were included and were subsequently split into four PA domains: transport PA (TPA), occupational PA (OPA), housing PA (HPA) and leisure time PA (LTPA). It turned out that the positive relationship held only for LTPA, whereas the relationship was non-existent or even opposite for all other domains. It is concluded that the assumed positive relationship between SES and PA is mainly a relationship between LTPA and SES. It is further suggested that the PA domain should always be considered when studying said relationships.
Trends in the Prevalences of Selected Birth Defects in Korea (2008–2014)
Authors: Ko Jung-Keun , Lamichhane Dirga Kumar , Kim Hwan-Cheol , Leem Jong-Han
Published: May 2018

Little information is available on the prevalences of birth defects in Korea. The aims of this study were to estimate recent prevalences of selected birth defects and to analyze the prevalence trends of these defects during the period from 2008 to 2014. Prevalences were calculated for 69 major birth defects using health insurance claim data obtained from the Korea National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Prevalence rate ratios were calculated using Poisson regression to analyze trends over the 7-year study period. The overall prevalence of a major birth defect was 446.3 per 10,000 births (95% CI: 444.0–448.6); 470.9 per 10,000 births (95% CI: 467.6–474.2) for males and 420.2 per 10,000 births (95% CI: 417–423.4) for females. The prevalence rates of the most common birth defects over the study period were; septal defect (138.2 per 10,000; 95% CI: 136.9–139.5), congenital hip dislocation (652 per 10,000; 95% CI: 64.1–65.9), and ventricular septal defect (62.62 per 10,000; 95% CI: 61.7–63.5). During the study period, a significant increase in the prevalence of a major birth defect was observed with a prevalence rate ratio (PRR) of 1.091. The strongest trend was observed for renal dysplasia, which had a PRR of 1.275 (95% CI: 1.211–1.343), and upward trends were observed for urogenital anomalies, such as, renal agenesis (PRR 1.102, 95% CI: 1.067–1.138), undescended testis (PRR 1.082, 95% CI: 1.072–1.093) and hypospadias (PRR 1.067, 95% CI: 1.044–1.090). This study shows an overall increase in the prevalences of birth defects, including hypospadias and undescended testis, which are known to be associated with endocrine factors. In the future, standardized birth defect registries should be established to enable these trends to be monitored.
The Challenges of Predicting Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours in a Sample of Rural Australians with Depression
Authors: Handley Tonelle , Rich Jane , Davies Kate , Lewin Terry , Kelly Brian
Published: May 2018

Suicide is a leading cause of death, particularly in rural and remote areas. Although depression is strongly related to both suicidal ideation and attempt, it lacks specificity as a predictor, and little is known about characteristics that increase suicide risk among people with depression. A telephone version of the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview explored lifetime depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and related factors among a community-dwelling sample of rural and remote Australians, selected for an interview based on a screener for psychological distress (100% of those with high distress, 75% of those with moderate distress, and 16% of those with low distress). Of 1051 participants interviewed, 364 reported lifetime symptoms of depression; of these, 48% reported lifetime suicidal ideation and 16% reported a lifetime suicide attempt. While depression severity was a significant correlate of suicidality for both males and females, suicide attempt was significantly more common among females with a younger age of depression onset, and a higher number of psychiatric comorbidities. No additional factors were significant for males. Among rural and remote residents with lifetime symptoms of depression, the identification of suicide risk may be enhanced by considering individual and contextual factors beyond depression severity. Further research focusing on risk factors for males would be beneficial.
Correction: Chu et al. Inorganic Arsenic in Drinking Water and Bladder Cancer: A Meta-Analysis for Dose-Response Assessment. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2006, 3(4), 316–322
Authors: Chu Huei-An , Crawford-Brown Douglas
Published: May 2018

In our previous paper [1], we provided details of a meta-analysis of cancer risks associated with exposure to arsenic. [...]
Stakeholder Specific Multi-Scale Spatial Representation of Urban Building-Stocks
Authors: Österbring Magnus , Thuvander Liane , Mata Érika , Wallbaum Holger
Published: May 2018

Urban building-stocks use a significant amount of resources and energy. At the same time, they have a large potential for energy efficiency measures (EEM). To support decision-making and planning, spatial building-stock models are used to examine the current state and future development of urban building-stocks. While these models normally focus on specific cities, generic and broad stakeholder groups such as planners and policy makers are often targeted. Consequently, the visualization and communication of results are not tailored to these stakeholders. The aim of this paper is to explore the possibilities of mapping and representing energy use of urban building-stocks at different levels of aggregation and spatial distributions, to communicate with specific stakeholders involved in the urban development process. This paper uses a differentiated building-stock description based on building-specific data and measured energy use from energy performance certificates for multi-family buildings (MFB) in the city of Gothenburg. The building-stock description treats every building as unique, allowing results to be provided at any level of aggregation to suit the needs of the specific stakeholders involved. Calculated energy use of the existing stock is within 10% of the measured energy use. The potential for EEM in the existing stock is negated by the increased energy use due to new construction until 2035, using a development scenario based on current renovation rates and planned developments. Visualizations of the current energy use of the stock as well as the impact of renovation and new construction are provided, targeting specific local stakeholders.
Co-Administration of Melatonin Effectively Enhances the Therapeutic Effects of Pioglitazone on Mesenchymal Stem Cells Undergoing Indoxyl Sulfate-Induced Senescence through Modulation of Cellular Prion Protein Expression
Authors: Han Yong Seok , Kim Sang Min , Lee Jun Hee , Lee Sang Hun
Published: May 2018

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising source for regenerative medicine. However, their therapeutic potential in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is restricted by the presence of uremic toxins. To address this limitation, we explored the protective effect of melatonin and pioglitazone on MSCs undergoing senescence induced by the uremic toxin, indoxyl sulfate (IS). Methods: MSC senescence was induced by IS, and the therapeutic effects of melatonin and pioglitazone were identified. The expression of cellular prion protein (PrPC) was suppressed by transfection of MSCs with prion protein gene (PRNP) siRNA. Subsequently, these cells were used to study the protective effects of melatonin and pioglitazone against IS-induced senescence; Results: The IS-induced senescence of MSCs was significantly reduced by co-treatment with melatonin and pioglitazone compared to treatment with melatonin or pioglitazone alone. In the presence of IS, the reduced MSC proliferation was rescued by co-treatment with melatonin and pioglitazone. Melatonin and pioglitazone enhanced the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) in MSCs, which resulted in the augmentation of PrPC level. The inhibitory effect of the co-treatment with melatonin and pioglitazone on IS-induced senescence in MSCs was blocked by the knockdown of PRNP. In addition, the restorative effect of the co-treatment on the reduced MSC proliferation induced by IS was also blocked by the knockdown of PRNP. These findings indicate that co-treatment with melatonin and pioglitazone protected MSCs from uremic toxin-induced senescence through the regulation of the PPAR-γ-PrPC axis. Conclusions: Our study suggests that co-treatment of MSCs with melatonin and pioglitazone may represent a novel strategy for the development of MSC-based therapies for patients with CKD.
The Effect of Bornyl cis-4-Hydroxycinnamate on Melanoma Cell Apoptosis Is Associated with Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Yang Tzu-Yen , Wu Yu-Jen , Chang Chi-I , Chiu Chien-Chih , Wu Mei-Li
Published: May 2018

Bornyl cis-4-hydroxycinnamate, an active compound isolated from Piper betle stems, was investigated in terms of its effects on A2058 and A375 melanoma cell proliferation and protein expression in this study. We used flow cytometric analysis to examine the early stages of apoptosis induced by bornyl cis-4-hydroxycinnamate in the two melanoma cell lines and employed comparative proteomic analysis to investigate the effects of this compound on protein expression in A375 cells. Master maps generated by PDQuest software from two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis of A375 cells showed that the expression levels of 35 proteins were significantly altered, with 18 proteins upregulated and 17 downregulated. The proteomics study identified several proteins that are involved in mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress), in addition to apoptosis-associated proteins, including prohibitin, hypoxia-upregulated protein 1, stress 70 protein, 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), and protein deglycase DJ-1 (protein DJ-1) in melanoma cells exposed to bornyl cis-4-hydroxycinnamate. The treatment also resulted in a marked decline of the mitochondrial membrane potential, in cytochrome C release into the cytosol, in the activation of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), Bcl-2-associated death promoter protein (Bad), caspase-3, and caspase-9, and in the decreased expression of p-Bad, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-xl, and induced myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein-1 (Mcl-1), indicating that apoptosis induced by bornyl cis-4-hydroxycinnamate was mediated by the mitochondria through the caspase-dependent pathway. Also, salubrinal (an eukaryotic initiation factor 2α inhibitor; eIF2α inhibitor) was able to protect the cells from bornyl cis-4-hydroxycinnamate-induced apoptosis. Bornyl cis-4-hydroxycinnamate-related cell death also implied that the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)–eIF2α–ATF4–CHOP signal pathways was activated upon bornyl cis-4-hydroxycinnamate treatment. Altogether, our results support the conclusion that bornyl cis-4-hydroxycinnamate-induced apoptosis in melanoma cells is associated with mechanisms correlated with the activation of caspase cascades, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endoplasmic reticulum stress, and indicate that this molecule has the potential to be developed as a chemotherapeutic agent for human melanoma.
A Biocontrol Strain of Bacillus subtilis WXCDD105 Used to Control Tomato Botrytis cinerea and Cladosporium fulvum Cooke and Promote the Growth of Seedlings
Authors: Wang Hui , Shi Yuying , Wang Doudou , Yao Zhongtong , Wang Yimei , Liu Jiayin , Zhang Shumei , Wang Aoxue
Published: May 2018

In this study, a strain named WXCDD105, which has strong antagonistic effects on Botrytis cinerea and Cladosporium fulvum Cooke, was screened out from the rhizosphere of healthy tomato plants. The tomato plants had inhibition diameter zones of 5.00 mm during the dual culture for four days. Based on the morphological and physiological characteristics, the 16S rDNA sequence, and the gyrB gene sequence analysis, the strain WXCDD105 was identified as Bacillus subtilis suBap. subtilis. The results of the mycelial growth test showed that the sterile filtrate of the strain WXCDD105 could significantly inhibit mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea and Cladosporium fulvum Cooke. The inhibition rates were 95.28 and 94.44%, respectively. The potting experiment showed that the strain WXCDD105 made effective the control of tomato gray mold and tomato leaf mold. The control efficiencies were 74.70 and 72.07%. The antagonistic test results showed that the strain WXCDD105 had different degrees of inhibition on 10 kinds of plant pathogenic fungi and the average inhibition rates were more than 80%. We also found that the strain WXCDD105 stimulated both the seed germination and seedling growth of tomatoes. Using the fermentation liquid of WXCDD105 (108 cfu·mL−1) to treat the seeds, the germination rate and radicle length were increased. Under the treatment of the fermentation liquid of the strain WXCDD105 (106 cfu·mL−1), nearly all physiological indexes of tomato seedlings were significantly higher than that of the control groups. This could not only keep the nutritional quality of tomato fruits but also prevent them from rotting. This study provided us with an excellent strain for biological control of tomato gray mold, tomato leaf mold, and tomato growth promotion. This also laid the technical foundation for its application.
The Interaction of the Metallo-Glycopeptide Anti-Tumour Drug Bleomycin with DNA
Authors: Murray Vincent , Chen Jon K. , Chung Long H.
Published: May 2018

The cancer chemotherapeutic drug, bleomycin, is clinically used to treat several neoplasms including testicular and ovarian cancers. Bleomycin is a metallo-glycopeptide antibiotic that requires a transition metal ion, usually Fe(II), for activity. In this review, the properties of bleomycin are examined, especially the interaction of bleomycin with DNA. A Fe(II)-bleomycin complex is capable of DNA cleavage and this process is thought to be the major determinant for the cytotoxicity of bleomycin. The DNA sequence specificity of bleomycin cleavage is found to at 5′-GT* and 5′-GC* dinucleotides (where * indicates the cleaved nucleotide). Using next-generation DNA sequencing, over 200 million double-strand breaks were analysed, and an expanded bleomycin sequence specificity was found to be 5′-RTGT*AY (where R is G or A and Y is T or C) in cellular DNA and 5′-TGT*AT in purified DNA. The different environment of cellular DNA compared to purified DNA was proposed to be responsible for the difference. A number of bleomycin analogues have been examined and their interaction with DNA is also discussed. In particular, the production of bleomycin analogues via genetic manipulation of the modular non-ribosomal peptide synthetases and polyketide synthases in the bleomycin gene cluster is reviewed. The prospects for the synthesis of bleomycin analogues with increased effectiveness as cancer chemotherapeutic agents is also explored.
The Disordered C-Terminus of Yeast Hsf1 Contains a Cryptic Low-Complexity Amyloidogenic Region
Authors: Pujols Jordi , Santos Jaime , Pallarès Irantzu , Ventura Salvador
Published: May 2018

Response mechanisms to external stress rely on networks of proteins able to activate specific signaling pathways to ensure the maintenance of cell proteostasis. Many of the proteins mediating this kind of response contain intrinsically disordered regions, which lack a defined structure, but still are able to interact with a wide range of clients that modulate the protein function. Some of these interactions are mediated by specific short sequences embedded in the longer disordered regions. Because the physicochemical properties that promote functional and abnormal interactions are similar, it has been shown that, in globular proteins, aggregation-prone and binding regions tend to overlap. It could be that the same principle applies for disordered protein regions. In this context, we show here that a predicted low-complexity interacting region in the disordered C-terminus of the stress response master regulator heat shock factor 1 (Hsf1) protein corresponds to a cryptic amyloid region able to self-assemble into fibrillary structures resembling those found in neurodegenerative disorders.
Polysaccharides Extracted from Rhizoma Pleionis Have Antitumor Properties In Vitro and in an H22 Mouse Hepatoma Ascites Model In Vivo
Authors: Fang Yukun , Ning Anhong , Li Sha , Zhou Shaozheng , Liu Lei , Joseph Thomson Patrick , Zhong Mintao , Jiao Jilong , Zhang Wei , Shi Yonghui , Zhang Meishan , Huang Min
Published: May 2018

Malignant ascites is a highly severe and intractable complication of advanced or recurrent malignant tumors that is often immunotherapy-resistant. Rhizoma Pleionis is widely used in traditional medicine as an antimicrobial and anticancer agent, but its effectiveness in treating malignant ascites is unclear. In the current study, we investigated the effect of polysaccharides isolated from Rhizoma Pleionis (PRP) on murine hepatocarcinoma H22 cells in an ascites model. We have found that the main components of PRP, that presented a relative molecular weight of 383.57 kDa, were mannose and glucose. We also found that PRP reduced the occurrence of abdominal ascites and increased survival in our mouse model. An immune response in the ascites tumor model was observed by performing a lymphocytes proliferation experiment and an E-rosette test. The ratios of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and NK cells in the spleen were examined by flow cytometry, and the mRNA expression of Foxp3+in CD4+CD25+ (T regulatory Tregs) was measured by RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction). The levels of the cytokines TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor), VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), IL-2 (interleukin), and IFN-γ (interferon) in the serum and ascites supernatants were measured by ELISA. The expression of Foxp3 and Stat3 in peritoneal cells in the mouse model was measured by immunocytochemistry. The results indicated that PRP increased H22 tumor cell apoptosis in vivo by activating and enhancing the immune response. Furthermore, the effects of PRP on the proliferation of H22 cells were assessed by the CCK8 assay, Hoechest 33258, and TUNEL staining in vitro. We found that PRP suppressed the proliferation of H22 tumor cells but had no effect on BRL (Big rat liver) -3A rat hepatoma normal cells in vitro. Next, we investigated the underlying immunological mechanism by which PRP inhibits malignant ascites. PRP induced tumor cell apoptosis by inhibiting the Jak1–Stat3 pathway and by activating Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 to increase the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Collectively, our results indicate that PRP exhibits significant antitumor properties in H22 cells in vivo and in vitro, indicating that PRP may be used as a new therapeutic drug for cancer treatment.
The Frequency of MEFV Gene Mutations and Genotypes in Sanliurfa Province, South-Eastern Region of Turkey, after the Syrian Civil War by Using Next Generation Sequencing and Report of a Novel Exon 4 Mutation (I423T)
Authors: Gumus Evren
Published: May 2018

Background: Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a genetic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of fever and abdominal pain. Mutations in the Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene are localized on the p arm of chromosome 16. Over 333 MEFV sequence variants have been identified so far in FMF patients, which occur mostly in the 2nd and 10th exons of the gene. Methods: In this study, 296 unrelated patients with clinical suspicion of FMF, which were admitted during January–December 2017, were retrospectively reviewed to identify the frequency of MEFV gene mutations by using next generation sequencing. Results: Eighteen different mutations, 45 different genotypes and a novel exon 4 (I423T) mutation were identified in this study. This mutation is the fourth mutation identified in exon 4.The most frequent mutation was R202Q, followed by M694V, E148Q, M680I, R761H, V726A and R354W. Conclusions: One of the most important aims of this study is to investigate the MEFV mutation type and genotype of migrants coming to Sanliurfa after the civil war of Syria. This study also examines the effect of the condition on the region’s gene pool and the distribution of different types of mutations. Our results indicated that MEFV mutations are highly heterogeneous in our patient population, which is consistent with the findings of other studies in our region. Previously used methods, such as Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), do not define uncommon or especially novel mutations. Therefore, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis of the MEFV gene could be useful for finding novel mutations, except for those located on exon 2 and 10.
Transfer Learning from Synthetic Data Applied to Soil–Root Segmentation in X-Ray Tomography Images
Authors: Douarre Clément , Schielein Richard , Frindel Carole , Gerth Stefan , Rousseau David
Published: May 2018

One of the most challenging computer vision problems in the plant sciences is the segmentation of roots and soil in X-ray tomography. So far, this has been addressed using classical image analysis methods. In this paper, we address this soil–root segmentation problem in X-ray tomography using a variant of supervised deep learning-based classification called transfer learning where the learning stage is based on simulated data. The robustness of this technique, tested for the first time with this plant science problem, is established using soil–roots with very low contrast in X-ray tomography. We also demonstrate the possibility of efficiently segmenting the root from the soil while learning using purely synthetic soil and roots.
Intra-MRI Extraction of Diagnostic Electrocardiograms Using Carotidal Magnetohydrodynamic Voltages
Authors: Gregory T. Stan , Wu Kevin James , Oshinski John N. , Tse Zion Tsz Ho
Published: May 2018

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is commonly utilized for patient monitoring during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) despite known magnetohydrodynamic voltage (VMHD) overlays, which often eclipse the true sinus rhythm and render the signal to be non-diagnostic. This can complicate MRI gating and at-risk patient monitoring, causing alternative low-fidelity signals to become preferred. We aimed to develop a method of isolating the true sinus rhythm from VMHD in order to enable the use of high-fidelity ECGs during MRI procedures. Twelve-lead ECGs were acquired in two healthy volunteers (n = 2) in a 3T MRI scanner, while a secondary single lead monitor was positioned across the left common carotid artery to directly record VMHD while cancelling out the true sinus rhythm. Carotid MHD was used to adaptively train a least mean squares filter to update a 12-lead ECG VMHD template and produce: (1) clean 12-lead ECGs and (2) an accurate stroke volume (SV) estimate. The adaptive filtering method was shown to reduce VMHD in 12-lead ECGs. This was demonstrated by an average cross-correlation of 0.81 across all ECG leads calculated between filtered ECG taken inside the MRI scanner and the ECG taken outside the MRI scanner. Residual noise formed <5% of the R-wave amplitude. Additionally, the method required only a short training phase. A method to extract real sinus rhythm beats from intra-MRI 12-lead ECGs was presented and shown to provide accurate dynamic measurements of induced VMHD using flow in the carotid artery as a source of dynamic feedback.
Radio Frequency Modeling of Receive Coil Arrays for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Stumpf Christopher , Malzacher Matthias , Schmidt Lorenz-Peter
Published: May 2018

The numerical calculation of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coil arrays is a powerful tool in the development of new coil arrays. The proposed method describes a complete model that allows the calculation of the absolute SNR values of arbitrary coil arrays, including receiver chain components. A new method for the SNR calculation of radio frequency receive coil arrays for MRI is presented, making use of their magnetic B 1 − transmit pattern and the S-parameters of the network. The S-parameters and B 1 − fields are extracted from an electromagnetic field solver and are post-processed using our developed model to provide absolute SNR values. The model includes a theory for describing the noise of all components in the receiver chain and the noise figure of a pre-amplifier by a simple passive two-port network. To validate the model, two- and four-element receive coil arrays are investigated. The SNR of the examined arrays is calculated and compared to measurement results using imaging of a saline water phantom in a 3   T scanner. The predicted values of the model are in good agreement with the measured values. The proposed method can be used to predict the absolute SNR for any receive coil array by calculating the transmit B 1 − pattern and the S-parameters of the network. Knowledge of the components of the receiver chain including pre-amplifiers leads to satisfactory results compared to measured values, which proves the method to be a useful tool in the development process of MRI receive coil arrays.
Performance and Power Analysis of HPC Workloads on Heterogeneous Multi-Node Clusters
Authors: Mantovani Filippo , Calore Enrico
Published: May 2018

Performance analysis tools allow application developers to identify and characterize the inefficiencies that cause performance degradation in their codes, allowing for application optimizations. Due to the increasing interest in the High Performance Computing (HPC) community towards energy-efficiency issues, it is of paramount importance to be able to correlate performance and power figures within the same profiling and analysis tools. For this reason, we present a performance and energy-efficiency study aimed at demonstrating how a single tool can be used to collect most of the relevant metrics. In particular, we show how the same analysis techniques can be applicable on different architectures, analyzing the same HPC application on a high-end and a low-power cluster. The former cluster embeds Intel Haswell CPUs and NVIDIA K80 GPUs, while the latter is made up of NVIDIA Jetson TX1 boards, each hosting an Arm Cortex-A57 CPU and an NVIDIA Tegra X1 Maxwell GPU.
Cystobasidium alpinum sp. nov. and Rhodosporidiobolus oreadorum sp. nov. from European Cold Environments and Arctic Region
Authors: Turchetti Benedetta , Selbmann Laura , Gunde-Cimerman Nina , Buzzini Pietro , Sampaio José , Zalar Polona
Published: May 2018

Over 80% of the Earth’s environments are permanently or periodically exposed to temperatures below 5 °C. Cold habitats harbour a wide diversity of psychrophilic and psychrotolerant yeasts. During ecological studies of yeast communities carried out in cold ecosystem in the Italian Alps, Svalbard (Norway, Arctic region), and Portugal, 23 yeast strains that could not be assigned to any known fungal taxa were isolated. In particular, two of them were first identified as Rhodotorula sp., showing the highest degree of D1/D2 sequence identity with Cystobasidum laryngis accounted to only 97% with the type strain (C. laryngis CBS 2221). The other 21 strains, exhibiting identical D1/D2 sequences, had low identity (97%) with Rhodosporidiobolus lusitaniae and Rhodosporidiobolus colostri. Similarly, ITS sequences of the type strains of the most closely related species (93–94%). In a 2-genes multilocus D1/D2 and ITS ML phylogenetic tree, the studied strains pooled in two well separated and supported groups. In order to classify the new 23 isolates based on phylogenetic evidences, we propose the description of two novel species Cystobasidium alpinum sp. nov. and Rhodosporidiobolus oreadorum sp. nov.
Maintaining High Strength in Mg-LPSO Alloys with Low Yttrium Content Using Severe Plastic Deformation
Authors: Garces Gerardo , Cabeza Sandra , Barea Rafael , Pérez Pablo , Adeva Paloma
Published: May 2018

Alternative processing routes such as powder metallurgy, the extrusion of recycled chips, or equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) have been considered for effective methods of maintaining the high mechanical strength of Mg-Y-Zn alloys containing long-period stacking ordered structures with respect to the alloy processed by the conventional extrusion of as-cast ingots with the advantage of minimizing the yttrium content. A yield stress similar to that found for extruded Mg97Y2Zn1 alloy can be attained with only half of the usual yttrium and zinc additions thanks to the grain refinement induced by ECAP processing. The properties of Mg98.5Y1Zn0.5 subjected to ECAP are maintained up to 200 °C, but superplastic behavior is found above this temperature when the alloy is processed through a powder metallurgy route.
The Mechanism of Ultrasonic Vibration on Grain Refining and Degassing in GTA Spot Welding of Copper Joints
Authors: Al-Ezzi Salih , Quan Gaofeng , Elrayah Adil
Published: May 2018

This paper examines the effect of ultrasonic vibration (USV) on grain size and interrupted porosity in Gas Tungsten Arc (GTA) spot-welded copper. Grain size was refined by perpendicularly attaching a transducer to the welded sheet and applying USV to the weld pool for a short time (0, 2, 4, and 6 s) in addition improvements to the degassing process. Results illustrate a significant reduction of grain size (57%). Notably, USV provided interaction between reformations (fragmentation) and provided nucleation points (detaching particles from the fusion line) for grains in the nugget zone and the elimination of porosity in the nugget zone. The GTA spot welding process, in conjunction with USV, demonstrated an improvement in the corrosion potential for a copper spot-welded joint in comparison to the joint welded without assistance of USV. Finally, welding of copper by GTA spot welding in conjunction with ultrasound for 2 s presented significant mechanical properties.
Innovative Approach to Sustainable Marine Invertebrate Chemistry and a Scale-Up Technology for Open Marine Ecosystems
Authors: Vlachou Pinelopi , Le Goff Géraldine , Alonso Carolina , Álvarez Pedro A. , Gallard Jean-François , Fokialakis Nikolas , Ouazzani Jamal
Published: May 2018

Isolation of marine compounds from living invertebrates represents a major challenge for sustainable and environmentally friendly exploitation of marine bio-resources. To develop innovative technology to trap invertebrate compounds in the open sea, the proof of concept of a system combining external continuous circulation of water with XAD-amberlite solid-phase extraction was validated in an aquarium. In this work, we reported the elicitation of guanidine alkaloid production of Crambe crambe in the presence of Anemonia sulcata, both collected from the Mediterranean Sea. Besides the previously reported crambescidin 359 (1), and crambescidin acid (2), three new compounds were isolated; one carboxylated analog of 1 named crambescidin 401 (3), and two analogs of crambescin B, crambescin B 281 (4) and crambescin B 253 (5). Based on these results, a technology named Somartex® for “Self Operating MARine Trapping Extractor” was patented and built to transfer the concept from closed aquarium systems to open marine ecosystems.
Genetic Aetiology of Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss in Moravia-Silesia
Authors: Plevova Pavlina , Tvrda Petra , Paprskarova Martina , Turska Petra , Kantorova Barbara , Mrazkova Eva , Zapletalova Jana
Published: May 2018

Background and Objective: Hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit in humans. The aim of this study was to clarify the genetic aetiology of nonsyndromic hearing loss in the Moravian-Silesian population of the Czech Republic. Patients and Methods: This study included 200 patients (93 males, 107 females, mean age 16.9 years, ranging from 4 months to 62 years) with nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss. We screened all patients for mutations in GJB2 and the large deletion del(GJB6-D13S1830). We performed further screening for additional genes (SERPINB6, TMIE, COCH, ESPN, ACTG1, KCNQ4, and GJB3) with Sanger sequencing on a subset of patients that were negative for GJB2 mutations. Results: We detected biallelic GJB2 mutations in 44 patients (22%). Among these patients, 63.6%, 9.1% and 2.3% exhibited homozygous c.35delG, p.Trp24*, and p.Met34Thr mutations, respectively. The remaining 25% of these patients exhibited compound heterozygous c.35delG, c.-23+1G>A, p.Trp24*, p.Val37Ile, p.Met34Thr, p.Leu90Pro, c.235delC, c.313_326del14, p.Ser139Asn, and p.Gly147Leu mutations. We found a monoallelic GJB2 mutation in 12 patients (6.6%). We found no pathogenic mutations in the other tested genes. Conclusions: One fifth of our cohort had deafness related to GJB2 mutations. The del(GJB6-D13S1830), SERPINB6, TMIE, COCH, ESPN, ACTG1, GJB3, and KCNQ4 mutations were infrequently associated with deafness in the Moravian-Silesian population. Therefore, we suggest that del(GJB6-D13S1830) testing should be performed only when patients with deafness carry the monoallelic GJB2 mutation.
Recovery of Valuable Metals from Lithium-Ion Batteries NMC Cathode Waste Materials by Hydrometallurgical Methods
Authors: Chen Wei-Sheng , Ho Hsing-Jung
Published: May 2018

The paper focuses on the improved process of metal recovery from lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathode waste materials by using hydrometallurgical methods. In the acid leaching step, the essential effects of acidity concentration, H2O2 concentration, leaching time, liquid-solid mass ratio, and reaction temperature with the leaching percentage were investigated in detail. The cathode material was leached with 2M H2SO4 and 10 vol. % H2O2 at 70 °C and 300 rpm using a liquid-solid mass ratio of 30 mL/g. In order to complete the recovery process, this paper designs the proper separation process to recover valuable metals. The leach liquor in the recovery process uses Cyanex 272 to first extract Co and Mn to the organic phase. Secondly, Co and Mn are separated by using D2EHPA, and a high purity of Co is obtained. Thirdly, Ni is selectively precipitated by using DMG, and Ni is completely formed as a solid complex. Finally, in the chemical precipitation process, the remaining Li in the leach liquor is recovered as Li2CO3 precipitated by saturated Na2CO3, and Co, Mn, and Ni are recovered as hydroxides by NaOH. This hydrometallurgical process may provide an effective separation and recovery of valuable metals from LIBs waste cathode materials.
Trace Element Geochemistry of Magnetite: Implications for Ore Genesis of the Huanggangliang Sn-Fe Deposit, Inner Mongolia, Northeastern China
Authors: Wang Cheng , Shao Yongjun , Zhang Xiong , Dick Jeffrey , Liu Zhongfa
Published: May 2018

The Huanggangliang deposit is a super-large Sn-Fe deposit in the Huanggangliang–Ganzhuermiao metallogenic belt in the southern section of the Great Hinggan Range. The Sn-Fe deposits mainly occur in the skarn contact zone and were formed via the interaction of biotite-bearing alkali feldspar granite with limestone strata of the Permian Dashizhai and Zhesi Formations. Based on the intersecting relations among the ore-bearing veins and the different types of mineral assemblages within these veins, the Sn-Fe mineralization could be divided into two periods and four stages: the skarn period, which includes the garnet–diopside–magnetite (T1) stage (stage 1) and epidote–idocrase–cassiterite–magnetite (T2) stage (stage 2); and the quartz–magnetite period, which can be divided into the quartz–cassiterite–magnetite (T3) stage (stage 3) and quartz–magnetite (T4) stage (stage 4). In this paper, we discuss the genesis of magnetite, controlling factors for magnetite compositions, and type of ore genesis based on petrographic studies and LA-ICP-MS analyses of trace elements in these four types of magnetite from the Huanggangliang Sn-Fe deposit. The results demonstrate that the four types of magnetite are generally depleted in Ti (0.002–3.030 wt %), Al (0.008–1.731 wt %), and Zr (<1.610 ppm). In addition, the low Ni and Cr contents and relatively high and stable Fe contents in the four types of magnetite are indicative of hydrothermal genetic features. Compositions of the ore fluids and host rocks, formation of coexisting minerals, and other physical and chemical parameters (such as fO2) may have influenced the variable magnetite geochemistry in the different Huanggangliang ore types, with fluid compositions and fO2 probably playing the most important roles. The geological, petrographic, and geochemical characteristics of magnetite of the Huanggangliang Sn-Fe deposit lead us to conclude that the deposit is a skarn-type Sn-Fe deposit associated with Yanshanian medium-acidic magmatic activities.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Azamacrolide Comprising the Triazole Moiety as Quorum Sensing Inhibitors
Authors: Zhang Bin , Guo Bingyi , Bai Yunlong , Lu Huizhe , Dong Yanhong
Published: May 2018

Novel azamacrolides comprising the triazole moiety were synthesized and evaluated for their quorum sensing inhibitor activities on the Agrobacterium tumefaciens. It was found that the inhibition rate of compound Z12-3 at 200 mg/L (0.45 mM) can reach 67%. The potential binding modes between these molecules and the TraR QS receptor was performed by molecular docking. The results showed that the two nitrogen atoms in the triazole ring of Z12-3 formed hydrogen bonds with GLN-2, and the carbonyl group (C=O) in the amide formed hydrogen bonds with water. It was worth noting that the carbonyl group on the macrolides formed hydrogen bonds with the G-106 base in the DNA. These azamacrolides may block quorum sensing expression through key amino acid residues or DNA bases in the TraR QS receptor by hydrogen-bonded.
Discrimination of Gastrodia elata from Different Geographical Origin for Quality Evaluation Using Newly-Build Near Infrared Spectrum Coupled with Multivariate Analysis
Authors: Zuo Yamin , Deng Xuehua , Wu Qing
Published: May 2018

Discrimination of Gastrodia elata (G. elata) geographical origin is of great importance to pharmaceutical companies and consumers in China. this paper focuses on the feasibility of near infrared spectrum (NIRS) combined multivariate analysis as a rapid and non-destructive method to prove its fit for this purpose. Firstly, 16 batches of G. elata samples from four main-cultivation regions in China were quantified by traditional HPLC method. It showed that samples from different origins could not be efficiently differentiated by the contents of four phenolic compounds in this study. Secondly, the raw near infrared (NIR) spectra of those samples were acquired and two different pattern recognition techniques were used to classify the geographical origins. The results showed that with spectral transformation optimized, discriminant analysis (DA) provided 97% and 99% correct classification for the calibration and validation sets of samples from discriminating of four different main-cultivation regions, and provided 98% and 99% correct classifications for the calibration and validation sets of samples from eight different cities, respectively, which all performed better than the principal component analysis (PCA) method. Thirdly, as phenolic compounds content (PCC) is highly related with the quality of G. elata, synergy interval partial least squares (Si-PLS) was applied to build the PCC prediction model. The coefficient of determination for prediction (Rp2) of the Si-PLS model was 0.9209, and root mean square error for prediction (RMSEP) was 0.338. The two regions (4800 cm−1–5200 cm−1, and 5600 cm−1–6000 cm−1) selected by Si-PLS corresponded to the absorptions of aromatic ring in the basic phenolic structure. It can be concluded that NIR spectroscopy combined with PCA, DA and Si-PLS would be a potential tool to provide a reference for the quality control of G. elata.