bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SPOT-GPR: A Freeware Tool for Target Detection and Localizationin GPR Data Developed within the COST Action TU1208
Authors: Meschino Simone , Pajewski Lara
Published: September 2017

SPOT-GPR (release 1.0) is a new freeware tool implementing an innovative Sub-Array Processing method, for the analysis of Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) data with the main purposes of detecting and localizing targets. The software is implemented in Matlab, it has a graphical user interface and a short manual. This work is the outcome of a series of three Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) funded by European COoperation in Science and Technology (COST) and carried out in the framework of the COST Action TU1208 “Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar” (www.GPRadar.eu). The input of the software is a GPR radargram (B-scan). The radargram is partitioned in subradargrams, composed of a few traces (A-scans) each. The multi-frequency information enclosed in each trace is exploited and a set of dominant Directions of Arrival (DoA) of the electromagnetic field is calculated for each sub-radargram. The estimated angles are triangulated, obtaining a pattern of crossings that are condensed around target locations. Such pattern is filtered, in order to remove a noisy background of unwanted crossings, and is then processed by applying a statistical procedure. Finally, the targets are detected and their positions are predicted. For DoA estimation, the MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm is employed, in combination with the matched filter technique. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the matched filter technique is used for the processing of GPR data. The software has been tested on GPR synthetic radargrams, calculated by using the finite-difference time-domain simulator gprMax, with very good results.
Enhancement of Air-ground Matching by Means of a Chirped Multilayer Structure: Electromagnetic Modeling with the Method of Single Expression
Authors: Baghdasaryan Hovik , Knyazyan Tamara , Hovhannisyan Tamara , Marciniak Marian , Pajewski Lara
Published: September 2017

The enhancement of air-ground electromagneticmatching by means of a chirped multilayer structure is inves-tigated. The modeling and simulation of the considered struc-ture are performed by using the method of single expression(MSE), which is a convenient and accurate tool for wavelength-scale simulations of multilayers comprising lossy, amplifyingor nonlinear (Kerr-type) materials. Numerical results showthat a suitable chirped multilayer structure can reduce the re- ection from the ground. Different values of the number oflayers and of the layer thicknesses are considered. The distributions of the electric eld components and the power owdensity within the modelled structures are calculated.
Incidence of Multi Drug Resistance and Diversity of TEM-1 Beta Lactamase in Gram Negative Bacteria Isolated from Clinical and Environmental Sample
Authors: Natarajan K. , Subashkumar R.
Published: September 2017

Occurrence and incidence of drug resistant bacteria are becoming very high and common with overuse of antibiotics. This study focused on the isolation of drug resistant strains from the clinical and environmental sample that produce extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and identification of TEM-1 genes in the plasmid and genomic DNA. 45 Clinical samples from the hospital and 7 environmental samples from the polluted water sources were collected. Among the collected samples, E. coli showed a higher incidence (36.1 %) followed by Klebsiella sp., Staphylococcus sp., Streptococcus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Proteus sp., and Salmonella sp. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates were investigated against 25 commercially available antibiotics. All the isolated strains showed MAR index value of more than 0.2. Among the 36 isolates, 7 Gram negative isolates (19.4 %) showed positive results for ESBL production in Double disk synergy test. The plasmid and genomic DNA were isolated and analyzed using PCR with specific primers for the presence of the TEM-1 gene (716 bp). A selected PCR products of the TEM-1 gene was sequenced and analyzed using BLAST.Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(3): 302-308
An Evaluation of the Protein Digestibility of Flours and Derived Protein Rich Product of Three Varieties of Mucuna Pruriens (L.) From Rats (Rattus Norvegicus) Males in Growth
Authors: Théopihile Maoudombaye , Ali Mahamat Seid , Doloum Gomoung , Josiane Ngatchic Metsagang Therese , Ndoutamia G.
Published: September 2017

The objective of the present study is to evaluate the proteinaceous digestibility of crude flours and derived protein rich product of three varieties of Mucuna pruriens of the male albino rats in growth. 48 rats have been taken randomly split up into 8 groups where 6 each according to their formulated feedings; those foods are: foods without protein (RSP), foods with casein (RC), food with the black macuna derived protein rich product (RMNc), food with the scratch macuna derived protein rich product (RMRc), food with the white macuna derived protein rich product (RMBc), food with the black macuna crude flours (RMNf), food with the scratch macuna crude flours (RMRf) et food with the white macuna crude flours (RMBf). All those foods content the same quantity of azote excepted foods without protein. Rats have been isolated in the semi metabolic cages which allow gathering the remaining of the foods supplied and the faeces to determine the parameter values of consumption. The experiment has taken 28 days. The apparent and reel protein digestibilities obtained in each food are respectively : RC (76,63±0,36% ; 95,86±0,06%), RMNc (71,20±0,77% ; 91,60±0,99%), RMRc (73,68±0,23% ; 93,49±0,85%), RMBc (71,16±0,59% ; 92,03±0,70%), RMNf (33,25±1,91% ; 53,881±1,70%), RMRf (31,3±2,40% ; 52,12±2,22%) and  RMBf (31,12±4,00% ; 51,92±3,8%). The results show that derived protein rich product have ameliorated the protein digestibility and could be the alternative for the use of seeds of Mucuna pruriens to feed human beings and animals.Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(3): 284-292
Study of Fermentation Kinetics of Palm Sap from Cocos nucifera
Authors: Shetty Premalatha , D’Souza Avila , Poojari Sangeetha , Narayana Jayadurgi , Rajeeva Priya
Published: September 2017

Palm wine plays an important role as an alcoholic beverage in traditional practices. It is important to study the biochemical characteristics and microbiological aspects to understand the fermentation kinetics of palm saps. In the present investigation an elaborate study was carried out to study the fermentation kinetics of coconut palm sap. Total sugar, reducing sugar content and glucose concentration was estimated periodically during fermentation for 16h. Microbial load and invertase assay results were related to the changes in sugar concentration. Initial predominance of lactic acid bacteria was followed by dominance of yeasts. Hydrolysis of non reducing sugar occured at a faster rate between 3-9h of fermentation. During this period, the multiplication of yeasts began and reached its peak at 11h fermentation. Ethanol concentration was around 4.0 and 4.1%  at 11h and 13h of fermentation respectively.Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(3): 375-381
Perception and Practices of Academic Leadership in Technical Schools
Authors: Chauhan Ramesh Kumar
Published: September 2017

This qualitative case study research explored leaders’ and faculty members’ perspectives on the nature of academic leadership at the technical schools in Kathmandu Valley. The study aimed to gain insights about academic leadership as practiced in a Nepalese technical school. Data for the study was collected from leaders and faculty members of technical schools in Kathmandu Valley through semi-structured interviews which were then analyzed thematically. Following an interpretivist worldview and drawing insights from leadership theories enabled understanding of the academic leadership practices at the technical schools. The study revealed that differences in the perspectives of leaders and faculty members on academic leadership at technical schools are influenced by the leadership knowledge, experience and training of leaders. Further, the study illustrated that understanding of academic leadership is affected by the Nepalese culture.
Caged for Protection: Exploring the Paradoxes of Protecting New Zealand's
Dactylanthus taylorii
Authors: Hølleland Herdis
Published: September 2017

Emerging from an ethnographic encounter with the conservation efforts to save an enclave of
Dactylanthus taylorii
in Tongariro National Park, the article discusses some of the paradoxes of conservation management by interdisciplinary tracing of the research and conservation history of the plant. First, the article examines how our efforts to protect native species contribute to transforming the very environment of which they are part. Furthermore, by tracing the plant's history of decline and the following rise of conservation, the article addresses the role of native species in relation to notions of belonging and the creation and maintenance of a national heritage.
Registration of ‘Kenhy’ and ‘Gibtuck’ Limpograss Hybrids
Authors: Quesenberry K. H. , Sollenberger L. E. , Vendramini J. M. B. , Wallau M. O. , Blount A. R. , Acuña C. A.
Published: September 2017

‘Kenhy’ (Reg. No. CV‐283, PI 682663) and ‘Gibtuck’ (Reg. No. CV‐284, PI 682664) hybrid limpograss [Hemarthria altissima (Poir.) Stapf & C.E. Hubbard] cultivars were produced by the University of Florida Agronomy Department, a unit of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and released in 2014. These two hybrids were selected from 51 hybrid seedlings produced by greenhouse hand crosses of ‘Floralta’ × ‘Bigalta’. Floralta is estimated to constitute >95% of the limpograss grown in Florida, raising concerns about genetic vulnerability. Bigalta, although less persistent than Floralta, has been shown to have slightly greater in vitro organic matter digestion. Evaluations of these hybrids were conducted at the Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, FL, at two locations near Gainesville, FL, and at the North Florida Research and Education Center, Marianna, FL. Evaluations included greenhouse pot studies, small plot clipping experiments, two different mob stocking grazing experiments, and an experiment to evaluate herbage accumulation and nutritive value under stockpiling management. Kenhy and Gibtuck were selected for superior herbage accumulation, persistence under grazing defoliation, improved nutritive value compared with Floralta, and utility as stockpiled forage. Vegetative planting material was first distributed in summer 2014 to a group of growers selected by the Florida Cattlemen's Research Committee, and further public distribution will be coordinated by this committee.
Conservative Music Criticism, the Inflation, and Concert Life in Weimar Germany, 1919–1924
Authors: Fay Brendan
Published: September 2017

In surveying the thirteen crisis-ridden years that Weimar democracy endured from its founding in 1919, perhaps none loom as large as the hyperinflation years spanning 1922–1923. According to many historians, the ‘Great Disorder’ not only destroyed the bonds between different social classes but also shattered Germans’ faith in and commitment to Weimar democracy. At the same time, Germany's cultural conservatives found themselves weathering a ‘cultural crisis’ brought on by the combined forces of artistic and technological innovation. In this article, I argue that our sense of Weimar's crises has been profoundly shaped by knowledge of what came later, and has tended to differ markedly from contemporaries’ sense of history and their place in it. This article examines the inflation's impact on German concert life, reassessing cultural conservatives—long held as hostile to Weimar democracy—and their attitudes toward German classical music, the nation, and society during the turbulent early years of the Weimar Republic.
Private Correspondence and Migration History: Some Reflections and Examples from Iberian Galicia
Authors: Núñez Seixas Xosé M.
Published: September 2017

Recent reappraisals of the return of the subject have encouraged a gradual re-assessment of the use of oral or written personal documents in historiography. Much of the new research based on personal sources has adopted an interdisciplinary theoretical focus that borrows from cultural anthropology, linguistics, network theory and cultural history, in order to ‘rescue’ the experiences of the anonymous protagonists of social change. Yet: To what extent is it possible to maintain this optimistic, perhaps even simplistic fascination today? This essay seeks to address this question by focusing on the use of letters in Iberian migration history.
Investigating the Combined Effect of Tillage, Nitrogen Fertilization and Cover Crops on Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Winter Wheat
Authors: Habbib Hazzar , Hirel Bertrand , Verzeaux Julien , Roger David , Lacoux Jérôme , Lea Peter , Dubois Frédéric , Tétu Thierry
Published: September 2017

A field study was conducted in northern France over two consecutive years to evaluate the combined effect of conventional tillage (CT) vs no till (NT) with or without cover crops (cc) and nitrogen (N) fertilization on various agronomic traits related to N use efficiency in winter wheat. Five years after conversion of CT to NT, significant increases in N use efficiency, N utilization efficiency, N agronomic efficiency, N partial factor productivity, N apparent recovery fraction and N remobilization were observed under three N fertilization regimes (0, 161, 215 kg ha−1). It was also observed that grain yield and grain N content were similar under CT and NT. The N nutrition index was higher under NT at the three rates of N fertilization. Moreover, N use efficiency related traits were increased in the presence of cc both under NT and CT. Thus, agronomic practices based on continuous NT in the presence of cc, appear to be promising strategies to increase N use efficiency in wheat, while reducing both the use and the loss of N-based fertilizers.
Imagining the Future of the Internal Combustion Engine for Ground Transport in the Current Context
Authors: Serrano José
Published: September 2017

Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) are the main propulsion systems for ground transport, both in on-road and off-road applications [...]
A Cubature-Principle-Assisted IMM-Adaptive UKF Algorithm for Maneuvering Target Tracking Caused by Sensor Faults
Authors: Zhou Huan , Zhao Hui , Huang Hanqiao , Zhao Xin
Published: September 2017

Aimed at solving the problem of decreased filtering precision while maneuvering target tracking caused by non-Gaussian distribution and sensor faults, we developed an efficient interacting multiple model-unscented Kalman filter (IMM-UKF) algorithm. By dividing the IMM-UKF into two links, the algorithm introduces the cubature principle to approximate the probability density of the random variable, after the interaction, by considering the external link of IMM-UKF, which constitutes the cubature-principle-assisted IMM method (CPIMM) for solving the non-Gaussian problem, and leads to an adaptive matrix to balance the contribution of the state. The algorithm provides filtering solutions by considering the internal link of IMM-UKF, which is called a new adaptive UKF algorithm (NAUKF) to address sensor faults. The proposed CPIMM-NAUKF is evaluated in a numerical simulation and two practical experiments including one navigation experiment and one maneuvering target tracking experiment. The simulation and experiment results show that the proposed CPIMM-NAUKF has greater filtering precision and faster convergence than the existing IMM-UKF. The proposed algorithm achieves a very good tracking performance, and will be effective and applicable in the field of maneuvering target tracking.
Effect of Graphene Coating on the Heat Transfer Performance of a Composite Anti-/Deicing Component
Authors: Chen Long , Zhang Yidu , Wu Qiong
Published: September 2017

The thermal conductivity of a graphene coating for anti-/deicing is rarely studied. This paper presents an improved anti-/deicing efficiency method for composite material anti-/deicing by using the heat-transfer characteristic of a graphene coating. An anti-/deicing experiment was conducted using the centrifugal force generated by a helicopter rotor. Results showed that the graphene coating can accelerate the internal heat transfer of the composite material, thereby improving the anti-icing and deicing efficiency of the helicopter rotor. The spraying process parameters, such as coating thickness and spraying pressure, were also studied. Results showed that reducing coating thickness and increasing spraying pressure are beneficial in preparing a graphene coating with high thermal conductivity. This study provides an experimental reference for the application of a graphene coating in anti-/deicing.
Anti-Solvent Crystallization Strategies for Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Konstantakou Maria , Perganti Dorothea , Falaras Polycarpos , Stergiopoulos Thomas
Published: September 2017

Solution-processed organic-inorganic halide perovskites are currently established as the hottest area of interest in the world of photovoltaics, ensuring low manufacturing cost and high conversion efficiencies. Even though various fabrication/deposition approaches and device architectures have been tested, researchers quickly realized that the key for the excellent solar cell operation was the quality of the crystallization of the perovskite film, employed to assure efficient photogeneration of carriers, charge separation and transport of the separated carriers at the contacts. One of the most typical methods in chemistry to crystallize a material is anti-solvent precipitation. Indeed, this classical precipitation method worked really well for the growth of single crystals of perovskite. Fortunately, the method was also effective for the preparation of perovskite films by adopting an anti-solvent dripping technique during spin-coating the perovskite precursor solution on the substrate. With this, polycrystalline perovskite films with pure and stable crystal phases accompanied with excellent surface coverage were prepared, leading to highly reproducible efficiencies close to 22%. In this review, we discuss recent results on highly efficient solar cells, obtained by the anti-solvent dripping method, always in the presence of Lewis base adducts of lead(II) iodide. We present all the anti-solvents that can be used and what is the impact of them on device efficiencies. Finally, we analyze the critical challenges that currently limit the efficacy/reproducibility of this crystallization method and propose prospects for future directions.
Pine Nuts: A Review of Recent Sanitary Conditions and Market Development
Authors: Awan Hafiz , Pettenella Davide
Published: September 2017

Pine nuts are non-wood forest products (NWFP) with a constantly growing market notwithstanding a series of phytosanitary issues and related trade problems. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on the relationship between phytosanitary problems and trade development. Production and trade of pine nuts in Mediterranean Europe have been negatively affected by the spreading of Diplodia sapinea (a fungus) associated with an adventive insect Leptoglossus occidentalis (fungal vector), with impacts on forest management, production and profitability and thus in value chain organization. Reduced availability of domestic production in markets with a growing demand has stimulated the import of pine nuts. China has become a leading exporter of pine nuts, but its export is affected by a symptom caused by the nuts of some pine species: ‘pine nut syndrome’ (PNS). Most of the studies mentioned in the literature review concern PNS occurrence associated with the nuts of Pinus armandii. We highlight the need for a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of the pine nuts value chain organization, where research on food properties and clinical toxicology may be connected to breeding and forest management, forest pathology and entomology, and trade development.
The Application of State-of-the-Art Analytic Tools (Biosensors and Spectroscopy) in Beverage and Food Fermentation Process Monitoring
Authors: Chandra Shaneel , Chapman James , Power Aoife , Roberts Jess , Cozzolino Daniel
Published: September 2017

The production of several agricultural products and foods are linked with fermentation. Traditional methods used to control and monitor the quality of the products and processes are based on the use of simple chemical analysis. However, these methods are time-consuming and do not provide sufficient relevant information to guarantee the chemical changes during the process. Commonly used methods applied in the agriculture and food industries to monitor fermentation are those based on simple or single-point sensors, where only one parameter is measured (e.g., temperature or density). These sensors are used several times per day and are often the only source of data available from which the conditions and rate of fermentation are monitored. In the modern food industry, an ideal method to control and monitor the fermentation process should enable a direct, rapid, precise, and accurate determination of several target compounds, with minimal to no sample preparation or reagent consumption. Here, state-of-the-art advancements in both the application of sensors and analytical tools to monitor beverage and food fermentation processes will be discussed.
Pathway Enrichment Analysis with Networks
Authors: Liu Lu , Wei Jinmao , Ruan Jianhua
Published: September 2017

Detecting associations between an input gene set and annotated gene sets (e.g., pathways) is an important problem in modern molecular biology. In this paper, we propose two algorithms, termed NetPEA and NetPEA’, for conducting network-based pathway enrichment analysis. Our algorithms consider not only shared genes but also gene–gene interactions. Both algorithms utilize a protein–protein interaction network and a random walk with a restart procedure to identify hidden relationships between an input gene set and pathways, but both use different randomization strategies to evaluate statistical significance and as a result emphasize different pathway properties. Compared to an over representation-based method, our algorithms can identify more statistically significant pathways. Compared to an existing network-based algorithm, EnrichNet, our algorithms have a higher sensitivity in revealing the true causal pathways while at the same time achieving a higher specificity. A literature review of selected results indicates that some of the novel pathways reported by our algorithms are biologically relevant and important. While the evaluations are performed only with KEGG pathways, we believe the algorithms can be valuable for general functional discovery from high-throughput experiments.
The American Schools of Oriental Research Cultural Heritage Initiatives: Monitoring Cultural Heritage in Syria and Northern Iraq by Geospatial Imagery
Authors: Danti Michael , Branting Scott , Penacho Susan
Published: September 2017

The American Schools of Oriental Research Cultural Heritage Initiatives (ASOR CHI) continues to address the cultural heritage crisis in Syria and Northern Iraq by: (1) monitoring, reporting, and fact-finding; (2) promoting global awareness; and (3) conducting emergency response projects and developing post-conflict rehabilitation plans. As part of this mission, ASOR CHI, through a public–government collaboration with the United States of America (US) Department of State, has been provided with access to hundreds of thousands of satellite images, some within 24 h of the image being taken, in order to assess reports of damage to cultural heritage sites, to discover unreported damage, and to evaluate the impacts of such incidents. This work is being done across an inventory of over 13,000 cultural heritage sites in the affected regions. The available dataset of satellite imagery is significantly larger than the scales that geospatial specialists within archaeology have dealt with in the past. This has necessitated a rethinking of how the project uses satellite imagery and how ASOR CHI and future projects can more effectively undertake the important work of cultural heritage monitoring and damage assessment.
Advancing Social Media and Mobile Technologies in Healthcare Education
Authors: Cummings Elizabeth , Mather Carey
Published: September 2017

Social media and mobile technologies are important new tools in healthcare education, both to assist healthcare professionals learn and maintain their craft, and for the education of patients and families [...]
The Role of IL-17 in Protection against Mucosal Candida Infections
Authors: Mengesha Bemnet , Conti Heather
Published: September 2017

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a proinflammatory cytokine produced by adaptive CD4+ T helper cells and innate lymphocytes, such as γδ-T cells and TCRβ+ “natural” Th17 cells. IL-17 activates signaling through the IL-17 receptor, which induces other proinflammatory cytokines, antimicrobial peptides and neutrophil chemokines that are important for antifungal activity. The importance of IL-17 in protective antifungal immunity is evident in mice and humans, where various genetic defects related to the IL-17-signaling pathway render them highly susceptible to forms of candidiasis such oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) or more broadly chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC), both caused mainly by the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans. OPC is common in infants and the elderly, HIV/AIDS and patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. This review focuses on the role of IL-17 in protection against candidiasis, and includes a brief discussion of non-Candida albicans fungal infections, as well as how therapeutic interventions blocking IL-17-related components can affect antifungal immunity.
Tax Policy in Action: 2016 Tax Amnesty Experience of the Republic of Indonesia
Authors: Said Emmiryzan
Published: September 2017

Tax amnesty programs are often used by governments to improve tax compliance and to increase tax revenue. However, the policy choice to provide a tax amnesty often results in adverse consequences, including the violation of other legal rules. For this reason, the policy choice to offer a tax amnesty (‘tax amnesty policy’) is often controversial. The tax amnesty policy and resulting program offered by the Government of Indonesia has been criticized both because it is considered to be unfair and because it favors the perpetrators of tax evasion. In particular, the tax amnesty law offered special treatment to taxpayers who participated in the program, such as no checking of the source of funds, no checking of the financial statements reported by law enforcers, protection from punishment on the financial reports provided to the Director General of Taxation, and the requirement to pay only a small penalty. Tax amnesty programs also provide the potential for money laundering. This is certainly the case in Indonesia. In addition, tax amnesty programs weaken law enforcement in Indonesia; in particular, in the areas of corruption and money laundering. This is because law enforcement officers cannot investigate the perpetrators of white-collar crime that benefit from the tax amnesty program. Under the terms of the tax amnesty program, the financial data is not accessible by them.
Performance Analysis of Retrofitted Tribo-Corrosion Test Rig for Monitoring In Situ Oil Conditions
Authors: Siddaiah Arpith , Khan Zulfiqar , Ramachandran Rahul , Menezes Pradeep
Published: September 2017

Oils and lubricants, once extracted after use from a mechanical system, can hardly be reused, and should be refurbished or replaced in most applications. New methods of in situ oil and lubricant efficiency monitoring systems have been introduced for a wide variety of mechanical systems, such as automobiles, aerospace aircrafts, ships, offshore wind turbines, and deep sea oil drilling rigs. These methods utilize electronic sensors to monitor the “byproduct effects” in a mechanical system that are not indicative of the actual remaining lifecycle and reliability of the oils. A reliable oil monitoring system should be able to monitor the wear rate and the corrosion rate of the tribo-pairs due to the inclusion of contaminants. The current study addresses this technological gap, and presents a novel design of a tribo-corrosion test rig for oils used in a dynamic system. A pin-on-disk tribometer test rig retrofitted with a three electrode-potentiostat corrosion monitoring system was used to analyze the corrosion and wear rate of a steel tribo-pair in industrial grade transmission oil. The effectiveness of the retrofitted test rig was analyzed by introducing various concentrations of contaminants in an oil medium that usually leads to a corrosive working environment. The results indicate that the retrofitted test rig can effectively monitor the in situ tribological performance of the oil in a controlled dynamic corrosive environment. It is a useful method to understand the wear–corrosion synergies for further experimental work, and to develop accurate predictive lifecycle assessment and prognostic models. The application of this system is expected to have economic benefits and help reduce the ecological oil waste footprint.
A Network Pharmacology-Based Study on the Hepatoprotective Effect of Fructus Schisandrae
Authors: Hong Ming , Zhang Yongsheng , Li Sha , Tan Hor , Wang Ning , Mu Shuzhen , Hao Xiaojiang , Feng Yibin
Published: September 2017

Fructus schisandrae (Wuweizi in Chinese), a common traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has been used for centuries to treat chronic liver disease. The therapeutic efficacy of Wuweizi has also been validated in clinical practice. In this study, molecular docking and network analysis were carried out to explore the hepatoprotective mechanism of Wuweizi as an effective therapeutic approach to treat liver disease. Multiple active compounds of Wuweizi were docked with 44 protein targets related with viral hepatitis, fatty liver, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. A compound–target network was constructed through network pharmacology analysis, predicting the relationships of active ingredients to the targets. Our results demonstrated that schisantherin, schisandrin B, schisandrol B, kadsurin, Wuweizisu C, Gomisin A, Gomisin G, and angeloylgomisin may target with 21 intracellular proteins associated with liver diseases, especially with fatty liver disease. The CYP2E1, PPARα, and AMPK genes and their related pathway may play a pivotal role in the hepatoprotective effects of Wuweizi. The network pharmacology strategy used provides a forceful tool for searching the action mechanism of traditional herbal medicines and novel bioactive ingredients.
Ionic Liquid-Catalyzed Green Protocol for Multi-Component Synthesis of Dihydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles as Potential Anticancer Scaffolds
Authors: Nimbalkar Urja , Seijas Julio , Vazquez-Tato Maria , Damale Manoj , Sangshetti Jaiprakash , Nikalje Anna
Published: September 2017

A series of 6-amino-4-substituted-3-methyl-2,4-dihydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole-5-carbonitriles 5a–j were synthesized via one-pot, four-component condensation reactions of aryl aldehydes 1a–j, propanedinitrile (2), hydrazine hydrate (3) and ethyl acetoacetate (4) under solvent-free conditions. We report herein the use of the Brønsted acid ionic liquid (BAIL) triethylammonium hydrogen sulphate [Et3NH][HSO4] as catalyst for this multi-component synthesis. Compared with the available reaction methodology, this new method has consistent advantages, including excellent yields, a short reaction time, mild reaction conditions and catalyst reusability. Selected synthesized derivatives were evaluated for in vitro anticancer activity against four human cancer cell lines viz. melanoma cancer cell line (SK-MEL-2), breast cancer cell line(MDA-MB-231), leukemia cancer cell line (K-562) and cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). Compounds 5b, 5d, 5g, 5h and 5j exhibited promising anticancer activity against all selected human cancer cell lines, except HeLa. Molecular docking studies also confirmed 5b and 5d as good lead molecules. An in silico ADMET study of the synthesized anticancer agents indicated good oral drug-like behavior and non-toxic nature.
Poly-L-arginine Coated Silver Nanoprisms and Their Anti-Bacterial Properties
Authors: Tanvir Fouzia , Yaqub Atif , Tanvir Shazia , Anderson William
Published: September 2017

The aim of this study was to test the effect of two different morphologies of silver nanoparticles, spheres, and prisms, on their antibacterial properties when coated with poly-L-arginine (poly-Arg) to enhance the interactions with cells. Silver nanoparticle solutions were characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, as well as antimicrobial tests. These ultimately showed that a prismatic morphology exhibited stronger antimicrobial effects against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica. The minimum bactericidal concentration was found to be 0.65 μg/mL in the case of a prismatic AgNP-poly-Arg-PVP (silver nanoparticle-poly-L-arginine-polyvinylpyrrolidone) nanocomposite. The anticancer cell activity of the silver nanoparticles was also studied, where the maximum effect against a HeLa cell line was 80% mortality with a prismatic AgNP-poly-Arg-PVP nanocomposite at a concentration of 11 μg/mL. The antimicrobial activity of these silver nanocomposites demonstrates the potential of such coated silver nanoparticles in the area of nano-medicine.
Post-Exercise Muscle Protein Synthesis in Rats after Ingestion of Acidified Bovine Milk Compared with Skim Milk
Authors: Nakayama Kyosuke , Kanda Atsushi , Tagawa Ryoichi , Sanbongi Chiaki , Ikegami Shuji , Itoh Hiroyuki
Published: September 2017

Bovine milk proteins have a low absorption rate due to gastric acid-induced coagulation. Acidified milk remains liquid under acidic conditions; therefore, the absorption rate of its protein may differ from that of untreated milk. To investigate how this would affect muscle protein synthesis (MPS), we compared MPS after ingestion of acidified versus skim milk in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats swam for 2 h and were immediately administered acidified or skim milk, then euthanized at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min afterwards. Triceps muscle samples were excised for assessing fractional synthetic rate (FSR), plasma components, intramuscular free amino acids and mTOR signaling. The FSR in the acidified milk group was significantly higher than in the skim milk group throughout the post-ingestive period. Plasma essential amino acids, leucine, and insulin levels were significantly increased in the acidified milk group at 30 min after administration compared to the skim milk group. In addition, acidified milk ingestion was associated with greater phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) and ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K1), and sustained phosphorylation of 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). These results indicate that compared with untreated milk, acidified milk ingestion is associated with greater stimulation of post-exercise MPS.
Precision Nutrition for Targeting Lipid Metabolism in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Aguirre-Portolés Cristina , Fernández Lara , Ramírez de Molina Ana
Published: September 2017

Cancer is a multistage and multifactorial condition with genetic and environmental factors modulating tumorogenesis and disease progression. Nevertheless, cancer is preventable, as one third of cancer deaths could be avoided by modifying key risk factors. Nutrients can directly affect fundamental cellular processes and are considered among the most important risk factors in colorectal cancer (CRC). Red and processed meat, poultry consumption, fiber, and folate are the best-known diet components that interact with colorectal cancer susceptibility. In addition, the direct association of an unhealthy diet with obesity and dysbiosis opens new routes in the understanding of how daily diet nutrients could influence cancer prognosis. In the “omics” era, traditional nutrition has been naturally evolved to precision nutrition where technical developments have contributed to a more accurate discipline. In this sense, genomic and transcriptomic studies have been extensively used in precision nutrition approaches. However, the relation between CRC carcinogenesis and nutrition factors is more complex than originally expected. Together with classical diet-nutrition-related genes, nowadays, lipid-metabolism-related genes have acquired relevant interest in precision nutrition studies. Lipids regulate very diverse cellular processes from ATP synthesis and the activation of essential cell-signaling pathways to membrane organization and plasticity. Therefore, a wide range of tumorogenic steps can be influenced by lipid metabolism, both in primary tumours and distal metastasis. The extent to which genetic variants, together with the intake of specific dietary components, affect the risk of CRC is currently under investigation, and new therapeutic or preventive applications must be explored in CRC models. In this review, we will go in depth into the study of co-occurring events, which orchestrate CRC tumorogenesis and are essential for the evolution of precision nutrition paradigms. Likewise, we will discuss the application of precision nutrition approaches to target lipid metabolism in CRC.
An Incremental Economic Analysis of Establishing Early Successional Habitat for Biodiversity
Authors: Hazard-Daniel Slayton , Hiesl Patrick , Loeb Susan , Straka Thomas
Published: September 2017

Early successional habitat (ESH) is an important component of natural landscapes and is crucial to maintaining biodiversity. ESH also impacts endangered species. The extent of forest disturbances resulting in ESH has been diminishing, and foresters have developed timber management regimes using standard silvicultural techniques that enhance ESH. We developed a financial framework to evaluate these ESH-enhancing forest management regimes, driven by differences in timber harvest costs and timber revenue. The economic model was applied to on-the-ground prescriptions in the Nantahala National Forest (NNF) designed to increase biodiversity and foster improved public awareness of the importance of ESH. Bats, a current conservation concern, commonly exploit ESH and were the focus of our prescriptions. The prescriptions were based on shelterwood cuts of varying patch size, spacing between the cuts, and the trail area required to move from patch to patch. The results showed that prescriptions with large patch areas were effective in increasing ESH, with minimal impact on the financial performance of timber harvesting operations. This information can be used to minimize financial losses while catering to wildlife species that prefer ESH, in addition to increasing overall biodiversity.
Applications of Satellite-Based Rainfall Estimates in Flood Inundation Modeling—A Case Study in Mundeni Aru River Basin, Sri Lanka
Authors: Yoshimoto Shuhei , Amarnath Giriraj
Published: September 2017

The performance of Satellite Rainfall Estimate (SRE) products applied to flood inundation modelling was tested for the Mundeni Aru River Basin in eastern Sri Lanka. Three SREs (PERSIANN, TRMM, and GSMaP) were tested, with the Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation (RRI) model used as the flood inundation model. All the SREs were found to be suitable for applying to the RRI model. The simulations created by applying the SREs were generally accurate, although there were some discrepancies in discharge due to differing precipitation volumes. The volumes of precipitation of the SREs tended to be smaller than those of the gauged data, but using a scale factor to correct this improved the simulations. In particular, the SRE, i.e., the GSMaP yielding the best simulation that correlated most closely with the flood inundation extent from the satellite data, was considered the most appropriate to apply to the model calculation. The application procedures and suggestions shown in this study could help authorities to make better-informed decisions when giving early flood warnings and making rapid flood forecasts, especially in areas where in-situ observations are limited.
One-Class Classification of Airborne LiDAR Data in Urban Areas Using a Presence and Background Learning Algorithm
Authors: Ao Zurui , Su Yanjun , Li Wenkai , Guo Qinghua , Zhang Jing
Published: September 2017

Automatic classification of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data in urban areas is of great importance for many applications such as generating three-dimensional (3D) building models and monitoring power lines. Traditional supervised classification methods require training samples of all classes to construct a reliable classifier. However, complete training samples are normally hard and costly to collect, and a common circumstance is that only training samples for a class of interest are available, in which traditional supervised classification methods may be inappropriate. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using a novel one-class classification algorithm, i.e., the presence and background learning (PBL) algorithm, to classify LiDAR data in an urban scenario. The results demonstrated that the PBL algorithm implemented by back propagation (BP) neural network (PBL-BP) could effectively classify a single class (e.g., building, tree, terrain, power line, and others) from airborne LiDAR point cloud with very high accuracy. The mean F-score for all of the classes from the PBL-BP classification results was 0.94, which was higher than those from one-class support vector machine (SVM), biased SVM, and maximum entropy methods (0.68, 0.82 and 0.93, respectively). Moreover, the PBL-BP algorithm yielded a comparable overall accuracy to the multi-class SVM method. Therefore, this method is very promising in the classification of the LiDAR point cloud.
A Methodology to Detect and Update Active Deformation Areas Based on Sentinel-1 SAR Images
Authors: Barra Anna , Solari Lorenzo , Béjar-Pizarro Marta , Monserrat Oriol , Bianchini Silvia , Herrera Gerardo , Crosetto Michele , Sarro Roberto , González-Alonso Elena , Mateos Rosa , Ligüerzana Sergio , López Carmen , Moretti Sandro
Published: September 2017

This work is focused on deformation activity mapping and monitoring using Sentinel-1 (S-1) data and the DInSAR (Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) technique. The main goal is to present a procedure to periodically update and assess the geohazard activity (volcanic activity, landslides and ground-subsidence) of a given area by exploiting the wide area coverage and the high coherence and temporal sampling (revisit time up to six days) provided by the S-1 satellites. The main products of the procedure are two updatable maps: the deformation activity map and the active deformation areas map. These maps present two different levels of information aimed at different levels of geohazard risk management, from a very simplified level of information to the classical deformation map based on SAR interferometry. The methodology has been successfully applied to La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria Islands (Canary Island archipelago). The main obtained results are discussed.
Integration of Absorption Feature Information from Visible to Longwave Infrared Spectral Ranges for Mineral Mapping
Authors: Kopačková Veronika , Koucká Lucie
Published: September 2017

Merging hyperspectral data from optical and thermal ranges allows a wider variety of minerals to be mapped and thus allows lithology to be mapped in a more complex way. In contrast, in most of the studies that have taken advantage of the data from the visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), shortwave infrared (SWIR) and longwave infrared (LWIR) spectral ranges, these different spectral ranges were analysed and interpreted separately. This limits the complexity of the final interpretation. In this study a presentation is made of how multiple absorption features, which are directly linked to the mineral composition and are present throughout the VIS, NIR, SWIR and LWIR ranges, can be automatically derived and, moreover, how these new datasets can be successfully used for mineral/lithology mapping. The biggest advantage of this approach is that it overcomes the issue of prior definition of endmembers, which is a requested routine employed in all widely used spectral mapping techniques. In this study, two different airborne image datasets were analysed, HyMap (VIS/NIR/SWIR image data) and Airborne Hyperspectral Scanner (AHS, LWIR image data). Both datasets were acquired over the Sokolov lignite open-cast mines in the Czech Republic. It is further demonstrated that even in this case, when the absorption feature information derived from multispectral LWIR data is integrated with the absorption feature information derived from hyperspectral VIS/NIR/SWIR data, an important improvement in terms of more complex mineral mapping is achieved.
Co3O4 as p-Type Material for CO Sensing in Humid Air
Authors: Vladimirova Svetlana , Krivetskiy Valeriy , Rumyantseva Marina , Gaskov Alexander , Mordvinova Natalia , Lebedev Oleg , Martyshov Mikhail , Forsh Pavel
Published: September 2017

Nanocrystalline cobalt oxide Co3O4 has been prepared by precipitation and subsequent thermal decomposition of a carbonate precursor, and has been characterized in detail using XRD, transmission electron microscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy. The sensory characteristics of the material towards carbon monoxide in the concentration range 6.7–20 ppm have been examined in both dry and humid air. A sensor signal is achieved in dry air at sufficiently low temperatures T = 80–120 °C, but the increase in relative humidity results in the disappearance of sensor signal in this temperature range. At temperatures above 200 °C the inversion of the sensor signal in dry air was observed. In the temperature interval 180–200 °C the sensor signal toward CO is nearly the same at 0, 20 and 60% r.h. The obtained results are discussed in relation with the specific features of the adsorption of CO, oxygen, and water molecules on the surface of Co3O4. The independence of the sensor signal from the air humidity combined with a sufficiently short response time at a moderate operating temperature makes Co3O4 a very promising material for CO detection in conditions of variable humidity.
Adaptation of Dubins Paths for UAV Ground Obstacle Avoidance When Using a Low Cost On-Board GNSS Sensor
Authors: Kikutis Ramūnas , Stankūnas Jonas , Rudinskas Darius , Masiulionis Tadas
Published: September 2017

Current research on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) shows a lot of interest in autonomous UAV navigation. This interest is mainly driven by the necessity to meet the rules and restrictions for small UAV flights that are issued by various international and national legal organizations. In order to lower these restrictions, new levels of automation and flight safety must be reached. In this paper, a new method for ground obstacle avoidance derived by using UAV navigation based on the Dubins paths algorithm is presented. The accuracy of the proposed method has been tested, and research results have been obtained by using Software-in-the-Loop (SITL) simulation and real UAV flights, with the measurements done with a low cost Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor. All tests were carried out in a three-dimensional space, but the height accuracy was not assessed. The GNSS navigation data for the ground obstacle avoidance algorithm is evaluated statistically.